How To Become A Dog Foster Parent ~ What To Expect

It's one of the best ways you can show your love for dogs and help them out at the same time.

Many think of the bottom line: by fostering a dog, you are freeing up a shelter cage so that another dog’s life can be saved.

Therefore, foster dogs simply need a place to live -- with someone who will love them until a permanent home can be found. That volunteer could be you!

Why Some Dogs Need Fostering

Generally speaking, dogs that need fostering are those that:

Have medical issuesNeed time to heal from an injury or traumatic experienceHave behavioral issuesNeed to be socialized so they know how to behave with other dogs or people

Many dogs end up in the shelter system for no other reason than being the wrong "type" of dog for their owner. Many people adopt/buy their dogs based solely on appearance rather than taking into account dog's temperament and personality. Source

The primary goal of dog fostering is to expose dogs to a safe home environment. Fostering can ultimately prevent behavior problems from developing in dogs who don't get the love and interaction they need while in a shelter.

Depending on the dog, extra attention may be devoted to exposing them to children, other pets, as well as other men and women (both inside and outside the home). In the end, it is how well socialized a dog is that ultimately influences his likelihood of being adopted.

Our humane society tries to put dogs into foster homes after they have spent several weeks or months at the shelter without being adopted. This gives the dog a chance to recover from the stress of being kenneled, while providing space in the kennel for a new dog. Additionally, the foster volunteer has the opportunity to work with the dog to correct some of the behavior problems that may have led to the dog's surrender. Source

Fostering a dog is not only a great way to help a dog in need, but a great way to get involved in your community. The daily experiences and guidance you provide to a foster dog gives that dog a greater chance to succeed in their new (permanent) home.

By fostering a dog, you help to increase the dog's chances of being successfully adopted in a number of ways:

First and foremost, you provide love, stability, and attention which will help him/her to rebuild their trust in human-beings.Second, by working with the dog on socialization, housebreaking, and basic obedience, your efforts will make the dog a more attractive candidate to potential adopters.Third, some homeless animals have lived on the street and have never had a regular routine or schedule, by inviting a displaced dog into your home, you greatly assist him/her in adapting to a home environment for, sometimes, his or her first time.

How To Find Dogs That Need Fostering

Start looking within your community for a dog foster group.

Most dog rescue groups and animals shelters have a foster program, or they can refer you to someone that does. Some are just for a particular breed of dog -- like Boxers, Beagles, or Greyhounds. But there are also plenty of dog foster groups that cater to all dog breeds.

NOTE: Don't shy away from contacting a dog rescue group that's far away from where you live. Chances are, they can put you in touch with a similar group closer to you.

If you are unable to find an official dog foster group in your area, check with your local vet or animal shelter. They typically work with dog foster organizations and can point you in the right direction.

Next, you'll want to take the time to visit one (or more) dog foster groups so you can get a good feel for the organization and the types of dogs they rescue & find foster parents for. Then, go through the dog foster group's application process -- which may or may not include a home inspection and/or a training session or orientation class. After you are approved to be a dog foster parent, the next time they have a dog that needs fostering you will be on their list and you will get a call.

Can't find a dog foster group in your area? Check out the Pet Foster Network.

What's Required To Foster A Dog

Fostering a dog means taking a needy dog into your home and providing him/her with food, water, exercise, and love.

While some foster dogs may require extra special care (like medications, weight loss, or weight gain), most simply require daily exercise, and fun!

In the end, all a foster dog really requires is some attention and a safe place to stay. So you want to make sure that you have the personal time and emotional commitment necessary to be a dog foster parent.

Generally speaking, if you're going to be a foster dog parent you should have some experience with dogs and be familiar with basic dog care and training.

Depending on the dog, fostering may also entail a great deal of clean-up and damage control that you're not already used to. Yes, foster dogs have been known to ruin window drapes/blinds/curtains, carpeting, clothing, and other valuable items inside the home.

That's why it's important to prepare your home ahead of time. Puppy-proofing a home is much like baby-proofing a home. You want to do everything in your power to prevent the dog from damaging anything or hurting himself. Doing so can prevent most accidents, but not all of them!

Dogs that didn't get much socialization often learn not to soil the house they live in, but they never had a chance to generalize to other houses or buildings. The first week or 80 that you have a foster dog treat it as if it were an eight week old puppy. Constant supervision when the dog is loose in the house and crated or otherwise confined to their bed when it isn't possible to supervise. Source

What To Expect As A Dog Foster Parent

Most dog foster organizations have teams of volunteers who help to facilitate the process of acquainting you with your new foster dog and making sure that you and the dog are a good fit for one another.

Likewise, by the time a dog is ready for fostering, the dog foster group usually has a feel for the type of household he would do best in (e.g. with kids, no kids; with pets, no pets) as well as some of the dog's unique quirks and personality style. In addition, any medical or behavioral issues will most likely be identified by this time -- and you will be informed of these things prior to taking the dog home.

Each organizations has its own set of rules that you must follow to in order to foster dogs through them. For example, they may require that you attend one or more orientation classes. Or they may want to see the dog in person every so often themselves -- to ensure that the dog is being cared for properly and/or to monitor the dog's growth and overall improvement with socialization or any other issues that he initially had.

The length of time you foster a dog will depend on the type of dog, the dog's health, the breed of the dog, and how quickly the dog adapts to his new environment. It also depends on each dog's unique circumstances and/or restrictions -- such as 'not good with other pets (or children)' or 'doesn't like men' or 'is an extremely shy and fearful dog'. In the end, a dog may need to be fostered anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months... it's hard to say.

Usually, if a foster dog requires extra medical attention or special foods or equipment while in your home, the dog foster group will pay for that. 

If you have other pets in your home and you wish to foster a dog, make sure that your other pets are up-to-date on all of their vaccinations. And make sure you already know that your dog (or other pet) gets along well with other dogs.

It’s best to introduce your own dog to the foster dog in a neutral area (like the parking lot of the foster organization) before you bring the foster dog home. That way, you can see how they get along. Plus, meeting on neutral territory (rather than in your dog's own backyard), they are more likely to be friendly toward one another, rather than aggressive, jealous, or battling over turf areas.

IMPORTANT: Before you decide to foster a new dog, make sure that the dog foster group would be willing to take the dog back if necessary -- if circumstances beyond your control should arise.

That said, the behavior of foster dogs can be unpredictable, and you should be prepared to deal with the unknowns. For example, even previously housebroken dogs may have accidents at first. Plus, in unfamiliar surroundings, dogs may display inappropriate chewing or barking. There will definitely be some adjustment in the beginning. It can be stressful for both you and the dog to be in a new situation. It is up to you to train the dog how to behave appropriately in a home... with people.

How To Let Go...

While few would argue that it is, indeed, difficult to return a foster dog when it's time for them to go to their permanent home, you will find comfort in knowing that the dog will be living the rest of their life in a safe and loving home -- as it was meant to be.

That alone, is incredibly gratifying and rewarding for a dog foster parent.

At the same time, you can take pride in the fact that you have accomplished the huge task of socializing and loving this very special dog that entered your life at a time when he needed you the most. Mission accomplished... it was a job well done!

Thinking through some of these things ahead of time (even from the very first day that a foster dog enters your home) and dealing with challenges like these 'logically' rather than 'emotionally' will make it much easier to let go when the time comes.

Yes I fall in love. Yes I cry. But knowing these dogs have found a family of their own is a feeling that so much surpasses the hurt. I know in my heart that they are forever grateful because without us opening up our home, they would have never had the chance at finding their family and a chance at a life they never knew existed. So when you say no to fostering because you are afraid to get attached or fall in love, try and consider the cost it is to the dog. A continued life at the end of a chain, left alone to spend each and every day outside, no matter the weather. Some with shelter, some without. Left, just waiting, for even one minute of the love you are capable of giving. To me, that is much more difficult.  --Deb Carr from Dogs Deserve Better

More About Dog Foster Parenting

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dog food comparisons and reviews – Top Reasons Why Pets Should Live Indoors

Top Reasons Why Pets Should Live Indoors

Why do we acquire pets? Is it for their companionship, their unconditional love, or to make them a member of our families?

Consider the definition of a pet:
1. A domesticated animal kept for pleasure or companionship rather than utility
2. An object of the affections
3. A person especially loved or indulged; a favorite

Based on the above definition of a pet, it’s all these reasons and so much more! But what about the pet’s needs? Are we concerned with or prepared for what it takes to love and protect a defenseless pet?

There is no definition for the term “outdoor pet”, just as there is no breed describing an “outdoor dog or outdoor cat”. A pet as it is defined above, is not meant to live a life of solitude relegated to the outdoors day in and day out!

In fact, pets tend to live shorter lives when confined to the outdoors. This is especially true for cats.

A cat that lives his entire life outdoors has a life expectancy of three years or less. Compare that to the cat that lives inside and may live 10 – 14 years or more with good health. Besides constant exposure to the elements, a cat is vulnerable to other dangers as well. Because they are not as easily confined outdoors as a dog is, cats are subject to injury and disease from other animals or abuse from people.

Dogs that are confined outdoors become lonely and bored. A lonely dog can eventually become unhappy, unruly, or destructive. This happens because his emotional and physical needs are being neglected. These types of living conditions can make a dog anxious and aggressive.

Many of these pets end up being surrendered to shelters because their behavior becomes intolerable.

Pets that live their lives outdoors require more food than indoor pets. The extra nutrition is needed to protect them from the elements, especially during the cold, winter months. As these pets age, chronic pain can become an issue as age-related conditions such as arthritis, are made even worse by harsh outside conditions and sleeping on hard surfaces.

Our pets need the companionship, love, and attention of their human families to live happy and healthy lives. They are completely dependent on us for all their needs, physical and emotional. Is it mere coincidence that we share some of these same needs and that those needs become the very reasons we seek the companionship of a pet in the first place? Not according to our definition of a pet.

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dog food comparisons uk – Lady and the Tramp

Lady and the Tramp

Plot

On Christmas morning in 1909, Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a cocker spaniel puppy that they name Lady. Lady enjoys a happy life with the couple and with a pair of dogs from the neighborhood, a Scottish Terrier named Jock and a bloodhound named Trusty. Meanwhile, across town by the railway, a stray silver mutt, referred to as the Tramp, lives life from moment to moment, be it begging for scraps from an Italian restaurant or protecting his fellow strays Peg (a Pekingese) and Bull (a Bulldog) from the local dog catcher.

Later, Lady is saddened after Jim Dear and Darling begin treating her rather coldly. Jock and Trusty visit her, and determine that the change in behavior is due to Darling expecting a baby. While Jock and Trusty try to explain what a baby is, the eavesdropping Tramp enters the conversation and offers his own opinions. Jock and Trusty take an immediate dislike to the stray and order him out of the yard.

In due course, the baby arrives and Jim Dear and Darling introduce Lady to the infant. Soon after, Jim Dear and Darling decide to go on a trip together, leaving their Aunt Sarah to look after the baby and the house. When Lady clashes with Aunt Sarah’s two Siamese cats, Si and Am, she takes Lady to a pet shop to get a muzzle. A terrified Lady escapes, but is pursued by some street dogs. Tramp sees the chase and rescues Lady. The two then visit a zoo, where Tramp tricks a beaver into removing the muzzle. That night, Tramp shows Lady how he lives “footloose and collar-free”, culminating in a candlelit Italian dinner.

The famous spaggethi dinner scene.

As Tramp escorts Lady back home, Lady is caught by the dog-catcher. At the pound, the other dogs admire Lady’s license, as it is her way out of the pound. Soon the dogs reveal the Tramp’s many girlfriends and how he is unlikely to ever settle down. Eventually, Lady is collected by Aunt Sarah, who chains Lady to a doghouse in the back yard. Jock and Trusty visit to comfort her, but when the Tramp arrives to apologize, thunder starts to rumble as Lady furiously confronts him, after which the Tramp sadly leaves.

Moments later, as it starts to rain, Lady sees a rat trying to sneak into the yard. While the rat is afraid of Lady, it is able to evade her and enter the house. Lady barks frantically, but Aunt Sarah yells at her to be quiet. The Tramp hears her and runs back to help. Tramp enters the house and finds the rat in the nursery. Lady breaks free and races to the nursery to find the rat on the baby’s crib. Tramp pounces on the rat, but knocks over the crib in the process, awakening the infant. Tramp kills the rat, but when Aunt Sarah comes to the baby’s aid, she sees the two dogs and thinks they are responsible. She pushes Tramp into a closet and Lady into the basement, then calls the pound to take the Tramp away.

Jim Dear and Darling return as the dogcatcher departs. They release Lady, who leads them to the dead rat, vindicating Tramp. Jock and Trusty, having overheard everything, chase after the dogcatcher’s wagon. Jock is convinced Trusty has long since lost his sense of smell, but the old bloodhound is able to find the wagon. They bark at the horses, who rear up and topple the wagon onto a telephone pole. Jim Dear arrives by car with Lady, and Lady is happily reunited with the Tramp. Unfortunately, Trusty is injured in the struggle.

That Christmas, Tramp, now a part of Lady’s family, has his own collar and license. Lady and the Tramp also have their own family, a litter of four puppies. Jock comes to see the family along with Trusty, who has a broken leg.

Cast

Peggy Lee as Darling, Si, Am, Peg

Barbara Luddy as Lady

Larry Roberts as The Tramp

Bill Thompson as Jock, Joe, Bulldog, Dachsie, Policeman

Bill Baucom as Trusty

Stan Freberg as the beaver

Verna Felton as Aunt Sarah

Alan Reed as Boris

Thurl Ravenscroft as Al the alligator

George Givot as Tony

Dallas McKennon as Toughy, Pedro, Professor, Hyena

Lee Millar as Jim Dear, Dogcatcher

The Mellomen as Dog Chorus

Production

Characters’ development

The Tramp

In early script versions, the Tramp was first called Homer, then Rags and Bozo. However in the finished film, the Tramp never calls himself a proper name, although most of the film’s canine cast refer to him as “the Tramp.” The Tramp has other names that are given to him by the families he weekly visits for food, such as Mike and Fritzi. However, he doesn’t belong to a single family, so his name is never confirmed, although most comics and indeed the film’s own sequel assume that he is also named Tramp by Jim Dear and Darling.

Aunt Sarah

The character that eventually became Aunt Sarah was softened for the movie, in comparison with earlier treatments. In the film, she is a well-meaning busybody aunt (revealed to be the sister of Darling’s mother in the Greene novelization) who adores her cats. Earlier drafts had Aunt Sarah appear more as a stereotypical meddling and overbearing mother-in-law. Her singing ability is apparently non-existent. While she is antagonistic towards Lady and Tramp at first, she sends them a box of dog biscuits for Christmas to make amends for having so badly misunderstood them.

Si & Am

Earlier versions of the storyline, drafted in 1943 during the war, had the two cats appear as a sinister pair, suggesting the yellow peril. They were originally named Nip and Tuck. In Ward Greene’s novelization, they tearfully express remorse over causing the Tramp’s impending execution by hiding the rat’s body as a joke, and then try to make amends, while in the film they do not partake of the climactic scene.

Jim Dear and Darling

In pre-production, Jim Dear was known as Jim Brown, and Darling was named Elizabeth. These were dropped to highlight Lady’s point of view. In a very early version, published as a short story in a 1944 Disney children’s anthology, Lady refers to them as “Mister’”and “Missis”. To maintain a dog’s perspective, Darling and Jim’s faces are rarely shown. The background artists made models of the interiors of Jim Dear and Darling’s house, and shot photos and film at a low perspective as reference to maintain a dog’s view.

The film’s opening sequence, in which Darling unwraps a hat box on Christmas morning and finds Lady inside, is based upon an actual incident in Walt Disney’s life when he presented his wife Lily with a Chow puppy as a gift in a hat box.

Beaver

The Beaver in this film is similar to the character of Gopher in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, down to the speech pattern: a whistling noise when he makes the “S” sound. This voice was created by Stan Freberg, who has an extensive background in commercial and comedy recordings. On the Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD he demonstrates how the effect was done, and that a whistle was eventually used because it was difficult to maintain the effect.

Rat

The rat, a somewhat comical character in some early sketches, became a great deal more frightening, due to the need to raise dramatic tension.

Story

In 1937 legendary Disney story man Joe Grant approached Walt Disney with some sketches he had made of his Springer Spaniel named Lady and some of her regular antics. Disney enjoyed the sketches and told Grant to put them together as a storyboard. When Grant returned with his boards, Disney was not pleased and the story was shelved.

In 1943 Walt read in Cosmopolitan a short story written by Ward Greene, called “Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog”. He was interested in the story and bought the rights to it.

By 1949 Grant had left the studio, but Disney story men were continually pulling Grant’s original drawings and story off the shelf to retool. Finally a solid story began taking shape in 1953, based on Grant’s storyboards and Green’s short story. Greene later wrote a novelization of the film that was released two years before the film itself, at Walt Disney’s insistence, so that audiences would be familiar with the story. Grant didn’t receive credit for any story work in the film, an issue that animation director Eric Goldberg hoped to rectify in the Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition’s behind-the-scenes vignette that explained Grant’s role.

Cinemascope

Further information: CinemaScope

This was the first Disney animated feature filmed in CinemaScope. Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.55:1 it is, to date, the widest film that Disney has ever produced. Sleeping Beauty was also produced for an original 2.55:1 aspect ratio, but was never presented in theatres this way the film is nevertheless presented in its original 2.55:1 aspect on DVD and Blu-ray Disc Platinum Edition release.

This new innovation of Cinemascope presented some additional problems for the animators: the expansion of canvas space makes it difficult for a single character to dominate the screen, and groups must be spread out to keep the screen from appearing sparse. Longer takes become necessary since constant jump-cutting would seem too busy or annoying. Layout artists essentially had to reinvent their technique. Animators had to remember that they could move their characters across a background instead of the background passing behind them. The animators overcame these obstacles during the action scenes, such as the Tramp killing the rat. However, some character development was lost, as there was more realism but fewer closeups, therefore less involvement with the audience.

More problems arose as the premiere date got closer. Although Cinemascope was becoming a growing interest to movie-goers, not all theaters had the capabilities at the time. Upon learning this, Walt issued two versions of the film to be created: one in widescreen, and another in the original aspect ratio. This involved gathering the layout artists to restructure key scenes when characters were on the outside area of the screen.

Script revisions

This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

The finished film is slightly different from what was originally planned. Although both the original script and the final product shared most of the same elements, it would still be revised and revamped. Originally, Lady was to have only one next door neighbor, a Ralph Bellamy-type canine named Hubert. Hubert was later replaced by Jock and Trusty. A scene created but then deleted was one in which, while Lady fears of the arrival of the baby, she has a “Parade of the Shoes” nightmare (similar to Dumbo’s “Pink Elephants on Parade” nightmare) where a baby bootie splits in two, then four, and continues to multiply. The dream shoes then fade into real shoes, their wearer exclaiming that the baby has been born.[citation needed]

Another cut scene was after Trusty says “Everybody knows, a dog’s best friend is his human”. This leads to Tramp describing a world where the roles of both dogs and humans are switched; the dogs are the masters and vice-versa.

Prior to being just “The Tramp,” the character went through a number of suggested names including Homer, Rags, and Bozo. It was thought in the 1950s that the term “tramp” would not be acceptable, but since Walt Disney approved of the choice, it was considered safe under his acceptance. On early story boards shown on the Backstage Disney DVD had listed description “a tramp dog” with “Homer” or one of the mentioned prior names.

Spaghetti sequence

The spaghetti scene, wherein Lady and the Tramp eat opposite ends of a single strand of spaghetti until meeting in the middle, is an often-parodied scene, including in the film’s own sequel, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure.

Release

At the time, the film took in a higher figure than any other Disney animated feature since Snow White. An episode of Disneyland called A Story of Dogs aired before the film release. The film was reissued to theaters in 1962, 1971, 1980, and 1986, and on VHS and Laserdisc in 1987 (this was in Disney’s The Classics video series) and 1998 (this was in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection video series). A Disney Limited Issue series DVD was released on November 23, 1999. It was remastered and restored for DVD on February 28, 2006, as the seventh installment of Platinum Edition series. One million copies of the Platinum Edition were sold on February 28, 2006 The Platinum Edition DVD went on moratorium on January 31, 2007, along with the 2006 DVD reissue of Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure.

This film began a spinoff comic titled Scamp, named after one of Lady and the Tramp’s puppies. It was first written by Ward Greene and was published from October 31, 1955 until 1988. Scamp also stars in a direct-to-video sequel in 2001 titled Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure. Walt Disney’s Comic Digest  issue #54 has A New Adventure of Lady and the Tramp dated copyright 1955.

Reception

Despite being an enormous success at the box office, the film was initially panned by many critics: one indicated that the dogs had “the dimensions of hippos,” another that “the artists’ work is below par”. However the film has since come to be regarded as a classic.

Lady and the Tramp was named number 95 out of the “100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time” by the American Film Institute in their A Hundred Years…A Hundred Passions special.

Soundtrack

#

Title

Length

1.

“Main Title (Bella Notte) / The Wag of a Dog’s Tail”  

2.

“Peace on Earth (Silent Night)”  

3.

“It Has a Ribbon / Lady to Bed / A Few Mornings Later”  

4.

“Sunday / The Rat / Morning Paper”  

5.

“A New Blue Collar / Lady Talks To Jock & Trusty / It’s Jim Dear”  

6.

“What a Day! / Breakfast at Tony’s”  

7.

“Warning / Breakout / Snob Hill / A Wee Bairn”  

8.

“Countdown to B-Day”  

9.

“Baby’s First Morning / What Is a Baby / La La Lu”  

10.

“Going Away / Aunt Sarah”  

11.

“The Siamese Cat Song / What’s Going on Down There”  

12.

“The Muzzle / Wrong Side of the Tracks”  

13.

“You Poor Kid / He’s Not My Dog”  

14.

“Through the Zoo / A Log Puller”  

15.

“Footloose and Collar-Free / A Night At The Restaurant / Bella Notte”  

16.

“It’s Morning / Ever Chase Chickens / Caught”  

17.

“Home Sweet Home”  

18.

“The Pound”  

19.

“What a Dog / He’s a Tramp”  

20.

“In the Doghouse / The Rat Returns / Falsely Accused / We’ve Got to Stop That Wagon / Trusty’s Sacrifice”  

21.

“Watch the Birdie / Visitors”  

22.

“Finale (Peace on Earth)”  

Peggy Lee

Legendary recording artist Peggy Lee wrote the songs with Sonny Burke, and assisted with the score as well. In the film she sings: “He’s a Tramp”, “La La Lu”, “The Siamese Cat Song”, and “What Is a Baby?”. She helped promote the film on the Disney TV series, explaining her work with the score and singing a few of the film’s numbers. These appearances are available as part of the Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD set.

In 1991 Peggy Lee sued the Walt Disney Company for breach of contract claiming that she still retained rights to the transcripts, including those to videotape. She was awarded .3m, but not without a lengthy legal battle with the studio which was finally settled in 1991.

References

^ a b c Finch, Christopher (2004). “Chapter 8: Interruption and Innovations”. The Art of Walt Disney. pp. 234244. 

^ a b c d e f g “Lady and the Tramp History”. Disney Archives. http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/movies/ladytramp/ladytramp.html. 

^ Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD: “Film dialogue”. 

^ a b c d Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD. Disc 2: “Disney Backstage”. 

^ (DVD) Walt: The Man Behind the Myth: Pre-production of Lady and the Tramp. 2001. 

^ a b “Joe Grant”. Disney Legends. http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Joe+Grant. 

^ a b c d e Eric Goldberg. Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD, Disc 2: “Behind the Scenes: Story Development”. 

^ a b c d Thomas, Bob (1997). “Chapter 7: The Postwar Films”. Disney’s Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Hercules. pp. 103104. 

^ Lady and the Tramp Platinum Edition DVD, Disc 2: “Behind the Scenes”. 

^ Newcomb, Horace (2000). Television: The Critical View. Oxford University Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-19-511927-4. 

^ Newcomb (2001), p. 27.

^ “Platinum Edition”. http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ladyandthetramp-platinumedition-pressrelease.html. 

^ “Sales information of the DVD”. http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6312352.html. 

^ “Lady and the Tramp II information”. http://dvd.ign.com/articles/736/736573p1.html. 

^ “Labeled IVR D.D.B.P #2 (Donald Duck’s Beach Party #2)”. Walt Disney Comics Digest (54). 

^ “Walt and Education: Part I”. http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/ladyandthetramp/index.html. 

^ “100 Years…100 Passions List of 100 Winning Movies” (PDF). AFI. http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/passions100.pdf?docID=248l. 

^ “Peggy Lee’s Film Appearances”. Peggy Lee’s Official Website. http://www.peggylee.com/solos/films.html. 

^ “Peggy Lee article”. http://www.peggylee.com/library/910219.html. 

^ “BBC News”. June 26, 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2066858.stm. Retrieved January 5, 2010. 

External links

Lady and the Tramp at the Internet Movie Database

Lady and the Tramp at Rotten Tomatoes

Lady and the Tramp at Box Office Mojo

Lady and the Tramp at Disney’s Archives

v  d  e

Films directed by Clyde Geronimi

1940s

Make Mine Music (1946)  Melody Time (1948)  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

1950s

Cinderella (1950)  Alice in Wonderland (1951)  Peter Pan (1953)  Lady and the Tramp (1955)  Sleeping Beauty (1959)

1960s

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

v  d  e

Films directed by Hamilton Luske

1940s

Pinocchio (1940)  The Reluctant Dragon (1941)  Make Mine Music (1946)  Fun and Fancy Free (1947)  Melody Time (1948)  So Dear to My Heart (1948)

1950s

Cinderella (1950)  Alice in Wonderland (1951)  Peter Pan (1953)  Lady and the Tramp (1955)

1960s

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

v  d  e

Films directed by Wilfred Jackson

1940s

Song of the South (1946)  Melody Time (1948)

1950s

Cinderella (1950)  Alice in Wonderland (1951)  Peter Pan (1953)  Lady and the Tramp (1955)

v  d  e

Disney theatrical animated features

Walt Disney

Animation Studios

films

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)  Pinocchio (1940)  Fantasia (1940)  Dumbo (1941)  Bambi (1942)  Saludos Amigos (1942)  The Three Caballeros (1944)  Make Mine Music (1946)  Fun and Fancy Free (1947)  Melody Time (1948)  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)  Cinderella (1950)  Alice in Wonderland (1951)  Peter Pan (1953)  Lady and the Tramp (1955)  Sleeping Beauty (1959)  One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)  The Sword in the Stone (1963)  The Jungle Book (1967)  The Aristocats (1970)  Robin Hood (1973)  The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)  The Rescuers (1977)  The Fox and the Hound (1981)  The Black Cauldron (1985)  The Great Mouse Detective (1986)  Oliver & Company (1988)  The Little Mermaid (1989)  The Rescuers Down Under (1990)  Beauty and the Beast (1991)  Aladdin (1992)  The Lion King (1994)  Pocahontas (1995)  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)  Hercules (1997)  Mulan (1998)  Tarzan (1999)  Fantasia 2000 (1999)  Dinosaur (2000)  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)  Lilo & Stitch (2002)  Treasure Planet (2002)  Brother Bear (2003)  Home on the Range (2004)  Chicken Little (2005)  Meet the Robinsons (2007)  Bolt (2008)  The Princess and the Frog (2009)  Tangled (2010)  King of the Elves (2012)

Walt Disney Pictures

films with animation

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)  Victory Through Air Power (1943)  Song of the South (1946)  So Dear to My Heart (1949)  Mary Poppins (1964)  Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)  Pete’s Dragon (1977)  Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)  Enchanted (2007)

DisneyToon Studios

films

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990)  A Goofy Movie (1995)  Doug’s 1st Movie (1999)  The Tigger Movie (2000)  Recess: School’s Out (2001)  Return to Never Land (2002)  The Jungle Book 2 (2003)  Piglet’s Big Movie (2003)  Teacher’s Pet (2004)  Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005)  Bambi II (2006)

Other

The Brave Little Toaster (1987)  The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)  James and the Giant Peach (1996)  Valiant (2005)  The Wild (2006)  Roadside Romeo (2008)  A Christmas Carol (2009)  Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Categories: English-language films | 1950s romantic comedy films | 1955 films | Disney animated features canon | Disney animated films | Films about animals | Films about dogs | Films featuring anthropomorphic characters | Films set in the 1900s | Films set in the United States | Films shot in CinemaScope | Romantic musical filmsHidden categories: Wikipedia semi-protected pages | Articles needing additional references from August 2009 | All articles needing additional references | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from May 2009

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dog food enrichment – Optimize Your Pet’s Health With The Best Pet Food

Optimize Your Pet’s Health With The Best Pet Food

It goes without saying that we all love our pets, and we want to ensure that they live long and healthy lives. We take them to the vet for their checkups and vaccinations, we spay and neuter them to help reduce the animal population, and we open our hearts and our homes to them. We also are subjected to a steady stream of pet food commercials, each company trying to convince us that their pet food is superior to the others. The unfortunate truth, though, is that not all pet food companies have your beloved animal’s best interests at heart.

In fact, much of the dog/cat food on the market isn’t nutrient dense; instead, it relies in large part on fillers and animal byproducts. Look closely at the list of ingredients for the pet food you have on hand. Even so-called premium brand pet foods have ingredients that will take you aback.

The first five ingredients listed usually make up the lion’s share of the pet food. Leading cat food and dog food brands will include things like chicken by-product meal, corn grits, corn meal or corn gluten meal, and wheat flour or wheat gluten. An ideal diet for cats is one that’s human grade. For example, cat food should contain a concentrated, high-quality protein source like chicken meal, ground brown rice, rice flour, chicken fat, and dried beet pulp. Dog food should contain the same ingredients, with the exception of substituting oat groats for rice flour.

The list of ingredients in your dog/cat food may be surprising, but it’s also startling to see that even premium brands don’t typically include ingredients that will sustain your pet’s health and longevity.

What are some of these ingredients? For dogs and cats, nutritious food should include vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, as well as fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. It should also include direct-fed microbials – the kinds of microbials that are found in yogurt that help maintain good health. Similarly, omega-3 fatty acids should be incorporated into a nutritious pet food, both because they support health and because they keep your pet’s coat shiny.

When you contrast how we eat with how our pets eat, it becomes clear that the quality of their food is of paramount importance. After all, we eat a wide variety of foods, and can always supplement our diets with vitamins if we skip on the veggies or fruit. Our pets, on the other hand, eat the same food day in and day out for most of their lives, with a few added treats now and then; if there’s a vital nutrient missing, they don’t have the opportunity to consume it elsewhere.

Life’s abundance is meant to be shared. Our pets give us so much unconditional love that the least we can do in return is provide them with human grade, nutritious pet food that will ensure that they enrich our lives for years to come.

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dog food images – Dog Cushing’s Disease-a Brief Overview

Dog Cushing’s Disease-a Brief Overview

Unfortunately, as dog’s age, their risk of developing health problems increases. There are several different medical conditions and diseases which affect middle aged and elderly dog far more than young dogs, one of which is dog Cushing’s disease. While signs and symptoms of this disorder may be vague at first, as the disease progresses it can have serious detrimental effects on the dog’s health and well-being. For this reason, it’s important to catch the disease as early as possible so that a treatment plan can be implemented, restoring the canine patient’s comfort and happiness.

What is Dog Cushing’s disease?

Dog Cushing’s disease Syndrome, also known as hyperadrenocorticism, is an endocrine disorder involving the overproduction of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released during times of stress and, in a healthy dog; the levels of this hormone in the blood are maintained with only minimal fluctuations. However, when a dog is suffering from canine Cushing’s disease, its adrenal glands chronically overproduce cortisol.

Why is Dog Cushing’s disease Dangerous?

When cortisol levels are chronically high, a dog’s system essentially becomes poisoned and its entire body feels the effects. The canine’s blood pressure will rise and the animal will experience detrimental effects to the health of its skin and hair. Muscle weakness also typically occurs, making it difficult or impossible for the animal to participate in regular daily activities. One of the most dangerous consequences of dog Cushing’s Disease is the fact that this endocrine disorder weakens the dog’s immune system, making the animal less able to defend itself against other illnesses and diseases.

Causes

The causes of dog Cushing’s disease Syndrome typically fall into three main categories. First of all, this disorder can be caused by long-term administration of steroid medications such as those used to treat allergies or inflammation. When canine hyperadrenocorticism is caused by medical treatment, the disease is referred to as iatrogenic Cushing’s disease. Occasionally, this endocrine disorder will be caused by a problem with the adrenal glands, typically in the form of an adrenal gland tumor. However, most cases of dog Cushing’s Disease are triggered by the presence of a tumor on the pituitary gland, which results in the over stimulation of the adrenal glands and, in turn, the continued overproduction of cortisol which is characteristic of this disease.

Who is at risk?

Dog Cushing’s disease is most common among middle aged and old canines. There are also certain breeds that are more predisposed to developing this disease than others. Some of these breeds include poodles, terriers, and dachshunds. Since this disorder more commonly affects older dogs, the early symptoms of canine Cushing’s disease are often mistaken for normal signs of ageing.

Symptoms

The tendency to mistake the early symptoms of this disorder for signs of ageing also occurs due to the fact that warning signs are typically vague in the beginning. However, the symptoms will grow increasingly more severe and noticeable with time. Some of the most common warning signs of Cushing’s disease, exhibited by the majority of dogs suffering from this disorder, include a ravenous appetite, increased thirst, and increased frequency of urination. A sagging belly and elevated blood sugar are also characteristic of this disease. Other common symptoms of Cushing’s disease include loss of fur resulting in bald patches on the dog’s trunk, darkening of the skin, and skin infections which may lead to scabs and areas of irritation.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing canine Cushing’s disease can be a complex process, and numerous tests may need to be conducted over several days. Tests that will possibly be carried out include blood tests, urinalysis, and thyroid tests. Imaging tools such as x-rays and ultrasound may also be used. However, in many cases, more specific tests will also be necessary. In such cases, an ACTH Stimulation Test will be conducted and, if necessary, a low dose dexamethasone (LDD) test will be carried out as well.

Treatment

Once dog Cushing’s disease Syndrome has been diagnosed, the necessary treatment will depend upon the cause of the disorder. For iatrogenic Cushing’s disease, the disorder can often be reversed by ceasing the administration of steroid medications. When a pituitary gland or adrenal gland tumor is the cause, medication, surgery, or chemotherapy may be viable options. For those interested in a holistic health approach to treatment, natural supplements and homoeopathic remedies have proven to be quite beneficial for dogs suffering from this disorder, especially when the disease is caught in its early stages. However, in all cases of dog Cushing’s disease, treatment and care should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinary doctor.

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