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Showing posts from 2017

What to do about Skunks?

Warning signs to heed Skunks use their powerful defense only when they or their young are threatened and cannot escape. Even then, they give ample warning that should be heeded — stamping front feet, a raised tail, hissing, short forward charges and twisting their hind end around in your direction. Spotted skunks will even contort into a characteristic handstand, rump in the air with eyes still fixed on the threat.Move away slowly and quietly. By nature, Barbie tends to ignore these warnings, so it is important she be restrained for her own good. Tolerance Because of the lingering odor, and fear of being sprayed it may be hard for some people to tolerate skunks living under a deck or old shed. But skunks need shelter when they are most vulnerable (during the coldest parts of the winter and when raising young). The nocturnal habits of skunks, their non-aggressive nature and the beneficial role they play are all good reasons to leave them alone until they have moved on their own

We Love Animals

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Barbie Service Dog Enjoying a moment to smell the roses, If you are following my blog, check out this short video of a fellow service dog. His life of 19-1/2 years is a life of making people happy. see link: https://weloveanimals.me/dying-woman-holds-19-yo-service-dog-close-dogs-next-move-brought-everyone-tears/ see Barbie bring smiles and love to all she meets

Being a friend

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Sometimes people can have fights, but friendship is a valuable gift. Sometimes, good friends are hard to find. Acquiring friends requires making yourself seem attractive to new people, initiating conversations, and being mindful of the needs of others. Meeting new people and making friends can seem like an overwhelming task. But with a little effort and willingness to step outside of your comfort zone, you can easily make friends. Barbie will sit still and become your friend just because her heart is loving. This is Kurt, he is very special, he has a big heart and loving soul. I love to see him and greet him. Be loyal to a friend. You've probably heard of fair-weather friends. They're the ones who are happy to be around you when things are going well, but are nowhere to be found when you really need them. Being a loyal friend will attract other people to you who value that quality. • Part of being a friend is being prepared to make sacrifices of your time and energy in orde

Fireworks are coming!

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Preparing Your Dog for 4th of July Fireworks Ask any dog owner and they’ll probably tell you the 4th of July is the scariest holiday for their dog because of the fireworks. We’ve known some dogs to hide in the closet, hide under the bed, cower in the car, or sit on their owner’s lap shaking. If you want to help your dog have the easiest 4th of July ever, there are a couple of things you can do to help your dog be less afraid of the unpredictable scary sounds of fireworks, firecrackers, whistles, and even guns. Preparing Your Dog for the 4th of July 1. Condition your dog to loud noises  A few weeks before the fireworks start, get some treats and carry them around with you everywhere. Whenever there’s a loud noise, give your dog some treats and affection. Make sure they’re your dog’s favorite tasty treats, and only use them when the loud noises go off. Use regular treats for regular training, and keep the special treats for the loud noises. 2. Make a safe hideaway 

Barbie wants to paint the house with her Daddy

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Barbie sees Dad using the roller but can't figure out how to use it. One thing she does find out, if she has the roller Daddy has to pay attention to her.

Barbie's Grooming

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   Dog Grooming is Not Only For Appearance     Grooming is an important part of Barbie’s health, with regular brushing and combing helping to remove dead hair and dirt and prevent matting. Barbie who is regularly groomed tends to have a healthier and shinier coat because it stimulates the blood supply to the skin. Grooming Barbie can also be a good way to bond with her, and it's important to get her used to it from an early age. Many dogs learn to see their routine brushing as an alternate petting, another source of affection and attention. A good quality brush and comb will help you with your dog's coat, but also remember that your dog's eyes, ears, and nails require attention as well. Grooming is more than just a hair cut. It may include bathing, combing, brushing, clipping nails, cutting or shaving mats, cleaning ears and controlling external parasites. Grooming Barbie accomplishes much more than just making her coat look good, she has a personality to m

Shopping!!!

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Hey Girls, what's more fun than burying bones in the back yard? Shopping!!! Me and my handler started at his favorite store...Menards and then we visited RandHurst

Please welcome, "Miss Barbie"

Barbie has become a household name to many of the residents at Nursing Homes, because of how gentle she is. Nursing homes graciously open their doors to the concept of Pet Therapy. Today, It is a heartwarming experience to visit nursing homes and share our Barbie with the elderly, their families, and all other residents who live there. It is profoundly moving to see how Barbie has the ability to help calm and soothe agitated individuals while lifting the spirits of those who are sad and lonely. She provides a medium for physical touch and display affection for those who have lived isolated lives.The mere presence of Barbie raises the spirits of a person and the petting and touching of the fur allows one to have a wonderful object toward which to express their affection. Therapy Dogs like Barbie, elicit responses from some nursing home patients who are typically withdrawn and limited in their abilities. Stroking the back of a dog leads to more movement from the patient and consequent

Why do I wear a vest?

I wear a Service Dog Vest, because where ever I go I want people to know, I am working. If I do not wear my vest, people think I am a pet and treat me like a play thing. I am very cute and beautiful. I wear ribbons in my fur and paint my nails. I wear bling around my neck, all of this is to help my disabled person. The person I take care of needs my Emotional Support. In order to do that,  I must be clean, well dressed, organized and obedient. All people that meet me must treat me with respect and know that I am working. I go to public places with my handler wearing my service dog vest. At these places I treat everyone with respect. I cannot talk, so my vest tells everyone that I am friendly and if you ask my handler, he will determine if you are safe to pet me. Many places I go, many people want to run up to me and hug me. I get very nervous around some people because I fear those people want to hurt my handler or disabled person. Please see attached video showing a disabled person go

Are you for real?

Sometimes people will come up to us and say, ‘is that a real service dog?’ I didn’t get questioned so much a year ago,”  noting that I would be willing to show identification. “My dog is a service dog and she guides me wherever I’m going. My dog actually has a specific purpose in what she does.” The monetary value of such fully-trained guide dogs is about $50,000. The cost involves raising and training the dog over the course of several months, often up to two years. Barbie has trained for 16 months. Several websites sell “identification packages” that help pet owners create the illusion of a trained service dog. For $249, customers visiting the site for Service Dogs America, for example, can buy a special doggie vest and ID cards that label the dog as a service animal. The company claims the package, along with a self-administered test, helps owners “clearly identify your dog as a service dog and avoid awkward confrontations when entering public places with your dog.”The website al

Feeling Depressed?

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Pet Therapy—Making Spirits Bright Dogs aren’t just used as service animals—they are also used as therapy animals, visiting the elderly or sick in their homes or nursing homes. Seeing Barbie around also sparks fond memories of life with dogs prior to the nursing home or hospice.  There are some patients with dementia who may not remember what they had for breakfast that morning but a lot of times, they remember the animals they had growing up.

Making people smile makes my day

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February 18, 2017 will go down in history, everywhere I went people smiled and were happy to be near me... everyone was trying to hug me ...the temperature was a record breaking 68 degrees

Let me smell you first

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  New friends when I first meet new friends, they tell me about all the dogs they had. They speak of love and companionship. This is Kurt, he is telling me about his day. He speaks of time whisking by and how I made his day. As I listen he gives me a treat. He asks me to come and visit more and I acknowledge by giving him my paw. I love meeting people. Some people see me and are afraid of me at first, maybe because of a past experience or some service dogs are always working for their human, so you can't pet them or even talk to them. I wear a vest or "as my handler calls it the jacket", I have a special patch sewed on it that says, "ask to pet me I'm friendly". I have met children that run up to me and want to hug me. Also remember, when you meet me let me smell you first.

Work starts when I put on the vest

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I love clean sheets... I love to visit                                when Grandma is in bed I try to push her to get comfortable, so she can feel my fur,
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Ester loves to dance, so I always let her lead.

Ice Cream...please?

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I love it when human's eat in front of me, sometimes I get crumbs, sometimes I get ice cream. I love vanilla.

Humans talk to me

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...she's telling me I'm pretty

Hi, my name is Barbie

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Hi,  I'm Barbie,  I help my paired person, she has troubles, I can sense when her blood sugar has extreme lows.  She takes me on long walks, teaches me important things like sitting respectfully and listening. She taught me how to sit and give my paw in greetings. I like to meet people. I especially like to go to Senior Homes, hospitals and public places. Follow my blog, I will travel with my trainer to many places, meet humans, as I make them smile and bring a cheery gift in the form of my gentle affection.