Ellen Galvin's Blog, page 6

Working Dog Wednesday: Cooper, Director of Inspiration at BullieBags

This week's working dog profile is of Cooper, a fellow Oregonian and the Director of Inspiration at BullieBags. I'll let Cooper do the talking:

"My name is Cooper and I'm a very happy English Bulldog. My name probably came from the fact that I'm English and my master owns a 59 Mini Cooper. I'm ten years old and other than a few blemishes I'm still a very good looking boy!

My mistress never had children, so no doubt I'm her baby. She is quite a lady and she loves animals unconditionally! Stories about animal abuse or neglect invariably make her tear up and she gives money every month to the ASPCA. Because she wanted to do more, however, she decided to put her creative juices to work and started the BullieBags business.

So what is a BullieBag? Glad you asked! BullieBags are high quality bags designed specifically for the traveling dog (like me). Before BullieBags, all my "stuff" was packed in a paper bag whenever my humans took me to be groomed or boarded. That's when my mistress thought, 'If babies can have diaper bags, why shouldn't dogs have stylish bags for their favorite toys, food, blankets and bowls?'

So there you have it! High quality bags for dogs-on-the-go, sold on the Internet. Oh, and 10% of all proceeds go to the ASPCA or to local animal rescue centers.

Anyway, I'm glad to be doing my part to help animals in need. OK, now I'll go back to sleep. I find if I don't get in a solid 20 hours a day, I'm not good for anything. And, as official Director of Inspiration I need to be at my best."

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

www.bulliebags.com

Stop By and Say "Hi" at the Whole Foods Hollywood HollyWOOF Event!

Guess what? The sun is supposed to grace us with its rays this Saturday, June 4th. Imagine. Sunshine...In Portland...In June!

Whatever the weather, I'll be at the Hollywood Whole Foods on NE Sandy Blvd. this Saturday for the HollyWOOF event, an outdoor street fair to benefit Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital. Normally, I don't get to accompany my humans to the store when they shop for the organic pumpkin, peanut butter and cinnamon that they use to make my awesome dog biscuits (I know, I'm spoiled). But the Whole Foods people love dogs, so they created this event as a chance for good dogs and hot dogs to meet in the street (43rd Avenue between Sandy and Tillamook, to be exact).

Anyway, I'll be selling pawtographed copies of my book, Secrets of a Working Dog, and giving 40% of the proceeds to the awesome folks at Dove Lewis who pulled me through "the regrettable ham incident" a few years ago. (The regrettable ham incident, you ask? Let's just say it involved ham, X-Rays, an IV, an overnight stay at the emergency hospital, a diagnosis of pancreatitis and a $1,000 price tag that didn't include the sniffing salts required to shake Mom out of her state of shock. Revisit the story here.)

Oh, and there will also be lots of crafters from Handmade NW, yummy food from Whole Foods, and a Hollywood Dudes and Divas Dress-up contest for dogs.

See you on Saturday!

Working Dog Wednesday: Meet Gus, Chief of Staff for the House of Egg

This week's modern working dog profile is of Gustavius Maximus, aka Gus. Gus lives nearby with his humans, the Egglestons (hence the 'House of Egg'). Gus is not only fabulously handsome, but he also has great taste in literature. Personally, I'm flattered that he devoured (literally) every word of my book:

Gus is an American Bulldog (ABD), a breed of working dog whose origin is unknown. The most common theory is that the ABD was bred in the South as a farm dog. The breed's size, strength, agility and tenacity came in handy for "catch work" in which they were sent out to attack, grab and hold dangerous free-range livestock such as the Arkansas razorback boar. The ABD also protected livestock from free-roaming dogs and packs of wild dogs.

Speculation aside, American Bulldogs are loyal, stable, outgoing and intelligent dogs that make excellent companions, guardians and protectors, i.e., the ultimate working dogs! Without further ado, I'll let Gus' humans explain how Gus helps them work smarter and be happier.

OVERVIEW

Gustavius Maximus was born in late November 2009. He joined the "House of Egg" in February 2010 at the age of 10 weeks.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Chief of Staff for the House of Egg

Greatness, happiness and harmony are valued and revered in our culture. But, behind those admired traits is always the soul of a servant. Be it a spouse, assistant or chief of staff, the service of that soul is embodied in Gus. Like William T. Riker ("Number One") to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, or Bill Daley to President Obama, so is Gus to the House of Egg.

DAILY ROUTINE

Gus provides a wake-up call at approximately 6 a.m., leads an impromptu morale-boosting team meeting before work commences, supervises a balanced diet and ensures twice-daily exercise sessions for his sedentary two-legged charges.

His day might include seeing his people off to work or accompanying them on various errands at home, in the garden or around town. Always in a supportive role, he serves as security chief for the household and Neighborhood Watch commander for the neighborhood. So renowned is he that his appearance alone is adequate security. And, when alone, he does not lollygag, but aspires to solve human sleep disorders by conducting "deep-dives" on his ongoing sleep research.

At the end of the day, Gus, understanding the importance of unconditional love, lavishes his people with his utterly joyful countenance and medicinal muzzling. While his greeting is not as high energy as Bella's "kidney bean" dance, Gus' joyful display can easily be likened to a train filled with Santas and love cherubs rolling into the station.

Finally, in his scant spare moments, Gus has been known to organize spontaneous "meet and greets" and mutual admiration dances with other shiny souls, like his three-year-old neighbor, Claire. 

LIFE LESSONS FROM GUS

PHILOSOPHY. Although a mere 18 months old, Gus is a wellspring of ancient wisdom. At just four months of age, he authored a spiritual, motivational video in which he implored us to taste deeply of life, love our people and always poop outside.

 

Guru Gus from Bob Eggleston on Vimeo.

RESPECT. Even with his great wisdom and intelligence, Gus is always respectful of his elders. (Here is Gus pictured with his older half-brother, Dexter.)

And as he grew from 24 to 117 pounds, he taught us the importance of always respecting others regardless of our size or external differences. Gus routinely listens to and obeys his older and wiser housemate, a 10-year-old orange tabby cat. He never stops trying to learn how best to get along with the cat, but tenaciously continues in his attempts, hoping someday his research will yield a solution in the Middle East.

 

Mid-East Peace Talks from Bob Eggleston on Vimeo.

FOCUS. Gus knows he has to work hard to accomplish a goal. When given a brand-new super-size Bad Cuz, he is supremely grateful, but works relentless to "de-squeakerfy" the horned, footed toy and return the house to harmony. A new stuffed toy is subject to the same laser focus until it lies on the living room floor -- tattered, flattened and surrounded by its batting guts -- joining a veritable army of "carcasses." Gus doesn't like stuffing as it wreaks of superficiality and shallowness, much like "Real Housewives of Orange County," which he despises.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY. Those supported by Gus have always deeply appreciated his ability to entertain himself. Although there is little spare time given his dedication to humanitarian pursuits, he nevertheless knows the value of taking care of himself. Jaw strengthening is a "meditative" pursuit for Gus, related to watchdogging and accomplished through ball chewing. Gus also recycles old bones ensuring that his fellow animals are not forgotten or their resources wasted.

The "Dude"

If all the above were not enough (and most assuredly it is), Gus is "cool." One wonders where so much love, servanthood and talent will take this amazing pooch. Look out Ghandi…and you too, Mother Theresa!

A Working Dog's Secret to Selling Books

My co-author (and two-legged Mom) talked to Cathy Stucker of SellingBooks.com about the creative process of writing Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success. You can read the full interview here.

Now it's time to move some books! Since my job as chief salesdog is to get rid of inventory, I've decided to launch a tour of the U.S. that I'll call "Bella the Boxer's Box of Books Tour." Catchy, huh? I'll drive door-to-door and pass out slurpy Boxer kisses until every single book is sold. I'll shake paws and kiss babies and go to pancake breakfasts in church parking lots, if I have to. So watch out, America! I'm wagging my way to a neighborhood near you...

P.S. You can buy the book from Amazon or purchase a personalized, "pawtographed" copy directly from me.

P.P.S. Because I'm a digital dog, you can order a copy for your snazzy new Kindle or Nook, too.  

P.P.P.S. Since nothing makes me happier than helping other dogs in need, I've partnered with several rescue groups to use my book to raise funds for the work they do. If you know of a rescue group that is interested, shoot me an email at bella [at] bellatheboxer [dot] com. 

Snoopy and Danielle Steel...and Why It Pays to Be Yourself

I'm a goofball, and thanks to YouTube anyone can see that I'm not kidding. That's because my oh-so-clever humans thought it'd be funny to set up a hidden "Bella cam" to watch what I do when I'm left alone for an hour or two. Lucky for me, the camera timed out before it could catch me shredding the bed pillows and adorning myself with goose feathers.

 

Am I embarrassed because thousands of strangers have watched the video? Not at all. Dogs aren't afraid of what others think. We don't care if the rest of the world sees us looking silly or making mistakes. We don't care if they know that sometimes we feel insecure. We know that if we don't put ourselves out into the world, we won't get as many cookies or belly rubs in return.

What if Charles Shulz had given up after the editors of his high school yearbook rejected his Peanuts cartoons? There would be no quirky little dog named Snoopy who lounges on his doghouse and whose best friend is a strange yellow bird named Woodstock.

What if Danielle Steel had given up after publishers rejected five of her books in a row? She wouldn't have sold nearly 600 million books, each one of them a bestseller. (Yes, 600 million books. Holy cow! If my book sold just 0.1% of that amount, I'd be doing the Boxer happy dance 24/7.  I'd certainly like to meet Ms. Steel. She's savvy and is crazy about dogs.)

Dogs (and smart humans) follow their own instincts. We don't worry about being judged or criticized by others because, quite frankly, life is much too short—especially in dog years—to be anyone else but ourselves.  Plus, you can't please all people all the time, so there is no point in trying. There are people who love Boxers and there are people who (gasp) don't. There is nothing I can do about that, except to be the best Boxer I can be.

Be your own dog and don't let what other people think keep you from taking risks and pursuing your dreams.

Really, there is no other way to be.

Wait...Wait...We Have a Winner!

Thank you for all your thoughtful answers on the question of happiness. Needless to say, they all made me VERY happy (and everybody else, too. Christie L. said "Thank you for this question I think it brought a smile to everyone's face and one more smile as we all look at our babies!).

Since every single answer made my tail wag furiously, there was no way I could choose by myself so I entered the number of responses (a total of 28) into a randomizer...and out popped #20:

"Becoming a Boxer foster Mom and the death of my Boxer has opened a whole new world of giving to homeless Boxers. I just talked to the man that adopted my foster girl, and the love he has for her and the happiness that my giving has made on two lives....that to me is true happiness." - Kathy C.

Thanks, Kathy! I'm pawtographing your copy right now. Please drop me a line with your mailing address at bella @ bellatheboxer [.] com so that I can get it into the mail right away.

Much happiness and butt wiggles to all of you...

Bella

Happiness is...A Book Giveaway Contest!

Would you like to win a free pawtographed copy of my book, Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success?

To enter is easy: Just complete the following statement and on lucky Friday the 13th I will pick the response that makes my little tail wag the wildest (actually, I will use a randomizer to pick the winner because I know that all of the answers are going to be doggone amazing and I'll be wracked with guilt at having to choose just one of them).

 

"The most important thing my dog teaches me about happiness is _____________________."

 

Note: I started this contest on Facebook which, as it turns out, is a bit like a well-patrolled dog park with lots of rules and regulations that I didn't read in my haste to "run with ball," so to speak. I've pasted the Facebook responses to date below (don't worry, I know who you are) but if you're just participating now, please enter your answer in the comments section below. I will announce the winner here on my blog tomorrow on 5/13/11 at noon, PST.

Facebook entries to date:

"Let your worries go, and have some fun with me!"

"How to give love without string attached."

"No matter what the sacrifice the love is endless!! I might add I have never loved anything as much as I love my girls no matter what is going on in my life coming home to them is the best feeling in the world!!"

"There is an endless supply of happiness that goes along with the endless supply of wiggles!"

"I suffer from depression, when I got Brina the severity lessoned. She saved my life. I say this because I was to the point of giving up. I owe my life to my dog and best friend."

"All it takes is a cardboard box to shred! Happiness is in the little things!"

"That a squeaky toy can make anything better."

"What more could you need than your pack?  I have definitely described myself as "happy" more often since bringing dogs into my life than I used to. Losing a beloved dog to a tragic accident taught me the depths of grief I could feel - and survive. It also taught me and my husband new depths in each other (all good). I am conscious that I smile more often at the dogs' antics, and worry more about their welfare - and all of it makes my life more full. I have become aware of my energy's affect on the dogs, which makes me pay attention to the damage I do myself when I'm stressed. No matter what happens in life, I know my pack will be there for me."

"Unconditional love and puppy kisses!!!"

"The most important thing my dogs teach me about happiness is how to be happy, truly 100% committed happy! They don't care if you just went to the end of the driveway and back, they're happy to see you. They don't care if you had a rotten day in the flourescent jungle, they're happy you're home! They don't care if you just got done cutting grass and smell a little ripe they're so happy you decided to be done and come in. I just wish I could be all my dogs think I am!"

"How blessed our human family is that God put our pooch into our lives, and how blessed Cleo constantly reminds us for saving her. And how we make Jesus happy and give thanks to him... Without GOD we are nothing!"

"That no matter how bad my day might be they are always happy to see me and make me smile:)"

"Thank you for this question I think it brought a Smile to everyone face & one more smile as we all look at our babies!!!"

"T hat happiness doesn't come from things."

"No matter what happens, no matter who is upset—I will always love you and try my best to make it all better by wriggling into your lap and giving you all the kisses I can as fast as I can!! All this times 4 furry babies!!"

"Happiness is starting each morning with a big stretch, a gentle head nuzzle into the chest followed by a sweet kiss/lick to the face that says "welcome to today...I love you""

"That no matter what I will always get slobbery kisses and waggle butts."

"I've had this on my wall since we lost Orion last year: "What I learned from Orion: Keep a smile on your face, keep wagging your tail, and grunt every once-in-awhile if you need some extra attention.""

"True happiness is...True Unconditional love can always be found in my eyes & the wiggle of my whole puppy person at the site of you."

"Becoming a boxer foster Mom, the death of my boxer has opened a whole new world of giving to homeless Boxers. I just talked to the man that adopted my foster girl, and the love he has for her and the happiness that my giving has made on two lives....that to me is true happiness."

When a Walk is More Than a Walk: Sharpen Your Senses and Your Focus

Stop! What are doing right at this moment?

Okay, silly question. You are reading this blog post, probably jumping back and forth between your inbox, your Facebook page and your Twitter account. I know this because I work in the office with my two-legged humans. They zip around in a whir of activity that gives new meaning to the term "monkey mind" and makes even a hyperactive Boxer's head spin! It doesn't make them more productive, either.

When the distractions start to get out of control, I take charge: I park myself next to their desks and start whining for a walk. It doesn't take long and they give in. That's when I become the teacher and the overworked and overstressed humans become the students.

For example, this morning they were in a typical rush when I planted all four paws on the ground and refused to walk another step unless they stopped yanking on my leash. That got their attention. Then, I told them to open their eyes and their ears and to observe with me the world around us.

Here's what we saw: Bright blossoms, multiple shades of green, pretty flower beds….and a cat, a crow and a gargoyle! (The gargoyle was a little creepy.)

Unfortunately, humans aren't wired to experience the world through their senses in the same way that a dog does (sniffing at the neighbor's bushes is probably not cool). But, that's no excuse for not tuning in to your senses and savoring life instead of rushing though it at breakneck speed.

What do you enjoy on your walks?

Get Out and Play on Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, a day to celebrate hardworking mothers everywhere regardless of whether they have two legs, four legs, feathers or fins.

It's also a perfect day to put down the digital leash and spend some time connecting with the real people and the real pets in your life. How about a walk around the block? A game of toss and fetch? Think of it as a way to recharge and refresh for the busy week ahead!

Okay, now it's time for me to practice what I preach and log out of the cyber dogpark. I'll head to the real dogpark instead. Woof!

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FC Barcelona, Purple Bracelets & Why Whining Is a Doggone Waste of Time & Energy

I love soccer. I'm pretty good at it, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I could hold my own against the overpaid crybabies who play on FC Barcelona (today's Wall Street Journal said they have "a tendency to react to any impact with opposing players by writhing around like Desdemona on her deathbed in the final act of Verdi's Otello." How's that for poetic sports reporting?!)

Since dogs don't lie, I can't say that I never whine. But unlike Barcelona's drama queens there is always a legitimate reason for my complaining. For example, if my Mom is tardy in feeding me my supper, I sit next to her desk at precisely 6:01 p.m. and let loose with a high-pitched howl. That's reasonable, right?

Either way, dogs don't hold a candle to humans in the complaint department. The weather's too hot, the coffee's cold, civility is dead and cable TV rates have increased at three times the rate of inflation (and that's just what the humans in my house are squawking about). It's a lot easier to kvetch about things that aren't working than it is to fix them. In fact, complaining has become such an ingrained habit that many of you don't even realize you are doing it, unlike dogs, who, as I've said, always have a reason.

Unfortunately, complaining also feeds on itself. The average human complains between 15 and 30 times a day. Worse, as soon as one of you expresses dissatisfaction, the door is wide open for the rest of the pack to chime in.

So what can you do? Well, if you catch yourself starting to whine you can give yourself a slap on the paw—or you can buy a purple bracelet from Will Bowen, an animal-loving minister in Kansas City, Mo., who lets his staff bring their dogs to work and encourages church members to bring their pets to his office when they come for a visit. Unlike their humans, however, the animals never complain.

In fact, Will was so sick of all the complaining going on in his church that he decided to do something about it. In 2006, he started handing out purple rubber wristbands and asked his congregants to switch the bracelet from one wrist to the other whenever they caught themselves whining about something. The idea was to get people to go 21 days without switching wrists, after which they would ideally have formed a new, "noncomplaining" habit.

All of a sudden, people who didn't think they were whiners found they were moving the bracelet 10 times a day. Others stopped talking until they figured out how to have conversations that didn't involve complaining. In the time since, Bowen's nonreligious nonprofit organization, A Complaint Free World, has sent over 8 million purple rubber bracelets to people in more than 106 countries. The organization's goal is to help 60 million people, or 1 percent of the world's human population, redirect their words and thoughts to become complaint-free. It's such a fabulous and simple concept, a dog should have thought of it!

Now, if I could just get my paws on some of those purple bracelets so that I can chew them to smithereens.....

Wags and woofs,

Bella