Put your box of Valentine’s Day sweets away! Dogs and cats must NOT eat chocolate. Although the reaction to chocolate varies from dog to dog based on the quantity eaten in relation to its size, chocolate is poisonous to dogs and it can be fatal. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which is toxic to dogs. Chocolate should be kept away from dogs at all times because they often like and make off with foods that are sweet.

The amount of theobromine varies with the type of chocolate. From most to least here are some common theobromine laden chocolate types; Cocoa Beans – Cocoa Powder – Plain/Baking Chocolate – Dark Chocolate – Milk Chocolate – Chocolate Drink Mixes – White Chocolate.

The amount of chocolate that it takes to poison your pet depends on the type of chocolate eaten and the dog’s weight. White chocolate has the least amount of theobromine at 1 mg per ounce. Baking chocolate or cocoa beans have the highest. Baking chocolate has 450 mg of theobromine per oz; semi-sweet chocolate 260 mg/oz; milk chocolate, 60 mg/oz; and hot chocolate, 12 mg/oz. Here is a list of the most common sources of chocolate and the amount that leads to poisonous levels:

White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of nervous-system poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level. Keep in mind that the average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 oz of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to produce toxicity in a 10 lb dog.
Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.
Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers’ chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.

Signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, excess urination, nausea, seizures, irregular heartbeat and coma. Symptoms usually start within a few hours of ingestion but can take up to 36 hours. If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, rush it to an animal hospital or veterinarian immediately. The best diagnoses come from pets who were brought to the vet early.

Although chocolates are equally bad for cats, cats are finicky and many cats won’t eat it. If your cat does eat chocolate though, treat the situation as life threatening. Cats are small and it takes less chocolate to kill them.

The dog frisbee expert answers questions of DogBoston via YouTube in his longest online video yet!

I was looking through what was popular on the site over the past year or so, and I noticed that several thousand people had liked the following video from Zak George. It shows him demonstrating incredible dog/frisbee showmanship.

So I thought to myself, wonder if this guy would be up for a little interview – thinking that people might want to know more about this interesting character. So I approached him, and he said Yes, and turned around a video in a very short time. For a non-Bostonian he seems like a pretty cool guy and you can’t deny the talent he’s got with his dogs… and ladies… he is single.

I will post the actual interview questions I asked him below the video so you can go directly to that section if you want.

Thanks Zak – here’s the questions:
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Zak George interview

Background

How old are you now

When did you get started in canine frisbee?

Was there a person before you that inspired you, a mentor if you will?

What education do you have?

Are you making a living from your dog talents?

(optional) How much are you paid for a showing? If you had a PR agent do you think you’d make more?

Would you go back to school?

On celebrity

Lettermen

Tell us about being on his show. Any insight to what Dave is really like?

Besides Lettermen what other events made you think “geez, I’m a celebrity” ?

Any stalkers or funny / fanatic stories to share?

Do you get love letters?

On Training

If you had 5 minutes with a person and it seemed like they were unsuccessful training their dog, what would you tell them?

I have a dog that still gets excited around my parents, what can I do to get her to not jump?

What are your thoughts on Cesar Millan – Dog Whisperer?

What are your thoughts on Clicker Training?

Other

You also do video blogging and editing. What software do you use to create and edit the videos? Did you take a class or teach yourself?

I saw Venus – balance on feet… you also have other dogs named after solar system and space things (supernova). Do you have an interest in space? Do you think there is other life out there?

For the ladies out there… are you single?

What are your goals for the next couple of years?

Thanks, Brian

DogBoston.com

One of the most common and most dangerous poisons out there, antifreeze is a big concern in winter months for pet owners (although not just in the winter). It takes a very small amount of antifreeze to kill a dog, and even a spill on the driveway can be deadly. Do your dogs a favor and check your vehicles for leaks, and keep all antifreeze jugs, even the empty ones, in a secure location. Remember, antifreeze is a poison that dogs will willingly take due to its sweet taste and smell.

Prevention and First Aid
Without a doubt, preventing your dog from having access to antifreeze is by far the safest solution to antifreeze poisoning. Keep your antifreeze jugs on a high shelf in your garage where it can’t get knocked over, and immediately mop up any spills that happen when your refill your vehicle’s reservoir. It takes very little antifreeze to kill a pet. If you suspect your dog has ingested antifreeze, you must get him to a vet immediately.

Emergency First Aid
Immediate veterinary assistance is the only thing that will save your dog. Inducing vomiting and giving your dog activated charcoal will not cure your dog, but it will lessen the poison that is in his system. Save any of vomited material, and bring it with you to the vet.

Prevention
Switching to a propylene-glycol-based antifreeze, a safer, less-toxic alternative to ethylene glycol is one step that many pet owners take to protect their dogs from accidental antifreeze poisoning. Routine vehicle maintenance, and keeping an eye out for evidence of leaks (greenish pools underneath your car), and immediate clean-up of all spills are very important. Dogs that wander the neighborhood unsupervised are more prone to antifreeze poisoning, so keeping your dog under your supervision and leashed is also a step in preventing accidental poisoning, and not just from antifreeze.

As the first dog breed introduced into America, the Boston Terrier was originally bred for fighting, are were later down bred for companionship. The modern Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert, expressive, and well-mannered. Many still retain the spunky attitude of the typical terrier. It must be noted however, that they are not considered terriers by the American Kennel Club, but are part of the non-sporting group. Boston Terrier is something of a misnomer. They were originally a cross-breed between the White English Terrier (now extinct) and a French Bulldog.

Some Bostons enjoy having another one for companionship. Both females and males generally bark only when necessary. Having been bred as a companion dog, they enjoy being around people, and, if properly socialized, get along well with children, the elderly, other canines, and non-canine pets. Boston Terriers can be very cuddly, while others are more independent.

Health
Several health issues are of concern in the Boston Terrier: cataracts (both juvenile and adult type), cherry eye, luxating patellas, deafness, heart murmur, and allergies. Curvature of the back, called roaching, might be caused by patella problems with the rear legs, which in turn causes the dog to lean forward onto the forelegs. This might also just be a structural fault with little consequence to the dog. Many Bostons cannot tolerate excessive heat and also extremely cold weather, due to the shortened muzzle, so hot or cold weather combined with demanding exercise can bring harm to a Boston Terrier.

They can live up to 15 years or more, but the average is around 13 years.

The Boston, like other short-snouted breeds have an elongated palate. When excited, they are prone to a “reverse sneeze” where the dog will quickly, and seemingly laboriously, gasp and snort. This is caused by fluid or debris getting caught under the palate and irritating the throat or limiting breathing. “Reverse sneezing” episodes won’t hurt a Boston in the least, but it will scare the dog, and maybe its owners, a good deal

Because of their short snouts, they do tend to snort and snore. These can be signs of serious health issues. Due to the Boston’s prominent eyes, some are prone to ulcers or minor injuries to their cornea.

When a boston terrier gets stressed they tend to lick their paws turning them into a crimson brown color which tends to decrease when they stop licking.

History
The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1870, when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased a dog known as Hooper’s Judge, a cross between a Bulldog and an English White Terrier.

Judge weighed over 30 pounds (13.5 kilos). He was bred down in size with a smaller female and one of his male pups was bred to yet a smaller female. Their offspring interbred with one or more French Bulldogs, providing the foundation for the Boston Terrier. Bred down in size from pit-fighting dogs of the bull and terrier types, the Boston Terrier originally weighed up to 44 pounds (20 kg.) (Olde Boston Bulldogge). Their weight classifications were once divided into lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight.

The breed was first shown in Boston in 1870. By 1889 the breed had become sufficiently popular in Boston that fanciers formed the American Bull Terrier Club, but this proposed name for the breed was not well received by the Bull Terrier Fanciers. The breed’s nickname, “roundheads”, was similarly inappropriate. Shortly after, at the suggestion of James Watson (a noted writer and authority), the club changed its name to the Boston Terrier Club and in 1893 it was admitted to membership in the American Kennel Club.

In 1893, the American Kennel Club (AKC) admitted the Boston Terrier breed and gave the club membership status, making it the first US breed to be recognized. It is one of a small number of breeds to have originated in the United States that the AKC recognizes.

The Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog bred in the US.

In the early years, the color and markings were not very important, but by the 1900s the breed’s distinctive markings and color were written into the standard, becoming an essential feature. Terrier only in name, the Boston Terrier has lost most of its ruthless desire for mayhem, preferring the company of humans, although some males will still challenge other dogs if they feel their territory is being invaded.

Boston Terriers were particularly popular during the 1920’s in the US.

Source: Wikipedia

Beebe Woods Conservation Area, Falmouth

Blue Hills Reservations, Milton

Charles River Reservation, The Esplanade, Back Bay

Dogtown Commons, Gloucester

Duxbury Beach, Duxbury

Estabrook Woods, Concord

Middlesex Fells Reservation, Medford

Noanet Woodlands, Dover

Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield

Sanford Fram/Ram Pasture/The Woods, Nantucket

Weir Hill Reservation, North Andover.