American Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels are gentle and trusting, with average intelligence. These lively, playful dogs are devoted to their people, but should be well socialized when they are young to avoid a tendency for shyness. Cockers who understand that they are not in charge, are good with children. They love everyone and need firm, loving leadership and daily exercise to be happy and emotionally well balanced.

Breed Info:
Exhibited in the US since the 1880s, the Cocker Spaniel remains one of the most popular breeds according to AKC® registration statistics. The Cocker has a sturdy, compact body and a silky, flat or wavy coat. He is a merry, well-balanced dog that is capable of considerable speed and great endurance. Cocker Spaniels can be black, black with tan points, parti-colored or any solid color other than black (ASCOB).

A Look Back:
As far back as the 14th Century there is mention of the Spanyell, which came to be divided into water and land spaniels. "Cockers" are the smallest of the spaniels and the Sporting Group. The American Cocker has evolved somewhat differently in appearance from the breed now recognized as the English Cocker Spaniel. His desire to hunt renders him a capable gun dog; he covers territory speedily, flushing game and retrieving only when under command. He take to water readily.

Grooming:
Some owners prefer to leave the coat long, brushing daily and shampooing frequently with quarterly scissoring and clipping. Others prefer to clip the coat to medium length to be more functional. Either way, the dog will need regular grooming to keep the coat free of mats. When brushing, be careful not to pull out the silky hair. This breed is an average shedder. The eyes need regular cleaning.

Right Breed for You?
Despite their small size, the Cocker Spaniel is still an active Sporting breed that needs daily exercise. Cockers are intelligent, gentle dogs that thrive as part of a family. They do require a fair amount of grooming. While Cocker Spaniels can be difficult to housebreak, and submissive wetting is sometimes a problem, they are generally easy to obedience train and usually get along well with other animals.

Source: AKC MEET THE BREEDS®

PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer - Product Review

We do not recommend the PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer. We say, don't waste your money. If you want to file your dog's nails, buy a good emery board and use that. Emery boards made specifically for fake fingernails are excellent and inexpensive.

If you are still tempted to buy a PediPaw, you might want to read what people are really saying about it. Here is a sampling of consumer complaints found online:

• "Many of our clients have purchased it, only to find that it doesn't live up to the advertising."


• "I am convinced that the dogs in the commercial are either sedated or the actors do not have the thing on and are pretending to do the dogs’ nails. The commercial is misleading. They act like you can just take it out of the box and start clipping away. NOT the case. Only when you get it & read the instructions does it say THEN that it will take some time to finish the job. The sound is akin to going to the dentist and having a cavity filled because that is what it is - a grinder only this is a belt grinder. THAT sound is always fun to hear. Plus it smells like something burning even if you hold it on the nail for only four or five seconds. If you don’t mind taking a week or two to do one paw, then it is probably the product for you."


• "If you have an older dog maybe it works, but my young dog became so conditioned to the sound, that he would run whenever he hears the thing. I tried for a solid month with this in every way possible. Spent more money on treats than on the stupid PediPaws. I think I’ll just invest in some high quality emery boards now, at least I’ll save money."


• "DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!...it grabs at the dogs claw, is loud, and the dogs have all pulled away from it, they are frightened by the vibration of it along with the noise..."


• "Get the regular dog nail clippers or have a groomer do it...the Pedi-Paws are a waste of money....The one ordered for the kennel was sent back and we are still waiting for the refund..."


• "I bought one, they are junk. It takes forever to remove any of the toenail."


• "Save your money, I just threw $20 away on the one I bought."


• Save your money. Do not buy this product. It takes forever to work on the nails and does not work well. Customer service is terrible and they will not take the product back. Buy anything else instead of this product.


• They are biggest joke going. Dogs go absolutely ape poop when you touch their feet with one."


• I got one last year for Christmas. To avoid scaring my dog I let her sniff it to her satisfaction, then touched her sides with it till she was comfortable. Finally I turned it on and repeated the whole act. After a paw or two, it died. New batteries didn't revive it.


• "The Dogs on TV are either well trained or drugged. No normal dog will stand still for having his toenail ground off. Save you money and get a pair of dog nail clippers."

The Things Puppies Get Into!

Silly puppy, what are you doing in there?

Here's a lively cup of java!

Awww....

A mug shot?

Here ya go - a new kind of dish washer!

It's the Rotti Express!

Chillin!

Oops! OMG!

That was too many balloons!

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

Brushes and Combs

The following are products we recommend for keeping your pet's hair tangle free between grooming appointments:

Sal Professional Slicker Brush

Effective curved design features comfort grip rubber handles for better grip and to reduce hand fatigue. High quality, rust proof stainless steel pins. 3 sizes to choose from. Free cleaning comb included. (find it at PetAgree Grooming Supplies)

Safari Stainless Steel Grooming Comb

We like this comb. It is well suited for medium to large breeds with medium / coarse coats, and works equally well on small breeds with fine hair. The smooth rounded teeth on this comb are gentle to the dog's skin, and because it's stainless steel, it will hold up to years of use. To maintain a healthy coat, brush and comb your pet regularly, and always brush and then comb the entire coat before bathing. (find it on Amazon.com)

FURminator deShedding Tool

If you have a labrador retriever, or other short or medium-haired dog (or cat) with lots of loose undercoat, the furminator is the tool to use. Just be careful not to over-do it, and remove too much hair! If you are over-zealous, you might accidentally leave bald patches here and there. The 4-inch stainless-steel edge quickly and easily removes loose undercoat hair, decreases shedding up to 90 percent for about 4 to 6 weeks, and leaves a shiny and healthy topcoat. (find it on Amazon.com)

Seeing Eye Cat

Here's what the article says:

Cashew, my 14 year old yellow lab, is blind and deaf. Her best friend is Libby, 7, her seeing-eye cat. Libby steers Cashew away from obstacles and leads her to her food. Every night she sleeps next to her. The only time they're apart is when we take Cashew out for a walk. Without this cat, we know Cashew would be lost and very, very lonely indeed. It's amazing but true: This is one animal who knows what needs to be done and does it day in and day out for her friend.

~Terry Burns, Middlesburg, PA

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

Our Policies

APPOINTMENTS:Please do not show up early in hopes that your dog will be ready, this can be very upsetting for your dog. If we are running ahead of schedule, we will call you. If you know you will be late for your scheduled appointment, please call. We do charge a late fee for dogs that are left past closing time.

LATE FEES:If we have stay late because your dog was left past closing time, you will be charged accordingly. Dogs that are not picked up within a reasonable time frame will be boarded at Raytown Gregory Animal Health Center at the owner's expense.

CREDIT CARD POLICY: We do accept credit and/or debit cards. There is a $1.00 service charge.

CHECKS: We do accept checks. Please be prepared to show ID when writing a check. There is a $20 service charge for returned checks.

FLEAS:Pets with fleas will automatically be treated at owner's expense. Flea treatments are available with grooming only.

DE-MATTING:We do not do the extensive type of de-matting that causes trauma and pain to your animal.

CATS: A high percentage of cats that will require trims or shaves do not tolerate the experience well, and will need sedation. The sedation is done by the capable veterinarians at Raytown Gregory Animal Health Center. You will need to call Raytown Gregory (816-353-6681)schedule the sedate. There is a separate fee for the sedation and there will be paper work that must be signed before they can proceed.

AGGRESSIVE DOGS: If your dog's aggression can be handled without sedation, there is a special handling fee based on how long the groom takes. If we find that your dog (or cat) cannot be safely groomed, we will recommend sedation.

SEDATION: If your dog or cat cannot be safely groomed, we will recommend sedation. The sedation is done by the capable veterinarians at Raytown Gregory Animal Health Center. You will need to call Raytown Gregory (816-353-6681)schedule the sedate. There is a separate fee for the sedation and there will be paper work that must be signed before they can proceed.

VACCINATIONS: The city of Raytown requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. We are required, by law, to make sure that every pet we groom is current on this vaccine. If your dog or cat is not current, you can have them vaccinated during their grooming appointment. You'll need to make arrangements for that by calling the Raytown Gregory Animal Health Center (816-353-6681).

City Requirements - Rabies Vaccine

Code of Ordinances of the City of Raytown, Missouri
Sec. 4-23.

Rabies vaccination tag required:

(a) It shall be the duty of every person owning, keeping or harboring in the city any dog, cat or ferret over the age of ninety (90) days to procure from a licensed veterinarian a tag or emblem evidencing a current inoculation of said animal against rabies within the preceding twelve (12) months.

(b) No owner or keeper of any dog, cat or ferret shall allow or permit such dog, cat or ferret to be outside the residence of said owner or keeper at any time other than when enclosed on all sides in a cage or covered dog run without having attached to a collar about the neck of such animal or to a secure body harness a rabies vaccination tag. All veterinarians shall issue rabies vaccination certificates and tags in a uniform color and shape as recommended for each year by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.

(c) Upon a plea of guilty or conviction of a first offense for failure to display a rabies tag pursuant to this section, the penalty shall be a fine of fifty dollars and fifty cents ($50.50) plus court costs. Any person charged with a first offense for failure to adequately display a rabies tag shall have the option of paying the specified fine upon entering a plea of guilty and upon waiving appearance in court.

(d) Upon conviction of a second offense for failure to display a rabies tag pursuant to this section, the penalty shall be a fine of one hundred dollars and fifty cents ($100.50) plus court costs.

(e) Upon conviction of a third offense for failure to display a rabies tag pursuant to this section, the penalty shall be a fine of two hundred fifty dollars and fifty cents ($250.50) plus court costs.

(f) Upon conviction of a fourth or subsequent offense for failure to display a rabies tag pursuant to this section, the penalty shall be a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) plus court costs.

(Ord. No. 2039-80, § 2, 3-20-80; Ord. No. 2475-82, § 4, 12-7-82; Ord. No. 2765-85, § 1, 3-5-85; Ord. No. 4680-01, § 1, 2-20-01; Ord. No. 5239, § 3, 7-3-07; Ord. No. 5191-07, § 1, 3-6-07)

Orphan of The Week

Heavenly Pets is happy to be sponsoring the Orphan of the Week, in cooperation with The Raytown Post and the Raytown Animal Hospital. Our orphan this week is Katie. Here's her picture:


She is a 5 year old Australian Shepherd/cattle dog mix. She is calm and loves to sleep. If you are looking for someone to just love you Katie will do that. She is shy at first and then quickly warms up to you. She is great with kids, other dogs, and is ok with cats. Katie is up to date on shots, heart worm test was negative and is spayed. Katie is looking for her forever home please come see her.

Like to adopt her? Give the Raytown Animal Hospital a call, their number is 816-304-6465. They are located at: 10312 E 63rd St, right here in Raytown, MO. They also have a MySpace page with more information, check it out here: Raytown Adoption Center.

If you adopt Katie, give us a call. We're offering a 50% discount on her very first grooming following the adoption.

Services

Heavenly Pets is a full service grooming salon with extensive knowledge of all breeds. We are passionate about our craft and stand behind the quality of our work. Whenever possible, we will tailor and customize your pet's trim to meet your personal taste.

We are committed to making sure that your pet's grooming experience is as stress free as possible. Because of this commitment, please see our policy page if your dog is extensively matted, has an aggressive temperament, or if you have a cat.

Veterinary care: As an added convenience veterinary services can be arranged while your pet is here for grooming. Simply call the Raytown Gregory Animal Health Center and make arrangements for your pet to be seen by a veterinarian while at Heavenly Pets being groomed. Their phone number is: 816-353-6681.

Products We Use: We use only organic, biodegradable, natural shampoos and conditioners. Information about the products we use can be found on these pages: Products We Use.

Our Prices: For a listing of our current prices, please visit the our prices pages. Be aware that the prices listed are approximations only. Unless you are one of our regular clients, we cannot give you an exact quote without first seeing your pet.

Hi, all you animal lovers!

This just in - it came from one of our clients, and we thought we'd pass it along just in case anyone is interested. It's a simple and free way to help The Animal Rescue people get FREE FOOD donated every day to abused and neglected animals.


The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.

Here's how it works:

Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals renowned animal sanctuaries (including Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California), pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation, North Shore Animal League, and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation.

Pets Needing Homes

Kathy Rush, one of our clients, has requested that we post these pictures of two pets that need homes. If you are interested in either one of them, you can give her a call at (Thank you for your interest - these pets are no longer requiring homes). Here are the pictures and the information:

This is Chico, he's a 4 1/2 year old chihuahua, a neutered male, current on shots. Not good with children. She's asking a $50 for him.


This is Mickie, a 3 year old Shitzu, he is micro-chipped, current on shots, and as you can see, great with children. She's asking $100 for him.

If you are interested in either one of these pets, give Kathy a call.

Going For A Ride

Awww....
That's cute.

And astonishing!
Could you get your dogs do that?

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

What is hand stripping?

Hand stripping is done promarily on terriers and terrier type dogs. Stripping this type of hair promotes brighter and denser color of the coat and a tighter and more wiry texture which is desirable in terriers.

The procedure is very expensive because it is immensly difficult and requires a great deal of skill and know how.

What is it exactly? Hand stripping is plucking the hair out by hand either with the fingers or a tool.

This procedure should only be done if the dog has never been shaved. Shaving affects the density and the texture of the coat. If your dog has been shaved prior to the hand stripping, it becomes much more difficult to pull out the hair and therefore is extremely painful for the dog.

Recycle for Rescue

We received this notice via email, and since we love to support animal rescue organizations, we're posting it here in case anyone is interested in helping out.

Furry Kids' Refuge is Excited to Announce the "Recycle for Rescue" Online Gadget Drive in Partnership with Gazelle.com!

Now you're thinking..."what's a gadget drive?" Well, we're glad you asked...read on!

A gadget drive is a new way to raise funds that turns your used electronics (laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras & more) into cash to support a worthy cause. Contributing to this drive is very simple and does not require any cost on your part. The drive started, August 1st and will run through September 30th.

What are we raising funds for? As you know, each animal we rescue is vaccinated, spayed or neutered and given necessary, often life saving, medical attention. As you probably can imagine, the care we provide is very costly and with all of our funds coming totally from donations, it can be overwhelming and down right scary! The funds received from "Recycle for Rescue" will go directly to the care of our animals. We hope you will consider participating in our "gadget drive".

Thank you for your time and support!!

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Here are the numbers:

• Veterinary Expenses: $46,757
  (As of May 2009 - we have provided the following)


• Spay/Neuters: 135
• Heartworm Tests: 161
• Heartworm Treatments: 28
• Dental Cleanings: 99
• Blood Panels: 23
• X-Rays: 51
• Surgeries: 24
• AND MORE!!

In addition to Veterinary expenses, any funds we receive go directly to the care and feeding of our rescue animals. Since the beginning of this year, we have been able to save 223* animals and have had 161 adoptions as of 7/25/09. We currently have about 63 dogs and 8 cats in our program.

*this number does not include dogs or cats in our program that were vetted in 2008



HOW IT WORKS...

1. Visit the drive webpage at FurryKidsRefuge.gazelle.com to find the value of the gadgets you would like to donate (there are 15+ gadget categories including cell phones, laptops, cameras, MP3 players, & more!!!)
2. Send your gadgets to Gazelle (Shipping is FREE and Gazelle will even send you a box!!)
3. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email.
4. Gazelle sends 100% of the value of your item to Furry Kids' Refuge

THAT'S IT...PRETTY EASY, HUH??

Want more information? Visit the Furry Kids Refuge website and click on the FAQ link on our "Recycle for Rescue" page.

Shampoos And Conditioners

We use shampoos and conditioners from Harco Laboratories, Inc. This company is family owned and operated and has been in business since 1995.

They use only the finest of organic surfactants, herbal extracts, and natural oils available. Their products are not tested on animals, and we love how they work naturally and effectively without the use of harmful pesticides or harsh chemicals.

For more information on individual shampoos and conditioners, visit these links:

• Our Favorite All Purpose Shampoo
• The Flea Shampoo We Use
• Medicated Shampoo for Sensitive Skin
• Mat Magic - Our Favorite De-Tangler
  
  
  

How To Hug A Baby

1st STEP:
Locate a baby and observe him from your location.


2nd STEP:
Be sure that the object you spied was indeed a baby, by employing classic sniffing techniques. If you smell baby powder and the wonderful aroma of wet diapers, this is, indeed, a baby.


3rd STEP:
Next you will need to flatten the baby before actually beginning the hugging process.

**Note: The added slobber should help in future steps by making the “paw slide” easier.


4th STEP:
The “paw slide” - Simply slide paws around baby and prepare for possible close-up.


5th STEP:
Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute the difficult and patented “hug, smile, and lean” so as to achieve the best photo quality.

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

Our De-Tangler

For dogs with tangled hair, we use MAT-Magic Leave-On Conditioning Spray from Harco Natural Groomer.

MAT-MAGIC Spray is a leave-on spray that eliminates damage and stress on your pet's coat caused by hard to get out mats and tangles. MAT-MAGIC breaks up mats and tangled hair with little effort. It also enriches and strengthens the coat with a wheat protein based formula. MAT-MAGIC has a wonderful natural vanilla extract scent that leaves the coat smelling fresh and clean. This magical spray assists also in preventing mats and tangles, and maintaining waves, curls, and grooming styles.

ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS:
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Conditioners.

Our Medicated Shampoo

If your dog has sensitive skin, or other issues, we might use a medicated shampoo for the bath at no extra charge. We like the TEA TREE OIL Medicated Shampoo from Harco Natural Groomer.

TEA TREE OIL Shampoo is formulated with oil distilled from the leaves of the Tea Tree which produces oil as a natural defense against destructive pests.

Tea Tree Oil is highly regarded as a natural, non-toxic, non-irritatiing, broad spectrum germicide and fungicide with exceptional microbiocidal activity against bacteria and as a topical antiseptic and mild local anesthetic for treatment of cuts, abrasions, skin infections, insect bites, flea bite dematitis, boils, etc.. Tea Tree Oil, Medicated Shampoo is environmentally safe, a premium medicated shampoo, and and we believe more effective controlling pet skin problems than other higher priced shampoos.

ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS:
Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Salicylic Acid, Calendula Oil, Camille Oil.

Our Favorite Shampoo

Our favorite shampoo is HIGH YIELD 32 Concentrated Shampoo with Whiteners from Harco Natural Groomer.

High Yield 32 Shampoo is an excellent multi-task shampoo. We love that it was formulated with natural oils and herbal extracts to work naturally and effectively without the use of harmful pesticides or harsh chemicals.

This soapless shampoo cleans even a really dirty dog with just one application. The whitening effect reacts to the coat loosening dirt and grime, while making white, gray and light colored hair look brighter and more luxurious.

ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS:
Aloe Vera Gel, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Vitamins A, D & E, Calendula Oil, Camille Oil.

Our Flea Shampoo

The flea shampoo we use here at Heavenly Pets is the D-LIMONAIDE Citrus Conditioning Shampoo from Harco Natural Groomer.

D-Limonaide Shampoo is made from D-LIMONENE, an extract from orange peels, blended with natural herbal oils, cedarwood, worm wood, and freskomenthe. The shampoo conditions with a special blend of Aloe Vera gel and plant derived proteins.

This combination makes a superb deep cleaning and conditioning shampoo, and an excellent alternative to pesticide shampoos. D-Limonaide Shampoo is useful for treatment of fleabite dermatitis, is gentle for puppies and kittens, and leaves a pleasant scent which deodorizes the strongest odors.

ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS:
7.5% d-Limonene, Worm Wood Oil, Freskomenthe Oil, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Cedar Wood Oil, Calendula Oil, Camille Oil.

The Flea Spray We Use

If your pet has a flea problem and is not currently on any kind of flea preventative, the product we use as part of our flea treatment program is Ovitrol Flea Spray. It effectively kills the live fleas on your pet, and also repels ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies.

Ovitrol contains Precor Insect Growth Regulator, which will (according to their product information) kill flea eggs and larvae for up to 2 months when used as a spray for floors and furniture.

The spray can be reapplied weekly, and is safe for use on dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, horses and ponies. Do not use on puppies or kittens under 12 weeks of age. Contains Pyrethrins and S-Methoprene.