Everyone’s talking about getting organized. It’s that time of year. Why not organize your dog’s records?

You may need to access your dog’s records for:

• Veterinary consults
• Kennels, petsitters
• Training classes
• Events (You’ll need basic info to register, and often proof of vaccination.)
• Disaster preparedness
• Travel outside the country
• If your dog is lost or you need proof of ownership
• If you are a breeder, detailed information is appreciated by new owners.

Choose the format that best fits your style. Records can be kept:

• Digitally, on your computer or PDA. Disadvantages; accessibility, power-outages, and not having a hard-copy when you need one. However, having a digital backup of paper records is a great idea.
• In a binder with originals, certificates, and registration papers tucked safely in a file. Disadvantages: paper in binders can tear loose or become dog-eared. Consider page protectors or heavy-weight paper and hole punch reinforcements. You may want to protect your information by using a zip-up binder, or making a pouch to keep it in.
• Loose in file folders or in a portable file pocket.
• In an index card file. Disadvantages: Limited to written information; this format is too small for photocopies.
• In a “My Dog” recordkeeping book (usually found at bookstores) Disadvantages: you cannot add pages to a bound book. Tucking records in the pages is not secure.

I decided to keep Dash’s information in a binder that I can easily take with me. This method has worked very well for us. Here’s how we did it:

• I bought an inexpensive binder with clear pockets on the front, back and spine, and a package of clear, archival-quality page protectors.
• I printed a title sheet for the binder and slipped it under the clear front pocket.
• When I want to add information to Dash’s binder, I slide it into a page protector and place that in the binder. No hole punching necessary!
• I filled out our downloadable dog data sheets, saved them on my computer and PDA, and printed a copy for his book. I can update and reprint Dash’s data whenever I need to.

Here’s to an easy, organized New Year!

Today is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. For the gifts below, you don’t have to fight the crowds or wear the print off your credit cards. All you need is a little time and imagination and you’ll have great gifts to give.

• Do you have a dog friend who is not computer savvy? Offer to give her a tour of the most useful dog sites and introduce her to the online dog community. Set up bookmarks for her to find the sites later.
  • Show her how to join and participate in a dog discussion group (try Yahoo Groups DogZone)
  • Show her how to browse dog photos of her favorite breed or activity on Flickr, and then upload her own photos.
  • Give her great resource sites to refer to, both local and national.
  • Help her find sites that appeal to her interests (such as breed, dog sport, or canine cause sites).

• Make IOU coupons for your favorite dog person for things such as:
• dog walks
• grooming & nail clippings
• baths
• play dates
• pet sitting
• a digital photo session
• helping your friend set up her equipment at a dog show or event.
• a dog-themed movie night (pick up a couple of dollar DVD rentals and bring the popcorn)

• Make your favorite dog-lover a calendar with dog events for the coming year. Include dog shows, pet fairs, televised dog events, her dog’s birthday or anniversary, etc. To find the events, check with your local shelters, city hall, training facilities, dog clubs, dog shops, and the AKC.

• Knit or sew a cushiony dog mat or rug.

• Braid a strong tug toy out of strips of old blue jeans.

• Mix up some dog biscuits for a special dog. There are lots of recipes online. Package them in inexpensive clear treat bags or decorative tins.

• Buy a small table-top tree and tie bone-shaped biscuits to the branches with ribbon.

• Make some unique refrigerator magnets by hot gluing a magnet to the back of a dog biscuit that has been coated with water-based polyurethane. (Keep these magnets out of the dog’s reach!)

While your family is together for the holidays, why not look through old photos for those that include the family dog? You may be surprised how often the family dog appears in your photos, and how cherished they seem to be.

Look closely at each photo. Is the dog the sole subject of the photo? Is he on the furniture? Is the dog sitting formally alongside family members, or is he in someone’s arms? Is there communication between the dog and people? Is the photo humorous?

I found a wonderful family portrait from the 1930s on the day my grandparents adopted their new dog, Foxie. There is a later photo of Foxie posed alone in the driver’s seat of the car, as if she were headed to town. Mitzi, the family German Shepherd, figured prominently in the photo taken the day my grandmother brought my father home from the hospital (above). A later photo shows Mitzi laying beside my father as he slept on a blanket on the lawn.

Sometimes a poor photograph that was saved shows the degree of attachment for a pet. I found a photograph of a white blur, kept for nearly one hundred years, obviously out of sentiment. It is the only known photograph of my grandmother’s childhood dog, Teddy.

Now that you’ve found photographs of the family dog, what can you do with them? Here are some ideas:

• Put together a photo album with captions.
• Create scrapbook pages or an entire album.
• Frame and display the photos as a group.
• Make copies and give to dog-loving relatives. Frame special photos as gifts.
• Display the photos on your website, or a photo sharing site (like Flickr, Yahoo, or Snapfish).

Make sure you choose acid-free materials to preserve your precious photographs.

Our dogs are so important to us today, but often they were just as important to those in our past. Talk to your older relatives. Show them the photos you’ve found, and take notes as they reminisce. Ask about their pets and write down the stories. You may find you come from a long line of dog-lovers.

For wonderful old dog photos, browse the Old Photos with Dogs group on Flickr. You can also join the group and contribute your family photos. Enjoy!

Groups around the country are knitting or crocheting mats to make life easier for shelter and rescue animals. Many shelter animals are seniors, and they welcome the cushioning provided by the mats. (If you’re not a knitter, traditional washable blankets are also welcomed by shelters.)

In my area, the Knit n’ Purl for Pets Knitting Workshop meets regularly to knit pet mats at Petropolis in suburban St. Louis. Some volunteers knit pet mats at home and drop them off at Petropolis for donation.

Petropolis’ basic guidelines are:

• Use only washable acrylic yarn
• Some shelters have specific size requirements, but others gratefully accept any size mat
• Beginners may find it easier to start with needles a size or two larger than #9
• Knit with two strands of yarn to make an extra-cushiony mat

There may be a group in your area that knits for shelter animals. How do you find one?

• Call your local animal shelter or rescue groups to inquire
• Check your local newspaper in the calendar, pet or lifestyle section for announcements
• Ask at local pet businesses
• Search Google or Google News with keywords such as your location, knit, crochet, pets, dog, shelter, blanket, rug. Try just a few words at a time. You may need to do some juggling of keywords to find a local group (I did).

If there are no established knitting groups in your area, why not start one?

• Find shelters or rescue groups that would welcome the donation of pet mats
• Start with the basic guidelines above, and adjust for your shelter’s needs
• Find volunteers to help knit or crochet mats:
• Put up flyers in local craft shops and pet-friendly shops (with permission)
• Write a short announcement and put in your town’s calendar section of the newspaper
• Contact local dog clubs and ask them to put your announcement in their newsletters

Finally, if you have washable, acrylic yarn you can spare, groups that knit for shelter animals will gratefully accept your donation.

Keep training treats in containers in the rooms where you spend the most time with your dog. (Clickertales suggests you invite your dog into the bathroom for a quick training session!) You will train more often if treats are handy. If you use a clicker, don’t forget to put one in each container.

• Choose small treats. Small treats are quickly consumed, so you can go on to the next response and treat. Your dog will consume many treats in a session, and unless you’re planning on feeding his meals this way, you don’t want him to fill up on treats.

• Make sure the containers are food-safe, and ideally, non-breakable. Plastic food containers come in all sizes and are inexpensive. If you want to use glass, a wide-mouthed salsa jar is perfect. If you prefer a decorative glass container, know that not all decorative glass pieces are food safe. Stick with a brand name like Anchor Hocking or Libby to be sure. Alternatively, you could decorate a plain glass jar yourself.

• Keep your treat jars out of reach. I have an favorite biscuit tin that was emptied by a resourceful Siberian. The evidence? A sleepy dog, and an empty tin with two neat fang marks on the lid!

Do you have dog show or trial ribbons in drawers, show catalogs, or the glovebox of your car? Why not display them in a decorative clear glass jar? This makes a festive reminder of those show weekends. Keep the ribbons bright by placing it out of direct sun. Cheap, cheerful, easy, fun!

Americans spend billions of dollars on their pets every year. Toys are a major player in the pet market. There are some budget buys, though. How about browsing the dollar stores for inexpensive toys for your dog?

In the pet section, I found tennis balls in various sizes, and name brand chew ropes. There are also lightweight latex squeaky toys that would be suitable only for non-chewers. Be mindful of your dog’s habits and decide what would be a suitable toy.

In the children’s toy section, I found a funny-feeling porcupine ball that I selected as a supervised toy. I wanted Dash to experience that funny, tickly feeling of this toy. I bought some water toys…some “water bombs”, a package of foam rubber balls covered in fabric that soak up water. Dash loves these in his wading pool. They also had long, flexible foam “noodles” for the pool which would have many uses for fun games and training.

Petco had a the “Squirt Ball” in their clearance aisle this summer that was a big hit with Dash. It’s a flexible blue ball you fill with water. When the dog bites the filled ball, it squirts water through tiny holes. Fun!

You can make your own tug/chew toy with a length of rope you braid and twist and tie into just the right size for your dog. Cotton rope would be gentler to your dog’s mouth than polypropylene. Alternatively, you could use old, washed tee shirts or blue jeans if you’re not worried about the dog thinking your clothes are chew toys. Your choice.