Wine-o: Cupcake Prosecco

Cupcake Prosecco, Central Coast California

Alcohol 11%

Price $8

The big news is in, I have a job!  Among other things I can branch out from the Jumbo sized wines (although of course never completely, some were delicious!) and the dog food budget is definitely not going to be downsized (they love the fish Holistic Select!). 

This Prosecco was lovely.  Light and not overly sweet, fizzy and bubbly in all the right spots.  The wine had citrus notes and a medium froth (don't shake or handle roughly before opening!)  A clear, daffodil yellow complemented the light flavor and brush of spray on your nose as you dip in for a sip.  

A beautiful bottle complimented by the simple and sweet Cupcake logo.  The BF seemed dubious at first, but he requested a second glass!  It was the perfect present for a celebration.

Freya's Score 84

Mona's Value 10.5

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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New Puppy To Buy List

When I found Freya I knew she was the doggy for me.  She was timid and beautiful, and her docked tail was strange to both of us.  I went to visit her at the shelter and was back 2 hours later with the BF to get the final stamp of approval.  He now says he liked her from the get go because I did so much, although she was a bit "muddy looking".

First thing we needed, was a kennel to put her in the car for the drive home.  We didn't think that far ahead, but she was so freaked out she just hunkered down in the passenger's seat and we were ok.  Second thing, a kennel at home so I could go buy all the other stuff she needed:

• Puppy Food
• Dog bowls (one for water, one for food, get plastic to start)
• Leash
• Collar
• Soft & Hard Chew toys
• Hair brush
• Shampoo
• Carpet Cleaner

If one were really on top of it, ideally they would have all of these items before they brought the dog home.  The next step was to make a Vet appointment.  Puppies need several booster shots to guard them against a variety of diseases.  Freya went through the necessary rounds of:

• 7-way (guards agains parvo, lepto, and many other viruses)
• Kennel Cough
• Lyme's Disease (we knew we would be traveling in the Northern USA a lot and requested this especially)
• Rabies Shot (given at 13 weeks)

The great thing is, a lot of Animal Hospitals are filled with very kind employees who will answer your questions.  I asked a ton, and was so excited with my new puppy that I probably forgot the answers to half.

Don't forget that while your puppy will make mistakes and messes, they still love you!  So correct them and then love on them, especially when they do something right or respond immediately to a stern "NO".

Bark Park Etiquette

While many dog owners greatly enjoy taking their furry friends to the Bentonville Bark Park, I have met some that are wary of the experience.  This is often because they have not gone before or are nervous of how their dog will act.

Dogs are pack animals, they love to socialize and play, and a dog park is a great way to socialize and exercise your dog.  A couple pieces of advice.

1.  Watch your dog at all times.  Be aware of the other dogs s/he is interacting with.  Most dogs just want to play, but sometimes a couple of "alpha" type dogs won't back down to each other.  Note if you see any interactions like that and watch your pet carefully when with those dogs.

Kora the Blue Heeler

2.  Encourage your dog to "check-in".  Freya is wonderfully social and submissive to other dogs, and so I don't worry about her scampering to the other end of the yard.  However I will call her every couple of minutes back to me.  This is a great training moment as I am able to teach her to obey the "COME" with great distraction all around.  (Because Freya is part Australian Shepherd, she also does this instinctively with me as she is aware that I am her "ward or herd", it may be harder to train other breeds to do this.)
3.  Chat with other owners!  This is a social exercise for you too!  People love to talk about their dogs and it's easy to strike up a conversation with strangers in a safe environment.
4.  Note when your dog is tiring.  Tell tale signs: lying down, overly barking, getting testy with other dogs, sitting by you.  These things all mean it is time to go home.

One of Freya's special friends, Kora does not get on well with other dogs.  She is a Blue Heeler and is very attached to her owner, thinking she must defend her at all costs!  My friend is trying to work with Kora on this and has taken her to the dog park to help socialize her.  Kora is kept on the leash at all times and is praised when she lets other dogs and people sniff or pet her.  With time, we hope that she will get friendlier with other dogs and eventually be allowed off the leash in a controlled setting.

Don't miss another exciting opportunity to socialize your dog in downtown Bentonville with upcoming First Fridays and Farmers Markets!  Special "Dog Days of Summer" Farmers Market on May 19, 2012.

Freya the Office Dog

Freya is a working dog, as in she goes to the office with me every day.  This has helped her grow out of a lot of her shelter dog fears by subjecting her to the friendly pats and affection of many visitors (people in Bentonville, AR LOVE dogs).  While still protective of me, Freya and I have worked through a lot of her fear/aggression to the point that she will stop barking at a visitor when I greet them (90% of the time).

Freya's time at the office has been beneficial in many ways though.  Not only is she a greeter and entertainer for those waiting for meetings, her impact on the staff has been huge.  Her playfulness and wagging docked tail has brought pauses from work that I find personally beneficial.  If I am in the midst of a difficult or stressful project I'll take a moment to run through her tricks with her, reminding myself that the world is much bigger than me, this project, the office, etc.  She reminds me to be happy in the moment, and makes tasks seem easier.

As I prepare for my next career move, there has been a sense of trepidation for the impending change in the office.  While I believe my coworkers will miss my everyday presence as I will theirs, the loss most voiced is that of Freya.  (To the point of business acquaintances asking what will happen at meetings without her.)  I wonder how the office will shift without her encouraging and ever cheerful and energetic presence.

For those who read this and are in a position of office power, I encourage you to allow an office dog.  Not only will an employee be grateful to get to bring their best friend with them to work, but the influence on the office workers can be very positive with a well behaved dog.

Freya the Bacteria Ball

Despite Freya's "hyrbid vigor" there has been one health problem that has cropped up as of late.  I have had to take her to the vet multiple times because of digestive problems that have led to me having to let her out some nights every 90 minutes.  The vet has informed me that this is due to the fact she loves to eat what she finds outside, namely the leavings of others, be it cow, horse, bird, squirrel, you name it.
The vet put her on a strict diet, antibiotics, and a Purina brand probiotic.  She cleared up after a week (and a $200 bill). Not to mention the fact that she refused to eat the healthy stomach cleansing i.d. food, leading me to have to mix it with peanut butter to get her to eat at all...

The probiotics I was given were enough for 30 days.  And I noticed that after I stopped the same problem started up again.  I was advised by a friend to feed her plain yogurt with rice and boiled chicken.  Not only does she LOVE Walmart yogurt now, but the issue seems to be mostly resolved.  I went on to purchase the Purina Pro Plan dog food.  The Chicken & Rice formula is corn and beef free, which apparently are the two most common allergies dogs have.

Freya the Mystery Dog

Full Breed Australian Shepherd

It is a widely accepted fact that pet adoption has many positive reactions.  1. One is able to give an animal love and a better life.  2. One is able to get reduced vet rates and other specials as a result of rescuing the animal. 3. One is likely to get a "mutt" or mixed breed which are more likely to be healthier due to having fewer doubles of breed linked recessive alleles.  (AKA as Hybrid Vigor).

Freya is most definitely a vigorous dog.  I believe she is mostly Australian Shepherd, and I have never spent a lot of time with one (my family adores German Shepherd and Shih Tzus).  She is high spirited and extremely smart.  So smart that she easily gets bored.  Fortunately I have an understanding boss and great work environment that allows her to come to work with me every day.  In addition to keeping everyone's moods up, she naps and watches for visitors through the front door.

I often ask people, what type of mix do you see in Freya?

Dog Training: Roll Over

Teaching Freya Roll Over was the hardest so far.  She still only does it when she feels very inspired.  It probably would help if we reinforced this trick more.

Freya was a very frightened puppy when we first adopted her.  I believe she was 3-4 months, and she was very timid.  She is slow to trust, but then extremely loyal.  Because of her fear she did not submit easily to me in some ways.  Teaching her to lie down was a struggle.  Rolling her onto her side from this position was even harder.  So I gave up for some months.  When she turned 1 I tried again, and she had become confident enough to begin to proceed.

Steps to teach Roll Over:
1. Train to "Lie Down" on command
2. Train to "Play Dead"- my command word is Bang! with a gun hand gesture
3. Train to "Roll Over"- command "Play Dead" and then gently help them roll over while saying roll over repeatedly.  You can also use a treat to turn their head around and encourage the body to follow to other side.  This will help reinforce a circling finger motion later.

I based my simple training off of this website.

Don't forget reinforcement!  Go through learned tricks at least once a day to ensure they are kept up.  Freya does her tricks just for extreme praise (a lot cheaper than some dog treats).  Show her an actual treat and she will do all of her tricks as quickly as possible in whatever order is most efficient.

Freya's Journey: New Dog Behavior

Choosing Your New Dog, Behavior


There are many things to consider when choosing a dog to adopt or purchase.  The personality and behavior of each individual dog is highly important as you consider making them a part of your home.


When choosing your new dog it is important to consider your lifestyle and an individual dog's behavior.  The BF and I are both active and I knew I wanted a dog that could keep up on a hike for an hour or so.  The BF is also an avid hunter with a love of retrievers, so I wanted to try to look for a dog with some retrieving instincts.  


The Centerton Animal Shelter allowed me to take Freya out on a leash on the lawn outside the facility.  I was able to see she was rambunctious outside.  She also responded when I called her and while a bit timid, sat nicely for pets and looked at my eyes when I spoke to her.  I also noted that when I threw a small woodchip she pounced after it.


Tips from Dr. Wolfenkoehler at All Pets Animal Clinic 

Evaluate behavior:  Reluctance to approach may indicate fearfulness, which can manifest as aggression in stressful situations.  The obvious signs of aggression are bared teeth, staring, growling, etc.; but fear-aggression can look like more like shyness:  tucked tail, laid-back ears, head down.  Try to spend enough time with the dog to properly evaluate behavioral tendencies. 

Note:  In increasing numbers, veterinarians are seeing pets presented for euthanasia due to behavioral issues – ranging from lack of house-training to biting.  Many of these issues can be handled with proper and consistent training. Aggression issues are more difficult.  Only owners with the resources to address these potentially heartbreaking and/or dangerous situations should adopt a dog with a tendency to be aggressive. Families with children should not take such a risk at all.

·         All newly adopted dogs, of any age, should be evaluated by a veterinarian.  All Pets generally recommends: 

• a fecal examination (checking for internal parasites)
• a heartworm test (checking for evidence of heartworm infection
• age and lifestyle-appropriate vaccinations (we would consider exposure to other dogs and exposure to ticks as part of our vaccination evaluation)
• heartworm preventive and flea/tick preventive

All Pets performs a head-to-tail examination of the 10 major body systems (gastrointestinal, nervous system, urogenital, respiratory, skeletal, skin, heart, eyes, ears, mouth). They also discuss preventive dental care, exercise and nutrition, grooming, behavioral and social skills, as well as microchipping.


In addition to being a great office, All Pets Animal Clinic is very involved in the community.  You can visit with them March through November at the Downtown Bentonville, Inc. produced First Friday events.  This is a great way to meet the staff and ask pet health or behavioral questions you may be pondering on.

Freya's Journey: New Dog Health

Choosing Your New Dog, Health


There are many things to consider when choosing a dog to adopt or purchase.  How big, what sex, what breed, how active, what age, the list goes on.


One thing that many people forget and should be at the front of the list is health.  Studies have proven that mixed breeds tend to have fewer health issues, a result of genetic diversity allowing for fewer recessively linked health issues.


When choosing Freya, I followed a couple basic tips.  Cold nose, clear eyes, clean coat, no obvious parasites, no excessive coughing or wheezing, appropriate energy level etc.  Freya's vet, Dr. Wolfenkoehler at All Pets Animal Clinic was gracious enough to give me some tips.

1. When evaluating the physical condition of a dog you’re considering adopting, the signs indicating respiratory or intestinal problems are:  runny nose, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting.
2. Check for signs of parasites: red, itchy or inflamed ears (ear mites), ticks, scratching (fleas), hair loss
3.  Check the body condition – skinny or bloated may both indicate internal parasites or other internal conditions.

Note: In many cases, dogs with these symptoms are treatable and may fully recover with proper veterinary care.  However, prospective owners need to be aware that caring for a newly adopted pet, even if the pet was “free”, does not mean that owning a pet is free.  Budgeting for regular veterinary care needs to be a consideration for any family considering pet adoption.

So if you have found the dog you think you want to adopt, what's the final rundown of health procedures you should have done to help ensure that they will be healthy as you take them home?

·         All newly adopted dogs, of any age, should be evaluated by a veterinarian.  All Pets generally recommends: 

• a fecal examination (checking for internal parasites)
• a heartworm test (checking for evidence of heartworm infection
• age and lifestyle-appropriate vaccinations (we would consider exposure to other dogs and exposure to ticks as part of our vaccination evaluation)
• heartworm preventive and flea/tick preventive

      All Pets performs a head-to-tail examination of the 10 major body systems (gastrointestinal, nervous system, urogenital, respiratory, skeletal, skin, heart, eyes, ears, mouth). They also discuss with patients preventive dental care, exercise and nutrition, grooming, behavioral and social skills, as well as microchipping.

In addition to being a great office, All Pets Animal Clinic is very involved in the community.  You can visit with them March through November at the Downtown Bentonville, Inc. produced First Friday events.

Freya's Journey: Nature's Select of NWA

Freya is my first dog that is really MY dog.  In High School I convinced my mother to get us a Shih Tzu, Phoebe, and in college I was best buds with my Granma's German Shepherds Gaia and Folgen.  But never was I entirely responsible for a dog.

As mentioned before, I found Freya through Petfinder.com and got her from the Centerton Animal Shelter (beautiful new facilities were built a couple months before I adopted her in September 2010).  There are many hoops that one needs to jump through when getting a new pet.  

1. Vet - for Freya we went to All Pets Animal Hospital which was recommended by a friend.  The staff is great, the facility clean and friendly.

2. Dog food 

3. Dog toys & supplies: brush, shampoo, dog bowl, toys, bones, bed, kennel, collar, leash etc. (Many items found at TJMaxx or else later and cheaper on amazon.com)

The dog food was a conundrum.  I wanted to have a healthy and happy puppy, but the options were endless.  I knew my friend loved Blue Buffalo and so I decided to start her out on that.  But it was expensive (a 30 lb. bag at Amazon.com costs 47.99).  

If I bought it from the grocery store I could rarely find Blue Buffalo or other high quality foods, and I was then faced with a very large and heavy bag to carry to and from cars and on and off of shelves, checkout belts, carts, etc.  (How does my grandmother who is almost 80 and has arthritis manage?)  And when I tried PurinaOne I found that Freya got picky about eating and was not thrilled by kibble.

It was then that I met Nature's Select of NWA at a First Friday event put on by the downtown association in Bentonville.  I looked at the ingredients in their products and was happy to see a similar list to the Blue Buffalo and other organic brands.  From their website:

"What we do use are hormone-free meats - the same you or I would eat. We use whole ground rice and flaxseed that are nutrient-rich. We use Vitamins C and E and rosemary extract to naturally preserve our products. We also use complete and easily-absorbed vitamins & minerals.  All of our recipes are formulated to exceed the nutritional levels established by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for all stages.  In addition, all our foods are MADE IN THE USA (Texas), which has the MOST STRINGENT pet food guidelines of all 50 states. "

What's more, they deliver all orders over $30 for free to your home!  I ordered online, made a note that they should leave it on the porch, and voila! I would come home to find all dog food waiting for Freya. (I also found out later they send a reminder email about reordering food, very handy as I was getting low!)  

Doug & Danielle Magdych own the NW Arkansas Nature's Select and happily give out samples.  I observed Freya with the PurinaOne food one night, then the Natures Select the other.  Her reaction was completely different, she was much more excited about the Nature's Select!

Let Doug & Danielle know that you heard about Nature's Select from Freya's Keeper and get $5.00 off your order!

Culture Bit: NW Arkansas Loves Dogs

Northwest Arkansas loves dogs.  Which is fabulous.

There are dogs everywhere, at shops, offices, parks, almost every residential yard; everywhere.

Allow me to introduce Freya, my dog.  On a camping trip this weekend she made many a friend, canine and human alike.  And I had many people ask me what kind of dog she is because her hair is so soft and she is so well behaved.

Why her hair is so soft, I have no idea.  She is well behaved because I have a very generous boss who lets me bring her to work everyday.  I am a strict disciplinarian and she has been expected to adopt office manners.

I decided she had to have a part in my digital life because people in town now recognize me through her.  If Freya is seen, then people look for me, they know she can't be far.  She is definitely my best friend, and she thinks she is also my Knight and protector to the end!

I found Freya through Petfinder and got her at the local Animal Shelter.  For those of you who are considering a pet I greatly recommend adoption as it is beneficial to the dog, society, and you.  It is important to be selective to make sure the dog is the right fit for you and your family.

Most recently, a dog was brought to my office that was found on a bike/walking trail in downtown.  We have posted Lost & Found notices throughout the area, on Facebook, and Craigslist.  While we have not found her owner yet, we have had many people show an interest in adopting her.  I am hopeful that through our NW Arkansas network we can place her in a home and not the pound.

We all wonder if she was abandoned.  How someone could do that to a loving creature, I do not know.  I told my friend today that I don't get spiritual about a lot of things, but dogs are one of them.  I think they come into our lives for a reason and maybe their impact on our life goes further than we could ever imagine...  I hope that little Goldie will find a good home.

More to come later on the idea of doggy reincarnation...