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White Shepherds in the Media: Yes, You Have Seen Them Before
When I first got Arie, I had a lot of people who said at first “Wow, I never knew they came in white!” The novelty of her breed made her get a lot of attention, with people often mistaking her a husky, or asking if she was albino. When I really got into understanding Arie’s breed and what it meant for her to be a White German Shepherd Dog, I discovered something. We’ve been staring at White German Shepherds EVERYWHERE. We just never took notice.
White German Shepherds have been in the media for years, but have gotten a great amount of press in recent decades. Did any of you see the movie Getting Away With Murder with Dan Aykroyd? Well, a WGSD named Nikki was a character alongside of him.
Nikki was the shepherd you see here with the rest of the cast from the movie.
Perhaps the most iconic White Shepherd to hit the media of late would be Bolt, who’s lovable Disney character has actually been credited with a boom in the breed, that both hurts and helps our cause. While the breed is getting positive attention rather than the “you’re a genetic failure” or “Shepherd? RUN!” that are more typical, it also saw a population rise that landed more WGSD in shelters due to breeders going overboard with puppies.
Look at that pup and tell me he's not a White German Shepherd........(Liar).
WGSD haven’t just made it into the hearts of millions through their feats in Hollywood: They’re in the homes of Hollywood as well. Maggie Q, the well-known action-ready star of CW’s Nikita has a beloved White Shepherd, as well as an affection for dog breeds that usually get a bad rap for being “aggressive” breeds (speaking of which, have you checked out Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week?). In her interview with Modern Dog, Maggie even said that if she were a dog, she would probably be “a cross between my two favourites; a Pitt and a German Shepherd”.
Maggie Q, pictured here with her White German Shepherd, Ladybird. Photo via Modern Dog Magazine
Even people with a less than tough reputation can love a stereotyped aggressive breed. Miley Cyrus, the young pop singer and star of the movie The Last Song, recently got a White German Shepherd puppy, named Mate.
Miley, pictured here by Just Jared, walks an enthusiastic Mate. Photo via Just Jared Jr.
Finally, America’s sweetheart, Jennifer Anniston, also has a WGSD pup in her brood. Anniston is well-known for her lovable dog Norman, who just recently and very sadly passed away. Anniston also had and still has another dog, Dolly, a White Shepherd. The actress’s love of canines is well-known, and is definitely apparent in photos of her walking her pooches:
Jennifer Anniston, in this photo via People Pets, walking Norman and Dolly.
What other Hollywood White Shepherds can you name? Tell me your star sightings in a comment.
A Dog Inspired Reading List For Banned Books Week
Get your mind out of the gutter and into a book...which, in the case of this list, some people may think is the same thing. Photo via press kit for BBW
46CBJK64GBWA I love to read. Arie likes to chew on things while I read, so I assume she likes reading, too. Banned Books Week is one of my favorite celebrations all year, as it is a week for the public to defiantly read a book (or several) that was placed on a ban for some reason or other. Banned Books Week celebrates freedom of expression and the right to knowledge for everyone, as well as flies in the face of censorship. Banned Books Week will kick off on September 24th, so be sure you’re ready with these animal-involving titles:
One of my all-time favorites, Animal Farm, is on the banned list. Photo via Amazon.
- Animal Farm, George Orwell. While the animals stand as symbols for people involved in the Russian Revolution (one of the periods I loved most in History), they are still animals. This is one of my favorite classics as well, and Arie loves visiting the farm when I go see my family, so I’m going to assume she loves Orwell too.
- Jaws, by Peter Benchley, because killer sharks need love too.
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou. It says bird. Embrace it.
- Lord of the Flies, William Golding. The book discusses humanity’s inner animals, so it makes the list.
- The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis. I love the story and what it symbolizes, but I loved it growing up for the talking animals and fantastic land that focused on a ginormous lion.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. We all want to catch whoever is behind cruelty to an animal.
46CBJK64GBWA
Pet Product Reviews: The Bissell Pro-Heat Steam Vac
I love my dog. I do. I really really do. I have a blog about her for goodness sake. I do not, however, love the messes she makes sometimes. I don’t. I really really don’t.
Arie doesn’t have many accidents of the potty variety anymore…we out grew those a long time ago. What she does have, however, is a giant tail that can clear a coffee table in less than three seconds. That, combined with a height that allows her to reach up on counters to find even more liquids and stain worthy items, and we have a problem.
We also now have a solution.
Let me introduce you to my new bestest friend ever: The Bissell Pro-Heat Upright Deep Cleaner. Plus, for the first time, let me introduce you to my home, and why I love the amazing nature of the Bissell Pro-Heat Upright Deep Cleaner.
The newest sexy beast in our house...Trust me, there's a lot of competition.
It’s football season. And fall. Unfortunately, in my house, the former seems to dominate the latter, as my significant other spends ample time glued to the TV, screaming like a Neanderthal. Fall is my favorite season, and the special time of year where I catch the entertainment bug and start planning parties and dinners and what not and want to have people over, bake cookies, and have my place smell like pumpkin everything.
This is my idea of fall decor. Warm rich tones and of course, pumpkins.
Of course, we can't have personal photos without featuring the starring White German Shepherd, right?
This is how I let my significant other enjoy fall decor as well: Game day flags for the Falcons.
Needless to say, on Sunday, game day was here, and we were ready to have friends come and watch his team, The Atlanta Falcons, go after the Philadelphia Eagles (What more appropriate forum than a dog blog to discuss Mike Vick and epic failure? Go Falcons!) The place was looking a little Martha Stuart-esque (enter mums, fall decor items, and a pumpkin) when I took a look at the carpets. No bueno. Little spots from cat litter (If you use the clay and have carpet, you know of what I speak) and human stains (we’re clumsy humans and spill things) could be seen in various areas of the house. Our newest purchase, the Bissell, was about to come to the test.
This power machine was easy to assemble and easy to use. I’m very sensitive to bringing chemicals in la casa–We usually use only 100% natural cleaners–but for the carpet, I made an exception (and just went over each area with plain water afterwards to help clean out the cleaner). After putting the vac together and adding in the cleaner and hot water (SO easy) I went through our entire place and scrubbed that carpet like crazy, and even took the time to do the bathroom rugs and the kitchen mat. The dogs were in their crates (to protect their paws from chemicals) and the cats took a wonderful fall vacation in the garage (with toys, food, water, and litter of course). We ran to the store to grab food, and let the carpet dry.
We came back home to clean carpet that was dry, fresh smelling, stainless, and soft. We couldn’t have asked for better results. We bought the carpet cleaner for around $130 at Target (It was on a big sale). That, together with the Pet Stain & Odor Advanced Formula Cleaner for the machine for $20 left us at a total of about $150 plus tax. The last time we got our carpet cleaned professionally it was $99 for three rooms and a hall, which would leave us one small room leftover. In just two cleanings, the new carpet cleaning machine will have paid for itself, and will continue to do so afterwards.
So, in my first pet product review, I give you a strong recommendation for the Bissell Proheat Upright Deep Cleaner. Feel free to ask questions in the comment section on my experience with it.
Getting Your Dog a Microchip, a Necessity For the Domestic Canine
We have the quite the pet family. So far, you’ve met Arie, my White German Shepherd, and Shady, my boyfriend’s lab mix. We also have two cats and a tank filled with fish, but you’ll have to meet them later. The point of this post isn’t how many animals we have, but how devastating it would be if we ever lost one of them.
When I was little, I grew up next door to my grand parent’s land, and in a rural area with lots of wildlife, it’s not a rare occurrence for a pet to wander off and not return. I was always heartbroken when my cat disappeared, and positively devastated when one met a nasty end at the hand of a fox. Besides the wildlife, the other worry came from other human beings. My family would give the dog a bath, and then let him/her run outside without their collar on while they dried. I was always terrified that someone would find them in that brief time, think they were homeless, and take them in or take them to a shelter.
With the amazing progress of modern technology, we now have the amazing invention that helps relieve that worry: The microchip. Microchips are now readily affordable and available, so can get one easily for your pet at a shelter or your vet. While they may not seem so important if you have a collar and tag for your dag, remember: Tags and collars can break off, get snagged, or wear so that your information isn’t clear. Microchips go beyond that to ensure that your pet is always marked with the address for their home, and have helped some animals find it home in extreme cases, like when one dog made the amazing 750 MILE trip home after being separated from his owner, all because someone checked his microchip.
Fadidle was reunited with her pet parent, Sharalyn, thanks to her microchip. Photo from Damien Gayle article on Mail Online.
Still, there are some things you need to have in place in addition to getting your pet a microchip to ensure they’ll make it home:
- Keep an ID tag and vaccine tags on your dog at all times, even they have a microchip. These are outward notifications that can be seen with the naked eye that your dog has a home, and assures people that they are up to date on their shots.
- Make sure that the information stored in your microchip is up to date. After all, someone returning your dog to the address you had four years ago isn’t exactly getting him/her home.
- Keep your pet safe and at home by keeping an eye on them and taking precautions ahead of time to make sure that they don’t get lost in the first place. Being a watchful pet parent will help your pet feel safe and be safe.
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