By Susan Schmitz, owner of A Dog’s Life Photography

Co-authored by Arizona Basset Hound Rescue

Is now available for purchase

Proceeds benefit the Arizona Basset Hound Rescue

Dogs are not just simple household pets. They play many different roles in our lives. They sail through life with us like a yacht captain, cooking up experiences like a chef, while driving us to tears or laughter like a chauffeur. Bassets In Hats portrays how dogs wear many different roles in our lives… They wear a lot of hats.

~ Susan Schmitz

Preview the book below:

Available in three different price points. Click on your desired version to be directed to Blurb to complete your purchase:

Premium Version (Hardcover with premium paper) – $46.95
Standard Version (Hardcover with lighter paper) – $41.95
Economy Version (Smaller book with softcover and lighter paper) – $19.95

Even though she came into Mayday pretty chewed up from a recent dog fight, her foster Mom looked past all of this and found her to be an awesome girl. Big Sexy has lots of personality and charm, complete with snorting and grunting, but beware this girl can snore!!

Big Sexy was found by a young college girl. The circumstances are a little unclear, but looking at Big Sexy’s wounds, it was clear that she had gotten into a really bad dog fight. After being taken in by her foster mom, she was taken to the vet and was put on antibiotics to help heal her infections.

Big Sexy lives with 3 other dogs and 2 cats in her foster home, but it has become clear, when bringing in any new dogs, that she needs time to adjust to the new dog, as she gets a little overly stimulated, and will need a firm experienced owner to correct the behavior. Once she is corrected, she can usually get along with no issues. This behavior probably stems from having to defend herself in the past.

She has been in foster care for 4 months now, and has become a different dog, she loves to go for walks and does not pull on the leash, which is nice, she loves to wrestle with her foster siblings, and enjoys running around the yard chasing them. She was recently introduced to the pool and doesn’t care for swimming but will get in when she gets too warm. Big Sexy is absolutely adorable, she is smart, and learns quickly. She is crate trained, spayed, and micro-chipped and is up to date on her vaccinations.

For more info on Big Sexy, contact Mayday Pit Bull Rescue through their website at  www.maydaypitbullrescue.org.

The following is a sample photo gallery from a private session with Elmo and Koko, the Pug and Australian Shepherd.

Private photo sessions start at $150.00 with a $50.00 discount available if your dogs are pure breeds and you are willing to sign a waiver allowing us to resell your photos. Click here for details.

Here is Karly…

Hi, I’m Karly! I think I’m around 4 yrs old, but I could be off a little. I’ve been in rescue since May 2009. I weigh 13 pounds, so I am sort of a little pug. I like hanging out with both people and other dogs, and I just love, love, love to just snuggle on a lap! I am what my foster mom calls a “special needs” pug. I am very happy to be in rescue, and while it isn’t a good story to tell, I think it is important that you know. You see, I was just moments away from being euthanized, when one of the nice techs at the vet clinic said “Please wait; I bet APARN will take her.” (Oh, did I mention, that tech is my hero!)
 
I know what you are thinking! Why would anyone want to euthanize an adorable little pug like me? Well, the short answer is…because I couldn’t go potty. I hadn’t gone potty for almost three weeks, so the vet took an X-ray, and told my people I needed surgery for a broken pelvis, and they weren’t going to do that. I hear the surgery is pretty expensive, as the vet said I would have to go to a specialist to have it done.

 
So, APARN stepped in and saved me!  Then my foster mom took me to see the specialist vet, what a nice guy he is! He said if he didn’t already have four dogs, he would be tempted to adopt me! He took X-rays, and showed them to foster mom. He said he was pretty sure I was hit by a car at least a year ago (two years now!) and nothing was ever done. He said the right side of my pelvis is broken in 4 places, and all “smooshed” in, and it healed that way. Anyway, it makes it so that the opening through my colon is pretty narrow, and I can get very constipated if not kept on strict diet of soft food, mixed with lots of water to make it like soup. (I love it like that, by the way!) So, it is very important for me to stay on my proper diet and some medications to keep my poop soft (a prescription called Lactalose, and some Metamucil fiber supplement), so that I can go potty. Otherwise, I will get “stopped up,” and that is no fun! It is also possible that I will get “stopped up” now and then, and when that happens, I have to have a doggy enema. Whoo-wee, let me tell you…I am not a fan of that process, but the results are terrific!

The doctor also said I can get arthritis as I get older, so I need to start on glucosamine supplements now. He also mentioned something about my right hip maybe needing an FHO in the future. I thought that was some kind of doggy HMO, but it turns out that is a surgery where they take the top of the longest leg bone off! I am hoping if I stay at a good weight, it won’t get that bad, but I suspect the Doctor knows best!

 
The doctor said he would be willing to do surgery on my pelvis, but he said it would require breaking it in the 3-4 places it was originally broken in, and putting everything where it should be, and then lots of healing time. It would be a long process, and lots of money. He said that the proper diet, medications and enemas as needed is a perfectly fine option for me, but he stressed the following: I can not go to a home with a doggy door, because my forever person has to pay attention and monitor me daily, to make sure I go potty. I have to have canned food with water and added fiber, to help keep my stool soft. I have to have my Lactalose three times a day. I need to start on glucosamine and get that daily. And I need enemas to help me “go” after just one day of missed bowel movement.
 
Oh, I almost forgot…one more thing. When I had my spay surgery, the doctor also removed a few small tumors that were on my back legs. One of them turned out to be a Grade 1 Mast Cell Tumor. Foster mom said that Grade 1 means benign, but doctor said I should be checked over for new “lumps and bumps” at least once every couple of weeks. It is a pretty easy thing to do during bath-time, as I am very good about getting my baths. I love the special attention and “me” time!
 
So, I know it is a lot to ask. But in return, I will sit by you and let you rub my tummy for hours!

My adoption fee is $275. If you are interested, you can ask APARN for a list of prices of my monthly needs.

You may remember little Nugget the baby black Pug from a post about a month ago. Nugget is still up for adoption! Click here for her info. She came along with Kyla for her photo session and we took a few new photos of her. She’s sooooo cute!

My doctors have put me on a change of diet to help with my seizure control and to help me lose weight. Dr. Lyons has also began to lower my medicines and has added some great vitamins and herbs to keep me healthy. It’s really working great because I haven’t had any seizures since I’ve been on this new regimen; almost 2 months.

Losing weight is really tough though! I walk about a mile every evening but I’m hungry all the time and sometimes get very curious about what is on the kitchen cabinets and in the garbage can. My foster mom and dad is teaching me that’s not a good idea and I’m improving on this everyday.

I still like to play and rough house with my foster furry brother and sister, but because I’m still a big guy sometimes my foster mom and dad have to remind me not to play too rough.

I get along great with older kids. The little ones I might accidentally knock down, but I don’t mean to. I’m such a happy go luck guy that I just want to give lots of kisses!!

I don’t care for the furry animals that go ‘Meow’ They seem like a good snack to me!

If you can give me lots of love and attention and pay for my very reasonable seizure medicine and take me in for occasional veterinary checkups then I’m the dog for you!! Remember my name ‘THOR’

To find out more about Thor please visit www.almosthomeboxers.org

Is offering Deeply Discounted Photo Sessions the first Sunday of each month from 1:00 to 4:00 at:

$50.00 Fee Includes:

• 20 minute photo session
• Professional editing to bring out amazing detail and color
• Five low resolution digital files (with a copyright notice) that are suitable for sharing with friends and family on the internet
• Five 4×6 prints (To be picked up at Zippity Do Dogs 2 weeks after the session)

Limit of two dogs per 20 minute session. You must book and pay for additional sessions if you have more than 2 dogs. If dogs cannot sit and stay together for group shots, a fee of $5.00 per photo applies if you would like the separate photos merged together as one. Sessions must be paid in full at the time of booking the session. No refunds. One reschedule is allowed.

Call or stop by Zippity Do Dogs to schedule your appointment. They are located at:

4701 N. 7th Ave in Phoenix (just south of Camelback on the east side of the road)

Phone: 602-277-3647

Click Here  for examples of photos previously taken at Zippity Do Dogs 

Hi everyone! I’m Nugget, and I am just about the cutest little black pug girl you will ever meet!

I was born on Jan 2, 2010, so I am just about 3.5 months old now. I had kind of a shaky start to life, as my mommy quit feeding me when I was 5 weeks old, and I almost didn’t make it.  But APARN took me in and nursed me back to health.

Speaking of health, I seem pretty healthy, but the vet thinks I could have hydrocephalus, which is a big word (bigger than me, almost!) that means fluid on the brain. I have not shown any neurological symptoms (like seizures), but whoever takes me home to live with them needs to be aware that there is a possiblity that I could have them at some point in my life, and APARN wants to make sure that my new people will commit to me no matter what.

Right now though, I love to play, and I like to chase the bigger pugs in my foster home. I just started teething, so I really like to chew, and I need to have some healthy things to chew on, so I don’t chew on things I shouldn’t, like fingers or the other dog’s ID tags!

I am pretty small, I weighed just about 3.75 pounds at my last weigh in. So I need to be in a home where I won’t get trampled by bigger dogs, or enthusiastic kids.

I don’t get to go to the APARN events, as I haven’t finished getting all my shots yet, so if you are interested in adopting me, your first step is to fill out the adoption application, and send it in! Hope to see you soon!
Nugget
 
My adoption fee is $325.

Please contact the Arizona Pug Adoption and Rescue Network for more information – http://www.arizonapugrescue.com/

Click Here to view: I Love My Dog

Take a visit to Sharon’s website, follow her blog, fall in love with her work. I certainly did.

~ Susan

Up to 35% Off Wardley’s Fish Food at PETCO.com!

If you are a dog owner that had photos taken of your “kids”, you can pick up your free 4×6 at Zippity tomorrow afternoon or later. If you have not received an email with your free digital file, check your junk mail folder. If it is not there, drop us a line and we will re-send it.

4701 N. 7th Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85013

(Just south of Camelback on the east side of the road)

You will receive a free session for up to two dogs, a free digital file to share on the internet and a 4×6 print (with a small logo of A Dog’s Life and Zippity Do Dogs in the corners. Can be picked up at Zippity Do Dogs on or after April 17th.). Of course, you will have the option of ordering larger prints or photo products!

All photos will be taken on a white background to isolate your dog’s unique personality. Here are some examples of previous photo sessions: