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Looks like our whole pack is back from the holiday weekend because the last anything-goes topic filled up in a hurry this morning. Here's another one to discuss anything you'd like.

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The questions keep rolling in to the Dog Blog this year, and that makes my "job" easier. Thanks.

A co-worker is considering getting a purebred beagle and is looking for tips on how to find a reputable breeder. Let's expand the question to all breeds. Does anyone have any advice, either a specific name or a general guideline, on where and how to find one either in Alaska or Outside?

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The new year is starting out terrifically on the Dog Blog. I've received two suggestions for topics, and they've both been great ones. Here's today's, courtesy of Chris_Goff:

How do you add a dog to your pack?

Chris has a 4-year-old Westie, Finn, and is considering getting a Westie pup. Here's an excerpt from her e-mail:

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I hope all your pooches are doing OK with the fireworks. So far so good at my house, but there's still an hour and a half to go until midnight.

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I've had a blast hosting the dog blog in the past year. I've met some incredibly knowledgeable dog people, learned more than I ever imagined and even got to know some of your amazing pups in our dog play dates.

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This week's topic is courtesy of one of the most knowledgeable dog owners I've ever met: Snowgoose. Her question: When is it time to "let go" with an old or sick dog?

She made her post on the last "anything goes" topic, but at her request I'm giving it its own headline in hopes of getting more feedback from the rest of our great community.

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The last anything-goes topic is full once again, so use this space to discuss anything you'd like.

I'll start by discussing the changes in our dog gallery. As Krunch54 (c'mon, it's gotta be 55 by now!) aptly noted while I was on vacation, there are two dog shots galleries online right now.

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Looks like you guys are on Page 2 of the last anything-goes topic already, so here's another blank slate to satisfy your doggie-discussion needs. Again, thanks for visiting and keeping this blog alive.

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My current vacation inspired this week's (belated) topic: Do you feel comfortable bringing your dogs with you to friends' and relatives' homes?

Do you feel obliged to seek permission first? Do some of them have strict rules? Do you refuse to visit people who won't tolerate your dogs?

Conversely, are there any relatives whose dogs you would not allow in your home? Do you have rules?

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Wow, you guys are regular blabberfingers in my absense. Every time I sign on, you're on the second page of the anything-goes topic. Awesome. Thanks for keeping the blog alive while I'm on vacation.

Here's a blank topic to discuss what's new with you.

The Yorkies have been absolute champs on vacation, btw. We've had a couple long driving days where they just hunkered down and slept for six or eight hours They're not peeing in relatives' homes. (Well, if you ignore Eddie peeing once on a tile floor in a home with another dog).

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Use this space to discuss whatever you'd like. Looks like the last anything-goes topic is about on its second page.

I'm still on vacation and having a devil of a time getting Internet access. My laptop isn't behaving at WIFI hotspots. I'm currently sneaking computer time at my father-in-law's. And he's very possessive about his computer.

Keep the conversation going!

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This week's topic is pet psychics. Not so much do you believe in them but what would you ask if you did. And what would you expect/want to hear.

I bring up this topic because they had one at the Mountain View Petco grand opening last weekend. I scoffed when I heard about it, but, hey, it was free so I went for it with both my Yorkies.

My question: What kind of life did Jack have before he ended up in the shelter at 10 years old?

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I'm heading out of town for a couple weeks, and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to check in. Count this as one of those "talk amongst yourselves" topics.

Here's a story we're running on A-14 Sunday. If you haven't heard of dancing dogs, they are amazing. I put a link at the end.

Award-winning dancing dogs bow — and wow
By Christy Goodman
The Washington Post
CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — “Jingle Bells” blared from the stereo. Sam took a bow before the audience. Tucker waved and took off on a skateboard.
Then the two were spinning and kicking up their heels to the music. They leaped as their jazzy dance ended and basked in the crowd’s adulation.
But this was no ordinary recital: Sam and Tucker are dogs.
Sam, a standard poodle, and Tucker, a miniature long-haired dachshund, have been dancing professionally for nearly four years, said their Calvert County, Md., handlers, Lynn Franklin of Sunderland and Joan Rose of Owings. This was the dogs’ first Calvert show, at the Northeast Community Center in Chesapeake Beach.

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Wow, 62 posts in two days, and all good stuff. I love it. Here's another page for new discussions, as they tend to get unwieldy to follow after 50 posts and multiple pages. Feel free to continue previous discussions on the other anything-goes topic.

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After a slow start to our last anything-goes topic, we filled it up in a hurry this morning with a discussion of kibble. Here's a new page for anything else you'd like to discuss.

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This week's topic is dog training, namely: Where do you take your dogs for obedience training, how is it set up and how is it working for you?

That's probably the one question I hear most often from new dog owners. They want to get their dogs trained in obedience or a dog sport, but they don't know their options. Since starting the Dog Blog, I've discovered there are a lot more options than I realized.

We have the larger schools like Alyeska Canine Trainers, and their training usually consists of 45-minute classes once a week for eight weeks. But we also have private trainers and specialized classes all over the state.

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Last week's anything-goes topic got nearly 50 replies despite the holiday week. Nice job. Here's a new page to discuss anything you'd like.

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This week's topic is about food: How do you know you're giving your dogs the right amount to keep them healthy and maintain their weight? And, to give it an Alaska twist: Do you change that amount in the wintertime because of a need to burn more calories in the cold?

I've found the "daily feeding guide" charts that come with many dog food packages to be notoriously wrong. Perhaps they're basing their numbers on the needs for competition dogs, but I've never needed to feed the amount suggested on the package.

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It's been awfully quiet around here this week, so I figured I'd start up a new "anything goes" topic to tempt you.

I'll even give you something to laugh at: Another video from the Yorkie nerd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EFL_RGZfMo

You guys really gotta try this. Either a vid or a slide show. Too much fun.

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For this week's topic, let's solve the "dogs in ball parks problem" that the Assembly is wrestling with. This is not rocket science we're discussing. It's dog poo. Let's figure it out.

Here are the basic facts as I see them:
* Ball players are stepping in dog poo at their games. It is difficult to get dog poo out of the cleats the kids wear. The Assembly is considering a measure by Dan Coffey to ban dogs from all enclosed fields.
* Dog owners have no place to walk their dogs in an enclosed setting, safe from moose, predators and aggressive dogs. And safe from running off and disappearing into the woods, getting hit by cars or causing other havoc.
* Kids and dogs need exercise.

Here are some ideas for discussion. What do you think?

1. Leave all, or a designated number, of fenced ball fields open to the public. Put up doggie waste stations and signs informing people of the importance of cleaning up after their pets.
2. Install shoe-cleaning devices, or just a few wire brushes and spray bottles, at each park for the times, and you know it will happen, that one poo escapes cleanup.
3. If that fails over the course of the summer, and it really shouldn't if we make it easy for pet owners to be responsible: Require a group of dogs-in-ball park advocates to organize a cleanup schedule. Before each game, at each open field, one or more dog advocates patrols the field. For convenience, perhaps the dog advocates could be members of the players' families. Or at least dog lovers who live in the area and use the fields.

What do you think?