Mohr Bouviers

We are all aware of how harmful fleas and ticks are to our dogs. But exactly how potentially harmful are the products we use to rid our dogs of fleas and ticks? Below is a Special Advisory from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the use of these products?

Please take a few moments to read the article and decide for yourself if these product’s potential hazards are outweighed by their benefits.

I know Karl and I have decided not to use these products to manage fleas and ticks on our dogs and have had great success with an all natural product. But that was our decision after much thought and discussion.

Each dog owner must make up their own mind and feel comfortable and confident in their decision. If you ever want to discuss this and want to give us a call or contact us through our website, please do not hesitate. We are always willing to share our experiences and how things have worked for us.  Kory’s also started a thread in our discussion forum if anyone would like to offer their own experiences and input.

So take some time to read the article below and form your own opinion.

Special Advisory On Flea and Tick Control Products: Exercise Caution For Your Pet’s Sake

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an advisory on the use of topical spot-on flea and tick treatments sold by pet retailers, including PSP. This advisory is due to increased incidents of adverse reactions in pets treated with these products. These reactions range from mild skin irritations to far more serious and, in some cases, fatal complications.

The EPA has acknowledged that spot-on products “can be appropriate treatments for protecting your pet’s and your family’s health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease.” The EPA notes that it is “not advising pet owners to stop using spot-ons, but is asking them to exercise caution and make informed decisions when selecting treatment methods.”

While many people use spot-on flea and tick treatments with no harmful effects to their pets, the EPA recommends that pet owners take precautions with these products. Please read all product label directions carefully and follow them “to the letter” when using spot-on flea and tick control treatments. Be sure to use spot-on products only on the animal specified by the label. NEVER use dog products on a cat, or cat products on a dog. Also, use only the amount of product specified in the instructions, based on the weight/size of your dog or cat.

Monitor your pet closely after applying spot-on products and consult your veterinarian if you have any questions about the use of these products, or your pet shows any signs of an adverse reaction. Consult a veterinarian before using these products if your pet is sick, aged, pregnant, nursing, is on medication or is exposed to other pesticide treatments.

Pet Supplies “Plus” will continue to offer spot-on treatments to help reduce the health risk posed by flea and tick infestation. However, we want to notify you about the EPA’s advisory so you can make the most informed decision possible for the sake of your pet’s health and safety.

For a link to the EPA’s advisory, click on this link: http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/health/flea-tick-control.html

We’ve launched our new discussion forum where our owners and anyone interested in not only Mohr Bouviers but in the breed overall may converse and share stories.  Please feel free to visit the forum at http://forum.mohrbouviers.com/.  Registration is free, of course, and suggestions are welcome via our contact form and within the forum itself.  We’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts and are looking forward to discussing our favorite dogs!

Mohr Bouviers is proud to welcome Brenda and Dick from Greensboro, NC to the Mohr Bouvier Family. Our little Petunia is now a Southern Belle.

About a month ago Brenda saw our description of Petunia on our website and thought she would be a perfect fit for their family. Brenda and Dick have faced some very difficult and sad times over the past two years which included losing their faithful Bouvier, Valentine. Nothing helps heal a broken heart quite like a Bouvier with those soulful eyes that seem to understand without any words required. After several conversations and emails the only decision to be made was how to unite Petunia with her new family. The timing was perfect with Karl and me leaving for a long weekend visit with my Dad in Boone, NC. So with Petunia in the back seat off we headed for what turned out to be a very long drive but well worth it. Watching Petunia get to know her new family was filled with many emotions for all. But before too long it was time for Petunia to go home with her family and complete her journey to Greensboro.

We have talked to Brenda since our return to PA and Ginger aka Petunia is doing just fine. She is making herself right at home and found a nice cool spot (on top of the AC vent) to nap and watch all the activities. She has met her two dog sisters, Savannah, a Standard Party Poodle, and Keiko, a Chinese Crested, along with human family and friends. She has greeted everyone including the vet and his staff with a wagging tail which tends to wiggle her entire body!! Ginger is exploring her big yard and starting to play games of fetch along side her sister Savannah. And rumor has it there is a red Buick Reatta convertible with leather upholstery the same color as Ginger that will be used for adventures around town once Ginger is a little older. I can’t wait to see the pictures.

So if you find yourself in North Carolina and see a gorgeous fawn Bouvier sitting in a red convertible, it just might be Ginger doing her job of helping a family smile and heal!

We were just going to go and look at the puppies….
One in particular kept coming back and sitting behind me in Linda and Karl’s yard.
His name was Egor, funny name….born July 23, 2008, one of Jezzabelle’s puppies.
He was kind of shy, and it made me feel guilty taking him from his family (so much for just looking!)
Dave, my husband, was away the first week we brought him home and it rained, no poured… the entire week. I remember standing outside at 2 AM (in the rain) waiting for him to “go potty” and sleeping in front of his crate so he would not feel alone. At about 6 months old, Egor had to repeat Puppy Kindergarten because he was still a bit shy….but soon he was more confident and ready to really explore!

Egor’s thoughts:

“chickens are especially fascinating…ohh…too much to resist, ok! Caught one! Now what do I do with it???? Dad to the rescue….no harm to the chicken!
The horses – wow – they are BIG! It scares me a little when they make a sudden move – they shouldn’t do that! Maybe I should stay on this side of the fence, that is what my mom keeps telling me…
You know that puppy kindergarten repeating thing….well, there was a Great Dane puppy in that class….he was way bigger than me, so I felt a little intimidated, but I was ok after we became friends, he was fun to play with!
Beginning obedience class, trying to learn to focus and keep my attention on mom and dad! Hey, how many times do we really have to do this? (can you say “boring”?)
The riding ring is a fun place…..I can JUMP! I can go thru a tunnel and a chute, although sometimes I get caught in the chute and can’t find the way out!”

In the span of one year, Egor has morphed from a very cute huggable bundle of puppy fur to a very cute huggable handsome Bouvier. We began taking him to a groomer at an early age to get him used to being groomed and now he goes every 8 weeks. It keeps his coat soft and clean and free of mats. Sometimes we do tie up his fall in a ponytail – it helps him to see the Frisbee when we play! We love to take Egor on hikes, and he goes camping with us, and has been to our Endurance Rides with the horses. He is a very good traveler and makes friends wherever we go. We also play a lot of hide and seek in the yard.

Egor has a sister, Sadie, a 10 yr old border collie, and a brother, Willie, a 3 yr old pug. They are funny trio to watch play…..We have a large fenced in yard with plenty of places to explore (and burdocks to get into). We recently started taking Egor to the barn to tend to the horses and he is being very good around the horses…although chickens are still a challenge to Egor. But, even if he catches one, he does not harm it, although the chicken is not too thrilled about it! He stands guard in the barn aisle as the horses come in and out at feeding time. He has really matured mentally in the past month and seems to understand that he has a job to do when we are around the horses.

I could not imagine our lives without Egor – he is a very much loved member of our family. As Linda and Karl have said – you’ll never be alone with a Bouvier in your home. This is so true!