If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown    What Is Canine Parvovirus? You may have heard the sad story of Oprah's new puppy that died last month from Canine Parvovirus.   Here is a link to an excellent article that explains what Canine Parvovirus is, what its symptoms are, and much more.      Be a green pet owner with Flush Doggy! Dogs are our best friends and they make our life more complete. However, each day tons of dog poop and plastic bags are piling up at landfills and polluting our earth.  To make things worse for the earth, we, as dog owners, put dog poop inside plastic bags not biodegradable. These plastic bags will stay for hundreds of years and kill our planet.  FlushDoggy, is a fully flushable and biodegradable dog waste bag that is very eco-friendly. Dog poop can to be flushed down the toilet and degrades naturally, just as our own poop. Stop destroying our earth and start educating the public, one poop at a time. Be a responsible owner and go green for our pets with biodegradable flushable dog poop bags .  YUMMY! Here's a mouth-watering recipe for Pea-Mutt Butter and Pumpkin Pup-cakes, made from wholesome, human-grade ingredients.   Don't feel up to making your pup-cakes from scratch?   Remember, BarkTalk now carries an all-natural dog cake mix!  Paw-fect for birthday paw-ties, or just because... Help our Homeless Furry Friends My friend Patricia Collier, who owns FloridaPets.net has put together a comprehensive list of various programs in Florida that available to assist those with pets who are struggling in these difficult economic times. The harsh economic times are hurting our 4-legged friends, too!  You can read her list of resources here:  Aid for Pets - Helping People and Pets Stay Together in a Rough Economy  If you don't live in Florida, check with your state to see if similar programs are available.   What to do if your dog is lost Read some excellent tips and advice to help reunite yourself with your lost pet.     The Obama Dog Was it just a campaign promise? I don't know about you, but I'm so excited to see which dog the Obama's finally decide on!  I admire that they are looking for a rescue dog, and think this is doing great things for the popularity of rescue dogs everywhere. The last I heard, they are due to make a choice this month.  (I mailed them some New Puppy Announcements to help them announce the furry new addition to their family....wonder if they'll use them?) Here's a fun game you can play...Play Bow Wow Trivia for shelter dogs Exercise + Dog = Good Doggie Help reduce or eliminate your dog's destructive behavior by making sure he/she gets enough exercise. Life Lessons from the Family Dog Touching and thoughtful article on a NY Times blog - Life Lessons from the Family Dog: http://tinyurl.com/djjn7d    Meet Barry White..... Thank you, Dennis B. of Peoria, IL, for sending these adorable pictures of your 4-legged best friend, Barry White. Barry is a 3 year old Cairn Terrier.  His favorite things are chasing a tennis ball and barking at squirrels.  He likes musical cards and his Weasel ball.  He is very independent...NOT a cuddly lap dog.   Barry is described as a "big dog in a little body." Good memory?  Thank your dog! Dog owners have better memories...for dog names.   Now, if we could just find a way to remember PEOPLE names....   Think Pink...Chip is! I helped Chip's aunt create a custom "Barking for a Cure" dog t-shirt for Chip to wear in an upcoming Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.   Natural Flea Remedies  Thanks to those of you who submitted some of your favorite natural flea remedies.  Here's a list I've put together: Flea control in pet beds Cut up a new flea collar into four pieces and place under pet's bed or under furniture cushions. This will keep the fleas away from your pet's bed and your furniture. Replace flea collar pieces when expired. Flea repellents Try mixing some garlic into their food beginning early in the season.  Make a simple lemon mixture by slicing a lemon into boiling water and letting it stand for a day. Spray the liquid onto the coat two or three times a week.  Avon Skin-So-Soft works well mixed with water and used as a spray. Fleas and mange Add a little vinegar to your pet's drinking water to fight fleas and mange. Fleas and Teas Fleas HATE Stash Earl Grey. Tear open a few bags, scatter the tea about on your carpet and vacuum up in a few days. Fleas will flee. Other folks have noticed that their pets love to roll in Stash-perhaps that's why!  Fleas in the home For your house: be inhospitable.  Try this recipe if your house has already been overrun with fleas. Mix 1-1/2 pounds of diatomaceous earth, 1-1/2 pounds of natural borax, and 1 cup of salt. Put some of this mixture in your vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum all carpets thoroughly. If needed, you can also sprinkle a little of the mix into any confined areas that your pet can't get at, such as closets or small crevices behind furniture. It may take weeks or even months of weekly treatments to get rid of all adult fleas, larvae, and eggs.  Make sure to purchase the diatomaceous earth and natural borax at a garden store, not at a pool store. The type of diatomaceous earth sold at pool stores has a high crystalline silica content that is dangerous to humans and pets. Buy only diatomaceous earth with a crystalline silica content that is less than 3 percent.   Cure for a Bad Day Having a bad day?  Go outside.   Wait 5-10 minutes.   Walk back in the house.  Your dog will welcome you like you've been gone a month.  Ahhhhh.  True love.   Now.....don't you feel better?     Speaking of Rescue Dogs...  Keep in mind.....when you rescue a dog, it isn't necessarily the dog that is rescued.     Follow me on Twitter. Do you Twitter?  Follow me at http://www.Twitter.com/BarkTalk   Thank you for subscribing to BarkTalk News.   If you know someone who would be interested  in reading this newsletter, send them this link  http://www.BarkTalk.com/newsletter040109.html  If you have photos of your dog celebrating a birthday, or participting in any fun activity, please send them to me to possibly include in an upcoming issue!  Email:  Lisap@BarkTalk.com Woof!