Meet Mark Pagaduan-Iha, Writer

Mark Pagaduan-Iha is a pet health and longevity blogger. He currently writes articles that offer tips and suggestions on ways that pet parents can not only keep their dogs healthy, but also increase both their healthspan and lifespan. Mark is currently at work on a book about dogs. Check out his website at http://dogadvertiser.com/.

1. How did your own experience as someone who loves pets inspire you to start your website?

I've always been a pet lover and especially fond of dogs, but I don't think I realized how much they really meant to me until my own pup became afflicted with heart disease. The whole ordeal was difficult to process, and even presently I find myself getting quite emotional about it.

My husband and I found very little answers from our primary vet and cardiologist regarding our fur baby's heart disease. Essentially, we were told that we would have to take a "wait and see" approach. Which I understood completely because they were trained in a certain school of thought, but at the same time it infuriated me. I've never been someone who doesn't take action. Listen, we're talking about my baby here, and I wanted to do anything and everything to help him.

After reaching out to other professionals, reading scientific studies, and scouring the internet for answers, I realized that there are other pet parents in the same exact predicament. They were either not given concrete answers regarding their pets' health or they were just given some medication and told to go on their merry way. In either case, their dogs weren't being helped. These pet parents, like myself, wanted more holistic or natural alternatives to help with the ailments that our fur children were facing. But many of us didn't know where to turn.

So a light bulb sort of went off in my head that maybe I should start a website dishing out my findings on natural and holistic methods to other pet parents. Here's something I learned as well: all pet parents want their fur kids to live as long as healthily possible. That in itself is powerful stuff.

2. What is the significance of the site's name, The Dog Advertiser?

To be honest when I first started the site, I wanted to be very inclusive of "all things dog." I felt the name The Dog Advertiser was very cute but also conveyed the feeling of a general dog news publication. However, I quickly realized two things. The first is that you can't be all things to all people; the task became overwhelming when trying to source every type of interesting story that came up. The second thing I realized is that my true passion is dealing with the health, wellness, and longevity of our pets.

So I decided to shift the focus of the site, but still retained the name. Plus, our two kids are in the logo, so how could we ever change it? ;-)

3. How do you decide what content to feature on your site?

I wish I could say that there's a real process behind it, but there really isn't. Well, I take that back. I keep track of pet health news, and if there's something I feel people should know, I'll post it. So for example if there is a new drug that might be coming out, I'll research it and write something regarding it. Something like that came up recently with a drug called Sileo, which is supposed to keep dogs calm and quell anxiety. It came out right before the 4th of July holiday, and the drug company was doing some press and media for it. I took issue with the fact that no one had written about the adverse effects of Sileo, so I went to task and wrote a piece about it, cited my resources, and outlined all the nasty things that could happen if your pup took it.

However, most of the time the posts come from identifying what's really going on within the pet community and what's going on in our own lives. Health in general is very broad, but we are writing about things that can help heal your pet and also little tips and tricks that you can use to help increase their longevity. Also, when it comes to longevity, the content regarding it is endless. Especially because our dogs' chemistry is so similar to ours.

4. Would you tell us a little bit about the book you're currently writing?

Which one? Haha. Actually, I have several books that I'm in the process of writing. But the one you're referring to is actually somewhat of a general guide to help pet parents navigate through the basics, such as diet, choosing a vet, a run down of some of the major pet ailments and of course various holistic/natural remedies that they can utilize. There will be much more inside of it, but that's the overall theme. The book is getting so big that some are referring to it as a "bible for natural pet health." I needed to cut a lot out, because I didn't want people to refer to it as that.

The book really is a starting off point to help people navigate through the sometimes complex world of pet health. The problem I often see (and I'm guilty of doing this in my posts sometimes) is that experts talk in their own complicated language. It's too hard for many newbies to understand and frequently intimidating. So much so that a lot of pet parents call it quits and just defer to their conventional vet. They end up back at square one. It's quite a big turn off, so I'm trying to take the opposite approach and lay the foundation, speaking in simple terms all the while giving them a ton of information that they can easily understand and implement.

5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your work?

I would like your readers and really everyone to know that I'm in the trenches with them. They are not alone in this. I have a pup who has had severe skin/coat allergies and was diagnosed with heart disease. He wasn't feeling well for a long time. But along the way I learned some natural and healthy ways to manage it. As a result, he's not only feeling better, but our primary vet and cardiologist are very surprised and pleased with how he's doing. In addition, his skin issues have been completely resolved. After nearly 9 years of trying everything under the sun to cure his skin allergies with conventional medicine, he finally responded to a more natural approach.

So essentially, I know how they are feeling, what they might be going through, and the daily struggle that goes along when caring for a pet that might not have ideal or optimum health.

But beyond that I would like to convey that traditional medicine doesn't always have the answers. While I do believe it's important to consider both conventional and holistic treatments and therapies, it's crucial that pet parents see that there is hope with alternative medicine and remedies. Primarily, yes, I will often seek out the advice of my holistic vet, but I will also consult my primary one as well. It's important to get BOTH sides of the story and BOTH views.

That's what The Dog Advertiser is about. We want to help you with the health, wellness, and longevity of your pet using alternative and natural methods. But we also do our best to lay out both sides of the coin. It doesn't behoove anyone if you are one-sided, and at the end of the day it's not about us; it's about our beloved fur babies. It's our job to protect them, love them, and most importantly give them the best chance at having a fulfilling and healthy life.

Thank you so much for this interview; I appreciate it and hope to see you and your readers on The Dog Advertiser soon! :-)

Thanks, Mark!

Meet James of Service Dog Certifications

James started Service Dog Certifications to help people understand their rights when it comes to service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs. James is a dog lover with three rescue pups that he adopted from the shelter. Shelter dogs can make amazing service dogs, and he wants to get the word out about this as well!

1. Why did you decide to name your site "Service Dog Certifications" when the law doesn't actually require that a service animal be certified?

Many people with service dogs are discriminated against and questioned about their disability. We feel that service dog identification cards with pertinent information are necessary for making access easier and protecting the rights and privacy of handlers. We want to help those that want to be free with their service dogs, but do not want to announce their disability to complete strangers. Service dogs id cards are not required, but we feel that we are bringing a needed service to those that do not want to argue with uninformed people.

2. What are some examples of ways that people with service animals have been discriminated against?

Service dogs have the same access rights to public property as humans. Service dogs are allowed to go anywhere their human handler is lawfully allowed to go. Many people are unaware of this law and try to block service dogs from entering public places. There are many disabilities that are not visible to the eye, and those people with "invisible" disabilities should not have to suffer from discrimination.

3. Why do you think there isn't greater awareness of the legal rights around the use of service animals?

This is a question I have been asking myself. Greater awareness for service dogs should be available to the public. We believe that http://servicedogcertifications.org is helping to bring awareness and providing educational information to people in need of service dogs.

4. What are some of the different ways that service animals provide therapy, assistance, and support?

Service dogs can perform many different tasks to assist their handlers. There are service dogs that assist their handlers with tug based tasks, carrying based tasks, medical assistance tasks, and crisis assistance tasks, and dogs who alert handlers about noises, etc. There are a variety of ways that service dogs support their handlers in and out of the home.

5. How are animals trained to provide service, and how can individuals let people know about the training their pet has received?

According to the ADA, service dogs can be trained by dog trainers or by handlers. Handlers can get service dog in training vests from http://www.servicedogcertifications.org/product/service-dog-harness-vest/ to let people know that their dog is in training. We also provide service dog id cards for those who want to provide information regarding their service dogs and the laws surrounding service dogs in general.

Thanks, James!

Meet Ashley Litz, Author and Third Grader

Ashley Litz (on the left in the photo below) is the author of No, No, Sammy! (available on Amazon) and a third grader in Georgia. She lives with her parents, sister, four lively dogs, and one easygoing cat. She loves to write, draw, play the piano, and participate in many school activities. Her hobbies include running, writing, reading, and crafts. Ashley's book was illustrated by the artist Linda Albrecht.

Emily Litz (on the right in the photo above) is the author's younger sister and was the model for the girl in the story. She is in the first grade. She lives with her family, four dogs, and one cat. She is involved in piano, Spanish Club, and Running Club. Her hobbies are drawing, making crafts, and writing stories.

Sammy is a black medium-sized poodle and is three years old. He is very lively, always happy and always wanting attention. He sometimes gets into trouble just like he did in the story but he never has a bad day. Happiness and love are very much a part of his personality.

Our interview today is with Ashley.

1. Why did you decide to write a book about Sammy?

My grandparents kept my sister and I after school each day. Emily got picked up two hours earlier than I did. When I got to their house that day, my Grandmother was telling me how Emily kept telling her black poodle, "No, no, Sammy!" each time he did something wrong that day. My Grandmother thought it might make a cute children's book so she began to write down ideas. As she worked on it, I kept telling her to write it differently, "to do it this way for little kids." When it was all done, I had written the whole story myself and my Grandmother liked the way I did it.

2. Does your sister feel like you did a good job describing her in your book?

Yes, Emily said that she thought I did a good job. Emily helped me to remember things Sammy had done and she had tried to teach him some good manners, so she helped me to describe her and the poodle.

3. Were there places where you had to change the real story about Sammy and Emily for the book, or is everything in the book something that really happened?

No, not really. Emily and I thought about different things Sammy had done, like digging holes in the yard, getting into the garbage, etc. He had done a lot of "bad" things so we had a lot of material to work with!

4. Did you give ideas to Linda Albrecht about the way you wanted the pictures to look to go with your story?

Yes, I did with the help of my Grandmother and Emily. We thought of things Sammy had done and wrote the story around those so then the artist drew images that described these events.

5. How did your grandma help you in writing and publishing your book?

My Grandmother thought of the story for the book which I then worked with, and she helped me to find an artist who was good and also affordable. We had a hard time finding someone who could draw animals and that is Mrs. Albrecht's specialty. Then my Uncle Jason did the hard part of putting images and writing together and publishing it to Amazon and CreateSpace.

Check out the book trailer for No, No, Sammy! below.

Thanks, Ashley!

Introducing Discountdogpoopbags.com

Sometimes I think about landfills and certain things that surely account for a lot of the trash that adds up, and bags of pet waste always come to mind. In search of a solution, a Canadian company founded by animal lovers began selling two types of dog poop bags, some which are biodegradable and some which are compostable.

Their affordable bags are made in Canada while other competing products on the market are made in China, and they promise that the bags are sturdy enough that you don't have to be "afraid your hand might rip through."

They also sell compostable kitchen bags, and I'm curious to try their products because in my previous attempts at buying compostable bags, the bags were too thin to withstand the contents (not that I think I had a bunch of heavy kitchen waste, but the bags thought so!).

One other note: the bags are dark in color, so you and your dog can feel discreet about what you're carrying around on your walk!

Meet Elizabeth Dodwell, Author and Speaker

Elizabeth Dodwell is an author, speaker and champion of the under-dog. Inspired by the need of her own rescued pets for healthy treats, she has created a selection of dogtail and pupcake recipes that are delicious, nutritious and served liberally with humor.

For more information about The BARKtender's Guide to Dogtails and Pupcakes, see Elizabeth Dodwell's website, as well as her Facebook page.

1. What motivated you to write a book of nutritious recipes for dogs?

Over the years I've had a number of rescued dogs with digestive issues. Currently, two of my pets have problems, in particular, Angel, who had a brutal start in life and was nearly starved to death. Although she's now a very healthy and happy seven-year-old, two bouts of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas that prevents the digestion of fat and can be deadly) and allergy problems require that she maintains a strict diet regimen, which translates to "boring." The vast majority of commercial pet foods and treats contain gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye) and tend to be high in fat, so a large percentage of my dogs' diet has always been homemade. The idea for "Dogtails and Pupcakes" sprang from the Cocktail and Cupcake enthusiasm for people. It occurred to me that I could create nutritious and delicious doggy versions that would also be easy and fun, and it worked.

2. How did you come up with the recipes, and how did you test them?

Creating the recipes was tons of fun. I spent a lot of time researching "safe" foods for dogs and then matched ingredients that I thought would work well together. Mixing the drinks is as easy as shaking up or blending a cocktail for yourself. The pupcakes took a little more effort to perfect because some of the ingredients--meat, for instance--are not the sort of thing you'd normally use in a cupcake.

Anyway, my "kids" (Angel, Vinny and Coco) along with several of their pooch pals had a wonderful time as taste-testers. Their number one dogtail pick was the Angel's Kiss--yogurt, peanut butter, carob and vanilla--and there were several favorite pupcakes including Droolin' On a Sunday Afternoon and You Can't Lick It, made with cheddar cheese, beef, and carrot.

I should mention here that some of the pupcake recipes in The BARKtender's Guide... are made with wheat. However, if your pup is gluten free, the flour can simply be substituted.

3. Why don't more people cook for their pets, rather than relying on store-bought foods?

Many of us don't even cook for ourselves, let alone our pets. We lead busy, sometimes hectic lives and the fast food mentality has become part of our culture. Sadly, I must say. Because it takes only a little time and effort to prepare simple foods that are much healthier and tastier than any pre-packaged items you buy off the shelf, and meal preparation is a great time for ALL the family (people and pets) to bond. When I make pupcakes, somehow the dogs just know it's for them, and they line up in the kitchen to "oversee" operations. And when I pull the first batch from the oven, they are beside themselves with joy and anticipation. It makes me laugh every time.

4. As an author, how do you strike a balance between sharing (how-to) information and offering humor to your readers?

Hmm. I've never thought in those terms. I simply love to laugh, and I like to share the humor. And people are far more likely to pay attention to something that gives them a chuckle or two than to read through a boring tome or listen to a dull speech. I actually give talks on lessons you can learn from your dog with subjects like "How to take the ball and run with it" and "How to sniff out the possibilities," and humor is a big part of that.

5. Have you utilized The BARKtender's Guide... to help support pet rescue?

Yes! A portion of all sales is donated to pet rescue. I have a couple of "pet" (ha ha) charities; however, I am always willing to consider partnering with pet-affiliated groups and companies to help them raise awareness or funds for their business or cause.

Thanks, Elizabeth!