Dog beds

Dog beds come in all shapes, sizes and materials, so how do you pick the perfect bed? Of course, the bed should be the right size for your dog - big enough so he can stretch out and not hang over the sides but not too big that he feels lost in it. Good dog beds will also provide comfort, be easy to clean and resist dirt and moisture.
Pillow Beds
These beds come in many sizes shapes and colors and are like a giant pillow that your dog can sink in to. You can get them in faux suede or leather, nylon, denim, Berber and designer prints. If your pooch likes the outdoors, you can buy him a waterproof one! You can find any design or color to match your decor so why not buy multiple dog beds and have a soft spot for Fido in every room? Remember that the bed will need to be washed periodically so make sure to get one with a removable washable cover.
Nest Beds
Like the name, these beds create a nest around the dog. Made from stiff foam, they have sides that stick up to give your dog a secure feeling. Like the pillow bed, they come in all colors and sizes and usually have removable washable covers.
Orthopedic and Heated Dog Beds
If your dog is older or has joint problems (or maybe you just like to spoil him with creature comforts?), he may find comfort from an orthopedic dog bed. These beds are made from polyfoam which provides support for your dog. You can even buy a model that is sort of like a hammock and is designed to keep your dog off the cold floor, or one with a built in pillow! If your dog needs some extra heat, you can add a pet bed warmer that plugs in, or a heat pad that you warm in the microwave - it stays heated for 12 hours and requires no electricity thus eliminating potentially dangerous electrical cords. If it is the opposite you need, try the canine cooler thermoregulating dog bed which provides cold dry therapy for your dog.

Short History of Guide Dogs

The topic of the article was the work being done in Potsdam, Germany of training dog guides for blind war veterans. A native of Philadelphia, Eustis was then living in Switzerland where she was conducting research in experimental techniques for training German Shepards to be working dogs.
Eustis' article was widely read, but it made a special impression on Morris Frank of Nashville, Tennessee. Frank suffered blindness as a result of two accidents. Self-reliant by nature, he found his dependence on others maddening. The independence described in the Post article sounded to Frank like the deliverance he had long desired. So he wrote a letter to Eustis with a proposition: if she would train a dog for him, he would in turn help other blind people learn to use guide dogs as well. Eustis answered that if Frank could make it to Switzerland to meet her they had a deal.
Frank did make the long trek to Switzerland. After completing his training there, he returned to the US with his new guide dog, Buddy, as well as $10,000 to found a new training school in Nashville. The campus was later moved to Frank and Eustis were not the first to attempt starting a guide dog school in America, but they were the first to succeed. At the end of the first year alone, 17 people had completed training at the Seeing Eye, as it was called, and found freedom through guide dogs. The name came from Eustis' Evening Post article and from Proverbs 20,12: "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both" (RSV CE).