Jasmine on the Daily Tail

Jasmine's Christmas video was featured on The Daily Tail! :D

http://taildom.com/blog/videos/jasmine-dog-helps-santa/

Woohoo! Jaz is on RTM's website!

:D I just discovered Jasmine's new Christmas video is on Right This Minute's website!! How fun is that? They wrote something really sweet about her too.

The caption says:

"We all know about Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen... but what about Jasmine? This adorable canine is Santa's newest helper, and has definitely become one of our favorites. Watch as she jumps to action after getting a request from Santa himself."

And my friend Stacy wrote me and said she saw Jasmine on Channel 3 news! (and she was able to record it!) I knew she was going to be on ABC 15, because they emailed me. But I wish I would have known about the other ones! Oh well- it's all good!! :D The whole point of this is to bring love and laughter to others. Jasmine can't help but make you smile. So the more people's day she brightens, the better. Even if I don't hear about it.

I'm just still amazed that we were able to pull together that video in that short of time! It's because I have some WONDERFUL friends who helped me every step of the way!! :D (and some good neighbors who agreed when I randomly knocked on their door and said, "can I videotape your dog?" LOL. This was a very last minute project. But I guess that's how I roll! ;)

Jasmine's new video made the news!

Jasmine's new Christmas video made the news!!

It's featured right now on the ABC 15 website.

And they said it might be airing today (Dec 26th) on the 3:00 or 4:00 newscast. (If it doesn't get bumped for real news!)

Pretty fun! I just barely uploaded that video on Saturday (Christmas Eve), and it's only been 2 days. But it's received over 4,300 views!! WOW!

Well, I hope you guys all had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.

If Jaz does end up making it on TV later today, I'll try to get a copy to share with you guys.

Have a wonderful week. :)

Animals Sing "12 Days of Christmas"

Remember the talking dog video? Called Ultimate Dog Tease? (the maple kind?)

Well the same guy that created that made a singing animal Christmas video! (And Jasmine is in it!!) :D (around the 1 minute mark) Yay! :D

Santa Paws- Santa's Little Helper

It's done!! Just in the nick of time!! Here's Jasmine's new Christmas video!!

I somehow got it into my head that I wanted to make a Christmas video, and didn't start it until Dec. 20th! So I had 5 days to get all this together!! I couldn't have done it without some wonderful friends. My friend Deena helped brainstorm the plot, Mindy came over to help record and be the "key grip"! (whatever that is!) lol. Luke donated his time to be Santa. And mostly, my friend Stacy spent the last 4 days LIVING at my house- helping me film, be the creative director, and piece it all together! We went around the neighborhood, hoping to that my neighbors who owned dogs would be home!! But it worked!

There's no way I could have pulled this off without these people! THANK YOU for making this happen!!!!

And to everyone- MERRY CHRISTMAS from Jasmine!!!

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your friends and loved ones. (Both human and furry!)

(and to answer your question, yes, I did have to hot glue those cookies to the plate!!) ;)

BarkWorld 2011- Reminiscing

Good ol' Barkworld! Every time I see photos from that event, I get the biggest smile on my face! (Obviously Jasmine does too!) I just LOVE this picture of her!


I just discovered these photos that were taken at the Barkworld Expo last September. (All photo credits belong to the BarkWorld Expo.)
Look at Paige!! Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?!? We brought the dogs to Barkworld for a trick dog demo. If you wanted to know how to do tricks w/ a large dog- Paige showed you. If you wanted to know how to adapt it to a small dog- Jasmine showed you. :)

Oh... to have a nice camera... and know how to use it!! I've always loved photography. I think I have an artistic eye for how to frame a photo. I just need to 1) save up the money for a nice camera. And 2) Learn how to work it! I just love these amazing photos of the dogs. Look how clear Jasmine's bright brown eyes are. Man, I wish I had that talent! Guess I need to add that to my list of things I want to learn how to do! :)

Lauren and I gave a powerpoint presentation on "How To Make Your Dog A YouTube Rockstar". Then we had Q & A. Then did a trick dog demo (whatever they wanted to see!) This was my first time attending something like this, but we had a blast!! It seemed like everyone fell in love with Paige and Jasmine. (They were being extra adorable... because there were tons of new people to meet and be friends with.)

I talked to Lauren, and we're talking about going back next year!! :D So... we'll see you there in 2012! :D

Hide and Seek- Games to Play with your dog

We invented a new game to play on rainy days. (It doesn't snow much where I live.)

Jasmine HATES going out for a walk in the rain. (Even though she has a rain coat to keep her mostly dry!) But not dry enough! My house still ends up smelling like wet dog! So we stay inside as much as possible on rainy days.

We have to invent new games to keep ourselves entertained when we're stuck inside. So we made up this game!

It didn't take Jasmine long to figure this one out. :) Now that she knows this will get her a treat, she's trying to do it all the time!

Animal Planet "America's Cutest Pet" appearance!

Jasmine was on Animal Planet this past weekend!!! (Which I didn't even know about!) A friend emailed me to tell me that she saw Jaz on TV! Jasmine had 3 brief cameo appearances in Animal Planet's show "America's Cutest Pet". The first was in a segment called "My Pet's Got Talent." (pretty self-exlpainatory!)
Jaz has gotten a lot of mileage out of that original "Dog Goes Shopping video"! CLICK HERE to see the long version (which is funnier). Or CLICK HERE to see the short version.
The second clip was under a section called "Pets That Make You Go Awwwww...." This clip is called "Best Friend". CLICK HERE if you want to watch it.
The 3rd appearance was an action shot. This is Toddy and Jasmine doing double spins (in sync!) :) I had to search for a while to find what old video this clip was taken from! I finally found it. It was one of my first videos putting dog tricks to music! And I actually matched up each song to the action in the clip! First and last time I did that! It's a really cool video, but it took WAY too much time to make!! LOL. If you want to check it out, CLICK HERE.

So... that's Jasmine's brief Animal Planet cameos! :) A pretty fun surprise!

Our latest hospital visit

Earlier this week, I had left Jaz over at my parents house to play with their dog while I ran errands and got my hair cut. When I came to pick her up, to my surprise, Jaz was wearing this new outfit! She's Santa's Little Helper! (or "Santa Paws")! :)

I decided she had to wear it on Friday when we volunteered at the hospital. I figured the kids would get a kick out of it! (And I was right!) Almost everyone we passed smiled or laughed at seeing Jasmine dressed up in her Santa outfit!

Last night's visit was interesting. I often don't know why kids are in the hospital. When we came to the 5th floor, we passed a 10 year old boy in the hall. His leg and hand were all bandaged up. And they were having him walk down the hall with a walker. He was hesitant to pet Jasmine, but he stroked her head a little bit. (Not everyone loves animals or feels up to seeing them, which is fine.) I continued going room to room around that floor. And when I got to the end, a man approached me and asked if I would come visit his grandson- who had been attacked by a dog. (He said it was a pit bull, but I don't know if it was.) I agreed, and when I went into the room, it was the same boy I had passed in the hall. I joked that he had already seen Jasmine, but I could show them a little trick show. By the end, he was smiling and liking Jasmine. So I felt like Jaz had helped repair that bridge of trust that was broken.

It makes me so sad that people don't train or socialize their dogs. Dogs can enrich our lives, and are such wonderful companions. And I personally have fostered 2 stray pit bulls. Oliver and Annie. (Named after the 2 orphans!) They were soooo sweet. The guy who eventually adopted Oliver renamed him "Mr. Wiggles" because we was always wagging his tail! (Which in turned wagged his whole butt!) He was such a sweetie. Pitties can be such wonderful, loving companions. I don't believe any breed is inherently bad. It's all how they are trained/raised. It seems like in the 80's, German Shepherd's were the "bad" breed. Then in the 90's, Doberman's were the "bad" breed. And in the 2000's, it changed to pit bulls. It's not the dog's fault. It's the owners. I don't mean to get on my soap box, but that's something I feel strongly about.

Anyway, I was glad Jaz was there yesterday to help re-establish a positive relationship between this boy and dogs.

Jasmine has been there a year and a half now. So we have little trading cards with Jasmine's picture on them to pass out to the patients. And she also now has her picture up on the wall, along with all the other seasoned therapy dogs. I feel proud that it's up there. Yet at the same time, I feel like that's not why we do it. It's not for the recognition. It's not for me. It's hard to explain. But Jasmine really loves coming to the hospital. She pulls on the leash to get in. (Which she rarely does.) It's a win-win. She gets treats and attention. And the kids get to pet her and laugh at her little tricks. And it really does make me feel good to help out. And it puts my life in perspective. The people at the hospital are more real to me. They are more focused on the things that matter... our relationships with others. The rest of the stuff is so trivial. But yet I get caught up in it. Our visits at the hospital keep me grounded and help me to remember to share my love with the people I care about. (Sometimes we just take for granted that they know, and forget to tell them.)

We stopped for gas on the way home from the hospital. (as you can tell by my empty gas gauge!) I snapped this picture because it was so funny to me. We have plenty of static electricity to share, if you need any! Poor Jaz!!! LOL

While I was typing this blog entry, my roommate was in her room wrapping Christmas presents. She brought out gifts, then added the labels who they were for. Then Jasmine wandered out of the room, and she had a label tag attached to her.

It said: "To: CJ. From: God." That little message warmed my heart. And made me think. It's true. Jasmine is truly a gift in my life from God. She has done wonders for me. She has allowed me to develop a talent as a dog trainer. (Which I never knew I had.) By sharing her and her tricks, she has given me a way to help make others happy. (which makes me happy) Jaz is just such a happy, cheerful dog. She has brought such joy and laughter into my life. She really is such a special dog. And I'm grateful for her.

HaPpY bIrThDaY JASMINE!

Monday, Dec. 5th is Jasmine's birthday! My sweet pup is 6 years old. It's crazy. Where does the time go? Who knew when I got this cute puppy 6 years ago how much she would change my life? And how she has helped me to grow and become a better person? And what amazing adventures we would have together?

I learned how to be a trick dog trainer! (Well, we learned together!) I got this puppy just to have as a pet in my home. She was my first dog as a "grown-up". I read books, and started teaching her basic obedience. But she was smart, and picked it up pretty fast. And then I had to come up with new things to teach her. And that's how my journey into trick-training began. Jasmine loves to learn. She loves the mental stimulation. (OK, I'll admit it, she loves good treats too!) She thinks with her stomach. And because she's so food-motivated, I was able to use positive reinforcement to teach her a whole lot of tricks! (She taught me a few too! She invented the suitcase trick, and the cowboy trick!) And all these funny little tricks have made her friends all over the world. And her videos have been on TV here in the USA, and in Japan and England. And she was in 2 commercials. (and has some projects in the works for next year!) Seriously, who knew? Who knew she had such potential? And who knew I had a hidden talent as a dog trainer? I've always loved animals. And I've always been patient, and optimistic. And those hidden talents allowed me to develop a visible talent as a trick dog trainer! So you never know what secret talents you have locked inside you... waiting for you to discover and develop. (This goes for me and Jaz!) :D

As I look back, and I'm just amazed at what this little dog has accomplished in just a few years...

Here's the oldest video I could find of her doing tricks:

But even then she was pretty decent! (In my opinion) I just didn't think to videotape her in the beginning, because I had no idea where this would all lead!

And look at her now! :D She's my canine personal assistant! :D

Happy Birthday to my favorite little pup. Jasmine. Jazzy. Jaz. Pup-Pup. Jazmataz.

I tell people the best thing about owning a canine celebrity is that she never lets it go to her heads. ;) She'll always be my little sweetheart.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family!!

This is a picture of Toddy (Jasmine's cousin) begging for a bit of turkey! Don't worry, after we had our dinner, the dogs got some nibbles of a special treat. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful time with your loved ones (both human and furry). And remembered to count all the things you were thankful for. Trust me, it makes a difference.

Here's a great quote:

Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likeable. -Joseph B. Wirthlin

Remember to have a grateful day! ;) (I saw this on a bumper sticker!)

Expert Trick Dog Video

Here's our newest trick video! We've been working on that fridge trick for a while now! :D

Thirsty? Bring Me A Drink

Jaz has learned a new trick!! We've been working on this one for a little while now.

Jasmine can open the fridge and bring me a drink! Ok yes, it's a small juice box. But I tried it with a mini soda can, and a mini water bottle. She had a hard time gripping those with her teeth. She would bite down, and it would shoot across the room. So... we had to adapt! And find something more suited to her size! And here's the final result:

The good news is... I'm glad I don't own a big dog. If she was, and I taught her this trick... there would be no food left in my refrigerator when I got home from work!!! So I'm happy Jaz is a little dog! ;)

AZ Animal Welfare League - Walk To Save Animals

On Sat. Nov 12th, I went with some friends to the AZ Animal Welfare League's Walk to Save Animals!

This is my friend's adopted pitbull mix named Peanut Butter. She's a rescue. She didn't actually drive us there, she just likes to think she did!





This was a benefit walk to raise money for AZ's largest no-kill shelter. There was a 5K, and a 2K.
This was a huge event, which was very well attended!

After the walk, the Phoenix Search & Rescue did a demonstration for everyone. Those are some well-trained dogs! They were black labs, and they talked about how they had all been trained using positive reinforcement. These were the same dogs that were used during 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. Pretty impressive!


This is Jasmine and her new friend Sasha!

Sasha is a neighbor's 6 month old puppy that needed some socialization. Sasha had a lot of energy, but was really good with little kids. She would sit down when they came over to pet her.



A very beautiful, happy, sweet dog. Just needs a little training.



Have you ever seen a herd of weiner dogs? I have!! LOL. They were cute!




Jasmine met a Celebrity Vet!!

This is Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald from Animal Planet's Emergency Vet show. Jaz got a picture with him.

He was really nice!!

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/pets/celebrity-veterinarian-at-walk-to-save-animals-11122011

The AAWL and SPCA had an exotic animal display, so Jaz and the dogs got to see all sorts of new creatures! :D

All in all, we had a really good time!


I think I'm going to contact them and see if next year, they would like a trick dog demonstration! :D That would be fun.

Fidose of Reality article- "How To Get Your Dog on TV and in Print Media"

Jaz has been in newspapers and featured on blogs quite a few times. And although they mean well, reporters tend to mix up the facts. And there's usually something inaccurate in every article written about us. .... Except this one!! This is the best article written about Jaz yet!!

http://www.fidoseofreality.com/v2/2011/11/how-to-get-your-dog-on-television-and-in-print-media/

This article describes Jaz PERFECTLY!!! I just loved it. I had to smile when I read the line about how Jasmine exuded happiness (which she does). The author met Jasmine during our recent trip to BarkWorld in Atlanta. So she got to know Jaz personally!

I like how the article focused on how we train with positive reinforcement. Because this is how I wish all dog-human relationships could be. Jaz REALLY does like to do her tricks. Because she was trained with positive reinforcement (Clicker training), she wants to do these things to earn the reward. (And will even try doing her tricks resume without being asked.) Especially if you are eating chicken or cheese. Those are her 2 favorite things.

It makes me laugh when a guest comes to the house, and if they bend down, Jaz will jump on their back. (Which usually catches them off-guard!) Then I have to explain that she wants a pony ride over to the treat counter!! (This has happened more than once!)

And I love that Fidose of Reality included some of Jasmine's trick videos. You really have to just see it for yourself. Then you can see how eager she is to do these tricks. :)

Thank you Fidose of Reality for featuring Jasmine in your article. :) It made my day.

Jaz on TV in Japan again! :D

Jaz was on TV in Japan again!! :D She was on the Tokudane show- this time they showcased a video of when she was first learning to ring the bell! (I called it "My dog has OCD") Jaz REALLY likes that bell! I have to put it out of reach, or she'd ring it forever! "Room Service!" ;D

(P.S. THANK YOU to my brother for helping with the translations!!) :D

Hawaii Tours.com Commercial

Remember when Jaz when to California without me to shoot a commercial? (My brother drove her out there!)

Jaz was one of the dogs running on the beach for the HawaiiTours.com commercial! I knew she would do a sit/ stay/ come without me there, so I wasn't too worried about it. If they wanted her to do any tricks, I would have had to go along! She came back SOO dirty and sandy! But from what I heard, she had a blast filming this! She had never seen the ocean before and loved chasing after the waves! We'll definitely have to go back!

Here's the final product!

Jaz on TV in England again! :D

This has been the month for international doggy appearances! Jasmine was on TV in Japan again yesterday, and the footage is really cute! (My friend Miki recorded it for me!) My brother speaks Japanese, so he's going to translate it! But it looks really funny!

And my friend Hannah (from London) sent me this footage of Jasmine on the BBC show "Who Let The Dogs Out?" (Which I'm really grateful for!) Otherwise I would never have been able to see this!

Jaz is going to be on TV in Japan tomorrow!! Help??

Hi Friends!!

I have an urgent request! I need to find a friend in Japan who would be willing to do me a favor!! I just found out today (Tuesday) that Jasmine is going to be on TV in Japan tomorrow (Wednesday)!! Which is not much notice!! She's going to be on the Tokudane show at 8:00 am tomorrow!! (Which is the same show she was on last July!) Is there anyone who would be willing to record this for me?? (Even videotaping the TV screen is fine with me!) I would just like to see it! Anyone have any friends in Japan? Please let me know!

Here's a clip of the last time Jasmine was on TV in Japan!

Our video from the elementary school!

Jaz and I were asked to come meet with all the 3rd graders, and talk about being a therapy dog team! (They had just finished reading "Rosie the Visiting Dog"- which is about a dog that goes to the hospital.) So they were really excited to meet a real therapy dog!

We had so much fun visiting all the kids!! :D (as you can tell!!) I made a little video of all the highlights.

Jasmine Visits the Elementary School!

Yesterday, Jasmine and I went to visit an elementary school! :D

All the 3rd graders just finished reading a book called "Rosie The Visiting Dog", so they wanted to meet a real life therapy dog! Jasmine and I went and had SO MUCH FUN!!!!

We talked about what you had to do to be a therapy dog, what we did at the hospital, answered questions, and then gave a little trick show. Then each kid got to pet Jasmine before we left.

The questions they asked us were hilarious!

Such as: "Do you ever go to somewhere where old people live?"

"Is your dog a full bred or a 1/2 bred?"

"Is your dog a boy or a girl?" (I had them guess - considering her name is Jasmine!)

"Can your dog jump through a flaming hoop?" (A good opportunity to explain about fire safety and how not to injure your dog!)

"Can your dog do a windmill?" (I asked if that was like a cartwheel, and no, it's not. It's like break-dancing.) So I said "no, probably not."

Jaz jumped through some hoops. (Graciously borrowed from the P.E. department because I forgot mine!!)

Jaz showed off her "Dog Goes Shopping" skills...

And last but not least, each child got an opportunity to pet her. It was SOOO MUCH fun!!!

I got some video of it- and I'll post that as soon as I'm done editing it! :D

P.S. A special THANK YOU to my friend Stacy who came to help take pics, video, and help me carry all Jaz's props!! I couldn't have done it without her!! :D

Dog Music Video- Will Young "Come On"

I usually write stuff about Jaz. But this video was so wonderful that I had to share it!! I absolutely LOVED IT!! I love the song, I love the video, and I love the message it shares.

"Clicks with Dogs" had it posted on Facebook, along with this message:

Awesome music video and also a lesson! Reminds me of the quote from Albert Einstein: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Find what you and your dog can enjoy together and don't give up. :)

And that's exactly how I feel too! :D

If you want to connect on Facebook, here's where you can find me! https://www.facebook.com/MyFavoritePupJasmine

Jaz's National TV Debut!

Yay! So- Jaz had her national TV debut today!! :D She was on a show called "Right This Minute". And overall... not bad! It focused more on Jaz, and less on me! (Which I liked!) They interviewed me on Skype last night, and the interview lasted about 10 minutes. Then they cut it all down to a minute and a half clip! But it was decent!! (Despite the one time I messed up what I was trying to say about how Jaz makes the kids smile... and it came out sounding like Jaz smiles...) Whatever! I was nervous! Although it was much better than some other interviews I've had!! LOL... I just figured it out, and that was Jasmine's 7th TV appearance. You'd think it would get easier for me! But nope!

And yes, I did have a treat sitting on my laptop to get Jaz to look at the web cam!!! ;) I originally taped a bully bone to the top of the monitor, but Jaz went too crazy for that! So I had to take that away, and put a piece of dehydrated turkey liver on the keyboard. (which she can focus better around.)

All in all- I'm happy with how they edited this! I recorded it off the TV, so the quality is not great. But until I figure out someway to record off the internet, this is the best I can do!!

P.S. If you want to see their clip of it, here's the link: http://www.rightthisminute.com/story/jasmine-doggy-personal-assistant (But you'll only see the clip, not the cute little intro teaser!) ;)

Jaz is on NATIONAL TV tomorrow!!

Exciting News!!! Jasmine is going to be on National TV tomorrow! :D (Well, in 48 markets.)

If you live in AZ, it's going to be broadcast Fri on ABC 15 at 11:00 am.
If you live in WA, it's on Fri. at 9:00 am.
If you live in VA, it's on Fri. at 2:00 pm.
If you live in Tampa, FL- it's on at 1:00 AM! (Sorry Florida friends!!) ;)

Here's a link with all the channels and cities: http://www.rightthisminute.com/about/stations

The show is called "Right This Minute", and they are interviewing me and showing Jasmine's latest YouTube trick video! (Hopefully it will be more focused on Jaz and less on me!!) ;)



I'm doing the interview tonight- and they will broadcast the clip tomorrow. (Of course, this is assuming that we don't get bumped because of national news!) If that's the case, I'll be sure to keep you updated! :D I'm excited! :D (And kind of nervous!) And when I get excited or nervous, I tend to talk fast!! So try to keep up , because I will be both!! :) lol

New job! CPA- That's Canine Personal Assistant! ;)

Guess what, Jasmine got a job! She's now a CPA! (That's a Canine Personal Assistant, lest you get it confused with a Certified Public Accountant!) She's very handy to have around! ;)

I highly recommend you get one too! ;)

Interviews from BarkWorld!

Jasmine had a FANTASTIC time at Barkworld- in Atlanta, GA!

Here's an interview we did with Nylabone while we were there!



We roomed with our really good friends Lauren and her dog Paige!

Jasmine and Paige were the YouTube Rockstars- and gave a presentation on how to make good YouTube videos, and how to clicker train. At the end of the class, we did a trick dog demo. It was so popular, there was standing room only!! It was awesome! We met a ton of new friends. And had a blast! We'll definitely be back next year!!



I didn't even realize that we did pretty much the same tricks until after I saw Lauren's interview! LOL. Hey- great minds think alike!! ;)

They also taped part of our trick dog demo- but that will be coming in a separate post!

HOWL-o-ween Costume Addict!!

I kind of have an

addiction. I like buying Halloween costumes for my dog! If they are super cute, I'll buy them full price. But I mostly wait until after Halloween when they are 75% off and buy a bunch!

Jasmine is only 5 years old, so.... in theory... she should only have 5 Halloween costumes, right? I can't even tell you how many costumes she has!!

I was just looking through the pics, and they make me laugh! there's some costumes that she likes more than others. (If it's not obvious by the pictures!!)

Does anyone else dress their dog up for halloween? :D