Happy St. Patrick's Day! Throughout the month of March, save your 'Green' on our 'Green'.

All "Green" merchandise is 20% Off! All "Green" food and treats are 10% Off!

If the product or packaging has green on it--you save money!

It's the luck of the Irish! Save on toys, sweaters, coats, collars, leads, accessories, food and treats!

(Offer excludes greeting cards and Frontline)

(Offer also excludes Wellness Lamb 30#--see below)

Take advantage of this limited time offer on Wellness 30# bags of dog food! Purchase any 30 lb. bag of Wellness Dog Food--Chicken, Lamb, Fish & Sweet Potato, Senior or Puppy) and receive a mail-in rebate for $10.00 off your next purchase of Wellness Dog Food. Rebates must be postmarked by 3-31-07.

The Oregon Humane Society has asked The Dog Club of West Linn to help collect signatures in order to remain on the Oregon Tax Checkoff program.

What is the Oregon Charitable Checkoff? The charitable checkoff is a way for Oregon tax-filers to donate all or part of their Oregon state tax refund to a charitable organization. Tax filers just check off the box next to the charity of their choice and indicate the amount of their refund they would like to have go to the charity.

How does the charity benefit? All monies collected (excluding a state administrative fee of 1%) go to the charity to pay for programs. The funds are not used to meet administrative expenses of the organization.

Why is OHS collecting signatures now? Every six years a Charitable Checkoff Charity must reapply to stay listed in the Oregon tax booklet. Part of the application is the collection of 10,000 signatures. Since their initial listing in 2002, this program has raised nearly $100,000 for OHS.

Is this a political activity? No. Oregonians are accustomed to signing petitions to put measures on ballots. Although the method is the same--collecting signatures on petitions--this effort is not a political activity. Signers on these petitions are supporting OHS's placement on the tax return form and in the Department of Revenue instructions pertaining to the checkoff.

Who is eligible to sign? Any voter registered in Oregon and who has not already signed a petition supporting this effort, is eligible to sign.

The OHS Charitable Checkoff petition will be available for your signature at the front desk. Let's give our Oregon Humane Society a hand!! Thank you.

Understand what makes your pet tick! Enjoy the following Sun Sign Characteristics--Does your dog or cat fit the description? If not, maybe they were born on the cusp or the moon was rising in the seventh house or. . . .Oh let's just have fun!

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)

Aries cats and dogs are always packed with energy. They love attention, petting and cuddling and are never ever shy. It would be very hard to keep up with these hyperactive animals. They are easily embarrassed, so don't scold them in public places. Reward good behavior with a gentle hug. The most difficult aspect of an Aries pet is to get them to obey you!

TAURUS (Apr 21 - May 20)

Taurus pets are quiet and passive and are the easiest in the Zodiac to train. However, if provoked, they will not give up the fight. They are cautious about meeting new people, but when they like you, you are a friend for life. These animals love the outdoors, but may prefer sleeping to playing. They love to eat and may develop a weight problem later on.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 21)

Gemini pets are very curious, friendly and packed with energy. These dogs may bark a lot. They hate to be left alone. They are fast learners and can be trained well. Remember to keep the door shut or they will be off in a flash exploring and looking for new friends. Gemini pets love the company of everyone!

CANCER (Jun 22 - Jul 22)

These pets are very sensitive creatures and hate to be upset. They are easily irritated by others and rely on a calm and peaceful environment. Any change in their routine can cause them to retreat and be gone for hibernation for days. Cancer pets are cautious about meeting new people, but once they trust you, they make you a friend for life. They do not like sharing their home with any other animals because they want your undivided attention. They tend to be destructive if left home alone.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22)

Leo pets feel as if they are the head of the house. They move around with grace and elegance. They love adventure and will roam as far as you let them. They are born leaders and may soon have a pack of friends following them. Leo animals love children and make perfect pets. They are very protective. Treat them kindly and they will be your friend for life.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22)

Virgo pets are good companions and make great friends. They sense when you are unhappy or sick, and they are always there to comfort you. They are shy animals, preferring their own company. Virgos are reserved and won't show their affections easily. They will gladly spend entire evenings lying at your feet or resting their head in your lap. They are very fussy eaters.

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22)

Easy-going Libra pets like lots of attention. These pets divide their attention equally among all members of the family. They make wonderful companions and hate to be left alone. They love good food and soft music. They will eat just about anything and can put on a lot of extra weight--be sure to give them plenty of exercise!

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

Scorpio pets are extremely loyal pets. Kindness shown to these animals at an early age will come back to you for the rest of your life. If they are mistreated in early life, gaining their trust back will be a long process. Scorpio pets are intimidating to other animals. They are full of pent up energy and need to run around a lot to release it!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Sags are the most fun-loving of all pets and are always eager to please. They love the outdoors, so be sure to give them plenty of room to roam. If you keep them inside for long periods of time, they lose their spirit. They are intelligent animals, but when they get over excited, they become forgetful. You must be consistent when you discipline these animals--they will respond well.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Capricorn pets stay young forever! They have endless endurance and will play happily for hours on end. They make the best playmates for children. They can however, be moody and tend to sulk if they don't get their way. Be patient when training the Capricorn pet, as they are slow learners. They are loyal to family and determined to please!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 19)

Aquarius pets are gentle and loving with children. They will bark or meow just to hear the sound of their own voices. Extremely intelligent, you will need lots of patience to train them. They do not obey orders easily and the more you push, the deeper they will put their paws into the ground and refuse to budge.Often aloof, the Aquarius pet is curious and inquisitive and will literally push their noses into everything.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 20)

Piscean pets are the gentle, peace-loving pets that hate shouting and fighting. They are sensitive to your moods and will plant themselves securely at your side if you are sick and upset. If your Pisces pet needs discipline, be very careful how you go about it. They tend to be quite intuitive and can sense when you are angry or upset. They don't need a lot of wide, open spaces and are good pets for people living in apartments.

(Adapted from FindYourFate.com)

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular AKC registered dog nationally and in Portland.

The American Kennel Club in New York on Monday announced its lists of the top 10 most popular registered dogs in Portland and the nation for 2006.

The Labrador Retriever has held the spot since 1991.

Following the Labrador Retriever in Portland are: Golden Retriever, Dachshund, Poodle, Pug, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Pomeranian and Yorkshire Terrier.

The Poodle and Pug tied at No. 4 and the Boston Terrier, Pomeranian and Yorkshire Terrier tied at No. 9.

The Pug, No. 2 in 2005, dropped in this year's rankings, but the breed is still significantly more popular here than in the rest of the country where it hasn't yet cracked the top 10.

Boston Terriers, another breed not listed on the national top 10, finally made it onto Portland's top 10 after placing 11th in 2005.

Bucking the national trend, the Yorkshire Terrier proved to be less popular this year in Portland than in the past, moving from No. 6 in 2005 to No. 10 in 2006.

Poodles, originally bred as water retrievers, are steadily rising in popularity in Portland, moving from No. 7 in 2005 to No. 4 in 2006.

"Although many of Portland's top 10 breeds are ranked in the national top 10 as well, it is one of the few cities where the Yorkshire Terrier is actually decreasing in popularity," said AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson. "This is a city that creates its own trends."

Following the Labrador Retriever nationally are: Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Dachshund, Boxer, Poodle, Shih Tzu and Miniature Schnauzer.

Portland Business Journal - January 15, 2007

It will be interesting to see what 2007 brings in dog breed popularity. We, here at The Dog Club of West Linn, are equal-opportunity dog lovers and love alllllllll breeds and always will!