4 Cool Products for Dogs, and Their People

THE FURMINATOR: With a Siberian Husky in the house, we can’t live without serious grooming tools like the Furminator.  If your dog has a thick double undercoat and sheds like it’s snowing, this tool can save your vacuum… and your sanity!  The Furminator can be pricey at pet stores, but we found it much cheaper on Amazon, for about $18.  There’s one for cats too.

The Furminator dog grooming tool

Photo from the Furminator web site.  They're not exaggerating, we have brushed this much fur off Isis with the Furminator ourselves!
 

THE RAKE: A Rake is an affordable tool that is also really good for dogs with a thick double undercoat and lots of shedding.  Several companies make a rake style brush, they can be found at most pet stores and online for about $8 - $12.

 

A Rake grooming tool.  Several companies make rakes

SAFESPOT LOCKING LEASH:  An adjustable locking dog collar and leash that can give you peace of mind if you need to leave your dog unattended for a SHORT period of time, like if you need  to run into the bank or a store.  It has a sturdy, uncuttable steel cable that secures your dog to an object.  It’s made of Plastic/steel/nylon webbing.  A bit pricey at $69 but may be well worth the price considering that upwards of 2 million dogs are stolen each year!  Remember, this is only if you need to leave your dog for a very short time – not for an hour while you go shopping.  Never leave your dog for more than just a few minutes no matter where you are or how safe you may think it is.  You can find it on the Orvis web site at  www.orvis.com

Photo of the Safespot Locking Leash from the Orvis web site:

 

 

SQUEEZABLE TREAT DISPENSERS:  I love these!  They are great for training, treating, or for busy toy purposes.  There are a few varieties of squeezable treat dispensers on the market.  Rather than giving your dog messy bits of chicken or peanut butter, or buying expensive bags of treats, you can instantly treat your dogs with a lick of peanut butter or bit of other squeezable treat.  I like to load up the dispenser with peanut butter and chill so it’s cool and lasts longer.  PAWW Treat Toob is a great treat dispenser product that’s relatively new.   I like that the Treat Toob is easy to fill and transparent, so you can see how much is left inside.  It comes in a few colors and you can write the contents on the bottle’s label window.  About $8.95 on Amazon.   Squeeze Bones is another type of squeezable treat dispenser which dispenses hard treats.  Dogs chew on it dispensing treats themselves.  This is a good type of treat dispenser to use as a busy toy, keeping your dog engaged for awhile.  You can use it as a reward after a training session or as a keep ‘em busy toy.   Both types of dispensers are easy to fill, easy to dispense, portable, and re-usable over and over again.  If your dog is a serious chewer, I’m not sure how long the Squeeze Bones will last, some reviewers indicated it may not be great for strong chewers.  Photo of an orange Treat Toob from Amazon's web site:

Check back frequently for more cool products for dogs and their people!

 

 

Test Your Knowledge of Dog Trivia

Q: What is the tallest breed of dog?  
A: If you guessed the Great Dane, you’d be wrong.  The tallest breed is the Irish Wolfhound.

Q: Which US Presidents had Scottish Terriers living with them in the White House? 

A: Former President Franklin D Roosevelt had a Scottie named Fala, who was famous in his own right.  In 1944 Roosevelt gave the infamous “Fala Speech”, refuting allegations that Fala was costing the taxpayers money!  Former President George W Bush’s presidential Scottie was named Barney.  He became quite famous, starring as himself in several BarneyCam films.  He once bit a Reuters news reporter, as well as the PR Director of the Boston Celtics.  Bad Presidential Doggie!  Bad!


 Q: An impressive statue of a dog in New York City’s Central Park honors the lifesaving heroics of which breed of dog?
 A: As Isis would proudly tell you, it’s the Siberian Husky!  A team of sled dogs saved the town of Nome, Alaska from a diphtheria epidemic in 1925 by delivering life saving serum.  Sled dog teams were the only way to transport the serum to Nome during extreme blizzard conditions.  The lead dog of the last relay team to reach Nome was a Husky named Balto.  The Central Park statue is of Balto, and honors the sled dogs and mushers that risked their lives in treacherous conditions to save the people of Nome. 


We took Isis to Central Park in NYC this Fall.  She was thrilled to see the statue her idol, Balto!   The plaque on the statue reads “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from Nenana, to the relief of stricken Nome in the Winter of 1925”  “Endurance  Fidelity  Intelligence " 

 

Q: What breed of dog is the beloved comic strip character Snoopy? 

A: Snoopy is a Beagle

Q: What breed of dog were Marmaduke, the dog from the Jetsons cartoon, and Scooby Doo? 

A: They were all Great Danes

Q: Which breed of dog is known to have “lifeguard” abilities?

A: Despite their large size and fairly low activity level, the Newfoundland, or "Newfie", was bred to work with fishermen on their boats.  Their muscular build, double coated fur, webbed feet and strong swimming ability make them ideal for water rescue.  A Newfie named seaman even accompanied explorers Lewis and Clark on expedition.

 
 

photos of Irish Wolfhound & Newfie obtained on Wikipedia

Here Come The Westminster Dog Show 2014 …. MUTTS?!

That’s right, the Westminster Dog Show has finally opened it’s doors (a tiny crack) to “All American Dogs”, basically mixed breed dogs.   For the first time, the Agility competition part of the show is now open to mixed breed dogs as well as purebreds.  The traditional Westminster Dog Show begins this week February 10^th and 11^th, but on Saturday February 8th, the Show will host an Agility competition that is open to both purebred and mixed breed dogs.

Tune in to watch dogs every bit as beautiful and special as any purebred work through a timed obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave posts and other objects.  The Agility competition isn’t the pritzy part of the Westminster show, but I would argue that it’s the most exciting part.  You can bet I’ll be routing for a former shelter dog to rise up like Rocky Balboa and win this Agility competition!

I know there are a few folks with their noses up in the air over this, but personally I’m thrilled that Westminster has decided to include all dogs in Agility, the ultimate canine athlete’s test of skill, speed, determination and pure heart!  Any dog can be great, any dog can be a champion, if we give them the chance.

What do YOU think about The Westminster Dog Show opening up the Agility competition to all dogs that want to compete?  Let us know your thoughts by posting a comment.

My Furry Valentine

On Valentine’s Day, who better to spoil and show some love to than your devoted canine?  Here are some fun Valentine’s Day activities to share with Your Dog.

MAKE A JAR OF HEARTS FOR YOUR DOG

Take any kind of jar, and fill it with hart shaped treats or dog friendly cookies.  Decorate the jar with stickers or ribbon.  It’s a great way to say I Love You to your dog, or give as a Valentine to someone else’s dog.

You can find several kinds of heart shaped treats for your jar.  At Petco, you can pick & choose goodies from their treat bar.   They cost about $4.95 per pound and you get a lot of treats in a pound.  For Valentine’s Day they have pink, purple, or natural colored heart shaped treats.  The treats have Valentine messages on them such as “Hug Me”, Kiss Me”, “I Love You”, and “XOXO”.   I got this bag of treats for about 79 cents.

You can also find packaged heart shaped cookies and treats at pet stores, or better yet make your own if you have the time.  I found this bag of heart shaped Salmon flavored treats at the Dollar Store.  They are so cute, and my dogs went nuts over them – they love Salmon!     

Check out It’s The Dog’s Life for some really good dog friendly recipes.  The Saint Lover, as the author is called, has a recipe for Applesauce Peanut Butter Cut Outs in her K-9 Cookbook tab on the site. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!     http://itsthedogslife.com/treat-recipes/peanut-butter-applesauce-cut-outs/ . 

 

ADD SOME BLING TO A TIRED, PLAIN COLLAR OR LEASH.  

I got a plain black collar at the Dollar Store for a buck and jazzed it up with pink adhesive rhinestone strips from the craft store.  The strips peel & stick on and they stay on really well.  I added an inexpensive heart shaped charm with pink rhinestones I found at a pet store. 

 

Here’s Phoebe modeling the shiny new collar Mommy made for her!   

 



HOST A VALENTINE’S DAY YAPPY HOUR  for some of your dog’s favorite playmates. 

You can host a yappy hour in your own home, or check out local pet boarding facilities, wine bars or local hotels and restaurants to ask if they happen to be hosting one themselves (many host them regularly). 

Serve dog friendly cocktails, treats, and dog friendly (non dairy) ice cream.  You can whip up doggie “smoothies” made with cooked chicken or beef, fruit and plain yogurt mixed well in the blender.  You can add some banana, peanut butter or applesauce for more flavor.  Whatever concoction you come up with, make sure you use only dog friendly ingredients, nothing  that contains chocolate, onion, garlic, raisins or other ingredients that can be dangerous for dogs should be served.  My Canine Crudite Platter post (December, 2013) lists dog friendly foods you can serve.

Set up games for the dogs such as the shell game.  Hide treats under one of three plastic cups, each dog takes a turn sniffing to find it.   Place one or two interactive dog toys out, like the one in my What Will the New Year Bring For Your Dog? post (January, 2014), and let the dogs have fun figuring out how to find treats hidden within them.    Search online for a fun new trick and teach it to your canine guests.  These games can be lots of fun for the dogs and their owners.

At the end of your Valentine Yappy Hour give out treat bags,  Jars of Hearts, or bling collars you’ve made as party favors to each guest, or raffle them off as prizes for the best Valentine’s Day outfit.

JOIN A VALENTINE’S DAY CHARITY WALK OR RUN  with your dog, giving some love back to your community.  Search online for “Valentine’s Day Dog Walks or Runs” in your area.  If there aren’t any, get a bunch of friends together and  organize your own dog walk, or gather donations for a local animal welfare charity and deliver them together.

TREAT YOUR DOG TO A RELAXING MASSAGE at the end of a long Valentine’s Day.  Your dog will love this quality time spent with you, her ultimate Valentine!  Check out Modern Dog magazine’s article on how to massage your dog: http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-massage-your-dog/2028

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your Furry Valentine, however you decide to spend the day that celebrates love!

Forget the Super Bowl – Watch the Puppy Bowl instead!

If you’re not sufficiently excited about Super Bowl XLVIII this year, you can tune in to Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl X instead, where you can watch the live Puppy Bowl and Kitty half-time show during the Super Bowl.  You can even create your own Fantasy Puppy Bowl Team and track their play on www.animalplanet.com.  Pick your players from their draft list of puppy players.  Here are my Fantasy draft picks:

 

I chose Shyla a Great Pyrenees, for her strength and size, and I figured those soulfull eyes might distract the other players.  I chose Delachaise, a Pit Bull mix because, well who wouldn’t want a Pit Bull on their Puppy Bowl team!?  I chose Bach, a Bernese Mountain dog because he’s built like a linebacker.  This weekend, my husband will be watching the Super Bowl with his friends, drinking beer, eating junk food and no doubt making a mess while I relax with the Puppy Bowl in the bedroom.  Good luck to all the Pups in Puppy Bowl X, may the best puppies win!!  Really, who cares who wins, either way we all win; we get to watch puppies play all afternoon!

What Will the New Year Bring for Your Dog?

You’ve rung in the new year, declared your resolutions, and plunged head first into achieving them.  But what about your dog’s new years resolutions?  What do you hope to achieve for your dog this year?

A dog’s life should be consistent but certainly not stagnant.  Our dogs should keep learning and experiencing new things.  Here are a few doggie resolution ideas, some of which I’ve set for my own dogs Isis and Phoebe, that I hope will inspire you and your dog.

Substitute more healthy treats like carrots and sweet potatoes rather than buying expensive, packaged treats for your dog.  See my post on the Canine Crudite Platter for more examples of healthy treats dogs love.

Socialize your dog more often.  Get them out of the house not just for walks and hikes, but introduce them to dog friendly cafes, shopping malls, parks and events where they can meet & greet other humans as well as dogs.  When dogs stay in the house too much they can lose their socialization skills.  A well socialized dog is confident and a joy for everyone to be around.

Re-enforce basic obedience commands.  We shouldn’t just teach our dogs key obedience skills and call it a day.  Continual re-enforcement is critical for dogs to maintain reliable obedience skills.  I routinely practice all the basic commands with my dogs, as well as their emergency recall and other commands to ensure they still have them down.

Sign up for a dog agility class, offered by many dog training schools.  This is a great way for active dogs to sharpen obedience abilities, learn something exciting and challenging, and burn some energy.  Your dog will have a blast!  If he does really well you can enter agility competitions, which will earn you serious bragging rights and maybe some fun prizes too.

Learn a few new tricks.  Teaching your dog tricks is a great bonding activity for you and your dog, and is both physically and mentally stimulating.   Teach your dog some cool new tricks and impress family and friends when you show everyone how smart and talented she is!

Organize a dog walking group.  Connect with a few nice people with dogs that play well with yours at the dog park.  Invite them to get together for group walks at dog friendly parks, hiking trails, or beaches.   It’s great exercise for both the humans and the dogs and is a great way to socialize, share experiences and information, and make new friends.

Try out some interactive dog toys like this one to get your dogs mind working and give her a fun activity.  They can be a bit pricey but these interactive toys are more challenging and stimulating for your dog than a chew toy or ball.  You can find these at PetSmart, Petco, and online pet supply stores.  Isis learns pretty fast, but little Phoebe gets the hang of it soon enough.

 
If your dog has a calm, friendly disposition and loves people and other dogs, consider training him to be a therapy dog.  Therapy dogs bring comfort, smiles, and education to people in schools, nursing homes, libraries, hospitals and other places.  It’s a great way for you and your dog to help people in your community together.  If you think your dog may have what it takes to be a therapy dog, visit the Pet Partners web site to learn more about it at www.petpartners.org

Consider taking in a foster dog from a local animal shelter or rescue organization.  Not only does fostering save lives, but your dog may enjoy having a new playmate at home.  When I foster dogs in my home, Isis and Phoebe love having a new friend to join our walks and play with in the yard.   Contact an animal shelter or rescue organization in your area for information about fostering.

Learn Doga (doggie yoga).  OK, so maybe I should get the Yoga part right myself before I introduce my dogs to Doga!  If you enjoy yoga, search for yoga studios or instructors in your area or online that have added Doga classes to their repertoire.  It can be a good bonding and relaxation opportunity for you and your dog.  Check out www.Dogadog.com to learn more.  There are some interesting Doga YouTube videos as well.
Whatever goals you set for you and your dog this year, remember to have fun!

BLIZZARD 2014 - At Least Someone Enjoyed It

The Blizzard of January, 2014 was such an anticipated event, they even gave it a name; Hercules.  I don't recall blizzards being named before this one.  Here on Long Island, New York we got about a foot or more of snow which easily debilitated expressways and trains.  While us humans see it as wreaking havoc on commutes and roadways, resulting in hours of shoveling snow, I know a certain lively canine that was in her glory!  By the early morning hours Isis came to the sudden realization that a foot of snow had been dumped into her yard - yippee!!  For the next several hours she could hardly contain her excitement. We couldn't get her back inside all morning!

Galloping through waist high snow was such a thrill for Isis, especially since we spend a good part of the year in Phoenix, AZ where we certainly don't get any snow. 

She didn't mind standing in snow up to her belly one bit.














Whaddya mean it's time to go in - NO WAY!!