How many times have we wished we could tell our dogs to pick up their toys? Well, that still might not work but there is a handy little item that let's us store them.
If you're like me at all your yard and house can look like a daycare by nightfall. I found this handy little storage bin that is shaped like a bone. You can put your dog's toys in it and what's neat is that you can leave the top on or off depending on your mood. Let's say company is coming and you've just picked up all the toys, put the top on until your friends or family leaves. If you're home and don't mind picking up later, take the top off and let your furry friend pick and choose his toys from the toy box.
The Bone Storage Bin is inexpensive and easy to clean. The ads also suggest that you can store biscuits since it's made of plastic therefore being food safe, leashes or other pet items in there. I personally store toys but I think it'd be a cute place to put their many leashes and extra collars in there as well. It comes in two sizes: the small bin is 9-1/2"H x 16"W x 8"D and the large bin is 13"H x 23.5"W x 11-1/4"D.
It's July. We are in the middle of the "dog days of summer". The days are long and hot. Week after week, we hear about heat waves crossing the country. Let's face it... it's not fun when it gets really hot. If we feel miserable, can you imagine how your dog must be feeling?
I found a great solution to keeping your best friend cool on those hot days. It's called the Chillybuddy. It's a light weight mesh jacket that when worn, will keep your dog cooler and reduce the effects of exposure to the sun.
The jacket has two layers. The first layer is made of woven synthetic with an aluminized finish that acts as a mirror and reflects the suns rays away from the dog. The second layer is a liner that is made of cotton mesh that can be made wet to aid in the cooling process.
To use the Chillybuddy, you simply dampen the jacket so that the whole thing is moist. When your dog wears it, he or she will feel significantly cooler. On the Chillybuddy website, there is a fact section about the Chillybuddy jacket that gives information about the temperature change that occurs when a dog wears the jacket.
If you have a light haired dog the Chillybuddy jacket will aid in reducing sunburn on your dog's skin. In addition, the jacket will help in protecting your dogs coat from sun bleaching.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Chillybuddy jacket is a must have during the summer months. We all love our dogs and want what's best for them to keep them healthy and safe. Be sure to go to the Chillybuddy website (www.chillybuddy.com) and see what other products are available for your dog for the winter months.
It is so hot out around here, and there is nothing better than a cold ice pop to cool things off. But what about a cool treat for your dog? Well, I found the coolest (literally!) treat around, and one that your dog will have fun eating. It’s called Ice Lick. You simply gather your dog’s favorite toys and treats. Freeze them into the bucket mold, insert the base in your lawn and let your hot dog chill out! (Toys and treats sold separately.)
Decision making has never been my strength. Just ask my husband, who patiently waits while I hem and haw over whether to order the Veggie Burger or Veggie Chili. So you can imagine how long the decision making process took when we decided to adopt a dog.
I like to do the research before making any life-altering decisions. So when we agreed to add a dog to our family, I had a mission.
In my quest for information, my dad recommended Cesar’s Way: The Natural Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by a dog expert named Cesar Milan. Little did I know that Cesar is a nationally recognized dog expert. I loved this book. It helped me understand that humanizing a dog actually harms the dog. I learned that dogs need rules, boundaries and limitations and that invoking these principles helps the dog become balanced. A balanced dog is a happy dog.
Cesar also asserts that dogs need exercise, discipline and affection [in that order] to be balanced.Key to Cesar’s approach is projecting a calm-assertive energy when interacting with your dog. Cesar defines a calm-assertive leader as relaxed, but confident. Cesar’s book really helped me prepare to be a pack leader and consequently Jax is a balanced, happy dog! I highly recommend this book to all dog parents. Get Cesar’s Way at Amazon.com for $11.16.
Picture this: on your day off you wake to a clear, bright sky. Your first thought: beach day. To confirm, you hop online and click the weather report. Sunny. Temperatures reaching up into the 90's.
Surely this is a confirmed beach day. If you don't go you'll sit around wishing you did.
You proceed to gather all of the beach necessities (shades, a good read, sun oil and block), step into your swimsuit, and head out.
But here is where you meet your first obstacle. [Your dog's name here] is parked in front of the door, blocking your exit to paradise with the my-owner-is-leaving-it's-the-end-of-the-world face. For many pet owners this look doesn't just indicate a guilty walk to the car. It means a urine soaked carpet, complaints of a shrill and unending bark, and quite possibly a destroyed couch. You now must decide which is more important: your tan or your living room.
Unfortunately, our pets don't speak English, so attempting to tell your dog that you'll "only be gone for the day," offers him or her absolutely no comfort. Your pet has watched you gather up stuff and move throughout the house, and has deduced that you are leaving, but has no idea as to when you will return home. This provokes anxiety which in turn leads to destructive behavior: the cushion-less couch is quite simply an expression of your dog's fear and stress.
So it seems as though, until either dogs learn to speak English or humans begin to bark, there is really no solution to this very big problem. Not so. A few savvy veterinarians developed a product called Comfort Zone® which, believe it or not, creates an atmosphere of safety and security for your pet.
Comfort Zone® is a plug-in air diffuser that lasts 30 days and covers up to 650 square feet. You simply plug in the room where your animal spends most of his or her time. Here's how it works: humans and animals alike both produce and react to pheromones. Through research, veterinarians have discovered that there are specific pheromones secreted by the parent animal to help their young cope with fear and stress. Comfort Zone® ingeniously mimics these pheromones to help your dog feel safe and invulnerable, which in turn works to control your pet's destructive impulses.
This product is also available as a spray that can be used inside a crate, on your dog’s collar, in the car etc. You can find Comfort Zone® at most pet stores. Be sure to print the coupon good for $10.00 off your next purchase.
I took my dog to puppy training class but I went unprepared. Everybody had their own personal drinking bottle for their puppy. Not me. I thought there would be water available in a bowl and all the dogs could drink from it. Silly me.
So the next week I went prepared with a semi-expensive small plastic bottle wrapped in red leather with a cute silver poodle-head charm hanging off the neck. When everyone whipped out their water bottles, so did I. Big mistake. My dog acted like I was trying to set his face on fire. I didn't know that dogs have to be trained to drink water out of a bottle. This is getting more and more complicated.
Last weekend, I was shopping in my favorite doggie boutique and I found the perfect solution: The Handi-Drink made by Guardian Gear. It's a water bottle made just for dogs that has it's own "bowl" attached. The "bowl" snaps down, the bottle is turned upside down and the tip is locked into a special socket. You then only have to squeeze as much or as little water as you like into the bowl part and hold it for your dog to take a drink. The flow valve will open and close automatically to control the quantity of water and prevent spillage.
When your pup is done drinking, the bowl snaps back into place so you can hook the bottle onto your belt and go on your merry way. I paid $8.99 for the bottle in the store. It's $9.99 on the from Amazon.com. It's a dollar difference but it's priceless if you can't find one in your area.It comes with a belt clip and a carrying strap so you can choose whether to clip it to your belt or carry it around your neck. This is the best doggie travel item I have in my collection to date and it was a very timely find. Oh, and my dog is happy that he doesn't have to be wary of flaming whiskers.
Ever since my dog was a wee pup, he's been addicted to Dingo rawhide chews. Say the word "Dingo" around him, and he'll start jumping in the air like kangaroo on a trampoline.
I am very particular about the rawhide I buy - in fact, Dingos are the only rawhide products I allow my dog to eat. Dingo "Meat in the Middle" products are made from natural rawhide wrapped around real meat, pork or chicken. They are high in protein and low in fat, and protect against tartar build up in teeth. They come in various sizes and shapes to suit every size breed. Axel, my wire-haired fox terrier, though quite a big chap for his breed standard, is partial to the mini Dingo bones (pictured right). Upon receiving one, he usually carries it excitedly around the house in his mouth looking for a suitable burial spot. Once the ideal location is found, he will proceed to bury it with diligent intent, usually in the couch, dirty washing basket or under my pillow. After anything from a few minutes to half an hour, he will invariably cave to temptation, unearth the precious treat, and spend at least half an hour chewing and devouring it. Keeping a terrier out of mischief for so protracted a period of time, is what I have come to rely on Dinogos for. They have never let me down.
A pack of seven Dingo minis will set you back about $3.50 - a good deal for such a quality treat. All Dingo products are on sale online at Petco from now until July 27. Also look for the minis in the Pet food aisle at Rite-Aid pharmacies where I usually find them at their cheapest.
