Hot Dog's Aren't The Only Dog At This Game

I have been a little MIA this week as I was down in Orange County cheering on the Angel's while they played my husband's favorite the Red Sox's.  It was a gorgeous day with great company, but sadly my Angel's lost.  In honor of the sport here is a fun little video of a cute dog, who was the "Iams Adoptable Pet of the Game" at a Northwest Arkansas Naturals game enjoying in her own special way.  Not only did she get adopted from this cute little stunt, but she helped get two other dogs adopted at the same time!  Go Mona!

Dog Poops on Field During Naturals Game @ Yahoo! Video

Have a great weekend!

No Backyard No Problem!

For those of you living without a backyard this is your answer to the problem of "I want a dog but I don't have a backyard." The Porch Potty is awesome and it has saved our lives! I discovered this years ago while looking through one of those Sky Mall catalogs on the plane and never forgot it. I always thought it was a great idea...but does it really work? Yes it does!

It is basically a shower tub with drainage groves and a patch of synthetic grass made from waterproof nylon strands and a durable latex backing so the grass will not retain moisture. From there you wash everything down with water regularly where it all flushes out a flexible hose and into a nearby drain or in an indoor catch basin if you choose to use it inside. You can buy it with a built in sprinkler system and timer or you can buy a watering can and wash it off yourself. I recommend doing this after every use. There are two sizes, large and small, and even training sod to help your pup get accustomed to it if they are not taking to the synthetic grass at first.

This product is fabulous!

Keep those nails trimmed!

I have quickly learned that although clipping your dog’s nails is not fun it is definitely necessary to keep up on. For me it was hard to really know where the quick was and then even harder to get Braddock to sit still. So I did my best, but that just wasn't good enough as I soon learned that long nails aren't just an eye sore but a health hazard. The first instance was when he ran across the street dragging a table behind him, oh boy! This little incident resulted in two broken toe nails…ouch. The second was when he began to pop up on the side of our bed to say hello. Once he was done, instead of pushing himself off he would slide down the side, one time resulting in his nail getting caught on the side board of our bed resulting in a pulled toe...bummer!  He has heeled from all of these ouches beautifully but I would like to avoid this from happening again.

I have tried the PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer but his nails are similar to Jim Carrey's in Dumb and Dumber so it takes a long time to produce any results. The standard nail clipper works the most efficiently but it was still hard to tell how far was too far. I then tried a little trick that has been very helpful, I use a flashlight! That's right, I shine a flashlight behind his nail and I can see the quick clearly! He still will only let me cut 2 or 3 at a time but at least it gets done.

So keep those pawdicures up and your pets feet happy :)

Little B's Birthday Gift

It's Braddock's 1st birthday week and I am so excited!  We had to get him a special gift (not that he isn't spoiled already) and we went with something that benefits not only him but us as well!  As you know he loves the water, but also as you know Bulldog's sink!  We are not about to deprive him of the joy of splashing around, but we would love to feel more comfortable with him around water...SO WE GOT HIM A FLOAT COAT!

Portage Float Coat™ from Ruffwear to be exact!  Now we can let him run in waves and splash around in the lake without concern.  We can even bring him on kayak and rafting trips and won't have to worry about him jumping off and sinking to the bottom.  I can't wait for the first time his feet leave the sand and he begins to doggy paddle.  It will be a proud day indeed :)

The Portage is a high-quality life jacket at an excellent value. Great for calm water activities, or for dogs who are less buoyant and/or new to the water.  One of the biggest advantages of a Ruff Wear Float Coat is the strategically placed PVC-free buoyancy cells that support dogs in a natural horizontal swimming position, allowing them to go farther, longer, with less fatigue.

Happy Birthday Braddock!

The Dog of Beers

Photo's by Will Seith

This week my dad and brother found themselves cheering on the Angel's at the All Star Baseball Game held at Angel's Stadium.  It was a fabulous affair filled with sports, food prepared by executive chefs from stadiums around the country, and stadium vendors who traveled from as far as Canada to be a part of the celebration, which ended in a gorgeous display of fireworks.  They sent me photos of their good time and these were so adorable I had to share.  Meet the Anheuser-Busch Dalmatian!

The Dalmatian atop of Anheuser-Busch's beer wagon has become an iconic staple to the brand. Alongside from the Clydesdale horses, the Dalmatian remains a fixture in public events and advertisements. Though the horse team was introduced in the 1930s, the Dalmatian made its first introduction in the 1950s. Historically, the Dalmatians were often used to be a watchdog over the beer wagon while making deliveries.

So cool!

Dog Day's of Summer

With outside activities abound I hope you are liberally and regularly applying sunscreen to protect yourself from the suns harmful rays, but are you also applying it to your dog?  You may not realize it but dogs can get sunburned just like we can, especially dogs with fair skin and white hair.  We found this out the hard way the last time we were up in Tahoe at high altitude on a sunny day. 

To prevent this from happening apply an all natural sunscreen to the areas of your dog that are most likely to get burned, these areas include the tips of the ears, bridge of the nose, groin area, inside of the legs and the underbelly.  I stress the use of natural sunscreen not just because it's good for the environment, but we are talking about dogs here and they love to lick everything.  You will avoid getting them sick by using an all natural sunscreen.  A great product for you and your pooch to use is Sun Putty which is approved by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) as report by Healthy Bitch Daily.

Sun Putty SPF 30 - A water and sweat resistant SPF 30 sunscreen that topped EWG’s coveted rundown of the safest sunscreens, Sun Putty is a 100-percent plant-based and biodegradable sunscreen. It protects skin from the day’s rays with nourishing, active ingredients like avocado oil, andiroba oil, cupuacu oil, turmeric, and mango butter. Reapply every two to three hours for optimal protection.

COMING SOON

Keep your eyes and ears peeled as this company will be coming out with Pet Putty, a 100% natural, effective, all-in-one insect repelling, SPF sunscreen 30, skincare and wound ointment for dogs and horses!

Dry Skin...Try Salmon Oil

Even though we feed Braddock kibble made of fish on a daily basis we were still noticing dry flakey skin on his back whenever we brushed him or gave him a good scratch.  Hoping there was something extra we could do to help him we visited our good friends at Pawtrero and they recommended this great product that has worked wonders!  No more flakey skin!

This product is plain and simple Wholistic Salmon Oil and it's so easy to use.  Just add a squirt or two depending on your dogs' size to their food and that's it!  We saw results in as a little as a month! 

From the cold, pure waters of the North Atlantic with the added benefit of Vitamin E this Salmon Oil is the finest quality human-grade, salmon oil from the body of fresh-caught salmon. Rich in EPA and DHA, it is the perfect combination of Omega-3's and Omega 6's that is naturally present in their freshly-harvested salmon straight from the cold waters of the North Atlantic! Don't be fooled by false advertising claims of "wild" salmon. Keeping salmon in contained farming areas in the sea does not qualify as "deep sea" and for certain, not "wild". Farm-raised salmon is subject to pollutants and contaminants and have made many people and dogs ill! It is a poor substitute for true deep-sea, wild salmon oil that is 33% more potent than farm-raised!

Will SF Ban the Sale of Pets?

Last night a law that was under consideration this week by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare to ban the sale of companion pets was tabled.  A companion pet includes everything but fish.  The goal of this law was to address the issue of people taking on pets before they are ready and as a result placing them in shelters.  It was also aimed to stop the support of puppy and kitten mills.  If this law were to go through it would be the first of its kind in the nation and would mean all San Francisco residents who want a pet would have to purchase them in another city, from a shelter or rescue group, or through a classified ad.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  On the one had I support the idea of minimizing the number of animals that are turned into shelters, and doing away with puppy and kitten mills all together, but I don't know about banning the sale of animals.  If the problem is that people have misconceptions about animals before they buy them than maybe there needs to be a responsibility on the pet store to ensure that the purchaser is aware of the animals' habits and capable of caring for it in the way that shelters do.  Or what about placing a ban on pet stores being able to purchase their animals from pet mills?  It will be interesting to see where this all goes.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Rafting on the Russian

When it gets hot I like to get wet and so does Little B.  A fun way to accomplish this is by rafting in Healdsburg on the Russian River with Russian River Adventures!  Enjoy a leisurely day on the water in a SOAR inflatable canoe with your pooch as this company is 100% dog friendly.  They boast that they put you on the most secluded section of the Russian River and never put in more than 40 canoes in a day, so overcrowding is not an issue.  There are plenty of fun swimming holes, rope swings, and some great turtle sightings!  When you are finished with your trip there is a return shuttle for your convenience :)

Remember to bring cool water for your dog to drink and a pet life jacket if your dog needs help swimming (like Braddock).  For extra savings become a Goldstar member and save 50% off the ticket price!  

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Unless you live in San Francisco it is Hot, Hot, HOT out there!  It's a great time to escape the heat of being inside and enjoy the great outdoors.  Your dog loves this too but you must be careful and take precautions to make sure they don't overheat.  Owners of dogs with short muzzles like Pugs and Bulldogs need to be especially careful as they are in the pool of dogs like puppies and older dogs that are at a greater risk of getting heat exhaustion.  Remember to always have cool water on hand for them to drink, a good idea is to bring frozen water at the start of your trip so it is still cold by the time they need a drink. 

If they start to show the signs of overheating immediately place them in cool water or get a few ice packs and put them on his/her neck.  The signs you are looking for are:

- Excessive panting
- Disorientation
- Obvious paleness or graying of the gums due to a lack of oxygen

It is a good idea to take your dog to the vet once they are stabilized to make sure they don't need additional care. 

Have fun and be safe!

Hair Hair Everywhere!

We had no idea what shedding was until Little B entered our lives and holy cow his hair is everywhere!  Not only that, but it's short, straight, coarse hair that gets into the fibers of everything and does not like to come out.  We didn't know what to do, the vacuum we had was not powerful enough and we really wanted to avoid buying one of the very cool but expensive Dyson Animal vacuums. 

So one day while at Bed, Bath, and Beyond we discovered this very cute, compact, and powerful Shark Navigator and we have been so thankful ever since.  It still boasts that it never loses suction, it's small and easy to carry, huge when you don't have a lot of storage space, and has a FABULOUS Power Nozzle with additional Turbo Power Brush that works like a charm!  The best part is it's half the price of comparable vacuums...woo hoo!  Don't forget to use one the many BBB 20% off coupons I'm sure you have lying around the house for even more savings :)

Organic Pumpkin Flax Treats on Etsy!

Our new Organic Pumpkin Flax Treats are available now on Etsy!  In each order you will receive a 5 oz bag of 100% Organic Pumpkin Flax Dog Treats. Wheat, corn, and soy free! The perfect heart shape for medium to large dogs or torn in half for small dogs.

Purchase multiples and save on shipping. Just contact me and let me know how many you want and I will make a custom listing for you. These can be kept fresh in the freezer beautifully!

Made with organic oat flour, organic brown rice flour, organic egg, organic safflower oil, organic pumpkin puree, organic molasses, organic flax seeds, organic cinnamon, organic ginger, and organic allspice each treat measures about 1 inch in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.

These soft vegetarian treats were inspired by the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay. When you open the bag you will be greeted with the pleasant aroma of pumpkin pie. Not only do these treats smell and taste delicious but with all of the pumpkin and flax seed they are very beneficial to your dogs’ digestive system.

These treats are made to order once payment has been received and will be shipped within 1 to 2 days in a freezer safe vacuum sealed bag and a bubble wrap envelope or box depending on order size. Since these are homemade there will be slight variation from treat to treat. Also, since they are baked without preservatives please place them in the refrigerator upon arrival, once opened place in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Happy Treating!

Happy 4th of July!

Is your pet celebrating the Red, White, and Blue? Want to see how other pets show off their patriotic best? Check out these Yankee Doodle dandies, the finalists from Martha Stewart's Patriotic Pets Contest to find out. 

Have a safe and happy 4th of July everyone!

Dog-Friendly Archives

For those of you who know me well you aren't surprised when I send another e-mail out requesting we go on one of the many fabulous excursions that Weekend Sherpa has recommended. If you aren't familiar with this site get familiar because it is awesome! They send out a free weekly e-mail newsletter giving you insiders' recommendations on the best outdoor pursuits exclusive to Northern CA. We are talking hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, etc... I have never had a bad experience with one of their suggestions!

Now it gets better as they just added a dog-friendly search so if you want to go on a hike with your Little B all you have to do is click on the link and you have tons of ideas to choose from! I LOVE IT! For example, it's 4th of July weekend and you feel like going to the beach...but where to go? How about Limantour Beach in Point Reyes? There are tons of trips to choose from!

So get out and explore!