Archive for August, 2009

According to a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Bill Rafferty, co-author of Happy Dog: Caring for Your Dog’s Body, Mind, and Spirit, is educating pet owners on proper chewing and chew toy choices for their dogs. After the death of his Portuguese water dog Gabriel, Rafferty started crusading for toy safety by educating pet owners about how dogs think when they chew and what people can do to ensure that their dogs stay safe while having fun.

“Dogs don’t know that they can hurt themselves. They think they can swallow this, and ‘I’m going to be OK,’” Rafferty said.

Drawing from his experiences and using his knowledge of dogs and dog behavior, Rafferty advises dog owners to give their pets only toys that are designed for dogs – not something that looks cute or was in the bargain bin at the toy store. The key is to note that dog toys are specially designed to work with your dog’s teeth and gums. Traditional toys can often times have choking hazards like plastic eyes or decoration.

“You have to take into consideration how much of a chewer you dog is. If your dog loves to chew, then it’s not ideal to get the little stuffed toys with the button eyes and little ears that can be chewed and possibly swallowed,” he said.

Do your dog a favor and stick to approved dog toys that are meant just for your animal, like some of the dog chew toys from K9HealthSolutions.com.

We came across a wonderful dog blog, Polka Dot Pup Blog, and noticed they had a post highlighting August 26th as National Dog Day! Did you know about the day and celebrate it? We encourage you to re-celebrate it over the weekend with your favorite pooch, and let us know how much fun you had!

We’re all about blogs that help educate dog owners on dog health and happiness, and Polka Dot Pup certainly does both! The site has everything from dog-related iPhone apps that help keep your dog-walker or dog-sitter up to date with your dog’s important info, as well as ideas on environmentally-friendly pet products.

We’re happy to have come across the Polka Dot Pup Blog, written by the creative Becca Plummer and inspired by Vixen, her cute 4-year old Labrador Retriever! Take a look at the blog and the interesting posts!

Chewing is an important part of being a healthy and happy dog, but it’s important to develop smart and safe chewing habits in your pup from day one. By choosing the right dog toys and by taking the time to guide your dog on what’s right to chew and what’s not, you can be sure that both you and your pup will enjoy a much healthier – and happier – lifestyle. Here’s a few tips from K9HealthSolutions.com on how to develop the right kind of chewing habits in your pet by picking smart dog toys that can help them grow and develop their teeth and gums:

1.Because chewing is so vital to good dental health, be sure that you’re choosing dog toys that will allow for your dog to chew comfortably without risking damage to his teeth or gums.

2.Dental chews, like Greenies or Dental Kongs, can be a great choice for preventing plaque and tartar build up.

3.Choose dog toys and chew toys that can support the strength of your dog’s habits. If you have a power chewer, try a stronger dog toy, like a Kong Chew Toy. If you have a puppy with sensitive teeth and gums, then go with something softer, like the Puppy Kong.

4.Not all toys will be right for your dog, so don’t be afraid to try something new!

5.Make sure all chew toys or dog toys you choose don’t have any small parts or dangerous materials that could pose a choking hazard.

They’re scary, they’re loud, and they could be causing your dog to go crazy when those clouds roll in. Thunderstorms can be a tough thing to go through for your dog, especially if he’s particularly sensitive to sound. To help get him through these natural, but frightening, events, here are a few tips from K9HealthSolutions.com:

1.For very mild cases, good old-fashioned cotton balls can work to soften the sounds. However, be careful as to not stuff the cotton in too far or to hurt your dog.

2.Use a CD with storm recordings and play it every now and then for a few seconds to get your dog used to the sounds. Over time, increase how often you do it until your dog becomes conditioned.

3.Never scold and don’t coddle too much. Instead, stay close but act like everything is normal.

4.Turn on your TV or music to try to distract your dog from the outside sounds.

5.For severe cases, talk to your veterinarian about prescribing anti-anxiety drugs or similar.

Dogs, no matter where they are, make wonderful companions. They’re smart, funny, and have personalities that are worthy of applause – especially in the movies or on TV! If you’re a big fan of the silver or small screens, we want to hear about your favorite celebrity dog. Was it a pooch that just stole your heart or a pup that went on a great adventure? With so many stories, movies, and TV shows to choose from, it can be so hard to pick out which dog outshines the rest. Here are a few of our favorites:

Beethoven, the great Saint Bernard with a heart of gold, had us from the very first bark in his title film. This lumbering dog gave us so many laughs as he drank out of a fishbowl, left a special present in his master’s briefcase, and ate the turkey right from the table on Thanksgiving.

Want to inspire a bit of canine magic? Rent the Harry Potter series of movies to watch Fang, Hagrid’s pet dog, take part in the wizardly adventures. Though the film refers to Fang as a Boarhound, he’s actually played by several different Neapolitan Mastiffs.

Or if you love the classics, be sure to watch Dorothy and her dog, Toto in The Wizard of Oz. Played by Terry the Cairn Terrier, Toto was actually a she and received a great salary for working on the film! Her trainer received $125 per week for her role.

So let us know, what celebrity pooches make you laugh, cry, or bark with joy?

We love giving kudos to our favorite dog blogs and dog sites out there, especially our friends over at BigPawDesigns.com. The Big Paw Blog and their main site, Big Paw Designs, are full of interesting tidbits and cute dog products.

We love their Dog Collar Charms, they’re so pretty and help give your dog some style and personality! Know a dog lover in your life? You can gift them with one of Big Paw Design’s pretty charms, they’d look so cute on a bracelet or necklace! We love all of Big Paw’s great dog products and gifts, they’re so fun.

Their blog is filled with great dog news, dog health tips, and even some posts on our feline friends! Be sure to visit BigPawDesigns.com and the Big Paw Blog, you’ll love it!