Does your dog think he’s a gerbil? Apparently GoPet thinks so! They are marketing an “exercise wheel” for dogs. I guess if you can’t come up with enough excuses for not taking your dog for a walk (it’s raining, it’s snowing, it’s too hot, it’s too cold, no time, he pulls, etc.) then they have the perfect solution for you.

There’s no way my dog would get into that thing!

It’s been scientifcally proven.

Hitting and other alpha-type “bad dog” training methods only make the dogs behavior problems worse.

See the abstract of the article from Applied Animal Behaviour Science. “…confrontational methods applied by dog owners before their pets were presented for a behavior consultation were associated with aggressive responses …”

So why do tv producers give tv shows to force-based and punishment-based “trainers”?

Do you want to hide the fact that you have a dog? Now you can put him in a planter!

Just when you thought you’ve seen it all Leifers.com has come out with The NeoClassic pet retreat home. It’s about the size of a walk-in closet so you’ll need a big house. And if your house is that big then your dog could get lost in it and you won’t have to hide him!

Yesterday I attended the Whisker Walk in Lancaster which is a fund raising event for area shelters. There were so many dogs of all shapes and sizes taking in all the sites and sounds! It was so nice to see all the dogs getting along so well and being so close to each other! On the other hand it was sobering (or just plain sad) to see so many – maybe 30-40% – still in prong/pinch collars and choke chains. Anyway, there were several very interesting businesses displaying their wares. One that really sticks out was a photographer who did 3-D images with a special camera he designed. I really felt I could reach out and touch the dog in the picture! It was a good time and I saw some familiar faces and met some new ones. Hope you get a chance to go next year.

According a paper called “Can People Distinguish Pate from Dog Food”, put out by the American Association of Wine Economists, humans cannot tell the difference. The human food was put in a food processor to look like dog food from a can and only 3 out of 18 people could identify it.

So, it seems like the conclusion of this story is that your dog is eating pretty good! Or to look at it another way: the next time you’re having a swanky party and want to impress your friends, buy the dog food and let them think it’s expensive pate!

Not just any poop bag -

Walk the Dog Pet Products offers biodegradable, flushable poop bags for the eco-consciencous. For the more descreet among us, they also have a Pet Poop Pouch (say that 10 times fast!) The little black pouch attaches to the leash or your belt. http://walkthedogmfg.com

If a little black bag is not your style, check out the Hugo Designer Dogwear Poop Bag Holders at poopbags.com. They are so adorable that we just had link to them! The baggies on this site are biodegradable or flushable, too.

Spring Cleaning – part 1

Bed Head brand has come out with Pet Head shampoos and conditioners, etc. just in time for that springtime bath. The bottles are in a variety of fun colors (not sure about the products in the bottles) and have fun names like “fur ball” and “life’s an itch”.

Healthy teeth and gums help a dog stay healthy. Skip the trip to the doggie dentist. PetzLife has come out with an all natural product that you can just spray on your dogs teeth — NOT an easy thing to do – I tried it. Maybe there’s a better way? If you have one, let me know.

Spring Cleaning – part 2

The snow has melted. Now’s that dreaded time of year where you head off into the backyard and clean up a winter’s worth of old soggy poop – swearing that next year will be different as you wade through the muck. Maybe it can be. Check out the Pet Poo Converter. Or look into getting artificial turf. K9 Grass, for example, makes a product specifically for dogs. It’s always green and never needs mowing.

If your dog is suffering from arthritis and meds aren’t doing the trick. There are several alternative methods to ease the pain and keep your dog moving. One method that worked great with one of my dogs was acupuncture. Today stem cells can be used as treatment as well. For about $2,500 (a wee bit more than acupuncture treatments) your vet can extract fat tissue from your dog and send it to a special facility near San Diego. They process it and send it back for your vet to inject into your dog. They make no promises but many dogs who have tried the treatment are responding well.

Couped up all winter. Time to spread our wings (or feet) and run. Fido wants to explore his world beyond the fence. So what happens when you let him free to run and taste the spring weather? Well for one thing he may have forgotten what a long distance “come” command is for. What to do? Here’s a suggestion that I’ve heard twice within the past year and think may have some merit. Kneel down with your head close to the ground and pretend to whisper to the ground. Or pretend to be injured and roll around on the ground. (Yeah, I know – gross.) But what if your dog actually returned to you? That’s basically what you called him for anyway. The reason this might work? IF you’re so vested in what’s on the ground, it must be pretty good and Fido will want to check it out too. What do you have to loose? Your dignity, perhaps? Really… that was gone when you started chasing your dog down the street!

We grew upthinking that graduate school is supposed to be serious but here is someone doing a research study on dogs yawning. Thought some of you  might be interested in taking part in this study. Sounds like fun!

Her name is Kristina N. Gage and she’s a Ph.D. Candidate at University at Albany, Department of Psychology:
I am currently in graduate school studying dog behavior. As part of
my research, I will be conducting a survey on yawning in dogs. The
more people we have respond to the survey, the more accurate our
results will be. I’d like to invite you all to fill out the survey
below – it should take 15 minutes or less. Please read the directions
carefully – I am asking everyone to review the survey and to observe
their dog’s behavior for several days to a week before answering any
questions. If you have any questions, please contact me at yawningsurvey@gmail.com. You may also feel free to forward this survey to others, including your clients. Thank you for your help!http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=GtdfvtipP_2fbRySozvMDPfA_3d_3d