On Food, Diet and Exercise

Since we're in the pet industry we come across a lot of interesting (and not so interesting) stuff. Recently, we came across a story about variations in calorie labeling for 'low calorie' pet food. I don't have to worry about that, as I burn enough energy to keep me a healthy weight. (The easiest way to determine if your pet is over weight is the "rib test": Place you hands on your pet's rib cage with your thumbs on the back. If the ribs are easily felt, your pet is considered to be normal weight. Of course, if you have questions about your pet's weight, please consult your vet. ) Spacejam, our cat, may be a bit overweight so Laurie feeds her a reduced calorie food. (She may need to rethink this, based on the article we read.) Now, I'm not a food expert nor do I want to give pet nutritional information. I just want to share the story so you have better information!

Of course, diet alone doesn't contribute to your pet's weight. I've talked about easy ways to exercise your dog. Play, go for a long walk, etc. As they say, it your dog's fat you aren't getting enough exercise!

How Your Dog Can Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals

As 2009 ends and 2010 begins, so many resolutions are made (and quickly broken). If your resolution is to get fit in 2010, here are a couple of ways that owning a dog can help you keep from breaking your resolution.

1. Exercise: both you and your dog need it. Your dog wants it! Why not help your friend out. Walking is great exercise and simple to do. You don't need any special equipment (except good shoes) and you don't need a club membership to do it. There are also other ways to exercise with your dog. Why not go outside and toss a frisbee or her favorite toy. Go to the dog park and run around (both of you!) Or, if you're ready and your dog is ready, go for a run or bike ride. Just make sure you know if your dog can handle it. For example, I'm a boxer and have a short snout. Short snouted dogs like me (pugs, boston terriers, etc.) have a harder time breathing and can overheat. So, please know your dogs limitations.

2. Happiness and less stress: Being happy and stress free will help you keep your resolution. And owning a pet has been shown to relieve stress. Why wouldn't it. We're there when you need a friend, always willing to give you a "kiss" or just a wag of the tail to let you know we love you. And we don't care if you have taken a shower or made your bed! It's no wonder they call us man's best friend!

So grab the leash and get going!

Saying Goodbye to 2009 and Hello to 2010

Wow, another year has come and gone. I'm a year older and a year less puppylike (translate as I don't get in nearly as much trouble as I did a year ago!). It's been a fun year with many ups and downs but mostly ups. So, here are some of my favorite things:

For my collar and lead needs, nothing beats the stuff I wear from a tail we could wag and they have matching belts for you humans!

Some of my favorite toys are my katie's bumpers and my toys from canine genius. I also like to play with my chuck it!

I like the dog park a lot. I get to meet lots of other dogs and people! Maybe when it warms up a little more Joe and Laurie will take me again.

And, I'll eat just about anything they give me! Laurie's very careful to make sure I eat good stuff and not things that will hurt me. I don't get many people food scraps but that's ok. I know they're not real good for me.

We support our local pet stores. We try to buy local when we can.

And now onto 2010. Who knows what adventures (trouble) I'll have. But, I'm a dog and I'm ready for anything!

Happy New Year and wishing you all a prosperous 2010!

Love,

Stella

Why I Have Pet Insurance

No, this isn't an advertisement for pet insurance....I'm just glad (or my humans are) that they have pet insurance for me. Just last week I was playing outside, which is what dogs do, and I tore my nail; right down to the quick. Laurie cleaned me up nicely and didn't think about it until late in the day. Realizing that it was Friday and the vet would be closed for the weekend, she called to see if there was anything she should do to keep an eye on my foot. You know, infection, whatever. Well, the vet said I should come in because, being a dog and all, I would probably continue to get it dirty, and get all sorts of bad stuff in it. Plus, since it had bled they needed to see how badly it tore. So, in I went and $200+ later I was home...E-collar and all. (I hate that thing!) I had torn the quick so they had to clip my nail WAY back and cauterize it. The e-collar was to prevent me from pulling the bandage off and licking my foot. It didn't stop me at all! Thank goodness Laurie took the bandage off after 1 day (it got wet). And I never licked my foot/toe so she took the collar off early as well.

We don't know how much the insurance company will pay but they do cover "torn nail" (yes, it's an actually code on the insurance sheet!). So, even if they pay half it's well worth it. Who knows what trouble I'll get into next!

For those interested, our policy is with VPI.

New Product News

Hooray! martingale collars are here! These beautiful slip on collars are great for training. A quick tug reminds me when I'm doing something that I'm not supposed to be doing. I've been wearing one for several months and I can vouch that it's great. Plus, they're made with all the same good stuff that all a tail we could wag collars, leashes and belts are made with.

Here's the product lineup: sun valley holiday, starry day mango shine, harborside daybreak, at the beach catalina and foolish fish real red.




















They are 1" wide and come in sizes s - xl. To order, please call us directly as they're not yet available through our web (or ask you local pet store to bring them in!) Our number is 866.726.wags (9247). Hope you like them!

On Being Considerate

I just got back from a lovely walk through my neighborhood. I'm always on a leash because, well, if I weren't I'd probably find myself in all sorts of trouble. And because the neighborhood asks dog owners to walk their dogs on a leash or have one nearby. Most of the folks follow these rules. But tonight we encountered one of the truly inconsiderate ones...A dog without a leash. The owner just shrugged and announced she didn't have a leash. Thankfully the dog was relatively well behaved and decided not to come meet me. Now I know that some dogs do great off leash, but what if...What if he sees a squirrel across the street? What if she sees another dog down the block? What if there is a group of kids playing that sparks his attention. Chances are the dog will go running after one of these distractions, regardless of what you, the human says or does. What if running after one of these distractions puts her in the middle of a street, busy or not, only to get hit by a car? Or if he decides to "play" with the kids but his play ends up injury one of the children? Any of these things can happen. And the outcome may not be pleasant for anyone. So why not be responsible and keep your dog on its leash while talking a walk. There are lots of other opportunities for your pooch to be off leash, like your fenced backyard or the bark park. (and if you don't have a really cool leash yet, check out www.tailwags.com for a great selection of leashes!)

The other thing that really gets me (and my humans) is those people that don't pick up after their dogs. It's also a rule in our neighborhood (and most places). I guess some people think that common area means they don't have to be responsible or considerate. Not only do we see lots of stray poop on the common area but tonight we saw several piles right in the middle of the sidewalk. Yuck! So, in addition to being the right thing to do, here are some other reasons to pick up after your pooch:

1. Tapeworms

2. Roundworms

3. Cryptosporidium

4. Salmonellosis

5. Giardia

6. E. Coli

7. Parvovirus

8. The smell

9. Poo on shoes

10. The flies (which could bring with them: Shigellosis, Polio & Eye Diseases)

We all know that we dogs love to smell other dogs' stuff. Why risk getting another dog sick? And conversely, do you want your best friend encountering some other pup's poop? And if a human is unlucky enough to step in it watch out! I don't know of much else that makes humans as mad as stepping in dog poop. So, please be considerate AND responsibl. Remember your poop bag and pick up after your pooch!

Now I must rest because the day has ended and the walk did me in! Wags!

Dog Days

It's been kind of quiet around here. The dog days of summer are setting in. Boise can get really hot! We don't go outside much when it's near or above 100. Without much activity I go a bit goofy, particularly when new people come around. Today, Andrea came by. She's a great dog trainer. I really like her and she's helping Laurie work with me. It's a good thing I get to try all of the cool new stuff from a tail we could wag. Like the new martingale, or training, collars they are about to launch. They're a great way to let me know when I've done something wrong. A quick pull and I'm reminded but they don't hurt like zappers or choke chains with spikes. YIKES! I'm glad I don't have to wear one of those. I get to wear a beautiful collar from a tail we could wag. Here's a picture of me in the prototype of the martingale. This is sun valley holiday. The only change is that the blue web will be black. I heard Joe and Laurie say they're going to be available in a few weeks, so if you're interested check out the website at www.tailwags.com or call them at 866.726.9247.

Well, I've got bones to chew and grass to dig up. Maybe I'll go for a walk soon, even though it's really HOT!

Wags!