(Piccola is 55 lbs)

Since I have had Piccola from the age of 2 months old, she has gone through numerous amounts of dog beds – all different types, sizes and fills. Like many dogs, she likes to bite and tear soft things. She also does that nesting-like behavior where she tries to fluff whatever she is laying on. All this said, did not leave many options for keeping dog beds intact for longer than a few days. I eventually gave up for awhile and just let her sleep on the love seat.

However, I recently moved and did not want to move the love seat just for her. So the search began again for a new dog bed. Since she had become used to having the arms on the loveseat for her to rest her head on, I tried to find a bolster bed. If any of you have looked for one of these before, you’ll know that they are not easy to find for large dogs and when you do, they are really expensive! Most of the ones I could find online were between $200-400 for large sized bolster beds.

I went into a PetSmart one day looking for a new collar and saw these Bed Loungers made by Kong that said they were both chew and tear resistant. They also have three zippered compartments (1 for each bolster and 1 for the middle section) so that the filling can be taken out and the cover can be washed. The filling is contained in zippered bags as well, which makes it super easy to take apart and put back together again. I have washed my covers twice now and they still look and feel the same before washing.

The only downside to these beds is that there is not enough filling so I improvised and rolled up small fleece blankets (1 for each bolster) and added a folded up blanket to the middle section. Once I did this, it was like a miniature couch and the girls both love laying on them! I have had them for a few months now and Piccola has attempted to both bite and scratch them without making a dent, so apparently they live up to their description.

(I listed how much both of my girls weigh to help with figuring out how large the beds would be compared to your dog’s sizes).

(Selene is 40 lbs)

They are being sold in PetSmart stores (and sometimes online) for $69 (you can look online like I did and find coupons to print out and use for them). KONG also makes different shapes of these chew resistant beds too if you don’t want/need the bolsters.

They are made from wonderfully cosy fleece and have a front pocket, very useful for warming up cold keyboard hands I find! Or for that added bit of warmth cosied up on the sofa, if like us you don’t have the luxury of an open fire. Some also like to use hot water bottles for puppies and elderly dogs, especially those in draughty corners, wrapped in a blanket these would be ideal for non-chewers! But I suspect you will want to keep it for yourself. I’ll certainly be taking mine to Spitalfields with me on Friday, along with a selection for sale on my stall. Now I wonder where I can beg some hot water from……..

Hand Warmer Hotties available in my EdwynUK Etsy shop.

ooh ya and he has two cats that he loves..this one is vino:)

We’ve had a bit of break from Spitalfields but will be back next week friday 1st February. In the meantime we’ve been testing some hand warming hot water bottle covers for you – something that has been on our do do list for a vey long time – but the cold snap served as a great motivator to finally get from paper to product! I will have those on the stall next Friday, and hope to have them listed soon in our EdwynUK Etsy shop.

So if you like us have had lots of lovely snow and have pictures of your dog enjoying themselves in it then do share them on our EdwynUK Facebook page. We’ve been terrible at promoting our neckerchief competition so all photo’s will be entered for that (we need more entires please!)

A deer tick. Nasty.

Just what we need, right? Another threat to the animal and human populations.

There’s supposedly a new “deer tick-borne disease in humans, with the viral-like illness sharing similarities both with Lyme disease and relapsing fever infections.” The article published on January 17th by Reuters and written by Zach Howard details a new disease carried by deer ticks.

The article, published in Huff Post Health News goes on to detail the symptoms and potential treatments of the disease. You can find the whole article here.

The article explains how to treat the new disease, but really doesn’t discuss prevention. So, I’m going to discuss that, just from a personal experience perspective.

When I was a kid we lived on the grounds of the Gowanda Psychiatric Hospital in the Gowanda/Collins, New York area. That’s about 45 minutes south of Buffalo, in case you’re interested. Not that that’s important, because the hospital isn’t there anymore. It’s now a prison. (Yes, I catch the irony. The whole town does — now.)

Anyway, there was a grass (in the mint family) that grew wild all over the grounds. It was called pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). For all I know it could still be there, growing wild. It had a delicious smell, especially after it was newly mown. Eventually it found itself covering almost all of the grounds. What I didn’t know at the time was that it’s a natural flea and tick repellant. What I did know was that my German Shepherd, Sturm, never had one single flea in his entire life. Not one. In 12 years. And ticks? Maybe one or two a season. Not like here in Tennessee where, on a five minute walk to the mail box, one is covered from head to toe with the disgusting little buggers. Ticks and Tennessee — made for each other.

Fragrant pennyroyal.

If you can get pennyroyal to grow in your yard (it’s not particularly heat tolerant, so it may not work for some of you in the South), you are well on your way to seeing your puppers flea and tick free. Not 100% of the ticks, I’m afraid, but your dogs will only have maybe one or two a year, if that. Dogs love to roll in the fragrant grass, so not only do they have less of a chance of picking up these nasty disease-born pests, but they will smell delicious themselves. You will thank me for it.

You can learn more about the plant here and here and of course on Wikipedia here. “Even though pennyroyal oil is extremely poisonous, people have relied on the fresh and dried herb for centuries. Early settlers in colonial Virginia used dried pennyroyal to eradicate pests.” Yup. Good old Wikipedia. How would we live without it?

And here is another helpful site on what’s good and bad for repelling ticks and other nasty critters that bug your pups and you.

Of course, you probably don’t want to go out in a field of pennyroyal and roll around with your dogs (although it might just be fun, and you too would smell delicious). But getting pennyroyal to take root in your yard or field will help keep the bugs off your pups, and by extension, you. And you won’t have to douse your animals in toxic sprays or dips or feed them toxic chemicals that do more harm than good.

In looking for healthy ways of protecting our pets, I stumbled across this site. It’s the NY State Department of Health ‘Health Advisory on Tick and Insect repellents.’ Also an informative read.

If you can get it to grow, try the pennyroyal. It’s a plant that sends out runners (which explains how it migrated throughout the hospital grounds), and it likes damper soils. Not soggy, but not arid either. See what happens. You might have to order the seeds or plants on-line, but one year we actually found starter plants at Lowes.

Did you know that pennyroyal is used by some professional dog groomers as a natural  herbal flea dip? Well, now you know. And good for them.

Give it a try. It gets a four paw stamp of approval from Sturmie.

So check them out: Pet ID For Me. There’s a coupon code there too, so cash in on that. I’ll be ordering one each for my 4 dogs.

Let me know what you think. And tell them you read about it here, on Write About Dogs.

(P.S. I want that German Shepherd puppy.)

Kooky is a husky – and a former sled dog – so this is his environment. I took him out one day and we found a massive fort that had been built in one of the nearby parks. He and I had great fun climbing all over it and exploring. When we strolled through the park he just had to run, bounding through the piles of white stuff.

Speaking of bounding, Juju is hilarious. She’s so short – our cat stands taller – that it doesn’t take much snow at all to bury her legs and face. But she loves to get off the sidewalk and fly over the snow in her little leaps and bounds, then bury her face in the soft powder and sniff around.

Personally, I’m torn between which season is my favourite. I like late spring and mild summers and most of the fall. I do love snow and winter, however – with all the holidays where we can curl up with warm drinks and comfort food. And each season also brings different joys when out with the dogs.

It seems an inappropriate time to write this as I look out the window and most of the snow has already melted. According to the weatherman, however, it’ll be back soon – we’ll see.

If it does come back, we’re prepared. Our first bout of snow taught us some lessons when it came to taking the dogs out and about in snowy weather.

We keep a towel outside our front door so we can dry off our two pups before they come bounding inside. We also take that time to wipe off their ‘invisible boots.’

This is a simple ‘roll on’ style, so you can just rub it directly on their foot from the bottle, much like using a deodorant.

We chose this all natural invisible boot we found at Sit! Stay! Dog Emporium (also where Juju gets groomed). These boots are to protect their feet from the harshness of winter – especially the human introduced harshness of salt.

Have you ever seen the condition of your shoes or winter boots every time you walk through a downtown or city environment in the winter? The ridiculous amounts of salt used wreak havoc on your foot wear.

Now imagine that on the soft pads of your dogs bare feet. It’ll be even worse.

Rubbing on a bit of this all natural invisible boot will help protect their feet. And even better? If they try to lick it, it won’t bother their systems due to its all natural contents. And let’s be realistic – if you go and put something on a dog’s f00t, they’ll probably try to lick it off.

That’s all Kooky needs when we go out, something to protect his paws. He has a thick coat that is made for these winter seasons. Juju, on the other hand, is small and with hair much like ours.

We recently got her long hair cut as it was matting and she was getting ice stuck in her fur on her tummy and legs whenever we walked her. But we decided it wasn’t enough as although she had a nice coat, it didn’t cover any of her more sensitive areas.

So now she has a pair of hoodies that keep her more protected and a set of booties that we are all getting use to.

Can’t help but find her so adorable in her get up, even if I never wanted to be one of those people who dressed up their dogs. She’s just so precious!

I think the dogs miss the snow, even though we are looking for new places to walk and giving them tons of new smells to discover. But when (if) it comes back, we will be ready!

My afternoon…no, my morning nap!

Bella received the Pets at Play Comfort Blanket, a plush leopard print blanket, soft and perfect for that morning, afternoon and evening nap.

Winnie votes for the Twistix Peanut Butter and Carob bone.

Thank to whoever put the carob in my peanut butter!

She thinks it is the perfect balance of flavor, a marriage made in dog heaven!   It is crunchy, yet so sweet and delicious.  ”It’s da’ bomb”, (just repeating what she said)!

They also would like to give a big shout out “thank you” to all!…and a little “hint hint” for birthday time!!!

It looks so easy

So yes, I bought one…at CVS.  Armed with my new tool that would make life so much easier for me and my dogs, I pulled out the gem the minute I walked in the door, eager to give it a whirl!  First step, grab paw..check!  Second step, turn on gadget…grrrrrrrrrrr…wait, the dog is not supposed to jump 10 feet in the air and run out of the room.  Let me try this again…ok, got paw, gadget on….grrrrrrrrr.  Same thing!  Third time is a charm right?  Maybe I should hold the dog this time.   Ok, got paw, got body held, gadget on….grrrrrrrr. This time, not only did my dog fly 10 feet in the air, but I did as well!  Not a success.

Now, the new hype is around the Shed Pal, www.shedpal.com, the latest and greatest dog grooming tool that vacuums your pet to reduce the shedding.  Excuse me for being a bit leery about this one, but if my dog could not stand the sound of the Pedi-Paws grinder, do you really think that I would be able to run a mini-vac down her coat?

Does he look happy?

Hmmmmm…something tells me that would be a big “NO WAY”.  I may be tempted to try, based on any positive reviews, and I mean real reviews (…not a smiling dog on TV).  I know where to get this one….Walgreen’s…$9.99.  What a bargain!

Beautiful Lexi in New Mexico, getting used to her new wheels. Thanks, Jerry West.

My boy Boris may soon be a candidate for one of Jerry’s wheelchairs and I never knew how to measure him. For those of you who need this information for your own pupper, here’s the link Jerry posted on how to measure your dog for a wheel chair.

He’s even got a number of videos on the site to help you figure out how to measure correctly.

This man is a genius and a saint all rolled into one. There should be more people like Jerry West out there. The world would certainly be a kinder place.

Thanks, Jerry, for the work you do.

Continuing the bed theme from last week: hands up who slumbers with their pets!?

I found this collage last week on an amazing blog Miles to Style.
It’s a fashion meets pooches venture, showcasing great designer products for both you and your Fido, as well as some cool, quirky internet finds. Be sure to browse through their Style Shots – I’d argue they are the best fashion + dog photos on the web!

Pet Products 4 you carries everything you will need for your pets. From dog toys, to pet carriers and cages, pet treats, bark collars, aquatic supplies, reptile products, cat toys, healthier pet for less with quality pet supplies, pet products and pet food, pet supplies, pet products, pet accessories, dog supplies, dog products, dog accessories, premium dog food, dog toys, cat food, cat accessories, cat toys, cat supplies, bird, bird food, fish, fish food, aquarium, reptile, reptile food, frontline, advantage, advantix, rabbit food, hamster food, guinea pig, discount pet supplies.

http://petproducts4you.com/

Dogs Now

” Doggiedocs is the online store to buy pet products, dog food, pet accessories. Online store for pet accessorids, pet, pet food, pet care. “

Because some articles are relevent to several topics they may be listed in more than onc topic. For a list of all articles listed alphabetically by title see the index page. How much is that doggy in the window. High energy dogs. Some dogs are charter members of the canine energy club.   Read more

” Doggiedocs is the online store to buy pet products, dog food, pet ccessories. Online purchase for dog food, dot medicine, dog accessories and pet products. “

Program teaches owners to communicate with deaf dogs. Early intervention is key to correcting dogs' bad behavior. Minority whip has one trusted Washington ally: his dog, Charlotte. Reduce your pet's stress when you relocate. One-of-a-kind program's goal is to educate potential dog trainers.   Read more

Luckily in the world of online shopping, we still have time to ship!

DJ Cat Scratching Pad – $35 – Uncommon Goods – www.uncommongoods.com

How hilarious is this?  I am a big fan of Uncommon Goods for one-of-a-kind gifts, but this has to be one of the best ones I’ve seen.  According to the site, this product “enables your furry homeslice to spin some phat, chillout beatz with hella catitute.”  I somehow think this entertains cat parents as much as their feline friends.

Lab Lovers Flannel Sheet Sets – $75-$90 -Plow & Hearth – www.plowhearth.com

A client of mine gave me a Plow & Hearth catalog…and my eye went right to these sheets.  How cute are they?  You don’t see too many dog themed sheets that aren’t overly juvenile.  While the pictures makes them seem overly “doggy”…just the neutral sheets (without the red comforter on top) would be the perfect way to show your lab love in a mature way.  Plus, that special dog (or maybe dogS) who are lucky enough to snuggle with you will appreciate the extra soft flannel!

I Heart ASPCA Dog Tee – $6.99 – ASPCA Store – www.aspcaonlinestore.com

All readers of this blog know how much I love and believe in adoptions from shelters.  Seeing as we found our newest addition, Amigo (for those of you who don’t know who Amigo is…click here) at the ASPCA, we love to shop in the their store.  On a recent visit to their site, I saw this shirt for ONLY $6.99.  They even have it in large (which as you big dog owners know, can be hard to find.)  What a great way to show your support and give support to such a great organization.

Dachshund Propaganda Coffee Mug – $15 – Cafe Press – www.cafepress.com   

I gave my mom this mugs a few Christmas ago…and she loved it!  I thought it was quirky and fun; it still makes me chuckle every time I see her drinking from it.  What can I say, we have always been dachshund lovers.  (P.S. If you haven’t shopped at Cafe Press, you should definitely check it out.  I can browse on there for hours.)

Small Santa Gift Tote – $45 – Harry Barker – www.harrybarker.com

Full disclosure – I LOVE Harry Barker.  I discovered this brand while a buyer for a specialty gift store in Chelsea, NYC…and I think they have such a clean, unique look.  (As a buyer, I was drawn to their packaging.  It is gorgeous.)  This gift tote is a great way to send love to a pet lover – especially if they are far away.  Not only does it include everything a pup could ever want from Santa (treats, toys, balls), it also comes backed in this awesome eco-tote.  (I wish I could recommend everything on their site! )

Classic Silver Food Storage Canisters ($52-$60) – Harry Barker

Classic Hemp Bone Toy ($8-$10) – Harry Barker

It’s important to make sure your pets are well-hydrated year round to keep them happy and healthy. In fact, our research shows that one of the best ways to improve your pet’s health is to get them to drink more water. The Drinkwell Platinum’s all new design utilizes the same patented free-falling stream of water as the Original Drinkwell which encourages pets to drink more. By using a 5-inch falling stream of water, the pet fountain continually aerates your pet’s water with healthful oxygen. A charcoal filter also removes bad tastes and odors, giving your pet the best, most appealing way to stay hydrated.

The Drinkwell Platinum is self-contained meaning it doesn’t need to connect to a water line, and can therefore be placed anywhere in your home. It’s made of high-impact plastic that holds over one gallon of water, as well as a ½ gallon reservoir. It also features a new snap-on lid to prevent accidental removal and a pre-filter to catch large particles before they reach the motor. The new submersible pump on the Platinum creates a nearly silent operation, and the adjustable control valve allows you to regulate water circulation for a water flow that works best for your pet.

Features:

• Innovative watering system features patented 5-inch free-falling water stream
• Holds 168 fluid ounces of water
• Keeps your pet off counters and out of sinks and toilets
• Includes reservoir, replaceable charcoal filter, snap-on lid, pre-filter, and submersible pump
• For use in the US only

Visit : http://www.doggiedocs.com

It’s important to make sure your pets are well-hydrated year round to keep them happy and healthy. In fact, our research shows that one of the best ways to improve your pet’s health is to get them to drink more water. The Drinkwell Platinum’s all new design utilizes the same patented free-falling stream of water as the Original Drinkwell which encourages pets to drink more. By using a 5-inch falling stream of water, the pet fountain continually aerates your pet’s water with healthful oxygen. A charcoal filter also removes bad tastes and odors, giving your pet the best, most appealing way to stay hydrated.

The Drinkwell Platinum is self-contained meaning it doesn’t need to connect to a water line, and can therefore be placed anywhere in your home. It’s made of high-impact plastic that holds over one gallon of water, as well as a ½ gallon reservoir. It also features a new snap-on lid to prevent accidental removal and a pre-filter to catch large particles before they reach the motor. The new submersible pump on the Platinum creates a nearly silent operation, and the adjustable control valve allows you to regulate water circulation for a water flow that works best for your pet.

Features:

• Innovative watering system features patented 5-inch free-falling water stream
• Holds 168 fluid ounces of water
• Keeps your pet off counters and out of sinks and toilets
• Includes reservoir, replaceable charcoal filter, snap-on lid, pre-filter, and submersible pump
• For use in the US only

Visit : http://www.doggiedocs.com

They look handsome in their new collars (with round edges to ward off fur loss) and red, bone-shaped tags. We’re quite pleased with the results of our trip.

Juliette is so elegant in her new leather collar and red bone-shaped doggy tag.

Handsome boy, Kooks!

Wanting to make sure Minette was treated equal, we got her a few things too… like a toy that is a solid ball of cat nip. She seemed to like that…

The big discussion was on leads. There was a product we were planning to buy so they could do some running even with the lack of fenced dog areas near us… But we decided that would be part of their Xmas present and therefore you will hear about it later. But when it came to walking leads, I told my partner right off the bat that I wanted the extendable kind.

The ones we got are great. We got a very durable brand, for starters. They extend to 16 ft long but have a great easy locking mechanism that is two buttons, both controllable with just a thumb. One is a brief lock, the other is permanent (until you release it). It also has a safety mechanism – it won’t unlock if the dog is pulling or starts to run.

A big one for Kooky, small one for Juju. They sort of match their new collars too!

The new leads are on, it’s time for a walk!

When we took them out for their first walk with new leads and collars, the first thing we appreciated was the long extension on the stairs. We live on the top floor of a three family home and there is a long curving oak staircase between us and the main front door. With their regular leather leads we risked being tugged down said stairs and the dogs were tripping over their feet. With the new expandable leads, they go all the way down the stairs ahead of us, but we can lock the leads short before they explore the cat smells of their furry basement neighbors. And before we step out the front door.

Normally we keep them at around the same length as their former leads – about five or six feet. The leads we bought have comfort handles and it’s great for control. Normally we have one in each hand but if we need to fit them both in one (for, say, picking up poo), then we can.

The next great wonder: the easy length control. We’ve only had Kooky and Juju for three weeks and have only recently started on their training, so they are not use to seeing other people or animals or the hubbub of downtown (they came from a closed community style condo area in a suburb). They get quite crazy, jumping and barking and Icluuk especially doing 180s in the air.

Now, when we see a dog (there are so many smells downtown it’s easy for us to notice first), we do our favorite new move. A gentle, but long pull backwards, quick release of the lock with our thumbs, quick forward swing of the arms followed by the thumbs re-locking the leads. From 5ft to 2 in one quick motion and suddenly two happy, hyper pups are at attention and in control.

Works great on road crossings too; heaven knows Kooky and Juju don’t know the dangers of a downtown road.

Their favorite part of the new leads? Hitting the park. Once there are no dogs, squirrels or children in site, the locks come off and they have a 16 foot diameter to run about and explore. It’s not quite the 40 ft we will be buying them this Xmas (like I said, article to come), but its pretty darn good.

Do you like that 16 feet you get, Kooks?

We just have to practice getting them to watch where they are going. First time out with me, Icluuk did a somersault over Juliette’s lead when he ran right into it. Silly goof. I loved the flailing as he tried to get back up followed by that typical “I’m good, I’m cool… I meant to do that!”

Juju and Kooky enjoying the space

Here’s a peek of some of the Christmas Decorations we’ll be selling at Spitalfields and The We Make London Christmas Fair at Battersea Arts Centre.
We’ve been busy making and listing our special edition Christmas tree decorations in our EdwynUK Etsy shop. We’ve got some great gold fabric, which along with the red velvet makes a great backing for the red and natural linen the dog faces are printed on. We’re listing the different dog breeds (and not forgetting the black cat!) as fast as we can, just get in touch if you want one that’s not listed yet.
So keep your eyes peeled…. it’ll soon be time to decorate the tree!

Yes, it’s that time of year when it’s time to get out the thermal boots, put and extra jumper on and get out the draught excluder… especially if you’re trying to beat the rise and rise of the heating bills!

To help you out here are some of our draught excluders introducing some florals and a lovely plum Irish linen. They are great if you’ve got a howling draught coming in under the door…. and if you need one a bit longer, or shorter I can make them to your specifications.

And if you think they’re too good for the floor, then I have it good authority they make a good sofa bolster!

You can find them here in my EdwynUK Etsy shop.