Seasonal

Make a howling cool dog pumpkin for your Halloween pawty this year. We had a friendly little competition among our employees to carve out the best puppy pumpkin. These are our entries. What do you think?

Let us know in the comments section below which one you think is the best (be sure to use a working email) and you could win a Halloween Pumpkin Hide-a-Toy from Kyjen for your dog. Winner will be chosen at random from all entries on (or about) noon EST on Friday, October 23, 2009.

If you would like to make your own dog jack-o-lantern head on over to bhg.com/dogsto download the templates. (Also available on BorisKitty.com’s Blog post Halloweenies Iz Fur Da Dawgs.)

Baseball is American as apple pie.  As the playoffs are now underway, celebrate America’s favorite pastime at www.DogToys.com with your pooch!  Get the glove out and have a catch with Fido with a Planet Dog Baseball It’s durable, bouncy, bouyant and minty. Made in the U.S.A. Recyclable, non-toxic and rinses clean. 3.25″ diameter Planet Dog’s Baseball is rated 5 out of 5 chompers.  And while the game is on, twist off the cap of Fido’s own beer.  Bowsers Beer is hops and alcohol free and is made with 100% American-made beef broth (made from real beef, not out of a can) and malt barley (good for their coats), and glucosamine for healthy joints.

As the weather is getting warmer, many homeowners are beginning to treat lawns and tend to flower gardens.  Many pet lovers are unaware of the potential dangers these simple tasks may pose to dogs and cats and need to take precautions when preparing to use chemicals. 

As you work outside be sure to take an extra moment or two to protect your pets:

“Generally, most lawn seed and mulch products are not associated with toxic problems in pets. Cacao bean mulch is perhaps the only product known to cause poisoning in dogs. This mulch is made from the hulls of cacao beans and when fresh, has a rich chocolate aroma associated with it. Some larger breed dogs have actually eaten several pounds of the mulch; more then enough to develop poisoning associated with the chocolate remnants, so overly eager dogs should be kept away from the mulch until the aroma has dissipated. Generally a heavy rainfall or thorough watering is all that is required.”

Spring is around the corner and with it is the mud that comes as the ground defrosts.  A person may wonder, “how do I keep my dog and house mud free,” during the ground thawing months of March and April.  DogToys.com would answer ”with a Bamboo Mud Magnet of course.”

This unique 2-in-1 design converts from a glove to a mitt to make cleaning your dog’s paws easier. Wipes paws clean without water. The mud magnet is made of super absorbent microfiber holding six times its weight in dirt and water.

It is quick drying too. Simply hang it by the loop to dry between uses. The mud magnet paw cleaner can be used multiple times before washing it. Can be machine washed and dried for easy clean up.

Use the mitt to clean larger surface areas and the glove for deep cleaning between toes.

The winter season can be quite boring at times for dogs that are couped up inside the house for the majority of the day.  Yes, it is too cold to be outside for a long hike unless your dog is properly attired, so how do we give our dog stimulation and exercise?  Play Hide and Seek.  If your dog is obedient, have him/her stay in one room and you hide in another.  Call him/her once and wait for them to find you.  Give tons of praise when you are found.  I started doing this with my Weimaraner when he was a puppy, hiding behind a chair, or behind an open door.  Gradually I hid in harder to find places like deep inside the closet or in the basement.  Either he sniffed me out or I made a sound and he heard me, but stimulation incurred no matter; exercise occured as he ran around the house looking for me.  This may not be the best way to exercise your dog, but hey, it’s the winter and we’re stuck inside, so let’s make the best of it.  Have some fun.

Are you having trouble getting your dog to go outside to do his business?  Despite being covered head to paw in fur, dogs do get cold in the winter!  You may not know, but a dogs under belly has much less hair and therefore needs to be protected against the cold.  Breeds with short coats, like Chihuahua’s, Greyhounds, Weimaraners and Whippets etc. will benefit from wearing a coat during a frigid stroll around the neighborhood.   

There are many styles to choose from chic to practical and materials that vary from fleece to knits.  Keep your dog warm during a romp in the snow!

Feburary can bring some of the most unpleasant winter weather to a great majority of the country in forms of sleet, snow and freezing rain.  Our four-legged best friends probably enjoy romping around in a fresh blanket of snow as it can be fun to dig in and run through.  However, snow may hide some dangers that could harm our furry friends.  It is important not to let dogs eat excessive amounts of snow as it could an cause an upset stomach or even hypothermia.  Also beware where dogs are playing.  Snow can easily hide dangerous chemicals, objects or even areas that could be unsafe. 

Winter can be a fun time, enjoy the beautiful scenery!