Fun Gifts for the Geek and his/her Dog

I recently found this super fun website that sells all things Geek.   More importantly, they even have items for the Dog Lover Geek!   And the prices are so low, these can be paw-some gag gifts for the dog lover geek who has everything.....check 'em out!

iBone Dog Toy  There are lots of things your dog wants. For starters, your dog wants steak. You don't need a fancy Japanese gadget to translate his barks to know that. Srsly. Here are a list of some other things your dog wants: a helmet with horns, sunscreen, health care reform, ice cream, a cure for cancer, a bus ticket, coq au vin, and most importantly, to catch treats at 1,000 frames per second. But what your dog really wants is the iBone. It's bigger than an iPhone and smaller than an iPad, which is the perfect size to be carried around in the jaws of your favorite hound. The squeaker is delightfully squeaky and it has embroidered buttons with the cream of the crop of canine apps from the iBone App Store. Apple fanboys, you know your collection isn't complete without an iBone for your dog.

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Control-a-Dog Remote Control  That's right! You want Fido to Sit, Stay, Speak, Drop It? Just point the remote at your dog, press the appropriate button, and hope for the best. It's powered by wishful thinking, so if your brain waves aren't very strong yet, you may have some issues initially. Don't worry, keep mashing the button and hoping and one day your dog will stop peeing in the living room.

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  Bowser Dog Beer & Pretzel Snacks Bowser Beer is a fun and healthy treat packaged in beer bottles so you can celebrate responsibly with your dogs. It's made of USDA beef or chicken and lovingly brewed with malt barley (for shiny coats) and glucosamine (for smooth-moving joints). Don't you wish people beer was this healthy? Dogs lap up Bowser Beer either straight from the bottle or as a tasty sauce on boring dry food. So next time you kick back with a few brews, don't forget your dog!

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 Humping USB Dog  Harley and Duke are naughty doggies. They won't eat out of their food bowls; they track mud all over the place; they are constantly burying our pens; and they have a peculiar naughtiness whenever they spy a free USB port. They...well...they sort of, kind of, um... "go to town," if you will. And they won't stop until you um...separate them from the source of their affections.

Woof!
~Lisa
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Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Pet

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 12 of The Loss of a Pet written by Dr. Wallace Sife, founder of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement website.  The APLB is a nonprofit association of volunteers who are trained or experienced in the tender subject of pet death. Its members are professional counselors as well as pet-loving people from all other walks of life. They are all concerned with helping pet lovers cope with this unique and very intimate kind of loss. Anyone interested in this subject is invited to visit with them at aplb.org. In addition to its many other free services the APLB holds four three-hour pet loss chatrooms, every week.


Children and Pet Loss

“There is only one smartest dog in the world, and every child has it.”

Bereavement in children too often has been trivialized or given inadequate attention. We are so involved with our own adult world of complexities and learned associations that we tend to lose some perspective on how and why children feel grief for a pet. We too often presume that it is advisable to shelter them from this “grown-up experience” which we find to be very upsetting. In nearly all applications, that is absolutely the wrong approach. If they are old enough to reason, then they sense very accurately when they are being left out of important discussions about things that concern them. The death of a child’s beloved pet matters a great deal in his or her young life. How this is handled now will remain with the child for the rest of his or her life.

The death of a family pet is often the first death experienced by a child.   Read the full article about children and pet loss here.  

Purchase Dr. Sife's book The Loss of a Pet


Woof!
~Lisa

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MORE GREAT BOOKS ABOUT PET BEREAVEMENT

               

Vacation Travel Tips: Traveling by Car with Your Dog

Summer Travel Plans?

If you're traveling by car for your vacation this summer, and plan to take your dog with you when you travel, there are several things you'll need to consider before em"bark"ing on your journey.

I've written an article filled with tips you'll want to know when traveling by car with your dog.

And before you go...Get Dog Travel Supplies at Great Prices – Up to 40% Off at PETCO.com!

DO YOU KNOW A DOG MOM?   Check out all the Dog Mom Apparel available at BarkTalk.com, the paw-fect gift for every dog mom!

Woof!
~Lisa
http://www.barktalk.com/

How To Raise a Friendly Dog

What has happened to “man’s best friend”? Why are there so many dog bites and family pets surrendered to shelters? It all comes down to socialization. Dogs are pack animals and need to live in a group. Our lives are becoming more isolated and many of our dogs spend their days home alone. So how do we mold a new puppy into an outgoing, confident dog?

The breed of dog you choose plays a large role in the dog’s natural personality. Some breeds are more inclined to physically protect their property. These breeds require much work on people socialization. Breeds that are prone to aggression towards other dogs and animals also have more problems around children. Be sure that they get a lot of exposure to pets and children. There is a natural dominant streak in some breeds. This causes the dog to take action for itself. With firm training, you can turn a dominant breed into a reliable pet. Of course, there are variations in personality in every breed, but you should plan ahead when purchasing dogs with strong inherited traits. Look for a pup that is neither overly confident nor shy. Shy pups are more likely to become fear biters and require more work at socialization. Pups that show signs of assertiveness at an early age, can become aggressive as they mature. They will need the most expert care and training.

Socialization begins the day the pup comes home. Pups bond to people between 4 and 12 weeks. If not given the opportunity to play with people and other dogs until after 12 weeks, many develop into poor learners, have a greater fear of people, animals, and noises, and are usually shyer and more anti-social. Get them used to a collar and leash and get them out of the house. Until your pup’s shots are complete, be cautious around local parks and strange dogs. Try to enlist friends with well-behaved children and dogs to help. Find pet stores and other public places to take your pup. Schoolyards, ball parks, and local playgrounds are great places to expose you pup to children. Encourage everyone you meet to pet your pup. Enroll in Puppy Obedience classes. Never stroke or soothe a pup that is frightened. This encourages that reaction. Your pet follows your lead. Always be happy and act excited at something new. Encourage them to follow you to investigate something they are unsure of. Try to make all new experiences positive.

Teaching your pup the basic commands does more than make a well-behaved pet. It teaches the pup to look to you for guidance and to trust your instincts. A well-socialized dog does not diminish its protection skills. On the contrary, it produces a more confident dog. It also helps to greatly reduce the incidents of bites to family, children, and guests. Socialization should be a top priority for the first six months, but needs to continue for the life of your dog. With careful planning and a little work, you can have a friendly dog you can trust in any situation.
This article was written by Doris Mow and is used with her permission. Doris is the moderator for Wildpaws Alaskan Malamute Discussion Forum, http://www.wildpaw.com/forum. She has worked as a Verterinary Technician, Dog Groomer, and Small Animal Nutritionist. Doris lives with two Alaskan Malamutes: Kodiak, 8 years old, recently retired from weightpulling after earning his Working Dog Superior title; and Wookie, 18 months, is just beginning his weight pulling career. Doris also operates an organic garden business, Mow's Garden, http://www.mowsgarden.com, which specializes in butterfly and songbird gardening.

New Puppy Announcements - A Growing Trend

A new addition to the family is a joyous occasion, even if that newest addition is of the 4-legged variety. In fact, many people consider their pets a member of the family. The joy most people feel when bringing a new puppy home is akin to the feeling of joy felt when bringing a new baby home….so it only makes sense to introduce your newest family member with new puppy announcements.


Sending new puppy announcements to friends and family is a growing trend. At BarkTalk.com, new puppy announcements are available in an assortment of styles and designs, from custom, personalized styles, to photo announcements, to fill-in-the-blank designs. As a company that specializes in new puppy announcements, BarkTalk.com will print your puppy’s photo directly onto the cards.

It’s most fun to include a photo of your puppy. Your newest addition is growing and changing so fast, and many of your family and friends live miles away and won’t have the opportunity to see him when he’s still tiny, so capturing a photo of your puppy when he’s still a tiny little bundle of snuggle is a wonderful way to share your joy. Plus, photo new puppy announcements make a terrific keepsake of the day your puppy joined your family.

If you’ve just adopted more than one puppy, customized new puppy announcements are your best bet because they can be tailored include the proper wording for more than one puppy. Another advantage to purchasing custom-designed new puppy announcement is the need to change wording from plural to singular. For example, if you’re a single person, you wouldn’t want your new puppy announcement to read: “Our family just got a lot furrier!” With the customized option, you can have the option to change the wording to “My family just got a lot furrier!” usually at no additional cost. If you have a child, you can include “sibling" names to your introduction.

As an added bonus, with the customized version, you can tell a little bit about your new puppy. For instance, you can state that he was rescued, or that he was a Katrina dog, or that he has incredible puppy breath, or that he loves to snuggle, or whatever particular habit or quirk you want to share.

New puppy announcements are a fun way to share your joy with family and friends. You’ll definitely want to consider sending some out when your new puppy arrives!

Adopting a new puppy is a thrilling and exciting time! Share your excitement by telling the world (or at least your family and friends) about your new addition to the family with our New Puppy Birth Announcements. Whether you've adopted a new puppy, or rescued a full-grown dog, we can custom-design the perfect announcements for you.

Woof!
~Lisa

Qualities of a Good Veterinarian

One of the most important duties as a pet owner is finding a veterinarian to see to the medical care of your dog. There are many veterinarians, with many different philosophies; the key is to determine what your priorities are regarding your dog's medical treatment, and then to find a veterinarian who respects and/or agrees with your priorities. This can be a difficult process!


While it would be ideal to find a veterinarian who is honest, punctual, easy to get along with, willing to accomodate you, loves your dog, has all the best, newest, and top-of-the-line diagnosing and treatment equipment, whose office is close to where you live, has reasonable prices, is available 24 hours a day, and has an incredible support staff that mirrors all of these great qualities, the reality is, you may have to choose from among the qualities that are most important to you, and then find a veterinarian who is the best match for you and your dog.

Once you've determined which traits and qualities in a veterinarian are important to you, the best place to start for a truly objective opinion is other patients. Talk to friends and ask about their veterinarians. Are they happy with the service they receive? Is their vet caring and considerate of their opinions, providing various medical treatment options? Or does he make choices for them, and simply tell them what to do? What is his/her philosophy on end of life issues? Will he/she do whatever it takes to save your pet, regardless of the expense? Or does s/he believe that diagnosing and treating an older dog is a waste of medical resources? What is YOUR opinion on this topic?

The answers to what is important to you are neither right or wrong. It is simply important that your veterinarian share these beliefs with you if you want to find the best possible care for your dog.

It is extremely important that you feel comfortable with the veterinarian you choose, so that you aren't intimidated and unlikely to ask important questions about the care of your dog.

Before deciding on a veterinarian, it's best to visit their facility and ask for a tour. Is the facility clean and well lighted? Is the staff friendly and accomodating?

Once you've narrowed down your selection, schedule a "new patient" appointment with the veterinarian so you'll have an opportunity to observe him/her actually interacting with your dog. Additionally, the vet will have the chance to meet your dog as a healthy, thriving pet, and would, therefore, have something to compare it to later, if you take your dog in because of a medical problem.

Similar to finding your own personal physician, finding a veterinarian involves lots of questions, but also "gut feelings." If you aren't comfortable, if you feel intimidated, if you don't like the way the facility looks or "feels," if the staff isn't friendly and accomdating, if any of these things triggers a "bad feeling" with you, it's best to trust that feeling and look for another veterinarian who more closely matches your beliefs and philosopies regarding the care and treatment of your best friend.

Woof!
~ Lisa

Visit http://www.barktalk.com/ for all your paw-ty needs!

Sale! Pink Ribbon Dog Collar Charms

Saturday Sale Day!






I'm clearing out my inventory of dog collar charms.    This beautiful pink ribbon charm measures 3/4" tall x 5/8" wide.  

Let your dog share in the support for the fight against breast cancer with this gorgeous silver dog collar charm.  Only $3.50 while supplies last!

And if you're in the market for Pink Ribbon items, you'll want to see all the great breast cancer awarenes items we carry at BarkTalk.com.

Barking for a Cure - Pink Ribbon Dog Tshirts:

Pink Ribbon Dog Collars:

Barking for a Cure - Pink Ribbon Dog Bandanas:

Woof!
~Lisa

Visit http://www.barktalk.com/ for all your dog paw-ty needs!