More Tough Times

Singer Rob Thomas and wife Marisol have had a few tough years. The Grammy-winning singer and his wife have been battling Marisol's autoimmune disorder. During this time they adopted their dog Tyler, an abused 5-year-old terrier mutt. The couple adopted Tyler from Pets Alive, a no-kill shelter in upstate New York.

Sidewalk Angels Foundation established by Rob and Marisol Thomas, is a New York-based non-profit organization that works hand-in-hand with charities in and around America's big cities helping animals.

Sadly, Thomas recently posted this message on Atlantic Records website regarding his dog Tyler's declining health. Tyler has just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and has only months to live.

Thomas and his wife request that donations be made in honor of Tyler to PETS ALIVE , the no kill shelter where they adopted Tyler.

Our hearts go out the Thomas family.

How BDL hurts everyone

How BDL hurts everyone... click here to read this story about breed discrimination legislation that seems to have backfired on a certain Sioux City, IA councilman. Can you say Karma? A dog is an individual with its own personality. It should be judged on its temperament and not it's appearance.

Stock photo by Clay Myers, Best Friends’ photographer

Reminder - Don't leave your pooch in the car

With summer in full swing and temperatures rising, we wanted to remind everyone not to leave a pooch or any animal in the car. Give them plenty of water and watch for overheating. Have you ever heard of giving a dog a frozen meatball to cool them off in the summer? I haven't tried that. At any rate, cars get hot very quickly in the heat. Here is a heartbreaking story about dogs who perished recently after being left in a car. There is no excuse for this...


ARNOLD, Mo. -- An investigation continues following the deaths of seven St. Louis-area show dogs. Jefferson County authorities were called Tuesday to a home in Arnold. Sheriff Glenn Boyer says the 24-year-old custodian of the dogs had returned home from a show in Iowa and planned to put the dogs in kennels in the garage.

But because of the heat, she decided to leave the dogs in portable kennels in a van. She says she placed six electric fans in the van, left a door open, and left windows partially open.

The custodian says she checked on the dogs at 4:05 a.m. and they appeared fine. But when she checked again at 6:30 a.m. they were in distress. She drove the dogs to a veterinarian.
The cause of death has not been determined. The dogs had different owners. An eighth dog survived.

Dog beds have come a long way

Check out these fashionable dog beds at All Pet Furniture. Talk about doggie style!

Bessie & Barnie Dog Sofa in Versailles Fabric $189.99 with free shipping
(this one is my favorite!)

Bessie & Barnie Wild Animal Dog Bed $189.99 with free shipping

Bessie & Barnie Toile Dog Bed $189.99 with free shipping

Bowsers - Moderno Dog Bed, this one is custom made, you get to choose from over 20 available fabrics. Tres chic! This one runs $779.99 plus shipping.

Thanks Mable Cakes!

Mable Cakes blog brought this adorable toy to our attention recently! It's available at www.Just4Pooches.com

Recently her sweet dog Mable choked on a bone. She describes the procedure for the doggie Heimlich maneuver for dogs here on her blog.

We love the Mable Cakes blog and hope she doesn't mind that we are sharing her post with our followers and readers. I had never heard of this until she shared her frightening experience. We're really glad Mable is OK!

Thanks Mable Cakes!

Martha's Dogs are Blogging!

Did you know Martha Stewart's French Bulldogs have their own blog? It's true! The Daily Wag adventures with Francesca and Sharkey.

It's a fun lighthearted blog that gives you updates about what's going on in the world of Franny and Sharkey, as well as Martha and some of her other pets. You can also see Martha's pet resources which include everything from adoption to grooming and nutrition.

Ralph Lauren for the Pup

Designer dog gear! Ralph Lauren has a line just for pups...and there's a sale going on.



this pretty pink Polo and the one above both retail for $45 and are currently marked down to$27


this rugby hoodie retails for $60 and is currently $36

solid mesh polo shirt $35.00 marked down to $21

For these and other designer duds visit Ralph Lauren .com

3 Cheers for 3 Heros

Our last post talked about two dogs that helped find missing MO toddler, Joshua Childers. It turns out that not only did these two dogs help find the missing boy, but his own dog may have also been involved in keeping him alive by keeping him warm through part of the 52 hour ordeal.


“One of our initial concerns was how could a 35-pound child could stay alive in forty degree weather in the rain for two nights and three days,” said Steven Crawford, Childer’s doctor.

Reports are that Joshua has talked about being with a dog at night during the time that he was lost. The Childer's family dog, a Great Pyrenees, allegedly disappeared about the same time that Joshua talked about being with the dog.

If this is true, that would make not 2, but 3 dogs that helped to keep this little boy alive. This story just keeps getting better!

Rescue dogs help rescue missing MO boy

7 yr old "Bear" shown here with missing toddlers grandmother is the hero of the day!


Two dogs are being credited for helping to find missing 3 year old Missouri toddler, Joshua Childers. The toddler was found 52 hours after he wandered away from his family's home.

Searcher Donnie Halpin heard two dogs barking and noticed that the two dogs were sniffing around the ground. He decided to investigate. "I think the boy was laying there asleep," Halpin said. "I said, 'Hey, buddy,' and he just sat up. I said, 'You want to go home?' And he said, 'Yeah.' And I just reached down and picked him up and just put his arms around me and we hiked on down the mountain." Halpin said if he hadn't heard the dogs he would not have found the boy.

Debbie Graham later told reporters that her dogs Bear and Little Bill, are both shelter dogs who were rescued themselves. She noticed that her dogs had been missing from her property for a longer than usual period of time. She speculates that Bear and Little Bill may have been staying with the toddler in the woods to keep him warm. The weather conditions were cold and rainy and the boy was found wearing only a T-shirt and diaper but was said to be found in good condition.


Little Bill getting hugs from thankful Grandma after rescuing finding her missing grandson.

Kudos to Bear and Little Bill. We think they should get lots of biscuits and belly rubs for their good work!

Please don't feed the dogs!

photo of an overweight dog courtesy of ESPCA


Our vet informed us that our dogs are both 5 lbs. overweight. They get plenty of exercise, they eat the recommended portion of their low fat dog food and we give only low fat treats sparingly. So what gives? Why are our fur babies so chubby?



We did a little investigating and here's what we found.

Case 1 - the floor guys : we recently had hardwood floors installed in our home. We found out that the floor guys bought 2 boxes of treats (low quality, high fat) and fed them the dogs in one or two days. It would take us a month to get through two boxes that size. We also remember seeing the pool guy, the heating guy...you get the idea. Every worker that comes here seems to have a stash of doggie treats with them.





Case 2 - UPS & FED EX delivery guys: not only do the delivery guys feed the dogs treats when they deliver packages to us (almost daily) but they also stop by even when they don't have deliveries. We've seen it. I was shocked to see that they fed our dogs 5-6 large biscuits each which would be the equivalent of half their daily food allowance.


Case 3 - The Postal Carrier: feeds dogs treats daily (except on Sunday!) She throws them from her vehicle out on to our lawn as she passes by just to be nice.




Case 4 - The Neighbors : we've seen our neighbors treating the dogs to a snack every now and again on their daily walk.




Case 5 - The Stranger : recently someone asked permission to buy treats for our dogs so that they could visit with the dogs on their lunch break from work. The answer was no, but at least the person asked.


This is only what we have been able to find out with a little investigating. I can only imagine what goes on that we don't know about. Keep in mind that the dogs are contained in our yard. They are not roaming the streets looking for people with food. Are they hypnotists? Are they magical? How do they get people to give up all this food for them?



Overweight dogs run the risk of many different health issues including diabetes, respiratory problems, heart trouble, hip dysplasia and more. We are going out of our way to make sure they don't over eat to keep them healthy but I'm not sure it's working. We're going to have to come up with a plan to gingerly tell people that they cannot feed the dogs.

What's your policy on treating a dog without permission from the owner? Do you want someone giving your dog treats without your knowledge? Does your dog have a food allergy or are they overweight? Let us know your thoughts.

I'm sure that the people who are treating our dogs do so because they love animals and they are trying to be kind. I personally have a new outlook on treating other people's pets. I won't do it without permission. I hadn't considered the unintended consequences and the potential of literally killing a dog with kindness.

Personalized Dog Collars from Orvis

Orivs has quite a selection of dog items. This distinctive collar and leash of full-grain leather is permanently personalized using laser engraving. Both items can be engraved with your dog's name and phone number. In brown. USA. Collar even sizes: 10"-24". Priced from $29-$39
The reflective material is0 3M's Scotchlite™ ensures that your dog is visible at night up to a half-mile away. Durable side-release buckles. Not recommended for tying out your dog. In silver/blue, silver/black, silver/red. Personalize small and medium collars with up to 17 characters; large and x-large collars with up to 21 characters; lead with up to 21 characters. All personalization includes spaces. USA. Personalized for free. $29

This effective, safe, and humane collar gives you added control over your dog. Safer to use than a choke chain, Martingale collars are favored by professional dog show handlers because they offer much more control than standard buckle collars. Worn loosely, they tighten only up to a certain point to get the dog's attention and then stop—never choking. Not recommended for tying out your dog. In black, blaze orange, green, red, blue, light blue. Personalize small with up to 15 characters; medium and and large with up to 24 characters. All personalization includes spaces. USA $29

Pampered Dog Gifts for the new First Dog "Bo"

In case you haven't heard, the Obama family was given a Portuguese Water Dog by Senator Ted Kennedy over the weekend. While the Obama girls are elated, some Obama watchers are not. Seems that controversy is brewing over the fact that the President promised to adopt a dog from a shelter. In the grand scheme of things (pirates, war, failing economy etc.) , this might seem like a pretty small detail. While I'm sure his intention was to adopt a shelter dog, this is not always possible when you have a child with allergies. The president has agreed to donate money to the DC humane society. We're not getting in the middle of this debate, but we did do a little poking around the Internet to see what "Bo" the new First Dog might be receiving as a "welcome to the White House" gift. Here's what we found...

Maybe Bo will get his very own version of Air Force One, check out this plush airplane bed

that retails for $250. President Obama might like this one!

Looking for a bed that is super stylish but won't set you back $250, then the Royal Plush Slipper Dog Bed might just be the thing to send the First Family, and the girls are sure to love it and it retails for $62

If a dog bed isn't your idea of a welcome gift, then try this New Dog Gift Basket which retails for $89.95 and includes 3-Tiers of puppy training super-asorbent pads and puppy care necessities. With 70 training pads and enough treats to last you over 3 months, it's the perfect gift for the new puppy parent. A helpful gift for the adult doggie parent who has trained their dog to use pads to go indoors. I personally don't want to think about a dog going wee wee in the Whitehouse!

All of these great gifts are available at Pampered Dog Gifts

Red Dingo Dog Tag Contest Winners

Here are the three winners of the the Red Dingo Dog Tag contest!

Mable Cakes
Pickles on Pizza
Post Smith



Click on their links and stop by their blogs, they are all a great read!


Thank you all and we'll be announcing a new giveaway soon!

Doody Calls

Far from Fertilizer
Woof-woof waste does not a good fertilizer make. It is actually toxic to your lawn, causing burns and unsightly discoloring

Leave the Poop-Scooping to the Pros, DoodyCalls is the nation's trusted leader in pet waste removal services for homeowners and communities. Doody is their duty, and they take our job seriously—with all their services 100% guaranteed. Their friendly, professional technicians pick up where your dog left off, so you don't have to.

My neighbor and I often laugh about how many bags we pick up after a week of our dogs running around free, leaving presents for us all over the lawn. Last Saturday was a 3 bag day. That's a lot of puppy poop. I wish Doodycalls was available in our neighborhood. I could really use the help!

Rock Star Pooch

This Plush Dog Robe from Rock Star Pooch is for the dog who has everything!

The ultra-absorbent dog robe isn’t like other dog robes you’ve seen (have you seen any?) (I haven't!) – it is an elegant human-style robe, made to fit your best friend. The legs are attached with Velcro making it easy to put on and take off. The waist tie keeps the robe on the dog, not on the floor. Put it on after bath-time, keeping your dog and your house dry.

Price ranges from $45 - $80 depending on the size

X-Small (10 inches) – 5-10 lbs.(Fits most toy breeds - Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, etc.)
Small (14 inches) – 11-30 lbs.(Fits most small breeds - Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Pug, etc.)
Medium (20 inches) – 31-60 lbs.(Fits most medium breeds – Basset Hound, Dalmatian, Boxer, etc.)
Large (26 inches) – 61-100 lbs.(Fits most large breeds - German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever,Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, etc.)

Lively Licks, celebs help you shop for a good cause

Here's a really interesting celebrity dog blog that I wanted to share with you. It's called Lively Licks and it's hosted by Glenn Close.

It includes interviews with celebrity pet owners like Kevin Bacon, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray as well as many other celebs.

The blog also has a shopping feature called Charitable Shops .

Each celeb that Glenn interviews gives their pick of pet items that they recommend. A percentage of the proceeds of all purchases are donated to select dog charities. Each celeb has their own page.

The "retro baker" cupcake dog collar and leash available in pink and blue are two of Martha's picks

This veterinarian tested and recommended dog bowl is also one of Martha's picks. It encourages slower eating, making your dog feel more full. Helps reduce instances of re-eating and the risk of GDV, commonly known as bloat. Works with kibble or canned food. It's tip resistant and dishwasher safe.

The Lively Licks blog has some interesting interviews as well as helpful dog tips and health related articles. It's part of Fetchdog and also includes an adoption center and a resource library.
Check it out!

Unique Dog Gear!

Oh My Dog Supplies on line dog store

Oh My Dog Supplies appears to have the market cornered on unique dog gear. Launched in March of 2006, Oh My Dog Supplies was created specifically for the dog owner who wants cool stuff for their pet. Dog owners who don't want to buy the generic, shoddy dog gear that the mega-stores try to shove down their throats. Oh My Dog Supplies is so committed to only providing truly unique dog stuff, that they provide a "100% Uniqueness Guarantee" which states that if you buy something here, and you later see it being sold at Petco, PetSmart, or Wal-Mart, you'll get your money back plus an extra $100!

You can take the chill out of the air in your dog's carrier (see photo above) with these Sherpa inspired dog carriers! Warm and cozy lined bags with extra long shoulder straps for your comfort and an extra zippered pocket for treats or ID. Soft Faux suede exterior with self-locking zippers and an interior safety clip keep your pet safe and secure while the machine-washable Berber mat helps keep your pet's house away from home clean and cozy!
Choose from blue, pink or sand

The Sherpa Dog Carrier is available in two sizes - Teacup for dogs up to 4lbs and Small for dogs up to 11lbs. Roll up ends allows for maximum ventilation! Berber interior mat is removable and fully machine washable; spot clean exterior with a damp cloth and mild detergent $49.95

While you're at it, here are some matching accessories. Talk about matchy matchy! You have to love it.

Practical meets party girl in the Powder Puff Jacket! The warm, cozy jacket features a blingy studded bone design on the back and faux fur around the hood and cuffs. The faux suede is durable and will look new for years to come! Warm and comfortable yet classy and sassy, the Powder Puff Jacket is a wonderful choice for the girlie girl in your life, although it does come in blue as well... this little number is currently on sale for $18.65

How about a matching Bonded Sherpa Collar for under $9


and what about the matching Sherpa Leash? $16.95

You must check out this store! Oh My Dog Supplies

Home Again Pet Recovery

What is HomeAgain?
HomeAgain a lost pet recovery service dedicated to the safety and well-being of your pet. A microchip with a unique ID number is injected between the shoulder blades of your pet by a veterinarian. Once your pet is micro chipped, you enroll your pet's microchip ID, description, and photo, along with your contact information, in the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database. This is critical to reuniting you immediately with your lost pet once he is found. Pets with any brand of microchip can be enrolled in the HomeAgain program. The chip does not need to be from HomeAgain.

Most vets and shelters around the country have microchip scanners. Vets and shelters routinely scan dogs when they are brought in to see if they have a microchip. Recently our vet reported that a full grown adult dog was brought in by someone for a first time check up. The dog was an obvious pure bred. It was well trained and did not look like a stray. The "new" owner stated he recently adopted this adult dog from a local shelter. The vet was suspicious of the story and scanned the dog for a microchip. The dog's HomeAgain profile came up with an alert to hold the dog because it was reported as stolen. The dog was held at the vet's office until the police were notified and the dog was safely returned to it's owner.

The vet stated that even if the "new" owner's story hadn't been suspicious, the outcome would have been the same. This vet scans each dog that comes in to see if they are micro chipped and to check their status as part of their routine practice.

If you plan to use this system, here are some important tips:

1) REGISTER the pet after the chip has been implanted. This means going on line and entering all the information about the dog.

2) UPDATE your contact information online if you move, this is very important

3) REPORT your dog immediately if it is lost or stolen. The sooner you report this, the more likely you are to get your dog back

4) CONSIDER using your cell phone number for your contact information. This is helpful if your pet is lost while you are on vacation or away from home. Listing your home phone number may cause a delay in getting your pet back if you are not there answer the phone when the important call comes in.

5) UPLOAD a current photo of your dog. When a dog is lost, an alert is emailed to everyone participating in this program located within a certain radius of your address. I can't tell you how many emails I get that have this generic image rather than a photo of the missing dog.
This generic image is not the least bit helpful to people who may have seen your lost pet and want to help you. Please remember to put a photo in your pet's profile.

What's the cost for a microchip? About $45 for the installation and $15 per year for the membership. Rates subject to change.

Does it hurt? Well, I would have to say maybe a little. My dogs were both micro chipped when they were puppies. They reacted the same way they do when they get a routine shot during a check up. One was oblivious and one yelped. No tears...from the puppies anyway. It took no longer than a normal shot would take.

Even if you don't want to microchip your pet, you can sign up to be a pet rescuer and you will receive notification of lost pets in your area. Visit this page to sign up, there is no cost.

Visit the HOMEAGAIN site for more info on their pet recovery system.

Puppy Play Dates

This adorable Shitzu, Leo, is displaying the classic "play stance".
It's an invitation for fun!

If you have a puppy, socialization with other dogs is something you should encourage. Puppies that are not well-socialized often have problems with aggression or manners later in life. A dog that has not been socialized can be uncomfortable with the world they live in and find it hard to cope with change. For most of the dogs, this can be avoided with some puppy play dates.

puppies need to be exposed to all sorts of people, even babies

Your puppy learns about socializing whenever she is awake. A secure and happy puppy is one that is socialized with other puppies, dogs and humans. Puppies should be allowed to experience the world around them. Start when they are young!

Things that they experience as a puppy will stick with them forever. Sources differ, but many say that the primary socialization period is up until 12 weeks . From 12-16 weeks, they are learning as well, but not as quickly as they did up to 12 weeks. Every new experience for your puppy should be positive — accompanied by treats, praise, and fun. Up until 6 months, you should only have your puppy in situations that you can control. That means an off leash dog park is not a good choice until puppy is a older. Check with your vet for clearance on taking puppy to a dog park.

mature dogs can help teach your puppy good manners

You don't have to stick with the small dogs or other young puppies for socialization, try out larger mature dogs too. They can be very helpful in setting the tone and teaching good manners to your pup. Just stay close to make sure your puppy is having fun.

Puppies learn bite tolerance from wrestling and playing with other dogs. When you hear a "yelp!" that's usually one puppy telling the other that his bite was too hard. Typically the yelping dog will walk away from the game. This ends the fun for the offending nipper and he soon get the message that his bite was too hard.


this puppy teether is available at Dogtoys.com

Never let a puppy teethe on you. Redirect that behaviour to a chew toy like the one shown above. If your puppy nips you when your playing with him, yelp and walk away. It sounds silly, but that's what dogs do to get their point across at that age. Ending the fun is punishment enough for a young pup. Remember, dogs don't ever spank each other when they misbehave and they won't understand if you try it. Spankings are not recommended for puppies or dogs.