Indoor “Potty Patch” Alternatives for Dogs

OK, I’ll be the first to admit I never even thought about teaching my dog to use the bathroom indoors.  Of course, I live in the ‘burbs and can easily let my dogs in and out pretty regularly.  So, when I wrote the first blog post on the PottyPatch, I thought it was a rather unique product.  That post has turned into our top attraction, drawing more visitors than any other.  And apparently, that interest is not unique to doggies.com.  A simple Google search of “indoor dog potty” returned 7.9 million results!

Since I know by the wealth of page views and comments we have gotten about these devices that this is a topic near and dear to many of you, I encourage you to go read the article I just researched and wrote for our dog den about indoor dog potties.  The article reviews 10 of the PottyPatch’s competitors, hopefully helping you to sort out the pros and cons of each.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what your experience has been.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Is your dog a rebel without a cause? (Or even with one?)

A new product from Pet Science Labs allows you and your dog to make a statement! Using non-toxic paints in a variety of colors, you simply apply the paint to the soft foam rubber stamp and press it against your dog’s coat. When it starts to fade, or if your dog needs to go to a job interview, simply wipe off the paint with a wet paper towel. Be sure to use light-colored paint on dark-colored dogs, and vice versa.

Please note: this is not a permanent tattoo you can use to ID your dog in the event of theft. This is simply a fun way to allow your dog to express himself at the dog park.

Available stamps include “Say it to the Paw” and “Drama Queen” (perfect for my Beagle). If you’re dog’s a bit on the wild side, you might like “Devil Dog” or “Bad Ass”. How about “Will Work for Food” (shaped like a chicken wing) or “I [heart] New York”? And if you have a breed that is in danger of being banned in your municipality, you may like “Punish the Deed, Not the Breed”.

Each stamp currently sells for $6 and comes with a 3-color paint pot and paint brush. They will also custom-make a stamp for you, if your dog has something unique to say for a special event. Sounds like fun! If you’ve tried them, let us know what you think.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Ripples Dog Treats

I received a sample of Ripples Dog Treats last week, and I have to say, my dogs LOVED them! They are sold on the Web site of the Good Pet Stuff Company, where they also have cool stuff like harnesses and seatbelts to keep your dog safe in the car.

What I liked about the treat is that it takes the dog a bit longer to eat than most treats I give my dogs. I felt like they got at least a little bit of enjoyment out of the experience rather than just wolfing down some worthless calories.

According to the manufacturer, the advantage of Ripples is a “unique soft – but firm – texture that is the result of being fully cooked and extruded like dog food, rather than injection molded like old-fashioned chew treats.” They are billed as being easily digestible and shaped to avoid choking and digestive tract blockage.

Low in fat, high in protein, and made from American-made ingredients, Ripples actually have spinach (making your dog “strong to the finish”????) to give your dog extra chlorophyll, vitamins, and amino acids. They come in three sizes and two flavors (chicken or mint) for any dog over 5 pounds and older than 6 months.

The grooves and ridges work their way between your dog’s teeth and massage his gums to help control plaque and tartar. I haven’t bought a large supply, so I can’t vouch for the long-term benefits, but my dogs sure did like them, and I thought they looked like a good idea.

You can apparently buy them in any pet store or on the Good Pet Stuff Web site.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Traveling with Your Pet

Ever wish you could take your dog with you on vacation, but since you were flying, decided to leave him at the kennel?  Have you ever been transferred and had to figure out how to get your dog to your new home?  The moving van certainly isn’t going to take him.  Enter PetAirways, an idea whose time has definitely come.

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Tuesday’s Top Ten: Forum Posts

For those of you who haven’t yet gotten involved in our forums, I wanted to let you know some of the topics that are getting some attention.  As you know, we are just starting out with our forums, so we’d love for you to stop by, introduce yourself, and make some contributions to the community!

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Removing Dog Hair from Upholstery

I saw this commercial on the Westminster Dog Show, and it looks like a really neat way to remove dog hair from furniture.  Has anyone tried it?  There were two different brands shown, but I only caught the name of one of them – the Fur Fighter from Scotch Brands. 

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New Features on Doggies.com

Doggies.com has launched an exciting new feature: a searchable directory where dog-related businesses can post information, pictures, and contact information for FREE.   Each business receives a free web page including text and up to six pictures.  Quick links on each listing lead you to the business’ email and web site if they have one, and to an interactive map so you can easily find the business.  You can search by zip code in categories such as veterinarians, groomers, boarding kennels, dog sitters, and trainers.

 

If you own a dog-related business, be sure to sign up your business for your free web page now!

 

A companion feature, community forums, is also newly available.  In this section, you can ask questions and socialize with other dog lovers.  Some forums are specific to a particular breed, while others focus on support after the death of a beloved pet, lost and found dogs, behavior and training, and dog photos.  This feature is also free to join and free to use.

 

What are you waiting for?  Click over to the directory or community forums today!

 

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

GPS tracking for your dog

The Dog Lady is back! Did you miss me? I’ve spent the last 3 days searching for my two runaways – the police brought them home this morning. I’m definitely getting a gps system this weekend, since I can’t convince my kids that the doors need to stay shut.

Keep checking in doggies.com’s dog den for an upcoming article on gps systems for lost dogs. After doing the research for the article, I’ve decided to go with the RoamEO system. It’s more expensive than some of the systems, but I’m not into paying a monthly fee, and I like the fact that I can track up to 3 dogs with one receiver.

I’ll let you know how it works the next time my dogs escape.

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!

Robot cleans up dog hair

There’s a new robot on the market, designed specifically to clean up pet hair.  A new level of housekeeping technology, or is it “for the dogs”?

iRobot Corporation, the makers of the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, have just introduced the Roomba Pet vacuuming robot. It’s designed to pick up hair and other stuff left behind by pets, with a large sweeper bin to hold lots of Fido-fur and special cleaning tools to clean hair and dander from the brushes.

At nearly $400 it may not be a bargain, but for someone continually challenged by the amount of dog hair around the house it might be just the thing!  It could also be a cool gift for any dog owners who are also “gadget geek” that love to have the latest electronic devices.

Dog Cloning Explained

How much would you pay for an exact replica (at least physically) of your beloved pet? RNL Bio of Seoul, South Korea hopes to clone dogs commercially at a fee of $150,000 each. It’s first commercial clones, from a Pit Bull named Booger, were born recently, to the delight of Bernann McKinney.

The original Booger saved McKinney from an attack by another dog, then became an assistance dog during McKinney’s recovery. This remarkable dog passed in 2006, but McKinney now has five exact dupicates, thanks to the cloning process developed by Lee Byeong-Chun.

Here’s how it works: skin cells from the original dog provide the DNA, which is combined into an egg cell from another dog. Before combining, the nucleus of the egg is removed to eliminate the donor’s DNA from “contaminating” the clone. The cell begins to divide in a petri dish, then is implanted into a surrogate mother to be carried for about two months until they are born.

The company hopes to attract as many as 300 canine customers per year, and hopes to branch out into camel cloning for Middle Eastern customers.

McKinney, as the first commercial customer, got a real deal on the process, paying just $50,000. No word on how much of that went to the surrogate.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

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