On The Twelfth Dog Day of Christmas, . . . .

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas

Day Twelve: My Wish for You

I wish you health.

I wish you happiness.

But most of all,

I wish you love.

And peace. And family. And dogs. And snow! And time to enjoy it.

Take a walk – just the two of you (Fido and you). Talk to each other in quietude. Walk softly in the snow.

And do it again tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

Snowflakes Forever

If you have snow, make snow ice-cream. If you don’t have snow, make paper snowflakes!

Until next time!

On The Eleventh Dog Day of Christmas, . . .

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas

Day Eleven: Pupsicles? In Winter? Yes, Ice Pups and Freezy Pups!

And Winter Warmers to Boot!

You are probably familiar with The Honest Kitchen line of wonderful and wonderfully healthy human-grade pet food products. Did you know THK makes Ice Pups and Winter Warmers (broths) for dogs who just don’t seem to drink enough water or who just want something yummy.

What to give a cold Rover when he comes in from playing in the snow – cold. Surely, not a cold drink but he may need to be rehydrated.

Ice Pups are a powder you mix with water to make ice-cube treats. Or Rover can drink it cold, over ice or warm in the winter months.

Winter Warmers are broth in three flavors: chicken consommé, beef and bone broth, and turkey stock – much better than feeding your dog human consommé or chicken bouillon which contain a large amount of salt. Instead, The Honest Kitchen uses only natural ingredients.

These dog drinks have been a lifesaver for us: Mia the Lab just doesn’t drink much water compared to our other dogs (so we used to worry). Now, she does! So we don’t have to.

“Helps your pup feel warm, loved, hydrated and happy in the tummy.”

Pro Bloom

Pro Bloom is a similar product by The Honest Kitchen which is a natural supplement with probiotics and digestive enzymes from goats’ milk. Basically it contains the ‘good bacteria’ that help digestion and is especially good for puppies, seniors and dogs recovering from a stomach upset but also for any dog. Pro Bloom should be mixed warm but can be served warm or chilled. (Graphics courtesy of The Honest Kitchen)

Freezy Pups - How Cool is That?

Another great product is Freezy Pups which comes in four flavors: Juicy Apple, Sweet Potato ‘n Maple, Chicken Soup and White Cheddar Cheese. Organic and made from human-grade ingredients in the USA, they can be served as a treat or added to dry kibble to enhance the flavor. You can also purchase the small or large bone-shaped ice-cube trays from Freezy Pups. (Graphics courtesy of Freezy Pups)

Tomorrow: My Wish for You. . . . 

On The Tenth Dog Day of Christmas, . . . .

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas
Day Ten: Subaru Loves Dogs - Dogs Love Subaru

Subaru Rocks, Again - Just in Time for the Holidays

Being the regular reader of DogEvals that you are, no doubt you already know that Subaru Loves Dogs. We actually bought our Subaru to comfortably fit a dog crate in the back. Didn’t everyone?

“Dog tested, Dog approved” (according to the Barkleys)

In September (see link above) DogEvals wrote about how 'Subaru is for dogs.' How you can ‘decorate’ (personalize) your Sube with a paw print Lifestyle Icon (see icon on the right) and now you can get a custom T-shirt by Subaru of the same paw print! How cool is that?

Look Fetching!

You can customize your T-shirt with up to four Lifestyle Icons in the Badge of Ownership Program. Just be sure that one of the icons is a paw print or Fido will disown you!

And remember, this holiday season, Share the Love with Subaru.

Tomorrow: Ice Pups

On the Ninth Dog Day of Christmas, . . . .

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas
Day Nine: Wrap that Bone! (Safely)

So, what are you getting your dog for Christmas this year? A bone? A ball? A squeakie? A woobie? A plush? Whatever you get him, it‘s fun watching him unwrap his presents but, is it safe for him?

"To Wrap or Not To Wrap?" That is the Question.

Whatever you get him, think about how you will wrap it and how Fido will unwrap it. If you wrap it in newspaper, the advantage is price (free) but the disadvantage is that the print may bleed onto the carpet
and your pet, to say nothing about what is in the newsprint that might not be healthy for Fido.

Never Fear, PetWrap is Here!

This year, I discovered wrapping paper with Rover in mind – a petwrap! Actually it is called Pet Party Printz, Premium Gift Wrap for Your Pet, the pet-friendly wrapping paper (founded in 2007).

Why?

Traditional gift wrap is treated with bleach and chlorine which can be harmful to pets who eat it or lick it (and what dog won’t try!). Besides that, tape is a potential choking hazard. On the other hand, the paper and ink of Pet Party Printz is pet-friendly and no tape is necessary – simply peel off the peel-and-stick ‘tape’ on the adhesive edge (trademarked Rip-n-Stick) and the wrapping paper will stick.

Designs for EveryDog

This petwrap* comes in Everyday, Birthday and Holiday designs. My favorite is Candy Cane Treats (see wrapped box above) but you may prefer Rein Dogs (look right).

So, be good to your fave Fido this year and give him a bone and a ball and a squeakie and a woobie and a plush – each wrapped safely in Pet Party Printz.

That’s a wrap!

*comes in 7 sq-ft sheets and can be ordered on the website here. Also on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Made in the USA – yeah!

Tomorrow: Subaru Rocks!
(Photographs used with permission)

On the Eighth Dog Day of Christmas, . . . .

The Twelve Dog Days of Christmas

Day Eight: Good Dog Books

Still can't find the perfect gift for a reader this holiday season? Check out these three new excellent books from 2013 and 2014.

Bloodhound in Blue: The True Tales of Police Dog JJ and his Two-Legged Partner, by Adam Russ (Globe Pequot, 2013, 274 pages, $24.95)

Bloodhound in Blue is an easy interesting read, the story of a Utah peace officer, the bloodhound he trained, and how they both changed policy in police departments across the nation. Well-written, it tells the tale of long frustrations and well-earned victories as Officer Serio and JJ his bloodhound changed thinking by being patient - and successful in finding bad guys as well as lost children.

Uplifting, Four-legged "Monster" Tracker

JJ the bloodhound had a 90% find success, better than humans in the police department. He was the first tracking canine: others were patrol or attack dogs.

Interspersed with facts about the breed, Bloodhound will make you more aware of how helpful our best friends can be!
..................................

Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Partos, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves, by Laurel Braitman (Simon & Schuster, 2014, 373 pages, $28)

Best of the Current Quintet

Recent months have seen an inordinate number of incredibly fascinating dog books: among them Chaser, Decoding Your Dog, Citizen Canine (see below), Travels with Casey (also reviewed on DogEvals), and now, Animal Madness (also reviewed on DogEvals), which may be even better than the first three (but it's a close call)!

Entrancing

Though written by a PhD in Science History, Animal Madness is not a dry text but surprisingly fast-reading. Opening with the author's own dog who may have been 'mad' in having a mental illness/behavior issue - separation anxiety (SA) - Braitman then takes us around the world to talk to experts in animal topics, wild and domesticated and tame, and the situations they must adapt to, successfully or not. From elephants to parrots and beyond.

Another easy read, Madness can be skipped from section to section but the thread of Braitman's personal experience of having an SA dog is the glue that holds various chapters together and ends the stories with closure.

Dr. Braitman can also be heard giving a TED talk. Neither the talk nor the book should be missed!

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Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs, by David Grimm (Public Affairs [Perseus Book Group], 337 pages, 2014, $26.99)

Family. Person. Citizen.

Recent history of the canine-human relationship has evolved so that our dog has become nearly a member of the family, followed by a few cases of Fido being considered legally a person, so is 'citizen' far behind?

Dr. Grimm, a geneticist and journalist, traces the canine story over the past several decades and centuries as Dog has gradually moved into our homes and into our hearts.

This third easy-reading book is as fascinating as the previous two. Learn about the amazing origin of the ASPCA (betcha can't guess how it got started!). Are animal abusers really more prone than non-animal abusers to become serial killers?

The author, like Dr. Braitman, is fortunate to have face-to-face conversations with the movers and shakers of the dog world of scientists, veterinarians and trainers. And he doesn't leave out cats, either!

Tomorrow: It's a Wrap!