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I’m a Salty Dog

20 Dec

The biggest thing I’ve learned from having a run-in with a skunk many months ago (besides stop having run-ins with skunks, of course) is that even after about a million bathes and an entire bottle of Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover, I still had some lingering eau de Pepé le Pew. While it didn’t really bother me all that much, the humans on the other hand were less than happy. It was time to seek professional help.

Enter Salty Dog Salon Inc. operated by Jillian Jones and Deborah McClean. I already knew Jillian from the quarterly nail clipping clinics at The Loyal Biscuit. In fact, she’s the only human I let clip my nails (with only minor struggling). I don’t even let my mom do that! Anyway, after both Jillian and her mother Deb graduated from A+ Pet Grooming Academy in Grey, Maine, they started a small grooming salon out of their own home. It was only recently that they officially moved their business, Salty Dog Salon Inc. to it’s own space (which happens to be not too far from my home). The salon is bright, peaceful, and very tastefully decorated (according to my mom that is; dogs don’t know all that much about decorating). The grooming area (which we saw during Salty Dog’s holiday open house) is impeccably clean.  Among their many grooming options, Salty Dog has a specialty deskunking bath which is what I was given. My mom dropped me off (much to my dismay) and did errands for an hour while Jillian and Deb worked their magic. By the time the hour was up, I was bathed, flouffed, and smelling like citrus and cinnamon with barely a hint of skunk remaining. My mom was (and still is as it has been a couple of weeks and there is only a small tiny little skunky smell left behind my right ear. Much better than it was before) impressed by not only the deskunking miracle, but also by how friendly and welcoming Salty Dog’s environment and staff are. Plus, look at just how cute and fluffy I was after my day at the salon! If you live near Rockland, Maine and are interested in visiting Salty Dog Salon Inc, you can check out their website and facebook page for contact information. And make sure you tell Jillian and Deb that I sent you!

Happy tail wags!

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Pru’s Wooftastic Gift Guide 2011: The Giving Tree

5 Dec

Christmas. While usually just thinking about this holiday and the onslaught of presents sends me into a flurry of tail wags and tapping paws. The humans say I’m selfish for only caring about what’s given to me, and while that is very, very true, I’ve decided that for this years gift guide, not only will I show you that you can spoil your dog (and maybe you) with all the presents his or her selfish heart desires, but also do some good in the process. Each company and products that I feature donate a portion or the entirety of their profits to a pet-based charity.

During this time of the year, humans start looking ahead to the future by purchasing calendars for the upcoming year. Many animal shelters and rescue organizations jump on the bandwagon and release calendars featuring shelter alumni or just shelter supporter’s pets.

The Humane Society of Knox County, a local shelter where my kitty brother Harry came from, has released their own calendar. You can purchase your own for $10 and be assured that all the money goes right back into the shelter to help the animals currently in their care.

Every dog needs a nice collar; something that’s bold and shows off their personality. Fifi Run may just fit the bill. Fifi Run makes edgy but incredibly chic collars with a little bit of an electric 80s feel. The What Would Lassie Do? Collar happens to be my personal favorite (what dog doesn’t emulate Lassie and her heroism?). And the best part? Fifi Run chooses a different dog charity each month to donate 10% of their proceeds to.

 My love for Mutt Nose Best is very well known (and no, it’s not just because I’m the face of their new shampoo scent). Mutt Nose is a Maine based company that uses human grade ingredients (most locally sourced) to make some of the yummiest smelling dog shampoos, conditioners, eau de toilettes, nose balm, and ear and eye wipes. They’ve currently released a special edition holiday scent, U Puppermint Puppy that will make your pooch smell like a warm mug of peppermint hot chocolate. Each month, Mutt Nose choose one pet based charity to promote and raise funds for (you can read more about last month’s charity here).

Keeping your dog safe is a top priority for dog owners. Do it in style with another of my favorite products, a blanketID! BlanketID tags are made to help you find your dog in case they are lost not only from them wearing the tag, but also through online support, including emails to local blanketID members and local animal related businesses like hospitals, shelters, and SPCAs. Plus, if someone finds your dog, they only have to type in the code found on the back to find all of your dogs information like your phone number, address, your dog’s allergies, and more. Try fitting that on any other tag! Plus, every time a tag is registered and membership purchased, blanketID puts money into their Blanket Fund to help animals in need (you can see the animals they have helped here). Over 15% of blanketIDs profits go into their Blanket Fund.

Treats are always a doggy crowd pleaser when they are found under the Christmas tree. Some of my favorite treats (though honestly, I don’t really have any non-favorite treats) are Zuke’s Mini Naturals in peanut butter. They are soft little nibblets that are perfect for a training session or to stuff in a toy like a Busy Buddy or Kong Canine Genius. I would rather I just receive them by the handful, but mom usually makes me work for them. The human brains behind Zuke’s decided to start a fund called the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund (DCCFund) in honor of their dogs Oly and Zuke who passed away from cancer.Every year, Zuke’s donates a large percentage of their profits to the DCCFund. Last year alone they donated over $40,000. You can see some of the pets the fund has help here.

No hip pooch is complete without the gift of a leash from a certain fat, red suited jolly human. One of the neatest leash companies around is Found My Animal. All the leashes are hand made is New England by professional rope makers and some are even made from recycled bottles. The bright orange Rescue Leash is not only fabulously colorful, but it’s also made to promote pet adoption (orange is the official color for animal protection awareness).As Found My Animal’s mission is to raise awareness about animal adoption, they donate a fair amount of their profits to different pet-based charities. For example, last Saturday during an event for Rational Animal, for every purchase of a Rescue Leash, Found donated $5 to Rational Animal. You can see more of their charitable work and donations here.

And finally, as a little treat to you humans with a sweet tooth, is Rescue Chocolate. Rescue Chocolate is, as their website states “the sweetest way to save a life.” 100% of the net profits from each of the vegan, kosher, and USA made sweets sold goes to a different animal rescue organization each month. The organization being helped during December is the Animal Farm Foundation. If that doesn’t tempt you into buying, than maybe the funky flavors and inventive names will. What human can turn down a mint and dark chocolate candy bar called Foster-iffic Peppermint? Now remember, these are human-only treats. No dog consumption allowed!

I hope my gift ideas have inspired you to not only gift your friends and furry family members a little something special, but also to think charitably this holiday season.

Happy tail wags!

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Wordless (Kind Of) Wednesday

9 Nov

I love modeling the clothes my mom makes and sells on her and my aunt Angelica’s Etsy shop, The Smiling Frog Pets.

Happy tail wags!

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How Shampoo Can Change the World

8 Nov

A few weeks ago I wrote about and held a contest for Mutt NOSE Best, a Maine based dog shampoo company that features a lot of blueberry based shampoos and conditioners. What I failed to mention, and what is the topic of today’s post, is that every month, Mutt NOSE Best chooses a charity to help raise funds or donations for. Last month, the charity was the Eastern Area Agency on Aging’s Furry Friends Food Bank whose goal is to assist seniors and adults with disabilities feed their pets. For every “like” on their facebook page in the month of October, Mutt NOSE Best donated 1lb of dog food. At the end of the month, Mutt NOSE Best donated 163lbs of food!

This month the focus is on Logan’s Legacy, a fund whose goal is to help human Suzan Morris raise enough money to secure a service dog. Suzan, was diagnosed with MS in 1996 and, through the help of her first service dog Logan, Suzan was able to volunteer and lead a productive life. As Suzan stated in this article by Mutt NOSE Best, “With Logan by my side I was able to maintain my independence and together we participated in life fully. From everyday activities to hospice volunteering to Disneyworld, she made it possible to connect with many people worldwide. She will always be in my heart, the angel by my side…” Sadly, Logan passed away from cancer leaving Suzan heartbroken and in need of another companion.

Suzan and Logan in 2010

 (photo source)

It takes lot of time and money to raise and train a service dog. Some of the things that Logan and her successor did and will be able to do for Suzan are things like picking up dropped items like keys and coins, opening and closing doors, carrying small bags or items, getting (though not answering) the phone, etc. Currently Suzan is on a two waiting lists with non-profits that train service dogs. She has to raise roughly $9,500, 26% of which she has raised as of today. Any amount that exceeds her goal will be saved and used as the Logan’s Legacy scholarship fund to help others with disabilities fundraise for a service dog.

For the entire month of November, Mutt NOSE Best will be donating $1 from every bottle sold on their website to Logan’s Legacy. And, as if that was pawesome enough, The Loyal Biscuit Co, one of my all time favorite pet stores, has decided to join the fundraising efforts but sending $1 off every bottle of Mutt NOSE Best sold in their store throughout November to Logan’s Legacy.

If you would like more information about Logan’s Legacy or to make a donation, please visit their Give Forward page as well as their facebook page. And, if you want to buy some of the yummiest smelling shampoo, make sure you visit Mutt NOSE Best’s online store.

Happy tail wags!

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Out of the Savanna

12 Oct

You see that adorable pooch up there? Yes, that’s me! Aren’t I just scrumptious? And isn’t my collar absolutely chic? It was a gift from Uncommon Paws, and the topic of today’s post.

I was first introduced to Uncommon Paws at Woofstock where there was a mini Uncommon Paws store all set-up. Though Uncommon Paws carries a large range of some of the very best in pet supplies (like my favorite tags, blanketIDs!), they also have a line of collars, leashes, and harnesses all made by the Uncommon Paws crew in Maine. It was the collars that really drew mine as well as my mom’s eye, especially their faux-fur collars. And as if the collar fairy was listening to my thoughts (there is a collar fairy right? Who else makes sure my collars are always clean and pretty?), after speaking so highly of the collars on facebook, Uncommon Paws let me pick one of their collars for free!

I decided on the Giraffe Print Faux-Fur collar as the faux-fur was just so soft and the print so unlike any other collar I have (and trust me, I have a lot of collars!). I definitely made the right choice! The print is just loud enough to pop against my fur without looking too cheap or gaudy (dog forbid) and the material is just so soft my mom pets me extra just so she can pet my collar. The collar is backed with black webbing for sturdiness and features solid nickel hardware. I quite like the heavier (though not too heavy) hardware as it give the collar some weight and there for a substantial feel. Plus I just look so darn chic in it, don’t you think?

If you’d like to purchase an Uncommon Paws collar, or one of their other items, please visit their online store.

Happy tail wags!

(FTC Disclosure: I was sent the Giraffe Print Faux-Fur collar from Uncommon Paws free of purchase.)

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Mutts Do “Nose” Best

7 Oct

The giveaway is officially closed! Thank you to all who entered! I will post the winner tomorrow.

Baths. I hate them, I loathe them, and yet my human insists that I need them at the most inconvenient times (i.e. anytime).  The only reason I put up with it is because I usually get more attention when I smell like something the humans consider “good” than when I smell like a dog (which apparently is considered “bad”). I’ve been washed with many a dog shampoo as there are so many kinds out there, but I think my humans (and I guess me) have finally found the dog shampoo brand to beat all dog shampoo brands: Mutt Nose Best.

Mutt Nose Best is a Maine based company whose goal, according to their website, is to “enhance the lives of our pet clients and their humans.” All of the formulas sold through Mutt Nose Best are sulfate-free (sulfate is a harsh chemical usually found in hygiene and cleaning products. Sulfates are incredibly dangerous if ingested), contain the highest quality ingredients, and are most importantly green (in the environmental sense). All the shampoos and conditioners are formulated as concentrates, meaning that the consumer adds the water to the product to cut back on excess packaging. The packaging itself is green as well! The company that packages Mutt Nose Best takes surplus and obsolete packaging and re-purposes it which keeps tons and tons of waster out of landfills.

A lot of the Mutt Nose Best formulas use wild Maine blueberries as one of their main ingredients. When used topically, blueberries can help nourish the skin, neutralize free radicals, and help heal and soothe inflamed skin. Plus they just smell terrific! And what’s great about the blueberries that Mutt Nose Best uses is that they are all sourced in Maine!

So far I have been bathed in two of the Mutt Nose Best formulas: U Berry Itchy Dog which contains wild Maine blueberries and colloidal oatmeal to help soothe a dog’s itchies, and U Berry Clean Dog featuring real blueberry seeds (which will sometimes be confused for fleas if your human doesn’t read the label first) to help exfoliate. My mom loves how soft both make my coat feel, how lightweight my curls become (“like curly clouds” as my mom would say), and how delicious I smell. Thankfully the scent isn’t too overwhelming unlike some other shampoos I’ve been washed in (dogs do have sensitive noses) and even their doggy eau de toilets (I have the U Berry Clean Dog spray) have a light, pleasing blueberry smell. It’s neither a heavy nor sickly sweet scent; it’s perfect!

Recently Mutt Nose Best launched a new formula, U Berry Calm Puppy. U Berry Calm Puppy features both lavender and organic Maine oats (as well as the blueberries) to nourish and calm. While it’s formulated to be gentle enough for a puppy’s sensitive skin, it’s perfect for adult dogs too!

And guess what! Mutt Nose Best has been most wonderful and has offered a U Berry Calm Puppy set to one lucky Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys reader! The winner will receive a 4 oz U Berry Calm Puppy shampoo, conditioner, and eau de toilet. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post to be entered. For an extra entry, just “like” the Mutt Nose Best facebook page and leave an additional comment here saying you’ve done so. This contest will end on Sunday, October 9th at 8pm EST when one commenter will be randomly selected. Good luck!

Happy tail wags!

Update: I’m now adding a second way for an extra entry: subscribing to my blog! A few commenters have done that in lieu of “like” the Mutt Nose Best facebook, so it’s now an official way to get an extra entry!

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The Biscuit Biscuits and a Surprise!

26 Sep

As if my all time favorite pet supply store, The Loyal Biscuit, couldn’t get any cooler, they recently launched their very own treat company called The Loyal Biscuit Treat Co. As the brain-puppy of co-owner Heidi and Biscuit employee April, The Biscuit biscuits (as I like to call them) definitely reflect all the hip originality that a dog comes to expect from such a great set of stores.

Every Biscuit biscuit is made by hand in my hometown of Rockland, ME. All the ingredients are organic and many come from Maine sources. Because the treats are made in small batches, you can always expect a fresh treat for your pup. But by far the pawesomest part of the biscuits (besides the taste) is that each treat has the word “loyal” on it (due to being baked in custom pans!). As for flavor, these are definitely top notch. The current biscuit (and thus the only flavor) in production is a mix of cinnamon and anise, something not seen in many dog treats. They’re so yummy, I’ve even caught my mom taking a few nibbles here and there! The texture of the Loyal Biscuit treats is also important. They aren’t too soft nor too hard. Because of their size, the humans often have to break one in half (or else I chuck it around the room trying to break it myself). The treats are soft enough to break but tough enough that they don’t crumble into a mess. That’s perfect in my book!

When you purchase Loyal Biscuit Treat Co treats (which, if you don’t live near one of the two Biscuit locations, or at one of the various locations that carry the Biscuit biscuits, you can order them through facebook!), they come neatly packaged not only in a biodegradable bag, but also in a really pretty, food safe, and reusable tin. The tin can be reused in any manner you see fit, or, for a reduced price, can be refilled with Biscuit biscuits at both of the Loyal Biscuit locations! I haven’t gotten to the bottom of my tin yet (though I am making steady progress), but the latter choice will definitely be the one I take!

As if I haven’t talked about the Loyal Biscuit enough (I did say it was my favorite store, right?), I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago to learn that a certain someone’s scruffy mug was going to be featured in the Biscuit’s new brochure.
It sure does pay off to shop locally (and to be so darn cute!).

Happy tail wags!

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Woofstock 2011

12 Sep

I love raising money for animal shelters and rescues. It is up there with squeaking a brand new toy and eating chicken. Of course, helping out animals in need is even more fun when you get to hang out with other like minded humans and dogs. This weekend I got to do exactly that! Saturday marked the 6th annual Woofstock festival presented by The Animal House. Woofstock is festival that celebrates the pawesomeness of being a dog as well as all those pooches (and kitties!) looking for their forever homes. This year, there were 17 rescues and animal shelters from all around New England that benefited from the proceeds raised through the “Pay What You Can” admission fee, pet items yard sale, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, for-profit vendor fees, and what ever money is raised by the shelters and rescues themselves through items sold or services rendered at their booths.

Some of the rescues is attendance

There were also tons of vendors selling everything from collars, toys, treats, pet shampoo, and dog clothes. My pug friend Jenny and I (we attended the event with Marie, Jenny, Angelica, and Leo) were in doggy heaven from all the delicious samples being doled out by the likes of TriPom Chews, Zelda’s Biscuit Bakery, Nature’s Variety (where I met one of my facebook friends!), Stella & Chewy’s, Barkwheats, Merrick, Evermore Pet Food, and more. Leo wasn’t all that interested in the treats because he doesn’t eat in public. Some of the other vendors included Mutt Nose Best, a natural pet care line made in Maine, Uncommon Paws, a shop and maker of collars, leashes, pet clothes (who also happened to have a display of blanketIDs!), Classic Hound with their beautiful collars, the Maine POM Project, and so many more.

Mom, myself, Angelica, and Leo

There were also some really fun dog demos to watch. We happened to catch a bit of the agility demo where a few pups ran through tunnels, jumped over hurdles, and generally made me jealous that I wasn’t a bit more athletic. Even Jenny and Marie got into the action when they volunteered to help out during the freestyle demo.

This is Jenny's patented "Sniff for Treats" move

Honestly, one of the greatest things about the Woofstock was being able to meet so many different dogs and humans. Dogs from giant (and I’m talking at least a four poop bagger kind of giant) Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds, to itty bitty Chihuahuas as well as every breed or mix of breeds in between were their in their furry glory. I sniffed butts of dogs with three legs, dogs who needed carts to get around, even a deaf Border Collie. There were long haired dogs, short haired dogs, some dogs in dire need of a hair cut. I even got to finally rub noses with Finch, the foster dog turned adopted dog of the humans behind Barkwheats (and a puppy that my mom has been obsessed with ever since seeing her photo on the Loyal Biscuit facebook page), as well as Oscar, a me-look-a-like whom Angelica and Leo kept running into around Rockland.

This Great Dane's head was bigger than all of me

 

The adorable Finch!

 

Oscar, my look-a-like and I

All in all, it was a terrific day that was spent helping out 17 terrific shelters and rescues. We all came away with the satisfaction of knowing we helped many pets in need of homes, lots of new friends, and so much swag! 

So much swag!

As I didn’t want to make this post too picture heavy, I’ll be posting the rest of my Woofstock photos on my facebook page later today. 

Happy tail wags!

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Peaceable Kingdom Essentials

8 Sep

One of the things I appreciate about having a human who is very active in my health and wellness, is that she’s not quick to throw unnecessary medication at something that could very well be taken care of in a more natural and a possible more pleasant manner. While there is always a time and place where pharmaceuticals are appropriate, I believe that pets, not to mention humans, are often overly medicated. Because of this philosophy, I was really excited when I was asked to try out a few products from Peaceable Kingdom Essentials, a company specializing in herbal remedies for pets, as well as herbal teas for humans.

Started in 2010 by Cindy Wenger, an animal communicator and certified herbalist, Peaceable Kingdom Essentials prides itself in their 100% USDA Certified Organic and earth friendly pet products. Each batch of their tinctures are made, by human-hand, in small batches instead of mass produced in large amounts. The herbs used are never sprayed or irradiated. Peaceable Kingdom Essentials sells tinctures to help ease problems from incontinence to boosting a dog’s immunity. They also have other products including catnip, brewer’s yeast, and flea repellent powder.

The first product I got to try was an external spray called Reliever Achiever. Reliever Achiever can be used to help soothe and heal minor skin problems such as hot spots, irritations, and abrasions. Now, my mom has recently been using coconut oil on my skin itchies, but there are some times when she just doesn’t feel like scooping out the coconut goop and getting it all over herself and I. This spray has been great for those lazy days. All you do is shake it up and spritz it on your dog’s itchy skin. You can also spray it on you hand and rub it onto the itchy spots (sometimes the spray bottle can’t reach all the itchy spots, like the ones on the belly). Obviously it’s hard for me to verbalize to my human whether or not a product is working for me, but there was a decreased amount of itching and scratching on the spots that had been sprayed. And, in an act of itchy desperation, my mom even sprayed the Reliever Achiever on a very irritating bug bite. It took the itchiness away within a few minutes! She also likes the fact that the spray has a pleasing orange smell (due to the sweet orange essential oil), though I’d rather smell like a dog and not fruit.

I was also sent a one of the internal tinctures called Paws a Moment. Paws a Moment is used to help calm easily stressed and high anxiety animals through the use of herbs such as Valerian root, skullcap, passionflower, and more. It seems to me like Cindy has been reading my blog as I often write about my issues with pooch anxiety. As the rule of thumb with herbal remedies is two weeks on, one week off, I’m slowly working at getting the Paws a Moment into my system. My mom, however, has seen a marked calmness in my demeanor. In fact, yesterday, during a trip to TJ Maxx, I was calm and comfortable enough to greet a human I have never met before with a kiss, something that I have always been too anxious to do.

If you are interested in seeing what Peaceable Kingdom Essentials has to offer, please check out their website. There is also a very informative bit of information on the page about the tinctures that talks about everything from appropriate dosage to things to keep in mind when using an herbal remedy. And, as always, it may be a good idea to discuss the use of herbal tinctures with your pet’s vet if you have any concerns.

Happy tail wags!

(FTC disclosure: I was sent both samples free from Peaceable Kingdom Essentials and their PR company for the purpose of review. No other compensation was involved).

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The Animal House

10 Aug

Even though the humans have been so very, very busy with the move to GG’s and Gramp’s, they have somehow found the time to take a few day trips. On one of these occasions, it was decided that not only could I come along, but that we were going to visit a pet supply store called The Animal House.

(photo source)

A few months ago, my mom was able to visit The Animal House, but didn’t have me along at the time. I was incredibly excited that I would get to come along this time around, especially since I had been talking to Aubrey, the co-owner, a lot on my facebook page. So not only would I be able to sniff out a new pet store, but also meet one of my facebook friends!

Anyway, The Animal House was established in 2005 in Damariscotta, Maine. As their website states, The Animal House understands “that your cat or dog is much more than just a pet, they are a cherished member of the family.” All the products that they carry reflect that philosophy. You will not find a single junky or unhealthy ingredient in the foods and treats that are found on the shelves of The Animal House. Nor will you walk out of the store empty handed! The shelves are so full of so many different products, you could spend hours just looking at the different types of food, let alone all the treats, toys, supplements, clothes, shampoos, and beds. The Animal House and their knowledgeable staff also dedicate a lot of their time to help animals in need. In fact, the store acts as a satellite adoption center for the Humane Society of Knox County and they often hold adoption events for rescue organizations like the Maine Greyhound Placement Service (one of the reasons I visited The Animal House, but that’s for another post!).  There is so much more to The Animal House that it may just take me a week to get it all down in a single post. The Animal House is more than just a store. They offer grooming, nutritional help, and online store, and there is sometimes even an in house vet that takes appointments. It was definitely worth a long, tedious drive in the car to visit Aubrey and The Animal House! It will probably be awhile before I will make another trip, but I’ll be crossing my paws that it happens sooner than later.

If you’re ever in the Damariscotta area of Maine, you’ll definitely want to check The Animal House out!

Happy tail wags!

 

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