Tag Archives: what to wear

Why I Wear Clothing

10 Nov

I have three distinct shivers. The first, which is really more like a shake than a shiver, usually occurs when I see the humans getting ready to leave the house. My nerves, in thinking I may not be able to join them, get the best of me. The second set of shivers starts when excitement begins to build inside my furry body. This anticipatory shiver is a result of seeing a rather chaseable squirrel, or watching the slow progression of my treat bearing grandfather-human from his car to my house. The third shiver, which can sometimes be imperceptible to the humans, starts when I get a chill from the cold. While being cold isn’t exactly a life threatening experience, it can be kind of uncomfortable and sometimes forces me to seek the warmth of blankets when I’d rather be following my mom around the house. This is why I wear clothing.

While it’s true that some of the things I wear, like this Howl-o-ween’s donkey costume and the few birthday dresses I have are more frivolous than utilitarian, the majority of my wardrobe is for functional use. Even still, some humans give me a funny look when they see me wearing one of my fashionable yet entirely sensible ensembles. There are even some who I hear ask my humans “does she like being forced to wear clothing?” While it’s true that I haven’t made the decision to be dressed (I mean I can’t exactly ask to be dressed with words that humans understand), my mom would never “force” me do anything that would make me uncomfortable (wait, I take that back. Bathes definitely fit into the uncomfortable category). It can be said that some dogs don’t like to be dressed and will do anything to remove the offending material, but I am not one of them. In fact, I have come to associate being dressed with good things (mostly going outside with my humans) so it’s not an uncommon site to see me absolutely tail-waggingly giddy as my mom rifles through my wardrobe to find the perfect hoodie or shirt. And truthfully, I’d rather look a little silly than be cold and shivery.

Happy tail wags!

 

 

Halt(i) the Pulling

5 Nov

I absolutely love to take my humans for walks. Just the mention of the “w” word sends me into a tizzy of tail wags and butt wiggles. Sadly, the humans often found walkies a pain as they often put it, they were suppose to walk me, not the other way around. All of this changed, however, once my mom purchased something called a Halti. A Halti is a nylon head collar resembling and working somewhat like a horse’s halter. Though it looks like a muzzle, it isn’t in the slightest. A dog who wears the Halti can still breathe, eat, drink, bark, chew, and pick things up in their mouth. The leash clips to the bottom of the Halti near the chin and, when the dog wearer tries to pull forward, the nose part of the Halti press down turning the dog’s head to the side. Since dogs don’t like this pain-free sensation, those that wear it will eventually learn to slow down and to stop pulling when being walked.

The most difficult time I had with the Halti was just getting use to wearing it. My mom was incredibly patient with me and really worked at making sure I was comfortable with it around my head before taking me on a walk. For a few days, I was allowed to just sniff and inspect the head collar while my mom feed my delicious treats. Eventually this progressed into my mom just resting the strap on my nose while still giving me treats. Though I still had some difficulties adjusting to the Halti even after some conditioning, it wasn’t too terrifying for me. And yes, just like the pup in the video, I did paw at my face and sometimes still do (especially if I get really excited and try to run ahead).

Now that I’ve been wearing the Halti for a few months, my walkies are far more enjoyable, especially for the humans. I still get tons and tons of positive reinforcement (that means really delicious treats!) especially when I go for longer and longer periods of not trying to charge forward. So if you’re having problems getting your pup to walk without yanking your arm out of its socket, definitely think about trying out a Halti.

Happy tail wags!

 

Hee-Haw for Howl-o-ween

29 Oct

The funniest part of Howl-o-ween (for the humans at least) is when we pooches get dressed up on our giggle and “aww” worthy costumes. My mom has been quite busy making sure my costume was especially adorable, not to mention comfortable (a very important part of any pet costume). While the costume was suppose to be that of a bunny, it started to take on a life of it’s own. So, lady humans and gentleman humans, for this year of tricky treating, I am going as..

A donkey!

My costume is made out of a human sweatshirt that was turned inside out so the fuzzy inside becomes the outside. The mane and tail are fringed pieces of the sweatshirt and the inside of the ears are pink cotton. As the usual hoodie hoods don’t stay on my head too well, my mom adjusted the pattern so that it stays put (even though I’m able to shake it off after awhile!).Don’t I make the cutest donkey ever?

Do you dress your pups (or even kitties!) up for Howl-o-ween? If you do, I would love to see their photos on my facebook page.

Happy tail wags!

Apples and Pumpkins

11 Oct

With the chill of fall comes the need for warm, cozy sweaters and hoodies to warm not only humans, but their four-legged friends who could catch cold as well. Recently, my mom has been a busy little worker bee at her sewing machine and the fruits of her labor have proved quite cute and comfy. This hoodie, called The Apple a Day Hoodie is a one of a kind (also known as “OOAK”) piece that is available in a size small. The majority of the materials are taken from old clothing, while some (like the polka-dotted and green materials) are new. While too small for me, this hoodie would fit a pup roughly 12 to 13 inches long and 16 or so inches around the chest. The Great Pumpkin Hoodie, modeled by yours truly, is a wonderfully warm hoodie made from a flannel sheet. The pumpkin and inside lining of the hood are made out of new, bright orange cotton and the stem of the pumpkin is made using scraps of left over material. It can be purchased in a medium or a large as the temperature gets frostier. ‘

If you’re interested in making a purchase, please visit my mom and my not-related-aunt Angelica’s shop, The Smiling Frog Pets. And if there are any kitties in your life, you may be interested in purchasing the most Howl-o-weeniest catnip bats made by Angelica! Be sure to check the shop regularly for new items, especially in time for the all the holidays that are fast approaching.

Happy tail wags!

I’ve Been Collared

8 Sep

For the longest time I’ve been rocking my very pawesome Sugar Snap Pea martingale from The Mod Dog. While being extra adorable, every dog needs a change now and again (and again, and again. Hello, I am a dog with an extensive wardrobe). So when Padi from Krazy for Pets asked if I wanted one of the collars that they sell, I obviously said yes with much tail wagging.

Krazy for Pets has a very wide selection of collars to choose from including Dublin Dog, Mimi Green, Urban Hound, and Sam’s Wardrobe. Mom and I decided on the Tiva Collar from Sam’s Wardrobe because it matches my green leash and green blanketID. The Tiva collar is a standard buckle collar, so it’s taking me a bit to get use to. I’ve only ever worn martingales or harnesses, so the snapping noise of the buckle kind of freaks me out. But besides that, the collar is wonderful (and looks great against my coat if I do say so myself).

All of Sam’s Wardrobe collars start with a Nylon webbing core and are wrapped with beautiful, 100% cotton fabric. The buckle is contoured allowing the collar to curve around the neck making the fit more comfortable. My collar has a nice weight to it; not too heavy but also not too light. After one delivery of a Tiva collar that was just too small width wise, we settled on the 1 inch width, the same as my martingale. All the collars are machine washable and incredibly durable.

Now that I have two collars in my collection, both my mom and I have become collar crazy! I have a feeling I will so have a collar for every season and holiday!

If you’re interested in purchasing a Sam’s Wardrobe collar, check them out at Krazy for Pets.

Happy tail wags!

FTC Disclosure: I was given the Tiva collar for free by Krazy for Pets as a gift, not for the intention of writing a review. I was also not paid for this review (not even in chicken jerky). All opinions are still my own and not influenced by free goodies.

Surprises Leave Me Pretty in Pink

2 Aug

As we all know, I absolutely love getting surprises. If I were to get a surprise in the mail everyday I may just tolerate the mailman walking on my porch. On Friday I didn’t mind his presence too much as he held a brown package with my name on it!The great humans at Eco-Pup dog clothing sent me one of their very cute, incredibly stylish Charm hoodies! I blogged about Eco-Pup back in February after winning the Benny Polo they were auctioning off for Hounds for Haiti. Ever since then, mom and I routinely check Eco-Pup’s website and coo (her) or drool (me) at all the eco-friendly and recycled products. The Charm hoodie was definitely one of my favorites especially because I’ve been twittering so much and the little blue birdie is twitter’s mascot. It’s like Eco-Pup could read my mind!

Eco-Pup was started in 2008 by a woman named Susanne Postill. She, like my mom and Angelica, wanted her Peke-Poo to be warm and comfortable but couldn’t find any unique and cute clothing that wasn’t synthetic and all the natural and organic clothing just didn’t vibe with her pup’s sense of style; so the company was born.

It’s not only the materials used that are eco-friendly, but also some of the company’s practices. Packing boxes are reused, hang-tags, business cards, and catalogs are all printed on eco-friendly paper, they try to handle as many customer interactions electronically to cut back on paper usage, they recycle as much as possible, and they use biodegradable poop bags for their doggy employees. The fabric used is either recycled, organic cotton, or bamboo. The recycled fabrics are 100% Recycled PET. This means that the fabric is made with recycled plastic bottles (makes you really think about the bottles you put in the recycling bin). The cotton is organic in terms of the way it is farmed and manufactured: organic compost is used in lieu of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides are replaced with beneficial insects, and weeding is used instead of herbicide. Bamboo fabric is made from a tropical grass, is 100% biodegradable, and hypoallergenic. My Charm hoodie is made from organic cotton fleece. It’s super soft and lightweight. Oh, and did I mention the cutest part?

It has a blue bow on the hood!

As it is still summer and too warm for any kind of clothing (except maybe a bathing suit. But if I ever do go swimming, I prefer to skinny dip), I will have to wait to wear my hoodie. It will be quite an impatient wait as all I want to do is strut my little tail around town in my pink, birdie splendor.

Happy tail wags and thank you Eco-Pup!

FTC disclaimer: The Charm Hoodie was gifted to me by Eco-Pup Dog Clothing.

Do It Yourself

30 Jul

Inspired by my mom’s guest post on Doggie Stylish the other day, I’ve been sniffing around the internet to find some other great DIY tutorials for pet stuff. You can really instructions on how to make anything, if not everything! Lacking some of the finer motor skills (and not to mention opposable thumbs) to complete these tasks on my own, I hope my mom gets the hint and gets to making some more stuff for me. So here’s around-up of some of the great craft and DIY tutorials you can find for your dog.

Clothes

  • Turn a felted cardigan into a dog sweater with Martha Stewart.
  • Are you a knitter? Chopped Tomatoes has a free pattern for a very adorable, “bucalicious” dog sweater.
  • Have any large socks without a pair? Howcast has a video to show you how to turn it into a sweater for a bitty pup.
  • Instructables user scoochmaroo can instruct you on how to make a Snuggie for your chilly pooch.
  • If you’re anything like my mom and wish your pup could fit into little human clothing, Obsessively Stitching posted instructions on how to adjust a little human tee to fit your dog.
  • The DIY Network can show you how to make a party ready doggy dress.

Costumes

  • Does your dog dream of flying? Instructables user ArtisticBabe can show you how to make a cute pair of puppy fairy wings.
  • Last year for Halloween I was a punk rock ballerina. My outfit was not complete without a tutu which you can learn how to make over at Craft:.
  • Martha Stewart‘s cute Frenchie Sharkey was a moth last year. She shows you how to replicate the costume on her site.
  • Show people how much you dog lights up your life with Switch’s light up dandelion costume.

Neck Wear

  • Interested in your dog rocking a martingale collar like me? You can make one with the help of Doggie Stylish’s tutorial.
  • If your pooch is into something a bit shinier, Martha Stewart can show you how to make a lovely diamond dog necklace.
  • If you have any leftover pet food bags, turn them into an ecofriendly collar with Craft:.
  • Using The Bark’s tutorial, you can crochet a cute neck scarf for your dog.
  • If you have a harness wearing dog, Instructables user Doggie Stylish (sound familiar?) can show you how to make one with grosgrain ribbon.

Toys

  • If you’re having trouble finding a toy to suit your heavy-chewing dog, make one with the help of Instructables user J3443RY.
  • Have an old sweater lying around? CraftStylish can show you how to turn it into a squeaky toy.
  • Craft: has a great tutorial about making a braided rope toy using fabric.

Beds

Misc.

  • If you want to make a new leash, Anna Maria can show you how.
  • Make traveling with your pup a breeze by making CraftStylish’s collapsible pet bowl.
  • For natural flea repellent, check out Craft:’s lavender based formula.
  • Messy eater? Keep their food station neat with Martha Stewart’s pet place mat.
  • Bath time can be a bit easier if you make CraftStylish’s knit a mutt mitt.

I hope some of these inspired you to get crafty. Your dogs will definitely appreciate it.

Happy tail wags!

Guest Post

28 Jul

My mom, in all of her crafty goodness, was asked to do a guest tutorial over at Doggie Stylish! Here’s what she made (with me modeling of course): If you would like to learn how to make an adorable hairbow for your pup, check out the tutorial here.

Happy tail wags!

Hey There Sailor

21 Jun

For the past week and a half my mother has been in our bedroom buzzing away at that sewing machine thing she has. My nanny has been joking that she hasn’t been able to see the floor under all the scraps of clothing, pieces of paper, and thread trimmings let behind from the crafting flurry.

What was all the hub-bub about? Well, my mom had registered us in the 1st annual Pooch Parade being held at our town’s Main St during the annual Summer Solstice celebration that was this past Saturday. The parade was hatched as an idea to help fund next years Dock Dog competition and as an incentive to have people sign up there were prizes for the biggest dog, tiniest dog, the most unusual dog, and finally the most creative costume. Being half of the team behind The Smiling Frog Pets of course my mom couldn’t pass up an opportunity to make me a costume. And so my sailor dress was born. Everything used for the dress (and my pretty red bow) came from discarded human clothes that were no longer being used. The anchor embroidery, bow, cuffs, skirt and collar came from one red and one blue shirt of my nanny’s, the white top came from leftover scraps of a shirt my mother had used for another project, and the ribbon detailing on the collar was a ribbon that came from one of my birthday presents. I’m actually surprised my mom didn’t find away to reuse the thread from each shirt. As we are in a time where there is so much waste and even more want, it’s nice to use material that would otherwise end up as a waste and turn it into something that we need or want. Make sure you come back tomorrow to see what happened at the parade!

Happy tail wags!

Doggie Stylish

9 Jun

In past posts I have mentioned different pet related blogs that I like to read. Today I would like to give the spotlight to the Doggie Stylish Blog authored by Karen Friesecke and featuring her very stylish pup and muse Jersey.

Jersey

(photo source)

The Doggie Stylish Blog is a great resource for interesting (and sometimes scandalous) articles on products such as The Hot Doll (please shield all under 6 month old puppy eyes before clicking that link). I like to check out The Doggie Stylish Blog for two reasons; the first being all the great tutorials and recipes that Karen comes up with and posts. My mom’s favorites are the tutorials on how to make an adjustable martingale (something she’s wanted to make me for some time), and the grape Halloween costume (please no! I’m afraid of balloons!). I, however, love all the treat recipes! I’ve been begging mom to make me some homemade pig ears but she keeps giving me the run-around saying she can never find ears at the grocery store. If she can find ears of corn I’m sure she can find me some pig ears!

The other reason I love checking out Doggie Stylish is because of all the beautiful collars that Karen makes. You see, Doggie Stylish isn’t just a blog, it is also where Karen sells her beaded, leather, fabric, and ribbon collars! Every so often there will be a post featuring a happy customer or two showing off their gorgeous new collar.

Such as Sammie with his Woodward beaded collar.

(photo source)

So if you have some time in your day, definitely head over to Doggie Stylish and don’t forget to tell them who sent you.

Happy tail wags.

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