$9.99 [World's Biggest Bully Stick]

This past weekend was a busy one for the clan.  We had a rotating cast of house guests [when don't we?], and Sunday was a day full of fun homebrew events [have I told you that my S.O. is both an animal lover AND an award-winning brewer?].

But I digress.  After all, this isn't a blog about humans, it's a blog about the money this human spends on animals.  And although I almost made it to the end of the month, I officially exceeded January's pet budget by buying a gift for our canine house guest, Icarus.  What did I buy that broke the threshold?  A Full Bully Stick Cane, 36" ($9.99).

The Full Bully Stick Cane is so much bigger than your average bully stick -- in fact, a full 30" bigger than your average bully stick.  And for just under $10.00, it's a pretty good deal on a cost-per-inch basis.  Oh man, it's the best joke.  After I bought the Bully Stick Cane at Pets On the Run, I carried it home like it was my royal staff -- yes, I'm the kind of royalty that proudly parades large intimate parts of bull carcasses around the five boroughs.

The Bully Stick Cane was (literally) a big hit with Icarus.  The first thing he did was grab one end of the stick with his mouth and jump up on the recliner, almost knocking over the lamp with the other end of the stick.  I was delighted.  Then he got down to business, really stinking up the living room.

A boy and his magic pipe.  Lulu wanted in on the action, too.  She eventually had the Bully Stick Cane all to herself -- it was nearly three times her body length.  Her radiant happiness (and filthy mane, featuring bits of the bully stick) was captured by Justin in the photo below.

Lulu was also featured chewing on the Bully Stick Cane in a raw, uncut horror movie filmed by Justin at our apartment.  Release date T.B.A.  Leave your kids at home.

$99.00 [Found My Animal Rope Leashes]

Leash upgrade!

Blew the remainder of my January pet budget on new leashes for Betelgeuse and Lulu.  Their old leashes were frayed and nasty because we like to "drop the leash" and let the dogs run free at parks and on back streets and the India Street pier at night.  So for 2012 (and thereafter), I invested in two seriously awesome durable leashes made right here in Brooklyn.

The Found My Animal leashes are made out of all-weather, UV-resistant marine-grade rope (the rope is handmade by professional New England rope-makers).  The ropes are hand-spliced to withstand thousands of pounds of pull -- in case I need to walk a GIANT Pomeranain -- and, for added durability, the ends are "whipped" (an old nautical term) -- i.e., NO MORE FRAYING!  The metal hardware is all marine-grade as well, and the leashes are hand- and machine-washable.

Found My Animal makes both a standard and adjustable version of its rope leash.  I like the adjustable leash, which has two solid brass o-rings and two solid bronze clips.  The adjustable leash is more expensive than the standard one but offers a lot of versatility.  You can change the length of it when using it as a hand-held leash, meaning one leash does the job of two:  make it short for walks on narrow NYC sidewalks or long for strolls through the woods.  You can also hook it around your waist, over your shoulder, or across your chest, so on cold nights, you can keep your hands in your pockets or around your hot cocoa.  Running into a coffee shop?  Quickly clip your pup to a fence, tree or post, and don't worry about the security of your knot or untying the knot with a coffee cup in your hand.  You can even clip your dogs to each other (a great joke).

The leashes come in a variety of thicknesses from S (1/4") to XL (1/2"), which you select from based on the weight of your pooch.  I like the look of the thick rope leashes, but that would be too much leash for Betel and Lu.

For Betel, the Adjustable, Hand-Spliced Rope Leash (solid brass + natural rope), 7 ft., size S (1/4" rope diameter), $56, purchased from Unleash Brooklyn during an all-day Saturday stroll around Greenpoint and Williamsburg -- it's been so unseasonably warm this winter, and we've been taking advantage of it.

For Lulu, the Adjustable, Hand-Spliced, 100% Recycled P.E.T. Rope Leash (solid blass + black rope), 7 ft., size S (1/4" rope diameter), $43, purchased from PS9 Pet Supplies on the same stroll.  The recycled P.E.T. rope is lighter than the natural rope for the smaller pup, although the brass hardware is still a bit heavy for such a petite creature.

These leashes seem a bit pricey, but they also seem like they will last.  We've gone through quite a few cheaper standard nylon leashes -- they end up frayed, knotted, and filthy.  My 2012 philosophy: pay more, but buy it just once.  These leashes are beautiful, high-quality, and locally made and purchased.  If that's not enough:  Found My Animal does so much for rescued animals.  And lest you forget who was rescued...

Oh man.  Lulu.

$30.00 [Doggie Daycare]

I dropped the pups off this morning at doggie daycare at Unleash Brooklyn.  Doggie daycare is such a New York thing -- if you don't live in New York and you're reading this, you are correct in thinking that New York dog owners are crazy.  Our dogs wear clothes and have birthday parties and parades; they ride the subway, get their photos taken with Santa, go out to bars with us, and attend doggie daycare.  Welcome to New York.

Betelgeuse used to attend doggie daycare twice a week as a puppy, but she has less energy now and she also lives with her favorite playmate in the world (who she can play with for free), Lulu.  Lulu lived at Unleash for awhile when she was first rescued and pregnant.  (Dog Habitat Rescue operates out of Unleash Brooklyn, so many of the rescues spend their first few days or weeks there before they are fostered or adopted.)  Lulu doesn't really enjoy daycare -- she seems to think of Unleash as a homeless shelter -- we're not dropping her off for daycare, we're leaving and never coming back.  She was particularly dramatic about being dropped off this morning.

In any event, whatever their feelings, I like for Betel and Lulu to attend doggie daycare at least once a month -- usually during a super busy week when we have less time to exercise them.  This week is one of those weeks.  Kyler left the apartment even earlier than me this morning -- today is the first day of his life as a celebrity brewer (more on that at another time).

Daycare is great!  The socialization with new dogs and people is good for our pups, and after a day at Unleash, they sleep for the next two days.  In addition, we sometimes board them overnight at Unleash, so I want them to feel comfortable with the environment and employees.  I like to support the owners of Unleash Brooklyn, Rob and Bea, who also own District Dog -- they do so much for the Greenpoint dog community (including the McGolrick Park dog run) and the rescued pups of Dog Habitat (e.g., Lulu!).  And finally, perhaps most importantly, Unleash keeps a blog with photos of the dogs at daycare.  You already know that I like to spy on my pets while at work, so I really enjoy the blog.  The photos are hilarious.

I've collected some of my favorite daycare photos to share with you.  Betelgeuse always looks completely insane, and Lulu is always lurking in the shadows and blending in with the floor.  In the photos below, the red arrow identifies Betel, and the blue arrow Lu.

You think this photo is about Betelgeuse but it's about Lulu not having any fun in the background. 

 Great photo bomb, Betel.

Again, Lulu, lurking. 

Betelgeuse is bigger than Lulu, so I sometimes forget that she's still smaller than almost every other dog.  And then I see a photo like this and can't believe that she's real.

Two peensies on a bench.