$4.50 [Collars]

Collars.  The mark of domestication.

I gave collars a lot of thought during our recent vacation in Costa Rica. There were dogs everywhere -- running loose in the streets (or on the sidewalks), sleeping outside in shady spots, or hanging out in most bars and restaurants. The only thing that distinguished these domesticated dogs from their feral cousins: collars. Some wore traditional collars, others just wore bandanas or swatches of fabric, but they all wore some type of collar. No tags, no leashes, just collars. Collars alone won't prevent the pup from getting lost or help him get home in the event he's found, but they're just a pretty effective way to signal that this dog is no stray, he's got a human.

This is a dog who came to visit our villa at Playa Avellanas. His human was nowhere in sight, but we knew there was a human somewhere because -- yep -- collar. He refused to cross the threshold into the villa. (We later learned that while dogs in Costa Rica are valued for their protection of people and property, they generally are not thought of as members of the family and are often not even allowed in the house.)

I always keep a collar on my cat Lola. She even has a bald ring around her neck from where her collar rubs. It serves as a vehicle for her tags in case she gets lost, plus it's cute. She currently sports a Red Dingo Classic Cat Collar ($4.50) in dark blue, pictured above.  It looks almost purple against her orange fur.  That little plastic fish clasp kills me. 

A quick tip:  When choosing a cat collar, you may be tempted to look at the selection for small dogs, but a breakaway collar is very important -- cats get into tight spots and the breakaway collars prevent Mr. Cuddles from getting snagged somewhere or, much worse, asphyxiated.

Lola used to wear a Coastal Pet Products Safe Cat Adjustable Breakaway Collar ($6) in light green, which you can see if you click on her name in the above paragraph. I love that these collars say "Safe Cat" -- it brings to mind images of animals in flotation vests or wearing crossing guard uniforms. The light green Safe Cat collar was retired because after several years part of the clasp broke. Kitty wore one in orange, which is in her urn with her ashes (sentimental much, AEB?)

My pups Betelgeuse and Lulu usually do not wear traditional collars. They used to wear them all the time, but they have such full Pomeranian-esc manes that the tight collars end up matting their fur. These days they wear bandanas instead, and their tags are on their harnesses when we go out.

In case you had a question, yes, in that last photo, Betelgeuse is wearing a bandana featuring a sexy marijuana leaf in a bikini (an Andrew Jeffrey Wright creation that came into my possession in Baltimore). I came home from work the other night to discover that Kyler had accessorized the dogs.  If she gets lost wearing this bandana, people will know she is domesticated and that has a human (or two), but I assume they might re-think giving her back to us.

$43.00 [Paw Pads v. NYC Sidewalk Slush]

Below freezing temperatures and snow this weekend -- a brief interlude from our otherwise unseasonably warm winter weather.  As circumstances would have it, we were also dog sitting the rescued Peruvian Hairless puppy, Cheska, during the weekend's winter storm.

My understanding is that it gets quite cold in at least certain regions in Peru, but maybe the hairless dogs weather the inclement weather (pun intended) in a warm cave deep in the Andes.  Cheska was NOT made for the snow.  Even a full-body onesie + coat is not enough to stop her from shivering and protesting any outdoor activities.  Ever watched a puppy stage a full-on poop strike?  Poor Cheska.

Poor poor Cheska.

My dogs, Betel and Lulu, come with their own fur coats...

Just not their own boots.  They do fine walking through snow, but if it's slush (or even better, special NYC sidewalk slush, which is mixed with salt and chemicals to become SUPER cold), the pups spend our "walk" hopping on three legs while trying to defrost a frozen paw in their mouth.  And even after all the slush has melted, the lingering salt and de-icing chemicals on the sidewalk can irritate their paw pads and cause dryness and painful cracking.  There are two products in my arsenal that help protect the bubs' paws in winter:

[1] Mushers Secret ($14 for 60 grams), which is a wax that forms a semi-permeable shield on the pups' paws to protect them from snow (including ice build-up between paws), salt, chemicals, grit, rough terrain, and other paw pad irritants.  Apply once a week or more often.  All three pups had their paws waxed this weekend.

[2] Pawz Natural Rubber Dog Boots ($14 for X-Small, i.e., Lu, $15 for Small, i.e., Betel), which are disposable (but reusable!), biodegradable waterproof dog boots.  They're thick rubber balloons that slide right on the pups' feet.  They come in seven sizes (from "Tiny" to "X-Large") and there are twelve boots to a package.

The dogs walk funny when you first put them on (videos of Betelgeuse from last winter in our old apartment below) but then they forget they're even wearing them.  They don't need Pawz on every snowy or icy walk -- these boots are made for those terrible slushy days or if you're going to be out for a long time in the cold.  As a bonus:  these boots protect their paws from even coming into contact with salt, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea when licked.  Yuck.

After our one frozen weekend, we're back to sunny skies and mild temps in New York.  So I've stored these winter goods again.  If you don't already own Mushers Secret wax or Pawz boots, you may want to hold off on buying -- they may be rendered obsolete by global warming.

I'm sure Lulu won't mind.

$271.99 [Betelgeuse's Holiday Wish List]

Next up:  Betelgeuse's Wish List.

*          *          *

Dear Santa,

I'm not a complicated dog, but I like what I like, and you know what I like because I growled it in your ear while I sat on your lap.

Clockwise from top left: 10" Aerobie Superdisc, discussed here ($10) | American Kennel Club Hedgehog Dog Toy w. Squeaker, AKC toys discussed here ($5) | Chuckit! The Whistler, Small, 2" diameter, 2-pack, discussed here ($7) | Wagwear Boat Canvas Carrier, Large, because I like being in a bag ($130).

[A note from the author:  Nothing new here.  I was surprised to see that a replacement inflatable playball did not make the wish list.]

Clockwise from top left:  Block of stinky cheese ($10) | Doggles, assorted colors, size SM ($20) | Dirty sock because the only thing better than you taking your sock off and throwing it on the floor is when you take your other sock off and throw it on the floor ($2) | Satin Baby Blanket with cotton filling, 33" x 33" to cover me in the car and protect me from the sun, covered bridges, trucks, etc. ($55)

[A note from the author.  Two themes emerge from these gifts:  (1) protection from the sun and (2) things that stink.

On the first:  Betel hates that big yellow ball in the sky.  Maybe it's because she spent the first four months of her life in a cage with artificial lighting or maybe it's because she has a big fur coat and gets hot easily.  But whatever the reason, she hates the sun.  When we ride in the car, she gets anxious and sometimes even sick unless and until we cover her with something that blocks out all light (for example, our coats or a dark scarf but not a light-colored t-shirt or towel).  Then she lays down and goes to sleep for the rest of the ride.  She's like a parrot.

If nothing else is available, she'll even try to hide under Lulu. 

It would be nice to have something that is not one of our articles of clothing (or our other dog) to keep in the car for these purposes.  The satin side of a baby blanket would be nice and cool for her, but I think something like the Sleepypod Cloudpuff blanket ($30) would work fine too.  Doggles are hilarious, but I'm not sure she would put up with them.

On the second:  Betel is just gross.  She likes eating her own eye goo and cat poop and hanging out with socks and her favorite treat is the stinkiest cheese in the world.  It's just who she is.] 

And, Mr. Kringle, last but not least:

A bag of 140 replacement squeakers ($32.99), my favorite.  Thanks in advance.  I will leave you some dog food.  Oh, and NO CLOTHES PLS THX THAT SUX.  Also please shrink our cat.

<3,
Betel

$284.75 [Lulu's Holiday Wish List]

I am starting the holiday gift guide series with Lulu's Wish List since it is her first Christmas with the clan.

*        *        *

Dear Santa,

Please send the following items RUSH to Brooklyn.  We do not have a chimney, but we usually keep the back door unlocked (shhh), so just sneak in that way.

 

Clockwise from top left:  Alqo Wasi Alpaca Wool Llama Sweater, size SM ($54) | Merrick Water Buffalo Flossies, 6-8" ($4.49) | Basil PASJA, pet rear bike basket with steel frame cover ($100).

[A note from the author on the bike basket:  The steel frame cover is 100% necessary.  I already have a pet basket that attaches to my handlebars (the Solvit 62331 Tagalong Wicker Bicycle Basket), which Betelgeuse loves, but no matter how well I secure Lulu in the basket, she jumps or wiggles or ninja-style flips out while I'm riding and just hangs from the basket by her harness.  You have never experienced anything so terrible.  I will not even ride with them anymore.  So yes please, this basket.  And it's easier for me to ride with the weight on the back bike rack anyway.]

Clockwise from top left:  Thundershirt, Navy Blue Rugby, size XS ($40) | Nature's Miracle Quick Results Training Pads, 14-ct ($9.31) | Brinkmann Pet Home Decor Cuddler - 24" x 20", purple ($40) | Hammacher Schlemmer Dogbrella ($29.95).

[A note from the author:  Three of these gifts are related to the weather, or rather, Lulu's disdain for inclement weather -- the Thundershirt, which we discussed previously, to help Lulu overcome her top three shake-inducing fears: thunder, snow, and the subway.  Second, the training pads.  We have successfully housebroken Lulu and would never use wee-wee pads, but she HATES the rain.  Her only "accidents" now occur when it's raining outside, so training pads would definitely be on her wish list.  And finally, the Dogbrella for my prissy rain-hating pup, which is just so hilarious.]

Feel free to also throw in some dog or human treats -- whatever, really, although I'm quite fond of the Wagatha's Organic Dog Biscuits in Coconut Grove with Tart Cherry ($7).  And if you hook me up, I might even stop barking at you.  No promises, though.

Respectfully Yours,
Lulu

$54.47 [Happy Halloween!]

Happy Belated Día de Muertos from the Clan!  The 2011 Halloween Costume Watch has come to an end:  The dogs were flowers, and I was the sun.

We had a great time on Saturday at the 2011 District Dog Halloween Parade, Adoption Day, and Costume Contest in McGolrick Park.  We didn't win (winners here, as blogged by a local stuffed rabbit, no kidding), but it turns out that it didn't really matter.  It was the perfect Halloween celebration and just what I needed after an emotionally draining October.  We spent the day making the costumes and hanging out with like a hundred awesome dogs, most of them in impossibly cute costumes.  Of course, not as impossibly cute as our dogs in costumes.

$0.01 [Is my Dog's Halloween Costume Racist?]

Did you know that I wanted the dogs to be the Obamas for Halloween?  Betelgeuse as Barack, Lulu as Michelle, and Kyler and I as secret service agents.  But I eventually decided against it.

$24.99 [Wedding Gift for Stella]

The human members of the clan traveled to Chicago, Illinois this past weekend for the wedding of my friend Le and her partner (now husband) Lindsey. Lola spent the weekend back in Brooklyn with her BFF the automatic pet feeder. Betelgeuse and Lulu spent the weekend boarded at Unleash Brooklyn, which was sad because in Chicago we stayed with Betel's first dog friend, Icarus (but not too sad because they will be reunited next week!).

On the day of the wedding, I was looking up information about the ceremony on Le and Lindsey's wedding website. This led to me to play around on their wedding registry. Even though I bought them a digital toaster off their registry months ago, I wanted to see what else was purchased because I'm curious and I have boundary issues.

As I scrolled down, there was something new on the registry that immediately caught my eye. Something I recognized from my own 2011 Halloween costume watch, but something that had not been on their registry when I bought the toaster...

The Animal Planet Raptor Dog Costume!!!

It's too much. In fact, this entire line of new Animal Planet dog costumes is too much. They are by far the best dog costumes on the market. I've been looking. (These costumes are so great that Betel and Lulu can't even wear them. Other NYC pups will definitely be wearing them, which would nix my chances of winning the costume contest.) Seriously, look at them.

$0.02 [2011 Halloween Costume Watch]

The weather has cooled this weekend.  You know what that means?  Halloween is right around the corner.  Well, not really, but we have been thinking about Halloween costumes since November 1 of last year, so for us, Halloween is right around the corner.

Last year, Kyler and Betelgeuse dressed up as a chef and a lobster.  They were runners-up for the best "Group" costume in the District Dog Halloween Parade and Costume Contest in McGolrick Park here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  See commentary on their costume ("absolutely adorable") and the winners here.

$36.00 [Thundershirt]

Lulu is scared of thunderstorms.  At the first flash of lightning or crack of thunder, she becomes the most pathetic creature.  She just stands there -- ears-down, tail-down -- and shakes.  Sometimes I can ease her tension by putting a blanket over her head, but not always.  She doesn't stop shaking until the storm has passed.  And then she's fine.

You might think this is another post about impending Hurricane Irene, but it's probably not.  Hurricanes bring strong winds and rain, but rarely do they bring lightning (although some do).  The science of it seems to be that most hurricanes lack the vertical wind churning that forms the electrical fields that cause lightning.  Lulu is by no means a fan of rain or wind, but it's the thunder and lightning that really make her freak out.  And we've had a dark and stormy August here in New York, folks -- countless thunderstorms and record-setting rainfall -- and Irene probably won't be the last to pass through.  Poor Lu!

Which brings me to my question:  Does Lulu need a Thundershirt?  Which probably brings you to your question:  What is a Thundershirt? 

Well, for lack of a better description, it's a shirt for thunder -- you know, a thundershirt.

From the website:  "Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited. Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs show significant improvement in symptoms when using Thundershirt. Thundershirt is already helping tens of thousands of dogs around the world, and is recommended by thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers." 

You just wrap 'em up in it.  And then commence tranquility.

The Thundershirt's original purpose was to help calm down pups with dog storm phobia (hence the name Thundershirt) but it turns out that it's been helpful in treating a variety of dog anxieties, including leash issues (ahem, Betel).

$36.00 for a size XS Thundershirt.  With the 45-day money back guarantee on every Thundershirt (along with the absolute guarantee that we are in for some more late summer storms), it seems like a good pet investment:  Lulu can wear it during storms, and Betel can wear it on walks, and I get to say "thundershirt" some more.  Win-win-win.