My Friendly Pets

Traveling with pets can be frustrating, to say the least. Aside from the usual hurdles when it comes to traveling with pets, dogs and small cars don’t usually mix well. Lucky for you, fellow dog lovers, I’ve found a website (actually a blog) that reviews cars, mostly SUV’s according to their usefulness as “dogmobiles.” I have never bought a vehicle according to how many dogs I can fit into it comfortably, but with three dogs in the family now, it’s not sounding like such a bad idea!

dogs, pets, animals, car reviews, dog mobile, travel

Illinois Senator, Dick Durbin has started a campaign to change the standards for pet food evaluation. He is urging the FDA to change their policies for regulating the pet food industry. Pets are important members of our families, and should be treated accordingly. Click Here for more about Senator Durbin’s Campaign.

dogs, pets, animals, dick durbin, pet food, fda, reform, food safety

I came across another dog food recipe that looks pretty healthy. This one is a little softer for those old dogs with missing or no teeth. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups brown rice
1 cup raw carrots, chopped
1 cup cooked spinach, chopped

Cook brown rice until just underdone, leaving some crunchiness in consistency. Combine all ingredients in an airtight container, mixing until well blended.
Store in refrigerator.

dogs, pets, animals, senior dogs, dog food, recipes, homemade

Do you talk to your dogs? I find myself walking around the house saying things like “Hey Teddy-Weddy… Whatcha doin Holly-Wolly” and “Hey my pretty babies, what did you do today?” Of course, they have no idea what I’m talking about, but they sure do get riled up when I talk to them. They may not know what I’m saying, but they definitely know I’m talking to them. My husband laughs at me, but I catch him doing it too. The dogs also try to “talk” back to me. Teddy whines and barks at me until I pick him up, and Remy makes the growling sound when he wants to play. Holly isn’t very vocal, but she finds her own little ways of getting my attention, like licking me in the face until I rub her belly. There are certain words that they know as well. For example, they know “go” means we’re getting in the car. They really go nuts when they hear “go” because it means a car ride! Another one is “pee-pee.” All I have to do is say “Gotta pee-pee,” and they’re all three standing at the door barking and wimpering with excitement.

dogs, pets, animals, communication, canine, barking, whining

“You do not own a dog, the dog owns you.” - Unknown

dogs, pets, animals, dog quotes

My little Bichon Frise puppy, Remy has been selected as the ‘dog of the day’ over at Dogster.com. He’s so excited that he’s chasing his tail as we speak.

dog, pets, animals, puppies, dogster, bichon frise

The latest reports on the pet food recall are claiming that melamine was found not only in wheat gluten, but also in rice protein and corn gluten. What are wheat gluten, rice protein, and corn gluten, you ask? They’re cheap forms of protein, much cheaper than chicken or real meat ingredients. Dog food companies choose those ingredients to keep their costs down, of course. Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics and is also used as a fertilizer. There are still no solid answers as to how it got into the pet food ingredients. Here’s an interesting article on one theory.

dogs, pets, animals, pet food, recall, wheat gluten, melamine, corn gluten, rice protein, contamination

My father-in-law recently adopted a dog from a shelter, which he definitely gets kudos for doing. She’s a mutt, plain and simple, but as sweet as can be. She’s a medium sized dog, with a playful and pleasant demeanor. I think she’s some type of Labrador mix, but who knows really. You would expect her to have a girly name like Gracie, or Daisy, or something along those lines. However, my father-in-law, being the strange old man that he is, decided that the perfect name for her would be “Bob the Dog.�? Yes, that’s her name, not just plain old Bob, but “Bob the Dog.�? Aside from the fact that Bob is definitely a male name and she’s definitely female, what exactly is the point in adding ‘the dog’ to the end of her name? Hmmm… what if I introduced myself as ‘marlena the person’, wouldn’t that sound stupid? I tried arguing my point to him, but he wouldn’t budge, and insisted that we call her “Bob the Dog.�? Poor dog, she has been cursed with the most dreadful dog name ever.

I’m sure there are many more stupid dog names out there. What’s the worst name for a dog you’ve ever heard?

dogs, pets, animals, names, dog names, mutts, humor, stupid

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

It’s a side-table, it’s a dog crate, or is
it both? The Haus Dog Crate is the stylish way to crate your pup. This is such a great idea, since dog crates are usually made of ugly metal and plastic, which don’t do much for your living room decor. Fashion meets function!

These doggie sunglasses are called ‘Doggles’. I’m probably getting carried away at this point, but they do seem like a great idea for dogs who like sticking their heads out of windows, or doggies on boat rides. You can get them in any color, shape, or size. Doggles are priced from $14-$20.

This one is definitely over the top, but it looks really cute. It’s called the ‘Puppy Purse’. If you don’t really like the idea of your dog as a purse, you can undo the straps and use it as a leash. While it looks appealing, at $70 each, I would have to say it’s a bit over priced.

The “Lookout” car seat is a great way to keep your dog in the back seat, instead of on your lap. It looks comfortable and has an attachment for food and water bowls. The Lookout seat also comes in several sizes and for multiple dogs. I always have trouble with my dogs in the car, so I would love to have one of these. They range in price from around $60-$170.

dogs, pets, animals, dog beds, dog supplies, fun dog stuff, puppy purse, dog car seats, crates

Wouldn’t you love to have a hand drawn picture of your pets to hang on your wall? I know, it sounds expensive, but check out this website. You can have your baby’s picture drawn in charcoal, color pencil, or pastel. Prices range from $25 and up, depending on what size you prefer. If you have a sense of humor, they will even do a caricature for you!

dogs, pets, animals, portraits, art, dog, art

My dogs love getting treats, but with the recent food recalls it’s hard to feel comfortable giving them just any ol’ bag of treats from the grocery store. Thus, my babies only get natural or organic food, as well as treats. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing all those pups out there aren’t getting any treats because their pet-parents are scared of what might be in them. So, below is a list of some all-natural dog treats (NOT affected by the recall) which you can feel good about giving to your precious pups!

Bully Sticks - completely digestible chew sticks made from beef muscle, similar to rawhide. Bully Sticks will keep your dog chewing for hours.

Wellness Pure Rewards - an alternative to recalled beef jerky treats. Grain free, wheat free, and 100% natural.

Newman’s Own Organics - these treats come in chicken flavor, peanut butter, cheese, and vegetable. You can find them at common places like grocery stores and PetCo / PetSmart. My dogs love these!

Merrick Puppy Nibbles - pork chew treats for your puppy. All natural, of course.

Merrick GrandPaws - for your senior dog. All natural beef hide treats which are a little softer than regular chew treats.

dogs, pets, animals, recall, food, treats, natural, organic, wellness, merrick, newmans

My Friendly Pets was nominated in the animals category! If you love us, please go vote for us!

Have you ever heard of dogster? It’s a fun little website where you can create profiles for your dogs, add other dogs as your ‘pup pals’, join groups, and much more. You also can upload photos so everyone can see how cute your pup is! Oh, and for you kitty lovers over at We Heart Cats, there’s Catster.com too!

You can visit my dogs’ pages by clicking below:

dogs, pets, animals, dogster, catster, dog websites, pet websites

“You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Hmmm… I’ve often wondered if dogs go to heaven. I sure hope so! What do you think?

dogs, pets, animals, dog quotes