First-Ever Golden Collar Award Nominees: Which Dog Actor Do You Think Should Win?

The Golden Globe Awards are so last weekend. The awards event that’s shining today is the Golden Collar Awards, a new institution recognizing the best canine performances in film and television.

The first-ever Golden Collar Awards, put together by Dog News Daily, will follow in the decade-old pawsteps of the Palm Dog Awards at Cannes in honoring the year’s top dog actors. The nominations came out yesterday, and we were not too surprised to see some of our favorite four-legged thespians on the list. Check out the nominees below and let us know who would get your vote if you were a judge.

The spotlight has been shining brightly on the amazing Uggie, the 9-year-old Jack Russell who had a major role in the wonderful film, The Artist. He upstaged pretty much everyone at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday with his incomparable cuteness. His Uggieness even inspired a call to start recognizing dogs at the Golden Globes and the Oscars (check out the Consider Uggie Facebook page), but there has been no official movement in that direction. Well, who needs a statue when you can get a cool collar?

Penelope Ann Miller and Uggie announced the Golden Collar Awards yesterday

Uggie, who helped his human costar, Penelope Ann Miller, announce the nominees, was nominated twice for a top-dog award. (His other nomination was as Queenie in Water for Elephants.) Judges will probably have a hard time, because last year there were some superb canine performances.

One of my favorites on the list is Cosmo, the uber-adorable Jack Russell who played beside Christopher Plummer in the indie breakout film, Beginners. I saw that in a special screening with Dogster Managing Editor Janine Kahn, and was grateful we brought a little packet of Kleenex with us.

Both Uggie and Cosmo were rescued from shelters by their trainers. How cool is that?

As well as telling us who you think deserves the Golden Collars in their categories, let us know what you think about the up-and-coming idea of having a category in the Oscars for performance by an animal. Stephen Spielberg is reportedly behind this effort; he apparently would like to see the horse who played Joey in War Horse nominated for such an award. (From what I read, several horses played Joey. Not sure how that would work …)

The awards ceremony takes place on Monday, February 13, at 6 p.m. (PT) at the Hotel Palomar in Westwood/Los Angeles. You won’t be able to tune in, because it’s not being televised, but we’ll bring you the results.

Canine nominees for the Golden Collar Awards were announced in five categories:

BEST DOG IN A THEATRICAL FILM

COSMO as Arthur — BEGINNERS (Focus Features)

UGGIE as Queenie  — WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Fox)

DENVER as Skeletor — 50/50 (Summit Entertainment/ Mandate Pictures)

HUMMER as Dolce — YOUNG ADULT (Paramount/Mandate)

UGGIE as Jack — THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)

BEST DOG IN A FOREIGN FILM

KOKO as Red Dog — RED DOG (Roadshow Films, Australia)

LAIKA as Herself — LE HAVRE (Janus Films, France)

BIINA as Alf — THE DAY THE DOGS DISAPPEARED (Nippon Television, Japan)

ICHICO as Tao — THE DAY THE DOGS DISAPPEARED (Nippon Television, Japan)

BEST DOG IN A TELEVISION SERIES

ROCY as Arnold — ENTOURAGE (HBO)

CHUNK as Himself — CHELSEA LATELY (E! Entertainment Television)

BRIGITTE as Stella — MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

DART as Chance — HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV Land)

JASON GANN as Wilfred — WILFRED (FX)

LAMBCHOP as Yakult — SUBURGATORY (ABC)

BEST DOG IN A REALITY TELEVISION SERIES

GIGGY — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS/Lisa Vanderpump (Bravo)

MILLOU — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY/Sonja Morgan (Bravo)

JACKPOT — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS/Adrienne Maloof (Bravo)

SPARTACUS — ICE LOVES COCO/Coco (E! Entertainment)

HERCULES — PIT BOSS/ Shorty Rossi (Animal Planet)

BEST DOG IN A DIRECT-TO-DVD FILM

FRED as B Dawg — SPOOKY BUDDIES (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)

GASTON as Beethoven — BEETHOVEN’S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE (Universal Home Entertainment)

ANGEL as Chloe — BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)

ROWDY  as Marley — MARLEY AND ME: THE PUPPY YEARS (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)

RUSCO as Papi — BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)

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An Interesting Idea in Chicago: Licensing Owners, Not Dogs

Er, I hope humans won't actually have to wear the license tags.

Respected dog writer Steve Dale reports in Chicago Now that a Chicago alderman has proposed licensing dog owners instead of dogs.

“To their credit, the  Chicago Aldermen seem to understand that one breed (or combination of breeds — such as Pit Bull-looking dogs — whatever that means) aren’t the issue — it’s irresponsible and reckless dog owners who are the problem.”

There’s been no discussion to his knowledge of how this change would happen, or what it would entail, but one idea behind it seems to be that owners would know up front that they’re accountable for their dogs’ actions and well-being. It’s a no-brainer to most dog lovers, but definitely not to all.

The aldermen say they know how important it is to keep the fees affordable, so money should not be any more of an issue than it is with licensing dogs.

Dale thinks the idea is brilliant, in part because the city has a better chance of enforcing the licensing. In most communities, the majority of dogs are not licensed. People are generally easier to keep track of than their pets, so the annual fees may be easier to collect when they’re directed toward humans. But would those who don’t pay now really pay if the law changes? Could there be a sliding scale for those who truly can’t afford any more expenses? And would the people who don’t care about their dogs’ actions really be changed by this?

It’s an interesting idea, for sure. I can see arguments on both sides, but I’m going to let you chime in on this. What are the pros and cons, and if you were to be part of the committee that decides what will go into this change in law, what would you want to see included? Mandatory education? Passing a test, as you would for driving a car or hunting? Is that too heavy-handed of the government, or should it have happened long ago? Can’t wait to see how you weigh in on this, Dogsters!

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Tom Hanks Loses “Finest Dog in the World”

I don’t make a habit of reporting on celebrity dog news, but Tom Hanks is such a good person and such a fine actor, and he and his family had a really beautiful dog.

He wrote on his Who Say page the other day that his dog, Monty, had died. “”Deep brown eyes, noble demeanor, finest dog ever,” he wrote. “A sad day. Goodbye Big Boy.”

In the space of a tweet, the depths of a lifelong bond.

RIP, Monty.

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Vote for Dogster in Bay Woof’s Beast of the Bay Awards!

Great news, Dogsters! Our site has been nominated for a Beast of the Bay Award by the readers of Bay Woof, the San Francisco Bay Area’s monthly newspaper for people and their dogs. We’re nominated in two categories, Best Dog Social Networking Site and Best Overall Website for Dog Lovers.

We’d love it if you’d consider voting for us in the fourth annual Beast of the Bay Awards. Don’t worry, you don’t have to vote in every category or even live in the Bay Area — after the first page, you may skip to the sections in which you want to vote. The Dogster categories are numbers 45 and 49.

The final ballot is available online until midnight on Friday, February 10. Help us be a winner — like Dogster member Razzle, pictured at right.

Thank you, Dogsters!

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Inspirational Rags to Riches Story; A Three-Legged Surf Hero

Onyx learns to surf in a pool at his upscale doggy daycare

The black Lab who stars in this story was found five months ago tied to a wooden post. He had a bloody severed leg. “It looked like it had literally been chopped off by garden shears,” says Daniel Slayton, the Los Angeles-area veterinarian and orthopedic specialist who amputated the dog’s leg, and would end up adopting Onyx. He didn’t know if the dog would survive until surgery because he was so septic and shocky, but this amazing fighter pulled through, and has become an inspiration for so many people.

Onyx is living the good life now, but he’s giving back in spades. He’s training to become a therapy dog, where he will help others — particularly children who have lost limbs — realize that life’s difficulties can be overcome. The video below tells the whole story.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Happy 8th Birthday Brutus and Rufus

Its so hard to believe the boys are now 8 year old seniors.  Although they are starting to slow down, they are still in pretty good shape.  They have very little grey on their faces, they still run around and wrestle with each other like pups.  They enjoy chewing bones and playing with their toys.

Their birthday marks the passage of time and reflection on all the good times I have had with them.  I try not to make it too big of a deal because I know that there won’t be many more birthdays for them.  The average life span (depending on what source you look at) is usually only 8-10 years.  It makes me sad that we get such a short time with our big guys compared to other breeds.  But I wouldn’t trade a single day with them for the world.  They have made me so happy and in the immortal words of Jerry Maguire… “You (Brutus and Rufus) complete me!”

Happy Birthday Boys!

I got their birthday cake from Three Dogs Bakery again.  Its a peanutbutter cake with peanutbutter cream cheese frosting and a “crowd” favorite.

  

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Is Stalking Cute Dogs on the Internet Your Favorite Pastime? Ours, Too!

Hanging out on Facebook is a really good way to not get any work done. Luckily, I get paid to play on Facebook (haters, hate on), so I never feel guilty about how much time I spend there. Because of that awesome fact and my awesome job, I have the scoop on all the best fan pages to follow.

Before you get started, please note that if you only want to like one Facebook page, please like Dogster’s, and then immediately post a picture of your dog there so I can squee and obsess over how cute it is. Kthx. And now, the list:

+ Serious support for your O.C.D.:
I suffer from a little-known condition known as Obsessive Chihuahua Disorder, or O.C.D. for short.

Fortunately, I feel right at home with this support group on Facebook. There is a Chi for everyone on there. My fave is Bebe. Who’s yours?

+ Four frog heirs you will die for:

If you are a Frenchie fanatic, you are probably familiar with the terms Frog Prince or Frog Princess. I also call these dogs Wrinkle Faces, Pot Roasts, and Dwarf Bunnies — I could go on but I’ll refrain.

ANYWAY, the Moon Pieds are four of the cutest frogs on Facebook. You will not regret receiving constant updates on their adorable life together.

+ Pug fanatics, rejoice:

This is DJ Rio Bravo, featured on the Hug Pugs Facebook page. If you are crazy about pugs, know this:

A) You are not alone. There are apparently 156,000 people just as obsessed as you are.

and B) PUGS LOOK LIKE LITTLE WORMS! And I want to smoosh them all with my love.

+ Meet Pippi!

Pippi is an adorable little Chi who was neglected by some ASSHOLE and then sent to a shelter.

I use the term “asshole” quite confidently, and I’m sure you will understand when you see what Pippi looked like back then, when she had mange. The amazing thing is that she is now in a loving home with other Chis, and she is THRIVING. She looks so beautiful and happy. I cried when I saw her before and after pictures.

+ Two pugs who get up to mischief:
Mr. Pug & Mr. Other Pug are absolutely hilarious! You will die when you see the adorable adventures they have, as well as their witty and spot-on commentary on life.

+ Warning, this site may depress you:
Loving dogs isn’t just about sharing cute photos. It’s about caring for them, signing petitions that advocate for them, and helping them find the loving forever homes they deserve. The Patrick Miracle is a great way to get involved.

+ The most beautiful pet photography I’ve ever seen:

SRSLY. Serenah is an Australian-based photographer whose >pictures will absolutely wow you and your friends, so share, share, share!

Anna Zeman is a Social Media Monkey Scientist Strategist at SAY Media (Dogster and Catster’s pawrent company). She is pro-smooshed-faces, pro-kawaii, and anti-animal testing.

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Pet Bed & Toy Detergent that ROCKS!

January 21, 2012 at 10:42 am

I’ve never really figured out how to wash my dogs’ crate covers, beds and toys. I have a new-fangled washer and dryer with steam settings that are supposed to “freshen up” children’s stuffed animals. But I find that they don’t clean very well. Dog toys and beds are considerably dirtier and smellier than children’s things, so I’m back to square one.

Enter Rockin Green Pet Bed & Toy Detergent. It’s environmentally friendly, with no phosphates or dyes. Most detergents are designed to leave something behind (fabric softeners, brighteners, fragrances). This detergent is designed to wash thoroughly, deodorize, and then rinse completely away.

I received a full-size test sample just after we had put down our Labrador. I had the old girl’s crate covers and beds that needed to be laundered and stored. To tell the truth, they hadn’t been laundered but once in 8 years. She ate all her meals in her crate, and she shed quite a bit. Plus, she tracked in stuff from outside. So this was a perfect — if not altogether fair — test for the detergent.

I followed the instructions on the back of the package. I put my bedding and crate cover in the water and gave them a warm rinse to get the hair off and loosen the dirt. Then I added the detergent and put the load through a regular wash. I did not change any of the regular wash settings. I put everything into the dryer and when it came out, I gave it a check.

The dirt and hair were completely gone. I’m used to having SOME hair still in the fabric. But not this time. The stains were gone. Then I gave it a sniff test. I put my face in the middle of the pad that had been on the floor of the crate and inhaled deeply. I could not smell any fragrances, just a very faint clean smell. I did it again. Nothing but a very soft clean, neutral smell. The beds, mats and crate covers were clean, clean, clean, with nearly no smell at all. They’re folded nicely and ready for use again.

The instruction say that if you’ve got a really bad smell, you can soak the load in 2 scoops of detergent for 30-60 minutes to let the detergent work on the odors and soil. Then you can launder as usual without adding any more detergent. I do not have that much funk to fight, but if I did, I have every confidence that this product would get it out, leaving behind a subtle freshness to the fabric. I don’t have plush toys to try it on because our Irish Setter shreds them. If anyone uses it on toys and would like to post a comment as an addendum to my product test, please do.

It’s so great when a product does what it claims to do, don’t you think? The 25-ounce package cleans 25 loads for $13.95. That’s 56 cents per load (less if you’ve got an HE washer, which I do). It’s made in USA for all water types. The company also makes other green cleaning products, including an odor neutralizing spray which might be good for pet beds, too. See them all at http://rockingreensoap.com.

Entry filed under: Dog Product Reviews. Tags: .

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Winter Boredom Busters for your Green Dog!

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Working Dogs Get Their Day on Set of New Postal Stamps

If you like working dogs (and who doesn’t?!) and you still send items by mail, you’ll love the set of four working-dog stamps unleashed by the US Postal Service today. The stamps depict a guide dog, a therapy dog, a military dog (a tracking dog), and a search dog.

Unfortunately these aren’t the right denominations for a typical letter, but if you have anything a bit bigger, they’ll do the trick. They almost make me want to send big fat letters to my friends. They’re too good for my big fat bills, though.

Artist John M. Thompson based the stamps on photographs he composed, and painted them in acrylics, according to the Baltimore Sun (the USPS Store site has been down for hours this morning so I can’t get it straight from the source; it may be up by the time you read this. You can order the stamps directly from there if you want to avoid lines.)

Military working dog groups have been pushing for a standard-letter-priced stamp honoring military working dogs for more than a decade now. They’re glad that the dogs have a nod in this set of stamps, but they are still pushing for a “forever” stamp or set of stamps devoted to these canine heroes. If you want to help this endeavor, head to the US War Dogs Association stamp petition page and click the link. (As with the postal stamp site, this morning the petition site isn’t working, but with luck it should be fixed soon.)

Dogsters, will you be buying these stamps? What do you think of them? Will you be coating your postal packages with them for a while? I’m going to get a few sets of these once the postal link is going again. Even though it may be a long time before I have a reason to use them, I’d like them handy when I need them. They’ll join my Owney dog stamps in my top desk drawer.

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Fizzion Concentrated Cleaner

January 21, 2012 at 11:29 am

The manufacturers of Fizzion Pet Stain & Odor Remover state that the product is an earth-friendly, pet-friendly cleaning solution for pet stains and soil. It uses CO2 rather than enzymes to clean the stains, so there’s no waiting for it to activate. And it reduces odor while it cleans the stain. It comes with a reusable bottle and two tablets of the active ingredients. It is formulated to work on most any protein-based stain, including urine, poop, vomit … even wine and chocolate.

I had some wine and chocolate on hand, so I sat down for a snack and then set about cleaning two urine stains. I had an old urine stain on the carpet, plus some fresh ones from an old dog who couldn’t always hold on until we got home. She often went to the children’s rooms when she couldn’t hold it any more. So when we got home, I had a mess to clean up. The smell was often pretty bad, so I had been using vinegar to deal with that.

I followed the directions, filling the bottle with warm water and one tablet, which fizzed in a most satisfying way. I sprayed it on the old, dark urine stain and left it for a few moments while I filled my Little Green Machine for the fresh stain. I folded a bath towel and placed it over the fresh stain, standing on it to blot up as much of the urine from the carpet and padding as I could. Then I used the Little Green Machine to spray and scrub with Fizzion. The stain came up easily and when I emptied the dirty water reservoir, I noticed less smell than I normally would. I put the overhead fan on high and checked it in about half an hour. The spot was nearly dry and odor-free. Vinegar does great at taking out the urine smell, but then you have to open a window because of the vinegar smell. I was tired of having my house smell like a salad all the time. But Fizzion does not leave a strong perfumy or chemical smell to deal with when the urine smell is gone. It’s just clean, with no odor at all. And yes, I got down on my hands and knees and put my nose on the carpet in the middle of where the stain was and sniffed. Nothing. (I marked where the stain had been because I though that if the product worked well I might not be able to see it, and I was glad I did, because there was no trace.)

So it worked well on the fresh stain. Now on to the old stain. Pet stains are usually easy to see because pets tend to stay still while they pee. I must confess that the old stain was not from the dogs. It was from my three-year-old son, who was being potty trained and out of diapers for the first time. Apparently, he had run down the hallway while peeing, and I didn’t know it until days later when the droplets began to turn dark. So I had about 65 of these tiny dry urine stains to clean up. The old stain came up, to my surprise. I got it completely picked up, but I said to myself, “Let’s see if it reappears after it dries.” A week later, it was still gone.

I wondered how well the product would work after the fizz was gone, and the water had cooled to room temperature. After all, it’s a 16 oz bottle, and I have NEVER used an entire bottle of cleaner on any one project. So I let it sit on the kitchen counter for two weeks. Then I tried to clean up the remaining old urine stains. They came up just as well as the first one, and they never came back.

I’ve also used it around the house. I clean the dining room table with it after meals, clean the kitchen counters with it, even clean the toilets with it. It needs no rinsing and leaves no strong smell. My only (very minimal) concern with the product is that after a few weeks using it, the bottle now requires 8-12  pumps before the solution begins to come out. It didn’t at first. It could be an isolated case affecting a low percentage of bottles, so I’m not going to make any broad statements about the spray bottle it comes with.

I was so impressed with the product that the manufacturer gave me a $1 off coupon code to share with my blog readers. You can get your Fizzion here. Use coupon code FUNSTUFF. It’s good for 30 days, so be sure to use it by February 28, 2012. Please share your results by commenting on this post.

Entry filed under: Dog Product Reviews. Tags: clean dog pee, get rid of odor from pet stains, how to clean pet pee, pet stain remover, pet stains don't come back.

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Dog and Grandson Save Grandpa from Choking

Jerry Bellissima with his grandpa, Tony Del Rosso (Photo: Mat Boyle, Gloucester County News)

If it weren’t for the combined actions of Teddy the Cairn terrier and high school student Jerry Bellissima, the teen’s grandpa probably wouldn’t be around anymore.

Tony Del Rosso was watching football at his New Jersey home when he choked on some cashews while tilted back in his recliner chair. His grandson was nearby, but wouldn’t have realized anything was amiss if not for Teddy. It seems Del Rosso choked so quickly that he passed out before he had time (or ability) to cough, much less cry out for help.

But the 5-year-old dog knew something was wrong, and started barking up a storm. Bellissima went over to see what the dog was barking about and saw his grandfather unconscious. He immediately launched into a front-facing form of the Heimlich maneuver, which he learned in elementary school. The cashew(s) were no match for the Heimlich, and after they popped out, Del Rosso began breathing again and regained consciousness.

What a team!

Del Rosso was all praise for his grandson — with whom he is very close — and his dog.

“I don’t know how he knew to come out, but he’s a good dog,” Del Rosso told the Gloucester County Times. He has had Teddy for four years, and the two are inseparable.

“I had a lot of animals growing up — horses, goats, pigs. If you could have it, I had it, and this dog is probably the smartest animal I’ve ever had,” Del Rosso said. “He understands English, I swear.”

He also seems to understand the equal importance of the sound of silence.

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Fun Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Preview: The Bark Side (But What’s with the Italian Greyhound?!)

Want to be the one to tell all your dog-lovin’ friends about a great new commercial starring some really awesome dogs barking out the Imperial March from Star Wars? Check out the teaser for the Volkswagen ad! (At first it’s a bit of a cacophony, but you’ll hear the tune emerge.)

As of this writing, only 305 people have seen it. You will be a pioneer. Your friends will thank you. And you may even feel an odd and overwhelming urge to buy a Volkswagen.

But here’s the thing. There’s this handsome Italian greyhound named Bones Mello that Dogster Managing Editor Janine Kahn wrote about while I was on leave to write my book. She did a post about his incredible homemade and home-designed Star Wars AT-AT costume, with photos of the making of the costume step by step. Katie Mello, an artist at the animation studio LAIKA, created it herself. Here is Bones in his finery.

Okay, now check out this image from the end of the Volkswagen dog chorus commercial.

Wow, cool! Looks like Bones has made it to the big time in that costume. But wait! What’s this on his Facebook page? A Wall post from Bones says, “Yea, so there is an Italian Greyhound at the end of this ad who looks a lot like me, and is wearing a suit a lot like mine. Today is the first I have heard of this …… Hmmmm….”

A few dozen comments from Bones’ loyal fans follow. They are not happy. Everyone who saw it assumed it was Bones.

Wow, it’s really hard to believe that the people who put this commercial together did not flat-out rip off this whole thing, including the pattern for the costume (which did not turn out as well as the original). I’ve checked around and have found no costumes like this on the market. This sure seems to be much more than coincidence.

Ideas are not protected by copyright, and Katie put the pattern out to the public, so there’s probably no case for a suit (or is there? I’m no lawyer), but it would have been nice if the ad agency could have at least contacted her and told her of the commercial, and thanked her for the idea/costume pattern. Perhaps Bones could have gotten an audition. And they could have thrown in something kinda cool, too. She probably wouldn’t have gotten a Volkswagen out of it, but maybe a top mention on their upcoming Star Wars viewer names promo? I dunno. Seems like they should do right by her because it’s the perfect ending to this terrific new commercial. They need to make it come out well for Bones and Katie, too.

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Bissell Spot Bot Pet Deep Cleaner

January 23, 2012 at 8:48 am

When my husband and I adopted three children under the age of 4, my sister recommended I purchase a Bissell Little Green Machine, which I did in all haste. With two big dogs and three tykes, it proved to be a life saver, so much so that I drove the poor thing into the ground. When it came time to replace it, the Bissell Spot Bot walk-away cleaner caught my eye. What busy full-time mom/entrepreneur/homeschooler wouldn’t want a cleaner-upper that will do the job for her while she does three other things?

I got one for around $130 (you can find them for $120 to $150 from Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, and a dizzying array of online sources). Between spills and an incontinent dog, it has gotten quite a workout, and I have to say, it works as advertised.

There is a hose attachment, and a setting for working manually with the hose, which is nice. But if you want to let the machine clean up the spot, you can set it to automatic and it just does its thing in about 3 minutes for surface stains and about 5 minutes for set-in stains. When it’s done, a tone sounds. And keeps sounding every 5 seconds until you turn it off.

I’m happy with the way it works on urine stains. I still prefer to take a big towel and stand on the stain before treating it with the Spot Bot because the urine spreads out on the carpet padding so much before I can get to it. But then I fill the tank with a pet stain cleaner and warm water, and let it do its thing. For manual applications (for example, if there are lots of spots), I like the manual brush/suction arm. It has a trigger spray so I can get as much or as little spray on the spot as I want. The suction is very powerful for such a small motor, and I have seen no diminishment in the suction since I bought it about nine months ago.

I used a low-sudsing pet stain cleaner, AKC Gold Stain & Odor Remover, which worked well in the machine. The tank has water and detergent levels marked on it, and the Spot Bot even comes with a few samples of Bissell’s cleaning products to use in the machine. These worked very well for me. They also recommend putting the water in first, then the detergent, which cuts down on the sudsing as the water goes in. I find that hot water – if it doesn’t shrink your carpet – dries faster, reducing the chance of mildew. Also, if you have ceiling fans, putting them on high to dry the spot also helps.

The manufacturer has put a Microban coating onto the insides of the machine to inhibit bacterial growth due to prolonged wetness. Still, I like to rinse it out when I’m finished. I empty the dirty intake tank, then put it back. I run clear water in the sink, then suck it up with the hand-held brush. The clear water gets sucked up, rinsing the tube and the intake tank. I just do that whenever I’m done because I can’t stand smells that I can’t get rid of.

The only (minor) problem with the walk-away feature is that you have to have a stain that fits completely under the scrub/suction station for that feature to work. Most dog pee stans will fit just fine, even if it’s a big dog. But male dogs who mark against a wall or furniture will require the manual brush. So will some vomit stains if they’re irregular and spread out. In this case, I just moved the Spot Bot around until it was all picked up. And you do have to still pick up the solids from the stain first before cleaning. But that’s entirely reasonable and to be expected. The automatic cycle really does a great job, and cleans better than I can do with the manual scrub brush/wand.

The cord is long enough that I can reach any stain from a nearby outlet. It uses any cleaning solution (although a diluted solution is best to avoid creating lots of suds). The cleaning solution tank and dirty water tank are easy to empty, clean and install into the machine (nothing’s worse than wrestling with levers and tanks when you’re hollering for the kids to stay out of the mess until you can clean it up).

I love the new Bissell Spot Bot Pet Deep Cleaner. I stow it under the guest bathroom sink where it is convenient to pull out and use quickly. It does what it says it will do and it has held up well under regular use. I would recommend this for any household that has pets. I wouldn’t be without it.

Entry filed under: Dog Product Reviews. Tags: carpet spot cleaner, how to clean pet stains, pet stain cleaner, pet stain shampooer, rug shampooer, stain cleaner.

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This Should Be a PSA for Not Spacing Out While Taking a Dog on an Elevator

You can’t watch the video below and not cringe and put your hands to your mouth and cringe some more as you watch the scene from the elevator camera in horror. But keep watching through the difficult, scary part, because it has a decent ending, and the bulldog is apparently okay.

The guy clearly cares about his dog and was worried sick about him when he (finally!) realized what was going on. But those are some slow reactions. What was going on in his mind? Or did he have a few martinis with lunch? And I wonder whether the bulldog will be wary of elevators after that unsettling business. Imagine it from the poor dog’s perspective. I hope the guy had a wakeup call and will never space out while taking the elevator with his dog again. (If it was even his dog. Yikes, what if he’s the dog walker?!)

BTW, those are some pretty vigilant security cameras. That was some good video editing to get all those perspectives from the same scene. Looks like there’s a budding film editor on the building’s security staff.

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Gnawin’ Forever Treats

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition sent me samples of the Gnawin’ Forever chew treat and a couple refill insert from (available exclusively from)  Pet Food Direct to do a review on.  I held on to them to use as their b-day pressies. Tonight I opened them to give it a try.   They have an entertaining animated commercial on their youtube page with Chompers the bull dog.

Its really a rather ingenious toy that boasts “upto two hours of chew time”.  Conservatively, I would say Rufus had it devoured in less than 15 minutes.  Clearly Rufus’s mouth is alot bigger than Chompers lol.  I was a little disappointed that it took him such a short time to finish it off, but this is the same dog that can down a large Busy Bone or Jumbone in less than 5 minutes.  Had he not been able to get the whole thing in his mouth and slobber all over it, it probably would have lasted much longer.  A smaller breed dog or one that is less aggressive of a chewer would certainly get significantly more time out of it.

The rubber outer housing twists apart and a chew insert (which smells incredible to the dogs, they wouldn’t leave me alone while I was trying to open the package) can be inserted on the inner peg.  There is a small space between the insert and the post so it spins around much to the delight and frustration to the dog.  You should have seen him trying to figure out how to get ahold of the chew treat inside.

I handed it to Brutus first, but he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it so I gave it to Rufus and he figured it out in no time flat.  He absolutely LOVED it.  In fact he loved it so much he licked the carpet clean well after it was finished and wouldnt let any of the other dogs have it.  He usually isnt possessive of his toys so this one really struck a chord with him.  Look at the intensity…

After Rufus finished his off, I refilled it and gave it back to Brutus and he knew exactly what to do with it after watching his brother.  I set the stop watch on him to see how long it took him to devour it and it took even less time.  He had the whole thing in his mouth and had broken off the first hunk of it in less than 60 seconds.  The entire thing, save some crumbs, was gone in under seven minutes and thirty seconds.

Rufus then stole the empty rubber dumbbell housing back and laid on his pillow and licked the crumbs that were left behind in the grooves for another hour plus… He even tried to take it outside with him when he went to pee for fear one of the other dogs would take it.

They really enjoyed it though and were certainly in blissful delight while they had a go at it.  The housing is available exclusively at petfooddirect.com for $26.99 and comes with 3 inserts, each additional two insert pack is $9.99.  After the initial investment of the housing, it is comparable in price to a large Jumbone or large Busy Bone which it did outlast and they found it a lot more enjoyable.  My only suggestion would be for them to make a BIGGER one for giant breed dogs.

Rufus does have a bit of a sensitive stomach and so far so good… no gas or otherwise, yet.  And yes, that’s Toddlers in Tiara’s you hear in the background.  We (ok, me) got sucked into an all day marathon… don’t judge. The show is like a train wreck you just cant look away from.

***EDITED TO ADD*** It has been over 24 hours and zero gas and all digestive processes were normal!  So they get my sensitive tummy stamp of approval!  Rufus also carried it to bed last night and hasnt let it out of his sight.  I do believe a standing order for refills needs be made.  He’s never shown such interest in a toy before.

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How You – Yes, You! – Can Help Solve Shelter Overpopulation

Most of us agree that prospective pet owners should try to adopt dogs from shelters whenever possible. Spay-and-neuter advocacy aims to reduce the number of dogs who are euthanized every year. While these are steps in the right direction, neither of them attempt to solve the actual issue of overpopulation.

Behavioral issues and poor training are the reasons most dogs end up in a shelter or rescue. These can include leg humping, being badly housetrained, or displaying increased reactivity and aggression. In addition, some dogs and owners may simply be a bad match. A high-energy, high-drive dog who lives with couch potatoes and is not given a productive job may become “self-employed,” patrolling the yard, constantly barking, or hiring himself as the resident interior designer and eating the couch.

I’d like to see a more proactive approach to the problem of shelter overpopulation. While I’m all for giving dogs a second chance, how about making sure that we give them an optimal first chance? Ideally, we want dogs to spend their lives in one home with one family. Don’t we want rescue to be an industry that puts itself out of business one day?

What can you do to prevent shelter overpopulation?

Train your dog
Start with early socialization — a well-taught puppy class is a must! — and continue training your dog throughout his life. Many dogs are given to shelters as adolescents, because far too many owners believe that attending a puppy class means you are done training your dog for the rest of his life.

Get help at the first sign of behavior problems
A dog that starts out barking occasionally in the yard will likely evolve into a dog that barks incessantly in the yard. It is much easier to address this problem with early intervention than it is to treat the issue once it has become well established.

Most dogs will not “grow out of” behavior problems; they get worse without intervention. What is easier? Quitting smoking after your first cigarette, or after decades and thousands of cigarettes? Bad habits are hard to break, and old habits are even harder to break!

Choose the right dog for you

No dog or breed is right for every family. Take a realistic look at your family’s activity level, grooming preferences, training goals, budget, and lifestyle to determine which dogs would be a good match. Some breeds tend to do better with small children, and some acclimate to a “couch potato” lifestyle more readily than others (yeah, I’m talking to you, greyhounds!).

If you don’t like brushing or don’t want to pay for professional grooming, an Old English Sheepdog may not be the right match. Shelties and terriers will be a poor fit if you don’t like barking. Enjoy sitting on the couch? If so, while you may like the look of a Malinois, a Pug may be a much better fit — that “Mali-gator” will likely drive you nuts! Want a socially gregarious pup who might make a good therapy dog? Avoid one of my favorite breeds, the Chow Chow. Like a clean house? Definitely avoid my other favorite breed, the Saint Bernard. This is all about setting yourself up for success.

Many trainers offer pet selection services and will interview you and your family and suggest one or more breeds that would be good candidates for further investigation. Do your own research — the Dogster breeds pages are a great place to start. Better yet, contact a rescue group or breed club in your area to talk with experienced handlers and meet the dogs.

Most dogs languishing in shelters are not puppies. They’re not even strays. They usually started out in a family home that for, whatever reason, neglected their training or were otherwise a bad match.

The simplest way to solve shelter overpopulation is responsible dog ownership. If you choose the right dog and train him for a lifetime of companionship, you’ll make sure you aren’t contributing to the problem!

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What’s YOUR favorite post of all time? Also: The e-collar conundrum

Picking up from the comments for an open thread …

Since we’ll be around a bit longer, I’d like to know: What are your all-time favorite posts here?

I have a few. Off the top of my head I like this one of mine:

If only people knew what good breeders do

And this one of Christie’s:

Poop in food: What’s up with that?

I’m going to go through and pull some others to put in the comments, but I bet those two are the ones I’ve linked to most often.

You?

***

And you want controversy? OK, here you go:

Faith is wearing an electronic collar in the picture below. Doesn’t she look miserable? This is about 30 minutes into a two-hour ride this morning, poor thing. (And yes, I bought a horse. I’ve desperately wanted my own horse since I was three years old, and now I am kicking myself for having waited 5o years. He’s an 8-year-old gaited trail horse gelding, name of Patrick. Well-trained and well-mannered. An absolute pleasure to ride. I love him.)

No, I’m not training Faith with an e-collar. It’s there to remind her of what she knows, if she needs to be reminded.  She knows “here” perfectly well, and responds to it 99.99 percent of the time. But when we’re on the bridle trail, that’s not good enough. A failure to come when called .01 percent of the time on a bridle trail that’s 500 yards from a street could be deadly. So …there’s an e-collar on her and it’s turned on to a very low setting. She understands the command “here,”  and she had been nicked a couple of times in the last two months for not responding, but not recently, and not since I started taking her out to ride with me.

Choices:

1) Leave her home. Sure, but she loves going out on the trail, and she really, really needs the exercise to stay sane.

2) Put a long line on her. That ruins the ride for all three of us, and it’s dangerous: It could get her, me and the horse hurt or killed when Patrick trips over it or gets otherwise tangled.

3) Use a very low-level “nick” from an e-collar to remind her if I need to that there are consequences for ignoring a command she damn well knows and knows well.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. But then, see, I am one of those people who believes an e-collar is a tool, not an instrument of torture that should be banned and its proponents sent to jail for animal cruelty. I believe that someone who knows what she’s doing with this tool is perfectly fine in using it. And that someone who doesn’t bother to learn how to use it or who uses it incorrectly is not.

I also believe that someone who uses a head halter and a reel-type leash — which I see all the freakin’ time and no one ever says a thing — is putting a dog at more risk of pain or injury than I ever have or ever will. Tools used incorrectly are dangerous, no matter now well-intentioned their design or intended use.

This morning the three of us were on the trail for two incredible, beautiful hours. We had the greatest time ever and not once — not once — did I need to do anything more than ask Faith “here” in a normal voice one time and one time only when she ranged a little too far afield. She turned and happily raced back every time I asked. I’m not even sure she remembered after a little while that she had an e-collar on, although she knows what it does and when it does it.

She also responded beautifully to “sit,” “down” and “heel” — and I do not use an electronic reinforcement on any of those behaviors. I’m prepared to get off the horse to follow through with her, if need be. I never had to.

The e-collar is on her to keep her alive if I need to use it by insisting that she immediately come when called.

I’m sure if you’re dogmatic about this issue, you’d tell me I need to train her “better” in some way or leave her home. And I’m thinking that since she comes when called the very first time 99.99 percent of the time, I’d wonder how much better she could be trained.  That means you’d rather her stay home and miss such a joyful outing than wear an e-collar.

And then, I’d be wondering why you think it’s better to deny her the pleasure of the ride and the exercise she needs because some think an e-collar is evil without exception.

Or maybe you cool with what I’m doing. Or maybe you’re seeing this in an entirely different way altogether.

There you go … now discuss.

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Dogster’s Style Picks of the Week: Workout Edition

Now that we’re nearly two weeks into January, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Yikes! That bad, huh? Don’t beat yourself up. Changes are difficult to make.

One of the most challenging resolutions to keep up with is the one we make to work out more. I know I struggle with this one all the time, but I find it helps to invest in the right equipment to get the job done. Wanting to keep my precious pooch happy and healthy certainly helps, too!

Do you and your pup need a bit more motivation? Perhaps this week’s Dogster Picks will help you reach your goals.

1. Gold’s Gym Rubber Dumbbell Dog Toys — Provide a powerful playtime workout for your pooch with these rubber dumbbells by Gold’s Gym.

2. Gold’s Gym Tank Top — Seeing your dog in this adorable tank might just be the extra kick in the pants you need to head to the gym.

3. GoPet Treadwheel — Some of you city dwellers probably don’t have the yard space to let your dog run around as much as he needs to. This GoPet Treadwheel might be the solution.

4. The Dog Walker’s Dumbbells — These brilliant weight-adjustable dumbbells combine an upper-body workout with dog walking. Genius!

5. Pet Pedometer — Do you have a dog who needs to drop some serious pounds? This pedometer will help you track your pet’s activity so you can ensure he’s getting all the exercise he needs.

6. H2O for K9 Water Bottle — When you take your dog for a run, don’t forget to bring him water! This stainless-steel option comes with a bowl and belt clip, making it the perfect to-go bottle.

7. Reebok’s Premier ZigFly Running Shoe — Nothing is more important than great running shoes. The unique sole on this pair by Reebok will wake up your workout.

8. Stella McCartney for Adidas Run Perf 7/8 Ti Running Pants — I adore the way designer Stella McCartney combines function with fashion. Her running pants are a must for the gal who loves to look good while she gets in shape.

9. Sweaty Betty Athlete Tank — Sometimes body-clinging workout tanks can make you feel a bit self-conscious. This nonclingy, longer-length tank creates a slimmer silhouette for a more comfortable experience.

10. Lululemon Back on Track Jacket — This jacket is designed to keep you dry on early morning runs, and has tons of other cool features that you didn’t know you wanted, but are so excited you have!

Follow Dogster’s Picks of the Week on Pinterest!

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Bowing out on a happy note

August 29, 2011

Twyla is home. We picked her up at noon today. Her meds have been tweaked–more furosemide, as I expected–and some potassium supplements. She sees the cardiologist on Wednesday, and he may make further adjustments. Thank you all for your support and kind words, not just during this episode but all through Bella’s last years and recent death, and of course the happy times of Harper’s puppyhood and maturation into a smart, sweet young dog.

I have come to know many of you and consider you friends. I’ve learned a lot from and been entertained by the comments to my various posts and hope that you have in turn found them useful, thought-provoking or at least entertaining. I have just finished cutting and pasting all of my PetConnection posts since I began blogging here in 2007–more than 102,000 words–and it has been a fun journey down memory lane. I had forgotten a lot, and now I’m happy to have a record of so many of the things my dogs and I did, the topics that have interested me over the past four years, and even some of the trips I’ve taken.

My colleagues here on PetConnection and on the blogroll, some of whom I’ve known and respected for more than 20 years now, have been the best anyone could hope for. Their intelligence, passion, grace and writing ability have been an inspiration.

I hope we’ll all keep in touch via Facebook or Twitter, or maybe I’ll see you over on VetStreet. Happy trails!

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