by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

After Thanksgiving meals are over, (leftovers and all), and the family and friends have gone home, don’t forget about your dog – who may be in desperate need of a nice long walk or hike. Dogs can get stressed out during the holidays with new noises, crowds, traveling and unfamiliar people coming and going. Help relieve that stress by going for a hike with your canine pal. Keep these tips in mind when out:

• Make sure you have your dogs appropriate collar on that has his or her name tags, license and rabies tag. Even if you are using a training collar to walk your dog, you want identification on your dog at all times. *Don’t have tags on a choke or prong collar – these are training collars that should be taken off when at home.  A flat cotton, leather or nylon collar is best for dog tags.
• Use a good leash. A sturdy leather or cotton 6-foot lead is best, especially if you don’t often walk your dog. Retractable leashes are not the best if in a heavily populated park or if you have no verbal control of your dog. Your dog should be close to you, not 15 – 30 feet ahead wandering around with no direction from you. (And people coming towards you can’t see if your dog is on a leash or not and it could be unnerving for them).
• Bring water, and treats with you if you are going on a longer walk.
• Check to make sure you can legally walk your dog in the park you are planning on going to. Don’t take your dog off leash if it is not allowed, obey the park rules, and it will be a more enjoyable day for everyone.
• When approaching an oncoming dog and owner, ask if the dog is friendly and if your dog can say hello. Not all dogs are dog friendly, if you just let your dog wander up to any dog without asking, you could very well be asking for trouble. If they say no, don’t be offended, just move on.
• Don’t over do it – if your dog is primarily a yard dog, an 8-mile hike might be too much. Go for a shorter mile or two.  Keep a pet first aid kit in your car also.
• Invite a friend or two with their dogs and go together, dogs like to be social and enjoy walking with their canine pals.
• If it is cold out and your dog has short hair, a dog coat will help him keep warm during the walk. 
• If you live on the East End of Long Island be careful where you walk, as it is unfortunately hunting season, and often times areas where hunting is happening may not be marked.  Or signs can be confusing, i.e. one sign may say, ‘Nature Preserve No Hunting’ and 50-feet away is a private game hunting area, crazy!  Call your local town hall to find out more information on where you can safely walk or hike with your dog.
• Most of all have fun and walk your dog often, not just after Thanksgiving! Walking with your dog is a wonderful way to bond, work on training techniques and drain some energy both physically and mentally for your dog.  You know what they say, “A tired dog is a good dog!”

Suffolk County Parks are Dog Friendly, leashed of course.  Some are seasonal, click her for more info. http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/Home/departments/parks/Parks.aspx

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

A couple of weeks ago I attended the ‘No Place like Home’ pet product showcase in New York City.  As mentioned in a previous article, I was loaded down with pet products and decided to do a pet product review with my dog Max! The first product that we are reviewing is Plush Puppies Invicibles Snake made by Kyjen. 

Max posing with new toy.

These new dog toys have a few really great qualities, one being they don’t have all that poly-fil stuffing we normally see in dog toys.  You know the white fluff that ends up all over the floor looking like toy imploded after your dog was done killing it.  My dog Max has a particular way of de-stuffing a toy, he likes to first rip the little sewn on tag, find a seem and almost as good as a tailor take out the string with his front teeth, and then pull the stuffing out from the little hole he made.  Once he gets half the stuffing out, he goes for the “kill” meaning finding and taking out the squeaker.  Once he gets the squeaker out, he’s pretty much done with the toy.  And then I wonder why I bothered getting him a toy in the first place.

Taste testing!

The second amazing quality the Invicibles dog toy line is that has is large squeakers that still squeak even after it is punctured.  This is one of those, “how’d they do that” moments. Not only was I impressed that these damaged squeakers, (i.e. punctures from Max’s teeth), still squeak just as loud, but I think the dog was confused! 

This particular snake Invicibles toy has 6-sections of large squeakers.  Max only was able to get two of the squeakers out and has still been playing with this toy, now almost two weeks since I gave it to him.  Pretty impressive for a dog that usually just likes to rip up toys like this. 

Now, of course as with any toy or dog bone you give your dog you want to monitor the dog with the toy, make sure he or she doesn’t eat any parts of it.  People often give their dog a toy and go and do other things to come back and see the toy destroyed and not knowing where all the parts are.  So you need to know your dog and know your breed and how he or she is with toys. 

Luckily for me, Max doesn’t like to eat things that are not food.  One concern I would have with this toy is the rattle in the tail – seems like a small plastic container with smaller parts inside to make it rattle.  While the toy we have, the tail is still in tact, rattle and all, if you have a dog that tends to ingest things he or she is not supposed to, make sure you are present when you dog is romping around with his new Invincible.  I would give this toy a good rating, less clean up, squeakers that still work, fun and entertainment for the dog, and longer lasting.  Two paws up from Max!

Let the play time begin! - very short video of Max beginning to play with his new toy. 

For more information on this toy and other products that KyJen makes go to: www.Kyjen.com

The next product review will be on the FURminator®!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

This is the time of year when we as humans indulge on all kinds of goodies, from Thanksgiving turkey, trimmings, pumpkin pies and a lot of food we would not normally eat on a daily basis. A lot of dog owners think they should give our dogs whatever we are eating as their holiday treat. You may feel guilty with those puppy eyes looking back up at you while they are licking their chops, but wait, stop and remember that guilt is a human emotion. Indulging your pet with all the yummy goodness of a Thanksgiving meal, could just have you spending that night in the ER for pets.

Some dogs, if they are not used to eating turkey, pumpkin or sweet potato pie, can get sick from it. So make sure you refrain from giving your dog foods they are not used to and also ask your guests to do the same. Dogs are better off eating what they are normally fed during the holiday season. With the rushing around in this busy time of year, you may not notice your dog not feeling well because someone gave him the turkey thigh. If you really want to give your dog a special treat, go to your local pet store and buy a dog treat – make sure it is veterinarian approved and made in the USA and don’t leave your dog unsupervised with it. This time of year, veterinarian offices see a pretty big spike in visits from gastrointestinal problems i.e.: dogs not used to eating table scraps, blockage from ingesting a toy or toy part (while no one was watching) and it could require surgery.

Before your friends and family are coming over for Thanksgiving, take your dog for a nice long walk, you know the saying goes, a tired dog is a good dog. There are many beautiful places here on Long Island to do so, and it will be good for you to. Keep your dog healthy on Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!

By Nancy Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

No Place Like Home, Pet Product Showcase

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of being invited to a media event for 25 of the most elite, beautifully designed and innovative pet products from companies across the US.  This exclusive pet product showcase, No Place like Home, that took place in Manhattan was presented by Pet Socialite Events and hosted by the fabulous pet trend and lifestyle expert, Charlotte Reed.  Among the press attending the event were various celebrities, most notably Richard Belzer and his dog BeBe an adorable poodle-fox terrier mix. 

  
Richard Belzer & BeBe checking out products

There was also elaborately designed ‘pet bedroom suite’ to tour that was decorated to meet the needs of pets and their owners.  

Some of the companies or manufacturers that were showcasing their products were: Furminator; Kyjen (Outward Hound); Sturdi Products; Luxury Pets; Bamboo; Hartz; Thunder Shirt; Premier; Designer Catbox; Unleashed Life; YepYup; Ecosmart; CitiKitty; R2 Solutions and more.  One of the companies had a very unique product, nothing this pet professional has every seen before – agility for pet fish – I kid you not, more to come on this.  This event was pretty crowded and filled with many pet press enthusiasts.   

  
If you look closely to left low hand corner you might spot a certain NJ House wife holding her cat, Grandma Wrinkles.

After receiving many unexpected pet product freebies from the event, what else to do but put them to the ultimate test, product reviews from my dog Max.  Over the next few weeks, we will be rating the products based on Max’s liking, how the product holds up, quality and more.  So be sure to look out for his reviews soon!  The first product being reviewed is doing quite well, here’s a teaser picture of Max getting his first sniff:

by Pamela Fitzpatrick, of YourDogWalkers, shihtzu58@optonline.net

November is Adopt-A-Senior Pet Month: Two more “Happy Tails”

LEO
When Debbie’s family lost their beloved cat JB Dasher after a long illness in 2008, they weren’t sure when they’d be ready to introduce another cat to the two sisters he had left behind. But with Debbie volunteering at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter in East Northport, NY, twice a week, it was difficult not to think of filling the void with another homeless animal.

Leo was 6 years old and had already spent 4 ½ years at the shelter. He was a loner who spent most of his time in the “cat tree” sleeping in a bucket or just watching the activities of the other cats below. He was shy and a little skittish – those traits, coupled with his age, made him less than a prime candidate for adoption. After talking it over with her family, Debbie decided to take a chance and bring him home.

Leo immediately became fast friends with their 6 year old female cat, Mink. They sleep curled up together (or fight over who gets the spot closest to the screen when the windows are opened), but they are rarely apart. Turns out, Leo also loves people – he can often be found sitting in someone’s lap or cuddling up for a head scratch.

Leo has brought Debbie’s family great pleasure, and they are glad to have given a good life to this lovable senior cat!

SEBASTIAN
Sebastian is another senior cat shelter who found a great home. Christine adopted him in 2008 from Grateful Paw Cat Shelter, where, as a volunteer, she found the 8-year old orange tabby irresistible. When she brought him home, however, her two older cats didn’t share her enthusiasm. It was a stressful few weeks during which the cats fought and Sebastian didn’t seem to be warming up to Christine or her family. Christine’s husband reassured her that with time and patience, Sebastian would come around.

How right he was! The family’s persistence and patience really paid off! Sebastian began to relax, becoming friendly, cuddly, and, in Christine’s eyes, even more irresistible. Two years later, this lucky kitty follows Christine around the house, and her lap is his favorite place to be! Whenever she returns home after a long day, he is at the door to greet her. The other cats, Pepper and Mooch, have also accepted him as a member of the family.

Christine is thrilled that she was able to give an older pet a home, and very happy that Sebastian “officially” decided to become her cat.