Poochie Bells

Poochie Bells are a very nice alternative to the frequently handmade and improvised bells at the door, which allow a dog to alert the owner of the need to go out.

Many owners have mentioned their dogs lack a voice when needing to tell them they have to potty.  Often these are the same dogs that bark up a storm when the doorbell rings or they see a person on the sidewalk, yet alerting at the most important time, eludes them.

I have personally used the bell method by stringing Christmas bells on a ribbon.  Sure it worked fine, but it wasn't very conducive to the decor of my home.

Poochie Bells solve all those problems.  They are available in many patterns, solids and even leather.  The bells can be adjusted up or down depending on the height of your dog.

Our reviewer, a current foster mom for Ra Terrier ResQ states:  "The product is well constructed and nice to look at."  She states the cat even picked up ringing the bell to go out by watching her dogs.   She used it for 60 days and the Poochie Bells performed as expected.  She felt that the cost of $16.95 was very reasonable.  The one con she found was that like some children, it does take some dogs longer to pick up that others, but that is an individual learning curve and in no way the fault of the product.

Keep in mind that with any training method, consistency by the owner is what will make it a success.  I found that taking the dogs paws and hitting the bell, followed by an immediate opening of the door, at which time I excitedly (some say downright crazy a$$ fashion) praise the dog, works the best.  Dogs want to please us, and if they get such a great reaction, well then, they had to have done a near miracle, right?

The Naked Dog Review gives Poochie Bells 4 paws up!!!!!   http://poochie-pets.net/

Thank you to the lovely ladies at Poochie Bells for their generous donation at the H.H. Backer show!

Sentry Good Behavior Collar

First, I would like to thank the folks at Sentry for the samples provided to us.  This product was tested by three separate dogs, two rescue dogs and one prior rescue dog.

he intention of the product is that is impregnated with the pheromones that mimic the pheromones the mother dog uses to calm and reassure her puppies.  It is intended to help a dog cope with stress and anxiety.

The collar is a very stiff collar and initially disperses a powder coating. It is pleasant smelling, almost a bit too perfume scented.  The powder coating does eventually wear off after a day or so, but do be prepared for it to coat your hands and immediate surface.   Because the collar is so incredibly stiff, it does not lay in a good way.  In fact, the dog looked like one of those ring toss pop bottles at the fair with this hoop around his neck.

Former rescue dog with anxiety including circling behaviors and floor licking:
    The collar did seem to have an effect, however, it took several days for it to be noticeable.  While the
     circling behavior did not stop, the floor licking improved.  He was also more willing to allow people to join
     him on the sofa or bed if he was already sitting there, where he would often feel the need to defend that
     space.  His owner has indicated she intends to continue the use of this collar.

Current rescue dog with storm anxiety:
     The foster mom found the scent of the collar over-powering and the stiffness of the collar somewhat
     annoying.   She did not notice any change in behaviors with this collar and felt that the cost of $14+ was
     too much to pay for continued use, even if it had worked.   She did use if for the full 30 days.

Current rescue dog with fear and severe shyness:
     I tried this product on a foster dog who had some significant fear issues and severe shyness.  I had
     fostered him for six months until we finally found a home a significant distance away.  I tried the collar on
     him in hopes that it would help his transition.  He seemed a little less skittery, but otherwise I didn't notice
     a massive improvement.   However, his new parents reported that he settled in much quicker than they
     expected, he was wary and went to his crate for safety often, but was not as fearful as they expected,
     considering his normal behavior.  They did leave the collar on for a week after his arrival, but once they
     were sure he felt confident in his new home, they removed the collar.

In all, the cost of the collar is significant when compared to the actual results we experienced.

The Naked Dog gives this product 2 paws up.

Red Dingo Dog Tags

It's something a dog will wear most of his lifetime, if you're a good owner.  So why is it that most dog tags are downright ugly as sin?  You know what I mean, sure, they come in a bone or heart shape, but even that's down right boring.  Why can't a dog tag be a fashion statement without breaking the bank?  Well they can be!!

Red Dingo makes incredibly stunning stainless steel enameled dog tags.  They come in three sizes; in more than three dozen styles and most of those styles come in 11 color variations.  The combination of colors and designs is incredible.  Want a macho dog?  How about a skull and cross bone? Do you have a princess?  Then maybe the tiara tag is for you?  Want it in basic black or hot pink?  Have it your way.  

And who says they have to be just for the dog?  Heck, these things are so lavish with style, I bought one for myself to wear as a necklace at my pet events.  And just in case I get lost out there, I had the back engraved too. 

OK, so maybe my dogs can't answer the phone, but I figure if I get bored with it as a necklace, it will make an awesome luggage tag or even a way to have my keys returned to me if I ever lose them.  These aren't tags that will ever bend, they are about the thickness of two quarters, so they will stand the test of time.  

The tags retail between $9.99 and $10.99 depending on the size.  And they are FAST!  Tag orders are sent directly to Red Dingo and shipped out to you pronto!  I had my tag in 5 days.   Small tags hold 3 lines - 12 characters per line; medium up to 16 character and large up to 19 characters.  Medium and large can hold up to 5 lines.

Order them here: Red Dingo Tags  - the possibilities are endless: luggage tags, key chain tag, zipper pull, backpacks, necklaces, bracelet charms and of course, dog tags.   

Say good-bye to boring, ugly dog tags and hello to cool and sexy dog tags.

The Naked Dog gives them 4 paws and a tail up.

Ruff Weather Dog Door by Ideal Pet Products

The Naked Dog learned to use a dog door this spring when I installed a patio panel door.  That door wasn't a great solution.  It took some retrofitting with weather stripping to get a so-so seal against the weather and if it rained and was windy, the door flap would blow open and get water on my floor.  I'll never forget the first windy night.  There I was sitting in the living room, watching TV, when the flap opened, except all the dogs were inside.  Kind of freaked me out, but it was just the wind.  I knew then that door had to go before winter.

I looked a number of door models.  I looked at the auto-open door where the dog wears an electronic collar and the door opens when the dog approaches.  That seemed like an electronic failure waiting to happen.   First I had to have batteries on hand at all times, and I have three dogs, which meant I had to purchase three collars.  And what about fosters?  Sometimes I have 1-2 fosters, and that means another 1-2 collars for a possible 5 in all.  Way too expensive of a method.

I finally settled on the Ruff Weather Door by Ideal Pet Products.  The rating on this door by folks was 5-star (12) and the lowest was a 3-star (2) based on the 20 reviews.   I purchased my door through my local Home Depot and before purchasing it, I specifically asked if the inner wall part was in the box as well and was assured it was.  Well, it wasn't and guess what?  Home Depot sells the doors, but not the wall kits, but they can special order it.  If you have to do that, buy the kit through Amazon and it will cost about half.  Luckily, my contractor told me to hold off as he thought he would just frame it in.

It took about 1 1/2 hours for the contractor to complete the task and this did include the internal framing he did.  I have to say, I'm glad the kit wasn't in there, I like the wood much better because it will hold up better over time.  I painted the interior wood white and then caulked around the interior seams of the door where it meets the wood.

                         exterior view - in use

Initially, the dogs were not too keen on this door.  First, they kept going to the place where the patio door panel was and I would redirect them to the other end of the door where the new door was.  Getting them to go through it was also a challenge.  First, this door seals much tighter than the other one and it took a little more effort to push it open.  Second, they suddenly had to contend with a small "wall hall."  My old man of 15 was so terrified, that he actually crammed himself all up in the little "wall hall" rather than simply go out the second flap.   The Naked Dog put all four feet against the door and it was like I was trying to cram some giant spider through the door.  His four legs might as well have been eight with the struggling I did.  Third, they weren't familiar with a dual flap, so I ended up taping the exterior flap up for a few days.  That helped.

My other problem was that where I had to install it, meant it was not off the deck, so I had to fashion some form of steps.  Initially, I used some concrete blocks, but my old man, nearly blind was not comfortable using them.  I opted to purchase a set of steps like he has by the bed for use outside.  Since he is familiar with the steps, this has resolved all of his fears.

I am very pleased with this door so far.  With temps in the low 30's at night, I don't feel a draft and because the magnetic flaps are stronger, when it rains and blows, as it has been, even the outer flap doesn't seem to budge.  It certainly seems as if this door is a perfect solution to our Wisconsin winters.   The cost of this door was $94 at Home Depot and sells for $89 on Amazon.  Wall kit not included.

The Naked Dog gives this door 5 stars.

JW Pet iSqueak Rubber Ball Toy

I bought this toy at Petco about 6 weeks ago because The Naked Dog loves to play fetch.  I'm pretty sure he'd play ball until he dropped if my arm didn't give out first.  Where an 8 pounder gets that kind of energy, I don't know, but if I could bottle it, I'd be rich.

The ball is a very tough and thick feeling rubber and is 5 inches from top to bottom, but the manufacture states 2.75 inches. Measure how you will, it's a lot of ball for a little dog and bigger than a tennis ball.

Despite the size, this ball held up poorly.  The front of the ball is in perfect shape, but the back of the ball where the squeaker is located didn't fair so well.  The Naked Dog took a fancy to this part of the ball and as a result, the squeaker is coming out of the ball.  He didn't play with the toy constantly, because it was lost for a while under the couch.

The cost of the ball was $7.49, so it was most certainly not a cheap toy. The fact that the durability was so limited makes for an expensive toy and does not bode will for The Naked Dog Review.  I've retired this toy to the trash rather than risk a swallowed squeaker and a big vet bill.

Based on the poor quality and short life, The Naked Dog Review gives the JW Pet iSqueak Rubber Ball Toy a paw and a half.

Himalayan Dog Chews - Yak Chews

Yak you say?  As in that big hairy looking thing from Nepal?  Yup, that's the one.

During our first visit to the pet trade show in Chicago, we found two companies selling Yak chews.  We got a sample at the Himalayan Dog Chew booth.  We actually got two samples, same product, just in different forms.  One was a complete chew, about 4 inches long and one was a "nugget" which is just a nugget size of the chew.

So by now, I know your asking yourself, is this really from a yak?  Yes, it is.  It's Yak and cows milk along with just a bit of salt and lime, which helps with the curdling.  Where people in Nepal get limes, that I don't know.  Perhaps there is a type of lime which grows there or it's brought in from another region.  I'm not familiar enough with Nepal to know their produce patterns.

The Naked Dog has been working on the full size Yak chew for  hours now and it's down about an inch.  It therefore seems reasonable that full on chewing will result in about an inch an hour, of course this could vary from dog to dog.  The Naked Dog is just a year old, so he's got tons of stamina.   He has it in a solid death grip and is completely engrossed and loving this chew. (note: he's on day 2 and still about 3 inches long)

The chews are made in Nepal and this is a fair trade product benefiting the economy of Nepal.   The chew is actually a cheese, a VERY, VERY hard cheese made for centuries by the Nepalese.  Who ever decided this would make a good dog chew is beyond me, but it makes a DANDY one.  

One of the best parts of this chew is that there is no waste.  If they get down to a little nub, simply pop that into the microwave for 30-40 seconds and it pops up into a popcorn-like nugget that you can give back to the dog and it breaks down like a big popcorn puff.   And if the dog swallows a chunk, well, it's not like rawhide, this is a food and it breaks down and passes in the end. 

I tested the nugget sample on Flick my foster.  Flick has never been a chewer of anything, but he grabbed that puffed nugget and took off like he found treasure.  So all around, this product more than surpasses the "bravo" factor.  In fact, we're so impressed that our rescue, www.RatTerrierResQ.com will be carrying the nuggets in our store.  

The Naked Dog gives this product 4 paws and a tail up!

Spot's Stew - Halo Dog Food

I do like to occasionally change up the dogs food, not to much; as I still prefer a salmon formula.  But sometimes a new brand catches my eye.  

Such was the case with Spot's Stew by Halo.  OK, so the name did get me, because a good friend has a rat terrier named Spot.  But when I read the ingredients, I have to say, I was impressed.  Real meat (in this case salmon). No rendered meat or meal from chicken, poultry, lamb, fish or plants.  Since the number one cause of allergies in animals is wheat, corn and soy, I have long steered clear of brands containing those ingredients. Sadly, most brands are very costly, nearing the $20 range for a five pound bag and with two dogs and a couple fosters, it can be cost prohibitive.   A four pound bag of Spot's Stew is about $11 and with a $2 coupon on their website, it gets even better.  

The size of the bites are important too.  Since my dogs are small, I prefer a tiny bite. These are just a bit larger than the circumference of a pencil eraser.  As you can see by the photo, there are bits of carrot and cranberry.  The peas are harder to find.  In addition, if you sign up for their email list, they will give you two FREE cans to try.   

Halo is co-owned by Ellen Degeneres.