Yappy Holidays!

 

I'm so excited!  Christmas is almost here! I know because I heard some dogs on the radio singing Jingle Bells.  I remember my first Christmas.  It was all new to me so I didn't realize the significance of the day until the night before.  That's when I found out that lots of the pretty boxes under the special tree that lit up were for me.  And those boxes were filled with TOYS!!!!  That's when I understood that Christmas is when dogs get lots and lots of toys! So this year I'm ready.  I'm already sniffing the pretty packages but all I smell are clothes.   I hope those are for the humans cuz I don't like clothes.  My cousin Sophie like to wear sweaters and stuff, but I don't.

Although the most important part of Christmas is the toys, and we pets get excited about all of the new things in our houses please remember that Christmas can be a dangerous time for us.  My sister Dixie never had a home when it was Christmas so this is all new to her.  I'm teaching her all about presents but also about things we need to look out for.

We all like looking at the pretty trees with their flashing lights and pretty balls, but the oil in the trees is toxic and the needles don't digest.  The chemicals people put in the water that help the tree live while it is inside are also toxic to pets.
Make sure your pets don't chew on the electrical cords that keep the lights flashing and those pretty balls, if made of glass, can easily break and those little pieces of glass can cut our paws.  Tinsel, is very tempting, but tinsel does not digest either and can get all knotted up in our bellies.  We can die from knotted up bellies.

So please be extra watchful of your pets around your Christmas tree.  In our house we have a very little tree and it stands on a high table so I can see it but can't reach it.  In some of my friends houses, there are gates in the doorways so the dogs can't be in the room with the tree unless there are humans in there too.  Cats are different so gates don't work for cats and cats love to climb trees. So houses with cats need to be extra careful.

So please remember to keep your pet safe during the Christmas Holiday and remember to buy them lots of toys and treats.  If you don't know what to get them, just give me a call.  I helped design all of the pet gift baskets and can help you choose the right gift for your pet.  You'll find some of our most popular ones in the Pet Gift Division of our website.

Merry Christmas everyone.
Your friend,

Zeva

A BONE OR A PHONE

I’ve been surfing the web and choosing the gifts I’m going to put on my Santa Paws list.  There are some really great toys out there!  I know Mom is going to be practical and probably tell Santa we need new Shoo! Tags because Dixie ate hers and we need to be protected against fleas and ticks.  She’ll probably say we should ask for Kyjen tug toys made out of fire hoses cuz Dixie ate all our other toys.  But I’m looking for something really different this year.

I’m a real techie dog so the PetCell really got my attention.  It’s a small bone-shaped phone that attached to a dog’s collar.  Too cute!  I wonder if it comes in pink.  It works just like a human cell phone so your humans can talk to you even when they aren’t around.  How cool is that!!!  It also has a GPS and Geo fencing.  Wow.

I told Mom all about it but she says I’m too young to have my own phone.  I’m three!  And besides, I’m very responsible. I’m putting it on my list anyway cuz Santa Paws knows I have been very, extra, super good this year.

I like when Mom puts kibble inside the Kong and when I play with it, it gives me treats.  I saw some other toys like that on line so I’m hoping to get one of those.  What could be better than playing AND getting treats at the same time?

I have a ball that flashes lights when I play with it.  I like to drop it at the top of the stairs and watch it go down.   It’s a new toy so I don’t know how long it will last before Miss Chews Everything gets it and Mom throws it out.  So I looked and found something called X-Tire Blinky Ball.  It’s a ball that blinks like the one I have but this one is surrounded by two rings that are made out of the stuff car tires are made of.  Definitely going on my list.

Antlers are always a good choice and on Christmas day, after we open all of our gifts, I would like nothing better than to relax and enjoy a fresh marrow bone.  Perfection.

I think that about covers my wish list for this year. After you mail your list off to Santa Paws, drop me a note, I’d love to know what you are expecting to see under your tree.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Seasons Greetings,

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  blatant self-promotion... all of our holiday gift baskets have lots of great toys and treats so if you don't have the time to shop around, check out our website.  It's so easy, just choose the gifts you want and tell me where to send them.  I'll even include a nice card.  Our site is filled with great gifts for pets and the people who love them.  Here's the link to the pet page http://laurelmtbasket.com/index.php/store/category/pet-gifts-and-baskets

Home For The Holidays

The Holiday Season is here.  Thanksgiving is just a few days away and Christmas is right behind it.  OMD!  I haven't written to Santa Paws yet!  Anyway, the holidays are a very hectic time of year for pets as well as for people.

Houses get decorated and big meals get cooked.  Lots of people come to visit.  All of this can be confusing.

Mom and Dad love Christmas and love to make the house pretty with all sorts of decorations.  The biggest decoration is the tree.  They actually go outside and bring a tree into the house.  Imagine that!  Bringing a tree in means that they have to move stuff around which is kind of confusing for a while.

A real tree needs to have water so if you get a real tree in your house you need to remember that you are not supposed to drink the water that is under the tree.  That water is the tree's water.  Also, sometimes people put chemicals in the water.  Chemicals are good for the tree but bad for pets.

Christmas trees are not for chewing.  I like to chew sticks but the kind of trees that make good Christmas trees, make bad chewing trees.  These trees have oils in them that can make your tummy very bad and the little green needles can get into your intestines and, oh boy, it can hurt.  The last thing you want to do is go to the emergency vet.  Your humans will not be happy.

Cats -  As tempting as it is, DO NOT climb the inside tree.  Humans don't like it.

Male Dogs - The inside tree is not for lifting your leg. You still need to go outside to pee.

Having a tree in the house can be pretty but humans take it a step further.  Humans like to decorate the tree with all kinds of stuff.  They wrap the tree in lights and garland, hang pretty round things called ornaments on the branches and even sprinkle shiny tinsel all over it.  None of this is good to eat!

The ornament things are really pretty but you need to be careful because some of them are made of glass.  Glass ornaments are easy to break and you don't want to get any broken glass in your pads.  Tinsel and garland are very pretty too but you don't want to eat them because they make you very sick and again, you don't want to go to the vet.

I'm the curious type so I'm always sniffing the ornaments and poking them to make them move.  That's why Mom puts ornaments that can't break on the lower branches of the tree.  If I poke one or hit it with my tail and it falls off the tree, it won't break which makes Mom happy and keeps me out of trouble.

Be very careful that you don't knock over the tree.  Dixie and I play tag and wrestle so we are going to have to be extra careful around the Christmas tree this year.  Hopefully Dad will put it in a very sturdy stand so that we can't knock it over while playing.

The best part of having a tree is that that is where Santa Paws puts the presents. You just have to remember that not all of the presents are for you and you should not unwrap them or chew the boxes.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and I hope Santa Paws brings you lots of toys and treats.

Your friend,
Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion our Yappy Holidays! gift baskets  is one of my very favorites because it has some yummy stuff for your humans too.

Winterizing your Pets

Winter is on the way and Mom and Dad are getting ready.   The oil man came with his big truck and put oil in our tank and another man is coming to clean the furnace so we will have a nice warm house when it gets cold outside.  We have the storm windows in place and the snow blower has new spark plugs and clean fuel.

It gets very cold in New England and cold weather can be hard on pets so Mom and Dad make sure Dixie and I are safe and can enjoy the winter months.  Winter is especially hard on puppies and seniors so if you are a puppy or a senior, or if you have a medical condition like diabetes, you need to limit the time you spend out of doors.  I know it’s fun to play in the snow but you can get tired really easy, so be careful.

Dogs with short hair also need to be careful and not stay outside too long.  Dixie is a mix of short hair breeds and she has never seen snow so Mom is going to buy her a coat or sweater to wear when she goes out.  This should be fun to see since Dixie doesn’t even like to wear a collar.  Hee, hee.

When playing or exercising outside we need to be careful that the snow doesn’t get in between our toes and turn to ice.  Make sure your humans check your feet when you come inside and if there is any ice, make sure they make it go away.  Some dogs wear boots to keep their feet dry.

Speaking of ice, if you live near a pond or any kind of water, do not go out on the ice.  It can break and you could fall in and get died. 

People don’t like to have ice on their stairs or sidewalks so they put down this ice melting stuff.  That ice melting stuff is dangerous if dogs or cats lick it.   If you get it on your paws, don’t lick it off.  Wait until you are back in the house and let your human get if off with a moist cloth.  There is ice melting stuff that is especially made for households with pets so make sure your humans buy that kind.

Another thing that can make a pet sick or died is called Antifreeze.  Antifreeze is something that people put into their cars so the car works in the winter.  They tell me that Antifreeze is sweet and tastes good but it has a poison called Propylene Glycol in it which is very, very bad.  People can buy Antifreeze without Propylene Glycol in it which is much safer.

I know most of you are house dogs but if you know any dogs that live outside, let them know that they need to be extra careful.  They should have some kind of shelter to keep them out of the wind and snow.  A dog house that is big enough to turn around in but small enough to keep their body heat in is a good choice.  The floor covered with hay or a nice blanket and a blanket over the door helps too. 

An outside dog needs extra food during the winter and having unfrozen water available is a challenge.  There are special water dishes that help keep water unfrozen.

I love coming in the house and cuddling in my warm bed after an afternoon playing in the snow.  I’m looking forward to showing Dixie how to bury her nose in the snow and chase snowballs.

What are some of you favorite things to do in the wintertime?

Your North Country friend,

Zava

 

P.S. Shameless self-promotion.  One of my favorite things about winter is Christmas!  That's when we all get presents.  Our Santa Paws is one of my favorite Christmas gift baskets

Rescue Me

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.  According to the US Humane Society an estimated 2.7 million healthy shelter pets are not adopted each year, and only about 30 percent of pets in homes come from shelters and rescues.  Do you know what happens to the 2.7 million healthy pets that are not adopted?  They get euthanized.  Euthanized is a nice word for KILLED.

I know, not everyone can adopt a pet.  There are already two of us adopted dogs living in our house and that is all we have room for.  But there are lots of things we can do to help shelters and hopefully get more pets adopted.

The big word is DONATE.  When people hear that word they automatically think money but there are so many other ways to donate.

Donate your TIME.  Volunteer to work at a local shelter.  You could walk the dogs or stuff envelopes for a mailing campaign.  You could donate your time assisting at a fund raising event.  You could donate your time hosting a collection drive or yard sale to benefit the shelter.

Donate your SKILLS.  Are you an amateur or professional photographer?  Donate your skills and take photos of the pets to be put on the shelter’s website or on Petfinder.com.  Have a way with words?  Help write copy for the newsletter or fund raising materials.

Donate your STUFF.  Donate out grown collars and leashes, crates, beds, or gently used toys your dog doesn’t play with.  Pet food is always welcome.  Donate office supplies, postage stamps, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies (scent free is best) and paper towels.   Your old towels can be used to dry pets after baths and your old blankets make wonderful warm beds.  Donate your olds newspapers.  The shelter can use them to line cages or shred them for litter boxes.

Donate your HOME.  It takes a very special person to foster pets.  Are you one?

Oh yeah…. You can donate MONEY.  Support fund raisers and events designed to help your local shelter or you can write a nice big check.

Several times a year my company donates part of the profits from our Pet Gift Baskets to the local shelter.  It’s easy.

So, now you know you don’t have to adopt a shelter pet to help.  If you know other ways, let me know.

Your friend,

Zeva

 

P.S. Blatant self-promotion.  Our To The Rescue Gift Basket has is the perfect way to welcome a new dog into your home.

 

What Is It About Cats?

I’m a pretty smart dog.  I read lots of blogs so I know a lot about a lot of stuff.   The other day I noticed our neighbor’s cat sitting in the window and realized that I don’t know much about cats.  Even more puzzling is why anyone would want to let them live in their house.  I mean, they aren’t very good guards.  They don’t warn their humans that the mail or UPS truck is coming and they don’t bark and run to the door to see who is there.

They catch mice and bugs but so does my sister Dixie, bugs anyway but I bet if she saw a mouse she could catch it.  I don’t see cats chasing anything big like a burglar or zombie.

I don’t understand why humans find cats entertaining either.  A cat will chase a dot of light around for hours and never catch it.  The human just sits there.  I would think watching TV or surfing the Net would be more fun.   At least people get exercise while playing catch or Frisbee with their dog.

Cats don’t know how to get the full value from their toys.  I have not seen one cat toy that was mangled or chewed up so much it had to be taken away.  Cats also love cat nip.  They have these little toys filled with the stuff.  I tried cat nip once.  We had some cat nip toys and pillows for sale when we had our shop.  I don’t know what the big deal is, it did nothing for me.

Do people realize that cats don’t care if their humans go away?  When Mom and Dad go away for a time, I miss them and let them know how much when they come home.  Cats don’t even seem to notice who is home and who isn’t.   It’s like cats think all humans are good for is making sure there is food and water in the dishes.

I’m just guessing cuz it’s hard to tell what a cat is thinking.  They rarely talk.  We dogs are always talking.  We bark, whine, growl, and whimper.  Cats purrs.  Okay, so if a cat is really, really mad it might hiss but you’d think it would at least try to learn a language to communicate with other species.

I have to admit, one thing I find interesting about cats is that they don’t have to go outside to pee and poop.  They get their humans to set up these little yards in a box right inside the house.  This is a huge advantage since they don’t have to go outside on rainy or cold days.  I wonder if I can get Mom get me one of those yards in a box.

I am going to have to do lots more investigating about cats.  They may be on to some other good things.   I’d love to hear from any dogs that live with cats.  I’m curious.  Oh my, isn’t curiosity a cat trait?

Your canine friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion.   Mom says we have gift baskets for pets and the people who love them and that includes Cats.  I kind of like our Cat Nappin’ gift basket cuz it has a nice soft blanket in it.  Everyone should have a nice soft blanket, even cats.

 

Home Alone

I’m a very lucky dog.  We own our own business so my sister Dixie and I get to go to work with Mom every day.  When we aren’t at work, we go with Mom and Dad almost everywhere else so we very rarely have to stay at home by ourselves.  For those times we do have to stay at home by ourselves, it is only for a little while.  Being home alone for a little while is okay cuz we get to nap in our own crates.  I like having my own crate cuz Dixie can be a pain sometimes.

The other day, Mom and Dad went to a family party far away and they were gone ALL DAY.  Napping in our crates is okay but ALL DAY is a very long time to be in a crate.  For long times like all day we have a Pet Sitter.  A Pet Sitter is a person who comes to our house to feed us and take us out to play and do our business.

Finding a good Pet Sitter is serious business.  We had a very good Pet Sitter at our other house but when we moved, we were too far away so we needed to find another one.  Like any busy dog, the first thing I did to find a Pet Sitter was to look on line.  From reviewing the different websites, I could see who lived close by, what organizations they belong to, what training and experience they had and all sorts of other valuable information about them.

We chose a very nice lady.  She has lots of experience taking care of animals and even has a lot of animals of her own living on her farm.  She came to visit and played with me and Dixie so we could get to know her and see if we thought she would be okay.  She gave Mom lots of paper to look at.   Mom thinks things like having special insurance is important for a Pet Sitter to have.  She also likes that our Pet Sitter knows our new vet and knows the people at the emergency vet hospital near by.

She asked Mom lots of questions about us and our routines.  And she wrote down lots of stuff.  The one question that impressed me the most was “Where do you keep the cookies?”.  I was sold.  The lady had her priorities right.

Having a Pet Sitter come to the house is very nice.  We like our neighbors and they would be happy to help but Mom likes to have a "professional" who has special training with dogs.   I never had to stay in a kennel and I hear that some are really nice but I’m not good with change.   I think I would miss my own crate and yard.   Also, with two dogs, a stay at a kennel can be expensive.  And then there’s the whole thing about dropping us off and picking us up.  We’d have to be on the kennel’s schedule, not ours.   Also we’d need to take our blankets and toys and food dishes and food.  And don’t forget our cookies.  What if they don’t have good cookies? Staying at home is much nicer for us and lots easier for Mom and Dad too.

How about you?  Do you have a Pet Sitter come to your house when your Mom and Dad have to go away?  If so, what do you like best about your Pet Sitter?

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion.  My very special Dogs in Toyland gift basket was designed for that very special dog in your life!