I’m crazy about the industrial-yet-classy dog tags by Make Your Dog Smile.
Check out all the awesome designs and order one custom for your pup at Make Your Dog Smile’s Etsy shop.
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2009.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to our winner, Samantha!
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With two husky mixes, shedding is just sort of a fact of life around here. Dog hair clings to every surface and rolls in clumps like tumbleweed down the hallway. I could probably weave an afghan from the dog hair in the backseat of my car. Mingus is the worst offender: When he’s blowing his coat, my husband and I enjoy pulling tufts of his undercoat out by the handful as we watch TV. We measure the shedding around here on a continuum — Shedding to More Shedding to Ridiculous Shedding.
As much shedding as there is, though, we don’t go to extraordinary efforts to try to prevent it — we bought a good vacuum and attempt to go on with our lives. I was appropriately stoked, though, to give Bamboo’s FurBuster™ De-Shedding Tool a try.
The FurBuster prevents shedding by gently removing loose hair and undercoat. The “blade” pops out easily for cleaning or replacement when necessary (meaning you don’t have to buy a whole new FurBuster if yours dulls, cutting down on cost and waste). I put “blade” in quotation marks ’cause it sounds sharp and scary, but the tool really feels more like a fine-toothed comb than a cutting device.
At the moment, neither dog is shedding too badly (relatively speaking, of course), but we went ahead and gave the FurBuster a try. As promised, just a few gentle, sweeping motions removed clumps of loose hair. Neither dog seemed bothered at all by it — in fact, Dottie must have thought it felt pretty good, ’cause she kept rolling over and offering her (hairless) belly.
I plan to definitely have the FurBuster handy when Ridiculous Shedding time rolls around again.
Want to try one of your own? The nice folks at Bamboo sent us a FurBuster to give away to a lucky phetched reader. All you have to do to be entered to win is comment below. (Please include your email address so we can contact you if you win — it won’t be published publicly.) Entry deadline is 10:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Wednesday, 7/22. We’ll randomly draw a winner and post the results on Thursday morning. (US entries only, please.)
Just FYI – the FurBuster is only safe to use on “shedding” breeds of dogs and cats.
Remember, growing up, how the kid in the neighborhood with the pool was always the most popular?
How cool will your dog be with THIS in the backyard?
The Guardian Gear dog pool is made of 100% tough PVC, is easy to fill and empty, and folds up into practically nothin’ for easy storage and transport.
Fetch one at Jake’s Dog House.
Tags: cool stuff, outdoors
We’re squeakin’… squeakin’… I wanna squeak it wit’ you…
We’re squeakin’… squeakin’… and I hope you like squeakin’ too…
Fetch the Puli Rasta toy at Artful Pups.
(My apologies to Bob Marley…)
Tags: toys
Congratulations to the winner of our awesome Jac Trac hands-free leash giveaway, Vicki Y! Thanks for reading phetched, Vicki, and we hope you and Morgan enjoy your new leash.
DON’T FORGET, everyone… phetched readers receive 20% off EVERYTHING at Jac Trac’s site through July 31st. So if you didn’t win but still want that leash, you can fetch it on the cheap! Use coupon code phetched at checkout.
Tags: giveaways
My super talented friend Jen sent me a link to a lovely little blog called the b-line with quick and easy directions for these awesome DIY pet pouches.
The pouches slide easily on your pup’s collar to carry a poop bag, a housekey, an ID card, a couple bucks, etc. on your walk. Brilliant, huh?
The directions are super easy and are all right here.
(You can find more of the b-line’s handmade goodies in her charming Etsy shop. And my friend Jen? Her gorgeous jewelry can be found on Etsy, too. And the collar the Weim’s modeling in the photo? It’s also from Etsy… one of my favorite shops to peruse, Lucky Fiona.)
Have a great weekend!
(Photo credit: the b-line)
Ma Snax Superior Treats are handmade in Sonoma, California, with only good, wholesome stuff. They’re baked with the finest organic ingredients, with many varieties free of common allergens like wheat and corn. Ma Snax treats are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutritious botanicals, making them, at least as far as your pup is concerned, both good and good for you. (My mom used to describe black-eyed peas that way to me as a child. Why are parents allowed to lie to their children? I’m pretty sure Ma Snax is telling the truth, though.)
Ma Snax offers a cool Monthly Treat Club membership program, where you and your pup will receive a different healthy variety of Ma Snax every month, or you can try their bake-at-home biscuit and cake kits for some fun in the kitchen with Fido.
You can order directly from Ma Snax’s web site or find them at select retailers across the country.
(Interested in Ma Snax’s Monthly Treat Club? Ma Snax is hosting a dog photo contest, and the winner receives a FREE four-month treat club membership! Awesome! Visit Ma Snax’s blog for more information on how to enter. Entry deadline is August 15th, with a winner announced the following week.)
Calgary’s Brian Burke owns a dog daycare and portraiture business called Back in the Pack. Umm, can you say dream job?
I stumbled upon Back in the Pack’s flickr a while back, first lured in by the awesome agility photos… but it was quickly the touching dog portraits that held my attention.
Says Burke, on Back in the Pack’s flickr, “Understanding the pet perspective… that’s my motto, or slogan, or whatever it is that I put on my advertising, website and stuff. I think it explains what I feel about dog photography and what I can bring to it. It also means I’m on my belly a lot.”
Awesome.
Please visit flickr for more great shots.
Tags: photography
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to all who entered!
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Ask me about my favorite hobbies, and I’ll probably unload on you a little about how I never have any free time, and how the American economic system causes us to work our very lives away… but then I’ll also share that I love spending time out and about with my dogs (hiking, or around town at dog events) and practicing my photography (amateur as I may be). My problem? It’s hard to combine the two. Trying to wrangle a leash and a camera at the same time leaves me with a memory card full of pictures of the grass, or headless dogs, or my own two feet.
Thus, I’m dying to get my paws on JacTrac’s hands-free leash.
There may be other hands-free leashes out there on the market, but JacTrac’s is the one I want. Why? ‘Cause it’s handmade from 100% free-trade, durable hemp webbing, meaning it’s sturdy, washable, eco-friendly AND socially responsible. Brilliant! Plus, it comes in pretty colors. (Squeal!)
The JacTrac hands-free leash fits around you like a belt and hooks to your pooch’s collar just like a normal leash. You can walk in comfort and control and have your hands free for snapping photos, talking on the phone, crocheting a doily, whatever. Check out the leash and all the pretty colors here.
Are you ready for the most exciting part? JacTrac is GIVING AWAY a hands-free leash to one lucky phetched reader (details below)!
Furthermore, JacTrac is offering a special deal just for phetched readers — 20% off EVERYTHING on their web site through July 31st! Thanks, JacTrac!! JacTrac also makes awesome hemp collars (both standard and Martingale styles) and regular (hands-required) leashes, so you’ll definitely want to check out their site. Just use the coupon code phetched to get your 20% savings. (JacTrac is also currently offering free shipping on all orders over $45. Awesome!)
All righty, then. Here are the details for the giveaway:
1. Giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers only.
2. To enter, please comment below with your name and the SIZE (regular or long) and COLOR of hands-free leash you would want if you won. Please visit JacTrac’s site for size and color information. Please provide your correct email so we can notify you if you win, but it won’t be published (pinky swear).
3. For extra chances to win, tweet and/or blog about this giveaway with a link to this page (http://phetched.com/?p=1448), and post the link to your tweet and/or blog post in a SEPARATE comment field below. (To link to a tweet, click on the time stamp just below the tweet. It will lead you to a permalink for that tweet.)
4. Giveaway entry deadline is 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 18th. We’ll pick a winner (using random.org) and notify the lucky duck on Sunday, July 19th.
Tags: collars, gear, giveaways, green, handmade, leashes, outdoors
We’ve all got at least one a handful of airline horror stories to tell. Have I told you about the time my plane sat for several hours at the gate in Philly while we waited, without air conditioning, water, or bathroom access? (Thanks, US Airways.) Or how about the time, returning home from our honeymoon, our departure gate was changed at the last minute, while we, unknowingly, were in a completely different terminal, initiating a full-tilt sprint through the Atlanta airport? (‘Preciate that, Delta.) Or the time my bag was lost coming into Cairo? (I was actually on about 7 different planes that day, so I’m not exactly sure where the blame lies for that one.)
It’s bad enough when these flight nightmares occur, but what if they happened to your furry pal?
You’ve most likely heard about the launch of Pet Airways, the first pet-only airline, taking off for the first time today and serving the Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York, and DC/Baltimore areas. Fares start at $149 each way on this airline dedicated to pet-friendly travel.
Pet Airways founders Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel hatched the idea for the airline after experiencing a lot of trouble traveling with their Jack Russell terrier Zoe. Finding airline travel for pets to be often inconvenient, inhumane, or downright dangerous, Binder and Wiesel were inspired by Zoe to create an airline that treats four-leggers as you’d want members of your family to be treated.
On Pet Airways flights, pets travel in private carriers in the main cabin (NOT in cargo, as on most other commercial airlines) and are watched over with care by a qualified pet attendant. Before and after their flight, pets wait in the Pet Lounge, and they can even board there overnight in comfort if your flight schedule prevents you from being able to pick them up right away. All this and potty breaks, too? No wonder the majority of Pet Airways’ initial flights are already booked up.
Check out this Pet Airways commercial:
Although I know for a fact Mingus would have a third-degree meltdown if put on an airplane, I like knowing that there’s at least a safe way for him to travel now (even if it might involve tranquilizers). We wish Pet Airways great success in their launch… and we hope there’s a big treat in it for Zoe.
Find out more about Pet Airways and book flights at PetAirways.com.
HELLO THERE
Here at phetched we’ve got our noses to the ground, tracking down the coolest dog stuff we can find and offering up a daily dog treat just for you. (That “we,” by the way, is ME — I mean, I — Katherine, and my trusty canine sidekicks, Mingus and Dottie.)
We’ve got a big ol’ dish full of doggie goodness for you here, so come, sit, and stay awhile. We hope you’ll sniff out something you like. 
Bark @ us
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DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
I don’t make any money writing this blog. I am not paid or compensated to express the opinions in this blog. Occasionally I am sent free products for review, and in all such cases I state clearly what I received and from whom I received it. If no source of a product is stated, it means I either do not own the product or purchased it myself. Receiving a product free of charge will not influence my opinion or review of that item or whether that item will be featured on my blog. Any opinions expressed on this blog are solely my opinions and are not the result of any gifts or compensation from, or other material connection to, any vendor, manufacturer, or other third party. Even if you promise to be my best friend, it won’t earn you a positive review. All reviews are solely the result of my experiences and observations and should be verified by readers independently. If I receive a product sample I do not like, it is returned without public comment. Most of the items I feature on this blog are just things I find and admire as I’m obsessively shopping for dog stuff.
