Because we do crazy things for our pooches…

So my dog Stanley III just had a birthday party (can’t believe he is 11), and my mom threw a fun dog party for him with family, two legged friends, and four legged friends. There was a lot of playing, sniffing, nose butting, and woofing that went on…good times for sure! Looking at the pictures from the party, I figured I had to start a string here about dog birthday parties…supposedly there are millions of them held every year by Americans who love and do crazy things for their pooches…

Party planning tips include questions and thoughts such as:

- Should the party be indoors or outdoors?
- How many human vs. canine guests should attend?
- What kind of food and drink should the dogs have vs. their two legged owners?
- Always have your digital camera ready…pooches won’t hold a pose for long

Party must have’s are:

- Doggy invitations…even dogs like to get mail
- Dog games…races and singing contests are good ones, and I’ve seen a peanut butter eating contest go down as well
- Party hats…Sparky may not want to wear it, but the pictures will be great
- Goody bags…all dogs want to go home with some nummy treats
- Poop bags…yes, it’s inevitable that Lola will leave behind her own party favors

Party fouls could be:

- Barking too much…could more than three misconducts warrant dismissal?
- Humping the birthday boy or birthday girl…give them a break on their special day
- Eating cake that is not yours…small dogs sometimes eat slower, so don’t polish off your own plate and then go swiping other’s goodies
- Sneaking away for a poop and leaving it as a surprise for a human foot or shoe…Clifford, if you are doing #2, be honest about it!

Here are some links to sites that have other fun ideas and discussion about dog birthday parties.

(Links to follow…sorry for the delay!)

Cheers!

For those dog lovers out there who don’t know about RSS feeds, well, here is how RSSDay.org defines it:

“RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format used to deliver information from websites and pages that get updated regularly. An RSS document (which is called feed) contains either a summary or the full content from a website.”

This means that if you have a favorite website or blog that always posts content, instead of having to go to the site every time to get your fix, you can have the content shipped your way. Pretty convenient.

For dog lovers, if you have never set up an RSS feed before, I recommend that you start here with my blog to stay up to date on Doggy Bling and the crazy thing we do for our pooches.

Cheers!

When I heard from fellow coworker and dog lover that I had to check out Wiggles Dog Wigs, and that I better shut my office door because I am going to laugh so hard that I’ll cry, I didn’t believe the person. I was wrong.

The pug with the comb over worse than my dad’s Sunday hair do (sorry pops), the rasta dog that only needs some Bob Marley “Buffalo Soldier” in the background to complete the scene, and the pretty princess trying her best to copy a Marilyn Monroe look all but sent me over the top.

And if this wasn’t enough, Ruth Regina from Wiggles Dog Wigs has a YouTube clip from the Dave Letterman show that it just outrageous…check it out at this link.

How a dog can wear a wig is just beside me…I don’t think a dog would get low self esteem if its hair turned gray or wasn’t as full as in its hay day. Again, this really seems to be a topic where the owner wants to bling out Sparky or Lola.

Question for my readers…if you had to get a wig for your dog, would it:

A.) be a hair style you are currently sporting

B.) be a style you wish you wanted, but could never get away with

C.) be a conservative and classic look

D.) be a hippy and liberal look, ya man we jammin’

Seeing that my hair is thinning these days, I’d go for the comb over look for Sparky, since perhaps if he got some ladies with it, it means my best dog days could still be ahead of me…

So it’s Earth Day today, and just as we focus on how to save energy in own homes, apartments, vehicles, and offices, so too should we think about where to conserve and help the earth with all of the goods and services we provide for our pooches. Here are my top five suggestions:

1.) Eco Friendly Poop Scooping

You would be surprised at the types of bagging options you have for Sparky’s doo doo. A contraption called Pix-It-Up boasts biodegradable bags. If you don’t want to take care of the dirty work on your own, DooCare is an up and coming eco friendly pooper scooper company. They are currently based in Arizona, but are seeking to build 200 franchises in the next five years…check out their video from a news clip.

2.) Recycling

Dog biscuit boxes, canned food tins, and all of the mail catalogs you signed your buddies up for can all go into recycling.

3.) Turn Off The Lights

I talked to Stanley, and he said he wasn’t afraid of the dark. Just because your pooch is at home doesn’t mean you have to keep lights on all over the house.

4.) Turn Down The Heat

Our furry buddies have nice natural coats and love to burrow into a fleece or wool blanket, perhaps a warm and cozy dog bed, so you don’t have to leave the heat turned up just for the pups to stay warm.

5.) Use Reusable Bowls & Cups

Whether for food or drink, try and use cups and bowls that are reusable. When in Santa Monica a few weekends back, I saw a couple running with their dogs using a folding fabric and rubber bag to pour their water into…it closed right back up to fit in a small backpack, ready to use a mile or so down the way, and it was easily washable.

Happy Earth Day!

Spiked dog collars…somewhat of an aggressive look for a pooch, but I can see how it works for certain breeds. The Dobermans, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, and Bulldogs look pretty bad ass sporting the look (their attitudes and bodies fit the image too). I can’t say I have ever seen a spaniel, a lab, or a retriever in this leather and chain type garb…what other breeds do you think can sport this bling and get away without looking ridiculous? (Perhaps a Chihuahua with a missing identity?)

Make no mistake, the spiked collar isn’t just for the fellas. The ladies are sporting the look too, with pink, magenta, and turquoise among the color options. The babes aren’t afraid in this modern world to tell the boys they bring power to the dog park. Bow wow wow, the ladies run this place, ya?

Though I’ll never open my pocket book for a spiked collar for Stanley, our Brittany Spaniel, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to pick up this look for your pup. Petsmart has spiked collars from $10 to $55 (the upper end is a Harley Davidson collectors edition), but some smaller boutique stores may charge up to or more than $100 depending on the design and size of the pooch.

At the end of the day, I wonder if there is a strong correlation between owners that wear spiked collars, bracelets, and accessories, and their dogs…I’ll take a stroll in Hollywood some weekend to do some research.

Would you get a spiked collar for your four legged buddy? If so, why?

I’ll be honest with you up front…I’m a nut. Ya, that’s right, crazy. Estoy completamente loco! Well, that is for dogs, of course. I’ve spent my whole life growing up with dogs, and just can’t get enough of them. From sporting dogs and spaniels, to the big and happy labs and retrievers, to the smaller terrier type that fit into a small barrel handbag, I’ve met them, made friends with them, talked with them, and bonded with them. Why? Well, some people say that alcohol brings out your true character…well, I think that dogs do, and I am at ease and comfortable and playful when around them. Life just doesn’t get any better than when hanging with some fun and carefree pups.

These four legged friends of ours bring so much happiness and laughter to our lives, that it only makes sense we feel the need to pamper them, to coddle them, and to buy them all sorts of items and services they don’t need or necessarily care about. You really do have to ask, is it the pooch who wants that dog sweater, the Burberry collar, or the sterling silver dog tags, or is it the owner? The world may never know…

So why this blog? Simple. I love dogs and I pride myself in being able to generate happiness, laughter, and fun. Since the stories and emotions and humor that accompany our four legged buddies can make even the most stone cold, introverted person smile and laugh, I hope to bring some fun and laughter and smiles into the days of those who follow the blog.

And what is Doggy Bling all about? I’m interested in researching, sharing, engaging, learning, smiling, laughing, and having dialog about the crazy things we do for our pooches. From upscale doggy day care, to high end dog dining, to personal diet trainers, and of course the crazy clothing and accessories, dog collars, dog toys, and dog bedding we get for our pooches, any and all topics are fair game here…

You can expect to hear from me, Dog Aficionado, multiple times per week, as well as some of my four legged blogging friends, Stanley III, Lola, and even Sparky from time to time. They bark, and I type…it is invaluable to get feedback and opinions from those closest to the source.

More bling bling for your pooch pooch. Woof if up.