Wow, talk about a cool surprise this fine Wednesday morning.  I wake up and find some awesome news from CNN of all places that all of us dog and pet lovers that just can’t help pampering our puppies are actually doing a great service to the economy as a whole!  That’s right folks, our pampered, spoiled dogs are actually helping things along in this struggling, downward spirling economy of ours!

Turns out, all the dog clothes, dog gifts, dog accessories and silly gadgets we buy for our pups are helping more than just their egos.  According to CNN, “The American Pet Products Association estimates Americans will spend $43.4 billion this year on their pets — a figure that includes everything from treats to training — despite the dramatic slowdown in discretionary spending. That’s 26 percent higher than what U.S. consumers spent in 2004…”

Whereas many other industries in the country are taking large, brutal hits to their sales and profits, for some reason the dog industry has not been struggling at all; in fact, quite the opposite.  They seem to be an “oasis” in the dark and failing economy.  I think all of us dog owners know why…no matter how hard things get, we still love our pets, we still pamper our pets, and we still try so hard to give back to the dogs that give US so much!

It appears that store owners and people who provide these little toys, gifts and trinkets for the pet industry are changing strategies a bit, given the recent downturn of the economy, by buying less expensive toys to sell, $5 toys instead of $20, but nevertheless, steady rises are being noted just about everywhere.  The crazy thing is, those increases are expected to do nothing BUT rise in the years to come.

Right on Dog Owners!  We need to make signs:  “Proudly Boosting The Failing Economy Since 1981!”

Each and every dog breed is born with a coat of fur.  That much we know to be true.  What we don’t often realize is, not all coats are created equal and there are a great deal of dogs out there that just can not handle the cold or rainy conditions that Winter brings all over this country.  While a Husky might be perfectly pleased to sit outside on a freezing cold day, a little Yorkie or Bichon Frise might freeze it’s little paws off.  That said, this Winter you might just have to start investing in some Winter clothes not only for you, but for your furry friends!

Bottom line, regardless of what breed you have, make sure they are warm enough this Winter, and stay dry on the chilly days.  There are plenty of ways to do this, and all are important.  An article I just read mentioned that Winter can be some of the most challenging times for dogs as their bodies struggle to regular their body temperatures by burning more calories than usual.  Here are some things to keep in mind if Winter where you live often gets nasty:

• If it is rainy where you are, you might want to invest in an easy to put on rain jacket for dogs, they make them in a wide variety of colors and sizes, so finding one to fit should be no problem at all.
• If the snow can get deep and accumulate, think about buying some booties that strap onto your dogs paws.  Ice chunks can develop between dog paws that become very painful.
• Sweaters and Dog Jackets can actually do wonders on keeping heat in for a smaller dog.  If you take your dog out on long walks during Winter months, try one.
• If your dog stays out long periods during colder weather, make sure to increase their daily caloric intake to compensate for the amount they will lose keeping themselves warm.  More food.
• Remember to keep their exercise up if they stay indoors during the cold spells.  They still need their fitness!

So, start investing in some dog Winter clothes.  Trust me, they will thank you!!

Hello and welcome back to the work week!  Hopefully this finds you well rested and hopefully over the diabetic shock that can be Halloween!  Here’s to hoping your dogs made it through the Halloween humiliation that can be pet costumes unscathed!  To kick things off this Monday morning, I decided that in light of Halloween’s passing, we should be very aware of our dog’s health.  We can’t always be scheduling vet visits, we can’t always take our pets in for checkups, but we should always be aware of their health.

So what do we do?  How about administer a DIY Doggy Exam!?  That’s right, you don’t need a medical degree, veterinary license or extensive knowledge to give your dog a daily, weekly or monthly check-up to make sure they are in tip-top shape without the bills of a vet visit, or hassle of meeting the appointments.  While regular check-ups and real vet visits are irreplaceable, this can be an amazingly helpful way to supplement those visits.  Here we go, DIY Doggy Exam:

“• Run your hands over your dog’s head and body. Any new lumps or bumps? Observe the eyes, and check inside the ears and under the tail. Give the pet a good belly rub as you check the abdomen for hardness, swelling, lumps or bumps.

Other things to check:

• Shiny coat?

• Fur coming out other than normal shedding?

• Visible discharges from eyes, nose, ears or glands?

• Lift up the side of the mouth to check whether teeth are clean and gums are pink. Bad breath and discoloration of gums are not healthy.

• The nose should be wet without a discharge.

• Ear flaps should be pink.

• A few minutes every month is all it takes. You probably will notice when something is not right. Be sure to tell the vet anything out of the ordinary to help avoid serious health problems.“

There you have it.  That should provide you with the very basics on how to make sure that your dog doesn’t have anything that requires help on a more serious level.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Hello and HAPPY HALLOWEEN from all of us here at DoggiBling.com!   We hope you and all your pets have a healthy, happy, safe and most importantly FUN Halloween!!!

Get out, take your pooch Trick-or-Treating, and see how many people come ready to give not only your kids, but your dogs some treats as well!!  We’ll be back, bright and early Monday morning with all your dog needs, wants, tips, tricks and ideas!

Happy Halloween!

When it comes to everyday household items in and around your house, there’s a pretty good chance that most of us don’t give any of them a second-thought when it comes to how dangerous they are to our dog friends.  Most of us know the usual suspects, rat poison, bleach and anything else that’d probably be poisonous to Us, but I just found out a great deal of very common, very ordinary household objects that I had no idea were so poisonous to our pups!

This is an article you are for sure going to want to read as it could drastically alter the way you store things, the things that are “reachable” in your home, and things you might want to toss out altogether.  Feel free to check out the full article for more in-depth analysis, but for now, here are 10 household items that can seriously injure your furry friends:

1. Laundry detergents and fabric softener
2. Mouse and ant killers
3. Chocolate, even in small amounts
4. Ice melt and rock salt
5. Oleander, mistletoe, and lily plants
6. Macadamia nuts
7. Tylenol can be fatal for a pet
8. Antifreeze
9. Avocados, raisins, grapes, and onions
10. Mouthwash

There you have it!  Numbers 1, 6 and 9 were the most surprising to me.  Not that I actually feed my pets dryer sheets, but from time to time they have gotten their little mouths on them, and I had no idea how dangerous they could be.  Avocados, raisins, grapes and onions I had no idea, as people can eat them without worry, I assumed dogs could too.  Wow.

What do you get when you put a dog inside a fenced yard, all day, and leave him or her alone to pass their time?  The truth is, you either get a very bored, sleepy dog, or you get a dog that has found a way to either jump the fence, dig under it, open the gate, or otherwise vanish from your yard.  This happens all over America, every single day, and unfortunately the number of dogs that are lost, missing, or runaways is on the rise.  What can we do?

There are actually two things we can do to make sure that your dogs, no matter how far they run, will always be returned to you.  There is Nothing more reassuring than knowing that your pet will never be totally lost.  The first way to prevent this, involves a vet visit, putting the dog under anaesthesia and implanting a micro-chip that is filled with information on the dog, you, your phone number and current address.  This ensures that if your dog runs away, whenever someone finds him or her, the local vet, pet shelter or humane society will be able to scan the dog, find out about you, and get your pooch back to you ASAP.  Not bad.

The second, much easier method of always finding your dog is a relatively new product:  GPS Collars.  Yes, we’re that technologically advanced now, we actually have GPS collars that monitors your dog’s whereabouts at all times.  The coolest feature of many of the GPS Collars is this:  You can set a “Safe” zone around where you will permit your dog to stray, if and when the dog leaves that zone, you’ll automatically receive an alert telling you when, and where the dog ventured out.  Snazzy.

There are a few different types of GPS collars, the more expensive models actually give you a little screen that shows you in real-time, a radar blip of exactly where your dog is; the cheaper, more affordable models will send your alerts either to your cell phone or email address anytime the dog strays.  Either way, both are extremely handy and extremely cool.  They range in size from pretty large collars, to tiny little tags that can be added to your dogs existing collar.  The prices range anywhere from $120 to $250 and most have a monthly service fee tacked onto them.  The bottom line is, it’s worth it.

If you’re afraid of losing Your pet, these two methods, microchipping and GPS collars are simple, genius ways to always know where your pup is at all times.  Peace of mind is a hard thing to put a price on, that is for sure.

Hello, Happy Monday and welcome back to DoggiBling!  Hopefully you had a great weekend, full of rest, relaxation and plenty of 1 on 1 time with your furry friends!  Speaking of our 4-legged counterparts, raise your hand if you don’t always give your pooch the right amount of exercise???

I have to admit, my hand was one of the first to shoot up.  We’re human, we make mistakes!  It doesn’t matter what happens, when it happens, or why, we all get sidetracked, busy and too involved to give our pets the proper exercise they deserve 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.  When you have a pet that demands large amounts of exercise and you just can’t give it to them on a regular basis, health problems, psychological problems and behavioral problems are often the result.  If you are NEW to the dog world, or not yet a dog owner, and you know you’re goign to have a tough time providing exercise, one of the most responsible and intelligent things you can do is invest in a dog that has a relatively low exercise need.

So what breeds are best?  The good news is, you have a wide variety of choices.  According to an article I just read, here are the BEST breeds for you, if providing a lot of exercise is just not in the cards: [Read more →]

Always wanted a little doggy diva in your life but just can’t deal with the shedding, feeding, walking and letting them out?  Want that little carrier pooch but can’t have live pets in your apartment or worried about your kids getting bit?  Worry not friends, the solution is here and if you’re the “carry-on” puppy type, you’ll probably love to jump on board with the new Tini Puppini line of mini dog divas!

Whether your style and taste leads you to Tisha, who is defined as being the girly-girl of the bunch and loves shopping and high-end fashion, Toffee, the Hollywood trend-setter and spa fanatic, or Tutu, the free-spirited party girl, there is a true doggy diva for each and every one of you.  Apparently each dog comes with a full line of customized accessories to completely compliment your dog of choice.  That’s right, we’re talking clothing, jewelry, shoes and handbags all to finish off the doggy diva look that you’ve been going for this whole time.  Each awesome little pup stands about 10″ high and are completely posable.

Bottom line, Paris Hilton is not the only one that can have all the fun, now You can too.  Tini Puppini’s are the perfect way to jump head first into designer dogs with NONE of the mess!

It is officially entering into that special time of year we all like to call HOLIDAY SEASON.  With Halloween just a whisper away, Thanksgiving rapidly sneaking up and yes, Christmas on the horizon, it is pretty clear that in the next few months, you and your loved ones will most likely be doing some serious traveling.  Whether it is by plane, train or yes, automobile, if you’re anything like me, your furry friends are going to be right next to you the whole way.  The question is, how do you make that as smooth a vacation as possible for you AND your canine companion?

The good news is, if you have a few important tips in your brain, traveling with pets can be a seamless and fun process.  It doesn’t Have to result in stress, and if you keep some of the following things in mind, your holiday season this year can be a great time for everyone!

• Always, I repeat Always, make sure your pets vaccinations are up to date, current, and complete.  If you can’t take your pooch with you and kenneling is your option, make sure they are vaccinated for kennel cough as well.
• Make sure your dog has his or her collar with current information on the ID Tag.  If you’re out of town for your holiday, make sure the temporary address is on there too.
• Don’t forget the food and water!  Small changes in your dogs diet can lead to an uncomfortable and stressed dog.  Not fun.
• Bring extra Lint removers for anyone that’s not going to be as used to the dog hair as you are!
• Bring carpet cleaners, trash bags and clean up kits in case of any accidents.  Your hosts shouldn’t be responsible.
• Invest in a high quality dog carrier.
• Invest in a high quality dog crate.
• Always let your dog use the bathroom before any public stops or events.
• Look locally for a pet-sitter for the day, or a kennel that will keep your dog for the day so you can enjoy your holiday location pet-free for a day or two.

Bottom line, if you plan accordingly, pack appropriately, and follow some very simple guidelines, you can have an amazing holiday without the pain, stress, and hassle so many people associate with pet-travel.  Don’t leave your furry friends behind, travel with them and let everyone Else enjoy them too!