Walk Fido

It's Hot Out There!

With the weather getting hotter by the second, dogs are having a tough time keeping cool. Downtown's sidewalks and streets can be hot on paws and can radiate heat up to their dog bellies and faces.

Because we want all the doggies to stay hydrated, we're always on the look-out for ways to keep Fido cool while out on a walk, or hike or all day trip.

We've gathered up a few of our favorites here - from a vest you can dunk in water and the best on the go water bottle, to the ultimate in dog gear: their very own Camelbak lookalike!

Adventure Dog Bowl $12.00 at REI
Gulpy Water Dispenser, $7.00 at REI
Swamp Cooler Vest, $50.00 at REI
Doggie Camelbak, $26.00 at Things4YourDog

Tough Toys for Tough Teeth

We meet many dogs who like to chew and who have tough teeth. All good things - teaching your dog chewing (on the right thing!) from an early age is a wonderful way to keep other behaviors in check. Anytime they're doing something you don't like, you can always redirect their behavior to a chew toy, which is an acceptable way to get out their energy.

The trick for tougher teeth and heavy chewers is that some bones are way too soft and disintegrate into pieces in a matter of minutes. Other bones are too hard and can break teeth (this happened recently to our bulldog). Finding tough toys that fall somewhere in the middle and that will actually stay in one piece for a few months after many long chew sessions has been a challenge.

So we are loving these new firehose squeaks. They come in durable nylon, they are seamed with even tougher fabric and they are...kind of cute to boot. 

Wegman Beds on Sale at DWR!

How can you resist?

Spring Things: Collars for the Gents

On Monday, we brought you a few pink collars for the ladies -- to book-end the week, we've rounded up a few bright and sunny collars for the gents.

Just as strangers often assume girl dogs are boys, we find that many think our boy dogs are girls! 

One sure way to banish any questions: boy collars!  Instead of just sticking to an all-blue pallette, we selected a range of colors and styles to suit all the different gents out there who will be strutting their stuff this spring.

All collars are Walk Fido tough - no wamby pamby collars here!

• Superhero POW! collar, $36, from Calling All Dogs
• Monkey Business collar, $28, from Muttropolis
• Toad Stool collar, $37, from Muttropolis
• Blue Camo collar, $30, from Fetching Dog Collars
• Lucky Boy collars, $39, from Wrapables
• Pee Wee collars, $26, from Olive Green Dog

Spring Things: Lovely Collars for the Ladies

Spring is here (no more rain gear required in these parts!) and we find ourselves and our furry friends in need of some zippy new collars.

While we don't typically subscribe to the notion that girls should wear pink, we have recently encountered several friends and clients who are tired - so tired - of strangers who assume their girl dogs are boy dogs.  One surefire way to help them figure out what's what (and who's who) is to get your ladies a fun spring collar.

All of these are sturdy enough to pass the Walk Fido test (no "foofie" gear here!) and just might do the trick!

We'll be covering all things spring this week (including gear for the gents!) so stay tuned!

• Modern Bloom Collar, $37, from Muttropolis
• Pink & Lime Bubbles Collar, $20, from Muttropolis
• Valencia Flower Collar, $29, from Muttropolis
• Hippie Dog Collar, $14, from The Pampered Pup
• Green Lollipop Collar, $20, from The Modern Pet
• Pink Elephants Collar, $28, from Fetching Dog Collars

It's Cold & Wet Out There!

We never thought we'd see the day, but with colder LA temperatures and now wet weather to boot, we've taken the plunge: we bought our pit bull Stella a little dog hoodie.  She is so cold every morning that she shivers through the entire hour walk and at night, she can't go potty without shaking like a mad-woman. Those little pits don't have any fat on them to keep them warm!  Several clients have purchased similar hoodies and jackets for their bullies and we know why!

We've rounded up some great options for pooches that are too small or too lean to brave the cold without a little protection:

• Green Toggle Parka, $73 - Might be a little bit much for LA weather, but if this week's weather keeps up, it certainly wouldn't hurt. Would also be great for all that snow in Mammoth and Big Bear.
• Arctic Jacket, $10.99 - Again, might be a tad over the top, but at that price, why the heck not?
• Base Dog Raincoat, $44.95 - It is pouring rain as we type so while this may seem silly, it seems perfectly reasonable right about...now.
• Trench Coat w/Hood, $64.95 - The hat is a show-stopper because it's so difficult to keep a hood on a dog's head while on a vigorous walk without covering their eyes completely!
• Northwind Fleece, $40.00 - Very similar to the one we found for Stella, nice and warm, but very functional. Not a lot of bells and whistles but gets the job done.

New Year, New Homes

We are oh so pleased to announce that the two Fido Fosters at left, Roz & Nellie, have both been adopted into new homes!  Their original owner, Joel Bloom, passed away last year and we wanted to make sure that both of his dogs ended up in homes that were perfect for them - and they have!

We believe Joel would be proud and we are so pleased to know that Roz & Nellie have found their way into the hearts of excellent new owners who will give them long and lovely lives.

See what can happen when you open your heart and home to a few rescues? 

We'll leave the Roz & Nellie sidebar up through the end of this week so you can read their stories and see their pretty faces. After that, stay tuned, as we'll have another foster very, very soon!

Sort of for the Dog, Mostly for the Lover...

As we mentioned earlier this week, we don't quite understand all the flurry of activity around buying tons of holiday gifts for your dogs.  They can really only play with one toy at a time and we don't go in for all that holiday clothing everyone is so fond of making their dogs wear during the season.

We do, however, know a lot of dog lovers who need holiday gifts. Here's our first round-up of a few items that are to be used by their dogs, but are mostly for the dog-lovers themselves. These items will either save time, expense, messes, or will provide just what the busy dog-lover needs but won't buy for themselves!

• Fetch spill mat, $11 - $21 - We can't tell you how many times we've had to clean up the floor after feeding time! Water, food, all mixed together on our old hardwood floors. Yuck. This lovely mat prevents all that cleaning. A great idea for the pet lover in your life!
• Wagging Dog Bowl Set, $72 - Definitely for the dog - but oh so cute for the owner. Come on - you have to admit these bowls make you laugh. Extra special bowls for extra special dog lovers.
• Grip Tex Boots, $65 - Another one for the dogs, but oh so convenient for their owners. If you've ever taken your dog to the snow, you know what we mean. These boots will save dog-lovers tons of time - no more cleaning urea/salt off their frozen paws or rubbing vaseline on their little pads because the salt on the snow has burned through the skin!
• Rescue Remedy, $20 - Good for you, good for the dog, good for your dog-lover friends. It's been called yoga in a bottle for a reason!  Naturally relaxes pets when they travel during the busy holiday season. A relaxed dog means a relaxed owner and a relaxed owner equals a relaxed dog!
• Talking Gingerbread Man, $6 - 25, While this one's a little more for the dog, this talking gingerbread man will provide hours of amusement for any dog-lover. We had to toss in a little holiday cheer!
• Eco-friendly Fleece Mats, $44 - These mats are perfect for car rides, family visits or snuggling on the couch. They are soft and cuddly, but very good at trapping all that dog hair so when the trip is over, there's no hair left behind!

LA Animal Services: Looking Ahead

Ed Boks of LA Animal Services has been running a series of posts over at his blog about Los Angeles' no-kill efforts. It's complicated stuff, but important to read and understand as we move into 2008:

• Implementing the "No-Kill' Equation in Los Angeles - Part I
• Implementing the "No-Kill' Equation in Los Angeles - Part II
• Implementing the "No-Kill' Equation in Los Angeles - Part III

Gift Guides Extraordinaire

There have been many "gift-guides" created in the blogosphere (and dogosphere) the past few weeks. Which makes sense, it is the holidays after all. But most of the dog gift guides we've seen focus on gifts you would give to...your dog. Which, beyond a new toy or two, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us.

What does make sense: gifts you can give to the dog-lovers in your life for the holidays, for birthdays, and beyond. For the next few days, we'll be posting a variety of gifts for the dog-lovers you know. Some gifts you might even want to keep for yourself!

Stay tuned for the gift guides - you won't wanna miss 'em.

Women's Bulldog T-Shirt, $20, from Alfie & Rex