the best “frisbee” around

They are no longer called “frisbees” - they are discs, so I learned. My big labs are big chewers and needed a frisbee…I mean disc, that could withstand their sharp teeth and rough play. The cheap ones last around 10 minutes before the holes and tears start. I found a fantastic disc by Hyperflite and had it tested in Henry’s Lab. Impressive.

Created by competitive disc world champions, these discs (frisbees) are puncture resistent and easy to fly. We have tested other durable discs but our testers found them too heavy and walked away. The Jawz Disc is lightweight and there are a few sizes - perfect for any size dog. The Hyperflite Disc was ranked a perfect five out of five in Henry’s Lab. It’s worth the investment.

Please note - we recommend selecting a color besides green as it can easily get lost in the grass.

Henry’s Lab ranking:     

is your child feeding your dog alphabet soup?

it’s not what you think…there is a good reason…Martha Speaks. It is a new, sweet animated series on PBS about a dog named Martha. The premise of the story is that Martha the dog has eaten some alphabet soup and can now talk. My little girls love it - and they can be a tough crowd to impress. I liked it too, but they could have cast a better voice for Martha. Just like Clifford, it’s just not right…but, I digress.

According to Susan Meddaugh (Martha’s creator), “Martha the dog is confident, honest, loving, talking and acting before thinking, sometimes wrong but seldom in doubt.” (sounds a lot like my husband). 

The show is meant to help build children’s vocabularies with complex words but also to teach good pet ownership behavior. They hope viewers will come away with an appreciation for the important role dogs play in our lives and to raise awareness for animal shelters and encourage more families to adopt.

The Real Martha
The “real” Martha was a rescue dog who was so out of control, they almost couldn’t keep her. But with training and patience, Martha’s true personality came through. The story premise came from Susan’s daughter who asked the all important question, “if I give Martha alphabet soup, will she talk?” …ahhh a story is born.

Martha Speaks was based on a book series which is being re-released in the fall with new editions and enhancements such as tips for families on building vocabulary. You can find fun and games with Martha at the PBS kids website. Two thumbs up for “Martha the puppy dog” which is what my girls call it.

another dog food recall

Wanted to be sure you heard about the voluntary pet food recall from Mars Petcare US.

Due to possible Salmonella contamination, some dog food brands manufactured in PA have been recalled.

The voluntary recall only affects the United States and only effects dog food manufactured in their Everson, Pennsylvania facility.

The following brands are effected (and there are “types” affected in the brands, so please see the entire article for product codes):

Country Acres
Doggy Bag
Member’s Mark
Natural Cat/Dog
Pedigree
Ol’ Roy
Paws N Claws
Pet Pride
PMI Nutrition
Red Flannel
Retriever
Special Kitty
Wegman’s

The pet food is being recalled because it is potentially contamination with Salmonella. As you probably know, salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, there is the potential for cross contamination (caused by handling of the pet food) in people as well, especially children, the elderly, and people with immune system issues.

Here’s the Pedigree recall and the actual FDA recall press release for all the information. 

So please check your dog food carefully - if yours is included in the recall you can return the dog food where you bought it for a complete refund.

can your dog dial 911 in an emergency?

Have you heard this story? Now we all know how wonderful our dogs are and how their love and affection has amazing healing powers but for Joe, here, his dog, Buddy really did save his life.

His owner, Joe, developed seizures after sustaining a head injury during a military training incident 10 years ago so he adopted Buddy when he was just 8 months old to help him out. Buddy is an assistance dog who he taught to dial 911 when he’s having a seizure.

How did he do it? “If I have a seizure he will grab the phone and try to bring it to me and I have all the phone numbers programmed so that as he bites down on it he dials the police department,” Stalnaker reveals.

When buddy dialed 911 the operators just heard Buddy barking and whimpering and sent help as a matter of routine when a call is made and the caller is unable to respond.

When they arrived at the house they found Joe, unconscience with Buddy standing over him.

Joe is now recovering but has much to be thankful to his dog for… “I just hope I can be as good to him as he’s been to me,” he agrees.

Truly, man’s best friend.

the easy way to give your dog a drink

I have been waiting to post this entry until I had a great photo of my dog, Jess drinking from the pet top water bottle. Well, it hasn’t happened yet but I feel compelled to share the details with you before the summer is over!

First and foremost, I needed a way to share some water with my dog when we go to the park without having to drag a water bowl around (which I did when they were pups). I found some nice collapsible bowls but they never really lasted very long and got kind of gunky. I then stumbled upon the pet top while searching for an answer.

Very well made, small and convenient, the Pet Top portable drinking device screws on to most water bottles (Evian, Dasani, Aquafina, etc.) – although you may need to purchase an adaptor for some of the newer bottle styles. It works like a rabbit feeder whereby there is a small ball at the bottom. You screw it on and turn the bottle upside down (no spillage) and as the dog licks the end, the ball rolls and the water dispenses out. See a video of it here, in action at You Tube.

Our testing team loved the Pet Top and really found it handy to keep in the car for those jaunts out at the park, walking trails, outdoor summer events, etc. One of our testers commented that her dogs “loved the adapter, drank like large gerbils!” The only negative comment I have is the comment I saw on You Tube where someone had trouble receiving it after ordering it.

Convenient and compact, this is a great product for those outdoor pups – it’s still hot here in Virginia and we need to keep ‘em hydrated!

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

music calms the savage beast

Well, your dog is likely not a savage beast, but does your pup get distressed in the car when going to the vet, on a long car trip or just to grandma’s house? I found a new CD developed to calm your dog while traveling. From Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Dog in the Car is a 74 minute CD filled with calming classical music for you and your dog to enjoy and relax.

For $14.98+shipping you will receive the CD plus a booklet which addresses three degrees of dog anxiety from no visible issues to moderate/extreme distress. A 20 minute “travel prep” can be played before you get in the car to set the stage for an enjoyable trip.

The remaining soothing tracks should help calm your nervous canine so you can both enjoy the ride.

If you do purchase it, please come back and let us know what you think…Happy traveling!

how you can be prepared for disaster

Being hurricane season we thought we would remind everyone that it’s easy and important to have a disaster or evacuation kit handy for those unexpected natural disasters. When you are lucky enough to be forewarned, you don’t typically have too much time to think about all you need to take with you but if you have a bag packed with as much as possible in advance for your dog, you can grab it on the run.

Here’s a checklist of what you may want to keep in your emergency evacuation dog kit:
1) medications - keep your spare meds here so you always have some ready
2) travel bowls - lots of great collapsable bowls on the market (we’ll be reviewing some in future)
3) travel crate - for comfy carrying and safe car travel
4) favorite toys - a must for boredom and to keep them feeling safe and secure
5) treats - keep a stash with your kit - it won’t be something you think of when you’re in a rush
6) leash - buy a spare to keep in your kit
7) first-aid kit - even just a few necessary items - antiseptic wash and bandages
small bag of food - again, you may not think of when in a rush
9) 3 days supply of fresh water - you can even buy some water jugs to keep near or in your kit
9) vet or animal hospital contact details - just in case you need to get a hold of them
10) list of dog-friendly hotels in the area - again, very handy to have just in case

Sometimes when you are evacuated you may expect to be gone for a few days but it may turn into a few weeks so be prepared for any emergency from earthquakes to hurricanes and flooding.

A little preparedness can go a long way to keeping your pet safe.

here’s one way to stop scratching

When my dogs were puppies they would scratch on the door to let me know they want to go out – well, they didn’t just give it one scratch, they gauged holes in the door thus resulting in new doors for our deck – an expensive lesson learned. My subsequent search for a solution resulted in my finding Poochie Bells.

I really had high hopes for this product. It was hard to find but I love the concept. They are bells you hang on a door and teach your dog to ring them when he has to go out. Great looking – comes in lots of different styles and comes with a sweet dog bone keychain – and easy to use – just hang on your door handle. The training is a little more difficult. In theory, every time your dog waits by the door or scratches the door to go out you shake the bells and say a command like ‘outside’ so they associate the bell ringing with going outside. It should take a few weeks for you dog to grasp the concept and start ringing the bell when they want to go out. The lovely Christmas bell sound is loud enough to hear around the house but not obnoxious that you’d like to destroy it.

Now, I have tested it in my house for 6 weeks and to date Henry and Jess have rang the bell about 5 times combined. That’s not to say it doesn’t work, there could be a few reasons for the delay – laziness (on my part and theirs), old age (theirs, not mine! although they are really middle aged), not enough time to get the idea, etc. They really are smart dogs but they do have their shortcomings. My testers found similar reactions although the ones with younger dogs had some really good success.

So, as a reviewer, I have to give this a two out of five stars as most of our team I didn’t have a lot of luck but we’re not giving up yet. Check back in a few months for an update! 

By all means, please try it yourself – the Poochie Bells company are lovely people - and come back and let us know how it worked for you. It’s worth a try – much cheaper than new doors.

Henry’s Lab Ranking:
    

ride the bus with your dog

I am sometimes amazed at the lengths some local governments go to to keep their people and pets happy.

The dog friendly city of Boulder, Colorado recently debuted a public transportation pilot project for people and their dogs. In an effort to help reduce carbon footprints (and paw prints), Hop 2 Chautauqua is a dog friendly bus route from downtown to a popular park where parking is an issue. “We’ve been tossing around the idea of allowing dogs on the bus for years,” says Cris Jones, a transportation planner in the city.

A few rules exist; no dogs on the furniture, they must sit on a lap or the floor and no one is allowed to stick their head out the windows. Which is only a rule becuase the bus windows only slide open at the top.

Other progressive cities also welcome canines on their public transportation; Seattle has dog friendly buses, San Francisco allows dogs on Muni trains and streetcars, and Boston allows dogs to ride the subway.

Progress can be such a good thing. Happy traveling with your pooch - but don’t forget the poop bags!