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Posted on January 16, 2010
You can now find Mutt Shots on Twitter. Click on the twitter icon above to get to our site at any time and follow us for twitter-only promotions and even more doggy info!
And don’t forget about the weekend give-away. Once black Port-A-Poo goes to one of the people who tell me about their favorite pet product. A winner will be chosen tonight at 8pm central time.
Good Luck!
Posted on January 15, 2010
Last week I featured Port-A-Poo on Pet Product Tuesday. I got so excited about the idea that I had to get one myself. Then I fell in love with it. And now I am giving one away. Thanks to Nicole from Port-A-Poo one lucky winner can try it for themselves. For absolutely free!
Well, almost. The only thing I want from you is a tip. Tell me about your favorite dog product. Anything that you think is genius and you just can’t live without. And tell me about it on my facebook page (NOT HERE!). You’ve got time until Sunday 8 pm Central Time, when I will randomly pick the winner of one of those handy little helpers! Good luck!
Posted on January 15, 2010
Just recently I have shared some info on how to assess your local dog park. This information was provided by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. I like them a lot, because they try to move away from the “alpha role” and “pack leader” mentality in dog training and use positive methods to teach just about anything. Their website is a great resource for information on dog training, behavior and more. And they also provide a worldwide dog trainer search among their members.
So another great resource that I found are the six phone numbers every dog owner should have. Here are the ones I find most important. You can read the full article here.
1-800-555-6517 Legal Hotline that you can call if you think someone is abusing a pet.
1-888-426-4435 National Animal Poison Control Center. For a $45 fee you can consult a veterinarian right away.
1-800-248-SPAY Spay USA. For every new pet owner, they will provide with free or low cost spay/neutering or can refer you to local services.
additionally I would suggest:
1 800 Humane-1 (486-2631) the national hotline for reporting lost pets (and finding them in local animal shelters).
Also don’t forget to add the phonenumber of the company you have your pet and its Microchip ID registered with. If you have not registered your pet, yet, I highly recommend to do so with e.g. HomeAgain or 24PetWatch. And keep the number of your local vet clinic handy. In the Manhattan area you can call (785) 532-5700 or take your pet directly to the Emergency Vet Clinic at KSU.
Posted on January 12, 2010
Aren’t these super cute? And you don’t have to pay horrendous shipping fees on them because you can make them yourself. Run to the hobby lobby for shrinky dinks, download the templates and go!
I found this on the Martha Steward website. And although Martha has been driving me insane with her baking recipes in the past (could it be any more complicated?) and I was close to wondering if they were the real reason for why she went to prison, I have to admit I love these tags. Get your instructions here.
Posted on January 10, 2010
Before I had to leave Germany again, I got to photograph this beautiful Hovawart. And I’m not only happy about that because Chili is a great model but also because she is of a breed that is not very well known over here in the states. Hovawarts are a german breed and are bred to be “estate guard dogs”. I knew that part, what I didn’t know was that their name actually means “estate guard dog”. (Gotta be some old german, cause I think I know the current german pretty well). Nowadays they have spread over other European countries but are still rare in the United States. Their colors are black and gold like Chili, all black and all blond. The blond version kind of reminds me of a golden retriever, but the real Hovawart fan will probably roll their eyes at this comparision 
All I can say about the breed is what I have learned from Chili. She is super sweet and friendly and soooo soft! I could have cuddled with her forever. So here are a few album spreads of this beautiful girl.
Posted on January 9, 2010
It’s time for the Bissel Dog Photo Contest again! Every year the vacuum company, Bissel, runs a contest in which you can win great prizes. But best of all, the winner can choose a pet charity to which Bissel will donate $10,000. Now personally, I’d love for either the Pottawatomie County or Riley County Humane Society to win. But that is of course totally up to the winner.
The contest started at the beginning of this month and will run all the way through the end of march, 2010. But don’t wait until then to enter your dogs picture! Each week is a new voting period and a new chance to get your dog into the semi-final.
So in an effort to help any local dog charity I am offering to “donate” a free digital picture to my past and future clients. That means, everyone who has had their dog’s pictures taken by me will receive a free (low resolution) digital file of their favorite picture to enter in the contest. And since the contest runs until the end of march my offer is valid for any customer that is going to have their pictures taken until then. So just e-mail me the name/number of your favorite picture and I will make sure to send it to you asap!
To enter your picture go here.
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Posted on January 8, 2010
Isn’t that some weather out there!? Yesterday morning our walk lasted two minutes, exactly the time until I could not take the dog’s limping and my fingers freezing, anymore. If you love to take your dogs out at least once a day I’m sure you have also been looking for solutions to beat the cold, the snow and the salt on the streets.
So, as with all dog clothing I have not been fond of the idea of dog boots. But watching my pup limp come the first snow (and salt) changed my mind a little. So we tried the first pair we could find (I don’t think it’s called a pair when it’s for four legs, is it?) and I wasn’t happy. And Mac sure wasn’t. I wish I would have had a camera. I didn’t know if I should laugh or feel bad for him. Anyway, I know it’ll take time to get any dog used to any kind of boot, but those just didn’t seem right. They were all stiff and weird.
Now while I will continue my search for other boots I still need to get my dogs out of the house, even though it is 6 degrees out there. That’s what I signed up for when I got a dog.
Here are some other ideas I found to protect your pooches paws without having to go out on a shopping spree first:
1. Trim the fur between your dogs toes! That’s especially important with long haired dogs. The hair that reaches beyond the level of the pads will accumulate snow and ice which will make it difficult for your dog to walk.
2. Keep you dogs nails trimmed! Nails that are too long will cause the toes to spread while walking. That way, more snow and ice can accumulate in between your dogs toes, making it cold, wet and uncomfortable for him.
3. Wash your dogs feet in warm water when you get home! Either with a bowl or cloth clean his feet and make sure there is no salt, ice or grit stuck between the toes.
4. Use vaselineor other soothing balm (like the ones from happy tails or musher’s secret)! After you cleaned your dogs feet treat the pads with vaseline to help heal cracks and chaps. Then, before you go out again, apply vaseline again to protect them from the moisture and other irritating things on the streets. (And if you ski you probably know to apply some vaseline to your face to protect it from the chilly winds we got going on right now, too)
5. Check your dogs feet regularly for cracks and injuries! That should be a no-brainer if you do the steps mentioned before.
6. Eventually, if all doesn’t help, consider the booties again. I’m sure there are great ones out there, I just haven’t found them, yet. (Leave a comment if you got a tip on good booties, I might feature them on the blog next Tuesday)
7. Play indoors on those REALLY cold days! Read my last post on indoor games here.
I hope you are all getting good through the icy weather. Feel free to share your tips on winter paw care in the comment s below!
*EDIT: A lovely friend just gave me a great idea. You got a puppy with already cracked paws, but the vaseline or balm you put on the pads comes right off when they start running around? The solution: Socks! Kids socks, baby socks, whatever fits your puppies paws. Put them on before they go to sleep. They will probably come off at some point, but for the time they stay on… well, they stay on *
Posted on January 6, 2010
“Saying anything rude (or even mildly critical) to a German about his dog is more than your life is worth. All dogs are beautiful, and the world is their litter tray. Those Germans who do not own a dog are strange (and could even be eccentric). Those who own a cat are certainly Communists and may be cut dead in the street. If the man next door acquires a budgerigar [bird] or hamster, any self-respecting German will think about moving house (and perhaps going to another town altogether).” ~ Xenophobe’s guide to the Germans
Although a little exaggerated, dogs in Germany certainly do enjoy a lot more priviliges than most other. Remember my post on kenneling? I found that very topic to be a significant difference between american and european dog owners. During our time in my hometown Berlin my husband set out on a mission to photograph dogs in uncommon places. Uncommon for Americans, I mean. Although we forgot the camera several times and therefore missed opportunities like dogs on the bus, dogs at blockbuster and dogs at the restaurant, we still caught a few to give you an idea (and proof) of what it’s like over there.
So here is what we got. Dogs at the mall, dogs at the train station, dogs in the food court and dogs waiting in front of the grocery store.
Dogs everywhere! Yes, that is what I am longing for.
Posted on January 5, 2010
As promised last week, here is a “helping hand” for your daily walks. Port-A-Poo clips to your leash (and even flexi-leash) and carries your full and empty poop bags. What more can I say about them? Other than: I want one!
Well, I have a little more to say. For example, I would absolutely love one of those when I walk both of my dogs all by myself and all of my hands are tied up in leashes. And they come in several colors, in case you are concerned about you and your dogs looks no matter where you are. And now there is really not much more to say. And that’s not a bad thing. Port-a-poo, simple but profound. Love it!
*Tell me what your favorite pet products are! If they get featured on the blog you might just have a sweet little something come your way! Just comment below or shoot me a mail*
Posted on January 3, 2010
Today, right before we leave Germany, I had a session with beautiful Hovawart Chili. I could not pass up the opportunity to photograph this cool and (in the states) rather unknown breed. Here is a sneak peek. More are to come as soon as I get back to the states, next week. Enjoy!
