Emergency Preparedness

Living close to the mountains in Los Angeles, which have a tendency to erupt in flames every few years, there have been a few times when I thought I would need to evacuate - along with Chopper. That coupled with his insistence on being somewhat of a walking disaster has made me a little hyper vigilant about dog safety.

I've take a dog safety class where we learned how to do CPR on a dog and the Heimlich maneuver as well (which was needed one time in the car when he started gagging on his own throw up in the middle of East LA). And we have a dog first aid book at home and first aid kit with all the essentials. But a few days ago I came across the Wag'n Pet First Aid Bandanna, and I think it is something we will need to invest in - and possibly give as presents this coming holiday season - and they are only around $10 each!

The basic idea with this product is that all the need-to-know basic dog safety information you need is on the bandanna (but the site does suggest taking a pet first aide course) - and you can use the bandanna as a bandage or muzzle or what not in such an emergency. As someone who takes their dog hiking in an area where there are signs warning of rattlesnakes and a host of other things that could go wrong - I think this product is great.

This site also sells pet-first aide kits and will let you sponsor an pet oxygen mask for your local fire station or first responders. These kits allow firefighters and other first responders to give oxygen to both conscious pets that have suffered from smoke inhalation and unconscious pets that need to be resuscitated after breathing in fumes. Most fire departments don't have the funds for the equipment so it is essential that people step up and purchase these items for their community. It is $70 to send a kit to your fire department and because October is National Fire Safety Month the shipping and handling is covered through the end of the month!

Global Pet Food Outlet: Our Favorite Place to Get Dog Food

When I first got Chopper I thought the only downside to having a bigger dog was that I couldn't find as many outfits or put him in a bicycle basket. (He still has to wear outfits that was part of the deal when I got him - he got a home, bed, food, etc., all he had to do in exchange was wear outfits. I've had to have some custom made and make some myself but he wears them without complaining.) Another downside is that I can't pick him up when he's barking at something like you can with a small dog - hence all the training. Anyway the other real downside is that they cost more - more to board and more to feed.

In terms of the feeding, when we started out I bought Chopper some real cheap food. It was six bucks for a whole huge bag. That didn't last long and Chopper now eats organic and grain free food. He also gets organic and grain free treats. I think the change is diet has been great for him - it helps his attitude, his coat and I think long-term he will be a healthier guy. The downside - it costs a lot more to keep all that bad stuff out of his dog food. His wet food was about $2.79 a can and his big bag of dry food was upwards of $40 a bag.

On top of that I couldn't find a place that sold both his wet and dry food - so that meant two different stops for dog food. I usually couldn't go after work because there wasn't enough time so that meant schlepping Chopper all over on a weekend to buy his food. Not to mention that some of the bigger chain stores in West LA seem to have the worst customer service. One doesn't even have carts. How are you supposed to get a 35 lb bag of dog food, a case of wet food and assorted treats to the cashier and then your car (forget it if you are also lugging around a 70 lb dog who is trying to shoplift the treats from the open treat bar)? It was usually a disaster.

Then a friend turned me on to Global Pet Food Outlet. They had just opened a store in Culver City (I think they've been in Torrance for a long time). This place is the heaven of dog food. They have all the good brands (we use Party Animal wet food and Before Grain dry food) and it cost so much less than everywhere else. They have carts, they are open to 9 p.m. and Chopper behaves himself in there every time he goes (this may be my doing). The treats are also a good price too. They have a parking lot upstairs and there is an elevator so you can take your cart right on up. Also everyone there is so friendly. I like to stop by before I take Chopper to a class at the Zoom Room and we can usually get in and out in five minutes.

They also seem to carry an extensive collection of raw food in the back - there is a wall of refrigerators. I don't know much about that as Chopper doesn't seem to do well with raw food so we haven't tried it. But I never seen as much variety anywhere else in LA.

Also no open treat bar so that's one more day Chopper stays out of the slammer.

Jonathan Adler Pet Accessories

I love my dog but even I have some limits on how much I am willing to spend on things like dog bowls and beds but that doesn't' mean that I haven't always really wanted some Jonathan Adler Pet Accessories. I'm not sure at the end of the day though that a llama wool pet bed is really practical for the Chops.

Imagine my shock yesterday to quite by accident discover that Jonathan Adler has designed a set of collars and leads (which I found for sale at Lifeguard Press). And which are brightly colored and fantastic.

My favorite is the Chevron collar.

The collars come in two sizes and four designs and there are matching leads as well. One or two of the collars will likely find their way to our house very soon. (Probably won't be buying a lead though - we have a leather lead which was expensive but one of the best things I ever bought and is so much more comfortable than any other lead we've ever had.)

Valentine's Day

So it is only a month until Valentine's Day.  I have no idea what to get my mom and honestly I'm not feeling that much in the spirit since she made me a vet appointment for that day.  But if you are looking for a gift for your pooch then here are some gifts any dog would like.

For the dog that has everything how about a little blue box.  My mom has boxes like this on her dresser at home so I figure it must be a good gift. 

My mom loves these little blue boxes!

For those of you that will still be buried under snow come Valentine's Day, how about a lovely sweater for your dog.  This one is pink and blue and I think it would look good on either a boy or a girl dog.  And it comes in larger sizes.

I wouldn't mind wearing this sweater if it was cold where I lived.

A personal favorite, my mom got this for me a few months ago, is this "Mommy Dearest" collar (there is a leash too) that lets everyone know how much your dog loves you.  Also it looks like a tattoo but I'm going to guess it is a lot less painful.

This is one of many collars my mom has bought for me.

If your dog is going to a party (like me) he is going to need at least an accessory.  How about this little collar attachment? And they even have a matching collar (more up my alley than a bow). These little beauties are pretty reasonably priced ($6-$9) so almost any dog can feel special on Valentine's Day. 

This "bow" snaps right on your collar - it's like a doggy corsage!

And if you think your pet is even more festive check out these Valentine's Day "hats" or the cupid wings (but don't tell my mom about those or I may have to wear them).

Woman's Best Friend

Chopper really is my best friend. He's (usually) the most easy-going roommate I've ever had. He is always happy to see me, even if I'm an hour late, and one goofy look will make me smile. Afew months ago when I cam across this little gem at Trixie + Peanut that I thought was just too cute:

Now at first I had some flashbacks to junior high (not all good) but I decided in the end that we had to have it.

I thought I would put mine on my keyring and Chopper's on his collar and we would be very cute. The problem was that it was really tiny (really is more of a charm size). Nonetheless I put it on the key ring and got Chopper's on his collar (along with his city license, his ID tag and his St. Francis medal). Now Chopper has only ever lost one ID tag (some have just worn out) so I was pretty sure this was a safe bet. The cost ($12) was not too bad if we had to replace it though so I wasn't that worried if he lost his.

Guess who lost it first? Me. My key ring opened up after a meeting and keys flew everywhere. A colleague helped me collect them and when I was certain I had all the keys I left. I forgot about my little charm though. So now I have to order another one because poor Chopper is walking around with "be frie" around his neck and I don't have my "st nds" and I don't want him to feel like some poor junior high girl whose best friend stopped wearing her charm.

Either way I though it was just too cute not to share. Also if you sign up for the newsletter at Trixie + Peanut they send you coupon codes. The next time I'm in NYC I'll have to check out the shop.