Dog Blog - Dog Product Reviews

After watching Grizzly Man, about a man who decided to live with Alaskan brown bears, I am reminded how many people treat animals as if they were people.

This confused young man wanted to swim with the bears, pat the bears and actually be a bear. Some say he interacted with bears as if they were people in bear costumes. In the end, it got him killed, because bears are not people. We are competitors at the top of the food chain and we do not have a symbiotic relationship.

In the same vein, I think many dog owners think their dogs are little people in dog outfits. They hate to reprimand them. How many times have you seen someone apologize to their dog when they don’t give the dog what he/she wants? Or when they reprimand the dog? They share food off their plate, share their beds, move out of the dogs’ way, step around the dogs rather than make the dogs move out of the way … and then wonder why their dogs are getting aggressive. Dogs who bark at us, demand we share our food with them, and don’t move out of the way when we pass are exhibiting dominant behavior. And why shouldn’t they? Every time we give way to them, we’re telling them that we’re inferior to them in the pack hierarchy.

We do animals a disservice by anthromorphizing them. Don’t get me wrong; they’ll take every inch we give them. It’s survival to do so, and therefore stupid (and dangerous) not to, from the dog’s point of view. But dogs are animals living in a human world. Dogs who do not understand that we come first — even babies — soon find that they do not fit in a human’s world. This is a major reason why dogs are surrendered to animal shelters.

So sad. And needless.  Let’s view dogs for what they are; mid-level predators who have recently (in the grand scheme of things) sided with the winners on this planet, and cozied up to us for their own survival. Sure, they amuse us, offering companionship and endless joy to our lives. But they’re not people, nor will they ever be. They need rules and hierarchy, and it’s our obligation — for their own safey — to give it to them.

So how do we do that? We eat first, and we don’t share. They move out of the way when we need to walk past. They go out, come in and eat when we say. This is not cruelty. It’s kindness. It keeps the relationship appropriate, no matter how many dresses we put on them, or spas we take them to. Dogs CAN live in our world. They just have to live here as dogs. Because it’s bad for them to make them think we’re peers.

This non-stick cake pan works very well. It’s advisable to spray Pam or another non-stick cooking spray on it the first few times you use it. I did that, and the cake popped out just fine. It slid out of the pan as I was turning it over.

I was impressed at how much the cake actually did look like a bone.

I baked two layers and made a layer cake, so the cake began to crack when I frosted it. But if you’re making a single layer, it should be fine.

Cleanup was super-easy. Good as new after I’d cleaned it with just a paper towel.

P. Charles Morrissey, Frisco, TX

It’s fun to go to the dog park — every single person is smiling — but it’s also very important for the development of dogs of any age.

Why?

A dog who only interacts with its human family and has very little contact with others  does not develop socialization skills needed to interact appropriately with others. Dogs confined to yards or houses become lonely, over-protective, and more aggressive.

The dog park provides a place where dogs can safely socialize to reduce these problems. Regular contact with other dogs and new people keeps dogs from becoming aggressive. It teaches them how to behave around other dogs, because other dogs will correct them if they get out of hand.

This is important to dog owners and their neighbors, especially in family-oriented neighborhoods. Socialization produces a happier, better behaved, less destructive, quieter and more stable pet. Most dog owners know that free play with other dogs is a prescription for a happy dog who’s a joy to be around, and that a well-exercised pet is less likely to bark obsessively or be destructive.

Ever been stuck at home recovering from an illness or injury, or snowed in for days? How do you feel when you have cabin fever? Imagine how your dog feels, day after day, without a change of scene and a chance to play until he or she is tired.

A dog park cures most ills. Even once a week for an hour or so will give you a new dog.

Two recent studies have found that having a dog can help us reach our diet and fitness goals better than not having a dog.

The first was a study conducted in 2004 by Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, with Hill’s Science Diet pet foods. The year-long study showed that both people and pets are more successful in losing weight and keeping it off when they exercise together. Read more here.

The second study, from the University of Missouri in 2005, found that when people become responsible for walking a dog, they lost more weight on average than those who participate in nationally known diet plans. Wow. Click here for more details.

It comes as no surprise to us dog owners that the companionship of a workout buddy — as well as the responsibility of having a dog depend on you for its exercise — is motivating and makes exercise more enjoyable. Our beloved dogs, who carry out their duty of reducing stress in our lives with dedication and abject joy, are now doing what they do best in the area of fitness. Indeed, some of these participants started out walking their dogs only 10 minutes, three times a week. Yet the dogs and people lost an average of 14-15 lbs over the course of a year.

Not only that, new studies show that walking can combat mild depression, so the benefits of getting out with Fido go beyond physical fitness.

To help people get outside and get active with their pets, we offer the hands-free leash, day hike fanny pack, pet bicycle basket, doggy sunblock, and more at www.FunStuffForDogs.com

Dogs need something to do. And they’ll find something to do. Our job as pet parents is to give them something constructive to focus on when we’re not home so that they don’t take out the kitchen cabinets, like one Lab belonging to an acquaintance. That dog chewed up the lower cabinets so badly that they had to be replaced. Then she chewed them up a second time.

We hear stories all the time about dogs who, in their need to work off excess energy, wreak havoc on their homes. Boxers, Australian Shepherds, terriers and other high-energy or high-intelligence dogs seem most prone to destructive chewing.

This is how many dogs end up at the shelter. But they’re only doing what they instinctively need to do. Some dogs need to be busier than others. Some need to chew a lot while others don’t seem to need it once they’re grown. All puppies and young dogs need to chew.

Using a crate and giving the dog something to chew while in the crate can help not only housetrain the dog, but also teach her to focus her natural chewing desire on approved items. Providing a chew while the dog is in the crate helps the dog associate the crate with something good, and mos dogs will look forward to crate time if given this type of activity.

There are plenty of toys on the market for keeping dogs busy and occupied when they’re home alone. In fact, we’ve created a department on FunStuffForDogs.com called “Home Alone” to offer a collection of these toys. But one of the least expensive and most effective chew toys I’ve seen (and I use it myself) is a natural bone. You can get them at any pet store. Get a straight bone, not a knuckle bone. They usually have a little bit of marrow inside, which the dog cleans out fairly quickly. After that, you can reuse it over and over for years, filling it with spray cheese, peanut butter, kibble, Cheerios or any combination. You can put them through the dishwasher if your dog doesn’t get everything out. After six years, I’ve only replaced mine once for my two large dogs.

And here’s a tip. Don’t leave the bone out all the time. Give it to your dog in a confined area such as a crate when you leave home. When you return, pick it up and don’t give it back to your dog until you leave again. That way, it stays special in your dog’s eyes. She looks forward to having it. And besides, when you’re home, she’s playing with you and doesn’t need a bone to keep her busy, right?

Product Name: TreatStik

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

Tester: Six-year-old Labrador Retriever, Boudin, who can and has destroyed every other toy she’s ever had, except for natural femur bones.

Reviewer’s Comments: The manufacturer created the TreatStik for large dogs who were tough on other toys. It’s an interactive toy that you load up with treats. It can be a fetch toy or treat-dispensing toy and is made to stand up to the toughest dog. I was skeptical, because other tough toys have ended up in the trash at my house. My Lab is an aggressive chewer, who uses her back teeth to grind hard on any toy. She pops tennis balls in minutes, shreds Rhino Bones and Tough Kongs, and chomps down “tough” chews that are meant to last for days and weeks.

I gave her the TreatStik, loaded up with treats and she went to town. She pushed it all over the house to get the treats out, and when they were gone, she sat down to give it a good chew. She gave it a dedicated try day after day for months, and although it’s scratched up and catches carpet fuzz now, she has not been able to destroy it. She hooked her long canine tooth into the treat-dispense hole and went to town. It’s frayed and slightly larger, but it held. She ground her teeth all over the top and length of the TreatStik and it has held together with nary a crack.

It’s a great toy to leave with your dog when you go to work, because it keeps them busy and interested. You can load it with beef jerky as well as kibble. When the kibble’s gone, the jerky still smells good and keeps the dog’s interest. If you’re worried about your dog’s weight, you can load it with low-cal kibble or treats, cubed carrots, or Cherios.

The only reason we need to get another one now is that she has learned to unscrew the top. I am not kidding. I thought it was a fluke the first time or two when I came home and found the top off. But the last five times I’ve given it to her, I’ve come home and the top has been off, so I guess she really has figured it out. Who knew? I will say that even when she took the top off and chewed the crap out of the threads, I was still able to screw the top back on. This plastic they use is TOUGH!

I’ve heard the company is planning a smaller size, for smaller dogs, which is great, because I’ve talked to small dog owners whose dogs need toys for aggressive chewers, but the toys that are out there are too big. Can’t wait! Meantime, I’m going to get another TreatStik and see if I can thwart Boudin’s attempts to open it.

Lisa Woody, Lake Dallas, TX

This is a great item we saw at the SuperZoo trade show in Las Vegas. Made of neoprene, so it’s waterproof, the Paw Kit has 7 pockets with cute labels on each:

• Bowl
• Toys
• Treats
• Water
• Bags (for picking up after Fido)
• Leash
• Towel

An adjustable strap lets you carry it over your head, at hip length or under your arm. Spacious interior compartment leaves extra space for your own items. A clip on the outside of the bag is great for keys, so you don’t have to dig around the bottom of the bag for them.

I wish the bag were more lightweight, but neoprene is heavy-duty and waterproof, so for now, I guess there’s no getting around it. Otherwise, I love it. The stitching is sturdy and the bag looks very well made. The mesh pockets are also very sturdy. A lot of thought went into making this bag.

Greenies dog treats have been in the news lately because of a few cases in which large chunks of the treats have been thought to cause intestinal blockages in dogs. The company has in some cases paid for the surgery required to remove the blockages, but maintains their treats are safe for dogs.

I know that some dogs chew more thoroughly than others. I have one dog who bolts food and treats and another who makes them last. It seems to me that any treat could cause a blockage if large chunks were swallowed by the dog. There are some who do not feed their dogs rawhide chews for this very reason.

However, I also know that newspapers and television news shows like stories that imply danger, because fear makes people buy the newspapers and watch the shows. (If you doubt this, listen to your local news commercials and see how many times they say, “Your child could be at risk” “Are you safe at work?” and other comments of that ilk.) So I’m sure the media outlets, in their effort to be viewed as a trusted and much-needed influence in our lives, play up the danger in these stories and avoid statistics such as:

• What percentage of dogs who eat Greenies have experienced intestinal blockage?
• How does this compare to the percentage of dogs who eat other types of treats and experience intestinal blockage?
• In the cases where dogs who ate Greenies experienced intestinal blockage, does the veterinary surgeon say that the blockage was caused by the Greenies?

I have no connection with the company that manufactures Greenies, nor am I paid either to defend or attack them. However, I do have some experience with the media (as a former national magazine editor in the pet industry) and feed Greenies to my own dogs. My only complaint is that they’re so expensive. My dogs love them, as do most dogs. (I have my own theory about why they’re so nuts about Greenies, and it involves sweeteners.) If they’re found to be dangerous, I will stop feeding them to my dogs. But let’s not get hysterical until we get more than self-promoting media hype and get some facts.

A response to this recent media attention is noticably absent from the website of the company that makes them, S&M Nutec LLC (www.greenies.com). I think it’s a mistake. They need to get in front of this.