I got an SSS Petcare Mattress as a gift seven years ago, when it was the Simmons Beautyrest mattress. [Editor's note: Simmons decided to stop making pet mattresses, but the company who made it for them continues to produce the exact same mattress under the name SSS Petcare Mattress).] It was a bit of a joke because my dogs were so spoiled, and the advertising for this bed  positioned it as “just as good as yours.” The individually pocketed coils, the craftsmanship, the comfort were all supposed to be idential to the human mattress.

I’ve had four dogs in my house since I got it, two that have passed away and another two who are still with me. They all love the bed. When we say, “Let’s go to bed,” the dogs sneak into the bedroom to see who will be the first to get to sleep on the good bed. When the dominant dog steps down off the bed, the other one gets up on it. I’ve tried other beds over the years when we had a puppy, convalescing dog or older dog. Some of these beds were pretty pricey. I’ve tried bumper beds where they can rest their head on the bumper. I’ve tried baffled foam beds and even an upscale bed from Land’s End. But they like their mattress best.

After seven years, it has not shown any signs of sagging in the center. I’ve replaced the fleece cover three times, but the mattress itself is in great shape. The only drawback is that you can’t throw it in the washing machine like some other fabric beds. But you can replace the cover and it is washable. I’ve been very happy with the mattress and it looks as though we’ll have plenty more years to enjoy it. - P. Zubeck, Arlington VA

I believe the time has come to put an end to the outside dog.

Once upon a time, ours was a farming culture. We did not have fences, and dogs were working animals. Dog roamed their territory during the day, but stayed around their homes at night to provide an early warning system if any animal or person should approach.

It’s different now. We live on zero lots and in apartment buildings. We can’t let our dogs roam the neighborhood because there are a hundred ways they can cause damage or be hurt. So we keep them at home.

But many people still keep their dogs outside in the back yard. This mindset is a holdover whose time has passed.

People have a variety of reasons for keeping their dogs confined to the back yard. They have allergies. They don’t want dirt and dog hair on the carpet and furniture. They want the dog to provide protection. The dog pees in the house, so they keep it outside.

But let’s take a look at the dog’s needs for a moment. Dogs are pack animals. They need their pack, whether it be humans or other dogs. They’re social animals just like us. Dogs who are made to live in isolation in a yard are miserable. They bark, dig, run away and chew the deck down. Dogs need a social interaction. They need exercise. They need a change of scene, and mental stimulation, which is why walks are so good for them.

Making a dog stay outside is a costly waste, and — in my view — cruel. If you got a dog for protection, then bring the dog inside where it can protect your family and belongings. Dogs kept outside cause far more nuisance complaints from barking and escaping than any deterrent to intrusion. Dogs that annoy the neighbors are vulnerable to teasing, harm, theft and release. Locking a dog in a yard protects an intruder, not you. Most dogs will just run away if a gate is opened. Others are killed through the fence. Dogs who are tied are no threat to anyone who simply keeps out of their reach. They’ll bark, but outdoor dogs bark so much already that everyone ignores them.

Compare that to an indoor dog who barks like crazy or jumps up on the door or window that an intruder is attempting to get through and the effect is much different. A robber can’t hurt your indoor dog until the dog can hurt him. For most thieves, it’s not worth the risk. It’s easier to find a house where the dog is restrained outside or in the back yard, and out of the way. According to Dr. Dennis Fetko, Ph.D., yard dogs usually exhibit aggression, not protection. In this dog’s very small world, everyone who passes by or enters has already violated the territory that dog has marked dozens of times a day for years. That’s not protection, it’s not desirable and it overlooks the social contract. Property owners have an implied social contract with others in the community. Letter carriers, paper boys, delivery people, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, meter readers and others are allowed near and at times on your property without your permission. Sure, that ten-year-old was not supposed to jump your fence after his ball, kite or Frisbee; but neither you nor your dog are allowed to cause him injury if he does.

If you have allergies to dogs, you need to find another home for the dog, or employ cleaning methods or flooring materials that allow you to live more comfortably with your dog. I’ve known couples who merge households only to discover that one of them is allergic to the other’s dog. But by replacing carpeting with hardwood or tile and replacing fabric sofas with leather, by teaching the dog not to enter certain rooms such as the bedroom, and teaching the dog not to get on the furniture, many of these allergies were reduced.

The truth is, the more you can control a dog’s environment, the more control you have over the dog itself. Indoor problems such as peeing and chewing are easier to solve than outdoor problems. When a dog is alone indoors, you are still an influence because your scent and personal areas are a reminder of you and your training.

If you keep your dog outside because it pees when it comes inside, then you need to learn how to train your dog not to pee and poop inside the house. Millions of homeowners do manage to teach dogs of all ages and breeds to go outside. There are lots of free resources on housebreaking and crate training that will have any dog housebroke in a couple of weeks. Likewise, there are plenty of low-cost ways to keep a dog occupied and busy so she won’t chew your sofa and cabinets to shreds. People who use behavior problems as an excuse for confining a dog in unnatural isolation in the yard are just abdicating their responsibility.

We’ve all heard countless stories about family dogs saving everyone during a fire. How many people would be dead today if those dogs were kept outside?

People who get dogs need companionship, protection and someone to care for. Our dogs need exercise, social interaction and something to do.

Bring your dogs in with the rest of the family, where they belong.

Special thanks to Dennis Fetko, Ph.D. (www.drdog.com)

Did you know that Seattle now has more dogs than children? So does San Francisco. In a recent poll, 45 percent of dog owners said that having a dog is better than having a child. There’s a popular book out called, “Why Dogs are Better than Kids” that, in a tongue-in-cheek style, explains why (”Dogs give you warning before they throw up in the car”).  The USA has a birth rate of 13 births per thousand, down from 30 births per thousand at the beginning of the last century. At the same time, 63 million American households have dogs, up 23 percent in the last 10 years alone.

You see it in the news headlines: “Dogs are the new kids!” they proclaim smugly. I have every reason to agree — I’ve never had kids, I’ve always had dogs, and I have a business that depends on people indulging their dogs. Heck, we have an entire department devoted to puppy showers.

Yet all this is troubling to me.

In our increasingly technological society, we can work from almost everywhere. Wi-fi, remote PC access services, cell phones and networks allow us to work where we want, often from home, like never before. The average age of video games is 33, and two-thirds of heads of households play video games regularly. We talk with friends on the phone while we drive and do errands. We clear our schedules so we can watch our shows on television, but we don’t have time to see our families and friends anymore. We get our news online when we’re ready to read it, and shop without ever leaving home. In our society, it’s all about me.

Meanwhile, let’s face it; we’re becoming isolated. Individuals increasingly live in a bubble. College kids don’t study together or see each other at the library anymore; they do their homework online from their rooms. We don’t have to get together to socialize; we have chat rooms and Internet game sites. We don’t have to mix with each other to go to the movies; we have Netflix deliver them to our door. Even volunteering can be done without a time commitment.

We’ve become so accustomed to having everything exactly when and how we like it — from news to shopping to social interaction — that we don’t have the patience for being around other people like we used to. We don’t want to wait in line. We don’t want to wait at a restaurant. We don’t want to wait through commercials. We don’t want to wait for our luggage at the baggage claim. We don’t want to wait to save up for what we want.

Having choice is good. It drives free markets, keeps prices low, and gives consumers the power to decide who succeeds. Having convenience is good, too. But how much is enough? What happens to us when we have exactly what we want, all the time, on demand?

I think we miss each other.

We’re social creatures. We need a group. The “reptile” part of our brain (the part that’s hard-wired for survival) tells us that there’s safety in numbers. It’s not natural for humans to be solitary. I’m speaking in general terms, of course; there are always individuals who do prefer to live in seclusion. But as our society pushes all of us in that direction — slowly, steadily, byte by byte – I believe that many of us are reaching out to dogs to reconnect with someone who needs us, someone who will protect us, someone to take care of, someone who will be there for us, no matter what. That reptile part of our brain still has a nurturing need,  nesting need, a need for family and safety in numbers. And while we may not be aware of it as we busy ourselves with conspicuous consumption, celebrity watching and career maneuvering, it’s there.

Enter the dog.

Recent studies have found that having a dog reduces blood pressure and other effects of stress. That’s probably not why you and I got a dog, but we’re probably connecting with the things that make our blood pressure go down. Things like that wagging tail that greets us at the door, every single day. How many people in our homes get up and come to the door when we come home? The dog always does, and that feels good to us. The dog needs us. He depends utterly on us. He’s not going to become independent and leave (well, not most dogs). So having a dog placates our abandonment fears. He’s not going to judge us, no matter what we wear, buy, eat, drive or look like. Now we’ve got an antidote to constant criticism from ourselves and others that plagues us day after day. He’s another heartbeat in what for some is an otherwise empty home. Now we’ve got companionship in an isolated world. And all without the baggage of a human companion. No words that come out wrong. No shirking of responsibilities. No manipulation, tardiness, meanness, cheating or misunderstandings.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great to have a dog. I can’t imagine my life without dogs in it. I think most compassionate, responsible people’s lives would be enhanced by having a dog, and yes, I think people who like dogs are better people than those who don’t. But as I ponder why we love our dogs so much, I also ask myself if maybe we should reconnect with each other, too. Maybe it’s family that we really need. Maybe we should give each other a break, take more interest in each other, have a little more patience, and enjoy one another a little more.

Dogs aren’t better than kids. Nor are kids better than dogs. They just have different roles in our lives.  Or at least, they should.

What do you think?

I learned about something recently that surprised me. Evidently, many people do not want big black dogs.

As the owner of a black Lab, I found this to be surprising. But a newsletter from the Heartland Lab Rescue had an article about how big black dogs are the hardest dogs to adopt out for shelters.

Theories abound as to why. Black dogs are difficult to see in their crates and cages at shelters. It’s hard to see their faces. They don’t photograph easily for online listings. There is a cultural bias against big black dogs because of irresponsible Rottie, Lab, Chow, Pitt and Doberman owners. People are more afraid of big black dogs because it’s hard to read their expressions when you can’t see their eyes and faces very well. Black dogs are too common or “ordinary” and prospective pet owners prefer a more unique coat color or pattern.

The theories vary, but the statistics don’t. Consistently across the country at shelter after shelter, the wait time for big black dogs — especially males — is longer than for any other type of dog. The adoption rate is lower. The surrender rate is higher.

“Our yellow and chocolate puppies rarely last more than a week before being adopted by loving families,” says Amy Serrata, Hertland Lab Rescue Co-Chair. “But the black puppies simply get passed up.”

Here are some ways to keep black dogs out of shelters:

• Spay and neuter.
• Adopt, foster or sponsor a big black dog.
• If you can take decent pictures, volunteer your time to take photos of big black dogs for posting on adoption sites; the photo can make all the difference. (Hint: Take pictures outdoors on an overcast day.)
• Spread the word about adoptable dogs to friends and family.
• If you hear of someone who’s looking for a family dog, encourage them to get a black dog.

To find a big black dog waiting for adoption, go to www.blackpearldogs.com or www.heartlandlabrescue.com. 

I’m involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and I’ve been matched with a fourth grade boy. He is definitely more afraid of my black Lab than he was of my Collie. I always chalked it up to Boudain’s high energy level. But maybe there is a bias, especially in urban cultures.

What are your experiences with big black dogs? Are you more afraid of them when you pass them on the street? Do you keep a closer eye out on your dog at the dog park when he/she plays with or around big black dogs? Have you witnessed bias against big black dogs?

Listen to the Lucky Dog Show for more information about Big Black Dogs. Click here for more info.

 Have you heard about The Lucky Dog Show?

It’s a new weekly radio show that talks about hot trends and cool products for dogs and the people who love them. If you love shopping and dogs, this show was made for you. Every Saturday morning, you can listen from anywhere in the world as The Lucky Dog Show dishes up the best in dishes … plus toys, treats, beds, apparel, summer and holiday items and much more.

 The Lucky Dog Show is all about the coolest, freshest stuff for dogs. Visit www.luckydogshow.com for details on upcoming shows, how to call in, and when to listen.

Wow. We’re back from the SuperZoo annual pet industry trade show in Las Vegas. Still soaking our feet and catching up on our sleep. But we were impressed with the ingenuity and energy that people in the pet industry generate. Take a look at the video and come along!

Among the more than 700 exhibiting companies were plenty of new ones that I hadn’t seen last time I attended, two years ago. That’s good. It means that the industry is growing and entrepreneurs have enough business to sustain them. The bigger companies, too, had new products that were fun and interesting, which shows me there’s no limit to the variety of products the pet industry can generate.

I always make a beeline for the New Products Pavilion whenever I go to a trade show. The NPP at SuperZoo was huge! There were several rows of dog products — including a dizzying array of products to help you pick up after your dog.  Some of them were strangely complicated, but with pickup laws in most cities and towns these days, I guess there’s enough room for everyone to sell their contraptions. I use plastic grocery store bags. If you have found a commercial gadget or product that you really like for this purpose, please share the name with us, because I can’t really judge one over the other.

Some of the winners of the NPP in my view were these items:

• The Comfy Cone, a thick fabric e-collar for post-surgery. Unlike the plastic cone, it’s flexible. And, you can fold back the edge to let your dog see better. We’ll have that available on FunStuffForDogs.com within a week or so.
• Smell Goodies, a daily tablet that is clinically proven to eliminate doggie smells from the inside out. It improves breath and body odor, which keeps furniture, beds and carpets smelling fresher, too. I’m trying out a two-week supply on my collie, who has (sorry, Raleigh) radioactive breath. We’re on day two. I’ll let you know how it works. The manufacturer told me he’d call me in two weeks. If it works, I told him I’d order two cases. Stay tuned. I can say that you have to put it in a treat such as cheese or peanut butter (which the package advises) because the tablet itself is not appealing to dogs. And if it gets wet, the green color can cause discoloration. But I’m in the swing of it now, feeding one tablet a day in a bit of peanut butter. So we’ll see what happens.
• A floor bell that dogs can ring when they want to go out. I’d seen the bells you hang from the doorknob. But the manufacturer said the floor bell was better for two reasons. First, you don’t have the dog scratching up your door. Second, you don’t have the bell going off every time someone goes in and out the door, which prevents confusion to the dog and annoying false alarms to the people in the house. I think this is a great idea.
• The Eye Pack from Happy Tails Spa Products. It contains a jar of pre-moistened eye pads for daily cleaning, paired with a daily food supplement that boost the dog’s immune system and helps cut down on discolored discharge.

There was more apparel than in years past. More manufacturers are getting on the bandwagon of tees, outfits, dresses, costumes and even apparel for male dogs. Two trends I noticed at the show were that the quality of the apparel is improving, and that a few established apparel manufacturers are starting to make tanks and tees for larger dogs. I boght a 3X tee for my Lab that says, “Dog Park Security” from I See Spot and it fits like a dream. My husband and I were skeptical that she would wear it, but once I got it on, she seemed to like it. She didn’t bite at it or pay any attention to it. We’re going to have to carry tees for big dogs, I just know it. Why should little dogs have all the fun?

Another trend I noticed was the larger selection of wheat-free and corn-free treats. It seemed that every other treat had a “grain-free” formula. I know there are some dogs with wheat and grain allergies, but it seems that more and more dog owners are looking for grain-free treats now. I talked with one of the manufacturers about it. I told him, “My opinion is that grain-free treats and food were once difficult to find for dogs with allergies, so more manufacturers began to offer them. Then, as dog owners started to see ‘grain-free’ on the packages, they began to think that there was something wrong with feeding a grain product to a dog, so they began to buy grain-free treats for their dogs who didn’t have allergeis.” He agreed. He said that dogs have been ingesting grains, fruits and vegetables - in addition to meat - for hundreds of years without harm. But all of a sudden, there’s a movement toward eliminating all grains from dogs’ diets. I’ll have to ask my vet if a completely grain-free diet is harmful to dogs.

Of course, there was a mind-boggling array of collars and leashes. It confounds me how there could be enough business for the literally thousands of collar designs I see each year … and new companies spring up all the time. Who is buying all these collars and leashes for their dogs? Collars and leashes must be a fashion item now. There were some gorgeous ones at the show. There were some leather ones (of varying quality), some ribbon ones, some with Swarovski crystals and nailhead studs, and others with neat designs painted or sewn on. There was hemp, cotton, and even ostrich leather.

We saw lots of strollers. There were more exhibitors and attendees with dogs in strollers than I had noticed in years past. Some of the aisles were pretty crowded; I don’t know how you’d get a stroller down them. But the dogs all dressed up in the strollers were so cute!

Television cameras were there nearly every day, interviewing manufacturers and inventors about their new products. I didn’t catch anything on the local news; perhaps we’ll see some of the interviews on Animal Planet in the coming weeks.

Of course, it was painful to whittle down our purcasing list until it fit our budget. But we managed. we got some really neat things, which you can see in the What’s New department of FunStuffForDogs.com. We’ll continue to look for the latest new toys, treats, beds, apparel and gear for your dogs and ours. If you have anything you’d like us to look around for, please leave a comment here and we’ll do it. Meanwhile, I’m going to go soak my feet.

Do you have a video of your dog using a product from FunStuffForDogs.com? We’re looking for videos to add to the product pages of our site. Send yours to lisa (at) funstufffordogs.com.

I followed an interesting thread on the Craig’s List Pet Forum tonight. Someone was polling the community on whether it should be mandatory that dogs and cats should be spayed or neutered. There was some discussion about breeding dogs, but assuming you could make exemptions for reputable breeders, what do you think?

From the Chicago Tribune, August 29, 2007, we read that famed “Queen of Mean” New York hotelier Leona Helmsley has willed $12 million to her dog, Trouble. Following her death August 20, Helmsley’s dog will continue to live an opulent life, and then be buried alongside her in a $1.4 million mausoleum with a magnificent view. Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will.

Helmsley, who owned real estate and hotel holdings that included the Empire State Building and a chain of Helmsley Hotels, left millions for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, as well as two of four grandchildren from her late son Jay Panzirer — so long as they visit their father’s grave site once each calendar year. Otherwise, she wrote, neither will get a penny of the $5 million she left for each. Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer’s other children — Craig and Meegan Panzirer — for “reasons that are known to them,” she wrote.

But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper. “I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum,” Helmsley wrote in her will.

The mausoleum, she ordered, must be “washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year.” She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley. She She left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100,000.

Helmsley became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname “the Queen of Mean” after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion. One employee had quoted her as snarling, “Only the little people pay taxes.” She was known to impose impossible requirements on her staff and to casually fire staff while being fitted for clothes. Her dog, however, seems to have won her heart.

The part that bothers me most about this for some reason is that the chauffeur only got $100K. It’s one thing to be cut out entirely from a wealthy relative’s will. But the chauffeur no doubt put up with innumerous tedious and irrational demands during the time he drove Her Royal Heiney around was given a pittance. From someone who was that wealthy, it was more like a tip.  

This is not the first time I’ve heard of someone leaving money to the care of their dogs in their wills. But this is certainly the most ever willed to a dog. What do you think about how Leona Helmsley dispensed her millions?

Jennifer Aniston , Owen Wilson and others are working toward a start date for a film based on the book, “Marley & Me, Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog,” by Josh Grogan. The movie will be produced by Fox 2000 and directed by David Frankel from a script by Scott Frank. Production is expected to start sometime in 2008.

 Will the project move forward despite recent reports of a possible suicide attempt by Owen Wilson? No one’s heard yet. We’ll up date you as we get more information.