7 easy ways to reuse your dog

It’s Earth Day, which means that we should be thinking of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Today, I thought I’d focus on that middle one.

(Why? Well, Tavish is currently on a diet, so he’s got that whole reduce thing covered. With regard to recycling, I had to talk myself out of just posting this video again.)

The EPA has noted that the best way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. One way to create less waste is to reuse what we already have. When I was thinking about things I could reuse, it hit me. I have a dog. (Two, in fact.) Obviously, my dogs provide me with love, companionship, entertainment, and blog fodder. But… can they do more? I bet they can – and I bet your dogs can too.

Without further ado, here are five alternate uses for your dog:

  1. Foot warmer – Are your toes cold? Don’t invest in a space heater. Just ask your canine companion to curl up on your feet.

    Foot warmer

  2. Footrest – Why should you spend a pretty penny on a designer ottoman? The perfect footrest may already be under your nose… er, feet. (Obviously, please take the size and temperament of your dog into account. Not all dogs will be willing to put up with your nonsense.)
  3. Bookmark – If you saw it, then you should have put a paw on it.Daily Dog Challenge #82
  4. Shredder – If you simply must shred some documents (before you recycle the paper, of course), don’t invest in a pricey machine. Save your money and conserve electricity by giving your paper to the dog, nature’s shredder.
  5. Doorstop – Pesky door won’t stay open? Perhaps your dog can help. They’re probably going to curl up and take a nap anyway – why not hold that door open while they snooze away? If your dogs, like mine, would never agree to sit still for that long, try using a dog toy instead:Dog toys have many uses
  6. Exercise equipment – Don’t buy a treadmill or an elliptical machine. Just clip a leash onto your furry beast and get moving.
  7. Alarm clock – Don’t buy a new clock. Your dogs can wake you up each morning. Unfortunately, the canine alarm clock does not allow you to choose what time you’d like to wake up. It’s also missing a snooze button.After-market snooze button for your dog

There you have it – seven easy ways you can reuse your dog. Have some ideas to add to the list? Thought of some new ways to go green? Share them in the comments!

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Captain Pug, he’s my hero…

As you may or may not know, I love to share a good video on Earth Day. Last year, I featured a dog kissing the world. (Earth Day also fell on a Friday last year, so it was perfectly timed for a linkathon.)

This year, I’m digging the video I shared on Earth Day 2010 out of the archives – I had just started the blog a few weeks before. Given that I probably had one reader then (counting myself), I figured it was worth sharing again.

So, without further ado, I give you my hero…

To borrow from myself, here’s what I said last time. I think it still applies:

“Captain Pug.  He’s my hero.  Going to take pollution down to zero.  He is cuteness magnified, and he’s fighting on the planet’s side.  (Hat tip to Captain Planet for infiltrating my brain for decades.)   I mean, seriously… how cute and well-trained is this pug?  Also, if anyone knows how I can join that dog’s carpool, please let me know.  Best.  Commute.  Ever.

Earth!  Fire!  Wind!  Water!  Heart!  Puppies!  By your powers combined, he is Captain Pug, the cutest superhero ever.”

As a bonus (and so that I’m not just repeating myself), enjoy these photos I took at the National Zoo yesterday. Lions and flamingos and birds, oh my!

Happy Earth Day, folks.

 

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Snappy wordplay and a K9 Kamp giveaway!

It’s Friday… thank goodness!  (Now I know why it’s always said the other way. IF…TG is not really as catchy as TGIF.)

As always, it’s time for some fun links to send you into the weekend.  As a bonus, today’s post includes information about a K9 Kamp giveaway!  Read on, friend…

  1. This week’s punny net name: William Snakespeare. (Bonus puns: Mount Ruffmore and “Is it tea you’re looking for?”  That second link will show you my new favorite thing. I want one. Seriously.  It’s possible I wrote a few verses of that song this week… you know I can’t fight the music.)
  2. It’s been a big week for punny songs over here.  Newly added to my catalog?  “Hakuna Manatee” (it means no worries, in the inlets and bays) and “Hakuna Fritatta” (I was at a work brunch and couldn’t stop humming it to myself).  
  3. Also, here’s a special one for you Days of Our Lives fans – “Hakuna Marlena.”  (It does, in fact, involve references to that time she was possessed.  Now she has a “Satan-free… philosophy… Hakuna Marlena.”)
  4. Moving on… here’s Hero, the dog-shaped hot dog steamer.  There are no words.
  5. There are, however, words for these cake pops that look like my favorite cartoon character. Those words? Awesome and adorable. 
  6. Speaking of cake, I finally posted a new recipe on my long-neglected cupcake blog.
  7. I have a friend who has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Snoop Dogg.  I have a feeling she would appreciate this next link.
  8. Looking for a pet-friendly hotel?  How about a hotel that has dogs on staff and helps pets get adopted?  As you wish.
  9. If you got the Princess Bride reference in that last item, then you’ll love this (fictional) version of Monopoly.  (If it were real, it would be currently fighting that Lionel Richie teapot for the title of my favorite thing.)
  10. This photo just made me smile.  However, this one led to a fit of giggles that I still haven’t quite gotten over. Wordplay!

Photobucket As you know, I’ve been participating in K9 Kamp for the last few weeks.  Today, I’m the featured blogger at Peggy’s Pet Place – swing by to check it out.  In addition, K9 Kamp is giving away a set of hand-crafted, eco-friendly Fetching Sticks from Molly Products. You can enter by heading over to Peggy’s Pet Place or on this blog after the jump…



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Kiss the world

It’s Earth Day, so today’s video has a special message for you.  But first…

  1. I cannot take credit for today’s punny pet name.  It is genius:  Piggie Smalls.  Also genius and not of my creation: Ol’ Birdy Bastard.  However, I will add a few more names to the list: Notorious P.I.G. and Dr. Bray (for a donkey, of course).
  2. You must watch this audition for Britain’s Got Talent.  I love this woman. I love her dogs.  I love her dog sweater. Love. Her.
  3. Sometimes, you just need to watch cute animals.  Pick your poision: the San Diego Zoo’s Pandacam, the Edinburgh Zoo Penguin Cam, or the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam (it’s back!).
  4. If you prefer your cute in photos rather than videos, I give you this slideshow of pets snuggling with stuffed animals (includes bonus Gremlins reference – be still, my beating heart).

As you may or may not know, we celebrated Earth Day last year by turning the blog over to Captain Pug (obviously our hero and obviously going to take pollution down to zero – also, in case you were wondering, he is cuteness magnified, and he is fighting on the planet’s side).  I don’t know if I can top that… however, I did want to remind you to show the Earth a little extra love today:



(Hat tip to Subroto Bagchi for inspiring the title of today’s post.)

Interested in learning more about going green or celebrating Earth Day with your pet?  Ask and ye shall receive… happy Earth Day!

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Spring fever

I had a taste of spring this week.  It’s kind of chilly again now, but at least I know it’s around the corner! 

  1. First up, your punny animal name: Moose Springsteen. (Or Goose Springsteen, if you prefer.)
  2. It’s almost spring – time to spruce up the outside of your home with some new flowers. (Whatever you choose, do your homework to make sure it’s safe for your pets!)  Park Avenue Chihuahua recently posted about an interesting option – a Chihuahua topiary!  Apparently if you’d like to decorate your yard with botanical canines, there are a lot of options out there.  Check out these Bowzai shrubs, for example.
  3. After a little more digging (wordplay!), I found some other puppy plants out there.  At least one site, GI Designs, seems to offer a variety of pet topiaries.  (You can find the selection here.) These things look a bit like Chia pets on steroids.  Honestly though, I do think this little terrier topiary is a bit charming.  Okay, okay… I’m rethinking my stance here, and may now really want one.
  4. In any event, these topiaries pale in comparison to the giant Puppy created by artist Jeff Koons.  For more information on Puppy and his world travels, check out this slideshow.
  5. You’ve probably already guessed that I have springtime on the brain.  Accordingly, I really enjoyed this list of the best places to see millions of spring flowers.
  6. On an unrelated note, you know how much I love the cone of shame.  So I have to advise you to enjoy these photos of 20 dogs wearing the cone of shame.  (Maybe we could say that the cones remind me of flowers?  Sure, let’s go with that.)

Finally, today’s video offering showcases a puppy discovering the wonders of spring:

Oops… wrong kind of spring.

Anyway, before I go, I’d also like to send a big thank you to All Things Dog Blog for honoring us with the Stylish Blogger Award.  Go visit and say hi!

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My deer Bella vs. the garden

Yesterday, I decided to tackle some chores around the house.  In particular, I decided that the gardens (both front and back) could use some work.  Maintaining a garden will keep any homeowner busy – having a dog who likes to run through the flower beds with reckless abandon presents an additional set of challenges.

Bella seems to have “new plant” radar… she walks outside and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the yard.  She will then run over it and flatten it, among other things.  What’s a pup devotee and flower fan to do?

 

Pet Project has posted some useful info about gardening with dogs (check out Part I and Part II for lots of tips).  In addition to the great tips, there are also links to other helpful articles about gardening with dogs (including two articles from HGTV about pet-proofing the garden and training your dog not to garden).

I particularly liked this piece from Sunset about how to create a dog-friendly garden.  The piece discusses some of the keys to a good “dogscape” in which your pet and your plants can coexist.  (As a bonus, there are also links to photos of dog-friendly gardens and additional tips.)  Pet Project also led me to this great site that contains a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when you have both a dog and a garden.

 

However, Bella isn’t the only hazard to my garden these days – recently I came home to find that a mysterious creature had eaten my Hostas.  If you take a look at the photo at right… those jagged stems used to be home to some very nice leaves.  Now, they’re just a mess.

The primary suspect in the investigation is a deer.  Maybe even an entire deer gang.  (In my mental landscape, apparently deer are tough, like bikers.)

Deer love Hostas.  However, my Google-fu has revealed some natural, non-toxic ways to keep the deer from coming back for seconds.  I may try some of these ideas, although I’m not sure how well they will work as a long-term solution.  I’m also considering trying different plants out front (there are some out there that deer don’t view as appetizers).

When deciding what to plant in your backyard, don’t forget to think about pet safety in addition to aesthetics.  Check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants before you buy.  Happy gardening, fellow pup fans!

 

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Stinky puppy, you’re the one…

At some point this week, Bella needs a bath.  As she slumbers beneath the desk, stinky and content, little does she know that within days she will be suffering through such an ordeal (she really doesn’t like getting a bath).  Anyway, this seems to be the perfect opportunity to post one of my favorite Bella photos:

 
I haven’t attempted to take photos of Bella in the bath in quite some time – usually I’m too busy playing defense to keep her in the tub, or attempting to throw up a towel shield right before she shakes off.  We’ll see if I can get some new ones this time.

Given Bella’s impending doom (her description, not mine), I thought this would be a good time to share some tips with you.  In my family, we have always bathed the dogs at home instead of taking them to the groomer (do they even have groomers in the sticks?).  I’ve been lucky – most of my pups, Bella included, have been pretty low-maintenance.  If you are a new pet parent, or considering bathing your dog at home sometimes instead of always paying the groomer, I’ve rounded up some tips for you.  (If you’re an experienced pet parent, you still might find some new info or tips to improve bath time.  Never stop learning, right?)

  • If you’re new to this whole puppy bath thing, here are some basic tips to get you started.
  • While Bella is definitely not a bath fan, at least she isn’t scared of the bathroom.  If your dog gets really anxious around bath time, check out these tips for making bath time more fun.
  • Even when I think I’ve gotten Bella as dry as I can (or as dry as she will tolerate – after a while she has had enough), she’s still usually a little damp.  Maybe I should get her this robe so she can relax in style (and stay warm) post-bath.  I’ve also considered getting one of these Brush Buddies – it’s both a towel and a flexible brush that might help make brushing seem like a nice puppy massage.
  • Do you have a stinky dog and no desire to give him or her a bath?  Similar to dry shampoo, you can use cornstarch in a pinch if you want to clean up your dog but don’t want to fill up the tub.  Here’s how.
  • If you’re looking to make bath time more green, check out this post on how to find eco-friendly grooming products.    You can also try eco-friendly grooming wipes if you need to freshen up a stinky pet.  Also, you can find information on where to purchase a host of green grooming products via Raise a Green Dog.

Do you have any bath tips or stinky dog stories? Feel free to shake that knowledge off and leave it in the comments, like Bella will soon be leaving water droplets all over my bathroom.

 

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Puppies can celebrate Earth Day too

Happy Earth Day!

I’ve been trying to think of a way to combine Earth Day and my favorite topic, puppies.  (No surprise there, I’m sure.)  However, the wonderful video below just solved that problem for me:

(via Huffington Post)

Captain Pug.  He’s my hero.  Going to take pollution down to zero.  He is cuteness magnified, and he’s fighting on the planet’s side.  (Hat tip to Captain Planet for infiltrating my brain for decades.)   I mean, seriously… how cute and well-trained is this pug?  Also, if anyone knows how I can join that dog’s carpool, please let me know.  Best.  Commute.  Ever.

For those of us whose dogs aren’t well-trained enough to star in their own Earth Day PSAs, there are still plenty of ways to be an eco-friendly pet owner.  Check here for some general tips on how you can go green, and here for a list of green pet toys.

Earth!  Fire!  Wind!  Water!  Heart!  Puppies!  By your powers combined, he is Captain Pug, the cutest superhero ever.

 

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