It was nice to leave the city for a weekend. It was especially nice to find a drool-worthy line of dog toys: Dog Smart by Nina Ottosson.

Friends in Madison, WI brought me to a shop called Bad Dog Frida where they prominently displayed the different dog puzzles that I am now obsessing over as we try to come up with more ways to keep our pooch entertained indoors in the winter.

The toys all involve hiding treats under or inside a movable part. The dog has to figure out how to rat the treats out of the toy. Some pieces can be picked up by mouth, moved with the nose, or hit with the paw. The idea is that you train your dog how to find the treats and then praise for the right behaviors. If you are trying to teach your dog only to use the nose and not the paws, you may have to work at it, but it will be a fun exercise for the both of you.

Some of Ottosson’s Dog Smart toys are plastic and some are wooden. I really like the look of the wooden ones, and plan on getting one very soon for the dog and perhaps another for the cats at the shelter. What a great way to combat cage craziness or household boredom. (I didn’t buy yet because I didn’t want to pay to check a second bag on the plane!)

The toy I did pick up was the HI.Q. linkable pipe toy. She is already loving her new red toy because it is designed to be flipped, chewed, dropped, carried, and it hasn’t fallen apart while the treats keep trickling out.
Now I am considering buying the interlocking ball to make it more challenging for her. These puzzling toys are the only successful kind in our house with a 9-year-old dog who yearns for playing. She is no longer comfortable gnawing on a hard bone for long periods of time. Although some of the toys may be a little costly ($21-55 dollars for the Dog Smart toys and $14-15 for the HI-Q toys), I think it they are worthwhile and if they fall out of favor with our dog, I can donate them to other bored dogs.

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Dexter is 5.5 years old. His owner died unexpectedly. A sad, tragic situation has left Dexter in the care of his neighbors. He is said to be of a good disposition and he has gotten along with dogs previously.
To meet Dexter, please contact Lauren at 714.400.1033 or laurenbartel@gmail.com.

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Jen over at Gotham Unleashed wants you to send her a smile. Show off your pet’s clean teeth and win some prizes during the February Pet Dental Health Month.

For some inspiration, visit my favorite dog page, the Bark’s Smiling Dogs. If you have never seen the two-page spread of readers’ photos published in every issue, go get Bark Magazine.

Here are our smiles. Notice the rawhide bone. Her favorite tool for dental health.

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Probably not the best way to carry your pet, but it made me look. Unfortunately, the rat was eaten by a snake, according to the comments. Also, probably not the best place to put your snake food.

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This poster was sighted today on St. Marks Avenue in Brooklyn. Neighbors, please keep a watchful eye for Gus.

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Who loves NYC pets? The New York Stock Exchange, of course.

Today the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals will be on Wall Street to ring the closing bell at 3:50 pm. Mayor’s Alliance President Jane Hoffman will be there with a couple of adoptable dogs and Maddie’s Fund representatives to promote their annual I Love NYC Pets public awareness campaign.

Many adoption events are planned for this month. Several will take place on Valentine’s Day (a Saturday). If you are looking for a new pet to share the love, visit the Alliance website for event location listings. There are some great pets just waiting for anyone who has room in their hearts and homes.

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Here’s a bit on this kibble:

Nutrish is Rachael Ray’s brand of dog food and treats. Ray’s dog, Isaboo, was the main taste tester. According to people involved with creating the food, if Isaboo did not like it, then they would have had to go back to the drawing board.

There are Nutrish treats in two varieties: Booscottie and Grill Bites. The Booscottie smells like my own oatmeal cookies, which are pretty tasty, I do say. Honey really likes them, but we don’t taste test anything on her because everything is consumed so fast that no food will ever fail her.

Veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Ernie Ward (in photo), gives the diet his thumbs up and is really excited that the Booscottie has such a low calorie content. Dr. Ward really cares about the epidemic of pet obesity (check out a podcast of his lecture). He nearly choked when I showed him a photo of my favorite fat cat (who is now on a diet!).

Unfortunately, the Rachael Ray website was not very informative and I am unable to find Nutrish in the city. I was able to find a counterpoint to Dr. Ward’s on Nutrish: an in-depth analysis of Nutrish ingredients by Ryan Eisenbrei.

The philosophy of Nutrish is to give a good quality food, for a reasonable price, to people where they shop for all the family needs. Nutrish is sold at big chain stores and not in the little pet shops that dominate NYC. I don’t think this food is comparable to the more expensive diets out there, such as Innova, Merrick, Wellness, etc. If you are interested in giving your pet the Nutrish taste test, get a free sample.

The people behind Nutrish are very excited that proceeds of food sales go to Rachael’s Rescue. This Rescue supports the work of other animal welfare organizations by providing funds and food donations. They presented Anne Marie Lucas of the ASPCA with a $10,000 check last week. Through their webpage, Rachael’s Rescue highlights the good work that rescue groups do to an audience who might just learn something about the cause.

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Crafty people know how to make useful, fun things. To me, cooking is the crafting that people do even if they don’t consider it being crafty. Cooking is akin to crafting because both things can result in something useful. A good meal is used for nurishment (and maybe some stress relief). A good handcrafted good is used to keep comfortable, adorn, or even entertain.

The benefits of making your own pet goods are many. You might save money. You will spend time on your projects, at home, where your pets prefer you to be. You will take pride in seeing your cozy pet in a new bed. Bonding through play with your pet using a handcrafted toy is priceless.

I made Cat Dancers for holiday gifts this year. With the $6 fleece blankets and under $1 plastic dowel rods, I made 10 toys and still have fabric for 10-20 more. I secured the fabric with wire through the end of the dowels. Since I socialize cats, why not make lots of toys to give to the rescue? The photo above shows my pile of supplies to make more cat toys. I also have saved Fresh Direct boxes for making cardboard scratching pads. Crafting and hide-and-seek with the dog are ways for me to get through the cold winter while staying sane.

Why not try to make your cat a ladder, habitat, perch, scratching pad or cat dancer? Find design inspiration here.

Your dog might appreciate the warmth of a new jacket and you will save a lot of money by shopping around for the materials. Craft Magazine Issue #10 has patterns for the Country Gent Tweed Coat and DIY leather dog collar. If you subscribe, you can get digital access to all the craft archives. You might also be inspired by Splatgirl’s Denim Jacket for her dog, Pupcake.

If you have some old socks that you don’t want, you could make a Rotta the Hutt toy or a Sock Fish toy.

If you are more technical, you can try the RFID pet food access control system project from Make Magazine.

Since any pillow-like item gets a higher price tag as soon as it in marketed “for pets”, you might want to try making your own pet beds. Knit a place to burrow, sew a donut, reuse an old suitcase (just make sure it stays open!), or make a washable cover and buy a big, cheap pillow, either way your pet will thank you.

If you want to pay homage to a pet no longer in your home, the No Sew Portrait is a fitting tribute and a constructive way to say thanks for all the good memories.

Of course, you have to remember that cats and dogs can really get down with their toys so double tie your knots and make everything as durable as possible. Avoid the googly eyes and small parts. Use non-toxic adhesives. Get handmade toys out only when you want to play, and avoid unsupervised play to keep your pets safe.

Happy Crafting!

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The short version: Dogs should not be tied up in front of bodegas or any other kind of public place as you run a quick errand.

The long version: Pet people sometimes decide to tie their dogs up in front of local bodegas when they are on quick stops in this city. This dog parking phenomenon happens frequently in cities where cars are not the main mode of transport and people are accustomed to running most errands on foot.

Starbucks locations are treated like dog parking lots. Or perhaps this New Yorker cover predicts a role reversal in the future. Dogblog out of San Francisco keeps us up to speed with scene of dogs tied up in public on the West Coast. Although Jon at Dogblog has some funny thoughts about what these dogs are thinking, there isn’t anything funny when a dog is abducted from the spot where he was left.

Dubi’s family will attest to this since the woman who took him even called to inform them she would not return their dog. And Lady’s owner, Patti Hagan, who lives on our street, found her dog after someone abducted her in 2007 and a community pitched in to spread the word.

This isn’t another post about scaring you into thinking people will take your dog while you are walking on the street (looking at you Upper West Side email writers). What is important here is that there are times where good law-abiding or even overzealous animal-loving citizens will start to take action (read: remove the dog) if the dog is tied up too long. You can make a difference for your dog by just keeping the errand running separate from the dog walking. It may take more effort or planning, but you will not have to worry about your dog the entire time you are in the store if you just avoid tying up in the first place.

Please consider leaving dogs at home when stepping out for the morning bagel or running to the corner for chips or beer. Don’t let the owners of the bodega pictured here tell you where to park your dog. It will be sad to see websites like Dogblog run out of witty commentary when no dogs are tied to parking meters. But it will be worth it.

Keeping Warm via Gothamist link and by Plutohead on Flickr.

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