Four-legged Eco-Friendly Fun

Whether you're a human or a dog, it seems that green is the new black. Here are some outstanding pet links, both popular and obscure, to help you join the pro-planet movement. Picketing and petitions are great... but making a difference can be as simple as shopping. And really, what better justifies shopping than... SAVING THE PLANET!

1. I love the cotton Tree Hugger Tee from Muttropolis . The closest store in my area is alllll the way at Fashion Island (in Newport), but the website has a huge page full of fun, fashionable, quirky & mindful toys, treats, and apparel.

2. Looking for a truly unique space for your dog to relax outdoors? Check out these artdECO dog houses with clever gardeny "greenrroofs" designed by Stephanie Rubin at Sustainable Pet .

3. You can purchase ultrasoft, organic, hard-to-find Simply Fido products at: Robins Pet Care. Simply Fido makes the cutest doggie shirts with simple symbols and sayings like "cupcake," "sweetpea," & "peanut." They also have an endearing line of cozy blankets and fuzzy toys. The cherry on top?... for ecoy stuff the prices are GREAT.

4. The Zogoflex Tux toy is one of my favorite finds of the year. It's a "busy brain" type toy that's not only treat-stuffable, but is also buoyant for pool play, and can even be tossed in the dishwasher for supereasy sanitizing. The industry buzz on this one is so fabulous trainers were preordering it before it made it's official debut in April! West Paw Design products have a clean, modern aesthetic and they make a complete line of eco-friendly toys in snobtastic colors like mint, brown, and muted lime.

Puddle Drinking: Just Say "No!"

Mrs. Reagan's mantra for drugs fits just as nicely when it comes to dogs & puddle water. No need to grab a red dress, call your astrologer, or start making banners and bumper stickers. When out for walks, just be sure to bring a water bottle and a collapsible drinking bowl so your pup won't feel the need to take a lap off the streets. Even the most clear, fresh-looking puddle water can be hiding creepish creepies. The antifreeze that drips from cars winds up in gutters and sidewalk/street puddles (especially during rainy weather!), and antifreeze is highly, highly toxic. Even non-city pups should follow the same rule. Instead of antifreeze, suburban and country dogs are often exposed to puddles contaminated with pesticide run-off (yuck!) Puddle play is fun (for dogs and kids... and, let's face it, even adults, too!) Splish and splash to your heart's content, but when it comes to taking sips, reach for something made for lips!

Biodegradable Puppy Poop Pick-up Bags

Did you know that it literally takes thousands of years for plastic to break down in landfills? This means Fido's poop bags will be around centuries after our greatgreatGREATgrandchildren have taken a spaceship and left Earth to colonize planet XYZ! Luckily for us (and for the earth!) some fantastic new puppy pick-up bags are now available, and these bags decompose in as little as 45 days! Take a peek at three such eco-friendly offerings from: Eco Me (they have lightweight, blue bags that look similar to most traditional plastic baggies), Poop Bags (they carry both standard and jumbo size bags for... ahem... larger breeds...), and Spike Brand (spikebrand has a complete line of various pro environment puppy products, and donates 2% of sales to doggie nonprofit groups.) Fashion Puppy Bonus: Poopbags.com also carries quiet possibly the world's cutest designer poop bag holders ever, created by Hugo Designer Dogwear (who knew the words "designer," "cute," and "poop" could be used in the same sentence?!) The little key-chainesque carriers conveniently attach to your dog's leash, and they come in bright, happy colors & fun dogcentric shapes. There is even a spotty dalmatian creation. Go, spot, go!

Let's Play!

Reading canine body language can often times be perplexing, but the "play bow" is (happily!) really easy to spot: your puppy will bring her front legs down towards the floor, and lift her rear up high towards the sky in a supercute & pouncy pose. This posture is demonstrated in the photo by the obviously adorable dog model formerly known as Cookie. You'll see this gesture going on lots at dog parks between pups (and frisky old-timers, too.) You might even be approached the same way, with squeaky toy in tow! The play bow is universal dog language for "Hey, let's play!"

How to Win Dog Friends and Influence Puppies

Meeting a new friend's dog for the first time? As humans, we often rush to great a new furry friend the way we might greet a human. While this is well-intentioned, it can be a Saint Bernard-sized mistake! Canines meet & greet very differently than humans. We humans tend to greet each other with eye contact, big smiles, and hugs & handshakes. To a dog, this stuff is all very foreign. Here's what a dog is often thinking: "OK, I've never seen this guy before, I've never smelled him before...whoa..WHOA!...wait just a second... he's coming into my house... he's headed straight at me!... now he's stopped right in front of me... and he's staring me right in the eyes! ...and is he showing his teeth?...yep, he is!... this guy better watch it!!... now he's grabbing at my face with his paw, and trying to hit me on top of the head!?... this weirdo has no manners at all!...he might even be dangerous what with those huge big teeth and eyes and everything! mom seems to like him... but maybe she's just not catching all the aggressive signs he's putting out there! I'd better be on alert in case he tries anything! One more false move and that's it!"

When viewed from a dog's perspective, it's easy to see why human/dog mishaps happen. An affable pup will often tolerate his own human family's misguidedly rude, strange-ish behavior, but coming from someone who is new to him, the reaction can be very different. At the end of the above scenario, the dog might bite, feeling a need to protect himself and his human. What will follow is a scolding from the very human this dog was trying to protect. Sometimes a dog will get a bad reputation and may even be put down for being vicious because, to unaware humans, a bite like this comes seemingly unprovoked and "out of nowhere." It's a sad, sad tale!

This is how I advise many of my clients to behave when meeting a new friend's dog: When you arrive, greet your human friend, but pretty much ignore the dog. To dogs, this is not rude, it is actually respectful and polite. If your friend introduces you to the dog, use calm energy (with a timid dog, high energy can cause what we trainers call "excitable pee"... and excitable pee is... exactly what it sounds like...) If possible, don't stand directly facing the dog (as dogs may see this as a challenging posture.) It's best to stand alongside the dog (a polite dog posture), and turn your head to look at him very briefly, say "hi", then look away. Do not make extended eye contact (as dogs may see this as a dominant, possibly-aggressive stare-down type of gesture.) Let him come up to you (if he wants to.) Have your hands dropped down alongside your body and allow him to get a good sniff (your scent is like ID to a dog.) By this point, most dogs will have likely established that you are not a threat. He might go off somewhere on his own. A confident, friendly, polite dog might even come up and sit right alongside you, intrigued by your respectful, calm, polite alpha dog behavior! If you feel the dog is comfortable, this is when you may ask your host if it's OK to pet him. If it's OK, let him sniff your hand, then pet him under the chin (patting on the top of the head is, between dogs, an uncomfortable, somewhat rude gesture... and to some dogs this can even cause an aggressive reaction.) If your friend is in the process of training her dog to welcome visitors, she might invite you to give (or toss) her dog a treat. After you've had a positive introduction, focus your attention on your human friend and whatever activity it is that you got together to do!

And so, an age-old mystery is solved for all of you who've wondered why a dog winds up following around the one guest at a party who tries to ignore that dog! The dog will, without fail, seem drawn to the poor man and sit right next to him all night. Most likely, that dog is thinking: "Finally! A human with some manners! This guy is cool...obviously the leader of the pack!"

Tricks Tricks

Once your puppy has learned all the essential, basic life-saving commands (like "sit-stay", "come when called," etc.), it's really important to keep practicing what they know so they don't get rusty. You can even expand on what they already know by learning new commands (tricks!) Tricks might seem to be purely frivolous in nature, but the process of learning keeps your dog's mind agile, your interaction bond strong, and the oohs and awes from spectators give a well-deserved boost to your dog's self confidence (and maybe yours, too!)

A great idea is to start by choosing a trick that your specific dog might be naturally inclined towards. Got a dog who's super pawsy (clues: paws to get your attention, plays soccer by himself)?... teach him to shake or give you five. Is your dog super floppy (almost always in the down position, turns on his side for a tummy scratch)?... try teaching "roll over." Have a circusy dog (who naturally reaches up on tip-toes)?... maybe go for "stand tall" or "dance." When it comes to tricks training, just pay close attention to your dog's natural abilities and quirks and you'll be sure to start off on the right foot (um, paw...)

Small Breed Shenanigans

I recently bought this book on impulse after one of my group training sessions at PETCO, and I'm so glad that I did because it's really fantastic! The Little Dog's Activity Book (by Deborah Wood) is filled with great games, activities, & observations. The author leaves you with the sense that she truly understands small breeds, and her insight and ideas are all delivered in a fun-to-read, breezy, non-clinical writing style that won't give you a headache! One of the best highlights: specific breeds are broken down into subgroups by energy level, so readers can better understand what to anticipate from their dog (her list is pretty comprehensive, but here's a sampling of some of the more popular breeds): High Energy: Bichons, Carin Terriers, Corgis, Jack Russells, Mini Pins, Mini Poodles, Papilions, Scotties, Silky Terriers; Moderate Energy: Beagles, Bostons, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Chinese Cresteds, Dachshunds, Maltese, Poms, Pugs, Westies, Yorkies; Low Energy: French Bulldogs, Chins, Lhasa Apsos, Pekingese, Shih Tzus, etc., etc. She also warns of "Dog Breed Profiling" and talks about how some dogs will not follow their traditional breed expectations. By knowing your dog's common breed-associated energy level, and combining that with your dog's individual personality, you can then select the games and activities that will be most fitting & fun. Great, great, great book!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Wishing you (and your puppy children) an upcoming year filled with fun, happiness & health (and bones and treats and frisbees!)