Lesson Learned

I may be a slow learner, but Saturday finally taught me the hard way: I will never ever let Gus off leash outside again.

Here's what happened. It was warm out and I decided to take Gus and Charly to the lake by our house, just a short walk down the road. We got there and the beach was empty except for one woman doing laps in the water. No kids, no lifegaurd, no park police... it seemed safe to let them off leash to frolick in the water.

WRONG! And I should have known... Gus is just unpredictable. Most of the time he's a good dog, doesn't run off too far, and comes when he's called. But Saturday was a whole different story.

I tossed a stick into the water and Gus jumped right in after it. Great, I thought! They'll get lots of exercise this morning and I won't have to worry about keeping them entertained later this afternoon. We'll just play fetch for the next 10 minutes and he'll get all tuckered out. The rest of the day will be a piece of cake!

I was so proud when Gus swam back to shore and dropped off the stick directly in front of me. Neither of our dogs are very good fetchers, but they seem to enjoy the game more when it involves swimming. And then as I bent down to pick up the piece of wood, I saw Gussy out of the corner of my eye, slowly trotting away from me along the edge of the water. I called to him to come, but I guess he'd found something much more fun to do than to chase a stupid stick into a lake. Then all of a sudden, he was gone. He'd disappeard into the woods along the shoreline and I couldn't find him anywhere.

After 5 or so minutes I started to panic. I kept calling out his name and begged for his return, but he wasn't coming. And then, a full 10 minutes later, out of nowhere, my beloved dog re-appeared from out of the thicket, covered in a thick, foaming coat of slime. I have never seen Gus look more disgusting than when he came out of the woods that day. I have no idea what he found out there, but it was all over him, and it was the most fowl, putrid, and absolutely horrendous smelling stuff I have ever experienced. I called Daniel, and told him our dog had been a very very bad puppy, and that I needed him to come home immediately!!! I was going to need his help if I wanted to clean up this sorry looking mess.

The drama continued for the next hour or so in our backyard, as we tried to bathe Gus with a garden hose and a full bottle of shampoo. You can imagine he wasn't all too pleased. We washed him up 3 times, but the odor, a strong combination of rotting fish, sewage, and decaying algae, still lingered in his fur. After a fourth rinsing, we ran out of shampoo and Daniel had to go out and buy some more.

We ended up washing Gus a grand total of six times. My beautiful Saturday afternoon had been ruined, and I was livid with anger and disappointment. Of course it's nobody's fault but my own.... I love that dog more than anything, but I just can't let him off leash after this M.I.A. episode.

It seems this Buddy Wash Shampoo Daniel found at Chuck and Don's that afternoon did the trick, because Gus is smelling more fresh and clean than he ever has in his life.

Sleepovers

My youngest brother Grisha stayed at our house last night just for fun. I think it was his first time sleeping over at our place, and I hope he enjoyed himself. I think we had a good time. We took the dogs for a walk down to the beach, baked a bad ass lasagna, and watched some excellent episodes of Law and Order. I went to bed early since I have to work in the morning, but I think he and Dan stayed up pretty late playing games on the computer. They're obsessed with a new game called Dino Run, where your dinosaur has to survive an asteroid by running through prehistoric lands as fast as possible eating small bugs and rodents for points.

I woke up this morning to find Charly sitting right outside the closed door of his own room, with his nose almost through the crack between the door and the carpet. He must have known Grisha was in there, because otherwise he would have been on my bed, waiting for me to get up. Charly went to bed with me last night, so he didn't actually see Grisha make his way into the dog's room to sleep. Charly must have sensed or smelled that Grisha was in there, and he was obviously waiting patiently to be let in. It was really cute.

I like this handcrafted doorknob hanger sign from The Spoon Sisters, but it should say "Sleeping. Bark if you need to be let in".

Pay Off

I've been so incredibly busy today that I haven't even had time to sit down at my desk and think about what I'm going to write about on here. So I'm shooting from the hip people, straight from the hip...

Really, all I want to do right now is get home and take the boys to the beach. It's 90 degrees in the city today and I've been on my feet for almost 8 hours, coordinating an office move from one building to another. I won't go into the details, they're not terribly exciting, but the move went well and the project is finished. 3 months of hard work has paid off. Thank goodness.

So now I'm hot and tired and hungry and I'm on my way out! I'll leave you with this Biscuit Tin from the Sundance Catalog. I could sure use a cookie and an ice cold glass of milk...

Puppies and Babies

Yesterday I ended up at Shoe Zoo in Uptown, a children's shoe store that specializes in very stylish, top quality, imported and domestic shoes for tots. I was there to help a friend of mine pick out twenty different pairs of kiddie shoes for a children's fashion photo shoot her employer is doing on Thursday. This little store was jam packed with tiny shoes... little converse all stars, cowboy boots, pink ballet flats, Italian leather sandals... We had no idea it would take us over an hour and a half to coordinate the outfits with the right footwear, there were just so many options.

Our children's shoe shopping spree last night reminded me to post about these super cute wall hanging tiles from My Retro Baby. Each 4x4 Poodle tile is personalized with your kid's name, and comes with coordinating ribbon. Maybe I could buy these for Charly and Gus, but I have a feeling they wouldn't be all into the Paris Poodle theme. I'll have to wait...

Bookworm

I'm super busy at work, so posts this week will be short and sweet...

I just started reading a new book called The New Yorkers, by Cathleen Schine, and I've been engrossed since page one. This novel, about living and falling in love on one block in New York City, also shows us how profoundly our dogs can change the course of our lives. In The New Yorkers, neighbors fall in and out of love, and it's their dogs who inadvertently act as cupids.

I'm loving these dog bookends from Restoration Hardware. They're heavy enough to shoulder the thickest novels, but stylish enough to stand on their own.

Two For One

This weekend, while shopping at Bone Adventure for these super cute Euros bumper stickers I'd seen online, I came across the artwork of Doug Talalla. I was immediately drawn to the hand made wood frames and the whimsical nature of each piece. I love finding new local artists that feature dogs in their work. Stop by Bone Adventure to see the gallery show. You won't be disappointed.

Jump In...

Oh, what an absolutely beautiful week it has been. We've now had 4 consecutive days of sun. It seems summer is finally upon us, and I couldn't be happier. Softball and biking, barbecues and camping, birthdays and the Fourth of July.

Now the dogs on the other hand, they seem to like the cooler weather better. Neither Gus nor Charly wanted to go on a long walk yesterday. It was just too hot, and they were already panting 5 minutes in. So we went down to the beach instead, and they went swimming. This was their first swim of the year and it was pretty obvious it had been a while since their last dip. It's almost like every year they have to re-learn what it feels like to be in the water. At first they're hesitant and maybe a bit scared, but after 5 minutes they're romping around, swimming out into the middle of the lake after a stick I just threw in.

I love these Schlepping Bags from Ritzy Rover. You can fit your swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, bottle of water, and even a floating dog toy in this incredibly chic carry on. Now go forth, and enjoy summer!

Vamos Gus!

I called my mom yesterday to find out how the dogs were doing, and she immediately launched into a long and detailed story of her walk with my dogs the day before. Which reminded me that I still haven't bought her that sticker I posted about a month ago.

Deborah: Hey Mom! How are you?

Mom: Doing great! (said in thick Argentine accent) Walking the dogs. Gus is amazing!!!

D: Oh really? (as if this is the first time she's ever said this to me)

M: Oh yeah, he's just amazing, amazing! (Her tone of voice begins to get higher and higher)

I needed to finish up the drawings for Hanson Partners, you know, the builder I met three months ago at The Parade of Homes, the one who's building the house in Prior Lake, the beautiful house I told you about. Oh it's just gorgeous, you should see it.

D: Mom, what about Gus?

M: Oh! I asked Grisha (that's my little brother) to take the boys for a walk since they hadn't been walked in a long time (read 1 hour!) , so he grabbed the leashes and took the boys out. Three mintues later he came back to tell me that Gus was refusing to walk. He didn't want to walk! I said to Grisha, that's impossible! And Grisha told me to take them out myself. So I took the leashes from Grisha and went outside. And Gus still refused to walk! When he doesn't want to go anywhere, it's impossible to make him move. He's so strong Deborah, he's amazing. So I went back inside and I told Grisha he had to come with me to walk the dogs. I told him that Gus was speaking to me, and he didn't want to go on the walk alone with out both of us. Grisha (reluctantly I'm sure) grabbed Gus and I grabbed Charly and we tried again for the third time to take them out. We were finally able to get past the front yard. Poor Charly, waiting and waiting. He's so patient. Los quiero tanto, tanto! And Gus kept looking back at Grisha to make sure that he was still with us during the entire walk around the neighborhood. They are incredible these doggies. I don't know what I would do without them!

D: Mom, you've told me a similar story before (read at least 4 times) but thank you for filling me in.

***Leash holder is from Wrappables. You've read enough haven't you?***

Free Wheelin'

Daniel can't stop reminding me of how lucky we are to live in Minneapolis, a city where getting some fresh air is as easy as hopping on our bikes and riding down the Midtown Greenway, a 5.5 mile long bike path and walking trail through our neighborhood that connects with other bike paths around the city. He insists that Minneapolis is one of the best cities to live in if you enjoy spending time outdoors, because nature is just so much more accessible here than other places he's lived in or visited.

Yesterday we strapped on our bike helmets and took a ride down to the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center, a new boutique bike shop right on the Greenway, offering bike sales, rentals, repairs, parts, and biking accessories. On our way we saw so many dogs enjoying the trail with their owners, which made us miss Gus and Charly who have been at grandma's for the past two days.

I fell quite hard for one particular dog we met, an 11 month old pit bull named SziSzu. He had one blue eye and one brown eye, like some Huskies I've seen, and he was so friendly and smart. Daniel and I have a special place in our hearts for Pit Bulls, and this dog confirmed yet again that despite what some people may think, Pit Bulls truly are one of the most loving and loyal breeds.

Show your love for this breed with a bumper sticker from The Pit Bull Project. Mail in a donation of 20 dollars or more and you will receive their new Pit Bull 2008 calendar and a bumper sticker promoting responsible Pit Bull ownership. The proceeds will provide daily and emergency care for the Pit Bull Project's rescue dogs.

Personalize Your Office

On a day like today it's hard not to want to be anywhere else other than where I am, in an office cubicle. It's just a gorgeous day. The temps. are perfect, in the mid 70's, and the sun is brilliant. I think we've actually had two spectacular summer days in a row, uninterrupted by rain, thunderstorms, or tornados. What a treat!

Check out these very awesome office supplies from Pylones USA. Just because we're stuck indoors doesn't mean we can't have any fun. Give your cubicle walls a bit of character with these bone shaped push pins. Or add an extra punch to your weekly status reports with these bone shaped paper clips. My boss is almost as dog obsessed as I am. I'm pretty sure he'll see the value.

Muddy Paws

I should check the stats. but I think it has rained every other day for the past two or three weeks straight. We've gotten hit pretty hard, with several tornado touchdowns just 20 miles from us, and some hard core thunderstorms. The water is starting to accumulate and this weekend we experienced this first hand, when we took Gus and Charly to the dog park and the first thing they decided to do was to run straight into the gigantic mud pit at the edge of the field. Gus had a very difficult time extricating himself from the depths of the pit, and poor little Charly, he almost didn't make it out. I kid, I kid. But they really did struggle, and when they emerged, they were absolutely covered in dark, soggy, stinky mud.

Here's something we could have used on Saturday morning to wipe the mud off our dogs. Planet Dog has these great travel shammy towels for your pup. They're hyper absorbent and easy to take with you anywhere you go. Just wipe off the dog and wring the towel to release the water. You can use it again and again, even if it's damp.

Bare Is Better, But...

While we're on the subject of floors, I just have to feature these very pet friendly rugs from G.T. Design. Bare is better when it comes to the floors in your pet friendly home, but a few area rugs here and there can help create a softer touch. These G.T. area rugs are made from coconut fiber that is thermo-insulating, anti-static, resistant to fungi and mould, hard-wearing and easy to clean. They're also incredibly stylish.

Area rugs will inevitably trap pet hair and dust, so use them sparingly. And don't buy an expensive persian rug! You'll see the paw prints all over it in no time.

Pet Approved Flooring For Your Home

The floor of your home may be the most important part of the house to a pet. I mean, they spend almost all of there time there, especially if mom and dad don't let them up on the furniture. We let Gus and Charly have free range of the house. They can hop up on the sofas, beds, even the chairs sometimes. But I think they still prefer to spend a majority of their time on the floor.

Choosing flooring for your home is incredibly important if you have pets. I featured an excellent carpet product from Flor yesterday, and today I'd like to mention some more "pet approved" flooring options.

Hardwood floors may seem like the best flooring choice for a pet friendly environment. They're elegant, easy to clean, and never go out of style. But your pet may dislike a hardwood floor. It can be cold, slippery, and well... hard.

But don't despair, there are plenty of other good hard flooring options to choose from. Your pup may like the luxury vinyl flooring from Lonseal. There have been huge advancements in the vinyl flooring industry, with more exciting pattern and color choices than ever before. Luxury vinyl has many pet-friendly attributes. It's moisture resistant, very quiet, low allergen, and softer on the paws than wood.

Painted or stained concrete is another option that's incredibly durable and easy to clean. You can even install heating underneath the flooring to provide some warmth under fur and feet. Check out The Concrete Network for more information about installing concrete flooring in your home.

If you don't like the concept of concrete floors, you can install ceramic instead. Ceramic tile is excellent at resisting pet stains because it isn't porous like the majority of natural stone material. Check out American Olean for products, ideas, and inspiration.

A very "green" and pet friendly flooring product to consider is bamboo. It has several attractive qualities including a unique finished appearance, affordability, wearability, and flexibility. It's also naturally stain resistant and extremely easy to clean. Plus bamboo is a renewable resource, making it the perfect flooring material for the conservationist in you. Check out Teragren Bamboo Flooring for environmentally and socially conscious flooring products that your pet will love.

Vinyl Flooring from Lonseal

Concrete Flooring from Concrete Network



Ceramic Tile Flooring from American Olean

Bamboo Flooring from Teragren

Puppy Proofed Carpet

There are several things I love about our house. The location is amazing, we live in an urban neighborhood, yet we're within walking distance of three city lakes. We have plenty of windows to let the light inside and keep our place bright and airy. The closets throughout the house were remodeled last year and we now have ample storage space, which makes us so much more organized. And did I mention we have two puppies that keep the place nice and exciting?

Despite the many things I love about our house, there are a few things I really dislike. Most of all, I absolutely detest the carpeting. It's old, dirty, and thick. A definite no-no when it comes to having dogs. Carpets with shaggy or long fibers are terrible for homes with pets, as they trap animal hair and dust. Thankfully our lower lever is all wood flooring, but the upstairs is wall to wall carpet, which makes it impossible to remove the areas where Gus and Charly puked up last night's dinner.

These carpet tiles from Flor would be a perfect replacement for our current carpet. The fibers are low and flat, minimizing trapped hair and dust, and making it easy to vacuum. The tiles are also stain resistant, and backed with low tack adhesive, so when accidents happen, they're easy to pull up and replace if necessary. Flor even lets you design your own custom area rug! Check out the pattern Striped Poodle, or Toy Poodle, its matching solid.

Sharing is Loving

Our intent at House and Hound is not only to source out unique, dog inspired products for the urban-chic home, but also to provide pet lovers with information on how to create a style-conscious pet-friendly abode.

I will be including high performance design products and information that can make it easy to incorporate pets into your stylish pad, along with my daily musings and everyday fashionable finds. There are definite dos and don'ts when it comes to decorating with your dog or cat in mind. It takes some work and a bit of creativity, but there are certainly enough high fashion pet proof products to make your home a comfortable place for both you and your buddy.

If you're looking to revamp your home into a friendly place for you, your guests, and your pets, I highly recommend the book Animal House Style by Julia Szabo. Julia is the best known pet journalist in the country, and in this book she offers advice on how to design a stylish home you can share with your pet. The book also includes a photo gallery for ideas and inspiration.

There's A First Time For Everything

Daniel did a bunch of laundry yesterday, and he decided to include the dog bed covers we hadn't washed in three years. There's one particular bed that Gus and Charly both love. They take turns lying on it, and although they share the dog bed, I've never seen them actually lie down on it together, until last night.

Daniel stuffed the dog bed into its newly laundered cover, and the minute he set it down on the living room floor, both dogs threw themselves onto it, and didn't move for the next 2 quarters of the Celtics/Lakers basketball game. It seems even dogs prefer fresh clean bed sheets. Who knew... I mean, earlier this weekend they'd spent a half an hour rolling around in the dirt at the dog park.

Today I want to share with you these severely stylish dog beds you can buy at The Diva Dog. These beds are gorgeous to look at, but they're also stain, moisture, odor, and bacteria resistant. And you can even get the matching sofa pillows for yourself!

Scaredy Cat

We've been having some nasty weather up here in Minnesota for the past week. Yesterday was awful, lots of rain, lightning, and several tornado warnings throughout the evening.

Poor Gussy, he's absolutely terrified of thunderstorms. Charly's a brave little guy, he doesn't seem to mind the weather much at all. But Gus, he just hides in the bathroom all evening, curled up in a ball and shaking. No amount of consoling seems to make him feel better. Sometimes if we turn the radio up real loud he'll come out of hiding, just because he can't hear the thunder over Jack White's voice.

These draft stoppers from Nettle Green are really neat. Keep the wind out and add a simple doggy design touch to your entry. Comes in three different colors. Check 'em out!

Sexy Firefighter

Ok people, I know this really has nothing to do with dogs, but I'll make it work. I just have to post a link to this ridiculous website featuring Sugarbush, the world's most photographed squirrel. Sugarbush was rescued as a baby in her nest, and has since become an international superstar. She loves to play dress up and owns over 2000 mini outfits with matching hats and accessories. Don't believe me? Check out the over 5,000 photos on the website!

I know some people play dress up with their pooches, but Gus and Charly won't have any of that. I can't even get them to put their booties on when it's 10 below zero and we have to go on our morning walk. And if I'm lucky to get the darn things on, the dogs refuse to move and I can't get them out the door.

Speaking of booties, here are some booties for baby by Robeez. Wish they made these in my size. I could use some new slippers....

Wake Me Up

The dogs have been at grandma's house for the past two days and I miss them! Dan and I have been busy with work, so my mom is helping us out by keeping them at her house this week.

I was driving into the city this morning and happened to see a young woman walking her chihuahua with coffee mug in hand. It made me think of these mugs I found on House To Home a couple of weeks ago. All I want right now are my dogs and a strong cup of coffee in one of these mugs.

Home Sweet Home

A very good friend of mine has come home for the summer and I am so happy that she's back, even if she's only here for the next 12 weeks. She and her husband have been living in Bloomington, Indiana for the past year while her husband goes to Business School at IU, but they're here for the summer for his internship at Target.

This door mat from Plow and Hearth would be a perfect home coming gift for them since they love labs and need something to make their abode a bit more inviting. Right now they're living with rented furniture, borrowed cook ware, and a mini television.

Chicago Dawg

We're back from Chicago. What a jam packed weekend! A trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo, a stroll along the Lake Michigan beach front, a bike ride through Grant Park and The Gold Coast, dinner at Salpicon in Old Town, and lots of laughs at The Second City. We didn't have time for the world famous Chicago Style hog dogs, but we saw plenty of Dachsunds. This town is all about the weiners!

These soaps from Gienna Rose Atelier are adorable. There are many different dog breeds to choose from, but I think the Dachsund soaps are the cutest. The Scotties come in second. Which one is your favorite?