Saved By A Golden Retriever

Have to post this...

Just when you think you've seen it all, a dog goes out and saves three little baby tigers, abandonded by their birth mother. Read the whole article here.

The Bow Haus

Dan and I have had our dogs together for 4 years, and in all this time, I've never been forced to end a phone conversation because of their barking... until yesterday. We came home last night and were welcomed as usual by two very hyper and excited hounds. It's the same homecoming we get every time: they greet us at the door, jump up and down and do circles around our legs, and then they run off into the living room and wrestle with each other, as if trying to show us all the energy they've saved up for our return.

Last night I made the mistake of answering a phone call from my mother while the boys were dutifully at each others throats. Usually they'll play around like this for a couple of minutes or so and then get tired, but yesterday their fight kept escalating, and their growling and barking at each other became so loud that I finally had to tell my mom I couldn't hear a thing she was saying and I'd call her back.

What I should have said is this: "Hold on a second mom... Boys, go to your room! Haven't I told you to be quiet when mommy's on the phone?"

One of my readers sent me a link to her own pet furniture company Den Haus in Seattle, Washington. I love the collection, especially the Bow Haus, and wanted to share it with you. This pet crate is designed to double as a stylish den for your pet and a functional piece of high end modern furniture. Having pets doesn't mean your house has to go to the dogs! With furniture from Den Haus you can keep your home in style and your dog happy.

Morkie On The Rocks

Daniel and I rode our bikes over to the Lake Harriet Bandshell last night to see a Neil Diamond Tribute Show by Karl Commers. Yes, you read that right! I am a huge Neil Diamond fan, whether it's hip to be one or not. I grew up listening to him every day and I think his music is the only reason why my mother survived her first 10 years as an immigrant and her rather tumultous marriage to my father.

2 years ago my mom and I got tickets to see Neil at the Target Center, and I'm not ashamed to say that it was one of the best shows I've seen. Yes he's cheesy, yes he wears sequin suits, yes he's popular with a much older crowd... but he's GOOD! And I can't help but be a fan.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get tickets to the Neil Diamond show at the Excel Center a couple of weeks ago, so when I found out about this tribute show yesterday, there was no way I was going to miss it. I packed a picnic, a bottle of wine (should have packed two, Dan cashed the first one 15 minutes into the show) and a throw blanket, grabbed Daniel, and despite some hesitation, left the dogs at home. We don't have a doggie carrier for our bikes yet, so we would have had to drive in order to bring the boys along. Parking can be pretty tough around Lake Harriet, and I'm not even sure Gus and Charly would have been able to appreciate the concert.

Plenty of other people brought their dogs though. After a couple of songs and plenty of wine, Dan was limber enough to approach our neighbors about their friends. He found out that all three of their little dogs were designer breeds. One was called a Morkie (a Maltese Yorkie Cross), the other a Shih-Poo (you guessed it, a Shih Tzu Poodle Cross), and the third was a Whoodle (a Wheaton Terrier Poodle Cross).

I've found myself questioning Charly's identity several times. We know Gus is a mutt, some sort of Pit Bull mix. But Charly has papers and they say he's a Pure Bred Miniature Schnauzer. Yet he looks pretty different from most Schnauzers I've met. He's quite a bit bigger and has incredibly soft fur. I've had people tell me he must be a Schnoodle (Miniature Schnauzer Poodle Cross), but to be quite honest, Dan and I think he's a Schnau Wok. That's a Miniature Schnauzer crossed with an Ewok. If only he were a true Mini Schnau, I could have fit him in this awesome Pet Pack Carrier and biked over to the concert with him on my back.

Post Script: First person to name the Neil Diamond song in my title gets a free Neil Diamond i-Tunes download. Come on, you know you want it!

Leave It To The Japanese

Dan has to take Gus to the Vet this afternoon. We share a car that I generally get to drive to work, while Daniel takes the bus, so today he kept the car and dropped me off downtown, and I get the pleasure of busing home.

We left this morning at 8, and we took the boys with us, since they love car rides. You should have seen the commotion as they wrestled each other for shotgun. It was so funny. Poor little Charly just got trampled by Gus, and then had a difficult time making the jump into the car, so Daniel had to give him a little boost.

It's interesting how different Charly and Gus are in the car. Gus wanders all over the place. He paces back and forth, settles down only for a few minutes to rest his head on the the front arm rest, then gets back up and takes Charly's spot, then moves over to the window, and then finally lies down lengthwise taking over the entire back seat, and leaving his brother with less than a foot of room.

Charly on the other hand hops into the car, sits right down, and stays in the same place the entire ride, unless Gus makes him move. And no matter what, Charly always sits sideways, so that one side of his body is pushed up against the back seat. He seems to love the vibrations from the moving car, somehow they're comforting to him.

I think part of the reason why our dogs love car rides so much is because usually when they they get in the car it means they're going somewhere fun, most likely to a dog park, or better yet, grandma's house. I'm pretty sure they were disappointed today, when they realized they were just taking me to work.

Check out this 2005 dog friendly car concept from Honda Japan! The W.O.W. (Wonderful Openhearted Wagon) has a special crate for dogs in the glove compartment and a bigger crate pops up from the floor in the back seat area and can be folded back into the floor when it's not needed. For even bigger dogs, just buckle them up with a special seat belt to the floor. The W.O.W. even comes with removable, washable, rollout flooring and stain resistant fabric seats. What can I say... Bow Wow!!!

Sugarbush Squirrel Does It Again

I write this blog for fun, and I try not to worry about my traffic too much, but sometimes I like to check out the numbers. Google analytics allows me to track how many people view my site each day, where they're coming from, how much time they're spending on the blog, and what pages they're reading.

One of the most useful analytic tools is the traffice sources tool, which lets me see how my visitors are finding House and Hound online. Some of my traffic is direct, but most of it is from referring sites or search engines.

Daniel checked my House and Hound analytics last night and found some hilarious information. Turns out that the most common google search query leading to House and Hound are the words "sexy firefighter". 15 people have wound up on my site looking for hot male bods, only to find this! In fact, if you search the words "sexy firefighter" on google, House and Hound comes up 6th!!!

Love these boxers from The Gap! Just bought Dan several pairs. He'll love me for it...

Triple Espresso

Ever feel like you have way too much going on, and you want to be everywhere at once, but you can't? I feel that way today. I've been watching the Aquatennial Tennis Tournament for the past weeks, trying to catch an hour or two of tennis and get some work done at the same time. The final matches were played today and I had to watch the women's singles championship, even though my conscious kept telling me to get back to work.

Tonight a friend of mine has an art opening, but we've also been invited to dinner at Dan's sister's house. I'll be at the American Textile Center right as the doors open at 6pm, and I'll head over to Naomi's half an hour later.

There's another event this evening that I really wish I could go to, but it's hard enough to be at two places at the same time, let alone three. Corazon, a stationary and gift shop is opening their new dowtown minneapolis store, and hosting a semi-regular Dog Party! There will be dogs (bring your own!), food, music, and fun. The party starts at 5 and goes till 8pm.

Homecoming

I picked up my boys yesterday. They'd been at my mom's house since Monday afternoon, and I can't describe to you how terribly we missed them, and how incredibly excited I was to take them back home with me. I practically sprinted out of my German class at 8:30 last night, and had to try my very hardest not to speed down I-94 at 75 miles and hour. I tend to have a lead foot, and I've spent the past year and a half battling my speed demon. Gus and Charly were, as usual, happy to see me, and not at all reluctant to hop into my car for their shuttle ride home.

I like this very modern pillow design from Lila Paws at Luxury Pet Department. Add some pup style to any black and white interior, without taking the edge off.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Dan's mom read my post yesterday and promptly sent me this article from the New York Times, published in 1999. Seems like this dilemma has been around for a long time: After the Breakup, Here Comes the Joint-Custody Pet.

I also had a House and Hound reader leave a very thoughtful comment about yesterday's post. Apparently, there's a company called Flex Petz that provides a unique alternative to full time dog ownership by allowing people to "rent" a dog instead. A monthly membership of $99 dollars a month allows you to take out a "Flex Pet" dog for $45.00 a day. The dogs live with one primary caregiver but go out on daily adventures with Flex Pet members. It's an interesting concept, and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. You'll have to give me some time to mull it over.

Actually, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about my Puppy Pool concept either. It's different than Flex Petz, in that a dog is actually adopted and "shared" by only two primary caregivers, who have each agreed to provide a safe, stable, and consistent environment for the animal. The tough part about this arrangement is that how do you get two potential strangers to actually commit to each other and a dog? Maybe a service is needed to match people up with compatible partners? Maybe it would never work?

Check out these really cool Paper Foldable Dogs. Print this template out and assemble your own pink mini dog. Kind of fun!

Cooperation

I was thinking the other day about the dogs and the shared custody agreement we have with my mom. Basically, the dogs get shuttled back and forth between our house in Minneapolis, and my mom's house in Saint Paul. Every three or four days, she'll come pick them up if she's in the neighborhood, or we'll drop them off on our way to an event on the othe side of the river.

This arrangement works wonders for us, since it gives us some flexibility in our schedules. If we've got a softball game after work and can't make it home until later in the evening, usually my mom can help us out with the dogs, so they aren't home alone too long. She'll bring them over to her house, and they'll sleep over there for a couple of days, until the next time we're in her neighborhood and can pick them up.

We never last too long without the dogs, and they usually stay with grandma for two days max., if we can help it. By that time we're missing them so much that we need an immediate puppy love transfusion. The dogs seem to enjoy these weekly visits to grandma's house, where they get walked 6 or 7 times a day and get fed lots of treats. When they come back to us they're always dog tired, and happy for the four or five days they get off from their workout.

I asked Dan on Saturday if he thought it would be possible to create some sort of Puppy Pool adoption center, where families adopt dogs and sign a dual custody aggreement. Would more people be willing to adopt a puppy if they could share him? I know so many people who won't adopt a dog only because they wouldn't know what to do him if they had to go out of town or on vacation. Bording kennels and petsitters can be expensive, and so are dog walkers, veterinarians, and groomers. If two families could share these expenses, schedule their vacations around one another, and shuttle their pets back and forth, would it work?

I love this poster from Linnea Designs. With gas prices as high as they are, and getting higher, Dan and I are biking and busing a lot more than we ever have. It would be wonderful if we could take our dogs on the bus or lightrail when we're shuttling the dogs around town.

Paris Apartment for Rent

Hello Readers!

I had a friend ask me to post a short ad. for her Paris apartment that she is trying to rent. If you're looking for a great place to stay while visiting Paris, check this out:

Everything you need! 1 bedroom (double bed), one bathroom (shower), living room with american fully furnished kitchen and all its utensils! Very cozy apartment on the last floor of an old high end Parisian type buildings, with elevator, concierge and extremely charming. Flat TV & sorround system to watch good movies when back from discovering exciting Paris. Wifi free access, towels, bed linen... you will just feel at home!

About the location: On Boulevard Montparnasse, 10-15 minutes walk to the Champ de Mars (Tour Eiffel gardens), 5 minute walk to Invalides.. 15 minute walk to the famous Saint Germain area where you find lots of restaurants and bars... close to Luxembourg gardens as well... really, you will only need to get on the metro to go to Sacre Coeur or to Versailles! Other than that, everything is walking distance from the apartment!

Contact: Andrea at andreafeinberg@hotmail.com

Tel: 0033621067039
Price: 800
Currency: EUR
Term: Weekly Rental
Rooms: 1
Surface area: 37
Features:- Furnished- Equipped- Near Metro- Sunny- Elevator- American Kitchen- Digicode- Interphone
City: Paris
Closest métro: Duroc
Métro line: 10
Arrondissement: 6ème
Post code: 75006

Me and My Not So Green Thumb

A tragedy happened in our garden this weekend, as I thoughtlessly plucked off all the flowers on the tomato plants that Daniel and I have been raising since spring. Somehow I got it into my head that in order for the plants to focus on the fruit, I had to pick off the flowers. But what I didn't know then is that tomato plants flower first, and then the fruit begins to appear from underneath the flowers. So basically I killed about 25 tomatoes this weekend, and Daniel will never let me near them again.

My inexperienced gardening got me to thinking about the plants we have at home, and I decided to do some research. Some plants can be very harmful to animals, and I wanted to make sure that it was safe for Gus and Charly to be around our house plants.

So here's an abbreviated list of some common garden and household plants that can be poisonous to your pet. There are over 700 plants that can be toxic to pets, but I've decided to cover just a few. How could I possibly list them all.

Let's start with the 10 most common poisonous plants:

Marijuana – Animals who attempt to snack on this plant can suffer serious consequences such as diarrhea, vomiting, increased heart rate, drooling, in-coordination, and even possibly seizures and coma.

Sago Palm – While the seeds and nuts of this plant are most poisonous, the entire plant is toxic. Animals ingesting parts of this plant may suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, depression, seizures and liver failure.

Lilies – Plants of the lily variety are very poisonous to cats. Even very small amounts of this plant could cause serious kidney damage.

Tulips – The toxic portion of this plant is the actual bulb, which can cause drooling, central nervous system depression, gastrointestinal irritation, cardiac issues and convulsions.

Azalea – The toxins in azalea plants can be very severe and potentially cause drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, central nervous system weakening and depression, and in some cases possibly coma or death.

Oleander – All portions of this plant are poisonous and can cause gastrointestinal irritation, hypothermia, heart problems and possibly death.

Castor Bean – Poisoning as a result of this plant can cause abdominal pain, drooling, diarrhea, vomiting increased thirst, loss of appetite and weakness. More serious cases could also lead to dehydration, tremors, seizures, twitching muscles, coma and possibly death.

Cyclamen – The most poisonous portion of this plant is located in the root. Ingestion of the plant can cause severe vomiting and gastrointestinal irritation. In some cases death has been reported as a result.

Kalanchoe – Ingestion of this plant can cause gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac rhythm and rate problems.

Yew – Poisoning as a result of the yew plant can affect the nervous system and cause in-coordination, trembling and breathing difficulties. It may also result in gastrointestinal irritation, cardiac failure and could possibly lead to death.

The following are various other plants and flowers that could be harmful to your pets. It's impossible to list them all, so the best thing to do when planning a garden or buying household plants is to consult a veterinarian or the internet for more information about each plant. Check out the ASPCA website for a complete listing of toxic plants.

And when you're done reading through that exhausting list, head on over to Bloomsbury Market in Minneapolis where you can find these adorable Mind The Dog garden signs (pictured above). They're just perfect!

Bulbs: Daffodil, Lily, Hyacinth, Gladiolas, Iris, Tulip, Buttercup.

Ferns: Asparagus Fern Australian Nut, Emerald Fern, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern.

Flowering Plants: Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Poinsettia.

Garden Perennials: Tomato Plant, Onion, Marijuana, Rhubarb.

House Plants: Cut Leaf Philodendron, Chinese Evergreen, Devil's Ivy, Folden Pothos, Nephthytis, Caladium.

Shrubs: Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Mistletoe, Oleaner, Rhododendron.

Succulents: Aloe.

Trees: Avodado, Buddist Pine, Japanese Yew, Macademia Nut.

Vines: Branching Ivy, English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy.

Misc/Uncategorized: Andromeda, Azalea, Calla Lily, Castor Bean.

Baby Babble

This week has come and gone so fast. It seems like ever since we came back from Yosemite life's been hitting us on at full speed, and we've frankly been struggling to keep up. Dan's been incredibly busy trying to finish up an NSF grant proposal that's due today, and I've been drawing furniture plans all week for some upcoming large scale projects we're getting ready for here at the City.

I think we're both desparately looking forward to the weekend, which somehow we've managed to keep for ourselves, except for a Brit Milah we are attending on Saturday morning. One of Dan's colleagues and his wife had a baby boy last week, and they are welcoming him into this world in the Jewish tradition, with a Bris, a naming ceremony, and a celebratory brunch.

Two Trick Pony is a small paper studio that specializes in eco-modern stationary and notecards. All their products are screenprinted by hand on recycled materials using earth friendly inks. I love these baby announcement cards. Makes me want to have a baby, just so I can send these out to all my friends!

Billy Goat Gruff

All over the country, people and pets are feeling the effects of our nation's housing crisis and the pain of home foreclosures. An article in today's Star Tribune describes how animal shelters are overflowing with displaced pets from home and farm foreclosures. Dogs and cats are living side by side with pot bellied pigs and billy goats. Thousands of new pets are entering the adoption system each month, and shelters are struggling to provide food and care for each one.

Yet another reason why drastic measures are needed to revamp foreclosure laws.

Bow Wow Trivia

Dan's mom sent me this link yesterday and I'm posting it on my blog because I think it's a great way to make a difference, without exerting yourself too much. Click on the Free Kibble banner above and you'll get sent to the Free Kibble website where you can play Bow Wow Trivia! Right or wrong, you win! All you have to do is click on an answer, and every day you do, Free Kibble will provide 20 pieces of kibble to animal shelters around the country to help feed hungry dogs.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Daniel and I are on a summer softball team with CSC Sports in Minneapolis. We've been playing with the Gold Gloves for the past four years, and although it's always been fun, this year's team is by far the best, even if we've only won one game out of the five we've played.

Yesterday was a nailbiter of a match up. We started off strong, with 4 runs in the first inning, and we held the other team down to zero up until the bottom of the fourth, when a couple of unforced errors in our infield and some lousy calls from the ref. gave our opponents a 4 run lead. In the fifth inning, we scored another couple of runs only to lose two more to them in the sixth.

So at the bottom of the sixth inning we are down 4 points and we somehow have the bases loaded for Daniel who is up to bat. As he steps up to the plate I see that the next team to play has arrived at our field and they've brought their dogs along for the game. There are 4 dogs in all, and of course I can't help myself and immediately walk over to say hello.

I'm obsessing over a really stunning Bull Dog when I hear the crack of the bat and my whole team yelling and shouting. I turn around to see all three runners and Daniel sprinting around the bases, and it appears that Daniel has hit the ball pretty hard, because all the runners make it home. So of course I miss his stunning Grand Slam and the best hit all season, because I'm playing with Vinny the Bull Dog, instead of cheering on my team...

Unfortunately we gave up another four runs in the top of the seventh and were only able to produce three in the bottom, for a final score of 13 to 14, and we lost the game by one lousy point.

But folks, it was a close one, and a lot of fun.

This toy box from Zanies is functional and super cute. Not sure if it's big enough though to hold all of our balls, frisbees, dogs toys, bones, etc.

Bikers, You've Been Warned

I've been so busy the past couple of weeks that I've been forced to miss several days of blogging. I've been very consistent since I started this blog two and a half months ago, posting every single weekday, and taking the weekends off to refuel. I never really thought that I'd actually keep blogging for more than a week or two. I mean, how could I possibly think up so many dog stories, and if I did, how could I keep pretending to be a perfectly normal person, unfazed by the adorableness of puppies. It would be impossible.

Yet here I am, and this is my 58th post of the year. Woot!

Daniel and I biked out to Hopkins yesterday with some friends. We caught the Greenway and rode it all the way into downtown Hopkins, where a friend of mine from high school was participating in a semi-professional bike race. The ride out there was fairly uncomplicated, except for the 20 mile an hour headwinds, and a near collision with another bicyclist, who got distracted by a very cute Jack Russel puppy in a stroller, and rode straight through a stop sign, almost knocking Daniel over and causing a pile up.

Riders, take note, cute puppies are irresistable, and you must stop your bike if you are going to ooh and aah over them. Merely turning your head around backwards and losing sight of the road in front of you is dangerous!

I saw these cards for sale on Etsy a while ago and have wanted to feature them here since. They're made by Angela from Paper Menagerie, and inspired by her own Jack Russel Terrier, Chesney. The "dog pun" here seems particularily appropriate.

Europa Europa

My little brother got married in January this year. It was a beautiful winter wedding, complete with cold weather, snow, and the love of family and friends. Winter weddings are under rated. There's something about the season that is incredibly romantic and special. Unless it's 20 below zero. B and A lucked out with a high of 9 above.

Today's feature product is a travel wallet I found from Juicy Couture. My brother and sister in-law decided to postpone their honeymoon because of their busy winter schedules, and planned a summer trip instead. Yesterday they returned from a 3 week tour of Europe. I'm looking forward to hearing all about their trip.

Redemption

We were fairly incomunicado on our trip West, but I did manage to receive one very important phone call from my mom in Minnesota, who told me how our dog Gus, the one I was so incredibly disappointed with last week, had found Mr. Puppies, her cat who had been missing for almost two weeks. And my love for him was redeemed.

Mr. Puppies had went out one evening as he always does, and didn't return in the morning. We walked the neighborhood many times over, looking for him and calling his name, but our searching was futile and we began to think he was gone forever.

Just as this sad realization was beginning to settle, Gus decided he wanted to take a walk down an alley street he's never traveled. My mother, holding the leash, thought it was so strange that Gus would want to veer off course, and pulled the dogs the other direction, towards their favorite park. Despite her tugging however, Gus refused to move (he can be very determined) and ultimately lead my mom down the alley to where Mr. Puppies was crying desperately on top of a garage roof.

Getting Mr. Puppies down was a difficult endeveor in itself, requiring a ladder and a lot of coaxing. The poor cat was terrified, hungry, dirty, and exhausted, but glad to be back in my mother's arms. Mr. Puppies has never had much of an affinity for Gus, but I wonder if his feelings towards him will change, seeing as the dog saved his life.

In honor of Mr. Puppies' safe and surprising homecoming, I'm featuring this wool cat blanket from Mungo and Maude. We're all so happy Mr. Puppies is back, and we're thankful to Gus who brought him home.

The Longest Road

So we did a whole lot of fun stuff while in Yosemite and the Sierras last week. Daniel and I spent the first day of our trip on our own, discovering Mariposa Grove, the largest grove of Sequoia trees in the park. These trees are enormous and some are over 2,000 years old.

The following day we met up with Jason and Denise and caravaned across the park to Mammoth Lakes, where they had rented a small rustic cabin on the edge of Lake Mary. On our way there we stopped for a swim at Swinging Bridge Beach in the Yosemite Valley. You're not supposed to but we made the jump from the bridge into the 55 degree water and it was awesome. Don't worry, we checked the water for rocks before we took the plunge.

The next few days were spent fishing on the lake (unfortunately we were all pretty inexperienced and caught nothing) , hiking the dusty Mammoth moutains, and exploring the natural hot springs that dot the Eastern Sierra Nevada landscape.

We packed a whole lot into our short trip, but I must admit the best part of everyday came in the evening, when we would cook ourselves a delicious dinner and spend the rest of the night playing Settlers of Catan.

Speaking of games, these Pack of Dogs playing cards from Agatha and Louise are so genius. Take these out on your next Poker night and you'll be the coolest of the bunch!

Rocky Mountain Spotted High

Jason and Denise from San Francisco called us up Monday afternoon with a last minute request that we fly down to California for the Fourth of July weekend and spend it with them in Yosemite National Park. Despite some initial hesitation on Dan's part, we managed to buy ourselves two plane tickets to Fresno, and left the following day for what turned out to be a wonderful trip I think we'll never forget.

Yosemite is a beatiful place, with so much to do that we could have spent another full week there exploring the many wonders of the Sierra Nevada. It was my first time in the mountains and the landscapes we saw were spectacular. Snowy peaks, rocky valleys, lush green meadows, crisp blue water, it was unbelievable.

We also saw lots and lots of dogs. And of course, since we weren't able to bring Gus and Charly, I had to stop and say hello to each one we passed. We saw dogs on leash, off leash, in Louis Vuitton purses, and REI backpacks. We saw Labs, German Shephards, Toy Poodles, Daschunds, Chihuahuas, Beagles, even Yorkies. I missed my boys so much, and despite all the fun we had, I'm happy to be home for some much needed puppy love.

Something I always wish we had when we go hiking around Minnesota with our dogs is a portable water and food container. We always end up putting water in a thermos and the kibble in a plastic baggie, and tossing their food and water bowls in the trunk. That's way too much work, and a couple of weeks ago I found this very smartly made portable pet food tote at X-Treme Geek. This gadget is great for day tripping dogs! It's small, easy to pack, and a one-stop shop for food and water.

YOSEMITE!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Daniel and I took an impromptu vacation out to Yosemite National Park in California. We decided to go on Monday night and bought our plane tickets on Tuesday morning. And off we went!

Now we're here and I won't post until next Monday but I hope you and all your pups have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

Plenty of good posts to come when I get back.

D.