What are Your Dog's Halloween Plans?

There are a variety of potentially horrifying costumes out there for your dog. You can dress him up as just about any kind of animal (cat, monkey, shark); a football player (why, it's unclear); Yoda (if you're a Star Wars nerd); Spongebob Squarepants (if you're mean); or even Elvis (just fyi, nobody will "get" this one). Or, if you're feeling really brave, there are also companies that will match your dog's costume to your own. So if you want to wear that skanky little Catholic schoolgirl number, you can put your pup in a matching plaid mini. (Yes, this really exists. Click on the link.)

I highly doubt Riley will be getting dressed up this Halloween, largely because I couldn't deal with seeing her wear the "how-could-you-do-this-to-me" expression on the beagle above. I also have faint memories of my mom dressing up our Wheaten terrier as a baby and dragging the dog with us while we trick-or-treated, pawing at her stupid bonnet the whole way. Poor thing. But if you're so inclined, below are a couple of sites where you can buy costumes for your canine.

http://www.glamourdog.com/costumes.html
http://www.costumecraze.com/dog-costumes.html
http://www.buycostumes.com/CategoryPage/Pets_132.aspx
http://www.extremehalloween.com/pet.htm

And lucky you, MSNBC just did a story on how to best photograph your animal in costume. Hilar. If you have any images of your dog in costume, please send them in for me to post!

A Cool New Dog Book

There's a new book out that you should definitely check out. It's called Penny the Jetsetting Dog, and it's by a wonderful author named Alexandra Power.

The book tells the story of the author's little blonde dog, Penny, who moved to New York City from Sydney, Australia, four years ago. Since then, says Alexandra, "Penny has traveled the world, from horse riding to the Argentine border in Chile, to getting furious at giraffes for licking her in Kenya. She truly is an adventure dog." (After hearing about Penny's adventures, I started feeling guilty that Riley has only been to places such as New Orleans and Chicago. Poor girl.)

The images inside the book "were painted by a group of children in Kenya who with no formal education who are taught art under a tree in the hope of obtaining an art-related job." What's even more amazing about the book is that 20 percent of the profits go towards creating a high school for creatively gifted children in Kenya.

For more info on the book—and Penny's personal traveling tips—see www.pennythejetsettingdog.com

To buy a copy of Penny the Jetsetting Dog, go to Amazon here. 

More Dogs Who Need Homes

I was forwarded an email blast by a friend the other day from Biscuits and Bath, and they're looking for homes for 17 puppies rescued from a kill shelter.

Azaela, one of the puppies at Biscuits & Bath who is currently in need of a home

If you're looking for a new pet, or you'd be interested in fostering one of the puppies, check out their site here: http://www.biscuitsandbath.com/adoptions.php

Certified Therapy Dog Video

I don't know how much you all know about therapy dogs, but I have heard some amazing stories. I've heard of them bringing people out of comas, helping autistic children to socialize, and more. Well, with this video, welcome to cheesytown. The Sarah McLachlan track is pretty intense, but I still loved it. Admittedly, the dog featured, Baxter, seems to be snoozing during much of his "work." But give him a break; he's 19 years old.

Anyway, take a look if you have time. And maybe keep some Kleenex nearby. 

Personalized Leash Holders

If you're like me, you're always looking for the appropriate place to store your dog's leash. I know, doesn't seem like a huge issue, but it can at times feel like a "where did I put my keys?" type of scenario. When I tried to put Riley's leash in a cute, vintage-y bucket near my door, she dug it out when I left the apartment and chewed all the plastic clasps off of her collar, rendering it useless. I resorted to leaving her leash on the counter, which is clearly not the most sanitary option.

One company, Pets Unleashed, makes wrought iron leash holders for your pet. You can put it in your foyer, mudroom, whatever. Not only will you not misplace his leash again, but it'll be out of reach so your pet won't be able to chew it up when you leave him unattended.

Pricing depends largely on how many letters are in your pet's name. For example, it's $54.99 if your dog's name has three letters, $64.99 if his name has seven letters, etc. For more information, go to their site: http://www.petsunleashed.ca/index.html

So cute, right?