PetSafe Archives - Oh My Dog!

The Magic Box

05•09•16

In 2014, I ran a series of “Bark Week” posts (total, shameless play on Shark Week, of course…) that detailed how we were mitigating the insane amount of barking that was going on around the house.

In one of the posts, I wrote about the front door insanity that ensued every. single. time. someone walked up our front steps. Luckily, we hit up on the Train n’ Praise from PetSafe as THE solution. Seriously, it worked wonders. You can read all about what I did to curb door barking crazies here. We used it for the holidays–even flipping Halloween–and it was magic.

Shortly after the new year 2015, Newt knocked it off the mantle and shattered it into a few dozen pieces.

I wrote on some to do list somewhere, “Order new Train n’ Praise.”

Then we got Lukey’s diagnosis (so many things, I’m realizing, are now divided into two categories: before and after) and that list of random to dos became inconsequential and lost in the fray.

In March of this year, I attended Global Pet Expo, and I visited the PetSafe booth. My friend Meredith asked if we still used it, and I told her what happened. End of story. Or so I thought…

Sweet Meredith knocked my socks off when, a few weeks after I returned home, a brand new Train n’ Praise appeared on our doorstep! SO nice!

Then April hit, and I put in just over 70 hours per week of work all month long. No joke. Wish it were a joke. Not complaining because I love what I do and am grateful for extra work, but the Train n’ Praise sat sadly in its box on the counter. Along with piles of mail and fur and dishes that I would get to someday. (Like blog posts here! Sigh…)

Last weekend, it finally happened. As I opened the box, I said these words to John, “Do you think they’ll remember what this is?”

Well.

“Guys! Guys! The Magic Box is back!!! Look!!!! LOOOOOK!!!!”

{Note to self: When the missing to do someday list resurfaces, add “learn how to take a decent photo” to the top! Or, maybe just “buy a camera.” HA!}

Anyways, yes. They remembered it. That first night, Cooper stayed stationed underneath, just waiting. {“I forget… what makes this thing spit treats?”} Emmett parked himself across the room, but we quickly discovered that the key element to The Magic Box isn’t exactly effective for an increasingly-less-hearing dog…

It operates off a tone. It’s a super-specific trill of maybe four or five quick notes. It can’t be mistaken for any other sound, which is the whole point.

Unique sound + treat dispensing.

Positive reinforcement at its finest, and I don’t even have to be there in the room. I just have to have the clicker in my pocket.

We use it like this:

The clicker sits on the kitchen counter (the center hub of the house). Cooper spots a dog/person/bike/squirrel/funny-looking-car out the window and starts to have a minor meltdown. BEFORE it can become a major meltdown, one of us clicks the button on the remote–>the unique sound trills–>Cooper SPRINTS to the Magic Box to collect the treats as they’re dispensed.

Poor Emmett, meanwhile, continues his nap.

The idea and hope is to get him to associate dog/person/bike/squirrel/funny-looking-car going by to getting the noise/treat combo.

So far, so good… and utterly amazing to me that after more than a full year without hearing that noise, he knew exactly what it was the second he heard it!

Powerful stuff!

Now, to keep Newt from breaking this one…

Around the house: The things I truly love

02•04•16

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Having just gone through the process of packing up our entire house, moving it, then unpacking it… I’ve been thinking about the stuff we have. We cleared out so much in the packing process, then even more (“why did we keep this?”) in the unpacking process, so the stuff that made the cut is stuff that truly works or is just plain loved.

I get a lot of emails about past product reviews, asking if we still use this or how’s that holding up. Silly me. It never occurred to me to do a “where are they now” style post about past product reviews. Thank YOU guys for being so smart and prompting this post. I figured I’d address some Qs today, along with a couple new items that I adore! If I missed something, please let me know!

BarkBox: I got some Facebook messages asking if we still subscribed to BarkBox and is it worth it. The short answer: YES! We do, and I think it is. The long answer: Well, honestly, we had a series of mishaps with October, November, and December that all, thankfully, got resolved. I decided to tackle all those BarkBox customer service issues and include a review in a video. It was a comedy of errors: camera tipping over, Cooper barking, Newt biting Emmett’s ear, etc. And then I screwed up the file. Crud. I tried fixing it today to no avail, obviously, but if I DO get it fixed, I’ll be sure to post! In the meantime: If you want to subscribe, you can do so through my affiliate link, which also gets you 10% off. And here’s the hilarious cartoon for this month’s, which has long been Emmett’s philosophy…
The water fountains: I’ve done a couple reviews and giveaways of the PetSafe fountains (here and here). Those are old posts, and during our “trial” periods with both, there was some apprehension among various herd members. Recently, a friend asked for an update. Did they ever get used to them? Or did we go back to bowls? After a while, it was clear that Newt was drinking exclusively from the fountain and ignoring her water dish. The boys drank from whatever–dish or fountain–was closest. I wanted them to shift to fountains because we have very hard water, and our new house didn’t yet have a water softener. So, they didn’t get an option. We put one fountain downstairs and one upstairs, and they’ve been fine drinking solely from those. And I feel better that they’re drinking filtered water. That said, we did have to order a replacement motor for the Zen. It wasn’t an expensive part (~$15) and the fountain’s running just fine now.
Ruggable: This one hasn’t been on the blog yet, but I wanted to share it because I think it’s a smart buy for dog-loving homes! These guys sent me a sample for consideration of the gift guide, but as you know, the gift guide only features products that include giveaways. However, we had the sample, and our new house has kind of a weird set up. You come in through the garage, and the bedroom is right there on the left and the door to the backyard is straight ahead. Which means that the dogs frequently come in from outside–from walks through the garage or from playing in the back–and jump straight in our bed. It’s just what they do. So, the perfect spot for the Ruggable. It’s a rug in two parts: the non-slip base and the top that peels away. The top is flipped up in the corner in the pic below. Why? So you can toss it in the wash machine! And dryer! Seriously, a machine-washable rug! We desperately needed something like that for this spot in our hallway. It’s worked really well since we put it down in December. You can check it out here: Ruggable.
My growing pit bull “stuff” collection: I know I said I cut down on stuff. But… there’s one area (okay, two if you count books, but you can’t count books as “stuff”) that’s grown. Hehe! John bought me a Pittie Chicks sweatshirt for Christmas, and I loooove it! It fits well. It’s warm and cozy and flipping adorable. I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on it, too. Love. Also, I know I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge stationery/notebook geek. I started looking for handmade notebooks on Etsy, and I found a custom breed notebook! I emailed and asked if she could do a pit-type, and she sent me a rendering of a pit. The dog had cropped ears, so I asked if she could do one without, and not only did she do it! She sent me BOTH! Swoon! (She has other super cute stuff, too, but who doesn’t want a custom breed-specific notebook?!?!) And, they’re Coop-approved!
The Honest Kitchen: Yep, Coop’s still on Brave, and it’s still working for his belly! {…knocks on wood…} He has had a couple tremors since my last tremor FAQ and update, so… I don’t know. I guess my bottom line is that the food is working for him, and he’s healthy. The tremors have diminished significantly. So, we’re happy.
Toys: It’s safe to assume that none of the toys I’ve ever reviewed are still whole. In fact, did you see my Instagram on the Tuffy Level 10? Four minutes. Sigh. Cooper’s got a pretty substantial carbon pawprint.

There you have it! Sort of my version of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” but with fewer cars!

I’m 100% positive I missed some questions, so please do ask away–or if you want more info on any of the above. I’m always happy to share, share, share!

Pet Hydration Month: Tips and products to keep your pets hydrated

07•27•15

July is Pet Hydration Month, so I’m squeaking in at the last second with helpful information, a product review, and a giveaway!

I keep this running list of questions and ideas for possible blog posts, and one that’s been on my list for far too long was: How much water does a dog need in a day? Turns out, an ounce of water per pound! Check out this awesome infographic from PetSafe about water consumption in dogs and cats:

For a big dog like Lucas, that’s a lot of water in a day! Frankly, I don’t know that any of the herd drank enough each day, especially in the hot, muggy summer heat. One problem, I think, was that our two water dishes were side-by-side and sort of uninteresting. They aren’t in the most convenient location either. In the course of a normal day, they wouldn’t walk past them often (between the kitchen and back door so mostly when they go outside). But drinking enough water is critical for overall health, like flushing out the kidneys (SO important for cats).

We have two PetSafe fountains that they kindly sent us, so we set up one upstairs right outside my office door, which they walk past 987 times a day:

And we set up the other in the living room:

The upstairs one is pretty small, and Lucas won’t drink from it. I’m not sure why. He passes by it a bunch. He knows it’s water. The other three drink from it. He won’t. Something to consider if you’re thinking about a fountain. The downstairs one is more like a normal stainless bowl, and everyone was comfortable with it right away. It’s also nearly silent, which is great for the living room. Occasionally Newt thinks it’s super fun to poke her paw in the fountain part, then she shakes it off all horrified about having a wet foot. Goofy girl.

Do they drink more water because of the fountains? Hard to say. Supposedly moving water and the fresh oxygenation are both more appealing to pets. I think if anyone is drinking more, it’s Newt. Or it could be that the bowls are in places I see her drinking more often? Regardless, I’m glad to see her drinking water throughout the day!

The ones we have are the Avalon (the red ceramic one) and Zen (the stainless one). For a while I was tempted to buy an outdoor fountain–it seems like such a great way to provide fresh, clean outdoor water versus a bowl that sits out collecting crud–but then I realized that the dogs never want to be outside without me, so I probably wouldn’t use it. While at SuperZoo, though, I did see their new fountain, the Sedona, which is really simple and could match any decor.

That said, PetSafe has very generously offered a fountain for me to give away to one of YOU lucky pups! This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. The widget will load below (sometimes it takes a second). If you’re reading this via email or through a feed, you might have to click the link.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks, PetSafe, for offering this giveaway! What do you guys think? Would your pets drink more filtered water? Do you currently have some kind of filter or fountain system in place?

The best holiday gifts for cats

11•22•14

Welcome to day 6! Holy moly. This week has flown by. I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am! If you’ve missed any of the previous days’ gift recommendations and giveaways, be sure to visit: play, eat, eco-friendly,gifts that give back, and for the pet lover.

Today we’re turning our attention to our feline friends! Newt feels slightly offended that cats only get one day. I told her it’s because this is Oh My DOG Blog, but she said that shouldn’t matter. Ah, well. Today is a roundup of the best holiday gifts for cats!

So, let’s kick this feline fiesta off without further ado!

Delightibles

Newt is a treat fiend. We are watching her weight, so we try not to give her too many. But there are times when she either earns one or when I need her to move and she won’t and I don’t want her to bite me. I may toss a treat across the room in those instances. I’ve kept a bag of Delightibles in my desk drawer for such occasions! Now, these aren’t the most nutritious treats around, but they must be tasty because as soon as she sees me pick up that bag, she’s READY! They’re made in the US and come in chicken, turkey (Newt’s fave), tuna, salmon, beef, and dairy. They are free from wheat, soy, BHA, and BHT, and have a crunchy exterior with a filling. At only 1.5 calories per treat, we can give Newt a few a day without worrying about too much weight gain. To buy: Found exclusively at Walmart, Delightibles Cat Treats are offered in 3oz to 12oz sizes, with prices starting at $1.26 per bag (if your cat has a stocking – and she does, right? – these would be the perfect fit!)

Kathy Ireland Loved Ones Collection Catnip Kick Candy Cat Toy and Catnip Heart Feather Bloom Cat Wand

The sweetness of the Loved Ones Collection! The colors are definitely softer and more precious than many pet toys, and for Newt these are absolutely darling. I couldn’t get a decent picture of Newt playing with the wand, but the candy toy? Oh, she loves it. She does this pounce thing, then holds it with her front paws while kicking with her back (perhaps that’s why they called it the catnip kick?). It’s too funny and absolutely adorable. She’s really enjoyed playing with both of these toys. My only complaint – and this might be a Newt-specific problem – is that the wand is a smidge shorter than I’d prefer because when Newt gets going with it, she gets VERY swipey. Otherwise, these have both been so much fun have become regular parts of our daily play with Newt. To buy: $10.70 for the Catnip Heart Feather Bloom Wand* and $13.48 for the Catnip Kick Candy Toy*

Worldwise Petlinks Crazy Tail Mouse

Speaking of cute… This little guy is darling. He has a suction cup on the back and a loop on the top, then when you touch his nose, the tail starts flipping around. Like this:

I have it on the shelf behind my desk. When Newt comes and sits on my keyboard, I can push the nose, and off she goes! It’s erratic in its spinning, so it keeps her entertained longer. From what I could tell, though, it didn’t have an automatic shut-off feature (or, if it does, it stays on past the point where she’s interested, so I end up turning it off myself). It’s designed to promote exercise and play, which clearly it does. It does require 2 AAA batteries – it comes with the first round – but if you’re giving this as a gift, you might want to stash an extra pack in with the present! To buy: $8.90 (currently ON SALE – regularly $18.99) Crazy Tail Mouse*

FroliCat Dart Duo

Despite the fact that the packaging shows a cat and a dog playing with this, I’m only recommending this as a gift for cats. If your cat is into lasers, this is one high-tech toy! It has two separate lasers to keep ’em guessing. You can set the timer on the top and adjust the speed of the rotation. If you have multiples – who get along – the two laser system could keep them both occupied and busy. To be totally honest, this one was too much for Newt. She got seriously over-stimulated, so I’m recommending this for a multi-cat household. However, if you have a super high-energy cat, this could be great. (For Newt’s preferred laser toy, see below!!) To buy: $42.95 from PetSafe

FroliCat Bolt

Now, this one… Newt LOVES. You can’t adjust the speed, but you can adjust the height/distance of the laser. It has a 10-minute automatic shut-off, so what I’ve started doing is turning it on when I need to do a task that doesn’t involve Newt. Like, fold the laundry. Or make the bed. Or a million other little things she loves to interrupt. I have the Bolt on my bedroom dresser, and as soon as I turn it on, it makes a distinct noise that gets her to come running. Then I have the perfect 10-minute window to get a task complete. It also works well to keep her upstairs and out of the way if we’re training with the dogs downstairs! I think over the past month or so of testing, the Bolt has gotten near-daily use! More exercise for the Princess. To buy: $22.95 from PetSafe

Imperial Cat Holiday Kit

This just might be the perfect holiday gift for a cat! Though the items are assorted, the kit contains a seasonal Scratch ‘n Scratcher, a 9-gram bag of organic catnip, oat seeds to grow, a wand, and a seasonal catnip toy. Absolutely everything a cat could want for the holiday season! The scratcher is comprised of a much thicker cardboard than some of the others we’ve tried, which makes me think it’s going to last longer, too. I think if any of your holiday events this season are hosted by cat lovers, this would be the PERFECT hostess gift! To buy: $30 in stores

And now six of you lucky cats have the chance to win each of these prizes! This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. The widget should load below in a few seconds, or if you’re reading via email or feed, you may have to click the link. Winners will be drawn and notified on Friday, November 28. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the last day of gift recommendations and giveaways!

Disclaimer: We didn’t receive any compensation for this guide, though some of these brands sent products for our consideration. Not all made the cut! The ones here are ones we really, truly love. Any link followed by an asterisk (*) means it’s an affiliate link – you won’t pay a single extra penny if you purchase through those links, but OMD! will receive a tiny bit of commission, which we use to offset the costs of producing this guide! Questions? Send me an email: info {at} ohmydogblog {dot} com.

The best gifts for pet lovers

11•21•14

Welcome to the holiday gift guide extravaganza day 5! If you need to catch up, be sure to go check out the other days’ reviews and giveaways: play, eat, eco-friendly, and gifts that give back!

Today is all about YOU, the fabulous human holding the leash (or scooping the litter box). These are my SEVEN pics for the best gifts for pet lovers! PSST!!! There three more OMD! exclusive discounts in this post… read carefully!

The Company of Animals Green Interactive Feeder

This one may seem like an unconventional pick for the person, but hear me out… Emmett GULPS his food. Like, one big inhale and his bowl is empty. We use a variety of slow feeders, but he’s still fast. I worry about bloat, of course, but he also starts to hyperventilate and has, on occasion, thrown up. Yuck. Therefore, this is the perfect gift for me because it slows him waaayyyyy down. He has never taken as long to eat as he did with this. I could even walk away and pour myself a cup of coffee instead of monitoring his usual kibble-shotgunning. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe, so I can toss it in with the rest of the herd’s bowls. If you have a food gulper, this is the must-have pet product for safety and peace-of mind! To buy: $26.45 for the dog Northmate Interactive Feeder* (there’s also a cat version available, which I’m definitely getting for Newt)

Shaggy Chic Apparel

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for a pet lover (or yourself) you have to check out this online boutique. The T-shirts feature dogs in unique, modern, almost hipster-ish designs. Their collection includes a mix of funny, festive, and a little ironic. I ADORE the “I kiss my dog on the lips” shirt in French. One of the cutest in the collection is the Kid’s POV, which includes artwork drawn by a 10-year-old kiddo. Plus, with holiday purchases, a portion of sales will go to Don’t Forget to Feed Me, a non-profit pet food bank in Texas. Love them all? You can join their T-shirt-of-the-month club to get a new one each month – another gift that keeps on giving! To buy: visit ShaggyChicApparel for styles and options… And!! An OMD! exclusive: get 25% off with discount code DOGSRULE at check-out

Mountainsmith K9 Cube

My love for this product knows no bounds. If you ever go anywhere – road trips, camping, over the river and through the woods – you will love this, too. Neatly contained in a cooler-sized carrier is a PVC-free, PEVA-lined food container and two collapsible water/food bowls. It’s divided on the inside so you can stash toys or chews alongside the food container. There are side mesh pockets for small accessories, like printouts of vet records if you’re traveling, calming treats, or small toys. It has both handles and an adjustable shoulder strap. This thing holds a ton. I only wish we had it when we went on Emmett’s road trip – but it’s coming with us on the next one, for sure. The perfect gift for your road-tripping friends! To buy: $59.95 from Mountainsmith

RUHA custom leather collar

So, our dogs probably don’t care what their collars look like… but we do! These RUHA collars are fantastic. From the brand, “Our leather is 100% full grain, vegetable tanned cowhide. The color is dyed on both sides of the leather as part of the finishing process. This process leaves the leather free from harmful toxic chemicals in compliance with California and US Environmental Regulations.” When you visit their webpage, you walk through a series of steps to fully customize your collar. And they are so spot-on with their customer service! I entered a typo when I made Cooper’s, and they called to let me know that they were correcting it! The hardware is rustproof stainless, and there are a variety of widths, colors, designs, and finishes to choose from. I love that all the contact information is engraved right on the collar – several years ago, Emmett’s tags fell off while out for a walk, so it’s great to know that the collar provides the vitals in case of emergency. To buy: Small Dog Collar $28, Medium Dog Collar $29, Large Dog Collar $32, Extra Large Dog Collar $36, all on RUHA.com PLUS!! An OMD! reader exclusive discount: use code ruha20 for 20% off AND free shipping

Solvit Deluxe Tagalong Pet Bicycle Basket

Earlier in the week I mentioned that we were trying to include small dog products as well, and here’s another awesome one! This I had to send to a super adorable small dog and her human from Cindy Lu’s Muse. From Cindy Lu’s person: “I can tell you the basket is THE coolest thing ever. It’s got pockets for storing/carrying stuff, water bottle holder, a sturdy short strap that you hook your dog’s leash to — even a padded bottom and a detachable sun shade. We should all ride in such style!!” Sounds pretty fab to me. Little dogs sometimes can’t keep up or go the distance, but for folks who love to ride their bike, this would prevent the little one from being left behind. To buy: $80 visit Solvit to find a retailer near you

5-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder

This is a peace-of-mind gift. At least for our lifestyle, but I can see this being a life saver for people who, for instance, work rotating shifts. Have you ever been stuck in traffic… or a meeting went waaayyyy late… or any of the zillion other things that can happen to us to make us run behind or get home late? When I took Emmett to his very first oncology appointment, I had no idea that it took all. day. I didn’t have a dinner plan for the rest of the herd because I had planned to be home mid-day. An automatic feeder would be such a relief in those out-of-your-control situations. Even beyond that, though, it has a rotating tray attached to a timer, so you can put controlled amounts of food in each section. This would’ve been perfect when Coop was a puppy and we were trying to get him to gain weight. Or, you can use it to reward your pet while you’re away at work. I can see so many uses for this, but those uncontrollable situations definitely make the top of my list! To buy: $59.95 at PetSafe

CritterZone

See it plugged in in the pic above? You hardly notice it! Another one for me to rave about! Is it weird to be in love with an air freshener? Actually, it’s an “air naturalizer” and it works by charging air to clean itself. I don’t know if that summarizes it well, but go read about the technology for the full scoop. One thing I was concerned about at first was that it might be one of those ozone products, which are supposed to be very bad for pets. From the website: “The CritterZone isn’t an ozone generator OR an ionizer. What it does is reactivate indoor air by creating active ingredients that give the air the ability to clean itself, just like the sun and wind does for outdoor air.” I plugged it into the wall between our dining room and living room about 24 hours before we had twelve people over for brunch. By the time our guests arrived, the dog smell was gone. And here’s the thing: I’m a diligent (John might say obsessive) house cleaner. But the reality of a house full of animals is that there is fur and dander and yard dirt and that corn chip smell they get when they’re asleep and so on. It’s just what happens. I haven’t turned our Critter Zone off since, and I think the whole downstairs is pretty much odor free. Now I just need one for upstairs. And my car. And John’s car. It’s small enough for a stocking stuffer, but I think this is a MUST-HAVE for every pet owner! To buy: $99 at CritterZone* PLUS an exclusive $10 off if you use promo code OMD

And now SEVEN of you have the chance to win one of these perfect presents! This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. The widget should load below in a few seconds, or if you’re reading via email or feed, you may have to click the link. Winners will be drawn and notified on Friday, November 28. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for another day of gift recommendations and giveaways! (Hint: It’s a day for our feline friends!)