Rather than write a single comprehensive dog product review of the ThunderShirt, I’m going to write a series of reports over time so that, together, we can work through the ups and downs for our fearful canine heroine.
After last Friday’s post, where I first raised the question of ThunderShirt expectations and results, a helpful discussion got underway both in the blog comments section and on our Champion of My Heart Facebook Fan Page. Huge thanks to everyone who weighed in with how the ThunderShirt did (or did not) help their dog.
I alluded to the fact that our real-world test of the ThunderShirt wasn’t going as well as I had hoped. Here are some additional, early, details.
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Longtime syndicated columnist and dog writer Steve Dale recently published a new eBook through Tribune Media Services — Good Dog. Since I don’t have a Kindle, I’ve not had the chance to read it. However, when I asked Dale about the history of dog training — going back to before I was born — he shared some interesting insights.
You see, I knew that the dominance / punishment style of dog training that I loathe really took hold back in the 1960s. What I did NOT know is that positive reinforcement practitioners were also on the scene back then.
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The folks behind Buy A Shirt Help a Dog donate one-third of every t-shirt purchased to another non-profit dog charity every 4 months. They’re taking nominations for dog charity groups through December 31, 2011. Pop on over and nominate your favorite! We’ve already nominated ours … Humane Society of Boulder Valley.
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I cannot call this a review because I have NOT tried the product myself. However, I did attend a webinar last month for this new VueZone wireless webcam that’s being marketed to pet families as a way to monitor pets when you’re away. That includes, I’d guess, trying to decipher dog behavior problems that crop up.
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So, remember how much I loved my claw pooper scooper? Well, I’m adding a caveat …
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The Angry Birds craze reached our rural, smart-phone-lacking abode. Dog toys. We’re talking Angry Birds dog toys today. And, thanks to Hartz … we have 6 dog toys to give away for the holidays. Read the rest of this entry »
Fellow Coloradoan (by way of California) Holli Pfau co-founded a nationally recognized program for animal-assisted therapy in hospitals. She shares her adventures, starting with Golden Retriever #1 Nikki in her new book Pure Gold.
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Who can resist a book review pitch with the headline, “Share the Awkwardness”? Not me, clearly. Here, then, is our book review of Awkward Family Pet Photos from Mike Bender and Doug Chernack, the New York Times best-selling authors of Awkward Family Photos. Don’t miss your chance to win a copy of the book. It’s a perfect gag item for upcoming holiday gift exchanges.
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Even after all the years working in magazines, I’ve never quite adjusted to thinking about holidays 6 months or more before they happen. That’s why I’m just NOW putting out a call for friends and vendors to think about gift ideas for the Champion of My Heart community.
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My apologies in advance to those who might think this sacrilege, but my new fav t-shirt says “Praise Dog.” It goes into the pantheon that includes my “Dog is my co-pilot” t-shirt. I think dogs embody the divine, so maybe it’s OK.
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Last Friday, our favorite Life is Good Store (called Positively Jake) went out of business. We’re so sad about that. But it reminded us that we wanted to share these great, clever dog products from Teddy the Dog.
(Keep reading to see how you could win a Teddy the Dog gift certificate.)
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The Petstages Heartbeat Pillow features a noise-making, electronic device that sounds like a momma dog’s heart beating. It’s meant to comfort young dogs. You know, like the old trick of putting a ticking clock in bed with a new puppy.
Well, my two grown-up canine beasts (photos below) are probably too big and too old for this toy. They pretty much killed the ticking device in the first day.
(Tom says he can fix it.)
But, even without the ticking sound, Ginko — in particular — has adopted the Petstages Heartbeat Pillow as one of his “babies.” Read the rest of this entry »
RC Pet Products, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, sent me this terrific dog pack to try out with Lilly. I love it. Lilly? Not so much.
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So, the question is this: If your dog could earn merit badges for training accomplishments as simple as SIT or DOWN or being housetrained, would you take part?
That’s the idea behind Good Dogs of America. Your dog could indeed earn 19 different dog training merit badges … from a local dog trainer who offers the program as an add-on to their current dog training curriculum.
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Many thanks to the folks at Petstages for the free dog toy to review. Check out these pix and our thoughts about Occupi … a food-delivery dog toy that can be used 3 different ways for nervous dogs, active dogs, and bored dogs … via tiny treats, solid busy bars, or paste-like stuffing.
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