We have a huge range of people that order their dog beds from us. Some even phone up to complain that they are  a bit expensive. We read recently about a site in th USA called www.poochieheaven.com that is in the same situtaion we are in. People argue that they can pick up a really cheap dog bed for their dog for 20 bucks. That is very true but they tend to be missing the bigger picture. When we ask them how often they buy a dog bed the anwser is noramally every 3 to 4 months as the quality of the dog bed they purchased isn’t that great.

There are 5 differences between the standard dog bed you can buy for 20 Euros compared to the fatboy dog bed which will last you for years. Lets look at the first 2.

1. Fatboy Dog Beds Are A Higher Quality. We insist that our dog beds are made with the highest quality materials on the market. Our dog beds arent outsourced to China to be made in a sweat shop by underage children.They are made in Holland from the best materials we can get our hands on. They are also made to last which is precisely why we have the reputation of making the highest quality beds. You will no longer have to worry about buying multiple dog beds within a year

2. Our bean bags have a lot more beans in them than any of our competitors and are really comfortable. Have you ever wondered why dogs love to hop up on beds and couches. the answer is the comfort factor. Or have you ever thought “If I was a dog I wouldn’t even sleep on that dog bed“. All of our dog beds have that extra stuffing in them so that they keep their shape for as long as possible.

Selcting any old dog bed for your dog really doesnt cut it nowadays. As dogs get older like humans they can begin to suffer from joint and hip problems. For this reason they will need a dog bed which is really high in quality.

Dog Bed comapnies have sprung up everywhere online and getting a dog bed that is appropriate for your dog isnt difficult to do. You have to bear in mind though that the dog will have to make a transition from its present bed to its new bed.

Depending on the size of your dog he may like to sleep in a larger size bed. You really need to get a bed which your dog can loung on and stretch. The last thing you want to do is get your dog a bed that is too small. This is like buying a mattress that is too short with your feet sticking out the end.

The other point as well is that if their legs are hanging out it could have a detrimental effect on their joints. Also if you have a couple of dogs buying a large dog bed means that you can fit 2 smaller dogs on the one dog bed, they can then snuggle up together and keep warm.

Sometimes I really dont believe what I am reading on the internet. You tend to take some things with a pinch fo salt but not this time. So what am I talking about….

There is a book written by Leigh Anne Jasheway for dogs called “Bedtime Stories For Dogs”. Now I dont know if this would be hugely popular in Ireland but it seems to have been a runaway success in the U.S.

Seriously can you imagine your dog lying in a dog bed and reading him “The Three Little Pugs,”, “Snow White and the Seven Chihuahuas,” or “Goldilocks and the Three Cats,”. The mind just continues to boggle.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so cynical as it has 4 5 star ratings and 1 4 star rating. Nobody has given it a negative review at all.

Here is what 4 poeple had to say about it

1. I was stunned at her humor and she is obviously very talented as she adapted fairy tales and nursery rhymes to a more “doggie angle.” .

2. I stuck one in the post to my sister who is a high flier in Colorado . She was breaking her sides laughing so much that she proceeded to call our mother long-distance. She then went ahead and read our Mum the story on the phone.

3. This book came to me by accident and I hadnt planned on reading all of it. However, reading one fairy tale progressed to another and then another. Each story gave me a huge laugh.

4. With Christmas fast approaching this would be a fantastic gift for anyone who is mad about their do. It is a supergift for anyone who is down in the dumps and will put a smile back on your face even if you dont own a dog.

 So if you are planning on buying your dog a present buy him “Bedtime Stories For Dogs” and read it to him whilst he is is just about to crash out in his dog bed.

I read about this a while ago but never really believed it. If you plan on go travelling with you pet there are 7 pet
friendly hotels in Florida which you can go and visit

There is a video here which talks about all the locations

http://www.articlesbase.com/videos/5min/80431986

If you prefer to read then here is my synopsis.

All of these hotels have plush dog beds and extra special dog walking services. People in the States treat their pets like children and  spoil them so here is my list if this type of holiday floats your boat.

Newport Dunes Water Resort – It has a nice dog run, lots of grassy areas and compliemtary mutt mitts throughout the park.

Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa – They have a special pet menu and dog bakery and lots of nice walking areas

Cliffs Resort -  Will welcome your pooch with a souvenir dog tag and really plush dog beds . For a price they will even take your dog for a walk along the coast with stunning views of the sea.

Catalina Express -  This is 22 miles off the cost and you will need to stay in the Edgewater Beach resort.

Napa Valley – You can stay in the Vintage inn which has a lot of dog friendly restaurants.

Here are some interesting tips for how to make your own dog bed. The 1st thing you have to do is to get your dog to lie down so you can measure him/her correctly. Then you need to get your dog bed tools and materials at the ready. You will need a bottom for the bed as well as the bedding you need for the dog bed.

You should be able to pick up what you need for under 40 quid. You will need a tape measure and sewing machine as well to measure the exact size of the material that you need. Gte ahold of your scissors and mark down the measurements.

The just start cutting away and the fabric should come away really easily. Put it to one side and start on the next section so you can measure that up as well. You dont have to be perfectly accurate as you can improve on your cut when you start using the sewing machine.

Now you need to measure and cut your dog batting. When you are cutting your batting you need to ensue it is 2 inches smaller. Make sure you give one inch on either side.

I will continue this post tomorrow on how to complete your dog bed.

Heres a question I always asked myself but never found a  satisfactory answer. Why do dogs chase cars.

Below is the most accurate site I could find on this topic

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/why-do-dogs-chase-cars/page1.aspx

Before humans ever came along dogs were just another creature  that lived in the wild. As time elpased humans began to train dogs and take them on as pets. What dogs are doing when they are chasing cars (or in actual fact chasing anything) is reverting back to how they used to be 1000s of years ago.

Dogs by their nature used to have to hunt to put their meals on a table.

The other side of the coin is the fact that they like to chase kids on bikes, cats, small animals and other dogs because they are playing a game.

This can be quite frightening for young kids. My own 2 girls love  dogs but are still afraid of them if they threaten to jump up on them.

If things turn ugly you have to take heed. Be concerned if your dog starts to nip at a persons heels or wont let go of a person. This could just be playful antics at first but it is more likely to become something more serious if precautions are taken on early.

Dandruff is a bit of a nightmare for humans and it is the same case for pets as well

http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/dog-dandruff.html

There are a host of reasons why dogs get dandruff but the top 4 are

Inadequate exercise, Poor diet, Inadequate grooming and Low humidity in the air.

Dandruff is basically skin cells that have died. I am sure you have seen it in your own pooch especially around the
area where your dog sleeps. there is nothing to be alarmed about at all, it is perfectly natural.

However saying that though if you think it has a become a serious problem then you definitely need to bring your dog to a vet.

If you want to reduce the likelihood of your dog getting  dandruff then you should be grooming your dog more often
than you are at the moment. There are a couple of additional reason for doing this. The first one is that helps you create a closer bond with your dog and secondly it will reduce the likelihood of your dog getting dandruff.

What you feed your dog as well is critical to its health and wellbeing. Frequent exercise can also help your dog stay fit and reduce the chance of dandruff.

If you are looking for a type of remedy to help your dog get rid of its dandruff for good then the one I recommend is Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin E. Just slip it into your dogs food at meal time.

One of the biggest stories in the news at the moment is  to do with swine flu. All over the world people are  succumbing to this potentially deadly virus. Now however people are shifting the emphasis over to animals and  questioning whether dogs should be getting the H1N1 Vaccine.

Only recently it came to light that a ferret got the swine flu after its owner came down with it. Also a couple of months later a cat contracted the virus as well.

Opportunities like this abound for veterinarian companies to make a quick buck and to that end there is an H1N1 Virus which can be given to animals.

The symptoms are fairly similar for animals as they are for humans. Like everything you would want to be on the lookout just in case your pet is next in line toget the virus.

If you want to find out more about the H1N1 Virus for animals then there is a great article at

http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/should_dogs_get_the_h1n1_vaccine

It is amazing to think that scientific research has had such a huge impact on humans and also animals. A story I read about recently shocked me to put it mildly. Yet again though it shouldnt really surprise me as the US is at the forefront of this new procedure.

So what am I talking about?

If a dog is losing its sight then its owner can decide on getting a prostetic eye for its dog. Now this can throw up a couple of different issues for the dog and also for the owner.

Obviously nobody wants the dog to suffer in pain. Previosuly an owner wasnt really left with much of an option when it came to getting a dogs eye removed. The dog would have been left with a sunken eye.

With these prosthetic eyes the eyelids of the dogs arent sutured shut which certainly isnt a bad thing.

The technical term for this procedure is called “enucleation”. At the end of the day dogs probably are bothered by their appearance so by getting “enucleation” they manage to solve that age old problem. So the owner is happy and the dog is happy.

You will undoubtedly have heard of kids creches well the latest craze in the good old USA would seem to be Doggie Day Care centres. The principal is exactly the same as you would find in a childs creche.

Some owners dont want to leave their pooch alone on their own for too long so they decide to pay sums of up to $18 an hour for their dog to be cared for.

You wouldnt really want to have children as well if you decided to go down this route as it would cost you a small fortune.

There are normally 2 employees who will look after the dogs. They are pretty much given a license to roam and go where they please in the doggy day care center.

There is also a procedure for actually getting the dog into the centers. Most of these dogs have to fill  out an application form, well actaully it is their owners that have to fill out the application form on behalf of the pooches.

It is almost like sitting an exam and if you dont get it then you could end up not getting into college

The owners of these dog care centres highly recommend  that when you initially drop your dog off for the first time that you stick round to make sure that the dog settled in well to his new environment.