Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Your Dog

Every year we search high and low for the healthiest, most practical and innovative gifts for our four-legged companions. This year’s list is a compilation of products that we have used and highly recommend. You’ll notice that the products are all useful items that for the most part solve a problem (okay, there are a couple of silly and fun products) but with money being a bit tighter this year, we want to make sure you get just what Fido needs.

If you know of any other cool dog gifts, leave a comment so our readers can get more ideas.

Here are the top 10 in no particular order.

1. Santa Paws & Hanukkah Hound Spa Collections

Four grooming products to make your smelly dog smell Fabulous!  Includes a shampoo for dry and itchy skin, an ultra rich conditioning treatment, a freshen up spray and even a breath spray that also helps eliminate gas!! If your dog doesn’t celebrate Christmas, no problem, Hannakuh Hound is also available! Get it at www.happytailsspa.com

2. Matching Kiss Me Dog & Human Tank Top

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

Gift for human and hound! Ruff Ruff and Meow have designed a plethora of matching tank tops and dog shirts. Check them out on their website ruffruffandmeow.com

3. Squeaky Balls

Squeaky Balls?  WHAT??? Kong has the patent on Squeaky Balls—ummm… that is squeaky tennis balls. Your dogs will love these Air Kong Squeaker Tennis Balls. I have one dog that is obsessed with squeaky toys and another who loves to chase bouncing balls. So this satisfies everyone concerned. They also have them in x-small! Available at most pet retailers.

4. Good Karma Rope Toys

"Frosty the Snowman"

These adorable toys come in 2 sizes and are offered in a variety of animal shapes. The toys are made from 100% natural dyed cotton thread and are hand tied. Proven to improve dental health and guaranteed to provide hours of chewing and tugging fun.  A portion of the proceeds go to the Rescue Train organization. Visit jaxandbones.com

5. Sleepytime Tonic

"Silent Night, Holy Night"

With all of that joy, cheer and happiness, dogs can become very nervous around the holidays. The change in routine, people in and out and late night wrapping sessions (a difficult task  with no opposable thumbs) can make any dog a little stressed out and anxious. Sleepytime Tonic to the rescue. This all natural herbal remedy helps to calm a nervous, anxious overactive dog. Perfect for travel, thunderstorms, fireworks, trips to the groomer, vet and more Calms your dog within 20-30 minutes.

6.  Holiday Cards

"I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas"

The modern dog needs his own holiday card to send out, doesn’t he?  Gifty Idea has a whole slew of uber cute cards like this one. Hurry before it’s too late! Go to Giftyidea.com

7.  Dogswell Treats

If you really want to get your dog the best gift EVER- get her Dogswell treats. I have two small dogs that are super picky and these treats are like crack cocaine for dogs. Forget about dog clothes, collars and leashes, this is what your dog really wants.  And they are great for bribes! Available at most major petstores.

8.  Lighted Collar

"How Brightly Shines the Morning Star"

You don’t want your adventurous dog to get lost on all of those off-leash walks in the mountains or on the beach, do you?  This handy light clips right onto any collar. It’s lightweight, useful and inexpensive and as far as we can tell it is water resistant. Get it at niteize.com

9.  Have you Buttered Your Dog Lately?

Pamper your canine in healing relief. Fur Butter (or Fur Worse) is an Ultra-Rich Deep Conditioning Treatment for Dry & Itchy Skin. Just wash your dog, slather on Fur Butter and rinse. It will leave your dog super soft and silky and will moisturize that dry skin.

Click here to get other holiday ideas for your dog

10. Your ideas???

If you know of any other cool dog gifts, leave a comment so our readers can get more ideas.

Top five signs that she loves her dog more than you
A man’s guide to winning the Fluff Wars!

by Kevin Fisher

We’ve all been there, your relationship is chugging along nicely and then all of a sudden she meets someone new. Suddenly you’ve been replaced! By whom? George Clooney? George Bush? George of the Jungle? Whoever he is he’s a bum! he’s a weasel! He’s a rat! Sadly he’s none of the above. In fact he’s a she (Sacre Bleu) and he’s a dog!

Overnight your drooling, panting and inappropriate scratching has been replaced by… well drooling panting and inappropriate scratching… emanating from a 6 pound ball of fur and frolic named Fluffy!

How can you possibly compete? It’s been many decades since you were described as cute, you are not in the least bit fluffy (in fact you are virtually hairless) and worst of all you resist all of her efforts to dress you up in adorable little outfits and parade you through the town.

In the interests of relationship harmony and progress I offer The top five signs that she loves her dog more than you (and a few suggestions on how you can defend against them) .

Sign #1. The Pick up problem . She’s delighted to watch her new love poop on the sidewalk. She picks up the "leavings" with pride and delight (no matter how runny they are), but ask her to pick up your DRY cleaning and whoa…that’s way too much trouble.

Sign #2. Sleeping Dogs . Now the sleeping arrangements revolve around her new love’s habits and peccadillos. Of course the little fluff-ball prefers to sleep between the two of you (and what the fluff-ball wants the fluff-ball gets). Before you can say "flannel nightgown" you’re victim of the dreaded "Canine Contraceptive" which ensures the end of your sex life, the end of your happiness and of course the end of your lineage. Your counter move? Sleepytime Tonic ! a few drops in the dog’s mouth before bedtime will ensure that sleeping dogs do indeed lie. And while fluffy gets down to some serious snoozy business you can get up to some well deserved monkey business! (if you want to extend the animal metaphors this would be a great time to try doggie style)

Sign #3. Holiday Blues . It’s Christmas morning, she and the dog have already spent an hour opening one anothers gifts. You arise in anticipation of a wonderful morning, skip downstairs with visions of sugarplums dancing in your head. there they are in the middle of the living room floor, she looks up from a 6 foot pile of paper, toys chews and treats and tells you she completely forgot to buy you anything… but here, would you like a nice chewable bone? Before you go ballistic why not try a little Calming Aromatherapy Spritzer . Spray a little on Fluffy (you’ll get big points for helping to make her coat soft and manageable) the essential oil of lavender will help to keep you all calm, mellow and full of the Christmas spirit…well at least you will be if you add several glasses of highly alcoholic egg nog.

Sign #4. How does that make you feel? She suspects that Fluffy has serious mental issues that will take months of therapy to overcome. (while your slavish devotion to the Cleveland Browns goes completely untreated) They can’t be apart for more than a few seconds or risk permanent and irreversible trauma. On the other hand she keeps on forgetting your name, or worse, calling you Fluffy (needless to say not your actual name). My advice? A quick spritz of Shimmering Mist . The finishing spray not only smells marvelous but imparts a memorable hint of glitter to the dogs coat.

Sign#5 Speaking of therapy . The dog gets Reiki massages daily and spends 55 minutes every other week discussing his feelings with a trained professional..topics covered include food, poop, and sleep…in fact they’re the only topics ever discussed. that wouldn’t be so bad if not for the fact that that seems to be all SHE talks about these days!

In conclusion. If you are the victim of any of these scenarios you have my sympathies. Fluff wars rarely end well (remember the great Maltese conflict of 1695 or the Boxer rebellion of 1899) you really only have two options: either find a new girl or if you’re really smart and want to fight fire with fire (or fluff with fluff) go out and get your own dog! I suggest a nice Bichon, chihuahua or French Poodle, something small and fluffy…well if this relationship doesn’t work out it’s always a good idea to have your very own chick magnet!

FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE

The Right Dogma Can Improve Your Karma:

happytails Canine Spa Line Premiers Holiday Spa Collections

Los Angeles, CA, October 9, 2008- Happytails Canine Spa Line, Inc recently premiered their new Holiday Spa Collections, Santa Paws and Hanukkah Hound for the dog about town.

Kevin Fisher, co-founder of happytails says, “We have four marvelous ways for you to say "good job" to the favorite canine(s) in your life. You can take a festive approach with our Santa Paws and Hanukkah Hound Collections, give a little something special for that trip out of town or reward your best friend with a Spa day. Whichever option you chose you can be sure that you’re giving the very best.”

Both collections include four 2oz. bottles of happytails products that will make your dog feel valued and pampered all year round. The collections contain: Comfy Dog Oatmeal Shampoo for dry and itchy skin, Fur Butter (or Fur Worse) a super rich conditioner to nourish and rejuvenate a lackluster coat, Dog Smog Remedy that helps eliminate bad breath and gas, and Fur Breeze (Citrus Vanilla) a spray that’s more than just perfume, it eliminates odors and leaves your dog smelling fresh.

This collection is a ready-to-give gift for the dog lover and their dog; it even comes with a gift tag. Consider your holiday shopping complete with either one of these collections. The Santa Paws collection will have your dog jumping higher than eleven lords a-leaping, while the Hanukkah Hound will have your little mensch lighting up the festival of lights. Keep in mind that the right dogma can improve the performance of your Karma.

Los Angeles-based happytails sells and markets happytails spa products for the dog about town. happytails Canine Spa Line uses the finest (“better than human quality”) ingredients available to pamper, soothe and beautify today’s harried hound. The products can be ordered through the company website at www.HappytailsSpa.com or by calling 1-866-HAPPY-20.

###

Contact:

Xiomara Iraheta

happytails Canine Spa Line

2140 Westwood Blvd. Suite 206

Los Angeles , CA 90025

Phone: (310) 470-3051

e-mail: Xiomara@happytailsspa.com

Creating Doggie Nirvana at Home

by Xiomara Iraheta

You’ve rightfully treated yourself to a series of outdoor activities this summer but your four-legged friend has been stuck at home. So why not thank them for their loyalty and unconditional love with a special Doggie Spa Day at home.

To set the mood, start by playing relaxing music of your choice and lighting a couple of candles to introduce your dog to aromatherapy. Make sure the candles are set high or away from a wagging tail.

Using a gentle tone of voice and positive verbal praises will assure your dog that he’s been a good boy and that the bath that’s about to ensue is no ordinary one.

Paying special attention to the bath’s water temperature is key to initiating physical contact with your little buddy, make sure it’s not too cold and not too hot.

Begin by applying a soothing oatmeal shampoo, like Comfy Dog that will help replenish that itchy and dry skin from summer dirt, sand and sun damage.

Surely you want to work your fingers down to the root of the hair but now you’re doing more than simply washing you can motion your hands into a deep-tissue like massage while lathering in the super rich conditioner, Fur Butter .

As soon as your dog is getting ready to pass out from your relaxing massage and he’s all rinsed off you can add a little extra touch of shine to their coat with happytails’ Calming Aromatherapy Spritzer , just spray a bit of the intoxicating lavender aroma and the brush out will prove to be nothing less than pleasurable.

Continue to dry and brush out your little one, taking in the incredible sight and smell of your brand new and fully rejuvenated dog.

And now it’s time for PAWdicures! bowWOW Butter Balm is perfect for those dry, cracked paws, apply some bowWOW and those paw pads will heal and feel conditioned. Rub a little on their nose to keep it moist and delicious. You can get in on the action too, since bowWOW is all natural and human safe it’s great for your dry cuticles, elbows and dry patches.

This unique time and attention you’ve dedicate to your dog may seem like a real TREAT but you can really prove their worth by having an assortment of yummy treats at hand.

Think it may be tough to track down the essentials for this Doggie Spa Day, think again, click here and you and your pup are on the road to creating your own sanctuary.

By JACOB SCHNEIDER
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: June 25, 2008

TAMPA - No matter how high gas prices go or how tough the housing market is, Angie Todd’s dogs will never go without the best.

“I’ll do without a steak dinner so my dogs can get groomed, and I think most people are like that,” the Winter Haven resident said. “They used to be just an object, but now they’re part of the family.”

Humans may be suffering from a slumping economy, but life is good for many pets. Standard & Poor’s estimates that the pet industry will grow by at least 5 percent annually in the next five years, including projected growth of 5.3 percent in 2008. Spending has skyrocketed from $17 billion in 1994 to an estimated $43.4 billion this year.

The analysts are impressed.

“If pets are considered part of the family - and are treated as such - we think this subindustry should be able to weather the negative economic issues that are currently hurting most retailers,” Standard & Poor’s analyst Michael Souers wrote in BusinessWeek.

This ever-increasing spending on pets is fueling a growth in high-end pet services, from pet spas and day cares to gourmet pet food bakeries. And although horror stories persist about pets abandoned by people mired in foreclosure or hard times, there are also owners willing to spend lavishly on their pets.

At one local pet store, doggie raincoats and organic, vitamin-infused pet food top the list of hottest selling items. New luxury pet resorts offer $40 stays in air-conditioned kennels. And at some local grooming salons, manicures and pedicures complement the traditional trim. Groomers report round-the-clock bookings, and grooming schools say many are clamoring to join their lucrative ranks, all because pet owners seem to find new ways every year to show their pets - and themselves - the value of their animal companionship.

Maybe we should have seen it coming, says Lynnette Hart, a professor of behavior and human-animal interaction at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis.

“People are living in smaller families; more people are living alone,” she said. “We’re not living in a household with eight or 10 people, so we have more space available to build relationships with the animals that we have. The whole feeling about the human-animal bond - the awareness - really took off in the 1980s, and it’s just been steadily increasing, the understanding of the importance of the relationships.”

People are now finding a variety of ways to express that importance with their pocketbooks.

“We sell a lot of polo shirts. I’ve even seen dogs with shoes and lifejackets,” said Tiffany Williams, a Petco employee who is training to become a groomer. “It’s amazing. People will spend 100 or more dollars on their dogs at once.”

Groomers Report High-Volume Business

The students at the Bay Area Pet Grooming Academy, which has drawn students from as far away as South America and Europe for its nine-week program, are banking on that trend continuing.

“They say this industry is recession-resistant,” said Veronica Ancliffe, who runs the academy in Tampa and said she is seeing more and more people leave jobs at corporate firms such as JPMorgan Chase to join her field, in which groomers can make as much as $100,000 a year. “People will go hungry before they let their pets go.”

Amy Grove, who owns a Tampa pet grooming salon, said she thinks a proliferation of dog-friendly restaurants and parks has made the way owners treat their animals much more visible.

“I’ve talked to customers who told me that they sacrificed their own hair in order to get their dogs’ hair cut,” she said.

Though much money spent on pets is for food and veterinary care, boarding and grooming services comprise a growing niche. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that pet owners will spend $3.2 billion on pet services this year, about as much as we spend on educational toys for toddlers.

Marcia Lewis, a grooming student from St. Petersburg, said the booming business isn’t the only reason to enter the field - the former hairstylist prefers the clientele.

“I like the dogs much better,” she said. “Dogs are much easier to work with. We can control them.”

Kennels Making Themselves At Home

Grooming is hardly the only high-end pet service finding a niche in the Bay area. Just last month, a new installation of Camp Bow Wow, which markets itself as a “Doggy Day Camp and Overnight Camp,” opened near Tampa International Airport. Owner Barbara Cardin said she hopes such amenities as climate-controlled facilities, classical music at night and around-the-clock webcams of play areas will draw owners sick of smelly, traditional kennels.

“This old lady told me that she dropped off her dog to get some chores done, but she didn’t get anything done because she was mesmerized by the camera,” she said.

“I truly think that for some people their dogs are their children. There are some double-income, no-child families. … They don’t mind spending the money to make sure their dogs are safe and well-cared for,” Cardin said.

John Shope of Just Dogs Gourmet, which began selling hand-decorated dog biscuits in Tampa last year, said he has seen products and services that 10 years ago might have been regarded as excessive - for example, dog sunglasses - cross over into the mainstream.

“These people are coming in with a perception that the sunglasses, there’s a purpose to them; they’re buying them for their eyes,” Shope said. “They’re not looking at it as a novelty thing or because it’s trendy.”

Veterinary care has boomed as animals are now treated for ailments that in the past might have been ignored. The amount of money spent on veterinary care has grown from $7.1 billion in 2001 to an estimated $10.9 billion this year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturer’s Association. In addition, a growing number of pets - half a million, according to one firm’s estimates - are now covered by health insurance.

And perhaps the most telling sign that many dogs really do have all of the things their owners have: the growth of pet law.

“I get a client a day. You don’t get that in regular law practice,” said Tampa lawyer Jennifer Dietz, who a year ago converted her practice to handle exclusively pet cases in response to high demand. Dietz handles many cases in which pet owners allege injury to their pets, and she also helps owners set up pet trusts.

Although many may recall with dismay the $12 million inheritance that New York socialite Leona Helmsley left to her dog Trouble last year, Dietz said most owners leave a much more reasonable $10,000 to $15,000 to ensure that their pets are not euthanized after their deaths. She said the law is catching up to the changing attitudes of owners, who now see pets as valuable family members rather than pieces of property.

“Eighty-six percent of America considers pets to be members of the families. How does a judge disregard that?” she said. “The best thing is that almost everyone on the jury has a pet, so they’re in favor of giving damages to owners who have been harmed.”

Reporter Jacob Schneider can be reached at (813) 259-7850 or jschneider@tampatrib.com .