My Personalized Pet

When I was little I had several pets, but my favorite was always my dog Barney. Everyday when I would come home from school he would welcome me at the door, barking and wagging his tail. One day when I came home, however, Barney wasn’t there to meet me.

My parents were never ones to sugarcoat anything, so instead of some story about Barney going to visit his family in Minnesota, I was told that he had passed away. Naturally I was devastated, but my parents did all they could to alleviate my grief. Not only did they get me a new dog, but they also got me a personalized pet photo pillow to memorialize my fallen friend.

My friend has a black lab that sheds horribly every summer. I watched her comb him for half an hour one day, and she still couldn’t get all the fur loose! Big tufts of black fur were everywhere. The fur on the floor was easy enough to clean up, but my friend got really sick of vacuuming her couch and washing her sheets because her dog liked to snuggle on them so much.

She finally got her lab a bed of his very own, and now most of his shedding stays contained to that easy-to-clean area. She even personalized it with his name – Buck – so that he has something to be proud of. No matter where she goes, Buck recognizes his own scent on the bed and always sleeps in it, minimizing the furry trail he leaves behind. As you can see, personalized dog beds make great solutions for problem pets who really shouldn’t be on your furniture!

If you really love your dog but don’t like him sleeping in bed with you – doggie dreams can lead to kicking and sleep-barking, after all – you can still have your beloved pet with you while you sleep with a dog photo pillow. Most pet pillows have vinyl sleeve that can hold a horizontal or vertical 4” x 6” photo, making it easy to insert a standard-sized photo that you already have. Or maybe you have a collection of favorite photos of your dog – you can easily switch photos every week or even every day if you can’t decide on just one!

Grab a second pillow or third pillow if you have more than one dog – you wouldn’t want to play favorites and hurt one’s feelings, would you? Or you can keep all your canines close with just one pillow by inserting a photo that features the whole gang. Either way, a dog photo pillow is an easy solution if you miss looking at your faithful friend while you lounge in bed.

Whether a dog owner, cat owner, or both, pet lovers often think of their pets as extensions of themselves. It’s important to express our love for pets in our homes and even in our apparel. Make sure to have a proud collection of pet accessories and memorabilia at home to ensure guests know a proud pet enthusiast when visiting. Our apparel too should reflect our love of pets. Wear a T-shirt featuring a favorite breed or pet, or even carry a cat or dog tote instead of a traditional purse or bag. These bold expressions let the whole world know that we’re pet lovers and we’re proud of it!

Pet lovers also love to take their pets with them at all times, so having the right pet travel accessories is important. Whether it’s a dog stroller, cat carrier, or pet tote, we need to have the meats to keep our pets close with us at all times. Even though some pets might protest being put in a stroller or carrier, all pets love to spend time with their owners.

Dog’s like to have a place to sleep that makes them feel comfortable, and often, is also near their owners.  But dogs that aren’t trained to sleep in a specific location will feel inclined to jump on the furniture, another bed, or get into trouble around the house while their owner is asleep.  The first step is purchasing a nice fleece dog bed.  It’s not well known how why a dog chooses to sleep in the same location night after night, or how it’s possible for them to identify a dog bed as “their place”, but most dogs will move right into a dog bed and mark it as their own.  The best place to have a dog bed is somewhere near the owner’s bed, as the dog won’t want to sleep in a location that isn’t near their master.  Place a fleece dog bed at the bedside, and the dog is sure to find a home there. 

Make sure the dog knows when it’s time to go to sleep as well, as this will ensure the dog isn’t getting into trouble somewhere else in the home while the owner is asleep.  Be sure to let the dog outside one last time before going to sleep as well! 

In the spring and first month of summer, most dogs will shed their winter coats, which translates into a whole lot of hair around the home.  In order to keep tufts of hair off furniture, carpet, and clothing, it’s important to take a few steps to protect the home.  First, make sure to brush the dog at least once a week during the prime shedding months.  This will cut down the hair that appears in the home, and also cause them to shed their winter coat at a faster rate.  It’s also a good idea to put down a dog blanket at the location where the dog sleeps at night, as this will catch all the hair, and then can be put in the washer or shaken out to remove it.  It’s a good idea to keep a fabric roller in the car, and at the door of the home just in case hair or fur gets on clothing… it might also be wise to avoid black clothes!

Once the dog has shed their winter coat, their summer coat will start to fill out and the dog will look much more presentable for the coming months.  Brushing often can also ensure that the dog’s hair doesn’t mat and that the dog’s summer coat of fur looks much nicer.  

Let’s face it, dogs can be messy eaters, and chances are the area of the home where your dog eats is not the cleanest area, especially the floor.  Dogs often become a little too excited about eating, and are liable to slop water and food onto the floor.  To protect your floors (especially if you have hardwood), make sure to place a dog bowl mat beneath your dog’s water and food bowls.  This mat will preserve the condition of the floor beneath, and be much less cleanup for the owner.  You will want to keep an eye on the area beneath the mat however, because if water or wet food becomes trapped beneath, it will start to rot away and stain the floors with great haste.  Make sure you pick up the dog bowl mat at least once every couple weeks, and also wipe off the floor beneath. 

This might seem like a chore, but once every couple weeks is so much better than after every meal!  Your dog will also appreciate having their own unique placemat; it’s like they’re eating dinner as one of the family! 

Let’s face it, dogs can be a little bit dirty.  Even if you wiped your dog off and gave them a bath every time they came in from outside, there would still be dirt and grit stuck in between their fur.  In addition, the fur itself leaves a mess on furniture, carpet, and clothing, especially with long haired dogs.  Having a home that requires more maintenance than the average home is a necessary evil for dog owners, but you can reduce the impact the dog has on the home with a few simple practices.  For example, when you brush your dog often, there will be less hair left on the furniture, and in addition, there won’t be as much dirt and grit stuck in between the hair which find its way onto the furniture.  You can also prevent hair, dirt, and grit from accumulating in one location by having a dog bed, and a dog bed cover.  Just be sure to wash the dog bed cover every couple weeks, and encourage your dog to sleep in their bed. 

These simple steps will lead to you having a cleaner home and a much easier life.  You might even find yourself less embarrassed to have guests over, since they won’t leave with their clothes covered in dog hair! 

While dogs don’t much care for walking around in costumes and clothing all the time, they don’t mind wearing an accessory or two.  Many dog owners prefer to drape their pup in a personalized dog bandana.  Not the same kind of bandana that goes across the forehead like humans sometimes wear.  But a bandana that goes around the neck and drapes across the back or hangs down in front.  Dog bandanas add some unique aesthetic style for your pup, and also can help to keep them warm outdoors.  Dog bandanas are of course liable to become a little dingy (especially if your pup spends a lot of time outdoors), so be sure to wash the bandana and even keep multiple bandanas around as extras. 

People will start to recognize their dog because he or she wears a bandana, and your pup might soon be the talk of the town!  You might even consider a personalized dog bandana for that little bit of extra flair that can turn an ordinary dog into a celebrity canine!

Dog owners have all experienced a time when their pups came in from outside and got their muddy paw prints all over the floors and furniture.  The real hassle isn’t so much the look of having muddy paw prints in your house, but removing them!  Getting out the spray bottle and a rag or worse, the carpet shampooer, can be a real pain and is quite time consuming.  The solution is using dog towels to wipe off your pup’s feet whenever they return from the outdoors.  You might even considering installing a towel rack next to your back or front door so that your dog towels have a place to hang and dry out in between uses.  Dogs can’t help when their feet are dirty, so offer them a helping hand!

Having throw rugs or mats at your front and back doors can also help a lot, but it’s important they’re carpeted to absorb some of the dirt from your dog’s feet.  The standard weave rug just won’t do it, but a carpeted rug will help keep your dog’s feet clean even if it’s just been a short trip outside.