Happy New Year to Pets and Their Peeps!

Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them wishes you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!! 

Don't worry mom, we shall guard the Christmas tree until after the ball drops.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!
However you choose to ring in 2016, have fun and stay safe!



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HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO PETS AND THEIR PEOPLE

Icy, Phoebe and I want to wish our friends in the blogosphere a very joyous holiday and a peaceful and Happy New Year!! 

Icy and Phoebe, Christmas 2014.  This one's my favorite!

Phoebe models her new sparkly Christmas dress and Santa hat

Icy plays SantaPaws!


Icy and Phoebe are hoping SantaPaws will bring lots of squeaky toys and treats!
 WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND THE NEW YEAR!
 
 

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Weekend Holiday Celebrations

Tis the Season to attend holiday parties and events!  My dogs do not like to be left out so we've been partaking in some fun dog friendly festivities.  Here are highlights from two events we attended in our town. 

The day started off rainy and ugly and we wondered if it would cancel out the evening festivities, but the party was ON!  Due to the rain we left our Husky, Icy at home.  She's afraid of thunder and we worried it might freak her out.
One of the owners of FETCH with an adorable Chihuahua.  Don't you just love the hat?!
The evening started off with a fun party at FETCH, the new luxury dog store that opened up in town recently.  The store was beautifully decorated for the holidays with lots of sparkle.  It was fun mingling with other dog lovers and their adorable dogs, sipping wine and noshing on some great food!

We had just arrived at the party, when I looked down and saw that Phoebe had found herself a cozy spot, inside one of the hand painted wooden dog house beds they have for sale!  She's smart, getting out of the way so as not to be stepped on.  I guess I have to add one of these dog house beds to Phoebe's Christmas list, huh?


The other event in town that night was a parade on Main Street, sponsored by local Fire Departments.  Main street was shut down and crowds gathered along the street to see the beautiful lighted parade floats.  The photos are kind of dark since it was at night.

Phoebe and I jockey for a good position along the parade route.  She's such a trouper, the cold wet weather and crowds didn't even phase her!


It was really nice to see so many people in town come out for the parade, even though it rained much of the evening.

































This really cool vintage fire truck was parked on the street during the parade.  I had to stop for a photo op with Phoebe!


What fun holiday activities have you & your pets been going to lately?  Leave us a comment and share!!




Therapy Dog Stress Buster

It's that time of year again.  I don't just mean the holidays, I mean FINALS!  At colleges across the U.S. college students are busting their humps on final assignments and hitting the books in preparation for final exams. 


Therapy Dogs participate in Stress Buster event at a local college
Getting some love at yesterday's Stress Buster event in the student lounge
Yesterday Icy and I participated in a STRESS BUSTER event at a local University. 


Dogs trained to be Therapy Dogs at a college Stress Buster event.
Icy with some of the other Therapy dogs in the college's Student Lounge
A lot hinges on finals and sometimes students can become unhinged from all that stress - Therapy Dogs to the rescue!  At this time of year Therapy Dogs participate in Stress Buster events at colleges, to give students a break from their studies and reduce stress with licks and wags!


Therapy Dog visit to a local college Stress Buster event
I'm not sure who enjoys these visits more, the students or the Therapy Dogs!
My therapy dog Icy and I visit a local college to help students relieve the stress of mid terms and finals
Someone's about to get kissed!

My therapy dog Icy loves visiting the local colleges to help students relieve the stress of mid-terms and final exams
Icy takes a rest after a Therapy Dog's job well done!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like my post on Why Children Should Read To Therapy Dogs to improve their reading skills.

Leave us a comment and share your thoughts on Stress Buster events for students!


Phoebe's Holiday Sparkle

PHOEBE IS HOLIDAY READY IN HER SPARKLY NEW PARTY DRESS!!



MY MEAN SISTER SAYS MY BUTT LOOKS BIG IN MY NEW DRESS, BUT I DON'T THINK SO - DO YOU??






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My Husky Loves to Bike Ride

Before the weather turns too cold we wanted to get out and do some bike riding with our Husky.  I used to ride with her just using her leash but it's difficult to prevent her from traversing in front of the bike or getting too close to the wheels.  Then I learned about bike leashes for dogs!

A bike leash for dogs makes bike riding with your dog much safer than a regular leash
My husband and my Husky get ready for a bike ride along the water
This Summer I ordered a bike leash online and I love it!  It's easy to use and I feel confident that my dog is safe trotting next to the bike.  I don't have to worry, the bike leash keeps her in position.  Check out this 20 second video to see our bike leash in action:


We had a blast bike riding with her along the water.  It only took a short while to get her used to the leash but after that she loved every minute of it!  It's great exercise for all of us! Any activity that can tire out a high energy dog without tiring ME out as well is Pawsome in my book!


A bike leash makes riding with your dog safer
My dog's bike leash


My dog's bike leash attaches underneath the seat of my bike
The bike leash clamp













My dog's bike leash attaches on one end under the seat of the bike with a clamp, the other end attaches to my dog's harness. There are several brands of bike leashes out there, do your research and choose a safe one that fits the needs of your dog.  Use a harness, a padded one if you have it, don't attach it directly to your dog's collar. 

I couldn't find a bike leash in any pet store, bike shop, or big box store, I could only get it online so don't waste time hoofing it all over your city to find one.  Call a few stores to see if they carry bike leashes for dogs, but if not you'll need to look online.

Happy biking trails!!

Do you bike ride with your dog?  Have you ever used a bike leash?  Leave us a comment and tell us about it!


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Aftermath of #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday Spending

Tallying up all the dough Mom spent on us over the Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday. 

It's not always pretty when you tally up all the holiday spending!

Oh my.  Her credit card must be really, really tired!!

Mom's credit card is really tired after Black Friday & Cyber Monday shopping!

Is your credit card tired after Black Friday and Cyber Monday?  Leave us a comment, tell us how tired your credit card is!

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How Did You Celebrate #GivingTuesday ?

HAPPY GIVING TUESDAY!!

Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday) is a day recognized around the world as a day to give back.  It falls on the first Tuesday in December.  People all around the world join together for a common cause; to celebrate generosity and philanthropy and to make a difference in the world!

It's always hard to decide who to donate to, there are so many worthy organizations that need our help and support.  Although I give throughout the year, on this Giving Tuesday I decided to give to 3 organizations that are very near and dear to my heart.

For over 100 years, Bideawee has been helping pet find loving homes and reaching out to the community to educate and help.

I chose the Bideawee animal shelter and pet welfare organization because for over 100 years, they've been the leading pet welfare organization in New York City and Long Island, where I grew up.  They help so many pets and do so much community outreach throughout the NY Metro area and Long Island.  I will never forget the day we got our first family dog, Ginny, a Golden Retriever mix, from Bideawee.  I was 7 years old when we got Ginny, I was in my early 20's when she passed away after a long and wonderful life.  Ginny and I grew up together, she was my very best friend in the world and I will love her forever.   My Husky Isis and I are a Therapy Dog team. When I needed to choose an organization for us to do Therapy Dog work with in New York, I chose Bideawee.  After all the joy Ginny, the dog they gave me so many years ago provided, I guess it's my way of saying Thanks, Bideawee!


I chose to do Therapy Dog volunteer work with Bideawee because I got my first childhood dog from them
Getting some love from library staff at one of the children's reading programs


PetSmart Charities helps so many animal welfare agencies across the U.S. and Canada.


I donated to PetSmart Charities as well today because they help so many animal welfare organizations across the U.S. and Canada, with a goal of providing a lifelong loving home for every pet.  PetSmart does a great job of giving back to the communities in which they live and work, and that means a lot to me.  It's one of the reasons I am a loyal PetSmart customer and shop there all the time.  One of the many organizations they support is Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC), the animal shelter I volunteer for in Phoenix, AZ.  MCACC is one of the largest animal shelters in the country, taking in over 100,000 dogs and cats every year.  PetSmart generously provided us with space in their Scottsdale, Arizona Every Day Adoption Center so we can find more loving homes for the many dogs and cats in our care.  I wrote a blog post about PetSmart Charities Everyday Adoption Centers last year, you can see it by clicking Here.



I adopted Phoebe from a PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center
I adopted Phoebe from the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center I volunteer at in Phoenix


No matter where tragedy strikes the American Red Cross is always there to provide relief

The third organization I donated to is the American Red Cross.  I believe the Red Cross is unparalleled in terms of providing disaster relief and assistance.  No matter where a tragedy strikes in the world, the Red Cross always seems to be first on the scene to help.  I am astonished at how fast they can mobilize and reach an area in need.  Whether it's wild fires on the West coast of the U.S., a tragic shooting in the Northeastern U.S. or a disaster somewhere on a continent far, far, away the Red Cross always seems to get there first to help the people impacted by disaster.  I really admire the Red Cross and I'm grateful they are there to help so many people in need.

Disaster can strike at any time.  It's comforting to know the Red Cross is there if and when they are needed.
Hope You Enjoyed Giving Tuesday, friends!!

My Owly Seasonal Greeting

I love making simple seasonal and holiday crafts this time of year.  Here's my Fall Owly wreath, which cost a whopping 14 bucks to make!

I made this simple Fall Owl wreath for around $14

I LOVE owls!  This one had such a pretty Fall coloring, I had to build my wreath around him!

I love owls!  This one was so pretty I had to put him in my Fall wreath

Are we gonna eat this yummy looking owl for Thanksgiving, mama?

No Smartypants, we're having Turkey on Thanksgiving like always!

Super Simple & Not Expensive!  I bought a plain grapevine wreath at the craft store and chose this rust colored owl as the focal point of my wreath.  I wired the owl onto the wreath and then added a few other items from the craft store sale bins, wiring them around the wreath using floral wiring.  I included a couple of  pine cones from my yard and it was done!  I love all the Fall color this wreath gives my door. 

So what are you having for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow; Owl or Turkey??  Leave us a comment!  Inquiring canine minds want to know.



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Calling All Dog Fashionistas!

New stores open up in our town all the time, but this one's gone to the dogs, literally!  I was overjoyed when a new store opened up just for dogs, a luxury dog store no less!  I had seen the black bone-shaped "FETCH" sign go up a few months ago.  I could tell it was going to be something special and when they finally opened their doors, I was not disappointed! 

FETCH is a fabulous new luxury dog store that recently opened in Huntington, NY.
The first thing that caught my eye when I walked into the store was this beautiful flocked, dog silhouette wall paper along the back wall.  If you look closely, you can tell there's a hidden door along this wall - can you spot it?


Phoebe dances for a treat  from one of the owners.  She's wearing the beautiful pink sweater & black rhinestone collar I bought her there.

FETCH has a ton of dog apparel, even beautiful handmade XXL sized dog sweaters!

Look at all this great stuff!  Can I pick out a toy Ma?
Phoebe loves to shop for clothes and toys, so she was in her glory!
I bought this gorgeous Hartman & Rose luxury dog collar for Isis' 6th birthday last month.  I love the gold color against her fur!  We didn't have a birthday celebration for her because my husband was traveling but we'll have a belated celebration soon.


Hartman & Rose Italian leather collar.

The buckle on the Hartman & Rose collar is stylish and very sturdy.
No great dog store would be complete without a large assortment of goodies, including a bone shaped doggie birthday cake!
 And for the humans, I found these adorable slippers to show off my love of dogs. 

The best part about these paw print slippers it's what's written on the heel....
On the heel of the slippers it says "I Sleep With Dogs"  Can anyone out there relate??  Um... YES!  Add these to my Christmas List - CHECK!


I'm in Heaven, I don't wanna leave this place!  *SWOON*
NOTE: I was not compensated in any way for writing this post, I am only sharing our experience shopping in a fun new store.

Are there any luxury pet stores where you live?  What specialty purchases have you made for your pet?