My Review of Dream Baby Extra-Tall Swing Closed Security Gate with 2 Extensions - White

Toys R Us

Dream Baby® Extra-Tall Swing Closed Security Gate with 2 Extensions - White. This EXTRA TALL (39.4") gate is great for climbing toddlers and large pets! It is loaded with features such as auto close, double lock that can be easily opened (by adults) with one hand, curved gate top for a s...

Dream Baby Extra-Tall Swing Closed Security Gate with 2 Extensions - White

Baby Gate doubles as dog gate

Pooch Buddies Encino, CA 6/21/2009

 

4 5

Pros: Useful Application, Strong Construction, Easy Use

Best Uses: Dog gate

Describe Yourself: Pet Care Professional

I was looking for a product that could effectively barrier off part of my home for my boarding dogs. This is perfect. I had a very small doorway (28") and this did the trick. Easy to assemble and install. Solid and a good value for the price.

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Springtime in Los Angeles

I enjoy spring time walking dogs. My team and I are fortunate to work in the San Fernando Valley, where, when spring explodes, it really explodes!  Pet owners lament the fact that while they are at work, their pets are enjoying the great outdoors with a walker.  And, me?  Well, I love walking, love dogs and love watching the flowers develop their bloom every day.  

I wanted to share the beauty of the area, so a few weeks ago, I took some pics of the flowers starting to really bloom.  

To the top left is a row of rose bushes that will be just gorgeous in full bloom.  To the right is a California garden -- a mix of daisies, rocks and other flowering plants that do well in our arid climate.  Below, again, are my favorites -- roses.  Here in partial bloom.  The difference between my experiences as a business executive and as a small business owner, spending a great deal of time in the outdoors, is that I've reconnected with nature in a way I hadn't anticipated.  I was never much of a crunchy granola, but I've become extremely green-aware and I'm focused on conservation and being an active partner with nature, rather than a passive observer.

If you haven't taken the time lately to take off your shoes and curl up your toes in the grass, or sink your feet into the sand while absorbing the ocean breeze, then I highly recommend it.  And the next time you take your dog for a walk, forget about the next bush.  Look up at the trees, the sky and around at the flowers and birds and bees and remember your natural self.

A greener way to poop and scoop

If you deal with lots of dog poop (I do!) then you have to deal with what to do with the poop, too. For a long time I was a believer in the biodegradable bag -- a great option if your garbage goes to a landfill where the bag will come into contact with oxygen. But in many locales, the bags never get to air and therefore will not degrade.

At your home, you can put the pickin's in the green bins where they will compost. You can also look into a pet waste composter -- ridiculously easy to build and your garden will thank you (do NOT use near your vegetable garden and you cannot mix in your veggie scraps -- it has to be dedicated to pet waste).

But lately, I've gone even more green than green should be. Living in LA, there is lots of ivy. And due to the sunny climate, some of the ivy leaves grow into gigantic salad plate size affairs. Coincidentally the exact right size to use as a poop grabber. I just take a few leaves with me on my walks and, after picking up the poop, deposit it into someone's green bin.

No fuss, no mess, and no footprint.

A different kind of dog wheelchair

You love your pet, but he/she has lost mobility or use of their hind legs. Some folks will put their dogs down, others will care for them as they would a child. It can be heartbreaking to watch a dog try to readjust to loss of mobility. Dog wheelchairs can tend to be cumbersome. Here is one company that has designed a fairly versatile dog wheelchair. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/handicapped-dog-chairs I haven't seen it in action, but it is appears to be highly portable and not too clumsy.

Your Dog's Activity Level

Some dog owners find themselves getting frustrated by the level of activity their new dog is exhibiting, especially when it is paired with destructive behavior (like chewing). If you are a parent, then you'll remember when (or be experiencing now!) the activity bursts that a toddler gets as soon as they figure out how to walk, and then, run. All that energy is part of their learning process. Large and small motor skill development. Balance. Muscle building. Teething.

Same holds true for your dog. They need to run, jump, crawl, climb, dig, search, hide and chew. The mistake some owners make is that they try to control this energy rather than help the dog expend the energy. A puppy will do well with two or three 30 minutes walks a day to burn off their excess energy, a mature dog with about two 30 minute walks a day, and an older dog with either two 15 minute walks, or one easy 30 minute walk, depending upon their hip and joint lubrication.

Once that energy is burned off, you'll find your dog will listen better, come back to the house pooped and rest for a few hours, become a better listener on the walks because, as creatures of habit, they recognize it as part of their daily activity. Even if you are time-strapped, as most of us are, find the time to take your dog out and you'll reap the rewards of a well-behaved pet. If you don't have the time, invest in the services of a dog walker, even if only a few times a week and you'll have a much happier home environment, with a dog who is HAPPY to see you come home, rather than ANXIOUS, waiting for your return.

Fashion Week...for the Dogs!

We've all heard of Fashion Week, but did you know that human fashion is crossing the line to doggie fashion? About 4 years ago, Alexa Cach helped co-found Pet Fashion Week, and the response has been astounding. Wall Street Journal's Alexandra Marshall takes an inside look at what Pet Fashion is all about! Worth the read!

Back to School

For many of us, this week has been back-to-school for our kids. If you don't have kids, then you'll still have been affected by the surge in traffic as everyone hits the roads to make the 8 am bells on time.This morning, as my daughter was getting ready, she was very nervous for her first day back at school. Her head was all over the place, and she couldn't eat her breakfast. But a few things were confidence inspiring for her.

1. The alarm had been set the night before, with plenty of leeway time for bathroom, nerves, and any other disasters!
2. She had picked out her outfit last week, and it was washed and ready -- laid out on her bed for the morning.
3. Her backpack was packed and ready.

Nerves aside, she wanted to please me by following the routine to the best of her ability. And she did great. Once she was back in the familiar territory of the school playground and met up with some of her friends, she looked back at me with a smile and a wave and off she went. To start Grade 3.

Why tell this story? Because our dogs are so very similar in their desire to please us. Dogs do not go out of their way to cause problems, be mischevious or not listen. In fact, the opposite is true. Dogs want to please their owners. When they become destructive, it is because they don't understand the ground rules, are bored, unhappy, or need more exciting exercise.

Just like our kids, they need a routine. The need to be fed every day at the same time or they become anxious about their food. They need to go on a good walk at least once a day -- for exercise, to smell their territory and make sure their neighborhood is safe (patrolling their boundaries), they need love, they need praise for a job well done, and they need consistent correction on those things they do not do well.

Because, in addition to providing walking/sitting services for dogs and cats, I also bring dogs into my home for a premium boarding experience, I see so many different behaviors and themes.
The first thing is that your dog (like your child) is a reflection of your care. If you love your dog, that is evident in the way your dog interacts in my home. If you allow them liberties, they'll try to take those same liberties in my home. However, I have house rules. (Doesn't mean they are followed, but dog boarders learn what the rules are.)

Here they are:

1. No eating off a counter or table.
2. No sitting or jumping on my living room sofa or chairs.
3. The den sofa is allowed if the dog is allowed on furniture in your home.
4. No fighting. If you can't agree over a toy it gets taken away.
5. If you feel very energetic and want to run around like a nut, do so outside in the garden, not in the living room.
6. Keep the squirrels away from my fruit trees.
7. Behave well on your walks.

All the dogs who board with me get to understand the rules within a couple of days and the results are remarkable. My dog, Daisy, knows how to train the dogs to use the doggie door, which they all do within a couple of hours. Once they know that, the rest of the rules are easy. Do they follow all the rules? No...not always. But they KNOW what the rules are and they get lots of praise when they control their urge to go against the rules and gentle correction when they break the rules. They also know, solely because of the way I act toward them (like a loving, guiding, strong parent), that I'm the boss of the house and they are very eager to get my praise, love and attention (which I'm also very eager to give!)

When I pick up my daughter from school today, at the end of her first day, she also has a few rules for me:

1. Be cool. Don't say anything like: "Sweet!" "Word." or "Peace Out."
2. Don't hug or kiss her too much until we get to the car.
3. Don't embarrass her in front of her friends (that means basically anything I do will embarrass her -- a losing proposition!)
4. As soon as we get to the car, kiss her, hug her, ask her a million questions about her day and make sure she knows she's still my baby.