Travel Tips for a Smooth Sailing Trip

Maxy and I just finished our daylong trek from sunny California to the frigid Midwest. We left home at about 4am and Max slept through the long lines at the airport. During our layover he mad a little buddy Abby the Schnauzer, who was also headed to Kansas City.

Max just just loves stealing the attention when he prances off the airplane! After we landed he finally got to play with his sisters on the farm. Maxy is definitely ready for Christmas... atleast the turkey!

Maxy's 1st Christmas (2005)

A fellow blogger, Amy Quinn, just shared a faboulous article with me that I thought I would pass on to all of you traveling with your furry little companion this holiday! The article is entitled, "Traveling With Man’s Best Friend: 20 Tips for a Dog-Friendly Vacation" and includes some really great information, such as:

Make sure your dog’s collar and tags are secure: Before leaving on your trip, make sure your dog’s collar fits properly and its tags are up to date with your current phone number and rabies information. Adding your cell phone number to the dog’s tag is also a good idea if Rover runs away during the trip, since you won’t be at home to receive any calls.

Don’t forget to pack food: Even if you’re going to a place with supermarkets that carry your dog’s brand of food, fill a large Ziploc bag with a day’s worth of food in case travel delays or an exhausting trip mean you can’t get to the store on time.

See all 20 great trips at the TravelHacker article!

Don't tell Max, but he is getting a new tote for shopping trips this Christmas :)
Hope you all have a very Merry Chistmas and a fabulous New Year!

Maxy's Christmas Photos

Christmas Gift Ideas for the Pup Who Has Everything

Gifts $5 and under

Glamourdog.com has a wide variety of charms on sale for $4.97 and up. This cute bone charm would make a perfect gift for your pampered pup!

Gifts $10 and under

Give your pet a "pet-icure" with OPI's quick dry, one coat nail pawlish. Choose from an array of colors: Fire Hydrant Red, Yuppy Puppy Silver, Doghouse Blues, Mutts New? Purple, Bow Wow! Mint Green, or Poodle Pink. This can be found at Trixieandpeanut.com for $10.

Pawpalaceonline.com offers a full line of Posh Pet Designer Fragrances that will keep your pup smelling great between baths. Formulated for dogs, this is a steal at only $8.99. Many fragrances to choose from, including cK-9, Pucci, and Timmy Holedigger. Order soon because delivery takes 1-2 weeks!

Gifts $25 and under

Keep your little guy clean and fresh for all of his holiday parties with Cain and Able's Bone-shaped Vinyl Travel set for only $18.50 available at Cainandablecollection.com. This set includes Lavender Shampoo, Conditioner, Candle, and Between Baths Spritz in a extra cute bone-shaped reusable bag. You can't go wrong with this bargain!

Petsalley.com has a beautiful stainless steel "Woof" dog bowl on sale for $14.97. Non-skid rubber base prevents bowl from sliding or tipping to reduce spills. Bowls are rust-resistant, bacteria-resistant and easy-to-clean.

Gifts $50 and under

How cute would your puppy look lounging on his very own solid wood Adirondack patio chair. For only $49 at Lilianvernon.com, you can get a personalized solid wood chair and cushion. This would even work great in the house!

Gifts $100 and under

Juicy Couture has a wide range of super cute pet clothes and accessories. If you are looking to dole out a little cash this holiday season, try a down a Juicy Dog Parka for $75 available at Nordstrom.com.

Gifts over $100

After a busy holiday, your pup may need a comfy bed for a little rest and relaxation. Target has a very fancy day bed style dog bed with two pull out drawers for all of your puppy's toys. It is a fairly expensive option at $199 but adorable.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Max and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Max's grandparents from both Missouri and Vancouver are flying in to visit and he is quite excited.

We are thankful for having all of our great friends in the blogosphere! We would like to thank Serendipity for our wonderful award! Serendipity has passed on the award to me and it says:

"This award is presented to a successful blogger, one who can “be the blog” - making it their own, staying with it, interacting with the readers, and just plain having fun."

Thanks Serendipity!

Thanks again to everyone for making our blog so special :)

How are you going to spend Thanksgiving?

Holiday Food Delimma: Foods Your Dog Should Avoid

Regardless how many times I hear or read that it is bad to feed your dog table food, once in a while I give in. Although we all hate being a victim of the sad puppy eyes while we are eating, there are certain foods that are completely off limits to dogs. These foods include:

• Chocolate - Acts as a stimulant and can cause cardiac arrest
• Grapes/Raisins - Cause problems for kidneys and digestive system
• Onions - Breaks down red blood cells and deprives cells of oxygen
• Macadamia Nuts - Can cause fever, irregular heartbeat, seizures, or mild paralysis
• Alcohol - Extremely susceptible to alcohol poisoning
• Bread dough - Dog's body heat causes dough to rise in stomach and could rupture stomach; also releases alcohol compounds, which is detrimental
• Caffeinated Beverages - Acts as a stimulant and can cause increased heart rate, causing seizures or heart attacks
• Avocados - Damages heart, lung, and other essential tissues
• Pitted Fruits (Peaches, Pears, Cherries, and Apricots) - pits of these fruits contain small doses of cyanide
• Raw Fish - May contain parasites which attach to your dog's intestines causing symptoms similar to those of distemper or parvo
• Milk and other dairy products - A large number of dogs are lactose intolerant
• Mushrooms - May contain toxins causing shock to the dog's system
• Salt - A little is okay, but too much can cause electrolyte imbalances
• Xylitol - An artificial sweetener that can cause hypoglycemia
• Chicken Bones - Especially cooked bones are brittle and can break off and puncture the stomach or esophagus
• Turkey skin/Ham fat - Too much fat can cause pancreatitis; When a dog eats a high-fat meal, its pancreas overproduces enzymes, to the extent that they actually begin to "digest" the pancreas and inflame it

No raw fish for Max... only toys!

This is just something to think about during the holiday season, as your guests may think it is cute to feed your puppy table food. Some options are keeping your dog in another room while the food is being served, or asking your guests not to feed your dog table food because it could make him sick. Try to feed your puppy before the dinner so he is not begging for food!

Also be sure to check the floor to make sure no food was dropped and in the dog's reach. Make sure all trash is out of reach as well. Last year my parent's yorkie knocked over the trash can and had a merry time digging the garbage!

Treating your puppy to part of your holiday feast is fine, but make sure you limit the amount, and refrain from too much fat.

Max loves to have a little turkey to celebrate the holidays... what is your favorite holiday treat?