First on the list is 101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers.  I dream of one day having my own dog-related business (when I grow up), so I might have to check this out.  I already have a specific future dog business in mind, but I don’t want to divulge it because it’s so good that everyone will want to steal my idea!  Oh yes, it’s THAT good. 

On that note, I just discovered that one of my other genius dog business ideas has already been developed - flushable poop bags.  I swear I’d be a millionaire 10 times over if only I could think up business ideas that hadn’t already been thought up by someone else! 

Anyway, here’s an interview with the authors of 101 Best Businesses for Pet Loves (who built a local pet store business that was acquired by PetCo).

The other interesting book I came across is Eco Dog which tells you how to reduce your dog’s carbon paw print.  Hmmm…I gave Oscar a stern talking-to about his carbon footprint and I’m happy to report that he’s promised that his next car will be a hybrid and he’ll try to cut down on green house gasses by farting less.   Good boy.

Who knows, maybe this lady is crazy - but I’m assuming the microchip company will have a record of if/when the data was changed.  Very curious to find out the real story here…

“FlexPetz growth, CEO and founder Cervantes said that as a result of the recent legislation, she has decided to “shelve” operations in the US and London, and that each pet in all FlexPetz locations will be offered to a renter for adoption. Haddix said that the two remaining dogs at his NY location are slated for adoption in the coming weeks.”

One of the arguments against FlexPetz is that even though they are rescuing dogs from shelters, they are rescuing dogs that are the most “adoptable” and would almost surely be adopted by people/families and have a normal life. 

If you disagree with their business model, would you feel any differently if they were adopting dogs that were going to be euthanized? 

It might take additional resources to rehabilitate these dogs, but it could also address the ethical concerns.  There are a lot of great dogs being put to sleep in the US every day, wouldn’t they be better off being alive even if it meant having different people doting on them each night of the week?

Another way to mitigate the ethical concerns might be to push hard to get the dogs adopted after a shorter amount of time…of course, this might make the business infeasible because it would directly impact the profitability of the business.

I do think that the concept of a business that provides a responsible option for people to determine whether or not they can handle the responsibility of a full-time pet is interesting (as long as it can be done in a way that’s also beneficial to the dog) - thousands of dogs end up in shelters every year because people realize that they can’t handle the responsibility of caring for a dog AFTER they purchase one.

What do you think?  Is there any way to that FlexPetz could alter their business model to address the ethical concerns inherent in rental of a living being?

So, this is my tribute to Tillman the skateboarding dog (check out his videos on YouTube, if you haven’t seen them already)….

and our local GAD, Elvis…. 

You guys were robbed!!

As for their owners…a shout out to David (of Elvis & David) for being a great dog dad and an all round good guy - you make us New Yorkers proud!!   And Ron (of Ron & Tillman) won me over big time when he told Brandy something to the effect that he wouldn’t be able to make her wedding because he’d either be jumping in front of a truck or drinking bleach!!  HAHAHAHA….

So, I guess now I’m rooting for Bill & Star, Travis & Presley and Laura & Preston.  Who do you think should win??

Posh Paws is getting stellar reviews from local customers who value the large selection of high end pet products including food, clothing, beds and carriers.  Don’t see the brand of food that Fido craves?  No problem, they’ll order it for you… 

The super friendly co-owner even gave us a great recommendation on where to grab lunch.  It’s refreshing to find a local neighborhood dog business that is hitting a home run, especially since they do it without the attitude that you get at some high-end boutiques! 

Oscar’s Rating - 4 paws up!  However, he’s not a big fan of designer doggie duds…here he is sporting his Maverick Top Dog tank under duress…

I’m assuming the annual 5-in-1 vaccinations Oscar gets every year cover canine influenza?  I’m going to have to check on that…

“Using several layers of rock, landscaping fabric and a new top surface called Plymouth Brown Screenings, the surface will allow dog urine and rainwater to drain directly through the run, meaning it won’t emit unpleasant odors.”

I can’t wait to check it out.  We frequent the Leroy St. and Washington Square Park dog runs and have frequently commented on the fact that neither surface is ideal…the paved surface at Leroy St. makes for a very clean environment, but no traction (especially when it’s wet).  On the other hand, Oscar loves to tear it up in the pebbles at the Washington Square Park dog run, but that place stinks to high heaven during the summer months.

I have high hopes for this new surface - especially since the article states that it will be used next in the renovation of the Washington Square Park dog run. 

If you get a chance to check it out before we do, let us know what you think…

I’ve been meaning to replace Oscar’s life jacket for a while now.  It was purchased when he was still a puppy and we had no idea that he would blow by the 10 lb weight limit and end up at almost 20 lbs!  We love to take Oscar canoeing, but I’ve been nervous the last few times because I’m convinced that he’s going to go overboard and sink like a rock.  Contrary to popular belief, all dogs are not natural swimmers.  And we have confirmed that Oscar can NOT swim, but that’s another story…

 In addition to the K-9 Float Coat by Ruff Wear…

I also splurged on an Approach Pack and some Grip Trex Bark’n Boots.

The X-small back pack is on backorder, so we don’t have that yet, but Oscar is RIDICULOUSLY cute in his boots.  He hasn’t quite figured out how to walk in them yet - check out this video as he makes his first attempts to walk in his boots - in my opinion, possibly the best 7 second video on YouTube!!

If you like that one, check out the longer (45 sec) version we lure him around the kitchen with T-R-E-A-T-S to try to get him used to walking in the boots…

Okay, maybe we won’t be using these for hiking…but they will definitely be an improvement on the disposable booties we’ve been using in the winter after it snows.  And no….the boots are not for the snow - they’re for the massive amounts of salt and chemicals that everyone throws in front of their buildings to avoid lawsuits…

But dogs in Beijing aren’t quite celebrating yet - a long-standing Beijing law prohibiting dogs taller than 35 centimeters (1.1 feet) is still being enforced.  A friend sent me this really interesting article about the law and its origins.  Apparently, historically dogs in China were primarily kept as pets by the wealthy.  During the rule of communist leader Mao Zedong, dog owners were “scorned as bourgeois timewasters” and strict laws were enacted that still are enforced today.

It’s ironic that a country that has given us so many varied breeds of dogs has become so unfriendly to canines.  The Shar-Pei, Chinese Crested, Pekingese, Chow Chow and Shih-Tzu are just a few of the popular breeds that have originated in China.

Local dog lovers are hoping that the attention focused on China for the Olympics will force officials to address their outdated dog-UNfriendly attitude.  With registered dog ownership in Beijing up a staggering 17% from 2006 to 2007 (~600K –> ~704K), there is certainly a huge dog-friendly contingent growing in the capital city - keep in mind that only dogs meeting the 35cm or less rule can be registered!!

First a girl in Queens is reunited with a dog that she lost 5 years ago.  He turned up in 850 miles away in Georgia!! 

More cute pics of Natalie & Rocco can be found in the Post Photo Gallery.  I really need to get Oscar micro-chipped…

Next, a scary story from the Bronx…a pitbull was bitten by a rattlesnake on Tuesday in a public park near the Bronx Zoo.  Stone (the dog) was rushed to the hospital and treated with anti-venom.  The parks department is searching for the snake, which they believe is probably someone’s escaped pet. 

We wish Stone a speedy recovery and hope Natalie & Rocco enjoy their second chance!