Pet Products Review - DoggieLicious Gourmet Dog Treats - Sale

Yes the New Year has started and so have our resolutions.  Because the folks at Doggielicious Gourmet Dog Treats understands that after the holidays you may not be as tempted by treats that look like they came direct from a European bakery so, they're giving us a sale.  Yes, for the month of January, you can receive a 20% discount on your entire purchase order over $20.  Simply use the coupon code DL20D at checkout.

Do go to their site to see the selection of savory and sweet delights made especially for pups with discrimination.  www.doggielicious.com

My personal favorite are the Carob Dipped Pretzels  This lushious pretzel shaped treat are hand shaped and feature just a hint of vanilla and cinnamon to please the puppy palette. Topped off with a hand dipping in carob and drizzled with yogurt.

If you have a product you think will pass the Secret Shopper Test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com

Pets Product Review - Linda Pickens Chocolate Lab Best Buddy Porcelain Collector Plate

Well today is the first official work day back after the long, fun filled, and sometimes hectic holidays.  So great to be back on schedule.  With that I thought what product should I discuss? and althought its a gift that would have been perfect for the holidays, its one that I just love for the whole year.

The people at CollectiblesToday.com sent me an assortment of dog-lover gift items.  All of them were very unique, and of the highest quality.  But today the one that stuck in my head was the Chocolate Lab Best Buddy Porcelain Collector Plate crafted by well known artist Linda Pickens.  I couldn't help thinking what a better way to start the new year than with a hug hug and sloppy kiss from a big labrador.  And this plate conveys all the warmth and love our labs give to the whole world.

If you have a Chocolate Lab, this plate is a must.  Its only $39 but will be one of your prized decorations for years.  Go to www.collectiblestoday.com for more info.

If you've got a product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com

Although we sometimes think it's only the ignorant or uninformed who abuse animals, that's not always true. Here's evidence: A member of England's royal family is under suspicion for alleged cruelty to one of his hunting dogs.

Prince Edward, the youngest son of the Queen of England, is being investigated after photographs were published showing him swinging a walking stick at one of his two black Labrador Retrievers. He was on a family holiday on the Queen's estate in eastern England.

Although Buckingham Palace claims Edward was simply trying to separate the dogs, who were fighting over a dead pheasant, a photographer claims he struck one of the Labs. When the dog attempted to run away and cowered in fear, Edward supposedly gave chase and swung his stick again.

A witness said, "It was a big stick, and it would have hurt the dog if it was hit with any force."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, responding to several complaints from the public, launched a formal investigation, although it's not certain if Edward, 44, will be interviewed.

Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, a British animal rights organization, said, "Hitting a dog is a pathetic, cowardly and vicious act. It would appear he has had a royal tantrum."

We agree. A little anger management counseling might be a good idea.

3. I will not punish my dog for behaviors that stem from fear.

I will not punish my dog for barking IF/WHEN my dog is barking because of he/she is afraid or frustrated.  I may have to do some investigating to determine if my dog is afraid or barking to demand something.

I will try and remember that aggression stems from fear.  This means that when my dog is behaving aggressively (barking, growling, lunging) the cause was something that upset/scared my dog.

I will NOT make my dog's fear worse by punishing behaviors that my dog is not in control of (flight/flight is a reflex).

I will consider that my dog is frustrated, upset or fearful and needs Classical Conditioning.

Again, for the second day of 2009 I wanted to share another wonderful poem by my friend Bridget Hanley on Cats.  You can find more of Bridget's poetry on www.bridgethanley.com.

Cats

Five thousand years ago,
humans domesticated cats
by accident.  It just happened,
after years of putting out food
so cats would catch rats
near the granaries. 

Later, an Egyptian pharaoh coveted
all the cats in the land for his own use. 
But they were so plentiful and loved,
he could not gather them all.  Instead,
he deemed them demigods,
lower than he in status,
yet higher than a commoner. 
He decreed them to be his property
and allowed the people to care for these little gods.

Anyone who killed a cat was sentenced to death. 
If a house caught fire, cats were rescued first. 
When they died, people mourned in public
and shaved their eyebrows.

Mohamed was said to have loved his cats so much,
when one was sleeping on his arm, he cut off his sleeve
so he could move without disturbing it. Emperors
of China received them as sacred gifts. 

Despite such cherishment, in the Middle Ages
they were reviled as offspring of the devil
and carriers of the plague.  After much bad press
from churches in Europe, they came close
to extinction in the fourteen hundreds. 

But now those days are long past
and cats continue
to walk on soft paws
and let their glowing eyes look
directly into souls.