It's happened...

Somebody had an accident!

And it wasn't the cat.

When your puppy poops or pees in the house, what should you do?

First

If you didn't catch them doing it, you can't punish them!

If you did catch them doing it, you can't punish them!

I know.  It's NOT FAIR!  But, its true.  If you catch your puppy mid-pee or mid-poop the best response would be to STARTLE them with a loud noise.  I like yelling "AAAH!   AAAH!" and clapping my hands or stomping my feet.  If you are lucky this interrupts the act just long enough for you to catch the puppy and get them to the appropriate potty-place.  Once your pup is in the right place you must be prepared to praise & reward them for finishing in the appropriate place.

Second

Clean it!

Clean it again!

Let it dry & check it.

Maybe clean it one more time.

All pee and poop should be quickly drenched in an enzyme cleaner specifically for urine & fecal matter.  I use Anti-Icky-Poo.  In general it is best to remove any large pieces of poop (or vomit) before using any liquids.  Also you should NOT use soap and water until the enzyme cleaner has been applied.  It is always best to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS on the enzyme cleaner and to follow them exactly.

Third

Barricade the area!  That's right.  Until you have had time to fully clean, dry, re-clean and check the area it is best to prevent your dog from re-entering, re-investigating, or re-soiling the accident area.  

If possible you can shut doors.

If needed you can use gates.  i like stacking two gates on top of each other for large dogs or good jumpers.

You can also confine your puppy again and re-visit all standard house-training procedures.  If your pup is less than a year, or has been newly adopted within the last 6 months, I strongly recommend re-training.  Just start all over and do tons of management (confine and supervise) and re-install the use of praise & treats for appropriate elimination outside.

Fourth

Edit your House-Training PLan for errors!  It's important that you find out what went wrong and then make a plan to make sure it doesn't happen again.  Usually house-training accidents are a human-error problem.  Re-check your plan.  Did you...

Adequately confine your puppy when you were unable to fully supervise their "free in the house" time?

Did you properly confine your puppy in a Puppy-Proofed Area when you were NOT supervising them?

Did you crate your puppy when they were empty to teach them how to hold their bladder?

Did you always Praise & Reward your puppy for peeing/pooping in appropriate places?

Have you read these posts?

House Training Your Puppy

Poop, Pee & Punishment

Choosing A Crate For Your Puppy

Pet Products Review - Mrs. Meyers Oatmeal Pet Shampoo.

Of all the products and samples we get here to test out, shampoos are perhaps the most popular.  But seldom do we test out a shampoo because we really have to or else the dog is not coming in the house.  Well, our Pitbull-Mastiff panelist Speed got into one of those situations this past Saturday.  Lucky for us his Daddy, Ryan had the foresight to check the Dogtime.com Top Ten eco-friendly dog gifts list:  http://Dogtime.com/green-dog-gift.html On the list our editors recommend Mrs. Meyers Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. 

Now off the bat, I love Mrs. Meyers products.  This company goes to great measures to assure that all products use natural ingredients, everything is biodegradable and safe for the environment, free of nasty chemicals and or course cruelty free.  I am the world's biggest fan of her Lemon Verbena products for home and body.  But, its not about me, its about the dogs. 

Mrs. Meyers writes: Pets will actually enjoy bath time with Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day tear-free Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. This unique product is made with natural ingredients including Oatmeal Extract and Vitamin E to give pets smooth skin and a healthy, shiny coat. Your furry mates will also appreciate the effects of calming and therapeutic essential oils.

Daddy Ryan confirmed with: "While Speed is not a huge fan of baths, Mrs. Meye'rs Clean Day Shampoo left his coat smooth, shiny, and very clean.  His fur was also nice and soft.  It is a very good shampoo". 

So, the verdict is out, this is a great product and at $7.99 for a huge 16 oz bottle, an economical shampoo to boot.  Go to www.MrsMeyers.com for more information and to purchase.

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Pet Products Review - RapidBath Pet Bathing System by HydroSurge

Today you're in luck because my post is one with two opinions.  The good people at Hydro Surge a division of Jarden Consumer Solutions asked me to sample their new RapidBath Pet Bathing System.  I was excited to try this product because I trust the famous brands and products of Jarden.  They seem to know exactly the appliance that makes my life easier.

The RapidBath Pet Bathing System is an interesting contraption in that it aims to give you the power and convenience afforded to professional dog groomers.  RapidBath allows you to wet, wash and rinse in one hand-held unit. Designed to bath in 3 minutes or less, the RapidBath system cuts the time, hassle and mess out of bathing your pet.

The manufacturer writes:  "The system includes a dog grooming sprayer and adapter that connects to any standard home shower or outdoor faucet, allowing the versatility of indoor/outdoor use. The sprayer functions in just one hand and features 3 settings: low, high, and bathe. Hidden inside the handle are integrated shampoo cartridges which automatically draws and distributes highly concentrated shampoo while you bath your pet. The result is easier, less messy baths for both you and your pet."  The cost of the RapidBath Pet Bathing System is $69.99 and can be purchased at www.petsmart.com or any PetSmart location.

Well let me tell you, I had a very hard time finding a shower or outdoor faucet that actually fit the RapidBath system. It did not fit my shower nor our outdoor faucet.  Finally I ended up trying the unit in my building's laundry utility sink.  I have to admit the system did not quite fit that faucet either and I'm sure it negatively affected the RapidBath's performance.  Althought I found the using a 10' hose connected with a water diverter to be easy and convenient for washing a dog, I did not find the soap to lather to my satisfaction.  Also knowing I can go to a hardware store and get the same hose and diverter material for only a few dollars, made it hard to justify a $70 price.

But, being a New York City urban dweller, we know that not every product is designed for city use and works better in an actual home.  With that, I gave the RapidBath System to my friend Tom to try.  Tom lives on a country estate outside of Albany and had a beautiful American Foxhound named Fiddler.  Fiddler being a country dog is always getting into something or another and more in need of frequent bathing.   Here is Tom's verbatim:

Ease of use.....9
Installation......8
Overall impression....8

I have a relatively large American Foxhound named Fiddler.  Put simply, hounds and water don't usually mix.  I've attempted to use shower sprayers, sponges, etc. but make it difficult to keep the dog in the tub while still using them.  The rapid bath system alleviated a number of those issues.  The installation was fairly easy.  Having the right tool to remove the shower head toughest part.  It's great to be able to leave the diverter attached to the shower and still be able to use the rapid bath when needed.  The major benefit of this system is the ability to have everything in one hand.  Using simple knobs and buttons on the hand held unit, you can change from soap to rinse and turn the water on and off with just one hand.  This allowed me to keep the other hand on the dogs collar to keep him in the tub.  Overall a good system.

Disadvantages:  must use soap cartridges from rapid bath system.
Potential improvement: I wish the head of the sprayer had some rubber nubs on it to use to massage in the shampoo.  I had to put the unit down to suds the dog before rinsing.

So back to me... my recommendation is, if you have multiple pets, dogs, horses, cats, goats, whatever, and keeping them clean is important to you, buy the RapidBath Pet Bathing System.  Your frequent use and time saved will justify the price.  But do make sure you test the compatibility with all of your faucets and like any larger purchase, keep the receipt in case it does not work out.

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

Pet Products Review - PetzLife Oral Care Gel

If you read my blog daily, you'll know that one of my biggest concerns for my pets is their dental health and hygiene.  This should be a concern for every pet owner.  Seriously, if it was you, how would it feel to go years without brushing your teeth or getting a dental check up.

Well I've searched high and low, and tried just about every dental bone, chew and pill around.  Quite frankly I think they are all a waste of money.  Then while shopping at Wiskers Holistic Pet in New York (one of my all time favorite stores) I found PetzLife Oral Care Gel.  At first I was very reluctant to buy this product, simply because it was $25 for a 4oz bottle. But I figured, hey, I spend nearly $4-6 on dental chew bones that get thrown away.  Let me try this.

What also attracted me to the product was that you rub it on your pets' gums and teet.  This is not a bogus pill that you disolve in the water.  You may apply with your fingers or with a soft toothbrush.  And, its good for cats and dogs. So, I tried it on Champ giving him a daily rub for 1 month. Now I don't often come right out and say "I love this product" but today, I am saying "I love this product."  It works.

Champs teeth are noticable brighter and I certainly see less brown plaque build up.  I took before and after pictures, but they were so blurry you could not see them.  But, lucky for you, one can go to www.petzlife.com and see pictures and testimonials.  There are no chemicals in this product at all, simply seed and herb extracts.  Yes! I tasted it; not bad, very light to the tongue and had a refreshing after taste.  Champ my Shelties doesnt seem to mind and I enjoy his fresh breath.

All in all, I recommend PetzLife Oral Care Gel and recommend the product as a supplement to your pets oral hygiene regime.

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Pets Product Review- Veterinarian's Best Pet Swabs Tear Stain Guard

Don't know when I've been so blue
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new
And don't it make my brown eyes blue

When I think of tears, I can't help think of Crystal Gayle's haunting lyrics.  But when the little Maltese named Baby Cakes who lives down the road runs up to say hi to me and my pup, I look in her tear full eyes, and just want to puke.  They are gross.

Thank goodness I don't have animals prone to tearing, and thank goodness they have dark colored hair.  But this tearing is perfectly natural, and will happen.  So the best thing is to deal with it, and address your little one's tears with comfort and daily attention.

 I looked around for a product that would help and found Veterinarian's Best Pet Swabs Tear Stain Guard on www.petsmart.com.  Wow! Could there have been a product better suited.  These cotton-tipped swabs are filled with therapeutic liquid. You snap the end, kind of liked smelling salts.  So cool to see the liquid flow from clear stem into the cotton tip.  Wipe around the eyes and viola! In due time you'll have fresh clean eyes. 

I trust this product.  The liquid is all natural and properly measured, and safe to use on both cats and dogs.  Truly you don't want to put anything near your pets' eyes that is not safe.  How did my pets react? Well Champ took the application bravely and went to back to sleep.  Stinky, the cat put up a terrible fuss and ran under the bed.

 My only negative comment is the price.  At $8.99 for 24 swabs is costly, especially when you're trying to diminish the unsightly residue of puppy tears.  This requires daily treatment.  

For a safe home remedy that is certainly more cost effective, try dabbing a solution that has 1 teaspoon of salt diluted in a pint of warm water.

If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com