Dog Blog

Sometimes you come across the cutest stories. This is one of those examples. Check out this video of a Jack Russell mix that saves the lives of four tiny kittens. I'm not sure which is cuter, the dog cleaning the kittens after they are all safe and sound or the firefighters who gave the dog oxygen and water until he was back on his feet.

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Halloween is a great time for children and their parents, dressing up and collecting all those sweets, but it can be a terrifying night for your favourite dog. Here are some tips to ensure safety and reduce stress.

Place your dog in a quiet and safe part of the house, preferably out of sound of the doorbell.

People ringing the door or knocking on the will cause your dog to get agitated and could induce different behaviour which may cause you concern, specially with small children.
Another suggestion I heard is play soft music to drown out the noise.

Another no-no is keep chocolate out of reach of your dog as this could prove fatal. If you suspect your pet has consumed chocolate call your Vet giving his/her weight and approximate amount consumed.

Decorations are another concern; dogs could chew on streamers, and synthetic spider web which could cause stomach blockages.

Don’t dress up your dog for the night as these can restrict movement, sight hearing or impede breathing.

Finally make sure your pet has proper identification, accidents will happen and if your dog escapes and gets lost check with your animal control and your local Humane society.

Thanks for listening.

I have been reading about the scientific breakthroughs in cloning with specific attention to discussions about having your dog cloned. This topic has been further emphasized by a company called BioArts International that is offering a Best Friends program aimed at cloning your beloved dog. It is a limited program according to the company, which makes the whole idea even more strange with the way they describe the ordering process as if it is a purchase of some form of merchandise. To quote:

"The cloning process usually takes 3-6 months after receipt of DNA sample but up to one year may be required to produce your cloned puppy in certain cases. You will have 30 days after agreeing to the service agreement to submit a tissue sample to us which will begin the process.

If your dog is alive, we will send you a VetKit, which you will need to take to your own veterinarian in order to collect a sample of your dog’s DNA through a humane procedure."

They even include Biopsy Instructions.

A Californian woman sold her house to pay for the cloning of her special dog that passed away. She paid a company in Korea $150,000 for the process and called it a miracle stating that "she hopes one day that everyone can afford a cloned dog." Am I the only one that finds that statement hard to get used to?

OK so what do I think?....well I have to admit I have watched movies such as The 6th Day with Arnold Schwarzenegger where pet cloning actually did produce an exact match, personality included and I thought i'd never have to be without my best friends if this was possible. And here we are with the possibility of cloning yet I am feeling more weirded out than sentimental. Maybe it is because you don't get to clone the personality, but if that were possible would I go for it? Maybe...I recently lost my best friend Churchill, my 12 year old French Bulldog and I still cry on a regular basis from missing him and if someone said that I could have him back I'd jump at it.

Maybe this is a strange concept because its new? I'm not sure that's it either...or perhaps it is because it feels more like an experiment than a reality.

Bottom line - I have such mixed feelings on this subject. I may have to write about it some more and discuss it with other dog owners to really gather my thoughts but I wanted to throw the question out there - Would you clone your dog?

I am very excited to announce that K9 Kloud9 is now carrying dog strollers. You may not share in my excitement over this, but perhaps once I have explained why, then it will all become clear. First of all we live in Canada and as many Canadian dog owners know there is a limited selection of dog products available here and most of us turn to the U.S. for really unique, stylish and even clever products. It has been a mission of our company to provide this deep selection of dog clothes and products for Canadians. We also sell to the U.S. and Europe, but we believe that we are filling a greater need here in Canada.

Well dog strollers are a clear example of a product type that Canadians have had little selection to choose from. We are helping to change this through our dog clothes and now some terrific dog strollers and we are proud to have built a relationship with PetZip, a company that manufactures what we feel are the industry's best dog strollers. They are durable, they are maneuverable and they are extremely stylish. We carry all types of strollers in a variety of styles and colours such as camouflage, orange, pink, green, yellow etc.

The second reason I am so excited about carrying dog strollers stems from my own personal experience. I have a 12 year old Pug who is only able to walk very short distances, but he always wants to come on walks. This stroller has opened up a whole new world for us because now he can walk for a bit and then I put him in the stroller for the rest of the walk. He just loves it...he is super comfortable and can see out over everything, especially since he is elevated. It is also very portable so we bring it everywhere. I have a younger dog who has tons of energy and needs long walks so we all go out together, Paige my French Bulldog walks, and Mackenzie my Pug, rides and we can go for hours.

This realization that so much can be done to improve the quality of life for senior dogs led us to the decision to create a whole new site dedicated just to helping senior dogs. This site can be found at www.DogQuality.com where we sell an even larger variety of dog strollers, dog joggers and dog wagons, as well as a ton of other useful products like dog diapers, dog carriers, dog harnesses, dog treats and more, all specialized to help older dogs. We also started a video blog where we review dog products so you can see them in action and hear my opinion on how the various dog products work for aging dogs.