Great gifts and everyday essentials for pets

Wednesday

CANINE CAHOOTS - 5 favorite Halloween costumes for dogs

 

Halloween has gone to the dogs! Gotta love all those clever costumes for canines.

 Arf! Arf! Check out our five favorite trick-or-treat outfits for our four-legged doggy pals. (To save you a trip to the local pet supply shop, you can simply click each title link to find that costume on Amazon.) Prices vary.

 Maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks … at least, for Halloween treats!

 (Many of these pet Halloween costumes are also available in sizes to fit cats.)

 

Action Hero

 This dog is armed and dangerous, but only in make-believe for Halloween. Look out, neighborhood. Here he comes! Available in sizes from XS to L.

Crowned Canine

 Any dog is Alpha Dog in this kingly getup. Constructed in velvety fabric, it includes a royal chemise, robe, and crown. The royal majesty pup will reign on Halloween, rain or shine, in this ensemble.

 

Rock-and-Roll Rover

 Strike up the band with this cool dog costume. He’ll be tuning up for treats on Halloween! Available in M to XL sizes.

 

Rodeo Rider

 Saddle up your pup with this Wild West Halloween costume. The saddle (with attached cowboy) fastens around the pet’s mid-section with Velcro. Comes in sizes from XS to L. Get along, little doggy!

 

Tuxedo Dog

 Black tie’s in vogue with this uber-formal Halloween dog costume. Maybe we’ll call him James Bone.

This bandanna-style outfit comes in all sizes, from S to XXL, to fit various dog breeds. There’s also a coordinating bride costume, in case Mr. Dog is hitched to Mrs. Dog.

 And for honorable mention, here’s a festive pet costume for Thanksgiving:

 

Gobble-Gobble

 We’d call this Turkey Dog, but that wouldn’t be right. Hit the streets for a Thanksgiving-themed race or festival, or just go over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house with the pup dressed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. (No, not THAT kind of dressing!)

 Image/s:  Product promo photos – fair use

 

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Monday

FELINE FRIGHTFUL - 5 favorite Halloween costumes for cats

 Feline frightful for Halloween this year?

 Here are some of our favorite trick-or-treat get-ups for our furry feline friends. (To save you a trip to the local pet supply shop, you can simply click each  title link to find that costume on Amazon.) Prices vary.

Aren't these Halloween pet costumes just the cat's meow?

 Most of these costumes are available in sizes to fit various dog breeds as well.

 

Cat Gone Batty

Black bat wings (constructed in felt) attach to cat with Velcro (making them adjustable).This costume seems particularly well suited for black kitties. (Just be sure your cat is current on rabies shots. Sorry, had to!)

 


Cowboy Cat

Round up the fun with this Wild West costume for kitty. It even comes with a jaunty cowboy hat. Yee-haw! Let the fur fly!

 


Lion Kitty

This fuzzy-maned masquerade outfit, made of soft plush comes in small and medium for cats. Choose from traditional lion, spotty leopard, or black panther. It’s roaringly fun.

 


Pirate Cat

Bring in the bounty for Halloween with this pirate costume. This is more high-seas fun than Captain Hook could imagine.

 


Vet Cat

Available in a full range of size (XS to L), this cotton costume fits the bill. (A pink nurse version offers another option, and this one comes with a nurse cap.)

 


Why shouldn’t kitty play along for Halloween, even if he or she will cower under the couch anyway?

 

Image/s:  Product promo photos – fair use

 

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Wednesday

Benebone Chew toys are a best bet for busy chompers

 My dogs love chew toys, but those don’t usually last long around here. I’ve seen them gnaw their way through pricey nylon dog bones in mere minutes. And anything with a squeaker brings out the beast in them. That stuff is destroyed faster than you can say, “Here, buddy.”

Finally, we’ve found a chewable dog bone toy that lasts longer. 


Benebones are a little pricey, but they’re a good value, if you consider their durability. I appreciate not having to replace my dogs’ chew toys almost daily.

My Border Collie and my Lab both love the giant bacon-flavored Y-shaped Benebones. Those retail just under $20 apiece, unless you can find them on special.

We’ve had a couple of the larger, sturdier Benebones for weeks. They bear teeth marks, but they are still holding strong. Best of all they aren’t splitting or splintering into dangerous choke-hazard pieces.

That’s worth plenty to me.

Image/s:  Product promo photo – fair use

 

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Additional photos by LAN/Fad to the Bone – all rights reserved

Monday

Solo trips aren't half bad, even if they double distances

 

My two dogs are well-versed in teamwork. 

Their favorite activity in all the world is to hitch up to a pair of leashes, which are tied together by the top loops and attached by a carabiner to my own belt, and step outside for a few miles on the trails. Sure, they love eating and sleeping and barking and all that. But running together tops it all.

The Border Collie always takes the inside position, so she can herd the Labrador Retriever to the left. That keeps both dogs on the shoulder of the road (or the edge of the trail), out of oncoming traffic.

 “Team up,” I say, and they both fall into position.

  Not long ago, however, I pulled a muscle in my back. That means hitching 100+ collective pounds of high-energy canines is off the table for a while.


 Sometimes it pays to improvise.

 That means hitching up one dog at a time, holding the leash in one hand, and playing tag-team for the trails. Each dog gets one trip. I get two. 

But we all get out --  even if each dog feels a little left out while the other takes her turn.



 

Image/s:  Personal photos – all rights reserved.

 

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Sunday

Pet product review: Star Wars Plush Yoda Squeaky Dog Toy

 

Love Yoda? The Star Wars Plush Yoda Squeaky Dog Toy is adorable, especially for families that love the Star Wars movie series. Really, it’s cute and sort of cuddly.

 The 6” version retails for $8.99, but we picked it up a little cheaper on Amazon Prime. (It also comes in 9” and 12” versions for a bit more.)

 


 

The little Yoda toy seemed like a sweet little reward for our dog.

 But the fun didn’t last long. At first squeak, my dog tackled the toy and began chewing. She didn’t come up for air till the squeaker was out … and dead. From then on, she carried the now-limp and hollow cotton plush plaything around for a day or two. Then it got tossed.

 This product reviewer purchased the product described and evaluated here, and the reviewer has no prior or existing relationship (either familial or professional) with the creator, manufacturer or marketer of the product.

 

In all fairness, maybe we didn’t give this product a fair shake.

 No photo description available.

 After all, anything containing a squeaker is pretty much dead meat in our house. But I’m sort of done buying toys that my dog will destroy the first day. I’d rather invest in a couple of Nylabones, some replacement Chuck-It balls, or another sturdy rubber KONG.

Image/s:  Product promo photo – fair use and personal photo (all rights reserved)

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter, and find Features’ Pets on Facebook.. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.