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Does Your Dog Have a Favorite Tennis Ball Size?

PetSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:30:56 -0800

Let's get the ball rolling in '09! It's important to have the right tennis toss for those wintry afternoons of catch with your pet. That's not to say all animal sizes won't get a kick out of the standard ball, but the small tennies are more catch-worthy for lil mouths where they could be a choking hazard to the big dogs. From teeny tiny ones (usually 1.5-inch in diameter) to the super sized (5-inches in diameter), which ball do you think your pooch would like best?

Are Your Pets Frenzied Fetchers?

PetSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:30:47 -0700

North would definitely chase what I throw (or stomp) for him, but it often turns into tug o' war/keep-away to get it back to re-toss. How about your pets? Do they freely fetch, sometimes test it out, or simply wait for you to bring it back like a civilized person?

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Bring the US Open Love Home!

PetSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:00:33 -0700

Today marks the start of the US Open (which coincidentally coincided six years ago today when I brought North home to NYC)! To celebrate the beginning of this event, I'm rounding up the first round thing to come to mind . . . tennis balls, obviously.
North loves the extra small Air Kong versions 'cause they're super squeaky and fit him perfectly. (He usually tears all the fabric off a normal doggy tennis ball to use the frays to fetch 'em since they don't fit in his mouth.) Since he's pretty darn destructive, I'm shocked how long it takes him to kill the squeakers in this version – they sometimes last a couple months, which is an eternity in his chompers. From flavored to colored, check out all my faves . . . and don't forget to bring Daisy home, too!

Bare Bones: Best Balls

PetSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:30:19 -0800

Dogs love toys. North likes almost any kind of ball he can get his teeth into. But other furry creatures love playing with toys, too! Gerbils and mice love to get out of the cage and explore the world in a ball of their own. Even rabbits get in on the action with this Rabbit Maze ball that jingles - keeping them occupied and chasing it around for hours. Hey, they need exercise too!
I've gathered the best-sellers; the most popular and fun balls for all kinds of furry animals. Check them out in the widget below!

Mylar Crinkle Balls for Cats ($1)	Mendhi Ball ($16 and up)
Dazzle Run-about Ball ($7)	Rita Tough Toy Ball ($13)
Holiday Fleecy Clean Ball ($4)	Bodhi Cinnabar & Flower Balls ($12)
Ferret Buzz Balls ($2)	Rabbit Maze Ball ($3)	Catnip Jungle Balls ($3 each)

10 Best Balls For Under Ten Bucks!

PetSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:00:05 -0700

Now, tennis balls are fun and all but there are sooo many other round things for pups to catch and chase! If your pooch is looking to expand his sports horizon, I've rounded up some noteworthy toys to add to his collection. The ball's in your court so get started now, love.
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Greatest American Dog Recap: My Chat With Teresa!

PetSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:30:53 -0700

With just one (!) more episode of Greatest American Dog, I got the chance to chat with Teresa, who was eliminated last week with her Border Collie, Leroy. We talked about her water-loving pup, and I got her side of the story on those controversial snarl bands. Learn all about Leroy's barking, his new BFF, and much more in the interview below.

PetSugar: How's Leroy doing with the barking?
Teresa: He only barks in a high-energy performance setting. He's sitting right by me now . . . no barking. Practice time . . . no barking. Performance time . . . barking. He just loves to do it and it's part of his style. It's getting slightly better but it's going to take some time to get it to be perfect. I need to figure out how to keep his brain more stimulated (if I do the same things over and over he gets bored). It may make things harder for me but, if it makes it easier on him and curbs some of the barking, then that's what we'll have to do.

PetSugar: What was your dog's favorite part of this experience?
Teresa: I think it's pretty obvious that he loved the pool and to be able to let loose and not be under tight wraps all the time. He's loved water since he was a puppy. Normally I try to get him to at least look at me because there are times when I don't want a sopping wet dog, but for the most part he did listen and it is a good impulse control exercise for him. I tried to let him swim as much as I could – he probably swam at least 45 minutes every day – and we don't ever get to do that at home.

PetSugar: Did Leroy have any special friends on the show?
Teresa: Laura and I clicked immediately and we've become the best of friends since then. In such a short period of time I feel like I've known her since like kindergarten. We just had little tags made that say "Be" and "Fri" on one side for Preston, and Leroy wears on his tag "st" and "end," so when it comes together it says "Best Friend." Preston looks like a little, white toy breed, but he doesn't behave like that – he's a giant dog wrapped up in a little Pomeranian body. Leroy normally doesn't like other dogs as much as he likes Preston. He has his circle of friends, and Preston really broke through that circle and has become Leroy's friend, East Coast or West Coast.

PetSugar: And favorite toys?
Teresa: Anything that you can throw! If you throw the top of a Tupperware container, he's going to think it's a frisbee. You throw something round, like throw an apple, he's gonna fetch it and think it's a ball. He also really likes any kind of toy with things hanging from it like a Wubba – he'll shake it and shake it and hit himself over the head . . . I think that's what it's for?

Finally, hear her side of the "angry" challenge when you read more.

PetSugar: How do you feel about the use of the word "angry"?
Teresa: Angry was by far the hardest word. I don't necessarily think it was an appropriate word, but we just assumed that everything had been approved. Leroy does bite a lot at things that are out of control, like water or hoses or air, and I thought that we could do it. We used spray bottle and the hose to try to get him to show his teeth, which he did. You don't see that I'm clicking and rewarding and doing all of that as well; they cut that positive part of it out, and I can understand how it looks controversial. But he does bite by the pool, you see him bite at all the water [in last week's episode]. I thought I could teach the snarl first without using anything.

PetSugar: So then you went to the snarl bands . . .
Teresa: Laura had mentioned the snarl bands and that it would help with the stress of having to learn this in such a short time. He didn't love it but little puppies don't love collars, other dogs don't like harnesses or gentle leaders. I took one of the two avenues and I don't feel that it was inhumane; we were just trying to get the snarl and reward as best as we could. We got the shot really quickly and left the photo shoot early . . . he got to play a whole lot in the studio so he didn't leave there with any kind of bad taste in his mouth.

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Add Another Contest To Your Calendar: Bissell Pet Games

PetSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:00:46 -0700

If your pet can do some amazing tricks (other than scarfing down his food in five seconds flat) then I have a contest for you! The Bissell Pet Games Video Contest is looking for talented pets that perform, and thankfully, this is one contest you can feel good about participating in – the grand prizewinner gets $10,000 donated to the charity of their choice! The winner will also be featured on Bissell product cartons, and have his name in lights on Animal Planet.
Send them clips of your pets jumping rope, balancing on balls, or whatever cool trick they do best – I've got my fingers crossed that the winner will be one of our PetSugar readers!

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Happy Birthday, North: Location, Location, Location

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:00:20 -0700

While I haven't given North a party in years, this year needs to be special – he's our resident celebripup on the site after all! There are so many options for having a doggie-friendly event – like Molly's party for Oliver's first birthday last year – and it's easy to get bogged down by the details.
After deliberating about North's fiesta for weeks, I've settled on an intimate gathering at a friend's backyard! This way there won't be any uninvited guests eating North's cake, safe space for my pooch to ~~pee~~ play . . . and plenty of room for any spillage (that doesn't involve cleaning carpets or sofas)! There are many options for holding an event for a pet – other than someone's house – check out my list when you read more.

People park: A park with an off-leash area is a great place to throw a party for dogs! If you're lucky enough to have one with a picnic area, get there early to stake out a spot and bring balls for people and pets to play with.
Dog park: This is a tad trickier, but a fun place for an insta-party. Check with the rules of the park and then get to planning. Bring enough supplies for everyone like party hats for the people – and stake out a spot outside the park with special treats for the pups – sharing is caring – and both of you could make great friends in the process!
Rented room: If money's no object, rent a dog-friendly room or event space! Some pet stores, like Atlanta's Hipbone Pet offer rooms for your private party. If you're lucky enough to have a BFF at a doggie bakery or pet store, these are already guaranteed dog-friendly spots that may let you stop by off hours for your gala.
Daycare: If your dog's best pals are at daycare, ask them if they ever allow private or semi-private events like NYC's Biscuits & Bath. Keep in mind it may cost per pet, and likely impossible to bring dogs without proof of vaccinations.

Have more great location ideas of your own? Share them below!

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Worst. Cat. Names. Ever.

PetSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:00:11 -0700

I came across a compiled list of "real" cat names that pretty much take the cake for worst ever. I got a chuckle reading through, just cause some of them are just that bad. I can't say that I was the best pet namer as a youngster, but at least I didn't name our family cat "Scaredy." That's right, as in Scaredy-Cat.

Although I don't necessarily agree with the order (I think Buzlingtonian Gingerbits should've at least made the top five), and some of them seem a wee bit fake (c'mon - Susie Sex Change, for real?), take a look at the top ten worst cat names anyway and tell me if you've heard of any real life kitty names that should have made the list!

Swimmer
Ducttape
ChewToy
Eucalyptus
Balls
Spayed
Big Bad Baby Bentley Billy Joe Bob
Cocaine
Fattie
Chicken Head Nose Face Fluffy Butt

Check out the rest of the list here, and tell me about the worst cat names you've ever heard in the comments below!

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Friday Mythbuster: What Colors Do Doggies See?

PetSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:00:47 -0800

I don't know about you, but I definitely give consideration to what color toy, harness, and bed I choose for my pet. Now, it's not because I truly believe he prefers a turquoise harness, indigo ball, or lime-green pinstripes on his chocolate-brown bed, I would just rather the stuff match my apartment (neurotic, I know). I can't tell what colors North's eyes see, but there's much research (and many misconceptions) about which colors, if any, are visible to doggies. Veterinary ophthalmologists have determined that dogs are similar to people with red/green color blindness - pups can see bluish and greenish shades but not many ones closer to red.

To learn about conclusions from experiments performed by University of Wisconsin researchers, read more.

The retinas of people who see colors normally have three types of color receptors, or cones, and each are particularly sensitive to a narrow part of the spectrum. However, doggies (and red/green colorblind humans) have only two types of cones, giving less basis for comparison and a more-limited perceived color range. People who see colors normally see the traditional VIBGYOR (violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red) spectrum like on the above kite. Dogs, however, see VIBYYYR (violet, indigo, blue, yellow, yellow, yellow, and red). This means that the colors of green, yellow, and orange look alike to dogs but different from red (which they can distinguish) and variations of blues and purples. Pups are actually best at telling shades of violet, indigo (he loves that ball!), and blue apart. However, the results also say that blue-green looks like white to dogs. Oops, guess he doesn't find his harness half as fashionable as I do!

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