SNJ Dog Clothes

A very common problem that plagues many dogs is the presence of fleas.  This is frequently the cause of itching and scratching.  Fleas bite into the dog’s skin and feed on their blood.  Though fleas can’t fly, they have very powerful back legs which enable them to jump long distances.  They move very quickly, so they are hard to catch and even harder to kill if you do catch them due to their hard-shelled bodies.

Some dogs develop a hypersensitivity to flea bites resulting in intense itching and scratching.  This in turn leads to skin abrasions and hair loss.  Several years age, we had a small terrior who had this “flea allergy” causing him to repeatedly rub his back against the furniture to relieve the terrible itch.  He would scratch so much that he had sores and bald spots from the continuous scratching – and it didn’t do our furniture any good either!  We tried flea collars and flea shampoos, but they weren’t very effective.  We finally took him to the vet for a flea dip which was done after he he had been shaved bald from his neck to the tip of his tail.  What a sight he was, but the fleas no longer had a place to hide!

Another problem with a dog who is flea infested is that the fleas can also infest your home.  Only about ten percent of the fleas are on your dog – the rest reside in the drapes, carpet, furniture and other objects that your dog comes into contact with.  Case in point, when our children were age one and three, we got a beagle puppy which we naturally brought inside the house.  After a few months, I began noticing bites on the legs and ankles of myself and my one-year-old.  These bites itched like nothing I had ever experienced before!  I found myself scratching until I would bleed – the itching just wouldn’t stop.  We were told by an exterminator that the reason the fleas were biting me and my baby was that women and babies have higher body temperatures, so the fleas are attracted to the warmer bodies.  We were advised by the exterminator to spray our carpet throughout the house and furniture with a pesticide containing an active ingredient which would continue to kill for fourteen days to take care of hatching fleas.  We sprayed and went on vacation for a week.  When we came home, the fleas were gone!

I wish that I could say that we never experienced the flea problem again, but over the years we have had dogs in the house, so we also deal with a flea problem.  Fortunately, in the past few years many new products have been developed to not only control fleas on your dog but to PREVENT them.  What a great thing!

Most of these products are used on a monthly basis.  There are several topical preventives which are applied to the skin where they mix with the natural oils of the dog’s sebaceous glands and spread out over the entire body.  These protect against fleas and ticks (a topic for another day) for up to one month.  Some of the favored topical applications are K9 Advantix, Frontline and Bio Spot.  K9 Advantix is highly recommended by vets because it kills 98-100% of fleas within 12 hours and repels and kills fleas, ticks and mosquitos.

There are also oral flea preventives.  Most are in tablet form and one dose provides flea protection for up to one month.  The best known brand of oral preventive is Program, which works by inhibiting flea eggs from growing and hatching.  Its affect is limited to the hard outer shell of the fleas, so it is completely harmless to your dog.

Be advised that most flea control and preventive products are not for use on puppies less than six to eight weeks old.  As with any medication, please read the labels and directions carefully, and consult your vet if you have any questions or concerns.

Monthly flea control prevention should be an essential part of the care you give your special dog.

Visit our online store at snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com for a variety of dog apparel and accessories.

Have you been looking for a dog harness that will be comfortable for your pet?  Many  are designed with part of the harness fitted around the dog’s neck in a fashion that can’t be very comfortable.  Well, we have a great solution for you and your dog!

We at SNJ Delightful Doggie Designs are pleased to announce the introduction of a new style dog harness.  This harness is called the Ultra USA Choke-Free harness and is being manufactured right here in the United States for Doggie Design.  It is a step-in harness made from a soft mesh fabric.  The choke-free harness comes in four sizes and ten fashion colors.  These harnesses can be ordered on our website any time now but won’t be available for delivery until the middle of February.  We are sure that these choke-free dog harnesses will be a big seller, so don’t wait too long to order.  Soon to follow will be coordinating leashes.

Check out all of the great dog apparel and accessories in our online store at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com

Well, here we are at the beginning of another new year, and we thought that the best way to start a new year is to offer a new product in our online store.  We now carry a dog snowsuit in black and grey as shown or in pink for the little girl dogs.  This dog snowsuit is available in sizes to fit dogs weighing up to 25 pounds.  The exterior is made from a waterproof blend of polyester and nylon, and each snowsuit has a soft sherpa fleece lining.  The snowsuit can be worn with our without the zip-off hood.

If you have been looking for warm apparel for your dog, check out this brand new dog snowsuit designed by Doggie Design.  We have also added the matching parka style dog coat which is designed just like the snowsuit.  All of these new dog snowsuits and dog coats say “Ruffin It” on the back.

Just go to www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com now to see all of the warm winter garments that we carry for your dog.

HAPPY 2010 TO EVERYONE!

Well, we are almost at the end of another year, so Happy New Year to everyone out there!  And especially those who are dog rescuers.  You are special people to take in these dogs who need a loving home.  This brings me to the subject of my weekly blog.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, my husband works at our local Tractor Supply Store.  He quite often is in charge of keeping the shelves stocked in the pet food and livestock feed aisle.  He gets to talk to many people who are animal lovers, whether it be dogs, cats,horses, birds or some other type of animal.  One day last week, he came home and shared with me a story about a woman who had been in the store that day buying dog food.  She told him that she has six dogs at home – all rescued dogs!  She went on to tell him about one of them in particular.

She had gone to the local animal shelter where she found this dog that had been severely abused by his former owner.  She decided to adopt this dog in the hopes of showing him some love and affection.  When she took him home, the dog acted very fearful that he might be getting more abuse from his new owner.  When she would let him outside,  he would just sit in the yard with his head hanging down.  Doesn’t that bring a tear to your eye?

At this time, this lady was taking one of her other dogs to dog obedience classes.  When she told the instructor about her newest dog and how he had been abused, the instructor told her to bring him to the training class.  She said that he needed to be around other dogs so that he could learn to socialize.  This lady was a bit apprehensive, but she took the instructor’s advice and brought him to class, alternating weeks with the dog she had started taking.  She was amazed at the change that took place as this dog learned to trust not only the other dogs, but also his owner.  Now this dog acts like any other dog who is loved and cared for by his owner.

This is another story about a wonderful person who showed compassion for one of our special animals who just want to be treated with kindness and love.  I commend this lady and all who are dog rescuers.  May you be richly rewarded with the loyalty and companionship that these pets so willingly give.

Consider treating your dog to something special from our online store at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com.

Christmas is upon us once again and as usual there are many things to be done before the big day.  As a result, my blog is a bit past my usual Sunday blogging day the past few weeks!

One thing that my husband and I thought was important , as I mentioned in a previous blog, was to take some pet food to our local humane society.  We finally accomplished that yesterday.  I should say that my husband did.  I didn’t dare go with him, because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to leave without adopting a dog.  We aren’t quite ready to get another dog yet, so I decided to let my husband do this by himself.  It brought to mind a day several years ago when we went to this very shelter to get a dog, and we came home with not one, not two, but three dogs!  They loved us at the shelter!  Those dogs all looked at us as if to say that we should adopt them, and we listened to three of them!

It is so wonderful having the love and affection of a loyal dog, but I was so heartbroken when my little miniature poodle died after 13 years that I am not ready to put myself through that heartache again just yet.  Our dogs become such an important part of our family that it is a great loss when we have to say goodbye.

This Christmas put a little something extra in your dog’s stocking to show him or her how much they are appreciated.  Check out all of the special items for your dog at our online store www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com and my husband and I wish you and your pets a blessed Christmas!

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?  Did you remember to shop for your special dog?  The shopping days are flying by, but there is still plenty of time to check out all of the great dog gift ideas at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com.

We have a large selection of stylish dog collars, including Swarovski Crystal collars.  There are also coordinating dog leashes to go with many of our collars.  While you are there, be sure to look at all of the designer dog clothes – there are so many to choose from you are sure to find something that your dog will love!

As I said before, there is still plenty of time to place an order and receive it before Christmas, but don’t wait too long.  Shop now!

As we were watching the evening news, we heard a story about Santa and Mrs. Claus visiting a local animal shelter and delivering a load of pet foods and snacks for all of the special homeless animals there.  So I decided to remind all of you animal lovers out there to remember these unfortunate ones who don’t know the love and care of a family.  Pick up a bag of dog food or cat food or both and drop them off at your local animal shelter – I know that this will be appreciated by the staff as well as the animals who call this shelter their home.

Animal shelters have suffered financial strain with our economy at a low point.  Many people who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut have found it necessary to take their beloved pets to a shelter, because they can no longer afford to feed them.  As a result, many shelters are full to overflowing with pets for adoption.  This is another idea.  If you have been considering getting a pet for yourself or your family, now would be a great time to check out the pets available at your local animal shelter.

My husband and I are planning to take a trip to our local humane society with some dog and cat food sometime in the next week.  Who knows?  We may end up adopting a dog of our own!

For those of you who already have dogs, check out all of the dog apparel and accessories available at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com.  There is still plenty of time to get your pet something special and have it shipped in time for Christmas!

Well, we have seen another Thanksgiving holiday come and go, and I hope all of you took the time to think about all of the things in your lives that you are thankful for.  And are you still feeling a little stuffed from all of those delicious dishes?  We are still eating leftovers, but I love having leftovers in the fridge, so this is a blessing for me!

One of the things that we should be very thankful for each and every day of the year is our loving, loyal dogs.  They bring so much joy and pleasure into our lives.  Since we started our dog clothing and accessories website, I have become  more aware of all of the wonderful and varied things that dogs do for their owners.  Dogs are so smart that they can be trained to do so many things, some of which I have touched on in past blogs.  I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of that topic!

I personally believe that one of the most important things that dogs do for their owners and others around them is provide them with companionship.  I remember many years ago, my grandfather used to come and spend time with my husband and I.  He was alone since my grandmother had passed away, and he was also blind.  He was independent and had a small apartment where he could get around easily and take care of himself.  When he came to visit, one of his favorite things to do was to go fishing.  We would get permission to take him to a neighboring pond where he could sit and fish.  He didn’t want us hovering over him, so we would get him set up so that he could reach his bait from his chair, and he would tell us to come back in a couple of hours and get him.

My favorite memory of my grandfather’s visits is the times that he would sit outside of our house enjoying the warm sunshine.  We had neighbors not more than a minute across our yard, and they had a beautiful white dog they called Misty.  That dog became acquainted with my grandfather, and the minute she saw him outside, she would race across the yard to visit him.  She would lay her head in his lap and sit like that for the longest time letting my grandfather pet her.  It was as if they had developed some kind of bond where no words were needed – they just enjoyed each others company.  I truly believe that dogs can sense our moods and seem to know when we need something extra, and they are right there to fill that need.  Aren’t they wonderful creatures?

Be sure you show your appreciation to your special pet each and every day.  We have recently added several new styles of dog collars on our website at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com.  Why not treat your dog to a shiny new collar or check out some of the other dog accessories we offer?

As members of the electric cooperative in our area, we receive a monthly publication which contains recipes, photos and articles from or about other coop members.  Recently, when we received this publication, there was a wonderful article about a bloodhound named Oscar.  I would love to share part of this story with you now.

When a fellow coop member brought home his first bloodhound seven years age, he was only looking for a laid-back family pet.  What he got was an overly aggressive, 160-pound male named Oscar, who would eventually lead his master to a challenging, stressful new avocation: search and rescue work.

This is the story of Oscar’s background before he was adopted by this loving family.  After a succession of owners, the three-year-old bloodhound ended up at an Alaskan animal shelter that had deemed him to be vicious.  The shelter contacted the dog’s breeder, located in our area, to advise him the dog was scheduled to be euthanized within 48 hours.  The breeder decided to take the dog back, and had him flown into Michigan, where he was picked up and transported back to the breeder.

Our good-hearted coop member had wanted to own a bloodhound since he was a boy and heard of Oscar’s odyssey.  He contacted the breeder to ask about the possibility of obtaining this dog.  When he arrived at the home of the breeder, the dog was in a chain link confinement – nobody wanted to enter the kennel for fear of being attacked.  He bent down and stuck his fingers through the chain link, touched him a little bit, then pulled his hand back and found that his fingers were still there!  He turned to his wife and told her that he wanted to take Oscar home with them.

When they first brought Oscar home, he was mean to say the least.  As the weeks passed, he became one of the most devoted animals that this couple had ever had.  They never had any problems with him.  Before he died several years later, hundreds of people could have walked up and petted Oscar.

The reason a bloodhound was the desired pet for this man was that he liked their soulful appearance and the lazy way they moped about on shows like “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  He soon found out how wrong he was.  The last thing they do is mope around.  They are all business – that business is trailing scent.

Once Oscar established a bond of trust with people, friends began asking his owner if he was planning to train him as a search and rescue dog.  He didn’t know anything about search and rescue training, but he was willing to give it a try.  He decided to attend a search and rescue dog training seminar to learn how to become a handler of a search and rescue dog.  After much help and mentoring, he became an excellent handler, and he and Oscar were involved over the years in many search and rescue missions.

Oscar has since died and has been replaced by Bear, another search and resue dog for his master who has become known as “The Dog Man.”  And to think that if it wasn’t for that caring breeder and our fellow dog lover, Oscar would not have lived to become a wonderful companion and a successful search and resue dog – he was rescued, and he in turn rescued others!

It never ceases to amaze me that our loyal dogs can perform so many different tasks.  Oscar is a perfect example of this.  Why not treat your special dog to something from our great selection of dog apparel, collars, beds and other dog accessories at www.snjdelightfuldoggiedesigns.com.

Do you have a pet who seems to know when you’re worried, sad or upset?  A dog who can truly make you feel better just being next to you?

More and more studies have shown that pets can aid in the healing process of sick people, old and young alike.  Several years ago my husband and I, together with our grandchildren, decided to raise money for sick children.  We have been so blessed with nine healthy grandchildren, and we thought it would be good for our grandchildren to learn the importance of helping children who weren’t as fortunate.  We decided to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  We have an annual yard sale where our grandchildren sell toys, books and other items which have been donated for this cause.  As a result, we get frequent mailings from St. Jude with stories and pictures of sick children who have been helped at their facility.  This leads me to the point of my story.

We just received a letter about and picture of a little girl named Emma with a dog named Boomer at her side.  The letter went on to explain that St. Jude has been blessed with special pets like Boomer who visit the hospital every week to help the children with cancer forget the pain and suffering of their killer disease, even if only for a moment.  Not only can spending time with a dog like Boomer make children with cancer feel better, these visits can help children get better, too.  Studies say that cuddling with a pet can reduce stress-induced symptoms in children battling life-threatening illnesses, which may in turn bolster their immune systems.

“Boomer seems to know exactly how each child is feeling and exactly what to do to help, whether it’s to gently offer an outstretched paw, a softly thumping tail or a big, broad smile.  (I believe dogs smile, don’t you?)  Sometimes the dogs will sit beside the wheelchair of a new young friend or lie down with their paws resting over the child’s feet, as if they sense the little boy or girl is in danger from the cancer in their tiny body and want to protect them….When the children wrap their little arms around Boomer and bury their heads in his soft fur, sometimes they whisper and confide things their parents and doctors can’t hear–things that would probably break our hearts if we did.  That’s why St. Jude makes the pets available to every child at no cost to the family…”

I took the liberty of quoting the previous paragraph from this letter about Emma and Boomer.  It brought  tears to my eyes to think about what a blessing those special pets are to  sick children.  It makes us want to do even more for St. Jude to be sure that Boomer and others like him can continue to help these children.

It also made me think back over the years to all of the dogs that we have shared our lives with and how many ways they blessed us just with their presence.  You will find no link to our website in this blog, as I don’t feel that it is appropriate.  I just wanted to share this story about the blessings dogs can be to all people, young or old, well or ill.