iPhone apps for pet lovers

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will not be too surprised to hear that I have recently learned of not 10 but 11 exciting iPhone apps for dog lovers! Here is the link to Mashable's list of the 10 Best iPhone Apps for dog lovers, and here is a link to a natural pet therapies iPhone app that I stumbled upon a few days ago.

The only app that I personally have tried myself is the PetMD Finder app. I chose to download this app for two reasons: 1)it's free and I can't resist a good freebie. 2)As a pet professional, I wanted to check out their pet services directory app. Of course, I then realized that I'd better hurry up and list myself in their service directory. Not surprisingly, they offer a free basic listing and then several paid upgrade options. My hunch is that they can afford to offer the app for free if pet professionals like myself choose to pay to be listed in their service directory!


My verdict thus far: I think it's pretty great that I can instantly & effortlessly find the closest dog parks, veterinarians and emergency clinics based on my current location!

So tell me: have any of you heard of any of these apps before? Tried them? Positive reviews, negative reviews? Any other apps I should add to my list? After all, if we can come up with just one more app that would be one app for each of the 12 days of Christmas...

Help for Your Fearful Dog

As the owner of a dog who was somewhat fearful when I first adopted her, I am always grateful when I stumble across useful information about working with fearful dogs. Debbie Jacobs offers a wonderful website and series of articles on the examiner.com that will hopefully provide you or perhaps your friends with some useful tips and ideas for working with a scared or shy dog.

The most important guideline to keep in mind while working with your dog, according to Debbie Jacobs: "Most important is that you work on building a positive, trusting relationship with your dog."

Her website also contains tips for dealing with storm and sound phobias.

Another great resource for those of you concerned about a fearful dog: The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell.

Pick of the Month - December 2009

It has been several months since I've announced a "pick of the month" product, but this cold weather has renewed my appreciation for one of my favorite pet products on the market: BioBags.

These poop bags are one of the most eco-friendly options available. Many poop bags marketed as biodegradable (such as Bags on Board) are polyethylene bags that simply break down into smaller pieces of plastic. BioBags, on the other hand, are biodegradable and actually compostable since they are made from corn (a renewable resource to boot).

However, what I most appreciate about these bags on a day to day basis is how easy they are to open. With many brands of poop bags, it takes a few seconds or even minutes to separate the plastic at the top before you are able to successfully pick up your dog's business. BioBags, however, open smoothly & quickly even in the dark when your hands are either numb from the cold or you're wearing gloves. This might not seem like the biggest deal in the world, but I am reminded of how grateful I am for BioBags each time I leave the house with some other brand of poop bag in my pocket--especially when it's cold and late at night.

The Intellidogs Advent Calendar

As someone who was always delighted by advent calendars as a child, I could not resist posting a link to The Intellidogs Advent Calendar.
At this point it's hard to tell what's in store, but supposedly it will offer up training tips, interesting stories and holiday goodies you can make!

Welcome to December!