The Fussy Pup featured product of the week:

Finally, a compromise in the battle over the toilet bowl. Now Fido can have fresh, clean water and he’ll never know the difference.

Dog Toilet Water Bowl ($24.95) @ www.findgift.com

Hot Dog!

Water should be made available to your pup at all times. If you will be out and about during the day, have at least a gallon of water per pup with you. Bring a small dish and a bottle of water along on shorter walks and potty breaks. The Lixit Dog Travel Water Bowl ($14.99) holds up to 3 quarts of water which conveniently dispenses into the built in bowl.

The H2O to Go Pet Water Dispenser ($21.90) (shown right) offers ultra convenience for pups on the go. Simply fill the attached water bottle (or replace with a store-bought bottle) and flip open to serve. The H2O to Go features a belt clip for easy access during hiking and camping adventures.

Coat Check

If your pup has a long or thick coat, consider having them shaved or trimmed. An experienced groomer can recommend the appropriate summer hair length for your pup’s breed. Generally speaking, hair can be trimmed as short as 1/2 an inch without increasing your pup’s risk for sunburn. Yes, dogs can get sunburned just as easily as humans!

If you will be outdoors for an extended period of time, you may want to apply a specially formulated dog sunscreen (sunscreen for humans is a no-no and can make your pup sick). And hey – don’t forget that cute little nose. Veterinatrians Best Spray Sunscreen with Aloe Vera ($5.95)

Mercury Rising

Keep an eye on your pup for signs of overheating. This is especially the case in short-nosed breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs. As little as 15 minutes in 85+ degree heat can elevate a dog’s body temperature to critical levels.

Ouch, Asphalt is HOT! Your pup’s pads are sensitive and can burn quickly. Limit your pup’s contact with sidewalks, streets and driveways during the day. Hot asphalt not only burns your pup’s paws but it raises their body temperature faster than if they stand in the grass or shade. Keep those furry little feet in the grass and in shady areas as much as possible.

Never, ever, ever leave your pet alone in a parked car. Never. No amount of time is safe. A parked car quickly becomes an oven in the summer sun. Opening the windows does not create enough ventilation either. Sorry, there are absolutely no exceptions to this rule.

If you see a dog alone in a parked car on a hot day, try to locate the owner. If this is unsuccessful, call the SPCA or local police to free the animal. If time is of the essence, free the dog yourself. People are rarely cited for taking action to free a distressed animal; in fact, the owner will probably be cited for animal cruelty. Once freed, move the dog into the shade and provide cool water for them to drink. If possible, apply cool compresses to the dog’s belly area and feet. This lowers body temperature faster than by drinking water alone. Seek veterinary care.

Bug off!

When walking your pup, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. As an extra safety measure, wipe your pup’s feet off with a gentle antibacterial wipe after a walk in the park. We use Nature’s Miracle Pet Wipes ($8.99 for 70)

At home, use pet-friendly lawn care products. In recent years, lawn care manufacturers have listened to pet owners and have developed a wide array of products that are safe yet effective. Natural, home-made remedies and organic lawn care products are an ideal choice. To read more about organic lawn care visit: www.cleanairgardening.com

Hold the Mayo!

Having a barbecue? Keep your pup away from the hot grill and keep matches, fluid and insect repellents out of reach. Certain summer foods like avocados are toxic to pets. Read our post on summer snacking:

What’s Your BBQ IQ? Snack Safely With Your Pup This Summer

Doggie Paddle

If you have a pool, take special precautions to make sure your pup can’t can’t get in when you’re not around. There are a variety of pool safety products for pets – we like the Skamper Ramp ($39.95-$98.95) which helps your pup exit the pool safely should they fall in.

Fussy Pup cannot recommend enough that you teach your pup how to swim. Even if you do not have a pool or live near a body of water, teaching your pup to swim could safe their life. What if your three-year-old drops your 18 week Yorkie in the tub? What if your area succumbs to flooding like the recent catastrophe in Iowa?

When our oldest Pug Delilah was only 3 months old, we taught her how to swim. We did this not only for her safety, but also to introduce her to a form of exercise she could enjoy her entire life. Swimming is considered one of the best forms of exercise for humans – and dogs. The sport works the entire body; improving muscle strength and supporting overall cardiovascular health. Because swimming is considered low-impact, an older pup with arthritis can enjoy paddling a few laps without discomfort. Stay tuned to Fussy Pup for a future article on teaching your pup how to swim.

La Dolce Vita

We hope you will take plenty of time to savor the endless offerings of the season with your pup. Till next time, stay safe and well and keep those little tails wagging.

Fussy Pup

*Fussy Pup does not participate in any affiliate programs, nor do we produce or sell any of the products on our site.  Featured products come from personal product satisfaction and referrals from friends and readers like you.  Unless otherwise stated, purchasing products featured on our site will not result in donations to animal advocacy organizations and/or efforts.  We’re working on Fussy Pup sponsorships and donation programs…stay tuned!

Coming soon on Fussy Pup:

Teach your Fussy Pup How to Swim

Pain Management for Pets

Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Soothing Fourth of July Fireworks Fears

Visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com and click the big purple button. It’s free, and each click amounts to a percentage of funds that the site’s sponsors will donate to animal shelters and sanctuaries. You can even enter your email address to receive a daily reminder to visit the site and submit your click every day.

The site features an online store filled with cute and clever products for pet lovers. Watch out for the “stories” section – it’s a real tear jerker. Secure portals to The Fund for Animals, Petfinder Foundation and North Shore Animal League are also available for direct donations.

C’mon you have one minute, right? Get on over there and submit a click. Then send your friends one of the cute e-card invitations to let them know about this great opportunity to help our furry friends.

What, You’re Still Here?

All right, that’s it. We’re kicking you out. Go on, get going….www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Go Fish!

Next time you take Fluffy out for a walk, why not bring Flipper with you? 52 year-old Mick Madden couldn’t bear the thought of his poor fish being restricted to swimming boring old circles in his living room day after day after day so he invented the GOLDFISH WALKER. Now his two fish Malcom and Ethel can join him everywhere he goes and swim boring old circles at the pub, the park, and so on. Click here to view the contraption.

Fish-inspired gadgets seem to be popular these days, so our second pick is the iPond – a tiny fish tank that doubles as an iPod speaker. This cruel creation limits resident fish to a mere 650 ml of water.

Animal activists in Austraila, where the tank has been flying off store shelves, have called for banning of the device. More…

AT&Fleas

And I thought I had a problem with teenagers having cell phones. The PetCELL, a waterproof,GPS cell phone, clips right to your dog’s collar. Next time the two of you need to get in touch, Fluffy simply pushes a button on the device with her paw to connect to you.

When ordering, make sure to ask if unused minutes ROLL OVER. Ugh, bad joke…couldn’t help it. The PetCell will be available for retail distribution in mid-2008.

Retailing at a mere $12.99, the CRITTER CRUISER will come in handy next time you need the hamster to run out for a gallon of milk. Made of high-impact plastic this vehicle for vermin offers several settings for safety and comfort. Only the best for the little guy! Click here to order yours!!!

Creature Comforts

And finally, a solution for all of that dang dog hair on the couch. VIP Fibers will weave a wide array of products out of your dog’s hair including cell phone holders, finger puppets, and of course, sweaters. Come Fall, Fido can keep warm on crisp evening walks wearing…himself.

Fussy Pup

The program was developed by analyzing the barks of over 6,000 sheepdogs in various situations. Digital recordings of the dog barks were loaded into the computer software and variances were noted.

The computer correctly identified the dog barks 43% of the time. Humans used in the study had an average accuracy rate of 40%. A second test was conducted to see if the computer could accurately recognize individual dogs by their bark. Again, the computer scored higher than the humans tested.

While the accuracy of the computer was not strikingly higher than that of the humans used in the study, the team deems the experiment highly successful and plans to expand the project to study differences in barks between breeds.

The full results of the study were published in the journal Animal Cognition.

Anyone else see a really bad infomercial coming?

What’s Your Story?

We’re looking for some Fussy Pups to feature on our site. We’re currently seeking stories about pet adoption. If you have a personal story about adoption, or you work for a shelter and would like to share your experiences in rescuing and finding homes for animals in need, please email us at info@fussypup.com. Please include photographs, if possible.

Selected stories will be featured on our blog and/or website.

In coming weeks we’ll be accepting submissions on a variety of topics. Subscribe to our blog to receive regular PUPdates. You may also subscribe to our email newsletter by sending an email to info@fussypup.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject line.

Thanks for reading Fussy Pup. We’re looking forward to bringing you the most exciting (and cutest) community for dog owners on the web.

Torrential rain, tornadoes and rising flood waters have forced many to evacuate their homes, some leaving family pets behind in desperation.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa where residents face the worst flooding in the state’s history, organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are overwhelmed by desperate pleas for help. As of this post, over 500 animals have been brought to emergency shelters to be cared for until they can be reunited with their families.

Joined by The Humane Society of Missouri, Code Three Associates and Cedar Rapids fire and police departments, the HSUS is performing land and water rescue missions around the clock.

Many animals remain in need of rescue. Animal rescuers are committed to continuing their efforts until all animals have been brought to safety.

You can help.

Organizations like the HSUS provide emergency services to our nation’s pets in times of catastrophe. Their efforts are supported by their volunteers’ unwaivering commitment and donations from people like you.

Please consider making a donation to the HSUS or your local Humane Society today. Public support ensures that these organizations have the resources necessary to perform rescue missions and provide shelter to animals separated from their families. Visit www.hsus.org to read more about their efforts. Click the image below to make a donation:

Are you prepared?

Pet owners bear the responsibility of making sure they are prepared to keep their furry friends safe and healthy during emergency situations. The following resources will help you prepare for disaster situations:

1. The Humane Society of the United States Disaster Preparedness Guide includes a list of everything you will need to keep your pet healthy and safe during an emergency situation. Print a copy for future reference. If you lose power, you won’t have the luxury of a Google search!

2. Keep your emergency survival kit handy at all times and refresh perishable items every six months.

3. Keep your pet’s identification tags and microchip records updated at all times.

4. Have an emergency evacuation plan in place and share it with your family and neighbors. Disaster can strike at any time – make sure that someone can step in for you if you are not home and cannot get to your pets in time.

The ASPCA offers FREE pet rescue window decals that alert rescue personnel that pets are inside your home. Click the image below to order one.

5. Keep an updated list of animal friendly shelters and hotels in your evacuation area – list should include resources in a radius of 100-150 miles. Keep a printed copy of animal friendly shelter information for your evacuation area.

Animal Friendly Shelter Directory by State

**Fussy Pup strongly recommends your verify your local listings on a yearly basis as part of your preparation.

Take time today to prepare yourself and your pets for emergency situations. And don’t forget to thank those who dedicate their lives to rescuing animals in need. Even the smallest donation can make a difference.

Wanna go the extra mile? How about making your own dog cookies? You’ll be the coolest mom (or dad) at the dog park and your Fussy Pup might just find your savory snacks to be tastier than those new Manolo Blahniks. Well, it’s worth a try.

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers Anyone?

For inspiration, visit the features section of www.bullwrinkle.com. This site features tons of FREE simple yet creative dog cookie recipes. Click Here to view the complete recipe index.

The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook: Homemade Goodies for Man’s Best Friend, by Liz Palika

This clever, playfully illustrated book doesn’t stop at cookies. For special occasions you might just want to try the Blueberry PUPcakes. With 50 tasty, veterinarian approved recipes, even the Fussiest Pup can’t help but give in to temptation.

Vegan pups will be doing cartwheels for the treats found at www.gourmetsleuth.com. If your pup has food allergies, you’ll appreciate their straight forward, ingredient conscious selection of recipes.

Can’t boil water without burning it? Not to fear – treat your pup to some natural, homemade treats from Wet Nose Bakery. There’s a lot of love coming from this kitchen. Check out their toy donation program. Add a squeaky toy to your order and they’ll ship it to an animal shelter of your choosing along with a bag of treats.

Talk about sweet.

Since our original post, Animal Attraction has more than doubled their donations to the ASPCA, Petfinder, and other groups, raising over $19,000 to date- thanks to readers like you who took five minutes out of their busy days to make a difference.

187 donations have originated from our little blog. That’s awesome, but let’s not stop there. If you still haven’t set up your profile, do it today -and be sure to tell all of your friends about this great opportunity.

We’ll keep tracking new memberships from our blog and post updates every couple of weeks. Keep up the good work!

Technorati Tags: animal attraction, ASPCA, help homeless animals, pets, dogs, social networking

The juicy, fresh foods the season offers are hard to resist. Even harder to resist are those Fussy Pup eyes looking up, begging for just a nibble. Many summertime fruits and veggies are dog friendly, but beware of the following foods that can harm your pup*:

Avocados – this fruit is a big no-no due to the fungicidal toxin persin which damages heart, lung and other tissues. No amount is considered safe.

Grapes and Raisins – consumption of this fruit leads to kidney failure in dogs. The effects of eating grapes and raisins are cumulative so even one or two grapes on a fairly regular basis can cause great harm over time. A single serving of raisins is enough to fatally poison a small dog.

Onions – tasty on hamburgers but toxic to dogs. Onions cause red blood cell damage leading to anemia, weakness and breathing trouble. Just like grapes, the effects of consuming onions are cumulative.

Beer – alcohol causes brain and liver damage just like in humans, but due to a dog’s much smaller size the damage progresses quicker and can be deadly. Even tiny amounts of alcohol can cause vomiting and organ damage.

Broccoli - while broccoli is not known to be fatally toxic, it contains isothiocyanate which is a potent gastrointestinal irritant. Avoid broccoli completely if possible.

A more comprehensive discussion on foods, plants and household items toxic to pets can be viewed on the ASPCA website.

If you believe your pup has consumed a toxic food or substance, call the Animal Poison Control Center at 888.426.4435 for help. Keep the number to your local emergency animal hospital handy in case your pup needs immediate medical treatment.

With a little caution, there are still many summer foods you and your Fussy Pup can enjoy together on your next picnic. It is generally recommended that “people food” not exceed more than 10% of a dog’s daily diet, so share the following snacks in moderation:

Fruits: Apple, orange (in small amounts only – citric acid can erode the enamel on your pup’s teeth), bananas and watermelon with seeds removed.

Veggies: Carrots, corn, green beans and cucumbers.

Other: Lean meats (no bones), plain bread, rice and plain pasta.

Enjoy the season’s best with your Fussy Pup this summer. A little caution and a lot of love will keep you safe and satisfied.

*****

What is your Fussy Pup’s favorite snack? Share your thoughts on this and other topics here at Fussy Pup. We’d love to hear from you!

*This list is not all inclusive. Fussy Pup recommends discussing your dog’s diet with your veterinarian and/or researching the safety of specific foods before introducing them to your dog’s diet. Foods considered to be generally “safe” may cause problems in dogs with food allergies.