Category Archives: Dogtography
DIY Duds for Your Dog
Even you can make your own dog clothes.
He has seen the DIY light.
Because I’m a sucker for upcycling and DIY, the rag bin at the recent Dogs on the Lawn event at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art caught my eye.
I had read in the event schedule that one of the activities involved making shirts for your dog, but I didn’t know exactly what that meant.
I was thinking blank doggy tees and magic markers.
But the art students leading this activity were far more crafty than that!
They clearly had figured out what we have all known for a long time:
Dog apparel is expensive in the same way as women’s swimwear and lingerie. You pay a premium price for very little fabric because it’s cute.
$11 on clearance at Fab.com.
For the art students, a way around investing in a bunch of pre-made doggy shirts was to upcycle old fabric. Their rag bin consisted of various shapes, sizes and colors of well-worn and soft T-shirts.
Next to the bin were several patterns for cutting the cloth into no-sew, homemade doggy duds.
Because I didn’t have any of the wayward dogs with me and the event was winding down, I grabbed a yellow shirt sleeve that seemed big enough for an elderpin to squeeze into.
Then, I proceeded to the screen printing area.
Guests could choose one of several patterns and colors. There was a pretty cute outline of a dog with a heart design, but I chose something more representative of this particular day.
I picked a shuttlecock, a locally-understood symbol of the Nelson, which has a giant shuttlecock sculpture on the lawn.
A student helped me screen printed the piece of fabric for me and pinned it to a clothesline with everyone else’s so the ink could dry.
I was pleased with the result. But back at home, I realized quickly that even a stretched out T-shirt sleeve is a bit too snug for an elderpin.
Nevertheless, the project did not go to waste. It makes a very nice neck band for one Charlie “Chetty” Machete.
And the color suits him well, since he is undoubtedly a yellow dog.
Have you ever made your own dog clothes or done screen printing at home?
If you want to upcycle the scraps in your rag bin, check out this eHow article about making old dog clothes from things you have around the house.
To try your hand at DIY screen printing, try out this Instructable.
Beer With Their Breakfast
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?
Yes, Luke. Yes, it is.
But it doesn’t matter, your beer is alcohol-free, and it doesn’t even require that nifty bottle opener you wear on your collar.
So, go ahead, guzzle some Bowser Beer. Lap it up at the beginning of a hard day. Use it like gravy, even, on your kibble.
The other guys are doing it, too.
I’ve known about the dog-friendly Bowser Beer for a while, but I had not run into any locally until last weekend’s Dogs on the Lawn event at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.
For just a few dollars, I grabbed a bottle of the Beefy Brown Ale for my boys to try.
According to the label, the suggested serving size is one bottle for medium to large dogs and half a bottle for small dogs. However, even the proprietors of the food truck for dogs where I bought it said they don’t give their two labs that much beer.
They suggested a splash here and there, maybe drizzled over some kibble. Just refrigerate after opening, they advised.
I broke out the bottle the very next day. Before pouring some in a dish for the dogs, I tasted it myself.
I found it watery and slightly sweet, not so beefy.
Scooby tried it next. Although puzzled at first, he soon lapped it up eagerly.
Luke then had pretty much the same reaction.
Finally, Charlie “Chetty” Machete got his portion. He was least impressed of all, licking at the bowl and then looking up at me, as if to say, “Where’s the beef?”
The next morning, I poured a little Bowser Beer over everyone’s dry food. That did seem to make mealtime significantly more exciting.
Although I don’t see us buying Bowser Beer by the case, I think it’s a brilliant item for a dog-oriented food truck to stock. I’m sure Good Dog 2 Go will do great business at pet-friendly races and other summer events.
Besides the novelty, one reason someone may want to give their dogs Bowser Beer is for the glucosamine.
Glucosamine HCL is the fourth ingredient on the label, after water, beef and malt extract. The only other three ingredients are common preservatives: citric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.
I could also see how incorporating Bowser Beer into a dog’s diet – regularly or as an infrequent treat – could help boost a dog’s water intake or help make liquid medicine go down a little easier.
Bowser Beer is made in the U.S.A. with all domestically-sourced products. You can learn more at BowserBeer.com.
Would you let your dogs try Bowser Beer?
I have no affiliation with Bowser Beer. I simply bought some and wanted to share my experience!
Sowing the First Spring Seeds
It’s been quiet around here lately.
No lie – I’ve been trying to cut back on the daily computing.
I’ve been needing to get outside.
Luckily, the weather was warm over the weekend, so we headed out to the garden for some peace – and hard work.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would plant much this year. I’ve felt so bad about neglecting last year’s garden that I haven’t even started any seedlings yet this spring.
But when I knelt down by our carrot patch, where that crisp orange smell still lingers in the soil, I knew I had to raid our little seed bank.
As usual, I sowed ‘em thick – two rows of traditional carrots, one row of purple carrots, one row of beets and one row of root parsley.
Over the past couple of years, our gardening experiments have taught us that root vegetables – from sweet potatoes and carrots to turnips and radishes – are easy.
And the dogs tend to love tasty roots as much as we do.
I’m hoping for a bumper crop of root veggies this summer.
In the meantime, the fruit trees are full of buds and dozens of onions are just begging to be trimmed as garnishes or dug up for roasting.
And there are wild things to harvest.
Come back tomorrow to learn about the weeds we’ve been eating and a recipe!Have you begun gardening yet this spring?
Ouch!
If porcupines were tree branches, they would look like this.
Long-haired Luke picked this up in his golden tailfeathers last night during our jog along the Trolley Track Trail.
He squatted down to do his business, and when he stood up, this foot-and-a-half-long weapon was swinging from the underside of his tail. Because his fur kept him safe from the thorns, he seemed more confused than anything – like a cat with a string tied to its tail.
Never have I more wished to be carrying a pocket knife on an outing.
However, instead of cutting around the evil entanglement, I spent ten bare-handed minutes, gingerly tugging strands of hair away from the sticky, hair-like thorns, many of which lodged themselves in my skin throughout the process.
Charlie Machete seemed to be laughing at us all the while.
Oh well, it was an adventure!
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, several thorny varieties of deciduous trees grow in Missouri. I think our spiky branch was new growth from a black or honey locust that fell off due to the recent snowstorms.
Many honey locusts grow along the part of the trail we were on. They have a terrifying appearance, their own branches wrapping around the trunk like wooden barb wire.
What hazards must you watch out for on your outings?
Happy Ending: Dusty Rhodes
“I’ve wined and dined with kings and queens and slept in alleys eating pork and beans.”- Dusty Rhodes
Remember that sad, little shepherd mix my friends found recently on the hard streets of Kansas City?
Well, he’s doing much better now.
In fact, you might say little Dusty Rhodes, named for a pro wrestler, is living “The American Dream.”
Because my friends were able to get around a dog weight restriction at their apartment, Dusty Rhodes came home with them.
He now has a mom, a dad and a tiny beagle sister named Daphne.
No more sleeping at the park for this guy!
Congratulations, Dusty!
Unfortunately, the list of dogs in need is neverending.
Another friend found an equally adorable shepherd mix with no collar, tags or microchip around 73rd and Harrison streets in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City yesterday.
Please share her photo if you have Kansas City contacts so that we may track down an owner before the dog is turned over to animal control.
Do you recognize me?
Solving the Sergeant’s Piddle Problem
Gilles and Linda Auger started making diapers for their cat Bowie and later for their rescued Chihuahua ChiChi.
“From this experience, we decided to create our own hygienic clothing manufacturing company for pets.”
Bowie the cat
Now, that is one agreeable cat.
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently received from the Augers’ company Créations Entre Chats Et Chiens a pair of custom-made diapers Sergeant’s uniform to test on my incontinent elderpin Scooby.
The overall-style diapers are designed kind of like a Thundershirt in that two straps wrap around the front of the dog’s neck/chest area and fasten with velcro.
Velcro straps also secure the diaper part of the garment to the piece that wraps around the dog’s back.
The garment itself is constructed with three layers of waterproof fabric. On the area that covers the problem area, there is a netting in which you can tuck a sanitary napkin for added protection. (In order to be more eco-friendly, I just used old fabric scraps.)
In theory, I like the Augers’ design a lot.
The velcro straps allows some flexibility in the fit. If your dog is having a fat day, you can just let it out a little.
Unfortunately – most likely due to my poor measuring ability – Scooby’s diaper doesn’t fit snugly enough. It bags out around his bottom, and the straps aren’t long enough to tighten it around his belly as much as he needs.
As a result, he is able to wriggle out of his little sergeant’s uniform and continue doing his business where he pleases.
Furthermore, the fact that some of the scratchy part of the velcro touches his underbelly encourages his desire to get out of his diaper.
While I cannot say for sure that the overall-style diaper has saved us from any accidents in the house, it is pretty cute (if, like me, you appreciate camo dog clothes).
If I can con a friend with sewing skills into helping me alter the the diaper a bit, I think there is hope for its functionality.
However, I would recommend that the Augers switch the placement of the male and female velcro strips so that the dog’s skin can only ever possibly come into contact with the softer bristles.
In spite of this product not working out perfectly for us, I still encourage others to check out DiapersforDog.com, where the Augers sell their pet accessories to an international audience. (Just pay more attention when you are measuring, unlike me!)
This small company is new; the proprietors are friendly; and they are still perfecting their designs and rolling out new ones in a variety of attractive patterns.
I am happy we had the chance to try this handmade product and wish the Augers luck with their business venture!
Have you discovered any cool new pet businesses lately?
Disclosure: I received a free product in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed here are honest.
It’s Not a Diaper – It’s a Sergeant’s Uniform
What is Scooby wearing?
Don’t tell him it’s an adult dog diaper. Tell him it’s a uniform.
He needs to wear it when he has important things to do around the house – like exercise his authority as commander of comfy places – without leaking all over them.
Scooby’s overall style diaper uniform was custom-made by Créations Entre Chats Et Chiens (aka diapersfordog.com), a small company based in Quebec, Canada. They contacted me a while back with an offer to outfit my little officer in exchange for a product review.
I was ecstatic!
Scooby’s incontinence has been an issue for basically the entire 6.5 years that we’ve been together. Of course, things are getting worse as he gets older and anytime he’s having health issues.
Solving the piddles isn’t an easy task.
Scooby wriggles out of belly bands and Pooch Pants. And potty pads aren’t an option at our house, lest they give the big dogs the idea that it’s OK to do their thing inside, too.
Also, Scooby tends to have spontaneous accidents, in which case he just “goes” wherever he is standing or snuggled.
Créations Entre Chats Et Chiens offers several styles and patterns of pet incontinence solutions, including male, female and unisex diapers. Each product is custom made by hand for your pet.
Because male diapers have not worked for Scooby in the past, I chose the washable overall dog diaper in a manly camouflage pattern.
Many patterns are available, including zebra stripes.
Come back tomorrow to see how this product has worked out for us!
Have you ever put diapers a special uniform on your dog? How did that work out for you?
From the Streets to the Shelter
What would you do if you found this at your neighborhood park?
Fortunately for this little shepherd mix, when my friends stumbled across him a few days ago they did more than hurry past and try to forget about the sad sight.
They contacted animal control.
That’s not always an easy call to make. The shelter in Kansas City, Missouri, is not in good condition, and although euthanasia rates are down, not every animal makes it out of there alive.
For these reasons, my friends weren’t thrilled to send the pup to the city pound, but they weren’t in a position to tend to his immediate needs.
They did the right thing.
And again, they did not simply turn their backs when the truck drove off with the stray animal.
They recognized that to survive the shelter, this dog would need allies on the outside.
So, they shared his picture and story on social networks and lost pet forums.
They called up the shelter to see how he was doing.
They even went to visit him.
My friends would really like to adopt this dog, but at 45 pounds he is slightly too large for the rules set by their apartment complex.
They say he seems to be friendly and sweet, and the shelter estimates he is between 6 months and 1 year old.
Today, he is officially available for adoption from KC Pet Project. His identification number is 19425723.
Please share this dog’s story with anyone you know who may be interested in adopting him.
What do you do when you find a wayward dog?
Read more about the experience of finding this dog at ginchy!
Festive Nostalgia
Better get your green out, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day.
Dr. Minerva
Last year on the Saturday before the leprechaun’s favorite holiday, Minnie the husky mix accompanied me in a parade through the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City.
Emily from Our Waldo Bungie was there, too, with her foster-dog-of-the-moment Lucy.
The lovely Lucy Liu
I remember the day very clearly. The sun was bright, and the air was warm.
Minnie was wearing a green t-shirt, but we soon had to strip that off to keep her cool and comfortable.
Lucy Liu got lots of looks thanks to her festive green skirt, in which she strutted for the whole parade.
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has passed.
Both of these sweet dogs have now been in their forever homes for several months.
The pre-St. Patrick’s Day parade is happening without us all this year, in just a few hours.
However, I will definitely break out that green bandana Minnie wore to help Luke or Charlie Machete get festive sometime this weekend.
Check out this video I took of her after last year’s parade:
Will you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year? Will you be dressing up your dog?
This Foxy Lady Is Looking for a Friend
How foxy is Soxy?
Do you know someone who could fall in love with Soxy?
Soxy graduated from the Puppies for Parole program on Feb. 28 at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific.
Soxy was special in that she was the 100th dog to graduate from MECC’s program.
Statewide, Puppies for Parole has now found homes for more than 1,300 dogs since it started in 2010.
Soxy is a 3-year-old Shiba Inu mix who is very loving with a sweet personality and alert attitude.
In her previous home, she had been quite the escape artist and became pregnant on one of her outings. She was subsequently surrendered to Mostly Mutts shelter and was later brought to MECC.
Through her Puppies for Parole experience, Soxy has learned several tricks. She will make a wonderful companion dog in her forever home.
For info on this sweet girl, call the shelter at 314-607-5852.
Every month Wayward Dogs features an adoptable dog like Soxy from the Missouri Puppies for Parole program.
Check out more available puppies at P4P’s website!
