Pet Auto Safety

Visit our American Dog Blog for several Christmas dog videos including videos from a cute Yorkie name Dexter, a dog being wrapped as a Christmas present, and dogs decorating a Christmas Tree.

Click HERE to visit the American Dog Blog post on Christmas Eve.

Click HERE to visit the American Dog Blog post on Christmas day.

Have a Merry Doggy Christmas!!!

I have always wanted to go to Branson, Missouri for the winter holidays. Silver Dollar City has a great Christmas festival. The problem with visiting Branson, Missouri is that there are not many dog friendly places for tourists to visit, especially in winter. If we go the Branson, Missouri for the Christmas festival, Maya will not be able to go.

Maya can, however, stay in a dog friendly hotel. There are a number of dog friendly hotels in Branson, Missouri. I can always count on the Red Roof Inn allowing Maya to stay. Days Inn, Quality Inn, and La Quinta are also usually dog friendly.

There is an especially nice dog friendly place to stay, the Emory Creek Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Gift Shop. This bed and breakfast also has a special pet friendly room called the Dogwood Room (pictured above). It has its own private porch and overlooks the gardens. Talk about a pampered pup!

Since it is winter, there won’t be many outdoor activities anyway so Maya will be perfectly comfortable in a hotel room for a while. We can still take Maya for walk. And we can even take her walking at the Shoppes at Branson Meadows. Maya probably won’t be allowed in any of the stores, but she will be allowed in the common areas of the mall.

Also near the mall is a Humane Society Thrift Store. It is a thrift store like any other thrift store with clothes, furniture, etc. for people. But it benefits the humane society.

I can also take Maya with me to the Stone Hill Winery. She’s not allowed inside but she can be on the patio while I taste test a glass of hot mulled Hermannsberger wine.

I wish there were more dog friendly places to go in Branson, Missouri but this will have to do. At least there are a number of pet friendly hotels and Maya won’t be completely bored.

Dogtoberfest - “Everybody and their Dog will be there!”

Next Sunday is the Dogtoberfest in Lawrence, Kansas. Come see us on October 9th between 11:00 and 4:00 at Southpark which is located downtown off of Massachusetts St. There will be activities, demonstrations, contests, and more. The Dogtoberfest has food from Mr. Bacon BBQ and lots of pet vendors including an “Ask a Vet” booth, Daisy’s Diva Designs, Pet Auto Safety.com, Bow Wow Wow Pet Gifts, Dignified Doggies, Pawsh Wash, and Good Dog! Don’t forget that there will also be adoptable pets from the Lawrence Humane Society.

The Dogtoberfest in Lawrence, Kansas benefits the homeless in the Lawrence community – homeless pets from the Lawrence Humane Society and homeless people at the Lawrence Community Shelter.

Come see us and have a doggone good time!

Yay! It’s time once again for the annual Paws in the Park at Gage Park in Topeka. This pet event, which is held Saturday, September 17th between 9am and 12pm, is the biggest fundraiser held by the Helping Hands Humane Society. Participate in the walk for $40 and help thousands of homeless pets. For your participation, you will also receive a t-shirt, pet bandana, and lots of goodies.

If you’re not up for the walk, there will be lots of pet vendors to visit, pancakes and sausage to eat, and pet contests to enter. We, as PetAutoSafety.com and AnimalFigurineStore.com, will be there as a vendor.  Come join us for some howlin’ good fun! For more information on this great pet event visit the Helping Hands Humane Society of Topeka.

It is the last holiday of the summer so let’s go enjoy it!  Many of us will be hanging out at the lake this Labor Day weekend.  If you’re like me, you are going to take your dog.  Here are a few important pet safety tips to remember:

* When driving out to the lake, be sure everyone including your pet is safely restrained in the vehicle.  Your dog should use a pet safety device such as dog car harness, pet car seat, or pet crate.
* Be sure everyone wears sunscreen.  Consider sunscreen for your dog too – especially if your dog has short fur.
* Pet safety means keeping your dog on a leash unless he is in an off-leash area for dogs.  There are many reasons for keeping your pet on a leash.  You don’t want him wandering off and getting lost.  With so many people about, you do not want your dog getting into trouble with people or other dogs.  And you don’t want your dog wandering around picking up scraps of food or garbage.
* Bring plenty of water.  Don’t forget your dog’s water bowl so he can drink too.  Just because you are at the lake doesn’t mean your dog should be allowed to drink from it.
* Be aware of the dangers of heat stroke.  Watch for signs and if any person or pet exhibits signs, get them somewhere cool as soon as possible.  Signs of heat exhaustion include vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and increased heart rate.  For dogs symptoms also include excessive panting, pale gums, and/or a bright red tongue.
* Stay away from pond scum.  As per our pet safety article on our American Dog Blog, blue-green algae can be harmful for both you and your pets.
* If you are going on a boat, be sure everyone including your pet wears a life jacket.  Boating accidents are common and should your dog fall or get tossed overboard, you want him to be able to keep afloat until help comes.

If there are any other pet safety issues you can think of, let us know.  And have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!!!

On August 13th, 2011, we participated in a pet event called Tails on the Trails at Ad Astra Park & Pool in Lenexa, Kansas.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon.  There weren’t as many vendors or as many visitors this year as compared to last, but it was still a fun and successful event.

We had a table there to sell our pet auto safety products, but there were lots of other things going on besides pet vendors selling products.  The part which my dog Maya liked best was the swimming in the pool.  Yep, that’s right, dogs got to swim in the public pool for the day!

At about 11:00, the Tails on the Trails event hosted pet contests.  Visitors to the event got to enter their dogs in contests such as biggest dog, smallest dog, best trick, best kisser, and so on.  I entered Maya in the best trick contest.  She did her little turn-around trick on four legs and the same trick on her two hind legs.  I couldn’t get her to do the one on her two hind legs as well as she does it at home (probably the distraction of all the people and dogs), but she did okay and got third place.  First and second places went to dogs who did multiple tricks in a row.  All the participants did a great job!

At about 12:30 there was a pet parade.  The parade consisted of owners and their dogs walking around the park.  It wasn’t too exciting but it was good exercise.  I let my friend walk Maya in the parade.

After that, the local police officers did a demonstration with their police dogs (see photo above).  Their dogs are Belgian Malinois dog breeds and they are super smart and very well-behaved.  One dog demonstrated the finding of drugs and another one of the dogs demonstrated taking down a suspect (pictured below).

The very last thing of the day was the dock diving practice for the Lenexa k-9 team.  There are national competitions for dock diving dogs and they need to get their practice somewhere.  I had to tend my booth so I was unable to watch.

There are all sorts of pet events all over the country.  Most benefit a pet organization.  If you didn’t make it to this pet event, check your local animal shelter and rescue group organizations for other events.

We are part of another pet event on September 17th at Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas, called the Paws in the Park.  And another event on October 8th at Southpark in Lawrence, Kansas, called Dogtoberfest.  We hope to see you there!

Outward Hound Port-a-Bowl and the Handi-Drink are great pet travel water bowl brands for your dog.  Whenever you take your dog out this summer, you want to make sure he stays cool and hydrated.  Many places don’t have bowls of fresh water lying around for your dog so you may want to bring your own pet travel water bowl.

The Outward Hound Port-a-Bowl pet travel water bowl fits easily in your pocket.  When your dog is ready to drink, simply unfold the pet travel water bowl, set it on the ground, and fill it with water.  When your dog is done, dump out the remaining water, shake it off, and put it back in your pocket.

The Handi-Drink pet travel water bowl comes with both a plastic bowl and a water bottle.  The bowl is long and fits around the bottle and both bowl and bottle clip on your belt for easy carrying.  When your dog is ready for a drink, simply flip open the pet travel water bowl and let the water flow.

Keeping your buddy cool this summer is very important.  Go swimming, boating, to the park, and enjoy the sunshine.  But help your dog stay cool and hydrated with a pet travel water bowl.

This is where I want to take my next vacation.  After checking around a bit for attractions in Colorado Springs, I found a lot of pet friendly places.  Now, Sephi and Maya can come too!

With so many pet friendly hotels in the nation, it will be easy for us to find a place to stay.  Best Western, La Quinta Inn, and Holiday Inn are just a few of the pet friendly hotels.  There are even pet friendly vacation rentals in Colorado Springs.  Check out VacationHomeRentals.com.

One such vacation rental is near the Garden of the Gods Park.  Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark.  This is a scenic area with towering red rock formations (see photo above).  And guess what?  It is dog friendly too.  The park even has an off-leash area for your dog.  Check out GardenofGods.com for more information.

Other pet friendly attractions in Colorado Springs includes the Ghost Town Wild West Museum, Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Seven Falls, Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum, and more!  There are even some outdoor restaurants in Colorado Springs which will allow pets.

We are really excited about our trip.  We all love the outdoors.  It is a bit of a drive (9 hours), but thanks to the Extend-a-Seat and Sephi and Maya’s dog car harness, it will be a comfortable trip for all.

When it is time to take a family vacation, don’t forget your pets.  If you’re travelling too far, leave your pets with a friend, a good boarding kennel, or hire a pet sitter.  But if your destination is a drive away, take your dog with you when you travel.  Here are some great reasons why:

Pet Friendly Hotels
Numerous pet friendly hotels make it easy.  Hotels all over the United States are opening their rooms to people traveling with their pets.  Some charge a nominal fee, some no fee at all.  And many have no restrictions on size or breed.

No Worries
There is no need to worry about whether your dog is being taken care of by your friend, the boarding kennel, or pet sitter.  If your dog travels with you, there will be no need to call anyone to see how your dog is doing.  You can enjoy your vacation together.

No Separation Anxiety or Depression
Your pet being left along for long hours waiting for your friend or pet sitter to come by can be a very depressing situation for your dog.  Some dogs get severe separation anxiety and tear things up.  Boarding kennels can be very stressful to your dog with all the barking going on and the strange smells and strange people.  If your dog travels with you, you will not need to worry about your dog having separation anxiety issues or going into depression.

Easy-going Companion
At least one of your traveling companions will not complain and be willing to do anything and go anywhere you want to go.  If you want to relax by the beach, your buddy is there.  If you want to go hiking or swimming, your dog will most likely want to go too.  If you ever get bored on your vacation, just take a look at your dog.  He is enjoying all the simple pleasures whether it is just taking a nap, enjoying the special time with family, or sniffing the fresh air and seeing the new sights.

Traveling with your dog can sometimes be a chore.  Some dogs don’t do well in the car.  But there are plenty of remedies to help.  Be sure he is secure in a dog car seatbelt or other dog car safety product.  If your dog tends to get car sick, be sure he has a good view out the window.  Small dogs can see out and be secure in a pet car seat.  And the more you take your dog with you when you travel, the more he will get used to it and look forward to more vacations!