somerville dog

Every dog has its dae

As in sundae.

From the craigslist > boston> pets forum Friday afternoon...

Frosty Paws

In the words of one craigslist poster, Frosty Paws are "a non-dairy ice cream-like treat for pooches. Safe for them to eat, unlike REAL ice cream." Frosty Paws apparently don't taste like ice cream at all, though. No wonder: the main ingredients are water, dried whey, soy flour, and animal fat.

Strummer seemed to really enjoy her first Frosty Paw on Friday night. It took her maybe ten minutes to eat the whole thing--she licked it like an ice cream cone.

I found them at DeMoula's in the ice cream freezers. According to the Frosty Paws representative with whom I spoke, Star Market carries them as well. For additional vendors, you can call Frosty Paws (1-800-225-3636): they offer to mail you coupons when you do.

Another craigslist poster offered the following recipe for homemade frozen dog treats (here are some ideas for substitutions):

32 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 mashed banana or one large jar of baby fruit
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. honey

Blend together and freeze in either 3 oz. paper cups or ice cube trays.
Microwave just a few seconds before serving.

No chocolate syrup on your dog's sundae, though. Chocolate can cause death in dogs.

You've made your list and checked it twice...

Somerville has several options for the discerning dog owner in the market for rooty-toot-toots and rummy-tum-tums:

• Big Fish Little Fish
  55 Elm Street
• The Dog House
  169 Washington Street
• Fi-dough: Pet Bakery, Boutique and Grooming Salon
  70E Beacon Street
• Pet Spa
  669 Somerville Avenue
• Stinky's Kittens & Doggies Too
  110 Bristol Road

A fun holiday treat for dog lovers (and a great source for gift ideas) is the annual Bay Colony Dog Show, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, December 2 through Sunday, December 5, at the Bayside Exposition Center (Local News).

Every day offers a unique mix of competitions, demonstrations, and special events, and each day is presented by a different prestigious AKC dog club resulting in one "Best in Show" trophy each day.

The weekend offers family-oriented dog demonstrations by the Boston Police K-9 Unit, Northeast Search and Rescue as well as the annual "rescue parade" spotlighting pooches who found a new leash on life through breed rescue clubs. (Press Release)

How to de-skunk a dog

I received an e-mail from East Somerville last week about one Somerville dog's experience with the business end of a skunk.

So when I took Strummer to Laundromutt in Cambridge, yesterday, I didn't have to think twice about registering for their Skunk Hotline. Registration is free! Then, if your dog gets skunked when Laundromutt is not open, you can call them and they'll open the store for you so you can bathe your dog in one of their state-of-the-art tubs. A private after-hours de-skunking visit is $50.00. (If your dog gets skunked when Laundromutt is open, you don't have to be registered to purchase their Skunk Service for $25.00.)

Yesterday was our first visit to Laundromutt, "a self-service dog wash and dog lounge," on Concord Avenue. I purchased "a-la-carte" services for Strummer: shampoo, conditioner and blowdry for $21.00. While I was blow-drying and brushing Strummer, two other dogs got baths. Yah, a non-shedding dog like a Standard Poodle is high maintenance, but it's a small price to pay if you hate vacuuming as much as I do. And with Laundromutt, the price is even smaller!

Laundromutt has several bathing and grooming stations. They also have a dog lounge with leather sofas, copies of Bark Magazine and The Pet Gazette, and Cable TV--a good venue for an AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Party! Maybe next year...

Update January 17, 2004: I was talking with Luna's person, yesterday, and she told me about the following solution to neutralize skunk spray:

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon dish-washing detergent

The solution is effervescent--it produces gas (oxygen)--and cannot be stored in a closed container, because the pressure of the gas can cause the container to explode.

Bark & Bath Charity Dog Wash

LaundroMutt, Cambridge's DIY dog wash, in cooperation with Polka Dog Bakery in the South End is sponsoring a Charity Dog Wash to benefit the Trust for Public Land at Hotel Marlowe, adjacent to the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall, in Cambridge, Saturday, July 9th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wash and dry service is being provided by LaundroMutt for a $10 donation, which also allows you to make your own doggie sundae compliments of Polka Dog Bakery. People treats courtesy of Hotel Marlowe.

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why dog owners in particular would want to support the Trust For Public Land. Lots of dog owners are conservationists, but given the "no dogs" policy on many conservation lands, it behooves us to choose carefully where we give our charity dollars.

In the Somerville Dog Owners Group Forum MrGranby posted a link to an excellent article, "Creating dog parks - without rancor," by Peter Harnik and Cerise Bridges. Peter Harnik is director of the Trust for Public Land's Center for City Park Excellence. Cerise Bridges is a former researcher for the center.

So there is some consideration for dog friendly urban parks at TPL!

Also, the charity dog wash is a good excuse to check out Hotel Marlowe, a dog-friendly hotel in Cambridge.

ArtBeat 2005

ArtBeat is "one of the area?s largest and most innovative arts festivals." Lots of events are scheduled at several locations in Davis Square.

This year will be the first year that a pet boutique will have Booth at ArtBeat! Fi-dough, which has a store on Beacon Street in Somerville, will have doggie treats and things for sale and a gift basket raffle!

Strummer is hoping lots of friends (old, new and to be) join her in the Mix/MashParade! tomorrow morning at 11:30... The parade begins at the Seven Hills Park stage (behind the Holland St T exit), proceeds along Elm and Holland streets and ends on Park stage.

Pet Rock

Last year, when I took Strummer to pet rock, she "thought she had died and gone to doggie heaven."

On Sunday, September 11, we're looking forward to seeing our friends, Greyhound Welfare and Poodle Rescue of New England at Pet Rock at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. Strummer's especially looking forward to seeing her friend from the Educated Ferret Association...