Got Dog Park Envy?
|  Talk about bow-WOW! Come next spring, the town of Johns
Creek, Georgia will own bragging rights to a $500,000 Dream Dog Park, thanks to
resident Pat McNeely who submitted the winning entry in a national contest
sponsored by BenefulŪ and Wag World.
Construction is being supervised by TV personality and design expert Jason Cameron (of DIY Network's Man
Caves show fame) and Arden Moore will
ensure the place truly caters to the dogs. The park
will sport a paw-shaped splash pad, bone-shaped ramps, tunnels, rubber mulch
paths, synthetic grass, canopy tents, drinking fountains and much more. Learn
more by visiting www.benefuldreamdogpark.comand catch Arden's short videos on her YouTube Channel. The first,
fifth and 10th person to email Arden with
the code word, "Beneful," will receive a coupon good for up to $30 in BenefulŪ
chow for their dogs. |
Go Green, Jan!
| Jan Raissian of Williamson County, Tennessee was the 10th
person to email Arden with the code word, "green" and wins a Greener Pup Cuddle
Bug Bed. The Greener Pup beds are
made from 100-percent recycled plastic, feature washable covers and are
overstuffed to be extra cozy. 100 percent of profits from each sale of these
eco-friendly dog beds benefits Ace of Hearts Non-Profit Foundation, a group
dedicated to placing dogs in loving homes. Click HERE to learn more.
|
Connecticut Goes to
Dogs or Cats - You Decide
|
The small, proud state of Connecticut has an official insect
(the European mantis) and a state troubadour (Pierce Campbell), but alas, needs
to boost its dog and cat ratings. So, the American
Kennel Club www.akc.org and Cat Fanciers Association www.cfa.org teamed up to sponsor a fun "meet
the breeds" voting contest that ends Sept. 20.
Playing on
Connecticut's stereotypes, this group asks you to vote for dog or cat breed in such
categories as Old money: the Pointer or
the Persian? Both rank among the first registered breeds. State size (third
smallest): Norfolk terrier or Singapura? Both are small, but confident breeds.
Check out the other categories by visiting www.meetthebreeds.com where you can
also learn more about the 160 dog breeds and 41 cat breeds being showcased Oct.
16-17 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. |
Sleep in Style
|
Kelly Bailey of San Diego was the eighth
person to email Arden with the code word, "Kashmir" and wins a custom
-knitted sleeping bag made of machine washable wool by Wool and Kashmir Couture www.woolandkashmir.com. These sleeping
bags are made in the USA and are delivered inside organizational storage bags. Congrats,
Kelly! |
Play It Safe with
Trimline
| No pet wants to be called a cone head. Say goodbye to those
rigid, hard-to-maneuver Elizabethan collars and hello to a pet's best surgical
recovery aid: the Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar.
This soft, blue collar is easy to put on and keep on and lets your dog or cat
eat, sleep, drink and play without a fuss. Professional pet sitters,
veterinarians and professional pet groomers are starting to ask for Trimline by
name. Watch this 4-minute Trimline Recovery Collar on YouTube! Click here to learn more. |
Let Arden 'Edu-tain' You!
|
Looking
for a professional speaker, MC or workshop leader for your next event - one
guaranteed to "edu-tain" your audience? Arden is America's Pet
Edu-Tainer™ She informs and delights audiences all over North America. Click HERE to learn more. Like
what you see? Email Arden about creating an email marketing and social media campaign for your business
or non-profit group! |
Dog Thoughts
|
Download this iPhone app on iTunes, take a photo of your
dog, shake your phone and watch your Dog's Thoughts appear!
| |
Sit, Stay, Smile 
In
honor of Pet Smile Month, yes, you read that correctly, let's acknowledge some
ways that our dogs and cats put the grin back on our faces, joy in our hearts
and the pep in our step. Here are some ways to bring out the
healthy best in you and your pet pal from Arden's best-selling books, Happy Dog, Happy You and
Happy Cat, Happy You: - Speak
in a happy, upbeat tone and let out a few hearty "hee hee's' and "ha ha's" in
front of your pet. Studies confirm that happy talk and laughter release
feel-good hormones called endorphins and reduce stress.
-
Call
your pet over and read the newspaper or book chapter out loud. Your pet may not
understand the words, but feels your energy. Scientists say neurobics - or
reading out loud - gives your brain a healthy workout.
-
Greet
each morning with a purposeful s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Enroll in a pet yoga class.
Stretching reduces muscle tension and stiffness plus improves blood circulation
for the both of you.
- Take
a power nap with your pet. Thomas Edison, a famous cat lover, advocated taking
20-minute names to revive, recharge and renew. Our feline friends have purr-fected this art.
Arden will giveaway autographed copies of her "Happy" books
to the 10th and 15th person to email her arden@fourleggedlife.com. Please indicate if you want a cat or dog version. |
Raise the Woof!
A
generation ago, for far too many dogs, their world rarely extended beyond the
backyard. Not today. Our canine pals are out and about with us. They take road
trips, join us at outdoor cafes and on occasion, join us to "woof" for our
favorite baseball team, giving new meaning to the term, 'hot dogs." Recently, Cleo and Arden paw-ticipated in the annual Dog Days of Summer event sponsored by
the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. In attendance: 500
dogs - big and little, some dressed in baseball caps and shirts (and a few
dresses) and all grinning and wagging tails as they strutted along the field
during the pre-game pet parade. You can catch the action on Arden's Oh Behave
Show on Pet Life Radio (Episode #120)
that includes an interview with Hall of Famer and avid dog lover, Steve Garvey. Here are
some tips to make sure your next outing goes without a grrr-owl: -
Enroll
your newly adopted puppy or shelter rescue in a positive reinforcement-based dog
training class.
-
Keep
your dog on a six-foot leash or shorter for better control. Leave those
retractable leashes at home.
-
Make
sure your dog is up-to-date on all vaccinations, including Bordetella every six
months.
-
Bring
water and portable, collapsible dog water bowl.
-
Pay
attention so you can stave off a doggy bark exchange before it escalates into a
fight.
|
In the Spotlight: Dawn Celapino
Each
month, Arden salutes people and groups doing grr-eat work to benefits pets.
This month's pick: Dawn Celapino,
founder of Leash Your Fitness, a workout class for you and your
dog. With her equally fit Cairn terrier, Jack,
Dawn puts the fun in fitness for people and dogs of all ages and sizes. An ACE-certified personal trainer for 18 years, Dawn began
LYF a couple years ago after adopting Jack. "I hated having to leave Jack at home while I went to a gym
to teach or workout," she says. "He's my best workout partner." Starting with one class and a handful of attendees, Dawn has
expanded the number and type of classes all over San Diego County. Class themes
include drill, walking, boot camp and doga yoga. She hosts fun get-aways like
people-dog kayaking and weekend camping that give new meaning to the term, "pup
tent." She also strives to raise money and awareness for non-profit pet groups. Dawn has been featured in national magazines like Fido Friendly www.fidofriendly.com and
TV, including Animal Planet. Personally, she has helped me get back in shape
and shed more than 20 pounds. Jokingly, I am considering changing my name from
Arden Moore to Arden Less. Learn more
about Dawn and Jack by visiting www.leashyourfitness.com. Check out the short video and
"I Love Dogs" theme song. Get fit - and have fun - the Leash Your Fitness way! |
Paws Up to Guide Dogs for the Blind! 
September is designated at
National Guide Dog Month. Since 1942, Guide
Dogs for the Blind has given more than 11,000 blind and visually impaired
people a new leash on life by pairing them up with specially trained service
dogs. This non-profit group, based in San Rafael, California, spotlights the
powerful connection between people and dogs in many ways. Their slogan: "Using
our power of partnering to improve quality of life."
Laugh,
love and learn by checking out the Guide Dogs' blog, e-newsletter, videos and
more by visiting www.guidedogs.com.
You'll be in grr-eat company. Actress Betty
White, a long time animal advocate, has co-authored a couple books with Tom Sullivan that celebrates guide
dogs. Check out Leading Lady: Dinah's
Story and Together: A Novel of Shared
Vision. |
'MEW'SINGS &
MUTTISMS™
Dogs spend a lot of time sniffing
each other's rear ends to download info. We complain when people stink and
have "BO" (body odor), but do dogs view "DO" (doggy odor) as a welcomed
scent?
I have yet to meet a single cat
suffering from a midlife crisis - or lamenting about having a bad hair
day. Time to question the validity of
the term, "work like a dog." In this age of pampered pets, I'd gladly swap
one of my work weeks with the "mutts-do" that Chipper and Cleo accomplish
in a week. |
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