To Aire is Divine

We’ve havin’ a heatwave… an atypical tropical heatwave… And mama has been worried about my ability to keep cool in the face of extreme temperatures (well, extreme for Portland that is).  So a few days ago, she spent almost an hour in the REI store picking out a new cooling vest for me.  First she went online, did lots of research, and even emailed a few companies to ask about their products.  As I am the King of Terriers, not just any vest would do.  Going to REI was a pretty involved thing, as after deciding that she’d invest in one picking out the correct size was a challenge and took her the better part of an hour.   It turns out that since I’m right on the cusp between Medium and Large, she wasn’t sure which was going to provide the right amount of protection against the evil sun and heat without being uncomfy.

We went with the Large and mama is very pleased with the way it fits!  I don’t have any issues putting things on over my head, and then it just clips on both sides of my shoulders.  A snap to put on.  The thing that mama liked about it the most was that this vest works with just water – there is no freezing of inserts and no possibility of anything hurting me – and after the initial soaking you can reactivate the cooling powers by just pouring more water over it.  Perfect.

And yes, it seems to work!  This covered my entire back – which, being black fuzz, gets very hot in the sun – and the coolness of the vest keeps my skin cool.  Most importantly to me, this vest doesn’t limit my ability to do some of my favorite things, like trampling plants…

Going for long walkies…

Finding interesting things to add to the “Keep Portland Weird” file…

And of course, peeing.

The vest is from Ruff Wear – it’s their Swamp Cooler vest.  It works well with my deep, manly, muscle-y chest, is easy to use, and most importantly, IT WORKS.  I was definitely more comfortable in the 90+ degree heat with this on, and during our hour-long walk mama poured a cup of water over me two times for added refreshment (it’s SO GREAT to not have her pour water directly on me).

And see?  It’s actually quite dashing on me.  And I can wear my favorite harness over it.

Of course we still take it easy on our walkies – mama still has that broken toe and it is going to be 90+ for the next few days – but now I don’t feel the need to plop down in the middle of the walkie because I’m too hot.  I can go back to plopping down for more important things…

Like eating sticks, of course.

Love,

Bogart

BookmAIREk Me!

The nice folks at Clean + Green sent us a can of their carpet and upholstery cleaner, made especially for pet stains.  As you can imagine, we have our share of those.  Oddly, we received the can a few weeks back and there has been no VOMIT, POOP, or PEE in the meantime (well, not in any inappropriate places, that is – otherwise we’d explode).

Luckily, just as mama was about to give up, this appeared courtesy of Kafka (yes, it’s cat puke):

And he was kind enough to “produce” on the off-white carpeting that covers our place.  Purrfect.  So we first cleaned up the “extra” bits per the instructions, and then soaked the new stain:

After waiting for about 15 minutes, most of the stain was gone, with no scrubbing:

After another round:

The stain was almost completely gone.  And mama can confirm that the smell was gone as well.

At the get-go, we weren’t expecting much.  Mama has tried almost every product out there that claims to get rid of pet-related stains.  We were really pleasantly surprised.

This product worked really well on fresh stains – it was a bit more challenged by older ones (yes, we have a few of those around as well).  It definitely faded them (even one that wasn’t pet-related) and didn’t do any damage to the rug itself which was great.  The can itself is large but empties rather quickly (after soaking the one new stain 2x and trying out 5 smaller older stains), but maybe mama soaked them more than necessary – if you have a lot of stains to remove, definitely get more than one can.  I’d say that this was a really tough test for this product, as our carpet is both lightly colored and fuzzy and therefore difficult to clean (I can hear mama whining about it now), and it performed well and as advertised.

The bottom line is that Clean + Green is a definite Buy Me product, super to have around for “accidents” – especially ones that you find quickly.  It’s completely safe and non-toxic for pets (a BIG plus), and I saw some at my local pet store the last time I was there.  Take a look for yourself at their website, you can buy online too!

Love,

Bogart

BookmAIREk Me!

Coming up on April 21st on PBS – you MUST see this:

Bogart and I are pleased to pass along the information about this documentary, and we will definitely be watching.  If you can get through the preview video above without tearing up, well, you are made of stone.

“Through a Dog’s Eyes” Highlights a Unique Teaching Philosophy Based on Love and Kindness; Documentary Will Change the Way People Think About Their Own Dogs

Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on hope to get them through each day; hope for a breakthrough; hope for gaining or reclaiming independence; and hope for a friend. Each year, hundreds of them find hope at a handful of organizations across the country that train assistance dogs for people with disabilities. The new primetime PBS documentary, Through a Dog’s Eyes, follows the life-changing journey of recipients as they go through the heartwarming and sometimes difficult process of receiving and being matched with a service dog. Jennifer Arnold, founder of one of the nation’s largest service dog organizations, Canine Assistants, shows her unique teaching methods and lets viewers have an intimate look at the canine-recipient matching process. Based on the book of the same name by Jennifer Arnold, Through a Dog’s Eyes, premiering April 21, 2010 at 8pm ET/7pm CT (check local listings), will have you seeing dogs in a whole new light.   The documentary is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris and funded by Milk-Bone® brand.

Through a Dog’s Eyes will explore the science behind Jennifer Arnold’s teaching methods and follow the stories of recipients as their lives begin to change with the help of some very special dogs. Produced by tpt National Productions, in association with Partisan Pictures, Through a Dog’s Eyes offers inspiring, hopeful stories that show how dogs can affect everyone’s life.

“This film will change the way people think about their own dogs,” said Naomi S. Boak, Executive Producer, who also produced the critically acclaimed and Primetime Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s. “Through a Dog’s Eyes shows the importance of the human-canine bond and how, when fostered, that bond can grow into a beautiful, life-changing relationship.”

Through a Dog’s Eyes is an optimistic, buoyant documentary that follows the journey that a handful of recipients go through as they meet their new best friend—a Canine Assistants dog.

• Bryson Casey, 30, served in Iraq as a captain with the National Guard. Upon his return home to Kansas City, Mo., Bryson suffered a debilitating injury in a car accident, and is now a quadriplegic.  Will Wagner, Bryson’s Canine Assistants dog, be up to the task of providing him with companionship, as well as helping to navigate the simple tasks of daily life?
• Aiden, 6, lives in Denver, Colo.  Aiden was born with cerebral palsy and spends most of his time in a wheelchair.  Aiden hopes that his dog Nala will help him at school with routine tasks such as picking up pencils, as well as offer silent support in social situations.  Will Nala’s presence helps break down barriers and allows other children to feel more comfortable around Aiden?  Viewers will be inspired by Aiden’s never-ending optimism and his zeal for life.

• Destiny, 11, lives in La Vergne, Tenn.  Destiny and her dog, Salsa, immediately fell in love with each other during Canine Assistants’ training camp in November.  Suffering from a rare form of epilepsy, Destiny has constant low-level seizures around the clock.  Will Salsa have the ability to alert Destiny of impending seizures, providing comfort not just to Destiny, but to her family?  Her parents are hoping to offer their daughter a measure of freedom she has never before experienced.
• Twins, Chase & Connor, 7, live in Largo, Fla. The twins both have a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia, which affects the muscles of the lower body. Both boys hope their Canine Assistants dogs will help with everyday tasks and be companions.  But will Chase realize his dream of one day walking with the support of his dog Oakley?

Through a Dog’s Eyes also follows the drama as recipients are matched with their canine companions and as they learn how to work with their new partners. It’s an inspiring family journey. Arnold describes her teaching methods and discusses the life-changing impact these dogs have on recipients. In addition, the world’s foremost dog expert, Dr. Ádám Miklósi, head of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, and founder of the Family Dog Research Project, takes a role in Through a Dog’s Eyes by analyzing the organization’s training methods and discussing how science supports the training philosophy.

“Milk-Bone® is proud to sponsor Through a Dog’s Eyes,” said Christie Fleming, Vice President of Marketing, Del Monte Foods. “As a long-time supporter of Canine Assistants, we hope this documentary will create greater understanding of assistance dogs and the ways they can change the lives of people with disabilities.”

Jennifer Arnold’s teaching methods will be the subject of a memoir, slated to be released in early September. The book, also titled “Through a Dog’s Eyes,” is being published by Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House.

BookmAIREk Me!

Today in the North Park Blocks, there were some new signs:

Now I am a man who takes his poop seriously.  While I am happy to leave it behind (hey, I’m done with it), mama always carries enough poopie bags and we adhere to the NO POOP LEFT BEHIND doctrine.

However… I hate to rain on the parade of the folks who spent some time, brain cells, and a little cash to print up these little ditties, but…

An awful lot of the poop in this area DOESN’T COME FROM DOGS if you know what I mean.  So I left them a message about it.

Another fine Public Service Announcement from Bogart Handsome Devil

Love,

Bogart

BookmAIREk Me!

You know how sometimes the humans just cannot stop talking?  Way too much yapping and not enough belly scratching?  I have come up with a solution.

Paw to the head.  Works like a charm.

Got mama to stop talking almost immediately.  Of course it doesn’t hurt that my mighty paw is almost the size of her entire face.

And if they try to move the mighty paw?  Well, you can play that game too.  Just dig in your toes so that they don’t want to move for fear of their eyes.  Trust me, they like their eyes too much to move.

Be sure to keep your paw there for awhile – so that they LEARN when it is ok to yap and when it isn’t.  No bark collar required!

This has been a public service message from Bogart Handsome Devil.   You may now recline and resume your belly scratching.

Love,

Bogart

BookmAIREk Me!