I thought this was funny… from The Daily Weird. I do this all the time, but this dog was brilliant.

Tags: Funny Dogs

Product Description: Outward Hound Front SeatSafety Barrier

Creates a barrier to keep pets from climbing into front of vehicle. Adjustable straps attach to car seat headrest and around seat. Quick, easy to install. Fits most cars with a headrest: Dimensions: 15 in W 21 in H. Care instructions: scrub stains with mild detergent. Hand wash with cool water. Air dry. Installation instructions: Attach top straps to both front seat headrests. Attach bottom straps around bottom of both front seats making sure that the barrier is securely in place and adjust tension.

Price: Around $12 with S&H

Outward Hound Front SeatSafety Barrier Review:

This barrier is supposed to keep me in the back seat. Well let me tell you something, I’m a 50lb dog, but I’m kind of short, and a barrier that is only as tall as the headrests in a car is not going to stop me. I’d say that barrier lasted five minutes before I figured out how to hop over it. Then I just kept hopping over it as I pleased for the rest of the ride. Sure, mom tried keeping her elbow up so I couldn’t hope over, but it only resulted in me clawing my way over, causing her a few bruises and probably a little unsafe driving.

If your dog is too small to hop over, this is a cheap way to keep them in the back seat. If they’re too big to fit over, this might work too (unless they think they’re a lap dog like me). I’m very attached to the front seat, and no way, no how was this thing holding me back.

Even better, the thing is made out of a tiny piece of canvas and plastic buckles. The first day mom tried to leave me alone in the car with it to get some groceries, I surprised her by devouring one of the buckles and chewing one of the very thin nylon straps in half.

No way she’s getting that baby back on! Looks like it’s the front seat for me from now on. Unless she decides to try the $40 Backseat Barrier that adds a little mesh shield that’s as tall as the headrests. There’s nothing stopping me from chewing those straps though.

Two bones because there are two types of dogs it will probably work for: HUGE dogs and TEENY dogs. Just not for my medium-sized meaty 50lb body.

Tags: dog reviews, dogs reviews, outward hound, outward hound dog, outward hound dog seat, outward hound front, Outward Hound Front SeatSafety Barrier, outward hound pet, outward hound pet gear, outward hound pet travel, outward hound pet travel gear, outward hound products

How to Be  Good Dog on Twitter - by WhippetSnippets

1) Be open to other species. At first Ribsy had a no-cat rule. But what the heck, some cats can be pretty darn intelligent. As@officecat stated, “Decided to follow lots of dogs…all will like me but I like to keep friends close and enemies closer.” Ribsy even follows a squirrel - talk about the barriers breaking down. 

2) Go ahead and drool. There are rock stars in the dog world. Down boy. Don’t expect a direct connection to the stars. @cesarmillanmight not follow you back. Neither might @AnimalPlanet nor@snoopdogg. (@guykawasaki - woof out to Guy! - is pretty good at following you back though. So is @BarackObama if you want some Twitter dog cred.) On the upside, you may be the first to hear about their latest thoughts and not-so-news, no matter how trivial or insignificant they may seem. And isn’t that what celebrity worship is all about? (Speaking of which, look at all the celebrites who Twitter!)

3) Take naps. No dog should deprive themselves of their 19-hour a day beauty sleep for the sake of Twitter. Download a client such asTwhirl or Tweetdeck to make sorting through all the messages easier.

4) Try not to whine when you lose followers. It’s not the way your butt smells. Dogs follow and unfollow all the time. Recall the last time that you were at the park. When you first arrived, a lot of dogs were probably circling you, in your face, checking you out. After a while, they know what you’re all about. And frankly, you’re just not their running style. So they stopped paying attention to you. That’s how it goes on Twitter. 

5) Sniff out answers. If another dog is looking for help with issues on training their human, or for help on the best doggy Internet websites, throw them a helpful bone if you can. Dogs have to stick together, even on Twitter.

6) Be friendly. Try talking to other dogs you follow, by @ replying to them. It’s like giving them a virtual tail wag to let them know you’re listening, and as a fellow dog, you understand their plights about being left alone or getting shooed off the bed. 

7) Don’t bark incessantly. You hear about some major dog news from one of your followers. You decide to rebark (retweet) it your followers. Problem is, that news was like two hours ago. Which in Twitter time, means it’s yesterday’s discarded chew toy. Try doing a quick search or visit a site like Tweetmeme to see if’s already been barked loud and clear over the Twittersphere.

Tags: Dogs on Twitter

I love swap-bot.com. LOVE IT. And no I don’t get paid in bones to say it either.

Since joining, I’ve gotten all kinds of goodies. Sweaters, toys, treats, you name it!

Basically, the site is for people (or dogs like me) to swap things based on different themes. Some people swap postcards, some people swap mixed cd’s. Over the holidays there was an “Xmas for your Pets” swap where I bought someone’s dog some gifts and he bought me some gifts (I got a SWEET snowflake sweater out of that deal). FUN.

Here are some upcoming doggie swaps:

Pamper Your Pets - Deadline to sign up: January 5th

I <3 My Dog - January 1st

“Your Dog” ATC Swap - December 31st (an ATC is handmade, 2.5″ by 3.5″ and stands for “Artist Trade Card”)

It’s also fun for humans, but eh, like I care!

Tags: doggie, sweaters

The ASPCA says not to feed me (or your dog):

• Alcoholic beverages
• Avocado
• Chocolate (all forms)
• Coffee (all forms)
• Fatty foods
• Macadamia nuts
• Moldy or spoiled foods
• Onions, onion powder
• Raisins and grapes
• Salt
• Yeast dough
• Garlic
• Products sweetened with xylitol

Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, and it only takes one serving.

Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.

Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. I might be able to  consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous. (I found M&Ms outside on the ground once and ate a few - so far, so good!)

Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes. Drats - no caffeine addiction for me!

Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. Limit all other nuts as they are not good for dogs in general, their high phosphorous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. Exception to this rule seems to be PEANUT BUTTER (no jokes, thank you!). However- always use Salt/Sugar free ORGANIC Peanut butter (sugar encourages cancer growth) free . Try to use ORGANIC peanut butter because nearly all of the peanuts consumed in the U.S. are now among the most carcinogenic and pesticide-contaminated of any snack even we as humans can consume.

Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a my internal organs. Raw Bones should always be supervised as a piece can always break off and cause problems. Try frozen oxtails or frozen knuckle bones then take the bone away before your dog can swallow a final small piece whole. It’s a good natural way to clean teeth too.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. (I licked some tomato sauce off the floor once, still breathing!)

Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.

Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death

Apples, Cherries, Peaches PITS and similar fruit are great for your dog - HOWEVER, the seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them. It can also become lodged in the intestines and kill the your dog in 24 hours with no warning.

Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible. Scrambled lightly is best!

Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems (as with any living thing, I think).

Mushrooms: Can be deadly- never let your pets chew on mushrooms found in your yard. Only safe “food” mushrooms are shitaki, maitake and reishi. If you’re a mushroom expert, you should be all set!

Xylitol: Even a small amount can cause liver failure and death. You can find them in breath mints, toothpaste, gum, mouthwash and other minty things.

Sugar and Corn Syrups: These things promote the growth of cancer. Honey and Molasses are OK, though they should only be given in small amounts and never for to dogs with cancer. If your dog becomes hypoglycemic, corn syrup is ok to be used for emergencies - especially for diabetic dogs.

Some foods that you should be careful giving to your dog:

Dairy: Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. Usually, nonfat plain yogurt is safe in small amounts as is cottage cheese in small amounts.

Bread: Don’t give your dog any white breads, or anything that converts to sugar. Remember this simple rule -  feed no WHITE colored foods!

Grains: Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but these foods are generally safe in small amounts.

Vegetables: Carrots (and vegetables in general) are great for dogs, but carrots should not be given to dogs with cancer and should be served in moderation, due to the sugar content. Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegetables whole or in large chunks. It’s best to put them through a food processor before giving them to your dog.

Meat: Meats should be boneless and it’s best if the skin is removed.  Some people like a RAW diet. Some people rather cook. If you cook meat do not over cook. Keep it ‘rare’ so you don’t kill the enzymes.  ESPECIALLY FOR SICK animals. However all Fish and Pork must be well cooked. Also note - totally Raw and cooked diets should never be mixed at the same meal as they digest differently. Be careful with Tuna, because it’s high in magnesium and may have bones in it. Even though we like them, don’t feed us ‘cold cuts’. They are high in salt and nitrates and can lead to kidney and digestive problems.

With all this in mind, remember that we doggies, like humans may also have allergies or just plain don’t tolerate certain foods. If something makes us sick, make sure you call the vet and don’t feed it to us again. If your dog has eaten anything on the “do not eat” list above, call the ASPCA Poison Hotline - (888) 426-4435.

Many treats and food sold in supermarkets are what are making us pets die young and get cancer or diabetes. Remember to read your labels. Look for these no-no foods like corn syrup in the ingredients.

Note: Much of this content was pilfered from treshanley.com.

Tags: bad foods for dogs, dog, foods that make dogs sick, Human foods that will make your dog sick, sick as a dog