Happy Halloween! Giveaway winners and safety tips

Happy Halloween everyone!

First, the winners of the Go Dog Zombiez giveaway:

• Doris Humber
• Stefani Joi Heller
• Lori Anderson-Watkins

Congratulations! I'll be emailing you guys soon!

Now, as you guys know, I had Lulu dressed up this weekend in Halloween pictures:

But tonight Lulu will only be wearing her Thundershirt.

Lulu barks every time strange people come to the door, and that will especially be true on Halloween.

So here are some tips to keep your pet safe this spooky holiday, courtesy of ASPCA! Click the infographic to make it bigger.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Thunderleash

Does your beagle pull on the leash?

When I first got Lulu, she would pull to the point she was pretty much crawling across the ground to get at what she was smelling.

She's on an Easy Walk harness now, but sometimes she'll still yank when she really wants to get at something.

That's why I decided to give Thunderleash a try.

Thunderleash was created by the same company that brought us Thundershirt. We did a week long review of the Thundershirt earlier this year.

Unfortunately, we aren't as much of a fan of the Thunderleash as we are of the Thundershirt.

The Thunderleash is designed to prevent pulling. The leash converts to its no pulling design by wrapping it around the dog's body and clipping it to a safety clip.

There are buckles that allow you to keep a small amount of slack around the leash, and another that stops the leash from going any further.

There is a lot of room for user error, so read the instructions carefully. You need to make some adjustments on the buckles to make sure there is just enough slack. Too much slack and the harness aspect is useless.

If it works right, each time the dog pulls it should provide gentle pressure around her chest so that she stops pulling.

Now I typically don't use a harness that clips at the top because Lulu will pull through that like it's nothing.

But as you can see, she was pulling hard. Even with the Thunderleash around her. Lulu was able to keep pulling me, even moving the leash around on her body.

Now, as with the Thundershirt, not everyone has the same experience. Lulu is driven by her nose, and she can be tough to deal with. A dog that would rather choke than not pull is not going to have any problem with the gentle pressure of the Thunderleash around her chest.

So it is possible it will work with your dog, even if it didn't work with mine.

And remember, if it doesn't work, you can always take advantage of the company's guarantee.

Something else to consider -- any "no-pull" harness is really no substitute for training your dog not to pull. This is one of those places where Lulu doesn't do well at home, but does elsewhere.

The Thunderleash is $30 and comes in two sizes: small for dogs 12 to 25 pounds, and large for dogs bigger than 25 pounds. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a free Thunderleash to try out from Thundershirt.

Hurricane Season 2013: 5 tips to prepare your pet

It's that time of year again!

Depending on who you pay attention to, we are expecting up to 20 named storms (NOAA) or up to 18 named storms (Dr. William Gray from Colorado State University). Either way, we are bracing for a pretty active storm season. Even if not every storm is the big one, if it comes to our shores, it will have an impact in that area.

Last year I wrote a pretty detailed post on preparing and dealing with the aftermath of a storm when it comes to your pets. You can read that post here.

Today, I'm going to boil it all down to FIVE important things to remember for hurricane season. Here they are:

1. Have all your paperwork together in a water-proof case. Latest rabies and other vaccine information, microchip info, and tag info, vet info, any other paperwork you need for your pet. Have it ready to go if you need to leave for any reason. It will help in making sure you can get your pet into whatever shelter you take, be it a hotel or an emergency shelter. 
   
   By the way, shelters can change, be closed or moved. The best way to know where the pet friendly shelters are near you is to ask your area's emergency operations center. Many counties and cities have them.
2. While we're at it? Is your pet microchipped? Collars and tags can come off. If you are separated from your pet, having that pet microchipped with your address and contact info makes it easier for rescue workers to know that this is someone's pet, and that, hopefully, you will be looking for them.
3. Make yourself a storm kit for your pet. Food, bowls, clean water, toys, a blanket or something that is comforting, medicine, collar, leash (NOT EXTENDABLE), rain gear, crate.
   
   If you are getting gallons of fresh water for yourself, make sure you pick some up for your pet too. You might want to stick with dry food, since if a storm hits you may be without water or power, so you won't be able to wash a dish or keep wet food refrigerated.
   
   If the pet's medicine needs to be kept cool, find a way to do it. Amazon.com actually sells medicine coolers, special travel bags designed to keep medicine cool. Some are simply small insulated bags meant for insulin... some are more elaborate. 
4. Keep your pet calm and happy during the storm. Now is a great time to check out a Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap if your pet has a problem with storms. It may help them stay calm. You can also try calming aids and essences. Your vet might be willing to prescribe meds if it's really bad.
   
   You and your pet may be stuck inside a day, maybe more (Hurricanes Frances and Jean in 2004 lasted at least two days each. I'll never forget it). You may not be able to take your dog out. Find a spot for pee pads and make sure your dog knows this is where they go. Or make sure, if you have a cat, you have extra litter.
   
   But also, keep them distracted. Treat balls and puzzles are great for this. It gives them a way to exercise their minds and gets them tired. Just remember that whatever kind of  activity you do, during a storm you want to keep away from windows. It's safest.
5. After the storm, be careful where your pet goes. Your backyard may not be the safest place for your pet to be alone after a storm. You don't know necessarily what debris is in your backyard, or if there are holes in any fencing, and there will be standing water, which leads to more bugs, on top of being enticing to play in or drink. It's best to watch your pet until you know all dangers have been removed.

Lulu during a storm. She's usually calmer than I am.

Above all, stay calm. If you stay calm, your pet will be calmer. And, if you come out of a storm in good shape, think of your neighbors and see how they might need help. It quickens the recovery, and strengthens communities.

Stay safe!

Thundershirt vs. Anxiety Wrap: A comparison

In January I did a sort of diary of our experiment with the Thundershirt to help calm Lulu so I can refocus her when she starts barking.

Since then, I have been trying out another compression shirt to see if there's a difference.

The Anxiety Wrap is similar to the Thundershirt, in that it relies on acupressure to calm the dog. But while the Thundershirt is more of a wrap, the the Anxiety Wrap is more like a shirt, with pulls to tighten the shirt in certain areas....

And these straps in the back, which go around the legs. Did you know that dogs carry stress in their back legs? These straps help ease that tension. But they do make putting the Anxiety Wrap very cumbersome to put on.

The material is light-weight and breathes well, compared to the original Thundershirt.

Getting Lulu to refocus using the Anxiety Wrap has not improved much compared to the Thundershirt. I still need to calm her down when she barks at other dogs.

HOWEVER, Lulu also doesn't bark at trucks or golf carts when we're walking with the Anxiety Wrap on. That's a big difference.

Stressor	Thundershirt	Anxiety Wrap
Other Dogs	Still barks, can refocus	Still barks, can refocus
Golf carts	Still barks	Doesn't bark
Trucks	Still barks	Doesn't bark
Kids on skateboards	Still barks	No test
Noises outside the house	Still barks	Still barks
Thunder	No issue	No issue
Fireworks	No issue	No issue

If your dog has anxiety issues, particular with loud noises like thunderstorms, fireworks, etc., it's worth trying a Thundershirt or the Anxiety Wrap. But understand it may not work with your dog.

Let me give you two examples.

Mom's dog Cappy got a Thundershirt a couple of weeks ago.

Mom says she put it on when Cappy started barking at people outside the house. She says Cappy immediately stopped barking and laid down.

What's also great about this is when Cappy stopped barking, my mom's other two dogs who bark when Cappy barks stopped as well. That's a relief to my parents who can't stand hearing three small dogs barking at once!

By comparison, Pepper of Pepper's Paws prefers the Anxiety Wrap over the Thundershirt. Look for her review soon.

A lot of it depends on the dog -- their level of anxiety, how they handle wearing the shirt or wrap. It also helps to make sure it's properly fitted. If you can get it done at a store, that would be good. If they aren't tight enough it won't work as well.

The best thing to do is get a Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap at a place with a great refund policy. That way if it doesn't work you can return it.

The Thundershirt can be found in many pet stores. Anxiety Wrap is available in Amazon.com and on the Anxiety Wrap website.

I WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES! Have you ever tried a compression shirt for your dog? Which one? Did it work? I'd love to hear!

DISCLAIMER: I received the Thundershirt for Cappy and Lulu's Anxiety Wrap for free from their respective companies.

Global Pet Expo Day 2: Lulu goes to the expo

Lulu made a big splash at Global Pet Expo Thursday. Check it out.

Lulu and I skipped a breakfast Thursday morning, since I didn't want to disturb anybody. If Lulu saw a dog, she'd probably start barking in the middle of some big wig talking. That proved true quite often.

Take a look at who Lulu met today! There was a bit of barking online, but really Lulu did quite well while we waited for the Dog Whisperer. I told him that six months ago this wouldn't be possible with her. He asked how I was doing, though. Good question. And I know, I still have a lot to learn about that.

We also fitted Lulu for some product samples. These are Doggles! Lulu is not thrilled by them, but they look cool. They are also good for her eyes, particularly when we're in the car.

 Next was a Kumfytailz harness, designed to keep her core cool in the summer time.

There's Angel and Pepper of Pepper's Paws. We kept running into them. But the two eventually got to be ok with each other.

We also checked out Multipet International, makers of particularly nostalgic dog toys.

She got to meet Woody Woodpecker!

Thirsty pup! We stopped to check out some booth, and Lulu quenched her thirst at the Modgy booth. Modgy sells a special clip on travel bottle and bag that you can use when traveling with your dog.

Chuckits! I have to say, Lulu was more interested in treats than toys. (By the way, sorry the pics from today are a little blurry. Not easy with a beagle)

By now Lulu is slowing down, and so am I. She laid down at one point next to Macaroni Kennedy, one of the presidential pet stars on the floor of the press room.

Notice that she's wearing her Thundershirt in all these pics. We got lots of questions about the Thundershirt and how it works. We talked about it on our blog. We also got a sample of the Anxiety Wrap, which is a different brand. We are going to test that out too and see if it's any different. You can read my Thundershirt review here.

Lulu was too tired to sit for our final pics at the expo Thursday. But this gives you an idea of how big this expo is.

We'll be back to wrap things up tomorrow!

Check the rest of our Global Pet Expo coverage.

Countdown to Global Pet Expo -- Thundershirt

We are counting down to the Global Pet Expo, which is next week in Orlando!

Some of you may have remember my Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt. Read that link if you haven't. Lulu and I spent a week trying the Thundershirt -- not to see if it would stop her barking at thunder or fireworks, but to help her calm down and refocus when we are on walks and things.

Lulu in her Thundershirt the day she graduated from first class.

How does it work? Thundershirt says works with the same method as swaddling a baby, or methods used to help people with autism. It provides a level of safety and security for the animal, so they don't get as anxious.

It's been about a month since we first began that experiment. 

Since then, we've had some progress. She still barks at dogs when she sees them on our walks. But I have an easier time controlling her, for the most part. It depends on the dog we run into.

It's also easier to get her to do things like this when we are out and about. Normally she would be too distracted by what's going on around her to sit so well. We took this at Paws in the Park in Downtown Orlando.

So we still like the Thundershirt. It's not a perfect solution, but this, combined with training should make things easier as we move forward. I really want her to eventually be able to take the Canine Good Citizenship test. I also want to take her to Barkworld later this year without her causing raucouses.

So, Pros:

• Slightly calmer, less distracted Lulu
• Better able to refocus her
• Made for all sizes
• Made for cats too

Cons:

• The price is $40
• It's machine washable, but it doesn't always clean easily
• It needs to be put on right, otherwise it doesn't work

DISCLAIMER: I received my Thundershirt from my trainer on a loan. I did not get one from the company.

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 7 and Conclusion

To read Day 6, go here.

DAY 7

Day 7 was pretty much a wash because of the rain. There simply wasn't anything see. There were no dogs out when Lulu was out, and she couldn't go outside for fun.

Lulu was pretty depressed.

FINAL DAY -- or is it?

Lulu and I went out on our walk Saturday, which is training class day. And it wasn't long before we were having problems.

A lady with a big black dog passed us on our walk and Lulu just lost it. There was running and barking and running and some more barking and on and on. I had to drag her away because I couldn't get her to refocus.

I was all set to throw in the towel on the Thundershirt. It's been generally mixed results, and I didn't want to keep using something that had no effect in calming Lulu.

And then this happened.

That's Lulu, on the floor in training class. That's a treat in front of her. Today, we learned "leave it." She was surrounded by dogs, but she was too distracted and calm to care. She was completely focused on the task, which was to stay and leave the treat alone. It was amazing.

So my trainer wants to stick to this for one more week. One more week of the Thundershirt. We'll see how it goes but, for now, this diary is closed.

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 6

To read Day 5 of the Diary, Go Here.

The first thing we learned today was that Lulu did not have the Thundershirt on tight enough. If you recall, she took it off the first day, so I had to put it on her.

We met with my trainer and he readjusted her Thundershirt. We then walked around two Petcos. Sadly, no dogs at either to test the shirt out on.

Then we took her to Dr. Phillips Dog Park, for some "field testing."

She is usually one of the first to greet the dogs at the gate... waaaaaay on the other end of where she is now in this picture. As you can see, she's found something else she'd rather do.

Doesn't mean that she didn't mix it up either. But it was different. She only howled a couple times at dogs coming into the park. But she definitely met all the dogs by the time she left. And today there were a lot of them.

Great Dane. Luna is SEVEN MONTH OLD!! Yikes.

And when we got back to the car, Best Friends Pet Care was there with free treats! Score! Lulu got a cookie and a peanut butter and banana ice cream. She loved both... and would have eaten more!

One more thing to mention -- Lulu is still barking at noises outside the house. Again, I don't quibble with this. BUT -- isn't that something the Thundershirt should be dealing with?

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 5

To read Day 4, click here.

Lulu took the morning walk to the park in the Thundershirt and did ok. She whined and barked a little at one of the neighborhood dogs that was barking at her, but nothing major. Oh, and no luck with passing golf carts yet again.

On the second walk I took Lulu in the opposite direction. We did have a little trouble with another neighborhood dog -- a big dog that often barks at her from the balcony.

 Then we went by that house with the dog Lulu met yesterday to the doggy in the window was the other pet in the household, definitely a boxer. The dog followed her around, but she and Lulu -- for once -- didn't bark at each other.

 

   Oh... and another day of grass rolling. This time though... I got video. Enjoy!

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 4

To read Day 3, go here.

DAY 4

More mixed results in the Thundershirt today, but some progress too.

The day started right out with trouble,  in a small package. We walked out of the apartment, and in the place above us one of my neighbor's yappy dogs started barking violently (won't say what kind of dog, because I don't want to upset breed lovers). Lulu did eventually start barking at it, but it didn't last long because the dog's owner grabbed the dog and shut the window.

Walked Lulu to the park, and she didn't have much to get upset at. She did bark at one of the other neighborhood dogs, Zelda. But it was not her crazy bark -- she was trying to get my neighbor's attention. Zelda is one of Lulu's best friends, and she wanted her to come play, but they couldn't.

On the second walk, just as we got outside, the lady with the yappy dogs upstairs came down to walk her dogs. And her pack has grown now from one dog to three! Oy! They came down yapping all the way at Lulu, and Lulu was happy to oblige. I had to drag her in the opposite direction.

As we walked by, one of the other neighborhood dogs barked like mad, and Lulu barked back. But she only barked a bit, and she came along easily.

But here is a positive moment. As we walked, we came by one of the neighborhood dogs. Normally Lulu would immediately bark at this dog, but this time she just watched it, and then went about her business. Meanwhile the dog watched her!

The only time Lulu barked at the dog was when it barked at her.

Other than that, Lulu did ok. She also barked at some noises outside while in the house, but I never quibble over that. It's kinda what she's paid to do.

Another roll in the grass!

Diary of Lulu in a Thundershirt, Day 3

To read Day 2, go here.
DAY 3

I took Lulu back to the complex dog park. She still had her Thundershirt on from the night before, so that's a good sign.

Another good sign -- Lulu walked right past a passing golf cart. Normally she would bark, so it's a good sign.

She did alright at the dog park too... until she saw another dog walk by.

Then she ran in one direction:

Then the other:

Back and forth, back and forth, barking all the way.

When the dog passed, I tried to take her back to home. But the dog and it's owner makes an appearance. Now Lulu does her usually freak out. She wants to meet this dog, wants to know about the dog, but she can't.

That's not a good sign. She doesn't calm down at all. Until she gets home.