A dog blog featuring dog products, toys, collars, clothes, treats, and more

"Pick Your Pooch" 8 x 10 Reproduction Art Print

Any artist who can impart a new "something" to the seemingly endless parade of dog portraits deserves a mention. And there's something about John W. Golden's Fido Series that made me take notice. I think it was the expressions on the pooches' faces... the nonchalance... the dignity... the "devil-may-care" attitude.

The colors are nice too; vibrant and muted at the same time (work with me here. I'm no art critic). These are prints - not originals - which makes them nice and affordable. Each portrait is printed on archival paper and signed by the artist. Many breeds are available right now, and he's adding more all the time. He invites suggestions for breeds (*cough*KEESHOND*cough*) if you don't see your favorite.

Not that I have a (KEESHOND) favorite.

Etsy
$18

The Mutt Pack

Matt from The Mutt Pack sent us a sample of his new dog "closet door" organizer for dog stuff.

As you can imagine, Bliss might be a little spoiled, and we may have a couple of dog things laying about. You know, a toy or two, a treat here and there. And, of course, she has a lot of grooming needs, so we have all that stuff to organize. Oh, and the "regular" dog stuff like poop bags, food, and everything that goes along with that.

Previously, I had stored a few items in a "travel bag" (a promotional bag I received from somewhere), little-used items in a plastic tub, and often-used items sitting on a shelf. With the Mutt Pack, I can store most of her items in an organizer that hangs from the closet door, all visible and in easy reach. It certainly didn't fit all of her stuff, but it made a good dent. And if we decide to flee the apartment in a hurry, the whole thing folds up suitcase style and we're on our way.

This is a new product for Matt, and he is really open to suggestions to make it better. A few things I found:

1. It makes a really wonderful closet organizer, but as a travel bag, it might be too big for one dog. Perhaps if I could zip off the bottom section, it would be the perfect size for travel.
   
   
2. It would be great if the pack came in different colors/patterns, and maybe even allowed for monogramming or embroidering her name on it.


3. The included hooks were flimsy. I know the idea was to make them malleable so they could be customized to one's door, but I'm really impatient and didn't want to follow the directions carefully enough to make them work. I already had a hook on the door, so I used that instead.

All in all, this is a great start for a product that is really useful as-is, but as Matt makes little tweaks here and there, has the potential to be an indispensable accessory for all dog owners.

Thanks Matt!

The Mutt Pack
$49.95

Rachelle Oatman Dog Portraits

Now that pet portraiture is all the rage, having your dog pose for a traditional portrait is so 2006. Why not have a custom portrait of your dog in historical or modern clothing?

Anthropomorphic pets isn't new (see: William Wegman) but there's something that makes Rachelle's portraiture... unique.

Maybe it's the breasts.

Rachelle Oatman
$2000 - $6000

Onion Dog Light

Onion is a miniature bull terrier who is clearly adored by her owner, Sarah, so much so she has been immortalized as a lamp! The Onion Dog Light is, of course, made in the likeness of its namesake (you lucky, lucky bull terrier owners) and comes in Classic White, Ruby Red, Sugar Pink and Citrus Orange. They make great night lights or add style to any dark corner. Of course, I'll be waiting for the Bliss Lamp. I'm sure that's coming up soon, right Sarah?

Onion Dog
£68 (about $134)

Dog Clothes Armoire

I'm supposed to hate this, right? I'm supposed to think this is just way, way over-the-top and how can people buy these things for their dogs and who has that many clothes for their dog anyway?

God help me, I wish Bliss had a wardrobe of cute little things I could put in this. IT COMES WITH BONE-SHAPED HANGERS PAINTED TO MATCH!

Feeling... woozy...

G.W. Little
$119

Expanding Pet Gate

Oh man, I wish I had seen this when I went to buy a pet gate for Bliss. Our gate is a white monstrosity and definitely detracts from our 1890 flat. Look at this one! It's not invisble or anything and it's certainly not going to pass as "original Victorian detail," but it would blend a whole lot better than what we have now. And the separate little door is adorable.

Frontgate
$99 - $119

Photo Stamps

Want to make your holiday cards extra-special? Put your pup on a stamp. Yes, these are real stamps and can be used as real postage. It's pretty easy to upload an image and turn it into a stamp; from start to finish took me about 5 minutes. This is the stamp I used on my holiday cards this year (Bliss the Red-Nosed Keeshond). I would imagine sending someone stamps of their own dog would make a great gift as well... Or send them stamps of Bliss. Because seriously. How cute is my dog?

Stamps.com
from $12.99 - $17.99/sheet of 20 (the price goes down when you order more sheets)

Custom Dog Silhouette Art

Looking for a hip, stylish gift for your pup-obsessed friend or relative? Order a custom print of their dog in silhouette. These remind me of the studio on Main Street in Disneyland where they'd cut out silhouettes of the entire family, then frame them in little oval frames. They're so old-fashioned, but the way these pieces are created, look rather modern. I'd like to have one of Bliss. I wonder how long it would take them to render each individual hair on her head...?

allPopart
Prices vary based on size, materials, and number of subjects

Pet Master Handheld Electronic Pet Guide

Do you remember the Pokemon craze? There was this little handheld thing called a "Pokedex" that allowed you to look up all the information you needed to, you know, become a Pokemon Master. This electronic pet guide reminds me of that, except your dog is the Pokemon. This handheld device reminds you of vet appointments, stores important phone numbers, has a built-in shopping list, and has a place for your dog's picture. I'm not exactly sure how useful this would be in day-to-day life (Bliss' vet appointments and her related phone numbers go in my regular organizer), but I could see how this would be good to leave with a pet sitter.

I choose you, Bliss!

The Pet Master
$25.45

Dog Breed Christmas Ornaments

That Christmas tree is going up next week. I promise. Somehow, some way, we will haul a real tree up the narrow stairs of our flat and find a place in our crowded living quarters. And on that tree will be a Keeshond ornament. You know why? Because 1 Cute Pooch makes Christmas tree ornaments in the likenesses of over 100 dog breeds. And, as I've often said before, you include a Keeshond in your wares and you make me happy.

1 Cute Pooch
$9