Charlie’s World

Hey! It’s me. Charlie.

It’s been too long since our last blog, but we’ve moved! We dogs all have a new home, a new yard, and a new neighborhood to call our own, and we’ve all been adjusting and investigating our new surroundings with vigor (and a lot of territorial “pee mail”.)

This new adventure has all the makings of the next great canine epic novel, TV sitcom, or, better yet, a “paw-pounding”, “chest-panting”, “mouth-watering”, reality show!

There is so much to do to get comfortable with our new digs. After all, where do our beds go? How about our dishes? Our toy box? What is the best window to look out of? Where’s the best door to bark at? Do we beat a path to the front yard or to the back yard to pee? To play? Even more important…where does our yard end and the neighbor’s begin?

That is the question that was on my mind this afternoon when, quite by accident, I discovered that our neighbor is a CAT!

At first I thought that the stress of the move and ensuing confusion was causing me to hallucinate. After all, I have never seen a CAT before. Not a real one, that is. I’ve seen them on TV (Garfield), and in books, (Simba), but never, no wait, I HAVE seen real CATS, in the pet store, in cages. So forgive me for thinking that that is where they usually live…behind bars.

So my story goes like this…

I was outside in my new backyard, working up the courage to venture off the patio. Dobey, Wookie, Brusky and Bailey were all inside gnawing on rawhide (not my thing). So I thought I would sniff around, target a few bushes, maybe the corners of the yard…test my Maltese limits.

Then I saw it! Or I thought I did. Then nothing. Woa! There it was again.

I’ve since learned, from my best girl-dog Dobey, (a rat terrier who’s very smart, and FAST!) that dogs can’t see a cat until the cat moves. It’s some “cat magic” thing, and cats can stay still for a very, very long

time. Maybe forever, I don’t know. But this cat, my new neighbor, chose to streak across my yard, and I saw it. WOW! It was big. WAY bigger than me. It was all white, just like me.

So now I’m thinkin’ that here’s this cat, a real one, in my backyard. It just moved, so it WANTS to be seen. Now, that could be a good sign, or a bad sign. Always the optimist, I think maybe the cat has lived alone next door for a long time and wants to meet its new Maltese neighbor. As it creeps closer, and seems to get larger, I am now thinking that maybe it’s been hungry for a long time and it wants to EAT its new Maltese neighbor! My ever-quick canine brain starts running through everything I know about cats…BIG CATS, jungle cats, lions, cheetahs, SABER-TOOTH TIGERS!! (Where’s my Boxer brother, Brusky when I need him???!!!)

As I start to slowly back towards the house, the CAT crouches, and slowly waves its tail. It blinks. When it licks its lips, and I’m pretty much thinking that I’m a goner, the back door opens and my hu-mom steps out. Have I ever told you how MUCH I LOVE my hu-mom?!!

“There you are, Charlie. Do you want a treat?” She’s holding a bag of cooked chicken pieces (my favorite), and I forget all about the cat, and my recent brush with becoming cat food, and focus on her and that bag.

“Sit, Charlie.” she says, and I do sit quickly, and take the chicken chunk she offers. I can see out of the corner of my eye that the cat knows that something’s up and it starts to move closer. “Sit, Charlie.” my hu-mom says again. I sit and scarf down another piece.

By the third piece, my hu-mom also sees the cat and says, “Here Kitty.” She’s ready to be neighborly, and offer the CAT some of my chicken. ”Sit.” she says to the cat. Ignoring her command, the cat just moves closer, its tail moving slowly back and forth…

I’m thinking that the cat doesn’t quite get the process, so when my hu-mom looks back at me and says “Sit Charlie”, I lower my butt SLOWLY to the ground to show my new cat-friend how it’s done. You see CAT, I’m thinking hard out loud…you sit and you get chicken. Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. 

The cat moves even closer and I think it finally gets it when all of a sudden instead of sitting, it starts to rub itself against my hu-mom’s legs!

Have I ever told you that my hu-mom is VERY ALLERGIC to CATS?

In a flash, I was off my paws and unceremoniously carried inside. The door slams. The good neighbor stuff is officially over.

Equally surprised, the cat runs back to the edge of our yard, where, too late, it finally sits.

This tale, I know is sad, but true. So, for all my canine readers, here are the lessons you can take from my nearly “CATastrophic” experience:

• Dogs don’t always see cats.
• Cats ALWAYS see dogs.
• Dogs and cats can coexist (as long as a human is involved).
• Dogs work hard to match up to people.
• Cats expect people to match up to them.
• Cats might look big and scary, but they could just be big kittys who really like to rub up against things (like legs) and snuggle.
• But keep in mind, if you ever try to befriend a feline…
• Don’t forget the MOST important thing:
  
  
• Cats don’t know “sit”.

Lots of Love & Licks,

Charlie

You know the song….”When you’re smilin’, when you’re smilin’’…the whole world smiles with you…”

Well, what if you’re smilin’, and no one can tell?! In other words, how does a dog make friends if the dog has “a face only a mother could love”??

Take my Boxer brother BRUSKY for example. Bru is pushing towards 80lbs., he’s a stunning specimen of his breed, and with his fearsome stance, he basically looks like Rocky Balboa on maybe one of his better days!

But inside, Bru’s a clown – a fun-loving, overly curious, REALLY affable kind of guy. Most importantly, Bru loves one thing more than anything else in the world. More than chew bones and back scratches, playing in the sprinkler, and snooze time on the couch. Bru LOVES PEOPLE.

Bru and I often take our walks together. Partly out of convenience, but mostly so strangers will see that if he didn’t eat me (remember, I’m just a bit larger than Bru’s head!), he won’t try to eat them. Our hu-MOM does her best to introduce him to strangers because she wants to make sure that he doesn’t lose his positive outlook. She has some tricks up her sleeve, which I will mention later….

But dogs are enormous optimists, and they have a HUGE capacity for forgiveness, and Bru is no exception. So if he gets shunned by a fearful passer-by, he may skip a few beats, look back at the human that didn’t want to smile, wave or venture a pat on the head, and is quickly ready to find a best buddy in the next person he meets.

But I feel sad for Bru. Even though I think he gets more positive regard from people than you’d expect because we work so hard at helping it to “happen” for him.

I feel REALLY sad for other “bully breed” dogs, who like Bru, are lovers, not biters but don’t have white fluffy fur and and dainty puppy tongues with which to tease smiles and pats of affection from people.

The names themselves: bully breed, pit bull, boxer, bulldog…don’t help the situation much. “Hi! I’m Attila the Hun!” (You know what I mean)

So I jumped into my office chair to ponder the situation…and it occurs to me that maybe we need to rethink the way we think about canine/human interaction…

I hear so much about pack relationships and social dominance in the canine world, and I (not being a researcher, just a very bright Maltese) have to believe that the studies are accurate. But humans are NOT dogs, and dogs KNOW that. And maybe back in the days of Dino and Fred Flintstone, dogs treated humans like dogs, but they don’t do that now. If you want to consider research, I’ve been told that Harvard scientists (yes, those SMART ones) have determined that dogs are more adept at “reading” people than chimpanzees are (move over Cheetah!).

If you don’t believe me, try this. Talk to a dog, and watch their reaction. Not just one or two words, but talk in sentences (we can handle it). You only have to look at their faces to see that they LISTEN. Actually, we do more than listen…we measure each word, phrase and tone with INTENSE concentration (even though you sound like a “wah wah” peddle on a cheap electric guitar). Why do we do this? We do it because humans are the emotional centers of our world. Books and movies are filled with story after story of dogs that will endure anything, go anywhere and risk it all, as long as they are in the company of a friendly person!

Let me “pawz” and put my human shoes on for a minute…

When you go into a bar and meet a stranger, do you immediately consider how to establish dominance over them? I should hope not! Instead, you are thinking about how they might be reacting to you. You might be a bit nervous ‘cause you don’t know what to expect, but you read the cues…are they smiling? Is their tone of voice friendly? Are they moving closer or further away? You take all the previous experience you’ve had in this situation and use it to help yourself move forwards positively with this other person.

Dogs do the same thing. So…and I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this…it’s not only important to understand that dogs know better than to treat people like dogs, but they also need human help to “navigate” new canine/human interactions, so that they have a warehouse of past positive experiences to draw on for the future. Simply said…if all a dog encounters is ugliness from people, it surely must get harder and harder to turn the other cheek. Hey, people don’t have the best history either, but you are always trying to make friends with each other!

Let me tell you about Bella. She’s an almost 3 year old Pit Bull. My huMomand I met her one day at a large shopping center where she was shopping with her huMom. Bella’s huMom was pretty and she was very well-dressed (I know these things because I own a boutique). Bella was pretty too and she was wearing a beautiful floral collar with a matching lead. Not one, but two crystal charms hung down from this collar alongside of her required tags. However, the most stunning aspect of the situation was that we were all standing smack in the middle of a very “trendy” and well-known store!

Now, I get to go into stores a lot. Of course, I enter mostly perched in someone’s arms. But Bella was just STANDING there! Her huMom was looking at dishes, and she was just STANDING there!

At first we thought that her huMom must own the store or something, but she left the store and (of course we had to follow) and went into another one! In this store, a sales girl approached them and asked to pet Bella, and so did a customer.

Never one to be shy, my huMom approached her and asked “Do you take Bella shopping with you often?”

The young woman turned to face us and she smiled, and that’s when I saw the scar just below her eye. She said “Oh yes, we go out often together. I had a hard time making friends when I was growing up, and I thought I should try to make it a bit easier for Bella.”

You know, it’s always being said that dogs can teach people a lot about life and love. But take it from me…it works the other way around too!

Here are some tips to help your dog have days full of smiles:

Good behavior is the ticket into someone’s personal space. Unruly dogs are much harder to “warm up” to.

Collars are critical. You wouldn’t go out shopping in a torn, dirty shirt, or in studded black leather (at least not on Tuesdays…) so don’t do that to your dog! If you want to dispel the image of dog fights with your bully breed, don’t send a mixed message by putting a spiked collar on your dog, that despite how much it cost…was historically used precisely for that purpose! A beautiful, cheery, bright, trendy, elegant (any of these adjectives will work) dog collar is the second tool your dog has to make a GREAT first impression (remember, I said good behavior is the first).

What’s in a name? EVERYTHING! You know that Shakespearean quote about a rose smelling just as sweet with another name? The problem is that no one would ever try to smell it, if its name was Venus Fly Trap! I have a Rottweiler friend named Skippy. Before he was rescued, and given a forever home, he was called Genghis. Skippy’s new family is REALLY smart!

Been there, done that. “Pass the puppy” is a popular game in my house. Every time someone new comes to join our canine family, or even visit with us, all the people handle the new dog…A LOT. They do it with older dogs too, not just puppies. The idea is to get the newcomer used to every person…in a positive way. The same holds true for places and situations. We dogs go everywhere possible with our people, whenever possible. That doesn’t mean that we are always going out…5 dogs, 2 people…do the math. The idea is to expose us to as much as possible, whenever possible. Every effort to do this is SO much better than no effort at all!

ACCENTUATE the positive. Not every adventure out into the world of people is gonna be a love story. Both dogs and people have their “off” days. The trick is to know when to keep the leash short, and move on…sometimes all the way home to some quiet time and a tummy rub.

So back to Brusky, Bella and Genghis, oops, I mean Skippy! All GREAT DOGS, each with first impression challenges…Hummm…so I find this great book called “97 Ways to Make a Dog Smile”, by Jenny Langbehn. It’s got all kinds of fun things to do with your dog to make them smile! #67 is Teach Your Dog to Smile…Literally!

It reads: Start by lifting your dog’s lips to inspect his teeth and gums, all the while, repeating the word “smile”. With time, he will curl his lips back on command, and before you know it, you’ll truly have a smiling dog.

I do believe there are SOME things that should NOT be taken literally!

Lots of Love and Licks,

Charlie

Moondoggie Dog Collar  Suggestions:

TUSCANY COLLECTION LEATHER COLLARS We just LOVE these collars from this new Tuscany Collection! Skillfully made from ultra -soft Italian leather and lined with leather for extra durability. And what an array of colors! Finished with bright nickel hardware.		POP ART DOG COLLARS Inspired by the playful images of Pop Art, these designs are bursting with bright, bold color. Quick-release, durable plastic closures. Available in sizes to fit tiny dogs and BIG dogs up to 26″ necks. Matching leads are also available.

Hi, I’m Dobey. You haven’t heard from me before, but I know Charlie has introduced me as the Dog Fashion Editor for Moondoggie, which I SO am! Besides being the only girl in the group, I have the best legs, and I have had my nose to the ground, sniffing around with the best-dressed dogs in Atlanta since my rescue nearly 2 years ago.

It was June in the city it was just starting to feel like summer. Little did I know that it was to be my last month in the city! My human decided to move back home to Florida, and so here I am! Overnight I’ve gone from a “sexy in the city” puppy-girl, to a bouncing beachy babe and the adventure looks promising…

Unfortunately, going from Atlanta to Ponte Vedra Beach is like jumping from the frying pan to the fire…it’s HOT, HOT, HOT here! Now, of course dogs don’t sweat, but I do feel the need to pant coming on more often than I’d like!

As expected, my arrival did not go unannounced, and soon the invitation came for an afternoon soirée at a neighbor’s house. Of course, my first thought was “What to wear?” Although my suitcases traveled with me, I wondered just how should one dress, when the mercury is hovering at about 94 degrees and the humidity is hanging on you like an old bath towel.

Well, it doesn’t take a fashion model to know that in this situation light is right, so I slipped into my Moondoggie “GARDEN PARTY DRESS” which is a mere wisp of handkerchief–weight cotton, put on my “ANNIE “ collar (same colors as the dress in a WONDERFUL floral pattern) , added my “SPARKLING PALM TREE COLLAR CHARM” (after all, this IS Florida!) and I was good to go. No, actually I was GORGEOUS!

Well, the neighbor’s house was lovely. The lanai was filled with flowers and the pool sparkled in the sunlight (after all, this IS a gated community). The ladies were all lovely too, dressed in their Lily floral print shifts and rainbow-colored Lauren polo shirts, and sporting enough jewelry to pay off 6 mortgages. The dogs (6 in all) were … oh my gosh…NAKED! There was a sweet Pomeranian, a too cute Yorkie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with GORGEOUS eyes, a large, leggy Weimaraner, a pretty Pug, a Boston, who would have looked AMAZING in one of those Lauren polos, and they were all… NAKED!

So, okay,there I stood decked out to the K 9’s, and for about 20 seconds it was AWKWARD! Then I did what any doggy diva, dog fashion editor, fabulous-on–four-paws fashionista would do… I said “Gather around girlfriends. We SO need to talk.”

So nose-to-nose, I shared these tips for keeping one’s “chic” in the very “dog days” of summer:

Cotton, linen, or breathable mesh fabrics are key. Avoid the allure of those poly/rayon blends that may look great on the pet store hanger, but feel like cardboard or rubber gloves once you put them on.

Light, airy, floral prints, summer plaids and gingham sundresses are the favorite for daytime, casual wear. 100% cotton tanks, embellished with rhinestone or nail head designs are also so NOW! You can custom design one to fit your unique personality at Moondoggie. Don’t bust your budget! Use the same dresses and/or tanks with a knock out collar and perhaps a sparkling charm for evening dress or party wear.

The first choice for this seasons bright colors are Tangerine and Fuchsia. Soft, powdery tones, and cool aqua, lavender and mint are also colors to be “seen” in.

Keep your outfits harmonious. For those of you who are new to fashion runway lingo, harmonious means that you should always try to match your collar and lead to your outfits. Uncoordinated outfits create visual tension, and tension creates HEAT! That’s NOT what you want in these tropical temperatures!

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Jewelry, collar charms, paw wear and even doggles are the perfect way to express your style and attitude. (Then the only overheating you’ll have to contend with will be caused by your admiring crowd!)

For the guys, cotton tanks are IN! They are not only undeniably cool, they can also protect you against the bright sun. Moondoggie’s mesh basketball jerseys are also AWESOME! What canine sports fan wouldn’t want to sport the #23?

What’s my final word on looking good? COLLARS.There isn’t a dog anywhere, any size, any shape, any breed, any age that wouldn’t look and feel better in a new, fashionable collar. Bright colors look AMAZING on black, white, or black & white dogs. Softer, cooler, muted shades do the same on gray, brown, or parti-colored breeds. If you wear a harness, make SURE that your collar matches it. Uncoordinated walking accessories are definitely TABOO!

So until we chat again (maybe at the beach next time!), let me leave you with this bit of canine wisdom…

The ONLY way to atone for being occasionally, a little over-dressed, is by being ALWAYS, ABSOLUTELY, ADORABLE!

You go doggie!
Dobey

Moondoggie Dog Dress   Suggestions:

UPTOWN PUP DRESS  This 100% cotton velour dress is so soft and wonderful! Smocked bodice gives it a bit of stretch where it counts. Classic styling for your classy pup! Available in fuchsia (shown) or black.	CUPCAKE DRESS Tulle, Satin, and an ADORABLE cupcake covered in flowers! What an AMAZING party dress! The soft cotton bodice with the flirty flare of a tulle skirt looks good on every dog. Available in sizes to fit dogs up to 45lbs.	MADISON DOG DRESS Inspired by the playful images of Pop Art, these designs are bursting with bright, bold color. Quick-release, durable plastic closures. Available in sizes to fit tiny dogs and BIG dogs up to 26″ necks. Matching leads are also available.

Dogs are masters of anticipation. They anticipate the car pulling into the driveway, the thundercloud about to burst, their next meal.
So believe me when I say that the very best part of my morning walk is the anticipation of it.

It is a fairly routine event…a connection of residential roads that form a loop. Sometimes we start off to the left and sometimes to the right. I usually get to choose. Not too strenuous, just under a mile (that’s probably why I’m just short of being physically fit, as is my human.)
So, why the anticipation? Is it purely intestinal? Take a walk with me and perhaps you’ll see…

We’re out the door and barely down the driveway when a jogger bounces by. I get a nod and a quick wave, nothing too special, but do I ever LOVE the scent of bugs pray, damp grass, and SPF30 in the morning! I It really sets the tone for my day!

So it’s left out of the driveway and I’m moving at my usual quick clip, lifting paws up high to avoid coming in contact with any unnecessary wetness.
As we reach the corner, I notice Reilly, the Weimaraner next door, coming up from behind. She’s got her human, Jeff, moving faster than he intended with a Starbucks in his hand.
Approaching the corner from a different direction is the King Charles Spaniel, I’ve been dying to meet. Faced with this terrific opportunity, I do what any studly guy would do… I stop dead in my tracks, in glorious ANTICIPATION.

Well, I’m sorry to say that what I expected might occur most certainly didn’t. Reilly never reached me. She got unceremoniously hauled back and turned around to continue her walk in the opposite direction. And that gorgeous spaniel…she got pulled across the street. ACROSS THE STREET!

Well, always the optimist, I resume my lively pace, hopeful that there will be even more desirable encounters just around the corner.
And there were. Well, there almost were. I met the Standard Schnauzer that had to sit an embarrassing 5ft. away from us as we walked by, the new puppy who was transported with lightening speed from four paws on the ground to his human’s arms as we approached (GEEZ, do I LOOK like I eat puppies?!), and worst of all, Scarlet, the Papillon, the sweet spot in my heart, the dog of my dreams, the babe of the block, (I could go on…) who despite my human’s efforts to get her human to stop and let us dogs nuzzle just a bit, is told once again that Scarlet doesn’t like other dogs. HOW, I ask you, does she know THAT, if Scarlet has NEVER gotten to meet one?!

So, with my head hangin’ and my tail droopin’’ we continue my walk to complete the other purpose for which it is intended. At the base of the loop, I stop in front of the luxury home of the Pop Up Poodles. It only takes a minute for them to know that I’m there (it’s that anticipation thing again). They alternately jump up inside the door to see me over the decorative, frosted door panel. On a better day, I view this as hilarious entertainment, but today I realize that I have never seen them on the outside of that door and wonder if they are, by this time, simply DERANGED. I know I’m supposed to head to the other “non-residential” side of the road to “do my business”, but I squat, right there on the lawn of the Pop Up Poodles’ luxury home and do the deed. “Oh Charlie!” my human exclaims. But I think she understands.

Dogs are masters of anticipation. They are also innately, instinctively, inordinately (I’ll keep throwing “in” words at this forever, if I have to) know how to socialize. It may not always look right to our humans, but we know what we are doing. Keeping us apart from other dogs causes us to forget what we know, and confuses us. Confusion causes fear, and well, of course you know, fear causes bad behavior.
Allowing a dog to socialize takes time and perhaps the morning walk, before work, when you are in a hurry, isn’t the best opportunity. Perhaps the evening walk provides a better chance, or maybe on the weekend…
Just take it from this dog that allowing your dog to socialize with other dogs pays off BIG TIME.

As always, I’ve got some suggestions, but STOP HERE if you believe that your dog is aggressive towards unfamiliar dogs. There is no good reason to take that challenge on alone. Professional training is required, and well worth it to turn it around.

First off, don’t try to socialize with everyone. Some dogs are naturally attracted to each other (just like humans). Start there.
Always be sure that your dog is walking along side of you or behind you (that includes you, the human, being the one out the door first). This sets you up as the leader. Any dog out in front of you on a leash feels obligated to ward off strangers.

Dogs take their clues from their leader. If you are tense or nervous at the approach of another dog, your dog will be too. My human has got a great routine…as a new dog approaches, she immediately starts telling me what a nice dog it is, what a beautiful dog it is, what a sweet dog it is…oh how nice that we are going to meet that WONDERFUL dog…

Sometimes, if necessary, she even crouches down next to me as she keeps talking. Her body language (crouching is friendlier than standing) and her tone are aligned…no mixed signals there for me to misinterpret.

She ASKS the other human if it is OKAY to meet his/her dog. (Not sure about this ASKING thing. Tried it once for seconds at dinner…didn’t work for me!)

BEWARE. NICE DOGS DON’T STARE. Polite dogs look briefly at each other, then look away, look at each other again, and then look away. If you’ve got staring going on, a fight is just seconds away.

Dogs don’t HAVE to sniff each other to meet. Believe me, they get all the scent they need just in the air. If they do want to sniff, make it brief, call them back and give them all that good dog talk again.

Social encounters don’t need to take long. A stop, wag and maybe a sniff is all I need to feel like the mayor of my street. After all, why waste time on small talk when that perfect Yorkie could be just around the corner…

Oh, sweet ANTICIPATION!

Just a quick bark about leashes…
Retractables with ribbon instead of “fish line” are my personal favorites for dog walking. More options, more immediate control, safe, durable and if it’s from Moondoggie – STYLISH!

Lots of Love & Licks,
Charlie

Moondoggie Dog Leads Leash Suggestions:

BEACH COLLAR/LEAD This bright, bold, and beautifully designed collar will guarantee a wag and lots of positive attention while dog walking!		PREP PINK RETRACTABLE LEAD What preppy pup wouldn’t love to be seen walking with this! This terrific retractable lead has a complete nylon ribbon lead (no more cut legs!), a one button brake and release, a durable plastic case and a coordinating rubber grip for comfort.

I was recently on a family trip to Atlanta to visit with Dobey, who is Moondoggie’s clothing buyer and all-around “fashionista”. I can’t tell you how much I just LOVE these trips! Hotel lobbies, elevators, racing down the carpeted hallway to MY ROOM are all things that make this dog’s life a joy.

Until bedtime, that is.

Now, I must admit that I have a terrific travel dog bed. AND of course, my blanket and PUPPY PAL toy always travel with me. Yet, I can’t help but miss my own bed just a bit. After all, your average dog sleeps 14+ hours a day, so it’s no surprise that the place we drop our furry heads and take a break from the “dog-eat-dog world becomes rather important.

So, in my “down time” from car rides, park visits and socializing with new and old friends, I began to muse about dog beds…

There’s a lot written about whether or not, a dog should sleep on a human’s bed. The only thought that comes to mind is the obvious question: Why would a dog want to sleep on its human’s bed, or on the couch, or in the dirty laundry basket, for that matter? Well, maybe because it’s more COMFORTABLE!

I know that I’m “attached” to my bed because it suits me. When I’m about to check into doggie dreamland, all four paws are typically pointing to the ceiling. So you might call me a “sprawler”. I take up all the space available. Donut dog beds, burrow dog beds, dog house style beds make me claustrophobic. Comfy mats, big pillow beds, flat cushions all work the best for me.
Wookie, I’ve noticed, is a “snuggler”. Don’t know what he dreams about, but when he’s sleeping, he wants to be “incognito”, e.g. hiding his head under something. Donut beds, beds with blankets or loose pillows he can get under, dog house or covered, crate-style beds and yes, DEFINITELY the dirty laundry basket all work for him!

Bailey is wired to be on 24 hour alert. So a good sleep requires being up high or very close to the doorway. Both are preferable. Snoozin’ in style for Bailey would be a number of raised beds, within sight of each doorway in the house.

I don’t know what we’d do without Brusky. He provides comic relief for us in almost everything he does, and sleeping is no exception. This 75lb. mountain of a boxer-boy curls himself up into the smallest space he can fit himself in, and then proceeds to snore loud enough to wake the Westies down the street!

Buy a bed for a boxer, and another for a Chihuahua, and he will try to “squeeze” himself into that Chihuahua bed.

Our “hottie”, Dobey, doesn’t seem to particularly care what her bed is like, as long as she has plenty of them! Beds are about “her space”, and take it from the dog who tried to test that theory… she has a need to define her space!

So, my best advice before investing in a bed for your dog is to watch how he or she sleeps, and MEASURE the space (from nose to tail) he/she takes up and add between 8 inches (for little dogs) and 12 inches (for big dogs) to that measurement. Remember, if the bed’s too small, your dog might treat it like a toy, not a bed. If the bed’s too large, your dog won’t get that essential feeling of security needed for a blissful snooze.

Personality counts, so create a place to hide a nose for your “snuggler”, a high spot for your canine security alarm, room to stretch for your “sprawler” , beds in every corner for your diva, and a cozy wrap-around retreat for your big dog with an identity crisis! Now, I’m sure that there are many more canine sleep personalities than those mentioned here, but I’m sure you get the idea. If your dog has a unique one, let us know! It’s always fun to hear about our canine customers and it helps us when we are sniffing around to fetch the right items for Moondoggie.

Finally, although it may seem like I am stating the obvious when I ask: Where should you put the new bed that you have purchased for your dog? And I answer with another question: Where does your dog usually sleep?

Keep in mind that dogs don’t always think like humans. Just because you just purchased the very best dog bed money (or more sensibly, your budget) can buy, doesn’t mean that your dog will even recognize it as a bed, and he/she could be very skeptical about it. The more you can make the new bed seem like not much of a change, the better. This is done by putting it in the same spot where your dog has taken to snoozin’. Toss in a favorite blanket, toy or old sock, if your dog is fond of your laundry basket. If that doesn’t work try placing your dog on the bed and then cuddle together like crazy! Say wonderful things to your dog and then rub his/her tummy, give a scratch behind the ears, maybe more tummy rubbing… (Now, this may not have anything to do with the goal of sleeping in the bed, but I thought I’d toss in this “advice” as a perk to all my canine friends and followers out there!)

A final word on the subject… EXERCISE. An exhausted dog will sleep almost anywhere!

Lots of Love and Licks,
Charlie

Moondoggie Dog Bed Suggestions:

B/W CURLS BED This bed combines a truly striking fabric (white curls on a black background with a leather bone logo) with a guaranteed, completely machine washable, 100% cotton feather down interior and a cover that is stain and odor resistant.	SAUCER ADJUSTABLE BED This unique leather collar is the perfect choice for dogs who want to look well-dressed, but not overdone. Classic styling and workmanship are combined with a touch of sparkle, with inset Swarovski crystals. Matching leads are a must to finish the look. Sized to fit small dogs with 10″ necks up to BIG dogs with 24″ necks. Please contact us, if you need a bigger size. Made in the USA.	URBAN BONE PILLOW BED Nothing girly about this bed! Trendy uptown styling and comfort are the hallmarks of this pillow bed. Covered in 8 oz. cotton twill fabric. Washable. Striking design and neutral colors go well anywhere!