Dog Health

The growing trend in dog ownership is the purchase or adoption of designer dogs – those dogs that have been deliberately bred from two purebred dogs with an expected result.  While I would never discourage the adoption of any dog, designer or otherwise, there are certain pros and cons that come with giving a home to a Designer Dog.

Pros

The pros to giving a home to a Designer Dog (besides the obvious good karma of giving a home to a dog in need) typically relate to the health of the dog in question.  While many purebred dogs are prone to health problems related to the lack of genetic difference between one generation and the next, Designer Dogs, much like mutts, bypass many of the health problems that purebreds are known for.  The difference between the Designer Dog and the mutt is that while a mutts heritage isn't know, Designer Dogs often have papers stating what their heritage is, including the breeds and history of both parents.

Along with avoiding many of the health issues associated with purebred dogs, Designer Dogs are often bred to combine favored traits of two breeds, such as a lack of shedding and the size of one dog with the playful nature and affection of another.  The hope with Designer Dogs is that the penchant that one of the breeds may have for chewing on your shoes will be countered by the penchant the other breed has for eating dog treats from your hands.

Cons

The cons to bringing home any dog of mixed parentage is that you never really know what to expect.  You can breed two of the most affectionate, loving dogs, and at the end of the day you might still get a Designer Dog that sees your slippers and thinks chew toy.  Temperament and size are very hard to judge with Designer Dogs, especially those that come from two dogs of largely varying sizes (you might end up with a Labrador/Dachshund mix that is either the size of the Dachshund, the Labrador, or somewhere in the middle).  Poodle Designer Dogs are known to exhibit many of the Poodle's often aggressive nature, in spite of being bred with a more docile breed.  While giving you hope having a Boxer mixed with a Chihuahua will curb its need to chew on things better than giving it bully sticks, at the end of the day, you can't know what you will get from the dog until you've spent time with it and tried to train it.

Don't Go in With Any Expectations

When bringing home your Designer Dog, remember not to have any expectations.  You may bring home the most perfect puppy that will be easy to train, have all the best traits of both their breeds, and be a ray of sunshine in you and your family's lives.  Or you may bring home a little terror that will drive you all insane…just like any other puppy.  Don't assume that the new trend in Designer Dogs means that you don't have to put in the time to properly train your dog.  Good genes are no replacement for proper training and love.

About the Author

Avrum Elmakis is the owner of Best Bully Sticks, a leading provider of dog treats, bully sticks, and lamb treats for dogs.  They can be found online at:  http://www.bestbullysticks.com .

Just because the travel season is just about over doesn't mean that you should already be looking ahead to your next family vacation, and that includes your four legged family members.  Picking places that will welcome your dog with arms as open as those that welcome you can be tricky, so here's a list of ten of the top pet friendly cities in the United States.

San Diego, California

Thanks to the warm climate, this is a year round playground for pets and pet lovers.  With locations like the Otay Ranch Town Shopping Center, which has an off-leash park as part of the facility, and a number of pet friendly restaurants like Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar, this is the ideal location for the pet lover with travel on their mind.

Long Beach, California

Home to the Most Beautiful Bulldog Competition, Easter and Howl o'ween parades, and the only off-leash dog park in LA County.  With restaurants and bars that cater to both people and their dogs, this is a great spot to enjoy a refreshing lunch while your dog enjoys dog treats right next to you.

Carmel, California

Home to the pet friendly Cypress Inn on Lincoln Street (co-owned by the legendary Doris Day), this city is great for the active pet family as it features numerous walking tours to enjoy the towns scenic charms.

Portland, Oregon

Home to The Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, this brewery is the perfect place for you to take the edge off after a long day of travel with one of their dog-inspired brews while your dog relaxes beside you.  If you need something to wake you up instead, the Iron Mutt Coffee Company is perfect for getting your caffeine fix while your dog enjoys either a Himalayan Dog Chew from you, or a free dog biscuit from the employees.

Seattle, Washington

When staying in Seattle, the Pensione Nichols Bed and Breakfast should be first on your list thanks to their pet-friendly standards and great location.  From there it's easy to enjoy many of Seattle's pet-friendly amenities, especially since well-behaved dogs are allowed on all of Seattle's buses and trains.  Couple that with numerous eateries that welcome well-behaved pets and it's easy to see why Seattle is one of the top pet-friendly cities in the country.

Chicago, Illinois

While the Cubs might not be winning the World Series just yet, the White Sox do offer a Dog Day baseball game every spring.  Numerous upscale hotels such as the Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco welcome dogs of all sizes, and Lake Michigan offers more than 18 miles of paved trails that are great for exercising both you and your dog.  At the end of the day, swing by Cucina's on either N. Sedgwick or W. Diversey where your dog will be served a complimentary bowl of pasta before you give him a bully stick to really enjoy.

New York City, New York

Many of the most upscale and fashionable hotels in this city open their doors to dogs, including the Soho Grand Hotel and the Muse Hotel.  The NYC Dog Walking Tour is a great way to see the city and get your dog some much needed exercise, and of course there's always a carriage ride through Central Park to really enjoy the sites of the city.

Orlando, Florida

When in Orlando, be sure to visit Sam Snead's, the location where Governor Jeb Bush signed the doggy dining law that allows well-behaved dogs to sit with their owners at outside locations.  Thanks to the location of Disney World and Universal Studios, many hotels in the area are pet friendly and even offer dog-sitting services while you and your family go and enjoy the park.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

All about nature and the great outdoors, Colorado Springs is a great place for dogs that love to romp and have fun.  With numerous nature preserves and parks where you can let your dog off the leash and just run and enjoy themselves, it's easy to forget that Colorado Springs also offers many pet friendly hotels where both you and your dog can be spoiled and pampered.

Austin, Texas

Boasting 12 off-leash parks, Austin is a dream come true for both pet owners and the pets themselves.  Whether cooling off in the creek at Bull Creek District Park or taking a tour of the city in horse-drawn carriage, there are plenty of ways for your dog to enjoy themselves while in Austin.  Plenty of restaurants and stores welcome dogs, so be sure to take them out with you when you're hitting the town and enjoy the sites of this beautiful Texas city with your best four-legged friends.

Salmon Oil From Plato Pet Treats

We are proud to introduce the first supplement that we have ever carried at Best Bully's! We have just started to carry Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil manufactured by Plato Pet Treats. Salmon Oil is not only a great supplement for your dog, but being made by Plato makes it just that much better.

First, we'll start with why Salmon Oil is so great....for starters it helps to promote healthy skin and a glossy coat. Salmon oil also supports heart health and has been shown to promote healthy brain activity. Plato also adds a rosemary extract to their oil which helps as an antioxidant. This is simple to use with your dogs or cats.  It comes standard with a pump top dispenser which makes knowing how much to use easy!

Not all Salmon Oil is created equal. Plato uses 100% Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, not farm raised or from another part of the world. Plato Salmon Oil is also naturally preserved like all Plato products and has only two ingredients...Rosemary and Salmon Oil. In our opinion, the addition of rosemary creates a pleasant aroma to the oil while adding antioxidant properties. Plato also uses a dark almost black colored container to prevent light from entering the container and degrading the quality of the product. We are sure that this product will do well as a supplement and will help dogs all over the country live healthier, happier lives!

Please also make sure to visit the Plato Dog Treats section of the website to find the treats that Plato manufactures.

Greatest American Dog

I don't know how many of you have seen the commercials for this upcoming CBS show....but it looks like it will be quite good. The show is featuring twelve dogs and their owners who will complete each week for a $250,000 prize (think about the dog treats that could buy!). The shows website says that there will be challenges each week to test the owners' ability to train their dogs and that one team will be eliminated each week.

From looking at the 12 contestants it looks to be a good mix of dogs from Chihuahua's to a Bull Dog. I think that it should be a fun show to watch as some of the dog's are from the pageant world and some have just been trained at home.

In the end, we feel like every dog could win this contest as they all have unique personalities and bring love and joy to families all over the country; just look at the smiling faces in the photo gallery!

Furminator-Best Grooming Tool on the Market

In our opinion this is one of the most exciting products to hit the pet industry in the last couple of years.  The Furminator is easy to use, quick, and good at what it does.  Whether you have a long or short haired dog, it is sure to make quick work of grooming and keep your dog's skin and coat healthy!

The Furminator is also a great way to manage your dogs shedding.  If combed regularly with the tool it can reduce the amount of shedding by up to 90%!  According the the Furminator product literature it accomplishes this by removing the loose dead undercoat without damaging the top coat.  It also works to bring out a pets natural oils and create a shinier top coat.

Lastly, the Furminator also helps with airborne allergens which are the source of many people's allergic reaction to pets .  As with anything that your dog might find annoying (brushing teeth, combing, etc...) it is always a good idea to have some dog treats or bully sticks close by as a reward!