Pooper Scooper Tips

          Pooper scoopers aren't the most exciting or glamorous thing, but if you own a dog they are certainly a very helpful tool. Buying pooper scoopers for use in the dog yard will save your back and knees from needless bending over to bag poo the old fashion way. There are also so called portable style scoops that are marketed for when you take your dog for a walk....what I say is save your money when it comes to that type of scoop. Just do the old school way of putting your hand inside a bag (like a puppet), grab the dog poop, then pull the bag off your hand and tie up the bag. This method is much more portable and less cumbersome then dragging around a scoop.

          There are different types of materials the scoops can come in, such as plastic, wood, aluminum, and steel. I've tried all but the plastic type scoops, so those will be the only type I can't give any helpful tips or opinion on. There is also a variety of types, with plastic scoops having the most options. In the other materials there are basically two types scissor and separate/single. Scissor types look and work much like the name suggests, both the spade and scoop are riveted together to create the scissor action. The Separate type have single spade and scoop that are not attached to each other. Personally my choice is the separate style, I like the versatility being able to operate each piece independently. Then we come lastly to style, which are either spade or rake. I've used both styles and they each have their uses, but I'll choose the spade for its all around use. Not to get to graphic, but if your dog has a loose stool at some point you'll have a much easier time collecting it with a spade. Also if you live in an area where you get snow and ice I recommend going with the spade style.

The scoop with the red cap is made from aluminum, the other scoop and 2 spades are steel.

Wooden Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          This material does best if stored inside out of the elements such as a shed or garage. If you live in a climate were you get snow and ice I would avoid this style, you'll want something hardier. The pros to this material is it is fairly lightweight and is often inexpensive. The cons to this material is that it can splinter or break if not properly used or cared for.

Aluminum Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          If you have no place to store your scooper inside, or if you just find the thought of storing a pooper scooper inside yucky then this material is a good one to go with. In the photo above the scoop with a red cap is aluminum and the other pieces are steel. All four pieces have been stored outside leaning up against my garage through all manner of weather for years. As you can see from the photo only the aluminum scoop is not damaged by the weather. The pro to this material is it is very lightweight, which will make it perfect for anyone who can not wield heavy or cumbersome scoops. The con to this material is it can be easily bent and misshapen. If you anticipate having to chip frozen dog poop from the snow you'll want some thing sturdier.

Steel Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          Steel is my choice material to look for in a pooper scooper, I like its strength and durability. It will rust if left outside in the elements as you can see mine has in the photo above. If you live in a climate that gets snow and ice then you may want to choose steel for its sturdiness. Steel keeps it shape much better then aluminum but that is not to say with the right amount of force you can't warp or bend the spade head. The cons to this material is it is heavy and the handles are often a larger diameter then the wood or aluminum scoopers. So if you have dainty hands or can not wield a heavy scoop you may want to pick a different material to go with. Lastly steel scoops often cost more then the other kinds.

Face your pooper scooper like this during the winter.

Winter tips
          If you store your scooper outside during the winter you will want to make sure to face your scoop like I've done in the photo above. Having it stored this way makes it harder to get completely frozen to the ground. I find I run into the problem more often when the weather warms up enough to melt some of the snow then drops back down to freezing causing any pools of water to turn into ice. Also if they are stored like this when you are expecting snow will make it easier for you to extricate them. Most likely were ever you store your scoops, whether inside or out, they are wont be in warm temperatures. This means the scooper will be cold to freezing so wear gloves to handle them. I also found that if you throw a thin layer of snow into the bottom of the scoop before you try and pick up fresh dog poop it tends not to stick to the cold metal.

Summer tips
       If you store your steel scooper outside and you know you will be getting lots of rain turn your scooper over (like I do for wintertime, see photo above), this will keep water from sitting in the scoop for long periods of time which can cause rust. I'm often lazy and will let the rain wash out the pooper scooper for me.


Do you have any tips or advice you would like to share about pooper scoopers? Have you used any of the plastic scoops and want to share your knowledge? Do you have a funny pooper scooper story? Just add your comments below, I would love to hear from you.

Dog Product Review - Cranimals Organic Supplement

          Back in April or May doggyloot, my favorite place to find cool dog related deals, had listed Cranimals UTI test kit with supplement. I didn't need the test kit but upon reading about the supplement it had me intrigued. I then went to the Cranimals website to read more, it is a pet supplement that uses organic cranberry, red raspberry, and blueberry extracts without artificial anything.

          They have different products but I went with their Very Berry. That one is supposed to help with maintain eye heath and prevent macular degeneration, slow and improve age related declines in memory, balance & coordination, dental health, cardiac health, kidney health & some UTIs, and has antioxidants. I thought the Very Berry was the best one for a senior dog to be on. Fussy will soon 13 years old and anything I can give her that will help fight the aging process I am all for that.

          Towards the end of 2012 I noticed that Fussy was having some senility problems so I started to get her to exercise (physically and mentally) more and added fish oil to her daily health regimen. After do that her mental deterioration stopped and reverted. Earlier this year before Fussy had her surgery she had a UTI, which surprised me because I didn't see any symptoms. So when I read about the Cranimals product I felt it would be a perfect fit for my aging gal. I ended up buying the 1lb bulk container of Very Berry.

          The powder can be added to the dog's food or even mixed into some yogurt. Fussy doesn't seem to like it in yogurt so I mix it into her breakfast. She isn't wild about the taste so I add some irresistible sweet potato to her meal. Other dogs might enjoy the taste of Cranimals more then Fussy because after all she is....well....fussy.

          Has Cranimals' Very Berry made an improvement on Fussy's health? To be truthful it is hard to say, I haven't noticed any markable improvement. However I can say for sure that she hasn't gotten any worse. But if you think about it perhaps that is exactly what you should be seeing. What I mean is this formula is to mainly help maintain what functions the dog already has so you wouldn't see anything change. I am wondering if it has helped improve anything in Fussy that perhaps it was either so small or gradual that it has been overlooked. I have also around the same time been doing several other things to help with Fussy's health that that also makes it hard to say which one thing or even a combo of multiples things helped her or the what degree. Bottom line, I think I will continue using Cranimals until Fussy refuses to voluntarily take it anymore.

          Have you used Cranimals? What was your experience with it? Did you think it worked?

Dog Product Review - Wag Lifetime Joint Care

          While hanging out on Google+ I came across a post in my feed about getting a sample of Wag Lifetime Joint Care. What can I say but I'm a sucker for dog related giveaways and free dog stuff. What also attracted me to this was the fact that my nearly 13 year old dog is on prescription pain medication for her hips and arthritis.

          Over the years I had put my dogs on various glucosamine and chondroitin pills and supplements and to be honest I never saw any type of change or improvement. Perhaps glucosamine and chondroitin is best used as preventive, well at any rate I had stopped use them and needless to say I was skeptical about Wag. When you have your dog on a veterinarian prescribed pain med you think how much could a OTC joint supplement actually help. As I said I'm a sucker for free and the after looking at its ingredients I figured what the heck I'll give it a shot.

          Once I got the pills in the mail I opened it up to begin testing them. The first big test was to see if my dog Fussy (she is her name) if she would eat these chewables on her own. I broke one in half and then in half again, Fussy only likes to be given tiny pieces of anything foreign for her to taste. Big relief not only did she like it but asked for more, so I handed her the rest of her dose. Now for the main test, would Wags do what it claims it does and alleviate my dog's joint pain.

           After about a week I realized that Fussy was moving much better in the morning, not as stiff getting up, not falling over as much, and was walking better. I was rather shocked that I would be able to see a noticeable difference in my dog and within such a short time. I was so astounded that I had to ask a family member for a second opinion, and sure enough I wasn't crazy they saw it to.

          Now that I knew this stuff actually works and my dog likes it I had to go and find out were I could buy it and how much this stuff costs. I was in for sticker shock on how much it cost per bottle, it was well over $40 for a bottle but if you signed up for their automatic monthly subscription it would cost you less. I hate, hate, hate automatic subscription deals and the cost was more then I had expected. This was a horrible dilemma......do I not buy the pills that obviously helped my dog's pain, do pay more money and just buy the pills when I could afford to, or do I pay less and be locked into a automatic subscription for a price that I find to still be to pricey? This is one of those choices that will drive a person insane!

          The tipping point came when I received an email from the company with an offer of buy-one-get-one bottle free with shipping included (automatic subscription only), not only that but on their website there was a code to also receive 10% off the price. Ugh! They found my weakness, my love of my dog and my love of saving money. I caved and ordered the bottles now I have to figure out if I should keep the subscription or just order when I can. Not sure what I will do.

          Did you find a joint or pain supplement that you think works tell me about I would love to hear what you have to say.

Dog Product Review - Snack 21 Salmon Skin Bone

          It is so hard to find a long lasting treat for a dog that can't chew anything to hard. Most of those long lasting treats are to tough and anything soft enough doesn't last longer then a few seconds. What makes it even more upsetting is having dogs that can eat long lasting treats and one that can't, life can be so unfair.

          While I was going to place an online order at petfooddirect so I thought what the heck and began looking through their dog treats and chews section. I nearly gave up looking for something that I would feel good about giving and something that my dog would eat when I found it.....Snack 21 Salmon Skin Bones and Rolls. They are 100% natural wild salmon skin that has been rolled into a stick or knotted on the ends to make a bone. I went with the bone shape hoping that it would make chewing it a little more long lasting.

          Salmon especially wild caught are a healthy food and a good source of Omegas which are important for dogs with joint issues (like my dog Fussy). Can't go wrong with a healthy good for you treat that may also be long lasting. I placed my order and waited for my things to arrive. Receiving a box of goodies makes me feel like a kid at Christmas time, even if it is all things only for the dogs. And just like a kid I have to always check out any toy or treat first. I ordered only two of the salmon bone just to sample, I pull the one out and remove the plastic wrapper. Good news no strong offensive fishy odor. But what I was surprised to see was all the fish scales were still on it. That concerned me some even though they weren't huge or anything. Have you ever eaten fish and found out you got a scale sticking in your throat, it is hard to brake the suction.

          Now for the big test... will the dog like it and how long will it really last. I hand to bone to Fussy which she takes, good sign so far. Being the dog she is it takes her dropping it and me passing it back to her for a few times before she starts chewing it in earnest. At least that means it isn't to tough on her mouth, another point in its favor. As she chews it still there is no over powering fishiness. However I do see that those scales are popping off and are littering where she is chewing the bone, point against. I wished I had timed her but much to my surprise it took her about 15 or 20 minutes to finish off the whole thing. That certainly makes it a long lasting chew for Fussy, big point in favor of. Despite the issue with the scales I think this Salmon Skin Bone is definitely a keeper.

Dog Product Review - EVO canned food

          As many of you already know Fussy my almost 13 year old English Springer Spaniel is aptly named thanks to her finicky nature. Giving her pills have always been a royal pain in the bum, so guess what she has to take everyday now that she is an older dog.....that's right pain pills.

          Over all the years and of all the dogs that I had I've become adequate at administering pills. Hiding meds in a treat or food is the easiest followed by the direct down the hatch approach. Fussy on the other hand is more then adequate at detecting pills in food and stopping any pill administered directly (I wont get into details but suffice it to say she is good).

          It has been extremely hard to find something edible that I can hide her medication in. First the food item needs to be able to hold the pill in place without coming apart. Second it needs to be tasted enough that Fussy will not examine it and take it in only one bite. Every time I think I have found something that will work she only falls for it for a short time, she is just to dang smart and not amply piggish. Once she catches on she will either refuse to ever touch that food again or she will gingerly pick at it to remove any "foreign objects".

Fussy is quite adorable looking but she has a devilish side!

          Earlier this year I went to the pet store and bought a small variety of quality canned dog. I didn't exactly buy them to stick pills in but as luck would have it one of them turned out that way. EVO canned food had the right texture and constancy to hide a pill in but more importantly Fussy goes nuts for it. Hallelujah!!

          There have been a few times where Fussy had noticed I stuffed a pill in her spoonful of EVO but the taste of the food is way to tasty for her to be fussy over it. Let me tell you that feels like a miracle or at the very least takes the stress out of pill time. If you have a finicky dog or are having a hard time administering your dog's medication you may want to check out EVO canned dog food.

          The pet stores in my area can be a pricey when it comes to buying healthy dog food, so I thought I would search the internet and see if I could it cheaper. I came across petfooddirect, they have the food for a decent price and even have sales from time to time. What I also liked was for that brand of food you can buy a variety case that includes three cans each of beef, chicken & turkey, duck, and venison. This is great because even dogs some diversity in flavor.

          How do you give your dog its pills, I love to hear if you found a better way. Have you bought dog from an online store, what store did you use and how where their prices?

Dog Product Review - Mutt Soup mix for dogs

          As you guessed it this is another of my doggyloot purchases. At first when I saw this Mutt Soup listed I wasn't going to buy it. But after reading the natural ingredients list and learning that this little nearly 6 ounce pouch (along with a few things you need to add) will make 6 cups I thought what the heck! I have been wanting for sometime now to start making a few home cooked meals for my dogs, but I have felt a bit intimidated about the whole prospect. The Mutt Soup mix I think is a super way to get over that hurdle, after all it can't get much easier then opening a pouch, add a few ingredients, and cook.

          All you need to cook this soup is add 1 pound of lean meat (your choice of meat), 6 cups of water or unsalted chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. The one problem I ran into was trying to find unsalted chicken broth, the best I could find was low salt. I take it specialty shops like Wholefoods would most likely have it. So what I did was to use one can of low sodium chicken broth and made up the rest of the cups needed with water. The grocery store had a sale on good lean hamburger so that is what I used for the meat.

Cooking the Mutt Soup Mix.

          Following the simple directions on the pouch I began cooking the soup for the dogs. The smell was wonderful, it made me hungry. Fussy was even sniffing the air, I think she knew something was up. I have heard it said some where that the color of your food should be colorful and not bland, that is one way to tell if you are eating healthier food. If that is true then this soup mix must be healthy because the colors were very pleasing to the eye. I was very tempted to give it a taste when it was done but I didn't.

          The hardest part of making the soup I think is waiting for the finished soup to cool so you can dish it out to the pooches. To make the cooling go somewhat faster I dished out some of the soup for the dogs and then placed the bowls in the coolest room in the house. Stirring the bowls also helped to cool off the soup at the bottom.

The finished soup.

           Fussy, she is a dog that I can count on taking food gently from your hand, mostly it is because of her picky appetite and neurotic need to check food for "poison". By poison I mean her medication, she is the worst when it comes to taking her pills. I've had dogs in the past that at some point I needed to give pills to, either they took the pills wrapped in food or I just popped it down their throat. Easy peasy! But not Fussy, she has a....let's just call it a "unique" ability to avoid pills. I can't just pop the pills down her throat like any other normal dog as she some how always manages to munch on my fingers and spit the pill up. Hiding it in food is also difficult. She is very good at finding a pill in nearly any food, and once she finds it she will either be leery about eating that food again or quit eating it altogether. Any new food you need to make sure you have a super tiny piece to hand her so she can first sniff it and then if she takes it she'll roll it around her mouth and spit it out a few times before eating it. If you hand her a piece of new food that she deems to large she wont even try eating it. Well back to where this is relevant to the Mutt Soup......so anyway the soup is cooling down. To test the temp I stuck my finger in the bowl, it was still a to warm. So I am sitting there with soup on my finger and Fussy staring at me, I don't want to waste any of this soup so I offer her my finger to lick off (something I have done many other times before with her). As I hold my finger out for her I see the look on her face get super excited. OMG is she going to bite my finger?! It all happen so fast I couldn't react other then to just stand there waiting and expecting to feel teeth. Thankfully at the last moment Fussy realized my finger was there, I could see her facial expression changed and she gently licked to soup from my finger. Whoa that was a close call. Apparently Fussy loves the smell of the soup, so far so good.

          Waiting for the soup to cool I decide to go and sit in the front-room and watch some TV in the meantime, and like usual Fussy follows me. If you are at all familiar with English Springer Spaniels you know that they will follow you EVERY WHERE. It is not very usual for them to sit in another room for a length of time without you. So Fussy and the rest of us sit down and begin watching TV. All of a sudden I get this feeling something is off. I look around the room, odd Fussy is missing. I brush it off thinking she walked out to the kitchen for a drink of water. A short time passes and she doesn't return so I get up to look for her. She is in the room with the bowls of soup staring at them just waiting patiently. This must be some soup to make her act like that!!

          Finally the true test comes when the soup is cool enough, I pass out the bowls and wait. Maybe it is me but there is some comforting feeling when you hear a bunch of dogs all contently munching on their food. Fussy showed no sign of picky eating as she dived right in slurped up every last bit of soup, she even lick the bowl completely clean. Oh yeah, Mutt Soup is a big hit!

Dog Product Review - Patagonia Wild Hare Ears

          As many of you know I like to buy some of the deals on Doggyloot, and recently they have had some really cool items. It was hard but I controlled myself so I don't go broke! But...I did cave on just a couple of things like Patagonia Wild Hare Ears.

         My older dog Fussy can't chew some of the harder dog chews like she used to be able to do. Back when she was young her brother would often begin gnawing Fussy's tougher chews (like rawhide and other big bones), then we would take it way from him and give it to her. Without her brother getting it started and softer for her she usually wouldn't even try chewing on it until then. In her younger days she used to eat cow and pig ears but as she got older we switched to lamb ears. However now she wont even touch any of those ears. So when I saw Doggyloot with a deal on Patagonia Hare ears I thought these might be small, thin, and not grease for her.

          Opening a package of anything is like music to the ears of a English Springer Spaniel. Doesn't matter if it isn't for them or even something they don't like the noise will give you their undivided attention. Fussy sat there waiting very patiently and I hand her the ear. Now for the moment of truth, will she or wont she eat it. I watched her as she walked off with the ear tucked discreetly in her mouth. Out in the dinning room she puts it down and walks away. For Fussy this isn't either a good or bad sign as she will do this most things. She isn't called Fussy for nothing! She is also cautious eater with any new food or treat. I hand her back the ear and she takes it once again. BINGO, she laid down and began chew it!

Click photo to enlarge to see detail

          Fussy didn't budge until she finished the whole ear, which is a good sign that she enjoyed it. These ears are smaller then lamb ears and much thinner perfect for a dog like Fussy. I had even more proof that she likes these when I was taking photos or this blog post. I pulled out a few of the ears to take some photos and when the smell reached her nose she got excited. I would say that makes these a keeper!

Dog Product Review - Green, an interactive feeder

          Are you familiar with DoggyLoot, it is similar to Groupons but for dog related stuff. I've been a member for awhile and I am glad I signed up. They have some interesting offers and items, my latest purchase through DoggyLoot was something called Green. Basically Green is an "interactive" dog feeder (or use it for treats.

            I have been looking for new ways to give Fussy my older dog some mental stimulation. She isn't interested in dog toys and because of arthritis her back end tires easily. Taking her walks (nearly everyday) was is good exercise for both of us and is perfect for keeping a mind sharp. But I want to find something else I can do with her at home.

          One day I open DoggyLoot's email and there is this weird cartoony looking faux grass thing. What the heck, I click on it to get more details. It wasn't until after I watched to company's video that I was impressed with it. Boom! Done deal, so I buy the thing. So far my purchases from DoggyLoot don't take long to show up on my doorstep. I open the box and there it is. I was surprised a bit that it was a hard plastic and not something with a tiny bit of bend to it. But the super thing is it is easy to clean! Things that make my life easier I love. It is sorta hard to see in the photo but the middle of the thing is raised up making it look like a little hill. That way dogs can work the food/treats out of the "blades of grass". Now the big test..... what will Fussy think of this strange contraption?

          I take a few of her favorite dog treats and sprinkle them inside the Green and stood back. Instantly Fussy's nose goes into high gear. At first she thinks this is some sort of barrier, she looked at me and I told her "It's for you, go ahead!" After that she dove right in hunting down each speck of treat, all the while I could hear her nose sniffing so loudly and rapidly.

           So I can confidently say that the Green was a good buy. I would give it a thumbs up and if Fussy also had thumbs she would also.

          I thought it would be neat to video her using the Green, this was her second encounter with it. There is no sound to the video so it is safe to view anywhere.

          Looking to get in on DoggyLoot? Sign up for free by using this link:
https://doggyloot.com/invite/f40990 and receive a $5.00 credit to buy some cool dog stuff.