Last week, Mom said there was a package for me – for me! Even better, it was gifted to me from PetSafe. I secretly hoped it was another box of dog biscuits, because every time she opens one of those boxes, I’m allowed to help myself to one…or two…of the treats. I was already drooling by the time I realized that this was no treat box. It was a short black round cylinder that came with a number of instructions. Inside the box there were white flags, battery chargers and a bulky black collar – which, I thought was a little odd since I already have a nice blue one with little white stars on it.

I sat in the kitchen, while Mom told me that sometimes I scare her when I run after squirrels. But can you blame me? If you could, you would chase after them too! They’ve got those little black eyes and big bushy tails – you can’t trust anything with a big bushy tail. So every week, I run them out of our yard, careful to stop at the pavement. I’m not allowed to cross the street by myself, but sometimes, I admit, it’s tempting. I mean, have you ever been taunted by a squirrel? Mom knows that I hate being taunted by the them and every now and then she wonders if one day, I’ll break the rules and run across the street to continue the chase. I wouldn’t though, I’d rather stay in the yard and play fetch with her than run down a squirrel any day. But when PetSafe sent us the Stay + Play Wireless Fence system, Mom thought maybe – just maybe – this might be good for a little extra squirrel chasing insurance.

The short black cylinder, which I sniffed sufficiently, is the boundary transmitter. Mom said that she could place it anywhere in our house and it would set up an invisible boundary line around our property line. The black collar, I found out, would vibrate if I accidentally tripped the circular boundary line, telling me that I needed to back up. It all sounded safe enough, the transmitter was portable and could easily be repositioned and the collar wouldn’t shock me like an electric fence. There was just one problem – the invisible boundary varied sometimes, due to the radio waves on which it relies. Sometimes the boundary was right at the property line, sometimes it spilled into the road and sometimes it landed in the middle of our yard. Talk about confusing. So Mom shortened the boundary in the front so there would a little wiggle room for error. And as it turns out, all Mom has to do is call my name and I’ll run back to her faster than a bushy-tailed squirrel.

Benny Hitt is the sweetest pup you’ll meet. Doesn’t know a stranger and always wants to greet you with a hug. He loves showing off his favorite toys and will chaotically run in circles upon your arrival trying to remember where he last left his favorite rawhide so that he can proudly flaunt it for you. He has 35 nicknames, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary, strong squirrel radar and is the best distraction around the Adrian Hitt Photography offices. 

Spring. Ahhhhh. Just saying the word ‘spring’ makes me happy! The arrival of spring means warm breezes, sunshine, blooming plant life, and thunderstorms. I am not trying to be a Debbie Downer (no offense to you wonderful Debbies out there!) I really do love a good afternoon thundershower, but let me tell you who doesn’t – my sweet hound, Jeffery. He is 70lbs of mess when thunder is in the vicinity. Now, I haven’t tried this yet, but I have read so much about this and there are so many great reviews that I just had to share.

I am talking about the Thundershirt. Thundershirt’s patent-pending design is a pressure wrap that applies a gentle, constant pressure on a dog’s torso. Thundershirts are actually used for a variety of anxiety-derived issues in dogs with great success including travel anxiety, fear of storms, crate training, separation anxiety, problem barking, and even leash pulling. The constant, gentle pressure has a dramatic calming effect on the nervous system and works for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited. Thundershirts have been featured in some of our favorite magazines such as The Bark, Whole Dog Journal, Modern Dog, Fido Friendly, and the list goes on! (I know that See Spot Eat in Berry Hill carries them.) Of course, I love this company even more because of their Thundershirt Gives Back programs for rescue groups and Operation Baghdad Pups.

I plan on getting Jeffery’s Thundershirt ASAP. Hopefully Jeffery will finally be able to find the peace and beauty in an afternoon thundershower this year! Have you tried this product yet? Share your experience with us!

Cassie is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work here, Cassie freelances in the local music scene, volunteers with animal rescues and enjoys being outside with her pups. She lives in Nashville and is the proud parent of Jeffery, Ittey and Banjo – two rescue dogs and one awesome orange cat!

I have never felt so frantic as I did last winter when my dog, Jeffery, accidentally got out and took off while I was visiting my parents in the mountains of western North Carolina. It was the coldest night of the year and my Jeff Jeff, who is my everything, was nowhere to be seen. I took off running and calling his name, while my parents each jumped in their cars and began searching the neighborhood. I looked at my childhood dog, Maggie and said “Maggie, I need your help.” Within two hours Maggie and Jeffery came trotting up the driveway together. No joke. I could finally breathe.

I was lucky that night, but it isn’t often that lost dog stories have happy endings so quickly. The new lost pet phone alert service, Find Toto is trying to help create more happy endings to those lost dog stories. All you have to do is input the details of your dog’s disappearance, a physical description and a photo. The service sends out recorded phone alerts to residents in the area where your dog disappeared (as quickly as 10,000 neighbors in 30 minutes). A detailed description of your pet, your best contact number, date lost and website information is given in the message as well so they can view a picture of your lost pet. In times of panic, any bit of help is a step in the right direction. I hope you never need to use this, but it is always good to be prepared!

Cassie is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work here, Cassie freelances in the local music scene, volunteers with animal rescues and enjoys being outside with her pups. She lives in Nashville and is the proud parent of Jeffery, Ittey and Banjo – two rescue dogs and one awesome orange cat!

This week I have a little bit of this and a little bit of that to share:

This Sunday, come visit us at Pooch Plunge at Nashville Shores! I love the tag-line for this event “Come belly-flop and doggie-paddle together with your dog.” Too cute. This is a great community, family, and dog event to benefit NPT – Nashville Public Television. All dogs are welcome to come swim, enjoy the entertainment, and see some incredible flyball demonstrations! The celebration takes place from 1pm-5pm and $20 will get you + 3 in the gate (any variation of 4 including dogs.) Please stop by our booth to say hello – we love seeing friends!

How about a night in with the friends, family, and four-legged (or three-legged!) kiddos? Try Dog-opoly! You can only buy Boardwalk and get sent to jail so many times before you need a little something new. Instead of real estate, Dog-opoly allows you to buy different dog breeds and increase your rent by purchasing Toys and eventually upgrading to Big Bones. We always encourage dog adoption over shopping from breeders, but this is a cute and fun twist on a classic game, so enjoy!

ADS Security has launched a great program called ADS PAWS (Pet Alert and Watch Systems) to help keep pets safe. This service includes fire and carbon monoxide protection, rescue decals for your home, pet safety profiles, and even pet cams. Rescue decals are available to the community for free and can be placed on your home to alert emergency workers of your animals inside your house in case of fire or other disaster. To request your free decal go to adspaws.com or stop by Nashville Humane Association.

Cassie is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work here, Cassie freelances in the local music scene, volunteers with animal rescues and enjoys being outside with her pups. She lives in Nashville and is the proud parent of Jeffery, Ittey and Banjo – two rescue dogs and one awesome orange cat!

If your parents are like my parents, they probably have a really fun time picking up our fur off the floor and vacuuming it off the carpet. I recently found out that they don’t have to throw that stuff away!  (I always knew my fur was valuable and shouldn’t go to waste.) A non-profit organization called Matter of Trust is calling all pet parents and salon owners to start collecting hair, or in our case, fur. They are using the fur to collect oil that has spilled into the gulf. The oil spill is such a tragedy for all of our ocean-based animal friends and this is a great way to help out! One pound of fur can soak up 1 quart of oil in just a minute. We can put our fur to good use and keep the shores clean and the wildlife safe. Be sure to tell your mom and dad to sign up and they will send you further instructions about how we can help out!

Benny is the coolest pup you’ll meet. With a built-in radar for dog parks, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary and strong squirrel sensors, he was a no-brainer for the writer of our dog product reviews. Being the rescue who inspired Adrian’s dog photography, expect to see a lot of him around here!

Your pets are your children! You know it, I know it. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you left your home to run an errand and there was an emergency? I sure have! ADS home security systems has developed a program designed with your pets safety in mind. They provide rescue decals, fire and carbon monoxide protection, a pet safety profile and even pet cams! How great is that? The pet cam allows you to check on them from any web enabled computer or even your cell phone. Check out ADS Paws for more information. Keep those paws safe and keep your mind at ease!

Laura is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work here, Laura is exploring her interests in urban and environmental planning and enjoys sewing, paper crafts, gardening, photography and cooking. Laura lives in East Nashville and one day hopes to adopt a dog as sweet as Benny!

Something interesting for your Wednesday! Did you know that “20 to 30 percent of all pollutants in waterways is attributed to dog waste”? I didn’t until I received my daily e-newsletter from Daily Kibble, a very informational pet website and e-newsletter. Every weekday there is a new product, fact, or helpful tip for your pet. A couple of weeks ago, the e-newsletter featured Poopbags.com, a company that provides a variety of ecofriendly poop bags. All of the bags are 100% biodegradable which means that they “will decompose at a similar rate as an apple after use.” If you use the biodegradable bags you can simply bury the bags in your backyard (not in a compost pile though) and they become part of the earth’s soil. Or, if they are put into the commercial waste system (an open or turned landfill), they will decompose at the same rate as other biodegradable materials as opposed to remaining inside a plastic bag. Visit the facts page to learn more about reducing you and your dogs waste. Here’s to a greener earth!

Laura is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work at here, Laura is exploring her interests in urban and environmental planning and enjoys sewing, paper crafts, gardening, photography and cooking. Laura lives in East Nashville and one day hopes to adopt a dog as sweet as Benny!

Today was a good day…no, a great day. This afternoon my mom decided to cook something. It seemed a bit too early for their dinner, but she was using some of the usual ingredients – vegetables, rice, cheese – you know, human food. I decided to go upstairs to relax on my super comfy green couch to avoid being tempted by the food – it is just so hard sometimes. Anyway, I guess I dozed off because about 15 minutes later I was woken up by a delicious smell. I ran downstairs and to my surprise I was greeted by a warm treat right out of the oven – strange indeed. The smell was very indicative of the taste – fresh vegetables, a hint of egg, cheese and even a bit of applesauce all wrapped up into one warm, soft cookie. And, they say it’s healthy for us so you better behave and maybe your mom might bake you one too. What a T-R-E-A-T! (Like we don’t know what it means when they spell things out…)

And, thanks to Kat at See Spot Eat – please keep sharing these wonderful dog recipes like these Tongue Teasers.

Benny is the coolest pup you’ll meet. With a built-in radar for dog parks, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary and strong squirrel sensors, he was a no-brainer for the writer of our dog product reviews. Being the rescue who inspired Adrian’s dog photography, expect to see a lot of him around here!

This weekend, I was invited to go on a garage sale/antique-ing adventure with Adrian and Brian. I was hesitant to go, especially considering the early morning departure time and all of the squirrel action in the backyard, but to my surprise, it turned into quite an eventful day. And, to top things off, I found this amazing book that is required reading for all true dogs – definitely on my top five list of books. Written by our favorite Rex and Sparky, The Dangerous Book for Dogs, outlines all of the behaviors, actions, and characteristics that make us the wonderful species that we are and provides answers to any questions you might have about leading the fullest dog’s life. Now, be forewarned that our human friends might not agree with everything in this book, so you might want to keep it in a safe spot.

Here are some of my favorite sections, but there are plenty of interesting things that every one of you should find out.

• Questions About the World: Ever wondered why there is only one dinnertime a day or what it means to be a good boy? Don’t work your brain any harder, just pick up a copy and turn to page 53.

• Squirrels: I know you all probably know the difference between Fox Squirrels and Gray Squirrels, but did you know that our friends in Japan have to deal with Japanese Giant Flying Squirrels! I don’t know if I’d be up for that challenge…

• Riding in a Car Also a no-brainer, but it was new information to me about what those gray lights mean. Top is “Stay”, bottom is “Come”, and middle is “Speed up and use the horn.”

• Chase Dreams Have you ever had the dream when a giant squirrel dressed as a banana shows up at your door with a five-pound porterhouse but you rush past him to go after a butterfly? If so, you definitely fear commitment. Maybe it’s time you start writing your dreams down…

• Training a New Human I’ve got my humans pretty trained, you may even say whipped, but for those of you who are headed to a new home or just need a little work on getting everything you need from your humans, read this section very carefully. To begin, I’ll let you in on one key fact: Spend time with them. “The key to dealing with humans is familiarity. The more familiar a human is with you, the more likely he is to accept your commands. Don’t be afraid to run up to him on occasion or follow him around. This reinforces the notion that you are a now a constant presence in his life that he needs to consider, as well as ensuring that you get more scratching.”

With that, I hope you’ll all go out and find this wonderful book. There is so much more to read about, including a laundry list of mischievous tricks.

Benny is the coolest pup you’ll meet. With a built-in radar for dog parks, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary and strong squirrel sensors, he was a no-brainer for the writer of our dog product reviews. Being the rescue who inspired Adrian’s dog photography, expect to see a lot of him around here!

Have you ever wondered how I spend my mornings? Well, after a few doga stretches and a quick minute outside, I usually run straight to my toy basket. If I’m not in the mood to chew on my rawhide, I go straight for my canine genius toy. I take it to my mom and she fills it with treats, kibble and organic Cheerios. Yum! I love this thing. I hit it, throw it, chew on it and treats just magically fall out. How rad is that? I usually play with it until I’ve eaten all of the treats or fallen asleep for my morning nap. And there you have it – one of my favorite toys and how I spend my mornings. Woof!

Benny is the coolest pup you’ll meet. With a built-in radar for dog parks, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary and strong squirrel sensors, he was a no-brainer for the writer of our dog product reviews. Being the rescue who inspired Adrian’s dog photography, expect to see a lot of him around here!