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Friday, August 22, 2008

Read my interview on PetDoc.com!

Today PetDoc.com kicked off their series of interviews with pet bloggers. And we are very honored to be the first pet blogger that they are interviewing in the series. Check out the article and read about my life as a Green Dog!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Getting ready for Fall lawn care!

It's about that time, time to get the Fall lawn in order. Here in the Midwest (and many areas of the country), the Fall is one of the best times to fertilize. Fertilizing keeps that grass healthy and thick, which keeps the weeds out, and gives the grass strength to ward off insects and fungi.

We've decided to change our usual routine this Fall and try out some organic liquid lawn fertilizer. We love the organic safe granular fertilizer we've used in the past, it works great. But with Gracie in the picture now, Mum doesn't like it when she wants to eat and sniff all the little granules for a couple days after it's been put down. Even though it's safe for her, she got a nasty runny nose last Spring from sniffing so much.

We ordered the Just Scentsational TP-128Q Trident's Pride Liquid Fish Soil Fertilizer this year and can't wait to try it out. It's 100% fish protein, a fish emulsion. And has been reported to be really good stuff. We purchased three bottles to have some on hand for next spring (another one of the most important times to fertilize) and save on shipping.

If you don't have a problem with your 'Gracie' eating and sniffing the little granules, here's a great dry fertilizer that we've used before and loved - Espoma Lawn Food. It's derived from manure and works really great.

We also got some more Burnout Grass Killer to take care of those nasty weeds that made their way into the mulched areas this year with all of our rain. It kills everything as long as you utilize it when it's over 85 degrees. It's made out of horticultural grade vinegar. And we love it. Mum just makes sure we aren't around when we spray it. If we do get near it later it's super safe for us. As a matter of fact we don't even show any interest in the weeds after Burnout is sprayed on it.

Our lawn really suffered last year. It recovered well this year, but we still have a few bare spots that the dandelions enjoyed some time in this year. So we'll be putting down some grass seed in late October, so that we'll have nice new grow this coming Spring. We'll just make sure it's not coated grass seed, which isn't safe if eaten.

Then in early, early Spring we'll get some corn gluten to put down on the lawn to help control the weeds even more next year. The only way we've found so far to find corn gluten is granular, so Gracie will have to be watched for a few days until we can get it all watered in. It's not that it's bad for her, it's actually really safe for her to eat. But what she's done in the past is sniff it so much, she gets herself a runny nose, poor girl. That's a BC for ya!

For more information about the dangers of lawn chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides - read Just one more reason to have an organic lawn! and Keep the lawn safe and green!. Happy gardening!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

10 green cat and dog tips from PetDoc!

Our good friends over at PetDoc.com had a great blog post the other day on 10 green cat and dog tips. And they were kind enough to use one of ours!

Here are just a a couple of their tips - ones we loved that we haven't talked about yet...

9) Re-purpose old cat litter

If you have moles, pour some used cat litter into mole tunnels in your backyard instead of using traps or poisons. Moles hate the smell of soiled cat litter. (Source: Arden Moore)

1) Recycle pet food cans and bags

Rinse empty pet food cans and recycle them. Put empty foods bags in the paper recycling bin.

Great tips, huh?

If you're not familiar with PetDoc.com, check it out. The site has a wealth of pet health and care information. It was started by CEO Brian Hankin, who developed the idea as a result of an unfortunate situation with his own dog. Murphy, Hankin's Golden Retriever/Lab mix, was vomiting at 2AM one Saturday morning. Hankin scoured the Internet looking for help but quickly realized that there just wasn't one single place with good, reliable information out there. About 6 months later, PetDoc launched.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Animals Save the Planet - Recycle!

Reusable totes, priced just right!

Mum and I are always toting around stuff - groceries from the market, treat and toys for agility practice at trials, hiking gear...you name it we tote it.

And we always are in need of organization for our recycling and our gear. So when we found these really inexpensive reusable totes and recycling bags we just had to share 'em with ya!

REI Reusable Shopping Tote

REI Reusable Shopping Tote

$1.00

Folding Recycling Bags (set of 3)

Folding Recycling Bags (set of 3)

$15.00

ChicoBags Reusable Shopping Bags - set of 3

ChicoBags Reusable Shopping Bags - set of 3

$24.00

100% Recycled Eco Zip Tote

100% Recycled Eco Zip Tote

$19.00

Life is good Recycled Shopper Tote Bag

Life is good Recycled Shopper Tote Bag

$5.00

ChicoBag Reusable Shopping Bags

ChicoBag Reusable Shopping Bags

$8.00

100% Organic Cotton Eco Tote

100% Organic Cotton Eco Tote

$19.00

Hurley ECO Tote

Hurley ECO Tote

$25.00

Give Green a Chance Tote Bag

Give Green a Chance Tote Bag

$20.20

Folding Recycling Bag - Single

Folding Recycling Bag - Single

$6.00

Rice Tote Bag

Rice Tote Bag

$21.99

Recycled Plastic Market Bag

Recycled Plastic Market Bag

$60.00

Honor your best friend with a lasting green gift!

Would you like to give a lasting and memorable gift to someone who just recently adopted a pup? Are you looking for a way to honor the passing of your best friend? Want to send a lasting memory to a friend who has lost their best friend? Here's a great green idea...plant a tree in their memory and honor.

A TreeGivers Tree Planting Includes: Framed Option

  • Young Tree Planted on Public Lands in Any U.S. State or Canadian Province/Territory
  • A Framed 8"x10" Official Certificate of Planting with the Pet's Name, state of planting and name of the TreeGiver (framed with a Natural Solid Oak Frame, 8 ½" x 11 ½" by Frame USA).
  • Sympathy Letter
  • Handwritten Message Card containing the personal message from the TreeGiver.
  • All for only $59.95
  • Free Priority Mail Shipping & Handling in the US
Unframed certificate option:

  • Young Tree Planted on Public Lands in Any U.S. State or Canadian Province/Territory

  • An Unframed 8"x10" Official Certificate of Planting with the Pet's Name, state of planting and name of the TreeGiver.
  • Sympathy Letter
  • Handwritten Message Card containing the personal message from the TreeGiver.
  • All for only $39.95
  • Free First Class Shipping & Handling

Monday, August 18, 2008

Eco-friendly shoes made just for walking your green dog!

Eco-friendly shoes. Why would we want to talk about Eco-friendly shoes? Because you need a good pair of shoes when you go out walking, hiking, Frisbee playing, agility running, or just playing a good game of fetch with your dog!

We've signed up with a new company to bring you some amazing eco-friendly shoes! PlanetShoes.com Eco-Logical shoes are produced from recycled materials, animal-friendly products, gentler chemicals or manufactured in plants with environmentally sustainable initiatives. Where better to start reducing your ecological footprint than with your shoes?

Buy Shoes Online

Check out just a few of the great eco-friendly shoes PlanetShoes.com offers:


Cookin' the doo!

We found this interesting news from the Montreal Gazette!

Montrealer trying to compost dog poop

Jason Magder, Montreal Gazette Published: Tuesday, July 15

Notre Dame de Grace - If you're visiting Jim Fares's home, you may want to steer clear of the toaster oven.

For the past few months, Fares has been using the kitchen appliance to cook dog poop.

As a member of the Notre Dame de Grace Dog Run Association, a volunteer organization that operates the dog run in N.D.G. Park, Fares is heading a pilot project to turn dog excrement into compost.

After four years and 1,360 kilograms of dog poop, the association has yet to find a way to turn excrement collected at the run into something useful.

So far, the compost produced has either been found to contain whipworm eggs - which are potentially unsafe for humans to handle - or it has been bereft of any useful nutrients.

"I bought a toaster oven and I heated some samples over a two- to three-week period. Not only did I manage to kill the (pathogens), but also every living thing in the compost, so what I have left is a pile of dust," Fares said Tuesday.

On the positive side, however, Fares said the experiments have shown it's possible to produce compost cheaply from dog feces, a success that has so far alluded cities across North America.

To do that, he must figure out how long to cook the compost and then find a method to duplicate his toaster oven success on the large scale with thousands of kilograms of excrement lying in the dog run.

Fares envisions a day when compost bins are available in all parks, diverting thousands of plastic bags, and several tonnes of dog feces from garbage dumps.

"There's no question it can be done," Fares said. "Everyone knows how to make it usable, but the cost is the problem."

Fares said it could be months or years before the association can come up with a viable plan, but he's optimistic.

So is Marcel Tremblay, the city councillor for the sector, and the head of Montreal's cleanliness campaign. Tremblay said even though the dog run association hasn't produced results yet, the program has merit.

"Maybe we're doing something that will help all of Canada," Tremblay said. "This is something that's a problem in every city, so if we can come up with a way to dispose of this in an environmentally friendly way, it's a good thing."

Tremblay contributed about $1,000 from his discretionary fund to the dog run association to help pay for things like compost bins, and tests of soil samples from the compost pile.

Currently, volunteers manage the 14 bins in the park. They add sawdust to them every day and seal them once they are full. The sawdust helps keep the smell at bay, but the only real way to eliminate smell is to stir it every day - a fairly labour intensive job for which the dog run association can't seem to find volunteers.

After six months, the bins are opened and the compost is dumped into the southeast corner of the dog run. While the compost may contain pathogens, Fares says there's little risk to dogs or humans.

"There's nothing the dogs can pick up there that they can't get at any other dog run," he said.

People who come into contact with the compost, should wash their hands, Fares said.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Check out these new eco friendly dog products!

Green is really starting to catch on for us dogs! And we are so glad. Check out some of the new eco friendly dog products we found today...
Only Natural Pet Soothe & Shield Paw Balm

Only Natural Pet Soothe & Shield Paw Balm

$9.99

Simply Fido Organic Hemp Dog Toys - Ollie Owl

Simply Fido Organic Hemp Dog Toys - Ollie Owl

$7.99

Simple Solution Natural Biodegradable Puppy Training Pads 22-Pad Pack

Simple Solution Natural Biodegradable Puppy Training Pads 22-Pad Pack

$25.99

Westminster Pet Products Organic Cotton Dog Collar Large Golden Rod

Westminster Pet Products Organic Cotton Dog Collar Large Golden Rod

$8.99

Chilly Dog Fair Trade Sweaters - S Grey Cable Knit

Chilly Dog Fair Trade Sweaters - S Grey Cable Knit

$31.99

Home Cookin' For Dogs!

Home Cookin' For Dogs!

$12.99

Simply Fido Knitted Organic Cotton Toy Dog Bones - Leaf

Simply Fido Knitted Organic Cotton Toy Dog Bones - Leaf

$12.99

Westminster Pet Products Earth Friendly Biodegradable Pet Waste Bags & Dispenser for Dogs and Canines

Westminster Pet Products Earth Friendly Biodegradable Pet Waste Bags & Dispenser for Dogs and Canines

$7.99

Merrick Before Grain Dry Dog Food Buffalo 11.1 lb. Bag

Merrick Before Grain Dry Dog Food Buffalo 11.1 lb. Bag

$22.69

Westminster Pet Organic Cotton Leashes Moss Green

Westminster Pet Organic Cotton Leashes Moss Green

$14.99

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice That Will Inspire You to Clean Like the Dickens

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice That Will Inspire You to Clean Like the Dickens

$12.92

Lizard Dog Toy

Lizard Dog Toy

$14.00

Healing Shampoo by Planet Dog

Healing Shampoo by Planet Dog

$11.75

National Wildlife Federation Protected Wildlife Series Dog Toys from Sergeant's Marine Life Series Green Sea Turtle

National Wildlife Federation Protected Wildlife Series Dog Toys from Sergeant's Marine Life Series Green Sea Turtle

$8.99

Hip to Snip Spay & Neuter Black T-Shirt

Hip to Snip Spay & Neuter Black T-Shirt

$21.99

Simple Gifts for Dog Lovers

Simple Gifts for Dog Lovers

$17.05

Loving Your Pet to Health Meditations CD

Loving Your Pet to Health Meditations CD

$19.99

Uphaus Free-Range Real Meat Treats for Dogs and Cats

Uphaus Free-Range Real Meat Treats for Dogs and Cats

$10.49

Animals Save the Planet!

Times list of top green blogs!

Need more green in your life? Check out Time Magazines list of the top green blogs! The list includes some of our favorites - TreeHugger.com, EcoGeek, WorldChanging and more.
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