New & Noteworthy

It’s a beautiful, sunny spring day and Lucy is strutting down Boston’s posh Commonwealth Avenue like she owns it. Her black hair is glistening in the mid-day sun, and crystals are sparking around her neck. All around her, people stop and stare as she strolls by, walking with all the poise and confidence of a top runway model. Lucy pauses for a moment and takes it all in; she’s high-fashion, and she knows it, and she loves the attention. So, who is this Lucy? An up-and-coming model? An about-to-be-discovered starlet? Guess again. Lucy (shown at right)  is a two year-old Chihuahua-Pug mix, and one of a growing number of posh puppies decked out in today’s newest canine fashion trend: “doggie bling.”

With celebs like Oprah, Jessica Simpson, and even Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner decking their pooches out in the finest jewels and couture brands, it’s no wonder we here at DogWatch Hidden Fences have been seeing a rise in the presence of bejeweled best friends. From Swarovski crystals to designer logos, today’s pooches have the chance to be more stylish than ever before.

High-end boutiques, couturiers, internet shops, and big-box pets stores alike are all carrying a large assortment of dazzling and trendy collars for your fashion-forward furry friend. A quick Google search for “doggie bling” turned up literally thousands of results. It would appear that what was once looked at as eccentric has, in fact, become “de mode.”

If your dog is already rocking a DogWatch collar (as all the coolest pets are these days!), not to worry; sleeker collar styles, like Coach’s signature logo collar, will fit just fine underneath it. You don’t need to limit yourself to collars, however; doggie bling exists in all manner of forms! There’s the sophistication of a Louis Vuitton logo leash, or perhaps a Gucci dog bag?

Not prepared to shell out hundreds of dollars for these designer dog items? Don’t worry, you are (definitely) not alone. If you want your Main Street pup to look like a Madison Avenue couture pooch without the hefty price tag, you can try one of these fun, affordable options. You can paint her nails with non-toxic puppy polish. (We hear Lucy prefers pink.) Many dog stores carry collars with faux jewels and unique designs that will make you dog stand out. For the crafty dog owner, adding a pendant charm to your pup’s collar or bedazzling a leash is another inexpensive way to keep up with the latest canine fashion trends.

Need some inspiration before embarking on your own “Project Runway”-style doggie fashion project? The Domestic diva herself, Martha Stewart, is the proud owner of two French bulldogs, and loves to create beautiful, charming and functional things for them. She regularly features dog- themed design projects on her website, ranging from simple – like fastening a silk flower to your dog’s collar – to challenging – like making a fleece-lined dog coat. Try them out, and you’ll be proud to answer back when someone asks you: “Where did you find that gorgeous item?”

For inside the home, bowls and beds fit for royalty abound. From gold food and water dishes to canopy beds, your dog can truly live the luxe life! Again, you can decorate these items at home, creating a custom item to suit your dog’s unique personality.

After all, you and she know she’s fabulous; why shouldn’t everyone else?

We invite you to share your photos of your decked-out dogs on the DogWatch Facebook page and via Twitter. The more fabulous the better!

Top photo credit: Jaclyn Mosher

Bottom photo credit: Gary Knight via Flickr

In addition to Super Bowl XLV, last weekend also marked the annual DogWatch Hidden Fences Dealer Conference. 180 people, representing 75 Dealerships, traveled to Clearwater Beach, Florida for the two-day conference. The group included DogWatch Dealers from as far away as California, Alaska, and even the United Kingdom. This week in Dog Tails, we wanted to share with you a few of the highlights of our biggest annual gathering, and celebrate the accomplishments of some of our amazing Dealers.

The conference kicked off on Saturday, with a number of exciting presentations. DogWatch Dealer Shawn Bader of Mount Kisco, NY discussed the BigLeash, DogWatch’s remote trainer product. He highlighted some of the exciting new features that will be available starting this March.

DogWatch staff also introduced our newest, smallest receiver collar – The R7mini. (See image at right.) A perfect solution for small dogs and cats, the R7mini has all the same great features you have come to expect from DogWatch. Weighing in at only 1.1 ounces (including the battery!), it is the smallest receiver collar available for hidden fences. To find out more about these new products and features, contact your local DogWatch Dealer.

Other presenters included Chris Burns of Fort Point Design, who discussed website optimization, and Catherine Weber of Weber Media Partners, who discussed social media marketing. That evening, we held our annual awards dinner, honoring the achievements of our Dealers in 2010. A complete list of award winners is included after the jump.

On Sunday afternoon, we held a Dealer Fair where Dealers shared information with each other about their businesses and learned from each other’s varied experiences. Of course, the Dealers also shared a lot of their own dog stories and training advice – after all, it’s all about the pets!  At the end of this productive day, everyone gathered together for a Super Bowl viewing party. Our Green Bay and Pittsburgh dealers were there to cheer on their home teams along with the DogWatch team.

All in all, it was fantastic weekend. Congrats to all of the awards winners, and a big thanks to the all of the dealers who attended. To see photos of the event, check our Facebook page next week. We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into our event, and we encourage you to contact your local Dealer to learn more about our new products. We can’t wait to tell you about them!

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Last week in DogTails, we had a great time profiling our favorite social media all-star pets.  Continuing with the theme of pet-centric social media, this week we want to share our opinions on a few of the most popular social sites and applications for pet owners.

We love how these tools now allow users to share their pets’ stories, photos and videos, and connect with fellow furry friends around the world.  These sites are entertaining, informative, and a great way to keep your friends near and far up-to-date on your pet’s cutest, funniest, sweetest and craziest moments.  We hope you’ll enjoy our reviews, and try one out for yourself and your pet! Who knows, maybe they’ll be the next social media pet stars!

Dogbook

Facebook is the most popular social media site on the planet, and this fun application allow you to share information with your fellow pet owners without leaving the site.  Created in 2007, Dogbook allows owners to create their own mini-pages for their pets.  Like a regular Facebook profile, a Dogbook profile include pictures, status updates, lists of friends (human, canine or other animal) and even location tracking.

But what about your other animals?  Don’t worry, there are apps for them too.  Catbook, Horsebook, Birdbook, Ferretbook, Rodentbook and Fishbook are all there and ready to use.  The apps’ creators have also developed an iPhone app exclusively for Dogbook users.  It allows them to see where their dog’s “friends” are and meet up for a playdate.  (Watch this video for more details.)

Dogbook is easy to use, and is a great way to connect with your pet-owning friends and meet new friends across the globe.  You can join groups based on breed or geography or any other characteristic you choose. There are currently over 2 million users on Dogbook and another 1 million on Catbook.  That’s quite a crowd!

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Starting this week, DogTails – the weekly blog brought to you by DogWatch Hidden Fences – will begin highlighting the best of the pet-centric social media world.  In this post, we tell the stories of three pets who have become worldwide stars thanks to social media.  We love following these cats’ and this dog’s exploits on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and blogs, and we know you will too.

So, without further ado, we give you our “Star Pets of Social Media.”      

Maru the Cat

The equation is simple: cat + cardboard box + video camera = genius.  Maru, a male Scottish fold from Japan, is the star of a seemingly unending series of irresistible YouTube videos.  His YouTube channel has over 63,000 followers and his videos have been viewed more than 58 million times.  Not bad for a clumsy kitty!

If you are like us and can’t get enough of Maru, check out his blog.  (It includes English translations.) While it seems criminal to choose just one video, our favorite video of the moment is this slow-motion clip of Maru jumping out of – you guessed it – a box.

Sockington the Cat

Maru may have recently eeked out a win over Sockington in “the battle for the internet’s favorite feline,” but the social media world still can’t get enough of this other cat sensation.

Sockington, a very proper-looking black and white rescue cat from Waltham, MA, has so far amassed over 1.5 million followers on Twitter.  His owner, Jason Scott, chronicles his cat’s thoughts and broadcast them to the ever-growing “Socks Army.”  Sockington loves food and naps, frequently shouts in all caps, and is surprisingly witty.  A recent tweet read: “HURRAH GIFT GIVING TIME may I present you with 3/4 of a mouse HEY I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR INSINUATIONS or the screaming for that matter.”

In addition to his Twitter feed, Socks also has a blog and a Flickr account filled with numerous photos of “the most popular cat on Twitter.”  As Sockington himself might say: “OF COURSE I AM THE MOST POPULAR nap time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

Tillman the Bulldog

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