Sunday, November 30, 2014

Adopt Missy an 8 Year Old Senior Lab Mix Dog in Missouri - Tuesdays Tails


This beautiful girl is Missy.  She's an 8 year old senior Labrador Retriever mix who's found herself at the Humane Society of Missouri's Chesterfield animal shelter.

Missy loves people, especially when they're petting her!  She's spayed, housebroken, and walks very nicely on a leash.

Help Missy find a home for the holidays!

Watch Missy's adoption video and then call the HSMO at 636-530-0805 for more information about adopting this sweet dog.  Missy's animal ID number is A468432.



Since 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri has been dedicated to second chances.  They provide a safe and caring haven to animals - large and small - that have been abused, neglected or abandoned.  Their mission is to end the cycle of abuse and overpopulation, assist in creating lasting relations hips between people and animals, offer world-class veterinary care, plus offer pet obedience and behavior programs.  HSMO operates three animal shelters in the St Louis, Missouri, area, plus Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union, Missouri, for abused and neglected horses, cows, goats, chickens and other farm animals.


We are participating in the Tuesday's Tails blog hop hosted by Dogs N Pawz and Talking Dogs.  This is the blog hop that features shelter pets.  Find a pet at your local animal shelter or rescue and join us!  Please help spread the word about these beautiful animals via social media and let's find them forever homes! 


Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.  Handmade artisan jewelry gifts in pet themes including dogs, cats, and horses.

Dog Art - Holiday Gift Guide for Dogs and Dog Lovers


We are art hoarders.  We'll probably never have enough wall space to display the original and print art we've collected over the years.  Not all feature dogs, but some do.  Here are just three of our favorite artists who feature dogs and other animals in their work.  We chose these three for our gift guide because they offer high quality, affordable pieces that are perfect for gift giving. 


Pet Art by Ron Krajewski

Ron Krajewski is a self-taught artist in Gettysburg, PA. In addition to his art prints, he also does commissioned pet portraits.  Krajewski wants everyone who looks at one of his dog art prints to think it is an original watercolor.  That's why each print is printed on 100% cotton, heavy weight textured watercolor paper.  

These print most definitely have the look and feel of an original watercolor and each is hand signed by the artist on the front border.

After discovering his Dog Art Studio work on Etsy, I was thrilled to find two prints I had to have.  

Shown at left is my black dog art print which looks so much like my Rosie that it's hard to believe it is not a custom portrait. 
My yellow Lab art print from Dog Art Studio looks just like Rudy.

Here's my gorgeous Ron Krajewski art print that reminds me of Jeffie.
These are absolutely gorgeous in person and rival pieces I've paid much more for.   Retail prices vary.  My 8 x 10" art prints were $12.50 each. Shop Dog Art Studio now.
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Pet Art Prints by Todd Young Art

The image at left is an art print I purchased to remember my beloved dog, Tucker.  

Entitled The Clearing, it reminds me my good boy is waiting for me on the other side.

I came across Todd Young 's art work while browsing Etsy and am so glad I did.  Young is another self-taught artist who loves dogs and they show up everywhere in his work.

My 8 1/2 x 11" print is hand signed, numbered and titled. Retail price  $19.95.  Shop Todd Young Art now.


 Pet Art Prints from Tiny Confessions
Ever wonder what your dog is thinking?  Why is your cat looking at you that way? 

Christopher Rozzi is providing some answers with his Tiny Confessions.

Tiny Confessions are handcrafted prints of original paintings of dogs, cats, and other creatures.  In addition to the very charming artwork, Rozzi provides a few secret thoughts and a few guilty admissions!  A wide selection is available at his Tiny Confessions shop on Etsy.


We love these high quality, very creative, art prints, especially our own yellow Labrador Retriever print.  Rozzi was reading our Rudy's mind!

Prices vary, but our 8 x 10" yellow Lab print retails for $20.  Shop Tiny Confessions now!




Talking Dogs has reviewed many different dog products and you can find our recommendations in our product reviews

* Though we may have received samples from these companies in the past, none sent us anything for this article.   Talking Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers and the companies mentioned here are not responsible for the content of this article. Please also note that Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

I'm Dog by Jester Jacobs - Dog Song Saturday


 Take a break from those Thanksgiving leftovers and the holiday shopping madness to join us for another Dog Song Saturday at Talking Dogs.

Today's dog song is an original rap song accompanied by a video filmed by a dog! Musician Jester Jacobs sings I’m Dog, a rap song from the perspective of a dog about going to the park, chewing on sticks, eating food, and just doing what dogs do.

Though, personally, I'm not a big fan of rap, when I heard this song I was thinking about my own dogs and how I'd like to be more like them.  They live in the moment and everything is great.  So, the lyrics of I'm Dog really caught my attention.
My bed is great, this car is great, inside is great, walking far is great, this toy I'm chewing is great, whatever it is your doing is great, you kick that ball so great, made it disappear no way! Laying on this chair is great, my food you prepared is great, let's go over here it's great, I'll run ahead you wait Everything I do is great, everything you say is great. The thing over there is great, whatever that is, is great....
Sit.  Stay.  Relax and enjoy the video of a dog living his life and Jester Jacobs song I'm DogFetch more dog songs and music videos at Talking Dogs.  You'll be surprised at how many we've collected!

Fun Stuff for Dog Lovers - Holiday Gift Guide for Dogs




Music, chocolate and jewelry... great traditional gifts, right?  A personalized dog song, fine chocolate puppy dogs, and one of a kind dog jewelry - now that sounds like very special Christmas gifts sure to please a dog lover!  Absolutely perfect hostess gifts, secret Santa gifts, stocking stuffer gifts or file these away for a future occasion.  Here are some truly barking good gift ideas for dog lovers.

Personalized Dog Song by Musician Randy Barr

There are few Christmas gifts that would please a dog lover like a personalized dog song.

For a donation of $10 or more to Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc you can receive your very own personalized dog song, thanks to the generosity of singer / songwriter Randy Barr.

Donate, specify the dog's name and whether its a boy or girl.  Randy will send you a digital recording of his song Ernie and Me with your personalization.  Ernie and Me is a sweet dog song written and composed by Randy.  His music has been described at melodic rock with a kick and is available on cdbaby , Amazon, and iTunes

It's that easy. A perfect holiday gift that helps dogs with cancer!  Order your song here.

Here's the video I made about my heart dog, Lucy, with my own personalized song from Randy Barr.



Peanut Butter Pups from Gearharts Chocolates


Shopping for a chocolaholic who loves dogs?  You can't go wrong with these Peanut Butter Pups from Gearharts Chocolates.

Each of their whimsical, hand-piped Pups is made from premium milk chocolate and Virginia artisan peanut butter, then decorated with a dark chocolate face and toasted almond ears.  

Gearharts donates 5% of all Pups' sales to Companions for Heroes who match rescue pets as companion animals to wounded veterans.

A box of 9 Peanut Butter Pups is priced at $22  Order now!


Dog Lover Jewelry and Gifts from For Love of a Dog
Since Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry, I have to admit to some shameless self promotion.  However, even if I do say so myself, my handmade, one of a kind jewelry for dog, cat and horse lovers is barking good fun!

Choose from dog breed jewelry, mutt jewelry, cat jewelry, horse jewelry and woofalicious themes: dog bone, Dog Mom, dog rescue, Rainbow Bridge, fetch and flyball, paw prints and more.  

You'll even find hand crafted dog leash holders, dog Christmas ornaments, and up-cycled vintage elevated dog feeders!

Prices vary per item. Free shipping to US addresses.  Shop now!


Handmade dog pendants from For Love of a Dog make great stocking stuffer gifts!  Find your favorite dog breed.
S
Small selection of one of a kind dog lover necklaces at For Love of a Dog.




Talking Dogs has reviewed many different dog products and you can find our recommendations in our product reviews

* We received no samples or payment from these companies for this article.   Talking Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers and the companies mentioned here are not responsible for the content of this article. Please also note that Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Shop Small at For Love of a Dog Jewelry #smallbusinesssaturday #shophandmade


 
I often describe For Love of a Dog Jewelry
 as a 
one woman, three dog business.  
Definitely small in size, but very large in heart.

I hand craft my dog, cat and horse themed jewelry
 in my rural Missouri Ozarks studio.  
Yes, that really is my studio shown above.


My jewelry is not manufactured.
My jewelry is made.  Made by hand with heart.
Made with love for all things dog.


There would be no For Love of a Dog Jewelry
 without my trusty support staff.

This holiday season
Shop small
Shop handmade




Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Friday, November 28, 2014

For Dog Lovers - Holiday Gift Guide for Dogs


With the growing popularity of pet products, there are lots of shopping options for pet lovers.  However, these products and the companies who make them are some of our very favorites.  We wear them ourselves and have given them as gifts.  You'll be a very popular Santa Claus with something from any of these companies under the Christmas tree!


Righteous Hound

Righteous Hound offers very cool dog breed apparel for people.  

Their products are 100% made in the USA and 10% of their products profits directly support rescue and pet adoption.

Though I'm a big fan of their dog breed items, I also love their mutt and "non-breed" t-shirts and hoodies.


My own Peace, Love, Woof long sleeved t-shirt shown below.   Its priced at $28.  



Jeffie and I both love my Peace Love Woof t-shirt from Righteous Hound


Dog Is Good

Dog is Good creates barking good gifts and apparel for dog lovers.  Located in Los Alamitos, CA, they give back to animal welfare organizations including: Greater Good, Victoria Stilwell Foundation, Leader Dogs for the Blind, and The Emma Zen Foundation.

Choose from clothing, mugs, totes, magnets, decals and much more in pawsome dog loving designs.  They even have some great cat and horse themed products, too. 

We have a special Dog is Good discount code for Talking Dogs readers.  Shop at Dog is Good using this discount code at checkout to receive $10 off any purchase of $25 or more:  SAVE10

Among our favorites is their Dog Mom tote bag which retails for $29.99.


Dog City and Co

 Dog City and Co is committed to being 100% USA made.  Though the t-shirts they offer were manufactured abroad, all of the printing is done in Chicago using eco-friendly inks.

Their dog breed text art t-shirts are fantastic, but they also create other clothing items, phone cases, mugs, pillows, magnets, decals, totes and even art prints.  

In fact, you can even design your own custom text art pet portrait item using their easy peasy web form.  Now, that's a personalized Christmas gift idea!  Retail prices vary per product.  Our Labrador Retriever t-shirt (shown below) is priced at $32
Aqua Lab test art t-shirt from Dog City & Co

Shaggy Chic Apparel

Shaggy Chic Apparel offers sassy, super fun and fashionable t-shirts for pet lovers you won't find anywhere else.  

A portion of all Shaggy Chic sales to directly to animal rescue groups. This holiday season $5 from all t-shirt sales benefit Don't Forget to Feed Me, a pet food bank.

We love their T-Shirt of the Month Club so much that we're giving away a 6 month subscription!  (See below) Shop Shaggy Chic Apparel with a 25% discount with this code:  WOOF   They also offer free gift wrapping!. 

We love the Rescue in the House T-shirt at Shaggy Chic


For Love of a Dog Jewelry

For Love of a Dog Jewelry has the perfect unique piece of art jewelry for the dog lover on your shopping list.  They've been creating jewelry and gifts for dog, cat, and horse lovers since 1991 in their home studio.

Fetch your favorite dog breed, celebrate your mutt, spread the word about rescue, honor your pet at the Rainbow Bridge and do it with jewelry created to collect compliments and start conversations.

Prices vary per piece, but standard shipping to US addresses is free at For Love of a Dog. Shop For Love of a Dog Jewelry with a 10% discount using this code at checkout: FLDNEW


My favorite Dog Mom dog bone bracelet at For Love of a Dog Jewelry





Talking Dogs has reviewed many different dog products and you can find our recommendations in our product reviews

* Though we may have received samples from these companies in the past, only Shaggy Chic Apparel sent us a gift certificate for this article.   Talking Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers and the companies mentioned here are not responsible for the content of this article. Please also note that Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Black Friday Sale at For Love of a Dog Jewelry #blackfriday #shophandmade


Don't miss the Black Friday Sale

Shop for unique, handmade art jewelry
sure to please pet lovers

+ more!

 Perfect stocking stuffer and secret Santa gifts like dog breed pendants - and they're on sale!





Unique one of a kind necklaces for dog lovers!








Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Dog Gear - Holiday Gift Guide for Dogs and Dog Lovers


Find the perfect Christmas gift for your dog or a special dog lover on your holiday shopping list in our Dog Gear Holiday Gift Guide.  Collars, coats, boots, beds - we've got you covered with suggestions of products that the Talking Dogs use and love.  In fact, that's our own Talking Dog, Rudy, modeling.  Jeffie and Rosie, too. 

goDog / Quaker Pet Group
I'd been shopping for a new dog bed when Quaker Pet Group offered to send us one.  Talk about perfect!  It's exactly what I was looking for:  low profile, extra large to accommodate at least two of my dogs, high quality and good looking.

The GoDog BedZzz features Chew Guard Tchnology and is soft, yet strong enough to give your dog a sound night's sleep while standing up to scratching, nesting and chewing.

This bed is available in six sizes and will fit most common crates.  Machine washable, the goDog BedZzz is made of soft plush with a tough backing.

Even though no dog bed is indestructible, the goDog BedZzz are tougher and last longer than standard soft plush beds and they guarantee it.

We received an XXLarge in Cocoa which measures 49" x 30" x 4.5".  Retail price on Amazon: $85

I love this dog bed!  It's a perfect bed for lounging in front of our floor to ceiling windows.  Though plenty big enough for two large snuggling dogs, it's low profile and good looks look great.  Safe to say, the dogs love it, too!

Jeffie lounges in comfort on our new goDog BedZzz from Quaker Pet Group.
Rudy tests the goDog BedZzz Chew Guard Technology!



Alcott Adventures

That's our own Rudy modeling his very cool Alcott Adventures dog collar.  Actually, all three of the Talking Dogs have dog collars from Alcott and we love them.  They're very well made, sturdy, padded, reflective and they come in barking good colors.

Of course, Alcott Adventures is not just about dog collars. Alcott's tag line is "Turn your walks into adventures" and it's easy to see how with their dog gear:  dog collars, harnesses, leashes; dog beds and blankets; dog toys and apparel, and just wait until you see their dog sleeping bags and pup tents. 

Fetch Alcott Adventures for some howling good canine accoutrements and necessities, so you'll be ready for your next adventure. Retail prices vary per product, but dog collars are $11.99-$13.99 depending on size.

  
Comfy Dog Boots

We like supporting small boutique businesses, especially those with handmade items.  That's one reason we love Comfy Dog Boots.

Jeffie is shown at left modeling his custom made Comfy Dog Boots.  Yes, they were made to match his winter coat and they look terrific.

Comfy Dog Boots offers several varieties of dog boot and shoes, as well as dog coats, parkas and jackets.   Choose from warm weather indoor, cold weather outdoor, lace up with velcro, and high top boots.  Some styles are perfect for those slippery tile or hardwood floors!  They even create custom dog boots to fit pets with paws that need extra protection due to allergies, dragging, deformities, and for disabled dogs.

Prices vary according to the type and size of boot selected.  Jeffie's boots retail at $22 plus $3 shipping
 


EzyDog
That's Rudy shown at left in his very snazzy EzyDog Element Dog Jacket.  He and I both love it!
This dog coat has a wind and water proof shell with an inner lining of non-pilling fleece.  They feature a Quick-Fit Neo-Xpand necklace for easy on and off.  Plus there are cam lock slider release buckles for quick adjustment for fit.  

Attaching a dog leash to a harness or collar is easy with a waterproof access zipper. A great safety feature are the side panels of the jacket.  They have light reflective piping for those in-the-dark walks.

EzyDog makes a line of products aimed for dogs with an outdoor lifestyle including:  backpacks, bowls, coats, collars, harnesses, car restraints, leashes, life jackets, toys and pet carriers.  They manufacture the Original Shock Absorbing Leash designed for control, comforts and safety of dogs that pull or are in training. 

Element Dog Jackets are available in two colors:  Sky (blue) and Scarlet (red.)  These jackets are available in a range of sizes from XXS to XXL.  Prices range from $40 to $75.


Mutts-N-Bones
Here's another small handmade business I absolutely love:  Mutts-N-Bones dog collars.

I discovered them when I was looking for a Duke Blue Devils dog collar for Rosie.  Mutts-N-Bones offers beautiful handmade college  and professional sports team dog collars.  If you don't see your team listed, ask the artisan, Aida, and I'm pretty sure she'll custom make one for you.

Mutts-N-Bones dog collars are all handmade to order with a turnaround time of 1-2 weeks.  Rosie's Duke Blue Devils collar includes black nylon webbing, Duke printed ribbon, black buckles and glide, with a nickel D ring.  It is very well made and beautiful. Priced at $18 - 24 depending on size.

Mutts-N-Bones offers a wide variety of dog collars, leashes, bow ties, and pooh bags in many styles and sizes.  They also support no kill animal shelters / rescues and donate a portion of their profits accordingly. 

Rosie models her Duke Blue Devils dog collar from Mutts-N-Bones
.




Talking Dogs has reviewed lots of dog gear and you can find our recommendations in our product reviews

* Though we may have received dog gear samples from these companies in the past, only Quaker Pet Group sent us a product for this article (1 goDog BedZzz.)   Talking Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers and the companies mentioned here are not responsible for the content of this article.