our new website is up -

It's taken a long time but I'm happy to say that the new version of downtown pets website is now online. It was a very fun project with the graphic design being done by my assistant acacia rodriguez and I did the photography and web design.

When I ran into a snag on my coding I found a wonderful company named the choppr and specifically I worked with someone named krasen who was a pleasure. The main service they offer is you can give them a jpg image of what you want your website to look like and within a few days they give you the coding for that image as a website. It's a great service!

the prong collar - painful and unnecessary

I'm surprised the prong collar is still used so often in dog training. On top of the fact the prong collar hurts dogs (with the possibility of seriously hurting them), it is also not as soundly designed as other dog training equipment. The prongs on a prong collar bend over time and they are always at risk of unexpectedly falling off your dog. If you are trying to stop your dog from pulling, jumping, scavenging etc. there are three types of equipment I would recommend and they are:

1. sensation harness - This is my favorite piece of dog training equipment. It doesn't hurt dogs, is amazingly effective and dogs do not seem to mind it. It can be used for a dog who pulls, a dog who jumps and or for a dog who is perfect on the leash, in place of a collar.

2. gentle leader - The gentle leader is one of the most used pieces of equipment for dogs who pull but there are things to be wary of with it. Over use of the gentle leader can lead to both neck and eye problems. The gentle leader is meant for dogs who either bite, lunge and or scavenge but I would try and not use it long term. I would more recommend using the gentle leader as a negotiating tool for teaching a term, like "no bite", "drop it", etc..

3. halti - The halti is very similar to the gentle leader with the difference being the gentle leader is lighter and dogs seem to like it better. What you as an owner might like is that the halti has a clip that attaches to the collar for added safety. But if the gentle leader is sized correctly it shouldn't never come off. The halti is meant for dogs who pull, scavenge, bite and or lunge.

flex petz - renting dogs

Flex Petz is a bit of an oddity in that you can rent dogs for hours or days at a time. It's a nice idea in that the dogs are all rescues and trained but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I need to find out more to understand if the aim is to help these dogs eventually find homes or just a money making idea. The money you spend does go to the care of the housed dogs.

The following is in their own words: "Flex Petz provides our members with local access to a variety of dogs, all of whom are rescued or rehomed, very lovable and fully trained. FLEXPETZ members can spend from just a few hours to a number of days with each of our dogs. FLEXPETZ dogs are available in varied breed sizes to ensure compatibility with our member's individual lifestyles and unique circumstances. Local drop-off and collection to your home or office is available in some locations." You can view their website by clicking here.

the sensation harness vs. the gentle leader:

The two most used products for dogs who pull are the sensation harness and the gentle leader. I have used both a great deal and I have listed the positive and negatives I see to both of them.

the sensation harness:

I have found dogs prefer the sensation harness over any other anti-pulling or jumping equipment we have ever used. The sensation harness is not obtrusive, works immediately and it doesn't cause the dog any pain. The only problem we have run into with the sensation harness is when the straps chaff against a dogs skin. There are products and remedies for this where you can put some fabric between your dogs skin.

uses: stops dogs from pulling; stops dogs from jumping; great alternative for a collar too

watch out for: chaffing under their arm pit areas

where to buy?: from the makers themselves at softtouchconcepts.com

the gentle leader:

The gentle leader is the best product for a dog who bites, outside of a muzzle. It is also a great product for dogs who scavenge and pick things up off the ground to eat. But I would always use the sensation harness over the gentle leader for a dog who simply pulls or jumps. The problems associated with the gentle leader are that dogs have experienced strain to their eyes; skin burns on their snout and do not seem to like having this equipment on.

uses: for dogs who bite or scavenge

watch out for: eye strain; the fur on their knows being rubbed down; your dog hating it

where to buy: premier.com

conclusion:

The sensation harness is a great product for everything from a puppy who pulls and jumps to an older dogs who walks normally. There is no stress to the neck and no trauma to the body. The gentle leader is a nice alternative for dogs who bite and scavenge but should not be a long term solution.

not a great picture BUT -

This picture was taken from my cell phone and emailed "directly" from my cell phone into my blog. What I'm talking about is mobile blogging and it's free and easy to set up. You can document your road trip across the country or just walking the streets of new york city, directly from your cell phone.

In the near future we will be adding a day of mobile blogging shot exclusively from our dog walker's phones.

product reviews (part 2) - good walking sneakers:

This is a continuing post on products and services that we as dog walkers love and can't live without.

sneakers:

2. new balance: I have not found a more comfortable walking sneaker than the new balance 991. I haven't tried the new version, the new balance 992, but I assume it's of the same quality. A dog walker is a good witness for keeping your feet comfortable and I've been very happy with these sneakers and a new pair of dr. scholl's gel insoles every few months.


If you are interested in sneakers or shoes made without animal products please check out moo shoes or the vegetarian shoes section at zappos.com. New Balance is one of the companies making great lines of shoes with no animal products.

products for people on the move (part 1)

Working outside requires a dog walker to be mobile and adaptable to many conditions, not least of which being the weather. This is the first in a series of posts discussing the products we have learned to love, can't live without and should be very helpful for those of you always on the move.

cell phones:

1. You can run a company directly from your blackberry. Sure the iPhone looks fun and the "Q" is nice on the eyes but at this point there is not a better phone for a business person on the go. I am excited to see how internet surfing will be on the iPhone considering it will use Apple's native Safari as a browser. But on top of the blackberrys ability to deal with applications, it is also a solidly built phone. Outside of moisture which is a killer for all phones, I have dropped my blackberry almost 50 times and it still works perfectly. For reviews on pda's you can search at either cnet or PcMag. I personally have the Blackberry 8700C through T-Mobile and I'm very happy with it. If you'd like to try a phone with a completely different keypad than you're used to check out the nokia e70.

You will need accessories ranging from phone covers to extra batteries and chargers. I have had good luck with ExtremePda.com. I would not recommend using a bluteooth ear piece nor would I recommend putting a phone directly against your head. I use a good old fashioned wire ear piece and it does not hold me back in any way. The fact is all cell phones give off radiation and some more than others. My mother bought me the aulterra sticker which you put on the back of your cell battery and it is supposed to neutralize some of the radiation.

In regards to cell coverage we have had the best luck with t-mobile and verizon. I'm not a fan of verizon as a company itself but the coverage in new york city is very strong. T-mobile is well known for high quality customer service and I can verify this claim. They have been helpful with problems and understanding for a mistake or two I've made. Cingular has done the worst in our experience in the area but now that ATT has bought them it should get better.

3 dog magazines reviewed:

Bark is the closest to a real magazine of all the dog magazines I've read. It's articles are relevant, insightful and the artwork and images are very classy. I could see a dog owner having this magazine sit along side their esquire, real simple or sports illustrated. Grade = B+/A-


The New York Dog is a fun, if not goofy magazine that celebrates the high society of dogs and their owners. It's sort of a cross of US, Entertainment Weekly and a dog magazine and it should appeal to those who want something on the lighter side. Grade = B


Dog Fancy to me is written by and made for hardcore dog enthusiasts and I do feel this magazine tries the hardest. But unfortunately there is just too much going on. It's sensory overload as every half page is like being in a brand new magazine all together. There is also just way too many advertisements. You'll definitely learn something from this magazine but it needs to improve on the overall flow. Grade = C+/B-

devon tracey - web designer

A web designer named devon tracey has been scamming people out of down deposits for years. I was a victim myself and I have found over ten people on the internet alone who have filed the same complaints. I will not mention where he lives but if he's scammed you, you know already.

He does the following:

Web designer devon tracey usually responds to craig's list ad's with people looking for a web designer. He'll talk to you a few times on the phone and have you fill out a standard contract and then ask for a deposit. In case you would, never give someone a deposit before at least receiving a small sample of your work as a good faith deposit of their own. This is the point when the web designer devon tracey dissapears with your deposit, your image files and you will never find him again, unless you take him to small claims and even still he will try and avoid being served.

I would recommend the following to anyone who might not know already:

1. try and do business localy with someone you can meet in person and who has a local phone and address
2. do an internet search on them
3. do they have a website of their own? or is it under construction as devons was?
4. do a better business bureau background check on
5. get the good faith piece of work before putting down a partial deposit