Getting to Know the Pet Community - June Edition

Name: Mike Compton

Profession: Owner/Operator of Dog Days Doggie Daycare in Bentonville

Pets: 7 dogs, all rescues - Baer, Gigi, Max, Ella, Rowdy, Beauty, Buddy

1. What is your favorite word? Splendimous

2. What is your least favorite word? Can't

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Opportunity

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Negative People

5. What sound do you love? Barking

6. What sound do you hate? Sound of good-bye

7. What profession other than your would you like to attempt? Can't imagine doing anything else until the next thing comes along

8. What profession would you not like to attempt? Anything involving computers or bookkeeping

9. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done, good and faithful servant

10. Cat person or dog person? Dog

11. Favorite BigWag treat? BigWag cakes

12. Least Favorite BigWag treat? Such a thing hasn't been made

13. What's your pet peeve? Lying/dishonesty

14. What's your guilty pleasure? Peanut M&M's

15. What do you drive? Gray Toyota Previa Van (it holds all the dogs)

16. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate

17. Where is you favorite spot to hang out? In my arm chair at home with my books and dogs

18. What was the last book you read? Read three at once, The Great Bridge by David McCullough; Rising Tide by Joh M. Barry; House of Morgan by Ron Chernow

Camping and Dogs

As the season warms up (and dries out a bit), we are officially hitting camping season. As someone who likes to take my dogs camping with me, but isn't fortunate enough to have dogs that will stay by my camp chair no matter what, I am faced with tying them on leads, which makes for a real mess. This might be why I haven't taken them camping in over a year.

This problem prompted the idea of a camp out at the dog park - This Saturday (May 31st) will be Murphy Memorial Dog Park's first ever over night camp out. Julie Jarret has done an excellent job of taking over the planning and organizing of this event. It might even raise a little money for the dog park funds. Woo Hoo! I am very excited. I hope this becomes an annual event. Getting to go camping, and letting your dogs roam free (inside the dog park) - what a cool idea.!

This seems like a small scale solution (I don't know how many camp outs we'll have at the dog park this year) , surely someone else has figured out a better solution to camping and tying your dogs on leads. Could there be a market for slightly higher end camping pads with buried wire leads for invisible fencing, and issue collars to occupants? Is there a portable product that you can get that will keep your pet within a 40 foot circle? I really don't know - thats why I'm asking. Seems like this problem should be solved already. Send me some thoughts/comments!!!

BigWag will be in Ozark Natural Foods

Starting Monday, BigWag All Natural Gourmet Dog Bakery treats will be available at Ozark Natural Foods in their pet section. We'll have Honey Bears, BBQ Ribs, Dipped Bones, Ice Cream Cones, Barker Bones of all different flavors and colors, and some of our all natural chews. We're very excited, and hope to be doing some promotional stuff with them soon, like giving away samples on Saturdays!

Here is a recap of everywhere you can get BigWag treats:
BigWag Gourmet Dog Bakery - Rogers, AR
Woof! Woof! - Rogers, AR
Woof! Woof! - Little Rock, AR
New Hope Boarding and Grooming - Rogers, AR
Rose Animal Clinic - Bentonville, AR
Oakview Animal Hospital - Pea Ridge, AR
Dog Days Doggie Daycare (Sample Bags Only) - Bentonville, AR
Canine Connection - Fayetteville, AR
Ozark Natural Foods - Fayetteville, AR

Coming Soon:
Joplin, MO
Eureka Springs, AR

Also, for those that don't already know - we offer free shipping to anywhere in Arkansas! Save your gas - order online!

Visiting a Three Dog Bakery

I got a chance to visit a Three Dog Bakery last week - my second store that I have seen. When you are in the dog bakery businesses, it should be a requirement to go and pay some homage to the granddaddy's of the business - after all - they invented it.

I had a few take aways after leaving their store that makes me very excited to be a part of BigWag and glad I didn't opt to buy a franchise. The first thing that I noticed was that the store did not have very much in the way of other non-competing pet businesses, dog rescues, or shelters in their store. This gave me the impression they were not a very big part of the pet community in their city. Point number one is that I am glad I can direct BigWag to be a big part of the pet community - help rescues and shelters with events, help other pet businesses by posting business cards on our bulletin board - be a part of NWA, not just exist here.

The second thing that rang home was that their every day treats are not baked in their store - they are baked in a factory somewhere. It appears that all they do in the retail stores these days are cakes and pastries. I'm proud of the fact that all of our treats are baked in our store and are as fresh as possible. It gives us flexibility to do things like our promotional Stephen Colbert Claws that we are currently doing to help raise money for the Humane Society. (This also goes back to the community thing above). We're trying to get mentioned on his TV show. =)

They sell rawhide. This surprises me, with all of the bad things rawhide can do to your pet. For such a forward thinking, pet well being company, selling rawhide seems to conflict with their core message. We sell only natural chews - bully sticks, beef twists, shanks, bones, and ears. We also carry a line of dehydrated sweet potato chews, which I think are an awesome, nutritious alternative to the meat products. My dogs love these.

And lastly - we need a refrigerated display case. I've wanted one of these since we opened - they are just so expensive. I think I need to make this a higher priority. It makes a really nice presentation of the pastry type treats, and it would allow us to pre-bake a couple of barkday cakes and decorate them right there on the spot when people come into the store wanting a cake right away. We currently ask for 24 hours notice on cakes, but this would allow people to pick one up right away.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not necessarily knocking the Three Dog Bakery company - after all, they get all the credit for dog bakeries. I'm a big fan, read their books, and bought their treats. I just happen to think there is some room for improvement, and I think we are addressing some of those now - which makes me glad I am part of a place like BigWag where we can do those kinds of things.

Nutro in the news

Nutro Pet food has been in the news as causing vomiting and diarrhea. There is a list of consumer complaints located here: Consumer Affairs Nutro complaints

There is an article related to the problems experienced here: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/04/pet_food_recalls93.html?imw=Y

This hit close to home, as we had one customer at least already that was in our store last week looking for a safe alternative, since they were feeding Nutro to their pet, and they were having the same reaction. I don't know if there is any permanent damage done by the food, but apparently the vomiting and diarrhea stopped immediately after they quit feeding Nutro to their pet.

We currently feed "Taste Of The Wild" to our dogs. We switched them over from Solid Gold, another great dog food, mostly because they love the taste more than Solid Gold, and Taste Of The Wild is a grain free food. We only carry premium dog foods, and I can't recall any recent issues with anything we do carry, but in case there was a problem with something we sold in our store, I would highly recommend signing up for our newsletter, as we would immediately post an alert for all of our customers. We try and stay on top of everything thats going on.

Dog Bite Prevention Week

Over 1 million people in North America will suffer from a dog bite this year, and about the same number will go unreported. The truly unfortunate fact of these bites, is that the vast majority will be children.

Most of these dog bites will come from animals that know the victim, from unleashed dogs, and the fault lies really with both the pet owners and the victims. Uneducated pet owners and children are the culprits, and responsible dog ownership involves teaching both other owners, as well as children, on the proper way to approach and be around your neighborhood dogs.

9 reasons why dogs bite, to help you understand what should be avoided:
1. They will bite if angry, scared, or threatened. Even a friendly dog will bite.
2. If they feel crowded or cornered.
3. They will protect what they think belongs to them such as their food or toys.
4. Dogs will protect their territory such as a sleeping area, their yard, porch, car or home.
5. By nature Dogs are predatory and love to chase and attack.
6. A stray dog may feel stressed from being lost or hurt and might bite with a lot less provocation.
7. A dog is startled.
8. Playing rough or allow puppies to bite.
9. A dog is excited or wound up from someone yelling and screaming.


Some Tips:
* Teach your children to never approach strange dogs.
* Most injuries are caused by putting your face too close to a dog's.
* Never pet a dog thats eating, sleeping or caring for its puppies.
* Stay away from dogs that are tied up or in cars.
* You should always ask permission from a pet owner to pet his dog. Even if he is present and the dog is on a leash.
* Refrain from swinging anything at a dog. This is an invitation to bite.
* Do not allow play biting - ever.

Springdale Woofy Walk by Girl Scout Troop 192

Here are some pictures of the 1st annual Woofy Walk, put on by Girl Scout Troop 192. J. B Hunt park was so pretty Saturday, we think this would be an ideal location for future dog walks - maybe even see it grow to rival the Dogwood walk given some time. We enjoyed helping raise some supplies for the Springdale Animal Shelter, and the beagle mix puppies were so cute. I hope they find some forever homes soon.

Does Your Dog Have a Licking Problem?

OK, so you have a dog that just licks you whenever they can. Drive by lickings on the hand, lick lick lick lick. I've got a really "licky" dog (Hannah) that just can't seem to get enough licks in. Sometimes I give her attention back, let her lick my face, pet her, play with her - but sometimes I don't want a wet hand or knee or foot. Sometimes I just like to be dry. Why does she feel the need to do this all of the time? Why do dogs lick?

I used to shove her out of the way, or retract my hand when I just know she is going in for a lick. That is, until I learned why she exhibits this behavior.

Dog licking is a communications tool. They lick to tell us something. Sometimes this licking is just to show that they love us. When you pull your hand away, they will often go in for an even more aggressive kiss - mostly to get their point across. They love us, and they need to show us that they love us, so they "will lick us", one way or another.

Dogs also lick to show submission, and that they care for you. It's grooming. It's taking care of you, because you are the alpha. This is also a good sign, and preventing this can build up resentment, or you may even lose the alpha status. It's the natural job of the alpha to allow licking and grooming from the lesser of the group.

Lastly, dogs lick because they just need your attention. Sometimes it's a strange noise that scares them. Hannah likes to lick during thunderstorms. She is deathly afraid of storms. Sometimes they are trying to tell you something. Hannah will almost always tell me she has to go outside by licking first. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't - at which point she will go and scratch at the door. It's always the very persistent licks that I can now tell that she has to go outside.

So, as a dog owner, you should just relegate yourself to being licked on occasion. It's a great communications tool that is a whole lot quieter than barking, and in the right context probably easier to understand as well. I will no longer deny Hannah the option of licking me - I'll just start paying closer attention, because as with most good relationships, the real value is in understanding the small subtleties.

Bark Park Walk

Hey All!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pics of last Saturday's Bark Park Walk posted. Things have been really busy and I haven't had time to sit down, let alone blog.

Unfortunately, I only got a couple shots of the goings on, because I forgot my camera and had to use my phone, which was already full. (For those of you who have seen me since Saturday, you know I also forgot my sunscreen) Oh, well. :p

Regardless, it was a huge success! Lots of people

turned out to help raise money for the future Bentonville Bark Park. There were also lots of prizes to be won, plus informative presentations on everything from proper dog park etiquette to how dogs can paint. Once enough money is raised, the Bark Park will be at Walton and NW "A" Street in Bentonville. I suggest you go check it out some time. You can also visit http://www.nwabarkpark.com/ for more information about what the park will look like and how to donate to the cause.

And if you missed the last couple Dog Walks, you still have another chance! Join us this Saturday from 9am-12pm at the J.B. Hunt Park in Springdale as Girl Scout Troop 192 hosts the first annual Woofy Walk to benefit the Springdale Animal Shelter. Hope to see you there.

Lots of Love,

Erin

More Photos from Springfest and the Dogwood Walk in Fayetteville, from Jennifer Cole

Springfest - Dickson Street, April 26th, 2008

Dogwood Walk - Gulley Park, May 3rd, 2008

Weighing in on Flexpets - again

Flexpets is making headlines again - as they expand into London and tout their services as really taking off. I am somewhat torn over this concept, and here's why.

First - it's really great that these homeless animals are finding homes. Any animal from a shelter that can find a home is great. These dogs look like they get lots of attention, and that is great too. I'm sure this one-on-one attention is better than spending their whole lives in a cage or run.

Having got that out of the way first - all of the dogs that I have seen being promoted for Flexpets do not appear to be any dog that I would think would have any problem getting adopted. Cute, little dogs usually go pretty quick. Big, black dogs, like black labs, almost never get adopted, and I haven't seen too many black labs in any of the promotional stuff. Their latest bit shows a little corgi, who is as cute as a button, but I don't believe that dog would have had any problem getting adopted out.

I don't know about any one else's dogs, but mine like a routine. They get up at exactly the same time every day, they take naps at about the same time every day, they go to bed, at the same time every day. Sure, a trip to the dog park now and then is great, but thats a special treat built on top of a fairly stable routine. These are dogs that live almost every day at a dog bakery too. Too much "different" upsets them, makes them grumpy, irritable, and whiny.

I cannot imagine these dogs have that much "routine" in their lives when different people can come and pick them up at any point in the day, on any day, and inject them into an entirely different world each time. How does a dog build a lasting relationship with any of these people who come and go like this? Where is the pack order here? Dogs need a pack order. Thats how their society fits together. Do these people really get to know the animal well enough to establish this type of relationship?

What happens if the dog is tired or grumpy, but the people paying $100 a day want their money's worth? Is there insurance in case they get bitten? If I am playing with my dogs, whom I see every day, and they don't feel like playing at that moment, then thats ok, I'll see them tomorrow. I just can't fathom how this all fits together on amicable schedules for everyone, including the dogs.

There is a free program that anyone can do - it's called "fostering". Basically, this lets you take home a dog on a temporary basis for the purposes of acclimating the dog to household rules, people, other dogs, society, etc, until they find a permanent home. If the dog becomes too much to handle, you simply take them back to the humane society. If you decide you can handle it and really want to adopt them, then you can. Now, you have to house the dog 24x7 - but there is always doggie day care for those on the go.

Fayetteville Dogwood Walk at Gulley Park

Despite a cold start to the morning, dog walkers were out in full force Saturday at Fayetteville's Gulley Park. A great turnout, and a great finish to the day makes it all worth while. Our free sample treats were such a hit this year we had to call in reinforcements, despite bringing twice as many from last year.

Fayetteville dog walkers snapped up the goodie bags quickly, and were very excited to learn that we were offering free shipping to anywhere in Arkansas - greatly helping with the current gas crunch. We know it's hard to get up to Rogers on a weekly basis for our yummy, all-natural treats. Those fortunate enough to get a goodie bag were also treated to more free samples as well as a coupon for 10 free treats from us at our store in Rogers.

Demonstrations highlighted with agility training by Canine Connection, and Arkansas Search and Rescue, as well as the myriad of vendor booths from folks like us, and the shelters and rescues made for a great amount of information for participants.

This video is just a panoramic shot of Gulley Park during the Dogwood walk. The walk itself is very impressive to see, with the line of people stretching from the gazebo all the way to new north parking lot. I was so busy this year chatting with people I didn't get a chance to photo or video the actual walk - maybe better luck next year!