National Book Lovers Day!

Can I do a bit of self-promotion on National Book Lovers Day?  I hope you will scroll through my books featured below and find a little bit of inspiration for your next celebration!

Today Show: Pet Costumes

Is every member of your house hold ready for Halloween?  Check out my favorite Pet Costumes (all on sale for under $10 now at PetSmart!) from my Today Show segment.

click here to watch

Tips for a Pet-Friendly Holiday

‘Tis the season for holiday parties, and many pet lovers jump at the opportunity to include their four-legged friends in the festivities. Pet holiday parties may range from the simply elegant to the simply silly, but they all have one thing in common – a doggone good time.  I celebrated our love of pets in my book, DogParties: Entertaining Your Party Animals (Gibbs-Smith, $19.95) but to help you get started in your holiday pet party planning, I teamed up with PetSmart to bring you these tips:

Attire

One of the best ways to set the stage for a party is to ask guests to sport a festive look, and pets are no exception. For a classy party, use your invitation to ask your guests to dress up and remind them to bring their furry friends on their favorite fancy leash. You can find an array of dressy options at PetSmart, including bowties, sparkle dresses and the Santa Cat Cape, all will surely dress up the occasion.

Or go the other direction with a fun ugly sweater party. Invite your friends to dress the part and bring their pets in their silliest attire. The Bret Michaels PetsRock line of ugly sweaters – some even light up – are the perfect complement to your own gaudy attire.

Mealtime

Consider setting up a treat buffet for your four-legged friends. Fill large clear glass containers with different varieties of colorful treats.

Manners

Don’t expect your four-legged friends to share. Purchase a festive dog bowl for each guest, such as the Martha Stewart Pets Santa ceramic bowl from PetSmart, and fill each with water. Then keep them for next year’s holiday party, or give them away as party favors at the end of the event.

Music

Set the tone with holiday tunes, or go one step further with a little bit of research into the names and breeds of the pets loved by the composers or singers. Make a playlist of your favorites and type it up for your guests. 

Decor

Snap a Polaroid photo of each of your guests in their festive attire as they arrive. Hang a clothesline made of ribbons near the entrance and clip the photos up with clothespins as they print for instant personalized decor that your guests will love.

Gifts

Don’t forget the party favors. Consider a small gift for each family to take home with a bone-shaped card attached that reads “Happy Howlidays!” Another option is a small faux tree decorated with bright dog toys and bones. (Be sure to use a faux tree; four-legged guests may be tempted to leave their mark on the real thing.) At the end of the event, you can ask your guests to choose a treat as their take-home favor.

For more holiday ideas and tips, visit your local PetSmart or www.PetSmart.com/holiday.

Photography by Stephen Karlisch

Can your dog sing like Katy Perry?

If you had the Woofer it could!  This hilarious contraption was created by Matthew Baron of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania so that your dog could add more joy to your life than it already does. The Woofer is a dog coat with speakers that lets you play your favorite songs from your Ipod or other MPS player.  Each one is hand made to order and the website even includes a sizing chart.  You can share your music with friends during your next party, jog or doggie play date in the dog park.  It would also be an easy solution to Christmas Carols!
I met Matthew at the Texas Pet Expo last weekend and he told me that most fun feature of the Woofer is the wireless microphone hook-up you can request.  You could send your dog around and hide in the bushes and talk to people through the speakers!
Check out TheWoofer.com to order or call 323-314-2305.

Texas Pet Expo

I have passes to give away to the Texas Pet Expo this weekend!  I hope you will come see me on Saturday from 11 to 1 while I sign copies of Dog Parties: Entertaining Your Party Animal.  Please comment here if you want a Family Pass!

Texas Pet Expo is coming!

The Texas Pet Expo is a weekend celebration that is fun for the whole family.  There are fantastic opportunities for intimate animal experiences as well as shopping and adoption options!  I will be signing copies of Dog Parties: Entertaining Your Party Animal on Saturday Nov. 9 from 11 to 1.  I can't wait and I hope you will come by and see me!

I am thrilled that the Texas Pet Expo is going to donate a portion of ticket sales to Texas Hearing and Service Dogs!  They adopt every dog they train and they invest $17,500 and one year to train each dog.  All dogs and training are free of charge to assist physically challenged people.  They use only positive reinforcement training and are trained as Service Dogs or Hearing Dogs!  It is such a cool program!

The Texas Pet Expo, which will be at the Plano Convention Center on Saturday Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the largest consumer pet show in North Texas and will be the ultimate source of education, entertainment, expert care and fun for pet lovers and owners of all kinds.  Admission to the Expo is $10 for an adult, $5 for seniors and children over 5.  Children under 5 are free and so is parking!  Visit www.texaspetexpo.com for more details.

October isn't only about candy and costumes...

There is a much more cuddly cause to celebrate! This month is the American Humane Association's Adopt- A- Dog Month.

Adopting a pet is certainly the farthest thing from a new idea but chances are, it probably would be new for most of us to truly consider driving down to the nearest shelter to pick out a pup. I know how unreasonable it might be to ask if you would just hop in your car, on a whim, to take in an animal that requires your love and attention. However, if you and your family have been contemplating a canine addition then hopefully you can keep open minds and hearts while I tell you some reasons for, and benfits of adopting a dog from your nearest shelter.
-Many shelters offer great support services to answer anything and everything you would like to know about your future family member. These people are all animal lovers and would love nothing more than to educate you on caring for your pet. The shelters usually assess each of the dogs for a full week so that they can tell you facts about their compatability with your lifestyle.

-Many of the dogs in shelters are already trained or housebroken. This is because many of these dogs, actually 80% of them, are in the shelter due to previous, unfit living situations. Some of the animals were given away because the families were moving into a new home or because they were expecting a child and didn't think that it would be responsible to keep an energetic dog around their baby.

-You will have done a good thing by saving a life.

So if you are considering adopting a dog, here are some good questions to ask to ensure a positive experience for both you and your pet:

1. What size dog is the best fit for my lifestyle?

2. Ask about each dog's general behavior. What is the dog's personality like? What are his habits? What is his temprament like? What will I feed him?

3. Something that we rarely think about is the size of our property in relation to the size of our pet. Yes, the size of your home might cross your mind, but your dog is going to need to have some space outdoors as well. Large dogs do not just want to have the freedom to run around, but they also need the exercise in order to live a long and healthy life.

All of these dogs can be adopted today and it's as easy as going to Operation Kindness' website.

The Purina Chef Michael's Be My Valentine Doggie Dinner Party

We had such a great time at the event last night, in spite of the Blizzard. All of our four legged guests showed up in the finest and enjoyed the Chef Michael's Canine Creations served off of a silver tray! There are more photos up on my facebook page so check them out! My favorite part of the evening was having the honor to announce Purina's donation of $7500 to www.adopt-a-pet.com.

The lovely Elizabeth Rohm, the star of Hero's, shared a heartwarming story about her dog, Homer. She rescued Homer and was told that his leg was in bad shape. Instead of giving up on him, she spent hours with him going to physical therapy and nursing him back to tip-top shape! She calls Homer her "boyfriend" and has declared him her Doggie Valentine.

A survey by Purina showed that 60% of dog owners will include their dog in their Valentine's Day celebrations! I hope you will include your dogs in all of your holiday celebrations too! We came up with a sweet acronym for the word LOVE to help you make your dog feel fantastic.

L - Lounge around with your four legged friend and watch tv or a favorite movie. There is nothing like that quality snuggle time with your dog!

O - Order in for yourself and serve a thoughtfully prepared meal for your dog.

V - Valentine's Day gifts go a long way with dogs! A new bed or collar will perk them up!

E - Extra special pampering means making your dog look as good as she feels!

Let me know what you do to make your dog feel loved!

Your Doggie Valentine can win a trip to New York!

Purina® Chef Michael’s® canine creations is conducting a national search to find the most unforgettable "Doggie Valentine" in America – the lovable dog who has captured his owner’s heart and leaves a lasting impression on anyone that meets him. The winner will get an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to accompany me to a February 10 Valentine's Day celebration devoted just to the dogs and their human partners. To make sure that all dogs feel loved this Valentine's Day, Chef Michael's will be donating $10 to Adopt-A-Pet.com for every contest entry. Visit www.doggievalentine.com before January 25, 2010 to enter your "Doggie Valentine" in the contest.

Party Time

Working with Purina's new dog food brand, Chef Michael's Canine Creations, has been a true joy. Not only does Lola love the food but I was able to host 1000 dog parties across the country in one day! HouseParty.com is an amazing resource for finding great new products and introducing your friends to them! It is a fun way to have fellowship with your friends and neighbors and enjoy new product launches at the same time! Thru HouseParty.com you select the products that you are interested in and apply to host an event. If you are selected, you will receive a party pack and you are able to invite your friends over for a treat. Check out the site for upcoming events and apply today!

Here are a few photos from the Chef Michael's Sunday Supper that I hosted.

Pet Travel Safety Tips

Lola is a lucky little pooch. She is unabashedly spoiled and has traveled the globe with me!

With Pet Airways making news, I thought I should check it out! Seems to me that it is great for those of you who take a long summer break and want your pets to join you. Their website is fantastic and includes great ideas and tips for Pet Travel. You can tell that the people behind the pet service have a true passion for the passengers.

Lola is, thankfully, small enough that she can ride along in my carry on so I usually keep her right by my side. I hope that you will let your pet join in on the fun this summer but please make sure that they are always kept safe. Here are a few tips:

-Make a reservation for your pet. There is probably going to be a fee involved but grin and bear it. The love and licks you will get upon arrival will be well worth it! If you are taking your dog on board, check with the airline about their weight requirements and travel bag requirements. Many of them have strict policies including that only two pets can be on any plane at one time, one in the first class cabin and one in coach.

-Always book a non-stop flight. There have been horror stories about people loosing their pets because they don't make the proper transition or get lost in the shuffle.

-Put a strong collar and clear ID tag on your pet. Also make sure their kennel is marked properly with their name, your information and also a bold "live animal" marking.

I hope these simple tips help make your pets holiday a bit safer and easier. Have fun and stay safe!

Protecting Your Pooch

Last night was a scary one!  After arriving home from a fantastic book signing at the beautiful Azure Social Room (photos later!), I could not find Lola anywhere in the house.  I was not sure how long she had been missing and I was so frazzled that I did not pick up my mobile phone when it rang.  After coming to my senses I realized that I should probably check my messages and, sure enough, there was a kind message from a lady named Sarah telling me that she found Lola two streets away!  I rushed over to Sarah's home and introduced myself.  Lola had already bonded with her daughter Hailey and was all snuggled up.  I think Lola was disappointed to see me!  All of this got me to thinking that it was time to re-visit some of Summer Safety Tips for pets....

-First thing we will do today is walk around the perimeter of our backyard gates and make sure that she can no longer sneak out under the gate!

-Practicing our commands is a good idea too.  We have gotten a bit lax in that area since we brought a baby in to the house.  It has changed Lola's life so much so I always want to spoil her and forget to enforce the rules sometimes.  This is important because I need to know that she will respect my commands while we are around a road or other people.

-Double check collars and ID tags to ensure that they fit properly and can be read easily.  Thank God Sarah could read the phone number on Lola's tag last night!

-Summer is a good time to check your yard and walking trail for poisonous leaves and plants.  Dogs can react to certain houseplants as well so be cautious!

-Keep chocolate treats, tobacco products, and medications away from your four legged friends!

-Keep poisonous cleaning and household products up high and out of reach (just like you would for your toddler.)

-Don't forgot to ask your Vet for advice on protecting your pet from tics, fleas, and heart worm.  There are simple and in-expensive treatments so take the time to seek advice.

-Most importantly, love on them and have fun with them.  There is nothing like the bond shared between master and pet!  Pay them back for their uncompromising love with a lot of summer fun!

Booksigning

Please join us for a booksigning at the amazing Azure in Dallas.  Hope to see you there!