Like Groupon, Living Social, Etc?

DREAMS DO COME TRUE
Check out DOGGY LOOT DOT COM for daily doggy related deals.  How Cool!  Two of my fave things combined into one website/daily e-mail.  I see there is a deal for an $11 "hide a squirrel" toy, which was one of Cole's favorites as a little puppy until she pretty much destroyed the entire thing.

 *HIDE A SQUIRRELS MAKE FOR GREAT FUN IN THE LIVING ROOM. ($18 RETAIL VALUE).







In other dog news, Mitt Romney has won Florida.  We are in danger of an animal abuser winning the Republican nomination.  Check out DOGS AGAINST ROMNEY for latest news and details about the Dogs Against Romney campaign.  This horrible story about Romney putting his poor dog in a crate on top of his minivan during a 12-hour road trip several years ago has really taken off this week.  We don't want to get too political here on Windy City Woof Woof- but dogs on top of cars for 12 hours is just unacceptable.  

*Photo taken from Dogs Against Romney Facebook Page

Two Contests Every Windy City Woof Woof Should Know About

OK WINDY CITY- here are two AWESOME contests that you MUST know about!!!

Dog of Distinction Contest

All Chicagoans should have their pup registered with the City of Chicago anyways, but if not, go HERE and you can easily get it done in a few minutes.
IF YOU REGISTER your dog by 3/31/2012 you are automatically entered into the Dog of Distinction contest.  The voting sounds kind of weird but check out their AWESOME prizes:::

1st Place Dog of Distinction Receives:

• Custom-designed Chicago dog tag with real rubies and topazes created by Sherry Bender of famed The Goldsmith, Ltd jewelers, valued at $2,000.
• Appearance in a 'WCIU, The U' TV ad
• Weekend stay at the Palmer House Hilton
• Photo shoot at Urban Out Sitters
• Feature story in Chicagoland Tails magazine

All Dog of Distinction Finalists Receive:

• Reservation for dog and owner to the exclusive Palmer House Hilton Dog Tea Party in the spring
• Shoreline Cruise dog-friendly architectural cruise for dog and owner
• Exclusive gift package filled with dog treats and accessories from Urban Out Sitters
• Chicagoland Tails gift package created just for Chicago's prize-winning dogs

FIDO TO GO Valentine's Day DOG PHOTO CONTEST
Valentine's Day?  Speaking of love, here is a pic of an adorable Vizsla that I fell in love with over the weekend:

 

 *Photo taken by Adam Rattoe Brehmer



Fido To Go is an awesome dog treats truck that makes organic dog treats.  I usually check them out at CHURCHILL DOG PARK.  Most of the action goes down on their facebook and twitter pages and you can find out where they will be stopping each day to pick up a few organic treats!!  They also do birthday parties for dogs and make fun cakes and I heard even dog friendly BEER! If Cole ever turns 21 we will do that for sure.  Here are the details for the Fido To Go dog photo contest, taken from their facebook page.

***BARK ALERT*** Are you all ready for Fido To Go's 2012 Valentine’s Day Contest? We have a new twist on prizes that your pups will love! Here we go! Send your pup's holiday pics to this wall. Make sure on the right hand side of your picture shows your photo as public before you tag us otherwise, we may not receive it since this is a fan page. This contest is all about creativity! Anything that h...as to do with Valentine’s Day and Love! No dog humping photos please! LOL! This contest has to be a raw photo so, no Photoshop pictures. Anything creatively cute or funny goes! There will be 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners. Double check in our “photos” to make sure we received your pet’s pic! Only one picture per household (you can have more than one dog in your photo) and please make sure your pup’s name is attached! All pics must be in by Saturday, Feb. 4th at midnight. We’ll post a voting comment on our wall for you to vote beginning on Sunday, Feb 5th by 12noon and voting ends on Wed Feb 8th at 10:00pm. Winners will be posted on Thursday, Feb 9th, 2012 by 5:00pm on this wall. Good Luck Puppies!

 Ok Guys! Time for us to get busy!!

Cole G's Favorite Things

In case you didn't know what they were, here are all of Cole's favorite things in an easy to read picture.

A Dog's Review of the SOTU

I really enjoyed Barack's State of The Union tonight except one part.  When he was speaking about all the members of the team that went to get Osama Bin Laden. He omitted one key member of the squad. Cairo is a male German Shepard that is trained to parachute out of helicopters and go on missions with the soldiers. 

The US Army has been utilizing dogs for ages. Lately they have become adept at sniffing out IED's. Cairo's job on the mission was to seal the perimeter and prevent any insurgents from running out of the compound. He also had a high-tech camera on his body to capture a live feed for the situation room.

Barack didn't mention Cairo on the podium, but he has met this famous dog. The President went to a base to meet all the members of the mission shortly after it ended. According to The New Yorker, the president was at first surprised to find out about Cairo:

As James talked about the raid, he mentioned Cairo’s role. “There was a dog?” Obama interrupted. James nodded and said that Cairo was in an adjoining room, muzzled, at the request of the Secret Service.
“I want to meet that dog,” Obama said.
“If you want to meet the dog, Mr. President, I advise you to bring treats,” James joked. Obama went over to pet Cairo, but the dog’s muzzle was left on.

Read more in the New York Article Online.

Other than that we enjoyed the SOTU address and enjoyed seeing the first lady wearing blue, it was  great color on her.  However we can't say much for the hardworking girl sitting next to her, she could have gotten some new highlights.

On a side note, German Shepards are desperately need homes.  Check out this site on German Sherpads  for details.

Some sweetness to start your day!

Making up is hard to do!!!!

When I came home from the grocery store last night to see that Cole had broken into the trash can and made a mess.... she got in a LOT of trouble!!!!

 

It's always important after disciplining your sweet one, to kiss and make up and let the pooch know they are not in trouble any more.  Here Cole looks a little sad and still feels bad for what she did, but I assured her life would go on.

Too Cool for this Shit

TOO COOL FOR THIS SHIT TODAY!!!!!!

Traveling WITHOUT your doggie

getting ready to go on vacation

My boyfriend and I Just got back from Mexico and it sparked my idea to put some advice out there on what to do with your pup when you have to leave them for an extended amount of time.

Everyone knows there are many options as far as overnight kennels in Chicago, but those can be expensive and sometimes not the best option for your dog. If they don't get along with other dogs or don't like being in cages, its hard too.

A lot of people prefer to have a friend or family member watch their dog.  Depending on the level that you know the person, if it is not that well it is always good to buy the friend a gift or offer to pay them.  They are doing you a favor by saving you money and providing good care to your dog, so a "thank you" just isn't enough (unless it's your mom or something doing the babysitting).  I usually like to grab a gift certificate to a nice restaurant in the city or buy a great gift while I'm on vacation.  Bar gift certificates always work as well.  Be sure to bring enough food and instructions for your dog babysitter, and check in with them to make sure they don't have any questions. 

Cole very tired upon her return from my friend anna's house!

A new website i heard about it Rover Night Network.  It's kind of like a couch surfing for dogs but if you have just moved in to the area or if you don't have a lot of friends its a great resource to use.  You can make arrangements through the site to have someone watch your dog in exchange for them watching your dog on another date.  I think its an awesome idea!

Cole and Charlie chillin on the couch re-uniting :)

Oh, and if you decide to travel WITH your dog please do not strap it in a cage on the top of your minivan for 12 hours like Mitt Romney decided to do.  Very upset to hear this news and if you are not familiar with the story please check this out: Dogs Against Romney

We Love Grandma!!!!

Hey there!!!  We took a trip today to The Park at Vernon Hills nursing home!!!  It's always great to see the smiling faces of the seniors when Cole walks in the door.  My grandma requires that I bring Cole along when I visit, and its great to help bring happiness to the seniors at the home who have had pets in the past and now are unable to have them.  Here is a sweet pic of Cole and her Grandma Sue :)

21 Degrees, Don't Matter!

My Windy City dog still prefers to have her head out the window with the Windy City wind blowing at her face when it is below freezing.  What about yours?

Paws in the Snow!

LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW!

The first big snow has hit Chicago today and I hope all of you dog owners were prepared.  We have to be sure to keep our dog's feet safe in the snow, as many areas in Chicago heavily salt their sidewalks.  Salt can be very bad for dog's feet for many reasons.  It can get inside their cuts on their feet and infect them, and dogs can also lick the chemicals off of their feet and get sick.  Areas like Lincoln Park and River North salt very heavily, but we're luckily here in Bucktown that people will shovel instead of salting.  However, today we took the necessary precautions.  

We use "PAWZ" which basically look like balloon shoes to put on your dogs feet.  They are re-useable and are less expensive than buying your dog a pair of UGGS.

 Here we are, all geared up to go see what has fallen!!!

Making Yellow snow is just as easy with my balloon shoes on!!

And eating the snow is just as easy with my balloon shoes as well-- (except I lost one, how did that happen?)  Oh well, dog shoes are never perfect but we have made it through our morning walk at least!

Chalet Nursery - A Pet Lovers Paradise on the North Shore

Chalet's Website

I know most of you pet lovers may have your favorite local pet shop somewhere in the city or frequent one of the bigger stores, but if you ever find yourself on the North Shore, you have to visit Chalet Nursery in Wilmette to see their pet section.  Chalet is conveniently located right off of 94 on Lake Avenue, and in addition to being an awesome garden store, they are pet experts too.  

Their pet area is huge and they have necessities for both cats and dogs.  They have experts on hand in the area at all times that can answer any specific questions you may have about your animal.

Normally there is a grey parrot on display at Chalet.  But he was on vacation this week :(  When he isn't sailing, you can hold him on your arm and have a little chat.

But most importantly, if you down with feeding your dog healthy and organic food, they have one of the best selections of organic dog food I have ever seen.  The prices are fair and the staff is very educated on all of the different brands. Give Chalet a visit if you're ever in the area, pooches are welcome to come in as well :)

Welcome to Windy City Woof Woof!!!

Hey Everyone, and welcome to my first blog "Windy City Woof Woof!"  In this blog I will discuss the ins and outs of having a pooch in the Windy City, and how to keep them as happy and healthy and I have kept my dog Cole.  Here are some introductory pictures of Cole and I that I'd like to share, and I'll have my first post tomorrow when the big 8 inches hits Chicago!