DEAR ABBY: My dog has been invited to a birthday party for another dog, but he won't be attending because of a health issue. Can you give me some insight into what the protocol is for doggy birthday party gifts? I have asked a few people and received varied responses ranging from "nothing" to "Are you nuts?" to a gift card, dollar-store gift basket or a gift basket with doggy treats and toys. I'd like to know how to handle this so my friend -- the dog's mom -- won't be offended if I give too little, or nothing. -- DOGGONE GIFT IDEA
DEAR DOGGONE: If you or your dog cannot attend a gift-giving party, neither of you is obligated to send a gift. However, if you want to be supportive, you can give your friend's dog something as elaborate as a gift basket or as simple as a doggy chew toy.
P.S. Someone who would deem your gift to be "too little" isn't much of a friend.
Anyone who would throw a doggie birthday party needs to get a life. Anyone who would consider going, even more so.
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I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
Actually, I think the idea of a party is somewhat cute as long as it is really just an excuse for a human gathering. But to write to Dear Abby????? nutcase!
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I don't think anyone over, say age 5, would think to give a dog a Bday party.
I do like having a party that includes bringing the dogs now and then.
But goodness, a gift giving event? Now talk about ridiculous.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
We have a dog bakery in town. No lie. I am not making this up as crazy as it sounds. You can go in there with your dog and buy your dog all kinds of biscuits and treats. And they host dog and cat birthday parties. The parties are just like kids parties. They do games with the pets and hand out goody bags and have doggie cake. I keep jokingly telling DH that we need to do this for our puppies and invite all their neighborhood puppy friends. He keeps telling me to go to hell. lol
Also, at the Petco near us they have a whole wedding section. With little brides dresses and tuxedo's. They have all the dog stuff to go with the wedding and you can register your dogs wedding wishes on their registry. They even have edible wedding cards...
You scoff but people are making a killing on this kind of stuff. Someone found a niche and capitalized on it.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
We have a dog bakery in town. No lie. I am not making this up as crazy as it sounds. You can go in there with your dog and buy your dog all kinds of biscuits and treats. And they host dog and cat birthday parties. The parties are just like kids parties. They do games with the pets and hand out goody bags and have doggie cake. I keep jokingly telling DH that we need to do this for our puppies and invite all their neighborhood puppy friends. He keeps telling me to go to hell. lol
Also, at the Petco near us they have a whole wedding section. With little brides dresses and tuxedo's. They have all the dog stuff to go with the wedding and you can register your dogs wedding wishes on their registry. They even have edible wedding cards...
You scoff but people are making a killing on this kind of stuff. Someone found a niche and capitalized on it.
Some people have entirely too much money, apparently.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
We have a dog bakery in town. No lie. I am not making this up as crazy as it sounds. You can go in there with your dog and buy your dog all kinds of biscuits and treats. And they host dog and cat birthday parties. The parties are just like kids parties. They do games with the pets and hand out goody bags and have doggie cake. I keep jokingly telling DH that we need to do this for our puppies and invite all their neighborhood puppy friends. He keeps telling me to go to hell. lol
Also, at the Petco near us they have a whole wedding section. With little brides dresses and tuxedo's. They have all the dog stuff to go with the wedding and you can register your dogs wedding wishes on their registry. They even have edible wedding cards...
You scoff but people are making a killing on this kind of stuff. Someone found a niche and capitalized on it.
Some people have entirely too much money, apparently.
I don't disagree but when you have extra money to blow and you think your pet is a little person you do dumb things like that. The dog bakery here has a weird name so it took me forever to figure out it was actually a DOG BAKERY. At first I thought it was like a place where people with dogs could come and have coffee and pastries and socialize with their dogs with them. Then I looked them up. They do bakery goods, birthday parties, and grooming.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
AND they are making BIG BUCKS. They've been there for four years. None of the fast food places in that strip shopping center have survived. Only two businesses have lasted: the doc in the box and the dog bakery. However, now there's a gourmet pizza place in there and that will not go out of business. No way.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
We have dog bakeries here too. They're actually super fun. I get all Pooches toys there, whenever I can. It's nice to support small business rather than PetSmart or whatever.
The weirdest thing I've seen here is the dog naturopath. In case you don't want Western veterinary medicine for your pooch, you can get acupuncture, herbs or whatever else instead ....
OMG Tig! Our vet does dog homeopathy and acupuncture. We've never had it done but he is board certified in it.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
OMG Tig! Our vet does dog homeopathy and acupuncture. We've never had it done but he is board certified in it.
When we lived in Santa Cruz, Pooch got all sorts of alternative medicine treatments - not because I was paying for it but because everyone is learning a new modality in Santa Cruz all of the time. Pooch has had Reiki, various types of massage, herbal treatments, oils, acupressure (no acupuncture, though) and the laying on of hands for various reasons. None of it seemed to hurt him, but only one form of the massage really seemed to help loosen up his hips and hind legs.
He even had his own special blend of aromatherapy oils for his attachment issues and anxiety.
Now we do buy a special shampoo for Layla. It's not labeled homeopathic but it's a shampoo with no soap in it. It's oatmeal based I know but it's all natural and has some other stuff in it. It's for her sensitive skin.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Now we do buy a special shampoo for Layla. It's not labeled homeopathic but it's a shampoo with no soap in it. It's oatmeal based I know but it's all natural and has some other stuff in it. It's for her sensitive skin.
If you have a good enough blender, you can make that at home! When I was unemployed and really bored I toyed with oatmeal and baking soda dog shampoo making. It's really fun! And great for their skin and coat.
I don't know what all's in it. I've made the oatmeal and baking soda blend before for my kids. My grandma was a doctor and wouldn't pay ten bucks for a packet of Aveeno for when we got chicken pox. She would just make it herself out of oatmeal and baking soda.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Monster gets treats on holidays. Sometimes he gets a new toy.
He has a couple bandanas and a sweeter for Winter and a Hawaiian shirt.
Since he has lost a lot of his undercoat, he will probably need another sweater or two.
OH and his Santa outfit and elf hat and collar.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Acupuncture helped my dog a ton when she got paralyzed, which is odd to me because I think it is all nuts. But it helped her tremendously, that he is still one of her favorite people! He stuck pins all over her body and sent an electric current through them, and she acts like he is Santa Clause.