When we first got Stella almost three years ago, she had no idea what to do with toys.  She was actually afraid of some of Argo’s big heavy chew toys.  When they fell to the floor with a big, loud thud, she’d run into the other room shaking.  But, because both dogs are strong chewers, we can’t buy wimpy dog toys.  I got Stella an Orbee-Tuff bone hoping she wouldn’t be afraid of it and it would be strong enough to hold up to both sets of super strong choppers.  It was a perfect solution.

It’s the toy that taught Stella how to play with toys.  She loves to chew on it, even when she was younger and smaller she could easily carry it in her mouth.  There are holes at either end that are perfect for putting a small treat in.  It has a little bounce when you throw it, and it’s soft enough that it doesn’t drop with a big loud thud.  Seeing her march around the living room with her new toy in her mouth made me so happy.  Now she plays with all sorts of toys, but her blue bone is still her favorite.

When we first got the Orbee-Tuff bone, I didn’t think it would last very long because the rubber is really soft.  I thought for sure Argo would get a hold of it and chew it to bits in seconds.  But it’s incredibly strong.  Stella has had her Orbee-Tuff bone for almost three years now and there aren’t even any tooth marks in it.  The rubber is so soft that it seems to just bend around her teeth.  And, it’s non-toxic, recyclable, and made in the USA.   Read more…

 Please welcome today’s guest poster, Ashley Spade.

Loving animals doesn’t usually extend itself to loving what they leave behind. Training your dog to pee in a specified area can preserve the lawn that surrounds your home, as well as dog parks or other public green spaces. Though dog pee isn’t necessarily as toxic as some people make it out to be, here are some suggestions for reducing its impact on the Earth.  Read more…

Everyone has their sacred things.  For me, it’s my writing sweater.  For Argo, it’s his F-R-I-S-B-E-E.  And yes, we have to spell that word around here.  If you say the word frisbee in my house and are not prepared to promptly go outside and play for the next half hour or so, you will be treated to whining that rivals a five year old child in a candy store.

After we got Stella, frisbees turned into a disposable item in our house.  Stella’s favorite way to get Argo’s goat was to steal and shred Argo’s Frisbee any chance she got.  Oh, dog politics!  Drama! You don’t want to see Argo when he can’t find his frisbee.   Whining that rivals ten five year olds in a candy store!

So, I was constantly running to the store for frisbees and we were constantly throwing out destroyed toys. So wasteful and expensive! Argo and Stella have a few WestPaw Zogoflex toys (the Hurley was one of my favorite dog products of 2008), and they are amazing.

Practically indestructible and recyclable when they do get too grubby to keep (although that has yet to happen). So when I discovered that WestPaw came out with the Zisc, a frisbee made of Zogoflex, I bought two.  I believe we’ve had them for about a year, and even with constant use and abuse they have yet to have a single tear or toothmark.  Argo has one constantly hanging from his mouth, always be prepared, just in case someone might want to play F-R-I-S-B-E-E.  Stella has given up on trying to shred them, because despite her best efforts, the Zisc stays in one piece.

And yeah, I think Argo recognizes the spelled out word now, too.

From Good Things Green Things:

“A floatable flyer that goes the distance, Zisc® is a must-have toy for active dogs. More pliable than a hard-shell frisbee and faster than those made from fabric, Zisc is a perfect pick for trips to the park, yard or water. Flexible material makes this dog frisbee gentle on soft mouths and easy to pick up. In the world of frisbee-style dog toys, Zisc flies to the top. Made with durable and buoyant Zogoflex material, Zisc is guaranteed against dog damage. While the Zisc dog toy is not designed to be a chew toy, it is designed to withstand as much active play as dogs can dish out while playing frisbee. Zisc is made in the USA, 100% recyclable, non-toxic and even dishwasher safe.”

Good Things Green Things has been so kind to donate a whole collection of Zogoflex toys to the #DogKarma Rescue Prize Pack over at my personal blog.  You can learn more about #DogKarma and enter to win the prize pack for yourself or your favorite rescue here.

Ask many people about the idea of raising chickens in an urban or suburban setting and you’re likely to get the following responses. “Isn’t that illegal?” “They’re too noisy!” “They’re too stinky!” “That’s just weird.”

I can’t say much about that last concern. After all, keeping chickens in large population centers is not all that common. By definition that would be weird. However, if you make your decisions based solely on whether something is normal or not, well, I’ve lost a little respect for you. That’s right. I don’t even know you and I’m already judging you. Read more…

I love hearing stories about people who get innovative when they can’t find a product on the market that fits their needs.

Cynthia and Tom Darmstandler’s pomeranian, Kona, became ill after eating chicken jerky made in China.  After Kona’s recovery, Cynthia went to her local pet store to try to find chicken jerky made in the USA, and couldn’t.  She and her husband launched Kona’s Chips, and began making their own dog & cat treats using human-grade food produced in the USA, and obtained Made in the USA certification.   Read more…

Argo loves his blanket.  He’s taken custody of an old comforter and he loves it more than any dog bed he’s ever had.  Sometimes, he’ll share it with Stella, but it is unmistakably his.  And while he seems to take great pleasure in lying on his blanket when it’s fresh out of the wash, he mopes like crazy when I take it away to wash it.  I try to wash it often, but it is an entire load of laundry in and of itself and I don’t always have time. Read more…

Stella loves to roll around in the yard.  She’s a pro at finding a nice fragrant spot and making sure any gross scent she can find fully permeates her coat.  She’s not as big as Argo, but at sixty-five pounds, she’s not tiny either, and once it gets too cold for a hose down in the back yard, it’s hard (read: the entire house gets drenched) for us to bathe her at home.  And it’s expensive for us to take her in to to the doggie salon get washed every time she gets a little ripe.  I often resort to a wet washcloth and some gentle soap, but it doesn’t always do the trick.  There are doggie perfumes out there, but a lot of them just add a nice floral scent on top of the stink.

Opie & Dixie sent me some of their Organic Rosehips Dry Shampoo and Conditioning Mist, and it’s a wonderful fix for stinky Stella.  You can spray the shampoo directly on the dog, or on a soft cloth and then use the cloth to apply.  Both Argo and Stella don’t mind getting a quick spray and it doesn’t irritate their sensitive skin.   Read more…

Argo does! Read more…

I haven’t put up links in a week or two, so I thought I’d give you two posts in one. Above is my cat’s video review of the Adopt A Cat Organic Catnip Toy from GoodThingsGreenThings.com.

And now, links!

OnlineDegrees.org listed The Greenists as #26 on their top 100 list of Green Blogs for Students!!!!

Hudson Valley Green Festival tickets are on sale for the September 4th event!  We’ll be posting more about this event next week.

The Good Human gives helpful hints to finding a car sharing service near you.

Asthma Mom has health tips for the school year.

Crunchy Chicken is going pioneer!

Retro Housewife Goes Green wants you to vote for ethical jewelry.

Today’s post is by our fellow blogger and good buddy Noelle, who blogs at The Daily Tannenbaum. If you’d like to guest post for The Greenists, e-mail courtney at thegreenists dot com.

Hi, long lost Noelle here. I’m coming out of Greenists and blogging hiatus in a quest to turn Allie’s blog into a resource on all things kitty litter. I was inspired after reading the recent post about Kitty’s Crumble here. It just so happened that a local natural pet store I was meaning to go to was also a supplier of the Crumble.

I’m a lover of all things local, and part of that reason is that when you go to a store and have a conversation with the owner, you almost always walk away with the best possible product you can get. I chatted with the Natural Pet Center Owner and told her I was looking for some Crumble, and she asked me, “do you live in an apartment? Do you have a barn?  Does your cat go to the bathroom outdoors?” And then she took me on a field trip to the barn part of her store and showed me where she had a litter box full of Kitty’s Crumble for the outdoor cats on the premises. She agreed that they really seemed to like it and that it was great for compost, but then she told me that the litter has a tendency to track brown stuff on furniture when used indoors, and that since I don’t compost (someday when money’s no object and I can do it indoors…) it wasn’t the right litter for me.

Then she steered me in the direction of the World’s Best Litter. Really, that’s what it’s called. It’s a good thing they were right. Otherwise, it’s like titling your novel “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize” or naming your kid “President Tannenbaum” or referring to your dog as “Best In Show.” It’s a lot to live up to, is what I’m saying. Read more…