Most dogs get very anxious and nervous when they hear the loud pops of fireworks. I know that my dog freaks out and starts looking around nervously even if there’s fireworks on TV. Thunderstorms too, he hates that. Sometimes during heavy rains, I’ll think we have a leak in the roof because I hear water pouring down in the corner, but no- it’s just the dog nervously peeing on the rug. Well the K-9 Calming Vest purports to placate your pooch by putting a pouch on the pup. You might ask yourself, “how does this miracle calming vest work, in basic scientific terms?”. Let’s break it down:

The vest works by being ON the dog. That’s it. But what about the deep science and engineering behind the vest? Here, I quote directly “the tight-fitting vest gives your dog a feeling of safety, while the physical sensations of wearing it distracts your dog from focusing on its fears”. Yes sir, this vest works by being on the dog and tight. It’s just like wearing a pair of tighty whities- you know your boys are in there safe and tight and aren’t going to be flopping around in the wind. I’m not buying into this $36 piece of pet voodoo.

via RGS

This might be either the greatest idea ever, or an invitation to reward your dog for bad behavior. The Chew Leg Cover is a rubber chew toy for your dog that goes over the legs of your chairs (or tables). Designed by Jennifer Yoko Olson, it measures just under a foot in height and comes in quite a few colors: natural brown, cream, purple, orange, turquoise and fuchsia.

So if your dog is going to be munching on your furniture legs while you’re out, why not cover them up with a safe alternative to protect your furniture from bite marks? On the other side of the coin, are you just encouraging your dog to chew on chair legs by giving them a chew toy on a leg? Obviously I’m no dog behavior or psychology expert, so I guess you have to ask yourself WWCMD (what would Cesar Milan do)? Costs $29.99 each.

How much is that doggy in the window(s vista laptop computer)? Take your dog to work! Take your work to the dog park! With the
Pet at Work Travel System (P@W) from PetEgo, you never have to choose between your PC and your puppy or your Mac and your maltese. This pricey ($178 wow!) backpack has compartments for both your laptop and your lapdog.

Personally I would love to take my dog with me sometimes, but he weighs 50 lbs and has a tendency to pee when he gets nervous, so putting him in a backpack with electronics is simply not going to work for me. But if you have a small dog that doesn’t urinate all over the place, the ability to take both your PC and your pomeranian with you in a single bag is definitely convenient. The bag even comes with a small mesh “pet dome” crate that folds up into the bag. Available in either black or tan.

via chipchick

It’s bad enough we have to scoop the poop for our dogs, but we also have to carry it all the way home or to the nearest garbage can? Let’s put those dogs to work- let them carry their own poop with the Port-a-poo Hands Free Waste Carrier. The Port-a-poo attaches to almost any leash and after you pick up your dog’s waste in a bag, you just clip it on:

Out of your hands and onto the leash. Let the leash and the dog do all the work. It’s convenient, stylish and sanitary. And it’s shaped like a little bone.

Buy a Port-a-poo today

Traveling with pets can be a bit tricky at times. Your dog can’t just stop at a fast food joint at a rest area when he gets hungry or thirsty like you can. You not only have to bring your pet’s food with you, you have to bring bowls for your pet to both eat and drink out of. The Travel-tainer combines a food carrier with a set of two bowls, so your pet will have everything they need to eat and drink when traveling.

The clear plastic container holds 8 cups of dry food (2 quarts) and has a convenient carry handle. It comes in blue and pink. Great for road trips this summer!


via inventorspot

Yes this is real! French inventor Romain Jarry has created the Dog-o-Matic, which is essentially a giant washing machine for dogs. It takes about a half hour and prices range from around $20-$45 depending on the size of your pooch. You select the dog size and wash cycle, put your dog in the big door and press start. Despite the photo of that dog trying to claw his way out of the machine, the inventor insists that the dogs don’t mind. There’s one (apparently successful) machine in France now and Jarry wants to bring them to England soon. I know my dog is almost impossible to get into the bath, so I could see something like this being somewhat useful as a forced bath for him, but it does look a little uncomfortable for dogs.

dailymail via dvice

Cats need to Twitter too! A crafty home engineer has created a Twitter enabled cat door for his two Tweeting cats Gus and Penny. Each cat is fitted with an RFID chip on their collar. When the cat comes near the door, the door senses that it’s an authorized cat (unlike those pesky food-stealing neighbor cats) and opens up. But that’s not all!! Each time a cat goes through the door, a camera above the door snaps a shot of the cat going in or out AND sends both the picture and a message to the cats’ Twitter account letting all the internet connected rodents of the world know it’s safe to enter the home.

Cats today are so much more advanced than cats were when I was kid. Bahhh. Get off my lawn you crazy cats.

via hacked gadgets

Exercising is healthy for both you and your dog (one of the three keys to a well balanced dog: exercise, discipline and affection). Depending on your dog, you might run into one of two problems when you take your dog out for an extended walk: either the dog can’t keep up with you, or you can’t keep up with the dog. Here’s some solutions.

If your dog is too small and gets too tired when you go on long walks, perhaps you need the pooch fanny pack. Look at that dog’s face.. he’s loving it! Obviously you’re not going to put a Great Dane in this thing but if your small dog can’t keep up, it’s not bad:

On the opposite end of the spectrum is a dog that is too active for your walks. No matter how far you walk, the dog is still full of energy and wants to walk more. To tire your pup out you might want to take it for a walk while you ride your bike but just riding while holding the leash can be dangerous for both you and your dog. A distracted dog can get caught up in the bicycle or pull you off the bike. The WalkyDog – Hands Free Bicycle Dog Leash wants to make it safer and easier for you to ride with your dog.

The WalkyDog attaches to the seat post of your bike. It detaches quickly and easily to become a leash. When your dog is hooked in, he will be safely away from side of the bike and will remain in position without being able to cross in front or behind the bicycle.

The WalkyDog makes it easier to change directions while riding with your dog and you can even mount one on each side of your bike and ride with two dogs at once. Since it attaches to the seat there is a lowered center of gravity and it’s almost impossible for the dog to pull the bike over and knock you off. A great pet gadget to improve both your dog’s and your own health.


via inventorspot