Next Wednesday, August 26 is National Dog Day. Pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige started National Dog Day to recognize the constant and unconditional love we receive daily from our best friends.

“Dogs put their lives on the line every day – for their law enforcement partner, for their blind companion, for a child who is disabled, for our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and pulling victims of tragedy from wreckage…National Dog Day wishes to encourage dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure – and embraces the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe and ”abuse-free life”. -Colleen Paige

It is a day to recognize the powerful impact dogs have on our lives, to raise awareness about dog-related issues such as euthanasia, breed-specific legislation and responsible dog ownership.

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate with your own pooch:

-       Stop by your local dog-friendly bakery and buy him some homemade treats! Head over to one of our favorite stores on the South-side of Boston.

-       Spend some extra time on your walk and allow your dog to get in a few extra sniffs here and there (and don’t embarrass your dog by not cleaning up after him).

-       Take your dog to the local dog park and let him off-leash.

-       Have a neighborhood ‘dog party’. Collect items from your friends and neighbors and donate them to a local shelter.

-       Curl up with your best friend and watch your favorite doggie movie! DogTipper.com has a great list of dog movies to check out!

-       Organize a neighborhood clean up and bring along your ReadyBags! Show your dogs you appreciate them by keeping their environment clean and smelling fresh.

-       If you don’t have a dog that’s okay. You can volunteer your time at a local animal shelter. There are thousands of shelter dogs looking for a little exercise and human affection.

In honor of the dogs, we are offering 50% off ALL Rascodog products on National Dog Day!  That’s right, half off!!  Simply order as you would through our website, and you will receive the discount at checkout.

Happy National Dog Day!!

Photo Courtesy of Michael “Mike” L. Baird, bairdphotos.com flickr.bairdphotos.com

You can win a free ReadyLeash by entering our Facebook sweepstakes. 

10 people will receive a free ReadyLeash and all you have to do to enter is submit your name!

The sweepstakes ends July 13 and winners will be announced the following day, July, 14 on our Facebook page and right here on the blog.

Enter now- you have nothing to lose!!

Sunday afternoon I found an article from the San Diego Union Tribune Online discussing the recent trend of homeowners replacing their lawns with artificial turf. Certainly there is concern about the environmental issues involved. But as I was reading the article what disturbed me was a tiny little line at the end of one paragraph listing the benefits of artificial turf: Pet waste can be scooped up or rinsed away.

Most people read right through this sentence without blinking, but it stopped me dead in my tracks.

Under no circumstances should you EVER wash pet waste into the street. This goes for both cats and dogs.

Storm sewers drain directly into lakes, streams and nearby oceans. When the waste hits water it decays, using up oxygen and releasing ammonia (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). Especially in the spring and summer when water temperatures are warm this leads to the death of fish.

And the fish and shellfish that do survive… they’re probably carrying a disease from waste contamination. Now ask yourself how often you like to chow down on “fresh” seafood.

The trend of artificial grass has grown out of severe drought conditions in the West. However, there are plenty of healthier and natural options out there for people who still want that beautiful lawn.

Organic lawn care is one such option, but there are others. The Unleashed Pet Shop blog recently wrote a post on some great resources to help you get going with safe lawn care practices for people with pets.  And Raise a Green Dog is always a good source for tips on the best environmental practices for you and your dog.

So bottom line: Please Remember to Scoop the Poop! 

Nina

It seems in the past year that community issues concerning pets, specifically dogs, have become increasingly heated. Dog owners want safe areas for their pets to run free while cities want to decrease off-leash areas an increase fines for failure to pick up dog waste. These issues span the country from Boston to Denver.

The basis for creation of the Rascodog line of pet products was to help promote responsible dog ownership and help put an end to some of these problems.

We believe that given the right resources, pet owners will do simple tasks like picking up after their dog. We also know that there are already many owners out there doing their part and going unrecognized. We want to change that by offering a FREE ReadyLeash to the winner of our Rascodog of the Week Contest.

All you have to do is upload a photo of what you think it means to be a responsible dog owner. The winning picture will be featured on the Rascodog blog and featured in out bi-weekly newsletter and the winner will get his own ReadyLeash!

Directions:

1. Upload your photo to our Flickr group at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/rascodogresponsible/.
2. Give your photo a caption.
3. Check the blog to see if you’re the winner!

If you have ever been to an animal shelter or rescued your family pet- you know all the hard work that goes into finding animals their forever homes. At Rascodog we want to show our appreciation by donating a variety of Rascodog products to one lucky shelter!

To nominate a deserving shelter leave a comment telling us in 200 words or less what makes this shelter special. Nominees will be notified and we’ll post the top three stories to the blog. You then have a week to tell people to vote for your favorite shelter! The winner will be announced Thursday, June 25. The winning shelter will receive Rascodog supplies and a feature on the Rascodog blog!

This is a great opportunity for you to show appreciation for your local shelter and tell people about all the great things happening for animals.

It’s a universal experience so unpleasant that it is often acknowledged via shouts of various four-letter words.

It happens when you least expect it. On your way to an important career-defining meeting, during a leisurely stroll in the park, or, in accordance with Murphy’s Law, after long hours of preparation involving curling irons and brand new designer shoes.

Dog Poop. Crap. Poo-Poo. “It” prefaced with “sh.” Feces. Waste. Excrement.

Call it what you like, but dog poop is a fact that you’re guaranteed to see proof of during your lifetime. City to country, whether you own a dog or not- the poop will find your shoes and maybe more (yikes!)

Sh*! and runs have become particular problems in the cities, and as a result state governments are increasing pet waste pollution fines.

Recently, our friends at dogchatter.com also blogged about this growing problem. Among their list of reasons why you should pick up after your dog was that dog poop contains fecal coliform bacteria that can make you sick.

I started to wonder if people were aware of the effects of letting your dog loose on city sidewalks. For such a health conscious society rarely do people discuss health effects of irresponsible dog owners.

Think about this:

-Dog poop is one of the leading causes of E. Coli pollution: each gram of dog poop has over 20,000,000 E. Coli colonies in it.

-3.6 billion pounds of dog waste/year is produced in the United States alone, equaling 800 football fields, one foot high.

-A dog or cat can obtain various different parasites, viruses and stages of bacteria from their own poop. How confident are you that your neighbor’s dog has been dewormed? Do you know what worms your dog is protected against?

-Storm water carries pet waste and other pollutants directly into waterways.

At Rascodog we believe in responsible owner behavior. Your dog isn’t going to pick up after himself after all!

Here are some simple things you can do to keep your pets healthy and save a chunk of change:

Put a friendly message on the bulletin board at the local dog park to remind pet owners to clean up after their dogs.

Make sure you have appropriate dog walking gear with you and your dog at all times! Rascodog’s ReadyLeash makes this easy with biodegradable bags built-in to the leash handle.

Have a neighborhood clean up and start fresh!

Peer Pressure (as suggested by SmartDogs): Politely remind someone to pick up after their dog if you see them walking away… you can even offer them an extra bag!

Become your communtites own “poop police”… although I wouldn’t reccommend picking it up with your bare hands like this guy from Florida: Poop Policeman 

What are some other things you can do? Leave us a comment below and we’ll include your tips in the list above!

For more information about some canine parasitic conditions check out PetMD.

Hi there –

I’m Eric, President and Founder of Rascodog. I live in downtown Boston with my wife and our 75 lbs, 5-year old boxer, Oscar. Oscar goes everywhere with us, from my office to al fresco dinners at local restaurants to our family vacations. Despite his occasional smells and whining, he’s a joy to be around, and he is truly part of our family.

Rascodog is located in downtown Boston, an urban area with an abundance of dogs. Around lunchtime you can find us strolling near Boston harbor as Oscar makes sure we hit the off-leash areas. Oscar’s favorite pastime is chasing the Frisbee although he hasn’t quite figured out how to catch it. We are a fun, casual and very dog-friendly company that is always looking for new great product ideas.

My background is in product design. I have developed dozens of products from vacuum cleaners to medical devices. To me, a well designed product is one that not only works great, but also looks great and lasts. Living in the city with Oscar, I realized that there was a real need for well-designed, innovative and eco-friendly products that encourage responsible dog ownership. Rascodog was born out of this simple idea: great products for responsible dog owners.

Our products are carried in a variety of independent stores throughout the country. We are still a very small company, and we have recently been getting the word out about our latest product, the ReadyLeash. We are featured in the 2009 Summer edition of Modern Dog Magazine and you can also find us on Facebook, and Twitter . Please check us out and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks,

Eric Sugalski