Give Your Anxious Dog A "Chill Pill" with the Amazing Thundershirt

IS YOUR DOG AFRAID OF THUNDERSTORMS AND LOUD NOISES?

Oh Noooo, Hide me, Hide me!

DOES YOUR DOG GO CRAZY BARKING AND JUMPING EXCESSIVELY WHEN SOMEONE COMES OVER?

You're Here!  Pet Me, Pet Me, Pet Meeeee!

DOES YOUR POOCH SHOW HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU BY TEARING UP THE PLACE WHEN YOUR GONE?

What?  You don't like it?

You hate locking them up in the bedroom while you have company.  You get embarrassed and start yelling when your dog starts barking and jumping on people.  And you probably darn near come unglued at the site of yet another thing torn to shreds when you come home. You don't have a bad dog, you have a dog with anxiety!  So what's a good dog owner to do?

Introducing.... Thundershirt!

Check this out!  It is amazing!

  

How does it work you ask?  With its patent-pending design, Thundershirt's gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs if they feel anxious, fearful or over-excited.  Experts believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system.  Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been used for years in other areas such as people with autism, children with certain behavior problems, parents swaddling newborns to calm and comfort.  Until now, there just hasn't been a well-designed, inexpensive pressure wrap commonly used for dogs.  Thundershirt is changing all that!  Thundershirt has been proven effective in over 80% of all dogs with anxiety issues.  And in fact, the manufacture believes in their product so much, that if you are not satisfied or find that it just doesn't work for your dog, they will let you return it within 60 days and refund 100% of your money!

So how is this eco friendly you ask?  Thundershirt is a natural, successful alternative to drugs for dogs with anxiety.  It is durable and long lasting.  And what does the company do with the ones that happen to be returned?  They donate them to animal shelters and rescue groups.  Now that's green!

For most anxiety, it is recommended to just put on the Thundershirt and observe the results (no training).  You may see significant improvement for noise, crate, travel, braking and others anxiety behaviors!  For more complex anxiety issues, Thundershirt can be used with behavior modification training.

My Dog Conner has a few issues I am hoping the Thundershirt will help with (it's on its way).  Such as the weird, sudden hatred for the UPS truck!  Or the fact that he thinks he is showing his love by jumping on everyone that comes to the house (all 110 lbs. of love).  And the big one we are hoping to fix is the unusually high fear of  the Vet.  At this point, he has to be muzzled and heavily medicated in order to get his shots, which just breaks my heart!  So, here comes the Thundershirt (and probably some additional training) and hopefully, just hopefully I will have the perfect dog.  Oh who am I kidding?  I don't think there is a cure for the slobbering, the cold nose in the morning or the random standing in front of the TV when I'm trying to watch it!  Oh well, I love him just the way he is!  How can you not love a face like this??

I'll keep you posted on our progress.  In the mean time, if you would like more information and training on the Thundershirt, click hear.  Can't wait to buy yours and help calm your dog? Click hear to order your Thundershirt from HipGreenDogs.com.

"Every dog should have a man of his own.  There is nothing like a well behaved person around the house to spread the dog's blanket for him, 

or bring him his supper when he comes home man-tired at night" - 

Corey Ford

Time to Green Your Clean

First I would like to say Congratulations to Geri Pentz, our winner of the Great Green Give-A-Way!!  And a great big woof and thank you goes to all who subscribed to the blog, liked our Facebook page and followed us on Twitter - we really appreciate the support!


So cleaning, ugh!  Who likes to clean?  Not me!  But I just can't seem to train Conner to do it no matter how hard I try (see lazy boy below)!!  So, it's left for me to do.

Lately, I have been considering the fact that most of the household cleaners I use could be doing more harm than good (to me, the environment and my wallet).  Even though they may not have a warning label, many household cleaners contain toxic chemicals and harmful ingredients to us, our pets, and the earth.  Cleaning products with ingredients such as bleach, ammonia, chlorine, gycol ethers or formaldehyde can cause many problems in adults and children, but young children and pets are particularly at risk for things such as cancer, anemia, liver and kidney damage. Many toxic cleaners are also carcinogenic.  There have been several studies on the effects of some common cleaning products and have shown that they not only effect us, but our pets too.  One study concentrated on measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cleaning products. In it, the vapor pressure of various chemical compounds in cleaners was measured. Three cleaners, Pledge, Clorox Wipes and Lysol Disinfecting Spray, registered close to a thousand times more vapor pressure than a natural cleaner. This means that even when the toxic cleaners are put away and closed, the vapors left behind can continue to harm both us and our pets.  


Gee, I really, really hate cleaning now.  Since it is so dangerous, I guess I'll just have to stop - right?  Not that easy!  No, what we need to do is Green our Clean and switch to natural, non-toxic cleaners.  I have found and tested  some DIY cleaners and have been pretty impressed, PLUS, they really save you money!!!


Here are two excellent websites I found that give a ton of recipes, suggestions and recommendations for cleaners, laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, carpet cleaner, drain cleaner, and much more!  

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/

http://www.stain-removal-101.com

These two websites are definitely worth your time and will save you money!

Here are some simple homemade recipes that I have tried and love:

1. Homemade All Purpose Cleaner: Equal parts vinegar and water, put in squirt bottle.  Simple and effective.  Don't like the smell of vinegar? Phew, me neither.  I added some drops of Lemon Essential Oil which also adds benefits.  Lemon Essential Oil has antiseptic effects, has been studied for its effects on immune function - bonus! (if you want more info on where to purchase Lemon Essential Oil, contact me at heather@hipgreendogs.com).
2. Homemade Drain Cleaner: Pour 3/4 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 cup of vinegar, cover immediately (I use a plate).   Let it sit and do its thing for 30 minutes and then run hot water through for about 2-3 minutes.  

I am getting ready to try homemade laundry soap and softener, I don't know about you but I am tired of "washing my money down the drain".  These are expensive!

With a little effort, we can Green our Clean and make our homes safer and healthier for us, our kids and our pets as well as save money and be good to our Earth - which we need to do since Earth's are hard to come by these 
days :-)

Happy Cleaning!

Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window. - Steve Bluestone

Hip Green Give-A-Way

Hip Green Give-A-Way!

In honor of Pet Dental Health Month and Valentine's Day and more importantly, in honor of all our friends who support www.HipGreenDogs.com and this blog, it's time for Us to give back to You!

I have put together a pawesome package of goodies for your Hip Green Dog that includes:

• Kissable Toothpaste and Brush: According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, more than 80% of dogs suffer from periodontal disease by the age of 2!  Help your dog ward off bad breath, gum disease, infections and heart disease by consistently brushing Fido's teeth.  This all natural, vanilla flavored toothpaste is great for dogs!
• Vet's Best Dental Right Bites Breath & Dental Dog Treats: For Kissable Dog Breath and a Healthy Mouth, these treats help fight tarter and plaque buildup as well as helps support healthy, strong teeth.  Natural chicken flavor will have your Hip Green Dog begging for more!
• Dry Dog Instant Clean Shampoo with Aloe and Kiwi: Does your furry baby need a bath like yesterday?  This is a must for the on-the-go, around town hound who has no time to stop and take a bath!  Perfect for quick clean ups and cold weather bathing. 
• New Jive Dog Ball Toy from West Paw Design in Valentine's Pink: Jive is the newest, most durable dog ball.  Made from the extremely tough, BPA-free, eco friendly material Zogoflex, it's strong, bouncy, gentle on dogs' mouth, it floats and is made in the USA!

So, how can I win these awesome, healthy, eco friendly goodies for my Hip Green Dog you ask??? It's simple, just do one of the following to enter and win:

• Subscribe to this blog via e-mail (come on, you know you want to, just simply enter your e-mail address in the box to your right and you will get news, tips and product reviews delivered right to your in-box!)
• Like our HipGreenDogs page on Facebook at  http://www.facebook.com/HipGreenDogs
• Follow HipGreenDogs on Twitter at  https://twitter.com/#!/HipGreenDog

You can do just one, or all three!  For every one you do, you will receive one entry for this great Hip Green Give-A-Way!  Enter to win now through February 16th.  The winner will selected and announced on Friday, February 17th.

HipGreenDogs really appreciates all of your support and wants your feedback!  Is there a topic you need more information on?  Looking for a certain dog product and don't see it?  What do you think about the new blog look?  We love hearing from you, so let us know how we can help you and your furry friends!  You and your Hip Green Dogs are important to us!

Now for the shameless plug (oh man, I thought we were escaping it this time!) You can see these and a lot more of healthy, eco-friendly dog products at www.hipgreendogs.com and now through February 14th take 10% off your entire order by using coupon code "LOVE".

Don't miss out on your chance to win the Hip Green 

Give-A-Way!  Enter now!

Did ya enter, did ya enter, huh, huh, huh??  Oh come on, I want those goodies!!

HipGreenDogs - good for our earth, great for our dogs!  Woof

"I once decided not to date a guy because he wasn't excited to meet my dog. I mean, this was like not wanting to meet my mother."

    -Bonnie Schacter