We’ve just wrapped up week one of the Make Dogs Your Life course for dog trainers!

If you missed our original announcement, Make Dogs Your Life is a new online course by Fernando Camacho, owner of FernDog Training, an AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), a Training Partner with Best Friends Animal Society, and founder of the non-profit FernDog Rescue Foundation to assist shelters and rescues.

This past week, we began with week one of the 12-week course. The course is a combination of video and written material. This week’s written material covered dog communication and body postures. This is an area that I’ve been especially interested in learning about (I just finished reading On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas), and this module provided even more insight into the world of dog communication through a written text and a downloadable PDF with illustrations of dog body positions.

After reading the written material, we moved onto the video. It began with an explanation by Fernando Camacho about understanding and recognizing dog communication signals then moved into real life examples of dog communication. The examples were excellent, watching dogs interact with each other as Camacho explained the communication that was going on between the dogs.

This past week also included a one-on-one private consultation with Fernando Camacho, part of every student’s course. I explained my goals for the course which are:

• to review an online course for our readers who are interested in becoming a dog trainer.
• to become better educated so we can better answer reader questions.
• to learn more about accessing and evaluating dog behavior so we can better help readers understand how to select the best dog for their family when they visit a shelter or rescue.

In talking with Fernando, one aspect of the course that I was especially impressed with (and didn’t know previously) is in the area of ongoing support. Make Dogs Your Life students will have ongoing support with monthly coaching calls. “I want to be there every step of the way as students have a hurdle or problem,” explained Camacho.

The New Jersey-based trainer also explained that later modules of the course will help students in their preparation for starting their dog training business, a process Camacho just went through five years ago so his experience is fresh. With his background in graphic design, Camacho also supplies assistance with the business side of setting up his students’ new businesses, including preparation of business cards and setting up and hosting a website, all covered in later parts of the course.

For now, though, we’re concentrating on dog communication. Just this weekend, we went to the dog park–without our dogs!–just for the purpose of watching the communication that takes place between dogs. It was exciting to watch the dogs communicate and, many times, recognize the signals they were giving each other. (Remember that feeling as kids when you’d make up a special language so only your friends could understand you? It was a lot like that…we could recognize what the dogs were saying to each other!)

Tomorrow, a new lesson will be unveiled to us over at Make Dogs Your Life. Each week, students only have access to that week’s lesson and all previous lessons they’ve already completed…so no peeking! We’re looking forward to moving to lesson two and learning more; we’ll be back next Monday to bring you that week’s review. In the meantime, please be sure to follow Make Dogs Your Life on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: We are receiving the Make Dogs Your Life course for review; we are not paid for our review and all statements and opinions are entirely our own.

Product: VueZone Personal Video Network

What It Is: Wireless remote video monitoring system

Manufacturer: Avaak, Inc., San Diego, CA

DogTipper Review: We admit it. We are worry warts when we leave home. We worry about how our dogs and cats are doing (and what they have gotten into in our absence). Because of this, we were very interested in the VueZone monitoring system which claims to be a quick, simple, dependable way to keep an eye on things around the home when you’re not home.

We began with a VueZone SX2500 system which included two video cameras (one indoor camera and one motion detection camera), a gateway device which hooks into our existing wireless router, and all the necessary cables and mounting hardware. All of the components are small and unobtrusive. (VueZone also offers a system with only one motion detection camera and another with two motion detection cameras.)

Setup was quick and easy. The gateway unit is a 5-inch-tall modem with inputs for the electrical supply and Ethernet cable. The cameras are also very small, about 2-1/2″ tall and very lightweight, even with batteries (CR123A Lithium) installed. The cameras come with mounts which attach to a solid surface with a peel-off adhesive or with a screw; these cameras then attach to the mounts with strong magnets in the back of the camera. Because the mounts are half-domes, the cameras can be adjusted to almost any position so you can get just the right view.

After installing the hardware, syncing the cameras to the gateway was also easy. We pressed the Sync button on the gateway and powered on the cameras within 12 inches of the gateway. Once the connection was made (confirmed by a blinking blue light on the camera), we then positioned the cameras in their desired locations. We mounted one camera on our covered front porch, pointed at our front door:

We placed the second camera in the living room. Because the system is completely web-based, there was no need to install any software or drivers on our computers.

Once we did that, we were ready to register our system on the VueZone website. Setting up an account was simple and quick. When our account was set up, we got ready to begin viewing our cameras…but we ran into a little glitch because of our Internet provider.

Because we live in a rural area and depend upon satellite Internet access, we experienced a problem: although our setup went fine, we couldn’t view the cameras. After calling the VueZone toll-free support number, we found the problem was our satellite-based ISP (not a surprise to us as we have had numerous problems with this ISP). Fortunately, we were already in the process of converting to another ISP which uses different technology to deliver our Internet signal. (Our new ISP uses an antenna on our roof rather than a satellite dish.) Once the new system was up and working, the VueZone system functioned well. Bottom line, if you use Hughesnet for your Internet provider, VueZone probably won’t connect. And, kudos to the VueZone phone support team for their quick, professional service in getting this issue resolved. VueZone also has live chat support.

Once we switched over to our new ISP, we began viewing our cameras by clicking on the Cameras tab. We could then see a screen with images for each camera on our system:

We can activate each camera by clicking on the “Play” icon and in a few seconds we will see the live feed. With our current plan, we can also take photos, video, and share with a simple email.

VueZone offers three different service plans: Basic, Premier and Elite. The Basic plan is a two-camera system with free video monitoring via web browser on PC or Mac. The Premier and Elite plans, which cost $49.95 and $99.95 per year respectively, add features such as allowing more cameras per system, mobile access via iPhone or Android devices, multiple gateways, more storage for recordings, and enhanced pan and zoom features.

The VueZone system is user-friendly, easy to install and can be easily modified or upgraded if the need arises. Being web-based, the system’s effectiveness is dependent on a dependable, fast, broadband connection and also on environmental factors such as wall construction, furniture, etc. Video quality is not the best, but is serviceable.

Once we had our system working properly with our new ISP, we were very satisfied with the results. Our only disappointment is learning that support for Blackberry mobile devices is being discontinued (we are Blackberry users). Right now we’re able to use the mobile app with our Blackberry:

When we get new phones, we plan to switch to either iPhone or Adroid which are fully supported. We love the VueZone that much!

The company website provides lots of information on the various service plans, how-tos, and support options.

A big paws up to VueZone for providing a service to give pet lovers peace of mind when they can’t be home.

Price: Starts at $199.95 for a one-camera system; other options include:

•     one Indoor Camera and one Motion Detection Camera system ($249.95)
•     two Motion Detection Cameras system ($289.95)
•     Additional cameras are $79.95 for the basic indoor model and $99.95 for motion detection cameras.

For More Information:

• visit www.vuezone.com
• on Facebook
• on Twitter

Disclosure: We received VueZone for our review; we were not paid for our review and all statements are entirely our own.

Product: The Amazing Mat

What It Is: floor mat with antibacterial adhesive sheets

Manufacturer: Ultimate Mat Company LLC

DogTipper Review: Between living in the country and living with two large dogs, a lot of dirt gets tracked into our house. And that’s not to mention germs we might be walking in on our shoes or fecal material from the yard (or, worse, fecal material from our trails where coyotes, foxes, and other wildlife have not been using poop bags.) We don’t have an entry room so that means the dirt comes straight from the front porch into the living room/dining room/kitchen…yuck.

We were anxious to try The Amazing Mat, a doormat that features removable adhesive sheets designed to catch dirt, germs, hair, and more as you walk over the mat. It comes with 30 adhesive sheets; when one gets dirty, you remove it and start with a fresh sheet.

The back of the mat features a non-skid backing and it did a good job of not scooting around as we walked on it…

The top of our mat had a cute paw print design but you’ll find many other designs to suit your decor (but, really, what decor couldn’t be improved by a cute paw print?)

I was a little worried that it would be difficult to remove the adhesive sheet and get to the next clean sheet below it (have you ever let go of the tape and never been able to find the end of the roll?!) It’s not, though, thanks to tiny corners that make it possible to easily remove the sheet and to determine how many sheets you’ve got left before you need a refill:

So we gave it a try. Designed to be used at a busy entryway, we first put it on the front porch by the front door…but a cold night made the mat start to curl so we moved it just inside the front door.

Price: The Amazing Mat sells for $39.95 with a special introductory price of $29.95. Refill pads sell for $19.95 for 30 sheets; a pack of three refill pads sells for $29.95.

DogTipper Video:

For More Information:

• visit www.theamazingmat.com
• follow The Amazing Mat on Facebook
• follow @amazingmat on Twitter

Disclosure: We received The Amazing Mat for review; we were not paid for our review and all statements are entirely our own.

We’re so excited to be announcing a new feature here on DogTipper! For the next three months, we’ll be reviewing the new “Make Dogs Your Life” course for dog trainers. Every Monday, we’ll bring you a review of our progress in the course, an online course designed for people who would like to become a dog trainer.

Last year, one of my new year’s resolutions was to get some formal instruction on becoming a dog trainer. I have looked and looked at courses, both in-person classroom instruction and online instruction. Not only were most of them way out of our budget but also they were more expensive than we would feel comfortable recommending to our readers as an option.

Just a few weeks ago, we learned about Make Dogs Your Life after founder Fernando Camacho left a comment in one of the threads on our Facebook wall. We followed the link and learned more about the course and about Fernando himself. The owner of FernDog Training, Fernando is also an AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), a Training Partner with Best Friends Animal Society and he has founded the non-profit FernDog Rescue Foundation to assist shelters and rescues.

That all sounded great so we decided to learn more. We signed up for a free webinar he was offering about the new class, and we liked what we heard. We liked that Fernando melds the teachings of many behaviorists and trainers into his own style, not bashing any method or trainer but taking the best of different methodologies and training methods to create his own style of learning, making training a pleasant and rewarding experience for the trainer and the dog alike.

We learned more about his course, designed to be completed in one-week increments over about a three-month period. Comprised of online videos and accompanying text materials, each week’s lesson is designed for students to work through at their own pace, definitely a plus for those, like us, who are working full-time. Whether you’re working at home, like us, or at an office, it seems like it will be easy to work into your schedule. Priced at under $1000, we also liked that it is far more affordable than many courses for dog trainers. Also, the course includes both personal and group calls with Fernando Camacho to help students on the path to becoming a dog trainer.

John and I will be taking the class together, and every Monday we’ll be bringing you an update on our progress. Stay tuned for more as we make our way through each lesson, starting with next Monday’s review of Lesson One. In the meantime, be sure to check out Make Dogs Your Life, follow @FernDogTraining on Twitter, and connect with the Make Dogs Your Life page on Facebook.

Disclosure: We are receiving the Make Dogs Your Life course for review; we are not paid for our review and all statements and opinions are entirely our own.

Product: doggyloot

What It Is: daily deal site for dog lovers

DogTipper Review: We love to shop for our dogs. And we love to discover new products for our dogs. But we also like to save money.

We’ve just tried a daily deals site especially for dog lovers that answers all three of those needs: doggyloot. This daily deals site features all kinds of products for dogs, from toys and treats in national deals to local pet services as well.

Signing up for doggyloot is quick and easy; once we were signed up, we started receiving the “Today’s Loot” newsletter with the day’s special deals. It wasn’t long before one caught our eye: a box of mystery loot! For $22 (plus $5 shipping), we ordered a box of Mystery Loot with a $60 value!

We didn’t have long to wait until our Mystery Loot arrived:

Shipped in a new box, the doggyloot box includes all sorts of goodies: premium treats, cookies, toys, and more, all to the delight of Irie and Tiki!

But the mystery box was just one example of the wide variety of products offered in doggyloot’s daily deal. Since our order arrived, we’ve been following every day’s offerings: Kyjen toys ($19 for $31 in toys), Himalayan Dog Chews ($24 for $32 in chews), and a jersey or leash set from DoggieNation.com ($19 for $35 voucher).

With each deal, doggyloot also provides an extensive explanation of the product, sizes, ingredients, etc.:

Each deal also includes a rundown of how much you’re saving as well as how long you’ve got left to purchase the deal:

This is an easy (and fun!) way to shop for your dog and save some money at the same time. A big paws up for doggyloot!

For More Information:

• visit www.doggyloot.com
• visit doggyloot on Facebook
• follow @doggyloot on Twitter

Disclosure: We received a coupon code to facilitate our review of doggyloot; we were not paid for our review and all statements are entirely our own.

Product:

What it is: Automobile seatbelt extension for dogs

Manufacturer: Zerimax, Chicago, IL (Made in USA)

DogTipper Review: Some dogs love to ride in cars, some not so much, but all dogs do have to ride with us on occasion. As passengers, dogs are just as susceptible to injury in an accident as are our other family members. It’s up to us to ensure our furry buddies are as safe as possible when getting out on the road, whether on a short trip to the vet or on a family vacation. That’s where the Doggie Seatbelt comes in, working with your car’s existing seat belt system to keep your dog secure in case of accident or an emergency stop which could throw him against the car’s interior surfaces.

The Doggie Seatbelt is designed to be used with a properly fitting harness, not with a traditional neck collar. To hook it up, just slide the car’s seatbelt and shoulder strap through the loop on the bottom of the Doggie Seatbelt, then place your dog on the seat and clip the metal clasp onto his harness. The length of the Doggie Seatbelt can be adjusted to conform to the dog’s size. The Doggie Seatbelt is intended for dogs up to 25 pounds. The backseat is always the safest location for dog passengers.

The company says that the Doggie Seatbelt is “safe, snug, and secure” and we could add one more adjective to the description: it is “simple” to use. It takes just a few seconds to hook up, which should encourage its regular use. By consistently hooking up your dog every time he travels with you, you both will get in the habit of using the system.

If your dog resists being buckled in for safety, the Zerimax website has some great tips on how to help him get accustomed to the system.

The Doggie Seatbelt is a quality product made in the USA with substantial hardware and polypropylene strapping and has been tested to withstand 450 pounds of force by an independent testing service. Though not reviewed here, the company also markets the ROADIE® Seatbelt, a system suitable for larger dogs.

Price: The Doggie Seatbelt sells for $25 from the company’s website or through Amazon.com’s vendor network.

For More Information:

• visit www.mydoggieseatbelt.com
• on Facebook
• call (877) 319-5550

Disclosure: We received a Doggie Seatbelt for review; we were not paid for our review and all opinions are entirely our own.

Product: Pawmetto All-Natural Treats

What It Is: all-natural, freeze-dried, raw treats made from a single ingredient

Manufacturer: Pawmetto (made in USA)

DogTipper Review: We go through a lot of treats in our house because we’re always training our dogs, even on our daily morning and evening walks. We’re always on the lookout for healthy treats that can be easily broken into smaller training treat sizes.

Because of this, we were very interested in reviewing Pawmetto, a line of raw, freeze-dried treats for dogs and cats. Lightweight and easy to carry in a treat bag (or pocket), these treats are healthy as well; each flavor is made with one ingredient only, either beef liver, chicken liver, or lamb liver. All-natural liver sourced from human grade, USDA-inspected liver is used (all sourced from the US). Guaranteed pathogen free, the treats have no grain, fillers, added hormones, preservatives, artificial color or flavor.

Pawmetto treats were very easy to break with a lightweight texture that made it easy enough to hold a treat in your hand and break it with your thumb while holding a leash with the other hand.

Best of all, the dogs loved every flavor. A big paws up for Pawmetto!

Price: Pawmetto treats are priced at $10.50-$11.50 per bag, depending on flavor.

Enter to win Pawmetto treats in our giveaway!

For More Information:

• visit http://pawmetto.com
• follow @pawmettopets on Twitter
• visit Pawmetto on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pettreats

Disclosure: We received Pawmetto treats to facilitate our review; we were not paid for our review and all statements are our own.

Product: PetHub Link Tags & PetHub Link ScruffTag Collars

What It Is: ID tags and collars using QR tags to identify your dog or cat

Company: PetHub (all collars and tags made in USA)

DogTipper Review: We first got acquainted with PetHub thanks to the HollyWOOF gift bag, a special event that put new dog products in the hands of dog-loving celebrities (and that we later had the chance to give away here on DogTipper.) Later, we got the chance to meet the folks behind PetHub at BarkWorld Expo, the conference for pet bloggers and social media users held in Atlanta a few months ago.

PetHub is an innovative new way to identify your dog (or cat). Your pet wears either a round ID tag or a scruff collar with the identification tag built in. That identification tag contains a QR tag that’s readable by any smartphone, and it also contains a URL; the person who finds your pet can either use the QR tag or get online to get more information about your dog or cat.

When you purchase either the PetHub Link Tag or the PetHub Link ScruffTag Collar, you’ll receive a free Bronze account for storing an unlimited amount of your pet’s data. You can add photos of your dog, your contact information at home and work, your dog’s special medical needs, backup contacts if you’re not available, your vet’s contact information, and more.

If you’d like, you can also upgrade to a paid subscription. For $39 a year, the Silver subscription provides all the features of the Bronze subscription but also alerts local shelters when your pet is lost and allows you to receive emails with GPS tracking information. For $49 a year, the Gold subscription provides everything in the Silver account but also insures your pet with $3,000 of emergency insurance and every spring you’ll receive a new PetHub tag.

Whether you select the free plan or the paid subscription plans, PetHub is a great way to help get your pets back home in the event they are lost. A big paws up for this product that combines style and technology to help our pets!

Price: PetHub Link Tags are $12.95 plus S&H for the original PetHub tag or $15.95 plus S&H for stylish tags from DogTagArt.com. PetHub collars with built-in identification are available in several styles and are priced from $26-$29 (+ $3 for larger sizes).

 

You’ve got numerous chances to win products from PetHub in the Super Dog Sunday event we’re co-hosting with All Things Dog Blog to benefit Petfinder Foundation!

For More Information:

• visit www.pethub.com
• visit PetHub on Facebook
• follow PetHub on Twitter

Disclosure: We received a complimentary PetHub tag in our attendee bag at BarkWorld Expo; we were not paid for our review and all statements are entirely our own. PetHub is a sponsor of our Super Dog Sunday event to benefit Petfinder Foundation; we are not receiving any money or any other form of compensation for hosting that charitable event.

Product: Gringa Loka Gourmet Dog Cookies

What It Is: grain-free, vegan, homemade dog treats

Manufacturer: Gringa Loka (made in USA)

DogTipper Review: We’re always on the lookout for high quality treats to feed our dogs and to recommend to readers so when we heard about Gringa Loka’s handmade, grain-free, vegan dog cookies we had to give them a try. Made in small batches so they’re shipped fresh, we really liked the sound of these treats before we ever saw them.

But, when we heard that Gringa Loka donates 100 percent of ALL after-tax proceeds to animal welfare causes, we really fell in love with these gourmet dog cookies.

Based in Washington, DC, Gringa Loka offers several flavors of tasty treats sold in 12-ounce bags (using FDA-approved human grade bags):

• Peanut Butter
• Banana & Coconut
• Coconut Krunch
• Elvis’ Hound Dog Special
• Boo-Boo Berry
• Banana-Nana
• Pumpkin
• Sweet Pea
• Fruity Booty
• Apple-Saucy
• Krazy Karrot & Oldie & Goodie (for seniors) on the way

OK, they definitely passed our test in terms of quality ingredients and giving back to the pet community, but what would our taste testers think?

Gringa Loka gets a big paws up!!

Price: A 12-ounce bag of Gringa Loka sells for$7.49. Presently Gringa Loka is running a special offer: buy four bags and receive free shipping.

For More Information:

• visit www.gringaloka.com
• follow Gringa Loka on Facebook

Disclosure: We received Gringa Loka treats to facilitate our review; we were not paid for our review and all statements are entirely our own. Gringa Loka is a sponsor of our Super Dog Sunday event to benefit Petfinder Foundation; we receive no money or any other form of compensation to host this event.

Product:

What it is: Organic, eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner for dogs

Manufacturer: Organic Oscar®, San Diego, CA (Made in USA)

DogTipper Review: We are always on the lookout for dog products which are safe for both dogs and the environment, are effective and are manufactured responsibly. Organic Oscar is a California company specializing in organic, all-natural dog shampoos and conditioners.

Currently, their product line includes two shampoos (Organic Aloe Vera Shampoo and  Organic Oatmeal Shampoo) and their Organic Aloe Vera Conditioner, all based on a holistic approach to pet grooming. Organic Oscar’s products contain ingredients certified to be organic by the GOCA (Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency)  in the U.S. and by the OKO Garantie BSC (European Union). Organic Oscar formulas are designed to provide gentle care for dogs with sensitive skin and they contain no sulfates, parabens, artificial fragrances, dyes or petroleum-based ingredients.

We were recently able to sample Organic Oscar’s Organic Aloe Vera Shampoo and Aloe Vera Conditioner. Both products smell terrific with a fresh, herbal aroma from the chamomile and rosemary extracts. The shampoo doesn’t lather up much in use due to its organic composition, which makes rinsing easier. It did the job on our Irie quite well, leaving her coat soft and clean. As the directions specified, after her bath, we applied the Organic Aloe Vera Conditioner and waited a minute before rinsing it off. When finished, Irie smelled like she had just stepped out of a spa and she probably felt like it, too.

Paws up for Organic Oscar!

For More Information:

• visit www.organicoscar.com
• on Twitter
• on Facebook

Disclosure: We received samples of Organic Oscar products for review; we were not paid for our review and all opinions are entirely our own.