Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Dog Bowl On Dragons Den

Last night’s episode of Dragon’s Den showed a lady called Natalie, who had invented a Non-Spill dog bowl.

I thought it quite a clever invention – it holds water and lets just enough water up for one mouthful of water for a dog at one time, which prevents the dog dripping water all over the car.  If you put your brakes on or the bowl was rolled, then the force would close the hole.

Natalie had also sold 22,000 of the dog bowls in the last 5 months and made a net profit of £13,000, however, she wanted to take the product to the USA along with a similar version for smaller dogs, another for cats and a larger bowl for owners with multiple dogs.  After all, Americans do spend a lot of money, more than £10 billion per year, on their dogs.

Unfortunately for Natalie, the Dragons turned her down for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, they thought she should crack the UK market before venturing into America and they also thought it was more of a lifestyle business than an investment and she didn’t really need to £100,000 she was asking for.  Theo Paphitis offered a few words of wisdom and advised her to license the product to somebody else for the American market and after Natalie had left the Den, he did comment to Duncan Bannatyne that somebody looking to take a product to America without the necessary knowledge would be like walking into the lion’s den.

I thought it a shame they couldn’t help her, but hey, that’s business.  Personally, I’d have bought one!

Alternative Dog Products

I’m still amazed by the range of products out there for dogs, not least of which is the beer for dogs, which seems to be one of the most popular of the ‘alternative dog products’ out there.

On Radio 1 the other week, Scott Mills and his team were trying out a blind taste test Read the rest of this entry »

Shock Collars to be Banned in Wales

Last week the Welsh Assembly said it would ban electric shock collars from being used in Wales. They will be the first British assembly to do this following the Kennel Club (KC) campaign last autumn when they called for a public consultation on a ban in Wales.

Details of the ban will now be drawn up. They may also look at whether or not the sale and possession of electric shock collars should also be banned.

Wrexham AM (Assembly Member), Lesley Griffiths said: Read the rest of this entry »

Gucci for Poochies

Does dressing your dog in clothes mean you love him or her more?  Personally, I don’t think so, but many people go to extremes when it comes to treating their pet, and a whole industry has sprung up around it.

You can buy your dog all manners of clothing, from hats, jumpers, dresses, little boots, socks, even an umbrella to wear on his head whilst out walking in the rain.

One particularly famed store, probably helped by its memorable name – a play on the word ‘Gucci’ – is Pucci Read the rest of this entry »

Should I Get A Dog Kennel?

Last weekend, I went to my local pet shop to pick up a few necessities for my dog now she’s pregnant and due any day and whilst I was there, I looked at a few dog kennels. I’ve never actually bought or built a dog kennel (I can’t imagine why anyone would want to build their own but apparently some nutters have too much time on their hands!), and I was amazed at the range available.

When looking at dog kennels, here are a few things to think about: Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Guards Are A Good Idea

I was driving down the motorway yesterday and a car very nearly swerved right in front of me! What was the reason for this? Well, as I passed it would seem that the driver was getting distracted by the spaniel bouncing around the car. I don’t know whether the dog was feeling carsick or what, but dogs can be a big distraction and very dangerous in a car, even with a passenger, never mind with a lone driver without passengers!

Irresponsible owners really annoy me. In cars in particular, it’s not just a case of keeping the dog under control but dog guards can also Read the rest of this entry »

Types of Dog Collars

When you get your first dog, you might be amazed to discover such a wide range of dog collars.  Some of these are listed below: Read the rest of this entry »

Are Dog Choke Collars Cruel?

Choke collars are also sometimes referred to as pring or prong collars.  They are slip collars made of chain links, usually metal, and when the collar is pulled, the links squeeze the flesh around the dog’s neck.

Personally, I think it looks cruel and I hate to see a dog on a choke collar, however, they have their purpose.  They aren’t designed to be used everyday and there should be no need to use a choke collar on a small dog, unless the dog has a real behaviour problem and NEVER used on a puppy. Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Car Seatbelt Harness

Recently, my mum bought a new car – a Mitsubishi Colt.  Nice car but just one annoying thing.. that repeated beeping noise when someone isn’t wearing their seat belt.  Whenever the dog gets in the car, the beeping sets off so the only way to stop it is to fasten the car seat belt.

This reminded me of the dog’s car seatbelt I bought for my dog Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Easter Bonnets

Happy Easter!  I hope you’re all enjoying your Easter chocolate and are planning how to work off the millions of calories that we’ll be consuming – or maybe everyone else isn’t as bad as I am!

Not to forget our dog chums, I went looking for a dog easter egg, of which there were plenty but seeing as Bailey may be pregnant Read the rest of this entry »