The Chelsea Collar from Harry Barker is now available with your dog’s name and phone number embroidered right on it. These beautiful collars are super eco-friendly, petro-chemical free and made from 100% certified recycled plastics. Not to mention stylish as all heck and free of that obnoxious jingle-jangle of his tags.

Here is how it works: you ask and we get it. But more specifically, if you you pop in to place your order by March 15th, it will arrive in store by early April. Or you can call us, mostly we have pretty good phone skills.

Pricing is as follows: Medium (fits 8″-14″, 12″-20″) is $35 with personalization, Large (fits 12″-20″, 16″-26″) is $38 with personalization.

Each collar fits 20 characters, including spaces. If your dog is named Bojangle-Riot Club, it probably won’t fit with the phone number. Lots of other names will fit though. Maybe you could just put “Bo”. Or “B-R Club”. Think about it, we’re here to help you with new nicknames if you want.

A stinky mouth not only affects the frequency of those kissing sessions your dog is so serious about but also their confidence and ability to attract a suitor. Seriously, dental health is a bigger and more serious issue than you may think.  Roughly 70-80 percent of cats and dogs develop periodontal disease by the time they are three years old. You might be thinking “So what? Dogs are supposed to have doggy breath,” but here’s what – poor oral hygiene is also linked to shorter life span. Yikes.

Raw meaty bones are an excellent and delicious way to keep your dogs mouth healthy, not to mention keep him occupied while you dive into that pile of laundry that you’ve been meaning to do for days. Bones have been a staple food for dogs for centuries but most dogs these days rarely get a real raw bone, probably because people are concerned over bacteria. But when was the last time you came home to find your dog standing at the stove with a spatula?  Dogs don’t cook their food in the wild; with shorter digestive tracts than humans, their bodies are made to digest raw food. As long as you the owner practice safe food handling you should feel really good about tossing Rover a bone. In addition to the nutrition, raw meaty bones help develop strong muscles as they pull and tear the meat off the bone and keeps the dog mentally stimulated, chewing the bone rather than your favorite pair of shoes. The chewing of the bone after the meat is gone cleans away tartar and freshens breath – nature’s toothbrush! Plus your dog will LOVE bone day and it’s way cheaper than dental surgery!

If you are still unsure about  raw bones or think you may have difficulty dealing with the mess (although it isn’t that messy! Just teach your buddy to stay on his bone mat or towel and then wash it, no big deal),  start making tooth brushing part of the quality time you spend with your dog. Starting regular tooth brushing can be challenging with an older animal that is not used to it but if you are consistent and help your dog make positive associations with brushing (read, lots of treats) he will eventually thank you for it. Here is a link to a video where Dr. Sheldon Rubin shows you how to get your pet used to the idea of oral hygiene. I bet this would work on kids too.

How to brush your pet’s teeth with Dr. Sheldon

If you are still having trouble getting your dog to readily accept the toothbrush there are some products that can help with the tartar build up. Tartar Buster bones are a smoked patella that is crunchy and scrapes away at the plaque while your pup looks at you with gratitude for dropping the brush. Nature’s Dentist is a pro-biotic that you add to your pet’s food. It works by introducing good bacteria that helps to combat the bad bacteria that causes plaque and tartar build up – it’s really a great product.

If you do notice any of these symptoms it may be time for a dental check up.

- abnormally bad breath.

- difficulty chewing and eating

-the color of gums change to red.

- intestinal and stomach upset due to the presence of bacteria.

- teeth have become loose or fall out.

- pawing at the mouth.

- sudden and abrupt changes in the dogs behavior. Many tend to be nervous or depressed.

Do check inside your dog’s mouth regularly and try to prevent gum disease as much as you can. You know the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a bazillion dollars in vet bills,” or something like that, right?

We here at the Bone House would like to send everyone who participated in our holiday fundraiser for Ugly Mutts Dog Rescue a serious thank you from the deepest parts of our hearts. Yes, it may seem just a tad late (holiday season?! what?!) but we in fact kept the drive going into the month of January, just for kicks. And because we know how things get around the holidays and a lot of you probably couldn’t remember to put your shoes on when you left the house, let alone remember to donate your gently used dog items so we thought we would give you another chance.

Your support was overwhelming and there was a ton of great stuff donated to the rescue including clothes, treats and even a couple of dog beds – wildly generous! Not to mention the money that was raised in our fancy gold-wrapped box. We couldn’t be happier with how the drive went and look forward to next year when we do it again. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, no?

In case you did not have a chance to check out the Ugly Mutts website, here is the link again. You never know when your household will be ready for another dog. Or perhaps you know someone looking to adopt a furry friend?

http://uglymutts.com/

Honestly, look at Archie’s face!! All of them really, I have yet to meet a dog that I haven’t immediately fallen for.

In conclusion then, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and be sure to save your used doggie stuff for next year when we do this again.

Enjoy the snow!

The Nebo  ball (what’s that? it’s the NEBO!!) is not only oh-so-cute to have kicking around your house – it has a smiley face, come now – but is a treat dispenser made from 100% recycled materials that smells like vanilla aka deliciousness. And the Beba (what’s that? it’s the BEBA!!)  has the same cute factor present in our friend Nebo, is a treat dispenser AND has a squeaker. Indeed, best of all worlds.

Hold the phone, we haven’t even scratched at the best part! As part of Dura Doggie‘s on-going campaign “Chews Your Cause”, the company donates 20% of it’s profits to a cause of your choice based on the colour of the toy. Let’s break it down here: buy a blue toy and they will donate 20% of the profits to animals requiring some extra love. Specifically, their donations assist no-kill shelters in the decline of unnecessary euthanasia. When you buy a green toy Dura Doggie donates 20% of those profits to groups that help do great things for our planet such as tree planting and tree hugging. 20% of the profits from the pink toys goes to helping fight breast cancer and 20% of the profits from the orange toys goes to helping find a cure for diabetes.

Welcome to the BoneHouse, Dura Doggie, we are proud to have you on our roster.

Check them out here. Or at The Bone House!

The holidays have come and gone and we hope that everyone had a magical time with their loved ones. If you didn’t get everything you asked for from Santa Claws (that’s the cat version of Santa, she brings toys to all the dogs in Ontario, Saskatchewan and parts of Winnipeg. I’m not sure who is responsible for the rest of the country, but i think you can probably google it), never fear, we are still rocking our Boxing Week Sale bodies – very different than our post-holiday bodies.

We’ve got leash and collar sets, Dublin Dog collars (great for slushy days in the winter), travel gear, snowsuits, rain jackets and warm winter jackets, sweaters, t-shirts and d-i-y beds, all on sale for the rest of the week! It’s definitely worth stopping in.

What’s that? You need boots for your guys and dolls? No problem, we’ve got those too.

Stay warm, friends, winter isn’t kidding around anymore.

We would like to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support our first Moosonee Puppy Rescue Adoptathon!!

The day was absolutely amazing – the puppies were hilarious, sweet, snuggle-bugs, perfect as far as puppies go. We had a fantastic turnout and the support from the neighbourhood was really heart-warming (not to be too love factory about it but it is the holidays and i’m feeling sentimental). The three wonderful ladies volunteering with Moosonee Puppy Rescue Laurie, Yvonne and Jan, did a wonderful job making sure the day ran smoothly and doing home visits for people interested in the puppies. We cannot thank them enough for their efforts. Sharron and Paul (the amazing couple who runs the rescue) have done such a great job cultivating a following for their rescue and placing hundreds of puppies who would otherwise have likely been killed into warm and loving homes.

On Sunday, 2 of the puppies from our store found their forever homes with wonderful families. Derby, renamed Gilmore, and Wenceslas have joined their new human packs and will undoubtedly live happy and healthy doggy lives.

To see photos from the day - courtesy of Ian Macdonald of Majesteas, the one and only - please check out our facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bone-House/115837433255

If you have your own photos from the day and would like to share them with us, please do, we would love to see them!

Moosonee Puppy Rescue (MPR) is an amazing organization run by husband and wife team Sharron and Paul Purdy. The couple owns a massive farm in rural Ontario where puppies are brought from the northern communities of Moosonee, Moose Factory, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan. These isolated communities lack any kind of veteranary services so the only method of population control is killing the dogs. Often they are shot but equally as often they are abused and extremely mistreated, neglected and left outside to freeze, fend for themselves and procreate. Sharron writes on her website (which is SO worth checking out: www.moosoneepuppyrescue.com) that one female dog and her puppies can produce over 67,000 new dogs in as little as a year! Sharron and her husband have made it their mission to find homes for as many puppies as possible and work extremely hard each and everyday to help these abandoned dogs. Mostly they get puppies that are about 4-5 weeks of age or pregnant mothers that give birth in the cabin the couple has built for the dogs on their property.

Currently the rescue is in a bit of a crisis as they have 40 puppies to rehome. That’s where we come in! This coming Sunday, the Sharron and Paul will be here with 6 of the little bundles to try and find homes for them in this very neighbourhood. Or not in this neighbourhood, as long as the home is going to be a safe, loving, healthy and happy one for the pups, we are happy to see them go most anywhere.

Most of you who have been into the shop are probably thinking “where are they going to put all those puppies and all those people?”. We are thinking the same thing – and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have this crowd!! Yes, it’s going to be tight in here but it’s going to be tight with tiny fur balls, and giggles, and yips, and excitement, and hope. We have spoken with so many people who have adopted pups from MPR and only hear amazing stories of how Rusty (or Scruffy or Mark or Steel) has turned the family’s world upside down for the better. We cannot wait to help match up 6 wonderful new puppies with 6 wonderful families!

Even if now is not the right time for a new addition to your household, please come by and meet the amazing people who run MPR and check out the puppies they bring – you will be blown away by the cuteness these fur beasts possess. Pop in and get some information so that when you are ready for a new dog, you can adopt one from Moosonee Puppy Rescue as the need for loving homes is on-going.

Here is the link to their website once again, in case you missed it earlier in the post.

www.moosoneepuppyrescue.com

Hope to see you this weekend!

Begining today for the month leading up to Christmas, we are running a charity drive to raise funds for the vets that work with Ugly Mutts Dog Rescue. The rescue is normally not a fund-raising type of group and mostly rely on donations by way of gently used stuff (collars, leashes, beds, clothes, etc) but medical expenses are difficult to pay for with dog goods so we are rallying the troops (you and your friends) to help raise some money.

Currently, Ugly Mutts is caring for a Bulldog named Layla that was tossed to the side of the road after having been abused and overbred. She suffered for three days before someone found her and Ugly Mutts’ vets set to work helping her survive. Fingers crossed, but it looks like she is going to pull through. A special family will be lucky to have her.

It is so important that we enable dog rescues to continue to help animals find new and loving homes, especially this time of year when the spirit of giving is alive and well inside of all of us. Indeed, this has been an after-school special, jingle bells edition, brought to you by my very own spirit of giving.

In addition to raising money, we have a donation box where you can drop off the new and gently used goods we mentioned earlier. Their wish list is as follows:

For The Dogs:

• Dog crates and puppy pens  (any usable condition)
• Carriers  (any usable condition)
• Leashes and collars (gently used are fine)
• Toys and tennis balls (gently used are fine)
• Food dishes (stainless please for sanitary purposes as they are reused many times over)
• New or gently used dog beds
• Dog treats (expiry no more than 3 months of the day’s date)
• Dog food  (expiry no more than 3 months of the day’s date)
• Grooming supplies (shampoo, brushes, etc.)
• Flea Preventative (as long as the individual vials are unopened)
• Heartworm Preventative  (as long as the individual pill packet is still intact)
• Other medications such as glucosamine tablets, etc. (as long as they are not expired)
• Pre-paid veterinarian services (see below)

For Ugly Mutts Foster Parents:

• Cleaning products (Spray 9 or Zep products always great!)
• Baby gates (so appreciated for foster homes!)
• New or gently used towels
• Paper towels
• Gift certificates for Staples or other stationary stores to cover the cost of printing flyers, contracts, etc.
• Gas cards to help with the fuel costs of rental trucks needed to transport dogs.
• Gift certificate to pet stores
• Canadian Tire Money

Come in to the store and get some more details about this really amazing rescue or check them out on line

http://uglymutts.com/

We look forward to seeing you over the holidays!!

The Bone House

This is an oh-so-rare, once in a never type sale on BOWSER BEDS!!! Yes! Come in and see what we have. Do note that the sale is on the beds we currently have in the store so it is vital that you hurry by. We have a bunch of really great fabrics but the sale is first come, first serve and ends on November 25th. So, Friday. So, 2 days from now. This is like a power sale before the holidays or something. Speaking of, you could cross your dog off your insanely long shopping list if you get him a bed.

Anyway, you get it. It’s an amazing opportunity to score big on that bed you and your pup have had your eye on for some time now. We are so excited to help you out with this, see you soon!

We are so pleased to announce that Eugene Choi has joined our roster of wonderfully talented local artists featured on our Bone House walls! His work is eye-catching and sharp, bold and clearly illustrates his love of the K-9 species.

It’s probably a bit early to talk about Christmas (despite the miriade of holiday decorations at the mall, the already consistant Christmas commercials on the telly and the festive cups at starbucks) but Eugene makes these amazing hardcover books with about a million photos of your precious furry pal that would make a really amazing gift. For you or for your dog, whatever.

Check out his website, you’ll be an instant smitten-kitten with the pups. Better still, come in see and his beautiful prints in person. You know they’ll look amazing on your walls too.

www.echo1photography.com