DOG HAIR BRACELETS!!!

Recently, I found out one of my favorite companies, Kate's Equine, is now making custom bracelets out of dog hair! I know, if you didn't read the first post, you are probably thinking this sounds creepy and gross. But, you'll be surprised out how fabulous these bracelets really are. I did a post quite some time ago about making fashions out of fur, and have spiffed it up for you all! If you missed the original post be sure to check it out, as there are many more ways to make items out of your pet's fur - from purses to sweaters there's something for everyone!

A dear friend of mine over at Kate’s Equine has been creating bracelets from horse’s tail hair, and now she's making ornaments and key chains, too. No animals are harmed in the creation of this fashionable jewelry. I am actually wearing one of her bracelets as I write this. My bracelet is made from a horse I rode and showed in high school and college named Crabby. Crabby was recently retired, and donated to a young woman with Williams Syndrome, and is currently being used as a therapeutic riding horse. He’s the type of horse that loves having a job, but in his old age needed to step down from competition. He is miserable when he is not being ridden, groomed and loved and this is the perfect retirement situation for him. His new “mother” is hoping to compete in the Special Olympics this summer, and I am so proud of both her and Crabby!

I love this bracelet so much, and wear it all the time. Kate knows this, and for Christmas she gave me a beautiful ornament made out of another very special horse's tail. My ornament is like this, but with black hair.

Between my bracelet and ornament you'd think I'd be set, but now there's another item I'm dying for! A bracelet made from Milly's hair... I could easily collect it while grooming her, and that way it would be clean. Isn't this bracelet lovely? The fixtures and charms are all sterling silver, and 3-4 pencil sized amounts of hair are needed to make one. Check out the detail work on this dog hair bracelet!



I think the heart charm is a perfect tribute to your special heart dog. I don't think anyone would ever guess this bracelet is made of dog hair, do you? It looks beautiful, and really neat and unique, too. I am now absolutely dying for one! You can order one on her website, www.KatesEquine.com.



I'm also thinking about getting a horse hair key chain made. What do you think of this? I love the crystal detailing, don't you?

Texas Toothpicks!!!

As you know last week I went on a fun natural-treat shopping spree at a wonderful store called A.K.A. Spot. I wanted to get Milly something to serve the purpose of a rawhide type chew – something to clean her teeth, and keep her occupied for at least 30 minutes. I found the perfect treat… Texas Toothpicks, made by Merrick. I could not be happier with them! Milly absolutely loves this one of a kind treat. The toothpicks are about 6-8” in length, and maybe ½” in diameter at the largest point – they have a puffy texture that makes them appropriate for dogs of all ages, and is not too hard on their gums. It takes Milly about 30 minutes to finish one Texas Toothpick making them the perfect treat to leave her with when I head to work on weekday mornings, and she seems to really enjoy the crunchy, chewy sensation and unique texture of the toothpicks. The all-natural treats made from beef tails, and smoked in the heart of Texas, are a healthy alternative to the rawhide bones you will find at the grocery. Because dogs are naturally carnivores feeding all-meat treats like these natural Texas Toothpicks is sure to be a very enjoyable snack for the dog, and is very natural for their digestive tracts. Unfortunately, all-natural treats do tend to come with higher price tags, and Texas Toothpicks are no exception to the rule. I paid almost $17.00 for my 6.5oz bag, but the bag does have at least 20 Texas Toothpicks in it – making them less than $1 a treat.

Doggie Perfumes

There are all sorts of brands of dog perfumes and body splashes on the market, but must of them contain harsh chemicals and alcohol that can dry and irritate the coat. No one wants their pooch to smell nice at the expense of a shiny and beautiful coat, and at the expense of their pup’s health, wellbeing and comfort.

I actually grew up making my own linen spray (my mom taught me how when I was 8) out of water and organic lavender oil. I kept it in a spray bottle and would spritz my sheets and pillowcase each night before bed (and sometimes spritz myself). I have always had trouble sleeping and the lavender did seem to have a very calming effect on me. It was so simple to make this spray – simply fill a spray bottle with water (I prefer filtered or bottled water for this purpose) and add 10-15 drops of organic lavender essential oil (add more for a stronger scent) and shake before using. In the same way I made this linen/sheet spray I have made similar natural fly repellents for horses and “perfumes” for dogs. When I am making a dog perfume I prefer to go with essential oils of citrus fruits (think grapefruit, lemon, orange and lime) with a small amount of lavender, and a small amount of chamomile – but really it is up to your own personal scent preferences. Making your own dog perfumes with organic essential oils (which can be found in health food stores) is cost effective in the long haul, but the initial cost of the essential oils can quickly add up. The annoying part of making it yourself is you do have to shake it before use, so if you’d like a store bought natural option I’d recommend the Pure Dog Freshener.

(I took this photo with my webcam, and I apologize that it is a mirror image -
thus the font on the bottle is backwards)

Pure Dog Freshener is a green product, and will not harm the environment and when you have finished the bottle you can recycle the empty bottle to be extra environmentally friendly. As an all natural product, I have found this to not irritate Milly what-so-ever. On the contrary, I have experience with the non-natural, chemical containing doggie perfumes, because the groomers at Petsmart and other large scale big box store groom salons sometimes use the harsher chemical perfumes on her post bath, and these cause irritations to her skin. The nice thing about the mostly rubbing alcohol, high in chemical, non-natural dog body splashes and perfumes is they come in a variety of scents (everything from Vanilla to Pina Colada to Strawberry Splash – whatever that is), but at the expense of an itchy dog it really is not worth it to me.

I love the rejuvenating aroma of the citrus scents, and Milly does not seem to mind being spritzed down one bit with either the Pure Dog Freshener. Because citruses can irritate the eyes please use caution when trying this product on your dog, and be sure to avoid their face. I have found that using Pure Dog Freshener every few days can add an extra week to Milly’s grooming sessions before she starts to smell like “a dog”, and to me that is worth it! I bought my bottle for under $10 (I want to say in the $5-8 range, but can’t remember) at a small mom-and-pop pet supply store specializing in carrying natural and high-end pet products. It was worth every cent, and I love the scent!

Don’t forget to enter the Austrian Crystal Dog Bone Pendant GIVEAWAY!!!

THE WET NOSE'S SECOND GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am pleased to announce The Wet Nose is having our second GIVEAWAY to reward all of you loyal readers, and encourage you all to continue to spread the word about your favorite dog blogs!

Because our last GIVEAWAY was an all-natural, organic bully stick that a wonderful yellow lab named Abby was able to enjoy I wanted to ensure dog owners also could get some fun from this GIVEAWAY!

Bring some bling into your life with this dog bone pendant encrusted with authentic Austrian crystals on a 19” adjustable chain with lobster clasp and small logo tag. It is absolutely adorable! Other uses for this would be to rig it into a tag to hang on your pups collar for nights when you want your dog to walk in style, or, what I think I would do with this if I had it would be to have a jeweler affix a small toggle so it could be attached to my charm bracelet or I would wear it to a dog fundraiser!

Let me know what your favorite summer activities with your dogs are, what you would do with this necklace, and how you plan on wearing it, and become a follower of The Wet Nose, and you will be entered to win. Remember, you get entered twice if you link to The Wet Nose on your blog.

Good luck! This necklace is beautiful!

The drawing will take place using a random number generator at 3:00pm on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. GOOD LUCK!!!