Sometimes, the coolest ideas come to you out of the blue. A little while back, I got a Linkedin message from a woman named Heather Szasz, who’d created a great product for pet parents with human children. Called My Puppy Box and My Puppy Rescue Box, they aren’t boxes delivered to your door each month for your dog to salivate over. Instead, they are fun, educational boxes to teach children ages 6 – 12 about dogs, how to be around them and how to care for them. And, with 77% of dog bites happening to children between the ages… [Continue Reading]

This is Pet Appreciation Week, but today is also Jasper’s Gotcha Day. Three years ago today, we took home in a taxi this scared, scruffy, little black dog, not knowing if our Sophie would like him, not intending to adopt him at all! One of my favorite pics of Jasper and Sophie, by the Hudson River Park. You know the story. We got lucky, both in that Sophie loved Jasper at first sight and that, after much, much work, frustration, hope and heartbreak, the amazing dog that was inside of Jasper is now the dog we have… [Continue Reading]

ZOEY What dogs possess one of the most powerful jaws? That would be the Pitbull mix. So, what more perfect candidate to test out the toughness of a toy, especially if the company boasts a lifetime guarantee for the collection? Beco Pets, a top British eco pet product company, says, if Fido destroys one of these toys, he gets his money back. Now, that’s a challenge we had to take, and Zoey, our rescued Pittie, had her name written all over this one. Zoey is a healthy, very sweet, full of personality senior Pitbull mix we pulled… [Continue Reading]

Balou Spring and Summer are just around the corner, and one of the most critical issues will be how to keep your dog from overheating. Is there a way to maintain a stable, ideal body temperature without freezer packs, gels, crystals, chemicals or soaking a garment in water? Now, there is the first dry cooling vest for dogs, and you know it’s also stylish, or you wouldn’t be reading about it here. 🙂 And, Bark & Swagger followers are offered a 25% discount if you act before March 10th! One of my favorite brands is Suitical and… [Continue Reading]

  Do you Wooly? Sophie, Jasper and Ani do, and you could, too. What’s a Wooly? It’s all about environmental enrichment for dogs. Come with me and discover this cool-looking product that’s also a great home decor piece! It’ll make your pup happy! The Wooly as Interactive Dog Game The Wooly is a foraging experience for dogs that creates a unique eating experience. It looks like a stylish noodle rug, but so much cooler. Made by a woman-owned coop in rural Thailand, the Wooly is rolled, upcycled t-shirts that, when sewn together, stimulates a dog’s natural instincts for hunting food… [Continue Reading]

  Does your dog have a rash, hot spots, fresh sutures, a wound? Do you want to preserve the ointment or salve you’ve just put on his skin? I recently wrote about the amazing Suitical Recovery Suit®, a full body, stylish suit for dogs or cats to protect their skin from scratching, biting and licking. But, if this condition happens to be on her front leg, Suitical’s Recovery Sleeve® is a great choice. We are giving one away to a lucky Bark & Swagger follower, so read on to see how to enter! The Recovery Sleeve® is a left/right interchangeable… [Continue Reading]

  Two of our rescues, Ani & Jasper, season-ready.   It began with JJ. Twenty one years ago, a stray dog on a soccer field came to the attention of a friend and, before you know it, Diane Rose-Solomon had a dog. Over the course of his long life, JJ would prove to be a big inspiration, getting Rose-Solomon involved in rescue and then steering her towards writing children’s books. First came the delightful and educational JJ The American Street Dog, and How He Came to Live in Our House. Then, there was JJ Goes to Puppy Class.… [Continue Reading]

Abandoned Pet Rescue’s shelter dog, Corky   What’s stylish, functional and solves an important problem for pet parents? If you want to know how to stop your dog from biting itself, licking and more, read on. ♥♥♥♥♥     You have to protect your baby’s skin. He or she is scratching, biting or licking a wound, hot spot, rash or suture. What to do? My advice is to get a Suitical. The Suitical Recovery Suit® is like a second skin for your pet; breathable and stretchable, so they can move freely but snug enough to prevent them from wriggling… [Continue Reading]