You’ve decided to add a wonderful new addition to your family, or, you’ve decided to give a dog as a gift to a deserving and responsible special someone. You’ve chosen the shelter or rescue organization you want to adopt from and you’re about to choose your new friend. Now what? If this is your or their first, a helpful new dog owner checklist will come in very handy. After growing up with many dogs and having to outfit my home many times for a new addition, I hope that experience will benefit you. The list includes the basic necessities. But,… [Continue Reading]

When I was about 18, I came home one day to a big surprise. My parents had brought home a cuddly West Highland White Terrier puppy for me as a present. It had a big red bow around his neck and was all warm, furry and pudgy. I named him Tigger (he was quite bouncy), and I was in heaven! At 18, I was certainly old enough to care for him and we had recently lost our previous Westie to cancer. So my parent’s knew I had some experience in raising a dog and Tigger became my pal and lived… [Continue Reading]

Captivating, intriguing, emanating joy, love and health…what could inspire such superlatives? The Radiant Orchid, 2014’s official Pantone color of the year.  You might think a color couldn’t command such an honor, but when Pantone announces it, design industries across the board take notice. We can expect to see this beguiling blend of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones dominate the runways, beauty products and interior design, like emerald green did in 2013. At Bark and Swagger, we love our runway style! So we’re going to get a jump on things and talk about how to incorporate radiant orchid into your dog’s… [Continue Reading]

            Crisp, clean air; majestic, snow-covered peaks; glasses of wine by a warm, crackling fire…sounds nice and cozy, right? If you’re planning a cold weather getaway with your pup, you’ll need some tips to make sure he or she is safe, toasty and stylish. Look no further! 🙂 Check out all you’ll need to know right here, in my travel resort wear for your dog must haves part II, the tundra. This is going to be fun! You’re going to find options here that will work for the flash of Aspen or the more subdued… [Continue Reading]

  Want to be stylish and do some good this holiday season? WagAware is a great gift idea. WagAware makes the first and only charm to promote dog rescue and adoption and an unprecendented 50% of profits go to rescue organizations. Celebrities like American Humane Association supporters Betty White, Kristen Chenoweth of Glee, Lisa Vanderpump of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and young Danielle Fishell of Girl Meets World (remember Boy Meets World?), among others love this dog tag and so do we!  Hats off to The Pet Blog Lady for bringing it to our attention. There are 6-8 million dogs and cats entering shelters each year, as per the 2013–2014 APPA National… [Continue Reading]

I’ve lived with animals all my life and they’ve always been part of the family. But when I was growing up, no one ever thought about pet insurance. I don’t think it even existed. And once it did, I never really gave it much thought. Like many of us, I have a bit of a jaundiced view of insurance companies. When Sophie came into our lives three and a half years ago, we visited the topic again asking ourselves, is pet insurance worth it? Listen to our story and judge for yourselves. But for us, the answer is a resounding… [Continue Reading]

The Littlest Pilgrim Yu…um! Thanksgiving is almost here. Hard to believe the way the year is zooming by. Seems to me each year goes by faster and faster.  So like the pilgrims and puritans who celebrated the good harvest and their blessings from the previous year at Plymouth Rock back in 1621, I think it’s important for us to stop, breathe and notice where we are, what we have gratitude for and say a prayer for our own blessings. One sure blessing in my life is little Sophie, my baby girl pup. I’m sure you all feel… [Continue Reading]

Two adorable pitbull pups in a jack-o-lantern Kids love Halloween. Dog moms and dads love Halloween. But do DOGS love Halloween?  They do if we, as their care-givers, are sensitive to them and protect their well being. After much research, I’ve put together a good list of tips on how to keep your dog safe on Halloween. A couple may surprise you… Food: Halloween Candy Bad for Dogs Don’t feed your pet or allow anyone to feed your pet anything but his normal treats and food. Why? You can’t be too careful.… [Continue Reading]