Sentry Calming Collar for dogs

With all of our kids home for the holidays our house has turned in to Grand Central Station. The abundance of noise and chaos agitates our very sensitive Great Dane, Shakespeare, to the point that he jumps up on folks, paces back and forth, and barks for no apparent reason. A super time to test Sentry's Calming Collar for dogs!

The claim: Sentry claims that the collar helps dogs in fearful or stressful situations (separation anxiety, fireworks, thunderstorms, visitors, new baby, traveling, pulling on leash, whining, chewing, aggression, incessant barking). The collar mimics pheromones that mother dogs produce to calm and reassure her puppies. The collar releases pheromones for up to 30 days and is non-toxic.

Watch the Science Behind the Pheromones video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEDGdvwEp60&feature=relmfu

The test: Upon opening the collar's packaging I was greeted with the pleasing scent of lavender and chamomile. There was quite a bit of powdery residue that fell from the collar when we first opened it which the box states activates the "pheromone technology." The generous 28" collar fit easily around Shakey's neck with collar to spare which we snipped off with scissors.

The following day, as family members began pouring through the door, we paid close attention to Shakespeare's behavior waiting for the jumping, pacing and barking to begin, "when much to our wondering eyes did appear" a very calm and shockingly stress-free pup. Even our 3 year old granddaughter's boisterous behavior failed to get so much as a twitch out of our gentle giant. We were simply amazed!

Final word: We found the Sentry Calming Collar for dogs did live up to its claim to calm our fretful, furry family member and would strongly recommend it to anyone with a fearful or anxious pup.

Where to buy: The Sentry Calming Collar for dogs can be purchased in-store and online at most pet supply retail stores including Petco.com for $9.99.

Bonus: Help spread the word about the Sentry Calming Collar and one lucky reader will win a $50.00 donation from DogTime Media to the non-profit 501c3 shelter or rescue of their choice!

There are three ways to qualify:

1) Add a comment to this blog post telling us about your experience with the Calming Collar or why you want to try this product

2) Tweet about this review post and leave the URL to your Tweet in a comment on this post

3) Blog about this review post and leave the URL to your blog post in a comment on this post

One winner will be selected and announced on the Pet Secret Shopper blog. Contest ends 02/13/13.

Join the Vote for Vaccination campaign!

Vaccinating your pet can save her from contracting a variety of nasty illnesses including rabies. The pet loving folks at MyPet.com are encouraging all pet owners to join their Vote for Vaccination campaign to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and which vaccinations best suit your pet's lifestyle.

To see which vaccines your pet may need, take MyPet.com's risk assessment quiz and discuss the results with your veterinarian to develop a personalized vaccination schedule for your cat or dog.

Vaccination tips:

• Every pet should visit his or her veterinarian regularly and receive regular vaccinations in order to stay healthy.
• Core vaccines are generally recommended for all pets. Lifestyle vaccines are designed for pets that are at risk for certain diseases based on their daily routines.
• The risk assessment on www.mypet.com helps educate pet owners about what diseases their pet may be at risk for and what to ask their veterinarian about at their next visit.

Other activities available at www.mypet.com include:

• Upload photos of their pets to the interactive campaign map
• See what clinics in their area are supporting the campaign
• Enter a caption contest and win a prize
• Watch videos of Mutt and Kitty in action on the campaign trail as they talk about ways to keep their pet healthy

Be sure to catch MyPet.com's spokesperson, Mutt, in an adorable (and educational) video in which he recalls his bout with dog flu and schools his friends and us on the symptoms of dog flu.

Remember, a healthy pet is a happy pet!

Petmate Curvations Pet Tote

When we visited Petmate's booth at this year's Global Pet Expo in Orlando, we were like kids in a candy store. So many new products to check-out, including their latest pet carrier design, the Curvations Pet Tote. We like the hip design, the sleek look, comfy padded shoulder strap and, the removable, washable pet bed.

Our guest reviewer, Becki, had this to say, "We have a 6 lb Yorkie poo and recently tried the Petmate Curvations Pet Tote.  It has so many great features! Beyond being very cute and stylish it comes completely apart to store easily, the sides have full zippers to be able to put your dog in and take out easily, a pet bed inside, ventilation all the way around the carrier, a shoulder strap and carry handle, in addition to feet on the bottom of the carrier.  It really is very well made and designed I would highly recommend this to anyone traveling with their pet!"

You can purchase the Petmate Curvations Tote for $55.73 at Amazon.com.

Petmate | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

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Fat Cat Foodies Boogie Mats

The Boogie Mat is a fun splash of color with whimsical designs that makes me smile even though I'm knee deep in kitty litter clumps. At 13" by 16½" it's small enough to toss from spot to spot yet large enough to protect my couch while Indy indulges in a little catnap.

Indy loves the crinkly sound it makes as she walks across it or rolls around on it and the aroma of the Zoom Around the Room Organic Catnip (included) provides the pièce de ré·sis·tance. Our new rescue kittens are still learning the lay of the land but I suspect they'll conspire to steal the Boogie Mat from big sister once they're settled in.

Our kitty-loving compadre, Nikki, says, "This thing is awesome.  Our cat Jasmine is old and cranky.  She is not usually interested in anything, but she loves this mat.  It has become her 'spot'. 

It has a zipper on the side where you put in the catnip and it makes a crinkling sound when she steps on it. 

She plays with it, sleeps on it, and protects it from the dogs in our house!!  It is so cute to see her acting like a kitten again!  Must be the catnip!!  We will definitely keep this around filled with fresh catnip!!"

You can purchase Fat Cat Boogie Mats at CatToys.com for $9.99.

Petmate | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

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Solvit Kitty'scape Cat Tower

by Guest Blogger Patrick Holwell

It was a good day when we received the Solvit Kitty’scape Deluxe Cat Tower.  The unique thing about the Kitty’scape concept is that its parts can be assembled in a variety of ways. You can have a wide structure or can build a tower that reaches up over five feet. 

We had fun with the Kitty’scape. First we experimented with building a low, wide structure, but then we changed it into a tall tower. Our kittens, Atticus and Scout LOVE their Kitty’scape Cat Tower! They especially enjoy the penthouse canopy at the top of the structure, as well as the higher platforms.

This is an excellent quality product. The parts are stout plastic or wood, and clearly well made. They all fit together properly, and everything was in the box that was supposed to be. Our Kitty’scape Deluxe Cat Tower was easy to assemble and everything we hoped it would be. It was fun to be creative with how we put it together.

Kitty’scape really is a unique design for a cat play structure, and was easy to assemble.  Comparatively, Solvit Kitty’scape products are quite competitive in price. We tested the deluxe kit, which retails for $150. You can also get the Intermediate Kit for around $105 and the Basic Kit for around $75. If you wish, you can get other accessories, such as the Scratching Plate and the Adventure Bridge, the Hammock, and a variety of other expansion parts.

This is a fun product that is competitively priced, of good quality and most important, FUN for your cats! Atticus and Scout recommend it heartily!

You can purchase the Solvit Kitty'scape Cat Tower online at ThePetOnline.com.

Solvit Products | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

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FroliCat BOLT Laser Interactive Pet Toy from My Three Cats

by Guest Blogger: Peoria Cat Tales

BOLT is one of the best names they could have come up with for this toy.  I have two extremely playful cats and when they hear me tap on the laser and call their names they come running.   They literally  Bolt from their naps and start chasing the little red pin point laser everywhere.

You can place it anywhere, turn on the timer and let it go.  I especially  like the tilt-able mirror which changes the height of the laser.  When it is on high they jump from one chair to another and on low they slide all over the wooden floors trying to catch the dot!

I really like having the option of either holding the BOLT Laser Toy in my hand to manipulate the laser dot or setting the 15 minute timer.

The only suggestion I would make would be to not place it on the floor and leave.  The cats are so curious they just want to get up close and see the laser which is not good for their eyes! It is definitely worth buying as it is sturdy enough to last forever!

 

You can purchase the BOLT Laser Toy for $19.95 at MyThreeCats.com. The FroliCat BOLT Laser Toy looks like great fun for dogs too!

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By Nature | Natural Adult Formula Cat Food

Cats are notoriously finicky eaters and the members of our Kitty Review Crew are no exception. We're never quite sure how they're going to react to new foods or treats, however their reaction to an unguarded bag of By Nature's Adult Dry Cat Food left on the living room floor made their opinions quite clear.

I submit the photo (right) as Exhibit A. As you can see, I found the bag of food covered in tiny tooth marks, torn open, and missing a considerable amount of its contents. 

Evidently they found the aroma drifting from the bag irresistible and became obsessed with devouring it's crunchy bounty. Breaking into the food before the review is our cat's way of saying, "WE LUV DIS FUD!"

I like the fact that By Nature's pet foods (both dry and canned), are all natural, contain real chicken, beef, and turkey with no soy, wheat, or corn. There's an interesting article on the ByNaturePetFoods.com website that explains why chicken meal is better than "non-rendered" chicken. I had no idea!

5 cat burglar paws up for By Nature Cat Food!

You can purchase By Nature Adult Cat Formula and Kitten Formula online at WagginTails.com. Prices range from $9.99 to $34.99.

By Nature | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

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Dog Whisperer | Final Season Starts Saturday - July 7th - 8 PM ET

by Guest Blogger Betsy Hockert

We knew the day had to come...tomorrow night the ninth and final season of Dog Whisperer premiers on Nat Geo Wild, at 8 p.m. ET. What's a dog lover-in-training to do?

I just finished watching 2 episodes from the final season: "Horrible Hounds" and "London Calling," both of which were filmed in England. I've learned that  dogs are the same all over the world, it's the dog owners who add cultural "flavor" to their pet's lives.

I live in Beijing and don't get a lot of current American shows but I do get Nat Geo and am an avid fan of the Dog Whisperer show. I don't currently have a dog so when I came home to the states to visit, I was anxious to test out my best "tsst!" I was amazed that the first 2 dogs I tried it on stopped dead in their tracks and looked at me...wish I would have had a camera then!

While my daughter and I watched the new Dog Whisperer episodes for this review, Kasha (my grand-dog), was lounging on the floor. To our amazement she started watching the show! It was really funny!!! She watched both episodes from start to finish!!

At one point we turned off the DVD player accidentally. She put her head down as if finally, it's over, I can rest now. Then we started it again and her head was up watching the TV screen. We're hoping she picked-up some pointers on how to behave during a walk!

Not only do I love to watch the Dog Whisperer, now Kasha does as well! We're also looking forward to watching some celebs and their problem pooches in the final season: Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Kayte; fitness trainer Jillian Michaels; and NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle and Kevin Jarvick. Hmm...wonder if the NASCAR dogs have a "need for speed" like their super speedy sidekicks!

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By Nature | Pork & Sweet Potato Natural Dry Dog Food

The Secret Shopper gang loves to review food products so finding a taste tester for By Nature's Pork & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food was not a problem. No sooner had I opened the bag then I was surrounded by three salivating hounds.

Around here, we're big on feeding our dogs food and treats that are healthy and not loaded down with chemicals. By Nature's dry dog food certainly seems to fit the bill.

The list of ingredients on the back of the bag is lengthy, but as far as I can see it's mainly vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which promote a strong immune system, just as they advertise on their website. Another good sign is the primary ingredients (first listed) are pork meal, ground barley, canola oil, and sweet potatoes.

The kibble is small and has an aroma and flavor that is obviously appealing to of our dogs. The crew gobbled the pork & sweet potato kibble without reservation and gave me that, "More, please!" look once they had finished.

I found the price of the large By Nature Dry Dog Food bag (33#) to be considerably less than at least one of the brands we are currently using (3 dogs = 3 owners & 3 different brands of dry food).

Healthy, reasonably priced, and the dogs love it. We declare By Nature Natural Dry Dog Food a Pet Secret Shopper winner!

To find a retailer in your area who carries By Nature Dry Dog Food, visit By Nature's Store Locator page. You can also purchase By Nature Dry Dog Food online at PetFoodDirect.com: Pork & Sweet Potato = $11.29/6# bag and $39.99/33# bag.

By Nature | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

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Gamma2 | Airtight Vittles Vault Stackables

by Guest Blogger Lindsey Hockert

The Vittles Vault stackable pet food storage is so cool! With its spinning seal, it really is like you are opening a vault door.  My favorite features are that it provides an air tight seal and stores 40 pounds of food.  I literally have not had to go to the pet food store for over a month which is great for me because I loathe it!  Oh, not to mention that I can stack Kasha on top of the stackable vault ;)

The one thing that I was disappointed about was the plain look of the vault, but this has actually worked to my advantage because I can paint it the way that I want to, to match my decor!  I am holding off on this though because with its durability and air tight seal, I am thinking it might be perfect to keep outside at our mountain home, or maybe I just need two...

You can purchase the Gamma2 Vittles Vault Stackables for $37.12 (40+ lbs) and $42.47 (60+ lbs) at Petco.com.

Visit the Gamma² website to learn more about their unique line of storage products.

Gamma² | 2012 Global Pet Expo Exhibitor

Think your product can pass the Secret Shopper's test? Send us an email: SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com.