Little Shop Newsletter - Summer 2010

SUMMERTIME!!
Summertime and the living is easy. Well, for Yorkies and other spoiled dogs, maybe! By the way, the picture at the top of this page is actually one of our new products - Yorkie Cutting Boards. You will find a bit more info about these cutting boards as well as another available design a little further down the page. Check them out!

It IS summertime, which means it's time once again for us to pass along a few hot weather tips, courtesy of PetMD.org, which is dedicated to pet health care.


Provide WATER in multiple locations for your pet. Water bowls can turn over easily, get dirty or grow bacteria and your pet can be left without cool, fresh, clean water. When you travel (or hike), take water with you for your pet.

NEVER LEAVE your pet in the car. It takes only a few minutes for the auto to get hot, even with cracked windows - plus it is against the law in many states.

Know your pet's HEAT TOLERANCE. Heat and humidity, along with age, health, obesity and type of breed or type of pet factor into heat tolerance. Dogs and cats, whose normal body temperature is between 100 and 102.5, don't do well in heat, especially if they get dehydrated. Cats sweat through their paws and will lick themselves to cool down, become inactive and seek cool places - however, above 85 or 90 degrees they can get stressed. Dogs do not lose heat as fast as humans, and heat can become a health risk quickly.

Throw away UNEATEN PET FOOD. Bacteria grows faster when it is hot, so uneaten pet food should be thrown out. More frequent, smaller portions may be appropriate during the summer.

Know what is TOXIC to your pet. Plants, household items and foods such as chocolate, onions, coffee, nicotine, alcoholic beverages, poultry bones, fatty foods and grapes/raisins can be harmful.

PET ID. Pets are more active in the summer, chase other animals, can be with you traveling in an unfamiliar place and end up lost. The pet's name and your phone number on its collar can be a lifesaver.

Check your pet for fleas, ticks, and mites. CHECK AND GROOM your pet daily (cats, dogs) to assure that they do not have fleas, ticks, mites, mosquito bites, or other infections or rashes from being outdoors.

Watch out for ANTIFREEZE. Hot weather may tempt your pet to drink from puddles in the street, which may contain antifreeze or other chemicals. Antifreeze tastes sweet, but is extremely toxic.

Keep FISH TANKS away from sunlight. The temperature of fish is directly affected by water temperature. If the sun heats the water, it can harm fish.


VISIT US ON FACEBOOK!
Are you a facebook member? If so, please join our page by CLICKING HERE, and then simply click LIKE at the top of the page. We frequently offer special deals and discounts for our facebook friends.


DOG SITTING/DOG WALKING...
If you are in the Kansas City area, we are pleased to announce a new Pet Services business. Happy Dogs provides Pet Sitting, Dog Walking and Pet Transportation. Check out their website and mention the Little Shop of Terrors for a discount!!!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Our loyal customers and newsletter readers are very important to us. In an effort to make the newsletter more fun for you, we hope to hear from all of you, and we hope you will share some of your stories in the coming year. After all, this is YOUR newsletter. We'd like to feature YOU, our readers, and your pets. So send us your stories - funny, sad, uplifting, or whatever. And pictures... we LOVE pictures of you and your pets enjoying great products from the Little Shop of Terrors.

NEW! NEW! NEW! - COLLAPSIBLE CRATE

Here's a great new product for your summer traveling!

In true Outward Hound fashion - this Collapsible Crate combines outstanding quality with clever features such as tie-flap windows and a removable fleece pad. This crate is ideal for travel and when you need to contain your little terror!

Comes in three fashion prints: Striped, Hibiscus, and Plaid. Includes a matching carrying case. Size: 24 in. x 20 in. x 18 in.

ACCENT RUGS...

Have you seen our selection of Accent Rugs? The Classy Custom Paw Prints™ accent rugs are handmade from poly-acrylic yarns, with a rug backing of cotton and spandex. Durable and washable, the Paw Prints accent rugs are great for both indoors and outdoors. Throw one at each door of the home. Their colorful pet themes offer an ideal welcome mat for busy paws. Create a custom look by matching our accent rugs to the Pet Portal of your choice. Imported.

The Classy Custom Paw Prints™ accent rugs are the perfect accessory for the Pet Portal™ and under food bowls, in cars, and/or any place your pet likes to curl up and call home. Size: 30 inches x 19 inches.

*REMEMBER – Shipping is ALWAYS FREE at Little Shop of Terrors

NEW! - YORKIE CUTTING BOARDS...

These beautiful dog breed cutting boards dress up any kitchen and show your love for the Yorkie! They make great gifts for Yorkie lovers, are made of tempered glass and measure 9" x 12". They are heat resistant, scratch resistant, virtually unbreakable, easily cleaned and dishwasher safe.

YORKIE PHOTO FRAME AND POEM

If you are looking for a little art combined with a little literature, then look no further. We are offering a 7 x 17 inch Photo Frame in mahogany. This frame is matted with 2 openings for 5 x 7 prints. One of the openings features an original Yorkie poem by...well, ME, Darin Henderson, the writer of this very newsletter! It's a light and fun poem, sure to capture the heart of the yorkie photos that you will include to complete this masterpiece. Click HERE to check it out, and please pick up one for yourself and one for a friend! Thank you!

YORKIE BREEDER PAGE

Are you looking for a Yorkie, and you don't know where to start? Well, try starting with our Yorkie Breeder page. We only list QUALITY breeders who offer a written contract, health guarantees and socialized puppies. No commercial kennels are allowed on our list.

If you are a Yorkie breeder, or know of a breeder who might be interested in a listing on our breeder page, please visit our information for breeders page for further details!!!

***If you enjoyed this edition of Little Shop of Terrors News, please pass it along to all your friends. Be sure to ask them to sign up for their own copy HERE

***If you have comments or questions, please CLICK HERE to Email us!

***If you are interested in advertising with us, please CLICK HERE to Email us!

Little Shop Newsletter - MAY 2010

MAY

Welcome to the MAY newsletter. My Yorkies Ellie and Rylie are smiling in the sunshine, and I hope yours are as well! Happy May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and then at the end of the month, Memorial Day weekend and the start of Summer!! Time to open up those swimming pools and pack the kids and the pets in the RV and head out on a family vacation. Okay, well, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself a bit on the vacation thing...but that time is coming soon, and since I'm a summer lover, I can't wait. Now all I need is some kids and an RV to pile them in. Well, maybe just the RV is all I need, come to think of it.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
Here at the Little Shop of Terrors, we are trying to make things a little more FUN for you when you read our newsletter. So we might not spend as much time and space spotlighting our products. You KNOW we have great products and you know they can always be found on our website, right?? Of course!!! So, we'd like to feature YOU, our readers, and YOUR pets!!!We still have a virtual TON of great products available on our WEBSITE. And as always, many great gift ideas. And we'll feature a few of them here once in a while.

We'll share some pet information and news stories we've dug up from around the world, and, maybe a recipe now and then. But what we'd really love is to hear from our readers. If you have a story you'd like to share about your pets, please send it along so we can feature you and your pet in a future newsletter. ALSO - if we use your story or article, we'll send you out a free collar bandana. So come on... share your stories, tell us about your pet related hobby - agility, conformation, pet therapy, or share something about your pet family and friends.

GOT DOGGLES?It's that time of year again. I know I've highlighted the DOGGLES in many a previous newsletter, and told you about how they block 100 percent of UV rays and keep out wind and debris to prevent injury to your on the go dog, and maybe you already have a pair in pink, blue, lavender or orange. But maybe, just maybe you have a tough little dog who won't be caught outside in pink, or lavender or even blue. Maybe you have a big dog who is very cool and in need of some skull and crossbone DOGGLES to fit his or her attitude. Well, you and your dog are in luck because we have them - silver with grey lenses, and yes, a skull and crossbone design. How cool is that?

HONEST KITCHEN REWARDS -
We feature Honest Kitchen products on our website. Click HERE to check them out! And now, we are excited to tell you about this program:

Do you buy a lot of dog food? Well, you’ve come to the right place! The Honest Kitchen’s brand new frequent buyer program lets you earn free gifts for you and your pet. You can earn gifts on purchases of any box of Honest Kitchen food. You can also earn 20 bonus points when you sign up for our e-newsletter!

HOW DOES IT WORK? Talk about simple. All you have to do is tear out the perforated UPC/LOT codes strip on the top of any full sized box of Honest Kitchen dog food! Save your lot codes somewhere safe (we can’t accept any that the dog ate) and redeem them at any of the following levels – or continue saving them up to reach a higher-level reward!

40 Points
Earn a FREE THK T-shirt worth $16. Choose from several styles.

80 Points
Earn a FREE organic, ultra-soft and luxurious eco-friendly bamboo blanket ($60 value)

120 PointsEarn a free 10 lb box of Honest Kitchen dog food of your choice (Up to $82 value)

Once you have enough UPC codes and would like to redeem them, simply mail them to us with the Submission Form found here to:

Honest Kitchen, Attn: Customer Reward, 145 14th Street, San Diego, CA 92101

*A full-size box means a 2, 3, 4, 7 or 10 lb box of dog or cat food and does not include travel size or sample packets, supplements or treats. 7 and 10 lb boxes of food are worth 10 points. 2, 3 or 4 lb boxes of food are worth 5 points.

THUNDERSTORM TIPS...
As thunderstorm season creeps up on us, we want help dog owners know how to manage their dog’s fear of the booming thunder. Bark Busters USA offers 10 tips for managing your dog’s fear of thunderstorms. While thunderstorms may cause panic, dogs can be trained to manage their reactions and feel calmer through all the noise and bright flashes.

"Thunderstorms are a common fear in dogs, causing many to panic and run away, become destructive, or even hurt themselves,” said Gerard Raneri, dog behavioral therapist and trainer, Bark Busters USA. “Dogs can sense that a storm is on the way, and they often begin to show signs of anxiety even before the storm can be heard.”

Raneri offers these tips to help your dog learn to be relaxed during storms, fireworks or other loud disturbances that may be frightening.

Always keep proper identification securely fastened to your dog’s collar in case he gets out. Consider talking to your veterinarian about implanting a universal microchip in your pet for lifelong identification. Remember to update your veterinary clinic and animal shelter with your correct contact information.

Give your dog a safe place to stay during storms. Inside your home, create a quiet den-like area where your dog can feel secure. A properly introduced crate or kennel can be a calming refuge for him. When a storm is brewing, lead your dog to his special place to help him feel calm and protected. It’s very important to introduce this den or crate long before the storms start.

If your dog lives outside, cover his doghouse or dog run with a blanket to shield him from the bursts of lightning. Outside dogs can get lost or even injured if they escape their fenced yards in fear during storms.

Dogs can pick up fear or discomfort with storms from their family pack members, so it is important that you develop a calm, matter-of-fact attitude. Let your dog stay close and try to distract him with activities like play or brushing. Do not try to reassure him in a sympathetic voice—this will sound like praise and may increase his nervousness and confusion.

Some dogs become destructive when frightened. A crate is always the best way to keep your dog safe and your belongings intact. If you don’t use a crate, remove any items in the room your dog could destroy or could hurt him if he chewed them.

During a storm, keep windows and curtains closed to reduce noise and bright flashes. Turn on a TV or radio playing soft music at normal volume to distract your dog and help him to relax.

Keep your dog away from doors that lead outside. Your dog may be under significant stress, which could result in unnecessary injury to others entering your home or cause him to dart outside and get lost or injured.

Your dog may become incontinent due to his extreme fear and the rush of adrenaline he experiences during a storm. Be prepared for this, and don’t react if it occurs.

Dogs that continue to panic in thunderstorms may have to be reconditioned by creating an artificial storm with environmental recordings. While reconditioning can be a time-consuming procedure, it can have a high success rate. A qualified Bark Busters dog behavioral therapist can help your dog be calmer during storms.

In the most extreme cases, medication in conjunction with training may be the best solution to help your dog cope with his fear of storms. Consult with your veterinarian about possible treatments.

Your dog’s phobia of thunderstorms won’t get better on its own. Help him learn that it’s just noise and is nothing for him to worry about. When he learns to relax and remain calm, you can relax and not worry about your dog during future storms.

*REMEMBER – Shipping is always FREE at Little Shop of Terrors

AND THIS LITTLE PIGGY...
And this little piggy is a DOG! In a friendship that would make animation film producers sit up and take notice, a cat and a dog and six micro-pigs have formed a firm bond for real in one UK home. Pigs Chinook, Serge, Frenchie, Biscuit, Nimrod and Manuka share their home with Daisy the dog, and house cat Hector - they all sleep, eat and play together.
Animal love Jane Croft, the owner of the adorable gang in Christchurch, Cambridgeshire, says her little companions have loads of fun together.

Contrary to the popular myth about pigs, the intelligent animals like to keep exceptionally clean and love company. Croft says, "They are such a great pets to have around. They are really very loving. They come over for a cuddle regularly. And the breed is very intelligent. You can watch them work out simple tasks around the house."

They make such good pets their popularity is booming worldwide. Originally stemming from Vietnamese pot bellied pigs, micro pigs, or miniature pigs, have been selectively bred for their small sizes.

YORKIE BREEDER PAGE
Are you looking for a Yorkie, and you don't know where to start? Well, try starting with our Yorkie Breeder page. We only list QUALITY breeders who offer a written contract, health guarantees and socialized puppies. No commercial kennels are allowed on our list.

If you are a Yorkie breeder, or know of a breeder who might be interested in a listing on our breeder page, please visit our information for breeders page for further details!!!

***If you enjoyed this edition of LITTLE SHOP OF TERROR NEWS, please pass it along to all your friends. Be sure to ask them to sign up for their own copy HERE

***If you have comments or questions, please CLICK HERE to Email us!

***If you are interested in ADVERTISING with us, please CLICK HERE to Email us!