Pet-Pet * pet product blog

“I gotta tell ya, it’s hard to find cool duds for my larger-than-a-handbag-body. I know I’m shaped (and sometimes act) like a sack of potatoes, but that doesn’t mean I should have to look like one! … I’ve been wondering if there is any place that custom makes Doggie T-shirts? Do you know?”—Brody the Bulldog

Hey Brody, thanks for the excellent question. Being the handsome, full-bodied dog that you are, you must run into this problem all the time. Sure, there are plenty of doggy boutiques out there, but they all seem to cater to the petite Yorkies and the tiny Chihuahuas. Why should they be the only ones to look so fabulous?

So, what’s a healthy-sized bulldog to do? Well, this one is for all of you big-boned dogs out there—your know who you are—you Labs, Goldens, Greyhounds, Rotties, and yes, even you Great Danes. We here at Pet-Pet have found some boutiques that cater to you—the tall, the proud, and the perhaps a little portly.

Not only does Ruff Knits carry adorable sweaters, T-shirts, and jackets for all of dogkind, they also specialized in custom-made dog apparel. So, Brody, to directly answer you question—yes, there is a place that will custom make a doggie tee for you. And they do a really nice job, too.

Another great boutique that carries large dog clothing is Hands-N-Paws. They pride themselves in providing for the big and beautiful, such as Great Danes and Briards. Oh, could you imagine the Da Hoodie Sweater on a big Bouvier? And, they also have a nifty online tips and guideline page to help you measure your pet.

One more boutique we just had to mention is The Paw Shop. They may not have tons of big-dog clothing, but they have one item in particular that is simply too cute for words! Puppy PJs—in large sizes. Oh, just look at this bulldog in his cute, little jammies! The Teddies Dog Pajamas come in five sizes to fit Cavaliers and B-dogs, alike.

We hope we helped you out, Brody. Now, the rest is up to you. Our suggestion is to just “borrow” your mom’s credit card and let us know what you come up with! Trust us, we have a feeling she won’t mind…

I’m a little jealous of my sister, who works a 3-11 PM shift and gets to watch daytime television on a regular basis. She’s always telling me about these great shows that I can never seem to catch, due to my pesky daytime job. Recently, she was gushing about this fabulous new show on the Animal Planet channel, called K-9 Karma, that airs every weekday at 11:30 AM ET.

I finally got to see the show on a rare mid-week day off, and it is pretty fabulous. It’s a reality show based on dog trainer and yoga instructor Kari Harendorf and her husky mix, Charlie. Kari and Charlie run a doggie yoga or “doga” class at the East Yoga Center in New York City.

I loved the idea of doing yoga with my dog, and checked out the K-9 Karma website for more info. On the site, I found a dozen “dogi poses” with instructions and photos, and decided to give them a try. Unfortunately, the Murphy dog didn’t quite understand that the purpose of these poses was relaxation; he just got all excited and thought I wanted to wrestle with him. Okay, so maybe doga isn’t for my tough little guy, but it’s a great way to get some exercise and spend quality time with your pooch.

The site also has an article on pet massage, which describes how the intimate contact can help establish closeness and build trust between you and your beloved pup. It also gives detailed instructions on how to massage your dog into a blissful state of well-being.

So next time you pull out the yoga mat for some exercise and relaxation, don’t forget to include your faithful friend.