Hello DoggyRide friends and followers; we would like to share a story about one of our very own that has fallen on hard times.
Meet Logan, a three-year old chocolate Labrador retriever in the prime of his life who, until very recently, had the world by the tail.
Logan happily sits inside the comfort of his Novel dog jogger-stroller
Logan was a superior athlete with boundless energy, loved running with his best friend Adam, and had a deep passion for the game of Chuckit! Logan and Adam were also in the last stages of earning their search and rescue certificate with the King County Sheriff’s Department. Many hours had been dedicated to the idea that one day Logan could possibly save the lives of a missing person or persons.
Logan was a spirited puppy with a playful disposition, and intelligence to boot, but nobody could imagine what would happen next.
On July 5, 2013 while on vacation in Coeur d’Alene, ID, Logan awoke to a deep cough and troubled breathing. He was rushed to a local veterinary clinic nearby as it was thought he may have eaten something poisonous earlier that evening. Although the veterinarian was unsure of the diagnosis, he recommended that Logan get an MRI scan on his chest cavity to be certain of a cause. Logan and his parents made the trip to Washington State University and their renowned vet school, some two hours away, to meet with a leading animal cardiologist. After receiving the results of the MRI scan, Logan was diagnosed with Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy or CDC (http://www.2ndchance.info/dogdilcardiomyopathy.htm).
For the majority of dogs afflicted with this condition, heart failure will be caused by the enlarging of the heart thus creating the inability for the heart to pump the necessary amounts of blood through the body. The life expectancy for canines diagnosed with this condition is short, and in Logan’s case is six-12 months. This was a shock to Logan’s family and would immediately change Logan’s life and the activities he loved so very much.
Since Logan’s diagnosis, he was forced to retire from the King County search and rescue program and can no longer play Chuckit! to the extent which he once did. His long runs have been cut back to short walks and his athleticism has been curbed due to his early signs of fatigue. The puppy that once had the world by the tail is now fighting to live a little bit longer.
Logan the chocolate lab leads the pack, riding in his DoggyRide Novel jogger-stroller
When speaking with Logan’s family, they have mentioned that they live by the philosophy of “quality over quantity†and allow Logan to be Logan as much as they can without Logan over exerting himself.
We hope that every dog owner and puppy enjoy life to the fullest, each and every day; because it is fleeting and you never know, like Logan, when it will all be taken away. Here’s to you, buddy!
Logan teaches us to live life to the fullest.
We continue to thank you for being a loyal part of our DoggyRide family.
Many happy tail wags from our family to yours,
DoggyRide
Have you been wondering what makes elevated dog beds, particularly DoggySnooze beds, so unique, and how to go about designing the best one for you and your dog? Well check out our infographic to learn about the benefits of elevated dog beds and how DoggySnooze can meet your needs.
Learn how to design the right elevated DoggySnooze dog bed to best meet the needs of you and your dog
Time flies when we’re keeping busy!
Recently, in May, Dutch Dog Design owner and designer, Matthys van Leeuwen attended the Interzoo trade show in Nuremberg, Germany with a colleague from our Netherlands office.
This trade show was a great way for half of our team to interact and form new relationships with the international pet product buying community, as well as receive feedback on new products and changes which are waiting for début.
Dutch Dog Design products galore. Including dog bike trailers, strollers, elevated dog beds and eco-friendly dog leashes and collars.
Overall, this is a great experience in which all of us at Dutch Dog Design learned a lot about the community who uses our products as well as better serving our customers and innovating for the future.
We’re always willing to listen and love to hear what you’ve got to share. Your insights are important. They help us make even better products in the future.
More recently and locally in Monroe, WA, we attended Seattle Pug Rescue’s Pug Gala 2012. It was pug-errific! It was so great to see so much pug passion in one room! We enjoyed watching the Pug Parade, the Pug Races and meeting many cute visitors. It was great to chat with some many pug-loving visitors and learn about their pugs’ needs and how they could use our dog bike trailers, dog strollers, or other products such as our elevated dog beds and collars and leashes for further benefit. We learned that harnesses are much more popular than collars, given pug neck sizes in relation to head sizes. We don’t have harnesses yet, but hopefully, inspired by these precious pugs, we will have them available one day in the future.
We met some pug-tastic friends at Pug Gala! Hello, lovelies!
These are just a few things that have kept us busy and on our toes!
Up next, in September, is Seattle Humane Society’s Walk for the Animals 2012.
Hooray!
Dutch Dog Design Outdoors & Lifestyle catalog
We’ve kept very busy lately! We’ve worked very hard to complete our new Outdoors & Lifestyle catalog and it is now finished! We hope this provides everyone with plenty of information on our DoggyRide dog bike trailers and dog strollers, DoggySnooze elevated dog beds, Dutch Dog Amsterdam eco-friendly collars and leashes, our values and mission, and more!
Please take a look and share your thoughts.
Thank you!
This photo is too cute to bear, we’ve got to share it.
Menno, Mr. Chief Inspirational Officer, product tester and model, joined me for lunch out on the sunshine earlier this week. All smiles from this sweet Samoyed!Â
Have a great week!
Menno the Samoyed dog model and product tester for Dutch Dog Design
Ringo the French bulldog enjoys a rest on the snoozeSleeper dog bed
Neil Sedaka once sang, “breaking up is hard to do†but, is it as hard as leaving your precious pooch at home while you go to work every morning? Surely with that sweet face and those beady little eyes, it is just as hard.
A sign of the times, more and more workplaces are recognizing the health and business benefits of bringing dogs to work and slowly across America, more workplaces are filled with 2-legged workers and their 4-legged canine companions.
Now, with dogs by their sides, employees need not fret over how their pooches are doing at home, alone. Bringing dogs to work can improve an employee’s health by reducing stress, reducing cortisol levels and increasing happiness.
It is also important to remember and consider a dog’s health when bringing it to work, though. Dogs sleep anywhere from 12 to 18 hours per day, or 50% to 75% of the day. With so much lying around going on, it’s important for a dog to have a healthy and comfortable dog bed on which to rest and sleep. When sleeping, some dogs like to stretch out and lay against something, others like to curl into a corner, and some like to rest their heads on something soft and elevated. Remember all those times your dog fell asleep next to you on the couch with its head propped on your lap?
Elevated dog beds are an excellent, healthy option for your dog’s bed. DoggySnooze beds, for example, are elevated which means that your pal doesn’t have to sleep on the floor, while also increasing air flow around the bed and the dog helping to reduced condensation and keep a dog cool and dry, and keep the floor around the bed much cleaner.
The snoozePad and snoozeSleeper dog bed models come with bed layers for the dog to sleep on with the option to add a 1†thick orthopedic memory foam mattress as well, while the snoozeLounge and snoozeSofa dog bed models come with the 1†thick orthopedic memory foam mattress standard. Having a healthy back and spine isn’t just a human thing, it’s a dog thing too.
For those of you who are looking for multiple customization options, designs abound with DoggySnooze beds. Elevation options, bed layer color options and bolster color options can be made to fit with most any office’s décor. The bed elevation can be changed from short to tall. For dogs that like to stretch against something while sleeping, a bed with one back bolster is an excellent option as it provides a comfortable place to rest with the addition of a support to lay against and open sides to allow for plenty of sprawling.
Menno enjoys his DoggySnooze snoozeLounge in our office
On the other hand, if you’ve got a dog that likes to snuggle into corners and sometimes rest its head on something, a bed with a side and back bolsters is a great option as the side and back bolsters offer multiple options for places to snuggle and many places where a dog can rest its head.
Going out for a doggy break will give both of you a bit of mid-morning or mid-afternoon exercise and time to get outside for some fresh air. Don’t forget some tasty treats and terrific toys to help keep your dog entertained during the day.
Also don’t forget to mind your doggy’s manners when back indoors. Keep him on a leash when not inside your office or cubicle as to not disrupt other office mates and remember to keep Fido secured during those meeting or conference calls.
Interested in learning more about dog-friendly workplaces? Check out some of these top dog spots:
Dutch Dog Design
Amazon.com
Banyan Branch
One Call Now
Trupanion Pet Insurance
VOXUS PR
Chief Inspirational Officer, product tester, chaser of dog treats and master burying treats for a rainy day, Menno the smiling Samoyed is a wonderfully fun office mate.
Menno enjoys the sights and sounds of Elliott Bay in Seattle.
Menno is a sprightly Samoyed whose human companion is Dutch Dog Design owner and designer, Matthys van Leeuwen. This spunky Samoyed enjoys plenty of hiking and biking with his people.
Menno enjoying a hike while being safely connected with the Buddy hands free leash connector
Day and night, Menno gets to test out the DoggySnooze dog beds and with that, inspire product innovations and redesigns. In fact, the DoggySnooze snoozeSleeper was inspired by Menno’s love of sprawling out in his sleep and desire to rest against something. The elevation of the snoozeSleeper allows for Menno to not have to sleep on the floor and experience increased airflow under the bed and around his body, keeping his fluffy body cool, dry, and comfortable while also reducing condensation. The interior foam, and optional additional memory foam give him a healthy and orthopedic place to rest and be comfortable.
Read more about the benefit of orthopedic dog beds.
Menno gets comfortable on his snoozeLounge dog bed
On weekends, Menno enjoys exploring the parks and trails of the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his owners while riding in his DoggyRide Novel dog bike trailer. With his own personal sunroof unzipped, he can enjoy the fresh air and wind in his fur just like any dog should. Many afternoons are then spent hiking and exploring the trail, chasing after a few sticks and even meeting some new furry friends.
Menno enjoy the beautiful views and fresh air from his DoggyRide Novel dog bike trailer.
When venturing out for a stroll to the local dog park a bit closer to home, Menno enjoys accompanying his avid bike rider owner. Without the necessity of a trailer for longer trips, Menno is safely attached to his owner’s bike via the Buddy hands free dog leash connector. This way, his owner can focus on safely riding his bike, without having to focus on leading a dog on a leash in his hands at the same time. With the Buddy, Menno is once again fulfilling his duties as Chief Inspirational Officer as he also inspired this product’s creation. Seeing that Menno was afraid of using a different, more obtrusive dog leash connector, his owner decided to craft something that was easier to use with a much simpler design. The Buddy can be looped onto a bicycle, belt loop or backpack while its other end is clipped to a dog’s leash. The Buddy’s bungee material will absorb part of the pull and shock if Menno happens to get a bit too distracted by a wayward squirrel. Upon arriving at the dog park, Menno’s leash is unclasped from the Buddy and the bike and he can go roam the grassy fields with his other doggy pals. Many there’s even a game of pick-up frisbee going on, too?
Menno enjoys a jog as his owner enjoys a bike ride.
The fun doesn’t stop when it’s time to go back to the office. Menno enjoys spending some time outdoors playing with doggy toys and digging up his little buried treasures. He’s even made friends with local delivery drivers who “throw him a bone†which is in all actuality, a tasty doggy treat if he’ll open the front door. Just kidding! Menno gets excited to see his delivery driver pals and will either greet them excitedly or wait patiently to receive a treat.
As you can see, the life of Menno the smiling Samoyed dog is rather arduous, don’t you think? Eat, sleep, treat, repeat; head out for a doggyride somewhere in between? I wouldn’t mind trading places with him for a day.
Thanks, Menno, for being such a delightful canine companion.
Menno relaxing outdoors.
Learn more about Samoyed dogs with this helpful Animal Planet Dogs 101 – Samoyed video.
