Rio turns 7 today. The spokes dog for Wild Mountain Online. Rio has had a fun 7 years of outdoor adventure. Gear model, product tester, dog treat connoisseur, he has done it all! Here is the Singing Dog himself belting out a Happy Birthday tune.
Celebrate your relationship to the earth this week by committing to use recycled dog products and oxo biodegradable dog pick up bags! Be part of the solution.
Buy Recycled Dog Products from Eco leaders Ruffwear and West Paw Designs
Pick up after your dog to prevent contamination of rivers, steams, and lakes
Recycle your dog’s old but usable beds, coats, and collars by donating them to your local rescue group
Here’s a good opportunity for you to keep your dog safe and take advantage of a closeout deal on Ruffwear Float Coats. The Ruffwear Float Coatprovides great protection for dogs. Keeps head above water
and comes with a handy grab loop to pull your pet back in the boat or to safety.
The Spotless Paw is great for wiping dog’s muddy paws off before they come into the house or car. I like it when we are camping to clean dog paws before they get into the tent. Here are some of the highlights of this clever product!
Check out our interview with Camping Pet on “How to train your dog for adventure activities”
We asked mountain guide and dog owner Jon Asher for some advice on backpacking and canoeing with dogs. Jon has been a guide for over ten years and owns Wild Mountain Online, which is a specialty shop that has a unique mix of outdoor gear for people and dogs. He offers some valuable advice for novice and experienced dog hikers.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have been in the outdoor business since 1991. I owned a rafting company for about ten years then got into the outdoor retail business. I continue to work as a rafting, hiking, and snowshoeing guide with my wife, Janet. We spend our free time outdoors hiking, camping, river rafting, canoeing, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. Everything we do is with our dogs, Rio and Lily.
2. What advice would you give a dog owner who wants to start backpacking with their dog?
Get a comfortable pack for your dog prior to leaving on the trip. Start with short excursions and build up the miles. Use booties and healing paw wax to help their paws stay healthy.
3. How do you fit a dog for a backpack?
Most packs are fitted by length from neck to start of the tail, and the girth or widest measurement around the dog’s chest. Don’t oversize the pack because you need them to carry more. Put treats in the new pack and make it fun to wear. READ MORE
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Our hopes and dreams for 2009 include a special wish for all the homeless animals in the world. May your human guardians realize that it is our responsibility to take care of each little animal soul that comes into the world. 2008 was a year of hardship for many people. Our dogs helped us get through these hard times: they gave us laughter and comfort. Rescuing our new dog Lily in August was frightening at first, but gave all of us including Rio an incredible amount of joy.
Finally, we say thanks to all of our customers that have helped make our small store, Wild Mountain Online a success. In a world of corporate giants, it is refreshing to have met and helped you find the right outdoor dog products for your best friend.
Christmas night Janet and I went to the opening of the movie Marley and Me. Having been a fan of John Grogan’s book for some time, we had to see the movie. I have to say that the movie was entertaining in much of the same vain as the book. And of course there was a lot of sniffing and chortling from the audience at the end, but just as much laughter during the course of his happy misadventures.
The full gamut of a dog’s life from puppy hood to old age and death was portrayed. Movies rarely duplicate what a good book can awaken within us. If you have seen the movie, you really have to read the book. Order it from my favorite independent bookstore: Collected Works.
However,there is more to this story. The dogs had been left at home with our usual vigilance leaving no food upon the counters. When we returned from the movie I noticed something gold and shiny in the dog bed. Upon closer examination, there it was- one last half eaten milk chocolate coin from a Christmas stocking. Lily had eaten the entire bag as Rio watched. Of course it threw us into a panic with phone calls to the emergency vet and a few passes at google search. Make her throw up-seemed to be the most common thread throughout the web. We searched for hydrogen peroxide to no avail, open drugstore on Christmas- nothing open, called the neighbors- not enough in the bottle to produce vomiting. We gave up and went to bed. Several days later we have noticed bits of the foil poking out of her poo and hope that soon all the Christmas cheer will have passed on through.
The dogs had a great day cross country skiing in the Sangre de Cristos. We skied up Aspen Vista to the big rock and skied back. This was Lily’s first ski trip and she did pretty well. As long as the dogs stay behind the skiers then everything is ok. The problems occur if their paws get in the way of the skis. Rio learned that lesson long ago and had a stich or two. Of course we took plenty of Mushers Secret Wax.
Celebrate your relationship to the earth this week by committing to use recycled dog products and oxo biodegradable dog pick up bags! Be part of the solution.
