duffy loves design

comfy puppy

2010-10-07T23:47:00.000-07:00

Ah how comfy he makes himself on our bed. So cute.

caveman duff

2010-06-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

I. Am. So. Cruel. But he is adorable, isn't he? Even when half his face is covered!

duff in print

2010-03-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

A friend recently commented that Duff looked like Ruff, the dog from Dennis the Menace. We've not heard this before, but maybe he does have a bit of resemblance! Others have said that he also bears resemblance to McDuff, of the popular children's books -- even though this dog is actually supposed to be a West Highland White Terrier. Duff is actually a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier mix. Either way, we love him lots, and he sure does have a unique look.

duffy mcduff duff portrait

2010-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

My friend made this drawing of Duff based on one of the first photos he took after he was groomed - tongue out and all. I definitely think it captures his shaggy side, that's for sure!

duff's story

2009-11-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Duff has his own book, it tells about how he was rescued and how he got his name. Fun fun fun! You can make your own dog story by clicking on the link below.

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

hippie duff

2009-11-22T19:18:00.001-08:00

Reminscent of Willie Nelson, don't you think?

did you get my good side?

2009-02-04T02:21:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law has a great photo blog. So when she comes to visit, she'll take lots of photos of Duffy. Here are some great portraits of him. Sometimes I think he's posing! To see more, go here and here. To contact her for portraits of your dog, leave a comment on her blog.

vapoorize

2008-10-09T00:54:00.000-07:00

Although I can't make Duffy's poo vanish into thin air like they did in the movie Envy at least I can do my part to make it disappear. Today after our obedience class at the local Pet Food Express, I spotted some biodegradable doo-doo bags for $8.99 for 120. They were stocked right next to the infamous dog Bio Bags that were $7.99 for 50. I'm all for helping the environment, so this was a great find. I was happy to find these bags which have great reviews by Bags on Board. Large enough to pick up the poop and not leave a mess, these bright blue bags get the job done.

Beware: there were also some bags by Kyjen which claim to be biodegradable, but according Amazon review are actually not - their employees even sent an email to a customer saying, "Our cornstarch bags are made with 5% biodegradable resin (which includes starch and synthetic polymer), and 95% HDP (high density polypropylene)." Also known as plastic.

So do some good for the environment and get some bags that will really break down.

Working hard at the office

2008-09-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Duffy has a great time coming with me to work, and he brings a lot of fun to the office. He helps us to de-stress! But when we need to work, he needs to keep busy. As many of you know, a tired dog is a good dog. So to keep his mind stimulated and challenged, I love the Busy Buddy clam shell by Premier. It's really called a Twist n' Treat, but I think of it more like a souped-up clam shell with "pearls" inside. It's not for powerful chewers, but it's great for a moderate chewer who likes to solve puzzles.

You twist the top and bottom open and stuff treats inside, and screw the pieces back together loosely or tightly depending on the difficulty level you want for your dog. The package suggests making it easy at first so your dog wins and can actually get at the treat. My treat of choice is Natural Balance dog food rolls cut up into chunks. Duffy is over the moon for this food and will do anything for it! The stuff is amazing, really.

The Twist n' Treat starts at just $5.99 for the small size at Amazon.com

Dog Tags

2008-09-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw these id tags from Fetching Tags years ago, I knew that I wanted to get one for my future pup. Not only are they durable, but they're just so darn funny!

$30 from Fetching Tags

These special tags are made of aircraft aluminum and can be completely customized with your own hand stamped message. Or you can choose from some of their choice witty sayings:

Rub My Belly
Squirrel Patrol
I Will Lick You
Scratch My Butt
Throw Me A Bone

I'm pretty sure Duffy's would say "You Can't Resist Me" or "Sittin' on My ..."

A Cozy Crate

2008-09-13T02:21:00.000-07:00

The first week we got Duffy, we wanted to spend economically on dog accessories that we'd need. But soon, we found out that cheaper goods may be better pricewise, but some are definitely not as high in quality. Within weeks, Duffy had already destroyed his $16 Wal-mart pet bed by yanking off the zipper. I woke up one morning to find green "snow" all over the space surrounding his crate.

Our new crate pad or pillow alternative is this eco-friendly dog mat made by West Paw Design. The mat is filled with 85% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, made into fiberfill. A large mat will have diverted 40 bottles of plastic from going into the dumps and given them a second life!

It comes in 4 great colors: Poppy, Green Tea, Oatmeal and Willow. All of the mats are backed in a chocolate brown called Bear. Our favorite is the Poppy, but we own the Willow.

West Paw Design Eco Nap Mat, starts at $27.90 for an XS mat

Now let's hope I don't awake to another snowy morning ... :)

The Beginning

2008-09-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet dog was rescued from a shelter just two months ago, and since then has become a pretty posh little guy! We've been learning together what cool doggy products are out there - to deck out your pooch with some style. So here's our attempt to document all our discoveries in a fun design blog, written especially for design savvy pet owners.

So here's a big friendly "woof!" from Duffy to you.