Pets

Red Tibetan Mastiff: World's Most Expensive Dog Sells for $1.5 Million

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Mar 16th 2011 at 12:35PM

A coal baron living in northern China just spent $1.5 million to buy what is considered the world's most expensive dog, a red Tibetan Mastiff. It's hard to know precisely where in that sentence you spurt out your mouthful of coffee: that a dog is worth that much or that there is a millionaire willing to buy one in China.

Tags: dogs, mastiff, most expensive dog, pets, tibetan mastiff

Continue reading “Red Tibetan Mastiff: World's Most Expensive Dog Sells for $1.5 Million”

Luxury Pet Hotels Around the World (video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) — Mar 1st 2011 at 9:31AM

Luxury hotels are opening up around the world catering to pets who are used to being pampered by their indulging owners. Many of these "five star" luxury hotels offer such amenities as indoor swimming pools, spa cuisine, television sets in private suites, personal fitness trainers, beauty shops and more.

The Canis Resort in Munich, Germany, for example, claims to be the first exclusive luxury hotel chain for dogs in the world. The first resort, which is located in Freising near Munich, offers nine heated lodges for up to 45 guests. Canis offers its pampered pooches personal and professional dog sitters who pampers them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Personal fitness coaches are available to customize extensive and individual training and a dietary plan for each dog. The cost to stay at the hotel is $113 a night. Check out the video below.

Tags: Canis Resort, dog hotels, dogs, gurgaon, India, Kennel 1, koi, KoiPond, luxury hotels for dogs, luxury kennels, luxury pet hotels, luxury+pet+hotel, luxurypethotel, Munich, Nippon Koi Hotel, Pets Dream Park Hotel, pets+singapore+news, petssingaporenews, Taipei, training+in+hotels, traininginhotels

Continue reading “Luxury Pet Hotels Around the World (video)”

Neater Feeder for the Drooling Dog in Your Life

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Feb 28th 2011 at 4:01PM

"Don't blame your pet, blame your bowl." Easy for the Neater Feeder people to say. With a 90-pound Golden Retriever whose middle name is Slobber-Puss, I was anxious to try the patented feeding dish with the logo, "Spoil the pet. Spare the floor."

A simple construction that basically provides a dish with a perforated drain and an overflow catch basin below, it is nonetheless nothing short of brilliant. Sign me up, no more wiping up the wood floors or having the mat under the dish get sopping wet. It also eliminated my Mommy Dearest moments whenever my son would inadvertently kicked the water dish with his foot or roll his soccer ball into it. The water still spilled with the Neater Feeder dish during these family life moments, but immediately drained into the basin below and protected my distressed cherry-wood flooring from yet another encounter with water that destroys.

Tags: dog dishes, neater feeder, pet dishes

Continue reading “Neater Feeder for the Drooling Dog in Your Life”

Luxist Giveaway: Platinum Pets For Dogs and Cats

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Feb 3rd 2011 at 10:01AM

In recent years more and more people have been buying Christmas presents for their dogs and cats. But our loyal companions have mostly been ignored when it comes to Valentine's Day. That doesn't seem quite fair. After all, we love our furry friends. Why not give them a little treat?

Enter, Platinum Pets, a company based in Valencia, California that is a manufacturer of eco-friendly, designer products for your pets. The company specializes in unique finishes that bring a new fashion and sparkle to collars, leashes and bowls. The high-gloss finish is durable and dishwasher safe. The products are manufactured in the USA. They are FDA compliant and E.U. certified to be completely food safe and do not contain any toxic chemicals.

Today we are giving away two gifts from Platinum Pets and we are asking you to choose--pamper the pup or coddle the kitty. For dog lovers we are giving away one nylon leash. The leash with a black nylon handle is argon welded, chrome plated and powder coated. Like all Platinum Pets products it is available in a variety of colors. It sells for $19.95 and comes in four thicknesses to suit all sizes of dogs. For cat lovers we are offering one embossed eight-ounce bowl for cats (complete with fishes decoration). It has a skid stop rubber base to hold the bowl in place and is eco-friendly powder coated and will never rust or chip. It is super easy to clean and dishwasher safe. The bowl is available in eight fashion colors and sells for $6.00. To enter the contest just leave a comment below letting us know which item you would like to win.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before February 9, 2011 at 5:00pm Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Two winners will be selected in a random drawing and notified by email.
* One winner will a nylon leash from Platinum Pets valued at $19.95. One winner will receive an eight-ounce bowl for cats valued at $6.00.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See full giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: cat dish, cat supplies, cats, dog leash, dog supplies, dogs, luxist giveaway, pets, platinum pets

Pet Water Bottle: Fido Goes Green

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Jan 25th 2011 at 3:01PM

Some of man's (beast's?) greatest inventions have been borne from necessity. And one of those necessities is carrying water for the big thirsty dog who goes with you on your morning run or mountain trail hike. The problem is, dogs don't pucker and suck water from a spout. They lap it up with their tongues and hence have always needed a water dish lugged along on the outing.

Good Life Gear to the rescue, with its newly patented Pet Water Bottle, which retails for about $22.

What makes the Pet Water Bottle patent-worthy is the stainless steel rolling ball at its mouth that stems the flow of water until the dog's tongue pushes the ball up to trigger the release of the water inside. Simple, perhaps. Brilliant, absolutely, for anyone -- me included -- who has messed around with the various ways of transporting and dispensing water for the dog on hikes. In my case, I've lugged an extra bottle and various containers in which to pour a drink for Buddy, our Golden Retriever -- which wastes water when I pour too much and drips in my pack once the dish gets wet. Plus if I don't take a pack, I'm stuck holding the stupid dish for miles.

The patented Pet Water Bottle comes in two sizes -- 16 oz. and 24 oz. -- and various pet-adorable designs, including a bone pattern and one with colorful paws. It is a BPA-free stainless steel bottle that is lightweight and easy to carry with a hook for back or fanny pack attachment. The bottles fit into most automobile cup holders. The wide mouth enables it to easily hold ice cubes. M.K. Distributors, Inc. also distributes a pet pedometer and a Go Green Lunch Kit -- the latter for your human children.

Gallery: Patented Pet Water Bottle

Tags: dog water bottle, pet water bottle, pets, water bottle

Sniff, Scented Candles For Dogs

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 22nd 2011 at 4:01PM

Scented candles are de rigueur for Valentine's Day but what if your Valentine walks on four legs? Sniff is a new scented candle that uses holistic aromas to benefit man (or women's) best friend. After all, dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than their human friends.

The organic dog-friendly candles include scents like "A Day in the Hamptons" (a sunny summer day scent with rosemary, basil and spearmint); "Splendor in the Grass" (green pastures with tomato leaves and cedarwood); "Field of Dreams"(soothing lavender, vetiver and sandalwood); "Friends to the Rescue" (a mix of lemongrass, eucalyptus and grapefruit held together by geranium, cyprus and ginger with a finish of mangosteen to keep pests away) and "Fart & Away" (a mix of of floral ylang ylang, tuberose, white tea, myrtle and fennel for the smelly dog). Sales through February support Miami-Dade Animal Services Foundation, a foundation dedicated to ending the unwanted pet population with spay/neuter programs in Miami. Candles sell for $32 each.

Tags: candles, candles for dogs, scented candles

The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Nov 22nd 2010 at 2:01PM

While every fashionable poodle worth her pastel hair bows knows that nothing beats the gift of a forever home and a reliable bowl of kibble, human companions have long sought ways to help Fido and Fluffy experience a little holiday cheer -- and that certainly doesn't include a taste of the bubbly. As such, we here at Luxist have some recommendations for pet products that set our whiskers twitching.

1) Smart Interactive Toy for Dogs -- a Nina Ottosson puzzle toy, recommended by Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog" show. $54.95. Dogs need to be intellectually challenged, just like our human children. Teaching them to problem solve will go a long way toward building self-confidence. And should you not be blessed with a canine Einstein, we guarantee you'll be amused for hours watching your goofy Golden figure out how to find the treat you stashed under one of the little wooden pegs. Just be careful that Dumbo doesn't start chewing the wood. Available from various retailers, including Poochie Heaven.

Tags: animals, dogs, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, pets

Continue reading “The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets”

Wanted: Five Real Bitches

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Nov 20th 2010 at 2:04PM

Taking a little tinkle on "The Real Housewives" franchise, Bitch New York, a premiere source for designer dog clothing and carriers, has announced a New York City-wide search for new celebudogs for its upcoming Web profile series called "The Real Bitches of New York."

The site has an open casting call and is looking for "5 fabulous dogs from 5 New York City boroughs." A press release asks: "Does your dog have what it takes to be in the spotlight? Does she love to be showered in attention? Does your dog represent the best of New York City?"

Photos and stories should be sent to darren@popculturepr.com for consideration. All chosen dogs must be accessible to photographers and video crews for up to 90 days.

We imagine the Manhattan dog to be a tiny teacup from the Upper Eastside, purebred of course. Will Brooklyn offer up a yuppie Golden or a pit bull (after all, gentrification takes time)? Can't wait to see the muscle tee on the dog from the Bronx, but will the Staten Island bitch be wearing a lot of fake bling and have her hair teased? Queens? Do they even allow dogs there?

Tags: dog clothing, dogs, pets

Artists Create Dog Bowls To Benefit Pet Charity

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 14th 2010 at 9:01PM

Your dog can have his dinner in a work of art. David Hockney and other noted artists have decorated simple white bowls to benefit a Los Angeles pet charity. The distinctive bowls will go up for auction on November 23 at Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The bowls are by David Hockney, Charles Arnoldi, Ross Bleckner, Robert Longo and Edward Ruscha and Kenny Scharf and are each estimated at $2,500 to $3,500. Proceeds from the simultaneous auctions will benefit PAWS/LA, a group helps low-income seniors and those disabled by life-threatening illnesses keep and care for their pets. It provides free veterinary care, pet food and supplies, vaccinations, grooming, foster homes for more than 2,500 pets.

Gallery: Dog Bowls at Bonhams

Tags: bonhams and butterfields, Bonhams Butterfields, charles arnoldi, david hockney, dog bowls, edward ruscha, kenny scharf, robert longo, ross bleckner

"Nogg" Makes Keeping Chickens Stylish

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) — Oct 31st 2010 at 4:01PM

Thanks to the local food movement and that whopper salmonella scare earlier this year keeping chickens has become an increasingly popular alternative for people seeking healthy and safe ways to feed their family. But although backyard chicken coops are popping up in all kinds of traditionally non-farming neighborhoods it's been a tough and slow transition getting them into upscale areas. Traditional chicken coops just don't go with the decor.

Enter the "nogg," a giant egg-shaped designer chicken coop that makes domestic farming possible without ruining your beautiful backyard landscape. Designed to house a small group of just 2-4 chickens, the nogg is made of naturally bacteria-resistant cedar wood and features secure locks to keep the foxes out and a flap door for easy access to fresh eggs every morning. It's the brainchild of furniture designer and engineer Matthew Hayward and Creative Director Nadia Turan and sprung up out of frustration at what an eyesore traditional chicken coops are. Get more info or order a nogg for your backyard here.

Tags: backyard, chickens, farming, outdoor living, urban farm, urban farmer, urban farmers, urban farming, urban farms, yard

Cat Scratcher That Doubles as Wall Art

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) — Oct 31st 2010 at 2:02PM

Finally, a cat scratcher that looks nice -- and not just nice like a fancy cat scratcher but nice enough to pass as part of the decor when not in use. As an owner of two scratch-happy kitties myself I've spent many a frustrated shopping trip trying to find something to satisfies them without horrifying me and I think this could do it. The Itch Square Habitat for Cats is made of 100% bamboo with a carpet square in the center that's removable, replaceable, and of course customizable to fit in with your home's color and decor scheme. $50

Via bookofjoe

Tags: cat scratchers, cats, pets

Spa Paws Hotel to Open in Fort Worth, TX

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) — Sep 17th 2010 at 2:02PM

Spa Paws Hotel is opening this month in Fort Worth, TX and is set to replace the Pooch Hotel in Sunnyvale, CA as the most expensive and luxurious pet hotel in the nation. The $4.4 million 'resort' boasts pets-only rooms (no human guests allowed) with no cages or kennels, custom upholstered beds, and chenille and satin blankets complete with nightly turn-down service. It also has a state-of-the-art Wellness Center, a spa, and a shopping boutique. The Wellness Center provides both preventative and prescription treatments, depending on your pets needs, and specializes in Eastern medicine including acupressure and massage. The spa offers all the usual grooming services plus treats like aromatherapy, reflexology, and doggie facials, and (if you or your pet are in the mood to do a little shopping) you can find couture dog and cat fashions, collars, and accessories at the boutique.

Other features include a driving service for pick-up/drop-off, breed-specific areas for improved care and animal welfare, and an atrium with natural lighting and robotic squirrels for entertainment. Sounds so idyllic, even from a human perspective, that your pet might not want to go home with you when you come back from your vacation. Let the good times roll for $65 - $200 per night.

Tags: pet, pet hotels, pets, spa paws hotel

'Pooch Hotel' Offers Nation's Most Expensive Doggie Suites

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) — Jul 30th 2010 at 2:01PM

The Pooch Hotel in Sunnyvale CA is the nation's most expensive dog hotel, with their priciest "Palace Suites" coming in at a steep $100 per night per pet. Even if they share a room.

The premise is that pets are like children to many families and so the idea of leaving them behind to wallow in stress and misery while rest of the family vacations just isn't an option. Pooch Hotel offers several different levels of accommodations: the Palace Suites measure 12' x 10' or 20' x 15' for $100/night, Presidential Suites are 9' x 9' for $75/night, and Junior Suites run 5' x 7' for $50/night. All include luxury bedding but the top two tiers also include cable tv and webcams in the room so owners have access to viewing their pet anytime they have access to the internet or a smartphone. The hotel also offers additional services like a "Spaw" where pets can get pawdicures, facials, and even hair coloring (graying muzzles anyone?), a pool for swimming, land and water treadmills, and a limo service for pick-up and drop-off.

One would think such lavish indulgences would be suffering due to the current recession but apparently not, as the owner reports it's not unusual for patrons to drop several thousand dollars just for the peace of mind of leaving their dogs in a safe and happy environment. In fact the California Pooch Hotel location boasts a 99% occupancy rate for its four $100 Palace Suites and an expansion is in the works to almost double occupancy and go from 69 rooms to 133.

Gallery: The Pooch Hotel, Sunnyvale CA

Tags: dogs, pet hotels, pets, pooch hotel

Luxury Pet Care Resort To Open At Walt Disney World

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jun 27th 2010 at 10:02AM

Your pets don't have to be left out when you go to Walt Disney World. The new Best Friends Pet Care Resort will start accepting pets starting August 27. The property is more than 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas and a private dog park. There is a grooming salon that offers baths and haircuts. The facility will accommodate up to 270 dogs and 30 cats for both daytime and overnight boarding.

Options for dogs include air-conditioned indoor rooms, indoor-outdoor suites, and four larger VIP suites with television, raised bedding and private outdoor yards. The dog park includes a fenced walking trail that has various play areas offering artificial turf, a shaded place to play and even a water park. There are also areas for owners to sit and watch their dogs frolic. Dog owners can choose upgrades like bottled water, ice cream treats and private time with the staff that can include cuddle time and bedtime stories.

Cats will be off in "Kitty City" which has two and four-level condos. Cats can also receive private playtime, activities toys and special treats. There is also a special facility for boarding hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets and other small animals. The pet resort is located across from the Port Orleans Resort at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway in Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.

Both daycare and longer stays are available and rates vary depending on services. Top of the line VIP service with two potty walks, two playgroups, a flat screen TV, webcam,bedtime story and a Go Home Fresh bath costs $76.

Tags: best friends pet care, Disney World, pet boarding, pet care, walt disney, Walt Disney World

Lazy Bonezz - Exclusive Interview with the Makers of Luxe Pet Furnishings

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) — Jun 2nd 2010 at 11:01AM

When I heard the brand name "Lazy Bonezz," I wasn't sure what kind of company it was. Curiosity got the better of me, and I was pleased to discover luxury pet furnishings made with an eye toward sleek, modern interior fashion as well as smart functionality. The attractive, unobtrusive items for dogs and cats include an adjustable-height food/water dish, a scratching pad for cats that's not an eyesore and an impressive set of pet bunk beds. Finally, pet products that don't insult the integrity of your home design (see The Modern, $399, above, available in small or large).

Intrigued, I inquired about an interview with Lazy Bonezz designer Lorraine Shamie. My wish was granted and what follows is a surprising conversation about this unusual, mother-daughter company.

Luxist: So, are you a cat person or a dog person?

Lorraine Shamie: I love both cats and dogs. When we [Lorraine and her mother] started designing products we designed for both.

L: How did you get the idea for Lazy Bonezz?

LS: About two years ago, my mom and I were shopping for a gift for a close relative. She had a new baby Yorkie and just moved into a beautiful apartment in Manhattan. We wanted to buy her a stylish and comfortable pet-bed, but could not find anything that we felt she would want in her new apartment. We realized that there was a need for this type of product, and with our style and my father's manufacturing capabilities -- he runs Simmons Juvenile, a leader in the baby furniture world for 87 years -- we could solve this problem.

Gallery: Attractive Pet Products from Lazy Bonezz