We’ve researched the twenty most popular names for your pet, girl and boy.

Boys

• Shadow
• Smokey
• Jake
• Lucky
• Simba
• Spot
• Spike
• Boots
• Gus
• Rusty
• Toby
• Rufus
• Duke
• Buddy
• Duke
• Bear
• Brian
• Murphy
• Cody
• Beau
• Oliver

Girls

• Brandy
• Lady
• Ginger
• Coco
• Princess
• Misty
• Daisy
• Molly
• Lucy
• Tasha
• Rosie
• Chloe
• Bella
• Gracie
• Lilly
• Sadie
• Mia
• Luna
• Pepper
• Midnight

So, your family  just got a new puppy. You’ve finally found the perfect best friend, but what now? What do you  need to keep your new friend safe and healthy? Here’s a list of the 15 best puppy essentials.

1. A puppy pen or a play pen. To keep your new puppy out of danger while you are away.

2. A collar-WITH tags. Incase your pup runs off, he can find his way home.

3. Chew Toys. Not just to save your shoes, but to keep your dog entertained, and out of trouble. Note: the best toys are the ones that don’t have eyes or anything that can be chewed off and choked on! AND, just like babies chew on hard toys, puppies like hard plastic toys too, Kongs Toys are popular.

4. Food and water bowls. If you have other pets, make sure to train your puppy to only eat out of his bowl. It’s best to keep the food in a tub or a container, to keep your young pup from getting into the bag. ALSO, keep the water clean. You wouldn’t want to drink dirty water, neither does your best friend.

5. Hair Brush. People need grooming, and so do dogs. If you have a long haired pet, you want to make sure to keep the fur untangled. There are brushes for every type of pet hair, so make sure to find the right one.

6. A Leash. Your pup  loves to go on walks, and also, most public parks require dogs on a leash. He may not like being leashed, but it is possible to train them. A leash will keep your pup in sight and out of trouble with bigger dogs.

7. Healthy pet food. Most Vets will have a recomended diet for your new puppy’s health. Make sure to stay away from any by-products!

8. Healthy puppy snacks. To reward him/her when your puppy is in training, and sometimes just as a treat. Same as the pet food, stay away from by-products. Corn, Wheat and Soy are some of the best.

9. A good Vet! Find a good vet that you AND your pet trusts. A good way to find a good vet is to ask your friends with pets.

10. A name. You want to make sure your pet has a good name, and train them to come to that name. You don’t want a confused puppy!

11. A toothbrush. Like it or not, dogs need their teeth brushed too. Not as often as people, but enough to keep their teeth and gums healthy. Talk to your vet to find the right toothpaste and brush for your pup.

12. Cleaning Supplies. I know you won’t want to hear this, but they don’t usually come potty trained. You want to find a good carpet cleaner if you have carpet! Most popular cleaning brands make a pet stain cleaning product.

13. You might want to get a puppy bed. When your pet gets older, it may  be hard for them to sleep on the floor.

14. A good dog sitter. You can’t always take your pup with you when you leave town. Most Dog groomers also have boarding, and also Vet Clinics usually have boarding.

15. Find parks that allow dogs. Your pup neeeds excersise!

By Kelsey Ray

Written By: Kelsey Ray

Keep Your Pet Safe and Sane in the Summer Heat!

Summer is the time to get out and have fun. But for pet owners, it is also the time to take extra precautions. Some people take their dogs with them when they go somewhere in the car. Did you know that the temperature inside your car can get up to 120 degrees, even if parked in the shade? This is why you should never leave your pets in the car while you are out.

 Another precaution you should take to keep your pets safe is to not put your pet in the back of a pickup truck. This can be dangerous for your pet in many ways. In an accident, pets are most likely going to be thrown from the truck or trapped in the back. Also heavy breaking and swerves can throw your pet from the pickup bed. Pets should be kept in the cab of any truck.

A precaution to take at your home is to keep poisons like fertilizers and other yard chemicals out of reach of any pets. Also, almost 700 plants can be harmful or fatal for animals, so before you plant in your garden, make sure they are animal safe.

When walking your dogs in a public place, keep them leashed. This will keep them from fighting with other dogs, eating or drinking anything harmful, and getting lost. Also remember to keep your dogs tags on their collar and keep the info on the tags updated.

Keep your pets hydrated. Just like humans need water to survive, pets need it too. You should keep a water bowl filled up in the house and outside. If you and your furry friend are planning on going on a hike or any other outdoor activity, make sure to pack water for both of you!

Don’t take your pets to crowded public areas like fairs, concerts or other events. Loud noises and too many strangers can stress out your pet, and stress is just as dangerous in animals as it is in pets.

Go Orange in April for the National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

April is a good month to Go Orange. Going Orange shows support for the National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month sponsored by the ASPCA.

They will be kicking off this event on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 when iconic buildings and landmarks across the country will support the ASPCA’s life-saving work as they light up in its signature color and “Go Orange for Animals.” 

Some of the biggest events are in Las Angeles, New York, and Austen, however there will be smaller events across the country.

Calendar & Locations of Events

Ways to Go Orange

Get Your Go Orange Kit

Social Media for Our Four-Legged Friends Goes Viral

When I first heard that there was Social Media for pets, I thought, that’s all we need. But, after checking out a few of the sites, it’s actually fun and light hearted. 

CuteAsHell.com

The site that I’ve been hearing the most about is Cute As Hell. It allows you to create a profile for yourself and add profiles and photos for your pets.

Readers can vote on your pet’s “cuteness” and there are also  prizes for going head to head in the Thunderdome. The site allows you to ask pet-related questions, find a shelter, donate to pet charities, rate products, and buy products recommended by the community.

There is even a “wall” similar to Facebook where people can post comments to your pets.

Our Chocolate Lab Caddis has a profile at http://www.cuteashell.com/pets/446/Caddis, along with our other pets.

Anamigo

Anamigo.com is an online pet community dedicated to giving our pets their own place online. They offer daily prizes you can win up to $300 a week (over $3,500 given away so far). This site didn’t same to have the same functionality as Cuteashell.com but has great photos.

If that’s not enough, here’s some more links to get you and your pet started in pet social media:

Social Media Break: 5 Cute Animal Sites to Make You Go Aww

Get a Pet Social Media Widget

The Cat/Dog Log Blog

You can help Save Homeless Pets and the Environment too by Recycling your used Ink Cartridges and cell phones with a new program from Petsmart Charities called Recycle for Life.

Just visit your nearest PetSmart store and look for the PetSmart Charities recycling display to pick up a free postage paid pre-addressed envelope.  Drop it in the mail and PetSmart Charities will receive a $2 -$15 donation for every cartridge or phone recycled through this program. Plus, you will help save the environment too!

 You can also buy recycled ink cartridges on their website.

It’s really easy with the plastic prepaid envelopes that are available at the Petsmart stores.

Check it out, you’ll be glad you did.

Missoula’s Best Pet Friendly Locations

Missoulians love their pets, you just have to take a walk downtown and see that they take pets everywhere. Fortunately, there are many places that are pet friendly in Missoula.

Missoula and its surrounding areas have abundant recreational opportunities for you and your pet, including 2 dog parks – Jacob’s Island and Fort Missoula’s Canine Campus where you can let your pooch run without a leash. There are many other great places to walk your dog in Missoula, but you must comply with the city’s leash laws. Our favorite places in the city limits are the Clark Fork River Walking Trail and the Kim Williams Trail. For a really good workout with your dog, you could also Hike the “M” trail on Mount Sentinel.

• Go Fetch! Bring your leashed pet and enjoy Go Fetch!’s Pet Bakery, Self-Grooming Pet Center, Dog Hikes, Toys & Accessories.
• Petsmart - Of course PetSmart is a great place to take your pet. It’s one of my Beagle’s favorite words!
• Dog Logic - Cageless Doggie Daycare, Boarding, and “Social Club”.
• Pet Friendly Hotels & Camping/RV Areas

There are also some wonderful Pet Groups in and around Missoula:

• Animeals – provides food for hungry animals.
• Rolling Dog Ranch – an amazing sanctuary that rescues disabled animals. Also – A great place to visit and spend the day when you’re in Western Montana. If you’re an animal lover, you will enjoy their blog about life on the Ranch.
• MontanaPets.org – helps you find pets that need a home.

Here’s a List of Pet Friendly Hotels, Apartments, Nannies, Doggie Daycares, and Kennels.

We’ve worked with a few sellers this past year who have house pets. Now as a proud pet owners of 2 cats and 2 dogs, we certainly understand that pets are part of the family and most times they can’t move out during the time a house is on the market.

However, Smell is the FIRST thing people notice when they enter a home and many buyers may be turned away by pet smells. We once worked with someone who was so sensitive to pet smells that one time we went into a very clean, vacant condo with freshly cleaned carpets and she had to leave due to the pet smell – which I didn’t notice by the way. She wasn’t used to living with pets though, which makes a big difference.

So, how do you keep from losing buyers over pet odors? 

1. Don’t Take Offense: First you have to realize that if you have pets, there are odors that some buyers will pick up. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your home isn’t clean or that your pets aren’t clean. Don’t take offense. It’s just simply something you have to be aware of when selling your home.

2. Extra Clean: The main thing you can do is to keep your home as clean as possible. Keep the pet hair vacuumed up, the litter box cleaned, and the yard picked up. This takes some time but will help you sell your home more quickly. You may also want to consider having your carpets professionally cleaned.

3. Bring in the Fresh Air: before a showing or Open House, do your best to let in some fresh air from outside. Fresh air is the best thing for pet odors. If possible, take the pets with you when you leave, put the pets outside, or in another part of the house until the showing is completed. Also, pick up food bowls, pet beds, bags of food, etc.

4. Avoid Air Fresheners for the most part. They don’t usually hide the smell and you’ll end up with floral scented pet odors! Fresh baked cookies in the kitchen are good alternative. If you really feel the need for an air freshener, mix a few drops of a Citrus Essential Oil (Lemon, Lime, Orange) with cup of water. Essential Oils can be found at many health-food or grocery stores. You can spray a small amount of this in the air prior to showings.

5. Consider working with a Pet-friendly Realtor(R) that can help you make sure your home shows well, working with you and your family pets.

These tips will help you sell you entice more buyers so you can sell your home faster – which helps your bottom line.

2008 Copyright, Kevin & Monica Ray, Access Realty