Dog Art Today

Michael Surtees and Madison Review the Mutt Mitt

Design connoisseur Michael Surtees of Design Notes and his Weimaraner Madison give Mutt Mitt poop scoop bags a try.  Michael suggests a few tweaks but likes the product overall.  Madison is too beautiful to worry about poop bags.  You're not, so mark this Memorial Day as the kick off to  your greenest summer ever.  Order your Mutt Mitts for your home and community here. 

Have a great weekend!

Yay Hugx! Lifestyle Innovtion Award Winner!

Congratulations, Jane Grant, the inventor of the classy, sleek Hugx dog bowl, winner of the Lifestyle Innovation Award at Pet Fashion Week 2008.  The ergonomic design was created by Justin Magee and Stephen McGilloway who have worked with Mercedes and Audi’s auto design team.   The goal was to make a dog bowl that was adjustable, non-skid, accessible with a post-op collar, and cool looking.

Here are some great visuals via PupStyle (their Dara Foster was one of the judges).

Last month, Jane Grant graciously sent Darby a lovely white model to test drive, and he loves it.  I love it too, because it solves Darby's "cowbell issue," the clanging of his dog tags against a ceramic bowl every time he used to take a bite of kibble.  Mornings are so much more peaceful now.

I am glad to see that Hugx (pronouced hug-kiss) is getting the acclaim it deserves.  Read my previous post about it here.  Order a Hugx for your pup here. 

Or if you're feeling lucky, head over to PupStyle where they are giving one away.

Danngerous Dog Toy: Rough & Rugged by Four Paws

Photographer and dog lover, Sabrina Helas, posted a story today about a dog named Chai who had to have his tongue amputated when it got caught by a vacuum seal inside this chew toy, Rough & Rugged by Four Paws.

This is the culprit:

Information:

Manufactured by Four Paws Inc. It is the pimple ball with bell (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9) 

Sweet Chai is on the mend

Chai is recovering.  But it is so horrific.  Chai's owner has started a blog called The Chai Story to raise awareness about this dangerous toy.  It seems Chai is not the only dog to have suffered at the hands of this poor design that can create a vacuum seal on the dog's tongue.  Another dog, Coley, died after such a vacuum occurred and he succumbed to his wounds, and this was back in 2005.

Coley's owner wrote countless letters asking for Four Paws to change the design, but was assured this was just a freak accident.  Now, he is devastated that this has happened again to another dog.

Please forward this to all the dog owners in your life.

9.10.08 Update:  Four Paws has halted shipment of the Rough & Rugged ball but have not recalled it.  Now, it seems there are at least 13 dogs who have suffered injury from this poorly designed toy.  Via Cup of Dog.

Coolest Dog Poo Bags Ever!

Cuno, the agency's dog and inspiration.

100% biodegradable and 100% beautiful.  By Berlin-based ad agency/product designers Nina Dautzenberg and Andrea Gadesmann of jungeschachtel.

 

Package of 16 bags comes with 8 different styles and sayings.  Handy cardboard scoopers make clean up fast, easy, and hygenic.  Bags also come gift wrapped if you want to send them as a present to the eco-friendly dog owner in your life.  Order here.

Via Dieline.

Thanks for the tip, Michael Surtees, of exellent blog DesignNotes.

Hugx: Building a Better Dog Bowl

Donegal Pink Hugx

Last October when I reviewed some contemporary dog bowls, one of my favorites, the The GOD - B-1 (go with DOG) dog bowl and mat in one, was only a prototype.  It was surprising to me, because the idea was very clever and seemed to solve several problems, the mat prevented the bowl from skidding, and the tilt option allowed the dog easy access to the food.

Now, Jane Grant of Northern Ireland has tackled the dog feeding problem (inspired by the mess her red setter would make)  with an adorable variation on the theme called Hugx.  After duly researching dog eating habits with Justin Magee and Stephen McGilloway from the School of Art and Design at the University of Ulster, they concluded that pet bowls were not  correctly designed for dogs and they aimed to do better.

Specifically their goals were to:

1. provide an ergonomic pet bowl, taking into consideration how a pet eats primarily by using his  nose.
2.  reduce/eliminate the noise associated with pets chasing bowls and dog food across floors.
3.  provide a dog bowl that could work for animals wearing post operative collars.
4.  produce a stylish bowl that could look attractive in any interior.
5.  provide a bowl that could be easily updated or changed.
6.  ensure a pet bowl that looked as clean at the end of dinner as before!

The result: the Mini and Max Hugx bowls that allow large and small breed dogs to dig deep into their food at whatever angle they prefer while being assured of stability from the four colorful plastic grips at the base.

LA Blue Hugx

Picadilly Red Hugx

Snow White Hugx

Read the rave reviews from happy dog (and cat) owners here.  Buy yours today here. 

Also, know that the colors are interchangeable so you can adjust your color scheme as your dog adjusts his eating angle.  Brilliant!

Related modern dog bowl links:

Reinventing the Dog Bowl
Great Dane Dog Bowl

Doggie Plate from HipHazel

This hand drawn, dog with a bone plate from HipHazel is beautiful enough for your precious pup to eat off.  If you're good, maybe he'll share it with you. 

Via Houndmade Hattie, a dog blogger with her own darling Etsy store, featuring handmade goods for your favorite hounds.

Whigby: Heads of State

Super cute dog and cat wrapping paper from Whigby, a stationary company run by Todd and Frank, two Canadian guys who design locally and think globally.  All products, like the adorable Heads of State (above), are made with recycled paper and water-based ink.  Love it!

Via Design*Sponge.

Bottles to Beds: Eco-Friendly Dog Beds

I love products that look good and do good like these lovely and durable dog beds from Fetchdog.com.  Stuffed with plush Intelliloft fiber fill, made of recycled plastic bottles, these beds save 4-48 soda bottles from landfills depending on their size.  Perfect for your eco-conscious dog's green lifestyle.  Happy Earth Day! 





To order yours click here.