An online directory for pet friendly hotels, vacations, resturants and more, bringyourpet.com, continuously polls its visitors to track trends in pet travel. According to numbers taken in 2007, 77% of pet owners frequently take their pets with them when traveling. Dogs are travel companions far more often then cats at a ratio of 84.6% travelers bringing their dogs vs. 6.3% of of pet owners who bring Kitty along.

My dog, Louis has flown with me and I have to say, I found it relatively hassle free. His charming face worked wonders in the security line and we moved right on through. Most pet jetsetters are small dogs who can travel above the plane rather then in cargo. I know many international pets who have flown around the world, their paws trekking on more exotic locations then most people!

So, what to get the serious canine jet setter as a going away gift?? The Global Gallivanter Deluxe by London company Lila Paws.  The Gallivanter provides Fido with his very own luggage, conveniently made to stash his most precious of belongings.

These luxe luggage pieces are made to order, with a 12 week waiting period, so make sure you place your order as soon as you book your tickets. The trunks can be personalized with size specifications, your pet’s name and more, so make sure to inquire.

The frame of the trunk is handcrafted in wood and covered in Scandinavian leather with white leather straps and brass detailing.

The interior is covered in Italian black damask fabric and fitted with a water bowl, pet passport holder, a bone plush toy and spaces for a number of collar and lead sets. The opposite side of the suitcase is fitted with a cushion to serve as Fido’s home away from home comfy bed. Underneath the cushiony bed, there is plenty of room to pack Fido’s couture, heaven forbid he is without the appropriate attire for whatever occasion may arise.

Now you have no excuse for not giving a unique gift to the dog who has everything!

Visit lilapaws.com for more information or to order.

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Think pet trends couldn’t get any more excessive? The latest trend in the pet nutrition market is bottled water. So, what’s the difference between these formulations and cracking open a bottle of Fiji for your beloved? These new products are marketed to add beneficial vitamins and minerals to your dog’s diet, in addition to fulfilling their thirst.

Dog-Wa is a liquid concentrate that you would dilute in your pet’s water bowl. The concentrate is chock full of cold pressed leafy greens providing nutrients available from ingredients like peppermint and parsley. Beware, even though this product is marketed as holistic, it does contain preservatives that the company claims are ‘negligable’ since the product is diluted in water…hmm…

K-9 Water offers meaty flavored bottled water for your pooch’s delight, coming in flavors like chicken, beef, liver and lamb. The names are also cute; Gutter Water, Toilet Water, Puddle Water and Hose Water. Yum! The vitamin fortified water is meant to replace multivitamins by providing vital nutrients and minerals in a tasty liquid. By healthily hydrating your pooch, K-9 water claims that their product is the easiest way to replenish essential vitamins and minerals for the active dog. I couldn’t find an ingredients list, so do your research and check those labels!

Woof Water is pure and simple spring water, for those finicky pets that feel tap water is unacceptable. The concept, marketing spring water for dogs, seems to be working and sales are growing fast. Woof Water is around the same cost as human bottled water, but now, you and Fido don’t have to share. Proceeds from the purchase of Woof Water goes to the charity, Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary. The nonprofit organization is active in the movement to put a stop to the euthanasia of healthy pets. Some frivolity is for a good cause.

My favorite product of the pack is Aqua Pure Breed. Cleverly packaged in individual disposable bowls, the spring water assures your dog can have fresh water no matter where you are. (I know firsthand, sometimes, its difficult to find fresh water for your pooch while on the go.) Aqua Pure Breed, you can just pop into your purse and whip out one of the disposable pre-filled bowls and let Fluffy get his hydration on. In addition to spring water, the company does offer mineral enhanced waters available in joint support and skin/ coat formulas. The company is also promoting an active lifestyle for pets and their people, by creating Active Dog Guides for major cities (currently only in California) and the company has started the ‘No Dog Left Behind’ program which encourages people to incorporate their dogs into more areas of their lives. I am fully supportive of that! On a superficial note, Aqua Pure Breed has the best website and packaging hands down.

If these products do anything to enhance well being, I can’t be sure. But, if you are into spoiling your precious poochy, what better time to try out one of these kooky new dog waters then during the blistering dog days of summer, when Fluffy can surely use a hydration break?

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Paris Hilton has denied an earlier story that has her shopping for a new furry friend at a Los Angeles pet shop - and getting rejected.

According to Hilton, “I wasn’t looking for a new pet. I wasn’t even at a photo shoot that day. Puppies are not accessories or toys and I love my own pets dearly. I treat them as if they were my children. It is sad that someone felt the need to invent a story about me throwing a fit for a dog that would ‘go with my outfit.’ ”

Hey, gossip is gossip…and for now its Paris’ word against the pet shop. Regardless, Cup of Dog is glad Paris doesn’t have a new pet shop pooch and that she made a statement declaring her love for her pack of puppies. It wouldn’t have hurt if she included a statement on pet shops, puppy mills and puppy brokers…but I’ll keep on dreaming.

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Preparing for Your New Arrival

In part one of this series, I covered the ins and outs of choosing your new puppy. Now, lets discuss what to do once you have placed your deposit with a breeder/ decided to go to the shelter/ or arranged to procure your fuzzy bundle in some other way, its time to get to the nitty gritty. What you need before Spot comes home!

Shopping Time

The first thing you will need to get is a crate. It can be any kind you want - plastic, wire, etc. but you will need a safe place to confine your puppy. Dogs are naturally den animals, so they feel secure in an enclosed space that is just theirs. Most dog people I know prefer wire crates so the pooch can see whats happening around the house and doesn’t feel isolated. Make sure to buy it for the size your puppy will be full grown, not for his current size. You can get a divider to make it the proper size for Spot and as he grows, expand the room he has in the crate. It should be big enough for the dog to stand, turn around and lay down. Any bigger, he will wee in the crate. Being den animals, instinct keeps dogs from ‘going’ in their den. Except for my first pup, Louis, who weed and pooed in his crate…I hope you have better luck with the crate training then I did!

Next, make sure you have some sort of bedding material. Sheepskin or fleece is great and its available cheaply at most pet stores. If you want to, the sky is the limit as far as styles, materials and prices. Just beware, if you get stylin’, there is a fairly good chance your new pup will wee all over your new cashmere dog blanket. Make sure you get something washable and soft! Hint: Bolsters around the corners are a favorite for puppies who enjoy snuggling.

Food and water dishes are next on the shopping list. There are some super awesome designs out there, but for the sake of hygiene, stick with stainless steel. You can scrub it clean and unlike porous materials, stainless steel gets completely bacteria free. Bacteria and puppies don’t mix, so even though that super cute handmade porcelain bowl would look smashing with your decor, stick with the stainless. Actually, some companies are making some cute stainless steel bowls and you can always get a feeder that has stainless bowls that pop in and out for easy cleaning. Style problem solved!

Next - the all important identification! Even if you haven’t decided on a name, have a dog tag engraved at a pet store with your telephone number in case the little guy gets loose. You can make you pup a special tag with all kinds of bells and whistles after he settles in. If you know how big your pooch is going to be, you can get a collar and leash too. I like the heavy duty nylon or leather ones because they are sturdy and inexpensive. After Spot has declared his personality to you, investing in that statement collar isn’t a bad idea.

My most favorite part of pre-puppy shopping (and post-puppy, for that matter) is for toys!!! My advice is to check out the online pet wholesalers - do a Google search - and you can get way more bang for your buck. If your new puppy is going to be under the age of a year, you are going to want to focus on tasty chewy toys. Avoid pressed rawhide, meaty chews that are chemically preserved and anything that can easily be destroyed. Stuffed toys with squeakies are always a big hit, but make sure you play with your new puppy and the stuffies and puppies can rip out the internal squeaker and choke. Stick with toys geared towards puppies.

Finally - what I find to be the most interesting and important topic. What to feed? I’ll cover this in more depth later, but you will need to make sure you have whatever the breeder or shelter is feeding on hand. It is not a good idea to switch dog foods within the first two weeks. The anxiety and stress of a new home is enough to overwhelm a pup, so keep his diet the same as he settles in. As far as what to look for in a nutritious diet, I will cover that in a future part of this series. In the meantime, make sure you have healthy, natural treats on hand to reward the pup and begin potty training. I prefer a protein based treat, like Halo Liv a Littles or Stella and Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch . The high protein content and low fat will keep your pooch healthy while promoting good behavior!

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So, when I woke this morning I wasn’t thinking today would be anything special. Breakfast was some lame yogurt and fruit which is OK, but its definitely not as good as meaty goodness. Then - out of nowhere my hoomans loaded Ella Bean and I into the thing with wheels and loud music and we hit the road.

The lull of the hip-hop and the hum of the road put Ella and I both to sleep and when we woke up, we were DOWNTOWN!! I used to work at a super awesome store called Dog Bar and thats exactly where we were. I knew it the second the door opened. There was so much meaty goodness in one store…I can’t remember why I stopped working there…Oh, right, to pursue my dream of being a writer. I pulled my Mom and Ella all the way to the store, only stopping briefly to sniff a fellow Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s bum.

Once inside my old place of business, the smells were overwhelmingly awesome. Meaty tendons for chewing, bones of all shapes and sizes, cookies and a whole freezer full of RAW MEAT!!! I started howling my dining requests to my Dad who was poking through the freezer and I was a little bummed that he only took one bag instead of the 9 I requested, but hey, it was all good when the friendly sales girl let me give her kisses, a good ear scratch and then gave me and Ella Bean cookies and treats. Ella Bean and I got to take home some chewy meaty sticks and some cookies and Ella Bean got something called Harness.

My hoomans were really worried ’cause Ella Bean has started pulling on her leash and making little coughing noises (sissy!!). So, I guess Harness is supposed to fix that. It looks like she is wearing a super-complicated  outfit of ropes and her leash attaches to her back now instead of her neck. I am never going to pull again because I don’t want to have to wear Harness!

Then, after all that excitement, we walked up and down Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road where there were tons of other dogs and hoomans who all gave us tons of attention. By the time we arrived back to the thing with wheels and loud music, we were exhausted. I passed out in Mom’s arms and drooled all over her, like serious drooling action. Ha ha! Mom discovered that I had stepped in some gooey stuff that had attached to my front paw, but it was all good. I was going to save that snack for later!

When we got home, Dad cut the goop out of my paw fur (any fur removal should seriously be authorized by me. I work hard to grow that and hoomans just cut thoughtlessly cut it!) Then, Ella and I got to work on our sticks. I tried to steal hers but she dragged it under the big bed where I can’t reach. Bitch.

Anyway, gotta get back to chewing, these sticks won’t take care of themselves!

One more thing: A Very Meaty Birthday to Shalom, who makes it possible for me and Ella Bean to get our blog on. Shalom, you can have one of my meat sticks to celebrate.

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Yesterday while at the movies with the human side of my family, I caught the trailer for the forthcoming Disney movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and it was awesome. We could use a good dog movie!

Wanting more, I took myself over to the official Beverly Hills Chihuahua website to check out the trailer and see if there was any more info on the film. To my disappointment, there was only the trailer, a synopsis and a few cute downloads…however, Disney has put a really awesome disclaimer on the bottom of the page!

“Owning a dog is a major responsibility. Dogs require daily care and constant attention. Before anyone decides to bring a dog into their family, they should research the particular breed to make sure it is suitable for their particular situation, and should learn about and be willing to undertake the serious responsibilities of dog care. There are many great websites you can visit for further information including the ASPCA [and Cup of Dog]” 

OK, so I added the last bit in…but still, I was so happy to see this paragraph, in light of the serious nature of dog ownership and especially, Disney’s acknowledgment that the media heavily influences pet ownership.

After Disney’s 101 Dalmations a few years back, a large number of Dalmations were subsequently surrendered to shelters and many were unable to find new homes. Dalmations are not good dogs for first time dog owners and unfortunately for the dogs, their families found this out too late. Of course, its not just Disney. Paris Hilton’s toting around of her little Tinkerbell a few years back instigated the skyrocket of the Chihuahua’s popularity, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s popularity surged with Elizabeth Taylor’s role in Sex and the City and there are countless other examples. It’s hard to resist a puppy’s adorable faces after seeing these highly trained dogs onscreen, but that doesn’t mean the dog on your TV screen is the right pet for your family!

I hope Disney continues to promote the importance of dog care in conjunction with the movie, utlizing the film as an opportunity to do more then entertain, but to educate.  Click here for an article on how to choose the right dog for you!

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Think your dog is so divine he deserves a temple? So does designer Marco Morosini. His line of six canine abodes are more dog art then dog house.

Morosini’s Italian company is called Dog is a God. According to the company’s concept, the name refers to man’s best friend’s elevation to the highest realm, I thought it was because ‘dog’ spelled backwards is ‘God’ and ‘God’ spelled backwards is - well, you get the point.

Two of his designs, the temple shown to your left and his ‘Good Life’ design turn your dogs into hairy little icons. Ella Bean approves of the sentiment.

Louis, my more laid back dog (though no less discerning in his taste) prefers the Transparent Dog’s House, so he can always see his mommy and the comical Nomad Dog’s House, which is shaped like a trailer home and appeals to Louis’ sense of humor.

Designer Marco Morosini’s line of incredible dog homes are not your typical backyard shady dog haven. Each creation is meticulously crafted, numbered and hand signed by Morosini.

For Morosini and the lucky pups who dwell in these miniature masterpieces, I suppose being in the dog house is a good thing!

Visit www.dogisagod.it for more information and to see the rest of the awesome dog houses.

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Ella Bean and I have decided we will be needing to travel to Japan together to try out a new beauty/cafe concept - oxygen therapy.

For us both!

A new cafe called OWND (stands for oxygen, water, nutrition and dogs!) has opened in Tokyo with the concept being that you and your beloved pooch can stop by for an oxygen treatment and then have a nutritious snack together!

Ella Bean says that this idea sure beats the same old, walk/park/fetch routine. This new concept in bonding will cost about 20 Euro, each, for 15 minutes in one of the oxygen chambers.

Is 15 minutes enough time to experience the full benefit of an oxygen treatment? What does an oxygen treatment even do?

I suppose Cup of Dog will have to send Ella Bean and I to Tokyo to find out!

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While taking some time out of my busy schedule to answer some fan mail, I realized that my legions of followers might benefit from my advice, seeing as how they look up to me and all.

So, I have decided to publish select letters along with my answers so you can all benefit from my Bean-tastic wisdom.

Dear Ella Bean,

I have a problem that I hope you can help with. I really like to eat and have put on some extra weight lately. At my most recent vet visit, the doctor even said I could stand to lose three or four pounds! How can I get my physique back without sacrificing my eating pleasures?

Poppy the Portly Pekingese

Dear Portly,

I really like to eat as well, but I don’t have a weight problem because I am famous. I am super sorry about how fat you have gotten, ’cause I weigh less in total then you need to lose! I suggest you get your butt to the dog park and start working off the weight. Oh, and stay away from carbs too. I eat completely grain free and I think thats the key to staying skinny. Also, make sure you really work at it ’cause a bitch has gotta keep the weight down to stay healthy.

Kisses,

Ella Bean

Dear Ella Bean,

I am in love with a Terrier that lives across the street from me. Every time I see him, my heart just wants to sing! Problem is, I don’t think he notices me. I really want to sniff his butt, but I can’t get his attention. What should I do?

Lonely Lhapso in Louisiana

Dear Lonely,

Thanks for your letter! I suggest you roll around in some smelly feastables before you see him next, really get the smell of the food in your fur. No man can resist a bitch smelling like fresh meat! Also, don’t be afraid to make the first move and bark at him! Also, don’t get shy when he wants to sniff your underside. Boys dig confidence!

Kisses,

Ella Bean

One final thought, I just want to say how much I appreciate my fans! Keep your letters coming!

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Tori Spelling’s faithful companion, pug Mimi LaRue passed away on Tuesday at age 11.  She died at home, surrounded by her family, of natural causes.

The pug was famous in her own right, a red carpet regular, magazine cover model and star of the television shows So noTORIous and Tori & Dean: Inn Love.

Tori Spelling said, “She was not just a dog but a fashion icon and legend amongst Hollywood dogs. She received fan e-mail on a regular basis, and I often joked she got sent more designer clothes than me!”

Our deepest condolences to the entire Spelling family on their loss.

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