Groomer Has It, Week IV Recap

I know we didn’t recap on last week’s episode of Groomer Has It, Ruff Customers, but that doesn’t mean we stopped watching!

Resuming our recaps with yesterday night’s new episode, The Fashion Show, the groomers have been narrowed down from twelve to nine contestants and winner of last week’s challenge, the loud and sometimes flamboyant, Will, is given the chance to pick teams for this week’s Quick Snip challenge.

He chooses Jessica and Amber. Shocking! Why wouldn’t you pick Jonathan who has won or been runner up in all of the challenges so far? Amber was a wise choice I thought, until she grabbed the reins on this challenge and started galloping off to crazy-land.

Will had the chance to really fluster the other contestants and truly set up losing teams, but he didn’t. Instead, Jonathan, Malissa, Kathleen were assigned as teammates, two of the strongest contestants and so far, one of the weakest and he assigned Jasper, Artist and Jorge to be teammates. After all, the show is called Groomer Has It and he paired some of the strongest groomers on other teams.

The Quick Snip Challenge was to create a line of dog apparel for the next day’s fashion show, to be worn by modeling poodles from each size group, Standard, Miniature and Toy. Amber led her group, Will and Jessica down the path of over-accessorising and each look was decidedly different but totally overdone.

Jonathan, Malissa and Kathleen were working more like a team and ganged up on 23 year old Malissa, throwing her ideas away and telling her what to do throughout the episode. She made some meek attempts to regain some say in her poodle’s haircut, until Kathleen literally seized her dog from the grooming table, in effort to ’salvage’ the grooming.

Jasper, Artist and Jorge were the surprise. Underdogs at the start, these boys created a simple sports related theme with a matching pallette of red, white and gray.

After handing their designs off to seamstresses, Jasper, Artist and Jorge were deemed the winners and all three groups went back to the Dog House to work on the next day’s presentations. They were also told that this week’s losing team would be picking from their group, who would be coming home.

During preparations, the contestants realized this was an opportunity to strategically get rid of threatening groomers. Suddenly, the top groomers were feeling a little uneasy.

That didn’t stop the drama during grooming as Jonathan and Kathleen ganged up on Malissa, relegating her to paint the model’s nails, rather then continue to groom. To be fair, Malissa did announce she was done before Kathleen seized Malissa’s toy poodle to ‘fix’ it.

The other two teams groomed with less drama in their groups, however, Amber struggled through grooming her dog who was completely matted.

During judging, Will all of a sudden turned against his teammates, saying he wished he had chosen differently. Jorge, Jasper and Artist’s team were named the winners, with Jasper named overall winner. We will see what help Jasper gets in next week’s Quick Snip Challenge for being named winner.

Guest judge Melissa Rivers (daughter of Joan) slammed Jonathan, Malissa and Kathleen’s group and called Kathleen out over the fact that her poodle ‘logo’ was something Kathleen used in other projects. Malissa was raked over the coals for her poor grooming, but in the end, the group was sent back to the Dog House, finishing in the middle.

Amber, Will and Jessica took insults from Melissa Rivers regarding how overdone their collection was (pot calling the kettle ‘black,’ I think). The other judges felt the grooming overall, was the weakest and this pack was the losing team. Which way would it go? Will voted first calling for Amber to go home. Amber voted next, in Will’s direction. The fate of the groomers lay in Jessica’s hands, she could pick Will and get rid of the high drama he creates or Amber, a strategic vote that would get rid of one of the stronger contestants, raising her own odds. Jessica chose the latter path and the judges wistfully waved Amber off, praising her skill and sad not to see her work later in the competition.

Next week resumes with a Quick Snip Challenge on dog CPR and emergency medical care and a main challenge that involves cats. After we get rid of one more contestant, I think I’ll be able to decide who I am rooting for. Right now its between Artist, because I like his funky name and he is funny, Malissa, because everyone is expecting her to lose and I suppose Jonathan…all though he is kinda boring.

I didn’t comment on anyone’s grooming skills because I really can’t tell that much of a difference between the groomers so far and I know firsthand how difficult a squirmy, matted dog can be to wash or groom.

If you missed this or any other episode, catch a repeat or stream it on your computer at Groomer Has It on www.animalplanet.com.

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New Reality TV Show Set to Premiere in July

Just in, Variety, the entertainment industry paper has announced CBS’s new TV show, “Greatest American Dog,” in which 12 dogs and their owners will be living together and competing for first place, which includes the title Greatest American Dog and $250,000 prize money.

Premiering July 10 at 8 P.M., the show will be hosted by Jarod Miller, zoologist and TV personality. Miller is currently co-hosting the show Petfinder on Animal Planet and making guest appearances on shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Rachael Ray Show.

Cup of Dog is looking forward to more dog related TV this summer!

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The Puppy Builders Gym Set looks like a toy one would give to their toddler, a colorful blanket with hanging mobile toys. The toys are different shapes and textures to help develop puppy’s brain.

For those of us who don’t have babies, but love our fur babies with ‘mommy - baby’ ardor, here is a toy to help keep reality nice and blurry. Don’t tell us puppies aren’t our kids!!!

Is the gym set over the top?

The longer I work in the pet industry, the less fazed I am by products that might seem silly to doggie parents who aren’t up on the latest pup-trends. However, this seems more reasonable then purchasing a $1,200 collar and lead set. (Yes, a collar and lead I know of does carry that hefty of a price tag!)

The online retailer who offers this toy, Paw Palace Online - The Ultimate Luxury Dog Boutique has an online gift registry. Friends and family can shop for your new arrival, birthdays and other special events without any guesswork on sizes or duplicating anything Fido’s inventory. I love it!

My dogs would try and destroy it, flip it over and drag it around, but if you can train your young puppy to use it, I think the resulting cuteness would be worth it!!!

For more information please visit www.pawpalaceonline.com

Image via Paw Palace online

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How to Waste Time as a Dog Obsessed Facebook Fiend!

I am not the only Facebook user constantly using Dogbook, the Facebook application for people to share pictures and information about their dogs.

In fact, according to the group’s page, there are about 21,480 daily active users. Not too shabby! I am certainly not alone in my obsession with Dogbook. Louis Reginald has had a profile, pretty much since he came to live with me.

He has a whopping 492 friends on Facebook. To give you a point of reference, I have a paltry 148 friends. Ella Bean has only been on the site for about a month and she has only 21 friends. Other dogs have upwards of 1,000 friends!

Dogbook was developed in a week’s time by a 21-year old named Alexandre Roche. The application essentially makes a Facebook Profile for your dog. You enter in your dog’s name, its breed and type, its favorite actitivites, ect.

Why are seemingly logical adults and college students spending hours making ‘friends’ for their dogs, updating their profiles and even their status?

Unlike breed or health topic specific chat forums, Dogbook is a more personal approach to social networking in the vast online canine community. Canine members communicate to one another by taking on their dog’s persona, rather then speaking directly to the human owner. Its fun, but not really all that useful, it is purely social and you have to chance upon users interested in topics like health in order to connect with like-minded pet owners.

Dogbook, however, makes it clear that we are just a group of people, so in love with our dogs, we want to show them off on the world wide web.

I hope that they add more functions like the human Facebook, where our dogs can join ‘groups’ (i.e. Frisbee Lovers, Raw Eaters, Fat Dogs, Tiny Dogs, etc.) and the ability to communicate and connect via those interests. This would advance Facebook’s superficial value and turn it into a place where dog owners can share information, valuable tips and experiences as a dog owner and more.

The major downer about Dogbook is that the programmers regularly encounter problems that disable the application. At one point the server was down for a few days. Check out the messages from users on Dogbook’s page [click here and head to the discussion board]! Users were livid!!!! You would think that people would stay calm, after all, its a pet profile, but people were seriously freaking out! All of the features have yet to be restored at this time, but the programmers assure users that they are working day and night to restore all the features and add more to capitalize on the application’s success.

My other fave dog application, which I started using to waste time when I am bored. This application, PetPupz, beats Dogbook with 104,421 daily active users. Nice! What is so funny is that PetPupz is no longer for bored people in front of their computers. We have become owners obsessed with giving our virtual dogs the best food, care and having the highest levels of obedience. Its great, with the click of a button, you can train your dog! I wish I had that button for Louis and Ella!

In this application you choose a dog breed, adopt a puppy, name him or her, decide his or her likes and dislikes and take it from there.

It is up to you to earn Puppy Points to feed, train and play with your puppy to keep it happy. Every 24 hours the program gives you some points and points can be earned by inviting other players, playing with other peoples dogs and participating in advertising surveys. I only earn through petting other dogs and inviting people. I can’t explain why I am compelled to keep using this application, with two real dogs snuggled up to my side, however, I keep coming back for more!!

Try it, you’ll see, its addictive fun!

If you have a Facebook account, check out Louis Reginald and Ella Bean on Dogbook and ask to be their friend and come visit my fake dog, Winston, in the Petpupz application!

What’s your favorite Facebook doggie application?

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Groomer Has It, Week II Recap

Week 2 of Animal Planet’s show Groomer Has It proved to be more amusing then the first!! The eleven groomers left in the Dog House have over 150 years of experience in dog grooming!

This week, Jai Rodriguez, the host’s Yorkshire Terrier pup Nemo arrived at the dog house in a full on cowboy getup offering a clue to the challenge. Nemo delivered the information to the contestants regarding their ‘Quick Snip’ challenge!

This week’s Quick Snip challenge had the contestants pair up to shear a sheep! Shocked by the challenge, professional sheep shearers gave the contestants advice on how to get started. The groomers dove in with their heavy duty shears, attempting to clip their sheep to perfection. The winner of each week’s quick snip challenge recieves an ‘extra’ that will assist them in the main challenge. Even though these smaller challenges are rather silly so far, winning them can mean the difference between being that week’s top dog or ending up with their tail between their legs. Contestants Amber and Jorge won the challenge, making this Amber’s second win in a row for the Quick Snip portion!

The main challenge was for each contestant to groom a Bearded Collie, (The contestant’s first chance to work with a LIVE dog!!) one of the most difficult dogs to groom to show quality. Relating to the Quick Snip challenge, the Bearded Collie, or Beardie, is primarily a herding dog, used by Scottish shepherds to care for their flocks. Today, Beardies can be found herding, but also make lively family pets.

The difficulty in grooming these pups is twofold. First, the show brought the groomers a group of matted and dirty dogs. Beardie’s have thick coats that are prone to severe mats and staining. Removing mats, without upsetting the dog or removing the dog’s hair is a major challenge. The goal is to maintain a natural looking coat that lays flat and flowing, with no scissoring. Jorge and Amber, winners of the Quick Snip challenge were rewarded with an extra tool, a fine tooth comb to assist them in the challenge.

After two hours to complete the challenge, the judges reviewed the contestants work. This week, a special guest judge, a Bearded Collie expert, Carol Scott, joined the team of judges.

Jonathan, the celeb groomer who won the first week’s challenge came out as top dog again with his Beardie! Unfortunately Sarah was eliminated in a somewhat controversial decision! The judges called her out on a poor wash and her inability to remove staining around her dogs face and mouth. Even though Will’s Beardie Lily, suffered through her grooming as he yanked at her matted private parts. I think a suffering pooch is worse then a little staining!!

Stay tuned for next week’s show, Ruff Customers! If you have missed the first two episodes, head click here and head on over to Animal Planet where they are streaming the episodes of Groomer Has It!

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Groomer Has It, Week I Recap

Animal Planet’s new show, Groomer Has It, premiered Saturday night (9 PM EST). I prepared myself for a canine version of Project Runway, complete with zany competitors and bizarre chal

lenges. The first episode introduces all of the dog stylists and presents them with their first two challenges. Given that I have started grooming Louis and Ella Bean by myself at home, I am hoping to pick up a few tips to avoid mangling my pet’s fur in the future.

12 groomers move into the ‘Dog House,’ which looks like a house that MTV’s Real World cast would live in, with dog themed décor. Two of the groomers purport themselves to be “celebrity dog stylists” and they namedrop A-list superstars claiming to have ‘done’ these celeb dogs. There are the long shots with no formal training, hobby groomers and those who have been practicing their craft for their whole lives and worked in the high-pressure dog show industry.

True to reality TV competition formula, one of the groomers is eliminated after the challenge each week. They are competing for a $50,000 cash prize, a fully loaded mobile grooming van and the title, Groomer of the Year.

The shows is hosted by former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy host, Jai Rodriguez, who keeps the tone of the show light and funny.

The first challenge is for the groomers to identify, blindfolded, breeds of dog lined up for the stylists to touch, and guess the breed by shape and fur texture. Next, they are asked to style a ‘yarn dog,’ a canine mannequin, used by student groomers to practice before getting hands on with a live, squirmy canine.

The judges are champion dog show handler Xavier Santiago, veterinarian, Dr. Karen Halligan and Joey Villani, identified as a U.S. Grooming expert.

What the first episode lacked in live dogs, it made up for in quirky, enthusiastic competitors who are sure to deliver some humor throughout the season. I loved that the host, Jai, has his Yorkshire Terrier, Nemo, deliver the challenge information to the competitors at the Dog House via a pocket in a cute canine jacket.

While the judges seem less then impressed with most of the finished yarn dogs, the transformation on some was pretty cool and a few of the mannequins had morphed into lifelike little animals! Many of the competitors seriously overdid coloring their faux dog’s hair, leaving the yarn dogs looking more ridiculous then punk doggie chic.

Finally, after the judges deliberated, the winner was deemed to be Jonathan, the high-end, New York City celebrity dog groomer. Jonathan owns his own elite dog grooming business and has been in the industry for over 15 years. His win secures him the ‘pick of the litter’ for next week’s challenge.

One of the bottom two scorers was Jasper, a 42-year-old groomer from Boston, who has owned his own dog salon for the past seven years, encountered the unfortunate when his yarn dog lost a leg. Jasper decided to make the most of it, naming his mannequin Tripod. Unfortunately, the grooming didn’t look as good as Jasper had hoped but he was ultimately allowed to stay.

The first to be sent home from the Dog House was Lisa, the 50-year-old groomer from Phoenix, who owns her own mobile grooming company. In truth, I thought Jasper’s dog looked way more ugly then Lisa’s, but I am not a grooming expert! Click here to see all of the contestant’s before and after pictures.

I can’t wait for next week’s episode, Ruff Customers, and I love that there are enough crazy dog people like me to create such a ridiculous show!

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My husband has been offering me the same tidbit of advice over and over in the past few weeks. “Try to be like Louis.” Louis is a silly dog, a loving dog, a relaxed and outgoing dog. He is never self-conscious and he doesn’t understand the meaning of the word ’stress’. He sleeps deeply with his tongue hanging out, in a state of pure bliss. Louis lives in the moment, not holding on to the past or looking toward the future, unless a treat is involved.

Not the easiest path for a totally neurotic, super-stresser like me. I have made mention previously of my less then stellar personal health and of late, have been attempting to incorporate Yoga, stretching and relaxation into my routine.

One small glitch. The only exercises I thought I could share with my love-pups are our walks and romps in the park. I don’t like to be without my four-legged furballs (please know that I do know how I am nutty for dogs), so the thought of a ‘no dogs allowed’ gym or pool outing doesn’t exactly get me psyched to start moving.

So, though its been around for a while, I never really looked into doing yoga with my pooches until the recent trend became the subject of many articles and books on the topic. First impression: Looks dumb. Rather then a workout, I will be chasing my dog around attempting to get Louis to do what I want. Not relaxing.

Now Doga, as doggie yoga is called, has gone mainstream and ABC News is reporting on it. The concept is more about bonding and relaxing with Fluffy rather then a grueling, sweat induced yoga session. Still skeptical, I tried a few poses with Louis. (Ella Bean is 2 pounds and I was afraid I might squish her.)

Surprisingly, he complied as I asked him to sit and act like a prop in triangle pose, mimicking this photo. We continued and did a few more stretches incorporating Louis into the pose slowly and safely. As a supplement to my more intense yoga, I think we might give this a try more often!

The best part though, was when I laid down for the traditional Corpse Pose as I finished stretching. Eyes closed and splayed out on my yoga mat, I positioned Louis so he was laying on my belly. In true Louis fashion, within seconds, my face was covered in a Lou tongue bath and relaxation time was over, but at least I was smiling!

Search the internet to find a Doga class in your neighborhood. I am going to try and check out the Doga Dog studio in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and call my local Crunch Gym to see when the next Ruff Yoga class is being offered.

If you can’t find a local class, the book, Doga, Yoga for Dogs, is a great alternative.

Ommmmmm….Ruffffffff…………..

Image of ‘Doga’ via ABC News

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One of my favorite brands of canine accoutrements is Blueblood – Luxury Goods for Dogs. My black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Louis Reginald wears the Gretel faux ostrich collar and lead set. We are both highly impressed by the quality of the product and its unique style. As a canine consumer, I really connect to the brand’s overall vibe, even having posted about it in a past entry (Fit for a Noble Beast).

Due to Louis and my admiration for Blueblood, we are extremely honored that Alexis Moran, one of the founding members of the Blueblood team has taken the time to answer a few questions for us. While Cup of Dog is primarily concerned with canine health and nutrition, we really enjoy introducing quality brands and products that enhance the lives of pets and pet owners. After all, it is our feeling that in order to truly achieve optimum health; life must include beauty, art and ingenuity. These are the adjectives that Blueblood embodies.

Cup of Dog: Tell us about the dogs that were the inspiration for the inception of the Blueblood brand.
Alexis Moran: My business partner Tina Pao and I met at our dog park: Alta Plaza in Pacific Heights. It is an extraordinarily beautiful park, where dogs of all shapes and sizes play - leash-free. The backdrop of one hundred year old mansions and the Bay of San Francisco is spectacular. We were inspired by all of the dogs in our neighborhood and more importantly, an eclectic group of cool, chic dog owners who we felt could use a dog accessory brand that was sophisticated and fun, with a fashion meets function appeal.
COD: How did you and your partner, Tina go about making the concept a reality?
AM: We just pounded the pavement! We took our backgrounds/ strengths and combined them with asking a lot of questions. People in our industry, friends and colleagues have been very supportive throughout the process. We had the least experience in the manufacturing aspect of the business. So far, that has probably been the area in which we have learned the most.
COD: Who are your favorite non-dog designers?
AM: Great question!! I would say Ralph Lauren has always been one of my greatest influences for his impeccable taste and ability to create a brand that epitomizes luxury and style. I have always looked up to Martha Stewart. I think she is a great business woman to have taken what is “everyday” and always make it imaginative, tasteful and elegant. I also love Michael Kors for classic American design, and the brands Missoni and Etro for great colors and patterns. John Stefanidis, Allegra Hicks, and Albert Hadley are favorites and I look to their interior design work as well.
COD: Who/ what inspires Blueblood’s designs?
AM: It could be anything from an architectural pattern, or an illustration, to the latest fashion trends. We are also inspired by gorgeous high-end belts and handbags and beautiful textiles in great color combinations.
COD: Cup of Dog is excited to see new patterns and fabrics, such as the Poulet (pictured left, also available in Brown)! As of now, your current product offerings include collars, leads and beds. Do you plan to expand on the range of Blueblood products?
AM: We do indeed! We plan to grow and expand as a brand. We like the whole lifestyle concept and feel that a full line of Blueblood luxury, for dogs AND people, would be very exciting for the future. Currently, we are focusing on getting a few products “right.” In addition, we are currently working toward a harness design.
COD: What are your thoughts on all of the canine apparel that is out there? Is this an avenue Blueblood would consider for the future?
AM: We certainly have companies we like and admire. Tina has small dogs and she loves to dress them in Tanner and Dash’s sweaters. I love Harry Barker’s packaging and also think Mascot’s line is really chic. I love their preppy patterns and great hardware! We only plan to design and sell our own products. For me, design was the reason I wanted to start this company.
COD: We love that your products fit big dogs; there are so few classy lines that big fur kids can wear too! However, Louis Reginald and I adopted a mixed breed fur baby from a shelter. Ella Bean is full-grown at a whopping two pounds. Are you planning for Blueblood to include tiny sizes or a line dedicated to Blueblood puppies?
AM: We have discussed that and the answer is yes! Our harnesses will be geared toward the tiny to medium dog. It will not not have any hardware that may weigh down a little one, who is 10 pounds or under.
COD: Your range of retailers is expansive! Tell us why you think there has been such a positive reception to the brand by so many boutique retailers.
AM: Our retailers seem to love our patterns, colors and while some of them hesitate about the weight of our hardware, they get that the hardware is what makes our leads and collars so substantial and utterly chic! They love that our beds are not only beautiful, but also very easy to wash from the cover to the insert. They are durable and practical in addition to being pretty enough for the most polished living room!
COD: Tell us what it is like working in the canine industry.
AM: It is very interesting to say the least! Most people we’ve come across have been very positive and encouraging toward us. There is definitely an element of competition and politics in this business that we did not anticipate. But, after all, business is business-right?

That’s certainly true!

Thanks again to Alexis for all of her great answers and spending some time with Cup of Dog! We can’t wait for more new products to become available and to follow the evolution of the Blueblood lifestyle brand.

For more information on Blueblood - Luxury Goods for Dogs, to purchase, or find the retailer nearest you, please visit www.bluebloodpups.com.

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What to do? You have been invited to a friend’s doggie birthday party and you are absolutely stuck on what to give as meaningful and unique gift. Enter ARFdog. The solution is at your fingertips. For the discerning pup, I recomend the Spa Gift Box, guaranteed to delight even the finickiest bather, for the more active dog, only the Sporty Gift Box will do.

Attending a Puppy Shower? No problem! ARFdog’s New Puppy Welcome gift box will take care of that. You can select the gender of the furry new arrival and rest assured that the gift you are giving will attend to all of new baby’s needs.

The great thing about ARFdog is that the company’s owner, Ricki Noto, has thoroughly researched the products on the market for dogs and culled out the best of the best to curate themed collections that are suitable for every occasion.

Currently, there are five different collections to choose from including the Sporty Gift Box, The Spa Gift Box, the Beach Gift Box, the New Puppy Welcome and the Sleepover Suitcase. Prices range from $125 - $150.

By the way, Louis Reginald’s 1st birthday is coming up….

Visit www.arfdog.com for more information.

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I mentioned Louis’ plethora of Hanukah gifts in an earlier post - a new collar and leash he received are worth raving about. We needed to get him something a little more ‘Miami’ to fit in with his new surroundings. The basic black nylon worked in Chicago, but Miami is a whole different scene in terms of fashion.

Purchased (of course) at The Dog Bar in Miami Beach, the collar and leash are made by a new company based out of San Fransico called Blueblood. Founded by two close friends, one with a background in the arts and antiques business and the other with a background in finance, Blueblood was founded with a fashion meets function philosophy for the puppy parent with discerning taste. The company makes collars, leads and beds in a variety of collars, patterns and materials. Currently, there are three collections, inspired by and named for coastal United States towns; Pacific Heights, Central Park, and Montecito.

Louis received the his collar and leash from the Montecito collection. The Gretel is made of regal faux white ostrich skin (it really looks like the real thing) and has contrasting chocolate brown fabric on the reverse. The hardware is made of nickel and is rust resistant. The Collar snaps together with a chunky, chic nickel buckle. The dog tag snap is removable so if your pup is lucky enough to have a wardrobe of collars, ID transfer is made simple.

After being soaked in this morning’s rainstorm, I was a bit concerned about the collar and lead maintaining the look they came with. They have both dried out and look as good as when we bought them and so far, the nickel truly is rust resistant! Louis looks totally Miami-luxe in his all white get-up, all in all - a fine upgrade!

Images via Blueblood’s wonderful website, www.bluebloodpups.com

Available at Louis favorite store in Miami!

The Dog Bar, Inc.

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