Bowser Beer » dogs

Dogs don't pay mortgages but still lose their homes!

jbrown — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:08:22 +0000

Today’s blog was just going to feature a wonderful organization called Lost Our Home Pet Foundation. Founded by Jodi Polanski, a Phoenix mortgage lender, it’s made up of real estate professionals who rescue pets abandoned or left behind due to the many foreclosures. Imagine being hit with financial hardships putting you in a situation where you have to leave your pet – sometimes with just a teary note and other times with outright abandonment. Thanks to this foundation, people have a place to take their pets when they have no other choice.

This all-volunteer organization has many real estate professionals and others contributing in a variety of ways – from construction projects, to fostering/adopting, to using their social media skills to get the word out. Since realtors are out in the neighborhoods, who better to be on the lookout for abandoned pets.

But as we have seen in the news today, dogs can lose their homes in other ways, i.e. the Alaskan dog who led troopers through pitch black country roads to his burning house. He was very determined to help save his house.

It’s a heartwarming story with a happy ending in that he will have a home to return to. Dogs are as attached to their homes as we are, so when they lose them it’s devastating to them too. Home means comfort, stability, a place to sleep, get a good meal, and of course love and companionship. Having no sense of time, imagine how scary and confusing it is to be left in an empty house or turned over to complete strangers. Luckily, Lost Our Home has a loyal group of trainers and foster parents to help ease this transition.

Kudos to the Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) for recently holding a raffle and raising several thousand dollars for this foundation. It’s so simple and a great way to show support to their realtor base.

So here’s a Bowser Beer Bark Out to any company involved with home selling, building, furnishing, etc. Raise some funds, get involved, or adopt a dog . . . what a great cause to tie your name to. Just think – you can actually provide a home for a deserving individual without dealing with short sales, mortgage modifications, or loan sharks. And dogs don’t care what your credit score is!

Who says dogs aren't gay?

jbrown — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:41:55 +0000

A recent article in the NY Times asked “Can animals be gay?” It raised many questions and pointed out that there is still a lot we don’t understand about animal behavior. Interestingly, much of the observed behavior portrayed how the same sex animals worked together and were committed to each other. But many of the reviewers dismissed the article, discounting a lot of ongoing scientific study.

Until around the mid 20^th century, the term ‘gay’ meant “joyful”, “happy”, “bright and showy”. You don’t hear that much anymore because it’s taken on a different meaning. But joyful, happy, and sometimes even bright and showy certainly describes a lot of dogs I know.

Well, who says dogs aren’t gay?

Mornings at our house, there’s no better word to describe Muggsy – recharged from sleep, he’s overjoyed with life, racing around , chasing sunbeams . . . ‘gay’ is a great word to describe his puppy exuberance. A ratty old sock toy, the smell of toast, getting his family out of bed – all makes him happy. . . he’s just a happy dog.

If you really want to know about being gay and happy (no, it’s not redundant) check out to the Phoenix Pride Festival this weekend. This 2 day event brings the LGBT community together for a weekend of camaraderie and celebration. It’s the 30^th annual event with over 30,000 people expected to attend and lots of entertainment. A good many of the attendees are sure to be dog lovers and Bowser Beer will be there so that their dogs can, as the Flintstones used to say, “have a gay old time” and celebrate life with their owners. Predicted to be sunny and hot, what better way to quench their thirst than with a nice, cold brew. Hey Ellen, bring your doggies and get some new dance moves!

Muggsy is quite happy to put on pink glasses with rhinestones and a leopard skin headband. Mom’s got a treat in her hand and she’s telling him he’s SUCH a good dog!

Who says dogs aren’t gay?

PS. We will be selling t-shirts with this image at the event. Portions of the sales will go towards a local program that helps care for pets with owners who have HIV/AIDS. If really popular we will be offering it on our soon-to-be launched online store.

The Barkery Bistro

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:37:33 +0000

The Barkery Bistro, located on beautiful Main St in Greenville, SC, is our featured store. About 2 years ago Meghan Ludwig and her Mom, Diane, opened this upscale boutique with a serious focus on nutritious food and treats for dogs, as well as a desire to offer a wonderful shopping experience to their customers. It has since become a hub for ongoing events, parties, and community fundraisers for the canine set.

As masters of Southern hospitality, resident Bistro greeters, Bentley and Duncan welcome all visitors and lead them to their favorite spot in the store… the cookie case! And who throws a party better than a Golden?

Pictured here are snaps from their recent Mardi Gras in-store party. Taking a break from strewing beads and making sure their guest’s bowls were filled with Bowser Beer, they posed with Meghan. We can only guess that she might be saying “Take it easy guys, you have to get up and go to work in the morning!”

Bowser Beer is proud to be served at the Barkery Bistro Yappy Hours. We all share in a deep concern for the nutritional value of what we give our pets. We also want to have fun with our dogs and help those who are not as fortunate to find a home. For this we salute The Barkery Bistro.

If you are in Greenville, be sure to stop by and say ‘hello’.

Has the Rachel Maddow show gone to the dogs?

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:09:18 +0000

Last night, Rachel Maddow tackled a question that all dog owners would like to know the answer to – why do dogs get so excited at some TV theme songs? While our dogs have never gotten excited about Law and Order, our English Mastiff Maggie used to go nuts if anyone tried to watch the Colbert Report. She really, really hated the screeching eagle sound and would come running at the TV from a sound sleep. Which meant, of course, that all the other dogs would come running right behind her – not exactly what you want at 11:30 at night!

What theme songs do your dogs go nuts for? Tell us in the comments section!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Giant George wins the Gold with Oprah & Guinness

jbrown — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:58:39 +0000

Wow, talk about a medal run! Giant George, owned by David Nasser, stands 43in tall paw to shoulder, and weighs 245lb. He was just named by Guinness World Records as both the world’s Tallest Living Dog and Tallest Dog Ever.

Like Susan Boyle, four-year-old Giant George has become an overnight celebrity in his hometown of Tucson, AZ. First, he won the dog-equivalent of the Oscars and then he got invited to be on Oprah’s show. Can he handle it ?? Apparently he can.

On the plane trip to Oprah’s show, American airlines gave him a row of three seats to himself. His arrival in Chicago was met with a growing legion of adoring fans and paparazzi, and most curious to him…..snow!

But he took it all in stride, sleeping off the jetlag anywhere he wanted at the hotel(but mostly on his own mattress). We’re not sure he’s up to signing pawtographs yet but watch for him to be on someone’s red carpet.

Read about his recent adventures to Harpo studios and what it takes to feed (110lb/month!) and house this gentle giant, on George’s own website.

Congratulations George! He’s a George we can be proud of.

Snowmaggedon: 5 things to do with your dog when you are stuck inside

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:20:02 +0000

The 3 Busy Dogs team was on a trip to DC when the big snowstorm hit. 20 – 50 inches of snow is a lot for any dog so we are not surprised to hear they get ‘Cabin Fever’ too! Like kids, dogs went a little beserk in the snow and some got into BIG Tra- bull!

Tully, a 4 year old lab, was so excited, he went to romp in the snow with his friend, Balto the Alaskan Malamute and fell into a nearby pond. Firemen rescued him while his 14 year old human brother shouted encouraging words for the exhausted pup to hang on. It was a happy but frosty ending for Tully’s Adventure.

There was a Black Lab mix who fell into a storm drain after a snowplow had knocked the cover off. Again, a happy ending, but this guy needs a home and a safe lap after his ordeal. Fire fighters score another dog rescue!

And then, just when you think it’s safe to go out, a dog gets mugged for his coat! First reported by the New York Post, it happended in Brooklyn of all places - Tony, where are yous guys when we need ya? Again, Lexie got off with just a few chills and a renewed commitment of supervision from his owner.

So, the 3 Busy Dogs have come up with 5 things to do with your dog to keep them out of trouble while you are still digging out from winter. Nothing takes the place of knowing where they are at all times but here goes. . .

1. Stair Race: Need 2 people (unless you are training for the next Olympics) and a favorite toy

With one person at the top and bottom of staircase (preferably carpeted to prevent slippage), toss the toy up and down the staircase to encourage Fido to fetch it. A couple of runs will give him a good workout and naptime will ensue. It’s like monkey-in-the-middle with an elevation thrown in.

2. Peanut butter ‘n toast tea party:

Nothing gets the 3 Busy Dogs’ juices flowing than the smell of toast in the morning. The toaster is a favorite gathering place in the morning. Why not have a little tea-party with your furry friend and treat him to some PB on little pieces of toast. He’ll think he won the lottery! And maybe he’ll share some with you.

3. Hide and seek: best played with several bored children

Brush up his tracking skills by playing everyone’s favorite game. You may have to ‘help’ him get on the scent but once he catches on, he’ll want to play until everyone is found several times over. Be sure to whoop it up to let him know he found his query. He won’t mind being ‘It’ again.

4. Belly rubs in the snow followed by catching snowballs: Requires winter gear for you.

Dogs love to roll in the snow. Enhance their experience with a good belly rub and watch them go! They don’t mind a little snow on the face but watch for ice in their toes and don’t let them eat too much snow – it’s not fattening but it can bloat them. Snowballs are so much fun – you can catch and crunch in one swoop. The energy required to jump up to catch them will result in a great follow up nap.

5. Dress up

If you have kids stuck in the house also, give them some old clothes and let them have a ‘fashion show’ with their pup. It’s a great opportunity to take fun pictures and build a “Here’s what I did on my snow vacation” Flickr album.

If you have any great pictures from these suggestions – send them to us and we’ll post them on our blog!!

Have a great day inside!

Rescue Dogs Could Learn from American Idol

jbrown — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:00:27 +0000

As we idle away the evening in front of the TV, watching our beloved American Idol, we got to thinking. In the Idol auditions, the contestants have about 30 seconds to make a good impression – not just with their singing, but with their confidence, personality, and overall appeal to the judges. Some resort to outrageous costumes, crazy stunts, or flirtatious behavior to appeal to the judges. Tough to keep your nerves under control in that situation.

We’re all rescue dogs, but Muggsy was the only one picked out of a shelter. He was listed on Petfinder and his background would have made Oprah cry. Many rescues come from abusive situations and may be confused and frightened sitting in an adoption facility. They wait in kennels and crates with strangers peering at them, wishing they were somewhere else. . . Like a home, but their promotional skills may be lacking and their 30 seconds to impress fails to get them a golden ticket. Some dogs have that ‘Ellen’ personality – bubbly and warm – makes you just want to scoop them up and take them home. But what about the others that are more reserved and unsure?

Muggsy is the happiest dog in the world, but he didn’t arrive that way. When myMom brought him home, he did not exude ‘pet’ karma. But we welcomed him into our home(sort of – myMom made us be nice), sent him to puppy school and now I have a confident, happy, mischievous little brother who ALWAYS wants me to play with him. It’s exhausting how happy he is.

The point is …shelter puppies should all see at least one episode of American Idol and learn from those brave contestants who screw up their courage and try to impress the judges (some more desperately than others). “You’re going to a home!” is the doggie equivalent of “You’re going to Hollywood, baby!”.

That’s just my opinion… do you agree?

Yours drooly,

Dax