Canine fashions have come a long way. These well-made designer shirts, outerwear, ties and accessories are designed for beachy hounds that want to rock a Ralph Lauren, or Newport madras vibe. A winter of endless snow and ice have made peeing on the beach a faraway dream…

Designed and created by AnneMarie Minardi and Gillian Ward for their Rover line, these items can be custom fitted for sizes xs to xxl. You can shop for them at Rover’s Supermarket online shop.

As you may have noticed, a dog’s life is filled with many hours of boring downtime.

A canine can only sleep so much and at least a couple of hours each day is filled with the usual stuff: sniffing, digging and, most importantly chewing. A word to the wise: avoid alienating your human roommates by chewing on something from your owner’s ‘approved list,’ rather than the leg of Grandma McGrath’s ancient rocking chair.

With that in mind, I thought I’d recommend a few chewable fabric toys from our friends at Olive Green Dog like the boiled-wool cat heads pictured above, (I’m usually discouraged from chewing on cats).

Another fave: these Sweater Monkeys (above) made from recycled sweaters. and possessing a great chewable shape.

So many legs…so little time! The Socktopus (above left) provides a multitude of chewable appendages. Socto is made from real red-heeled socks and is a suitable chewing option for even the most hyper-active hound. I can never get my paws on those damn squirrels in the back yard but the boiled-wool Wooley Squirrel (above right) is easy prey.

Height-challenged individuals like myself may occasionally feel compelled to move up the food chain in search of chewing subjects – thus I fancy the Leopard and Lion toys (above) for ego soothing purposes. Tasty note: these all-wool, handcrafted beauties are made by native artisans in Kenya.

(And hey, use code: OliveAC & receive 10% off.)

Is your pet hip enough for one of these? Skate Dog Studios developed these elevated feeders for their own dogs. Naturally, the handmade line of skateboard-based feeders features cool graphics.

Feeders are elevated so chow hounds don’t have to bend down and noisily push their bowls around your house as they devour every last morsel. Feeders can be created from used or virgin skateboards.

The two-bowl feeders range in price from $75 to $100 @ skate dog studios’ etsy shop.

The story: West Paw Design was nice enough to give me one of their Organic Bumper Beds for some of my rigorous product testing, which primarily involved an arduous routine of repeated lounging, relaxing and sleeping.

My initial take: this bed is super comfy,with a nice bumper surround on which to rest my handsome canine head. The organic cotton outer shell is warm, soft and sleep inducing. Now the problem – my big brother Jack – who, motivated by a particularly chilly New England night, got all cozy in my new bed (see picture below).

I had tap into my finely honed skills as a thespian and play my “I’m just a sad little dog” routine to get his butt out of there – and, given the comfy nature of the bed – it still took the humans two dog treats to get the job done.  Problem resolved, I then assumed my rightful place on the throne, content once again in my role as top dog. (more…)

One of my pet projects is sniffing around for food, especially organic dog treats. I’m always given a treat after my afternoon stroll, just a little something to tide me over til din-din. I thought I’d share a few favorite licks just for kicks.

• (pictured above) Wet Noses - USDA certified organic ingredients. Made without corn, wheat or soy, the Peanut Butter & Molasses are totally yummy … wetnoses.com
• (pictured above) Paws down, my favorite organic snacks of all time … available in a handy party pack of 4 @ olivegreendog.com. Lucky for you, if you use code OliveAC at checkout, you’ll receive 10% off. Handcrafted in the USA and free of soy, wheat, corn or anything artificial. I can’t get enough of them.
• Made from organic fruit and flour, free of grain and wheat; Fair Trade-certified, Green America-approved and made in the USA…Barkwheat Dog Treats – find where to buy.
• Nutritious, soft and chewy Buddy Biscuits (beef, chicken and peanut butter minus the nasties like propylene, glycol, BHA and BHT) @ amazon.com
• A real San Francisco treat – handmade, over the top indulgences for 4-legged creatures living in the lap of luxury: canineconfections.com. Free of soy, (more…)

New year, new look. I really like the colorful, snappy, colors of this ‘Amusement Park’ collar and leash set from Modern Pet. The handcrafted combo is made from 100% PET – the recycled remains of plastic bottles – and will make any hound feel just a little more proud, positive and eco-friendly in 2011.

Find these and a bunch of other great earth and pet-friendly products @ olivegreendog.com. (Note: get an additional 10% off at checkout by entering the code OliveAC.)

Let your hound chew on some holiday spirit with one of these white paisley and eco-green K-9 Pine doggie toys. K-9 Pines are made from 85% re-engineered recycled IntelliLoft Fibers. Proven safe, these toys have been rigorously tested for safety and durability. Two sizes available. Handcrafted in the USA. From our friends @ Olive Green Dog.

(above) Because a dog should kneel before no kibble…Sustainably designed, dog-friendly elevated bowls, this eco-friendly two-bowl dog feeding platform is constructed of locally sourced, reclaimed Douglas Fir.

No more pushing that bowl halfway across the kitchen floor to get that last morsel. Available in small (moi), medium and large sizes. find it @ Amenity Home

What could show more holiday love than giving your family’s pooch something to make them feel better? I don’t know of any dog owner who doesn’t enjoy treating their pooch to at least one goody everyday. We give our extended family of lovable canines treats that are packed with nutritious goodness as well as flavor:

(above) Our relative’s rescue dog, Bella is 11 years old. After her morning and evening walks, Bella darts over to the “treat area” and gets ready to “sit” knowing that she’ll receive 2 hits of Happy Hips treats.

There are many different flavors and formulas available; the ones I’ve been giving her are Chicken Breast. What’s great is that there are NO added hormones, antibiotics, fillers or byproducts (no wheat, flour, corn, soy, sugar, salt, artificial flavors, BHA/BHT). Just chicken breast, Vitamin E supplement, glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate for helping to maintain healthy joints.

(above) The gift of canine fashion – freshen your dog’s look for the new year. Why not switch to a naturally organic, anti-bacterial, odor resistant, fast drying, breathable, hypoallergenic and 100% biodegradable bamboo number (try saying that 3 times fast). No pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers are involved in growing the bamboo.

Wagging Green makes a variety of bamboo collars in a bunch of styles. Hand sewn in the USA. This one can also be found over at Olive Green Dog (they offer tons of green pet stuff). Enter the discount code OliveAC at checkout for a nice 10% off.

(above) Doesn’t your favorite pet deserve to sleep in healthy, eco comfort? This earth-friendly Eco Slumber bed features West Paw’s eco fabric exterior made of 85% recycled content and is filled with its 100% recycled content IntelliLoft fiber fill.  $78 @ exclusivelyhome.com

Look good – feel good. Need a new collar? Why not switch to a naturally organic, anti-bacterial, odor resistant, fast drying, breathable, hypoallergenic and 100% biodegradable bamboo number (try saying that 3 times fast). No pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers are involved in growing the bamboo.

Wagging Green makes a variety of bamboo collars in a bunch of styles. Hand sewn in the USA.

These collars and all kinds of eco pet products are available from our friends @ olive green dog (free domestic ground shipping for all orders over $59).  Use check out code:  OliveAC to receive 10% off all Olive Green Dog goods.

Pelcor’s latest pet project is this shiny luxury cork dog collar and leash, which they’re offering to Obama’s Portuguese Water Dog, Bo… let’s see if he bites.

Snazzy and sustainable, our eco dog, Seamus, seems quite intrigued by this matching set and may need to fetch one for himself.

find @ corkdelux.com.

Related:  previously on altCon
(9.28.09) Pelcor – Cork Goes High Fashion