When is a Dog Bed a Lifesaver?

According to a controversial new study published in the February issue of the Centers for Disease Control journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, sleeping with pets can put some people at risk for serious medical problems. “I know this will make me unpopular, but pets really don’t belong in your bed,” says vet Bruno Chomel, co-author of the paper. 

At greatest risk for zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to people) are the very young, the elderly, and those whose immune systems are compromised, such as transplant patients, diabetics, and people who are HIV-positive. Please don’t panic if Spot or Fluffy jumps on your bed – as long as pets are up-to-date with vet visits, everything will be fine.

But if you do plan to banish pets from your bed, the kindest, gentlest way to do this is by providing the comfiest, most paw-supportive dog bed possible. Give it pride of place in the bedroom, and Spot won’t even miss your bed.

Sweet dreams!

New Yorker Julie Klam is the author of the best-selling dog memoir “You Had Me at Woof,” which chronicles her adventures in Boston Terrier rescue. A must-read, the book is really wonderful: alternately heartbreaking and hilarious,but always heartfelt.

Julie is a hardcore dog lover, and although her heart belongs to Bostons, she won’t hesitate to help any dog in need, regardless of breed. This past summer, she and her family came across a sweet pit bull who had been abandoned outdoors for hours in the hot sun. Says Julie: “I wasn’t going to leave him there – I would leave myself there first.” The pit, named Puck, is a staff favorite at The Simon Foundation, an excellent animal sanctuary in Connecticut where he awaits his forever home. (To inquire about adopting him, go here.)

Meanwhile, back in New York City, Julie insists that her daughter Violet, age 7, is the real dog person in the family. “She’s the biggest dog lover I have ever met in my life – she makes me look indifferent,” Julie says with a laugh. Here’s Violet enjoying a cat-nap with K9 Dahlia on a size-medium dog bed that’s big enough for two!

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Crypton dog beds get a shout-out on Martha Stewart Radio’s “Morning Living”

I love my job – it lets me meet amazing animals and their equally awesome people. Two of my absolute favorite animal lovers are Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick, the dynamic duo that co-hosts “Morning Living” on Sirius XM’s MarthaStewart Radio. Both are proud owners of multiple dogs that they adopted from animal shelters, which means they’re my kind of gals. Love them!

I’ve been very lucky to be invited on this show many times. It’s serious fun donning head phones to chat with Kim and Betsy, and answer their listeners’ questions live. In fact, the feedback I’ve gotten from the show’s loyal followers is so inspiring that it was a driving force behind my new book, “Pretty Pet-Friendly.” After all, what could be prettier or more pet-friendly than lifestyle legend Martha Stewart and her talented team?

This morning at around 7 a.m. EST, we discussed dog grooming, which is even more important in winter than in summer, believe it or not. When a pet’s coat gets tangled and matted or dry and flaky, it can’t insulate animals from the cold as efficiently, so regular brushing and bathing with gentle, all-natural, conditioning shampoos are absolute musts.

Of course, when asked about my favorite pet products, Crypton dog beds topped the list! Don’t miss this fabulous, eye-opening show every weekday morning between the hours of 7 and 10 a.m. EST.

Meanwhile, for your weekend pet-expert fix, be sure to tune in to Greg Kleva’s always-enlightening show, It’s a Dog’s Life, Saturdays at 8 p.m. A ringer for Keanu Reeves, this gifted
dog trainer is as easy to listen to as he is easy on the eyes. Follow him on Twitter : GregTheDogGuy.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Here at Crypton, we know that style never goes out of style. With the recession squeezing household budgets, true style mavens have gotten creative with ways to keep stylish with home décor. One of our favorite places for affordable chic is Etsy.com, an online marketplace for designers and artisans to sell handmade goods.  With over 200,000 sellers offering nearly 5 million items, you’ll be sure to find something that fits your style. A search for home décor is particularly inspiring: hobbyists and independent designers alike are offering everything from lamps to pillows, accent pieces to wallpaper.

We are so excited about the creative ideas generating from Etsy, that we will be profiling two of the Etsy designers we love – starting tomorrow with Cherie, from StudioCherie, a designer who often uses Crypton Fabrics in her work.

In the meantime, we’ve pulled a few fun design and pet-related Etsy items to feast your eyes upon until tomorrow. Enjoy!

Fun hoodedsweatshirts for dogs from anniessweatshop

Walldécor with “Naughty kitten” design from LanaKole

Handmade Chow dog bowl

High-fashion shoe designer Warren Edwards thinks Crypton is made for walking!

In celebration of Fashion Week, which has blanketed New York City in a beautiful blizzard of style, let’s stop for a short, chic shoe tutorial. Before Jimmy Choo, before Christian Louboutin, before Manolo Blahnik, there was Warren Edwards, brilliant designer of fashion-forward footwear for women and men.

Warren’s still going strong, his delightful designs proof that he’s at the very top of his game. And his high-style Manhattan store on East 60th Street off Park Avenue continues to be the de rigueur destination for connoisseurs of fine, fashionable footwear.

Another reason to love Warren is that he’s a huge dog lover. He’s owned by two adorable fox terriers, Nicky and Nora – they’re named after the lead humans in “The Thin Man” flicks, but they’re ringers for the movies’ dog star, a famous fox terrier named Asta.

But dogs will be dogs, so Nicky and Nora are not above, ahem, chewing the occasional shoe. Warren recalls the time his girls destroyed an entire range of design samples. “That was a very expensive exercise in learning that they love to chew shoes,” he says with a laugh. “For some reason, they were especially diligent about munching on the heels.” Well, they are females, after all, so they appreciate a stylin’ stiletto!

The design challenge: How to make heels that are as hound-proof as they are haute?  Warren came up with a brilliant idea: a shoe with no leather components might be an effective doggie deterrent. But the material still has to be high-style and that’s where Super Fabrics come in.

Warren selected Crypton Suede in Blueberry, and knocked our socks off with these fabulous renderings of traffic-stopping “Blue Suede Shoes.”

“It’s a great color in that denim-y family, which is hugely popular now,” the designer explains. “It’s such a great, non-seasonal shade.” Plus, with their treaded Vibram soles, the shoes provide the traction every dog-walker needs when pounding the pavement with a pup. 

High-fashion shoes made for walking and puppy-proofing? That, as they say in the U.K., is the dog’s bollocks. Stay tuned to see the actual shoes in action …

Posted by Julia Szabo.