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 Throver Stars on the Today Show

Yesterday’s most-watched and re-watched “Today Show” segment featured Animal Fair’s Wendy Diamond showcasing holiday gifts for four-legged, furry friends.

In addition to pet beds, winter coats, treats, and toys, Wendy highlighted home furnishings for the animal lover on your list.

And what was top of Wendy’s list? The Crypton Throver, of course!

Wendy’s pick was especially festive: the new “Show” pattern by William Wegman.

Happy Holidays !

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Crypton plays starring role on Better TV

Better TV is Better Homes & Gardens’ hugely popular, nationally-syndicated show with upwards of 50 million viewers per month. It’s must-viewing for anyone who appreciates, well, having a better home and garden! 

Friday’s topic was “Owning Pets and Keeping Clean,” so pet-friendly, stain-resistant fabric and dog beds were right at home on the set. It should be pointed out that the hot-pink pillow looked especially hot next to Rhiannon Ally, the lovely host.

I’m always happy to share tips from my book, PrettyPet-Friendly, which is all about the right tools for keeping your “animal house” up-to-sniff. But adorable, adoptable Tony, available from the HumaneSociety of New York, is the real star of this show. To watch, click here.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Do you have a clan of messy eaters in your house? Are dinner time spills taking over your table?  We’ve got an opportunity for you! Recently, Crypton developed a fun line of colorful and reversible mess-free suede placemats.  Not only are they stylish, the Crypton technology behind the fabric means they are completely stain- and water-resistant, too. Although you can’t buy these placemats in stores yet, we thought it would be fun to offer our readers an exclusive opportunity to test them out. We’ll even give you the full set of four placemats – all you have to do is share your story with us.  

 That’s all it takes to receive three additional placemats: a full set!  This opportunity won’t be available for long and space is limited, so sign up soon! All signed up? Once you’ve recieved your placemat, fill out a feedback form to recieve the other three.

We look forward to hearing your messy stories!

Checking in with old friends who get better with time

One of our very best friends, Molly B. Rubin, often reminds us how important it is to check in with old friends on a regular basis, and Twitter has proven to be a great way to keep in  touch. We’re very proud of our longstanding friendship with The Bark, still the premier magazine for dogs and the people who love them. Together, the two-person powerhouse team of Claudia Kawczynska and Cameron Woo created the gold standard of dog magazines at their Berkeley home base – not to mention a bevy of best-selling books, including their latest title, “Dog Joy.”

When it got its start, The Bark was the first publication of its kind: a rare new “breed” of maverick magazine celebrating deceptively “ordinary” mutts (like Ms. Molly B.!) and the truly extraordinary people who adore them. And The Bark still maintains its lead, despite lots of healthy competition in a market now filled with dog-themed glossies. Plus, The Bark’s online presence, notably its blog, fills the space between its bi-monthly issues so dog lovers don’t miss a single beat, and it delivers strong content with great style – which is something Crypton certainly appreciates! Follow them on Twitter @The_Bark.

From California, we cross the country to Maine, where FetchDog has been a Crypton supporter since its successful launch in 2007. We’re so proud to be staples in the FetchDog catalog – our Screen Saver dog bed is on their page of Best Sellers! And we’re over the moon that our pet beds have a place in the home of glamorous Glenn Close, whose husband Dave Shaw founded the site together with his son Ben. We never miss “Lively Licks,” Glenn’s fabulous Fetchdog blog – check it out, and follow the company on Twitter @ FetchDog.

Fetchdog recently partnered with UrbanHound, the terrific site for city pets and their people. Become part of the UrbanHound community for great, opinionated advice on services and products for dogs in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. 

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Giveaway on Phetched!

Interested in our fun William Wegman Doodle Dog pet beds? Our friends at phetched and  DesignerDoggy are hosting a pet bed giveaway this week. And we can’t help but notice they’ve chosen a lovely green for St. Patrick’s Day!

Visit phetched.com for all the entry details. You have until Friday night to enter.

Of course, if you aren’t the winner, you can view all the available colors and order a pet bed of your own on our Web site. Check out our wide variety of petbeds !

Admit it: You sleep with your dog because he or she is very good in bed. You’re not alone: According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, www.appma.org . no less than 42 percent of dogs now sleep in the same bed as their owners, up from 34 percent in 1998. Why is that? Simple: human relationships are fraught with complications, but dogs are easy – and their snoring amounts to soothing, restful, white noise. Try saying the same about the disturbing racket made by a sleeping human!

As with human relationships, sharing one’s bed brings up the subject of protection. Except in the case of dogs, we’re looking to protect our mattress investment – especially if we’ve splurged on a spine-friendly luxury model. www.tempur-pedic.com But here’s something you might not know (I sure didn’t): no matter how deluxe your mattress, it’s one of the biggest sources of germs and allergens in your home. So even if you don’t have pets, you could be sleeping with critters and not even know it. After ten years of use, a mattress can actually double in weight because of the dust mites, skin cells, allergens, and other unwanted debris that collect inside of it night after night. (Of course, if you do have pets, you can add pet dander to that nightmarish mix.) So the first consideration when making the perfect, pet-friendly bed—even before you unfurl your favorite high-thread-count sheets – is covering it with the very best barrier known to man or beast. That accurately describes the Crypton Mattress Protector, www.cryptonnight.com which offers a breathable moisture barrier for the top and four sides of your mattress that’s easy to clean and disinfect (in fact, it’s the only disinfectable fabric approved by the EPA). www.epa.gov I’d say that’s the stuff of sweet dreams.