With our weekends monopolized by visiting virtually every wedding hall on Long Island the past few months, Matt and I decided it was time to have a weekend all about Brodie. The poor thing had been neglected without an "activity" for long enough. Playing with Matt's parents' Jack Russels once a week and going for quick evening walks just doesn't cut it for a Border Collie.

The dog park we like to go to is about 15 minutes away (West Hills in Huntington). There is usually a nice group of dogs there and plenty of space for them to run around, but when the weather starts to get warmer it's just too hot for B; his thick, black fur absorbs the sun and he ends up exhausted by the heat alone. So this weekend we decided to drive an extra 20 minutes to Blydenburg Park in Smithtown.

What I like about Blydenburg is that it has the enclosed dog park that includes a small wooded area, plus there is also a lake and walking trails in the woods. Brodie is great off-leash, so I like to take him on walks where I know we won't run into any cars and he can be free to run up ahead and then run back to us, sniff, mark, and explore at his own pace. It's better exercise for the humans and a more interesting walk for the pup.

First we walked through the woods (off-leash) for about three miles and then took a thoroughly exhausted (or so we thought!) Brodie down to the lake area for a quick swim. He went right into the water, eager to cool himself down, paddled around for a few minutes and came bounding back to us refreshed and re-energized. After about five minutes of lonely lake-time fun, a group of dogs joined us and everyone played nicely fetching sticks in the water, swimming after each other and even playing tug-of-war together.

We stayed at the lake for about 45 minutes. It was around that time Brodie started doing the stare. He's always been good about "checking in" with me, but he lets me know when he's ready to go by checking in and then staring at me until I say the right thing: "Do you want to play?" --still staring-- "Go get the stick!" (throws it) --still staring-- "Are you all done? Should we go home?" --starts walking toward the exit-- and there's my answer.

It's a good day when he "asks" to go home. Every evening this week I've come home to a warm, dry Brodie nose. He becomes a mush puppy, which I love. The only down side to all of this is after a day of exploring the woods and swimming in a lake I wouldn't go in myself, we're left with the smell of dog...

Yes, Brodie is a dog and he's going to smell like a dog, but most of the time he doesn't have much of a dog odor. After going in that lake though, the smell just sticks and his fur starts to feel, well, icky. We knew before we set out on this adventure that Saturday would be fun day and Sunday would be bath time. Unfortunately there are no promotional rubber duckies for dogs to make the bath more fun. Here is a very unhappy (yet tolerant) Brodie mid-bath:

Pathetic, isn't he? Thank goodness for Petco's $10 self-bathing station. It's so much easier than doing it at home, and the best part is we get to leave the mess! I forget how shiny and soft Brodie's fur can be when he's squeaky clean.

My favorite. Unfortunately he won't stay clean. After our next venture into the woods or trip to the dog park (which is likely to happen this weekend) that shine will be gone. Oh well... I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Today marks a very special occasion... It's Brodie's fourth birthday! So what does that mean? Well for humans it means it's time to celebrate - take out the birthday hats and cake, and party it up. For dogs, not so much.

My poor little pup just doesn't seem to get the significance of this day. All he knows is that I'm really excited about something and he's not quite sure what or why. He wags his tail as I pet him and wish him a happy birthday, cocking his head to the side, trying desperately to understand what I'm saying. And then he sees his nemesis: the birthday hat.

I try not to be one of those pet parents who tortures her dog with funny hats and costumes, but on his birthday I make an exception. I have pictures from every March 15th of Brodie in a birthday hat or crown of some sort and the subsequent removal and destruction of said hat or crown.

For a dog with issues, he's a pretty good sport about tolerating this process... for about 30 seconds. He's completely miserable, but he tolerates it. So that part is really just for me. And then the good stuff comes.

This morning I served him breakfast sprinkled with parmesan cheese, followed by bits of pupperoni and string cheese. This dog has some kind of sixth sense for cheese - he could be on the other side of my apartment fast asleep when I grab cheese - any kind of cheese - and he runs over to be at my side before I even have a chance to close the refrigerator door. It's quite impressive actually.

That was this morning before work. Tonight for dinner instead of his regular dog food, I'll make him a cheeseburger, stick a candle in it, and sing happy birthday to him. Of course he doesn't care about the candle or the fact that I make him "speak" to blow it out... but the burger he thoroughly enjoys. And then another one of his favorites for dessert: ice cream!

So yes, I torture poor Brodie with hats and pictures on his birthday, but if he could talk I bet he'd say it's worth it :) As I tell him all the time... it's a *tough life* for a Brodie dog...

Every year I think having a Super Bowl party will be fun. Watching an exciting game is intensified by others cheering and screaming at the television along with me, and the more the merrier, right? Not so much. I get that it’s a social experience. You have people over to your home, you provide food, maybe they bring some drinks... some talking is to be expected. But let us not forget the point of this gathering: to watch the Super Bowl!

I don't think my expecations are unrealistic. I'm not asking for dead silence - that's why they invented commercials. Though I pretty much always fast forward or mute commercials, the Super Bowl commercials are actually quite entertaining most of the time. So those are off-limits. Now we're down to in between plays. That's not so bad; there are plenty of breaks. Easy enough? Apparently not for some people.

Last year I barely got to watch the game because I had to play hostess to a bunch of Chatty McChattersons. I thought I had made the rules fairly clear. Guess not. Well, not this year. No Super Bowl party for me. I'd rather stay home with just Matt and Brodie on my comfy couch with chips and junk food and no one talking to me while the game is going on. Maybe that's a bit harsh. Maybe I'll miss having people over and surround-sound of cheering. Or maybe I'll actually get to see the game and it'll be the best Super Bowl yet!

My answer: Not to party
How do you plan to say goodbye to football season this year?

This past weekend, I did the Breast Cancer Awareness walk at Jones Beach with the Motivators team. Much to my delight, we received 2011 promotional items just for participating: comfy hooded sweatshirts that came in very handy for the cool, windy walk. Gathering way too early for any Sunday, we came to show our support for such a great cause.

The weeks leading up to the walk, I tried and tried to find out if dogs were allowed to attend. During the summer months I wouldn't dream of bringing Brodie to a Long Island beach because of the crowds alone, but in the off-season I thought "why not?" I tried calling Jones Beach - ring, ring, ring. I tried calling our local coordinator of the walk - voicemail. I tried asking around the office - nothing. Finally, about two days before the walk, it was posted: per Jones Beach State Park, no pets allowed. There it was - my answer.

I'm usually a rule-follower, but I just couldn't come to terms with this. I saw news footage of last year's walk and there were several dogs in the background, so I thought it might be worth a try. Worst case scenario: they tell me he has to leave and we turn around.

Sunday morning I was a little nervous about knowingly breaking the rules, but I think I was even more nervous that Brodie might be "B-A-D" (we spell that word in my house because he's quite the sensitive boy, cowering at the mention of it). To my surprise, the whole thing went off without a hitch. We walked the entire boardwalk and were not stopped once. There was a bit more pulling from my eager border-collie than I would have liked, but I was incredibly impressed with the way he behaved overall. We also met plenty of other dogs along the way who were showing their support with breast cancer awareness promotional products. Brodie was strutting a pink bandanna with the awareness ribbon symbol to show his support as well.

After the 5K walk, the stress of the crowd and getting lots of pets from new people he'd never met, my normally energetic pup was pooped. Mission accomplished. He came home and zonked out for the rest of the day while we watched the Bills/Giants game. The walk turned out to be a truly rewarding experience... on many levels!

On weekends I volunteer at North Shore Animal League, a no-kill animal rescue here on Long Island. It's actually the largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization in the world. Pretty much anyone who adopts a dog on Long Island goes to NSAL. Whenever I see mixed-breeds (the pc term for mutts) at the dog park, 99% of the owners say they adopted them from North Shore. Growing up, that's where we went to adopt both of my family's dogs too. When it came time for me to adopt, I was living upstate, so Brodie was actually from the SPCA of Upstate New York, but had I been here I would have gone to North Shore.

Most rescued puppies come from puppy mills or the south. At North Shore, you'll find a lot of puppies from Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. Brodie was rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee. And that's just about the only information we get on them: the state and the sex. The employees guess on the age and the breed. You have no idea how many times I've seen clearly mismarked breeds. They have a poster on the wall with all of the breeds so you can try to see for yourself what the puppy might be mixed with, but there's also a binder (that not many people even know about, let alone use) to read about each breed as well. It kind of bugs me when it appears as though some employee went pit-happy or shepherd-happy... it looks like every puppy is marked pitbull mix or shepherd mix when they barely resemble the breed, so always do some research on your own. But you can't really blame them I guess - it's not like any of us are trained in determining breeds. That's why I downloaded an app. Call it obsession if you will, but I'm a big dog-lover who has a ton of dog books at home - training books, breed books, behavior books - and I read them in my spare time instead of "real" books.

The app isn't the best, but sometimes it helps. For most people, cleaning cages is not the ideal way to spend their free time, but for me it's totally worth it. Yes it's gross, and yes I have to shower the minute I get home, and yes my clothes get ruined, but I get to hold and play with puppies! It's heaven. My favorite part is talking to the people who are looking to adopt and following all the way through the adoption process. It's such an amazing feeling to get puppies and dogs adopted. I fill out the paperwork, and if the new pet parents are approved, the puppy gets to go to his or her forever home. Pure happiness.

What surprises me though is that North Shore doesn't give out promotional pet products. With all the traffic they get, it's such a huge missed opportunity that (as a marketer especially) makes me really sad. They could give leashes or bowls or even go super inexpensive with ID tags or pet health pocket sliders. They are a non-profit organization, so I understand they may not have much extra money for promotional products, but between the adoption fee and the donations people make, I think it would be a worthwhile investment. I heard an ad on the radio yesterday morning that North Shore just rescued 160 puppies this week, 40 of which came from a puppy mill in Oklahoma (that is now closing down, thankfully) - so they must have some budget. No excuses North Shore Animal League - get some promotional pet products ASAP.... and no excuses dog-lovers - get out there and adopt an animal :)

Living with a border collie is not always the easiest, but it is always interesting. Brodie, my three-year-old border collie mix, has all kinds of issues from anxiety to fear of strangers to stubbornness, which I'm pretty sure he gets from me (and yes, I realize that statement sounds crazy), but one of my favorite things about him is his ability and eagerness to learn new things. He knew the word and hand signal for sit at just nine weeks old, and I had him cleaning up his toys by five months.

The latest in Brodie's bag of tricks is getting beverages out of the fridge. It's been a work-in-progress, and while most things he picks up in just a few tries, this he's been having some trouble with this. I think it's the feel of the can or bottle in his mouth and the idea of taking it from the fridge that he's struggling with. My plan to get him to overcome this issue starts with using custom can coolers so that he gets a sense of consistency with what he can and can't take as well as the feel of it on his teeth.

So for anyone interested, here is how I've been teaching my dog to get a beverage for me...

Step 1: Open the Refrigerator

Tie a rope to the refrigerator handle. I first tried this with a cloth napkin, but it didn't take. The object should really be something that your dog associates with tug-of-war. For Brodie, it was a rope because we only play tug-of-war with rope toys.

Get him interested in the rope (or whatever is tied to the handle) by waving it around and letting him know it's ok to pull. Have treats at the ready without letting him see them (otherwise he'll be more interest in the treats than the toy). Don't say anything yet, just get him tugging on the rope. You can even tug back like it's a game. Once he pulls hard enough to open the fridge, treat and praise. Then try doing it again with some kind of hand signal. I like to sweep my right arm to from left to right. When he does it a few times with the hand signal, then add the word "open" or "open the fridge."

Step 2: Taking the Beverage

You can use a bottle of water or a can of soda (or whatever you choose). I don't recommend using glass bottles to start with because they are heavier and may be awkward for your dog to hold in his mouth. For this you're going to have to get to know your dog and what works for him. Some dogs will jump at the chance to grab something out of the forbidden fridge; others may be baffled by your request. Either way, you must first teach your dog the "get it" command, otherwise he won't understand what you're asking of him. Once he already knows "get it," you can tell him to "get" something. "Get your toy." "Get the stick." "Get your leash." It all depends on how far you want to go with this. For this trick, however, you just want to tell him to get whatever beverage you are training him to get.

If you're dog is anything like Brodie and has trouble grasping the concept of taking something out of the fridge, you're going to have to take small steps. For my over-analytical pup, I have to be careful to be very consistent. Border collies can often be too smart for their own good. For example, Brodie knows hand signals, but if I tilt my hand just a little from the way I normally give the signal he thinks it's an entirely new command... Too freaking smart. Anyway, that is why I suggest using custom can coolers over the water bottle or can. To start though, I used a cylinder-shaped toy and put the promotional can holder over it. I had him take it from my hands at first, using the "take it" command. Then I had him pick it up off the floor with "get it." Then I started incorporating "get the can." Once he got the idea, I then put it inside the fridge on the bottom shelf (and moved everything else out of the way so he could easily grab it. I pointed and said, "get the can." Success!!

The next step is to switch the toy for an actual can. At this point though, it shouldn't matter what is inside the custom can cooler because your dog will be used to its feel. The only thing you might need to worry about is the difference in weight. Brodie had a bit of a problem with that at first. He'd pick it up and then immediately drop it. You might have to work on it for a little while to get your dog to take it, hold it in his mouth and carry it over to you. That's what we're up to right now. Brodie wants to play with his prize once he releases it from its frigid prison. I also haven't gotten him to learn distance so I can ask him to get the can from across the room. Problematic.

Step 3: Close the Refrigerator

Oddly enough, we kind of skipped step two at first and went right to step three: closing the fridge. I don't recommend this - it will just confuse your dog. They need a process and an order that is consistent. After your dog learns to retrieve the beverage and bring it over to you, teach him this final step. If you forget about this step, it defeats the purpose because you'll have to get up to close the fridge anyway. It's helpful if your fridge door closes on its own, but your dog may need to give it a nudge.

I've seen some videos in which the dog uses him paws to close the door. I prefer Brodie use his mouth. I don't want all my magnets and papers falling off, so I taught him to pull the rope in the direction that closes the door using the same concept as opening the door from step one. I find it to be effective, but you'll have to find what works for you and your dog.

Always remember to reward your dog for doing what you ask. For each step, small bites of treats and lots of praise should follow immediately after he completes his task. Also work in short sessions so your dog doesn't get frustrated. Stop the lesson right before he loses interest - about five to 10 minutes depending on your dog's attention span and age. End on a positive note, meaning even if your dog isn't getting it, ask him to do something you know he does get so that he doesn't get discouraged next time around. And don't forget the custom can coolers to tie the whole thing together and give your dog the consistency he needs to learn the trick!

Since I began working here at Motivators and marketing promotional products, I have been in search of a good doggy daycare. Moving from New Hampshire to New York has been quite the change in my world of dogs. I think New Hampshire's state bird should be the dog! Just about everyone has a dog, and they are welcome in many places. In fact, there is an outdoor outlet mall that's pet-friendly. They not only have water bowls for their furry visitors, but actually allow them in the stores. What a great idea! When I lived in NH, I chose to drive an extra hour to get to these pet-friendly outlets over the closer outlet stores just for the simple fact that I could bring my dog. He didn't have to wait in the car or alone at home; he could walk around outside and accompany me into new places he'd never been before. I'm a firm believer that dogs need to be stimulated physically and mentally. Taking him on the same three-mile hike every day, no matter how vigorous, just wouldn't tire out my high-energy pup. (For those of you who haven't read my previous posts, I have a three-year-old Border Collie mix named Brodie). Taking him to new places to roam and sniff or meet new dogs, however, helps do the trick.

I've found that in New York (specifically Long Island), I seem to be in the minority with my view of dogs, their needs and how they should be treated. I had a great doggy daycare up in NH that both Brodie and I absolutely loved. In fact, I still use their promotional pet products! Brodie's leash and travel bag are proudly stamped "Woof Woof" though no such place exists here on Long Island, sadly. At Woof Woof, he could play outside in a choice of four fenced-in areas or inside on super cold or hot days with access to the outdoors. He had access to fresh water all throughout the day and learned to share and drink with others. He was constantly supervised by a staff of certified trainers, and the entire facility was kept clean. In the summer months they had kiddie pools for the dogs to cool off in, and in the winter they took the groups inside to play in turns so the dogs' paws wouldn't clump with snow. And the absolute best part was... I'd pick him up after work and he would be CALM for the rest of the evening. It was heaven - for both of us!

What I'm finding here on LI (if I find a doggy daycare at all) is that some don't give them access to water unless it's in supervised shifts once a day and one at a time. Some have several play areas with fewer staff members than groups of dogs. And most of them keep the dogs indoors all year long. I've found a few that let the dogs outside in the warmer months only, which I take objection to - I mean, come on - in New Hampshire we had way more snow and it was way colder than it is here and the dogs were perfectly happy to be outside on a brisk winter day. Talk to me about keeping them inside when the temperature drops below zero...

Forgive that rant - apparently it's a sore subject. My point (and I do have one) is that I'm looking for a doggy daycare that I can feel good about leaving Brodie at each morning on my way to work - where he can get exercise and socialize with other dogs in a clean and supervised environment. So I pose this to all you dog-lovers out there... Any suggestions???

New York has been hit with a ton of rain lately. I feel like ever since Irene, there have been fewer dry days than rainy ones. Summertime rain doesn't typically bother me. I'm not much of a beach person, and the rain usually cools things off. The biggest headache for me with all of this rain has been my dog: a three-year-old Border Collie mix named Brodie who is absolutely terrified of thunder and borderline refuses to go outside in the rain.

If it's raining really hard - so hard that you can almost hear the drops ricochet off of the A/C and the thunder sounds like it's right outside your window - he won't even approach the door. The only thing worse is the Fourth of July with all of the fireworks. I'm a big dog-lover, and (call me crazy, but) I often talk to dogs as if they understand every word I say; I just don't know how to convince him that loud noises like thunder and fireworks won't hurt him.

So to get my message across, I coax him over to the door and open it nice and wide. He lowers his head, staring at the rain and sniffing the air, then looks at me like, "you've got to be kidding." Again, call me crazy, but at moments like that I actually pass through the doorway, step outside and stay out there with him until he's completed his mission and comes bounding back to the door. Barefoot and raincoatless, these are the things I do for my dog...

The designated "dog" towels consist of old promotional towels that have been so beat up, stained or torn I dare not use them for guests or even myself. While most people have coats, hats and scarves hanging on hooks in their hall closets, I reserve space for leashes, a doggie backpack (equipped with water bottle and travel bowl), treat pouches and my dog towels. When we come in from a downpour, Brodie gets the first rub-down - nose, face and ears, then back and tail, then paws - as I stand there clothes soaked and hair dripping. As much as I love my dog, I'm not about to use his towels after him. You'd think I'd learn by now to leave some clean, un-torn promotional towels in the closet along with the old battered ones. Ah, the things we do for the people (yes, I am equating my dog with a person) we love...

You may have already heard about Old Navy's grammar goof on its line of promotional t-shirts, but it was just too ridiculous for me not to comment on it anyway. Old Navy recently released a new line of apparel promoting college football teams with the phrase, "Lets Go!!" across the top. Anyone see anything wrong with this picture??

Is it the spacing? Did they screw up the logo? Are the school colors wrong? As somewhat of a grammar geek, I knew it at first glance. What may have been a teeny, tiny, insignificant detail to the artist was in fact a huge grammar goof on these promotional t-shirts. The catch phrase is missing a very important apostrophe!

I'm always amazed at how people overuse or misuse commas and apostrophes, but I call this crossing the line. I'm not saying that everyone should be an expert or covet the latest copy of the AP Stylebook; however, someone should have caught that "let's" was missing the apostrophe. I get that everyone makes mistakes, and there is always the option of literary license in casual writing (say a blog, for example), but come on! Mass production of promotional products should be put to a higher test, don't you think? I mean, we're talking about thousands, maybe even millions, of dollars worth of reprints. So remember this the next time your blood boils when someone corrects your "who" to "whom," or when you order trade show giveaways, custom favors or other promo items: grade-school grammar actually is worth a damn!