Are you (and your pup) ready for some (fantasy) football?

My brother (a.k.a. #1 Met's fan) might get a dog just so he can buy this

I spend a lot of time on my computer.  (One might even say too much time.)  This weekend, though, my time spent staring at my computer screen was for a good reason – fantasy football.  Ah, football, how I have missed you.   Being from Texas, football truly is a way of life.  College or pro…Monday night or Saturday afternoon…it really does not matter to me.  I love it all.

No...I did not draft any Texans

What else do I love?  I love dogs.  There is nothing I love more than seeing two things I love smooshed into one, and that is why I love Sugar Chic.

The only other thing Buffy would need is one of the corn hats

In one of my Google, Twitter, Facebook sessions, I came across this website.  (I now follow them on Twitter – @SugarChic) I look at a ridiculous number of dog products sites and catalogs, and to be quite honest – they start to blend together a lot of the time.  Sugar Chic, though, has something that a lot of places don’t – sports gear for your pup!  They even have NCAA team gear!  (Only one Texas item…that was a bit disappointing!) They have everything: leashes, bowls, cheerleader outfits, jersey’s, shirts, and toys.  I definitely recommend you taking a look around their website (www.sugarchiccouture.com) to prepare your pup for the season.

Another reason Sugar Chic caught my eye is that they carry a wide variety of sizes – not just XS and S.  I’ve noticed a lot of stores think that chihuahua parents are the only ones who like their pups to look cute.  It’s true, I’m not going to dress my lab up in a tutu, but I wouldn’t mind putting a little something-or-other on her  every now and then.

The Sugar Chic site has many other adorable items that at the very least have unique names (Chewy Vuiton!) Their Dog Costume’s page featured some Halloween duds that are better than your average (and many times stereotypical and overdone) outfits.  My only complaint would again be that their largest size costume fits a 20-25 pound dog.

And for those of you who are interested, my fantasy draft went quite well.  I definitely consider it a success.  Buffy sat at my feet as I put together what (I hope) will be my dream team.  She only stirred when I drafted Matthew Stafford (who could blame her???), but once I assured her he was just warming my bench she went back to sleep.

If I Had a Million Dollars

I’ve actually been thinking about my last post – are we replacing babies with dogs?  As much as I LOVE dogs, I don’t believe we can actually use them fill in for human-grown offspring.  I do believe, though, that they have become much more than “pets” in terms of how we treat them and their place in our homes. 

America, being the wonderful capitalist country that it is, has moved relatively quickly to expand this new “dogs as members of the family” market.  I know from my own experience that even in tough economic times, people today usually do not skimp when it comes to their furry friends.  I was surprised to see phrases like “recession proof” and “sales growth still up” in articles I read while doing a bit of research for this post, though.  It doesn’t take an economics major to know that, even in the recession, people are shelling out big bucks for dog products – something like $55 billion last year.  I’m not even talking about food, bowls, and leashes either…I’m talking about salon visits, clothing, and (thankfully!) dog walkers and daycare.  I’ve had more than one client tell me about how their dog is now on an organic or raw food diet.  Organic?  I don’t even buy those expensive products for myself!

So, just for fun, I’m going to show you some of my favorite silly, ridiculous dog products.  Don’t get me wrong, though, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would start shopping for designer dog houses and name brand duds for Buffy.

Pup to Go (www.puptogo.com) – $125

Just like a baby carrier, the Pup to Go straps right to your front.  I always see babies rolling around like this, and now your pup can to.  Not meant to replace exercise, but simply to allow your pup to go all the crowded places you do…without getting stepped on. (Although if you are in a crowded place, would you really want a dog strapped to your front?)  As crazy as this looks, not completely uncommon in New York City.  I wonder what kind of looks I would get if I popped into  a Texas Walmart like this, though. 

Special Edition Pet Stroller (www.theuncommondog.com) – $132.94

This is one thing I never understood – a dog stroller.  Googling “dog stroller” yields a surprising number of results – some of them priced at around $300!!  I guess I can understand if you have an older dog who is having trouble getting around but still needs fresh air, but other than that – I’m just not so sure about dog stroller people.  This really seems to be taking the “replacing baby with dog”  to a whole other level.

Bon’ Armoire in Blue – (www.poshpuppyboutique.com) – $275

I stand corrected.  THIS takes things to a whole other level.  So, you find yourself with so many outfits for your dog, you need an armoire to store them in.  Posh Puppy Boutique says this is the “perfect piece of furniture to store all your pet’s clothing and fashion accessories.”  Fashion accessories?  Really? This thing looks nicer than the stand alone closet I had in one of my Brooklyn apartments!  Sorry, though, dog hangers sold separately.

I might just have to make this a regular post subject!  If you come across anything that you would like to share, please email us at blog@wagsandwhiskershouston.com or simply leave a comment.