He even asked Henry’s Backyard for a recommendation to help keep his frisky pup off the furniture, so if you have any suggestions, please share them with us and we will test them out in Henry’s Lab - and send some recommendations to Greg.

We also met Pat Lacy, the inventor of a new type of training harness and the owner of Jackson Sage, a line of herbal skin care products currently available at Whole Foods and Ellwood Thompson’s. Both products will be tested in Henry’s Lab so be on the lookout for our results.

And stay tuned for information on where Henry’s Backyard will be next!

Our testing team really enjoyed them as well. “My dogs loved them.” The team liked that they were small - so you don’t have to break them up for smaller dogs, and portable - great for travel. “Our pups loved them all, and even tried to get the one that rolled under the fridge!” He gets an ‘A’ for effort!

The flavors we tested included Carob Snackers, Peanut Butter Snackers, Cranberry Snackers, Cheddar Snackers and Pumpkin Spice Snackers with the most popular being the Peanut Butter and Carob. All testers said they would buy more or similar products from Sammy Snacks.

Editors comments: The people at Sammy Snacks were wonderful to work with and really have a tasty, healthy product. They have also ‘gone green’ utilizing brown bags and a limited amount of ink. So go to their website www.SammySnacks.com and pick up yours  - just be sure to share.

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

Rourke’s deep affection for his dogs is well documented since the Golden Globes six weeks ago when he thanked his dogs during his acceptance speech for winning the Best Actor award for his role in The Wrestler.

“She was the love of my life. She made it until six days ago so she left me at a time after almost 18 years when she knew I’d be alright. That’s Loki. It’s bittersweet because I’d rather have Loki another two years than an Oscar, and I told her that. But she stayed as long as she could. She just fell asleep in my arms. I think we all want to go that way.”

Mickey explained that stars including Bruce Springsteen, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins and director Jon Favreau have expressed their sympathy following Loki’s death.

He said that this Oscar morning he attended church and “lit a candle for Loki and for my grandmother and my brother.”

Rourke did not win the Oscar but did show his softer side and touch the hearts of many dog lovers. 

‘The new K9Grass was designed especially for dogs by ForeverLawn, which is based in Albuquerque, N.M. ForeverLawn says the grass drains well and can withstand wear and tear. It also has a knitted structure that helps wick away urine and odors .’

It’s not cheap but this park was able to install it with help from the city, county and donations. [ I'm thinking I would like it in my yard!]

But if you’re neighborhood needs a good dog park or your dog park needs some work, you may want to check it out.

The Onion have done it again.

Just in time for the holidays, they have come up with a clever, yet non-existant product every dog owner should have…the iFeast. Here’s the description from their web store:

‘Let’s face it. You and your pet don’t share the same “taste” in music. That’s why TechnoPetz created iFeast, the portable pet feeding/watering system for your MP3 player. Mealtime will never be the same for your pet with iFeast.

No, the products aren’t real. But the empty boxes are. Wrap your otherwise forgettable gift in an Onion gift box, and watch their faces fall when they realize there is no such thing as a pet feeding/docking station for an overly pampered pet’s portable MP3 player—just a crappy bric-a-brac inside you waited until the last moment to buy. ‘

How fun is that? A great laugh for $7.99.

Give it this year for the holidays and let me know what they think!

Direct from their website it explains, ‘Stella & Chewy’s is an all-natural, raw, frozen-fresh and freeze-dried petfood, made exclusively from human-grade free-range meats, ground bones, and fresh organic vegetables.’

Although the idea of ‘freeze dried’ is not terribly appealing, it is a fantastic product made from just one ingredient; free range chicken or beef. They are great for traveling and good for dogs who may need to lose a few pounds (no grains included). With all the crazy dog food recalls out there, it is nice to find a manufacturer dedicated to making safe (and tasty) products for our pets.

Henry and Jess go absolutely crazy for them (they almost dance around the kitchen when I take them out) - and Henry can be quite fussy about his treats. All Henry’s testers were wild about Stella & Chewy’s carnivore kisses so we had to give them a five out of five.

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

I just couldn’t resist this…the Winners of the ‘My Dog looks like Obama or McCain photo contest.’!

Here’s a link to all the contestants.

So who get’s your vote?

In our endeavour to find environmentally friendly products for our pets, we came across www.poopbags.com. 100% biodegradable plastic bags (manufactured to the ASTM D6400 specification - which means they will degrade at a rate similar to an apple!). With some frightening stats on their site about dog waste and pollutants, it is really worth the time and effort to pick up after our dogs and utilize biodegradable bags.

Here’s what our River City Westie testers had to say, “No bones about it…this is one “terrier-ific” poop bag!  We were introduced to PoopBags by one of our Westie Mums.  In fact, she liked them so much that she contacted PoopBags.com and asked them to consider supporting our 3rd Annual Virginia Westie Walk with a donation of PoopBags…and, they jumped at the opportunity!  The poop bags were a big hit at the event, and many of our Westie Mums & Dads now use them too! 

As a club that promotes and supports a healthier and cleaner environment for our four-legged friends, we are proud to now offer PoopBags at our monthly Meetups and events.  Thanks PoopBags.com for helping these Westies go green, and to further reduce their poop-print on the planet!”

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

Walking two dogs can sometimes be a nightmare. Especially when they are constantly crossing each other and the leads get all tangled up. I found a product called Pet Walker Plus who have a solution - a patented swivel design allowing dogs to walk over and under each other without tangling. Separate leads allow pet owners to control and correct each dog and it can be used on both large and small dogs. Here’s what one of our reviewers, Matt, had to say:

‘I rank this Pet Walker Plus leash a 4 out of 5. It is very easy to use and there was no tangling of the leads. It is easy to put on, it looks nice and it is very sturdy. With my two dogs who have the pulling power of 200 lbs there was no danger of it breaking - it’s obviously very well made. I would not only buy other products from this manufacturer, I would feel comfortable being on their mailing list.’

Henry’s Lab ranking: