Lop Ears Poochy Playground

A few weeks ago we dropped off our dog at Lop Ears Poochy Playground, 10000 North Galena Road in Peoria, for an afternoon of play.
We weren't quite sure what to expect. We walked in to the concrete-floored Morton style building and saw a large open room, but no people or dogs.
After about a minute, a happy dog came running out of a room to the right and I joked that this must be our greeter. The dog ran over to us and soaked up all the attention we gave.
Soon another dog ran out of the room to the right, and before we knew it, a whole stream of dogs poured out of the room to check out who was there, followed by a gentleman who was holding down the fort for the day.
He took plenty of time to ask questions, walk our dog around the site and learn about how she would react to the group.
We soon left to get on with our day and a few hours later I received a text message, apparently from our dog, letting us know that even though she is shy she was having fun.
Lop Ears offers boarding, stay and play and dog daycare.
When we arrived a few hours later, there were a few more people there and we met the wife of the husband/wife team.
I can honestly say I don't think I've ever met people who love dogs more. They were so friendly and very caring about the dogs, and welcomed us to bring our dog back any time.
I certainly will!

The Pet Pantry

Over the past few years, we have transitioned our dog to healthier food.

She used to eat Pedigree dry dog food, and we had switched her to Iams Weight Control dry dog food when, this spring, we heard from a friend about a place that would deliver dog food to our house.

Since we had to go out every few weeks to buy a 40 pound bag of Iams, for about $36, which also involved bringing my husband along so he could heft the bag around, I figured I would check into it.

The Pet Pantry is located in Germantown Hills.

Checking their web site, I found a dog food I thought we could try, the Premium Adult Maintenance. We called and placed an order for 60 pounds at a cost of 82 cents a pound.

We found that they deliver to our area on Tuesdays, and we would need to pay a one time deposit of $15 for our dog food bin.

On that Tuesday, we left our garage open and when we got home there was our bin nicely placed in the garage, our invoice and a few surprises for our dog inside.

She scored some medium biscuits plus some Easter dog treats. We also got a Pet Pantry magnet.

Last Monday I called for a reorder, and we emptied our bin prior to Tuesday's delivery.

We got home and again found the full bin in our garage, with our invoice, and a note letting us know that our variety of dog food was not going to be available in the future, plus a sample of something comparable for our dog to try out. The note also said to let them know if we needed any more samples.

This order was about $52, since we did not have to pay a bin deposit.

The 60 pounds of dog food lasted our 70 pound dog almost exactly two months.

The food is good quality, and is made in the U.S. You can check ingredients on the Pet Pantry web site.

Each time we've talked to the gentleman there, Bill, I think his name is, he's been very friendly and helpful, and we enjoy supporting another good local business.

Muddy Paws Pet Wash

We first noticed the Muddy Paws Pet Wash when it moved into a bay at JH Car Wash, 106 Muller Road in Washington last year, and commented on what a great idea it was.
In January, we picked up a dog who was coming to stay with us for a while and found her to be a bit, er, ripe, shall we say.
On our way home we figured it would be a perfect time to try out the do-it-yourself pet wash.
We stepped in to the enclosed room complete with stainless steel tub and a ramp to help escort man's best friend into said tub.
There was also a place to secure your pooch in place while you wash.
The controls were very much like car wash controls; feed in some bills and select your options: soap, rinse, conditioner and a hair dryer. We tried it out on our soon-to-be houseguest, and it cracked me up because the dryer was so forceful it blew this little mini pinscher's skin back in folds.
I think it was $5 for eight minutes of wash/dry time, which was just right for us.
The best part about the Muddy Paws Pet Wash is the fact that you don't have to clean the pet hair out of your household bathtub when fished. They have a cycle for sanitizing the tub, and you and your clean canine are on your way.

You Dirty Dog

The four legged member of our family needed a good dolling up for the holidays, so we took her to You Dirty Dog in Morton to be fluffed and buffed.
This was our first time in the shop, and we had heard that all of their merchandise and treats are made in the USA, which drew our attention even more.
Oh, my! This place has a large, double door wall case full of treats that look so good, a human would be salivating! They also have collars, keychains, toys and more.
We dropped Miss Thang (not her real name, really) off for her appointment. We were asked if she sheds (boy, does she ever), and headed off to dinner.
About an hour later, we stopped by to pick her up, and she was shiny and fresh smelling, and had a holiday collar cover on to boot! Mark said they had gotten a lot of hair off of her, which will be a big plus.
As we chatted with the owners, our dog kept trying to stick her snout in between the two doors of the glass case o' treats and take a big whiff.
This seems like a great crew of people, and they enjoy geocaching, too, so that's another plus with us.
You Dirty Dog is open Mondays from 1-8 p.m., Wed.-Fri. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m.-noon. They plan to have a web site up soon.

Doggone dandy!

This post is going to the dogs, literally!
Give some extra love to your canine companion this holiday weekend. Take Pete to one of the dog parks in the area:

• Morton - Morton Dog Park, free, small and large enclosure, wooded and shaded. Take 74 to the southbound Morton exit. Turn right in front of Wal-Mart (Courtland). Continue straight until the stop sign. At the stop sign, turn left on to Main St. Cross the railroad tracks. The dog park and ample parking is located on the left just before the curve.

• Peoria - Kickapoo Creek Dog Run - Large field with a creek. Farmington Road to Kickapoo Creek Road.

• Macomb - Macomb Dog Park. Fenced. Located in Patton Park on the corner of Ward and Grant.
After the dog park, how about some fancy treats for Trixie:

• Peoria - My Dog's Bakery at the Metro Centre, toys and homemade treats

Washington Greenhouse

Washington Greenhouse, 2679 Centennial Drive in Washington, is a great resource for your gardening needs. They carry a wide selection of plants, trees, shrubs and seeds, fertilizers, plus landscaping rock and blocks and even a pet and bird food department.