NOVADog Blog

By Gregg Bender

HydroSurge ^TM is a well known and respected maker of pet bathing equipment for veterinarians and groomers. The RapidBath ^TM is the home unit developed from the BathPro ^TM system with the home pet owner in mind. It is quite capable of fulfilling their “3-minute bath” guarantee.

The unit consists of a handheld unit that acts as both a pet shampoo dispenser and water spray unit, which connects to the showerhead pipe in the bathroom shower. All of the equipment needed to use it right out of the box is included, including the hose and connector needed to hook it up. It even comes with a sample shampoo “pod,” so you can start right away. The shampoo pods are plastic packets somewhat larger than a condiment packet from a fast food outlet. We were able to get two rounds of baths (eight total) out of a single pod.

The line includes pet shampoos for deodorizing, a soothing oatmeal shampoo, one shampoo especially formulated for the needs of white-coated dogs, a hypoallergenic shampoo, and an ultra-cleaning shampoo for those “tough jobs.” They do not currently offer a flea/tick shampoo, because their shampoo is highly concentrated and flea/tick shampoo should always be applied to a clean pet.

We were skeptical of the system, though. We were given one as a gift and were not prepared for how well it worked in our situation. We have four Shelties and bathing them was usually a long-term, messy affair that none of us liked very much. The first time we used the RapidBath ^TM, we bathed and rinsed all four Shelties in about 20 minutes. “Impressed” is not the word for it. Perhaps “amazed” is more suitable! Even more amazing was our experience with their customer service.

Our unit had some sort of defect and stopped working. I e-mailed them and explained the situation and asked what could be done. Their response was to send us an entire new unit, postage paid, at no cost to us. All we can say is that we and the “Barks Brothers” are sold on RapidBath!

HydroSurge RapidBath ^TM from Jarden Consumer Solutions. Retail $49.95, but can be found at lower prices on sale or online. http://www.rapidbathing.com/HydroSurgeStory.aspx

Gregg Bender is a member of Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue and Northern Chesepeake Sheltie Rescue. He is owned by four rescued Shelties, collectively known as the “Barks Brothers,” mostly because he and his wife Nancy are major foster flunkies. He spends much of his time trying not to be herded and trying to convince the Barks Brothers not to herd their four cats. He is a former supervisor and technical writer from the airline industry, who now works for CACI International as an IT technical writer at Ft. Detrick, MD.

Product: Dog Lover’s Daily Companion - 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Living a Rich Life with Your Dog

Tester: Greg Bender and his clan (The Barks Brothers)

Rating: Nine Paws out of Ten

This is one pet book that is definitely worth the price to any dog owner. The authors have leashed together a wide variety of fun, interesting, and occasionally offbeat topics. Would you like to learn how to make some bar soap for your dog? Read up on your dog’s horoscope? Learn how to clean your dog’s collars and leashes properly? How about learning to manage your dog’s diabetes? What should be in a simple or advanced canine First Aid kit? All those topics are covered, as well as many others. The text is clear, lively and informal, and the photography is first rate.

The book is arranged on a Monday through Friday calendar, with a separate weekend section reserved specifically for “Bonding and Relationship Building” with your dog. Each day of the week is devoted to a general topic or set of topics, such as “Basics,” or “Health, Grooming and First Aid.” Of course, the reader does not necessarily have to follow the daily scheme. Browsing is encouraged and rewards the reader with occasional surprises. (Who knew there was such a thing as Feng Shui for dogs?)

There are projects for those handy with a needle, such as making some fabric jingle toys for your dog. That alone might save the reader more than the cover price in short order. Other projects are provided for those familiar with using power and hand tools, such as the plans provided for building a freestanding yard shade canopy or a fair-weather doghouse. Many of the projects are child-friendly and would be useful as rainy day activities with a little advance planning on Mom and Dad’s part.

GREG'S DOGS (COLLECTIVELY CALLED THE BARKS BROTHERS) AWAIT THEIR FROZEN TREAT THAT HE MADE FROM A PROJECT IN THE BOOK.

There are tips on how to train your dog to “sit pretty” for a photograph (a major problem with my four Shelties, who act more like mischievous second graders when lined up for a photo session), flip for a treat, balance a treat on his nose and others, all using positive reinforcement techniques.

The only “bone” of contention I have with the authors is that they offer advice for leaving your dog unattended in a car. Given how often the media covers the disastrous consequences of this practice, I strongly discourage it. For this, I deduct a “Paw.” I must give the authors credit for their support of shelters and rescue organizations in their book, especially for including a list of all the different ways anyone can help. For those outside of the shelter and rescue world, many of the ways to help out are not intuitive.

This book is a steal at the price, ($19.99) and provides many ideas and projects to amuse both dogs and their owners. Congratulations to the authors for assembling a unique book that every dog owner should have on the shelf. Find the book at Amazon.com.

Gregg Bender is a member of Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue and Northern Chesepeake Sheltie Rescue. He is owned by four rescued Shelties, collectively known as the “Barks Brothers,” mostly because he and his wife Nancy are major foster flunkies. He spends much of his time trying not to be herded and trying to convince the Barks Brothers not to herd their four cats. He is a former supervisor and technical writer from the airline industry, who now works for CACI International as an IT technical writer at Ft. Detrick, MD.

Shepherd mix "Josie" wears her Thundershirt during training class.

Product: The Thundershirt (www.thundershirt.com)

Tester: Michelle Robinson of Reston, VA and her Shepherd mix, Josie

When NOVADog put out the call for a very nervous doggy to test out The Thundershirt, reader Michelle Robinson of Reston, VA responded with a plea: “I am very interested. I actually thought of buying this before!” So the very nice people at Thundershirt sent out a package to Michelle and Josie, with her specially-sized shirt.

Thundershirt works by applying gentle, constant pressure, which can have a dramatic calming effect on the nervous system for dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited.

“We have been using the Thundershirt pretty consistently when guests come over, and for Josie’s obedience class. The biggest thing I noticed is we have to put it on her at least 45 minutes before guests’ come or her class. Then she has had time to adjust to it and it really does calm her down,” says Michelle.  “During her obedience class, she gets VERY excited (to the point of the trainer mentioning medication) but the Thundershirt seems to keep her from lunging at the other dogs and better able to focus on us during the training class.”

Michelle comments that it’s not a complete solution for her. She still works diligently with Josie on keeping her focused around distractions.  ”I would say it takes the edge off of her excitement,” notes Michelle. “I’ve attached a picture of her wearing it at dog class!”

Many thanks to Thundershirt for donating the product for our testing session. And thanks to Michelle and Josie for giving it a test-drive!