• We won't spam you. What that means to us is that we won't waste your time with a lot of needless emails or promotions. Our plan is to send out emails once a month at most, and only to keep you informed of important changes. Never daily. Never weekly. Never biweekly. Unless we receive unanimous begging and clamoring to be spammed by all of our customers in choir-like harmony, but we find that highly unlikely.

• We'll never share your information with anyone else. We fully respect your right to privacy, especially when it comes to your online presence. We will never share, sell, or give away your email address or any other personal information. Period. We are in the business of improving our dog's lives through innovative products and partners; we are not in the business of selling information, and we aim to keep it that way.

• We'll honor your request to cut down the volume in your inbox. If you for any reason do not want to receive emailed newsletters from us, simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any newsletter we send, and it shall be done. We respect your right to choose a collar, a leash, and to keep your email box to a reasonable size.

Here are a few things that we will do:

• On occasion, we'll provide special offers that are distributed via the newsletter that may highlight anything from Friends of Tazlab discounts to package deals. We'll also let you know when the site gets new and nifty features that you might find interesting.

• As always, we will work like crazy to find and create products that meet the needs and wants of folks interested in improving the safety and comfort of our favorite pet pals.

• When appropriate, we will also provide useful information on safety and comfort issues for our pets. Tazlab is currently focused on dogs, but we care for all animals as well so we aren't limiting the scope of the newsletter. If you have tips for us, by all means, send them in!

Now that we understand each other, let's get to the good stuff.

 

Tazlab offers Zuke's dog treats

Tazlab has combed the world of dog treats, nibbles, and accoutrements to find the best-of-breed in snacks for our furry friends, and Zuke's is the hands-down winner. Zuke's Power Bones, Mini Naturals, and Hip Action with glucosamine and chondroitin are made with top-quality ingredients that help to keep your dog active when their energy levels start to dip. We use Zuke's with our dogs around the office, and they love them. Our CEO tried to convince us that they are a good breakfast snack for active folks like us too, but we've asked him to keep that to himself.

In addition to the great quality of their products, the folks at Zuke's have been absolutely fabulous to work with. We have no question in our minds that they stand behind everything they sell. That is one of our top criteria for carrying products - companies that we support should strive for the same level of service that we strive for, and everyone that we have talked to at Zuke's epitomizes that goal.

Check it out. Zuke's dog treats are our highlighted product of the month. Welcome aboard.

Tazlab's Safe-T-Stretch collar, Slide-Tech leash, and Tazlight reviewed in Bark Magazine and the New York Post

Check out the May/June issue of The Bark Magazine. They have chosen to review Tazlab's full line of innovative safety products including our nylon safety collars, leashes, and our collar and leash light. We all know safer dogs make happier dog owners.

A little about The Bark - “The Bark is the voice of modern dog culture. It is both the acclaimed print magazine and an online forum, Bark Unleashed.” Since 1997, The Bark has become America’s most exciting and talked about pet magazine and is distributed quarterly in bookstores, newsstands, airports, pet stores and other pet-friendly establishments, as well as at special dog events and through subscriptions. Called the “New Yorker” of dog magazines, it has been featured in a host of publications, including InStyle, Brill’s Content, the Washington Post, Utne Reader, The Christian Science Monitor and the New York Times. It was selected by Dr. Samir Husni, the leading magazine industry expert, as one of the top launches of ‘99, setting a “new standard for pet publications.”

Julia Szabo included Tazlab in an article in The New York Post on June 25th. Julia is a contributing pet guru to many publications and a regular at the New York Post and Country Living. She is the acclaimed writer of two books: The Underdog, A Celebration of Mutts, and Animal House Style. Every Tuesday at noon, she is a guest on Sirius Satellite Radio's "Frank DeCaro Show," answering callers' questions and dilemmas about pets.

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy a wonderful Holiday Weekend. Be happy and safe out there!

Following in the footsteps of our founders (well, that’s us), we would like to impart a little wisdom that is not ours, but is collected from reputable sources. It is about the safety of your dog over the Fourth of July holiday. We are aware that if you are like us, you like to include your dogs in everything you do. Well, this is one time that we encourage you to exclude them if you plan to partake in the ritual of "the fireworks."

Fireworks originated in China some 2,000 years ago. The most prevalent legend has it that fireworks were discovered or invented by accident by a Chinese cook working in a field kitchen who happened to mix charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter (all commonly found in the kitchen in those days). The mixture burned and when compressed in an enclosure (a bamboo tube), the mixture exploded.

A Chinese monk named Li Tian, who lived near the city of Liu Yang in Hunan Province, is credited with the invention of firecrackers about 1,000 years ago. The Chinese people celebrate the invention of the firecracker every April 18 by offering sacrifices to Li Tian. During the Song Dynasty, the local people established a temple to worship Li Tian.

Firecrackers, both then and now, are thought to have the power to fend off evil spirits and ghosts that are frightened by the loud bangs of firecrackers. In China these days, firecrackers are used at most events such as births, deaths and birthdays. Chinese New Year is a particularly popular event that is celebrated with firecrackers to usher in the New Year free of evil spirits.

Generally, Marco Polo is credited with bringing Chinese gunpowder back to Europe in the 13th century, although some accounts credit the Crusaders with bringing black powder to Europe as they returned from their journeys.

Once in Europe, black powder was used for military purposes, first in rockets, then in canons and guns. Italians were the first Europeans to use the black powder to manufacture fireworks. Germany was the other European country to emerge as a fireworks leader along with Italy in the 18th century. It is interesting to note that many of the leading American display companies are operated by families of Italian descent such as the Grucci family, Rozzi family, and Zambelli family.

The English were also fascinated with fireworks. Fireworks became very popular in Great Britain during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare mentions fireworks in his works, and fireworks were so much enjoyed by the Queen herself that she created the position of "Fire Master of England." King James II was so pleased with the fireworks display that celebrated his coronation that he knighted his Fire Master.

And… in 1685 King James II succeeded King Charles II who is credited for bringing the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel into the lap of royalty (pun intended). How’s that? Did you follow that line of reasoning from fireworks back to dogs?

Anyway, below is a list of recommended safety tips that we have collected that we believe can help dogs and owners during the upcoming holiday. If you have the time, try Progressive desensitization. A proven way to help your pet adjust to the noise is to expose them to commercial recordings of fireworks, playing them at gradually increasing volumes that are below your dog's fear threshold.

But for the rest of us for whom the calendar is a reminder of what we forgot to do, here are our favorite 10 things to remember to keep your dogs safe on the fourth (or on boxing day, or…)

• Don't confine animals to a small space during a thunderstorm or Fourth of July celebrations. Pets may be more upset by being confined than by the loud noises.
• If ingested, the gunpowder in firecrackers and bottle rockets is potentially toxic to pets.
• Mimic mommy. Mother dogs control and comfort their young by putting pressure on the bridge of their nose or behind their ears.
• Near your pet's favorite lounging spot, unzip a sleeping bag or leave a couple of old blankets (or new blankets if you wish) so that they can burrow inside and hide. If it smells like you, this will provide additional comfort.
• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages can poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed, or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
• Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pet’s reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Oh, and watch out for the kids as well.
• Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea.
• Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of plastic containers.
• Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
• Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered, and escape-proof area at home.

This final one is possibly the most important, as many pets turn up in shelters or are lost on the Fourth, and that makes for sad dogs and humans. Do your friends, canine best friends, and family a favor - let your pets stay home in a safe, quiet environment.

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