The Muttropolis Blog

Fetchingly Fresh: Our Hip Hop Shop is Now Open!

Spring has sprung at Muttropolis, and we’re ready to help you put a little extra pep in your pup’s step! With an abundance of new design-driven spring styles, there is no better place than our Hip Hop Shop to get your pup ready for the Easter season. Darling dresses, dapper accessories, super cute tanks, tantalizing toys, and much much more.

If you have a princess pup you must see our Daffodils Dog Dress and Bunny Dog Dress, just two of our many fashion favorites, both handcrafted with delicate details and exceptional execution. And not to worry, we’re prepared to outfit dapper doggies too. Our Blue Plaid Dog Bowtie is a handsome choice, or the more subtle Happy Easter Dog Tank. If you’re looking for sometime to use all spring and summer long, the Aqua and Green Stripe Dog Collar and Leash set is bright, striking, and best of all gender neutral!

Don’t have a dog that likes to dress up? Treat them with toys! For the first time, we’re carrying the popular Plush Bottle Dog Toy, a great toy and new way to recycle in one. It’s simple, just stuff the plush duck with an empty water bottle and let your dog go crazy crunching and crinkling to their hearts desire! We’ve also expanded our talking toy collection to include a Talking Rabbit and Talking Chick, both sure to keep your pup amused as they come to life with each squeeze!

Clearly we are ready to hippity hop into spring, so let us help you and your pup get ready too! Join us to celebrate, hunt for Easter eggs, and pose for Easter pictures, at one of our three Egg-stravaganzas. All Egg-stravaganzas will be held on Saturday, March 30^th. Festivities will start at 10am in our Fashion Island store and at 11am in both our Solana Beach and La Jolla stores. Hope to see you and your fido there!

Shear Madness: Escargoodles and Pandapoos?

Fresh from the “Seriously? Seriously” file comes this diddy that I received in my inbox last week. When I first saw these photos I believed that they had been somewhat digitally manipulated and not completely real.  However, upon further scrutiny and a bit of Googling it became clear that these indeed were real dogs that had been transformed into everything from peacocks and pandas to camels and.….Cap’n Jack Sparrow? Now many of us have seen dogs with a little bit of colored dye applied here and there -- but this is utterly off the hizzle.

While these pooches may resemble buffalos and flowerbeds, they are actually poodles, all competing for the title of top dog at 'creative grooming' shows across the U.S. These grooming transformations are captured by photographer Ren Netherland, who travels thousands of miles each year to attend each competition, which is perhaps not unlike a Junior Miss Beauty Pageant.

It takes approximately two hours for groomers to transform these dogs, which are sheared and colored to achieve each look. The jury is out here at Muttropolis and The Daily Treat as to whether these dogs actually enjoy getting their hair did in such a way. Call me crazy, but this seems highly unnatural...what do you think?

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

The Swamp Cooler: A Cooling Vest for Dogs (not a backwoods cocktail)

Zazou rocks the swamp cooler cooling vest.

With the temperatures rising during the summer, I'm always looking for ways to keep my pets cool, especially my crazy dog Zazou, who doesn't let 100 degree weather slow him down, despite my best attempts to get him to take a proverbial chill pill.

To beat the heat, many dogs need something akin to a personal air-conditioner, particularly active dogs that spend a lot of time outside in the heat, perhaps hiking and the like. Ruffwear's innovative Swamp Cooler is just that...a lightweight vest designed to help dogs both large and small stay cool, happy and active. Dogs can beat the heat and stay cool while you're hiking or biking, playing on the beach, boating on open water under full sun, or perhaps waiting for their turn during outdoor agility trials in the heat.

How the Swamp Cooler works:
The swamp cooler uses evaporative cooling to keep dogs cool in the heat and exchanges the dog’s heat with the coolness of the stored water.  The vest releases the heat as the water evaporates and the three-layer construction maximizes the cooling effects, with the top air-mesh layer generating evaporation and releasing heat. The middle layer absorbs and stores the cooling water and the bottom layer cools the dog.

The light color of the vest reflects sunlight and ultraviolet rays for added sun protection! Starting at $52, you can find the Swamp Cooler Dog Vest at Muttropolis.com.

Article reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley at Animalplanet.com

It Was Just a Matter of Time: The Snuggie for Dogs

Fresh from the "Seriously!? Seriously." files, and just when you thought the Snuggie (or Slanket) had gone the way of the pet rock, brace yourself: Introducing the Snuggie for Dogs. Yes, you heard right, the Snuggie for Dogs.

Now your dog can be both warm and comfortable on the couch while being able to take a quick trip to the local dog park without having to take their blanket off. Its also a great gift idea for dogs who are Lord of the Rings enthusiasts and want to achieve the 'Gandalfy' look or who perhaps practice Buddhism. As well, given it's made of 100% synthetic mystery-material, the static charge generated by the Snuggie for Dogs can likely turn your dog into a super uber lint-roller and/or dust-bunny collection device. You'll never need to dust or vacuum your floors again.

As I understand it, the idea behind the original Snuggie is that it is essentially a blanket with sleeves and is open in the back, akin to a hospital gown. That said, the Snuggie for Dogs, as seen in the video on their site, is not "open in the back" but instead utilizes velcro closures to keep it on the dog. Call me crazy, but doesn't that make this something otherwise known a "dog coat?"

Regardless, you still need to watch the ridiculous video. Reason being, I had to watch it twice before believing that it was not a gag. This is an actual bona fide product....SRSLY. Enjoy!

Article reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley at Animal Planet.com

Fun Summer Dog Dresses and Dog Harnesses for Furry Fashionistas

Some folks admittedly roll their eyes at the sight of a dog all dolled up in a foofey dress, the innocent dog looking none too thrilled to be sporting a tutu, fedora, gladiator sandals or other ensemble.

However, I must say that there are some absolutely darling little dog outfits and functional dog harnesses to be had these days, and the entertainment value can be quite high as long as pup is comfortable. Naturally, if you are indeed going to pimp your pup in a Seersucker Shift, its best if they do not resemble a sausage encased in said lightweight puckered fabric.

Does this dog dress make me look fat?

Some of the fuller figured dogs should just say no to parading around resembling a dog stuffed into a frilly sausage-casing. To help you best dress your dog according to his or her body type, I suggest you review some of the handy guidelines provided by the folks over at Howcast.com.

Some of their tips on how to Dress Your Dog According to Their Body Type include how to: 1) Avoid too tight clothes  2) Accentuate your Bulldog's head  3) Work with problem hair  4) Avoid horizontal stripes for Boxers and my personal favorite, 5) Elongate your Dachshund's legs.

Once you've gotten these important details all worked out, you can find some of the cutest tees, dog dresses and functional dog harness dresses around at Muttropolis.com. Some of my favorites are below...particularly the Watermelon Dog Dress and the Pink Watermelon Dog Tee. Dresses and harnesses start at $20.

Article reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat on Animalplanet.com