Happy Star Wars Day!

May the fourth be with you! I've been a huge Star Wars fan since early childhood, and I'm thrilled that it has so permeated popular culture. I'm especially pleased with The Force Awakens and the fact that half the people in the background are women, whether soldiers or trading post visitors. (Still trying to pretend the prequels didn't happen...)

Photo by Erin Koski

Petco apparently has officially licensed the Star Wars brand, and their offerings have only gotten
better since their initial product line. My favorite bit of apparel is definitely the Yoda sweater. I think every chihuahua should have a Yoda sweater. The least popular product from that line was definitely the Princess Leia harem girl harness, the clearance bin was stuffed with those for months.

Petco started offering licensed Star Wars pet products in early 2014 or late 2013. From the simple printed collars, themed harnesses, and sweaters, they've since expanded to a much wider and more sophisticated product range. R2D2 chihuahua purses, imitation leather studded collars, and some really unique toys.

There are a ton of basic plush, rope, and squeaky toys that just happen to have Star Wars characters on them. Much more exciting are the gems like our Death Star treat ball. I mean look at this thing! It's a perfect little Death Star, plus it's a food puzzle! I believe the current incarnation is clear so the dog can see the goodies inside.

Photo by Erin Koski

Sisci's favorite Star Wars toy is definitely our Death Star pull toy. It's a great big plush space station with a rope handle and three holes for hiding little squeaky guys. It's so cute I don't mind too much when Sisci wakes me up at 6am with a plush Darth Vader in her mouth.

I'm definitely appreciating the addition of a girl Jedi protagonist. My six year old niece has a Rey costume, maybe I can talk my sister into making one for Sisci?

Check out my review of the Death Star stuff tomorrow!

Treat Tuesday: Loot Pets Ruff 'Em Ups

The Ruff 'Em Ups Fruity Protein Puffs for Dogs arrived in our March Versus Loot Pets box by Loot Crate. They were made by Loving Pets and appear to be a special edition of their Puffsters treats. These are made with chicken, so Brisbane couldn't enjoy them. However, Sisci and Ru liked them more than I expected. These are really light, low-calorie treats.

Good For: Fatty-fat dogs. Teaching a dog how to catch treats. Handing to the dogs on my way out the door without getting my hands all gross. Low-value training treats when I don't mind them spending a while crunching up each cookie.

Not Good For: Dogs with poultry allergies. High-value training treats.

How Much We Like Them: Ru liked them a lot more than I expected, maybe because he didn't have to put much effort into eating them since they're so light and airy.

Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs Everyday Elements Collection

When I ran out of evening primrose-scented signature Isle of Dogs shampoo and conditioner, I decided to give their less fancy stuff a try. The Everyday Elements stuff comes in bigger bottles, costs significantly less, and I love the jasmine and vanilla fragrance.

Isle of Dogs

I obviously like this company a lot. Their Coature collection of products is just so fancy! They're also pretty pricey, so I thought I'd give their bottom of the line value shampoo an conditioner a try. As much as I'd like to have the matching silky coat spray, I can't justify buying it when I've got most of a bottle of evening primrose spray left. (Actually I can't justify buying any more dog beauty products for a while as everyone has given me dog shampoo lately and now my bathroom looks ridiculous.)

Does It Work?

This stuff smells amazing. It got Brisbane and Sisci both very clean, and also left their coats smooth and soft. Everyone who touches Brisbane exclaims at how soft he is. The effect lasted more than two weeks before he started getting slightly greasy and ready for another bath. The products are both very thick and potent, I could easily dilute them quite a bit for easier and more economical bathing. Isle of Dogs suggests up to a 10 to 1 dilution.

 As Brisbane is prone to skin issues and does best with frequent baths, I am pleased that Isle of Dogs states that their products can be used every day. There have been times when Brisbane needed to be washed every other day, and aside from human baby shampoo it's nice to know there's something specifically formulated for this.

Final Verdict

I like it. Also, I will probably never need to buy dog shampoo again.