1800Whiskers - A Doggie's Little Helper

(to be sung to the tune of the Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper")

"Peeps are different today,"
I hear every mongrel say,
"A dog just needs something today to calm him down."
And although he's got no fleas,
He's got herbal remedies.
He goes running for the shelter of a doggie's little helper
And it helps him on his way, PLUS gets mommy through his day.

"Things are different today,"
I hear every mongrel say.
Watching mommy practice yoga's such a drag
So he poops right on the floor and he whimpers at the door
And goes running for the shelter of a doggie's little helper
And it helps him on his way, get mom through his doggie day.

Whiskers sends...Valerian....
and St. John's Wort... right to your door.
What a drag it is getting scolded.

"City life's so hard today,"
I hear every mongrel say,
"Where am I supposed to go to hunt up squirrels?
Why can't I go into stores? Why can't I pee on the floors?"
So go running for the shelter of a doggie's little helper
And a teaspoon helps his plight, help to minimize his fight

Whiskers sends...Valerian....
and St. John's Wort... right to your door.
What a drag it is getting scolded.

With time on my hands, I took a trip to Whiskers, the holistic pet store in the East Village mainly for the purpose of purchasing Lewis's BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), which is totally NOT a scam at all. Just as humans need to eat biologically appropriate food, or else suffer digestive and other woes, so too do dogs (and other pets, I would imagine). As a result of this diet, Lewis is slim (remember, he is part Bassett, which makes him prone to becoming F-A-T) and sleek and one of the fastest dogs in the dog run, AND his poop is actually well-formed and hardly smelly. And that makes a difference when you have to pick up after your dog several times a day.

When I got to the store, I wandered around a bit and saw a selection of holistic remedies for everything, and I mean everything you can imagine, including, most relevantly, anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression in a dog? Imagine a dog that whimpers around the house, freaks out when anyone leaves and cries uncontrollably when the children board the camp bus. It was the sight of that last scene - the camp bus - that made me realize that Lewis really may have a problem. I consulted with Phil, the proprietor of Whiskers, and he recommended EPI, a dietary supplement for dogs that contains Valerian, Kavakava and St. John's Wort. He said it may or may not help. I was willing to take the chance for 12 bucks.

Guess what? Lewis is a new doggie on EPI. He gets 3/4 of a teaspoonful a day with his breakfast, and no more hysterical crying, no more accidents (so far), and overall, a much more cuddly, snuggly loving dog.

And I must add, I cannot sing the praises of Phil and his amazingly fabulous store loudly enough. Phil is a gem. He is the first pet store proprietor I have come across (in NYC) who actually (1) speaks English fluently AND (2) knows something about pets AND (3) is willing to meet your dog and help you to evaluate what your dog's needs really are. Most of the pet supply stores around here are owned by folks who have a hard time communicating with English speaking customers and who don't seem to know (or care to know) anything about dogs. I give some of them credit for holding adoption days. But if I have a real question, I now know where to go.

So, anyway, after the boys (all three of them) come back from the Yankee game today, we are driving up to New England (the Berkshires and then New Hampshire, to tour some summer camps for the weetle boys) for the long weekend. So, we shall see how Lewis does in the car and in our hotel rooms, and if all goes well, we may even take him with us when we hike up Monument Mountain (it's only a 2.5 mile hike, and it's supposedly an easy trail) on Sunday.

Yoga will happen this weekend, it just won't happen at Shala X, or at any shala for that matter. It's going to just be me and my mat.

Dear Sir,

Please excuse Yoga Chickie from Shala on July 2 and 3, as she will be out of town. She is taking her mat, however, and will practice on her own.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Yoga Chickie's Monkey Mind

YC