Winter Paw Care Tips

Winter is here for a little while longer, so why not keep your pup protected with these great services! Did you know that you can upgrade from our house shampoo and conditioner to other specialty options for an additional charge? One of the best options during the winter months is Oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. Oatmeal has many benefits from being especially moisturizing and helping with dandruff and flaking. It can also help relieve and skin irritation or itchiness your dog may have.

Another service you can add on when visiting us is a Winter Paw Treatment! A Winter Paw Treatment includes shaving the fur from the bottom of the paw and applying musher’s secret. Shaving the paw hair on the bottom prevents any salt or debris from irritating the paws, helps prevent slipping on slippery surfaces, and stops snow clumps from forming on the paws. Musher’s Secret is an easy-to-apply all-natural wax-based cream that protects paws from harsh surfaces, ice and salt with all natural 100 percent wax-based cream. When applied to pads and between toes, it dries in seconds to form a semi-permeable shield. It also acts as an invisible boot to prevent potential paw problems. It is available at all the stores for purchase! We do require appointments for all Winter Paw Treatments.

Did you know that you can also request a nail grind instead of a nail trimming at all of our stores? Nail grinds are great for many reasons. One of the biggest advantages of grinders is that you can smooth your dog’s nails and round them. This is much preferred over the sharp edges left by nail clippers. Rounded nails ensure your dog doesn’t get snagged on carpets and is especially handy for dogs that have a tendency to scratch or jump up on owners (smooth nails don’t do nearly as much damage to furniture or to your skin).

Get The Mail

Looking for a cool new trick for your pooch?  How about having them get the mail?  Check out this awesome trick!  

Royal Canin Dog Makeover on WCCO

dog makeover in minneapolis

Our good friends at Royal Canin approached us to help makeover some rescue dogs so that they could get adopted.  You can watch the story from WCCO-TV by clicking here.  If you know of a rescue dog in need of a makeover, click here.

This is all part of our "Random Acts of Bubbly" for 2015 and we love to give back to the Twin Cities Pet Community.

Best Of 2015

I am so honored that Bubbly Paws Dog Wash and Spa has been nominated as "Best Groomer" by the readers of the St Louis Park Magazine for the 3rd year in a row!  We have 3 wonderful dog groomers at our St Louis Park store and all do an amazing job!  Click here for more information or to buy tickets to the awards!  A complete list of nominations is below: All finalists are listed in alphabetical order. Listed order of finalists in no way implies number of votes or final result.

Bakery: Honey & Rye Bakehouse, Muddy Paws Cheesecake, Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Burgers: Bunny's Bar & Grill, Burger Jones, Park Tavern

Tavern or Bar: Bunny's Bar & Grill, McCoy's Public House, Park Tavern

Kid-friendly restaurant: Bunny's Bar & Grill, Park Tavern, Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

New restaurant: Honey & Rye Bakehouse, Urban Sub, Yard House

Patio dining: Cooper Irish Pub, Crave, Rojo Mexican Grill

Bartender: Chelsea Carson-Steel Toe Brewing Tap Room, Shaun Farrow-Yard House

Date night spot: Crave, Mill Valley Kitchen, Rojo Mexican Grill

Place for craft beer on tap: McCoy's Public House, Steel Toe Brewing, Yard House

Dessert spot: Mill Valley Kitchen, Park Yogurt, Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Chiropractic clinic: Boulevard Chiropractic Clinic, Lake Pointe Chiropractic & Wellness, West End Chiropractic and Wellness,

Dental clinic: Metro Dentalcare, Park Dental, Tranquility Dental, Orthodontic clinic: All Care Dentistry, Family Orthodontics PA, Orthodontic Care Specialists

Pediatric Clinic: Park Nicollet Clinic, Partners in Pediatrics, Pediatric Services Fitness or yoga studio: CorePower Yoga, Life Time Fitness, Yoga Center Minneapolis,

Medspa or rejuvenation clinic: LifeSpa - Lifetime Fitness, Phresh, Urban Retreat

Eye clinic: Park Nicollet Clinic, Rose Fashion Optical, Whiting Clinic

Dermatology clinic: Academic Dermatology, Park Nicollet Clinic Senior living residence: Parkshore Senior Campus, Sholom Home West/Menorah Plaza, TowerLight Builder or remodeler: Anchor Builders, Choice Wood Company, Sicora Design Build

Home retail or furnishings: CIEL Loft & Home, Odds and Ends Furniture Gallery, Woody's Furniture Interior designer: Jackie Halverson-Anchor Builders, Laura Potter-Laura Potter Designs, Wendy Rostal-Rostal Design

Heating or AC company: Cronstrom's Heating and Air Conditioning, Standard Heating and Air Conditioning, Vogt Heating and Air Conditioning

Yard Service: Green Horizons, CN'R Lawn and Landscape, Rainbow Treecare

Preschool or childcare: Kids' Place-Lenox Community Center, Kid Zone Child Care Center, Wooddale Community Nursery School

Doggy daycare or kennel: Hot Dog Walking, Pampered Pooch Playground, Petropawlis Pet Hotel

Place to spoil your pet: Bubbly Paws Dog Wash, Lulu & Luigi's, Petropawlis Pet Hotel

Veterinary clinic: All Paws Animal Hospital, Oak Knoll Animal Hospital, Westgate Animal Hospital

Dance studio: Barre Bliss, On Your Toes School of Dance, Park Dance Center

Financial advisor: Kim Mitchell - Thrivent, Mark Nevermann - Edward Jones, Michael Kirschling - J. Bentley Insurance

Hairstylist or barber: Darrin Miernicki - Darrin James Salon and Spa, Rochelle Farrow - Darrin James Salon and Spa, Sasha Zoghi - Revolution Salon

Massage therapist: Christa Caputa- Urban Retreat Salon, Sara Garnier- West End Chiropractic, Tianna Johnson - Darrin James Salon and Spa

Real estate agent: Charlie Adair, Richard Webb, Susan Melbye

Salon or spa: Revolution Salon, Phresh, Darrin James Salon and Spa Insurance agent: Greg Loffhagen, Scott Mobley, Susan Haub

Nail salon: Glamour Nails, Honey Nails, Ocean Spa and Nails

Boutique: Apricot Lane, Evereve, Primp

Small-business customer service: Chears Audiology, Mama's Happy, Waxing the City

Gift shop: Guild Collective, Judith McGrann & Friends, Max's

Jewelry store: Continental Diamond, Max's

New shop: Mama's Happy, Revolution Salon, Waxing the City

Florist: Arts & Flowers, Byerly's, Linsk Flowers Liquor store: Liquor Barrel, Liquor Boy, The Four Firkins

Consignment shop: Opitz, Rodeo Drive, Upscale Consignment

Shoe store: DSW, Opitz, Schuler Shoes

Foodie store: Good Day Cafe, Gourmet Oil & Vinegar, Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Car dealership: German Auto Works, Morrie's Hyundai, Westside Volkswagon

Coffee shop: Honey & Rye Bakehouse, Vitali's Bistro, Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Chicken Jerky Treat Warning

As you know at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash, we always put the health and safety of your pooch first.  The past few days, there has been lets of news about Chicken Jerky Treats that are imported from China.  We do sell chicken jerky treats, but the chicken is sourced from local farms outside of Boston.  They are 100% manufactured in the United States of America.  I just contacted the company where we get our bulk treats, and they re-confirmed everything I stated above.   As always, if you have any questions or concerns about the products we sell, please ask.  You can read more about the imported Chicken Jerky treats here, or watch the NBC News story below.  

From The AP:

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is asking dog and cat owners to report any problems their pets have had after eating jerky pet treats.

In a notice to consumers and veterinarians published Tuesday, the agency said it has linked illnesses from jerky treats to 3,600 dogs and 10 cats since 2007. About 580 of those pets have died.

The FDA says its Center for Veterinary Medicine has run more than 1,200 tests, visited pet treat manufacturing plants in China and worked with researchers, state labs and foreign governments but still hasn't determined the cause of the pet illness.

The FDA says pets can suffer from a decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting and diarrhea among other symptoms within hours of eating the jerky treats.

Fun in Saint Paul

We had some fun filming at our new dog wash in Saint Paul today... A big thanks to Babe and Keenser with his green mohawk (who belongs to Bri, our groomer) for being the stars of the video.  And thanks to Bruno Mars for a great song.  

FOX 9 @ Woofstock

It is no secret... The Linden Hills Woofstock is on of our favorite events of the year, which is why we have sponsored it for the the past 3 years!  Last Saturday, Todd Walker from FOX 9 stopped out to the Bubbly Paws booth to see what fun things we had going on.  A big thanks to Off Leash Collars for use of Ping (the black lab).  Also featured in the segment is Kay Elliott who wrote the children's book, SunDogs.  

Linden Hills Woofstock 2013

2013WoofstockPoster

Bubbly Paws Dog Wash and Pampered Pooch Playground are proud to be the PRESENTING sponsors of the Linden Hills Woofstock.  We have sponsored this great dog event for the past 5 years and this year will be even better!  Stop back soon to see what great events we have planned at our booths this year!  For more information on Woofstock, click here.

Excelsior and Grand Blood Drive

Join Bubbly Paws Dog Wash and the rest of the stores at Excelsior and Grand on Wednesday, April 10th from 3-8pm for a blood drive for the American Red Cross.  Anyone that comes out will be thanked with a swag bag of goodies from all the stores at Excelsior and Grand.  Please sign up in advance to donate blood.  Click Here to sign up.

Cold Weather Dog Tips

I just out this blog up on the Pampered Pooch Playground page, and thought we should share it with our Bubbly Paws customers as well. • Keep your pet inside

• Be sure your pet has enough clean, cool water.

• When walking your pets, make sure to protect their feet with booties. If the paws are cracked Mushers Secret is a good healing cream (booties and cream are both available at Bubbly Paws). My personal favorite are the Ruff wear booties.

• Make sure the short haired dogs wear jackets and sweaters to stay warm. ( Jackets and Sweaters are available at Bubbly Paws)

• Limit your walks to 5 minutes or less.  Dogs paws and noses can get frostbite, just like humans.

• Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car for any period of time.

• Be careful at local dog parks, many have turned into solid ice.

• Make sure your pooch has a warm place to sleep away from drafts from windows and doors.  Be careful around open flames and electric heaters.

If you see an animal outside without shelter or in an unattended car, call Minneapolis Animal Care & Control immediately -- in Minneapolis, dial 311 (612-673-3000). If you believe the situation to be life-threatening and the animal is non-responsive, please call 911.

Helping out the French!

About a year ago we received an email from a man in France that wanted to open a self service dog wash that was much like ours.  I quickly emailed him back and helped him out.  We became Facebook friends and every now and then when he had a question about something we did, he would message me.  Fast forward to yesterday around 2pm... Trycia and I were shopping for snacks for our Packers/Vikings game party (I am very happy with the outcome!) and received a message on Facebook saying they just opened their dog wash in France.  He sent me the link to their facebook page and it looks wonderful!  They did such a great job and I really hope we can go visit it someday!  If you want to check it out you can see the Ouaf Store's Facebook page by clicking here.   I can't understand much of what is on the page, but the dogs sure are cute!!  It's pretty cool to think that we are all connected around the world through social media! Have a good night!

Keith

Working on the 1st

One of the hardest things about the dog wash is always making sure it looks brand new!  We take great pride in our business and always want to make sure it is as bright, clean and amazing as it was 2 years ago when we first opened!  Sometimes this means doing projects after hours or on holidays when the dog wash is empty!  We have a great handyman, but sometimes I like to do the work myself.  Today Trycia and I put in about 4 hours of work to make sure everything continues to look new.  I really hate when you walk into some places and you can tell that they have been around for a long time.  While we worked, Roxy and Waffles (our friends dog that we are dog sitting) had fun watching.  Roxy did get covered in some paint when she rubbed against one of the freshly painted tubs... OOPS! Waffles also thought all the bones that we have by the checkout were for her ;) Hope everyone had a great new years.

Keith

Dog Park Warning

I was watching the Channel 5 News last night and wanted to share this important dog park safety warning for anyone that goes to the  which is part of the 3 Rivers Park District.  Someone has been putting dog food and treats out with glass in them.   This is also an important warning for any dog park, to make sure you watch and pay attention to what they are getting into.  We have been to dog parks where owners pay no attention to the dogs. As always we want to make sure your pooch is always as safe as possible and provide you with the latest dog news.  The news story is below, or click here to read more..  

Christmas Wish

Earlier in the week we were contacted by KDWB asking if we wanted to help with Dave Ryan's Christmas Wish. Our donation would help a Twin Cities family in need this holiday season and make sure their dog was taken care of!  How could we say no to this!  Since then, we have gotten emails from many people thanking us for our generous donation, and others asking if they could hear the whole story of where our donation went.  You can Click Here to download the MP3 of the story or hit the play button below.

Have a great day!

Keith

Tips to find a lost dog

This past weekend, Sophie (one of our customers at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash) was missing.  Her neighbors (Norman's parents) were texting me asking for us to put up Sophie's picture on our facebook page.  I did that, but I also suggested a few other ideas.  I told them about the Lost Dogs MN facebook page, and at 1am, they got a text from someone that saw her picture on there and spotted her. So there is your proof that social media does help people find lost dogs.  Social media was so powerful that a few of our customers saw the post and even showed up to help look for her!  The next day, Norman's parents suggested I write a blog post on tips to help find a lost dog.  So here goes...

First lets talk about prevention.... Make sure your dog has a micro chip and the information has been updated with your micro chip provider.  Check your dog's tags, make sure they are secure on the collar, and have a current contact number (a cell phone is always best).  Finally, if your pooch is an escape artist, there is the TAGG pet tracker, which has a GPS chip in it, which can show you exactly where your dog is. Norman has one of these and they are pretty sweet.  You can draw a map online and anytime your dog leaves the area you get a text message.

Now that you have all your contact information updated, lets go over what to do should the be lost.

1- Get the word out.  Make sure you have a good picture of the dog.  Post it on your facebook and twitter feeds, but also post it on the Lost Dogs- MN facebook page.  Contact pet businesses that you frequent and ask for them to put the picture on their facebook and twitter accounts.

2- Think like a dog - Where does your dog like to go?  Think about favorite parks, neighbor houses, etc that they love to go to.  Remember a dog can cover lots of space in a matter of minutes if they are running.

3- Make phone calls - Hopefully your dog is micro chipped, and if someone finds them they will take them to the local vets office or animal control center.  We even had a customer bring in a dog they found to our doggy daycare because they did not know what to do.  So call all the local pet stores, dog dacyares, and vets offices.  Another good place to call after hours is the after hours  Emergency vet located in Golden Valley and Eden Prairie.  Don't forget to call the police non emergency numbers in your city, and the cities surrounding you.  Make sure to leave your contact information in case someone calls.  Remember, if a person finds a lost dog, they might not know where to go, so the more places that have your information, the better.

If your dog is lost more than 24 hours, which we hope never happens, here is a great article on more long term advice.  It is written for a Sheltie, but can be adapted to any breed.

Hopefully you will never need this information, but now you are prepared just in case!

Keith

Christmas Tree Shopping

This morning, Trycia, Roxy and I went to the dog wash for about 3 hours to help out, and then it was time to go Christmas Tree shopping!   We went to the Rangers Tree Lot in the Linden Hills area.  We have gone there for the past 4 years and always get great service.  After walking through the rows of trees, we found one we liked.  Oh, and Roxy received a few dog treats from the staff!  Hope everyone is gearing up for the holidays!

Keith

St Louis Park Magazine

Bubbly Paws Dog Wash was mentioned in the St Louis Park Magazine holiday gift guide!

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Woof 'n Treat Recap

Thanks to all of the dogs that came out to our 5th annual Woof 'n Treat dog Halloween party! Check out all the fun that happened!

Why we don't sell the coolest pet product of 2012

One thing that we try really hard to do at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash is find unique products that are not sold in big box stores and products that we really believe in.  Last weekend we were at a pet expo for retailers and found a great product that I was so excited to sell. It was basically a poop bag holder, but you can roll the poop bags back in rather than jamming and stuffing them back into the unit.  This was honestly the one product that we found that I was most excited to try to sell.   When we got back from the pet expo, I was telling all of our dog wash staff about how great this product is and everyone was really excited to try it.  I very rarely get this excited over something I found at a trade show!   The product is made by a small, start up company, which was another reason that we were excited to sell them.  They called me last Monday and we talked on the phone for about 10 minutes, and I let them know how great their product was.  We placed our order, and they told us that we did not order enough of the product (we ordered  12 of them which is 2 cases), after all it is a new product and we were not even sure of it was going to sell. They sent the order back and said that we needed to order more!! I am honestly not sure why a small, start up company is trying to up-sell and make us order more on a product that is brand new.  They should honestly be happy that someone is placing an order no matter how big or small it is.  If it took off and sold great, we would have come back and ordered more.  I guess the moral of the story is not every small business is as small business minded as we are.  We try to support as many small or local companies as we can.  I honestly don't like to carry products that you can find in one of the huge stores.

So sorry that this was such a negative post, but I felt we should tell everyone why we are not carrying it.  Oh, as you will notice, I never mentioned the company by ;)

Have a great weekend!

Keith

Pet Expo Fun

Every fall there is an industry pet expo in Chicago that Trycia and I like to go to.  Honestly I am not always a huge fan of these events, you have all the big companies there trying to sell you on why their product is the best.  What we really love to see is the small businesses that are there, because we enjoy supporting them (since we are also a small business).  We found a few really cool products that you will start to see at the dog wash in the next few weeks. While in Chicago, we also visited a few dog washes and doggy daycares.  I am still convinced that Bubbly Paws is one of the nicest and most upscale dog washes in the country and that our customer service is always great!  As always, if you ever have feedback please let us know!

I am originally from the Chicago area, and it was great to see my family and friends while we were in town!

Have a good night!

Keith