No Broken Bax With Yaktrax

Before she got Yaktrax, Dog Lady was a heap on the Northeast sidewalk whenever she had to walk darling dog in ice or snow. She fell easily; her muscles ached mightily. After Mr. Dog Lady gave her a pair of Yaktrax, winter life has new giddy meaning. The yak is back.

Yaktrax is not paying for this endorsement. Indeed, Dog Lady only promotes products that capture her fancy. And Yaktrax has definitely captured her feet. Listen to this interview that aired on "Ask Dog Lady," the radio show, with a Yaktrax executive (not an oxymoron):

The Kong: Bigfoot Dog Toy

Dogs need toys, the same as they need walks, food, fresh water, and their people. The Kong toy satisfies the dogged yen to chew, slurp, slam, bam, and, yes, think like an animal. A first Kong for a puppy is a rite of passage and a necessary item for play and comfort to sustain and entertain a dog during a lifetime. For shelter dogs, Kongs are lifelines. The toys connect these orphans to their roots and can be best friends in a lonely cage.

Listen to this interview with Mark Hines of the Kong Company that aired on "Ask Dog Lady," the radio show. Dog Lady hopes you will better understand a woofer's desire to follow the call of the wild, bouncy, rubber thingamajig. Dog Lady, by the way, thinks the classic Kong is shaped like a snowman. Hines suggests a beehive. Hear the story of how this intriguingly-shaped essential dog plaything was invented in Part 1 of the interview:

And Part 2, like the stuffed Kong itself, is filled lots of juicy morsels:

"Mutts" Creator Speaks to "Ask Dog Lady"

(At left, Patrick McDonnell, creator of "Mutts," cradles the real Earl, his Jack Russell for nearly 19 years whose spirit continues to imbue the comic with doggedness. To learn more about the auteur and his muse, to see past strips and the characters of "Mutts," visit McDonnell's Web site.)

McDonnell wields the pen behind "Mutts," the wonderfully wry and wise comic strip syndicated in 700 newspapers worldwide. He recently spoke to "Ask Dog Lady," the radio show. Listen here: