Black Friday deals Part 2: For the DogMothers

In my last Black Friday post, I gave you the details on Black Friday deals for the doggies!

This Black Friday post is for the dogmoms. It is brought to you by two black dogs but focuses on those products that keep your house clean and keep you sane (we all hate dog hair, dog smell and paying too much)!

Dyson vacuums: the dog hair remedy

I was definitely one of those anti-Dyson people for many years. I wanted to believe there was a vacuum aside from Dyson that would pick up all the hair. I've owned around 8 vacuums since getting Ares (almost 5 years ago), I was so stubborn I have even played vacuum repair man (replacing belts and such). From Hoover to Dirt Devil, I've spent as low as $50 and as much as $175 and alas I had to throw in the towel. Who wants to spend $650 on a vacuum? I sure don't. I imagine all of the makeup I could buy with that money! But, truth be told, Dyson is the only solution if you have carpets and shedding pups.

Rumor has it WalMart will be selling the original Dyson for $199 on Black Friday. I have yet to find actual confirmation of this but if it's true, that is the LOWEST price out there.

For your own Dyson - costing between $229 (original) to $499, this great website tells you where to get them! Priced at $299 at BB&B!

So fresh and so clean: Stopping the dog smell

If you work as much as I do and have a touch of OCD, maintaining candles or buying ions of Febreeze don't really do the job. To keep your house smelling like dryer sheets instead of wet dog, I am a huge fan of Bath and Body Works WallFlowers. You plug them in and they gradually release the scents of your choosing. This Black Friday, you can get 4 Wallflowers for $20 or 6 for $24! I highly recommend!

Everyone loves Jerky: why aren't you dehydrating?

Who isn't TIRED of the chicken jerky recalls? Dogs love it but it seems every dog treat manufacturer has led to horror stories of death by jerky. I decided to take matters into my own hands a few years ago. I bought a Ronco dehydrator and have been making them homemade chicken jerky ever since. Buy some chicken breast, slice it thin and put it in the Ronco and leave it overnight. It really is that easy. And, you can make your hubby some super awesome beef jerky (I've made a number of variations). Right now you can get the 5 tray Ronco Dehydrator for just $39! Bags of jerky (that will probably be recalled at some point) cost half that; why not save some money!

Protecting your Assets: Save your Furniture

If you don't have leather and have big dogs, well you should BUT if you don't, you've got to protect your sofas and you've got to have an easy way to eliminate the odor. Couch covers are the way to go - they are easy to wash and didn't require hours or hundreds of dollars of our money. But, is it just me or are they pricey?

• Get one at Bed, Bath and Beyond this Black Friday! If you shop early, you save 20% on your entire purchase (6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, in-store).
• Overstock has Love Seat couch covers for less than $58!

Awkward Family Photo?!

If you've never given a friend an awkward family photo birthday card, you're not a very good friend. I took this photo last year around Christmas time and think it makes the perfect Awkward Dog Family Photo!

A little history on my two. In the back is Ares, he is a full-bred German Shepherd. I got him for my now husband as a Valentine's Day present. I sought out Shepherd breeders online and took my hubby (then boyfriend) over to the breeder's house as a surprise (he always wanted a German Shepherd) and Ares picked him! Ares turns 5 on December 4! We brought him home when he was just 10 pounds and he was a breeze. He was potty trained (I mean held it for 8 hours while I was at work) at 12 weeks old. He can do tons of tricks and, although he started as a Daddy's boy, he is definitely a Momma's Boy now.

And then there is Onyx...the smaller dog in the front. I was never a big dog owner but Ares was such an amazing animal we decided to expand our mini-family. We wanted to do a good deed so we sought a GSD in need at a rescue (this was before all the GSD-specific rescues existed on Facebook and such). We went out and met Onyx - her name at the time was Libby. She was about 8 months old and pulled from a kill shelter with her brother (who, oddly enough is a blonde color). She weighed 30 pounds and had a severe cut around her neck because her puppy collar had stayed on too long.

Onyx came home with us (positive story: I convinced a good friend of mine to adopt her brother). Onyx was not potty trained (as we were told) and had probably all of the worst habits an animal can have...many of them we have worked on. Turns out, Onyx is German Shepherd/Lab/Bordie Collie...she now weighs 78 pounds (she has a big appetite). Almost 4 years later and boy oh boy has Onyx kept our hands full.

Onyx stories to be continued...