Top Dawg Business Blog

When you need to travel and leave your pet behind, you may want to consider hiring a pet sitter. Here are some questions you may want to ask before making a decision.
• How long have you been a pet sitter?
• Do you have pets of your own?
• What kinds of animals do you have experience with?
• Do you have any professional training, such as veterinary or animal training?
• Can you provide references?
• How often can you come to my home?
• Can you stay overnight?
• Do you have a backup in case of emergency?
• What other obligations do you have? A full time job? Anything that could interfere with your ability to care for my pets?
• Are you available by cell phone or pager at all times?
• Can you come and meet my pets in advance?
• Do you have a regular veterinarian?
• Do you have a vehicle?
• Are you insured or bonded?
• For dogs:
o How often do you walk them?
o How long is a walk?
o Will you play with the dog? Throw the ball?
o Do you take other dogs on the walks?
o Do you use poop bags?
• For cats:
o Do you make time to play with them or pet them?
o Do you clean the litter box? How often?
• For caged or contained animals:
o Do you change/clean their domiciles?
o Any special rituals that you recommend?
• Will you brush or groom my pet? Will you clip toenails?
• Can you administer medications?
o Pills and tinctures
o Subcutaneous fluids
o Intravenous medications
• Will you scan my home for problems and possible hazards to my pets?
• Rates:
o What are your standard rates?
o Do you have a sliding scale or volume discount?
o Are any of the tasks we’ve discussed going to incur additional charges?

If you’re an animal lover and are ready to be your own boss, you could start an online pet supply business with Top Dawg Pet Supplies risk free today!

This list ventures way beyond dogs, cats and horses. We’ve got pandas and chimps, rats and pigs, dolphins and deer. And most of all, we’ve got some great storytelling.

1. King Kong (1933) – Giant gorilla meets platinum blonde.
2. Dumbo (1941) – Flying elephant and assorted circus animals
3. Bambi (1942) – Fawn and various forest creatures
4. Jungle Book (1942) – A child is raised in the Indian jungle by wolves and befriended by other creatures
5. The Yearling (1946) – A boy and an orphaned fawn
6. Francis (1949) – A talking mule
7. Mighty Joe Young (1949) – An African gorilla’s travails in Hollywood
8. Bedtime for Bonzo (1951) – A chimpanzee is raised by a human couple in a “nature vs. nurture” experiment
9. Animal Farm (1955) – A farm animal revolution under command of Old Major, the pig
10. Flipper (1963) – a bottlenose dolphin and a boy
11. Zebra in the Kitchen (1965) – A boy frees zoo animals and they take over the town
12. Born Free (1966) – Elsa the lion
13. Doctor Doolittle (1967) – A veterinarian who talks to animals
14. Living Free (1972) – More with Elsa the lion
15. Charlotte’s Web (1972) – A Pig, a spider, a rat and a little girl
16. Salty (1974) – A mischievous sea lion and a boy
17. Watership Down (1978) – The adventures of a community of rabbits
18. Never Cry Wolf (1983) – A docudrama about a den of wolves in the Arctic
19. Gorillas in the Mist (1988) – Silverback gorillas studied by Dian Fossey
20. Free Willy (1993) –A boy befriends a killer whale
21. Andre (1994) – A Maine family adopt an orphaned baby sea lion
22. Babe (1995) – A pig, sheep dogs and more
23. Fly Away Home (1996) – A girl helps a flock of young geese migrate south
24. Shrek (2001) – Various animated beasts and a couple of charming ogres.
25. Whale Rider (2002) – A young Maori girl rides a whale in a rite of passage
26. Finding Nemo (2003) – A lost clown fish finds his way back to his family
27. Two Brothers (2004) – Two tiger cubs are reunited
28. Shark Tale (2004) – Fish and shark find friendship
29. Madagascar (2005) – Zoo animals escape to Madagascar
30. March of the Penguins (2005) – Documentary on emperor penguins
31. Racing Stripes (2005)— A baby zebra and a cast of farm animals
32. Over the Hedge (2006) – RJ the raccoon and his group of animal friends
33. Happy Feet (2006) – Mumble the dancing penguin
34. Ratatouille (2007) – Remy the Rat who yearns to be a chef
35. Kung Fu Panda (2008) – Po the Panda

If we missed one of your favorites, let us know.
If you’re an animal lover and are ready to be your own boss, you could start an online pet supply business with Top Dawg Pet Supplies risk free!

1. My Friend Flicka (1943)
2. National Velvet (1944)
3. Misty (1961)
4. Black Beauty (1971)
5. International Velvet (1978)
6. Run for the Roses (1978)
7. The Black Stallion (1979)
8. Phar Lap (1983)
9. Legend of the White Horse (1985)
10. Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)
11. Dark Horse (1992)
12. Black Beauty (1994)
13. Breaking Free (1995)
14. Horse Whisperer (1998)
15. Running Free (2000)
16. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
17. Seabiscuit (2003)
18. Hidalgo (2004)
19. Tornado and the Kalahari Horse Whisperer (2009)
20. The Horse Boy (2009)

Did we miss one? Share it here! Let us know. It’s always good to hear from you.
Ready to get started in your own online pet supply business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!

These are the 18 best movies we could identify where one of our felines friend plays a major role, again, IOHO (In our humble opinion…) Cats sure don’t get the star billing in Hollywood that dogs do, however, so we had a tough time filling out the list. Hmph. Better not let Fluffy hear about that.

1. A Cat, Shozo and Two Women (1956)
2. The Incredible Journey (1963)
3. The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964)
4. That Darn Cat! (1965)
5. The Aristocats (1970)
6. Harry and Tonto (1974)
7. Oliver & Company (1988)
8. The Adventures of Milo & Otis ( 1989)
9. National Geographic’s Cats: Caressing the Tiger (1991)
10. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993 remake of 1963 film)
11. Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996)
12. Cats Don’t Dance (1997)
13. That Darn Cat (1997 remake)
14. Cats & Dogs (2001)
15. The Cat in the Hat (2003)
16. Garfield: The Movie (2004)
17. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)
18. A Cat’s Tale (2008)

Did we miss one? Share it here!
Check out our other “Favorites” lists: Top Dog Movies and more. Suggestions for other lists you’d like to see? Let us know. It’s always good to hear from you.
Ready to get started in your own online pet supply business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!

These are the 21 best dog movies ever made, IOHO (In our humble opinion…) If you haven’t seen them all, head down to the video store or add them to your Netflix Queue!
1. The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935)
2. Lassie Come Home (1943)
3. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
4. Old Yeller (1957)
5. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
6. The Incredible Journey (1963)
7. Sounder (1972)
8. Benji (1974)
9. White Dog (1982)
10. K-9 (1989)
11. Turner & Hooch (1989)
12. White Fang (1991)
13. Beethoven (1992)
14. Beethoven’s Second (1994)
15. Best in Show (2000)
16. Because of Winn Dixie (2005)
17. Eight Below (2006)
18. Underdog (2007)
19. Bolt (2008)
20. Marley & Me (2008)
21. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)
Got a favorite we didn’t list? Share it here! Suggestions for other lists you’d like to see? Let us know.
Ready to get started in your own online pet supply business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!

FAQ is a commonly used acronym (pronounced “FAK” or spoken as “Eff-Ay-Que”) for Frequently Asked Questions. You’ve probably seen it used before online and in product documentation or technical guides. Websites often include an FAQ section to answer common questions about their specific industry or business policies. You may want to include an FAQ page on your own site for several reasons:
1. To minimize unnecessary calls to your customer service team.
2. To provide helpful information to your customers.
3. To support your SEO (search engine optimization) efforts by creating keyword-rich content on your site.
Ready to start your own web-based business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!
Need help writing a customized FAQ for your business? For assistance with all your marketing and branding needs, check out AcuteVisibility|BMO .

This is AAA’s list of vehicles most likely to keep drivers, passengers and canine companions alike safe and comfortable
If you’re like most dog owners who frequently pack Man’s Best Friend in the car for quick errands, day trips and driving vacations, you may want to check out this list before you buy your next vehicle.
“More than 45 million households in the U.S. have a dog, and many are taking Fido along for the ride on a regular basis,” said John Nielsen of AAA. “There are several vehicles with features that can help keep pets safe, comfortable and easy to clean-up after while also addressing other driver desires such as sportiness, adventure or luxury.”
AAA Auto Buying’s team compiled a list of their top vehicles picks for dog owners based upon a wide variety of factors such as crash test ratings, safety features, fuel economy, ease of animal ingress and egress, cargo area size, easy-to-clean interiors, availability of tie-down hooks and accessories (both original manufacturer and aftermarket).
Luxury Cars for the Pampered Pet
1. The Volvo XC60 features a roomy cargo area with optional rubber mats and a pet barrier that fastens securely above the raised rear seats to keep pets from distracting the driver.
2. The BMW 3 Series Wagon offers a range of accessories to facilitate pet transport, including rubber mats for the cargo area and sturdy divided barriers to transport two dogs separately. Suitable for medium to smaller breeds.
Sports Utility Vehicles for the Active Dog
3. The Subaru Forester features multiple tie-down points to secure a kennel in its huge cargo area: 68 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. At just 27 inches off the ground, the floor is lower than most sports utility vehicles for easier access by your four legged friend.
4. Hyundai Santa Fe offers sufficient cargo space for even most larger dogs and an whole array of optional accessories (available from both Hyundai and after-market suppliers) including rubber mats, beds and cushions.
5. Honda Element’s interior features surfaces and upholstery that can be hosed out. The clamshell side doors facilitate pet egress and the high-profile cargo area is great for larger canines. Accessories include a ramp (ideal for older dogs) and a soft-sided kennel that features a spill-resistant water dish and an electric ventilating fan.
6. The Toyota Venza offers a great selection of accessories, including a tailgate ramp; waterproof seat covers; a harness/booster seat pet restraint system; adjustable pet barrier and tether to keep canines from jumping into the passenger area.
Compact Cars for Pups from Petite to “Par”
7. Mazda3 5-Door: This hatchback is probably best suited to small-to-medium-sized pets. Accessories are limited to aftermarket suppliers, but there’s a wide range of mats and kennels that are a suitable.
8. Mini Clubman is surprisingly roomy, offering more than 33 cubic feet of space with the rear seat folded. Most kennels will fit easily and can be secured using built-in tie-down points.
Economy Vehicles for Frugal Fido
9. The Kia Soul is great for medium to smaller sized breeds. Aftermarket accessories include heavy-duty mats and seat covers, pet cages and dividers.
10. Nissan Cube With the back seats down, this car is suitable for even larger breeds. Plenty of aftermarket accessories are available, ranging from cargo area mats to hair-shedding seat covers.
A Green Machine for Grover
11. The Ford Escape Hybrid is promoted as ideal for “…a big, wet dog…” Pet-friendly accessories are available from many sources, including floor mats and a pet divider.
Ready to start your own extraordinary home-based pet business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!

Start small! Check out this short list of birds that by most accounts are companionable, easy to care for and tame, and sufficiently independent. Remember the best birds may not be the biggest, most brightly colored or most popular species. Talk to your vet or chat up some folks online to get more information and determine the right fit for you and your family.
Parakeets and Budgies: Basically smart little parrots, these guys are easy to tame, are super colorful and have great personalities.
Cockatiels: Quiet and affectionate, Cockatiels require regular handling and interaction. As a result, they form tight bonds with their humans.
Finches and Canaries: Don’t tolerate handling but are pretty to look at and listen to. Great in small flocks and do well in a medium flight cage or aviary.
Doves: Handfed doves are likely to be fabulously affectionate, and are by nature exceptionally gentle and calm. Perfect choice for bird owners that prefer a quieter household.
Ready to start your own extraordinary home-based pet business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!

Benchmarking is an extremely effective tool, and you are probably already using it in one form or another.
From a business perspective, benchmarking the practice of investigating and analyzing your competition to understand what they are doing and to build from that learning to plan your own strategy.
From a marketing perspective, we drill down a bit further and try to understand all of the influences that are competing for our clients and prospective customers’ mindshare.
So benchmarking is not copying or stealing others ideas. It’s simply the intelligent approach to learning from what has been done and what seems to be working within a given marketplace. Then it means taking that learning and developing your own strategy to carve out your own piece of the market.
Here are some great benchmarking exercises.
1. Who are your 3-5 closest competitors?
• What are they doing right? Do they have a strong brand identity? Is their Unique Selling Proposition (USP) clear?
• What could they be doing better? Is their website lacking? Is their logo or tagline weak or dated?
• What can you learn from their efforts and put into practice for your business, but with your own unique spin? While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you don’t want to flat-out copy your competition. Instead, you should take a concept and rebuild it to support your own brand identity and USP.
• Where can you leverage the efforts of these competitors to promote your own message? A restaurant on a corner often will experience a clear boost in business when one or two more restaurants or bars open on the other corners at that intersection. This creates a destination for diners. Think in terms of your competitors creating a “destination” or a “market” for the service or product you sell.
2. What are some other direct and indirect factors competing for your audience mindshare?
• For a web-based business, a brick and mortar store would be in direct competition for your audience, but only in a limited geographical area.
• If you offer pet walking, pet sitting and skilled pet training, then an indirect competitor might be a popular dog training course that is being heavily promoted by Amazon. This course is indirect because your customers probably buy from you because they want the personal attention they can’t get from a DVD, CD or book.
• If you offer a line of premium, organic diet food and personalized consultation, you might consider Weight Watchers to be an indirect competitor. Again, this is indirect competition because your USP is a personal, premium service that a standardized national program like Weight Watchers can’t provide.
3. Use the power of the Internet to benchmark both direct and indirect competitors
• Try Googling each of your competitors’ brand names and see what comes up. How many pages of their websites has Google cached? What types of content is displayed? Blog entries? Articles? Press Releases? Directories that you have never heard of? Local search results?
• Run their websites through free online tools like Alexa (http://www.alexa.com), SpyFu (http://www.spyfu.com) and check their Google Page Rank (add this button to your Google Toolbar on any Internet browser you use). These tools will tell you if your competitors are using Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, what keywords are driving traffic to their sites, and lots more.
• Setup Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) for each of your competitors.
4. Stay up to date on whatever industry data you can get a hold of, whether from an industry organization or through analysts and journalists covering your area.
These exercises are just a few of the steps you should take to benchmark your competition and industry segment. But even if you just undertake one or two of these, you’ll be getting closer to understanding how to more efficiently reach and retain your customers.
Make it a practice to allocate an hour each week, or 20 minutes each day, for one or more of these benchmarking exercises. The beauty of benchmarking is that you’re likely to glean something useful every time: a new perspective; something your competitors are doing differently; an opportunity you hadn’t been aware of.

Ready to start your own extraordinary home-based business? Visit Top Dawg Pet Supplies and start one risk free!
Need help benchmarking your competitors or industry? For assistance all your marketing and branding needs, check out AcuteVisibility|BMO, a full service integrated marketing agency that specializes in launching new businesses as well as optimizing the success of existing brands.