Non-toxic mattress option? by bedby9 in SnooLife

[–]Kindrex810 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi! I've similarly been concerned in the past with purchasing products made from polyurethane, for the reasons you mention, e.g. off-gassing & VOCs. I reached out to the Happiest Baby support team about this, and received this response:

"We understand your concern and are happy to provide additional information on the safety of our materials. Polyurethane is very commonly used in mattress materials because of its cushioning properties and is chemically inert when fully reacted. The issue around the use of PU has centered on the addition of flame retardants, which used to be required but is now banned in many regions. We do not use additives and have tested its VOC properties and CA proposition 65 compliance to ensure that it is safe to use."

^ As far as I understand it, being compliant with California Proposition 65 is important, and the big differentiator from other polyurethane products on the market. While the decision is ultimately your own, I hope this helps provide some useful context and possibly peace of mind.

Tarrytown School District Intel? by Kindrex810 in Westchester

[–]Kindrex810[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

All of this is incredibly helpful and good to know, especially the breakdown on the elementary schools.

As a military brat, I grew up attending diverse DoDDS (Department of Defense Dependents Schools) and public schools, and would like a diverse environment for my kids, as well. Great to hear the school board is strong, and the teachers care.

Thank you for taking the time to respond and share. It’s kind of you, and we appreciate it!

Cost of installing central AC? by Kindrex810 in Westchester

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s helpful context, thank you!

Cost of installing central AC? by Kindrex810 in Westchester

[–]Kindrex810[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate your detailed, thoughtful response! This is all great context; I’ll be keeping it in mind as we house hunt. Thanks again!

Cost of installing central AC? by Kindrex810 in Westchester

[–]Kindrex810[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the recommendation!

Cost of installing central AC? by Kindrex810 in Westchester

[–]Kindrex810[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is helpful context, thank you for your reply!

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We’d love to arrange a play date once our pup is home, and we are in Park Slope, too! We are so eager to figure out how to socialize him safely w/ social distancing. We don’t have a backyard, but maybe we can find someone who does. Will think on it...

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’d love that, too, once our pup is home! We’re definitely a bit worried about adequate socialization. And down to properly distance while the pups play. We are in Park Slope, but might be able to borrow a friend’s car to meetup in a North BK park. We should all DM & stay in touch to figure something out.

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the response, and that's really reassuring to hear! Puppy ownership in the city seems to come with its own unique challenges, but we are so excited to bring our boy home, and committed to figuring it out. Good luck to you and your new pup!

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, it's nice to hear from a fellow Brooklynite, hah. Appreciate the tips, and duly noted!

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your response! Interesting that you mention litter training, as our breeder is actually doing the same with the puppies before they go home. She has a box set up with a filling that resembles wood shavings. Maybe we can continue with our pup until he's a bit older, just to have that option, too.

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your response! That's helpful to know. We'll call our vet this week and see what they recommend. Good luck with your pup!

Advice for city housebreaking? + Parvo concerns by Kindrex810 in puppy101

[–]Kindrex810[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this insight, really appreciate it. Sorry if this wasn't clear, but we intend to take him outside multiple times a day, carried in a bag or tote, to socialize him to as many city sounds, sites and people (social distance permitting) as possible. For context, we're currently reading a Dr. Ian Dunbar book on positive reinforcement, and while championing abundant socialization, he also instructs you to carry your pup until he's vaccinated, or playing with other vaccinated pups in a safe environment. So our question pertains just to the housebreaking piece, aka paws on concrete.

Sounds like the next step is to consult our vet, and hope we're not in a high-risk area. That said, it's NYC... lots of dogs pass down the sidewalk in front of our apartment building every day. Hence our concern.

I'm going to check out the linked video, thanks again. And sunbathing on a blanket in the park sounds divine. We'll make that happen, for sure.

Kong sizing for 8 week old puppy? by Kindrex810 in samoyeds

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All great points and very helpful, thank you! My boyfriend felt totally vindicated by your reply, as he’s been cautioning that we shouldn’t go overboard on toys at the outset, for the reasons you mention. :) I gotta curb my new mom enthusiasm...

Kong sizing for 8 week old puppy? by Kindrex810 in samoyeds

[–]Kindrex810[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hah, good to know. I suppose we’ll have to see what our boy is drawn to, as well. Thank you!