Dog Blog

An English springer spaniel named James won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

More information on English springer spaniels

It is a fact that pets help owners feel better. Perhaps Fido takes you on a walk every day or Fluffy eases woes after a hard day at the office. Whatever the occasion, pets add love and texture to our day-to-day lives.

The APPMA states that 90.5 million cats and 73.9 million dogs are owned in the US. That leaves lots of opportunities to walk, snuggle, flay fetch, and pat our furry friends.

America loves their pets and shops for them as a way to share a little appreciation and love. Pets will receive Valentine’s Day gifts from 6 percent of shoppers, according to this year’s survey, according to the IRMA’s Valentine’s shopping forecast.

There are a variety of tasty pet gift-giving options for Valentine’s Day. Big Paw Designs has launched a line of treat tins to store all of those delicious treats, homemade dog biscuits, and catnip delicacies.

The new gift items arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day and help keep dog and cat treats safe from a sneaky dog, in addition to keeping snacks fresh and tasty. The treat tins are offered in silver and white 1 qt sizes for dogs and silver 1/2 qt sizes for cats. Each tin is handsomely embellished with a pewter medallion: “Bone Bliss” for dogs and “Meows and Purrs” for cats.

You can also checkout our selction of dog beds and other pet products

BringFido.com, a popular dog travel website that provides online reservations at more than 15,000 pet friendly hotels, today announced the release of their Dog Events Calendar. The calendar lists dog events by state and includes a description of each event along with details on the time, location, sponsor and cost.

Attending events is also a great way for dog owners to help homeless pets in their community.

More than 200 dog parades, beauty pageants, festivals and fundraisers are already included on the calendar, and new events are being posted daily. The best of the best can be found in the Top Dog Events of 2007 section, which features:

- The Polar Bear Plunge: January 1st in Boulder, CO
- Beggin’ Strips Barkus Pet Parade: February 11th in St. Louis, MO
- Sandy Paws: March 2nd in Jekyll Island, GA
- Pup-Games at PNC Park: April 26th in Pittsburgh, PA
- WOOFstock 2007: May 7th in Decatur, IL
- The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest: June 22nd in Petaluma, CA
- Sand Flea Pet Parade: July 22nd in Long Beach, WA
- L’Oreal’s ‘Because Your Dog is Worth it Too’ Day: August 18th in Cranbury, NJ
- Art Bark Fest 2007: September 15th in Lake Tahoe, CA
- Fantasy Fest Pet Parade: October 24th in Key West, FL

According to Melissa Kendall, founder and president of BringFido.com, “Attending events is a real treat for dogs, but it’s often even more fun for the owners.” And since 70% of the dog events featured on BringFido.com benefit charities such as Animal Friends, Helen Woodward Animal Center, Greythound Guardians, North Shore Animal League and other local humane societies, Melissa says “Attending events is also a great way for dog owners to help homeless pets in their community.”

BringFido.com aims to create the largest online database of dog friendly events, and actively searches for new events to post daily. They also encourage individuals and rescue groups alike to submit dog events at http://www.bringfido.com/eventsubmit.htm. It’s free to post, and BringFido.com will even send organizers a box of their WOOF bumper stickers for inclusion in doggie bags, if requested.

“The holiday season introduces our pets to a great deal of chaos, at least from their perspective,” said Liam Crowe, master dog therapist and COO of Bark Busters USA. “Unfortunately for dogs, the festivities of the season introduce a host of new stimuli - sights, sounds, and smells - that can disrupt their routines and potentially present dangerous circumstances. However, following a few tips can make the holiday season a bright one for everyone - including the family dog.”

1. A tired dog is a good dog.
Before guests arrive for holiday festivities, walk your dog or play fetch to help your pup relieve excess energy. A 1-2 mile walk or 30 minutes of playing fetch will generally result in your dog taking a nap, just as guests arrive.

2. Prevent holiday decoration disasters.
When decorating your Christmas tree, consider anchoring it to the ceiling or wall to prevent the tree from tipping. It is also wise to hang non-breakable ornaments near the bottom of the tree. This will help prevent potential disaster from an inquisitive canine or an over-active tail-wagger, which can wipe out an entire limb of precious ornaments.

3. Tinsel Town can land your pup in the emergency room.
Tinsel is new and exciting to dogs. Unfortunately, if they eat the tinsel, it can twist in their intestines and cause serious problems. It is best to use it sparingly or not at all.

4. Evergreens are not always for everyone, especially a curious canine.
Christmas trees are wonderful traditions, but they can lead to several problems if you have a curious canine. Don’t let your dog drink the water from the base of the Christmas tree since this water often contains chemicals to help the tree last longer. If ingested by your dog, the water can cause severe indigestion. Even pinesap and pine needles can cause health problems. Plan to regularly sweep fallen pine needles to avoid a trip to the emergency animal clinic. If ingested, they can puncture holes in your pet’s intestine.

5. Holiday sweets are not dog treats.
Chocolates, cookies, cakes and peppermints are only a few of the sweets we treat ourselves to during the holidays. Unfortunately, these “treats,” especially chocolate, can hurt your dog and may trigger life-threatening illnesses.

6. Make no bone about it.
Cooked turkey and chicken bones are not for dogs. These types of bones are thin and can easily break causing choking or bone shards to get stuck in your dog’s gums. It is best to stick with compressed rawhides or other bones specifically designed for dogs to chew.

7. Mistletoe is for kissing - not eating!
Keep your pets away from mistletoe as well as amaryllis, which are both toxic if ingested by your dog. Theory has it that poinsettias are also considered poisonous, but they are not life threatening to dogs. However, these plants are dangerous if ingested by your cat.

8. Keep the liquids flowing!
When pets are stressed, they typically pant more, so keep fresh water readily available for them to drink.

9. ‘Tis the season to give, so add your pet to your list.
The holidays can be chaotic - not just for you, but for your dogs as well. To help them stay occupied and out of the holiday decorations give them their own gifts. The Buster Cube, for instance, is nearly indestructible and will distract your dogs for long periods of time - perfect to keep them busy during your holiday parties!

10. Do not give pets as a surprise gift!
Many people choose to give cute and cuddly puppies as gifts during the holidays. Unfortunately, many recipients aren’t thrilled with having a puppy that quickly grows into an adult dog. As a result, many of “holiday gifts” end up at animal shelters. It is not uncommon for parents to give their children puppies as gifts. While this is not necessarily considered a “surprise” to everyone in the household, parents must recognize a dog takes a real commitment of time. The parents and children must be ready to participate in training and managing the responsibility of their new family member. Instead of giving a dog as a gift, consider giving a leash, collar, or dog training certificate from Bark Busters. With the gift, include a note saying a dog comes with it, but the recipient gets to pick it out. This will help ensure the lucky person receives the dog he or she wishes to have as part of the family.

11. How low can the weather go?
Frequently, owners put their dogs outside to get them out of the way when guests arrive for holiday festivities. Responsible pet owners need to be aware of the temperature, since it can quickly plummet in the winter. Additionally, if you live in an area that gets snow, keep your pets close to home and do not let them roam freely. Roads can be icy making it hard for cars to stop if your dog wanders into the street.

12. Blowing snow is best left in the globe.
Did you know that many snow globes contain antifreeze? Antifreeze is extremely toxic to dogs. You may not know exactly what grandma’s antique snow globe contains, so it is best to keep it (and all antifreeze) out of the reach of a happy, tail-wagging dog. If your dog does happen to knock over the snow globe, send him out of the room while you clean up the liquid. Dilute the spot with water and floor cleaner to make sure your dog does not lick harmful chemicals later.

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Chiclet T. Dog, the adorable though opinionated four-pound author of “Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care,” has won the 2006 USABookNews Award for the Best Animal/Pet Care Book. In May she won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Health Book — hers being the only dog care book to ever win the Health category. Chiclet hopes this will finally quash the rumor that dogs can’t write.

This pint-sized philanthropist and canine crusader campaigns for better nutrition for dogs, updated vaccination protocols, improved scrutiny of pet medications and increased safety for dogs. Ably assisted by Jan Rasmusen, her caregiver and translator, Chiclet seeks to modernize dog care and raise money for animal causes.

Though Chiclet makes it known that some of her best friends are people, she clearly has a bone to pick with humans about dog care. “All the top veterinary organizations, vet schools and immunologists have established new vaccine protocols for dogs,” says Rasmusen on Chiclet’s behalf. “Unfortunately, dogs continue to receive too many shots way too often. Old humans can’t seem to learn new tricks.”

Regarding canine nutrition, Chiclet believes it’s very selfish of humans to label fresh, wholesome meats and vegetables ‘people food.’ She prefers the species-neutral term ‘good food.’

“Chiclet is disturbed by human inconsistency,” reports Rasmusen. “For their own diets, people tout the virtues of fresh foods and condemn highly-processed fast foods, yet they feed highly-processed foods to dogs. Chiclet finds that quite perverse.”

Though diehard traditionalists may find Chiclet’s beliefs a little unsettling, Jean Hofve, renowned veterinarian and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, calls Scared Poopless “wonderful” and her “very favorite dog care book.” She suggests vets buy it by the case for clients. Animal Wellness Magazine, animal activist/actress Betty White, nationally renowned veterinarians and countless animal welfare advocates also endorse this amusing yet seriously informative book. Even the canine superstar Benji gives the book “two BIG paws up.”

When asked if the fame that accompanies a second literary award will turn Chiclet into a doggy diva, Rasmusen responds, “Not a chance! Though she frequently complains that dealing with the paw-parazzi can be ‘ruff,’ Chiclet vows never to end the fight for improved health and safety for dogs.”

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