Obama’s biggest decision……..
What will he name his family dog?
OK…maybe this isn’t his biggest decision, but it is one he will enjoy!
While dog lovers wait for the new administration to select the First Dog, marketing firm Strategic Name Development randomly surveyed 487 U.S. pet owners/Obama supporters about their thoughts on what the First Dog should be named.
Nearly one in four, it turned out, preferred a pet named after a well-known person, fictional or real.
The findings also include:
• One in 10 Obama supporters named their pets after a consumer brand, such as Hershey, Snickers, Adidas or Nike.
• 7 percent named their pets based on color: Goldie, Rusty, Red, Onyx.
• 7 percent used size as their inspiration: Itsey, Magnus, Half-Pint.
• 16 percent of Obama supporters played off virtues — Faith, Frank, Precious — or Bandit, Misfit or Jinxie.
• Other popular inspirations include objects (Shamrock, Cashmere, Snowball); personality Traits (Lovey, Maverick, Turbo); and generic animal names (D’og, Moose, Panda).
What names have past presidential dog owners chosen?
Gerald Ford’s dog was Liberty. Richard Nixon went with Vicky, for victory. Jimmy Carter chose Grits. Rutherford B. Hayes picked Grim and Calvin Coolidge went for Calamity Jane. Abraham Lincoln’s dog was named Jip, which was often spelled Gyp. John F. Kennedy’s dog was named Shannon because it was a gift from the president of Ireland.
One suggestion for Obama from Strategic Name Development: End with a vowel sound. Names ending in vowels like Fido (another Lincoln dog) and Barney (George W. Bush’s dog) are significantly easier for pets to hear. Says Strategic Name Development: “This is good insurance for a president who wants to make sure that no matter what he does, there is still one living being who will listen to him.”
Give us your thoughts……
And Have a Great Weekend!
Check out this YouTube video discussing Obama’s big decision…..VIDEO
Health Tips for Your Pets…..
This January as many pet owners resolve to improve their eating habits and fitness routines Banfield, The Pet Hospital of Livonia, urges them to remember to consider their pets health as well.
“Feeding your pet a balanced diet promotes overall health and allows you and your pet to enjoy more quality years together as a family,” said Karen Johnson, DVM at Banfield pet hospital.
In honor of January Pet Food and Fitness Month, Johnson offers the following tips:
- Feed your pet a high-quality diet. Select food made by companies known for staying current on the latest nutritional research. Your veterinarian can recommend the best diet for your pet based on factors including age, health and lifestyle.
- Offer fresh food and water every day. Also, remember to wash bowls regularly.
- Feed your pet the correct amount of food. Determine portions according to your pet’s weight and avoid overfeeding. Use feeding recommendations on the pet food label as a guide and adjust for activity level. Your veterinarian can help determine the correct amount to feed your pet.
- Follow a daily feeding schedule. This will help your pet maintain normal elimination habits and avoid indoor accidents.
- Most pets do better when fed two smaller meals rather than one large meal.
- Avoid people food. Your pet’s digestive system is simpler than yours and can be easily upset by feeding him or her table scraps. Feeding from the table makes it more difficult to control calorie intake which can lead to weight problems.
- Watch the treats. It’s often not the dog or cat food fed to the pet that adds unwanted pounds but high calorie treats multiple times a day.
- Consult your veterinarian for exercise needs. If your considering adding a pet to the family, first determine the pets need for exercise and whether those can be blended into your lifestyle. Your dog needs a walk at least once a day. If the pet has been inactive, start slowly gradually increasing the pace and length. Find a schedule that works for both of you whether a short walk twice a day or one long walk.
- Help your cat stay active. Overweight cats are at risk for medical conditions such as diabetes and arthritis. There are a variety of toys designed to help your cat stay fit and active.
“One of the best ways pet owners can increase the strength of the bond they share with their pets as well as improve their own fitness levels is to introduce daily walks and interactive play,” said Johnson.
Tips for the Crate to Make it Great…..
Thanks to Kelly Marshall, an expert crate trainer & full time writer in the dog industry. Here are some more helpful crate training tips.
Pet Dreams Designer Cratewear
4 Crate Training Tips
It’s crucial that you never forget to remove your puppy or dog’s collar while they are in their crate. Your dog or puppy might get his collar stuck on the crate, causing a scary situation. And make sure the crate is never in direct sunlight, or placed too close to a vent or radiator. Your puppy has to be as comfortable as possible in his crate
for effective training and safety.
1. Toys in the Crate: Placing toys in the crate for your puppy’s amusement is a smart approach to prevent him from getting bored or lonely. A Nylabone or similar chew toy can provide immediate gratification.
2. Crating At Night: When you go to sleep, never forget to crate your puppy. A puppy should not be given unsupervised access to your home when you sleep. You might be startled when you wake up when you notice the demolition that has occurred. Here’s an addition hint that will help: lay a tarp under the crate. If your puppy has an accident inside the crate, it may drip onto the ground. This safeguards your flooring or carpeting in the future, or security deposit if you happen to be in a rental situation.
3. Don’t have any space for a crate? If you have absolutely no room to put a crate, you ought to then restrain your pup to a bedpost or to an eye hook in the baseboard close to your bed while you sleep. Give her just enough lead to spin around and lie down. You don’t want the lead to be too long where she will wander about in your bedroom. If you’re renting an apartment, make positive you have your landlords consent to screw an eye hook into the
base-board. This will make your landlord feel good about renting to dog owners since many don’t like dog owners as tenants. Additionally, lay cottony bedding onto the ground if he is to sleep tethered to your bed.
4. When Your Puppy Whines during the Night: During the first couple of weeks, your puppy may not be able to sleep through the night. Many pups whimper during the night because they need to go outside. When your puppy does cry, take him out straight off so he’s able to eliminate. After he’s done, entertain him for a few minutes or so and place him back into his crate (or on the leash).
It’s crucial that your puppy understands that he is being taken out of the crate at night to go potty and not to goof off. If he’s still whining after you have just taken him out and if you’re certain isn’t suffering from diarrhea, resist the urge to let him out to play with you. If you give in, you’re forming a pattern in which the puppy can decide when he gets to come out and you’ll regret it later on.
Choosing the Right Trainer for You and Your Dog…..
• Look for trainers who use only teaching methods that use positive reinforcement for good behavior rather than punishment for unacceptable behavior.
• Observe an obedience class without your dog. Watch to see if the dogs and people are having a good time. Talk with a few participants and ask if they are comfortable with the trainer’s methods. If someone won’t let you sit in, don’t enroll.
• Don’t feel you must do something that the trainer told you to do if you believe it is not in your dog’s best interest. S/he’s counting on you for safety and protection.
• Do not use trainers who offer guarantees about results. That trainer is either ignoring or doesn’t understand the complexity of animal behavior.
• Avoid trainers who object to using food as a training reward. Food is an acceptable positive reinforcement training tool.
• Avoid trainers who won’t let you use any training collar other than a choke chain or pinch collar. Head collars are humane alternatives to choke chains and pinch collars.
• Look for trainers who treat both people and dogs with respect, rather than one who presents him or herself as “I’m the boss.”
• Have fun while training your pet! The rewards for you and your dog will last a lifetime
Thanks to the advise of Brenda Barnette, CEO of the Seattle Humane Society.
Top Ten Breeds of 2008!
Labrador Retriever is nation’s most popular dog breed
The Labrador Retriever certainly has a lock on the hearts of American dog lovers.
For the eighteenth straight year, the Lab has topped the American Kennel Club’s list of the nation’s 10 most popular purebred dog breeds.
The rankings are based on 2008 dog registration statistics.
There were twice as many Labs registered in 2008 than any other breed, so it’s likely to hold the top spot for many years, according to AKC predictions.
The Poodle came in a close second to the Lab in New York the Bulldog ranks number 10 for the metro area. Its bat-eared French counterpart took fourth place.
The top 10 most popular dogs for New York City are: Labrador Retriever, Poodle, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Yorkshire Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Havanese, Shi Tzu (tied for eighth) and the Bulldog.
The AKC is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and the top 10 list is the first of many celebratory events, Peterson said.
| 2008 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S. |
| 1. Labrador Retriever |
| 2. Yorkshire Terrier |
| 3. German Shepherd Dog |
| 4. Golden Retriever |
| 5. Beagle
Click here to see all Top Ten |
So this leaves the question, what is your favorite breed?
Give us your thoughts……..
Fitness Bootcamp for You and Your Dog…….
The following Blog is a great concept of combining obedience and physical fitness for both owner and dog. Please take a moment to check them out!
Helpful Tips to Stop Your Dog From Jumping on Furniture and People…..
5 Helpful Steps to Stop Your Dog From Jumping on Furniture
Take your pup off the furniture and say “Off!” Teach your puppy early on that you do not favor her sitting on the furniture.
Be consistent. It’s important that you don’t allow your dog to jump up on furniture one day and then punish her the next time she jumps on the couch.
Try not to leave food on the counter tops and tables. These are temptations that a dog in training cannot resist.
Limit your pup’s roaming area to places that don’t have furniture with nesting qualities if your dog jumps on furniture while you’re gone.
Consult a pet behaviorist if the behavior persists.
7 Helpful Steps to Stop Your Pet From Jumping on People
Be consistent with puppies and dogs; it’s counterproductive to discourage your dog from jumping on others, while allowing her to jump on you and lick your face.
Turn all the way around when you first walk in the door and your dog leaps up on you.
Wait until your dog stops jumping, and say “Good!” the moment she does.
Command your pup to sit if she knows the command, and don’t touch her until she does. Again, be consistent.
Tell your dog to find her toy if she doesn’t know “sit.” This redirects your pup’s energy from jumping on you to finding her toy.
Practice “no jump” with friends once your dog learns not to pounce on you. Have friends give treats and praise when your dog succeeds.
Anticipate potential jumping situations, and tell your dog to sit or redirect her attention to something else.
Praise your dog when she doesn’t jump, especially during situations that might give her reasonable cause.
A New Meaning to Party Animal….
Pets provide significant relief from college’s unique stress factors
“Pets provide significant relief from college’s unique stress factors Stress relievers” that typically come to mind in reference to college life include partying hard, engaging in fraternity shenanigans, and ordering pizza. Add pet ownership to that list. A new study out of Ohio State University found that pets– not beer– are help college students to get through difficult times.
Transitioning from home to campus comes with its own set of unique challenges; college students must negotiate entirely new environments, and simultaneously build new networks of friends. Isolation and depression often result. Those students who owned either a cat or dog, or both, reported fewer feelings of isolation, and were, in general, less overwhelmed with the changes that characterize life’s college stage. Those surveyed stated that pet ownership contributed to their overall health. The researchers identified three key benefits of pet ownership for all people: pets provide companionship (thereby staving off loneliness), keep their owners physically active, and provide a measure of stability and simplicity in difficult times.
While extensive studies regarding the positive benefits of pet companionship on the elderly and chronically ill, this study shed new light on the impact of four-legged friends on co-eds.
It’s important to remember that a pet is not a health-maintenance accessory, and requires a lot more care and long-term consideration than, say, a yoga mat. Life changes quickly during the college years, and many people may not be able to commit to the care of an animal for many years to come (if this rings true for you, go for the yoga mat). And, while the benefits of pet ownership are substantial, these relationships can not substitute human social interaction and support. So go ahead and get a dog (if you really can take care of it), but get a dog-sitter, too, and party on.
Have a great weekend everyone!
On January 24, 2009: 3,000 Adoptions from Pet Shelters, No Fee!
Three hundred shelters across the USA are holding Change a Pet’s Life Day on Jan. 24, aimed at focusing attention on shelters and rescue groups and enticing potential adopters. Fees for the first 10 adoptions at each participating shelter will be paid for by Topeka-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which organized the event.
Adoption fees generally range anywhere from $25 to $300, depending on the shelter, species, pet’s age and whether it’s purebred.
How to find a shelter near you?
The 300 shelters are promoting the event on their websites, on Craigslist and in their local media. The list of the 300 participating shelters can be found at feedingisbelieving.com.
Publicity……
On a national level, longtime animal lover Kyra Sedgwick, star of The Closer, is carrying the Change a Pet’s Life banner during appearances the next few days. “I hope people will at least consider the possibility of getting a shelter pet,” says Sedgwick, whose family has a rescued cat and dog.
Important reminder: Don’t forget there is a yearly cost for pet ownership. Please CLICK HERE for Pet Finder’s estimated cost for yearly pet ownership.
Another Movie Goes to the Dogs…..
Here is a reason to go see a movie this weekend!
Dog food brand Pedigree launched an awareness campaign to coincide with the upcoming Paramount Pictures’ film Hotel for Dogs. Employing the message of, “See the movie. Help a dog,” the campaign is reaching out to educate consumers about the number of dogs that are in need of homes, aligning it with past Pedigree efforts as well as its brand values.
“Pedigree has been an advocate for helping dogs in need find loving homes for the past five years,” said Deb Fair, PR manager for Mars Petcare US, which owns Pedigree. “We have the Pedigree Adoption Drive, which has been a huge awareness campaign for us, and this movie provided us another opportunity to get that message out there. There are four million dogs who end up in shelters and this [is] a wonderful way to tell that story.”
Pedigree’s Chicago-based AOR Weber Shandwick (WS) and the internal team at Paramount are handling outreach to national lifestyle media leading up to the movie’s premiere on January 16, in an effort to “reach everyone who is a dog lover,” Fair said.
“The message of the… campaign and… this movie really made this partnership a natural fit,” added Jody Menaker, VP at WS. “Many of us on the team are… dog owners, so there is a personal connection.”
Pedigree and WS worked closely with Paramount for media relations, Menaker said, bringing their pet industry contacts to combine with the studio’s entertainment contacts.
A representative from Paramount, who declined to be named, told PRWeek that several dog and pet publications have covered the movie so far, including a cover story in Dogs for Kids. The source added that the stars of the movie, including Emma Roberts and Lisa Kudrow, are also discussing the partnership in interviews and at the press junket.
Pedigree plans to offer information about pet adoption and the Pedigree Foundation, as well as the recipient of the donations, at the film’s press junket starting on January 8. The nonprofit foundation supported more than 600 shelters in 2008, Fair said.
The campaign’s message will appear in marketing materials for the film and for Pedigree, including in-store signage, popcorn tubs, and TV spots. Pedigree also launched a microsite for the effort, and plans to take part in the Los Angeles premiere January 15 and at a special screening in Nashville.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Pet Dreams
