Hit Up the Vet
Any good dog owner knows this, but a reminder can’t hurt! Get your dog up-to-date on all vaccinations, make sure he’s checked for heartworm and make sure he’s on preventative heart worm meds so the pesky mosquitos don’t get him this summer.

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Fight the Heat!
It gets hot out there and dogs need protection. If you’re going to be outside for a long time, make sure there is shade for Fido and lots of water to prevent dehydration. Also, don’t let him sit on asphalt for a long time. You don’t want his paw pads to burn!

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Don’t Get Bugged
Watch out for bug and rodent repellents in yards and parks that are poisonous to pups. Read instructions on all flea and tick products to ensure proper use.

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Party Safe
One of the best things about summer are barbecues, but be wary of what you’re dog is eating. With lots of yummy human treats on lots of people’s plates, the little beggar might snag some bad food or drink.

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Swim Smart
Some dogs love jumping into the water to escape the heat, but be sure to play lifeguard! Not all dogs are born good swimmers. If your pup has been poolside, try to prevent her drinking the water and be sure rinse off her coat afterward to rid it of chlorine.

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No Fireworks
If you’re running your own show this year, or heading to a big one, it’s best to leave pups at home. They may be scared of the loud noises and if they get too close to at-home fireworks, they can get seriously injured.

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How’s that for summer prep? Get excited for all of the outdoor fun, but be smart at the same time.

Source: Info via Wicked Local Concord, Main image via Nature For Kids

How big is your pup?

Source: All images via Buzzfeed

So, we’re all for actually playing with your dog. You know, running around with him, throwing the ball, playing frisbee, going on a jog, etc. We are big proponents of staying fit right along with our pets but that’s not to say there aren’t occasional instances where it would be nice to get our dogs exercised and do nothing of the sort ourselves.

Though somewhat superfluous (and pretty expensive at $300), there is now a gadget that will come in handy when your arm is tired and you don’t feel like running. It’s called the Go-Go Dog Pals and it’s basically a gopher on wheels that can drive as fast as 22 miles an hour as you control it with a remote. Essentially it’s a remote controlled car with a cute face. Based on the fact that dogs love chasing moving creatures and object, the idea behind the gadget seems sounds. Watch this video as one panting pooch tries to catch the Go-Go Dog Pals:

Comment on our Facebook Page under this post: Would you buy something like this for your dog?

Source: Info and main image via Engadget, body images via Go-Go Dog Pals

One such college is Emory University, where Richelle Reid, the law librarian, started the pet therapy program after hearing of a similar one at University of California, San Francisco. She notes that these pooches give students that necessary moment of clarity as they break from their studies.

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Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School even have pets that students can check out, like a book. Cooper (above) is Harvard’s med school shih tzu and he joins Loise Francisco-Anderson, a researcher, on the campus. He’s so popular that undergraduates want him on their part of the campus too. Check out cooper’s blog, Harvard Cooper, to learn more about him.

Having faculty member bring in their certified therapy dogs, is one way that colleges and universities are providing students with some relief. And though Harvard and other campuses like it come with a built-in therapy dog, most schools, like Emory, partner up with groups that are training companion dogs who need socialization. It’s a win-win, for the pups and the students. Indiana University went another route and held a “Rent-a-Puppy” day, partnered with a local shelter and let students spend time with adoptable pups for $5 per day.

While of course, seeing an adorable and friendly dog between studies would help most anyone relax, research has actually proven that our levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases when interacting with dogs, while our endorphins increase.

There’s also endless anecdotal evidence that therapy dogs help greatly in college settings and we’re not even a little bit surprised! Here are some more pictures of Occidental students playing with pups to get some relief from finals stress.

When asked by NYmag why he started Barkbox.com, Henrik Werdelin noted that there is a big difference between dog owners and dog parents. The latter love their dogs so much that they look for ways to delight and surprise their pooch on a regular basis. Dog parents love giving their pup treats, buying them things and treating them like members of the family. We’re totally on board with this! Werdelin also noted that BarkBox is a service for these types of dog people. What is this BarkBox.com we speak of? 

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BarkBox has jumped on the subscription-based shopping trend, which has become highly popular for fashion and accessories, but they’ve done it with dog products! Once you subscribe, you will receive a box full of four or more items each and every month. They deliver toys, treats, bones, gadgets and other goodies which you can peek at on their Facebook page. First you select the size of your dog, then you choose a one-month, three-month or six-month plan.

If this sounds appealing to you, you’ll be happy to know that by subscribing to BarkBox you will also be helping other dogs in need. BarkBox gives 10% from each box they ship to a local shelter or rescue.

Sounds like a simple and fun way to spoil your dog, doesn’t it? We think this would also make a great gift for a fellow dog lover.

Source: Interview questions via NYMag.com, site info, main image and screenshot via BarkBox.com

According to Anabel Connor, naming expert and community leader of ParentsConnect (which has extensive names databases for babies and dogs), more and more people are naming their dogs with human names. In the past, she notes, dogs were named things like Spot, Rover and Fido, but now, as canines are considered real members of the family, people are branching out and going human with their choices.

This isn’t just based on anecdotal evidence, of course. Veterinary Pet Insurance, one of America’s largest insurance providers for pets, has extensively researched this matter using nearly half-a-million animals to come up with the top ten dog names. In 2011 they were:

1. Bella
2. Bailey
3. Max
4. Lucy
5. Molly
6. Buddy
7. Daisy
8. Maggie
9. Charlie
10. Sophie

Is your dog’s name on this list?

If you’re seeking names for a new pup, Connor recommends keeping training in mind as most dogs respond best to two-syllable words with a punch. Lori Krout, founder of Dog-Paw-Print.com, recommends having fun with your dog’s name and even getting inspired by themes like movies or literature. Krout has gone as far as to compile a list of possible Harry Potter themed names for fans to draw from if they’re stuck. She’s listed Nearly Headless Nick, Muggle, Lupin and lots more.

What process did you use to name your pooch? Share a picture of your dog and how he/she got his/her name on our Facebook page!

Source: Info via channel3000.com

David Lanteigne rescued a pit bull named Lilly from a shelter to be a companion to his mother, Christine Spain, who needed help recovering from alcoholism. This decision ultimately saved Spain’s life, because just last week she fell unconscious onto train tracks and Lilly, who is now eight years old, was there to save her. Right before the train came, Lilly dragged Spain from danger and saved her from harm. Unfortunately, Lilly was not so lucky. Though she lived through it, the conductor was not able to stop the train before it hit Lilly’s right foot, fractured her pelvis and caused other internal injuries.

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Don’t worry! Lilly is now at an animal medical center recovering well, though she will need her front-limb amputated. Lanteigne has expressed his love and gratitude for Lilly, who he knows saved his mother’s life and has made Lilly’s health a top priority. Watch the below video to see Lilly in recovery:

Amazing, right? Lilly’s family is doing everything they can to help her recover but because the medical bills are so high, the center at which she is staying is collecting donations. We wish them all luck!

Source: Info and main image via NY Daily News

He and his team trained two (adorable) pups to do just this. Callie is a two-year-old feist and McKenzie is a three-year-old border collie and both have helped the team tremendously. They have been trained to react to different hand signals, one that means “treat” and the other that means “no treat.” The scientists had fascinating findings and saw that when the pups thought “treat,” the region of their brain that showed activity was the same region associated with reward in humans.

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Berns hopes that more experiments like this will help us better understand the human-dog connection. It may lead to further information regarding how dogs process human language and our facial expressions.

Watch this video that delves into the project and see the enthusiastic and smart dogs in action:

Source: Main image and info via MSNBC Today Tech

Strolling by Columbus Circle anytime soon? It might be worth taking a trip there to see the latest advertisement. We know, advertisements are not usually worth visiting and in New York City, there are so many that we all just pass them by, but this one is different. Beneful, the well-known dog food brand, has created a virtual, interactive dog park on the walls of the Columbus Circle’s subway station.

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Beneful’s latest campaign stresses the importance of play and owners taking time with their dogs to do so. It’s good for dogs and you. To capture this anthem, Fallon, Beneful’s agency who created this campaign, worked with Inwindow Outdoor. They designed gesture recognition technology and 3D cameras for the project and have created playful pups that paw at the screen, play fetch, roll in the grass and show a variety of emotions. When you’re ready to leave after playing with your dog, you can take a picture with your fake pup, send it to your mobile device and share it on social media networks.

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Sounds like a pretty brilliant marketing scheme, not to mention a lot of fun. In New York, this wall will be there for one month so go check it out! If you’re not NYC-based, there are similar walls in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis.

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Here are two videos to check out too. One is the official video and shows a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this project and the other is a video made by someone passing by.

Source: Info via digitalsignageuniverse.typepad.com, main image via sixteen-nine.net

While you can take your pups to the dog runs in New York City, or to the off-leash hours in the park, not all pooches do well amongst strangers and some thrive with one-on-one play. That’s the idea behind Matchpuppy.com, which right now is limited to New York, and allows you to screen your dog’s potential matches and set up a play date with one that might be a perfect pal. Of course, there is a human aspect here with dogs being the catalyst to potentially meet more human friends.

The site, which is still in beta, is simple to use. You sign up by filling out some info about you and a your dog, including what parks your pup loves, and then you can start scheduling play dates. There are lists of already-scheduled ones that you can join, or you can create your own.

Is this something you’d partake in? We’ll be interested to see if it really takes off.

Source: Matchpuppy.com