Take Johann's Toofer Challenge!

It's challenge time!

This month, February, is National Pet Dental Health Month - a great time to remember how important it is to take care of our teeth - or as I like to call them toofers - because our teeth are very important to us pups!

Did you know that "more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by the time they're three years old. This can lead to serious health problems," explained Dr. Brook Niemiec, a board certified specialist in veterinary dentistry. Dr. Brook recommends to, "make sure every veterinary checkup includes a thorough inspection of your pet's teeth and gums, and a discussion on how to keep them healthy and clean between visits."

So what's the challenge? Well, we know how it can be difficult for our pawrents to remember to brush our teeth. My Mum is pretty good about it, but even she forgets now and then. So here's the challenge....

I challenge you to make sure that your pawrent brushes your teeth every day during the month of February.

That's it!

What will this do? It will help your pawrents and you get in the good habit of brushing your teeth often, and cut down on that stupid oral disease stuff that our Docs talk about! And I bet we'll all have much better breath too - and be able to give lots more kisses to our Moms and Dads.

And what will I do? If you decide to sign up for Johann's Toofers Challenge, leave a comment on this post to let me know you're participating. We'll post your pic, your name and link back to your blog - so we can show everyone your pearly whites!

And be sure and grab one of these buttons to add to your blog (and link back to my blog) to show your support for healthy toofers for all! We'll have lots of updates throughout the month with pics, and all kinds of info, so stay tuned!


So whata ya say? You up for a challenge? Get started and leave me a comment today!

Here's some great website, tips and information on brushing us pup's teeth:

The AVMA offers tips and information on how to keep your pet's teeth healthy:

• Look for signs of tooth decay and oral disease by inspecting your pet's teeth regularly. Bad breath, discoloration and tartar are all indications of problems that could lead to serious health risks with the potential for not only damaging teeth and gums but internal organs.
• Regular visits to your veterinarian should include a complete checkup of your pet's teeth. Your veterinarian should clean plaque and tartar off your pet's teeth if necessary. When tartar—created by the mixture of food debris, saliva and bacteria in the mouth—is allowed to build up it can accumulate between teeth and gums causing tooth loss, and result in an infection that could enter the bloodstream and spread to the heart or other internal organs.
• Brush your pet's teeth daily or at least weekly. While most dogs or cats will not immediately accept a dental hygiene regimen, it can be successfully introduced with patience, particularly if you start when the pet is young.
• To acclimate your pet to dental health, start slowly using plenty of praise and treats. Begin at a time when your pet is relaxed and massage the outside of their mouth with your finger. Then give them a taste of pet toothpaste—poultry-flavored is the most popular—and then slowly introduce a toothbrush to their teeth. Begin brushing in short intervals, working up to about 30 seconds a side.
• Dogs don't accumulate as much tartar on the outside of their teeth as they do the inside, so focus your dental hygiene attention there.
• Chew toys for dogs and rope toys that cats can chew are not only immensely entertaining for your pet, but also keep teeth clean and breath smelling fresh.

Here's a video on how to brush your dog's teeth from Reesa. Nice job Reesa!


Here are some great resources to keep your dog's and your cat's teeth looking their very best:

CET Toothpaste for Dogs and Cats
ProDen PlaqueOff

Duel Ended Toothbrushes
Triple Pet All Natural Breath Freshener
Triple Pet All Natural Toothpaste
Triple Pet Toothbrush
Triple Pet Plaque Off Fresh Breath

Looking for more great info on keeping your dog's teeth looking and chewing their best? Visit my Squidoo Lens!

Say goodnight, Gracie!

Gracie's favorite trick is wave. She loves to do it, over and over and over... When it's time to do tricks, that's the first one she starts offering up to about anyone who has a treat in their hand, goofy girl!

Snow day!

Twelve inches of new powder - makes for loads of fun, challenging potties, and weird bunny hop running from me and Gracie!

Here's Gracie running down the path that Mum shoveled for us in the backyard!

Me trying to find a way over to the fence!

Gracie taking a quick break in the deep stuff!

Maddie, our neighbor, came out to play for a bit! We love running the fence together.

A little wrestle mania!

And, I'm off!

Gracie, she loves running with Maddie too!

Taking a quick break and posing for a photo op!

Looking for some birds to herd!

Gracie takes a little break. Is she sinking?

Arrrroooooo'ing at the snow plow!


And last, but certainly not least, video!!!!!!!

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog is my new sponsor!

The other day I got another package in the mail. This time it was from my good friend, Sparkles, the Fire Safety Dog!

You may remember me talking about Sparkles in the past. She lives in Clarksville, Arkansas and has a very important job. She visits with children at schools and at events, and helps them learn all about fire safety. Now she's an author! She sent me a copy of her new book, along with her paw-to-graph - and I have to tell ya, it's cool!

Here's a vid of Sparkles doing her great work!



Now here's the coolest part! Sparkles asked us the other day if she could be one of my sponsors! And I said, doggone it, of course., we'd love it! So if you, your friends, or members of your family, click on this link and purchase Sparkles new book, a portion of the sales of the book will benefit my agility fund! And for those that tell Sparkles that Johann sent 'em, Sparkles has agreed to pawtograph their copy too! Remember, you have to use this link, K?

Now how cool is that? So be sure and tell all your friends, your family members, your neighbors and anyone else you can think of that have little two-leggers. They will absolutely love this book! We took it over to our neighbors the other day, and their boys loved it; and they loved Sparkles! (Well, who wouldn't?). And the book has super important messages that all pawrents need to help their kids understand.

Thanks Sparkles, we sure are glad you decided to sponsor me. Looking forward to helping you get the word on fire safety to the little ones!

Are you ready for some football!

Sunday is the big day when the Steelers and Cards battle it out in Tampa. But some of the real action will be over at the highly anticipated Puppy Bowl V on Animal Planet!

The sacks, the turnovers, the fumbles, the TD's - it's all there. Who needs DogSitter TV, when you've got the Puppy Bowl?

Now you can own a part of the action!

We're giving away a complete set of Puppy Bowl I-IV on DVD to some lucky dog or dog lover! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and I, Johann, will randomly sniff out one winner in a drawing this SuperBowl Sunday! See our contest page for more info.

Here's a little preview:



To get ready for the action, head on over to the Animal Planet Puppy Bowl headquarters, meet the starting line up, check out the puppy bowl puzzles, learn about pet adoption, and more! Puppy Bowl starts at 3 PM E/P on Animal Planet.

And if you can't see the Puppy Bowl live, follow all the action on Twitter!

We got in more snow fun yesterday!

It snowed most of the day yesterday, and all night last night. So far we have about 10" on the ground. Mum had to shovel out a path for me to my potty area, 'cause I got stuck! Pics coming later today :)

Yesterday morning, before the snow got too deep, Mum and I got in a little fetch time with my favorite ball!

I love it when Mum growls at me, gets me all riled up! But throw it already, will ya Mum!

Then yesterday afternoon, it really started coming down. So before it got way too cold, we went out and had some fun. Here are a couple of pics!


We've been keeping busy. Mum's working away. She's got a big project, doing a website for one of her pet business clients. You should hear her! She gets so excited designing it and coding it - she's so goofy! She wanted me to tell ya, that if you know anyone that needs a little website, maybe for their pet business, or side business or something, that she'd love to do it for them! She's having a great time. And she's really liking the way it looks and functions.

Since we haven't been going to agility practice or trialing, we've been doing lots of tricks, and games, and fun things. One of our favorites is 'find target.' Mum hides the target in another room while we sit and wait. She puts a little kibble on it, then sends us in to find it. The other day she hid the target behind a pillow on the couch and Gracie and I both found it (separately, of course). Every time she makes it harder and harder for us to find.

It's a super fun game, and Mum thinks since she and I have been playing that game for a pretty long while, it may have been why I was able to track my kittie bro, Wiggy, that one day when he jumped fence and got lost. Maybe????

Gracie's been learning 'shy' and Mum is in the process of teaching me to wrap myself up in a blanket. It's progressing - so far I'm pulling the towel up about 6 or so inches and starting to turn on my side. Since I already know rollover, we're hoping it's just a matter of time. Mum broke down every step to teach me, it's fun!

Hope all of you guys are having fun, some in the snow and some in the summer weather! Again, we're sorry for not being able to visit much at all, Mum is working super hard to keep the kibble in our bowls :)

I stole an egg carton! Catch me if you can!

Wiggle-Waggle - It's the Dog Pyramid Toy!

What's new Clean Run just got in a new Nina Ottosson interactive dog toy. And you know how much I love those Ottosson toys!

The Dog Pyramid, one of Nina Ottosson's collection of interactive dog toys, is perfect for occupying and stimulating dogs. Simply place treats or kibble in the hole near the top of the toy and then watch as the dog enjoys the challenge of getting the treats out by moving and knocking the toy around.

So how is the Dog Pyramid different from the myriad of other food-dispensing toys available today? Made of durable non-toxic plastic, the Dog Pyramid is shaped like a beehive and has a weighted bottom. And it's the weighted bottom that makes this toy unique. No matter how enthusiastic the game, every time the dog pushes the Pyramid over, it rights itself again. Dishwasher safe, top rack.

Here you can see it in action!

Our Raise a Green Dog blog's new mascot!

If you haven't been over to our Raise a Green Dog blog lately, there's big news over there.

We've been looking for a while now to find just the right dog to be our representative, be the face of our Raise a Green Dog site, and be our happy, healthy and environmentally conscious mascot. Well, we finally found him.

Head on over there and meet Eco, our newly crowned mascot for Raise A Green Dog! Eco lives the life of a Green Dog, and you can learn all about how he does it.

And the big news is, Eco has his own line of Raise a Green Dog merchandise. You can get super cool t-shirts, mugs, dog bowls, dog tees, sweatshirts, and more, that say cool things like "I'm a Green Dog," "My Best Friend is a Green Dog," and lot more! If you want to go straight to where the Raise a Green Dog merchandise is, you can visit my CafePress shop or my Zazzle shop!

Snow agility rocks!

Yesterday it was just a little bit warmer outside, about 27 degrees, so Mum, Gracie and I got in a little snow agility! Gotta tell ya, I just loved it. Gracie and I both did 10 sets of weaves each, then Gracie worked on some jump and distance work.

Mum has been using my absolute favorite 5" basketball (the one that stays in the yard, year around) to get me all revved up. I jump and lunge and growl to get that ball. And Mum growls back at me, love that! Then she throws me into the weaves, where I barrel through (Mum thinks, I'm getting a bit faster), and then she throws the basketball as my reward. Love, love, love it!

With Gracie, since she is more food motivated and Mum is working some to get her a little more toy motivated, Mum has been putting Gracie's treats in a little Rubbermaid container. She rattles it, and get Gracie all revved up for the weaves. Gracie, with her wacky ways of ramming through the weaves, gets her treat container thrown as her reward. Gracie is loving it! And we think she may be getting faster in the weaves too.

Mum's also using Gracie's treat container as a throw to go on with jumps and other obstacles too.

The snow agility in this cold is lots more harder on Mum than us. It's harder for her to run with no claws like us, and it's harder for her to breath. We're just hoping she won't need a Seattle injury lawyer after our practice. BOL!

So today we're hoping that it will be a little warmer, again like the weather man says it's supposed to be. I'd love to get more snow agility in.

A great rescue!

Yesterday afternoon, Mum and I were watching the news on Channel 13 here in Indy when they broke in with a live news report. It was of a rescue in progress by the Indianapolis Fire Department of a two-year-old Great Pyrenees.

The pup who had been with a foster home, got loose and had been on the run for two days, when someone spotted Biscuit trapped in the middle of an ice float on the White River not too far from our home. The news stayed on the rescue until Biscuit was safely back to shore. It was so exciting and nerve racking!

Biscuit had only been with her foster family for 24 hours before she bolted from their home and got lost. We're super happy that she's back with a foster family and soon she will be ready for adoption to her furever home through Indy Great Pyrenees Rescue. Having an older rescued pup in our house, Gracie, my sis, we know Biscuit has got to be super confused and scared. We sure hope she finds a great, understanding and loving home real soon!

To read the entire story and see the video of the rescue, click here! Thanks to Channel 13 for your great coverage of a heartwarming story, and the Indianapolis Fire Department for coming to the rescue! And to the Indy Star for being on the scene to report the story and supply great pics for today's morning paper.

And remember, pups, be careful around ponds, lakes, and rivers, they can be super dangerous this time of year here in the Midwest and in other parts of the country. They may look frozen, but chances are they aren't!

The Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod!

The Iditarod is just around the corner in March, but this month and part of next month the Discovery Channel is airing an entire series called, The Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod.

From the Discovery Channel website:

Seen through the eyes of the men and women who dare to take on this monumental challenge, The Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod takes viewers on an adventure through dense forests, over mountain ranges and across frozen rivers and isolated tundra in the wilds of Alaska. Follow mushers and their sled dog teams across 1,150 miles of rugged terrain as they take on Mother Nature - and each other - in The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod follows seven mushers and their dog teams; both race rookies and race legends. The grueling competition from Anchorage to Nome puts the teams through the ultimate test of human and animal teamwork and endurance. But the harsh environment and extreme concentration takes its toll on the teams, no matter how hard they trained. To drop out of the competition would be devastating for any musher who has put everything on the line for a chance to compete.

To view the entire schedule of the three episodes, click here!

Saturday is Change a Pet's Life Day!

This weekend, Saturday, January 24th, is Change a Pet's Life Day.

Kyra Sedgwick, adopted by a shelter pet, and star of one of my favorite shows, The Closer, is working with Hill's to help others make a difference in the lives of shelter pets.

On this day the cost of the first ten adoptions at participating Hill's partner shelters will be paid by Hill's company. And new pet owners will receive a starter kit that includes free Hill's® Science Diet® pet food and tips to give their adopted cat or dog the best start in their new life.

Click here for more information, and here to see a list of participating shelters in your area.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Finals on ABC Saturday!

Who doesn't love watching dog agility, dock diving, disc dog, and JR Hurdle Racing on the tele?

The National Finals of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge were held on October 4th, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. Now you can see all the action on ABC!

All Mum needs is a little Orovo in her system and we'll be raring to go. Broadcast time is this Saturday, January 24th, when the 2008 National Finals of the event will air on ABC at 2 PM ET. Set your DVR's, I know we will!

Are you shy?

Well, it's been pretty boring around here. All the cold and snow. But I did get in a few snow weaves yesterday when it warmed up a bit. We've been doing lots of tricks and games around our house to keep both me and Gracie occupied and Mum off the Leptovox, BOL!

Here's one of them I've been working to perfect. Are you shy? Mum's still trying to get me to 'hold' the position, but being the manic little guy that I am, we're not having too much luck. But here's what we have so far!

Happy Inauguration Day!

I'm not much of a political pup, but with the inauguration today, I've been thinking a lot lately about hope, change and progress. America needs it.

Today, I have donned my Obamicon in an effort to do my part to help America begin to regain what they have lost.

I remember watching 60 Minutes one night when Obama's election team was being interviewed. After taking Indiana in the primaries, they were asked how they thought they could win over this very Republican state, and their response, said with complete confidence and assurance? "Because we believed we could." Now that's powerful stuff!

Will our great country change and see progress with our next President? I hope so. I can't help but feel a renewed sense of optimism today. And I believe that today can quite possibly usher in a new beginning. Here's to change, hope and progress - I believe!

Get your Obamicon!

Around the dog blog-osphere!

Some cool links and info we've seen around the Internet and the dog blog-o-sphere the past couple of weeks that we wanted to share with you:

A long time coming...if you haven't heard yet, the Kennel Club (UK) has introduced new standards for 209 breeds, following concerns of ill health in pedigree dogs.

Last year, the RSPCA pulled out of Crufts, saying breeding to exaggerate certain features, such as bulldogs' jowls, had led to painful deformities. Now new rules designed to prevent exaggeration and incestuous breeding have been brought in. Here's a link to the article.

Since we're not on a heavy agility schedule right now, Mum has been looking into feeding me and Gracie some raw foods, in addition to my kibble and some cooked foods. If you are looking for inexpensive raw food sources here's a great link to Raw Co-ops listed by state, (scroll down about half way) as well as other dog feeding links and information.

If you've ever seen some of the The Dog Files episodes you know how great they are. The newest episode - The Wolf Files - is available now. Run with the pack, aaaaarrrrooooooo!

Silvia Trkman has a new vid up, showing her running dog walk training with her new pup, Bi. Shows some great info on the beginnings of using her methods, including turning after the DW.

If you're looking for a new addition to your pack, Kyra Sedgwick is working with Change A Pet's Life Day. On January 24th fees for the first 10 adoptions at participating shelters will be paid by the Hill's company, and be free to adopters. Here's more info, and how to find a participating shelter.

The AKC/Eukanuba Championships and the AKC Agility Invitationals broadcast dates have been announced by the AKC. Mark your calendars: February 7, 8PM ET and February 14, 4PM ET on Animal Planet - the AKC Agility Invitationals; and January 31, 8:00 PM on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel for the AKC/Eukanuba Championships.

Also, we are keeping a calendar of the TV programs and movies about dogs released in theaters on our Google Calendar. If you'd like to add these programs to your Google Calendar - log in to Google Calendar, search the public calendars for 'Dogs - TV Programs and Movies' and our calendar should be the first one that pops up. Just click to add.

Tomorrow (Friday) the highly anticipated movie, 'Hotel for Dogs,' opens in theaters nationwide in the US. In this family film, Nancy Drew's Emma Roberts leads a star-filled cast that includes Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, and Don Cheadle.

A pair of orphaned siblings (Roberts and Jake T. Austin) are forced to give up their beloved dog when they move into a foster home. But since they can't stand to live without him, they turn a closed hotel into a home for their dog--and any other strays they can find. Hotel for Dogs is based on the novel by Lois Duncan.

Pedigree is partnering with 'Hotel For Dogs' - for every ticket purchased, they will make a donation to help shelter dogs. To learn more about the movie, visit my Latest and Greatest Movies About Dogs Squidoo.

The Discovery Channel has a great series about the Iditarod (which will be held beginning in February). Three episodes of the Toughest Race On Earth will air during the rest of January. The Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod takes viewers on an adventure through dense forests, over mountain ranges and across frozen rivers and isolated tundra in the wilds of Alaska. Follow mushers and their sled dog teams across 1,150 miles of rugged terrain as they take on Mother Nature - and each other - in The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Here's a link to the times.

Get your tv stand ready, the finals of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge which occurred last Spring and Fall will be broadcast on ABC, January 24 at 2:00 PM ET.

Surprise, surprise, there is another article from NewScientist, that says us pups are mood alterers for peeps. Those who enjoy their dogs reap the benefits of the naturally occurring 'cuddle chemical,' also known as Oxycontin.

I like to watch the news coming out of the UK regarding pets and animals. They are so far ahead of the US in their humane treatment of animals. So I found it interesting that the RSPCA has a bone to pick with owners who dress their pups in elaborate clothing.

If you live in the Atlanta or LA area, here's your chance to get help from 'It's Me or the Dog's' Victoria Stilwell. 'It's Me or the Dog' is casting in L.A. and Atlanta for the next few weeks.

Another casting call for us pups - a National Cable Network is looking for pet owners who spoil their pets & have amazing pet homes. Find more info on RealityWanted.com, deadline is 2/20.

If you didn't see my Tweet the other day, be careful when you are playing that Wii around your pups or other animals in your home. Ozzy, the sheltie, was struck in the head accidentally with the remote while his owners were playing Wii Bowling.

He immediately collapsed and appeared dead. Their neighbor came to the rescue, performed CPR, and brought poor Ozzy (who is now fine, btw) back to life. Just another reason to learn CPR for your dog, you just never know what can happen.

Have to applaud and give a nod to Mickey Rourke for his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. It's a brave thing to thank your dogs on national television.

But he said, "sometimes when a man is alone, that's all you've got is your dog." And all the news reports are applauding him for it. Most of you probably know that Rourke has had a tough go of it in the last years, and is on his way to making a healthy, happy comeback. Seems his dogs stood by him during his down time, when others wouldn't. I'm sure many of us can identify with that in some way or another.

EDIT/UPDATE 1/15 PM: Well poo, guess I'm gonna have to stop my applause to Mr. Rourke. While I am happy that he wants to help dogs in some form or fashion, and spay/neuter programs are very important - I'm sure not pleased that he is helping PETA. See here. Dang!

Ok, that's it for now! Hope all of you have a great weekend, and keep warm if you're in the US, and sending cool wishes to our Aussie friends!

It's -6 outside, but I found a warm place!

An agility nursery rhyme!

Silly Mum couldn't get a pupular nursery rhyme out of her head the other day, so she made good use of it. She is soooo silly!

Dog be agile
Dog be quick
Dog don't knock
the triple bar stick

Dog jump high
Dog table low
Dog hit yellow
on the go

Dog weave fast
Dog tunnel thru
Keep on course
and we'll get a Q!

Secret cat language finally revealed!

We got to play in the snow today!

It's pretty cold out, but earlier today we got to go and play in the snow! What fun!!!! And it sure was super nice to stretch out and zoom!

Lifeus interveneus!

The past week and a half has just seemed to fly by. But a lot has happened.

Just as I was getting pumped and into my rehab routine of treadmill, ball work and more, to build myself back up for agility, something happened to my toe.

Mum thinks I got something in it and it swelled up to the size of a dime (that's big on little 'ole me). Here's a pic after a lot of the swelling went down. (You can click on it to see it enlarged - no pun intended :)

Of course these things always happen on the weekend, right? So Mum soaked my toe in Epsom Salts and Peroxide several times a day. And I had to wear a stupid bootie when I went outside. (See the booties in my pic, yuck!) By Monday morning, it was looking a whole lot better. But just didn't seem to be progressing.

I needed a chiro adjustment anyway, so off to see Auntie Bonnie (our vet) we went last night. Got a nice chiro adjustment, and Auntie said my toe would be just fine (there wasn't any foreign body in it) and I could do anything after today. Woot!!!!

So again, I'm healthy and get to resume my rehab and training.

Last week Mum wanted to see how I was progressing in my rehab. And I was super fired up to try - so we did some weaves in the backyard - with snow on the ground. That was super cool! If you've never done snow weaves, it's a blast! And the best part is that I was super fast going through them - got my soccer ball as a throw reward - my fav!

Mum's been working away. And we got the main site - JohannTheDog.com - all decked out for Valentine's Day. I love my Mum, did I tell you that? If you get a chance go there and check out the mosaic that Mum made of all the pics she took of Gracie and I (and there are a few of Wolfie and Wiggy too) last year.

Gracie has been really enjoying her Babble Ball. A few of our Twitter buds and readers suggested that we put a sock on it, literally, BOL! And Gracie really liked that - gave her something to grab and bite at. So here's Gracie vs Babble Ball - Round 2.



We did a slight (for now) revamp on the look of our Raise A Green Dog blog - which is now sporting a cute little guy as our Green Dog Mascot. We decided, after several suggestions from readers and Twitter-ers to call him either Eco or Cycle. Which name do you like the best? Leave me a comment and help me name this little guy.

Mum is planning on creating t-shirts and sweatshirts with the Raise A Green Dog logo and our little mascot guy - so we can give 10% of the profits to dog rescues and shelters. Should be fun!

And BTW - I was pretty proud of Mum, she drew that little guy - and she has absolutely no drawing talent. She had a little help from some pictures of various doggies that provided some modeling, of sorts.

Speaking of talent, BOL! If you didn't know, Mum used to play the flute; and she was pretty good. Her plan out of college was to be a professional flutest and flute teacher. But it never worked out. And now that we have other hobbies, (well, one anyway :) she hasn't played her flute or her piccolo in years. (I'm glad too, 'cause that thing makes me howl!).

So she sold both of them the other day. And got a great price for them. She was sad to see them go, but super happy that they now have a cherished home, where they will be loved as much as Mum loved them for the past - OK, I'm gonna say it - 30 years.

As far as agility goes, we're just not sure where we are right now. I need to build up more muscle mass, Mum needs to build up our agility fund, and I really need concentrate on retraining of my running dog walk. So for now, we're not going to practice, and we're not planning on entering any trials for the forseeable future - unless some things progress more rapidly than expected.

It's kind of sad - we don't do well when we're not practicing or trialing agility. And Mum tends to gain a few lbs when we're not running (she promised me that she will try to keep 'em to a minimum this time, and won't look into those weight loss pills.)

As they sometimes say - lifeus interveneus.

So instead, Mum is trying her doggonest to keep us happy, healthy and active. We're doing as much treadmill and ball work as possible; and learning new and different tricks everyday. We're getting outside to do what agility we can in the backyard when the weather is decent. And she's been pretty good about finding fun games for us to play. Here's a vid of the Muffin Tin game that we've been playing lately - check it out, we're sure you'll like it.

Better get back to work - hope you all are having a super great New Year. And we apologize for not getting around to visit. When it's just Mum making the bucks - and the four of us four leggers to take care of - time kinda gets away from you. But we miss you, that I can surely say!!!!!!

Hotel for Dogs opens in theaters this Friday!

If Marley & Me wasn't for you - you may want to check out Hotel For Dogs - opening in theaters this coming Friday.

In this family film, Nancy Drew's Emma Roberts leads a star-filled cast that includes Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, and Don Cheadle.

A pair of orphaned siblings (Roberts and Jake T. Austin) are forced to give up their beloved dog when they move into a foster home. But since they can't stand to live without him, they turn a closed hotel (complete with treadmills, automated feeders, Plum trees and more) into a home for their dog--and any other strays they can find.

Hotel for Dogs is based on the novel by Lois Duncan. The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide on January 16, 2009. And don't forget to visit the movie's website!

Pedigree is partnering with Hotel For Dogs - for every ticket purchased, they will make a donation to help shelter dogs. Learn more!

And if you'd like to keep up on all the Latest and Greatest Movies for Dogs - visit my Squidoo!

Source: RottenTomatoes.com

Grace, pup in training , to ring NASDAQ closing bell!

Actors Linda Larkin and Yul Vazquez along with pup- in-training, Grace and representatives from The Guide Dog Foundation will preside over the NASDAQ Closing Bell today.

If you'd like to read more, go here. And click here for a live webcast at 3:45 PM ET today!

Good luck Grace!

What's for dinner? Table games!

Things have been pretty quiet around here. I'm still working on my rehab and doing extremely well. Hoping to get back into running agility in practice in the next week or so. Mum hasn't seen a single indication that there is anything wrong with me in the last week.

But when it really cold outside and we can't get outside for some major exercise, we play a lot of games inside. Here's just one of them we've been doing lately - playing table games for dinner. Have to say it's really helped to get a more immediate down on the table during our agility practice; and sometimes even during our competition runs. Enjoy!

Ruff Rider!

You know how much of a proponent I am of dog car safety. If not, be sure and take a look at my Squidoo on the subject.

I was pretty excited when I learned yesterday that one of my favorite shopping sites - OnlyNaturalPet.com - is now carrying the Ruff Rider Roadie Elite Dog Safety Harness.

This harness is used by several friends of mine, one of which was involved in an extremely dangerous car accident with her three dogs several years ago. They were injured, but they were all secured and have healed. My friend swears by this harness.

Here's some info from the website:

The Roadie Elite Dog Safety Harness is tested to US human seatbelt standards. Researched and independently tested, Ruff Rider's Roadie Canine Vehicle Safety/Training Harness keeps the dog you love safe while you are driving, braking or turning and affords the best protection in extreme situations. It easily attaches to any vehicle's seatbelt system, and it includes a built-in short walking lead for all-around use. Every Ruff Rider Roadie is veterinarian-approved & exceeds S.A.E. tensile strength standards for human seat belts.

Sizing:

Harness Size, Weight, Rib Cage Circumference in Inches

Size 1 10 - 13 lbs. 16 - 17.5 in.
Size 2 14 - 18 lbs. 17.5 - 20 in.
Size 3 19 - 24 lbs. 20 - 21 in.
Size 4 25 - 35 lbs. 21.5 - 23 in.
Size 5 36 - 55 lbs. 27 - 29.5 in.
Size 6 56 - 70 lbs. 29.5 - 32.5 in.
Size 7 71 - 95 lbs. 32.5 - 36 in.
Size 8 96 - 130 lbs. 36 - 42 in.

OnlyNaturalPet.com has a few of great deals going on too:

Save 5% on your first order at Only Natural Pet Store! Coupon code CJ15.

Save 5% on orders over $75 at Only Natural Pet Store! Use coupon code CJ75.

Get free shipping when your order is over $75.

Days honoring dogs!

If Dogs and Cats Had Opposable Thumbs Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, Spay Day USA, Love Your Pet Day, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day, Be Kind to Animals Week, National Homeless Pet Day - these are just a handful of the many days throughout the year devote to us dogs (and pets and animals)!

Check out my Squidoo Lens - Dog Days - and see all wonderful days we could find!

And if you'd like to add these days to your Google Calendar, just follow these steps:

• Login to your Google Calendar account
• Type dogs and days into the search box at the top and click 'search public calendars'
• The calendar "Days Honoring Dogs" should be the first calendar in the search results
• Click 'add to calendar'
• Your done!