My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much

Toby "Hugs" Beneful's New Baked Delights

2012-02-24T00:21:00.000-05:00

Toby has been loving Beneful's new Baked Delights, the company's new line of dog treats that come in four varieties -- Stars, Hugs, Snackers and Quacks.

We were sent the Hugs for Toby to try. They're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a beef and cheese taste.

These new snacks are oven-baked and feature a wide variety of flavors, such as beef, chicken, peanut butter and cheese. As you can see, from the photos, Toby couldn't wait to get his paws on these.

The development of Beneful's Baked Delights was led by Amanda Hassner, executive chef of the Purina Culinary Center, with the idea that when it comes from the oven, it comes from the heart. Chef Amanda and her team were given a challenge -- reinventing Purina dog snacks by creating a new line of dog snacks that uses the best of baking from a human perspective, but with ingredients and formulas created just for pups.

They, in part, based their treats on the human trend of "small plate" food, which gives people a complexity of flavors, textures aromas and colors in one eating experience. The company also wanted to create a dog treat that captured the baked experience instead of your typical bones, chews and rawhides.

And, I have to add, Toby is picky when it comes to treats. I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but he won't eat just anything. Seriously. There have been more than several occasions, I've bought him treats and he's turned his nose at them!

While I was writing this, the box was next to us and Toby kept a close eye on the box, so we shot a quick Tout:

Now for the fun part! Beneful was nice enough offer one of our readers the opportunity to try a box of the treats for themselves!

Here are the giveaway details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tillman's New Reality Show “Who Let the Dogs Out” T-Shirts

2012-02-22T09:21:00.001-05:00

Did you watch Tillman's new reality show "Who Let the Dogs Out" on Animal Planet Saturday? Pretty awesome, right?!

If you're like us and can't wait till this Saturday's episode, to get your Tillman fix, we have a special surprise -- we're giving away 5 show t-shirts!

For those of you who may not know about the show, it stars Tillman, the world's fastest skateboarding bulldog, and his canine sports team pals Rose, Sully, baby Bulldog Wally, and Norman “Scooter Dog” who set out on a journey across the country in search of the most talented dog in America.

Tillman and gang meet some fun people and pets, while hosting a series of casting calls along the way. Through the ten episodes -- which started Sat, Feb. 18 -- the show also highlights various animal charity organizations, from shelters, rescue, guide dogs, service dogs and more.

Pretty cool right?

OK, so now time for the giveaway!

Giveaway Details

Five people will win a "Who Let the Dogs Out" T-shirt courtesy of Natural Balance. Sorry, but we can only ship to continental U.S. addresses.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do I Sound Creepy?

2012-02-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

For a good three hours today my day went something like this:

"Hi! Would you like some hot chocolate, a hot dog or some pulled pork? It's a donation to help fund the Lake George Skate Plaza"

Followed almost immediately by:

"Oh my gosh, your dog is so cute! Can I take a picture of them?"

Yes, I was partly doing it because many times if you engage and show interest in something of theirs, the person is more willing to buy your product, but it's also because I love dogs and sharing photos of ones we meet.

Halfway through the day, I wondered if I sounded creepy. I mean if I asked to take a photo of your kid, I would likely end up in jail, and for many of us our dog is like our kid, right?

That's when I feel like I had to explain I write a pet website and I would love to share your dog's photo on there and on our Facebook page.

I feel like there's some dog owners code that makes taking photos of other people's dogs OK -- like a complement of sorts. It always makes me smile when someone wants a photo of Toby or, like when "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" was popular, with Toby.

Do you take, and/or share, photos of other dogs you meet?

Petfinder Sees 179% Spike in Visits to Pekingese Pages After Westminster

2012-02-18T01:31:00.000-05:00

As we mentioned earlier this week, the breed named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show quickly becomes the "it" dog to have, and this year is no different.

In the three days following Westminster, Petfinder saw a 179 percent spike in those researching the Pekingese breed, said Kim Saunders, vice president of shelter outreach and public relations, adding Pekingese pages do not typically see a lot of traffic.

This has some rescue groups concerned.

"I am hoping we do not see an increase of people wanting Pekes and then dumping them like [the movie] '101 Dalamations' did to [that breed]," said Janice O'Connor, of Rescued Pets Are Wonderful - a group dedicated to saving discarded Pekineses.

This Pekingese needs emergency hernia surgery, after it's owner surrendered her with a open hernia.

Before bringing home your own Pekingese winner, pet parents should make sure this breed fits their lifestyle.

"Be sure that you are willing to provide the grooming care required – that long coat requires frequent grooming," Saunders told My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much. "And know that the Pekingese breed often has problems with the heat and is sensitive to anesthesia."

They can also have problems with their eyes because they are so large, Carol Kallman of Rescued Pets Are Wonderful said.

If you do decide that a Pekingese is for you, Petfinder has over 800 purebred Pekingese and Pekingese mixes available for adoption.

"They are known to be great little dogs who are playful with their family but aloof with strangers, but you really need to meet the individual dog because each dog is an individual," said Saunders.

This post was shared with the Saturday pet bloggers hop:

Tillman's New Reality Show “Who Let the Dogs Out” Premieres Saturday

2012-02-16T23:09:00.003-05:00

Turn off the cartoons this Saturday and turn on Animal Planet for the premiere episode of, "Who Let the Dogs Out."

The show stars Tillman, the world's fastest skateboarding bulldog, and his canine sports team pals Rose, Sully, baby Bulldog Wally, and Norman “Scooter Dog” who set out on a journey across the country in search of the most talented dog in America.

Tillman and gang meet some fun people and pets, while hosting a series of casting calls along the way. Through the ten episodes -- which begins this Sat, Feb. 18 -- the show also highlights various animal charity organizations, from shelters, rescue, guide dogs, service dogs and more.

Pretty cool right?

Well, there's more -- including the chance to win a trip to Hollywood!

But, before we get to that info, if you have a talented dog, you can still submit a video of your pup online to the show's producers for a chance to be featured. Just email a video to k9casting (at) gmail.com
.
OK, now for the fun stuff -- there will be a trivia question posted each week on the show's sweepstake page . There will be 10 weekly winner who will receive one large bag of Natural Balance food plus once case of Tillman's Treats. One grand prize winner will win a trip for two to Hollywood to meet Tillman, plus one year worth of Natural Balance food.

In addition, for every new like on the Tillman Skates Facebook page, Natural Balance will donate a meal to a shelter pet.

If you want to connect with other Tillman and "Who Let the Dogs Out" fans, use the hashtag #TillmanTV on Twitter.

And make sure you check back here next week, for a fun Tillman giveaway we'll be hosting!

UPDATED: NYC Allows Sardi's to Serve Westminster's Top Dog Next Year

2012-02-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

Dogs compete at Westminster.

UPDATED {8:22 p.m}: NYC will grant a one-day waiver to Sardi’s so they can serve next year’s champion, according to the Associated Press.

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New York City has put a stop to the traditional celebratory meal at the famous Sardi's restaurant for Westminster's Best in Show winner, according to the local NBC affiliate.

“We can’t just roll over for the champ,” John Kelly, a City Health Department spokesman, told the New York Post explaining Westminster winners and owners have to follow the same rules as other patrons.

Malachy, who was crowned this year's top dog, was served in a second-floor private room -- completely away from guests.

Although the restaurant owners reportedly argued this point, the health department wouldn't budge.

Why I Heart My Human #214

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

She brought me home a doggie cupcake from my favorite bakery in Manhattan for Valentine's Day!

Adopt Your Own Pekingese Winner!

2012-02-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

The breed who gets crowned the Best in Show winner at Westminster instantly becomes the new "it" breed to own. So, it's no surprise there will likely be a surge in searches for Pekingese dogs after Malachy's win.

But, before you start dialing the closest Pekingese breeders, check out ones up for adoption at Petfinder or your local shelter, be aware of specific breed traits and remember the commitment a dog takes.

Here are several adorable Pekingese dogs we found on a simple Petfinder search who could use a loving home.

Peggy was previously owned by an older people who were hospitalized and no longer able to care for her. She is spayed, up-to-date-on all shots and is house broken. She is in the NYC Metro area. Visit her Petfinder page.

JB, short for Jet Black, loves to play with toys, bask in the sun and take naps in his bed. He prefers a home without cats or young children, and is neutered. He is located in the Palm Springs Area. Visit his Petfinder page.

Cody is an 8-month-old pup who likes spending time with his humans, as well as the company of small dogs, cats and gentle children. He is located in the Jacksonville, Fla. area. Visit his page on Petfinder.

Checking My Fan Mail ~ Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-15T08:33:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the bad camera phone photo, but this was one of those situations where Toby was not going to stay like that for long.

Joins the BlogPaws blog hop:

"Every Dog, Dog Show": Help Pedigree Feed Homeless Pets

2012-02-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you have likely read the New York Times story about how the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show parted ways with longtime sponsor Pedigree, reportedly in part because of the dog food company's commercials featuring sad-looking mixed breeds up for adoption.

Toby snuggles under my Pedigree Adoption Drive scarf.

The yearly dog show was typically when Pedigree launched their new Adoption Drive campaigns, and just because they're banned from advertising at this year's show, it's not stopping the company from continuing their efforts, which up to now, has raised more than $7 million for the cause.

From now until Feb. 14 at 11 p.m. Pedigree is holding their very own "Every Dog, Dog Show," that celebrates both purebred and mixed breed dogs.

For every person who uploads a photo of their four-legged friend or tells them their dog's story on Pedigree's Facebook page, they will donate a bowl of food, up to 500,000 bowls.

It's a simple way to help Pedigree spread the word about dogs who are in need of a home, as well help feed those pups.

Westminster Fever

2012-02-11T14:56:00.000-05:00

Forget Fashion Week, the big story in New York City right now is the Westminster Kennel Club's annual dog show. Walk out of Penn Station and you'll see a sea of dogs -- big ones, little ones, medium size ones.

There's also tons of other events around the main show, including last night's Pre-Westminster Fashion show featuring a Venetian Masquerade Pet Fashion Theme by designer Ada Nieves.

Unfortunately, we couldn't make last night's event, but we did get to see some of our favorite pet people, and meet new ones, last night at a dinner sponsored by Greenies and hosted by Charlotte Reed.

It was a small group of writers, at least one vet and other pet industry professionals, which led to honest and informative conversations about all things pets.

Having never been to Westminster before, I randomly bought a ticket the day of and went last year. It was pretty neat how a general admission ticket allows you to go "back stage" and see the dogs getting ready, chat with some of the owners and take as many photos as you want.

I'm not sure if I'll be going this year, but if I do, I will live tweet from there like last year, so make sure you're following us!

Have you ever been to Westminster? What was your favorite part of the experience?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Cat Pals

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

These were taken by reader Vikki Hurley-Schubert.

And, This Is Why I Don't Buy Dog Beds

2012-02-07T21:10:00.002-05:00

Since Toby was a puppy every single dog bed I've bought him he's torn all the stuffing out of and basically ruined it. This habit of his is why I never buy him dog beds -- they're usually destroyed within minutes of giving one to him.

Recently, I thought we had turned a corner. When Toby hurt his leg a few weeks ago -- and has been on crate rest ever since -- I dug out a dog bed I bought on sale about two years ago and put it in his crate, covering it with blankets. It was soft and cushy, and Toby was loving it!

Until tonight when I walked in the living and found this:

Yup, all that green ... it's stuffing from the bed.

Jenks Comes to Visit!

2012-02-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

Wow, what a week! I can't believe I haven't written anything since last Saturday. Well, actually, I can believe it. After our fabulous weekend with Jen and Jenks {which I'll get to in a minute} I ended up getting a nasty cold that caused me to just want to sleep.

Like serious sleep - I worked from home Monday and then called out altogether on Thursday, which if you know me is completely unlike me. I might not feel good, but I will always offer to work from home. Not this time -- I came home Wednesday and slept straight from 6 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., emailed work and went back to sleep all day.

Toby loved it. He stayed snuggled next to me the whole time. I'm not sure if it was because he knew something was wrong and didn't want to leave me, or because it meant he got to sleep under a bunch of blankets for almost 24 hours straight. Likely a combination of both.

OK, enough about our sick days, there's so much to catch everyone up on! Let's start with where we left off last week when we were anticipating a visit from Jen and her dog adorable dog Jenks!

As I mentioned, it was going to be Toby's first time sharing the house with another dog. He's obviously been around other ones before, but never in his house, and never staying over in his house. I was positive it was going to be a disaster, especially with Toby's bad leg. See, Toby has two favorite kinds of dogs -- labs and Golden Retrievers. Jenks is a lab.

It didn't go as bad as I thought, and actually worked out pretty well. Saturday afternoon when Jenks arrived, there was a lot barking -- all on Toby's part, but by Saturday night after being forced to spend time with each, because Jen and I left to go to a local event almost immediately after they arrived, Toby seemed to be better about the situation.

{By the way, I would not suggest doing what we did, which was let me meet for about 15 minutes and then put Toby in his crate and put a blanket on the couch for Jenks. But, hey, both of them have good personalities and it worked. Although, I know it could have been terribly bad, too}

Toby was even good about knowing when to call it quits because of his leg and just go hang out in his crate instead of running around the house. I was every surprised that Toby didn't freak out when he saw me giving hugs and making a fuss over Jenks. He's usually pretty possessive. Jen made a great point that there were things that he was getting that made him different than Jenks -- like being in either my or Jen's arms all the time. It's a little hard to pick up a lab. :)

Sunday morning, we even got Toby to finally sit near Jenks. For about 5 minutes, but it still counts!

How does your dog, or cat, do with other dogs, or cats, when they come for a house visit?

Saturday Snuggles

2012-01-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

We're so excited to be hosting Jen, and her dog Jenks, of Brown Dog Designs at our house this weekend! I met Jen and Jenks at BlogPaws in Denver, and then met up again with Jen at BlogPaws in Virginia last year. They recently moved much closer to us and we can't wait to see them today!

It will also be the first time another dog is staying in the house with Toby, so this, should be interesting. I'm sure we'll have a fun blog post tomorrow or Monday about it.

In the meantime, all Toby wanted to do was snuggle this morning. He's feeling a while lot better, even though he can't put his full weight on the leg.

Gosh, I just love him!

Wordless Wednesday: I'm Not Coming Out of Here

2012-01-25T10:40:00.001-05:00

Not so "wordless" :

After a 20 hour work day yesterday, I was so excited to come home to Toby. But, what I wasn't happy to see was that he was still limping and refused to come out of his crate. He was, however jumping around in his crate and pawing at me through it.

He seems better -- he's walking, putting pressure and laying on it -- but I can tell he's still not totally OK, or back to normal. My Dad said he was whining and hitting the crate really hard yesterday afternoon. He had already taken him out, so he asked if he wanted more water. Toby barked and pawed at the crate again. He opened it, and Toby headed toward the water, but then made a quick turn and tried to jump on the couch, which was covered in sun -- Toby's favorite thing.

While that's a good sign, I realized this morning that I left his crate open last night. And, he didn't once try to jump up on the couch and snuggle with me at all during the night -- which is very unlike Toby. I think it might be time to take him to the vet very soon.

*sigh*

Enjoy this week's Wordless Wednesday Hop, sponsored by BlogPaws:

Should Uggie Have Been Nominated for an Oscar?

2012-01-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

Major news outlets are covering the story, and Reuters even headlined their story, "Oscar's big snub." So, we want to know, should Uggie, from the hit movie, "The Artist," have received an Oscar nomination?

Vote in our poll:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Better, But Not Healed

2012-01-22T17:41:00.001-05:00

So much for getting better at this!

Last night at about 7 p.m. I started to go into full freak-out mode about the leg Toby injured yesterday playing in the snow. His eyes looked "glassy" to me, he seemed kind of dazed and he would yelp when you tried to pick him up.

I immediately set up a crate with a plush dog bed covered in two fleece blankets and put him in there so he couldn't run around and would just rest.

He curled right in, and didn't put up any fuss, which for Toby is odd. I mean he loves his crate, but just for traveling. If someone is home, he usually wants to be in their lap.

As the night went on, he seemed to get worse -- no interest in eating, coming out of his create or drinking any water. At one point, I did consider taking him to the emergency vet, but last time he did this and we went, it was a stressful disaster for both him and me. Plus, as my aunt pointed out in a blog comment yesterday, we know he has knee issues and this is can happened when he over does it.

Around midnight, I finally got him to eat a few Blue Dog Bakery treats, and lick some water off my fingers. I set up camp on the couch in the living with him next to me in his crate. Normally, Toby would be whining to come up on the couch and sleep next to me.

Not a peep.

This had me worried. But, at 4 a.m. I was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep.

I woke up this morning to a much happier looking Toby face, who was holding his ears straight up instead of pulled completely back like they were yesterday. He hobbled out of his crate when I asked if he had to go out, and after carrying him down the stairs, he immediately did his business without yelping and while putting pressure on his back right leg.

He headed straight for his food when we came him and devoured it. Toby even let hold him, and rested his right side against my chest -- something he couldn't do last night. I put him down after a little while and he went right into his crate and curled back in.

He got up in his crate and begged for some egg at breakfast time and has been barking at noises throughout the day, but has opted to stay in his crate, even when I left the door open. He's been sleeping most of the day, but seems like he's doing better than he was.

I'm going to keep him on crate rest for another few days and see how he does. Unfortunately, I'm working some ridiculous hours this week, but thank goodness my Dad is around to keep an eye on Toby make sure he's going OK.

Let's Go Giants!

2012-01-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

A Snowy Limp

2012-01-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

Toby loves to play in the snow, and today was no different. Even when he woke me up at 5:40 a.m. this morning to go out, he couldn't wait to romp around in the fluffy, white powder. I let him play for a few minutes, but then we went back inside to catch a little more sleep.

We went out two more times for him to "go" until I finally got myself out of bed to fully help my Dad clean everything and not just sweep away a little area for Toby to do his business. Once we had everything cleaned up, I took Toby outside so he could play for a little bit. He even wore a sweater!

I threw the toy his Aunt Irene got him for Christmas several times.

I left his leash on, because he can't run as fast with it and there were neighbors outside, so had he tried to bolt away from the back yard, it would be easier to grab him with the leash.

But after the third throw, Toby started limping, and holding up his rear right leg -- the same leg he hurt a while back. He let me check it for ice, and there was nothing in it. All that powdery snow had a thin coating of ice on it and my guess is Toby may have stepped the wrong way.

I threw the toy one more time. Toby looked at it, turned the other way and hobbled right over to the stairs to go inside.

I scooped him up, brought him in, took off his sweater and leash, but he was still limping. Normally, I would have started freaking out at this point, but we've been through this so many times before, I'm scarily getting better at this.

Toby's now parked on the couch snuggled under two blankets, warm and relaxed. I went to take him out before and he's still limping, so I carried him up and down the stairs, but not before making him pose for a fun photo outside that I'll post later.

Silly puppy. We'll see how he is the rest of the day. For now though, I think he just over did it.

Nevada May Ban "Street Pets" From Las Vegas Strip

2012-01-19T09:57:00.001-05:00

You might remember my article about what I called "street pets" a few months back. It's one of those issues that really upsets me, and leaves me torn because there are so many various sides and reasons for it. But now, Nevada might be taking up the cause, too -- and banning them from the famous Las Vegas Strip.

The new measure being considered by a committee tasked to look at problems on the strip, may ban animals from the street that are not vaccinated and neutered or spayed, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Animals with guests at animal-friendly resorts or residents of the Strip are exempt.

Sparked by a California man who was recently bit by a dog on the Las Vegas Strip, the Sun reports that the committee wants to move fast on this proposal which would ban panhandlers from taking their pets on the Strip.

While I understand the safety issue at hand, just banning them worries me, too, and raises some questions that make me fear for the animal's well-being, like, where will the dogs go when the panhandlers hit the Strip?

I would encourage the committee to look at the root of the problem and not just pass a short-term solution to appease the tourism community. How about offering free vaccines for these pets? Or, free obedience training?

All they are doing is moving the potential danger off the Strip. It doesn't matter if it's a tourist on the Strip or a child around the corner who walks up to the dog because it's cute -- it's still a problem.

Wordless Wednesday: Nemo, Is That You?

2012-01-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

Snapped by my friend Vikki of her cat. Figment.

I'm ... Getting ..... Tired ...

2012-01-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

How about a Wordless Sunday?

I just love sleepy dog photos. :)

Not Every Toy Is for the Dog

2012-01-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

I was unpacking the car earlier and put all the bags on the floor in the house. I came back in from being outside talking with the neighbor and I couldn't find Toby. I yelled a few times, but he didn't come.

My first instinct was to get paranoid that he slipped out the door, but had he done that I'm sure he would have followed me, because I was playing with the neighbor's newish puppy. Not on the couch, not in the kitchen, not on my bed.

Then, I went into the spare bedroom and there was Toby on the other side of the bed, and this is what I found:

That stuffed bear was not a dog toy, but Toby dug it out of the bags I brought in from the car and made it into one. And, he wouldn't give it up!

Poor bear!

Enjoy the pet bloggers hop:

Toby's Work From Home Privileges

2012-01-12T19:32:00.001-05:00

Tuesday night I fell asleep on the train on the way home from work. When I woke up {just in time for my stop} I felt terrible -- chills, achy, all the signs of the start of something not-so-good. I got home, lied on the couch covered in several blankets and of course a Toby dog, and stayed there most of the night.

When I got up at 5 a.m. the next morning, I definitely wasn't rested after tossing and turning all night and I just felt like someone drained all the energy out of me. While I was trying to get ready for my train, I realized I just couldn't do it, and decided it would be smarter to work from home.

I went back upstairs to get a few more minutes of shut eye before I had to start working and this is what I found in my bed:

I have to admit, I love working from home. I mean who wouldn't when you're sitting at your desk and look to your right to see this:

I have a feeling Toby loves when I work from home, too because he is usually not allowed in my room unless I'm home. So, yesterday he pretty much refused to leave my bed. And, honestly, I can't say I blame him.

Are there certain privileges you let your dog when you're home, but not when you're at work or out of the house?