We all know how much MOST dogs love riding in the car. Sure, there’s the occasional nervous Nellie, but for the most part they are ready to go. Here are some amusing videos where dogs are enjoying that ride in the car.

“Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear.”
Dave Barry

“Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog’s face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window!”
Steve Bluestone

“Mutt enjoyed traveling by car, but he was an unquiet passenger. He suffered from the delusion, common to dogs and small boys, that when he was looking out the right-hand side, he was probably missing something far more interesting on the left-hand side.”
Farley Mowat

“Dogs love to go for rides. A dog will happily get into any vehicle going anywhere.”
Dave Barry

“I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.”
- Rita Rudner

by Diana Holoman

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. I don’t believe that to be true. It seems actually to be green with sporadic grassless patches, brown spots, most surely marks of territory, accidents, or most commonly a simple relief the bladder.

Before making the decision to get a dog, I often saw the people with the “I love my miniature schnauzer” or “my Labrador is smarter than your honor student” stickers on the back of their minivans and laughed hysterically. And while I can proudly say that my affection towards my dog has not yet reached the level of altering the appearance of my vehicle, I can say that I have joined the canine club. If loving my dog to nauseating amounts is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

It hit me just how far gone I was over the Thanksgiving holidays. My fiancé and I were traveling to spend time with his family and of course Paisley, our 8-month-old golden retriever, had to come. We loaded her kennel, which honestly is as big as a small Manhattan studio apartment into the back of the Tahoe and embarked on our 6-hour journey. After two hours, we stopped for a human and puppy pee break and when we opened the doors of the kennel, Ole’ Paisley girl was covered in vomit. Poor baby was carsick. Now how do you think I – who hates when my fiancé even sneezes because it makes me think of boogers – reacted when I saw her in that kennel? I immediately comforted her. I hugged her, I cleaned her kennel, and for the rest of the trip, I smelled like kibbles and bits.

We eventually made it to our destination. Sure, I was covered in vomit and smelled worse than my animal, but nonetheless, we were done traveling. Thanksgiving came and went but we were in Houston for our Thanksgiving holiday, of course we wanted to shop on black Friday. Only problem? Little Paisley is very strictly kennel trained and isn’t allowed to roam the house when we are gone in fear that everything we own will be ripped to shreds upon our return. What we then discovered as an option for Paisley’s amusement while we were shopping was something that immediately made me raise my eyebrows. Doggie Day Camp. It’s as if the golden arches of doggie heaven were glowing at us as we read the advertisement online. A place to take your dog so they can play while you play? A place that helps to reduce the guilt of actually having fun without them? A place where you can pay extra for pedicures, ice cream cones, and animal movie time?

I immediately knew if I signed her up – if Paisley became a day camper – that I had reached a point of no return. Go ahead, slap a bumper sticker on the back of my Tahoe because if my dog goes to day care, then obviously I’m going to think she is smarter than your honor student.

Nine hours later, after shopping till I stumbled in exhaustion out of the Houston Galleria, I remembered sweet Paisley. Walking into the “day camp” that conveniently lasted until 9 pm, I wondered if she would be huddled in a corner with a pitiful look that read “ABANDONED BY TRAITORS” or “HELP! MY MOM MISTAKED ME FOR A DOG AND TOOK ME TO PETSMART.”

But when I caught a glimpse of her, she wrestling with a Brittany Spaniel, tail wagging faster than my heart was beating. I tapped on the glass and she didn’t even look up. I tapped again; she looked, and then went back to playing. My heart sunk for a moment. Perhaps playing with me wasn’t the most fun she could possibly have? I felt like a mother watching her child leave for the prom. I quickly tapped on the class again with a treat this time, you know, just to remind her who her favorite was …just in case she may have let it slip her mind while playing with her new four-legged friends.

That night, as Paisley and I both slept in the car on the way home from our day shopping in Houston, we both thanked the puppy Gods that I had crossed over from the green side to the brown spotted side of the park.

When Diana isn’t working, she enjoys going out to eat, playing with her new Golden Retriever Paisley and watching college sports with friends and family. Although she is a Tar Heel born and bred, she is excited to have the opportunity to live and experience life in Lubbuck, Texas.

Safety for our pets is a desire for all pet lovers. Living amongst us are individuals that carry the passion for safety beyond the normal efforts. We feel they deserve to be featured in an article telling just how they are trying to make a difference. The two we are featuring today are Ashley Oelsen and Melissa Ramirex.

Ashley Oelsen

Ashley Oelsen has embarked on a journey to help save millions of rescue dogs by building awareness through education and community outreach. Inspired by her love for animals, Ashley brings something very unique and diverse to her day-to-day operations.

Sol

Ashely was recently awarded a $10,000 donation by Dog Time Media along with a fellow rescuer for their hard work and dedication. Sol Foundation can add this wonderful donation to it’s rescue fund allowing Ashley to continue rescuing, caring for some of the dogs that come out of shelters very ill and then placing them in the proper home. It’s always more than a days work and it NEVER ends. She gave up her full time job to start her foundation and works 24/7 living up to Sol’s mission.

She has determination and a true passion to save homeless pets and unite them with a loving owner. Ashley is an amazing humanitarian with a very big sol. You can learn more about Sol Foundation by visiting Sharing Our Love.

Melissa Ramirex

Melissa Ramirex from Chicago is determined to raise awareness of the dangers of traveling with an unrestrained dog in a car. Her two year old 12-pound puppy Max became paralyzed from the waist down while sitting in the front seat of her husband’s car when it was T-boned by another driver. She developed Doggie Seatbelt to prevent other small dogs from going through the pain that Max suffered when he landed at the foot pedals.

Max and Melissa

We’ve finally gotten to the point where we buckle ourselves and our children in the car, so it makes sense to buckle-in dogs since most people consider them a family member. “We need a light bulb to go off with dog lovers”.

Melissa obviously wants to sell Doggie Seatbelts, but her story goes way beyond the commercial aspects. She is extremely passionate about educating folks on the need to restrain dogs in the car because it is something that most folks don’t even imagine being dangerous. Sort of like when our moms put us in car beds and just plopped them on the back seat.

Visit My Doggie Seatbelt to read some valuable safety tips and read informative articles on her blog.

by Alex Paul

Anyone who owns – and loves – a pet rabbit knows that the animals need space to play and exercise in order to stay healthy. Exercise time can, to a certain extent, be provided by an outside run or letting the rabbit roam the house (supervised). It’s important to have a hutch that provides enough room for your rabbit to move around freely though, otherwise it may suffer both mentally and physically.

Despite this, many rabbit owners still used old fashioned hutches that were designed to be used when breeding rabbits for food. These hutches were designed to be small and relatively in order to “fatten up” the animal. It goes without saying that these don’t provide the space and comfort that a pet rabbit needs!

There is still some confusion about the size of rabbit hutch that a pet owner should be, and research is still ongoing. This can make it difficult for pet owners as there is a lot of conflicting information. It does depend on the size of the rabbit – a single dwarf doesn’t require as much room as larger breeds – but there are some general guidelines to follow. The following were recommended by the RSPCA, although they are currently undertaking more research into the “ideal” hutch:

• Rabbits need to be able to stand up fully as well as move around freely. Many hutches have low roofs, so keep this in mind when choosing one.
• Aside from standing up, the rabbit should be able to lie outstretched in all directions.
• It should also be able to take several hops in any direction, and turn around without bumping into something.

It’s important to keep in mind that these guidelines should apply when the rabbit is fully grown. The RSPCA recommends buying a hutch that will last the lifetime of the rabbit, rather than a “starter” home and a larger “adult” home.

Aside from the size of the hutch, there are a number of other considerations. The hutch should be made up of both a shelter and a living area. The living area is where the rabbit can hop around, eat, and play, while the shelter is a place where it can feel secure and rest. If you keep several rabbits in the same hutch, they should all be able to rest in the shelter at the same time. The shelter is particularly important for rabbits kept in outdoor hutches, as it provides shelter from the environment and a place to hide if there are any predators around.

Alex Paul runs a website reviewing rabbit hutches. The site provides information on various hutches – including both indoor and outdoor hutches – along with guides on how to choose one for your rabbit. Having grown up with rabbits, Alex is passionate about educating current and future rabbit owners on the benefits of choosing the right hutch. His site only contains information from reliable sources – such as the RSPCA – along with personal experience.

by Andy Tucker

A happy pet is a positive asset of a happy home, and that means you have to treat them right – but how much pampering is too much? We all want to take care of our beloved pets and make sure they have everything they need, but sometimes we see all the great, new accessories on the market and we just can’t help ourselves. And let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional splurge on some stylish pet accessories. You simply have to ask yourself who you’re really trying to make happy.

A Bit Extravagant

There may be a fine line between pampering your pooch and being a little extravagant, but there are many cases in which pet owners launched themselves so far over that line they barely even realized it was there.

Would you, for example, buy a $24,000 Louis XV-style rosewood bed for your pets? How about a $3,000 bottle of French perfume? These may seem like absurdly excessive items to the average pet owner, but there are some very dedicated people out there who will buy these things without thinking twice.

Of course, not all of these people have the time to care for their pets directly, so they might purchase an automatic dog washer for another $20,000 or so. And if they have to be away from their home for an extended period of time, they want to make sure that their puppies have a comfortable place to stay – such as a 50sq. ft. doggie mansion complete with air conditioning, 7ft ceilings, and high-end furniture.

Combining Style and Necessity

It is possible to pamper your pets with the things they really need, and you don’t need to go overboard at all. It only takes a few simple items to make your pets really happy, and you will still have a lot of options to match your own individual preferences.

Some quality dog apparel, for example, doesn’t have to cost a lot, but it can help keep your puppy warm in the colder months. A nice sweater or jacket will provide that extra warmth, and you can choose the styles you like the most – and it’s a lot more affordable than a heater for that doggie mansion.

A range of dog toys will keep your pets entertained for hours at a time, and a few extra pillows or cushions will create the perfect spot for them to rest and revitalize before they start playing again. Finally, there are the dog collars and leashes. These are important items that establish ownership and identification, but they are also great for a little added style. While you should take the time to find the dog collars that are right for your breed of canine, the last thing you need to worry about is whether or not it is studded with real diamonds.

If you are going to pamper your pooch (and everyone should, at least a little), make sure you do it with the things that actually improve conditions for your pet. Your dogs will appreciate it, and your bank account will probably think better of you, too.

Andy Tucker has been in the pet supplies industry for over 15 years. He has experience with creating new types of dog collars to suit different needs and enjoys cooking up homemade treats for their dogs at home.

by Jack Oldham

Decorating any house is a complicated procedure with many things to take into consideration. These complications increase hugely when the household also includes pets. Not only do the home-owners need to decide whether the items they are fitting look good; they also need to determine whether they pose a threat to their pets safety or whether the pets may be tempted to damage them when home alone.

One of the most tempting things for pets – especially cats and dogs – to play with is a pair of curtains. In their minds, the options are endless. They can scratch them, climb up them and pull them down for their own entertainment. If your pet has done this before, then you may wish to consider changing to roller blinds.

Not only will they save you the hassle and money of continually replacing your window treatments, they will also make your home a safer environment. The wear and tear placed on curtains by your pets means that eventually, they are likely to break and cause a potential hazard to those in the home.

Despite this being a useful point, there are many more reasons to fit roller blinds than just safety. For a start, they are particularly budget-friendly. They are generally cheaper than most other window treatments anyway and tend to last longer. Add to this the fact they can rolled up to prevent your pets playing with them means they are less likely to require replacing any time soon and you could see yourself saving quite a lot of money.

No matter how high quality and expensive your curtains are, they are very unlikely to survive playtime with your four-legged friend. Pet owners will be aware more than anyone just how persistent their beloved companion can be, and curtains are unable to put up much of a fight. Roller blinds, on the other hand, reduce the risk of damage as they give the pet less opportunities to get a good hold of them, even when unrolled.

As well as being a safe option, roller blinds are also extremely convenient too. They can be raised out of the way of pets so they can sit or play by the window, and when lowered can provide the right environment for people and pets to sleep in. The opacity of the blinds means there are no concerns over the room being dark enough to get your head down for the night.

It’s important to remember that when decorating your home, you are also decorating for your pet. Roller blinds help create the most comfortable and convenient environment for both yourself and your pets.

Jack Oldham is a recent BA (Hons) Journalism graduate who regularly blogs on a variety of topics, including roller blinds, curtain poles and DIY.

Photo courtesy of Tania Stean

Submit your pet picture for inclusion here: Just Send an email to admin@petsblogs.com with the words Wordless Wednesday as the subject line. We’ll give you credit and link the photo to your website, too!

by Hillary Thomas

Shockingly, one out of every seven dogs is badly affected by arthritis. The painful condition affects the joints and surrounding cartilage and can arise in a dog’s, hips, elbows, shoulders and spine. Just like the joints in a human body, dogs rely heavily on them to freely move their limbs. Without movable joints animals and humans would be inflexible and find ordinary movements such as walking, running, sitting and jumping almost impossible to do.

With this in mind it’s vital for any caring owner to understand the importance of looking after the joints of their pet as if it were their own body.

Keep A Close Eye On Your Pet

Remember, animals can’t always tell us how they are feeling and aches and pains in their limbs can sometimes go unnoticed or mistaken as signs of fatigue or lethargy. In the same way we can benefit from joint and muscle exercise, so too can our pets.

Ruby: My Fourteen Year Old Greyhound

Very recently, my fourteen year old greyhound Ruby, a rescued track dog had developed severe pain in her limbs due to being continuously raced around a poorly run dog track in her younger days. Before she was rescued, she was fed a poor unbalanced diet and rarely ever rested in the early years of her life. Her joints had become overworked and her cartilage had weakened and worn away leaving her with unbearable pain and discomfort. Luckily for her she was rescued by the RCPCA shortly after she turned four, otherwise, she, like so many mistreated greyhounds, would have been illegally put down after being deemed unprofitable as a racing dog.

Joint Disease (DJD) And Canine Hip Dysplasia

Even after I took her in and cared for her through the years, she had always had problems with her joints and very recently, she was diagnosed by a Vet as having very mild degenerative joint disease (DJD) and Canine Hip Dysplasia.

Ruby’s Pain Got Worse

Two weeks ago, Ruby was unable to sleep at night through the pain and on many occasions her joints would lock up meaning a gentle walk around the fields was now impossible. Any dog owner will tell you that watching a creature you dote on and care for experience even the slightest bit of discomfort is probably one of the worst things imaginable. I placed her in my arms and drove her to the Vet where she was given prescribed medication to relieve the pain and recommended a set of exercise techniques to do, including swimming and special bedding made from cut out foam that helped mold around her limbs to aid her in her recovery.

Exercise is Vital

Your muscles need regular exercise which in return strengthens and helps support cartilage and joints. Now before you start looking for that Canine Gymnasium, you’ll be pleased to know that you can help exercise your pet’s muscles and joints in the comfort of your own home or an open space. Exercising your pet’s joints and muscles is vital and below are a few simple techniques you can use on your cuddly companion.

• Take your dog for regular walks. Depending on their age and size start with 10 -15 minutes per day and gradually increase to an hour or more at least once a day.
• Play games with your pet like fetch and tug of war and get them to build up those important muscles around their legs.
• Feed them a balanced diet that will give your pet the nutrition it needs to build strong bones and defeat obesity which can put excess strain on joints and limbs.

Being an owner is more than just giving your pet cuddles and affection, it’s about maintaining their health on a daily basis. By feeding your pet a balanced, nutritious diet and giving them regular exercise you can make sure your dog lives a long and healthy life with strong, functioning joints and muscles.

Hillary Thomas works part time at CutFoam and lives for animals. She regularly spends her spare time working at local animal sanctuaries. She has a rescue greyhound called Ruby who is her world and the two of them enjoy reading blogs on PetsBlogs by the fire.