There are several reasons why owning a dog can improve the overall disposition and attitude of a child.

Compassion and Love:

Your child’s dog will sit lovingly at their side with their head on the child’s lap and listen intently to their every word. Human companionship and a loving touch mean the world to your family pet. A dog is truly man’s best friend they never reveal your secrets nor do they lose their temper with you. Your child’s pet will be there to comfort them when they are ill and to play with them when they are happy.

Playful Exercise:

In today’s world most children are exposed to TV, cell phones and internet and rarely go outdoors and you can forget exercise. When a child has a dog the dog will enjoy playing ball, throwing Frisbee or jogging and running alongside the child’s bike. Not only will the dog and child get the exercise they need daily, they will also enjoy the fresh air while laughing, romping and playing together.

Best Friend:

When everyone else is too busy to play with a child, their best friend is always there, if the weather does not allow them to play outdoors, your dog is always ready to entertain them. This playmate will never get angry and yell, hit them or take their toys and go home. A dog will be there to help dry and child’s tears and bring on laughter in any situation.

Teaching Responsibility:

Owning a dog is a great responsibility, when a child is taught that a pet is their responsibility, it will improve other areas of their life as well. The dog has to be fed, watered, exercised and groomed daily as well as cleaning up after their pet when they do their job in the yard. These chores are to be done before anything else, such as playing. These daily chores will make children more responsible and help them throughout their life

Personal Protector:

When your child is playing in a fenced area along with their dog, you will have a more secure feeling of your child’s safety. When someone comes to your door or onto your property, a dog will let you know immediately. If a child gets injured a dog will usually let you know by barking immediately, through natural instincts a dog will usually try to prevent a child from doing anything that may be dangerous. Dogs are not only protectors of the family; they are absolutely the family’s best friend.

This post is brought to you by the Dog Blog Post Party Campaign hosted by the dog containment systems people.

by Jill Taft

I founded Logic Product Group for two reasons: to create non-toxic, eco-friendly, effective products to help prevent and treat ticks and fleas, and to help erase the stigma associated with infestations that affect millions of people each year.

Fleas and Ticks … it’s not the best conversation to have but it is very important. Flea and tick prevention and control products help keep your pet safe and healthy. You can help prevent dangerous and prevalent diseases that fleas and ticks carry such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tick Paralysis. Don’t let your pet get bitten by fleas and ticks when innovation using nature’s finest ingredients has provided a safe and natural way to prevent and treat ticks and fleas year round on your pet, in your home, and outside.

Ongoing Flea and tick prevention is a vital step in keeping your pet healthy and happy. Your pet won’t pick up tapeworms or have fleabites that cause itching, misery and flea allergy dermatitis. Both fleas and ticks do bloodsucking damage to your pet and are responsible for spreading tapeworm and other diseases. Their larvae and pupae hide in carpets, bedding, and yards waiting to develop and will then attack your pet. Prevention is the key for both ticks and fleas and is infinitely easier than treating a full-blown infestation. Here are a few steps on how to protect your pet against fleas and ticks:

• Flea and tick prevention and treatment is vital. Check your pet regularly, especially after a walk outdoors by inspecting your pet’s fur and skin closely. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to safe, non-toxic tick and flea prevention.




• Inspect your pet under a bright light or sunlight using a magnification device and a flea comb.




• Check pets regularly for fleas and “flea dirt,” the feces of adult fleas, with a flea comb. Flea dirt looks like tiny dark specks and that will turn red if you wet them and rub them a little.




• If a tick is found spray it with a treatment spray, such as my BarkLogic Tick & Flea Prevention and Treatment Spray, and then simply remove the entire tick.

It is important to always check your pet for both on a regular basis and never leave an infestation untreated. It will not go away on its own and can do irreversible harm to your pet’s health at any age, as well to their owners.

In conjuction with Pets Blog, I would love to give away 3 of my BarkLogic 3-Piece kits . Please leave a comment below for your chance to win. Additional entries include “Liking” on Facebook and “Following” Logic Product Group on Twitter! Enter today the giveaway ends Sunday, February 19, 2012.

I care very much about my customers and welcome your questions, as I understand how stressful treating fleas and ticks can be. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any concerns or if you just need some support. I look forward to hearing from you and responding to you personally. Don’t forget to leave a comment. To increase your chance to win “Like” Logic Product Group on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

We all may know the calendar age of our feline companion but have you every wondered how old your cat really feels? Cats are known to live very long lives….21 years or more. We are excited to learn a new senior specific cat food can easily help them retain their youthful vigor.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is introducing their Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food by offering the Science Diet CatAge quiz to determine how old your four-legged friend really is. Starting August 25th, you can log onto Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge. Answer simple health and lifestyle questions about your cat and discover the true age of your pet. Additionally, if you participate by taking the quiz you can enter to win thousands of prizes, including a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa, and also receive an exclusive coupon for new Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food.

To help kick-off the August 25th launch of the Science Diet CatAge Quiz and new Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food we have partnered with Hill’s Pet Nutrition for this giveaway.

Please visit Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge then post your cat’s real age to be eligible to receive a basket of prizes.

Basket will include: Approx Retail Value of Basket: $40

· 3.5lb bag of Hill’s Science Diet Cat Age Defying dry cat food
· A Beautiful Cat Collar
· Bristle Finishing Brush for Cats
· Pet Wipes
· Fuzzy Balls Cat Toys
· Feather Cat Teaser

New Senior-Specific Cat Food: New Senior-Specific Cat Food: Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food provides breakthrough, tailored nutrition for senior cats that is able to:
· Fight the effects of aging in as little as 30 days
· Defend the body and brain against aging with an exclusive antioxidant bundle
· Promotes soft skin and a radiant coat with Omega-6 fatty acids

Remember to visit Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge then post your cat’s real age to be eligible. A winner will be chosen from the posts that include your cats age on September 20. We will notify the winner via e-mail. Good Luck!

Here comes Santa Paws! The Search For Santa Paws premiers on Blu-ray & DVD today, November 23^rd. Last year we gave Santa Buddies gift sets to 3 lucky PetsBlogs readers. This year we’re giving away 3 of The Search For Santa Paws Blu-ray + DVD Combo Packs!!

In this prequel to the overwhelmingly popular Santa Buddies from last year, the irresistible talking dogs are back in an all-new holiday movie that’s fun for the whole family. The Search For Santa Paws, also directed by Robert Vince, embraces the Disney classic holiday tradition about the power of giving and the true meaning of Christmas. The big city adventure reveals how the legendary friendship of Santa Claus and Santa Paws began.

Disney’s The Search For Santa Paws comes with fantastic bonus features:

• An interactive Animated Pop-Up Book – ‘Buddies’ puppy star Rosebud reads a holiday story featuring new canine friends from The Search For Santa Paws
• Sing-Along Mode – colorful lyrics added to the film’s song sequences, so audiences can sing along to the film’s fantastic new songs.
• Music Video – tween favorite Debby Ryan (Disney Channel’s Suite Life on Deck) performs a great new arrangement of ‘Deck The Halls.’
• Deleted scenes

In the movie, when Santa and his new best friend, Paws, discover that the boys and girls of the world have lost the spirit of the season, they take a trip to New York City. But after Santa loses his memory, it’s up to Paws, a faithful orphan named Quinn (America’s Got Talent’s Kaitlyn Maher), her new friend Will (The Game Plan’s Madison Pettis) and a wonderful group of magical talking dogs to save St. Nick and show the world what Christmas is really all about.

Do you believe in Santa Paws?
Experiencing this sure-to-be holiday classic, full of fun, adventure and a carrying the timeless messages of the holidays, will surely delight the entire family! And we’d like to send 3 of our readers a Combo Pack – a Blu-ray Disc plus a DVD in a single package.

We start watching holiday movies right after Thanksgiving dinner and we’re looking for more titles to add to our collection.

So, for a chance to win The Search For Santa Paws Combo Pack from us to add to your collection, or give as a gift, just leave a comment below and let us know what your family’s favorite holiday movie is.

* The only rule is that you can’t repeat a movie title that someone else has already suggested! So get your favorite movie entered into the comments below now. We’ll be picking our winners on Tuesday, November 30th!

Suggested retail price: DVD 29.99 SRP (US); Blu-ray $39.99 (US)
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.

We got a really nice offer from Todd Stupell at Stupell Industries. He’s wanting to send one of our readers a personalized, hand-crafted dog bone plaque . . . for FREE! So we’re on the lookout. If you’d like to win a plague like this one, read on to learn how you can enter the drawing.

Stupell Industries, Inc. is located in Johnston, Rhode Island. They specialize in beautifully hand-crafted, decorative accessories for homes, offices, and even home offices. In business for over 30 years, their line includes quite a wide variety of firescreens, wall hangings, faux windows, clocks, place mats, picture frames, tables, and other unique decorative objects. They’re constantly updating their product line to keep in tune with the latest trends and styles in the ever changing home decorating market. They’ve recently added an entire line of decorative dog accessories, which is why he’s contacted PetsBlogs with this special offer for one of our readers.

The dog bone plaque was designed by artist Jane Farrimond Keltner exclusively for Stupell. It makes a perfect gift for a fellow dog lover, or a functional and aesthetically pleasing addition to your own home.

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling Todd what you’d like to have painted on your plaque. Our plaque would says PETSblogs! Cool, huh?!

Entering to win is easy!

What would you have them write on your dog bone plaque?

Leave us a comment before August 6th at 9am (EST), when Todd will be reading over the comments and selecting a winner.

I’ve been reading Susannah Charleson’s Scent of the Missing and I’m happy to announce that the publisher has not only sent us the copy I’ve been reading, but 5 additional copies to be given away to you, the readers.

From the moment I started reading the first page of the first chapter, I’ve been captivated . . . as much by Susannah’s writing as by the story itself. I’m not going to post a personal review today, simply because I haven’t finished the book. But we wanted to go ahead and open up the giveaway so that we can begin selecting and sending copies to the winners!

The Official Book Blurb

In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, Susannah Charleson clipped a photo from the newspaper: an exhausted canine handler, face buried in the fur of his search-and-rescue dog. A dog lover and pilot with search experience herself, Susannah was so moved by the image that she decided to volunteer with a local canine team and soon discovered firsthand the long hours, nonexistent pay, and often heart-wrenching results they face.

Still she felt the call, and once she qualified to train a dog of her own, she adopted Puzzle, a strong, bright Golden Retriever puppy who exhibited unique aptitude as a working dog but who was less interested in the role of compliant house pet. Puzzle’s willfulness and high drive, both assets in the field, challenged even Susannah, who had raised dogs for years.

Scent of the Missing is the story of Susannah and Puzzle’s adventures and of the close relationship they forge as they search for the lost–a teen gone missing, an Alzheimer’s patient wandering in the cold, signs of the crew amid the space shuttle Columbia disaster. From the earliest air-scent lessons to her final mastery of whole-body dialogue, Puzzle emerges as a fully collaborative partner in a noble enterprise that unfolds across the forests, plains, and cityscapes of the Southwest. Along the way, Susannah and Puzzle learn to read the clues in the field and in each other, to accomplish together the critical work neither could do alone and to unravel the mystery of the human-canine bond.

The Book Trailer

This video was recently created to help promote the book. I thought it would serve as a nice introduction to the story and what it’s all about:

If you’re interested in getting a copy of your own to read and share with friends, just leave us a comment here on this post.

We’ll be giving away 3 of the copies from the comments left here between now and next Friday, April 30, at midnight (EST). Then we’ll have a new giveaway for the remaining 2 books.

The holiday season is nearly upon us and while getting ready for a Thanksgiving feast, we’ve decided to host a quick giveaway that will end on the biggest shopping day of the year.

So give this a quick read and grab yourself a chance at a Plush Prize Pack that includes a DVD and these 5 adorable little stuffed animals in our Santa Buddies Giveaway.

This isn’t really contest, it’s a giveaway to reward 3 lucky, loyal, pet-loving readers just in time for the holidays. We’re not choosing the winners randomly from the comments, so be sure to read the blurb at the end.

If you’d like get your hands on a free copy of the DVD plus the 5 plush Buddies, which would make a pretty nice gift for someone on your list if you don’t keep it for yourself, all you have to do is leave us a comment. We’ll choose three lucky winners on Friday the 27th.

SANTA BUDDIES: The Legend of Santa Paws

Available November 24, 2009

Disney’s irresistible talking pups are back in SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS, a heartwarming, all-new holiday adventure coming to Blu-ray combo pack and DVD on November 24, 2009 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

The beloved pups take a fantastic journey to the North Pole in an exciting new escapade featuring more new friends, fun, and teamwork than ever before unleashing a stocking full of holiday cheer with a fun-filled film and plenty of never-before-seen bonus material. Perfectly timed for holiday gift giving, SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS is sure to be at the top of everyone’s wish list!

the trailer . . .

Giveaway Details

For a chance to win this plush prize pack directly from Disney just leave a comment to let us know why you want it. Or tell us who you’re planning to give it to. Or tell us how much you love this blog. Or tell us how much you love Disney. Tell us anything you think we ought to know! We’ll choose (not randomly select) 3 winners on Friday the 27th.

the fine print . . .
We will alert the winners via the email address left in the comment. Email addresses provided with comment submissions never appear live on this site and are never sold or shared with any third-party. If you win, you’ll be asked to provide your full name and shipping address and that information will be shared with a 3rd party to fulfill delivery of the prize awarded. Should you not respond to the notification email within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

Congratulations, Donna K!

The nice folks at Pledge offered to send one of our readers a fabric sweeper for pet hair. I took them up on the offer and Donna K has won the random drawing.

She’ll be testing out her new Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair, compliments of SC Johnson.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll let us know how it works!!

About the Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair
Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair is the first time Pledge® has entered the upholstered furniture category. It is an innovative, handheld solution that quickly and effectively solves the age-old problem of living with beloved pets – the removal of unwanted pet hair from furniture. You simply slide Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair side to side in short strokes over upholstered furniture and the rollers grab, lift and trap pet hair inside of the device. The Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair is self cleaning – as you go in one direction, one roller picks up the pet hair from the surface. When you go in the other direction, the second roller cleans off the first and pushes the pet hair inside. Pledge™ Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair is available at mass-merchandise stores such as Target, Walmart, and many more with a suggested retail price of $4.99. Find it by the other Pledge® products. For more information, please visit www.pledge.com.