Strut the Pup Blog

New pack member update - big one, and more to come!

Strut the Pup — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:58:24 GMT

It's been a little while since we've updated out Pack Members gallery. So sorry for the delay, everyone! Without further ado, please welcome Bentley, Burton, Charlie, Deuce, Katy, Larry, London, Springer and Yeti. : )

Presidential Pets

Strut the Pup — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Bo Obama, the President's Portuguese Water Dog, lives a pretty posh life in the White House, but ever wonder what the other wonderful animals have gotten to call the White House home? Our first President, George Washington, is actually credited with creating the American Foxhound. While, Thomas Jefferson had a pair of bears that were kept on the Presidential lawn, and John Quincy Adams actually kept an alligator in a White House bathroom! For more on previous White House animals go ahead and read the full article.

Fancy Dog House

Strut the Pup — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Have any of you ever wondered what a world famous architect would do when given the chance to design a dog house? Well one of the world's most famous architects of all time was given that challenge by a 12 year old boy, in 1956. Frank Lloyd Wright had already designed a home for the Berger family. The son Jim was earning money with his paper route and was hoping that Wright would design a house for their Labrador that went with their newly designed house. Amazingly, Wright really did write back with a design for the dog house, and true to his style it is quite unique. Check out the entire, adorable story, here.

Experimental Spinal Cord Surgeries

Strut the Pup — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

There are quite a few breeds that are plagued by spinal cord problems, but could relief for them be on the way? A drug treatment, that has been tested in mice and proved successful, has just received a 3 year grant for testing on injured pups. The study is part of a growing trend in research aimed at helping not only our beloved dogs, but learning from their problems to hopefully help similarly ailed humans. Check out more on these studies here.

photo from dogbreedinfo.com

Best in Show 2012

Strut the Pup — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Malachy, a four year old Pekingese, won his 115th Best in Show title, only this time it was the most prestigious Best in Show in the country. After winning the Toy group on Monday night, he then ended up beating out 2,000 other dogs, in 185 breeds on Valentine's Day. The other competitors in the final ring were a German Shepherd, Dalmatian, Irish Setter, Wire Haired Dachshund, and a Kerry Blue Terrier. Congratulations Malachy!

Where are They Now?

Strut the Pup — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Westminster, the country's oldest sporting event, is happening today and tomorrow so we will update you with this year's winner shortly. In the mean time, don't you ever wonder what are the previous winners doing now? Last year's winner Hickory, the first ever Scottish Deerhound to win Best in Show, has since had 9 puppies. She spends her days playing with the pups and running around the Blue Ridge Mountains. Here is information on 5 of the previous Best in Show's lives since they have won the coveted title.

Painting Kitties

Strut the Pup — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Louise Clayton and her daughter Tegan Ellis run an animal rescue in Australia, but they have an unusual source of income for the rescue -- painting cats. All three of the cat artists are rescues. They dip their paws in non-toxic paint and get to work playing with balls and walking across the canvas. Sounds pretty messy, but completely adorable! Learn more about the cause here.

Whistler with Your Dog

Strut the Pup — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Thinking of traveling to Whistler for some skiing? It may be easier to bring your dog than you think. Whistler Blackcomb, ranked the best mountain resort in North America, is surprisingly dog friendly. You can go cross country skiing with your pup or take them for some play time at the off-leash parks. If you go in Spring you may even be able to stop by DogFest and see some fun competitions. Read this great dog friendly travel article for more great tips!

photo found at dogblog.ruffwear.net

Pet Obesity Problem

Strut the Pup — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

As the obesity epidemic grows for humans in this country it is also growing for our pets. The health issues that come along with obesity in humans are pretty similar to those in pets, which means that pet owners should likely be more concerned about this problem. In a recent study 53% of dogs are overweight, while 55% of cats are classified as overweight by veterinarians. Stated another way, there are about 41 million overweight dogs and 47 million overweight cats in this country, and the numbers keep growing every year. The full article has some great tips on how to help your pet if they are overweight, since it's not always as simple as cutting back food and adding in exercise.

Home Remedies Not to Try

Strut the Pup — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Pet owners have all heard some at home tips for our pet's health that sound amazing, and some are, but most are not. Here are eight home remedies not to try, written by a veterinarian. She has seen them all, from motor oil to get rid of mites to human only versions of ibuprofen for inflammation. Be sure to check out the complete article to keep your furry friend safe!

A Rescue Dog and His Boy

Strut the Pup — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

This is a really touching story, about how a rescue dog can truly change someone's life. Lucas Hembree, a four year old child suffering from Sanflippo syndrome, a disease which is incredibly debilitating and makes it unlikely that he will live past the age of 15. Because of his continually decreasing abilities he is not a good candidate for a service dog. Fortunately, Lucas's father Chester, didn't give up on finding his son the perfect dog. They found Juno, a Belgian Malinois, at a local rescue. Chester was familiar with working with and training Belgian Malinois from his days as a law enforcement officer, so after meeting Juno brought her home and worked with her to become an amazing dog that has saved Lucas's life many times already. It is a truly amazing story of how a rescue dog can change a family's life.

New Eastside Dog Park

Strut the Pup — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Just this past Saturday a new off-leash dog park opened in the Seattle area. The new park is in Kirkland, at the intersection of NE 120th and 113th Ave NE. It is open dawn to dusk, so hopefully you and your pup can make it out to enjoy the brand new play area together! Here is the park's website so that you have all of the necessary information, enjoy!

New Breeds at Westminster Dog Show

Strut the Pup — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Westminster, one of the oldest sporting events in America, has strict guidelines as to what breeds are admitted to compete each year. This year the American Kennel Club approved 6 more breeds for competition. With these additions there are now 185 breeds eligible to compete on February 13th and 14th. Some of the breeds are fairly well known breeds and some may surprise you. The following are the six breeds that have been added for the 2012 competition: American English Coonhound, Cesky Terrier, Entlebucher mountain dog, Finnish Lapphund, Norwegian Lundehund, and the Xoloitzcuintli (also known as the Mexican hairless). Here is a full list, with photos and details about each of these breeds. Good luck to all of you new breeds!

It's Puppy Bowl Time!

Strut the Pup — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

It's Super Bowl time again, and along with that comes the much awaited Puppy Bowl! This adorable tradition features adoptable puppies from all over. Most of them have been adopted by now, but we still get to see lots of adorable puppy play from them before they head to their forever home. Puppy Bowl VIII airs on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5 on Animal Planet. Coverage starts at 3 PM ET. Pick your winner by checking out all of the player stats here.

Dog Swallows 7 Inch Spoon

Strut the Pup — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Vincent, a nine year old Labrador Retriever, recently had to have surgery in order to remove a 7 inch spoon from his stomach. His human mother is likely the only person not surprised by this finding. She says that he has always been very interested in food and trash, and in fact has had a plastic bag and a rose bush in his stomach. How did he swallow such a large item? No one knows, but at least he is safe now.