Well it’s finally springtime and where I live in the mountains it was a long, snow filled winter. So, I am very ready for warmer weather and I think my two dogs, Maya and Chief, are just as excited. I am a nature lover so all of these activities are going to relate being happy with your pups in the outdoors. Without further ado, my top 5 best summer dog activities (that could also be great in other seasons):

#5 – Biking

Maya and Chief

Make sure when you go biking with your dog you really watch the temperatures, but biking is a great way to tire out your high-energy mutt. You’ll need to introduce your dog to the bike so be careful at first, but if your dog is used to off leash walks it should be a pretty easy transition. If you’re rugged mountain biking, be careful with the types of trails you take your dog on and realize that it’s hard to keep up
with a fast decent, especially in warm weather. However, getting out on a mellow trail and taking a cruise with your dog is a great way for both of you to get exercise at a pace more conducive to four legs.

#4 – Evening Walks

I love a good summer evening stroll. It’s after dinner, my belly is full and happy, and I could use a little movement. Grab your dog and head out for an enjoyable walk. The cooler nighttime temperatures will keep your friends tongue from hitting the ground and the evening chirps and noises are sure to please as always.

#3 – Hiking

Grab some food and water and head out for a hike for the day. Pile you and all your friend’s dogs in the car somehow for an afternoon of smelling flowers and chasing bugs. While our canine friends love to chase balls and roam around, they love nothing more than following us on an adventure. Go buy a dog backpack and fill it with water and supplies for the day. I really love the packs because while my dogs are extremely well behaved they have plenty of excitement and I feel wearing a pack slows them down and keeps them closer.

#2 – Camping

Set out for that hike with gear for a few nights or head out on a car camping trip. While you hang around the fire your dog can sniff out their surroundings and keep plopping their favorite toy in all of your friends’ laps, encouraging them for one more throw. As is normal with an active day, you’ll be tired early, but when you crawl in your tent you might find your buddy has passed out before you, taking up all the room!

#1 – Swimming

Well I don’t know about you, but swimming is one of my all time favorites and my dogs go absolutely crazy for it. It’s hot and they can’t sweat as much as humans do; what could sound better than a dip in the water? Not only is it refreshing and fun, just as it is for people, but it’s also an amazing workout that is very gentle on their joints. So, grab a stick, ball or whatever they love and chuck it into the water for my #1 summer dog activity!

What does your dog need to be for all of these?

Well behaved! A happy, active dog has to follow the rules to come along so you need to be sure to take the time and energy to train your dogs, especially when they’re younger. Expose them early to rides in the car, water, being off-leash and responding to voice commands so that they can earn your respect and have more responsibility.

About the Author
Cooper is passionate about his dogs, fitness and blogging. When he’s not playing with his dogs Maya and Chief he writes about Sono Bello, cooking, and a myriad of other topics. He’s also active with Sono Bello on Twitter and Sono Bello on Facebook.

First and foremost, this is a Membo. It looks nice, simple, and quirky. I opted for the green version, but it comes in various colors.

Membo

Changing the swatches on the Membo

So how does the Membo actually work? Well, you put it either on your fridge (it comes with two magnetic sections across the back) or use the adhesive mount option that’s included to stick the Membo onto your wall, cupboard, door, forehead, whatever. I originally tried to put the Membo onto the front of my fridge, but as our fridge door has a slight curve to it the magnetic backing on the Membo would not hold, so I chose to keep the Membo on the side of my fridge instead, conveniently next to our garage door so I can see it as I walk in or out.

As you can see there is a tab for every day of the week. When you’ve fed your pet, you just flip the tile in the relevant slot over with one finger, marking that day’s feeding task as complete.

What did I think of the Membo?

I used the Membo for a week to test it out and flipped the tiles diligently each day. I actually flipped them needlessly a few times for good measure, just for fun >.> I know, I obviously have nothing better to do.

The only thing that I find the Membo does not facilitate very well is multiple feeding times. Most dog owners I know feed their dog in the morning and at night. With only one tile for each day of the week, the Membo can keep track of either one feeding time or of both meals being completed. As it stands, to keep track of more than one feeding time individually you would need to buy two Membos for each pet. I’m not sure how Dreamfarm can make this work better – perhaps offer a discount on the second Membo, or have a version of the Membo that has two rows of flippable tiles instead of one? This would be easier if each Membo allowed the user to “clip” or connect another Membo to it in some way – if someone has multiple pets it might be difficult to keep track of all the Membos without joining them together somehow!

Will I continue using the Membo?

Honestly, while I love the idea of the Membo, I don’t really think I need it. I live with my boyfriend and Keeda is solely my responsibility – he does not feed her, and I would never forget. So technically, I don’t really need a tool to help me remember to feed my dog.

I think the Membo could be perfect for larger families with kids and spouces feeding the pet(s). The problem the Membo can solve excellently, in my opinion, would be that of accidentally overfeeding the pet as one family member may not realize that someone else has already fed them. Especially in a household with young kids who are being taught responsible pet care, the Membo could be invaluable to teach them feed their pets every day. It could also help the parents to keep track of how the kids are doing with feeding their pets.

And of course, the Membo could be great for people who just have problems remembering, or who have so many pets that it gets hard to keep track (in this case I can totally see myself having a Membo for each pet).

If I was living in a large family or with some housemates, I would definitely get into the habit of using the Membo to keep track of Keeda’s feeding times. I can also see myself bringing it back out if Keeda needs to go on a temporary course of medicine to be taken daily. She’s fairly recently had to have a week’s course of antibiotics for an infected paw, and as giving her pills daily isn’t something I’m used to doing it can slip my mind. As it stands right now, though, I find that the Membo isn’t really necessary for my situation.

On a slightly unrelated topic, I can see myself using the Membo in my home office to keep track of particular business development tasks that I need to do on a daily basis. With so much work to be done, some things tend to get forgotten.

What do you think?

Do you ever forget to feed your pet (or pets)? Have you ever used the Membo or another tool to keep track of your pets’ feeding times? What do you think of the Membo? Leave a comment!

Your dog requires exercise. For some canines, a game of catch or a walk in the park is enough. Other dogs require a challenge. If your dog has a special talent, you can generally find a form of individual or group sport suitable for him or her. If your dog loves to scent things out and can follow a track for what seems like miles, you might consider tracking.

What Is Tracking?

Tracking is an individual sport. It is non-competitive. However, your dog either passes or fails in a trailing event. The object of tracking is simple. You follow a scent that has been pre-laid. Along the trail, your dog will locate various items left for him or her to discover. These could be gloves, a wallet or any other identifying personal items that can retain a scent.

The distance your dog will cover ranges up to 1,000 yards. He or she must follow the scent until he or she discovers the last object. The terrains will vary from fairly simple to very rough and challenging. The track may be laid through hills, beneath and behind trees and even over or around water hazards.

Weather is also a variable. Tracking takes part in all types of weather. Rain, snow, sleet and sunshine provide different and challenging scenarios for your dog.

Tracking is not a timed event. Your dog has no time limit to perform the search-and-find of the objects. Finding the objects is necessary, however, if your canine tracker is to pass the course.

Who Is Eligible?

Any dog who loves scenting can track. It is open to all breeds. The gender of a dog is also immaterial. Age, however, does matter. The canine must be at least 6-months of age.

If your dog meets this criterion, the next step is qualifying for entry level events. Once you do this, you will have 4 certificates. You use each to enter a tracking dog trail. You must complete these within a specified time before you can move up a level.

Equipment and Training

If you decide to enter tracking events, you do need specific equipment. It helps you train your dog properly. Among the helpful and even required pieces is a tracking harness. To this, you will attach the next piece of equipment – a 20 to 40 foot lead.

Just as important as the physical equipment is the human helper. If you really want to learn how to track, talk to someone who is already doing it with his or her dog. Attend a meet. See if you can meet someone who is willing to be a tracking mentor. It will make sure you start off on the right paw and scent.

Once you know what to expect, you can train your dog. You should work with him or her a minimum of 3 hours per week. Do so in all types of weather. Make sure you challenge your canine’s keen sense of smell. Make it interesting and make it fun.

Titles

The title depends upon the system used. Essentially, there is Tracking Dog (TD) and Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX). Under AKC rules, tracking assigns dogs as TD, TDX, Variable Surface Tracking (VST) and Champion Tracker Title Certificate (CT).

Conclusion

Tracking can be a fun way for you and your dog to solidify your relationship. You must work as a team. Tracking is excellent for those dogs who love to follow a scent and need a challenge. Go online to find tracking groups and further information about the sport.

Article by Wesley Morris, check out Petflow for Dogswell pet food & Bil-Jac dog food online

Whenever a dog goes through a medical procedure such as surgery, or has a bout with an illness, he or she needs a recovery time. This is the same with people and every other type of animal. However, unlike people, keeping a dog calm and stress free after surgery is entirely up to the owner. The pet doesn’t understand that they are not to run and play and they may end up causing further injury or complications if they are not calm and controlled for the specified period.

Educate yourself

The first step the owner needs to take is to talk to the vet and learn about the surgical procedure. The internet is a great place for information, just be sure you are reading from a reputable, knowledgeable site. You may want to avoid personal websites and general unmonitored forums and instead look for veterinary websites, University research sites or websites of breeders that you know and trust. Once you know about the condition or procedure you are then better equipped to deal with the recovery phase by anticipating what will be problematic for your pet.

Private space for your dog

If you have more than one pet, preparing a private area where your dog can rest immediately after returning home is essential. In surgical procedures the dog may still be feeling the effects of the anesthesia and most dogs will be very tired and somewhat disoriented for the first 12 hours or so after being released. Different breeds and dogs will have different reactions. Talk to you vet and know what to watch for in terms of side effects or complications as the anesthesia is wearing off.

Warmth and comfort

Keep the dog in a warm, dry and draft free location. Don’t place them directly in front of heating vents or air conditioning units to maintain a constant temperature for the pet. Avoid putting the bedding in direct sunlight as well in the summer months as this can increase the dog’s core temperature substantially. Since your dog is going to be a bit stressed and anxious, putting their bedding or crate where they can see you and you can monitor them is ideal. Placing them in a back room or away from the family may increase stress, which you definitely don’t want.

Other pets

Other pets should be allowed to “visit”, but monitor for any signs of aggression or play activity on the part of the other pet. They usually don’t understand that the dog is in recovery and just needs a few days of quiet. The other pet, including both cats and dogs, can be placed in another room away from the recovering dog if there are any concerns. Often with other dogs it is just the play and interaction that is the biggest concern for the first day or two after returning from the vet’s office.

Go easy

Put your dog’s exercise regime on hold until he or she is sufficiently recovered. If you run 5km on a daily basis, hold off on the activity until your dog gets better. There’s no rush – you’ll be back to your exercise routine in no time, but your dog needs to recover completely. Otherwise, you’ll be risking further injury or complications.

Provide easy access to fresh, clean water and food as per the instructions of the vet. The vet may also give you some medicine, such as antibiotics, to give to your dog. At this time allow the dog short, frequent trips outside and don’t punish for any accidents in the house. Slow walks and gentle play activities can be resumed based on the vet’s instructions and the dog’s recovery.

Surgery can be tough for both dogs and their people. By remembering that your dog won’t be back to 100% for a while after surgery and taking it easy, you can help ease the process for both your pet and yourself.

Article by Harry Keith, look for organic dog food delivery for Blue Buffalo pet food online!

If you are like a lot of dog lovers you love to take your dog with you to all your activities, including your vacations. Those that love camping and hiking have a great start on a year round way to involve their dog in their adventures. Depending on where you are camping and how accessible your campsite is there are several considerations to keep in mind. The following four tips can help you make your next camping holiday with your dog fun and enjoyable for you both.

Choose your food wisely

Depending on the size of your dog hauling dog food into a campsite in a backpack can be a hassle. The great news is that many camping supply stores and some pet food stores now sell dehydrated dog food, all conveniently sealed in individual service waterproof types of packaging. This is good option for dogs that are routinely fed kibble and those that are on raw foods diets, just make sure that you are choosing the best quality product. Many of the dehydrated dog foods are made by smaller companies and use only human grade ingredients, which is always a benefit.

Pack a first aid kit

A dog first aid kit doesn’t have to be elaborate but it should include bandages, antibiotics, scissors, tweezers and antiseptic spays. Adding medication for insect bites, skin allergies and wound treatment is also a good idea. Although you can’t plan for everything having the basics is important to deal with any emergencies that may arise. Often the same ingredients in your personal first aid kit can double for a dog, but there are small, waterproof and very compact dog first aid kits available online, at pet stores and often through your vet.

Bring a tether or leash

The last thing you want is your dog taking off at night or in the day after a bird, squirrel or larger animal. If your dog is very good at staying with you off leash, you may not have to worry as much during the day when you are awake and interacting with him or her, but at night it is a good idea to have them secured in some fashion. You may want to just keep them in the tent with you, or consider a simple, safe ground or line type of tether close to your tent.

Build up to long hikes

If your camping trip involves long hikes, start working with your dog well in advance to build up the dog’s stamina and exercise tolerance. Also remember that indoor dogs have softer pads than outdoor dogs and long walks may cause tenderness of the feet, leading to problems when you are miles away from home. If you have an indoor dog that’s not used to being outside you may want to consider buying a pair of the soft, durable lace-on boots available which can be used to give your dog a bit more protection over rough, sandy, gravel or rocky ground.

Article by Ben Clark; check out Petflow for natural dog food delivery on great brands like Blue Buffalo dog food online!

Like many dog owners, I grew up with dogs and the only times I ever saw their teeth were when they play-bit each other racing across the yard. Like humans, though, dogs need their teeth brushed in order to have optimum health.

Does your pup have bad breath? Studies show that almost all dogs with bad breath suffer from periodontal disease. Take a look at your pup’s canines. Are they yellow or even brown by the gums? That’s plaque buildup. Left untreated, a bacterial infection there can enter the bloodstream and from there spread to your pup’s kidney, liver, heart, and brain.

To help ensure that your best friend has a long and fruitful life, take the time every day to brush his teeth, as you would yours. The process is very short and painless with the right tools and training.

What You Need

Never use your toothpaste or brush on your pup’s teeth. Dogs don’t spit and your Crest isn’t edible.
Go to a local pet store and find a suitable toothpaste and toothbrush. Most dogs aren’t terribly finicky about foods (unlike my cat, but that’s another story), so the flavor of the toothpaste shouldn’t matter.

Most importantly, your dog needs to trust you. This is especially difficult for dog owners who have not instilled discipline in their pups and for dogs that have been abused in the past. If my formerly bossy and aggressive pit bull rescue can do it, however, so can any dog!

What To Do

The following is a trust exercise you can do with your dog at any time and comes recommended by
many dog trainers. You may need to do this multiple times over a week or so before your dog becomes comfortable, and it is difficult to do without a healthy relationship with your pup.

Start out sitting on the floor with your legs spread. Have your dog come sit between your legs. Tell her to lie down.

When she’s on the ground, gently tip her over so she’s on her side, and then slide her closer to you so her head is kind of nestled on your lap. Bring your legs together to cradle her while you turn her slowly onto her back.

Squeeze your legs firmly (but gently) against your pup’s sides and squeeze her arms together if your dog begins to resist. Slowly push and pull her front two legs back and forth (the left one is back when the right is forward, etc) while squeezing your legs until she relaxes.

Many dogs have difficulty trusting people with their bellies. An unwillingness to perform this move indicates either physical pain of mistrust and/or dog dominance. Be very careful if you’re working with a dominant dog and practice putting her on her back until she is comfortable. My rescue pit, despite a history of neglect and abuse, got the hang of it in one day, so it shouldn’t be a problem for most patient dog owners.

Prepare the toothpaste on the toothbrush. Let your pup smell and lick it if she’s never had toothpaste before. Reapply as necessary.

Place the brush at a 45* angle to the gumline and gently brush back and forth, focusing on the back teeth and canines.

Since my pup likes to lick the toothbrush, I carefully close her mouth when brushing her canine teeth. Otherwise, it’s a difficult and ridiculously futile process. Generally, you don’t need to brush the inside surface of the teeth since movement of the tongue keeps most of the plaque at bay.

If your dog begins to resist, set aside the toothbrush and repeat the squeezing and arm-moving exercise.
When you’re done, release your pup calmly and reward her with a treat.

_{Bio: Lisa Shoreland is currently a resident blogger at Go College, where recently she’s been researching music scholarships as well as special education scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, practicing martial arts, and taking weekend trips.}

• Had a bath at Better Pets & Gardens
• Got Keeda a new (even bigger) water bowl, holiday treat, and breath mints
• Tortured Keeda by making her show some holiday cheer with her very own holiday hat (video below)
• Started learning a new trick!

Keeda’s old water bowl has been getting rusty, so while at Better Pets & Gardens for her bath I bought her a new bowl as well. I also picked up some dog breath mints. I’ve seen these around and always been curious as to their effectiveness. Keeda’s breath doesn’t actually smell – it used to be horrible, but improved greatly since she’s been on a proper diet of raw meaty bones and B.A.R.F. However, I picked these up just to see if they would actually work and do anything for the breath. We haven’t tried them yet, but I’ll write a full review about these dog breath mints when we do.

Costume torture

Keeda also had an eye on a candy-cane dog treat at the cash register, so I grabbed that for her as well (what she didn’t know what that I had ulterior motive). When we got home I put on her Santa hat (she actually handled it quite well) and made her do tricks for the candy-cane treat. I know, I’m horrible. I’m not against dressing dogs up just for fun sometimes, but I’ve never done it with Keeda before (even if it is just a hat!). I’ve always thought of her as this dog dog – hardcore and beyond such silly things. But this time I just couldn’t resist. Here’s the video. She was not amused:

Teaching Keeda a new trick

Keeda’s pretty well trained (she picks things up very quickly), but we haven’t learned a new trick in a while. So I decided to teach her to hold a treat on her nose. The eventual goal is to have her hold the treat until I say “Get it!” and then flip it, catching it with her mouth in midair.

So I got some of her favorite Naturalicious pet treats and went at it. I had no idea where to start as I’ve never trained this trick before (Keeda is my first dog, after all), so we improvised.

• I got Keeda into a sit in front of me. I put one treat within easy reach but out of sight, held the rest in my right hand and held one in my fingers in the same hand in front of her. Keeda effectively only saw one treat, which was the one I was holding with my fingers (though she probably smelled the rest in my hand)
• I start out by bringing the treat towards her nose, but found that she just tilted her head too much – it would be impossible to ever place that on her muzzle. So I gently held her muzzle with my left hand to stabilise it (note – not forcefully keeping it in place).
• Keeda started giving me her paw, as if I was giving her the “Say Hi” command. This was very inconvenient, so every time she would raise her paw I would pull the treat back. She eventually began to understand that if she raises her paw, she does not get the treat.
• I gently placed the treat on the flat part of her nose for the first time and then instantly said “Get it!”. Keeda then let the treat fall onto the ground and ate it. I praised her lavishly and immediately gave her the hidden treat. This way, Keeda would be rewarded for the trick and the treat we were working with would not be considered the “reward”.
• I told Keeda to “get it” as soon as I managed to put the treat on her nose for just a moment because I knew at this point she would get it anyway. To set her up for success, I made sure when she got it it was within the constraints of the trick.
• We kept doing this for about 5 minutes (switching between different kinds of treats a couple of times). Each time we did it, Keeda allowed the treat to stay on her nose without having her muzzle held for longer and longer. I made sure that I never made her wait too long – she must never eat the treat without completing the trick successfully.

After about 5-10 minutes, just as we finished with the session, C got home from the gym and I got him to record a couple more attempts for us:

Keeda encountered a kangaroo up close for the first time and, of course, felt the need to chase it, going “deaf” to my calls (aka ignoring me) in the process. She first bolted after a female kangaroo with her joey. We didn’t know where she went at first and I was starting to get worried, straying to look for her. Then I get a call from C saying Keeda is back with him.

Apparently he was standing there, keeping a lookout for her and suddenly hears these long “POOF — POOF — POOF” stamps against the ground. He sees the two kangaroos leaping through the bushes. There is a crashing, rustling sound behind them and whaddaya know – it’s Keeda, chasing after them.

When I got back there Keeda was so tired and out of breath that I thought she learned her lesson. We gave her water and moved on, on the lookout for any more kangaroos in case she takes up the chase again (though I was hoping she was too puffed out after the first time).

Unfortunately we didn’t see the big male in the bushes until after he moved. And Keeda was off again. This time I was really scared. This was a huge male, muscly and tall. I immediately went after Keeda, calling after her, but alas she was already gone. I chased after them, but they were too quick and disappeared from sight within seconds. Then everything went quiet. I was calling out to her with no response and then I hear this high pitched whimpering and yelping in the distance. My heart sank and I thought “This is it, this kangaroo turned around and clawed or kicked her to death.”

Keeda post-chase

I kept calling and searching for her, but by this time she was silent and I was fearing the worst. I came upon a little cliff/hill top and see Keeda trotting toward me, seemingly unhurt, puffed out more than before. She came up to me, nuzzled my leg, and crashed in the shade under a bush with this panicked look in her eyes. I checked her over, running my hands over her paws, legs, ribs, back, everything, and thankfully found no blood or tenderness. She drank a full bowl of water and we had to sit there and wait for her to get her breath back again.

C said he suspected the roo may have leapt down this little cliff-edge/sharp hill slope type of thing and Keeda may have followed. The drop was too high and sharp for a dog of her size and she may have fallen down, which is when she would have yelped. I’m not sure if this is what happened, but I suppose it’s possible. Thankfully after 10 minutes or so Keeda seemed good as new (if more tired) and we continued our hike at a slower pace, me making sure Keeda was always nearby and didn’t have a chance to chase after more kangaroos. I thought about putting her on the short leash I had with me, but by this time she was so puffed out and I doubted she’d have the energy to chase after a kangaroo again. Besides, she would never catch one and needs to learn that it’s a fruitless (and potentially dangerous) exercise eventually.

Keeda and I on the hike

Either way, after the male roo chase incident it was a good hike. However I noticed the ground was too warm and suspected Keeda wouldn’t have been too comfortable. Thankfully there were always large patches of shade on the trail with cool ground where Keeda could trot along comfortably, but if that shade wasn’t there she certainly could have burnt her paws. Next time I’m definitely either buying her dog boots for this reason or perhaps we will stick to the dog beach in the summer and do most of our hikes in the fall and winter, when it’s cooler.

Has your dog ever encountered a kangaroo? How did he/she/you react?

Stay safe on your hikes – watch out for kangaroos!

Some photos from the trip:

And a couple of videos:

So we tried the Better Pets & Gardens dog wash. This is much more effective than trying to wash Keeda by myself in the yard. Keeda, of course, hates baths and is not amused:

You Enter dog wash area (which has a gate) with your dog. Then, unlock actual door to the wash, get dog to jump inside (or put it in). Drop your coin into the washer (which you are given upon payment). There’s a dial on the machine that lets you choose from different wash options (like Shampoo, Rinse, Conditioning Rinse, Flea and Tick rinse…there might be more, but I’m not sure). There’s an extendable hose you hold in your hand that spits out whatever mixture you selected on the dial. The machine also has High and Low blow drying options. If your dog is the type to get nervous and try to jump out of the wash, there are chains to clip him/her in. I take Keeda’s collar off when I wash her, but she has jumped out before. She doesn’t exactly like getting baths. Stupid hoomans, washing off her dog smell!

Here is how Keeda gets washed at the Better Pets & Gardens dog wash:

• I start off with a regular rinse. I rinse her off for maybe 15 seconds
• Then, I switch to the Shampoo option and Shampoo the heck out of her for maybe 2-4 minutes
• Keeda attempts to leap out of the wash tub several times throughout this ordeal. She succeeds maybe once or twice and put back inside. She eventually gives up
• Once this is finished, I rinse all of the shampoo off thoroughlly with the Conditioning Rinse. This takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute



• I then rinse her off again with the regular rinse (eg. water), for good measure. Another 30 seconds to 1 minute
• By this time I still have about 4-5 minutes left, which I use to dry her off with the blow dryer (the first time we did this I had to use the Low setting as Keeda hated the sound, but the second time she was able to tolerate it on High).
• I then have maybe 30 seconds left over, which I use to quickly wash her collar
• And we’re done!

Keeda ends up smelling clean and fresh for the the majority of the week. Even my hyper-sensitive boyfriend is actually able to play with her or be in the car with her without sneezing, or getting asthma.

Here are a couple of videos of Keeda being washed and blow-dried. They are unedited and quite long, so feel free to skip through (and ignore the sad music, it was playing in the store…why? I have no idea)

Keeda after her bath, getting out of the car:

Need ideas on gifts for dog lovers around the holiday? Why not consider a book or magazine subscription for that dog lover in your life? We compiled our five favorite picks that would make great holiday gifts.  These selections are sure to entertain and intrigue readers of all ages.

1.   Dog: This hard cover book is a perfect selection for the little one in your life who loves dogs. The book is complete with 20 colorful pages of different types of dogs. Each page also offers children an opportunity to learn about texture and there are tabs to lift and pull throughout the book offering interesting surprises. Also find words associated with pictures, like ‘wet dog,’ ‘shake,’ ‘lick,’ and more.  The reading level on this book is baby through preschool.

2.    Dog Fancy: A yearly subscription to this monthly magazine will keep any dog lover entertained with information, tips, news on health, trends and more related to dogs.  Regular departments in the magazine include Readers Bark Back, Newshound, Clean Dog Clean House, Canine Travel, Natural Dog, Best Behavior, Checkup, Haute Dog and Features.

3.    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family–and a Whole Town–About Hope and Happy Endings: This book is written by a senior editor of The New York Times.  The story is heartwarming leaving readers feeling good about people, life and dogs. The situations this family goes through are ones many should be able to relate to.  It’s a story about a family in New York City with a son who pleaded for years to have a dog.  Living in New York City, the parents did not see it as an ideal situation to have a dog.  However, after the mother (author) was diagnosed with breast cancer, the family decides having a dog will do good.  It would help keep their son busy and not ponder over the medical issues faced by his mother.  All goes well with the welcoming of puppy Huck to the family until he escapes while the family is on vacation.  The story continues with the family desperately searching for Huck and speaks of how a New Jersey town also helps take part in the search for this pup.

4.    Doggie Knits: Sweaters & Accessories for Your Best Friend: Know of a dog lover who’s also into crafts? This book is the perfect pick.  With chills in the air this book will help dog lovers create crafty garments to help keep ‘Fido’ warm and toasty through the season.  The book offers patterns, how to’s, knit-to-fit instructions, and photos of dogs dressed in gear.  Reader can get crafty with knitting dog hats, sweaters and more.

5.    Dog-Friendly Dog Training: A healthy relationship is much easier to establish with a dog when it is well-behaved.  Help that dog lover in your life build a even stronger bond with their pet by offering them this book. This second edition provides easy-to-follow illustrated instructions and takes a humane and dog-friendly approach.  Learn about housetraining pets, establishing appropriate behavior and manners, and teach dogs tricks like roll over and more.  The book offers proven methods and goes into explaining why the approaches work.

About the Author:

Wendy Lau is a freelance writer based in New York City, a guest blogger for An Apple a Day, and a writer on earning your nursing degree for the Guide to Health Education.