Thursday, May 24, 2007

Vacationing with your pug

Don’t get me wrong, getting away from the daily grind is fantastic, but for me vacationing without my pugs in tow is not much fun.  So I am always on the lookout for great vacation destinations that are also dog friendly.  DogFriendly.com is a great resource for traveling with your pug and they just recently released this year’s list of the Top 10 Dog-Friendly Vacation Destination Cities in the United States and Canada.  Here are the cities that made the list:

1. Boston - Take a boat or whale watching cruise. Walk the Freedom Trail, visit Salem and explore history at Minute Man Park. Your leashed dog is also welcome on the subway.
2. Vancouver - Walk the Capilano Suspension Bridge and park. Take a walking tour of Historic Gastown. Take the ferry and visit nearby Victoria and beautiful Butchart Gardens.
3. New York - Stay in luxury at many fine hotels. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Take a walking tour of lower Manhattan. Ride the carriages. Watch a morning show. Shop in many famous stores.
4. San Francisco - Luxurious hotels, outdoor dining, the Golden Gate Bridge, Baker Beach and many off-leash areas. Ride the cable car to the Fisherman’s Wharf area and stroll with your dog.
5. Austin - Visit Zilker Botanical Gardens, catch a horse and carriage ride, dine in outdoor cafes. See the bats leave the Congress St Bridge at dusk. Use the city’s many parks.
6. Portland - Enjoy over 20 off-leash areas, an amusement park and the famous Rose Gardens. Dine at the Lucky Lab. Visit the Saturday Outdoor Market and hike in the Colombia River Gorge.
7. Northern Virginia - Dine or enjoy happy hour in dog-friendly Alexandria. Take the Canine Cruise on the Potomac. Visit outdoor monuments in Washington and Virginia.
8. Orlando - Stay at resorts such as the Portofino Bay and Sheraton World. Take a boat cruise, shop Winter Park, and dine at Sam Snead’s where Jeb Bush signed the doggy dining law.
9. San Diego - Off-leash dog beaches. Stay at Loews Coronado Resort. Shop at dog-friendly Otay Ranch Shopping Center complete with a dog park. Dine outdoors. Visit nearby Julian.
10. Dallas/Fort Worth - Ride a carriage, visit Pioneer Plaza, take a walking tour. Visit Fort Woof dog park and the Stockyard in Fort Worth. Dine on Texas BBQ at outdoor restaurants.

What about you?  What is your favorite dog friendly destination?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Major League Baseball’s Dog Days

Have a pug that is a MLB fan?  Then don’t miss upcoming Dog Day events at MLB stadiums this summer.  Teams planning dog day events this summer include:

• Chicago White Sox - May 11th
• Toronto Blue Jays - June 24th
• Oakland A’s - August 2nd
• San Francisco Giants - August 11th

Your pug can also show their support for their favorite team with officially licensed MLB apparel and accessories.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Pet Food Recall Resource

With the constant developments in the Pet Food Recall it is pretty hard to keep up to date with what food is safe and what is not.  The FDA website is a great place to look for the most up to date information.  In addition, they have also put together a searchable list of recalled pet foods.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Oso - the comic strip pug

Click to read comic

Sheldon, is a cleverly current,  daily comic strip written and drawn by Dave Kellett.  The cast of characters includes a pug named Oso who is owned by 10-year-old Sheldon.  It is apparent that Dave fully understand the oddities of pug behavior and his strips involving Oso are quite amusing.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Picture Perfect Puppy Contest

Pugs and pictures go hand in hand, so as pug owners I know that you have a ton of adorable pictures of your pug.  Well, do I have good news.  WE tv is holding a Picture Perfect Puppy Contest and the grand prize winner will received $5, 000.  Plus, two second prize winners will receive $2, 500.  Not bad!

You have until June 9, 2007 to submit your photo and you can find out more about the contest here.

Friday, April 6, 2007

ASPCA Pet Food Recall Resource Center

With new information being released everyday about the Menu Foods pet food recall it is hard to stay current and keep up with what is safe to feed your pug.  The ASPCA has put together a great resource center that will help keep pug owners in the loop and answers many of the common questions pet owners have about the pet food recall.

Check it out and bookmark it.  I have a feeling the Pet Food Recall Resource Center is going to be a vital resource for pet owners over the next few months.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Hill’s Recalls Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dog Food

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has voluntarily recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dog Food because the food included wheat gluten purchased from the same supplier as Menu Foods.  Yesterday, the FDA announced that scientists had found melamine in samples of Menu Foods recalled pet food as well as the wheat gluten used in as ingredients in the recalled food.