Wordless Wednesday: Lucky Seven Havanese!

Happy HavDay!

Pour for Pups to aid Barking Hound Village Foundation Rescue

In Atlanta this Wednesday? Join us at Pour for Pups Wednesday, March 30th from 6 - 8 p.m., at the Pour Wine Market in the Brookhaven neighborhood of Atlanta. Help the pups who need it most and have a good time too!

Buy your tickets in advance via pay pal for $15.00, or make a $20 donation at the door. Please bring your confirmation email with you to the event.

All donations will benefit Barking Hound Rescue. In addition to making you feel good by helping the pups your donation entitles you to:

• Complimentary hors d-oeuvres of italian meats, cheeses and bruschetta
• Special pricing on select glasses of wine
• Bid on items donated for the silent auction
• A barking good time at a cool, new wine bar!

Pour Wine Market is located at 1418 Dredsden Drive in Brookhaven, Atlanta.

BHVF rescues approx. 50-100 dogs each month from high-kill shelters, gives them medical treatment and love and transports them to other no-kill shelters.

Spread the word and come out to help Pour for the Pups! And remember the more you eat and drink, the more pups will be helped! A portion of sales and ALL donations will benefit Barking Hound Rescue.

Havanese Agility: Cosmo's ASCA agility weekend

A few of the ribbons we earned last weekend and the
course maps for our two Jumpers runs

Last weekend we competed in an ASCA agility trial. ASCA stands for the Australian Shepherd Club of America and is one of several organizations that sanctions and hosts agility trials for all breeds of dogs.

We had a blast at last weekend's event and brought home four qualifying runs!... although as long as you're having fun with your dog it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, right?!

Here's a look at our Gambler's run. In this event, the handler (that would be me) must devise a strategy to maneuver the dog (Cosmo) throughout the course while accumulating points for each obstacle under a designated amount of time. The contact equipment and weave poles are typically worth more points than the jumps and tunnels (although they take longer). This part of the run is the opening sequence.

Then, in a closing sequence, the handler and dog complete "the Gamble" which tests the dog's ability to complete a series of obstacles at a distance. Here, you'll see me send Cosmo to four jumps at the end of the run, separated by a taped line in the dirt that I needed to stay behind. A whistle is blown once time has run out in the opening sequence, and the handler should then proceed to the Gamble. For some reason, I didn't hear the whistle in this run (you WILL hear it clearly in the video) but we somehow qualified under course time anyway! Take a look!

One of the fun things about agility is there are a variety of events that test different skills. This next video shows our Jumpers run, which is all about speed and accuracy, testing the ability of handler and dog to work as a fast-moving, smooth functioning team. There's a change of direction on this course that we execute with a rear cross, which means I send Cosmo on while I cross behind him. See if you can find it... it IS very smooth! Go Team Cosmo!

Some of our runs are less smooth than others, and while this Regular run is a little messy, we still qualified because we completed this course under time, and completed every obstacle in the designated sequence. AND, Cosmo successfully completed every contact obstacle without flying off above the yellow contact zone. Yay!!

Cosmo relaxes with a few ribbons between runs

Good job little buddy!

Now, let's go to the Pet Bloggers Hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Havanese Leaf-Romping Style!

Havanese love a good romp in the leaves... in fact their breed standard calls for it! Here, Cosmo and his Hav pal Dasher enjoy a some play time after an agility trial at Wills Park in Alpharetta, Ga., last weekend!

If you're wondering what these goofy little fluffs are all about, here's a little more about the Havanese from the AKC Havanese Breed Standard:

The Havanese is a small sturdy dog of immense charm. He is slightly longer than tall, and covered with a profuse mantle of untrimmed long, silky, wavy hair. His plumed tail is carried loosely curled over his rump. A native of Cuba, he has evolved over the centuries from the pampered lap-dog of the aristocracy into what he is today - the quintessential family pet of a people living on a small tropical island. His duties traditionally have been those of companion, watchdog, child’s playmate and herder of the family poultry flock. His presentation in the show ring should reflect his function – always in excellent condition but never so elaborately coifed as to preclude an impromptu romp in the leaves, as his character is essentially playful rather than decorative.

Anyone who's met Cosmo, can attest to his charm and playfulness -- a quality he shares with all his Hav pals!

Pet Blogger Hop / Buckle-Down Collar and Lead Winner

It's been a busy week in To Dog With Love land... with Paws for Japan Day, Petfinder's Birthday and Dog Bless You, among other things. And, today's the day we announce the winner of the Buckle-Down Collar and Lead giveaway.

Drum roll please...


The winner, picked at random, is Wrigley Schnauzer! Wrigley left the comment, "I like the Born to Raise Hell collar because that is my motto!"

Congrats to you Wrigley. And for some reason, your comment makes me want to break out in this song... Straighten Up and Fly Right my Schnauzee pal!

First, a little jam with Natalie Cole and the late, great Ella Fitzgerald. Their jam starts at :40.

Want to listen to the whole song! Warning: you'll be snapping your fingers to this the rest of the day! Here's the Natalie Cole version in honor of her father, the amazing Nat King Cole.

Now, let's go to the hop, oh baby!

Paws for Japan: Help World Vets Help Japan Animals

Together, we can make a difference far greater than any of us can do alone.

Today, the online pet community is coming together as we have done so many times before... this time, to help the pets affected by the earthquake and tsumami in Japan. We're helping spread the word and raise funds for World Vets, on the ground and helping the animals in Japan. To find out more how you can help, visit BlogPaws Be The Change for Pets.

World Vets is in Niigata, Japan with a shipment of veterinary supplies. They are headed out toward the hardest hit areas to make assessments and provide relief. You can also follow their updates on the World Vets Facebook page and on Twitter.  More from CNN on how World Vets is helping support animal rescue efforts in Japan.


A look at the animals who need help. Thanks Your Daily Cute for posting this video.

Together, the anipals on Twitter showed what one caring community can do.

On March 17, 2009, we participated in the very first PawPawty on Twitter. Today, celebrating its second anniversary, the PawPawty anipals have raised nearly $50,000 dollars for animal welfare organizations all over the world. Well done mai pals. Thank you @FrugalDougal for being a great pal to @CosmoHavanese! And today, the anipals are rallying again with a “We ♥ Japan” Pawty, to help the anipals who need it most in Japan.

Together, we can make the our planet a better place, one person at a time.

Every donation helps, no matter how big or small. You can donate to World Vets by using the Chip In widget on our sidebar to the right, or donate here.

Earlier this week we showed you how the animals from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) are helping the people of Japan. Dog Bless You fans came together to help spread the word and now the SDF dogs are on the ground helping in Japan. Now it's time to help the animals too. Here's some great info from Reader's Digest that shows even more ways to help.

Wordless Wednesday: Woof Gang Bakery Stop on the Simply Buckhead Pet Boutique Tour!

First, some not-so-wordless Wednesday to address the critical needs in Japan, and then we'll get to some much-needed Wordless Wednesday love.

Please join us tomorrow to help spread the word about Paws for Japan, a day when the pet community will come together to support relief efforts for animals in Japan. Led by BlogPaws Be the Change for Pets, we'll spread the word and help raise funds for World Vets, an organization dedicated to providing veterinary aid worldwide.

The first World Vets responder deployment is en route to Japan to support a coalition of Japanese animal welfare groups. You can read a little more about it on Pawcurious and get codes for all the badges and other idea from BlogPaws.  Also, donations can be made by clicking "ChipIn!" on the Japan Animal Aid widget on our right sidebar. 

You might also like to know about Dog Bless You, a wonderful organization that champions the selfless acts of animals. We had the chance to hang out with them at SXSW and tell you more about them here.

Now back to regularly scheduled programming:

We recently toured our favorite local pet boutiques for an article in Simply Buckhead magazine. Today's feature comes from Woof Gang Bakery Buckhead!

In addition to having incredible baked goods for dogs and a full supply of pet products, Woof Gang Bakery hosts lots of events to help raise money and awareness for animal causes. At a recent event, Cosmo and his pal Frankie from BarkWorld got a chance to visit with Victoria Stilwell from Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog!

The fabulous table of bakery goods for dogs is the focal point of the store!

Cosmo hopes some baked items will fly off the table and into his mouth!

On our trip last weekend to SXSW, we got to meet our pal @WrigleySchnauzr! He sent these treats home to Cosmo from the recently-opened Woof Gang Bakery in Austin! Here's more about our recent tour of Atlanta area pet boutiques.

Happy Birthday Petfinder! Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet today!

Today is Petfinder's 15th birthday and to help them celebrate, animal lovers from all over are helping Petfinder Adopt the Internet by posting, tweeting, blogging and spreading the word about pet adoption.

Today we're featuring an adoptable pet from one of our local shelters. Please meet Buckwheat, a handsome Shar Pei/Retriever Mix from the Atlanta Canine Adoption Project. Buckwheat was rescued from a shelter as a very small baby, just a few weeks old. He had been so neglected that he had almost no hair at all. As you can see from his pictures, he now has recovered fully since being rescued and has a beautiful, soft coat that is the color of a field of wheat! Buckwheat is good with other dogs, people and cats! More on how to adopt Buckwheat here.

Buckwheat is featured on the Petfinder Adopt-the-Internet All-Stars gallery where you can find a number of great pets ready to be adopted. Happy Birthday Petfinder! We're honored to help you celebrate 15 great years of helping find forever homes for more than 17 million pets across North America from 13,000 different shelters and rescue groups. Well done my pals!

Atlanta event update
On a different note, Wagging Tails and Ales at Atlanta's Piedmont Park dog park has been postponed from tonight to tomorrow night due to rain. We'll see you there tomorrow night!

Dog Bless You Challenge for 100K Dollars for Japan Search and Rescue Dogs Answered in 24 Hours

I'm loving on 14-year-old Lucky, retired search rescue dog
and constant companion of  Charlie Annenberg

I met a nice guy with a dog and a few of his pals during a trip to the SXSW conferences in Austin this weekend.

Turns out the guy was Charlie Annenberg, vice president of the Annenberg Foundation and his dog was Lucky, a retired search and rescue dog trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF). Charlie and Lucky were in town to share their films from Explore.org, a project from the Annenberg Foundation that supports humanitarian causes and celebrates the selfless acts of others... including animals.

After loving on handsome Lucky for a few minutes, I noticed Charlie was wearing a "Dog Bless You" t-shirt. "What's that about?" I asked. Charlie said he woke up that morning and had an idea -- actually Lucky inspired the idea -- and since he was at a huge interactive conference, why not pose a challenge to get everyone involved in helping the victims of the disaster in Japan AND help the organization that launched Lucky's search and rescue career too.

Here's what Charlie said:



Charlie challenged SXSW to spread the word and "like" his organization's Dog Bless You page on Facebook. If the goal of 100,000 likes was reached within five days, the Annenberg Foundation would donate $100,000 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF).

Sunday night, March 13, that goal was reached, just a little more than 24 hours after the challenge was issued. Now, six canine search and rescue teams have been deployed to Japan to help the recovery efforts and victims of the earthquake and tsunami. The funds raised will help recruit and train more SDF canine disaster search teams.

Lucky thoroughly enjoyed hanging out on the grass
by the river in Austin. Love ya Lucky!

I had the opportunity to witness this challenge unfold in person, frankly because I can't let a dog pass by without petting it. After hearing a little more about Lucky -- rescued by Charlie from a local shelter after he learned Lucky was picked up on the same day his beloved Golden Retriever passed on -- we hung out with Annenberg, Lucky and a few folks from their camp the rest of the day.

Charlie explained how he and Lucky have traveled the globe, helping people and making films to champion the selfless acts of others. An animal lover, Charlie and one of his assistants created Dog Bless You for people who love animals and believe animals improve the human condition.

Thank you Charlie, Lucky and the rest of your team, and the vast community of supporters and dog lovers who rallied for the cause. Your passion is contagious. As Charlie says, "Sometimes when things are done collectively it's more powerful." And this time, it was 100,000 times more powerful.

Note: Keep up with the progress of the SDF canine search and rescue teams on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Pet Blogger Hop: Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet on March 15

For today's edition of the Pet Blogger Hop, we're bringing you a special announcement from Petfinder.  In honor of its 15th birthday on March 15, Petfinder is asking animal lovers everywhere to spread the word and tell at least one person about pet adoption.

Blog, tweet, facebook or just tell a neighbor... any way you share the news is one more way to help homeless pets.

You can find out more ways to help on Petfinder and here are a few of their suggestions to get you started.

• Add a badge to your Web site to show your support
• Take the Petfinder pledge to tell one person about pet adoption on March 15. By pledging, you'll enter for a chance to win one of 10 Pet Hair Eraser Vacuums from Bissell.
• Caption a Petfinder adoptable pet photo on ICanHasCheezburger! Photos with the best captions will be featured on the ICanHasCheezburger.com homepage on March 15.
• On March 15, donate your Facebook status and photo to an adoptable Petfinder pet. Simply replace your photo with one from the Adopt-the-Internet All-Stars gallery and post one of these messages
• More than 320,000 pets are waiting for homes on Petfinder.com. Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet today and find forever homes for as many as possible.
• I adopted my pet from Petfinder and now I want to help get this pet adopted! If you want to help pets in need of forever homes, please repost this!
• On March 15, share an adoptable Petfinder pet on Twitter with the hashtag #adopttheinternet.

For more, visit Petfinder's Adopt the Internet page.

Now, let's go to the hop!

Atlanta Doggies Get Your Irish on in Piedmont Park!

The doggie events in Piedmont Park typically sell out, so here's a chance to reserve your spot in advance.  Cosmo and I already have our tickets and can't wait for this special St. Patty’s Day celebration in Piedmont Dog Park on Tuesday! There will be beer for humans and doggie bags filled with treats... for the doggies!
     Tuesday, March 15 - Wagging Tails and Ales
     6 pm - 8 pm
     Piedmont Park Dog Park, $15 in advance, $20 at the gate
Ticket prices are per person and all proceeds benefit the Piedmont Dog Park. Not an Irish Wolfhound or Irish Setter? No worries. Dogs of all types are sure to have a barking good time! Erin go Bragh in the Piedmont Dog Park! Order your tickets here! 

Wordless Wednesday: Simply Buckhead Shopping Style

Cosmo and I recently took a tour of Buckhead Atlanta area pet boutiques to research a story for Simply Buckhead magazine's Pets and Kids issue. One of our favorite finds was this bed from Bessie and Barnie sold at both Glamour Paws and CityDog Market.

I think this may have been Cosmo's favorite assignment so far. He got to eat his way through four of our favorite pet shops before finding a comfy place for a nap! Check out four of our favorite local shops below.

Flat Pet and Portrait Giveaway for the pups at Small Paws Rescue

Bungee, a Small Paws rescue lives happily
in his forever home

It's probably no surprise... I love fluffy pets.

So when Bev VanZant -- aka Pet Care Bev  --  asked if we'd help spread the word about her month-long drive to help Small Paws Rescue, it took about one second for us to say YES!

Here's what Bev says about Small Paws:

"Small Paws Rescue brought Tyler and me together. But even before Tyler, Small Paws has been important to me. Small Paws is a courageous group of 800 volunteers and 6,000 supporting global members. Over the past 12 years they’ve helped over 8,000 Bichons, Bichon Blends, and dogs who have had a passing affiliation with a Bichon to find forever homes. Volunteers foster dogs in their homes across the United States. Small Paws Rescue embraces the philosophy of  “no-kill”–nearly all their donations go to pay vet bills. And the little fluffy dogs that Small Paws rescues usually come from horrible situations. So there’s always vet bills."

That's Fluffy Tyler on the left with his doggelganger
Flat Tyler on the right.

During the month of March, Bev is hosting a flat pet giveaway to help raise funds for Small Paws Rescue. What's a flat pet, you ask? While it's certainly no replacement for the real, fluffy thing, a flat pet has its advantages and can go places no other pet has gone before.  Cosmo's been asking for a flat version ever since he saw Tyler's.

In addition, Karen Nichols, the Catster blogger and the owner of Flat Skeezix, has offered to create one of her amazing, personalized mixed media pet portraits to use as a give-away during the Flat Tyler Small Paws Fundraiser! This is an incredible prize worth $100.00! The pet portrait will be given away at the end of March.

How to help the fluffy dogs?
Every $5 donation earns the chance to win a flat pet and every $15 a chance to win the portrait. All the details on how to enter and donate are here. And remember, all the donations go to the fluffiest of causes, to help the sweet fluffers at Small Paws Rescue. 

If you can spare any pawket change, Bev and Tyler (both Flat and Fluffy) will thank you furever! 

Review and Giveaway: Snappy collars and leads from Buckle-Down!

Fasten your seat belts and get ready for a product review and giveaway that'll give you a new leash on life. If you're tired of the same old collars and leads, Buckle-Down, the maker of unique products made with recycled and refurbished seatbelt buckles, has just the thing for you.

There's nothing like a new collar and lead in a happy pattern to motivate a dog walk. And now Buckle-Down has released a whole trunk load of unique designs to please the most demanding pup. Each collar has a mini version of Buckle-Down's signature seatbelt  buckle and has a matching lead to suit your and your dog's personal style and taste! Be sure to read to the end for a chance to win your very own Buckle-Down collar and lead in the style of your choice!

I chose the Mom and Dad CU pattern -- featured on Cosmo above  -- for its happy, joyful pattern and splashes of Honeysuckle, the Pantone Color of the Year. I figured just a smidge of reddish pink would complement Cosmo's black and white splendor and provide just the right infusion of color.  But when it arrived, the collar and lead seemed just a little too big -- and admittedly a bit too girly for a stud like Cosmo ... it didn't look quite so PINK on the website.  So I had the perfect solution. It was time to do a test drive with...

The Girls Next Door...

The whimsical pattern of hearts, cherries and a field of flowers looks smashing on Truffles and she wears the ensemble with pride!

Next, Snuggles wants her turn at dress up and the bold but sweet graphics are the perfect fit for her coloring and figure type as well!

The product details

Collars: Made with a miniature seatbelt buckle which releases with the push of a button and a welded steel D ring for leash attachment. At one-inch wide, these collars are a bit too wide for Cosmo, but perfect for a medium or large sized dog. The collars in the same bold, graphic patterns are available in a 1/2 inch size with a regular plastic buckle collar -- perfect for smaller dogs.

Leashes: Approximately 4 feet long by 1 inch wide, leashes also come in 1/2-inch size for smaller dogs. The four-foot lead was one detail that appealed to me as this length is often hard to find and it is my preferred lead-length for city walking and keeping your dog safely close by.

Graphics: Bold and unique, I prefer the more "peace-ful" styles and there are a few from which to choose. Try Born to Blossom, Peace Flowers, Love Love Pink or Mom and Dad CU. For the edgier dog, Trust No One features skulls and crossbones and Death or Glory adds shooting flames. Collars and leads are available in some licensed automotive themes as well.

Price: All collars and leads are made in the USA and retail for approximately $20 - $30.

Where to buy: PETCO stores and specialty stores across the country. More information at www.buckle-down.com or at Buckle-Down's Facebook page.

A chance to take your own test drive:
To win your very own Buckle-Down collar and lead, simply leave a comment on this post stating which style you choose and why. Check out the Buckle-Down website for all the styles. Post your comment before 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 17 and be sure to leave your email address. Winner will be picked using random.org and posted here on Saturday, March 19.

Disclaimer: Buckle-Down provided the collar and leash to us at no charge for review. The opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

Now, park your comment below and let's go to the hop!

Dog-Friendly Dining: Check out Cosmo in FIDO Friendly magazine!

Cosmo and I love to visit dog-friendly restaurants, and while they seem to be on every corner in Italy, there still are plenty of choices for outdoor dining in our Atlanta area.

So when Carol Bryant from Fido Friendly magazine and blog let us know we made the current issue of the magazine, we couldn't wait to share the great news and the story about dining out with your dog. Check out the photos below and click on each to make it large enough to read the entire story!

We're featured at TAP, a gastropub in Midtown Atlanta with a large patio right on Peachtree Street, perfect for people or dog watching!

Our pal Gus from According to Gus is also featured in a very handsome photo in the first photo below.  Read on to check out the story AND a way to win a subscription to FIDO Friendly magazine.

We had just renewed our subscription to FIDO Friendly when we got the news we'd actually BE in the magazine. How cool is that?! We especially like the photo of Cosmo eyeing the yummy bacon, while I'm enjoying my coffee and brunch on a beautiful Sunday morning last fall.

And now, to make it even better, Gus is hosting a giveaway for a subscription provided by FIDO Friendly!  Just be sure to visit According to Gus before Monday to get all the details and enter!

Wordless Wednesday: Jumping Havanese agility fun!

Photos by Active Dog Photography

Facing a few agility jumps is inspiration enough for Cosmo to get his Wheeeeeeeee! on.

And now we bring you a few more jumping inspirations from some famous people of the two-legger kind.

 

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks,

jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls

that are always going to be placed in front of you.

If you don't have that kind of feeling for what

it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first

giant hurdle.” -- George Lucas

                         “No animal should ever jump up on the dining-room furniture

unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own

in the conversation.” -- Fran Lebowitz