FitDog Friday, Park Day Doubleheader! A Walk Through Piedmont Park

Since we believe you can never have too much fun with your pup, today we're participating in a Blog Hop doubleheader! Since it's both FitDog Friday and Park Day, we're celebrating the two events with a walk through Piedmont Park, our local urban park in Atlanta.

Piedmont Park is our main city park, and many of our festivals and special events are hosted there. Last weekend,  when we set out for our walk we also got to see a disc dog performance as part of our annual Dogwood Festival.

Rocco Havanese hangs out with some of his disc dog pals!

The park covers more than 200 acres so there's always plenty to explore.

 Next, we headed over to the wetland restoration area and walked the trails.

 From there we discovered some good climbing rocks!



There's also a dog park with separate areas for large and small dogs.

We stopped to smell some flowers.

And then started our walk home, meeting some new friends along the way. We covered four miles during our Piedmont Park walk last weekend and didn't even make it halfway through the park. More to explore for another day!

To see how the rest of our pals are staying fit and enjoying their own parks, check out both Blog Hops today!

Head on over to the Park Day Blog Hop hosted by Gizmo and Finn and then join my co-hosts SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place at the FitDog Friday Blog Hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

Whatcha think? Does Rocco have an uncanny resemblance to Rod Stewart?

Reading Dogs and a Doggie Wedding on Who Let the Dogs Out this Thursday!

Find out how dogs read help children read and more fun stuff with Tillman and friends on two-all new episodes of Who Let the Dogs Out on Hallmark Channel this Thursday, April 25 at 1 p.m. ET/noon Central.

Check out the previews of this week's episodes when Tillman heads from New Mexico to New York City!

Watch on Hallmark Channel and follow the fun on Twitter by following hashtag #TillmanTV this Thursday! The regular season ends with this week's episodes so you won't want to miss it!

This post was sponsored by Who Let the Dogs Out

The Truth About Cats and Dogs: Pet Myths Debunked

Last week we had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Ashley Gallagher,  veterinarian at  Friendship Hospital For Animals, about some popular pet myths. Dr. Gallagher provides some quick tips on how to give your pets a happy, healthy life while she debunks myths like:

• Cats have nine lives and dogs have….?
• Table scraps are okay.
• Dogs wag their tail when they are happy.
• Letting my dog out in the yard is enough exercise.

Listen to Dr. Gallagher discuss the truth about cats and dogs!

This interview was provided by Hill’s.

Raising a Puppy: When it's Time to Pull Puppy Teeth

One of the "joys" of having a new puppy is going through the teething stage.

Rocco, who's generally pretty good about not chewing stuff, destroyed a whole list of items between the ages of about three and five months simply because his sharp baby teeth, especially the canines, seemed to get caught on everything.

So once Rocco's adult teeth started coming in I was looking forward to those needle, sharp teeth falling out.

Only they didn't.

You can see one of Rocco's extra canine's on the bottom right, outside the adult canine

It turns out it's pretty common for some pups, especially small breed dogs, to wind up with double sets of teeth. And if the baby teeth haven't fallen out by the time the pup is six months old,  many vets will recommend pulling the baby teeth when the pup is in for spay or neuter. Otherwise tartar can build up between the adult and baby teeth, causing all sorts of nasty problems, like decay and gum disease.

Rocco's extra canine on his left, your right. 

We watched Rocco's teeth for the past month, and by the time he turned seven months old last week, it was clear he had two baby canines -- the upper and lower on his left side -- that were there to stay for the long haul.

So last Friday Rocco went in for oral surgery, both baby teeth were removed and he was microchipped too.  He's got dissolving stitches and strict orders to stay away from chews, tug toys and hard food for a week!

I've been keeping him busy with walks and teaching him tricks that don't involve his mouth! This morning, he finally perfected the jumping up in my arms trick!

The surgery was a piece of cake for Rocco -- he was in by 8 a.m. and out by 2 p.m. -- and by the next day he was back to zooming around the backyard.

I'm happy to get rid of those baby teeth, but our tailor will certainly miss seeing me every week.

The list of clothing Rocco hung a tooth on, requiring repair:

• Two pairs of jeans
• One cashmere sweater
• Three t-shirts
• One pair pajamas
• One pair sweat pants
• One down jacket

After a while, I just wore the same thing everyday to minimize the number of damaged goods! 

Rocco's perfect, new smile!

Speaking of hanging teeth and other mischievous deeds, let's see what everyone else is up to at the Monday Mischief Blog Hop, hosted by our pals at Snoopy's Dog Blog, My Brown Newfies and Alfie's Blog.

Black and White Sunday: Doggie in the Window

I'm participating in the Black and White Sunday Blog Hop hosted by You Did What With Your Weiner, My Life in Blog Years and Dachshund Nola. Want to join the hop? Link up below!

FitDog Friday: Quick and Easy Disc Games

Today we're participating in FitDog Friday, and we couldn't be more thrilled to announce we're teaming up with SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place as official co-hosts of this new, weekly Blog Hop!

If you're learning about FitDog Friday for the first time, we hope you'll join our effort to spread the word about the benefits of keeping your pet fit and healthy.  Share some tips or simply post a photo of your pup living a healthy, active lifestyle. It's up to you how you want to participate, but we hope you'll join our Hop each Friday and help inspire others to stay fit and healthy with their pups!

You can read more about participating in FitDog Friday here.

Everything sticks to Rocco during a backyard romp! Joys of a fluffy dog!

We love this topic because we're all about staying fit and healthy, and we have a lot of fun along the way. With plenty of exercise for the mind and body, and good nutrition, it's certainly a great step toward giving your pup the best life possible.

With a young pup in the house, I find myself looking for lots of ways to keep Rocco busy and out of trouble.  It doesn't have to be a big time commitment, and especially for young ones, I find attention spans can be short.

Sometimes the best game is a quick round of outdoor disc toss. When Rocco starts getting a little nutty inside, we head outside for 5-10 minutes of throwing and retrieving the disc with some fun tugging thrown in! We like the soft Floppy Disc style for small dogs.

Since Rocco's still a young 7-month-old pup, I'm careful to keep the disc low when I throw it.
No fancy leaping allowed until Rocco gets older! 

If it's dark out or raining, we'll even play disc toss, retrieve and tug indoors! Our indoor choice for tug and play is the Angry Birds Tuff Stuff Flyer.

Rocco zips around a corner with his flyer in tow!

Grab the badge from our sidebar, join the Blog Hop below and show us how your pup stays fit and healthy!

Now let's see what everyone else is up to at the FitDog Friday Blog Hop!

DVR Alert: Who Let The Dogs Out Moves to Thursday With Two New Episodes!

This week, Tillman and friends head to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and to Galveston, Texas in two all-new episodes. Don't miss Who Let the Dogs Out on a new day, now on Thursdays (that's today!) on Hallmark Channel at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT.

Check out previews of this week's episodes!

Watch the show and follow all the fun on Twitter at hashtag #TillmanTV!

You can also check out Norman the Scooter Dog, showing off his bicycling technique, when he makes a special appearance on the Rachael Ray Show this Friday!

This post was sponsored by Who Let the Dogs Out.

Wordless Wednesday: An Eye on Agility

Rocco Havanese sports an up-do so he can get a closer look at the agility action in Perry, Ga., last weekend. Rocco's still too young to start training on most agility obstacles, but we've started pre-agility classes, working on attention, focus and handling skills.

Go Rocco!

An Urban FitDog Friday with Rocco Havanese

Today we're participating in FitDog Friday, the new blog hop hosted by our pals SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place. The idea behind it is to share stories about staying fit and healthy with your dog, to help combat the all-too-common problem of pet obesity.

When we heard about this hop that launched last Friday, we knew we had to jump right in! We're all about activities and adventure that help both human and pup enjoy a happy, healthy life together!

Whether it's organized sports like agility or peaceful nature hikes, I enjoyed every moment of that time with Cosmo and now, with young pup Rocco Havanese!

We feel it's never too early, or too late, to get started on a healthy, active lifestyle. And now that Rocco's six-months-old we're starting to take longer walks to exercise both his mind and body! Last weekend, we started our adventure with a visit to the farmer's market at Atlanta's Piedmont Park, above.

We continued our walk through the park and discovered some fun structures in the children's playground, perfectly suited for a quick training opportunity! Above, Rocco practices "up-up" onto a small balancing pad... a nice stepping stone to learn the table obstacle in agility or to become a circus dog! We find playgrounds are full of fun items that can be adapted to dog play. Just be watchful of surfaces where dog nails can get caught or anything that may pose a danger to your pup. Safety first!

Speaking of safety, since it's getting warmer in Atlanta we also made sure to take rest stops in the shade as well as provide plenty of fresh water. Above, Rocco meets a new pal in the park.

We continue on for some wall-walking...

...and geese-watching. 

And pause again to cool off!

Rocco finishes his walk with some more urban wall-walking, another great training opp to prepare him for the agility dog walk!

All-in-all we covered about six miles, with lots of different adventures, surfaces, smells and sights along the way. 

Now let's take a look at more Fit Dogs at the FitDog Friday Blog Hop!

Sing along with Tillman on Who Let The Dogs Out! #TillmanTV

If you haven't caught an episode of Who Let The Dogs out this season, this is a perfect week to start. Our skateboarding pal Tillman heads to Memphis and Nashville with his team this week and we hear it's an episode not to miss!

Here's a sneak peak of what's in store!

Catch all the action with Tillman and pals tomorrow -- Friday, April 12 -- at 1 p.m. Eastern and Pacific/12 noon Central on the latest episode of Who Let The Dogs Out on Hallmark Channel. You can also join the fun on Twitter by following hashtag #TillmanTV! See you there!

Backyard Behavior: Dogs vs. Cats!

You never know who will show up in our backyard. Yesterday, neighbor kitty Patches perched herself overhead while Rocco was oblivious to her whereabouts.

Rocco did a little crouching and hiding of his own...

... and then burst into motion!

Zooooom!

Kitty Patches maintains her composure, peering out at the zooming Rocco.

Rocco strikes a pose (for a millisecond)...

And then he's off!

Zooooom!

Wheeeeee!

Meantime, Patches is nonplussed. Why, she wonders, am I still pointing a camera at her when I could be feeding her instead?

We're participating in the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop. And if you're already planning  for your trip to BlogPaws next month, like we are, we dug up a few tips from last year that we hope you'll find helpful. 

Now let's see what everyone else is up to on mostly Wordless Wednesday.

Book Review and Giveaway, Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs

Why are dogs lives so short? It's a question that keeps coming up around me. And it seems I'm hearing even more of it lately... from an increasing number of folks whose dogs are dying too soon, including my Cosmo, who passed away from cancer recently just a few months after his 10th birthday.

So when I heard about Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs,I jumped at the chance to review it.  Afterall, I have a new, young pup of my own, and I'd like nothing more than to help him live the healthiest life possible. Read all the way down for a chance to win your own copy of the book!

The word Pukka, pronouced PUCK-uh, comes from the Hindi and captures the notions of "genuine," "first-class, " or "the best." It's a word, author Ted Kerasote says, he heard on so many climbing expeditions in the Himalayas. And as his new pup offered brilliant young-pup behaviors like "telling" Kerasote when he needed to go outside and following his nose back their motel room during their journey home, the name Pukka came to him. "Yes, in fact I think you're a pukka dog," Kerasote said to the pup, and there starts the story of Pukka's Promise.

Author Ted Kerasote and Pukka

After losing his beloved dog Merle, Kerasote searched far and wide to learn more about what makes for a healthy dog and what factors contribute to the longevity of their lives. He traveled the dog world in Europe and throughout North America, interviewing breeders, veterinarians and leaders of the animal-welfare movement. Kerasote used that information to help him carefully select his new pup Pukka, and he relives his experience in Pukka's Promise.

In Pukka's Promise, Kerasote shares what he learned about purebreds versus mixed breeds, vaccines, spaying and neutering, dog nutrition and cancer in dogs. He weaves the science and research he gathered into brilliant storytelling about his own life with dogs, making Pukka's Promise a compelling read from beginning to end.

Some of Kerasote's findings and choices may not be popular with everyone, but it's hard to deny that there's got to be a better way to help our dogs live longer, healthier lives. In Pukka's Promise, Kerasote takes you along on his journey, describing each experience in brilliant detail that makes you feel like you're along for the ride.

We're glad we took the journey with Kerasote and Pukka, and now you can too!

Win a copy of Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs

Enter via Rafflecopter, below, for a chance to win a copy of Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, February 2013) by bestselling author Ted Kerasote.  Entries open until April 18. U.S. only.  If you can't wait to check out the book, you can order a copy here!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were provided with a copy of Pukka's Promise to review and give away.  All opinions expressed herein are our own. 

New Ways to Save on Pet Supplies with DugDug.com

David Keh and his Standard Poodle, Walter

If you're like us, finding a good price on pet products can make your day. That's why we were excited to find a brand new price comparison site designed specifically for pet owners.

Founded by David Keh, a former Wall St. investment analyst, DugDug.com makes it easy to shop for the best prices on pet products through a simple, easy-to-navigate interface.

Keh created the site after finding it frustrating to shop online for pet products.

"Comparing prices on pet products today is next to impossible.  All you get from price comparison sites are pages full of advertisements and irrelevant results across different sizes or products," says Keh. "We obsess about one thing and one thing only – finding the lowest prices for pet owners and presenting them through a wonderful user experience."

From treats to flea and tick products, DugDug.com makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. And once you pull up the product, you'll even get a selection of coupon codes right along side each product.

We like that the site is clean and uncluttered and super easy to use. What do you like, or dislike, about online shopping?

Rocco Gets His Pet Diving Certification!

We love finding fun activities to do with dogs, so we were super excited to be one of the first teams to experience the new PADI (Pet Association of Diving Instructors) Pet Diver certification this past weekend.

Rocco gets ready for our latest adventure!

What's really cool about it is that this scuba dive training program is designed exclusively for dogs and cats (yes, cats too!) and chances are you can start the certification even if you don't live anywhere near the ocean.

First, Rocco and I enrolled in the PADI eLearning certification where we learned all about pet scuba theory in the comfort of our own living room.

Rocco learns some stretching techniques before making his first dive

Next, we headed out to our local PADI certified diving school right here in Atlanta,  where we got hands- and paws-on experience with subsurface fetching and power dog paddling techniques. 

And finally, we got the chance to experience our first open water dive at Vortex Spring, an easy drive from Atlanta, just over the Florida state line.

Dexter Goldendoodle is suited up for his dive

We also got to meet Dexter, the first dog to complete the diving certification!

Turns out there are 6,200 dive centers and resorts worldwide and you can check here to see if there's one near you!  We had a blast with our dive experience. What adventures did you have this weekend?