Mon 8 Feb 2010
Posted by Elisa Jordan under News
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With President Barrack Obama’s call to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by 30,000, the need for systems to support those numbers will also increase. The estimated cost for the first year alone is approximately $30 billion.
At least a fraction of that cost seems likely to fund the need for military-trained dogs that accompany soldiers on their patrols. By all accounts, dogs trained to sniff out explosives and mines have saved countless lives in the Afghan desert, but these dogs cost a significant amount of money to train and maintain. The San Francisco Examiner reports that amount to be about $40,000 per year, per dog. (more…)
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Fri 5 Feb 2010
Posted by Linda Chavez under News
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Radio and T.V. personality Ryan Seacrest, host of FOX’s American Idol and morning host for 102.7 KIIS FM, has sent some woofs out through the airways. In recent months, he’s been discussing with his on-air staff the possibility of bringing home a new dog.
Thursday morning he went back and forth with co-host Ellen K about the proper procedure for choosing a new best friend. Seacrest’s line of thinking led him down the path of picking a name first and then letting the name lead him to the dog that perfectly suited the name. Seacrest’s unique, perfect name? Zinger.
Security guard Roger, who’s often featured on the program, wasn’t too crazy about the name, while co-host K suggested the dog be named after someone Seacrest admired, like his buddy, famous news anchor Larry King. She suggested the name “King” would be a perfect pick for Seacrest’s new pawl.
Having heard the news through the grapevine, Larry King himself left Seacrest a humorous message giving Seacrest approval to name his dog after him, with the condition he name his dog “LarryKing,” all one word, so that he be more unique. (more…)
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Fri 5 Feb 2010
Posted by Linda Chavez under activity, training
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When i Love Dogs traverses the country for various events, we have the pleasure of meeting dog lovers from all paws of life. This previous December, while at the AKC/Eukanuba Agility Invitational, our booth had an intriguing visit by a woman and her pooch who had come to the invitational all the way from Brazil! Simone Lessa and her 6-year-old medium Border Collie Hera were in the United States for the very first time showing off their pawsome agility skills.
A systems analyst by day, Lessa trains with Hera three times a week with one goal in mind: to make the Brazilian Agility World Team and go to the next world championships in 2010. Formed in the year 2000, the Brazilian Agility World Team is already a considerable agility powerhouse. Since their formation, the team has taken home first place Large Team at the FCI Agility World Championships in 2002, and first place in Large Team and first place in Small Team in 2008. These are only a few of the team’s many accolades. The team’s hard work has made Brazil’s Agility World Team the top ranked team in all of Central and South America. How do you say “Wow!” in Portuguese? (more…)
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Tags: agility, agility dogs, AKC/Eukanuba Agility Invitational, Alexander Schcolnik and Tyller, Border Collie, Border Collie Magic, Brazil, Brazilian Agility World Team, Brazilian Commission for Agility, FCI Agility World Championships, FCI Americas y El Caribe Championship, Felipe Minet and Petit, Fidel do Kanove, Henrique Garcia CBA, Hera, I Copa Paulista, Jose Luiz Filho and Dino, Katia Cilene da Silva and Candy, Marcela de Andrade Checchia, Natasha Wise and Dizzy, Paulo Rogerio L. Prado and Blanka, Petit de Leao, Samir Abu Laia and Lola, Samy Wroblewski and Chester, Simone Lessa
Tue 2 Feb 2010
A pooch yelps and the sound carries across a hotel conference room full of attentive listeners all waiting to hear the wise words of the man at center stage. Though one expects to hear a chorus of “Ssh!” resound throughout the room, the audience instead breaks into fits of laughter in response to the squeal.
“May be the first time anyone’s ever been heckled by a dog,” chuckles the man at center stage. The audience bursts into another round of laughter.
Warren Eckstein is no stranger to dog yelping and barking in the middle of his speaking engagements. In fact, Eckstein has made a 30-year-long career out of deciphering barks and yelps. This particular yelp might have been a heckle, the next may be an emotional outcry for attention, and even the next still may be a bark voicing fear of abandonment. Most humans wouldn’t be able to tell you either way, but Eckstein can tell you all about your pooch’s emotional state in a few seconds flat; in fact, he can do it all with a quick dog sit on his therapist’s couch. (more…)
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Tags: Barbara Cowen, Cedar Sinai Pet Therapy program, Cesar Millan, Chihuahua, David Letterman, dog friendly hotel, dog-friendly, Eilen Smulson, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Hotel Palomar, Hugs and Kisses Animal Fund, Kimpton Hotels, Operation Blankets of Love, pet friendly hotel, pet therapist, Pit Bull, Rodney Dangerfield, Saturday Night Live, Stupid Dog Tricks, The Pet Show, Warren Ecksteing, Westwood, WOR Radio
Mon 1 Feb 2010
Posted by Laura Goldman under News, Prizes, i Love Dogs
[2] Comments
We are so honored that the i Love Dogs blog is nominated for the Best Informational Blog About Pets award in the 2010 Brodies for excellence in pet blogging, presented by Pawcurious!
Voting is only open for one week, so if you enjoy all the pooch information and news our blog provides, please vote for us here.
Veterinarian “Dr. V.,” creator of Pawcurious, decided to start the Brodies (named for Brody, her “Goldenbeast extraordinaire”) after the 2009 Weblog Awards were cancelled last December.
“Since the Weblog Awards went kaplooey for the year, I decided to make up my own awards specific for that underrepresented segment of the blogging world, the pet lovers,” she wrote on her blog. (more…)
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Tue 26 Jan 2010
Posted by Laura Goldman under Event, i Love Dogs
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The i Love Dogs office was recently swarming with supermodels – all of the four-legged variety. The pooches were gathered to model the i Love Dogs line of diamond dog collars for a photo shoot.
Collars in the La Collection de Bijoux collection range from the stunning, 52-carat Amour, Amour, which has a price tag of $3.2 million, to the more understated La Jeune Tulipe, a gorgeous 1.52-carat leather and diamond number that sells for $150,000.
(more…)
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Tue 26 Jan 2010
Chances are, many dog owners have already been doing it for a while and didn’t even realize they were on the forefront of a hot new trend.
It’s called “dogscaping” (or sometimes “petscaping”) and the concept is a simple one.
“In its most basic form, it’s landscaping with your dog’s needs in mind,” says Tom Barthel, a Michigan-based master gardener and author of “Dogscaping: Creating the Perfect Backyard & Garden for You and Your Dog.”
Conscientious pet parents who consider their dogs’ habits — both good and bad — potty preferences, general comfort and the like probably already have yards that are somewhat dogscaped. (more…)
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Tags: Ask a Trainer, ASPCA, Association of Professional Landscape Designers, backyards, digging, dogscaping, Eugenia Vogel, exercise, fencing, gardening, hip dysplasia, i Love Dogs, Julie Orr, landscaping, lawn, petscaping, plants, safety, senior dogs, shade, Tom Barthel, training, wildlife
Fri 8 Jan 2010
Posted by Laura Goldman under News, i Love Dogs
[2] Comments
While 2009 wasn’t the Year of the Dog (it was actually the Year of the Rat), many stories about our four-legged furiends shared the spotlight, such as the successful rehabilitation of Michael Vick’s dogs; Pet Airways, the first airline for dogs and cats; “First Dog” Bo Obama, and more.
Based on our readers’ visits to the i Love Dogs blog, these were our most popular stories of the year. (more…)
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Tags: adopt-a-shelter-dog month, agility, AKC Agility World Championship, animal cruelty, Bo Obama, First Amendment, Geri Hernandez, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, Mario Lopez, Michael Vick, Pet Airways, puppy mills, service dogs
Tue 22 Dec 2009
Posted by Elisa Jordan under News, rescue
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California is known for many things: warm weather, palm trees, surfing, Hollywood. In fact, the land of make believe is finding itself under fire for a state-specific Chihuahua overload, which is one distinction California appears eager to lose.
California animal welfare and rescue workers have found themselves in the unique position of having too many Chihuahuas in need of permanent homes. The glut, some believe, directly relates to the recent attention the breed has received in movies and television, with many calling the phenomenon the “Paris Hilton Syndrome.” (more…)
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Tags: 101 Dalmatians, adoption, animal welfare, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bob Barker spay neuter, Britney Spears, Britney Spears Bit Bit, California, Chihuahua, Chihuahua fever, Collie, Dalmatian, Disney, Flying Chihuahuas, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden State, Grey's Anatomy, Hollywood, Human Nature, Humane Society for Greater Nashua, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, Katherine Heigl, Kinder4Rescue, Lassie, Laurel Kinder, Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde Bruiser, Legally Blonde Chihuahua, Los Angeles, Madeline Bernstein, Madonna, Madonna Chihuahua, Madonna Chiquita, movies, New Hampshire, Paris Hilton, Paris Hilton Syndrome, Paris Hilton Tinkerbell, Reese Witherspoon, rescue, Rin Tin Tin, Salem Animal Rescue League, shelters, spcaLA, Studio City, Taco Bell, Tammy DeVito, The Simple Life, travel, Yo quiero Taco Bell
Fri 18 Dec 2009
Posted by Linda Chavez under activity, training
[2] Comments
In recent months, i Love Dogs has documented the growing popularity of dog surfing. From Jack Russell Terriers to Great Danes, our woofing friends are finding the waves a delightful haven for fun. Though the time-honored doggie sports of old remain dog lover favorites (fetch and a good ol’ run), these days more and more dogs are opting for some pretty unconventional dog sports to get that ravenous rover energy out. From surfing and dancing, to skateboarding, dogs are wagging their tails with excitement as they show off their unique talents. (more…)
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Tags: agility, Animal Planet, Border Collie, canine musical freestyle, Chihuahua, dog agility, dog skateboarding, dog surfing, Emily Larlham, English Bulldog, Great Dane, Greatest American Dog, Jack Russell Terrier, Jaime Van Wye, Kiko, National Geographic, Splash, Tillman, Tillman the skateboarding dog, Zoom Room
