Chihuahua Scares Off Cougar. Yeah, You Read That Right.

A big cat picked the wrong little dogs for a fight. Chiquita the Chihuahua and Rosie the border terrier chased off a cougar that strayed into this small town near the Oregon State University campus. The dogs' owner, Loren Wingert, said Chiquita and Rosie are tough, but lucky.

The cougar pinned down Rosie, who squealed, but Chiquita convinced the big cat to flee by barking ferociously.

Wingert lives in a cul-de-sac atop a hill that backs up to a wooded area with deer trails. Warning signs about cougars are posted on the trails.

Wingert said the dogs are fine.

[Source: The Associated Press]

Get Free Shipping On ID Tags This Week At Modern Tails!

Make sure everyone knows your name with an adorable new ID Tag from Modern Tails!

Purchase an ID Tag this week and enjoy free shipping on your entire order.

Use the coupon code BLIDTAG at checkout to receive your discount, good until June 3, 2009. Limit one coupon per customer, per order; cannot be combined any other specials, discounts or coupons. Not redeemable for cash or gift cards, nor is it valid toward previous purchases.

Dog Park Promotes Green Waste Disposal

Dog poop isn't the only thing that's biodegradable at one North Side dog park.

Puptown in Uptown's Margate Park is now home to three artsy-looking doggie waste-bag dispensers, stocked with biodegradable bags.

The volunteers who donated a year's supply of biodegradable bags want dog owners to stop using plastic grocery bags -- which take centuries to decompose -- and try the eco-friendly bags made from corn.

"This is part of a long campaign of re-education to get people to realize those shopping bags are not for dog waste," said John Lenti, a Puptown volunteer.

The 12,000 bags were donated by Mike Schultz, who runs the Web site zoomagreen.org and Green Paws Chicago, an eco-friendly dog-walking service. The dispensers are courtesy of artists from Gallery B1E in Rogers Park.

Schultz hopes the Chicago Park District will help the project expand to other city dog parks.

"Our work is not done," he said. "Hopefully, by the end of the fall, we'll have all the dog parks covered."

[Source: Chicago Sun-Times]

Memorial Day Savings For Dog Clothes Horses!!!!

Fire up the grill and take 15% off selected items under our Bar-B-Que Category.

Use the coupon code BLBBQ at checkout to receive your discount, good until June 1, 2009. Limit one coupon per customer, per order; cannot be combined any other specials, discounts or coupons. Not redeemable for cash or gift cards, nor is it valid toward previous purchases.

Dog-O-Matic

When a dog comes home from a walk filthy and smelling of something unmentionable, the temptation sometimes is to throw the darn thing in the washing machine.

Well, now you can. An entrepreneur has come up with the Dog-O-Matic, a mini car-wash that transforms pets from filthy to fluffy in half an hour.

Frenchman Romain Jarry, 31, who insists the device is not cruel, hopes to introduce it to Britain next year after it proved a huge success in his home town of St Max, near Nancy.

Mr Jarry said: 'It doesn't take long to wash the dog - usually a few minutes. The longest part is the drying. The dogs don't seem to get bored. They just sit there and they come out clean.

'We are really hoping it will take off and that other places will start buying in the machines.

'I would love them to be available in England within the next year or so but at the moment people are still getting used to the idea.'

Beanie Baby Bo!

Last month, toy company Ty announced its plans to market a Beanie Baby in the image of the new Obama family dog, Bo. And the Bo dolls appear to be popular enough that they're hard to keep in stock. The Associated Press reports:

Less than a dozen "Bo" Beanie Babies were sent to the educational toy shop Learning Express in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles, and he sold out quickly, owner Aalap Shah said Wednesday.

"We were fortunate enough to receive a small shipment of 'Bo,' " Shah said. "He sold out within a few hours. He was very popular. We can't wait to get some more in."

Capitalizing on the first family's popularity seems to come naturally to Ty, which came under fire early this year when it introduced two dolls, "Marvelous Malia" and "Sweet Sasha," apparently modeled after the president's daughters. (A Ty spokesperson said the company had chosen the names simply because "they are beautiful names," but the dolls were quickly rebranded. You can see "Marvelous Mariah" and "Sweet Sydney" above -- and clearly they bear no resemblance to the Obama girls. Cough, cough.)

Beanie Bo's suggested retail price is $4.99, although the dolls are often selling for considerably more on eBay. One online auctioner even offers the holy trinity of Obama-themed Ty memoribilia: original TyGirlz Malia and Sasha dolls (authenticated!) and Beanie Bo. Asking price? $2,299.95.

Yeah, we'll get right on that.

[Source: L.A. Unleashed]

Reality Show Teaches Old Dogs Extreme Tricks

Max the Border Collie can roll over on command, herd crowds and sit still on a table while his owners eat.

But Grace and Michael Ham want their dog to do more — like climb people's backs and then leap into the air to catch a Frisbee. So, they have sought the help of Zak George, a dog trainer made famous from YouTube clips who now is hosting a reality TV show aimed at teaching old dogs new tricks.

A crew for Animal Planet's new show — tentatively called "Fetch Me a Beer" — recently filmed Max while he was learning his new moves. The 20-episode series, scheduled to premiere in October, will show George teaching other dogs such skills as riding a bike and helping a helpless human land a date.

"The dogs are easy. It's the people who are more challenging," George says. "There's nothing we can't attempt to teach a dog."

Seanbaker Carter, executive producer of Powderhouse Productions, says viewers will see all sorts of skills from dogs they didn't think were possible, such as seeing a dog "literally fetching a beer out of a fridge" and bringing it to its owner.

"It's the one trick we probably all need to happen," says Carter, whose company is producing the show for Animal Planet.

To read the full story, head on over to msnbc.com

Animal Odd Couple

In the pantheon of animal odd couples, these two belong up there with Kermit and Miss Piggy. Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the Bluetick Coonhound met in a sanctuary for endangered animals two years ago, in South Carolina, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

Roscoe was an underfed stray, but Suryia quickly took him under his wing.

Dr. Bhagavan Antle, founder of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in Myrtle Beach, told the Daily Mail that Roscoe followed him and Suryia through the park's gate one day.

"As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing," Antle said "It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates; but they took to each other straight away."

After a few unsuccessful phone calls to find an owner, Antle said they decided to let Roscoe stay.

Now the the pair have a ball frolicking around the park. "They will spend a few hours each day together rolling around, swimming," Antle said. "Suryia will take Roscoe for walks around the enclosure and even feeds him some of his monkey biscuits."

The pair may even appear soon on Oprah Winfrey's show, the Daily Mail reported.

[Source: abc.com]

Paula Abdul Celebrates National Guide Dog Month

American Idol singer Scott MacIntyre received an incredible gift from Paula Abdul, as she presented him with a guide dog in honor of May being National Guide Dog Month. Paula, Natural Balance Pet Foods, Petco and independent pet stores nationwide are teaming to raise funds and awareness for guide dogs, with over 2 million dollars to be raised during May.

An emotional MacIntyre was both thrilled and surprised to learn he would receive a guide dog. He had been told he was at the ceremony to perform, but instead, Paula informed him that he would be receiving a dog after his upcoming tour. Many people openly wept during the ceremony.

"Being part of this important cause is truly special and very close to my heart,” said Paula Abdul. “Most people have no idea how much time and money it takes to train these beautiful animals to give such a precious gift to those who need it most. It can take more than two years and $40,000 to properly train a guide dog. Together, we can help guide dog schools provide more of these life-changing partners to people who are blind.”

[Source: PR.com]

Creative Grooming

In my quest for something fun and Friday-ish, I stumbled upon The Pet Blog's post on creative grooming. Check it out!

Meet Chanel, The World's Oldest Dog

They say every dog has its day, but this one has had more than most: Chanel, a dachshund mix, is going to be celebrating her 21st birthday (that’s 120 in human years, according to Chanel’s veterinarian). And though she wears “doggles” for cataracts and gets cold easily, there’s life in the old dog yet.

The birthday girl, looking sporty in a pink sweater and the trademark red goggles she wears because of her cataracts, visited the TODAY show set in New York Wednesday with her owner, Denice Shaughnessy.

“She’s doing fine,” Shaughnessy said of Chanel. “The vet says he’s never seen a dog her age do so much.”

Actually, he’s probably never seen a dog her age period, at least not one whose age has been certified as the oldest living pooch on the planet by Guinness World Records.

Chanel might not have gotten her place in Guinness World Records had it not been for Denice’s husband, Karl Shaughnessy, who was paging through the record book one day and realized he didn’t see a category for the oldest dog. He called Guinness and sent in Chanel’s birth certificate showing her birth date: May 6, 1988.

Chanel is undeniably remarkable. At almost 21, she’s in fine fettle, still likes to play, and has just a few physical issues that can be expected at an age that translates to 120 for a human. (Veterinarians say that the first year of a dog’s life is equivalent to 15 years of a human’s. The second year is equal to 10 human years. After that, every year is five human years.)

To read the full story, head on over to msnbc.com

Happy Trails: Tips For Hiking With Your Dog

As the weather heats up, Arizona's Valley residents will be heading up north to enjoy the cooler climate and the great outdoors. Many dog owners will take their four-legged friends with them for a day of hiking and exercise.

But before you hit the trails, Melissa Gable, Friends of Animal Care and Control, there are some important safety tips to remember.

1. Determine which hike is best for your dog. Toy breeds with short legs cannot go as far or as fast as larger dogs. It is unfair to force a small or young dog to walk many miles; especially on rough terrain. Even if you have a large dog, don’t attempt a long hike immediately. Just like us, some dogs need to work up to longer distances.

2. Before you head out on a hike, make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed. Long nails can be extremely painful for a dog.

3. Make sure your dog is properly licensed and educate yourself on the rules and regulations of the area where you will be hiking.

4. Make sure you keep your dog away from holes and rocks – poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions can all be harmful to your pet. And don’t forget to keep Fido away from cactus! Having your dog on leash will help prevent any accidents.

5. Bring LOTS of water (for you and your dog). There are many different types of collapsible water bowls for your pooch. Don’t expect your dog to drink from a water bottle – always have a bowl handy.

[Source: abc15.com]

Dog Food: Yummier Than It Seems

Pâté or dog food? Either could be yummy.

That's because you probably wouldn't be able to differentiate which is which in a blind tasting, according to a study scheduled to be released today by the American Assn. of Wine Economists.

Researchers provided 18 volunteers five food samples to try in a blind taste test. Only three were able to identify the canine fodder.

"We have this idea in our head that dog food won't taste good and that we would be able to identify it, but it turns out that is not the case," said Robin Goldstein, a co-author of the study that is expected to be published online today.

Goldstein said the tasting demonstrated that "context plays a huge role in taste and value judgment," even though researchers warned the participants that one of the five foods they were going to taste was dog food.

The five samples came from a wide price range and were processed to have a similar consistency. The foods were duck liver mousse, pork liver pâté, two imitation pâtés -- pureed liverwurst and Spam -- and Newman's Own dog food.

Eight participants believed the liverwurst was the dog food, and four thought the Spam was the culprit.

Two people identified the high-end pâté as dog food, and one identified the duck liver mousse as dog food.

Hildegarde Heymann, a sensory scientist at UC Davis who was not involved with the study, said she was surprised that so few people were able to identify the dog food.

"It is specially formulated for dogs and would likely stand out," Heymann said.

And it did stand out: 72% rated the dog food as the worst-tasting pâté.

[Source: LaTimes.com]