Sunday Sweetness: New First Pup, Sunny Obama

Sunny is not a democrat or a republican.  She is a cutie pie.

Sunny Obama with Big Brother Bo.


May I just add that I did my dog trainer thesis on Portuguese Water Dogs.
  They. Are. Awesome.

Pug Mugs & Love Bots

These are EIGHT THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW:

Pug Mug Brooch, The Tuileries Dress, Secret Lives of Dresses Book, Color Wheel Watch, Candy Stripe Socks, Luv Bot Necklace, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, Storybook Kittens Pocket Mirror.

Sunday Funny: Borzoi Snow Dogs

*Mychtar and Snow Buddy photo via Flickr*

2010 Belmont Shore Bulldog Beauty Pageant

Ohmeohmy, almost nothing's cuter than a baby bulldog puppy. Get your fill of both pretty pups and handsomey oldtimers at next weekend's event: Sunday, Feb. 28 at 10am. This year, it's near the pond and grassy area of The Long Beach Marketplace (at the corner of 2nd St. & PCH, over by Claim Jumper/Trader Joes and whatnot.) In addition to Bulldogs, there will also be awards for Frenchies, Pugs, and Any-Breed-Seniors.

Visit Haute Dogs for more info.

Dogs 101: Breed Background Basics

Dogs 101 is a great series on Animal Planet. While it's important to remember that dogs are individuals and (like humans) they don't always live up to temperament stereotypes or generalizations, it's fun to understand the history and genetic backgrounds of the different breeds. Take a peek at some of SoCal's most popular breeds:

Golden Retrievers

Labs
Beagles
English Bulldogs
Bostons
Chihuahuas
Westies
Yorkies
Poodles
Cavalier King Charles
Shih Tzus
Boxers
Bichon Frises
Border Collies
Jack Russells
French Bulldogs

Pugs

First Puppy Press Conference

Here's the latest Presidential Pooch Footage at Bo's official Meet & Greet for the press:

Special YAY! Moment: Listen for Obama's mentioning of Positive Reinforcement :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"That's A Good Looking Dog, Though, Let's Face It!"

Presidential Pooch

YAY! The Obama girls finally got their puppy. I'd heard about the different breeds they were considering, and was really excited to hear they might choose a Portuguese Water Dog. This weekend, the Kennedy's gifted the new first family an adorable six-month-old PWD pup named Bo.

During dog training school, I did what would be considered my "dog breeds thesis" on Portuguese Water Dogs, so I have a special place in my heart for this lovely, rarely-heard-of breed. Besides being beautiful, these dogs have a wonderful coat that's ideal for allergy-prone humans (btw, despite popular belief, there is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic pooch...)

PWDs are also superduper talented: they can be trained to be exceptional swimmers and divers, and were originally bred to work with Portuguese fishermen... among their many duties, these pups were known to actually herd fish! I'm sorry, call me a dog-loving nerd, but that is so cool!

*White House photos by Pete Souza, via Whitehouse.gov.

Pup Quiz! What Dog Breed Are You?

Ever wonder what breed you would be if you were a dog? Most sane people (including creative, dog-crazy types like me!) probably haven't ever really thought about that one...

...but... now that it's in your head... aren't you just dying to know?... Or at least a little curious?... Take the cheeky, Brit-created, furry & frivolous "What Dog Are You?" quiz (click on the game page) and find out the true identity of your inner-Fido (FYI: I'm a Coton De Tulear.)

Isn't it great how quizzes suddenly become so much fun when they have nothing to do with school?...

Dog Breed Trainability Rankings

According to a recent survey of over 100 AKC obedience judges, these are the top 10 breeds who exhibit a natural ability for working/obedience intelligence:

1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. Golden Retriever
4. German Shepherd
5. Doberman
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

Lists like this make me a little nervous. I can picture families rushing out to get one of the breeds in the top ten without taking anything else into consideration. The most obvious being this: These bright, clever dogs are more easily trainable, however, bright, clever dogs will also require more time, exercise, and attention (because if they become bored, tricky mischief ensues!) Dogs that learn quickly aren't just picking up a solid sit-stay during your training sessions... they're also problem-solving on their own... figuring out how to get into the treat cupboard... divising a way to open the backdoor... hiding your keys because it's such great fun to watch you look for them... (I'm not making this stuff up!) Dogs like this require a lot of interaction. When they get it, they absolutely thrive. They're active, stable, happy, and well-mannered. But for a very busy "hardly ever home" family, or for an easy-going, laid-back (translated: lazy-prone) family, having a top trainability breed could actually wind up being a great, great challenge.


The same survey concluded that these breeds rank at the bottom 10:
69. Bullmastiff
70. Shih Tzu
71. Basset Hound
72. Mastiff and Beagle (tie)
73. Pekingese
74. Bloodhound
75. Borzoi
76. Chow Chow
77. Bulldog
78. Basenji
79. Afghan Hound

What jumped out to me most is that a lot of the dogs in the bottom rankings are hounds. It's so hard to learn the come-when-called command when 54,000 scents are distracting you with their intoxicating smells of mystery! This might seem like a huge obstacle. Many people glancing at a list like this might think "Good to know... never get a hound!" However, once they are trained, hound dogs can use that geneticly engrained obsession with scent or sight to help track down criminals, find lost children, and really...save lives!

Another case in point: Huskies. They're sled dogs. They pull. Hundreds of years ago, some creative human thought: "Hey, this dog likes to pull... so... let's give her something to pull!" A less creative human might have put her on a leash and said: "Hey, this dog likes to pull... She's untrainable, poorly mannered, and altogether useless!"

Whether human or canine, it's a curious thing, how our greatest weaknesses and strengths are often the exact same trait. When training (no matter what the breed ranking is on the list) the key is to identify that trait, and then use your creativity to bring out the best in your dog.

Small Breed Shenanigans

I recently bought this book on impulse after one of my group training sessions at PETCO, and I'm so glad that I did because it's really fantastic! The Little Dog's Activity Book (by Deborah Wood) is filled with great games, activities, & observations. The author leaves you with the sense that she truly understands small breeds, and her insight and ideas are all delivered in a fun-to-read, breezy, non-clinical writing style that won't give you a headache! One of the best highlights: specific breeds are broken down into subgroups by energy level, so readers can better understand what to anticipate from their dog (her list is pretty comprehensive, but here's a sampling of some of the more popular breeds): High Energy: Bichons, Carin Terriers, Corgis, Jack Russells, Mini Pins, Mini Poodles, Papilions, Scotties, Silky Terriers; Moderate Energy: Beagles, Bostons, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Chinese Cresteds, Dachshunds, Maltese, Poms, Pugs, Westies, Yorkies; Low Energy: French Bulldogs, Chins, Lhasa Apsos, Pekingese, Shih Tzus, etc., etc. She also warns of "Dog Breed Profiling" and talks about how some dogs will not follow their traditional breed expectations. By knowing your dog's common breed-associated energy level, and combining that with your dog's individual personality, you can then select the games and activities that will be most fitting & fun. Great, great, great book!