Just for fun, I decided to dig around the web to look for more canine cakes. It didn’t take long to find hundreds of photos of adorable dog cakes from all over the world. These included cakes inspired by beloved pets, famous dogs and even cakes made just for dogs. Here are eight of the cutest dog cakes we found online.

1. Sculpted dog cake

Oakleaf Cakes creates stunning custom cakes such as these sculpted dogs created for a wedding. Instead of a traditional cake, the bride and groom requested cakes in the likeness of their two dogs. The cakes were displayed side by side at the reception.

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At Oakleaf Cakes, sculpted dogs are one of their most popular cakes, followed by cars and purses. If you live in the Boston area, you can order your own custom cake to look just like your dog -- fluffy tail and all.

2. Yorkie cake

On the deviantART website, artisans share their latest creations and there’s a section just for food art. This Yorkshire Terrier takes the cake for incredible detail with its intricate icing fur and soulful eyes.

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The artist, Keki-Girl, writes, “I did this cake for a little girl’s birthday. She wanted me to make her three animals into cakes. This was the first one.”

3. Dog-themed cupcakes

Speaking of Yorkshire, these dog-themed cupcakes were created by Cassandra Hickling of Cupcake Creations, based out of West Yorkshire, England. Cassandra is a mom to three kids and started cake decorating after struggling to find a modern christening cake.


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These vanilla cupcakes are topped with dog-themed creations made out of fondant. The toppers include a friendly pooch, a very large bone and a bowl filled with dog food.

4. Pug cupcakes

These baked treats are begging to be called “pugcakes.” They’re the cutest pug-faced cupcakes that we’ve ever seen. There must be something special about the UK and cupcakes, because these little cuties were also created by an English bakery.

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Carousel Cupcakes is based out of Eastbourne, England and was started by two childhood friends who’ve always been passionate about baking. They even won cake competitions while in school. Although they currently bake part-time around their day jobs, judging by these adorable pugcakes, they’ll be baking full-time in the very near future. 

5. World’s cutest cake pop

Here’s Boo, the Internet sensation known for being “The World’s Cutest Dog.” This adorable Pomeranian has over nine million Facebook fans and has inspired countless products, including two photo books and his very own likeness as a Gund plush animal.

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On Bakerella.com, Boo was the inspiration for these adorable cake pops. Visit the website to find detailed instructions and photos on how to make your own Boo cake pops. It’s amazing what you can create with a little bit of cake, candy wafers and a toothpick.

6. Le Marcel Cakes for dogs

Why should humans have all the fun? If your dog has a special celebration coming up, get a cake made just for him. Le Marcel Dog Bakery specializes in creating all-natural, hypoallergenic treats for dogs. Using only raw, human-grade ingredients, this San Francisco-based bakery serves up everything from pooch pastries to Beagle bagels.

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Special occasion cakes are available in two shapes, both round and bone-shaped. The large bone cake is about a foot long and has enough space to include a custom salutation written in dog-friendly icing. You also get to choose your dog’s favorite flavor -- carob (no chocolate for dogs) or peanut butter.

7. Custom cake that looks like your dog

If you live in Tokyo or are planning a visit with your dog, you’ll want to pop into Lovina Bakery. Here, you can get a custom cake made in the likeness of your pet. What’s unique is that it’s a not a cake for humans. It’s just for dogs.

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All you need to do is bring in a photo of your pet and the bakery will create a custom cake using quality ingredients that are healthy and delicious for your dog.

8. Bake your own cake

We all know that the best ingredient when baking is love. And, no matter what the end result, the cake that you make will always be top dog for your pet. At Allrecipes.com, you can find a recipe to bake your own doggie birthday cake.

With yummy ingredients like peanut butter, eggs, honey, and carrots, it’s no surprise that the majority of the 100-plus reviews gave it two paws up. One reviewer even tasted the cake herself and wrote that it was pretty good.

Have your ever baked a cake shaped like a dog? Or a cake for a dog? Tell us about it in the comments!

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• We Love These Pictures of Dog-Pooping Photobombs
• Go Home, the Internet Has Been Won by These Chihuahua and Chicken BFFs
• Everybody's Doing It: The Dog Breed Group Personality Quiz

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis in dogs, is an ocular health condition in which the conjunctiva becomes inflamed. What’s conjunctiva, then? Conjunctiva is a kind of lining that covers the white part of the eyeball, as well as the inside of the eyelid and the nictitating membrane, also known as the third eyelid. Conjunctiva keeps eyes lubricated and protects them, for the most part, against the elements and foreign objects.

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Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is as common in dogs as it is in their human friends. Eye of a dog, macro shot, focus on a center by Shutterstock.

In general, you'll recognize the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs when the whites of their eyes become pink or red. The eyelids can become swollen, and the eyes may present a discharge that can range from clear and watery to greenish with pus. Dogs that blink excessively or rub at their eyes with their paws might have pink eye. There are three distinct varieties of conjunctivitis in dogs, as well as a fourth that affects newborn puppies right around the time their eyes are opening on the world for the first time. We’re going to give you a brief overview of each kind of conjunctivitis in dogs, what causes them, and how to minimize the risk of pink eye.

Follicular conjunctivitis in dogs

The first is follicular conjunctivitis. Follicular conjunctivitis in dogs occurs when a foreign object or irritant gets under a dog's eyelid. A group of cells forms around it, creating what's known as a follicle. That follicle's rough surface irritates the conjunctiva, leading the eye to become pink or red, and the eyelid to become swollen. The dog's eyes may produce more tears than normal, and the dog may paw at her face, signalling irritation.

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There are three varieties of conjunctivitis in dogs, and one that affects newborn puppies. Close-up mischievous expression of young black and white Pit Bull puppy by Shutterstock.

In many cases, a saline eye wash or eye drops will help the foreign object to dislodge itself and the follicle to go away. If symptoms persist, a trip to the veterinarian may be required. The follicle may remain, and the rough surface formed continues to irritate the eyelid, the nictitating membrane, and the eye itself.

Serous conjunctivitis

Serous conjunctivitis, or dry eye, is the most common kind of pink eye in dogs. It occurs when the dog's tear ducts don't provide enough lubrication for the eye, leading it to become dry and increasingly irritated. Causes of this sort of conjunctivitis in dogs include relentlessly cold or dry weather, dust, smoke, allergens, or other irritants. The dryness makes the eyes pink and inflamed, with a clear, watery discharge. This kind of conjunctivitis in dogs can be usually be resolved with saline eye wash or eye drops.

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Irritants and allergens are responsible for two kinds of conjunctivitis in dogs. close up of an eye of a small white pug with expression of thinking, lonely, sad, wisdom, waiting, visionary by Shutterstock.

Purulent conjunctivitis in dogs

Evidence that you should always be mindful of your dog's overall health, purulent conjunctivitis in dogs occurs when serous conjunctivitis, or dry eye, goes untreated. In especially poor sanitary conditions, a dog with serous conjunctivitis can be exposed to bacteria like staph or strep. That's when pink eye in dogs turns nasty. As far as complications of conjunctivitis in dogs go, it's just about the worst when bacteria finds its way into a dog's eyes. Clear and watery discharge associated with pink eye turns into mucus and pus. Crust from this discharge begins to build around the dog's eyes. Left untreated long enough, purulent conjunctivitis in dogs can lead to blindness. Bad news all the way around.

Neonatal conjunctivitis

The fourth and final form of conjunctivitis in dogs is also bacterial in nature, and affects newborn puppies. As we know, the eyes of baby puppies don't open for the first couple of weeks of life. If the whelping box, or their immediate surroundings for those first couple of weeks, aren't carefully tended to and cleaned regularly, the presence of bacteria can cause neonatal conjunctivitis. Pink eye in baby puppies whose eyes are not yet fully open is as awful as it sounds. Conjunctivitis in puppies causes their eyes to bulge and their eyelids to swell. The goo that forms can prevent puppy eyes from opening at all and blindness to result. Newborn puppies with these symptoms should be treated by a veterinarian immediately.
 

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Newborn puppies with conjunctivitis or recurrent pink eye in dogs should be treated by a veterinarian. female professional vet doctor examining pet dog eyes by Shutterstock.

Can conjunctivitis in dogs be prevented?

Prevention of conjunctivitis in dogs is tricky, because we don't have much of a say in the operation of our own tear ducts, much less those of our dogs. Nor do we have any real control over allergens or occasional irritants that can cause the mild and common occurrence of serous conjunctivitis in dogs. Regular and consistent hygiene, on the other hand, we can and should concern ourselves with.

Regular baths for our dogs, along with making sure their living environments, from floors to couches to dog beds, are clean and tidy, can take care of many potential irritants and smaller foreign objects that can disturb a dog's eye health. Limit a dog's exposure to smoke, whether from candles, incense, tobacco, or other sources.

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You can minimize your dog's risk of getting pink eye by keeping her environment clean and tidy. a close-up of a cute chihuahuas face with big shiney eyes and a tongue hanging out dressed in a pink jumper by Shutterstock.

Since dogs can't tell us when they are ill at ease, it's vital that we pay attention to things that they might not. Look into your dog's eyes daily. It only takes a moment, and the earlier you can catch the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs, the quicker you can get them addressed. Have you encountered cases of conjunctivitis with your dogs? Which variety did you deal with? How did the situation resolve? Share your experiences with pink eye in the comments!

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Guide Dogs for the Blind
• 6 Things to Remember When You Have a Fearful Dog
• Four Things You Should Know About Your Dog's Growl

Fortunately, there are more and more rescue groups being created to try and save the unadoptables. 

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Rescue groups like Blind Dog Rescue Alliance (BDRA) a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) which was created after Karen Belfi adopted a blind husky mix, Ray Charles, off of Petfinder and realized just how many other blind dogs were out there that would fall through the cracks of breed specific rescues. She joined an email list for blind dog owners, and then with the help of others on the list, started BDRA in August of 2009. 

Since its creation, BDRA has rescued more than 300 dogs and the volunteer network has grown to more than 100 people all over the United States and Canada (and even one in New Zealand). It is also one of the only rescues in North America specialized in fostering, rehabilitating and rehome blind and visually impaired dogs. 

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BDRA foster, Willis, has gone on to find a wonderful forever home in Massachusetts.

Regardless of how these dogs find themselves in shelters -- as strays, owner abandons, or victims of abuse and neglect -- they are almost always euthanized before ever being placed up for adoption, to leave room for dogs that are seen as more easily adoptable.

But Belfi is quick to defend blind dogs and believes they are far from being unadoptable and make wonderful pets. 

"People have a lot of preconceived notions, I think, about blind dogs," she says. "They think they can't adopt one because they have stairs, or they will be an only dog, or because they don't have a fenced-in yard. But you can't make any assumption; they are just as individual as any other dog."

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Who wouldn't want kisses from BDRA volunteer dog, Pawlee?

And while any dog can be affected by blindness or visual impairement, certain breeds such as the Siberian Husky are more prone to such issues.

"Siberian Huskies can have an eye disorder called PRA -- progressive retinol atrophy," Belfi explains. "Poor breeding does cause more blind dogs as [irresponsible and backyard breeders] are not concerned about passing on inherited disease."

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Certain breeds like the Siberian Husky are more prone to vision problems, but BDRA alumni, Bear, isn't letting that stop him!

Like any rescue group, BDRA has its share of successes and challenges. For Belfi, the fact that BDRA has grown so much and has been able to help so many dogs is really motivating.

"When we first formed," she says, "we thought maybe we'd help 10 or so dogs a year. I think we took in about 30 dogs in the first four months."

And because of just how many blind dogs are out there that need rescuing and fostering, Belfi is always faced with the challenge of never having enough volunteers or money in order to help as many as she'd like. 

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Sadly, many blind or visually impaired dogs who end up at shelters will never get the chance at a new life. (This sweet guy was one of the lucky ones who got into foster care with BDRA.)

But in an effort to help make life even easier for some of the blind dogs who need new homes, BDRA will also work with willing owners who can no longer care for their pet by keeping the dog with the owners until a new permanent home has been found. "We try to do this when the owners are able to do so," says Belfi. "It prevents the dog from moving first to a foster home, then to the forever home."

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BDRA is trying to bring more awareness to the fact that, sadly, many blind dogs are the result of puppy mills and irresponsible backyard breeding.

Belfi herself adopted Pete, one of the blind dogs she had been fostering, and despite the happy ending to his story, the beginning is heart-breaking.

"Pete was found along a highway in South Carolina, afraid to move," Belfi explains. "The Good Samaritans that found him thought that he had been hit by a car, but when they brought him to the shelter, they found out that he had been buckshot in the face and his eyes were so badly damaged that they needed to be removed."

But today, Pete is healthy and happy and thriving at Belfi's house.

"He has no idea he can't see, and doesn't let it slow him down for a second," she says. "He can hear ANYTHING -- just try opening the cheese drawer in the refrigerator without him hearing!"

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Belfi's "foster failure," Pete, who, despite having had his eyes removed after being shot in the face, is not letting his blindness get in the way of enjoying his life.

And as a testament to just how well many blind dogs can adapt to different environments, when Belfi moved into a new house, Pete learned the entire layout -- including the steps and the large backyard -- in a matter of hours. 

As BDRA continues to expand, Belfi says that they would love to one day have kennel space in order to house several blind dogs at once. The group would also like to keep getting the word out that blind dogs make great companions who are far from "unadoptable."

Blind Dog Rescue Alliance's motto says it: Blind Dogs See With Their Hearts.

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Whether a dog is blind from birth or loses its sight later on life, these animals can all lead happy, fulfilling lives and should not be considered unadoptable.

All photos courtesy of Karen Belfi and Blind Dog Rescue Alliance's Facebook page.

If you'd like more information about Blind Dog Rescue Alliance and ways to help, please visit its website and Facebook page. 

Read more on blind dogs:

• 7 Tips for Living with a Blind Dog
• How Blind Dogs Play "Fetch"
• Scented Products Help Blind Dogs "See" With Their Snouts
• Anybody Want to Adopt an Adorable Blind Dog AND His Seeing-Eye Friend?
• Blind Dog Has a Seeing-Eye Cat
• Is Jack the Blind Pomeranian the Next Boo?
• How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helped a Blind Dog See  

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Guide Dogs for the Blind
• 6 Things to Remember When You Have a Fearful Dog
• Four Things You Should Know About Your Dog's Growl

About Crystal Gibson: A child-sized Canadian expat in France who is fluent in French and sarcasm. Owned by a neurotic Doxie mix, a Garfield look-alike, and two needy Sphynx cats. An aspiring writer and pet photographer with a love of coffee and distaste for French administration, she can be found blogging over at Crystal Goes to Europe.

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Dogs have always been my favorite animals. I'm not sure what drew me to them as a child, but I always wanted to pet them, hang out with them and most of all, have one of my own. I used to beg my mom for a dog -- write essays about my love for canines and put them on her pillow, bug her until she would almost give in -- but we never ended up with one, much to my chagrin.

I knew that the moment I was able to have a dog on my own, I would. So, I graduated high school, then college, and finally was able to adopt a dog.

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Guybrush, my first dog, was rescued from the New York City shelter.

Guybrush (named after a character from the Monkey Island computer game series) was on the euthanasia list at Animal Care & Control in New York City, where I live, and with the help of a local rescue we (my fiancé and I) were able to pick him up and save his life. This opened our eyes to the realities of shelters and how much we wanted to help other dogs and cats who need love.  

Hans Gruber, my second dog (of course, you can never have just one!), began as a foster pup and easily weaseled his way into our hearts to find a permanent place in our family. His story was what inspired The Sidekick Series. 

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My dog, Hans Gruber, started out as a foster. He inspired the Sidekick Series.

Hans came to us by way of Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue, an amazing rescue and foster network that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters in the south, transports them up north and works to find them forever homes. Hans had been shot and left on the side of the road to die. We don't know much else about him, but his scars are a constant reminder of his harrowing time before he was rescued. 

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Me and my wriggly, adorable Hans.

Despite this, he is one of the happiest, most enthusiastic and sweet dogs I've ever met. While it took him some time to come out of his shell, he has blossomed into a tail-wagging cuddlebug who loves all dogs and people (and squirrels). 

Hans' story was picked up by a blog a few months ago and I showed it to my longtime friend and filmmaker, Emily. The story sparked an idea for her. She thought: How many other amazing rescue stories are there, like this one, that could help raise awareness for adoption? What if she found them, filmed them and shared their stories? Emily told me her idea and I was immediately on board to help. (To read about and see videos of cats, see the post on Catster.)

We decided to combine her filmmaking and editing expertise with mine: I've been a social media and digital marketing strategist for the last five years and knew I could help bring this project to the world. 

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With my fiance, Ben, and our dogs.

So, since the idea came to be, we've been working to make it a reality. We've worked really hard to find a diverse cast with both cat and dog stories and convey a variety of messages about the importance of adoption. We want people to watch our series and have fun while doing it, but also learn how rewarding and amazing having an adopted pet in your home can be. 

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Hans at work.

In our series, you'll meet dogs like Maggie, a Pit Bull who defies all stereotypes and truly represents the breed. You'll get to know Ella, a senior cat who is living with cancer and thriving. You'll learn about Daisy, a former puppy mill breeding dog who now has two doting human parents, and Nelson, a one-eyed cat who hit the jackpot with his human mom. There are many more to boot! And while we want our stories to be seen far and wide, we'll also be asking for rescue and adoption stories from our audience. 

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Hans with my feet.

Ultimately, we'd like The Sidekick Series to build a community around pet rescue and adoption. While dogs, cats and many other animals remain homeless and in need of love, we know there's work to be done. So we hope our stories inspire people to get involved. If even one animal gets adopted because someone saw The Sidekick Series -- or if just one animal gets fostered, or if one person decides to donate to a rescue organization -- we will feel like we've made a difference.

We hope you'll watch, subscribe and share! Check our website for a full episode schedule, subscribe to our channel on YouTube for new episodes, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog

About the author: Suzanna is a digital brand strategist and writer. She lives in Brooklyn with her fiance, Ben, and two rescue dogs, Guybrush and Hans Gruber. When she's not taking long walks in Prospect Park with her fam, she's cross-stitching dog (and sometimes human) portraits, perusing interior design blogs and volunteering for dog rescue organizations.

Do you know of a rescue hero — dog, human, or group — we should profile on Dogster? Write us at dogsterheroes@dogster.com.

Shelter pups almost always come with some kind of a name either picked by the prior owners or by the staff at the humane society or rescue. Now you may think that you and your new pooch are stuck with that name -– especially if the dog is older and perhaps used to being called by a certain moniker. But that’s not necessarily true.

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Indy is a great name for a Raiders of the Lost Ark or Indiana sports fan by Shutterstock.com

Dogs respond to the tone of your voice and to your body language, especially when they’re just making your acquaintance. Start out with a smile and friendly greeting like “here, girl” or “come, boy.” When they respond, praise them like crazy. If they’re stubborn or seem confused, offer them a treat. See? You’re bonding! That lucky dog doesn’t care what you call them –- as long as you’re giving them love, attention and affection, they’re all yours. But they do need a name, for training and safety’s sake. You’ve got to be able to call your dog and have him be alert to you to keep him out of trouble.

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The right name is actually a safety tool to keep your dog out of troubleby Shutterstock.com

Mark Spivak, trainer and owner of Comprehensive Pet Therapy and Dog Training in Atlanta, has worked with close to 50,000 dogs. He stresses the importance of the name as “a tool for obtaining attention, which will then increase the probability that the dog will properly respond to a command that follows the name.”

So when you’re coming up with a new name for your rescue, you might want to think of an alternate that begins with the same letter or contains the same vowel sounds. If his shelter name was name Buddy, then Barney or Buster might work, and might be more appealing to you. Roxy can become Rosie, Riley, Ruff or even Foxy.

But here’s a cool trick to use if you want to give your new pal a completely different sounding name: Link it to the one they already know. If he arrived as Rocky, then every single time you call him, say “Rocky Gizmo.” The first few times he responds, offer praise or a treat. After a few tries, drop the Rocky and just call him Gizmo. Soon, he’ll be like, “Rocky? Who the heck’s that? I’m Gizmo, dude.”

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A Prince among dogs by Shutterstock.com

And you don’t have to have the perfect moniker picked out the moment your new pup arrives home. It’s perfectly fine to hang out a couple of days and get to know each other. See if something about his personality, behavior or appearance strikes you. Maybe he’s Frisky or has a Swagger. Does he love to run (Racer, Tag) or is he more of a couch potato (Snuggle, Chill)? You might think your pal is just plain brown at first glance –- but are you sure he’s not more of a Cocoa, Chestnut or Maple?

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Cocoa, Chestnut or Maple? by Shutterstock.com

Some folks like the Most Popular names, so they’re in with the “It” crowd. But if your dog is going to be around lots of pals -- say at the dog park or day care –- you might want to choose a more unique moniker, so he doesn’t get confused with the 18 other Bellas and Maxes around.

And watch out for sound-alikes. I was at the self-wash a couple of days ago, giving my two pooches a bath, when I heard the staff struggling to search their computer system for the owner of a dog who had been dropped off for grooming. All any of us heard was “Charlie,” but the dog’s name was Tarley. Really, people? Is it worth the confusion just to be different?

Also, make sure the name is something you won’t be embarrassed shouting through a park –- Booger or Killer might sound cute in theory, but in public? Not so much.

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Please try not to embarrass me in public. Photo by DoggieNames.com

If you’re stuck for creative ideas, there are a lot of fun ways to shake a name loose. Think of a favorite movie or comic strip dog, like Beethoven or Mooch, or a breed-specific name, such as Speedy for a Greyhound or Mate for an Australian Shepherd. In fact, that’s why I created DoggieNames.com. You can browse through names based on TV shows, literary characters, places –- or even a favorite food or drink -- that might mean something to you and your family.

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Bud and Daisy's middle names are reserved for questionable behavior. Photo by DoggieNames.com

One last piece of advice from Spivak: “Dogs should respond favorably and believe they are safe and secure when they hear their name, so try to avoid using the name in an unpleasant tone or in association with a punishment or reprimand.” That’s why I gave my dogs a middle name, so Daisy Jo and Bud Earl know when they’re in trouble. Just like their human counterparts.

Have you ever tried to change your dog's name? How did it go? Let us know in the comments!

Read more about dog names: 

• Girl Dog Names: A Wealth of Cute and Unique Choices 
• The 10 Coolest U.S. Presidential Dog Names
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• Let's Talk: What's the Strangest Dog Name You've Ever Heard
• Would You Change Your Dog's Name If Nobody Could Pronounce It?
• Let's Talk: How Do You Choose Names for Your Dogs?
• Six Cooler Names I Wish I'd Given My Dog 

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Guide Dogs for the Blind
• 6 Things to Remember When You Have a Fearful Dog
• Four Things You Should Know About Your Dog's Growl

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Shar-Pei puppies may have poor peripheral vision, but this one can see you just fine! Posted by everything-s-ok on Tumblr.

From a human point of view, Shar-Pei puppies age in reverse. Born with more wrinkles and folds than you could massage in a day, Shar-Pei puppies eventually grow into all that skin. They're sort of like puppy balloons! They may look sleepy around the clock, and being inundated by all those glorious folds of skin may contribute to that impression, but Shar-Pei puppies are engaging, loyal, and affectionate. These Shar-Pei puppy pictures will give you cause to rethink the value of wrinkles!

Shar-Pei puppies in "action"

If anything, all those delightful folds and wrinkles make pictures of Shar-Pei puppies resemble works of fine art. The decadent, flowing robes and gowns designed by all the Pre-Raphaelite painters combined cannot hold a candle to a photo of a wrinkly Shar-Pei puppy. Meet Frodo, a Shar-Pei puppy living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Look how the light and shade in the room draw the focus to the cascading folds. Delightful!

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Frodo the Shar-Pei puppy looks like he's ready for adventure! mi shar pei Frodo, by lobopastillero on Tumblr.

Shar-Pei puppies are known to get bored easily; while they are said to do well as companions to apartment dwellers, they are just like any other breed, and require exercise. This Shar-Pei puppy is taking his first steps into a larger, brighter world. The tenuous, awkward steps of Shar-Pei puppies are the foundations upon which bold, proud Shar-Pei dogs are built. Painterly wrinkles? Yes, but also statuesque. Filling out those folds requires physical exertion!

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Shar-Pei puppies can be territorial; the more territory you explore together, the better! Posted by blueberry966 on Tumblr.

Sleepy Shar-Pei puppies!

Regular activity is a must for Shar-Pei puppies, to be sure, but what would a survey of cute puppy pictures be without the darling sight of these tiny little friends at rest? MuMu here resembles nothing quite so much as an adorable bean-bag chair, or a loveable Jabba the Hutt. No pillows or sailing barge cushions required for this Shar-Pei puppy, who has found ample nap-time padding among all those folds and wrinkles!

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Even proud and dignified Shar-Pei puppies like MuMu need a nap now and then. Photo by rahrah90 on Tumblr.

Don't you just want to cuddle up next to these Shar-Pei puppies? As far as I can tell, this little one's name is Chocolate, and there's really nothing sweeter than finding Chocolate asleep in a bin that's just big enough! I cannot help but squeak at the sight of all those wrinkles! I'm so pleased to share these Shar-Pei puppies with you all, and hope you're sharing them with everyone around you!

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Chocolate found a nice little bin to sleep in! It's not as hard as i thought to take care of this baby, by octoververyown on Tumblr.

Lounging around with Shar-Pei puppies

Time to wake up and enjoy a lazy afternoon with our next two Shar-Pei puppies. "Wait a moment," I hear you saying, "This isn't a Shar-Pei puppy! Surely, with that snout, it must be a sea cow, manatee, or a dugong!" No, I can assure you that Kona is a Shar-Pei. Look at the long, blue-black tongue and that happy, smiling face! Grab the ball in the background and let's see if Kona wants to play!

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Is that a manatee? No, it's Kona, the Shar-Pei puppy! Photo by tbusch27 on Imgur.

Shar-Pei puppies appeal to us for many reasons. I've noted their resemblance to works of art, and surely, the striking, solid colors of the coats in these cute puppy pictures contribute to that impression. Like works of art that are meant to last, the long-term health of Shar-Pei puppies depends on regular maintenance. All the folds and wrinkles of Shar-Pei puppies require cleaning and upkeep to keep those frowny little faces looking brighter than sunflowers.

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What a calm and placid Shar-Pei puppy! He's too cute for me to be calm or placid! Posted by alwaysandforeverwithyou on Tumblr.

Shar-Pei puppies and pals!

I don't know about you, but I feel an instinctive love and attachment to these Shar-Pei puppies. Alone, they inspire sighs of adoration and joy. To see them playing, huddling, and sharing affectionate moments with little friends makes my head spin. These two Shar-Pei puppies will certainly be best pals forever, and that's a comforting thought.

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These Shar-Pei puppies are the very best of friends! Two sharpei puppies lying together in the garden by Shutterstock.

Are two Shar-Pei puppies not enough for you? How about three baby Shar-Peis huddled together for warmth after a nice meal? At just about one month old, these Shar-Pei puppies' eyes are only beginning to permit light to enter. They are able to see for the first time and are getting acquainted with each other. Do Shar-Pei puppies worry or fret about wrinkles? Not a whit! For the first few weeks of life, these tiny babies' biggest concern is trying to figure out which folds belong to which puppy!

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The only thing better than a cute Shar-Pei puppy is a litter of them! Brown puppies of sharpei one month old on the bed by Shutterstock.

The last of our last Shar-Pei puppy pictures is, without doubt, the most wonderful. Why are we so drawn to cute puppy pictures? Why does the very thought of puppies make us feel warm, accepted, and cared for? I think we associate babies of all kinds with gentleness, innocence, and love. Our relationships with dogs are among the strongest bonds we experience. What happens when a human baby befriends a Shar-Pei puppy? Magic.

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Pictures this cute should be banned by law. Thankfully, they're not! The wrinkliest puppy of all time submitted by stillblazin19 on Reddit.

Share your Shar-Pei experiences!

We may never quite reconcile ourselves to the lines and wrinkles that accompany aging, but Shar-Pei puppy pictures never fail to inspire tender feelings. Have you lived with or enjoyed the company of Shar-Pei puppies or dogs? We'd love to read about your memories and experiences with Shar-Peis! Share your stories and photos in the comments!

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog

The scientific community was once oblivious to these basic facts that are now universally understood. In fact, much of what we now know as obvious, when it comes to heart disease, was a mystery until the Framingham Heart Study started yielding results.

The Framingham Heart Study is a massive, ongoing study of people in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. It's now following its third generation of participants. It has contributed massive tomes of information to the medical world -- and not just about heart disease. The study has generated more than 1,000 scholarly articles.

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that veterinary medicine, which is the impoverished stepchild of human medicine, has never benefitted from such a massive study.

Until now.

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Photo of Dr. Eric Barchas by Liz Acosta.

The Morris Animal Foundation recently launched a $25 million lifetime study of Golden Retrievers. The foundation is recruiting 3,000 healthy young Golden Retrievers. They will be followed for life, or, eerily, until funds run out. The dogs will undergo regular evaluations by specially certified participating veterinarians. Blood, urine, nail, hair, and stool samples will be submitted regularly. Owners will be questioned extensively on all matters of lifestyle such as diet and travel.

The stated goal of the Framingham study was to better understand heart disease, but the study has yielded mountains of data on unrelated subjects. Likewise, the canine study is focused on canine cancer. Golden Retrievers are known colloquially for suffering higher-than-average rates of cancer, and that is one of the reasons why they were chosen for the study. This study promises to reveal many things about canine cancer, including whether Goldens are predisposed to it (a fact that, although accepted by most veterinarians, has never been proved).

The study also may put to rest many other controversies surrounding the lives of dogs. Do dogs on grain-free diets live longer and healthier lives than those on conventional ones? Or is there no difference, or are grains in fact crucial for dog health? The study will probably be the first to provide hard data on the comparative advantages or disadvantages of grain-free and also (drum roll please!) raw diets.

Other potentially exciting revelations might relate to vaccination frequency, pesticide use in the house, and even which types of food bowls are best.

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Golden Retriever receiving in obedience training by Shutterstock.

I am truly excited about this project, and I have great respect for the Morris Animal Foundation -- a foundation that has, to the best of my knowledge, dedicated itself wholeheartedly and unreservedly to advancing animal health in an unbiased fashion.

And with that said, it is time to discuss the study's (as I understand it) darker side. An article on the VIN News Service (that is well worth a read) discusses the study in depth. In the middle of the article is a quote that I found highly troubling:

In the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, the Morris team and project sponsors will do some of the data analysis. Donors of more than $2 million get a first look at the data. After 18 months, anonymized raw data will be made freely available to the general research community. [Morris Animal Foundation CEO David] Haworth added that if any significant risk factor surfaces, that information will not be held, but immediately made publicly available.

Who are those donors of more than $2 million? The Mark and Betty Morris Family Foundation is one, and I believe its motives are pure. Other major donors, according to the VIN News Service, are "the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research, Petco Foundation, VCA Antech, and Zoetis."

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Portrait of a Golden Retriever by Shutterstock.

Although I'd like to commend these companies and foundations for their philanthropy, I wonder to what extent self-interest drove their donations. Blue Buffalo looks set to get an 18-month head start over Hill's, Iams, Purina, and other competitors should any major dietary revelations occur. Petco will get a similar head start if revelations regarding toys, treats, or bowls come out.

But VCA Antech and Zoetis are the ones who really stand to benefit. VCA Antech is a veterinary mega-conglomerate. The Antech portion of the company is a major veterinary diagnostic laboratory. It looks set to get an 18-month head start over competitors (such as Idexx) if, for instance, some new testable biomarker for cancer or some other disease is discovered. VCA's huge network of hospitals might get the jump on independent vets if changes to lifestyle or vaccination patterns are to be recommended. You might never have heard of Zoetis, but I can describe the company in three words: veterinary big pharma. It looks like it, too, will get an 18-month advantage over competitors.

I fully commend the Morris Animal Foundation on this magnificent study. I wish to thank the ordinary owners of Golden Retrievers who are participating in the study. I also wish to thank donors to the study who have nothing personal to gain from it (other than longer and healthier lives for their future canine companions).

But I'm afraid I can't bring myself to thank the big companies who have contributed to this project. Their expenditures appear to me to be investments rather than philanthropy.

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

Got a question for Dr. Barchas? Ask our vet in the comments below and you might be featured in an upcoming column. (Note that if you have an emergency situation, please see your own vet immediately!)

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As a writer, it's hard for me to ignore a good story. When I became a weekend puppy raiser, socializing a service dog-in-training for NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, I couldn't stop thinking about all of the fascinating people who pull together to mold a tiny little puppy into an assistance dog, as part of NEADS' Prison PUP Partnership. In the program, up to 95 percent of NEADS puppies are trained in 10 correctional facilities throughout New England. 

I wanted to write about everyone -- the prison inmates who live with and teach the puppies obedience and tasks, the trainers who teach the inmates, the prison captain who oversaw the program, the breeders. But as I got deeper into the project, I realized that there was another story to tell, and it was a much more personal one. 

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Out and about with Josh and Daisy.

The prison pup Daisy taught me to think like a dog –- in the present. The bond I formed with her and her inmate trainer, Keith, helped me to be a better parent and a kinder person. But the most profound lesson from that year was learning to accept loss as inevitable and focus instead on living a life full of purpose. I wrote the book Walking with Daisy about my work with NEADs.

An excerpt from Walking with Daisy

I’m convinced that love at first sight is a myth ... unless you’re looking at a dog. The first time I laid eyes on Daisy, I was smitten. The moment was heightened by the setting, a medium-security prison. In the midst of all that cold steel and concrete was the most precious Labrador Retriever puppy I’d ever seen.

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A bunch of NEADs graduates.

I could have thrown up, that’s how nervous I was about going into the prison to meet Daisy for the first time. You know that feeling when you’re getting ready for a first date or going to a job interview? That sensation of excitement spiked with dread, like someone has injected ginger ale into your central nervous system? Well, that sickly brew had worked its way down to my knees and up into my throat by the time I pulled into the parking lot of J. J. Moran. I swallowed it down and stepped out of my car.

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Me with sweet Daisy.

I picked my way toward the building, shrugging a denim shirt over my tank top. The day had been blazing hot and though it was close to six in the evening, the temperature hadn’t dropped below 90 degrees. The fabric felt like a horse blanket on my skin, but during orientation somebody had mentioned there was a dress code for visitors, and I didn’t want to take the chance of inciting a prison riot with my bare shoulders (cue derisive laughter here).

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Captain Lefebvre with Cindy and one of the NEADS canine graduates.

Visiting hours were in session this time, and a cluster of people stood in front of the reception desk, waiting their turn to sign in. Others sat against the wall in gray molded plastic chairs. I squeezed through the crowd and up to the counter, feeling uneasily conspicuous and at the same time just a little bit worried that someone might mistake me for the kind of person who would know someone in prison. I attempted to catch the eye of the skinny gray-haired guard -- the one who had shook his head and laughed at Jones’s name the first time I was there. Finally, he looked up at me, a pencil poised over a log. “Who you here for?” He didn’t recognize me.

“Um. She’s a dog. Daisy?”

The guard grabbed a phone. “Canine Daisy to the brass’s office,” he said into it, gesturing behind him toward the red metal door. “Go right ahead, dear.” I stepped past a younger guard whose clean-shaven head caught the reflection of the overhead light. He was watching a toddler struggling to pull the tiny pockets of her jeans inside out to show him they were empty. Her mother stood nearby with a bored expression on her face. I could feel her eyes on me and hated myself a tiny bit for feeling smug that I didn’t have to empty my pockets or walk through the metal detector.

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Prisoners taking the dogs out for exercise and training.

While I waited for the first door to buzz, signaling me to push it open, a clutch of visitors gathered behind me. They followed me through and we stared in silence at the handle of the second door, willing it to unlock. Our small group stepped into the building. While the others continued straight to the visitors’ door, I broke off and walked past a soda machine toward shift command. The door slid open and I stepped in, peering through what looked like a bank teller’s window, until I spotted the correctional officer inside. I lifted my hand to him and he waved back. We both watched the door slide shut. Just one more door between me and the puppy whose face I had memorized from the sixteen thousand times I’d opened the email containing her picture.

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Daisy at work in her NEADS jacket.

I couldn’t wait for the final door to slide open all the way, so I squeezed through sideways and followed the cinder-block walls past Captain Lefebvre’s office, where he was talking on the phone, on to the cramped vestibule that led to the prison yard. And then I stopped short. There she was, as exquisite in her simplicity as the flower she was named for. Daisy sat next to her inmate, the top of her head barely reaching to his knee. Her plush butterscotch fur blended with the tan of his suede work boots and khakis. A little squeal escaped me and I clapped my hand over my mouth like a game-show contestant who’d won the grand prize.

Daisy rose slightly on her haunches, her tail stirring the grit on the floor. “Sit.” The inmate holding her leash drew out the word in a steady, coaxing tone. I tore my eyes from Daisy. The inmate was about six feet tall, hard and lean in his buzz cut and prison uniform, a stark contrast to Daisy’s softly rounded lines. He looked dangerous, like he belonged here. “It’s like she knows you.” Captain Lefebvre had appeared beside me. He must have been working a double shift to be there so late on a Friday.

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Keith greets Daisy.

“Yeah. You sure you two haven’t met already?” The inmate’s voice was low, rough, but leavened slightly with humor. He glanced at me, then ducked his head and looked down at the puppy. My mind jumped around for something clever to say. I came up with nothing.

Captain Lefebvre spoke again: “Sharron, this is Keith, Daisy’s handler.” He waited while we mumbled hello to each other like two shy schoolkids meeting on the playground. Daisy was standing now, sniffing the floor, creeping closer to me. Keith guided her gently back to his side and she plunked her bottom down hard, into a sitting position.

“She’s so obedient,” I said to him.

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Keith trains Daisy to "say her prayers."

He shifted his weight and stood up a little straighter. “Yeah, she’s really smart. Picks up on commands real quick.”

I looked back down at Daisy. Her tongue was hanging out in an openmouthed puppy smile. 

Keith began telling me how often to feed her and some other things I didn’t hear, so captivated was I by the gorgeous puppy in front of me -- the velvety muzzle, the floppy ears -- she could have been assembled in a toy factory, she was that perfect. Then Keith lifted his voice a few octaves, catching both my and Daisy’s attention. “Are you ready, girl?” 

“Yes!” I nearly blurted. Daisy tilted her head toward him, waiting for the next signal. Keith said, “Let’s go!” and walked her toward me, offering me the leash. I knelt on the floor and let Daisy scramble onto my lap and lick my face. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that; probably I should have acted in a more dignified manner, but the instant I accepted the leash, everything but Daisy melted away. I was in prison, but I was in heaven.

To read more about what happened next, check out Sharron's book Weekends With Daisy, published by Simon and Schuster. Follow Sharron on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

Read more about prison dogs:

• Dogster Heads Behind Bars to Watch Prison Dogs at Work 
• In New Mexico, Female Prison Inmates Help Train and Socialize Shelter Dogs
• "Shelter Me" Celebrates the Beauty of Shelter Dogs
• We Chat Up Tia Torres, Star of "Pit Bulls and Parolees"

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

About the author: Sharron Kahn Luttrell is a freelance writer and journalist whose work has appeared in various Massachusetts-based publications, including the Boston Globe. She continues to volunteer for NEADS as a weekend puppy-raiser. To learn more about the work of NEADS, follow them on Facebook. 

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Rat Terrier at the park by Shutterstock

Face it, the Rat Terrier isn't the easiest of breeds to ID. Some people confuse him with the Parson (or Jack) Russell Terrier, but the Rat Terrier is finer boned, his tail is usually shorter, and he never comes in anything but a smooth coat. The Rat Terrier may also be confused with the Toy Fox Terrier, but the Rat Terrier is larger than the Toy Fox, may have folded ears, and his patches come in more colors. And some confuse him with the Smooth Fox Terrier, but the Rat doesn't necessarily have folded ears (in fact, more often he has erect ears), his patches come in more colors, and his head is not as elongated.

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Rat Terrier looking quizzical by Shutterstock

More interesting things about the Rat Terrier

• The Rat Terrier comes in two size groups: Miniature, which are 10 to 13 inches at the shoulder, and Standard, which are 13 to 18 inches.

• Some even larger Rat Terriers are known as Giant Decker Terriers, and are bred for hunting.

• The breed descends from crosses made in the 1800s of various terriers, such as Fox Terriers, Old English White Terriers, Manchester Terriers and Bull Terriers. These dogs were brought over by English working class immigrants, and used to rid homes and farms of rats as well as partake in rat-killing contests.

• Later crosses to the Beagle, Toy Fox Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Whippet and Italian Greyhound were made.

• In the Midwest, they were bred to fast dogs such as Whippets to create a dog that could catch the troublesome jackrabbits.

• In the South, they were crossed with Beagles to create a dog that could trail, hunt and get along in packs.

• Eventually they were all intermixed, creating a fast hunter with a good nose that gets along with other dogs much better than most terriers.

• In the early 20th century, and especially from the 1920s to 1940s, the Rat Terrier was one of the most popular farm dogs. With greater use of pesticides and the advent of larger-scale farms over family farms, their use as farm ratters declined and they become far less popular.

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Rat Terrier by Shutterstock

• They are used to hunt squirrels and other small mammals, particularly in the South, where they may be referred to as feists -- a generic term for small hunting terriers.

• A Rat Terrier is credited with killing a record 2,501 rats in seven hours in an infested barn.

• The Rat Terrier has been bred for foundation, not appearance, for most of his existence. This is why the ears may be pricked, folded or button, and why there's great variation in breed type. Whatever catches the game is correct type. It's also why longtime breed clubs such as the National rat Terrier Association opposed recognition by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and American Kennel Club (AKC), as these organizations promote conformation dog shows.

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Rat Terrier puppy by Shutterstock

• Amidst controversy from within the breed, the UKC recognized the Rat Terrier in 1999 and the AKC in 2010 -- although full AKC registration only began in June, 2013.

• In North America, the tail is customarily docked short, although it is equally correct to have a natural bob tail or a full-length tail.

• The color is mostly white, with large patches of color, usually black, brown or a combination.

• A hairless variety exists, but hairless dogs cannot be shown in AKC conformation shows. These dogs are now being bred as a separate breed, the American Hairless Terrier. This breed is interesting because a different gene causes him to be hairless than what is found in other hairless breeds.

• A shorter-legged variety exists, which are now bred as their own breed, the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier.

• Owners include Theodore Roosevelt, William Faulkner, John Sandford, Shirley MacLaine and Carrie Underwood.

• The Rat Terrier is one of the more popular UKC breeds. Because the Rat Terrier has been fully recognized by the AKC for less than a year, no AKC registration statistics are available at this writing.

• The breed will have an open registry with the AKC until 2018, which means Rat Terriers not currently AKC registered will be accepted for AKC registration until that date.

Do you own a Rat Terrier? Have you spent time with one? Let's hear what you think about this fascinating breed in the comments! And if you have a favorite breed you'd like us to write about, let us know that, too!

Read more breed profiles:

• Get to the Know the Boxer: Born and Bred for Bravery
• Get to Know the Havanese: The Cutie from Cuba
• Get to Know the Standard Poodle: Brains, Beauty, and a Bouffant
• Get to Know the Bearded Collie: The Bouncing and Bubbly Scot
• Get to Know the Basset Hound: Sad-Faced but Happy-Go-Lucky!
• Get to Know the Miniature Pinscher: Hummingbird of Dogs
• Get to Know the Portuguese Water Dog: The First Dog of the United States
• Get to Know the Pekingese, Imperial Dog of China
• Get to Know the Shih Tzu: Little Lion Dog of Tibet
• Get to Know the Greyhound: Speeding Couch Potato
• Get to Know the Pembroke Welsh Corgi: A Foxy Charmer
• Get to Know the Rhodesian Ridgeback: King of Beasts
• Get to Know the Doberman Pinscher: Semper Fi-do!
• Get to Know the Dalmatian: A Frisky, Freckled Friend
• Get to Know the Cocker Spaniel: America's Sweetheart
• Get to Know the Airedale Terrier: King of Terriers
• Get to Know the French Bulldog: Clown in the Cloak of a Philosopher
• Get to Know the Akita: Monumental Dog of Japan
• Get to Know the Dachshund: Short on Leg, Long on Love
• Get to Know the Pit Bull: Dog of Satin and Steel
• Get to Know the Chihuahua: Mighty Mite from Mexico
• Get to Know the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Ruler of Hearts
• Get to Know the Australian Shepherd: A Jack of All Trades
• Get to Know the Bernese Mountain Dog: A Real Teddy Bear
• Get to Know the Yorkshire Terrier: From Blue Collar to Blue Blood
• Get to Know the German Shepherd: A Dog Breed with Brains, Brawn, and Star Quality
• Get to Know the Great Dane, a Little Dog in a Huge Body
• Get to Know the Bulldog: Part Gargoyle, Part Clown
• Get to Know the Bloodhound, the Famous Tracking Dog
• Get to Know the Miniature Schnauzer: The Most Popular Terrier in the United States
• Get to Know the Beagle: Super Sniffer and Beguiling Buddy
• Get to Know the Miniature Schnauzer: The Most Popular Terrier in the United States

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

About the author: Caroline Coile is the author of 34 dog books, including the top-selling Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She has written for various publications and is currently a columnist for AKC Family Dog. She shares her home with three naughty Salukis and one Jack Russell Terrier.

My name is Bailey and I am a dog.

I’m usually pretty easygoing. I enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like running, playing, eating, and most of all, spending time with my humans.

Normally, I don’t stick my nose in other people’s business, but today I had to drop the pretense of being a simple dog. I’m furiously typing up this letter to email to the editors at Dogster. I’ve seen too much and I can no longer stay silent. I share my story with you in the hopes of fostering better relations between dogs and kids all over the world.

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Parents, teach your kids wisely. Little girl pets big dog by Shutterstock

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Baby: "Let's be friends." Pug: (eyeroll) Baby and Pug by Shutterstock

My story began one fine day when one of my humans was sitting at the kitchen table. Of course, any wily canine will tell you that the table is where you want to be if you’re hankering for a snack. I was salivating at the thought of a tasty treat coming my way when I noticed something was amiss. (Being a dog, we're blessed with superpowers of observation and awareness.)

I sensed tension radiating from my human and spotted the slightest furrow between her brows. Immediately, I was on high alert and nosed in closer to investigate. What had inspired this sudden change in my human’s usually calm demeanor? Raising myself up on my hind legs, I took a peek at the monitor and what I saw terrified me.

The horror! The horror!

A small video was playing. I saw a beautiful Golden Retriever peacefully lounging on the floor. Out of nowhere, a miniature human suddenly hurled his body upon her delicate back. He kept bouncing on the dog as if he were riding a horse. In direct contrast to the haunting scene unfolding on the screen, a soundtrack of human merriment -- laughter and giggling -- was playing in the background.

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Dogs are not ponies. Little girl rides dog by Shutterstock

Now, I have some experience with the wee ones, so I know that they need a bit of training to get in line. While I certainly wouldn’t want one jumping on my back, I can understand if this happens once. That wasn’t what was horrifying.

The horror was that it kept repeating over and over again while the humans did nothing. Worse yet, they appeared to derive great enjoyment from the poor dog’s suffering. She was clearly distressed. The whites of her eyes were showing and she licked her nose numerous times. While those cues might be too subtle for some humans, it was clear as day that her ears were pinned and she was panting considerably.

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"Psst. I'll never be mean to you." Little girl whispers to dog by Shutterstock

I was incredulous that the people did not notice these signs. Maybe it was because they were laughing so much at the “precocious” antics of their child. Did they not care that their laughter came at the expense of their loyal and faithful companion?

I like to believe in the good of humans -- that almost every human has a heart of gold. I had to assume that they simply did not know better. Thus, I wanted to share five golden rules that seem obvious as day to a dog, but may not be so obvious when you are a parent and have your hands full looking after your kids.

1. Dogs are not stuffed animals

Dogs are cute and friendly looking, but children must be taught that real dogs are not the same as stuffed animals. This must be taught in your home if you have a dog or BEFORE you visit a friend with dogs.

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It's okay to squeeze toy dogs. Little girl and stuffed dog by Shutterstock

2. We put up with stuff not because it’s okay, but because we love you and want to be with you

A dog who tolerates a child jumping on her back is not interested in playing horsey. She is a faithful friend and her loyalties will always be to her family, even if they’re annoying. That’s why she will allow your mini human to yank her tail.

I assure you that your dog does not enjoy having her fur pulled. She puts up with it because she is a noble companion. You would not allow your child to torment a sibling in such a manner, so please extend the courtesy to the dogs in your life, too.

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"Hey, kid. I love you, but go gentle." Little girl and fluffy dog by Shutterstock

3. If you tell your child not to pet the dog, your child will, 100-percent guaranteed, try to pet the dog

When you are visiting friends, if they ask that your child not pet the dog, there is a good reason for it. Simply telling your child not to pet the dog does not absolve you of your responsibility, because your child simply cannot resist reaching out. Hey, we’re adorable. That’s why you have to keep an eye on your kid to ensure that she doesn’t try to pet the dog when you’re not looking. 

4. Please let me eat in peace

You don't enjoy eating meals with a squirming child grabbing the food off your plate. I don’t like it either. The constant threat of a hand reaching into my bowl triggers my territorial instincts and I may growl.

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While we're at it, let me eat that. Little girl feeds dog by Shutterstock

5. Watch for these signs of distress

It’s easy to spot when we’re upset. Here’s what to look for:

• Visible eye whites or looking away
• Yawning or panting
• Licking nose and mouth
• Ears pinned back and held low
• Tail lowered

While these golden rules may seem harsh, please appreciate that dogs are “people” too. All we ask is for a little mindfulness and respect for our needs, too.

Thanks for listening!

Bailey

Read more about dogs and kids:

• Do These Dog Photos Make You as Nervous as They Make Me?
• 10 Ways Having Dogs Has Prepared Me for Parenthood
• How Kids Can Help Dogs Feel Safe
• Not That You Need Them, But Here Are 6 Reasons to Get a Puppy for Your Kids
• How to Choose the Best Dog for Your Family
• What NOT to Do with Your Baby Around Dogs -- Yours or Others

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

About Holly Tse: Holly Tse is a lifelong environmentalist, practicing Taoist, Dragon Spirit Guide and Chinese Reflexologist who can bend reality at will. She's totally into alternative healing, but her Achilles' heel is reality TV cooking shows. As a Canadian expat, she uses an American spell checker for her Dogster articles. Check her out at her Chinese reflexology website.

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I remember it clearly. It was the late summer of 2005. My trusted sidekick Buddy (a six-pound rescue Poodle) and I watched dumbfounded by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. There was so much human suffering, and yet we knew so many animals were affected as well. Suddenly, a classified ad seeking a mate for Buddy popped into my head. 

“Twentysomething in human years, white, good-looking male dog seeks Cajun girlfriend to wed; swimmers preferred.”

The urge to help these animals, injured and displaced by natural disaster, as well as the positive response generated by my fun ad, led me and Buddy to found American Dog Rescue, which officially solidified as a charitable foundation in 2009.

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Me with Buddy and Holly.

Buddy had been a real key in easing the suffering of my terminally ill wife, Gail, who passed away from breast cancer in 2004. Buddy would predict her seizures, aiding me greatly in preparing and responding to them.

These dogs and the unconditional love they’ve provided have rescued me far more than I ever could consider myself to have rescued them.

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With my beloved rescue dogs Tex and Bandit.

The goal of American Dog Rescue is simple, yet huge: “No dog without a home.” Some of the specific efforts we support, however, include:

• Saving and expanding animal shelters
• Rescuing abandoned pets and livestock in the aftermath of disasters
• Providing special funding for specific animals in dire need, such as funding for eye and heart surgeries that would be otherwise cost-prohibitive for the rescue organization or adoptive family involved
• Closing down puppy mills nationwide 

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Cody Linley plays a teenage agility trainer in "My Dog the Champion."

• Rescuing abandoned circus and theme park animals
• Cracking down on the inhumane practice of penning wild foxes and coyotes to be torn apart by hunting dogs
• Visiting and supporting sanctuaries and animal welfare organizations globally from China to South Africa
• Putting an end to dog fighting
• Helping veterans with PTSD by connecting them with service dogs

American Dog Rescue networks and pools resources with humane societies and other dog welfare organizations around the country and around the world. Because I underwrite all administrative costs out of my own pocket, and ADR is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3), contributors are assured that 100 percent of any donation they make to American Dog Rescue goes directly into projects to save and protect animals.

Watch How Bandit Rescued Arthur from American Dog Rescue's page on Vimeo.

In addition to my work with American Dog Rescue, I had the opportunity to be part of the production team on a great new family movie, My Dog the Champion, a story of friendship, love and teamwork, starring Lance Henriksen. It was recently released on DVD. The starring dog, Scout, actually was a rescue (her real name is Karlie). In even better news, the film crew rescued five dogs who had been abandoned near our shooting location. I was so humbled to see this kind of action.

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Lance Henriksen plays a farmer who thinks his cattle dog is no good -- until she learns agility -- in "My Dog the Champion."

We also recently launched You Rescue Me, our new platform reshaping the conversation about dog rescue. We collected a bunch of stories about how your dog rescued you -- just as Buddy, Bandit, Tex, and so many others have rescued me. You can also watch For the Love of Dogs, our TV show in the Dallas market (and available on YouTube), featuring great guests from organizations making a big difference in animal rescue on the front lines.

Follow American Dog Rescue on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Vimeo.  

Enter to win a copy of My Dog the Champion on DVD

Would you like the chance to win one of three copies of My Dog the Champion? If so, please do the following:

1. Create a Disqus account, if you haven't already, and include a valid email. It takes just a minute and allows you to better participate in Dogster's community of people who are passionate about dogs. If you already have a Disqus account, check it to ensure the account includes a valid email.
2. Comment below using your Disqus account, telling us what makes your dog a champion. Our favorite comment wins. Bonus points for photos! Also, you must be a U.S. resident to win.
3. Check your email for a “You've Won!” message from us after noon PST on Friday, Feb. 28. We'll give the winner two days to respond before moving on to our next favorite comment

Good luck!

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog

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Gold Paw Series stretch fleece in Robin Egg.

Made from recycled polyester and a touch of spandex, the velvety-soft pullover fits snugly but also stretches to move with your pup. It goes on and comes off easily, and cleans up nicely in the washing machine. There are 10 fun colors from which to choose, whether you win a fleece through Dogster or purchase it from Gold Paw Series. Prices range by size from $20 to $34.

How to Enter

Would you like a chance to win one of five Gold Paw Series stretch fleeces? If so, please do the following:

1. Create a Disqus account, if you haven't already, and include a valid email. It takes just a minute and allows you to better participate in Dogster's community of people who are passionate about dogs. If you already have a Disqus account, check it to ensure the account includes a valid email.
2. Comment below using your Disqus account, telling us how your dog feels about winter weather. Does he or she frolic in the snow? Or refuse to set a paw outside when the temps drop? Bonus points for photos! Our favorite comments/photos win! To win, you must be a U.S. resident and tell us in your entry which color and size you want. See the full range of colors and sizes. 
3. Check your email for a “You've Won!” message from us after noon PST on Thursday, Feb. 27. We'll give each winner two days to respond before moving on to our next favorite.

Good luck! 

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

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Luna helps me to travel -- and to write about my travels. Photo courtesy Gigi Griffis

It has been, as you might imagine, a beautiful adventure. In addition to it being an adventure, though, this time abroad has also been a beautiful rush of life lessons. I’ve learned more about life, love, and happiness in this last year and a half than in the many years prior. And so many of those lessons I learned because of Luna.

So, what have we learned? 

1. You have to trust yourself and your intuition

Traveling requires a lot of self-trust. I have to trust myself to make the best decisions for Luna and I. I have to trust my intuition when we find ourselves in an unknown neighborhood or a new situation.

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Luna rolling around in a Swiss field. Photo by Gigi Griffis

And I’ve learned that self-trust is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the easier it is to use and the more effortless that movement becomes.

2. And you have to trust others

Most people are good. They want to help. They care. 

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Luna makes a new friend. Photo by Gigi Griffis

Twice during my travels, I’ve had to leave Luna in the care of another person for a short time. I’ve been pretty good about trusting others in life, but when it comes to Luna -- my best friend, the most important thing in my life -- it was hard. Really, really hard. But it also taught me the importance and beauty of letting go and of trusting myself (there’s that again) to choose the right people to trust along the way. 

3. Don’t rush through life for no reason

Once, while trying to make it onto a Paris metro train, I got caught in the doors. I was rushing, trying not to be late to a friend’s house. And as I hopped on at the last second, the doors slammed into my shoulders.

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Wherever I go, Luna is right there. Photo by Gigi Griffis

Two or three Parisians rushed over to pull me free and all was well, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it, couldn’t stop feeling panicked. Because what if those doors had closed between Luna and I? What if I’d lost her?

The thought terrified me (even now, thinking about it, I’m sick to my stomach). And as I sat there holding her to my heart, I realized that this has been my habit throughout life: rushing for no reason and making myself anxious, upset, afraid, or injured because of it. 

If I hadn’t had Luna with me, I may not have realized how much of my life I’ve spent in an unnecessary, soul-killing rush. I vowed to stop rushing, to never again put myself in a situation where my timeliness is prioritized over my safety or that of Luna. 

4. Let go and do silly stuff, because it feels great

Watching Luna run wildly through the snow in Switzerland, zip across the beach in Mexico, and roll around full of joy at the top of one of our tough uphill hikes always reminds me to let go and take joy in my life.  

It’s so easy to not do things because they make us feel silly or because society frowns on them, but it feels so great to break free.

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Luna in Solta, Croatia. Photo by Gigi Griffis

With Luna as my inspiration, I spent September and October 2013 hiking the Alps while singing to myself, pausing to hug trees because I felt like it, and dancing a victory dance at the top of each trail. 

I’m sure people thought I was crazy ... and I simply don’t care.

5. Don't assume the answer is no -- always ask for what you want!

Luna is a good listener. Tell her to stop, stay, go, run, or not chew/eat/mess with something and she will obey. But, if you don’t tell her no, she’ll go for it. She’s always testing the boundaries, watching for the exception. 

And in a year and a half of traveling, I’ve discovered that there’s something beautiful in that approach to life. Too often, we don’t try something because we think the answer is going to be no. We don’t ask for a discount on our hotel room, or ask that mountain guide we just met to let us tag along on his next hike, or ask if that super interesting business owner we just met to let us pick his brain over coffee because we don’t want to be a bother. We think the answer will be no.

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Luna slows down in a cafe in Mexico. Photo by Gigi Griffis

The truth is, though, that the answer is yes much more often than we think -- and we can’t know that unless we’re always asking, testing along the edges of what we think are the boundaries. 

Thus, I’ve learned to start asking and to keep pushing forward, embracing a world of possibilities that lives just beyond my assumptions.

So, after two and a half years on the road, I find myself happier, stronger, and more grounded than I’ve ever been -- and I’ve learned so much from both the traveling itself and from having Luna bouncing joyfully alongside me, being perfectly herself and taking the world by storm.

What have your dogs taught you? Let us know in the comments!

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

Read more by Gigi:

• What Having an Emotional Support Dog Means to Me
• Q&A: How I Travel Internationally with a Large Dog
• Dog Travel Tips: How to Explore a New City with Your Dog
• My Dog Has Outlasted All My Romantic Relationships
• Three Unexpected Benefits of Traveling with a Dog

Gigi Griffis is a world-traveling entrepreneur and writer with a special love for inspiring stories, new places, and living in the moment. In May 2012, she sold her stuff and took to the road with a growing business and a pint-sized pooch. You can follow her adventures at gigigriffis.com or friend her on Facebook.

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When actor Lou Wegner was 14, he found out what really happens to unwanted pets at shelters. While volunteering at Baldwin Park Animal Shelter in Los Angeles, he was saddened that so many people saw their pets as disposable -- and that the only way to escape death in the overcrowded shelter system was through rescue or adoption. Instead of letting it go, the intrepid teen decided to do something.

"I wanted to let my generation know that these animals had feelings, cried, were sad, felt abandoned and alone," Wegner says. "I wanted my generation to not see their pets as disposable."

His desire to educate his peers about pet responsibility, shelter adoptions, and the importance of spaying and neutering led him to found Kids Against Animal Cruelty in 2010. Using social media, Wegner began to spread the message to other young people that "these animals depended upon them for their very lives."

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Teen actor and animal activist Lou Wegner hugs a rescue dog.

Now 18, Wegner serves as national youth ambassador for the American Humane Association and has received numerous philanthropic awards for his work. Kids Against Animal Cruelty has more than 50,000 members, with chapters in 16 states run by kids and teens ages 10 to 21. Global chapters are slated to open in Belgium and Greece. The group also has numerous celebrity supporters, including Denise Richards and Betty White.

According to Wegner, the organization promotes "kindness to each other, the animals, and our planet through our positive work with animal shelters, animal control, rescues, and shelter volunteers." They spread educational messages about pet responsibility via social media, and they regularly speak at schools.

"I believe that we should all be taught to be kind at the youngest age possible," Wegner says.

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Lou Wegner's mother volunteering at a tiger sanctuary. Wegner says his parents sparked his interest in animal rescue.

Wegner learned about kindness and the importance of animal rescue from his parents. When he was three, he attended Jack Hanna's Summer Youth Zoo Camp -- and he went back every year for eight summers. Wegner then spent two summers at the Ohio Wildlife Center, where he learned about endangered animals and the importance of conserving natural resources.

"I learned about preservation, conservation, recycling, and extinction," he says. "I quickly learned that many of our Earth’s animals were in danger. I learned that we could not turn our backs."

Last year, Wegner found a creative way to bring his message to the masses. He attended senior prom with his friend Emily Capehart, an actress and Kids Against Animal Cruelty's West Virginia chapter president. The couple decided to "double date" with a pair of shelter dogs -- Janice, who was on death row in Los Angeles, and Ollie, who was facing the gas chamber in West Virginia.

"I made badges with photos of Janice and Ollie, and we wore them in our corsage and boutonniere," Wegner says.

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Lou Wegner and his prom date, Kids Against Animal Cruelty's West Virginia chapter president Emily Capehart, gained attention from CNN for "double dating" with a pair of shelter dogs.

The story garnered attention from CNN, and Wegner was invited to be a guest on the news station, where he discussed federal legislation to end gassing in shelters. The results of the attention were better than Wegner could have hoped.

"Because of the CNN segment, Janice and Ollie were adopted, and the Raleigh Humane Society in West Virginia no longer uses the gas chamber," he says.

Unfortunately, Wegner has learned that he cannot save them all. Another function of Kids Against Animal Cruelty is networking on behalf of shelter pets, and there is frequently not enough time to save them.

"The most challenging work with Kids Against Animal Cruelty is networking animals that die," Wegner says. "Some shelters are so full that we only have days. My heart breaks for the animals that we cannot save. We still champion these incredible animals even when the odds are against us. It's tough."

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Despite this heartbreak, Kids Against Animal Cruelty has still managed to find loving homes for countless animals scheduled to die. This is what keeps Wegner going when times get tough. He says the most rewarding part of his work is "finding forever, happy homes for animals who were abandoned by their families and scheduled to die."

In 2014, Wegner hopes to continue to spread his message of kindness by adding more state chapters and increasing his group's global presence. When it comes to animal rescue, he has learned that where there's a will, there's a way -- and that even when a problem seems overwhelming, every single person's efforts help.

"I have learned that one person can make a difference," Wegner says. "That nothing is set in stone. Follow your passions and your dreams; anything and everything is possible."

Visit Kids Against Animal Cruelty here. 

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog

Do you know of a rescue hero — dog, human, or group — we should profile on Dogster? Write us at dogsterheroes@dogster.com.  

1. Sweet Lips

George Washington was a true canine aficionado, owning more than 25 dogs. He invented a breed -- the American Foxhound -- by mixing his Black and Tan Coonhounds with the French hunting hounds he received as a gift in the 1780s from his Revolutionary War ally, the Marquis de Lafayette. Sweet Lips was one of these mixes.

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Washington’s pack also included several dogs whose names seem to hint that they might’ve had a bit of an alcohol problem: Drunkard, Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy. That's something you don’t learn about in the history books: ol’ hound dogs partying it up at Mount Vernon! Seriously, we’re not sure why the founding father decided to name them that -- he wasn’t really known for his raucous sense of humor, but we're glad just the same.

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Yep, Lincoln started the dog-name trend Fido!

2. Fido 

Abraham Lincoln gave his beloved Retriever mix and family dog this classic name, which means "faithful" or "loyal" in Latin. Presidents are trendsetters, after all, so it might be that the name Fido swept the nation after Lincoln chose it for his pup. I'd say it's time for a comeback, too!

3. Fala

According to the Presidential Pet Museum, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's beloved Scottish Terrier was named "Murray the Outlaw of Falahill" after a Scottish ancestor of Roosevelt's. Fala was just a nickname. One of the most iconic and beloved first pets, Fala is even represented at the official FDR memorial at the feet of his owner.

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FDR statue with Fala by Shutterstock

4. Checkers

In a famous 1952 speech, then-vice-presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon responded to accusations of fundraising improprieties by insisting the only gift he’d ever received was a black-and-white Cocker Spaniel named Checkers by his young daughters Tricia and Julie, and that he would not be returning it.

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The Nixon family with Checkers. Photo courtesy the National Archives.

Interesting fact: Checkers never actually lived in the White House. Still, it's an excellent name for a black-and-white-spotted pet.

5. Macaroni

Okay, Macaroni’s not actually a dog, but a pony, who was a familiar sight at the John F. Kennedy White House. He was named, quite patriotically, after the well-known folk song "Yankee Doodle” (which, incidentally, would also make an adorable dog name).

The Kennedys had tons of pets, including Gaullie, a French Poodle who may’ve been named after French president Charles De Gaulle, and Pushinka, the puppy of one of the Soviet Union’s famed space dogs, a gift from premier Nikita Khruschev.

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Camelot came complete with its own pony named Macaroni for young Caroline

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The Kennedy family's pack included the puppy of a Soviet space dog.

6. Millie 

President George H.W. and Barbara Bush's hugely popular English Springer Spaniel was the "author" of  the best-selling Millie's Book, which she somehow found time to write despite giving birth to a litter of White House pups, including Spot, who was one of George W.'s presidential pets.

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First Lady Barbara Bush with Millie at the White House in 1991.

7. Bo and Sunny

Malia and Sasha Obama held their Dad to his promise that if he won the 2008 Presidential election, they could get a dog. The girls reportedly named their Portuguese Water Dog after musician Bo Diddley, which also happens to be the nickname of Michelle Obama's father. They’ve since added Sunny to the pack.

Check out this cute pic of the duo tweeted just last week by the first lady.

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Michelle Obama caught Bo and Sunny looking presidential at #FLOTUS

8. Liberty

Not only is Liberty a perfectly patriotic presidential pet name, but this beautiful Golden Retriever was an equally awesome first dog, a true best friend to President Gerald R. Ford and his family.

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Here's Liberty at Ford's side. Courtesy Executive Office of the President of the United States.

9. Him and Her

This famous pair of brother-sister Beagles were the beloved pets of Lyndon Johnson. But in the midst of a turbulent presidency, which saw the rise of U.S. involvement in Vietnam and turmoil over civil rights, Johnson created a firestorm of his own, making front-page news as a possible puppy abuser when a picture was snapped of him lifting Him up by the ears.

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Johnson with Him demonstrating the behavior that caused a backlash

10. Veto

James Garfield was our shortest-serving president because of his assassination in 1881, but he did have a black Newfoundland dog with a very clever name for someone elected to his high office.

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog

About the author: Atlanta's own Toni Perling is a writer and web content provider, mostly about dogs, hence her blogger name, Doggienista. :) And hence, her two beautiful rescues dogs: Daisy Jo and Bud Earl. She tweets for them at DaisyJoBudEarl, and shares her collection of dog names and trends at DoggieNames.com. Toni started asking her parents for a puppy pretty much the minute she learned to speak, but they held off until she was the ripe old age of 10, when the family welcomed a Miniature Schnauzer named Truffles. In between, she inhaled every book about dogs ever written and can pretty much identify any breed by sight. She's also a longtime supporter of spay/neuter/rescue, and adopted her first dog, a sweet lovable mutt named Sophie, from an L.A. County shelter.

A TV trivia fiend, Toni's also a huge fan of the butt-kicking trio known as Charlie's Angels (the originals and the movies). In fact, she started out in Hollywood as a TV writer, with credits ranging from network drama to informational, including a boatload of episodes of a little Discovery Networks show named I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, before transitioning to the web.

I’ve been observing and chronicling my dogs’ doings for many years now, so I thought I’d learned all there was to know about living the literary life with a pack of pups. Well, I was wrong –- the canine masters still had some important lessons to teach me. Here are seven things I learned while writing my book.

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I commissioned a bronze statue of Sam, my Pit Bull who helped me find a cure for my illness.

1. Veterinary medicine is ahead of human medicine 

If you’re dogless and you care about health and longevity, you’ll adopt a dog, stat. Living with a dog gives you an edge on dogless folks. The reason is simple: Dog owners make regular visits to a veterinarian, and right now in America, veterinary medicine is way ahead of human medicine. Every time you see a vet, you get a dose of the most advanced health care available -- including cutting-edge options such as stem cell regeneration therapy and hyperbaric oxygen.

As Medicine Dog explains, stem cells from my own body fat cured me of an illness I struggled with for years, but I would never have known about this sophisticated treatment if not for my dog’s vet.

2. Dogs are a great cure for writer’s block

I’m very grateful that I’ve never suffered long-term literary blockage. But every once in a while, the creative juices do have a way of drying up. Happily, as any dog-loving writer knows, there’s a simple remedy for this: Get up and go for a walk.

As a lifelong dog rescuer, I’ll jump at any opportunity to plug shelter dog adoption in the media -- and my new book is no exception. As I wrote in Medicine Dog, “If you’re a writer and you’re blocked, here’s incentive to adopt from your local animal shelter: Just walk the dog and watch the ideas flow.” 

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My beloved happy Sam.

3. My literary style is "mutt"

No less a writer than George Bernard Shaw once said, “I like a bit of a mongrel myself, whether it’s a man or a dog; they’re the best for every day.” I couldn’t agree more. While writing Medicine Dog, I learned that the literary genre that suits me best is also a mongrel: one that blends two or more genres to create an offbeat, one-of-a-kind hybrid.

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With my dog Desiree, shortly after treatment. Photo by Daniel Reichert.

Medicine Dog is a mash-up of dog memoir and medical memoir. I haven’t decided what exact form my next book will take, but this much I do know: It, too, will be a mutt. I wouldn’t have it any other way!   

4. Getting published requires dogged determination 

While searching for a publisher, Medicine Dog met with some resistance. Okay, a lot of resistance. My agent initially sang the book’s praises, confident it would start a bidding war. But as publisher after publisher turned it down, the agent changed her tune: “Take out the personal stuff and focus on the science!” I refused; years of living with five strong-willed canines turned me into a “dog with a bone.”

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When I was finally tempted to give up and give in, my dogs wouldn’t let me. Their tenacity taught me that bailing on any important goal is simply not an option, and that underdog status is the greatest badge of courage anyone, human or canine, could possibly have. 

5. Sometimes, a book is a lot like a shelter dog

Like Sam the Pit Bull and so many of the dogs I’d rescued and advocated for over the years, my book was experiencing “black dog syndrome.” No one wanted it, but that didn’t mean it didn’t deserve a chance. All it takes is the right adopter to click with an “unadoptable” dog -– or dog book. At the 11th hour, a prestigious indie publisher gave Medicine Dog a home. The best part: This publisher embraced my book with open arms, exactly the way I wanted.

6. Dogs are psychic friends 

As I neared the final stretch of completing the 240-page manuscript, I began to run out of steam. Then I came across an email plea for a dog at a Texas shelter. This solid-black beauty of a Chow mix was a ringer for the late, great Tiki Bear, subject of my very first Dogster article.

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I rescued Aldo the Chow mix -- and he rescued me by helping me finish my book.

I named this magnificent mutt Aldo and had him transported north. He arrived and lay down at my feet; a powerfully calm focus overtook me, and the manuscript was finished a few days later. Coincidence? Not according to animal communicator Gail Thackray. In a telephone interview, Gail conveyed that Tiki had actually dispatched Aldo to help me out. Whoa! I’ve always believed in psychic phenomena, but even I was astonished. I shouldn’t have been: Dogs do many amazing things to help us humans; Tiki proved it by reaching out to me across time and space. 

7. Muses need to be properly worshipped 

Dogs offer endless creative spark -– however, I soon learned divine inspiration comes at a price. Every day after the morning dog walk, I turned my attention away from my canine muses for five long hours at a stretch. As my eyes became glued to the computer screen, many of my belongings became history. Sheets were shredded; so were books, magazines, and shoes, including the perfectly worn-in Timberland boots I depended on for dog walking.

Lesson learned: Ignore the muses at your peril! Now, before sitting down to work, I get my priorities straight. Tons of tummy tickling and toy-and-treat distribution take place before any writing gets underway. And the footwear gets properly put away, high out of reach!

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

About the author: Longtime Dogster contributor Julia Szabo is a pet journalist and reporter. Order her new book, Medicine Dogs, at Amazon, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. 

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An adult dog has 42 teeth. A model of dog's bite by Shutterstock.

Like humans, dogs have baby teeth as puppies. Due to their rapid development and maturity, they lose those baby teeth and have a full set of adult teeth by the time they're six months old. Baby teeth are also called deciduous teeth. Like deciduous trees, which shed their leaves, the 28 teeth that puppies have and lose over the course of their first half-year are only temporary. The 42 that come in and replace them tend to last longer than human teeth because the shape of canine teeth and the tendency of dog food to be low in sugar, which means that cavities are a rare occurrence in dogs.

However, plaque and bacteria buildup can be just as devastating for dogs over the course of their lives. However, the 42 teeth that dogs have will be dependable for life with simple care and maintenance. Each February, veterinarians and dog health advocates everywhere promote National Pet Dental Health Month, but dental health for your dog should be a year-round concern. Dental disease in dogs is far too prevalent a cause of pain and suffering that can and should be avoided. Knowing the basics of dental care for dogs extends beyond knowing how many teeth dogs have.

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Dogs may not enjoy home teeth cleanings, but they are well worth the trouble. cleaning dogs teeth with brush on blue background by Shutterstock.

How to brush dogs' teeth

We all know that dogs can be hesitant to submit themselves for regular baths, much less tolerate regular dental care. Veterinarians -- like human dentists, of course -- recommend daily brushing, which may prove impractical. Home care for canine teeth, though, is essential, and you should try to brush them at least once a week, or, at the very least, once a month. The earlier you start a dog on a regular dental care regimen, the more likely they will tolerate it. The first step is acquiring, or making, the right toothpaste. You should never use your own toothpaste on a dog -- there are canine-specific toothpastes available at pet stores, or you can fashion your own from baking soda and warm water.

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It is highly recommended that dogs receive at least one professional checkup each year. Vet cleaning teeth of a dog with a brush by Shutterstock.

The same goes for toothbrushes. If you cannot get a toothbrush designed for dogs, a child's toothbrush, smaller with soft bristles, will serve. Alternately, wrapping gauze around your forefinger and using that to massage the paste into your dog's teeth and gums may prove more salutary to a dog unaccustomed to having a completely foreign object pushed around in his mouth. There are also special toothbrushes that fit over your finger, allowing you to pet and soothe a dog while you maintain secure control of the brush.

Since dental care for dogs is unusual or uncomfortable for them, acclimate them to the taste of toothpaste over the course of several days to a week, and to having their heads held as you examine their teeth and gums. A circular motion is recommended, along with brushing at roughly a 45-degree angle. The more quickly you can get through brushing your dog's teeth, the less time your dog needs to be uncomfortable.

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Dogs may not fancy dental care, but bad dog breath can be a sign of serious tooth decay. Dog dental health by Shutterstock.

Other options for dog oral health

Oral care for dogs goes beyond brushing their teeth. A dog's gums should appear pink and their teeth white; red, inflamed gums may indicate gingivitis, and yellowing or browning at the tops of canine teeth are the signs of plaque and bacterial buildup. Is your dog resistant to brushing? There are other options to make sure that the 42 teeth your dog has, the gums that cradle them, and the breath that emerges from his mouth stay fresh and clean, including chew toys and specially formulated foods.

Chew toys may seem to provide an innocuous way to keep your dog entertained, but they also serve important purposes for dogs who don't have patience for dental care that isn't administered under anesthesia by a vet. Look for chew toys that are safe and recommended for your dog based on age, size, and breed. Nylon, rawhide, and rubber toys are most frequently cited for the benefits they provide at keeping a dog busy, helping to remove buildup, and working the gums. 

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For dogs resistant to brushing, there are many options to optimize dental health. a golden retriever cleaning his teeth by Shutterstock.

Additionally, there are dog treats readily available with ingredients that support dental health. Varying your dog's diet to include hard kibbles that include dental supplements can be of great value to dogs that resist traditional brushing of all 42 of their adult teeth.

Share your experiences with doggy dental care!

Every visit to the veterinarian should include a basic dental checkup, and that checkup should be scheduled at least once a year, particularly at and after age three. More than two-thirds of dogs develop preliminary symptoms of gum or dental disease by the age of three, making regular maintenance essential to your dog's overall health. How do you and your dogs deal with dental health care? Do you have difficulty with brushing, but better luck with other methods? Share your tips and experiences in the comments!

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

It’s hard to believe that my guide dog, Nash, and I are coming up on our fifth anniversary. The traditional anniversary gift is jewelry, but since I don’t wear jewelry and Nash embraces the nudist lifestyle, those wanting to send us a gift can just send cash. 

Why is it so awesome to have a guide dog when you’re blind? I couldn’t explain all the reasons in 140 characters, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the list below.

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My hero, Nash, enjoying the sun in South Beach.

1. My guide dog doesn’t miss things

You would think with all the technology out there, someone could have come up with a better way for a blind person to get around than a cane. Oh wait, they did -- it’s called a dog.

For 10 years before Nash, I walked with a cane. You would be amazed even with swiping a cane right to left and walking the streets of New York City how much stuff my cane would miss that was directly in front of me. My favorites were lamp posts and those big metal grates that restaurants keep open in front of them. Fortunately, I never fell into one of the grates, but I did walk in to my fair share of parking meters.

Since Nash and I have been partnered, walking into those things never occurs anymore, and I don’t even think about it.

2. He provides a feeling of security 

The great unknown is whether Nash, who is a Labrador Retriever, would ever attack someone who attacks me. I hope to keep that an unknown. It’s just better to not know some things in life. However, Nash does provide me with a feeling of security when I walk down a New York City street.

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Nash is my trusty sidekick as well as my guide.

Prior to Nash, every time I left the house I had a lot of insecurity and had to think about every little thing and scenario that could happen. Now with my trusty guide, I just throw on a pair of sunglasses and don’t worry about where the day will be taking us. I also like to think that someone who is going to attack someone is less likely to attack a person walking with a 75-pound dog next to him.

3. Nash gets me more exercise

People often offer to find me an elevator, and I don’t know why they are always so surprised when I tell them stairs are fine. Yes, Nash would rather take the stairs. Now don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean that I’m looking to move in to a fifth-floor walkup, but he does love him some stairs. 

4. He gets me out of the house

Being blind has caused me to become a bit of a recluse. If it wasn’t for my guide dog, I might have become Howard Hughes and not leave the house for months. Thanks to Nash we get outside several times a day, as I have yet to figure out how to potty train the guy. 

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Nash and I go for a walk in Central Park in the snow.

If only Nash could learn how to cook healthy food, I could be living the complete healthy lifestyle.

5. He’s a great alarm clock 

Many dogs are up at the crack of dawn. Luckily for me, I don’t ever have to get up that early. Amazingly, Nash will let me sleep as late as I want, but when my alarm goes off, and on those cold mornings when I can’t seem to stop hitting the snooze button, there’s Nash with a little groan or two to let me know, "Hey, bud, you might not have to get up, but I’m hungry over here, and want to get outside to pee." So at least one of us is on a schedule.

6. Gone are the days of needing a Dustbuster

Nash does not get fed from the table. He doesn’t even get a lot of human food. Don’t fret -- there are plenty of doggy treats, and he sure does love his lamb and rice. 

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Nash is giving me a loving look, but I'm sure he's thinking that it's nearly mealtime.

I eat in front of the T.V., one advantage of being a single guy with no kids. Our nightly routine has become pretty comical. I eat dinner as Nash snoozes in the bedroom, but as soon as I get up to take the dish to the kitchen, Nash shakes himself awake and darts into the living room to make sure the blind guy didn’t drop any food. He is such a neat freak that he will even move the little ottoman I eat on to check behind it for crumbs and morsels.

I think it’s so great that Nash wants to make sure I don’t leave any food behind so we don’t get any ants. He’s thoughtful like that. Now, if only Nash could help me lower my cholesterol.

7. He lowers my blood pressure

I am a big sports fan -- the Yankees for baseball, and the Florida Gators for college football. They're my church and temple, and like many sports fans, I'm guilty of yelling at my teams on TV when they play poorly. It sure is cathartic -- or at least I thought it was.

Nash doesn’t like yelling of any kind. When I do yell, he will get in my face as if to ask what is wrong. He doesn’t understand that it's just me being an idiot.

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Nash and I go everywhere together. That's commitment.

After the first few times of me yelling at the Yankees and Nash getting in my face, I realized okay, I don’t want to worry him, so I better stop yelling at something as meaningless as a sporting event on TV. And yup, I can confirm that you yelling at your team on TV will not affect its performance in any way. 

8. He warms up the bed

I remember the first night I allowed Nash to come up in to my bed. It’s easy to remember because ever since then, my bed has become his bed. He’s in it morning, noon, and night, and I love it. 

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Technically speaking, this is Nash in his bed, but in practice he's usually warming up my bed and acting as a pillow for me.

He warms up my bed for me, which is great, especially this winter. He also makes a very fluffy pillow. Yes, Nash lets me rest my head on him, but more often than not, he will use me as a pillow.

Since my bed isn’t big enough for the two of us to comfortably enjoy, Nash eventually goes down to his bed, as we both like to spread out. Unfortunately, I am at the age where you wake up in the middle of the night to go the bathroom, and sometimes I am half asleep when I go to collapse back on to the bed into dreamland.

The problem is in those few seconds I'm gone, Nash wakes up, sees an empty bed, and figures it's all his, so when I do fall back into bed I land on him. Poor fella. Life’s definitely not fair. 

9. He goes everywhere with me! 

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Kathy Nimmer’s guide dog, Elias, helps her enjoy the great outdoors, too. Photo by Maddy Staszewski.

I don’t care if you have been married for 50 years to your high school sweetheart. It’s still not the same as having a guide dog!

When I go to work, Nash is with me. When I run out to grab a quick bite, Nash is with me. When I meet a friend, Nash is with me. When I go to a show, Nash is with me. When I travel anywhere, Nash is with me. When I am out in a public and have to use the restroom, Nash is with me. When I go to the doctor, Nash is with me. When I go to the store, Nash is with me. Top that for commitment and quality time! It’s impossible to be a loner when you have a guide dog. 

10. Guide dogs are total chick and dude magnets!

When I walked with a cane, people went out of their way to avoid me. I'm not sure why, but the day I came home with a guide dog, everyone wanted to talk to me.

It amazes me how many women come up to me and want to meet Nash, and my blind female friends with guide dogs tell me it works both ways, as their dogs are total dude magnets.

Moral of the story: As long as I have my awesome guide dog then I still have a shot at charming Jennifer Aniston. Or at least Nash does -- he’s the chick magnet!

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

Read more about guide dogs:

• The 10 Biggest Misconceptions About Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Dogster Hero: Guide Dog Saves a Boy from Being Hit by a Car
• Blind Man and Guide Dog Survive Falling Onto NYC Subway
• Amazing Animals: A Guide Dog Turns into a Guard Dog
• A Guide Dog in Training Saves Two Instructors from a Runaway
• Ann Taylor Store Clerk Kicks Out Blind Woman and Her Guide

About the author: Brian Fischler is a standup comedian and writer. He has been seen on The Today Show, published in Maxim Magazine as the Comedian of the Month, and on Top Gear USA on The History Channel. Brian also writes for Cesar Milan’s website and Magazine. Brian runs Laugh For Sight, a bicoastal comedy benefit that features the biggest names in comedy who come together to raise money and awareness for retinal degenerative eye disease research. You can connect with Brian on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Debarking is one of those flashpoint words. I can bet several readers are stretching their typing fingers right now, ready to lambaste anyone who might stick up for the despicable procedure.

I bet they've also never had an incurable barker.

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If your dog was a persistent barker, would you consider debarking surgery? Barking dogs by Shutterstock

A long time ago, I lived next door to a dog I'd have been perfectly willing to try some home debarking on in the middle of the night, as she barked and barked and barked and barked and -- OK, so I wouldn't have actually done it, but I might have paid for her owners to get it done. But here's the thing: If I, a dog lover, was stirred to such thoughts, what about the neighbors who didn't even like dogs? Dogs have been poisoned for less; in fact, when I was a kid, our neighbor's Schnauzers were poisoned, probably because of excessive barking.

It's not just poisoning, or even neighbors. The Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue website presents four Shelties who wouldn't stop barking. The first, Karmie, had oven cleaner sprayed in her throat to quiet her. "It took extensive surgery to repair all the damage. In addition to much of her throat tissue, she also lost 11 teeth. The gums had been burned away and bare roots were exposed." The second, Lady, was found with her throat slit because of her barking. It took four hours of surgery to sew her back together. Alissa was found with her muzzle wired shut with bailing wire. She still bears the scars. Millie had already gone through three owners, each of whom gave her up because of her barking. She was just one year old.

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Barking dogs at gate by Shutterstock

PETA's website says there are better ways to stop barking than debarking: Bring the dog inside, hire a trainer, put the dog in daycare, or hire a lawyer once the courts order debarking or euthanasia. Just a hunch, but I bet many responsible dog owners do let their dogs in the house (but would also like them to enjoy the yard), have tried training, and can't afford or can't find daycare. They may also prefer being considerate of neighbors over hiring a lawyer. What about these people? 

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But what about training? Yelling at the dog doesn't work, of course. He just figures you're joining in on the fun. And what kind of a relationship is that, anyway, if you're yelling at your dog all the time? 

Shock collars strike me as a pretty unpleasant solution. Citronella collars are a little better, but again, these are training with punishment. Karen Peak, who has worked as a dog trainer and behavior consultant for more 30 years at her West Wind Dog Training facility, says barking dogs are one of the top three issues she sees. She doesn't advocate debarking as a first choice, but says in almost every case where owners have tried shock or citronella collars, the dogs developed new adverse behaviors such as fears, aggressions, pacing, shivering and panic. She's even seen dogs with neck burns and ulcerations from shock collars.

In contrast, she's never seen any undesired secondary behavioral effects from debarking -- and she has seen hundreds of cases. "The dogs are able to communicate; it's just not as loud or offensive to neighbors," she says. "Other methods (shock and spray collars) are similar to slapping a child every time the child speaks."

Peak says barking is one of the major reasons dogs are given up. "Add in secondary behavioral damage created by the use of shock collars and a dog stands less of a chance of staying in the home. Bark softening is nothing trainers take lightly, but it is something we need to keep in our toolbox in case of emergency."

Several states have already taken away that emergency tool, and more may be following. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio have laws banning debarking under certain circumstances. New York is currently considering Assembly Bill 1204, which would outlaw devocalization.

With debarking banned, what happens to the dogs? More punishment, more banishment, more surrenders, more euthanasia, more poisonings by neighbors, and maybe more unspeakable acts like those reported by Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue.

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It's fine if your dog likes to bark, as long as it doesn't annoy your neighbors. Man and dog barking by Shutterstock

No, devocalization should not be performed just for convenience. It's not a solution so you can watch your TV unbothered, or have a house full of dogs nobody knows about. It's not a first solution. It's a last solution.

Boredom barking can be combated by giving the dog things to do, and making sure he has other dogs and people to interact with. Engage his mind with interactive toys. Make him brain-tired with training and body-tired with exercise. If he barks while alone, don't leave him alone. If it's separation anxiety, work on the problem. If he barks at passersby, don't let him see or hear them. If he barks unnecessarily, work with him to reward quiet behavior and to let him know barking is not appreciated. 

But not all dogs are alike. Some breeds were bred to bark. The Finnish Spitz, for example, is such a gifted barker a King Barker is crowned in Finland each year. The Collie and Shetland Sheepdog use barking to control and herd flocks; it's part of their lives. What works on most dogs just may not work with them. It's part of their genetic behavioral repertoire. Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, and some dogs gotta bark! Know your breed!

By the way, I've often heard the claim that show dogs are debarked so they don't bark in the ring. Tell that to Uno, the Beagle who barked his way to Best in Show at Westminster! Barking is not frowned upon in the dog show ring, and in fact, some consider it cocky showmanship!

Nobody likes performing elective surgery on her dog. But most people opposed to debarking advocate elective surgeries to remove their dogs' testicles or ovaries and uterus -- even though they are probably responsible enough owners to prevent pregnancies, and even though the pain and danger is probably much more in a spay than a debark, and even though spaying and neutering may have some detrimental health effects.

Why do most people spay or neuter? If not to prevent pregnancy (and folks in Europe manage to keep intact dogs without rampant litters), or for health reasons (that's a whole separate article!), then it's for convenience. And I freely admit that having an intact male or especially female, or having both together, is inconvenient. Really inconvenient!

As I said, I'm a wimp about surgery. I'd hate to be in a situation where I'd tried everything and finally had to choose between debarking or rehoming. But if that ever happened, I'd choose debarking. And hope I still had that option.

Learn more about dogs with Dogster:

• The 10 Naughtiest Dog Breeds
• The World's Most Popular Dog Names for 2013
• 5 Myths About Dog Behavior That Often Lead to Tragedy

About the author: Caroline Coile is the author of 34 dog books, including the top-selling Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She has written for various publications and is currently a columnist for AKC Family Dog. She shares her home with three naughty Salukis and one Jack Russell Terrier. 

Tagging his Tumblr as "a dog's guide to being a man," Bodhi quickly became a foppish phenomenon. Now his fashion forward social media fame has offered him a platform to begin developing an upcoming line of clothing for dogs.

Ahead of Bodhi's impending canine garment renaissance, I spoke to David Fung, half of the husband-and-wife team who help run Bodhi's social media empire, to get the facts on this debonair dog.

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All Menswear Dog pictures via Instagram

Dogster: How did Menswear Dog come to be?

David Fung: The idea for Menswear Dog came about when my wife and I randomly decided to see what our dog looked like in people clothes. We snapped a photo and shared it with our friends but were completely surprised by the reaction. Then we started spitballing and came up with this art project for a real fashion blog that just happens to star a dog. It caught on and we've been playing dress-up ever since.

What was Bodhi's very first outfit?

It was a shawl collar cardigan over an Oxford shirt and tie. Very collegiate professor.

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Bodhi enjoying a stroll with David and Yena.

Have there been any outfits you've never been able to get Bodhi to model?

Well, he can't wear pants or shoes, so that gets difficult to try and work into looks. Sometimes we have to find creative ways to showcase an entire outfit. Putting hats on him is also always a funny process.

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Layering is key in winter months.

How does Bodhi recommend staying warm yet stylish during the heavy snow we've been having recently?

There's all sorts of ways to stay warm and stylish. Layering is important: Henleys, undershirts, shirts under sweaters. And there are a ton of stylish and functional winter coats out there. I'd recommend investing in a nice winter parka. You can dress it up over a suit or dress it down with jeans and it'll still look great. There's nothing wrong with a winter coat that actually looks like it can weather a storm.

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A chunky-knit sweater can combine form with function.

How does living in New York City affect Bodhi's style choices?

New York City is basically a living, breathing catwalk. You get to see some of the most unique and stylish people walking around, so it's very inspiring to see.

Where are Bodhi's favorite places to shop in NYC?

We're huge fans of classic heritage menswear. We just stopped into the Todd Snyder x Champion store and it's amazing. It's modeled like an old-school city gym with industrial fixtures, lockers, the whole nine. Incredible stuff. The recently redesigned Club Monaco flagship store in Flatiron is also a sight to behold.

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What sort of reaction does Bodhi get when people see him dressed up while out in public?

It's always such a fun experience when we take him out. He definitely steals the show; lots of awws and people asking for selfies with him. He loves mugging for the camera though.

Are any breeds of dog harder to dress up than others?

The fluffier the dog, the harder it is to put clothes on them. It just looks weird when we've tried. So much neckbeard.

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Who's Bodhi's ultimate fashion icon?

Of all time? Probably Steve McQueen. Modern day: Ryan Gosling can do no wrong.

What trends is Bodhi looking forward to in 2014?

I think it's exciting to see what designers are doing with the printed shirt. It's cool to see all of these patterns and designs inspired by old-school textiles. Gitman Bros Vintage does some of the best and they keep it fresh every year.

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How's his own canine fashion line coming along?

Fantastic! We're trying to crowd-source our line now so we can start making menswear for dogs. We'd love to be able to get it off the ground and hopefully expand to a full collection with new looks and accessories.

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Sunglasses are always acceptable lounge-wear.

Finally, is Bodhi looking to meet a foppish female companion? Or does he prefer the bachelor lifestyle?

Bodhi does all of this for the ladies, so he's always on the lookout!

Check out more of Menswear Dog here.

Read more about Menswear Dog and dogs in clothes:

• Meet Menswear Dog and 6 Other Stylish Shiba Inus 
• The 5 Best Dog Tumblrs 
• Our 15 Favorite Dog Calendars for 2014 
• And Now, the Story Behind the Popular "Street Style Dogs" Blog
• And Now, 11 Crazy Pictures of Dogs in Costumes
• Pix We Love: Fashion Week for Dogs

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

• Pix We Love: Corgi Falls in Love With Newborn Baby
• Smash, Our Monday Miracle, Was Once Abandoned in the Utah Desert
• Two Geniuses Re-Create Famous Movie Scenes ... with a Dog