Top Ten Dog Parks of 2009

The results are in, the votes have been tallied and the accountant with the briefcase chained to his wrist has arrived...Dog Fancy magazine has named the nation's top 10 dogs parks for 2009. Don't worry: if you don't see your local park on the list, there's always next year! Over the next 12 months, organize the people who use your dog park and work together to improve Fido's play place. That's how you can get something done for local dogs, and build up the foundation of your community at the same time!


For ideas, check out the winning park: Freedom Bark Park in Lovell, Indiana. This park exists solely because the town joined together and worked hard to realize a doggy dream. Volunteers donated more than 2,700 hours of service to build the park. Everyone did their part. Farmers cleared the land and planted grass seeds and a high-school art teacher painted a decorative fire hydrant.


"I would go to the roofing store in our town to buy shingles for our shelters, and the salesmen would offer to come after work to help roof the shelters," says Roberta T., president of the Freedom Bark Park Committee. What's even more amazing is that the park was built entirely with donations. And what a fine job these dedicated dog people did. The park boasts:

• a solar powered pump which supplies drinking water
• a tunnel
• biodegradable poop bags
• shelter to protect everyone from bad weather
• doggy digging areas
• shade trees
• recycled rubber mulch on the walkways.

Now that you know what's possible, improve your park and maybe you'll see it in next year's top ten!

Can My Dog Get Swine Flu?

Although we humans must take precautions like maniacal hand washing to protect ourselves from swine flu, our canine and feline pals are do not appear to be at risk.

That said, Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN cautions: "There is no evidence that dogs and cats can contract swine flu. Still, this is a new strain of swine flu virus, and investigators can’t rule it out until more tests are done."

Dogs (and cats) are definitely susceptible to other flus, such as Canine Influenza, which can be quite serious. The symptoms are: cough, runny nose and fever. If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms call your vet ASAP! Fido has a much greater chance of recover if he's treated promptly and properly.

For now, keeping yourself healthy so you don't contract swine flu is the best way to protect your furry pals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should be your go-to source for current information about swine flu. Check the CDC's site often as doctors and researchers are learning more about the swine flu outbreak every day.

A New Way to Fly: Pet Airways

Flying with a dog is no simple task. Most dogs are resigned to the cargo hold, which is dangerous and incredibly unpleasant. Even if your pooch is small enough to fit under your seat, flying can be difficult. (For those of you who want additional information on flying with your pooch, we cover the topic in detail in our upcoming book. Sorry, though, you'll have to wait until September.)

We just came across a new airline that offers an interesting alternative for canine (and other pet) aviators. Check out Pet Airways. Although you can't accompany your pet, Fido won't be stuck in cargo. According to the folks at Pet Airways, Fido's flight will be safe, comfortable and hassle free. Before boarding, he's taken for a potty break and during the flight he rides in a secure carrier in the main cabin. There's even a Pet Attendant to watch over him during the flight. At the destination, Fido is waiting for you in the airline's lounge, safe and sound. Let's hope he didn't go hog wild with the beverage cart offerings.

Pet Airways sounds like a wonderful alternative to traditional air travel. We hope all this works as well as it sounds. We are looking forward to hearing more about Pet Airways when flights begin in July.

Fritophiles Unite! We Examine the Canine-Corn Chip Connection

There's been a surprisingly large amount of conversation on the web lately about whether dog paws smell like corn chips. Many people discover this phenomenon on their own dog but are reluctant to go public fearing that their opinion will cast a veil of shame on their precious pooch. As a public service, we at Happy Dog Land felt it necessary to compile some of the discussion so the issue could be solved once and for all and, thus, allow all of the corn chip smelling dog people to come out of the closet and proudly and publicly proclaim their view. So, with this blog entry we toss our Fritos into the fray.

Look at these sites for background discussions:

Steve Dale, pet expert and nationally syndicated journalist
Ken Foster, author of several dog books including The Dogs Who Found Me
4urPets, a "forum of our best friends and other animals"
Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM, Dogster's "Ask the Vet" expert

Billy has gotten up close and personal with thousands of paws over the past 30 years working and caring for dogs. Jill just checked Shadow's paws. As a result, both Billy and Jill publicly plant their flags in the Frito Feet camp.

What exactly causes Frito Feet? We've noticed that the corn chip bouquet is especially pungent when Fido needs a bath or has been playing hard. Perhaps the fragrance emanates from the sweat or oil glands on the paws. Perhaps the lack of air circulation between the toes is the culprit. We may never know what causes Frito Feet, but we can all rejoice in this uniquely canine phenomenon.

Whether the paws of your particular pal smell like Fritos or eau de generic corn chips or if you've never in your wildest dreams taken a whiff your pooch's paws, there's an important lesson here. You should know everything about your dog's paws: what they look like, what they feel like and, yes, what they smell like. The benefits of inspecting, touching and smelling your dog's paws regularly are myriad: Fido will be less likely to struggle when his nails need cutting, you'll discover injuries, medical issues or abnormalities well before the situation becomes dire, and you'll be spending focused, quality time with your furry friend.

Don't limit your tactile, visual and olfactory inspection to Fido's paws. Giving Fido a full blown bodily "once over" every week is not only good for his physical health, but his mental health too. Moreover, you'll benefit from the bonding time as well.

All you people in the canine corn chip connoisseurs can now hold your head high and shout "Fritophiles Unite!"

Heartworm: A Serious Threat!

Heartworm is on the rise in the United States. Dogs and cats in all 50 states are at risk to contract this serious and potentially fatal disease. If an infected mosquito bites your furry friend, it passes along the disease, which causes parasitic worms to grown in the lungs and heart. An infected dog may not show signs of the disease until the disease is serious and harder to combat. Moreover, if untreated, the dog can die. Thankfully, treatment for infected dogs is available, but it's difficult for the dog and expensive.

A now for the good news: heartworm is preventable! It's much easier and less taxing on your furry friend (and your wallet) to use heartworm preventatives than to risk disaster. Today, the options are numerous: daily or monthly pills, monthly spot on treatments (liquid is placed on the dog's skin between the shoulder blades) or injections twice a year. As an added bonus, many of the preventives also fight intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and whipworms. Caution: Cats have their own heartworm preventatives; using canine medication on a cat can have deadly results!

Giving your dog heartworm medicine without a visit to the vet is dangerous! An infected dog can have a severe or fatal reaction to the preventative. Because it can take five to seven months for an infected dog to show signs of the disease, your dog must be tested for heartworm before he begins any preventative. Call your vet today to have your pooch tested and to determine which preventative is best for your pet. The test is quick and inexpensive and requires only a bit of blood. If you need finaincal assistance, contact local animal shelters as they may have programs to help.

Remembering to administer the preventative may be the hardest part of keeping your dog heartworm-free and healthy. As soon as you come home from the vet, mark your calendar to remind yourself when each preventative dose is due. Dogs should take heartworm preventatives all year regardless of where they live

To learn more, talk to your veterinarian and visit the American Heartworm Society's website.

A Place to Honor Old Dog Toys

We just came across a LickedToys, a clever and fun website that features photos of dogs with the toys they have destroyed. The site bills itself as "the world's first dog toy graveyard." The photos submitted by dog lovers are hilarious and worth a viewing or a submission. Now you know how to memorialize Fido's dead toys and allow them to rest in peace.

Pet Food Banks: Helping People Keep Their Pets During the Economic Downturn

One unfortunate side effect of the economic downturn is that many people have less money to care for their precious four-legged friends. When the household income shrinks, paying for Fido's food and care becomes more difficult. Many people may be forced to choose between paying the heating bill and buying pet food. Thankfully, pet food banks are popping up all of the country to help people struggling to feed their furry family members.

Pet food manufacturers, such as the folks who manufacture Wellness pet food, are stepping up and helping out. Through its WellPet Foundation, the company is supplying food banks with literally tons of food. Recently, Wellness donated over 5000 pounds of its all natural dog, premium food to the Pooch Pantry in Mundelein, Illinois. The food bank is run by the BC Dog Training Club and is open on Saturdays from 9 AM to noon. Many of the people benefiting are seniors on fixed incomes.

Wellness also donated 5,365 pounds of food to the Pennsylvania's SPCA Philadelphia pet food bank. The PSPCA's Chief Operations Officer Lisa Rodgers said, “Wellness has shown their dedication and love for animals through the gift of food.” The PSPCA Food Bank is open every other Sunday, from noon-3 p.m., at its Philadelphia Adoption Center located at 350 E. Erie Avenue.

The Atlanta, GA based Save Our Pets Food Bank has compiled a much needed list of food banks across the US. If you or someone you know needs some extra assistance feeding or caring for their pets, please spread the word about pet food banks.