The Dog Blog

This year, the final day of July 2020 is National Mutt Day. Now if you are like me, every day is Mutt Day. My two puppers are extraordinarily spoiled mixed-breeds - I can't say definitively what they are since I have yet to DNA test them. But whatever their mixes are, they are perfect. National Mutt Day was created in 2005 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige, and is actually recognized twice a year: July 31 and December 2. Paige wanted to bring attention to the amazing qualities that mixed-breed dogs have as well as the fact that mixed-breeds are...

In the world of child development and education, "empathy" is far more than a mere buzz word. It is a crucial element of emotional well-being, a trait that can make or break a child's ability to form solid, healthy bonds with other people. Basically, empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of another person. Some people are born with an ability to connect to what another is feeling while other people need to have this skill nurtured. And here is where dogs come in. In the past few years, there have been studies linking having a dog in childhood...

The heat and humidity we are experiencing this summer has not shown any signs of letting up. If you find it uncomfortable, chances are that your dog will also find it so.  How can you take care of your dog in hot weather? 1) Plan Any Outings Carefully If you are planning on a hike or a long walk, be sure to check the  weather ahead of time to ensure that you aren't taking your pup out in dangerous heat. Even if the temperatures are not supposed to rise above 90 degrees, be prepared. Take plenty of water for both yourself...

Don't we all deserve to put up our feet at the end of the day and enjoy nice, cold beer? After all, we work hard and are entitled to a little relaxation like anyone else. And of course, by "we" I include dogs. Dogs work hard too - they keep the house safe from mailmen, keep the sofa broken in, interrupt our Zoom meetings, and make us feel particularly welcome when we return home no matter how long or short our trip outside was. In an effort to reward our hard working puppers, Really Good Pets Shop is pleased to...

The new equation seeks to be more accurate by stating that a 1-year-old dog is equivalent to a 31-year-old roughly.  Now, of course, this is subject to what kind of breed the dog is, and the new equation does seem to be more accurate in my case.  Gone are the days that we just multiplied their age in years by 7 and said that is about how old they are in human years. One of the more obvious answers as to why the old formula was not very accurate would imply that after a puppy turned 1, they would be...