What goes with popcorn like butter and a movie? To recognize #NationalPopcornDay, let’s look back a this post from last year: Rescue Dogs Take The Starring Role that spotlights rescue dogs in the movies and on TV.
This year was another dog-filled movie year with films like Max, and the upcoming A Dog’s Purpose. Not live-action, but The Secret Life Of Pets gave us a look at what happens when the people aren’t home.
Grab a bucket of popcorn and your remote, and get settled in for great stories with our canine friends.
Recently I have run into the situation where my dogs have stopped eating their regular food. The old adage “variety is the spice of life” apparently applies to dogs as well as humans! It seems like they were looking to mix things up,
This got me to wondering, when and how often should I be switching up my dogs food?
Six signs that you should consider changing your dogs food include, Dull/Flaky Coat, Lethargy, Ageing, Hefty Midsection, GI Disturbances, and Itchy Coat.
So you notice one or more of those signs, but what should you look for in the next food you select?
The AKC goes into greater detail but highlights these topics:
A good dog food will contain meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits.
It is important to remember that not every dog has the same nutritional needs.
Like anything you read online, or on tv, check your sources to ensure you verify the information. Remember: your dogs health is on the line.
Whole grains are actually a source of wholesome nutrients. Unless you dog has an allergy to grains, you don’t need to automatically rule out a food with grain.
Look for the statement “complete and balanced.” This is more than just advertising – the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has strict requirements to make sure that a product is in fact complete and balanced.
How should you transition your dogs between types of food?
In the end, I opted for Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice Variety from Chewy.com. I liked the limited and natural ingredients, and the other nutritional elements including vitamins and minerals.
It comes with a handy zip enclosure built into the bag so I don’t have to seal it in my usual airtight container. Doing research on Nutro, I found they have a very high level of quality and pride in their products. They take extreme care with the products they deliver. They have a great video on their thorough Safety and Quality page. An interesting thing I learned was that they own their own manufacturing plants, and were the first to be certified in the pet food manufacturers nutrition and food safety program.
On a recent episode of the Tonight Show WIth Jimmy Fallon, he started a hashtag #MyPetIsWeird. It’s amazing how much joy (and creepiness) that pets add to our lives. From dogs mimicking the action of a toaster, smelling dogs on tv, fish watching us change, to cats sucking their own tail; they certainly add some fun and energy to our lives.
Personally speaking, my dog will go around to every “human” in the room begging for attention. When the person tires of him, he goes to the next in line until he runs out of people, then starts instigating trouble with the other pets. He repeats the same order of people, and pets each time he does it.
Also, after he does his business “outside”, he walks away on three legs for about 20 feet, kicking at the air the whole time. The process is hardwired into this brain, but the execution just isn’t there!
Watch the clip from the show, check out some of the posts below, and add your funny stories to the comments below.
This morning I woke up to an article from BlogPaws asking “Can Shelter Dogs And Cats Be Movie Stars?“. Without even thinking for a second, I came to the conclusion that yes, dogs and cats from shelters can star in movies. While shelter dogs and some breeds have bad labels or are categorized based on the actions of a few, they are just like any other dog; adaptable, strong, loving, and able to do just about anything!
The article went on to talk about a new movie, “P.I. Woof” by filmmaker Larry Kay, and how it involved 35 shelter dogs from the Pet Orphans shelter in California.
This is just one of a handful of movies about (or starring) shelter dogs. Another movie, just released April 1, 2016, is called “Rescue Dogs: The Movie“. The trailer makes it look like a romantic comedy meets Babe (the talking pig). It has sweeping beach shots, humor, evil characters, and (hopefully) a happy ending- with lots of dog kisses.
Making the transition from shelter to set or state is another trainer, Bill Berloni. He estimates rescuing over 150 animals since he started training them for stage in 1977. His animals have been featured in Broadway shows (Annie), tv shows, traveling show productions, commercials and more. He even had a recent show on Discovery’s Family Channel called “From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni“. It followed his progress from signing a contract, finding a dog for the part (including several shelter visits across the U.S.), training, and even some behind-the-scenes work with the actors. We were even treated to a story of how they ended up with several ducks!
The best part of Bill’s work, is that when the dogs are done their work, they stay a part of Bill’s family; as part of a big forever home.
While the article isn’t clear if the dogs working on the movie “Max” were rescues, here is an interesting story from USA Today about how they were selected and the training involved for the stunt sequences.
“Max” is the story of a dog come home from war. He suffers from PTSD and bonds with the brother of his deceased handler. Through they movie, the bond between the boy and heroic Malinois grows.
The American Humane Association is the group that administers the No Animals Were Harmed certification program when animals are used on film or TV. They also conduct the Pawscars Awards (a twist on the Oscar Awards) which celebrates top animal stars on film or television. Checkout the AHA website here, or my post on the Pawscars here.
The Eukanuba Friends For Life awards was presented at Crufts today, March 13; the closing day of the worlds largest dog show in Birmingham, UK.
Before the ceremony started, a member of the West Midlands Police Display Team came to the field as the announcer recognized the work police dogs and their handlers do, and remembered police dog Diesel who was killed in the 2015 Paris terrorist attack and subsequently awarded the Dickin medal for his brave acts at a time of conflict.
This is the twelfth year of the Friends for Life awards. Videos of the finalists were available on the Crufts website where viewers could watch and vote. The four finalists were:
Cohen and dog Azerly helping him cope with Autism
Louise and emotional support dog Teddy Bear
Rosie and dog Boo supporting her through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sophie and diabetic alert dog Scooby.
Managing Director of Eukanuba UK, Annaliese Reekie said: “They are all amazing dogs and that’s why the Eukenuba Friends For Life competition sis so important to us at Eukanuba. It really showcases how extraordinary dogs are and the important role they play in our lives; and in the case of these amazing four finalists, they truly have transformed their lives.”
Watch a summary of the finalist videos and the presentation ceremony below:
The four-day event has been live streaming on the Crufts YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialCrufts where clips of the entire event can be viewed as well.
This year was the seventh annual Pawscar Awards from the American Humane Association. The award celebrates the top animal stars in film and television.
This year, hosts Pauley Perrette (CSI) and Lou Wegner (The Pledge, A Christmas Tree Miracle) presented awards in eight categories plus three more voted by the public. The list of categories and winners is below.
During the ceremony, from Perette’s house, she and Lou gave facts about the AHA and what was involved in the recording of iconic scenes from each movie. Did you know that in the rain scenes of The Hunger Games, Buttercup the cat, was covered in warm water. When the scenes were over, the cats were towel-dried and moved to a warming tent.
For more than 75 years, American Humane Association’s “No Animals Were Harmed®” program has acted as the only official film-industry sanctioned group ensuring the humane protection, safety and welfare of animal actors on the sets of movies, television shows, and commercial shoots. Each year the program oversees the protection of more than 100,000 animal actors on more than 1,000 sets in the U.S. and around the globe.
Check out the “No Animals Were Harmed” program detials and guidelines at: www.humanehollywood.org
Article picture credit: screenshot AHA Youtube channel.
You may see this video going around YouTube but it is hilarious to watch and the Behind The Scenes video of this as well. I can’t believe how well behaved so many dogs are with plates of food (and a TURKEY!) in front of them.
The personification is awesome as each dog (and the cat) has their own ‘personality’ and we can kind of relate that to our own experiences of family gatherings, large and small.
The best part of the video is that most of them are rescue dogs from the Humane Society of Utah.
Dexter's Dog Days 