Victoria Stilwell’s Dog Tips for the New Year

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Pet Training

Whether you're ringing in the New Year with a new puppy or starting 2011 with an older pooch, we know you want to make this year the best ever. And to help you out, Victoria Stilwell, host of the Animal Planet show "It's Me or the Dog," has provided 10 terrific tips to ensure a truly happy 2011.

1. Keep training your dog. People think that once their dog is trained, there is no need to carry on. But your dog never stops learning, and training should be reinforced throughout your dog's life.

2. Think dog. Take time to think how your dog perceives the world and use this knowledge to make training easier. For example, a human's dominant sense is vision, whereas your dog's dominant sense is smell, making his experience of the world very different from yours. When you take him for a walk, allow him to smell things as much as possible, as this stimulates your dog mentally and helps to tire him out.

3. Exercise your dog. A tired dog is a happy dog, but make sure that the exercise is appropriate for the breed and age of dog that you have. Exercise releases pleasurable endorphins and is a great stress reliever for both of you.

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2011 Pet Calendars

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Celebrity Pets

A great calendar not only reminds us what we are supposed to be doing on any given day, the best ones entertain us as well. From calendars of cute guys (with cute animals) to celebrities and their pets, here are a few worth checking out.

Yoga Puppies Calendar, $11.19
You think you've got downward facing dog down pat? You ain't seen nothin' until you've checked out the smooth asanas of these adorable puppies. Who needs meditation when you can gaze at this sort of cuteness all day? Also available: Yoga Dogs and Yoga Kittens.

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Cute Pet of the Day – December 31, 2010

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Cute Pet of the Day

Name: Spike

Location: Hannover, Wedemark, Germany

Age: 2 years

Dog Breed: Jack Russell terrier

Favorite Toy: Tennis ball.

Likes: Playing, playing, playing!

Weird Quirks: Never stops playing, playing, playing.

Fun Fact: If he wants something, he stands on two legs and begs.

Congratulations to our submitter, silitilly. If you'd like to submit your pet, upload your favorite pet photos to our Flickr pool!

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So This Is What Baby Parrots Look Like

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Birds, Funny Animal Videos

Here are four parrot chicks, who make up a delightful rainbow while seated happily in tiny kitchenware. Look at the colors: greens, pinks, browns, yellows -- and when one squawks they all do! Indeed, they're so young, we're not even sure they've developed the instinctive ability to ask for a cracker, but their day will come.

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Top 10 Pet Names of 2010

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Pets News, Pet Adoption

Ever wonder if your pet's name is really as unique or creative as it seemed back when you dreamed it up? Now you can find out: Petfinder has surveyed its massive database of adoptable cats and dogs to put together a list of 2010's most popular pet names.

Obviously, choosing the right name for your pet is important, because it says a lot about the pet -- and even more about the pet owner. You want your pet's name to be original, because you don't want a whole pack of dogs to answer to your dog's name at the dog park. However, you don't want your pet's name to be too obscure or hard to pronounce. And, of course, you want it to be something you're comfortable yelling in public.

A look at Petfinder's top 10 list of names for dogs and cats reveals some big differences, but there's also a surprising degree of overlap. For example, Buddy dominates the list of dog names for the fourth year in a row, but it doesn't appear in the feline category anywhere. The number of owners who got out their Italian-English dictionaries and selected the name Bella, however, rose in both canine and feline categories.



Top 10 Dog Names

1. Buddy
2. Max
3. Daisy
4. Bella
5. Lucy
6. Jack
7. Molly
8. Charlie
9. Sadie
10. Rocky

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Dog Swallows Large Rubber Ducky and Survives

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Pets News, Pet Health

Although they do make bath time lots of fun, rubber duckies do not make good chew toys.

Jasmine the Staffordshire terrier and her owner learned the hard way after a veterinarian in Scotland discovered a 4-inch rubber duck blocking the pup's small intestine.

According to the Daily Mail, Jasmine most likely swallowed the squeaky toy about nine months ago, but only recently did the seemingly harmless duck become a life-threatening health issue.

Perplexed by her dog's flagging appetite, occasional vomiting and inexplicable weight loss, owner Nicola Waters took Jasmine to the vet for a diagnosis. After an X-ray clearly revealed the outline of a duck-shaped blockage in the dog's digestive tract, the mystery was solved -- and Jasmine was rushed into surgery.

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2010 Recap – The Year’s Most Memorable Videos

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Cats, Funny Animal Videos

What would Paw Nation be without animal videos? For that matter, what would the Internet be without them? A lot less fun, at the very least. We watch countless cute, funny and outrageous animal clips and share the best ones with you. But what were the most memorable of 2010? The cutest of the cute? The funniest of the funny? Which one still has us shaking our heads? It wasn't easy, but we narrowed it down to 10 videos you won't forget.


OK Go's "White Knuckles" Music Video
With eye-popping viral music videos, Chicago's OK Go has established itself as one of the more exciting bands around. When the band dropped its newest clip this fall, we flipped out here at Paw Nation. That's because the innovative, one-take video employed a small army of trained dogs (and a goat). As with all of OK Go's videos, the level of coordination and patience it must have taken to make this is mind-boggling.

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Cute Pet of the Day – December 30, 2010

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Cats, Cute Pet of the Day

Name: Lisa

Location: Kostenec, Bulgaria

Age: 5 months

Cat Breed: Ragdoll and Persian mix

Favorite Toy: Anything that moves.

Favorite Treat: Chicken.

Likes: Sleeping, chasing butterflies, midnight rooftop walks and playing with her family's other cat, Tiger.

Dislikes: Being hugged when she does not want it, closed doors.

Weird Quirk: She always purrs before sleeping.

Fun Fact: She often snores while sleeping.

Congratulations to our submitter, pieceofsunlight. If you'd like to submit your pet, upload your favorite pet photos to our Flickr pool!

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Funny Video – Dog Sleeps With Butt Held High

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Funny Animal Videos

Is anything cuter than watching a dog dream? I watch mine in amazement as he acts out something he normally wouldn't get to do on the streets of Brooklyn. Is he chasing squirrels? Running into the wind? It's a mystery.

Here's one sleeping pup who's already in position for adventure, ready to strike when the moment's right. Or maybe this is just his version of "comfortable." Tell us what you think is going on in the comments below.

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Man’s Anti-Poo Signs Spark Neighborhood Debate

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Pets News

Nobody likes finding random piles of dog poop on their nicely manicured lawn, but one man in Annapolis, Md., has taken action against it. Jim Miller has posted two large banners, along with a few smaller signs, notifying his neighbors that they should be ashamed of themselves for allowing their dogs to defecate in his yard, reports Greater Annapolis Patch.

Though some neighbors commend Miller's actions, not everyone is lining up to pat him on the back. Patch received an anonymous tip that some members of the community felt the signs, which features graphic images of dog poo and adult language, was too vulgar for the neighborhood children. And, perhaps even more importantly, someone filed a case with the county's planning and zoning office. A county spokesperson told the Patch that Miller's signs are technically on county property (even though Miller maintains the area) and that they'll have to come down.

Where do you land on this debate? Does Miller have a right to take a stand, or should he be going about this in a different way? Check out the full story at Greater Annapolis Patch and then let us know what you think.

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