dog sports

Dog Tails Dogs of the Month Murphy, Kip and Velvet

Dog Tails Dog of the Month: Murphy, Kip and Velvet

Get ready, because this month’s Dog Tails Dogs of the Month are always on the move! Border Collies Kip and Velvet and Jack Russell Terrier Murphy hail from Essex, Ontario, Canada. Young, athletic and smart, these three DogWatch dogs enjoy participating in a variety of dog sports. We spoke to mom Emily Renaud about training her dogs, bringing a special needs dog into her family and keeping her high-energy pack busy and active! Read post »

Damon in front - Sled Dogs in Wallgau Bavaria

5 Amazing Facts About Sled Dogs

In honor of Alaska’s famous annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, we bring you 5 remarkable facts about sled dogs. While we recognize that the Iditarod is a difficult, challenging and sometime dangerous endeavor for the dogs, it draws upon a long and storied tradition of dog and human partnerships. From historic race teams to legendary dogs who saved an entire city, these stories showcase the inspiring and indefatigable spirit of these amazing dogs.
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Two Old English Sheepdogs

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Deaf Dogs

The last full week of September is Deaf Dog Awareness Week. This week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful deaf dogs out there, who are living full and diverse lives as beloved family pets, therapy dogs, dog athletes, adoption advocates, and more. Here are five things you may not know about deaf dogs, and all the things they are capable of! Read post »

Social Media for Pet Lovers: All-Star Pets

Starting this week, DogTails – the weekly blog brought to you by DogWatch Hidden Fences – will begin highlighting the best of the pet-centric social media world.  In this post, we tell the stories of three pets who have become worldwide stars thanks to social media.  We love following these cats’ and this dog’s exploits on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and blogs, and we know you will too.

So, without further ado, we give you our “Star Pets of Social Media.”      

Maru the Cat

The equation is simple: cat + cardboard box + video camera = genius.  Maru, a male Scottish fold from Japan, is the star of a seemingly unending series of irresistible YouTube videos.  His YouTube channel has over 63,000 followers and his videos have been viewed more than 58 million times.  Not bad for a clumsy kitty!

If you are like us and can’t get enough of Maru, check out his blog.  (It includes English translations.) While it seems criminal to choose just one video, our favorite video of the moment is this slow-motion clip of Maru jumping out of – you guessed it – a box.

Sockington

Sockington the Cat

Maru may have recently eeked out a win over Sockington in “the battle for the internet’s favorite feline,” but the social media world still can’t get enough of this other cat sensation.

Sockington, a very proper-looking black and white rescue cat from Waltham, MA, has so far amassed over 1.5 million followers on Twitter.  His owner, Jason Scott, chronicles his cat’s thoughts and broadcast them to the ever-growing “Socks Army.”  Sockington loves food and naps, frequently shouts in all caps, and is surprisingly witty.  A recent tweet read: “HURRAH GIFT GIVING TIME may I present you with 3/4 of a mouse HEY I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR INSINUATIONS or the screaming for that matter.”

In addition to his Twitter feed, Socks also has a blog and a Flickr account filled with numerous photos of “the most popular cat on Twitter.”  As Sockington himself might say: “OF COURSE I AM THE MOST POPULAR nap time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

Tillman the Bulldog

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