For the past couple of weeks, students everywhere have shown signs of that seasonal bug, the Back to School blues.  The end of summer means less time to play outside with friends, and more time devoted to classes and homework.  That’s enough to put most kids in a bit a funk, but did you know the family dog might also share their pain?

That’s right, dogs can suffer from the Back to School blues, too.  This week, Dog Tails gives families tips to help their dog manage the transition from summer vacation to a new school year.  By following this prescribed “homework,” you can help banish these blues soon and restore your dog to a happy state.

Dogs are sensitive to changes in their daily routine.  Back to school represents a particular challenge.  Days once filled with outdoor play, activities and attention are now mostly solitary and a lot less exciting.  To ease the transition, experts suggest slowly adjusting the dog’s schedule to the new routine.  Shift playtime and walks to morning and evening hours, and away from school hours.

This gradual transition can help avoid the dreaded curse of back to school season: separation anxiety.  These feelings often cause dogs to act out in destructive ways, including excessive barking and chewing or eating things they shouldn’t.

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Being a dog owner is not easy.  To raise a dog properly, you need to devote time, money and passion to the job.  Moments of frustration are bound to occur, and at regularly intervals.  Successes are often followed by small failures and false starts.  You may even lose your favorite pair of shoes to your puppy’s teeth.

As any dog owner can tell you, however, all of that effort is worth it.  Bringing a dog into your home will change your life.  Your dog’s unconditional love, unsinkable spirit and unabashed smiles can improve your health and well-being in many ways.

To prove our point, Dog Tails has compiled a list of the top 5 ways that dogs can change your life for the better.  Read on, and learn more about how these amazing creatures make our lives better every day.

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Last week in DogTails, we had a great time profiling our favorite social media all-star pets.  Continuing with the theme of pet-centric social media, this week we want to share our opinions on a few of the most popular social sites and applications for pet owners.

We love how these tools now allow users to share their pets’ stories, photos and videos, and connect with fellow furry friends around the world.  These sites are entertaining, informative, and a great way to keep your friends near and far up-to-date on your pet’s cutest, funniest, sweetest and craziest moments.  We hope you’ll enjoy our reviews, and try one out for yourself and your pet! Who knows, maybe they’ll be the next social media pet stars!

Dogbook

Facebook is the most popular social media site on the planet, and this fun application allow you to share information with your fellow pet owners without leaving the site.  Created in 2007, Dogbook allows owners to create their own mini-pages for their pets.  Like a regular Facebook profile, a Dogbook profile include pictures, status updates, lists of friends (human, canine or other animal) and even location tracking.

But what about your other animals?  Don’t worry, there are apps for them too.  Catbook, Horsebook, Birdbook, Ferretbook, Rodentbook and Fishbook are all there and ready to use.  The apps’ creators have also developed an iPhone app exclusively for Dogbook users.  It allows them to see where their dog’s “friends” are and meet up for a playdate.  (Watch this video for more details.)

Dogbook is easy to use, and is a great way to connect with your pet-owning friends and meet new friends across the globe.  You can join groups based on breed or geography or any other characteristic you choose. There are currently over 2 million users on Dogbook and another 1 million on Catbook.  That’s quite a crowd!

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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 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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