Dog Treats

Sunday, September 22 is the first day of the 85th annual National Dog Week. This weeklong celebration was founded in 1928 by William Lewis Judy, affectionally known as Captain Will Judy. A decorated World War I veteran, Judy loved dogs. He founded a publishing house in 1921 and bought Dog World magazine in 1923, which he published for more than 35 years. He also helped to establish the Dog Writers’ Association of America.

National Dog Week was founded to honor our canine friends for their service as well as their loyalty and companionship. In the introduction to his classic book The Dog Encyclopedia: A Complete Reference Work On Dogs, Judy wrote: “Who invests in a puppy receives in return for his investment ten years of companionship, sport, and devotion that he can not purchase elsewhere at any price.”

In keeping with the theme for this year’s celebration, Kids and K-9s: Celebrating the Bond between Youth and Dogs, here are eight ways to celebrate the special bond that exists between kids and dogs.
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It’s hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away! Have you finished your shopping yet? If you’re still searching for the perfect gift for a special dog – or dog owner – in your life, DogWatch is here to help with our annual gift guide. Check out our suggestions, and feel free to add your own in the comments! And from all of us at DogWatch, we wish you (and your pets) a very merry holiday season and a happy and healthy new year.

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We’ve all heard about the obesity epidemic in the United States. Movies like “Supersize Me” and “Fast Food Nation,” TV shows like “The Biggest Loser,” “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,” and “My 600-lb Life,” as well as First Lady Michelle Obama’s anti-childhood-obesity campaign, have done a pretty good job of driving the point home. What you may not know is that canine and feline obesity is just as real, and just as big a problem. According to a 2011 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 53% of adult dogs and 55% of cats are classified as overweight or obese, and the majority of pet owners are either unaware or in denial of the very real danger this poses to their beloved companions. In this blog, we’re going to help you understand what pet obesity is, how to recognize it, the health risks it creates, and what to do about it.

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There’s a new (free!) social media phenomenon that’s sweeping the nation and proving to be quite the resource for dog owners. It’s called Pinterest, and it’s essentially a cork board for the digital age with a great social component. Remember the days of scouring magazines for recipes, craft ideas, pictures, and decorating ideas, then clipping out those pages and posting them on a cork board or filing them away in a series of folders or binders? Pinterest lets you do all that digitally: no muss, no fuss, no clutter, and better yet, you won’t LOSE anything!
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