Pup Podcast

A new, critically-acclaimed podcast is set to enliven your morning commute. Rescued By a Dog tells the stories of dogs who have actually saved their owners lives. These feel-good happy-cry stories are everything that the world needs right now.

“Dogs, in my opinion [are] the greatest gift bestowed upon humankind,” says host Laura Thomas, whose passion for her subject matter rings through each episode. Thomas knows her métier, having spent over a decade working on animal-related documentaries, as well as managing a big team at the nation’s largest “No Kill” shelter.

Her podcast is clearly hitting a note. The Season One finale (“When Danelle falls off a cliff, Taz is her only hope of survival”) garnered tens of thousands of social media hits and landed the podcast in the top 10 percent of pet podcasts in the US. Season Two, which premieres February 11, kicks off with the story of nationally-renowned dog trainer Matt Beisner, star of Nat Geo's Dog: Impossible. Beisner shares the story of how his rescued Jindo pup, Renge, singlehandedly helped him overcome his life-threatening addiction demons, transforming him from a jobless, suicidal alcoholic (one scared of dogs, no less), to a passionate dog advocate and recognized dog trainer with boundless gratitude for life.

“It's an epic, heartwarming story,” says Thomas. “Right now, our world feels heavy and divisive, and I wanted to create something to lift people out of that heaviness. I wanted to show people the goodness and love that is still all around us. Dogs give us the simple magic that the world needs right now.” 

Find Rescued By a Dog wherever you enjoy your podcas

If a dog saved YOUR life, you can email your story to rescuedbyadogpodcast@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!

The Pack

The weekend is going to the dogs! #PackedWeekend is a celebration of the unconditional love & bond that dogs and their humans share, taking place over three days in honor of the new Amazon Original competition series, The Pack. Brands like Sleepypod will celebrate with discounts, giveaways, upgrades and more.

The Pack, is a new global unscripted series that celebrates the unrivaled bond between dogs and their human companions. Hosted by Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn and her canine co-host Lucy, the series features twelve teams of dogs and their humans on an epic adventure across multiple continents. The Amazon Original series The Pack will premiere later in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.

At stake is a life-changing monetary prize for the winning duo ($500,000) and the animal charity of their choice ($250,000). Additionally, The Pack donated $250,000 during filming to multiple charities and animal rescue organizations in each country, helping to pay it forward to dogs and those who love them around the world!

To win the monetary prize for themselves and their charity, the teams will have to depend on their understanding of one another’s strengths and weaknesses and prove to have the strongest bond in the pack. In each locale, the human and dog duos will face fun and exciting challenges, designed in concert with a team of accredited veterinarians and certified dog experts that also accompany the group on their exciting journey, making sure it is a positive experience for everyone.

#ThePackTV is available on Prime Video starting November 20, 2020. Meet us at the starting point: packedweekend.com. Need inspiration? Watch this incredible clip.

Socialize Your Puppy With This Bucket List From A Top Trainer

Monique Anstee is a nationally ranked obedience competitor and the founder and head trainer at the Naughty Dogge on Vancouver Island. She has distilled over 25 years of dog training experience into her first book, As A Dog Thinketh, in which she shares daily wisdom for all of your dog-related conundrums, including her hard-learned tips on how best to socialize a puppy. Read on for some great advice from a top Canadian trainer.

Dogs need to be socialized. That means that dogs need to see the world and handle it with social grace. We need to teach them the skills and habits necessary for participating within our society.

Unfortunately, socialization is now commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted to mean just interacting and playing with other dogs. While puppies do need to play with other puppies, this is a teeny-tiny piece of their education, but somehow it’s become the only piece that many people focus on.

Here is a list of excellent activities you can do with your puppy to properly socialize him or her. I call it my puppy socialization bucket list, and it’s one of my most sought-after pieces of writing: 

• Give your puppy a ride in a wheelbarrow, but keep a hand on his collar so he doesn’t leap out.
• Walk over many, many bridges of different surfaces, widths, and heights, with variations in the gaps in between planks.
• Climb driftwood at the beach for footing, balance, and learning how to use her body
• Climb rocks at the beach.
• Take your puppy to dog-friendly stores.
• Take your puppy to the pet store, but be careful of overly friendly strangers who may not leave your dog alone.
• Take your puppy on a busy path alongside a road where you’ll encounter heavy traffic, the odd pedestrian bridge, people, bikes, dogs, joggers, etc.
• Expose your puppy to many types of floor surfaces.
• You may want to bring your puppy to the dog park, but make sure to hold her in your arms as you pass by other dogs, and if there are dogs that you know to be very safe and kind, you can allow them to meet on the ground.
• Take a walk with a trusted friend and his or her dog, if you know the dog to be kind and calm.
• Expose your dog to children by sitting outside playgrounds.
• Hang out with chickens, ducks, and goats. When my puppy thought the goats were really scary, I protected her on my lap.
• Toss your dog into a giant box stuffed full of teddy bears. When she’s covered, have her crawl her way out.
• Throw towels over top of your puppy’s head, and graduate to entire sheets; she has to find her way out.
• Hold your puppy for cuddling and kisses every night.
• Handle and or trim your puppy’s toenails weekly.
• Cuddle and kiss your puppy as she chews on her bones, sometimes. Certainly not always.
• Walk to a new place every single day. Try not to repeat your walks.
• Crate your puppy every single day for varying lengths of times.
• Make sure your puppy has travelled in different vehicles, in different types of crates or seating arrangements.
• Take your puppy to a greenhouse or nursery, and make friends with all the staff inside.
• If your puppy is really friendly, teach her the art of walking past people without always saying hello. Walk past at least four out of five people without greeting, otherwise her friendliness will be annoying when she is big and strong.
• Maybe one of the most important things: she can pee and poop on grass, gravel, asphalt, or cement, on a leash or free. This makes travelling very simple.
• Every day she is presented with small problems that she must solve: how to get the ball that rolled under the couch, how to get the marrow out of her bone, how to stay on a bridge without falling off, how to climb over a downed tree that is higher than she thinks she can climb. I help her but never do I do it for her. And I only help enough so that she has the confidence to do the rest. If she puts in no effort, I will not help her.
• Teach your puppy to come running back fast at the sound of her name, no matter the distraction. Make sure “come” means that she chases you.
• Have play dates with trusted dog friends.
• Walk on all types of stairs.
• Take your puppy in a boat or a kayak; let her jump in and out.
• Go swimming with a slow steady introduction to water.
• Take your puppy to the petting zoo to meet all the animals, and more importantly, all the children.
• Watch an adult herding sheep. My puppy’s eyes almost popped out of her head.
• Swing with your puppy in a hammock.
• Take your puppy to a playground. Sit on a swing with your puppy, and go down the slide with your puppy in your lap.
• Play soccer with your puppy, and tackle the ball from her when she has a hold of it in her paws.
• Take your puppy on vacation with you and stay in hotels and other people’s houses.
• Take your puppy in an elevator and go through automatic doors.
• Expose your puppy to someone who smells of cigarette smoke. Many dogs are sensitive to different odours on people.
• Walk past a person in a wheelchair.
• Hang out at the vet’s and get cookies!

Socialization is about teaching life skills to your puppy. I exposed my puppy to every possible skill that she might need to be a functional adult. With all of the exposure and success comes a level of confidence and bravery; they will get to the point where they believe they are invincible. Even when she gets into trouble, she knows I am right there behind her to help her with her difficulties. 

When puppies feel overwhelmed or scared, hold them in your arms, rather than leaving them on the floor. They can watch from up high, and then they’ll start wriggling like a mad thing wanting to get down and do it themselves. Rather than asking them to try it, by taking that option away and making them feel safe they have to then demand they be allowed to try it. This is a difference between feeling forced into an experience and choosing an experience. And when they choose the experience, they will be braver.

My last puppy never did have one “bad” experience. Unfortunately, it will happen, and when it does, they know that I am there to protect and help them. As they go on their adventures in the world, both good and bad, we are a team, and I have their back.

Rayne Clinical Nutrition | The balance between whole foods and scientific research

We all want to ensure that our dogs are getting the very best, especially when it comes to their diets! To make sure that all of our dog’s nutritional needs are met, we love Rayne Clinical Nutrition who formulate diets that bring something different to the market.

They start by designing and formulating their food in collaboration with some of the finest minds in veterinary medicine and nutrition, developing a range of formulas that are multi-indication, for the toughest clinical cases and that are also great for multi-pet homes.

What’s more,  Rayne’s fundamental nutritional philosophy is to provide as many nutrients as possible from whole food ingredients, adding less and supplementing less and are all free from corn, wheat, soy, and animal by-products to deliver exactly what your dog (or cat) needs to perform their best!

Learn more at raynecanada.ca 

Petcurean Helps Pets Displaced by Hurricane Michael

Petcurean donates 2,000 pounds of pet food to local animal rescues in need

One of our favourite premium pet food manufacturers Petcurean is donating 1,000 pounds of pet food to the Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue in Royal Palm Beach, Fla., which has taken in animals from shelters and residents in the Florida Panhandle who fled the area due to Hurricane Michael. How cool is that! What’s more, another 1,000 pounds of pet food is being donated to the Alaqua Animal Rescue, which is located 70 miles west of the storm’s path and has been collecting supplies and providing boarding and medical assistance to animals affected by the storm.

Hurricane Michael is the strongest storm on record to hit Florida’s Panhandle, placing 375,000 people under evacuation orders from government and weather officials.  As people evacuated, unfortunately, many pets were left behind resulting in overcrowded and undersupplied animal shelters and rescue organizations. To help aid those impacted by the storm, Petcurean is donating food with help from its Florida distributors.

“As yet another devastating storm displaces people and their pets, we hope that our contribution provides some form of comfort and aid to those impacted by Hurricane Michael’s destruction,” said Christine Mallier, PR & Community Relations Manager at Petcurean.

Petcurean is committed to helping pets and pet parents that are impacted by natural disasters and supporting the incredible animal rescue groups that work tirelessly to assist animals in need. In 2018, Petcurean made 196 donations, for a total donation of more than 42,300 pounds of food to-date!

About Petcurean

Petcurean is a family-owned Canadian company that creates premium-quality pet food recipes; GO! Solutions, NOW FRESH, GATHER and SPIKE treats for dogs and cats (and cats and dogs). Petcurean pet foods are sold exclusively through pet specialty retailers in Canada, the United States, and more than 30 countries internationally. At Petcurean, with every decision they make and every recipe they create, they put pets first. Please visit www.petcurean.com to learn more. 

Pause + Paws in Tofino, BC

When it comes to pet-friendly, watch your dog’s eyes light up when you say “beach in Tofino.” Yours too, because when you see the magic of Cox Bay at Pacific Sands Beach Resort, you’ll understand.

Bring along the furriest of family members for a Vancouver Island, BC beach vacation in spectacular Tofino the whole family can enjoy. Four-legged friends will feel right at home at Pacific Sands with their Pause + Paws October Pet Offer, complete with dog dishes, treats and pet towels upon arrival.

With Cox Bay as the ultimate backyard, dogs can run free along the shore and when things get messy, the resort offers pet wash stations for an easy, post-beach rinse. Convenient, biodegradable dog bags and disposal containers are also available for guests’ convenience.

Land, Sea and Simple Pleasures

Located on the edge of Pacific Rim National Park, just a short scenic drive from Long Beach and the charming, seaside village of Tofino, Pacific Sands is celebrating 45 years of welcoming guests to Tofino.

Generations and decades of returning guests say it’s simple things like s’mores and board-games around the fire that keep them coming back, along with sunset boardwalk strolls to Pettinger Point and the best surfing in Canada. Others say it’s the ocean air as you relax on your private deck enjoying a home-cooked meal from your fully-equipped kitchen, or at one of Tofino’s many award-winning local restaurants.

Nestled in old-growth forests and powered by the beat of relentlessly pounding surf, guests enjoy year round activities including summer fishing, spring whale-watching, winter storm watching, and all season beach-combing.

As Beachfront as it Gets

Offering a range of beachfront and ocean view accommodations steps from the beach, the recently opened 43 new suites bringing total accommodations to 120, along with the exclusive four-bedroom Sunset House at Rosie Bay. The expansion included one and three bedroom Oceanside Suites—perfect for romantic retreats and family getaways—and the signature two-bedroom Edgewater Suite, which boasts an impressive 700 square foot deck and private hot-tub—ideal for surfer and storm watching.

Renovations to the Sand Dollar Suite, Beachfront and Light House Suites are now complete and include updates to bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, lighting, new premium furniture, stainless steel appliances, and a fireplace to cozy up to during the cold months. Further upgrades will continue throughout 2018 and 2019 to the Lodge Buildings’ suites to complete a resort-wide upgrade.

There are new BBQs for grilling with friends, and hammocks for relaxing and taking in the majestic shoreline. A newly refurbished reception area also welcomes guests to this spectacular, beachfront oasis.

Classic Beach Food

Pre and post-surf snacks are served at the wildly popular beachfront Surfside Grill. Thanks to commercial fisherman Jeff Mikus and chef Jesse Blake, guests can start the day with breakfast items including smoked salmon sandwiches and hot drinks from the Espresso Bar. Gourmet beachside burgers are always on the menu, but you never know what Jeff might catch in Tofino waters for lunch and dinner. Count on catch-of-the-day specials, mouth-watering fish and chips and fish tacos, steps from your suite. Jesse is also known to whip up daily boat-to-kitchen specials, including charcuterie and seafood platters. Event catering is also available, from a taco bar menu for larger groups, to a private seafood dinner for two.

Surf in. Surf out. Repeat.

As Canada’s #1 surf beach, to say the resort is a surfer’s paradise is an understatement, no matter what the weather. All suites at the resort offer ocean views and beachfront access, making it the perfect place to surf in and surf out each day. Not only has Cox Bay earned a reputation for fantastic surfing, Pacific Sands has an onsite Surf Shack run by the infamous Surf Sister.

Convenient and fun for all levels, ages and abilities, lessons run from March to November. Queen of the Peak and the West Coast SUP Symposium surfing contests (both in early October) bring renowned surfers and paddlers to Tofino’s coast each year.

Kid-friendly Too

In July and August, Pacific Sands offers free, daily Kids Camps in collaboration with the RainCoast Education Society. These programs are designed to help educate young guests on the ecology of the beach, ocean, tide-pools, rainforest and wildlife. Other family activities include beach games, hosted fireside s’mores roasts, summer movie nights, bike rentals and complimentary yoga classes.

www.pacificsands.com

Modern Dog’s Going To SuperZoo 2018!

Modern Dog and Modern Cat staffers are super excited to be going to SuperZoo next week! Did you know that pet retailers from around the world will be attending this not-to-be-missed annual event that takes place in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Convention Center (this year the show runs June 26-28) and is the place to see what’s cool, new and trending in the pet industry!

Come meet us at booth #6370, grab a copy of our latest issues of Modern Dog and Modern Cat magazines, sign up for our free newsletters, be entered to win some awesome prizes and join our super-fun Scavenger Hunt!

If you have an awesome product you’d like us to know about, stop by our booth and introduce yourself. We’ll also be offering some amazing deals on advertising so if you’re not already an advertiser, now’s the time to consider it.

As always we’ll be walking the isles of this incredible show, visiting exhibitors’ booths to find the best new and exciting products to feature, ensuring our awesome readers are kept in the know on the latest and most innovative products. Learn more about our must see exhibiters here!

Modern Dog and Modern Cat at SuperZoo – Here's What We're Up To!

Are you a pet industry professional attending the show and want to get an idea of what Modern Dog and Modern Cat will be promoting? See the following list to find out!

** Our Retailer Program: Are you a pet specialty store owner? If so, come chat with us about the great benefits to be gained from selling Modern Dog and/or Modern Cat magazines in your store! What’s more, if you sign up to sell for a year, you will receive a free geo-targeted big box advertisement on our website to promote your business!

** Subscription Offers: Sign up for a subscription at our booth and get 1 year of Modern Dog or 2 years of Modern Cat for just $10!

** $100 Off Your Advertising Campaign: If you have a great pet product that you would like to get in front of our dog and cat loving audiences then stop by the booth or look out for our reps walking the show to learn more about advertising opportunities and receive a $100-off coupon (redeemable with an ad-buy, valid until July 16th 2018)

** Modern Dog and Modern Cat Scavenger Hunt!: New to SuperZoo this year is Modern Dog and Modern Cat’s Scavenger Hunt! Stop by our booth each day to receive a list of 10 must see booths to visit and instructions on how to enter. Then simply take a selfie with all 10 booths and upload to Instagram using tagging and hashtags outlined in the instructions for a chance to win a different prize (of minimum $250 retail value) each day.  Be sure to check our Instagram and Twitter accounts at the end of the day to see the next day’s prize provider and at the start of the day to see the prize.

** E-newsletter Sign-up Contest: If you sign up for both Modern Dog's and Modern Cat's e-newsletters at our booth, you will be entered to win a great prize!

Whilst this show is only for pet industry professionals, don’t worry! If you cannot attend, be sure to follow our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts to get real time updates on all the goings on at the show.

Must Watch! The Story Of The Pebble Smart Doggie Doorbell

Pebble Smart Doggie Doorbell from Pebble Smart on Vimeo.

To Learn More About Pebble Smart Click Here 

Video of the Day: French Bulldog Puppy Takes Leap of Faith

via Peter Valko

Video of the Day: Watch Out Messi, Here Comes Soccer Dog

via Independent News