Walk Fido

Reason #1158 to Love English Bulldogs

It's not as if we have to seek out reasons to fall in love - daily - with our English Bulldog Oscar. Yet news that a bulldog saved a sack of drowning kittens has us smitten all over again.  We work with many types of dogs and each of them has a trait that is so uniquely their own and so charming. With English Bulldogs, we have seen time and again that they are stalwart and loyal and very aware of both human and animal suffering around them. Their capacity to sense and respond to needs is remarkable, especially since the other part of their lives are spent lounging about and sleeping. Bravo to Napolean for running across a street, jumping into the water, and swimming (swimming!) to save the kittens.

To get your daily English Bulldog fix, visit Bulldog Abbie and fall in love. Again and again and again.

Fido Findings

News from the dogosphere:

• It is now illegal to walk dogs in public in Riyadh.
• Verizon Wireless finally yanked those horrible pit bull ads.  Too bad so much damage is already done.
• The very good folks at Bad Rap revisit the Tusla puppy incident and find it surprising that so many people would never expect a lab to bite. Theyve provided a short list of "old and not-so-old headlines" to remind us that "dogs are still animals, even when they can fit into a fancy leather shoulder bag."
• Nathan Winograd, author of Redemption, is furious about the effectiveness of L.A.'s recent mandatory dog licensing laws and he hopes a similar proposition for mandatory cat licensing gets buried before it gets traction.
• Dogster shines a light on some of the more horrifying things that can happen when you take Fido to get groomed.
• In lighter news: Dogster is running a series of photo contests and we are pleased as punch that an English bulldog won the most recent go-round for a crazy drool-covered picture.

Animal Ownership - Where Do You Fit In?

David's latest contribution to Oh Audrey is up and it focuses on a few different ways you can neglect your dogs even if you are giving them constant care. Here's a sneak peek:

"In our busy lives, we need to remind ourselves that if we truly care for our animals, then we must be willing to learn about and address their needs from their perspective whenever possible. Taking the time to educate ourselves about our animals is part of the fun of spending our days with these creatures."

And one more for good measure:

"Dogs do not need yards to be happy. Dogs need walks, exercise and socialization with other dogs and people every day to be happy. Dogs need rules and leadership just like they would have from each other if we were not here with them. The wild is not an easy, always safe place to survive. The rules of nature are serious and those who don't work hard lose out. Most owners forget this and let their animals determine every aspect of their relationship."

Read the whole article on the ever-fabulous Oh Audrey site now.

Poop Bags So Cool, You Won't Want to Use 'Em

We're big fans of Mutt Mitts at Walk Fido. So much so that we buy them in bulk and help to have Mutt Mitt stations installed downtown to ensure that all dog owners have every opportunity to pick up after their dogs with biodegradable poop bags.  Mutt Mitts aren't highly fancy, but they are highly functional and get the job done.  We especially like the turn it inside out way they work and their black interior. A very tidy way to clean up!

But if we were ever to fall for another poop bag option...we'd have to say we're smitten with the high design of dog poo bags by Junges Schachtel.  They're very cool and terribly irreverent...perfect for downtown dogs and their owners!  We never thought picking up poop could be funny, but these bags would make that possible. We're not crazy about the clear bag design - great without poop in it, very unsavory once filled - or the weird flaps, but we love that good design is making its way to all dog accoutrements, not just beds and clothing.