Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#20)

Happy 4th of July!

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their holiday.  Last week was a very exciting one at my house.  Buffy, my husband, and I all celebrated our birthdays right in a row.  It was a week full of family, cake…and of course presents!

I was lucky enough to receive a new iPhone from my wonderful parents.  My old iPhone was…um…busted. (That’s an understatement!)   To someone who is pounding the pavement with pups all day (or on her way to do so!) – your phone is pretty much all you have.  For everything:  Facebook, client emails, checking in on the blog, seeing if I need rain boots, chatting with mom…EVERYTHING.  Seriously.  I should have my own  iPhone commercial.  (There is no way Samuel L. Jackson uses his iPhone more than I do!)

If you are a regular reader of Wags & Whiskers Wednesday…you know where this is going.  My phone takes (lots and lots of) pictures.  And while I didn’t actually run the numbers, I can estimate with some confidence that 90% of the pics on my old phone were of dogs (with a few kitties sprinkled in.)  I’ve decided to share some of my (many) favorites with you.  A few of these you might have seen before…through Twitter or Instagram…but I think they’ll still put a smile on your face.

So here is why I love my job….

(If you don’t follow me on Instagram…you really should – JKnight311)

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#17) – Happy Birthday, Blog!

Happy 1st birthday to the blog!!

On this very day one year ago, I wrote my first Wags & Whiskers blog post.  I guess it’s true what they say – time flies when you’re having fun!

While I originally started this blog to share my experiences and knowledge of dogs (and a few cats), I soon realized that it was a great way to educate myself.  Not only does the blog motivate me to keep up to date with the latest happenings around the canine community, but it has also shown me just how important the history of our dogs is.  By learning about the origins of dogs – both generally and breed specifically – we can better understand how our dogs’ brains work.  The better we understand what our dogs are thinking, the happier we (“we” being both 2 and 4-legged creatures) will be.  I have also found it fascinating (and hope you have too!) to see how from the beginning of human history, dogs have been at our side.  They have done everything from fight our wars to help detect and cure diseases.  They have defined many of our childhoods…they have often been our only source of truly unconditional love.

Most importantly, I have learned the answer to an ever pressing question:  No, there is no limit to the amount of cute puppy pics one can “awwww” too.  So without further ado:

Meet Bailey & Bubbie! How can you tell which one is which? Well, Bubbie is the one who is sticking his tongue out at you.

English bulldog, Jack. I love how bulldogs can look distinguished and absolutely adorable at the same time!

Here is Abby! We hear she is her mom’s little princess…and from the way she is posing for this pic, it looks like she knows it!

A big Wags & Whiskers tail wag goes out to Karen S. (aka @Yorkiemom1964)  for taking all the pictures featured today!  She has opened her home to more than one dog in need…and I think we can all tell by this pictures how well loved they ALL are!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#13)

Happy Wednesday!

So….I think I’ve turned into a crazy dog person.

I feel like something is wrong with my pup.  She doesn’t have a cut or scrape, she isn’t sleeping a lot, and she hasn’t been coughing.  Something is just off – call it mother’s intuition.  (And with that last sentence, I have officially turned into MY mother.)  For one thing, her tail has been wagging funny.  (Remember above when I told you I had turned into a crazy dog person??)  It isn’t wagging back and forth…just to one side…and then the other.  She doesn’t seem depressed, but she seems like something is bothering her.  So here is the question I pose to you, my knowledgeable reader: Should I take her to the vet?

What would I say?  “I cannot tell you what is wrong or what any of the symptoms are, but something is wrong with my dog.”  Will they think I’m crazy?  I would seriously love to get some feedback on this (especially if you have been in a similar situation.)

As worried as I am, looking at pictures of cute dogs always cheers me right up.  Hopefully these adorable pups will have the same effect on you!  As you hopefully know, we are always taking picture submissions if you would like to get your pup featured on our blog.  Check out our submission info here.

So Ugly They’re Cute! (The story of the Bulldog)

So here is what you do know (especially if you took a gander at this week’s Wags & Whiskers Wednesday) – bulldogs are cute.  That’s where the education stops with most bulldog admirers.  This breed, though, has a surprisingly interesting history…one which if you know a bulldog personally, you might find hard to believe.

For the longest time I wondered “Where the HECK did the name ‘bull’dog come from?”  Obviously I realized it must have something to do with bulls, but I wasn’t sure what.  Then I heard of bull baiting.  It’s just as horrible as it sounds.  A bull was tethered, bulldogs released, and the dog that pinned the bull won.  (Don’t even think about what happened to the dogs that didn’t win.)  This is when the bulldog acquired his stout body and big head; people bred them for these qualities (along with an aggressive temperament) solely for the purpose of attacking bulls.

“Ok…ok…” you’re thinking.  “That does not sound like the happy-go-lucky bulldogs that I know!”  Well, over the years this English bulldog was cross bread with the pug.  This is how the bulldog got shorter and wider…and more importantly a lot nicer.

In the past five years, bulldogs have rapidly gained popularity, and are now in the top 10 most popular breeds (according to the AKC.)    They were recognized as a breed by the AKC way back in 1886 and until recently, peaked in popularity in 1915.

So why does everyone want a bulldog now?

It seems we have become enamored by that easily recognizable face and easy-going attitude towards just about everything.  They are great with kids.  They don’t need a lot of exercise.  They can easily adapt to every environment.  They are an all around great breed to have around!  Hollywood stars are even hopping on the bulldog bandwagon.  Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, John Legend, George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Adam Sandler – all proud bulldog parents!

As a sports fan, one of my favorite facts is the bulldog is literally THE most popular mascot.  I mean, I’m sure you can think of at least a dozen schools that use the bulldog to represent them in the sports arena.  (Wikipedia claims that 39 American universities alone use the bulldog as their mascot.)  It’s easy to see why – they look tough, they are (well…they WERE) aggressive and courageous (back in their bull baiting days), but despite all that they are darn cute!  (And a lot easier to transport to games than Bevo.)

So to summarize this post – if you are in the market for a dog, I would check out the bulldog.  No, he won’t be able to go on long hikes.  No, he won’t ever be able to herd sheep or go hunting.  He will be loyal, though.  He will love your kids.  He will be adorable.  And he DEFIFINITELY will snore!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday

Happy Middle-Of-The-Week!

This week, I’ve decided to feature one breed who is enjoying increased popularity these days – the bulldog!  These “so ugly they’re cute” dogs seem to stop traffic whenever I have the pleasure of walking them.  I have been spending more and more time with these brachycephalic pups (Do you like how I threw that word in there?  Brachycephalic dogs are dogs that have a compressed upper jaw and a short muzzle – basically a “squished” face. Throw that word into your next dog conversation to sound super smart.) and was slightly surprised at the wide range of personalities.  I was under the impression that bulldogs were, for the most part, lazy.  Not true!  My newest client, Tulip, can literally beat me in a race up the stairs.  Maybe I should start hitting the gym more.

But when you think bulldog, you think THAT FACE!  Oh that smushed in face!!!  So without further ado…..

And now…for the CUTEST PICTURE EVER!!!!