SHOPPING GONE TO THE DOGS - Should dogs be allowed in malls?

Over the weekend I took a trip to the mall to search out a cute outfit for a spring wedding. I was window browsing when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a lady and her Maltese entering a retail store. Then while eating lunch, there sat another little dog dining with it's owners at a table nearby. Both pets where not service dogs but just family pets going for a shopping trip with their owners.

I am a huge pet lover and I love to take my dog everywhere with me BUT when did it become popular to have your pup tag along on a trip to the mall?


Really....why take your dog or any pet to the mall? Malls are always crowded with people which could upset your animal, not many retail stores allow pets inside and unless their is a pet boutique featuring tons of yummy yummy treats, is your pet really going to have a good time?

I can understand having your pet with you when you stop by a coffee shop, if you are traveling and need to stop somewhere or if you want to bring your pet to the pet store with you but the mall? This may be stretching the line a little bit.

Could you imagine gliding into a retail store ready to try on tons of pretty things when you step in a little accident that someones pet has left behind (because we all know not all pet owners really pick up after their pets). I think some places should just remain dog free.



This is all my own personal opinion SO please let me know how you feel about this topic. Should pets be allowed in malls?


(This topic is not regarding service dogs)

Meet Hercules, The World's Biggest Dog or The World's Biggest Fib?

Hercules is one big puppy! Named Guinness World Records "World's Biggest Dog". This is one HUGE story that I had to pass along to the Polka Dot Pup readers!

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Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff who has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds.

With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breeds standard 200lb limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just grew... and grew and grew and grew".

Hercules' sheer volume may have won him the Largest Dog world record, but the Heaviest Dog title still rests with another Mastiff named Kell who weighed in at 286 pounds in August of 1999. This English Mastiff, however, only has a 32-inch neck - far less than Hercules' 38-inches. Think about that for a second though - 32 inches is a standard waist size for a man!

Proud owner Tom Scott said Kell is two years old and is expected to continue to grow for the next two years. Kell needs to be fed 100lb of beef every week, and drinks gallons of goats' milk to stay healthy...

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Do you think the dog pictured above is just plain big or one big fib? Let us know what you think! (I have a feeling a little photoshop work may have been involved)

America's Family Pet Expo

Don't have any plans for this weekend? Well if you live in the Los Angeles or Orange County areas, head on over to the Orange County Fairgrounds for America's Family Pet Expo!

Check out The Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan, all sorts of animal competitions, pet adoptions, tons of different types of animals and pet food & product vendors (most likely passing out free goodies!)

Only drawback is that you are not allowed to bring your own pets due to the large amount of different types of animals present. But hey, you can still go and have a good time and bring home great products for your pet or even a new little brother or sister.

Visit the Pet Expo website for information on vendors, schedule of events and parking and directions. General admission is $10.00, $4.00 for children 6-12 and 5 yrs and under are free!

The Expo is Friday, 10AM-6PM, Saturday, 10AM-7PM and Sunday, 10AM-6PM. Hope to see you all there!

Dog Tales

I received this wonderful story from a Polka Dot Pup reader and wanted to share it with everyone. It's a beautiful example of the love between a pet and their owner.

A wonderful dog story…

Mary and her husband, Jim, had a dog, Lucky. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends not to leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease; she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital, she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two week. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable. Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second, she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love; Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every night. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Do you have an inspirational story about you and your pet? Send them in and we will post them on Polka Dot Pup!

Unleash the Beast - A Dog Park Guide

Now that Winter has ended and Spring has arrived, what better time for you and your pet to stretch your legs and join the fun at a dog park?

I will admit, I was a little leery of the whole dog park idea at first. Hundreds of dogs running around off their leashes....who knew if the other dogs would want to be my pups friend or her bullies! Not to mention, I had a rough time locating a dog park nearby.

But after finally locating an amazingly large and well groomed dog park a few miles away, I have to admit that I have completely changed my mind. Vixen and I visit the dog park at least once a week now and it really is a fun activity for us both. Vixen enjoys chasing her tennis ball in all of the open space while I really love watching the different breeds of dogs (big and small) playing and having a great time together!

I really think any dog owner should try the dog park experience at least once. SO to make things a little easier, I have put together a list of sites that will help you locate a dog park in your area. Enjoy!

• DogGeek.com
  
• DogFriendly.com, United States and Canada Off-Leash Dog Park Guide.


• DogFun Directory.com, the original dog park directory.


• Animal Planet's Dog Parks USA


• USADogParks.com


• DogPark.com, Off-Leash and On-Line.


• Southern California Haute Dogs. Lists great dog beaches too!

**I recommend that your pups have all of their current shots before going to any dog park. Remember that a large number of dogs visit each park daily.

Have a dog park in your area that you absolutely adore? Send us your story and the parks information and we may select the park for a future Dog Park of the Month Segment!

The Easter Puppy Gift Guide

Spring has sprung and Easter is right around the corner.

Check out some of these super cute Easter items that I dug up that are perfect for any Easter pup!

See more of my The Easter Puppy list at ThisNext.

Do you have what it takes to be Polka Dot Pup of the Month for April?

April showers bring May flowers but it also brings PUP OF THE MONTH!

Does your pup have what it takes to be April's Pup of the Month? Send in your pictures with your pups name and a few fun facts about them.

A winner will be selected the final week of April. The winner will get their picture posted along with their very own article on Polka Dot Pup, the everything dog blog.

Good Luck!