Puppy Bowl IV

The pups hit the field February 3rd at 3pm for Animal Planet's fourth annual Puppy Bowl. Get a group of your favorite four legged friends together and catch the game during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl. For the first time ever, this hair raising event will be featured in HDTV so you catch every adorable puppy play as clear as can be.

Check out Animal Plant and vote for your favorite puppy player. The site also features a great guide to creating the perfect Puppy Bowl party, pup related games and tons of cute pooch pics.


The great thing about this program (other than the fact that it is just too cute) is that a number of the puppies featured in Puppy Bowl IV will come from the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Md., Homeward Tails Rescue and other Washington, D.C. area shelters and if you are interested in adopting your own adorable pup, Animal Planet features a link to petfinder.com for finding adoptable pets.

If you can't catch the show at 3pm, Animal Planet will be replaying the program at 6pm and 9pm as well as on February 4th at 12am.


To get more information about Puppy Bowl IV, visit Animal Planet

Walking the Dog - Product Guide

As January rolls along, have you been keeping your New Year's resolutions?? For those of you who promised their pooches more trips out and about (like myself), I have come up with a list of products that will help inspire any dog walker!

Here's to keeping 2008 active, Happy Walking!

See more of my Walking the Dog: Gifts for your dog walker list at ThisNext.

Dog Gone New Years Resolutions

2008 has arrived, a perfect time to dig up those resolutions that were forgotten over the past year. What better opportunity to create some pet friendly resolutions that you and your pet will enjoy together? I could think of a few for myself and my pup (take longer walks, head out to the dog park more often).

TRIPSwithPETS.com, an online guide for pet travelers and their people, polled visitors to their website about what their top New Year’s pet resolutions would be. Check out what other pet owners are resolving to do in 2008:

10. No Table Scraps: Our four-legged friends won’t be happy about this one. No more people food from the table or placed in the pet bowl, and no more plate licking either.

9. Nail Trims: Keeping pets nails trimmed properly can be a real challenge but 2008 will be a year of fewer toe nails clicking on floors.

8. Disaster Preparedness: It doesn't matter what part of the country you live in., we can all be affected by disasters. Putting together a pet disaster plan and survival kit is the plan for many pet parents in 2008.

7. Brushing Teeth: It’s recommended that you clean your pet’s teeth at least once a week, but not many pet parents do this. Looks like it’s on the “list” now.

6. Healthy Treats: Looks like many of our furry friends will be saying goodbye to processed treats. Many pet parents plan on “treating” their pets to more natural and organic treats.

5. Sit, Stay, Down: Pet obedience and training ranks high in the top pet resolutions for the year. A well behaved pet is also a less stressed pet.

4. Car Safety: We’re very pleased about this one. Pet parents plan to invest in their pet’s safety in 2008. They plan to better secure their pets when traveling by car by using a pet car seat, pet safety belt, travel carrier, or pet barrier.

3. More Road Trips: Whether it’s a trip to Grandma’s house, a visit to the pet store, or a vacation to Hilton Head – pet parent’s resolve to do more of them with their pets.

2. More Bonding Activities: Pet parents have vowed to include their pets in shopping trips, dinners at pet friendly restaurants, and other pet friendly places.

1. More Exercise: Whether it’s walks, runs, fetch, or hikes. Getting Fido and Fluffy moving is the top New Year’s pet resolution.


Check out http://www.tripswithpets.com for other great pet polls as well as dog travel accommodations and resources.

Happy Holidays from Polka Dot Pup

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
from Vixen and the Polka Dot Pup Crew

We hope that Santa Paws brought you bowls full of doggie delights!

Iggy Takes Over Top 50

As 2007 comes to a close, it's always good to take a look back and think about the goods and the bads of the years past. It's also time for magazines and networks to put together their "Best of 2007" lists.

Polka Dot Pup happen to come across one list that was right up our alley. Details Magazine has released their December’s Power and Influence issue featuring a list of the year’s top 50 most influential men under 45. How is this pet related you may ask? Because one of the most publicized pooches of year made #29 that's why! Congratulations to Iggy, Ellen DeGeneres's one time adopted pup, for making a list that consists mostly of humans. That's one big feat for one pint sized pooch.


For those of you who don't recognize the name, Iggy brought a media frenzy when the pup was ripped from the hands of Ellen's hairdresser's family, whom Ellen had given the puppy to when she realized the pup and her cats just couldn't get along. Boy did this situation turn into a dog fight when the agency who Ellen had initially received the dog from, Mutts and Moms animal shelter, came a-knocking saying Ellen had breached her contract and than proceeded to remove the puppy from a home they claimed they did not know was suitable.To cut to the chase, Ellen broke down on her TV show pleading for the dog to be returned to the family and mass media coverage ensued.

Being a dog owner myself, I can only imagine how heart breaking it would be to have my dog taken away from me and I believe Ellen had good intentions at heart. At the same time the contract between Ellen and Mutts and Moms animal shelter supposedly did state that if Ms. DeGeneres could not keep the puppy than it would be returned to the shelter (though why couldn't they have just interviewed the family instead of taking the dog away??). Whichever side you were on for this doggie drama, I think the main issue that should have been highlighted was that Iggy find a family who loves him.

So two paws up to you Iggy, we hope that you are enjoying your lime light from the comfort of your new home!

To view the full list of Details Magazine's Top 50 most influential men under 45 including little Iggy, check out Men.Style.com.

Santa Paws is Coming to Town - Holiday Gift Guide for Pets

So there is 28 days, 3 hours and 56 minutes until Christmas but who's counting right??

Has your pup been naughty or nice? Check out some of Polka Dot Pups favorite holiday inspired gift ideas for pets.

See more of my Santa Paws - Holiday Gifts for Pets list at ThisNext.

DOGS IN THE NEWS: Man Marries Dog as Atonement

This maybe one of the strangest dog related stories I have come across in awhile. Each culture has their own traditions, but marrying your pet? What if your pet doesn't feel the same way??(Just a joke). Obviously this is a tradition in the Hindu culture to ward off curses.

Take a peak and let Polka Dot Pup know what you think.

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Man Marries Dog as Atonement
The Associated Press
November 14, 2007, 2:35 PM PST

A man in southern India married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony as an attempt to atone for stoning two other dogs to death -- an act he believes cursed him -- a newspaper reported Tuesday.

P. Selvakumar married the sari-draped former stray named Selvi, chosen by family members and then bathed and clothed for the ceremony Sunday at a Hindu temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the Hindustan Times newspaper said.

Selvakumar, 33, told the paper he had been suffering since he stoned two dogs to death and hung their bodies from a tree 15 years ago.

"After that my legs and hands got paralyzed and I lost hearing in one ear," he said in the report.

The paper said an astrologer had told Selvakumar the wedding was the only way he could cure the maladies. It did not say whether his situation had improved.

Deeply superstitious people in rural India sometimes organize weddings to dogs and other animals, believing it can ward off certain curses.

The paper showed a picture of Selvakumar sitting next to the dog, which was wearing an orange sari and a flower garland.

The paper said the groom and his family then had a feast, while the dog got a bun.
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Do you have a wacky dog tale to share? Email us at polkadotpupblog@aol.com