You saw them on television these past two weeks: Olympic athletes. They jumped, ran and somersaulted their way to victory. Next to you, while you watched the Olympics, was your dog. He lay there next to you very bored, hoping you would soon take him out for a walk. Secretly your dog was wishing he could be like Nastia Liukin, able to jump and run with amazing speed and agility. Luckily for him, your dog can be just like an Olympic athlete — thanks to the rapidly growing sport called agility.

Agility is a sport for any dog and any dog owner. It is a team sport in which the handler (owner) directs their dog, off-leash, through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Both the owner and dog must work together in order to complete the course.

Any dog can be trained for agility (including my three-legged dog Serena), but training takes time and hard work. There are many people who take training classes and who have no interest in competing. Agility, even if you never want to compete, helps to form a stronger bond between you and your dog. If you have a high-energy dog, then agility is definitely for you. Agility teaches your dog how to focus and harness his energy in a productive manner. You will have a better well-behaved dog if you take agility classes. (more…)

Serena, my dog, only has three legs. She didn’t always have three legs; but one day cancer took one of her legs from her. After her surgery I pictured what every pet owner fears…that my best friend wouldn’t have as good of a life as she did when she was four-legged.

One month later, my tripod made her comeback in agility as a three-legged dog. She stole the show and proved to every four-legged dog that she was a force to be reckoned with. Three years later, she has one champion title and continues to earn points towards a second title.

If your pet just recently experienced an amputation, or if you are facing such a decision right now, you should know that having a pet with three legs doesn’t mean they will have a poor quality of life. From my own experience, the human has a harder time with the amputation then the pet.

Most diseases or injuries that require a pet to have a leg amputation are painful. By removing the painful limb, the animal can start to heal. Most pets will be up and walking on three legs about 8-12 hours after surgery. Although I work in a veterinary clinic and have dealt with many amputees, the initial shock of seeing my own dog as a three-legged dog is something I will never forget. Once Serena was fully recovered from surgery, I followed some simple steps to ensure that she would be as happy as any “normal-abled” pet. (more…)

I am very excited to be part of the Halo blogging community! I look forward to providing you informative and entertaining articles about the animals in our lives, including vacationing with and without your pet, common dog behavior challenges and how to protect your pet during a disaster. You are likely wondering who am I and what, exactly, do I know.

Well, I always knew I wanted to work with animals. When I was 13 years old I sent away to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School for an application. As I got older I realized that becoming a doctor wasn’t for me, but being a veterinary technician was. Now as an adult I can safely say I’ve “gone to the dogs,” as well as to the cats, birds, rats, fish, rabbits and so on and so forth. (more…)

Some dogs just have to dance. At least that’s the case in Japan, where doggy dance lessons have become the latest craze, according to a report from Reuters. In these courses, dogs are taught moves such as circling their owners and winding between their legs, in order to create choreographed dance routines set to music. Many dog owners who participate in the classes say they are beneficial in helping them improve communication with their pets. The current popularity of these courses provides further evidence of the booming Japanese pet industry, which is worth close to $9.5 billion.

Dancing with dogs is actually not a new phenomenon, as the dog sport of musical canine freestyle has existed since the late ‘80s. Emphasizing training and teamwork, canine freestyle competitions are held throughout the world to recognize extraordinary dog/human dance partners.

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These days, it seems like everybody and their dog has a blog…literally! You might be surprised to find out it’s not just humans getting behind the computer anymore, as many dogs are “writing” their own journals. Here’s a few fun blogs from the canine perspective:

• The Adventures of Spencer: A Mascot Dog’s Blog
Spencer, a 10-year-old golden retriever, is the focus of this journal. Though originally trained for film work, Spencer has since retired from the biz and is now chronicling his life as the mascot for a Los Angeles video production company.

• Mary-Margaret’s Diary
The daily diary of an adorable Yorkie, this blog features lots of photos and video of Mary-Margaret. She is soon to make her acting debut in the upcoming WE series F.L.I.P. Mysteries — check her out before she skyrockets to fame!

• To Aire is Divine
If you like Airedale Terriers, this is the blog for you! The journal of Bogart Handsome Devil is loaded with photos of the Airdale pup and his four feline companions. A very web-savvy pooch, Bogart even has his own MySpace page!

• The Days of Johann, an Agility Dog
Rescued by an animal shelter as a puppy, Johann has been training in agility for the past three years. Check out this blog to read about the life of this 2007 Cynosport World Games Dog Agility Grand Prix finalist.

• Too Cute Pugs
Check here for the life and times of pugs Pearl and Daisy. Features include “Pug Thoughts Monday,” where readers are encouraged to write captions for photos of the pups. They even allow their human mommy to show off her pug-related crafts in this blog.

Cat lovers, don’t think we’ve forgotten about you! Check back in upcoming weeks for a feature on the most entertaining kitty blogs!

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