Smiling’s my favorite!

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Pup Fan

As I recently mentioned, I’m well behind on my monthly roundups. However, let’s just consider this belated October installment an early Christmas gift. (By that logic, I’m actually ahead of the game.)

Anyway, I believe that Buddy the Elf would totally support me sharing these posts guaranteed to make you smile. Enjoy. If you need me, I’ll be enjoying selections from the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. Continue reading →

The 7 habits of highly irritating dog walkers

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Pup Fan

Do you want to be an irritating dog walker? The kind that others see on the street and are immediately annoyed by? If so, today is your lucky day!

For one day only, I’m offering a free primer on how to be an annoying dog walker. By employing these seven simple tips, you too can be the bane of your neighborhood! (Keep in mind, to really be the most irritating person on the block, you should use all of these tips in combination with each other. One or two just won’t be effective enough.)

Before we start, I’d like to introduce you to today’s instructor: Continue reading →

Revisiting the dog days of summer

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Pup Fan

Well, it’s November, so I’m only three months behind with August’s monthly roundup. Here are sixteen sensational posts I enjoyed during the dog days of summer…

Peas in a Pod from Poochie Project – I love seeing two pups snuggled up together. (One of these days, Bella and Tavish!)
Guarding the Toys from Peggy’s Pet Place – Kelly and Bella have a lot in common.
3 Ways I’d Really Change Dog Adoptions from Something Wagging This Way Comes – Yet another thought-provoking post from this fantastic blog. It really had me pondering the role of good communication in improving the process.
Why I’ve decided it’s nice to have a sister from Roxy the Traveling Dog – I hope that one day Bella will pen a similar post about having a brother.
Favorite Video Friday – Lost Pet Reunions from No Dog About It – Not going to lie, it’s totally raining on my face right now.
Keeping a New Year’s Resolution: Volunteer Leslie Forte from City Dogs Rescue – Can’t go wrong with the tale of an inspiring volunteer.
Happy Birthday, Ty! from Take Paws – I love Ty’s life lessons.
I am Genetically Altered – Given that the title of this blog was inspired because of my response to the “when are you having kids” question, I absolutely adored this post. I’m much more likely to turn into mush at the sight of a puppy than a baby. How about you?
If Dogs Spoke English from Something Wagging This Way Comes – It’s a good question. What do you wish you could tell your dog?
How did YOU Name Your Dog? from Dakota’s Den – You guys were full of good questions that month, huh?
What Would Your Name Be If Your Dog Had Chosen It? from My Brown Newfies – See what I mean? So many good questions!
I wish I could be more like my dog from The Daily Dog Blog – Me too, my friend.
I Kept Him Because His Breath Burns My Nostrils, and a Few Other Counterintuitive Reasons from Chronicles of Cardigan – Foster failure!
Pancake Catching Fail from Pooch Smooches – The title says it all.
Cat Immersion Project Eases Teen’s Loneliness from Bunny’s Blog – It’ll rain on your face again, but it’s worth it.
If Dogs Talked About Us from Something Wagging This Way Comes – I do wonder sometimes…

I’ll try not to be so delinquent with future link roundups. Enjoy!

The dog blog days of summer: Part I

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Pup Fan

I’m breaking July’s monthly roundup into two installments – once I finally started catching up on my blog reading, the list ended up being much longer than I expected. (Seriously, I’d appreciate it if everyone would dial down the quality of their posts – it would make my life a lot easier.)

Before we get started with the first installment, I just have to share this post from Text From Dog. I just could not stop laughing after I saw it.

Anyway, without further ado, here are thirteen more posts that made me smile in July. Hats off to these awesome bloggers…

Continue reading →

It’s raining cats and dogs (and awesome blogs)!

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Pup Fan

Well, a new month is upon us, which means that it’s time for another monthly roundup. In light of the fact that it’s an April roundup, let’s just say I’m showering you with some awesome blog posts. No umbrella needed. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite posts from the last month:

The worst thing my dog destroyed was… from No Dog About It – This post had me strolling down Memory Lane, remembering when my childhood pup Scotti demonstrated what she thought of my reading choices.
The Joys of Stupid Dogs from Doggies and Stuff – I mean, I’m not saying Bella’s stupid… but she’s not really very smart. Remember the treat test?
Random Thoughts from Basset Momma – A fantastic twist on the “this is your brain on drugs” thing from back in the day.
Why You Should Never Use Your Daughter’s Favorite Stuffed Animal as a Dog Prop from My Brown Newfies – A good (and hilarious) lesson for us all.
Dogs in the Movies from under the blanket – These posters are just too cool.
You Can’t Do That! Oh Yeah? Watch Me! from Something Wagging This Way Comes – My new mantra: be the St. Bernard.
Doggy Style Pick-Up Lines, also from Something Wagging – Hilarity doesn’t even begin to describe this one. (Pamela, you need to stop being so awesome. Actually… don’t.)
January is Train Your Dog Month from Bringing Up Bella – Yes, it’s from April. Yes, it’s fantastic. (Bonus points for the perfectly chosen soundtrack.)
You call me a Pit Bull like it’s a bad thing from Oh, Corbin – This post is just plain fantastic.

Gratuitous Bellaface!

And here are nine more!

The Optimism of Cats and Dogs from Life with Sampson and Delilah – I love this story. I can picture it all playing out, as clear as day.
Blog the Change: The Kindness of a Stranger from Kol’s Notes – A truly inspirational post.
Be a Billboard for a Good Cause from Daley’s Dog Years – This post inspired me to purchase a shirt. That’s how good it is. (Seriously though – an adorable shirt and spreading a good message? You can’t beat that.)
Cute Welsh Corgis and Guys in Ties from Chronicles of Cardigan – Sounds like a good combo to me.
This is why I don’t travel with family from Pawcurious – This one cracked me up, especially the reference to Dr. Google. I can’t seem to break up with that guy. He’s like a bad boyfriend.
Video Monday: If you were a dog toy from Grouchy Puppy – Although now I am channeling Beyonce and singing “If I were a boy,” this video has nothing to do with that.
The Top Ten Reasons Why Dog Teens are Better than Human Teens from Arwen’s Pack – Redirecting a sullen teenager using a squeaky toy? If only…
Cats in Space from Bunny’s Blog – You know I love any excuse to reference [insert noun here]… in… space!
Dog Song Saturday: Songs of the Dog Walker from Talking Dogs – You can’t go wrong with this one. (However, I will never be able to reference Wayne Brady without thinking of this moment.)

Did I miss any of your favorites? Share them in the comments!

For previous monthly roundups, click here.

22 things that made me smile in 2011

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Pup Fan

‘Tis the time for reminiscing about 2011…

Last year, I shared some of my favorite posts from this blog. This year, I’ve decided to stop the navel gazing (until the Pet Blogger Challenge later this month, of course) and highlight some of my favorite posts from other bloggers. (Thanks to Mel from the No Dog About It blog for the inspiration.)

It’s a tough task, actually. There is a ton of great content out there in the pet blogging community.

The posts below all have one thing in common – they make me laugh or smile (one of those really big smiles). There are many beautiful, touching, and thought-provoking posts that touched my heart this year. However, today I felt like aiming for tears of laughter or joy rather than the other kind. Hope you don’t mind.

It was a long year. I’m sure there are some others I adored that slipped my mind when writing this post. (Perhaps one of my 2012 resolutions should be to do a better job of keeping track of my favorite posts. You may notice that this list skews toward the more recent entries.) In no particular order, here are 22 posts I loved this year…

My Most Embarrassing Dog Moment from My Brown Newfies – I have no words. Just go read it.
The Puppiness Project – Everything’s Better with Puppies from Something Wagging This Way Comes – With a title like that, how could this post not make my list?
10 Pictures of Dogs Reading Books from Doggie Stylish- I love dogs. I love books. I love this post.
Favorite Video Friday – Stella’s Shasta Adventure from No Dog About It – I don’t know how Mel finds so many great videos. However, I still watch this one when I just need a moment of Zen.
(Viewing this may cause extreme joy) More Happy Pets! Part I from The Chronicles of Cardigan – It really did cause extreme joy. Extreme.
Adopting Beelzebub: A Beast of a Bird? from This One Wild Life – An adoption story that warmed the cockles of my heart.
17 Things Bella Has Stolen from Bringing up Bella – I’m kind of glad my Bella only hoards socks.
Spam Saturday: Amazing Products, Thrilling Occasions, Thanks-a-Mundo! from Will My Dog Hate Me – This post is masterwork. Go put the lime in the coconut and drink it up, okay?
32 Simple Things You Do That Matter To Dogs from Peggy’s Pet Place- More warming for those cockles.
Dog a Day Project – Why I Don’t Have Kids from Doggie Stylish – I’m just going to start replying to everyone who asks me when I’m going to have children by emailing them a link to this post. (Don’t get me wrong – I don’t know what the future holds. However, I tend to think people should mind their own beeswax and stop asking.)
5 Reasons Puppies are Easier Than Kids from Smart Dog – A perfect companion to the Doggie Stylish post.
She Who Cannot Be Trusted from Postpartum Paradise – A toddler, a dog, and adventures in unconventional (and unsanctioned) grooming. See? I can appreciate posts involving kids!
Senior Dogs: Appreciate, Don’t Discriminate from Grouchy Puppy – This one is actually a guest post that Sharon from Grouchy Puppy contributed to this blog. I just love the message.
The Mystery of Burt’s Bees from Tales and Tails – Or, as I like to think of it, “how to collect puppy kisses in one easy step.”
Dogs in International Costumes: Bone Voyage! from Will My Dog Hate Me – Just because.
Drunken Master IV: Canine Fu from Rescued Insanity – A funny tale of DWWI (Dog Walking While Intoxicated).
For Woofing Out Loud from Kol’s Notes – In case you’ve ever wondered if your dog thinks you’re as funny as you think you are… the answer is apparently no.
15 Ways to Tell if You’re Dog Crazy from Something Wagging This Way Comes – Just a genius post, and, well… it’s funny ’cause it’s true. This post inspired me to start that whole dog song parody series of posts.
Pinterest Tuesday – Dogs Making Messes from Two Little Cavaliers – The cutest kind of mess is the kind that I don’t have to clean up.
Chinese Takeout = Bad Dog Parenting from Life With Desmond – Speaking of messes… wondering if something is trash or treasure? Just ask the dog.
Dressing Up Dogs at Holidays from Grouchy Puppy – I just love this creative take on the antler photo.
From the DDY Digs Desk from Daley’s Dog Years – I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m including this post partly because of the Ryan Gosling photo.

Why 22? I have no idea. I feel like this list could have gone on forever (for example, I wanted to include a post from BZ Training, but I just couldn’t pick a favorite photo shoot, so I’m cheating and linking to the whole blog here). Finally, I just held an intervention for myself, cut myself off, and sent myself to list-making rehab.

What was your favorite pet blog post of 2011?

Please tell me I’m not the only one who remembers this stuff…

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Pup Fan

Today’s links are even more random than usual, if that’s possible. Full disclosure: I considered doing a Twilight theme. The punny names were especially easy – though I would not be surprised if someone already has a pet named Robert Cattinson. (Yup. Someone beat me to it.)

Anyway, although I am going to see Breaking Dawn tonight (I didn’t love the book, but I can’t resist a movie night), I decided to spare you from my other puns (such as Edward Seagullen). You’re welcome for the random linkage instead…

First up, your punny pet name: Meowrice Sendak.
Time for a little shameless self-promotion – I posted a new recipe on the cupcake blog!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, crack open a dog beer and let’s get to the fun stuff.
The other day I wrote a guest post for My Brown Newfies inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. The Internet has returned the favor – it’s where the wild pugs are!
So, I remember when Passions had that weird talking doll. (Anyone else? I didn’t watch that particular soap opera, but I would occasionally pass it when channel surfing and get creeped out.) It appears that one soap opera has decided to top that storyline – it’s a talking dog trying to convince a talking baby to hand over some hidden paternity test results. (Don’t worry, I’ll give you a few minutes to read that completely bonkers sentence a few more times.)
In other “things no one else probably remembers” news, 2gether (MTV’s parody boy band from the ’90s) is considering a reunion. U plus me equals us, baby. (Calculus.)
Speaking of TV… I’m not normally one to share ads, but I giggle whenever I see this Microsoft ad. After all, I was the type of kid who would have happily made a
PowerPoint presentation about why I needed a dog. (I’m also reminded of
Marshall’s chart and graph obsession on How I Met Your Mother. I can totally relate.)
Bonus graph: things I associate with Sarah McLachlan. (Thank goodness for the series of non-depressing pet adoption videos from Will My Dog Hate Me, right?)

Continuing with the advertising theme… this FedEx ad featuring dominoes, a goose wearing a bow tie, and an adorable puppy is pure awesome:

(via Best Week Ever)

I mean, it’s not catvertising, but it’ll do…

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Also, don’t forget to vote for The Old Dog House in the Pepsi Refresh Project once a day until November 30… it’s a wonderfully simple way to help senior dogs.

Have a great weekend!

Corgis (and Ryan Gosling)… in… space!

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Pup Fan

Before we get into the usual Friday linkage, I wanted to take a moment to thank the veterans who have served our country. We owe them a great deal. As always on this holiday, my thoughts go to the poem “In Flanders Field” – those verses say so very much. If you have a chance, I also recommend you check out these amazing and inspiring photos from a new book on canine soldiers.

Now, it’s time for your usual installment of No Frown Friday…

We begin, as always, with punny pet names, this time with a farming twist: Billy Goat Idol.
Take an iconic album cover. Insert adorable kitten(s). Achieve awesomeness. (Bonus punny pet name: David Meowie.)
Also awesome? Puppies running in slow motion. You know I can’t resist puppies having a Chariots of Fire moment.
Apparently the Internet is all about giving me plenty of slow-mo dogs this week. Thanks, Internet.
This next one’s not slow-mo, but it’s fantastic… talk about a unique dog.
Now it’s time to answer an age-old question. Forget puppies versus babies, the real cute-off is between puppies and Ryan Gosling. (I’m beginning to think Gosling needs his own category on the blog. Oh, fine – here you go.)

Another topic that makes frequent appearances? Space. So, without further ado, I give you this week’s video: Corgis… in… space!

(If you can’t get enough space, go watch Nyan Cat too. Someone should come up with Nyan Gosling Cat. Get on it, Internet.)

That concludes your regularly scheduled linkage. Before I go, you should know that a pretty cool event is going on in blogland this weekend – it’s a Blogpocalypse! A group of wonderful bloggers will be participating in a blogathon to raise support for various causes. I hope you’ll check them out. (If you do, you might even see a guest post from me over at My Brown Newfies!)

Too many awesome pet blogs, too little time…

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Pup Fan

As I mentioned yesterday, the fabulous blogs Something Wagging This Way Comes and Kol’s Notes recently gave this blog the Versatile Blogger Award. So, I’m doing my duty and passing it along…

First and foremost, thanks again to Something Wagging and Kol’s Notes for sharing this award with me. I highly recommend you pay them a visit – both blogs are great! Bella and I are humbled to be in such company…

The rules: I have to tell you seven things about myself and then choose fifteen other blogs that deserve the award. (One set of rules said newly-discovered, and the other set just said versatile, so I’m making up my own rule and just choosing fifteen blogs I always enjoy… though it’s hard to narrow it down to just fifteen. As you can see from the blogroll at right, I enjoy a lot of blogs!)

The last time I did something like this, I shared some puppy-related items about myself and some things about Bella. So, this time I decided to use my seven things to tell you a little more about me (the non-dog related stuff). Here we go:

My favorite food is grilled cheese.
I’m a voracious reader… I go through books at a pretty fast pace. In fact, I just started a new book last night (the fifth book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries), and finished it this evening. Hours need to be subtracted for sleep, work, commuting, and dinner, during which reading was not an option. Another recent example? I finished all three Hunger Games books in 3 days. When I get into a book, it’ll be gone in no time. Tina Fey’s Bossypants is next in my sights.
I never thought I’d want an e-reader, but I love my Kindle.
I love writing song parodies (as you may have guessed from my recent post about the Pupperazzi). Although I can’t really sing, I can’t help myself!
I love outdoor concerts. And wine. Especially outdoor concerts that allow you to bring wine.
I enjoy movies… and musicals. Thus, I was in geek heaven yesterday when I went with a friend to see Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the movie theater. So far this summer, I’ve already seen a production of Follies (apparently I’m in a Sondheim kind of mood lately), and will be seeing Wicked and Mamma Mia again soon. I’m sure there will be other performances in my future as well…
I can relate pretty much anything back to Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210. It’s one of my… talents?

Whew… hope you made it through my rambling. Now, to the fun part! I’m passing this award onto the following blogs:

Don’t count… I may have cheated a little. Honestly, this was way too hard and there were so many others I wanted to mention, so if I didn’t list you above, please don’t be offended! Perhaps I need some sort of regular feature where I heap all sorts of compliments upon all you wonderful pet bloggers out there, so that I’m not leaving anyone out. Stay tuned, my lovely readers – the wheels are turning on this one!

More doggie bloggy fun

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Pup Fan

Happy Thursday! More bloggy fun in store… I have another award to pass on today. The lovely George the Lad bestowed an award on this humble blog, and now it’s time to paw it forward and spotlight more awesome blogs. (In fact, it’s kind of perfect… it was so hard to choose just 10 last time!)

Find out more (including the rules), after the jump.