Today is National Dog Day, although at our house it feels like everyday is national dog day.  Unfortunately there are many homeless dogs that will never get to celebrate this day because they have no forever family. There’s a photography studio that wants to change this,  so they put together a fundraising calendar to help dogs in need.

Chicago-based Sutton Studios, led by world-renowned pet and family portrait photographer, David Sutton,  announced the donation of 10,000 Dog Day Calendars to animal welfare organizations, humane societies and animal shelters throughout Chicagoland and across the country. These organizations offer the calendar at a suggested donation of $10 each. They keep 100% of the proceeds.

“The funds generated from Dog Days Calendar sales are greatly needed to continue our mission in helping homeless animals in need and raising awareness of the animal overpopulation that leads to the tragic destruction of millions of dogs and cats every year in the U.S.,” says Sutton. “Animal welfare organizations are challenged to do more with fewer resources, so our hope is that this calendar provides them with funds they might not otherwise have had.”

The 2010 Dog Days Calendar is offered online at Sutton Studios,  and directly at animal welfare organizations throughout Chicagoland and nationwide.

Another great way to celebrate this day would be by going to your local shelter and adopting a dog in need. For those who already have a full household here are some fun tips to show your dog how much you love them.

Play with Them! Playing is an essential outlet for dogs! It allows them to be free and express themselves. Play catch or chase them around – whatever their pleasure! To help amp up play time, provide your dog with a variety of chew toys, bones, or problem solving toys (i.e. a ball filled with a treat!). Invite “doggie friends” to come play – dogs love to socialize too!

Hit the Road! Just like for humans, exercise is important for your dog too! Take your pup on a couple short daily walks and let him or her naturally stop and sniff around. Be sure not to over exercise your dog. Remember they are wearing a fur coat, so “hot” for you and “hot” for your dog are two different things. Provide plenty of water, shade and breaks!

Part of the Family! Include your pooch in the family photo this year and make for a more inclusive family photo. Doing this will enable your family to recall life as it was at that moment, dog included! Don’t forget that on average dogs only have 10-13 years to live life to the fullest, so carpe diem!

Treats! Make your dog a special treat from your kitchen that’s both nutritious and delicious! Many homemade dog treat recipes are packed with vitamins and nutrients and still taste good! Try a doggie cake for their next birthday to honor their special day! Or if cooking isn’t your forte, take your dog to the local barkery and let them sniff out a treat!

Donate Time and Money! Help a dog in need by volunteering your time or donating money to a local animal welfare organization. Go to Pets911.com or the Human Society of the United States website to find a local organization. You also can help our four-legged friends by purchasing a 2010 Dog Days Calendar online – proceeds go directly to help animal welfare agencies!

Enjoy the day!

Have you snapped at your sister, stolen food, eaten something you’re not supposed to, like a couch?  Perhaps it’s time to come clean, and make a Dogfession.

There is a great fundraiser going on, through the combined efforts of Dogfessions and Rachael Ray’s NUTRISH dog food, to raise food for shelter dogs.

Postcards = Food for Shelter Dogs!

Dogfessions and Dogvice (and Pugfessions/Pugvice and Bullyfessions/Bullyvice) would like to thank Rachael Ray’s NUTRISH dog food for pledging a pound of dog food to shelter dogs for each postcard received! Please come to the sites for more details.

Now, not only is it fun to make the postcards, you know that you’re feeding homeless dogs NUTRISH-ous food!

There is a Dogster group Pay It Forward,  that was started to pay love forward, one smile at a time. They have started a campaign to get the word out about the postcard fundraiser, and help raise tons of food.

Dogvice Spokesdog of the Month
The “Dogvice Spokesdog” for the “food raiser” campaign running from February 1st to April 24th, 2009, isn’t a celebrity dog, it’s over 6,000 celebrity dogs!

The PIF (Paw it Forward) group on Dogster.com is spearheading the campaign to raise 6,000 cards so that we can get 3 TONS of Nutrish food to homeless dogs.

Each week, a different individual dog from the group is going to be a celebrity Spokesdog on all of the 4 sites collecting cards (Dogfessions, Dogvice, Pugfessions/Pugvice, and Bullyvice/Bullyfessions).

P*I*F: Paw it Forward (a play on words of “paying it forward”) is a group of animal lovers on the website Dogster.com who have committed themselves to helping others one step at a time and asking that the favor be repaid by paying it forward.

The P*I*F pack is thankful that they can do their part in helping Dogvice.com in their FOOD raising effort to benefit homeless animals.

For every postcard that gets sent in,  Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and Sabbath Memorial Dog Rescue will receive one pound of Rachael Ray’s NUTRISH dog food!

C’mon Dogsters, have fun while helping out a good cause, we need your participation. Take time to make a card or two, maybe 20. Besides feeding the shelter dogs, your entries are also eligible to win prizes from the different sites.

*Postcard pic of Dogster member Schnooks, he’s famous. Pic of Gigi, group organizer of PIF.

Or at least no girly dogs allowed. On Friday, November 29th Barbara Walters’  hosted a special featuring an interview with the Obamas’.

Barbara Walters’ was talking about dogs, she has a  non-allergenic terrier, a Havanese named Cha Cha. She showed a picture of her dog and then asked Obama the question everyone wants to know, what kind will he be getting, and he responded he didn’t want a “girly dog”.  Clearly referring to Walters’ dog.

“It’s like a little yappy dog?” Obama asked Walters, foolishly ignoring his wife’s advice not to criticize.

“It, like, sits in your lap and things?” queried the skeptical president-elect.

Michelle, still trying to save her husband from himself, pronounced the dog “cute.”

Barack wasn’t buying it. “It sounds kind of like a…a girly dog,” he said, at which point his wife pointed out, “We’re girls. We have a house full of girls.”

Except for the, well, Top Dog, who forthwith issued an executive order. “We’re gonna have a big, rambunctious dog.”

First Obama starts wavering on getting a shelter dog and now he’s insulted little dogs, not the best move. Despite what he feels, some things are better left unsaid.   Ruth Marcus, from the washingtonpost.com, has some funny commentary regarding the “no girly dog” comment.

As for you, Mr. President-elect, you might want to be careful. Remember, Hell hath no fury like a girl, or girly dog, scorned. Our bite can be even worse than our yappy little bark.

Give me a bark and let me know how you feel about Obama’s comment.

* Picture courtesy George Burns for ABC news.