DogVacay on the Boston Dog Blog: Peaches, the Ultimate Boston Icon

When my friends at DogVacay asked me to write about why Boston is the perfect representation of my God-dog Peaches, I knew immediately what I would say. Here it goes:

1. In Boston, you always meet more friends with a waggy tail.

Maybe this is true in every city, but a canine companion in Boston means instant popularity. Whenever I dog-sit Peaches, I meet tons of new people who want to stop and say hello. I can't really blame them (that underbite), but it always surprises me. On St. Patrick's Day, my guy friend babysat the P for 10 minutes while I went into a restaurant to use the bathroom. In his words, "That dog did more work in 10 minutes than I've done in my entire life."

            The best people and puppy magnet
Even better, toting a fat, squishy bulldog (sorry P, we know - you're just big-boned) attracts new doggy friends. Peaches loves other puppies, and the ensuing photo ops and love fests are invaluable. It's a big, happy circle of additional dogs.

2. Rough exteriors aside, Bostonians are just big softies - at the end of the day, nothing is more satisfying than a big hug from Mom.

We may scream like crazies at sports games, but at heart Bostonians are traditional and family-oriented. A lot of that gets lost in the mix of being a Boston sports fan (it's a religion, okay?) and showing off that tough-guy accent. I love walking through Southie and almost getting run over by a big, broey dude in a Bruins jersey - just because he's excited to bubble baby talk at the P.

And let's be real here: Peaches loves her mommy and daddy. While she lives to run Southie all day, she's more than happy to come home to her comfy bed and spend quality family time (lulled by an orchestra of her own snores, of course).

                  Ready to snooze                                           That's Mommy's nose in the corner, and P looking on lovingly

3. In the Bean, style and interests vary by neighborhood. While most of us see "home" as the area we live in, some of us identify with multiple neighborhoods. Peaches? She’s a chameleon.

In Boston, people are proud to represent their neighborhoods. Southie? You're a true-grit Bostonian to the core. You can be found watching the game (well, really all of them) in the nearest bar and enjoying a Harpoon. Peaches would probably live in a bar if she could, although more for the wings than the beer.

Back Bay? You're likely just getting home and setting your briefcase on the table before going to Newbury to sip an espresso martini (okay, so I'm exaggerating the stereotypes here). But hey, some of them ring true. Peaches adores nothing more than a good, long shopping trip on Newbury (but any further than Pinkberry to New'bry Garage and you're pushing it). A girl's legs can only take her so far. Hey, it's exhausting being constantly fawned over.

I could go on and on, because Peaches represents every part of Boston in some way. She knows how to play her cards right whether it's the South or North End, Brighton or Fenway. And that basically boils down to looking toothy and snorting her way down the sidewalk.

The P enjoying a rest after a jaunt

around Castle Island in Southie.

4. With Halloween fast approaching in the ultimate college town, everyone is itching to show off their costume. Peaches avoided the common sexy-girl getup and went straight for the triceratops.

Most thrilled triceratops ever.

Most college girls are dying to show some leg come Halloween. Naturally, freezing temperatures and hoards of drunken frat boys are excellent motivation to put your most beautiful foot forward, and students everywhere are ready to get classy as nearly-naked Wonder Woman.

Ever the rebel, Peaches decided to skip the sexy outfits and go as a triceratops this year. She plans to go with her sorority (which, ironically, is made up only of two male dogs that she walks with in Southie). She's that girl - enough of a lady to smile coyly at the boys (or maybe that's just the teeth?) but laid back enough to hang with the guys and rock a triceratops costume.

The Boston Dog Blog: Stella the Fox Red Lab Puppy

Sooo I've been fluttering around like Paris Hilton's chihuahua all summer, and haven't written as often as I'd like considering I've seen so many furry muffins. I even saw a lovely Brussels Griffon named Layla the other day, which marks the seventh real, live BG I've seen in person. Exciting stuff!

I had to share this little lady, though. My dad visited last weekend, and we went to Newburyport, where we met Stella (below). She was a squirmy, joyous bundle of puppy fat and naturally I wanted to steal her, though I managed to contain myself. Her owner was very friendly and told me all about the rare coloring of the Fox Red Labrador, but all I remember is "something something the English" because I was too focused on Stella's face. If you click on the Labrador Retriever Wikipedia page and scroll down to "Yellow (and similar shades)," you can read the actual history. Or you could just stare at that face.

The Boston Dog Blog Presents: FedWell!

Hey guys, as you know from the "studying for the GMAT" comments in former posts, I want to go to business school. As you also may have gleaned from my former posts (and my creation of this blog in general), my passion is dogs. I'm also super into healthy, fresh food -- for both dogs and people -- so any company that incorporates both those things makes me as happy as a pup with a tennis ball. That's why I wanted to share this awesome story with you - it's inspirational to me, and the by-product can be beneficial to you and your dog.                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                 Emily's dog Fenway, in all his happy glory   

A few years back, Emily was in the Peace Corps in Africa. While she was there, she adopted a dog (really, who could resist? While studying abroad, my roommate tried to convince me to quit school and move to Ecuador to start a giant puppy orphanage because of all the abandoned dogs -- so sad). Anyway, when Emily returned in 2010, she fed her dog Fenway what his vet recommended (the processed pet food that's prevalent in the homes of pet owners), and was shocked to see his health decline as a result. "He developed allergies, bowel issues and would sometimes refuse to eat for days at a time," Emily recalls.

                      "I'm far too cute for processed food."
Desperate to make her baby healthy again, Emily researched what he was eating and found that it was pretty terrifying; like many dog owners, she had been unknowingly feeding her best friend ingredients that she would never eat herself. She started taking cooking classes and created a formula that was both attractive to, and healthy for, Fenway. To her delight, he became healthy again thanks to the fresh food.

As an MBA student at Babson College, Emily seized the opportunity to help other pet lovers improve their pups' health while creating a business. She lab tested and reworked her recipe until it was shelf-safe and market ready, and her food (available in 5 pound bags) will be in stores by mid-August -- you can find the scrumptious canine munch at local boutiques, online, and at Whole Foods.

Sign up now on the FedWell website to get updates as the official launch date draws near!

Thanks Mams!

"Dog Day at Fenway" on Saturday, July 27th

Groundbreaking Bostonian canine news! For the first time ever, your favorite slobbery friend (fingers crossed that's your dog) will be allowed at Fenway Park!

Event/Game: Portland Sea Dogs (how appropriate) vs. Harrisburg Senators

Where: Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston MA 02215

Ticket Prices: $5 - $30, dogs get in free (duh)

Schedule: Gates open at 11:00 am; game starts at 12:00 pm

Prancy Puppy Activities: dog parade around the warning track (pre-game), water bowls (if the beer just isn't doing it for you), photo station, and more

To Buy Tickets: Go to www.redsox.com/futures or call (877) REDSOX-9 (to buy canine tickets, call 877-REDSOX-9). Don't forget to print and fill out the waiver provided on www.redsox.com/futures and bring it with you the day of the game!

Get it? (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

A Joke to Wag About

A friend of mine just sent me this joke, and I had to share (warning: it's cheesy, but it still made me laugh, so I had to post it).

A dog wants to place a newspaper ad to sell one of his bones. The clerk asks what he wants the ad to say. "Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof," replies the dog. The clerk says "Okay, that's nine woofs. We charge $10 for a ten-word ad, so you could add another woof for free." The dog says, "But that wouldn't make any sense."

In other news, here are some old pictures of Otis being smushy to get you through the week.

                 "Downward Smush" 

 

     

           Taking a break from killing the ball to just relax and be (smushy).

And you thought you had back fat!

Positively Paw-some: R-U-MyLitter

Writing about the fluffiest, cuddliest, most slobbery kind of people (sometimes referred to as “dogs”) has its perks. I get to be one of the first to hear about new doggy organizations, products and services, and it’s my duty to share the best of them with you on The Boston Dog Blog.

R-U-MyLitter (www.rumylitter.com) is a new website that allows you to track down your pup’s family members.

My God-dog, Peaches, cuddles with a new friend. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Gurian

The process is simple: register your canine companion by following a few easy steps. Click “Instant Match” on the main page, and enter your name and email address, as well as your dog’s name, breed, gender, date of birth, breeder/kennel name and breeder/kennel city (the creators are currently working on a shelter dog option as well, which is set to launch later this summer). You’ll be notified as soon as the match is made, and receive the email address(es) of your dog’s sibling’s forever parents (drooly play date at the dog park, anyone?) The site also has puppy-pleasing details such as posting space for those with lost or found doggies, as well as a place to post in loving memory of canine family members who have recently passed.

Celebrities with fluffy tufts of poodle and chihuafoundland (okay, I made that one up, but I see an epic Photoshop venture in my future) have already caught on and started researching canine family trees. Valery Ortiz of VH1’s Hit the Floor raves that it led her to information about her Yorkie soulmate, Myli. Rumor has it that other celebs have jumped on the bandwagon as well, but R-U-MyLitter protects user privacy (thank Dog), so their names have been kept under wraps.

The service is completely free, and the creators have reached out to Massachusetts mongrels in the past. When a Boston area rescue organization hosted an adoption event a few months back, R-U-MyLitter donated supplies (all the way from Canada!) That’s not their only special interest in the Bean; they watched every nail-biting moment of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series – with their dogs, of course.