Sometimes a vacation is only as good as your packing list. Forget the bathing suit on a beach vacation and you’ll spend more time at the shopping mall than you like. It’s the same when traveling with your dog. Forget his favorite food and you may find yourself pet food store hopping to find the right brand. Forget her favorite toy and you might have to endure days of whining. Worst of all, forget to bring adequate ID and if your dog bolts at a roadside rest stop, you might never see her again.

Dog socialization is the process of teaching your dog how to interact with other dogs and people, as well as new situations. In the process, your pup learns these things don’t have to be scary. Being socialized allows your dog to react to the world around him without fear, making life a happy adventure instead of a scary nightmare.

Fostering a pet is one of the most rewarding things an animal lover can do. Most foster animals have led difficult lives. Or, they've had their wonderful lives traumatically interrupted. They need time and love to heal so they can be ready to move on to their perfect fur-ever home.

Unfortunately, as dog owners, we are becoming more and more aware of the injuries sustained by dogs from excessive ball throwing or flinging. Not only is it the repetitive movement that strains their legs, necks and backs, but balls can also become lodged in their throats. Then we have the added issue of sticks becoming lodged in chest cavities too.