Today is a very special day for our family. It’s Jasper’s first Gotcha Day! One year ago, we picked Jasper up from Animal Care & Control in Harlem, New York, and brought him home to join our family. He was smaller, lighter in weight, darker in color and quieter than he is today. We introduced Sophie to him outside and, once we got them into the apartment, were thrilled at how well they got along. You may have read about our adventures and challenges with Jasper. We very quickly learned we had a doggy with baggage. But he’s come a… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links Does your dog shake, cry or destroy the house when you leave? Separation anxiety is such a common problem that causes much grief, and is sometimes a real danger to the dog. This week, Justin is addressing it as part of our 10-week training series, Tuesdays with Justin; Dog Training at Home. Find out what you are doing to possibly fuel it and how to make it stop. What could be more stylish than having a calm, happy dog, right? Separation Anxiety OR Having a Life for You & Your Dog by Justin Silver with Dave… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links     Dogs everywhere can rejoice! Lady Gaga, who famously wore a meat dress to the 2010 MTV Awards, is designing a line of “quality, functional and purposeful” pet clothes just for them…yum! Well, Lady Gaga’s dog, Asia, is actually doing the designing. I know, no opposable thumbs and all. But, Asia is still very excited about it, so we’ll have to wait in anticipation to find out!   The infamous meat dress   Inspired by said adorable, black French Bulldog, Asia, Lady Gaga began working on the collection six to… [Continue Reading]

Sophie is a Daddy’s Girl. And her favorite game is to PLAY peek-a-boo, get the toy. They’ve played this endless times and Sophie never tires of it. Now that Jasper’s in our lives, Sophie doesn’t get the chance to play it as often, because Jasper always horns in on her fun. But for this week’s 52 Snapshots of Life photo challenge, I included a video I shot over a year ago, during one of their play sessions. See how happy she is? I just love it! Pet blogging friend and colleague, Christina Berry of The Lazy Pitbull, created this fun… [Continue Reading]

This is a sponsored post, which means I was compensated for spreading the word about this cool, new product. However, the opinion and writing is completely my own. I will only cover things I love on Bark & Swagger, and those I think would be helpful to my readers and that they might enjoy. So, take a moment to check out a new fave of mine that could be a great, unique Father’s Day gift! This is also a giveaway for Bark & Swagger followers, so stay tuned for details at the end of the post. ♥     ♥     ♥  … [Continue Reading]

Dogs love to run and Sophie is no exception. For this week’s 52 Snapshots of Life Photo Challenge, I’m taking a little walk down Memory Lane.     This photo was taken when Sophie was about seven months old. We were visiting her Aunt Marilyn Piurek, who was the first person to bring the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno into the U.S. in 2001. Marilyn turned us onto the breed, when we met her at the very first Meet the Breeds event in NYC, back in 2009. By May of 2010, we had Sophie. This was the first of several visits we… [Continue Reading]

Affiliate Links   Summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime…yes! It’s here again, and not a moment too soon for those who’ve endured a freezing cold winter. Time to pull out the cottons and linens, the terry cloth and silks and strut your doggy stuff like nobody’s business. And, dog moms, we can’t resist injecting a couple of fresh pieces into our baby’s wardrobe. With dazzling whites, lovely lace, floral fun and lots more trending now, here are my picks for summer fashion styles that soar! Yellow   Last summer, orange was the hot color; this summer, it’s sunny… [Continue Reading]

We’re at the halfway mark in our 10-week training series, Tuesdays with Justin, and if you couldn’t tell by now, Justin Silver and partner, Dave Donnenfeld’s training philosophy is as much about us as about the dog. We are the key to a well-behaved pup, and having the right energy is the foundation. So, let’s get right into it with this week’s training. At the end, check out the details for entering this week’s giveaway to win a copy of Justin and Dave’s new book, The Language of Dogs, a very helpful and informative read offering tips, advice and suggested… [Continue Reading]