We’re a nation of dog lovers, but we also love our TV and films. Some of the most memorable and beloved on-screen stories revolve around, or at least feature, a canine character — but which ones are our favourites?

Alongside Feedem — a leading UK dog food supplier — we’ve compiled a list of the most adored on-screen dogs! Check it out and see if your favourite made our list…

Toto from The Wizard of Oz

As one of the world’s most beloved films, it’s no surprise that canine hero, Toto, is today an instantly recognisable pooch star. Toto was Dorothy Gale’s male canine companion in The Wizard of Oz, however, ‘he’ was actually played by Terry — a female cairn terrier. With major scenes that included escaping the Wicked Witch (twice) and revealing the true identity of The Wizard, some may say Terry earned more than her reportedly $125-a-week salary — a very healthy sum at the time and more than what many other human cast members made!

Terry had a long career in Hollywood. She was coached by Hollywood dog trainer, Carl Spitz; starred alongside Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes, had a daughter who also went into the acting business, and appeared in 16 films throughout her life — although, she only ever received credit for one, which was The Wizard of Oz. Terry died when she was 11 years old in 1945 and today, she has a permanent memorial at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Lassie from Lassie Come Home

Potentially the most famous rough collie character in the world, the Lassie film series was a massive hit during its heyday in the 1940s. The succession of movies began with Lassie Come Home — an MGM production starring Roddy McDowell, Elizabeth Taylor and canine star, Pal. Despite being a female dog in the books, Lassie was usually portrayed on screen by male canines due to this gender typically having thicker, nicer-looking coats.

Lassie Come Home star, Pal, was born in 1940 in Hollywood and competed against around 1,500 dogs to clinch the role of Lassie. However, he didn’t initially impress the casting officials and the job went to a female rough collie, instead. But, Pal’s big break was soon to come. During an action scene featuring raging waters, the female Lassie was unwilling to play her part. Pal, on the other hand, stepped in and stole the scene, completing the take so well that the female dog was released and he became the world’s first film-version Lassie. In his career, Pal starred in seven films and two TV shows before dying of natural causes in 1958.

Scooby-Doo from the Scooby-Doo TV series

Loveable Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, is one fifth of the ‘Mystery, Inc.’ crew that travel the country in their Mystery Machine in search of masked villains. From 1969 until the present day, the Scooby-Doo character — famous for his well-timed bungles, love of snacks and fear of all things spooky — has appeared in countless cartoon shows, animated films and live-action movies.

Originally, Scooby-Doo was voiced by Don Messick and the character — whose full name us Scoobert Doo — got his name from Frank Sinatra’s song, Strangers in the Night. Not only is this cartoon canine instantly recognisable to look at, but his famous speech impediment of pronouncing most words as if they began with the letter ‘R’ has helped make him an icon of animation. Officially, Scooby-Doo has been voiced by five people and has countless on-screen relatives — including Scrappy-Doo, Scooby-Dum, Momsy, and Dad-Doo.

Beethoven from the Beethoven film series

Who can forget the slobbering hero, Beethoven the St. Bernard? The first of the Beethoven films — starring Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt — was released in 1992 and became an instant hit. Not only was the film warmly received, but the release also boosted the public’s interest in the St. Bernard breed!

But who played the lead role? The part of Beethoven was originally played by a 200-pound pooch named Chris, who was coached by Karl Lewis Miller — a trainer that also coached animals in the productions of Babe and K-9. Sadly, Chris died shortly after the completion of Beethoven 2. Since no other dog was found that could fulfil the role as well as him, multiple canines were brought in with different acting skills and temperaments for future films — including a boy named Benz and a girl named Dolly.

Eddie from Frasier

Moose — a Parson Russell Terrier born on Christmas Eve in 1990 — is most famous for his role as Eddie Crane, the pet of the title-character’s father in the long-running, US TV sitcom, Frasier. Amazingly, Moose won the role after just six months of training and his most famous scenes were usually holding a long, unbroken staring contest with Frasier Crane — which ended up being one of the show’s most popular sight gags.

But Moose didn’t have a typical actor’s personality at first. The dog was originally raised in Florida and was a bit of a hell-raiser — barking, digging, chewing, and refusing to be housetrained. As a result, he was sent to the animal training company, Birds and Animals Unlimited, before being flown to a trainer in LA where he eventually made a name for himself in Frasier (1993-2000) and the film, My Dog Skip (2000). Before retirement, Moose also appeared on Entertainment Weekly magazine and released an ‘autobiography’: My Life as a Dog.

Brian Griffin from Family Guy

Brian Griffin of the animated show, Family Guy, is perhaps the most eloquent and rational of the cast, and today, possibly one of the most famous dogs currently on TV.

This white Labrador differs from many other canines in the popular series by using two legs to walk, driving a Toyota Prius, attending university, and writing novels. Often central to most episodes, Brian was actually killed off in 2013. However, due to an outcry of fury from fans, the beloved pooch was resurrected and returned to the show to pick up where he left off.

Brian is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and is believed to be one of the show’s best merchandising characters.

Marley from Marley & Me

Potentially one of the greatest tearjerker films ever, Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, is actually considered a comedy-drama film and is based on a book by John Grogan.

Marley & Me follows an unruly pup through his life as part of the Grogan family. Unlike the other pooches in our collection of most famous dogs in film and TV, the character of Marley was portrayed by 22 yellow Labradors — mainly due to character development throughout the film.

Released in 2008 to mixed reviews, Marley & Me has since made a total worldwide box office of approximately $242,717,113 and ranked at number five in the Metro newspaper’s ‘Top 20 films to make you cry’ list!

Sources:

http://www.wolfstoria.com/famous-tv-movie-dogs/beethoven-aka-chris/

http://www.everythingzoomer.com/arts-entertainment/2017/07/14/terrific-women/

http://nj1015.com/tvs-top-20-famou-dogs-of-all-time/

http://dogtime.com/trending/30307-10-best-dog-heroes-film-television

While you may be able to walk your dog, there may be instances that you just can’t. Fortunately, you can hire a professional dog walker to ensure your dog gets that much-needed walk. Below are some of the important benefits hiring a dog walker:

Maintain your Pet’s Good Health

Just like humans, dogs need regular and consistent physical activity to stay healthy and happy as well as live a longer life. A lot of pets will have some health issues in their lifetime which could be prevented when they get proper exercise.

Stimulate their Senses

Walking your dog helps in stimulating their senses. They will be able to smell, see, hear and feel all kinds of things while on a walk. Usually, such stimulation includes socializing with other animals or people. Brief encounters are usually the highlights of their day.

Release your Dog’s Excess Energy

When your dog is tired, they are usually on their best behavior. Regular walking helps in releasing excess energy in your dog, leading to calmer behavior at home. Dogs that take regular long-distance walks may be less likely to bite, chew, bark or use the indoor bathroom.

Provide you Peace of Mind

If you hire dog walkers, you can have the peace of mind that a dependable professional is taking care of your fur friend. With the walker, you don’t have to worry about staying late for work.  As you know your dog spends quality time outdoors during the day eliminates your headache and stress. You can be sure that your dog is in good hands.

Offer you the Time for Yourself

Your busy life can make you juggle work with dog walks. You may need to wake up very early, go home for your lunch and delay dinner prep for the family to ensure your dog gets to see the outdoors and enjoy a walk. With the services of a regular dog walker, your pet gets all the physical activities and attention they deserve while you take care of other important things for you and your family.

There are many other reasons to hire a dog walker; however, you should have known the benefits. Companies that offer dog walking services make hiring a dog walker simple with their affordable packages, pet-friendly dog walkers and quality service. You just need to find a reputable company and you can enjoy the real peace of mind that you are entrusting your pet to a responsible walker.

Are you buying a collar for your dog? Are you worried about ending up with the wrong collar for your best friend? Do you want to do something special for your dog and thus, want to buy the most wonderful collar for him?

Then you need to check brands that are genuine and give the most wonderful collars for your companion.

How do you find out if a specific dog collar is genuine and it is the one you are looking for your dog?

There are ways in which you can learn about the same.

First of all, always prefer a branded collar for your dog. If you believe your pet is not “just an animal”, you might want to buy something beautiful for him. Brands always fear spoiling their reputation in the market and thus, they barely sell products that are non-genuine. If you don’t want to end up with an ugly or low quality collar, you need to visit websites like Genuinecollars.com and check amazing products for your best friend. This way, you end up buying something without compromising at all. You invest in buying something that your dog really likes.

Secondly, you might want to have a word with your friends. If they have pets and they treat their dogs like their friends, they would give you amazing brand names for the collar needs for your dog. Take their help or suggestions and you’d buy something incredible for your pet!

Lastly, read the reviews of the collar you are thinking to buy. This is one of the best ways to check how genuine a specific collar is and how it is going to bring a different to the life of your dog. If people like a specific brand more, you can count upon the genuineness of its collar.

Also, always prefer something that your dog genuinely wants you to buy. There are ways in which you can check whether your dog likes a specific collar. You may have to visit certain land based stores to find out which is that one specific collar that grabs the attention of your dog, but if you don’t want to do this, make your beautiful baby sit in front of the laptop screen and select the collar he likes. If there is this specific collar that brings a sparkle to his eyes, it is the one that he would want you to buy.

Whether you are already a dog owner or about to be, you probably already know that dogs hate being alone. When left alone, they often display peculiar and even harmful behavior such as urinating, defecating, destroying furniture and even self-harm on occasions. If you are a working dog owner who has little option but to leave the dog at home alone, you might want to go through these five reasons as to why the dogs behave the way they do on being left alone.

The Dog Doesn’t Know If/When You Will Come Back

Just like a small child, a dog has no idea when or if you will come back to it. As a result, your pooch feels abandoned, scared and lonely in the house, as soon as you leave and the doors are shut. They do not exactly have an acute sense of time either and that doesn’t help their separation anxiety. Of course, over the course of time and with proper methods, a dog can get used to the idea of its owner leaving and coming back, but it will take a good deal of well-directed planning and time.

They Don’t Have Anything to Do

When you are at home, you are probably reading a book, watching TV, playing games, interacting with people and so on, but a dog can’t do any of that and therefore, it has no stimulation. This has the potential to drive anyone crazy, let alone an animal as jovial, interactive and energetic as a dog. Keeping gentle music playing in the background while you leave is a good way to calm your pooch down, but that’s not all. Give your dog lots of toys to play with while you are not there and be sure to take the sad pooch out for a walk or some playtime when you get back.

Peeing and Pooping Problems

Dogs that have been toilet trained, know that it’s not right to pee or poop in the house and since they are going to be in the house for a very long time once you leave, they are faced with two options and none of them is desirable. They can either choose to do it in the house or hold it in, and while the former seems like a bad habit, the latter can seriously harm the dog’s health. It is very likely that they will try to hold it in for as long as they can and then release it when they can’t; therefore, harming themselves and getting a bad name for doing something that’s only natural. Make sure that you get your dog the necessary toilet training so that they know where to pee and poop in the house when you are not there.

Dogs are social creatures and if you must leave them alone for long hours, it’s best to make sure that you at least have two dogs so that they can keep each other company. If that’s not an option, you can still live with a pooch, but you will definitely have to put in some extra efforts to make up for the lost time. After all, life is short and dogs do not live even half as long as most of us, so it only makes sense that we make the best of the time we have with our pooches.

Every cooked bone can be dangerous for dogs. Especially chicken bones, since they tend to splinter easier than others. Choking is a concern, but the greatest fear is the one you do not see. It is when a bone lodge or tears part of the intestinal tract, which can cause the dog to bleed to death internally. By the time you realize there is a problem it is usually too late. Raw bones are better but they can also splinter. This is why it is so important to have a locking trash can.

We’ve all heard it said, “Do not feed your dog’s chicken bones!” But in fact, feeding any cooked bone to your dog is dangerous because cooked bones can splinter and damage the stomach and intestines. Many dogs enjoy chewing raw chicken or turkey neck and raw chicken wings that are free of salmonella and other bacteria. Raw beef knuckle bones are also yummy treats. Work with your holistic veterinarian to do what is best for your individual dogs.

Although dogs have been chewing bones for thousands of years. That’s what nature intended, right? Well, perhaps, but it’s an activity that is not without its risk. As a veterinarian, I have seen the negative effects of feeding dog’s bones mostly chicken bone more time than I can count. The stakes are high enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even gotten involved and the following are reasons why bone especially chicken bones are dangerous for your dogs.

5 Reasons Not To Feed Your Dog Cooked Bones

1. Bones get stuck in the stomach. It went down just fine, but the bones may be too large to pass from the stomach to the intestines. Depending on the size of the bone, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy – a procedure in which your veterinarian will use a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools – to attempt to remove the bone from your dog’s stomach.

2. Constipation can occur due to bone fragments. Your dog may have difficulty passing the bone fragments because they are too sharp and will scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.

3. Bones get looped around the dog’s lower jaw. This can be terrifying or painful for your dog and is likely to be expensive for you as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.

4. Bone can get stuck in dog’s esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may choke, trying to bring the bone back up, and you will have to see your veterinarian.

5. Peritonitis. This is a very serious infection of the abdomen, difficult to cure and is caused when the bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestine. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian as peritonitis can kill your dog.

I look at feeding your dogs chicken bones, in the same way; I do letting the dogs run loose. Is it normal? Yes. Do dogs like it? Yes. Are there any potential benefits? Yes … until misfortune strikes. There are a lot of ways to safely please your dog’s need to chew, to promote dental hygiene, and to provide your dog with high quality and balanced nutrition he needs to stay in good health.

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Best interactive dog toys

Today’s post is written by Michelle from How To Clean Almost Anything.

Dogs bring fun, friendship and hair, often LOTS of hair! All dogs shed hair but not all dogs shed equally. If if you don’t want to spend your life vacuuming up dog hair from every surface of your home, then your best bet would be to choose a low shedding dog breed.

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a dog for your home. Aside from how much hair they shed you’ll need to think about how much space you have, how regularly you can exercise them, how much time you can devote to training them and whether you’ve got kids in the house. Once you’ve narrowed down the size of dog you think will suit your lifestyle, you can then look at which dogs shed the least.

Remember, even a low shedding dog will still produce some hair and a good quality pet vacuum (you can find some reviews here) will be a worthwhile investment. Dogs also require regular grooming regardless of how much hair they tend to shed.

Low Shedding Small Dogs

Maltese Terrier

These cute fluffy little dogs are a great option for families with kids. They don’t shed much hair and are super friendly and good with children.

Havanese

Another cute fluffy option for families. Low on hair shedding and easy to look after.

Poodle

Poodles are well known for their low shedding and tendency towards low allergy. The miniature and small poodle options make great small dogs with little to no hair loss. They do require regular grooming.

Low Shedding Medium Dogs

Labradoodle

This one can be a bit hit and miss as labradors are big shedders but poodles are not. Check whether the parents were low shed to get an idea of whether the offspring will be.

Schnauzer

These dogs make great guard dogs and are loyal pets. Even though their coat is long, it doesn’t shed much. They will require regular grooming.

Portuguese Water Dog

They dogs are fun, energetic, friendly, and clever. They might look like a hair disaster but their coats actually shed very little. As their name suggests, they LOVE water.

Low Shedding Large Dogs

Rhodesian Ridgeback

These large energetic dogs are a great option for those looking for an active dog that doesn’t shed much. They require lots of exercise so keep this in mind if you’re considering this breed.

Giant Poodle

Much like their smaller brothers, these dogs don’t shed hair in the traditional sense and are a great option for those with allergies.

Whatever dog you choose, remember that a dog is a pet for life. They require ongoing care, love and money so make sure you are emotionally, financially and physically ready for the commitment.

In many of our homes dogs are considered among the family members. But, over time, we’ve become reliant on dry food in a bag. We’re conditioned to think that this brand or that brand will be good for our dog. The bottom line is that most dog food manufacturers spend more on the packaging then they do on the ingredients. This leads to deficiencies in the health of our dogs.

Both homemade raw and prepared raw food can be a great benefit to your dog’s health. Unlike processed food (canned or kibble), raw food retains all nutrients. However, preparing a raw diet for your dog is not as easy as just giving them raw meat. You must make certain the diet is balanced and contains all the nutrients, amino acids and ingredients your dog needs to thrive.

Breaking the myth

Raw dog food is good for a dog because it hasall-natural vitamins and minerals which a dog needs for a long, healthy life. But, the biggest question people have is “What ingredients should I use in a balanced raw diet?”

• Raw muscle meat from a variety of sources (beef, chicken, deer, turkey, etc.)
• Organ Meat (liver, hearts, kidney)
• Raw meaty bones (or ground bone)
• Vegetables (sweet potato, broccoli, apples, carrots)
• Beef trachea, trim, chicken and turkey feet are loaded in natural chondroitin and glucosamine which help to build healthy joints.

The key is to feed the ingredients in the appropriate amounts to provide all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients a dog needs. Often, this is where the homemade raw diet becomes difficult. In a prepared raw diet, an animal nutritionist has done the work for you – precisely measuring out a recipe that contains the right amounts of key ingredients.

With a prepared raw dog food:

• you don’t have to source all the ingredients yourself
• contains the right amounts of essential nutrients
• bone is ground for you and added to the food
• vegetables are pureed for you and added to the food

Don’t change quickly

If you feel that giving raw food can increase the health benefits in your dog then don’t switch immediately. Make sure that slowly you are adding some raw food in your dog’s diet. Then change to half and finally all raw as your dog accepts the change.

High-quality raw foods

Raw dog food can really enrich the growth of dogs and start making them live longer than the expected years. If you decide to make it yourself, be careful of where you get your ingredients. Super market meats are intended to be cooked, therefore, a certain amount of salmonella can be present. Raw diet manufacturers use freezing or drying tend to eliminate bacteria.

Benefits of raw food

Raw food for dogs can be beneficial in some of the ways which are mentioned below.

• Better stools
• Clean and better teeth
• Easy digestion
• Healthy skin
• Shinier coats
• Superior energy levels

If you intend to feed a prepared raw dog food, look for a manufacturer that is USDA inspected and lists their ingredients and preparation process. Try to be certain that they are using a recipe backed by scientific knowledge and not just someone’s best guess.

When you start crate training of your dog, make sure to take care of the following thing. The crate should not use as a mean of punishment of jail. It should be a place for the dog to relax so that you can focus on other things. Following are the cautions of crate training:

• Do not put your dog in the crate as a punishment. This will put fear in the heart of the dog and it will become difficult for you to train him.
• Put your dog in the crate when it’s required like when you have the guest in the house or taking your dog to another place in a car etc.
• Do not put your dog in the crate for too long and take care about other necessaries like there should be food and water bowl and soft bed etc.
• During crate training, make sure to take care about his bowels moment and urination. The period should not be more than 2-3 hours.

Selection of crate for dog crate training:

The crates for dogs are available in different sizes and made with different materials like plastic, metal, rigid frame and much more. So, make sure to purchase one which you believe that the most comfortable for your dog. Also, take care about the size of the crate. It should not small in size and have enough height so that your dog can stand in it. Even if you have a new born dog or puppy, then still consider purchasing a large size crate. You can purchase a crate if you have a good budget to spend on or you can rent it from the local animal shelter.

If you are not sure those which size of the crate will be perfect for your dog, then purchase one through online stores like Amazon because these websites give a recommendation of size on the basis of your dog’s breed, age and size etc.

Here you can find an overview of the best dog crates.

The dog’s crate training process:

Crate training is not hard as its sound like only if it has been done in correct way. Especially, if you are training a puppy, then the process is very easy. Yes, it could be very difficult for grown dogs sometimes but if you follow the instruction correctly then you can train your dog about crate within few days. Following I am writing step by step dog crate training process, which can be applied to both the adult dogs and puppies.

More info about dogs you can read on US bones.

Step 1: Introduce crate to your dog

The introduction of the crate to your dog is not hard. Simply place the crate on the place where your dog sleeps or spend the most time. Do not force him to enter in the crate. If possible, then leave crate in the same place for 1-2 days so that dog can get completely familiar with this. To encourage him, to enter in the crate, drop some of his favorite toys in it. You can also use the dog treat for this purpose.

Step 2: Feed your dog in the crate

This step will surely allow your dog to enter in the crate. Instead of feeding your dog outside the crate, place your dog’s food and water bowl inside the crate. While dog eating the meal inside the crate, close the door. If your dog while to be let out then do it immediately, if not then keep it close at least for 10-20 minutes and stay next to it.

Step 3: Train your dog in the crate for longer periods

If your dog knows the commands then use them and ask your dog to enter in the dog and sit there. You can use treats for this purpose. Make sure to praise your dog every time if he follows your commands. In the first week of training do not leave the dog in the crate for more than 30 minutes. Day by day, increase the time of crate training. Place the soft bed of your dog inside the crate to encourage him to stay there for longer period.

Some pooches are con artists. They have mastered the art of escaping crates, mainly because they don’t like to be contained. Buying an inescapable dog crate can be confusing, thanks to the huge number of options. Below are some of the things you need to know.

Does my dog need a crate?

Well, crates are handy if you have a hyperactive dog. Sometimes, you may have guests at home, and it’s impossible to have the pet around, especially if the food is being served or somebody is scared. For some pet owners, a crate is also a simple way to contain the animal when they are leaving the house for smaller periods. So, it largely depends on your pooch and his behavior.

Using an escape-proof dog crate

An escape-proof dog crate is designed to be durable, so that big breeds like Rottweiler or GSDs don’t escape.  Some dog breeds are smarter than others, and they always find ways to break the crate. With escape-proof dog crates, your concerns will be limited, although it’s important to mention that none of the products are indestructible. Some are just better than others.

Buying the first crate

Before you pick a dog crate for your beloved pooch, here are the things to consider.

• Why do you need the crate? If you are traveling with your pet on a flight, you will need a crate that’s airline complaint. Many pet owners use crate for training, while others use it a simple way to keep the animal in control.

• What kind of crate will work for your dog? If you have a smaller dog, a fabric crate might seem like a good idea, but ideally, it’s best to go for plastic ones that are durable and effective for most breeds. Some metal crates are also escape-proof. Just make sure that the dog has enough ventilation.

• Do you need additional features? Some dog crates are foldable, while others are easy to store. A few crates have coatings so as to prevent rusting, while others might have better opening for the dog to get in. It all depends on what kind of crate would work for your needs.

Finally, do consider the size of the animal before picking a product. If you are looking for dog crates like these, you can check online on certain portals, where you will find detailed reviews and comparison between different options.