Name Game

What name will you call dog?



This is a big decision. There are many sources with lists to assist you. But how do YOU choose the right name?

My grown kids make up names for their children......even coming up with creative ways to spell them.

I think most people run through lists of names and decide.

According to the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance Company of Brea, California, sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine last year's most popular dog names.

The most popular name for a dog in 2011 was "Bella".

Here is the top ten names for dogs:

1. Bella

2. Bailey

3. Max

4. Lucy

5. Molly

6. Buddy

7. Daisy

8. Maggie

9. Charlie

10. Sophie

It appears that the tendency toward selecting human names for dogs continues. Interesting to note that of the nearly half a million pets insured by VPI, only 13 were named "Fido," and just 17 chose the name "Spot," which indicates a decrease in the popularity of traditional dog names.

Puppy Raisers Needed

Do you love puppies?

Here is the perfect volunteer job.

Guide Dogs for the Blind, a San Rafael, California based organization that provides highly trained service animals to visually impaired people, needs volunteers to temporarily house and train its puppies.

Yes, the hardest part of the job is returning the puppy (between 13 and 18 months of age) for further training and placement with a visually impaired person.

Qualified volunteers receive their young canine charges - Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, or their mixes - around 8 weeks of age to teach them basic obedience, good house manners, and to begin introducing them to the real world. That means the pup goes with you everywhere to become familiar with life's sights and sounds.

Prepping puppies as future service animals is a lot of work, but volunteers do not do it alone. Local puppy raising clubs meet a few times each month to give volunteers guidance on proper training and socialization.



Guide Dogs is currently looking for volunteers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

Are you ready to be a Puppy Raiser?

For more information about volunteering call Guide Dogs for the Blind at 800-295-4050 or visit them online.

Work and Play

Some dogs love to sniff out drugs, locate explosives, and dig for contraband. This type of work is their play for K-9 dogs.

Mark Rispoli, owner and president of Makor K-9 Training Center in Napa, California, trains and selects dogs for these purposes and more, including search and rescue, patrol work, and personal protection.

He says when choosing a dog to train, he looks for dogs with a high retrieve and play drive. They also must be confident and not skittish, and able to work well around loud sounds and people. But most important, they must love to hunt and investigate with a pure desire to find what they are looking for.

He usually selects herding and hunting dogs such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, retrievers, shepherds, and mixes of these type. He looks everywhere for just the right dog considering that only about one in 25 dogs makes the cut.

Since his dogs are sometimes used for life-threatening jobs, he is very selective in finding the right dog who meets the task with enthusiasm. The dog must be outgoing and think of his job as a game.

Only In San Diego, California

San Diego, California has an annual dog surfing competition!

“This competition is an extension of Loews Hotels’ Loews Loves Pets program and has become a hugely successful fundraiser for pet-related charities," said Kathleen Cochran, general manager of Loews Coronado Bay Resort. "We are proud to host a fun event that supports our local community."


Loews was one of the original surf dog competitions and the catalyst to a growing number of dog surfing events in southern California each year, not to mention the foundation of dog surf clubs, instructors, and retail outlets that sell canine surfing accessories such as custom-made surfboards, wet suits and life jackets.

Dogs compete by each grabbing as many waves as possible in ten minutes, and are judged on a range of criteria, from proper canine surf wear, to their level of confidence and calm submission on the board. The length of their ride and skill at balancing are the deciding factors. Competitors range from purebreds to mutts.

This grand affair was broken down into three competitions: small dogs, big dogs, and dogs surfing tandem-style with their owners. Some of the 65 competing dogs were surfing for the first time, while others were more seasoned surfers who have previously competed.

The prize? The “ultimate pet vacation” at Loews Coronado Bay Resort!

In addition to the element of fun, Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition is an extension of their Loews Loves Pets program which raises money for pet-related charities. Absolute K9 partnered with Lowes to make this year's event possible, contributing to the $45,000 this fundraiser has earned since 2005.