Zen Dog Spotlight: Sloany

Happy Thursday, and welcome to a new Zen Dog Spotlight with adorable and sweet lab mix Sloany! She is absolutely a little love and brings a smile to everyone who meets her. Sloany always enjoys her walks with our DogZenergy team members, and the feeling is mutual. She is such a good girl, always ready for her next adventure and did we mention how photogenic she is! Sloany the floor is all your!

State your full name and let us know a bit about your background.  

"My name is Sloany Pittman, I am 8 years old and I am from West Lafayette, IN. I am a black lab mixed with a lot of other dogs, but the vet thinks I am primarily mixed with grey hound. I moved here with my mom and dad almost 3 years ago and one of my favorite parts about living here is being able to dig in the sand at the dog beach!"

 What’s your favorite toy and why?

"My favorite toy changes with which ever toy is newest and squeakiest. Right now my favorite toy is my red giraffe that my mom and dad bought me after I had my knee surgery in February."

What does your typical day consist of, and what would your ideal day include?

"Every morning I wake up and the first thing I think about is a Greenie. I guess it's a treat that is supposed to be good for my teeth, but I just think it's delicious. Sometimes if my mom and dad sleep in, I have to stare at them really close in the face until they open their eyes and then I can remind them that it's time for my Greenie. Then I get my breakfast and get a short walk outside with my mom, or sometimes dad. Usually mom and dad have to go to work and it makes me sad because I would love to spend all day with them. Thankfully the girls from DogZenergy come to hang out with me and take me on walks and give me tons of belly rubs, so days that mom and dad work aren't so bad."

 Who is your best friend and how did you meet?

"Well I don't want to hurt any feelings, so I will say my best friends are my mom and dad...but it's actually my mom. We met when she was at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She came in to the shelter where I was living with my brothers and sisters for a couple of months. I gave her my best doe eyed look and she didn't stand a chance. I went home with her that day. Mom and I met dad about a year later and I was a little shy at first, but now he's one of my favorite humans."   

What is the one question you wish your human would stop asking you, and the one question you wish your human would never stop asking you?

"I never want my human to stop asking me if I want to go on a walk. I live for my walks outside with my humans. I really wish my mom would stop asking if I'm ready to go to the vet, though because no, mom. I am never ready to go to the vet."

 If you were going to win an award at the "Oscar Pet Awards" would you want to win it for  1.) Cuteness 2.) Heroism/Courage 3.) Sassiness 4) Loyalty 5) Fashionista.  Give us a quick example/story of why we should pick you!

"I would definitely win the award for sassiness. For example, whenever I am getting belly rubs and the human gets tired and stops, I just have to shoot them a look to let the human know that the belly rub is not over and then the human will keep going. Also, I let mom and dad sleep in my bed with me because I love them, but I definitely let them know that I need my room."

Any other insight you would like us to know?  

"I am very thankful for the girls that help take care of me at DogZenergy. They always treat me like the princess I am and let my parents know how I'm doing while they're at work. I know my mom and dad are thankful to them as well especially with mom's busy job as a registered nurse and dad's busy job being a Marine Corps pilot. I am sure my mom is especially thankful to Karen for putting up with all of her last minute scheduling changes. :)"

A big thanks to Soany and her mama Courtney for participating in this week's Zen Dog Spotlight!

10 Fun summer activities and events for you and your dog in San Diego!

Woohoo! It's summer time! Which means tons of play time outside with our favorite furry best friends! Here's some of our most favorite things to do with our dogs during the summer... 1) Go to a dog beach to dig in the sand and go for a swim! We love Fiesta Island, OB Dog Beach and Del Mar Dog Beach. At Fiesta Island and OB Dog Beach you can have your dogs off-leash any time of the day, but at the Del Mar Dog Beach you must have your dog on leash during the summer. Always remember to bring a jug of water for you and your dog and a small drinking dish. If you offer your dog fresh water, he'll be less likely to drink salt water, which sometimes ends up in an unhappy dog later. Lots of water will also prevent heat stroke. Have fun in the sun, but make sure it's not too hot!

2) Take your dog for a dip in a pool or go dock diving at a nearby lake. Grab a fun floaty buoy toy or a Chuck-It and tire your pup out in the pool. Especially if it's too hot for a dog job.  A tip for pool swimming, be careful of your dog's paws running around hot concrete. We've known a few dogs that get so excited playing fetch in the pool that they end up with raw paw pads. Also, watch out for bulldogs and flat-faced dogs near water. Bulldogs have been known to sink and flat-faced dogs may have a harder time breathing while swimming.

3) Check out San Diego Pets Magazine for upcoming summer events. We'll see you at the SD Doggie Street Festival on July 18th!

4) Off to yoga? Don't forget your mat and your dog! Give doga a try! Leash Your Fitness and Furry Foster are putting on a Full Moon Doga Yoga and Bonfire event tomorrow night, June 13 at 6pm at Mission Bay. More info here. We really hope that howling at the moon is involved!

5)  Plan a Puppy Potluck BBQ! Dogs are social beings and love hanging out with friends. Ask your dog owning friends to come over with one human potluck dish and one pet-friendly dish to share with the crowd. Ask everyone to bring their dogs on-leash and to let the dogs get used to each other slowly. If everyone is getting along brilliantly, unleash them and let them run around the yard.

6) Drink wine for a cause and bring my dog?! Wine not! Every Wednesday (4pm-9pm) starting June 18, bring your dog to The Wine Pub and enjoy wine, human food and pet food from their yummy menu. 10% of your bill will go to Furry Fosters. Round up a few doggy friends and make it a date!

7) Plan a stay-cation for you and your pup! La Valencia is beautiful, historical and dog-friendly! We recommend staying the night there, going to brunch at dog-friendly Cody's the next morning and then walking the Cove to see the seals and chase seagulls. You can also pick up a dog training book at dog-friendly Warwick's and go shopping at Lululemon, all with your furry friend in tow.

8) Try paddleboarding or surfing with your dog! Does your dog love the water? Get your dog used to the board by treating your dog for standing on the board on solid ground. Once your dog gets used to standing on the board take him out to knee deep water and gently push your dog into a wave. We recommend using really long, big soft top boards. The bigger the board the easier it is for your dog to balance. A life vest is always a good idea too!

9) Turn on the sprinklers and let your dog run around in them. Channel your inner kid and jump in there too!

10) Sunset beach strolls - need I say more? Nothing better than ending a beautiful summer day on the beach with your dog. True happiness.

Have a fun safe summer!

Peace, Paws and Love,

The DogZenergy Team