Well, OK, I didn’t see any of those at America’s Family Pet Expo, but I did get to meet sloths and lambs and ponies, BOL!

The Pet Expo, held April 16-18 on the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., featured every type of companion animal … over 1,000 of ‘em! I especially liked the pawsome Parade of Dog Breeds that allowed people to meet 100 different breeds of pooches.

I had so much fun hanging out at the i Love Dogs booth meeting cool humans … and critters, too. I even got a little smooch from Annmarie Hill, a very nice veterinarian – even though she dognapped me and held me for ransom at her booth (not that I minded one teeny bit)! 

You can see for yourself all the fun I had at Pet Expo!

Okay, back to the main event. Now pooches, this was no ordinary commercial shoot. We had 19 doggie actors on set ready to show off their cool tricks in front of the camera! Almost all of them were from the PM2 Dog Agility Team. Of course, there were my constant buds PJPupp (she’s so sweet!), Gigi, and Rickie Roo, and they brought some of their friends – Chili Dog, Ollie, Aimee, Magi, Kokomo, Mojo, Hobo, Mason, Bogey, Lacey and Remmy! Then, my favorite person in the world (who I love because she gives me lots of scratches behind my ears), i Love Dogs boss lady Martha, brought my ace K9 reporter Shelby! Oh Shelby, she’s so snuggly, wiggly, and loves to play (my kind of dog!). Shelby brought her cousins, two big ol’ Mastiffs, one was named Jocko and the other was a little pup whose name I don’t remember just now (there were 19 dogs!). Border Collies, Rat Terriers, Pitadors, Maltese, Icelandic Sheepdogs, French Bulldogs, Golden Retrievers, Mastiffs, oh my!

Let me tell you, when you bring that many of my doggie pawls together you’re guaranteed the time of your life — BOL! We started with some agility and boy my friends are so talented! Look at these videos of my friends running like mad dogs through the tunnel, weaving through poles and jumping over obstacles.

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Don’t ever let anyone tell you a big dog can’t do agility. Here’s Remmy, a Bernese Mountain Dog, running the obstacle course! He also gave us all a special treat by pulling the teeny dogs on a wagon, what a trooper.

Here’s an overall video of the day’s events, so much fun all around!

And, here are some quick photos for your tail-waggin’ pleasure:

 
Of course, the pièce de résistance was at the end of the shoot when all of my pals showed the humans who were the bosses of the park. They all went kuh-RAZY and ran all over the place! Magi and Kokomo leapt into the lake to chase some ducks and everyone else scattered.

The chaos was doggone beautiful. I don’t have a video of this because the human recording the videos left her post to chase down some doggies. You know what that means, right? You’ll just have to wait and see my commercial to see the beautiful shots of Magi leaping out of the water!

Greetings, my friends. My dear pawl TJ has asked me to introduce you to the beautiful Shay, who has the loveliest green eyes I’ve ever seen on a pup in all my 84 dog years. Speaking of green, other dogs could be very envious of Shay, but the pooch is so very sweet that we can’t help but fall in love with her.

Shay is i Love Dogs’ 18th adoptable pooch in their campaign to find homes for 31 dogs during Adopt-A-Dog month. Here is the lovely young lady to tell you her story in her own words.

SHAY

Hi there, people and pooches! I’m Shay. I’m a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier who lives in a foster home with my dog mom Krista, who’s a Karma Rescue volunteer, and my foster pup sis Skylar. (Remember her? She was the very first adoptable dog of the month!).

Not to sound all stuck up or anything, but everybody’s always telling me how pretty I am. My foster dog mom’s boyfriend says he’s totally “gaga” over me. I have to bark back, “Thanks, but my head is already big enough!” BOL!

Looks aren’t everything, you know. There are a lot more important things to have in this world, like tennis balls to chase, a sweet foster mom to cuddle with, and a cool foster sister to play with!

Of course, the most important thing anyone can have is a furever home. So, if you’re thinking about adopting me – awesome!! – I have a few questions to ask you.

Do you have a lot of tennis balls? Cool! We’ll have a blast playing fetch.

Do you have a lap? Fantastic! I’ll curl up in it and snuggle against you. This’ll be really great on a chilly winter night.

Do you have any kids or friendly pooches? They’ll have a ton of fun playing with me!

Do you like to go for walks? Super! Wait here while I go get my leash!

Are you a good leader who I can look up to? Excellent! I’m a real good listener and hate to get scolded, so I’ll be a very good follower.

It looks like we’re a perfect match! You better contact Karma Rescue right away, because – not to sound conceited, of course – I’m very popular, so you should come adopt me before someone else does! And if you tell them you found out about me on the TJ.LA or i Love Dogs website, you’ll get a free puppy starter kit. How cool is that??

Sophie was almost 84 dog years old when she passed to the Rainbow Bridge last November. She was adopted by i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman in 1998 from a Hawthorne, Calif. shelter. She loved long naps, looking out the front windows and, most of all, her best buddy Leroy. Check out her other articles!

Written by Irie the Jackahuahua

‘alo mis perritos! Doggie dating has never been so easy. TJ and i Love Dogs have been doing this Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month long campaign to find my perrito friends loving homes like mine. Y pues, let’s just say I’ve been meeting lots of potential boy toys.  Bark bark woof! Haha.

There are sooo many eligible bachelors out there my puppies. TJ introduced me to one stud-licious, blue-eyed hunk just today. He is A-DO-RA-BLE. Ay, but he has all the girls all over him. He’s so cool, like the sweet popular boy at doggie daycare who’s so cute, but doesn’t even let it get to his head! Ay, here he comes! How does my tail look? My ears? Okay, good. Hurry, make yourself presentable, his name’s Newman. Be cool, be cool.

Newman: Hi Irie, how ya doin’?

Irie: Oh, uh, hey, um I’m just  you know, here, like just chillin’ with my friends and all that. You?

Newman: Heading out to the yard, chasing some balls, tugging on some toys.

Irie: Oh yeah? That’s cool.

Newman: Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for helping me find a new furever home, man, that’s real nice of you.

<Irie almost rolls over in giddy excitement>

Irie: Oh.. um, you’re welcome. It’s no biggie. I’m sure you’ll find a new home with those gorgeous big, blue eye– I mean, you’re so gonna find a home, you’re totally cool.

Newman <twinkle in his eye>: Gee, thanks Irie. I just want a good family, you know? A big yard. Someone with lots of time that’ll just play with me ya know? I’ve just been looking for a furever home since I was born. Aww-roooooo! It’s tough. But, you know what I do to feel better?

Irie <hanging on his every word>: Sit and look pretty? I mean, what do you do?

Newman: Well, I like to snuggle up with a human or one of my k-9 friends, like Shannon.

Irie: YOU LIKE TO WHAT WITH WHO? <regains composure> I mean, oh yeah? Like, who’s Shannon?

Newman: She’s my best friend.

Irie: Oh, just a friend?

Newman: Yeah, but she’s not around to snuggle with right now. You want to snuggle?

<Irie almost faints>

Irie: Sure, guess I have some time for that.

Newman: Cool, meet you on the pillow?

<Irie nods enthusiastically>

Ay! My friends, I have to go snuggle with Newman now! Life is good, puppies, life is good.

If you want to adopt this sexy hunk of a doggie bark at the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation (a super rescue pack!).  If you mention my pawl TJ or i Love Dogs, you’ll get a FREE puppy starter kit!

Abrazos y besos perritos!

Irie La Mona (The Little Doll) is a 7-month-old mixed breed, bilingual Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua adopted from the South Los Angeles Animal Shelter. Still a puppy, she aspires to one day host her very own show, and be the Oprah of mixed breed pups around the world! Check out her other articles!

Greetings, pups and people. Leroy here. I used to think I was a grade-A kisser until I met ol’ Brownie. This sweet pooch is not only generous with the smooches, but he’s also a pro at giving warm, snuggly hugs. He should do shampoo commercials with that thick and soft fur coat of his! I got me some ruff competition, I tell ya.

Lucky for you, Brownie is one of my buddies featured this month in i Love Dogs‘ campaign to find homes for 31 pooches. That’s right, the sweet huggin’ Brownster needs a furever home like yours, where he’ll shower you with kisses and hugs. Here’s Brownie himself to tell you his story.

Hi there, everybody. Very nice to meet you. I’m Brownie. I’m around 7 years old, and I’m a Lab/terrier mix.

I used to be in an animal shelter in Los Angeles. It was scary, but the people there were really nice to me. They liked it a lot when I kissed them. They told me over and over not to worry, that someone would come along and fall in love with me just like they had. But a long time passed, and I worried. The nice people still said not to worry, that they were putting the word out to rescue groups.

I had just about given up hope when some kind people from the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation came by and took me away to their wellness center, where I’ve lived ever since. I love playing with my people pals and going on walks with my pooch pawls. I’ve got these really tasty chew toys that I could chomp on all day long if they let me.

I have a secret to tell you. I don’t like having my picture taken. (My thick coat makes me look fat in pictures.) Whenever I hear a camera clicking, I run into my dog house and peek out the door until it’s safe to go back out. Paris Hilton and I would probably not be a good match.

I like it here a lot, but I really want a furever home with a special someone to share my kisses and hugs. I hope it’s you.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Brownie! So how about it, people? Want to adopt this smooch pooch? Then contact the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation as soon as pawsible. If you mention my pawl TJ or i Love Dogs, you’ll get a FREE puppy starter kit!

Leroy is a 2-year-old “terribull” adopted from a Carson, Calif. shelter by i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman. When he’s happy, Leroy snorts just like a pig. He really misses his gal pal Sophie, who passed to the Rainbow Bridge last November. But he adores his new pawl Ella and his chew toys (a little too much). Check out Leroy’s other articles!

PJpupp: Wow, this morning Gigi, Rickie and I got to go to the i Love Dogs offices in Torrance, CA. Rickie Roo and Gigi had a fun time running all over the place and tricking some of the employees into giving them samples of the new TJ line of vitamins. Since I’m much older (11 years old) and better behaved (Border Collies are smart like that) I just sat back and waited for them–the employees–to bring them TO ME. No begging for this old girl.

Rickie Roo: YEAH YEAH we got to run around and play and they gave us a cookie!! It was yummy. Even though everyone says I’m the naughtiest Rat Terrier puppy in the whole world I did not make ANY messes in their offices. In fact, the president of the company Eric said I did a very good job of finding crumbs on the carpet.

Gigi: Rickie Roo WAS TOO naughty. She’s not telling you that she chewed up the handle of my leash while mommy was talking to the bosses at i Love Dogs. And they DID NOT give us a cookie, they gave us a VITAMIN which is not the same thing at all. It’s a good thing I was there with her or those i Love Dogs people might thing ALL Rat Terriers were bouncy and naughty like Rickie Roo. I showed them that they are also cuddly and sensitive.

PJpupp: Gigi, your sister only thought it was a cookie because she liked the taste. Does it really matter if it was a vitamin or a cookie? And yes, I must agree that you were a very good girl while we were there. That’s why your name is Gigi–for Good Girl.

Gigi: I guess not.  If I’m Gigi for Good Girl how come Rickie is Rickie Roo and you are PJpupp?

PJpupp: That’s because Rickie Roo came from her breeder with the name Rickie but mommy added the Roo part because she’s so bouncy and because her ears are big just like a kangaroos. You have the same kind of ears, but you were so good you had to be Gigi. I’m called PJpupp because daddy liked my Paint Job–I’m black and white–and mommy wanted me to be a puppy forever. So I’m PJpupp. Your new brother Hobo got his name because he was a stray dog who wandered around our business for 2 years, like a Hobo until mommy adopted him.

Rickie Roo: HEY! I WANT MORE!! I want MORE… I WANT more COOKIES — GIMME GIMME GIMME —  Mommy put the jar way up high now that we are home and won’t let me have any more. I’m gonna bounce and bounce and bounce and maybe even BARK until she lets me have one. I’m fixin to be naughty!

 Gigi: Trust me Rickie Roo, that’s not a good idea. Mommy doesn’t like barkers at our house. Why don’t you come snuggle with me here on the couch instead? You can watch yourself on TV. Mommy left the DVD of the agility trial here and we can see for ourselves how great we did. Also, just because you were born in Texas doesn’t mean you have to say things like “fixin”–you are a California dog now.

Rickie Roo: Don’t you tell me what I mean! I tell you I’m FIXIN to be naughty RIGHT NOW if I do not get one of those cookies!!!

PJpupp: I need a nap. Check in to our blog next time to see if Rickie Roo really WAS naughty or if Gigi talked her into being good.

My favorite thing to do when we get to the i Love Dogs  building is run down the long hallway in the back before we finally reach the office. Sometimes my mom will even race with me down the hallway, and that’s even more fun. She looks so silly running in her work clothes and carrying all my things along with her purse and lunch! 

My next favorite thing to do at the office is greet everyone. I say hello to my mom’s work friends  and they all pet me and give me belly rubs. I think everyone knows by now that belly rubs are my favorite. By 9am I am already pretty tired from visiting with everyone. I usually go back to sleep for a while on my bed, which my mom puts right next to her desk so she can reach down and pet me while she’s working.

At lunchtime my mom takes me for a nice long walk . It’s nice to go outside and stretch my legs… even though they’re not very long! It’s always pretty sunny where we live so the walks get me good and tired all over again.

Another reason I love coming to the office is because I get to meet other pooches. Cody is a fluffy little guy who is just learning how to play with other pooches, but I think pretty soon we’ll be really good friends. Cody’s mom is my friend too—she gives good belly rubs and tosses me treats from her desk throughout the day.

I also met a young pup named Shelby at my mom’s office. Shelby is a lot bigger than I am, despite being a couple years younger than me. She has so much energy–I think her parents must have to take her on a 5 mile run to use up all that energy.

By the end of the day I wander over to the big window and enjoy the view of the grass and trees outside. This usually puts me back to sleep again. Before I know it my mom tells me that it’s time to go home. She packs up the car and then comes back for me so we can run through the back hallway together again.

The drive home is probably the worst part for my mom. I think she is just excited to get home and tell my dad about all the fun things we did that day. I usually fall asleep in the car so it always seems to go by fast for me.

I just love Fridays.

I was staying with a lady named Leslie who had lots of other dogs. She worked for a company that pulled dogs out of shelters and found families for them. All of Leslie’s dogs were a lot bigger than me, but still very friendly. I don’t remember how I came to the shelter before I lived with Leslie, but I don’t like thinking about that part of my life very much anyway.  

It’s a good thing that Leslie took me into her home from the shelter, because I had a litter of eight puppies pretty soon after I arrived. The puppies were very sick though, and one by one, they all went away from me to puppy heaven.

I was so sad when my puppies died. I wasn’t very hungry and slept a lot. The other dogs at the house helped cheer me up though, and Leslie took very good care of me. I am happy for the time that I spent with Leslie; she was so sweet and even let me play with her own baby girl who would crawl around on the floor next to me.

One day not too long after I started to feel a little better, Leslie took me into the front yard and introduced me to two new people. I didn’t know that these people would end up being my new parents. They stayed with me and rubbed my belly and talked to Leslie for a while, then when they were about to leave they asked me to get into the car with them! I wasn’t sure what to do and kept looking at Leslie. She was smiling and encouraging me to follow these new people, so I did.

The first couple days with my new parents went by so fast. They introduced me to their families and friends and took me to a vet who lived closer to their apartment. He weighed me and gave me medicine so that my cough would go away. Now that I think of it, I must have slept a lot on those first few days because I barely remember them at all. I just know that pretty soon, I was feeling much more at home with my new family.

My parents rubbed my belly a lot (Leslie told them that it was my favorite) and I cuddled with them and fell asleep in their laps a lot.

At first they fed me tons of yummy treats because I was still a little skinny from being so sad before. I wasn’t used to being walked so much, but they insisted on taking me out every morning and every night since their apartment doesn’t have a yard like I was used to playing in. Now I love my walks and even pull on that darn leash when they aren’t keeping up.

After a while I got so close to my new parents that I became very nervous when they would leave me alone in the apartment, even for just a couple of minutes.

My mom to lunch without me one day, and I was so upset that I sat on our couch and howled and howled until a neighbor complained and my dad had to come home from work to be with me.

After that, my mom and dad helped me practice being by myself for short periods of time. They would leave me with treats and keep the TV on so it wasn’t too quiet, but sometimes I would get too nervous and start howling anyway. They didn’t get mad; they would just keep practicing and finally I started feeling a little better.

We are still practicing everyday and I am working very hard. Even though I don’t like to be by myself I am getting used to the idea that my parents will always come back and that this will always be our home together. That always makes me feel batter. Well, that and a few delicious treats