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“It’d be fair to say that my dog has never been walked so much in her life.” This is what one reviewer of the new smartphone game Pokemon Go told The Guardian on Monday. And he’s not the only one. It appears that this new game craze has brought about a few unexpected benefits for dogs everywhere.

For those of you who are still unsure what Pokemon Go is, here is a crash course. The Pokemon Go game is a smartphone app that can be downloaded for free to both Android and iOS systems. The basic premise of the game is to catch as many Pokemon as you can, similar to the older-style Pokemon games. Catching more Pokemon allows you to level up and battle your Pokemon at Gyms. The difference? Pokemon Go is played in the real world.

In order to “catch ‘em all,” players actually have to walk around their neighborhoods to find Pokemon that are hidden in the real world. A small icon in the corner of the screen tells players when Pokemon are close by. When a Pokemon is found, the game accesses the smartphone’s camera and overlays a Pokemon onto a real-world image. In other words, it looks like the Pokemon is standing right in front of you, ready to be caught!

For die-hard Pokemon fans, seeing Pokemon in real life is a dream come true. And for their dogs? All these walks through the neighborhood is the reality they’ve been waiting for.

An article in DogTime discusses what it was like walking a dog while playing Pokemon Go. The author found that the game encourages them to walk more frequently and for longer periods, providing their dog with more exercise than normal. If you’re a dog owner with a high energy pup, this could be a great solution. It makes the walks that are already fun for a dog that much more fun for a dog owner.

Jason Nawara of Uproxx agrees that Pokemon Go has made walking his high energy dog much more enjoyable. But there’s another potential benefit. An app called Wooftrax has seen a dramatic increase in popularity since Pokemon Go was released. In fact, Wooftrax warns that the app is currently running slow and may take several hours to update after a walk. But do not be discouraged! They are still encouraging Pokemon Go users to get out there with their dog. They state on their website, “If your dog helps you find a Pokémon on your walk, be sure to share that on our Facebook and Instagram pages!”

The premise of Wooftrax is that every time you walk your dog, money gets donated to an animal charity of your choice. The amount of money is based on how long you walk. The money comes from advertisers Wooftrax works with. So the longer and more frequently you walk, the more money gets donated!

Don’t have a dog? No problem! You can still go for walks – while playing Pokemon Go or otherwise – and donate to your favorite animal organization. Wooftrax has the option to “Walk for Cassie” in place of owning your own dog. For those who are walking around and playing Pokemon Go, this is an easy way to donate to a great cause.

No matter what kind of walk you take your dog on however, you must always remember to stay safe. It’s easy for Pokemon Go users to get lost in the world the app has created. As the game cautions, “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.” This should be doubly true when walking a dog. Just as you would when you aren’t playing a game, stay aware of your dog’s behavior during a walk. And always look both ways before crossing the street! Don’t endanger your own life as well as your dog’s.

Pokemon Go has the potential to be very beneficial, for both dogs and humans. And if you’re someone who has gotta catch ‘em all, have fun out there!

The Fourth of July may be a fun time for humans, but it isn’t always a fun time for dogs. Many dogs and other pets get quite frightened by the sound of fireworks going off, even from a distance. Owners try many different methods to keep their dogs relaxed. Often people will turn to medications to ease their dog’s anxiety during the festivities.

But one family took a different approach to calming their dog: watching movies. Joey is a six-year-old golden retriever who has a fear of fireworks just like many other dogs, reports Time magazine. This year, his California family came up with a creative way to keep Joey calm and happy while loud fireworks were being set off in the area. In a video posted to Twitter by his owner Emily Kuang, Joey can be seen lying in bed watching videos on an iPad. The calm-looking golden is wearing noise-canceling headphones and watching his favorite thing: animal videos.

“He enjoys seeing animals on the TV and will watch and bark at Animal Planet, so he’s usually not as calm as he is in the video!” Kuang told Metro UK. In this particular instance, Joey was watching a Chinese dog video Kuang’s mother put on for him. The noise-cancelling headphones blocked the sound of the fireworks, and the familiar videos gave him something to focus on.

Little did Joey know, the 3-second clip of him enjoying his animal videos would go viral. The video that Kuang originally posted has now gotten 200 thousand likes and 120 thousand retweets. Many who retweeted the video stated it brought them to tears.

This emotional response from dog lovers everywhere is likely brought on by the concern many feel for the well-being of dogs during Fourth of July celebrations.

“Shelter numbers increase for cats and dogs during summer months in general,” Emily Weiss, vice president of research and development at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told TODAY. “Owners find pets get lost in ways they don’t expect them to, but ‘stuff happens’ at any time, so plan for it.”

And this year was no exception. San Diego Community News reported dozens of dogs waiting in shelters for their owners to come find them. One veteran in the San Francisco Bay Area lost his service dog after this year’s Fourth of July celebrations. Missing dogs after the Fourth of July are not unique to California. Reports in Utah, Ohio, and Illinois are among many other states experiencing increased volume in their animal shelters immediately following the Fourth of July celebrations.

It’s important for dog owners to look to examples like the Kuang family and their dog Joey during fireworks displays. The Kuangs were able to find a creative solution to handling Joey’s fears – a solution that was unique to their dog and his personal preferences. Other tips to combat a dog’s fear of fireworks include playing music, drawing the curtains, and providing your dog with a distracting toy or treat. The main goal is to keep your dog from focusing on the fireworks, by blocking the noise, blocking the visuals, and giving them something else to focus on.

We hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July this year! How do you keep your dog calm during the fireworks?

On Wednesday, June 22 the American Kennel Club announced that it is recognizing the pumi as the 190th officially recognized AKC dog breed. Now this Hungarian breed can compete for the title of Best in Show at Westminster for the first time.

“It’s amazing.” Chris Levy told NPR. “I don’t know what I’m going to do on that first day, when we can actually get a blue ribbon.” Levy is the president of the Hungarian Pumi Club of America and has been working towards this recognition for 17 years.

One of the many criteria for becoming an AKC registered breed was to have at least 300 pumik (that’s the plural for pumi) in the United States. Before that, in order for pumik to participate in competitions, there needed to be at least 150 of them in the United States. Prior to AKC recognition, a pumi had to compete in the miscellaneous category. Now they can compete in the herding group, and for the title of Best in Show.

The herding history of the pumi makes this dog a high-energy companion. As Levy told the Associated Press, “They’re not for somebody who’s going to sit and watch TV all day long.” But their “whimsical expression” makes them irresistible for many dog lovers. Think you might love to own a pumi one day? Here are a few things to consider.

Energy Level – Pumik are herding dogs, and crave both mental and physical stimulation. They also have the alertness of a terrier, which means they will always have a “ready-to-go” attitude. The AKC suggests herding, agility, obedience, flyball, jogging, or chasing tennis balls as wonderful ways to keep a pumi active and engaged. But after plenty of activity, they do know how to relax. As Levy told the Associated Press, “The pumi can chill out.”

Shedding – The pumi only sheds when being brushed, which makes them a great option for dog owners who prefer a clean house or for owners with mild allergies. And their grooming regime is equally low-maintenance! A pumi’s coat is naturally curly and short, and only requires a good brushing every couple of weeks. After brushing their coat, the AKC suggests wetting the fur to bring the curls back to their natural bounce. Owners may also consider taking their pumi to a professional groomer, which only needs to be done every 3 months.

Family Dog – As AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo stated, “This lively, adorable dog makes a wonderful companion for a family willing to provide lots of exercise and mental activity.” As herding dogs, they are very attentive and focused on their people, and have a tendency to choose a favorite family member – the way a herding dog does with their shepherd. They are also relatively small, reaching a weight of 20-30 pounds. A pumi’s energy, medium stature, and playfulness makes them well suited for active families with children, but should be introduced to a family when the dog is young.

Think a pumi could be right for you? Do you know anyone who already has one of these up-and-coming pups? Let us know!

The popular dog food brand Blue Buffalo has issued a voluntary recall on their Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe for Dogs.

Due to excessive moisture levels in the dog food, Blue Buffalo issued the recall out of concern that there was mold present on the food. It is a very limited recall, and only applies to one batch of the Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe. The tainted batch was processed during a single 2 hour period.

Blue Buffalo has been a trusted brand for many dog owners, so it is shocking to see a recall of their food, however small. News sources such as NJ.com, North Country Gazette, and even CBS local have all picked up on the story.

“Love them like family, feed them like family” is the mission statement of the Blue Buffalo pet food company. According to their website, the food they make is always produced with the highest quality ingredients for your dog. They strive to produce food that offers a well-balanced diet to dogs and cats with the highest level of nutrients. The Blue Buffalo Life Protection brand of foods has a 4 star rating from Dog Food Advisor. The Fish and Sweet Potato flavor has 3.5 stars.

The voluntary recall is not a result of poor ingredient quality however, but a result of too much moisture present during the manufacturing process. Whether this recall will affect the brand’s popularity with dog owners or not remains to be seen.
Not sure your bag of Blue Buffalo dog food needs to be returned? Look for the following criteria:

• Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe for Dogs
• 30 pound bag
• Best by date: April 11, 2017
• Batch data: AH 2A 12:08-14:00

If your bag of Blue Buffalo dog food meets all of the above requirements, do not feed it to your dog. You may return your bag of food to the store you purchased it from for a full refund.