The Muttropolis Blog

Mark Zuckerberg's New Dog Resembles Ginormous Dust Mop

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed his softer side this week as he introduced his new pup, Beast, to the world. A redonkulously adorbs, (and quite rare) fluffy white Hungarian Puli, Beast already has his own Facebook Page, (shocker!) featuring pictures of the Facebook CEO and founder and his girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, holding and playing with the darling pup.

As of this writing, Beast is already up to  about 16,500 “likes," with Zuckerberg and Chan listed as the Page owners.

What is a Puli? 

Described as a mop on springs, the Puli is full of bouncing energy. Busy and curious, these super smart dogs are known to be also headstrong and tough and sometimes aggressive toward other dogs. Alert and watchful, it is also protective of its family, with a hankering for boisterous barking. Like many dogs, the Puli is an energetic breed on the lookout for a job, preferably something to herd.

A Puli: Great For Picking Up Dust Bunnies Around the House

According to Animal Planet's Dogs 101, the Puli's  nonshedding coat can be brushed or corded; if brushed, it needs brushing every one to two days. If corded, the cords must be regularly separated because the coat tends to hold dirt; bathing is time consuming and drying takes as much as one day. Pets can be clipped, but then part of the breed's unique appeal is lost....and he'll look more like a swiffer than a wet mop. Learn more about the Puli dog breed here>

Reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat at AnimalPlanet.com

Who Will Win Westminster? Vegas Says Fox Terrier

I'll take the Redbone Coonhound for $500 please.

For the fifth consecutive year, Wynn Las Vegas posted betting odds on the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which is happening today today at The Madison Square Garden in NYC. The odds are for breeds, not specific dogs, and proposition bets are listed "for entertainment purposes only" by John Avello, Executive Director of Race & Sports for Wynn. According to handicappers, the odds are on the Smooth Coated Fox Terrier, with odds at 6 to 1. 

My crazy canine cohorts have asked me to put my money on the Vizsla, but according to Vegas handicappers, the Vizsla basically has a snowball's chance in hell with odds coming in at 300 to 1. Wha?! THREE HUNDRED TO ONE? You mean the Westminster folks are not going to properly recognize a breed that behaves like 2 year old for most of it's adult life? That's cold....just plain cold.

Which breed would you put money on to bring home Westminster hardware? 

Reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat at AnimalPlanet.com

WATCH: Chunky Dog Crashes Aussie Soccer Game

Jack Russell Bends It Like Bowser

Known to be one of the scrappiest dogs on the planet, check out the game face on this tenacious Jack Russell as he crashes this (random) game of "Footy" between Australia and Ireland. Amazingly, not one player has the wherewithal to pass him a ball, or high five him when the other team fouls (...at 1:36 in the video).

Amazingly, this portly pup manages to stay in the game for a good four minutes and the crowd is none too pleased when Angry-Man-in-Members-Only-Jacket has the gall to unceremoniously remove him from the playing field. Watch the video and be amused!  

Odd. Very Odd.

I found the following things to be particularly odd about this video - how about you?

1) None of the players are phased in the least that a portly pooch is ripping around the field

2) Since when is picking up and running with a soccer ball acceptable?

3) What's the deal with the dude combing his hair in the beginning (and end) of the video?

4) Who knew that there was a "Fox Footy" channel?

 

Top 10 Most Awesome Dogs of 2010

The year 2010 was a banner year for pup culture and we found there was no shortage of interesting, meaningful and often meaningless stories regarding canine culture!  Herewith are our top 10 favorite, most awesomest dogs of 2010! 

Did we leave out your favorite? Share your favorites in the comments below!

 

1. Complicated Yoga Pose Dog

 

 

 

2. Merengue Dog

 

 

 

 

3. Pug Sings Batman Theme

 

 

4. Abby Girl: The Extreme Sports Dog Breed Dog-umentary

 

5. Spot the Dog Remains Faithful to Dead Owner

 

 

6. The Synchronized Dogs (and One Goat) of the OK Go Dog Video

 

 

 

7. Target- The Amazing Afgan War Hero Dog

 

 

8.  Small Dog, Big Hero: Missy Alerts Neighbors When His Owner Collapses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Antoine Dogson

 

 10. Good Samaritan German Shepherd Leads Trooper to House Fire: (Watch video here >)

 

Story reprint courtesy of Janet McCulley's The Daily Treat at Animal Planet.com 

WATCH: Animals of YouTube Sing "Jingle Bells"

What do you get when you create a holiday video mash-up featuring one keyboard cat, a flappy-lipped horse, three pea hens, a turtle festooned with a bow, a tone-deaf Pug, a cat with a lisp, a hyperactive border collie, a school of fish, one shark, a spastic ferret, a shy caterpillar, a herd of bison and one nasally cat? 

What you get is the. Best. Holiday. Video. Ever. Never one to disappoint, the creative genius that is Klaatu42's Talking Animals is sure to put a smile on your face with this year's Talking Animals Jingle Bell Video! Enjoy and be sure to check out last year's "Deck the Halls" video too for an extra chuckle!

WATCH How to Gift Wrap A Cat For Xmas

DIY Cat Wrap

Ever wonder how to safely and efficiently wrap a cat? Wonder no more as the cheeky folks at FlippyCat have perfected the process!  We all know that cats love paper and better yet, crinkled paper, so for the most part, this patient little guy looks quite content in my opinion despite his mummified appearance mid-video....what do you think? 

 

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

Adopting a Pet This Holiday? Think Petfinder First!

Petfinder: The virtual home of 344,945 adoptable pets from 13,573 adoption groups

If you or someone you know are considering bringing a pet home this holiday seasons, PLEASE think adoption first!  There are thousands of rescue groups for every dog breed around the nation and Petfinder.com (and the free Petfinder iPhone App) is an incredible resource and makes finding the perfect pet for your family fun and easy.

Around this time of year I get many inquiries about "..where can i find this breed of dog or that kind of cat...?" My answer? Log on to Petfinder.com! Petfinder.com is a virtual home hundreds of amazing cats and dogs looking for their forever homes. Searching for a specific dog breed or cat breed? No problem - Petfinder can connect you with hundreds of purebred dogs via dog breed rescue groups and animal shelters.

Learn About What to Consider Before You Adopt

Better yet, Petfinder is an incredible resource for educating yourself on how to adopt the right dog, cat or other pet, plus what to expect from the adoption process. 

Visit Petfinder.com today and help a homeless pet find their forever home, like darling Chaco the Boston Terrier - (above). What a cutie! 

To download the Petfinder App, download it for free at the iTunes Store.  

WATCH: Funny Holi-dog Celebration Video Has Great Message

With a focused mission on creating a world where there are No More Homeless Pets, the creative and caring folks at The Best Friends Animal Society created this darling Holi-dog Holiday Celebration video (below)! Watch adorable dogs (...and cats- see if you can spot the kitty cameo) decorate cookies, create crafty snowflake cut-outs and get ready to celebrate the holidays in style!

Spreading good cheer, this endearingly goofy little video has a great message: Think Adoption this holiday and make a holiday wish come true for a homeless dog or cat.

What is Best Friends Animal Society?

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets. The core of  Best Friends' work is the dream that one day  animals will no longer be destroyed because they are unwanted or imperfect. Well said!

Working to make spaying and neutering a rule for all pets, the society's leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation. For more information visit: Bestfriends.org

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

Wha?! Woman Fined For Dyeing Pup's Paws

What's Next - House Arrest for Untrimmed Nails?

A word to the wise in Florida - if you have a penchant for all things pink, just be sure to keep the pink off your pup's paws! Christine Hill of Jacksonville Florida learned this the hard way when she innocently bought a bottle of dye specifically for dogs and colored her poodle's paws pink for fun on Halloween. 

However, there is apparently a city ordinance in Florida (and apparently in Denver also) that prohibits people from coloring pet or animal fur.  Hill discovered this fact when she was slapped with a $225 fine by an animal control officer who happened to spot Hill and her pink fluff ball walking in the field across from her house. The ticket said Hill was in violation for artificially coloring her animal! Who knew??

I did some further digging around and this code appears to be in place to discourage people from dyeing pets, bunnies, chicks and other critters at Easter  -  I kinda get their point - but a fine for her pinkifying her pooch seems a little severe.... what do you think?

Dye Your Dog, Do Hard Time

More importantly, what do you suppose the infraction would be for these groomers and their dogs? I'm betting they'd be heading to the big house for some serious hard time!

Reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat at AnimalPlanet.com

Top 10 Reasons Why Senior Pets Rule

November is Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month!

If you've ever had the pleasure of sharing your life with a senior dog, you know what mellow, loving, happy-go-lucky, undemanding dogs they can be. Having shared my life with numerous senior doggies over the years, those fuzzy, grey-faced boos hold a special place in my heart.

November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, and we, along with our friends at Petfinder.com, are challenging everyone to spread the word! If you know someone who's thinking of adopting -- or if you're considering adding a new furry family member yourself -- please read on and share this list! To learn more about Lila, (right) the darling Jack Russell Terrier up for adoption, check out her page on Petfinder.com

Top Ten Reasons  to Adopt a Senior Pet

1. Housetrained: Older dogs are housetrained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping/cleaning up after accidents.

2. Won't chew inappropriate items: Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.

3. Focus to learn: Older dogs can focus well because they've mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.

4. Know what "no" means: Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.

5. Settle in with The Pack: Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

6. Good at giving love: Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.

7. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.

8. Instant companions: Older dogs are instant companions -- ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do. 

9. Time for yourself: Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.

10. A good night's sleep:  Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

How You Can Help Spread the Word About Senior Pets

It's easy - here are a few ideas. Let us know in the comments below if we forgot any tips!

• E-mail this post to a friend who wants a new pet
• Promote one senior pet on Facebook or Twitter every day this month. (On Twitter, add the hashtag #PFseniorpets.)
• Add a Petfinder senior-pet search widget to your Web site or blog.
• Post a photo of your senior pet (and share why he or she rules) on the Petfinder Facebook wall.

Learn more about care for your Senior Pet at Petfinder.com. Portions of this story reprinted courtesy of our friends at Petfinder.com

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley