A program in Maryland is pairing literacy volunteers and dogs together to help children gain confidence in their reading skills. But wait, how can dogs possibly serve as reading tutors? Wags for Hope, a local nonprofit, operates under the premise that having kids read out loud to dogs is a confidence-building exercise. “It gives kids the opportunity to read out loud without the fear of being told it’s wrong,” says volunteer Angie Hummer. Seattle-based Reading With Rover and New York’s Bideawee Reading to Dogs Program offer similar services.

Somehow, we just learned about the canine adorableness delivered every day by the website The Daily Puppy. We can’t believe we’ve been missing out all this time!

This is one of our favorite galleries of dog pics (other than our own).

Surf’s up this September 13 at the annual Dog Surf-A-Thon in San Diego. Both dog surfers and human surfers are welcome at this fundraising event for Helen Woodward Animal Center. Below, check out the scene at last year’s event - Labs hanging ten, terriers riding the nose. Fun times!

At an Indiana Correctional Facility, prisoners are fostering dogs and cats who later get put up for adoption. This sounds like a win-win situation to us.

A few weeks ago we saw a sign posted in a park in our neighborhood: Personal Pet Assistant Looking for Work. In a way, it wasn’t surprising - the area we live in has its share of movie-industry high rollers who might, in fact, be searching for the perfect person to dote on their dog, cat, or bird. And with the unemployment rate being what it is (and particularly high in California), we obviously knew people were looking for ways to stay afloat. We started wondering whether this was an LA-specific trend, so we did some googling, and it turns out freelance Pet Assistants (aka Pet Nannies) are cropping up in New York, Cleveland, and Phoenix. Our favorite ad was from Max the Pet Nanny in Manhattan, who has myriad qualifications, among them Pet CPR and First Aid Certifications! The difference between a straight-up dog walker and a pet nanny? As far as we can tell, it’s the level of pampering and devotion. Not only are you outsourcing exercise, you’re buying your pooch extra affection. As long as you’re still giving it when you’re home, we’re okay with that!

Mark your calendars! Bark for the Cure, a 5K run/walk to raise money for canine cancer awareness will take place in LA’s Griffith Park on Saturday, October 4.

For a list of the 55 best dog parks in Southern California, click here. We’re proud to see our hometown, Santa Monica, represented five times!

Here is a summary of the list:

1. Airport Park Santa Monica
2. Arbor Dog Park Seal Beach
3. Baldy View Dog Park Upland/Montclair
4. Baron Von Willard Memorial Dog Park San Clemente
5. Barrington Dog Park Brentwood
6. The Boneyard: Culver City Dog Park Culver City
7. Brookside Park Pasadena
8. Butterfield Stage Trail Park Corona/Norco
9. Calabasas Bark Park Calabasas
10. Canada Vista Dog Park Rancho Santa Margarita
11. Carlson Dog Park Riverside
12. Claremont Pooch Park Claremont
13. Costa Mesa Bark Park Costa Mesa
14. El Segundo Dog Park El Segundo
15. Freedom Park Indian Wells/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert
16. Fullerton Pooch Park Fullerton
17. Griffith Park Dog Park Los Feliz
18. Hahamongna Watershed Park Pasadena
19. Harada Heritage Dog Park Riverside County
20. Hermon Park in the Arroyo Seco Dog Park Los Angeles County
21. Huntington Beach Best Friend Dog Park Huntington Beach
22. Huntington Dog Beach Huntington Beach
23. Irvine Central Bark Dog Park Irvine
24. Joe Mann Park Indian Wells/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert
25. Joslyn Dog Park Santa Monica
26. Knoll Hill Off-Leash Dog Park San Pedro/Wilmington
27. Ladera Ranch Wagsdale Park Ladera Ranch
28. Laguna Beach Dog Park Laguna Beach
29. Laguna Niguel Pooch Park Laguna Niguel
30. Laguna Woods Dog Park Orange County
31. Laurel Canyon Dog Park Studio City
32. Long Beach Off-Leash Dog Zone Long Beach
33. Long Beach Recreation Dog Park Long Beach
34. Marine Park Santa Monica
35. Memorial Park Santa Monica
36. Orange Dog Park Orange
37. Pacific Street Park Santa Monica
38. Palm Desert Civic Center Park Indian Wells/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert
39. Palm Springs Dog Park Palm Springs / Cathedral City
40. Pasadena Dog Park Pasadena
41. Pat Merritt Dog Park Riverside
42. Rancho Cucamonga Dog Park Rancho Cucamonga
43. Rancho San Jose Park Claremont
44. Redondo Beach Dog Park Redondo Beach
45. Riverwalk Dog Park Riverside
46. Runyon Canyon Park Hollywood
47. Rustic Canyon Pacific Palisades
48. San Dimas Dog Park San Dimas
49. Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park Encino
50. Sierra Madre Dog Park Sierra Madre
51. Silver Lake Dog Park Silver Lake / Echo Park
52. University Dog Park Indian Wells/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert
53. Westminster Dog Park Venice
54. Whitnall Off-Leash Dog Park North Hollywood/Valley Village
55. William S. Hart Park & Off-Leash Dog Park West Hollywood

We had a fabulous time at the Walk for the Underdog event in Los Angeles on Sunday. There was music, there was pizza, there were 50 dachshunds. What more could you ask for? We were there schmoozing with various dogs in need of homes and showcasing our new line of rescue-dog treats. Here’s our slideshow from the event, which (despite the 100-degree heat) raised money for 30 area rescue organizations.

This is Roo, a Fila (Brazilian Mastiff). Very exotic and very mellow. Looking for a new home.

Our booth!

Dachshunds!

Chillaxin’

The good news: about 575 dogs are adopted from shelters each week in Los Angeles. The bad: 500 are euthanized weekly. Rescue organizations pluck dogs from overcrowded shelters, saving them from certain death, and then find adoptive parents for them. Their work isn’t easy or cheap - in other words, they need our help! Walk for the Underdog is a community event - a pet parade with live music - that raises money for LA-area rescue groups. Come on out this Sunday, May 18, at 11am (registration is at 9:30) to LA’s La Brea Tar Pits to walk your dog or adopt a dog, and visit the A Dog’s Life booth. For the first time, we’ll be showing off our Rescue Dog line, which features labels devoted to our canine customers who were rescued!

A DOG’S LIFE has been working together with SPCA International to launch a special line of treats commemorating their charitable initiative, Baghdad Pups. The program has been funding and managing the return of stray dogs in Iraq that have been adopted by U.S. military units. The first dog, Charlie, was featured on a bag with Sergent Watson. Proceeds from each sale go to support the SPCA and Baghdad Pups. Baghdad Pups series treats are available in select stores and will be available online soon.