Monday, February 18th, we observe Presidents' Day, a day to honor current and past leaders of our country. To celebrate, we thought it would be fun honor First Dogs too!

Presidential dogs date all the way back to George Washington, one of America's founding fathers and first President. An avid hunter and dog lover, President Washington bred and maintained many dogs in his lifetime.  His journals listed over 30 dogs, for which he had a knack of cleverly naming. Our personal faves? Drunkard and Sweet Lips.

From Abraham Lincoln to George Bush Sr. and Jr., Ronald Reagan to Herbert Hoover; many four-legged animals have had the priviledge of being part of the First Family.

Today, Bo Obama, is huge a celebrity. Gracing the White House's Christmas Card for two years in a row now, Bo is an integral part of the First Family. No matter political affiliation, Bo has won the hearts of the American public! He has an avid following with many websites and social media pages dedicated to him. Bo is often even the subect of many news articles!

"What?!" you might be thinking. No, we're not crazy... we know it's February and New Year's was over a month ago. But today millions of people around the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year (also known as the Chinese New Year). So we wanted to take this chance to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Chinese astrology includes 12 primary signs in the form of animals that rotate every year - 2013 is the Year of the Snake.  While snakes are often reviled and many are worried of what is to come in 2013, it is predicted that the snake will bring many opportunities for steady economic growth.

For Momo, Chinese New Year is her favorite holiday, especially since her ancestry was highly coveted by Emperors of China. Pugs often lived in the most luxurious atmospheres and at times were even guarded by soldiers! Often called, Lo-sze or “Foo Dog”, breeders would look for wrinkles or markings that resembled Chinese characters. Here’s a little more background from Pug-World.com about our loveable pugs.

It is well established that the breed appeared first in China and were literally a “lap-Dog”. The Pug or (Lo-Chiang as they were called in china at that time) where highly prized by Chinese nobility. It has been said that the breed dates back as far as 1600BC, although many say the figure to be 700BC. Either way pugs have history.

Pugs were owned by royalty in China and were often given to royal courtiers as highly treasured gifts.

The Pug still carries its royal breeding and heritage with it to this day in the way that they hold themselves.

The history of the pug in china can also be seen in today’s Chinese symbols and ornamentation. The pug is often referred to as “The Lion Dog” and the resemblance of the pug can still be seen in the decretive Chinese dragons and lions used in festivals.

No wonder Momo loves the holiday! From all of us at P.L.A.Y., we wish you a very happy and prosperous Year of the Snake!

This Sunday, February 3rd, millions of people around the country will be busy watching the Super Bowl (go 49ers!). While we definitely plan on watching, we're WAY more excited for the Puppy Bowl!

One of the main reasons we love the Puppy Bowl so much is because Animal Planet puts a large focus on animal rescue and adoption. All 63 participating pups were selected from shelters and rescues in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media, said, "There are so many cute little dogs that need to be adopted, and it's been the focus of Puppy Bowl from the beginning. By the time Puppy Bowl airs, the puppies who starred in the show have already been adopted."

In addition to the puppy madness, we looking forward to the Kitten Halftime Show and the newly added hedgehog cheeleaders! Can't wait for all the cuteness to begin? Check out the pups practicing and training for the big day on Animal Planet's Live Puppy Cam!

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National Train Your Dog Month Training Tip #13: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we thought this tip was only fitting.

When adopting or even interacting with a new pet, never judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, negative stereotypes and perceptions have given many wonderful, loving dogs a bad rap. It's a sad fact but because of this, many animals including Pit Bulls and black dogs (and cats) are labeled "less-adoptable" and often have a hard time finding forever homes. If you're thinking about bringing home a new dog, educate yourself! Make sure you do your homework and read up about different breeds to ensure that  you're adopting a dog that will be good fit for your home and lifestyle.

Like Dr. King, it's our dream that one day people and animals will not be judged by the color of their skin (or nationality, race, breed, gender, etc.) but by the content of their character.

Can you please it's almost 2013?! As you ring in the new year, here are some last minute tips to keeping your pup safe and happy.

Loud noises and fireworks can frighten a lot of dogs – we’ve all heard the story about the dog that dug under the fence, jumped out the window, or chewed through the wall because he was scared. To make sure your dog isn’t one of them, here are a few tips.

• Don’t take your dog with you to any firework festivities. All of us want to include our four-legged family members, but the loud squealing and bangs often trigger flight instinct in dogs.
• Make sure your pup is tagged. If you don’t have her microchipped – make that one of your New Year's Resolutions! In the meantime, keep her collar on with your current information on the tag. We're big fans of PetHub's QR Tags; reasonably price and super-user friendly, PetHub makes it easy to keep your pets safe.
• Get your dog tired before the festivities. Go for a long walk or have an extended play session. By getting your pup "dog-tired" there's a good chance he'll be snoring by the time you ring in the new year.

• Keep your pup in a quiet area. Turn the TV or radio on to distract from any outside noise and keep a water bowl accessible.
• Get your pup a Thundershirt. They help with a wide variety of symptoms like shaking, panting, barking, whining, “accidents”, clawing, digging and many others! Easy to use and drug-free, Thundershirts have an 85% success rating AND a money back guarantee – it’s definitely worth a shot.
• Never leave your pup unattended outside – remember the story about the dog that dug his way out of the yard? You DON'T want this to happen to you.
• If your dog has SUPER anxiety, talk to your vet. Sometimes, depending on the severity, they can prescribe sedatives to help.

Remember, New Year's is supposed to be FUN - starting out the 2013 with a missing or anxious pet is anything but.

From all of us at P.L.A.Y., we wish you and your loved ones a very happy new year!