It’s time to get your vote on for the June 2012 Pet of the Month contest! The lucky winner will recieve a fabulous BlanketID tag of their choice — I’m personally loving the turquoise options above — as well as a free three-year-membership! Standard rules for voting apply. Simply write your favourite fluffball’s name on our Facebook wall (one vote per person please) and the pet with the most votes by July 2nd wins! Since it is a long weekend here in Canada, the winner will be announced on Tuesday next week. Click through to meet this month’s nominees!

Tilly

Koya

Barkley

Flynn

source

One of my favourite things to do of all time is throw on some music and dance like a lunatic around my apartment. It sounds hilarious (and I’m sure it also looks hilarious…should I ever have any spectators) but it is truly one of the most liberating feelings I have ever experienced and Rory definitely likes to join in the fun!

At first she will look at me with what I can only assume is confusion (or complete horror; “Stop it! You’re embarrassing me Mum!”) But after a moment or two she too is bouncing around excitedly and having a grand old time. I like to think that our spontaneous dancing sessions are good exercise for both of us, as well as an excellent way to bond and enjoy a different sort of game.

These stunning photographs from The Ballerina Project have completely inspired me to get back into a formal dance class so that Rory and I can polish our moves to ‘prima-ballerina’ style. Do you ever dance with your dog?

Browsing through the Berlin-based pet brand Cloud 7‘s new catalog feels like floating — quite possibly on a pristine fluffy cloud of your own. The brand offers stunning lines, creative design, high-quality and beautiful marketing materials — all things that make something very ‘pawsh’ indeed!

Founded by husband and wife team Todd and Petra Schulz, Cloud 7 is distributed all over the world in over 30 different countries; although sadly, not yet in Canada. Petra used to work in fashion, designing for major brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne. However, when the time came to start thinking about starting her own business she took her career in an entirely new direction and turned her once imaginary fashion brand into a dog-inspired reality.

Todd, a former creative director of MC Saatchi, soon jumped on board to help communicate Cloud 7’s message to the world in a different way. They joined forces with the immensely talented German editorial photographer, Janne Peters, in an effort to present their products in an authentic yet stylish manner. The result is a stunning work of art that features everyday people plucked from the streets at random and the many diverse ways in which they live with their dogs. Keep reading for more great photos!

“Whenever we walked our dog or went out to restaurants, we were spotting people who we found interesting in combination with their pet,” says Todd. “We simply asked them if they’d be ok to be photographed and published in our bi-annual catalog. Their fee was a product from Cloud 7 of their choice.”

The result is a stunning and heart-warming collection of contemporary pet (and person) portraiture bathed in soothing natural light. It’s little wonder that the Cloud 7 catalog has sky-rocketed in popularity and that people are now requesting to participate!

I am over the moon about this creative, thoughtful and artistic approach to life with pets and cannot wait for Cloud 7 to drift across the ocean and land in Canada. You can bet your best biscuits I’ll be one of the first to check it all out. Well done Cloud 7 and thank you so much for your beautiful work!

Photography by Emma Taylor Photography

Are you ready for a scorching summer? This enormous pup, Keeto the Newfoundland, certainly is! Nothing quite cools a pooch down like some hearty frolicking about in the water and rolling around in the damp sand. Just be sure to pack your dog-friendly beach bag with everything your pooch needs from super absorbent towels to surfs-up biscuits! Keep reading for even more delightful photos of this gentle giant and his big beach fun by the lovely Emma Taylor from Australia!

I don’t know about you, but this photo series has completely inspired me to take Rory for a day at the beach very soon! Of course, we must all make sure it is a dog-friendly beach…and if water isn’t your dog’s idea of fun here are an alternative six ways to keep your dog cool.