Hi humans, 

Once again, the “Alpha Dog Blog” is four legged (just like a dog). Speaking of dogs, did you check out the brand new DOGTV Player? Check it out!

1. Expo. The thing I like about pet expos is…well, everything. It’s always such a great opportunity to check out the new trends in the pet industry, sniff around, and especially hang out with other pet lovers. I honestly believe that pet lovers are better people (without insulting the non-owners). Apparently I’m not the only one to say so: Psychologists at Miami University and Saint Louis University conducted three experiments to examine the potential benefits of pet ownership among what they called everyday people. The results, published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,  concluded:

“We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions. Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners.” (Read the research here).

So indeed, the San Diego Pet Expo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds this weekend was a real joy. Lots of people came and showed interest in our little dog channel (and didn’t forget to tweet about it!). So thanks for stopping by, and congratulations to the winners of this great gift basket!

2. Titanic.  This past weekend also marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The occasion is being honored in several ways across the US (not to mention the release of the 3D version of the James Cameron movie. Yes, I saw it. And, yes, my 3D glasses got all wet).

Widener University in Philadelphia decided to honor the memory of the Titanic and its casualties with an exhibit, that also features dogs who were on board. There were 12 dogs on the Titanic, 3 of them survived: 2 Pomeranians and a Pekingese. The 9 dogs that died were confined in the onboard kennel and being walked and cared for by crew members. One of them was a Great Dane, who’s owner, Ann Elizabeth Isham, climbed out of a lifeboat after being informed that her dog was too big to join her and returned to the ship’s kennel. A few days after the sinking, her body was found by a recovery ship, clutching her beloved canine.

More stories of the Titanic’s four footed passengers are included in the new exhibition about Philadelphia families aboard the Titanic at the Widener University Art Gallery, Chester, Pennsylvania.

3. CONTEST.  Dog Television fans! Did you remember to vote for the cutest dog in the world? Yes, we know it’s not a fair contest, because all dog parents are sure their dog is the cutest – and they are probably right.

So how can you choose the cutest dog with all these great pooches around? Well, according to more than 4 million fans, Boo is still “the world’s cutest dog”. You must have heard of Boo – the small Pomeranian with a funny haircut who became a huge celebrity thanks to a successful Facebook page, a best seller book and admiration from Kim Kardashian.

Well, recently somebody tweeted that Boo has died, and Boo fans everywhere started to panic and cry; Fear no more – it was a hoax, and Boo “was just taking a nap”, according to his owner. Even CNN have reported on the story.

So yes, with no disrespect to adorable Boo, DOGTV is still looking for the cutest new faces. The list has been narrowed down to the top 50, and it’s up to you to select your 3 favorite pictures of pups. Hurry up for your chance to win a new LCD TV for your dog to watch DOGTV on!

4. California. Here’s one of the most common questions we receive via email:

“I live in San Diego and it looks like a lot of this was filmed there. True?” (Shelly Guinan). Thanks for your email, Shelly.  DOGTV is being filmed in many locations, among them San Diego. Due to the fact that SD is our launch-city, we decided to put a great emphasis on filming there, including dog beaches, parks, streets, Ballboa Park, and various locations around town. It’s also fun to meet dogs and dog parents from San Diego, because they are so open, friendly and supportive of our television channel for dogs. It is not a coincidence that San Diego was voted #3 in the list of dog friendly cities in the US!

(Check out the video of Padraige, the San Diegan who loves surfing!)

Still, if you don’t live in San Diego and if your dog wants to watch the dog channel, DOGTV, you can always do so via our online streaming service, which you can get here, or by downloading the new “DOGTV Player” for your Ipad or Iphone from Itunes.

So don’t forget to leave a little love on!

Have a great week,

Ron