My name is Alex. I am the new Kids Club Co-ordinator. I thought I'd start by telling you a little bit about myself. I'm a Sydney girl and I LOVE LOVE LOVE animals. Specially dogs! I have a six year old Chihuahua named Jessy and she is my best bud. She goes everywhere with me (sometimes even to Dogs Life HQ) we love eating ice-cream (doggy gelato for her), running around at the park and meeting new friends. My favourite colour is Aqua and Jessy's favourite colour is Pink.  You'll be hearing a lot about my adventures with Jessy through Kids Club and I hope you will send me some lovely letters, drawings and photos of you and your canine pals doing the things you love.

Read on to  find out about cleaning your pooches teeth for National Pet Dental Health Month in August. We also have the Top 10 Smartest Breeds, is your pooch in the top 10?  There is also plenty to keep you busy on a rainy day with a crossword, a find-a-word, a super cool quiz and don't forget to enter our pawsome Kids Club competitions!

 

Bye for now…
Alex Lazcano
Kids Club Coordinator

 

Note from Dr Katrina Warren

PET TIPS FROM CELEBRITY VET DR KATRINA WARREN

Each issue of Dogs Life, Dr Katrina shares some fabulous advice on doggy health and pet care - from winter warming ideas to health, nutrition and exercise tips. Check out the current edition of Dogs Life for her latest pet-friendly tips!

Keep em Clean

 Do you ever clean your pooch’s teeth? If not, it sounds like you need to brush up on how and why it’s important to keep your pet’s pearly whites and gums in tip-top shape. So, with national Pet Dental Health Month coming up in August, we thought we’d give you a quick lesson in Doggy Dental Care...

Does your pooch have bad breath? What about red, swollen or bleeding gums? These are signs of dental disease, so it might be a good idea to take your dog to your vet for a dental check-up and clean.
·    The doggy dental experts recommend that pet owners clean their pooch’s teeth at least once a day to prevent a build-up of plaque, tartar and any other nasty bacteria found in your dog’s mouth. While this job is best left to the grown-ups, you can help by making sure your parents have the correct tools for the task, including a doggy toothpaste and toothbrush. Never use human toothpaste as it is harmful for dogs.
·    A hearty and healthy diet is also the key to keeping your dog’s teeth clean and breath fresh. Some kibble is specially formulated to clean your dog’s teeth while he’s happily chewing away. Hard rubber chew toys can also have the same tooth-scrubbing effect.
·    And, most importantly, remember to take your pooch to your vet for regular dental checks and cleaning. Goodbye smelly doggy breath and hello furry freshness!

WIN WIN WIN!!! 

Written by veterinarian Dr Amanda Chin, Pet's Playground is jam-packed with information on everything you need to know about responsible pet ownership andhas 18 cool activities.

DL Kids Club has three Pets' Playground copies to giveaway, click here for a chance to win!

Top 10 Smartest Breeds

#1 Border Collie

Like many intelligent breeds, the Border Collie needs a job to do.  If they don't have a purpose in life or some kind of job, they will not be happy.

#2 German Shepherd

German Shepherds are extremely intelligent, courageous, and have a very strong protective instinct.

#3 Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever personifies everything we love about dogs-loyal, loving, patient, great with children and eager to please. 

#5 Doberman Pinscher
Dobermans are an extremely loyal, assertive, and fearless breed.  They love to work they are known as a dominant breed, but Dobermans be quite gentle.

#6 Shetland Sheepdog
 Shelties were originally bred to herd hundreds of sheep and cattle, requiring great concentration and intelligence. 

Sambo rocks!

Dear Dogs Life,
My name is Shari and I have a six-year-old Lhasa Apso cross Poodle. His name is Sambo and I got him when I was in kindergarten — we’re heaps close. I’ve taught him lots of tricks and now he performs in front of our friends. I feed him every night and take him for walks. I LOVE SAMBO!!!
Shari, 11, Qld 

Crazy canine!

Hi, my name’s Rebekah. My dog is named Jack and he is a crazy dog! He has lots of energy and when he gets too excited his eyes go bright red. He can also do lots of tricks. But Jack also has a sooky side to him, he is so funny. I love him very much.
Rebekah

What a beautiful drawing of a Dachshund and a cruise ship sent in by Isabelle, QLD
 

Zoe has drawn her two dogs, Sandy and Fandy next to their dog bowls and kennel. Great effort Jame Lee! Zoe, NSW
 

Are you creative or have something to bark about?

Then we would love to hear from you! Send your letters, drawings and super-cute snaps to dogslife@universalmagazines.com.au with the subject heading "Kids Club BarkBack/ Doggy Tracks" or mail them to Kids Club/Dogs Life, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670, and they may be edited and published in the magazine or even right here on our website! Get your creative juices flowing cause we can't wait to see your masterpieces!

 Fun furry stuff!

  Fact of the month:

Dogs chew up your underwear because it smells like you!

Barking brilliant jokes:

Q: How does a pup stop a DVD?

A:By pressing the "paws" button!

Q: Why did the dog carry the clock?
A:Because it wanted to be the watch dog!

 

Games, puzzles and other fun stuff

DOG BREED FIND-A-WORD

Download a PDF of the Word Find  

DOGGY CROSSWORD by Sarah Martin

Download a PDF of the Crossword (with answers)   

True or False answers:

1. T 2. F (No, it’s the Irish Wolfhound!) 3. T 4. F (False, Dalmatians are born completely white!) 5. F (Wrong! The Labrador Retriever was the top pooch for 2008, followed by the German Shepard and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) 6. T 7. T 8. F (No, the Chihuahua is named after the Mexican state Chihuahua!) 9. T 10. T

Cats and Dogs 2 Activity Pages

Get a load of the cool Cats and Dogs:  Revenge of Kitty Galore activity pages we've got for you. Simply right click on the activity you want to do, save it to your computer and print!