Unleashed! Notes from Dogster HQ

Presenting the MAKE YOUR OWN DIGITAL GIFT Contest!

Anders Porter — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:25:42 +0000

Update 1 We updated the below submission specifications to resolve any confusion about what image formats we can accept and convert into store gifts

Update 2 We created the Digital Gift Makers Workshop Group for anypaw and everypaw that wants to make gifts that share, learn and help each other. HQ will be hanging out there too.

We are always amazed and impressed at how creative everyfur gets on Dogster and Catster with their spectacular pet pages and profile pictures. That’s why we decided to have a special contest for all you creatives out there: We want YOU to make the next new virtual gift for the gift store! We are outlining some guidelines below for creating the artwork for the gift, and the winner will receive a bowl-ful of Zealies, a badge to show off on their pet page and of course, props from HQ. When the gift is available in the gift store the creator will get credit so that all the Dogsters and Catsters out there will know who made it!

Entries

There are three different sizes of gifts you can create: Furever Rosettes, Stars & Small Gifts, and Large Gifts. You may submit as many entries as you’d like in each category.

Files should be zipped and sent to: gift_submit[AT]dogster.com

Entries must be submitted by July 1st, 2009 midnight PST.

Winners will be announced by July 15th.

Winners will be selected by Dogster HQ.

Prizes

Furever Rosettes - winner gets 100 zealies

Stars & Small Gifts (type 1) - winner gets 250 zealies

Large Gifts (type 2) - winner gets 500 zealies

Specifications

There are some guidelines that must be followed in creating the submissions. Please take the time to reads the guidelines closely to make sure your submissions can be considered. If an entry does not comply with submission guidelines we will have no choice but to not accept or review it.

1) We cannot accept or use artwork that is trademarked, registered, or displays any trademarked or copyrighted terms (such as brand names). Make sure you have the right to use any artwork your submit. Please do not submit any artwork that you are not the original creator of.

2) The gifts, stars and rosettes must be supplied and clearly viewable in multiple sizes since they are displayed on various pages, such as the virtual gift store, on pet pages, and on the homepage. While the image that appears in the Store and on Pet Pages is the most important, the other images sizes need to look good too. Usually we find that reducing a large image to a small image will not work. Usually the small image needs to be made separately or at least modified so it appears clear and neat.

3) All submissions should be the original/source layered artwork file. Photoshop, Illustrator, Gimp and many others allow for layered artwork. Common file types are, but are not limited to .PSD, .AI, .PDF .EPS. Entries should not be flattened single layer artwork, and it’s very unlikely we will be able to accept GIF, PNG or JPG files.

4) Finally all submissions need to be on a transparent background (this includes animated gifts) but ultimately, once we reduce them to animated gifs, must not exceed 50kb. Therefore we strongly recommend animated gift submissions to not exceed 30 frames.

Furever Rosettes, Stars

One file must depict artwork at 100 pixels high x 100 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Small Gifts

One file must depict artwork at 40 pixels high x 40 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Large Gifts

One file must depict artwork at 80 pixels high x 80 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Tip: Sometimes a small or large gift does not lend itself well to the required 15 x 15 size and thus it will be a sampling of the larger image. For example, we just used Scaredy Squirrel’s head for the smaller image.

Help

We have created the Digital Gift Makers Workshop Group to ask questions, get answers, help, learn and share. We warmly invite all designers to join. We will use that for announcing updates if any are needed

Terms

By submitting any materials on or through the “Make Your Own Virtual Gift Contest”, you automatically grant to us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, right to publicly display or re-display such Materials in other formats not simply limited to websites.

Winners

We will announce winners 2 weeks after the submission closing date. We are not going to put a cap on how many winners that will be. There will be at least one winner in each category, but we will pick the number of winners based upon how impressed we are. So please, IMPRESS US! =)

Good luck to all you creative geniuses! We can’t wait to see what you invent!

Woofs and Meows,

Dogster/Catster HQ

Take 5 with HQ - Our Pup Staycation Tips!

Anders Porter — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:59:30 +0000

The current economic situation means that a lot of people are not going to be traveling with their dogs this year, but will be hanging out at home and having fun in the neighborhood instead.

Have no fear! This is not a bad thing, my furry friends - it’s a chance to once again focus on the little things we really love about our pets and thoroughly enjoy the friendship, fun and comfort that our best friends provide.

So we sat down today at Dogster HQ and came up with five simple things that you can do for your dog this summer when you both feel like it’s time for a little break. And the best thing about all five is the price tag: FREE! Here’s our list:

#1. Brush it out. Not only do most dogs enjoy being brushed, but they of course need it as well. Getting out tangles in long-haired dogs will please the both of you, while short-haired dogs benefit from the massage and cleaning aspects that a good brushing provides. Brushing can also prove to be therapeutic for you as well. The rhythmic motions and the soothing nature of the actions can prove to be just the kind of relaxing break you deserve.

#2. Be a visitor. Why not take your dog to a place where people can’t or don’t own dogs? There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing senior citizens or hospitalized individuals light up at the sight of a dog. Studies have shown, as well, that the therapeutic benefits of canine contact are many, so while your dog has fun meeting new people and the new people enjoy petting your dog, you will feel great about lending a helping hand.

#3. Take a nap! Let’s face it - how often have you looked over at your pooch, sleeping on the couch or curled up under a tree and thought, “Oh, how I wish I was doing that right now…” ? Well, what are you waiting for? Curling up next to your dog on the sofa or (if he or she is allowed) on the bed, is something that both of you will benefit from. Your dog will appreciate your proximity and you will love the time-out. And don’t forget - dogs are pretty darned good at sleeping - you could learn a few things from yours!

#4. Make a play date. Don’t just play with your dog… PLAY with your dog! Set aside an uninterrupted time when you can really get down, get dirty and play with your dog. Tossing a ball and walking around the block are also great activities, but your dog will love it if you get down on your hands and knees so that you can really have fun with each other. Being down on your dog’s level will not only reinforce your friendly relationship, but it will remind you of what it’s actually like to be down there all the time! If you can’t get down on your dog’s level, find a neighborhood kid or a nearby family member who can. Your dog will thank you for it!

#5. Park it. Even if this is something that you already are in the habit of doing, it’s worth bringing up and worth trying to do even more of this summer. The bottom line on this one is: dogs LOVE parks. It’s great to get out to a place where the sights and smells are new and exciting, and a dog can run his or her little heart out. If you live in the country, you LIVE in a park, of course, so this is just a reminder to get out there and have fun!

#6. Shut it down. Hey wait a minute… you said FIVE things! Well, #6 is not technically on the list, but the five things above aren’t possible unless you start with #6… Turn off the PC, power down the laptop, walk slowly (but surely) away from the Mac. Believe me, this is gonna hurt us more than it does you… As much as we love the Internets, and as much as we love Dogster, AND as much as we know that you do, too - getting a little one-on-one time with your BFF is best accomplished offline.

So take a break right now and do one of the five things listed above.

Got your own staycation tips? Let us know in the comments!

The dogs seen here enjoying their staycations are Sherpa, Liberty, Griffin, Moxie, Sadie Boo and lee.loo lebowski

Browsing with the Pack: The Dogster Custom Firefox Add-On

Anders Porter — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:37:52 +0000

Just when you thought your online Dogster experience couldn’t possibly get any better, our friends over at Brand Thunder have stepped in and built an amazing (and FREE!) Dogster Firefox add-on that will make the way you brow-wow-wowse the Internet an even cooler experience than it was before.

You’ve got to try it out and let us know what you think! I’ve been using the Catster version for a couple days now and I really dig it!

It’s a Mozilla Firefox thing, people, so if you’ve been debating trying out Firefox, your reason to finally make that jump is here! This themed browser, along with the fact that all of our sites work best on Firefox, will help you get the most out of your Dogster experience.

Read more about the Dogster browser here, or install it immediately right here.

Enjoy!

–Anders

7 Things You Need to Know About Antifreeze

Anders Porter — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:16:42 +0000

Working at Dogster is like being one of the people who runs the dog park - the hilarious times are many and the lessons learned are valuable. But sadly enough, it’s not always just fun and games. Those days do roll around when you show up and one of the dog park regulars is not there.

Last week, there wasn’t just one dog who didn’t show up to play. There were three. Dogster dogs Jake, Joey, and Nari had to be put to sleep last week, after having ingested antifreeze.

It is said that antifreeze is responsible for the poisoning of over 10,000 dogs and cats every year. The toxic ingredient to blame is ethylene glycol, a substance that is found not only in antifreeze, but in radiator coolant, brake fluid, hydraulic fluid, and other automotive liquids. Its sweet-smelling and tasting properties make it attractive to pets, and it doesn’t take much to cause damage. One to two teaspoons can poison a cat, three tablespoons can kill a medium-sized dog.

Because it’s a substance that is readily available at auto supply stores and is used in nearly every motor vehicle on the road, it’s important that pet owners know a few things about antifreeze and its effect on small animals. Here are seven things that you should be aware of:

Symptoms vary, depending on how long it has been since the dog drank the antifreeze. They will also depend on how much of the poison they drank.

Initial symptoms mirror those of intoxication.

The ethylene glycol can cause an irritating effect on a dog’s stomach, which may cause vomiting.

Dogs will urinate and drink excessively. They may be depressed and exhibit signs of poor balance.

Dogs drink more because the thirst centers of the brain are stimulated in response to the poison ingestion.

While some dogs may appear to look and feel better 12 hours later, it is only because the liver and kidneys are working to metabolize the ethylene glycol. It is common, however, that symptoms return in 24 hours, and are much worse. Things to look for are dehydration, weakness, depression, diarrhea, rapid breathing, mouth ulcers and seizures.

If you are certain that your dog has consumed antifreeze, you should attempt to induce vomiting and get him or her to a medical professional immediately.

A tribute to these dogs and additional information about antifreeze poisoning can be found over on the For the Love of Dog Blog. And feel free to stop by Jake’s, Joey’s, and Nari’s profile pages to leave a message.

Take special care and make extra sure that your poisonous household and automotive substances are inaccessible to any of your little furry friends. We want every dog to stick around as long as is caninely possible.

*Top image, from left to right: Nari, Joey and Jake. The image shown in the tips box is a space-filling model of the ethylene glycol molecule.

FTLOD’s Horst and Bo Featured on PeoplePets.com

Anders Porter — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:25:39 +0000

Our very own Bo Hoefinger (and Horst - the human behind the fur) were recently written up on PeoplePets.com, the online pet-oriented version of People Magazine. Horst and his wife, Lisa (along with Bo) are the authors of our For the Love of Dog Blog.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

Just two years ago PEOPLE Pets member Bo Hoefinger (boknows) was a largely unknown golden retriever whose wit was only appreciated by his family. Now he’s an Internet star. He writes one of the silliest dog blogs around called Bo Knows, He Just Doesn’t Listen, he’s got a book deal and he helped get his dad, Horst Hoefinger, a gig blogging for Dogster.com.

Horst Hoefinger, who has a day job working for a big corporation, first started writing in the voice of his dog Bo because he wanted to give a special gift to his wife, Lisa. So he put together a book of stories about Bo and gave it to her for Christmas in 2006. Not only did she love it but she spotted his talent for bringing Bo’s personality to life, got him an agent and helped him start his hit blog. Now Bad to the Bone: A Doggie Memoir is due to hit shelves in October.

On his blog, Bo normally introduces a ridiculous story from the dog perspective and then excerpts the relevant parts. Hoefinger says Bo’s specialty is “any wacky story with an animal angle. As long as the protagonist in the story can’t speak a human language (parrots get a pass) and they’ve caused trouble or embarrassment for humans, Bo will cover them.”

Horst says he sticks to the light stuff for Bo Knows, but last year he started writing For the Love of Dog Blog over at Dogster.com, where he tackles the heavier stuff: dogs who need homes, puppy mills, abuse, lack of legal protections of animals and the 4 million animals euthanized each year. He hopes to shed some light on the problems — and the people working to overcome them.

Nice work, Bo and Horst! We look forward to seeing the release of the book and will let y’all know where and when you can get a hold of a copy!

Try Out Our New Dog Trivia Game!

Anders Porter — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:21:05 +0000

Knowing how much y’all like our dog games, we’ve been working hard on another one and IT’S READY for you to try out!

Our new Dog Trivia Game not only tests how well you know dogs by asking you to answer a bunch of pooch-related questions, but it lets you submit your own questions as well! How cool is that?

Ready to start playing? Click on the screen shot below to get on over there and get your trivia on! Woof luck!

Dogster Pooch Patrol: Bay to Breakers

Anders Porter — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:54:01 +0000

Sunday marked the 98th Annual Bay to Breakers, the 12K run/walk that traverses the city by the bay, and Dogster was there to join the fun and shake paws with any pooches we met along the way. Part of a group started by Dogster member Chewey, we walked the route and handed out Dogster and SFSPCA stickers as we went along!

Dogs aren’t allowed to compete, so most of the dogs that we saw along the way were on the sidelines, in the shade, staring at all the craziness that walked by. On a hot day like Sunday was, keeping cool is what it’s all about. Here are a couple of the pooches we met along the way!

Community Togetherness for a Lucky Star

Anders Porter — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:11:23 +0000

Nobody wants to even think about the range of emotions that one goes through when their beloved pet goes missing, let alone have to actually experience them. I am certainly not shy about saying that I would absolutely freak out if my little feline buddy Tailer disappeared. Ugh. Not a pleasant thought.

Last month everybody here at Dogster HQ was touched by a story that involved one of our own members who unfortunately had to go through that dreaded situation. Rod and Susan Ensley of Anderson, South Carolina, are the humans that belong to Dogster member Star, the amazing-looking Great Dane that you see here. Susan wrote to us about what their family went through last month, and wanted us to share Star’s story with you.

“On April 12th, 2009, we enrolled our Dogs in your TogetherTag pet recovery service. As I was online enrolling, two of our Great Danes went missing from our yard. The security alarms had been activated at 8:00 a.m. Our fence had been cut and our Danes’ collars were found on the back of our property. We contacted the local sheriff’s department to report the incident and our missing Danes. We filled out a lost dog report with the Dogster/Catster Together Tag program. They sent the Lost Dog Alert out to rescues and shelters in our area.”

What happened over the next few days I can only describe as chaotic. In a state of shock and overwhelmed with grief, the Ensleys set out to do everything in their power to get the word out about their missing dogs. They drove all over Anderson County looking for them. Thankfully, one of them returned home a couple hours later, but with chemical burns around her eyes from the use of pepper spray. Star, however, was still nowhere to be found.

“We made phone calls, printed and posted flyers and contacted veterinarians within a two hundred mile radius of our home. We cross-posted our Dane’s information to get out as much information to as many people as possible to locate our dog. We continued to search for our Dane, driving the roads and walking hundreds of private acres, checking barns and chicken coops - anywhere a scared Dane could possibly hide - we checked it.

With no luck.

On Monday afternoon, I received a call from a veterinarian who explained that one of their employees went to a flea market called “the Jockey Lot” (it’s an awful place), where they have a puppy row where they sell animals.”

Apparently, the employee saw a woman who was walking around with a dog that matched the description of Star. She was trying to sell her. Thanks to the posters that the Ensleys had been putting up, the employee recognized the dog. Others at the flea market also saw the dog and thought that something seemed out of place. According to them, the dog “would not raise her head and appeared to be frightened.”

The Ensleys immediately contacted the sheriff’s department. Two deputies were sent to the flea market lot, but by then the lot was empty.

The family had followed the Together Tag missing pet suggestions to a “T” AND the responsive involvement of the community was phenomenal, but the Ensleys were still without their super-Star.

“By this point, there were thousands of people looking for our Great Dane. My husband and I were emotionally and physically exhausted.

My husband went to the other side of town and began searching. He talked to people, handed out flyers and put up posters. One of the people he spoke to told him a young Harlequin Dane was spotted in their neighborhood on Monday evening. They explained where the Dane could possibly be staying. Wednesday morning we received a phone call the Dane was spotted again that morning at 6 a.m.

They continued searching the next day with no luck. They were about to leave when his cell phone rang. One of the neighbors saw Star go into a barn on his property. Rod parked between four barns and started searching. They started calling her name again. My brother walked into one of the barns and there she was!“

Scared and confused, Star at first started barking, not too sure of what was going on. But when Star saw her Daddy, she ran at him, and tackled him! She covered Ron with kisses and then ran over to the family’s SUV. Sniffing the vehicle was the final confirmation… and then she knew for sure: Star was going home!

Other than having four ticks, being dehydrated and sunburned, and having a slight infection on her leg, Star was just fine and went home to recover on the couch with the rest of her family.

I want to personally thank Ron, Susan and Star for sharing their inspirational story with all of us. It’s heartwarming to know that when communities come together, lost pets CAN be reunited with their families. It really is that simple. If you’re prepared, you’ll be many steps ahead when it comes to being reunited with your pet, should he or she unfortunately go missing. As evidenced by Star’s return, the quicker you are at getting your community involved, the better your chances of a safe homecoming.

We are also super pleased that Susan’s quick actions involved her printing up and distributing our Together Tag lost pet posters. We’re very VERY happy that our service played a role in Star’s return. This is exactly why we started Together Tag in the first place.

Before leaving you with some final thoughts from Susan, I’d like to offer a bit of my own advice when it comes to protecting your pets:

Take LOTS of pictures of your pets, so you have good ones when you need them most

Get your pets microchipped, if you haven’t already

Read through this handy list of tips

Enroll your pets in the Together Tag pet ID and recovery service today

Pet thieves prowl during the holidays when families might let their guard down and allow their pets to go outside unattended. All it takes is minutes and your baby is gone. We have alarms on our fences that alerted us immediately that something was wrong. My hubby let the girls out and then turned to get a cup of coffee in the house. That’s how quickly they move to take your pets. Keep them close…

We wanted to personally thank the organizations, rescues, shelters and the thousands of people who assisted with this effort to bring Star home.

Thank you Dogster/Catster and the Together Tag program.
Words could never express our sincerest gratitude to your organization. I hoped I would never have to rely on the use of the tags or microchips that our Danes have. We appreciate the program because we were forced to use the emergency services to locate our Star.

Thanks again, Susan. And congratulations!

–Anders

Field Trip! San Francisco SPCA

Anders Porter — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:22:52 +0000

This last weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to take a tour of the San Francisco SPCA facility, a beautiful complex that houses an amazing adoption facility for dogs and cats, as well as a brand new, state-of-the-art Animal Care Center.

It was so great to see so many dogs and cats being treated so well, whether they were waiting to be picked up by their new owners or still adoptable. At the time of our visit, the facility was taking care of 16 dogs and 41 cats. The pets are housed in spacious environments, so they have plenty of space to run around and play… a few of the rooms even had televisions in them, to keep the little guys company when a volunteer is not around. Cool!

Whenever I have the opportunity to visit a shelter or an pet adoption center, I am always blown away by the loving assistance that is provided by the volunteers. The SFSPCA is no exception. The facility relies on volunteers to care for shelter dogs and cats, conduct adoption counseling, participate in humane education, provide foster care for special needs animals, and enrich the lives of people in the community through animal-assisted therapy.

I was impressed so much by the facility and the staff that I JUST NOW printed out their volunteer application and plan on filling it out and sending it in. I just GOTTA get back over there and lend a helping paw!

Have you toured your local adoption center or rescue facility? If you haven’t, give them a call and find out when you can stop by and say hi. You may soon find yourself printing out a volunteer application as well!

Special thanks to Suzanne Hollis for the great guided tour! You can see Suzanne’s Catster family here!

May Challenge! Compete for Cool Prizes in The Dog Breed Photo Game!

Anders Porter — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:03:38 +0000

Hey everyfur! The Dog Breed Photo Game May Challenge is on! You can win big prizes just for playing. Check out the details:

The May Challenge - Play and Win!

brought to you by Together Tag

Test your doggie smarts by correctly selecting the pictured breed.

Prizes

The top three scorers in the month of May will win big prizes.

* Grand Prize: Dyson Vacuum

* Second Prize: Flip HD Video Camera

* Third Prize: $100 PetSmart Gift Card (good for use in-store or online)

But even if you’re not one of the top three scorers, just by playing, you may win one of:

* 5 Door Prizes: $25 PetSmart Gift Card (good for use in-store or online)

Every player has a chance to win! Everyone who plays the game in the month of May will automatically be entered into the drawing for the door prizes, and for each 500 points you score you will earn another entry into the door prize drawing - so the higher your score, the more chances you’ll have to win!

How Scoring Works

Your score for the May Challenge is tracked separately from your overall all-time score for the Breed Photo Game (and will also be added to your overall score). A wrong guess does not affect your score, though we do keep track of how many total questions you have tried.

You must be logged in for your score to be recorded and to be entered into the May Challenge. Any game play this month is automatically added to your May Challenge score - you do not have to do anything special to enter the contest.

See contest details

Read the official rules

See the May Challenge Leader Board

Are right then, pawty people what are you waiting for?

Click here to start playing now!