March is Pet Poison Awareness Month
March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month. There are many potentially harmful items that exist in our homes that we may not realize could be harmful to our pets. Based on call volume, the Pet Poison Helpline reports these as the top 10 most common toxins:...
Pet Tech 2016
Tech products for pets, commonly referred to as "pet wearables," just keep coming! Check out new and updated versions of pet fit trackers, GPS locators, and remote cameras. You can track your dogs activities and calories as easy as your own. My favorite - The...
Stella & Chewy Recall for possible Listeria Monocytogenes
I personally am a huge fan of Stella & Chewy's and so are my dogs. I did however feel it worthwhile to share info on their June 2015 recall which appears to have stemmed from one bag to date uncovered during a routine FDA surveillance testing.
Baby, it’s freezing outside! Winter tips for your pooch.
I started to post this Sunday when it was 65 degrees with the tag -- "Baby, it's almost cold outside." Here we are 4 days later with ice and snow all over which delayed walks Tuesday, mainly due to traffic and irritated paws. As you know, salt can highly irritate...
2015 – A Time for Treats
Many of you asked about the goodies included in your holiday gift baskets. Those were beef trachea! As I keep telling people, no part of the animal is wasted. "Bully Sticks" are a common item these days at any pet supply shop or store, but they can be costly. If...
Cooling Off – the Cold Hard Facts
Summer is almost over, and this subject was one of my more recent summer procrastinations. Given we still have some dog days left, and fueled by a recent discussion with a client whose dogs we have to beg to drink, I'm finally sitting down. During these 80+ degree...
Homebuying with Dog Amenities in Mind
It happens - you come in from your walk with your sweet sweet pumpkin who wasn't so sweet. Maybe they ecstatically rolled in horse manure, cooled off in brackish water, or depending on where you live, got skunked. You two tromp thru the living room, and on up, down...
Benadryl – Dog sitter’s best friend?
I thought this afternoon's walk would be the perfect excursion, cool day, and enjoying a nice stroll with Jules, Seth, London, Milo, Roxy, Mac, Jimmy, & Tiggy, but that suddenly turned to almost panic. Little Mac was stung on the back and paw by a still present...
August Boarding Is Filling Up Fast
Just a heads-up that if you want to board your dog with us at our house any time in August, those spaces are filling up very quickly. August is a big month for people to vacation, but, darn it all, our house is only so big. We've still got plenty of open spots on the...
Ready, Set, Bark!
Text us today and mention the word "barketing" and get 10% off your first 2 weeks of service. Be sure to include your location (either exact address, closest intersection or building), days of the week for walking, cat care, or boarding dates desired as well as the age & breed of your pet. We'll get right back to you.
Washington, DC
Monthly Yappy Hour with Tito's Vodka at metrobar — Sun, Aug 9
Washington, DC. A monthly happy hour with cocktail specials, pet treats, and vendors; proceeds support the Humane Rescue Alliance.
🔗 Yappy Hour at The Stacks — Fri, Aug 14
Dry Dock Park, DC. An evening social with a live DJ, cocktails, cornhole, and giveaways while dogs mingle.
Maryland
Woof Wednesdays with the Chesapeake Baysox — Wed, Aug 5 & Aug 19
Prince George's Stadium, Bowie, MD. Leashed, vaccinated dogs are welcome at these Bark in the Park baseball games.
🔗 Cat Video Fest 2026 — Thu–Fri, Aug 6–7
Warehouse Cinemas, Frederick, MD. A family-friendly film screening of the best cat videos culled from submissions, sourced animations, and music videos — a portion of ticket proceeds benefits local cats in need. (Worth noting: this one's cat-themed rather than dog-themed, but a fun outing if your pup's okay staying home for a couple hours!) One heads-up on timing: Cat Video Fest runs Thursday and Friday (Aug 6–7) rather than the weekend itself — this coming weekend (Aug 8–9) it won't be showing, so you'd want to catch it before then.
🔗 Dog Days at Linganore — Fri, Aug 7 & Fri, Aug 21, 5–8pm
Linganore Winecellars, Mt Airy, MD. Select Friday evenings from May through September, the winery hosts local animal rescues on the lawn. 20% of purchases made during the event go to the featured rescue.
🔗 Pooch Pool Party — Sat–Sun, Aug 22–23
Upper County Outdoor Pool, Gaithersburg, MD. The pool opens exclusively to dogs to swim and play before winter closure.
🔗 Register
Doggie Paddle Swim — Sat, Aug 22, 9–10:30am
Whetstone Pool, Montgomery Village, MD. A one-day pool swim with access to the wading pool; every pup gets a "Puppachino" after. Registration required.
🔗 Register
2026 Puppy Plunge — Sun, Aug 23, 11am–2pm
YMCA Camp Letts, Edgewater, MD. SPCA of Anne Arundel County's annual beach bash — live music, food, vendors, and beach access for dogs. $15/car, proceeds benefit the SPCA.
🔗 Northern Virginia
Summer Renaissance Festival at Shipgarten — Sat, Aug 15
McLean, VA. A medieval-themed outdoor festival with games, food, a costume contest, an off-leash area, and pup cups. Fun for the whole family!!!
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