As many of you know, I'm not much of a football fan. My husband and my dogs have always loved football, but not me.

To give you an idea...
During last night's Superbowl, Jim asked:

Isn't Tom Brady dating Jessica Simpson?

To which I replied:

NO... Jessica Simpson was dating Tony Romo! Now quit asking me all these football questions, would ya?

Yes, that is the extent of my football knowledge, folks.

So anyway... last night before, during, and after Superbowl XLII, I channel-surfed over to Animal Planet and watched some of Puppy Bowl IV with my dog.

Here's how that went. [Hint: too cute!]

At the IHRA drag races I attended last month, I photographed several dogs who were accompanying their owners to the races.

The dogs belonged to drag racers and their families who tend to travel with their pets from race to race. In the IHRA drag racing series, there are usually 11 or so races each year -- which means a lot of time on the road, and a lot of loud noises for the dogs.

This led me to wonder... do dogs need ear protection?

What if I take my dog to a race someday? Are there doggie earplugs or something that we should consider?

Note to self:

Don't replant tree seedlings at dogs-eye-level if you have a dog that thinks sticks are toys!

Something I received via email today...

From the actual e-mail:
At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the "apex predator", can still fall victim to implemented 'team work' strategy, made possible due to the tight knit social structure and "survival of the pack mentality" bred into the canines.

See the remarkable photograph below courtesy of Nature Magazine. Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while another dog has a hold on the tail to keep it from thrashing. The third dog attacks the soft underbelly of the gator.

Not for the squeamish!

Is your dog new to Kong toys? Or, maybe he's simply bored with Kongs these days...

Here are a few things you can do to switch things up a bit. Fun new ways to interact with your dog through via his Kong toy.

Check out this collection of the best football dog toys, football jerseys and other gear.

Fun football stuff... just for dogs.

First, some pictures of dogs playing with footballs!

Here's a great collection of photographs which feature dogs enjoying a winter wonderland...