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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 a previous 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… before, during, and after the Superbowl, I usually channel-surf over to Animal Planet to watch the Puppy Bowl on TV with my dog.
Here are some photos from our little Puppy Bowl party. [Hint: too cute!]
Why We Love The Puppy Bowl
Tenor (my dog) thoroughly enjoyed the Puppy Bowl on TV.
In fact, I even thought about recording it, so I could replay my homemade version of Dog TV for him at other times — but I didn’t.
It was at the point where I noticed my dog was snoring, that I was forced to come to grips with the fact that I may have enjoyed Puppy Bowl a bit more than Tenor did. I thought he was just hunkering down for a long night of doggie football watching. But no… (I woke him up here.)
That’s okay though. I still managed to snap a few photos of my dog enjoying this dog version of the Super Bowl…
The Best Part About Puppy Bowl: The Fouls
Yep, there’s a referee in a black & white striped uniform — armed with a whistle — and he’s not afraid to use it.
If you’ve never seen Puppy Bowl (on Animal Planet), it goes something like this…
A half-dozen or so puppies of all shapes and sizes enter the field one by one. (It’s actually an astro-turfed play area that’s painted with football line markings.)
Below the dogs’ mugshots, you see their name, breed, and habits or hobbies. (Yep.) Then, the whistle is blown and all dogs are simply encouraged to play.
Of course, you’ve got your ‘chasers’ and your ‘nippers’ and your ‘humpers’ and your ‘toy-stealers’ and your ‘water bowl protectors’. But it’s all fun & games until the referee blows his whistle for things like:
- Unnecessary roughness = one puppy playing too rough with another
- Interference = dog pee or poo on the field
- Out of Bounds = a dog has taken a toy off the green mat
- Puppy Foul = anything one dog does that is cute, but not fair to the rest
- Puppy Infraction = too much humping
Here are video highlights from Puppy Bowl.
And here’s an example of the play-by-play of Puppy Bowl.
Check out this 3-minute video from a previous Puppy Bowl:
Another Great Thing About Puppy Bowl: The Adoptions
Every puppy participating in the Puppy Bowl is from an animal shelter.
And they’re not all from the same shelter either. They’re from a long list of adoption agencies from lots of different states.
Just the fact that Lucky was on the field was a success. Lucky, later adopted from an animal rescue in Christiana, Tenn., is one of 78 puppies “competing” in this year’s Puppy Bowl XIII, representing 34 rescue organizations and 22 states. Source
Having Your Own Puppy Bowl Superbowl Party?
- Check out these Tail-gate Party Ideas (…Get it?)
- Or, get some people-friendly Super Bowl party ideas here.
- Here are some fun Puppy Bowl activities for your own pet.
- Don’t overlook these tasty menu items for party pups and people alike.
- Some more Puppy Bowl decorations and activities to consider.
- Fun ways for kids to enjoy the Puppy Bowl & football on TV.
- And finally, a dog’s eye view of hosting a Puppy Bowl party at home.
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I've always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what's 'normal' and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I'm not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I've written over 500 articles for dog owners on this site!
