Samson

When LilPeaPod came back from her adventure with Samson at the Worldwide Fido Awards, she told us all about the great staff at the Le Merigot – where she stayed while filming the show. I know some hotels have a "Pet-Friendly" policy, but aren't too friendly when you check in. Thankfully, that wasn't the case when she arrived:

I was very impressed with the staff of the Le Merigot Hotel in Santa Monica, who went out of their way to make us feel comfortable, and treated Samson like a king – it was definitely all about him while we were there. Our hostess at the hotel café even brought Samson some ice to chew on to cool him down in the heat! Needless to say, if we ever need a place to stay in Santa Monica, we'll be heading back to the Le Merigot.

I've stayed at a few W hotels (and North loved the doormen at the one in our old NYC neighborhood), where do you like to stay when traveling with your pet?

While at the Worldwide Fido Awards in LA last week, Samson got to test out the Porch Potty, a sort of port-a-potty for dogs that lives on your porch. Since North is already potty trained, I wouldn't need something like this, but LilPeaPod says that it's a must have for puppies and older dogs alike!

Find out what she has to say about the Porch Potty and where to find them when you read more

Gabe, the bulldog from Bellingham, Wash. who flushes toilets, skateboards, and even rides a rocking horse! Congrats to this super cute smooshy for his big title!
OK, now the back story: Hosted by Fred Willard (star of one of our favorite animal movies), the 2008 Worldwide Fido Awards took place in the aptly-named Barker Hangar in Santa Monica over the weekend. The finalists were announced for six categories including our very own Samson who captured the title of "Cutest Dog" – woohoo!

Judges for the event included celebrity dog trainer Tamar Gellar and actors Kevin Nealon and Vivica A. Fox, and lucky for us LilPeaPod has some behind the scenes tales coming later today.

Until then, check out more cuteness from the event when you read more

According to LilPeaPod, Samson's doggie breath doesn't always smell like roses. And who doesn't have this problem? So when she went into her local pet shop looking for an all natural breath spray, she was ecstatic to find Happytails Dog Smog Remedy ($14) that "curtails emissions from both ends"! Why is this so exciting? Well, if you don't know bulldogs, they are known to have a bit of a noisy rear end.

I wanted an all natural breath spray for Samson, since brushing his teeth doesn't seem to be helping curb his doggie breath (his food has a pretty potent smell), and was more than happy to try the Dog Smog Remedy, since he seems to have a lot of air in his belly ever since we changed his food to a different brand.

To see how the trial turned out, just read more

It looks like I'm not the only one in favor of using a crate! Samson is totally comfy in his little home, and according to LilPeaPod, sometimes even prefers his own private space to other spots in the house!

Right before I took this picture, my BF, Samson and I had just gotten home from a long walk. Normally, Samson likes to curl up with us on the couch and take a nap, but this time he crawled right into his travel crate and went to sleep! I caught this photo right after he snuck away to catch some zzz's.

He looks so sleepy! Are your pets more comfy in their small, private spaces, or do they prefer to sprawl out around the house?

In California, it's not unusual to get some pretty hot temps in September, and last weekend was no exception. LilPeaPod took Samson camping for the first time, and not only was he totally overwhelmed with nature, it was also super hot. It's pretty well known that smooshies don't do well with heat or swimming, so taking a dip in the lake was out of the question. LilPeaPod explains how she kept little Samson cool in the blazing hot 95-degree weather with a little ice:

Since Samson can't swim, I decided to bring the water to him by using our melted ice from our cooler. I soaked his collar and a towel to keep his body temp down while he slept in the shade. We also gave him plenty of ice to snack on (which he loves, obviously) – it kept him cool until the temps dropped that evening!

If your pets can't swim, it's pretty easy to keep them comfy with a few ice cubes and some water! What are your surefire ways to keep your pets cool in the hot weather?

Sugar staffer LilPeaPod went on a recent vacay to Mexico, leaving little Samson with her mom for the week. Covering all her bases, she whipped up an "Owner's Manual" to let her mom in on all the things he's allowed to do, what to eat (and more importantly, what not to eat), as well as his sleep schedule so he can stay regular with his naps and playtime.

This totally sounds like something I would have done when I first became a dog mom, since I was kinda paranoid to leave him with other people who weren't familiar with his day-to-day behavior and quirks. So it made me wonder: Do you leave detailed notes when you leave your pets with a sitter or do you just leave the highlights?

In case you missed it, our newest office pup Samson has been in the running for the Worldwide Fido Awards Cutest Dog category, and we just got word that he made it into the Semi-Finals! Check out Samson doing his thing in his adoro home video, and vote for him by clicking on the yellow "Vote for Me" bone – he still needs all your support to make it to the WFA Finale in October!

Congrats to the little guy and good luck!

I know I'm totally being a faux stage mom here, but time is almost out to vote for Samson as Cutest Dog in the Worldwide Fido Awards! All you have to do is click on the "Vote For Me" bone at the top of his video. I'm determined to see one of our own make it to the finals, so keep voting! And just in case you need any more encouragement, just look at his sweet smooshy face. How can you resist?

If you've already voted, you can do it again . . . daily! Is your pup up for a category in the Fidos? Let us know in the comments below so we can all vote for your furry pals, too.