growing up samson

Am I the only pet owner who's tried to shove a bowl of water under my pup's dangling tongue . . . only to have him turn his nose up at it? I didn't always realize that just because his tongue was out, didn't mean he wanted a drink. Dogs hang their tongues out when they are hot (sometimes they're also thirsty), but it's actually a way to cool themselves off. Typically, pups pant and breathe in air through their noses and release the air through their mouth – when the mouth's open, the saliva can evaporate, producing a cooling effect! So, if your choosy pooch doesn't choose water when he's outside like Samson here, just know his body's working to further cool down his blood flow just by that cute technique.

Thankfully, Samson's last round of shots are complete, and he can now get outside and walk off all that energy that kept him up at night! But dog mom LilPeaPod has a new worry on her mind other than his sleep habits: he puts everything in his mouth! Samson is a curious creature that seems to love to taste and smell everything, even (gross) his own poop!

There are plenty of dangers out there in the city and LilPeaPod's worried the next thing he puts in his mouth may be harmful, and he won't be as lucky as the Australian pup that ate the poisonous frog and lived to tell about it! So help a girl out and share your stories and secrets about how you got your young pets to stop eating everything in sight!

Our newest Sugar pup, Samson, finally finished up all his puppy boosters and, last week, he took his first real walk outdoors. Hooray! It's important to have your dog up-to-date on shots before letting him meet other furry friends so he doesn't pick up any dangerous diseases.

See a full gallery of adventure piccys and a couple of my tips for those first time walkies when you read more

In addition to getting into (errrr, onto) the Wii Fit and playing at nighty nighttime, lil Samson loves his Rusty Puppy toy ($9.60). This hand puppet has a mouth to let mom put on a one-woman-show for her furry friend . . . and is made of a sturdy fabric to protect her fingers from the teething pup's chompers! Bite-Meez come with squeakers for a DIY soundtrack and there are 10 different animals to let your whole family play a role on center stage!

Do you have great products your pets love? Keep sharing them with PetSugar's Street Team!

You may remember this cutie pie pooch, Samson? Well, when he's not sleeping like this – daytime naptime as you can see – he loves to keep his new mommy and daddy up past their bedtime! Life's tough as a puppy . . . and sleep all day, play all night is his mantra. What about your furry friends – do they consider themselves to be your personal alarm clock regardless of the time? Oh, and if you have any tips for LilPeaPod on how to get this Frenchie to sleep through the night, share those as well!

Well, ever since the Nintendo Wii Fit landed on our doorstep, they've been keeping busy over at geeksugar, planning a 30 Day Fitness Test and letting the whole Sugar team in on the hula hooping, skiing, and tightrope walking fun! But, it seems like us humans aren't the only ones testing out the new balance board. Do you recognize this lil guy? We met him last week as our latest office pet! Samson the smooshy decided that he wanted to take after his geek loving mom, LilPeaPod (of Kindle cake-creating fame) and get his fingers on the pulse . . . umm, paws on the pulse . . . to figure out all the hype surrounding this new game. I mean he looks pretty adoro, but do you think this pooch is on his way to start a canine exergaming craze? Check him out in action when you read more

It's not everyday that a Sugar staffer adds a pet to her family and, last weekend, LilPeaPod drove across two state lines to do just that! This absolutely freaking adoro pooch is named Samson and he hails all the way from Washington! In case you were wondering, Samson is a French Bulldog (like Fab's AB) and he already loves to play in the grass. I can tell his new parents are spoiling him with cute gear like this chic carrier and I can't wait to scope his smooshy face in person! The puppy shower is still in the works but I'm set to watch him grow into his puppy paws and get a firsthand scoop – and reminder – of the trials and tribulations of new pet ownership! So, as the first installment of Growing up Samson, check this cutie pie out in a gallery when you read more