new puppy alert

by POPSUGAR Pets

Finally comes the day we've all speculated about, discussed, and debated . . . and it seems that day is Tuesday. This lil furball is Charlie, the soon-to-be first dog entering the White House tomorrow. Seems Sasha and Malia have settled on an appropriate name that the whole family can agree on, so meet "Bo."

The re-homed Portuguese water dog was returned to a breeder and will be gifted to the Obamas. The Texas kennel is the same one frequented by Ted Kennedy and family, and will be presented by the Kennedys as, you may recall, that family also keeps Porties as pets. Seems the pup had a meet-and-greet a while back and, tomorrow, I hope to have even more information and photos of the six-month-old. 'Til then, join me in a hearty "Welcome, Bo! It's grrreat to finally see you."

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by POPSUGAR Pets

A spokesperson for Oprah Winfrey confirmed to People Pets that one of the puppies Oprah showcased on her show, Ivan, died over the weekend. Apparently Sadie, Oprah's newly adopted cocker spaniel who the world met last week, is also being treated for the virus and “is getting stronger.”

According to veterinarians, puppies around the country are suffering from a new strain of the disease called Canine Parvovirus Type 2c. Little Sadie was exposed to Ivan before her second shot so she is being treated with "plasma from hyperimmunized healthy dogs” (as you can see from the picture Oprah shared on her show) as a precaution.

As you may already know, Parvo is a highly contagious viral illness, that can attack your pups intestines (which is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and lack of appetite) and cardiac system (which affects heart muscles of very young puppies), and often leads to death. The majority of cases are seen in puppies that are between six weeks and six months old, so be sure to get all your pups vaccinations before introducing them to the outside world. Check out PetMD for details of symptoms and precautionary tips.

We know all dogs go to heaven, but we are sure little Ivan will be missed!

by POPSUGAR Pets

I was pretty anxious to sneak a peek at Oprah's new pup, and was so jealous of my mom, who got to catch Sadie's national debut on East Coast time. Well, everyone, her cuteness is well worth the wait. Although the pooch was named Amanda in the shelter, Oprah's calling her new Cocker Spaniel Sadie. (That name change should be no problem if she follows my tips on the subject.) Seems like the puppy was struggling to adjust in her new, very loving home but looks rather content now — see for yourself in the video below!

Even though Oprah brought out Sadie's three brothers who are all available for adoption at PAWS Chicago, there are nearly 2,000 adoptable Cocker Spaniels and cocker mixes available on Petfinder.com across the country.

See more pictures of Sadie when you read more

by POPSUGAR Pets

I certainly remember when Oprah lost her beloved Sophie in 2008, prompting a special on puppy mills and a vow to adopt her next dog. Well, nearly a year later, she's made good on her word as an eight-week-old, blond-colored Cocker Spaniel joined her furry family on Sunday.Lisa Nowak, a rep for PAWS Chicago, confirmed to Usmagazine.com that Oprah fell in love with the lil pup – named Amanda by staffers – and was excited to bring the baby home. Not only did she keep that promise, she also has donated money in Sophie's name for a room at the no-kill shelter.

See more images of the state-of-the-art Lincoln Park center that aims to find homes for more than 3,000 homeless pets (!) this year when you read more

by POPSUGAR Pets

It's the moment we've all been waiting for: Michelle Obama told People magazine that they will in fact adopt a Portuguese Water Dog at the end of April, after their Spring break vacation.It's surely exciting news for Sasha and Malia, however, the girls are still undecided on what to name their future furball. Michelle's not too fond of her daughters' initial ideas, saying:

There are names floating around and they're bad. You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn't a moose? Moose. I'm like, no, come on, let's work with the names a little bit.

Ha! Well, I can't wait to see this pup and hear what name the Obama family settles on. I've got a couple names swirling around in my head and I bet you do as well so let's hear them below!

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by POPSUGAR Pets

I can barely imagine having two dogs, never mind two dogs and eight kids! But, on this week's episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8, the Gosselins add two German Shepherd puppies to their family.

Making their small-screen debut are Shooka and Nala – I know I'll definitely start tuning in to watch the puppies grow, witness how the children adjust, and, hopefully, pick up a few tidbits to share from this show. What do you think of the furry additions?

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by POPSUGAR Pets

You may recognize the pooch on the left as the sometimes mischievous B-Bop. Well, this lucky dog just got a new lil sister, the equally adoro Rocksy (short for Rocksteady) – what a musical family!However, Renees3 is worried about what kind of not-so-lovely tunes these two will create when left to their own devices alone. She writes:

Do you have any tips for helping to introduce Rocksy to our current two-year-old dog? I want to make it as easy and calm as possible for him. He has full run of the house while we're gone, but I can't trust a puppy to not get into things. Is it OK to crate (or contain) one and not the other?

I definitely think it's a great idea to give the new pup her own crate/exercise pen where she can escape and adjust to her new lifestyle and family – it's not a good idea to leave strange pups alone together regardless. Other than that I've never experienced this problem firsthand so that's where all of you come in: Anyone with multiple pet households, please share stories or suggestions to help this process go smoothly in your comments below.

by POPSUGAR Pets

I'd have to call Martha Stewart's new puppy alert this year's version of our current first dog watch! She picked the cutie Chow Chow two weeks ago, and he just squeezed into our top new pet of '08 poll with days to spare. Our pick for puppy of the year is named Ghenghis Khan – at about 9-weeks-old now, I'm betting we'll see much more of the lil guy when he joins his new sisters in 2009.

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by POPSUGAR Pets

While we've been anxiously waiting for any announcement about the TBD Obama puppy, the "second dog" was just introduced over the weekend. Vice President-elect Joe Biden picked out a three-month-old German Shepherd from a kennel in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday. The lil boy won't join the family quite yet and still remains nameless. Turns out Biden told the breeder that honor will go to his grandkids . . . but, with five of them, how will everyone agree on just one name?!

Do you have any name suggestions for the cutie pie? Let's hear them below!