My kids are desperate for a dog.

Like anyone with a heart, they’ve always loved man’s best friend, but over the course of the pandemic, their desire for a furry friend has reached a fever pitch. I am reluctant, not because I dont want a dog – I’d love a dog! – but because I know the dog will become my sole responsibility.

And because we could end up with a dog like Prancer, a chihuahua that his owner is desperately attempting to get someone to adopt. After a fruitless search for a new owner, the dude decided to get brutally honest about Prancer, and the resulting post has gone viral, for good reason.

Prancer is “literally the Chihuahua meme that describes them as being 50% hate and 50% tremble.” Apparently, he was “raised” wrong by his original owner and is now a neurotic mess who has his family in the grips of a “demonic Chihuahua hellscape.”

The owner goes on to describe Pancer in the best/worst way:

“I was excited to see him come out of his shell and become a real dog. I am now convinced at this point he is not a real dog, but more like a vessel for a traumatized Victorian child that now haunts our home.”

It seems Prancer prefers women to an extreme extent: “He hates men more than women do, which is saying something.” She even uses The Office to describe the dog’s feelings towards him, “But you know that episode of The Office where Michael silently whispers ‘I’ll kill you’ to Toby? That’s Prancer having to begrudgingly coexist with everyone when I’m around.”

Oh, and don’t even ask about children. “Prancer wants to be your only child.”

The last portion of the post lists some of Prancer’s traits, but admits that “finding someone who wants a chucky doll in a dog’s body is hard, but I have to try.”

I might read this post to my kids just to scare them off getting a dog.

Check out the full posting on Twitter, and swing by New Jersey’s Second Chance Pet Adoption League if you want to take a chance on Prancer!

This is the best thing I’ve read in awhile. pic.twitter.com/rdn3X6GeWH

— Hot Little Mongoose (@HLMongoose) April 9, 2021

First, we’ll level with you: Even if our dog were a complete idiot who never listened to a single command or learned a single trick, we’d still love her. Those tip-tappy toenails on the wood. The clumsy whole-butt tail wagging. Even that stinky, stanky hot breath. They’re all lovable and irreplaceable. After all, there’s a reason why emotional support dogs are a mainstay at children’s hospitals and hospice care facilities. All this to say if the only cool dog trick our dog ever learned was how to be excited when we walked in the door, that would be enough.

Having a dog isn’t about the tricks, but they’re certainly fun. What tricks you teach your dog might depend on what you need from them, what your kids will find most entertaining, or simply what sparks your interest. How you teach your dog, however, tends to be the same across the board. The American Kennel Club offers some pretty helpful tips. They recommend first teaching your dog to want praise. Any time your dog does something “right,” impressive, or even sweet, reward her. This is called “positive reinforcement” and it works with toys, treats, or just additional love and praise. For some dogs and for easy tasks, a simple but excited, “Good boy!” is all you need. For more complicated tricks, you might have to pull out the big guns, like those tiny but super pungent treats. They also suggest starting early (even at just eight weeks) and keeping sessions short. A couple of 5 to 10-minute sessions each day will be much more effective than one long, boring training session.

So, what do you want to teach your dog? There are tons of cool tricks here but start with the basic commands: Come, stay, and speak. You’ll have a much easier time getting Fido to jump through that hoop if they know how to come when called. Similarly, it’s less stressful teaching them to jump for a frisbee if you teach them to stay when told and they don’t run off. Need a little help with just the basics? Start here before moving on to more complicated tricks.

1. Train Your Dog to Open the Door

This could be a really cool trick. It will certainly surprise your guests. Just keep in mind that if you train your dog to open doors, they might start opening doors to places you don’t want them to go.

2. Train Your Dog to Close the Door

Opening doors is all well and good. But, how about closing a door behind them? Yep. You can teach that, too.

3. Jumping Through Hoops

Once your dog knows basic commands like “come” or “heel,” it becomes a lot easier to teach them more complicated tricks. Is jumping through a hoop useful? Uh, no. But, it’s certainly impressive and fun.

4. Teach Your Dog to “Get”

“Get” is different from “fetch.” In the dog training world, fetch implies you have an object, you’re tossing it, and your dog is retrieving it. Teaching your dog to “get” something means they’re bringing you an item you request. Since you can teach your dog the names of objects in your home, once they learn to get one or two items, it should be fairly easy to branch out. Start by having them get their leash or your slippers and branch out from there.

5. Train Your Dog to Count

Math can be hard for humans. It turns out, however, that it’s a little easier for Spot.

6. Teach Jump Roping to Your Dog

Wanna make all the other dog owners at the dog park jealous? Teach your pooch how to jump rope! As a bonus, you can refer to playing with your dog as “doing some cardio” and sound very fit.

7. Train Your Dog to Turn Off The Lights

One common command service dogs learn is to turn lights off and on. After all, how often do you find yourself doing just that? Your Doodle may not be a service dog, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be of service when you’re too lazy to get up.

8. Teach Your Dog The Snoot Challenge

Thank God for TikTok or we’d be without this completely useless but cool dog trick.

After being ghosted by potential adopters, a special needs puppy named Jack has finally found his forever home.

In January the 9-month-old pup with spina bifida had a bath, put on his fancy harness, a fresh diaper, and went with his foster team on a 40-minute drive to meet his new owners. And he was ghosted. All that, and they were a no-call, no-show.

Peaches Bully Rescue in Ohio posted about the puppy’s disappointing day out. They said the foster team put in all that work, drove 40 minutes each way, and puppy Jack was ghosted. The post on Facebook said he was “very sad” and that it was a “huge disappointment.” But, they realized that just wasn’t going to be his family.

“Respect that we are all volunteers just trying to give this guy his best chance. Not showing up or calling is bad form,” they wrote. “Your family will come sweet boy, and when they do, they will be perfect.”

But the post on Facebook did resonate with people. Like, a LOT of people. In fact, it quickly went viral, as plenty of decent people out there felt for the lil guy. And since the post went viral, Jack had HUNDREDS of people lining up to adopt him and give him a home.

Since then, his story has been covered by People Magazine, the Today Show, and The New York Post.

The rescue is processed hundreds of applications and has expressed deep gratitude for the gifts and warm wishes they’ve received. They said the post reached more than 3 million people, and they’ve heard from folks in Australia, the U.K., Germany, Singapore, and more.

“Who knew that our little Jack Jack would be so widely loved,” they posted about the attention. “Thank you all and please support rescue. We are the last chance for many animals in this world.”

Because of his condition, Jack has to wear a diaper, but he is still mobile and still cute as heck.

And now he has a family to take him in fur-ever!

For many, dogs become far more than just pets. Their loyalty, intuition, and unconditional love make them members of the family, ones who stand by our sides during life’s most challenging moments. A veteran named John Vincent was heartbroken when he had to give up his beloved dog Patch after entering hospice care, and even during his final days, he didn’t stop thinking about his best friend.

The 69-year-old had no family nearby, and nobody he knew was willing to take in his 5-year-old companion. When Vincent was moved to the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Patch was relinquished to Albuquerque Animal Welfare.

Vincent’s condition was quickly deteriorating, and during a session with his palliative care social worker, Amy Neal, the veteran made a far-fetched last request. His last wish was to see his best friend once more, to say one last goodbye to the loyal terrier. After realizing how meaningful the reunion would be to Vincent, Neal scrambled to make the veteran’s last wish a reality.

“When the request came in, it was an immediate ‘absolutely,’ and let’s do whatever we can to get it done,” Danny Nevarez, Director of Animal Welfare told the Albuquerque Journal. “It was as simple as getting Patch over here.”

As the animal welfare workers drove towards Vincent with Patch quietly in tow, something in the small pup changed.

“It’s almost like he knew, he just started whimpering,” Nevares told the Journal. “Like he had that anticipation.”

The reunion between Vincent and Patch was nothing short of extraordinary, with both man and dog perking up at the sight of one another.

“Yeah, that’s me, that’s daddy,” Vincent said to Patch. “Are you so happy to see me? I’m so happy to see you.”

Albuquerque Animal Welfare shared touching photos of the reunion on Facebook, grateful to be part of something so meaningful. Vincent and Patch got to take their time saying a final goodbye, closure that each of them likely needed.

“It was such a heart warming moment,” Albuquerque Animal Welfare wrote on Facebook. “They were so happy to see each other and to say their good byes. It was an honor to make this veterans final wish come true.

Man’s best friend, sure. They are definitely worthy of awesome treats and even a dog beer for an at-home yappy hour. But how far would you go to keep your dog safe? That’s the true test of a pet owner and new research indicates more than 70 percent of dog owners would put themselves in harm’s way to protect their pup.

Whether it’s running into traffic, a snake attack, diving into a pool, or making a daring rescue from a dangerous construction site, people are willing to go to the extremes to save their canine buddies.

A survey of 2,000 dog owners participated in an extensive study by OnePoll and three in five said they actually prefer their dog to someone they know (that’s easy). 80% of dog owners said they consider their dog a family member, and 72$ said they would gladly put themselves in harm’s way to save their dog.

It’s no surprise to us that people view pets as members of their family and love to spoil them – @people explores even more fun stats from our #NationalLoveYourPetsDay survey about the role pets play in our life: https://t.co/dxEVXytqNO

— JustFoodForDogs™ (@JustFoodForDogs) February 22, 2021

That’s the type of attitude you like to see from dog owners that may talk a good game, but don’t always walk it (especially when it’s cold out). More than half also said they are better at scheduling vet appointments than following up on their own medical care and 65% said they’ve been accused of spoiling their dog but don’t care.

That’s how a true bromance forms. When you’re willing to do whatever it takes to protect the other one, and when you don’t care about how other people view your treatment of them, regardless of how over the top you get.

47% of dog owners said they know the names of other dogs in the neighborhood more than they know the names of their owners (fair), and also that they had canceled plans to stay home with their dogs (rude).

Nearly half let their dog sleep in bed with them.

So while a lot of people throw out platitudes about dogs being man’s best friend, it’s nice to see some research and data that actually backs it up and proves it’s not just an empty cliché.

The only thing that beats spending all day looking at animal pictures online is seeing an animal in real life. As it turns out, there’s a reason we feel better when staring into those wide-eyed, furry faces. Looking at pictures of animals actually increases our serotonin levels, rewarding us with a burst of the mood-stabilizing chemical any time we so much as Google “cute dog.”

For Ryder who runs the YouTube channel Ryder Calm Down, pictures weren’t quite cutting it anymore. He wanted to see animals in real life, from the comfort of his own home. Ryder explained that he didn’t have time to sit at his street-facing window all day, eagerly waiting for a dog to pass. Instead, he built a machine to stand guard for him, a machine that’s perpetually on Paw Patrol (is that the premise of the show? I’ve still never made it through more than 30 seconds before zoning out completely).

Using a Raspberry Pi and a machine learning module, Ryder records a video feed through his window. The AI program is designed to recognize 80 unique things out in the real world, but Ryder only had eyes for one – neighborhood dogs. The street-facing Raspberry Pi camera runs constantly, analyzing everything that passes and identifying the things programmed into its system.

Ryan wrote up a unique code, telling his impressive setup to pay specific attention to dogs, even though it also recognizes things like cars and people. After testing to make sure the machine was in fact picking up any dogs that passed by, Ryder set up a very basic alert system in the form of a megaphone that essentially yelled at Ryder any time a dog was detected. The unsettling text-to-speech voice that never seems to know which syllables to emphasize notifies Ryder, “attenTION, there IS A dog OUTside.” Hey, if it works, it works.

When Ryder isn’t home, he still wants to make sure all the good boys and good girls out there get the attention they deserve. He turns the megaphone’s speaker towards the street, and if Ryan isn’t there to appreciate the dogs in person, he pre-recorded his very own complement. “I like your dog,” the megaphone announces to the very confused passerby. Something tells me Ryder is about to become extremely pupular among his furry neighbors.

Firefighters put their lives on the line every single day, coming to the aid of those in dangerous and distressing situations. Firefighters are trained to handle a multitude of emergency situations, from car crashes to medical emergencies and everything in between. Not only do they protect the humans they serve, but firefighters frequently respond to calls involving animals in distress.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue had to get creative during an unusual call in mid-March, after a St Augustine, Florida resident made a terrifying discovery. Their deaf and visually impaired dog had managed to slip out of his home unnoticed, wedging himself in a drainage pipe.

The dog was too far into the pipe for his human to reach him, and because of his inability to hear or see properly, the pup was understandably terrified. Trapped and unable to escape the pipe, he cowered in fear as his human scrambled to get help.

Rather than waste time trying to free the increasingly anxious dog, the panicked owner called emergency services. St. Johns County Fire Rescue shared pictures from the harrowing ordeal on Facebook and celebrated their quick-thinking firefighters who saved the day.

“Engine 14, Squad 4, and USAR 4 arrived and realized the dog was located in the center of the drainage pipe. The crews work for about two hours tying to free him. He was scared and tired but not injured. He was happy to be reunited with his family!”

The comments are filled with residents and non-residents, congratulating the heroes on a job well done. “I just saw your post saving ducks now you’re saving dogs,” commented a Facebook user named Haley Adams. “Y’all are out here savin everybody thank you so much for your service.”

Most of our favorite activities don’t mix all that well. We can’t nap and snack simultaneously, and it’s nearly impossible to fish while playing video games. Cracking open a cold one with the good boys, however, is a long-standing tradition after a long day of work. Man’s best friend and man’s best drink really are a winning combo (as long as your furry drinking buddy sticks to dog-approved brews), and now, Six Harbors Brewing Company is providing both.

Like many business owners, Six Harbors Brewing Company co-founders Mark and Karen Heuwette were forced to redefine the way they ran their business after COVID hit. Though their company was deemed an essential business, they were no longer able to open their doors to the public. Instead, the people of Huntington, a coastal town on Long Island, New York had to either order their beer for delivery or pick up their brews curb-side.

Beer delivery runs became the perfect opportunity for the Heuwette’s dogs, Buddy, Barley, and Brandy, to hop in the car and hang their heads out the window. After seeing how excited customers got when they caught a glimpse of the adorable pups in the car, the dog-loving couple decided to give their golden retrievers a very special job.

“People started seeing the dogs on the deliveries, and so we came up with the idea of having them [help] bring the beer to them,” Mark Heuwetter, co-founder of Six Harbors Brewing Company told CNBC Make It.

 

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Like a modernized version of a Saint Bernard with a barrel hanging around its neck, the couple attached empty beer cans to the dogs’ collars to help them look the part. The “Brew Dogs” accompany a beer-delivering human, bringing smiles to everyone they visit. The three pups not only spread some much-needed joy during a difficult time, but they’ve become the faces and tails of the brewing company.

The adorable goldens dominate Six Harbor’s Instagram feed, and lend their faces to various ads and promotions. Special thanks to cereal-peddling rabbits and toucans who helped pave the way for all animals to break into the food and beverage market.

 

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Dogs are trained to handle all sorts of stressful situations, from search and rescue missions to medical emergencies. Even dogs who aren’t specifically trained to be heroes have unparalleled instincts, instincts that allow them to assess potentially dangerous situations and respond accordingly. Dogs are fiercely loyal to the humans who care for them, and even untrained dogs step up in times of crisis.

Haley Moore was out for a walk with her family dog Clover on a seemingly average March day in Ottawa. In a terrifying turn of events, Haley collapsed to the ground and began to seize. Unconscious and unable to call for help, Haley was in serious danger. Realizing something was terribly wrong, Clover jumped into action.

A neighbor’s security camera captured the incredible moment Clover saved the day. At first Clover circles her owner, alert and sniffing, clearly alarmed about her Haley’s lack of responsiveness. Rather than staying right by Haley’s side or running off, the one-and-a-half-year-old pup did something brilliant. As soon as she noticed an oncoming truck, Clover rushed to the middle of the street, blocking the driver from passing. The curious driver pulled over and opened his door, immediately noticing the unmoving girl laying face down in the street.

“It was really impressive, the dog actually blocked my way. She kind of backed into the road to block my truck,” 21-year-old Dryden Oatway recalled to CTV News. “The whole time she was backing down the street she had eyes on Hailey; didn’t look away from her. She kept her distance from me but made sure her owner was okay and that was amazing.”

When Clover realized Oatway wasn’t leaving Haley alone, she rushed to get the attention of another neighbor, Danielle Pilon. With two people paying close attention to her human, Clover realized she was in good enough hands to leave briefly to alert the rest of her family.

“When I got a knock on the door from the neighbours, they were frantic and our dog Clover was barking like crazy,” Haley’s father, Randall Moore, recalled.

Help arrived quickly, and as Haley’s family rushed to the scene, paramedics already had her safely in an ambulance. Had it not been for Clover’s quick action, the scene may have unfolded much differently for Haley. Though she isn’t sure what caused the seizure, she feels safer knowing that Clover will always have her back should it happen again.

As for Clover? Well, she has some celebrating to do. “[My wife] Diane comes home with a couple of big steaks and I thought ‘Wow, this is great, I’m getting a big steak’ and she said, ‘No, it’s for Clover for doing such a great job,'” Randall Moore said.

Well deserved, Clover. Well deserved.

Shelters are overflowing with animals who need homes, so it often takes something special for them to be noticed by potential adopters. A 14-year-old from New Jersey named Sir Darius Brown came up with a brilliant idea to help shelter animals stand out, and thanks to this generous teen, animals around the US have never looked more dappurr.

At 2 years old, Brown was diagnosed with speech, comprehension, and fine motor delays. He took an interest in sewing at just 8 years old while watching his sister sew, and soon became her trusty assistant. Before long, Brown’s sister taught him to sew, and his excitement and determination helped him drastically improve his fine motor skills. Brown fell in love with sewing, and he even had a specialty – the now 14-year-old was the grandmaster of sewing bow ties.

In 2017, severe hurricanes displaced countless dogs. The dogs needed rescuing as communities focused on rebuilding, and Brown wanted to use his skills to help in whatever way he could.

“I just wanted to help the dogs that I saw on TV that had lost their families and their homes. I didn’t have a lot of money to help so I decided to use my creative skills of making stylish bow ties for the dogs to wear to help them be more noticeable so they could get adopted faster into new loving homes,” Brown said on Instagram.

 

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Since his mission’s 2017 start, the impressive teen has hand-made over 500 bow ties for shelter animals across the United States. Sir Darius Brown created his own company, Beaux & Paws, and hopes to help animals in all 50 states get adopted. The impressive teen even earned the title of “GoFundMe Hero,” an honor given to those who use their time and effort to do extraordinary things.

 

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“I’m on a mission to help as many dogs and cats as I can and to inspire and encourage other youth to start now and use their talents and skills to give back in their communities,” Brown wrote on Instagram. “You don’t have to have money to help someone. We all can use our talents that God gave us to do good and make this world a better place. The smallest act of kindness can change someone’s life forever.”

 

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Mark Hamill nailed his iconic role in Star Wars, which cemented him as an on-screen hero despite the dark side’s attempts to lure him in. Off-screen, Hamill also sticks to the light side, using his Star Wars fame to make the world a better place. Hamill has conquered the big screen, but his newest endeavor is a far smaller one.

Hamill shared his exciting news on Instagram, posting adorable photos of his new rescue pup. “Say hello to the latest addition to the family. She’s the tiny (but fierce) ball of fur we call Molly Mae Hamill,” Hamill captioned his post.

 

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He went on to thank Tobie’s Small Dog Rescue, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles that finds loving homes for abandoned, relinquished, and stray dogs. The rescue’s website explains, “we pride ourselves on finding the perfect home for every one of our rescued pups. We make sure each adopter is committed to providing the best homes for their new family members.”

Hamill is a big advocate of adopting rescue dogs. The 69-year-old actor regularly shares photos of his other two rescues, Millie (the magnificent) and (marvellous Ms.) Mabel, on their very own Instagram pages.

Hamill’s daughter Chelsea welcomed the family’s new addition as well, sharing several pictures of the regal-looking pup who seems to be settling right in. “I’m in love,” she said on Instagram, “(don’t tell Millie or Mabel).”

 

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Dogs are so much smarter than we often realize. They can sense things we can’t, from their incredible noses to their uncanny ability to know when we need them most. Dogs and humans have developed a symbiotic relationship over time, each benefitting from the other in more ways than one. Dogs are more than willing to help their people, and oftentimes, they jump at the opportunity to help complete strangers. While humans tend to care most for their own dogs, Dayse Ferreira’s veterinary clinic in Brazil went above and beyond to help a local stray.

During a busy day seeing her furry patients, Ferreira noticed an unusual guest enter the office. Plenty of dogs walked through the doors of the clinic each day, but this particular pup entered without an owner in sight.

The touching moment was captured on video, the injured stray poking his head in the door hesitantly before limping into the clinic with one paw elevated. He wags his tail shyly before sitting down in front of the reception desk, waiting patiently for his turn.

“When he came in, he put the injured paw forward, as if to say hello and to show that he was hurting,” Ferreira told The Dodo. “We were surprised because he knew where to ask for help.”

Without hesitation Ferreira approaches the relieved pup, giving him a quick once-over before ushering him to the back for a more thorough exam. The dog’s paw wasn’t severely injured, but the vet also discovered a tumor and swarm of fleas on her newest patient.

The stray pup received a flea bath, medication, and treatment for his medical conditions. Perhaps more importantly, before long, he’ll also be receiving a new home. After the word spread about the incredible dog who somehow knew where to find help, locals jumped at the opportunity to adopt him once he’s fully healed.

“The most admirable thing is that he came on his own. His intelligence is beautiful,” Ferreira said. “I’m sure he will find a home that will welcome him and receive him with all the love he deserves.”

Everyone deserves an advocate, especially those who can’t speak up for themselves. Many dogs found in pet shops come directly from puppy mills, and unfortunately, the industry of commercial breeding is still extremely unregulated. Generally speaking, dogs living in puppy mills often don’t get a chance to experience love or human companionship – their only job is to have puppies for the mill owners to sell. But the dogs of one Louisiana puppy mill are getting a second chance at life, and it’s all thanks to some passionate volunteers.

The Harbor Humane Society in Michigan, the Bissell Pet Foundation, and several other rescues came together to save dozens of dogs from a life of neglect. 56 dogs were transported to the Michigan shelter where they received proper grooming and vet care, likely for the first time.

“These little dogs spent their lives producing puppies for profit,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “They weren’t groomed so they had a hard time seeing. They lived their lives in cramped space without the joys of being loved and being a dog. They have finally been set free.”

One of the many tragedies of puppy mills is that they operate behind closed doors. Seeing wriggling puppies in a pet store window is meant to warm the heart. It’s meant to draw you in, and it seems almost impossible that these puppies would be associated with something so heartbreaking. But looking at the rescued dogs’ photos, seeing the neglect and hardship they’ve endured – it’s a painful reminder that puppy mills only have one goal: to make a profit.

“They had not been groomed in years. It was difficult for some of them to walk, a lot of them had bruising and such from how tight the mats were,” Megan Winters, Harbor Humane’s shelter director, told ABC News 13. “They did not seem to receive any medical attention. A lot of them needed dental cleanings, teeth removed, a lot of them had ear infections.”

But once they received the proper medical care and realized these humans were there to help, not hurt them – many of the dogs began to turn a corner. “You can see that there is a glimmer of trust in them, they want to be social with people,” Winters said.

For more information on the dogs rescued from the Louisiana puppy mill, visit The Harbor Humane Society. If you’re interested in adopting a dog who needs a home, check out your local shelter.