A mass of black dogs - Riley uses Carbon as a pillow

Stella uses Ellie as a pillow

Wieners roasting in the office

Do your pets do this? Send your photos to socialmedia@trupanion.com and we’ll add them to this blog post!

Cutest turtle I've ever seen!

Rover dressed as Rooster

School pride - football player and cheerleader

Bad to the Bone

A busy little bee

Can you believe these are handmade? Do they inspire any creativity to perhaps make your own pet costumes next year?

Because it’s so “rare” in my life, I find it truly enjoyable when I witness a real, good head-tilt. Thanks to the internet, I can see them whenever I want. Here are a few of my favorite head-tilting moments from YouTube:

Is your dog a head-tilter?

Has your pet ever been naughty like this?

What are some of the things your pets do to annoy or bother one another?

Through all the hustling and busyness of day;
It’s time to stop and look at things in another way.
Turn your head upside down and you’ll find it worth your while;
The ground becomes the sky; a frown becomes a smile.

This is a poem I wrote when I was 15 that I believe still holds some fun meaning. Every once in a while, my dog will lay upside down and gravity will pull her lip flaps open. It’s a gentle reminder to laugh and find humor in everyday life and appreciate the small things.

The following are some of my favorite upside down pet pictures and are my way of wishing you a happy Friday!

Cane the Dogue de Bordeaux

Kitty

Sumo the English Bulldog

Cat stretch

Big Dave the English Bulldog

Fluffy cat belly

Ellie, my Whippet-mix

Wow, all of you pet owners out there know what I mean when I say how funny it can be to go through life with a dog. There are just things you find yourself doing or saying that you never would without a dog in your life.

A couple weeks ago I asked you to finish this sentence: “You know you’re a dog owner when…” and have posted several responses already. I couldn’t help but post a few more. Unfortunately, I couldn’t include everyone’s responses, but if these amuse you as much as they do me, check out our Facebook page for more!

You know you’re a dog owner when…

Doggie Playdate! Courtesy of Kathy Ringwood

… you plan your weekends based on whether your dog has a playdate or not.

… you wake up to a dog nose jabbing itself repeatedly into your eye socket and you think, “I love my little weirdo.”

… you carry a lint brush in your car.

… you get married and your jack russell is in the pictures.

… you have poop bags in every conceivable purse and pocket.

… you throw a bigger birthday party for the pooch than you do for your hubby.

… everything you own is machine washable!

… a random dog makes you think of yours and you hurry home.

… you find that the holes in your heart have been filled with little paw prints.

Our furry friends definitely provide us with a very interesting life! So, tell me, how would you finish this statement?

We ended up posting the question on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well and received an outpouring of responses! I guess it’s not just me that knows how unique it can feel to be a dog owner! We couldn’t resist sharing more of these funny and 100% accurate responses. I hope you can nod in agreement with these just like I did.

You know you’re a dog owner when…

… you have a twitter account in their name.

… hair in your food doesn’t gross you out.

… you sleep half the night twisted like a pretzel because the DOG is comfortable.

… you cook good, healthy food for your dogs but not for your husband.

… you forget to bring the camera to your nephew’s third birthday party but never forget to bring it to the dog park.

… the back seat of the SUV has a protective cover, there are harnesses and leashes under the seat, and treats in the glove compartment along with vet records.

… you find yourself getting up at 4:45 in the morning to walk the pup before you go to work and you love your sleep. You just love your pup more!

… you’ve tried their food out of curiosity.

… you catch puke in your hands if your pet gets car sick.

… your pet has more toys than you ever did as a child.

… you have emergency contact information regarding your pet on the back of your driver’s license in case you are in an accident and not able to tell anyone about your animal.

… you use your cell phone to try and see poop in the dark to pick it up.

What do you think? Can you relate?

One of my spoiled dogs.

It seems like almost daily I’m in my normal routine and I’ll laugh to myself about something, thinking to myself, “This would only happen to a dog owner.” I thought it would be fun to ask around to my pet-loving friends to see how they would end the sentence, “You know you are a dog owner when…” Check out some of the great responses!

You know you’re a dog owner when…

… you wave at someone with the same hand with which you are holding a bag of poo.

… you spend more for food and treats for them than you do on yourselves.

… you explain the dog’s past to others to explain his demeanor so they can “better understand” him.

Pool dog! Courtesy of Mark Kerzner

… when you spend big bucks on a pool and they are in it more than you.

… you step on squeaky toys and kongs on the way to the bathroom at night.

… you can find at least 10 dog hairs on your clothing at any given moment.

… you are judging rental houses based on the yard vs. the house.

… it’s not family snuggle time without the smell of frito paws in your face.

… your living room is covered in fur and you vaccuumed two hours ago.

… picking up poop in a plastic bag is second nature.

… you have baby gates all over your house but no babies.

… when you treat your dog better than you do yourself!

How would you end this sentence? Share in the comments!

Does your cat or dog enjoy playing with others that are completely opposite in size and age?

The following guest post iswritten by Casey, from King of the Web:

Cooper, an American Shorthair Cat, has helped elevate dogs and cats to a higher level in the art community.  I’m sure we have all seen the art left in the front and backyard, in a litter box, or sometimes placed upon the underside of an unlucky shoe, and perhaps failed to appreciate its significance. But Cooper the Photographer Cat helps breach the gap between human and pet artistic perspectives as he strolls his neighborhood taking photos that even humans can appreciate.

His photos are of the normal cat fair, you got the heads of his owners before the pounce, other cats, a lot of nap photos, the regulars. But besides the awesomeness of seeing the world through a cat’s eyes, Coopers photos are displayed in various art galleries around the country, because they are good. His pictures have been displayed in Chicago and Seattle and sell for $265 dollars a shot. A starving cat artist, he is not. Cooper also has pounced onto various television programs including, Animal Planet’s MustLoveCats, The Today Show in Australia, and the Q13 news.

Cooper takes his pictures using a lightweight digital camera attached to his collar. You can see his photographic eye at his website http://photographercat.com or at http://kingofweb.com where he’s running to be the Animal King. Cooper has some fierce competition this month. His competitors include TheDunderBoy who you can see age 1 year in 40 seconds through a time lapse video and Clyde_with_a_y who has proven himself  King of Frenchies!

Other pet parents! Do you have an awesome animal who should be Animal King? Go to King of the Web and race for the crown and title of Animal King!