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Tonight, I and several million of my closest friends will resolve to stop eating so much, get more exercise and end 2008 in better shape than we ended 2007.

To keep this vow, I could plan on walking my neighborhood with my dogs. Many people stroll through my suburb with pooch in tow.

The problem is my dogs bore easily on walks and would much prefer to play in the park or run hot laps in our backyard and then snooze on the couch. Besides, they are in great shape and don’t need a new exercise regime.

So why not walk the cat?

My cat Thai is about as agreeable as any kitty I have ever met but he would not tolerate a leash. He may, however, enjoy the scenic view from a stroller.

The Kittywalk Double Decker Pet Stoller SUV will allow me to keep my feline under control as I cruise up and down the hilly streets of my neighborhood. The stylish stroller has two “privacy parlors” that hold up to 25 lbs. each, so more than one pet can ride without having to share a seat.

It looks like a carrier on wheels, so if you travel with your pets, this may be a good option.

I ordered one today. I will let you know how it works out.

If you have plans to workout with your four-leggers this year, post a comment

It always seems like this is the time of year for making lists: the best of this, the worst of that, what we will do better in the New Year, etc.

Dogster, the social network for dogs I wrote about in my very first entry on this blog, has published a list of the 100 most popular dog names, based on home pages on the Web site.

Top names for boys include Buddy, Max, Jake and Charlie. Top names for girls include Lucy, Daisy, Molly, and Bella. Bailey was number 5 on the boy's list and number 10 in the girl's list.

My boy dog's name, Dexter, appears somewhere near the middle of the list. Coral, my little girl pooch, apparently has a unique name: hers did not make the list at all. Of course, those are the names they had when we adopted them, so we get no credit for creativity of lack thereof.

How did you decide on your dog's name?

Imagine being lost, far from home, no familiar sights or faces. Worst of all, you have no identification on you, and you can’t communicate with anyone, even the people trying to help you. All you want to do is go home, but you end up in a cage, with little hope to see your family again.

That happens to millions of pets each year. One in three pets will be lost at one time in their lives, and only 30 percent of dogs and less than 5 percent of cats will be reunited with their owners. The best way to make sure your pet can find his or her way home is with a microchip.

The Roanoke Valley SPCA will hold a microchip clinic on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. until noon. Inserting the chip is a minor procedure similar to getting a shot. The chip contains the owner’s name and address, so when it is scanned at a shelter, a vet’s office or by animal control, you can be contacted to collect your pooch or kitty.

The cost is $25 per pet; bring proof you adopted your best buddy from the RVSPCA and the cost is only $15.

Six Wags Dog Park in Salem will be having regular Yappy Hours throughout the holiday season. This could be a good opportunity to let you and your pooch work off holiday stress, and calories, with some fresh air and exercise.

The doggy social time is free to members and $5 for non-members.

Yappy Hours are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays.

I am taking today and tomorrow off from blogging. Just wanted to wish all Happy Wag readers (and the wagging tails in your families) a very merry Christmas.

May you all have a safe and happy holiday!

There are two universal truths I have learned about greyhounds: they run fast and they cannot resist soft furniture. So two things happen every day at our house; our two dogs will do hot laps around the backyard and when they come in from the backyard, they will head straight for the love seats, couches or our bed.

While they are not prolific shedders, they are still dogs, so they do deposit hair on the upholstery and on our dry-clean-only comforter.

I may have found a solution to satisfy the two- and four-leggers in my home.

The Three Dog Night Duvet Cover from from pet-friendly vendor Orvis promises "to protect your valuable down comforter from liquids (slobber, drool or worse, I guess) dirt, hair, and sharp claws with a waterproof, breathable cover."

My only concerns about this product are the limited color choices (only green or blue) and the mixed reviews on the Web site. One reviewer raved about it; one said it was not so great.

They are not cheap, prices ranging from $139 for a twin size up to $179 for a king, but if they extend the life of a comforter, it may be worth the investment. I am usually satisfied with Orvis products and with their return policy, so I am considering it.

This item is not available in the Roanoke Orvis stores, so you have to order it online.

If anyone has tried this or a similar product, post a comment and let us know what you think.

Remember tomorrow is the highlight of the doggie holiday season: the Dickens of a Christmas costume contest.

Good luck to all of the costumed participants. Have fun and stay warm!

With only a few days left until the big gift exchange, I was trolling the Internet for something new and different for the pet stockings.

And what to my wandering mouse clicks did appear? Perfume for dogs.

With a quick spritz, I can turn my sweet little pups into "sexy beasts."

Sexy Beast is a fragrance created especially for dogs. The product description on Amazon says it is a blend of "bergamot and vanilla-infused musk combined with natural patchouli, mandarin and nutmeg oils." Sounds delicious, except for the patchouli, which always reminds me of Grateful Dead concerts and lava lamps.

The fragrance comes in a distinctive black, bone-shaped bottle, and it is touted as hypo-allergenic with a low-alcohol formula made specifically for a dog's sensitive skin and sophisticated sense of smell.

My dogs sniff butts. Not really sophisticated

At $50 for 1.7 ounces, plus expensive, expedited shipping to get it before Dec. 24, this is a pricey little stocking stuffer.

When our pooches get a little smelly, we usually just give them a bath. Then they have the aroma of a fresh-cut fruit salad with undertones of vanilla ice cream and wet dog.

What will Santa slide into your pets' stocking this year?

Have you ever heard that poinsettias, the favorite flower of the holidays, are poisonous to pets and children?

I heard that years ago and banished the live plants to my desk at work, where they usually died long before the merry season ended. At home, I had a kid and pets, so I had fake poinsettias. And I hate fake plants. Very bad feng shui.

But according to the American Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Web site, I suffered those dusty imposters for nothing.

"In reality, poinsettia ingestions typically produce only mild to moderate gastrointestinal tract irritation, which may include drooling, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Therefore, while keeping this plant out of the reach of your pet to avoid stomach upset is still a good idea, pet owners need not fear the poinsettia and banish it from their homes for fear of a fatal exposure."

So the only the live poinsettias were in danger of death in my home. Who knew?

We brought home a live poinsettia a few days ago. Most of the family zoo ignored the festive foliage, but Dexter lifted a leg on it. For those keeping score, Dexter has now peed on the PetsMart Santa and a poinsettia.

I think my beloved dog may be a Scrooge.

Read more »

It was hard to make a choice with so many cute pooches all dressed up in Yuletide garb, but the judges have decided the winner of the first annual Happy Wag photo contest is...

Plumm!

This sweet little face is sure to melt Santa's heart. This year her stocking will include Funagle, a board game for people and pups. Congratulations to Plumm!

Since it was such a tough competition, I feel compelled to award a few runners-up and honorable mentions with some nice dog-related books: Boomer (who one judge noted was the only dog to look happy in his Santa hat); Ms. Pebbles (who looked so unhappy she made us laugh); Harry (who looked very stately in his formal wear); and the trio of poodles, Andy, Abby and Angie (Triple A as I have come to call them, who had many friends post comments about what special dogs they are.)

Each dog will get a book this Christmas that their pet parents can read.

Triple A may be able to read the book themselves, I don't know. They type and spell perfectly.

Thanks to everyone who sent in a photo. I hope Santa is very to good to all of you.