A blog for dog lovers and pet lovers of India l Friends of Lana Blog

Whether or not we believe in destiny, sometimes some things are just meant to be. One of those things is the precious, irreplaceable love between a dog and her human parent.

When was that special moment you just knew that your dog was meant to be yours? Was it the first, magical gaze into one another’s eyes, a tender pupper boop on your unsuspecting leg or an unexpected middle-of-the-night cuddle (you know, when you’d decided that there have to be boundaries and the doggo can’t get on the bed with you, but he finds a way into your bed anyway and breaks down all your resolve)?

High on Christmas spirit, we caught up with our favourite illustrator, the one and only Alicia Souza, for a chat about her art, her animals (adopted indie dog Charles-Brown and adopted guinea pig Henry-Oats) and her life! Take a peek at our conversation as Alicia tells us about how her beautiful animals inspire her work and life.

It’s the best time of year again! Now that we’re in the middle of December, we hope you’re officially in the howliday spirit. In case you aren’t yet, we’ve thought of the purrfect plan. All you need for this is a comfy couch, a warm blanket, a steaming hot cup of cocoa/chai and yup, you guessed it, the goodest boi or girl in your house – the apple of your eye – your doggo, of course!

We’ve curated a list of the BEST dog movies ever. Some are holiday movies, and some are classics, so there’s something for everyone. Go get everything ready, pick one of these movies (or binge on all of them), curl up with your fur baby and unwind from your ruff week. Let’s begin!

Dog training is both an art and a science. Ideally, every dog should be trained with the basics – from learning to walk on the leash to being comfortable with strangers and house guests.

In this article, Mr. Pritpal Singh, who has been a dog trainer for almost 48 years, joins us for a chat. Not only does he talk about some of his own experiences, he gives us some tips regarding training, his thoughts on the positive vs. negative reinforcement debate, busts some myths which have been around far too long and provides an insightful glimpse at how the times have changed.

There's been a recent drop in the temperature - a slight nip in the air here, a chilly gust of wind there. Winter is here and it's here to stay. So does the change in the weather mean a change in the way you feed your dog too? We spoke to Manssi SK Saha, canine nutritionist extraordinaire and founder of Bangalore-based Doggiliciouus, and she breaks it all down for us.

Did you know a dog’s hearing ability is almost seven times that of a human? That would be like your younger brother shouting into your ear with a microphone outside the engine of an aircraft.  Now imagine your dog’s plight during Diwali when loud firecrackers would go off constantly and without warning. Not surprisingly, this is the time when most pets (dogs and cats, in this case) go missing trying to seek a hideout to get away from the loud sounds and people.

This sparkling festival of lights and happiness can easily turn into a time of tremendous stress and horror for our four-legged children. Alleviating their suffering at this time of the year should be one of your key priorities as a pet parent. Here are some tips to help you to be more mindful and careful about your pet’s needs during this difficult period for them.

It’s that time of year again – we’ve begun the festive season with gusto! Every year, from October until the new year we celebrate, we shop, we splurge, we eat, we visit with one another and we have an absolute blast. For those of us pet parents forever obsessed with everything four-pawed, we want to spoil our fur babies just as much as anyone else!

For your convenience, we’ve curated a complete guide to everything you can gift your best bud to make sure she’s equally involved in all the celebrations. So, if you’d like to make the festivities memorable for her too, read on…

It’s that time of year again; the mercury isn’t boiling anymore. Days are rather warm and humid. Monsoon and the transitional season that follows proves tricky for dogs with sensitive skin. From redness and itchiness to hot spots and bald spots and everything in between, the sight of our fur darlings scratching themselves silly unfortunately becomes quite commonplace.

For some of us, using just the right shampoo or medicine can take all our precious fur baby’s skin woes away. But often, especially with allergic conditions, it’s not common to have solutions which are quite so spot-on. Misdiagnoses are common, often with heavy medication being prescribed where it may not be needed at all!

A recent survey done by Lana Paws, Pet Dogs of India 2019, highlighted a significant observation. An overwhelming 95% of all the pet parents who took the survey felt the need for local authorities to run structured programmes to sensitise children towards being kind and compassionate towards animals. Cases of dog bites have been widely reported and, in some cases, even sensationalised by the media. Many of these cases have been directed at children. Public opinion regarding stray dogs is at an all-time low. As a result of this, some people (children in particular) panic upon the very sight of stray dogs.

As dog lovers and pet parents, we pay utmost attention to our furry pal’s every need – be it food, bedding, toys, treats, clothes, you name it. But there’s also something else that we should be addressing every day. Sometimes multiple times a day. Yep, you guessed it. We’re talking about dog poo. Our recent survey, Pet Dogs of India 2019, highlighted an astonishing fact – more than 60% of our respondents admitted to not picking up after their dog. Dog parents often believe numerous myths regarding their dog’s business, which might be a big reason behind this statistic. Let's flush some myths to start with... 

Thanks to over 1500 pet parents like you who took the time out to complete this survey, we are excited to present some of the interesting lifestyle trends highlighting the shifting pet parent-dog dynamic.

Four-legged Therapist

Right off the bat, a whopping 49.5% of the respondents said they turn to their dog for emotional support, more than their friends and family. Second in line was 42.5% saying that they turned to their dogs for emotional support, along with their friends and family.

With our survey last year, Pet Parents Unleashed 2018, we wanted to cast a spotlight on the shifting trends in pet ownership. We highlighted a remarkable phase in the Indian pet industry wherein the rules of pet parenting in the country are being completely rewritten. In the same vein, our current survey has been designed to find out how capable, open and friendly Indian cities are to support this new dynamic people share with their pets.

Our survey metrics took into account a range of factors that are generally considered important for pet parenting - from access to good vets, parks, boarding & grooming facilities, to ease of renting houses as well as measuring other people's mindset towards pets/animals in general. Can you guess which Indian city was voted most pet-friendly?