For most of us who have pets, they are more than just animals – for that matter, they more even more than mere companions, but are seen as full-fledged members of our family. As such, pets often come along on trips of various sorts and even on the family vacation! It would be a shame to take the family to the beach or camping without the family dog (or perhaps even cat) being nearby as we are so used to. However, there are risks as well as benefits associated with traveling along with our pets. If you are on of those who take your dog literally everywhere (and you know who you are), then you’ll need to know a few things in order to keep your pets safe and happy while they are in your car.

First of all is never, EVER to leave a pet unattended in a hot car with closed windows. Even though there have been public service announcements on television and radio for years now about this risk to your pet’s health, an alarming number of pets die from heatstroke and other heat-related problems in hot, stuffy cars each summer. This tragedy can be averted by leaving your windows rolled down or if you will be inside only a minute, leave the air conditioning running in your car while you go inside (don’t forget to lock your doors, though!). This can keep your pet comfortable even on a hot day. Of course, if it will be very hot and you don’t have air conditioning in your car, you should just save that trip to the dry cleaners until later or leave your pet at home this time.

A pet crate is a must for taking your cat in the car and if your pet is a dog, it may still be advisable, particularly if your pet is anxious about riding in the car – after all, they will often associate the car with times such as going to the vet and as such may be a little apprehensive. A properly sized pet crate will also help to protect your pet in the event of an accident while on the road.

One thing which many dogs like to do (and is popularly associated with the idea of taking the dog for a drive) is to put their head out the window as they ride. You should not allow this. Flying debris can easily get into your dogs’ eyes and cause injury. Play it safe when taking your dog for a ride and keep the window close or your dog in a crate or harness. It’s tempting to take our pets with us wherever we go; and this is fine, as long as you make sure that everything is safe and work towards keeping your pets safe and happy in your car.

So, what’s the allure? Well… showing off your pet of course. You have a new outfit for your pet chihuahua? What better way to show it off than to create a profile and post pictures of your dog’s new favorite outfit online for all to admire?

PetZume.com is a brand new social networking site for pets that is looking to capture the owner’s love for their animals and allow them to express that on the web. The site is still in a Beta stage, but already offers many of the core social networking perks that have come to be expected in the MySpace and Facebook era, such as comments, videos, blogs, friends lists, pictures, and more. There is even a Q & A section, a la Yahoo! Answers, where users can post questions to other users about anything and everything pet related.

Social networking for your pets is wave of the social networking future. Nothing brings greater pride to an owner than posting videos, pictures, and blogs of their favorite pets and receiving praise and admiration from their peers. This a way to link the pet community together. Features such as event calendars let everyone know what your pet has planned or even allows them to set up a group play date with it’s best buds.

With Americans spending $41 billion a year on them and using sites like PetZume.com to turn them into online super stars, the future looks bright for all these pets. Never before in the history of mankind have household pets been held in such high regard as they are today. Pets are treated like one of the family now. If you don’t believe me, just have a look for yourself by visiting a site like PetZume.com.

There’s a lot of different breeds of dogs, but among the world’s most popular dog breeds there are a few that have been singled out as the most loyal, hard-working and intelligent. German Shepherds have long been valued for these qualities and more.

The German Shepherd is a newer breed. It originated in 1899 in Germany and was used for herding sheep. The breed was created when German ex-military member and veterinary student Max von Stephanitz saw a dog with admirable working qualities. The dog was strong and intelligent, with a superior sense of smell and fierce loyalty.

Von Stephanitz purchased the dog and bred it with his own working dogs. Eventually, he created the breed we now know as German Shepherds. Every German Shepherd today can be traced back to von Stephanitz and his breeding efforts.

The name of the breed has been a source of several controversies since its inception in 1899. The original name given to the breed by Max von Stephanitz translated literally to “German Shepherd Dog.” In the 1940′s, the Kennel Club officially changed the breed’s name to Alsation Wolf Dog. The change was due to the fear that the breed would become unpopular because of widespread anti-German sentiments during WW2.

Not long after this name change, the general public began to fear that Alsation Wolf Dogs were actually wild and aggressive half wolves. While this was not true, the public’s fear was enough to prompt the Kennel Club to change the name again, this time to simply Alsation.

Dog lovers in various countries pressured kennel clubs for another name change in 1977. This time, they asked that the breed revert to its original name. Since then, the official name of the breed has been German Shepherd Dog.

The original German Shepherd Dogs were used to herd and protect sheep on working farms in Germany. Since then, German Shepherds have been used in a variety of working capacities. Perhaps most well-known is their use as police and military working dogs. In rural settings, German Shepherds are extremely useful for search and rescue missions. Their keen sense of smell and dedication to pleasing their masters make them diligent workers.

In a more urban environment, German Shepherd Dogs are extremely useful for locating drugs, explosives and fleeing suspects. The strength of the dogs makes them ideal for taking down dangerous or running suspects. They are often used in airports and mail processing facilities to sniff out contraband in luggage and packages.

In recent years, some concerns have been raised about the safety of German Shepherd Dogs. There have been some reported cases of the dogs turning violent or attacking people. However, most of these cases are based on anecdotal evidence. Dogs tend to react aggressively when mistreated or threatened, or when protecting their masters. This has been the cause for many of the so-called German Shepherd ‘attacks’.

Overall, German Shepherd Dogs are very safe to have around. In fact, they make outstanding guard dogs. They are protective of their owners and will often put themselves in danger to save their masters. They are currently the third most popular dog breed in the United States and enjoy popularity all over the world.

In Spain and the Balearic Islands especially, dog lovers appreciate the loyalty and beauty of this regal breed. According to licensing records, in fact, the German Shepherd Dog is the most popular dog breed in Menorca – the popular holiday island has a reputation of being extremely safe. That reputation is thanks, in part, to these gentle working dogs. They are always on the job, protecting their adoptive families and keeping watch for any signs of trouble such as housebreakers.