Paw Nation

The holidays are almost upon us, and many pet lovers will be hitting the road to celebrate the season with friends or family members. And along with any gifts, festive treats, and luggage, your pet may be coming along for the ride. Since no one wants to sit through hours of nervous whining or uncomfortable howling from their four-legged traveling companion, animals should be well prepared to make the holiday journey. Here's how.

Dog Travel on the Road
"For short distances [in a car], the safest way to transport a dog is in a kennel where he has room to stand up and turn around," says Jeannie Hughes, a professional dog trainer based in New York City. The dog should already be accustomed to traveling in a kennel, but to facilitate the process, you can throw a treat inside. Hughes stresses that the driver's full attention should be devoted to the road, so it's important to keep your dog occupied. She suggests, "Give your dog something to do, or a juicy, exciting toy [to chew on]."

Frequent detours should be part of your journey when traveling with a dog. "Give the dog a chance to exercise [his or her] legs," said Hughes. "This will prevent stiffness from being in the kennel, and allow the dog to relieve himself." If you're leaving the dog in your car, make sure there is adequate ventilation, and that he is not too cold.

National Dog Show novices: what you see on your screens come Thanksgiving Day may look like nothing more than a pack of pretty pooches parading about for the judges, audience and cameras. But there's some serious consideration happening on that blue carpet. Paw Nation asked National Dog Show co-hosts John O'Hurley and David Frei for their expert tips to train your layman's eye.

Dogs are not graded on a curve. "Every breed is judged not against one another but against the written standard," explains Frei, "which is the description of the ideal specimen of that breed."

Play a game of "how doggy is that doggy in the window?" This is Frei's personal trick for judging what he sees in the ring. "You look at the Afghan Hound and you say, 'On a scale of 100, I'm going to give the Afghan a 90 as an Afghan hound. Now, the next dog is the Saluki. I love this Saluki -- it's this and this and this -- and I'm going to give it a 92.' Which means the Saluki is a better Saluki than the Afghan is an Afghan, in my opinion. Everybody doesn't do this trick, but it's what I do in my mind."

Familiarize yourself with doggy formal wear. Show dogs are often groomed much differently than dogs kept as pets. (For example, take a look at how this Shih Tzu's appearance changed from its show days to its retirement.) "Some of the coats and the cuts on the dogs may not be cuts that you would maintain your pet at home with," says O'Hurley, "but that is a way of recognizing the history of the breed. Some of the coats are a little bit more traditional in their cuts."

We all know how much fun a little catnip can be, but what happens when you give your cat "the most potent form of dried catnip available"?

Pet Greens Catnip Buds are the closest thing to growing your own catmint without having to remember to water. Entire stems of the herb are handpicked and dried, which you then crumble up and stuff in catnip toys, rub on cat beds, or simply sprinkle on the floor.

My cat, Gizmo, is a catnip connoisseur. It's one of the few things other than food that pulls him out of his shell, so I had high expectations. After eating some of the dried stuff I had sprinkled on the floor, he rolled around a bit and then found the toy I had stuffed with the potent herb. With his paws, he vigorously rubbed the toy into his face as he lay on his back, legs splayed out. When I grabbed the toy and threw it towards him, to my surprise he caught it with one paw and again fell backwards to continue rubbing the toy on his face.

He instigated play with my other cats, rather than just sitting back and watching as he normally does. My other cats loved the stuff as well, rolling around in it, though not as actively as Gizmo. They became standard stoners, laying around and staring at the wall.

If your cats are already into standard-fare catnip, I highly recommend throwing down $5 for this potent stuff.

Are you fed up with hiding your pup's bed in another room, and wishing you had a stylish dog bed you could keep out in your living room? Look no further; Molly Mutt dog-bed duvets have you covered.

Molly Mutt dog bed duvets aren't just fun and stylish, they're also eco-friendly because you stuff your dog's bed with items you'd otherwise throw away. And this week, we're giving one away!

One lucky Paw Nation reader will win a medium/large set (duvet and stuff sack) in either "snowcones and puppies" or "mr. roboto" designs.

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us where your dog normally sleeps or what your dog usually sleeps on.
• The comment must be left before 5 p.m. ET on Friday, November 27, 2009.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• One winner will receive one medium/large Molly Mutt dog bed duvet and stuff sack (valued at $42.50).
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winner will be notified by e-mail, so be sure to provide a valid address!

In honor of the American Kennel Club's 125th Anniversary, we're searching for the top 125 dogs in pop culture! Do you prefer Snoopy or Scooby Doo? Cujo or Clifford The Big Red Dog? Make your woof heard in the AKC 125 Popular Dogs Poll Series! Each Monday, we'll poll you about your favorite dogs in pop culture, then the AKC will reveal the top dogs!