Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!

We love you and just don’t appreciate you enough.

And for all the women who consider themselves to be dog moms, here’s some advice: When your Significant Other asks “Who do you love more, me or the dog?  Don’t answer it — it’s a trick question.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Just change the subject or drop your drink on the floor or pull a fire alarm but don’t, I repeat, don’t answer that question honestly.

Again, Happy Mother’s Day and stay with the safe topics.

You can’t get a more dog-friendly restaurant than a place named after a dog.

Wy-Knot  Cafe got its name from Sir Wyatt, a dapper English Spring Spaniel, who lives with Jackie Percival, owner of the central Phoenix restaurant and community spot.

The Wy-Knot is just the kind of local breakfast/lunch place that’s great to support. It’s got great food, with a lot of vegetarian options. And the servings are hearty. It has a  casual vibe, with local artists’ works on the walls.  And its dog-friendly credentials are solid: patio in the front; dog treats and water bowl by the door and pictures of Wyatt all around.

Percival got into the restaurant business through  her dog. She gave up the corporate life; decided to bake dog treats and that led her back to owning a restaurant, which she had done previously in Pennsylvania.

As an added bonus to the Wy-Knot’s wonderfulness: Happy Dog Phoenix will be there on Mother’s Day for breakfast, signing books and oogling the stuffed French toast.  See you there!

Nothing says Cinco de Mayo in Arizona  like a 10-gallon sombrero and five-pound chihuahua.

Looking for something fun to do this Cinco de Mayo weekend in Phoenix metro with your dog?

Check out the  Cinco de Mayo Festival & Chihuahua Races in Chandler, where there will also be a crowning of the King and Queen Chihuahua. All proceeds will go to help HALO Animal Rescue save homeless pets.

Or in central Phoenix there’s the Chihuahua talent show at Aunt Chilada’s restaurant. In addition to having delicious chips and salsa, Aunt Chilada’s has long been a dog-friendly restaurant.

Speaking of dog-friendly restaurants, we’ve got a number of dog-friendly restaurants, including Salty Senorita and others, that are sure to be great places to down a margarita or two.

At a recent book signing at Bard’s Books in central Phoenix, we got to learn how much dogs really love Happy Dog Phoenix.

Apparently, Duke, a Bouvier des Flandres, loved the book so much, he just devoured it.

We’re happy that Duke enjoyed the book and there is no truth to the rumour that we had the book specially printed on bacon-flavored paper.

The affaire de Duke reminds me of a great book a friend of mine gave me: Chewed — check it out

If you are in Arizona, everyday you get to see how great Mother Earth can be. We live in a beautiful — and sometimes hot! — place. Here’s how I’m doing my part to help the enviroment:

• Using enviromentally friendly poop bags — check
• Spreading the word about how spay and neutering program help control pet overpopulation — check
• Selecting green or recycled toys — check
• Knitting sweaters using dog hair — um, no. Going to pass on that.

Interested in having dinner with the dog tomorrow tonight — but you don’t want to share anything from your plate?

Head on over to BLD in Chandler, where on Wednesday they serve dinner for the dogs on their patio. Your best buddy gets a choice of beef or chicken, with some rice and carrots and peas on the side.

BLD is dog friendly throughout the week, serving up dog treats for canine guests but they thought dinner would set them apart from the competition.

Thanks to Bonnie for passing along this tip. She loves taking out her best bud Durito out with her. Bonnie’s other East Valley tips on already on our ever-expanding list of dog friendly places in metro Phoenix.

Do you have a favorite place to take your dog? Let us know — we’ll be glad to share and post your dog’s photo!

Want to throw a terrific birthday party for your dog? Regena sure did for Leo, a little guy  she got from Arizona Humane Society. Leo has brought a lot of joy into Regena’s life and she wanted to give back by throwing a bash to celebrate Leo and to benefit the Arizona Humane Society.

Check out slideshow of Leo’s Party in Scottsdale on Saturday

A big thank you to Bard’s Books in central Phoenix for having us come in and do a signing Saturday.

It was a great way to meet new friends and reconnect with some long-lost ones. Just terrific seeing all of you guys.

I loved hearing everyone’s stories of how their dogs came into their lives, including the woman who dreamed she was going to adopt a German shepard  from a Humane Society thrift shop and then she did in real life. The dog even shared her name.

The Beagle, of course, has heard all of the book-sales talk before and dozed off after thoroughly checking out the dog-friendly bookstore.  She hopped into her bed and settled in for a big snooze.  Fame, it seems, is exhausting for her.

Next stop on our whirlwind book tour: Phoenix Pet Expo

Ever wanted to be a veterinarian? Now there’s going to be a place in Arizona for you to get your degree.

The Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine will be the first and only school offering the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) in the state of Arizona. The new program plans to welcome its inaugural class of 100 students in the Fall of 2014.

Midwestern University, which already has a large campus in Glendale, offers medical education for doctors and other health care providers.

Midwestern says the program will be especially welcome in Arizona where there is one vet per 4,100 animals; the national average is one vet per 3,500 animals. There is real shortage of vets in Arizona’s rural counties and there is an expected national vet shortage.

Sounds like a really promising career for an animal lover.

Here’s more information

Nothing says welcome to Phoenix’s hotter weather like an ice cold beer. And now thanks to an Arizona company, your dog can have a cold one with you. Introducing Bowser Beer. Here’s a video testimonial.