Say you have a dog whose given name is HoneyBun and you call her everything else but that.

There’s Bun, Bunster, Bun-Bun, Bunny, Bunny Boo, Bunny Boo Boo, and Boo.

Is it your fault that she doesn’t come when called?

Not necessarily say dog trainers.  Dogs are as adaptable to names as they are to situations. Use a normal name for your dog and keep the funny one for a nickname when you are sharing time alone or with good friends. Your dog can have more than one name he responds to, says Martin Deeley who works with Cesar Millan.

It’s more important to get your grammar right in addressing your dog than it is using the right name, says Stanley Coren, estimable psychologist and dog expert.

Each time we want our dog to do something we should start off with his name. That means that “HoneyBun, drop the roasted chicken.” is proper dog talk. Using their name first gets their attention and then they can follow the command.

As far as having pet names for pooches, it can’t be helped. For humans, pet names is a way to strengthen a bond of intimacy between us and our partners, children or pets.

Unfortunately, for our pets, unlike our partners, can’t easily protest being called “Admiral Snugglebums.’’

Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for “Let’s go out for a beer and bring the dog”, right?

Because now is the perfect time to party with your dog on a patio. The Phoenix weather at night is relatively cool and there are a sombrero full of places in metro Phoenix that offer dog-friendly patios.

Some of our favorites include:

• Aunt Chiladas: 7330 N. Dreamy Draw Drive, Phoenix
• Milagro Grill: 4280 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
• Salty Senorita: Locations in Scottsdale and Peoria

Looking for more? Check out our-always expanding list of dog-friendly places in and around Phoenix.

And if you have a Chihuahua that needs racing, check out Chandler’s Chihuahua races on Saturday.

Ole amigos! (And I know that’s Spanish for don’t be giving my dog no hot salsa)

Do you know why some dogs have yellow ribbons tied to their leashes?

Neither did I until the folks at Bark Avenue Pet Supply in Mesa set me straight.

Turns out a yellow ribbon on a dog leash is an international signal to give the dog some space. It started in Sweden with the idea that yellow means caution and certain dog you should approach cautiously, because of their health or behavioral issues.

Interesting but then I read this blog by Dogknobit, who asked some really good questions like – if you need to tie a yellow ribbon around your dog’s leash, should you be walking this dog around in public? “And finally, isn’t it just plain common sense and courtesy to keep one’s dog from getting in another dog’s face?”

What do you think? Is the yellow ribbon a good way to give a warning or does it signal a lack of responsibility on the human companion’s part?

Me, I am thinking of wearing my own personal a yellow ribbon – maybe it would help me get some space in crowded elevators.

Hope you and the dog have been able to get out and see this year’s bumper crop of wildflowers. Some of the trails around Phoenix have just had some terrific showings this year courtesy of all the winter rain.

Hurry now to see great displays at Lost Dog Wash in north Scottsdale and at Spur Cross in Carefree/Cave Creek.

Our friends at Maricopa County Parks had some terrific dog-related hikes coming up. Check them out at our events page — there’s even a really neat hike-at-night for you and the dog.

Here are some other sites to help with wildflower viewing in Arizona:

• Wildflower report at Boyce Thompson (a dog-friendly place) : http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events/wildflowers.html
• Beautiful book and blog: http://wildinarizona.com/wordpress/
• http://azstateparks.com/rangercam/index.html
• http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/az.html

Happy Trails/Tails everyone!

When I first started writing Happy Dog Phoenix, I had no idea what flyball was.

And I doubt if the Couch-Loving Beagle would be so inclined to learn how to race down a course, jump over hurdles, grab a ball from a stand and then race back the obstacle course.

But the flyball tourneys I have been to are just a blast. And one of the reasons I love them is that the dogs involved seem to be having a blast. They are just tearing up that course and bounding over the hurdles, especially the terriers. God, please give me the energy of a terrier someday.

Anyway, there is a two-day flyball tourney in Chandler this weekend and it should be a great one. Flyball is increasing in popularity here in the Valley. There are now six flyball clubs out here.

So bring your leashed dog and come on out!

How did you and your dog do during this rare rainy day in Phoenix?

This morning when the rain was heaviest in central Phoenix, I saw four people running with their dogs. These were Very Fit People and I am pretty sure it wasn’t the dogs’ ideas to go out in the pounding rain.

But I could be wrong. Does your dog love the rain?

The rain didn’t stop Happy Dog Phoenix from attending Bark Avenue Pet Supply — thanks again Elizabeth for having me over to your store. It was great to hear about how you guys are helping dogs lose weight.

We’ve got two more days of the wet stuff in the forecast. So chances are me and The Beagle are eventually got to go out in the rain for some exercise. After all, we got inspired at Bark Avenue.

How’s that New Year’s resolution coming?

Ten days into it, are we still swerving away from sweets and smokes and hitting the treadmill instead? (Obviously, my NY resolution was not to blog more – sorry about that).

About half of the people who make New Year’s resolutions are still following them six months later. Why do they stick with them when others of us fall off the road?

A while ago, I blogged about how after vacation, the dog and I both looked a little pudgy. Funny thing, the dog lost her pudge a lot faster than I lost mine. The difference wasn’t exercise — we were going on the same walks together and I was going to the gym as well.

The difference came in food — it dawned on  — I was my dog’s own Jenny Craig. I doled out the same amount of food to her a day and basically the same amount of “good-girl’’ treats. With that kind of portion control, she lost weight.

Now, if I can measure out quantities of dog food, why can’t I think about portion size for myself? I buy high-quality dog food for her yet, I am perfectly content wolfing down a McRib sandwich. I make sure she has two full water bowls at all times; yet, my water glass is bone-dry right now. She gets regular medical check-ups; me, not so much.

So I think my New Year’s resolution has to do with treating my body as well as I treat my dog. For women, especially, it’s a strange concept to think about treating yourself as well as you try to treat others. But if we take a step back, we realize that each healthy choice that we make today allows us to be around longer for the ones we love. And isn’t that what is all about?

And now, it’s time for the dog and I to take our nightly stroll.

A question we get a lot at Happy Dog Phoenix deals with finding a good place in metro Phoenix to take your dog to stay while you are away.

It’s an important question to ask since the Better Business Bureau that serves metro Phoenix says that concerns about places that offer dog boarding is at the top of their complaint list.

Dog boarding is also a timely question right now because if you are thinking of going away for the holidays, get going on checking places out. The good ones fill up fast and you want to make sure you have time to do an onsite visit sans dog before signing up.

Our book has a checklist of things to ask your prospective dog boarder but we didn’t offer a list of places because one shift in management can instantaneously change the quality of services.  And when it comes to your dog, you want the best possible care.

We do have to plug one place, though: Melinda’s Pampered Pets of Ahwatukee. We took a CPR and first aid course there and was thoroughly impressed by Melinda’s professionalism and caring. If Melinda is in charge, things will be done correctly.

Bone voyage!

This just in from the sports desk: Michael Vick, who is having a  bad year with the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterback is mentioned as a quarterback possibility for the Arizona Cardinals, who are having an even worse season.

How do I feel about this?

Vick served two years in prison sentence for financing a dog-fighting ring, where pit bulls were drowned, strangled, hung, shot, or electrocuted for not winning fights. Of course, dog rings don’t just terrorize pit bulls; the “sport’’ literally chews up and spits out smaller dogs used for training.

But Vick served his time. Got an NFL job back.  President Obama praised the Philadelphia Eagles for giving him a second chance. Heck, Vick even has the blessings of a humane society for now having a new dog.

I have made huge mistakes in my life. And I have been amazingly forgiven by people I have hurt. So I understand the power of fresh starts. Without them, I would be lost.

But I have a hard time giving someone like Michael Vick a second chance.

Human beings are given the strength, talents and privilege to protect the vulnerable and in my book, that includes animals. And I think there’s an unfixable flaw in the wiring of someone like Vick who profited from dogs being brutalized and killed.

Instead of supporting a team that hires someone like Michael Vick, I would rather contribute money to a rescue fund or at least buy Sports Illustrated writer Jim Gorant’s excellent “The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption”.  Those alternatives seem like a much better investment in humanity.

Am I being unreasonable about this? Let me know.

It was Thanksgiving morning and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve trail at 32^nd and Lincoln was crowded with regulars as well as out-of-towners enjoying our wonderful Arizona blue skies.

But then we heard the coyotes howling. Not mournful howling but urgent sounds of aggression. Then we heard a dog yelping and more sounds of scuffling.

And then silence.

And all the people who had dogs with them instinctively grabbed their leashes a little tighter because we all knew what had just happened. A dog had either been killed or hurt by a coyote pack. There is nothing like the silence that follows the sounds of coyotes attacking. It’s a silence that settles on the trail’s mountains and valleys and muffles the collective joy of being on the trail.

More importantly, it’s a reminder that when we go hiking, we are basically invading others’ territories. And it is incredibly irresponsible to let your dog off the leash in that situation. Your dog relies on you for your good judgment and letting them go off leash in coyote territory shows a shameful lack of common sense.

Sorry for going off on this but that sound of silence on the trail is still with me.