Love Blogging? Watch this TV Show

My work life has crossed over into my personal life for nearly 25 years. By that I mean I like what I do at work and it bleeds into what I do at home. I've been blogging for years, and frequently my work life appears here in some fashion. Usually I keep things separated, but with the TV show I've been working on, it is difficult not to share the fun news with you.

Who Let the Dogs Out is such a fun TV show. It is part of Hallmark Channel's original programming, daytime on Fridays. You can get information on the show from the network website, or from the show website. 

This Friday's episode features the Blog Paws blogger conference from last summer. Sheldon and I attended, on behalf of my company, Natural Balance. Also in attendance were Norman the Scooter Dog and Tillman the world's fastest skateboarding bulldog. The producers of Who Let the Dogs Out filmed the conference, and Blog Paws is the feature story of this week's episode of Who Let the Dogs Out. They interviewed a bunch of pet bloggers, including an amazingly inspirational story of a dog whose battle with cancer changed the lives if his two human parents. It is a story you'll want to see. It might inspire you to become a pet blogger too.

Tune in this Friday on Hallmark Channel 1 pm/12 central. Or just set your DVR to record it.

Hallmark Channel to Premiere Who Let the Dogs Out, Season II

Tomorrow is the premiere of season II of Who Let the Dogs Out which will broadcast nationally daytime on Fridays at Hallmark Channel. Check your local listings, and set your DVR to record the entire season.

This Friday's premiere will feature two brand new, back to back episodes to kick off the season. The shows will feature the back story on how Tillman became an honorary Marine to help raise awareness of military working dogs, and leads right up to the Rose Parade that featured several military working dog teams on the Natural Balance float.

During this week's episode, Tillman goes to Dallas to attend Skyball, and the ceremony where he was inducted as an honorary Marine. The episode also features Lucca, the hero military working dog who lost a leg while on duty in Afghanistan. This is an hour of really enjoyable television, and truly honors our military working dog teams- canine and human. I hope you can check it out. I sure am proud to be a part of this program, it is inspirational and fun too. 


The following press release was issued on the wire yesterday about Who Let the Dogs Out TV show:

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone's favorite canines are back for another season of the wildly popular reality show that scours the country in search of the most fascinating, jaw-droppingly talented pets. "Who Let The Dogs Out" Season II, presented by Petco and Natural Balance Pet Foods, will air weekly on Fridays from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Central/Mountain) on Hallmark Channel beginning February 1^st. Check local listings for full show details. 

Charlie Sheen, Dick Van Patten & Jimmy Van Patten in a PSA

Season II of "Who Let The Dogs Out" will continue to follow Tillman "The World's Fastest Skateboarding Dog," and his friend Norman "The Scooter Dog," along with their puppy posse as they roll across the country with their human cohorts. Each episode follows these world-famous canines as they travel the highways and back roads of America in search of new recruits, unusual places to visit and fun experiences. The show will continue to delight animal lovers with laughs and provide interesting and helpful tips for pet owners to care for the physical, mental, social and emotional aspects of their best friends' health. Viewers who thought they saw it all last season are in for a surprise when they notice that the level of canine talent has been turned up a notch, featuring more crazy antics, history-making moments, and even some four-legged bike-riding. 

This season of "Who Let The Dogs Out" will also take audiences behind-the-scenes and into the minds of the creators of the first-ever national monument for an animal: The Military Working Dog Teams National Monument. The monument, which will honor our country's canine veterans, was replicated by Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade and will be the first national monument to go on tour later this year. The monument will be dedicated this October and will be installed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX.

With over 50 million hits on the internet and counting, Tillman was voted by TIME Magazine as one of the top 50 YouTube videos of all time. He and his pal Norman have a tremendous fanbase of Facebook and Twitter followers whom they engage with via live viewing parties.
For more information, visit www.wholetthedogsout.tv. Audiences can join the conversation on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/TillmanSkates) and Twitter (@TillmanSkates using hashtag #TillmanTV).

Who Let the Dogs Out returns to TV Fridays on The Hallmark Channel

Long time readers of this blog will know that I am involved in a fantastic television program called Who Let the Dogs Out. The show is about a series of very cool dogs and their travels around the country. Led by Tillman the world's fastest skateboarding bulldog and his pal Norman the Scooter Dog, they criss-cross the nation meeting interesting pets, historic sights, and doing "good" along the way. The show is great entertainment for pet lovers and families... and full of laughs too. The show found a new home on The Hallmark Channel, and starts up again, Fridays from 1:00 to 2:00 pm (12 pm Central) starting February 1st. Be sure to check local listings. Set your DVR or Tivo to record a season pass so you won't miss any episodes. The show has a website you can follow for details: WhoLetTheDogsOut.tv or WLTDO.TV

Here's the really good news: If you missed any of season one episodes of Who Let the Dogs Out, The Hallmark Channel will re-run the entire first season this year too, so you can catch up on all the fun. I'll have more details for you soon, so check back.

Natural Balance Canines With Courage Rose Parade Float

Rick at the Natural Balance Rose Parade Float

Once again I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the Rose Parade, along with my company Natural Balance Pet Foods. This was our fifth year of having a float in the famous Rose Parade, and it was one of the best! We didn't set out to break any new Guinness World Records for the longest, or heaviest or biggest, but instead, we wanted to honor Military Working Dog teams. We have teamed up with Petco to help fund a new National Monument to Military Working Dog teams, so our float's theme for this year was a floral replica of the monument.

Natural Balance Rose Parade float 2013

I love this view of the Natural Balance Rose Parade float as it passed by our stands. You can see how beautiful it was with all the flowers and stars. 

Tillman is now an honorary Marine

There were several military working dog teams on the float, as well as Tillman, the world's fastest skateboarding bulldog who is now an honorary Marine. Tillman set aside his skateboard this Rose Parade to help honor and raise awareness for these true canine heroes, Military Working Dogs.

side view of Natural Balance float

 Here is a great side view photo of the Natural Balance Rose Parade float from 2013. You can see the floral replica of the bronze statues of the dog handler/soldier and the four dogs typically used in the military. I love the way the float looks in this photo against the blue sky, it makes me feel extra patriotic for some reason...and it isn't even the actual monument.

Natural Balance Rose Parade float reunion family

If you watched the Rose Parade, you might have seen the awesome surprise on live TV. It was a reunion between an active duty Army Sargeant and his family. His wife thought she had won a trip to the Rose Parade, and brought her son. When the float stopped, Army Sgt. First Class Eric Pazz came out of the stands, and the little boy, 4-year-old son Eric Pazz II went running to see his father. It was a real tear-jerker for sure. Later, at the post-parade event, I took this photo of the dad and his son on our float itself. Pretty cool, huh?

Natural Balance Rose Parade Float

There are some really incredible photos and moments from today's Rose Parade. Here is another view of our float. I have to say I am so proud of my company for this year's float. Below is an awesome photo of Tillman with Lucca, with her handler, Corporal Juan Rodriguez, stand in front of the Military War Dog Monument.

Lucca and Tillman at the bronze statues of the monument

It was an incredible day in Pasadena at the Rose Parade. I hope you enjoyed my photos!

Gearing Up for Another Rose Parade

Rick at Fiesta Floats in Irwindale, CA

As we approach New Year's Day, workers and volunteers at Fiesta Floats in Irwindale, CA are busy decorating floats for the 124th Annual Rose Parade.  Among those is the Natural Balance Pet float! This year, the theme of our float is "Canines With Courage", as we salute and give recognition to the brave canine members of America’s armed forces that so gallantly serve our nation with this patriotic salute honoring their loyal service and heroism.

The float will feature a floral replica of a new bronze and granite National Monument to Military Working Dog Teams, which will be dedicated in 2013 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. This is the first time in the history of the United States military that an animal, a dog, has been elevated to National Monument status by U.S. Congressional Law, and Natural Balance is proud to make this the feature of our float.

Our floats have become famous for the incredible record-breaking designs, floral beauty and of course the fun with Tillman the skateboarding bulldog, and his canine friends. This year's float isn't intended to break any Guinness World records as heaviest or longest, but it will be big on pride for our Military Working Dog Heroes. Tillman will be on the float this year, as an honorary Marine, but he wont be performing. Instead he will be helping raise awareness about these incredible Canine Heroes.

As you can see from this photo at right, the float is still being decorated. Remember that as part of the Rose Parade regulations, the decorations covering the floats need to be floral or plant material. All the colors and textures will be derived from flowers, seeds, petals, etc. For example, the round wood circle at the front is waiting for the decorative panel that will be applied. While I was there, that panel was being decorated by a volunteer. It is painstaking work, with incredible detail that isn't immediately obvious when viewing the floats from afar or on television.

At left is that front panel I mentioned above. It will be applied to the front of our float. Notice the incredible vivid colors....those are all from flowers or seeds, not paint!

The workers use an adhesive glue and place the seeds or flower petals by hand. This artistic design on the emblem models the emblem that corresponds to the actual monument.
To give you an idea of the detail click on this photo to enlarge it. Here is another photo below of some roses with an off white border...which I believe was rice (I could be wrong), but look at the photo for yourself to see.s

 You can watch the Rose Parade on TV January 1st, check local listings for times. If you participate in social media, follow along on Twitter searching for the hashtags #RosePets and #RoseParade, or on Facebook with Natural Balance or Petco or me!

The Winner's Cup Trophy Goes To....

Today is the final episode of Who Let The Dogs Out TV show, season one on Animal Planet. The season-long mission took the gang across country in search of the Most Talented Dog in America. Coast to coast, New York's Times Square to the sunny beaches of San Diego, Tillman and gang met all kinds of incredible dogs. The pups assembled at Universal Studios in Hollywood, for the final competition for the season. The dogs were competing to win the title of Most Talented Dog in America, the Winner's Cup Trophy, a $500 gift card for Petco, a four night's stay at the Pooch Hotel in Hollywood, plus a year's supply of Natural Balance pet food, and a cool stash of Tillman's Treats too. Among all the amazing contestants, one stood out as really having a lot of fun and doing great tricks too. 

It was Daisy the Golden Retriever and her dad Bernie. She had so many different tricks it was great. I loved how she could climb the ladder with such ease, reverse, moonwalk, and say her prayers on command. She is really one cool dog. It has been so much fun and a true blessing to have been involved in Who Let the Dogs Out. My small part in helping bring the show to the airwaves was very rewarding. Stay tuned, we have plenty of more surprises in store.


Can't get enough Who Let the Dogs Out or TillmanTV? Visit the show website, we have Behind the Scenes exclusive videos and Photos in the Gallery too, plus all sorts of other goodies. Http://wltdo.tv

Tomorrow's Season Finale of Who Let the Dogs Out on Animal Planet

Tomorrow is the season finale of Who Let the Dogs Out TV show on Animal Planet. I can assure you it is an explosive one--just look at this scene from the episode! The show includes a nice look back at some of the memorable parts of the entire season, which is great for people just becoming familiar with the hit TV series.

Tillman walks the Red Carpet at the Golden Collar Awards in Hollywood, and gets interviewed by John Fulton, host of TV's 'Must Love Cats' show. Tillman may be a dog of few words, but there is plenty of fun Red Carpet action, with celeb dogs and humans as they honor dog achievements in cinema.

The amazing Norman the Scooter Dog entertains a huge audience at Universal Studios CityWalk in Hollywood, as he unveils his brand new bicycle, which he rides perfectly to the delight of onlookers and other dogs too!

The heavily anticipated final competition in the search for The Most Talented Dog in America takes place in this episode. The finalists (dog and human) perform in the competition and give the judges a difficult decision. Who will be selected as the most talented dog in America? Tune in Saturday morning on Animal Planet to find out. Here is the preview clip:
 

This Week on Who Let the Dogs Out TV Show

This Saturday on Who Let the Dogs Out TV show, Tillman and friends head to San Diego to visit the Pets Rule show at Sea World. All the pets in that show are rescue animals, so it is really neat. While at Sea World, Tillman skates for the whales and dolphins.

The crew really enjoyed the Pets Rule show...they had dogs who could jump rope, set a table, and jump over a person who was standing up. Also in the episode Tillman meets actors Omar Miller and Eva LaRue of CSI: Miami, where we get a tour of the set in Hollywood. I must admit, this entire season of Who Let the Dogs Out has been a lot of fun to work on. Next Saturday, April 21st is the season one finale, so be sure to watch tomorrow and next week too. Here is a preview clip of tomorrow's episode.
 

NASCAR AutoClub 400 with Greg Biffle

Sunday I went to the Auto Club 400 race in Fontana, California to see driver Greg Biffle. NASCAR events are really incredible and a lot of fun. I was lucky enough to be hanging out in the Garage and Pits with a 'Hot Pass", thanks to Greg's hospitality.

It was the first time I had been to a NASCAR race, so it was all new to me. Everyone I met was really cool and explained things to me along the way. I learned a lot about the sport and experienced the passion for racing that millions of NASCAR fans share. I'm a fan of the Greg Biffle Foundation, which "aims to create awareness and serve as an advocate for the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motor-sports industry." I got to know Greg through his involvement with the Natural Balance Pet Foods Rose Parade float, and his appearances in our Who Let the Dogs Out TV show on Animal Planet. 

Sunday was an incredible experience; I have a new found appreciation for NASCAR. Here are just a few cool photos from the garages and pit areas I saw while hanging out:

FedEx race car in the garage

this is what they use to measure the car

car being inspected before race

Greg Biffle's 3M awesome car in the garage

Greg Biffle's car under carriage

Cockpit of Greg Biffle's race car WOW

The Pit Crew at work!

it was awesome to be right in the pit with the crew

Here is a video I took with my iPad of Greg's Pit Crew. It was really awesome to see it up close!

This Saturday on Who Let the Dogs Out

This Saturday's episode of Who Let the Dogs Out truly has something for everyone. Lexi takes Wally to a psychic, as only can happen in LA. Wally seems to enjoy the psychic vibes, not to mention the attention and extra pats on the head.

Then Tillman heads to Roush Fenway in Charlotte, NC to see his good pal, NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. With Greg's help Tillman's skateboard gets some "special adjustments to help him skate even faster. There, Tillman breaks his own speed record. Sure is great to have friends in high places.

Then the gang meet an amazing dog named Bardot, who likes to dive to the bottom of her swimming pool to fetch toys. This dog really is incredible. You have to watch the show to appreciate what she can do.

Even Tillman's personal assistant Eric Presnall can't quite believe it. He decides to challenge Bardot to a diving competition race. So he strips down and jumps in the pool. His two legs versus Bardot's four legs. You have to tune in to see who wins. Want to watch a few preview clips? Look no further:

You can watch Who Let the Dogs Out TV show on Animal Planet, Saturday morning, 10 am Eastern, 9 am Central. For west coast be sure to check you local listings.

This Saturday on Who Let the Dogs Out

This Saturday, March 10th another new episode of 'Who Let the Dogs Out' airs on Animal Planet. This week's episode feature The Natural Balance gang meets Ricochet, a dog who helps a quadriplegic young man realize his dream to surf. Also in this episode Tillman teaches Norman the Scooter Dog learn how to surf and the entire gang surfs the massive Natural Balance float in the Tournament of Roses parade. Even NASCAR driver Greg Biffle joins in the fun with Tillman and Friends and rides on the float in the Rose Parade.

Set your DVR to record Who Let the Dogs Out TV show on Animal Planet Saturday March 10th. 10 am Eastern, 9 am Central. For West coast, check local listings.

Preview Clip of March 10th Episode: Who Let the Dogs Out

This Saturday on "Who Let the Dogs Out', watch Tillman surfing, and teaching Norman the Scooter Dog how to surf, as they prepare to surf in the Rose Parade. Also see an amazing dog named Ricochet who helps a physically disabled guy named Patrick surf. It is an amazing and inspiring episode of how incredible dogs are. Tune in this Saturday March 10th on Animal Planet.10 am Eastern/9 am Central. West coast check local listings.

Military Dog Monument in Washington DC

With over 15 years working in the pet industry, I can honestly say this is something that really moved me. A monument is being built--with private funds to honor military working dogs who have served along side our human veterans. Military service dogs have helped protect our freedoms for nearly 70 years in four branches of the US Armed Forces. As it turns out, my employer, Natural Balance Pet Foods is helping to raise funds for this military dog monument. It is all coming together through our new reality TV show 'Who Let the Dogs Out' on Animal Planet. In the new episode that airs this coming Saturday March 3rd, Tillman, (the world's fastest skateboarding dog) went to Washington DC with the gang to meet with Congressman Jones and A veteran named John Burnam, who is an advocate for the dog monument. You really need to watch this episode to find out what its all about. Anyone who is a friend to the military or has a loved one in the service will appreciate this episode of Who Let the Dogs Out because it highlights the strength of the human-animal and how amazing (and brave) dogs really are.

Also in this Saturday's episode is when Tillman went to visit the training facility for military dogs, who do all kinds of cool things including disaster recovery, search and rescue, etc. Tillman's visit to the 947th Military Police Detachment, of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment was really cool. If you love seeing dogs work, and be trained, and if you love and respect our military as much as I do, you will really love this week's episode of Who Let the Dogs Out.
Set your DVR or TiVo to record the episode on Animal Planet. It airs Saturday mornings 10 am eastern, 9 central, and for the west coast check local listings for your cable company.

Cool Stuff this week on Who Let the Dogs Out

This week's episode of 'Who Let the Dogs Out' on Animal Planet has all kinds of awesome stuff. There is pretty much something for everyone! In particular if you live in New York, Philly, or Baltimore, you're going to be proud of your home towns being featured. Tillman meets Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman, and finds he has lots of fans in Baltimore.

The gang enjoys an awesome dinner with Chris Tillman at the famous Bo Brooks restaurant in Baltimore for Blue Crabs, which look so delicious! Too bad Tillman himself couldn't go in to enjoy some too.

Tillman, Wally and Rose take a City Sights bus tour in New York City, thanks to the generosity of Gray Line Bus tours who set it up for the gang. It was a terrific way to see Manhattan and all of New York City, especially from a dog's point of view.

Then Ron Davis and Tillman swing by the famous and legendary Pat's King of Steaks restaurant in Philadelphia. Pat's originated the Philly Cheese Steak in 1930 and still has a great reputation! Ron took Tillman on a tour of Philly, and even re-traced the steps of Rocky Balboa character in the Rocky movies. They went on a tour of the Historic District in Philly too, stopping to see Ben Franklin's burial site and lots more.  I hope you can tune into 'Who Let the Dogs Out' it is really a fun show.

You can watch Who Let the Dogs out on Animal Planet 10 am eastern/9 central For the West coast, check local listings.