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Pet lovers have spoken. A photo of bulldog Herschel Walker Merrill, shown posing with his toy bobo, got the most votes as Atlanta’s Top Dog. We spoke to owner Martha Anne Merrill about her winning pooch:

• Age: Herschel was 7 weeks old when the photo was taken. He’s 10 months old and 50 pounds now.
• About that name … : Hershel’s owner is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Merrill says, “We brought him home for the first time the Friday before the Georgia/Florida football game and Georgia won every game after that. … My husband, an Auburn grad, claims I just rub Herschel’s belly during a Georgia football game and we score a touchdown!”
• Favorite treat: He loves Beggin’ Strips. Bacon flavor is his favorite. He will sit, shake, lie down, high five, just about anything to get a beggin strip.
• Favorite toy: His squeaky balls and his bobo. (Of course, it’s not the bobo from the picture, that was 10 bobos ago.) He destroyed that first bobo a long time ago.
• Quirky traits: He will play fetch for as long as Merrill will throw the ball for him. Although it is not your typical game of fetch because bulldogs are a bit lazy. His type of fetch is Merrill throwing the ball as Herschel “walks” over and retrieves it. If his balls roll under the couch he just sticks his head under the couch and cries like a baby until she reaches under the couch and get it for him, this is a daily occurrence.

Meet Herschel:

But we’re not done rounding up cute pets! It’s time for the cats to have their day. Please send in photos of you cute felines for these categories:

• • Cute kittens
• • Cats in costume
• • Pampered cats
• • Sneaky cats in action
• • Fat cats

Which Top Dog photos were your favorites?

More pet news:

• NASCAR driver Tony Stewart donates bulletproof vests for police dogs in five states, including Georgia. (Story)

• Day care unleashes fun for doggies. (Story, photos)

• Police dog expected to recover from shooting. (Story)

We asked if you ever walked your pet during odd hours (aka: the ‘walk of shame‘) to avoid an incident with other pets or humans. Check out this comment from Beccalinda, then share your story:

We have been known to walk at weird hours to avoid people. I know it sounds terrible, but there are a lot of kids in our neighborhood whose parents have not taught them that it’s not ok to go up to a strange dog and start petting them. It especially doesn’t help that they are not exactly gentle. I don’t think any of our dogs would hurt them, but I don’t want to take that risk, and it’s plain annoying to feel like I have to be a jerk to these kids who honestly don’t know they’re doing something they shouldn’t be.

Plus it’s just nice and quiet at night.

Photo by iStockphoto.com

More pet news:

• NASCAR driver Tony Stewart donates bulletproof vests for police dogs in five states, including Georgia

We found some of the best pet experts in metro Atlanta to answer your questions every Monday. Today’s advice comes from Kate Jackson of the Jabula Dog Academy. Meet the AJCpets experts, then submit questions in the form of a comment.

Q: I have a four-month-old Carin Terrier. We made the mistake in not crate training him during the day. Is it too late for him to stop peeing his bed during the day? And, is it wise to keep a towel in his crate?
A: It is not to late to stop this behavior. It sounds like your crate is the right size. But you have to be have realistic about how long you can leave your puppy. It is unrealistic to expect him to go for a full day at four months.

Make sure he goes potty before you put him in his crate. If he is consistently having accidents in his crate you need to take the bedding out. It is also a good idea to feed him his meals in his crate. Dogs are typically clean animals and will not want to have potty accidents where they eat. Also, restrict his water intake for about 2 hours before you put him in his crate.

Q: I have a 5-month-old Labrador mix puppy (he’s actually starting puppy classes this week). How can I get him to stop attacking my 8-year-old son? I am hoping that the puppy classes will help him, and my “plan” is for my son to actually do the training, so the pup will know he is below my son in the pack. Right now the pup “thinks” he is above myself and my son, and right below my hubby. I scold, but nothing helps. HELP!
A: Start basic training with your puppy. Practice the commands with your son and start to teach the puppy to listen to you and your son. When his behavior escalates, teach him the “leave it” command and then ask him to do something productive like “sit” or “down.” Teach your puppy that every time his behavior gets out of control, he will have to perform obedience commands. When he is doing a good job at his commands, release him to play.

Manage undesired behavior by giving him something more productive to do. Exercise is a very big part of training. Because your dog is part Lab, build his retrieving drive. Teach him to fetch by reserving tennis balls only for fetch and keeping the repetitions low to start. Your dog also needs a 40-minute walk daily. Walking your dog daily is the responsibility of every dog owner. Good luck, puppies require a lot of work and patience.

Q: I adopted a 3-year-old Shih Tzu. My existing 2-year-old Shih Tzu (both are neutered males) is afraid of the new guy in town. Will this pass? The new guy is non-aggressive and loving.
A: It sounds like your new dog is a very sweet little guy. The tension should pass. Until then, never leave new dogs together unsupervised. Accidents can happen quickly, and you don’t want either to be traumatized.

You want both dogs to view bonding as a positive experience. Bring in the second dog into the room on a leash, but don’t allow him into the original dog’s space. Keep yummy treats around during these meetings, and shower the older dog with praise when he isn’t acting fearful. Allow your older dog time to adapt without having the new guy in his space.

Keeping the new dog on a leash leaves interaction up to your old dog, allowing him to interact on his terms.

Photo by The Washington Post

More Pet news:

• Disasters happen, protect your pet by keeping the essentials on hand in case of an emergency.

Junior has us focused on super pets. This “super” dog rescued his family from a house fire (Video). Perhaps your dog or cat hasn’t accomplished such a dramatic deed, but I’m sure it has accomplished some pretty amazing feats. Time to share!

If your pet were a superhero, what would it be? Lulu would be Streak of Lighting. When she starts running, all you see is a streak of gold. You cannot catch her. Now if I could get her to fetch the remote that quickly…

And since it’s Friday, it’s time for:

• Smiling Pets photos. Get your daily dose today!

• AHS Pet of the Week: Check out adorable Audrey! She’s at the Atlanta Humane Society waiting for a forever home.

• Cute video: It would be great if we all could get puppies to quiet down this easily!

• Pet Vent of the Week: Talk about super skills, you all had great stories about sneaky pets. Leigh had a great comment:

We used to have a dog that would get up on the couch and sleep while we were not in the house. When he’d hear us come in the driveway, he’d jump down and run over to his bed and act like he’d been sleeping there all along. I would have never known it, but happened to see him through the window one day when I came home. From then on I’d feel the couch when I came in and it would be warm where he’d been sleeping - and he’d be laying there in his bed like he’d been there all day. Sneaky. He was probably going through our mail too, but I never caught him.

Twan, a Dekalb County police dog, is expected to recover from gunshot wounds received in the line of duty. The dog had surgery Wednesday and required another operation today. But pet owners know that medical expenses — particularly emergency care or surgery — can be pretty costly.

Have you had to pay for emergency vet care? Some people have a “price cap” in mind and even a fund for such situations. Have you set a cap on how much you’re willing to pay?

• For tips on emergency vet care, submit a question to our AJCpets expert.

We asked pet lovers to send in photos of the 11 most popular breeds in metro Atlanta. You responded with amazing Top Breed photos capturing everything from Labradors retrieving to Bulldogs dozing. Now it’s time to peruse a gallery of our favorites. We selected photos that captured the essence of each breed. But we need you to vote for the best photo! CAST YOUR BALLOT today!

Don’t forget, we always need more smiling pet photos, so send in your cats, dogs, gerbils, snakes and even lizards today! Check out these expert tips for taking a great pet photo.

Photo by David Lane / Special

The state of Georgia is just 73 sales short of being able to issue a horse tag. Designed by Marietta artist Andrea Howell, the horse-friendly version won’t go into production unless the state can pre-sell 1,000 tags by Dec. 31. Of course, Georgia already has a dog tag (the one with Buddy, the golden retriever) and a pet tag (showing a dog and cat). Do we need another?

Have you bought a pet tag? If so, why?

If not, what would make you buy one? Are you waiting for a different animal?

We’ve rounded up some of the best pet experts in metro Atlanta. Look for your answers every Monday. Today’s advice comes from Ingrid Johnson. Click here to see all the AJCpets experts. Then submit your question — or advice! — as a comment today.

Q: Hello all. I have 2 cats that grew up together and have always been fine together — Skitz and Daisy. We just recently moved from Connecticut here to Georgia and about a week or so after the settling down and everything, Daisy has gotten very aggressive for no reason. Shes loves, plays with, eats and she sleeps with me every night, wanting to cuddle. But during the day she’s a devil.

We will be playing with Skitz and a rope toy and she comes in attacks him, taking over with the toy and us. She also used to be so good when we were cutting her nails, but now I can’t even touch her — she hisses and tries to attack me. I DO NOT hold her down or anything, I just lightly take her paw LIKE ALWAYS and start to clip. She use to just sit there, now I have to put her in a towel because her nails have gotten so long and sharp, Scruffing her does nothing.
We have tried skiffin her (making a funny noise close to hissing BUT NOT to gain her attention). She looks as us like “I’m not doing anything,” and stops bugging Skitz. But recently that has stopped working all together. We have even gotten to the point we have used a water spray bottle when we are not close enough to deter her from attacking poor Skitz, (who’ I might add is SOOOO docile and starts NOTHING.) We watch them. Skitz will be sleeping, and Daisy just walks into the room attacks him and walks away.

I don’t know what to do. I feel like it was something I did, but day to day it’s normal. Daisy has HER space, a window perch, her own food dish and nippy toys, as does Skitz. The litter box is shared, but it’s funny she waits for him to come out PATIENTLY and then uses it no problem. Leaves him alone. So I don’t think its a litter box thing. That’s the only thing that she DOESN’T attack him while doing.

I don’t know what to do. I love her so much, but shes getting very aggressive. PLEASE HELP ME.
A: Change of environment is one of the most stressful experiences a cat can undergo. Cats are creatures of habit and get very attached to there surroundings. Any time that there is significant change, cats can go through a period where there may be a change in hierarchy, shifting of dominance roles, or simply frustration and stress (and they have to take it out on someone or something).

Daisy should first have a medical evaluation or in this case an aggression exam. Your vet would be looking for anything that may be making her uncomfortable, that coupled with the stress of the move is making her lash out. For example, she could have a urinary tract infection, a bad tooth that hurts, impacted anal glands, skin allergies making her hypersensitive to being touched.

Some cat households also experience what is called “redirected aggression.” There may be a few neighbor cats outside your window that are making Daisy frustrated and the only live target she has is Skitz. If every time she sees or experiences the outside cats (or any unpleasant stimulus) Skitz happens to be around, he becomes a target for her fear or frustration. It usually does not take long before she is beating him up with every interaction they have, as she now associates him with something she does not like.

Most behaviorists should be able to help diagnose and treat this problem, but the sooner it is addressed the more successful the outcome. It is imperative that she has a medical evaluation first, before it is assumed to be behavioral.

One of the easiest and most important things you can do is make life easier for Skitz. This means providing more than enough of their basic needs so they can avoid each other at all costs if they choose to. You said that they have no problems around the litter box — yet! You are lucky, let’s keep it that way.

Have 3 litter boxes in 3 different locations, 2 feeding stations in different areas and the same goes for water, fuzzy beds, and scratching posts. You want to create a non-competitive, non-confrontation environment. If daisy continues to “stalk” Skitz, then your behaviorists can help make other suggestions, but in the mean time do not force them to interact!

Q: I am not a cat hater! I love all animals! However, could you please tell me how to stop my neighbors cats from pooping in MY yard! I don’t want to harm the cats, but it is just not fair to me and my children to have to look out for my neighbors cat poop!
A: Your neighbor’s cat may be marking your yard for a variety of reasons and it is probably considered part of his territory, but you may want to look at where in your yard, specifically, he is going. For example, if it is your nicely tilled veggie garden, it may like the area because the soil is nice and loose and easier to dig in than hard clay. If only a specific area like this is being used, perhaps you could find a way to close it off. This would help with other woodland animals eating the fruits of your labor and help with your neighbor’s cat.
As far as deterring cats from the yard, there are a number of humane deterrents on the market that are motion activated and will beep, spray water, or spray compressed air at trespassers. If you do some research online you will be able to find a number of reasources and maybe your neighbor would be willing to help pay for them, as the cat is ultimately their responsibility.

One company that specializes in “humane animal control” for domestic and non-domestic animals is Contech, and perhaps you could find a retailer in your area. Cats also hate citrus smells and you may want to try leaving some citrus peels around the area the cat is frequenting. Garden supply stores have concoctions that are designed to deter different species with different pepper mixtures. You may want to try both black and cayenne pepper — it is not harmful to the cat, but definately unpleasant. You will have to keep the smell fresh for it to continue to be effective, re-applying after rain etc.

Another trick provided to me by professional gardener Jake Egolf of Keystone Organics, is to place chicken wire (or similar material) underneath your top layer of mulch so when the cat goes to scratch, digging will be unsuccessful and they will move on to a place with more cooperative soil. If you have a cat yourself you may want to try leaving some of your cats litterbox contents in the frequented areas and see if it acts as a deterrant, as if another cat is coming in and marking the territory now. Of course be prepared that this may backfire and encourage the need to re-mark.

Lastly, you may try speaking with your neighbor about the problem. It is possible that they have always wanted to make their cat an indoor-only kitty and do not know the best way to go about making the transition. They are more than welcome to contact me or our hospital about how to make an indoor/outdoor cat an indoor-only cat. Their kitty will likely live longer and be healthier and can still live an enriched, happy life inside.

Photo by iStockphoto.com

When I got married, I had my cat, Lily, and a biting bird named Gizmo. And I feel safe in saying neither would have wanted to attend the big day. But now that I have dogs, too, I’m so jealous of people who can include their pets in their weddings.

I love the little tuxedos and “party dresses” for dogs and more sociable birds. And I’ve seen the little ring pillows you can tie to your dog’s collar. Recently I saw this fabulous “Pet Petal Cart” that you hitch to your dog and it scatters flower petals as the pup walks down the aisle (finally, something that can “out-cute” those toddlers in the wedding). So let me live vicariously. Did you include your pets in your wedding? Tell me about it. And how did it work out? If you have pictures, send them today! Check out a few photos submitted so far.

Also, don’t miss this pet news:

• Labrador Retrievers take the No. 1 spot as most popular breed in metro Atlanta. Don’t miss photos of the city’s finest, including a few that need a forever home. (Gallery 1, Gallery 2)! They are available for adoption through Atlanta Lab Rescue.

• Send pictures of your Labs, your poodles, your kittens and your mixed breeds. We always need more Smiling Pet photos! We also offer expert tips for taking great pet pictures.

• Food banks: Several local food banks offer pet food for those who are affected by the foreclosure crisis. Read about ways that you can help.

• Michael Vick’s pit bulls: See what’s happened to these rehabilitated fighting dogs. Photos capture some of the pit bulls starting a new life.

• Adopt Vegas! Our AHS Pet of the Week is an adorable puppy who needs a forever home.

• T.G.I.F.: Atlanta’s Smiling pets: Take a look at the latest roundup. These pet photos will surely make you smile. Don’t we all need that on a Friday?

• Pet Vent of the Week: We asked if your pet can perform any $250,000 tricks. JJ added this comment:

• About the only things my dogs do on command is breathe. They have that one down pat!!!!! Just kidding……my dogs have no special talents, other than just being their lovable sweet selves…..that’s priceless for me.

Photo by Associated Press

Just when you think they can’t come up with another reality show, they do — and this time they’ve dragged our dogs into into it. The new CBS show Greatest American Dog, which airs at 8 p.m. tonight, has a dozen doting pet owners and their canine pals lodged in a posh house competing for the title of best dog trainer.  The winner walks away with $250,000. Don’t miss video of Tillman, the skating bulldog.

Georgia’s own Victoria Stilwell, star of the Animal Planet show “It’s Me or the Dog” is one of the judges.

Now I know I’m not the best dog trainer, but my dogs can do some cute things, including “Bang. Bang. You’re dead.” (Mini, my Chi-mix, even does a dramatic death circle, before throwing herself on her back with both paws over her head as she dies. It never fails to “kill” her audience.) But I would have bombed if I was in that house. How about you?

Think you and your dog would have had a shot at the $250,000? What cute tricks does your dog know? Would you be willing to move into a house with other dog owners to compete for the cash prize?

Photos by CBS