D magazine in Dallas is hosting a contest to pick the city’s cutest dog. We think every city should get in on the act and celebrate the beauty of four-legged friends. Though we could live without the “survival” bit in the name as it might make the runners-up think they’re in for a dire fate.

Ready to serve your best pal a nice cold one? Well a fellow in Oregon has just created Dawg Grog for thirsty pups. No worry, it’s alcohol-free, so you’re dog is free to drive after a drink.

As you ring in the New Year tonight, consider a few resolutions focused on your dog’s care in the year ahead.

Drug and bomb-sniffing dogs are renowned for the powers of their sensitive noses. A hospital in The Netherlands decided to use the superior canine sense of smell to sniff out a bacterial infection that plagues patients in long-term medical facilities ranging from hospitals to nursing homes. Early results show that dogs are faster and cheaper at detecting the infections than traditional medical means. Read more here.

Groucho Marx famously said he wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have him as a member. Well, now there’s a new dog club opening in NYC that makes membership so elusive, Marx would give it a thumbs up. The Ruff Club requires prospective dog members to pass a background check regarding health and behavior as well as a 90-minute observation session in the club’s glassed-off playpen. If Fido passes, his owner gets use of a club café with WiFi, coffee and easy viewing into the playpen, as well as the option to purchase daycare and boarding services when needed. Read all about it here.

A team of comfort dogs from the midwest arrived in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday to provide Sandy Hook survivors with gentle, quiet support.  Sometimes a lick or tail wag can provide a boost that words just can’t.

A new breed of service dog is making great strides in protecting Type 1 diabetics from dangerous insulin fluctuations. The dogs can smell changes in their human’s blood sugar level and bark to alert them when its getting too high or low. The dogs are faster and more accurate at detecting these dangerous changes than any medical device out there. Find out more here.

This just in from the BBC—a story on a New Zealand adopt-a-pet program that’s teaching dogs how to drive cars–rather than chase them. We just hope the dogs are comfortable behind the wheel.