Paws of Happiness

Owning a dog is an enormous responsibility. Not only physically but financially. As a person that’s considered low income, dog mom life is expensive but worth it in every right. I thought I would share some tips and tricks on how I afford the dog mom lifestyle. First of all, I utilize low-cost veterinary services. Such as spay/neuter, shots, basically the basics of dog medical without the high expense of veterinarians. The services are short, sweet, and to the point, they have restriction on days and times, and of course they’re very basic. But they are a considerable amount cheaper than going to your normal veterinary appointments for issues that are basic and simple such as shots, heartworm tests, and they even sometimes sell your basic medical products such as flea medication, heart worm preventative, and worm medication. They can also cut nails and clean ears. Their prices are a considerable amount cheaper than your regular veterinarian. The service is designed to help people be better pet owners. Sometimes they operate out of motor vehicles or maybe have short-term services but they’re definitely helpful. Some people reject the services because they feel like the veterinarian staff at these places are not good enough but I have found them to be extremely helpful. Another thing I do is I do not purchase items from small businesses or privately owned corporations normally. I have nothing against small businesses but their prices seem to be a little more than I can afford. So walmart and chewy.com are mostly where I get pet products. Sometimes I find the odd harness or dog bone at T.J. Maxx. When I absolutely have to, I might go to Petsmart but mostly when I go there I shop on their clearance rack. When it comes to veterinary services, I shopped around and found the lowest Vet that I could find with good reviews and good bedside manner. If the vet is cheap but not very good at their job it’s pointless. So I found an older Vet that had been in office for a long time as well as he is a second generation vet which is always good. His dad had a good reputation as well. So his prices are low but his ethics are impeccable and his bedside manner is terrific. Also, when it comes to veterinary care I do what is necessary and my veterinarian is on board with that decision. I don’t do a lot of extras but I do what’s important and what I need. I also shop for the best deals on medication for my dogs. My vet is also on board with that so I found that going through an online pharmacy like chewy.com is cheaper for all the medicine that they need.

When I need a product for the dogs, I research it and try to find the best deal. I have a budget for the dogs each month and I put whatever I need on a budget. If the budget money runs out then I have to wait till the next time to get that product. I put things in order of necessity. Sometimes I don’t get the brand that I like or the one that I would like. I also keep prices in my mind that way if I’m out and I find the same product for a lower price I can grab it. Not to say that I’ll be able to do that every time I need that product but every little bit helps. Example: I was in the store called five below where everything is five dollars or less. I saw the dogs water additive that keeps their breath fresh and their teeth in good health. I bought the Arm and Hammer brand and it’s about four dollars a bottle and I saw it at five below for the same price. I went ahead and grabbed it so that I would not have to add it to my Chewy cart.

I know that clothing for dogs is not a necessity but some breeds benefit from having clothing. Also, sweaters and shirts may help if you’re like me and run your air conditioner a lot or it gets cold in the winter. Some of my dogs actually shiver. I find clothing on sale at chewy.com mostly but occasionally I’ll find something at TJ Maxx or something like that. It’s all about clearance racks and finding a deal.

When it comes to flea preventative it’s expensive. I found that using the cheaper end is not helpful. It does not do the job. So I usually invest in a flea collar, I know expensive, expensive, especially the brand that I get but when you average the cost by month it is pretty cheap. Research flea products and just try to find the best deal you can without suffering from the effect of it please.

I’ve also gone to thrift stores for dog products although you have to be careful. I found clothing, collars, leashes, things like that. Just make sure they’re clean, I usually do not take anything that does not look new. The things I bought still have price tags on them even though they were in the thrift store. Also dog crates. If you get those second hand, which a lot of people do, sometimes the safety is compromised. Dogs chew on them or break out of them or mess up things. I would much rather get a new one that I knew that was in good shape and if there was something wrong with it I could return it. Of course I go to chewy.com for all my dog crates.

As far as dog food a good brand of dog food is expensive. I make my own which in some ways is expensive and then other ways is cheap. I get to control what’s in their bowl and I can rotate things. Of course, I shop at Sam’s Club for a lot of my vegetables and meat. I also shop at Walmart. I’ve also shopped at produce stands and discount grocery stores. When it comes to actual dog kibble, of course chewy.com is the place to go but any that has dog food on sale would probably be a good option.

I personally am not an Amazon shopper but I would imagine you could find a lot of things on Amazon. I have purchased some doggy clothing and they have a brand of dog food that I tried out for a while. I would just be careful buying flea prevention, medication, or anything the dog has to ingest. Be careful who you’re actually getting it from. Anyone can send their stuff to Amazon and it can say Amazon on it. So I would just be careful when buying from any third party entity.

Dog toys. Most of my dogs are not really into toys but I have an active terrier who loves toys. I usually get hers at walmart. I shop at chewie.com for toys that are on sale. I’ve also found good toys at T.J. Maxx.

My dogs love bones. I usually get those at Walmart, chewy.com, and big lots.

My dogs all love bones. I usually get them at walmart,tu.com, and big lots. I try to get the safe healthy ones and they have a great time with them.

As far as water bowls food bowls usually chewy.com is the best although places like T.J. Maxx sometimes have good deals. I like to get stainless steel. Easy to clean, less bacteria, and they last forever. Yes I do go to the dollar store or the dollar tree occasionally but the things there are not a good quality, usually not safe, and really do not last very long. On what you need an

As far as hygiene items for dogs. Brushes, combs, shampoo. Again I get those at chewy.com. Although sometimes you can find those on sale at pet stores. In a pinch, I guess Walmart will work. I have my own clippers that I bought at Walmart. When it comes to a groomer, I find a good one, cheap, in good proximity to my home, as well as doing good work. A cheap haircut is worthless unless it’s a good haircut. So I will go a further distance or pay a few dollars more to get a haircut that looks good.

Classes are not as a

Training. You need training. All dogs need to dogs need tobe trained. If you know anything about dogs you will agree with this. I feel like going to a trainer is a good option. Especially if it’s a trainer that works with you as well as your dog. The group classes are more effective financially.found a class that’s inexpensive and close to my house. The board and train programs to me do not help because you need to know what to do with your dog and they’re insanely expensive. I would never consider one of those. As far as white pick up bag. As a child we always recycled our Walmart or grocery waste pick up bags

When I was a kid we used recycled grocerystore bags. Which is always an option, but nowadays you can find waste bags for dogs everywhere. Anywhere from the dollar tree, to Walmart, to T.J. Maxx. It’s easy to find them and unless you want something super fancy you can get them inexpensively. Of course you can get them from chewie.com and I have but you don’t have to there’s plenty of places that have them pretty cheap. My local dog park has free ones that you use while you’re at the park. Pet sitters, dog walkers, and boarding. For the most part nowadays I take my dog with me. When you do travel with Dog sometimes there is an extra expense in bringing your dog to the hotel or a cabin. But sometimes that’s cheaper than paying a pet sitter dog walker or boarding facility. I have found that veterinarians tend to be cheaper as far as boarding, but they’re not really interacting with the dogs much. Mostly they’re staying in a cage. If you use a private pet sitter they’re going to be insanely expensive but they’re going to give your dog more one on one time. The third choice would be someone coming to your home to let your dog out. Sometimes you can get a friend or family member to do this and of course that would be cheap that’s not always a good option it just depends on what your resources are. I’ve done a little of all three. I prefer now to bring my dog with me.Pet sitters, dog walkers, and boarding. For the most part nowadays I take my dog with me. When you do travel with Dog sometimes there is an extra expense in bringing your dog to the hotel or a cabin. But sometimes that’s cheaper than paying a pet sitter dog walker or boarding facility. I have found that veterinarians tend to be cheaper as far as boarding, but they’re not really interacting with the dogs much. Mostly they’re staying in a cage. If you use a private pet sitter they’re going to be insanely expensive but they’re going to give your dog more one on one time. The third choice would be someone coming to your home to let your dog out. Sometimes you can get a friend or family member to do this and of course that would be cheap that’s not always a good option it just depends on what your resources are. I’ve done a little of all three. I prefer now to bring my dog with me. And you can help with her dental care with this. I usechewy.com for all the dental needs that I have. Doggy dental care. There are ways to help your dogs dental health. Dental treats that you can get almost anywhere. walmart, chewie.com. Dental additive you can put in water you can find that almost anywhere. Also brushing their teeth. If you’re going to use toothpaste it Hass to be doggy toothpaste but that is not so expensive. I have found it at chewie.com but if you cannot afford that you can just use a doggy toothbrush which is really cheap and some water. Owning a dog is not cheap but there are definitely ways to cut corners and make it a little more affordable. The important part is to remember not to compromise your dogs health well-being or safety when you’re cutting corners financially

I’ve always wanted to volunteer helping out with the Dog community. I’ve always had a heart for senior dogs and dogs that do not have homes. I have always been a fighter for the underlings of society and always wanted to help out but did not know how. I assumed to foster a dog you must be rich. That’s not true. I feel like to foster a dog you must have a heart for dogs, you must have time, and you must have a little bit of understanding about dogs. Although you can learn a lot as you go. You must be committed to love, support, and educate yourself on dogs. Pretty much that’s all you need. I am going to be honest and say really and truly fostering is not 100% free. There’s always charges or things that you do not consider. Also, you have to consider how far into the foster game you want to invest.

I’m going to tell you the truth. Fostering is a lovely thing to do and I love it. It is a wonderful way to learn about dog breeds, expand your knowledge about dogs, and just spend time with dogs. I’ve learned you have to know what you want and what your limits are. That is super important. Another thing is if you have existing dogs in the home, you have to make sure the situation is good for all of the dogs-not just the fosters-but also, your personal dogs because they need to come first. Sometimes the people in charge will try to do whatever they can to help the dogs even if it’s not the best thing for the fosters. I’m sure they do not do this on purpose, but when you’re in a high stress situation sometimes you forget details or sometimes you do not look at how the whole thing is going to affect someone else. So you need to know from day one how much you can spend and if you can spend anything. I’m not saying that you have to be able to spend money on things if you foster because you don’t. But you need to make that known upfront because some places will push you to provide the food for your fosters and if you are not willing to do that, you need to make sure that’s known upfront and find a place that does provide food. You also need to make sure you have the food at the time you have the dog. You need to make sure you know exactly where you go to get the food, how you will obtain the food, and make sure it’s present. You also need to make sure if it’s a situation where you buy the food and they pay you back that they will tell you how they’re going to do this and how long it’s going to take to get your money back. Fortunately, all of the places that I have fostered for have provided food. So I have not really had to worry about that but there have been some situations where I had to figure out where to go to get the food. My biggest expense lately with fostering has been gas money. A lot of the places expect you to do a lot of travel. For some people that’s not a big deal but with the rising gas prices and the way things are and depending on where you live that could be hard. You need to make sure that you have a gas budget or you tell them, “Now, let’s talk about the miscellaneous”. Do you have an extra food or water bowl for the foster because you probably do not want them sharing with your existing dogs. I understand all my dogs share a water bowl and they do not mind if the fosters drink out of it, but you never know what you’re dealing with with a foster so it’s just best for them to have their own things. That is something that I pretty much just provide it on my own and will keep at my house because it wasn’t a huge deal but it was an expense. They need to provide all transportation. Some foster organizations for dogs will provide transport to different things and some do not. You just need to know what your limits are and what’s good for your family. My recent foster is a lot bigger than my existing dogs so I had to make sure I had a larger food and water bowl for her. I had the food bowl but I didn’t have a water bowl. Another thing is treats. Do you give your dogs treats? Well, the foster is going to need treats as well. If you’re giving out treats it’s going to be hard not to have some for the foster so you need to budget for extra treats. Again, not a huge thing for my budget and I didn’t mind but it’s just one of those things. I also want to talk about the investment of time you will be spending on the foster. Make sure you have some one on one time with your own dog so they do not feel left out. Example: I do not usually like for the foster dogs to sleep in my bed. That’s normally reserved for my personal dogs.

I also try to spend time just with my personal pack. I take them on outings, to the park, to obedience class, or maybe to a pet store–just to let them know they’re still my number one dogs. Of course you need to realize fosters are often not trained and have been through a lot. They might destroy things, they might make messes on the floor. It’s important to have natures miracle or carpet cleaner or things on hand to clean up any messes they may make and of course doggy-proof your home to the best of your ability. I know when you have dogs you have to account for things like this but be extra diligent when foster’s are on the prowl. Also, when fostering, have a list of things that you will not accept or pay for. Example: I have a firm rule that any dog who comes to my home must be on flea preventative.

I will not deal with a flea infestation in my home or on my dogs. So before entering my door they have to have flea preventative. That is something I will not budge on. I have not had a huge problem with this with a couple of places that I’ve fostered through but I have had to reiterate it multiple times. I’ve learned dealing with the rescue is much different than dealing with the shelter. I have fostered through both. Keep in mind, the dog might have needs that may not be fulfilled in your home.

One thing they may require of you is travel. Another thing about rescues is a lot of people run those out of their homes so it’s easier for them to call you. You can call a cell phone or you can ask them questions or they seem to be a little more personal. You also have a little more communication with them because it’s not terribly formal. So if you don’t mind travel or getting items and getting reimbursed, a rescue might be best for you. It also seems to me that when it comes to a rescue, a lot of people do things out of their own pocket just because they want to which is great but sometimes people can’t afford that. A lot of rescues are completely foster based so there’s not a building and sometimes dogs have to be scrambled. I will add if you’re going on vacation it’s important to let whoever you’re fostering through know that because if it’s a foster-based organization they’re going to have to find other accommodations for your dog.

OK, now I’m going to talk about fostering through a shelter. I have not done this a whole lot but these are the things I’ve learned so far. Usually the shelter has items on hand to give the fosters so when you’re picking up the dog you’ll get the things that you need. They seem to be a lot more understanding about not having everything you need yourself and not being able to pay for it. If they have it they’re usually willing to give it to you. The first time I picked up a dog from a shelter I was given blankets, a bowl for food and water, a leash, flea preventative, and lots of food. I was very excited that I was offered all the things that I would need to take care of him and it made the process a lot easier. They even offered me a crate. The downsides of a shelter are that you cannot communicate with them after business hours, you cannot communicate with them on holidays, and you have less hands-on involvement as far as making decisions and medical care is very limited. You might very well bring home a dog that’s not been spayed or neutered, has not had it shots, and might have other medical issues going on. Of course you’re not expected to pay for them but it can be difficult to watch a dog have issues. Twice, I brought home dogs from shelters with medical issues. One of them had actually had a veterinarian volunteer their services to take care of its medical issues but it was on a strict diet with restrictions and some of the info that the shelter had been given was incorrect. Example: they were told the dog could have marshmallows for a snack because it had severe food allergies. Marshmallows contain xylitol which is poisonous to dogs. Another dog that I brought home from the shelter to foster had severe dental issues and ended up having to get seven teeth pulled. It was very hard watching her suffer and try to eat. They gave me food from the shelter that she could not even eat. She could not chew it. So, fortunately, I was able to get a rescue to take her in and they were able to reimburse me for buying food that she could eat. I was glad about that situation. Shelters are not always clean. I worked on behalf of a rescue and went into a shelter to get some dogs that they were going to take to the rescue. The smell and the noise were overwhelming so be prepared as not all shelters are clean, good environments for dogs. Also, dog testing is very important. Make sure the Foster Dog and your dog get along OK before you bring them home. It’s important to bring your dog with you to meet the Foster to make sure everyone’s going to get along OK because you do not want anyone getting hurt. The rescue I worked for did their own dog testing and then after I worked for them a while, I did my own dog testing because I’m studying to be a canine specialist and it was just another field that I could learn from. I will say dog testing is extremely important. Sometimes the shelters do not recommend the dog testing but I recommend it every time. I also want to say no matter where you get your Foster Dog from, be careful. I would not leave them alone with your personal dogs at first. Make sure you observe them, observe them, and observe some more before you leave them alone together and I still would not recommend it. I would say crating is a must when you foster. Either crate the foster dogs or your own personal dogs just to ensure everyone safety. Also, another good practice when you bring your Foster Dog home is to put them in a crate or somewhere alone. What I normally do is put the dog in a crate or somewhere alone to decompress and I go check on them every 30 minutes or an hour. Offer them treats, talk to them, and reassure them that everything‘s going to be OK. Usually food gets to them and they start to trust me. Not all dogs are food motivated though. Also make sure you feed everyone separately. Even if your dogs eat together fine. Which mind you, a Foster Dog mixed into their feeding schedule might make things a little crazy. Some foster dogs have been starved so food is very important and they might try to take your dogs food which will lead to arguments. The shelter environment can be extremely stressful and sometimes good dogs exhibit negative behaviors when they’re in the shelter. Also your house, your dog, the ride home, and everything in between is overwhelming to them and probably they are under a lot of stress. Just give them some time to settle in before you mix them into the whole pack. Adding the foster dog into the pack makes the dynamic totally different. Sometimes they struggle with resource guarding or because of the fact that they have been starved they tend to be overzealous when it comes to food and they might try to take your dogs food which will lead to arguments. I will also say most of my Foster Dog‘s have came to me with some type of worm. The shelters are not so good about giving preventative or things like that so be careful with your own personal dogs. Of course it’s good to have them on a heartworm preventative but I know sometimes financially that’s not feasible for everyone so be careful about that issue. You might have to give your dog a dewormer when you have Foster Dog‘s. Definitely consult with your veterinarian about this practice and make sure everyone stays safe. And I would say you probably will not be eligible to foster if your dogs are not spayed or neutered but you never know what different places require I just think it’s a good practice–you don’t want any accidents. Flea preventative. I would also recommend that your dogs be on a good flea preventative because you never know where these dogs are coming from. I would also recommend that they be on a flea preventative because you don’t know what your neighbors dogs have or what your yard might have even if you keep it clean and do the best you can. I would also recommend that your dogs be on heartworm preventative. But I know that’s not always possible for everyone but you definitely need to make sure your dogs are protected against anything. Another disclaimer, I would not foster a dog for a friend or someone you don’t know. It’s best to go through an organization whether that be a rescue or a shelter or somewhere with funds and resources to help you. It’s hard to foster on your own. I took in a dog from a person I did not know that was in a bad situation and I had to scramble to find resources to provide for shots and things like that. I was able to find what I needed but then the dog ended up being aggressive and I had to return it to her. Thankfully, or otherwise I don’t know what I would’ve done. If you see any aggression in your Foster Dog do not take it. I will say that again if your Foster Dog exhibits any sort of aggression do not take it. Sometimes shelters are not exactly honest about a dog. It’s fine to say I cannot handle this dog. Even if the dog is good. Do not take on something you feel that you cannot handle or that is making you uncomfortable. When I picked up the dog from the individual that wasn’t through an organization it exhibited some aggression the first day. I picked it up and I ignored it and let it go and it got worse. These things usually do not get better and also, if you are not equipped to handle one aggressive dog do not try to take it on. Now if you’re a trainer and have some experience and want to try to take that on just make sure you know what you’re doing and you’re consulting with the agency you’re fostering through and making sure it’s the best situation for everyone. Make sure your dogs are dog friendly. Not all dogs are dog friendly and it took me years to find that out. I’ve always had dog friendly dogs. We go to the park they like other dogs a lot. So it’s not a problem in my home but not everyone has a dog friendly dog and fostering might not be the thing for you if you do not. Do not be afraid to say what you’re good at. I prefer older dogs. I do not enjoy puppies so I do not take puppies and I’ve made that clear several times that’s just not my thing and I do not feel like I would be good at it. It’s OK to say that. Everyone is different and what they can handle is different. A lot of the fun of fostering is that it’s a practice session. You can consider it a trial run on whether having a dog is right for you–all of the fun without the financial responsibility.

I know some dogs can be challenging. I know you go through a lot with a dog and you wonder, “What am I doing wrong? Why is my dog doing these things?” Sometimes you can see a behaviorist or a trainer but not everyone has that at their disposal, and sometimes those things do not work. My dog, Olivia, came to me in October of 2018. She had actually been my friend’s dog for over a year, but my friend was at her wits end with Olivia. Olivia had been abandoned with her owner passing away in 2017. I named her Olivia. We do not know what her first owner called her. I felt like because she came to my home, she needed a new start and a new name. So in October of 2018, she became Olivia. Olivia has debilitating separation anxiety. It took a long time to figure this out. At her last home, she destroyed crates, but again, I thought maybe I could do some thing different to help her. When she came to me, I immediately got toys and things for her to chew on because I thought that was the problem. At first that did help. She did a lot better with having things to stimulate her mind. I tried to get her more exercise because she’s an active dog. She loves to jump and she can jump so high. Also, she loves to run. So I thought that I could help her. She did fine for a while but after a while, she started to destroy things–household things like headphones and blankets. Forget trying to put anything cozy in her crate with her because it gets destroyed. I did take her to obedience class and she did fine. I have been working with her at home on simple obedience. It took a while at first. She would not respond to any of the commands and she’s not especially food motivated. So I thought this dog has some sort of a learning block. No, I took her to class and she did all the pieces like we had been doing obedience forever. My area does not have a behaviorist and online training would not work for our family situation or structure. So I’m on my own. Remember, she also has a strong prey drive. She chases mice and feral cats which are frequent in my area. She has destroyed drywall and flooring which are very expensive to repair.

Olivia, at one point, was tethered to me all night long just to make sure she did not destroy anything. Of course being tethered to me helped her. At the time I should’ve thought that this was separation anxiety because being tethered to me was great for her but I didn’t even think about it. She can be a little snappy when she’s guarding her food , and she gets very excited when friends come over and can be a little mouthy. She’s not like that with me, though, which is really strange. So this dog is definitely very challenging. She even got out of the dog park fence. She is an escape artist. She has escaped out of crates. Basically, she has destroyed and escaped from three crates in three months. I cannot even put her in a crate anymore. I even tried blocking the crate. She still escaped. So a month ago I made a very controversial decision. I went to visit a friend and the separation anxiety got so bad she lost her mind every time I left the room. So I took her to the vet and put her on medication. It is called reconcile. Hopefully things will get better. Yes, I thought about rehoming her but I did not think that would be good for her. I do not think anyone can handle the things that she does. Plus, we have a really good bond. She is a sweet dog and as long as I’m home with her, she’s very independent. She does not usually have a problem when I leave the room unless I shut the door. Then, she goes crazy.

Dog responsibility

As dog owners we have a responsibility to them. To sacrifice for them, love them and sure that they have the best quality of life possible. We cannot put our once and needs above those of our dog. It has to be a balance. If owning a dog is making you miserable or unhappy then you do not need to own a dog. If you are making your dog miserable or unhappy again you do not need to own a dog. You have to have a harmonious balance to make the relationship successful.I have found a lot of people go into relationships with a significant other who does not want a dog. First of all if owning a dog is important to you and you feel strongly about the relationship you have with your dog. Why on earth would you want to be with someone who doesn’t understand that or want to understand that? First of all I would imagine someone who has a dog needs to be in a relationship with someone who loves dogs just as much if not more than they do. It would probably be even better to be in a relationship with someone who already has an existing dog of course then you have the blended family issues of making sure both dogs get along. Bad scenario would be, the relationship ends over negative issues with the dogs or the person is resentful of the dog. The best case scenario would be the person who does not like dogs becomes a major dog lover and I’m not going to say that never happens but probably rarely. If you are a proud dog owner do not be ashamed. Hold your head up high and let the world know that is where you stand and you’re not budging. Yes it causes strange looks, ridicule,condescension and sometimes people tell you you’re crazy but at the end of the day you’re going to snuggle with that dog and those people are going to be far far away not caring what you do. The child might have special developmental or medical needs that are going to take so much of the mothers time. The dog might start to have issues. I know for myself when I had my son after having a dog it was a huge adjustment and my dog probably didn’t get as much time and attention as she did before. It was hard adjusting to being the mom of a dog and a mom of a colicky baby. It was difficult and I’m sorry to say shortly after my son was born my dog developed glaucoma and went blind. I was so upset that I didn’t notice and maybe I could or could not have prevented what happened but it was a hard thing to deal with. Then you should consider that when you get a dog. It is a huge responsibility to have both children and dogs and yes many people do it and do it well but some people cannot handle high pressure situation. I would not judge someone who made the decision to rehome their dog after having a child. Especially if they did it responsibly. Yes there are many dogs dying in shelters and homeless but at the end of the day if this person feels like their dogs quality of life is going down the drain because of having a baby it would be best for that dog to have a better home and be better off without that person.Then you should consider that when you get a dog. It is a huge responsibility to have both children and dogs and yes many people do it and do it well but some people cannot handle high pressure situation. I would not judge someone who made the decision to rehome their dog after having a child. Especially if they did it responsibly. Yes there are many dogs dying in shelters and homeless but at the end of the day if this person feels like their dogs quality of life is going down the drain because of having a baby it would be best for that dog to have a better home and be better off without that person. We should never judge others because we do not know what they’re going through. The best thing is to try to rehome responsibly and try to find the best situation for your dog possible. Definitely do not put them in a worse situation than they’re in with you. That would be the number one thing. Make sure they go up not down.

Have a positive attitude to receive new information and always act in the best interest of your dog.

In the beginning I was a person who would leave my dog with anybody who was willing to take care of them. I mean if they seemed OK then I would trust them. I would use boarding kennels, grooming facilities that boarded dogs, you name it. Anywhere that said that they were able to take care of my dog and seemed OK, I would leave my dog there. As you can imagine, that did not always work out okay. I found out that boarding facilities like veterinarians keep the dogs in a cage. Sometimes they came home smelling terrible. You don’t know what kinds of things they were exposed to because, think about it, they’re pretty much around sick animals. They didn’t get very much attention and, once, I knew a girl who worked at a vet that pretty much said that she went in on the weekends and let out the dogs but she told me later on that she really did not go. Now, that wasn’t my vet and it wasn’t my dogs but still, how many times does that happen? No one ever caught her or called her out on her dishonesty. Then, there is a well-intentioned neighbor or friend that takes care of your dog just to be helpful. I came home to foul-smelling homes where dogs had accidents because of not being let out. I’m so glad none of my dogs got sick or injured during that time because the people that were taking care of them were not very attentive. I think bare minimal care was done. One time, I came home to the fact that my dog had just been put out permanently while I was gone so the person did not have to come back. I will also say just because your friend has a dog does not mean they take good care of their dog or that they will take good care of your dog! When you start noticing, you realize how unfair people treat their dogs. You start thinking “poor dog”, and you never want them to take care of your dog. It’s very important to watch people with their own animals because that will show you how they will take care of yours. Diligent people are going to want good reviews so they’re going to try to stay on the up and up. There’s always a bad egg in every bunch so definitely check it out, but I’m just saying it seems like that’s the most accountable way to go. Another thing is, a professional pet sitter is going to be on their best behavior in your home for the most part and is going to really care about doing a good job. If the dog comes to their home, they’re gonna usually treat it like they do their own dogs and it’s going to get lots of love and attention. Like I said, there’s a bad egg in every bunch so be careful. I have had bad experiences with friends taking care of my dogs, of course, and I’ve had bad experiences with boarding kennels. It’s very hard for me to leave my dogs behind and I prefer traveling with them. That’s a choice that I choose to make. I really do enjoy my time away if my dogs are nearby and I’m the one taking care of them. I like staying in cabins or condos but not all dogs are good with that sort of situation. I have found with my smaller dogs if I’m going to be out of the cabin or condo a lot during the day, it is best for them to go somewhere else because they need more attention, potty breaks more often, and they tend to get into mischief. So, it’s best for them to stay wherever they can get the most one on one attention or supervision. For my shelties, they have anxiety and are a little less trusting so it’s best for them to be with me. They don’t care if I’m gone for six hours as long as they’re fed and have potty breaks. They’re more content to snuggle with me at night or to know that I’m coming back and be able to smell all my things. They don’t mind traveling and they usually do not get into mischief. So they’re happier in the cabin or condo and they enjoy the vacations. Something I consider when I take them with me is whether they need a crate with me or not. I like to take some of their blankets with me that smell like home. Of course I bring the normal things like food, bowls, leashes, things like that. I also have seatbelts for them to be fastened in the car so they’ll be safe.

I was the type of person that felt like dog kibble from the bag was the best choice. Cooking homemade dog food and making treats was so far from anything I would imagine. I was the type who would say “That’s not me. That’s not what I’m about.” I never fed my dogs table food but my dogs were always overweight. Also, then, my dog started getting sick. I lost one of my dogs to lung cancer at age 9. I lost another one of my dogs to kidney failure at age 12 and then nine months later, another one to kidney failure at age 10. I started thinking that I needed to change up some things. People would talk about healthier lifestyles for our dogs. I thought that was a bunch of garbage. Just people that had too much time and obviously more money than I had to be going off on tangents like this. I always said I would never have homemade dog food or treats and that the stuff that you can buy at Walmart was just as good as anything else. Now I did think some brands of dog food were better than others and I never bought the bottom of the barrel brands. Yet, I thought, “Well, it’s dog food, right? It must be best, right?” After several of my dogs passed away I thought about changing out the way I did things. I started researching. The first implementation was to go to filtered water or bottled water because I had a bichon with terrible tear staining. I got her at age 4 so it was already started but still I heard that it would help. After that, just slow changes. Trying to make sure I bought healthier dog food. Looking at ingredients. Looking at nutritional ratings. I learned that dog food was not regulated. I mean there’s no standard. After that I realize the dog foods that I would like to purchase I could not afford. So then I started looking at making homemade treats and that did help. I saw changes in my dogs and they loved their new treats. I started using gluten-free flour eggs, fruits and veggies, oatmeal, and rice to make treats which they loved. Other people started loving them as well. I began researching and learning that homemade food would help. Commercial dog food has a lot of ingredients in it, and a lot of things that are counterproductive.

Some of the health conditions that dog‘s face today such as cancer, kidney disease, diabetes–all of those can be helped by a better diet. I started out with treats made with gluten-free flour, eggs, oats, fruits, and vegetables. Then, I started dehydrating green beans in the oven for a snack. I started giving them blueberries. All of those habits formed into the healthier dog food lifestyle. Then the healthier dog food like crockpot, lightly-cooked meals with chicken/beef liver or turkey, eggs, rice, and vegetables. I prefer fresh, but canned will work as long as they have no sodium and are thoroughly rinsed.

In my life I have always had overweight dogs. Even the one dog I had during my childhood, a beagle mix, was overweight. I always saw an overweight dog as a well-cared-for-dog.

As an adult, I’ve gotten several dogs and of course they were all overweight. From my Chihuahua mix, to my sheep dog mix, on down to my Shetland Sheep dogs. All overweight. Some overweight to the point where they had very bad arthritis and had trouble walking. Most people assume the overweight dogs were the result of overfeeding, too many treats, or something like that or possibly too much table food. No, none of that was going on.

Feedings were limited. I did not give any table food, and treats were definitely only given every once in a while, yet still my dogs were very overweight. I found that my dogs were not getting enough exercise and I lived in a neighborhood that did not provide opportunities for much walking. Through research and time, I learned that being overweight could lead to a lot of bad health conditions such as heart problems or hypertension. For nine months, I have been feeding my dogs human grade, cooked food from the crockpot.

Years ago, I learned that the dog treats were not very healthy. A lot of processing. So I started having homemade treats baked in the oven using fruits and vegetables and gluten-free flour. Now that I’ve started to feed them human grade food, all my dogs are examples of healthy weight and thriving. Their coats are shiny and some of their coats are completely different than they were on processed dog food. Their energy levels are even higher.

So my friends John and Paula Crawford and I were sitting around one evening and we wanted to write a song about our dogs and this is the happy result!

We hope you enjoy our little song!

My dogs have taught me so much. Tabby is happy all the time and loves everyone. She’s taught me so much about love and acceptance. My dogs have also taught me about forgiveness. Most of them have came from less than favorable situations but yet they still love, trust and enjoy life. I’ve been researching how to care for them better and inevitably becoming a better dog guardian. All this education inspired me to go to school to be a canine specialist. Not only that, I decided to start learning how to train my dogs. I wanted to learn about every aspect of my dogs life and care. Dogs have emotional needs, physical needs and basic needs. Training is a necessity not a specialty. For a long time, I thought that only smart, inventive people could train dogs. That is definitely not the case. Everyone can and should train their dogs. It might not be easy but it is definitely worth it and the payoff is a measurable. That is a reflection of the way I have stuck with training and taught her the skills to be a better canine citizen. Well, there’s only one thing to do–get on the ball and get things going in a better direction, helping her to be better. Not only that, she loves to learn so I’m sure it’s going to be fun for her. You do not have to use aversive negative punishment techniques to train a dog. I am a firm believer in positive training. I feel like it is successful and useful.