Nahla Sprained Her Tail...Yeah..You Read That Right

This weekend Nahla had a very unusual occurrence. She had wagged so hard that she sprained her own tail. She is part pitbull, as you know owners usually crop pitbulls' tails otherwise they resemble a whip. Well Nahla was almost a year old when we adopted her and so her tail is the natural length. At 4:30 in the morning she jumped off the bed and went to shake, all of a sudden she started crying and wouldn't let us touch her tail. We searched for a cut or a bite and couldn't find anything. She curled up next to me and went back to sleep.  Below is a picture of Nahla laying down on her bed watching tv while C was putting ice on her tail.

The next morning, Nahla's tail was twice its normal size and in a weird position. When she tried to wag she would cry. It wasn't broken or dislocated, it was just swollen. We wrapped her tail in ice for most of the day while she slept. I had never heard of a dog wagging their tail so hard they sprained it. She was in a lot of pain and understood that she couldn't play. The next day she was much better and could wag her tail just fine. Strangest thing I have ever had happen to one of our dogs.
 Below is a picture of my nephew trying to comfort Nahla, the poor baby.

Obesity (not just for humans)

Obesity is a growing problem here in the United States. Not only in humans, but their pets as well. Sometimes we love them so much and they give us those eyes and act like they are starving we just have to give them a little bit of our bacon. 

Well as much as we love them. Refraining from sharing food with our beloved pets is actually better for them. Everyone knows dogs need plenty of exercise, but another big portion of your pooch's health is what it eats and how much it eats. As I have stated before, I am a big fan of organic dog food as well as making your own dog food. However both options can cost a bit of money so regular dog food is okay if you must. 

Use a measuring cup to measure how much dog food your pup is getting daily and follow the suggested portion sizes along the back of the bag of food. 

Healthy Eating (For Your Dog)!

The one thing we want most for our dogs is that they remain happy and healthy. Often times though between the organic dog food and the vet visits, we are spending more money that what we have. When it comes to dog food, we have the choice to either spend $100 or feed our dogs overly processed garbage, which leads to them either being obese, or having health issues which in turn means more vet visits which means we would be spending the money we saved on dog food at the vet.

However, there is a third option many of you have probably not considered, or think you don't have time. You spend the time to cook a healthy well-balanced meal for your family, why not do the same for your dog. It is true there are a few foods that your dog should stay far away from and you may think you don't want to risk it. Think of these foods as more of an allergy.

I suggest you check out secrets of making dog food at home for great recipes and tips. If you have a dog that is over weight or you are concerned about becoming over weight, check out the healthy dog diet for excellent tips on how to keep your pooch at a healthy happy weight.

Vet Visits

 Vet visits aren't fun for anyone. By the end, your pet i traumatized, your wallet is empty and your pet now has trust issues. Especially if your cat ends up being the only cat in a waiting room full of dogs. Cleo still doesn't trust me and that was a month ago.

Our husky, Simba stared at me the whole way home. Don't believe me? Below is a pictiure.

 

"I trusted you."

Or maybe your dog doesn't mind the vet and enjoys getting out of the house. (Unlikely but very possible, much like Nahla)

She just chills on the floor wagging her tail the entire time. 

No matter if your dog loves or hates visiting the vet, it always costs you money. Yesterday Nahla went in for her vaccines. 

Although you can't always save money on vet visits, sometimes you just have to shell out the dough so Fido can be happy and healthy. However, if they are annual vaccines or tests, I suggest you make an appointment as soon as you receive the reminder that they will be needing those soon. That way you can schedule one or two early and separate the visits so that you aren't having to spend hundreds of dollars at one time. 

DIY Dog Treats

Why spend so much money on expensive, processed and otherwise unhealthy dog treats when you can make your own! Save money and be able to know exactly what your furbaby is consuming. Below I have written one of my favorite recipes, but I encourage you to try different ones and experiment on your own. Dogs digestive systems react differently just like people. What one dog may love, another dog may think its disgusting.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (make sure it's 100% pumpkin)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix together flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Add water as needed to make the dough workable.
4. Roll the dough out so that it is a 1/2 inch thick roll
5. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch pieces
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until hard

• If you want you could use dog bone shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough, be sure to keep the pieces 1/2 inch thick

How to Successfully Train Your Dog!

Starting from the first day you bring your pooch home, training is a must. Start with the basics. House training is one of the most important things. Some find that using a bell is useful.

House Training Using a Bell.

• Hang a bell next to the door you go through to let them out. 
• Through out the day, bring your puppy to the bell
• Lift their paw and tap the bell with it
• Then take them out to go potty. 
• Do this several times a day for a few days

Your puppy will recognize that the bell is a signal to go outside. They will begin to use the bell when they need to go to the restroom. 

One of the most important things to remember is even if you adopted your dog and they had already been trained to do so many things, you must keep up with the training and practice the commands regularly otherwise your dog is likely to forget those commands. It is just like playing a sport. When you are out of practice, you won't play as well as if you had practiced every day leading up to that point. 

There are different techniques to training, and I encourage you to try many if not all techniques to test which techniques work best for your dog. Different breeds and genders respond to techniques differently. Just because one technique doesn't work does not mean that they all won't work. The key to successful training is patience and love. Always reward your dog for being good. Even if it is something small like coming to you when you call. 

25 Most Adorable Dog Photos Found On Internet

1. Balancing Act

 2. Dogs spend most of their lives waiting for you to come home to them.

 

 3. A Perfect Fit

 4. Tinier than an ornament

 5. There are no words

 6. Long car rides

 7. Two different eye colors. 

 8. The best antidepressant

 9. Nap Buddies

 10. The Look of Love

 11. Such a Dapper Dog

 12. Three's Company

 13. Smile

 14. Hug Line

 15. There is no love quite like a dog's love

 16. Laughing

 17. Teeny Tiny Bath Time

 18. Dog Leading His Blind Friend

19. Elmo's Biggest Fan

 20. Towel. Check. Toy. Check. Nap Time...zzzzz

 21. "I trusted you"

 22. "Is this necessary?"

 23. "I loves Ice Cream"

 24. Is it Halloween yet??

 25. "My ball"

Don't Shop! Adopt!

We all have our favorite breed, but are we really willing to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars buying a purebred when there are so many pets waiting for a family in the shelters? Cats or dogs it doesn't matter, I've adopted both and they are one of the best things that have ever happened to me. You may see bumper stickers that say "Who rescued who" and think that it's cheesy and overdone, but you never truly know the kind of love shelter dogs can give until you adopt.

Shelter dogs are eager to please, and are often already potty trained, crate trained and microchipped. Our shelter even included a free visit to the clinic within 10 days of adopting to make sure our dogs and cat were 100% healthy. And yes, there is a fee to adopting a pet, they are not free. However, that fee goes towards helping the ones that you couldn't take home with you.

Adopting a pet is a major responsibility, you want to make sure you are choosing the right animal for your family and lifestyle. It is wise to look at the dog adoption guides for great tips on how to choose the right fit for your family.

Knowing how to make an adoption successful is a very important step in the adoption process. Too many people adopt puppies not knowing how rambunctious they actually are and they should have adopted an older dog that is much more calm and loving and less playful. It is also extremely important to make sure that EVERYONE in your household will get along with this new addition. Including your other pets. Cats aren't dogs number 1 fans, but they usually leave each other alone. However if you have a pet that really enjoys being an only child, it is a good idea that you ask to bring your pet in to meet the potential new addition before any commitment is made.

Remember, you are not purchasing an accessory to go with your house. You are adopting a family member. Any pet requires the basic necessities, but more importantly, your pets require love and devotion. My two dogs and cat are not spoiled like most say. They are simply loved.

When C and I adopted Simba, our siberian husky and australian shepard mix, and Nahla, our cur and pitbull mix. Simba had been returned twice, he was only 2 years old. Most don't realize that certain breeds are harder to train than others, and require differing training techniques.

Husky's tend to be more subborn. I know a couple in town that own a pet supplies store that had a husky that graduated from doggy training school, the next week they went out, and came home to the entire house torn apart with the diploma (that had been in a drawer) shredded on the floor.

Cleo (my 8 year old cat) was my first adoption experience. She had just been born, but the humane society didn't have room for the kittens. They were so desperate for them to go to a good home that the humane society paid for their first year of vet visits. We had another cat at the time, who we found malnourished on the street 5 years prior. She got along with other dogs, but not so well with other cats. I adopted Cleo, while my cousin adopted her two brothers.

It is a lot of work adopting any animal that young. If you are not up to the challenge then there are many other options to helping those animals. Donate, spread the word to those you know who are looking for a new addition to the family. There are so many options to help other than adoption if you are not able. Volunteer at the local humane society, or become a foster family for one of the animals so they don't have to spend their time in the cage. Volunteers are responsible for playing and interacting with the animals so that they are guaranteed to be friendly and interact with people and animals well so that their chances of adoption are increased.

Many pets at the shelter have gone through some sort of training. My grandmother actually adopted a boxer, pitbull mix a month ago that had gone through an 8 week training course at the prison. She knows all of the basic commands as well as a few special commands. That was a $200 course that my grandmother got for free!

No matter the age, gender, species, breed, shelter animals provide more love than anyone could ever ask for. Some require medical attention, training, or just patience. Whatever they have been through, they will love you and trust you like no one else ever has.
"What a wonderful world it would be if people had hearts like dogs."

Look for my blog post later about training your canines!

Top 10 Ways to Keep Dogs Cool This Summer

It seems as though every year goes by with more deaths from leaving pets outside and in cars. There are many ways to keep our pampered pooches cool during the grizzly months of summer. So I have comprised a list of ways to help our precious pooches in the heat.

1. Provide a Shady Place to Relax:

The best way to keep your pooch cool is simple providing shade for the poor pup. A stylish dog house will not only provide shade but also provide a nice, comfortable place for your dog to relax. Don't buy the expensive brand name dog houses that provide no insulation and barely any shade for your pup, build your own! Not only will you save money, but it will also be a great DIY project for the family to enjoy. Don't know where to begin? Easy build dog house plans provide step by step instructions on how to build fabulous, low cost dog houses that will ensure your Pampered Pet stays comfortable year round!

2. Doggy Popsicles!

Now your pampered puppy can enjoy a popsicle on a hot summer day as well.Doggy popsicles are the perfect summer treat to keep Fido cool. Below is a great recipe for creating your own doggy popsicle.

Doggy Popsicles

Ingredients:
32 ounces of plain yogurt
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of water
1 large banana
A dozen of your pup's favorite bone shaped biscuit
Dixie cups, size depends on if you want bite size or larger

Directions:
Take yogurt, peanut butter, honey, water and the banana (chopped) and place them in a blender or food processor. Purée ingredients together then pour into Dixie cups. Stand dog biscuits in the cups of purée like you would a Popsicle stick and then place them in the freezer. After the pops are fully frozen, peel the Dixie cup away from the treat and give to your pooch. Do not be surprised if he doesn’t hold it upright in his paws to lick the popsicle, this is a trick for only the most advanced K9. If he does manage to hold his popsicle like a human, please share pictures and videos.

3. Kiddy Pool

Most dogs love the water. Kiddy pools are a fun cheap way to keep your dog cool during the summer. Just make sure to keep in in the shade so that it doesn't turn into a doggy hot tub!

4. Keep Your Dog Hydrated!

Dehydration can pose a big problem for pooches during the summer. Be sure to keep your dog's water filled and cold. There are some bowls that are specifically designed to keep the water cool such as the Frobo, but continuously filling the water works as well.

5. Timing is Everything!

When walking your dog, try to do it either in the early morning, or the late afternoon. These are the coolest parts of the day and will help your pooch stay cool and get his/her much needed exercise.

6. Grooming!

Our furbabies need regular grooming to maintain a healthy shiny coat, but they especially need to be groomed regularly during the summer. Excess hair will cause a dog to overheat faster and may lead to your pooch suffering from heat exhaustion or even a heat stroke. Easier solution is to keep your fluffy friend groomed.

7. Invest in Cooling Dog Beds:

Cooling dog beds are an easy way to keep your dog cool. With a special formulated gel filled pad, your dog will feel like he/she's laying on an ice pack. There are many brands of these beds such as the Canine Cooler. There are also brands that are orthopedic to aid in easing joint pain such as the Cool Pet Pad.

8. Cooling Dog Apparel:

There are so many brands of doggy apparel that claim to keep your dog cool.  I did purchase a cooling coat for my Cur.  It provides UV protection, while lowering your pooch's temperature.

9. Cooling Dog Gear:

Water bottles, fans that spray water, even sprinklers will all help your dog stay cool this summer. Water is key. Hydrate your dog often, but also make sure they have a nice shady area such as a tree or an amazing dog house to lay in.

10. Keep Your Pup Inside:

If at all possible, it is best to keep your furbabies inside. If it's too hot for you outside, chances are its too hot for them. All of the above are great ways to help keep your pup cool and dogs love the outdoors, but A/C is a wonderful invention that your pooch should be able

to enjoy as well.