Adventure Dog Blog

Today I was surfing around the web and found this awesome company called Go Dog Go! that provides outdoor adventures for dogs. They even have a dog bus!

What they do is pick up dogs in their dog bus, travel out into the beautiful outdoors, and then spend one to two hours hiking and playing offleash. Then, the dogs are returned home where they are definitely going to take a nice nap!

There are photos on the website of so many dogs running around outdoors in a big pack, having a fantastic time together! It’s awesome.

The company is located in Squamish B.C Canada, so if you are nearby, be sure to check out Go Dog Go!

When I was a child, I had a chronic cough and none of the doctors could figure out why. I was subjected to just about every allergy test imagineable, blood tests, needles, pricks, probes, and breathing tests. Nothing ever came up positive and most doctors just shook their heads. It wasn’t until much later in my life that doctors began to realize that a chronic cough could be a symptom of asthma just as much as hindered breathing was. It appears I had mild asthma.

Regardless, throughout my whole childhood, my mother insisted that I must have allergies, and there were various things I was not allowed to have or do. Owning pets was out of the question and the possibility of allergies was always mentioned, although I’m certain it was more because my parents didn’t want to have pets.

As soon as I moved into my own home and had a backyard, I got a dog for the first time in my life. Anna. She’s fantastic, and guess what? I’m not allergic.

I was reading an article on ScienceDaily.com that explained how many people who believe they have allergies in fact don’t. It made me wonder how many people believe they have allergies to dogs when they really don’t. (Read the article here)

If you are thinking about getting a dog, allergies don’t have to stop you. First, you might want to visit your doctor and find out for certain that you are indeed allergic. Second, you can ask them about the latest treatment options that may afford you opportunity to live with a dog.

Failing that, there are several breeds of dog that are considered “hypoallergenic”. Now this doesn’t mean they are guarenteed not to set off your allergies, it just means that they give off less allergens. Most people that are allergic to dogs are allergic to their dander, the flakes of skin that come off and float around in the air. Dogs that have specific types of fur and those that have very little fur tend to give off less dander.

You can find a list of “hypoallergenic” dog breeds on Wikipedia here.

Here are some tips that can lower your allergic response to dogs:

• Keep dogs out of your bedroom and close the door. This will help keep dander levels to a minimum.
• Keep dogs off of the furniture. Dander collects in the upholstery.
• Wash your dog often. Bathe your dog once per week to lower the amount of dander, but do not wash more often as drying their skin can cause even more dander production.
• Brush your dog often, but do it outdoors. Brushing your dog will help remove dead hair and dander. Doing it outdoors means the dander that’s released is not released into your home.
• Get a HEPA air filter. The right air filter can remove allergens and drastically reduce the amount of dander present in the air.
• Clean clean clean! Launder your dog’s blankets and pillows often. Dust all surfaces with a wet cloth often. Vacuum with a hepa filtered vacuum often. Don’t allow dust and dander to build up.

If you are still too symptomatic to own a dog, it may be possible to find other ways to spend time with dogs. Perhaps you can volunteer time at an animal shelter or rescue foundation. You could work part time in a pet store or grooming parlour. You can visit friends that have dogs or take someone’s dogs out for a walk. Allergies do not have to be the end of your love of dogs!

When we left town for the holidays this December, we needed to leave our two dogs at home. My parents do not want animals in their home, and since Chublet isn’t entirely potty trained, I didn’t think it was fair to push my luck.

When I leave my dogs behind, I dislike leaving them at a dog kennel. I have done so in the past, and it just seems like a less than ideal situation. While the kennels I’ve been to have been clean and run by very wonderful people who did everything they could to ensure my dogs’ comfort, I just felt that leaving them in a cage for a few days can’t have been enjoyable for them.

I recommend looking for a doggie daycare run in someone’s home that offers overnights. This is actually a service I offer out of my dog daycare. I run a dog daycare out of my home and we let dogs come stay while their owners go away for business or vacations. We’ve had all kinds of dogs come to visit, and their owners like the fact that their dog is staying in a home setting where they are free to roam the house and play with my dogs when they feel like it. They also get to sleep on the floor, the couch, or some of them even opt to sleep in my bed at night.

While not all dog daycares will allow your dog to sleep on a bed at night, they do offer an environment that is a lot more welcoming than your usual dog kennel. But how do you know that you are leaving your dog somewhere safe and trustworthy while you are away? It’s natural to be concerned, and it’s important to ensure your dog’s safety.

Here are some tips I’ve compiled to help you choose a good dog daycare. I am using my experience as a dog daycare owner and as a dog owner to tell you what I might look for in a quality care setting.

1. Can you book an appointment in advance so that you and your dog(s) can meet the dog daycare owner and see the daycare? I allow dog owners to make an appointment to bring their dogs to meet me, meet my dogs, and sniff my house. This not only gives the dog owner a great chance to see what type of person I am and what kind of environment I provide for their dog, it also gives me a chance to get to know their dog’s temperament and plan ahead for any special needs they may have.

2. Is the daycare environment clean and safe? You can’t leave your dog in a home that’s littered with tiny toys or garbage and you wouldn’t want to leave them with someone that can’t even bother to clean up before an appointment made in advance to meet you. The daycare home should be neat, tidy, and clean.

3. Does the daycare kennel the dogs? This is a good question to ask the daycare owner. I have heard of dog daycares run in human homes where they still lock the dogs in kennels for much of the time, and only let them out for scheduled walks and playtime. This is the environment you were attempting to avoid. Some daycares, like mine, will use kennels only when necessary. I’ve kenneled a dog once because he was still awake at 1am and bugging all the other dogs and humans in our home. Otherwise, I will only kennel dogs at night if that is what they are used to doing at home, or if a dog prefers to have a kennel to escape to when they want to be alone or feel safe.

4. Does the daycare have an outdoor play space? Do they have a back yard or a dog run? Is their yard fenced or will your dog be tied to a leash? Will the daycare owner supervise play in the backyard in person, or do they let the dogs play outside together alone? I always go outside with the dogs when they are under my care as I like to supervise all play times to make sure everyone is safe. I don’t think this is absolutely necessary, but you want to make sure the daycare has a secure and safe outdoor space for your dog to relieve themselves.

5. What prior experience does the daycare owner have with dogs? How long have they run the daycare? Have they owned dogs themselves or are they a dog lover? I would never leave my dogs with someone that had never owned dogs before. People who have not owned dogs simply do not realize the sheer responsibility that goes into owning a dog. I want someone with experience who feels confident at all times caring for dogs.

6. What happens in an emergency? In the event of an emergency, will the daycare owner take the dog to the nearest vet? Do they have a vehicle to do so? Have they any first aid training? I have taken a dog first aid course, though this is probably not an easy class to find in smaller communities.

7. Are there forms to fill out? Any good daycare owner will have you fill out forms with information about how to contact you in case of emergency, plus information about your dog. They will need to write down your dog’s eating habits, any allergies or medical information, and so on. If they don’t write this down, you can bet they will forget. They should also be getting you to fill out a form that grants them permission to make any necessary medical decisions for your pet in the case of an emergency in which they absolutely cannot get ahold of you. If you aren’t asked to fill out any forms, I wouldn’t leave your dog behind.

8. What does your gut say? In my lifetime, I can’t think of many circumstances in which my gut was wrong. If your gut is warning you not to leave your dog with someone, listen to it. However, keep in mind that it’s normal to be nervous. Most dog owners that have left their dogs with me were worried about whether their dog would be alright, and I can say that ALL of the dogs I’ve babysat have been just fine. Even the most anxious dogs that refused to come out of their kennels for the entire first day would come out of their shell and start playing. Most dogs had an incredible time and didn’t once remember their owner until they heard the doorbell again.

If you consider the questions I’ve given you, you should be off to a very good start when looking for a good place to board your dog overnight or longer. More and more dog daycares are popping up in people’s homes and it’s getting easier to leave your dog in comfort while you are away. Even your dog gets a vacation these days!

Our dogs Anna and Chublet would like to wish you a Merry Christmas! Here are some photos of them saying happy holidays!

This entry has been a long time coming. I had never truly experienced the loss of a pet until Mr. Meaty died in April of this year. He was two years old and had been a part of our family since he was three months old. I had left the house, forgetting something and rushing back into the house for only a moment. Mr. Meaty was wiggling like crazy, so excited to see me, and I remember a fleeting thought of what on earth I would do without him.

I received a worried phone call from my daughter saying she had let the dogs outside for a pee, and only Anna had run to the door when she called them back. Our backyard was fenced, but she said that someone had left the gate open. Our landlord had been doing renovations and later we learned that he had left the gate open for a period of time to move a lot of heavy items out of the house.

It was heart breaking to discover that Mr. Meaty had been hit and killed by a car. I still cry when I think of first learning that he was dead.

It’s been quite a few months since that day and there is still a lot of grief in my heart. However, I can look back and see how we worked through our grief, and that it is a healthy process for letting go.

I thought I would write down some of the things that helped me along the way so that anyone else going through grief over a death may get some benefit.

It helped to have someone else take care of the body. I found that I wanted nothing more than to see my baby boy. I wanted to touch him, to pet him, and see him for myself, but my boyfriend knew that this probably wasn’t a healthy idea.

We made funeral arrangements. Some people bury their pets and have a little funeral in their backyard (this is illegal in most places). Others will take their pets to the vet for cremation. We found a little pet cemetary outside the city provided on a chunk of land that was officially deemed a cemetary so that it will never be dug up in the future. They offered both cremation and burial, and we chose to have Mr. Meaty buried. They even offered a funeral service where you can have an open or closed casket and spend time with your pet before they are buried. Mr. Meaty even has a little headstone. Having a funeral really helped me accept that my boy was actually dead.

Seeing the body. I mentioned earlier that I had someone else take care of the body for me immediately after the accident. Later, at the funeral, I decided to look at Mr. Meaty. Some part of me had looked forward to the funeral and seemed to believe it would be like seeing my little boy again. It’s as if I thought he’d be happy and licking me like he used to. I was quite horrified when I did see him, and realized there was nothing left of the Meaty I had known. He was very dead. This is NOT an experience I would recommend for children and I did not let my daughter see him. I don’t even recommend it for myself, as I spent the next hour having a massive panic attack as a result. It was horrifying. However, it was that moment that really slammed home the reality of Meaty’s death. I no longer imagined him running around alone at night in my neighborhood, lonely and looking for home. It helped.

Burying Things With Meaty. We put a little ball curled in Meaty’s paw, a blanket over his back, and a tiny pillow under his head when he was buried. I actually sewed the little pillow myself and embroidered it with his name. It felt good to give him gifts and to have the feeling that he would be comfortable and cared for.

Having Keepsakes. At first, I collected all of Meaty’s things and put them away. Seeing them only served to remind me of him and make me cry. However, I love knowing that I have a little drawer full of his things, and I can look at them whenever I want. It makes me feel that I haven’t forgotten, and that’s important to me. I also have a frame with some photos of Meaty in it hanging on the wall, and I like to look at him there. Remembering him how he used to be, knowing what a silly happy life he had, it helps.

Letting it All Out. During the immediate week after Meaty’s death, I seemed to alternate between endless uncontrollable sobbing, and an empty blank state where I felt almost nothing. Sometimes I would watch television and forget all about what had happened for a few blissful moments. And all of these things are okay. It’s okay to forget for awhile, to have fun again, even to laugh. And it helped a lot to have times when I would just break down and lose control. All of these were part of feeling better and moving forward.

Getting a New Dog. There were times after Meaty’s death when I wanted a new puppy and everyone would tell me that it was too soon. I felt angry, but knew deep down that they were right. Getting a dog too soon would have been upsetting. I would have been trying to replace what I’d lost, and upset when the new puppy didn’t conform. I needed to wait until I was ready to get a brand new dog, with it’s own unique personality and traits. We waited four months for our new puppy. Once he was here, our hearts healed even faster. He was funny, clumsy, and cute. He was our little baby and we loved taking care of him. Some things about him reminded us of our Meaty, and other things were brand new, and that was just fine.

Remembering. Thinking back on Meaty and remembering the good times we had is essential. However, I’ve found that it’s also just as important to remember his death and feel sad. Something about spending a little time sad here and there is just another part of grieving and moving through the process. It doesn’t just stop instantly, or I guess it wouldn’t be called a process would it?

I’m not sure if any of these things are helpful, but this has been my experience with the death of a very beloved pet. I still think about Meaty often and am sad to say that many of my memories have begun to fade. Losing Mr. Meaty is the closest I’ve come to losing a family member and it’s been a terrible part of our lives. I miss Mr. Meaty very much.

With winter upon us, I’ve discovered that my little Chublet cannot tolerate the cold. This isn’t unusual for pugs, but he can’t even go around the block. Both he and Anna are dying for some exercise and playing at the park just isn’t an option right now.

One solution I’ve found for their boredom and need for socialization is the meetup. There is this website online called Meetup.com where people can arrange all kinds of shared interest groups, and there are a lot of dog groups. Most large cities have breed specific groups and sometimes general dog play groups.

I’m pleased that I found Meetup.com because I found the local pug meetup group and have taken Chublet to play with other pugs once a month for awhile now. At first he was terrified, but now he takes off and plays. It’s been essential for socializing him and teaching him how to behave around other dogs.

Now that winter is here, I realized that finding a good meetup that both dogs can attend will solve part of our problem with the weather. I discovered that we don’t really have a general dog meetup that allows any breed, but found that the bulldog meetup would let me bring my dogs to play. Better yet, joining the meetup is free, and play days just cost a five dollar drop in fee per family.

If you are looking for a good opportunity to socialize your dogs, or need somewhere to play indoors during the winter, you can try looking on Meetup.com and see if there are any groups in your area that offer indoor play!

In my city, there is a wonderful group of pug owners that get together once a month so that their pugs can play. The woman that runs the group is fantastic, often ensuring that there are door prizes and goodie bags on all special occasions.

Recently, she started a new business, The Pawhaus Boutique. I’m writing about her here because I think she provides some very high quality products and a really awesome service. On her website, you can order dog/puppy packs or kitten/cat packs that contain all kinds of great items for the pet owner in your life. They make great gifts, with packs like the Birthday Celebration Pack, Baby Makes 4 Pack, Spa Packs, and even a Dog Sympathy Pack.

I have seen some of the products that go into the packs in person and they are top notch goods that you aren’t going to find in your local dog department store. These packs are unique, and you can make them even more so if you’d like by creating a custom pack.

Please visit our friends at The Pawhaus Boutique and have a look at their great pet packs.

Since I am quite tattooed and my tastes lean towards the alternative, I’m always on the lookout for something punkrock for my dogs. One Halloween, I even dressed Anna up as a punkrocker. I gave her a very tiny green mowhawk, put an army green shirt on her, and a studded belt. She looked SO funny! Besides that, I haven’t ever found much in the way of accessories or dog products that ran to my tastes.

Recently, I stumbled across a site called Punk Rock Dogg where they actually have punk rock dog products. I think what I liked the most are their aged pewter dog tags that say “Lucky Pup” and feature pictures in the center like the Buddha, a cowboy, flames, vintage ladies, etc. You can see them in the image I’ve put above.

Check out Punk Rock Dogg by clicking here.

When we went to Mexico with our dogs Mr. Meaty and Anna, I worried a little about how they would fare in the ocean. As Mr. Meaty was a pug, I felt he would need help the most should we find ourselves tipped out of a boat, and bought him a little lifejacket. Anna on the other hand is a huge dog and an incredible swimmer and I didn’t think she’d need any help.

After spending three months in Mexico, I really wished I had bought her some kind of flotation device. First, when we would go swimming, she thought nothing of just heading off towards the horizon and would only turn around when called back. I worried that she would tire and get pulled away by the tide. Second, we had an incident where she leapt from a dock to catch a retreating boat and found herself in deep water she couldn’t swim out of. It took a lot of nervous yelling and coaxing to get her up on the very steep rocks at the side. I thought I would watch her drown that day.

The device pictured above is called the Sea Dogg, a buoyant swim collar for dogs that keeps their head above water and helps them to swim. Unlike a lifejacket, the collar is simple to put on and adjusts to any size between 11 and 20 inches.

I think something like this would have been perfect for Anna. A lifejacket her size would have been cumbersome to carry around and this neck collar would have been great for when we went swimming. Perhaps next time I will be able to try one of these out.

Click here to visit the Sea Dogg website!

I had to laugh out loud a little when I read this article about Taffy, a springer spaniel who had to undergo surgery to remove the 40th pair of underwear he had eaten.

My pug Mr. Meaty had always loved my underwear. I remember one night when I had a group of friends over to visit, he ran out into the kitchen shaking something black fiercely. He looked so triumphant, super pleased with himself, and I discovered in horror that it was a pair of my panties that he had in his mouth.

It got so bad that he used to sit near my feet when I was changing my clothes, waiting for that pair of underwear to hit the ground. I learned very quickly that I needed to toss all underwear into a laundry basket where he couldn’t get it.

Chublet, my new pug, is the same way! He is a panty stealing enthusiast just like Meaty was and any chance he gets, he steals underwear and runs away shaking it like mad to some hiding place where he can maul them in peace.

Poor Taffy the dog though. Swallowing everyday objects can be very dangerous for dogs so hopefully he’s learned his lesson.