Some people do not have pets. For many of us, this may be a difficult concept to grasp. Let me explain.

There are people who do not have dogs or cats. Or horses. Or chickens. Or even that whole foreign land of guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards, and fish. They do exist. These pet-less individuals are amazing. Baffling, and amazing. No animal husbandry, of any kind. What must that be like? I bet their lives involve a lot less poop than mine does. Poop and responsibility. With an increase in money. And more room on the couch. That doesn’t sound so bad.

Of course, there’s also less warm dog. Warm dog with wet nose and contented sigh. Maybe a stray snore here or there. Ever-ready companions, whether it be for adventure or just to hang out in the yard. Non-human creatures that know me, communicate with me, rely on me, and are a distinct part of my life.

How do you quantify their value to people without ‘The Pet Gene’? Read more

The most difficult part of owning a dog isn’t potty training. It isn’t having your couch eaten. It isn’t making food decisions. Or big vet bills. It isn’t the first year. But, the last. And knowing when your time has come to an end. They don’t live forever, these creatures. Not even close. Really only long enough for us to take them for granted. To completely incorporate them into our lives. To make them firmly and officially family. How long is that? It varies, and I dont think it really matters. Years or months. Its never easy.

Which brings us to a certain little dog. I’ll say up front he’s still with us. We just don’t know for how long. Read more

Many of us will happily wear a t-shirt declaring our strong feelings on spay and neuter policies, animal adoption, breed legislation, and a variety of other animal related topics. We will shout to the world our opinions and declare our unconditional love for a specific breed, dog, or activity. But, will you stand up to your Veterinarian?

Grizzled, old, immune compromised Springer lady or rabid bite risk? Who makes that call?

Educated animal types tend to know a little about food, about general health, about the dangers inherent in over vaccination. Maybe we haven’t done all our own research, but at least we’ve heard about it. We know the world exists. Some people have those opinions. Opinions that are brushed off by your local vet as ‘inconclusive’, perhaps ‘dangerous’. They use phrases like ‘to be on the safe side’. They are all too eager to sell you a prescription diet that you shudder to read the ingredients label on. Believe me, it’s best you don’t. The alternatives are expensive at best and incredibly labor intensive at the outside. Or at least that’s how we are made to feel. We cave. We aren’t experts. We don’t have the pile of student loans and certificates to prove we went to vet school. Sigh.

Despite my lack of qualifications, I don’t always do what my vet says. Look at me and my rebel self. Read more

That is one of my favorite adages of dog training and management. Funnily enough, as I type it, I listen to a cacophony of sighs and snores coming from all corners of my office. Sacked out, as they usually are, at 11:00am. This is one of the benefits of owning senior dogs. They come with a whole raft of concerns too. Gargantuan amounts of exercise just isn’t one of them. Our life wasn’t always this way though. My old dogs are of high energy roots. Dalmatians, Springer Spaniels, and the bottom-less pit of energy that is a Jack Russel Terrier.

Rocco and the true love of his life. The Ball.

Exercise needs vary by age (I’m looking at my misfits here), breed (the pug at only 3, is not much of a go-getter), individual dog (his soul mate J.J. never was), and lifestyle. Us, with our pack of physically fit, highly trainable, too smart for their own good, very bad if left to their own devices, young dogs, well, we had to develop a whole lifestyle of energy expending activities. And use them. Frequently. Read more

This dog.

Does having a baby somehow negate my responsibility to this dog? Does it lessen it? Am I no longer required to feed him the best diet I can afford? To provide him veterinary care when he needs it?

I understand in the battle of kids vs. dogs, human vs. canine bipeds always win. This, I am not questioning. In terms of life and death, of course. But, how often is it actually in those terms? Isn’t it often a question of sacrifice? Of priorities? Of living up to the responsibilities you signed up for? Even when it sucks. Read more

The state of my own personal nation. The Nation of Dog. Just because I am currently not a good blogger, doesn’t mean the world of dog – old dogs, lazy dogs, bad dogs – doesn’t continue to turn. It does. They do. My dogs.

An intently interested boy dog, who turns out not to be the subject of this post. So he gets the photo credit.

You deserve an update, but its not that exciting. Primarily, we are maintaining the status quo. Holistic vets, raw food, plus some updated spending. There are still dogs to walk, dogs to clean up after, dogs to snuggle, and Pugs to tell “No! Cut that out!”. Singular Pug. He’s plenty. And before my very eyes they are slipping. Ever so slightly. All my best efforts and I’m powerless against it. I chalk it up to short days, cold weather and more napping. That’s part of it. But we’ve also entered this phase. Things aren’t going to get better. My senior dog worries continue to compound. More than half the pack (including Ford) is over 11, with a mixed genetic bag that isn’t doing them any favors. There’s not much I can do about any of it.

The highlights? Read more

When people learn how many dogs I have, (which is inevitable, it always comes out) I get a variety of reactions: disbelief, revulsion, amazement, questions about my sanity, and less frequently curiosity and a little bit of “How would I do that?”. Not usually. Usually it is wrinkled noses and pointed questions about my marital status (like I am the crazy lonely cat lady, only with dogs). By now, I mostly ignore the predictable responses. I continue with what I’m doing and give them a minute to collect their social game face, providing only confirmation, “Yep, that many dogs”. More interesting to me (and worrisome) are the people who wonder about doing it themselves.

This many dogs, even if they all fit in one large Bowers bagel, they aren’t for everyone. They aren’t even for most. Or some. Only the tiniest percentage of families would be interested in this shit show. And that’s good. I will say it again and again, don’t be like us. If you are interested, maybe not in my level of crazy, but in pushing the boundaries of one or two dog acceptability, there are tricks to this. Ways to master multi-dogs, to keep them from revolting en mass, when you are hopelessly outnumbered. Read more

That title is pretty horrible. I couldn’t help myself. Very sorry. But, not really.

My rampant love for raw meaty bones (or rather my dog’s) begs some questions. The world of the dog chews is not limited to raw meat and femur bones. In actuality, they are the exception. When shopping chewing options for their dog, most people do not go directly to the freezer case. This is unavoidable. Raw meat is not without its limitations. Bacteria. Location. Longevity. Not appropriate for all occasions and circumstances. Yet, chewing is still an excellent way to keep your dog quiet and busy when you need it. Just not always with a slimy knuckle bone.

All those other products on the market – the rawhide, the rings, the dentals chews – most of them are no good. Worse than no good. They are disgusting, poorly processed, and potentially dangerous. If you are lucky, they’re just a big fat waste of money. Sorry to be the one to break it to you. But, (again) not really.

An assortment of well-loved recreational standbys in our house, where we prefer our chews not sprayed with preservatives and processed in parts unknown. Although spending a little time fermenting out in the yard, is perfectly acceptable. Read more