On the Hunt for Indestructable Dog Toys

I recently purchased a plethora of new dogs toys for the daycare here at A Dog's Dream. Needless to say, I think I may have been more excited than the dogs for these new toys to arrive. And I couldn't wait to see how much the dogs would love them!

I made sure to puchase mostly toys without stuffing, and plenty of Kong toys as well as Nylabones (they always seem to all want the one we've already got). The order arrived a week and a day ago, and we are almost depleted to our original cast of toys.

The Nylabones that I ordered were apparently not quite as hardy as the one I already have, so one of those had to be thrown away (or would have been completely eaten) within 24 hours. The other one can only get put out when certain dogs are not here! One really cute giggling eggplant is missing the leaves, arms, and legs and has already been stitched up (by my wonderful husband) in three different places. One of the Kong monkies lost all of his stuffing (what very little he had) when his face got ripped open and his foot got torn off.

So, I am still in search of some indestructable dog toys that will be fun for our daycare dogs. I don't want to buy a new stock of toys every couple of weeks, but they also need to be toys that are fun for them to play with (they are not big on the regular Kong toys or hard rubber toys - probably because they can't destroy them!). Any suggestions??

Join Us for Our Howl-in-the-Holidays Party!

A Dog's Dream will be hosting our first annual Howl-in-the-Holidays party on Saturday, December 11th from 1-3pm. Existing customers who come can enter to receive special giveaways, and make sure to bring some friends because you'll get an additional entry for each friend you bring! We also have prizes that will be raffled off for all new attendees, as well as plenty of appetizers and refreshments. We will be having events in the future that are dog-friendly, but we ask that you leave your furry friends at home for this year's party. Any and all donations will benefit the Verona Street Animal Shelter. Please join us for a howlin' good time!

Calling All Fellow Entrepreneurs

This month's blog is more of a call to action than an editorial. Fellow business owners, I am looking for your suggestions! Since we opened here at A Dog's Dream almost six months ago to-the-day, we have been trying an array of different techniques to get the word out. The plan was to stick to grassroots marketing and spend as little money as possible; but, like many others, we have gotten sucked in to the trap of paying big money for serious advertising.

So the question is this: If you could recommend one technique or idea that was the most successful for you to get the word out about your new business and acquire new customers, what would it be?

Another Reason to Crate Train Your Dog

After several months of boarding dogs in our home, I have come to realize that letting your dog sleep in bed with you is a real catch 22. Being the overly doting mama of Eddie, I completely understand the desire to have your dog sleep in bed with you. However, now seeing what happens to those dogs while boarding, I can say I am not sure I would ever allow another dog of mine to get too comfy in our bed. And here's why.

Dogs that are used to sleeping in bed with their owners are absolutely miserable when they cannot have the same luxury while their owners are away. They are already slightly stressed out from being in a new environment with new people and a new schedule, and it just adds to that stress if they have no real place to call their own (aka a crate). Believe me, if I only watched one dog at a time, I really would honor the idea of letting dogs sleep in our bed. But usually we have at least three at our house (other than Eddie) at a time, and the bed just isn't that big!

Judging from past experiences, the dogs that seem to be much less stressed out and transition easier to life sans owners are those that sleep in a crate every night. They have a place that smells like home and that they feel safe in. Now here comes the catch 22 - I know how hard it is to get a new dog (puppy or adult) and crate train it (I have only done it half successfully once) when you are it's mama and papa. It's just excruciating to hear the little thing scream and cry in the crate, thinking how horrible you are as parents. And who wouldn't want that little love muffin cuddling up with you in bed?!? 

But I ask you, would you rather have your dog be upset a few nights in a crate safely at home with you or confused and alarmed in a complete stranger's house?

Should Training Be Required to Attend the Dog Park?

In light of yesterday's crazy trip to the dog park, I ask, "Should training be required to attend the dog park?"

Craig and I try to make it to the dog park at least once a week so that Eddie can get in some socialization with dogs other than the ones he plays with at the daycare. So it was rather frustrating when we pulled up yesterday and saw the small dog side of the park was empty and there was only one dog in the big dog side. Needless to say, we decided to break the unwritten rules and venture over to the big dog side so that Eddie could play (or at least sniff) the Beagle that was over there.

After being at the park for about five minutes, a gentleman walked up to the gate with a large mixed breed dog and warned Craig and I that his dog, Rocky, played rough and that he was really interested in small dogs. He even offered to take Rocky on the small dog side by himself just in case he was too rough with Eddie. Craig and I insisted that was a ridiculous offer, and that if there was trouble we would be the ones to take Eddie over on the side of the park designated for small dogs. Keep in mind his man's entire conversation was with us, and unfortunately, not with the middle-aged woman with the Beagle.

Upon Rocky entering, Eddie showed his teeth (in typical Eddie fashion) and Rocky got the hint to stay away from him. In the minutes following, the Beagle started antagonizing Rocky, and the Beagle and Rocky ended up in a bit of a quarrel. I watched (and Craig tried to help) for a good two or three minutes as the dogs went at it, all the while the fight escalating, as the woman who owned the Beagle kept shouting, "He's biting my dog! He's biting!!" I can understand her fear of jumping in between the dogs, even though her dog was the instigator and needed a serious time out. I cannot though, for the life of me, understand why Rocky's dad was doing absolutley nothing!! I felt as though I was watching a train wreck, and both owners were watching helplessly as their two dogs were going to mame each other.

I kept shouting, "You need to get in between them!" and "You've got to do something!!" to Rocky's dad. His meek reply was, "We're trying." Maybe he was frightened as well, probably never having seen dogs act this way (which can be overwhelming), but I could not just stand there and watch while these two owners let their dogs attack each other. So, with a rush of adrenaline, I swooped in and grabbed the Beagle by the collar picking him up into my arms. Once the Beagle was no longer instigating Rocky, he calmed right down and his owner had enough time to get a hold of him safely.

Now, I am not claiming to be the hero or that what I did was even the "right" thing to do in that situation - I am no dog behavior expert. But I can tell you for sure that if someone had not gotten in between those dogs, they would have both been seriously injured. I judged the situation and decided that the risk of me getting hurt was less than the risk of the two dogs getting hurt if no one intervened.

Craig, Eddie, and I spent the next half hour on the small side of the dog park, alone, trying to analyze what had happened. It was all too fast to completely understand what caused the Beagle to go off, but Rocky was just trying to defend himself. I just wonder what would have happened if Craig and I weren't there to help. It seems clear that the owners of the dogs involved did not know enough about dog behavior to understand the gravity of the situation that was unfolding, and neither of them was prepared to stop if from continuing.

So, readers, what do you think? Should there be some sort of animal behavior training when people register for the dog park?

Are You Prepared for a Puppy??

After the past two weeks, I have decided that my husband and I are not. We have been watching an eight month old puppy for about two weeks; this is a dog we have watched before as the family travels quite a bit. When we've had him in the past, he was really adorable (not that he isn't still very adorable) - he played a little, and then he would sleep for quite some time. In the past, I really wasn't ready to give him back and I was convinced that if his family ever needed to give him up, that I would gladly take him! Although I would still take him in the case of an emergency, I would certainly not be able to do it with such ease at this stage of his development.

He has a limitless amounts of energy! Thank goodness I own a doggy daycare, and that he has some other puppies to play with or we would have been in serious trouble. Eddie has also developed a strong dislike for this stage in our little friend's development. He is now about twice the size of Eddie, and plays almost as rough as a lab, to which Eddie is defenseless. The louder Eddie growls and the more he shows his teeth, the more persistent our little guy is on playing. I feel terrible for Eddie because his buddy doesn't seem to understand the social cues of dogs that don't want to play!

All in all, he is a very, very cute dog and I'm sure that in a couple months time he will be a little more relaxed. However, he really has helped Craig and I make a serious life decision - we will never adopt a puppy, only an adult dog. Our way of life is just a little too slow-paced for such a rambuncious creature, and a puppy would be undoubtedly suited to a family with a much more active lifestyle! Are you prepared for a puppy??

Why Socialize My Dog??

Being the owner of a new doggy daycare, I have met many dog owners and enthusiasts lately who run the gammet on whether doggy daycare is worth their time and money. I did not open this business based on a whim, and I truly believe in the doggy daycare concept and, even more importantly, the need for socialization in animals.

I had done a great deal of research on the topic of socialization before opening A Dog's Dream, and it seems relatively obvious to me all of the benefits that come along with sending your dog to daycare. It has been brought to my attention recently, however, that these benefits are not well known amongst dog owners.

When most dog owners buy or adopt a puppy, they do a lot of reading and are often told how important it is to socialize their puppy with new people and other dogs. Some believe the "formative weeks" of development last through 12 weeks. And new puppy owners are typically very diligent about bringing their puppies to puppy class or bringing them around new people often. The socialization during the "formative weeks" does not last a lifetime, though.

There are many things that can cause dogs to become agressive or extremely passive later in life. Among these reasons is the lack of continuous socialization with new people and new dogs. Although dogs and people have some very different behaviors, we may be relatively similar in this sense. Imagine what a human might feel or how he might react if he had not had any real contact with new people for months on end- only interacting with the same few people each day. You might guess that living this way would cause a human to go slightly insane and react in quite a strange way when coming into contact with someone new after a great length of time. The same is quite true in dogs; however, they need constant socialization with each other and new people in order to maintain some sanity.

Doggy daycare may not be for everyone, I understand that. But for the sake of your dog, please seek the appropriate means of socialization for your dog whether it be taking frequent walks around town, attending playgroups, doggy daycare, or taking trips to the dog park. I promise your dog will be much happier and will thank you for it!

Humping Epidemic

I was reading an blog this morning on dogstardaily.com by Dr. Ian Dunbar called "Humping is Normal, Yet Rude and Lewd." Being a frequent visitor to the local dog park and some dog play groups, I have seen my fair share of dogs humping everything. And I have also seen the wide variety of ways that owners choose to address this so-called problem. I with Dunbar for the most part, but I disagree with his solution to the humping epidemic.

I am certainly open to suggestion, but it is my understanding that humping dogs either a) can't help themselves (like a little Jackapoo that I know from the dog park) or b) are trying to assert their dominance. Although neither one of those reasons is valid from a human standpoint, to a dog it is perfectly normal behavior. While the former might get irritating for humans to watch, if the dog being humped doesn't mind and it is a spayed female, then there is no harm being done. In either case, the perpetrator will not learn his/her lesson by a human interfering and saying, "No humping!" This is simply something that dogs must work out between themselves; and, trust me, they will.

I know from experience that it takes a lot of will power to just watch or even turn away if your dog is humping or, even worse, being humped. And I know a lot of fellow small dog owners will disagree with me here, but it's something that must take it's course so that the dogs have a chance to work it out on their own.

Bach Flower Essences for Pets- A True Tale of Success

I  met the obedience trainer, Sherri, that is hosting training classes at A Dog's Dream for the first time about two months ago. During our conversation we somehow got on the topic of Bach Flower Essences for pets. To be quite honest, I had never heard of this before or any real holistic treatments for pets. Sherri is a huge fan of holistic pet care, so she explained some of the methods that she used with her pets and dogs that she had in her house for boarding. I made a quick note of it in my notebook just in case some of my boarding customers' pets needed some treatment at some point. Little did I know how useful this information would be to me.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Eddie is becoming more and more afriad of strange things around the house. One of the worst times of day for him is when we are in the kitchen cooking dinner. The second we open a cupboard to get out a pot, pan, or mixing bowl he is hightailing it upstairs. Since the problem was getting worse by the week, I decided that maybe I should try Sherri's suggested remedy- Bach Flower Essences.

I purchased the Calming drops for Eddie, and as an added bonus I got a small bottle of the Anxiety drops for free! We have been putting the Anxiety drops in Eddie's water for about a month now, and although he's not a completely different dog, he has certainly shown a vast improvement. He's now a lot more curious about what's going on the in kitchen and usually stays while we cook the whole meal. It may be a small step for most, but for us (and Eddie) it means the world!

How to Pet Sit a Crazy Dog!

For the past four days I have been pet sitting (or dog sitting as I prefer to call it) for one crazy dog- a one year old Golden Doodle named Riley. I have no shame in writing this blog because I know that if his "mom" ever read it, she would agree with me 110%. He is out of his mind.

Being a very young and very big dog, he is completely different from my own little, quiet Eddie. You would think this would make for a terrible combination, but they get along surprisingly well. It must be true what they say about opposites being attracted to each other. Riley is absolutely full to the brim with energy, and no matter how long he is out walking or frolicking around, he still comes back inside tugging at the leash with his mouth, ready to run and play more! And let me tell you, when he wants to play, he can be quite bossy about it- getting about six inches from my face and barking as loud as possible. He is a very well trained dog (he knows sit, down, and stay really well), but he has very bad manners.

My husband, Craig, and I have been trying our hardest this week to teach him how to properly get attention from a person, and the art of personal space. It's pretty difficult in a strange house with another dog and in such a short period of time to accomplish these goals, though. Unfortunately, Riley returns home tomorrow and he'll be going back home exactly the way he came- a very crazy dog! And we'll go back to our normal routine with our shy little dog.

My best advice for those of you that happen to dog sit a dog that is the polar opposite of what you're used to: take lots of deep breaths! And although I don't feel this way now, I am sure when tomorrow afternoon rolls around, Riley will be missed just like all of the others that have stayed with us.

Life with Eddie

It's been about a month and a half since we adopted Eddie from the shelter. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride, but it has all been worth it!

The first day my husband and I saw Eddie in his kennel, we took a glance (mostly because he was a small dog) but didn't pay too much attention to him. For one reason or another he just didn't really stand out to us. After glancing at the 40 or so dogs at the shelter, my husband found one that he was interested in taking out for a visit. Being a beagle mix, the dog (Max was his name, I believe) couldn't have cared less about seeing us- he was just happy to be out in a new environment so he could sniff everything! We decided that we wanted a dog that was a little more interested in people, so we asked the attendant what other small dogs she had that we may have missed. She brought out two other dogs, one of which was Eddie.

We found out that Eddie had lived in a house with two children and at least one other dog and a cat. This was a plus seeing as how he'd be spending most of his time around other dogs. We also found out, however, that he house soiled (the reason for being turned over to the shelter) and that the male of the house "couldn't stand him." Upon meeting Eddie, it was hard to come to the conclusion that he hadn't been abused- he cowered in the corner no matter where he was. Immediately our hearts were given to this little dog; he really needed and deserved a good home.

We picked Eddie up the next day, and we did all the things a new dog owner should do. He did great for the first few days- no accidents in the house, not even while we were gone. He was also really starting to come around, learning to trust us quite a bit. He wasn't big into treats or playing with toys, but that was something we could live with. Then we hit a wall. All of a sudden there were accidents in the house, even when we were there, and he was growling at people when they'd come into the house.

Thanks to reading a lot of books, talking to some trainers, and watching many episodes of the Dog Whisperer, we got him heading down the right path. We are in the process (still) of crate training him, although he really doesn't need it since he hasn't had an accident in the house in about two and half weeks, even while we've been gone. We took him to the dog park for the first time about a week ago, and although he's not big into playing with the other dogs, he really likes meeting the people, which is a HUGE step for him! We've even got him playing with toys several times a day, and eating treats like it's his job.

There are still some struggles, as there are with any dogs, but we are head-over-heels in love with our new little boy!