Have dog, will panhandle?

I’ve been doing some traveling lately, and besides the airport bathrooms, unfamiliar city streets and cabs, there is one thing that I keep experiencing these days; homeless dogs.

Of course, being a dog lover, I immediately think “is that poor dog getting enough to eat”? I worry about where the dog is sleeping, what kind of diseases it might be carrying (and spreading) from life on the street, and so on. It’s heartbreaking to see a human living on sidewalks, and dogs are no different.

Then I start thinking about the person’s situation. Yes, perhaps they are unmotivated, lazy drug addicts or traveling nomads who just want a dog to keep them company. Or maybe this person went through something seriously distressing and the twists and turns of their life gave them no other option than to be homeless. But is it selfish to bring your dog along for the ride when you know it may be difficult or impossible to care for them? Should they be turned in to a shelter in the hopes of finding a better life, or stay with you because you raised them and they are a friend, a family member, a familiar and calming force in your life…

I can’t pretend to understand what it’s like to be in a situation where I don’t know when I’ll have my next meal. I don’t know if these people feed their dogs before they feed themselves. What I do know is that the bonds we form with our fur babies are deep, and impenetrable. Perhaps their dogs will give these displaced people a push towards productivity, a reason to try to clean up and find a job and therefore a place to live. Who knows. In the meantime, I’m praying for their safety and hope they and their owners get the warm beds they need. And I’ll be carrying more treats in my purse…

More to love…

Does the picture above just melt your heart or what? That’s Vida and Charlie. A couple years back when we owned our dog services company in Boston, we got lucky enough to board Charlie in our home for 3 months. He was about 12 weeks old when he came into our lives, and we were instantly in love. It took Vida a little longer to warm up, but eventually the two of them became best friends. Being around Vida helped Charlie learn some of his basic obedience and manners at an early age, and Charlie helped Vida come out of her shy and protective shell and become a happier, more active dog. They were quite the pair. When Charlie went back home to his owner, Vida was crushed for a while…the first few days after he left she didn’t even eat! Since then, we’ve contemplated getting another dog as a companion for Vida, but because of living situations, finances, or other reasons, it just never happened.

Twenty eight percent of households in the United States have two dogs, and twelve percent own three or more. With the number of dogs in shelters needing homes and the number of people adopting on the rise, those numbers are steadily growing. 

Besides the obvious reasons to get a second dog (dogs are awesome, pictures like the one above), there are a LOT of things to take into consideration before adding another four-legged fido into your family…

PROS:

Companionship: Dogs are pack animals. Another dog can give your pooch someone to socialize with, sleep with, and play with. This is especially important if your work schedule means your dog is often home alone for long periods of time throughout the day…

Training: More often than not, it is beneficial (and sometimes easier) to train two dogs at once, because they can mimic one another and learn by example. After your two dogs have formed a strong bond and learn eachother’s personalities, there is potential that they will help to train eachother without even knowing it!

Therapy and Exercise: Getting a second dog can really be good for both dogs, mentally and physically. Shy dogs can get a boost of confidence from a second dog, it can help elderly dogs feel rejuvenated and even extend their lifespan. Physically, a second dog means more exercise and more play. This can lead to a healthier weight in both dogs, and better overall, longterm health.

CONS:

It may not work out: Whether or not your dog is social and friendly with other dogs, bringing a second one into your home does not mean puppy love with flourish immediately (or at all). The dogs may compete for attention, create messes, or get into fights. 

Finances: More vet bills, more food, more cleaning supplies, more dog service bills for grooming, walking, boarding, etc. Start tossing money in that savings account!

Messier: More poop to scoop, more dog hair to vacuum, more slobber to wipe up, more opportunity for destruction to your home. 

It’s a big decision! Do your research, prepare your dog and your home, and really sock away some money for the additional financial responsibility getting a second dog will bring. 

We’ll let you know when Vida gets her new forever friend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Shop…ADOPT!

I promise I’m not about to get all Sarah McLachlan on you right now, but this blog post is very near and dear to my heart. Many of my friends and family know my stance on buying from breeders…I don’t really agree with it. “Don’t shop! Adopt!” is my motto whenever I hear a friend is about to bring a new dog into their household. I understand that when you have a solid idea of what breed of dog you want, finding a breeder seems like the natural route to take. It is just my belief to first look into rescuing, then make buying from a breeder a last option if you aren’t able to find your ideal pet via a shelter or rescue organization.

It’s okay to disagree with me…different strokes, different folks! But just hear me out. Besides the obvious “feel good” appeal of rescuing a dog who might otherwise be euthanized or live the rest of their lives in a shelter, below are some other reasons why adopting is the way to go. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that rescuing is always the #1 option for all people. And, you’re obviously not a bad person if you don’t rescue an animal. I’m just asking you to educate yourself and research all the options while looking for your new furry friend(s). Here are some pros to adopting a shelter pet:

• You’ll save money. Getting your pet from a shelter or rescue organization can save you HUNDREDS of dollars, and most of the time, the pet you decide on will already come spayed or neutered, and sometimes will have already been given their first shots. The main goal of the shelter is to get these animals prepped for adoption and their new home, which means most of the time they come ready to go!
• Most of the dogs in shelters are not young puppies. I understand this point really won’t have any bearing on you if you are 100% set on getting a puppy to train and raise from a young age. But don’t forget, slightly older dogs (sometimes even 6 months old, which is still very much a puppy) will have already been housebroken and will already know some basic commands. Doesn’t that put your mind at ease a little? Raising a puppy is a wonderful experience, but it can be a full-time job, depending on the breed.
• You’re still getting a healthy, well-mannered dog. Just because a dog is surrended to a shelter does not mean they have health or behavioral issues. Most of the problems that bring animals to shelters are “people problems” such as moving, financial instability, or allergies. Only a small amount of shelter dogs are coming off the street or from abusive or less than stellar situations, even though the media focuses mostly on these instances.
• You can still get a purebred dog from a shelter. Research shows that 25% of all dogs in shelters are purebred. 
• THE CLINCHER…You’re saving a life. Over 4 million adoptable dogs and cats are killed each year due to overpopulation. This number would be significantly reduced if more people chose to adopt their pets instead of buy them. ‘Nuff said.

Listen, if you have the money, the time, and are totally amped on getting yourself a purebred puppy from a breeder, that’s your choice, and you’ll probably end up with a wonderful companion. But don’t forget those millions of perfectly healthy and friendly dogs in shelters who would love to win a spot in your heart. Cue the sad music…

Training for Humans…

Exactly two weeks ago, my beloved dog Vida (otherwise known as my child), was viciously attacked by a Pitbull in the dog park right by my apartment. It definitely ranks up there as one of the most terrifying moments of my entire life. From immediately after it happened to this moment two weeks later, I still feel no anger or hostility toward the dog who hurt her. What I did keep asking myself was “Why did this happen?” “How could this have been avoided?” “What can I or other dog owners do to be sure it doesn’t happen again?” This situation has presented itself as a major learning experience for me.

From my years of owning dogs and running my own dog business, I am fully aware of the amazing resilient nature of our four-legged friends. They don’t hold grudges, they move on, they keep going. I will bring Vida to dog parks again, she’ll be back to her playful self, and the horrible memories will be a thing of the past. But no matter what, the risk is always there. There’s always a chance that a dog will snap and will revert back to being what they essentially are; a wild animal. Instead of living a life of avoidance or fear or placing blame on specific breeds of dogs, shouldn’t we get to the root of the problem? The only way to stop these situations from happening is to start not only with training the dog, but with training the dog OWNER.

Pitbulls or not, dogs need to be trained. This is a given. But what about the dog owners? If more people buying and adopting dogs would follow certain rules, certain safety measures, maybe specific breeds wouldn’t get such a bad reputation. Here are some very easy ways dog fights can be avoided:

• The obvious: socialize your dog from a very young age.
• Neuter your dog; this can dramatically reduce aggression and dominance issues, thus avoiding possible fights with other dogs. 
• Reward and praise good behavior as much as possible.
• Make your dog aware from a very young age that you are the leader of the pack and the dominant one. Never allow them to take advantage of you.
• When being approached by another dog, do not tense up while your dog is on-leash or yell when your dog is off-leash; this can make your dog associate the sight of another dog with stress or punishment.
• Always carry treats on you when going on walks or visiting dog parks. Dogs sharing treats and watching eachother do tricks can initiate respect and a level of equality.
• Know how to interpret your dog’s behavior and learn what their stress signals may be. What is your dog’s overall stance? If your dog is standing rigid, with their head level, their hackle raised (hair from base of neck down their back), or their tail held stiffly up or down, be aware. If your dog is licking their lips or their eyes enlarge to show the whites, these are all signs they are on guard and may be ready to fight.
• Communicate with other dog owners at the dog park; let them know if your dog has a history of bad behavior or has issues with aggression, so that the other dog owners can decide what they’d like to do with their dog, whether it be to avoid playing or allow playing, this will keep everyone on their toes and as observant as possible

Keeping our dogs well behaved starts with US as the dog owners. The more time and training we put into our dogs, the happier their lives will be, and the dog park wouldn’t be such an intimidating place for any of us. Wouldn’t that be great?

My (new) life (without) mutts…

So…it’s been a few months! Since my last post, I sold most of my stuff, packed what fit inside my Subaru, and drove the 1,600-ish miles down to sunny Key West, Florida for a fresh start and a new adventure. In doing so, I made the difficult decision (along with my business partner) to sell Sit. Stay. Play!, the dog business we ran up in Boston, MA for over 2 years. Cue the tears…

Since my arrival on this beautiful island over 3 months ago, I’ve always felt like there was something missing; something I should have been doing. I’ve gone back to my “roots” and returned to a career in the hospitality industry, but my passion and true joy and happiness lies with caring for animals. To fill this void I’ve been feeling, I decided to embark, once again, on the exciting journey of starting my own dog walking/pet sitting business in Paradise. I can’t wait to meet my new four-legged clients and their humans. This blog will serve as my online diary to share with you all my return to being “dog’s best friend”…in Key West.

Dog day afternoon…

Although the picture above doesn’t completely capture the essence of the fun we had today at the park, it just HAD to be the opener. I mean, LOOK AT THAT FACE! SSP’s new walker, Julia, her pups Rilley and Benson, and Vida, Hudson, and some other four-legged buddies had a blast at the dog park today in this perfect (almost) Summer weather. It’s always great when all the dogs get along during a playdate, and even learn tricks from eachother. Little 9-week-old Great Dane puppy Rilley did a lot of “taking it all in”, and was the most well behaved and inquisitive puppy I’ve ever seen! I think my love for Man’s Best Friend just multipled by 4 today

   

Everytime we take Hudson to the park to play with other dogs, he attaches himself to one and they become best friends. Today it was Golden Retriever Benson. The two ran and ran and fetched like it was their job!

Vida and Benson were right in step too. The Golden Retriever always seems to be the most popular breed at the park because they are so happy and know how to have a good time!

   

The other two who were very interested in eachother were Rilley and Cody, a 120lb English Lab. Opposites attract!

   

   

All in all, it was a pretty perfect day, watching dogs thoroughly enjoy life and a puppy learn about the world. Dogs are truly amazing creatures, and can make an already bright day even brighter. DOGS RULE!

A trip to Doggie Beach!

We finally discovered a dog-friendly beach! Just a quick 30-40 minute drive out of the city in Nahant, there is a long stretch of beach named, appropriately, Doggie Beach. It was surprisingly very quiet today, and gave Vida and Jodha a good amount of space to run free, chase eachother into the surf, and get completely exhausted. The weather was beautiful and the sand was soft;  it was the perfect (doggie) beach day!

Vida and Jodha are both somewhat new to swimming, so they didn’t go in too far but still managed to splash around and get nice and soggy.

    

Anytime Jodha would attempt to run OUT of the water, Vida would chase her back IN.

Jodha’s first trip to the beach was a huge success…lots of running and splashing around followed by covering her body in sand by rolling herself around in it like a burrito. Unfortunately I don’t have pictures of this happening because I was laughing too hard to focus.

    

In my opinion, in order to really enjoy a beautiful day on the beach, you have to bring along your dog. Watching them have so much fun almost makes you enjoy it more too. Until next time, Doggie Beach!

Park life…

How beautiful is this weekend?! Yesterday we had Cooper, Hudson, and Otis at our place and decided a couple trips to the dog park were definitely in order. The pups know as soon as they get in the SSP van that fun is about to be had! Tails wag, tongues come out, and general doggie happiness ensues. We made a couple new friends at the park, Augie and Nova, and these canines were all loving life on a beautiful day…

   

Few things are more funny to me than Cooper’s “devil horns” when he’s running or at play

Little Hudson takes a break from the debauchery to look extra cute for a treat from Doug (not very hard for him, as you can see!)

Break time! Look at those handsome faces!

   

Cooper is famous for always getting his second wind, and pumping everyone else up to play again. “Chase me, chase me!”

   

Who knew water breaks could make for cute Kodak moments??

   

This little fluffy dude was such a good boy at the park, he got a couple more treat rewards

Augie and Cooper were in doggie love – when one got tired, the other would remind him it was play time!

Otis and his signature “cool down” Yoga pose

Cooper became little Nova’s personal security guard – how cute is this duo? We love seeing dogs in their element, outside, running around, making friends, and enjoying life. It’s why we do what we do!

Vida’s Beach Birthday Weekend…

Anyone who knows me knows there are two things I am obsessed with: my dog Vida and visiting the ocean. Mix them together and I am totally in my happy place! Last Summer, Doug and I brought Vida to my parent’s beach condo for the very first time, and she acted like a whole new dog. Running on the sand and chasing her ball into the ocean brought out the most playful and happy side we had ever seen in her, and we knew we would have to bring her to the ocean as much as possible after that. Since the little lady turned 2 on Wednesday and this weekend’s weather was forecast to be perfect, I decided the best present I could give her was a trip to her (and my) favorite place…

   

A beautiful day, an empty beach, and a happy pup. There are few things better than that!

“The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.”  ~Ambrose Bierce

Scenes from the SSP van…

When we started SSP, it was important to us to have vehicles that were safe, roomy, and comfortable for all the dogs we were going to transport. With the SSP van (also known as “The Beast” and “White Lightening”), we have those bases covered, and its loyal captain, Doug, has made it as dog friendly as possible. The pups always enter the van to find toys, rawhides, and other fun things to entertain them while they are en route to the dog park, groomer’s, or wherever else their destination might be. At the end of our busy Wednesday, we joined forces (and dogs) to take a trip to the park with Vida, Van (what a coincidence!), Hudson, and Duffy. Rather than take more pictures of dogs playing at the park, we decided to give White Lightening the spotlight!

After Doug stepped out for a minute, Van the Black Lab took an opportunity to see what it feels like behind the wheel (White Lightening was not in motion during this segment of the photo shoot!)

Hudson spends every Wednesday in the van while he accompanies Doug on his route. Looks like he’s ready for another treat!

“Little dog in a giant van!” ~ (sung to the tune of “Fat Guy in a Little Coat…hopefully Chris Farley fans will know what we’re talking about on this one.)

Never a dull day in the life of an SSP dog – even inside a moving vehicle!