Monday, October 31, 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Wait For It!


Our dogs spend a lot of their lives waiting for us! Zoe was waiting for Daddy to come home!  

"Wait For It" is one of my favorite Hamilton songs. 

Have you listened to the Hamilton sound track yet? It's awesome! I highly recommend it!

Friday, October 28, 2016

Our Best Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs and Cats!



Halloween is one of my most favorite "holidays". It's fun and festive and there's chocolate! For our pets, though, Halloween can be stressful and even scary if not downright dangerous. So here's my best tips for a successful night!

1. Halloween Candy is not for pets. All forms of chocolate, especially dark chocolate can be dangerous. This year we even have a new scary substance to worry about: Xylitol, which can be found in sugar free treats. It's so important to keep your candy up and away from your dogs and cats. We like to keep ours in plastic containers that have a tight sealing lid.

2. On Halloween Night, keep all of your pets safely indoors! Halloween is not the night to be leaving pets outside. My parents made that mistake long ago and their cat was hurt very badly by some awful people. Keeping your pets inside is the best way to make sure that they are safe. I would even recommend keeping your indoor/outdoor kitties inside for a few nights before and after Halloween. Black cats are especially at risk for horrible pranks and cruelty that some shelters won't even adopt them out around this time of year so it's important to be cautious with our feline friends.

3. Keep your pets away from the door on the night of Halloween. People coming to the door can be stressful for our dogs during any time of the year and even more so on Halloween where it happens over and over. Some dogs are terrified of children and it's also very common for dogs to be suspicious of people in costumes. Also, Halloween is not the time to work on door dashing, so if you have a dog who is nervous of kids and people or a dog that likes to dart out the door, I would recommend removing them completely to a safe room or crate with a good chewy bone or kong. Or if you've done mat work with your dog, this could be the time to pull it out. If they are comfortable settling on their mat and will stay there then that's okay, too. Remember to give lots of rewards to your dog if they are behaving appropriately and doing what you ask.

Phoenix and Zoe practice settling on their mat.

4. Be careful with lit pumpkins and electrical cords. Pets who get too close to candles can get burnt or even knock it over and cause a fire! We like to use the battery powered candles in our pumpkins and they make some really cool ones these days! You also need to be careful when using decorations that have electrical cords. Some pets like to chew on cords. I have a cat who was a cord chewer. They make cord protectors that you can buy at any home improvement store and we've found them to be extremely helpful in keeping our cat safe.

5. Desensitize your pets to Halloween Costumes before the big night. Make sure you try on your pet's Halloween costume a few times before the big night to make sure you've got the right fit and that it's comfortable and also to desensitize your pet to it. Make sure you give them lots of tasty treats for putting up with being dressed up and make it fun! When Zoe was dressed up as a shark, we played with toys and did her favorite training games! She hardly noticed that she was wearing a costume because we made it so fun for her. We also didn't leave it on for very long, mostly for some cute photos. If your pet does not like being dressed up don't force them to do it.


6. Desensitize pets to YOUR costume. Both dogs and cats can be wary of novel items and if you plan on wearing a scary mask, wig or some sort of funny hat, let your pets smell it and check it out before you put it on. Letting them watch you put it on is also helpful. That way they know the "scary" thing is actually just you and it's not a big deal. Feed them a few treats while you're dressing up and make it a good experience. Don't come out of the bedroom fully dressed in something they've never seen before. It can be very startling and it's not okay to scare your pet intentionally. 

7. Not all dogs were made to go door to door, Trick Or Treating with their people. Even dogs who are great with their family and kids don't like strangers or other people's kids and that's completely fine! Not to mention other households have dogs, too! If your dog has ever shown signs of being nervous of strangers, kids or other animals it's best to leave them at home where they will feel the most comfortable. Like I said above, it's very common for dogs to be nervous of people in costumes so it's important to keep everybody safe. Some dogs are okay to go with their people out into the Halloween night but they need to be practically bomb proof (excellent temperament, good with people, kids and dogs and have good nerves) with a very well trained leave it. Remember that it will be dark and there could be hidden dangers. There could be chocolate on the ground and it will be hard to see. Also keep in mind that your neighbors may not be as dog savvy with their management skills as you, they are probably not expecting trick or treaters with a canine buddy and their dogs may not want strange dogs visiting their house. If you do take your dog with you, remember to bring lots of tasty treats so that you can reward them for good behavior and distract them if they do end up getting scared by something.

8. Last but not least, your pets should be wearing ID. ID tags are important any time of the year but even more so during these holiday events where the door is being opened repeatedly. Chances of escape are much higher and accidents happen. Wearing proper ID with your updated information can be lifesaving and definitely increases the chances that your pet will make it home safely.


I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! We will be staying home this year! 

What are you doing for Halloween? Are you dressing your pets up? What will they be?


Sunday, October 23, 2016

Snuggle Buddies!


Phoenix doesn't always enjoy snuggling with cats because they have lots of sharp pointy parts! 

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Jumping Bean!


One of my favorite things about Phoenix is her drive for tackling obstacles! There's no obstacle too big that she can't handle!

Friday, October 14, 2016

What We've Been Up To! Big News!!!


Hi everyone! I hope you're having an awesome Friday! You guys may have noticed how we've been a little absent lately, between work and all the things that have been going on lately, I have not had a lot of time for blogging. I've been trying to get back into it and trying to take photos whenever possible but I'm not always able to! So for our biggest news, we bought a TOWNHOUSE!!! 


Phoenix is so excited!!! She really enjoyed checking out the new space! 
 

Zoe thought it was super boring!

The new place needs some work, the carpet is old and stained and things are a little dated inside but it's twice the space that we currently have, plus a 2 car garage and it's closer to my work! We are so excited! We will have both the upstairs and downstairs (so Zoe will get some relief, nobody will be banging around above us!) and we only have one neighbor on the side and she's a nice older lady with no kids or pets. I'm really hoping this move will be a good thing!


Here's a short video of the girls playing tug in our new bedroom! 

So far we haven't moved anything big yet, just some little things but hopefully we'll get it all done this weekend. It's so funny, right now the PNW is experiencing some terrible storms... I don't know why but I always have the worst luck when we move. It's always something! Typhones, ice storms, snow, 110 degrees. You name it, we've moved in it. Wish us luck that it all goes smoothly and quickly! I'm ready to be out of our old place!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Rain Drama!


I love Fall, don't get me wrong but with Fall comes the rain and with the rain comes Rain Drama! 

Both of the girls have been complete pills about going outside and going potty. Even with their coats on, which by the way, they own better coats than me, they still hate bad weather. It kind of sucks! 

Recently Phoenix has started balking at the stairs and the edge of the grass. She doesn't want to go out into the rain and she doesn't want to step into the wet grass because it's icky. I don't blame her but we live in Oregon and she has to go potty outside. 

Lately, they've both been hovering behind my legs and refusing to potty. It can be pretty frustrating but I am going to try to work on it!

Do your dogs like the rain?

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Brothers Complete Premium Dog Food: New Look, Same Great Taste!

"Hurry up and feed me!"

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today we're excited to talk to you guys about one of our favorite brands: Brothers Complete Dog Food! Recently Brothers Complete updated their packaging on their dog food and asked us if we'd like to do another review! We've done a couple of reviews for them in the past and it's always been a wonderful experience. They are an amazing small family-owned company that caters their products to dogs who may suffer from food allergies. They have top notch customer service and are always friendly and helpful! Brothers Complete receives a 5 Star rating on Dog Food Advisor and we definitely agree!

Zoe and Phoenix are fed a rotational diet and we were happy to work Brothers Complete in! We received our food in exchange for an honest review.
 
New Look, Same Great Taste!

Brothers Complete offers four different formulas: Lamb & Egg, Venison & Egg, Chicken & Egg and
Turkey & Egg

I really appreciate that Brothers Complete has a variety of different proteins. If your pup has food sensitivities you can pick the food with the protein that will work best for them. Zoe and Phoenix do not have food sensitivities but I sympathize with anyone who is going through it with their dog as we have suffered through it with our cat in the past. It can definitely be a struggle to find something that works and it's nice to know there's a company out there that recognizes that some pets have special needs. 


Brothers Complete have designed their kibble with high levels of protein, and over 90% of it is species appropriate animal based protein. They only use ingredients that are sourced in the USA. Brothers Complete includes "selective prebiotics" and "encapsulated probiotics" combined with digestive enzymes, nutrients, and ingredients that are intricately balanced in relation to one another (instead of random quantities that simply fall somewhere in between the high and low limits that AAFCO recommends). Brothers Complete uses eggs in all of their formulas. Eggs are great because they contain all 22 amino acids! They are the only protein source that is 100% bioavailable, which means the body uses them completely!

All of their dog food formulas are grain and potato free! Grains and potatoes tend to be problematic for dogs so it's awesome that they don't include them in their foods. 


Brothers Complete has very high standards for their foods, not only do they make their food in small batches, they are also very careful how the food is stored. They do not allow their food to sit around in hot warehouses, like most companies. The warehouse at Brothers Complete are air conditioned to make sure that the food maintains it's freshness and nutritional bioavailability. 


In addition to their wonderful line of dog foods, Brothers Complete also offers a variety of "allergy friendly" treats and chews. We recently reviewed their high protein biscuits and you can find that by clicking here: High Protein Biscuits or you can find them on the Brothers Complete website here: Brothers Complete Shop All

Overall I am still very impressed with Brothers Complete! I really appreciate their care and attention to detail when making products for our dogs. My dogs really liked the food and they are doing really well on it. They also love their biscuits and the chews we've gotten from them in the past, too. I would highly recommend checking them out! 

ZoePhee received food from Brothers Complete in exchange for an honest review. We were not monetarily compensated and all opinions are my own. Brothers Complete is not responsible for the content of this blog post.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Happy 4th Gotcha/Birthday to Phoenix!!!


It's been four years since I brought Phoenix home! Time sure flies when you're having fun. Phoenix had a rough start to life before me, we believe she lived in some form of neglect, she was not socialized and she was rescued out of house fire. She's a complicated dog, for sure and but she's the best friend a girl could ask for and she's taught me so much. She's changed my whole world and perception on everything. She's taught me to be more patient and compassionate. She's made me a better person.


Phoenix is a dog that's never said "no" to me. She has tried absolutely everything I've asked her to do. From silly tricks to complicated ones, to balancing on tiny objects or moving objects, to learning how to swim and fetching giant logs, to flipping and catch a frisbee, to performing tricks in front of crowds at orientation for my work and of course posing for silly photos for this blog. If I ask her to do it, she's up for the challenge and she tries so hard.


This dog has the biggest heart of any dog I've ever known. She is the most amazing companion I could of ever asked to have. She's always there for me and always up for anything I want to do and I love her more than words can describe.


Happy 4th Gotcha/Birthday to my little girl! 

I didn't have time to make her a new birthday movie this year but you can watch the one from last year by going here: Phoenix's 3rd Gotcha Day she really did change my life and I don't know what I would do without her.

To learn more about Phoenix and read her full adoption story go here: Phoenix's Adoption Story

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

My Drool Face!


Occasionally when Zoe is a little nervous about something or overly excited she will drool. It's happened maybe four times since we've had her. This time she was overly excited at the park.

Phoenix has never drooled.

Do your dogs ever drool?