The Con’s of Dog Ownership

I wasn’t sure that I could ever write a post about the Con’s about dog ownership… But then my non-dog lover friend said my posts were too “positive”…. I didn’t think that was a bad thing, but she explains that I may be sending the message that dog ownership is easy… And sometimes it isn’t.

So here are the Con’s of dog ownership.

• You have to share the bed.. And the couch… And sometimes the recliner, or get off of it all together so that your dog is comfy. No joke, foster dog Bacall loves the couch, and when she stays with us she gets to sit where ever she wants!

 

• You can’t be selfish. For me, as a broke college student working 2 jobs it means I can’t go shopping whenever I want. I have to save money for the occasional vet bill, food, and of course toys. BUT it also means that I am learning to budget better. Without adopting a dog I would have blown all my money on clothes… Now I save and I am fiscally responsible (for the most part..). Missy loved the $5.99 oversized tennis ball I got her!

• You have to exercise…  Sometimes I want to be lazy, so Eric walks the dogs. But we take turns, I do it during the day and he takes the nights! PLUS I take the kids to classes. Right now Jango is in agility and Pancho is in Obedience. It is exhausting. ALONG with exercise you have to take your dogs on physically and mentally exhausting adventures in order to keep them happy… Like kayaking… Below Eric and Pancho demonstrate how exhausting and boring it is to exercise with your dog…. Don’t they look miserable!

• You have to pick up your shoes and put away your laundry.. Dog ownership means you can’t be lazy with household chores. If we leave clothes or shoes out and they get tore up, its OUR fault. If we leave dishes in the sink and Pancho takes them out and chews them up, its OUR fault.  We also can’t just leave leashes and slip leads out… Adoptable Hershey demonstrates what happens when you leave a slip lead out… AND if you leave it out it is your fault it is ruined, not the dogs fault. Everyone says “the dog knows better”, but they don’t, YOU do, so pick up your stuff and it won’t happen.

• Sometimes you have to get dirty… Let me count the ways dog owners get dirty… Picking up poop, cleaning up vomit, helping your dog with poop that is stuck because he/she ate hair or grass, cleaning up anal gland juice out of your car because something spooked your pup, having to chase your dog who got off leash and thinks its a chase game (while its raining), and my all time favorite when Pancho jumps off the Kayak into the lilly pad and algae covered water, and tries to tip your kayak in order to get back in….. This happened twice….
• You develop an attachment disorder… It’s true. Try going on a no dog vacation after owning a dog for a year, you will be worried sick about your baby. You will call your pet sitter or boarding facility to check in daily and you will feel guilty for not bringing them with you. When you go souvenir shopping you will be looking for something cute for your pooch, when you get home you will spoil them rotten and apologize for going away… Ok, maybe this one is just me, but I have a feeling some of my friends are like this too with their pooches!
• You start talking in a high pitched excited voice to EVERY dog you meet.. (When non-dog lovers see this they judge you, or once you realize you’re doing this in public you get embarrassed..)
• You brag about your dog, your FB and Instagram are filled with cute pictures of your dog. Some of your non-dog loving friends (if you have any) will roll their eyes every time you see them.
• You start calling your dogs your kids. The first time this happens you may correct yourself, but after a while its just natural.
• AND THE WORST CON THERE IS: They steal your heart. Seriously, they do. You’ll never love anyone as much as you love your dog, even a significant other. Here is my reasoning for this, your dog would NEVER leave you by choice, never talk down to you and never hold a grudge. Even the best marriages and relationships have fights and hard times, with a dog you never have that. You can love your partner, but you will truly never love anything as much as your dog. (This sounds a bit cynical but I know that Eric loves his dogs more than me, and I love Jango more than I love him. Whether you want to admit it or not your dog is perfect, and people aren’t!)  Eric would choose his dogs over me, and I would choose Jango over him, and that will always be true. Luckily, we love each others dogs like their our own, so that would never happen. The fact that Eric would choose his dogs over me just makes me love him more, because he will never let Missy and Pancho down, ever. (Eric is pretty close to perfect..) Plus, dogs love unconditionally, whether you are living on the streets or in a mansion, your dog loves you! Some non-dog lovers won’t understand this, but seriously a dog is perfect, they listen without talking back, they keep your secrets and fears and never spill them to anyone, and they comfort you when you are stressed, even when you don’t tell your partner, dogs just know. Dogs steal your heart, and sadly when they pass they take part of it with them, its a void no other thing or dog can fill. You will love all your dogs, for different reasons and they will always make you smile.

So if you haven’t figured it out by now I love dogs so much that all the Con’s are positive. On a serious note, owning a dog is a big responsibility, if your dog is having an issue chewing things up, getting off leash, having separation anxiety then it is up to you to make it better. Pick up all the stuff your dog can get into, get a martingale collar or a harness, and talk to a vet or enroll your pup in a doggie daycare to help ease their anxiety. All “problems” with owning a dog are simply opportunities for you to be a better dog owner. Very few problems with owning a dog are unsolvable.

If you are looking for an easy dog to foster or adopt consider Carl or Bacall!

Carl (left) is a senior, calm, loving pup! He is so sweet and he is crate and potty trained already! He walks well on leash and leans into you while walking because he wants to be loved. Bacall (right) is potty, crate and leash trained. She is super sweet and loves to cuddle on the couch. Both Carl and Bacall are available through Tallahassee Pets Alive. If you would like to foster or adopt either Carl or Bacall please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!

Adoptable Hershey and Zeke are adventure dogs who love to be surrounded by people!

Zeke (left) and Hershey (right) would LOVE to show you just how boring and exhausting kayaking with a dog can be.. Both dogs love other dogs and do well on leash! They are also both adoptable through Tallahassee Pets Alive! If you would like to foster or adopt either Zeke or Hershey please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!

BFF’s

       

Since the weather has been so nice lately Eric and I took the boys Kayaking! A lot of people are surprised when I tell people that I take Jango with me, and that he behaves! He doesn’t try and jump overboard or anything, he just soaks up the sun and waits to play in the water until I say so. This was Pancho’s first time, and he did better than I expected! And its something he really enjoyed, he enjoyed it so much that Eric is looking into buying a canoe or kayak! Kayaking with your pooch is great, and its easy if you know what to do!

If its your first time kayaking I wouldn’t try and take your pooch, I did, and it was very difficult for me and for Jango. This was Eric’s first time and I took Pancho at first, and Eric took Jango since Jango knew what we were doing. It was very easy for Eric. Another thing, know the current of the water you’re on, we went to Wacissa. There is barely a current, its a spring, and there aren’t a lot of alligators! Since its a spring the water is always nice, and its super clear! The big spring, Big Blue is big and has a floating dock in the middle! (and a rope swing for the kids!)  There is also a small island (which we used to let the kids do their business and stretch their legs), and the paddle to the spring is only 3/4 of a mile from the boat ramp! There is also a smaller spring on the way to Big Blue, it has an underwater bridge, you can walk over top of the spring! Always make sure you kayak in a group, and be sure to have a map or cell phone with you! Also, carry a small knife, you never know why or when you’ll need it! And when you bring dogs make sure you bring treats, bottled water, a bowl for them to drink out of, and a leash and collar that you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. I recommend a flat break away collar, just in case your pooch gets stuck on something, the last thing you want is them not being able to free themselves! Another thing to bring is poop bags and a floating toy (jango and pancho wanted the tennis ball, and they LOVED their choice!). The benefits to bringing your pup with you is that swimming is low impact and it drains their energy pretty quickly. Jango and Pancho slept the whole weekend!  Plus they really enjoyed it!! Other things to do with your dog that help to bond and tire them out are Agility Classes, hiking, and going to the beach. Eric and I have had issues with our dogs every time we come back from the beach, from bacterial infections to dehydration so in lieu of the beach we may stick with Kayaking in fresh water, the kids weren’t sick or anything when we came back, plus they didnt need a bath!!!

I’ve taken Missy and Jango to agility classes and they both love it! Plus I’ve been working with the foster dogs from Tallahassee Pets Alive with some basic obedience and agility. Every dog I’ve seen do agility bonds to their human in a new, fun way, and they tire out from the challenging obstacles. Since Agility is a confidence builder it really helped Missy with her trust issues (she actually approached the other people in the class), and she has gotten a lot more courageous! Agility is something I want to continue, and I want to teach Pancho too!

Hiking with your pup is fun too! Plus its great exercise for both of you! Make sure to keep your dog on leash at all times, and make sure if someone else has their dog off leash you voice your opinion… Seriously, I’ve kept my mouth shut all too often, the other day while walking foster dogs in a city park, next to busy streets we came across 3 people with 4 off leash dogs, not only were the dogs not listening to their owners, one also have a very dominant stance, and another was intact. Had I not removed my foster dog and quickened my pace in the other direction it could have been ugly. Dogs shouldn’t meet on leash, if one dog is approached on leash and feels threatened they may act out because they fear they can’t get away, and if your dog bites someone else’s dog, even if that dog is off leash you could still be liable. So speak up, not in a mean way, just in an informative way. Explain to them that while their dog may be “friendly” in their opinion, to your dog who can read that dogs body language it might not be so friendly, or maybe your dog doesn’t want to be bothered, everyone should respect your dogs space, and you should respect theirs. Be sure to bring a bowl, water, and treats. Treats are important in case your dog slips away and doesn’t have a good recall, or if you run into an off leash dog and need to get your dogs attention, treats almost never fail! I used to take leash laws for granted, but now that I understand why they are needed and it is for the safety and security of all dogs. Everyone should follow the leash laws! You can make hiking into a fun obedience lesson by stepping off the trail and making your pup sit every time you see someone approaching! Jango now does this automatically when we are the trails, it is very convenient! Make sure to do a tick check on you and your pup when you get home!

If you want a dog that can do all or some of these things with you then check out these adoptables!

Hershey is a WATER DOG!

Hershey loves the water! Now that he has completed his HW treatment he is ready for his adventuring forever family! He wants to go kayaking with you, he wants to swim and he wants to please you! He is a super intelligent Lab/Corgi Mix! He is the perfect size for any family, and he does well with dogs and people!!! He prances when he walks and he can sit pretty! He would be the perfect beach dog! He isn’t afraid of rain, in fact he welcomes it and loves to jump and skip around in puddles! He is an amazing dog, and he has come along way! He is available through Tallahassee Pets Alive, if you’d like to meet him please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!

Meet Bacall (if you follow my blog you already know how special she is to me!), she is an agility and hiking dog!

Bacall can jump high, and when she runs sometimes her feet don’t even touch the ground! She would definitely place in Agility Competitions! She has this drive and passion for the people she loves! She bonds quickly to women, and warms up to men given a little time! (She warmed up to Eric a few hours into her stay with us, but he’s the exception not the rule! She warmed up to some of our male volunteers within a few times of seeing them!) She also loves hiking!! She goes on regular walks and adventures and does very well on leash!! Bacall will give you smiles every time she gets to go on an adventure. But she also has a lazy side, and that side is evident anytime a couch is within sight. She loves COUCHES! And she loves to cuddle up and watch movies with us, she wold love a family that has movie nights! She wants a family, and I can tell she has a lot of love to give, she has been giving Eric and I a lot of love, every time we see her! She is available through Tallahassee Pets Alive, if you’d like to meet her please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!

Rosette is a blank slate, she could be anything and everything given the perfect forever family!

 

She is a love bug who has been through a lot. She was abandoned with her 4 pups and left to starve. She was saved by an amazing good samaritan who has vetted her and gotten her healthy. Surprisingly she is HW negative, on preventative now, and she is spayed. She is UTD on shots and has the BEST disposition. She loves cats and dogs and doesn’t chase livestock! She is still skittish around new people, but once she warms up she is a total sweet heart! She has the prettiest brindle coat, with some adorable little white socks! She has a very expressive face and a huge heart! She needs a family with a good comfy couch and a lot of love to give!! She is perfect! She is staying with the good samaritan who found her, if you would like to meet this baby girl, who could be a hiking, water or agility dog please email Helen at foxhuntva@aol.com!

Zeke…. Can and will do it all!

His head is huge, but his heart is even bigger! He wants to please and he wants to go everywhere with you! He would excel at anything! He loves to hike and he is already learning some agility moves! He knows how to jump and we are practicing weave! He would love to go kayaking, he likes puddles and water! He is so sweet and he is very smart! He is still a puppy, and he is a big boy! He is tall and lanky and loves to play with other dogs! He is very affectionate towards people, even if he has never met them before! His smile is contagious and he is a very happy-go-lucky pup!  He is available through Tallahassee Pets Alive, if you’d like to meet him please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!

All of these dogs have potential to be anything you can imagine, they all have different pasts but their future is bright! If you do something “unconventional” with your pooch like Kayaking, please email me I’d love to know what dog friendly activities you do! You can email me at Katelynwhite4@aol.com!

The Great Outdoors

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!

So today we went adventuring!

   

Sometimes I wonder what our dogs think of us. I study human behavior from an anthropological view, and I get to study primate behavior. I am constantly being told by my Professors that Humans and Great Apes are the Greatest Species, the most intelligent, and the most complex. But seeing the atrocities humans create and participate in, I have my doubts. Think about dogs, they trust us, we feed them, we “train” them (well they train us), we give them treats, constant love, and we adore them like our children. Maybe they have this whole Life thing figured out: Find a human, make it my friend, and reap the benefits. Sometimes when I am photographing Jango I can tell he is bothered by it, and just wants to go do something else, acting like a 4 year old who is about to run off. I can see that he has so much curiosity, and he wants to prove himself to me (and of course Eric, and anyone else he values). While I know that dogs aren’t self-aware creatures (basically if you put them in front of a mirror they don’t know that they are looking at themselves), but that may be the best part about dogs, they don’t care about themselves, they care about us. All they crave is love, and good food to fill their tummies.

Anyhooooo, thats just some food for thought. I’ve started to take photography more seriously, and I really enjoy photographing dogs. Like Bacall, who stayed with us Friday night.

She is STILL looking for her forever home… And also, she really likes Eric and I. When we dropped her off at the adoption event, and realized we weren’t staying she whined for us, it was the saddest thing ever.. She is really looking for a home with kind humans that she can bond with. She is learning how to bond quicker and she has a lot of love to give. If you’re interested in this loving baby please email diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com

LILLY UPDATE

Congratulations to Lilly for Graduating from her Intermediate Obedience class with flying colors!!! She will be doing much more training and may even do a trick class or agility! She is going to be weaned off of her anxiety medicine soon, and she has been learning how to cope with “scary things” like strange people and sounds. She is also learning how to model…. And she is very good at it! Lilly is enjoying living with my mom and she is doing very well with her training, she is also to the point where she can walk around the neighborhood without getting spooked!! She is loving life!

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Friendship

What is friendship?

This is friendship.

Adoptable Zeke and Bacall are best friends. They look out for each other, enjoy each others company, and they don’t judge each other. Lately I have felt isolated from some of my ‘friends’. I am used to not having friends, what I am not used to is having friends, who then decide that I’m of no use to them anymore and they stop being my friends. Or worse, they talk negatively about me. It hurts more than just being alone and not having friends. I still have my best friends, and that is all I need. Sometimes I wonder why I ever bothered trying to make friends in the first place, then I remember without friends I wouldn’t have adopted Jango, or gotten into rescue. The only reason I went to a rescue in Pensacola was because I was also out there to visit a friend, and because she sent me the link a week before I came out to see her! Despite my recent loss of friends, I am ok. I enjoy what I am doing with my free time with my pups and with foster dogs.

(Adoptable Bacall has been spending more time with Eric and I over the last few weeks. She really loves being around us and she really cheers me up.)

I do have a few friends I can count on. Many of them have 4 legs.

Missy really cheers me up. She’s a little adventurer. She got to go practice her agility this past weekend! She was so brave! Tabitha (the human giving Missy treats) is also a friend, she loves dogs as much as I do. She is the good samaritan who found Bacall on Thanksgiving running around Tom Brown Park! Missy really loves working on her training, and her agility!

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Pancho has been my best buddy lately since I have had so much free time! He loves going on adventures with me, Missy and Jango while Eric is at work. Eric has been so supportive lately, and I’ve needed it since the majority of my ‘friends’ have been M.I.A.

Jango has been very happy lately. He gets to spend tons of time at daycare, and lots of time with me. He has been awfully cuddly lately. He has also been very protective. I am really glad to have my fluffy little cuddle buddy!

Most of my relationships have dissolved recently because of animal rescue. I am really tired of the drama that follows around the rescue community, and everyone involved in it. This isn’t just about what I have witnessed, this is about the rescue community in general. Since when did rescuing animals become about gossiping, bad mouthing, and being flat out rude? Volunteers are supposed to be kind, I mean you take time out of your day, do unpaid, HARD, often emotional work, to save a dog or cat yet you are rude and uncaring towards a friend or even someone you don’t know. I guess I see it like this, if you don’t have anything nice to say, then hush up. If it isn’t productive or positive keep it out of rescuing animals. Sadly, these are all things people should know, yet somehow it is like a cancer spreading through the rescue community. It isn’t just here, in our rescue community. It is everywhere. A friend in California just sent me photo of a Facebook thread between 2 of her fellow rescuers, they were blasting another rescuer because she wanted a dog to be PTS because it was suffering. The dog had been hit by a car, was left bleeding for hours before Animal Control came to pick her up. The dog was bleeding out, had 3 broken legs, a crushed pelvis and was in agonizing pain. All this woman wanted to do was to have the vet put her to sleep (the vet recommended the dog be PTS because it was in severe pain, and had little chance of recovery) but she was cussed out, talked negatively about and ultimately bullied by fellow rescuers. I get that tensions run high in shelter and rescue environment, but in situations like this the middle school mean girls act is uncalled for. I just saw another very public post of 6-10 people cussing someone out for asking a simple question about how to go about reporting a missing dog in their area, this post was from Texas. The people immediately jumped on this person, called her names, accused her of being irresponsible, and even negligent. All she was asking was a simple question, and rather than answer the question they ganged up on her. If she isn’t familiar with rescuing animals, and what a rescue is suppose to be about, she now associates it with rude, uncaring, and downright angry people. Now what happens if she wants to adopt a dog in the future, she probably won’t do so from that group, or from any other group. She may just go buy from a backyard breeder. It is really sad to see that so many people in animal rescue are becoming so bitter.

I really have thought about quitting rescue all together. I don’t want to be a part of that, I’ve seen what it can do, and I’ve seen how it affects my mood, my attitude and my spirit. Sometimes quitting seems easier than dealing with the drama, and I wonder how many people have already quit because of this.

I opened up a lot in my last post, and I will reiterate what I said in my last post. Life has decisions. Lots of them. You choose to have relationships, and that includes friendships. On the flip side, you also choose not to have them. You have to put effort into friendships, you have to nurture them, and it has to be reciprocal. Relationships and friendships are NOTHING if they aren’t even, if someone is doing all the work it isn’t a friendship. The things you say, the things you react to, those are all choices. The things you are a part of, the people you associate with and how you associate with them are all choices.  I am sure I will be ok, I am pretty resilient. Although it hurts my feelings that I have recently ‘lost’ so many friends, I have been through a lot worse. Anyways, if you are feeling distant from your friends, reach out to them. Tell them how you feel, go catch up. And make sure you maintain them and build them. Every relationship is delicate, all it takes is one thing to throw it off balance. All it takes are some unkind words to break a friendship.

Anyhooooo, I am fine with just my dogs. A few best friends. And an awesome boyfriend. Adoptable Bacall and Zeke however would really like to make a new friend and have a forever friendship. If you are interested in meeting either Bacall or Zeke please email Diana at Dianak.care@gmail.com!