Building a Strong Relationship with Your Dog

 

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They say that a dog is a man’s best friend, and this can definitely be true; when you go to the effort of building a strong relationship with your dog, they will always be there for you, and you will dote on them too.

But, how exactly do you build a strong relationship with your pooch? Here are a few things you might want to do:

Invest in high-quality training

When you get a dog, it is a good idea to invest in high-quality in home dog training. This will help you to build a relationship of respect and security with your dog while ensuring he also knows you are the head of the family and must be deferred to. Dogs need to know their place in the family pack if they are to feel safe and secure, so this is really important.

Understand their behavior

If you want to build a strong relationship with your dog, you need to be able to understand their behavior as well as possible, When you know why they do what they do, instead of getting mad at them for peeing on the floor, you will now that they are feeling anxious, and take steps to help them or instead of getting upset when they chew your shoes, you will know they are bored and get them a dog puzzle toy to play. You need to know them to love them so read up on some dog psychology.

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Bond with them

There are no strong relationships with anyone without working hard to form bonds. When it comes to your dog, you can bond with them very easily by feeding them regularly, petting them often, playing with them wherever you can, and taking them for lots of walkies. The more tie you spend with your dog doing things you both enjoy, the stronger your relationship as pet and owner is likely to be.

Be calm, be patient

Dogs do not always behave in an ideal manner. When this happens, the worst thing you can do is to get angry with them. Your pet will feel most secure when you stay calm and treat them with patience, especially if they are new to your home and trying to adjust to living with your family. The more gentle you are, the stronger your bonds will be and the more you will get out of being a dog owner because he will love you like no other.

Create a safe space for him

As you can probably tell by now, dogs need to feel safe to build strong relationships, so creating a safe space in your home where your dog can retreat when he needs to - a crate in a quiet corner is ideal - will help him to settle in and feel comfortable being part of your wider family.

The stronger the relationship you build with your dog, the more rewarding having a dog will be for you, and the happier your pet will be, so what are you waiting for?

6 Ways To Keep Your Cat Happy And Healthy Indoors

 Sometimes, it might be too cold outside to let your cat explore the outdoors, so they need to stay in. Keeping your cat happy and healthy indoors does not need to be complicated. With enough attention, toys and entertainment, the kitty will be able to stay busy and get all the exercise they need. Here are our top ways to keep your cat happy and healthy indoors. 

Make Sure They Have A Balanced Diet

To make sure that your cat stays happy and healthy, you should pay attention to the pet’s diet. Cats should not eat too much dry food, and their diet needs to be meat-based. Companies such as Reveal offer food made of a variety of different meats. Choosing the right food for your pet can only help you to improve their health and overall quality of life.

Let Your Cat Watch The Birds From The Window

Even domesticated cats can be a danger to your local wildlife and birds, even if they are well fed. However, you can let your cat enjoy the beauty of wildlife even from the comfort of your home. Try making them a perch by the window where you have a bird feeder. From there, they can watch birds safely without being able to attack them, and it might entertain them for hours.

Allow Them To Climb

It is only natural for cats to climb. Therefore, you should allow them to do so even indoors, where they cannot climb up the trees. Instead, install a cat tree that will allow them to exercise their muscles, have fun and rest. You can find cat trees in many pet stores. But if you are good at DIY, you can try to build a cat tree from scratch.

Look For The Right Vet

Most vet clinics are busy with dogs. To keep your cat relaxed and happy, try to find a vet who has a clinic that is cat-friendly. Ideally, they should have separate areas for cats and dogs. That way, your kitty will not be scared or need to worry about other animals, especially if you expect to be in a waiting room for an extended period of time. 

Accept Their Affection

Some people might say that cats are mean. However, they are only pets that need to be loved, and with enough attention, they return the affection. The ways cats show affection might differ, but some of the most common is when they bring you their favourite toy or follow you around. And if the cat falls asleep in your lap, it is a great display of trust and love.

Ensure They Feel Loved

Unlike wild cats, domesticated cats need your attention to stay happy. Therefore, you should make sure that you have time to play and snuggle with your cat every single day. As long as you pay attention to your pet, the kitty will stay healthy and happy. Even with a few moments of attention, you will be able to make a significant difference to their well-being and happiness.

What You Need To Think About Before Bringing A Dog Into Your Home

 You might be thinking about bringing a dog into your home. This isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. It is a huge responsibility to own a dog and you need to think about it long and hard before coming to any sort of decision. Dogs are a lifetime commitment and not just for a couple of months. They will need to be walked in all weathers, which people often forget about. Take a look below to find out other things you need to consider and think about before going out to buy a dog. 

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Is The Time Right?

This is a question not many people think about. They just assume that any time is the right time to own a dog. Not quite true, if you are working long hours and you simply don’t have a lot of free time then it may not be the right time for you to own a puppy or a dog. New dogs need time to adjust and this needs to be done with someone around the majority of the time. If you can’t put aside necessary training hours for your dog then it may be time to put those plans on hold for the time being. 

Do You Have The Space?

Dogs can take up a lot of room and space in your home, especially larger breeds. You need to ensure you have enough space for them to run about and burn off excess energy. Ideally, you don’t want them doing zoomies around your home, potentially destroying it in the process. You need to have a decent-sized garden or be prepared to take them out for long walks at several points throughout the day. Gardens are ideal for dogs as they can come and go as they please throughout the day. 

How Much Budget Do You Have? 

Dogs are not cheap and you need to make sure that money will always be available as and when your dog needs it. It isn’t just the initial cost of buying the dog that you need to think about. You will also need pet insurance that you pay for monthly. Vet bills, including vaccinations and worming treatments. Dog food will also need to be catered for, finding the best one for your pet may take some time. Walmart fresh dog food is available for you to purchase and is a favorite within the doggy community. Make sure you are putting money aside for all eventualities and you should be fine. 

Which Breed Do You Want? 

Finally, if you have decided that now is the right time to get a dog then you need to decide on which breed to get. This takes a lot of time and research. You need to think about whether you are going to have children in your home, either now or in the future. If so, you need to get a dog that is family-friendly and gentle. There are quizzes you can take to decide on the type of dog that will fit in best with your setup. You could also search for dogs with the best temperament to find one. 

Favorite Treats of Your Pets

All caring pet owners want to give their four-legged buddies some goodies from time to time. However, choosing a healthy and tasty alternative for your pet might appear to be not easy. What parameters should you take into account when picking up the best treats for your lovely animal? It’s time to explore this topic a bit deeper. 

Choose a Snack With A Breed In Mind 

There is nothing new that various breeds might have different problems with their health. For example, some dogs have a very sensitive digestive system, while others require special nutrition to maintain joints healthy. It is important to know all the weak points of your pet’s breed and avoid giving it improper goodies. For example, many dogs love grapes. However, this fruit is harmful to their stomach. Therefore, it is better not to treat your four-legged friend with grapes, even if it makes an incredibly sad face. 

Follow the Pet’s Diet 

Each pet is completely unique. When choosing tasty treats for your animal, it is important to consider its age, eating habits, and health condition. Moreover, there is a list of forbidden products for each pet. For example, it is better not to treat your cat with cow milk, chocolate, raisins, avocado, and raw meat regardless of its breed. The same rule works for dogs and some other home animals. 

Read the Reviews of Other Pet Owners 

If you can’t make the right choice in a whopping assortment of pet goodies in the supermarket, it might be a good idea to read the reviews of other pet owners. If you have a cat, feel free to start with exploring the latest young again cat food review. In case you own a dog, it might be interesting for you to read a fresh top rated dog food review. It’s easy to discover what goodies are among the favorites for other pets and offer this food to your buddy. 

Consult the Veterinarian 

According to most scientists, the best thing you can do before giving any type of goodies to your animal is to consult the veterinarian. The pet’s health professional might take some tests and help you choose the best alternative for your four-legged friend. This way, your pet is not likely to have any side effects after trying new products. Moreover, the veterinarian might help you determine whether your home animal has any allergies. 

Pick Up Healthy Options 

When choosing treats for your pet, it is necessary to buy only goodies that were developed for your type of animal. For example, it is better not to treat your dog with cat food even if it really likes it. Don’t forget to make sure all the ingredients in the pet food are healthy. For example, look for treats that contain chicken, rice, fish, and other natural products. Avoid picking up pet food containing preservatives and artificial ingredients since they might cause issues with the digestive system or allergy. Most veterinarians don’t recommend buying pet goods with propylene glycol and BTH. 

Moreover, if your four-legged friend consumes only pet food, it is better to avoid treating it with human food. According to many animal health experts, combining pet and human food might not be good for your buddy. 

Consider Treat Size 

The best option for treating your pet is small-sized goodies or food that can be easily broken into small pieces. This type of treat is convenient for the pet owner and can be easily consumed by your four-legged buddy. Another benefit of offering small treats is that your home animal can consume many pieces at once with little to no risk of having an upset stomach. Anyway, it is better not to give too many tasty treats to your pet during one session. Keep in mind that overfeeding is not good for any pet. 

Don’t Stick to Only One Option 

Pets are like people. They love diversity, too. Therefore, it is better to have several types of goodies and switch between these alternatives from time to time. This simple trick will help you maintain the pet’s interest for longer and boost its motivation to learn. Consequently, you will achieve better results within the shortest terms. 

Let Your Pet Choose 

What if you bought expensive and healthy treats for your animal, but it refuses to eat them? Well, sometimes, it happens. This way, it is better to shop for another option to pick up the best one that suits your buddy. 

Conclusion 

Choosing quality and healthy pet food might be easier than you might think. Pick up treats that don’t contain artificial ingredients and are developed exactly for your pet’s breed. Select treats of small sizes for maximum effect and your pet’s comfort. It might also be good to consult a veterinarian to make the right choice and to eliminate any health risks. 

Gifts for Pets

Fido wants a great gift this year too. If you aren't sure what to get your furry friend this Christmas, I have found some gifts that are sure to make tails wag or motors run at full speed.  My cats and dogs totally approve of each item on this list.

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Winter means it is dark before dinner time, but the dogs still need their nightly walks, and that can be dangerous! Keep yourself and your pets safe this year with a Headlight Harness and a reflective leash. These are awesome because they make you and your dog visible to traffic and it makes the walk a little safer as you can see your obstacles like ice and snow a little easier. Order online for about $60 and you can have these personalized too!

Sierra has some awesome dog toys this season! Make sure you check out their site, or look for some of their offerings in stores like TJ Maxx. We found a great assortment for our dogs that I know will have their tails wagging on Christmas morning! From treats, to toys and even stockings! I love that they had awesome pet gifts as low as about $8, and you can find so many great things from the Sierra site for the whole family!

If your pet likes to go on all of your errands and adventures, the Poco Pet lightweight carrier makes a great gift. Retailing at under $30, this little pouch folds up into a portable package. You can easily carry your small dog anywhere you want to go. Get it online.

The Bully Buddy from Bow Wow Labs is a great gift option for dogs who love to chew. This toy holds a bully stick in place to prevent choking and prolong the chew. Get a kit that is sized to suit your dog for under $40 from Bow Wow Labs.

If your dog has anxieties, cornbread hemp cbd is perfect for gifting this holiday season. This easy to give supplement is also great for hips and joint for a healthy and happy dog. Get it online for $35. My dogs are crazy about the corn dog flavor and how mellow it makes them feel, even when the kids would normally have them nervous.

Add a special touch to the mantle this year by giving your pet a stocking that looks like him.
My family is crazy about these adorable beagle stockings from Hearth Hounds. We love that they had a beagle hound for us. My beagle is gloating that he is more popular than his Mountain Cur sibling. They have a ton of breeds available, so make sure you order one from the website or Etsy. They retail for about $35.

Gerard Larriett makes an assortment of really nice smelling soy candles that pets and pet owners will appreciate. These are long lasting, pleasant smelling and help keep odors at bay while adding relaxing fragrances to the ambiance of the room. Order from Amazon or the Gerard Larriett website for about $14.

Saddlebox is the ideal subscription box for horse owners. Get a monthly assortment of goodies for your horse shipped right to your door. Includes treats, tools and things to make any horse super happy. Plus your purchase helps horses in need. Order online from Saddlebox.

K9 Cologne is a must have for pets this holiday season. They have some really great fragrances like this rich tobacco to keep your pooch smelling excellent this holiday season. I love this to keep the dog smell at bay after a snowy walk with Scout. Get it on Etsy for about $25 a bottle.

Huan makes keeping tabs on your pup easier. They have an assortment of covers for the Huan dog tag, which is super affordable. Get your tag and sleeve starting around $3 a month online at the Huan website.

Keep tabs on your four legged friends this holiday with the Wag! Tag. These are awesome and affordable gift ideas. Right now you can get a standard tag for FREE or an annual plan for about $50. Order online for the holidays.

Who says you only need to gift Fido once this holiday? Pure Earth Pets is one of my favorite gift ideas for pet people this year because it keeps the gifting going month to month with delicious treats and fun toys. Order online  from Pure Earth Pets with prices starting at $34.

A great leather leash is a must have for your pup this holiday. Get this very stylish option with a matching collar from Pediped this Christmas for future walks in style. Leashes start at $20 and collars are around $15. Order online at the Pediped website.

This foldable pet carrier has a unique design and makes taking your small dog or cat along for the holidays super simple. Get it from amazon for stress free travels.

If you have a senior dog on your shopping list, I highly recommend adding a carton of Bone Broth and a bag of bone broth treats from Brutus Broth. This is sure to be a hit with your pet, it softens food and adds a flavor dogs can't resist. Get a 2 pack of bone broth for about $20. Get it online.

If you have a dog, you know that a walk is the best thing ever for any dog. The sounds, the fresh air, and the smells! Oh those wonderful smells that entice the nose! Plus, a favorite human at the other end of the leash, let me tell you, on behalf of dogs everywhere, a walk is all their is! Give your walking buddy a little extra comfort this winter with a down filled dog coat. Scout, my bestie, highly recommend this one from Free Country for about $45.

How To Make Paw Print Cupcakes

My best friend, my original baby, my dog, turned 10 a few weeks ago! To celebrate the day we got both of the dogs their favorite treats! A plain burger from Wendy's and a kiddie sized vanilla frosty... {Don't judge... my kids feed them everything and this is simply the favorite people food among my dogs...} but I couldn't stop there. I am a mom of furry babies and human ones too! My kids get really psyched for a birthday! The dogs are no exception!

This year, my 5-year-old declared that we should "invite everyone over!" to celebrate this awesome day, the birthday of one of our dogs...

Considering half of the everyone he wanted to invite are several hours away from our house, I asked him if we could compromise and have a little party with just us. He looked skeptical... he asked, "What about balloons and presents mom?" I said "Well, Fritz {dog} doesn't really like toys anymore, he is kind of like... a grandpa among dogs. He likes to eat burgers and ice cream on his birthday."

My 5 year old frowned. He said "Can there be cake? No? Maybe grandma should come, she can bring cookies..." I laughed at this. Gotta give the kid credit, he wants a treat too! 

We could have made homemade cupcakes, but you know, I have kids! Time for cupcakes was not planned on that day. I turned to a box mix and a can of icing... no special recipe to mention here. 

But, I do have an idea for decorating any kind of cupcakes! This easy (and cheap!) decoration idea might just leave a paw print on the hearts and tummies of everyone you share one with!

You will need per 12 cupcakes:

36 Junior Mints (you will need 3 per cupcake)

12 mini York Peppermint Patties 

Directions:

Bake Cupcakes according to the package.

Allow to cool completely.

Frost the cupcakes.

Place the York Peppermint Miniatures
near the bottom edge of the cupcake.

Add 3 Junior Mints
to the top of the York Peppermint Patty to make the toes.

Now you have a delicious and minty addition to your cupcakes! This is my favorite cupcake decorating tip! It is so easy to make and they are fun! 

Please do not feed these Paw Print Cupcakes to your dog! Yes, I know I made these for the dogs birthday and I told you that the dog got his favorite people food treats for his birthday- but I truly do not like my dogs to eat a lot of people food. I know, I am a sweet mom and all but I seriously, between friends, I NAG at my kids every day about feeding the dogs. Also, your dog should never have chocolate as a treat. It is very dangerous for the health of any dog!

I hope you liked hearing about my best friends birthday and I hope that you liked our special cupcakes!

You might also enjoy this Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake Recipe!

How To Remove Cat Urine From Carpet

There is nothing quite like the smell of cat pee on your carpet to really put a damper on the day. While we don't want to admit it, life with pets leads to a few messes here and there. Cat pee can be such a hard odor to get rid of, especially on carpet! It also seems that once your cat has an accident on the carpet, that spot is going to become a frequent place for future accidents if not treated.

My cat has had several accidents over the years. I have tried several methods to remove the odors and the germs! From specialty products sold in pet stores to natural remedies. I have had a variety of results as you can imagine. It seems that the products that work the best require the most work. Then one day, I had an idea and I tried it... Luckily it worked! I can't wait to share this easy DIY solution to pet odors that not only kills bacteria and germs but also has a pleasant smell!

Best of all- this is a DIY solution for pet odors like cat pee that will only cost you $2 to create. You may already have all of the supplies on hand for a frugal and fast fix to pet accidents!

The first step to take when your pet has an accident is to clean up as much of the urine as possible with paper towels. Blot it up as soon as possible until your paper towel is dry after blotting! This will make the job so much easier.

If you have a newspaper around lay it on top of the area where the accident occurred. The newspaper will absorb some of the odor.

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Next, you need an empty spray bottle and mouthwash.

Pour mouthwash into your clean and empty spray bottle.

Simply spray this over the area that the accident occurred. Spray the area down until it is damp.

And there you have it. A simple DIY Cat Urine Remover that is super easy to make and use. The mouthwash will kill bacteria and leave a pleasant smell. As you can see I used mint, because that is what my local Dollar Tree had in stock.

How do you deal with the mess and smell when an accident happens? 

Meet My Family

My little boy isn't feeling well, and he can't seem to sleep without Mommy at his side, so I am sitting up in bed, listening to him sleep. He reaches over to make certain I am still here every few minutes.

I don't post much about my family, I realized that the other day. Well, let me introduce you to my family!

                                          My husband, Adam and my son Rolf

                                           This is my Prince of a Puppy

                                                       This is Fru, my bestie! What a face! He was caught mid yawn~

                                         Maurice- our darling kitty

                                                        My hubby loves to fish :)

                                              My little darling Rolf!


 Rolf is a wonderful child. He is kind, he loves to help Mommy around the house. He is sweet, he is generous and loves to share. Rolf is funny, he has a great sense of humor and  he is busy, busy, busy! My son is very bright and he is absolutely adorable. I consider myself lucky to be his mother.

It breaks my heart to see him sick. He has been coughing and sneezing, he has been grumpy and restless, and tonight he had a low fever. It seems as if this year has been rough on our immune systems. We spent the day indoors, napping and coloring. We read a few books, cuddled and in general tried to take it easy. After a busy weekend I needed a day to relax, and Rolf needed me, so I have pushed the guilt I feel when I don't accomplish much aside.

My husband, Adam, gives me a gift every day. The gift of time, to watch Rolf grow and the opportunity to stay at home with Rolf. Our family could certainly benefit from a second income, but the money is not worth all of the things I would miss.

Well folks, there you have it, my family and a little bit about us!

What remedies did you or do you use for your toddler when he or she has a cold? The pediatrician advised us not to use any OTC medicines, and to give him plenty of fluids, zinc and vitamin C, and to use a nasal aspirator and humidifier to keep Rolf comfy. I have been giving him vapor baths too. I like to use natural products and remedies when I can. I would love to hear what works to soothe your kids!