Opportunity Knocks–Lady’s Story

Saturday, as I was cleaning my house and preparing for a two-day trip to the beach with my sisters, a knock sounded at my door. I knew from the barks that followed that it was not anyone my dogs recognized.

I dumped a dustpan full of Mason fur into the trashcan and peeked through the window. It was a red-nosed pitbull, and she was hungry. (Side note: yes, I know the breed is American Pit Bull Terrier and that red-nose isn’t a breed, just a color variation. But I live in rural north Florida, and knowing that she’s a red-nosed pit is a lot more important than knowing whether she fits a breed standard set by the UKC (but not the AKC) ’round here.)

I stepped outside and asked her if she had knocked on my door. She crouched low and half walked, half crawled towards me, tail wagging. I told her she was a good girl, let her sniff me, and began petting her.

I’ll admit to judging her situation by her breed. My first thought was that she had slipped her collar and left it chained to a tree in a yard somewhere nearby. That’s considered a pretty good life for a pitbull in my county. I didn’t want to think about other possibilities. I’m vaguely aware of dog fighting going on near my house, but nobody can prove what everyone knows. I’m not sure any dog fighters have ever been arrested here, which is weird, considering the conversations one overhears. Anyway, she didn’t have dog fighting wounds or scars, so I figured, worst case scenario, she was used to breed fighting dogs. I grabbed the spare collar I keep in my truck (I told you I’m a crazy animal lady…who does that?) and asked the dog if I could put it on her.

She didn’t protest as I snapped it around her neck, but when I tell you I was nervous…oooh boy, I was nervous. Visions of bite wounds and rabies shots dancing in my head, I clipped her to the dog run. Mama always told me I was gonna get bit one day, but Saturday was not that day. (To be fair, I’ve been bits lots of times, I just got lucky and got bit by dogs with up-to-date rabies shots, so Mama was/is absolutely correct, as always.) She looked so skinny and trusting. I was gaining confidence in her temperament fast.

I ran inside to get her food. My dogs sniffed me, a look of betrayal upon their faces. I told them they were good puppies. Belle tried to run out the door with me for the first time in months. The good puppy comment was a bit premature, it seems.

Outside, I was puzzled by the dog’s lack of interest in the food, but I knew better than to take it away once it was down, so I left it there and told myself I’d deal with the fire ants later. Next, I offered water, which was accepted much more readily.

I texted my husband, who was at work, and my sister, who was also preparing for the trip. Neither showed the least bit of surprise at my announcement, although I don’t think either believed that she knocked on the door. Pets have “followed me home” so many times, I’m like the boy who cried wolf now.

I called animal control to report her found, but they’re only open weekdays, so I had to leave a message.

When my attention turned back to the dog, the food was gone. I began snapping photos, hoping for at least one good enough to post on the local Facebook lost and found page. I managed three, and wrote out the post with the info I had. I looked at her one more time, noticing with some amazement that she appeared to be purebred, and made a final note on the post that proof of ownership would be required to claim her. I made a mental note to write my representatives about cracking down on dog fighting.

She was crawling with fleas, and I have two dogs and a cat. It didn’t take me long to decide that she would remain an outside dog until after a vet trip. The vet is also open only on weekdays.

I scanned her frail body for medical problems to see if she needed immediate care or if she could wait two days. She had a sore on her butt that would be worrisome if it wasn’t half healed. She probably had worms. She had a complete infestation of fleas and the associated skin problems (missing fur, bloody spots, scratch marks, and her ears looked permanently scarred). Her toenails were too long, but not broken or infected. She had rather pronounced nipples, but not as if she were nursing. I wondered if she was pregnant. She’d certainly had puppies before. I guessed her age as two. I decided she could wait until Monday to see the vet.

My husband was quite sure he’d seen her before, and we have a neighbor who owns lots of pitbulls, so I walked her on a leash down to his house. Nobody answered the door, so I left a note with my number. The dog didn’t pull on the leash, but she walked very slowly and I didn’t want to pull her, so it took what seemed like forever. I kept calling her a good girl, and a sweet baby, and a good little lady. At some point, I accidentally named her Lady, and knew I was in trouble. I shouldn’t name animals I can’t keep. I already have two dogs, a cat, and a newly-spayed stray/outside/community cat. I live in a two-bedroom house that was built in 1942.

I checked the Facebook post. Lots of people shared the post. I was confident that someone would know the dog if enough people saw her picture. People don’t just abandon purebred pitbulls, right? One lady commented a picture of her, which caught my attention, and I thought that she must be the owner, but her comment simply said that she owned the store down the road and had fed her the night before.

Then, I did something I’ve never done before. I trusted the new stray to my husband, and went on the girls trip. Sure, I bothered my husband for updates the whole time, but I actually left town the same day I found a dog (dog found me?). I’m proud of me. While I was out of town, animal control called me, filed a found dog report, and told me that nobody had reported her missing yet. They explained the stray laws to me, even though I know that they knew that I know them. She’ll be legally mine in eight days if no owner comes forward. The neighbor messaged me that none of his dogs were missing.

Monday, my husband took her to the vet and I returned from the trip. She doesn’t have a microchip, to nobody’s surprise. She had a skin infection from all the fleas and scratching, and tested positive for heartworms. Thankfully, her heart and lungs sounded good, so it’s a manageable case of heartworms. She has an underbite, which is a flaw in her breed, which may explain why she was dumped, or could be a total coincidence. She isn’t pregnant, yet, surprisingly, but has definitely had puppies before and is not spayed. They trimmed her nails and looked at several open wounds, all of which are expected to heal on their own with time.

She’s on an antibiotic for four weeks for the skin infection. She can be spayed once those are finished, as long as she’s reasonably healthy then. The heartworm treatment shouldn’t be started until after she’s spayed, because she can’t be spayed while undergoing treatment. The vet mentioned that she needed to put on some weight, but laughed and said that would be easy (he knows me and all my previously-skinny pets). As I left, I asked Lady if she liked bacon, and I heard the vet chuckle as the door closed behind me.

Lady took a flea pill at the vet’s office and is now much more comfortable. She met my dogs and cat, and they seem to all be a little nervous but adjusting nicely. As I type this, all four of them are sleeping soundly. Lady is in the crate until we know for sure that she won’t harm Luna. Luna is safely behind the pet gate in our room, probably sleeping on my pillow because she thinks my sneezes are funny. Belle and Mason are on the couch between me and the door, taking their guarding duties very seriously while snoring quite loudly.

My husband set up an appointment with a fencing company today, so my mind is drifting from blogging to daydreaming about my soon-to-be fenced-in yard. I can’t wait to watch our three healthy dogs play in the yard…

Anger and pet ownership

Sometimes, anger gets the best of people. Anger is a powerful emotion, and it’s difficult for many people to control. One area I see anger impacting is pet ownership. I’ve seen people giving away their pets out of anger that the pet isn’t trained properly. I’ve read articles about people who killed their pets for not being house trained.

Most of the time, anger at a pet doesn’t resort in something drastic. Maybe someone “pops” their dog for jumping, even though they know that hitting animals is not the best way to train them. Maybe they yell at a new puppy for chewing a shoe while they were at work. Many people are angry with their spouse or child for not taking care of a pet that was supposed to be their responsibility.

While I’m not an expert, this is my advice for dealing with anger as a pet owner.

The first step is to admit that you’re angry. You may need to admit that to yourself, spouse, or child. No problem can be solved before it is acknowledged.

Next, control your first impulse. It may be screaming, blaming, or physical violence. People must realize that giving in to their impulses in a fit of rage isn’t going to make things better. As a high school teacher and youth leader, I’ve listened to a lot of teens (boys, especially) tell me that punching walls or trees makes them feel better. The fact is: that isn’t true. It may be true for a fleeting moment, but the pain it causes them and those around them will last much longer than the temporary release that giving in to anger provides. Learning to deal with anger in a healthy way will provide both quick relief and long-term solutions. If this step seems impossible, it may be time to talk to a professional about dealing with anger.

Finally, ask for help. Help may come from a professional, friend, or spouse. If the stress of caring for a pet is too much and a pet owner feels angry often, a discussion needs to happen. Unless someone lives alone and bears sole responsibility for an animal, one person shouldn’t be taking the dog out every time, scooping the litter every time, feeding the pets every time, buying pet food every time, and also taking the pet to the vet every time. Work with your household to make sure everyone is taking care of some part of their responsibility every day.

(One way to take some work out of pet ownership is to order food, litter, and other supplies from Chewy.com. They have free shipping on orders over $49, a discount for autoship, and a wide variety of pet supplies. If you use my link, I earn a commission at no cost to you.)

Remember that a pet behaves according to its instincts and training. Try not to place blame on your fur baby. It’s normal to “lose your cool” every once in a while, but if you find yourself abusing an animal out of anger, please seek help. For more common situations, where the pet is not in danger, seeking the help of a trainer may be in order. If a pet’s behavior is out of control, training the pet can bring peace back to a household.

Take a deep breath and make a plan for dealing with anger in a healthy way. Feel free to comment with feedback or advice that has helped you.

Surviving Shedding Season

Mason the Akita/German Shepherd is a great dog. He’s loyal, protective, and he has a distinct personality. His coat is long, fluffy, and majestic. There’s just one problem–he sheds!

Three days ago, I mentioned to my husband that I felt like I was vacuuming up even more fur than normal. He took Mason outside and gave him a thorough brushing.

Tonight, I came home, took one look at Mason, and knew. I could see the uneven patches of half-shed fur piling up on him, and the living room looked like it had snowed. Oh no–it’s shedding season!

My husband (bless him) has had Mason since he was a wee pup. Sometimes I wonder if he even notices that everything we own is covered in Mason fluff. (It’s covered in a hair or two year-round, of course, but if I’m not careful, it really ramps up at certain times of the year.)

The first year Mason lived in my house, I learned that brushing didn’t work. I could brush until the cows came home, but I would always remove more fur the longer I brushed. I wondered how my husband lived with this. I wondered how Mason survived the Florida heat like this. Then, I found a shimmer of hope.

The only way I’ve found to remove Mason’s shedding undercoat is a fur rake. Because I grew up with labs and pitbulls, I had no clue these even existed. They’re used for medium- to long-haired dogs and they reach into the undercoat to remove the built-up half-shed fur. (Like these from Chewy.com. If you use my link and purchase one, I’ll make a commission at no additional cost to you.)

When a dog like Mason sheds, it doesn’t all fall off (like it does with Belle). The outer coat falls off, but the undercoat gets trapped between the skin and the outer coat. This causes the never-ending brushing cycle, as well as mats and itchy, irritated skin. The only way to get the half-shed fur out is with a fur rake. It reaches past the outer coat to catch and remove the undercoat.

I brushed and raked Mason for about 30 minutes tonight, and I think I could build a new Mason with the amount of fur I removed. He was so happy that he even let me brush his tail (this normally causes some strife). I’m sure he feels cooler and lighter. He’s been nudging me for more loving ever since.

Of course, I also had to brush Belle, because she was jealous of the love and attention Mason received. That was a much shorter job (she’s a pitbull/hound mix).

The floor was a mess by the time we were done, but a quick sweep and a slightly-less-quick vacuuming of the couches later, the house looked decent once more, for the time being.

And so it begins.

Happy shedding season, everyone! May your dogs love their brush, and may the fur stay out of your nose!

“The dogs and I had a bad day”: dog ownership gets messy

Today, getting off work was just the start of my day. While I was teaching Achebe and Shakespeare to unsuspecting high schoolers, my dogs and husband had been having a very bad day.

My husband went to work at 4 am and hit a deer, totaling his truck. Instead of calling me, he let me sleep and go to work relatively stress-free. I know he meant well, but that meant I was totally unprepared for my evening. When I got home, he told me he’d had a bad day. Here’s what I’ve pieced together of my husband’s day, the apparent reasons why my house smelled like dog poop when I got home, and what I did to fix it.

After totaling his truck, my husband dealt with the insurance company most of the morning. Unfortunately, that left Mason and Belle home alone and in a predicament. They both had accidents before he made it home in the rental car.

The dogs are potty trained and rarely have accidents, and Mason has a bad habit of trying to cover up any accidents that occur. Like any self-respecting dog, when he has an accident, he eats it. GROSS. Like most other dogs, eating poop makes him ill. He proceeded to vomit dog poop on the floor. DOUBLE GROSS.

My husband tried valiantly to clean up the mess, but that didn’t stop the smell from assailing my nostrils the moment I opened the door. My husband was in the yard trying to clean out his truck so the insurance company can tow it tomorrow. The dogs were on the dog run under his supervision. After nearly puking myself, I set to work trying to rid the house of the stench. As I worked, I thought that the world needs some tips on this. Hopefully, I’m not the only one who’s ever done this or will ever have to do it. So, without further ado, tips for getting the smell of dog poop/puke out of a home:

Clean all the mess. If you didn’t witness the accident, be aware that your pup may have spread the mess. Following your nose is often more effective than looking with eyes alone, as gross as that may seem (hey, pet parenting is gross stuff.)
For hard floor, mop with Pine-Sol or similar disinfecting floor cleaner.
For anything washable, I recommend spraying with a water hose, followed by Shout stain remover, followed by washing with the detergent of your choice and Lysol laundry disinfectant (bleach works too).
For carpet or upholstery, there are lots of effective cleaning products at Chewy.com. Dab, don’t rub, the stain after applying your chosen cleaner. Rubbing will work the stain and smell further in to the fabric, and may make stains larger. For bad stains, no matter what cleaner you use, multiple treatments will most likely be required.
Light a candle for the smell. This works quickly, and is especially helpful if the smell is so overpowering that you’re having difficulty cleaning.
For a more natural odor solution, boil water with lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, or a combination thereof.
Make sure your pets are clean, too. Bathe them if needed.
Be patient. Remember that you love your pet, and take deep breaths (outside, if needed).

Of course, as soon as we let the dogs back inside, Mason vomited again and this process had to be repeated. When we let him in the second time–you guessed it–he vomited yet again. I took him outside and had a long talk with him. I’m not sure how much he understood, but either it worked, or his stomach was finally empty. It’s been a few hours and, fingers crossed, we haven’t had another incident.

The house finally smells like normal and my husband’s belongings are out of his truck. I sanitized everything, cooked, and ate supper. It’s been five hours since I got off work, and I’m finally slowing down. Mason is sleeping it off. Belle must not have eaten any poop, because she’s begging me to play. If there’s a lesson I can learn from my dogs today, I think it’s to not let anything ruin your day. A bad morning hasn’t ruined their evening.

(Legal thingy: If you click the link in step 4 and buy something from Chewy, I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you.)

The importance of dog training

One of the most common reasons for giving away a dog is that they’re destructive and/or not house trained. It’s true that living with a poorly-trained dog is a nightmare, but no dog should be given away because of a human’s failure to train them.

I don’t believe there’s any such thing as an untrained dog. Dogs are trained by their humans, whether for the better or worse, whether the human is consciously attempting to train them or not. Dogs react to their surroundings, and they learn from their experiences.

For instance, if a human pets their puppy every time the puppy jumps on them, that pup is being trained that jumping results in a reward. When that puppy grows up, that behavior will be less cute, and will result in scratches. If it’s a large breed, the dog may also knock people over. The owner usually doesn’t understand why the dog won’t stop jumping, failing to realize that the owner is the reason the dog jumps.

In the same way, if a human takes a dog outside after it pees in the house, the dog may think being taken outside is a result of peeing in the house, and may not understand that it should be peeing outside. It is the owner’s responsibility to take the dog out often enough that it won’t need to pee inside, and to praise it when it shows the desired behavior.

It’s important that dogs be trained not only for human convenience, but also for their own safety. A dog that is not trained to stay or come may put itself in dangerous situations in the event it slips out of a collar, house, or yard. When Belle was a puppy, she escaped through the door as I came home, and ran towards a busy road. Thankfully, we had been working on “come” and she ran towards me as soon as I gave the command. (Yes, the next thing we worked on was training her not to run outside.)

Lastly, training is important because without training, dogs get bored. Dogs (especially the more intelligent breeds, in my experience) display destructive behaviors if they’re not being mentally stimulated. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your dog has mastered basic obedience and is now done. Training is and should be a lifelong process. Reinforce training often, and move on to more advanced training when your dog is ready for it.

Basic obedience may include: no, sit, lay down, shake, roll over, come, heel, and stay.

Advanced obedience may include: fetch, get it, drop it, guard, stay (for longer periods or while in another room), go (name a place), hush, services for owners with disabilities, and silent hand signal commands.

Training should be a positive experience for both dog and owner. Most dogs love to please, and a well-trained dog is much easier to manage and will make the owner’s life easier. There are lots of free websites with training tips, or you could always seek out some in-person help if you’re not comfortable training at first.

P.S. I think the best place to get training supplies like halters, clickers, and treats is Chewy.com. They have free 1-2 day shipping on orders over $49. (If you click this link and buy a product, I will make a commission at no additional cost to you.)

Why we should change Valentine’s Day

Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day of red and pink hearts, candy, flowers, and love (so they say).

I’ll be honest. I hate pink, I’m allergic to flowers, and I think Valentine’s Day is more trouble than it’s worth. My husband loves me every day. We don’t need a day set aside for loving each other, because we’re supposed to be doing that all the time.

Admittedly, my love language is definitely not gifts. (If you don’t know what a love language is, I highly recommend the book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-That-Lasts/dp/0802473156/ref=asc_df_0802473156/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241916856624&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13727265565615956830&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011601&hvtargid=pla-405427385447&psc=1). To find your love language, try this quiz: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/. Mine is quality time, followed by acts of service. I would rather sit at home with my husband than get expensive gifts. When he really wants to spoil me, he washes the dishes.

The worst part about Valentine’s Day is when a couple have widely different ideas about the holiday. If a wife is expecting a gift and her husband cleans the house instead, his expression of love is lost on her, and can cause her feelings to be hurt. Her lack of thankfulness can, in turn, hurt his feelings. Husbands can feel used and left out if they don’t get gifts, or they may feel like the day should be about the ladies and be offended if their wife gets them anything. In many houses, Valentine’s Day causes a lot of stress and not a lot of happiness or love.

For a couple like my husband and I, Valentine’s Day just isn’t anything to get excited about. For single people, it can feel like a day meant to make them feel miserable. Nobody wants to be reminded that everyone around them is madly in love. What’s worse is that the love expressed on Valentine’s Day is often a facade. Many couples try to hide relationship problems and show the world only what they think their relationship should be, not what it really is. This can make singles or people in less than stellar relationships feel envious of a “perfect relationship” that is anything but perfect.

Do you know who loves gifts and other expressions of love the most? My dogs.

Hear me out: I know we love our pets every day, but I think having a day devoted to loving our pets would be more fun and exciting than a day devoted to loving our significant others. When my husband buys me flowers, he gets a thank you and maybe a peck on the lips. When my husband buys Mason a gift, he gets tail wags, smiles, grunts of happiness, and usually some slobber. When I buy Belle a gift, I get to watch her erupt in pure joy, get the zoomies, run around the house, bark, whine, and play until she exhausts herself.

Did you know you can autoship your pet’s food, toys, and medicine to your home? Chewy.com will give you 30% off your first autoship.

In conclusion, Valentine’s Day is the result of corporate greed and causes more strife than joy. We should buy presents for our pets and dote on them all day instead. They’ll appreciate it more than humans do, and the day will be less stressful for all involved.

What are you getting your pet for Valentine’s Day?

(Yes, Chewy.com will pay me if you click my link and order your first autoship. Yes, I really use them and think they’re awesome!)

Living with Pet Allergies

I’m a terrible patient. All my life, doctors have told me that I’m severely allergic to cats and dogs, and that I must keep a pet-free home.

I own two dogs and a cat. One of the dogs is a giant floof (Akita/German Shepherd hybrid). The cat sleeps on my chest. I’ve been hospitalized five times for allergy-related reasons, including sinus infections, pneumonia, and asthma attacks. Still, I will not give up my pets.

What I did instead was seek out an allergist. The allergist told me I wouldn’t live to 30 if my allergic asthma couldn’t be controlled. Allergy tests determined that I was allergic to cats, dogs, and around 50 pollens and molds. The next thing to come out of her mouth was, of course, that I should live in a pet-free home. I told her giving up my pets wasn’t an option, and lo and behold, she gave me other options. She was the first doctor in two decades to even attempt to help me after I rejected her first piece of advice.

Here are seven ways I deal with my allergies. I hope you find them helpful, but, of course, I also advise a trip to an allergist.

1. I found the right combination of allergy medicine.
I’d grown up being treated with tons of allergy medications and being told not to mix any of them. The allergist explained what medicines I could take at the same time, the maximum dosages of those medicines, and how taking these medicines could affect my liver and kidneys over time. In a little over a month, we found the right combination and my symptoms were greatly reduced. We even did allergy shots, which reduced but didn’t eliminate my symptoms.

2. I eliminated carpet.
When I bought my home, I ripped out all the carpet and replaced it with vinyl plank flooring (any hard floor will do) before I moved in. Carpet holds dust, dust mites, dander, pollen, mold, and all kinds of unsavory things like germs and bad smells. If you think your carpet is clean, go tear up a corner and look at the dirt under it (or Google a video of someone tearing out carpet). Walking over carpet releases that trapped stuff into the air. A home with carpet will never have allergen-free air.

3. I tackled pet dander at the source.
I bathe my dogs regularly, and wipe my cat with allergen-reducing wipes. This reduces pet dander (nothing will eliminate pet dander; that’s why the allergy meds are #1 on the list).

4. I wash my hair before going to bed.
Pollen and dander can be trapped in hair. While you sleep, you’re breathing whatever is on your bedding and hair. If you don’t like sleeping with wet hair or using a blow dryer, you may only need this step during times when your allergies are acting up.

5. I wash everything that’s made of fabric often.
This includes bedding, clothing, couch cushion covers, rugs, my dogs’ blankets, and even curtains. How often they need washing will depend on how bad your allergies are and how many pets you have. I wash bedding every two weeks, couch cushion covers once a quarter, and curtains twice a year. I wash dog blankets and the sheets I use on my couches once a week (I use sheets on my couches so I only have to wash the cushion covers every quarter). I wash rugs once a month and avoid large area rugs (for the same reason I avoid carpet). Allergy-reducing sprays may help between washings, but aren’t as effective as washing.

6. I use an air purifier and clean filters.
My home uses window A/C units. I clean the filters once a month, but I found I also needed an air purifier. If you have central air, make sure you’re cleaning your filter as often as needed (check the filter directions). If you still find the air quality in your home bothersome, there are some really good and relatively cheap air purifiers to check out.

7. I create an allergy safe room when needed.
When my allergies are really bad, I don’t allow my pets in my bedroom. If you sleep 8 hours a night, a third of the air you breathe is the air in your bedroom. That’s why it’s so important to wash bedding and keep pets you’re allergic to out of your room. I break this rule a lot because my cat is adorable and demanding, but when my allergies are flaring up, she has to deal with it.

With lots of caution and a bit of work, it is possible to cope with pet allergies. Drop me a comment if you would like to share tips or advice on living with pet allergies.

How to save a life

These are my suggestions on what to do when your find a stray pet. This assumes that the pet is not acting strangely or aggressively. If a stray is aggressive or possibly rabid, my advice is to call animal control. For advice on saving reasonably calm strays, read on.

If the animal is injured, take it to the vet. If you aren’t willing to pay for a vet visit, take the pet to the shelter (or find someone willing to foot the bill). If the owner isn’t found, you will have to pay for the vet bill.

It’s important to know that you don’t have to call animal control to pick up a friendly, uninjured pet. You don’t have to take a found pet to a kill shelter. You have an obligation to report it found, but you may keep the dog or cat at your home if you like. This is especially important if your local animal control is a high kill shelter, or if it has a reputation for being unclean or unsafe. On the other hand, be realistic. Don’t keep a stray you can’t take care of, as tempting as it may be. Don’t use all your finances on its medical bills, and don’t bring it home if your landlord forbids pets.

You must call animal control (or whoever deals with lost and found animals in your area) and file a found pet report. If you skip this step, you are stealing the pet and are at risk of being arrested. It only takes a few minutes. File the report. The shelter or a vet’s office will also scan for a microchip. It’s 2019. Just because the dog lost his collar doesn’t mean that the owner can’t be found

It may be relatively easy to find the owner. The pet may have a collar with owner’s information. If it has a rabies tag, the number on the tag can probably be traced by a vet’s office to the owner. You can try walking door to door in the neighborhood to see if anyone recognizes the pet. You can make flyers to post in the area the pet was found (this will be effective if the owner lives nearby and is searching for their pet). You can post on Facebook groups (lots of cities have lost and found pet groups).

If the pet is uninjured, friendly, and it seems unlikely that the owner will be found soon, it may need a bath, brushing, nail clipping, or flea treatment. Groomers are an option if you aren’t prepared to take care of these steps. Personally, I always keep nail clippers, flea shampoo, and brushes ready for just such an occasion. I also keep spare food bowls, collars, a surplus of pet food, and a room in my house that can be used to quarantine flea-ridden pets, because I’m the crazy animal lady and my dear husband is very supportive.

Chewy.com has all sorts of pet supplies and free shipping on orders over $49!

Sort out your priorities. Look at the animal in front of you. What should be done first? You may need to feed the pet and give it water before anything else can be done. (Beware feeding it too much too fast, or allowing an overheated animal to drink a lot of very cold water. Basically, all changes should happen slowly or the animal could go into shock.) It may be so covered in fleas that you can’t take it into your house until a trip to the vet has been taken and a flea pill has begun working. If it has been obviously abused, you may want to call animal control or the police instead of the number on its collar. Every situation is different because every animal is unique. Judgement calls will have to be made. For example, if a stray cat has a runny nose and is sneezing, you shouldn’t bring that cat into a house with healthy cats.

Once the animal is comfortable (the right temperature, flea free, fed, watered, clean, and mat-free), the best thing to do is let it rest and get used to its surroundings. Presumably, a lot of changes just happened. It may be agitated, or it may seem chill. Even if the pet seems chill, be understanding, kind, and gentle. Take note of any health problems or potential health problems you notice. Were there so many fleas that the animal may be anemic? Does it have diarrhea? Does it have worms? Does it have any cuts or sore spots that you noticed during the bath?

If the owner isn’t found in several days, or if it seems very unlikely that an owner will be found, the pet will need a trip to the vet. It should be given vaccines if it didn’t have a rabies tag. It may require a special diet to gain weight. It may have worms. The vet may suggest a heartworm test and heartworm prevention. The vet may catch an injury you missed (cats, especially, are very good at hiding pain, and their skin often hides puncture wounds).

Hopefully, the pet can be reunited with its owner.

If not, you will be well on your way to owning a new pet. Welcome to the crazy animal people club.

Resources
http://www.lostdogsflorida.org/found-dog.html
https://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/upper-respiratory-infection-cats#1
https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/jcoates/2013/oct/the-right-way-to-feed-dog-that-has-been-starved-30937

(I am a Chewy.com affiliate and will earn money if you buy something on that website after clicking that link. Just a legal FYI. I really use them and think they’re awesome!)

Mason gets a bath

Mason is half German Shepherd, half Akita.

German Shepherds were bred to herd and protect sheep.

Akitas were bred to hunt bears.

I suppose neither of these occupations required much swimming or bathing.

I understand that Mason may not be genetically predisposed to a love of water.

But at 105 pounds and with a thick, long, double fur coat, he would be cooler if he was.

Mason got a shower yesterday. He’s a good boy, he really is. When I called him, he immediately sashayed towards me. Then I turned the shower on, and he hid in the crate until I coaxed him to the bathroom.

To be fair, he didn’t fight getting a bath. He didn’t exactly help, either. Once I convinced him to get into the shower, he thought his part of the bath was over. He suddenly forgot how to turn. He stood still, back end pressed to the shower wall, until I allowed him to get out of the shower.

This means that, in order to bathe his whole body, I had to get in the shower with him and push and shove and lather and bend and contort myself into a few yoga poses I knew and a few I learned right there in the shower.

Now, some people say that dogs don’t really feel emotions like humans do, and to say they do is mere personification. But I’m telling you–this dog was laughing. He was so happy with himself. Smug, I daresay. And as soon as he was rinsed and the shower was off and I had the towel ready, that arrogant beast shook and soaked every dry speck that may have remained on me, as well as the entire bathroom.

I dried him the best I could. That didn’t prevent him from soaking the living room with the next shake. As he dried, he shot me the most pitiful glares.

If you’ve never seen a half-dry Akita, go Google it right now. I’ll wait.

He looked terrible! His dad chose that moment to walk through the door. He immediately commented on his appearance, and Mason glared at me even harder. He had tufts of fur sticking out everywhere. There was nothing smooth or shiny or even fluffy about him.

As he dried, I managed to brush and comb his fur in a way that made him look more like a dog and less like a drowned rat, although it took all day for his coat to return to its previous majestic state.

As I type this, Mason is licking his fur and probably lamenting the fact that he smells nice. Belle, who also got a bath but actually liked hers, is lounging around, rolling over, showing off, and begging us to tell her she’s pretty every hour or so. Luna, as always, is planning world domination and also how she can knock everything off the table and sit in all the laps. She did not get a bath yesterday. I chose life.

I’m off to use a heating pad on my back while shopping for a bubble for Mason. Surely I’m not the first dog mom who wants a solution to keep my pup clean longer. If I figure it out, I’ll let y’all know.

References

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/akita/

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog/

A Dog’s Life

A day in the life of Belle.

Grump. Light. Awake. No…

Hi mom. Outside?

Yay relief.

Mmm breakfast. Nom nom nom.

No not again…

Bye mom.

Boredom.

Only twenty toys,

none of them new

or exciting.

Nap time.

MOM MOM MOM YOU’RE HOME!

I LOVE YOU!

YAY MOM!

YAY PETS!

Boing.. boing… thud.

Yay tennis ball!

Squeak!

MOM LOOK IT SQUEAKS!

Mom, mom, look at it,

it’s in my mouth

and it’s squeaking!

I’m so good at squeaking tennis balls, mom!

LOOK!

Squeaky squeaky squeaky!

Run, run, I have to run!

Yay!

Tired.

Couch.

Cuddle me, mom.

Goodnight mom.

*Adorable puppy dream running*