Monday, February 25, 2013

riding in cars with pugs

Ares and Luna would both much rather sit in my lap while I drive than in their own seat. When Ares was a puppy, I let him but I knew that it was dangerous and it worried me knowing that if I got into an accident and my airbag went off, it would surely kill him. My decision to stop him from sitting in my lap was solidified when Mike and I decided that we wanted to add Luna to our family. We decided to get her in July but didn't bring her home until the end of November so we had a long time to prepare Ares for her addition. The last thing that I wanted was to change his routine by adding a new puppy.
I drive a smart car so I wanted to transition him to the passenger seat of my car and make sure that he would be safe there. The first thing I did was purchase a dog car seat. I hooked it up to my passenger seat and  it was raised so that he could easily look out the window while being strapped into the car seat with his harness.

The only time he really disliked it was when I got out of the car without letting him out first. I loved it because I was able to keep my purse and other things on the seat under him without it being an issue.



If I recall correctly, it was supposed to hold up to 20 or 30 pounds, which it didn't do. Ares has weighed 17 pounds steadily but the seat started ripping in one of the corners from the weight. Overall, I really liked it and it did a great job of keeping him safe. One day when I was driving, the car in front of me slammed on their brakes and while Ares flipped right out of the car seat, the fact that he was strapped in prevented him from going straight into the dashboard or windshield. It scared the bejeesus out of both of us but definitely served its purpose of keeping him safe.
My next problem was that it wouldn't fit both Ares and Luna and because I have a two seater, I needed a way to safely transport both of them in one seat. To clarify quickly, the "trunk" of my car is so small, I have to collapse their kennels in order to transport them so that option, while the safest by far, is out of the question.
I ended up taking the carabiner off of the carseat and off of the car seat harness that Ares never used and hooked them to the buckled seat belt. This way, I can use their harnesses to attach them to the seat belt via the carabiner. (They have really awesome harnesses that allow me to do this and still give them plenty of room to move around and even jump up to stick their heads out the window if they wish.)


After I did this, they still jumped in my lap every chance they had and Luna would sit in the passenger seat and just whine at me the entire time. One day I happened to have their large dog bed in my car so I put it on the seat and they were in heaven! Now they get in the car and sit and sleep in their bed during car rides. They'd still much rather be in my lap but they don't spend all of their time trying to wiggle their way into my lap anymore.

I don't know if they harmony in the car will continue as Luna grows, but for the foreseeable future, this is really working for us.



Saturday, February 23, 2013

monthly review: February Pawalla Mini!

When I signed up for BarkBox, I also heard about Pawalla. The great thing about them is that they're currently offering a mini box (for the first 200 subscribers). Their regular box comes with 6 or more goodies consisting of wet food, treats, healthy supplements, and essentials and toys. The mini box states that it comes with 1 treat, 1 toy, and 1 surprise item that will never be wet food (they must have had some complaints about people not wanting the wet food in their boxes which makes sense to me - my dogs don't get wet food unless they're sick). When you order, you give information about your pet so that they can customize your box to suit your pet's age and size. Because we are signed up for BarkBox, I decided the Pawalla Mini would work best for us and we signed up February 12th and got our first box today, just 10 days later! I'm amazed!
The best part about Pawalla? They have boxes available for dogs or cats!


They know the drill now - pose for pictures, then they get to open their box. Excuse Luna's lion imitation, there was a poop catastrophe in her cage so she's wet from her bath.
They actually got this box open! (I made it easier for them.)



And here are their yummy goodies. I know they told me that I would be getting 3 products but I'm definitely not complaining that I got 4 and somehow, I don't think Ares and Luna will complain either!


As with Bugsy's Box and BarkBox, the Pawalla Mini comes with a helpful guide to our goodies.


First up is the Wigzi Tasties Treats. As Pawalla says, "Wigzi treats should really be called limited ingredient treats because of their makeup. If a dog can eat peanut butter, duck, and/or cheese, these small treats will be perfect. They are made with pea flour, tapioca flour, and chickpea flour, all of which are being used in the most current limited antigen foods. These are grain free, preservative free, and artificial color and flavor free. This is a USA product for your dog family that should be easy and neat to carry in your pocket for treating on the go. They come in three flavors, Peanut Butter, Roasted Duck, and Wisconsin Cheddar."
They are $5.99. It states that they are training treat size but they are about twice the size of the treats that I use for training. This would be something I would use to train them to sit and stay and such, and not "potty treats." As you can see, we got the roasted duck flavor - YUM! The best part? They were right about the limited ingredients. These treats ONLY contain duck, chickpea flour, and tapioca. They also donate 2% of all profits to animal rescue groups and shelters that find temporary homes for animals that would be otherwise euthanized. You can find these treats here.


They were so excited to try their treats! And they absolutely loved them!
If I were to buy anymore treats, these would be it. I love their size and the lack of ingredients, especially ones I can't pronounce is a HUGE plus for me!


The other treat they got was Grizzly Salmon NuTreats for Dogs. Pawalla says "Crunchy, fish treats for dogs. These are made from smoked wild salmon, fish protein, fish bone powder, fish oil, alfalfa, kelp and natural preservatives. These are great training treats as they carry a strong fish scent, are small, and are healthy for your fur family member. They have low moisture and high protein. They may crumble fairly easily. Because of the high content of omega 3 (heart healthy) fatty acids, both rosemary and vitamin E have been included as natural preservatives. These score high on the list as training aids." They're about $8.50 and can be found here.
The description was definitely right about the strong scent! The good news was, I wasn't hit by the smell as soon as I opened the bag or anything - I had to put the treats near my face before I got the strong whiff (or maybe I'm just catching the cold that's been going around my area!)


Ares and Luna absolutely loved them. I could barely get Luna to sit still long enough for the picture and later, I caught Ares trying to get the treats from where I left them on top of the oven!


The next thing I looked at was the Gerrard Larriet Aromatherapy Spray. It is described as "Aromatherapy and essential oils have been shown to affect mood, stress, energy, calmness and sleep. They are being used in human therapy and now it is available for pets. Gerrard Larriett offers three essential oil blends (Happy Jasmine, Balancing Rose, and Relaxing Wildwoods). Now we can treat our fur family to the benefits we receive. We tried the Relaxing Wildwoods, which contains shampoo and conditioner, freshening & shining spray, and deodorizing soy candle. The scent is lovely and all of the ingredients are safe for dogs and cats."
I have the Happy Jasmine freshening and shining spray and while I was worried about the smell of it (I'm not a huge fan of floral scents), this smells amazing! I immediately sprayed it on both dogs. My only issue is that my dogs don't really like things sprayed at them so they looked at me like I was crazy for a second before running off. I'll use it but definitely not as much as I could because of this. Do other people have the same problem? I'm assuming because some people use a spray water bottle as a way to break up fights and such, that most dogs don't like sprays. I don't blame them either. Still it smells super yummy and I'll definitely put it to use even if I won't be purchasing it on my own. Happy Jasmine is supposed to help sensitive, dry skin though so if I notice a difference in her dandruff from using the spray, I'll definitely reconsider my stance. I definitely wouldn't mind trying the shampoos and conditioners though. A 4oz bottle is $12 and you can purchase it here.


And last but certainly not least, Ares and Luna's favorite - the toy! This is also made by Wigzi. Pawalla says "These colorful and durable toys for dogs bounce and float! They are made in the good ol' USA, and they have none of that rubber smell!" I didn't sniff the toy before relinquishing it to the dogs so I have no idea if the lack of rubber smell is true but the dogs definitely give it two paws up! The medium lock is $9.99 and can be found here.




I really like that Pawalla included two completely different items from one company. It shows me the range of things that Wigzi produces and I'm definitely eager to explore their site to see what else they have. The toy doesn't squeak and it isn't the hard plastic that Ares and Luna like chewing on so I'm not sure how long the toy will keep their interest but for now, they think it's awesome! Y'all I'm an idiot. I just realized that the "key" spot on the bottom is perfect for adding a treat in it for playing. This will definitely make them excited!

The mini boxes range from $12-14 a month depending on the subscription you sign up for and I received roughly $35 in goodies! Ares, Luna, and I are super happy campers and I definitely think that we'll stay loyal customers for quite awhile. First impressions are huge for me and this one was great.

And one more thing, I received this e-mail yesterday:

Recalls, especially ones that can affect your dog's health, are totally scary but I'm really glad that Pawalla stepped up and made sure to send an e-mail to ALL of their customers, even the ones that weren't affected by receiving the product from Pawalla. It made me really happy that they kept me in the loop.

Clickity-click here to get $5 off of your subscription to any Pawalla box.



Friday, February 22, 2013

cuddlebug flashbacks

I love looking at pictures of puppy Ares. These are from when we got him at about 9 weeks old up until he was about 6 months old. His personality hasn't changed a bit. I love my lovepug!








Tuesday, February 19, 2013

monthly review: February BarkBox!


We got our first BarkBox today! They were SOOOO excited to open the box as evidenced by this video:


They completely failed at opening the box themselves but Luna was convinced that she could eat her way into the box!

Here's their haul. I'm thrilled with everything!

 The BarkBoxes come with a sheet that explain all of the products that come inside each months box.


The first item I gave them was the Aussie Naturals. BarkBox describes it as "Durable and eco-conscious, our friends at Aussie Naturals craft tough toys with jute, wool, cotton, coconut fiber, and natural gum rubber. They may have a more extensive R&D team than BarkBox: all toys are tested with Atlanta rescue dogs! If I had opposable paws, I'd give them two thumbs up."
We got the large dolphin which retails for $12.99. You can get your own dolphin here. These have water bottles inside them for squishy fun!
Ares and Luna are fans of their dolphin!

They also received two different types of treats from Wet Noses. BarkBox says "The Wet Noses company hails from the Pacific Northwest: Washington, to be exact! Delightful and scrumptious, their treats are free of corn, wheat, and soy. Did we mention they're organic? What's not to love?!"
They're $7.95 each and can be found here. We got Carob & Mint flavor and Dogranola. I've only opened the Carob & Mint one but they're a fan. I'm worried about giving Luna the Dogranola one though - she's always had peanut butter when we give her plain peanut butter and I'm scared she'll get it from eating a treat with peanut butter in it. I'll probably try it on a day I don't have to work, just in case. I would love if she could try them!

The next thing I saw was the N-Bone. BarkBox says "I like chewing, and I hate when humans complain about doggy breath. Dental chews kill two birds with one stone (or in puppy-speak, two chew toys with one set of teeth). Good breath and a pair of shoes left untouched? Everybody wins."
Luna and Ares haven't tried them yet but they love things like this so I'm really excited! They're about $6 and you can read more about them and find an online retailer here.

Ares and Luna were DYING for their treats. You know they want something when they're being good dogs!

The last product that they got is a Jolly Pets Monster Ball. BarkBox says "Not much can keep me away from a toy stuffed with treats, but the look of this Monster Ball has me reconsidering...sort of. It's too fun of a treat toy to stay scared for long! I still think his goatee looks funny. May I suggest that he find a better groomer?"
They're about $6.50 and can be found here.

I immediately put in some of Ares and Luna's bacon treats and let them have it! nomnomnom!


Luna is a huge huge huge fan and wouldn't let Ares have it!

Last but not least, we got a wag.com coupon (not pictured). BarkBox says "Hate hauling pet food home, humans? Our friends at Wag.com now feature overnight shipping so you can spend the evening doing something productive (Here's a hint: belly. Here's another hint: rub.) Visit their site with the included coupon for $10 off!" Go to wag.com

The dogs love their stuff and I love the price (and the descriptions of the products)! BarkBoxes start at $29 a month and go down to as low as $18 a month, depending on the subscription that you sign up for. The toys and such are based on the size of your dog - you can select small, medium, or large. We signed up for the medium sized box only because Ares and Luna tend to gravitate towards the larger toys. The monster ball, luckily, is made for small/medium dogs. No matter how much you pay a month, you can't beat the deal you get - we got just over $40 worth of toys treats not including the wag.com coupon!


Want to try your own bark box? Use this link to get $5 off of your BarkBox order: You know you want a BarkBox!

Monday, February 18, 2013

dreaded vet visits

The first year with Ares has been a roller coaster of vet visits. I've been an overly anxious, overly cautious mom and he's had a couple of mishaps (accidentally getting kicked by a 12 year old who was playing tag with her brother and eating about 10 vitamins one night). He's fine and we've learned from our mistakes but each visit made him more and more apprehensive at the vet. He was great in the beginning and loved going but after getting a couple of fecal samples taken, going into the exam room made him cower and tuck his tail in between his legs.
I've actually worked really hard to keep the dogs from being afraid of the vet and I think I've succeeded because I try really hard to make it a positive experience. The biggest positive is that they LOVE car rides. They share the passenger seat in my car and sleep while I drive.
The other thing that I've done, mostly for Ares, is that I take him whenever Luna has to go. He gets to come and hang out with us and it's purely love and hugs for him from everyone. The first time at the vet for Luna's wellness check, he actually jumped up on the exam table and refused to get down! He waited calmly for his turn to get pets and hugs from the vet and left a happy little man.



It's a mute point now that I'm going every month right now for Luna, but I also get Ares' heart worm medication in 3 month supplies. He comes with me every time I pick up his medication even though we don't normally even weigh him (unless I request it). This will continue in the future because Luna won't be able to get huge supplies right now as she's still a growing puppy and they'll both continue coming with me as I pick up their medication.
I do this so they don't associate the vet as always being poked and prodded and being made to feel uncomfortable. I want them to continue to enjoy the vet so none of us dread the visits. It helps A LOT. (It may also help because there's a pet store nearby so we usually stop after we're done with the vet visit!)


Does anyone else have any tips for happy vet visits?

Sunday, February 10, 2013

let's talk about poop


Everyone knows that pugs are notoriously hard to housebreak. I had Ares for 3 days before he pooped outside ONCE. (If anyone else has that problem, the vet recommends moving some of their poop if possible outside to help them learn.) Luckily for me, although I didn't realize it at the time, it was much easier for me to take him outside because I got him in early spring and the weather was nice. I also got really quick at throwing clothes on to run outside with him. I live in a small studio above garage apartment and kept him in a puppy play pen so that I could easily see accidents. With treats every time he went potty outside, it only took a few months for him to stop peeing in the house.
He does have a vicious streak though. He's so attached to me that when I went on a cruise a few months after getting him, he was very upset. He would look at me while squatting to pee in the house. We went back to the basics and the problem didn't take very long to resolve.
Luna is a pee monster. She likes to pee ON things. She'll pee on my laptop bag, on my bed in the middle of the day, on my bathroom rugs, on my clothes, etc. If it's on the ground, it's going to get peed on. She's stopped it. Kind of. But she's still nowhere near housebroken. It's not entirely her fault though. I've gotten lazy. I don't like going out in the cold. It's hard to take them both out in the dark. I have so many excuses!
And now Ares is joining in the fun by regularly pooping inside! He just wakes up in the middle of the night and decides he has to poop.
As much as I love Ares and Luna and I adore the fact that they're so close in age (9 months apart), it was a horrible idea to get a puppy right when I got one dog house broken! I only started the vicious house breaking cycle all over again! All I can think of is that it's a good thing they're so darn cute and lovable or else I would have lost my mind by now!

We have to get out of our rut. I have reevaluated the situation and my goal is to get a ribbon and bells this week and train the dogs to let me know when they have to go out (currently, they have no cues). I am also going to stick with giving them treats to potty. I will not have dogs that pee and poop in the house when they are perfectly capable of 1) holding their bowels and 2) learning to go outside. They have no excuses! And now, neither do I.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Pug Meet Up

It's not a secret that I absolutely love taking the dogs to the dog park. Lately, I've been trying to branch out though so that they can go to different parks and see different dogs. One of the things I've been attempting is to take them to the pug meet ups in our area. Someone picks a different dog park every month and everyone takes their pugs to play together on the first Saturday of every month. Ares and Luna usually play with really big dogs at our normal park so it's great to see them play with "their own kind" and to meet and talk to all of the other pug lovers in my area. One guy comes every month with his 5(!) pugs.
I like to take a lot of pictures of all of the pugs interacting. They love going from person to person for lots of love and Ares gets to taunt so many dogs into chasing him around the park! Luna spent most of her time eating mulch and greeting people.
Here's a really cute video of Ares and Luna playing with some other pugs. Ares is wearing the blue collar and Luna is wearing a pink collar.



And an obligatory picture dump: