Christmas Present?

Do pets make good Christmas presents?

There isn't a one size fits all answer for this question. I know that some shelters and rescue groups don't like adopting out around the holidays for fear that the puppy or dog or kitten or cat will end up back at the shelter or rescue in the New Year.

 I think the better question is: When do pets make good presents?



 My brother, sister-in-law and nephew had to say good-bye to their beloved dog last month after eight years. Corkie was 16. It was a difficult decision and one that my five year old nephew didn't quite understand. All he knows is that his dog is no longer around and he misses her. They decided that their Christmas present to each other was going to be...a new dog. And this decision came spur of the moment based on a picture of a dog that their friend was fostering. The puggle is a year and a half old, great with kids, cats and other dogs. They took him home for a two day trial, which sealed the deal. They now have a new dog. They didn't mention to the rescue dog that this was their present to each other. Why? Because rescue groups can cringe at that word. But this is a good adoption. My brother hasn't had a puppy ever. He wants to do this the right way. This means we've been on the phone constantly - which kong is appropriate? What treats are good for him? What food would be best to feed him because he read that Puggles can tend to have skin allergies? He pulls on the leash, but he sits. He needs more training - can I recommend a certified trainer in their area? What toys are best? You would think they have a newborn. (And adorable - while my brother is on the phone with me, my nephew is shouting in the background, "DAD! DAD! Scooby needs this!") This is one lucky dog. This was an okay present.

 When someone is expecting a pet, they make great presents. If my husband showed up Christmas morning with a dog and said, "Merry Christmas!", I would be ecstatic. We're searching for a new addition to the family already. We know what we are getting into. It's nice for a family to make the decision on a dog together, but my husband knows me well enough to know what I'm looking for in a new dog (American Pit Bull Terrier, at least three years of age, preferably male, good with cats, dogs, and kids; any color but blue). This would be the best present ever!

My mom's friend got a shepherd puppy from rescue for her daughter last Christmas. Yes, "for her daughter." (this phrase will get you escorted out of some rescues/shelters)  And little Emma was so excited when she opened that box to see the puppy she had been praying for and writing Santa for! They had looked at pictures on the internet, read countless articles and breed websites to find which dog was best for them and had finally decided on a German Shepherd.  Emma wanted a puppy.  Mom and dad were okay with that, doing their own research on crate training.  On Christmas morning, Emma had to run a present over to the neighbors house with her dad (the ruse to get her out of the house while the rescue group dropped off the puppy).  Her mom waited in the room until she heard her husband ring the doorbell. As he opened the door, she put the lid on the box. Emma opened it immediately - gasped in surprise and wonder, then burst into tears. "Emma, what's wrong?" her mom asked. "The puppy could have died!" Emma sobbed. "And she must have been so scared in the box all dark.  Why was Santa so MEAN?" How sweet! Emma's new puppy came with a crate, dog bed, toys, leash, collar, dog food and training classes. A year later and they have a beloved family member. That gift worked out. The novelty didn't wear off, as Emma's parents expected. She still participates in the dog's evening walks with mom and dad. It's a family affair. But mom and dad fully expected to be the primary caretakers of the dog. Hence, why this worked out so well. With research done ahead of time, this lucky puppy got a forever home - starting as a little girl's Christmas present.

So why do rescue groups say that pets don't make good gifts? Because in some cases they don't. People who get their child a pet without doing any research and are expecting a teenager to be the primary caretaker of the (dog, cat, puppy, kitten, hamster, snake) often don't like when the caretaking falls to them after the novelty has worn off. People who buy a pet for someone who isn't suspecting it just because they "always love playing with the puppies at the pet store" aren't doing that person a favor. It's one thing to fall in love with a fluffy furball in the store - another thing entirely to be getting up every four hours to make sure it doesn't go to the bathroom in his crate or puppy proofing the home after the cushions have been chewed. Pets can make good gifts if everyone involved is expecting it. Clarifying this can go a long way toward making rescues and shelters appear to be more accepting of holiday adoptions. Holiday adoptions can save lives. Pets like to be home for the holidays too.

That's Scooby snoozing away while my nephew and his best friend play their video games. Scooby was the perfect present for this family!

Why I Train My Dog

I love to walk. I love to walk with my dog. There is nothing more annoying to me than walking and being harassed by another dog whether I have my dog with me or am solo (small dog owners, take note - that little yipper may be cute to you, but the rest of us resent the interruption as it barks and lunges at our ankles or at our dog). This has driven me to be almost drill sargentish about any dog that I adopt. When I walk Lily, she sits at EVERY corner. Without exception. If there is a walk or jogger approaching us, we get onto the grass and she sits in front of me with her eyes on me until I release her.

I take pride in hearing the following daily:

"What a good dog!" (Three times tonight in two blocks)

"What a sweet baby!"

"I wish my dog was that well trained!"

Lily really is a good girl. She didn't come this way. It took a lot of time, effort and energy to get her there. She did more work than I did. She deserves the praise so it's nice when she gets to hear it from someone other than me.


What annoys me on walks:

"Don't let it hurt my dog!" (Heard that one twice tonight as the little dog owners struggled to pull their flexie leashes in BY HAND because they could not control the leash or their small aggressive dog. My dog's eyes never left mine, by the way, even though I'm sure she wanted to run while I had to fight the urge to punt the dog back at the owner)

"You trained your dog?" (This one was said totally incredulously like training was unheard of issue while she picked up her "teacup" in its sweater and it bit her on the cheek - ah, redirected aggression...workable issue with some training)

I would be ashamed to walk the neighborhoods with my dog acting the way that 98% of the dogs in my neighborhood act. I used to think it was a small dog issue. Perhaps owners of large family dogs are just more responsible.

Meet Kiwi.

She weighs all of 3 pounds.

She is well trained.

Kiwi can sit. Kiwi can shake. Kiwi can give you high five.

Kiwi is a good girl because her parents didn't think that having a small dog meant that you didn't have to train her. Notice how good Kiwi looks in a dress. Kiwi can be fashionable AND well behaved. It's possible.


Even Lily can be fashionable and well behaved. Note her fabulous sit in her stylish Bumblebee costume.





It's frustrating hearing from people that they have a "bad" dog. Dogs are only as good as their owners. My dog rocks because I rock. Yes, I'm patting myself on the back. Kiwi rocks because her owners rock. If you have a bad dog, what does that mean? It's a reflection on you as an owner. You haven't done your job. Even when a dog comes to you at four years of age, they are still a blank slate - wiped clean for you to train. I train my dog because I want a "good" dog. Don't you?

Dispelling a Few Myths

"You're awesome!"

I've been told this on numerous occasions and while I would like to take credit for being awesome, the truth is that I am no more awesome than YOU, the person reading this right now.

"I'm only one person."

So am I. One person who is no more awesome than you.

Here's my secret...

Lean in close...

Closer...

Sometimes I do awesome things.

It's true.

I am only one person who is no more awesome than you but sometimes I do awesome things.

See? No different than you. You can do awesome things too. It's very simple. When you see a need, help. That's it.

Example #1: An email went out from a friend who worked at Disney. She had a delivery guy who was doing something awesome - feeding the stray cats in his neighborhood. He gave them shelter and food. The shelter was not inside his house because these were feral cats struggling to survive. He saw a need and he did something awesome.

Then my friend, Laura (who does many awesome things), sent an email out asking if anyone knew how to trap cats. See, just one person doing something awesome. She didn't have experience with Trap-Neuter-Release, but she had a plethora of contacts and figured someone would.

I got the email. I know how to trap cats! So I did something awesome - I emailed her back and said that I would be willing to help. One person, no more awesome than you, doing something awesome.

See, three people managed to improve the lives of 7 cats! Easy, right?


Example #2 - We are teaching in Lake View Terrace right now. I came out of school the other day to find a sick cat. I met the woman who is feeding the local cats. She's just one person and she's doing something awesome.

She broke down and cried because she's overwhelmed. Kittens are dying. She doesn't drive. She wants to get the cats fixed.

I can trap! I'm just one person, but I volunteered to help. She won't be sad anymore because no more kittens will be born to get sick or end up in coyote tummies.

She is one person doing something awesome - feeding the cats that have been abandoned in her area.

I am one person doing something awesome - helping her trap them.

FixNation is doing big awesome helping people like us do this for FREE.

But they are more than one person.

"It takes someone special to do what you do."

No, it doesn't.

I'm no more special than you.

Meredith is no more special than you.

We are simply individuals who saw needs and stepped up.

Anyone can do it!

Can you imagine if every one person did one awesome thing? What a great world we would have!

We'll feature one person doing awesome again next Wednesday! Get ready to hear about the awesome things that Lea is doing!

So tell us - what awesome thing(s) have you done?

FUN Friday

Let's start our weekend with some CUTE videos!







How you can not finish the day with a smile after those?

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Dog Treat Recipes

My bestfriend and I love to make our dogs treats. It's a fun thing to do to occupy our time during a playdate! And it's great to have something to send home with the dog who has played with Lily and gotten her worn out for the night! Here are a few of our favorite recipes. Do you have any?

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk

2 cups whole-wheat flour1 tbsp. baking powder1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Once mixed, add it to the flour and baking powder bowl. Mix well and then knead the dough. Roll dough onto lightly floured surface. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes or roll them into small balls and drop on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Flea Away Dog Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brewer’s yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chicken, beef or vegetable stock (low sodium)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic and oil. Then add the flour mixture and the stock into the oil and garlic, beating until the dough is well mixed. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough with cookie cutters or make your own shapes with a knife. Bake 20 to 25 minutes on greased cookie sheets until the biscuits are browned. Cool before serving.
**** The brewer's yeast and garlic are rumored to help keep fleas away.

Doggie Ices
1 small dog treat, dry or soft
Water or Chicken Broth

Fill ice cube trays with water, then drop in the dog treat. Place in freezer until frozen (around 2-3 hours). Pop out and give to your dog. Great treat on a hot summer day!

For more great homemade treat recipes for your dog, check out these books:

Three Dog Bakery Cookbook: Over 50 Recipes for All Natural Treats for Your Dog
by Quadrillion Press and Dan Dye
The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook: Homemade Goodies for Man’s Best Friend
by Liz Palika and Troy Cummings
Treats!: For Dogs, Cats and Birds by Kathleen Stacey and Deborah LePage

Adventures with Lily

We love to take Lily on road trips with us. She just spent a week in the mountains in Oregon lounging around our campsite, greeting visitors and hiking the mountains with us.






Then we spent two days in Sequim, Washington visiting friends. She got to do a few fun hikes/walks with friends in their beatiful neighborhood. Yes, that creek runs through the forest only a few short blocks from their house! Lily had a blast.

We stopped in Long Beach, Oregon and walked along the pier.









There were steps leading down to the shore so we took them. Now that is a happy puppy!








She ended each evening sacked out and snoring. A good dog is a tired dog.








It's important to us that we include Lily in our lives. She deserves a chance to get out there and sniff, explore and investigate this wonderful world around her. It makes her a better dog - well socialized and well traveled. It's fun for us as well. We get to see the world through her eyes, with all of her enthusiasm and wonder.

What about you - do you take your pets with you when you travel?

How Many Is Too Many?

We just got back from a nice vacation with our dog, Lily. Our pet sitter took care of the cats for us. They were happy to have us back, but not so thrilled we brought the dog back with us. Waiting in our mailbox was a notice from the city. They are now requiring all cats be registered, in addition to dogs. The registration fee is $5 a year. BUT to register them, they must be microchipped. The shelter is willing to offer this additional service (conveniently) for $10 per cat. Oh, and one more thing - there is now a limit of 3 pets (cats and dogs) per residence.

I understand that times are tight and shelters need to raise money. This particular city shelter has come under criticism a lot in the past decade because they are never full and they refuse to help out other shelters because this would drive up their numbers. Yes, it would save lives but that's beside the point. For them, it's numbers.

So what do they think is going to happen with mandatory registration and limiting the number of pets in a household? If someone gets the notice and is over the number of pets, they're going to show up at the shelter to relinquish a few. Or, if they show up based on a complaint and confiscate an animal or two, they're going to bring them back to...their shelter. The numbers are going to go up.

Many cities place restrictions on pets. It's a reasonable thing to do. Most cities say 3 dogs. Lumping the cats in with the dogs will not end well for the cats. If the number of animals is not overwhelming to the caretaker and these animals are well taken care, why should there be a restriction? If someone has a large home with a large backyard, why are three dogs and three cats not an acceptable number? The animals are the only ones who suffer and we're already killing over 4 million adoptable animals each year in our shelters. Why add to that number at a time when animals are being relinquished at a higher rate with the economy? These pets have homes where they are loved, fed and cared for. There is no logical reason to take them out of these homes and add to the numbers at any shelter.

I get that the city wants to make money - and feels that mandatory registration is a great way to do so. However, if they aren't going door to door, they aren't going to get every pet registered. We have a young man who lives down the street from us and doesn't register his pets because he "doesn't believe in it." How many more are there like him on our block? In our city?

And how many is too many?