Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#23)

Happy First!

Well, if you are reading this post, you can clearly see what’s new around Wags & Whiskers!  Our blog has been completely redesigned…and we are loving it.  I could not be happier with how it turned out (the website is next on the agenda.)  The process of re-vamping all our social media has taught me one important thing – I am MUCH better with dogs than I am with computers.  My word!  That high school computer science classes I took just didn’t cut the mustard.

Enter Thidaa.  Thidaa is an amazing artist and architect and (thank the Lord above) a close, talented friend of mine.  She spent her free time “helping” (a.k.a. doing everything for) me to get this blog looking sharp.  If you want to see her art – check out her website.  If you want to know more about the happenings around London (especially anything to do with architecture) check out her blog.  Better yet – leave a comment on this post and let us know what you think of the digital makeover.

But who are we kidding?  We know you are really just here for the DOGS!

Lisa, a fab W&W blog reader, sent us this picture of her dachshund, Milo. If you couldn’t tell…he’s a BIG fan of tennis (balls!)

 

One of our W&W clients texted me this adorable picture of Tillie. What a model!

 

Victoria emailed us this picture of her Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy (can you believe this big girl is a PUPPY!?!), Sadie. She loves loves LOVES to walk. (We knew there was a reason we loved her…other than her good looks!)

 

 

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#18)

Happy first Wednesday in June!

Man-oh-man!  Summer is here!  (And before you lecture us, yes…we know that technically summer doesn’t start for another 2 weeks.)  I made the mistake of looking at my weather app yesterday while out with the dogs – 99 degree might as well be 119 degrees when you are out in the sun all day.  Thank goodness for my giant jug of ice water.

But how much water do dogs need on the daily?  It seems a good rule of thumb is 1/2 – 1 ounce of water per pound of dog.  (8 ounces = 1 cup)  In this insane heat, dehydration can often be a problem.  How the heck to you tell if your pup is dehydrated?  Two signs of dehydration are a dry nose and poor skin elasticity (pinch the skin on the back of the neck/between the shoulder blades – if it doesn’t snap back into place immediately that means your pooch is in serious need of some H2O) Of course, as with all animals (human or canine), the most important thing to be aware of is any major change in water consumption.  This could be a sign of any number if issues…and you should call your vet right away.

And that’s your pup health lesson of the day.  Enough with the education…let’s see some cute pictures!

Loki – poster girl for proper dog hydration!

Cal….I’m not sure you are supposed to DRINK that!

“How am I going to drink all of this?” –Buffy

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#12) – and a rant about “aggressive” breeds

Happy Wednesday before Easter!

This week, my husband and I signed the rental papers on a gorgeous, spacious (well, at least after living in an apartment!) house.  While we are excited to decorate (me) and get some extra space for ourselves (hubby)…I know the real winner is our dog.  This house has a huge backyard, and from the first time we saw it, I could picture Buffy running, fetching, digging (don’t tell the landlord!) and basically doing everything that comes natural to a dog.

I discovered a simple, shocking truth in the process of finding a new home (we explored apartment and house options) – Landlords don’t like dogs….well, at least not dogs over 35 pounds…and only certain breeds.  One management company sent us a document stating all that we would need to submit in regards to a pooch when applying for a house.  These included “proof of weight when full grown” (what??), “breed documentation” (wait, what??), and “an additional pet deposit from $200-$1000” (A THOUSAND DOLLARS!?!)  Then they gave us a long list of breeds that they would NEVER accept, which included Pit Bulls, Doberman Pinchers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, blah, blah, blah.  I was honestly offended by this.  (We did not rent from these people!)  We did still have to submit a ridiculous amount of paperwork for Buffy (more than for ourselves!) that included vaccination records (totally reasonable), pictures (can you tell if a dog is aggressive by looking at a pictures?), and a “letter of explanation” (explaining what the hell we had been thinking to get a dog over 35 pounds.)

If you can’t tell by my rant – I get so frustrated with some people’s view of dogs.  I think it’s completely acceptable for a landlord to want to ensure that there isn’t a trouble-makin’, aggressive, up-to-no-good dog moving in, but to think that all or even most German Shepherds are bad news?  IGNORANT!  And trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of 35 pounders that can tear up a baseboard and make a whole lot of noise.

So these weeks Wags & Whiskers Wednesday is dedicated to all the “aggressive” breeds I’ve dealt with over the years.  It seems to me they all go out of their way to be extra sweet to prove the stereotypes wrong!

Doberman Pincher, Doggee. Sweet heart, and snuggle buddy...yet grown men on the streets of Brooklyn would run from him.

Rottweiler, Cookie. One of my favorites at the dog daycare where I worked. When I had to do office work I would sneak her in and she would calmly sit under the computer.

German Shepherd, Ruby. Loves kids and other dogs. Not exactly a scary face!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#10)

Happy middle of the week!

I think sometimes pet parents (myself included) forget that dogs are….well…DOGS!  I don’t doubt that they can feel the same emotions we feel.  They can feel lonely.  They can feel happy.  They can even feel more complex emotions like jealousy and (of course!) love.  It is important to remember, though, that underneath all those layers of feelings and personality they are….well…DOGS!  Sometimes they don’t care that you’ve had a long day – they just want to roll around in cat poop.  Sometimes they don’t realize you need your beauty sleep – they want to bark (and bark and bark) at that dog barking way off in the distance.  Sometimes you can buy them all the expensive, plush, fun, squeaky, designer toys in the world….and all they want to do is play with a stick.

Love your dog for the person he is!  Enjoy every human emotion you see play across her face!  But remember…

…sometimes all they need from you is to throw the stick.

Read our submission guidelines to find out how your dog can be featured on next week’s Wags & Whiskers Wednesday!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#9)

Happy Leap Day!

The insanity of last week has somehow carried over to this one.  I love being my own boss and having my own (successful, if I do say so myself!) company….but I do miss the days when I could take a personal day or tell my higher-ups I had too much on my plate.  Now, all I can do is complain to my loving family.  (Thank you, loving family!)

Then today, I found reason #1,643,867 why I love dogs staring me (literally!) in the face.  Dogs so easily and so perfectly point out all the things we are missing in the world around us.  All those little things that we either don’t notice or are too busy to care about.  This morning, running late as usual and not nearly as caffeinated as I should be, Buffy and I were out on a potty mission.  “What is that ANNOYING noise?!?” I thought.  Then I looked down at Buffy and noticed she was standing uncharacteristically still, focused on the little song bird.  If this pup could stop (fighting every evolutionary response that said “eat that bird for breakfast!“) and enjoy the tune – I could too, darn it!  So I spent the rest of this day – that only comes once every 4 years – paying extra attention to my four-legged companions.  I saw how much they enjoy just getting some fresh air, how much they appreciate company (mine and other pups’)….and how sometimes just the tiniest little treat can make their day.

It seemed fitting to feature pictures today that illustrate some of the things my canine clientele reminded me of today….

Take the path YOU want to take (even if you have to fight - in this case a kitty - to do so!)

 

True friends will stick by you no matter what (even when you think you've outgrown them!)

 

Sometimes, it's ok to break the rules!

 

If you have a picture that you would like featured in our Wags & Wednesday post – read about our submission guidelines here!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#4)

Happy Birthday, Dad!  (And a very merry un-birthday to everyone else!)

If you know anything about me or have read any previous posts on this blog (which I sincerely hope you have!), you know I love my job.  One of the many things I love about it is that clients often become friends and friends often become clients.  With clients, it seems to be a bit backwards the way our friendship evolves: First, I get a key to their house and come by when they are not home.  Next, I am responsible for the happiness and well-being of their beloved dog or cat.  Then, we start chatting and realize we have tons in common and get along quite well.  Not exactly the social norm, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how many friendships I have been lucky enough to start that way.

Friends becoming clients – now that’s the best!  All of my friends pretty much know I live dogs – 24/7.  If it’s not the hilariously disgusting story (“…there was pee EVERYWHERE!”), it’s probably what I just read online (“…did you see the story about that shelter??”) or the photo that I took earlier that day (“…she was wearing a RAINCOAT today!  Look!”)  In other words…they know I’ll take excellent care of their pup.  I myself feel extra warm and fuzzy when I get their pup’s tail waggin’ – it makes me happy to bring joy to what my friend loves most.

Enter Sweet Dee, one of my dear friend’s pup.  This dog has got some personality!  I love all my four-legged clients, but this gal is something special.  I take Sweet Dee’s happiness very seriously, as I see how happy she makes everyone around her.  But you don’t want to hear about how adorable she is….you want to SEE the cuteness:

If you want your pup’s pic on our blog – email blog@wagsandwhiskershouston.com.

Also – don’t forget to take advantage of our 15% off coupon code at Dog Tuff.  It expires January 31st…so you better hurry!

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#3)

Hip HOORAY!!!  The week is half done!

To say that I have been stressed out this week would be an understatement.  I am simply trying to juggle too many things.  I’ve had one of those weeks where I can’t focus on what I’m doing in the moment….because I’m too busy trying to figure out how to complete my next task.  I’m so busy writing emails and hastily shoving dishes in the dishwasher that I forget to eat breakfast.  (I NEVER forget to eat!)  I actually forgot to put on deodorant the other day.  Well, I think I did.  I couldn’t even remember.

Guess what!  My dogs didn’t even care!  Not one of them was any less excited to see me because I didn’t have the time to put on makeup before work.  (They didn’t even mutter the “You look tired!” that I’ve heard from so many coworkers over the years.)  They didn’t try to sympathize or dwell on my problems.  They didn’t try to help or even change the subject.  They were just there.  Tails wagging as we walked to their leashes.  Some gave their usual kisses, some their usual annoyed looks at having to go out…all just happy to have me their to keep them company for a bit.

And that is (just one of the many reasons) why I love dogs.  That…and the fact that they love you even if you forgot to put on deodorant.

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday (#2)

Yay!  You are halfway through your week!

This week, I have fallen in love with Twitter all over again.  I didn’t quite finish my holiday/end of year “to do” list by 2012…but in an attempt to not fall behind in the first month of the new year, I have slowly been crossing off last year’s tasks.  “Clean up Twitter Account” was one of those things left undone.  I started with the intention to weed out those annoying people who don’t ever post (how this is even possible is beyond me!) and make sure I was following all the people I should be.  What it turned into was hours and hours of finding new dog and cat lovers to connect with, new products to try, undiscovered websites, and dozens and dozens of TwitPics that people had posted of their sleeping dogs. (Is there anything better than a picture of an adorable sleeping dog?!?)  I highly recommend spending some time getting lost in Twitter.  (Oh, and be sure you are following us while you are wondering!)

But enough words….who wants to see some PICTURES??

Meet Suki! What a cutie...love the tongue flick! The picture of her (above and below) was sent to us by our new Twitter friend Helen (@TheAnimalNews) Make sure to hop over to her blog - http://animalnewsflash.blogspot.com/

Oh...and let's not forget Suki's brother Rusty!

 

How 'bout this sleepy head! Patrick sent us this picture of his puppy, Sherlock. What a face!

Is there anyone that we aren’t following on Twitter but should be?!  (That could include yourself!)  Tweet Tweet at us @WandWHouston.

 

 

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday – Happy Holidays Edition!

Happy Holidays!!

Have you gotten presents for everyone on your list?  Don’t forget your pooch!  News articles around the web report anywhere from 67% to 75% up to 95% of dog parents buy their furbaby something to celebrate the season.  While those non-pet people (who are those weirdos anyway?) will roll their eyes at these statistics, I think it’s a wonderful thing.  Pets are an important part of the family, and they should be recognized as such.  Plus, it’s just as much fun (and just as rewarding) to see pup running around with a new toy on Christmas morning as it is a child…plus your dog won’t complain that it’s the wrong color or whine that they already have one.

Even better than that – a dog doesn’t even care if you have money!  If you don’t have a penny to spend, your dog will take an extra half hour added to the end of a walk, a trip to a dog park, or even just a car ride.  That’s why dogs are awesome…all they really want for Christmas is more time with you!

So HAPPY HANUKKAH!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  HAPPY WINTER!  Look at these cute pups enjoying the holidays!

 

One of my client's sent me this pic of her sister Claire's dog, Pico. He doesn't look too happy, but he sure does look CUTE!

 

George's boxer, Lexi, LOVES her new Christmas toy. She's not putting it down for anyone!

 

My mom's dachshund, Scarlett. Seriously, cutest dog hat EVER!

 

My own pup, Buffy, opening her stocking last year. I DEFINITELY think it's time for a new sweater this Christmas!

 

 

Wags & Whiskers Wednesday

Woo hoo Wednesday!

The past two weeks have been EXTREMELY busy for us here at Wags & Whiskers.  It seems like just about every dog on the block needs a walk.  Don’t get me wrong…I have the best job ever.  The more dogs I see in a day, the more awesome my day is!!  By the time I get home, though, I am pooped!  All I want to do is take a shower and cuddle up with a good book and my good puppy, Buffy.

NO!!!  (That’s what I have to tell myself.)  Buffy is on the exact opposite schedule as me.  While I’m out workin’, she’s at home sleepin’.   When I got a dog, I made a commitment.  I agreed to put my dog’s NEEDS ahead of my WANTS.  I know it’s hard, but for the sake of your four-legged child put on those tennis shoes when you get home from work and hit the streets…even if for just a few minutes.  You will both be happier and healthier for it.

But who wants to hear about exercise when there are cute puppy (and kitty)  pics to look at!