Thinking about a puppy? PART 1

I helped some people with their new puppy today and they had the basics down but had some wrong information from their "breeder".  I see it all the time, people go in to having a puppy and just listen to whatever the person they got them from says.  Luckily I get some people who will listen to me and are willing to do more research like the very kind people I helped today. 
If you're getting a new puppy (or dog) there's some basic things you need to know and have.  First before you get a pup, do research on the breed (or breeds if mixed).  All dogs are different and have different needs/health problems in life.  Before you get the dog do some research on WHERE you get the dog from. 

Part 1 is about where to get your pup.

Breeders: If you choose to buy a breed specific dog, I suggest adoption 1st always, it's so rewarding to save a life and there's so many dogs that need saving.  There are plenty of breed specific rescues and a good place to look is petfinder.com.  You can call around to local shelters too.  There is, however, nothing wrong with getting a dog from a breeder.  The biggest problem with breeders is whether they are in it for the right reason's and know what they are doing.  Don't be fooled by "AKC registered" dogs either, anyone can register a AKC approved breed.  When choosing a breeder try to find someone that has experience.  A great place to go is a dog show.  Most people who show their dogs either breed, or know a breeder where they got their dog, that is essentially what dog shows are for.  They show dogs that are breed standards and good to breed.  Now they might be a bit more expensive than someone you find on craigslist or in the paper, but they know what they are doing and generally don't do it for the money, they do it to preserve the breed.  When you find the right breeder, ask questions.  Ask about the breed, ask about how long they have been breeding them, and ask if they have the dogs pedigree.  One thing to watch out for is breeders who have designer dogs like Labradoodles, Pekepoos, Puggles, etc.  Those aren't breeds, those are mutts.  If you want a mutt then just adopt, it's way less expensive and saves a life.  Also alot of the reasons people get dogs like Labradoodles is because the "breeder" says they are hypoallergenic.  The truth is the dog has a 50/50 shot at getting the poodle hair and there is no way to tell until they are 6+ months, even if they have the long curly hair it doesn't guarantee the dog will have poodle hair.  Also if you are allergic to dogs, most of the time, unfortunately is the DANDER not the hair.  And while a dog that sheds alot will mess with your allergies more than a dog that doesn't the dander is generally the problem and people get poodles thinking they're allergies will stop but that doesn't always happen.  You can help by bathing them in hypoallergenic shampoo though and keeping the skin healthy so it doesn't get flaky.  Getting a dog like a poodle may cut down on you're allergies all together or enough so it's bearable, just be cautious, and don't get a poodle mixed puppy in hopes it will have poodle hair because you just don't know if it will and it's a risk.

Pet Stores: So let's say you walk past a store window, there's a cute little puppy jumping around giving you those cute puppy eyes and next thing you know you are walking out with a little doggie.   Unfortunately that happens alot.  The sad truth is when you do that, they generally end up in the shelter because people have no idea what they are getting themselves in to.   Now I feel torn on this subject.  The thing about those puppies is they come from puppy mills (google it if you haven't before).  A puppy mill is a place where dogs get bred over and over and over again until they can't, then they generally get put to sleep.  They live in nasty horrible conditions in tiny cages their whole life.  And most of the time the puppies you buy will have health problems because of it.  On the other side, those poor puppies being sold have to sit in their own filth while people walk by and bang on the windows, just waiting for a home and if they don't get one they most likely get put to sleep.  It's awful, and but I think it's a person's choice if they want to buy a dog from a store.  I personally feel like if you are going to pay that much you might as well just go to a breeder, and adopting is SO much cheaper.  But I know alot of wonderful dogs that were bought in a pet store.  The thing is it's heartbreaking to see those poor pups in those conditions...you just want to save them.  I feel like it should be illegal for pet stores to sell dogs.  They should sell the ones they have and then stop, no getting new ones.  Or at least make the laws more strict about how the dogs are being bred AND ACTUALLY ENFORCE THEM.  My advise is, just don't go in a pet store that sells dogs so you won't be tempted.  But if you do, and you fall in love and just have to have the dog then at least make their life good, give them what they need, and know what you are getting yourself in to.

Adoption: As for adoption, personally I think that's the best route, unless like I said, you want a specific breed.  I feel like a dog knows when you save their life, and they will always love you for it. If you are looking in to adoption make sure you ask about the particular dog, ask about personality, likes and dislikes, breed if known, and why they ended up for adoption.  A huge stereotype is that the dogs end up in shelters because they are bad.  9 times out of 10 that isn't true at all.  Most of the time it's because people move, lose a job, get married, have kids, couldn't take care of it, or because there was a minor problem and the person didn't care to take the time to teach the dog better...which is just really sad.  You have to know what you are getting yourself in to.  You don't just get a dog, give it food and water, pet it, and call it a day.  It doesn't work like that.

Part 2 will be about what to do once you have your new dog.

P.S: for the most part the same applies for cats.

Changing the crazy dogs diet

So as I type this the psycho little dog of mine is having a spaz attack.  She's freaking out because she keeps tossing her toy in the air and it keeps hitting her in the face (she hasn't gotten the whole "catching" thing down just yet...). 

Anyway, yesterday was beautiful out, 70's, sunny, slightly windy, just perfect.  So me and my fiance decided to take Dessa for a walk at the dog park.  We got there and she was fine, actually she was very excited to get out of the car and see where we arrived.  We went to walk her through the gait which was an odd Z shape (probably used to slow dogs down in the even they got away from their owners) and Dessa just would NOT do through.  She has this problem alot, she gets scared of things she isn't used to...you should see when we try to take her out on trash day...it's ridiculous.  Well after 2 dogs went through and my fiance she still wouldn't budge so i picked her up.  All was going well, she was wagging her tail, sniffing bums, and prancing (as she does when she is very happy), she even peed.  Then my fiance noticed she was foaming. I figured it was just some drool bubbles...then it got worse.  She was acting fine but to be safe (for her and all the other dogs) we turned around and left.  When we got to the car she didn't want water (probably because she was scared of the bottle) and the foaming had stopped.  Now, she is up to date on her rabies and we had a close eye on her so she didn't eat anything she wasn't supposed to so I figured it was just stress but I still wanted her to get some water.  So we drove down the street to Unleashed by Petco to get a bowl.  When I got there I fell in love.  The store was beautiful, clean, and best of all...had TONS of all natural and organic stuff!  If you haven't been to one, you need to go!  Now, this brings me to the point of the whole post.  Food.  They had so much good food there!  I went for a bowl and ended up leaving with a doggy ice cream (which she very much enjoyed) and thoughts of natural foods running through my mind.  Right now Dessa is on Wellness, which is holistic and all natural, but I want more.  I was going to switch her to Blue (probably the organic one) but now I'm not sure.  I found some raw food and this mix stuff that looks like dry oatmeal with veggies and fruit.  Now I know this is going to put a HUGE hole in my pocket, but I could honestly careless.  I made a commitment when I got her to take care of her, but even more than that, she can't feed herself, it's up to me and knowing what I know about dog food...I just could never give her mediocer dog food.  So now I'm wondering if I should do raw food.  It might be better for her since she won't eat her kibble unless it has been moistened, but I'm not sure yet.  It's so difficult to find what I want in her food.  No by-products, chemicals, corn, chicken/beef (for allergy reasons), dyes, or artificial anything.  I want holistic, possibly organic, and the proper balance of nutrition for healthy living.  I want her to live long, healthy, and happy.  At peak performance at all times.  I want a healthy soft shiny coat and good skin.  So it's down to Blue Buffalo or a raw food diet.  Luckily I still have a few weeks before the last bag of her Wellness is out.  Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Baby bear

I adopted an odd little mixed dog in october.  Not quiet sure what she is.  She looks like a miniature Golden Retriever with funny looking ears and a mane. I got her from a rescue when she was about 3 months.  Unfortunately someone just dropped her off in a kill shelter as a young puppy.  She's had a few problems like demodectic mange, skin/coat issues, and some weird ear problem that the vet can't seem to figure out.  She's absolutely amazing, super cuddly, friendly, and fun.  But don't let that fool you, she's a little devil.  She looks sweet and innocent like she wants to cuddle, and it's nice....then she starts to spread out and take up half the bed...this tiny puppy has half the bed and me and my fiance are left with the wall.  It might not be so bad if she was just spreading out for some room...oh no, she literally takes her feet and pushes us away.  I've almost fallen off the bed because this little 30lb skinny dog pushes me.  And she knows what she's doing, you can tell by the look in her evil little face.  But oh...that face can get away with anything.  Unfortunately she does use it for evil.  We've created a bit of an issue when it comes to feeding.  We don't give her our scrapes, but we do sometimes give her some things as treats (a small chicken piece, a goldfish, and piece of a chip, etc), but only if she is good and not begging, and certainly not every time we eat.  However, when we started giving her food when we got her she wasn't feeling it.  I figured it was because she was so young so she couldn't chew or maybe that she couldn't smell it well (which I do think she has a problem with in general) so we put some warm water in it.  She ate it right up.  And we've been doing that since we got her.  Well now she lets it get real mushy and it's a hassle to put water in it.  We've tried leaving it out for days dry but she won't eat it.  So I tried giving her canned food with a half cup of dry food on top, thought that would work....nope.  The little brat spit it out!  She really does know how to drive us crazy.  Anyway she's on Wellness now (I very highly recommend all natural foods!!) and will be switching her to Blue Buffalo soon.  I think Wellness is a great brad but I'm feeling Blue a bit more, and hopefully she will eat it without water.  If not then I guess I'll just keep putting water in it. -.-  She a smart little cookie and knows how to get what she wants.  I could go on forever about that crazy little girl, but I'll leave it for another post

Post numero uno!

So, basically my life revolves around animals.  I've grown up with cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, donkeys, goats, chinchillas, fish, hedgehogs, and everything in between. I've always had a passion for nature and everything in it.  I love to just watch the world.  I currently work at a bather in a pet store grooming salon.  I keep going back and forth between being a groomer and being a zoo vet tech. All I know is I want to work with animals and help them anyway I can. This blog is my adventures with the animals I see everyday (and their families) and to try and help out pet people with taking care of their furry/scaley family members.
Thanks for reading.  Feel free to ask questions if you have any.

P.S: I talk alot, don't say I didn't warn you.  ;)