I may be going onto a passion rant with this post, but not everything I write can be simply to inform you. The NY Times posted an article to their website today, I want you to take a peak at it here.

No worries, I’ll wait.

In the article, the author discusses how a young lab puppy was brought into a home with three cats, one dog and two children. That’s all fine and good, the puppy seemingly had been checked out by the new owners, had the go ahead by shelter workers and the foster parent. This is all fine and good.

Until it wasn’t.

The first red flag for me flies when the author says that the puppy freaked out when it first came home. The puppy is 5 months old, a crucial time in their socialization period when they are going through a “fear stage” (which happens around 16-20 weeks).  When a puppy starts flashing teeth and growling, obviously something is wrong and the dog needs to be comforted.

At this point, you’ve got two choices, dominate the dog and play alpha (and potentially drive the dog further into aggression) or console and gradually bring the dog to be comfortable with you. I personally would choose the latter, but that’s me. I agree with the author calling the shelter in the morning and I commend them for trying to let the puppy work itself out. I wouldn’t have let the puppy around my pets, let alone my children, until that was figured out with a trainer.

Luckily that was the author’s next step. What I don’t understand at this point is how the trainer didn’t sense that something deeper was wrong. Common sense to me screams that the dog is in the wrong situation. Some dogs, like it or not, simply don’t interact well with other pets. Some don’t like children. It’s a comfort thing, that’s why shelters should be on top of what the dog’s temperament is like.

If you read the article like I did, you got the sense that something bad was going to happen. Inevitably, that’s exactly what happened, with the pup first snapping at the family cat, then killing it. Something in the puppies wiring led it to believe that killing the cat was a good thing, and it left the family without one of their loving pets.

Background done. I need to figure out how to phrase what I say next without angering anyone (though inevitably I will). I am left with so many questions from this article, the least of which revolve around a shelter owner and trainer that couldn’t piece together that they placed a dog in a bad situation.

How did the author not realize, and push for, the dog needing to be re-homed? Not only were her pets in danger, but so were her children. The puppy tore things apart from day one, and was uncomfortable from the very beginning. Even despite the final act of killing the family cat, there was clearly too much going on to support the dog being there.

Hindsight is 20-20, I know. I have seen families make the gut wrenching decision to give up their loving dogs for the sake of having children, because they are tearing apart furniture or because they can’t keep up the pet’s care. And yes rescue dogs come with all the uncertainties, undocumented behavior and medical history. Rescue dogs are a crap shoot, I know.

But that is all the more reason to be educated about the dogs you are bringing into your home. Educate first, then your home will be able to save all kinds of dogs. Do your homework!

Pickle has started teething, at least we’ve started noticing. She’s lost two of her canine teeth in the last 4 days. For a while before that she was in obvious discomfort and was flicking her tongue a lot, and sure enough the teeth started to fall out.

Unfortunately, the teething process presents lots of other issues beyond lost teeth and a grumpy puppy. Puppies, and dogs in general, use their mouths to explore and discover the world. The teething process amps up their mouthing and encourages them to put more and more things in their mouths, including your expensive boots and table legs.

So what are you to do? How do you allow your puppy the comfort of chewing without them becoming disruptive? Luckily, I can provide some answers. Some solutions are for those with a puppy currently teething, others address the future anticipation of them falling out. There’s a little bit for everyone.

1) Prepare Early

So you have an 8-week old puppy, brand new to your home. She’s curious and ready to discover all the new and wonderful things around her new home. Problem is, she’s mouthing everything, the base boards, your slippers, your hands. What are you to do?

A couple of training tips come to mind first. Teaching your pup “leave it” will be super valuable, as will “trading up”. We taught Pickle how to leave it whenever she was chewing on something that wasn’t hers. When we said “leave it”, the instant she gave her attention to us and away from whatever she was chewing on, we’d praise her and shower her with treats. This plays right into “trading up”, trading something more valuable to your dog to get her to leave whatever she is chewing on.

When walks become more common, “leave it” will become valuable for all those gross things left on the sidewalk and curbside. At least you’ll have a fighting chance when your dog does it.

I also caution you against leaving lots of valuable things on the floor with an unattended puppy. Once Pickle was potty trained, she gained free reign of the house. That meant that all shoes, books, anything that wasn’t meant for Pickle was put up on a shelf out of her reach. One flip-flop was enough to teach us to pay attention.

2) Too Late, She’s Already Teething

Okay, not a big deal. Now more than ever the important thing is to make sure your puppy knows the difference between acceptable and unacceptable things to chew. It may be a rough few weeks, but it helps to remind yourself that your puppy is losing those dreaded pin needle teeth!

First, give your pup some good things to chew on. Ice is a fantastic toy when a puppy is teething, it’s fun to chase, it numbs their gums, and even hydrates them! On a hot day it helps to cool their body temperature, so great! You can use fancy teething rings (much like for babies) but this works great for us (just make sure to watch where they go in case they melt and leave a puddle). Cool fruits and vegetables are also helpful, they are healthy, provide nutrients, and taste delicious! Apples and carrots are best (biased, maybe).

Don’t leave things on the ground you are afraid to lose. I can’t stress this enough. You have to pay attention! You should also only leave toys out that are obviously different from your puppies toys. No squeaky shoe toys, for example. Don’t confuse them.

Now that your puppy is teething, make sure to check its gums and teeth to make sure they are growing in correctly. Sometimes the adult teeth will grow in beside the baby teeth, and could potentially decay and cause abscesses that will damage the adult tooth. Check for any signs of irritation or if anything is growing in wrong, and be sure to consult your veterinarian if you have any issues.

Lastly, don’t scold your puppy. Physical or verbal abuse is never acceptable, but during a learning phase when your dog is already potentially stressed out it could have reverse effects. Just don’t do it.

Puppies are going to explore the world and use their mouths to do it. They are instinctively curious, and we can’t blame them for wanting to discover the world around them. But with a couple of simple tricks you can limit the damage to the furniture and to your wardrobe. Remember to pay attention, and don’t blame your puppy when something goes wrong. They don’t know any better, and now armed with these tools, you can teach them!

What are your tips? Leave your ideas in the comments section, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter!

Professional dog walkers and sitters are not just hired to walk a person’s dog or let them out for potty breaks. Dog walkers are mainly hired to give owners peace of mind that their precious pups are being taken care of, and that their homes are safe. Most professionals are great, they do their jobs well and provide exceptional care. Most of the walkers and sitters I’ve met are incredible, but what happens when you are faced with someone not so great? Why spend your hard earned money and not get what you paid for?

People put a lot of trust in dog walkers. We are trusted with people’s homes, their belongings, and their pets while they are away at work or gone on vacation. So how can pet owners ensure that that trust isn’t broken? How can they check in on their dog walker to make sure they are getting their moneys worth?

Here are some tips and tricks that you can do to make sure you aren’t getting swindled by your dog walker:

Have a Journal:

Each of my clients has me maintain a journal that recounts my walks. The bathroom cycle, where we went, who we met, whether Spot chased a squirrel, it all goes in there. Not only does that give me an account of the dog’s energy and health, but it gives the pet’s owner a view into our day. Owners can use this to track whether their dog has been out, and how it went. Keep close watch of repetitive stories or how those “long walks” match up with your dogs energy. This is also a good way to make sure your walker shows up at all.

Track your Dog’s Energy:

Does that journal tell a great story of puppies and park time, yet Fido is still feisty and crazy energetic when you get home? Something may not line up. Your dog may have a brief moment of excitement when you come home, but if they are itching to play and going bonkers then you walker may have to either take longer walks, or worse, maybe they need to show up. Dogs naturally like their rest (who doesn’t) and any decent exercise should at least buy you time to eat dinner.

Hide the Collar and Leash:

Not really ‘hide’ them, but maybe change the routine a bit and leave it on the coffee table instead of the kitchen counter. Wind the leash in a ball, leave the leash and collar apart, hang one but not the other. Do something that would be impossible to replicate so that when your walker returns from the walk you can tell if they had come or not. Sneaky, yes, but it would be an awesome indicator if your dog is getting his exercise.

Ask for Pictures:

Easy. Ask for your walker to text you a picture of your dog out on their walk. Smart phones are so common these days you would be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t oblige. I offer to highlight all my clients on this website, and I maintain an Instagram account that I add pictures to at least once every week. Sitting clients are especially fun, going through the usual daily routine can lead to some silly and memorable pictures. Why would you want to miss those moments? If you ask for some pictures, you don’t have to! You get to see all those great moments and be on top of what happens to your pup at the same time.

These are just four easy tips to keep track of your dog walker. I would hope that if an issue came up my clients would have enough respect to discuss it with me. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel like there is an issue, as the pet owner you are in charge (you do pay the bill after all). Ask questions about the walkers experiences and really pay attention to your pooch and hopefully you can avoid any unpleasantries.

Pet owners put a lot of trust in their pet sitters. I am honored to have clients that feel safe enough to have me enter their homes while they are away, and I know that it is very easy to have that trust broken. I think that a huge part of my job is to ensure that I don’t break that trust. Following these easy and simple tips, you can make sure that you and your pets have the same enjoyable experience!

I woke up to the sunrise this morning. For this I am thankful.

I have a loving mother and father who supported my move to Seattle and continue to send their love and support everyday. Even from 2000 miles away, I know that at a moments notice they will be by my side. From them I learned not to take life for granted, that hard work pays off, and that risks are worth taking. For this I am thankful.

I have an amazing brother who is growing into a wonderful young man. I am proud of him and all the paths he has and will take. For this I am thankful.

I am surrounded by friends who I love and respect, and who I can rely on to help me through anything. They are my adopted family in Seattle, the ones who continue to welcome me into their lives with open arms. We have shared so many adventures, and they have truly shaped me into what I am. For this I am thankful.

All over the country, I have family that I know love me, from Texas to Georgia, from Florida to Colorado I know there are people who love me. For this I am thankful.

My stomach is full of food, my mind is full of knowledge. I can read, write, do math, have access to a computer and a microwave. There is a roof over my head, there is a shirt on my back. I have been given the opportunity to define myself on my terms, to take the path I wanted, to get a college degree and move across the country to start a new life. For this I am thankful.

There are so many things to be thankful for, but this Thanksgiving has given me so many more reasons. I am thankful for my wonderful and loving girlfriend, who through good and hard times has become my best friend, and the only one I could ever raise a puppy with. Of course there’s Pickle, who is growing into a beautiful, healthy dog. I am thankful for this chance to start a new chapter of my life and to start a family with the woman I love and the puppy that has stolen our hearts.

I will be sharing Thanksgiving with some of the most important people in my life, friends that have truly become family in my time here. We will stuff our faces with food that we have all been fortunate enough to prepare, watch the Seahawks take on the 49ers, and let ourselves fall victim to a food coma. For this I am thankful.

If you are able to read this blog, be thankful. If you are warm, have a full belly, be thankful. If you have your family by your side, be thankful. You are lucky.

I am lucky. For this I am thankful.

Pickle is going on 5 months now, meaning we’ve had her for almost 10 weeks. Everyday has been a challenge, and raising a puppy has taught me so many new and crazy things.

1) I am not ready for a human baby. Dogs are independent by nature. Humans are not. The stresses of pet ownership don’t compare to the commitment required for a child. Could you leave your baby in a kennel for 2 hours while you grocery shop? Please don’t.

2) Puppies have small bladders. Never assume that just because your puppy went pee 10 minutes ago, they will not have to go again. Pickle is nice enough to go to the door when she has to go, and it only took one time of ignoring her for us to get the point.

3) Patience is key. Accidents happen. Separation is hard. Begging happens. A new puppy will chew and whine and push your boundaries until you are ready to break. Take a deep breath, go into a different room, reset and remind yourself that they are babies and are constantly learning. It’s your job to teach them the right way. With love.

4) Don’t get down on yourself for ‘hating’ your puppy. You will never truly hate your puppy, but there will be moments you feel like it. Don’t feel bad. Just remember to be patient and loving, and they’ll return the favor.

5) It takes a village. I take Pickle out at 2 am. My girlfriend feeds her before work. I walk her. She feeds Pickle dinner. You get the idea. Going it alone is almost impossible if you want to have some semblance of a life.

6) Last second planning doesn’t work. There is an entire checklist of things now that I must take out the door each time I leave with Pickle. Leash, collar, poo bags, snacks, harness, crate, you get the picture. Doing anything on a whim is hard enough, let alone having to come back indoors time and time again because you forgot something.

7) Puppies are great conversation starters. We take Pickle everywhere that allows dogs: to the bar, the grocery store, to parks, everywhere. The upside to doing that is that not only does Pickle get socialized, but so do we! I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had the passed couple months that have started with ‘Oh my gosh, your puppy is so cute!’

8) Not everyone loves puppies. Seriously, I thought everyone would love my puppy. Turns out there are some people that would prefer not to have muddy paw prints on their nice pants when we pass on the sidewalk. Who knew?

9)  Pound puppies are the best! Okay, little biased, but Pickle is my second pound pup. I didn’t think our first could be topped, and so far she’s getting a run for her money. Pound puppies present their own set of challenges (no lineage, no medical history) but every day is a surprise! People write corny things about a rescue dog saving their life and all that jazz, but in some way it feels good to give a life to a pup who has made it this far.

10) Puppies are rewarding. As Pickle has gotten older, each day has brought a new trick, or she reveals a quirky part of her personality that makes us turn to goo. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I could leave the room for the first time without her whining, or the first time she put herself to bed (seriously, it happens!). Everyday is it’s own reward. In exchange for all the chewed flip flops, the 2 am wake up calls, the terrible leash walking and tiny bladder, we get back unconditional love from the prettiest set of brown eyes I’ve seen. (On a puppy. Sorry Kira.)

Is it all worth it? Waking up with a tiny puppy staring back at me curled up beside me in bed, of course it is.

Dog walkers get a bad rap. I tell people I’m a dog walker and they look at me with a slight bit of pity in their eyes. I get it, dog walking is usually reserved for college kids needing to make an extra buck or someone down on their luck trying to make some extra cash to get by. Trust me, I was there once. But the cool thing about what I do is that it’s my job, and it’s awesome!

Okay, I won’t blab about it, I already did that once. Instead, I’ll just show you.

First some of my walking adventures:

Now, hopefully your not sitting behind a desk, staring out at the world from behind a cubicle wall:

Gotta admit, it’s a pretty sweet life!

Writers note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and stem from my own research (EKC and AKC resources) and experience (as a kennel assistant, walker, sitter, owner). I encourage readers to respond in ways they feel appropriate. I love conversations, especially on a topic like this.

This evening, the Enumclaw City Council voted to potentially lift a 25 year ban on pit bulls in city limits. The vote came under much scrutiny, and among strong opposition, the city council decided late Monday evening to keep the ban in place.

This was an unfortunate blow to the push for cities and municipalities to lift their antiquated bans on pit bulls and other bully breeds. The hatred and opposition that exist towards bully breeds stems from misinformation and a gross misuse of media headlines. In a post on SeattleDogSpot.com, Robert Pregulman recounts how media outlets like KIRO in Seattle grossly misinterpret statistics to mislead public perception and sway public opinion. For example, KIRO cites a study where pit bulls are 8 and a half times more likely to bite then any other dogs. A closer look at the study shows that the study only compared bites between pits and Labrador retrievers. They also only compared fatal bites, not over all biting incidents.

The post also cites a series of statistics dedicated to the reasons behind dog biting incidents:

• No able-bodied person present to intervene (87.1 percent)
• The victim had no familiar relationship with dog (85.2 percent)
• The owner failed to neuter/spay dog (84.4 percent)
• The victim’s compromised ability to manage interactions with dog (77.4 percent)
• Owner kept dog as resident rather than pet (76.2 percent)
• Owner’s prior mismanagement of dog (37.5 percent)
• The owner’s abuse or neglect of dog (21.1 percent)

I am a believer that bully breeds are the victim of media sensationalism and by dog owners who do not understand the breeds they deem “violent”. Here’s what I know. In the early 1800’s, bull baiting and dog fighting was a huge source of entertainment in England. Breeders wanted to create a dog that was nimble and strong, and through selective breeding eventually created what was to become the Staffordshire Terrier. This new breed combined the strength and tenacity of the old world bulldog (much taller and more nimble then today’s standard) and the agility and eagerness of the old school terrier. The result was a dog with a strong jaw, but was loyal and not aggressive towards people. Staffordshire Terriers were bred to respect and obey their handlers and be friendly towards people.

By the time bull baiting and dog fighting became illegal, the new breed had already caught fire with dog owners. Efforts to create a dog more suited for the home and not the ring resulted in the breed’s recognition in the EKC in 1935. In the UK, the dog became known as the “nanny dog,” admired by families for its protective and gentle instincts.

By this time, the Staffordshire Terrier had caught popularity in the US, where Americans admired their strength and loyalty. American’s also bred the dog so that it was bigger than its English counterpart, eventually resulting in the American Staffordshire Terrier, or Am Staff. The breed is characterized by a docile demeanor, allowing for the dogs to be handled. These dogs have also endured decades of discrimination and restrictions because of a past filled with irresponsible breeding and handling.

A study by the CDC tracking fatal dog bites from 1979-1998 brings up a couple other points. According to the study, 330 fatal bites over the 20 year span (including several from dachshunds, a yorky and a lab). Yet, if we isolate the data from 1994, there were over 1.4 million non fatal bites across the country. If fatal dog bites only represent 0.00001% of dog bites nationwide per year, how can we reasonably use that as a means to levy legislation? Beyond that, the study points to many different factors, including heredity, socialization, mental and physical health, and victim behavior as key factors in whether a dog bite occurred.

Here’s the skinny. Am Staffs are head strong, devoted, loyal dogs that require a strong hand in training them. They are also docile, kind and protective over the ones responsible to care for them. They have a history of being sweet family dogs, and unfortunately also being over bred and neglected.

Personally, I have been bitten three times by dogs in recent memory. Once by a retriever, once by a labradoodle and once by a blood hound. Each time the dog was responding to quick and unfamiliar movements made by my hands. I put the dog in an uncomfortable situation, and the dog responded the only way they knew how. Was I upset, sure. Can I blame the dog, no way. One incident does not determine a dogs personality, and I’m certainly not going to advocate for the banning of labradoodles because I was bit once.

My point is that we should not judge a breed because some were dealt a bad hand. Should municipalities work to help owners to be educated about their dogs? Yes. Should they step up leash laws and work to eliminate uncomfortable confrontations with dogs and people? Yes.

Should governments pass broad legislation that restricts dog owners from owning particular breeds of dogs? I say no. It’s time for people to become educated and understand that not everything they read is true. Do the research, then come back to me so we can have a real discussion.