The Thundershirt

I'll be honest, when we first decided to get the

Thundershirt

for Showlow I was a bit skeptical.

I was thinking how could a shirt help with her separation anxiety?

But we bought it anyways and hoped for the best.

John had seen an advertisement for it

I think in a dog magazine, I don't remember which one though.

It's supposed to help by being a constant

pressure on the dog. So it's tight but not too tight.

The pressure is supposed to creat a calming affect in

anxious/stressful situations.

At first I didn't notice much of a difference.

When we left the house without her and baby, she chewed on things.

EVERTHING.

Including our mattress and sometimes even the blankets/sheets/their dog bed.

So we tried to a.) not leave the house together as much so someone could be home with Show

& b.) take her with us every chance we get.

Oh and c.) pick up ALL the pillows/blankets/dog beds/sheets before we left

which as you can imagine is a pain and very time consuming when you

need to run out of the door to work, school or an appointment.

So anyways, after Shows accident where she somehow

broke and jumped through a window

in our bedroom a few weeks ago

she COULD NOT be left 

alone at all since her paws

were healing from being

very badly cut up.

(P.S. she wasn't wearing the thundershirt when this happened)

We were very strict with someone

being home

with her/

John taking her to work with him/

her going with us everywhere we went.

Not once did we leave her unattended..

We did consider a crate, but we have

tried that before and it just does not work

well for her.

She broke the last crate we put her in

and I was afraid she would hurt

herself trying to get out of it again.

but now that she is mostly healed and acting

like nothing ever happened we decided to try

to leave her alone with Baby again.

Baby

[[Baby has NEVER had an issue with

being left alone and sometimes I think she prefers it that way ;)

but we'll save that story for another post.]]

This time we picked up anything and everything

we thought she might get into

except her toys and dog pillows.

Then we strapped her in her Thundershirt

and left. I won't even go

into the amount of anxiety we were

feeling at first.

We went to Ikea, Whole Foods and then got

dinner, but we go it to go since we

were nervous about what we were going to come home to.

(half eaten sofa, broken table, broken windows, toys all eaten,

shoes all eaten, Showlow hurt again???)

I was imagining the worst.

However, we walked in the house

and Baby was laying on the sofa

 (yes our dogs are allowed on the furniture)

and Showlow was laying on her dog pillow

with her toys.



Show's little 'nook' and the toys we left out for her.

John walked all around the house in disbelief

(which caused Showlow to

get a little nervous cause she wasn't sure what

we were looking for and what our reaction

was going to be when we found it).

But we didn't find it.

She had clearly played with every single toy

we left out for her, but she did not tear up anything.

Not even her toys.

I think it took some time, but since then when

she has the shirt on I deifnitely notice a difference in her

anxiety. It's definitely not as bad as it once was.

We stayed gone for 2 hours that day and we'll

gradually increase it little by little, but I don't expect

the couch to be torn apart anymore :)

She is pooped.

 So all in all I do recommend the Thundershirt

and even though we know that

it's not going to work

for every dog and every situation,

but I think it did help us & Showlow.

They are $39.95 and usually you can catch them

during a no shipping cost deal. Hope it helps

you as much if not more than us! :) 

Trust the Best. Its Unanimous...BSL Sucks!

        The focus of this blog post relates to subjects that affect our furry friends and who to listen to for advice? Most of this blog will be related to Breed Specific Legislation but other topics of animal welfare will also be discussed. If you ever have any questions first and foremost ask your veterinarian. The veterinarian is first stop shop for information. Saying that, they are still humans and thus have their own prejudices and biases. You may think it preposterous for a Veterinarian to be in favor of BSL, to have negative biases against certain breeds, or to even go so far as to be in favor of breeding when we have such an insurmountable problem of pet overpopulation in this country. As a veterinary technician I see all of this and more. Granted most of the ignorance I come across is from the pet owners themselves, but that is to be expected. When you have questions pertaining to animal welfare see what the American Veterinary Medical Association says about it, cant always trust your local "experts"

        Lets quickly see the stance of the AVMA on the issue of Salmonella infection. Many people (especially those in the pro-organic/natural dog food group) believe that the dog food recalls because of Salmonella infection only affect humans. This is FALSE. Salmonella infection is not common in our faithful companions but it is possible, just like in humans it is much more likely to cause clinical symptoms when the dog is already immuno compromised, has a concurrent infection, and young/geriatric. Even if they don't fit in that grouping they can still come down with Salmonella "poisoning". Check out what the AVMA says on this topic especially this tidbit taken from

FAQ about Pet Foods and Salmonella.

Q:How would I know if my pet had a Salmonella infection?

A:Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. However, not all pets carrying Salmonella will appear sick. Apparently well but infected animals can be carriers and may infect other animals or humans, particularly through exposure to their feces. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these signs, please contact your veterinarian.

Q:Are certain types of pet foods more likely to be contaminated with Salmonella?

A:No pet food is immune from the possibility of Salmonella contamination. There is evidence, however, that feeding raw foods, such as raw meat and eggs, increases the risk of Salmonella infection and shedding of the bacteria (leading to possible infection of other animals and of people).^2-9 Regardless of the type of food you choose to feed your pet, proper precautions should be taken to protect your family's health.

Please for the welfare of your animals ensure that your dog gets the best available, many know my stance on which pet food to feed, not all agree, and I'm not here to sound like a tool for one company or another but if interested I will tell you what I feed my dogs, a food that has had no Salmonella recalls or has faced the problems that foods such as Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Canidae, Taste of the Wild, Diamond, have faced.  Check out the list of the latest dog Food recalls and make sure your pet is safe.

Dry Dog Food Recalls

Tail Docking and Ear Cropping

           Before getting into the whole BSL debate lets quickly talk about cropping ears, or any other mutiliation of our canine companions for aesthetic purposes only. I have made it clear time and time again that I am 100% against Ear cropping and Tail Docking when done for cosmetic purposes which incidently makes up 99% of the times they are done. (Also against Declawing cats when done just for the owner to have less hassel with scratching. There are many options available instead of declawing)  In the Pedigree dog circuit Tail Docking and Ear Cropping are done for Breed standards. I don't know about you but my dogs are my family, they are not showpieces, they aren't meant to be pranced around in front of a bunch of rich snobs and win ribbons for looking the most unnatural. This topic is set for a different blog post but suffice it say that I will never crop my dogs ears or dock their tails when it ISNT medically necessary. This is not to say that I wouldn't adopt a dog with these features but that I am very much against having it done. It pains to me to know that where I work allows these procedures, yet I am at least semi glad that our Ear Cropping is over 900$. Too bad my opinion doesnt matter....

Ear cropping is mutiliation, It is not accepting your dog the way they are but instead turning them into something that makes you feel better about yourself. Making your dog look meaner makes you a complete idiot.

The AVMAs stance on Ear Cropping and Tail Docking.

Ear Cropping and Tail Docking of Dogs (Oversight: AWC; HOD 07/1999, EB revised 11/2008) The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards. The Canadian and UK Veterinary Associations also oppose ear cropping and tail docking. For this and more check out the AVMAs policies AVMA Issues Breed Specific Legislation Now in the attempt to keep this blog from getting longer and longer I will just post the AVMAs view on BSL. It has been shown time and time again that BSL does not work, it is based on ignorance, and fear. Heres a quick read from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Responsible Ownership the alternative to BSL Also the ASPCAs view on BSL BSL Policy- ASPCA National Canine Research Council on BSL Dog Breed Specific Legislation AVMA AVMA policy Dangerous Animal Legislation (Oversight: CHAB; EB 03/88; Revised 11/01; Reaffirmed 11/05, 04/2010) The AVMA supports dangerous animal legislation by state, county, or municipal governments provided that legislation does not refer to specific breeds or classes of animals. This legislation should be directed at fostering safety and protection of the general public from animals classified as dangerous. Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention Heres some State to State Laws regarding BSL Breed Ordinances CDC and AVMA Agree, No Scientific support for BSL No Support for BSL Centers for Disease Control statement “ [The study] does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic…There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.” Some pics of our pibbles!  Baby and her BooooyFriend Jackson  Baby and Jackson  Its how pibbles sleep  Shes in LOVE!  Give me that treat!  Showlow as a little puppy!  My Best Friends  Look how cute they are!  Showlow didnt exaclty love her Birthday Bath  Have never met a better dog When Show was a tiny thing.

Shows 1st B-day

Our baby girl turned 1 on April 14th.

You're probably going to notice thorughout the blog

that we've started to call her Show.

(even though her full name is Showlow)

It fits her well because not only does she put on a show

(for everyone)

But she steals the show too. (& our hearts)

Anyways, we celebrated her first birthday

with a bath at Wag N' Wash

and got a cute dog bone shaped cake from there too!

We're pretty sure her and her sister

had a great time, and they definitely enjoyed the cake!

Afterwards, we took two pieces to Show

and Baby's cousins

Tucson and Tolleson

(AKA Val's dads Pitty's)

so they could enjoy as well.

Here are some pics from our fun day.

Show after her bday bath

Happy Birthday Show!

Baby had fun too ;)

Show's fabulous cake!

Yummay!

So good she licked it off the floor

Tucson enjoying his piece

Tolleson

Our lil family p.s. this is the best we could get, two of us couldn't sit still!

Let's try this again.

Okay, where to begin. I just went through all of our posts

over the pasts couple years and I have to say

 I am very happy with them

& even more happier with how many views we've gotten(!)

however, there is always room for improvement.

Our goal in life is to END BSL entirely, and in order to do that or at least get us in the right direction we really have to make a better effort in posting our experiences and adventures.

 We spend 99% (or at least it feels like it) of our days with our dogs,

 and I know we have tons to blog about... but we just don't.

I probably spend most of my time reading other peoples fabulous blogs

and getting inspiration, but now it's time to buckle down with our own.

So here is a new promise to go with our new look.

We are going to do our very best to post more often, gain more readers

& work harder towards our overall goal of ending BSL 

by letting the world know just how amazing

 our four legged family members are!

End BSL of ALL Breeds

Everybody who owns a pitbull knows that BSL or Breed Specific Legislation impacts our daily life with our dogs. For many of us who don't directly face the kind of bullshit that citizens in Denver, Miami or Ontario citizens do over their valued family member, chances are you are still affected in some way. Whether it be insurance bias, ignorant owners, rental bias, or any other little bit of discrimination we are all still affected. But it goes further than that, Just by owning a pitbull/amstaff/staffy we are lumped together in mainstream societies views as being fringe elements of society, that we don't take care of our pets and just want them for "suspect" reasons. Any good owner knows that these are just plain wrong. Just by owning a pitbull we are already the target of "our" (used loosely) politicians, news reporters, or any other group that seeks to fulfill the discrimination already against our beloved pets.
         What we seem to forget is that BSL is not a one breed monster, yes the hate in the last decade and more has been against pitbulls or any other breed even faintly resembling them. Let us remember that they used to subjugate the Dobermans, and Rottweilers as well to this unfair and unjust BSL. Not to mention that many BSL laws still discriminates in no order particular against German Shepherds, Wolf Hybrids, Dogo Argentinos, Mastiff (any breed) Presa Canarios, Akitas, Chows, and yes Dobies and Rotts. As a pitbull owner and lover I know that to classify my dogs as aggressive or ruthless or evil/mean/monsters etc... is complete bullshit. Im sure that owners of any of these breeds listed above feel the same way about their dog. Can there be aggressive members of these breeds?? Yes, absolutely, there can be aggressive dogs of ANY breed, interesting enough that the large more powerful breeds are the scapegoat. Can Akitas inflict more damage than a chihuahua? Absolutely. I do find it very interesting that the smaller breeds like Daschunds, Chihuahuas, pomeranians are generally more unstable towards humans and other dogs. Are they treated more like commodities than pets? Yes. Are they babied and carried around in their owners arms? Yes. While working in a vet hospital I have been bit no less than 15 times. None of these times has it been by a dog larger than 20 lbs. This is not to say that I haven't encountered any aggressive large dogs, I sure have, but the great majority of unstable dogs has been of the toy breeds. BTW the most aggressive larger breed dogs I've encountered were a Bearded Collie and a lab/shepherd mix. My experiences are not to be extrapolated over the entire population of dogs but people really need to take a look at themselves before they are so quick to write off a certain breed of dog because certain members of society.

Most of the dogs that bite people are Unneutered, Stray, Untrained. Those dogs that have an owner that are aggressive nearly all are untrained, have irresponsible/bad owners, and un altered. People are soo quick to attack the breed when the blame lays squarely on the shoulders of the human. People are assholes, they are douchebags, they are soo quick to rid themselves of their dog when their life gets hard, they dont value these dogs as family members and consequently the dogs will end up at the pound, on the streets, or from owner to owner, nothing of which is conducive to a healthy happy dog. I see way too many instances of people saying my wife is pregnant so we dont have time for our dog that we've had for 10 yrs... Seriously??? What kind of lowlife piece of shit are you to do that to your dog that was loyally by your side, who didnt judge you on your faults, and was as happy as can be for 10 yrs? Dogs ARE family, having said that they need to be treated not as people but as dogs, as happy healthy members of our family. They can't be allowed to run the household but they can't be tied up all day in the backyard either. Respect them, take care of them, vaccinate them, microchip them, Neuter/Spay them, feed them, love them. People generally don't deserve 2nd chances, Dogs deserve a million.

Heres Mo, My Chow mix that lived to age 14. Died in 2009. RIP Mo, Wonderful dog, Best Friend, Wish you were still here buddy. Dont judge the breed, judge the deed.

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself

This post is going to be a little bit of me venting. 

I'm frustrated.

 When John and I got our pets, it wasn't a 'for right now' thing. 

Nothing makes my blood boil like the question,

 'but what are you going to do with them when you have kids?'

That's like asking someone 'what are you going to do with 

your first child after your second child comes?'

 Absurd, right? 

We don't exchange our family out, we add to it. 

So when I see posts on Craigslist that say they need to give their dog up 

because they're moving or they're having a baby or they're going to school

and don't have time for the pet, it drives me crazy.

When you made that commitment to adopt the pet, you made that commitment for life.  

So to answer that annoying question. 

We don't do anything with our pets when life changes for us. 

If we come across any obstacles 

we address it and adapt.

 But that does not include giving them up.

We made the same commitment to them 

as we made to each other on 

our wedding day.

And we 100% plan on keeping both of those commitments

Such cuddle bugs <3

 

IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE

 

 

Positive Press for the Pitties!

my little love bugs

These past few weeks have brought some well deserved media to our pibble family members. Instead of the negative news articles that completely misrepresent our lovable breed, there's been a few positive ones. Here's one of my favorite clips from ABC 15 news. 

We've obviously all heard of the McDonald's ad comparing the 'risk' of trying their food and petting a stray pit bull. After I was furious with them for taking advantage of the negative media surrounding our dogs, I was then happy and proud of our pit bull family for the fierce responses and comments sticking up for what we believe in. 

Here's another positive Pit Bull video that John found from youtube. It's a bit intense and emotional, but regardless shows how loving and loyal these sweet dogs truly are. 

This article which was posted on Yahoos front page had some nice things to say regarding Pittie's. The article states "The pit bull has been given a bad rap for years because of their use in dog-fighting rings, but those that are bred as pets can be just as loving as any Cocker Spaniel.  Ignorance of the breed perpetuates the myth, as evidenced by a recent McDonald’s ad." Click here for the full article. 

 This feels like a step in the right direction. This along with BSL being overturned in multiple cities. One of these being Miami-Dade, and another state wide BSL repeal which will hopefully be signed into law by Governor John Kasich, Ohio HB 14.

However there's always progress to be made. I'll leave you with this lovely picture my uncle sent to me and this quote by Edward Everett.. "I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

Everyone can do something <3