Monday Mischief #69 - Dog DIY Cone

Mr. N was scratching and licking at himself so much a few weeks ago due to his flea allergy, I decided he needed a cone. And this was around ten pm so my options were severely limited. His last cone had cracked and been thrown away. 

So I googled and one website suggested putting a paper plate on small dogs. Didn't have those either. I looked around and spotted a cardboard box and cut that up. Mr. N didn't mind too much as the cardboard was fairly flexible and went back to sleep. The next day, I borrowed a real cone from a friend.

I thought he looked like he was in a pillory while the boyfriend said it reminded him of the cat breading meme. 

What emergency or DIY solutions have you put together for your dog? 

BW Sunday #93 - Loves the Camera

Mr. N loves the camera so much, he cuddles with it.

FitDog Friday #79 - How to Find a Good Groomer

A Golden died recently at Petco in a drying cage after being groomed.  I can only imagine how devastating it must have been for Colby's owner. That and Mr. N's most recent groom at a new groomer made me think about how to find a good groomer. The grooming industry is unregulated and groomers are not required to be certified. And for Mr. N, it's the most amount of time he spends away from me so finding a good groomer is key.

Here's what I do.

• I read Google, Yelp and Facebook reviews (if they have a Facebook presence, they'll also usually have pictures of grooms). I ask other dog people about their groomer. I google the groomer/business owner's name.
• Ask if they have experience grooming your breed. Yorkies and Maltese (Mr. N's breed mix) are both very common at groomers so I don't particularly worry about the groomer knowing how to groom them but if you have a more uncommon breed, ask or if you want a show groom.
• Ask about their grooming experience. How long have they been doing this, where did they train, and do they have any certifications? The most recent groomer Mr. N has been to is preparing to do competition grooming. 
• Visit to see is their facility clean and safe? Are all the dogs cared for and supervised during the entire grooming process? 
• Watch how they interact with the dogs. Groomers will never be Mr. N's favorite people but he likes some better than others. 
• Ask how do they dry the dogs? I only take Mr. N to places that will hand dry him. 
• See if they ask for your vaccination records? I wouldn't want to take Mr. N to a place full of un-vaccinated dogs. 
• Ask what is their matting policy? Some shops will not demat and will shave the dogs down and some will charge for the extra time de-matting the dogs. 
• Ask how do they handle aggressive dogs and shy dogs? Mr. N is very tolerant and stoic about grooming (several groomers have told me so) so I didn't ask but some groomers will not take aggressive dogs and I'd want to know if they wanted to muzzle my dog so I could get him used to it first. And shy dogs need special handling. 

Do you have any tips to find a good groomer? 

Wordless Wednesday #87 - Visit to Oz

Artwork by John Teply

Positive Pet Training #16 - Training with Multiple Dogs

Mr. N is perfectly happy being the sole pet of the household but previously we had a foster dog for six months. The dogs got along fine. They never became BFFs or anything but they would play together occasionally and they never got into a fight.

Training time became difficult though as Mr. N would get very upset when I trained Onyxx and he wasn't included. My workaround was to have Mr. N do all the tricks with Onyxx as Onyxx was learning them. This worked because Mr. N already knew all the tricks/behavior and I didn't have to concentrate on training both dogs. Normally, I would suggest training the dogs separately.

Photo posing is an important skill to learn in our household. The dogs with a visiting friend.

When I trained Mr. N, Onyxx was content being tossed the odd treat for watching and being calm or in the crate with a chew. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably do mat training so the non-working dog would settle on the mat while the other dog worked.

I think several more rounds of training class and watching the other dogs train and having to wait his turn has made Mr. N a bit more patient since then. When we were over at Sage's house and I was teaching her how to wave, he wandered off and found his own entertainment. I made sure to treat him after we were done for being good.

How do you train with multiple pets?

Welcome to First Monday's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below. Any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin Monday, July 6th and continues for a week. The July theme is training sins.

The dogs waiting for Thanksgiving dinner

BW Sunday #92 - Mr. N's Asian Fusion Groom

A grooming salon was looking for canine models to try Asian fusion grooming styles. I volunteered Mr. N's services. 

FitDog Friday #78 - Flea Allergy Dermatitis

I'm inclined to believe that much like humans, insects are just more attracted to certain dogs than others. Mr. N has been on Advantage, Revolution, Frontline and is currently wearing a Seresto collar but he inevitably picks up a flea here and there.

He has a flea allergy so even one flea crawling around on him drives him bananas. He is currently wearing the cone of shame because he keeps trying to lick and chew the base of his tail area. He has a few scabs but no hot spots or hair loss. Thus to prevent further problems; the dreaded cone. 

He is also taking a small dose of Benadryl and being bathed with medicated shampoo. All of the bedding has been thoroughly washed and the house vacuumed.  Mr. N is quite unhappy with us but at least he has stopped trying to ram the cone into our knees to express his displeasure.

This has been a horrible year so far for bugs because our winter has been so mild and we still have months of summer left to go. Between ticks, foxtails and fleas, I'm considering having a giant hamster ball commissioned for Mr. N for walks. 

He is spared the indignity of the cone for walks because he gets so entranced with sniffing and prancing about that he forgets about being itchy. Not to mention, it takes him forever to sniff anything with the cone on because it's over-sized and he has to tip the cone over in order to reach the grass. 

We've mostly stopped laughing at his cone antics but I'm pretty sure he's secretly plotting our demise. Mostly the boyfriend's demise. Mr. N likes to blame him for everything.

Wordless Wednesday #86 - Visiting Petco Unleashed

Mr. N getting all the treats and attention at Petco Unleashed

Last day to enter our giveaway! 

BW Sunday #91 - When I Get My Name in Lights

Someone made the society pages! Mr. N with the emcee.

And don't forget to enter our giveaway!

FitDog Friday #77 - Visiting Long Beach (Washington) with the Cascadian Nomads

Eons ago (February to be exact), the Cascadian Nomads invited us on a beach trip to Long Beach, Wash. My friend R. came along for the ride and we loaded up her two dogs and Mr. N into the car and set off.

We met on the beach with the Nomads after Mr. N's horse escapade. Mr. N was very excited about meeting Leo again and meeting Amelia for the first time. He calmed down eventually especially after spending some time in Amelia's cat tunnel.

We (the humans + dogs, the cat and bird stayed behind) explored the Discovery Trail, a paved route through the dunes showcasing various pieces of public art. All six dogs posed (some more than others) for a photo on the trail.

The dogs perched on top of a bronze showing Clark examining a 10-foot long sturgeon. 

Wilhelm and Mr. N rode the dolphins carved out of a tree stump.

And the dogs kept company with a preserved skeleton of a Pacific gray whale. We actually walked right past this and had to backtrack to find it.

We walked back on the beach to the car while enjoying the view of the sunset. 

The dogs basked in the last rays on the sun except for Mr. N who was bedraggled and wet after walking through too many "puddles" on the beach.  He started shivering and I had to wrap him in my down coat and carry him for a bit while he regained warmth. Bethany commented that it was a shame that Huxley couldn't share some of his surplus fur. 

He warmed up though and had a last frolic on the sand before we gathered everyone for a group photo on the beach.  From left to right: Bella, Lyndi, Mr. N, Leo the Cockatoo, Brychwyn, Huxley, Amelia the cat and Wilhelm.  

It was a lovely beach trip and hike and we hope to see the Nomads again soon. 

And don't forget to enter our giveaway for a bottle of Aloe & Oatmeal shampoo from Earthbath. 

Earthbath Shampoo Review and Giveaway

I'm pretty sure Mr. N is related to Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. He thinks water will melt him.

Unfortunately for him, his therapy dog duties, the fact that he likes to sleep in the bed and having hair instead of fur means he is doomed to having frequent baths. He stoically tolerates them with the air of a martyr. Mr. N thinks it's bad enough he's being subjected to a bath let alone having pictures taken of him during this trying time. 

 So understandably, shampoo reviews are probably his least favorite (at least until we start reviewing vets). But a very necessary evil in his life. Earthbath sent us their Oatmeal & Aloe Shampoo and Conditioner to review. Mr. N wants two things from bath products: quicker baths and no strong scents.

I appreciate the fact I can identify and can pronounce all the ingredients in the products (shampoo: Purified water, renewable coconut-based cleansers, colloidal oatmeal (3%), aloe vera, almond and vanilla essences, olive oil squalene (natural preservative). I could definitely smell the vanilla and almond scent throughout the washing process but once he was dry, it was barely discernible. He just smelled clean. The scent fades after a day or two. 

The products are soap-free, can be used with flea treatments and contain no parabens, phosphates, pthalates, DEA, synthetic dyes or perfumes. They're made specifically for dry and itchy skin. Mr. N has a flea allergy which drives him bananas and due to our mild winter, the bugs are flourishing. I think the baths have helped alleviate some of the itchiness but not stopped it completely. 

What I've really noticed though is how soft he feels afterwards. The boyfriend commented that he felt softer than usual. And this is the dog that someone once commented his fur was so soft that it felt like petting nothing at all. 

Make sure to enter the giveaway so your dog can enjoy (or not enjoy) a bath of their own with Earthbath's Oatmeal & Aloe shampoo.

This post was sponsored by Earthbath. They are not responsible for the contents of this article. All opinions expressed are our own.