#NationalDogDay Celebration!

                        Hey everybody! It's National Dog Day!

We think one of the most important things you can do to help celebrate this special day is to adopt a beautiful, loyal doggie from a shelter or rescue group. In the words of Colleen Paige, founder of National Dog Day, "Dogs are amazing, courageous, sensitive and sentient beings that deserve compassion and respect. Please consider bringing what was once considered "unwanted love", into your heart and home on National Dog Day!"

But there are tons of different ways to honor the dogs in your life, past and present, and our good friends from The Daily Pip have described some wonderful ways to both celebrate and help doggies in need. 

Lovely photo of Parental Unit and me by Rachel Lauren Photography

Parental Unit and I think that one of the best ways to celebrate #NationalDogDay is to indulge your dog in, well, doing dog things...like going for an extra long walk or a hike through the woods (weather permitting—it's ghastly hot again, here), playing a rousing game of fetch or playing other fun games with their favorite human...and that's you!

Please let us know what special things you're doing today to celebrate dogs!

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How To Integrate A New Pet Into Your Home

Well, this is certainly a "yuge" topic with lots of different and valid opinions, isn't it?

Let's start with an article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, that describes the thinking process that should precede adding a new family member to your home, and then the best strategies to follow as the little rascal is settling in. We love writing about this topic because there are so many things we Parental Unit didn't do!

With hindsight, we think that emotions get in the way of clear thinking, and you know, there's really nothing wrong with that. It's just helpful to remember some of the basics, or in Parental Unit's case, learn some of the basics before bringing your new pet home. She was still grieving the loss of her beloved Wire Fox fella, Carson, when she went searching at the shelter four or five weeks later. She was beside herself without a dog, she claims! (Parental Unit also might have had just a few hormones left at that time).

Here are a few of the  behaviors (hers) that Parental Unit regrets when she introduced me to my new home (most of these ideas are taken from Cesar's Way and involve setting "rules, boundaries and limitations" from day one:

1. Not taking me for a long-ish walk in the neighborhood before bringing me in the house for the first time;

2. Not walking me through each room and letting me explore while still on a leash (rather than on my own!); and

3. Not understanding that it takes  a pretty long time—not usually days, but weeks or even months or longer, for a dog or cat to really feel safe and comfortable in their new home. She was shocked, shocked, I tell you, that I still tried to "run away" on several occasions during the first few months in my new residence—she ran screaming after me through the streets more than once! And she distinctly recalls that I tried to raid garbage cans during our walks—like I was still scavenging for food... Hoo boy, she had a lot to learn!

Here are some additional ideas for the first 30 days of dog adoption from Petfinder.com that should help you successfully add a new furry family member.

Let us know your best strategies for integrating a new pet into your home—including any mistakes or smart moves you might have made. We'd love to hear them!

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