The last dog bed I bought before starting this project lasted exactly eleven days. It was one of those cheap polyfill things from the pet aisle at a big box store — looked fine in the packaging, had a cute paw print pattern, and cost about twenty bucks. My 72-pound Lab, Bessie, laid on it … Read more
I have a drawer in my kitchen that is full of dog treat bags. Most of them are half-empty. Not because my dog finished them, but because she took one sniff, turned away, and I never reached for them again. Sound familiar? Over the past few months, I decided to get serious about figuring out … Read more
The clip broke on a Tuesday afternoon. My 85-pound Lab mix spotted a rabbit, lunged hard, and the cheap retractable leash I’d been using just snapped at the plastic housing. I stood there holding a useless handle while my dog sprinted across a parking lot after a rabbit that had already vanished under a fence. … Read more
I have spent more time staring at dog diarrhea than I care to admit. My dog, Moose, has the stomach of a drama queen. One week he’s fine. The next week he’s refusing breakfast and leaving messes on the rug. Over the past two years I’ve gone through six different foods, two vet visits, and … Read more
My dog ate my couch. Not the whole thing. Just the left armrest, the part you rest your elbow on when you are watching TV. I was at work. He was home alone. And apparently the armrest looked delicious. That was the day I went on Amazon and started searching for dog gates. I did … Read more
The first time I put a head collar on my dog, a woman at the park asked if it was a muzzle. My dog was panting happily, tongue out, clearly not muzzled. I explained that no, he could still breathe, drink, eat treats, and lick my hand — it just stopped him from dragging me … Read more
The first time I took my 75-pound Lab mix to the lake, I assumed swimming would come naturally. She is a retriever, right? Turns out, she paddled frantically for about 90 seconds, started sinking in the back end, and I had to wade in fully clothed to pull her out. That was the day I … Read more
My vet handed me the estimate like it was a restaurant menu. Seven hundred and twelve dollars. That was the quote for a professional dental cleaning on my dog, including anesthesia and pre-op bloodwork. The tech smiled and said I could finance it over six months. I stared at that number for a long time. … Read more
I came home one Tuesday to find stuffing scattered across the living room like it had snowed indoors. There were three disembodied squeakers on the couch, a rope toy unspooled into what looked like spaghetti, and my dog sitting in the middle of it all with that guilty-but-pleased look dogs do so well. That was … Read more
Quick Answer Fall dog grooming does not require a professional salon. You can prep your dog for cooler weather with a budget toolkit under 30 dollars: a deshedding brush, dog shampoo, paw balm, and nail clippers. The key tasks for fall are removing summer-damaged coat, soothing cracked paw pads, managing seasonal shedding, and prepping for … Read more