Advice, Tips and Tricks – YourDesignerDog

101 Tips For Terrific Trips with Your Dog

yourdesignerdog — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 13:31:00 +0000

Sadie’s newest book is now available on Amazon! Okay, really I wrote it, but Sadie helped. How did she help? Well aside from being an adorable inspiration, Sadie agreed to be the official tester and personally tried each and every tip in this book. She gives it four paws up!

In 101 Tips For Terrific Trips with Your Dog, I give you a wealth of information about traveling with dogs. Want to take your dog on a road trip? I’ve got some tips for you. Flying on an airplane with your dog? Check out my helpful hints. Planning to stay at a dog friendly hotel? You’ll find a variety of suggestions to help make your stay relaxing and enjoyable!

** Update!**

My new book is currently #1 on Amazon for short travel books!!!

This photo is the front and back cover of the print edition:

Want to see what this book has to offer? Click on the Look Inside preview below!

Do you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited? Then you can read the eBook version for free!

Inside the Purse of a Dog Mom

yourdesignerdog — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 09:15:31 +0000

I’m one of those women with the magical purse that has just about anything you need hiding within. If you just give me a minute or two to dig around, I can probably come up with a snack of some kind, a hairbrush, a deck of cards, a cell phone charger, and some post it notes. But being a Dog Mom means adding a whole other set of necessities to my handbag. As much as I want to be prepared for anything I might need, I absolutely must be prepared for all of Sadie’s needs. Here is a list of the typical items found in the purse of this loving Dog Mom.

Doggie bags (I just don’t like calling them poop bags)
Collapsible food and water bowls
Leash
Puppy training pad in case of indoor emergencies
Camera to capture any spontaneous cuteness (I know I don’t need to carry a camera anymore with high quality cell phone photos, but I can’t seem to break this habit)
Squeaky ball
Treats (usually the Busy Buddy Bristle Bone* which works as a simultaneous treat and distraction)
Baggie of dry food
Veterinarian’s business card
Dog comb / brush
LED collar, in case we end up out walking after dark
Spare ID tag, in case Sadie’s gets lost (I actually use an ID tag as one of my keychains, so I always have one on me)
Folding rain coat

It may seem like I have every dog product ever made inside my purse, but there are actually quite a few potentially useful items I’ve left out. I personally have decided not to carry the following items, but you may want them on hand in your purse for your dog. Some of the items may also be useful to take with you depending on where you and your dog are headed for the day. I regularly add and subtract items from my purse depending on Sadie’s and my destination.

Water bottle – a very important item in some climates and at certain times of year, but it’s usually too heavy for me to carry unless Sadie and I plan to go on a long walk. I usually have a bottle waiting in the car for us to rehydrate. You may want to consider those water pouches as a lighter alternative if you want water on you at all times.
Clicker – Sadie and I don’t clicker train, but if you do than you probably should keep a spare clicker in your purse
Blanket – useful, but too bulky for everyday carrying
Towel – even more useful, but also too bulky
Medication – if your dog requires medication, you may want to keep a supply in your purse in case you are away for longer than intended and your dog needs to take a dose

This post is part of the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

*affiliate link

How To Stop the Begging With Love

yourdesignerdog — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 10:30:34 +0000

Sadie is usually pretty good with her manners. When the family eats at the dinner table, Sadie usually sits quietly on the rug just watching everyone. When I’m in the mood to eat by the TV, Sadie sits next to me hoping I’ll give her a bite. But she doesn’t whine or complain if she doesn’t get anything. However, Sadie occasionally gets into a greedy mood for her doggy treats and begs incessantly next to her treat cabinet. I’ve recently discovered a creative way to get Sadie’s mind off of those treats. I distract her with love.

Have you ever noticed that if your dog isn’t feeling cuddly, then when you try to get some hugs and doggie kisses, your dog wriggles in your arms and tries to get out of your grasp? Well I decided to take that scenario and use it to my benefit. After Sadie sat begging by her treat cabinet for a while and refused to move even when I told her no, I decided to try a new approach. I got on the floor with Sadie and began hugging her and kissing her little head and holding her close to me. In less than three minutes Sadie was out of the kitchen, away from the treats, and settling down for a nap on the couch. I repeated this process a few times, and now whenever Sadie is begging for extra treats, I just approach her making kissy noises and she runs off. While I’m a little sad that the thought of Mommy kisses makes Sadie run from me, it is a useful tool to snap Sadie’s mind out of unwanted behavior.

This post is part of the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Using Dry Dog Food for Healthy Holiday Fun!

yourdesignerdog — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:00:07 +0000

The basic component for the majority of your furry family members’ meals is most likely dry food, aka kibble. (Check out the stats on which are the best dry dog foods for your pups over at the SlimDoggy Dog Food Database.) But at this time of year it can become tricky to keep your pets interested in their kibble when there are so many delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Today I’d like to share a few ideas to keep your pet happy and satisfied with their own healthy food during the holiday season.

While many pet parents discourage their dogs from sitting by the table during meals, personally my family prefers to have Sadie take part in our family dinners. But eating bits of human food definitely goes against Sadie’s diet. So to include my dog as part of our holiday meals, I use her dry dog food. I give each family member a few pieces of her kibble, so that whenever Sadie visits a family member to see what goodies they have to offer, they have a dog-healthy option at the ready. Sadie feels like she is participating and getting some of our holiday dinner, while still keeping on her kibble diet.

But having dog food at the dinner table may not appeal to everyone and may lead to some annoying begging behavior. So another way to keep your dog focused on their dry food during the holidays is using food dispensing toys. You can fill up the toy with kibble, give it to your dog, and then go enjoy your own meal knowing that your dog is happily distracted from the human food. (I frequently use treat dispensing toys as a good distraction when I’m working as well.) Sadie has different treat dispensing toys that I use specifically for each holiday. That way it’s a new challenge to figure out how the toy works since she only sees it a few days each year. For the Christmas season Sadie has a festive light bulb that dispenses treats/kibble.

My favorite way to make sure Sadie eats her dry food during the holidays is to make little dry food presents. I take a handful of kibble and place it in the center of a square of wrapping paper. Then I ball up the wrapping paper so that it holds the kibble in place. Then I hide the little kibble presents around the room/house. I like to put them under the tree among the other presents, but that might cause problems or damage for those of you with bigger or more destructive dogs. I always place one little kibble present in plain sight so that Sadie realizes what she is looking for. Once she has opened and eaten the contents of the first present, I tell her to go find the others. That keeps her happy and occupied for quite a while, with the bonus of making sure she eats her healthy dry food.

I also want to mention an adorable holiday craft that can be done using dry dog food from one of my fellow bloggers, Jodi at Kol’s Notes. Click here to check out her kibble/treat filled ornaments and advent calendar!

“This post is a partnership with Nakturnal.”

Pretty and Poisonous Poinsettias

yourdesignerdog — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 08:30:27 +0000

Poinsettias make beautifully festive holiday decorations at this time of year. Unfortunately for pet owners, poinsettias are also a dangerous toxin for dogs and cats. To avoid any potential risk to Sadie, I choose not to bring poinsettias into my home. Instead, I use decorations with poinsettia designs to bring some of their festive beauty to my holiday décor.

But many of you may still want an actual poinsettia plant or may receive one as a gift. This post is just a reminder to all of you pet owners to make sure your fur babies stay away from this toxic plant. Keep poinsettias well out of your pets’ reach and make sure that dead leaves/petals don’t fall onto the floor. When visiting friends or relatives with your pets, double check that no poinsettia plants are within your pets’ reach. You should even be careful during walks at this time of year, as many people use poinsettias to decorate front porches and stairs. Lastly, you need to be cautious when disposing of your poinsettia at the end of the season. Don’t just throw the plant on a mulch or compost pile that your pets can easily reach.

Click here to see which other flowering plants can pose a danger to your pets!

And to help you remember other holiday dangers to keep an eye out for, here’s a handy infographic courtesy of PuppySpot.

This post is part of the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday blog hop.