Hello, friends!

I’m coming to you today with a question. Or, more accurately, I’m coming to you today with a request for a discussion.

Let me explain…

I spend a ton of time researching things about dogs, answering questions about dogs, sharing information and memes about dogs, talking to my vet about my dog, following dogs on Instagram… you get the point. My life is largely about dogs.

And if I’m being totally honest with you, right now, I’m so grateful for blogs.

Why?

I feel so. very. done. with social media.

I’m not alone in this, I know. I suspect many of you feel the same way. BTW, I’m not even talking about politics. Just plain old social media. There’s something about the distance that screens give to some people that somehow makes them feel free to be mean, negative, and critical. So few people are open to learning because–gasp.–what you learn might actually change what you think or know about a particular topic. It’s disheartening and demoralizing.

I strive to post positive or uplifting content, even when I’m writing about difficult topics. That’s the best I can do right now, other than step away from most social media.

Blogs, though? I’m totally rekindling my love for all things blog as social media loses its luster.

Blogging puts trust in people with real-life experience.

Every week, I receive an email or DM from someone whose dog was recently diagnosed with tremors. It’s not a common condition, so there’s not a lost of first-hand experience out there. I’m grateful people find my posts and Cooper’s story so we can connect over this shared, bizarre condition.

Likewise, when I’ve faced training difficulties or health issues, especially with the cats, I’ve turned to blogs to gather real-life experience. Information from your vet is vital, of course, but actual experiences are invaluable.

For a while there, I turned to Facebook or Instagram because I felt like I had less time and there’s easier-to-digest info there.

However.

There’s so much inflammatory crap and misinformation. Blogs may take a little more time–searching for the right one, for instance, and digesting long, well-thought-out posts just takes longer than reading an Instagram caption–but the trade-off is completely worth it.

Who do you trust for pet advice online?

I’ve been monitoring my habits lately with one goal: Stop mindless scrolling! And here’s what I’ve discovered…

When I have a specific question about Coop or the cats, I first type the query into Google. I’ll look for a peer-reviewed study or a website with a reputation for sharing knowledgeable, fact-based content. Then, I’ll search for blogs about the topic to see what real people have really done for their real pets. On rare occasions, I’ll search Instagram or YouTube. Never, ever, ever do I search Facebook anymore.

I’m curious: Where do you turn when you’re trying to find pet advice online? Do you go to social? Blogs? Veterinary publications? Message boards? Forums? Somewhere else altogether?

How do you decide who to trust only for pet advice? I’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments. I’m genuinely curious how you are using the internet to learn more about how to live better with our pets, and I’d really appreciate any insights–even if you disagree with me! I love learning from you!

Also, if you want to learn more about blogging, obviously I have to recommend the book I co-wrote with Carol Bryant, Pet Blogging for Love and Money. It’s chock full of advice for working and learning online!

AND! If you want to learn more about pet health and you’re seeing this early in the week, it’s not too late to sign up for the FREE Pet Health Secrets Summit. I’m presenting on Monday, but all the presentations are live and free for 48 hours. Click here to sign up.

Click HERE to get the super sweet free playbook that accompanies the summit, whether you attend or not!

Hello, friends.

I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing, how you’re holding up.

How are your pets?

Because nothing makes sense right now, you might live somewhere that’s pretending to be back to “normal” or you might live somewhere still under quarantine.

Maybe protests wind past your front door or sit-ins fill your town square.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I hope you’re well.

I hope your pets are well, too. I keep reading stories about pets suffering from the stress of all this–sudden schedule changes, and then more sudden schedule changes, an intensity of emotion and anxiety among their humans, and so on.

Here’s where I’m struggling:

(OK, TBH, this is one place I’m struggling. Two tiny children for several months without breaks? Plus John being home all the time. Plus trying to squeeze in work. Plus the heavy emotional burden of all that’s happening in the world. Plus blah blah blah. Your story is likely the same. I’m just really, really tired.)

I’m struggling to reconcile my belief in the absolute good of humanity, my faith that people are inherently good but sometimes do less-than-good things out of fear… I’m struggling to reconcile that against what is actually happening in the world.

I’ve spent more than a decade working in the animal world, which means I’ve seen over and over again the horrors that can happen to animals at the hands of people. But, I’ve also seen over and over again the strength and kindness and generosity of strangers the world over who band together to save animals of all stripes, sometimes with their bare hands and sometimes with their wallets, and sometimes with their social channels. Always, those actions restore my faith in humanity.

And yet, here we are.

I find myself questioning that previously-unshakable belief because I’m seeing some of those very same people–the people who contort themselves to find transport for a dog they’ve never clapped eyes on; the people who empty their bank accounts and fill their homes, their time, and their lives with rescuing and fostering; the people who share their social channels to help shelters and adoptable animals–the very same people who seem so filled with love and compassion pouring anger and hate onto other animal welfare organizations, dog trainers, retailers.

The comments: “Get back to dog training.” “Well, I’m not buying my cat’s food from YOU anymore.” “You just lost a follower.” “You just lost a donor.” “Stay in your lane.”

Stay in your lane.

The implication: I am only comfortable with you speaking about this one single topic. I don’t want to know who you are as a person or the depths of your heart. I just want the information I need from you and nothing else. Anything else? Keep quiet.

That’s not been sitting well with me, and it’s the single reason why I haven’t been able to post anything here in a long while. I have stuff to share. I have posts about dogs and cats and kids. Dog training. Animal behavior. Health and wellness. Pet products. I’ll return to this content soon. But first.

None of it feels right or authentic to me or to this space at this moment.

My lane is compassion. For all beings. Kindness (even when it’s really freaking hard). Love.

I think often of this Sanskrit mantra: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.

“May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”

I’m not perfect, not even close, but I try to get within spitting distance most of the time. So, please be clear, in case there was ever any doubt:

In this space, we believe Black lives matter, that all beings deserve to be happy and free, that our actions–no matter how big or how small–impact others every single day. We wear face masks when we shop. We support BIPOC-owned business. We teach our girls that the world is a better place because of its diversity.

It amazes me that anyone could possibly take issue with any of that.

In the animal community, it shocks me. This world is built on caring for and having compassion for others. Heck, we ALL fight with everything we’ve got for breeds that are discriminated against.

Yet, I’ve seen some of the angriest, ugliest comments on some of the welfare organizations’ social profiles and on the threads of famous dog trainers and veterinarians. How can that be?

I can’t begin to guess, but what I can do is welcome you, welcome your pets, welcome your families and your friends into this space where kindness and compassion rule.

So, what’s next?

Well, I know that I’m digging into my commitment to anti-racism. I’m reading and listening to Black voices, something I’ve always striven to do but am doubling down. (Three books I purchased: I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown, Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall, and Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson.)

I’m also deep into researching the role animal welfare plays in systemic racism, why POC aren’t included or represented in the animal welfare industry, which is dominated by white women. It’s a lot to unpack, so bear with me if it’s a while before you see a post.

Finally, I’m adding every single one of these Black voices in the pet industry to my reading and following lists.

As for this website, we will continue to hold space for healthy, friendly, open debate about all kinds of topics, but we will not debate how our fellow humans deserve to be treated. Our bottom line, and I’ll reiterate:

“May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash

How are you doing? Are you staying well and safe (and sane) at home?

We’re sticking with our one day at a time mentality around here, but now that we’re a few weeks in, I feel like we need to create some kind of routine or structure to our days. A big piece of that needs to include the animals because they’ve been a bit overlooked as we adjusted to this new normal, and they’re also a smidge out of sorts with how different their lives suddenly became. Are your pets feeling like that, too?

If you’re looking for ideas to keep your dog busy during social distancing, I’ve got you covered!

I started to dig through my archives to pull up ideas on boredom busters for Coop. Below are several posts that will give you dozens of projects and ideas. One note: Most were written for surviving Indiana winters indoors, but almost all of the activities can be moved outside if you have a safe area to play with your pup. Just remember that if it’s a training exercise, outside is way more distracting than inside, so you might need to work a little harder.

But, hey. We’ve got the time…

5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Busy on a Rainy Day

I wrote this one for high-energy dogs like Cooper. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the (normal, typical, pre-quarantine) day to tire him out. Implement one or all of these to get a tired pup!

10 Ways to Tire Out Your Dog Indoors

This is my most-trafficked blog post almost every month. And it’s from 2010! We’re always looking for ways to entertain our dogs, I suppose. This will get you started! And when you check all those off the list…

10 (More) Ways to Tire Out Your Dog Indoors

One game on this list is “find it.” We play this several times a week. Recently, Violet’s gotten in on it, and I need to post it to Instagram Stories because it’s hilarious. She hides the toy, tells Coop to find it, then she runs over to where she hid it and yells, “It’s over here Cooper!! Here it is!!”

5 Ways to Exercise Your Dog Indoors

One of the tips in this post feels like a cheat–take a drive–but is so important right now. A spin around town with the windows down can do a world of good for you and your dog.

Teach Your Dog to Come When Called

A solid recall is, I believe, the most important cue for a dog to know. Hands down. If your dog’s recall isn’t solid right now, no worries. We have time to work on it! There are tons of ideas, tips, troubleshooting, and game ideas in this post. If you work on nothing else during this time, work on recall.

Bonus for the cats: Train Your Cat to Walk on Leash

The weather is getting nicer around here, and as soon as it starts to warm up, Newt itches to get outside. It’s time to break out their harnesses and leashes. If you’re interested in taking your cat outside safely, this is the post for you. (Also, I highly recommend you check out Chirpy Cats for the most EPIC backyard cat runs and catios. These are on my dream “someday” list for a backyard reno.)

Just keep playing! Ultimately, we have no idea how long we’re really going to be socially isolated. The most important thing is to find ways to bring joy to the situation, and play does it. If you don’t want to work through any training exercises or you don’t want to DIY or purchase some puzzles, then focus on fun. Grab a ball and play fetch. Go for a long walk. Play tug. Anything that keeps you and your pup happy and entertained.

I hope this helps, and in the meantime, stay well, friends.

Many people around the world find themselves thrust into working from home, whether they ever wanted to or not. Here’s how to not just survive but thrive working from home with pets.

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First, a little background: I started working full-time from home in 2008. I worked for a DC-based design firm when John began his PhD in Indiana, so I experienced working for an employer remotely. Then, I ultimately went full-time freelance, still from home, a couple years later.

That gives me 12 years of working from home under my belt–the whole time with pets. I’ve learned a thing or two (OK, five…) that I wanted to share as many of us suddenly and unexpectedly find ourselves in this spot.

BTW, this is not meant to exclude the thousands and thousands of front-line workers at hospitals, clinics, grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations around the globe. I am deeply, immeasurably grateful to you and all you do to keep this world spinning in this time of crisis. Thank you.

1. Prepare distractions.

Fill a bunch of Kongs (or these for a super long distraction–they’re much harder than a Kong is for Coop) with peanut butter and carrots, stash them in your freezer, and pull one out when you get an unplanned phone call or Zoom. If you have more time or have planned meetings, I love puzzle toys like those from Nina Ottosson (I think they’re all licensed by Outward Hound now so there are tons to choose from here) or a snuffle mat, which seems to be the quietest of all the puzzles, at least for Coop!

2. Ditch the doorbell.

The Instacart you’re waiting for? The Amazon order out for delivery? Those items will arrive when and only when you’re on a Zoom. Your phone will ring, and the driver will arrive at the same time. It’s the only immutable law of working from home. For a while, I placed black electrical tape over my doorbell, but people still rang it or they knocked. So, I put up a sign. When Violet was born, I purchased this one from Etsy, but anything will do!

3. Arrange your pets.

I heard a podcast producer say something like this once, and it stuck: When you can’t risk any background noise (an interview, a global conference call, your performance review, etc.), dogs need to be elsewhere. Put them in another room with activities like this or this and close the door. Cats, she said, are more likely to make a bunch of noise if they’re closed out, so leave the door open and hope for the best!

4. Be candid.

When I first started working from home, I worried that pet noise in the background seemed unprofessional. Finally, I just started conversations with a simple, “If you hear some background noise, I work from home with my rambunctious dogs!” More often than not, we’d end up having a couple minutes of pleasant convo about dogs. Now that just about everyone’s in the same boat, be upfront. You’ll likely find your colleague replies with, “And I’ve got a toddler and a cat!” Chuckle and move on with business.

5. Let your pets distract you.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out: One challenge inherent with working from home is the barrier between your work and home life dissolves. It’s tempting to fire up your laptop after dinner to process a few emails. It’s so easy to put the finishing touches on your presentation on a Saturday morning. And it’s perfectly OK to do those things as long as you balance them out in other ways. (I will never, ever be the person who swears you need to “set firm work hours,” which is probably the most common work-from-home advice out there… it doesn’t make sense to me to be that rigid since working from home enables flexibility!) That’s where our pets come in! Sprinkle in dog walks or time with your cat’s teaser toy throughout the day. You may knock out those slides on Saturday, but that time gets recouped with an extra-long lunchtime walk on Wednesday. In my decade-plus experience, mixing in reliable breaks, even if it means typing a few lines on the weekend, brings me much closer to balance than separating distinct work vs. home hours.

Working from home can be a blessing or a curse. It’s up to YOU and how you manage it. Obviously staying in sweats all day can be great, but if it makes you feel sluggish, throw on some jeans. Turning on Netflix probably isn’t in your best interest, nor is folding the laundry when you should be making that spreadsheet, but hey! you can watch Netflix while you fold your laundry over your lunch hour!

You can do this! We all can! We’ll all get through this, and I suspect this global experiment of working from home might change how the workplace looks forever after.

Hug your dog. Scritch your cat. Then get back to work!

Photo: Ioana Tabarcea on Unsplash

Hello, friends.

How are you? You hanging in there?

I don’t think I need to waste words or time talking about how different the world is today from even one week ago. You know. I know. It is what it is.

But, I wanted to check in because I’m thinking of you. I wake up in the middle of the night (is anyone else having trouble sleeping?) and think about how it feels like we live in a strange movie now, how 24 hours extend for three days, how you and your families are faring.

We know this will get worse–probably much worse–before it gets better.

So, give yourself grace. Give your pets grace.

Aside: Holy moly. Quarantine sure brings out my neighbors! Everyone is walking, bike riding, running, and so on with their dogs. Not so awesome for reactive dogs like Coop, who goes bananas all day long.

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Unless it feels right to you, ignore all the internet advice to use this time to write a book, learn a language, declutter your entire home, homeschool your children at least a grade level ahead. Why add pressure on top of the real-life dread of living through a pandemic?

Here’s what I’m doing:

• Playing with Cooper in the backyard a lot! We’re also dipping in and out of this book for some fun ideas and activities.
• Waking up early. I’m writing this at 6 am with Cooper snuggled on one side of my legs and Ripley on the other. I’m an introvert. I need time to myself each day. That time does not exist at home with John, Violet, and Astrid. From about 7 am to 8 pm, someone needs me. I’m getting up early to drink coffee in peace, to write, to putter around the internet without having to make someone a snack or clean something up or figure out a next activity. This morning time is mine.
• Flossing my teeth. It sounds small. It is small. But it’s one tiny, achievable daily promise to myself that creates a sense of normalcy and routine. Flossing my teeth grounds me in the reality that this strange time will eventually pass.

One other thing I started that, you guys, I regret but I also know it had to happen and no time better than when we literally can’t leave the house:

Potty training Violet.

In hindsight, during a toilet paper and bleach shortage, it may not have been the world’s smartest idea, but here we are.

All that said, I’m thinking of you. We are all–everyone across the globe–we are all in this together. We will get through it together. In tense, frustrating, exhausting moments, I keep repeating to myself: choose love, choose patience, choose kindness.

A lot of hard lessons will be learned, I think, but we’ll come out the other side hopefully with more compassion and kindness for fellow people and pets.

Take care of yourself.

Take care of your family.

Hang in there, friends.