Category: Dogs

Notes To Average Jane’s Dog Regarding Our Workouts

Hi, Toby. Your Gotcha Day is coming up next month, so that means we've been walking and running together for nearly a year. As your coach, I thought this would be a good time to give you a few performance tips that will undoubtedly make things go more smoothly from now on for us both.

Let's start with etiquette, which could use a little refinement in your case. When we encounter a jogger, I know you find it very inspiring. However, you can take my word for it that it makes people uncomfortable when you strain at your leash and try to chase after them. I'm sure your bark is meant as a jaunty "Good morning!" but it usually only serves to startle them.

Then there are the other dogs. While I imagine that your episodes of leaping about and barking furiously are very aerobic, they are really not appropriate behavior in a residential area at the crack of dawn. Also, you weigh 20 pounds and almost every dog we see could eat you for breakfast, which is something you should really have realized on your own by now.

Jogging is something we both enjoy – at least until you abruptly stop to smell something. Our route is 3.4 miles at minimum, so I'd appreciate it if you would consider skipping just a few of the olfactory signatures along the way when we're going full speed. If you trip me and I fall on you, you'd better hope I have my cell phone on me and someone we know is awake to come and scrape us off the pavement. Either way, it would be bad on all counts.

Finally, there are your pit stops. I certainly don't begrudge you the opportunity to avail yourself of them; after all, that's one of the reasons we're out and about. However, it would be great if you could do a little advance planning and get your biological business taken care of when we're either in a neighborhood that has trash pickup that day or downtown where there are plenty of trash cans.

Otherwise, I think we're both getting a lot out of our walks. They're good bonding time, although I understand that as a sighthound you have other priorities while we're outdoors that take precedence over interacting with me. The exercise is great, though, and I think we both enjoy getting to know the neighborhood, the neighbors and their dogs.

Thanks for being my workout buddy and I look forward to traversing the area with you for years to come.

August 22, 2012
Average Jane’s Glowing Dog

I live on a dead-end street that is not big on infrastructure. There are no sidewalks and the streetlights are spaced far apart. Thus, when I need to walk Toby after dark, we can be pretty much invisible, especially since I generally wear dark colors. One of my neighbors even made a point to caution me that the dog and I were hard to see when we walked up the street at night.

When I saw a blogger outreach call for Safe Glow dog collars, I was immediately interested. The company sent me a free collar (a $29.95 value) in blue, and Toby and I have been using it for several weeks now.

As described by the company, the collar is made from "wear-resistant nylon and it houses a flexible, light-transmitting polymer core that illuminates when the collar is turned on. A reflective stripe adds additional safety by providing passive reflectivity. Powered by a super-efficient (100,000 hour) LED bulb."

It has three "on" settings, two of which make the lights flash, which I don't personally like. However, the regular non-flashing setting is impressively bright and provides enough light to illuminate the ground in the front of the dog. I don't know what it looks like from a distance, but I imagine that between the light and the reflective strip, it would make an oncoming driver at least pause to see what was up.

The collar is rather wide, so when I put it on Toby above his other collars (thin leather collar with tags and Sentry Calming collar), it rides pretty high on his little neck. Thus, I only have him wear it for outdoor excursions. The clasp is nice and solid yet easy to release, so that hasn't been a problem.

I happen to have a lighted leash as well, but I like the collar a lot more because unlike the leash, the light glows uniformly in a wide strip around the circumference of the collar. The leash has LEDs spaced several inches apart and I wonder if that's ideal for visibility.

Now that sunrise is coming later, I think I'm going to start having Toby wear the collar for our early morning walks. I'm always concerned that a sleepy driver might not see us crossing the street, but it feels as though are odds are better if the dog is sporting a bright blue glow.

I was quite impressed with the quality and operation of these collars and I'd recommend them for anyone who walks a dog on the street. Visit the dog training collars site to check them out!

Standard disclaimer: Although I received this product at no charge, the opinions noted here are my own.

August 14, 2012
Average Jane Switches Veterinarians
We've been going to the same veterinary office for our various generations of cats and now the dog since 1995. I can't say we ever really liked them, but they were close to home and that's a plus when you have assorted critters who hate riding in the car.

Over the years, the things I didn't appreciate about them started to add up:
- The time my cat, Friday, got shot with a pellet gun and was still limping long after it healed. The vet told me they could give her muscle relaxants but, "She'll probably always be like this." I ended up seeking out the only veterinary chiropractor in the area at the time (40 miles away) and getting her treated there. She was good as new after one adjustment.
- Then there was Xena's spaying ordeal. She wouldn't leave her stitches alone and had to go to the vet repeatedly for a month before she could have her E-collar removed. My husband handled all of that and I recall that he wasn't thrilled with how the vet reacted to his difficult kitteh wife.
- There were little things, too, like the fact that they never acknowledged the email that I sent to let them know that our cat Velcro had died at home.
Toby's ongoing ear problem proved to be the last straw for us. He was obviously suffering and yet the vet dismissed his yipes as him being "dramatic." Last weekend I made an appointment at a clinic a few miles further away and brought the dog to see what more could be done.

I took two things into consideration on my clinic choice. One was that I'd won a $250 credit for any AAHA-certified vet clinic while I was at BlogPaws this year. I also did some crowdsourcing among my pet-loving friends to see which clinics they recommended.

I ended up choosing one that came highly recommended and was AAHA accredited.

Everything about my visit was top-notch. The office staff were all very friendly and interested in Toby. The facility is new, modern and spotlessly clean. The vet tech and vet immediately began taking samples and running tests, which was a far cry from the other vet's "let's try this medicine and see what happens" approach.

The new medications seem to be doing the trick and I'll be interested in seeing how his ears are looking when we go back for our follow-up visit. Toby is no longer shaking his head and scratching his ears incessantly and it's clear that the new ear drops don't hurt him the way the old ones did.

After just one visit I'm ready to transfer my cats' records over as well. I'm very glad that circumstances conspired to get me to make the change. I think it will benefit my whole family of critters and make me much happier as well!
August 8, 2012
Morning Coffee With Average Jane
Just felt like stopping in for a quick update on things before I start the day's activities.
- As predicted, I'm feeling rather sad about not being at BlogHer. I really miss my friends who are there and those who were also unable to make the trip this year. However, the $457 electric bill I just paid tells me that I made the right choice. Boo.
- The band thing may or may not be happening. I'm just going with the flow and waiting it out.
- The good news is that every time a practice gets canceled, that gives me another evening to stay home and watch Being Human with my husband. We started season three yesterday and it just keeps getting better and better.
- The heat has been murder on my exercise routine, but I'm still trying to get at least three or four walks in each week.
- I did a bunch of baking last weekend, which was fun. The Lemon Chiffon Pie was a huge hit with my husband and I'll have to make another one soon. I also made a Vinegar Pie for a book club (mostly to find out what they were like). Eh. I doubt I'll make that again. And this reminds me that I have some Molasses Cookie dough left in the fridge from another book club last week. If it rains this weekend and cools down, I'll make them as well.
- Toby's ears are still bothering him, so I'm taking a chance and switching to another vet to see if a new perspective might help. I crowdsourced recommendations from my Facebook friends and went with an AAHA-certified clinic that's not too far away.
That's it for now. I need to go make my breakfast shake and get Toby ready to go. Have a lovely weekend!
August 4, 2012
Average Jane’s Favorite New Pet Products

The BlogPaws Conference sponsors brought out the big guns this year when it came to new product releases. I've had time to use and evaluate many of the things I brought home, so I'd like to share my favorites.

Sentry Calming Collars

I've long documented the cat drama in our household perpetrated by Trillian and Xena. When the Sentry reps showed off their new line of pheromone-based collars and sprays designed to curb anxiety and bad behavior in cats and dogs, I was quite intrigued. They sent me home with one cat collar and one dog collar and later sent me another dog collar, some calming and "stop it" sprays and other miscellaneous related items.

I put a collar on Toby right before a vet visit and I really felt there was a huge difference in his anxiety behavior compared to his previous visit (which had been a nightmare). Trillian got the cat collar and it seemed to make her less fearfully aggressive toward Xena. Since then, we've purchased one for Xena as well, and I'm interested in seeing if it ratchets down her grouchiness level.

The most impressive result I saw with the calming collar was A Librarian's cat, Spike. I spent Independence Day at her house and was surprised to see Spike hanging out in a crowd of people. He is ordinarily a nervous wreck and has always gone off and hidden from company. The collar completely transformed him and I think I saw as much of him that day as I have over the past several years combined.

The collars last about 30 days, so Toby and Trillian will need to have theirs replaced soon. I'll definitely keep using them. Not only do they seem to make a significant difference in the animals' behavior, they smell quite nice (lavendar!) and they're rather pretty (purple for cats, aqua for dogs).

Zero Odor

These guys had me with their first demo. They sprayed straight ammonia in a petri dish, let me smell it (ugh) and then sprayed their Litter Spray over it. Wow. In just a matter of seconds, the odor was almost completely gone.

I don't have any Litter Spray yet, but I used their Pet Stain Remover to clean all of the litter boxes and it did an amazing job. It is also better than any product I've tried (and believe me, I've tried just about everything) when it comes to getting urine odor out of my slate floor. It is now my go-to product for pet mess clean-ups in the house.

They also have some general household odor sprays. I gave my BlogPaws sample bottle to my husband to help him combat the odor of Stinky Musician in the studio (sweat, cigarette smoke, beer, etc.). It's nice because it has no perfume or other odor of its own.

Their product line is available at Bed Bath & Beyond, so I'll definitely be heading there for more when I run out.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Treats

If I'd known how much Toby was going to enjoy the Oatmeal & Berries dog treats I brought back for him, I'd have snagged some more.

He gets a lot of treats every day because we use them as positive reinforcement for good potty behavior, so I liked the idea that these were all natural and low calorie. I thought the strong berry scent might not be his cup of tea, but he chows down on them eagerly. I'll be shopping for more soon.

Pet Armor

Finally, I wanted to give Pet Armor a shout-out for being so blogger-friendly. We have indoor cats and the dog gets his flea and tick protection via his heartworm tablet because Italian Greyhounds are hyper-sensitive to topical medications, but I appreciated the cat flea protection samples I got from Pet Armor and so did my sister, who happily took them for use on her outdoor cats.

My cats love the comfy bed they sent me after the conference and I've placed it on our table so they can sit on it to look out the window during the day. Dr. Jones called dibs before it had been out of the box for five minutes.

I'm still making my way through some of the other items I received at the conference, so I may do additional reviews later. A big thanks to all of the sponsors who made it such a great event!

July 15, 2012
Average Jane, Dog Nurse

When I got back from BlogPaws, I could see that Toby's ears were still bothering him a great deal. I made an appointment at the vet and took him in as soon as I could.

It turns out he does have a lot of wax buildup, so I went home with some ear drops designed to dissolve the excess. The vet noticed that one of his eyes looked a little red and irritated, so I got some ointment for that. I also pointed out the pimply rash Toby has on his belly, which resulted in a prescription for antibiotics and some special shampoo.

The shampoo created a bit of a quandary since we don't have a bathtub. The vet recommended that I just take him into the shower, which works fine except for the fact that the shampoo has to sit on him for 5-10 minutes before it's rinsed off.

That means I have to try to overlook the ball of abject misery huddled in the corner of the shower while I'm shampooing my own hair and shaving my legs. I find myself apologizing a lot.

Most of the treatments haven't been working particularly well so far. His ears are still very sensitive and his belly rash persists. Really, only the eye looks better and it's still red-rimmed if you pull down the lid. Poor little guy.

So the antibiotics have been extended an extra five days, the showers remain on the schedule every third day, and there are four doses left of the hated ear drops.

The only good thing is that the medicated shampoo seems to be improving his coat overall. His hair was very thin on his back when we started, but after just one shampoo, I could see velvety new fur covering the area.

He goes back to the vet once a week until he shows improvement. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

July 2, 2012
Average Jane Leaves for BlogPaws

Today's the day I get on a plane at the crack of dawn and head to Salt Lake City for BlogPaws 2012. This year, my friend Spyder is coming with me, so it's really going to be fun!

I'm not taking my laptop, so this will probably be my last post until Sunday or Monday. However, for anyone I meet at the conference, I'd like to introduce my animal family.

This is Toby. The fact that I have him at all can be directly attributed to BlogPaws 2011. He's a 9-year-old Italian Greyhound that I adopted after his original family gave him up, post-divorce. He enjoys chew sticks and accompanying me on my daily 5K walks through our neighborhood.

Dr. Jones is my only male cat. He spends a lot of time thinking of stuff to get into. Fortunately, he also spends a lot of time sleeping. He has a very fluffy belly that must be woozled regularly.

Trillian is my youngest female cat. She loves to be snuggled and petted, especially when she's away from her arch-nemesis, Xena, whom you'll meet shortly. If you work for my company's IT department, please pretend you never saw this photo. If you ever come over to my house to eat, please know that I keep lots of Lysol wipes on hand to disinfect the countertops and appliances.

Xena enjoys sunbathing, treats and constant access to the food dish, as you can see. She and Trillian spend their days establishing and defending vital strategic bases in the kitchen and living room. Xena is my husband's kitteh wife and she likes to dramatically fling herself into his arms.

Velvet is our oldest cat. I adopted her as a "buffer cat" between Xena and a very elderly cat we had at the time. Despite the fact that she's at least twelve years old, Velvet is the most playful cat in the household. I think she may even play with the dog when we're not looking.

So that's the gang I'm leaving behind for the long weekend. I'm looking forward to meeting all the pets that people actually bring with them to the conference, hanging out with all the friends I made last year and making some new friends.

June 20, 2012
Average Jane’s Dog Parenting Failure

I noticed Toby scratching his ears right before I was going to take him out anyway. It seemed like the perfect time to take the ear cleaning drops outside with me in case he decided to shake his head after I applied some.

We went outside and I started squeezing the bottle into his ear, but the drops were coming out really slowly so I squeezed harder.

The applicator tip flew out of the bottle and ear cleaning juice drenched my shoulder and the dog's head and neck. I was committed at that point, so I poured a little in Toby's other ear while I fished around for the bottle parts.

Then I had no choice but to rinse off the dog with the hose. You don't usually bathe Italian Greyhounds, but in this case I needed to make sure he wasn't going to be leaving greasy ear drop marks all over the house.

We stayed outside longer than usual so he could roll around in the grass and look at me balefully.

Needless to say, he got a treat when we went back inside.

But he wasn't happy. Not happy at all.

June 17, 2012
Wordless Wednesday: Average Jane Walks the Dog

June 6, 2012
Average Jane’s Bad Dog

While my husband and I were vacationing in Nashville, we left Toby with my sister and her family. My nephew thought it was great because it gave him a snuggle buddy. The rest of the household was less thrilled with the experience.

We hadn't even reached our destination yet when I received this photo with the accompanying text from my sister, "So ty ty from peeing on ur stuff." There was a winky emoticon with it, but I still felt guilty that Toby was causing problems.

He settled in relatively well otherwise, except for the occasional molestation of the family's ancient Pomeranian, Sooner. I had hoped that he would play with their young lab mix, Olive, but he was afraid of her (probably because of her size and rambunctiousness), so that didn't happen. Still, the whole gang managed to get along well enough to share the couch at naptime.

Not sharing so well was my sister's cat, Hutch. He took on Dr. Jones' role as bed stealer, leaving Toby to drape himself over the arm of the chair to sleep. As you can see, sleeping is his favorite.

When I called my niece to wish her a happy birthday the day before we came back into town, I asked if she was tired of Toby yet. She said, "Is it okay to tell the truth?"

It turned out he'd peed in her room three times since I'd left him, in addition to all the other times he'd peed in different rooms of their house. Heavy sigh.

So it looks like he's probably going to have to be boarded for future vacations. If he weren't such a terrible traveler we'd take him with us, but he whines incessantly on even brief car trips. I think we can all see why he drew the short straw when his original family needed to pick a dog to give up.

Still, he's a sweet guy and he does pretty well at home as long as he gets lots of opportunities to go outside. I hope we can improve his potty training over time, even though he's already a mature dog. Either way, I still love him and enjoy him during the 99% of the time when I'm not cleaning up after him. We just need to work on the 1%.

May 2, 2012