[Oleanderz]

Well, not necessarily spoil, but what do you do to show them that you really truly care? What kind of toys do you give them? Which ones are their favorites? Do they have a big cozy bed or do they sleep with you? I’d like to know how other pet owners regard their “furbabies”. Whether they’re senior cats, work dogs or even rabbits with their own room. I’m just curious is all. Now I’m not the type to throw my pup birthday extravaganzas, but I do find the time to give her a special treat every now and then. I really don’t like when I have to go back to my campus every week and leave her behind, but I started to notice, whether it’s a long walk or just a gift she looks at me like I’m giving her the world. I hope I’m doing ok, but I’ll never be able to tell. (´°ω°`)
So how do you all wine and dine your pets?

• This topic was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Oleanderz.

[Naturella]

@Oleanderz, I would probably be the odd man out here, because I don’t see most of what I do for Bruno as “spoiling” although others have told me that he is spoiled, lol. If I feed him good food with good toppers, take him to the dog park, play with him, do his nails, brush and bathe him, get him healthy treats and keep track of what treats he likes (it is pretty easy – he likes everything, lol), get him a new antler when the old one is almost chewed up, get him novel chews/toys, I don’t see any of it as spoiling. Now… we’re not really into dressing him up and probably wouldn’t buy him doggie shoes unless we lived somewhere real hot or real cold most of the year, so he only has one raincoat that he doesn’t like so he never wears, lol. Only clothes we would get him are probably NY Jets gear, lol! 🙂

And we don’t really know his Birthday, but it is probably something like early March… March 1st maybe, IDK. So I can just pick a date, but I am so finicky, I can’t decide when I want to think he was born, lol. But I do know the day we adopted him, July 27th, 2013, so that’s his “gotcha” day and I didn’t celebrate it last year, but I want to from now on. I would probably feed him a balanced all-raw meal or something, go to the park/lake, let him run, play, swim, then wash him up and snuggle him up!

I guess one way we “spoil” him is that during the night he’s not allowed on our bed – he sleeps at the foot of the bed in his favorite bean bag, which used to be my husband’s desk chair, lol. Well, Bruno claimed it and we let him, especially because Brian has an office chair now. So Bruno has the bean bag, and a bed in the bathroom (Costco bed, really nice, washable covers), and a bed on the deck that used to be his bathroom bed till he started eating his RMBs on it, so now it’s an outside bed for that purpose, just to eat RMBs on. Nowadays he has dried chicken or duck feet inside instead of an RMB on Sunday, cause it’s been so cold, but when it warms back up, he will have his RMBs again!
But, back to the spoiling – in the morning, when we start waking up, Bruno wakes up too and sleepily staggers onto the bed and comes over to shower us with puppy kisses, and we snatch him up, put him under the covers with us, and snuggle him for some snooze time. He loves snoozing in our arms in the morning. He is so peaceful and cute when asleep/sleepy! So I guess that’s his daily spoiling. 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

I always joke with my family and friends that Lily is a very “deprived puppy,” because she doesn’t get the turkey sandwhich that she oh-so-sweetly requests each day at noon. 😀 I don’t really know if I spoil her or not, though I do have the constant urge to keep buying her new toys. Basically, a new toy for her is a new toy for me. 🙂 I enjoy “online window shopping” for dog stuff, which means adding all sorts of random fun stuff to my cart that I really don’t need. I usually end up getting her at least on treat/toy per order lol. I don’t know when her actual birthday is, I assume it is sometime around September or October. Her gotcha day is August 13th, 2014, which I will definitely celebrate! I’ll probably feed her a meal of Weruva canned food or something, and then let her run zoomies at the park!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Oleanderz]

Naturella- That’s exactly what I’m saying! I take Lucille out for one mani-pedi and all of a sudden everyone thinks she’s turned into the family Cleopatra. Everything (but the Jets gear) in that paragraph are pure necessities! Now I don’t know anything about what antlers are about, but I am guilty of buying a Beefy goodness box every now and then and if it’s something they love then why not let them enjoy themselves right?
Welp, looks like he’s gonna have a awesome next month-day lol. And that my cousin’s birthday! (not birthyear though but same date) I had no thoughts whatsoever that some people celebrate the day they come home. I brought Luci home on the 22nd of Dec, so that just morphs into Christmas. Bruno can swim?? He’s so little, I’d be afraid to let my dog go into any lakes around here. I can’t swim myself and what if something happens? Were you nervous the first time?
That’s so cute!! He probably makes a good warmer upper in the morning. If I could carry Luci around all morning I definately would. She has the warmest belly ♥♥(>w< )

D_O- She looks like the type to give you the puppy dog face when you’re eating something that smells good. Tell me, is Lily a westie? I’ve always adored those dogs!! I can’t clearly tell lol she looks like a very whimsical character, all upsidedown like that. It is never truly known to the Obsessor lol. Oh my gosh, that’s how I feel! For holidays and Christmas I usually suggest a Petsmart/Amazon card or things for Lucille. I can’t really clearly think of what I like myself honestly. I don’t feel as crazy now, I thought I was the only person that window shops for their dog online! (; w ; ) I just bought things and my current Amazon cart has $200+ worth of things waiting for the next payday. Hello, everyone. My name is Oleanderz and I am addicted to showering my dog in gifts.
So, Lily is relatively new to the family? That’s cool, how old is she? Did you adopt? Weruva? I heard that that was this amazing dog food made in a human grade food factory. Is it included in her rotation or is it just a treat? I’ve always wanted to try that brand for my pup, but the prices for the cans run pretty costly for my college/dog loving pockets.

Does everybody take their do to dog parks or do you all just go to normal parks and play together seperately? There are many wide open places in my town but I have never considered purposefully engaging Luci in an actual dog park. Whenever we go to Petsmart and she sees other dogs she instantly freezes like a statue for some reason. Usually someone else is with me whenever we go, so if she does that I can pick her up and put her in the car with them.

[Naturella]

@Oleanderz and @Dog_Obsessed, I too am guilty of online window-shopping! I too put stuff in my cart and just stare wistfully at them, lol. Then I “X” out of the tab, till next time the urge hits, lol. I do need to get Bruno a new Kong, maybe I will for his Birthday. 🙂

@Oleanderz, antlers are either deer, elk, or mousse antlers that are cut up and sold as dog chews. There are varying opinions on them, some think the dog may break a tooth on them, some love them for the minerals they have and the hours of chewing pleasure they provide the dog, and I fall in the latter category. Bruno has been on antlers (and beefy/fishy goodies like bully sticks, fish skins, cow, pig, and lamb ears, pig snouts, etc.) since we got him basically, and although he also had a few Nylabone-type chews, we prefer the natural antlers. Of course, a dog needs to be supervised at all times when with an antler or any chew, so yeah. And how cool that March 1st is your cousin’s Birthday! 🙂
Yes, Bruno can swim, although he is not a huge fan of it, lol. I’m not worried about him – his paws are webbed and he does perfectly fine in the water, you just gotta distract him by playing fetch and tricking him to go in, and make sure he’s not on a leash, or else he freaks out. I can swim so-so, so I don’t go in more than chest-level of water, waist-level is more common, so that I can retrieve the dog just in case. 🙂

As for dog parks, we personally really like them – I like having an area where Bruno can be off-leash, run his terrier energy out, and be free and play with other dogs too. Our local parks don’t allow off-leash dogs unless in the dog area, so we don’t really have anywhere else to let him be free other than inside the little 2-bedroom apartment. So yeah. Dog parks rule! 🙂
As for Lucille, do you know if she freezes because she’s startled, anxious, angry, or just alert? Has she ever been socialized with other dogs? Dog parks are not necessarily socialization areas, they are run and play areas for dogs that choose to engage in it. But real socialization is done in a neutral place (a park is fine too), with little or no distractions, and with responsible owners who understand dog behavior, and can see when a dog is uncomfortable and needs to be isolated for a bit, or they know how to make the dogs associate good things with being good around other dogs. Some dogs naturally have “chemistry” and immediately become friends and engage in play. Some take more time to learn what they can and can’t do to other dogs. Normally they are good about letting each other know their boundaries and learn to respect them. Human supervision is always necessary though, as you never know. Anyway, sorry for the novel again. 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

@Oleanderz Lily is a Bichon Frise according to her previous owner. In that picture she was rolling over for a belly rub, and she is in that same position now. 😀 I call her a sort-of rescue. The person who used to walk our foster dogs was leaving the country for a few months, and wasn’t sure if she was coming back to California or what her situation would be when she came back, and so she asked if we wanted her dog. At first I wasn’t sure, because I really wanted to keep fostering, but there was no way I could turn down a dog in need of a home. She was almost three when I got her, so I assume she is about three and a half now.

In terms of dog parks, I don’t take her to dog parks in the traditional sense. She is dog reactive on leash with unfamiliar dogs, and even though I think she would be okay off leash, I don’t want to risk it. There is an elementary school that is walking distance from our house that has a big, mostly fenced, grassy area. I will occasionally let her off-leash there if there are no other dogs around, I keep her close by and leash her if any dogs or other people come. (She is great with people, just very enthusiastic which not everyone likes.) I’m not sure if it is technically allowed or not, but they don’t bust people for it in that area, and there are a lot of owners that let tree dogs off-leash there and just leash when other dogs come by like we do.

The Weruva is not in her normal rotation. While the cans are not that much more expensive than other quality brands at my local store, they are much lower calorie for some reason so I would have to feed a lot more. It would make a great birthday treat though. 😀

[InkedMarie]

Dog beds. We have one Orvis with memory foam, an LLBean one and a Pet-O-Bed one. They love THK fish chews so we keep those on hand.

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