Tag Archives: dog

Dog in box thinks she's cat

Tally the Husky Mix Forgets How to Dog, Thinks She is a Cat

Sometimes we become products of our environments, picking up behaviors here and habits there, but we’ve never seen anything quite like Tally the Husky mix. This dog, who is definitely a dog, believes she is a cat! It is almost as though Tally has forgotten how to dog entirely, having been raised with only feline siblings.

Dog thinks she's cat

In this hilarious collection of implicating photos circulating the World Wide Web this week, Tally seems to think hanging out in boxes, curling up in the windowsill, and watching TV when she thinks she’s alone is totally passing off as dog material. Her humans aren’t buying it, noting that she can’t even fake enjoying a belly rub. “She’ll stare at you and sigh a lot until you stop.”

Dog thinks she's cat

Here is my entire belly, but don’t even think about it.

Yep. Tally definitely forgot how to dog.

naperville-area-humane-society-dog-gretta

Naperville’s Ms. Gretta In Search For Her Forever Human

Meet sweet 8-year-old Gretta who is ready and waiting for her forever home.

She’s a mellow, gentle girl in search of a quiet home where she can spend her golden years. She is very casual around most other dogs and gentle around cats as well.

She likes to spend her afternoons relaxing, but she also enjoys a nice stroll around the block every now and then. After all, she’s still a beagle, and her sniffer is far from being retired!

Find Gretta as well as many other incredible pups for adoption at Naperville Area Humane Society.

molly-dog-walking-in-naperville

Meet Featured OUG! Naperville Dog, Ms. Molly!

We are kicking off our fourth school year with Naperville dog, Ms. Molly, and we are loving her as much as ever! This happy, silly, “teddy bear” of a girl has nothing but love in her heart and an incredible family to match.

Molly had a big summer watching her awesome mama say “I do” and seeing her big brother off to his first year of college. We love you all, and we’re sending big congrats from the Out-U-Go! Naperville family!

denver-boulder-pet-sitter-dog-walker--loni

Meet Boulder / Denver Pet Sitter & Dog Walking Extraordinaire, Loni!

I’m in charge of: Taking care of, loving, and exercising pets while their human moms & dads are away. I specialize in belly rubs and treat each pet as lovingly as I do my own.

My furry family: I have an adorable, hilarious, and often head-strong female Basenji named Kevin (yes, I said female). She enriches my life on a daily basis!

Super power: I would love it if pets could speak English to me so we could hold conversations while we spent time together. As of now, they are just stuck listening to their dog walker all day.

Best thing ever: Having a job doing what I love. Spending time with pets all day, dog walking and cat sitting, is honestly my dream job.

Hidden talent: Writing. I am, in fact, currently working on my memoir.

Life philosophy: I try to live my life like a dog. Be myself no matter who’s looking, live in the moment, and love others like they’re never coming back.

Learn more about Denver or Boulder dog walking & pet sitting!

Table Talk: How to Feed your Pet the Natural & Healthy Way

Guest Blogger:  Many of our pet parents are interested in feeding their furry friends a healthy & natural diet so we thought we’d check in with the experts over at Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital for some advice.  Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital is a full service veterinary hospital located in Boulder, CO.

 

If you take some time to think about the trends and changes in the food products you find at your grocery store, you’ll notice that things are very different than they were even 5 years ago.

With more consumers adopting health-conscious and environmentally-conscious eating habits, natural and organic options have sprung up everywhere! Similarly, many companies have introduced ‘healthier’ options such as natural and fortified foods for your pet. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know what foods are right for your pet and what’s just plain hype. Have no fear: in this post, your friends at Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital would like to help shed some light on the tricky subject of pet nutrition. We’ll discuss some things to look for as well as those to avoid and why, so you can be a savvy shopper and the best possible pet parent. Bon appetit!

Things to Look for

  • AAFCO Approved Foods: The motto of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is  “Feed Safety & Consumer Protection – Over a Century of Partnership & Progress”. This organization certifies pet foods that meet at least the minimum requirements for nutritional content. As such, seeking foods that are approved by the AAFCO is a good baseline. It’s also important to note that the AAFCO has not established official definition for the words ‘holistic’ and ‘organic’. So don’t be fooled by fancy language on the side of a bag.
  • Please Pass the Meat! Many people have made the choice to eliminate the consumption of meat from their diets. Some may also choose to feed their pet’s vegetarian fare. As a pet owner who places your companion’s well-being at the top of your list of priorities, it is imperative to note that dogs and cats are carnivores. Biologically, they need real meat and the proteins that come along with it to thrive. On the same note, Fido and Fluffy have not evolved to utilize grains as a source of nutrition. This means that rice, corn, and other carbohydrates are unhelpful at best and downright dangerous at worst. The only reason they are added to most pet foods is because they are less expensive and make the meal chunkier.
  • Watery Food: Though it may sound a little bit strange, the “waterier” your pet’s food the better. Dogs and cat’s alike need a large amount of water in their diets to stay hydrated. For their more wild relatives, a large amount of their daily water comes not just from drinking, but eating as well. This is because the bodies of prey animals are composed of up to 70% water! Compare that to your standard dry kibble and you might see a problem developing. If possible, feed your pet wet food at least a few times per week, but strive to make the mushy stuff a daily part of their diet if possible.

Things to Avoid

  • Enhanced, Fortified, Blah Blah Blah: If you put our ‘Things to Look for’ list into practice, you can forget all of the hype-filled claims that fortified foods come with. Remember that dogs and cats are biologically programmed to derive everything they need for optimal health from a natural diet. Additives can be harmful whether they present a short term danger or cause complications over time. In dog foods you should strictly avoid any brands that contain BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate, as they are known to be harmful and some are even carcinogens. For both dogs and cats, avoid foods that contain artificial preservatives in favor of those preserved with vitamins E and C.
  • By-products: The first ingredient in your pet’s food should be meat… and we’re talking REAL meat. Remember that your pet is a carnivore by nature and his body is fine-tuned to receive the maximum benefit by processing and using the nutrients from prey animals. Fillers and meat by-products sometimes contains additives that can be harmful to your animal companion. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if the meat isn’t human-grade, you shouldn’t feed it to your pet.
  • Overfeeding: This tip might be a bit different than the others that we’ve discussed so far, but we feel that it is just as important. America’s pets have a weight problem, just like many of our people. The key to a happy and healthy pet is feeding them the right things in the right amounts. Pets don’t have the mechanisms in their minds to turn town a delicious bowl full of food if it’s sitting on the floor in front of them all day. Make sure you feed your pet the proper amount of food for their particular size and breed and you’ll have a much happier camper on your hands.

We hope that you’ve found these tips to be helpful and informative. Some pet parents may decide that trying to navigate the complex world of pet food brands is too risky and preparing a home-cooked diet is the way to go. If you would like to explore the home-feeding option, schedule an appointment with one of the skilled veterinarians at Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital – just call 303-494-7877.

– The Boulder’s Natural Animal Hospital Staff

www.bouldersnaturalanimal.com

 

 

Are dogs dumb?

I think there is a pervasive tendency to consider dogs as being more complex than they really are.  Just as grandmas cannot help but brag about the fact their children’s children are by far the brightest, sweetest and most lovable people ever to exist, dog owners can’t help but overestimate the depth of their canine companions.  I don’t mean to sound disillusioned, but I think we should admit for a moment that dogs are actually pretty dumb.  It’s okay to say this to yourself; you can even say it right to your dogs face.  They won’t hold it against you.  Go ahead and try.  Just say “hey, Rover, you know you’re actually kind of dense.”  See? Rover doesn’t mind a bit. Or maybe he does, depending on how you said it.  Because, though dogs don’t actually speak English very well, they are incredibly observant of our behavior and moods.  If you had any animosity or scorn in your voice just now, ol’ Rover could tell. He could have even smelled the slight variation in your perspiration, hormone activity and any other bio-chemical corollaries to your agitation.  And if you really did insult him, then he is one very sad little being.  How could you?

Now tell him to go get a job.  Tell him to study his multiplication tables.  I bet he hasn’t. He’s just laying there wagging. Tell him to build a rocket ship and go to the moon. See, he can’t.  Dumb.  Yes it’s true that a Russian street dog named Laika was the first non-microbe to leave earth orbit, but she was only chosen because she was a stray from the streets and therefore tough, and also because, as a dog, she was deemed especially suited to long periods of inactivity. Very, very long periods, as it turned out, since poor Laika didn’t survive the trip.

Okay so maybe dumb is not the right word. Let’s say simple instead.  Dogs are simple.  Far from an insult, this is in fact recognition of one of greatest, most endearing qualities of man’s best friend: their straightforwardness.  Now every dog’s personality is unique, and some dogs (and even some breeds) are actually pretty nutty.  Trust me.  I get a mixed bag of breeds and a mixed box of nuts every day.  But in general, if there is any complication in a human/dog relationship, it’s a complication introduced by the more demanding species of the pair.  For unlike people, dogs don’t lie, they don’t flatter, exaggerate, resent, hold grudges, harbor regrets, entertain hypotheticals, hide agendas, pull punches, mix metaphors, niggle niceties or mask motives. They may not compose or perform symphonies (operas maybe) but neither do they typically start wars, steal elections, repress speech or cause, debate, deny and ignore climate change.  It’s just not their way.

Once I accidentally stepped on Homer’s foot.  Homer is very paw protective, so for him this was a big deal.  He yelped very loudly, and I felt awful.  But I think he recognized that it was an accident, and in my apologetic cooing and petting, all was quickly forgiven.  Or since dog’s don’t forgive (for if they could forgive, it would mean they could withhold forgiveness, and this implies a sophisticated capacity for sustained bitterness to which dogs are thankfully exempt), it’s better to say that Homer simply forgot the injury.  In fact he seemed extra happy at the sudden attention, and even relieved.

A while back I walked out a door with one of those pneumatic self-closing hinges, and it closed a little quicker than I expected and hit Poncho on the rump.  He jumped and then looked at me, and for a moment I swear his look said “hey, watch it.”  But of course it didn’t say that.  He doesn’t really understand pneumatics, nor the subtleties of ‘oops that was an accident.’  He looked to me not for an explanation or apology, but simply to ascertain how he should react.  He read my body language and facial expression, heard my soothing voice and was immediately put at ease.  If he looked and saw me snarling, he’d think I hit him on purpose.  I apologized, but it was already unnecessary.  As with Homer, Poncho’s forgiveness is implicit in our relationship, and given like a blank check to all minor offenses.  If I’d done it on purpose, he would have known for sure, just as Homer would have known if I’d intentionally stepped on his paw.  Both dogs would have then thought, hey, this guys a jerk and I’d better watch out. The only feeling I would have hurt would have been the general desire for self-preservation, including a natural tendency toward paw and rump protection and jerk avoidance. And who can’t sympathize with that.

When I leave a house after walking a dog, I always say little things like “bye buddy, be good” or “see you later Mr. Goof” or “good work doggyface.”  Honestly though, if I said nothing and just walked out the door, I think the pooch would feel exactly the same about me, the walk, and everything else. Dogs don’t really do goodbyes.  They just aren’t sentimental in that way.  They recognize patterns very well, and so if I ever dared walk out without giving Callie a treat, or having a nice cuddle fest on the couch with Sally, they might feel the absence of something they have come to expect.  I like to think that Bailey feels my absence, since I walked her almost every day for 8 months and then suddenly and with little warning her family moved and I stopped coming around. Does that mean she misses me? No, and I’d be guilty of anthropomorphizing her if I said that she did.  She would be very happy to see me again and she might dream about me in some simple doggy way, but she doesn’t long for things or people in the abstract they way people do. But she’s not a person, she’s a dog, and I should let her be a dog without burdening her pristine doggy mind with any human-type clutter and contradictions.  Dogs are wacky enough without taking on our own personal kinds of crazy.  They’re generous of spirit and thus pre-disposed to share our troubles, which I think is in large part why most nutty people (as in, most people) have pretty nutty dogs.  But a toothy grin is not a smile.  A wagging tail is no guarantee of contentment.  If your doggy is happy you’ll see it in their eyes.  You’ll know it like you know when it’s a sunny day.

 

Diahh-Roomba

Out-U-Go! staff meetings typically involve bagels, coffee, orders of business and staff members sharing  some of their experiences working at Out-U-Go!  It usually becomes clear that some of our Pet Parents’ homes produce more stories than others and at a recent meeting, one particular household of dogs proved to have A LOT of stories (mostly about poop).  Of those stories, one sticks out in particular…

To protect their anonymity, let’s refer to the dogs as Penny and Gretta G.  Now, Penny and Gretta share a special flare for life as well as anything and everything edible and not edible.  As such, it’s not uncommon for them to crap on the floor… but hey, even the best of us have the occasional accident.

Like most dogs, these two shed a lot so their owner purchased a Roomba to keep the hardwood floors clean while he’s at work.  If you don’t know, a Roomba is a Frisbee sized robot vacuum designed to roam the house cleaning the floor while you’re at work.  Between a mid day visit for the dogs from Out-U-Go! and a hard working Roomba, this Pet Parent had a lot to look forward to every time he opened his door after a hard day at work.

One day, like all days, Penny and Gretta’s owner kissed his two beautiful dogs goodbye, released the Roomba to do its thing and drove off to work.  A few hours later our walker arrived to find a house full of diarrhea and a hard working Roomba.

As it turns out, the standard Roomba is not equipped to clean a house full of diarhea, but not due to any lack of effort.  By following the parallel diarrhea tracks around the living room and noting the skid marks of partially-dry diarrhea with wheel tracks through them, our walker could clearly see the Roomba’s morning long effort to vacuum up diarrhea.  Because the Roomba has a sensor that determines whether an area is clean or whether it needs more vacuuming, it diligently attempted to clean several areas with back and forth motions until the sensor read clean.  Had the Roomba been mounted on a WWI tank it might have had a chance, but alas, the standard model uses plastic wheels and the sensor never read clean so back and forth it went.  Despite giving it the old college try, our walker wasn’t able to get the floor completely clean, just like the Roomba.

Upon hearing of this incident, our office staff picked up the phone and called this Pet Parent at work to inform him of what happened.  He responded with mostly curse words.  Penny and Gretta bounced back fairly quickly and were ready for their mid-day walk the very next day.  The Roomba, however, was never the same.