Why Our Family Dog Sometimes Gets Preferential Treatment

We have been dog-owners for a long time! My first dog was Duke, our German Shepherd. I was around 16 years old and didn't really appreciate Duke because although he was lovable and friendly, I didn't fancy him jumping up and licking me with his "disgusting" slobbery tongue. He just wasn't my cup of tea....until I got older and learned that he could accompany me on walks and runs. We soon became fast friends. I remember how sad we all were when my dad finally had to put him down because of hip dysplaisia. It wasn't until I got married that I rediscovered dogs and the wonderful friends they are. I've brought a few puppies home, to the surprise of my husband and delight of my sons. 

For the last 14 years we have been border collie owners because they are so smart and we both had to agree on one breed. If you can weather the puppy stage with nothing more than a few things chewed up, border collies make the best of friends, as I imagine any other breed does, depending on the characteristics that you prefer.

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Once in awhile my husband gets mildly resentful of how much our dog, Evee, and I get along and my sometimes seeming preference of her over him. He has actually said that sometimes he gets jealous! Imagine that, preferring my dog's company over a man! Here are a few reasons my dog may sometimes get the nod before some humans!

1) No sarcastic comments - Granted, there are usually no comments from Evee, but the sarcastic kind especially are not to be found. I find that very relaxing and refreshing after being at work at a high school! Evee has her own way of telling me where to place my priorities and usually that is by her body position. She literally blocks me with her body from things I may be doing that don't involve her! I somehow find that cute! Now if my husband were to do that....

2) Doesn't bargain for my love - My dog loves me unconditionally, and if I don't feel like being warm and fuzzy at the moment, or the whole day, she will wait patiently until I feel up to it and will love me no matter what.

3) No idle chit chat - A friendly lick, nuzzle, or thump of the tail on the floor is sometimes all I really need or want.

4) Submits to my rules - If I decide that today is an outside day, then outside it is! My chair is my chair and that is that. No sitting in the car front seat and no eating people food (unless it's a special occasion, like leftovers! heh heh) No questions asked, she's happy to oblige. She knows she gets lots of special things and knows that rules are necessary for mama's well-being and happiness!

A Born Frisbee Catcher! How Fidobiotics Can Help Your Dog Stay Calm!

   Our dog, Evee, was born to catch and track frisbees.  And how perfect that is for this disc golf loving family!  But she wasn't always the perfect fit.  We got Evee as a troubled 10-month-old.  Her owners were beside themselves with her antics and her wily ways.  She chased bikers, cars, 4-wheelers, cats, kids.  Aything that ran, she chased. Even though they were sad to part with her, they knew they couldn't manage her.  Having had a border collie before-may dear Daisy rest in peace-we were up for the challenge.  But we weren't quite ready for what we got!  When we had visitors, Evee would become extremely protective and even aggressive, to the point of making people afraid. If she didn't get her way, she tried to bully us by nipping, growling and snarling.   Conversely, she was afraid to jump into even the lowest of cars so had to be lifted in.  When she was actually in a car, she had extreme anxiety, huddling into a trembling ball of fur.  We had our hands full the first year we had her.  She was a wanna-be alpha female, even trying to be dominant to me.  I had to show her who was boss and it took a few tries!  Even now, my husband is the only one who she will completely obey. (He's the Frisbee God) And so even though she is a study in contradictions, we love her so much!  She has turned into the sweetest girl.  
   When we took her disc-golfing the first time, we were stunned.  She wanted to chase every frisbee that went out and bring it back.  It was terrible.  She ran across the field like a streak, tracked down the disc, picked it up and brought it back.  Not good when people are trying to play disc golf.  We knew we had to channel that energy.  So we got her some special dog frisbees and I got to work.  It wasn't too long before she was catching the frisbees and bringing them back.  Now she knows which are her frisbees and which are the discs.  She leaves the discs, only tracking them and giving them a lick, when she finds them.  It has come in handy because she can locate them when they become lost and entangled in trees or brush.  

   With all that extra energy and with the July holidays coming up, I gave Fidobiotics a try. Fidobiotics is a company that is concerned with the health of dogs. You can choose from 3 probiotic formulations--one for digestion issues (does your dog have stinky gas?), a breath remedy, and a calming product. 
   Here in Utah we not only have the 4th of July fireworks, but we celebrate the 24th of July, again with even more fireworks.  And in our area, it feels like a war zone because there are so many going off.  Evee isn't the typical nervous Nellie.  She actually wants to attack the fireworks instead of running away.  She'll run right up to the fireworks on the ground and attack them, even risking injury.  I guess she thinks she is protecting us.  I decided to try the calming formula called 'Relaxin' Rover'.  I didn't start her on it until right after the 4th of July so I had an opportunity to compare her reactions.  
   The formula comes in 30 packets called sachets.  They are full of probiotics and calming herbs like L-tryptophan, chamomile flower and ginger root.  It is to be sprinkled in the food and eaten along with it.  The flavor is called Salmon and Sushi. I found that a whole packet in her food was too much, so I cut it down to 1/2 a packet per day.  
   I've noticed that she is doing well!  I took her on a walk around the neighborhood on the evening of the 24th, when everything was just getting started.  She was definitely aware of the fireworks going on around her, but she didn't seem to pay them any attention.  She was doing amazing, sniffing at bushes and flowers with popping going on all around!  I even got a comment from a man watching us from his deck.  He said she was an amazing dog, and being so good!  We were out for about an hour.  As it got dark, the huge fireworks started going off all around us.  It was then that she decided enough was enough and she started barking ferociously at the explosions in the sky.  I couldn't blame her though.  They were extremely loud and close.  I took her back to the house and she spent the rest of the evening laying quietly under my desk.  She didn't necessarily want to be confronted with the loud noise, but she was calm and quiet in the house.  On the 4th, before I started giving her the Fidobiotics, she was in the house, but would startle every time an explosion went off, sometimes running around the house or whining.  I wouldn't have even dared to take her outside on a walk!  So this was a huge improvement.   

The Relaxin Rover and a sample pack of all three of the

I put half a pack in her food before pouring it in her dish

    Right now if you enter the code FidoFans, you will receive 15% off your purchase!  Follow Fidobiotics on Twitter and Facebook

Just The Right Fit

Have you ever met my dog, Evee?  Let me introduce you to her!  She is our Border Collie.  We got her from an ad in our local paper for $50.  The owners just couldn't handle her in their small twin home with the tiny backyard.  They had great intentions...but she was just too much dog for them, at 10 months old.  She had developed some horrible habits.  She snarled at anyone who approached her, including me when I met her for the first time.  It really unnerved me and I thought I was a seasoned dog lover.  She chased down anything moving in her field of vision, including bikes, scooters, joggers, walkers, bikes and cars.  And she was so energetic that she was a pest.  She always wanted to play with toys and fetch her squeaky ball. 

After much deliberation and going back and forth, we decided to get her.  She was to be the replacement for our beloved dog, Daisy, who passed away from Lymphoma. See my tribute to her here! 

Without going into details, we have had Evee now for about 10 months.  She has really come far with her behavior and maturity.  As she approaches the 2 year old mark, we are so glad that we got her.  One of the big problems she had with her former owners, is that she is so very intelligent.  With all that intelligence and no cognitive stimulation or exercise, a dog is bound to get into some really bad habits.  Since I wanted a dog to encourage me to get out of the house and onto the trails, Evee is a perfect match for me.  We get out everyday and run or walk.  I can't, as of yet, take her to crowded places because she still likes to chase things and people.  But she is getting better.  I have taught her how to catch frisbees and she absolutely loves that.  I feel that with time Evee will mature into the ideal dog that Greg and I were looking for.  

 Finally, a word of advice and caution for all those who are looking to bring a new pet into their lives.  Make sure that you have the  right information about the type of dog you want.  If you can't devote a lot of time to your pet, you don't want to get one.  I know of people who have dogs and who never take them out, even to the bathroom.  I feel so sorry for these animals. Animals deserve care and attention, too.

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Recently, I was introduced to a company that provides specialized pet products.  I was really impressed with the prices and the high quality of their personalized dog collars.  The company is called SafeTPet!  I ordered a personalized dog collar for Evee that I absolutely love.  It is very high quality and has her name and phone number  sewn onto it.   Most I.D collars have metal buckle type fastners and the end of the nylon collar dangles and frays.  These don't. There is no extra material dangling down.  You provide the exact measurements of your dogs neck and it is made to fit!  The site is simple to navigate and I like the large color selection. These I.D. collars are great for agility dogs because they are not allowed to wear metal or dangling tags in the ring!