What does the wind do to the dogs?!

**I have no scientific evidence or dog behavior theory to support this post, it's just my thoughts and comments are more than welcome!** Right as we got to the park today if got really windy for about 20 minutes. It has been sunny and beautiful earlier in the day, and as I drove closer and closer to the park for the afternoon trip, I saw dark gloomy clouds rolling in. By the time I got to the park, it was dark, windy and starting to rain. It's a common saying among the dogwalkers that the wind make the dogs go crazy, and on any windy day at the park, you will see a more chaotic scene than normal. Today was just about the epitome of that.

Almost as soon as the dogs bust out of the back of my truck, the wind gusts were blowing through the trees, almost as if it were blowing the dogs into the park. Normally, there is a big explosion of excitement and chasing, barking, jumping when we first get inside the gates, and it usually settles within a minute or two. Not today. And not just my dogs. They bounced, chased and wrestled their way across the big field over to the side field (we call it "the dome") where I hoped we could settle down out of the way of everyone else. The next 20 minutes were absolute chaos.

Normally I wouldn't write a blog to broadcast my lack of control over my pack, but since I feel these are dogs I normally have under control really well, and I know it was just the weather throwing them (and every other dog) off, I'm OK with sharing my less than role-model-dogwalker moments.

On a normal day at the park, you will see dogwalkers with their packs calmly walking along with maybe 1 or 2 dogs running ahead to catch a ball, maybe a little barking, but all in all pretty calm. You will see a dogwalker off in a field playing fetch with his/her pack. You will see a dogwalker neatly filing their pack through the gates to the water. Sprinkled in between packs are park patrons with their one or two pups who are either chasing their ball, sticking by their owner, or making friends with dogs in the packs. Despite how many dogs are in one place, it's actually pretty structured and calm.

Now, have you seen Mean Girls? Remember when the "Burn Book" got out an everyone breaks into madness in the halls? That exact scene crossed my mind. Sammy was trotting around in circles like a horse with the ball in his mouth. Chesa was right at his heels. Salty was wrestling some puppy he met. Kato was barking at Salty trying to get in on the action, and resorting to humping when he wasn't getting his way. Josephine had found another puppy (less than half her size, of course) to play with. Cooper was intermittently body slamming and humping them. This was just my pack. Another dogwalker across the dome had his back who were wrestling, barking, humping and chasing. Park patrons were calling after their non-responsive dogs who were gleefully doing laps around the park with no regard for their name being called. This is what the wind does to the dogs.

I don't know what it is about the wind. I googled it and didn't find anything worth relaying. I've heard that the wind kicks up all the smells in the dirt and grass and throws the dogs off. I've heard the sound of the wind is too much on their ears and makes them go a little crazy. I tend to believe the kicking up smells theory... I imagine the dogs all going crazy because all of a sudden everything they knew got turned upside down. The dogs can't tell who smells good enough to hump so they hump any random dog, they can't tell what human has the treats so they just go jumping on everyone, and they can't tell whose ball it is so they just grab anything or leave everything to be found by another confused dog. Again, there is no scientific basis on any of this, it's just my dog-crazy brain trying to make sense of the chaos. Regardless of the reasoning, the dogs made sure there were no dull moments this afternoon. I have a feeling they all went home very tired today.

If you do know anything about why the wind does this to dogs, please comment! Let me know!

{products i love} Top 20 puppy shopping list items

Feeling overwhelmed about what you will need for your new puppy? Here are my top 20 favorites products for puppies. It covers just about everything except for the food and water bowls! Happy puppy stuff shopping! 1. Plastic or Wire Crate

Start crating your pup early and they will soon love their "house" in no time. I always suggest to give a special treat or Kong filled with peanut butter each them they go in their crate. There are many options for bedding available, personally, I like to put a big fluffy blanket or bunch of towels so the puppy can kind of nest and get cozy, and also get used to my smell even more. Plus it's easier to wash frequently than a dog bed.

2. Petstages Heartbeat Pillow

New puppies may have a hard time sleeping through the night at first b/c they miss the heartbeat of their littermates. This pillow mimics the sound of a heartbeat. Or you can go the old fashioned way and buy a ticking alarm clock at Bartell's. Also you can put a Nalgene bottle of warm water in the crate so it feels like a warm body next to them.

3. Baby Gate 

When not in the crate, make sure your pup is in confined areas so you can keep an eye on them!

4. Grain-Free puppy food 

There are a ton of good puppy foods out there, and majority of them will be grain-free. Talk to someone at your local pet store to help you decide what is best for your pup. I like to go to Mud Bay Granary, All The Best or Petapoluza. Nick at Petapoluza is especially knowledgable and helpful about dog foods and only carries the highest quality labels.

5. Merrick Lamb Lung treats 

These treats are great because they are easy to break into small pieces for little puppy mouths and lots of training, and they don't smell horrible but the pups love them!

6. Treat Pouch

Be it a treat pouch, a ziploc in your pocket, or just a pocket full of treats, make sure you are armed with treats at all times! You want to always be prepared to reward your pup for all the new behaviors he is learning!

7. Nylabone puppy teething pacifier

I don't know what it is about this toy, but pups seems to love it!

8. N-Bone Puppy teething ring 

This little ring gets soft and gummy for young puppies teeth. Bambi lived on these for several weeks.

9. Kong Activity Ball

This is a great toy to stuff with treats when you put your pup in their crate.

10. Kyjen Plush Puppies Hedgehog 

This is a ballwalkpark puppy gift basket classic. Everyone loves a squeaky hedgehog! Until the squeak drives you crazy..

11. Kyjen Hide-A-Bee toy 

The squeaky bee is another ballwalkpark classic. The bee is smaller and easier for pups to hold onto. Still soft and squeaky fun!

12. Poop bags and bag dispenser

These little poop bag dispensers help prevent the unthinkable: getting caught without a bag! Always gotta be prepared....

13. Pet Force Stain and Odor Remover

Accidents will happen. If your puppy can smell where the accident was, they will be more likely to have another one in the same place. This enzyme cleaner takes away all of the smell better than anything I've found. It's also ultra concentrated so a little goes a long way. You can find it at Mud Bay.

14. Microfiber Towel

We are in Seattle. Muddy paws are an inevitable part of life. This ultra-absorbent towel will make your dry-off job that much easier.

15. Multipet's Chilly Bone

Run this bone under the water, put it in the freezer, and give to your pup for some soothing relief.

16. Wonder Walker Body Halter

A must-have for leash training! Check out my blog last week about the Wonder Walker body halter here.

17. The Grrrip Two Handled Dog Leash

I like this leash because it has a handle close down to the dog's neck also so you can keep them on a short lead at corners, cross walks, or in crowds. Bailey and I used this thing walking around Greenlake every single day for almost 4 years. Whether it's this leash or not, I highly recommend a flat nylon or rope leash as opposed to a retractable leash.

18. Chuck-It Ball Launcher

Pretty much the greatest invention ever. My profession pretty much relies on this handy little tool, considering I can't throw more than ten feet on my own... A great way to exercise your pup once they are a little older!

19. Pet Hub Link Tag

A QR code ("quick response") on a pet ID tag links to your pet's online data to show emergency contacts, medications, dietary information, and much more. Modifying your data is immediate, free, and does not require a modification to the physical ID tag.

20. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Health Insurance is a MUST! Rates are reasonable, starting around $25-$30/mo depending on breed and depending on which plan you choose you can receive up to 90% of your vet bills back on accidents, illnesses and genetic problems. Healthy Paws is a great local Seattle company. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them and highly recommend!

Click the image below to save 10% off FOR LIFE!

What to do if you find a lost dog at the dog park

There was an incident at the park (Magnuson Off-Leash Park) today I wanted to share with everyone so that hopefully it will be handled differently in the future. Please feel free to share with anyone you know who frequents the park. This afternoon, a dogwalker came in with her pack of dogs and was picking up after them while they meandered around the grassy hill by the small dog park. Minutes go by and she realizes one of her dogs is missing. He obviously couldn't have gone far in the couple minutes it took her to pick up some poop. She walks around the park looking for the dog and asking all the other dogwalkers if they had seen the dog. While she is looking for the dog she comes across someone who says they had just talked to a woman who found a dog and called all the numbers on his tags and since nobody responded she was going to take the dog back to her daycare. She didn't ask any other dogwalkers if they knew of the dog or anyone missing a dog, she just left with the dog that was not hers. This should have never happened.

One of the best things about Magnuson park is the community of dogwalkers. For the most part, we all know each other and know each others dogs. If there is ever a dog missing, most likely one of us will either recognize the dog and know who it belongs to, or start spreading the word to all the other walkers to keep an eye out. I have told a dogwalker down at the water that I was looking for a dog, and somehow the next 4 dogwalkers I passed on the way back up to the field asked if I had found the dog yet. How did they know already? I don't know, but between passing one other, calling and texting we can play a pretty damn efficient game of telephone when we need to.

A note about "lost" dogs. When they're at the dog park, they usually aren't lost. It's easy for dogs to get turned around with all the excitement going on and then all of a sudden they don't know which direction their human went. One second they are walking with you, the next someone drops a treat they have to investigate, then a squeaky ball conveniently rolls their way, then another human tries to take it back, and then where is their human??!!? Things happen. The important part is that we work together and help each other when these things do happen. Sure, there are the rare times when someone intentionally leaves their dog at the park, or when who knows what else, but here are some simple steps to help you determine the best way to get this pup back to their human.

1. Ask a dogwalker! There's a good chance we will recognize the dog, and if not, we will get that massive game of telephone started. There's a chance their human is just on the other side of a mound picking up poop and is out of sight but not out of hearing range.

Also, there are dogwalkers at the park most hours of the day, so if one dogwalker is watching the "lost" dog and has to leave, they can pass the dog off to another dogwalker who is still there to keep an eye out for their human and continue the search process. Dogs are in good hands with dogwalkers.

2. Stay close to the front gates. Anyone looking for a dog will want to make sure the dog doesn't leave with someone else, and anyone that forgot their dog (?!?!) will be running back.

3. Follow the dog, but don't leash them. They may be trying to wander back to their human.

4. After asking around, call the information on the tags. No tags or no luck? You can take them to the closest vet and see if they have a microchip with contact info.

5. If all else fails, call Animal Control to have them picked up. They will be taken to Seatlle Animal Shelter where they were will in good care, and anyone who is missing a dog will know to look for them there. *Do not* take the dog to your house, nobody will know to find your dog at their house!

Whether a dog is lost, taking a self guided tour of the park, or trying to escape from their human who is horrible enough to make them leave the park, that dog came there with a human and should leave with that same human. We have a wonderful community at the park, of dogwalkers, park patrons, and of course dogs, and this is one of those times where we should take advantage of it. Let's help each other out and keep the pups safe and sound!

It's all fun and games when Harley ends up in a cone

Todd, Harley's owner, told me a story yesterday that I have not been about to get out of my head. I have been literally laughing out loud at random times since he told me yesterday. Obviously, I had to share. Harley, if you're not familiar from Facebook pics, is an adorably grumpy looking brindle French bulldog with one front tooth that peeks out at all times. Simply looking at Harley makes almost anyone smile. Once he starts dancing around and doing his Harley thing, if you're not laughing, then we are clearly not on the same page as to what's important in life.

So, Harley-man has been in a cone the last week or so. He got a hot-spot in some of his frenchie face wrinkles and has been wearing the cone to try and heal. Harley goes to daycare twice a week when he is not with me. We had a change in schedule last week and he went on one of his normal "me" days. Todd thinks the different schedule must have meant a different crowd of dogs or something, because they gave Harley-man quite a hard time.

Todd says he got a call from daycare around 11:30am saying Harley had to be placed in isolation. The other dogs were using Harley's cone as a toy and the only way they could make them stop it by getting him out of there. Harley is a good dog and I can't imagine he would ever be put in isolation for any behavioral issues. Todd says when he picked up Harley at the end of the day that the cone was in very rough shape, holes, tears, just a complete mess. Although I'm sure Harley didn't enjoy isolation, its a good thing the folks at daycare take such good care of him!

I can just imagine poor Harley-man being the center of a tug-o-war game (which he usually dominates). Definitely a grumpy face, probably a few snorts, and his stubby musclely (i know its not a word) little legs trying to get traction on the daycare floor. Harley-o-war. Seriously wish I had been watching the webcam for that.

I guess at daycare it's all fun and games when Harley ends up in a cone!

{products i love} Wonder Walker body halter

When it comes to walking your dog, you have to find a way to make it work for you and your pup, otherwise neither of you will enjoy it. When your pup is pulling your arm off and he is choking for a breath of air, nobody is winning. That's why I love the Wonder Walker body halter. It is a simple (and stylish!) halter that has three straps, around the chest in front, under the chest, and around the back. It has clips in the front (chest) or back.  The idea behind the Wonder Walker is to clip your leash to the front of the harness, which prevents the dogs from pulling. If they pull, they are essentially pulling against themselves, so it is not rewarding. Another main feature is that is pulls from the dog's center of gravity, rather than head or neck, which is better for dogs, especially disproportionate ones like the Frenchies ;)

The Wonder Walker is much safer alternative to choke chains, and even a flat collar if your dog pulls. This harness can be used on any dog, of any age. Which brings me to another reason I am such a fan - if you start using this harness on a young puppy, you teach them the right way to walk from the beginning and eliminate pulling as a problem before it even starts.

The Wonder Walker comes in a ton of great colors that you can custom order. Another reason to love this company? It is local, based in Seattle! Explains why almost every dog walking up and down Queen Anne Ave is sporting one these days. I have bought mine at All The Best on Queen Anne.

http://www.wonderwalkerbodyhalter.com/

**I am not given any incentive to write about this harness, I just really like it and want to share with everyone!

The history of Bailey and Timber

I got Bailey when I was a Junior in college, before almost all of my friends, except for Maria, who had Timber, an all black German Shepard. Maria and I went to highschool together and had actually been friends since swim team days when we were in like 12. Maria moved up to Bellingham for college and one weekend Bailey and I went up to visit her. Maria lived in the top floor of a house with some roommates. She had a nice setup with a living room area attached to her bedroom. Bailey and Timber were fine with each other upon first meeting, and Maria and I left them alone together as we went out for the night. When we came home, we both went to bed in Maria's room. As we were falling asleep, every few minutes we would hear Bailey screaming and Timber growling. We would wake up and break up the scuffle, try to get them each on their own beds and go back to sleep. Not long after, Bailey would scream again. Timber was creepy-crawling over to Bailey and pinning her down by her neck each time. Finally, at 4am (I remember this b/c it was before Starbucks was open) I decided to just give up on sleep and drive home. For years later, it was always a running joke amongst our friends of Bailey vs. Timber.

Fast forward six years, and I start dating Michael, who is actually Maria's older brother. Timber, Maria's dog, was originally Michael's dog, along with Kaiser, who is a male German Shepard a couple years older. For whatever reason, that seems to be frequently debated between the two of them, Michael gave Timber to Maria. So essentially, Bailey's one-time-nemesis is now family.

At their ripe old ages of 7 and 8 years old, they are both peacefully laying on our living room floor tonight, quietly chomping away on bones while we watch a movie. Bailey is wearing the cone of shame to recover from a hot spot and Timber is chewing on the softie toy to nurse her abscessed tooth she just had removed. Funny how things work out, isn't it?