donnadogandkate

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I braved the ice and took them for a jog on foot today. They did pretty good!

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Buddy got up to move around!!

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This is Farou. He was a really good pupper. As you can see, he enjoyed flowers. we’ll miss you <3

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dragging her belly through the wet grass

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Birthday boy!!

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I was missed

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Snooty lil snood boy

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these are the best cards on the planet and no one can tell me otherwise

(etsy)

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this is layla !!

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Such a little guy on such a big rock

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i guess the benefit of this winter having been fucking freezing so far, is that we've finally gotten some use out of sparty's wool sweater

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Very proud to be log dog!

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I fucking hate the fear mongering over commercial dog foods, as a client I was in with today took that fear mongering to its (il)logical conclusion and was feeding their dog white rice, peas, sweet potato and boiled chicken or ground beef. I asked if the dog was also getting any regular dog food.

"Oh, no, there's things in that. It's bad for them."

This dog has unintentionally lost 3 pounds, 15% of its body weight, in 3 months. The owner looked shocked/confused when I said that the food was not nutritionally balanced and was missing many vital nutrients. I asked where the dog's source of calcium was and that's when it seemed to sink in.

Told the owner that if they really are determined to go the home cooked route that they MUST consult with a veterinary nutritionist, but that dog food is not going to hurt her dog. My dog is 13 and on food food, albeit a prescription limited ingredient one. My cats made it to 19, 18 and 16 on Science Diet.

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Georg Arsenius (July 8, 1855 - 1908) was a Swedish painter who made a career out of sports drawings and animal portraits, mostly in France and Sweden.

Here is one of his many fine dog portraits, in an early impressionistic style: Dog, Lying Down - no year (Nationalmuseet, Stockholm)

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Probably not a popular take, but I feel like most big negative opinions in dog spaces come from misuse rather than inherent badness of the things. I know dogs who have been hugely helped in their socialization and reactivity by the mindful use of dog parks. I know dogs who get walks and freedom they would never have gotten in their homes without the appropriate use of a prong, training harness, or ecollar. I use a retractable leash for tracking and am currently using it to clean up play skills for mondio at my club's recommendation.

It's not an either or. You can use decompression hikes and controlled walks. You can teach your dog to calmly watch the world and also take them to appropriate dog parks or play groups. You can use an aversive tool gently or a gentle tool as an aversive.

There's nothing wrong with choosing not to use a certain tool, but there are so many broad strokes used that make people afraid to utilize something that might really increase their dog's quality of life or their own efficacy of communication.

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Sometimes, when I try to read, I get this weird feeling of something looming over me...

Usually the feeling goes away once I donate my favourite blanket and a few pillows to the whippet.

Now I can read in peace.