Keeping Pets Safe for the Holidays

Happy holidays and season greetings! With all the hussle and bussle of all that we have to do in preparation for all our holiday festivities let's not forget to keep our beloved furry family members safe during the holiday season. There are many hazards that await our innocent and unsuspecting canine and feline companions that we may take for granted. Please keep in mind some of the following to keep your pets safe during the holidays:
1) Your Christmas tree may be a thing of beauty that you are enjoying but may be too much temptation for your cat to climb or your dog and cat to use as a new toy store to grab ornaments from to play with or even try to eat! So, take precautions to keep them either away from the tree or at least not have access to it while you aren't home.
2) Oraments can be ingested by pets they can also get entangled in garlands, ribbons and other long string like wrapping items that could end up choking them. So please keep these items safely tucked away when you aren't using them.
3) Chocolate is a girl's best friend but not a dog's. In fact, chocolate, raisins, and onions are all lethal to dogs. And, artificial sweeteners, even in the smallest amounts, are very deadly to cats and dogs as well.
3) Heaters should never be left unattended especially while away from the house. And, make sure you have your local gas company come out each year to check your gas lines and gas fireplaces to make sure there aren't any carbon monixide leaks that could be a silent but deadly killer for not only you but your pets.
4) Christmas lights should be left off when not at home due to the fire hazard but also all the energy they are using unecessarily.
5) Make sure you keep your home at a safe and comfortable temperature for your furry family members. Remember their body temperatures are a few degrees higher than ours so they should be ok between the temperatures of 60-70 degrees.
6) Even though the weather is cooler in the winter months it is still important that your pets are well hydrated. Don't forget to leave them plenty of clean drinking water while you are out shopping or away at work.

Well, I think that's it for now. I just wanted to leave you with a few things to consider about keeping your pets safe during the holiday months. Enjoy this festive time of year with your family and friends as well as your furry, feathered and scaly family members as well.

And remember, life is short, wag more, bark less,

Doggie Diva Deb

P-mail are for Dogs

I was walking my little pack of pups this morning and noticed that they, and any other dogs I walk in the neighborhood, always stop at the same bush every time we pass it. It occurred to me that this was a community doggie p-mail portal that they all convened at to catch up on the latest doggie gossip. They don't use computers because they have noses that don't need further development due to their highly efficient orfactory technology. Thus p-mail is their way of keeping up on the latest with all their pals around the neighorhood.

They find certain spots and messges more appealing than others. They don't stop and sniff every bush nor even every pile of poop they see. Some seem more appealing than others for them. Some they want more time to smell and others they just want to sniff on the run. By the end of our walks they seem to have had their fill of the smells around the hood until the next time.

I have a pet sitting business where I have some boarding clients and doggie day care clients who come to my house. Check out our website for more information at www.doggiedivapetcare.com The first thing the visiting dogs do when they arrive is get checked in with their p-mail accounts by sniffing out all the latest smells around the yard and house. It seems to help them acclimate and get comfortable with the new environment they find themselves in. I always ask my people clients to remove their dog's leashes immediately. It helps their dog feel more at ease to be able to have the freedom to roam and sniff when they arrive. And, it is always a great sign to me when they start adding their little messages to the yard with a pee here and a poop there (doggie versions of emails and tweets). That shows me they are joining in the communication and wanting to be part of the pack. Their people parents sometimes are embarrassed and worried about them leaving their little p-mails behind. But, I always assure them it is a good thing because it means they feel comfortable there. So, let your pups add to their doggie message boards with their p-mails. It helps them feel part of their community to add their p-mails. Just make sure their poop-mails are picked up for health reasons, plus it is the law to clean up after your dog. And, remember, life is short! Wag more and bark less!

Grieving the Loss of our Beloved Furry Family Members

Recently I have been supporting friends and clients through grief over th eillness or death of a beloved pet. Unless someone has a pet they can't empathize with just how significant the loss is. We develop special bonds and endearing relationships of unconditional love with our pets. So, when they leave us, which is inevitable, we feel a void in our lives where their physical , daily presence once was. Although our pet is free from pain and suffering once they have passed, what there is for us to deal with is the loss of their loving companionship and presence in our daily lives. It is an adjustment to get used to that empty space that only they could fill for us.
I encourage my friends and clients not to rush through the grieving process because by grieving we are honoring and respecting their lives and how much they touched us. We are paying tribute to the unconditional love and companionship that they so generously blessed our lives with. Grieving also is a way of experiencing just how much we loved our pet companion. To the degree that we experience th ejoy and love that they bring is the degree that we must be willing to feel the pain of loss when they make their transition over the rainbow bridge. It is all the cycle of life that when we accept and honor it by being willing to feel the grief, we allow for more love to enter into our lives in a constant flowing cycle. To shut ourselves off from rescuing or loving another pet we restrict our heart's ability to expand and love even more and greater. So, celebrate the grief when you have had a courageous enough heart to love and love deeply the precious furry, feathered and scaly companions you have chosen to share your life with! It is a testament to your open and loving heart and makes the world a better place to live in! Your grief honors your love! Life is short, wag more, bark less and love without limits!

What would you like to chat about with regard to dogs?

This is a forum to discuss our four legged furry companions- how we love them and what we learn from them about living. Any thoughts? Let's have fun with this thing. I look forward to hearing from you. Go for it! We are ready and interested to hear from you, yes you!

Happy tails wagging,

Doggie Diva Deb

Teachers of Unconditional Love

What is this often used phrase called uncoditional love we toss around so easily these days? Let's break it down unconditional-without conditions, no need for qualifying, just because, no matter what. Love is the undefineable experience of feeing so deeply for someone that we are willing to surpass all reason and allow and forgive and continue to accept someone due to such deep emotions. Dogs provide unconditional love no matter what! Have you ever noticed that even if a dog has been severely mistreated by someone that it will still listen and be loyal to the offender, even though they definitely don't deserve it! Have you noticed that even when we come home late and or have not had much time for them that they are always happy to see us and never scold us or withhold love and affection from us? Have you ever noticed how enthusiastic they are to see us when we return to them, no matter what? No matter what we do or say, no matter how long we have been away, no matter if we have been grouchy or upset they are there loving us, no matter what! Pretty cool deal for us don't you think?

Zen Dog Master Life Teacher

Observing dogs teaches me so much about how to live life! By observing the simplicity of the day to day living activites of my three dog companions I learn some many simple and profound lessons about living. For example, the concept of being present in the moment is so rich and rewarding when I take the time to just be with my ufrry family members and watch how much joy they experience by simply living each moment as if it were the only one. They are so content to go with the flow, yet so ready for something new and exciting to happen too. They accept what is with grace and peace. If I leave and my little Springer Spaniel Pepper really wants to come with me, he tries like the dickens to escape and come along but will sit and stay on my command even though he wants to come with me. He is of course disappointed that he can't come but he accepts it too and in a short period of time he either lays down and relaxes and sleeps or finds something else to amuse himself until I return. Then the party begins again for him. When they can't go and do what they want they are content to sleep when there isn't anything worth taking action about. Sleep is a great tool of acceptance for the dog. When there is no activity grabbing their attention then they conserve their energy by sleeping, waiting for the next exciting opportunity to re-engage in life.

Probably most interesting for me in observing m sweet canine companions is how gracefully they accept pain ad illness. They don't fight it. They just deal with it as best they can. I had a neighbr whose little dog Lobo had a very aggressive bone cancer that they caught early enough to save him. But they had to amputate one of his front legs in order to save his life. For all of us human beings observing this story unfold it was quite traumatic. For Lobo it was simply something to adjust to. In fact, their vet even commented, "Him losing his leg is going to be harder for you than it will be for him." And, as we watched the little guy heal, sure enough the vet was right. Lobo just accepted his new condition and adjusted. Now he runs around on three legs as if he never had four. And, we are all happy we are blessed with his presence for a little while longer.

Dogs can teach us so many things about acceptance and living life in the moment and just being with what's so. They bring us so much joy and so many profound lessons about living. I feel very blessed to ot only have my three canine companions to share my life with but also to be doing work that surrounds me with these amazing creatures everyday. As a professional pet sitter I get to live my dream of doing work that I love and get paid for it too. If you would like to know more about us please visit our website at http://www.doggiedivapetcare.com/ Life is good! Wag more, bark less!

Dogs Respect Each Other's Space

Have you ever noticed how dogs respect each other's space. Watch them next time you are hanging out with a bunch of them for a while. The have an understanding with each other. When dogs share a limited area of space notice how they will not intrude on another dog's body bubble. They will walk around givng plenty of space. If there is not enough space they will try an alternate route. If a dog does dare to infringe upon another's space they are greeted with a growl and back off.

They have an inate respect for boundaries. In fact, come to think of it, boundaries are an instinctual thing tha animals protect in the wild. That is interesting to me when I think about all the times I was given a hard time by someone in my family about my need for space and having my boundaries respected. Instead of avoiding the rolling eyes in the to future and feeling like I am weird I can now refer to animals and dogs as an example of how honoring ones personal boundaries and space is simply a natural and instinctual thing that all living beings need.

We can learn so much about ourselves and life by observing our dog companions. If you would like to see some of our favorite animals clients please visit our photo gallery at http://www.doggiedivapetcare.com/

Hello all you dog lovers!

Welcome dog lovers to an open dialogue about how we can learn to live from our dogs.

This blog is designed to share the wisdom we gain from observing the dog companions we share our lives with. Dogs have so much to teach us about living, such as loyalty and gratitude, as well as, how to be happy by living a simple life. Dogs have been such a blessing in my life and brought me such joy and healing that I have devoted my life work to them. And, it is my love and appreciation of them that has inspired me to start this blog to share the many life lessons I have gained by observing how dogs live their lives. I hope this blog serves to be an informative and valuable yet fun and amusing venue for like minded people to gather and share wisdom, appreciation and amusments from observing our doggie companions.

Please share any special stories about any specific dogs in your life, or join the ongoing discussions as they appear. I look forward to hearing from you and of course your doggie companion. Photos and stories are welcome and encouraged!

Have a happy day tail wagging kind of day!
If you would like to learn more about Doggie Diva Pet Care, LLC please visit our website at www.doggiedivapetcare.com.