Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!

Oh boy! I mean...

Oh girl! Oh girl!

In honor of the new addition to my dear friends' family,

I've decided to put together my list of essential puppy supplies.

The must haves for every family with a new puppy member.

When I adopted Murphy, I hadn't had a young dog for 16 years. 

It was a bit overwhelming to pick out things for him,

and I ended up spending a lot more money than necessary.

So, I will help save you some money by giving you my list of must haves. 
But first..meet Daisy. Isn't she the cutest?!

Though I'm sure you'll find many cute things to also purchase...I did.

 
 
 Top 10 Puppy Supplies
These supplies are in addition to the basics; food, kennel, bedding, and collar. Though you can go over to my blog post entitled, Top 10 Dog Products, for other ideas about those topics.

1. Feeding Mat by Platinum Pets- Dogs are messy eaters, and though this isn't a fancy supply you will love it! Unlike other mats, this one has a little lip so that all of the water drips and spilled food stays in one location and off of your floors.

Amazon Price: $14.95

2. Puppy Primer by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. and Brenda Scidmore:

 

This is the first book to purchase and read.  Though once you begin reading advice from Dr. Patricia McConnell you will want to read more because she's AMAZING! Dog training and behavior can be complicated, but she gives simple and sound advice for seasoned and beginner dog owners.

Amazon Price: $13.46

3. Puppy Kong:

This is the toy that will help keep you sane and your puppy busy.  Stuff it with treats, or even better line it with peanut butter and your sweet puppy will be licking it clean.

Amazon Price: $6.40

 

Treats and lots of them- Here are my favorites.

4. Zuke's Mini Naturals Dog Treats- These little, soft treats will entice your pup to practice her manners and training.

Amazon Price: $7.99

 

5. Natural Balance Beef Formula Dog Food Roll, 4-Pound- This is an economical way to always have high-quality natural treats on hand. Chop the rolls up into small bite-sized pieces and you're ready to train and reward positive behavior.

Amazon Price: $12.78

 

6. RC Pet Products Doggie Bag with Me Love Treats Pattern- You'll want to keep the treats in a handy spot and a treat bag is the perfect way to perfect sit, down, and stay. Plus, it's cute and who doesn't like cute?!

Amazon Price: $6.53

7. Roamer™ Leash from RuffWear

It's a hand-held, waist-worn, and bungee extending leash...perfect for an active pup and times when you need your hands free. This is our newest product purchase from Paws on the Beach in Lincoln City, Oregon. I was tired of the extend-a-leash and loved that this had a bungee-cord in the middle.

Amazon Price: $34.95


8. Kyjen Plush Water Bottle Buddy Dog Toy- This is a crunchy...crunch, crunch toy that will keep your pups chompers busy while you make dinner, chat with friends, or write your blog post.  Crunch! Crunch!
Amazon Price: $5.99

9. Premier Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harnesses for Dogs- No one enjoys walking a pup that tugs and tugs and tugs.  Other harnesses might be fine, but if your dog is as strong and determined as mine, than you definitely need a harness with a d-ring in the front.  That way when he or she tugs, it turns them around and away from whatever is catching their attention and bring their focus back to you.  Perfection.
Amazon Price: $15.87

10. Premier Pet Waggle Dog Toy- Wiggle-waggle, wiggle-waggle, this is a fun toy to help keep your puppy busy, again.  Keeping your pup active and their brain engaged will help them stay out of trouble and your furniture in one piece without teeth marks. The Busy Buddy toys will help on all fronts.

Most of all, enjoy the time with your puppy.  Run, prance, skip, and play! The time that they're so young is short and so important.  Help them become the best possible dog that they can be.

Remember, a happy and tired puppy, makes for a happy human.

Love,

Lori and Murphy

Our Top 10 Dog Products

I can be a bit picky about dog products, so can Murph. 

Some I like, some I don't. 

Murphy likes some of them, and he LOVES a few. 

Here is a simple list of the products that both Murphy and I love.

Number 10: Wham-O Frisbee
I know, I know...this isn't a official dog product, but it is by far the best Frisbee to use with your dog.  Murphy LOVES a Frisbee and I've gotten pretty good at throwing one, but this Frisbee makes throwing it well much easier.

#9: The Pet Lodge Crate
Crate training from an early age is crucial to raising a happy, secure dog.  Though it is comforting to have a dog snuggle with you in bed, but it's not a healthy sleeping arrangement for either you or your dog.  Dogs need a place that they feel is just theirs...a place that they can go to a feel safe.  Murphy loves his crate.  Sure he likes to snuggle, but when it's time for bed he snuggles into his own bed and we both sleep well.  I really like this crate because it have two doors and is big enough for Murphy to curl up, stand, and stretch.  Perfect.



Eight: Flying Duck Slingshot Dog Toy-Hyper Products
Bird?! Is that a bird?! Oh man, Murphy loves to chase birds...and with this toy he can chase and catch them without any real harm.  Plus, it's really durable!






http://www.castorpolluxpet.com/product/good-buddy-rawhide-bone


Number 7: Good Buddy Rawhide Bones
When Murphy deserves a treat (a BIG treat) this is what I pick up for him.  He doesn't get too excited over food, but he LOVES these.  Doesn't your pup deserve a treat?!



#6: FURminator: Medium Yellow Deshedding Tool
Right now my house is a fur magnet.  Every day I look around and find puffs of fluffy Murphy fur floating around, or clinging to something, or even landing right here on my computer keyboard.  At least with the FURminator I stand a chance against this Spring battle.


Number Five: Chuck-it
Junior LauncherThis one is really a no-brainer.  Every dog who loves to run and chase and catch, loves a ball.  The Chuck-it makes throwing a ball much easier for a none softball playing girl like myself.  Without it, I would never be able to throw a ball far enough to let  Murphy run full-out, but with it...well, I can set it sailing.
Glow-in-the-dark Ball



4: Roamer™ Leash from RuffWear

It's a hand-held, waist-worn, and bungee extending leash...perfect for an active pup and times when you need your hands free.  This is our newest product purchase from Paws on the Beach in Lincoln City, Oregon.  I was tired of the extend-a-leash and loved that this had a bungee-cord in the middle.




THREE: Thundershirt
You've seen 'em...or at least the advertising for this product.  But it really works!  Murphy gets really, REALLY nervous at loud noises, especially at the 4th of July.  This swaddling jacket is a lifesaver.  He doesn't really like it, but I know what's best.




#2- PureVida Dog Food-

Simply the BEST dog food I've found.  You may think, "What's the big deal about dog food?"  Well, there's a lot that is a BIG deal about dog food, and PureVida is miracle food.  Not only is it created here in the USA, but it's nutrient dense, which means that your dog will poop less.  LESS POOP!  If that's not something to be excited about then you are not picking up your dogs' poop.  (You really should be people...pick it up!)

NUMBER 1: Chase 'n Pull
The absolutely BEST, I mean BEST dog product ever created! When Murphy was a puppy, I used a fishing pole and feathers to make a toy like this.  He LOVED it, and I thought that it was going to be my million dollars idea!  Sadly, someone beat me to it.  But at least it's given me a way to wear out a very active Border Collie. 

Chase 'n Pull my life-saving dog toy.  Okay, it's not life-saving, but it does wear out my boy and some days, that saves my life...or at least my sanity.  I promise that if you have an active dog with a high prey-drive, this is the dog toy for you!  And order a couple replacement end tie-on's.  In three years I've had one pole and three tie-on's...I think that's a pretty good investment on daily fun with your pup!

Now, go out there and play people!
Have fun!

Joy Boosters

It's been a rough week and I've been struggling to keep up my spirits. So to aid my progress I decided to make of list of all of the things in my world that make me happy and boost my joy right now.

Top 10 things that make me happy:

10. Hawthorne Threads
 When I need a little escape into beautiful fabrics, I click on this site and drift into a new world.  Someday I hope to actually purchase fabrics and create something amazing, but until then I click, enjoy, and dream.

9. Easter Candy.

Some people hate them...not me. I wait all year for Cadbury Cream Eggs, then slowly eat one every week, for one month.  It always makes me happy.

8. Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Delish...enough said.

7. Dangling Earrings

My Grandma always said that if you need a boost, put on jewelry. Big Bright Jewelry.  Got it Grandma.




6. Squirt
Have you tried this stuff lately?!  I don't really even like soda that much, but this soda is a flashback to younger days for me.  Hello 1987.





5. My co-workers...they support me through this wild ride of teaching middle school and make me giggle. This is for you Fuller.

4. Alan Carr: Chatty Man
 He's British. He's funny and fabulous. Click the link, pick an episode with a celebrity you like, and enjoy! One enjoy this little clip from a One Direction episode.

3. BuzzFeed:
If you haven't checked out this site, it is well-worth a glance. Warning though, once you enter you will be sucked into a wormhole of interesting and weird lists and articles.  Today's favorite list is The 5 Most WTF Room Makeovers Hildi Santo Tomas did on Trading Spaces. There was a time when I when addicted to that show and this article took me right back to that time...I too cringed each time Hildi was one of the designers.  As a viewer, or a home owner, you never knew what to expect.

2. Mutts Comic

Some of the comics are sweet, some funny, and some make me teary,
but all of them I love, love, love. 


1. Puppy Cuddles. 

This is no surprise there.  My day is not complete until I get to snuggle with my best furry friend Murphy and hug the day away. Thanks Murph.

First Day=Brag Day

Some of my students came to school like this...

Some of them looked like this...

The first day of school is a tough one...
So many things to introduce...so many rules...so much talking.
It's rough, but it's gotta happen.

So today, I asked my students to brag on themselves a bit.
Since I love writing Top 10 lists, I asked my students to write their own top 10 list.

I can learn so much about each student by what they say about themselves.
But, if they are going to write one...I need to write one also.

So...here's my attempt on bragging about myself as a teacher.  I have to say, it's a bit difficult to brag, but here it goes.

10 Reasons Why I Rock

or

10 things that make me Unique/Special

or

10 things...that I can think of today...

10.  I love teaching!  This is my 14 year teaching, and I can't believe it.  Each day is different.  Each day is an adventure.

9.  I love animals!  If you've walked into my classroom before, then you know this. 

“A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn't care if you're not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector.” ---Louis Sabin

8.  I'm creative and willing to try new things.  Sometimes the new things work, sometimes they don't, but that's ok.  At least I tried.

7.  I love to laugh.  People are funny.  Life is funny.  Will you laugh with me?

6.  I love to read.  Opening a book is like opening the door to a new world.  How fun is that?

5.  I love to write.  Writing is telling a story, expressing yourself and your thoughts- all of this is important.

4.  I'm a storyteller. As my student, you will learn this.  I love to weave a story so that you as the audience doesn't know what is coming next.  Storytelling is an art...I try to be a storytelling artist.

3.  Respect me, I'll respect you.  It's as simple as that.  If you are not respectful, I will wait to talk to you until you are. 

2.  I have 2 rules:  Work Hard and Be Nice.  That's it.  Everything fits into those rules...no really it does.

1.  I'm not perfect.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I'm not perfect.  But you're not perfect either.  We are both going to make mistakes and that's just fine.  Don't worry about mistakes...worry if you don't try again after making that mistake.  :0)

This is going to be a great year!