Keep Wagging success story

When I first created my Keep Wagging line of T-shirts, it was with the best intentions. I wanted to spread a positive thought, to underscore what dogs can teach us about dealing with adversity. Sorry for being long winded but I think this is important. With respect to keeping a great attitude, I was always amazed that when an injured dog came into the hospital, it inevitably would wag when I would walk up to them to evaluate or treat them. And I couldn't help but think that, good lord, here's a dog with a compound fracture and he's frickin' wagging at me? In spite of the negative thing that has just happened, he's taking the positive track. And I realized a couple of things: one that an event in your life has no meaning - it just is, it just exists, it's life. And you put the meaning to it.  In the case of the dog with the fracture, it isn't "this sucks...I just broke my leg" it's most likely "here's a friendly approaching me and I'm glad to see them!" Okay, maybe not so clear cut but you get the point. You can sulk over your misfortune or you can put the positive spin on it. If that is too Polyannish for you, I can't help you.
And here's the kicker. When you frame life in a positive vibe, guess what? That is what you attract! Because I know most of you know someone who is really negative about everything, and they constantly have bad stuff hitting them. Think there's a correlation? Of course there is. Negative energy does no one any good. So stay positive and keep wagging!

A Warm and Fuzzy Story

If you know me, you know that I am quite vocal about adopting an animal in need of a home rather than buying a dog from a unscrupulous breeder (there are many bad ones out there) or worse yet, supporting a puppy mill – you know the stores. They’ll have a “puppy 4 sale” out front and they have a million puppies in little cubes or running around in a little pen. Impulse items that frequently get discarded. So, instead of ranting about the problem areas (we'll save this for a future post), I decided to focus on a positive story. Yes, in keeping with the Keep Wagging philosophy, we’ll focus on a good thing. But first we must look at a recent phenomenom, that of the “foreclosure” pet. A pet left behind when a family could no longer afford to take care of it.

Dante

My husband works with someone who noticed a Rottweiler running around the neighborhood for months – animal care and control could not catch the illusive lad after multiple attempts. So he decided he’d try to befriend the dog by walking his dog, making it sit, and see if the dog would come over. It took weeks but the dog finally came over to say hello. This was followed by a few treats and before you know it, this large intimidating dog turned out to be a large lump of sugar. He didn’t want to leave the home but Dave had just recently adopted a dog and could not afford a new member to the family so he did what most people will do. He brought him to the pound. After doing so, he realized he may have made a mistake. There was a very real possibility that the dog would be euthanized after five days if they could not find a home.  Long story short, a co-worker of Dave has a 14 year old and was possibly looking to bring in a new member, younger, that could possibly play with his Senior.

Dave was able to rescue the 80 lb Rottwieller and he and his coworker met up so the dogs could meet. The dogs hit it off and there hasn’t been a hiccup since – the Rottweiller is extremely well trained and is respectful of the other dog, his territory and his food.

It is so heartwarming to hear this story – a breed that is typically shunned due to fear about their behavior finding his forever home. 

If you're thinking of buying a dog, please consider adopting first. 

We found our bulldog, Bishop on www.petfinder.com. They're waiting for you!

Keep Wagging everyone!

Monique

Keeping your dog fit and flexible

I see a lot of overweight dogs at the hospital. Explaining exercise to owners can be difficult, especially if the owner is overweight themselves.  Exercising your dog is as important as you taking care of yourself by watching your diet and exercising. So the obvious and fun solution is to exercise together!

I grew in New York City and walking my dog wasn't an option. It had to be done, three times per day. We walked the streets of Manhattan and make our way to beautiful Central Park. When I moved to Florida, I noticed that people with back yards didn't seem to take their dogs for a walk. They open the door and the dog goes otside by himself and comes in a few minutes later. Not a high caloric burning sort of workout, right? Feel the burn! Feel the burn! Not.

Pretend you don't have a backyard and take your dog out once or twice per day. Make it part of your routine to take you and your dog for a walk. Yes, that's right...I said take yourself for a walk as well.

The benefits of going for a brisk walk (hell, a leisurely walk will even do) is not only the obvious physical exercise but the often overlooked benefit is that you and the pack are out and about! Dogs are not solitary animals. This is their moment to be with someone from the family/pack. That's all these dogs want... is to be with you. So get some exercise at the same time and enjoy the time together! Your dog will love you even more! Stay safe and healthy and remember to keep wagging!

And don't forget to check out noseprints.net for upcoming holiday specials on our Keep Wagging and Barkology clothing !

Pet Amber Alert

Have you ever had a pet that ran away or even worse, stolen?
Yes, every person who shares their life with a dog or cat probably has this fear. Obviously and sadly enough it happens but the good news is that there are steps you can take to protect your kid and make it easier to find him/her.

The biggest thing is having your kid microchipped. The micropchip is the size of a grain of rice and is injected under your dog or cats skin. They don't have to be sedated and it is painless. I highly recommend that you do so when you invite a four legged in to your home!

If you have any questions, please ask your vet! It could save a lot of grief in the future. Keep smiling, stay positive and Keep Wagging everybody!