Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Co-Hosted Follow-Up Friday March 8, 2013

By

Welcome to the latest edition of co-hosted Follow-up Friday.

https://www.heartlikeadog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/follow-up-friday.jpg

My co-hostess this week has had a pretty eventful last few months.  Last year her blog was hi-jacked by one of her dogs, who looks so eerily like Sampson that Hubby upon seeing his photo on her blog said, “Where was that picture of Sampson taken?”

In November she participated and completed NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month.)  She scrapped her entire novel on day 17 and started fresh and completed the 50,000 word challenge in 13 DAYS!

As if all of this weren’t enough, in January she signed with an agent who loves her first novel.

I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, yes my co-hostess this week is Donna, from Donna and the Dogs.

Welcome and thank you so much for joining me today Donna.

Rally Reactions – Author’s Note

Thank you all for the strong support and encouragement.  I always want to do what’s best for my dogs and try to always think about their need to feel safe.

Pamela left a link to a great post by Suzanne Clothier in the comments about reactive dogs.  If you have or know a reactive dog, heck even if you don’t it gives some great insights.

The Heart of Spring – Update

Spring has left the building.  It started snowing again Wednesday night and snowed all day yesterday, as of the writing of this post, it is expected to continue throughout Thursday night and into Friday.

Here are some pictures from our walk yesterday.  While I still maintain there is beauty in the quiet stillness of the snow, I really am ready for some nicer weather.

I’m No Jodi Chick – Update

Sampson had no problems with the inch and a half of bone he ate.  You all know how closely I monitor the dog’s poops. 🙂  I did check it and could see little white flecks in it, he kept his meals down and seemed like his happy self.

No harm, no foul.  But he will also never have those particular white bones again, at least as long as he’s not supervised.

Longer Days – Author’s Note

I have a beautiful area for hiking.  Most of the people who live around us use this area for walking their dogs.  Off-leash.  I do too.  But I always have leashes on me and when I see others approaching I herd my dogs in.  That doesn’t make it right, I know.

Let me be clear, we do have a leash law in my town but animal control does not monitor this particular area.  It is mostly off the beaten path and known to those who live in the area; with the exception being the La Crosse team who will start using the field in the next couple of weeks.

Most people who walk their dogs in this area are not like me in a number of different ways.  Among other reasons,  most of them don’t have their dogs under control, many of the dogs do not even have collars never mind leashes, and they don’t clean up after their dogs.

Despite all this, it’s a beautiful area, it’s convenient and my dogs love it there.  So I do the best I can.

This ‘N That Thursday – Author’s Note

As I mentioned, I don’t want to change the blog completely but I would like to share certain things we do that I feel help improve my dog’s quality of life.

I’ve been itching (excuse the pun) to do a post on natural flea and tick prevention.  Last year I had a pretty decent regime that worked fairly well.  It was a combination of a couple of products and a process.  I contacted the manufacturer of one of the products and asked about a give-away but never heard back.

I’ve just recently discovered a new product and am in the beginning phases of ordering it.  Then I will begin testing it and hope to have a post up about that within the next few months.

In the meantime, I’ll be working a post every week or two that deals with products designed to promote health and well-being without all that extra crap that seems to make its way into our lives and bodies.

In the meantime if there’s anything in particular you’d like to know about, please let me know in the comments or drop me an e-mail at stone.jodi@ymail.com

That’s it for us, remember this is the Follow-Up Friday Blog hop hosted by Donna and the Dogs and Heart Like a Dog.  If you don’t know Donna and her dogs, please stop by and say hello.  And tell them Heart Like a Dog sent you.

Follow-Up Friday



get the InLinkz code

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Comments

comments

Comments

    • We usually get a couple of hot days during autumn, how long has it been hanging around?

  3. Finally… I have gotten my act together to join you on Follow-up Friday! (Usually I feel lucky to know what day it is) And Mother Nature is being very kind to us… temps in the 60’s. Glorious!

  4. WE go “off leash” often in areas like the one you describe, but Gizmo always has a collar on and I always carry a leash and hook him up when we see others approaching…it only makes good sense…Glad there were no ill effects from that bone…Thanks for introducing me to Donna as I hadn’t visited with her before this As for natural flea protection, here’s an interesting product that Wyatt is testing out…No idea if it works, but it is attractive http://wyattgardens.blogspot.com/2013/03/ambertick-and-doggie-dentals.html

    • I think it’s the best of both, to be able to let your dog run, but make sure you can get him back. 🙂

      You will love Donna!

      Thanks for the link to Wyatt’s blog, I left a comment and will be checking back to see what the outcome is. I am still looking into a natural protocol on this end as well.

      And yes, I’m glad about that bone too!

  6. Awwww….thanks so much for the kind words Jodi, and for allowing me to join the blog hop. Happy to hear that Sampson is still doing well. Phew…

    I can’t believe people at that part don’t like you! How could anyone not like Jodi Stone? Their loss. And their dogs. I’m sure you could have shared plenty of useful tips with them…

    Speaking of which, I can’t wait to hear about the natural products!

    • Thank you Donna for joining us, you are always welcome! I’m pretty happy about Sampson too!

      You’d be surprised Donna, I present well on the blog. 🙂

      I’m pretty excited about the natural products. I’ve ordered some and can’t wait to receive them. The first ones were supposed to arrive today but I’m suspecting the weather had a hand in their delay.

  7. The mess is starting at our house after a great snow storm the beginning of the week we are looking for a weekend of sleet, rain and snow…yuck, hate early spring and then to set the clocks ahead an hour…not going to be the best weekend ever!

    • I know, the snow melt can be a big mess. And the clock change makes us tired in the mornings, but hopefully your inner clock can adjust.

  8. More snow? We have had two sunny days in a row, which we get very excited about in Oregon 🙂 I hope you get some spring days soon!! (ours will soon be dark and rainy again – Mother Nature just gives a sunny day here and there so we don’t go crazy!)

  9. I second Donna — how can anyone not like Jodi Stone?! Definitely their (and their dogs’) loss! And speaking of Donna, I will have to go visit with her later too. (Getting a haircut @ 11.) Meanwhile…
    Glad Sampson hasn’t suffered any side effects from the bone-eating episode!
    Spring is on its way down here in South Carolina…the birds were singing in the trees all day yesterday and again this morning when I first took Shadow and Ducky out in the yard. And they’re still singing now. While I love winter, I am definitely ready for the rebirth that Spring brings. And watching the mama and daddy birds build their nests and later bring food to their babies.
    I also need to check out that article that Pamela included the link for re reactive dogs. Ducky is definitely reactive and I need some insight. Heck, I might even learn something! 🙂

    • It was a really long article Sue, but very well written and very enlightening. How’s Callie doing? Is she feeling any better?

  11. Woo hoo!! The bone passed!!! 🙂

    I don’t mind people that have their dogs off leash if they have control. But mostly I find that most of them wait until we are really close before leashing their dogs. By then, their dog or dogs have already noticed and they make a beeline for Blueberry.

    • The people in my area don’t even bother leashing their dogs. The easiest thing is to just let the dogs go and greet each other. Then we move on.

      Yes, we had no issues with the bone!!

  13. I actually have no issues at all with people who let their dogs off-leash in on-leash areas. There is a proviso to this. I have no issues as long as they either have total control of their dogs and leave my on-leash dog alone, or as long as they do what you do – and what I do – and re-leash their dogs when they see others approaching. It’s just the considerate thing to do. Most people do follow this unwritten rule. It’s the few who don’t who ruin it, as per usual.

    Spring is kind of dead in the water for us as well. We have no new snow but it’s still bitterly cold. I am not happy with this. If there was at least snow we would have something pretty too look at, as in your photos.

    Happy Friday!

    • I agree, there is always someone who will ruin it for others. The thing is around here, none of them even walk with leashes! Some of their dogs don’t even have collars!! Isn’t that horrible?

      Where did Spring go? I know I felt her, I just don’t know where she went.

      I do hope your Friday got better.

    • Thank you for sharing it Pamela, it was quite lengthy but brought me so much. I’m actually thinking of checking out one of her seminars.

  15. Glad that you diligent poop inspection was rewarded with white fragments. I just read an account of a dog that ate a rat, flesh, fur and bones. Those should be some interesting poops to watch out for.

    • Well you know how much attention I pay to poop Jan. 🙂

      Oh gross! I would be too worried about the rat having been poisoned. I’d probably have the dog’s stomach pumped. 🙁 One of my old schoolmates had a dog that ate a live chipmunk, and then she promptly threw it up. LOL

  16. Hey you guys, I used to rave about tea tree oil for flea control then I heard it could be toxic for dogs. I think its OK in very diluted form–like in a shampoo–but I am in search of another natural alternative. Look forward to the results of your research.

    • I’ll keep you posted Kirsten!! I’ve got my fingers crossed that this will work.

    • Thanks Wyatt and welcome. I’ll be following along with you as well with that amber collar.

  20. You are experiencing my worst fear right now…that the spring is going to leave and winter is going to come back for another month or so. I am so ready for the snow in the mountains to melt out so we can go hiking. Other with-dog hikers are usually pretty good about picking up after their dogs but we see at least one abandoned poo pile or filled poo bag on each hike. That really irks me…especially as a water quality professional!

    • It’s a horrible feeling. 🙁 I was so ready for spring!!

      Oh these people are terrible, they never pick up after their dogs. Most of the time they don’t even know where there dog has gone because their dogs are running all over the place. But I hate to complain to authorities because I don’t want to lose it.

      I hope your spring is on it’s way!