Dogs vs. Kids: Can't We All Just Get Along?

As I referenced in my recent blog post on Dog Dating, there is no one way to be a Dog Mom. There are married Dog Moms, single Dog Moms, Pre-Baby Dog Moms, and NO-Baby Dog Moms, and I'd like to think there are Dog Moms with kids....you know, human kids? The kind with two legs? 

While the Dog Mom trend is commonly accepted as a form of "practice" motherhood, even endorsed by my copy of [The Nest] Newlywed Handbook, there are some who look down upon this lifestyle as "ridiculous" or "unnatural." However wrong I may find these statements, I also disagree with Dog Moms who dish it right back to Moms, making derogatory, stereotypical statements about human children in general. 

Can't we talk about why they're both great?

 I became attune to this controversy by reading two blog posts, one in response to another, written by two journalists. Tara, a Mom, has a blog called "Baby Steps," while Danielle's blog is called "Cubbie Tails!" and yes, you guessed it, Danielle is a Dog Mom. 

Now, the blogs aren't nearly as offensive as the comments are. But that's just the internet for you!
Tara's post, entitled "Sure to Annoy Some Animal Lovers," discusses her irritation with others "suggest[ing] that a four-legged friend is as important as a two-legged addition." People continue to argue in the comments, saying that women who love their dogs like children are "psychologically deranged" and Dog Moms dish it right back, denouncing children as "annoying," "obnoxious," and "self-indulged." The arguments go on and on.

Now, I'm not going to even claim that having a dog is the same as having a child. It's not. It isn't fair to equate dogs to human babies, but it also isn't fair to tell someone who loves their dog like a child to say they are wrong to feel that way. If it is important to them, that makes it worthy of respect.

I'm definitely not taking sides on this issue. I love dogs, and I love kids. Part of the reason that I love Apple like a child is because I want kids, not because I don't, I just know that I shouldn't have them right now.

The night before Apple found us, I had a baby dream. I had been having them all throughout my college years, and they made me emotional and depressed for the rest of the day because every time I woke up I had to "lose" my baby. I was disgusted by myself because in my mind I didn't want a baby, but my biological clock had a different agenda.

When I saw Apple, and when I found out how young he was, it was like he filled the hole in my heart that the dream had left behind. He became my baby in real life, (not my four-legged friend) and I stepped up to the plate to do everything I could to take care of him. He gave me a sense of responsibility. He gave me someone to take care of. I didn't choose to have him, he just happened to me, much like a baby just sort of happens, no matter how planned they may be.

I love Apple in a way that I have never loved anything before. I know when I have a "real" baby, I will love her in a different way, too. But I don't think my love for Apple will be tossed aside and become unimportant. Apple will always be special, because he took Steven and I when we were just a couple, and made us a family. 

We are a family, and we will all still be a family when we have human kids, too, and they will all be special and important in their own way. I honestly can't wait (oops!..I CAN WAIT) for Apple to meet our future kids.

Dogs and babies unite!

Bananas for Bitters

You may recall (how could you forget) the blog post about my dog's recent destruction of the couch. A few days after I fixed it, he started to chew at the edges of the cover, so I finally decided it was time to invest in a bitter spray. I had read about them online and my friend told me they worked really well for her dog, but I just kept forgetting to buy one!

When I went to the store, there were actually multiple brands to choose from. I chose "Fooey" because it claimed to be made from the "most bitter stuff on Earth," and said it was safe for fabrics, while others said you had to test the surface first.

My friend told me to make sure I had my mouth covered when I sprayed it, so I wore one of those nose/mouth masks that I had left over from when my husband and I Boraxed our carpets when we first moved in to our apartment (It was full of fleas!) Despite wearing the mask, I could still taste it everywhere, and even after I sprayed it, it was disgusting to even be in the room where it was. The taste lingered in the back of my throat for hours and made me feel like I was going to throw up!

However, Apple loved it. He licked my hands after I sprayed it, he licked the couch, and yes, you guessed it, he chewed it up again!!! I couldn't sit on the couch without getting the awful taste in my mouth and he couldn't stop trying to eat it. Finally,  I sewed up the couch even better, fully whip-stitching the cover to the arm, and anchored his baby fence into the wall with those plastic screw holes. Now, Apple is back to spending his unsupervised hours locked in the hallway.

I am not going to use that spray again...I should have guessed that I had one of the freakish dogs that actually likes the taste of bitters. I still periodically get it on my hands or my body and taste it again. Just the other day, Apple gave me a kiss and had obviously been chewing something I sprayed, because his kisses tasted like it!!!! YUCK!

I was convinced that Apple would eat anything and everything under the sun, as I had not yet found a single food he would refuse to eat. But, just the other day, I tossed him a piece of a banana that had fallen on the floor. He licked it, he sniffed it, but he would not eat it, even when I held it up to him.

Apparently my dog doesn't like bananas! Maybe next time, I should just use bananas for bitters, and rub them all over the surfaces I don't want him to eat! 

Apple's 1st Birthday Cake!

Today is Apple's "presumed" first birthday, chosen because he was estimated to have been born at the end of January, and we found him on May 29. In honor of the day that he came into our lives, we chose his birthday to be today, January 29!

Because I am a very committed Dog Mom, I wanted to do something special for his birthday. A few months ago, I attended Austin's Dogtoberfest with my husband and Apple, and I learned about many Austin dog bakeries that offer birthday cakes for dogs.

I instantly thought that having a birthday cake sounded like a great idea! So, when I got home, I Googled "dog cake recipes" and found many different versions. I wanted the cake to be for all of us to share, so I didn't want anything that sounded too disgusting or was made with meat (I'm a vegetarian!)

I eventually settled on this applesauce cake recipe, because of Apple's name, and the fact that it seemed to be the most healthy recipe I could find. Dog cakes are low in baking soda because it is bad for dogs, but this one didn't have any, so I figured it was a good bet. It also came with a very easy recipe for cream cheese icing.

Here is the recipe:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 
 2/3 cup hot water
1 cup whole rolled oats
3 eggs (I only used two and it worked.  Lower in cholesterol!)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup granola 

The un-baked cake posing with its ingredients

 I also added a bit of sugar because upon tasting it I realized it was not sweet at all! Sugar isn't great for dogs, but it won't hurt them like chocolate, and I added a very small amount, just to make it taste a little better for the humans!

The icing was literally just 2 packages of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of shortening. I decided to add food coloring (I checked to make sure it was safe) to make the cake decorating festive and to save money (the original recipe called for carob to make decorative icing). I also added a little sugar and a bit of applesauce to the icing because it was just plain cream cheese and it needed to be a little sweeter!

The cake is baked and is surrounded by 3 colors of cream cheese icing

Apple LOVED his cake, and my husband and I both ate it and it wasn't bad. It tasted VERY healthy and would make a great breakfast. Apple ate 4 pieces, but he would have eaten the whole cake if we would have let him. We ate half of it between the three of us, and I saved the leftovers for tomorrow!

Ta-Da!

He likes it!

It was fun to bake a cake from scratch and decorate it for my dog! I think he had a great birthday. I know it was great for me!

To My Dog's Mother, on His Birthday

To My Dog's (Biological) Mother, on His Birthday,

I don't know very much about you, but I think about you all the time. I often wonder about the circumstances of Apple's birth, and those mysterious 4 months that he lived before he found his new human "parents." I wanted to dedicate a special post to you today, on Apple's "birthday;" although I don't know the exact date, I know he was born a year ago on a day very close to this one.

I know you are half-lab because of the DNA test. I always picture you as the Labradoodle for some reason...I don't really know why. I also don't know what color you are; Labs can give birth to yellow, chocolate, and black puppies regardless of the parents' colors, so you could be any color, but I always picture you as a yellow, creamy Labradoodle.

Like this, but with a multi-colored litter

Like this one!

I know that Apple probably didn't get to stay with you very long. The vets think that he was taken away from his mother before 12 weeks of age, because he didn't properly learn bite inhibition and some of the other things that puppies learn from playing with their siblings and mothers. Were you sad when your puppies were given away? Most websites agree that dog mothers don't miss their puppies when they go, but I have read stories of dog mothers who became depressed when their puppies were taken away. It makes me sad to think about it!

I wish you could tell me what happened to lead up to having Apple's litter. I hope you had a family who took care of you and that you weren't pregnant on the streets. I don't think you were. Was Apple's father a street dog?  Where did he come from? 

My best guess is that you got out one day and got pregnant and your family found you and continued to take care of you. I think they gave the puppies away for free at 8 weeks, the soonest age they can be separated from the mother. I think that your owners were well-intentioned, but they didn't take much care to make sure the puppies ended up in a good home. 

I think Apple's owners took him in, and when he got too big and "messy," they left him to fend for himself. Did you ever think any of your puppies would become homeless? I hope the rest of his siblings ended up in good homes. I wonder where they are and what their lives are like. Was Apple the only unlucky one to be abandoned? Being that Apple was alone, I think that he was with a family separated from you and his siblings.

As sad as it is to think about him being abandoned and to wonder about his early months of life. I am thankful that it happened the way that it did, because had anything been different, Apple would have never been my dog. Just know that I am thankful to you for bringing him into this world so that I could eventually have him, and I hope you are having a good life.

Happy Birthday to all your puppies, wherever they may be.

Dog Dating?

While I pride myself on immersing myself in Dog Mom culture, there is one element of this culture that I am not in the position to experience: Dog Dating.

Just Google "Dog Dating." This pic came from an article about it.

 Although many Dog Moms (like me!) are childless married women, using their dog as a "practice" baby, or caring for them in place of a child they cannot have (or do not want), a great number of Dog Moms are single women, giving their all into raising their dog, and maybe, even hoping that he or she will lead her to "The One."

The introduction to Dogs and the Women Who Love Them offers great insight into the world of Dog Dating. According to a 2005 study, 70% of the surveyed women with pets reported that they would be more likely to date or marry a man who has a pet. In order to help single Dog Moms (and Dads!) make a love connection, several online dating sites centered around dogs have sprung up, such as Petpeoplemeet.com, Datemypet.com, Perfectmatch.com (Dog Lovers), and Lovemelovemypets.com.

Many women feel that their dogs will act as good judges of character for potential mates, and the book mentions quite a few stories of women whose dogs have helped to make or break a potential relationship.

So, even though I am already happily married and don't need to use my dog to play matchmaker, it doesn't stop men at the dog park from showing interest in my dog (and me?) while Apple and I are out playing without "Daddy."

Interestingly, the only time I have encountered men who seemed interested in Apple and I beyond typical dog park encounters has been at Onion Creek Park. However, I do often venture to this park alone as it is the closest one to our apartment and is better for a shorter visit. On three occasions, I have met men who might have been flirting with me, but with the exception of one very overt man, it is hard to really know.

The first guy had a really cute King Charles Spaniel, and Apple played really well with him. He was really friendly and told me his name really early on (something dog owners hardly do...we always exchange our dog's names) and he was even commanding my dog and playing with him more than a stranger at a park normally would. 

Now, I know it takes a village to raise a (fur)child, but I can't help but think any bystander at the park might have thought we came together. Or that we were together. Of course, I was nice and I enjoyed hanging out with him and his dog, but I made sure to keep my distance enough that he or anyone else around wouldn't get the wrong idea.

The second man was really flat-out weird. He came up out of nowhere at the creek and instantly my sweet, sociable dog was barking at him and guarding me. He kept trying to talk to me and I just felt creeped out! As he walked away after talking to me from a distance for not even 2 minutes, he told me his name (I didn't tell him mine!) and asked if I was single! WEIRD! Then I told him I was married and he walked off scoffing that the "good ones always are."

Later on that same day, I was relieved to actually meet a normal guy with a Pit Bull mix. Once again, our dogs played really well together and he talked to me for a long time. There isn't anything really suspicious to say about this encounter, except that he and the first guy gave me an "I'm single" vibe and seemed really interested in my dog....I just have to wonder if it's just my dog!

As I'm writing this, I am thinking about another guy I met at a dog event when I was by myself. He was interested in getting our dogs to hang out at another time and wanted to get my phone number, which made me nervous until his wife came up with the phone! I feel bad because I keep thinking I should call them to hang out...but I keep forgetting!

Probably some of the best advice I could give to "all the single ladies" out there would be to get a dog and go to a park! You could probably easily meet some men that way. And if the book (and my own experience) is correct, he will steer you away from the bad ones, so your dog can be the perfect wingman! Maybe your dog could find a love (or just a best friend) of their own, too.

Dog Dating: That's how Pongo and Perdita met!

Book Reviews: Dogs and the Women Who Love Them

For Christmas, my wonderful husband got me some dog-themed books for my reading pleasure, and I thought it would be a great idea to keep up the reading and write book reviews when I finish a new book.

First up, Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, by Allen and Linda Anderson.

The Andersons have written many books on both dogs and cats, most notably the Angel Animals series. This book is a compilation of stories written by various women and compiled by the Andersons, giving readers a window into the lives of 22 pairs of women and dogs, with Linda's story being the last of the book.

Because there are so many stories and they are all quite short (each is about 10 pages) this book is a very easy and quick read. It is so inspiring to read not just about one great dog, but of many dogs, each great in his/her own right. While some of the dogs are dedicated service dogs, such as Greta, the seeing-eye dog, Beau, the veteran service dog, or Major, the K-9 police dog, many of the other dogs are therapy dogs that volunteer alongside their owners, as I mentioned in a previous blog post. While all of the dogs (and the women) have led great lives, most of them are just "ordinary" dogs doing extraordinary things.

Each story has a fairly predictable cycle--they usually begin with a rescue or meeting the dog for the first time, transition into the dog's training, work, and bond with the woman, and finally, and sadly, most of the stories end with the death of the dog. One or two of the stories was written about a dog that was still living, but the vast majority of the stories are written after the dog's passing, as the owner looks back on his or her life. Some of the rescue stories in the book are amazing--these dogs grew up to do amazing things to help others, but many began life being very distrustful of humans due to neglect and abuse. 

One story that particularly stood out to me was that of K-9 Major, whose original owners feared him and kept him on a chain outside, never showing him any affection and hardly feeding him. When Marilyn, a police officer, came out to his farm seeking a replacement for her favorite K-9, she found Major not to be wildly aggressive, but just as fearful of people as they were of him. She eventually trained him to be her mostly loyal and most highly skilled K-9 of her career.

Another story that touched my heart was about a Scottish Terrier therapy dog named McDuff. McDuff had an especially unique talent for touching the souls of the outcasts of society--the severely ill, both mentally and physically, and the mentally challenged. McDuff could elicit a smile or a reaction from patients who had remained expressionless for months, or even years, and amazed all the workers at the homes and hospitals he visited.

Other dogs were especially talented with service tasks, one being featured on television, and some were even disabled themselves. There are heroic recovery stories of dogs in wheelchairs defying the odds and continuing to live a life full of fun and mobility when vets suggested they be put down.

This is a fabulously heartwarming book. While it is wonderful to be able to read so many different stories, I found that I wished they were longer. I could have read an entire book about any of these individual dogs. I also found that I did not cry in this book, whereas I cried at the death of a dog in a book that was much longer and solely dedicated to telling that dog's story.

While I may not have shed any tears, I would highly recommend Dogs and the Women Who Love Them to anyone who loves a dog, those who have worked alongside their dogs, or those who may choose to in the future!

The Age of Aquarius

I'm not really much into horoscopes, but I do find them entertaining from time to time. This can be evidenced from the fact that I intended to do this post on the first day of the Aquarius sign, and that actually already happened on Jan. 20! Silly me.

So, for anyone out there who swears by horoscopes or simply casually reads them from time to time, I bring you.......

DOG HOROSCOPES.

Yes, you heard it right here. There are numerous sites where you can read your dog's horoscope. I discovered this when looking up Apple's astrological sign out of curiosity, and discovered that he is (most likely) an Aquarius. I think the description fits him pretty well, unlike my sign, Virgo. I hate to clean and organize things.

According to Astrology Weekly Dog Horoscopes, Aquarian dogs are "determined to unearth the truth about everything and everyone." They can be stubborn, but love to run in a pack no matter who the leader is. They also especially love freedom and exploring off the leash, which could not be more true about Apple. This site says that Aquarian dogs should be calm, and while Apple can be very crazy, he does have a calmer side to him that might come out when he gets older. However, this site says that Aquarian dogs value social interaction over everything else, which could not be more true about Apple. He is a true social butterfly.

Another site, Pet Horoscopes Free, describes Aquarian dogs as being "the life of the party," a dog that can get along with anyone. Apple loves all dogs, they just don't always love him back! It describes them as having an overactive mind, being highly intelligent, and needing a job to do, which our trainer emphasized for us. It says that they make great therapy dogs, which I already expressed a interest in having Apple do.

Animal Planet also has a cute doggie horoscope site, but it appears to be not functioning at the moment!

While I don't think horoscopes are fully true or set in stone, I do think that Apple matches his pretty well. Go check it out for your dog and see if it matches up as well for you!

Apple Goes Out to Eat!

In honor of Apple's graduation and his upcoming birthday (Jan. 29) we took him on his very first trip to a dog-friendly restaurant. The particular restaurant we chose was Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant, because in addition to allowing dogs on their patio, they also have a dog menu that you can order from. 

Steven and I have been planning this event for a long time. We decided we wanted to take him out to eat for graduation when he first started the class in October. Even though his graduation was delayed, it worked out pretty well to go in January because we could combine the celebration to include his birthday as well.

We let him wear his birthday bandana a little early!

Apple's first restaurant experience went very well. For most of the evening, we were the only ones out on the patio, so there were no other dogs to distract him. He was very good about having to be tethered for a while, and I brought plenty of things in my Dog Mom Apron to distract him when he had to wait. 

Ready to eat!

I had a black bean and cheese quesadilla, Steven ate a hamburger, and Apple had the Canine Kahuna, a grilled chicken breast cut up into chunks with a dog bowl of ice on the side. The whole meal, including chips and salsa, was only $18.84, which is a completely amazing price for two people and a dog, especially downtown. The dog meals are really cheap--the Canine Kahuna was $2, and the dog dish of ice was free, so there is definitely no cost deterrent to bringing your dog out to Lucy's for a fun night out on the town.

Apple enjoying his "Chilly Pup," a dish of ice

Our first dog-friendly restaurant experience was definitely a good one. It is really exciting to go somewhere that actually provides food for dogs, as most dog-friendly eateries just allow them on the patio to sit and wait while the humans dine. Apple is probably not ready to go to a super-crowded human-food-only restaurant like the super-popular Freddie's, but I'm sure we will be making our way back to Lucy's in the future to work up to more challenging restaurant situations.

If you have a dog (or even if you don't), you should definitely check out Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant at 506 West Avenue in Downtown Austin. The food is great, the price is incredible, and your dog can eat out in style.

Bo-Bama: The First Dog

It's Inauguration Day, and everyone is certainly familiar with President Obama's family, but do you know about Bo?

Official White House Portrait of Bo

Bo is the Obama family's Portuguese Water Dog (one of the breeds previously speculated to be in Apple's DNA). He is 4 years old and was born on October 9, 2008. My husband, Steven, likes to do impressions and voices, and he always impersonates Obama by saying, "My daughters are going to get the puppy they have been asking for," because as a condition of running for President in 2008, he promised Sasha and Malia that they could have a puppy, whether he win or lose.

Bo's arrival at the White House

Bo came to the White House as a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, and is a purebred from a breeder, despite Obama saying he would like to get a shelter dog. The reason they chose a purebred is because Malia has allergies and fluffy dogs such as "Porties" and Poodle mixes (such as Labradoodles) are the most hypoallergenic of all dog breeds because they do not secrete much dander and shed very little.

Biden also has a hypoallergenic dog, a Labradoodle named Brother!

Something that I found particularly interesting when reading Bo's story, (albeit the Wikepedia version) was that he was bred by a Stern family (my husband's last name!) and that he was originally purchased, and soon after returned, by a different family. Well, Bo sure lucked out, he got to go from a family who didn't have the commitment to take care of a puppy to going to the White House, where I am sure he is very spoiled. (However, he has been trained by the dog trainer to the Kennedy family.)

Although a dog might seem relatively unimportant in the context of Presidential elections, there have been times where they have been used to garner support for or even smear a candidate. In 1952, Nixon gave a very famous speech known as the "Checkers Speech" where he addressed accusations of accepting illegal gifts, one of which was a black and white Cocker Spaniel named Checkers. Today, I think more people remember that Nixon talked about his dog rather than illegal gifts.

In this most recent election, dogs were also seen as important. Mitt Romney was slammed for traveling on long road trips with his Irish Setter, Seamus, riding in a crate strapped to the roof of the car. An online store, Dogs Against Romney, was formed in response to this story. Bo, on the other hand, was used to garner support for Obama, by depicting him as an animal lover. However, Obama had his own dog related scandal after he mentioned eating dog meat in Dreams From My Father, resulting in a "War on Dogs" joke about the two candidates. 

Whatever your political persuasion, the main point of this post is that Bo is CUTE! I might be a little biased though....

That's Apple on the left, and Bo on the right (should Bo be on the left?)

Turns out, I own a stuffed version of Bo-Bama and I didn't even know it! Here he is:

He is a TY Big Beanie and came with the name "Bo"

Happy In-DOG-uration!

Apple Graduates!

I am very pleased to announce that Apple finally graduated from his training class today! Today's class ended up being a lot harder than I expected. but he did amazingly and passed the test in order to get his certificate, and many more dog treats!

Actual graduation pictures with diploma in hand!

 During today's class, we did some things that Apple had never even done before. We started off by doing basic commands in the training space, and practiced heeling off-leash, and then we went out into the main part of the store. One thing that is kind of awesome about training in PETCO is that there are so many distractions in the store that it provides a very good indicator of your dogs behavior in a "real world" environment. We walked him around on the leash, and I must say, I'm going to upgrade his walking and on-leash behavior grades from B's to A's, because he was so well behaved!!!

One of the new things we did was that our trainer had us put him in a "stay" in the store and then one of us would go off and hide somewhere and then call him, and he had to not only remain in the "stay" while we were gone, but he also had to come find us. The final test was for the trainer to take him out alone in the store and leave him in a "stay," which he actually was able to do! People (and dogs) were walking around the store, and Apple was just chillin' on the ground, being a model citizen. Some of the people were (understandably) a little shocked to see a big black dog just lying on the floor unattended, but he did exactly what he was supposed to do and stayed in his spot.

Another amazing thing he did today was "stay" in a "down" position while the trainer laid food all around him in a circle. Apple is extremely food motivated, so it is really a feat for him to lie still when there is food all around him. Then, she would tell him which ones were okay to eat and when. Sometimes he ate the wrong ones, but by the last time, he did it perfectly!

We are going to be taking Apple to a restaurant that serves meals to both humans and dogs in honor of his graduation and his upcoming birthday. I will be sure to post about our experience!

DIY Dog Mom

In addition to being a Dog Mom, one of my favorite hobbies is crafting. I love to scrapbook and I also really enjoy sewing--and I think I'm pretty good at it! I got a sewing machine for Christmas in 2011, and since then, I have made three dresses, a tablecloth, and three curtains for my living room windows, in addition to repairing many things, including Apple's harness.

This Christmas, my mom gave me a book called 101 One-Yard Wonders, which contains patterns and instructions for, you guessed it, 101 different projects you can make with only a yard of fabric. For my first project, I chose to make an apron that I could use instead of a purse or bag to hold Apple's things and my personal belongings at the dog park!

I chose "Granny's Clothespin Apron" as the pattern I would use for my dog apron, and picked a paw-print fabric out at JoAnn's Fabrics for only about $3 or $4! (They are re-locating and had a great sale!)

The pattern I chose from 101 One-Yard Wonders

The pieces all cut out!

It took me about 4 hours to make and I am very pleased with the final product! It is comfortable, and very spacious. It could easily hold 4 or more tennis balls, and can hold Apple's entire leash without a problem. Now I can play with my dog without the hassle of carrying a bag and I won't have to worry about getting my bag wet or dirty! This apron can be easily laundered, so getting it a little messy is not a problem!

The final product!

I will be the most stylin' Dog Mom at the park.

I can't wait to make more things out of my book! I had some leftover fabric (can you believe it?) so I think I'm going to make a coordinating camera strap for my new Nikon 1. Maybe I'll come up with ways to make more of the projects dog-related!

Dog Park Reviews: Onion Creek

It's Friday, better known as Dog Park Day, and I am here with another review of my favorite dog park on standby, Onion Creek.

When the weather is warmer, you can wade in the creek!

Onion Creek is not your typical dog park, or even city park for that matter. It seems more similar to a state park, filled with trees and a few hiking trails, only much, much smaller. I'm sure that is directly related to its location, nestled just South of McKinney Falls State Park in Super-Southeast Austin. Really, the only thing that distinguishes it as a dog park is the fact that dogs are allowed off-leash here. There are no signs, so the only way I knew was by seeing the park listed on a Parks and Recreation site. It seems like most people haven't gotten the memo, because most of the time that we come here the park is nearly devoid of dogs.

Apple lying in some flowers amongst the beautiful trees

 A few times, Apple has been able to find a good playmate, and other times, the dogs were just freaked out by him. Most of the time, though, we are here alone and just play by ourselves. Onion Creek's location is much more convenient for us than any other dog park, so often we come here when we don't have enough time to take him to Auditorium Shores, on busy weekends, or colder days when we don't feel like getting sacked by wet dogs.

The nice thing about the little creek is that you can wade in it alongside your dog, as my picture indicates, and your dog doesn't get nearly as wet when playing in it (you don't either!). However, fetching (at least for Apple) can be a little precarious in this water because he seems to think that it is appropriate to drop the ball anywhere his paws can touch the ground. He has gotten better at this, though, and this past Wednesday, I was able to get him to do some full-on swimming and water retrieving, which usually only happens at Auditorium Shores.

Another thing that makes fetching difficult at this creek is the steep hill going down to the water. If you get your dog to drop the ball on land, 9 times out of 10 it will roll back down the hill and into the water. That can allow for some good exercise for your dog, but it can also make it difficult for you to get the ball back!

Other than the lack of dogs, the main drawback about this park is the smell. It must be near some kind of sewer line or something, because sometimes it really stinks. When you bring your dog home, he might smell a little worse than your average wet dog smell. But, if you can overlook the smell, the park is really beautiful and you can have a nice hike on the trail or wade in the creek with your dog.

It was difficult for me to rate this park, because it is so different from most dog parks, and one reason that my husband and I love it so much is the location. I finally settled on 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for the average user...but you can upgrade to 4 stars if you live in Super-South or Southeast Austin, as this dog park is right in your neighborhood!

3 1/2 Paws for the general population

4 Paws for locals!

Apple Does The Worst Thing

About an hour ago, I woke up to find that the day I once feared had finally come. Apple had done the worst thing. After nearly 8 months of chewing various items, he had finally chewed a hole in the couch.

No sign necessary for this "Dog Shaming"

 I will admit that, for a while, I wondered if I should just continue about my blog posting and do the book review of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, as I had originally planned. But that can wait for another day, because right now I don't feel really loving. And the truth is, what kind of writer would I be if I only operated in this "I'm great, my dog is great" world? The TRUTH is, that my dog is often not great. He has done some very bad things, and I recognize my failings as a Dog Mom in those bad things, and we have to learn from our mistakes, forgive, and move on.

The reason that chewing a hole in the couch is "the worst thing" to me is because I have used it as the "benchmark of badness" since the day we brought Apple home. I would say things like, "Oh, he has been chewing the chair legs, but at least he hasn't chewed up our couch." Pretty much every bad thing he has ever done I rationalized by telling myself that it was okay as long as he didn't eat the couch. 

Here is a quick list of some of the things Apple has destroyed and/or eaten:
TV remote
Wireless headphones (Steven's "worst thing")
7-8 pairs of shoes
Many toys, most notably a jump rope, which he ate
A sock, which luckily came out just fine
Water bottle tops
Boxes of tissues
Pillows
A hole in the wall (Fixable! That's why it's not the worst thing. You can't even tell.)
Corners of the rug
Etc.

Now, I feel like the Dog Mom of the century. I know that there are things I could have done to prevent some of these potentially dangerous situations. The number one thing that I have probably done wrong is that I never crate trained Apple. But the thing is, have you seen my dog? He is huge. I live in an apartment. I honestly do not have much space for a giant crate around here. A crate that big would easily be about $200, and that wasn't an expense my husband and I felt we should spare. And ultimately, I know everyone says dogs like it, but I can't imagine putting Apple in box he can hardly move in for hours. Instead, we opted for the baby fence in the hallway for times when we need to box him in:

Look how sad he is! Would you crate him?

 I would love to keep this fence in that hallway forever, but it keeps falling out of the wall. Stupid drywall.

The main thing that keeps Apple or any dog like him from being destructive is proper exercise and appropriate things for chewing. When he chews things like the couch, it is often because one or both of these things is lacking. I should have put out another rawhide bone for him last night. I should have exercised him more yesterday, but the cold weather makes it difficult. I am finally coming to terms that I was not meant to ever live anywhere North of here. Unfortunately, the cold weather makes my husband and I want to snuggle under 50 blankets and never leave the house, while our Canadian dog wants to play even harder when the temperatures get low.

Luckily, I can just hide the couch arm with that cover thing. I'll sew it on, and hopefully Apple has been punished sufficiently so that he will not go for it again. 

See? Good as new.

Ultimately, I just need to take my own advice that I often give to Steven and learn to forgive Apple. He knows he's in trouble...He is just lying around and staying away from me even though he is usually very active at this time. Hopefully, we will all be able to move on...and the couch will remain intact.

Doggie DNA Tests

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I know Apple's exact breed, and that he is what I like to call a "knock-off Labradoodle." Since we found Apple in a parking lot, this information was not given to us by a breeder or the owner of Apple's mother. We actually had a Mixed Breed DNA Test done for Apple, so that we could know the exact make-up of his breed.

I first learned about doggie DNA testing when my husband, Steven, and I took Apple to Austin Pets Alive on the day that we found him. One of the workers guessed that he might be a Labradoodle, while another thought he might be a Border Collie mix. I felt pretty skeptical that we would have found a designer dog on the streets, so one of the girls told us that we could buy a testing kit if we ever wanted to know exactly what he was.

I knew from then on that I wanted to have him DNA tested. It was so difficult for me to have people constantly ask me what he was and for me not to know. Also, since he was a very young puppy, there were many things that I wanted to be able to understand about his behavior in the context of his breed to help me train him. Steven and I decided we would get him tested for Christmas, and in the meantime, these were the breeds that we considered as a possibility or that other people guessed were a part of his mix:

Irish Wolfhound
Labrador Retriever
Standard Poodle
Standard or Giant Schnauzer
German Shepherd
Portuguese Water Dog
Various Spaniels
Border Collie

Secretly, I did not want Apple to turn out to be a Labradoodle or any kind of designer dog. It bothered me that people might look at him and assume that we paid $1800 for him when in reality, we rescued him from the street and didn't pay anything to adopt him. I didn't want people to assume we were rich or that we weren't interested in adopting shelter dogs.

Then, in September, we got a surprise that led to us doing the DNA test much earlier. We were walking Apple around the St. Edward's campus when a girl in front of the science lab shouted "What kind of dog is that?" from a distance. She seemed more interested in or concerned about Apple than the average person. I immediately felt nervous and a bit defensive, because I was still afraid that Apple's previous owners come back for him and take him away from us. She asked me how old he was and where we got him, and I was so worried that she might have known his original owners!

It turns out, that the reason she was interested in him was because her mother had recently adopted a dog that looked almost identical to Apple. The shelter suspected that he was an Irish Wolfhound mix, as many people suspected about Apple, but they had him DNA tested and found out that he was a Shepadoodle. I had begun suspecting that Apple could have some Shepherd in him because he was getting brown fur around his mouth. This dog, Flynn, not only looked like Apple, but was also almost the exact same age and was found on the street the same week as Apple. We were determined to do the test to find out if he and Flynn were related.

Apple is on the left, Flynn is on the Right

We chose Wisdom Panel Insights Mixed Breed DNA Test (the same one they used) and the process was very easy. We bought the test on Amazon, and when it arrived, we just swabbed his cheeks and sent it off. It was supposed to take about 3 weeks for the results to come back, but it only took a matter of days before we received the email with this information:

So, as you can see, Apple is not related to Flynn. Another cool thing about the test is that it showed a breakdown of the 5 best DNA matches for his mixed breeds. These percentages show how much of his DNA matches these breeds:

I was very pleased with the process and the results. DNA Tests are a little expensive, but I do believe that our test was accurate and I would recommend this test to anybody else who might be a little curious about their dog's breed mix. I looked at other tests before picking this one, and I believe that this one is an excellent choice.

Would you DNA test your dog? For our family, I think it was a great choice!

Graduation "Deferration"

Today, Steven and I took Apple to his training class at PETCO for what we expected would be his graduation. We even took some pictures beforehand to commemorate the event:

Yes, sometimes I humanize my dog. I'm a Dog Mom.

I wondered to myself if it was bad luck to take the graduation pictures before we had the certificate in hand, but I reassured myself that I too took preemptive grad photos and I ended up just fine. Maybe I should have thought again. Apple's trainer forgot about our class and went out of town....so we had our own personal training session (which he aced) and then left with some free treats and another week to wait for graduation day.

Apple first started taking a training class at PETCO in October. He got to start in an advanced class because he already knew the basic class commands, and he was doing really well. In four weeks, he had mastered many commands such as "wait," "leave it," "down," "stay," etc. Then, two weeks before our would-be graduation date (November 11) our trainer stopped working at PETCO and we had to wait for the new trainer to be certified.

The interesting thing about the new trainer is that she was waiting on her PETCO certification, but she already had experience training attack dogs. We finally got to start with her in December, but the holidays delayed our graduation even further, and the month-long break we had to take from class caused Apple to regress a bit in the areas that we didn't fully master. Because of that, we attended more than just 2 more classes. We did 3 or 4 before we got the green light to graduate today. 

I should be happy though, because Apple is ready to graduate, and he will be ready next week, too. The main thing he had to work on with the new trainer was loose-leash walking or "heeling" which he was terrible at, and was completely necessary because he is so heavy and strong. There have been many times I thought he would pull my arm out of the socket pulling me on his leash. By doing a combination of different tactics from pushing him up against a wall (not so fun) to luring him with treats (much more fun) we finally got him to walk appropriately and he is much better behaved.

He has learned a lot of valuable things in the class; its just too bad we had so many delays to actually finishing it. Luckily, the class is really inexpensive as far as training goes. We paid $99 once for the class and the extra sessions were free for us.

In honor of his graduation, I wanted to give him some "grades" in this blog. Even though we don't have the certificate today, I am still going to do it.

Basic Commands: A
Walking on Leash: B
Off-Leash Behavior: A+
On-Leash Behavior: B-
Intelligence/Games: A
Attention Span: B-
Mouthing Inhibition: B- (note: not aggressive biting)
Barking: B
Ability to Settle: C
 
He is very smart and responds to commands very well, but he still needs some work in areas that require him to be focused and calm. That's his main problem in areas like barking and mouthing/bite inhibition--when he gets worked up or excited, he has difficulty controlling himself, but a lot of that comes with age. He never bites out of aggression, but gets in states sometimes where he tries to mouth at us and is spazzing out on the ground because his gums hurt and he can't control himself. 

I have been noticing occasional glimpses of better self-control from him with his 1st birthday coming up soon. However, I have also noticed that he is getting increasingly protective of us with age, so barking has recently become more of a struggle than it was before. 

Hopefully, Apple will be an official graduate next Sunday. I'll keep you posted!