7 Essentials for Dog Walks

Let’s face it, anytime I leave the house with the dogs I have a checklist of things I have to bring with. You know…for an enjoyable, stress free walk. I used to run out of the house, two dogs in hand and be tangling leashes, juggling cell phones and keys and be screwed if I got thirsty. #firstworldproblems

1 – First up, comfy shoes – a definite must.

dog-walking-essentials-2

2 – A good leash

I’m always a sucker for a good leather leash – they last forever, look stylish, and are comfy on the hands. My other favorite leash? The waist-leash from Ruffwear.

3 – Shoulder Bag

You know for those poop bags, keys, cell phone, chapstick, etc. etc. We’re in absolute love with this over-the-shoulder bag from DOOG. It’s stylish, has an adjustable strap and the best part? It has a poop bag dispenser on the front. Hallelujah. Dog mom dreams do come true.

4 – Poop Bags. 

Stuff ’em in your DOOG walking bag dispenser. And bring extras. Because if your dog is named Lola she’ll always split up her potty trips into as many separate stops as possible.

5 – Water Bottle.

Usually mine ends up being poured into my walking mate’s mouths…

doog-walking-bag1

6 – Cell phone. No, not because I can’t go 30 minutes without taking a photo of my dogs, but you know…in case of emergency.

7 – Training treats. Last minute distractions, training practice, you name it…they always come in handy.

What is something you always bring on walks with your dogs? 

dog-walking-essentials

My Pittied Life: June

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

Happy July, friends.

But first…oh my gosh, she seriously cracks me up. Look close – see those little teefers peeking out!?

My Pittied Life: June | lolathepitty.com

Well, what’s new in June?

Our Flyball career has came to an end.

It’s true. We tried (and tried, and tried) for two years but as of June, Lola will no longer compete in Flyball. I could go on about the issues we had and while we were making progress, it just didn’t work out with the team we were on and the situation we were in. While it’s a little sad, it’s the best thing for Lola (and myself). And while we all think Lola could have continued, everyone felt it was for the best she not.

With that being said, in everything we do with and for our dogs, I feel we should set them up for success. For example, if your dog isn’t great with all dogs, don’t take them to a dog park. Period. It’s about weighing your desire to do something with your dog’s individual needs. And I’ve learned that over the years of being a dog owner. I’ve by no means been perfect.


Doggy Delivery

Okay, not literally, but we finally set up auto-ship for Lola’s food because there’s only one store around here that carries it and sometimes they run out. And it was cheaper online and shows up on my doorstep. Win. Chewy.com rocks…

Lola-pitbull-chewy.com


Our New House…

Or lack thereof. We were supposed to be living in a house of our own by now but typical construction, we’ve been delayed. A couple times. Hopefully by the end of August, well, let’s just say September, we’ll have a yard for these two to run around in (a small one, but a yard nonetheless). I’m not sure what I’m more excited about, the house or not having to take the dogs out on the leash every time they have to pee.


Enjoying Summer – take a peek at what we’ve been up to…

This photo below was just taken today – we’ve been hitting the field and bringing out the disc more often to burn off some energy and enjoy the sunshine and Colorado summer (now…I’m the one that needs practice throwing that darn thing).

My Pittied Life: June | lolathepitty.com

This is Lola’s way of saying, “I’m done”. Too hot. She plops down at the first chance of shade and is a PIA to get going again. Princess status around here.

My Pittied Life: June | lolathepitty.com

Are you following us on Instagram? We’d love if you would! Help us hit 2K! @lolathepitty

Lola the pitty Until next month! Thanks for reading.

 

My Pittied Life | May

Lolathepitty.com

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

Seriously, do you remember when you were a kid and adults would say, “Life is short…” and all you could think about was, “No it’s not! This school year has lasted forever”…and then all of a sudden you’re 30, done with high school, done with college, and yeah. Your parents were right.

Well that’s kind of how I’ve felt this past year. It’s June (practically). WTH. I totally missed last month’s issue of My Pittied Life because well, life was a little crazy.

So what’s new!? We’ve been rained out in Colorado for pretty much the entire month, but still sneaking out to the trail or park when we get the chance.

Lolathepitty.com

Did you see Rio’s new collar? We love Amy over at Karma Collars – talk about talent. By the way, if you have a collar obsession lik I do, check out the Collar Stands we started selling on our site and Etsy.

Life and Flyball

If you follow us on Instagram (@lolathepitty), you’ve probably seen this photo taken on the Sheep Draw Trail in Greeley. Lola was a little surprised at the mooing coming out of these ginormous dogs. Hence the hackles raised from shoulder to tail…She cracks me up.

Lolathepitty.com

We’ve also been practicing our flyball skills (or lack thereof). I’m losing confidence that we’ll make a good flyball dog and we’ve experienced a lot of change – new team, new trainers, new environment which I think has come into play. But as of now, we’re not running in the tournaments here, rather just doing “warm-ups” and then I’ve been running an adorable Border-Staffy for a teammate of ours. Fun, but not quite as fun as running your own dog.

And on top of that (just to keep things interesting, ya know) Lola started yelping and biting at her back (mid spine) when we were getting ready to release her. We pulled her off the track for the day and I’ve been in contact with the neuro department at the CSU vet school to make sure she doesn’t have an injury. Right now, it looks like nothing, but we’re keeping at eye on it. Oh Lola…

Soggy Doggy Promo

15% off Soggy Doggy order with code LOLA15 | lolathepitty.com

In other news, there’s just a couple short weeks left with our Soggy Doggy promo code “LOLA15”. Make sure to take advantage of that sale before it’s over. Visit SoggyDoggyDoormat.com (best dog mats, shammies, etc).

Website makeover.

I almost forgot – since I missed last month’s inside scoop, I did a little website makeover. Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t. Thoughts? Every once in a while I get the itch for change. Any feedback appreciated.

We’ll make sure to keep everyone updated on our adventures, things might slow down a tad bit here due to some life ‘adventures’ in our horizon, but stay tuned.

-Sarah, Lola, and Rio. 

My Pittied Life: March

lolathepitty.com

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

The months are flying by; I can hardly believe it’s been two months since we moved. I also didn’t realize how much I had missed Colorado…it’s so good to be back home. The dogs are completely settled into their routine and so are their humans.

Did you read my post on Tips for Moving with Dogs? Check it out!

Let’s see. What the heck did we do this month?

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

Hiking the Poudre River

The second week of March we went up to the Dunraven Trail by the Poudre River with my dad and step-mom. The dogs had a blast and although the trails were still snow-covered, it was 70 degrees and we put in a five or-so mile hike. An added bonus? The dogs were able to play in the river and were both crashed out before we hit the main road back to town.

The Flyball Adventure Continues

A different environment. Different trainers. Plus a different team. But Lola is settling in and the training continues. She challenges me at times (okay, most of the time) but we’re making progress. A lot of her success falls back on me, I truly need to take more time during the week to train, train, train and work on her issues. A never ending process.

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.comExploring Northern Colorado

I’m seriously in love with Colorado and I think I’ve convinced the dogs and boy that I was not exaggerating when bragging about the weather. We’ve had more 70-degree days than not. Plus, we live about a half mile from a beautiful paved trail that covers about 20 miles of countryside and growing towns. Biking, jogging, taking the dogs for walks – you name it. Plus, right off the trail is a large dog park which we’ve made a few pit stops for on our walks. This trail alone is helping the dogs get into tip-top shape, not to mention myself.

Lola the Pitty is a “Pet Blog to Watch”!

We we’re honored and thrilled when Victoria Stilwell listed us as one of the top 10 Pet Blogs to Watch! It’s so much fun to watch my blog grow and meet new friends along the way. So if you’re reading this – thank you. It means a lot to us.

Dog Collar Stands 

If you didn’t know this, my dad is an extremely talented woodworker. And I am extremely good at giving him ideas of things to make. Including this collar stand for one of the other things I’m really good at: collecting dog collars. Check ’em out on our Etsy shop!

Dog Collar Stand by Lolathepitty.com | https://www.etsy.com/listing/225160167/dog-collar-stand?ref=shop_home_active_1

Until next month…

My Pittied Life: February

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

We have a lot to catch up on. After all, we missed last month’s issue of My Pittied Life…my apologies. I was most likely sorting through boxes of who knows what, taking car loads of crap to the Goodwill, or dragging 83 boxes of stuff down two flights of stairs in the process of moving.

Many of you know, we are now living in Colorado but we have quite a few other things to chat about. Did I mention, the whole moving part sucks?

Lovin’ Colorado

My Pittied Life: February | lolathepitty.com

Colorado has been awesome and amazing to us since we arrived! But I really had no doubts. It’s great to be back “home” and hey, with 70 degree days in February – no one can complain. This picture above was taken on Valentine’s Day. Every now and then (okay, like every day) I tend to open my weather app and compare Minnesota temps to Colorado and then laugh a little and ask myself why it took so long to get back home. Lola and Rio are obviously loving it, too. We haven’t had to bust out the dog jackets in quite some time. Although as I type, we’re expecting a big snow storm – which I can totally handle. It’s the extended stay of the negative temps that really got to me in Minne.

We’re finally getting a fence!

This seems like a silly thing to get pumped about, but as of this summer we’re finally going to have a YARD with a fence and we’ll officially be homeowners! While the house is the highlight here, the whole fence + yard part is something I’m definitely looking forward to.

PetBox

It was a good month for the dogs as they received their very first PetBox (I was pleasantly surprised at the cute box, and how well-packaged it was) and, as you can tell, Lola was not shy about her excitement.

My Pittied Life: February | PetBox Review! | lolathepitty.com

  •  ZippyPaws Crinkle Dragonfly – This is a cute plush toy, but seems fairly cheap and I’m not really sure how it’s still ‘alive’…but it is. The wings are crinkly and there is a squeaker in the body of the toy so we have to watch the dogs with it to make sure they don’t eat the squeaker.
  • Petstages Dental Twist – this was our favorite item in the box, but Rio has already shredded the bottom – we have to monitor him with any fabric as he’ll most likely eat it. Lola is a little better, but he tends to steal it if she is playing with it. Siblings, haha.
  • Old Mother Hubbard P-Nuttier Treats – I’m sure Rio will enjoy these. Sorry, Lola – whole wheat flour and chicken are listed in the ingredients.
  • Evanger’s Beef Dinner with Spinach and Kale – this looks like a good canned dog food that is well received on Dog Food Advisor – I’ll be adding a spoonful or two on top of their food for a little extra treat. I was happy to see that it was not chicken and was grain free.
  • Fetch TopsyTurvies hippo snail dog toy – was this in the box? It last approximately three minutes. Sorry hippo-snail, rest in peace.
  • Pet Greens Treats – The dogs were crazy about these and I was happy to see a limited ingredient dog treat that contained no fillers or grains.

As you can see it was a busy month filled with adventures, settling into our new (temporary) home while our house is being built and fun packages in the mail (for the dogs anyways). Life is good. We’ll catch up with ya next month!

Thanks for reading.

Stay up to date with our adventures on Instagram (@lolathepitty)!

My Pittied Life: December

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

Happy New Year, friends!

Did I tell you we move in less than four weeks? I cannot wait and the negative-whatever temps in Minnesota have just been helping that urge.

I hope y’all had a great Christmas – we spent ours in Colorado and (of course) took Lola and Rio with.

Which brings us to this months My Pittied Life.

A White Christmas

Okay, not so much. It did snow the night of Christmas and the next day if that counts. Otherwise it was 35-50 degrees the entire time. Not too shabby – I’ll take it.

We were able to stay for just over a week as I had some work to do with my new marketing position. Lola and Rio did great on the 13-hour road trip (probably better than me). But we have our perfect system figured out with the dogs – might be another blog post someday, *wink, wink*. Of course when we got to my father’s house they were ready to run!

Here are some pics from our little mini vacay.

My Pittied Life - lolathepitty.com

Flyball

We are going to miss our flyball team when we make the big move but have connected with another team in northern Colorado. Here is a little video that was taken with a Go Pro at our team practice.

Lola is so close to being able to compete, in fact she made her first (practically) full run in warm-ups at a local tournament.

After you watch that video, you have to watch this spoof. Promise you’ll laugh.

Blog-iversary – LolathePitty.com turns ONE!

I completely passed over my own blog’s anniversary… shame. Lola the Pitty has now been up and running for over one year! Pretty exciting if ya ask me.

On the Blog

Besides all the craziness that the holiday brings, we have a Paw Care Kit giveaway for your pooches! So if you haven’t entered, please do – featuring awesome products from Natural Dog Company.

Plus, save this article, you’ll need it someday. Or at least we have. 5 Tips for Treating Dog Diarrhea. Did I tell you finally know how to spell diarrhea? It’s one of those funny words that I used to look at every time I’d spell it out because it just didn’t look right…

p.s. look for an update on the Monster Holiday Drive – we are just wrapping up details on the fundraiser and plan to share soon! One thing I can tell you – we raised over $5,000 worth of products for dogs in need. I’m astonished. Thank YOU.

Top Four for 2014

Peanut Butter Banana + Flax Seed Dog Biscuits - @lolathepitty

Some pretty exciting things happened in 2014. Such as starting this blog.

And I can’t forget rescuing Emma, which was probably one of the biggest highlights of the year.

Then of course there’s that part where I resigned from my career as marketing director to pursue major life goals, which include relocating to my home state of Colorado (just a few weeks away!).

But I wanted to recap some of my favorite blog posts (and yours) over the past year. I found myself discovering posts that even I had forgotten about it. So, here they are…in no particular order.

1. My Dog Bit My Child.

Rio-safety-with-Kids

Ahh, the post that crashed my blog. I’m fairly certain that prior to this post, the only person reading this blog was my mother.

2. Loose Leash Walking Tips

loose-leash-walking-lolathepitty

The day I was able to walk Lola on a loose leash without her pulling me down the block was a fabulous day. I suggest the experience.

3. Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treat Recipe

Peanut Butter Banana + Flax Seed Dog Biscuits - @lolathepitty

These treats…dogs love ’em. You love them. They are my most viewed recipe and have received many rave reviews!

4. Five Ways to Advocate for Pit Bulls

Five Ways to Advocate for Pit Bulls - lolathepitty.com
Photo by Amaya Frutkoff

Seriously, I never thought this post would take off like it did. Five simple ways to advocate for pitties, even if you don’t own one.

p.s. thanks for reading. You truly make my day. Here’s to another great year – happy 2015!

 

My Pittied Life: November

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

November proved to be quite the exciting month… I’ve got some exciting announcements in life de Sarah, so read on!

My Pittied Life - Lolathepitty.com

Mini Rescue Operation

It was a typical Friday night. We had just finished running some errands and went to get a bite to eat. After sitting down with our BBQ sandwiches, I glanced out the window and saw a tiny white dog running through the parking lot – towards the highway.

I watched it for just a moment to see if for some odd reason it had an owner following (knowing this was not likely)…then two seconds later, I popped up out of my seat yelling back to Antonio that I’d be back, “there was a dog I had to get”! Me and my big clunky snow boots ran out the door, (attracting some strange glances on the way) and over to the direction I saw the dog.

I knelt down on the ground, kissed at the dog and watched her trot the other direction. Antonio followed me out the door with a chunk of my sandwich to try and coax the scared pup. At the same time an older couple drove up and asked if it was my dog and I asked them the same. Both resulting in the same answer – no. I asked the gentleman to drive past the dog, who was now heading toward the highway, and get out so that we could hopefully catch the dog or at the very least, direct her the other way.

My Pittied Life - lolathepitty.com

We corralled the dog into a corner of the building and the poor thing appeared to be blind. Knowing there wasn’t much of a choice, I put my gloves on and quickly snatched the dog up. The dog yelped, most likely out of fright, but quickly calmed down. I told the older couple that I would take care of finding the owner and getting this pup back home safe.

Antonio had ran back into the restaurant to grab my purse and the car keys and luckily the dog was wearing an id tag with a phone number! The first time we tried calling – no answer. The second time – an answer! An elderly woman answered the phone and I told her I had a fluffy white dog in front of me. She was delighted and asked where she was found. Five minutes later, this woman drove down to pick up her 14 year old blind, and mostly deaf dog.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

The BIG News

In August (was it August? Yep.) I resigned from my marketing job of nearly five years. It was one of the biggest decisions of my life. But it was time – time to focus on me and move forward. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

The first couple months went by, sluggishly and the couple promising job interviews proved not to be.

But something exciting happened recently and I’ve been questioning whether to share immediately or wait a while…oh well, here it goes:

I recently accepted a job with a marketing company.

A marketing company that just so happens to have a dog as it’s logo.

I mean, how perfect is that?

A marketing company where I’ll be working alongside Lola and Rio most of the day.

A marketing company in Colorado.

We’re moving! Moving back home.

Buh-bye Minnesota. It’s been nice (and cold), but it’s time.

I’m going miss the connections and friends we’ve made here but I’m excited. I’ll miss my horseback riding buddy, my dog friends, my rescue connections, our flyball team, our favorite places to take the dogs to play, and my mother (Lola and Rio’s grandma), but I’m ecstatic about the future.

We’ll keep you posted on the move!

 Kennel Cough Sucks

Oh, Rio. You’ve been healthy (minus the $2,500 surgery) for almost an entire year… so I guess we were due –  kennel cough got the best of him. Luckily, we had a vet appointment made for his one-year shots and what not so we had them check out the coughing. Didn’t seem to effect him all too much though and I’m just glad Lola never caught it! Sick dogs are no fun. But I’ll definitely take kennel cough over giardia or any other intestinal parasite. Yikes.

Holiday Gift Guides

We had two fabulous gift guides that I posted in November. One is a gift guide for dog lovers and one is specifically for all my “pibble” lovers. But of course, they kind of carry over into one another.

Check ’em out below!

Lola the Pitty’s 7 Top Gifts for Pit Bull Lovers

Holiday Gift Guide for Pit Bull Lovers and Advocates! lolathepitty.com
and

Lola the Pitty’s Gift Guide for Dog Lovers

 

Lola the Pitty's Holiday Gift Guide for Dog Lovers!

Thanks for reading, we’ll catch up next month!

P.s. Do I have any Colorado friends?