9 Healthy Additions to Your Dog’s Diet

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Diet - lolathepitty.com

Truly…every single meal around here is one of the best moments of my dog’s life. So even though my dogs may never get bored of their food, I do, and want to feed them a little “something” special that is not only a treat for them but offers several health benefits as well. I’m also kinda (ok, really) picky on what we feed our dogs. They don’t just get any table scraps.

Okay, onto more important things like jazzing things up for your pooch. I’ve included nine different ingredients and foods to add to your dog’s diet to provide them with more nutrients and vitamins:

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Turmeric Root

Turmeric is one of the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today as a powerful antioxidant. Adding turmeric to your dog’s diet has many benefits, including its anti-inflammatory properties.

  • Anti-cancer properties
  • Protects against radiation-induced damage
  • Reduces unhealthy levels of inflammation
  • Detoxifier
  • Relieves allergies
  • Acts as a binding agent, great for treating diarrhea
  • High in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals

Tip: add a quarter of a teaspoon per ten pounds of your pet’s body weight of ground turmeric to their food per day (or ~1 1/4 tsp for a 50lb dog).

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Carrots

Not only do carrots make awesome dog treats, but they’re packed with vitamin A and also offer the following benefits:

  • Packed with fiber (great for digestive health
  • Naturally clean your dog’s teeth
  • Beta-Carotene: great for coat vibrancy and eyesight

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Sweet Potatoes

Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes? My two dogs (and I) are in love with them. Sweet potatoes are a great addition to your dog’s diet for digestive health (high in dietary fiber) plus they contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. Oh, and they’re low in fat. A win across the board.

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Fresh Parsley

I buy a bundle of fresh, organic parsley at the grocery store for $0.79 on the regular. Fresh parsley helps with bad dog breath (thankfully), and is rich in protein, fiber, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus) and vitamins A, C, B1, B2, and K.

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Plain Greek Yogurt or Kefir

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt (Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species). It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. So basically it’s an anti-fungal, anti-biotic, a probiotic and kills yeast. When shopping for greek yogurt, make sure you get the plain flavor with no added sugars.

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Raw Free-Range Eggs

Shell and all, just plop a raw egg on top of your dog’s food and watch them gobble it up! Lola and Rio go nuts over them. I’m not sure I’ve met a dog that doesn’t enjoy eggs. Just don’t be like Lola and insist on carrying it over to any carpeted surface to enjoy (I now drop her egg in the bowl so it cracks open).

9 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Dog's Food {lolathepitty.com}

Goat Milk

The only time goat milk is in this house is for the dogs which is why I love, love, love The Healthy Kitchen’s powdered goat milk (Pro Bloom). I mix up 1 packet (makes 1 cup) and feed it to them over two meals. Then simply pour it over their kibble, let it soak for a few minutes and dig in! Yum, yum.

Fish Oil

This stuff seriously stinks up the kitchen, but (like 99% of all foods) Lola and Rio go nuts over it. Fish oil provides omega-3 fats which helps with a healthy coat and nails and aids in joint relief.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is a true superfood that’s not only very inexpensive and simple to make, but filled with nutrients. Major benefits of bone broth:

  • Packed with glucosamine
  • Helps detox your dog’s liver
  • Loaded with minerals

To make bone broth for your dog: Fill a slow-cooker with raw bones (use joint bones which have cartilage, we love beef marrow bones), add enough water to cover the bones, squeeze the juice from from 1 lemon (helps extract the minerals from the bones), and cook on low for 24 hours. Remove the bones and store remaining broth in the fridge or freezer.

And this is just the beginning…what other healthy foods do you add to your dog’s diet? Coconut oil, pumpkin?

Dog Lovers Gift Guide | 2016

Gift Guide for Dog Lovers - Lolathepitty.com

Dog Lovers Gift Guide! Tons of great ideas for dog parents via Lolathepitty.com

There’s a good chance you have a dog lover on your holiday shopping list this season. Well, no better place to ask advice for gift ideas than from a dog-enthusiast herself!

dog-teepee
photo credit: pipolli

{1} Dog Teepee

Great interior design addition + cozy space for your pup? This dog teepee is almost a total win. The only issue? It’s a tad too small for Lola :(.

Shop it! Dog Teepee

All I want to do is drink coffee, save pitbulls, take naps t-shirt

{2} “All I want to do is Drink Coffee, Save Pitbulls, & Take Naps” t-shirt

This pretty much explains my life.

Shop it! ‘Coffee, pitbulls, naps’ t-shirt

grounds and hounds coffee

{3} Grounds & Hounds Coffee

For the coffee + dog lover in your life, nothing quite beats coffee from Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co.; started by Jordan Karcher, Grounds & Hounds was born out of his passion to give back to the animals by offering delicious coffee. Plus Grounds & Hounds is a fair trade, organic coffee company and 20% of all revenue received is donated to rescue groups. Whoop.

Ladies love and rescue sweatshirt

{4} Ladies ‘Love & Rescue’ Fleece Pullover

I’m in love with everything about this hoodie, plus 50% (50!) of proceeds donated to rescue.

Shop it! Love & Rescue Pullover

Handmade dog collar stand - walnut

{5} Dog Collar Stand

Is it just me, or are you obsessed with dog collars? They’re kind of like shoes for me…gotta keep the pups looking fresh! Well this stand can hold up to 8 dog collars instead of stuffing them in a box somewhere and forgetting about them. Dog collar of the week?

Shop it! Wood Dog Collar Stand

paw-print-necklace

{6} Paw Print Necklace

This paw print necklace is just plain cute!

Shop it! Paw Print Necklace

pitbull-art

{7} Pitbull Art on Canvas

I want every one of these to hang in each room of my house! Check out his entire collection on the Gemini Studio Etsy shop link below…he offers tons of dog breeds and even a “rescue dog” print.

Shop it! Pitbull Art

*This is NOT a sponsored post and all products are just truly products I love and would buy!*

3 Healthier Ways to Treat Your Dog

3 Healthy Ways to Treat Your Dog - lolathepitty.com

3 Healthy Ways to Treat Your Dog - lolathepitty.com

We’re sticklers around here with keeping our dogs at a healthy weight. There are so many associated health problems with overweight dogs and I want to make sure ours avoid any health problems that we can possibly control.

With that being said, when first moving back to Colorado I was having a house built and while in limbo I was living with my grandfather who loves to spoil the dogs. And his way of spoiling? Lots of treats. And while I did set the limits on what they can eat, I had to get creative while still allowing him to give the dogs their daily round of treats (which he truly enjoys, and hey…when your 86 years old you get your way).

Break treats in half (or quarters).

Depending on the size of the treat, break them into tiny pieces so they go farther. Your pup won’t mind, he’s getting a treat after all and that’s all that really matters! If they’re anything like mine, they don’t even get to the chewing part before it’s in their stomach. Another great tip is to use their food as treats. Working on training? This is the perfect opportunity to reward your dog without completely ruining their diet.

Make your own treats.

By making your own treats you know what goes it them and have control over what they’re eating. We love these Pumpkin Puppuccinos for autumn! Fill a Kong for pro-longed entertainment or sit on the patio and let them enjoy (without making a mess)! Check out our DIY dog treat recipes and let us know what you think.

Treat with Fruits and Veggies

Your pup probably won’t even notice! If they’re anything like mine, they go down so fast they don’t even chew. Try dicing up carrots, apples, bananas or even green beans!

Can’t help yourself? You just love handing the treats out?

Cut back on the food. Measure the amount of food your dog gets every day and keep in mind that treats are exactly that – often richer and higher in calories. Unfortunately…

Tip: looking to spoil your pooch? Take them on walks, teach them tricks (learn + get treats!) and work with them on training, and try experimenting with different puzzle games for dogs. I love taking Lola and Rio to the field to play disc as their ‘special treat’ and working especially with Rio on new tricks as he’s my over-pleaser!

7 Cleaning Tips for Dog Owners

I feel as if life currently revolves around removing unwanted dog hair: from the floor, from my clothes, the bedding, it’s everywhere…

Lola-Roomba

The Hair.

Solutions for the floor? I have wood floors throughout the main of the house and carpet in the bedrooms. Dark wood floors that is. And mainly white dogs. Don’t ask me why I made that decision (the dark floors of course), but I have one answer: iRobot Roomba – it works fantastic for wood floors and dog hair. I’ll also note that I’m in love with the vacuum I use, Oreck’s Magnesium. Are you listening iRobot and Oreck?

Lint Rollers – I purchase these in bulk typically because no matter how much I run the iRobot and groom the dogs, they still shed.

lintroller

Wet, Muddy, and Dirty Paws

Rugs, and more rugs. But I also keep the Soggy Doggy shammy by my back door and Lola and Rio know the drill!

lola the pitty soggy doggy mat

Nose Prints on Glass

Window cleaner with vinegar or wet a Magic Eraser and dry.

Pet Accidents

Pee, poo, butt-dragging, vomiting…it happens. To this day I have a bottle of pet odor and stain remover spray in my cleaning closet. And it never fails, it gets used time and time again. And I thought I’d only have to keep this around during the potty training days – ha.

Pet bowls and feeding mat - 9 essential dog products

Dog Drool

Feeding mats and good ‘ole paper towels. Tip: check out TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc. for good deals on feeding mats (I think I picked ours up for less than $8).

Clean Dog, Clean Home

Well…for the most part. Regular baths and grooming can cut down on the shedding and dirt brought into your home, making less work for you in the end.

#bathtime

A photo posted by L O L A the P I T T Y (@lolathepitty) on

What tips do you have for keeping a clean home as a dog owner?

How To Make a Wine Barrel Dog Bed

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

Wine barrel, whiskey barrel, you get my drift. They’re adorable. And the perfect size for any dog under 50 pounds-ish. You may have seen them on Pinterest or elsewhere, but once I saw these wine barrel dog beds I knew I had to have one.

That is until I saw the $150-300 price tag. That’s not going to happen. We’ve got a house to buy. New mission: find a wine or whiskey barrel and make my own dog bed.

The first struggle was finding a whiskey or wine barrel that wasn’t $100 itself. I eventually found a full size half-whiskey barrel at The Home Depot for $39 – not bad (although when I went back to buy another they were sold out).

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

To turn this into a dog bed was fairly simple. Here’s how:

Remove the top metal band (this one was held in by a few screws) and we had to use a wedge and hammer to push it down.

This barrel was fairly tall so we decided to take 3″ off the top so we used a marker to measure 3″ down around the diameter where we would make our cut.

From there we drew our line with a Sharpie marking where the opening cut would be made. To get a smooth curve we used a very thin, long piece of wood and bend it to form a “U” shape. My dad held it while I drew the mark on the barrel.

We then turned the barrel on its side and used an electric saw to cut our opening.

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

After the cuts were made it was smooth sailing! We grabbed a couple pieces of coarse sandpaper and smoothed the edges so that no pups were left with wood splinters.

Finally, we used a pair of garden shears to cut the metal band at an angle to follow the curve of the opening and secured it to the side of the barrel with two screws on each side.

Top it off with a $10 bed that you can find at TJ Maxx and you’re ready to go!

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

If you’re spoiled, you’ll even get your name burned in the wood…

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

Life is good!

DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed | lolathepitty.com

Until your brother steals your bed.

 

How to Reduce Shedding + A Giveaway!

Tips to reduce shedding in dogs | lolathepitty.com

It’s no lie when I say that every single thing I own is covered in dog hair.

And it doesn’t help that most of my clothes are black and Rio (the main offender) is 95% white.

I’ll be honest, we have never groomed our dogs’ coats much. After all, they’re short-haired dogs and I never believed they needed it that much. And while we can get away with not brushing or combing their coats (it’s not like we have to deal with matting or tangles), it dramatically affects how much they shed, or don’t.

Tips to reduce shedding in dogs | lolathepitty.com

I was always hesitant to purchase one of these FURminator deshedding brushes due to the cost and so I previously settled for a cheap, $5 brush that is now sitting in a Rubbermaid bucket full of other worthless dog products. Well the picture above is the hair that came out after just a couple strokes down Rio’s back…I can tell you this rake-style brush will be well worth your purchase.

I couldn’t believe that Rio had as much undercoat as he did. I’ve already noticed a decrease in the amount of fur that ends up on our floor, bed, clothes, etc. (everywhere).

And the coolest part, yes I’m easily amused, is the little button that ejects the fur. Fly away, fur, fly away.

Tips for reducing shedding in dogs | lolathepitty.com

Tips to reduce shedding:

  • Brush your dog often (daily if you can) using the correct brush for their coat
  • Feed your dog a high quality diet
  • Add flax seed, coconut oil, or an omega-3 supplement (these can help improve skin health, reducing dandruff, and improving coat quality)
  • Regular baths

Tips to reduce shedding in dogs - FURminator deshedding brush for shorthaired dogs| lolathepitty.com

zukes-salmonWell today is your lucky day because Chewy.com (my favorite online dog store) and I have teamed up to bring you an awesome giveaway with not only this brush, but with a large bag of Zuke’s Chewy Salmon Treats. Happy pup, happy owner.

Enter the giveaway below and check your email often! Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Open to US residents only. Winner will be notified via email and has 24 hours to respond.

7 Must-Have Products for Your Puppy

7 Must-Have Products for Your Puppy

7 Must-Have Products for Your Puppy

It’s been a while since we’ve had a puppy in the house, but looking back there were several must-have items that made our life that much easier.

I’ll never forget the first time we brought Lola home and in less than 24 hours, she had diarrhea in the only room that had new light carpet (amateur move on our part) – twice, plus peed on the floor a few times. Incase you’ve forgotten, puppies pee just about every 30 minutes. Or at least it seems that way and I can assure you I’m not too far off.

As you can imagine, paper towels were a necessity, which brings me to our list:

paper-towels-spray1. Paper towels + pet stain and odor remover spray

A true necessity. That little puddle of pee seems not so small once you tear off three paper towels and then find yourself going back for more paper towels at least two times. And I highly recommend a pet stain/odor remover spray. Followed by a shampooing after your pup is potty trained. Or wood floors.

PoochieBells-Leather-b

2. Poochie Bells

Some of you may be asking yourself, “What are Poochie Bells?”. Well…they’re a potty training doorbell for your pup. We used them with Lola and Rio and they worked like a charm.

Before we would go outside, we would tap Lola’s paw on the bell and immediately run her outside. We did that every single time we went outside. A week later? She rang the bell by herself. Hearing that bell was like music to my ears. A week later, she was completely potty trained. I kid you not. Rio on the other hand, well – I guess boys are more difficult. Lola took about two to three weeks before she was completely accident-free.

And they’re even great post potty training because no matter where you’re at in the house, your dog can get your attention by ringing the bell. Not to mention they have the CUTEST designs and my favorite, the premium leather.

These are just a few of their many designs, check out the Poochie Bells website for more!

poochie-bells-all

3. Dog Crate

We bought a large crate, or kennel, when Lola was a puppy and let her grow into it. It was packed with blankets (all of which are now shredded) and it was her own cozy little place. I’m sure this prevented MANY accidents as she would refuse to pee in her crate. Besides being challenging at times, Lola was really an easy puppy.

4. Training Treats

Since training is a constant activity with dogs it’s always nice to have a bag or two (or five) of small, soft training treats. I personally bring treats on walks with me when I want to work on heeling or any type of training.

leather leash5. Leash/Collar/Harness

This is obvious. But they are a necessity. We prefer to use a standard 6 ft. leather leash – they last forever. Don’t even get me started on collars; I may have a slight obsession.

6. Toys, Toys, Toys

Puppies will be puppies. And by that, I mean they’re bound to chew up something of yours. To prevent that, give them their own things to chew on. Life for a puppy is really about what you can chew on and what you can’t. One of our favorites? Our Kong’s; endless entertainment and one of the only toys that the dogs haven’t destroyed.

7. ID Tag & Microchip

This is a great reminder, especially after catching Turbo, a stray dog I found last month. The tag saved me a trip to a vet or shelter to see if he was microchipped (and got him home that much faster). Microchipping and making your dog wear a tag ensures that if anything ever should happen, they have a much greater chance of making it home.

Notice I didn’t list puppy pads in here? Yeah…name one time you came home and that pad wasn’t shredded in a million pieces. They were more work than they were worth. For us anyways.

Now…of course you need a good food, bowl to eat and drink out of along with a trusty vet, but what else can you think of that your pup needs?

Tips for Catching a Stray Dog

Tips for Catching a Stray Dog | lolathepitty.com

Tips for Catching a Stray Dog | lolathepitty.com

It doesn’t seem to matter where I go, I run into stray dogs. It’s been a while since my last ‘rescue’ but today as I was driving home from getting my hair cut, a dog ran almost directly alongside my car on a busy street. Luckily he turned back in and ran down the less-busy residential street.

There was a gentleman in a wheelchair that was trying to catch him as well but it was apparent that the dog was not only frightened of strangers, but also the wheelchair. There was an elderly lady that kept saying, “He’s aggressive…be careful”. He was barking at strangers, but it was apparent from his body language that he was fearful and frightened. You can use your instinct here, but it is also very helpful to study dog behavior and this will help you a lot when dealing with a stray.

Many times, women are less intimidating that men, but again it all depends on the situation and the dog.

Long story short, Turbo, the dog pictured below is safe and with his owner. It took a lot of patience and analyzing to coax him but it worked.

I’ve dealt with dogs that are much easier to catch and once, with a dog that I was not successful in catching the first day, but that was eventually caught a few days later.

Here are some tips that I’ve learned along the way:

Please remember these are all dependent upon the dog and to use your best judgement when dealing with a stray.

1. Never chase.

As bad as you may want to, please do not. This is intimidating and a dog that is lost is already out of their element.

2. Be prepared. 

Probably the most important part. I have dogs of my own, so I almost always have treats, a spare leash, and ball in the car. This is how Turbo was caught. In fact, I had a long lead and a tug in the car, so I looped the two together so that I could slyly sneak the lead around his neck when I could get him within a comfortable distance.

If you have a ball or tug (these are great because they can’t run off with it), try playing with the dog or getting their attention. Squeaky toys work great to show them you’re here to have fun and just want to play with them! I began squeaking the ball and immediately Turbo perked up. I was suddenly becoming interesting and he wanted to follow me – but wouldn’t get within five feet of me still…

3. Refrain from shouting or calling the dog

Lost dogs are quite often afraid, in flee mode and on guard – shouting at him to “come” or calling him may make him even more frightened. Try these tips below…

4. Crouch or Turn your back to the dog

If the dog seems like he’ll come up to you, try kneeling down and toss out treats to gain trust and show the dog that you just want to help him.

If the dog seems extra skittish – with your back turned, begin tossing out treats to get the dog to trust you. Simply sit on the ground and throw treats out a good distance away from you, slowly moving the treats closer and closer.

Tips for Catching a Stray Dog lolathepitty.com5. Introduce another dog

With Turbo, we could tell by the way he would interact with the other dogs behind the fences that he was not dog aggressive so a neighbor brought out his dog and just sat on the porch with him. Be very careful with this situation and never introduce a dog much smaller than the stray. Turbo immediately started wagging his tail and the other dog play-bowed. This was a great sign.

This is what enabled us to catch Turbo (and a couple other strays I have caught). When he was playing with the other dog, he was not as worried about my every move anymore and I was able to slowly loop my long lead around him and before he knew it he was in my care.

6. Try to lure the dog into a backyard

Or garage, house, etc. If neighbors are around and witnessing, ask them if you can try to corral the dog into their backyard. Again, you have to be careful here because you don’t want to corner a dog and scare them but at least this gives you a safe area to build up trust with the dog.

Once we did finally catch Turbo, he was still scared and tried to back out of his collar a couple times but luckily we had him on a lead that was cinched so he was unable to escape. I kept treating him along the way – beginning by just throwing them on the ground because he still didn’t have the trust to take them directly from my hand – plus you want to be careful with a new dog as you never know how they’ll act.

7. Move the dog away from traffic 

In our case, we were near a very busy street. Turbo was obviously afraid of strangers, cars, etc. We used this to our advantage and walked a large circle around him, up toward the street and he naturally ran down the less-busy residential street which was our goal. From there, I worked on building up my trust with him.

If you’ve tried everything you know and are unable to catch the dog and you know the dog has been hanging out in the same area for several days, consider contacting a local rescue or shelter and setting up a live trap. Set out food and water and leave the area – if the dog is staying in this area, chances are he’s up roaming a bit but staying in the same general proximity and you don’t want to scare him out.

Tips for Catching a Stray Dog

Other good resources: Lost Dogs MN 

Have any tips you’d like to add? Share in the comments below!

Dog Fighting Awareness Day 2015

The very thought that dog fighting is going on in my city, your city, and everywhere around us is downright scary and makes me sick to my stomach. Something needs to change. We need to help these innocent dogs that have no choice. Harsher penalties for those involved need to be in place. That’s why once again we’re taking part in National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (NDFAD) to spread the word and build awareness. Join us on Wednesday, April 8 and use the hashtag #NDFAD and #GetTough.

4 simple ways to get involved?

Dog Fighting Awareness Day 2015 | #GetTough lolathepitty.com

According to the ASPCA, law enforcement has divided the most common types of dog fighting into three categories: street fighting, hobbyist fighting and professional dog-fighting:

  • Street fighters engage in dog fights that are informal street corner, back alley and playground activities.
  • Hobbyist fighters are more organized, with one or more dogs participating in several organized fights a year as a sideline for both entertainment and to attempt to supplement income.
  • Professional dog-fighters often have large numbers of animals (50+) and earn money from breeding, selling and fighting dogs at a central location and on the road.

– Not all dog fighters treat their dogs the same; street fighters may starve their dogs to increase aggression, unlike many professional fighters who invest a lot of time and money in conditioning their animals. The dogs are commonly given quality nutrition, steroids and muscle supplements. Narcotic drugs are also commonly used to increase aggression and mask pain or fear during a fight.

Join us and help spread the word. Follow us on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Moving With Dogs

4 Tips for Moving With Dogs | Lolathepitty.com

4 Tips for Moving With Dogs | Lolathepitty.com

Where do I begin? Moving with dogs can be, well…stressful (for you and the dogs). Moving 860 miles with two dogs is no different. We recently moved to Colorado (January of 2015) from Minnesota and of course, hauled the two mutts and most of our stuff with us. The cheap Ikea furniture – yeah, that was either a. donated or b. given away. Ikea stuff, while I love some of it, is only good for about one move and quite frankly, I wasn’t about to pay $500 extra dollars to move a $69 TV stand. That may be a big of an exaggeration, but you get what I mean.

So among all of the packing for weeks (or months in my case), moving boxes down stairs, deep cleaning, and finally – hauling every last thing out of your house, are your pets who have no idea whatsoever about the situation. All they know is that it’s changing. Change can be scary, for some animals more than others.

Rio is typically our cool-headed, go with the flow kinda dog. He’s never really stressed out in situations and has handled everything we’ve thrown at him without batting an eye. I’m still uncertain if he doesn’t ever really know what’s going on, or he’s just that type of dog.

Lola on the other hand – she can be a bit of a (for lack of a better word)…spaz. She gets easily stressed, the suitcase comes out and she’s on guard. The keys get picked up and she is waiting at the top of the stairs, in attempt to block you from leaving. Or hoping she can come with. Probably the latter.

As you can imagine, the big move impacted them both. But I made sure to keep them both as comfortable as possible during the process and I have no doubt that it helped. Inevitably you’ll experience a move at some point in your life and hopefully, your dog(s) will be coming with, in that case – here are some tips from our experience that I hope will help you!

4 tips for moving with your dog: 

1. Keep their world as peaceful as you can, for as long as you can

As I mentioned, boxes were being packed months in advance in our circumstance. I was aware of the move and wanted as much time as possible to plan for it. Of course, this isn’t always the case with everyone, but I hate not being prepared.

Pack up their stuff at the last minute possible. For us, this was the night before we moved. We loaded the kennels in the car and had a box set aside for their toys. Okay, more like three boxes, but yeah.

2. If possible, introduce them to their new environment before moving

For us, we had been to Colorado several times with the dogs and they had stayed the night in my family’s house, who we are staying with until we are able to move into our new house. It was kind of like a vacation, we just never went “home”.

3. Keep familiar scents and  around once moved

Blankets, crates, toys, etc. Keep all of your dog’s belongings with your dog. This is another reason why I’m a believer in crating – it’s their ‘safe place’ and a familiar place that is their own little home, the only thing different about it is it’ll be in a new place, but it looks the same inside and smells the same, this should provide your dog with comfort.

4. Keep their schedule regular

Dogs rely on schedules. I don’t know about your pups, but if we forget a meal around here, Lola and Rio are sure to remind us. Keeping their potty schedule, walks, trip to the park, feeding schedule, etc. the same will mean less change for your dog.


I won’t lie though, even with all of the precautions we took, come move day, Lola and Rio were clearly stressed. We had to drive separate of course because we had two cars to take down to Colorado. Lola went with her dad for most of the way, and Rio with me. Surprisingly, Rio was pretty much freaking out. He was panting, unsettled, and didn’t even want his peanut butter filled Kong which we had made for him the night before (unheard of). He knew something was different and I think it really hit him the two nights before the drive when the house we were living it was literally emptied out and we stayed at my mom’s the night before the drive. I don’t think any of us slept for those 48 hours, but it’s over.

A week or so after settling in Colorado, the dogs were back to their normal selves. It was probably a little before that, but the couple days before the move was unsettling to them, the drive down, and of course once we arrived in Colorado they were a little unsettled for a couple of days.

A few signs your dog is stressed/worried:

  • panting
  • yawning
  • pacing
  • unsettled
  • acting out
  • not eating

Have you moved with your dog? What have you found to help them transition? Share in the comments below.