Lifestyle Update | Bear & Diesel

My last update about Bear & Diesel seems like a long time ago! I posted Living With Two Dogs about mid December...so much has happened since then. 

Bear and Diesel both went in for surgery two days after Christmas - they are now spayed and neutered...Merry Christmas! It was a tough time healing for both dogs. We had to keep them quite and of course they both just wanted to run around and play. We also couldn't walk them for about 2 weeks which they are didn't like. Both dogs healed up nicely and they are back to their old rambunctious ways.

Diesel has grown SOOOO much since my last update. I keep looking back at old pictures and miss those times we had with her were she was so tiny. She's now 10 months and about 50lbs. She's still shorter than Bear and I'm not sure how much more she's going to grow but she'll definitely fill out more - she's still very skinny.  

Bear has also surprised us and did another growth spurt after getting neutered. He's now close to 80lbs and I noticed that he's taller than our coffee table!

Both dogs are still in training, they are doing really well at loose leash walking together but of course some days they are more cooperative than others. We've had a little bit of off leash training with them and they have done amazing! I'm a little nervous to take them back to the off leash...Bear has become very overprotective of Diesel...so our training was just done in a big open field. 

Diesel attended some puppy social classes. We found that because she didn't get to go to the off leash much like Bear did when he was younger she wasn't very well socialized around dogs. We did puppy social for about 3 months straight and she is much better around dogs. We frequent pet stores with both of them so they can be around other dogs on leash - also we find pet stores a great place to do some training with some distractions. 

We are really looking forward to having an awesome summer with these two - last year we couldn't enjoy our summer because of Bear's leg injury. If you don't know what I'm referring to you can check out Bear's 1 Year Update where I talk about his accident and was diagnosed with chronic lameness.

I want to hear from all you dog lovers out there - what is your most favorite thing to do during the summer with your fur babies?  

Living With Two Dogs | Lifestyle Update

It's been about four months now since we've added our second dog, Diesel, to our little growing family. Diesel is my first second dog I've ever owned so life adjustments have had their ups and downs. Our family has had to learn how to adjust to this change over the past several months and address each dogs own individual needs.

Bear is now 18 months old. He is almost finished growing and he has matured into a very large lean boy. If he gets any bigger going forward it will most likely just be filling out and putting on more muscle mass. Bear is a very high energy and sensitive dog, he needs lots of exercise and attention. Bear is a combination of two very smart breeds and can very easily pick up on little things. He can be very sensitive to changes and meeting new people and dogs. Even though we socialized him early on at the dog park he has become very reactive and unpredictable around new dogs. He gets very easily excited when he meets new dogs and tends to have trouble controlling himself.

Our training is now focusing on helping Bear manage his excitement in new environments. The calmer we can keep him the less reactive he is. He's still a very friendly but doesn't tolerate any crap, he's the kind of dog who probably wouldn't back down if faced with a threat. While we've been training him we have been taking him to lots of different places with other dogs and distractions. I do find that if he comes face to face with another dog that barks or growls at him he gets very stressed and feels the need to stand up to another dog and put them in their place....again something we are still training and working on.

Diesel is now 6 months old. She is still very tiny for her age but still has a lot of growing up to do. Diesel is defiantly the more smarted and fearless one of the two dogs. She tends to think before entering a situation and always uses caution. Diesel picks up very quickly on new training, again she comes from two very smart breeds but defiantly has a lot more German Shepherd in her than Bear does. Within a few repetitions she picks up on what you are asking her to do.

As Diesel is still very young she defiantly needs a lot more training and socializing. I find that she gets very jealous when her brother ignores her and plays with other dogs that are around. She doesn't fully have a grasp on how to play without her brother around.

I find that Diesel a good mix of independent and codependent...Bear is defiantly codependent. The two dogs together make a great pair. The two of them will take turns leading and following each other, which is something that I never expected. I thought for sure that Bear would be the main follower and Diesel would be the main leader. It's nice to know that they take turns and switch off in their roles. Diesel really helps her brother through stressful situations such as bath time and going to the vet. She takes charge in those situations and shows her brother that there's nothing to be afraid of - "if I can do it, you can do it"!

Owning two dogs isn't for everyone, but I will say that I really lucked out and got two great dogs that are very compatible and complement each other very well. We still have A LOT of training to do but I wouldn't give either of them up for anything in this world.

For more pictures and to stay more up to date with Bear and Diesel you can follow my Instagram. Share in the comments below how many dogs you have and what breeds? I love to hear about other  furbabies.

Pet Hydration

Don't recognize the second pup in my pictures? You must have missed my last blog post, check out Bear's Little Sister update post. These two dogs have been getting along so well. I am so happy that they have taken so well to living together.

Recently we were out on a nature hike with our family. Both Bear & Diesel walked about 5km...that's nothing for Bear but Diesel was VERY thirsty when we got back to the car. Luckily I had brought water with me so I could hydrate both of them. But here's a question, are your animals getting enough water? I was so happy when PetSafe offered to partner with me on their hydration campaign. 

Although I don't do a lot of partnered post I do like to work with companies that I already purchase from. I have several harnesses and even a car ramp that I purchased before even being approached to do this campaign. Their products have always been amazing!

Surprisingly the information that they sent to me really amazed me. Did you know that 66% of Canadian were unaware of their pets dehydration signs?

Some of these signs include sunken eyes, decreased skin elasticity, loss of appetite and depression. 

In order to keep your pet properly hydrated you should monitor the weather and try to exercise your pet during more cooler parts of the day. Maintain a fresh water supply and know your pets signs of dehydration. 

• Drinkwell® Outdoor Dog Fountain
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• Drinkwell® 360 Plastic Pet Fountain
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• Drinkwell® Sedona Pet Fountain

For more information on Pet foundation and hydration click here.

Comment below if you think your pooch is getting enough H2O.

Please share!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by PetSafe. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the partnership that supports Ms Pam Blam!

Bear's Little Sister | Life Update

Life has been crazy busy and we had a very difficult and sad summer between Bear's injury and a loss of a family member. My hectic schedule has prevented me from spending anytime on my blog.

Although it was a difficult summer for my family my husband and I did adopt a new puppy into our family...she is extremely cute and I just couldn't resit.

 Although it wasn't great timing it was just meant to be.....and funny story but this is actually Bear's biological half sister!! Bear's dad had another litter of puppies 50 weeks after Bear's litter. We've decided to name her "Diesel". It's a bit of a tomboys name but she really suits it.

Both dogs are exactly the same breed, Black Lab/German Shepherd. Bear's mom was a pure breed black lab and Diesel's mom was a pure breed German Shepherd. The dad is a 50/50 mix of the two breeds.

Bear adores his little sister and these two hate being apart.

Diesel is now 14 weeks and growing like a weed. She is extremely intelligent and is catching on very quickly with her training.

Even though it's been a tough summer for our family Diesel has brought our family a lot of joy. I have always wanted two dogs so this is a dream come true for me. I am so happy that Bear and Diesel get along so well together....the only issue we have is trying to split the two dogs up during nap time.

I can't wait to share our upcoming months as she grows.