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.

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.

Bear's 1 Year Update | Dealing With Chronic Lameness

Bear is growing up WAY too fast. His last update was 8 months go check it out for more adorable puppy pictures.

At one year Bear is around 73lbs, he's not done growing and since he's 75% Black Lab I'm sure he'll fill out and gain some more weight. His growing has definitely slowed down...although we did have Xrays done in May and his growth plates are not closed quit yet.

Why did Bear go in for Xrays in May? If you saw my last Fitness Update I did touch a little on my "lack of motivation" and the fact that Bear had a hurt leg that was keeping our family very busy with him.  

Bear is a very high energy dog...he LOVES to run and play but has very little control as most puppies do. On May 9th my husband was watering our grass in the yard (we have a quarter acre lot so lots of room for Bear to run around in) Bear was out with him running full out in the yard - but had zero control. He was slipping and sliding because the grass was wet and that only seems to make him run faster and faster.

On one of Bear's turns he missed his footing and his feet came out from under him, he feel and landed on his left shoulder...didn't yelp or cry but he did get up and wouldn't put any weight on his left leg.

We were extremely worried that he broke his leg but he came inside and went to sleep so he didn't seem to be in any pain. We thought we would wait till morning and then asses if he needed to go to the vet.

Bear woke up at 2am crying - Bear has NEVER woken up during the night for anything, even when he was 8 weeks old and slept for the first night in our house. We rushed him to the emergency vet and they took Xrays but said nothing was broken and he would be OK in one week.

We put Bear on "bed rest", he only left the house to go to the bathroom and we would leash him in the yard so he couldn't run and play.

Two weeks later his limp was still there....we ended up taking him back to the same vet that treated him in the first place and they diagnosed him with "chronic lameness" and recommended and surgeon consult.

We agreed and saw a surgeon the next day - he proceed to tell us that he thought Bear had elbow dysplasia. He wanted to run several tests that would have cost us thousands and thousands of dollars - and after all this testing he wanted to operate but the operation would only be good for 2-3 years and then he would have to under more surgery.

I was in absolute disbelieve! Bear took one simple fall and they seemed to want to do all this unnecessary testing and treatment on our poor 10 month old puppy.

After our appointment I contacted our regular vet for a second opinion. She was able to see us right away and said she very much doubted that Bear has elbow dysplasia and said it was more likely that he had soft tissue damage in his elbow. We put him on several supplements and medication plus she said to continue his "bed rest" for at least one month.

It took a long time but Bear is doing so much better! We are absolutely thrilled with his recovery...although it's been very difficult on my husband & I. Of course Bear didn't seem to understand that he was hurt and couldn't do all the things he normal would do. He had so much pent up energy and we couldn't even walk him to get rid of it.

Luckily we made it through a very difficult month and Bear is almost 100%....I would say he's about 85%. He's back to doing most things he was able to do but I do limit his activity.

He is still on joint supplements and herbal mediation plus I do ice is elbow after he's been running a lot or playing with other dogs.

I highly recommend that if your dog has a freak injury like ours did to get a second opinion if you think the treatment or tests recommended seem unreasonable.

Unfortunately even though Bear is on the mend, he developed a fear of people as the emergency vet was quit rough with him. We are now having to do a ton of training to get him to trust humans again and I would say he is doing a lot better than he was in May. He's finally letting people pet him again and he's not so nervous walking into the vets office anymore.

Freak accidents happen but thank goodness for pet insurance...I will say that the Xrays and multiple visits to the vet cost A LOT! If you have a young pup that has high energy I would definitely recommend looking into some pet insurance.

Bear spent the day before his birthday at Pets in The Park. It was a local fund raiser for an animal shelter. He was a bit nervous when we first got there but relaxed after about 20min. He had so much fun visiting with other dogs and walking around the festival. It was great being around other dog owners who understood that Bear was a little shy and it took him some time to warm up to people.

However, near the end he was running right up to people and having a great time....I don't think he really wanted to leave. It was a very well organized event and I can't wait to go again next year.

Bear turned 1 years old on June 26th! I can't wait to see what this next year brings with our little guy.

Lets keep the cuteness going! Check out 7 Most Gorgeous Pug Mixes pictures.

Leave in the comments below what breed of dog you own.

Bear's 8 Month Update | Ms Pam Blam Life Update

Hard to believe but Bear will be 8 months in just 4 short days! I last posted Bear's update at 5 months and a lot has happen since then.

Bear now weights 62lbs and is still growing! Our vet did say to expect his final weight to be around 90lbs so he still has a lot of growing to do.

Bear is definitely a power chewer - we really have to be careful when Bear is out of his crate and roaming around. Bear does get the run of the house now as he is doing very well with our cat Max. But this little guy can get into so much trouble. He loves to chew so we make sure our house is stocked with lots of different bones and chew toys to keep his mouth occupied.

Bear is doing very well with his training. We are constantly taking him to different pet stores to practice walking on a loose leash, listening to us around distractions, sitting, staying, passing other people and dogs, recall, ect. For the most part Bear does really well and we are always complimented by lots of employees on how well behaved Bear is while in the store.

Bear's favorite place still has to be the off leash - he gets a long with every single dog he's met and plays so well with others. I also have to give Bear credit for how smart he is too - we have been at the dog park when dog fights have broken out and Bear is smart enough to avoid conflict and come to my side when this happens. I have to applaud him for that as I do see so many other dogs jumping in and adding to the dog fight and watching all the owners struggle to separate the dogs. I've been asked a lot how I trained him to do that and honestly I didn't...he just seems to know to stay out of it.

Bear has been bullied and picked on by a few dogs at the dog park. It really annoys me when other owners don't correct their dog when this happens so Bear and I either walk away and find another friend for him to play with or if I'm fearful of his safety (depends on how aggressive the dog is) we will go wait in the car until the dog leaves and then we return to the park.

I haven't ever packed up and left the dog park as I don't want Bear to think he's being punished for something - because so far he's never started a fight or conflict with another dog. Whenever we go to the dog park I always allow for a lot of time so if we do have to wait for an aggressive dog to clear out I have the time to do so.

With that being said we only make it out to the dog park once or twice a week - which I think is a lot for a pup that is still growing. My husband and I sometimes forget how little Bear still is and there are some weeks where I think we over exercise him and I know that's not good for his developing growth plates.

If you checked out any of my Friday Fitness Updates you would have seen that I have began to include Bear in some of my training runs. Technically our vet doesn't want Bear to start running with me until he's 10 months old but to be honest we don't go very far or very fast when he's with me. 

I've only been taking Bear out once a week - sometimes I skip a week if he's had a lot of visits to the dog park that week - and Bear only comes with me for either my warm up or cool down. I don't run very fast when I'm warming up or cooling down so Bear basically does a fast walk beside me while I jog. 

Mainly I've started including him in my training runs this early is because I want to get him trained on my hands free leash I bought. 

I have done so much research and testing of which belt, leash, harness combo works the best for our training runs and I have found the perfect combination!

The belt I finally settled on is the Squishy Face Studio Leash Belt. I bought the small/medium in Ocean Blue. The belt is 2" wide so it's very comfortable even if Bear pulls. This buckle is very heavy duty and I'm not worried about Bear pulling hard enough to break it.

I also think it's a huge plus that the leash attaches with a buckle closure, meaning you can use ANY leash you want with this belt...including a retractable leash (which I don't use as I want Bear close by me while running).

The leash I use is nothing special, it is also from Spuishy Face Studio. I decided to buy the belt/leash bundle off their website as it was only $6 more....so I thought why not! I can always use another leash around the house. When I first got it I thought it would be too short, it's 4' nylon leash,  but to be honest it's great for running.

The 4' means Bear has to learn to stay right by my side and watch for my cues. We do a combination of walking and running when he's with me so he's learning cues such as "running/lets go" and "walking/slow down."

Finally is Bear's harness. I only use this harness for running, I use a different harness for walking as he does still pull now and then. I find this back clip harness works the best for running because it keeps the leash from getting tangled under Bear's feet.

I tried to use his no pull front clip harness and it was a disaster! After every five steps I was having to untangle the leash and we didn't make it very far before I gave up and went home.

The back clip harness we use goes over his head and he steps his left paw through a hole and it closes with one buckle. I know there are different harness varies so pick which one seems to fit your dog best - I know there are some step in harness but they seems a little bulky to me and seems like it would be unconformable running. It didn't take Bear long to get used to his harness going over his head...just use some treats and make it a positive experience.

Other than that I just bought a few belt accessories that make our training trips out more enjoyable. First off is the Amphiod Endurance Plus Pouch. I had a hard time finding a pouch that would fit onto the 2" wide belt and hold my iPhone. This pouch is supposed to fit a iPhone plus - I don't have a plus iPhone but it does fit my iPhone 6 with the case and there is room to spare. You can also attach 4 gels to the outer slots. I also like to carry poop bags and a house key, everything fits with room to spare!

I also bought the Amphiod RunLite Xtech 10.5ox Modules 2 pack...careful when you buy these as there are two different lid options. I choose the normal one as I can pour water in my hand for Bear to drink out of...the other one is the Jett-Squeeze lid which would make it harder to give Bear water during our runs. 

We haven't actually used the water bottles yet but I thought this would be good for hot summer runs - and I only wanted to pay for shipping once so I bought the pouch and water bottles at the same time. 

This was my first time purchasing anything for Amphiod but they have some great belt accessories so I would highly recommended checking them out. Look under the section Customize-Your-Run to find exactly what you are interested in. 

Bear is always excited when I pull out my running shoes and his belt - he LOVES running and is going to be a great running companion down the road. I can't wait until he's 10 moths and I can start bring him on some of my training runs. 

On the days that I don't bring Bear for a run I come home to a very pissed off dog - but unfortunately he has to learn that he can't always come with me. 

Thanks for stopping by to check out Bear's 8 month update, make sure you are subscribed to get notifications on Bear's next update and more adorable puppy pictures.

Our Puppy's 5 Month Update | Ms Pam Blam Life Update

Our puppy, Bear, is now 5 months old....WOW! When did that happen? It feels like we just got this little guy. Bear came into our family at the end of August, you can check out my post Our Family is Growing  for some cute puppy pictures of when we first brought little Bear home.

Bear has been a wonderful addition to our family...we've had our ups and downs with training but all and all my husband and I are very happy to have this little guy as a part of our family.

Bear did give us a little scare at the end of September when he decided to eat some mouse poison. I had to rush him to the emergency vet where they had him throw up so he his stomach wouldn't breakdown and absorb any of the poison. It really didn't even seem to phase Bear at all...he was back to his mischievous ways within hours of being home. 

Bear and our 5 year old cat, Max, have been getting alone OK. It really depends on the day and Max's mood.

We've been training Bear to have some self control when around Max and we are teaching him it is NOT ok to chase Max around the house or eat his food. Bear is doing much better than he was when we first brought him home.

Bear went on his first road trip in the middle of October - 12 hours in the car with a 15 week old puppy! My husband and I were a little nervous bringing him for such a long trip but we didn't want to leave him at home with a puppy sitter so we risked it...turns out Bear is a great travel companion and he does great in the car.

Bear got fully vaccinated at 16 weeks which was near the end of October. Once he was vaccinated we started taking him everywhere to get him used to different environments ,people, animals, ect.

Bear has been to several different pet stores which he loves because we always run into people who gush over him and give him treats. He have also meet other dogs and animals at the pet store...Bear always loves saying hello to everyone. Bear has been for a few trail walks which again be loves because we run into wild life and other people...who again always stop to pet and gush over him.

But Bear's favorite outing is probably to the dog park. We starting taking Bear to the dog park when he turned 4 months old -he LOVES it there. I know that taking your dog to the dog park can be a little controversial...I will admit my first dog was repeatedly attacked by dogs as early as 6 months at the dog park by aggressive dogs which made her have behavior issues for the rest of her life.

However, I found a park that is an extension of our local Humane Society. You must be a member in order to bring your dog to the park and it is advertised as being a fun and safe way to socialize your dog. The whole park is fenced in so we can let Bear off the leash (even though we don't trust his recall 100% there is no way for him to run away). They have a zero tolerance for aggressive dogs so you know when you go there that all the dogs in the park are friendly and they aren't going attack your dog.

Honestly it is a great place for Bear not only to go and have fun and socialize with other dogs but I also like to train while we are at the park. There are a ton of distractions so it's great to test how well your dog actually listens to you. We practice loose leash walking, recall, leave it and stay.

Bear officially turned 5 months old on November 26th - it's amazing how much this little guy has grown! When we got him at 8 weeks he was about 8lbs....at 5 months he is now 37lbs! We have no idea how big he's going to be when he's full grown but we have loved to watch him grow. 

I hope you've enjoyed our adorable puppy pictures - follow me on Snapchat [mspamblam] if you want to see more of my day with Max&Bear.