Barks and kisses....

Is it milk chocolate or dark?

*** WARNING: This post may contain affiliate links. It does NOT contain nuts or mutts!***

Bark and hello! Teddy here again, just a single pup alone on the most romantic day of the year: Valentine's Day. Now, in our house we really don't celebrate Valentine's day per se. The whole month of February is really a love fest for my Mama, who has her birthday in two days. (Happy birthday Mama!) But my mama loves us all so much that even though she says she "doesn't do Valentine's Day" and that it's just a "Hallmark holiday", she always does SOMETHING special for me, my sisters, my daddy, and even my old Grammy. A special meal, a special treat, a nice walk. I love all of her ideas because they are all so nice.

I like to consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject of love, considering the fact that I give out at least a thousand kisses a day. Also, I'm adorable. I think they should consider replacing that scary demon baby with the arrows that they call Cupid with me. I think I inspire much more love that a flying cherub with rosy cheeks. (How do those tiny wings hold up that chubby body? Does he taste like chicken? It's very confusing!) If you have your own special Valentine love pooch, you may be wondering what you can do for him or her this holiday to bring a little cheer in to their life. I have some ideas for you.

1. Eat a romantic dinner for two (or more!)

Not EXACTLY what I mean!

My mother loves to make us dog food, combining veggies and meats with fruits to  balance out the food and make it so delicious. I'm drooling just thinking about it. She might also make us a nice steak. (She did that last year....) Whatever your food preference is tonight, add some candles and some love songs and viola! Romantic dinner. Just make sure your pup stays away from the candles. Your local fire department has enough to do without your doggo's tail knocking over a few tapers.

2. Watch a romantic movie

Might I suggest Lady and the Tramp?

A lot of people don't realize this, but us dogs really enjoy watching TV, especially with our Masters. A 2013 study published in the journal Animal Cognition showed that dogs could identify images of other dogs among pictures of humans and other animals, using their visual sense alone. Like a lot of people, we only half pay attention to what's going on on the screen, but certain images and sounds attract our attention. Like humans, different dogs like different movies and shows. Personally, I enjoy cartoons while my big sister likes the news. We also enjoy licking your salty tears and comforting, so go ahead and have that single lady cry fest you were planning!

3. Have a spa night

This even looks appealing to me!

I HATE baths. But you may be lucky enough to own a dog like my sister Bella, who loves baths. If this is the case, feel free to run some warm water and let the bubbles flow! Make sure to use some great doggie shampoo and give your pups a few spritzes of spray to keep that wet dog smell from invading your romantic night. My mom likes this Lavender & Chamomile Aromatherapy Freshening & Shining Spray by Gerrard Larriett Aromatherapy Pet Care. Not only does it make us smell great, it relaxes us, which helps keep the post-washing zoomies from getting out of control. (Especially with my pit bull sister, whose zoomies can get totally nuts!)

Get your Gerrard Larriett spray HERE!

No matter what your parents' may feel about Valentine's Day, make sure you give them plenty of kisses! They might not buy you a card or a box of chocolates (because you can't eat chocolate anyway!), but your parent loves you so much every day of the year they deserve your kisses. Hopefully you'll get an extra long walk or a strip of bacon. Have a great V-day!

Kisses and wags,

Teddy

I like to brush it, brush it....

***WARNING: This blog may contain affiliate links. It does NOT contain "The Memo", but my mama wants to read it!***

Hi everybody! Teddy here. February is one of my mom's favorite months. Not because of Valentine's Day (she hates it), not because of President's Day (but she does love the President), but because it's her birthday month! Not only is February my Mama's birthday, but it's also National Pet Dental Health Month. And that's what I like to brush.... my teeth! (You didn't think it was my fur did you? HA!)

My Mama is very proud of us because when we go to the vet, she always comments on how great our teeth are. As well they should be because we chew on stuff all The TIME! Apparently chewing on things, like bones, are great for our teeth. How awesome is that? It's one of our favorite activities (one that we can all agree on) and it's actually good for us. Our teeth are always pearly white and plaque free.

See, a lot of humans think that taking care of their pup's teeth is a huge chore. Like giving me a bath. (I HATE BATHS!) It's actually really simple. Easier than brushing a baby's teeth from what I understand when the kids used to come spend the night and my mom used to fight with them about brushing their teeth. And it isn't that expensive. I mean, I really have no concept of money because I'm a dog, but I know my mom and dad are always trying to "save" money.

See my pretty little teeth?

Our number one favorite thing to chew on is bones. Now, I know this might scare a lot of your parents, but hear me out. (Hear meowt.... I kill me!) There are certain kinds of bones that perfectly okay for your doggo to eat. Namely raw bones. Cooked or smoked bones can be brittle and crack, sending splinters in to your dog's intestines and a huge vet bill. No one wants that. Raw bones (appropriately sized for your dog's breed) are actually good for your dog's not just for keeping their teeth clean, but it also restores some the natural minerals that dogs are missing from pet food that we used to get when we were still wild and free. (I'm still wild, but if I get free my Mama gets super mad at me!)

If we can't have a real bone, then we'll happily settle for a dental treat. (really, we're excited just for any treat but the dental ones are kind of tasty!) Our favorite dental treats are Dingo dental sticks. They are so yummy and convenient for my mom to hand us.

Get your doggo some Dingos here!

We're also really in to these little paw shaped treats that none of us know the name of. They came in one of our BarkBoxes one month and Bella, being the brat she is, tore the bag up so Grammy stuck them in a ziplock and stuck them way up high on the shelf, so no one can get to them unless Mama gives them to us. But we love these tiny little treats, especially after a meal. It's like a dinner mint, but for a dog. If you know the name of those, please tell my mom!

One thing that I have always wanted to try is a deer antler. I saw a lot of those on my trip to Georgia for Mama and Daddy's wedding and boy did those look yummy! My mom is a wuss and has always been afraid to give me one. (I think mainly because I might just run with it and run right in to my Grammy and stab her on accident.) But they are supposed to last forever and be so awesome. I can only imagine, just chewing for hours and hours and hours on that hard antler. I'm drooling just thinking of it.

Doesn't this guy look happy? I'm so jealous!

Here are just a few more ways to keep your dog's teeth healthy and pretty!

1. Dental sprays

2. Coconut oil

3. Tooth wipes

4. Water additives

5. Chew toys

Now don't let me get started on chew toys! That's a whole other blog. But I hope that this has helped you think of some ways to help your pooch keep their teeth and gums healthy and happy. Remember: caring for your dog's teeth is just as important as caring for your own and we can't do it ourselves 'cause we don't have thumbs! (Yum,yum,yum! I swear, I crack myself up!) Obviously I'm not saying that you should never take your pet to the vet and have their teeth clean. You absolutely should always check with your vet to make sure your doggie is healthy and happy. Having clean teeth and healthy gums is a vital part to any pet's health. 

Keep your teeth clean and your tail wagging!

Teddy

Eat good in the neighborhood....

*** Warning: This blog may contain affiliate posts. I have not yet released any "memos" that may or may not contain information on government spying.***

Happy Friday! Teddy here, two days later this week. Apparently my Mama claims she has been "really busy" at work and hasn't had time to update my blog. I think she's full of crap, but it is what it is. I can't complain too much. My Mama is such a good mom. She is always buying us presents and giving us treats. She plays with us and snuggles us and gives us loving when we are sick or hurt. She even goes so far as to make special healthy food for us, which brings me to the point of my post today: food.

Live footage of Coco if she were a boy back in the 80's...

Usually we have a dog cereal that we eat. That's what my mom refers to those kibbles you can buy in a 25 pound buy and feed to your pup with little to no effort, "dog cereal". Our mom found us a reasonably priced, grain-free bag of yumminess that we really enjoy. To be fair, the three of us are little piggies and we pretty much eat anything. Especially Coco.

We call her "Mikey" because she'll eat anything! Literally ANYTHING. My mom left these "very hot peppers" (and they are VERY hot! Even daddy's Mexican friend couldn't eat them and he eats ghost peppers and the like!) mixed in with some leftover cheeseburger macaroni and Coco even ate THAT! (I think she may have pooped for a few days afterwards, but she still ate it right off the stove. That's when Coco got banished from the kitchen if there is food around.)

It was shortly after this incident that my mom realized that maybe we weren't getting enough from our dog cereal. Enough what, I have no idea. She absolutely can't stand canned dog food. It makes her sick to see that gross gel that comes out of cans. Buying a bunch of those meals that are pre-made or buying the dog food from the refrigerated section was just going to be way too costly. So that's when my Mama decided that she would make dog food for us at home!

This is what happens when you mix blueberries in to food by hand!

I love my mom's cooking. Human food or dog food. My mom can cook. What i think is really great about the food that she makes us is that she doesn't make it look yucky. It always looks like something she would put on her plate and eat. mama doesn't make us this food every day. Like I said, we usually get dog cereal. So when we see her stirring ingredients together, we get very excited. Coco even starts to drool. Fresh carrots and peas, blueberries, chicken or beef or turkey. My tummy is growling just thinking of it!

My mom is really in to this thing called "Pinterest". When she first started making our food, she used to just make it on the fly, throwing whatever looked good but wouldn't kill us to eat. Now she has a whole collection of doggie food recipes, which she has included on my personal Pinterest board: Teddy the Terrible Terrier-The Blog. There are a bunch of useful things on my board. You can check out some of her other pins while you're there. Apparently that kind of thing is fun for you humans!

She made me this birthday cake a few years ago!

Overall, I don't mind eating our dog cereal. It tastes pretty great and, as I mentioned earlier, I like to eat. Mama gets us the grain free kind because I think she heard somewhere (probably one of those TV commercials or shows) that the grains in other dog food are not so great for us. Obviously I'm not saying to rush out and buy your pup the super expensive food (unless you can afford it, in which case, by all means do and send me and my sisters some while you're at it!). We eat this $14.99 bag of Beneful. My mom approves of anything by Purina because my Aunt Ashley's daddy has worked for Purina since she can remember and my mom loves and trusts that family so much. (My aunt Ashley, on a side note, is super awesome!)

Beneful Grain Free is good stuff! Buy it Here!

In conclusion, you should definitely watch what your dog eats. Whether making your pup's food from scratch or buying pre-made "cereal", what your dog takes in to their body is extremely important. You should also watch how much they eat too. Here's a helpful guide on how much and how often to feed your doggo from dogbreedinfo.com. Don't forget to check out my Mom's Pinterest for other recipes and helpful hints on how to feed and take care of your dog (and some drink recipes in case you need a drink while dealing with your pet parent duties!). 

Do you have any favorite homemade dog treat or food recipes? Please feel free to share them in the comments or visit us on Pinterest or Facebook and leave a comment! We love to hear from our visitors!

Barks and licks,

Teddy

Little dog, little dog, let me in....

***WARNING: This blog may contain affiliate links. Please do not panic! It is not a link to North Korean hackers!***

Hey everyone, it's Teddy here again! I just wanted to bring up a subject very dear to me heart today: home security. Since I was just a wee pup, my Daddy has emphasized the fact that making sure no one breaks in to our home is my number one priority in life. Granted, I've been relegated to the basement's security when Mama and Daddy are gone. (Bella has been promoted to head of security. I don't like it, but I get it. She's a mean, scary pit bull after all!) Home security is still my number one priority however. Every morning, the first thing I do when I go outside to do my business is a perimeter check to make sure there are no unwanted beasts in our yard. I usually scare the crud out of a couple of squirrels and some birds, if I'm lucky a cat, but I have been very lucky in my life to have never had to chase a mean person from my yard.

On basement security duty, protecting everyone from the trash I ripped open.

I have probably saved my family hundreds of times throughout the years, from the UPS guy to the neighbors that walk their hideous mutts around our neighborhood, peeing on all my good pee spots. Never did I make my Daddy more proud than the time I stopped the guy who was peeking in our living room window at 3:30 in the morning.

He was a creeper, I could definitely tell from the sneaky way that he opened our front gate. Bella was sleeping in Mama and daddy's room that night and I was on patrol in the front window, laying in my favorite spot on the back of the couch. I like that spot because I can see from the north end of our block to over halfway down the south side. This guy was wearing a hoodie and I've never trusted anyone in a hoodie that wasn't my dad. I growled as he walked up our sidewalk and did his sneaky opening of the gate. But when he walked up our stairs and started peeking in the window- RIGHT BY MY FACE!- I started barking like crazy. Coco always runs back up for me and she climbed on to the couch beside me and started barking her head off too. Now my bark is pretty mighty. I definitely rank it above Bella's yippee bark. But Coco is just loud and scary when she barks. (I assume this is because she is just a massive beast. I've noticed that, generally speaking, the bigger a dog is the deeper their bark is.) All you heard is "Woof! Woof!" over and over in a thunderous boom and all you see is bright white, shiny, LONG teeth. 

Between the two of us, we managed to get Daddy out of bed. He actually went out to confront the dude and Mama showed up right behind him, clutching Daddy's pistol in her hands. My daddy does NOT take too kindly on getting woke up in the middle of the night by strangers clamoring up our porch. Mama came over to the couch and peeked through the blinds to see what was going on with Daddy. He seemed to be talking to the man in some way. Eventually Daddy came back in and the man left. Daddy gave me and Coco both pettings and kisses and we were all back to sleep.

From what I heard Mama and daddy say, the stranger was drunk and trying to find someone's house. This is no excuse to stumble up to my house in the middle of the night. I will bark at you. And if you try coming in my door, I will bite you. I might only be able to reach your ankle, calf, or (if you are lucky enough to still have them) your balls, but I will bite you. And if I get started then Coco and her huge self will come to my rescue and SHE will probably tear your throat out. And God forbid Bella be around because she maybe look sweet and snugly, but she is mean as a rattlesnake, especially if you threaten our parents. Mama lovingly calls this the "Hound Defense", as in "Release the Hounds".

NOT a picture of my Mama!

In conclusion, as a dog, I've learned that most people are scared of dogs. Even dog people can be afraid of a dog that is not their own. Especially a big dog. They underestimate us tiny dogs way too much! So my recommendation is that you run out to your nearest shelter today and adopt your own home security system. There are thousands of doggos sitting in shelters, just waiting to bite an intruder for you. I personally recommend PAWS Chicago, a shelter that my Granddaddy always supported and that my Mama continues to support. if you're back in Mama's home state of Georgia, check out Angels Among Us. My aunt Ashley has worked with them for years and has fostered many a fur baby through this organization.

If you are just not in a position to adopt right now (maybe you live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs or you are getting ready to deploy to Iran), I recommend this awesome doggie bark doorbell. 

Rex Plus Dog Bark Doorbell- make them THINK you have the devil in your house!

And if you're more in the mood for standard, boring, everyday human security, our next door neighbor has this security system up around his place. (And two Beagles and a Shiz Tzu that may be related to me distantly.)

Zmodo Wireless Security Camera System (4 pack) Smart HD Outdoor WiFi IP Cameras with Night Vision

No matter what you do, make sure that you stay safe and secure in your home! The world is so mean out there these days that you need your home to be more secure than ever before. Make sure that you take care of your loved ones and treasure and protect them because you never know what each day will bring you. Home security is about more than protecting a house. It about protecting a home.

Barks and wags,

Teddy

New Year, New... No. Nothing's new....

***Caution! This blog post may contain affiliate leaks! (But no spoilers from "The Last Jedi". I swear!)***

Hey everyone! Teddy's back! Can you believe it's 2018 already? Sheesh! My mom certainly has been slacking on updating my blog, but no fears! I'm on top of her this New Year! (Literally. I was all up in her face, trying to lick her nose.) Every year, without fail, my Mama has all those hopes and dreams and goals in her head that she projects on to us. "I'm going to clean more!", "I'm going to blog more!", or my least favorite when it is negative balls outside, "No more peeing on the floor this year!" (Come on Mom! If I pee outside, my wiener is going to freeze to the ground!) My favorite, though, is when Mama promises to exercise more.

As a dog of a certain size, I am probably the least chill of all the dogs in my house. Coco is super lazy. She does nothing but lay around all day, always wanting someone to pet her and tell her how "pretty" she is. Yuck. I try to get her to play with me, but that usually only lasts about thirty seconds until she's done. Bella, the other icky girl dog, is NO fun to play with. She's always trying to murder me and much prefers to be alone, usually hogging Daddy. Girls are just boring. Except my Mama.

Mama does these funny stretches. She calls it yoga, I call it stretching, but tomayto tomahto right? She says this is exercising. I think she's nuts. Where's the fun in that? That's what you do to wake up after a nap. I want to run, to jump, and, most importantly to me, to bark and growl! So I go and find an empty soda or water bottle. I give the bottle to her, she throws it, I bring it back. This is a fun game to play and it's great exercise for both my body and my brain because she loves to throw the bottle in to places where I have to think about how I'm going to get it.

Bottle is a great game and my Mama loves it because it's free (mostly). We use the empty soda and water bottles that Daddy and Grammy leave around. To be really safe and to make sure that I don't cut my mouth, Mama uses old socks to cover the bottles and viola! Instant toy!

My sister and me playing with a sock toy!

Winter time has hit the Chicago-land area full force this new year and it's more important than any of the other five years of my life that my Mama find creative games and exercises for us dogs to do. I mean, Coco don't care so much, but Bella gets the Zoomies (for a great video showing you what the Pittie Zoomies are, check this clip from The Dodo out below my blog!) and I get really barky and annoying (even to myself!). We all have tendency to want to eat more and to want to fight more because we need more exercise. But when the temperature is -11 outside, you can't really stay outside to play or even go for a walk. You run out, do your business, and run back in before your wiener sticks to the ground because your mom won't let you pee on her hardwood floor. 

So how can you help keep your dogs well-exercised this winter? Here are a few ideas to keep your four-legged babies healthy and happy this year!

1. Treadmill- Now, if you are lucky enough to own one of these bad boys (and more so have a place to use it!), then you should definitely let Fido take his own walks this winter. Walking is by far the best exercise a dog can get and you might as well use that clunker for something besides holding your clothes!

2. Stairs- Some homes are blessed (or cursed in my Grammy's opinion) to have stairs in them. A great game to play: throw a ball up the stairs and have Fido fetch it back down! Great exercise for your doggo, not such exercise for you.

3. Hide and Seek- This works great if you have a big house and/or more than one person playing. Just tell your dog to stay while you hide, then call him to come find you! More people = more hiding spots = more exercise!

4. Tug of War- Another favorite use of old socks. My mom ties a knot in the end and I go to town trying to rip it away from her. I'm so strong you can even pick me up with my teeth when I grab on to a sock. (Not to brag or anything. Haha.)

5. Laser Pointer- This was an old favorite of my sister cat, Furrball's. This little red dot can have me running in circles for a long time, but because lasers can be addictive and a bit dangerous, Mama only allows us to play with them for a few minutes at a time.

6. Puzzles- Now, something my big sister is good at and does love is a good food puzzle! Anything involving food or treats automatically has Coco's attention. You can use a Kong (freezing it helps make the food harder to get out and thus more tiring for your pup) or you can get one of these nifty puzzle bowls like this.

Get your puzzle bowls here!

7. Chew toys/bones- This brings us back around to Bottle. One of my sisters' and my favorite things to do is take the top off of a bottle. So when Mama throws us our sock covered bottles, she makes sure those lids are on good and tight. We spend hours entertained by bottles. Also bones. We're a chatty bunch, naturally, so anything that keeps our mouths busy makes our Mama, daddy, and Grammy all very happy!

I hope this has helped you learn a little something about how us dogs look at exercise today. Bottom line is, we not only love to exercise, we need it. It's just the healthy thing. But when it's so cold outside that politicians put their hands in their own pockets (learned that one from Facebook), you might want to take your exercise indoors. Hopefully these suggestions help you and your best friend on your way to a healthy start to the New Year. Get creative! Let us know how you and your pets exercise during bad weather or when you just can't make it out to play!

Barks and kisses,

Teddy

P.S. Here's that link to The dodo's video on Pittie zoomies I told you about earlier!

 https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/videos/1283692781765394/

Ride or Die...

This is as close to a car as I want to come.

According to my crazy mother, I should enjoy car rides. And to a degree I do. I like seeing all the stuff that's outside my little neighborhood. There are so many people. There are so many trees and so many flowers. There are so many cats and squirrels. But to a larger degree, I HATE IT!

Riding in the car makes me want to scream. (And I often do scream.) Why does my mother have to listen to that stuff she calls music? I hear no whistling. It's not music to me.  How come people in other cars pretend they can't hear me when I try to talk to them? It's so rude. I'm just trying to give them a friendly hello bark. Except those nutty people walking around on the sidewalks with their hoods up. I don't trust anyone with a hood on their head. I simply have to take my anger out on them! And what's up with windows anyway? My mom only rolls it down far enough for me to get fresh air. Woman, I wanna jump out! Everything passes by too quickly. I want to walk around and take my time sniffing everything, peeing on everything. It's a man's job to mark his territory. Cars don't allow you to do that.

My silly sister loves to go on car rides. That means she's been on all sorts of cool trips with Mama and Daddy. She's been to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and everywhere in between. She just lays around the house, so I guess it's no different to lay around in the car. She hangs her head out the window, but never tries to jump out. She's such a bummer sometimes. I would hate to be stuck in the car for so long. I love to run too much.

Apparently, my mom really wants me to go on car rides with her. I know this because I heard her telling my Grammy about these leashes that lock in to your seatbelts. I guess she found them at this place called Pep Boys and wanted to buy me one. Sounds like doggy torture to me.  Then I couldn't even run from the front to the back of the car and back again. She showed me a picture of my friend Bella in her car seat. I mean, that's alright. At least a short guy like me could see out the window without stretching, but still.... I WANT TO PEE ON EVERYTHING! No matter to me that my mom keeps treats, a water bowl, a bottle of water, and a bag of food in the car at all times. I have those in my house and my Grammy will give them to me if my mama won't.

I just prefer to walk I guess.

Does anyone else really freak out in the car? Or am I the only dog in the world that does this? I'm honestly curious. Please let me know.

Barks and Licks,
Teddy

P.S. Besides, she's always taking me to the vet or the groomer in the car. NOT associated with great memories after you've been neutered.

Lives to Live... (By Guest Blogger Matt Partain from S.T.A.R, House for Men)

Matt and Gizmo Partain

How many lives can most people say they have lived?

I have had the unique and scary opportunity to have lived at least four in my 33 years.  My first began in 1982, when the world was blessed with another screaming, wrinkled thing resembling a miniature 80 year old man.  I always found it funny how I came into this world looking that way, and, if I live long enough, I will probably look the exact same, only longer.  Anyway, I came into this world 33 years ago and had a mostly innocent life for the first 14 years.  The summer after my 14th year, I began my second life.  That was the life of changing the way I felt and viewed the world.  That was the first time I put something into my body that helped me cope with my emotions and numbed all factors in my life.  That second life had it’s ups and downs.  It was not all bad.  There is one thing I will admit freely.  I absolutely LOVE getting high.  I love the way I felt, the fun I had, whether actual or perceived.  The relationships I built around that life seemed so genuine and deep.  Any drug addict who doesn’t admit that is lying to themselves and to you.  Why else would we have done it over and over again? Why else would we risk repeating craptastic consequences, just to chase that feeling down at least one more time?  Why else would we risk everything and everyone we ever cared about? That is a powerful thing indeed.  

That second life of mine lasted until I was 29 years old.  Over half of my life at that time had been spent chasing that rush and feeling of nirvana that only drugs and alcohol could provide.  Like an extended orgasm you just want to keep going.  Then I found myself in jail once again.  I had been there before, but this was different.  I was tired of that life.  It had moved from pleasure to work.  And it wasn’t a job I loved.  Every waking moment was spent searching and chasing. I was given the choice of prison or rehab.  I made a decision right then. I was done.  This was the birth of my 3rd life.  I was going to go to rehab 2 hours away, and I wasn’t coming back.  And that’s exactly what I did.  Because of that personal decision, rehab was easy.  I learned the tools I needed to get through rough times.  I built a network of like-minded people and called on them every time I needed to.  I was given an opportunity to further my recovery and begin a career working with another rehab in town.  After a lifetime of my friends and acquaintances coming to me for help or to talk, I began to actually get paid to be a counselor.  

Six months after I graduated rehab, the month I started full-time working at the rehab, I became a single parent for the first time.  My child weighed about a pound and had brown hair and eyes the color of coal.  He was a Peekapoo and I named him Gizmo.  To say he was a blessing would be an understatement.  He brought back that joy, those insanely strong positive emotions, that previously were only felt during the years with drugs coursing through my body.  He was the happiest and sweetest puppy.  He filled the hole of not having a romantic relationship. I didn’t need one.  He was my new prescription and I was addicted again.  

Over the course of the next 2 years, our bond strengthened even further.  I had never had anything that 100% of the time chose me over anything else.  He literally screamed when I had to leave.  It was heartbreaking and joyous at the same time.  I enrolled him in daycare for when I was at work.  He remained as happy as any dog I have ever seen.  

About a month ago, we began another life, my 4th.  One morning, Gizmo couldn’t stand on his back legs.  When I picked him up, his bowels let loose.  I panicked and took him to the daycare, whose workers have become amazing friends.  They took him to the vet for me, as I simply did not have the money.  I work full-time, but I am far from rich.  I pay my car note and insurance.  I have rent and utilities and cell phone bills.  My car must be insured and I have a student loan to pay off.  I can’t afford insurance for myself, even after being told I have no choice from the government, much less for my dog!  So, my friends at the daycare helped me and took Gizmo to the vet. 

 He had slipped 2 disks in his lower spine.  My options are limited, as my finances deem what options are even possible.  My finances have said the only course of action is to wait and hope and pray he heals over time.  He has improved some since his injury occurred.  For a while, he couldn’t even sit up.  He would just fall over, as would my hopes for recovery.  However, after a few weeks, he began to gain strength in his front half.  He is as good now as he has been since this all began.  He still can’t move his back legs.  He still can’t control his bathroom uses.  I have to use a wrap and maxi pad over him to absorb the urine.  He has begun to get extremely good at pulling himself along.  He literally uses his front paws to drag himself wherever I am.  This creates problems of it’s own.  His little doggy boner will get pulled out and stuck.  It swells.  This causes me to have to get into extreme parent mode and put it back in.  He gets rashes on his belly from the friction.  The resistance pulls the wrap right off of him, leaving a little snail trail of urine wherever he has been.  His mood has improved, but his physical condition has not.

  I set up a Go Fund Me account to try and raise funds.  These funds will be used to help purchase supplies for Gizmo and for other dogs who have owners that can’t afford treatment for them.  I am looking into getting a wheelchair type thing for Gizmo.  I want to help him and other animal parents who have unresolved issues due to finances.  Anyone can donate, with the assurances that the funds will be put to amazing use for the creatures who help us get through the day.  My little creature helped me begin a new life.  Without him, I can’t say how far I would’ve come after rehab.  Many other parents are in similar boats.  Thank you for taking the time to read this story.  Here’s to starting another life….one for me and Gizmo AND one for any other animals who are helped with this account.  Our account is gofundme.com/helpsavegizmo

-Matt Partain

Matt.partain@gmail.com