Healthy Dogs are Happy Dogs

Our dogs bring so much joy and happiness to our lives. I cannot think of much that is better than seeing my pup’s tail wag as I walk into the house after a long day. Here are some of our favorite happy dog stories from American Animal Hospital Association and the healthypet website:

Smokey, the Shetland Sheepdog
Smokey has brought so much laughter into my life it is hard to pick just one special story, but here is the latest. We go camping whenever time permits. Smokey has a habit of stealing any piece of clothing that is lying around. This time he picked one of my bras from the duffel bag just before leaving the tent to go for a walk around the campground. Here we are strutting down the road, me proud to be walking this beautiful dog and Smokey proud to be showing off my bra to everyone. It wasn't until someone stopped to find out what breed he was that I was made aware of his choice of toys to bring on his walk. Needless to say it was all over the campground by the end of the week. Now I check his mouth before leaving with him for a walk.
DD, the Australian Shepherd/Shetland Sheepdog mix
We bought a doggie gumball machine that dispenses dry dog food and treats. The instructions said to allow about 3 weeks for the dog to get used to eating from the machine. We opened the box at 11 p.m. one night, and by 11:45 p.m. she was reliably getting her own treats from the machine! What a smartie!
HoneyB, the Pekingese
HoneyB has brought so much love to my household. My father passed away and I was feeling so lost and alone. While at a flea market in Florida, we passed by a booth that sold dogs. HoneyB was in a cage and very undernourished. She weighed one pound and the owner was throwing her old chicken skin to eat. Well, needless to say, she came right home with us. It was a battle for awhile to keep her alive, but through diligent feeding and care she starting perking right up. Still feeling so lost over my dad, I clung to her. She provided me with love and compassion from that very day she came home with me. During my crying periods, she was there, looking at me with those big black eyes and staying close to me. She knew just when to give me that extra special attention. I love her so much.
Sam, the dog
When Sam was a puppy, he was a "puppy from hell." He got into so much trouble, we didn't know what to do with him. He destroyed our kitchen. He got into cabinets and destroyed boxes of rice and bags of cereal that ended up all over the floor. Bottles of soy sauce landed on top of the counter right side up! Nothing was left in the cabinets. Sam tore the curtains down from the sliding doors in the kitchen. He thought that that was a lot of fun. He then proceeded to the walls and chewed through them. By the time we came home from work, Sam had made the kitchen into a war zone. He was standing, tail wagging, on top of the curtains, which were on top of the pieces of sheet rock, which were on top of the pieces of flooring! He was so proud of himself and wanted us to tell him how good he was.
Well, the years have gone by and Sam is now four years old and as good as gold.He just loves his bed, which is in the new designer kitchen. If you ever need a reason to remodel any room of your house, just get a puppy and leave him alone in it. He will tell you exactly what needs to be changed.
Buddy, the black Labrador Retriever
Buddy loves to stick his head in between the pillows of the sectional couch, stick his backside in the air, and stay like that for 10 minutes or more!
Hercules, the Pekingese
Hercules' room is our laundry room.One day the laundry basket was empty and this was something he had not seen since we got him. He is 9 months old. He started barking and growling at the empty basket as if it were a monster. Since then I have used that as an excuse to be behind on our laundry.
Emerson, the Cocker Spaniel
Emerson has a habit of passing gas, and when he does, it scares him to death! He will chase his tail for a few minutes, then pass gas, then jump in my lap from fear and stay there until he thinks it is safe to return to the floor. It doesn't matter where I am! If he passes gas, he is in my lap. He has jumped on me when I am in the bathtub, when I am sitting at the dining room table eating dinner, and when I have company over and we are in the living room. The look on his face is the funniest thing I have ever seen. He looks at me like he is trying to say "Mommy, what was that and is everything okay?" He is very sweet but very dumb. I love him so much, even when he passes gas.

We believe the way to pay back our doggies for all the happiness they bring to our lives is to make sure they are happy. We play with our pups often and we take care of their health. We take them to the veterinarian for regular check-ups and feed them the premium in dog food and dog treats.

We never give our dogs human food (as the vet instructed).

Our vet has recommended good dog food and good dog treats to give them. He said that a good rule to follow is to get them food and treats that are all natural and low in fat.

Our dogs take care of our happiness and we take care of theirs. It’s a happy house at our place!