Go Napi, it's your birthday. And your gotcha day.

Today is the day that we celebrate Napi's fourth birthday and third gotcha day. In truth, it is neither. His gotcha day is actually in a few days, and his birthday is a mystery, but probably still a month or so away. But we celebrate both today because his puppy hood was so awful. There's no need to belabor the point - I've written about his circumstances for coming into our lives before - but celebrating both of these days today, on Freedom Day, seems fitting.

Napi is... special. He barks too much and sometimes gets scared for no discernible reason and he's much too "protective" of me (read: he's guardy and kind of a jerk). He starts fights with other dogs and carries on when people come over. But he's also sweet and cuddly and loving with those he trusts. He's incredibly playful, whether it's with Pyg or our kitten or just by himself. He can always make me laugh. He's not the smartest dog I have, but he's eager to learn. And while I don't think I'll ever have another chihuahua, I cherish him just the same.

So happy birthday, little guy. I love you.

How I Turned $8,000 of Vet Bills into $1,500 (Or, why pet insurance is awesome and everyone should have it)

You haven't really lived until you've put almost $9,000 on your credit card at the emergency vet, but that's just what I did at the end of January when my four dogs got into some ibuprofen. Ibuprofen ingestion is a serious medical emergency, requiring 48 or more hours of hospitalization to prevent kidney problems, GI ulcers/perforation, and neurological damage - even if the dog eats as little as one tablet of ibuprofen.

Thankfully, due to a quick response and excellent care, my pups are home and naughty as ever. And, thanks to PetPlan, my credit card is doing just fine, too. All four of my dogs have pet insurance, ranging from $20 to $40/month each (Maisy and Lola are more expensive due to their age and breed, respectively).

The expensive, naughty, utterly wonderful beasts in question.

Peace of Mind
The best thing about pet insurance is the peace of mind it provides. Taking a dog to the ER vet is always stressful, but it's so much easier when you know that you can make decisions based on what's best for your pet as opposed to what your wallet will allow. Even once everyone's home and healthy, it's a huge relief to know that I haven't just put myself into ridiculous amounts of debt, even if it would be worth it.


Financial Breakdown
PetPlan offers great plans, allowing you to choose your deductible, reimbursement amount, and yearly maximum. All four of my dogs have the Gold plan, which means they are covered for over $20,000 of care per year. (Some companies do not have a yearly maximum like this, but when I called around several years ago, those plans had more exclusions, or were significantly more expensive.) All four of my dogs have a $200 per-illness deductible, after which PetPlan pays 100% of the cost for the boys and 80% of the cost for the girls.

Here's what it looked like for each dog:

Pyg's total bill was $2,284.11. I pay a $200 deductible, and PetPlan pays $2,084.11.

Maisy's bill was $1,860.74. I pay a $200 deductible plus 20% coinsurance ($372.15), and PetPlan pays $1,288.59

Napi's bill was $1,943.02. I pay a $200 deductible, and PetPlan pays $1,743.02.

Lola's bill was $1,975.32. I pay a $200 deductible plus 20% coinsurance ($395.06), and PetPlan pays $1,380.26.

TOTAL BILL: $8,063.19
MY SHARE: $1,567.21
INSURANCE PAID: $6,495.98

The Process
Here's my favorite part of PetPlan: the reimbursement process. Now, all pet insurance is a reimbursement plan because pets are (technically) property in the US. This means that I had to pay the total cost up front. This is challenging (who has eight grand lying around??), but I guess god invented credit cards for a reason!

PetPlan makes it easy, though. To make a claim, all I have to do is download an app on my phone, take a picture of the bill and any medical records I have, and they do the rest! I made a claim for all four dogs on Sunday around 9pm, and a check was in the mail less than 48 hours later!! (Both the app and the website make it easy to follow the claims process online.) I should have the check by the end of the week.

PS- I am so not being paid to post this. I just LOVE PetPlan a lot. Seriously. Buy insurance for your furry friends. It is worth every penny; the way I figure, this incident just paid for FOUR YEARS worth of premiums. 

Happy 3rd birthday, Pyg!

You know what's awesome? Facebook. Because of the power of the 'book, I connected with someone who knew Pyg in his old life in Alabama. She kindly sent me this photo of him from May 27, 2013- just a few days shy of his four-month birthday.

I learned that he had been adopted and returned, and that he lived with fosters for most of his time in rescue. I *almost* feel bad for the folks that adopted/returned him... He really is such a phenomenal dog that it's a shame they didn't put in the (very little) time he would have needed. I honestly haven't done much work with him, and he's just the best, most solid little dog. He's got such a good natural temperament. But mostly I'm selfishly glad that they didn't keep him, because I ADORE my Pretty Boy Pyg.

Happy 3rd birthday, buddy. Let's try not to spend anymore in the hospital, okay?

Can I give my dog ibuprofen? HELLS NO.

Yesterday I came home from work to find four happy dogs... and a bottle of ibuprofen in the middle of my living room, with the pills clearly chewed on and scattered about. I knew that ibuprofen is dangerous for dogs, so I called the vet. Because I didn't know who had chewed on the ibuprofen, nor how much may have been swallowed, they advised that I rush all four to the emergency clinic. That's where I learned how dangerous ibuprofen is. 

Ibuprofen does all kinds of bad things to dogs, including ulcers, kidney failure, and neurological problems. Worse, it doesn't take much to cause these problems. GI problems, like ulcers, can happen at a dose as small as 25mg per kilogram. For my three little dogs, who each weigh around 15 pounds or 7kg, give or take, that means that as little as 175mg - or less than one tablet of ibuprofen - can cause serious problems. Kidney failure is likely at about 175mg per kilogram, or for my dogs, about six tablets.

By the time we got there, Pyg was throwing up, was lethargic, and was swaying on his feet. Not good. They took him back first and made him throw up. After consultation, we agreed that all four may have eaten some ibuprofen, and so the best course of action was to take the other three back.

That's when I learned that recovery from ibuprofen ingestion is a lengthy procedure. First, everyone has to throw up. Then, they need to eat activated charcoal, which helps neutralize anything that's been absorbed. (Pyg got bonus lipids to help even more since he was so sick and problem ate the most.) Next, they need to have GI protectants (to prevent ulcers or tears in the stomach). Finally, they need at least 48 hours of IV fluids to flush out the system. Regular blood work and UAs are taken to assess if any kidney damage has happened. Hopefully the throwing up and charcoal and fluids prevents that.

We're about 24 hours in right now. Everybody is doing well, even Pyg. He's clearly tired, but he's not dull and lethargic. When I visited, he just wanted to lean on me. I'm waiting for their second set of labs to come back, which will tell us if there's any kidney problems brewing. We don't anticipate this happening with any of them since we got treatment so fast, but I'll update when they're home - hopefully tomorrow, but maybe Monday.

In the meantime- everyone should know that if your dog eats ibuprofen, it is an immediate emergency.

Nine years of love!

Today is Maisy's 9th Gotcha Day - the anniversary of the day she came to live with me for good in 2007. I barely took any pictures of her as a pup, and most of the ones I have a over-exposed and/or blurry. Here's a somewhat decent one of her... but of course, it doesn't even begin to express how adorable she was.

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!

Well, hello blogging friends! It's been awhile. Despite that, blogger informs me I'm still averaging 250 hits a day. What? Well, hello! It's nice to know people are still finding their way here. Let's do a quick recap of the year, and look forward to the year to come, shall we?

Maisy
The Reactive Champion namesake, who is really not all that reactive anymore. She does backslide from time to time, especially if we haven't been doing much. For example, she might lunge and bark at the pet store if it's been awhile since she's been exposed to other dogs. But other than that (oh and that broken rib last fall), she's been doing great. We didn't go to a single trial this year, but who cares? We've gotten lots of quality ball-throwing time in, and that's all that matters.

My 2016 goal for Maisy? More hikes!

Lola

Darling Lola. I am surprised by how much I like basset hounds. They are sweet, but stubborn. Couch potatoes, but with plenty of energy. Cuddly, but mischievous. Don't let her get bored or she'll steal something of yours! Probably toilet paper or paper towels or whatever else you left to the edge of a counter. And if she manages to escape the yard, well... good luck!

Lola's 2016 goals include developing a good recall, a drop it, and maybe even some loose leash walking. We'll see how ambitious I actually am...

Pyg

I have to tell you, I have never, not for one minute, regretted adopting this dog. I'm glad I went for it, even though he became available right after Maisy had been terribly ill (and financially wiped me out. PS, have I mentioned how grateful I STILL am to all of you all?). But Pyg is just the BEST DAMN DOG. He is sweet and cuddly. He's playful. He's funny. He is up for anything. He gets along with EVERYBODY. Seriously, I love watching the way he will adjust his play style to each new dog he encounters. He is a seriously cool dog.

I'd like to work on getting him competition ready. (Finally!) Nothing fancy, just level 1 rally/novice obedience. And failing that, I'd love to get a good stay on him.

Napi
Oh, Napi. Napoleon has two settings: complete sweetheart, and complete asshole. (I tried to come up with a non-sweary way to describe him, but really. He's just awful.) I also completely love him. He's a pain to have around other people and other dogs, immediate family excepting, of course, but I swear he loves me more than the other three dogs combined. He just fills up my heart and I cannot imagine my life without him. It would probably be quieter.Napi is reactive, I guess, but that doesn't seem like the right word to describe him. He's reactive-PLUS. He's not really all that anxious, at least, not the way Maisy was. It's more like he's got, well, a Napoleon complex. He's comfortable around our house, and that's all I really need from him.

My goal for Napi this year is to work on crate games and/or the relaxation protocol. He absolutely loses his mind if I try to train another dog, and he can't handle having his crate door closed. I need him to learn just enough impulse control that I can put him somewhere safe while I'm busy.

On the Home Front
2015 was a pretty great year. I did get to meet my Guatemalan mother-in-law, which was fantastic! My Spanish really grew in leaps and bounds. Now I sound like a confused three-year-old instead of a confused two-year-old. The secret to learning another language is to speak it and not care if you sound stupid. I truly cannot conjugate anything beyond present tense, and I often mix up estar and ser, and I have less vocabulary than my dogs probably do, but you know what? It doesn't matter. You can communicate a lot with just the basics if you put yourself out there.

I started grad school in September (Master's of Social Work). I'm doing an extended three-year program, so I've only got two classes per semester this year and the next. I've been able to get a pretty good work/life/school balance down, which has been really nice. The downside is that I don't really want to be in school for three years, but it's gone okay.

Denise Fenzi continues to suck up my spare time/winter break... Last year I think I edited three books for her? I can't even keep up with that mad woman/ferret. She's truly a productive monster. I am honored to work with her, and flattered that she has been working around my grad school schedule.

My personal goals for 2016? I should probably say "blog more," but I KNOW that's not going to happen. My husband and I have (tentatively) agreed to train for a 5K. I have a love/hate relationship with running, so we'll see... I do want to hike more, and hopefully even squeeze in a backpacking trip with my friend Laura. I also have a love/hate relationship with backpacking. I want to speak Spanish more (we're hoping for a trip to Guatemala next fall/winter). I also have very good intentions of listening to the weekly Tara Brach podcast, meditating more, and getting back to yoga regularly (grad school life, yo).

Anyway... would love to hear what ya'll are up to! Drop me a line in the comments, yeah?

Happy Gotcha Day, Pyg!!

I have had Pyg for TWO YEARS now! I can't believe how fast the time has gone!

You know what else I can't believe? That no one else wanted him!! Pyg was in rescue for FIVE MONTHS, since the time he was a PUPPY - and no one wanted him! He had to fly clear across the country to find his forever home!

Pyg is the most amazing dog I have EVER known. He is universally good with every dog he meets. He can modulate his energy level and play style to match whoever he is interacting with. He loves kids. He is a world class snuggler. He is SO funny. He's clever. I just ADORE him.

Thank you Pyg, for whatever you did to make people not want you.

FUNDRAISING CONTEST: Donate to Prynne for a Chance to Win DENISE FENZI's New Book!!

You guys all know Denise Fenzi, right? Super awesome trainer, founder of the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, and prolific author? Well, I just happen to edit a lot of her work, and after I do, Denise usually sends me a free copy or two of the book.

She sent me FIVE extra copies of her newest book:

Beyond the Back Yard: Train Your Dog to Listen Anytime, Anywhere (Click here to learn more)

The book is meant for pet dog owners/trainers, but honestly, it offers a pretty awesome "proofing" plan for sports dogs, too. Ian Dunbar gave it rave reviews, and I just really like it.

And you guys remember Ettel and her dog Prynne? Prynne ate... something... that got lodged her throat, perforated her esophagus, and caused her to have a massive chest infection. Well, today her mom got the devastating news that the tear was worse than they thought. Prynne either needed to stay in the vet hospital for SIX MORE WEEKS to heal OR have a very expensive surgery... or be euthanized.

Ettel chose the surgery. And she doesn't have pet insurance. (GUYS, GET PET INSURANCE. HONESTLY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL NEED IT.) So, in addition to the bill that Prynne has already racked up, the total is now around $18,000!! Yikes!

So... LET'S HAVE A CONTEST!!! Donate ANY amount to Ettel and Prynne, and then comment either here or on Facebook that you did, along with the name you used to donate. Next week Friday, I will randomly choose FIVE donors to receive a copy of Beyond the Backyard. I will contact you if you're one of the lucky winners (so be sure to include an email address or check back- if I can't reach you within a week, I'll choose another winner in your place).

DONATE HERE!

Project Gratitude: Help Prynne AND Help Katie

In September 2013, Maisy became critically ill. Her care was incredibly expensive, and I could NEVER have gotten through that time without the financial and emotional support from you all. For about a year, I did a monthly "Project Gratitude," where I donated to someone in need, but that petered out because forced giving doesn't feel that good. But just today, I learned about TWO important causes, and I hope you will help out either by donating money OR by praying/sending good vibes/leaving a comforting word for the folks involved.

HELP ETTEL WITH PRYNNE'S VET BILLS
First up, my Facebook friend Ettel. I've known Ettel via the internet FOREVER. Over the weekend, her year old pup crashed. They ended up at the vet medical center where it was discovered that Prynne has a perforated esophagus, which caused fluid to build up around her lungs, and she has a MASSIVE infection. The conservative estimate for her care is $8000!

Go here to donate.

HELP KATIE WITH BILLS RELATED TO HER ILLNESS
Another super important cause. I have internet-known Katie forever, too - maybe even longer than I've known Ettel. Katie is fighting PTSD and depression, struggles I know well. Despite all her hard work, she's hit a run of bad luck lately; she's lost two jobs (and her medical insurance) in the past year, and her funds have hit critical mass. You can read her whole story here. Let's show Katie that world IS a good place, and that it's worth it to keep fighting.

Click here to donate.

Please, sir, could you help my friends?

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

Two years ago, give or take a few weeks, two things happened:

1. Maisy almost died (twice), accruing a ridiculous amount of vet bills (and THANK YOU to everyone who helped out during that time, I still think of you all with immense gratitude), and

2. I adopted Pyg.

The timing for a second dog was horrible, so pet insurance was at the top of my list for him. Although I did not initially buy insurance for Maisy (pre-existing conditions and all), I did end up purchasing it, almost on a whim, this spring. And thank goodness, because Maisy broke her rib a few months later.

So, is pet insurance worth it?

Financially, I'm not sure. Pyg and Napi are both around $275/year. Maisy and Lola are both just under $500/year. I've filed two claims, one for Lola, for which I received about $50 after deductible and co-insurance, and now one for Maisy's broken ribs, for which I've gotten about $350 back (about half the cost so far).

Emotionally? DEFINITELY. When I knew Maisy needed to go see the rehab vet, I was scared of the costs, but felt pretty confident that it wouldn't wreck me financially. I know that if/when Lola's back goes out, or if Pyg or Napi get sick or hit by a car or in a fight at the dog park or whatever... we'll be okay. The peace of mind is amazing.

Also, our insurance company has been great. We use PetPlan, and I've been consistently happy with the service I've received. With Maisy's claim, all I did was download the PetPlan app, snapped a few photos of the bills, and not even 10 days later, I had cash in hand! Plus, they cover a LOT without needing special riders to the plan, so that's great too.

And no- I'm not being paid to write this. I just love them.

Here's a bonus dog pic:

Maisy's 9th Birthday!

My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures.

Sigh.

Typical conversation this week:

"So, my dog has a broken rib."

"What?? Which one?"

"Which one do you think?"

"Oh. Right. Of course."

Seriously, if something is going to happen to one of my dogs, it WOULD be Maisy. We don't really know how this happen; best guess is she got in a fight at the dog park. She stole a lab's tennis ball, lifted a lip at a lab, and the lab nailed her. The puncture wound healed quickly, but she became reluctant to jump on the bed, and was more sore in the back than usual.

Long story short, we did x-rays, a diagnostic ultrasound, and now we get to wear this very fancy swat-team-esque back brace for a month and hope the bone chip that's floating around heals up.

Sigh. This dog.

Study Break!

I take my dogs to the dog park, and I ain't even gonna apologize for it.

I mean, look at this happy face!

This dog is so damn photogenic.

Even The Crazy One had a good time!

Lola takes having fun very seriously.

Coddling is not comfort

A friend posted a comment over on the RC FB page in response to yesterday's post about comforting fearful dogs. Basically, she said that comforting one of her fearful dogs in pretty much the exact same way as she did with her other dog actually makes her dog worse. My initial response was, "Nope, wrong, comfort is awesome," but I've internet-known this person for years and years, and I know she's sincere.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized that comfort is a lot like that saying, "One man's treasure is another man's trash." In other words, it's subjective. We all find different things comforting, so yeah, actually, comforting one dog the same way as you might another is not always going to be successful.

Here's a personal example:

I have PTSD, a mental illness that sometimes causes me to have panic attacks and depressive thoughts. I'm a lot like our dogs, actually. If someone were to sit down with me when I was in the midst of one of these episodes, touching and hugging me, feeding me chips and jelly beans, I would enjoy it. I would appreciate their efforts to comfort me, and I would LOVE all the attention (and food). But I don't think it would make me feel better. I tend to be easily sucked into self-pity, which usually leads to a downward spiral for me.

What does make me feel better is spending time with my friend Laura. Laura is incredibly practical and no-nonsense. I cannot even TELL you how many times she has literally drug me out into the woods to go hiking when all I wanted to do was lie in bed. She's not a touchy-feely person, and I can count on one hand the number of times she's hugged me. She doesn't spend a ton of time talking about my problems with me. She does not "comfort" me in the traditional sense. In fact, she might even appear cold, distant, or callous.

She's anything but. My friend Laura has consistently given me an amazing gift: the gift of her presence and her time. She has made a lot of sacrifices in our friendship, and she knows that "comfort" is not coddling. It's not catering to my every emotional whim. It's not treating me with kid-gloves or being excessively careful.

Instead, she knows that comforting someone is not about what you do, but instead about the end result. Comfort should soothe someone's soul and reassure them that they are loved. Above all, comfort should express a sense that we are in this together. Yes, life is hard sometimes, but no, we do not have to face it alone. And that's what my friend Laura does for me. It makes me feel better every time.

So... don't get caught up in what you're doing with your dog when he's scared. My dog is not your dog; what each one needs when they're upset is going to be different. Don't think about comforting them in terms of any specific action. Instead, offer your dog your love and presence in whatever way helps him most. You know, like Laura does.

Does comforting a scared dog actually reinforce their fear? (Answer: who cares?)

There was a thunderstorm here last night, an event that doesn't really merit comment here in the Midwest, especially since it was a pretty mild storm. Not windy, no loud thunder booms, just your run-of-the-mill storm. But of course, when you have a thunder-phobic dog, there is no such thing as a small, run-of-the-mill storm.

When Maisy first developed her thunder phobia three or four years ago, I put a lot of time and missed sleep into the problem. I spent many nights awake and feeding her everything from deli meat to potato chips in an effort to counter-condition thunder. I also used situational anxiety meds to reduce the amount of panic she felt so the training could work better.

Overall, it was worth it, because Maisy rarely has the full blown panic attacks that she used to have when a storm would roll in. Most times she's mildly uncomfortable, choosing to stick closely to me or my husband for comfort, and we ride it out with meds, food, or missed sleep.

Last night's storm started about an hour before bedtime. Although Maisy was not panicking, she was a bit restless. She kept walking back and forth between the bedroom and the living room, where my husband was watching TV and I was reading the DSM5 as a bit of light reading homework. We invited her to sit with us several times, but it was clear that she did not want to be near the big picture window with its view of all the lightning.

I finally gave in and went to bed early. Maisy followed me into the bedroom, hopped up on the bed, pressed herself as close as she could to my side, and... fell asleep. No panting, no pacing, no panic, just sleep. All she needed to get through a scary situation was a bit of comfort.

Think about that for a moment.

I know there is a lot of talk about how comforting a dog who is scared is "reinforcing fear" - as if that's a bad thing! I personally don't believe that you can reinforce an emotion, and even if you could, I cannot imagine a living being that would volunteer to be truly scared in order to get a cookie or a hug. Of course, there are those too-smart-for-their-own-good dogs who figure out that if the act scared, they get good things. It may appear that fear (or more accurately, fearful-looking behavior) is being rewarded in those cases, and honestly, so what?

Now, I believe that Maisy was actually scared last night, and I do not think that going to bed a bit early to provide her some comfort was that big of a sacrifice on my part. But let's pretend for a moment that her behavior was a calculated attempt to get my attention. WHY IS THAT A BAD THING? Seriously, all my dog wanted was some affection! She wanted me to show her a bit of love! She wanted to be comforted! Isn't that actually a GOOD thing? Don't we humans get dogs because of the unconditional love they show us? Don't we enjoy being able to lavish all kinds of love on them in return? When it comes down to us, don't most of us say that we love our dogs more than we love most people?

How about, instead of getting all wrapped up in questions about whether or not our dogs are manipulating us, we look at their behavior as communication instead - and respond to that in a loving, caring, affectionate manner.

Social worker by day, and, well, social worker by night, too. In other words...

For a long time, the "about me" sidebar has said, "Social worker by day, dog trainer by night." But I haven't taught a dog training class in over a year, and in ten days I start grad school.

I started this blog six years and two jobs ago, back when I had nothing to do but stare at a computer screen 40 hours a week. Now I not only have a job that keeps me busy, it has solidified my professional identity as a social worker. Then I started editing (no, Denise, I am NOT leaving you), and it's been six months since I've posted anything of substance. Now I'm told to expect to spend 25 to 30 hours a week or so getting my master's degree on.

I'm not planning to end this blog, but I'm also not really planning to update either. I'm not really sure what the difference is; I think I'm just leaving my options open. I'll probably post little snippets over on the Facebook page, but before today, it had been 41 days since I'd posted there, so...

Of course, if anyone is interested in the History and Philosophy of Social Work, or Psychopathology and Human Behavior, I could probably arrange to post some essays this semester. :)

Happy 5th Birthday, Lola!

I have known Lola for almost three years; I've lived with her for one. And while I never thought I would have a basset hound, I am so glad I do. Lola is sweet and affectionate. She's strong-willed and independent. She's a total pain in my ass, and yet so completely wonderful. She has completely changed my life.

Thank you, Lola, for taking care of mi amor y mi vida before I even knew him. Thank you for being (half) the reason we met. My life is so completely full of love and happiness in a way I never imagined possible. I am so grateful that you are my dog now, too.

Let Freedom Ring! Napi's Designated Birthday/Gotcha Day!

Two years ago, my husband rescued Napi. Well, it was a few days after the 4th, but since he was saved from an abusive situation, Cesar decided it fitting to celebrate Napi's freedom day on, well, the day of freedom.

Today is also the day we celebrate his birthday. When he was rescued, Napi was probably around a year. Maybe a bit less. But since we really have no way of knowing, we gave him the 4th of July for both of his important dates.

 He has a few scars from his early years, but he improves every day. Mostly, it's been a combo of meds and love; I am sure I do a lot of training throughout the day, but none of it is all the conscious. These days, after about five minutes of barking, he will settle in and play with new people and dogs.

I love Napi to pieces. He's a fabulously wonderful, difficult, horrible, absolutely amazing dog. I wouldn't give him up for anything.

In Memory of Nicky

Nickolas J. Cat

September 2000-May 10, 2015

I've been avoiding writing this post for awhile; it's hard to believe that Nicky is really gone.

I adopted Nicky in November 2000 as an 8-ish-week-old kitten. I have kitten pictures of him, but that was the pre-digital era. Barring a period of time when he lived with my parents (I lived somewhere that didn't allow cats), I've had him ever since.

How is it that I don't have any PICTURES of Nicky and Maisy together? Here- have a video instead.

Nicky was always a playful little beast. As a kitten, Nicky played fetch. It was adorable. We'd throw one of those barely-counts-as-a-mitten things and he'd chase it and bring it back. He also would brush up against my landline (remember those?!) and call my mom on speed dial.

"Whatever it was, I didn't do it! It was the cat, honest!"

As an adult, he adored catnip and would gladly bliss-out any day of the week. I actually have a plant of the stuff that I grew just for him. He also had a charming habit of sleeping on my head, and a not-so-charming habit of drooling on my face and in my ears. It was disgusting, but I would give anything for that now.

"What? He's in MY crate!"

Things got harder when the Barrera household formed last summer. Not only was Nicky older and arthritic, but Lola was quite scared of him. It took awhile, but we did find a tentative peace in the house. The pictures I have of them together are some of my favorite.

"Dis MAH kitty."

This spring, when it became clear that he was very sick, we began to allow him to do whatever he'd like. As it turns out, that was go outside. He wasn't really allowed to do that before, and he became obnoxious in his attempts to get outside. Mostly he sat in the sun, and I was happy to sit with him.

The best family picture I ever got.

It astounds me how big of a hole such a small being can leave. The dogs have such big personalities, they are so demanding. And yet, Nicky's absence is so conspicuous. I miss him so much. I will always love him. <3 p="">

Oseh shalom bim'romav hu ya'aseh shalom.

Zichronam Liv'racha, Nicky.

May your memory be a blessing.

Review: Merrick Power Bites Treats from Chewy.com

 

New. Favorite. Treats.

This month Chewy.com sent us Merrick Power Bites and I love them! They are everything I want a treat to be:

• made in the USA
• quality ingredients
• soft and easy to eat
• palatable to all four dogs
• easy to handle
• leaves no nasty residue on my fingers

AND BEST OF ALL

• they are the perfect training treat size!

Seriously, ya'll. Zukes have always been a favorite because of the size, but even those I would cut in half or fours. These? These require no splitting. They are about 2/3 the size of a Zuke already! So they are great for training little dogs, especially with reactive dog work.

Well done, Merrick. And thanks, Chewy, for providing me with this treat. (For free, but with no other expectations on what I say.)