Positive Pet Ownership Tips

I have been a dog person since I was a toddler. My mom has the cutest picture of me and our dog Snowball when I was only 4 years old. From then on I have had many dogs and as an adult a few more. There are a few things I have learned over the years about being a pet owner.

#1 Crate training is essential. 

Even if your dog is an outside dog having them be comfortable in a crate is important. I have a big dog, a black lab and we trained her as a puppy. Just recently she needed to be in her crate while construction work was being done for her own safety. 

Crate training is also a vital part of potty training early on. It will take about a week of dedication but it will pay off for you and your dog. With my dog we would have her hang out in the crate for an hour or so then take her to the back door and ring a little bell that was hanging from a string. I would ring the bell and then open the door to take her potty. After she went to the bathroom I would tell her she was good and jump around all excited. Then back in the house right away. For the first week the back yard or outside was only for potty. I did not let her play out there just yet. She would play and run around the house then into the crate for a bit. Each time she came out of the crate we would go to the back door, ring the little bell, tell her potty and go out back. We did this for a 4 day weekend we had and by the fourth day of this consistent routine she went to the door and rang her little bell and sat waiting for me. SUCCESS! To this day my dog has only peed in the house twice and she is 7 years old. Be sure when they are little to respond to the bell ringing. Even if your tired and she was just out there, say potty and take her out back. 

Without the crate being the spot she was in hanging out during training I am sure she would have found a hidden spot to pee or poo. The crate is what helped her know to wait since she did not want to pee in her own bed. 

I also want to add do not do the old fashioned "rub their nose in it" or punish a dog for a potty accident. This will create a fear driven pottier. I am not a dog expert in the slightest just have seen dogs positive attitude destroyed by the fear of needing to go. 

#2 Toys keep a dog entertained.

 Dogs just like us get bored. When you buy toys for them change them out with older toys. I buy toys for my dog when there is a sale like a holiday has passed and the toys have gone on clearance. My dog will not know a bunny or snowman is a seasonal thing. If you keep their toys on a cycle they will not get bored with them. This also works on my toddler lol

#3 Positive Praise.

Just  like kids dogs enjoy praise for things they have done good. Training is a constant for dogs, even older dogs need to be reminded that their good behavior is still appreciated. I know with my dog when she rings her bell I still cheer for her and its been almost 7 years. She still wags her tail and dances around with excited. 

#4 Learning new behaviors.

Keep training them. Dogs need to be learning new things and to practice learned skills. Starting with a dog training collars can be helpful for older dogs that may have already learned un-wanted behaviors to help correct them. My dog can sit, stay and come with hand commands. I dont have to say a word just a gesture. We still keep up the practice with little drills in the back yard. She needs to know I know she listens and is sharp with her skills. We are currently working on a new skill of high five. Its a tough one for her since I did not teach her shake or to put her paws up on people. We knew we would be starting a family in the near future when we bought our dog so we tried to teach her skills to be kid ready for when we did have children around her. 

#5 Personal space for your dog.

Dogs like alone time too. They should have a den like area even just a dog bed that would be all theirs in your own home if its outside or inside make your dog their own space. One that you dont mess with or the kids. We have a dog in our neighborhood that is always kept in the front yard on a busy street corner with a chain link fence. He barks at everything and appears to be under constant stress. He sees every one and animal that goes by and he is always on guard. He barks at cars too and its a busy street. I always say if he just had his own little house or some fencing that was not see thru he would be more mellow. 

Those are my 5 tips for a positive dog ownership. I hope you find them helpful. I am not a dog expert in anyway just a dog owner for many many years.

At a local dog show checking out the puppies

This post is brought to you as a part of the Dog Days of Summer Campaign, hosted by the folks at dog training collars. It is my hope that these tips help pet owners and their pooches have a harmonious summer.

Dessert: Healthy vs Temptation

When we were shopping at the store today I decided I wanted to try a new product for dessert. I found two choices and oh my was it hard to pick if I wanted the healthy Frozen Greek Yogurt Smoothies or be tempted by the Cheesecake Bite Size Multi Flavors. My husband and son were trying to help me decide between the healthy and the indulgence. I thought about it for a bit while we looked around at other food we needed. My final decision was to just get both lol. I will have one or the other depending on what I had for dinner that day. Its my own way of telling myself I am still sticking to a overall plan.

Which one would you have chosen?

Father's Day Gift Idea Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Video Game Review

For Father's Day my husband has a few wants. Video games, a new grill and to relax.  I can get two of the three in one by getting him video games. We are big gamers in my house. We spend the evenings after our son has gone to bed to play the big kid (aka my husband) games. We dont often play shooter gun play games so we were curious to review the game play and story line of the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Solider game. We have several game consoles and this game we reviewed on our XBOX 360.

Game Info from Ubisoft:

"In the escalating political climate of the near future—where strategies on the battlefield must be delicately balanced with maneuvers at the negotiating table—a new breed of soldier has arisen. Trained to be better than the best and outfitted with the most comprehensive array of high-tech gear ever assembled, the future soldier stands apart by his ability to remain undetected. He slips unseen behind enemy lines. He uses the perfect combination of diplomacy and force to achieve his objectives while remaining politically invisible. He is a Ghost."

Soldier games can be fun for adults to play. Remember this is NOT a kids game. Its rated M for Mature. Perfect for my husband to be able to have fun playing by himself or with friends. There is great team work game play and the missions are exciting. He liked that the game is a 3rd person shooter. It makes it easier to play than a 1st person shooter game. Missions often involve taking down a strategical target or rescuing a VIP. What makes this game a bit different than a typical shoot and rescue game is the open environments give you the freedom to achieve the objectives how you want but of course are best played stealthy.

Screenshot from Ubisoft

 Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a very tactical 3rd person shooter game. The game is all about using cover, tactics like smokes, flashes to surprise and ambush enemies and take objectives. Simply running and shooting everything will result in your fellow players not making it but its great to be able to try it either way. My husband realized quickly its best to be stealthy in this game. My husband said the story line was a little long to follow but thats just because we dont have as much time as we use to for Mature games. It is a game that you can pick up and play then put down without much loss of the feel of the game. Some games we have played you feel like you have to get the hang of it again each time you play. 

Screenshot from Ubisoft

The AI in the game is a better than some of the games he has played. He said your team helps you with intel, cover and play as a team according to what your doing. Overall its a fun military style game for men to play. Not one for the kids to see but thats what the rating system is made for.

A great gift for the Dad in your life that enjoys shooter military style games.

You can find the game on sale at Best Buy , Walmart and other game retailers.

* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was provided for free the toy mentioned in this post for my review by the Company/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Give A Little To Help A Lot

I know that most of us don't have wads of money to donate to good causes, and our hearts would like to help more than our pocketbooks will allow. That is very true for myself.
 
I live in the Seattle area, and we are fortunate that it is here that we have people like Bill and Melinda Gates who have donated a staggering amount of their wealth to charity through The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

I used to think that it was so great that this money was being donated from right here in my own backyard, and it was enough so that I somehow felt relieved a little from having to donate anywhere myself. I also felt that my tiny donations of money or goods were so small in comparison to others, would mine even matter?

It turns out that the answer is yes, every donation has the possibility of helping to make someone else's life better, and that every act of giving can have meaning.

I was so happy to come across this great book called How To Be An Everyday Philanthropist. There are hundreds of ways to help others both locally and globally. The ideas and examples in this book will inspire you to make our world a better place. There is a chapter that shows you how to give back and help out by using your computer, without even leaving home.

Big or small, our daily actions can truly make a difference in this world. Reading this book gave me clear guidance on using what I have to offer, and that the size of my bank account does not determine what I can do to help. Find out how easy it is to make a difference, and how good you will feel when you do.

Safeway June Dairy Ice Age Continental Drift Movie Voucher

Last week I went shopping at Safeway to buy Dairy products for a new recipe I wanted to create. I found inspiration in a cookbook and altered it based on what I found on sale at Safeway. For the month of June Safeway is having a Dairy Promotion for 2 Free Movie Tickets to the new Ice Age Continental Drift movie when you spend $40 in a month on specially marked Dairy products. It also includes a few non dairy items such as Simply Cranberry juice and select Pillsbury products. The tags with the cute Ice Age characters will show you which products to buy. 

It was simple to redeem the voucher. It was printed out when I got my receipt for my purchase and I took it home to redeem it online. I went to the site and selected the store I shopped at, for me Safeway. Then I entered my code in the box with basics like name, email and zip code.

I answered a few questions about my purchase and if I was going to see the Ice Age Continental Drift Movie with my voucher. You can use it on a different movie if you would like. We plan to save our voucher until the movie comes to theaters. My son loves the Ice Age movies. The first movie always makes me cry at the part where Manny gives back the baby they found to the humans, the look on the Dads face as it lights up with pure joy, so makes me cry. My son thinks the characters are funny. He makes the cutest "pphhhhrrrrfff" sound about the "elephant". I tell him its a mammoth but he tells me its an elephant. We have seen the other Ice Age movies too and this will be a special day to go see the new one. My son will be having his first official movie theater experience. Like me he loves to watch movies. He has his favorites and ones he loves to dance to. I look forward to sitting next to him eating popcorn and candy seeing the new Ice Age movie.

 After answering the questions and selecting the theater I wanted to use my voucher at I was awarded my movie voucher to print. I did not have my printer set up and I was worried that if I closed the window I would lose my tickets. But thankfully I was emailed a link to my voucher to print at my convenience.

#JuneDairyMovies

I look forward to going to see the movie with my little guy. He is growing up so fast and movies are a fun way to create memories. I will have his favorite banana pudding cakes that I made with the June Dairy items we bought to get our tickets waiting for us to enjoy together when we get home from our movie adventure. Even if he does not sit through the whole movie and we have to leave early I will be happy just to of had the experience of the smile on his face when we stand in line for popcorn, him clapping when the movie starts ( he always claps at the beginning when he sees the opening credits of a movie, so funny) and to hear him yell "yeah" and "wow" or "oh no" during epic parts of the movie. I love how animated he gets about a movie. He really gets lost into the story. Hes my little movie critic and love to be able to share the experience with him.

There is still plenty of time to go shopping for your June Dairy items at Safeway stores to get your voucher for 2 Free movie tickets. You have the whole month of June to accumulate $40 of the June Dairy marked items. We purchased items we normally buy and a few extras that I had a wonderful time creating a recipe with. You can find recipes for your June Dairy products online at Easy Home Meals and on their facebook page.


*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary. #Cbias #SocialFabric #JuneDairyMovies