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Tips for Living in a Tiny House With Dogs

Today is publication day for a book called Living Large in Our Little House: Thriving in 480-Square Feet With Six Dogs, a Husband and One Remote — Plus More Stories of How You Can Too (Reader’s Digest Books). It’s written by my dear friend and colleague Kerri Fivecoat Campbell. She really does live in a TINY house in the mountains of Arkansas with several dogs. Because I’m sure you’re as curious as I am about how exactly that works, I asked Kerri for some tips on living in a tiny house with dogs.

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Dog Life | Hot News | Newsworthy | The Story of Clover | The Story of Tori

Pupppy-Girl Medical News

I didn’t want to say anything until I knew what was what, but Clover had some tests done last week, and Tori is having surgery this Friday, May 13. Details just ahead.

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Dog Gripe | Dog Life | Dog Rant | Hot News | Newsworthy | The Story of Clover

Canine Genetic Tests Thumbs Up (and Down)

The same day we had Clover spayed, I asked our veterinary hospital to run genetic tests too. My primary goal was to learn Clover’s MDR1 status (multi-drug sensitivity gene). Depending upon the genetic test you choose, you can also find out your dog’s breed heritage and whether or not your dog tests positive for other kinds of disease-causing genetic markers. The good news is that Clover is indeed 100% border collie (cute family tree graphic ahead), and she tested NEGATIVE for all 90 genetic markers. The bad news is that the testing company won’t tell me what all 90 of those markers are, which makes me really crabby.

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Dog Gripe | Dog Life | Hot News | Newsworthy | The Story of Clover

Clover’s Surgery Friday, Oct 9

Friday, October 9, after a LONG wait for Clover to go into heat (in hopes of solving her UTI issues) and then more waiting for her to recover from an exceptionally long false pregnancy that lasted WAY longer than a real one, Clover will be spayed. I’m very much looking forward to having this surgery behind us, but I’m also a total wreck. Once you’ve lost an amazing dog to something that should have been routine (a rabies vaccine), it’s hard to look at anything — big or small — as no big deal.

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book review | Brag for a Friend | Dog Book Review | Hot News | Newsworthy

Book Review: Faithfully Yours by Peggy Frezon

Author Peggy Frezon serves as master curator of laugh-worthy, awww-worthy, and cry-worthy animal stories in her latest book Faithfully Yours: The Amazing Bond Between Us and the Animals We Love. Whether it’s a tale you may have heard on the news, a viral video of unlikely animal friendships or everyday stories from people you may know in the online animal community, you’ll find something to love, something to smile about … and yes, a few things that will bring tears to your eyes. In other words, get ready to cry happy tears.

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Dog Brag | Dog Life | Dog Photo | Dog Video | Dog Video Gallery | Hot News | New Puppy | Newsworthy | Puppy Pix | The Story of Tori

So This Happened … Again. Welcome Home, Tori Autumn Hawn

Whirlwind of a week, so I’ll have to tell the full story later when I’m not so tired and preoccupied with having TWO puppies in the house. Yeah, you read that right. Here is the short version. Someone at our main veterinary hospital rescued a border collie + Australian shepherd puppy from a bad situation, while visiting family in New Mexico. Our pals at the hospital called early Wednesday morning, asking for my help finding her a home. Tom asked to see her photo. He went to the hospital to meet her and fell in love. She came home with him that day on a “trial visit.” Today, we made it official and adopted her from the veterinary hospital. Photos and one short video below.

Read More So This Happened … Again. Welcome Home, Tori Autumn Hawn
Back Story | Dog Gripe | Dog Life | Dog Musings | Hot News | Newsworthy | The Story of Clover

The Cost of Raising a Puppy

I’m forever amused at the estimates circulated in the media about the costs of having a dog in your family. The annual figures shared by major pet or veterinary organizations always feel WAY TOO LOW. So, I decided to test that theory and keep track of my puppy spending from Clover’s adoption on September 13, 2014, through her Gotcha Day anniversary, September 13, 2015. Are you ready to see what it really costs to bring a puppy home (at least home to a family like mine)?

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Dog Gripe | Dog Life | Dog Product Review | Hot News | Newsworthy | Q & A | Sponsored Post | The Story of Clover

Tales of Canine Tummy Troubles and New Veterinary Diet from Purina #sponsored

The dogs in my life have always been PIGS. Serious P-I-G pigs. It’s helpful because if they won’t eat, then you KNOW something is wrong. Really wrong. Enter our new canine heroine, Clover Lee Hawn, who for about a month now has NOT been eating well. It’s STRESSING me out. So, when our friends and sponsors at Purina asked me to write about the new “natural” version of their veterinary diets for pets with tummy upset, I agreed. More about Clover’s tummy, two cool infographics, and a Q&A with Purina’s veterinary diet experts … just ahead.

Read More Tales of Canine Tummy Troubles and New Veterinary Diet from Purina #sponsored
Dog Brag | Dog Life | Dog Training | Dog Training Update | Dog Training Video | Dog Video | Dog Video Gallery | Hot News | Newsworthy | The Story of Clover

Border Collie Herding Instinct Test — Clover Meets Goats

A couple of weeks ago, I drove Clover out to Valdemar Farm for her herding instinct test with our herding instructor Cathy Balliu. You can see the video highlights (and bloopers) below, but let’s just say Clover did much more harassing than herding. Here is a recap of what we looked for, what we saw, and what comes next.

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Dog Brag | Heart Dog Book | Hot News | Newsworthy

Heart Dog Print Version Now on Sale Too

Thanks for your patience with the split release of the e-book and printed book versions of Heart Dog: Surviving the Loss of Your Canine Soul Mate. The print book is now on sale through Amazon. Here is a bit of other GREAT news … say Amazon Best Seller?

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