Blog – Paw Print

Do Dogs Dream?

August 15, 2025

It’s a good question – do our dogs dream? Many owners, without ever having to do any research, will tell you that yes, dogs do dream. After all, what else would cause our furry friends to sometimes “talk”, growl, move their legs, and quiver in their sleep?

It seems that scientists agree – dogs do most likely dream. In fact, evidence shows that many types of animals, many of them with brains simpler than that of dogs, experience dreams as well. Brain wave studies done on rats have shown that they not only dream, but that they seem to be dreaming about things they did while awake that day, much like what happens to humans.

By analyzing dog’s electrical brain sequences while they sleep, scientists have what they believe is proof that dog’s do dream. Dogs, like humans, most likely only dream while they are in the deep stage of REM sleep. Signs that your dog is in a REM sleep stage and may be dreaming include irregular breathing, muscle twitches, eye movement, and sometimes “talking” (barking, growling, etc) or movement of the legs or paws that can make it appear as if the dog is trying to walk, run, or preform some other physical activity. Oddly enough, scientists report that their evidence suggests that small dogs seem to dream more often than large dogs, and that puppies dream more than adult dogs.

So what do dogs dream about? Much like humans, scientists believe that dogs probably dream about things that happen in their everyday lives, things such as eating, going for walks, family members, chasing that cat that lives next door, or playing. What do you think your dog(s) dream about?

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Puppies

Calculating Your Puppy’s Adult Weight

May 15, 2025

So you’ve adopted a new puppy and you’d like to get an idea of how big he/she will grow up to be.

Is there any way to tell, or at least to guess, how big your little furball will be as an adult dog?
Is it okay to buy your dog small-sized supplies, such as beds, or should you save some money and opt for the large size now?
Are there any health issues associated with your pooch’s future size that you should start researching now?

Knowing how large your dog will become can be very useful for many reasons. Of course, we love our dogs no matter what size they are, but if you’d like a way to estimate how big your puppy will grow to be, then you’re in the right place!

Easy Calculations:

Determine how old your dog is in weeks, and weigh your puppy.
Now here’s where the actual math comes in. The formula is (Growth) = Current weight in pounds / Age in weeks. Adult Weight = (Growth) X 52
For example, say you have a 12-week-old Chihuahua mix who currently weighs six pounds. You’d first determine his growth. So current weight divided by age in weeks. 6/12 = 0.5. Then you take that growth number, in this case, 0.5, and plug it into the next equation. So in this example, the dog’s adult weight is equal to 0.5 X 52, which is 26. So the Chihuahua mix in this example has an estimated adult weight of around 26 lbs.

Pretty simple, right? Keep in mind, though, that this is just a rough estimate. There are many factors that go into determining a dog’s growth and size, including things like sex, breed, and health. This calculation assumes that a puppy will continue to grow at a consistently average rate until they reach adulthood.

Kitsune when he was a puppy!

But that may not be entirely accurate due to the fact that many puppies, rather than growing continuously, will have a period of fast growth followed by a period of slower growth until they reach their full adult weight.

Different-sized dogs also reach their adult size at different ages, and even after they obtain their adult size, it’s normal for them to continue to gain some weight as they fill out more.

Since these calculations are just estimates and can be inaccurate, it can be helpful to look at more than one when trying to determine your dog’s future size. Here is an example of another set of equations used to estimate a puppy’s adult size.

If you have a toy or small breed dog, use this equation: (Adult weight in lbs.) = weight in lbs. at six weeks old X 4.
If you have a medium or large-sized dog, use this equation: (Adult weight in lbs.) = weight in lbs. at 14 weeks X 2.5.
If you are unsure whether your dog will be a small, medium, or large adult, you can do both of these calculations for your dog to get a weight range.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. It’s important to love our dogs, no matter how large or small they grow up to be. But if you’d like a rough estimate of your dog’s adult size, these simple calculations should help.

Pet Products

Cheerble Wicked Ball Air Review & Giveaway

March 26, 2025

My Alaskan Klee Kai, Fenrir, despite being almost 10 years old now loves toys. When it comes to food he’s always been super picky, and he has very low food motivation – but toys!? Oh boy. There’s almost nothing Fen finds more rewarding than a good ball. He holds a special place in his heart for what my partner and I have come to refer to as ‘loud toys’. If a toy somehow moves, jumps, or wiggles, Fen is in! In the past, dog toys with motors have meant that the toy is pretty loud, hence why we call them loud toys. If I’m being honest, they can get kind of annoying for us humans. But Fen loves them, so we’ve always just dealt with the sound.

Post Contents:

1 Cheerble
2 Wicked Ball Air
3 Time To Play!
4 Easy To Operate
5 Clean Up Is A Breeze!
6 Silence Is Bliss
7 Get One For Your Dog!
8 Giveaway Time!

Cheerble

When a company called Cheerble asked if Fen and I wanted to try out their Wicked Ball Air, I took one look and knew it was something Fen would love!

Although new to me, Cheerble was founded in 2016. We tried out their Wicked Ball Air. They sell other products too, including an array of interactive dog toys, cat toys, and pet supplies. When Cheerble first contacted me, I felt especially drawn to how innovative and unique their products looked! I’ve shared my life with dogs for over 15 years (Yeah, I feel old) and have been a pet blogger for almost as long. So, as you can imagine, I’ve seen a lot of dog toys. These days, it takes a lot for me to feel like a dog toy seems unique. So kudos to Cheerble on that!

Wicked Ball Air

Cheerble’s Wicked Ball Air is the moving, bouncing, rolling wonder ball for dogs! After charging it, the Wicked Ball Air has 3 interactive modes (normal, passive, and gentle). Choose the perfect setting based on your pet’s individual play style. The normal setting causes the ball to jump and move around the room, and is recommended for active dogs. The passive setting means the ball basically doesn’t move until it’s moved or tapped. In the gentle setting, the ball moves and shakes slowly, which is great for dogs who may be intimidated by a ball that moves on its own.

The Wicked Ball Air is made with a pet safe, bite-resistant E-TPU outer shell. It’s light, and eco-friendly, which I really appreciate. The outer shell is non-toxic and designed to be soft so it’s gentle on dog’s teeth. Cheerble even sells replacement shells for your Wicked Ball Air, so the fun never has to end! Cheerble recommends the Wicked Ball Air as best for medium-large breeds, or any dog over 35lbs. But I have to be honest, my Fenrir isn’t that big and he loves his Wicked Ball Air too!

The Wicked Ball Air is USB chargeable, and comes with a cable to charge it. Each charge should last between 1 to 3.5 hours, and recharging to full only takes around 50 minutes.

Time To Play!

I know I know, I can say lots of good things about a dog toy, but the real test always comes down to one thing – will my dog like it?

Fenrir gives the Wicked Ball Air two paws up! The ball is lightweight, just 130 grams, which made it easy for Fen to pick up and play with even though he’s smaller than the recommended dog size. I really appreciate that the Wicked Ball Air is soft and safe for dog’s teeth, and the soft material seemed like it made the ball easier for Fen to grip. He was excited to play with the Wicked Ball Air even before I charged it up! Afterwards, when he saw it moving and bouncing around, he was really interested!

Luckily he didn’t have to wait long to play! Cheerble says the ball charges fully in 50 minutes. I’ll be honest, I didn’t time it when I charged our ball for the first time, but I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly it charged. The ball even has colored indicator lights so you can easily see when it’s done charging. Indicator lights also light up different colors to let you know what setting (normal, passive, and gentle) the ball is on. We tried all three modes. Fen happily played with the ball no matter what setting I used, but, for the most part, we kept it on normal during our play sessions.

Easy To Operate

Once you figure out the color scheme and how to control the ball it’s super easy to use! An instruction manual is included. I had to look at it once to learn how to turn the ball on and off, and to figure out what each color setting meant, but after looking at it once I was good to go. I will mention that our Wicked Ball Air had kind of a strong scent when I first opened it, but I left the ball out of the box for a short time and the smell completely went away.

Clean Up Is A Breeze!

I love, love, love how easy this toy is to clean! As you can see from the video above, we played with our Wicked Ball Air outside. It’s ‘mud season’ currently and our ball got pretty dirty out in the yard. The two sides of the ball unscrew, and you can fully remove the motor inside. I washed the two sides of the shell in the sink then just made sure I allowed them to dry fully before putting the ball back together again.

The Wicked Ball Air seems pretty durable, but I love that Cheerble has the option to purchase replacement shells. The ball itself, with the motor, is kind of on the expensive side but the replacement shells are reasonably priced. It really makes you feel like you can get your moneys worth, because with the replacement shells (if needed) you can really extend the life of your ball.

Silence Is Bliss

Oh! And I almost forgot the best part! The Wicked Ball Air is quiet! It’s the first interactive pet toy with a motor like this that I’ve tried that hasn’t been obnoxiously loud. The motor itself is almost silent. While the ball wiggles and rolls around, it doesn’t do so violently. It’s not constantly hitting against the floor or random items in the house loudly. I appreciate this so much, because it means I can let Fenrir play with his ball while I’m working without having to listen to it constantly crash against the floor and random pieces of furniture. Also, I feel like the gentle nature of the ball’s movement contributes to making it safer for dog’s teeth.

Get One For Your Dog!

If your dog, like my Fenrir, just can’t say no to interactive toys Cheerble’s Wicked Ball Air is an awesome toy! We haven’t had ours very long, but I know Fen will be enjoying it for a long time to come. If you want to check out the Wicked Ball Air for yourself, you can use our code (05PAWPRI) on Cheerble’s site to get a cool 5% discount. If you’d prefer, Cheerble products, including the Wicked Ball Air, are also available on Amazon.

Amazon is also currently holding a spring promotion that lasts until March 31st, so if you’re interested in checking out the Wicked Ball Air (or other Cheerble products) there’s never been a better time! Readers who take advantage of the spring sale will get an extra 20% off, on top of the 5% discount!

Giveaway Time!

The awesome people over at Cheerble sent us two Wicked Ball Airs to try out. Since I’m convinced Fenrir will only ever need one, we’re hosting a giveaway for the other. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

Valid for US residents only. A winner will randomly be selected and notified via email on April 10th. The winner will have 48hrs to reply to our email. If no email reply is received the prize will be forfeit and we’ll randomly select a new winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pet Products

Petcube Smart Pet Camera Cam 360 Review

March 15, 2025

It’s been a while since we have posted any product reviews! After having dogs, and blogging about them, for so many years I, as you can probably imagine, amassed quite the horde of dog products. I’ve been very selective about what products I select to review here because, for one, I only like sharing products that are high quality, worth your money, and are things that I feel safe/comfortable using myself. If a product isn’t something that I’d happily use with my own dog, then I’m not going to promote it to you! In addition to all that, the fact of the matter is that I’ve gotten to a point where I kind of feel like I’ve “been there done that” when it comes to a lot of the dog products on the market. I have so much dog stuff already, I don’t need more stuff taking up space in my house. So, if I’m going to agree to review something, it has to be something that really piques my interest!

All that being said, today’s post is a product review! And, if you can’t already tell, it’s for a product I’ve really been enjoying. The awesome people over at Petcube recently reached out to see if my dog Fenrir and I wanted to try out one of their smart pet cameras. This was a product I was excited to try out because, although I don’t leave Fen home alone often, I worry about him when I do! Having a way to check in on him when I’m away from home elevates so much anxiety.

Post Contents:

1 The Petcube Cam 360
2 First Impressions
3 Getting Started: The Petcube App
4 Time To Try The Camera!
5 Final Thoughts

The Petcube Cam 360

The Cam 360 smart pet camera by Petcube is an innovative pet ‘spy’ camera that allows you to keep an eye on your furry friend when you can’t be home with them. It comes with an app that allows you to livestream 1080p full HD video with a crisp, wide angle view. The camera features 360* pan and tilt rotation that allows you to see your pet no matter where in the room they roam. The camera features night vision that means low, or even no, light conditions are not a problem. Use the 8x digital zoom to really focus in on your pet’s mischief. You can even use the 2-way audio feature to listen in on, or talk to, your pet!

The Cam 360 features a privacy mode with physical camera shut-off, which I appreciated, especially since we decided to set our camera up in our bedroom. I don’t currently have this feature, but with a low monthly subscription you can also set up smart alerts, store captured videos in the cloud, receive daily video diary highlights, and have 24/7 chat access with certified veterinarians.

First Impressions

My first impression of the Petcube Cam 360 was that this thing is tiny! I love its sleek design. I’ve tried pet cameras in the past that were pretty bulky and didn’t look nearly as nice set up in a room as the Cam 360 does.

Besides the camera itself, our Cam 360 came with mounting hardware in case you want to mount your camera on the wall, a USB cable, plug adaptor, instruction manual, and some stickers.

Getting Started: The Petcube App

Who needs an instruction manual, though!? Not me! It was super easy to access and download the Petcube app (I use an Android phone), and once you register and log in on the app it walks you through everything you need to do to get started with your camera. It basically entailed getting my Cam 360 set up on my home Wi-Fi then linking my camera with my profile. It was easy-peasy and took me maybe a total of 5 minutes – including the time it took for me to try to remember my Wi-Fi password!

The app itself is intuitive and easy to use. It allows you to create pet profiles for multiple pets, and add multiple devices (including more cameras, pet trackers, and water fountains).

Time To Try The Camera!

After a brief setup it was time to test our Cam 360! I set ours up in our bedroom because that’s typically the room Fen hangs out in when he’s not by my side. I could tell that Fenrir could hear the Cam 360 moving when I panned the camera because every time I moved the camera he would stare at it. So cute!

Even without purchasing the monthly subscription, the Petcube app allows you to view the livestream and manually record videos and take photos. I was happy with how crisp and clear the livestream feed looked, even at night with no lights turned on in the room!

Here’s where I have to admit that I really don’t have great internet. I noticed, at times, that the camera feed would seem to lag and freeze up a bit. However, I suspect that this could be due to my unstable internet connection and not the camera itself. We live in a pretty remote area and have to use satellite internet. It works pretty well for most basic things, but can cause issues sometimes.

Final Thoughts

The Petcube Cam 360 is a product I’ll for sure continue to use. Internet issues aside, I love having a way to keep an eye on Fenrir when I’m away from home. Thankfully the brief lag, likely caused by my slow internet connection, doesn’t strongly interfere with the camera’s functionality. I can still get a great view of the adorable Mr.Fenrir!

I love that the Cam 360 is small and modern looking. It doesn’t look bad set up in our bedroom, and it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Despite its small size, this camera really packs a punch. I can pan the camera left to right, as well as up and down, to get a full view of the room its in. This is awesome for pets, but would make the Cam 360 great as a basic security camera as well. I’ve been happy using the Petcube free app, but if you’re looking for even more features, such as smart alerts, I feel like the Petcube Care subscription package is pretty reasonably priced. I work from home, so I don’t actually leave Fenrir home alone very often. If he was home alone more often, I’d probably subscribe to Petcube Care.

The Petcube app works well. The app and camera both were super easy to set up and intuitive to use. This is the exact camera we tried out, but Petcube sells other models of pet cameras, some with additional features, as well as a GPS tracker and (coming soon) a pet water fountain. Petcube is also on Amazon if you prefer to make purchases there.

Testing out the Cam 360 is our first time trying out a Petcube product but I don’t think it will be our last! I love our Cam 360 so far. I mean let’s face it, having to leave our beloved furry family members home alone sucks. Although I don’t do it often, I hate leaving Fenrir home alone and worry about him while I’m away. The Petcube Cam 360 allows me to check in on Fen from anywhere, and how can you put a price on that kind of peace of mind?

All About Dogs

Celebrating Valentine’s Day With Your Dog

February 15, 2025

What love is purer than the love we share with our pets? They love us unconditionally, no matter what we look like, our pasts, or how much money we make. They are our workout partners, snuggle buddies, therapists, and best friends. Although it’s important to express to our loved ones, pets included, that we care for them on a daily bases, why not do something special for your furry Valentine this Valentine’s Day? Also, remember while you’re celebrating with your loved ones, that some of the most common Valentine’s Day gifts and decorations can be dangerous to our pets.

Here are some tips to help you keep Valentine’s Day fun and safe for your furry friends!

Keep chocolate and sweets away from pets: Most pet owners already know that chocolate can be dangerous to some types of pets. However, even non-chocolate candies and sweets should be kept away from animals. Treats sweetened with Xylitol can cause dangerous hypoglycemia in our pets. Candy that doesn’t contain Xylitol or chocolate may not be toxic to our pets, but they commonly cause issues such as upset stomachs and digestion problems. So keep human treats away from your pets, you don’t want them to have to spend their Valentine’s Day with an upset tummy!
Flower safety: Flowers are a beautiful gift, but make sure that that bouquet from your secret admirer doesn’t put your pet in danger. Some species of flowers, such as lilies and morning glories, can be dangerous or even fatal to certain types of pets. Do research to determine what types of plants are unsafe for the particular type of pet(s) you own. When giving flowers as a gift, be careful not to send dangerous types of plants to pet owners. If you receive roses, don’t allow your pets to step on or chew the stem of the flowers. The thorns can cause injuries to your unsuspecting pets. De-thorn roses if you are afraid your pet might get to them. If in doubt, keep plants and flowers away from pets. Put the flowers up out of their reach and make sure that if the plants drop leaves or petals that they don’t fall onto the floor where your pet(s) could get to them.
No alcohol for Fido: Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets. Even a small amount of alcohol can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal, to pets.
Decoration safety: Be extra careful with decorations, especially things like candles and present wrapping supplies. A playful pet could easily knock over an unattended candle, and things like ribbons and wrapping paper may look like a fun toy, but can be dangerous is swallowed.
Don’t give pets for gifts: A fuzzy puppy or kitten may look adorable with a red ribbon around it’s neck on Valentine’s Day, but for many reasons pets should never be given as gifts. Instead consider other options such as stuffed animals, chocolate, or pet supplies for a potential future pet owner.
Be smart when picking pet presents: Most pets would love a new treat or toy on Valentine’s Day. Be smart about what you choose for your furry friends. Some commercial pet treats are unhealthy, or contain potentially dangerous ingredients. Toys should be sturdy and able to stand up to your pet. If your pet needs some new supplies, such as a new collar, etc., than things like that can make good gifts. On a budget? Why not try making your pet some homemade treats? And keep in mind that…
The best give you can give your pet is your time: Pets don’t need expensive gifts to know that their owners love them. Just spending some extra time with your pet can be the greatest gift of all. Consider taking your dog on an extra long walk, or playing ball for a few extra minutes. Snuggle up with your pet and watch tv together, or spend some extra time grooming them. Think of what your pet likes to do with you most, and spend some extra time with them doing it on Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing most pets love more than spending time with their loved ones, and the time spent together will be fun for you too!

All About Dogs, Pet Tips

There’s No Such Thing as a “Teacup” Puppy

January 15, 2025

Small dogs are cute- really cute! Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea (pardon the pun), but there are lots of reasons why someone might prefer small dogs over larger ones. They don’t take up as much space in small houses or apartments. They don’t eat as much as large dogs so it’s usually cheaper to feed them. They oftentimes have longer life spans than larger dogs and many toy-breed dogs have wonderful personalities. And they are absolutely adorable. Did I mention that already?

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to own a small dog. But how small is too small? Where do you draw the line between wanting a small dog that is a healthy, happy companion and wanting a dog that is as small as possible? Does size really matter so much that you would risk your dog’s health just so you can have the tiniest dog on the block? This is exactly what some owners are doing, whether knowingly or not.

Post Contents:

1 What Is a Toy Breed?
2 What Is a “Teacup” Breed?
3 Risks Involved in Breeding “Teacup” Puppies
4 Health Problems in “Teacup” Dogs
5 Always Research Reputable Breeders – Or Rescue!

What Is a Toy Breed?

The smallest breeds of dogs, many of which are generally under 10 lbs, fall into the category of toy breeds. The smallest breed of dog, as many already know, is the Chihuahua. A healthy, breed-standard chihuahua generally weighs somewhere between 2 and 6 lbs. The pug, generally weighing between 14 and 20 lbs, is probably the largest of the toy breeds. Even a 20 lb dog is pretty small. A 2 lb chihuahua is downright minuscule. Some dwarf rabbits grow to be larger than 2 lbs!

So as you can see, there are options out there for people who want tiny dogs. So why then, are some “breeders” out there advertising for what they call “teacup” puppies?

Papillon Breed Profile

What Is a “Teacup” Breed?

The fact of the matter is that there really is no such thing as a “teacup” puppy. There are no “teacup” breeds; the term “teacup” is not recognized by the AKC or any other form of dog association. The word “teacup,” when used to describe the size of a puppy, usually means that the puppy is smaller than average. That might not seem like such a bad thing, but think of the size of a typical chihuahua puppy—tiny! Now think of how tiny that puppy would be if it were half its normal size.

Risks Involved in Breeding “Teacup” Puppies

Whatever happened to calling the smallest, usually weakest, puppies of the litter runts? By many breeders, teacup puppies are produced by breeding what basically amounts to runt dogs together. Now if all that caused were extra small dogs, that’d be one thing. But there are many risks involved with breeding very small dogs, to both the mother dog and the puppies. The mother dogs, being very tiny themselves, commonly have difficulties carrying and delivering puppies.

Health Problems in “Teacup” Dogs

Common health issues in so-called teacup puppies include things like liver shunts, hypoglycemia, heart problems, open soft spots on the skull, collapsing trachea, seizures, respiratory problems, digestive problems, blindness, and the list goes on. Many of these issues are life-threatening and very expensive to treat.

Teacup puppies, because they are so small and frail, are also prone to breaking bones even while performing normal activities (such as jumping, playing, or running) that would present little to no danger to a normal puppy.

Not all teacup puppies are produced by breeding very small adult dogs. Unethical breeders will sometimes lie about a puppy’s age in order to make it appear that the puppy will be small as an adult.

Always Research Reputable Breeders – Or Rescue!

If you’re thinking about adding a small dog to your family, please do the responsible thing and thoroughly research potential breeders or adopt a dog from a shelter. Do not fall for the teacup scam! The little puppies may be adorable, but they often come with health problems that can cut their lives short and/or cost their owners thousands in vet bills.

There is no such thing as a teacup puppy. The term is most often used by unethical breeders as a marketing ploy to stick a high price tag on what is more often than not a very unhealthy puppy. There are plenty of perfectly healthy small-breed dogs that need loving homes and can be obtained without using your hard-earned cash to support unethical breeders.

Pet Products

Kit & Fen’s Dog Holiday Gift Guide!

November 15, 2024

Welcome to our 2024 dog holiday gift guide!

Is mid-November too early to be updating our yearly dog holiday gift guide? Hopefully not – or maybe you’re reading this closer to the holidays? Since I’ve decided to only post here once a month, at least for now, I wanted to get this post up in November. That should give everyone plenty of time if they want to order any of our suggestions for their dogs’ holida gift this year!

Post Contents:

1 In Loving Memory Of Kitsune
2 Our Official Toy Tester!
3 Been There, Done That?
4 Our 2024 Dog Holiday Gift Guide:
5 Muscle Plush Dog Toys:
6 Fluff & Tuff Dog Toys:
7 Beef Gullet Chews:
8 Insulated Dog Bowls:
9 Lupine Products:
10 Dental Chews:
11 Chuck-It Accessories & Balls:
12 Dog Beds:
13 Gooby Dog Clothes:
14 Hide & Seek Puzzle Plush Toys:
15 Vet Bills & Other Necessities:
16 Time:
17 Happy Holidays!

In Loving Memory Of Kitsune

Slight disclaimer, I suppose. I’m sure many of you already know that my beloved papillon, Kitsune, actually passed away early this year. Despite that, I couldn’t bring myself to take his name, or photos, off this post. His birthday was the day after Christmas, December 26th, and he always had so much fun celebrating Christmas and then his birthday with us. His joy was so infectious. Celebrating without him for the first time in 15 years is going to be hard. I think, in his memory, our yearly dog holiday gift guide will always bear his name. He will forever be my Yuletide pup!

Our Official Toy Tester!

Kitsune is survived by his ‘brother’ Fenrir, my 9 year old Alaskan Klee Kai. Though he’s no spring chicken anymore himself, Fenrir still loves playing with toys! He was the official toy tester for this list. Although I do have to admit he’s a super picky eater, so finding treats that he loves isn’t so easy. Maybe, in a way, that’s a good thing. It means any treats that make it to our list this year will have to be extra delicious to peak Fenrir’s interest!

Been There, Done That?

I always hope that these lists don’t feel too repetitive to our long-time readers. I’ve more than likely recommended many of these products on my blog before. When you’ve kept dogs for over 15 years, and try out the crazy number of dog products that I have, clear winners start to emerge! I never like to recommend products here that I wouldn’t happily use for my own dogs. Although I could surely recommend more, I usually try to keep our dog holiday gift guide to a list of 10 products.

This year I tried to make my list a good balance between fun, toy-type products and more practical gifts. Hopefully, if you’re looking for a gift idea for your dog this holiday season, you can find something here!

I apologize that some of the product photos here are not up to date. I originally meant to try getting all new photos for this post, but time got away from me. A lot of the items recommended here are toys/products we’ve used for years, so rather than having no photos at all I decided to go with some older pictures.

This post contains affiliate links. If you use our links to purchase goods, we’ll receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Without further ado…

Our 2024 Dog Holiday Gift Guide:

Muscle Plush Dog Toys:

My partner found these toys on Chewy.com a couple of years ago, I believe around the end of 2020, and bought a couple of them for Kit and Fen. We just thought they were silly, and didn’t have any particular expectations that they would last long. Fenrir can sometimes be rather rough with his toys. He has this habit of picking a “favorite” toy each day, which he’ll then proceed to carry around all day. Often, he’ll select the same handful of toys over and over again until they basically fall apart. Besides carrying his current favorites around, he beats them up. He plays rough and has a tendency to try to destuff plush toys. We have a couple of these Muscle Plush toys, and Fen often selects them as his daily favorites. After 4 years (!) of being carried around, beat up, dragged, snuggled with, chewed on, and played with, Fen has not managed to destuff a single one of his Muscle Plushies!

Fluff & Tuff Dog Toys:

These toys aren’t quite as durable as the Muscle Plush toys, but they are still fan favorites here at the Paw Print house! Fluff & Tuff is a brand of dog toys. Fenrir has been able to destroy these toys, but it takes a lot longer than your average toy. Most of all, I love all the plush options this brand offers! Fenrir LOVES the Fluff & Tuff Mary Lamb. He’s currently on his second lamb toy. The first one lasted him around a year before it needed to be replaced. Kitsune loved his Fluff & Tuff Lobo Wolf. He always liked bigger plush toys for some reason. I love how stinking adorable these toys are!

Beef Gullet Chews:

Last year for Christmas Santa Paws brought Kit and Fen a bag of these beef gullet sticks. Their only ingredient is beef gullet – chemical and preservative free! They are 100% digestible and although they don’t smell the best, they do smell way better than traditional bully sticks. Fenrir, picky as he is, is obsessed with these things! I’d even go as far as saying they are his favorite food now. I’ve been giving him one a night before bed. As soon as he sees me walking towards the chewy container at night he freaks out and runs up to bed to wait for his favorite snack.

Insulated Dog Bowls:

After our most recent move, when we had some of our old dog bowls break, I went on an epic quest to find the “perfect” replacement bowls. Well, maybe it wasn’t quite so epic, but I came across the wonder that is insulated dog bowls. I bought a few double walled, stainless steel, insulated dog bowls to use for Kit’s and Fen’s water. They’re especially awesome during any extreme temperatures, because they hold the temperature of whatever I put in them for much longer than a regular bowl. So I can keep the dogs’ water cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Lupine Products:

If I had to pick my favorite leash brand that I’ve used for my small dogs, it would have to be Lupine! At first glance Lupine leashes are just regular, although adorable, nylon leashes. But I really like the handles on them. And bonus points, Lupine offers a lifetime guarantee on their products that yes, they actually honor! Their products really do last a lifetime. A dog lifetime, at least. Kit had a Lupine collar and leash that I got for him as a puppy. They now hang in his memorial in my office. His leash especially saw a ton of use, daily use for years, and still held up surprisingly well.

Dental Chews:

Dogs love to chew! I’ve been trying to pick multipurpose chews. Of course the main purpose when it comes to buying chews is to give my dogs a mentally stimulating snack. But I’ve been all about dental chews especially in the last couple of years. Doggy dental health is SO important, and there’s no funner way for your pooch to keep his pearly whites clean than to chew! They don’t take Fenrir super long time to get through, but he enjoys these PlaqueOff chews. They really seem to do a good job at helping to keep his teeth clean too.

Chuck-It Accessories & Balls:

Four years ago for Yule my partner got Fenrir a Chuck-It Ball Thrower with a bunch of Chuck-It balls. To this day, Fen loves his ball thrower/balls and gets super excited every time he sees one of us get it out. Chuck-It balls can be a great alternative to giving your dog regular tennis balls, especially if you worry about your dog pulling the fuzz off a tennis ball and potentially damaging his/her teeth. I love that the Chuck-It balls are bright orange, so they’re easy to find when they get lost in the yard. Because they are rubber, they are also super easy to clean after a long play session. No one likes muddy balls, after all!

Dog Beds:

If I had it my way, all the dogs in the world would each have a warm, comfortable bed to call their own. Or in the case of my own dogs, like 300 warm comfortable beds! I’m a big fan of Brindle memory foam dog beds. I use them in my dog crates and have found them to be really durable, even after lots of washes.

Gooby Dog Clothes:

Last year for Yule I bought each of my dogs new Gooby jackets. I know not everyone loves dressing up their dogs, but it actually does get really cold where we live! Luckily my dogs never minded wearing jackets. Out of all the dog clothing brands we’ve tried over the years Gooby has came out as the clear winner. Gooby clothes are sized for smaller dogs. I always find it funny to have to order size XL for my small(ish) dogs. For some reason I feel like this brand just fit my small dogs really well. They are simple, yet adorable, and practical too. They fit my dogs well, look cute, and keep them warm on our cold winter days.

Hide & Seek Puzzle Plush Toys:

Kitsune really loved these plush puzzle type toys. I use to hide treats in them with the plushies so he had to work to dig them out. Fen also loves just playing with the cute little squeaky plush toys. The little toys are small enough that I’ll often throw one around in the living room for Fen to fetch when the weather is bad and we can’t play outside. Toys like these have been around since Kitsune was a puppy, but some of the newer designs you can get now are too funny. These toys aren’t the most durable, but usually a set of them comes with at least a few little plushies so even if your dog does destuff one or two it’s not a huge deal.

Vet Bills & Other Necessities:

I know, I know, no pet owner actually enjoys paying vet bills. Unfortunately they are part of the deal when it comes to keeping dogs.

Besides just vet prices going up, the world has been crazy lately. Necessities, for people and pets, going up in cost can make it hard to have a lot of money to spend on nonessential items. Don’t feel bad if your current financial situation calls for a small scale Christmas. Guess what? Your dog doesn’t care!

Time:

Because the thing that will always mean the most to your dog is your time! Throw a ball around in the yard, go for a nice long walk, or just spend some extra time cuddled up on the couch. I know the holiday season can get super hectic for a lot of people, myself included. But try to find what time you can to spend with those you love. There really is no greater gift.

Happy Holidays!

I hope you enjoyed our 2024 dog holiday gift guide, and maybe got inspired if you came here searching for gift ideas for your dog. Comment below! If you already know, or already finished shopping, what is your pet getting for the holidays? What are some of your dogs favorite toys and/or treats?

I know that it’s early for this but I’m not sure if I’ll post again before the winter holidays. Fen and I would like to wish all of our readers a warm, cozy, fun, happy holiday season!

Fenrir, The Paw Pack

Happy (Very Belated) 9th Birthday, Fenrir!

October 15, 2024

Birthday posts are supposed to be happy, and actually posted close to the birthday pup’s birthday! I don’t think this post will really be either.

Well, it’s already late that’s for sure. On August 1st of this year, yes over two months ago now, we celebrated my amazing Mr.Fenrir’s 9th birthday! My little one, my puppy, is somehow 9.

I would have posted about Fen’s birthday sooner but I’m going to be honest, since losing Kit working on this site is hard for me. Paw Print is so strongly tied to Kitsune. I started it because of him. It holds so many photos, and memories, and stories of him. I miss him. My office walls are covered in photos of him. His ashes and memorial area are about 10 feet away from the desk I work at every day. I look at photos and watch videos of him often, and still share them regularly on our Instagram account. Somehow, for the most part, I’m able to do all that and keep “it” together. There’s just something about working on this site that is especially hard. I don’t know if it’ll get any easier anytime soon, so I’ll continue to do what I can when it comes to posting here.

Post Contents:

1 Happy (Very Belated) Birthday, Fenrir!
2 A General Fenrir Update
3 A General Human Update
4 Fen Is Getting Restless

Happy (Very Belated) Birthday, Fenrir!

Try as I might, I just wasn’t able to feel happy about celebrating Fen’s birthday this year. As I’ve so recently learned, no matter how hard you try you just can’t make your dog live forever. All the healthy food, exercise, supplements, maybe buy you time at best. Time. She is a cruel mistress. And unfortunately, she takes her toll on our beloved furry friends even faster than she does us.

But these are the types of things we strive to hide from our animal companions. They live their lives blissfully unafraid of death. It’s ok, I worry about them dying enough for all of us. Like a young child, birthdays for dogs get to be just extra fun days full of special treats and new toys. And that’s exactly what Fen’s birthday was for him!

I swallowed my sadness and gave Fen a day full of presents, treats, and time together. We had a cookout in the backyard then took Fen for an afternoon hike. He got a few new toys that he absolutely did not need – our dog toy bin is overflowing!

A General Fenrir Update

I was going to lie in this section. I was going to tell you all that Fen is doing well and then move on.

The fact of the matter is, and I think this made his birthday even harder for me this year, we have had to deal with some (thankfully seemingly somewhat minor) health issues with Fen lately. I don’t know how much I want to get into it now. But I can’t write about him having health issues and leave you all hanging, so I’ll share a bit.

Basically Fen’s had a cascade of issues that all stem from him having pretty chronic acid reflux. His acid reflux is very much triggered by stress, and after Kit died we all experienced plenty of that. Fen developed a cough that, after testing, we discovered was caused by some mild bronchitis and throat irritation caused by his acid reflux.

The big problem being that Fen does not do well on antacids. We’ve tried various antacids with him and he’s experienced pretty bad side effects with all of them, strangely enough. So we’ve been working to tailor his diet a bit more and have been trying a few new supplements as well. Frustratingly, while experimenting with different treatment options Fen recently had a flare up of pancreatitis. Luckily it was pretty minor, however it did take him awhile to feel 100% himself again.

Knock on wood, after a rough couple of weeks Fen is feeling much better now and I think we’ve got things dialed in a lot better. Hopefully that trend will continue. The biggest key with him seems to revolve around keeping his stress levels as low as possible, something that is sometimes easier said than done but I’m doing my best.

I’ll try to put up a separate post sometime about all the trials and tribulations we’ve dealt with with Fen and his tummy troubles. He’s such a sensitive little guy!

Helping Your Dog Cope With Losing A Friend

The good thing about it taking me so long to write this post, I suppose, is that now, on the day I’m finally going to just force myself to post it, Fen is actually doing a lot better!

A General Human Update

I try to hide my own stress from Fen. He’s so in tune with me and I know how much it bothers him when I’m upset. I really, really miss Kit. I knew when I got dogs that losing them someday would be hard, but I don’t think I ever imagined that it would be this hard. I’ve lost pets in the past, this isn’t my first rodeo, but losing a dog really hits differently. At least for me. Since I’ve worked from home for so long, Kit was my pretty much constant companion for 15 years. It doesn’t feel right not having him here with me. Maybe it never will. Yet life goes on anyways.

I’ve been working a ton lately, which is another reason why I’ve found it more difficult to blog. A few months ago I started two new jobs at almost the exact same time, which was hectic to say the least. One of them was a new contract with the company I’ve been working with for years, and the other was a new company entirely. Training for two new jobs at once got a bit stressful, but a few months in and I feel like I’m getting the hang of juggling both.

My crazy self decided that was also the perfect time to start not one, but two new websites up as well. I’m not ready to share them quite yet but maybe I will eventually. Although they aren’t about dogs, so people here may not be interested. As much as I do want to keep this site alive, it’s been kind of nice to write about something other than dogs. Kit was my Paw Print Pet Blog muse for so long that writing about dogs without him by my feet feels weird.

Fen Is Getting Restless

This post feels so awkward. I guess I mostly just felt a bit guilty about Fen’s birthday passing and not sharing about it here. But this is a far cry from my typical, optimistic, birthday post. Ah well. Fen did enjoy his special day which is all that really matters! I think I’m mostly trying to force myself to forget that he’s 9 and technically a senior now. But thankfully, the stuff I mentioned above aside, he is generally doing really well. He’s still got lots of energy. He loves hiking and playing with his toys.

I would probably try to write more but Fen’s actually getting quite annoyed with me! He is telling me, in no uncertain terms, that it’s time to get off the computer and take him out for a walk.

I’ll try to post here more often again. I’ll do what I can. I doubt I’ll be going back to weekly (or more often) posts anytime soon but I’m thinking of aiming for once a month, or every other week maybe. If anyone wants Fen updates more often we are actually more active on some of our social media accounts, especially Facebook and Instagram. To anyone who used to follow both Kit and Fen’s Instagram accounts, you hopefully noticed that I recently decided to consolidate them into one. The one I link to here is the correct one!

Thanks for reading! It makes me happy to see that people are still visiting our site even with my lack of new content lately. A very happy (belated) birthday to little Fenrir! Here’s to many more!

DIY, Pet Products

A 4 Year Update On Our Spray Painted Plastic (Ruff Land) Dog Crates

June 6, 2024

When we moved out of the city, back in 2019, and upgraded from an apartment to renting an entire house, I decided that my dogs, Kitsune the papillon (RIP) and Fenrir the Alaskan Klee Kai needed some updated digs as well! Because what else is a crazy dog lady going to do when she suddenly finds herself with more space besides dedicating more of it to her dogs!? I bought my two boys each a large-sized Ruff Land Kennel to exclusively be used as their indoor crates. Ruff Land Kennels have not passed crash testing (most dog car “safety” products like crates and booster seats actually haven’t passed crash tests!) so I don’t use these crates in the car. But they work fine, for us, as indoor crates.

I bought my crates both in the color “whitestone” which just wasn’t going to cut it. We’re far too fancy to be using basic white dog crates, don’t you know. So in 2020 and 2021 I spray painted Kit’s and Fen’s crates in their signature colors – red and blue. Of course, I must now point out for Memorial Day 2022, Ruff Land Kennel offered a limited time release of their crates in red and blue. Coincidence? I’m not fully convinced.

Can you tell I’m still a bit salty about it? All that work painting my crates, and if I had just waited I could have bought them in the exact colors I wanted! Oh well. My spray painted crates didn’t turn out perfectly, but I like them and I had fun working on them. In case anyone wants to look back at how I painted them, the supplies I used and such, I’ll post the link to the article I originally wrote about them.

Painting Ruff Land (And Other Plastic) Dog Crates

Post Contents:

1 4 Years Later
2 The Spray Paint Held Up Better Than I Thought It Would!
3 Photographic Evidence
4 Would I Spray Paint Plastic Crates Again?

4 Years Later

Well here we are, 4 years out from when I originally painted my dogs’ crates. My post about painting the crates gets a lot of views and I get questions quite often asking how the paint held up. I figured this was as good a time as any to answer that question. Mostly due to the fact that I went on a crazy sleep deprived cleaning spree randomly the other night and decided that, at like 11 at night, I just had to move Fen’s crate and thoroughly clean it (for no reason). Yeah, my partner loved that.

I guess I have to point out that we sadly lost our beloved Kitsune in January of this year. His signature red crate has been sitting empty since then. I haven’t been able to muster up the…whatever it is that it takes to move it into storage. So I didn’t include Kit’s crate in my late night cleaning frenzy, but we do still have it. I will include a new photo of Kit’s crate in this post but, to be honest, I didn’t spend the time cleaning and inspecting it the way that I did with Fen’s blue crate.

So 4 years, minus one dog :(, and one move later how well did the paint job on my spray painted plastic dog crates hold up?

The Spray Paint Held Up Better Than I Thought It Would!

When I told people I was going to spray paint my dogs’ crates, many of them told me that it wasn’t going to work long term. They suggested that the paint would scratch and chip off relatively quickly, making all the work of painting them not worth it. A few people I talked to had painted their own dog’s crate and were not happy with the results, so recommended against it. I think the biggest difference was that I painted my dogs’ house crates. These are crates that pretty much sit inside my house and, besides the rare middle of the night cleaning spree and that one time we were forced to move (renting sucks), they almost never get moved around. They get used a lot, yes, but not moved. I’ve kept them in a spot where they’re rather out of the way too, so the outsides of the crates don’t get bumped, or hit, or scraped often (if at all).

I was okay with the thought of the paint getting scratched or chipping off over time. I figured I could always touch them up in the future if I wanted too. However, I’d say after 4 years of daily use Fen’s crate is still looking pretty good! It does have more chips in the paint then it did when I last updated in 2022, but not anything that I’d consider to be super significant. I don’t feel any need to bother touching up or repainting the crates yet.

Ruff Land Kennels Dog Crate Review

Photographic Evidence

Of course I can’t just make you take my word on it. Here’s some updated photos of my spray painted Ruff Land Kennels dog crates. Fen was my lovely assistant while I took these photos, in case you don’t notice his adorably silly little face in the background in a couple of these photos.

Here’s the front of the crate. There’s a small chip in the paint near the hook on the side and some missing paint around the door frame that isn’t even really noticeable, especially when the crate door is closed. Fen looks like someone just told him a really good joke!

Here’s the side with all the ventilation holes. Looking pretty good. There’s a bit of missing paint/scuffs around the middle. The middle part sticks out further than the rest of the crate. I’m pretty sure this (mild) damage was done during our move. The movers scraped the sides of the crate against the door frame when they were moving it in for us.

And here’s the other side, where the extra door is. This side has a chipped paint spot up near the top corner but otherwise looks good.

The back of the crate is up next. It has some mild scuff marks near the top and bottom and a bit in the middle. I think these also happened during our last move. Fen was sticking his tongue out at me in this picture!

And lastly the top, which actually looks even better in person than it came out in the photos. In the picture I feel like you can see some scratches and light scuff marks, but these are not really noticeable in person.

In case anyone is really interested, here’s a front shot of Kit’s crate. You can see a small paint chip where I removed his name tag (I put it in his memorial area) and some chips around the door. I didn’t take photos of the other sides of Kit’s crate, though. However, it’s in pretty much the same condition as Fen’s. There are some small paint chips and scuff marks here and there, but it overall still looks pretty good!

Would I Spray Paint Plastic Crates Again?

I don’t think I would bother spray painting crates if I was using them in the car, or if I planned on having to move them around a ton. But when it comes to house crates that pretty much sit in one spot all the time, yes, I would spray paint them again. After 4 years, and seeing lots of use, I’m happy with how our spray painted crates have held up. Most of the noticeable damage to the paint was done during our last move, not during everyday use. So I don’t think the paint job would hold up well if you were moving it in and out of a car constantly, or had them out in the elements. But again…house crates.

I do still wish I had known that Ruff Land Kennels was going to do a limited release of red and blue crates, because I would have bought those instead of spray painting white crates. Oh well.

I’m thinking of holding on to Kit’s crate and potentially redoing the paint job in the future if we ever decide to add another dog to the pack. I’m thinking next time it will need an even cooler design. Maybe a racing stripe or something? And I still have the option to touch up the paint on Fen’s crate when/if it ever needs it.

For the price and amount of time it took me to spray paint the crates, taking into account how they look 4 years later, I for sure feel like painting them felt worth it to me. Why make my dogs use boring white crates when they could have colorful ones!? But again, I’d only go with the spray paint method for crates that get treated rather gently. It would be cool if, in the future, high quality crate companies would design crates that come in more colors, and not just for a limited time releases! Until then, spray paint may be an option if you really want a certain color crate for your spoiled pup.

All About Dogs, Senior Dogs

The Stages of Grief After Losing a Pet: Shock and Denial

May 30, 2024

In her 1969 book On Death and Dying, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the Kübler-Ross model of grief, which outlines five stages of emotions that people go through while processing grief. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. More recent research has suggested that there are actually seven stages of grief; shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance. Not everyone goes through all of the stages. Not everyone goes through all of the stages in order. Some people get through the stages of grief quickly, while others take years. There are many different types of grief, including (but not limited to) anticipatory grief, abbreviated grief, delayed grief, chronic grief, normal grief, complicated grief, inhibited grief, cumulative grief, and collective grief. It turns out that grief isn’t just one of the hardest things that people can go through, but it can be quite complicated too.

Post Contents:

1 Shock and Denial
2 My Experience with Shock/Denial When Dealing With The Loss of My Dog
3 Remember that Grief Over a Pet is Normal
4 Ways To Help Cope With The Denial/Shock Stages of Grief
5 Another Quick Update

Shock and Denial

Depending on what grief model you’re using, the first stages of grief are shock and/or denial. According to BetterHealth,

…shock, and denial, is typically when emotions are most profound. The fact that you have experienced a loss may be evident, but you may still have underlying feelings of shock, disbelief, or panic as you try to deal with the situation.

During this stage, many people experience physical symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, or heart palpitations. As these physical symptoms lessen over time, feeling emotionally “numb” is also common. Some people may describe this stage as feeling as if they are watching someone else’s life on a movie screen or as if they are detached from the reality of what has happened, seeing things differently than before.

My Experience with Shock/Denial When Dealing With The Loss of My Dog

I lost my love, Kitsune, in January of this year. We shared 15+ amazing years together before he died. He was very much an important part of my life. I think about and miss him daily, and suspect that won’t change anytime soon. Did I experience the shock and/or denial stages of grief related to Kit’s death?

To be honest, before Kit passed I had already been dealing with a lot of anticipatory grief. Although I didn’t know he had cancer until it was too late, he was a senior dog. Back in 2022 he was diagnosed with IVDD. He had arthritis, chronic pancreatitis, and a heart murmur. He was happy, always so happy, but he was old. He lost his night vision. After his IVDD diagnosis, he couldn’t go up and down the stairs on his own anymore, and we had to help him get on and off the furniture. I don’t think I fully realized, until after he was gone, just how high-maintenance he had become within the last couple of years. Not that I minded any of it for a second. I’d deal with all the maintenance 1,000 times over just for a chance to feel Kit snuggled up next to me again.

What Is Anticipatory Grief And What Does It Have To Do With Dogs?

I do think I was in some denial about how grave Kitsune’s condition was during his last couple of days. He was in and out of the emergency vet while we worked towards getting a diagnosis of what was going on. I knew, deep down, where things were headed but I just kept trying to tell myself that everything was going to be okay. That we’d find something minor and easy to fix and Kit would get better again.

I remember the night before Kit’s last vet visit, I sat up with him all night intermittently having panic attacks. Yeah, that was fun (/sarcasm). It was me having the panic attacks, in case that wasn’t clear. Thankfully Kit was resting comfortably! I’ve always dealt with anxiety related issues, but it’d been awhile since I had panic attacks that bad. I think that night, when it was just me and Kit on our last night together, the reality of everything really hit me.

It’s weird when you’re dealing with an impending death, starting to go through the process of grieving while your loved one is still with you. I’m no expert, but I think I went through the first stages of grief over Kit during those last couple of days with Kit.

Remember that Grief Over a Pet is Normal

Not everyone understands how important pets can be in the lives of the people who love them. It can be especially hard to deal with intense grief over a beloved pet if people around you trivialize your experience. Not everyone feels the same way about pets, and that’s ok. But it’s important to remember that it is normal to intensely grieve for our furry family members. In a 2019 article for PsychCentral, John M. Grohol, Psy.D., wrote that…

Pets — or what researchers call companion animals — are most often seen today as a fellow member of the family. It is not surprising then to learn that most people grieve a pet’s passing as much, and sometimes even more, than the passing of a human friend or family member.

I know that my Kitsune was, still is, very much a beloved member of my family – my paw pack. Call me crazy, but I spend more time with my dogs than with anyone else in my life, my fiancé (who I live with) included! They are my best buddies, my little sidekicks (or am I their sidekick?), almost always by my side. I think that losing them will always be one of the hardest things I’ll have to go through. It’s really, really hard. But, as an Instagram friend recently reminded me, it wouldn’t be so hard if dogs weren’t so awesome. It’s hard because they are so special, and hold such big places in our hearts.

Ways To Help Cope With The Denial/Shock Stages of Grief

Unfortunately there’s no magic pill or exercise that will eliminate grief. In most cases, it just takes time. We never forget our lost loved ones, but in time we do adjust to a new normal. The shock of losing a beloved family member eventually, in time, becomes less raw, and we’re hopefully eventually better able to focus on happy memories instead of the shock and sadness of losing them.

It’s okay to allow yourself to feel however you feel. Cry if you need to. If you’re feeling numb and disconnected that’s ok, and normal, too. Don’t feel ashamed if you feel like you need to reach out for help. Talk to understanding friends, family members, or find a support group if you feel like talking about your loss will help you. Consider talking with a mental health professional or grief counselor if you feel like you need too.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Self care is important and can help us to better deal with stressful situations. Eat well, exercise, and try to get enough sleep. Try to engage in hobbies or other things you enjoy doing. None of these things will cure grief, unfortunately, but they can help make your days a bit brighter in the meantime.

Another Quick Update

Look at me actually sticking to somewhat of a posting schedule! As you can probably tell from this post, months later I’m still very much missing my Kitsune. It makes it hard for me to muster up the motivation to post here. I’ve been writing about loss for my last couple of posts, which I think is an important topic. Throughout my years of blogging here I’ve written about what I know, and right now, when it comes to dogs, I know grief.

For now, I think I’m going to take at least somewhat of a break from writing about it. I wanted to share that so no one thinks it’s super weird if I go from posting grief related content to suddenly switching gears. It’s not, by any means, because I’m done mourning Kitsune. I’m just not going to have any motivation to continue this blog if every time I try to work on it I get upset.

Fenrir is doing well. He’s, finally, started eating a bit better again. I’ve been spending as much time as possible exploring outside with him, which he loves. Now that the weather has finally been cooperating, we’ve been hiking a ton and even mountain climbing! I’ll try to keep sticking to our current every other week posting schedule now. You can get more recent updates by following us on social media, especially Facebook and Instagram. Oh, and our Youtube channel, which I haven’t been posting on a ton lately but I am planning on updating soon!

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