Today I’m going to write about how I keep my house squeaky clean, despite sharing it with my two dogs, Kitsune and Fenrir.  I know that the messes they make can be one of the major downsides people find in keeping pets.  I can understand why.  Clean homes are just more comfortable!  And dogs, especially if you don’t figure out a good cleaning schedule that works for you, can be quite messy creatures to live with.

Finding Time with a Busy Schedule

I think I wrote recently about how busy I get especially around this time of the year.  For a while now I’ve been working on a couple of different projects for work, all of which get very busy during the lead-up to the fall/winter holidays.  I’ve been taking on as many extra hours at work as I can.  For the last couple of weeks especially I’ve found it a bit of a struggle to keep up with my writing/blogging after spending so much time in front of the computer screen for work.  Of course, besides boring stuff like working and blogging, I always make sure I spend time caring for my puppy loves and my partner.  Spending dedicated time with them each day makes my heart so happy.

With all that, who has time to clean!?  But cleaning, I guess, is important too.  I always want to make sure my little pack can feel safe and comfortable in our home.  A big part of that is keeping it nice and clean.

I’ve found, especially lately, that I really have to make sure to set some time aside each week to clean.  When I don’t plan it into my schedule, I tend to get too preoccupied with doing other things while neglecting the cleaning.  Since the busy season started with work, I’ve been making a point to set a good chunk of time aside during the weekend to get some deep cleaning done.

Checklists Can Help!

It may sound lame, but I actually write myself out a “To Do” list at the beginning of each week.  It’s not only for cleaning tasks, but I write down all the rooms of my house on the list.  For some people, checking completed tasks on a list can feel satisfying, and making yourself a To Do list can help motivate you to complete tasks that you otherwise might be likely to let slide.

Check out that tail wag! <3 Kit is the cutest.

Whether it Needs it Or Not!

With multiple pets, I think the key (at least for me) is to clean things before they get to the point of really needing it!

One of my dogs in particular, Fenrir, sheds quite a bit.  I hate when I slack off on the cleaning for so long that our house gets covered in doggy fur tumbleweeds.  Cleaning up after a heavily shedding dog, especially when they’re blowing their coats, can feel a bit like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreos!  It can certainly feel like a futile task at times.  But I find it’s much easier to vacuum, and just generally keep the house clean, when I tackle smaller messes verses letting the fur fly and waiting for the house to get really messy before I attempt to tackle it.

Cleaning this way sometimes feel pointless, because it means I’m often deep cleaning rooms that don’t feel particularly messy in the first place.  But it usually means that I get to spend less time cleaning in general.  And the house stays at a more constant level of cleanliness rather than only feeling really comfortable right after a big cleaning day.

Keep Those Dirty Dogs Clean!

One thing that I’ve always felt made a huge difference in how clean my house stays is the fact that I groom my two dogs often!  Our grooming/bath schedule has morphed a bit throughout the years.  I currently bathe Kit and Fen each every other week.  Did you know that as long as you are using high quality products, bathing your dog frequently should not dry out their fur or skin?  Besides baths, I brush my dogs often, at least a few times a week.  For Fen especially, it really cuts down on how much fur he’s shedding around the house.

Funny fact!  When I was a kid, I guess I must have met quite a few stinky dogs.  I didn’t think I was a “dog person” because I didn’t like how they smelled.  I also didn’t like petting dogs and feeling like my hands were dirty/greasy after.  I’m proud to say that there are no stinky dogs in the Paw Pack house!  And because my dogs don’t smell  like stinky dogs, neither does my home!

Besides my dogs themselves, I also make sure to keep their bedding and toys clean too.  Their toys I probably only clean once every few months, or as needed.  Their bedding, though, I usually throw in the wash once or twice a month.

Natural is Best

When cleaning, especially surfaces that my dogs have access too, I like to use mostly natural cleaners.  Vinegar and baking soda can make great, pet safe, cleaners and bonus points, they’re cheap too.  A good vacuum, rug cleaner, and steam mop are worth their weight in gold in a pet household!

Comment below!  How many pets do you have, and what’s your pet friendly cleaning routine like?  Do you have any tips I didn’t mention for how you keep your house clean with pets?

With more holidays right around the corner, pet vaccination schedules are probably one of the last things on most people’s minds!  However, with the new year quickly approaching, and pet license renewals looming in the near future for many pet owners, it’s important to make sure your dog is up to date on their rabies vaccine!

It’s the Law

Although there is data to suggest that most vaccines protect our pets for many years, US state laws still require dogs and cats to be re-vaccinated against rabies often.  Without proof of an up-to-date rabies vaccine, or (in some states) a waiver from your vet, pet owners will be unable to obtain yearly pet licenses.  These licenses are required by law in most US cities and towns.

How Often Does Your Dog Need a Rabies Vaccine?

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Photo Credit: Whispyhistory.

How often your pet is vaccinated against rabies can depend on how diligent owners are about keeping their pet’s vaccines up to date, and your local laws.  If re-vaccinated before their current vaccine expires, most pets, after receiving an initial 1-year vaccine, will be able to receive a 3-year rabies booster rather than having to receive the vaccine annually.  All US states now allow 3-year rabies vaccines.  However, some individual cities/towns may still require annual or 2-year rabies vaccines instead.  Check with your local government if you are unsure of the rabies vaccination rules in your town.

If you allow your dog’s rabies vaccine to expire your pet will not be able to receive the 3-year vaccine.  In order to legally receive the 3-year booster, you must re-vaccinate your pet before his/her current vaccine expires.

Is Less Best?

For most owners, 3-year vaccines will not only save you money and extra trips to the vet.  It is also healthier for your pet.  Reactions to rabies vaccines are relatively common and can include everything from lethargy to death.  Although vaccines are designed to help our pets, over-vaccinating our furry family members is thought to potentially trigger health issues.  There is some evidence now that suggests that rabies vaccines can protect our pets for longer than 3-years.  However, currently laws still require that rabies boosters be given at least once every 3-years.

There are currently 19 states that allow medical exemptions in place of rabies vaccinations.  These states include Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.  Delaware also allows for a medical exemption.  But the exemption must be accompanied by a rabies titer test showing protection against rabies from prior vaccinations.  Medical exemptions must be written by a vet.  This is usually done for pets who are too medically fragile to be safely vaccinated.

Care for Cats

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Photo Credit: www.scientificanimations.com/

If you own a cat especially, make sure to talk to your vet about what rabies products are right for your pet.  Cats seem to be much more prone to developing sarcoma, or cancer, at injection sites.  Rabies vaccines containing an adjuvant (used to increase vaccine effectiveness, rabies vaccines for dogs contain adjuvants because dogs seem to be less likely to developing injection site cancers), such as the current 3 year rabies vaccine for cats, have been linked to higher instances of cancers in cats.  There is now a rabies vaccine for cats that does not include an adjuvant, making is safer, but it is currently only approved for annual use.

My Rabies Approach

Rabies is essentially 100% fatal to both pets and people.  It’s not something you want to mess around with!  I tend to be a bit of a minimalist when it comes to giving my dogs vaccines.  But my two dogs are vaccinated against rabies every 3 years.  The last time Kitsune was vaccinated he had a mild reaction (swelling) to the vaccine.  It was luckily nothing serious enough for me to consider not giving it to him again in the future.  Rabies is just never something I would feel comfortable risking!  Don’t think you’re safe if you live in the city, away from wildlife!  Back in 2014 I personally had a run in with rabies, and we lived in the city at the time.

Do your own research, and talk to your pet’s vet, to decide what vaccine schedule is right for your pet.  No matter what vaccine schedule you choose,  follow local laws.  Keep your pet’s rabies vaccine up to date to avoid possibly receiving fines from your city/town, and to make sure your pet is protected in case of a bite incident.

Like many people these days, I probably spend more time on social media than I should.  Facebook especially is the one I have a harder time staying away from.  Over time I’ve joined so many animal/pet-related groups.  No surprise there I’m sure!  Facebook can be a fun place to chat with other like-minded animal lovers, or to kill some time looking at adorable pet photos.  I love sharing dog-themed content, including pictures and updates of my two dogs Kitsune and Fenrir, on our Paw Print Pet Blog Facebook page.  But, in this social media age, when does sharing things about our pets enter into the territory of oversharing?

Interesting Territory…

I used to be quite active in rabbit rescue, and for many years shared my life with house rabbits in addition to my current dogs.  After my last house bunny, Barnaby, passed away in 2017 I decided to take a break from keeping rabbits.  But still, I stayed in a handful of rabbit-themed FB groups.  It made for quite an interesting FB feed, being deeply involved with both a predator species (dogs) and prey (rabbits).  I joined a number of raw feeding groups for my dogs.  It became strangely commonplace to scroll down my FB feed and see pictures of adorable pet rabbits nestled in between posts about people discussing feeding rabbits to their dogs.

Just the other day I came across someone posting an image of their deceased dog.  A bit unorthodox, perhaps, but I’d say the particular image posted wasn’t horrible.  Some people seemed to view the post as a heartfelt memorial.  Others argued that posting images of a pet’s body is disrespectful and wrong.

When it comes to our pets, how much sharing is too much?

Is there a line?  Are there things about your own pet that you would feel uncomfortable sharing on social media?  Or that you would disapprove of if you saw being shared by someone else?  Surely our pets don’t care one way or the other.

I feel like I’ve seen everything from one end of the spectrum to the other, with no apparent general consensus about whether or not some pet related things are inappropriate to post online.  I know someone who won’t post pictures of her dogs online without using Photoshop to censor their ‘private’ parts.  But I’ve seen my fair share of doggy ‘junk’ posted on social media too.

This issue comes up quite often in regards to online animal activism.

When you’re trying to raise awareness about abused animals, etc., exactly how far can you go before you’re accused of taking things too far?  I guess the answer really would depend on who you ask.  I’m usually all for presenting people with reality, but on the other hand I can also understand not wanting to be continuously bombarded by images of neglected and abused animals.

I don’t know if there really are any answers here, other than to say that it’s probably safe to assume that no matter what, someone on the internet is going to be offended.  It’s an interesting question to ponder nonetheless, especially these days with so many people taking to social media.  As for me, I’ll continue to use my best judgement when it comes to what I share about my dogs.  I respect my animals, but also strive to be honest and real about what sharing my life with them is like.  What do you think?  Where is your line when it comes to what you share, and what you feel is oversharing, when it comes to pets?    

My partner and I have had a bit of a rough couple of months when it’s come to our two dogs, Kitsune the papillon and Fenrir the Alaskan Klee Kai.  We’ve been to the vet so many times lately that we jokingly call it our “second home”.  First, Kitsune was diagnosed with cervical IVDD.  Then Fenrir developed pancreatitis.  Then, as we were finally nearing the end of Kitsune’s 8-week IVDD recovery, he started to develop another issue that was tentatively diagnosed as idiopathic Cushing’s disease caused by the medication we used to treat his IVDD.  Pets can be inconvenient.

Inconvenient, Indeed.

In the last couple of months, we’ve had to disrupt our work schedules to make emergency vet trips.  We’ve spent way more money than we planned on the dogs.  I’ve had my sleep interrupted more times than I care to count.  I had to set multiple timers on my phone to remind me to give Kit, and for a short time Fen, medications at the correct times.  Kitsune’s Cushing’s symptoms mean I have to stop whatever I’m doing many times a day to bring him outside.

As much as I love having dogs, I’ll freely admit that sometimes having them means having to make the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.  Pets are fun, and family, and love…but they can also be frustrating.  They are walks in the woods and always having someone to snuggle with, but are also expensive vet bills and waking up early when you’d much rather sleep in.

And that’s okay.

Quite often I talk to dog owners who are having issues with their pups and seem to feel infinitely guilty as they hint at the fact that their pet is frustrating them.  As if they feel that if they admit that their dog is inconveniencing them in some way, it instantly makes them not as good of a pet owner.  I’ve occasionally felt this way myself, especially since I’m a pet blogger.  I try to set a good example for people who visit my blog.

Making Lemonade

I’m the type of person who tries to turn my frustration into something positive.  I make training sessions as fun and stress free as I can, and use them as opportunities to bond with my dogs.  If I’m upset about having to shell out a lot of money to the vet then I figure maybe it’s time to readjust my budget, throw a bit more money into my pet savings fund each month so that the next time a big bill shows up it hurts just a little bit less.

That’s the (potential) good thing about frustration.  If we’re willing to admit to it, we can use it as a catalyst to initiate positive change.

But Pets Can Be Unpredictable

Not that this will work for all things, unfortunately.  Pets are living, unpredictable, beings that sometimes seem to be experts at throwing wrenches into our plans.  Luckily most pet owners figure that out pretty quickly and learn to roll with the punches.  Our pets, like ourselves, aren’t perfect even if we like to think that they are.  Admitting this fact does not impact our ability to care for them.  In some cases, being able to admit and come to terms with our dogs, and our own, challenges can lead to positive results.  In the very least it gives us animal guardians something to commiserate about!

My dogs are Perfectly Imperfect

So is the life we share together.  As inconvenient as my dogs can be sometimes, the roller coaster of pet ownership is a ride I very much enjoy.  The things that make my dogs difficult are also some of the things that make them who they are.  If I wanted a totally predictable companion, one that gets up late every morning, never gets sick, and behaves perfectly all the time, I would have gotten a robot dog.  I don’t want a robot.  I want warm doggy snuggles, early mornings, muddy paws and all.

Comment below!  Do you ever feel guilty admitting that there’s something about your pet that maybe you don’t like?  Or something that frustrates you?  What are some of the biggest challenges involving pet ownership that you’ve faced?