{"id":142208,"date":"2015-08-07T12:21:02","date_gmt":"2015-08-07T12:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/"},"modified":"2018-09-06T14:12:57","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T14:12:57","slug":"itsreallystupid-twocentslice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-142208 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/attachment\/142209\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o1_500-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o1_500-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o1_500-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/attachment\/142210\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o2_500-150x108.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/attachment\/142211\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o3_500-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o3_500-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o3_500-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/attachment\/142212\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o4_500-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o4_500-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/tumblr_mzkwbskeNO1toab07o4_500-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/itsreallystupid.tumblr.com\/post\/123937362292\" target=\"_blank\">itsreallystupid<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/twocentslice.tumblr.com\/post\/73993564876\" target=\"_blank\">twocentslice<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/kaisertheshepherd.tumblr.com\/post\/73957063051\" target=\"_blank\">kaisertheshepherd<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/twocentslice.tumblr.com\/post\/73689904337\" target=\"_blank\">twocentslice<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/tapastic.com\/episode\/28017\" target=\"_blank\">?????\u00a0The most ridiculous thing that actually happens? O:\u00a0Don\u2019t do this to pets! They\u2019re living creatures, not toys.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I noticed this post had lots of reblogs with comments like \u201cpeople who abandon their pets suck!\u201d etc. etc.<\/p>\n<p>So here are some helpful resources instead of negativity! c: If you\u2019re thinking about giving up your dog because he\u2019s \u201ctoo big\u201d, take a second and see if you really mean any of these.<\/p>\n<p><i>1. \u201cHe\u2019s too big\u201d really means \u201cHe physically knocks me down in the house\/pulls me down on leash.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Your dog needs training! There are several ways to train your dog to have good manners, but most dogs will respond well to positive reinforcement training. You can get a clicker for $0.99 at Walmart, Target, and Petco. Here are a few Youtube videos about preventing jumping and leash manners.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SrbA7cyp6K4\" target=\"_blank\">Greeting Guests Calmly<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NT8VDgR_Koo&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\">Leash Manners<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xZarFGdcj8s\" target=\"_blank\">Silky Leash Method<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t feel confident enough to train your dog by using instructional videos or books, do a Google search for \u201cdog training club [your town or zip code]\u201d Training clubs are made up of people who enjoy training and titling their dogs, and who choose to offer classes for a small fee (usually about $10\/class for group classes, more for private lessons). Training clubs offer classes on weeknights and weekends, usually in 6 or 8 week sessions.<\/p>\n<p>If all else fails, sign up for positive reinforcement classes at your local Petco or PetSmart. Big box pet store obedience classes are better than no obedience classes at all.<\/p>\n<p><i>2. \u201cHe\u2019s too big\u201d really means \u201cThis dog has too much energy! I can\u2019t keep up!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>You have lots of options! First, exercise. The fastest, easiest way to drain your dog of energy is to provide him with both physical and mental exercise!<\/p>\n<p>Fetch is great physical exercise, but dogs aren\u2019t born knowing how to play fetch. You\u2019ll have to teach them! Here\u2019s an instructional video.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ccw1uwvbx00\" target=\"_blank\">Teaching Fetch<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Taking your dog for a long walk, or multiple short walks, is another good source of physical exercise. You can even have your dog wear a backpack with a little weight on your walks (make them carry their own treats or water). This will tire them out more and give them a \u201cjob\u201d to do. Be sure to have someone knowledgeable show you the proper fit and how to equally distribute weight if you choose to get your dog a backpack. It\u2019s also a good idea to talk to your vet first, too. Here\u2019s an example of a backpack on Amazon:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Outward-Hound-Backpack-Large-Blue\/dp\/B0081XIEHE\" target=\"_blank\">Outward Hound Backpack<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise. Do several short training session a day to help drain your dog\u2019s excess energy. Here\u2019s a book with 101 tricks to teach your dog. I don\u2019t own it, but have flipped through it in Petco a few times, and it looks pretty great to me.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/101-Dog-Tricks-Chalcy\/dp\/1592533256\" target=\"_blank\">101 Dog Tricks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Your dog will also love toys made specifically for mental stimulation. Most involve your dog figuring out how to get a treat out of the toy. Two we like:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/KONG-Classic-Dog-Toy-Large\/dp\/B0002AR0I8\" target=\"_blank\">Kong<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Treat-Dispensing-Chew-Ball-Large\/dp\/B0009YD8NS\/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1390233128&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=starmark+treat+ball\" target=\"_blank\">Starmark<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you feel that you don\u2019t have time to give your dog all the exercise he needs, consider doggie daycare a couple days a week. This is exactly what it sounds like. Your dog will go to a facility built especially for dogs, where he\u2019ll have supervised free play with other dogs, nap time, one on one time with a human, lunch (if you feed lunch) and snack time. Your dog will come home exhausted. Be sure to find a doggie daycare that temperament tests all dogs before letting them sign up.<\/p>\n<p>If doggie daycare isn\u2019t right for you, try hiring a dog walker. There are professional dog walkers, but a dog-savvy family member or friend will do just fine, too. Be sure to properly introduce them to your dog before giving them a key. Some dogs may not like a stranger coming into their home uninvited.<\/p>\n<p>Spay\/neuter your dog. Sometimes, spaying and neutering can help take the edge off your dog\u2019s exuberance if he\u2019s too much to handle. If your finances are holding you back from spaying\/neutering, several vets and rescue groups provide low cost or free spay\/neuter clinics. Search with your zip code at the ASPCA website to find a spay\/neuter clinic nearest you:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/spayneuter\" target=\"_blank\">Spay\/Neuter Clinic Finder<\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>3. \u201cHe\u2019s too big!\u201d really means \u201cThis dog eats too much.\u201d or \u201cToys are too expensive.\u201d or \u201cVet bills are outrageous!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>If your dog is eating you out of house and home, reevaluate the kind of food you\u2019re feeding him. Generally, dogs will need to eat more of a crappy food and less of a good quality food to feel satisfied. (Their poops will also be smaller\/easier to clean up on a good quality food. Bonus!) When choosing a food for your dog, look at the ingredient list on the back of the bag and pick one with meat as the first ingredient. Here is a website that lists the ingredients in most dog foods, and gives them a rating based on how healthy they are for your pet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dogfoodadvisor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dog Food Advisor<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A food with a good solid source of protein and few fillers will make your dog healthier in the long run, and cut down on vet bills. Ask your vet to recommend a food better than the food you\u2019re currently feeding, if you need guidance. (Be aware that some vets have an agenda and will aggressively push Hill\u2019s Science Diet and that\u2019s it. Find an honest vet you trust or contact a canine nutritionist.)<\/p>\n<p>If you feel that you\u2019re spending too much on dog toys, here\u2019s a post with 33 dog toys you can make yourself, from stuff you probably have at your house already.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thebarkpost.com\/3-dog-toys-you-can-make-from-things-around-the-house\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Dog Toys<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some of these are no-nos at our house, like the rope toys, because our dog will eat rope. Supervise your dog and make sure he doesn\u2019t eat parts of any toys. Ingesting things like plastic, string, and rubber can lead to vet visits.<\/p>\n<p>If vet bills are depleting your bank account, you have a few options. First, ask your vet if they accept payment plans. Some will, some won\u2019t, but it never hurts to ask! If your vet\u2019s prices are too high, call around and price compare the services you use most often. Some vets charge less for annual vaccinations than others. Do your homework!<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re worried about future vet bills, pet insurance may be right for you. We don\u2019t currently have pet insurance, but a simple Google search will bring up several options you can research to find a plan right for you and your pet.<\/p>\n<p><i>4. \u201cHe\u2019s too big\u201d really means \u201cI don\u2019t want to put any more work into this dog. I\u2019m done.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>This is okay. I won\u2019t judge you, because I don\u2019t know your situation. c: If your dog\u2019s time with your family is done, consider these options before taking him to the pound or animal shelter.<\/p>\n<p>First, contact your breeder. If you got your puppy from a reputable breeder, they may take your dog back. Most reputable breeders will take back one of their pups at any time, at any stage of their life, no-questions-asked. Our breeder\u2019s exact words were \u201cHe\u2019ll always have a home here.\u201d Your breeder will solve any behavior problems your dog may have and find him a new home with someone they trust, or they may choose to keep him as their own. Our breeder keeps kennel space free \u201cjust in case\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>If your breeder won\u2019t take your dog back, or if you got your dog from a backyard breeder, contact breed-specific rescue groups. Do your research and get some references before dropping your dog off to someone you don\u2019t know. Here are two rescue groups that I think are pretty great, the first one in my area and the second one I follow for fun on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigfluffydogs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Big Fluffy Dog Rescue<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Shepherdhelp\" target=\"_blank\">S.H.A.R.E. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t get your dog in with a breed-specific rescue group, or if you can\u2019t find one you trust, try your local all-breed rescue group. If your community has a pound or shelter, I guarantee they have a rescue group. These groups regularly pull adoptable dogs from the animal shelter, take owner-surrenders, and pick up strays they see wandering. They place them in their network of foster homes and look for \u201cfurever homes\u201d for the animals in their care. If they don\u2019t have space for your dog, they\u2019ll be happy to help you network your dog and help find him a home while he continues to live with you. You\u2019ll be invited to attend adoption days where people can meet your dog, post your dog on their Facebook page, and get on a wait list for a foster home to open up.<\/p>\n<p>If all else fails, and you choose to surrender your dog at the animal shelter, be sure to find a <i>NO-KILL<\/i> shelter. Your dog stands a good chance of finding another home there.<\/p>\n<p>Please <i>do not<\/i> list your dog as \u201cfree to a good home\u201d in the newspaper, on Craigslist, or on Facebook. He may end up being taken for a bait dog in a dog fighting ring, sold for animal testing, or just taken home and abused.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Good notes and resources!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>All good, solid information!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>itsreallystupid: twocentslice: kaisertheshepherd: twocentslice: ?????\u00a0The most ridiculous thing that actually happens? O:\u00a0Don\u2019t do this to pets! They\u2019re living creatures, not toys. I noticed this post had lots of reblogs with comments like \u201cpeople who abandon their pets suck!\u201d etc. etc. So here are some helpful resources instead of negativity! c: If you\u2019re thinking about giving &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2015\/08\/07\/itsreallystupid-twocentslice\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[16360,4],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142213,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142208\/revisions\/142213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}