PlottingTheWay

The most wonderful time of the year

The holiday season always seems to be a crazy time for everyone. There are always places to go and people to see. I don’t know about you all, but I like Mason to be a part of any journey I go on especially during the holiday’s because he a part of our family. However, when you are making your rounds this season, not everyone will always feel the same about dogs that we do. Which can obviously make the holidays challenging with your pup.

No one wants their pup to add stress to the holidays, so what is the solution? All you can do is plan for the occasion. Always make sure to have all the necessities you’re pup could need. Food, bowls, comfort toy/blanket and puppy pads/gate if needed. This way you don’t have to bug relatives for items you should bring for your pup as a responsible dog parent.

Secondly, have a pre-planned place arranged where your pup can stay during dinner, opening presents or just if he/she is being too overwhelming for relatives. Whether this be a bathroom, crate, fenced in yard, garage or another secluded area. This way you are prepared for any situation that may arise during your holiday celebration.

Taking these few precautions may not solve all your problems that could occur during the holidays, however, hopefully these tips will at least relieve a little stress and help you be prepared!

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Dog mom tip #16: You can never be too prepared.

Question Master

I like to know everything. I mean who doesn’t right? So in order to find out the information I am seeking I tend to ask a lot of questions. I never really thought I asked more questions than any normal person… but apparently I do.

My X boyfriend use to call me the “questions master”. He would always make me feel bad for asking questions, like I was annoying him or that it was a bother to him. I never understood why… I always grew up hearing “knowledge is power” and to gain knowledge you have to ask questions.

Maybe I should do more research on my own before asking questions… but sometimes I just can’t help it. Ideas and thoughts start running through my mind creating a question and before I know it, I have already asked someone if they know the answer. Does this happen to anyone else? Should I feel bad for asking questions?

I personally don’t think I should feel bad for asking questions… I think it is part of my personality someone should embrace and it should intrigue them that I want to learn. I would love to hear your all’s opinions… Is there such thing as asking too many questions?

Dog mom tip #15: Never question how much love you give your pup… you can never give them too much 🙂

Better late than never…

Oh how the difference of a year makes…. I think back to this time last year. I was living in Florida away from all of my family and friends and working a job I hated. I was crying almost every day wondering why it was so hard to be happy. I have never been so miserable in my life. Finally, I was able to snap out of my misery long enough to do something about it. I quite the job I hated, got of a negative relationship and moved back home to Kentucky.

Fast forward to now… I have a career I truly enjoy and am passionate about, someone who makes me feel so loved and appreciated and I am closer to all of my family and friends than ever. It is seriously crazy to think back to this time last year and how I felt. I had gotten so down on myself, I had literally lost all of my self-love and confidence.

It wasn’t easy to get out of this rut, however I made it! I made myself me again. I feel better now than I have in years. And, honestly, all I had to do was change my mind set. I had to think positive and reassure myself that I could do it, I could be happy again.

When people use to tell me that all you need to do is think positive, I thought they were crazy. However, I can tell you from this firsthand experience that changing your mindset really does change your whole outlook on life. Everyone deserves happiness, and I am hoping by sharing this experience even if you are in one of your darkest days this lets you know there is a way out.

Dog mom tip #14: Never give up on finding your happiness.

Rainy Days…

Wow has this summer been crazy! Mason and I have been so busy traveling and staying active. We have had so much fun on our adventures, but sometimes life isn’t all a walk in the park… Before getting my baby Mason three years ago, I had another puppy who stole my heart. Our sweet Faith.

I will never forget the day when we went to PetSmart when I was 13-years-old. I had been begging my parents for a dog for a long time, and this was finally the day my wish came true. They had so many cute puppies this day, but we were all immediately drawn to Faith. She came home with us that day and has been part of our family ever since.

Faith has not only been a best friend, sister or child to everyone in my family for the past 14-years, but also to my Mason. Before meeting Mason 3 years ago, Faith NEVER liked any other dogs. But her and Mason were best friends immediately. It’s like she knew he was a part of our family too. We were all a family. This is why losing Faith last week was so hard.

When we found out a few months ago that she had cancer, we knew it was going to be a hard battle. However, the initial surgery went well to remove the cancer so we were thankful it was not her time yet. Even though we knew this time would come eventually, we enjoyed every day we got to spend with Faith in her last few months with us.

Faith meant so much to us all, especially Mason. The last few times we got to visit with her, I knew Mason knew what was going on. He knew she couldn’t play as hard with him or go on as long of walks, but he hated leaving her behind. There were so many times Faith was too weak to go on a walk and Mason literally wouldn’t leave without her. They were best friends.

Everyone in my family is mourning the loss of Faith in different ways, including Mason. Mason went to stay with my parents last weekend after faith had passed. My parents said he literally did not leave from being under the table. This is where one of Faiths’ beds still reside and Mason was just not his normal happy-go-lucky self. After this weekend without her, Mason now knows she is gone, and there is definitely a deep sadness in his eyes.

Dog Mom Tip #13: It’s important that you recognize signs of depression in your pup. Your pup is always there for you when you need them, so make sure you are there for them when they need you too.

********* In Loving Memory of Faith Hill*********

On the road…

If you all haven’t noticed already, I love to take Mason anywhere I can with me. I mean seriously if I could bring him to work or even to the grocery, I totally would. I just love being with him and having his company to brighten my day. I know Mason would love to go everywhere with me to if he could, however, he HATES riding in the car.

I always imagined when I had a dog they would enjoy riding in the car with their head stuck out the window and their ears flapping in the wind. Not my mason. He gets mad anxiety when I even pull out my keys and he thinks we are going somewhere. When he is riding in the car, he always just tenses up and continuously pants. I literally have to put the air conditioning on full blast before he even remotely seems comfortable (so I have to layer on clothes or use a blanket to keep from freezing to death).

Mason has always been anxious and uncomfortable in cars (even when he was a little baby), but I honestly feel that it has gotten worse over the years. I always do everything to make him as comfortable as possible (and yes I am a good driver). I talk to him, reach back to pet him when I can and always have the air blasting. Nothing ever seems to ease his anxiety though.

I want to be able take Mason everywhere with me I can, but it’s hard when I know he is so uncomfortable in the car. If anyone has any natural remedies or tips to help with Mason’s travel troubles, please feel free to share them with us.

Dog Mom Tip #12: Sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to get where you want to be.

Our favorite place in the world

With summer in full swing, Mason and I are all about enjoying the outdoors and going on adventures. Memorial Day weekend began our journey…. Mason and I headed to Brevard, NC to go hiking and enjoy the mountains. It’s hard to describe in words how special Brevard really is, so I am going to do my best to take you on a snap shot of our amazing trip ….

Day One: We let the boys meet for the first time! Maverick and Mason were best friends immediately and played and played chasing each other around the pond.

We then went to Winter Greens Falls. This hike is pretty easy (about 3 miles) and is one of our favorites because it seems to be the least crowded of all the waterfalls in DuPont Forest.

Day Two: We completed our standard hikes to Triple Falls and High Falls. Over the past four years, these two hikes have became VERY popular and more and more crowded. They have also roped off areas so you cannot get as close to the falls anymore 🙁 . However, if you haven’t been to Brevard, these are definitely a must see.

Day Three: Our last day in Brevard, we drove through Pisgah National Forest up to Balsam Knob for a hike and picnic. This hike is pretty easy and also makes for some great photo opportunities! It was so nice to just relax and take in the views.

This trip was nothing short of perfect. I hope you all get the chance to experience this beauty one day. Brevard, NC is truly a magically place.

Dog Mom Tip #11: Never be afraid of a new adventure… life is too short.

Story time…

I had planned to write about another topic this week, but after today’s events, I thought this story was worth sharing…

As you all might have gathered by now Mason and I don’t live alone. We live with one of my best friends, her daughter and their dog Fiona (12 pound dachshund). So we definitely have a “full house” to say the least.

I am fortunate enough to only work 5 minutes from our apartment so I go home every day for lunch and to walk the dogs. Usually, this is a very standard procedure. I walk in, leash up the dogs, we go on our 10 minute walk on the nature trail, they get their treats and I go back to work (most days eating my sandwich in the car). But today this was not the case…

It started out like any normal lunch break, but today the pups and I decided to walk to the dog park instead of our normal route (BIG mistake). We turned the corner to go to the dog park and I see there are two yorkies playing in there. So I am like no big deal. We go to turn around and walk the other way, and there is another guy with his pitbull/boxer. This would not have been a problem with just Mason. However, with two dogs, this presented major issues. Mason was trying to get to the two yorkies in the dog park and was pulling me to run along the fence with them. Then (of course) Fiona took off in the opposite direction and then proceeded to slip her collar and run…

At this point, full on panic mode begins. I pull Mason from the yorkies and we immediately take off sprinting after Fiona (she is MUCH faster than us by the way). Luckily, I see she is headed straight for our apartment as Mason and I struggle to catch up to her. Be time we make it to the apartment, she is already sitting in front of our door step like nothing happened.

This was a very scary moment for me. A million different scenarios crossed my mind as Mason and I were chasing after Fiona. She could have gotten hit by a car or ran away or who knows what! And what makes this situation even scarier, is that my roommate does not have Fiona micro chipped nor does she have a dog tag with her contact information on it. So if Fiona would have ran away, there would have been no way to get her back home.

Dog Mom Tip #10: Be responsible. Make sure your pup is micro chipped and always wears their dog tag with your information. You never know what can happen or what is lurking around the next corner…

What keeps you up at night…?

Do you ever have those nights where you just can’t turn your mind off? I know I definitely do. However, the real question is, do our pups have those kind of nights too?

I started thinking about this because last night Mason just kept tossing and turning. He was up on my bed then moved to his bed and then moved to the floor then back to my bed. I mean every time I woke up to go to the restroom he was awake. So what is keeping Mason up at night?

I really wish I could read his mind and he could tell me what is making his wheels turn. Is he having nightmares or is something wrong? It’s not fair that I get to talk to Mason about all of my problems, but he can’t talk to me. Everyone, including dogs, needs to be able to express their emotions and even talk about their bad dreams.

Maybe I will start telling Mason bedtime stories to help him sleep better and clear his mind of the thoughts keeping him up at night. Does anyone else tell their dog bedtime stories or am I just crazy?

Dog Mom Tip #9: Night time can be scary for everyone, even your pup, so make sure you hold them tight when they need you.

The struggle is real…

Not falling back into old habits is hard. We work diligently to break these habits and make positive changes, but then are often faced with temptations lurking around us. I think everyone struggles with not giving into those temptations sometimes, or at least it makes feel better to think that because I definitely do.

Over the past few weeks, I have been struggling with the temptation to not fall back into the world wind of a relationship I had been involved in over the past three years. This person was someone who I cared deeply about, and of course always will, but our relationship just did not work. We tried and tried, I honestly have never tried so hard at something in my life. But I wasn’t happy in Florida (among other factors) and he didn’t want to leave.

We had reconnected again and I started to have the “what ifs” swirling around in my head. I started coming up with excuses of why the relationship hadn’t worked before, and how we could make it work now. I tried to convince myself again that I could be happy. But deep down, I know this isn’t true and I could not let myself get sucked back in.

I honestly couldn’t believe I stayed strong, didn’t give in and stayed in control of shaping my own life. It was hard. But at the end of the day, I know this addiction of the past had to stay in the past. There is so much to look forward to and I knew this was not the life that would make me happy.

Finding happiness is easier said than done, but I am now more confident than ever that I am on the right path to find it.

The fight is always worth it for the kisses

Dog Mom Tip #8/UPDATE: Mason has still been struggling with his leash aggression. However, it seems like he does better when I immediately try to take his thoughts away from the other pup. I will sweet talk him and focus his attention on ANYTHING but the dog he is trying to stalk. Still looking for any tips and tricks you guys might suggest ♥

The Battle

The first time I heard the phrase “leash aggression” was about a year ago as I was walking Mason at the park on a sunny day in St. Pete. Mason was eager to go say hi to another dog and the owner stated he did not think that was a good idea because his dog was “leash aggressive”. This owner then explained to me what leash aggression was, and it dawned on me in that moment, that Mason was leash aggressive too!!

Anytime we are walking and Mason sees another dog being walked on a leash too, he immediately lays down. Once he lays down, he will stalk the other dog not moving or taking his eye off them. Once the dog gets close, he then lunges trying to gain access to the other pup. What is crazy is this only happens sometimes, he doesn’t do this to every single dog that is on a leash when we are on a walk.

It is stressful experiencing this anticipation and anxiety that the leash aggression “could” happen, but it is even more stressful when it actually does happen. Mostly because I am afraid if the dog is too close, the dogs could start to fight each other or hurt one another. This horrific nightmare I envisioned became a reality this past Monday…

I was walking Mason and Fiona (my roommates’ 12lb dachshund) at our apartment complex earlier this week. We had already went to the dog park and were walking along a side walk between two of the apartment buildings headed home. All of a sudden, Mason lays down and I see a young women walking towards us with a stroller and her Yorkie. My anxiety immediately kicked in and I pulled Mason’s leash as tight as it would go, holding on with all of my might.

As the young lady and her pup get closer, I can see the Yorkie straining to get to Mason as he is laying watching her in the grass. Before I could even get a word out of my mouth, the lady lets her Yorkie walk right up to Mason’s face and he lunges at her trying to play and had accidentally scrapped or bit her nose and mouth. The poor pup was bleeding everywhere and I was in utter shock.

I was almost speechless. The only words I could get out were “I am so sorry” and “I promise he was just trying to play and has never done this before”. The young lady asked for my information as she rushed her pup home to examine her injuries. I literally run home with the two dogs and am panicking. Not knowing what to do, I grab the little doggie first-aid kit I have and sprint back over to the Yorkie’s apartment. I knock on their door and offer my help and apologizes again. Luckily, the young lady said the bleeding had already stopped and her pup seemed fine.

This was a VERY scary experience to say the least. I honestly wish I could end this post with a solution to leash aggression, but I have yet to find one. However, over this next week, I am going to try a few different strategies I have been reading about and will share the results with you all in next weeks post.

If anyone has any suggestions or tips, PLEASE do not hesitate to share them with me!

Dog Mom Tip #7: Always stay on your toes, you never know what obstacle is lurking around the corner.