May 20 2008
Pet Food
Five years ago, when we headed overseas to live in Hawaii, our pets did not travel with us. At the time, the quarantine was long. Our Siberian Husky, Czar was 12 1/2 and Hawaii would have been a torture for him, so he was given to a friend and ridiculously spoiled for the last year of his life. Our Ragdoll cat, Magnolia also decided she loved the good life lavished on her by a dear friend. So, for close to 5 years, we have had no pets. When you must live as a renter, it is very difficult to keep pets. It severely limits your choice of places to live. So, we told the kids that when we returned to the States and owned our home, we would once again get pets. Dale’s deployment delayed the fulfillment of the promise, but now that I’ve started, there’s no stopping. Dale went with the children to choose fish. They happily named them which I discovered was probably not a good idea after some fish died and had to be replaced. I had somehow missed the time worn advice of “Never Name Fish!” However, fish were not enough. On Saturday, we will be bringing home a Golden Retriever puppy. I have spent the last several months reading dog breed, dog training, dog care, and dog cleanup books. The kids and I watched multiple episodes of the Dog Whisperer and on Saturday, we wandered lost through the aisles of the pet store choosing brushes, dishes, toys, leashes, etc. Before Dale brought home Czar, our first dog, there was no preparation, no research, and no plan. Reading all these books and watching all these shows, I have concluded that we did everything wrong with him. Czar was never completely housebroken, he chewed up everything, and ran away every chance he got. We loved him dearly, but here’s hoping I can do it right this time. For the last month, I have felt like I am preparing for a baby. Instead of nursing/formula, crib, and diaper brand decisions; I must now decide which dog food, kennel, and brushes are the best. Dog food is very complicated now. There is endless research on dog food nutritional value and endless personal reviews that alternate between “this food is excellent” and “this is rubbish, it made my dog sick”. For now, I am going to feed him the food the breeder uses as well as a dog vitamin. Yes, a dog vitamin. In the midst of debating how much I’m willing to pay to ensure my dog has the proper nutrition, I’m feeding my children waffles with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and syrup for dinner. And no, I didn’t give them a vitamin.
Yes nothing like an Organizational...
Not that I’m biased or anything……………… but Goldies are the BEST
Mugs,
we have had 3 goldens, 2 still with us, and with out a doubt they are the best breed to have with kids and will go out of there way to please their owners. They are extremely smart and very trainable. We bred (inadvertently, a story for another time) our oldest female several years ago (Something I do not recommend) and kept one puppy, Mom and duaghter are inseparabale, and where ever the kids are in the yard they dogs are never far from them, in fact the male would sit and watch them, and would follow them constantly.
I wish you luck, just keep a lot of chew toys around as they will chew on anything they can when they start to teeth.
Mike
It’s about time that I get to win one of these decisions.
Mugs wanted a Border Collie. I wanted a Golden Retriever. I remember when we were living next door to Chris and Deni Johnson in West Point, NY. While we were dog-sitting one time, I took Czar and Sasha (our Siberian Huskies) and Sydney (the Johnson’s Border Collie) for a run all together. It was a bad decision. Siberian Huskies and Border Collies were no longer on my list of desired dog breeds.
I can’t wait to meet the little guy in person. Goldens are the best!
Sydney is actually an Australian Shepherd. As crazy as a Border Collie, but smaller. My choice of a Border Collie was cemented when I met Clyde in Australia. However, I was outvoted by the entire family and after reading the endless stories of Border Collie destruction, escape, and neurosis I gave in. When I went to the Golden Retriever breeder and was surrounded by dogs that didn’t jump on me, bark like mad, and run off without looking back, I thought something must be wrong with them.