The Gentle Leader

After taking Oscar to the vet for a checkup and complaining that he’s a “puller” on his leash, they suggested getting him a new harness called a gentle leader. I was intrigued. It’s a small black lead that goes over this nose and around the back of his head, basically the dog’s version of a horse bridle. This was is made for strong willed dogs that like to take you for a walk instead of the other way around. Oscar and I often play tug of war, so I was more than open to any suggestions.

During our first walk testing out the new gear I had to keep looking down to make sure I wasn’t accidentally walking a different dog. The change was crazy! He walked right next to me and hardly made any sniffing detours. However, this new found enjoyment on our walks is one sided as it will take a little bit of time for Oscar to adjust. He’s not a huge fan but thank god he is such a tolerant gentle soul. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a larger dog!

Doesn't he look super happy?! This will be the photo to use if he ever gets a passport or drivers license. :)

When Life hands you Lemons…

Take them to the vet, a lot!

We have a dog (Oscar) and a cat (Sprinkles) that we affectionately refer to as our “lemons”. They are both the sweetest creatures anyone could ask for but they are extremely flawed when it comes to health issues. Both have allergies which keeps them on a diet of the most expensive food ever hypoallergenic vet food, even so they both still break out with skin irritations on a regular basis.

Oscar is a Pitbull/Rottweiler mix so naturally, he loves to CHEW! Since he can’t have bones, it has been my mission to find him a toy that he wouldn’t shred to pieces within minutes of playing with it. Andrew warned me of this, but after seeing things like “indestructible” and “guaranteed” all over the label of what looked like a heavy duty toy, I would optimistically buy it and bring it home. (Secretly trying to prove to Andrew that he is wrong) Each time I do this, my heart breaks when only minutes later I find the toy ripped apart, and Oscar proudly looking up at me wagging his tail.

At the end of the day no matter how many toys he's rips apart and how expensive and flawed our furry little companions are, they are ours, and we love them.

One of my favorite things to do on a nice day with Andrew is to take Oscar for a walk. On the weekends we will sometimes drive him down to Edworthy Park and take him along the river. I think I enjoy this so much because when we started dating this is something we would do pretty much every weekend. Grab a coffee, head down to the park and enjoy the day.Good memories! <3