pet

Camping with Pets

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

Camping with pets can be a fun and rewarding experience for you and your furry friend. Not only does it allow you to spend quality time together in the great outdoors, but it also allows your pet to explore new surroundings and get some exercise. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that camping with pets requires a little extra planning and consideration to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip for all involved.

First and foremost, ensure that your pet is up to the camping task. Some pets, especially older or smaller animals, may be unable to handle the physical demands of hiking or spending long periods in a tent. If you’re unsure whether your pet is fit for camping, consult your veterinarian or consider taking a shorter, more leisurely trip to test the waters.

Once you’ve determined that your pet is ready for a camping adventure, planning is essential. Research the campsite or national park you’ll be visiting to see if they have any specific rules or regulations regarding pets. Some camps may not allow pets or may have restrictions on where they can go or what they can do. It’s also a good idea to check with the local ranger station or park headquarters to discover any potential hazards, such as wildlife or poisonous plants, that your pet might encounter.

When packing for your trip, don’t forget to bring all the necessary supplies for your pet, including food, water, a leash, a collar with identification tags, and any medications they may be taking. It’s also a good idea to bring a portable water dish and a few plastic bags for waste disposal. If you spend a long outdoors, consider investing in a portable shade shelter or canopy to protect your pet from the sun.

Once you arrive at the campsite, keep your pet on a leash. Not only is this a requirement at many camps, but it’s also essential for the safety of your pet and other campers. It’s also a good idea to keep a close eye on your pet and ensure they don’t get into trouble, such as chasing after wildlife or eating something they shouldn’t.

Camping with pets can be a fun and rewarding experience for you and your furry friend as long as you plan and take the necessary precautions. You can ensure a safe and enjoyable trip for all involved with extra planning and consideration.

Five suggestions for safe camping with pets:

  1. Leash laws and campsite rules: Many campsites and national parks have specific rules and regulations regarding pets, including leash laws and designated areas where pets are allowed. It’s essential to familiarize yourself with these rules and follow them to ensure your pet’s and other campers’ safety.
  2. Wildlife: Camping in the great outdoors means you and your pet may encounter wildlife, such as bears, snakes, or other potentially dangerous animals. It’s important to keep your pet on a leash and closely supervise them to prevent them from getting into any trouble.
  3. Poisonous plants: Some plants, such as poison ivy or oak, can be harmful to pets if ingested or if they come into contact with their skin. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the plants that grow in the area you’ll be camping in and take precautions to prevent your pet from coming into contact with them.
  4. Heat exhaustion: If camping in hot weather, it’s vital to ensure your pet stays hydrated and has access to shade. Signs of heat exhaustion in pets include heavy panting, lethargy, and loss of appetite. If you notice any of these signs, it’s essential to provide your pet with water and a fantastic place to rest and seek veterinary care if necessary.
  5. Water safety: If you are near a body of water, keep a close eye on your pet and prevent them from drinking or swimming in any potentially contaminated water. It’s also a good idea to bring a portable water dish and plenty of fresh water to keep your pet hydrated during the trip.

Have fun with your fur babies!

a dog standing on the ground
Photo by Teodor-Ionut Ungureanu on Pexels.com

Glitzy Trains Daddy to do New Trick

/ Robert Bruton / Leave a comment

For those of you that follow the chronicles of Glitzy. One of the most spoiled dogs on the planet. She has again outdone herself! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, two nights ago, about 2:37 AM. I hear a bark coming from the living room. A precocious bark only Glitzy can make. Several attempts were made to call her to no avail.

The trek for the living room begins. Glitzy continue the sharp bark as I look at Glitzy to ask, “what do you want, Glitzy?” I’m scanning the room for toys, bones, or other potential daddies fetch for my items. Not seeing anything I sit on the couch.

Glitzy stands up and paws me as she does when asking to be picked up. Grabbing her, I put her on the couch. Immediately she makes a couple of turns and flops next to me to go back to sleep. She wanted to sleep on the couch and thought it was a good idea for me to be there with her.

She seriously called me down to the living room and wanted me to sit not lay on the couch so she could go back to sleep. Yes, diva is never too strong a word for my Glitzy.

Glitzy, pet, Dog

Glitzy Obeying the Leash Law

Now we have gone from barking in bed at night for me to move so she can get a new spot she wants, too bringing me to the living room so she can sleep on the couch next to me on her couch blanket (yes Glitzy has couch blankets, floor blankets and blankets on the bed).

As I am typing this article, my fur baby is staring at me, as I suspect she will have me fetching something for her forthwith. I was right she has gone to the bedroom, now barking. It’s the afternoon so she will want me to lay down so she can watch a movie. If you’ve read about Glitzy, you will know she loves to watch movies.

Glitzy, Movies, Pets

For now, this is the end until Glitzy trains me to perform a new service for her!

Glitzy a Film Star well for a Minute

/ Robert Bruton / 2 Comments

Everyone who reads me listens to my podcast or watches me on YouTube knows that my dog Glitzy is a considerable part of my life. So let me share with you a funny story about how Glitzy got her start in documentary filmmaking.

She even has her own page on my website: My Dog Glitzy

A few years ago, and I remember this like it were yesterday. It was enjoying a rare day off. Working retail never allows days off very often. So I took Glitzy with me she loves to ride in the car.

One of Glitzy’s greatest thrills in her life was going to the beach and chasing sea birds. Keep in mind Glitzy is half Chijuajua and half Pomeranian. So we’re in no danger of her ever catching a bird. When you ask Glitzy, “do you want to go chase your birds?” –oh my she goes nuts.

We left the house a little early to pick up my wife at the time. As we drove, I decided to stop at the bird sanctuary; it was early, and I am just enjoying my day. So we find a place to park, my mind is relaxed and enjoying the day.

As Glitzy and I were making our way down the boardwalk enjoying the stroll I was carrying her. She wiggled signaling for me to let her down. We were alone on the sidewalk, so I put her down.

Letting Glitzy down I continued down the boardwalk. In moments after putting her down, I remember hearing her nails on her feet making a clicking noise on the boards, and then it stopped. As I looked back, Glitzy was running then jumps off the boardwalk.

Looking in all directions, I finally see her racing off like a bullet. Mind you Glitzy stays with Daddy very well except for one thing sea birds. Keep in mind we’re at a bird sanctuary.

So just about the time I’m getting ready to call out to her, the whole place was empty. Glitzy looked like Carl Lewis running the 100 meters. I see this massive flock of sea birds on the beach.

Then you hear it. “What the Fu*&, cut, cut, damn-it, cut!” Dozens of people appear out from bird blinds. Some with cameras and one overly excited director. Two very forboding Texas Game Wardens. It gets worse. That day they’re shooting a documentary film about the birds Glitzy just scattered.

So I’m getting ready to jump off the boardwalk to get Glitzy and the Game Warden screams at me to stop, they will get the dog. So now you have these two Game Wardens chasing Glitzy while a cameraman who is laughing his ass off filming these officers chase this little bitty dog.

Oh and by the way Glitzy scattered the sea birds and is now barking at the Game Wardens. This too also gets worse, they’re a rare bird that had not come there for years. Hence the film crew.

Our story continues the game warden finally catches Glitzy and brings her to me. With a very stern, “You are aware of leash laws?” Can I see your identification have a seat on the bench with your dog! Oh shit!

As the film crew comes over and begins to play and hold Glitzy and laughing at the irony of the whole ordeal. The camera guy starts to playback the Game Wardens chasing Glitzy and everyone is laughing so hard, even the two officers were very cool about everyone joking with them.

The main camera guy begins to playback his film calls everyone over he too is laughing his ass off. Imagine the movie rolling these majestic sea birds chilling on the beach, nature at its finest. To all of a sudden see this little bitty bullet of a dog enter the screen and begin to chase these bird’s tail wagging and barking away.

The gasps of people the more than one saying “what the fu&* is that” and well you heard the rest earlier in the story. Back to a Game Warden who tells me not sure what to do with us right now.

I did explain that Glitzy enjoyed running on the beach chasing birds. That honestly I was daydreaming and never gave a second thought to letting her down to walk with me. Forgetting that I was at the bird sanctuary, hello.

So the main science folks came over and told the game warden they were not too worried about the birds coming back. That in nature, it could have just as quickly been a Coyote running after them as it was Glitzy.

Glitzy and I narrowly escaped incarceration. We did get a pretty stern warning about the dog being on a leash, however. Lesson learned no doubt.

If everyone could just get back to there positions per the director, once the birds saw it was safe to come back to the beach, they would naturally return. That was just what happened an hour or so later.

Sadly Glitzy’s film debut was short-lived and found herself on the cutting room floor. C’est la vie!

Glitzy, pet, Dog

Glitzy Obeying the Leash Law

 

Glitzy a Spoiled Dog’s Life

/ Robert Bruton / 1 Comment

For those of you that have pets, I am sure some of you may be able to relate to having a spoiled dog. Glitzy is on the outer rim of spoiled, I love Glitzy and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her latest antics are pretty fun and worth a story.

This will help set the stage for her latest thing knowing a little story of how she communicates with me.

One night a couple of years ago, Glitzy would come to me while I was on the couch and bark at me. She had food, water, bones, and everything to make a princess dog a princess dog. She just wouldn’t stop barking at me. dog, pet, Glitzy

I got up looking around, talking to her, “what do you want?” When I walked by the bedroom door, she walked in and jumped on the bed. Now, I figured out what she wanted; it was time to go to bed. So every night since that night around 9:00 PM she will come to me and bark because it’s time for bed.

If I obey her, the barking stops, if I don’t, it only gets worse!

So what is Glitzy’s new command for me you might ask???

For the last two nights, she wakes up. When she wants me to get up, she puts her front paws on me and pushes. Now she doubles that with her bossy bark.

So while trying to translate her bark into what the heck she wants. I am looking for her bone, doesn’t want that. Looking around the bed to see if I can see what she wants, I turn over and move the opposite direction of where I was laying, she, in turn, jumps over me and puts her paw to indicate covers please (she also has a command for sheets).

She decided I needed to roll over the other way so she could move to a new spot and have me so she could cuddle up next to me to go back to sleep under the covers.

OMG, spoiled! 

So now when Glitzy wants a new spot, she barks at me to move into a new position so she might be comfortable. 

Adopting a Pet 5 tips

/ Robert Bruton / 2 Comments

Without hesitation, I can tell you adopted pets are lovely. If your family is considering a pet, I hope you will consider adopting before you make a final choice. I am a happy adopting pet owner!

dog, cat, pet adoption

To have a successful pet adoption experience here a few things you need to do:

  1. What type of lifestyle does your family have? Active, somber, children, other pets? Choose pet bread that matches your families lifestyle. 
  2. Do you have a budget set aside for pet care and maintenance? Vet bills, food, preventative medicine?
  3. Does your landlord allow for pets, if so what is the deposit?
  4. Do you have time to take care of the animal? Pets get destructive because of separation anxiety or boredom. Make sure you can take your pet for walks, dog park visits and so on. 
  5. If you have children make sure, they’re not allergic to pet dander, cats or the like. Some small children do have animal allergies. 

Before you just wander into a Pet Shelter or Humane Society, do some homework. Some dog breeds have tons of energy if your family is not able to play with dogs like this, get them lots of exercises. Honestly, it may not be a good fit. Lots of people love Lab’s but don’t realize these are water dogs who like to play.

Glitzy & Sammy

Breeds have different temperaments, the biggest failure in owning a pet is getting a breed that requires more than families are able to give. The good news with a little research and right questions at the Shelter you can choose the right dog for your family.

If you have questions we’re happy to answer: