Tucson, AZ | Sharing what we've learned about training to become a certified therapy dog team, managing atypical Addison’s Disease, and raising happier and healthier dogs.
Need help implementing all of the dog enrichment activities and ideas you've collected? Keep reading to learn how to put that inspiration to good use in a complete canine enrichment plan. Your dog will thank you for it.
Read MoreWag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy has received a great deal of praise from dog professionals. While there was some information within this book that I found encouraging, author Zazie Todd hasn’t really revealed much new news. If you’re a responsible dog parent who researches solutions thoroughly, you may not be overly impressed with this book either.
Read MoreTucson dogs pick up all sorts of debris, including cactus bits, burrs, and pollen. Not to mention all of the allergens we may not readily see like fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that dogs walk through constantly. Dog paws get irritated and itchy. How do you stop your dog from licking his paws and bring him relief? Draw a paw bath!
Read MoreIf you’re a responsible dog parent trying to make the most out of the limited time you have with your dog, then this book about canine enrichment is well worth the read. You’ll find numerous practical ideas for incorporating enrichment activities into your dog’s life every day. Read our full book review.
Read MoreIf you’re concerned about pet food quality, then this account of the 2007 massive pet food recall is worth reading. Marion Nestle’s well-researched book scrutinizes the timeline of events surrounding the largest pet food recall in the history of the U.S. Book review includes links to other sources you may find helpful in protecting your pets.
Read MoreBernie and Lizzie McSquare look forward to all that 2020 has to offer. Before January ends, though, we’re taking some time to reflect on 2019. There wasn’t a single new blog post on McSquare Doodles, but we were keeping busy with many other life challenges and projects.
Read MoreTherapy dogs share unconditional love with everyone they meet. If you know a special therapy dog, then these gift ideas may be the perfect way to say thank you to that special pup and his/her handler.
Read MoreEarly in 2017, Matthew, Bernie, and I took a tricks class with our Labradoodle Bernie. We missed a few classes and did not focus on practicing the dog tricks at home consistently. Since then, I’ve tried to reinforce the few tricks that we did learn together, but I haven’t added anything truly new.
Our trainer is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, so she’s shared information about the various trick dog titles offered through Kyra Sundance’s Do More With Your Dog! If you haven’t checked out her website, give it a click. The rainbow ribbons and certificates are definitely motivating!
Since we’re training Bernie to be a therapy dog, we decided to add in more tricks training. Who wouldn’t want to see a few fun tricks during a therapy dog visit? 101 Dog Tricks is a handy reference for our continuing therapy dog journey.
Read MoreIf you're looking for the safest and most versatile dog harness for traveling in the car with your best friend, Sleepypod's Clickit brand may be the answer for dogs weighing 18-90 pounds.
Last August, I purchased two Sleepypod Clickit Sport harnesses for Bernie and Lizzie, and one year later, I'm thrilled with how well they've held up and the peace of mind they give me as we drive around Tucson.
Read MoreFor most of my life, I've been a night owl productively creating and organizing well past a reasonable bed time. However, living in Arizona with two dogs, one of whom is leash reactive, means waking up early for summer walks.
In July in Tucson, 101 is the average high with 74 as the low. Now 74 doesn't sound that bad, but if you truly want to exercise with your dog in that cooler range, then you're waking up at 4:30am because it really does take all night for the earth to cool off. And once the sun is up, you're feeling the heat by 7am.
After being the person who pulled all nighters in college, and stayed up late grading papers when I was teaching, I had to learn to be a morning person. Read more about the seven strategies that helped me.
Read MoreMcSquare Doodles chronicles how we're training to become a certified therapy dog team with both our Labradoodles in Tucson, Arizona. We share what we've learned about dog-friendly places to visit, and tips for raising happier and healthier dogs. Join us on our journey.
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