May 2025 – Pet Momma

Gear Upgrade: DogID Bag Love 💕

I have to give a shoutout to my new DogID bag—The Schitty Kit! This thing is a total game changer for walks with Stanley. It has a smell-proof compartment for used poop bags (yes, really!), which means I no longer have to awkwardly carry around a tied-up bag in my hand. It’s super versatile with a fully adjustable strap so I can wear it cross-body, or switch to the included waist strap. It even has belt clips if I just want to attach it to my waistband.

The bag is well-made and holds everything I need—treats, poop bags, phone, keys—whether we’re heading out for a quick walk or a longer adventure. I originally bought the small version thinking it would be perfect for little Stanley, but ended up exchanging it for the larger size so I’d have extra room. (Shoutout to their fantastic customer service for making the swap easy and painless.) Now I kind of wish I’d kept the small one too—it’d be ideal for shorter outings.

Also: I LOVE the bright pink color, but they do offer neutral options if that’s more your vibe. The bag dispenser on the back makes grabbing a poop bag effortless, and the mesh pouch on the front is perfect for treats. The washable, sealable rubber pouch for storing full bags is hands down my favorite feature. I seriously haven’t found another bag that checks all these boxes. To be honest, I also LOVE saying “Schitty Kit” and may say it a bit too often because it’s fun!

Stanley’s DNA, Giardia Round Two, and Sunshine Days

We got Stanley’s DNA test results back! I was convinced he had some Italian Greyhound in him, but nope—unless it’s hidden somewhere in the “Supermutt” category. The great news is that nothing stood out as a red flag in the health portion of the results. Always a relief!

Unfortunately, Stanley is back on medication for Giardia. Apparently, the first round didn’t completely wipe it out. He’s now on a twice-daily pill and a dewormer. He’s not thrilled, but I’ve learned it’s much easier to just give him the pill directly than try to hide it in food. He’s catching on, though—smart little guy.

I’ve been a bit lazy about training lately and need to get back into the habit. Stanley had his last playgroup of the session this week. Honestly, I’m not too sad to be switching groups. The dogs in his current group didn’t match his energy level. He worked hard trying to get someone to play, but it was a struggle. Fingers crossed the new group next week has more playful pups!

I was out for several hours last night and didn’t want to leave Stanley alone, so I asked a neighbor to check in. I wasn’t sure how it would go since he can be shy, but they said it only took about 15 minutes for him to warm up. After that, he was all cuddles and playtime. They even stayed for about an hour. Lucky pup!

Housebreaking is going really well! The weather has been beautiful, and Stanley has been loving it—sometimes a little too much. Getting him to actually do his business outside instead of just sprawling in the sun can be a challenge! He’s starting to bark at the door when he wants to go out, which is great progress. I picked up some bells to hang on the door, but he finds them terrifying at the moment. Hopefully, he gets over that and learns to ring them soon.

Stanley is still really pick about treats. Trader Joes are actually his favorites! he likes the freeze dried Just Chicken, and the dried salmon skin. The dried fish skin is kinda gross. It is very flaky, and it stinks, but he loves it. I save it for training class and outdoor training. We’ve been good about not letting him have human food, except for Pup Cups. Stan and I love to visit Starbucks and get a Pup cup and a coffee!

The rest of the pets are doing great. Our dragon finally finished shedding. Hector has been loving the sounds of birds through the open windows, and the cats are slowly adjusting to life with Stanley. Puck and Stanley even play sometimes—well, Puck whacks Stanley on the head, and Stanley thinks it’s the best game ever. He gets all excited and zooms around like a maniac. It’s actually pretty adorable.

Teenage Stanley: Training Frustrations, Big Wins, and Baby Steps

🎓 Training Class… Kinda?
We’re in the middle of our “teen manners” training class, and honestly… not loving it. I signed up hoping to work on practical basics like:

Down
Off
Leave it
Stay
Leash walking

Instead, the class is mostly about understanding the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence in dogs and how to redirect their energy. That’s helpful in theory, and I do see how some of it applies to Stanley, but it’s not what I was really hoping for. That said, I’m sticking with it and focusing on the parts that matter most for us.

⬇️ The Elusive “Down”
My biggest struggle? Teaching “down.”
Stanley just doesn’t lie down naturally unless he’s in a lap or curled up in his crate. Luring him with a treat doesn’t work well because he’s so small — he just stretches his head down and grabs it without dropping his body.

Definitely a work in progress, and I might check in with our trainer again to see if she has other strategies. For now, we’re just doing what we can.

🐶 Playgroup, Visitors, and… Marking?

We’ve got another series of small dog playgroup scheduled next month, and while I’m holding off on signing up for another class until fall, I’m toying with the idea of agility — I think Stanley would love it once we nail down the basics.

Last weekend, Stanley came with me to visit my dad and his two Portuguese Water Dogs. Despite the size difference, Stanley played really well, especially with the one-year-old pup. I was so proud of him!

Less exciting? He peed on a couple of dog beds and a chair while we were there. I’m guessing it was marking behavior triggered by the other dogs. Definitely something we need to work on before our next house guest moment.

He also spent a few hours at my daughter’s apartment recently when I went out for the evening. He played hard, had a blast, and eventually crashed in their laps for a nap. He did have one small accident — he peed on a towel that was on the floor — but my daughter took the blame for that one. She realized afterward that he’d been sniffing around and probably thought the towel was a potty pad. All things considered, not too bad!

🚪 A Potty Training Breakthrough!
Big news: Stanley has started going to the door and barking to go out! It feels like a huge leap forward.

This morning’s routine looked like this:

Out first thing → Pee ✅
Breakfast → Done
Then? He barked at the door, ran out, and pooped right away.
We’re finally finding our rhythm at home, and he seems to be really settling into the routine.

🐕 Big Wins (and BarkBox Joy)
Stanley continues to be obsessed with fetch and BarkBox toys — I think we’ve officially found our favorites. He’s still enjoying the Ollie food, but honestly, the frozen format is more trouble than it’s worth. The food container and scoop were nice, but I won’t keep it going.

His Embark DNA test is currently being processed, and I’m so excited to get those results back. I can’t wait to learn more about our mystery mutt!

🏡 Trusting Him Off-Leash (A Little)
Another HUGE step: I’ve started letting Stanley off-leash in our yard. So far, he runs around, does his business, and then comes straight back to the door. I don’t fully trust him yet — if something scared him, I’m afraid he’d bolt — but we’re making steady progress. Baby steps!

💬 Got Tips?
We’ve come a long way, but there’s still so much to learn. If anyone has tips for teaching “down” to a tiny dog — or managing marking in new places — I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment and let’s share the wisdom! And if you have a treat that your dog LOVES, let me know. Stanley is super picky about his treats.

Stanley’s Progress, Playtime, and the Elusive “Down” Command

🐾 Stanley Update: Loving Life and Learning Slowly
Stanley is doing great — he’s such a little love! His perfect day includes running wild playing fetch, and then curling up in someone’s lap like the world’s tiniest weighted blanket. He spent a few hours with my daughter and her partner last night while I was out, and he loved it. After zooming around their living room, he curled up on the couch like he owned the place.

🚪 Potty Progress: Outside Only!
Potty training is still a work in progress, but we’re moving in the right direction. I’ve officially taken away his indoor potty pads — it’s outdoor-only from here on out. He’s starting to understand what he’s supposed to do outside, but… he gets distracted. Easily.

Sometimes it’s a two-round process:

Take him out, let him sniff and explore.
Bring him back in.
Wait for him to start sniffing inside.
Back out we go.
It’s time-consuming, but I think it’s finally starting to click.

🐶 Playgroup and Puppy Energy
Stanley loves his weekly dog playgroup. I do wish there was another puppy in the mix — the other dogs are lovely, but none of them match his endless energy. He’ll play with one until they get tired, then bounce over to the next. It’s actually been great for him socially — he’s learning to read dog body language and back off when someone’s had enough. Big win!

🎓 Training Class Challenges
Training class has been… okay. It’s focused a lot on helping excitable adolescent dogs calm down, which is useful, but I was hoping for more basics like sit, stay, etc.

The biggest challenge? Lay down. Stanley doesn’t do it. At all. I’ve tried luring with treats, but he’s so tiny that he just stretches his neck instead of lowering his body. I’ve also tried waiting and rewarding the behavior when he does it naturally — but the only time he really lays down is in someone’s lap or locked in his crate.

I’m going to email the trainer and see if she has other ideas. It’s tough to teach “relax on your mat” when he doesn’t actually lay down on the floor. If you have tips, please send them my way!

That said, he’s doing great with:

Coming when called
Sit
Touch
Leave it
“OK” release cue
And he’s becoming an excellent walker — he walked over a mile each way to and from our favorite local restaurant last weekend!

🏃‍♂️ Agility on the Horizon?
I’m thinking about signing him up for a beginner agility class. With how much he loves running, jumping, and weaving through furniture, I think he’d have a blast. Plus, I suspect it would help him burn off some of that teenage dog energy in a positive way.

🐉 The Rest of the Crew
While Stanley may be hogging the spotlight, the rest of the pets are doing well:

The Dragon (our bearded dragon) just had a beautiful full-body shed and a nice bath. Her tail is the only bit left to finish up.

Hector the Parrot is thriving in her usual way — shredding every bit of cardboard she can find.

Martin on top, Puck under him, and Martha on the Side

Our two cats are adjusting to being blocked from the finished basement for the summer (our allergy-friendly zone for my daughter’s fiancé). They’re coping just fine, though they do linger dramatically outside the basement door.
Our son’s cats are still visiting frequently. We thought his male cat was the one peeing on the couch, but surprise! He just caught the female in the act. She’s headed to the vet Monday — fingers crossed it’s something treatable and we can put the mystery peeing to rest once and for all.

🐕 Back to Class Tomorrow!
We’re back at training class in the morning — wish us luck! And seriously, if anyone out there has advice on how to teach a tiny dog to lay down, I’m all ears. Drop your tips in the comments!

Puppy Love & Puppy Frustration: Life with Teenage Stanley

💛 Sweet, Cuddly, and… Exhausting
I love Stanley — he’s affectionate, playful, and loves to snuggle. But wow, some days are just a lot.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself frustrated by the end of the day. He’s deep in that “teenage puppy” phase, and even though I know it’s normal, it can feel like we’re going backward instead of making progress.

🚪 The Potty Training Struggle
The housebreaking journey has been… slow. I keep working on getting him to go outside, but we’re not quite there yet.

Today was a good example:

He went outside twice — long walks, lots of time in the woods.
Nothing.
Five minutes after coming inside? He goes on his puppy pad.
I’m super grateful he used the pad (thankfully he’s good about that), but I just can’t figure out what’s holding him back from going outside. I’m trying to stay patient, but it’s tough.

⏳ Chugging Along
Some days I feel like I’m failing him — like I’m not training him well enough, or not doing something right. But I keep trying. He did go outside twice today, and we had some nice walks. So I’m holding onto the little wins and reminding myself that this takes time.

I’m also nervous about traveling this summer and leaving him with someone else. I want him to be a bit more predictable and easier to care for by then. Hopefully, we’ll make some real progress soon.

🥣 Food Update: A Clear Favorite
On the upside, I’ve finally found a dog food that really works for both Stanley and me: Top Shelf Dog. He’s eating it consistently, it’s easy to serve, and it turns out to be the most cost-effective option I’ve tried.

Bonus: ordering it from Amazon is actually cheaper than buying directly from their website.

I also couldn’t resist a deal from Ollie — half off the first shipment and a free dog DNA test? Yes, please. That’s on the way, and I’ll report back once we try it.

🐕 First Small Dog Playgroup
This afternoon, Stanley has his first small dog playgroup! I’m hopeful he’ll do well — fingers crossed he makes some new friends and gets a little more confident around other dogs.

🐾 TL;DR: Puppies are hard. Stanley is adorable. I’m tired. But we’re figuring things out.

Any other puppy parents out there dealing with the same rollercoaster? Share your training wins (or fails!) and drop any playgroup or travel tips in the comments.

Stanley Update + BarkBox Review: Tiny Dog, Big Opinions

🐾 Housebreaking Progress (and Setbacks)

Stanley is doing pretty well overall — some days I’m convinced he’s completely housebroken, and then, out of nowhere, he’ll have an accident. It’s a journey.

He’s still not a fan of the outdoors. If it’s over 65° and sunny, he loves it and doesn’t want to come back in. But anything cooler, rainy, or even slightly cloudy? No thank you. Even with little jackets, he’ll turn around and bolt right back up the stairs to the door.

For now, we’re still using puppy pads in the house. Thankfully, he mostly uses them consistently.

🎓 Starting Dog Training Class

We start “Teenage Manners” class tomorrow! Fingers crossed he’s not the only tiny dog — it’d be nice for him to have a little buddy. He also starts Small Dog Playgroup next week, so we’ll see how that goes.

Some of the things I’m hoping to work on in class:

Better potty training habits
Reducing nipping
Food aggression
Chasing the cats
And I still can’t figure out how to teach him “lie down” — he’s so small it’s tough to lure him with a treat!

🐶 Evening Play & Snuggles

Stanley is a total love. He still gets crated during our dinner to prevent chaos with the cats, but once we’re done eating, we let him out and he gets super playful.

We sit on the floor and play fetch, and the cats even seem to enjoy the action. After that, Stanley crashes — we all move to the couch, and he curls up in someone’s lap and snoozes. It’s honestly my favorite time of day.

📦 BarkBox Review: 10/10, No Notes

I mentioned in a previous post that I ordered some BarkBox toys, and this week, Stanley got two boxes!

I saw an ad with some adorable toys that were only available to subscribers, so I signed up for a 6-month subscription. Let’s be real — 6 months’ worth of toys will probably last Stanley a lifetime. I opened the extra box of toys I picked out myself, and I have to say: these toys are awesome.

They’re: adorable, well made, and full of variety — squeakers, crinkles, textures, etc.

Stanley prefers plush toys, so that’s what I went with, and he genuinely loves every single one. His current favorite is a fried chicken bucket toy — it makes crinkly sounds, and he loves to chew it and carry it around. I need to get a better picture of him with his whole head in the bucket (which happens a lot).

The Chicken Bucket!

This sloth is almost as big as Stanley, but he loves it!

He also thinks the box that everything came in is pretty great!

The second box is our official BarkBox, which includes themed toys and treats. I got a bonus offer when signing up, so our first box has double toys and treats — can’t wait to open it this weekend, or as soon as I clean out the dog toy box and make room!

📣 Got Class Tips?
We’ll see how Stanley does in manners class this weekend — here’s hoping he doesn’t try to boss around the big dogs. 😅

If you’ve got any dog training class stories or tips for tiny dogs, I’d love to hear them! Let’s swap some puppy tales in the comments.