#rescuedog – Pet Momma

Pet Updates: Progress, Experiments, and Winter Energy

It’s been a stretch of small updates, experiments, and learning curves — the kind of weeks that don’t feel dramatic, but definitely add up.

Stanley: Chews, Snow, and Big Feelings 🐶
I’m still on the hunt for safe, long-lasting chews for Stanley. The coffee wood “bone” is… fine. He likes it, but it does create small fragments, so it’s strictly a supervised-only chew. The pig ear was a bigger success — it didn’t last forever, but it lasted a few days, which feels like a win. I’ve heard good things about olive wood, so that may be next.

No idea what happened to this bone – disappeared very quickly!

Stanley is also not a fan of snow, but he’s learning to sprint outside, do his business, and come right back in. He will still choose to poop in his crate if he gets the chance, but the good news is that he’s not having accidents in the house.

Rubber mat in the snow has definitely been helpful

I do still have a BarkPotty set up in the garage. At the moment, Stanley’s approach is to sniff it carefully… then sit on it. He clearly doesn’t understand the potty part yet, but we’ll see if that changes with time.

Missing agility last week because of the snow left him a bit stir-crazy, so I’m exploring options like small dog playdates with the right dog and owner. It might be a little unconventional, but it could be great if I find the right match.

Puck: A Dental and a Whole New Cat 🐱
Puck had his dental and did great — though he ended up needing five teeth removed. The anesthesia hit him hard the first night, but by the next day he was back to normal… maybe even better than before. He’s been purring, snuggling, and clearly more comfortable, which makes me think those teeth may have been bothering him for quite a while. I’m just grateful he’s feeling good now.

Catlink Update: Two Boxes, Two Happy Cats 🐱
The open-top Catlink litter box experiment continues at my son’s house. It took a couple of weeks, but his cats are finally using it consistently.
Interestingly, one cat prefers the closed automatic box, while the other uses the open-top version, so he now has two automatic boxes and two happy cats. The open box isn’t self-cleaning as well as hoped yet, so he’s experimenting with different litters and adjusting the cleaning delay to give clumps more time to dry. If anyone has any ideas to help the cleaning process, let me know.

Hector & The Dragon: Very On Brand 🦜🦎
Hector is thriving — happily destroying boxes and whistling away. I showed her the snow from the warmth of inside, and she was completely unimpressed. I’ve also started toweling her for snuggles, and I think she actually enjoys it. Getting her more comfortable with handling feels like a good goal.

The dragon is doing well too and has been in and out of brumation, which is unusual for some dragons but very typical for her. She’ll disappear for a few days, then reappear, and repeat that cycle all winter.

Sitters, Boarding, and Trust 🏡

I’m also on the hunt for a new house/pet sitter — someone to check on the cats, Hector, and the dragon when we travel. I really like the woman I’ve used before, but she’s expensive, and I’m wondering if there’s someone else I’d feel just as good about at a lower cost. I reached out to a couple of recommendations today, and one of them may also offer in-home dog boarding, which I’m exploring as another option.

None of this feels dramatic — just steady care, adjustments, and paying attention. That’s kind of how most good pet care looks.

I’d love to hear from you:

What are you doing to keep your pets active?
Have you found a safe, long-lasting dog chew you trust?
How do you find a kennel or pet sitter you truly feel good about?
Share your tips in the comments — I’m always learning.

Winter Pet Check-In: Everyone Is Adjusting ❄️🐾

The shorter days have officially arrived, and every pet in the house seems to have noticed — even the ones with lights, heaters, and very strong opinions.

Hector: Sleeping In & Eating Her Veggies 🦜
Hector is clearly in winter mode. Some mornings she’s still asleep when I get up, which always feels strange since she’s usually awake and supervising my morning routine. But it’s normal for parrots to slow down this time of year, and she seems perfectly content.

The Dragon: Seasonal Preferences & Sink Baths 🦎
The dragon is also reacting to the shorter daylight, even with her tank lights on. I don’t fully understand how she knows, but she absolutely does.
She had been eating so well that I placed a big online bug order — dubia roaches, hornworms, and phoenix worms. She got through most of them, but it was a struggle. Lately, the only bug she really seems excited about is super worms. Not ideal as a main staple, but I’ll take it. She’s still eating those and her veggies, which matters most.

One highlight? She has been loving her kitchen sink baths lately. Very relaxed. Very splashy.

Cats: Grooming Battles & A Smart Litter Box Move 🐱
The cats are mostly doing fine. Bean remains a pain to groom, but I tackle that when I have to. Neither of us enjoys it, but it’s necessary.

Martin, however, surprised everyone. He’s the cat who sometimes chooses the couch over the litter box. With two boxes, he’s been doing pretty well, though mishaps still happen occasionally. The other night, Martin woke my son up at 4am and led him straight to the litter box. My son isn’t sure what was wrong, but he cleaned it, added fresh litter, and (wisely) covered the couch. The next morning? No surprises on the couch. I’m honestly amazed that Martin was uncomfortable enough — and smart enough — to wake him up and communicate that something wasn’t right instead of defaulting to old habits.

Stanley: Cold Weather Standoffs & Indoor Wins 🐶
Stanley is fine… except for the cold. He hates it. And he has no interest in pooping outside once winter hits. The routine usually goes like this:
He asks to go out, pees, comes back in restless, pesters me, asks to go out again… repeat until he finally decides the cold is worth it. Jackets sometimes help. Sometimes they don’t. The only accidents he’s having are in his crate, so overall, he’s doing pretty well.

On the bright side, he started a nose work class, and he’s loving it. Right now we’re working on “find it,” where he searches through cardboard boxes to locate a hidden treat. He’s doing really well and clearly enjoys the work — and it’s such a great indoor activity for winter.

We’re also still practicing agility and tricks inside. He’s mastered weaving through my legs and rolling over, so now I need some new ideas. If you have favorite tricks to teach, I’m all ears.

Holiday Mode 🎄
All the pets’ stockings are officially filled for Christmas, because of course they are!

Now I’m curious — do you buy gifts for your pets, or skip it entirely? No judgment either way, but I love hearing what other people do.

Opinion: Winter pet care is less about perfection and more about flexibility. If everyone is eating, learning, and mostly behaving, I’m calling it a win.

Share a comment with how you are coping with winter and pets.

Stanley Graduates… Sort Of

Manners Class: ✔️ Potty Training: 😬
Stanley wrapped up his “Manners” class like a champ — but the diploma hasn’t magically stopped the occasional surprise poop on the living room floor. Some mornings, we do the “in and out” dance over and over, only for him to sneak away and do his business where he definitely shouldn’t. It’s a good thing he’s so snuggly and cute.

Small Wins (and Nighttime Poop Hunts)
Last night, though, he ran to the door to go out during playtime. Huge win! He did his business like a pro. The only challenge? Trying to locate dog poop in the dark — basically a blindfolded Easter egg hunt, minus the chocolate.

Gut Check: Literally
I’ve noticed it sometimes takes him a while to go, and his poop has been runny (fun stuff). After two rounds of Giardia treatment, I think his tummy’s still recovering. I started him on a probiotic to help get things back in balance. Early signs are promising!

Getting spoiled with breakfast outdoors in the beautiful weather

Retail Therapy and Teething Troubles
We skipped the dog park because of rain and hit the pet store instead. Stanley proudly picked out some new chew toys. He’s still holding onto some stubborn baby teeth, so I’m hoping all the chewing helps those little guys move along before he turns into a land shark.

Dealership Dog Star
Stanley tagged along to the car dealership this morning. He handled loud garage noises, traffic, and new people like a pro — minus one overly enthusiastic nip. Still, it was a great outing, and I was proud of how well he adjusted to the chaos.

New Trick: Crawl!
We’re working on a new trick: “crawl.” It’s as ridiculous and adorable as it sounds. Stanley seems to love trick training — and I’m hoping to get him into an agility class this fall if I can find one that fits our schedule.

BarkBox BBQ Bonanza
Stanley’s latest BarkBox was a big hit! This month’s BBQ theme came packed with adorable summer toys — but his absolute favorite is the burger. It’s crinkly, squeaky, and checks all his favorite boxes.

The popsicles are super cute too, and he’s been having fun with those.

The orange soda? I thought it was adorable, but Stanley apparently disagrees — that one’s been left untouched in the toy pile. Maybe he’s more of a water guy.

Rain, Rain, Go Away…
Of course, more rain is in the forecast, and Stanley isn’t thrilled. He acts like wet grass is an act of betrayal. Here’s hoping we can keep the house training on track despite soggy paws and puppy drama.

If anyone has any small dog housebreaking tips, please share! What’s your dog’s favorite toy?

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.

Dog Food Overload: Where Do You Even Start?

Dog food. How do you pick? There are so many options out there—canned, dry, fresh, frozen, air-dried, shelf-stable… and honestly, I had no clue how to decide.

My vet did recommend going with one of the fresher food options, especially since Stanley is so tiny. He said that for a small dog, the cost of high-quality food is a lot more manageable, and the nutritional quality is usually better.

So, in the spirit of this blog, I’ve ordered four different sample packs to test out.

1. Sundays for Dogs

This one looks like jerky—very minimal prep, human-grade ingredients, and totally shelf-stable. I love the convenience. For a Stanley-sized dog, this food would cost about $18.75 per week.

2. Spot & Tango (UnKibble)

I added this one after seeing it pop up on a few “top food” lists. It’s a dry but minimally processed food they call “UnKibble.” I ordered their Turkey and Sweet Potato recipe.
Price: $16.50 per week—the most affordable of the four.

3. The Pet’s Table

This brand offers both fresh food and air-dried options. I ordered a combo pack with:

Chicken Casserole with Green Beans (fresh)
Chicken & Sweet Potato, and Salmon & Whitefish with Pumpkin (air-dried)

They also throw in a free bag of chicken bite treats with every order as long as you stay subscribed.
Cost: $21.70/week, with slight discounts if you buy 8 weeks at a time or tweak the fresh/dry mix.

4. Happy Howl

I love the idea behind this one—it’s fresh food that stays shelf-stable until opened, so only one box at a time needs to go in the fridge. I ordered their variety pack with:

Grandma’s Beef Stew
Tasty Turkey Feast
Lamb Delight

This one comes in at $21.25/week for Stanley. Price may shift a bit based on the flavors I choose long-term.

The Plan (and the Problem)

Now that I’ve ordered all four, I need to create a smart plan to test them—without upsetting Stanley’s little tummy. Switching foods too fast is never a good idea, so we’ll go slow.

What am I looking for?

High-quality ingredients
Convenience
Something Stanley is excited to eat
And all else being equal? I’ll go with the more affordable option.

I’d also love to try Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog down the line, but these four stood out first. I originally planned to test just three—but Spot & Tango’s ingredients, price, and single protein per flavor really appealed to me.

What He’s Eating Now

Right now, Stanley is on Dr. Harvey’s, a mix-you-add-your-own-protein-to food that worked wonderfully for Cali. It was a great option for her kidney issues—customizable, tasty, and way better than the expensive prescription foods she refused to eat.

But for puppies, Dr. Harvey’s recommends adding protein, oil, plain yogurt, and cottage cheese—a little more involved than I’d like. It’s great food, but not the simplest option when there are other fresh choices that come ready to go.

Let’s Compare Together!

The samples should start arriving next week, and I’ll be blogging our journey as Stanley and I go through each one.

Do you feed your dog a fresh or air-dried food? I’d love to hear what you’re using and how it’s working for you. Drop your favorites (or fails!) in the comments—I’m always open to suggestions!

Grieving and Fostering

Grieving is hard. Letting go is harder. Everything in the house reminds me of Cali, but I’m healing slowly. Trying to focus on the happy memories.

A rescue I volunteer for put out a call for fosters yesterday. They needed seven fosters. I looked through all the little faces, all the different colors, and one caught my eye. She wasn’t a chubby little 3 month old puppy. She was a one year old lab mix that looked like she was holding the weight of the world on her little black shoulders.

I knew I wasn’t ready for a puppy, but maybe I could deal with this older dog? I wrote the volunteer coordinator and offered to come meet the dog, but someone had beaten me to it. OK, that’s good I thought, at least she found a foster home.

A couple of hours later, I got a message that the other foster family picked a puppy, and the other dog was still available. I replied right away and said I would come get her. It seemed meant to be!

When I went to pick her up, she was leaning into the legs of the volunteer that brought her out. She seemed so scared. Who knows what this sweet girl has been through in the past year?

I bent down to her and diverted my eyes, eventually she approached and I was able to pat her velvety, soft ears. She was reluctant to leave the safety of the shelter, but she followed me with a little reassurance. We walked outside for a couple of minutes before I tried to convince her to get in the car. She wasn’t interested, but she let me pick her up and put her in.

The drive home was a little chaotic. She was clearly scared and talking to her helped, but not enough. She tried to climb from the backseat to the front, then she climbed in the back. I cracked a window for her and she calmed a little as she sniffed the air.

Once we got home, she got right out of the car, but didn’t want to go in the house. We walked around the yard for 20 minutes or so, sniffing the air, the snow, the mud. Eventually we approached the door again and she followed me inside.

I did what I needed to do while she basically stayed glued to my legs. I fed her dinner, but she seemed too nervous to eat. Eventually we settled in the living room, where she immediately jumped up and snuggled on the couch. We try to keep the couch as a cat safety zone, so I set up a blanket on the floor for her, and sat on the floor with her. I had to correct her a couple of times, but she eventually figured out that the floor was her place. As I put on the TV and relaxed, she stayed close, but sniffed her way around the room, and eventually ate her dinner.

We had a nice quiet night, lots of pats and snuggles. She didn’t want to go into her crate to sleep, but with some treats and coaxing, she went in. She barked a few times and settled down.

This morning we went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. She’s pretty good on a leash, stays right by my side. The hard part is not tripping over her because she wants to be SO close. She’s currently sitting next to me while I type, I think this girl would be an amazing companion for someone who works from home. She’s a perfect medium size, calm and so very sweet.

My heart is so happy to be able to help this girl, and selfishly to have a dog to take care of, and collar tags to jingle in the house. I hope she finds her forever home quickly, but maybe not too quickly!