My Dogs Saved Me

Reluctant Dog Mama Grandma

I never thought I'd be a "dog mama" having shunned the life with pets to avoid the heartache when you lose them. It happened once. I vowed never again. But then one day, my son smuggled one into the house--a deed that could not be undone. She was a tiny chihuahua- terrier--not much hair, not so cute. He promised he would take care of it, and then he up'd and joined the army. He said "don't get rid of my dog," but its been 7 years and he still hasn't returned from the army to fulfill his promise. My son named her Dawby but I called her "the dog," careful not to get too close. Dawby and my husband bonded. They were inseparable which was fine with me.

They Save Me Everyday

Life tends to twist and turn with bumps along the road. When my husband passed unexpectedly, I thought my life was over too. But then I realized I was not alone. There was "the dog" who was mourning my husband along with me. We needed each other. For the first time, I called her by her name and let her sleep in my bed.

And Then There Were Six

Funny how twists and turns never stop. When I thought all was good, the immaculate conception happened. Dawby was pregnant and I had no clue how or when that happened. Bing, bang, boom! They were born.

I had raised four children who all left the nest, one by one and all of a sudden, I was a mama again! And yes, they all find their way into my bed at night and I love it--unconditional love and never alone. They are the reason for waking up and jumping in bed in the middle of them all is the best time of the day. I became the dog mama grandma and living life was easier, ya know? I called them by their names and spoiled them rotten.

Life Was Good Until It Wasn't

Life was good until they found a hole under the fence and got loose. They ran free for the first time and I couldn't catch them all. Unfortunately, Little Angel got hit by a car and died instantly. They had the control and I needed to change that, fast. They needed training but I had no clue and it showed. It was frustrating.

Taking Back Control - The Training Began

They were spoiled rotten dogs and had the run of the house. There was dog hair all over the couches, pee and poop to clean up and fear of getting sued when they went into attack mode when there's a knock at the door. But more importantly, there was always that chance they could get loose again, something I feared the most. What to do?

I spend a lot of time on YouTube watching dog videos but was confusing when one person said one thing and another said something else. I thought of hiring a dog trainer but the price was unaffordable, especially with 5 dogs and me on a tight budget. I was always trying new training techniques but sometimes often questioned whether I was doing it right or making it worst.

The video above was the result of 3 weeks of working on the "stay" command. It's a work in progress.

It is a daily struggle.Until I can find a better way, I must rely on YouTube. I did find one YouTube video on dog training that is easy to understand and follow. Dog Training by Kikopup shares a 3 hour training video with a variety of strategies. The trainer makes it look so easy. The dogs are really cute too.

It's a constant work in progress but the work and time is well worth the investment.

If I find a better way to solve this problem, I'll be sure to share it. Stay tuned!

Until then, take care and stay cool!

Aloha -- Abbie the Dog Mama Grandma

DIY Dog Nail Cutting Harness under $4.00

I suck FIVE times cutting dog nails! There's so much fear when it comes to dog nail cutting, and that's ME more than in the dogs. In the spirit of "smarter not harder," I found a solution. Here's how I used to do it. First, I'd hide the nail cutters behind my back and sneak up on one when they’re not looking. Then I sit them on my lap and try to calm them down—use a lullaby if I have to reach for their paw..then BAM! They retract and run for the hills. Then repeat! I then end, I'm driving down to the vet to hand them over and pay the price TIMES 5. But not anymore.

The dog swinging in the video is my Hehe (named after Disney’s Moana’s ditsy chicken) who walks into walls. Yes, Hehe is quite clumsy but I love the Moana chicken and love Hehe even more. I can easily get them to slip their feet in the holes and grab the loops to swing them up on my shower curtain rod. (sorry if you have the fancy kind without the rod—you have to get creative?) Clothes line? Limbo stick? I would also check if the rod is securely attached without chance of it slipping before taking the next step. All my dogs are less no more than 10 pounds so I couldn't or wouldn't recommend it for heavier animals as I haven't tried it myself. Just take steps to be safe first.

Once they’re up hanging, they all seem to go limp and calm, like they like hanging there. I give them belly rubs and their tails go-a-waggin.” They don’t even mind me touching their paws when they are hanging. I suppose they are distracted from the swaying and belly rubs. I am the one who is nervous, but I try to pretend I’m all good with a fake smile on my face as I believe they can sense it. And then it’s over in a few minutes. Voila! If you try this, I hope it goes as well for you as it does for me. No harm in trying? It cost me an old towel and $4.00 of materials from Walmart. By all means, alter the design as you wish. As you can see in the video, we "winged" it. Happy Cutting!

I created this video using my trusty iPhone and some editing skills I picked up while pursuing a degree in Creative Media at UH West O'ahu in Kapolei Hawaii. I got lots more to learn and please forgive the imperfections. Still learning. Stay safe and Be Well.

Aloha -- A. Reed - - the Dog Mama Grandma

DIY Get Rid of Dog Fleas with Dawn Soap

My Homemade Dog Flea Remedy

Make a scrubbing past with a container of Morton’s salt and 2 cups of Dawn soap.

Scrub them down well with the mixture

In a bowl, combine a box of baking soda and apple cider vinegar and drench them down with the mixture.

Shampoo with pure Dawn and water rinse well.

Sprinkle lightly lavender essential oil over their wet coats.

Dry off

So, there I was, a new widow with a mama dog and her four puppies who grew up very fast. After one year, I had five full sized chihuahua terriers who I spoiled rotten because I owed them big time—they saved me. The lonely moments almost totally disappear having to keep up with the five energy balls. After the night fell and the house went quiet, I was content and glad to roll into bed with my dedicated companions—The best part of the day.

It was like raising my four children all over again. Training to go outside to do their business was a hot mess, and by some miracle and boxes of puppy pads, they figured it out. They each had something different to say and unique personalities. Unfortunately, in time, there was one thing they all had in common—FLEAS!

It was a nightmare! When I cleaned one dog, I had four left to clean. By the time I finished the fifth one, the first one had fleas again, and the cycle repeated. I spent more than I should have on expensive flea killers which didn’t do a thing and my days turned into an endless nightmare. But they were my saviors and I owed them my time and brainpower to figure out the solution.

Google and I became friends and I found hope in online chatter about a homemade flea remedy using the dish soap Dawn. I seemed too good to be true, but no harm in trying. So I did and the rest is history. I combined tips from different websites and made up my own brew which was the last brew I ever needed to make. Yes, in one application, all five puppies in the tub and a whole lot of scrubbing-- not one flea showed up again until today after three years so far.

I can’t promise it will work for you. All I know is that it worked for me, five times in one swoop. Might have been and angel or the lord above or pure old lady luck. But no harm in trying.

Good luck to you and yours.