Tag: Dogs

How You Treat Your Dog Helps Teach You How To Relate Better With People

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

This post is sponsored by WellPet but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

We’ve all been misjudged, misunderstood, heard a rumor about us that upset us, or even felt like the odd person out.

Heck, that’s why I created The Smart Cookie Philes in the first place. Yet, I think it’s why I love spending time and being around my dogs a lot.  I even have nicknamed my dogs and I “The Squad.”

You had a bad day at work? They love you.

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You just got rejected or broken up with? They love you.

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You just got let go from your job and don’t know how you will make your bills? They love you.

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My dogs are always there for me, in the good and the bad, and it’s why I search high and low to find the best treats for them.

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Treats that have all-natural ingredients.

Treats that are made in the USA.

Treats that have a variety of flavors so I always surprise their taste buds with a brand new experience.

It’s why I love that I was recently shopping at Wal-mart and came across Old Mother Hubbard’s dog treats.

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They come in small and mini size, and in a variety of flavors.

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Founded in Gloucester, MA, Old Mother Hubbard’s dog treats are all-natural and never artificial, and have been around since 1926. Each home-style recipe is carefully crafted from wholesome ingredients that allow you to feel good about giving your pup a reward that is healthy and heartfelt., and all the fun flavors in between, there is a natural choice for every taste that dogs drool over. And while still based in Massachusetts, Old Mother Hubbard is now available at Walmart nationwide!

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You can actually add them instantly to your Walmart cart here or here.

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The cool thing about biscuits is they look good on top of these Carrot Pineapple Mini Muffins recipe that I recently found and tried out. You can find the recipe in the video below and be sure to watch until the end to see “the squad” strutting their stuff with some nifty tricks in order to get their paws on another tasty Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuit.

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At the end of the day, it’s all about how you treat others and THE golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated.

Dogs treat me like I’m worth a million dollars. It sure doesn’t hurt my wallet or my heart to give them the best of the best in dog treats in order so they know how much I love them.

Maybe we as humans can take a few pages from their life handbook too and be quicker to love and understand those around us instead of judge them or throw them to the curb.

 

Perfect Pet Pictures: My dogs Hazel and Katrina

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

It’s easy to see that my dogs mean everything to me. I have two dogs: Hazel is a rescue that is an Italian Greyhound/Beagle Mix that will five years old on June 26, and Katrina, a purebred Dachshund, that was also a rescue because her caretaker went into assisted living and could no longer care for her. She just turned nine on March 15. We mostly call her Nugget because of her small size.

This video will begin our journey down memory lane with three different ways my dogs make me smile:

  1. Hazel “twerks” preferably on wet towels
  2. Katrina is one of those Netflix and chill dogs. She enjoys romantic shows with a strong female lead like Jane The Virgin. In this clip, I caught her watching.
  3. Hazel loves Justin Bieber. We have that in common. Ever since the day she came to us, she knew who he was and fell asleep listening to his music. She’s my little Belieber.

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This is one of my favorite pictures of Katrina. It was taken during a funny photo shoot we did with the dogs of them wearing Mickey ears.  It shows Katrina’s faith in a higher power and her sassy attitude. This picture to me screams, Are you there, God? It’s me, Katrina. 

 

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Above, you can see some of my favorites from the funny photo shoot.

 

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I snapped this of my dogs lined up looking out the window. The second Katrina posed for the camera. She’s the least camera shy of the two of them.

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I caught this photo after Katrina got a bath, and her smile just totally went with the whole Friday meme thing. And it made my day!

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Nutrish by Rachel Ray was having a contest and Hazel not only snapped this picture but she smiled. All I said to her was “Hazel, you want to be famous?”

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This was taken while Katrina was watching the Price is Right. She loves that show and hopes to one day see me on there shouting her out and winning big!

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I snapped this of Hazel because I loved that she was just sitting like this on the couch and smiling. Even after all she’s been through, she finds a reason to smile every day and it motivates me that I can too.

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Here’s Katrina on her recent birthday. I got her a sling so I can carry her around in it because she loves to cuddle and there is nothing like a Nugg Hug.

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Katrina loves to be in my Youtube videos to show the world that she’s my #1 fan and always right by side.

 

Lastly, this is my favorite memory of Katrina and Hazel wearing some Bieber related shirts in support of Justin on his birthday. The picture on the left is cute because you can see Katrina posing with her tale wagging. She thought I was taking a video. And then they both posed to show the back of the shirts.

Preserve your favorite memories of your pets with a digital picture frame from Aura with their new pet collections.

#NationalPetDay: How My Dogs Benefit My Health

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Before I get to the ways my dogs benefit my health, I would like to introduce and wish my dogs Happy National Pet day.

My dogs are both rescue dogs. Hazel is a four year old beagle/Italian Greyhound mix who came to us during the summer of 2012 after roaming around my neighborhood for weeks during a tropical storm. Katrina came to us in 2013 after her previous owner had to go into assisted living and could no longer take care of her. 20151205_145303-1

As far as I can tell you, my dogs do nothing but make me feel good and especially within my mind. They make me laugh which helps reduce any feelings of anxiety, pain, and depression. Hazel does this by wearing pillows as hats and twerking. Katrina does this by wearing a goofy grin especially if I’m holding a cup of coffee and doing a wiggle I like to call the “tootsie roll.”

They make me feel less isolated and alone especially while home alone working on novels or reading someone else’s for an upcoming review. Anytime I want to watch tv or read, they love to join me just to be a part of what I’m doing. Both dogs love to watch Jane The Virgin with me, and Katrina likes The Price is Right.

They boost my self-esteem. I know they love me just by the way they look at me. And because of their love for me, it gives me confidence to try new things like finally get behind the wheel and drive, lose that weight, or even say hi to a stranger. (Writers tend to be introverts, fyi).

I am so grateful for them as both my dogs and my friends because as long as they are by my side, I know that I cannot fail. And if I do, they will lick my face and tell me to try again. And because I want to be good to them, I do. Yet, I’ve never once regretted letting them into my heart and my home once they wiggled their way in.

Looking for a dog but don’t know where to start? Visit Puppyspot to see the current puppies they have for sale.

 

#BookReview: The Dean Machine by Dylan Lee Peters and #Giveaway

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

1462700_997072326995337_9104105388963935586_o.jpgGrowing up one of my favorite books and a staple in my childhood was The Giver. Then, for some reason, I basically forgot how much I loved science fiction in order to pursue YA fiction, etc. Then, I started reading this book and wow, what a READ! From the first page, I was hooked. Why? Well, let me tell you that the main character of this novel isn’t Dan Delacor but his dog, Dean.

Written in memory of the author’s own dog Dean, there was a part in the beginning of the novel that literally encapsulated all that I miss about my own soulmate and best friend Geniveve who left to visit the rainbow bridge in the end of July 2015. I definitely teared up. I love the dystopian futuristic feel this novel has and everything about it worked smoothly and efficiently like any machine might.

This book itself is a machine with a heart that beats perfectly in sync with those that choose to read it. Some may call it a “heart bond” made just for you.

 

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To keep up with Dylan Lee Peters other works and works in progress, please visit his Twitter and his site.

To keep the machine that is this site running, I’m holding another giveaway!

Two winners will win copies of The Dean Machine straight from the author.

All U.S. only entrants can enter here.


Hutschenreuther Annual Edition Christmas 2016 - New items are available!