Dog mom life can seem glamorous. Red carpet events, fancy doggy fashion shows, cool adventures, fun photo shoots. It all looks super great on the outside. I suppose it’s kinda like human moms. We see all the photos of adorable smiling faces at the park but what we don’t see is the tantrums, screaming and tears that come later. With that being said, there are many things that dog moms do that we don’t really want to do. We deal with difficulties like human moms, just in a different way. Instead of talking about how fantastic my dog mom life is, I’m going to get real here.
Things Dog Moms Do That We Don’t Really Want To Do
Trim nails: Trimming my dog’s nails is like selling their souls to the devil…or so they think. Khloee gets her nails trimmed by the groomer but since Wyn and McKenzie don’t require professional grooming, I trim their nails. McKenzie Rae is surprisingly good with it. But let’s talk about Wynston. My boy is a nightmare when it comes to trimming his nails. You’d think he’s being tortured. Matt and I have to trim his nails together and I can’t use a clipper. The only way we can get Wynston’s nails trimmed is by Matt holding him and me using a Furminator nail grinder to shave down his nails. The dremel has been a great solution to Wynston’s intense nail trimming anxiety. Although he still struggles sometimes, it’s not nearly as difficult as it used to be. And after allll that, nail trimming is a huge pain in the arse. (P.S – we use a ton of positive reinforcement with high value treats but it’s not good enough!)
Bathing: Like I said, Khloee gets professionally groomed, but I bathe the other two. Luckily, it’s pretty easy. Wynston literally just stands there and handles it. The tough part (for me) is leaning over the bathtub. My bad hips gets very angry and I end up in pain. Wynston is a tad too big for the sink and McKenzie Rae has to be in the tub. I even have a big garden tub but my babies don’t appreciate it 😉 However, the new home that Matt and I just bought has a laundry room sink that’s big enough to bathe McKenzie and Wynston!!! It’s a miracle.
Picking up poop: If you like to pick up dog poop, you’re weird. Picking up dog poop is no bueno, especially when it’s warm and mushy. Just stating the facts here, guys!
Going to the vet: Fortunately all three of my dogs are pretty good when it comes to the veterinarian. Of course they all get anxious, but it could be worse. It’s just really not fun and I hate seeing my dogs nervous. It stresses me out to the max, especially if one of them is ill.
Picking up toys…every…single…day: Much like human moms, dog moms have to pick up toys. I have a toy box upstairs AND downstairs in my house. We have over 100 toys and somehow they get scattered everywhere…every…single…day. Sometimes it gets to the point where I just walk over them and forget about it. I used to be really anal about toys being strewn about my house, but with three dogs, I ignore it more often. Picking up toys is just a pain! And tripping over them in the dark could kill me. Perhaps my dogs are trying to assassinate me…
Making that decision: Ideally, parents of human children don’t have to go through the death of their kids. Dog moms have to go through several deaths of their “kids.” In a perfect world, our pets would live as long as us. But we’re not in a perfect world, so if our dogs don’t pass away naturally, sometimes we have to make the decision to euthanize. The hardest decision ever? Probably. And we have to go through it a lot if we have multiple dogs. We don’t want our babies to suffer in the end, but it’s never easy to let them go. *holding back tears*
Training and reactivity: Some people enjoy training their dogs. I like basic training but training difficult tricks is not something I’m interested in (although I LOVE agility!). Wynston is very well trained, Khloee is “meh” and McKenzie Rae is a huge work in progress. Wyn and Khloee are also well-behaved but McKenzie Rae has some issues. Lately she’s become reactive toward other dogs, and sometimes people in the distance. Having a reactive dog can be extremely stressful, embarrassing and upsetting. I know it could be worse with my Kenzers but some dogs require constant training everyday. It can end up being frustrating. My favorite blogs for pet parents with reactive dogs are Rubicon Days and ZoePhee.
Products, services and stores I use in my dog mom life:
- 4-Legger dog shampoo
- Woof Pouf
- Furminator dremel
- AZ Pet Stylist mobile grooming
- PetSmart
- Oasis Animal Hospital
- Arizona Animal Wellness Center
- Earth Rated waste bags
What do you do in your dog mom life that you really wish you didn’t have to do?!
Dachshund Nola says
I agree about that decision. I haven’t had to make it yet, and hopefully won’t for a very long time, but it hurts already.
I hate, hate, HATE picking up poop. Hate it. I don’t mind nails too much, since mine don’t mind it, but cleaning ears? That’s a whole ‘nother matter.
Amanda says
Ugh, yeah cleaning ears is no fun! Khloee needs hers done the most and she’s NOT a fan!
Lauren Miller (ZoePhee) says
I hate going to the vet, more than anything else. I think I hate it worse than any of my pets do. It’s definitely because I’ve had some seriously bad experiences, one vet made a deadly mistake with one of my pets and I’ve never really come back from that. I don’t trust them and I know that eventually one of these days because the girls are getting older, it will be bad news and I’m not really ready for that.
For Reactivity Training, I highly recommend finding “Reactive Rover” type classes with a CPDT-KA or Behavioral Consultant or look for a PR trainer who has experience with reactivity. These sorts of classes are extremely helpful and teach you the mechanics you need to help your dog. They also help the dog become more comfortable in the presence of her triggers and the controlled set ups for training are worth their weight in gold. No joke. I wish I had gone to class sooner. 🙂
Amanda says
Thanks for the useful info Lauren! Glad to know that for myself and others with reactive dogs.
I’m so extremely sorry that you had such a traumatizing experience with the vet. That is so awful, I can’t even fathom. Stories like that make me want to become a veterinarian but I just couldn’t do it. Too much sadness.
Lindsay Pevny says
Matilda seems calmed during bathtime if I actually shower with her, because she clings to me the whole time. When I’m done washing her I have Alberto take her out and dry her so I can finish my shower. It’s a whole system. Anything for the dog kids!
Amanda says
That’s a good idea! I’m excited to try using our new laundry room sink but the shower is definitely a solid thought.
Tori says
Picking up poop is certainly something I could do without! I could add all sorts of gross tasks to this list… cleaning ears is up there, wiping out eye crusties is no fun either!
Glad I just discovered your blog! Check mine out if you get a chance, http://www.wearwagrepeat.com
Amanda says
Hi Tori! Thanks for stopping by! Cleaning ears is definitely something I should have added to the list. It really is no fun! I just checked out your blog and I love, love, love it!