Roundup 30: The Top Dog Care Articles of the Week

In what continues to baffle me Laika still hasn’t destroyed any of those cheap squeaky toys I bought. It started with one, and after seeing how happy it made her I picked up a few more. So now here we are a month later; she has 3 cheap squeaky toys that she hasn’t destroyed and carries around proudly. I just don’t get it. Dogs are weird.

This is the dog that destroys nearly everything, including all those expensive toys with the words “tough” and “indestructible” on the label. These squeaky toys don’t even have a brand name – they’re just made by the grocery store itself (Meijer). Maybe Laika realized that “hey, when I chew up toys they go away,” but I doubt it. Who knows?

I’m starting to sympathize with all the parents I laughed at while giving their children loud toys for presents. Squeak, squeak, squeak – probably not even close to the amount of noise from those drum kits and sound machines I’ve given out over the years. Sorry about that.

It’s a nice long holiday weekend for many of us, so I hope you get a chance to sit back and catch up with some good reading. From how to create a stronger bond with your dog to the cringe-worthy ways we used to train our dogs, here are my picks for awesome dog articles of the week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

The Unbalanced Shepherd
This post is tailor made for those of us with a reactive dog. It puts into words so many of the mixed feelings and boundaries we experience with them. But in the end it gets to the heart of the matter; what life is like for our dogs themselves.

Sometimes It’s Better Not to Know – Keeping Disease A Mystery
We’ve all had those “a ha” moments when we come to the realization of why someone made a certain decision. Introspective look at one veterinarian’s “a ha” moment of understanding his own patients decicions when his own dog became ill.

If You See “Results,” What Else is There to Say?
Fascinating results from a few studies that not only found the placebo effect in those of us caring for our animals, but in our veterinarians as well.

Open Letter to the Kennel Club Says What a Lot of us Are All Thinking
Some of the serious medical conditions that plague certain breeds are quite common. It’s heartbreaking for owner’s when they end up with an ill dog, and it’s sad that some breeders don’t participate in the health screenings to help eliminate these problems.

Building Your Relationship with Your Dog
The bond we can form with our dogs is truly remarkable, if we’re willing to spend the time building it up. Here’s some great and easy to follow tips on creating that strong relationship.

We Are All Crossover Trainers
I cringe when I think about the dog advice I grew up with – both in the books I read and from friends & family. If we take a look way back I agree with this article, we’re pretty much all crossover trainers.

Adorable Pit Bull Brothers Will Instantly Make Your Day Better
What is there to say? These dogs are just about the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen, and these photos will make your day better. Oh the things I miss out on by not being on instragram. (they’re the cuties in the featured image above)

Best Dog Deals of the Week

• Kong Rubber Ball Extreme Large/Black 40% Off – Amazon
• 220 Dog Waste Bags w/Dispenser 56% Off – Amazon
• Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket Large 50% Off – Amazon
• Save 20% Sitewide (excludes food + gift cards) w/code LABOR20 – Muttropolis
• Save 15% Off Sitewide w/code LABORDAY – Entirely Pets
• 20% Off Online Purchase w/code Laborday – Petco

This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I’ll earn a small commission.

Favorite Dog Videos of the Week

I forget all the pain of raising a puppy the moment I see something like this.

Oh hi there.

So darn cute.

Best reaction ever.