A Regular Athlete

When Theodore gets older, I'm definitely going to have to look into doing agility and herding with him. He's already doing both! When he's feeling playful, he'll try and herd me while I take him outside to do his business. And he'll herd me whenever I run around the house. I was afraid of him nipping at my heels, but he hasn't done that yet. He has bitten at my pants, which I tried to correct him on. It's very cute.

Also, he's made our house into a regular agility course. Whenever there's a step, he likes to jump up on it, and then jump off. He does this with the box of diet coke in the kitchen, and with the rise of concrete lines the backyard. His pen beside the couch creates a kind of tunnel that he loves to run through. He even treats the chair legs in the dining room like an obstacle course. I love it.

I hope when he's older we're able to do some fun things together.

Things Are Coming Along

Phew! It's been a while since I updated, I know! I've had my hands full with our little bundle of joy. Hehe. Theodore is still quite the handful. He plays hard then sleeps hard. Here's an update of how week 9 went.

We've taught him a few commands that he sometimes follows when either he feels like it, or there's a treat in it for him. He "comes" pretty consistently, except when he's outside, then he only has eyes for the dirt and plants. He'll sit for a treat. I'm currently trying to teach him "crate", so he'll go into his crate on command, but he doesn't trust me not to lock him in, so we haven't gotten far with that one yet.

His house training is going slowly, but when he's confined to his pen or the kitchen he goes consistently on his puppy pads, which is great. Although he did poop on his dog bed this morning. Ick. He apparently doesn't think the pee pads are for poops as well. He hasn't learned to let me know when he needs to go outside, but when I take him out and he needs to go, usually he will. Sometimes he'll get too distracted by things outside and pee right when he comes in (on his puppy pad). I don't feel like a lot of progress is being made, but hopefully in time he'll get better. He hasn't had a single accident in his crate at night, so that's an accomplishment I think.

He still doesn't play by himself very well. Actually, he'll do it fine as long as you're sitting right next to him, but as soon as you get up and walk away, he's done with whatever he was doing to entertain himself. It's sooo silly. We're getting a feel for how often we need to rotate out his toys. It looks like every 2-3 days. Man, what ADD! Hehe. Theo doesn't get tired, however, of his bully stick. I finally convinced Husband to get one and Theo looooooves it. Thanks to Ivy for the tip! I never would have known what gems they are.

We gave Theo his first bath over the weekend. He hated it. We tried to make sure the water wasn't cold, but either we failed or he was really scared because he was shaking like crazy. Next time we'll have to make it a bit warmer and see if that helps. Man, his fur was soooo soft afterwards! I wish he was always that soft. Hehe.

We had a bunch of friends over on Friday and Theo was an absolute dream. He made us look so good! Hehe. He got to meet all kinds of new people including some kids. My friend brought his 8 month old baby over. He had her sitting on the ground which made me nervous because Theo can be a bit nippy and babies are delicate, but Theo was awesome. He came up to her slowly and ever so gingerly licked her fingers. Then she started crying. Apparently his licks are slimy. Hehe. It was so cute!

Of course, the next day it was like he forgot everything we ever taught him. His manners were worse than the first day we brought him home. Working with him over the last few days, I think he's making progress again.

By the way, there's some new pictures up on Flickr. How about that size limit per month? It's so small!

Pictures Of Theo!

I finally got my pictures uploaded to Flickr. Of course, that's not including the ones still on my camera. Hehe. You can check them out here, or click the badge on the right. Let me know what you think!

Theo is wonderful and I love him, but he is such a handful! The thing he loves most is cuddling (read: sleeping) with me on the couch, wrapped up in my favorite blanket. It's such a comfy couch he always goes right to sleep. It's the cutest thing! We've already gone through all our puppy pads. He'll go outside, but he pees like 2o times a day, so half the time he won't let me know he needs to go out, but at least he knows where to go. He's had a few accidents in the house, but nothing too major. He cries whenever I put him in his pen alone. He's fine as long as I'm with him, but as soon as I leave him (or go 5 feet away), he cries and eventually falls asleep. So far he hasn't been so great at playing by himself, even though he has plenty of toys, but he's getting better. I'm glad I'm working from home the next two weeks!

He went to the vet this week and got a shot (poor guy) and a clean bill of health (including poop!). He also met a bunch of new people. I had a few people over who wanted to meet him, and I took him over to a friend's house. He has 3 cats and it was hilarious to see the cats all bothered by a bounding puppy. They stayed away from him most of the night, except for one, who kept stalking him. It was hilarious. I've also got a bunch of people coming over tomorrow for a game night/meeting the puppy night. I think he'll be well socialized in no time!

I've got a question for all your dog owners (since I forgot to ask the vet). Theo, when he gets excited or stressed, has little convulsions in his belly, like a hiccup. Is that normal? It goes away as soon as he calms down, so I figured it's not anything major. Just wondering if anyone else's dog does this too.

Also, the vet told me something I thought was interesting. He said that it's okay to let Theo in public places, like around the neighborhood. That surprised me because you always hear that you shouldn't let puppies in public places until they're fully vaccinated. But he made a good point. Unvaccinated puppies aren't lacking immunity because they still have the immunization from their mothers. That actually makes pretty good sense to me. Any thoughts?

I Have A Puppy, His Name Is Theodore!

Ack, I can't believe it's already Tuesday! I meant to update yesterday, but puppies are exhausting!

I'll do a more extensive post when I get the change, but for now I'll just say that Husband and I fell in love with Theodore, brought him home, and we absolutely love him. Though he's so much work! I've already taken tons of photos. Here's a teaser until I can upload them all to flickr.

Plans For The Weekend

The time has come! Yay! The bags are (mostly) packed, including the doggie items I'll be needing. I've got my direction and maps printed. Am I forgetting anything? I leave early (ick) tomorrow morning and arrive at Tulsa in the early afternoon. The breeder said I should call her after we get settled into our hotel, since she'll be at a herding event with my puppy mama. If it works out I might be able to meet her there and see my first herding event! That could be fun, though the weather forecast called for rain and snow this weekend, so I doubt I'll be wanting to venture out much.

By the early evening we should make it over to the breeder's house to check out the puppies. The plan is to choose which one we want tomorrow, then come back and pick him/her up on Sunday morning before heading to the airport to come home. Hopefully it'll all go off without a hitch!

I won't be bringing my laptop, so I'll have no way to post the millions of pictures I plan on taking while I'm there until I come home on Sunday night. And let's face it. I'll have a brand new puppy, so I'm not posting anything until at least Monday. Hehe.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Need Some Advice

We leave for Oklahoma tomorrow!!! I can't believe the time is finally here, after waiting for almost a year and a half. Woo!

However, something came up at the last minute that I need some advice on. The breeder emailed me yesterday saying that her vet said that if I was traveling with the puppy in the cabin of the plane I would need a soft carrier. I don't know where the vet got this rule, but it's not one enforced by the airline. I know because I called them and asked. They said as long as it meets the rules (about the dog fitting and having proper ventilation) and fits under the seat, it could be a hard carrier. So here's my dilemma: do I go out today and buy a soft carrier, or do I chance it and just rely on the hard carrier from the breeder? Those soft carriers aren't cheap, and I obviously wouldn't be able to use it beyond this one time since Corgis aren't exactly "purse dogs". But if it's something I really need, then I don't mind going to buy it. Obviously I don't want to be stuck at the airport with a puppy and then learn that I can't take him/her on board without a different kind of carrier. What would you guys do?

Update: I just checked out Petco's website (most likely the only store I'll be able to get to so last minute), and they only had one or two carriers that weren't $70 or more! Egads! Who knows what they have at the store itself! I'm going to have a real hard time spending $70 for one plane trip.

Update again: It turns out Mouth had a soft-sided carrier that he let me borrow. He has a small chihuahua mix, so I'm not sure it's big enough for a 8 1/2 week old Corgi. I'll bring it to the breeder's house tomorrow to fine out.

Pleasant Surprise! 8 Week Pictures

Sometimes I love to be wrong. The breeder just put up the puppies' 8 week pictures, and they are looking pretty darn cute. Judge for yourself:

Theodore:

Alice:

Simon:

Alvin:

Dolly:

Sorry, no Sally. She's probably either already been placed with her people, or she may just have been napping (it seems like each week there was one puppy left out).

I think Theodore has a different look from the rest of the puppies. I wish I could peak ahead and see how they would all look when they're adults. Hehe. To me, he looks very handsome. And I've always liked how he looks right at the camera. I actually think all the puppies came out looking quite well. If I had to decide now based on looks alone, I think I would have a much harder time of it.

Does anyone else notice a weird protrusion on Dolly's left front paw? It looks like her bone is growing in a bit wonky. I hope she doesn't have mobility problems!

There was also this bonus picture of Theodore:

There's a caption on the website that says "Waiting on my family to get me! They are flying in on an airplane just to pick me up, I must already be the most wonderful puppy ever!"

I know, part of me is barfing inside, but check it out! I got a mention! Of course, it also means the breeder is assuming I'm taking Theodore home with me. Probably a good assumption.

Breeder's Tips

My wonderful breeder just sent me an email with some good, basic tips for the puppy. I know most of them, since I've done tons of research, but I still love that she sent this out. Check it out and let me know if there's anything in here you think is bogus, or right on.

Tips for Your new Bundle of Puppy Breath!

Don’t let puppy potty or play in ANY public places until he has had at least one or two more series of vaccinations. Also be careful about letting him play with other puppies who may not of had vaccinations. I don’t take them on public walkways or parks until at least 3 months old. Carry them into stores or vet office and don’t put them down on the ground. Sounds harsh but puppy disease are everywhere and so easy to pick up the germs. Be extra careful and bypass rest stops and public areas when traveling, let puppy potty in a box with paper or go to a remote location or even somewhere like a shopping center where a lot of dogs have not been.

I will send some of his food home with you and also a blanket or toy that all his littermates have played with so her has their scent on it.

I use a cat box full of "Woody Pet" or newspaper for a potty box.

You can use puppy pads on top of newspaper but I find they just chew up the pads!I

I also insist on my own puppies sleeping in a crate at night, you can set it by your bed and put your fingers in the front to let her know you are there.

Also use the crate when you aren't able to keep an eye on them.

A puppy can only hold it for about 4-6 hours and will not be reliably house broke before 4 months old.

Try to set a feeding schedule three times a day and gradually stretch it out to two times per day.

Exercise pens are perfect to set up in the house for times you are gone more than a few hours. You can put the crate and the potty box in the pen.

A crate is a safe place for the puppy and also gives her a "get away spot" :o)

Puppies require a LOT of sleep. Hard to believe isn"t it?

I would suggest buying her a good quality puppy kibble food or an adult kibble that is of high quality. You can add a little warm water to soften the kibble and a bit of yogurt a few times a week. Canned food will give your puppy the runs so I avoid can foods and be sure NOT to add milk of any kind.

Buy a food that is convenient for you to get and has quality ingredients. You can email me to ask questions about different brands :o)

You can begin mixing the new food with what I send you after a day or two to get him adjusted over,.

If you get any loose stools just give her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin. Not the one with the spices in it though :o)

Dog foods:

Eukanuba is good, and Nutro, . These can be bought at Petsmart or a dog food store. Another excellent kibble is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, and some grocery stores carry it. Our local Reasors has it and so does Atwoods, our farm store

I use puppy Eukanuba, for small breeds. I purchase it at our Southern Ag pet store..

You will receive a bag of puppy food and some coupons for more Eukanuba.

For treats and training I use only Bil Jac FROZEN dog food. It is wonderful! Most grocery stores have it.

Vaccines and Worming and flea control

IMPORTANT : She/he will have her 1st set of shots and needs the second set at 9 weeks old. Please give the second set at NINE and 1/2 weeks, it is so important to protect your puppy from diseases like parvo. The third set should be given three weeks later and then a fourth set can be given 3 weeks later, along with recommendation for rabies vaccine.

I use INTERCEPTOR for worms and heartworm protection.. It is a pill, and is given once every thirty days. The vets have them and some pet stores, also they can be purchased thru pet catalogs. Your puppy will be old enough for his first INTERCEPTOR pill at 8-12 weeks old. He has been wormed three times with NEMEX wormer. Ask your vet when he wants you to start the INTERCEPTOR. He may prefer to do a fecal and use a liquid wormer again until the puppy is older. I start mine on Interceptor at 10 weeks of age.

I use FRONTLINE PLUS for fleas and tickes. Works great! use every 30 days, It is a topical treatment. vets and catalogs have it.

TOYS:

Kongs are wonderful chew toys, stuffed with frozen Bil Jac and cream cheese or peanut butter.

Socks tied in knots are perfect for teething. You can even freeze one in the frig for bad teething days

Squeeky soft toys are great fun and so are any of the tough firehose toys. I don't like soft vinyl toys because they chew them up and swallow them so easy

NO rawhide chews, No pig ears, No greenies

MISC: I highly recommend puppy training classes at about 4-6 months of age. I will send you a gift card when you complete your first class ! Also you get a blog on the website!! Go Corgis

That's enough to get you started, more coming later!

So Close I Can Taste It

Ew, that's just an expression. I'm not really tasting puppies right now.

It is now the week of the big event, hooray! I spent the weekend doing something I've been itching to do for over a month: unpacking the copious amounts of new dog-stuff I bought! I hadn't opened anything since I bought it, just in case I needed/wanted to return anything. Also, I guess I just didn't want to jinx anything.

I unpacked the pen and put it in the kitchen, with the crate and toys inside. I washed the food and water bowls. I cleaned the food storage container and filled it with the kibble I bought. I put the grooming and cleaning items in the bathroom. I took the tags off the leash and collar. I puppy-proofed the house by putting socket protectors on all the outlets around the house (there's like 3-4 in every room, so it took a while!), and putting a safety lock on the cabinet under the sink, which has some chemicals we don't want puppy getting into (the other house chemicals are up high and out of reach). It was such glorious fun!

Oh, did I mention that I have a really weird thing with things that are new? I'm the easiest person to buy presents for because I love new things, anything really. One might say I love to shop, but that's not true. I hate shopping. I just love buying. When I go to Office Depot and buy a box of pens, it's a bright spot in my day. Actually that's a bad example because on my list of things I love to buy, office supplies would probably be second to puppy supplies. Heh. I'm not addicted or anything. I don't spend all my money on buying things from the internets twenty times a day. My husband hasn't had to take away my credit cards. It's nothing like that. I've just always thought it was a weird thing to find happiness in, yet I do. That makes me the epitome of materialistic, right? Finding happiness in material things? Well that's me.

Anyway, that's why my weekend was so great. I got to play with my new dog things and get them all ready. While I was doing it, Husband kept laughing at me. When I demanded to know why he said it was because I just looked so happy. He left unsaid that it was doing such a simple, ordinary task that was making me so happy. Yes, I am a complete dork and I know it.

At least now all the house is missing is a puppy!

Picture Update: 7 Weeks!

I finally got some new pictures of the puppies! Phew! That took forever! I ended up emailing the breeder and saying "it's been a few weeks since I've seen any new pictures. What's the dealio?" I also asked about the Volhand testing, since I never heard back about that either. She wrote back saying the testing didn't take place because, if I understand correctly, the other people who were supposed to do the test (because they have to be people the puppy doesn't already know) didn't show. Bastards. Ah well, I guess that means I'll have to do a little makeshift testing myself! She also said the reason there's been no pictures is that the batteries in her camera died. Boo! Well as long as they're here now.

They're 7 weeks old now. Can you believe it? I think this should be pretty close to how they look when we're there next weekend to pick him/her up. So drink 'em in and let me know what you think!

Without further ado, here's Sally:


and Theodore:

Comments welcome. :)

A Sweet Moment

On our way to work this morning Husband turned to me and said out of the blue "what if the puppy doesn't like me?". I think this all the time, but I'm insecure, so that's just what I do. Coming from Husband, I just thought it was so sweet. Compared to my crazy excitement over getting the puppy, Husband has been almost indifferent (that's just how he is). It was so nice to see him show such concern.

I told him I wasn't worried. Husband has that calm aloofness that animals (especially cats, much to his dismay of course, he's allergic) and even kids seem drawn too. I know our puppy will just love him. Anyway, there's always treats!

Dropped Some More Monies

The one thing I was able to accomplish this weekend (besides learning how to knit stripes!) was picking up the last few items we needed for the puppy. Besides the enzymatic carpet cleaner, we also got some kibble. I'm still doing home-cooked food, but Husband wants to do about 30% kibble because it helps clean the dog's teeth, and there's some added supplements that are good.

We also got a crate:

This size was recommended for dogs about the size of a Dachshund. We were going to just get the adult corgi size crate (I'm told 36" deep is a good size), but it was just so huge, we thought we'd have a hard time blocking off the back end. So we'll use this as an intermediate crate, then probably try donating it or something.

Per Husband's request, we also got one of these:

Yup, a pooper scooper. Apparently his highness is too good for poop. I rag on him now, but I'll probably be glad for this sooner enough.

Book Review: Before and After Getting Your Puppy

I finally found the time to write up my review on Ian Dunbar's Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog. So without further ado...

My first impression of this book? Ian Dunbar is a total drama queen. Don't get me wrong, I really like this book. It has a lot of great advice that is presented simply and very specifically, which is something I've said was lacking in many of the other books I read. To help convey what I mean, I'm going to sum up what the first chapter says:

"If you don't do exactly what I say in this book your dog will die. By not following my exact instructions your dog will become impossible to live with and you will be forced to put your dog outside. Your dog will feel crappy living outside and alone and will develop behavioral issues that will make it impossible to live with your dog and you will be forced to give him/her up to a shelter. Most dogs who go to shelters, end up dead. Thus, if you don't do as I say, you will be responsible for the inevitable death of your dog."

I kid you not, that's how it reads! Ok, maybe that's just how I read it, but to me he writes in absolutes, and thus, drama! Another good example is the quote on the front cover of the book: "There is no single person on the face of the planet to whom dog trainers and owners (not to mention dogs) owe more." To me that reads like a quote that would show up on a Stephen Colbert book! Hehe. Ok, but other than that, it's a good book. He says early on how he's going to organize the book, and even states that he's going to repeat himself a lot to drive home the important points. Since I read it sporadically over time, I appreciated the repeat of important information.

This book is about puppy development and when you need to worry about important puppy stages. Dunbar divides the important info into six important categories: doggy education, puppy progress, house/chew-toy training, socialization with people, bite inhibition, and the world at large. Doggy Education is really about educating yourself on dogs. It's the standard first or second chapter about how to choose the right puppy. Puppy Progress is a general overview of basic manners. Chapter 5, chew toy and house training, is where the book starts to get beyond the obvious advice. While Dunbar is a bit dramatic, he gives some solid advice not only on the basics like crate train and give chew toys, but also on the specifics of how to make them successful. He tells you the full days schedule for proper crate training and he tells you specifically when to give a chew toy, and the right kind of chew toy. I do have to add that Kong chew toys are either a godsend or this guy gets a kickback from the company. He works specifically with this brand.

His views on the socialization with people are, again, a bit dramatic, but I also think he's right on the money with driving home the importance of doing it early. He says that within the first 12 weeks your puppy should have met at least 100 different people. I don't know about you, but if I get my puppy at 9 weeks of age, that gives me less than two months to have 100 people over to my house (since I can't go to the dog park or anything like that until the puppy is full vaccinated at 4 months). I don't know 100 people, let alone 100 I would want in my house! No thank you. I think this is another one of the times in the book where I understand the gravity of what he's saying, just not the application per se. I'm definitely going to have over all my friends (and their kids where applicable) over as much as possible. I know I won't meet the 100 people mark, though. I hate having people over. lol! Hopefully the puppy will have met several people through the breeder before I get there. Also, people like vets count as well. I'm thinking I'll get to about 20 or maybe 30 if I'm lucky. This is one of those instances where I'm hoping Dunbar is just exaggerating and that I'm not really going to stunt my puppy because I'm not a social butterfly.

The chapter on bite inhibition was, personally, the most important chapter for me because it told me a lot of information that I didn't already know, and in fact, my understanding was quite the opposite. Puppies nip and bite. I've never met a puppy that didn't. I've always hated it, but after reading about puppies, I understand that puppies use their mouths to understand things like human babies use their hands. My plan for my puppy was to highly discourage any nipping, even if it was playful and painless. After reading this chapter, I now understand that's not the best idea. Bite inhibition is not teaching the idea that all biting is bad, but the idea that dogs need to learn the strength of their jaws, and just how squishy us humans really are. By letting your puppy gnaw on you, and letting him know when he's hurting you, you're not only teaching your puppy how to play with people, but how to bite people too. If a dog wanted to give you a warning, he would probably nip at you. If he wanted to give you a more stern warning, he would probably bite you, without the intention of drawing blood or doing any real damage. But a dog first needs to learn that people aren't dogs, and what is just a nip to a dog, draws blood on people. Now before you start thinking I'm crazy, I'm not saying that I'm going to be ok with my dog biting people! But consider it this way, an example from the book, if your dog gets his tail slammed in the car door (not a danger with most PWCs, hehe), his knee-jerk reaction of surprise and pain might be to bite. If your dog has been desensitized to people, his gut reaction bite is likely to be much softer than a dog that has never really been taught how hard is too hard for people. It's called teaching your dog to have a "soft mouth". I think this is just such a great idea and I totally changed my views on the subject after reading this chapter. I'm now going to let me puppy nip at my hand, and just make sure to correct him when he bites too hard.

The last few chapters of the book focus on the later months of the puppyhood and are helpful, but nothing earth shattering. The very end of the book Dunbar sums up the entire book very nicely into a matrix that lists the six important categories by importance and...some other criteria I'm not remembering at the moment... But it basically says why it's important to teach your dog in those areas at a specific development period and what may happen if you don't.

Overall I thought this book was pretty great. While Dunbar is totally dramatic, he's also very knowledgeable. I learned a lot reading this book and feel I'll be a better puppy owner because of it. I would recommend this book to anyone with a dog under 1 year of age, or anyone thinking about getting a puppy and want to know what they're in for. Like most books, I don't think it needs to be followed to the letter (like you could probably use a chew toy other than a Kong if you really want to!), but Dunbar displays some good common sense, always a trait I admire.

New Poll

Now that we've established that most of you like Theodore as much as I do, what about the name? I know I had decided on Bowser for a few weeks, but what can I say, I decided on Ein in the very beginning too. Heh. I've been using the name Theodore so much, now I'm starting to like it. It's too long for a dog's name, but I can always shorten it to Teddy or Theo.

I told Husband this, expecting him to say "No, we decided on Bowser and I like it!" But, of course, he did the opposite and told me we could name him whatever I want. Arg! I don't know! A name is important. It's what I'm going to be calling the little guy for years and years! I want it to be something awesome. Theodore is a cute name, but does Bowser have more character?

Let me know what you think by voting on my poll.

Favorites and Testing

We all know that Theodore has been my favorite of the puppies since I first laid eyes on him all those weeks ago. It was a shallow love at first, but I'm told he's got the personality to match. It's apparent from my poll that Theodore is the favorite for most of you as well. I'm happy to report that Theodore is also the favorite of my breeder! She emailed me yesterday saying that Theodore is an "amazing pup" who is "still her favorite", and he grows "more gorgeous by the day". He is "charming and sensitive at the same time".

Those all sound like ringing endorsements to me! It makes me so excited to meet him! Two more weeks from today. Woohoo!

She also told me that she'll be doing Volhard puppy aptitude testing on the puppies tomorrow. I'm really interested in the results. Cross you fingers for mostly 3s and 4s! For those who don't know, the Volhard test is a personality test that is supposed to give you a good idea of the puppy's personality and suitability for the "average" person. It tests things like social attraction, following, restraint, etc. I was actually planning on doing some of these tests myself because I think it's just a great idea. It consists of things like turning the puppy on his/her back to see if they freak out and struggle or if they relax and except the restraint. Or pulling on their ears and touching their feet to see how they do with being handled. This website explains the test pretty well, I think. As you can see, each reaction is given a score 1-5. Mostly 1s or 5s means the puppy is more "undesirable" to the average person, and should probably be placed with people who are aware that they're not getting a usual cuddly dog. Not to say that they're bad dogs, just that they might require more special care. Personally, if I had a choice between a dog who got mostly 3s and a dog who got mostly 5s, I'd want 3s all the way.

If the breeder is kind enough the share the results with me, I'll keep you posted.

Post Script: I know my other blog is usually reserved for the complaining, but I just want to point out that my dog blog has been rather barren this week because I was made to slave away at work for an ungodly amount of time this week. Between last Saturday and this Saturday (yes, I had to work them both), I worked almost 65 hours. Ick! Come puppy day, I'm dropping back down to 80 hours per two weeks, no more and no less...ok maybe less sometimes, but that's a good thing!

Sensible

One of the books I read but haven't yet had time to review is Better Food For Dogs. I thought it was a great book, but it really scared me, in some respects, about doing a home-cooked diet for my dog. There's so much to research and keep track of to make sure I'm feed the right balance of nutrients. I don't want each meal to be an ordeal in which I carefully calculate each and every calorie.

When I conveyed this concern to my husband, he replied, as usual, with a completely sensible answer that made me feel silly for ever being worried. He asked me how I feed myself. Do I measure all my food out on a scale or in measuring cups? Do I count every calorie before I eat any food? Do I make lists of all the different kinds of foods I need to make sure I eat and make sure to vary it every so often? Or do I take a sensible approach to eating. Do I make sure to eat different things throughout the day. Definitely the latter. I make sure that I pay attention to my proportions without being too exact. I have my good days and I have my bad days, but overall I'm healthy and varied in my diet.

It's not an exact science. If I can feed myself and keep myself happy and healthy, then why couldn't I do it for my dog as well? Sure, I'll need to pay attention to his/her weight and exercise level, and adjust accordingly, but that's not hard to do. I'm not going to let myself get overwhelmed by this.