Decorating with Dogs

The air is cooler.  The leaves are falling.  It is official:  fall is here!  And along with fall comes one of my favorite hobbies, decorating!

 

My husband and I love Halloween.  We have a small orange Christmas tree that we hang our spooky ornaments on.  And I have amassed quite the stuffed animal collection over the years.

 

However, my dogs also enjoy this time of year (especially Christmas) because new “chew toys” magically appear.   Best of all, these “toys” are on the floor, ripe for the picking.  I’ll admit, I have lost several of my decorations to my fur babies.  And while I was upset at the time, I understood why they did it.

 

How can you explain to a dog that these soft, plush animals that closely resemble their toys are off limits?  I refuse to ban my fur kids from the living room during the months of October, November and December.  I rescued each dog because I wanted to love them and I certainly cannot do that if they are confined to roam around the kitchen.  Plus, that is not teaching them to correct the deviant behavior.  And my dogs will ALWAYS matter more to me than holiday themed plush.

 

To end the chewing fandango, we used an empty Nature’s Miracle spray bottle.  We thoroughly cleaned the bottle and then filled it with cold water.  Next, we took a red Sharpie and labeled the bottle “Water” so as to not confuse it with the actual Nature’s Miracle. 

 

When a dog approached a decoration, we simply fired off a warning squirt.  We always aim for their back, NEVER their face.  Our intention is to change their behavior, not scare or intimidate them.  And since our dogs hate to be wet, this technique works beautifully.  After just a few squirts, our dogs learned what items should be left alone.

 

Since my birthday is on Christmas Day, you can imagine what the inside of our house looks like in December.  I’ll just say that the Grinch would hate us the most (and need a huge sleigh to steal our stuff).  I have four large Winnie-the-Pooh plush that stand about three feet tall.  For the past two years, my dogs have decided that these look like great items to tinkle on.

 

What perplexed me the most was the fact that they did this year after year.  And the water bottle trick would not deter them.  I then came up with an idea.

Upon bringing any plush items into the house, I immediately spray each item with Nature’s Miracle.  This product is used to eliminate pet odors and staining when they have accidents in the house.

 

After placing the items throughout the house, I then release my dogs.  Much to my surprise, they simply sniffed them and walked away.  They didn’t try to chew or mark them for the entire month.

 

I was amazed!  I think it may have to do with the fact that each time they had an accident in the house, we would squirt them with water and then immediately clean up the spot with Nature’s Miracle.  I truly believe that dogs are smart enough to connect the scent of Nature’s Miracle to the memory of being squirted.  So, in correcting one bad behavior, we discovered that we were actually correcting two!

 

Needless to say, this trick has saved many a decoration.  I hope that these tips will help you to enjoy the upcoming holiday season with all of your fur babies!

Troublesome Training

Life with the fur babies is not always wonderful.  Sure, it is easy to dress them up and post thousands of photos on Facebook.  But, what happens when an issue emerges?

 

This is the current fate of Peppe (our Chinese Crested).  When we adopted him, he seemed like the perfect addition to our pack.  He is sweet, gentle and very loving.  My husband and I were able to dial the affection down just a bit so that he no longer trips us when we walk from room to room.

 

However, he has begun to "go potty" in his crate...every day...and every night.  The odd thing is that he is also using the restroom outside.  Very strange, indeed.

Matt has been wonderful enough to clean up Peppe's crate each time.  Then, we would be quick to give him a bath and slather him with coconut oil.  But, this is routine was wearing very thin on Matt's patience.  That is when he uttered these scary words:  "I just don't know about Peppe."

I was heartbroken!  I didn't want to give Peppe away.  He is a member of our family.  Yet, at the same time, I could understand my husband's frustration.  Why is he going inside where he sleeps?

Like any good mother, I scoured the Internet looking for answers.   I discovered that many rescue dogs have never been fully house trained or have only been partially so.  I then had "the talk" with my husband.

Did Matt truly love Peppe?  Was he willing to work with him to break this yucky habit? Or was this behavior the final straw?

Unfortunately, we have been spoiled by our other fur babies that were super easy to train.  But, just like children, each one is different and learns in different ways.

Matt came up with a unique idea.  We would go to the local dollar store and purchase five towels.  Then, if/when Peppe soils one, we simply remove the dirty towel, place it inside a special bin until it is washed and then place a new towel in his crate.

And you know what?  This is actually working (unlike when we tried using a blanket)!  Peppe is clean, happy and loving life.

Plus, this experience taught me something:  we are truly a family.  We take the ups with the downs and work together to find solutions to get through tough situations. 

Watch This: Dogilates - The Best Workout For Your Pet! at BaxterBoo

Watch This: Dogilates - The Best Workout For Your Pet! at BaxterBoo

This video is hilarious!!

Fur vs. Flesh

It appears that a great division is forming within our nation.  No, it has nothing to do with politics.  The chaos is being caused by...fur parents!

This term has become quite popular within the last few years.  And there certainly is no lack of propaganda.  I own a t-shirt that reads "Dog Mom" and proudly display a magnet on my car that reads the same.

But, not everyone is happy with this term.  Who, you may ask?  Those that have human children.  To them, fur parents are two steps away from being carted off to a padded room.

Clearly, we are crazy because we speak to our pets (like they do to their babies) dress them up (like they do to their children) and make them a part of our families.

Quite honestly, I have never felt the dire need to be mother, like so many women claim to have had.  The idea of waking up at all hours of the night to feed and change a baby just doesn't appeal to me.  Don't get me wrong, I am certainly glad that my mother wanted to, but, it isn't a part of my life plan.

So, the battle begins. Many people seem to think that fur parents are not able to have children and are compensating with animals.  Really?  I don't remember reading anywhere in the Constitution where it states that all married couples MUST have children.  Yet, we are judged as "freaks" for exercising our right to not create a life.

More ridicule comes when we refer to our animals as "fur babies."  I don't see why this term is so offensive.  We take care of our dogs just like any human takes care of its' child.  We take them to the vet for check-ups; we buy them food and treats; we provide a loving home where the dogs are safe.

But, because we did not birth our dogs, we should not call them "babies" or ourselves "parents."  Interesting.  I remember the time that Adriel began yelping for no apparent reason.  Any time you tried to touch her or pick her up, she would let out a blood curdling sound.

Matt and I were scared.  I cried because more than anything, I just wanted to hold and comfort her.  Yet, my touch seemed to only bring her pain.  We took her to our vet where she was given an antibiotic.  However, in three days, she continued this bizarre behavior.

Of course, she decided to do this on a Sunday evening when all of the local vets' offices were closed.  Without hesitation, we carefully loaded her into the car and drove for an hour to Hawthorne Animal Hospital.  Even after the $100 check-up and medicine, she was still yelping.

Our vet thought she may need a cat scan.  We were terrified.  Luckily, the vet prescribed prednisone, of all things, and Adriel's pain was gone!

Doesn't the above story sound just like what a child's parent would do?  If your child is sick, don't you worry?  If his/her condition worsens, do you not take them to the Emergency Room at the nearest hospital to try to get them the best treatment possible?  Us fur parents may not be so different from the human kind after all.

I think where people believe we cross the line is when we choose to dress up our animals.  I will agree that I do not think animals need to wear clothing 24/7.  But, I see nothing wrong with dressing them up for Halloween or Christmas.

Every year, Petsmart holds a costume contest the Saturday before Halloween and offers a photo opportunity in front of a spooky background.  How is this any different from taking photos of your child all dressed up for Halloween?  Keep in mind, my husband and I are NOT actually going around the neighborhood trick-or-treating with our dogs.  We like to dress them up FOR the trick-or-treaters that stop by.

Petsmart also offers a photo with Santa every weekend in December.  My husband and I have a collection of "ugly" dog sweaters that we like to make our dogs where.  It is a funny commentary on the old style family Christmas photos.  Once again, how is this any different than dressing up your child and taking him/her to the mall to wait in line for your photo opportunity with the man in red?

I used to be embarrassed of how many dogs I have.  But, then I discovered that there are actually a lot of people out there just like me.  The more dog centered events that Matt and I attended, the more we met people who felt the exact same way about their pets as we do.

And we found out that we are actually part of a very large fur parent population.  It is wonderful to feel the love and support from fellow animal lovers at these events.  A sort of animal support group, if you will. 

Have you also noticed the emergence of specialty shops for dogs?  Treats Unleashed and Three Dog Bakery come to mind.  They sell everything from homemade treats to healthy food and everything in between.  Plus, pets are encouraged to come in to the stores.  And one of the new strip malls in St. Louis, MO welcomes pets

Yes, we love to brag about our fur babies and their many talents.  Let's face it, if you owned a three-legged dog that could jump over a pet gate, wouldn't you brag about her, too?  This is no different from a parent whipping out photos of their child or talking about their latest finger painting.

Play dates and birthday parties are staples in a child's life.  Why does this concept suddenly become strange when animals partake in these events?  Animals need to be socialized.  And why wouldn't we celebrate the birthday of the pets that are such a huge part of our lives?

So, why all the hostility?  We are not trying to diminish or mock the importance of people parents.  We are simply asking to be acknowledged as parents in our own right.

Limiting Love

It was never my intention to own five dogs and a cat.  But, whenever I see an animal in need, I can’t not help.  Somehow, my husband and I always find room for one more.

I also never said it was easy.  My husband and I are certainly not millionaires.  And vet bills don’t ever seem to get cheaper.  Still, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

That being said, I was very upset to find out that counties and cities place limits on the number of animals that you are allowed to own.  I understand that the powers that be are trying to prevent noise pollution, but, that can be attributed to a careless owner.  We are always quick to nip any excessive barking in the bud.  Who wants to hear a pack of dogs barking for hours on end?

Yet, we still have a neighbor who lives down the street that allows its’ dog to bark continuously.  And the dog is small and kept indoors!  I must say, it does drive me crazy.  I can’t fathom how the owner can put up with it.

Then, there is the fear of over breeding.  However, the counties and cities also include that the animals must be spayed/neutered.  And I agree with this wholeheartedly.  I cannot tell you how many kittens have been discovered in our town within the last three weeks.  We do need to control the pet population, as Bob Barker always suggested.

But, my real issue is with the word “hoarding.”  To me, hoarding occurs when you have an outrageously large number of animals, say 15 or more.  There is no way that a person can afford to take care of that many animals.  The food bill alone would be enough to cause someone to go bankrupt.  Dog food is not cheap!

And I also tend to think of hoarders as abusive.  They do not see to the needs of their animals, physical and social as well as their basic needs.  Then, fights between the large groups of animals occur because life becomes a survival of the fittest.  This is certainly no way for an animal to live.

However, there are some hoarders that simply love animals.  My husband and I were watching a show about the Animal Task Force in Florida.  Two officers approached the home of a woman who was hoarding 13 dogs.  But, the dogs were all being well cared for.  They had plenty of food and water and were even kept inside the house.  There were no signs of abuse.  Just an abundance of love.

The woman claimed that she was simply trying to foster dogs that were about to be euthanized at the local shelter.  She had no intention of keeping them all and was in the process of finding them forever homes.  I could totally relate to this woman! 

My heart breaks whenever I see dogs at charity events wearing the “Adopt Me” sign.  I want to take them all home with me where I know that they will be given the love and attention that they deserve.

The officers told the woman that she had two weeks to find homes for the dogs or the dogs would be taken back to the shelter and she would be fined (and possibly face jail time).  Within the two weeks, she managed to find homes for all but four of the dogs and I believe that she owned two of them.  This is an example of a good hoarder.  She meant the dogs no harm, but to give them hope and a second chance at life.

I feel that if you have the means to support the animals and they are spayed/neutered and well-behaved (no dog fighting rings or late night bark fests), that you should be allowed to own as many animals as you wish.  This is the United States of America where we pride ourselves on having freedoms that are denied to the citizens of other countries.  Yet, the government seems to continue to whittle away at these freedoms by constantly placing limitations on them.

What agitates me even more is that some people appear to be exempt from the rules.  Why?  They are famous!  I read in one magazine article that Mariah Carey owns 22 Jack Russells.  Twenty-two!  How do you get away with something like that?  Bribe the city officials?  Bribe the police officers?

Then there is Paris Hilton.  She recently posted a video of her seven dogs on Instagram.  They were all sitting in their “doggie mansion,” as she called it.  And it truly was!  A chandelier was dangling above their heads.  A sweeping staircase led up to a second level that was decorated in a princess motif.  I have to admit, it looked nicer than my house!

So, why are these ladies able to get away with breaking city ordinances?  I once inquired of our local government what it would take to be able to raise the limit of how many dogs we can own.  I was told that our house would have to be re-zoned as a kennel.  A kennel!  Then, our taxes would skyrocket due to the re-zoning.

Of course, many people simply say, “Adopt as many as you want.  Who’s going to find out?”  But, I would prefer to go about it the legal way.  And I am positive that I would not be able to pay the fine that I would receive and could NEVER be able to make the gut wrenching decision of which dog to “get rid of.”

However, when volunteering at an adoption event for a local rescue group, I met a woman who told me that she currently had 14 dogs in her house.  She was very secretive about it and said, “My vet gives me the dogs that nobody wants.  I take care of them while he tries to find them a home.  This way, they stay out of the humane societies and are not in danger of being euthanized.” 

As it turns out, there are many of these secret “underground dog railroads” within the area.  No one is trying to break any rules.  They are simply trying to save lives.

The government does not place a limit on how many children a family can have.  If they did, the Duggars would be in serious trouble!  We would revolt and tell the government that they are being unconstitutional.  So, why are those that are choosing to have animals instead of children being penalized?

I have seen plenty of people who have had a large number of children that were not truly able to care for them.  So, what does the government do?  They offer food stamps and other provisions to help ease costs for such families.

Unlike dogs, humans have the ability to reason.  If you know you cannot support six children, why do you continue to have them?  Then, these families become a burden to the entire nation as a portion of our tax money goes to help meet their basic needs.

I hope that other fur parents feel the same.  We need to stand together and speak for those that don't have a voice.  The government should not place a limit on love.

 

Posh Purebreds

I love to watch the American Kennel Club Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day.  In fact, it has become a staple in our Thanksgiving Day traditions.  My Grandma wouldn’t miss it for the world.

And while I think it’s amusing to watch the dogs parade around the ring, I am also reminded of the snobbery of the event.  This made me think about purebreds in general.

Some people insist on only adopting purebred dogs.  They MUST have papers that show a ridiculously extensive blood line that can be traced all the way back to the dog that stepped onto Noah’s ark.

But, I wonder, what exactly do these papers prove?  Okay, so you know who your dog’s great-great-great grandmother was.  Who cares?  A dog’s lineage has absolutely nothing to do with the dog itself in terms of how he/she will behave as a pet.

I think it would be wonderful to have such papers only to be able to trace potential genetic diseases, such as diabetes, that could come to affect the dog.  Beyond that, it is all mere puffery.

My Grandmother used to be that way.  She only wanted to adopt Poodles.  And of course, they were all registered with the AKC and had papers.  After the passing of her last poodle, she adopted a purebred Shih Tzu.  Once Benji passed, Grandma swore that she would never get another dog.

It just so happens that my husband and I did a brief stint as foster parents for a local rescue group.  At the time, we were fostering this sweet, long-haired Chihuahua named Tiggy.  She had the perfect temperament and the most beautiful coat that I had ever seen.  I knew that she would be perfect for my Grandma.

Sure enough, Grandma was smitten.  And, she didn’t even ask if Tiggy had papers.  She could care less if Tiggy is a purebred or a mixed breed.  All she knows is that Tiggy is the love of her life and her truest companion.

Similarly, our Chihuahua, Domino, is known as  a Blue Merle.  This has to do with the coloration of his coat.  Also, his eyes are sky blue.  He is the most adorable dog and turns heads wherever he goes.  But, the American Kennel Club views his unique coat and eyes as “defects.”  Therefore, Blue Merle’s are not recognized by the AKC and are not allowed to enter into AKC sponsored events.

So, racism is now being extended into the dog world?  People are actually discriminating my dog because of the color of his coat and eyes?  Through much research, my husband and I have discovered that the Blue Merle’s tend to develop hearing problems and have a high risk for blindness in old age.  Don’t most dogs end to lose their hearing and have mild vision problems as they age?  Humans certainly do.

But, the real issue is the coloration of his fur.  While none of my dogs are “show dogs,” I am still greatly displeased by such snobbish behavior.  Dogs should be loved and appreciated for their spirit and personality.  Not treated as outcasts for the way that they look.

Perhaps this is why so many dogs remain in shelters and humane societies throughout the country.  They are being judged because they are not deemed “perfect” in someone’s eyes.  My fur babies are the poster children of abuse and rejection.  Adriel has a tongue that is longer than her head, causing her tongue to always hang out.  Penny has a severe overbite, deformed front paw, strangely large ears and a decidedly long tail.

Because these dogs look different, they are viewed as “undesirable,” “unlovable.”  When nothing could be further from the truth.  Both Adriel and Penny are attention divas and instantly warm up to new people and dogs.  Adriel is even a certified Therapy Dog who brings joy to others through touch therapy.  People love to see her tongue sticking out.  And children simply adore these two.  Plus, they have the best temperaments that I have ever seen in a dog.  These dogs were made to love.

I’d like to think that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would extend his “I Have a Dream” speech to all of the creatures on this earth.  As a nation, we should not be teaching our children that animals who look different from “the norm” is a separate concept from people that look different than us.  It is one and the same.

We need to stop these misconceptions from spreading.  We must lead by example and show that ALL animals are deserving of love.  In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “The greatness of a society and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.”  

Powerful Pooches

I never thought that my husband and I would come to own a three-legged dog.  But, something about Penny just drew me in.  Every time I went back to www.Petfinder.com, I bypassed all of the puppies and “normal” looking dogs and kept staring at Penny.

 

How did her front left leg turn out to be the way that it is?  Why did three of her legs manage to form properly, but not the fourth?

 

From my previous post that introduces you to Penny, you will remember that we thought she would need special care.  We were blown away when she preceded to jump on our furniture, bed, kitchen chairs, etc.  Clearly, we knew nothing about three-legged dogs.

 

And I don’t believe that most people do.  We just attended the Belleville Humane Society’s Races for Rescues walk on Sunday.  Instead of taking our whole pack, we decided to split it in half and just bring three (way more manageable than six!).  But, we never leave home without our pet stroller.

 

I’m sure that many people thought we were being cruel by making Penny walk and placing Adriel and Domino in the stroller.  But, Penny was loving every second of the walk.  She was hopping like a bunny through a carrot patch.  Her ears were flopping up and down like crazy and we thought that she might actually take off flying!

 

Everyone that saw her was amazed.  She was even out walking other four-legged dogs!  “Look at her leg!”  people would say.  And of course, “Awww, that poor dog!”

 

Why are we so quick to label three-legged dogs as being “disabled?”  Nothing about Penny’s stumpy leg or severe overbite prevents her from doing anything that a “normal” dog can do.  In fact, her front right paw is much larger than her other paws because it has become stronger since she uses it so much to compensate for her other leg.  We lovingly call it the “super paw.”

 

As we watched Penny continue to bound down the walking trail, I said to Matt, “It’s amazing that she knows how to walk on three-legs.”  To which Matt replied, “Well, she was born that way.  To her, this is how “normal” dogs walk.”

 

So true!  Penny has never known any different.  Unlike the three-legged Husky dog that we saw at the walk.  He undoubtedly lost his leg due to a medical condition.  But, even with one of his back legs missing, he was keeping up with his owner, who was briskly jogging.

 

Recently, I also came across the story of Two-legged t-rex.  The dog is a Chiweenie who was born without front paws.  Instead, he has two little numbs on the ends of legs.  Again, my  initial reaction was, “That poor little thing!  How does he survive?”

 

I should have known better.  Upon checking out the Youtube video on the dog’s Facebook page, I saw that he was no different from Penny…or Theo, Adriel, Cole, Domino or Peppe.  He was able to walk around by using his back legs propulsion and his front legs for support as he scooted around his owner’s living room.  There is even footage of him playing fetch in the back yard!

 

Dogs have such strong spirits.  They persevere through the most horrific situations and prove to the world just how tough they are.  And they do it all while wagging their tail as if to say, “Okay, world.  Is that all you got?  I can handle it!”

 

Humans can learn so much from these inspiring creatures.  Dogs teach us that it’s not about what we don’t have, but how we use what we do have.  So, the next time you come across one of these unique pooches, save your sympathy and watch as these dogs tackle life with courage, strength and love. 

Cliche Costumes

Fall is my favorite time of year.  And even though I hate scary movies, I love Halloween.  Since I am the mother of six fur babies, I also greatly enjoy dressing them up in costumes.

 

Every year, my husband and I attend Bark in the Park, Canine Carnival and Celebrate Spot.  Each of these events offers a costume contest.  We try to come up with unique concepts that have not been overdone.  One of our favorite creations was the infamous “rally squirrel” from the St. Louis Cardinals. 

 

We already owned a squirrel costume and we found a dog Cardinal’s jersey at the Cardinal’s Dug Out store.  So, we simply put the jersey over the squirrel costume and…voila!  Rally Squirrel!  My husband got so excited at Bark in the Park because people kept coming up to him and asking if they could take Theo’s (our long-haired Chihuahua/rally squirrel) picture.

 

Naturally, we thought we would be a shoe-in for first place.  As Matt walked Theo around the staging area, people went crazy.  “It’s the rally squirrel!” they cheered.  Imagine our extreme disappointment when we didn’t get first place…or second…or even third!

 

Guess what won first place?  Yep, the old Dachshund-dressed-as-a-hot dog routine.  We have seen this combination at every single dog event that we attend.  We get it!  It’s a wiener dog dressed like a wiener.  Clever.  Now, get over it!  There is no originality to this concept at all.

 

Second place was given to a very cute dog dressed as a pilot, complete with doggie goggles.  That was adorable.   But third place was a complete joke.  It was a dog in a purple t-shirt that had a picture of Minnie Mouse on it.  Seriously?  And this dog was already a co-mascot for the event!  I don’t think it should have been allowed to enter the costume contest.

 

As I was looking through the costumes at Petsmart the other day, I noticed something:  there is hardly any variety!  You see the same costumes year after year.  The cow, prisoner/”bad dog,” cheerleader, angel and “rufferee” always surface.  I was excited to see that Disney is stepping things up by offering complete Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore costumes.  Great if you have as many dogs as I do!  Sesame Street has also come out with at least five different costumes of their most beloved characters, including Big Bird.  But, these costumes also come with a pretty price tag.

 

So, as I perused the less expensive costumes, I became very disappointed.  This year, some of the “costumes” are screen printed t-shirts.  Check out the police officer, doctor and French maid costumes in the store.  You will see what I mean.  I actually have a police offer costume and it is so much cuter.  There are actual felt handcuff attached to the felt belt along with a stuffed night stick.

 

Why are there not more creative options?  I remember dressing Adriel up as a Flapper from the 1920’s.  She was darling!  Everyone at the event agreed, yet, she didn’t even place in the contest.  What gives?  I am also beginning to question the judges’ judgment.  What does it take for a dog to win?

 

At the Canine Carnival in 2012, I saw the most creative costume.  There was a dog that was covered in Polaroid photos of him with his family.  A brown piece of cardboard hung from around his neck with a small tube sticking out of the front.  I had thought that he was a camera.  What I could not see (due to the shirt covering the dog’s body) was the fact that the dog had three legs.  He was a tripod!  I loved it!  Not only was it a super creative and outside-of-the-box idea, but, I loved how it embraced the fact that the dog had a disability.  I was very happy that he won first place.

 

Since I am a very proud dog mom, I will tell you that Adriel did manage to win the Best Dressed Golden Paw Trophy at the 2012 Celebrate Spot event.  She was an angel with this amazing little halo that actually was suspended above her head!  I think her tongue birth defect helped greatly.

 

Still, I would love to see more originality in the dog costume department.  As dog parents, we need to come up with concepts that truly showcase our dogs’ personality.  So, please, put the hot dog costume back on the rack and look to your pooch’s spirit for inspiration.

 

Perturbing Petsmart

My husband and I love to shop at Petsmart.  We have the Pet Perks card (of course).  They have such a wide variety of items, like dog clothing!

Each October, they hold a special Halloween bash.  For $10, you can bring in your costumed pooches and have their photo taken in front of a spooky scene.  You will also receive a collectible Halloween themed frame to proudly display your picture in.  And the best part?  Half of the money raised from the sales of the photo frames goes to help homeless pets.  Score!

We have taken our dogs for the past two years and have had a blast!  They even hold a costume contest in their training room.  But, I have to admit, last year's photo shoot was anything but fun.

The staff had no idea how to work the digital camera that they had been given.  We were the first people in line and had to have the photo re-taken....six times!  We had all five of our babies with us and by this time, they were very restless.  They like to move and we NOT thrilled about having to sit still again.

When the photo was finally printed, it looked like an amateur had taken it.  The picture was zoomed out as far as it could go, so the Halloween backdrop looked like a huge piece of decorated cardboard (which it was).  Plus, you could see some of the isles in the store.  Not exactly the family portrait I had wanted.

Upon a recent trip to procure a third collar for our kitten, we noticed a large cardboard display for their Halloween events.  Sure enough, there was the photo event.  But, something had changed.  Now, the sign reads:  "Come and take your own photo of your pet in front of a spooky scene."  What?  You have to bring your dogs AND take the photo?  I could do that at home for free!

That got me thinking.  "Are they still going to be offering the exclusive photo frames?" I asked my husband.  He decided to ask a sales associate.  After talking to three separate people, the answer:  No.  They have done away with the frames.

I am officially bummed!  I honestly looked forward to that every year.  And I know that this event makes a lot of money for Petsmart.  So, why are they scaling it back?  The associate did remind us about the costume contest, but, we never win and don't want to make our fur babies have to sit in the store forever.

While my sadness about this fandango is beginning to fade, I am worried about one thing:  the Christmas photo with Santa.  Will this be done away with, too?  Shame on Petsmart for not understanding that to some people, their pets are their children and they want to commemorate adorable holiday moments with unique photos.