keeping the pups hydrated

Posted: May 15, 2013 | Author: well minded | Filed under: adventure with pets, Arizona, dog walking, dogs, eco-friendly, hiking with dogs, pet sitting, pets, Phoenix, product review, work from home mom | Tags: dog hiking, dog hydration, dog walking, eco-friendly, foldable water bowl, green, product review | 2 Comments

Temps are on the rise, especially here in Phoenix. Everyone in our family carries a water bottle everywhere, and it’s just as important to keep our pooches from becoming dehydrated. I use a foldable bowl by Outward Hound.

I love the convenience of the foldable bowl because it weighs next to nothing and folds down so small that I can easily fit it in my pocket or purse, and, of course, my hiking backpack for our family or Tails on Trails hikes. Though lightweight, the bowl can withstand a beating because it’s made of heavy-duty canvas. Though the pups prefer it when I hold the water for them, catering to their every whim, our bowl has been in dirt and on rocks and the like countless times and doesn’t look at all worse for the wear.

The bowls come in different sizes, but I got a fairly small one so that it would be most portable. It just means that sometimes the lager dogs ask for seconds, which I’m happy to provide.

The bowl was particularly helpful when we went to the Phoenix Pet Expo and our canine companion refused to drink out of the community dog bowls that were placed around the event. Who could blame her? I think the ratio of drool to water was off the charts.

I also love the collapsable, reusable bowls because they help us keep things green. Instead of using store-bought water bottles, we fill our reusable bottles and, in turn, refill the dog bowl. Again and again!

Cheers!

the coupler: my favorite tool of the trade

Posted: April 10, 2013 | Author: well minded | Filed under: dog walking, dogs, hiking with dogs, leash, pet sitting, pets | Tags: dog hiking, dog walking, dogs, leash coupler, leash splitter, pet sitting, pets | 1 Comment

You know those professional dog walkers you see strolling down some posh and pleasantly-busy street of New York or Beverly Hills, fifteen leashes as organized as a bunch of balloons? Me neither. Except in the movies. I’m certain they exist, somewhere, it’s just that I haven’t seen one in real life. Seeing is believing.

I want to be that dog walker.

Until then, I use leash couplers. When walking multiple dogs, they cut your leashes in half. Even if you are only walking two dogs, it will make your life so much easier.

One of my couplers, in action. The Golden Retriever is perfectly behaved on a leash (not my dog), and the terrier pulls and runs frantically all over the place for the majority of the walk (my dog). The golden isn’t bothered by it because the coupler allows for it.

A coupler is purchased as an accessory to your leash. They come in different sizes. I prefer a medium size since I walk different sized dogs all the time. It seems to work both for larger and smaller dogs. You hook your leash to the coupler as you would your dog’s collar. The coupler splits and makes two leashes from one. Hook one dog up to each end. One leash to hold. Two dogs. Ahhhh.

You can walk two big dogs, two little dogs, or one big dog and one little dog…they work with any combo. You can adjust the length of each split to accommodate your needs. If one dog pulls and the other doesn’t, it really won’t affect the well-behaved pooch because the force of the pull is dispersed. They can walk around each other and switch sides with ease because the bottom of your leash swivels and spins. Tangles just don’t happen.

You can even get couplers with more than two splits. Whoa.

The only issue with couplers? If one dog stops and the other doesn’t, the dog in motion might get an abrupt stop, or the stopped dog might get dragged (depending on which dog is stronger). This might happen if one stops to “do his business” or if one wants to sniff something. It’s really not that big of a deal, and is a much preferable problem than the dreaded tangled leash dance done by multiple leashes, in my opinion.