Thank you Thursday - This one's for mom

I know, I know, it's supposed to be "Thankful Thursday." But while I am thankful, I also really have to say thank you. I have to say thank you to my mom for taking care of Bella while we were away at BlogPaws. When I say I don't know what we'd do without her, I'm not exaggerating.

My mom really is our only option for taking care of Bella when we are away. She's the only one who can reliably touch Bella (mostly) and, better yet, she doesn't even have to. Since Mom has a fenced-in-yard, she really only has to tolerate playing Bella's doorman, not actually get a leash on her and take her for a walk.

But Bella comes with a rather substantial list of notes, a bagful of trinkets, treats and toys and an instructional video on "The Care and Feeding of Bella". (Okay, I made that last part up. But just barely.)

To fully appreciate what I put my mom through, I thought I'd share with you what I packed for a 3-night stay and the list of instructions sent along with the crazy dog. Not everyone would be as accommodating and patient with us.

Packing list Martingale collar, head halter, body harness, two leashes plus regular collar with tags 2 beds Bella's mat (a towel) Raised feeding/water station and bowls Muzzle 3 stuffed Kongs Bully bones Canned food and cover Dry kibble (Hills Prescription Diet w/d) Pills - Clonidine, Fluoxetine, Soloxine Drops - Metacam Tummy 'treats' (Cloud Star Dynamo dog treats) Chicken treats (home-made) Chicken jerky bits (Blue Buffalo) Pill pockets Storm defender cape Important paperwork (health certificates, Rx list and dosages, etc) Instructions

Care and Feeding Instructions Feeding: Bella gets a little less than half a cup of dry kibble and a tablespoon or two of canned mixed with a little water 2x/day. Pills: The pills in the pill box go in her meals. The box is marked for AM and PM. She should just eat them up but check her bowl after she has finished to make sure she did. (She knows "Finish your breakfast/dinner" if she didn't.) The Clonidine in the pill bottle (marked with a “C”) can be given in the event of a thunderstorm or at night before bed if she seems anxious and won't settle down. Wrap it in a ‘Pill Pocket’ to get her to eat it. Drops: The ‘liquid’ medicine is only given in the morning. Fill it to the 55 pound mark and just add it to her breakfast. Note: This stuff is apparently very tasty to dogs (and can be lethal if they get too much of it). Please keep it somewhere out of her reach. Treats: Chicken (home-made): Bella will expect a couple/few pieces of chicken jerky after meals. She will not let you forget to give them to her. These can be used for “Trade” if necessary. They should be kept in the fridge. There is also a small bag of tiny pieces of chicken jerky as well. She doesn’t get these as a rule – just during training – but they are highly prized and can also be used for “Trade” if necessary. “Tummy” treats: Bella can have one to two pieces after dinner. (1 will probably be sufficient but you can give her two if she starts having ‘bathroom issues’.) Bully bones and frozen stuffed Kongs: She can have one of either of these at night to entertain her. The Kongs will last her longer. Thunder cape: We have packed Bella’s Storm Defender cape. It will help calm her down in the event of a storm but should be used with the Clonidine mentioned above. It’s best to get her in her cape and medicated a half hour before the storm if possible but that hardly ever happens. If this doesn't work, try the basement. Otherwise, pray for sun. :| Added by Jan: Never let Bella outside during a thunderstorm even though that's what it will look like she needs. She doesn't. She's trying to escape. Contact info: We are staying at .... You can reach me at ... I will get an email if I miss your call and call you back as soon as I can. Jan will have the cell phone and that number is ... Bella's primary vet is ...

So, thanks Mom. We really couldn't do this without you and your patience with me and our crazy dog is appreciated in ways you can't even imagine.

PS - I had an interesting breakfast conversation with Debbie Jacobs from fearfuldogs.com while at BlogPaws about why my mom may be the only one Bella will let touch her. We have an idea and just need the PhD student willing to investigate. Know any? Put us in touch.

In the meantime, if you don't have your very own Camp Nana's, Debbie's recent post on what to look for when considering boarding options for your dog is definitely worth the read.

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