#LoveYourPetEveryDay, Even if It's 'For Their Own Good' and They Think You're a Clod

Addendum to the disclosure: I mentioned in my previous Chicken Soup for the Soul® Brand Pet Food post that I've been feeding the brand to my pets for 47 years (OK six, which is a long time in dog years), and that it warms my soul to know they're eating wholesome food that leaves them looking and feeling great. My point is--since the food is a no-brainer, and I had so much fun tackling the #LoveYourPetEveryDay subject--frankly, getting a nod from the brand to write this post felt like a Leprechaun's rainbow shot out of the sky and smacked me upside my head--in a good way. I hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing!

My foster dog, Leona Lilly, aka Lele, a 10-year-old chihuahua, has yeasty ears that require daily flushing with medicated ear drops. Despite my warming the bottle to match her ear temperature, and singing of soothing, sing-song-y songs with made up words, when she sees me pick up the bottle, she turns tail and sprints in the other direction. It doesn't matter how many times I tell her I'm only doing it "for her own good," because I love her. She thinks the ear drops are evil and that I am their steward.

Thank dog she can't talk; I'm pretty sure she'd make my oft-surly teenagers look like D.J. Tanner wannabes in comparison.

Lele Chihuahua: "I'll take the iPhone camera over the ear drops, but could'ya get a move on with dinner?"
Jon Farleigh: "I have some fuzz in my eye."

Whoever said loving a pet every day (as opposed to once a week/every other day/annually, or only when it's fun and they grin and spin around in bliss at your magnificence) was easy, well, couldn't possibly have needed to squirt anything medicinal in a pet's orifice. And, come to think of it, probably never did these other things (that I do daily) either:

• Withhold all chocolate*.
  No, they don't get any. Not even the speck that fell off my cookie crisp knockoff cereal, or the streak of ice cream that I missed when I licked the bowl. Not even when they stare at me with giant cow eyes. Because I love them, they will literally never experience death by chocolate.
• Tether dog by the neck and/or chest to my wrist at all times while outside.
  We don't have a fenced yard, so the dogs get attached to my wrist by a six-foot strip of industrial strength nylon webbing. They go only where I go. Because I love them, they will stay out of trouble in the great outdoors. 
• Orange tabby cat-proof the kitchen faucet with a rubber band bungee.
  
  
  Bobby Flay O'Fish is obsessed with turning on the levered kitchen faucet with his muzzle. It was cheaper to clamp the lever to the faucet with a giant blue rubber band than replace the faucet with something less cat-friendly. Bobby will not go thirsty. Because I love him, I prevent him from turning on the water full blast when no one is home (or awake) and wasting water, flooding the kitchen and running our water bill over Mt. Everest. Orange tabby cats fare better when their people are not mopping up floods and flat broke.
• Limit meal size to one healthy serving, vs. a Golden Corral-sized smorgasbord of all-you-can-eat everything-under-the-sun that is edible.
  
  

  

  I know the delicacies lurking behind you, pantry door. 

  
  I could open the pantry and refrigerator/freezer doors and let the dogs help themselves to whatever they want, whenever they want (which would be all the waking hours, and all the food, except for pretzels, sour apples, and pecans--the only things the dogs have ever NOT eaten when offered). But I don't. It doesn't matter that they finish before I've had time to walk a full lap of the kitchen, or that they bore holes in my face with their pleading eyes. Because I love them, I give them one measured serving per meal of a wholesome, natural kibble (such as the new Chicken Soup for the Soul Grain Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pea recipe for dogs**), topped with a dollop of a wholesome, natural wet food. Corgis and foster chihuahuas with defined waistlines (vs. puffer fish middles) are much less prone to injuring themselves getting on the couch for snuggles, among other important health risks. 

Now see? It's no wonder my pets think I'm a clod.

Except, wait. That's a short list, relatively speaking. If I made a similar list of all the easy ways I love them every day (because they ROCK)--like, for example, talking to them, smooching their heads, rubbing their bellies, scratching their chins/ears/backs/butts, feeding them regularly so they don't go hungry, keeping them warm/cool/dry, giving them soft, snugly places to rest their bones, giving them treats (even bacon, sometimes), playing with them, providing toys and exercise, making them sit for cute pictures to display proudly on social media, and giving them supervised time outside in the fresh air--it would be WAY longer.

In fact, I think the hard things might pale in comparison, especially for creatures with such limited attention spans (dried up leaf blowing by!). Perhaps they don't find me cloddish, after all? ☺

A clod? I think not!

* I eat something with cocoa in it every day, because I love myself.

** Lele the foster chihuahua has more than yeasty ears, she has irritated, yeasty skin and is losing patches of hair. In case it is related to food allergies, I've switched her to the new Chicken Soup Grain Free Salmon recipe, which not only contains a novel protein to her, but also novel carb sources. All of my appendages are crossed that it clears up her issues!

Can we talk foster chihuahua Lele for a bit? OK, so she's settling in really well, for a 10yo chi-chi, who's been...
Posted by The Chronicles of Cardigan on Monday, February 22, 2016

Thank you, Chicken Soup for the Soul, for helping me sort this daily pet-love thing out! Thanks, too, for the awesome nourishment you've been making for my awesome pets over the years!

Wanna serve some Chicken Soup for the Soul food to your awesome pet? Find your nearest retailer here. You'll also find the brand at major online retailers.

Is your pet your hero? Don't forget to enter Chicken Soup for the Soul's Show Us Your Hero pet contest! You could win an appearance on the CBS Saturday morning lineup show Hidden Heroes or in an upcoming book!

Love a pet food company that's committed to giving back to pets? Check this out!

• A portion of proceeds from the sale of Chicken Soup for the Soul pet food is donated to The Humpty Dumpty Institute, helping support organizations that feed and care for animals in shelters. 
• Royalties from the sale of the new books, Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Cat will be donated to the American Humane Association. 
• Chicken Soup for the Soul is the official Dog Food Sponsor of the American Humane Association's Hero Dog Awards, including, more specifically, the Therapy Dog category.
• Local shelter pets (including some who've found their forever homes) are featured on every package of Chicken Soup for the Soul brand pet food.

For the latest news, deals and of course, Chicken Soup for the Soul-warming pet stories, be sure to follow the brand on social media.

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How do you love YOUR pet(s) every day? Is it more easy than hard? Are you a clod? ☺

Foster dog Lele is chowing down on @chickensouppets new grain free salmon, sweet potato & green pea recipe dog food. She has AWFUL skin and ear issues, and I'm HOPING...the switch to this new food with a novel protein and carbs will help clear her up. She'll certainly not miss the bi-weekly bathing and daily ear cleanings (even though I do it for her own good). ☺ Sometimes love is hard (right, Lele?). #LoveYourPetEveryDay #sponsored #chihuahua #fosterdog #rescue #dogfood #happydog

A video posted by Elizabeth Keene (@chroniclescardi) on Feb 24, 2016 at 6:40pm PST

For Real: 5 Straight-Up 'Unprofessional' Reasons to Attend #BlogPaws With Me!

2016 AAA Five-Diamond Kai Restaurant Terrace, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa | 2016 BlogPaws Destination

I bought my early bird-rate*, full blogger pass to the 2016 BlogPaws conference in Phoenix, AZ a year in advance (like right after I got home from the 2015 conference in Nashville). Because I'm a bargain hunter. And folks - for all the resort-quality food that was coming with that (practically free), three-day pass (plus maybe a bonus ice cream social the Wednesday evening before, and a red-carpet, sit-down awards affair the last night) - even if I fell in a sinkhole and temporarily lost the ability to type another blog post - there was no way I was letting that deal pass me by. I just love to eat food someone else prepared (and will clean up) too dang much!

Don't think I only go to BlogPaws for the food, though. Nope, I go for the important, professional reasons most other people do: networking (a fancy word for talking to like-minded, pet people); learning about things that can help me get ahead in my pet-centric career endeavors; and getting in front of brand people who might want to pay me some day (for my influence, or writing, because I've worked my tail off to get this far and getting paid is a necessity in life), among other things.

But I'm here today to tell you: there's more. I don't go for purely professional reasons; I go for all these rave-worthy UN-professional ones, too!

I took this photo from inside my poolside cabana at the 2014 BlogPaws in Las Vegas.

1. People (and their pets)-watching.

Introverts will truly appreciate this...No matter where you are in the main conference venue, if you take a seat for a little "me" time (there will be plenty of seats to take; it's a hotel lobby and conference center), you'll spy all sorts of people and their pets. Just like at the mall, or airport, but with a heaping side of critters! It's a sight that I can't even justify with my words. You just have to experience it to appreciate it!

Pausing to simply "watch" is also a great way to get one's bearings after just arriving at the conference. Without a doubt, you'll notice people congregating in areas; that's a sure sign that something important is going on! When your "me" time is over, you'll definitely want to head that way and investigate. You might even get to meet a pet industry celebrity!

Oh, yes it is. Instagram sensation, Priscilla pig (@prissy_pig) with 599k followers, at BlogPaws 2015.

2. Pet-industry celebrity sightings.

Ever watched the old Animal Planet Dogs and Cats 101 shows? They were popular in the network's line-up about five years ago. Here are the Animal Planet synopses.

Anyway, each show featured a panel of pet experts who would introduce and describe particular breeds of dogs and cats. I - along with most every human in my house - have seen every episode. Some episodes (Cardigan Welsh Corgi) I've viewed an obscene number of times (and I'd do it again). Well, one of the show's regular expert panelists was nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and radio host, as well as Chicago Tribune blogger, Steve Dale.

Steve Dale and his pooches via Dogster

Steve Dale was at my 2nd BlogPaws (2013), while the show was still etched in my mind. I will never forget (though I'm sure he has) catching a glimpse of him walking toward me in the hotel corridor, alone. I didn't know what I was going to say, but even if it caused me to hyperventilate and pass out, I was going to say something! Five seconds later...cue me, in my teenage fangirl voice, "Are you Steve Dale?!" knowing full well he was. Taken aback by my exuberance, I think, he smiled and said...yes? Did he say yes? Oh, crud, I don't know what he said, OK, but it was epic! Do you know I went home and bragged to my whole family that I talked to the man on Dogs and Cats 101? That I still brag about it to this day?!

My point is, you never know who you'll see at BlogPaws! But I'm telling you, there will be pet industry celebrities there (including some who are pets themselves)! Oh, and Steve Dale is SPEAKING this year! (I'll just be the one hiding her splotchy red face in the corner.☺)

Donkey shirt at BlogPaws? You bet your @ss!

3. Getting to flaunt every pet-related item of clothing and/or accessories you own.

In layperson's terms: You get to let your crazy pet lady (or dude) flag fly! Oh my gosh, y'all! I loooooove getting to wear my "Ask Me About My Cats" t-shirt, corgi ring and earrings, cat necklace, cat print boots and shoes, and carry both my personalized Dewi and Jon Farleigh needle-felted bags from Etsy! I could go on! Yes, I love getting to display my inner self on the outside almost as much as hunting for more pet-themed adornments to pack for the next BlogPaws! (Guess who just scored a screaming deal on an animal print dress for the Nose-to-Nose awards in Phoenix? ME! Aagh!)

But don't worry, if your wardrobe is light on pets, you'll get a fabulous, free BlogPaws conference t-shirt (last year it had dogs and cats on it) at registration, and you might even get to fashion yourself a pair of cat ears or glasses in the Cat Style Lounge! Yay!

4. That euphoric, out-of-body, stupefying, and otherwise indescribable feeling you get when you meet a close online friend in person for the first time.

Laurie was my blogging idol!

Some of you know what I mean! Do you have any friends you've only seen in a 2x2 profile photo, or in a rare blog or Facebook/Instagram post, but you talk to them online nearly every day? And have been for as long as you can remember? (In this digital age, there has to be someone!) Got any idea what it feels like to finally get in front of them and hear them speak?

OMG! Like your mind flew straight out your ear and is floating about two feet above your head looking down, that's what! Like your brain is seeing them speak, but it can't reconcile their face to their voice. It's nuts! And it's happened to me at all four BlogPaws conferences! (And you can bet I'm already making a list of people to find and speak to this year!)

How I spent my "me" time at BlogPaws 2014 (The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa)

5. IT'S A VACATION!

Some people like to use the term "working vacation" to cover themselves when they're having too much fun doing "work" at a place where most people go to have a vacation. I guess I'm OK with that. But what if even the work feels like a vacation? Let me think...It's a vacation! Have you ever taken three kids to Disney World in August? Never mind. My point is, yes, BlogPaws is fast-paced, it's busy, there's a lot to absorb, you might get outside your comfort zone a bit...but it's so. much. FUN! The hotel is pampering (especially when it's a resort hotel like this year), you're surrounded by dogs and cats, and people you feel like you've known your whole life, there's a ton of food (in case you forgot), entertainment, built-in night-on-the-town (or by the pool with a waterslide) time, TWO happy hours, a red carpet awards affair, free stuff galore to take home to your pets, and memories that might last you a lifetime.

Though, I can't guarantee - while you're having all that fun - you won't end up opening a career door or two, like I did.☺ (But who cares - don't let anybody tell you it's not a vacation! It is! A vacation with career benefits. OK, I'll be quiet now.)

AAA, today announced their list of 2016 award winners. The resort as a whole was awarded their prestigious Four-Diamond...
Posted by Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa on Monday, December 14, 2015

* The early-bird rate has expired, but even the regular rate is a huge deal, y'all! Have you ever been on, or heard someone else brag about, the food on a cruise ship? How it's so plentiful? Well, this is what I'm talking about. BlogPaws is like a pet person's conference cruise on land! And I've been on a cruise, so I should know! Wait! I didn't even mention the conference venue - Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa! It's in a desert oasis! Check it out!



But wait! Use my discount code and get 10% off the already reasonable, regular blogger rate (and by blogger, they mean conference cruise passengers. OK, not really, but don't let the word "blogger" hold you back; its umbrella covers lots of people).

* 2016 DISCOUNT CODE EXPIRED *

** Are you going? Yay! Now remember - after you go to BlogPaws in Phoenix this June - to snatch up that BlogPaws 2017 early-bird rate as soon as you get home!