In year two, Kaira has mellowed slightly, though she is still very playful and has bursts of energy. She still loves walks and visits to the dog park. She’s gotten many new toys, and squeakers and antlers keep her preoccupied. She is still very food/treat-motivated. She can stay at home by herself without having to be crated, but she loves time with humans. Kaira has some issues with environmental allergies, but otherwise, the vet gave her a near-perfect health review during her annual.

If Kaira were to give you some tips to living a full and exciting life, here are five things she’d tell you:

• Never trust the ceiling fan
• Check the floor for crumbs
• Definitely listen when treats are involved
• Squeak toys often
• Only fetch when necessary

Having a pet isn’t perfect. This pro and con list proved that. But Kaira’s constant companionship and fierce loyalty make life more abundant. I’ve been thinking about what our pup has taught us in her two years of existence and here are some of her lessons.

Get outside and move every day

We started taking a walk every morning when she was about six months old and it’s been a beneficial habit. Regular movement helps with physical and mental health. It can help reduce stress, improve your mood, and improve your focus. Kaira usually whines when it’s time for her walk, so she knows!

Stay curious

While Kaira is timid when it comes to weird or unfamiliar things like the hairdryer, she is also typically curious about things. Sometimes it means ending up with bug bites on her snout, but other times it means finding treats, being close to her humans, or starting to play!

Always be ready to play

She might be falling asleep but if you speak in an excited voice or ask about one of her toys, she is ready to play. She knows how to be spontaneous and knows playing is lots of fun! I’m beginning to realize that life needs more play in it and I’m glad she’s here to remind me of that.

Express your love and joy

Kaira is so loving. She will greet you at the door, she’ll bring you plenty of toys, and she’ll likely give you kisses if your face is nearby. It’s pure joy that doesn’t hold back. Isn’t that a great thing to have more of in life?

I’m so thankful for this pup!

Read these past posts about Kaira:

• Our Pup Kaira – All about her adoption and name
• Pros and Cons of Adopting a Dog

The post 4 Lessons My Dog Kaira Has Taught Me appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

She was about six months old when the world shut down and she had only been socializing with other dogs for about two months. I had been wishing she didn’t spend so much time alone at home and I got my wish granted when I started working from home in March. While she shows a bit of separation anxiety sometimes, I think she has loved having so much time together too. We’ve taken her back to the dog park when they re-opened (they actually shut down twice) and she loves playing. I think she has adjusted well to this year, thankfully! (Have you been following her Instagram account?)

In addition to sharing a bunch of cute photos from the last year, here are some of my thoughts, the pros and cons, on a year of having a dog.

Cons of Having a Dog

1. All the hair

Kaira is a shedder! Between spring and summer when she was shedding for the season – WOW. It was EVERYWHERE. We were emptying the vacuum every day and it felt uncontrollable. The rest of the year has been much more manageable but the shedding, in general, has been a bit hard for my black-heavy wardrobe. Thank goodness for our Roomba and new handheld for the couch.

2. Adjustments to schedules

Kaira’s needs for feeding, playing, and walking take time, so there’s a lot of putting aside things I’d rather be doing to take care of her. Working from home without a commute has helped with this because it gives me extra time before and after work. As with anything you commit to doing, you have to make time for it!

3. It costs a bit of money

Financial experts estimate spending about $500 on a dog annually. Between the “start-up” costs like crates and food bowls, annual shots, food, toys, and unexpected medical expenses (two infections), we’ve probably spent a little more than that this past year.

4. You’ll need to find a dog sitter

We took a few weekend trips, so we needed to find someone to take care of her. Thankfully, my brother-in-law lived with us, so it was easier. We also had a friend come over one weekend. Having a dog won’t keep us from going on a trip, but it is a little stressful lining up someone to take care of her and then wondering if she’s ok while we’re gone. There’s also a cost to this!

5. All the little stresses

On top of all the above stresses, there’s the time I thought she ate a green tea bag and drove her around to make her throw up. Or wondering if big dogs will beat her up at the dog park? Or when she kept getting ant bites in the summer and scratched her skin raw. Or when she got an ear infection. I could go on and on! All of these little stresses when you’re caring for a living thing.

Pros of Having a Dog

1. You’ll get more exercise and time outdoors

As I mentioned before, I have a bit more time in the morning since I don’t need to commute, so Kaira and I use it to go on a walk. We also play in the yard and take her to the dog park, so there’s plenty of time outside! I love it!

2. Companionship

It’s the reason why people get a dog, right? Constant companionship, like when she wants to play but I need to work, can be distracting, but she also looks to me because I’m her friend. She is so joyful most of the time. She is excited about playing all of the time. Then there’s watching her learn new tricks, snuggling on the couch, and having a shadow wherever you go. She has so much genuine, pure, and simple joy, it’s easy to feel that joy in yourself. There might be fewer items on my pro list, but for me, this one outweighs them all.

I’ve always been a dog person, and adding Kaira to our family has made this year so much better. 

Having a dog has made me much more aware of the hundreds of dogs in Austin waiting for their forever family, especially older pups (over a year) and pit bull mixes. Speaking from the experience of having a pup that is a half pit bull and Staffordshire terrier, these breeds get a bad reputation for their playful nature and the shelter environment doesn’t help with their desires for companionship. In Austin, visit Austin Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive to find your new family member!

Hug your pups for me! I’m wishing you lots of joy with your four-legged best friends!

Do you have a dog? What’s your favorite thing about him/her?

The post Pros and Cons of Adopting a Dog appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Will and I have been talking about getting and having a dog for a while now. I had “raise a dog baby” on my life list but I had been trying to convince Will (and maybe myself) to actually do it. We both grew up with dogs but we’ve never had our own as adults. We’ve browsed adoption listings online and even went to the animal shelter. The dogs and the timing never seemed right. We always had upcoming vacation plans or maybe we weren’t ready so we grabbed whatever excuse we could.

Then that desire became a little overwhelming and I told Will all I wanted for my birthday this year was a dog. After the wedding festivities and honeymoon, adding a dog to our family felt right to both of us and we were excited to start looking.

Our Adoption Story

A friend of a friend was fostering puppies through Austin Pets Alive and posted a photo of them on Instagram. I immediately messaged her and we set a date to meet them. The morning of our meeting, we found out those two puppies were going forward with other adopters and we wouldn’t get to meet them after all. We were bummed but figured we’d check the Austin Pets Alive website a few days later when the six other puppies in the litter staying with other fosters would be added. 

We saw Kaira’s blurry photo and decided to go meet her. It’s hard not to be smitten by a puppy. She was the cutest and loved sassing her brother. We sent in our application that night and took her home two days later.

Our Pup Kaira

Kaira is named for our love of the ocean (Kai is Hawaiian and Japanese for ocean), for the country where we got engaged (Egypt’s capital city is Cairo), and for the opportune moment (Greek meaning) she was born and came into our lives. She was born on our wedding day.

We’re not quite sure of her breed but we think she is part pitbull because of her brindle coat and part labrador because of her face. We bought an Embark Dog DNA test to find out! She is getting the hang of our routine and our home and she loves showing us how smart she is. She LOVES her Earth Animal No-Hide Stix (rawhide alternative). Judging by her growing pile of toys, she is becoming quite spoiled (my fault), and we’re excited to watch her grow.

Our hearts grew three sizes when she came into our lives. She’s a puppy and a challenge so far. While we’re still trying to navigate the struggle of being woken up in the middle of the night, biting our hands and feet, potty training (using all the cleaning supplies from this partnership!), trying to chew on everything, and all the other puppy things, we’re also glad she’s ours.

Conclusion

Thank you, Austin Pets Alive (team, fosters, volunteers, etc), for rescuing pups like Kaira, for making the adoption process seamless, and for supporting Austin’s love of animals! Support from the community helps this organization run. In the giving spirit, consider donating to the organization or visiting one of their local thrift shops. They also need volunteers and fosters.

Now, I need ALL the tips about being a dog parent. Any tricks, toy recommendations, or tips about having a dog in general or in Austin? Or tell me about your pet!

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