AUSSIE ADVENTURES
Duke and Ranger joined our family in January and life has been quite exciting since they came into our lives. We had talked a little about getting dogs again after our sweet pup passed away in June, but thought we would be waiting till the summer. However, when the opportunity to take these sweet pups home came up in December, we knew they were meant for our family.
The first weekend we had them it snowed non-stop and was below zero degrees for 4 straight days. Needless to say, it was a LONG weekend. I feel like after surviving that, everything else has been easy peezy 🤣.
They are 75% Australian Shepherd and 25% Border Collie….Aussie Collies! Aussies are known for being very energetic, very smart, very loyal, excellent herding skills and thrive in an active home. Lucky for them, I have 2 very active little boys that love to play outside with them. They also LOVE playing in the snow. There have been many nights when I let them outside right before bed, it’s started snowing and they just want to stay out and play!
Since we essentially started over with these little guys, we had to get all of the essentials (bowls, toys, grooming, treats, etc.) again, so I wanted to share some of the items we got that they are really loving.
I love that the pups can ride in the car with us and still be safe (and comfortable). The beds are super comfortable and have hooks for the top of your seats and a longer strap for behind the seat to secure it. I also love that it has a leash attachment, so they are secure and safe. Once they level out on their growth a little more, we will get harnesses for them and attach the leash to that.
The first week or two of having them we tried SO many different bones. We’d been warned that Aussies are chewers, so I wanted to be prepared. The ONLY bones that they have consistently loved are the Canine Chews. I love even more that they are a family business and regularly check in with us to see how we are liking their product. So far their favorite is the chicken wrapped twists!
I hate leaving dog food in the bag. My type-A personality needs a container and place for everything. I love this collapsible food storage container because it’s air tight, takes up very little space in my pantry and has an easy to open lid on the top, so it makes it super easy for the boys to feed the pups without making a big mess!
Any day that it is sunny, the pups take full advantage of playing outside. They really love an afternoon nap in my planters!
We started out with regular dog bowls, but the pups were scarfing their food down and then having tummy issues later. I had never heard of slow feed dog bowls until I started searching for upset tummy solutions. These have been such a game changer. Not only does it make them eat their food slower, therefore easier to digest, but it also stimulates them mentally.
Another thing I had never heard of is lick mats! When I was telling my hairdresser that we were getting 2 puppies, she immediately told me I had to get lick mats - especially for really cold days. There’s lots of benefits for lick mats, including creating a calming effect (due to the endorphins released during the licking motion) and channels and expends energy. So far, I’ve used peanut butter, Greek yogurt and mashed bananas on them. Another tip is to FREEZE them. It provides an extra layer of mental stimulation for your pups!
These sweet boys have fit into our family seamlessly and we couldn’t imagine life without them in it!