Go ahead and read my post below. I posted it almost 2 years ago as we were preparing to parent our daughter. Let me just tell you, I don't regret writing it and I still remember how I felt...but having a human baby child on top of 2 fur-babies has been quite an adventure. Oh yeah and then we got a puppy, LOL!
I have 10 times the empathy for the people who parent these duo & multiple specicies families. It's not a simple concept! You've got to keep everyone as happy, safe and generally as content as possible.

SUPERVISION is KEY!!! But guess what? It's not always possible. You think you're supervising by having 2 parents on each side of the baby at about a 5 foot radius, then a dog plays with a ball a bit too close to the baby and when he goes to pounce on the ball (as he has for all of his life), he scratches said baby across the lip scarring her for life. (Yep, it's been almost a year, that scratch is still there) whoopsie.

Dogs need to go potty, but baby wants to follow and there are stairs she doesn't need to be waddling by. Dogs want to get into a simple quarrel but baby is nearby. Baby wants to stick her hand in the dog food bowl, baby wants to dump the water dish, lay on the dog, pull their fur, smack them, etc. and it never stops!

Now let me give Lynx some credit at almost 21 months old. She's learning. It's always been important to us that even though she wants to be "rude" to the dogs that we give her guidance to treat them better. She probably knows better boundaries with dogs in general than most kids twice her age. But the first 15 months were generally rough and we had to keep adjusting life to suit the needs of all of our kids.

Then we got a puppy named Ziti in May. She's great, but she's a puppy. Let's just say she's amazing, and she's a stinker, and it has been way easier to raise her than this little human girl.

So the easiest route for us all now? MANAGEMENT! Don't be afraid of this technique. It means using multiple tools like baby gates, kennels and closed doors to make sure everyone is happy in the space they are provided.

I will stop babbling now, but if you ever meet me in person you'll understand that I probably could have kept going on for an entire book...Maybe someday?

All kiddos whether furry and four-legged or walking, crawling or scooting on 2-4 limbs at a time are not simple and putting them together is what can make things a bit complicated. BUT they are ALL WORTH IT!

We're expecting our 3rd child.  The first 2 have fur covered bodies and walk on 4 legs.  I didn't give birth to them, but I'm thankful for their mother's who did. I've been their mommy since they were babies.  We've been doing this parent thing for years! For example, we've:

• Spent restless nights trying to kennel train (and failing early with Morzy, only completing the task with her as an adult dog),
• Cleaned up countless accidents-some potty related and some destruction
• Dealt with dog versions of temper tantrums, and behavioral issues
• Faced both emergency (seizures, broken claws, lacerations) and non-emergency health concerns (routine vet visits, vaccinations, teeth cleaning/extractions, spay/neuter)
• Of course cared for them daily, i.e. feeding routines, potty breaks/training, and of course loved, snuggled and played with them.
• ...and so much more with these 2. crazy kids

They have given me confidence (over 11 years) in my abilities to mother a human child and that their daddy and I have a good understanding about how to split tasks.  Dog's are much more complicated than anyone gives them credit for and dedicated pet parents don't get enough credit!

I know it won't be easy, and I'm not expecting to be a perfect parent. All I'm just saying is I've got experience as a parent and I look forward to sharing my journey as a parent to both with you all soon!

Check out our newest video interview about the Yellow Dog Project by WJMN Channel 3 News:

We were so thankful to be invited to speak on a topic that is so important to us!

An email has been in my spam folder since last Wednesday, and coming back to work today I went to clean it out. It stated:
"Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully passed the examination to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge & Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA)® given in October 2015."
Thank you to everyone for your support and your volunteered time. I still have more certifications I'd like to achieve but this makes me so HAPPY!...
What all this means: I got my CPDT-KA in October 2014 which meant I was tested on my knowledge of dog training, this year I was tested on my skills and passed! This is the highest certification a Dog Trainer can achieve. Next on the list, although it will surely take a few years: Certified Behavior Consultant Canine, (CBCC-KA) smile emoticon

Finally, if your dog is getting into things whether they are 10 years old or 10 weeks old, they may be bored.  No doubt you've been busy getting gifts, cleaning up the house for visitors, cooking, and continuing with your day to day routine, which may have left little time for your furry baby.  They love us unconditionally so don't feel too bad, just take some extra time to give them some exercise, buy them a chew or puzzle toy, or teach them a new trick. If your dog doesn't already understand how to "Drop/Give" items, now's a great time to teach them!

All in all, remember your dogs at this time of year. They'll thank you for it! As all dog parents know we must continue to attempt to be the people they already think we are. ​

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!​

Vicky and the morning crew at TV6 invited us back again to talk more about our Pack Walks. The clip was from June 5th but I just found it on youtube ;-) We love going to the station everyone is so friendly!