Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 5 – Rainbow Bridge, Agility, Daycare Dropout

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Girls with Dogs Podcast Episode 5: sharing our thoughts on when our dogs pass, dog sports, and doggy daycare drop out.

Rainbow Bridge Poem

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in a joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…

Author unknown…

Dog Sports Near Me

I've always wanted to enroll our dogs in some kind of activity. The best that Rodrigo can do is a short pack walk. He's an old guy and although he wants to keep up with his younger siblings, he doesn't have the stamina that he used to have. But the rest of the pack is ripe for a challenge.

Scout would be amazing at dock diving. He loves to fetch and he loves water and it would be fun to see him in action. Zoey would be good at nose work. Her entire time outside is sniffing areas of the property – nothing gets past this girl. And Apollo might be good at lure coursing.

Of course, dogs can be unpredictable, so I may be way off base with my list of what sports my dogs would enjoy. Maybe, their favorite sport is running around our property, sniffing out the rabbits, catching a whiff of coyotes, and snacking on apples and blackberries.

I never took the plunge because I don't have the time to spare, but if you do and you're interested in seeing what your dog could excel at, Google “dog sports near me” to learn more about activities in your area.

Daycare Dropout

When I first learned about doggy daycare, I will admit that I rolled my eyes and labeled this phenomenon “rich people shit.” But after living with dogs and seeing what it takes to raise a well socialized, trained, happy, healthy dog – I now get doggy daycare.

Why Doggy Day Care?

When Apollo joined our family, I enrolled him into Smart Dog Daycare because he had severe sepration anxiety. He was still a puppy and fit in great at the center. Unfortunately, working fulltime an hour from home required us to drop him off daily and that didn't work. Daycare is perfect two to three times a week, not five days in a row. Although he seemed to love it there, Apollo began to get frustrated and it showed in his behavior.

Now, the daycare he attended separates dogs by temperament and matches dogs into groups where they remain. So, when dogs show up, they're not getting to know an entirely new set of dogs on each visit. They go on a day when they get to play with their friends.

For us, doggy daycare was a place to put Apollo while we were at work (he couldn't be trusted to stay at home) that kept him safe and engaged. But after that amazing experience, I now know that doggy daycare offers a lot more than just a day of pet sitting.

Doggy daycare also offers…