So, you may not know this, but Eyes Lips Face, more commonly referred to as e.l.f., released a new skin care line available at Walmart recently, and I was one of the lucky few to get my hands on the trial edition last weekend. I also snagged some night cream from the line, but the cashier I had was a rather old, mean lady that refused to sell it to me because it was not in the system. The cashiers I’ve had previously that came across this problem would simply asked me, “how much did the item cost”, and I would give my answer and then they would simply enter into the cash register that they sold item for such amount. Obviously, this lady wasn’t going to take anybody for their word and said, “well I can’t sell this to you, sorry.” Honestly, even if I tried to debate this, it would literally take forever for some night cream, so I figured to the heck with it!
First off, I like the simplicity of the packaging and the neutral color choice, it just gets across that it’s here to clean your mess of a face up. I have used this now for about two weeks and it makes my face feel fresh and definitely moisturized. My face is baby smooth and I really love that e.l.f. Is a cruelty-free company, so I know that animals are not being tested on for selfish esthetic needs. The price definitely appeals to me as well, as expensive skin care lines beg you to sign up for an automatic reorder (when a trial hasn’t even started). I was hesitant about and illuminating eye cream in the skin routine care, but now I have noticed how my bags are slowly fading and I look much more rested, whether I get the needed rest or not!
My few complaints are that the face wash bottle has a faulty cap that sometimes doesn’t secure properly, leading to spilt dreams. Also, the pump for the moisturizer doesn’t pump the right amount of product very well. I often have to take it off completely. Other than the mechanical set backs, the products are well made and smell great. I can tell a difference in my skin, including the disappearance of dark under bags, a brighter and clearer complexion, and less oil buildup. Overall, I think that this skin line is a definite try.
e.l.f. Skincare Starter Kit:
Daily Face Cleanser, 3.71 fl oz; Daily Hydration Moisturizer, 2.53 fl oz; Illuminating Eye Cream, 0.49 oz
Daily Face Cleanser gently cleanses and hydrates
Illuminating Eye Cream helps moisturize delicate under-eye area
Daily Hydration Moisturizer hydrates and nourishes
So a lot, and I mean a lot, has happened over the past two to three weeks. My life has decided to completely fall apart leaving me in many severed pieces. First off, I’m newly single. Almost a two-year relationship over. I’m a little broken inside, but I will move on. I will find the man of my dreams, who will treat me with the respect and love I deserve. So I moved in with my mom. Lots of boxes, lots of arguing, lots of pain (physical and emotional). My life continues to shred: my computer crapped out, I quit my job due to pain and school, and I had a visit with two doctors, who basically are predicting I will be in pain for the rest of my life. Real peachy, right? So I’m a broken pathetic mess. My hair is now blonde and I’d like to go icy blonde. After your heart is torn into pieces, all you can think about is changing your physical appearance and yourself, so that’s what I’m doing. I have more posts planned, but with no computer and my lovely life, things are a bit delayed. All I can say is in the Fall Out’s likeness, please stand by.
After much thinking and soul searching, I decided to finally take the leap and dye my hair pink! I originally was thinking a pale pink would be gorgeous, but my hair is far too dark to transform that quickly, so with the help from Kaylah from The Dainty Squid’s Hair Master Post (who recommended the hair therapy session mask, placenta leave-in conditioner, and boar brush), I picked out the perfect hair items to achieve my raspberry locks.
It took me about a week to prepare my hair for the bleaching process. My natural hair is curly and a dark brown. I have never entirely bleached my hair and the past experience I have with it, I let a friend ruin the ends of my long hair because she had no idea what she was doing. I almost always go to a stylist recently since I know I am not an expert, but I used to color my hair reds and browns and blacks myself because my hair does not hold color well at all, so I knew I would have to bleach to see any results at all.
The Therapy Session Hair Maskis a deep conditioning treatment that repairs and strengthens dry and damaged hair. Hair is left hydrated, smooth and manageable. KERAVIS PROTEIN – Clinically proven 3X stronger hair. ARGAN OIL – Feeds hair with Vitamins A & E, Omegas 3, 6, 9
The Hask Placenta Super Leave-in Conditioning Treatmentrestores life & lustre to bleached, tinted, damaged & relaxed hair. Instant Hair Conditioning Treatment is excellent for all types of hair that has been abused by the heat of blow dryers, Curling irons, tinting, bleaching, relaxing, frequent shampooing & overexposure to the sun. Works Instantly to restore life & lustre to dry brittle hair. This product is not tested on animals.
Making sure you have time to really give your natural hair some TLC before you bleach is extremely important to prevent major damage and hair breakage, that will just leave you traumatized and your hair beyond repair.
Here are products I recommend you should also acquire for maintaining healthy hair. I use As I Am Naturally Leave-in Conditioner as well to add some extra moisture to my hair and also promote hair growth. I like this product because it doesn’t weight down my hair and make it feel greasy, so I usually put this on after the placenta leave-in, but either way would work.
Here’s my natural dark hair after conditioning treatment, placenta leave-in, and brushing with the boar brush.
As I Am Naturally Leave-in Conditioner, a great leave-in is a vital first step in styling. Smooth it on after cleansing and conditioning. Your finished style will be softer shinier and more manageable. This natural wonder keeps tangles away and provides a great foundation for natural styling. It contains an organic strengthening agent, plus natural ingredients that promote hair growth.
Another great product to try, if you don’t want to use the Eva•NYC Hair Mask, is Davine’s Nounou Nourishing Hair Mask for Dry Hair or Nounou Nourishing Repairing Mask for Dry and Brittle Hair that I use here. They both smell amazing and were recommended to me by a stylist I visited in Austin during a lightening treatment several years back.
Nonou Nourishing Hair Mask for Dry Hair – Nourishing and repairing mask for damaged or very dry hair. ideal for bleached hair, with highlights, perm or relaxed. Its formula is designed to deeply nourish treated hair, it also makes it soft and silky, giving it body. it does not weigh down the hair.
I did one oil treatment and am planning on doing weekly treatments that stimulate hair growth that I discovered from this infographic on pinterest (source unknown). I have read that it is also healthy to massage your scalp with the oil on as well.
Down to the bleaching process. Some people have recommended using the bleach over an oil of some sort to further protect your hair, but I decided not to go with this option. I used Radical Bleach Kit from Beyond the Zone from Sally Beauty as recommended by Kaylah. (They also have a Color Remover if you absolutely HATE your results). On Thursday night I did the test strip. I wanted to give myself plenty of time to complete the full process, so spread the process out over two days. The test strip test tells you how long you need to leave on your bleaching mix without destroying your hair. Although it gives you estimates on the package as you what time is needed for hair colors, check your color every ten minutes, by having a spray bottle of water near by and spraying the bleach off and rubbing with a damp paper towel.
I ended up having to leave mine on for two hours for my test strip as I have very DARK hair, but on the day of bleaching (Friday) I quickly learned that roots are much different than other hair and lightened at a much more rapid pace than expected. I had to remove the bleach from my roots with a spray bottle and paper towel way earlier than expected. So, I recommend your test strip starts from root to tip!
Tips: Avoid getting the bleach on your skin because it will burn. If you use foil, make sure you get BOTH sides of the strands of hair. Use a buddy if at all possible. If you are alone and like it that way, a couple of mirrors might be able to do the trick, but be ready to do touch ups over the next few days. Also, this hair cap look can terrify your dogs, so don’t take it personally. They still love you and your transformation, your hat just is alarming.
Bleaching Process took around two hours and was immediately washed out afterwards.
Purple Shampoo – purple shampoo is know to take out unwanted yellow and orange tones from bleached hair, although obviously my cheapo ways didn’t help as I tried to borrow some from work for dogs. I am not sure what works the best, but I have heard good things about this brand. Here’s an alternative, I have found, and here is what I used (you can laugh). Smelled good regardless and I knew I was coloring soon, so it didn’t bother me too much. I of course used my hair mask and left it on a bit longer than usual (about 10 minutes) and rinsed well with cold water. It is important to use cold water to rinse your hair, now that it will be bleached and colored to maintain the bright color you desire.
After the bleaching process, “purple shampoo”, hair therapy mask and spray, and drying
I slept in my newly blonde mixture overnight, to give about twelve hours of relaxing between. I then started my coloring!
Colors: This is totally up to you! Reds? Blues? Greens? You choose! You can get some inspiration from my hairstyle board if you choose to. I don’t recommend Manic Panic as it just does NOT stick to my hair at all and just washes all out, and the cheaper the price, usually the cheaper the quality. I personally chose Punky Colours by Jerome Russell in Flamingo Pink, as recommended by Kaylah as well, to start my color transition. I’ve heard great things about oVertone Haircare products being wonderful, but they are on the more pricy side. I ended up buying the pale pink set, but I returned it, after deciding I may not want to have colored hair for very long as my situation has made an 180º turn around.
The Dyeing Process!
I dyed my hair accordingly to the Punky Colour (available at Ulta and Amazon) instructions (15-30 minutes) leaving it on for about 20-25 minutes. The smell was wonderful (like raspberries) and I tried my best to fill in every single hair spot, although I had to go back the next day and re-bleach and re-color a few stranglers. I did however have a not so good “reaction” to the Punky Colour dye. I began feeling sick automatically after applying. I had my epipen near by to make sure my airway would not close up, as I have severe allergies to some spices and certain unknown things. I felt sick to my stomach the entire time it was on my head and I washed it off at 20 minutes after forming a headache. I suffered from a headache the entire day after that, but I don’t know if it would be related to the possible chemicals in the dye or not.
In the end, I loved my outcome! I later bleached my eye brows and dyed them to match my flamingo pink hair, but after some deep consideration, I plan on dyeing them back to my natural hair color because it just is a bit too much for me believe it or not. I have gotten so many compliments on how much my hair is amazing. I work at hair color acceptance place (although surprise!, my two weeks was submitted yesterday, later more to come on this) and absolutely love showing off my unique hairstyles! Also, I have to say I take WAY better care of my hair now then I ever did when it was natural.
Toying with the idea of bleaching my hair and going for a metallic blush hair. Pros? Cons? I would do it myself, which may not be a good idea, but I’ve never had funky colored hair. I think it would be interesting and I think I would love it.
Just a few of our favorite wishes we wanted to share with our pawesome followers. Check out XBOX’s new design laboratory, where you can design your very own custom engraved controller in any color combination you can think of! Also, we recently stumbled across PrideBites: the coolest company that allows you to add your pet’s photo and name to their merchandise which includes dog clothing, placemats, bed, and more! One last thing! We love BarkShop, so many of Mav’s wishes come from there! We hope you like our lists and add some of our picks to yours!
Think about how much you spend on your dog each month. Toys, Treats, Food, and various goodies. If you are thinking you roughly spend $20 or more, then you might want to consider subscribing to BarkBox! I first signed Mavis up for BarkBox back in May after seeing an advertisement for the first month free. I had been getting her treats on a monthly basis as it is, so I figured I might as well try it out. I think it’s safe to say that Mav is a major fan.
Mavis with her very first BarkBox
When I saw Mavis’s package on the front porch, I squealed with delight and brought it to the kitchen. I immediately got my squirmy little puglet and began opening it for her. Mav could automatically smell the goodies inside, so she anxiously waited to see what delighted her little nose. The second I got the box open, Mavis leaped over and pulled out the Liberty Ball and went to town. Although the photos may look put together, putting the items back in the box to snap a photo proved more difficult than it looks. This pug baby wanted her treats! Each box has a theme and May’s box happened to be The New York Collection that featured adorable toys to fit in.
Mav is absolutely obsessed with her toys. She constantly is playing with them! The treats are also a hit with both her and Eli (my boyfriend’s Pomeranian). She gets a Nature Bit’s Bison treat with every lunch and she absolutely adores them! 10/10 for May’s Box.
This past Saturday, Mav got her second BarkBox: The Great Outdoors. Again she was definitely delighted! The toys were extremely cute and the designs were adorable: a pan of bacon and eggs and a S’more! However, the S’more toy was not well made: the materials are awkward for a dog toy and Mavis has already ripped a whole in it after a day of play. Ironically, the S’more dog toy is under the “Heavy Duty” section in the BarkShop. The pan is cute, but a bit awkward, but Mav doesn’t seem to mind and enjoys squeaking away and trying to take the bacon out of the pan. The Bison Cookout Cookies seem to be a favorite for Mav, but the Mutt Mallows make a big mess and are a bit too oversized for this tiny girl! June’s Barkbox 7/10. We both are excited to see what July’s box will bring! Both Mav and Eli love the treats and can enjoy them all month long before the next batch comes in. Also, if we decide to part ways with BarkBox in the future, we will have our favorites picked out for single purchase!
The tiny house movement has taken the nation by storm and with economic and environment friendly options, it’s no clue as to why. I have definitely spent the past couple of years drooling over the amazing tiny houses that have been produced by talented designers across the U.S. Why are so many people turning to tiny houses as their dream retirement homes? I believe it is because of a few intelligent reasons. Firstly, the house is relatively affordable. You can have the house designed to fit your exact liking using maximize space. Usually these houses can be easily transported to your desired location. Unlike your standard house, tiny houses are often mobile and can essentially travel with you across thousands of miles! Just think, you never have to pack and unpack boxes for moving again if you tire of your surroundings! Most people choose a scenic location to enjoy their small living, but city options are also available. Plus, you won’t have to worry about loud neighbors for long. Another perk of a small house, easy cleanup. If you have a small living space, you automatically will clean after yourself more because you will see your “mess” every day if you don’t. No more wasted hours spring cleaning. You’ll maximize your space with clever storage options that will help effectively tackle your clutter. Although it will initially be a huge downsize in most cases, the space one lives in does not determine happiness; the people you surround yourself and how you respond to circumstances does. The environment friendly houses are decreasing the space that takes to permanently place a house, reducing the “footprint” left on our precious land. Many small houses include eco-friendly appliances and water options to reduce pollution.
I personally, want a tiny house because I often get overwhelmed at the house chores that get piled up and ignored over weeks and weeks. Often we have the “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” living concept, which becomes pretty embarrassing with unexpected visitors. I live with my boyfriend, his brother, and three pets, but I spend about 95+% time in my bedroom alone, which is about 200 square feet, so I already appreciate a cozy living space. Everything you need is close by, which means you don’t have to run across a cold tile floor, half naked, for a midnight snack. A small place is practical for my anxiety as well because I feel comfortable in small space, almost as if it is a blanket wrapping around me. My collections can actually be appreciated on a daily basis and not just displayed in an empty spare bedroom. The temperature also can be easily regulated. Think how economically friendly heating and cooling a small place is, in comparison to a large space. The entire space will actually feel the temperature you are desiring and you won’t feel frustrated with constant temperature adjusting that just never reaches you. I won’t have the panic that I feel when I cannot locate my troublesome hiding kitty cat as I would be able to see him from almost any location in the house!
Of course sacrifices must be made for a small house. Limited space means limited belongings. This includes clothing, shoes, furniture, décor, dvds, etc. Since I am at such a young age right now, I do not have many possessions that I deem necessary to hold on to, so a tiny house might just be the perfect option for someone like me. I also know that I would like to relocate in the future depending on where my career and schooling takes me. My dream location is somewhere around the Washington or Oregon area where I would love to hike in my spare time and enjoy beautiful nature. If you haven’t considered a small house, I definitely think you should consider it an option. Think about living your life practically loan free for permanent housing! If that doesn’t hook you, the previous perks mentioned above might just sway you. I’ve included some tiny houses that I am head over hills in love with. I am especially smitten with shipping container homes too!
Some of my past readers may have noticed that I “revamped” my blog and change a few thing around, but that doesn’t change the fact that this my personal blog and I use it to talk about my struggles with severe depression and anxiety, my Chiari Malformation diagnosis. I think most people are terrified that they are alone and so if this can give my readers a sense of unification or understanding, then my job is done.
So many things have occurred since I last chimed in. First of all, I have a “new” position at the same job as a dog bather. I basically wash and deshed (which is a number of hair removing techniques), brush teeth, clean ears, brush out, remove mats, and give pawdicures to lovely (mostly, although some are plain assholes) little and HUGE doggies. I like this position better because I don’t have to put as much stress on my neck and back as I did as a playroom attendant. I also feel like my job does have purpose. I got to make an adoptee Dalmatian mix all pretty in hopes of getting adopted and a freshly adopted Chow mix a deshed and brush after being severely neglected. My shift hours are also amazing for my chronic pain. I work 10 am – 3:30/4pm, which gives me enough time to sleep in and prepare myself for the shift and also allows me to have time to relax and unwind when I get home. I usually come home and lay on my heat pad for a couple hours. I work Monday-Friday, which is great, as well, because I get the weekend off to spend with my mom, but also having a schedule is good for my depression and anxiety.
I have slacked off a bit in Mav’s training, but we have come LEAPS and BOUNDS since my last post. I had a severe major depression episode and was completely upset after having some really hard personal news hit. I was shaking and wishing that I was not here. I finally let Mavis out and she immediately came over and laid on my upper arm by my face and just stayed still. I didn’t teach this to her at all, but she knew that her mom needed her help. She did so amazing and I felt like all my training had been justified. I also took her with me to a psychologist appointment and she did wonderful! She remembered her blanket commands and sat on her blanket and ignored the door opening! She had little slip ups in the hour long appointment: barking at a plant, falling asleep, and being a little restless. She tooted and snored in the room and my therapist couldn’t help but laugh.
I’ve been trying to cope recently with my chronic pain and anxiety. Today was very difficult in terms of pain. The back of my head had a weird pressure feeling right where my cerebral tonsils are (where my surgical incision is). I also had bad neck and back pain and weird muscle cramping. I thought about asking to go home early, but stuck it out. I got home and used my heat pad for about two hours straight. Tomorrow I am heading to Lubbock for my cousin’s wedding and will be taking my best little pug with me. She won’t be going to the actual wedding because she isn’t that ready to be in public. I get very anxious around event like these. A lot of people make me extremely anxious and then also being judged around family is a worrisome of mine. Hopefully all goes well.
This past week has been an especially difficult one. I worked Monday thru Friday, which as a part time employee is a rarity. Getting through the week is an achievement for me with the much needed reward of a weekend of rest (for the most part, minus chores). I talked to my NS and it has been concluded that I need to have genetic testing done to determine if I have any underlying conditions. One suspect in mind is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of disorders that affect the connective tissues that support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Defects in connective tissues cause the signs and symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which vary from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications.
After talking at length with several members of my Chiari support group, it was suggested that I may be suffering from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and that my Chiari might actually be a secondary condition caused by the EDS. I have suffered from frequent dislocations and sprains since the age of ten without much of answer as why. I have hypermobility of my joints and my skin has always been very smooth, but I generally develop keloids when healing from surgical incisions.
One condition that EDS can cause is Craniocervical Instability (CCI), or the instability of the craniocervical junction due to the lack of connective tissue support. The condition mainly occurs from repetitive stretch injuries of the neck (which can cause Chiari Malformation, nerve dysfunction, thickened odontoid capsule, retroflexed odontoid, and cranial settling [source]). Unfortunately EDS can only be managed and there are no definite treatments. CCI, however, may be helped drastically with a craniocervical fusion where the skull would be pulled upward into the correct position.
I’m not sure what the future holds for me. I have an appointment with the rheumatologist for additional testing on July 18th and I will be tested for EDS along with other rheumatic diseases to see why I am having this chronic pain. For now, I am back to wearing a soft cervical collar when I am not at work. It’s not the most fashionable of things, but it does provide a bit of relief. If you have to wear a cervical collar, too, you might want to try a collar to snazz your look up.
When first deciding to get a puppy, it can be quite difficult to determine what he or she needs and what will make life easier for the both of you. I made a list of items that I ended up purchasing for Mavis and will reveal what has and hasn’t worked.
Crates and Beds
Puppies are so full of energy and deciding where they are going to sleep and be during most of the day needs a lot of analyzing. For Mav, I bought a small pink crate for the purposes of a comfy sleeping place and for potty crate training. Most people discipline their puppy with crated time outs, but it’s important that the puppy associates the crate with more than just a form of punishment. We want puppy to recognize that the crate is a safe place that they can go to relax. That’s why I put it in a comfortable space next to my bed (being in a familiar area, not secluded is key). Mav doesn’t get nearly as upset when she can see her momma and knows I’m close by. When choosing the size of the crate, of course, you want to accomodate the puppy’s growing size, but you also need to consider if the crate is going to be where you leave the puppy when you are not home. If it is, then the crate should be placed in a gated off tile-floored area, especially if you are gone for several hours. This way, your little one can potty, get water/food, and play while you are out of the house. Upon brining Mavis home, I used the round faux-shearling cup bed to transport her and she loved it! She still uses her bed to relax in, although I keep an eye on her when she is using this one because Mav loves to dig and chew on her bed.
Toys and Activities
On to the TOYS. Mavi’s favorite subject. I bought her a variety of different toys, although I already had a few from our other dog, Eli and cat, Oliver. Mavis loves her small Kong stuffies! Elmer the Elephant and Ali the Alligator are often her go to durable babies. Her all time favorite toys are her pink Nylabone that I keep in her carseat and her mini Ewok toy (they seem to be out of the Ewok cat toy edition, but here is the Chewbacca version)! I purchase the cat toys because they are more suited for her size, but avoid cat nip and feathers! The Kong rope toy and Nylabone teething ring do not seem to keep her interest for long, so I wouldn’t have purchased these had I known that beforehand, but every dog is different and your baby might love them. The teething ring is also really hard! I thought it would have been somewhat soft and rubbery, but it’s just hard plastic, another reason why I don’t think she is fond of it. I love hiding Ziggies (although after the second bag, I moved to cheaper alternatives) and other treats into her Kong and she loves trying to get them out! This will keep your pup busy for a while, which is always appreciated and it challenges your pup with the promise of a tasty reward. Mav also loves playing with a little stuffed pug my boyfriend got for me when we first started dating and tennis balls! My mom recently gifted a cat tunnel that splits into three ways and both Mavis and Oliver are big fans!
Potty Training
For housebreaking I wanted to get a pad holder basically so it would be easier for her to identify where she should go potty, but furthermore so she refrains from shredding or flipping her pads over. Sometimes this works and sometimes she loves to chew at the snap hands until it unsnaps and she get to the pad (to shred). She is a master at shredding pads. Make sure to make notice what size the pad holder is, so you can correspond with the right size potty pads. I fold the edges of my potty pads up to tuck the ends in. I always keep some Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer for carpet mistakes. I learned the hard way the using pee pads isn’t a great idea for puppy to potty train because towel, rugs, and carpets feel too similar and Mav got confused. I do not punish her for going in the wrong spot, but now just immediately pick her up if she is going or about to go and walk her outside. Your puppy shouldn’t associate going to the bathroom with you yelling at them, otherwise they may hide from you and then go (making sneaky hidden messes). Also, rubbing their noses in their accidents is also discouraged because puppies have such a short memory span and are so young that they do not associate why you are punishing them and will become fearful. I bought a pooper scooper with the fear that she, like most puppies, would want to eat her and Eli’s poop, but luckily I was blessed with just a sniffer (the sniff to see if this is mine and run). I think it is something good to have on hand if you like to have backyard get-togethers in order to clean the area beforehand. Poop should be immediately picked up if the little one is indulging in this mysterious and nasty habit. It is really important to discourage puppy from this behavior as it can spread parasites and illnesses. I eventually want to try to use the tinkle bells to help teach Mav to ring the bell when she needs to go outside, but we have yet to cross that bridge with all that is going on.
Health
Keeping Mavis healthy is one of my main priorities and having worked at a vet clinic for over two years, I know quite a lot about different products. First off, deciding on a food for puppy can be challenging when there are so many options and all the brands claim they are the best. The veterinarians I have worked for have only backed the brands Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, and IAMS for puppies as their formulas are overall the best on the market and provide the perfect nutritional balance. For Mavi, I went with Hill’s Science Diet Small & Toy Breed Puppy food. It is so important to get puppy food for a puppy (versus Adult food, etc.) to meet their special nutritional needs. Feed BY the bag and not by what you think is enough to prevent over or under feeding. Avoid self feeders, as many dogs gorge themselves, leading to obesity. This also doesn’t provide a well set schedule for puppy.
I also recommend getting puppy grooming supplies. Puppies and dogs have different pH levels than humans, so buying them shampoo specified by their species is important. I decided to go with Burt’s Bees Puppy Shampoo because their cruelty free and I, myself, use Burt’s Bees for some of my grooming needs. I also purchased a dremel to keep Mav’s nails smooth. Puppies have super sharp nails usually, so the dremel can really help if you know how to use it. If you don’t know how, I recommend either youtube or asking your groomer/veterinarian if they could show you. Having a basic ear cleaner on hand is also recommended to keep puppy’s ears clean and free of debris. I clean Mavi’s ears twice a month to prevent the dreaded stinky ear infections and buildup. I recommend only using cotton balls, as Q-tips can potentially be shoved deep in the ear canal and can hurt the puppy’s ears.
Dental care is one of the most common issues that pet owners forget about, but it is so important if you want a long life for your best friend. If dental care is neglected, eventually your pal can and will get periodontal disease which can spread through the bloodstream and cause a number of serious health issues! I wanted to get Mav prepared early, although puppy’s teeth are usually in great condition and don’t need much help until they are 1.5-2 years old. I bough a toothbrush to help aid in getting Mav used to the teeth brushing habit. Ideally brushing your pet’s teeth three times a week is preferred (seems like too much, but it can save a lot of money in the end and it is good for your pup!) Dental chews are also highly recommended. I buy some veterinary recommended chews with enzymes added to help breakdown plaque.
Pugs and other flat faced breeds have short snouts and their noses can become very dry (as they are “smushed” in), therefore nose butter is a good idea to use weekly. The Blissful Dog has nose butter specially made for pugs in various sizes to cure the chapped blues. I also clean Mav’s face wrinkles with unscented baby wipes to avoid any hidden debris or dirt from building up and causing infections.
Training Necessities
Since Mav is training to be a service dog, I have a vest for her that reads Service Dog In Training and has her name embroidered on it, a leash cover that is used to warn off strangers from distracting Mav from her duties, and an awesome patch to educate the ignorant. To aid in training I use a Rapid Rewards training pouch to have quick and easy access to rewards for a job well done. Along with the pouch, tasty treats are also recommended (sparingly) alongside their regular kibble. I found these treats that are moist and one of my little one’s favorites. I also purchased these, but they were too large to use as rapid rewards, so I had to cut them in half beforehand. They also are rather hard and difficult for Mav to chew. Because Mavis goes with me to so many different places via car ride, I wanted to maximize her safety. In some countries it is illegal to have an animal that is unsecured in the car! I bought her, her very own booster car seat that allows me to clip her in by the harness (sold separately) into a little seat/basket which attaches to the car’s seat. It also come with little pockets in the front that I keep toys in that keep her occupied (so that she won’t chew on the safety belt). I feel safer knowing that Mav won’t go flying through the windshield should there ever be an accident. You might think this is a little excessive, but I saw a case last year that made me more aware of pet safety: a pet mom and her furry friend were in a serious car accident. The pup broke his neck and had to be euthanized after suffering for over twenty-four hours (the neighbor had taken him to the emergency vet on the night of the car accident, who didn’t notice the broken neck. The next day the neighbor brought him into the clinic I was working in with complaints that something was not right with him and he was not walking, eating, or drinking). I also bought and extra seatbelt for when I am traveling in someone else’s car. This allows her to be safely buckled in without a special seat for her to sit in.
Identification
Last but not least, the basic necessities: collars, leashes, and tags. I originally purchase this collar as it was cheap and durable, but Mav was so tiny, that I had to get a temporary kitten collar for her to use until last week. I already had an extra leash from Petsmart, so there was no need to get a new one. Finally because I have such high anxiety about social situations, I ordered my tags online along with a super cute strawberry bell. All my items I purchased online through Amazon (choose smile.amazon.com to donate a percentage to your chosen charity. I chose People Hope), with the exception of a few items I bought at Walmart and Petco.
I hope that this will help make puppy decisions easier. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask!
Must Love Pugs 
