Purple and Paws
Advice and stories from one dog to lover to another
Living a green and eco-friendly life is all the rage these days. Switching out your toxic cleaning products for homemade ones and biking to work more is easy, but have you ever thought about greening your dog’s routine? With a little patience and work, it can be done. Here are some tips for how to …
When I first brought Socks home, I braced myself for his bad side. Yes, he was cute and funny and loved to play with his toys, but I knew he had to have some annoying/destructive quirks. Luckily, he wasn’t into drinking from the toilet or getting into the trash or counter-surfing or finding dirty underwear …
I’ve written two guest posts about what life with a Border Collie is like (Tips for Life with a Border Collie and 8 Things You Should Know If You Want to Adopt a Border Collie). But Socks is also part Aussie. So today I thought I’d share what life is like with an Australian Shepherd.
Chow Chows, Aussies, Saint Bernards, Golden Retrievers, and Wheaten Terriers…what do all these dogs have in common? Double coats. When the words “double coat” are uttered, most people picture a dog with thick, dense hair. The truth is some breeds with double coats don’t need an excessive amount of grooming while others do. Here are …
I’m lucky enough to live half a mile from South Mountain Park, which is one of the biggest deserts in Phoenix. It’s full of trails that Socks and I love to explore. But walking your dog in the desert comes with a set of risks. Here are five tips for anyone who wants to start …
Before I adopted Socks, I knew next to nothing about Border Collies and now I consider myself something of an expert on the breed. So, for your reading pleasure, I present ten interesting facts about Border Collies.
This isn’t going to be the typical ‘5 Reasons Why You Should Walk Your Dog’ post filled with things you already know, such as ‘your dog needs exercise’ (duh), ‘you need exercise’ (double duh), and ‘you don’t want a backyard filled with poop’ (triple duh). While I was walking Socks the other day, I started …
Before Socks, my family owned three dogs. One of them, Misty (picture below), lived for 15 years. The first seven years we had her, she was a perfectly normal dog with a medium coat who only shedded sometimes and itched occasionally. Then, one spring, she started itching constantly. And licking herself. And itching. And licking. …