The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association has declared today, August 15th, National Check the Chip Day.

I’m the kind of dog Mom that constantly worries something might spook my dog and she’ll run off or get lost if her leash breaks. What if she slips out of her harness? Or someone opens the door and doesn’t notice that she went outside? I think you get the overprotective picture. That’s why getting Sadie microchipped was on the top of my new puppy to do list. Not only does a microchip help ensure her safety if she ever gets lost, but it also goes a long way to ensuring my piece of mind.

So one of the first things I asked the vet at Sadie’s very first appointment was how to get her microchipped. I was told that it was a simple procedure where a needle would be used to insert the grain of rice sized microchip under Sadie’s skin by her shoulder blades. My vet recommended having the microchip implanted at the same time as the surgery to have Sadie spayed. That way she would already be under anesthesia and wouldn’t feel any discomfort from the microchip needle. However, we’ve already established that I’m overly cautious with my dog and spaying/neutering doesn’t happen until the dog is at least six months old. I had a dilemma. Choose the route that would be most comfortable for Sadie and get her microchipped at six months old, or risk her discomfort and insist it was done sooner. My decision was made when I got the opportunity to go on vacation and had to leave five month old Sadie home with a friend. I was nervous about her getting away from me without having a microchip, but I simply couldn’t sleep with the thought of her getting lost while I’m on vacation without the safety net of a microchip. Sadie had her microchip implanted the very next week, and she showed no signs of discomfort whatsoever. It was just like getting any other shot for Sadie, and thankfully she is a better sport than most humans about getting shots.

Now, two years later, I’m still extremely happy about my decision to have Sadie microchipped. It brings me such peace of mind to know that Sadie has identification on her that can never be lost or misplaced. If the unthinkable happens and she goes missing, I know I’ve done absolutely everything I can to ensure she is brought home to me safely.

And that brings us back to today, National Check the Chip Day. Once your pet is microchipped, your contact info as that animal’s owner is permanently stored in the microchip company’s database. But what if your contact info changes? Moving can be a very stressful and hectic time, especially when dealing with pets. Your pets’ microchip information may never cross your mind. Or maybe you recently got a fancy new cell phone, which came with a new cell phone number. That’s what today is for – to remind all pet owners to double check their contact information with their microchip company. If your pet’s microchip lists the wrong address or phone number, you may lose your best chance to bring your lost pet home to you.

This post is part of Life With Beagle‘s Microchip Information blog hop.

This post is also part of Rascal and Rocco‘s Pet Parade blog hop.

Has anyone else found it incredibly difficult getting a license for their dog?

I always knew that a license was generally something that my city required if you had a dog, but since Sadie is my first dog, I didn’t know any specific details. So as soon as I brought my new puppy home, I called the city to find out what to do. They said call back next year, since dogs doesn’t need a license in my town until they are at least a year old. After Sadie’s first birthday at the end of May last year, I called the city to ask about the paperwork. They said just forget about it until 2014 since she was still a puppy for much of 2013. When January 2014 came around, I went into City Hall myself to do the paperwork. But they refused to give Sadie a license. Apparently in order to get a license in my city, the dog’s rabies shot must be valid through October 31st of that year. Sadie was supposed to get her next rabies shot on October 5th. So I was told that although I’m required by law to have a license for my dog, they couldn’t issue a license for her. Try again next year. This was becoming very frustrating, but I once again put off the issue to be dealt with in 2015.

Then one morning the doorbell rings and Sadie runs to look out the window and starts barking. I go downstairs and find this bright orange notice on my door.

Apparently animal control discovered I had an unlicensed dog and I was required to call them immediately to deal with the issue. So I called in a few times and eventually got someone to answer the phone. I first asked how they knew I had a dog, fearing that some neighbor was complaining for some reason. It turns out my city had hired college students to walk up and down our streets and every time something barked at them, they would check a list and if no dog was listed for that house, they were to leave the animal control notice. So basically Sadie turned herself in. Anyway, I explained the situation to the person on the phone and they confirmed that they could not issue Sadie a license, so nothing could be done until next year. They said there was no need to worry, animal control was just doing a dog census, and were more concerned about accurate numbers than licenses.

About a month later I got a letter in the mail. This time the city threatened to take me to court if I didn’t get Sadie a license. But every time I tried, they refused to give one to her. I couldn’t believe how ridiculous the situation was becoming! While I was still deciding what to do next, I took Sadie to her annual exam and talked to the vet about my issues with the city. She said that Sadie was now an appropriate size for the three year rabies vaccine. So that very day the vet gave Sadie the three year rabies shot so that I could immediately file for a license and wouldn’t have to worry about being taken to court.

Today Sadie’s license finally came in the mail. We are no longer rebels facing a summons to court for failing to possess a license the city refused to give me multiple times. I can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for the next two years. In three years the problem will start all over again, as Sadie’s rabies shot will be up in June, not October.

This post is part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.

This post is also part of the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Love Is Being Owned By a Husky.

Today I have another food-related quirk of Sadie’s to share: she both loves and hates cookies. Sadie cannot stand dog biscuits / dog cookies. She will take one sniff of any cookie-like dog treat and walk away. On her first birthday I made her special dog bone cookies, but she wouldn’t eat them. When we go to the bank or the vet, they try to give Sadie a cookie, but she won’t go near it. However, if Sadie sees, hears, or smells a human food cookie, she desperately wants it. She will beg you relentlessly if you eat a cookie near her, especially if it’s a chocolate chip cookie. There are times when I will take out a chocolate chip cookie and put it on the kitchen table, then leave the room to deal with something else for a while. When I come back to the kitchen, Sadie can usually be found sitting like a guard on the floor, staring up at the spot where to cookie is located on the table. She will make little whining sounds, or sometimes a frustrated bark or two, but otherwise Sadie will not move until that cookie moves. Unfortunately for her, I always refuse to share the cookie when I finally eat it. I’ve taken to handing her the squeaky chocolate chip cookie pictured here in an effort to distract her from the real thing. Sadie enjoys her toy cookie, but always gives me a funny look, as if to say “Mom, why does your cookie smell so much better than mine?”

This post is part of the Tasty Tuesday blog hop hosted by Sugar the Golden Retriever and Kol’s Notes.

Here’s my little puppy Sadie with her very first tennis ball. I remember shopping for everything I’d need to bring home my new puppy and I was so excited to stumble across this package of little pink tennis balls. They were definitely a must have for my new little princess. And in the beginning it was very fun and exciting, just like I’d imagined. I’d throw the ball and my new little puppy would zoom off after it and bring it back somewhere near my general area. It was a wonderful way to bond with my new pup.

Fast forward two years, and now Sadie looks at a tennis ball like it’s any other piece of useless human stuff lying around the house. If I throw the ball for her, she just sits there giving me a look that clearly says, “Why would I want to go after that thing? It doesn’t squeak. It doesn’t dispense food. What’s the point?” I hear all these stories about dogs wanting to play fetch all the time and obsessing over their tennis balls, and mine can’t even be bothered to pick one up. But as Sadie’s vet once told me, “She was bred to be an adorable lapdog and she does that job extremely well. What more could you ask for?”

This post is part of Rascal and Rocco‘s Pet Parade blog hop.

Sadie is not the typical food motivated dog. The vet calls her a grazer; she eats a little at a time and rarely cleans her plate. Because of this I usually leave a bowl of dry food out all the time for her to snack on whenever she feels like it. Normally that’s not a problem, but for some reason Sadie has decided that lately she needs a snack in the middle of the night. I’ll be fast asleep when suddenly I’m woken up by a crunching sound at four in the morning.
I drag myself out of bed and find Sadie in the middle of the living room surrounded by food. She is so picky with her dog food that she takes mouthfuls of food, spreads them out on the living room rug, and goes through the individual pieces, picking out the ones she wants to eat. When she’s done there’s usually a dog food minefield covering the living room floor, waiting for groggy humans too tired to turn the light on to accidentally step on and smash into the carpet.

This post is part of the Tasty Tuesday blog hop. Check out the other tasty morsels listed below!

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