Aphioni Says…
June 1, 2008
~~~SURPRISE!~~~
Flying Colors with Aphioni has moved- you need to bookmark www.aphioni.com to join the new site and to be eligible for prizes and exclusive deals.
Aphioni Says… is a true blog- the place for all of my thoughts beyond reviews, my personal opinions, everything from wine to dogs, from children to music, and whatever falls in between… you can still read all the reviews written up until May 29, 2008- just access the new site to add your own comments.
Please bookmark www.aphioni.com to join Flying Colors with Aphioni, but hang out with me on a journey thru my mind here…
The expression “a tired dog is a good dog” couldn’t be more accurate than when it’s applied to a Jack Russell Terrier… and it’s no easy task to wear out 17 lbs of energy-filled muscle. We heard horror stories before we added a Jack Russell to our family- hyper, bouncy, non-stop yappiness- and yet we got one anyway. We haven’t regretted a single moment with Beemer, my furry second son! He is none of those negatives, and I owe much of our happiness to the enterprising pet services available so close to home.
Providing the best for our families here in LoCo is easy, four-legged members included. I trained Beemer myself, though there is no shortage competent trainers in town. Barkbusters, Doggy Do Right- my friends and neighbors have had wonderful things to say about both businesses.
I can teach a dog tricks and behavioral commands all day long- but to get The Boy (my then, eight year old son) to actually believe that I know something about training a dog? Impossible. So when it came time to train The Dog to respect The Boy, Basic Training at Petsmart in Leesburg was the right choice to set my boys on the path to a successful pet/master relationship. Convenient, inexpensive, effective- perfect.
Funny- when you invest in a pet- between veterinary bills, a fence, and yes- insurance (The Dog eats blankets) you feed them better than you feed yourself. I’ve scolded The Boy for offering Beemer saturated fat-filled pizza rolls that I insist he must finish before he can have dessert! (Oh, don’t call Child Services just yet- I make the boy eat broccoli too…) Anyway- Beemer has a very clean diet- no corn syrup so he isn’t hyper, salmon oil so his coat shines, and all protein so he eats less. I tried that diet on The Boy by the way- it didn’t take.
Doggone Natural on Ashburn Road provides wonderful options for healthy, organic meals and treats for your pampered pooches and faah-bulous felines. Friends marvel at how muscular and healthy my Beemer is- and I have Doggone Natural to thank for that.
When Beemer joined our family I worked from home; when that gravy train ran out and I had to return to an office. I couldn’t stand the idea of him being home alone all day. Since adding a second dog would mean losing a first husband, I went with plan B- a dog walking service. Two years later, it’s still one of the best luxu-cessities in my life! Woofies comes every day and takes Beemer for an energetic midday walk, and I truly believe it makes a difference in his overall behavior. Though he’s crate trained and physically capable of holding it all day without an accident- why should he have to when fantastic entrepreneurs like Woofies exist? He gets an extra bit of loving, attentive exercise and I get to keep my guilt at bay- no brainer.
LoCo is a wonderful place to raise a family, no matter how many legs the family member has! You can rescue, train and organically feed your pet, have her walked and his poop scooped- Doody Calls! I hope to see a free dog park in the county someday- for now Reston in close enough. Although… after investing in that fence, maybe I’ll arrange doggie playdates in my back yard for a small cover charge… after all- enterprise is the name of the game in this economy!
