Pawderosa Pet Care Blog

After a hard day, what do you look forward to most: taking a run with your pet, or curling up to snuggle together on the couch? If it’s cuddling you crave out of a K9 friendship, then you should check out this list of the most affectionate dog breeds. 

From Chihuahua, to Collie, to Bulldog, to Pomeranian, the article covers 15 breeds that are naturally inclined to love their owners with lots of licks, warmth and affection. Just look at some of the dogs on the list; how can you not love them?! They’re so adorable!  READ MORE

What do you get when a Russian geneticist wants to isolate the genes that make dogs “easy to train”? You get 3,000 foxes on-site at a farm in Siberia, comprised of “rows and rows of sheds that house about a hundred foxes each.” What is this all about? 

In a previous blog post, we covered a recent episode of the show Cosmos: A Space Odyssey which details the evolution of wolves to the modern dog through interaction and, eventually, friendship with humans. In 1954, Dmitry Belyaev “started a fox farm in Siberia and set out to do with foxes in one lifetime what took dogs thousands of years.” 

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Care for a little purring animal along with that latte? Well, hopefully later this year that will be easy to arrange! The race between Portland and San Francisco has begun, as both cities are planning to open the only cat cafes in the entire United States, and both want the title (and bragging rights) of being dubbed the ‘first’. 

KitTea, founded by 3 cat lovers, plans to open its doors in San Francisco this year with the mission “to build a space that is part gourmet tea house, part cat and human oasis.” The trio says they were inspired by Japan’s cafes which have long offered free-roaming kitties for stressed out or pet-deprived customers to play with, relax around and perhaps consider adopting.   READ MORE

Every dog you see today was directly or indirectly sculpted by human hands. Hard to believe? Check out Episode 2, Season 1 of Cosmos: A Space Odyssey! The first 10-15 minutes explains how we directly impacted the evolution of wolves to become modernized dogs, the very ones we love and house in our homes, through a process called artificial selection (the opposite of natural selection). It’s pretty fascinating!

In case you’re short on time, here’s a summary of what the show covers. It begins in the Stone Age, when humans were considered cavemen and the only dogs that existed were wolves. Survival was the aim over anything else at this point in time for all animals. Due to natural variations in wolves at the time, some were born with less stress hormone, cortisol, and as a result, were not frightened by humans like the rest of the pack.   READ MORE

In the United States, we say “woof, woof,” when imitating our dogs’ vocals, but can you guess what they say in Bali? “Kong, kong,” and in Ireland, they say “amh, amh”! Isn’t it interesting how we interpret the sound of our pets communicating to us?  
 
What other animals aside from dogs speak with a bark, you may wonder? Foxes, sea lions, monkeys and deer, to name a few.   

Wait a second…deer!? Yes, it’s true! Just watch this short clip of a little deer woofing away and hear her mate calling back to her. Well, I guess you learn something new every day…we sure have!   READ MORE

With the advancement of science comes interesting insights into the human-canine friendship, some of which might surprise you! A recent article published in NPR details how our pets know when to give us a little extra love with a lick on the hand, or a nuzzle of reassurance. A study conducted on canine brains was able to “accomplish the seemingly impossible: Get 11 pooches to lie motionless inside an MRI brain scanning machine for nearly 10 minutes at a time, all while listening to nearly 200 people and dog noises,” reports NPR.  READ MORE

I have many wonderful memories to share about my kids, our dogs, and our pet care business. Here is one of my fondest.

When my son Mason was one, he was doing what any self-respecting one-year-old does in a high chair, he chucked food. It was the Christmas holiday week, and we had a few dogs boarding in our home.  I was baking some peanut butter cookies, and as I pulled a fresh batch from the stove, I turned and saw that beneath the high chair was a neatly crafted semi-circle of dogs patiently sitting, waiting  for small bits of peas and carrots to be flung exuberantly in every direction. Not only was this hysterical to witness, but I thought, “brilliant, I don’t have to clean those up!”  READ MORE

A pet care business is the most amazing business to have when you've got kids. My five year old can tell you if a dog is a Grey Hound or Basset Hound.  My nine year old comes along on dog walks, and can identify an approaching dog's demeanor; whether it's friendly or fear aggressive. It's awesome, and I smile a lot when I think how we've been able to share the wonderful world of animals with our kids.

Our house is fun, crazy and loving.....and I give most of the credit to the animals. Our house is the perfect house for socializing dogs. We have chickens, cats, dogs, and a gecko. I should put a sign on our door that reads Animal House-minus the frat boys. (hehehe…well, until my boys get older.)  It’s been a gradual accomplishment that has taken patience and love. 

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We live the country life, here in the middle of our urban city. We have a pet care business where we help families care for their furry companions. Some of the basic services we provide are dog walking, cat sitting, and improving the relationship between animals and their humans, through guidance and support. When our own babes were born, we reached a whole new level of appreciation for what we were doing, and how it has affected our lives.

Fast forward ten years later, and we have dogs, cats, chickens, a gecko, a mouse, and two lively and wonderful boys. Gosh, I’ll say it again, we need a sign on our front door that reads “Animal House.” Our house is crazy, loud, and fun! It’s a bit messy, because kids and animals are always running amok, and tracking stuff in and out of the house. I generally buy second hand, so it already has a that "well-loved" feel. I know that the dog is considered to be man's best friend, but I would say my Dyson comes in as a close second.  READ MORE