5 years ago we purchased our first house and settled in to being new homeowners. After a few months, I started to want a dog. It seemed that our whole neighborhood was full of dogs, including our neighbors on either side of us. We would always see people walking down our street and stopping to chat with one another while their dogs waited by their side. It seems that dogs are an instant icebreaker and make you feel like you belong to a community!
My husband has never been a fan of dogs so I knew that it would take some convincing, but after mentioning it only a few times he was excited to start the search with me. We spent an entire Saturday searching shelters throughout St. Louis and mid-afternoon we came across a small yellow Lab who was about 4 months old. While we instantly loved her, there were a few more places to check out. The whole time we were checking out a few other shelters, we couldn’t get her out of our mind! We hurried back to the shelter and she was luckily still there. She came home with us that very night and Zoey has been with us ever since!
Zoey was really our first baby and I believe that she taught us a lot about being parents. She was this little 4 month old puppy, taken away from her mother and siblings, completely dependent on my husband and I! We had to feed her, bathe her, entertain her and of course, potty train her! Just like a child, she loved us back but of course gave us a little trouble too!
When we found out that I was pregnant with Hayden, we were concerned on how Zoey would accept it. She’s such a loving dog and has been nothing but great with both adults and children so I didn’t have any concern there. I was worried how she would feel about a new little human coming into the home and taking all of our attention! Before Hayden was born, I found a recording of a crying baby and would play it so she would get used to hearing a babies cry. Before Hayden and I came home from the hospital, my husband brought home one of Hayden’s blankets before we came home so she could sniff it and see what Hayden smelled like.
Since Hayden was born, Zoey has been nothing but his number one protector and best friend. As a baby, whenever Hayden would start to cry, Zoey would be quick to alert us. She loved to watch him nap in his swing and would always sit below him or outside his bedroom door. Now that Hayden is older, he loves running around the house and playing soccer in the backyard. Zoey gets a kick out of watching Hayden play on “her turf” and Hayden loves running after her!
When it came time to potty training Hayden, my husband and I commented so many times that it was like when we potty trained Zoey! We would set our alarm to let Zoey outside and we would do the same with Hayden (to bring him to the bathroom, not outside!). We used treats with Zoey each time she would go potty outside and every time that Hayden would go potty, he would get a sticker or a small toy!
Since Hayden is in preschool, they have been talking a lot about chores and helping out at home. We decided that Zoey would be perfect to help Hayden learn about responsibility. He’s responsible for letting her our of her crate in the morning and putting her back in if we leave for the day. Next to Zoey’s bowl is her dog food, so Hayden scoops her food into the bowl for her meals. Hayden loves having that sense of responsibility and being able to help around the house.
IAMS provides ideal nutrition for puppies and other pets, the benefit of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle is so important for our entire family— Zoey included! We make sure that Zoey gets the best care and that includes the food that she eats. As a family, we make sure to take walks throughout the neighborhood so we are all getting exercise, while Zoey gets to see some of her friends!
Our family is so much more fulfilled with having Zoey in our life. She adds so much to each of us and I’m so glad that Hayden gets the experience of growing up with a dog!
I’d love to hear more about your pets! How do you keep them happy and healthy?
5 Sippy Cup Mom readers will win a $50 Gift Card!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of IAMS. The opinions and text are all mine.
Take them on daily walks!
Lots of walks and playing
I take my dog out for walks every night, even though it’s freezing!
Both of my little dogs go to work with me every day. They work hard sleeping and greeting people at the door, they both think everyone is coming to see them lol. They are so excited in the morning to come with Mom.
We love them. I have aging little dogs and their 2 favorite things are to play outside and snuggle in our laps.
lots of exercise and fun toys to play with.
I give my dog plenty of treats and walks outside.
I pay attention to them
A healthy diet and lots of fun walks.
I make sure she has plenty of water, food and treats. I also brush her and play with her. And most importantly give her lots of love.
I take him on his daily walks and make sure to buy my dog good dog food such as Iams! My dog loves Iam’s dog food!
walk him and he eats iams healthy naturals..its the only food he can eat!
lots of treats and play time, snuggle time and belly rubs
I feed them healthy food and vitamins
Our dogs are almost as spoiled as the kids, LOL! They both have lots of chew toys and soft beds. We play with them, pet them and give them daily treats!
Daily walks and lots of love!
We take her for lots of walk, regular checks at the vet, and healthy natural food.
Lots of love, exercise and a healthy diet
i bankrupt myself most weeks to keep them happy! good food, lots of toys, special treats and tons of me time!
Lots of long walks for both our health!
take him on walks
Lots of playtime and healthy treats
Take him to regularly to the vets for checkups, feed him quality food and lots of exercise
We try to take a lot of time to play every day to keep them happy and in shape!
I take my dogs on a walk every day and let them run around and play in the backyard.
Take them on walks
Walks, toys and lot’s of love
we play with our dog a lot and spoil him with lots of petting and cuddling.
balanced food, no table scraps plenty of play time
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
Healthy food and treats that have minimal ingredients. Fun, love, I massage her to make sure I know her body and any bumps that should to be there, I scale her teeth too.
lots of love, playtime & treats
Exercise together and healthy treats/food.
check ups, baths, and treats!
We have a fun laser pointer toy that my kittens LOVE! Not only does it give them great energy trying to “catch” the light, but makes us all giggle watching them go bananas!
spoil him rotten 😉
make homemade organic treats for him!
Kisses, lots of play & quality, healthy food.
Treats and “Pets” – like petting, Cat love, that’s what my kids call it.
we spoil our dogs, lots of treats
We take our dog to the park whenever possible, and feed him Iams, of course! 🙂
We feed our cat a special indoor formula food to keep her weight in-check. Also she gets her regular vet visits and plenty of catnip. 🙂
We take them on a walk, well most days lol, and they get lots of play time.
Healthy food, brushing, regular visits to the groomer and lots of love!
I feed them right, they get plenty of exercise and attention. They also love their toys and treats. That makes them happy! 🙂
Daily walks!
I take my dog for walks and I feed her well
spend time with them
We give her lots of love and good food.
I take my dog on a lot of walks when it is nice and we play inside in the morning and after work.
Regular trips to the vet and groomer, plus walks!
I keep him ative while I try to keep my self active too, I take him with me to the park and the beach
The top rule is no people food.
We make sure to not overfeed ours.
We keep our dogs healthy by taking them on regular walk and by taking them to an enclosed area so they can run until they are too tired to.
We usually take them to daily walks at the local park.
Thanks for the chance!
I play with him and feed him good food
I take her for a “spa day” at the groomers, at least one of us get pampered once a month!
Feed them healthy food’s and sing to them
I play with my two cats often to help keep them active and happy.
Also they’re totally indoor cats.
Thank you.
I feed them good food and give them lots of attention.
We go for a walk every night…even if its really cold or rainy…we might not go far…but we always get out and go!
Our dogs go out for walks at least twice a day, more if it isn’t raining. Plus, on warmer days, they have plenty of back yard space if they want to be outside.
We go for daily walks.
Monthly heartworm medication administrered all year around, joint supplements, healthy food and treats, along with exercise and toys.
I Feed My Dogs Iams, Lots Of Hugs And Toys
Our dog loves hiking the trails
We feed him good foo, take him for walks and play with him.
I give my cat the best nutrition and lots of love.
We treat her like part of the family. We give her lots of love, she loves to go one car rides with us, she has to be outside with us. She is getting older so sometimes it is hard for her to run and play hard but if we get the quad out, she loves to chase us.
play with them and take them for walks
lots of treats and walks!
Daily walks and lots of belly rubs
lots of snuggle time on the couch
i take my dog for walks
I help him get plenty of exercise by playing with him outside daily.
Play with him often and love him so much.
Good food and lots of walks
kport207 at gmail dot com
We have fish, so we make sure they get the proper amount of food and clean water.
Quality good, affection, annual vet appointments…
good food with plenty of water all times…they have a doggie door to run out when ever then want…
flea prevention & regular checkups
give lots of love and care
I keep them current on vaccinations and yearly checkups
Let her run around outside each day!
lots of love and good food
She gets plenty of love and attention, playtime and we feed her nutritious meals and treats. Only the best for our baby!
I feed every day and expose to sunlight
Lots of cuddles and attention. thank you!
i love them and take them for lots of walks
Lots of love, cuddles, brushing, good food, watch her weight and health
walk her daily
the best food I can get, daily exercise, toys and lots of love
I take our cats for regular vet checkups.
We take our dogs for walks, play fetch with them, and make sure that they are healthy and happy.
Walks, playing , treats, and lap time!
i spoil them every single day with love, exercise, toys, treats and then more smother LOVE
A good diet and lots of attention.
We go for walks and runs. He eats well and is loved.
i show my pet alot of love and keep him clean by bathing him often and feeding him healthy food!
i keep my pet happy and healthy by feeding him quality food and treats and taking care of his teeth and ears and coat. i also give him healthy treats and take him for 3-4 walks a day and to the park as well.
We make sure to take our dog to the vet yearly, good food, plenty of exercise, and give him lots of love and attention.
We walk over a mile each day!
Playing with them and making sure they have plenty of food and water.
go for walks
Lots and lots of attention! The dogs love to run around the front yard with the kids and of course promptly take naps once back inside.
I swear my husband pays more attention to the needs of our dog than he ever did with our kids! She gets proper veterinary care, meds as needed, and only eats IAMS!
I take my dog on lots of walks.
Walk them every morning
Vet care with lots of love and attention
Lots of love and attention
love and care
We walk her and pay total attention to her, she runs the house
pedidentalasst at yahoo dot com
I play with him, feed him well, and give him lots of toys and a warm bed
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
We have daily walks and backyard romps, and grooming and training sessions twice a week!
I take her for walks, and make sure she always has fresh water and food.
Feed him IAMS
I keep my 3 dogs properly fed! 🙂
Feed them good food and bathe them every day.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
we go on walks everyday!!
Regular Vet checkups and lots of attention
Vegas gets lots of walks and play chase and ball.
walks
lots of hugs and love and swimming
I only feed my dog a certain amount of food each day and take him on daily walks.
Feed her healthy treats and play with her
Nice long walks!
Take them on walks every afternoon!
Samantha D
dull2000 at cox dot net
I clean my dogs teeth and give him healthy food
our dogs are fed homemade moist food with their kibble… they love it… and it’s so good for them… and they are groomed daily
lots of walks!
Lots of love, the right food and plenty of water
lots of walks and love
Thanks for the giveaway! Janna Johnson jannajanna@hotmail.com Janna@feedyourpig on gfc
Lots of exercise, toys, affection, regular vet visits and premium food and treats.
we stay happy/healthy by playing and going for jogs together
xoxo
Lots of exercise and I feed them IAMS.
I love them to bits! Also, nutritious food and treats, and lots of play time, inside and outside, sunshine or snow!
My little dog loves playing hide and seek so I combine that with his regular walk!
I give him healthy food and treats, exercise, and lots of love! That is all dog OR man needs to be happy 😉
Play with them, they get bored, just like kids.
walks and let him run around outside
We give them lots of love, attention, and play time.. They both love to chase the ball. Neither are very good at bringing it back but they do enjoy us chasing them to get the ball 🙂
I give them a lot of attention and play with them outside.
Play with them and take them fr walks.
We keep each other healthy by going for walks after dinner
I love to spend extra time with my cats!
We bring our little ginger to our orange grove where she LOVES to run and Play!
Good food and lots of food
I take my 2 dogs for a walk though the woods everyday. They love it.
occasional treats and regular trips to the vet for checkups.
I give my dog lots of attention.
I make sure our cats always have food in their dish, and we usually have yummy treats on hand to reward them
lots of play time!
I keep My Lab happy with lots of attention
Healthy food, vet check-ups and plenty of love
With lots of love and good food like Iams
ky2here at msn dot com
Take them on daily walks and play with them
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Lots of loves, walks, and watching what they eat.
We make sure he gets plenty of exercise
I give her good food, exercise and lots of love 🙂
Good food, measured so I don’t overfeed, vet visits and love, love, love.
We make sure that Marley, our yellow lab gets plenty of daily walks, eats well and see the vet on a regular basis. He also has a fenced yard and my children to play with but has a warm bed by the fire whenever he wants.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
Lots of love, walks, and treats!
monthly heartworm meds!
Lots of exercise and walks.
Good luck with the twins>
my lab runs around the farm every day
toys & treats!
He likes when i give him bones and walks outside.
Walk him and give him a lot of attention
rubs on his belly
I make a lot of homemade food and treats for them – that way I know what is going into the food!
Mr. T. loves Iams dog food. He has a walk in the morning and evening. His loves his Kong toys and hides and then finds all of his favorite things.
Lots of loving and regular vet visits.
we have a yellow lab that is one of our kids
Regular check up at the vet
I take him on a walk
I make sure to take the time to pet him everyday.
I keep my puppy happy by making sure he eats healthy food and gets plenty of water, and by taking time each day to walk him, give him attention, and make sure he’s always comfortable and active.
In 2013 I want my whole family to be healthier including my adventurous dog and cuddly cats.
i make sure he has premium food, water, exercise, and lots of love and attention
I used to take my dog on long walks
Quality food,lots of love,and regular vet checks.
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/294225156937773057
sorry for tweet. i entered it in the wrong place.
Lots of love, play/exercise, nutritious food, and MORE love! <3
Regular vet visits and high quality food!
I make sure he has premium food, water, exercise, visits to the Vet and lots of love and attention
Keep them active and make sure they are eating the right food.
pay alot of attention to him and don’t feed him people food.
He gets lots of love and belly rubs
Playtime, loves and biscuits
I feed them quality food.
We give them the same unconditional love that they give us.They’re cherished members of our family.
Lots of play time and healthy food
thank you
Since I have worked at a veterinary hospital for over 10 years I would have to say a good food and regular veterinary care.
I walk my dog every day, feed him good food, and add glucosamine to his dinner. Oh, and give him snuggles whenever he wants!
lots of belly rubs! 🙂
We give our dog premium food and given him plenty of exercise and regular check-ups!
I brush them and give them filtered water.
Quality food, veterinary care, lots of love to keep my pet healthy and happy
Regular vet visits, good quality food, treats to reinforce good behavior, and lots of love.
food, exercise, vet visits, love.
Thanks for the contest.
I play with my dogs
We walk every day 🙂
Healthy food, love, play time.
I’m entering to donate to local pet shelter. No pets here.
i walk and love them
We make sure to keep her coat brushed and clean.
I always take them to the vet for check ups, feed them Iams, take on walks, love them they are part of the family.
Daily walks and we play with him a lot.
we feed her morning and evening. we give her lots of long walks in the morning and the evening after she eats. we give her lots of good biscuits too!
We have two cats who we rescued from the Humane Shelter. We feed them healthy cat food (and some tuna/salmon when we have it), engage them in lots of play, and keep lots of soft, fuzzy blankets around the house for them to lay on! Eveyone says we have the sweetest and most affectionate cats that they have ever seen. Awe!
We walk our dog every day. Today is Trevi’s first birthday so he will get a special treat, too! We also feed him good quality food and let him play in the backyard which he loves to do-running and running.
Lots of play and regular health care
We spoil the daylights out of our pups- they are my babies now that my kids are grown, so anything to make them happy and keep them healthy. 🙂
I keep my dog Dak happy by spending lots of time with him and getting him outside to play with me every day.
Plenty of exercise,love and good food.
Play with him a lot
annabella @ centurytel dot net
We go on long walks together.
We make sure our kitties get plenty of attention, good food, grooming and regular visits to the vet.
take them for walks,play
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
We love to run around the yard with Angel and give her walks
I make sure he has healthy food and that he alway’s has his squeaky toy’s! He love’s them!
chrissylea1979 (at)gmail(dot) com
lots of love and daily walks
I give them lotsa love!
plenty of love and attention, regular vet visits and medicine
My pug has been missing for awhile now and it is now time to get a new puppy. What I have done with our dogs is play with and praise them and show affection.
Truthfully, they keep us happy with their sunny dispositions and winning personalities. We walk them and brush them and feed them, but they give us way more than that!
All natural foods and lots of play time!
i let my cats roam happily in the garden.
We play lots and then she sits in my lap for naps:)
Taking him for walks and petting him a lot!
I spoil them rotten! Lots of love, exercise,vet visits and of course toys and treats!
Thank You!
Make sure she has healthy food, play time and lots of love!
We give our pets lots of attention, good nutrition, check-ups, and exercise.
Thanks for the giveaway…we take our dog Maxine on long walks every morning, and exercise / play with her every evening i.e. fetching tennis balls.
Spoil them with love and giving them nutritious food.
longbarb1@aol.com
Heart shaped pancakes!
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