It’s National Puppy Day
I’ll be honest—in my home, every day is National Puppy Day. I inherited my tremendous love of puppies from my mom and now, I have the pleasure of being a pet parent. And the simple things, like hearing those little paddy paws running down the hall to wake me up each morning brings a smile to my soul.
Making room in my life for a fur baby is a lifelong commitment I’ve always treasured. Mercedes, my Rottie/Shepherd mix rescue, became part of my pack when she was four months old. She stole my heart the minute I saw her. My other two pups were not so thrilled at first, but she quickly won them over with her happy-go-lucky personality.
In our previous life in Vegas, being in the pool on those hot summer days was a necessity. I was surprised Mercedes was so curious about the pool because none of the other dogs had interest. There was hardly a moment spent outside when she wasn't jumping in and swimming with us for hours. She loved water so much that she would jump in the pool even in mid-December, and it's really cold in December even in the desert.
Mercedes has been my rock and she’s been there to carry me through many ups and downs. She even gave the stamp of approval when I brought my now husband home for our first dinner date.
Like many Rotties and Shepherds, Mercedes has been challenged with arthritis, stomach sensitivities and other old age issues since she was 8.
As she’s grown older, she’s become slower, and at one point, I decided to give her pain meds to help her live a better life. They helped for a moment, but didn't give her the life she deserved.
When I was sharing with a dear friend about the challenges I was facing with Mercedes' issues, she told me about Mushpuppies. It changed my family's lives and the way we looked at Mercedes' overall health forever.
After a few weeks of giving Mercedes MushPuppies, a natural Coriolous Versicolor Mushroom and CBD treat, she was back to her puppy self! The light was bright in her eyes again and she began prancing around with her tail wagging like a helicopter. Before we knew it, Mercedes no longer needed her pain medication! I couldn't believe it when she effortlessly leaped onto the bed to sleep with us (even though that's not allowed).
When the early days of summer hit Las Vegas, she began jumping into the pool instead of sitting on the sidelines watching us swim. I was speechless when she jumped into the water to "rescue" my husband when he dove into the pool. We almost cried with excitement watching her swim around for 20 minutes with us and have been blown away ever since.
Even since our move to Missouri, we have to keep a close eye on her when we cover the pool for the season. Yes, she has tried getting in even with the cover on. Silly girl! Not to worry when the pool closes, though, because there are plenty of things for Mercedes to do in Missouri, like chasing squirrels, rolling in the grass and keeping the horses in line.
Mercedes was our only fur baby for a little over a year when we rescued a mini-poodle puppy. Our bright eyed mama dog spends her inside days throwing toys in the air and chasing her youngster around. On this National Puppy Day, we're celebrating Merecedes' 13th year with our pack. I'm sure she's ready to "drink a toast" with her fur baby comrades around the world by…jumping in the pool!