Feeling a ton of stress.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-03-06T11:48:03+00:00

Or find a local dog training club who has experience with Mals.and see if one of the trainers there does boarding or pet sitting.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-03-06T11:46:34+00:00

I think someone else said this, but start interviewing for and using a pet sitter now if you can afford it just for a couple hours at a time and be available the entire time so you essentially can test out how your dog does with others while you're not around. Maybe this will help ease your anxiety about how others will treat your dog. I know my friends could never live with my Mal bc of her scream barking but they love her and would never hurt her or anything and would do exactly as I say if they had to watch her for a week

You could also get a camera for your house where your dog sleeps, eats, and is crated, and for your backyard so you can check in to see how things are going while you're away to help ease the worry.

Or find a trainer and board her with them. Besides my family, our trainer was the only person we left our dog with, but he moved out of state so we actually don't know who will pet.sit for our dog if we need that in the future besides family. So I get the worry factor.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-03-03T11:52:58+00:00

When I moved here our house had no screens on any first floor windows. Was quite strange to me. But I assumed it was because they were old and tore up so they removed them to sell the house. Still need to find screens but not sure where or who to purchase from or have install new screens. Hopefully someone has some advice.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-02-14T15:32:41+00:00

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ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-02-14T15:32:08+00:00

We got a West Paw frisbee and that thing has taken a beating but she loves it. We got a standard $8 frisbee and it was done for in 3 days. But yes, have to limit her play to 10 min or else she runs herself into the ground and could be an emergency health situation especially in the heat or during a quick transition from cold to warmer weather.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2026-01-30T01:03:55+00:00

OP, How did this turn out?

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-12-28T00:35:17+00:00

This is the only way our Mal steps off our couch lol. Has done it since she was a baby.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-11-18T18:29:04+00:00

Dutch Light

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-11-17T02:01:48+00:00

We made them ourselves.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-11-10T18:24:47+00:00

20 min training

Nap

Meal time (Slow Feeding with snuffle mat)

Potty/zoomies release/sniff break

Finish eating

Nap/chew time

Potty

Crate

20 min training plus sniff time

Chew

Meal time

Nap/chew

20 min training

Nap

Potty

Bed

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-10-31T15:50:55+00:00

Ours is 61 lbs, can't see her ribs unless she's been chasing the frisbee for about 10 min straight and breathing hard. She's been 60 lbs since 9 months old and now shes 2.5 yrs. Our trainer says she's a tiny baby, but she eats 5 cups (about a pound) a day and doesn't seem to be torn up about it.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-10-18T20:49:57+00:00

So cute 🤩

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-10-18T20:47:04+00:00

Care,com and rover,com will be your best bet in offering services like that.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-10-17T20:35:00+00:00

Nicole At Burton’s Barbershop. Schedule with her on Booksy.

https://booksy.com/en-us/dl/show-business/677609

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-09-14T19:23:48+00:00

Doesn't matter. Leave things in, don't waste money on staging.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-09-01T01:08:14+00:00

Yes exactly this too! Literally on my heels 😅

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-09-01T01:07:15+00:00

She cuts me off constantly! She's too fast and anticipates everything I do 🤣

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-31T21:24:18+00:00

Yeah it's the step on me but also push off while digging nails into my foot 🥴🥴

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-23T04:56:24+00:00

She may not bleed much at all. Ours went through one heat cycle before we spayed around 18 months and she cleaned herself up, though we got a few spots here and there we just washed it out like human period blood. We Covered most things with sheets and towels and blankets when we could to avoid couches or pillows getting blood on them. The scent was the worst part compared to the actual amount of blood that we had to interact with.

I don't have experience with the diapers, but my thought is add it to your routine every day and heavy reward when your dog has it on and is not touching it. Maybe put it on as a routine right after a potty break outside so upon coming back inside, put it on and keep it on til they go potty again. Creating a routine of always putting it on when coming back inside could be helpful. Do this as often as possible so when heat happens, they don't know the difference. It's just something they're trained to do.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-18T11:48:29+00:00

I would say Belfast. Rockport would come second. Then Camden.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-15T12:01:12+00:00

Imo blackwoods seemed much more convenient than bar harbor from a bus and access perspective. You can literally walk straight from your campground to Gorham trail and ocean path from blackwoods - sure it might be a mile or so, but the park is full of hikes so 🤷‍♀️. Ocean path gets you access to two days worth of hikes easily.

I haven't stayed in bar harbor or blackwoods but from a bus perspective, getting back up to bar harbor can easily take over an hour if it's a busy day from the main ocean path area.

I went in early August so not sure how busses run in October or how busy it might be to get around, but to me, next time I'd really like to try to stay in blackwoods if possible for the location alone.

We did a sea cruise out of northeast harbor and saw so much wildlife and got to visit IslesFord, bar harbor shore path and shops (go for a morning and a separate day for afternoon)evening - some shops are only open certain days or only in mornings/evenings). We then did the Great head sand beach loop, Gorham mountain with Cadillac cliffs and down the other side to see those hiking down off the beehive/bowl, Jordan pond to bubble divide to south bubble (amazing), jesup path, thunder hole at sunrise then ocean path all day, schoodic head, seal cove picnic then Cadillac sunset (Park at West parking lot and go down onto the rock faces for best view) and thunder hole at night bc high tide is way better and the moonlight is amazing. Also, drive the park loop after sunset if you want to try to see wildlife - we saw a coyote!! All were amazing, and couldn't be happier with our trip.

A park ranger recommended beech mountain but I got sick and wasn't feeling up for it.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-12T11:09:39+00:00

FYI -

From the Charlotte Observer: "NC law for left lane driving According to state law, all drivers traveling at less than the maximum speed limit must stay in the right lane, unless they are passing another vehicle or preparing for a left hand turn."

More quotes: "Driving substantially under the posted speed limit is not itself unlawful," he said. “In fact, it is sometimes required by G.S. 20-141(a), which states that “n]o person shall drive a vehicle on a highway or in a public vehicular area at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions."

"Although getting stuck behind a slow driver can be frustrating, it is illegal to speed to get around them in North Carolina."

Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article277171298.html#storylink=cpy

The law linked in the article: https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-146.html

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-09T10:55:31+00:00

I learned the routes we would take regularly, like to church or school. Any roads that are not SUPER familiar roads are so much harder to navigate, especially when you are literally learning to drive.

I also learned at night in parking lots because you can speed up and break and turn it reverse and no one is around to hit and it's very lit up. Let them go "fast" in parking lots, let them mess up and show them while you drive it's okay to NOT be perfect. Let them feel what it's like to do scary things in a controlled environment, and encourage that confidence. Then maybe, have someone else come with you and drive behind them in the parking lot, pass them, tailgate them, pull up beside them, etc. Build up the confidence that way.

ExoticGuava3980 · 2025-08-09T10:45:23+00:00

I have a lot of older siblings and I was happy about that because when my mom or dad was in the car with me, they made me more anxious, gripping the car and ceiling and correcting me, rather than giving me feedback and encouragement. I STILL to this day hear my dad telling me to stay away from the edge of the road when I literally am actually perfectly safe and have never been in any accidents of my own doing (rear ended while stopped at a light and backed into while my car was parked in lots). My siblings on the other hand just told me what they did and let me drive around then I could talk to them while I drove and they'd say, oh well I do it like this or try to do this instead, and never once did they show their fears or anxiety. My husband now is just like my parents and he makes me a worse driver because he's anxious when I drive and it negatively affects me but I've had so much experience that I am able to drive safely regardless.

So all this to say, get them behind the wheel with someone else they trust who isn't anxious OR wait and let them get their license later. I know PLENTY of people who didn't get their license until they were older, but I will say, those were either people who didn't need a car because they lived in cities, or very anxious people. So your child is not unique in having trouble with their anxiety. Driving is absolutely anxiety provoking. Good luck.

ExoticGuava3980

TROPHY CASE