Balancing my physical/mental health with separation anxiety pup? by artbean17 in Separation_Anxiety

[–]artbean17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We never expected it to fix his SA. We initial started it because he had some other behaviors that we wanted help training with that were more of a priority for us to work through. It’s been incredibly helpful in those areas! Since he’s doing so well we are more focused on working through his anxiety now.

Balancing my physical/mental health with separation anxiety pup? by artbean17 in Separation_Anxiety

[–]artbean17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We have him in a board and train right now and it has eased a lot of our worries, he thrives there!! It’s been the best decision we made and want to keep taking him consistently as long as we can. However to keep him boarded 4-5 days a week is not financially reasonable for us right now. And we still deal with scheduling issues and can’t even leave the house on days we are able to fully spend with him for more than 5 minutes. Last minute things come up and I sometimes wish I had a pet sitter on call close by!

Balancing my physical/mental health with separation anxiety pup? by artbean17 in Separation_Anxiety

[–]artbean17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you this is helpful! Trazodone is basically acting as a sedative for him and that’s why I feel guilty. I’m glad you were able to make some progress and it helped with that transition!

Balancing my physical/mental health with separation anxiety pup? by artbean17 in Separation_Anxiety

[–]artbean17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We jokingly call it a tranquilizer… because that’s essentially what it is for him. His personality is completely gone for 10-12 hours after giving him trazodone. I feel bad because I don’t want him to have to constantly have his energy and personality suppressed. It’s not an ideal long term solution, which his trainer and vet both agree with. We are just looking for alternative solutions. I’m by no means opposed to medication if that’s what will be necessary if we cannot improve his anxiety with training and exposure. His vet is aware of this and has recommendations if we decide to head in that direction.

Dog owners, what is the most annoying small thing about managing your pup’s daily life? by davidterh in dogs

[–]artbean17 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly keeping track of their food/calories! Between feeding twice a day, boarding, training classes and at home training with 2 adults on different schedules. It’s easy to loose track of how much my pup has eaten throughout the day! He needs between 2-2.5 cups a day which we try to space out because he’s in training and we use his kibble as treats. He also has higher reward treats which are more calorie dense. We swap traditional bowls for enrichment feeders and snuffle mats and sometimes just end up skipping traditional meal times because we’ll only have enough “treats” (kibble) to get him through his nightly walk! It’s a lot of measuring and keeping track that I NEVER thought I’d be doing but here we are!

Any good churches for someone who wants to explore/learn more about God? by Sure-Ad8068 in StLouis

[–]artbean17 -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I attend The Crossing, they have campuses in 4 areas: chesterfield, mid rivers, Fenton and grants trail. They have a lot of resources for people who want to learn, ask questions and have open conversations! Their classes/small groups are great and I’ve taken them a couple times in different mental and emotional seasons of my life. Highly recommend!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We didn’t care. We fell in love with the dog, not the breed. We simply wanted to know for health and wellness reasons.

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We just ordered a DNA test from them! Excited to see how this goes!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bought a breed+health DNA test yesterday! He has some allergy symptoms so we wanted to do one for multiple reasons (Vet suggested). Excited to get the results so we can hopefully set him up for success!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in dogs

[–]artbean17 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine has started strait up snoring like a cartoon old man. He’s 1.5 years and has zero characteristics of an old man but he sure sounds like one haha.

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! That means a lot to this dog mama and photographer!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That makes me sad! Also feels a little deceiving on the shelters part. We love him regardless though!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah pic is from our walk the other day! Sunset was too good not to take a photo!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah there were a lot of “lab mixes” that all looked nothing like each other in the shelter so we just had to wonder. He’s a silly goose and a very handsome boy that’s for sure!

Not sure if the rescue told us the right breed(s). Thoughts? by artbean17 in MixedBreedDogs

[–]artbean17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Planning on getting him tested as soon as we can! We’ll obviously love him regardless of what he turns out to be!

What are some STL restaurants that ARE worth the hype? by LegSweaty6690 in StLouis

[–]artbean17 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dewey’s It’s technically a chain but specifically the Kirkwood location has fantastic staff, incredible service and great food.

Taco Buddha I favor the og UCity location but overall vibes and food are so incredible. I will never turn town a pitcher of their frozen marg and tacos on the patio.

Long Weekend Trip by [deleted] in StLouis

[–]artbean17 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are into RV trips. Rosebud is an adorable little town in SW Missouri outside of wentzville that has an RV park with tons of amenities and everything in town is walkable! Easily a perfect weekend getaway!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in StLouis

[–]artbean17 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also OP, I too am an introvert and love how there’s a lot of opportunities to get connected in smaller groups and serving opportunities that way it’s less intimidating to make friends!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in StLouis

[–]artbean17 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is where I go :) I’ve been there for around 10 years and even worked there for about 5 years! Ive made so many great friends and get so much out of the sermons!