We’re so glad you are looking for a natural and safe alternative to the highly toxic flea/tick “medicine” that has become the norm. I am baffled that anyone is okay with dousing their beloved animal in a nerve-paralyzing agent capable of causing convulsions, nausea and respiratory arrest {as the box clearly warns!}, especially when the alternatives are so cheap, easy and simple.
The Mother Earth News website has an excellent article on this exact issue, so please hop over there and give it a read. The gist of it: garlic, brewer’s yeast, zinc, Diatomaceous Earth, and making sure your pet is getting all the vitamins and minerals they need in their diet to maintain healthy skin and coat.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
-T&M
P.S. Charlie and Jack send hellos to your furry children.
If you would like to air your dirty secret or ask a question, email us with “Dear T&M” in the subject line. Please indicate if you wish to remain anonymous. toniasimeone {at} gmail {dot} com
Our neighbor’s dog Roan comes over to play every day. Jack sits and stares at their house, waiting for him in the morning. Aren’t BFFs the best?
Jack is learning to be off the line and come back when we whistle, even if he is off exploring the back pasture. He is getting much better at it, which means we trust him a little more each day. Soon he won’t need that pesky line at all!
Music by our friends, who played the recessional music at our wedding!
Sometimes, we stay out past bed-time at the local bar watching the Packers game {9-0!!!!} Every time, we’re welcomed home again as if we were gone for ages.
Usually when we’re out having fun, there comes a point in the evening when Mike and I look at each other and can tell that we’re both thinking, “Should we just go home and snuggle the dogs? I kind of want to just snuggle the dogs.”
This silly, hyper, sweet puppy has rearranged our lives over the past week. He needs his walk at exactly 7:30 AM, and he lets us know it by throwing his body against the door and alternating between whining and barking until we stumble downstairs, pull on our shoes, grab his leash and go. It’s a wonderful way to begin the day, with the frost glittering on the grass and leaves, the sun on our shoulders, and two happy dogs trotting at our sides.
Charlie, who usually cherishes a nice leisurely morning in bed {no kidding, he usually sleeps until 10 or 11}, has surprisingly adjusted easily to these early outings. The walk sets the tone for the day and establishes Mike and me as the pack leaders. Both dogs behave better and seem more balanced all day after starting with a walk.
Jack is able to focus on some training better after he has been walked, so we have been working on basic commands with him in the early afternoons. He is learning fast, but his attention is tough to keep. He is very overwhelmed by his new home, which hosts a plethora of interesting smells and sounds. Every day is an improvement over the one before it, though. We keep the training sessions short and praise the heck out of him when he does something well.
He’s a pretty funny guy…goofy, wiggly, leggy, full of energy and impulse. We give him structure and rules, he gives us a good laugh. It takes a long time to tire him out, but as you can see in the video, it is possible. Here he retrieves a ball slower than usual, ready to take a break {finally!}
The uninhibitedly faithful way that dogs go about life is inspiring. Here’s a guy who was neglected and- we’re pretty sure- hit by his previous owner. Yet he never stops wagging his tail. And within five days he has a smile on his face whenever he sees us, he is already settling in, and he wants to please us by trying to understand what we want from him. How many of us would have that attitude if we had the kind of baggage this guy has? But he lives in the now, not in the past. And his now is lookin’ pretty good.
Thanks for teaching us about living in the now, Jack. Your happy-go-lucky personality grows on us more every day. Your addition to our family has broken us all out of our boring, same-old-same-old routine. My whole day is bright after experiencing your overflowing joy every morning when we see each other again after a long night. I guess you can stick around.
Hi JD,
