I used to think all dog people were crazy

If you told me 11 years ago that your dog was your child or slept in your bed, I would look at you like you were nuts. Growing up in my culture, dogs were taboo in the home. My parents discouraged animals of any kind and would not even visit people if they had a house pet. I did not have the desire to ever have a pet because of my upbringing. When our first child was old enough say the word "dog", she asked for one. I refused to entertain that idea. I told my husband that until we bought a house and had a fenced in yard, I would *think* about it. Of course, the time came that we got the house with the yard and the question came up again. I let my husband and first born have their way and we got a 3 month old long coat chihuahua puppy. He was kind of cute, I admit. It took me no time at all to end up falling in love with this little pooch known as, Milo. We raised Milo as if he was our child. Anyone who visited, even non-dog lovers couldn't resist Milo. He was a cute and sweet dog. He loved everyone except the postal service workers, FedEx and UPS delivery people and the occasional stranger. If he sensed you were not supposed to be around our home, he would let you know it!

Over the years, Milo has been a faithful companion. He was always with one of his family members. He did not like to be left out of anything that was going on. If my husband was outside doing yard work, Milo was there. If I was working in my office, he would nap at my feet. If the kids were watching television, Milo lounged on the couch or floor near them. He was a family dog.

About two months ago, Milo started coughing. It was the first time we had ever heard him do that. We watched him for a few days and decided it was time to get him checked out at the vet. After a thorough examination, x-rays and blood work, it was determined that he had congestive heart failure. At that time, his lungs were full of fluid and he had a heart valve infection. It also was discovered that he had an enlarged heart that was pressing against his windpipe. That was what caused him to cough. We went ahead and got him some immediate treatment and had him put on 4 medications as well as a low-sodium prescription diet. The prognosis was that he may do well on the medications and live a relatively normal life or the opposite. For the first two weeks being on the medication, we noticed a difference and he seemed to be improving. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. He was getting sick again. The coughing came back. It got to the point that he was having a hard time breathing normally. We tried him on another batch of antibiotics as well as his other heart medications and he did not improve. He worsened.

It came down to having to make that big decision. Do we keep watching him suffer or let him go be at peace? It was a unanimous decision by our family (minus William since he doesn't fully understand) that we would have him put down. I always used to tell the girls when Milo was younger that pets don't live for a long time. They aren't the same as humans. I guess we didn't realize that time would come so soon. Ten years flew by and we had to do the right thing for Milo. We spent all of last week saying our final goodbyes to Milo. We let him do as he wanted and fed him like a king. It was hard. We all cried. I cried so much that I couldn't recognize my own face. I did not know I could love a dog that much.

We officially had him put down on Saturday morning. It was so hard. Everyone was very upset, but we knew it was the right thing to do. I think that knowing what was going to happen made it easier to handle. Milo has given us over 10 years of unconditional love and loyalty. We were so blessed to have him in our family. He is gone, but will forever remain in our hearts and memories.

The hardest part now is all the little reminders of him around the house. I no longer have the need for baby gates when we leave the house. I don't have to worry about leaving certain things on the floor in fear he might tear it up. I still hear him though. I hear faint barks and whimpering. I hear the jingle of his collar tags and his nails on the floor as if he is walking around the corner. It feels like he's still here. I have called the kids Milo almost a dozen times already. It will take time. We will all heal. For now, I focus on how much better a person I am because of him. I also know that dog people are definitely not crazy. They have extra big hearts.

Rest in sweet peace, Milo Anthony. You gave us 10 awesome years! We know you are living it up with all your friends in Heaven ♥

I just had to have it

I am not a big television watcher but on occasion I will see something that captures my attention. I confess that some of the "As seen on TV" items suck me in. About 5 or 6 years ago I saw the Pedi Paws pet nail trimmer infomercial and I knew I absolutely had to have it. After all, clipping your doggy's nails is a sometimes difficult task. This product looked like a great solution. Dwayne was against me buying it but knew that there was little he could say to stop me. I did it. I bought it. $19.95.

I tried it and it sounded like a freakin' dental drill!!! Poor Milo was scared to death of the thing and it made the task even harder. Needless to say the doggone (no pun intended) thing has been sitting in the box for years. Lesson learned. I still hear "I told you so" for that one.

Have you ever purchased anything dumb from an infomercial?

Milo's Kitchen™ home-style dog treats Review & Giveaway

**Contest Closed**
Winner is #66 Saira H~ Congratulations!

When my family saw the commercial for Del Monte Foods new product called Milo's Kitchen home-style dog treats we knew we had to get some. After all, our family dog's name is Milo! Milo's Kitchen dog treats are 100% real jerky, sausage slices, and meatballs. They have no artificial flavors or colors and are made with real meat or chicken. They look like they were homemade. I tore off a small piece of the Chicken Jerky for Milo to try, and out of habit I sniffed it. I could not believe how much it smelled like jerky that humans would eat. Milo gently grabbed it from me and stood over in the corner. I'm not kidding you he sat there for about 2 minutes and he was drooling until he couldn't take it anymore. He devoured it! Needless to say he was lingering around the snack cabinet for much of the day.
Milo's Kitchen home-style dog treats come in 4 delicious flavors: Beef Jerky, Chicken Jerky, Beef Sausage Slices with Rice, and Chicken Meatballs. I can't wait to share these tasty treats with the neighbors' dogs. I love the fact that these treats are made with real ingredients since our pet's health is very important to us.

Speaking of health, Milk-Bone has come out with new, all natural Healthy Favorites Granola Biscuits. They are made with real chicken, sweet potatoes, rolled oats and flaxseed. They contain no corn, soy, fillers or artificial preservatives. Milk-Bone also makes Mini's treats that have only 5 calories per treat. These mini dog treats provide 12 Vitamins and Minerals and over 200 treats come in a box. This is a great option for pet parents that are afraid of over-treating their furry family member. We have always loved Milk-Bone. They are a household brand and have been around since 1908!












Giveaway:
One lucky Momfiles reader will win the prize pack pictured below including all 4 flavors of Milo's Kitchen home-style treats as well as the 2 new Milk-Bone snacks.

To enter: *Mandatory: Please tell us which variety of dog treats you think your furry family member will love the most. What kinds of treat do you currently give your dog?

For additional entries:
~ "like" Milk-Bone, Momfiles & Milo's Kitchen (there is a "like" button on the top right side of the page) on Facebook (leave the name you are 'liking' from)
~ Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave a link
~ Follow Momfiles on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (once a day, leave the link to your Tweet):

Enter to win a Milo's Kitchen & Milk-Bone prize pack for your #dog from @momfiles http://tinyurl.com/3s6b3qh #giveaway

~ Follow Momfiles via GFC or grab my button (let me know if you already do)

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end at 9:00 PM EST on June 30,2011. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email to claim prize. Good luck!

I received products samples to review and all opinions are 100% mine always.

Pedigree Ambassador dog food trial {update}

Hey there, I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about our dog Milo participating in Pedigree Ambassador dog food trial. I wanted to share a few updates about his progress so far. I am so thankful that we have had a very smooth transition from his old food. He seems to be enjoying his Pedigree small breed formula a whole lot. I even decided to take a handful of his old food and a handful of the Pedigree to see what he would do. He sniffed his old food from one hand and then sniffed his new food in the other. Milo snuck a couple morsels from the Pedigree hand! I was surprised and did not think he would know the difference!

Milo loves to catch some rays!

I haven't noticed any changes thus far regarding his coat or his dental health as yet. Thankfully he has not been sick and has had his usual potty routine. That makes me happy since I was worried about him having digestion issues that sometimes comes along with a change in food. All in all, he is doing very well with the Pedigree small breed and I will be posting again with any new updates. If you are thinking about switching food for your dog I would recommend you give Pedigree a try. Here's a coupon to help save a few bucks. Did you know Pedigree was on Facebook and Twitter? Be sure to follow them for great tips and advice for keeping your dogs healthy and happy.

I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Pedigree and received dog food to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Pedigree Ambassador dog food trial

Hey guys, I'm not sure if you have noticed the nifty little badge I placed on my blog a couple weeks ago~ Our dog Milo is participating in the Pedigree Ambassador dog food trial. We received 2 big bags of Pedigree Small Breed dog food. Pedigree is a very well known brand in households everywhere. I was thrilled at the opportunity for my pup to get to test out a brand that has been around for so long.

I took some time to check out the Pedigree site and was amazed at how many different formulas they offer according to your dog's specific needs. It costs a little bit less than what I am currently buying, which is a plus since I need to stretch my family dollars.Milo has never eaten the Pedigree brand of dog food before so we had to transition him slowly from his current food. He sniffed the mixture of both foods and dove right in! I don't think he came up for air. He has fully switched over to only Pedigree and I will say that he loves it since the food does not sit in the bowl for more than a minute! I was happy that the kibbles were small for Milo's little mouth. He had no problems crunching it up :)


Based on the four universal needs, here is where Milo stands:
Skin&Coat ~ He is about average.
Oral Care ~ He's 8 so his teeth can get a little icky but he is mostly average
Digestion ~ He is a great pooper and has not had any problem 'going' since trying the Pedigree food.
Immunity ~ Thankfully Milo does not ever get sick besides the occasional need to eat grass. He is very healthy overall.

I will be posting updates on Milo's progress with this new food. I also recommended Pedigree to my neighbors so they will be trying it our for their dogs as well. There is a $3 off coupon available here. Did you know Pedigree was on Facebook and Twitter? Be sure to follow them for great tips and advice for keeping your dogs healthy and happy.

I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Pedigree and received dog food to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Wordless Wednesday

Check out William's hand shield against licking. He will tell Milo "No licking Miwo!"

Wordless Wednesday

Hiding out in Milo's kennel

The best guard dog ever

I could not imagine a day without having Milo bark at every person or dog that walks by the house. He goes nuts when UPS or FedEx delivers and you better not be a salesperson... he will be ready to break you off! He is such a sweet dog and he always sits guard at the front window in protection mode. I never feel uneasy knowing that he is with me each day. I love my doggy.
It's funny to think that I never used to like dogs and was really afraid of them for the first 18 years of my life. I am so happy that Dwayne and Chardie broke me down and convinced me that we needed a dog. He is such an important part of our family and we love him dearly. Most people who visit (even the non dog lovers) get such a kick out of the fact that he behaves just as well as the kids and does not act like a real dog. Milo lives the good life. My father-in-law always jokes and says that if Milo ever had to live a dog's life he would not survive. Needless to say, Milo has never tried to run away! :)
Milo is a purebred long coat Chihuahua and is getting ready to turn 8 in a couple months. It's hard to believe he is that old. Oh and BTW, he does not know that he is an actual dog ;-)

Flashback Friday

This was taken when the little guy was about 14 months old. Look at those cheeks! Of course Milo (Wi-wo) is never far behind. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sibling Rivalry?

Since the girls have started back school William has discovered a new playmate (although he has always been around). Will has found a whole lot of entertainment from our family pet, Milo. Milo does not exactly care for the attention he is getting from his little brother. William takes anything from toys to plastic containers and places them on top of Milo's back and head and laughs so hard. Poor Milo takes the abuse and tries to escape to anyplace away from William.

See the rope bone on Milo's back? haha, you should see when there are like 3 toys at once on top of him. Poor dog. As William says to Milo-- "Come on Wi-wo" Little Milo is stuck with William for a very long time. Get used to the abuse.

My other son

Here's my sweet little Milo taking some time to relax on the front porch. He spends most of the day resting, snuggling, playing and very importantly, protecting the family. Doesn't he look tough? Okay fine, maybe he looks like a sweet little softy but he really is a good dog (shhh, nobody must tell him he is actually a dog). He is very gentle with his baby brother and really never gets in any trouble. I think he listens better than the rest of the family! My father-in-law says that Milo lives in the lap of luxury and would not be able to survive if he had to live a dog's life. Sadly it is true. I am ashamed to admit this but for the first month of William's life, I called him Milo. It took a while to etch 'William' into my head! I just love my other little son Milo!!

**I'm sure the question will be asked...What kind of dog is he? He is a pure bred long coat Chihuahua.