Pug Update (Featuring PetLabCo)

Thank you so much to PetLabCo for sending us the products mentioned in this post to review! As always, opinions are my own. Links are affiliate.

This July marked 9 years with Bailey and Winston! We rescued Bailey on June 29th 2016, and found out immediately that she was pregnant. It was a crazy time! We had so much going on in our lives, and then we threw in a new pet to the mix. Our poor Bailey was so neglected, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. She ended up having an emergency c-section and most of the puppies didn't make it. (I recapped it here, and I honestly have a hard time reading about it.) We kept one of her puppies and that's how we ended up with Winston! 

Bailey

Bailey is now about 15 years old and doing really well! She has poor vision, but doesn't let it slow her down. She has our house memorized, so we don't really notice it until we take her someplace new.

We are so happy to have Bailey in our life. We had no idea what we were taking on when we got her 9 years ago. I'm so thrilled that she has now spent the majority of her life with us living in complete luxury. 

Winston

Winston has been such a fun dog! He's got quite the personality and has since day one. It's actually pretty cool to have had him since he was born! Winston is now 9, and he is getting a little gray in the face. He's also getting a little rounder, since he's gotten in the habit of sneaking some of his mother's food. 

The main struggle we've had with Winston is his seasonal allergies! We still have not narrowed down exactly what he is allergic to, but I'd say his seasonal allergies are the most under control they've ever been right now. His coat and skin are looking really good! 

We have also tried a few PetLabCo products I'd love to share with you today!

Allergy & Immune Chews

If you are like us, then your dog has woken you up in the middle of the night licking their paws like there is no tomorrow! Winston has always dealt with this, so we have been extremely open to anything that helps out. The PetLabCo Allergy & Immune chews are designed to support your dog's gut health and can help with things like occasional itching and licking. The soft chews are small and look like what we give as a reward, so it's very easy to add this into your dog's routine. Honestly, now Winston's skin and seasonal allergy situation is better than ever! 

Probiotic Chews

I am personally taking probiotics for all the benefits they provide, so it makes sense to me to give one to my dog too! Supporting their gut can have so many benefits like healthy immune responses to seasonal allergies, and healthy digestive function. The PetLabCo Probiotic chew can also help with yeast imbalance, which Winston definitely has dealt with. I like that these soft chews are very soft and crumbly, so they are great for picky eaters! That yeasty smell we had gotten so used to has really gotten so much better! 

ProBright Advanced Dog Dental Powder

I was reminiscing about when we had puppies, and how good puppy breath smells! That could just be me. What is not great - is grown up dog breath! The PetLabCo ProBright Advanced powder is actually clinically studied* to target tartar build up and help freshen your dog's breath. You just add a scoop (with the cutest tiniest included scoop!) and add it to your dog's food once a day. No toothbrush needed! Our pugs do not cooperate with daily teeth brushing, so I'm thrilled to have this option. It could not be easier!

*A 28-day study found ProBright Advanced significantly reduced a key odor causing compound in dogs. In a 90-day clinical study, dogs taking ProBright Advanced daily had a plaque index score that was 25% lower than the control group.  

All in all, we are so grateful to have had these 9 years with our pugs! This past year was a tough transition from 3 to 2 dogs, and we still think about Delly every single day. Bailey and Winston add so much joy to our days, and really a sense of purpose. Our days are centered on them! We have to wake up early to ensure they've been fed and walked. We can't leave the house for too long. And, getting a dog sitter for our vacations will forever be such a hurdle and stressor! I just wish I could clone myself and stay behind with them. We are grateful for any product or routine that makes their little lives better!

-Kristen

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Pug Update (Featuring PetLabCo)

Friday, August 1, 2025

Saying Goodbye to Delly

This is a post I don't want to write. And, I probably won't get through typing it without crying. We had to say goodbye to our sweet Delly girl this past week at 13 years old. I'm not sure how to sum up her life, and words will fail if I try to convey just how much she was loved! We got her around our first anniversary, when I was still very young and lonely in a new town. She was literally the perfect dog. So easy to train, and she just wanted to be with us. I called her my shadow. She would be all comfy, and snoring softly, but if I got up - she was right with me. 

We loved watching her with our niece and nephews. She adored them, and vice versa. Even when they were small - she was so patient, and didn't mind if they messed with her. And as they all got older, she loved to sit on top of them and awaited their affections. 

When she was younger, Delly had the most gorgeous black coat I've ever seen. Just so shiny! We called her ham-tongue because inevitably her tongue would stick out, and it looked like a piece of ham. 

She's been a big part of my blog too! She was just 3 years old when I started blogging under the name: Pugs, Pearls & Positivity. 

Delly has had a tough year. Her mobility went way down hill with some kind of nerve issue, as well as arthritis. A couple of things helped - we started her on a new medication a few months ago and got her little toe grips to help her walk without slipping. Last year she also injured her eye and it took months to get it healed. In the last few weeks she just really started to decline. Her mobility was just so poor, and she began having accidents all the time, and then to top it all off she injured her good eye. (No idea how it happened.) With so little vision left it just became so clear that her life had become one big struggle. 

It was the toughest decision to make, but we just knew it was time. Fortunately, we found an absolute angel of a mobile vet who helped us say goodbye in our own home. I'm am so grateful for that. Obviously, it was the hardest thing to experience, and I have cried every day. But, beyond just missing her absence, I have missed our puppy for a lot longer. Seeing your dog age is just so hard! 

 

For a 20 pound little doggie, she sure took up a lot of room! We are still getting used to the quieter house. After all, we had 13 years of her noises and presence. I still keep thinking she's just at the other end of the couch. 

We miss her dearly. The other pugs are doing ok. I'm glad we have them. If our house was empty, this would be so much harder. Bailey and Winston are mother and son, so they are really bonded to each other. Delly was bonded to me, so I don't think they are depressed or anything like some dogs can get when they lose their buddies. It may have also helped that they were here when we said goodbye to Delly, so it seems that they have a sense of what happened to her. I have noticed they are much more cuddly to me than usual - but that may just be because the space is available now. 

Ugh, I've just been so sad. Although I sobbed in the days leading up to, and the first few after - it is getting better each day. But, I still think about her constantly. Putting her things away was terrible, so I stopped, and ended up just leaving out her leash and harness. I'll get to that later on. I even cried sweeping up one night, thinking how one day I'd sweep up the last of her hair. (Dramatic? probably - but I'm letting myself have that one.) Truthfully, there is so much of her hair everywhere - I think I will keep finding it literally forever. 😂

We've had so many sweet friends reaching out to us. It's one of those things that if you get it, you get it. It's a sad little club to be in. And actually, one of my best friends just had to say goodbye to their dog that they got around the same time as Delly, right around their first anniversary as well. It's cool(?), or maybe nice is a better word, to be walking the same path as someone else in that way. I'm grateful that my friends have been there to listen to me. 

Blake's boss was so sweet and let him work from home for a couple of days during this. We had preplanned to have 2 sets of company come and stay that weekend, and I'm glad we went ahead with our scheduled programing. It was super nice to have friends nearby and to keep us distracted with a full house. The world keeps turning, ya know. 

Well, I only teared up once typing this all out, so I consider that a win. Thanks for being there for me, and letting me grieve here in my little corner of the internet. 

We were able to get one last family photo 💖

-Kristen

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Saying Goodbye to Delly

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Favorite Pug Products

It's been a little while since I've done any pug posts! Our 3 pugs are doing just fine, and are totally all over our camera rolls. I thought that I'd take some time today to share some of my favorite pug products in case you have a dog or are thinking of getting a pug! 

Shallow Bowls

As you can probably tell with these smooshed faces, it's much easier for the pugs to eat from shallow bowls. I found these at Target, and while they are meant for cats they work great for us. I stay clear of stainless bowls because we've had a problem with bacteria in the past. 

Skin Soother

A reoccurring theme in this post will be how itchy our pugs are. This skin soother is such a great product made with natural ingredients. It goes easily and protects their sore skin. 

Puppia Harnesses

Pugs can't wear a traditional collar for walks, so we are long time fans of Puppia! They are soft harnesses that just work perfectly for the pug shape. I can't tell you how often we get compliments on these! And, Delly has had hers since she was a puppy! She's going on 12 years old and this harness still looks great. This picture of Winston is from 2017, and he's still wearing that harness today. 

Furminator Brush 

Pugs shed, like a lot. This is the best brush that helps up keep up with all the extra hair! 

Trader Joe's Salmon Jerky

I got these treats at the recommendation of my vet. The only ingredient is salmon! Our dogs love these, we just break them into tiny pieces for them. Bailey had a bad reaction to another treat last year, and we really thought we were going to lose her. So, needless to say, I'm happy to have found a treat that our dogs love and isn't hurting them.

Calming Bed

Our dogs LOVE these beds. We have 3 now. Sometimes they want them to themselves, and other times all 3 of them will pile into one bed. They are easy to wash too. 

Otic Ear Cleaner

Two of our pugs are very prone to ear infections. Our vet prescribed this to us a few years ago, and when I found it cheaper on Amazon I was very happy. It helps us keep their yeasty ears under control! 

Chlorhexidine Wipes

Another pug thing is how gross their wrinkles can get. These wipes were also recommended by our vet. This keeps their wrinkles clean and less stinky.  

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-Kristen

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Favorite Pug Products

Monday, February 13, 2023

Puggy Photo Shoot

I'm just tickled to have a new lens for my camera! I've always said that it's all about your tools. You can do anything if you have the right tool or equipment for the job. My favorite thing to take photos of are people, products, and my pugs. So a lens that goes down to 1.8 is SO exciting for me to use. I've been playing around with it, but when I saw my pugs lounging around in the backyard I knew I needed to bust it out. 

I was cleaning and rearranging stuff in the backyard, and had thrown my lounge chair cushion out into the grass to get it out of my way. The pugs obviously took the invitation and started sunning themselves. Such a typical pug thing, they really seek out soft things to lay on. 

Read more about The Pugs here! 

This last shot shows how much practice I need with focusing, but I thought it was still a cool picture! Check out that bug! (Gross, but still cool to me.) 

Can't wait to use this thing some more and get better at it! Leave a comment below if you think your pets are the perfect models for pictures! And anybody with photography experience should leave their best tips for us beginners! 

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Puggy Photo Shoot

Thursday, March 22, 2018

We Rescued Bailey One Year Ago Today!

It's Bailey's Gotcha Day! On June 29, 2016 we brought Bailey home. To be honest, sometimes thinking about last summer gives me pretty intense anxiety. Rescuing Bailey was one of the best things we've ever done, but it also came with quite a bit of stress.

Let me back up a little bit, because maybe you don't know the story. Blake and I had wanted to get a 2nd pug for a while, but we weren't sure if we wanted to go back to the breeder we got Delly from, or try to rescue a pug (possibly from the Pug Rescue of Florida). Then down the grapevine trickled the information that an acquaintance of a friend of a friend (etc!) needed to rehome her pug. 

I won't give all the details but she wasn't happy to have to do this. Her family was going through a lot and she had to move out herself and couldn't take the dog with her. I reached out and told her we wanted a 2nd pug, that we were really familiar with pugs and that our dog was about the same age so we thought it would be a great fit. 

She totally agreed so we planned to meet up at a pet store later in the week. It needed to happen quickly, because she was getting ready to leave the country and her family at that point refused to let Bailey stay there any longer. (I figured out why later!)

The girl asked ahead of time if we could make it a quick process because she was going to have a hard time with it. I understood that. I expected her to basically hand her over and she'd leave. That's when it got interesting. She got out of the car and stalled a bit. Evidently she hadn't seen Bailey in a few weeks due to the circumstances and Bailey was in worse shape than she knew and had told me. That part I had expected. What I didn't expect was the news that Bailey was most definitely pregnant. (!!)

So many thoughts were rushing through my head. I had to call Blake and tell him what was going on. I just knew he'd say "no way, we can't adopt a pregnant dog." But he didn't. He could tell in my voice that I just couldn't leave her. I told him that she had been kept outside, and that it had been raining that day. Bailey was in pretty rough shape even without the pregnancy. He laughed nervously and said, "well okay!"

Gosh, she was in rough shape. Pugs are kind of high maintenance dogs, and they can't really be neglected for long. She had ear and eye infections and was underweight by several pounds. We could tell she was a smaller pug, but she was only 12 pounds and basically full term pregnant. (For perspective, Delly, who has never missed a meal in her life, is about 18-19 pounds) She also wasn't up to date on her vaccines. I will never forget how much dirt came out of her ears. The vet tech had to help me clean them out and even she was shocked.

She ended up having the puppies on July 19th, just a few weeks later. I don't want to re-type out the birth story of the puppies. It was pretty traumatic. And I guess if that's the worst thing that has happened to me, I can't really complain. But, I can't even look at the travel kennel without having intense flashbacks. I had to switch laundry detergent because the smell of those freshly laundered towels I had for the whelping box still lingers in my head. We were also undergoing a major bathroom remodel at the same time, and while that turned out beautifully, it only added to the stress. It took me months to recover emotionally, as dramatic as that sounds.

Here she is with her 2 babies, right after her C-Section. I think this was the first time we truly saw how skinny and frail she was. All the nutrition she had was going to those pups. She was just skin and bones for the longest time. We fed her any time she showed any interest in food. In fact now I'm remembering she could only stomach wet food for the first few weeks. 

In the last year, Bailey has totally blossomed. We got her eye and ear infections fixed right away. She got up to date on her vaccines, and we had her fixed. But, not before she went into heat again! Ugh, lots of new experiences with this girl.  

She was and is just the best momma. Winston still harasses her on a daily basis, and she will just roll over and pretend to be his prey. It's so funny. I'd say they are what's called a bonded pair. They sleep together in the kennel, while Delly still prefers to be attached to us. 

Bailey does have trouble seeing from time to time. Her eyes are very dark, which apparently comes from getting older. She can't see too well in bright light, so sometimes she gets lost outside-even when you are standing near by. We will just talk to her or clap our leg so she can figure out where we are. She has been known to run into us too! 

She has put on about 4 pounds, and her stomach has shrunken from her puppies/c-section. She has a cute little figure now! And a great appetite! She really filled out when we started her on high-calorie puppy food. It was pretty challenging to feed 3 dogs, 3 different foods! Fortunately, now they all eat the same thing. All that good nutrition really benefited her. Her fur is so so soft now and she doesn't get itchy paws anymore.

She has the sweetest personality, and is so laid back! Although, she will yell at you if she is hungry or needs to go out. We love that she drinks like a camel, but we don't love that she also holds it all day and only goes out once. If you miss it, there is about a gallon of pee to clean up! At this point, though, I think we recognize her cues.

I've snapped a few pictures of her recently, so you can see her transformation! No more ribs sticking out, but she still has those sad eyes mastered, haha! I think this look is just utter contentment. Especially because I banished Winston to the other room.

Her eyes really change outside.

I wrote a little bit about adopting a dog in this post about changing her name. It was definitely a different experience than getting an 8 week old puppy from a breeder. Bailey was a full grown dog with a whole history we will never know. We  had to get to know her, and she had to get to know us! We didn't know what tricks she knew or if she had ever even been on a walk.  

It's neat to look back on this past year and see how far she has come! The crazy thing is, I'm not sure she'd be alive if we didn't take her home that day, which is super sobering. I'm so happy we went out on a limb for her and that it worked out the way it did. I can't say enough good things about adopting or rescuing a dog, and especially an older dog who needed a little extra care. She has been a great addition to our family, and without her we wouldn't have Winston either! And goodness knows he keeps our life interesting!

Happy Gotcha Day Bailey!

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We Rescued Bailey One Year Ago Today!

Thursday, June 29, 2017