Author: Katya

We’ve paired up with Pet Sitters International, creator of Take Your Dog To Work Day®, for this year’s annual celebration! We’re so excited they started this day as a way to celebrate dogs and all they do to enrich our lives, but also as a way to encourage pet adoption. Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog To Work Day® offers a terrific opportunity for all businesses to allow dogs to come to work with their owners as a way to get involved in a great cause. Beth Stultz, a fellow animal lover at Pet Sitters International had some amazing findings to report about the success of this holiday!

“Employees at Village Green, a developer and manager of luxury apartments in Detroit, Mich., have adopted eight dogs since the company began participating in Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWDay®). In 2010 they made the day into an event which raised more than $5,550 to benefit their local Animal Placement Bureau and support its pet rescue efforts.”

We were thrilled to hear about Village Green and hope more companies across the U.S. and abroad will join in to promote pet adoption this year on Friday, June 24, for the 13th annual TYDTWDay®! If your place of work is interested in participating or planning an event click here!
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And here are four reasons that Beth offers for why working with your dog on TYDTWDay can be a business savvy decision:

1. TYDTWDay® offers a positive, unique opportunity to increase community involvement and establish new community ties. Participating businesses are encouraged to partner with a local animal shelter, rescue group or humane organization to host a TYDTWDay® event—and often garner local or national media coverage of their efforts as well.

2. Studies have shown that having dogs in the workplace increases productivity and creativity. Surveys also indicate that employees credit dogs in the workplace for decreased absenteeism and improved co-worker relationships and teamwork.

3. Participation in TYDTWDay® is a fun, low-cost “pet perk” to offer employees. At a time when some businesses have been forced to cut jobs and decrease benefits, this simple event may boost employee morale and job satisfaction.

4. TYDTWDay® is for a good cause—to promote pet adoption. This fun day of celebrating the great companion dogs make could encourage employees to adopt a new best friend of their own and raise awareness of local adoptable pets. Participating businesses are encouraged to invite a local shelter or rescue group to bring adoptable pets or share information about their adoption policies. Participants can also use the Adopt-a-Pet.com widgets on Takeyourdog.com to search for local, adoptable pets.

Interested in participating in a fun day in the office with Fido that could also help other pets find their forever homes? Visit www.takeyourdog.com to learn more and remember there are hundreds of awesome dogs to choose from right at our “Search Dogs” tab on the homepage right now! We at Adopt-a-Pet.com dream for a time when every day will be a Take Your Dog To Work Day.

Want to try some new way to help animals but you don’t know how, consider creating a Flower Power for Senior Dogs campaign for your local rescue or shelter! Senior dogs make amazing companions. They are loving, mellow, already established and wise! Flower Power for Senior Dogs is an annual fundraising campaign idea started by The Grey Muzzle Organization (read more about them below), created by hopes to bring brighter days to homeless senior dogs through an online floral boutique and retail campaign. Though their campaign only runs in the spring, with a focus on bulbs and other floral items that can be purchased and planted, anyone at any time can be inspired and follow their strategy of working with  local community florists, pet supply stores, and any other retail shops to help raise money for senior dogs in need.

Retailers that participate in The Grey Muzzle Organization’s Flower Power campaign are invited to show their Flower Power by buying colorful paper flowers (yours could be created by local artists, school children or volunteers) to adorn their store windows. The funds you raise could be donated to local shelter or senior dogs rescue groups. The goal is to develop community awareness about the need to help and love the many unwanted senior dogs in local shelters.

The Grey Muzzle Organization (www.greymuzzle.org) works to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs by providing funding and resources to animal shelters, rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and other non-profit groups nationwide. Their programs include hospice care, supporting senior dog adoption (they are not a rescue group or shelter themselves), medical screening, and other programs designed to specifically help older dogs.

Written by Katya Friedman – I always thought of myself as tolerant and kind, someone who’s willing to work for and on the important things in life.  I considered myself a dedicated person, a problem solver, a hurtle jumper.  But all that came in to question when we first brought home Feebe. Over three years ago, while volunteering at the South Los Angeles Animal Shelter, I fell in love with a Shepherd mix who was being surrendered to the shelter because her owner “didn’t have time for her anymore.”  I’d seen so many Shepherds (and other animals) coming in to the shelter and they all break my heart, but for some reason, unclear to me still, this dog captured my attention like no other.  As she was being dumped at the shelter, she looked right into my eyes, I looked right into hers, and just like that she became my dog.  I knew I would not let anything happen to her. It felt like she took hold of my love in an instant.  Looking back now, I know she chose me to be hers.

Feebe, as my husband and I named her once we adopted her, is a beautiful dog.  You’d think she would be an easy adoption as she’s quite stunning really.  But she had some behavior problems, and while we were excited about saving her life, from the moment we brought her home those issues arose: she had never been inside a house before due to having been a guard dog her whole life so she had separation anxiety being about left alone; she had a vision problem that caused her to be jumpy at times when friends came over; and worst of all, she exhibited some aggression towards my other dog.  We were concerned about what to do and devastated to realize this was the case.

Let me take a moment to say that NOT all animals at shelters have behavioral or medical issues – far from it.  In over four years of spending time at shelters, I have found that most of the animals do not.  Homeless pets are loving, lovable, healthy, and balanced animals who have every right to find happy forever homes, as much as any other animal does.  Although the shelter is a world of hurt for them, once they are out and in homes, their resilience and ability to shake off the anxiety is amazing.  It’s incredible how their true characters come out and how quickly they thrive off love, stability, and security.  They just need a family to belong to, and a home to call their own.

As a shelter volunteer, I try to focus on matchmaking people with the most well-adjusted and well-suited animals to adopt, and there is never a shortage to choose from.  It was not my fate, however, to find such a dog for myself.  I believe I was meant to connect with Feebe. I believe the teacher comes when the student is ready.  And boy, has Feebe been my teacher.  Though at first I was not sure we could handle it, I’m proud to say I’ve learned that I am really the loyal and solution-oriented person I thought I was.

Not everyone is ready or able to handle a dog with issues, but as the mother to a furry firebrand, I can wholeheartedly tell you that there are so many invaluable benefits to adopting, or even fostering, a challenging animal. It has not always been easy and it has required large doses of patience and understanding; but the gains have far outweighed the costs when it comes down to Feebe and saving her life.  If you are willing and able to help a challenging pet overcome their issues and live up to their fullest potential, I promise you it will enhance your life and be worth your while.

Resilience, Commitment and Dedication.

From the get go, our alarm caused my husband and I to try everything.  We read books, we sought out trainers and group classes, we asked owners of other challenging dogs, we went on lots of walks with Feebe.  We worked hard with her, spending lots of time with her and getting to know her personality, her communication signals, and her triggers.  There were improvements as we began to see Feebe’s anxiety subside, while her joy increased.  There were also setbacks and times when we felt more discouraged than ever, but all in all we knew we could not give up on Feebe.  Thankfully we never did.  Taking her back to the shelter was never an option, and we knew that the rescue groups around us were scampering to save so many other lives.  So Feebe was ours, for better or for worse, and we decided it was for the better.

We read that dogs take a little bit of time to adjust to a new home.  Being true pack animals, when a dog comes into her new home, she’s not only trying to find out who the new people and animals are but also who she’s supposed to be in this new pack.  It can be a very scary time for some dogs, and for Feebe it was definitely difficult.  Yet by giving her a routine, structure, boundaries, and love, all of those fears and uncertainties began to melt away.  Having compassion for her past, for her mistakes, and being patient and kind about teaching her a whole new lifestyle and set of behaviors started to visibly pay off.  It took commitment and dedication, but we made a vow that day we brought her home to keep her with us and keep her safe.  We began to work at finding a way that we could all reside happily together.  We kept each other going, and she kept us going too.

Noticing and celebrating progress.

My husband and I felt that it was our job to set Feebe up to succeed, not to fail.  All pets are individuals, and for her this was how we could love her best.  We did not put her in situations we felt she did not yet know how to handle, or scenarios that would provoke or frighten her.  So many negative pet behaviors in dogs come from fears and insecurities about the unknown.  We promised to Feebe and to one another that we would protect her as much as we could from the things that made her regress, and gradually help her develop her coping skills.

We worked with a few trainers (many trainers are open to price cuts for rescue dogs, which is so great!) and used positive reinforcement to teach her.  Through continual drills and consistency, and because she is so smart and eager to please, we saw results immediately.  Manners were being cultivated and Feebe’s mind was being stimulated, something that is beneficial for most dogs especially Shepherds.

Stopping to smell the roses became vital for Feebe’s growth.  We noticed the small achievements and celebrated her progress.  Many dog owners notice when their dogs are practicing behaviors they don’t want, but Feebe taught us that paying attention to the behaviors we do want makes all the difference.  We learned more and more not only about dog behavior, but also about her and her character.  We realized that when we focused on the good, those behaviors seemed to strengthen.  I’ve been told that whatever we focus on grows and in the case for Feebe, when we caught her accomplishing feats and gave her our energy when she behaved well, those actions did in fact get stronger and she blossomed.

Learning how to make lemonade.

Although Feebe was getting better every day – the separation anxiety had subsided, we taught her how to properly meet people who were strangers to her, she was solid on her commands, and she was able to coexist peacefully with my other dog – there were still some problematic triggers for her.  As much as we tried, she never would be a dog-park dog or be alright being hugged by a big gruff man she didn’t know, even if that man was a relative of ours.  She needed certain boundaries respected and upheld, and we would always need to utilize our proper greeting rituals and calming crate time in order to keep her feeling comfortable.

Eventually, it was a matter of us letting go of wanting Feebe to be the dog we wanted her to be, and instead accepting her for the dog she is.  When we did that we began to recognize the tremendous amount of love and gratitude this one sweet pooch could give us.  There were some things she could do better than other dogs – she could run and jump like the best of them! – however she had limitations too.  It turned out Feebe had strengths and weaknesses, just like we all do, and learning how to manage those and support her allowed us to focus on her strengths and appreciate her for who she is.

An indescribable feeling of pride.

Today, over three years later, Feebe can go to doggie day care!  Watching her play with other dogs is still thrilling for me, knowing she has learned how to play and communicate appropriately with other canines.  She spent many of her years not knowing how to be around other dogs, and we are filled with pride when watching her enjoy their company.  Feebe also loves sleeping on her lavender-smelling dog bed (lavender is a natural calming scent) when we leave the house, and there are no longer barks, whines or destructive behaviors.  Those days were long gone once she knew she was safe.  She can trust that we will love her forever and ever, and as cheesy as it sounds, I am certain that she knows she can count on that.

There are no words to describe the amount of gratitude we feel knowing we have helped Feebe live up to her greatest potential, helping her to become the best dog she can be.  Bad habits have been curbed because we did the work with her.  Good habits have replaced them.  She is not perfect – neither are you or I, nor any other dog.  But she is good enough. She is good enough just being her goofball self, doing the best she can with our help, and she has enriched our lives exceedingly.  We got out what we put in, and that is always what it takes every time.  We cannot expect these animals to teach themselves or to come knowing how we want them to live in our homes – and thankfully, we get to build our own personal characters as human beings while we help them flourish.

Unconditional Love.

The best gift for me in having a challenging dog has been grasping the true meaning of unconditional love.  We have learned to love Feebe no matter what.  When she slips up, when she digresses, when she is imperfect.  She has taught us that she is worth loving no matter what, worth fighting for no matter what, and worth working with despite her challenges.  We still separate our dogs when we are not home, we still have to give a little extra care when it comes to Feebe, but it is still worth it.  It’s not that bad, it’s doable, and in the end, we get to fulfill the promise we made to her when we walked her out those shelter doors. A person who is true to her word – that is the kind of person I want to be.

In exchange, Feebe loves us unconditionally too, even when we mess up or are anything less than our best selves.  Maybe if we looked at it another way, she’s not a challenging dog but we’re challenging people?  If you can help a homeless pet in need recover and rehabilitate, if you can offer love and benevolent leadership to help them thrive, I guarantee you the challenges will be beyond meaningful.  You just might be able to surpass your wildest imagination in terms of what you can do for another being and learn what you’re really made of.

Here’s an article from Mamapedia about the lessons special needs animals can teach us, written by Katya, the Director of Partnerships and Promotions for Adopt-a-Pet.com. Maryam Faresh and Bruce Meade have five rescued animals, three cats and two dogs. Two of their five, Daisy and Louie, are special needs pets. They have always rescued animals and appreciated them, but Daisy and Louie have opened their eyes and hearts to a whole new way of rescue.

Louie came to Maryam and Bruce, an eight-month old young kitty with a cast on one back leg and the other back leg’s paw newly amputated. Louie had been born on the streets, and the kind vet who rescued him said he would take care of all the vet bills if they would give him a home. Maryam and Bruce didn’t think twice and welcomed Louie in with open arms.

Louie didn’t realize his limitations; he tried to do things other cats could do like jumping on the bed or on a shelf, but he couldn’t. Maryam and Bruce began to care for Louie: they placed their bed mattress on the floor, lowered any shelves that may be tempting for him to jump on, and would take turns scratching behind his ear to keep him comfy and let him know he was loved! They researched special needs cats online and read up on how to best take care of him. As Louie struggled with everyday normal activities, even getting in and out of the litter box, Maryam and Bruce tried their best, learning as they went along, just like Louie did. He began to thrive.

As time passed Maryam and Bruce found themselves turning to Louie for inspiration. Louie never stopped trying, he never gave up. He learned his limitations, and then, would push through them. Maryam and Bruce see Louie as an amazing spirit to have in their home, a daily reminder of the power of perseverance and fearlessness! And then they met Daisy…

Daisy was born blind and deaf and was passed through three homes before finding Maryam and Bruce. She bonded instantly with their three year old dog, Olivia, but could not bond with them. The first two nights Daisy was up all hours of the night pacing and barking and they knew they needed help with her extreme nervousness.

They soon learned that deafblind animals are very different than just deaf or just blind. The first step was for Maryam and Bruce to understand Daisy’s need for a strict schedule; this would be her life force. Next was they worked on getting Daisy to accept their touch. It took eight months for Daisy to bond with them, and they worked with her day and night. Daisy was not the kind of dog who easily responded to cuddling and kisses…and Maryam spent many nights in tears feeling as if somehow she was failing as a pet parent. But she and Bruce didn’t give up.

One evening the couple went to a friend’s party and they had their three-month old white Labrador Retriever who was of course the life of the party. The guests were cooing over the puppy and his responsiveness and playfulness with everyone! But Maryam kept thinking: What about a dog like Daisy? What about Daisy? When they took Daisy outside people would just stare at her eyes and her obvious blindness and other dogs would pick fights with her due to her disabilities. Maryam and Bruce realized their duty was to love Daisy just as she was, and to make other people understand her greatness.

In one night everything changed – Daisy stopped resisting and the bond was made. It would only grow stronger from there. Maryam and Bruce cried with joy and since then Daisy has learned how to cuddle, kiss, climb stairs, visit new locations and even learn how to swim! Daisy’s strength, joy for life and perseverance is something Bruce and Maryam would never trade for the world. You can view some of Daisy’s amazing accomplishments here.

Maryam is a now strong advocate for special needs animals, and tries to help people understand that special needs can come in many forms: emotional or physical or both. She promotes positive messaging about special needs animals and wants people to know that though they can be challenging, they can be overcome. Bruce and Maryam believe as with any family pet, the success lies in the parent’s willingness to commit to a routine and structure, to do the work and support their furry family member.

The couple has dedicated their lives to spreading the message that rescuing special needs animals is amazing and inspiring. You don’t need extensive animal experience, just the patience, love and dedication needed to support them. Bruce and Maryam hope to be a support system for other families willing to open their homes and hearts to special needs animals. They hope to ease the minds of other special needs pet parent’s out there.

Daisy’s and Louie’s spirits inspired Maryam to write a children’s book called What about Daisy? which tells the story of a deafblind rescue dog in search of her forever home. With the help of her canine rescue mom, her two fairies, and a three legged cat named Louie, the adventure to find Daisy her loving home will entertain and warm the hearts of many children and their families. It encourages kids to love those with special needs just the same. To date Daisy has visited and taught more than 1,500 students throughout California about tolerance and acceptance for special needs children and animals!

And Louie and Daisy lived happily ever after…

Learn more and check out What About Daisy? the children’s book at What About Daisy.

Please consider finding a special needs pet to adopt or foster by searching Adopt-a-Pet.com and checking the “Has Special Needs” box when you run your search!

If you’re looking for a different kind of pet to adopt, consider a ferret! Ferrets make great pets. They can be loving and sweet companion animals, not to mention loads of fun. Since ferrets are not as commonplace as other pets, they are sometimes harder to read as less might be known about them. Read on to discover some ferret behaviors that may seem alarming to the uneducated ferret owner or observer, but are actually quite common.

Ferrets can sleep so soundly they can seem dead. Ferrets spend 14–18 hours a day asleep and are most active around the hours of dawn and dusk. Sometimes ferrets tremble when they’re anticipating something or excited. Rest assured this is normal, as these little fellows are not shy about their exuberance! They perform a frenzied series of sideways hops, often bumping into things and trembling when they’re happy. Another normal ferret behavior is that they drag their tooshies after using the litter box.

These and other behaviors which might seem unsettling to new owners are actually all regular ferret activities. You can learn more about ferrets and what ferret behaviors really mean by clicking here.

Ferrets are silly, adorable animals that make great pets! You can find a ferret to adopt by using the “Other Pets” search on Adopt-a-Pet.com and then selecting “Ferret” as the species in the small animals section.

Adopting a pet is one of the kindest things you can do! But we know that not everyone can bring in a pet right now. Luckily, there are still many other ways you can make a positive impact to help the shelter and rescue pets in your community. Here are nine ways you can make a difference for adoptable pets today:

1. Volunteer: The shelter can be an extremely stressful atmosphere. A foreign place and small space, other stressed animals, endless barking, a constant influx of new animals and people – it can be a very unnerving experience. As anxiety grows, volunteers who come walk with, play with, and love on animals become a saving grace for many pets. The attention and interaction that volunteers can offer brings much needed comfort to shelter animals. Consider volunteering at your local shelter and enjoy the rewards of helping improve and enhance lives!
2. Donate: Whether you have $10 a month to spare, supplies you can donate, or have collected newspapers in your neighborhood to give, your local shelter can use and will appreciate it! Most shelters and rescue groups have a wish list of materials they need in order to keep saving lives. Instead of throwing away that old blanket, check with your local shelter to see if they need it. Reach out to your friends, and have a towel drive or ask everyone to donate one small bag of dog food. Instead of birthday gifts, have your friends donate to a rescue group of your choice.
3. Foster: If you can’t adopt a pet yet but want to enjoy the company of an animal, consider fostering a lucky dog, cat or bunny! Foster homes are the lifeline for rescue groups, allowing them to save animals and keep them safe while looking for their forever home. Fostering a pet can be so much fun, and it’s a great way to get your furry fix without making the adoption commitment. When you foster, you’re a pivotal part of the animal’s rescue, offering rehabilitation and love while they way for their forever family.
4. Take pictures or video: Animals is shelters and rescues need glamor shots! A picture is worth a thousand words and a beautiful picture can make the difference between adopted and waiting. Even more, nothing captures a pet’s personality like a video! Shoot a mini pet movie and you’ll be creating an excellent way to capture a pet’s personality and help adopters fall in love. Use a regular digital camera with a video setting, and no editing software needed – it’s easy and it really helps. So get those cameras charged and ready!
5. Be a techie for the animals: The internet has made pet adoption a whole new ball game. Having bios, photos, and video of animals who need homes increases their exposure and their chance at adoption. You can also do some “social PETworking” by posting a shelter pet on your Facebook page or via TwitterACritter and in doing so, you will be spreading the word about specific pets and help save them. Networking animals online helps them get adopted or rescued, right from your very couch or desk chair!
6. Spay or neuter your pet: By simply taking responsibility for spaying or neutering your own dog or cat, you’re doing your part to fight pet overpopulation. There are so many reasons to spay/neuter your pet, from behavioral advantages to health benefits to social consciousness. There are many low-cost clinics if financial matters are a concern, and even organizations that will help cover those costs for you. By spaying or neutering your animals, you’re a part of the solution and we thank you for that.
7. Link it up: Ask animal-related businesses in your area to post a link to Adopt-a-Pet.com on their web sites! By adding a link to our nonprofit website, people in your community can find adoptable pets and get involved to help their local shelters or rescue groups. Google to find out trainers, groomers, pet stores, dog parks, and veterinarians, in your community and politely ask them to add a link to Adopt-a-Pet.com to their website! It’s easy and oh-so helpful for promoting pet adoption – widgets and search boxes can be found at http://www.adoptapet.com/public/links/index.html
8. Adopt and commit: When you’re ready to bring a pet into your life, please choose adoption as your only option! You’ll want to make sure you’re ready for the long-term commitment to have a pet, as the greatest gift you can give homeless pets is simply to keep your own for life. If everyone did this (and spayed and neutered them), the number of pets in shelters would be drastically decreased! Remember that no pet is perfect and all require a little work and a lot of love – please stick with them through thick or thin just as you would with a child. Animals are not disposable, and when you make a lifelong promise to your pet, that’s one fewer animal in a shelter. If nothing else, feel GREAT about being wonderful to your own furry family members– you may not be able to save every animal in the world, but it means the world for the ones you do save.

Daisy was born blind and deaf and was passed around through many homes before finding her happy forever home. Because of the instability and her special needs, Daisy didn’t know how to be a dog when she came to Maryam and Bruce her knew owners.  Daisy was afraid and anxious, and it would take another dog who could be her eyes and ears for her to be rehabilitated. It turned out Olivia was just the dog for the job.

Daisy instantly bonded with Olivia but not with her new parents, and it took eight months for Daisy to connect with them. Every day they worked on gaining her trust and letting her accept touch.  Now Daisy kisses and cuddles, walks and wiggles, and is a happy, healthy, playful pooch. Daisy’s parents hope to be a support system for other families willing to open their homes and hearts to special needs animals.  As they say, she may have needed to learn how to be a regular dog but ultimately they believe they were the students and Daisy the teacher.

To date Daisy has visited more than 1,500 students throughout California to teach them about tolerance and acceptance of special needs children and animals. Daisy’s strength and courage inspired Maryam to write a children’s book called “What about Daisy?”  This inspiring children’s story about a deaf and blind rescue dog in search of her forever home, and the adventures she has with her 4 and 2 legged friends, will entertain and warm your heart.

To learn more about Daisy or get a sneak peek into her book, check out www.whataboutdaisy.com

Before taking on the responsibility of owning a dog, it’s important to recognize that owning a pet is a long-term commitment. Be prepared to dedicate time, finances, and energy, as well as a good amount of patience to your new dog over his or her lifetime. Being a responsible dog owner involves more than providing your pup with basic needs such as food and shelter.  Click here to find out more.

DrsFosterSmith.com wants to help homeless pets!  They offer a “Paws for a Cause” program, which encourages site visitors to donate products to animal shelters, and they make it easy to do so.  All shelters are eligible to participate in this program.  Plus they offer a 10% discount for rescue groups and shelters because they’re committed to supporting the great work they do.

In order to encourage adoption retention, DrsFosterSmith.com publishes educational articles on PetEducation.com for all types of animals so that you can learn more about their pets and provide maximum care.  They’ve also posted an Adopt-a-Pet.com pet search widget on their site, giving homeless animals even more exposure!

We thank DrsFosterSmith.com for supporting pet adoption!

When you’re home your pooch has everything she needs – interaction, attention, companionship.  But when you go out and leave her to an empty house, keeping your dog occupied can help prevent boredom from leading to bad habits like chewing or other destructive behaviors.  Some dogs get anxious and have what is known as “separation anxiety” when they’re left alone in the home.  So if your pup can’t stand to be solo, rest assured there are many things you can do to help her and ways you can teach her to be okay being alone.

One tip is to give high-value chew-proof food-stuffed toys and dog-proof bones (big strong marrow bones that will not splinter) only when you leave the house.  The very last thing you should do before you walk out the door is give your dog the toy stuffed with treats (such as the Pet Gear Bonus Ball) that she loves so much. This will give your furry friend something to do when you’re gone, kinda like a project to work on, if you will!  Also, because stuffed chew toys are so tasty for her, it will give her a positive association with no one else being home.  The best way for this to work well is to make sure not to give these special food-stuffed toys when you are home – they remain valuable only if you give them to her just when you leave, soon resulting in her getting excited for you to get outta the house!  Those food toys will start to serve like canine crossword puzzles and help keep her stimulated mentally when she’s home alone.  At the same time, they’ll be providing a positive association with your absence.

Soon enough your pooch will be more focused on that project she hasn’t seen since the last time you left the house, and she’ll be ready to get working on it as you shut the door behind you. If you’ve got more than one dog at home, make sure you first physically separate them in separate rooms with closed doors or crate them when giving them high value chew toys so as to avoid potential fights. And remember, when you return home, any left over goodies get taken up and put away!  She’ll get them again when you go and she’ll thank you for it.