April 28, 2017

Fun Updates + Friday Faves

85 comments

Hey guys! Let’s kick off the weekend with some fun updates and faves, shall we? 🙂

1) We are adopting a puppy!!!!!! Isn’t she cute? The ears!! <3

teri the dog

Matt and I have been talking about getting a dog for quite awhile now, and when we were in Asheville last weekend, my best friend Jenny and I were in a café getting coffee when the cutest puppy came in. We were saying hi to her when the woman with the dog said that they were actually fostering her via the local shelter, and that she was up for adoption! Gah!

After coming home and having a lot of conversations and discussions about logistics with Matt, we’ve decided it was fate and we should go for it. We put in an application for her with the shelter and she is officially ours! Matt is going to be back down in NC in 2 weeks attending his brother’s PhD graduation, so he’s going to go do the paperwork and pick her up while he’s down there. We’re so excited. 🙂 She’ll be 5 months by the time we bring her home, so still a puppy but mostly already house trained. She’s some sort of a mix – they think she has some beagle and German shepherd in her, but it’s a grab bag! She’s so sweet – and relatively mellow for a puppy, too.

So, any tips for how to introduce a dog and a cat successfully?! One of the reasons we’ve waited so long to get a dog is because of poor Zara – we know she’s probably not going to love this! We’re thinking of keeping the basement solely her domain so she can always go there dog-free, but we don’t want to never see her again! Help! Any advice?!

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Also, for those of you reading who live in Arlington and also have dogs, any tips on local dog parks, vets, dog-friendly cafes and restaurants, etc.? I’ve heard the Shirlington dog park is the best in the area and that the Clarendon one isn’t great despite how pretty it is… confirm/deny?

2) Back to the food! I’ve been really into oatmeal lately!

oatmeal with cottage cheese

My standard go to is my microwave banana oatmeal with cottage cheese, nuts, and berries on top. The cottage cheese + sweet banana oats are soooo good together!

I’ve also been doing some overnight oats recently as the weather heats up, which has been a nice way to mix it up! I have a fun overnight oatmeal mix and match recipe post coming at you guys next week, so stay tuned.

3) Chelsea and I hit up Bodymass Gym in Arlington yesterday for another of their boot camp classes! Such a great workout – this has quickly become a new fave spot!

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Also, they have an adorable gym dog named Flex (don’t worry, he only comes out when everyone is done working out – this picture was after class when Chelsea and I stayed and foam rolled). He looks kind of crazy in this picture with his teeth but he is really friendly and sweet!

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4) My old fave Quinoa Taco Salad “recipe” (it’s more of a throw-together don’t need to measure type deal) got a photo update! Check it out if you want a really easy vegetarian lunch or dinner idea. 🙂 

quinoa taco salad recipe

5) I’m excited because my cousin Spencer and his wife Michelle are in town visiting right now! (Remember their gorgeous wedding in San Diego last fall?) They got into town last night, and we took them to dinner at one of our local faves, Rockland’s BBQ. Casual and delicious! Mine is the pulled chicken sandwich on the bottom left. Hit the spot!

rockland's bbq

As for this morning, I introduced Spencer to my microwave banana oatmeal! He gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up – the banana is definitely the key. 🙂

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And now, once I finish this post and get through some emails I’m going to take them on a fun adventure in DC today exploring the National Mall and monuments. 🙂 Spencer’s dad, my uncle Tim, is also joining us this weekend, but he won’t fly in until this evening. Lots of family gatherings are planned – should be fun!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone, and see you back here Monday!

Link love from around the web:

- anne

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85 comments
  • Sweet puppy! Clarendon Animal Care is where we go and it's great! The owner, Natasha, is also a member of AWE. Excited for dog walks :)
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    • Okay awesome thank you! And YES for dog walks!!
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  • I'm so proud of you for adopting, not shopping! :) Congrats. She's beautiful.
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    • We definitely knew we wanted to go the shelter route - our cat is a rescue, too!
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  • That puppy is ADORABLE! I think the biggest thing I've heard about the intro is to try to keep them separated and slowly introduce over time (like put the puppy in a room with the door closed and let Zara sniff under the door). Yay, exciting!
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    • This is totally the best advice. When we got a second cat it was rough for the first few weeks but we followed the recommendations: separated for weeks, kept in separate rooms, doing things like holding one of the cats and walking around the other so they could see them but not touch them, swapping spaces so they can smell each other... It was touch and go at first but now it's so worth it. Our hellions wrestle each other and snuggle ALL the time. Your puppy is so cute!!!!!
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  • She is so cute!! Good luck with introducing her to Zara. Anytime I'm introducing two animals for the first time I keep the dog on a leash which helps keep control and pull them away in case the cat's not having it. It'll take some time but I hope they get along! Have you picked out a name yet?
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    • Yes! We are going to name her Ashe, in honor of where we found her (Asheville)! :)
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  • Your new puppy is so adorable!! Congratulations! :)
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  • I LOVE YOUR PUPPY! i can't wait to find out her name!! so thrilled for you :) thank you for the towel workout shout out! have a wonderful weekend, friend xoxo
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  • What an adorable addition! We love Belle Haven Animal Center in Alexandria; it's right off the Parkway. I was nervous about finding a vet when we moved up from NC (our dog has ridiculous allergies and other health issues) but they have been absolutely wonderful. We've also heard good things about the Shirlington park. We enjoy the smaller dog park in Del Ray across the road from Swing's coffee. It's pretty quiet midday on the weekdays, which was useful for introducing our older dog into the idea of dog parks. Also in Del Ray is a Dog's Best Friend shop, which has a great selection of toys, etc., and is conveniently located across the street from the Dairy Godmother (with puppy icy treats, too) :) If it turns out that you have a swimmer on your hands, keep an eye out for all the doggie splash events at the end of the summer - most pools have a dog swim day(s) (even broken down by size!) after the pools close for the people but before they're drained. A ton of fun! Can't wait to see/hear more about your new pup!
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    • Mmmm Dairy Godmother is the best! Thank you for the tips!!
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  • We just introduced our cat to our new puppy a couple weeks ago! We got a couple gates (from Amazon, I think) that have a little kitty door on the bottom (and swing open to make it easy for us to go through) to help separate some space. We moved the cat food and water dishes up on the counter so he can jump up to get away (and so the puppy doesn't eat his food!). We're crate training the puppy, and when he's in the crate, we make sure to spend some play and cuddle time with the cat. It's been a process for sure, but it's definitely improving! Good luck!
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    • Great tips - I'm definitely getting some of those gates!
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      • I was also going to recommend those gates, we still (one year later) have them to separate one room so the cats have the option of a quiet zone. Also good to put the litter box in a room with a gate at the door, otherwise your puppy might do the cleaning for you :( One thing that workes really well in our household: have something that the cat is allowed to do, but the dog is not. In out house, it's the couch, cats can sit with us, dog is not allowed on the couch. That way, they know the dog is "below" them. I also always feed them first, and the puppy was never allowed to chase them... After about 6 months, they were all perfectly fine with each other, so good luck!
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        • Yeah, definitely going to have the litter box behind the gate - gross!! That's a great tip about having something the cat can do but not the dog. I think that will probably be our bed, since Zara always sleeps on it with us! We'll see...
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  • OMG! That puppy is so cute!! So excited for you! :) Dogs are just the best.
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  • CONGRATS on your pup! I'm obsessed with Bodymass! Hope to see you there sometime!
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    • We will definitely be back soon I'm sure! :)
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  • I'm so excited for you adopting a puppy! What a cutie! Do you have a fenced in backyard? We have one and it is the best! We have a doggie door into our garage so our dog is outside all day when we are at work and then we don't feel guilty leaving her inside. She has a bed and water in the garage so she can be cozy inside or hang out in the yard and chase squirrels and see the neighborhood happenings.
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    • We are getting a fence built this week or next! I wish we could do a dog door but Zara would probably escape through it. :(
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      • There are companies that make dog doors that correspond to collars or tags. Essentially you purchase the collar or tag and only the animal wearing that collar or tag can go in or out. It also keeps other animals from coming in to your house!
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        • Whoa, this is genius, I'll have to look into it!
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  • OMG what an adorable puppy! It's not hard to introduce a cat to a puppy. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats and have done it multiple times! They can watch each other from a distance and then with careful supervision you can introduce them. Maybe keep the puppy on a leash when you introduce them at first. I would not confine Zara to the basement. They will become friends in no time! What's funny is the dogs were afraid of the kittens. The cats kind of ignore the dogs anyway. Does momma get to keep the puppy when you travel????? Ha Ha Holly!
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    • Haha I think she will be off the hook because we have a lot of friends that love dogs and have offered to dog sit... but I'm sure she'll get her on occasion! :) We're thinking of doing a baby gate blocking the basement, so Zara can come and go down there but the dog can't get down there. We'll see!
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  • Yay for dogs! We bring our black lab mix to Fairfax Animal Hospital and they have been wonderful so far. They were recommended to us by the foster when we adopted. We also love the Shirlington dog park - definitely the biggest and liveliest in the area. We've brought our pup to sit outside at Rustico in Ballston and Capitol City Brewing Company in Shirlington. Both were great! If you want to take a drive, go hiking at Sky Meadows State Park and check out Barrel Oak Winery afterward! Super dog friendly and fun atmosphere.
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    • I like the sound of the park + winery combo! :)
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  • Yay! Congratulations and what a cute story of how she came into your life! We did the slow introduction method but of course something happened and I left the door open and they "met" face to face way before we had planned. All it took was one swipe at the face and a hiss from the cat and the dog knew his place in the house for the rest of his life. ;) A week after that our cat was cuddling up to the dog at nap time. We couldn't believe it. However, the cat could sit at the bottom of our stairs for years after that and the dog would NEVER attempt to go up the stairs. Good luck, you guys will figure it out. :)
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    • Omg, I would die from the cuteness if our cat and the puppy ever snuggled!!
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  • Congratulations, absolutely adorable! A rescue dog is the best and you will love Spring, Summer and Fall walks. I do suggest having a good healthy food with limited ingredients.
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  • Congrats on the puppy! That's great news, Anne! She is so cute and I love that she's a rescue. <3 We used to live in Clarendon and we liked the Clarendon dog park . . . until our dog was bit by a bigger dog. So that kind of left us with a bad taste in our mouth. Shirlington is nice (HUGE!) but because of it's size and the fact that it's hard to keep track of your dog there, I'm not a huge fan (since my dog tends to run around and isn't good about coming to me when called). We actually really liked the dog park in Annandale. It's called Mason District Off-Leash Dog Park. The people have always been really nice and warm and the dogs well-behaved. A little bit more travel for you probably, but I say totally worth it! In terms of vet, we actually use a great practice in Rockville (Woodley Gardens Vet Care). Highly recommend, but again I know it's out of the way. When our dog was bit in Clarendon, we actually went to VCA SouthPaws and they were top notch! Just good to keep in mind for emergencies (knock on wood). Good luck! I can't wait to read about your doggy adventures!
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    • Thanks for the tips!
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  • Oh, and this is unsolicited advice, but our favorite doggy daycare when we lived in the area was Whole Dogz in Alexandria!
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  • So glad you're finally getting a puppy! Shirlington is significantly better than Clarendon because you can actually walk around in the park and not feel like you're in a gated place yourself. Our pup sometimes got nervous in other dog parks when he felt like he was fenced in but never at Shirlington. In terms of a cat, its been two years and he and Lila still aren't bff so I probably can't give advice, but I think keeping her on a leash for the first few days they are together may help. Lila was not as social the first year or two, but she's gotten a lot better. Also, I liked hiking before we got a dog but now its my favorite go-to weekend activity because he loves it SO much. We hike in Rock Creek Park so the pup can swim (may not be allowed but its never super busy), and try to get him out to the Shenandoah whenever we can. Let me know when you want to go for a hike with pups! Can't wait to met her!
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    • Would love to do a hike with you guys and the pups!! :)
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  • Congratulations on the newest addition!! http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/mar/introduce_new_puppy_to_cat-13443 When we introduced our adopted dog to our two sphynx cats, it definitely took some time. The dog mostly ignored the cats, and even now, three years later, they tolerate each other but no fights or issues. We were concerned because our dog is 65lbs and our cats are 5 and 7lbs so the size difference was kinda scary at first.
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    • That is scary. Thank you for the link! :)
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  • Hi Anne, congrats on the puppy! Dogs can be the absolute best companions! Since you have time before your pup arrives, I recommend reading as much on doggos as possible. 2 recommendations are Decoding Your Dog and Training the Best Dog Ever, and even if you only read a few chapters, this will give you an amazing head start on your 10+ years with your girl. I also highly recommend crate training from the beginning and the best advice I ever received was if you're not doing something with your pup, they should be tethered or in their crate. This keeps them out of trouble and potty accidents to a minimum (don't think she's 100% trained in a new environment and do a strict potty training at least for a few days/week to ensure success). Introduce your new pup gradually to your house; too much territory can be overwhelming. I'll leave you with a recommendation for Zak George's Training rEvolution channel on YouTube. Amazing positive reinforcement tips that will allow you to bond with and train your girl in no time. He has great videos for crate training, walking on a leash, all the basics, going to the vet, etc. I also recommend getting your girl out and about to very public places, stores and other high human traffic areas as soon as possible so she is exposed to these as a young dog. It will take some adjusting for all, but don't be dismayed! It will be well worth it!! Good luck!
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    • Thank you so much Maxie, I appreciate the tips - I will definitely start reading up!! The foster family actually has her crate trained already, which is awesome, so we will definitely be keeping that going - it's her safe space!
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  • OH MY GOSH, I'm so jealous of your puppy!!!!! I can't wait to get a puppy one day. I need to get back on the oatmeal train. I haven't had a bowl in ages... I actually don't have a microwave where I live right now, so that makes it difficult, hah. Anne, thank you so so much for featuring my how to start lifting weights series. You made my day!!
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    • It's a great series! Happy to share it! :)
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  • First, you shouldn't take puppies to the dog park. There are puppy socialization classes on Saturday morning at Fur Get Me Not (near the shirlington dog park on 4-mile run). They also have puppy training classes and great doggy day care. Shirlington dog park is big, so you can walk with your dog a long way. But there are a lot of dogs there that shouldn't be at the dog park and I see dog fights there every time we go. We usually just hang out in the small dog section which is fenced off but then we walk from one end to the other. Lots of people take their dogs in to the water, but the water is disgusting and your dog can get ghrardia. Our vet (Ballston Animal Hospital on Wilson near the little Safeway) said to never let dogs play in that water. There is a newish vet in Clarendon on Washington Blvd and Garfield(?)/ Highland (?) that a friend told me was really good. But I haven't been. The Clarendon Dog Park just isn't big enough for all the dogs. There is a nice dog park next to Benjamin Banneker soccer field (ask your friend Gretchen because I know she has taken her dogs there). I actually like that one a lot.
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    • Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it!
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  • I have been in the same situation - we had a cat then got a puppy! First of all, have no expectations! NONE! They are animals and they will work it out themselves. I remember about three weeks after we got our dog our cat was still giving me some serious stink eye! I was in tears and my husband asked me what was wrong and I said "Santiago has broken my heart" and my husband said "what do you think you did when we brought home Scruffy?" SNAP! Our guys never cuddled or gave each other baths or anything, but they tolerated each other. I always thought that they liked each other, but they never loved each other! But it does happen and maybe you will get lucky!
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    • I have a feeling we will have a "tolerate but not love" situation on ours hands, ha... we'll see though!!
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  • Congrats on the pup! So fun! And the other puppa foam rolling with you is so cute - those teeth showing is of course his smile bc he's so happy to get your wovin'! Did you see the npr article about dog-lingo? http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/23/524514526/dogs-are-doggos-an-internet-language-built-around-love-for-the-puppers
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    • Ha that article is awesome!
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  • I live in Clarendon and have a 1 year old golden so know all the spots ;). First, I can't say enough good things about Clarendon Animal Care - my pup goes to Dr. Nath and she's fantastic. As for the parks, since I live so close to the Clarendon one I'm there all the time but it's filled with that gross sand/kitty litter texture that's supposedly easy to maintain. It get's my pup's fur pretty nasty so I always have to wipe her down with baby wipes to get rid of the chalky feel, and ultimately bathe her every 2 weeks. Shirlington is great but is a drive for me, and can get really muddy if there's been a lot of rain! The dogs seem friendlier and more relaxed there though. As for restaurants, Arlington is SO dog friendly! Off the top of my head: Liberty Tavern (always a few dogs), Northside Social, Screw Top (if you can get a patio seat there), Cava's back terrace, Mexicali Blues, and so on. Curious if Ambar allows them too, as they just opened their patio! Good luck with the puppy, can't wait to see more pics!
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    • Awesome, thank you so much for the tips! :)
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  • So exciting about your puppy! I've been loving oats too. My new favorite thing is to add about a fourth of a cup of coconut milk - so creamy and delicious!
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    • Ooo that does sound delicious!
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  • Your dog looks so sweet! Congrats, she found a great home with you.
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  • Congrats on decided to adopt a dog! He's pretty cute. It kind of sounds like it was meant to be a part of your family since the person who was fostering him walked in while you were there.
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    • That's what we thought - fate! :)
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  • I had to giggle at that photo of Zara - she has NO idea what's coming! I can't give any advice regarding dogs because I've only ever owned cats but darn it if that's not the cutest puppy - congrats!!!
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    • Lol yep, poor Zara!!
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  • She's adorable and I love those ears. Congrats to you and Matt!! I don't have any advice for introductions but I wish all of you good luck:)
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  • Congrats on the puppy! She is super cute. We have a dog and two cats. We were really worried how the cats would react, but we shouldn't have been as our male cat took one look at the dog, jumped over the baby gate separating them, and checked out his food dish. He thinks he is a lion, though, and to this day the dog will often not go by him. But they have their moments. Definitely err on the side of caution and make sure Zara always has an escape route. A vertical cat tree in your main living space would help. I shouldn't give away my secret but the best dog park is Glen Carlyn. Technically you can drive there, but not sure how because we get there via four mile trail. It is tucked away and not as popar and you can walk in the woods nearby. My rescue doesn't do well with other dogs so it's perfect for us. The stream is also there. Finally I highly recommend any books by Patricia McConnell andet me know if you want trainer suggestions!
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    • Ooo thank you for giving us the secret park tip! I'll check out those books, too. Thank you!
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  • How cute is that puppy! Congratulations. I couldn't imagine life without my dog now.
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  • Holy cuteness, that puppy is adorable! We don't' have a dog but I imagine we'll get one once we shift from an apartment to a house. Thanks for including a link to my banana roundup in your post! :)
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    • Sure thing, it was a great post! :)
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  • Shirlington dog park is great, but it is really long/narrow, so I wouldn't recommend going right off the bat before you know you can call your dog back to you. It can also get really crowded which isn't necessarily bad, but it can be easy to lose track or lead to lots of barking/conflict. Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria has a nice dog park that is a little smaller but still has a ton of room to run around. Lots of places around Old Town Alexandria are dog friendly- Killer ESP lets dogs inside, and most places with outdoor space allow dogs. Virtue Feed and Grain is our favorite!
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    • Okay awesome that's helpful, thank you! :)
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  • Yay!!!! I absolutely LOVE my two pups. Dogs are the best and truly the best friend you'll ever have! We had a cat first before we got our first dog. We introduced them when the dog was still a puppy. Our cat watched from afar for a long time, but somehow they became friends. The cat would often walk up to the dog and rub heads together. I think introduce them slowly and don't force anything. Discourage the dog if he tries to bother the cat too much and also allow for some "natural consequences" (i.e. Zara may have to fend for herself a bit until your dog learns to not bug her too much.) Good luck and can't wait for the post updates!
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  • Congratulations on your new dog!! I think you will enjoy this park (see link) much more than Shirlington. I find shirlington is nice to walk thru, but the dogs don't interact much. Plus do not take your dog down to the water near that park - the vets always warn you that water is not good for them! It's minutes from Shirlington - in Fairlington off Quaker Lane- it's not too small and not to big and the most important thing not too crowded! https://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations/utah-dog-park/ enjoy and love reading your blog!
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  • Yay she's adorable! Definitely keep in touch with your foster family, they know your puppy the best and will be a great resource if you need any help! And speaking as a foster, send lots of updates and pictures! It's so hard to let them go but awesome to know they are in such a great home like yours will be! Congrats and have fun!
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    • Thanks Chelsea! The foster family has been so helpful already - they have had her for a whole month so they have a ton of great info for us!
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  • SO PUMPED ABOUT THE PUPPY! My mom is a vet and what we always did when introducing a cat with a new puppy is let the puppy be curious and get popped and scratched by the cat early so the pup realizes the cat is in charge! Once the dog is full grown I imagine he'll be larger than Zara and could do more harm to Zara than Zara could do to the pup. BUT I don't know Zara's personality. All of our cats have kinda had bitchy personalities (they were great...just moody) and they always hated our dogs lol. Moral of the story...cats run the house so they don't end up hurt by the bigger/stronger dog :) (i didn't read the bazillion other comments on this post so if someone has given you this advice...whoops:) )
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    • Thanks Kylie! Our cat is definitely really sweet and a total wimp, so she'll just run and hide and be scared vs. popping the dog, which would probably be better... this could be interesting!
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  • Yay for puppies! I don't really have any advice for introducing a cat and dog, but I can tell you that your whole life will be even more awesome with a dog! We are totally dog people in our house in case you couldn't tell ;) Enjoy your new gorgeous family member! I can't wait to see more of your adventures together with her!
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  • SO exciting about the dog!!! :D
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  • A pupppppyyyy!!!! I got a kitten (well, really, he was a stray that just walked inside my house and kept coming back) when I already had a dog, and it required NO introduction. Now, my dog was already in double digits, so he wasn't aggressive, but the kitten (maybe from being a stray?) just could not care less about the dog. They were totally fine with each other. I probably just got lucky, but I hope you will too! Good luck!
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    • I think you definitely got lucky, but that's awesome! :)
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  • Congrats on the newest member of your fur family. He's soooo cute! I don't have any tips on introducing a cat and dog, but good luck! :D
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  • That's an adorable puppy! Please please don't segregate your cat. She wants to be around you all and doesn't want to live by herself. Dogs and cats typically get along fine. My dog and cat are fine together, though my cat is still not a fan of other dogs. They get used to each other. Make sure you train your dog to know the commands o f"No" or "Leave it" so she learns to leave your cat alone. I'd introduce them with your dog on a leash and if your dog seems too interested or aggressive in your cat. Tell her to "Leave it" and reward her when she takes her attention away from the cat. I wouldn't separate them when you first bring your dog home. Just make it as normal as possible, but provide your cat with a place to get away (high up on a counter or cat tree or under a bed). I honestly wouldn't worry about it. You'll have a blast! Pets bring so much entertain and joy to your life!
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    • Thanks Rachel! We definitely don't want our cat to live by herself - she's our original queen! :)
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  • We take our puppy Olive to Clarendon Animal Care and we love it! Dog parks are tricky. We don't love Clarendon dog park simply because giardia runs rampant in these parks which is no fun. Shirlington dog park is nice but we struggle there since Olive isn't great at recall yet so getting her to come back to us in such a large park is tough. We take her on hikes and walks all around Arlington including Teddy Roosevelt Island which has been great. Best of luck with your new pup!
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