I made my dogs a few healthy alternative treats. They eat a lot of peanut butter in their bones and one of them is getting too fat. I pureed apples, carrots and sweet potatoes last night. They loved it!

I have the dogs that I no longer free feed because dog #2 would eat it all. Wanted to make it clear it's not like it went on a long time and dog #1 was going without for awhile. It became apparent right away we had to quit. It seemed to work when they were young but with our schedules free-feeding just didn't work out. Dog #2 was getting obese and the vet suggested a routine to help her weight. Since we had to cut back on her food a touch, in order to keep her from taking dog #1's food (who eats painfully slow) we just put them both on the schedule. Even dog #1 got a little chunky. They are elderly now. Vet says schedule is better for their age too. It just works for us. Sometimes they end up waiting and eating too late then want to potty in the middle of the night - not good.

I have had food issues my whole life. I remember being as young as 4 and sneaking into the fridge to eat anything I could find - leftover dinner or even whole packs of raw hot dogs. In my teens, I started purging. I am pretty much a healthy weight, but I'm not going to lie; I still struggle with bingeing, despite decades of therapy and different treatments. I have a serious addiction to food - like an innate need to overeat. Even though it is somewhat managed, I never truly feel in control. Think of it as an alcoholic who still has to drink once a day ('cause you can't just never eat again). It is my personal hell. My kids have no idea I've ever struggled with this. I don't diet - never even used the word anywhere near them. Never made food an issue or topic in my home. Well, I have discovered that my 7 year old is exhibiting the same behaviors. Sneaking food, hiding food, etc. Like a lot. I am devastated. I want to help her, but I don't know what to do because honestly, nothing has ever worked for me. My heart breaks for her because I am afraid she is going to endure the lifetime of hell that I have because of this.

I used to free feed my dogs but dog #2 would eat all the food and she got too fat. Dog #1 wouldn't really eat, wouldn't get enough.

I fill my dogs bowl and he just eats whenever he's hungry. He does not over eat. My BFs dog, however, for years he fed her at 6pm every day. When she moved into my house a few months ago, she started out overeating. She gained 3lbs. I want to say it took her about a month until she got used to the fact the food was always going to be in the bowl (at BFs house, if she didn't eat her food, my BFs brothers dog would eat it), so she no longer overeats. I took her to the vet, even though she gained those 3lbs she is still at normal weight.

You can put most dogs on whatever schedule you want.. but just like with kids, it's going to take time and determination and even after that, they're still likely to slip up and go outside of your comfort schedule.

I am so tired of the neighbors who leave their barking dogs out all day long.

I've been scouring the AKC and CKCSC sites for a Cavalier puppy. I can't find one anywhere and I want to scream. The breeders are so wishy washy and vague. I understand them having strict rules about who they'll allow to adopt their dogs, but why can't they just be upfront about it? They don't want buyers to shop around with 10 different breeders, but if none of you will be clear about anything, it's no wonder I've had to contact 50 breeders nationwide. Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!

People on craigslist are crazy. There are a ton of posts on my city's about how the big bad coyotes are targeting people and eating their cats and dogs! And that we need to get together and get rid of the coyotes. No shit there are coyotes, we live in the desert and are surrounded by mountains. I've seen coyotes in my neighborhood, in my front yard even, as well as my parents neighborhood. I've seen them jump 6' block walls. I see them frequently when I hike the mountain trails. I don't fault them for eating peoples pets because they're just trying to survive since we've put houses in their territories. Don't want your pets eaten? Don't leave them outside alone at night. Another favorite crazy CL topic is the free section. "Free carpet + padding, you must remove and haul out!" "Free plants, you must dig and remove yourself!" "Free building supplies, you must deconstruct the 500 story building and haul" (ok, last one was an exaggeration) Jeez, if you're too lazy to get rid of your unwanted shit yourself, hire someone. Nobody's going to want to come remove your cat piss soaked carpet or dead trees for free.

My dogs are allowed everywhere. We hardly have people over, and we enjoy having them up for a snuggle, but when people come over, my dogs can be pests. They don't jump on people, and they stay off the furniture when company is over, but they are not the kind of dogs who lay on their beds for hours. They like to be where things are happening, and they might stick their noses in. Love me, love my dogs. Or leave, lol