15 Things We Will Always Do

We treat animals like family. Doesn’t matter if it’s a cat, dog, horse, chicken…we give them as much love, comfort, and attention as we can. There are 15 things that top our list of things we will always do with every dog at the sanctuary. Do you agree with them? Which ones do you disagree with?

1. Take dogs for walks

Dogs need to get out and explore their surroundings and see new things. They need to sniff and feel things. We’re lucky to have enough land here that we can do trail hikes on our own property, through trees, seeing little critters (and some big ones like deer!), and touching the different textures of ground with their little paws.

2. Crate train every dog

This is an essential component of dog safety. If we ever have to leave the dogs with nobody here, we have to make sure they are safe and secure. Most dogs love their crate and know it is their safe space, their quiet space. Every dog here so far does great and knows their crate…they know the drill and just walk right in and hunker down. Part of this is also making sure their crate is comfortable; it has to be the correct size, have a comfy bed (or pad for dogs that like to destroy beds!), and for dogs that want it, crate-safe toys and blankets.

3. Leash train every dog

Another essential skill for any dog. There are inevitably times when a dog needs to walk on a leash, and if they can’t do so in a calm way, there’s a risk of them hurting themselves or the handler. This is one of the very first things we work on with dogs, as most of them are so excitable and just want to go go go. But getting them comfortable being on a leash and knowing that they will reach their destination whether they pull and twist and jump, or if they’re calm and heel is a big part. Takes consistency and patience (sometimes A LOT) to show them the latter is the way to go.

4. Let every dog run and play

A playful dog is a happy dog. For some dogs it means zooming around and tossing toys. For others it means slowly sniffing around to see what new smells they can find. No matter what, every dog needs this time. You can see them come out of their shell when they’ve been used to being locked up all the time, once they understand that they can actually take their time to explore on their own terms.

5. Let every dog cuddle on the couch and bed

This one is more for us humans. We love to snuggle. But so do they. So why not?

6. Separate every dog for feeding time

Every dog can have a tendency for food aggression. Even if they’re fine today, they may not be so happy with another dog in their space while eating tomorrow. We don’t take any chances. What we do do, however, is make sure that every dog feels safe while eating, we give them pets when we serve their meals, and we let them help us prepare their food. We also do treat time with two dogs at a time to teach them patience and sharing.

7. Feed every dog twice a day

We feel the dogs are happier and healthier when we split their daily intake into AM and PM meals. It helps reduce the risk of bloat, helps them energize in the mornings and feel more content at night. Several dogs also have twice daily medications, so separating their meals makes that a lot easier.

8. Take every dog to the vet, even if they’re perfectly healthy

No matter what we’ve been told or how each dog appears, we take every dog for an initial vet visit. With the first 5 dogs we’ve brought home to the sanctuary, we’ve already had two surprise Heartworm diagnoses and other infections caught. It’s critical to know where each dog is at in their health journey and to catch any issues as soon as possible.

9. Use flea/tick/mosquito/heartworm prevention treatment every month for every dog

This is a no brainer. We are in Texas where the weather is prime breeding ground for pesky pests like fleas and mosquitos. We’re also out in the country with woods and grass all around us. It’s not worth the risk to leave a dog without prevention. Not only do the dogs get treatment directly, we also keep the property as clean as possible, especially wherever the dogs will be, with products like Dawn, Kennelsol, and REScue, and we use products like Wondercide to deter bugs from the dogs’ dedicated spaces.

10. Feed every dog a healthy balanced diet

Goes right along with feeding twice a day and prevention medications. It’s not worth the risk to feed an unhealthy diet. We feed grain inclusive (ancient grains for heart health) kibble (no corn, wheat, or soy since many dogs have allergies), salmon oil, joint supplements, and probiotics to every dog. For dogs that need a special diet due to a medical issue, we also make sure that is covered.

11. Let every dog hang out in the house with us

Dogs love being dogs. They love being a part of the family and doing things like helping cook dinner, doing dishes, watching movies, eating ice cubes from the freezer, and spreading out on the rugs.

12. Kiss every dog on the face and let them kiss us back

Yes. Always. With some dogs it takes time to build up their trust, but once we do, we’ve got them for life and they beg for those kisses on their cheeks and forehead.

13. Give every dog belly rubs

Again, it can take a bit of time for dogs to get comfortable in their new home and rollover for a belly rub. But once they do, it never stops. Ask them to do something like go to bed…rollover and pet the belly instead. They’re so funny!

14. Celebrate every time a dog hits a new milestone

We’re talking about the big ones, like becoming friends with a new dog, and the little ones, like finishing their meal for the first time. It’s so fun and rewarding to see a dog smile when they know they’ve accomplished something, and we want them to know it!

15. Be grateful that we’re able to do what we do for every dog and the support we receive from others

Seriously. We don’t just say this because we need your help to keep this sanctuary going. We really mean it. These dogs give us a sense of pride like never before and fill our hearts to the fullest, and every bit of support we get from you all is incredible—whether you like and share our posts, have donated, sent us private messages or emails, or sent something from our wishlists.