When Pax was a little puppy, we noticed that he kept ripping leaves of our dracaena plant. We would find the leaves scattered around the house. At the same time, we saw he would throw up or have an upset tummy while displaying lethargy. When we went to the vet, they ruled out all parasites and other possibilities. I shared with our vet about the dracaena plant, and she let me know that it is mildly toxic to dogs and we should move the plant.

Luckily I am a black thumb and have a lot of fake plants in my house, but I do have three real ones. A fiddle leaf fig “figgy cent” who has since past (rest in peace), a snake plant, and the dracaena. Once I learned that specific plants could be dangerous for Pax, I began to research the ones we could not have in the house. Also, I just decided that being black thumb suited me and I’ll stick to the fake ones :)

Please be mindful with purchasing new plant babies and introducing them to your furry baby some of them can cause serious effects.

Here are just 12 toxic plants to dogs:

1. Autumn Crocus

2. Azalea flowers

3. Daffodil flowers

4. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) houseplant

5. Tulip (especially the bulb)

6. Sago Palm (extremely poisonous)

7. Dracaena Plant

8. Fiddle leaf fig

9. Snake Plant

10. Ivy

11. Pathos (Devil’s Ivy)

12. Caladium (Elephant’s ear)

IF YOU ARE A GREEN THUMB! Don’t fret! There are dog-friendly plants to fill your house with :) Not all dogs eat plants or flowers so you may not even need to worry. However, just in case, make sure you know which plants are toxic vs. non-toxic and the signs to look for.

Here are some SAFE plants for dogs!

1. Windmill Palm

2. Purple Basil

3. African Daisy

4. Creeping Rosemary

5. Heuchera (Coral Bells)

6. Pineapple Sage

7. Polka Dot Plant

8. Canna Lily

9. Fennel

10. Snapdragons

For more questions take a look at the following links. The ASPCA & Humane Society both have entire lists of toxic plants for dogs. Always talk to your vet and do your research! Below is also a list of dog-friendly options.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list

https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/poisonous-plants-to-pets.pdf

https://www.rover.com/blog/10-safe-plants-dogs-can-add-almost-garden-right-now/

Working from home has it’s major perks. One of the best parts about working from home is hanging out with my best buddy all day. It also has it’s benefits such as increased happiness, reduced stress levels, increased productivity, more hugs and exercise! But it’s not just as simple as us gazing into each other’s eyes all day. Many times throughout the day I feel guilty about Pax in the house too long or not surrounding him with furry friends all day. So, I make an effort (well, I use to before the accident) to take him on a good 20-25 minute morning walk a 15 minute late afternoon walk and take him to the park in the evening every night to run around with all his little friends. Right now, it’s been tough since I don’t mobility to take him walks and I can tell he gets restless. However, dogs are very intuitive and he’s been sleeping a lot while I’m recovering. When I’m on conference calls or have meetings I don’t have an office with a receptionist taking packages or answering other phone calls. It can get a bit noisy when I’m in my home office and amazon delivers in the middle of the day and Pax decides he’s the man of the house and says hello to the mail man.

Here are some tips that might be helpful!

Exercise your pup in the morning- they will then be ready for nap time! It will also be a great way for you to start your morning.
If you can try and take a break at your lunch time and take your dog out for a quick walk to stretch both of legs!
Don’t take yourself so seriously! Your pup might want your attention, bark, walk on top of your keyboard- it’s all OK! Enjoy these moments- they are reminders not to take life so seriously!
Hire a dog walker. Even though you are at home and you might feel like you “SHOULD” be able to do everything your job might not allow you the flexibility. This is a great opportunity to hire a dog walker or a friend that has a flexible schedule could help out as well.
Try puzzle games to entertain your pup while your working away at your desk.
LET GO of the mom guilt. It’s OK to entertain your pup and play a round of tug a war a couple times and give them a big belly rub.
It might be easier to let go of guilt to set up designated play times. It is also important for you to stay in charge and not to let whimpers distract you or to give in.
You may want to try crate training if your pup is a chewer or provide proper mental stimulation!

If you work from home and have tips- comment below!

Toxic & Non-Toxic Plants for Dogs

Tips for when you work from home & have a dog!