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Military members sacrifice so much for their country, but their families back home make sacrifices as well. Family members worry about their soldiers and long for the day to finally come when they can be reunited. Even furry family members feel the sadness of their loved ones not being there.

Murphy Was Skeptical And His Mom’s Heart Was Broken

Janna Berger is a soldier who had to leave her beloved boy for eight long months! Murphy was well taken care of by his extended family but that didn’t make it any easier. When Berger came home in November of 2019, she was worried that Murphy wouldn’t remember her.

As you can imagine, leaving Murphy was no easy feat.

“I thought about Murphy every day,” Berger said. “Being away from him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Murphy didn’t take it so well either.

“In the first letter my mom sent me, she told me about how every day since I’d left, Murphy waited outside the door to my room for me to come back.”

Berger decided to surprise her sweet boy. She slowly walked up the driveway while Murphy was let out of the house. She called for him a few times before he made an appearance. He came closer as if he was going to let his mom give him snuggles but then he quickly darted away.

Murphy did this a couple of times before approaching Berger closely only to bark at her. Berger’s body language said that she was disappointed. But, she had prepared herself just in case she was let down by Murphy’s reaction, or lack thereof.

“When he didn’t recognize me at first, I was so heartbroken. The happiest moment of my life was when he finally figured out it was me,” Berger told The Dodo.

Nothing A Little Hug Couldn’t Fix

Then, all of a sudden, Murphy came in for a hug! He crawled into her lap and rested his head on her shoulder. His little button nose was right beside her neck where he must have caught his mom’s scent. You can see the moment when Murphy’s memories came flooding back!

Suddenly, Murphy went BANANAS! He remembered his mom after all! Murphy wiggled and jumped and practically did somersaults! He flopped onto his back between his mom’s legs as he soaked in the sweetest belly rubs! Of course, Janna and the rest of the family were completely overcome with joy! It was almost as if Murphy had played hard to get, like he was trying to tell his mom, “You better never leave me again!”

Berger describes Murphy as the light of her life. Now that she’s back home, the two plan to have many adventures together filled with lots of love and snuggles!

You can watch the adorable reunion here!

h/t: TheDodo.com
Featured Photo: @YouTube/StephenMessenger

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If our dogs understood household sounds, we’d be left without a lot of hilarious videos and pictures. Dogs fleeing from terrifying vacuums, dogs losing their minds at lawnmowers, and so on. These are the bizarre reactions that fuel us dog parents.

Two parents in the UK experienced this type of entertainment value when their Goldie reacted hilariously to electronic clippers. Joel Sharpe works in bomb disposal with the RAF. For this job, he isn’t allowed to sport a beard. Now at home, he decided to give facial hair a shot. His wife Rachel helped him trim it with some clippers. Unfortunately, the noise scared their [human] baby.

To show baby Christian the clippers are nothing to be afraid of, Sharpe pantomimed shaving the dog. Evie, a 4-year-old Golden Retriever, didn’t find the noise too thrilling either. As a result, she picked the exact wrong time to make a sudden movement… up into the clippers.

BZZT! In an instant, there goes a chunk of Evie’s head hair! Rachel shared photos of Evie’s unfortunate haircut in the Facebook group Golden Retrievers UK.

“Has anyone else had a shaving accident? Was trimming my husband beard and she came up behind me I was like oh yeah I’ll shave the dog (jokingly) and she moved her head and now has this line in her head.”

The post really resonated with the group’s members. Those adorable photos reached over 67,000 shares!

“What Have You Just Done?”

I guess you could say Evie’s mistake was a combination of curiosity and confusion, Rachel indicated.

“Evie does like to be close to us all the time but I think she was intrigued as to what we were doing. She sat right behind me trying to see what was going on and then this happened. She was just so bewildered with what happened and looked at me like ‘what have you just done’.”

Unfortunately for Evie, she just gave herself a pretty ridiculous looking haircut. Thanks to the active clippers, a 1.5-inch chunk of hair fell from the top of her head. This, as it turned out, looks exactly like the coin slot of a piggy bank.

Just look at this giant piggy bank of a dog! Her head slot fits a coin! I had a dog-shaped money box as a kid, but this one is way cuter.

Poor confused Evie had no clue how to react to whatever just happened to her.

“Because I was laughing and crying at the same time, she didn’t really know whether to be excited or worried.”

Since then, the tension has been resolved. It just took some treats to undo a bit of damage.

“I did have to bribe her with chicken. She was not happy with me all that night until I gave her some chicken, but she’s back to her happy little self again today.”

Sharpe also learned her lesson about pantomiming with a razor near the dog.

“I vow to never again pretend to shave my dog and leave the grooming and haircuts to the professionals, even though my husbands ‘beard’ looks pretty good I don’t think I would be able to say the same if I did his hair or my sons hair.”

Luckily dogs don’t usually understand how mirrors work either. It’ll grow back Evie!

H/T: Unilad
Featured Image: Rach Sharpe via Facebook

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If you’re not a Redditor, you’ve probably still heard about the “AMA” threads online. “AMA” stands for “Ask Me Anything.” This subreddit allows users across the globe to host virtual Q&As. AMAs posted there range from President Barack Obama to shark attack survivors to Disney World employees. The idea is that anyone can get insight into life experiences that differ from their own if they choose to ask a question.

One incredible Redditor, Tom Turcich, posted an AMA on April 26th: I am walking around the world with my dog. AMA! Turcich, as he explains, went to college, worked to pay off his loans, and then saved up enough to hit the road. He adopted Savannah along the way.

“Five years ago I left my home in New Jersey to embark on a twenty-five thousand mile, seven continent, walk around the world. After four months of walking I adopted a dog, Savannah, and since then we’ve covered 16,500 miles across thirty-three countries together.”

They’ve since traveled countless miles on foot together, across the world. An infographic on his website succinctly lays out their incredible journey.

“During the first two years of this adventure I walked from New Jersey to Uruguay. I was held up at knife point in Panama, did ayahuasca in the Amazon, and climbed 15,000 feet over the Chilean Andes. The three years since walking The Americas, I was almost taken out by a bacterial infection, needed seven months to recover, then walked Europe, North Africa, across Turkey and into Georgia. I peregrinated The Camino in Spain, had a twenty-four hour police escort through Algeria, visited the village of my family name (Turčić) in Croatia and became the first private citizen granted permission to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot (the Istanbul bridge crosses from Europe to Asia).”

Naturally, many did have questions for Turcich. “Why” was not one of them. Turcich explained the inspiration for this nomadic lifestyle came in the wake of a friend’s untimely passing.

“I’m walking around the world because of a friend who died at seventeen. Her death led me to understand how fleeting my life was and that I needed to make the most of the short time I had.”

Savannah, Dog On The Road

When Savannah was just a puppy, Turnich would push her along in a cart. All grown up, the pup has more than enough stamina and enthusiasm to walk for days.

“Now she’ll walk thirty miles a day and still be running circles at night. We’ve spent nearly every minute of every day together and from navigating chaotic cities and strange new environments Sav and I are totally in sync. She’s my best bud and absolutely rock solid.”

One Redditor wanted to know if bringing Savannah across borders ever posed a problem. The short answer is, not when you have all the time in the world to spare.

“All this just comes down to doing research ahead of time then allotting whatever time necessary. I’m in no rush and I’m not going anywhere without Sav so even an extra week or two to sort out paperwork is no bother.”

Some noted that Savannah seems very well-behaved and obedient to handle such a lifestyle. Tom replied that Savannah grew up this way and is just happy to have him alongside her.

“Especially on the road she listens to every little thing I say. You figure she grew up on the road with me and we’ve spent nearly every minute of every day together so we’re very much in sync.”

When it comes to feeding Savannah, Turcich indicated no major issues finding food from place to place.

“Because I push a cart I can bring a decent amount of weight with me. I usually buy a few pounds of dog food whenever it’s available. And I’ve been able to get dog food just about everywhere. The only place where it was difficult to find was in Morocco and Algeria. Because I couldn’t find any I fed Sav canned tuna and beef. I’m sure she preferred that diet but it’s much heavier.”

The AMA contains links to more detailed and fascinating stories from their many travels. I encourage you all to read through it!

You can support The World Walk’s Patreon to unlock special content and help them continue their never-ending journey. If you donate more than $3, you’ll even receive a postcard from the traveling duo. You also should definitely follow their adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Image: @theworldwalk/Instagram

The post Man And Dog Spend Their Lives Walking Around The World Together appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.

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Dogs are a huge part of Miranda Lambert’s life. When she’s not working on music, she’s saving dogs through her incredible organization, MuttNation Foundation, and caring for her 9 rescue dogs. She knows it looks crazy to people who don’t love dogs, but she embraces her dog-loving lifestyle.

In fact, Lambert knew that she had to find a soulmate that was just as crazy about dogs as she was. She made that very clear to every guy she dated. Luckily, her quarantine posts proved that her new husband, Brendan McLoughlin, is the perfect dog dad for her many, many rescue pups.

Who is Brendan McLoughlin?

When Lambert and McLoughlin got married back in 2019, they tried their best to keep the press out of it. Lambert’s marriage and divorce with Blake Shelton had been very public, and she didn’t want that with her new relationship. So far, it seems to be working out great!

Brendan McLoughlin is a 28-year-old NYPD officer. He and the 36-year-old country singer began dating back in 2018, and of course, Lambert considered her dogs’ feelings when entering the relationship. She made her love for dogs very clear to McLoughlin from the start.

“I was like, ‘Hey, if you don’t like dogs, that’s kind of a deal-breaker,'” Lambert said. “He actually loves the dogs to death.”

Lambert currently has 9 rescue dogs: JD, Bellamy, Cher, Delta Dawn, Thelma, Louise, Waylon, Jessie, and ROE. Luckily, all of them love McLoughlin just as much as he loves them.

Quarantine with the Dogs

During their quarantine, Lambert posted many photos to show what they have been up to, including a photo of her wearing dinosaur pajamas. However, the best photo of all was a cute picture of McLoughlin cuddling Delta Dawn, Cher, and Bellamy on the couch.

He had a huge smile on his face. Lambert said it was because he was laughing at how many dogs were trying to come on the couch. Clearly, he adores the furry family members, which is exactly why he is so perfect for Lambert. He doesn’t mind all the sweet animals hogging the couch space.

“When I first met him, I realized I looked a little bit like a crazy dog lady. Which is fine with me because that’s what I am,” said Lambert.

Quarantine time is difficult for everyone, but it’s much easier when you have a dog-loving husband and 9 adorable dogs by your side. It looks like Lambert and McLoughlin are doing just fine during their time at home, and of course, the dogs probably are too. Lambert is very fortunate to have finally found someone to share her love of dogs with.

H/T: countryrebel.com
Featured Image: @mirandalambert/Facebook

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It may feel like there is no end in sight, but eventually, lock-downs will be lifted, and folks will return to work. While this will be a time of celebration for most humans, how will dogs handle separation anxiety after COVID-19?

According to animal psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford, dog parents should start preparing their pets to cope in a post-Coronavirus world.

“With such an overload of quality time with their families, dogs are building up a huge reservoir of over-dependency which could see them suffer when mums and dads suddenly return to work and the children go back to school,” Dr. Mugford told The Times.

Best known for training Queen Elizabeth’s Corgis, Mugford recommends owners begin introducing short periods of isolation now. This is especially important for young dogs and those adopted over the last few months.

Helping Your Dog Cope With Separation Anxiety After COVID-19

Dogs are social animals so teaching them to self-isolate can be difficult. While no dog should be left alone for longer than four to six hours (two hours for young puppies and older seniors), you can gradually help them acclimate to spending short periods alone.

The trick is to teach them that being alone is not a punishment and can actually be fun. If you can get them to enjoy their alone time, they will be less likely to experience separation anxiety after the COVID-19 crisis ends. 

Prepare A Comfortable, Safe Area

The first step is to choose an area of your home where your dog will be both safe and comfortable while you are away. Many people choose to use a crate. If this is your preference, be sure to buy one that is large enough for your dog to stand up to their full height and do a full turn.

Other options include laundry rooms, bathrooms, and utility rooms. You can also use baby gates to block off a kitchen or sun-room. Many trainers prefer baby gates because they allow the dog to see, hear, and smell you during the early training phases.

Once you have chosen an area, personalize it with your dog’s bed, water bowl, safe toys, and chewing options, etc. Some people opt to play soft music while they are away. Providing a piece of clothing carrying your scent can also help stave off separation anxiety.

Train Your Dog To Tolerate Alone Time 

Take advantage of your time at home to begin placing your dog in their isolation area throughout the day. These sessions should only last a few minutes, especially if you have a puppy or a dog learning to be alone for the first time. Provide a highly desirable chewy or treat toy. This teaches them that isolation can be rewarding.

Make sure your dog only has access to this special item when in their isolation area!

After a few minutes, open the door or gate. Hopefully, your dog will choose to stay put and enjoy their treat, but they may also decide to leave.

Repeat this process over a period of several days, gradually increasing the amount of time your dog spends alone. When they can remain comfortably engrossed in their special treat with you out of sight for 30 minutes, you can begin leaving the house altogether.

As before, you want to slowly increase the time away from home. Try puttering in the garden for a few minutes, then work up to short trips to the store, etc. Some dogs need more time to adjust than others, so be patient.

How Has COVID-19 Affected Separation Anxiety In Dogs?

Even if your dog has spent time home alone in the past, the recent pandemic has changed the game. Not only has your pup gotten used to the new normal, but they have also been exposed to your anxiety. You may have lost a friend or loved one to COVID-19. Or maybe homeschooling and working from home have you feeling the stress.

Studies show that dogs can easily sense our tension, and often take it onto their own shoulders. Our pups share in our joy, pain, excitement, and stress.

What Can You Do To Help?

If you find that your dog is experiencing more stress than usual, consider going back to the basics. James Summey, owner of JTS Dog Training in Sacramento, CA recommends brushing up on basic obedience training to remind your dog you are in control and help them feel safe. 

Maintaining a normal schedule is also important. If your dog typically goes for a morning and evening walk, keep up that routine. It will help minimize the sense of chaos from the current situation.

You can also find helpful information and tips in our Definitive Guide To Dog Care During The COVID-19 Crisis.

Despite our best efforts, many dogs are going to suffer from separation anxiety after COVID-19 runs its course and life returns to normal. If your dog has an existing problem with isolation, you may want to bring in a professional trainer to help the transition go more smoothly.

Your dog has been there to help you through your self-isolation anxiety, now is your chance to return the favor!

Additional Resources On Separation Anxiety:

5 Signs Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety
12 Dog Breeds Prone To Separation Anxiety
Your Dog & Separation Anxiety: What You Can Do To Help

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Back in February, there were reports of a dog in China that was thought to have been infected with the particular strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 from his infected human companion. Researchers at Duke University have confirmed the first known positive test result for the virus that causes COVID-19 in a domestic, family dog in the US.

A Pug Named Winston Becomes First Dog in the US to Test Positive for the Virus that Causes COVID-19

Winston is an adorable pug who lives with his family in Chapel Hill, NC. His entire family took part in a COVID-19 study at local Duke University. The mom, Heather McLean, is a pediatrician at Duke who tested positive for the virus. Additionally, the father and son who all live in the same household tested positive as well. Two dogs, including Winston, and the family cat were also tested. Of those pets, only Winston tested positive. (The family also has a pet lizard, which was not tested.)

Why a Dog Was Tested in the First Place

We do not have accurate data on how many domestic animals are carrying or infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. The US is facing a massive problem with it comes to testing supplies. In fact, less than 2% of Americans have received a test at all. So why did Winston and the other pets in this household get tested?

The family took part in the Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI) research study conducted by Duke University on April 1. WRAL spoke to Heather McClean about it. “They all came out to our house and did blood samples,” McLean said of the study. “For the humans, they swabbed our noses as well as our mouths, and for the animals, they did oral swabs for both dogs and the cat.”

Researchers are trying to learn all that they can about this virus, how it spreads, how it impacts those infected, and above all, how to contain it. The son, Ben McClean told CBS News, “There may be more animals that have coronavirus, there just isn’t any testing. Obviously those tests should be going to people rather than pets, but because we were part of a research study, we found out about Winston.” Mom Heather McClean reported that Winston has mild symptoms. 

Close Contact with an Infected Human Plays a Role

The family dog in China that was found to be carrying the virus that causes COVID-19 was reportedly in very close contact with his human companion who was infected. It seems that Winston was in the same situation with his human family members who were all infected. Ben McClean told WRAL, who originally published the story, that Winston “licks all of our dinner plates and sleeps in my mom’s bed, and we’re the ones who put our faces into his face. So, it makes sense that he got” the virus.” 

Until We Know More, Protect Your Dogs, But Don’t Panic

So far, it seems that animals infected with this strain of the coronavirus show little to no symptoms and are not at risk for serious health concerns, including fatality. However, the fact is, we don’t know the real risks. That is why the CDC is recommending that infected humans isolate themselves from their pets. Further, the CDC is recommending that people protect dogs by practicing social distancing in public. Avoid dog parks and maintain 6 feet of space between your dog(s) and other dogs.

Heather McClean told WRAL that Winston was sick for a few days but has gotten much better. She is a doctor herself and told WRAL, “Hopefully we’ll learn more through the research study, and I think because there’s not a lot of studies and sampling pets, we just don’t know yet. My advice is just not to get too worried about it,” McLean said.

For more information on safely handling pets during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to practice social distancing with your dog, please visit the CDC website.

H/T WRAL.com  

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During the COVID-19 quarantine, one of the hardest parts is not being able to visit loved ones in the hospital. Restrictions prevent family and friends from visiting for the health and safety of everyone. For the people who are there for longer periods of time, it’s extremely difficult not to see anyone in person.

For Joanna Hehir from Texas, the hardest part was not seeing her dogs though. Her two Great Pyrenees, George and Fiona, are a huge part of her life. So, she wanted to see her sweet pups more than anything.

Joanna had been at the hospital recovering from a stomach ulcer for weeks. She was able to see her family and her dogs just before the lockdown started, but they hadn’t been able to visit since. As a devoted dog mom, Joanna couldn’t stand being away from her four-legged family members.

Joanna’s husband, John, could see how difficult the situation was for both Joanna and the dogs. He wanted to find a way to bring the dogs to her safely, but it seemed nearly impossible. Then, he came up with a genius idea.

“It’s been really tough on everyone. She brings light into every room, we miss her,” said John. “[The dogs are] like two huge toddlers running around the house. They don’t understand why she isn’t here.”

A Special Visit

At first, John just planned to bring the dogs to the parking lot so Joanna could see them from her window. However, the nurse had a better idea. She suggested that they stand outside the lobby window.

When John, his son, and the two dogs came to visit, the nurse gladly skipped her lunch break so she could bring Joanna to the lobby. She brought Joanna’s wheelchair right up to the window, so all that was between her and her dogs was the glass. When George and Fiona saw their mom, they were ecstatic.

While Joanna couldn’t hug her human family members or pet her furry ones, this was just as exciting for her. George and Fiona recognized her right away, and they began licking and pawing at the glass in excitement as Joanna extended her hand to them. The poor pups were unsure why they couldn’t cuddle with their mom, but they were happy to see she was okay.

“I can’t thank the nurses enough. I haven’t seen Joanna smile that big in so long,” said John. “I know they’re taking amazing care of her but just to see her doing well and to see her smiling was a relief like I can’t explain.”

Joanna still has to stay in the hospital for a while as she heals, but seeing her dogs helped lift her spirits. This entire situation has been difficult for her whole family, but John thinks that it will help them appreciate moments together more in the future. Hopefully, more people will share this positive outlook once this is all over.

H/T: wfaa.com
Featured Image: @mypyrlife/Twitter

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Part of every sale through the iHeartDogs store is donated to GreaterGood, which helps support various charities like START Rescue. Stories like the one below are made possible with your help! Check out all the animals iHeartDogs fans and shoppers like you have helped save here.

After living as a stray on the street, little Fern ended up at the Porterville Shelter in California. Through divine intervention, START Rescue selected her for transport out of this high-risk area to Oregon. Once up northwest, Fern ended up at Oregon Dog Rescue. A no-kill shelter outside of Portland, Oregon Dog Rescue is one of START’s partner receiving organizations.

Fern found her forever home from there, and will never ever look back on her life as a stray. Her new family absolutely loves to pamper her.

“Fern has been such a joy to have. She has the cutest, most bubbly personality. She is sweet, sensitive, and smart. Within the first two months, she could sit, stay, shake, lay down, rollover, and dance. She goes everywhere with us, sleeps in the bed, and is spoiled rotten. She loves the dog park too. Thank you so much; we love her to pieces.”

Just look at this precious gal and imagine her living on the streets. It just doesn’t seem right.

START Rescue does the important work to change so many dogs’ outcomes. Thanks for supporting us so we can support them!

Why Transport To The Pacific Northwest?

The simple answer is that Oregon and Washington states are less populated than California. This region lacks the out-of-control animal population that California’s overcrowded shelters and homeless strays indicate.

According to START Rescue’s website:

“Because Oregon and Washington are not oversaturated with unwanted, abandoned and homeless pets, our Rescue Partners are quite successful in adopting out our transported passengers to loving forever homes. Simply stated, our Rescue Partners “need” dogs (and cats) as much as we need, and we are grateful to them.”

START transports monthly to vetted contracted partners in the Pacific Northwest. The rescued animals usually come from California shelters and rescuers in Mexico.

The whole process begins when START provides their Rescue Partners with links to the inventory of at-risk animals. Then, those Rescue Partners make their choices for the upcoming transport.  The dogs are examined and receive all vaccinations prior to loading up on a truck. 

Once they arrive, the NW shelters work on rehoming these formerly doomed animals!

Help START Save More Dogs Like Fern

Through The Second Chance Movement, GreaterGood.org provides grants to several benefiting charities that provide both air and ground transports from high-kill shelters. This includes START Rescue. In other words, you can support their important work through iHD!

Your purchases through the iHeartDogs store help the Second Chance Movement provide miles of transport from high-risk shelters to safety for dogs like sweet Fern. You can view all eligible products at iHeartDogs or make a direct donation here!

Images courtesy of START Rescue.

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