Hey Mighty Paw Fam, Barbara here to share the third entry in our Mighty Paw ambassador series with you all!
It's a fun new format where we take a little peek into our ambassadors' lives and learn about their dog(s), favorite activities and preferred dog gear.
Today I'm happy to introduce you to our Mighty Paw ambassador Kathryn and her Black Lab Mac!
They live in Rhode Island where they're having the best time exploring New England together.
Ready to meet them? Let's go!
Meet the Mighty Paw Ambassadors: Kathryn with Mac!
Let’s talk dogs, Kathryn! We’d love to learn more about Mac, your fluffy side kick. Can you tell us about his gotcha day and how he’s (literally!) grown on you ever since?
Mac’s gotcha day was a real adventure!
I flew down to Texas to pick him up and flew back home the same day. I was a stressed-out mess while he was a champion taking the new experience in stride.
Mac was a big boy even as a puppy as he was a good 5lbs heavier than his siblings, and he has continued to grow into a big boy.
He’s one year old now and about 70lbs of love...and still growing!
Any training challenges you’ve had to overcome/you’re currently working on?
Mac is a quick learner and we continuously work on training and adding new things to keep it fresh.
That said, Mac loves life and has some things I call joy triggers in which he goes into raptures and wants to partake right then. For example, balls and water!
That's why I would say that patience and impulse control are the challenges we are working through right now.
What's your favorite season & activity with Mac?
Favorite season would have to be fall because it’s still warm enough to adventure but not too cold for Mac to go swimming.
He really is a Retriever through and through, and the joy he finds trying to catch the leaves blowing in the wind always makes me laugh!
It’s hard to narrow an activity down to one - I would say I have two:
- I love my morning walks with Mac when it’s just the two of us exploring the neighborhood and enjoying each other's company before everyone is out and about.
- I love taking him swimming. That's when he's truly in his element and the joy is just infectious!
Let’s talk about Mac’s natural habitat, the water! Any tips around water safety and how you keep him clean that you can share with our readers?
I would say you need to know your dog and how they behave around water.
If it was up to him, he would go out into the water as far as possible not realizing he may get tired. Obviously that could be dangerous, which is why I keep him on a long lead - the Mighty Paw 30' long dog lead, to be specific!
He can go out far enough on it but not too far where I can’t get to him if need be.
Another important factor in water safety is to know the environment your dog is in:
- Look up the area you are going to, making sure to avoid areas with potential harmful algae and areas that are really rocky. That's because dogs can struggle to gain traction or harm their paws.
- Also, around some lake areas and beaches I keep an eye out for abandoned fishing lines and hooks which could potentially harm him.
In terms of keeping him clean, I’m lucky that Mac is a lab. They don’t require baths very often because of how their coat is, but if course we do get the occasional bath, haha!
I towel dry him off after every swim and pay special attention to his ears. We also do at least a full groom once a week.
He doesn’t always love being brushed so I usually load up my Mighty Paw lick pad/bowl and give him a good brush down while he’s occupied with his snacks.
What do you particularly like/appreciate about Mighty Paw?
I love the wide range of dog products and that a lot of the gear keeps both the pet and the owner in mind.
For example, the long lead has a cushioned handle which is great for people with excited dogs who pull. Personally, it’s just a much more comfortable experience for me.
Everything ships quickly and the quality is great.
What’s Mac's favorite Mighty Paw product and why/how does it help you in your daily life or on your adventures?
Mac and I love all our Mighty Paw gear but if I had to choose, these would be our top 3:
It's our favorite and how I was introduced to Mighty Paw. Mac doesn’t like anything that goes over his head and this harness clips around the neck.
The back handle is an added bonus and is great when I need to grab him quickly or gain more control in a situation.
Since Mac is a black dog, he's difficult to see at night and I love the different modes the LED dog collar has. It has really helped protect him on our walks.
3. Our third is a real debate
I would lean towards the long lead for the reasons I mentioned above BUT Mac would likely choose his dog lick bowl!
He particularly loves when I put it in the freezer. It’s probably one of his most favorite snack delivery systems and it helps work his brain too as he tries to get every last morsel of peanut butter.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If you haven’t tried Mighty Paw gear you are missing out. The quality is great and there is really something for every pup!
We are so grateful to be a part of the team and love being able to try out products and share our adventures.
I hope you enjoyed meeting our Mighty Paw brand ambassador Kathryn and her pup Mac!
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Barbara Rivers writes regularly for Mighty Paw. She is a blogger, raw feeder, former dog walker and maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.
