I don't ever want to feel like that "dog snob know it all" or anything.
But since I do frequent forums like this, do my own research, spend a lot of time around dogs (as a dogsitter, dog events, etc), it just so happens that I pick up on a lot and know a lot, just as you all do.
So, how do you convince family and friends of certain things without being like TOO know-it-all or whatever? Or do you just not say anything at all?
Luckily, I got my grandma started on the limited vaccine idea. She had vaccinated her Lab for everything under the sun every year of her life and when she died too young recently, I sent her a few links regarding vaccines and cancer. It definitely got her thinking and she agrees with me.
I also talked her out of a white Boxer puppy from PA from a "breeder" (who also bred other breeds, etc) by just giving subtle "well, sometimes they have lots of health problems..." She did not seem to listen at first but after hearing about health problems too from other people, she ended up going to the SPCA and picking out a 1 year old foxhound mix and falling in love. So I KNOW my grandma is now capable of learning and finding out new things, plus she had some nice convos with some of the people at the shelter and I really think it's opened her eyes to a lot of things.
So anyways, I text her and said that I got a free bag of food on Black Friday that Jackson won't eat, if she wants it (that's not true - he loves his Fromm, which I got on Black Friday, and am just going to give her a bag of Acana that I have) and she said she'd definitely take it. I just wonder if I can get her to stop feeding Beneful crap too... LOL... I know it's so much information to process for someone who always just been used to going with whatever your vet says 100% of the time and listening to commercials who talk about healthy vegetables and all that crap.
But I LOVE making another pet owner even more knowledgeable, etc. And I feel like she took it all really well and I never did it in a snobby way. But I don't ever want to be too much for someone, LOL, so I hope I'm not.
Where do you think the line should be drawn? I would never want to act like I am trying to raise someone's dog for them (and I don't think I do this).
But since I do frequent forums like this, do my own research, spend a lot of time around dogs (as a dogsitter, dog events, etc), it just so happens that I pick up on a lot and know a lot, just as you all do.
So, how do you convince family and friends of certain things without being like TOO know-it-all or whatever? Or do you just not say anything at all?
Luckily, I got my grandma started on the limited vaccine idea. She had vaccinated her Lab for everything under the sun every year of her life and when she died too young recently, I sent her a few links regarding vaccines and cancer. It definitely got her thinking and she agrees with me.
I also talked her out of a white Boxer puppy from PA from a "breeder" (who also bred other breeds, etc) by just giving subtle "well, sometimes they have lots of health problems..." She did not seem to listen at first but after hearing about health problems too from other people, she ended up going to the SPCA and picking out a 1 year old foxhound mix and falling in love. So I KNOW my grandma is now capable of learning and finding out new things, plus she had some nice convos with some of the people at the shelter and I really think it's opened her eyes to a lot of things.
So anyways, I text her and said that I got a free bag of food on Black Friday that Jackson won't eat, if she wants it (that's not true - he loves his Fromm, which I got on Black Friday, and am just going to give her a bag of Acana that I have) and she said she'd definitely take it. I just wonder if I can get her to stop feeding Beneful crap too... LOL... I know it's so much information to process for someone who always just been used to going with whatever your vet says 100% of the time and listening to commercials who talk about healthy vegetables and all that crap.
But I LOVE making another pet owner even more knowledgeable, etc. And I feel like she took it all really well and I never did it in a snobby way. But I don't ever want to be too much for someone, LOL, so I hope I'm not.
Where do you think the line should be drawn? I would never want to act like I am trying to raise someone's dog for them (and I don't think I do this).