Life Offline

Your dogs need enrichment and so do you

Happy Monday and thank you for starting off your week with Boonie Tails! Social media allows us to share our lives and stay connected to anyone and everyone but it’s no secret that it can easily consume you, taking up more time than any of us would care to admit. What starts out as an innocent ten minute peek on Instagram can easily turn into an hour or more of doom scrolling. Although social media has so many positive aspects to it, there’s no denying that we could all go for a little less “TikTok Time” and touch some grass. Here are some things we’ve been enjoying as we work to fill our free time more purposefully.

Disclaimer: all Boonie Babies content does not count towards any screen time! ;)

Card games

A card game called Dutch Blitz has been a recent obsession of ours and is often pulled out when friends are over. Everyone loves a good movie night but who doesn’t need an excuse to get rowdy and let their competitive side out! It has definitely become a crowd favorite at Boonie Babies headquarters. Simple, offline board and card games don’t get pulled out like they used to and this is our petition to bring them back in style! Although we highly suggest ordering this game (and no, this isn’t sponsored), pull out any card or board game the next time your friends are over and have some good old fashioned fun!

Crafting

There’s a huge misconception that you have to be good at something in order to do it. This is your sign to get on Pinterest, get inspired, and create. Crafting can be anything that allows you to use your brain in a fun way and is the perfect indoor/outdoor or solo/group activity to add some more spice to your life! We have recently been enjoying water color and beaded embroidery. Honorable crafting mentions include magazine cutout collages, making postcards, and any project that has to do with dogs.

Read a book

It’s important to remember that there are books about everything, literally. Enjoy the afternoon checking out your local library or book store and find something that peeks your interest. Some Boonie Book recommendations (unrelated to dogs) are Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you’re looking to learn more about dogs in your free time, checkout Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff!

Get moving

One of the best reasons to get a dog is the forced outdoor activity but of course, anyone can take part in getting moving with or without a one. Take advantage of the warmer weather and head outside for some fresh air! We love getting a good stretch in by doing some yoga, going swimming, checking out the local Zumba classes, and long walks with the dogs. Branch out of your comfort zone and check out what physical activities you can participate in around your community such as walking dogs at your local shelter!

Make the most out of your free time

We spend so much time finding ways to prioritize our animals’ physical and mental well being that we often forget to do the same for ourselves. With the average American spending five hours per day on their phone, we hope that this newsletter inspires you to take some time for yourself and participate in your own form of “enrichment”! Stay tuned for next week's article as we share our favorite free, at home, dog enrichment activities.

Boonie of the Week: Meet Tini!

“Tini” short for Martini, because after all she’s a silly girl, was one of the many free-roaming dogs we’d pass routinely during our island life activities. We watched her roam up and down Capital Hill and hunt for scraps at Lowerbase Beach for over a year as Aria tried her best (unsuccessfully) to gain her trust enough to catch her for a spay. It was brutal to watch the seemingly never-ending cycle of her being pregnant every few months, but Tini turned and bolted anytime we so much as thought about slowing the car down. However, miraculously during the last few hours on the last day of a TNR (trap, neuter, release) focused event, Aria decided to attempt one more time to pull over and try to get a slip lead on this girl.

Whether she was just especially hungry at that moment or she recognized the voice that had been talking to her out the car window for months, Tini allowed herself to be caught and taken in for a spay-abortion. She earned herself a stylish ear tag to signify she is sterilized and safe to return back to her territory and routine and will be sent on her way fully vaccinated and on flea/tick prevention. (And with pending DNA test results on the way to see if this squishy girl is related to Aria’s own Squishy). It’s our hope Tini will return seamlessly to free-roaming dog life, now set up for success to not contribute to the stray overpopulation problem!

Although Tini enjoyed her stay at Boonie Babies Headquarters, she couldn’t have been more excited to return back to her free roaming lifestyle, eagerly jumping out of the car and running off into the sunset. Tini will always be an official Boonie Baby however, we will not miss her constant escapes out of the yard (leading everyone else with her) and barking. We are so excited for her to assist with population control and look forward to always keeping an eye on her. Stay tuned next week to learn about the importance of TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) and how it is crucial when it comes to controlling stray animal populations.

Do you have a rescue animal deserving of being ‘Boonie of The Week’? Email their story to @[email protected] to be featured!

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