How to Make an Easy DIY Dog Pillow to Welcome an Adopted Pup – Joy’s Story

This shop for a DIY Dog Pillow has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ToPetsWithLove #CollectiveBias

Joy came to me a broken little girl. Having been rejected early in life, she spent the first 6 months alone, needing human love and attention. When that family surrendered her to the shelter with the excuse, ‘No time for her.’, she had no idea what it was like to be loved. She sat in the shelter for too long. Months and months. A nice lady adopted her, cleared up her mange and tried. But Joy never bonded, living curled, shaking and fearful in the corner, not understanding that all humans are not bad. The woman surrendered her to an angel at the Houston Beagle Rescue, where I found her, sitting on PetFinder, waiting for a patient, loving home that could teach her that trusting is OK. It is her beginning that makes me want to give her the best ‘rest of’ her life. Everyday I work with her. Everyday we move a little forward. Everyday she gets treated like a pup should. She enjoys a healthy, delicious breakfast and dinner and wonderful treats that dogs love, like Beggin’ Strips, Busy Bones and DentaLife from Purina!

Spread holiday love to your furry friends with the help of Purina! Now through the end of November, take advantage of great savings on your favorite Purina pet products available at Kroger with this Coupons.com link, while supplies last.

If you have read any of my stories of my own childhood, you know that it prepared me to adopt a feral dog. I know the fear of not knowing where home is. The hunger that comes when you don’t know if you will be fed again. The loss of hope when you are neglected too long. So when the foster from the Beagle Rescue told me that Joy needed and deserved love but had a hard time accepting it, therefore making her almost unadoptable, I got it.

I talked to the girls. I explained that it could be a year or more before she let them touch her. That she might pee and poop on herself if they got too close and spooked her. That she would not be like our other three dogs, loving and trusting every moment of everyday. I told them that she might never be like them. That she may always fear. They told me they didn’t care. That we had enough love for her and that we could give her the best life ever, even if she never trusted us.

So we took her in and fell in love with this little, 17 pound, Jack Russell Beagle mix. Our little Jackabee has surprised us. She has gone from not even wanting to fall asleep in the house to sleeping next to me. From having an accident any time anyone came near to coming up to me for a pat when she thinks the coast is clear. From not wanting to come in the house at all to now freely running in and out of the dog door with abandon. She is not there yet, she is feral, after all, but she is making great strides that far exceeded my expectations.

There is so much more I could tell you about the latest addition to our dog pack that we love so much, so many struggles that have turned into triumphs, so many steps to go, but I want to share one great thing about dogs. If you love them they will love you back. Maybe in their own little way. But they will.

So Joy is loved. She has learned that she will be fed on time, every day, like clockwork and that treats are forthcoming a few times a day. She does not know yet that I, as a modern pet parent, who used to frequent the pet specialty shops for the most extravagant treats, now find high quality ones that the dogs all love at my local Kroger. I have to say, the DentaLife is the one that gets them all chewing happily on the living room floor as if they are being given a steak dinner! Purina DentaLife was launched this year and features a range of oral maintenance treats for both cats and dogs.*

She does not know that all of her favorite treats will be in her stocking this year! Beggin’ Strips, Busy Bones and Purina DentaLife. Beggin’ Strips smell like bacon and taste like bacon because they’re made with real bacon. I got to have the human equivalent when I visited the Purina headquarters last year and they are amazing! There is a reason the dogs chew them up before I can even hand them out to all four of them! And, of course, I have to add in Busy Bones! Busy Bones keep my dogs busy chewing for a while which helps me get ready for the holidays without wagging tails in my face!

I can not wait to see her excitement!

To further show her that she will never be moved in her life again, I decided to make her a simple dog bed just for her. She likes to hide under my bed when the noise gets to be too much here and I want something that can provide a soft buffer so she does not have to sit up against the cold, hard wall. So, I made her a simple but fun dog pillow just for her!

Here is what you need:

• A standard pillow
• A kind sized pillow case
• Fabric paint
• Paint Brushes
• Scissors
• Ribbon

Put the pillow in the case and put a small mark where it ends. You need to know the area you can decorate.

Remove the pillow and add a large cutting board, piece of cardboard or some other item in the pillow case to keep the paint from bleeding through.

Using the paint, add whatever decor you want to the pillowcase. My kids helped which I think makes it that much more fun. It certainly does not have to be perfect.

I did three coats of paint to make it stand out. Let dry overnight. Remove the cutting board and lay the pillow case flat.

Cut ‘ribbons’ of the end of the pillow case to the mark you made earlier, creating fringe.

Take your ribbon and cut some in the length of the fringe.

Place the ribbon in between the fringe and tie. Repeat down the pillow.

Give your cute, custom made pillow to your pup and watch them fall in love!

Joy is an absolutely amazing part of our family. She is not that perfect little puppy that comes bounding up when you get home. She still has a long way to go to learn to trust again. But she deserves the love and patience and routine that will help her come out of her shell! I feel deeply blessed that we are the family to help her along with that!

For more inspiration visit the social hub!! 

Which treats do you give to your dogs that make their tails wag? When was the last time you shopped Kroger for the high quality treats your pup loves? Do you have an adopted dog story too? I would love to hear it!

*Not to be taken as professional veterinary advice. Please consult your veterinarian for recommendations and practices appropriate for your pet.