Author: Stephanie Brown

As a new dog mom, Curti says she did a lot of research into what to feed Maple and landed on Blue Buffalo’s Life Protection Formula for puppies. It’s made with real meat, whole grains, garden vegetables, fruits and a special blend of nutrients to support healthy growth and development. Selling points included: 1) it’s top rated (it has a rating of 4 ½ stars on Chewy), 2) it’s a wholesome, balanced diet, and 3) she had heard good things about the brand from other pet parents. Maple just thinks it’s yummy. Shop now: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Food,Growing up, Lisa-Marie Curti had pets like hamsters and fish, but what she really wanted was a dog. Unfortunately, she traveled a lot for sports and it just didn’t make sense to have a dog when she wasn’t home very often. When she grew up, the desire to have a canine companion was still there, but her demanding job and busy New York City lifestyle didn’t leave a lot of time for one. “I was out of the house 12-13 hours a day,” Curti recalls. “It just wasn’t feasible.” It wasn’t until she moved to Florida to work at Chewy as a brand marketing communications manager that she felt the timing was finally right to get a dog. She and her wife welcomed Maple, an 8-week-old Golden Doodle, into their home in November 2019—and almost immediately realized being a first-time dog mom wasn’t without its challenges. “You don’t realize what you’re getting into … They’re teething, you have to train them, you have to be patient, they don’t always want to do what you want them to do,” Curti says. But Maple’s unconditional love, wet kisses and goofy antics have made it all worth it. Even when nothing seems to be going right, watching Maple excitedly chase leaves down the street or (not so) sneakily steal socks brings a smile to her mom’s face. “It doesn’t matter if you’re having a terrible day, everything else is OK,” Curti says. Here are her top puppy products for taking the leap into puppy parenthood.

Your dog is the protector of your house. It’s only fitting to dress them as the protector of the seven kingdoms. For this look, we paired the Dobaz Winter Dog Dress with Frisco’s flower collar accessory. The dress, which features a turtleneck collar and navy quilted patchwork, is sure to keep your pup warm while trick-or-treating, especially if you live in cooler parts of the country. It’s casual enough to be worn all winter long as well. (Remember: Winter is coming!) The flower accessory adds a touch of softness to the otherwise fierce ensemble. If you have other dogs, or family and friends with dogs, dress them up in Frisco’s dragon costume to complete the Mother of Dragons look. Otherwise, your regal pooch can carry around GoDog’s dragon chew toy.,Are you a “Star Wars” trivia master? Do you have a favorite comic book character, and can you describe their origin story in extreme detail? Do you spend hours on Instagram, liking and following trend-setting social media influencers (both human and canine)? When coming up with ideas for your dog’s Halloween costumes, look no further than your pop culture obsessions. From movies to TV shows to social media, inspiration for dog Halloween costumes abounds.