The heart of MonteCaro. This is the chronicle of how we started, the lessons we have learnt together, and the serendipitous moments that define our journey
A raw, honest confession: I have been carrying around a surprising amount of dog-mum guilt lately, and it is entirely centred around Monte’s teeth. Monte turned four in March 2026….
Intro & The Backstory If you have been following along with our journey, you might remember the nerve-wracking weeks after Monte’s desexing procedure. Dealing with an unexpected scrotal hematoma and…
Finding the Perfect High-Value Training Treat When Monte and I first started puppy school, I quickly realised that trying to motivate a little herding dog is a very different game…
If you had told me five years ago that Monte would eventually curate his own multi-level “bed portfolio” across the house, I probably would have laughed. When Monte was a…
What I wish I knew about delayed recovery for a mature dog is now a permanent chapter in the MonteCaro chronicles, and I hope it serves as a roadmap for…
Navigating the unregulated wild west of dog food left us stuck in a massive wormhole. In this chronicle, we share our honest transition testing premium Australian options, from everyday kibble…
Discover the essentials that survived the reality of a teething puppy, the savvy second-hand finds that saved the budget. Plus, see the one ‘must-have’ item Monte couldn’t have cared less…
With the ‘little brown bear’ officially named Monte, the focus shifted from theoretical research to the practical reality of daily life. The immediate challenge was the logistics of balancing a…
Months of rationalising, vetting, and planning led to this moment. Now, the research was over. It was time to see if my meticulous preparation would survive the reality. Cutting Through…
Finding the right human behind the dogs was the next challenge Once I settled on the Miniature American Shepherd (MAS), the real work began. Choosing a breed on paper is…