Sunday, March 25, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Cleveland or Bust!
I'm extremely excited...although I'm going dogless and will miss my little Jagoffs terribly. And Scotty too, of course.
As I am the one that usually feeds them, I have to leave him details of what they eat.
Now in a normal day, they'll get at each meal:
Sherman - 1/2 cup Solid Gold (that's the one that is small discs)
Lola - 1 - 1 & 1/2 cups Solid Gold
Penny - 1 - 1 & 1/2 cups Eagle Pack (the little dark brown nuggets)
plus some canned food (I try to mix it up):
Sherman - 1/6 of a can
Penny & Lola - twice as much as Sherman
and some days they get Salmon, Jack Mackerel or their favorite (not mine)...canned green tripe.
I know Scott won't even bother with this so I'm not giving amounts!
Shermie gets some supplements:
1 glucosamine capsule (break it open) 1x per day
500 mg Vit C 2x per day
1 cranberry pill 2x per day
*Shermie is older and has some bladder issues (creaky joints & a tendency to get blood in his pee aka Struvite Crystals)
The girls get 1 capful raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar 2x per day (for digestion and Lola's tear stains)
and every one gets the following once per day:
Vitamine E
Fish Oil
Coconut Oil
Again, not listing the amounts...he's not gonna do it!
Lola tends to have a sensitive belly, so if she's feeling a little "loose"...she can have boiled burger & cottage cheese for a couple meals, plus pumpkin & Berte's Digestive Blend (1 level scoop).
Don't forget the fun game we play at meal time!!
And Don't Overfeed Sherman!!
(Scotty thinks he can become Sherman's favorite if he gives him really big giant meals...not gonna work!)
So no blogging till Monday...don't forget about us!!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday night class
She did have to spend a good deal of class in the crate....which is good for her. It's helping with her self-control (she has, um...none).
"Yeah, if I'm so perfect, why am I in JAIL????"
She was wonderful during heeling and even though it was kinda close quarters & a 5 mo GSD was getting pretty snarky with everyone...she kept her cool. I was very proud.
After class we had play time & I tried & tried & tried to get some good shot of her & Apache...but they're both so crazy insane, the shots were mostly a blur. I think I only got this one b/c they were headed for a front-end collision with the crate!
Round & Round & Round they went. I was tired watching them!
I think Annette was happy b/c Apache found a fun dog that isn't totally intimiated by him & his very manly WOOOOFFFF!!!!
She was totally pooped when we got home.
Thanks for being such a good girl Mush Face!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Froggie Doggie (warning...PG-13 rated)
From the side:
From the back:
"Hey Zim...come around & see me sometime"
GASP!!!!
Lola - I said act like a HUSKY, not a HUSSY!!!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturdays events...reported on Monday.
The park was beautiful. No one was there & it was very quiet & peaceful.
The snow made hiking the trails a lot more strenuous. Not to worry...I had a good team of mushers!!
Sherman loves the snow & the forest & thinks he's part Wolf (which he's not!)
When I picked Lola up from CBW, we noticed she had a chunk out of her back. My first thought was she got into a fight, but she would have marks on her face & legs rather than the middle of her back.
Further inspection reveals a hole the size of an eye tooth. If I were a gamblin' gal (which I'm not), I would bet she was playing (hard) with another dog and it slipped & came down on her back. Ouch!
As always, Lola was pooped after Camp.
She sleeps the whole way home.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
How many names does a Dog need???
And now the Brown one...
"We think our Fancy name should be 'The Most Perfect Dogs in the Universe', donchya think???"
On a separate note....In celebration of St. Patty's Day...
We've gone ahead and nominated ourselves for Photo of the Month. Yeah, kinda self-serving....but Lola the Leprechaun worked hard for the Money Shot!
Do I look up???? What am I looking at?
"So, um...what's the deal with this? I assume I get lots of Cookies if I'm good".
"Almost...I've been posing & posing & nuthin!...gimme the liver cookie!"
OK...this is the final shot. And the one we're nominated for. Pretty cute, huh?
"Are we done yet?"
So go to Dogs with Blogs & vote for us! There are lots of good nominations this month so the competion it tough! But we never win anything...puh-lease???? She worked so hard!
Friday, March 16, 2007
What...the...?????
I am not kidding...these pictures were taken today. These are my daffodils...that will be dead soon.
The girls love it & run around chasing each other in the yard.
It's so cold that Lola has to hold up her toes while playing with her ball!
Wwwaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Give us a Shout Out!!
Looks like Thrawn has Cushings & a liver tumor (non-cancerous at this point). And...his brother Dakota, has an enlarged heart & a fatty tumor!
Geez...that's a lot to take! I don't know anything about these health issues, but if anyone reading this post does...please pay a visit to the Brat Pack & give them some advice.
And Tanner Doofus Face is having surgery to remove a thingy from his leg tomorrow. We're sending lots of good doggie thoughts for him.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Lola & Apache...sittin' in a tree
So I whipped up a new batch of Salmon Cookies & Peanut Butter treats (recipes to follow), and off we went!
I was pleasantly surprised at how well she did. She did bark at a couple of dogs that got too close to her crate, but when I asked her to lay down & be quiet, she did. She got to practice heeling & attention & figure 8s and really wasn't obnoxious at all.
And she found a NEW boyfriend. She's in love with Annette's dog, Apache. Apache is big & fluffy & bold & ehm...energetic (aka nutso!) and Lola loved him! She chased him around and he body slammed her all over the place & she jumped on him & pawed him in the face. It was a match made in heaven!! I forgot my camera but here they are together.
Cute couple, huh? Apache's ribbons are from earning his Companion Dog title in AKC obedience. Lola's ribbons are just to look cute!
Annette picked up a new coat for Cheyenne, her border collie and it didn't fit right. So she thought it would be perfect for Penny...and it was!
She needs a red bandanna & a cowboy hat!
(warning...consuming too many of these causes exceptionally bad smells to come out of your dog!)
1 can salmon (or jack mackerel) with juice
Smoosh it all together in a bowl and press into well greased small cookie sheet (spray hands with cooking spray or they'll be covered in Goop!). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so.
Penny's Peanut Butter Cookies
some peanut butter (maybe a cup)...I use all natural and nuke it for 30 seconds to make it soft
Smoosh it all together in a bowl and press into well greased small cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so.
Both cookies should be cooled completely and cut into small squares with a pizza cutter. I keep 'em in the freezer & take out what I need, a few at a time.
Monday, March 12, 2007
70 degrees & Sunny!
Lola chased around her ball...
Sherman dug himself a new hole & "hunted" squirrels...
And there were lots of bugs to sniff out...
Then I walked the dogs. I took Penny & Lola together & it was a huge mistake!! It started out fine & but 1/2 way through, every dog in the neighborhood came out of their houses for their walk. Lola barked & carried on the entire time. Back to the drawing board.
A couple of dogs asked me about Chill Out...specifically, if it works. The answer to that is, I don't know. I'm not as into all the "new age", holistic stuff as some of my other "dog friends". A lot of them swear by DAP & Rescue Remedy & aromatherapy, etc. I can't help but be skeptical...I'm pretty much a cynic by nature. But I've noticed the most calming effects with Chill Out than the other stuff. I used it during the Feisy Fido class and did notice a difference. It's not a cure-all, by any means. But, I figure...can't hurt!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Here comes the SUN!!!
1. I'm not sick anymore.
2. DSL started today.
3. It's not raining, snowing, windy or frigid.
4. The sun is shining & there is not a cloud in the sky.
5. My dogs are perfect!
I actually don't hate winter...I just wish it would snow hard for 3 weeks and then be summer. I LOVE mild sunny days with little wind & no humidity.
The Dogs were long overdue for a lengthy trek so I took Sherman & Penny out first and honestly, it was the nicest walk we've had in a year. We patrolled the neighborhood for an hour and just enjoyed being outside. They were both on their best behavior & I think we only had 3 or 4 major sniff stops (Sherman has to smell every inch of the neighborhood & it can be really annoying). We saw a bunch of dogs out walking too & had one teeny incident where Penny had a 4 second melt down that was quickly diffused.
Lola was almost a normal dog too. Don't know if it was her trip back to Camp after a 2 week hiatus, or the Rescue Remedy I gave her, or the Chill Out I rubbed all over her neck, or the fact I was in such a good mood. But we had a 45 minute walk with one minor freak out over 2 dogs walking across the street from us. I tried to do a Walk Away, but we haven't worked on that for a couple of months (Bad Jenny!) so I just told her to Leave It and she did...after getting the last word in.
Penny was in her glory all afternoon sunning herself on the deck. This is where she'll be every afternoon in the summer.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Celebrating Sherman
Shermie's TDI certification came in the mail this week. Included was his collar tag...
And his ID badge...
For those of you who don't know much about Sherman, he was our first dog. My first dog as an adult. We adopted him from the Butler Co. Humane Society in August of 2001. This is a picture of Sherman the day we brought him home...weighing in at a svelte 38 lbs (he's now a "big boned" 53 lbs).
We thought he was a year old...actually we thought he was a puppy, but the Vet said at his first check-up that he was at least a year old. Fast forward 3 years later when the Vet says he's between 8-10 years old during a thyroid test. Two other Vets confirmed at the time he was a "senior" dog...so we now say he's 10 and he's staying 10 forever.
I've done a lot of complaining about Sherman...he's grumpy, he's bossy, he's pushy and he's a bully. But what I don't say enough is how wonderful he is. He's sweet, unassuming, calm, loving and the greatest dog that I've ever known. I love him with everything I am. I am so proud of what we've become together. I owe him more than I could ever repay.
He has the sweetest face in the world.
And the greatest smile.
He's content to just hang out.
Or show me his belly.
He has the softest ears ever.
And the kindest big brown eyes (althougth the look a bit freakish in this shot).
He's tolerated Lola.
And loves Penny, though he'll never admit it.
He's happiest when it's just me & him at the park..."hunting in the forest".
And he's the Leader of our little canine family.
So today I celebrate Sherman...for all that he is, for all that he's not & for all he's given to me.