Are you sure she's a Boxer?

This little guy is up for adoption at the WPHS. He's a 7 month old APBT (aka Pitbull). Look like anyone you know?

This is Lola at 6 months old. No wonder I'm always being asked if she's a Pitbull!

Lotsa stuff going on!

First of all, let me say it again...our DWB buddies are totally awesome!! Not only do they keep us company and make us laugh, they are exceptionally generous.

Fei and Eve had a pledge going on at the beginning of the month:


I will donate to an animal rescue organisation/ shelter of my choice but only if 25 other Dogs with Blogs members will too.— fei and eve

I thought this was a great idea and immediately joined the pledge. And it was a success!! Our donation will be going to the Butler County Humane Society, the shelter Sherman came from. And he's the reason I'm such a crazy dog person.

That's right...I made my Mom crazy. But in a good way.

And now, Gomer & Opie are having a 10k race for charity that is wonderful. You're gonna have to go & check out their blog to get all the details. But their Mom is super cool!

Lorenza tagged us to tell yinz guys a little bit about the human part of our family...that would be Scott and I (more I b/c *I* maintain this blog!). We have very few pictures of us together, but here is one from our trip to Mexico a couple of years ago.

Scott & I met at work and still work together. In fact, if I turn my head to the right...there he is, crunching numbers. No, we do not drive to work together (we need 10 minutes away from each other!) and no, working together is not a problem (most days). Our jobs are pretty boring...we work in finance, how exciting can that be??? But we're pretty happy and have been with the same company for a looooong time (10 years for me).

We're not having human kids...3 dogs are enough. We'll get married eventually, but we're pretty content with life as is.

As far as my life outside of the Dogs, I have to say...it's pretty boring. I watch a ton of cooking shows & have boatload of cookbooks. I like to cook, but don't do it often. Scott is kind of picky (yes, Scotty...you are) and it's no fun cooking for just myself. But I love to eat...pizza, sandwiches, Mexican, Italian, greasy bar food...in that order. I love TV (my favorites are on the links list In My Free Time) and watch a lot of movies in the winter. The only sport I really watch is (american) football, and I plan my whole Sunday around the Steeler games. I like hockey too.

Other than that...there's not much to tell. Really, I'm that boring. But...this is my life. And this is my happiness:

Now I get to tag three lucky hoomans! Of course, I'm gonna tag Wally, Suki and Dot-Spot!! Mwwwaaahhhhhhhhh! Tell us about your families!

Jackman Pawsicles!!!

It seems like everyone is getting killed with the heat. I actually LOVE summer & the heat that goes with it. But even this is a little much for me. And it's only in the 90s here in Pittsburgh. Imagine being Joe Stains and dealing with 110+ degree temps!!

Sherman actually hasn't been drinking enough for this kind of weather. He has a bladder condition (struvite crystals) that I've managed for 4 years with good food, Vitamin C, frequent potty breaks & plenty of hydration. I usually solve the hydration problem by giving him diluted chicken broth to drink (which he does willingly) and figured it would be better frozen!

So, I decided to make Pawsicles! For 3 dogs, I used 1 can reduced sodium chicken broth diluted with water. That's about 3/4 of a cup broth per dog. I threw in some kibble, cheesy cookies (new creation...recipe follows), liver brownies and Voila! Jackman Pawsicles!!!

Looks kind of like fruit cocktail!



I should've known it would be a hit.



For those of you who can't access our videos...here's some pics of the doggie's afternoon delight.




**Cheesy cookies...you can't mess these up (and they're pretty darn tasty for hoomans too!!)

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups rolled oats (or other flour...buckwheat, spelt or brown rice flours are my own personal preference.)
2 eggs
2 good shakes garlic powder
2 splashes warm water
(seeing a trend here???)

*smoosh everything in a bowl until it forms a dough-like consistancy (should hold together). Add warm water a splash at a time if too dry...shouldn't be too wet though.
*press into a foil lined, EVOO covered (for easy clean up), cookie sheet
*bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes.
*cut into 1/2 inch sized cubes with a pizza cutter.
*Try 'em...they're pretty tasty!
*will keep in freezer forever. You probably won't make it a week with 2+ dogs. Less with more hungry jowls to feed.

Final Meme...From Sherman

1. Your age? between 8-12 (probably closer to the later)

2. Your age when came to live with your people? 6 years ago...you do the math

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? it's turquiose with blue turtles on it (Don't laugh Wally...my Mom makes me wear it).

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? Grandma Kay or Grandma Margo. This is Margo taking me hunting in the forest.

5. How much do you weigh? 44 lbs at last weigh in

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? A remote control is the only thing I've ever chewed.

7. Do you like other Dogs? Not Boy dogs bigger than me...some girl dogs

8. Who is your best non-human friend? I don't really have many friends & that's just fine with me. I'm a loner.

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Squeaky toys

10. Do you like to be brushed? NNNNnnnnoooo! Stupid Furminator!

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? both

12. Do your people cut your toenails? They don't have to because they wear down from patroling the neighborhood.

13. Any formal education? Lots...I'm a Canine Good Citizen & a Certified Therapy Dog.

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Couch potato

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Bubba, Turkey, Shermie, Bubba doodle finklestein, scarface (Mom just started calling me that).

16. What is your best trick? Speak! Penny & Lola can't do that. And I can run fast...check this out Wally!!

(Jen here: I'm totally putting this video on against my better judgment. I sound like a complete moron, but Sherman has a habit of taking off on me at the park and he loves this high squeaky voice. He just looks so cute running. Turn your speakers DOWN!)




17. Do you like kitties? As long as they don't run.

18. What did you have for breakfast? Solid Gold & Salmon

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? I am very good at killing moles!! Nevermind that they are deaf, blind & slow.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? I am trying to forget about it.

21. Where do you sleep at night? On the floor right next to Mom

22. Do you like to swim? Sort of

23. Can you make puppies? Nope. My parents stole my jewels. But I'm sure there are lots of baby Shermans running around in Butler County 'cause I was very manly before I came to live on Jackman Ave.

24. Your favorite place to visit? The forest.

25. Do you give kisses? Only hand kisses...never on the face.

26. Can you potty on command? As if!

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Not to Cuz!!!

Thanks to everyone for playing. We've had lots of fun reading all about you!

My BFF & Me Me!!!!

Hello dahhh-lings! It's your favorite Diva dog...Lola!

Sherman thinks he's so cool because he's got this BFF named Wally. Well, guess what??? I have one too!!!!! A ha ha ha ha! Take that Sherman!! You guys know Tadpole. I think he's so funny & cute & nice & stylish & just like me!


He has a picture of me in his jail & I keep him company while Massah is at work earning chewie money.

We have lots of stuff in common. Tad said that I'm annoying to my brother & that's just not so. See the proof of how NOT annoying I am:

(Mom apologizes for how dark this is...you'll get the point)


Although we have lots of other friends, we're the bestest BFFs, just like Elaine & Jerry (wait, I think they made out), or Izzy & George (oh wait...they made out too), or Will & Grace (Hmmmm, not a good comparison). OK...we're just good friends and will be forever & ever.

My Mom told me I had to fill in this thing so you could learn a little more about the Diva of Jackman Ave. It's called a Me Me and I get to talk all about MEEEeeeee! So I like that.

1. Your age? 20 Months old

2. Your age when came to live with your people? 8 weeks old

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? Pink, purple & orange

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? Our neighbor Chris

5. How much do you weigh? 41 lbs (I'm a mini)

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? 27,000 rolls of toilet paper

7. Do you like other Dogs? Yes, yes, yes...unless I'm on a leash.

8. Who is your best non-human friend? PENNY!!!

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? tennis balls

10. Do you like to be brushed? I don't get brushed much

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Peanut Butter


12. Do your people cut your toenails? Yep.

13. Any formal education? Lots...I've graduated from 12 different obedience classes. Divas are well schooled

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? What do you think??? I'm a BUNNY!!!

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Lo-Lo, Sprout, Widdle Woobie, Boo, Boobernut

16. What is your best trick? Spin or BANG! I'm working on twirl.



17. Do you like kitties? They don't like me much.

18. What did you have for breakfast? My dry food & some canned Jack Mackerel

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? No...Divas do not atch their own food.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? A couple months ago for my Botox injections (aka Rabies).

21. Where do you sleep at night? In my folks room on my dog bed or my crate.

22. Do you like to swim? NOOOOO!

23. Can you make puppies? Nope.

24. Your favorite place to visit? The Spa

25. Do you give kisses? I'm a kissing machine!! Aren't all Divas????

26. Can you potty on command? Yep.

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Not to Cuz!!!

Meme

Now here's something you don't see everyday!



I've done about 100+ Memes in my life. It's always fun to find out things about your friends. I thought it might be fun to let the Dogs do one & tell you a little about themselves. Actually, just Penny's gonna do it today. Sherman & Lola can go later.

1. Your age? appx. 5 years old

2. Your age when came to live with your people? appx. 7 months old

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? red & black

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? Grandma Kay

5. How much do you weigh? 45 lbs at last weigh in

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? Scotty's brand new running shoe

7. Do you like other Dogs? Depends on the dog...most of them

8. Who is your best non-human friend? ~sigh~ I guess it would have to be Lola. I also like my cousin Baron

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Squeaky toys

10. Do you like to be brushed? Sure, why not?

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Peanut Butter

12. Do your people cut your toenails? Yep.

13. Any formal education? Lots...I'm a Canine Good Citizen & a Certified Therapy Dog.

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? A little of both

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Wiggles, Princess, Peanut, Pen-Pen, PennyWigs

16. What is your best trick? High Five

17. Do you like kitties? As a snack!

18. What did you have for breakfast? My dry food & some canned Jack Mackerel

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? No...but I'm gonna catch a squirrel one day!!!

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? 2 weeks ago for my sick belly

21. Where do you sleep at night? In my folks room on my dog bed (although sometimes I sneak up into the big bed in the middle of the night).

22. Do you like to swim? Not really

23. Can you make puppies? Nope.

24. Your favorite place to visit? The Park. Or Grandma Kay's house.

25. Do you give kisses? Yep.

26. Can you potty on command? Yep.

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Not to Cuz!!!

We'd like to learn a little more about our DWB buddies! So if you'd like to play, copy the questions, paste them onto your blog and tell us all about YOU!!

Oh & don't forget to leave us a comment to come visit your Blog.

A Tail of two Cool Dudes

Hey my fellow DWBs...my ole lady (Mom) let me have my own post today because my Super Fly Soul Brother, Wally, gave a really nice shout out to our very groovy friendship. Ya see, Wally is my BFF (Black, Furry Friend....not like Suki & Ruby who are Best Friends Forever. Humf...Chicks!). We are so very alike...we must have been separated at birth. Wally pointed out the obvious:

We both dig food (raw meaty bones preferred):

(Dot, please ignore the pink stitches...it's a long story).

(Yeah, my Man is one cool Dude...just look at the size of that BONE!)

And yes...we're both Black & Furry. Which means, we have to seek out cool spots to "hunt".

(Wally's got it down...my Apes don't take any pictures of me in my cool little outside House.)

We both dig Haute Chicks!

(Back off BOYZ...Sam is spoken for by my BFF Wally!)

(And don't even think about it...this spotted Goddess is ALL MINE!!!)

AND...we have the most handsomest profiles in all of Black Dogdom. (yeah, yeah, yeah...so we both have a little white on our faces...just a reminder of how worldly and experienced we are.)

A few more fun facts about Wally & I:

~We both live in Pennsylvania...he's an Eagles fan, but I don't hold that against him. (Go Steelers!!).

~Wally weighs 43 lbs...ME TOO!! (Ole Lady: He weighs 44 lbs...on a day when he hasn't eaten.)

~We both have annoying Sissys...but I have TWO!!

~We both have super cool names...Wally & Sherman...come ON!! That's a Duo to be reckoned with!

~But the one thing you may not have known, Wally is a deer hunter. He is my hero! I've seen sooooo many deers at the park and wanted to chase them. But Ole Lady says No. Wally is Da Man!

So raise your glasses and give a big cheer! Sherman & Wally..BFF ...ARE HERE!!!!!

Hot, Hot Hot!

Yes...I know. We haven't posted much. That's because we really haven't done much in the last few days. It's been super duper hot & this has pretty much been how the Dogs spend their day..and evening.

She is part gazelle...

When you have a 6+ foot high retaining wall in the back of your yard, you never imagine that you would need to fence that space in. It should be enough to hold 3 medium sized dogs without a problem.

Unless, one of the dogs is part gazelle. I now have this giant (albeit temporary) eye-sore in my yard as Miss Lola has discovered she can clear the wall from a dead stand. I was popped my head out side to check on the dogs and discovered Lola running around in the yard above my house. Apparently there was a squirrel party going on in the big trees & about 8 of them were having a grand old time tormenting the Dogs.

I, of course, have a complete panic attack because she has never been in a unfenced area. Thank DoG I have trained a really good recall in her & when I said "Lola, Come!!"...she scurried down the wall like Spiderman.


Stoopid me thought it would only be a one time thing & she wouldn't possibly remember how to get back up there. But sure enough, when I let her out later in the afternoon, she bolted right up the wall. She came right back without a moments hesitation when I called her. I then got smart & came up with a temporary solution until we can figure out what to do.

This is how she was the rest of the day:



Not as much fun...but I prefer her in OUR yard.

"I don't see a problem...I was trying to catch dinner."

"Zzzzzzzzzz....dreaming of catching that fat squirrel!!"

We've got mail!!!

WE'VE GOT MAIL, WE'VE GOT MAIL...We've got MAIL!!!!!



Look at this beautiful package. The first ever to arrive at Jackman Avenue addressed to Sherman, Penny & Lola. AND...it came from halfway around the world!! All the way from Singapore!!





"Who's it from...I can smell him!!"

"Is he in there????"

"Penny, can you help me out because I smell a Boy...I just can't find him!"

It's from Huskee Boy!!!!! And Huskee's Maid, of course.

The Dogs got a wonderful card (with a very personal get well message included) that made my day!! Sherman & Penny's "argument" was felt all over the world & Huskee's Maid is so sweet to send us Get Well Wishes!!

The Dogs also got the Motherload...collars for "special" days. I could not possibly put these nice collars on them everyday...they'd be trashed. We now have nice collars for Everypup for when they go out in public.

They also each have their own Bling Bling.

I also got some Bling Bling that is gonna attach perfectly to my cell phone. The picture doesn't do this justice...I was so giddy when I saw the little bone, pawprint, and Dogs charms!! I LOVE this kind of stuff!!!

And Huskee also sent us Name Plates. I have big plans for these...STAY TUNED!!

A great big THANK YOU to Huskee and Huskee's Maid. We are so blessed to have such caring friends.

My very dear DWB friends make my day...every day.

Who's afraid of a little thunder????

Lola is!!!

This is something brand new. She was never afraid of thunder before. It really didn't phase her.

Last Friday we had some wicked thunderstorms with high wind & lightning. We always sit on the front deck & watch the storms, as long as the rain isn't blowing around too much. Well, the first loud clap of thunder & BAM! She scrambled up onto my lap. I told her "Oh knock it off...you're fine" and put her down on the ground. (Alright, alright...so I cuddled with her for a few seconds and gave her kisses. Bad Jenny.) I got up & moved into the office as the rain was starting to soak us & she was milling around, peeking her head outside to check out what was going on. A big flash of lightning hit close to the house followed by a really loud BOOM! It was as if she were shot out of a canon...she flew across the room & jumped in my lap. I made her get down and she hid under the desk & I ignored her. When I got up, she hid under the bed.

"So I'm afraid of thunder...SO WHAT??? Sherman is too!"

Sherman actually used to be petrified of thunder. I'd wake up in the middle of the night & he'd be sitting on my head. I knew we were having a storm. I started giving him stuffed Kongs or Bullies during storms and pretty much ignoring him & he's fine now. He doesn't want to be outside on the deck with us & but generally sticks pretty close & chills.

So how many of you pups are afraid of thunder????

Penny Puppy Pictures

So many of you got #1 correct as a Puggle. And #3 of course, is a Boxer.


A lot of you thought Penny would have resembled #2 as a puppy & Amber Mae was the only one to guess it correctly as a Rhodesian Ridgeback. They are known for the ridge of hair that runs down their back, but not all Ridgbacks have a Ridge.


They are much bigger than Penny (she's 45 lbs and RR females are generally in the 70-80 lb range).



There are definitely some facial similarities.

But Penny's personality is all Boxer as is her body type. Someone obviously wanted her to look like a Boxer because they had her tail docked & dewclaws removed. So we've always called her a Boxer Mix.

We're going to do the DNA test Gomer & Opie recently posted about in the fall & it should be interesting to see exactly what she really is!!!

Puppy pics of Sherman & Penny

Ike had this very cool idea for the rescue dogs who don't have any puppy pics and couldn't participate in Suki's fun game. We adopted Sherman when he was in 3-7 years old range (we really have no idea). And Penny came home at 7 months.


We can only guess what adorable little puppies they would be. I think this is probably what a

Little Sherman looked like:

Sherman would have been the cutest puppy...like a fuzzy bear cub!

(note from Sherman..."If you would like an exceptionally handsome, big boned adult dog, you may want to check out my puppy twin. He's up for adoption!")



Ike thought Penny probably looked like this little guy:


Penny Puppy #1

But I think this could be what she looked like too:

Penny Puppy #2

Or this:

Penny Puppy #3



Funny those are 3 different breeds entirely. What do you guys think? And anyone wanna try & guess the 3 breeds? #3 is pretty obvious!!!

Training update

I really haven't posted about our training stuff lately, but we've still been plugging away at it.

Lola had been really stellar recently on our walks in regards to her freaking out at other dogs. On our walk this weekend, we ran into at least a dozen dogs and she was chill the entire time. And then ironically, tonight we saw a neighbor (who I know) and her dog. We went over to say Hi and she's usually fine once she can greet the other dog. He growled at her & she freaked out, barking & lunging in his face. I was actually pretty upset about it because she'd been doing so well and now my neighbor thinks my "good" dog is Cujo.

But I reminded myself that regression is an essential part of learning and we'll just take a few steps back and work a little harder. She's made great progress and I can't forget about that just because of one minor setback.

Penny finished up her Rally class this weekend and our graduation consited of running through 3 mock courses and being "judged" by the instructor (who just happens to be an AKC Rally judge). For those of you unfamiliar with Rally Obedience, it's basically a bridge between the CGC and Traditional Obedience competition. The Dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the Rally judge. The judge tells the handler to begin and the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations (10 - 20 depending on the level). Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. The exercise can be as simple as a Right Turn or as involved as Call Front, Right Finish, Halt or Serpintine Weave. Scoring is not as rigorous as formal obedience.

The team of dog and handler move continuously with the dog under control at the handler's left side, however perfect "heel position" is not required. They perform the exercises indicated by a numbered sign at each station. After the judge's "Forward" order, the team is on its own to complete the entire sequence correctly. Unlimited communication from the handler to the dog is to be encouraged and not penalized.

Although we may never actually compete, it's a lot of fun and a really great relationship builder.

I had my friend Annette record one of our runs. This was very interesting to watch. Penny was great...I am a mess! I'm very sloppy and kind of all over the place. And our finishes need a LOT of work. But of our 3 runs we got 2 perfect scores (100 out of 100) and a 99 (one point off for a tight leash). Of course, our instructor was pretty easy on us! But we had a good time.

Lazy weekend...for the Dogs

Scott spent most of the weekend working on the patio extension. It's almost finished! This will give us more room to entertain. And we won't feel so cramped.

This is the old one.


And this is the extension.


We (Ha Ha...We, like I do any work!) still need to lay the paver stones but for right now, the Dogs are enjoying their very own sand pit. Orson has one of these...but his is staying!


Lola and her dang tennis balls. Boxers aren't known for being ball obsessed, are they????

Then she napped in the shade.

Penny could care less...it was a beautiful weekend and she worked on her tan.

Sherman dug up new spots to cool off. He's the smart one.

I took his stitches out and once the hair grows out, you'll never know he'd beaten up by a girl! The pink stitches were humiliating.

"I'm still tuff..."