The Furminator!!

As Sherman's shedding has been out of control this Spring, I decided to try something other than the undercoat rake & stripping comb I've been using. The Furminator was delivered this week!!

I had heard a lot about the Furminator, but it completely exceeded my expectations. No, Sherman has not turned grey. Those are tufts of his undercoat.

And this is the pile of fur that I pulled off of him...after less than a minute of brushing. I might try to weave it into a sweater.

Now if I could just find something for the girls. Any of you Boxer (or shortcoated breed) folks out there have any suggestions for dealing with little, 3/4 inch barb-like hairs that prickle into every stuffed surface in the house??? Thank DoG they only blow coat twice a year...and the Spring shed is almost over.

R.I.P. FuFu

A very important member of the DWBs community has gone to the bridge. FuFu, our honorary Hamsterrier passed on this weekend. It was such a sad way to start the week, learning that he was gone. Sunshade has a beautiful tribute to him on her blog.

We'll miss you dearly FuFu!

My Favorite Summer Spot

You've probably noticed quite a few pictures lately that have been taking on the front deck off of our bedroom. In the summer, it's my absolute favorite place in the whole house. I did lots of gardening over the weekend & finally got around to putting out some plants. It's like a little tropical garden.

We had a birds nest in the fern last year.

Nothing better than sitting in the sun with a cold glass of Pinot Gris and a good book.

And I can be nebby & spy on the neighborhood!

The lady that lives in the green house is very mean. She squirts dogs with the hose if they walk on her grass. She's never done that to my dogs, obviously...because I'd be in jail for assult.

The Dogs love it out there too...they get to patrol the neighborhood.

Lola takes this responsibilty very seriously.

Sometimes too seriously & her barking earns her a time out.

Penny will spend hours basking in the sun.

Sherman's a little smarter & stays in the shade. It's tough being black & chubby.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Dining Al Fresco

It has been so gorgeous the last week. Temps in the 70s, blue skies, lots of sun, a gentle breeze. I am hoping this is an indication of the summer we're gonna have!!

I thought since the weather was so nice, the Dogs could eat their dinner on the deck. On the menu tonight...chicken backs! YUM! And how convenient for them to put 3 in a package!


Lola inspects them for freshness.
(the wine is not on their menu...it's on mine!)

And then everyone has to get a good sniff.

Dinner is served!

(now don't yinz guys go getting jealous of Sherman's beach towel from the 70s)

There is no better way to spend an evening...sitting down with a glass of wine watching the Dogs devour raw meat.

I need a life.

TAG! and Training Stuff

It seems every one's been Tagged but us...so we're tagging ourselves!!! HA!

The most recent TAG has been belly shots & I found some good ones in my photo archives.

RUB OUR BELLIES!!!

"Everypup...LOOK AWAY! This photo is just for my sweet love, DOT!"

WARNING: Boring training stuff ahead:

Penny started her Rally class on Sunday. We've taken one before but this one is structured a little different. The first class focuses on the easy stations...Serpentine, Halt-Sit, Halt-Down, Left Turn & Right Turn. Heeling is the biggest component in Rally & Penny's heeling is pretty spot-on. So if I can just walk like a normal person & not someone with two left feet, we'd be golden. Also, she has such excellent attention that she doesn't see where she's walking & kicked out the cones a couple of times. Penny is the biggest dog in the class! A Poodle, a Westie, a Silky and a little white fluffy thing (might be a Bichon)...and Penny. Mack, the wiggly Pitbull from Lola's Advanced class will be joining us next week. The class was really fun. Class is always fun with Penny.

Lola had another great Advanced class. She continues to improve & amaze me. We saw a bunch of dogs coming into the building and she didn't react once. She greeted a young pitbull very appropriately & rode the elevator with him & was fine. We worked on a lot of the same things from last week. Her Stays are still a problem. She's fine if I'm in front, facing her. But if I turn my back or walk around her, she turns to find my face. I just need to back up a little bit with her. We worked on the start of off leash heeling with a light line & as I teach my dogs to heel off leash, this wasn't a problem. Her Left About Turns were much improved & she's actually realizing she has a hind end. She has a near perfect Automatic Sit. She's struggling a little with Down from a Stand (Drop), but she actually did a pretty nice StandStay. I plan on working on the Stand & Round Finish this week and do more proofing Stays.

On the way out of class, we stood in the hallway facing 10 dogs waiting to go into the training room. Lola was about 8 feet from the closest dog. She sat next to me & I c/t her for watching the dogs & staying seated. She gave me a lot of attention and responded very well to her name if I saw she was getting too interested in another dog. Then a girl & a young LabX got off the elevator & the dog was going nuts. Growling, lunging, teeth baring...reminded me of Lola at her worst. I'm in the hall they needs to walk thru to get to the 2nd training room & rather than ask me to move, she just starts walking right toward us. The dog is still going nuts & I said "YAY! Lola, Let's Go!!" and turned around to find a safe spot for us. Lola was trotting very nicely beside me & I glanced over my shoulder & the girl is still walking toward us, but is moving faster! So I say "Could you please stop & wait till I can get my dog into the room???" She says "Oh...sure." and Lola turns & snarks at her dog. ~Sigh~ I hate people. It was an almost perfect night. But not my dog's fault.

The neighborhood walks are getting better too. She is still reacting on occasion but those times are becoming few & far between. And she's recovering much faster. It's the worst on our street & I think she has a protective thing going on. Once we're a block and a half away, she's much calmer & actually a joy to walk. Her newest thing though is birds. She's obsessed with birds. Pretty much anything moving in general actually. A leaf, a plastic bag, a scrap of paper...she launches herself at them full force. If it weren't so annoying...it would be comical.

Chicken Stew is Yummy!

The Brat Pack just talked about all the good stuff they've been eating so I thought I might share some of The Dogs meal this week.

I like to get in touch with my culinary side by making food for the dogs. Scotty will tell you I cook for them more than for us...and that's probably true. This weekend I made a big batch of their favorite chicken stew. Chicken legs, broccoli, carrots, yams & cauliflower. I generally don't add any grains to it as it's usually mixed with some of their kibble.

But tonight it was just chicken, chicken & more chicken stew!

Now, there are a few unusual things about the picture above.

1). The smallest (teeny) portion is Lola's. (She usually gets much more, but she had class tonight and filled herself up on good stuff.)

2.) The cabinet the food is sitting on is bare wood and doesn't match the rest of the kitchen. (Scotty just made it and will be painting it soon.)

3). The dogs are eating on paperplates. (They usually eat from stainless steel bowls but they are in my new DISHWASHER!!!)

Yep...we finally have a dishwasher & it's no longer me!! Sitka just got a new cleaning box and is pretty psyched about it so I don't feel so dumb getting totally geeked over mine.

Isn't it beautiful??? Sherman is very happy about it too.

I've talked about the fun game we play at mealtime...here The Dogs are in action. They usually take longer to eat but the paperplates make for a quick meal.



Yum-O!

Friends come to visit!

Scott's parents came over to visit this afternoon & brought their two dogs, Panzer & Barron with them. Panzer is 11 1/2 & huge.

The girls both love him. He's usually smitten with Penny & will spend hours licking her ears & in her mouth.



But of course, Lola decided she should steal the show and made it her mission to have him enamored with HER!










"Fine with me! A little peace & quiet is a nice change!"





But the girls also had a great time running with Barron. He's Lola's age & the three of them ran circles all over the yard. None of the pics I took came out because they were moving too fast!


He's a real cutie!

And where was Sherman during all of the fun & games outside..Locked in the house!!!



Yes, Grumpasorous Rex could not behave himself and was banished inside. He kept jumping on Barron & humping him & driving us all crazy.

"Don't believe a word of it...I was just showing him that I'm the boss. Of everything."

Sherman has a major Napoleon complex.

Foto Shoot Friday...Hello Springtime!

Just what are you dogs staring at????

"Something is up there!"

IT'S A SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Sammy Squirrel has a nest in the big tree in our back yard & enjoys spending the better part of his day taunting the dogs.

"Oh Penny, just wait...he'll fall. He'll fall right out of that tree & into our mouths."

"Really??? Do you think?"

"Oh yes...he's gonna fall one of these days. And then we'll feast."

"He's moving!!!"

"Stupid Dogs...you'll never catch me!!"

Lola could care less. She's much more concerned about the tennis balls I bought her from the dollar bins at Target (all these...$2.50! Gotta love Target!)

"I'M SITTING!!!! Throw the stupid thing already!!"

Action shot...mid shake.

We hope Everypup has a fantastic weekend! Go hunt Squirrels!