Thursday, Suvi Sleeping

New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Dog Owners

From our friends at The Daily Dog, we thought this was a great list of resolutions for dog owners!

Top 6 New Year’s Resolutions for Dog Owners

While dogs aren’t capable of resolving anything, December 31 is a good time to take stock of ways to help your dog become healthier and happier. Below, Dr. Trisha Joyce of New York City Veterinary Specialists offers suggestions for pet-centric resolutions.

Resolution No. 1: I will take my dog on regular walks.
“It’s a well-being issue in terms of both physical and mental health,” says Joyce. “The biggest health problem dogs have is weight-related, which is helped with exercise. When dogs are acting up, which we could think of as being related to mental health, the first line of advice behaviorists give is to make sure they get lots of exercise. If you think about it, your dog lives the life of a shut-in. It needs the stimulation of daily walks to feel content.”

Resolution No. 2: I will not feed my dog table food.
Commercial dog food is formulated to give dogs all the nutrients they require. Table scraps, however, can cause serious health problems in your pet. “Table food is the No. 1 thing contributing to weight gain in most dogs, and a lot of health issues are associated with it -- from diarrhea to pancreatitis,” explains Joyce.

Resolution No. 3: I will brush my dog’s teeth.
Inflamed and receding gums can occur if teeth are not brushed, causing your pet pain and leading to expensive medical procedures. “Dental health in dogs is generally really poor,” says Joyce. A bit of fluoride just once a week helps stave off teeth extractions or difficult cleaning procedures that require anesthesia -- which can be risky, especially for older dogs.

Resolution No. 4: I will play with my dog.
“Everybody’s so busy, but your pets still need time that’s devoted solely to them. Resolve to play five or 10 minutes a day -- tossing a ball, tugging a rope. The attention makes them feel important and loved,” says Joyce. “Making that effort benefits the owner too: You’re reminded that you have this creature that loves and depends on you.”

Resolution No. 5: I will put an end to my dog’s behavior problems.
Nothing prevents an owner from enjoying his dog like persistent behavior problems. Identify any issues -- from urinating in the house to begging for table food -- that keep you from fully appreciating your pet. Consult with a dog trainer or a training manual on how to eliminate the behavior. “It doesn’t take long to train your dog if you do it consistently. In a couple of weeks, you can train out behaviors you don’t appreciate,” says Joyce.

Resolution No. 6: I will help myself while helping my pet.
While you’re making resolutions that will benefit your dog, why not think about yourself too?

• Guarantee your pet-related financial health by starting a pet savings fund. Stock away a little money each month in case of a pet emergency.
• Get organized. Clean out old, dirty toys that neither you nor your dog enjoy.
• Make sure your dog has adequate ID, either on its collar or in the form of a microchip. If your pup is regularly on the run, this will help reduce your stress levels.
• Do a good deed: Consider taking in a foster dog. Inquire at a local shelter about good matches for your current pet.

http://www.thedailydog.com
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What do you think? Will any of these be on your list? Do you have any others you think should be added??

Wordless Wednesday - 12/12/12. As Close As Possible.

The theme of last weekend at our house was "Get As Close As Caninely Possible." It was cold and snowy, and the pups wanted to snuggle up just as badly as we did. Excuse the crummy iPhone photos. Sometimes it's all I have handy to capture these goofballs without disrupting the moment.



Who's Comfy? Not Momma...

This is a typical evening in our house, when Chad is gone. I'm laying on the couch watching TV, and having my personal space invaded by all three snuggle bugs. (Ok, wearing a scarf while laying on the couch is not typical, it was just so cozy I forgot to take it off....)

Suvi is sound asleep, with her nose buried in my neck, breathing puppy breath so hot I didn't even need a blanket. Pablo is sleeping in his usual downward-facing dog position (sometimes his back gets sore, so he finds a spot to prop himself up and stretch it while he sleeps).

I couldn't get Ramsey in the picture with my iphone camera and the angle at which my arm was allowed to work, but she's down by Suvi's bottom half, curled up behind my knees, snoring loud as can be.

How do your dogs sleep on casual evenings? Are they allowed on the couch? Does anyone else's dog have a fascination with having their face buried in something in order to sleep comfortably (like Suvi)??

Dad with Dogs, Melts My Heart

After a long weekend around here (we were working hard, and playing hard), Chad snuck in a little naptime with the pups this afternoon. When he got up, I took his place, and now neither of us is tired at bedtime...

These pups sure love their Dad, and he loves them....it melts my heart when I see them sleeping, snuggling, or playing together.

I think Chad was a little worried when he saw 15 of the same photo on my iphone today! haha. I was trying to get one where Ramsey didn't have demon eyes! It took a lot of tries :)

Do you have any good Dad/puppy snuggling pics?

Howl-o-ween 2012. They Hate Me.

ok, howl-o-ween is so overused. but, cute. literally the only 'celebrating' we did this year was to buy a new costume from the clearance section three days after Halloween, and shame the girls into each trying it on. they hate me now, i'm sure of it.  well, actually, i think Ramsey was feeling a bit left out when Suvi was running around the house with me following, laughing hysterically, and yelling, 'here, piggy, piggy, piggy!' - so she may have actually enjoyed the attention she got when i put it on her!

excuse the poor photos - I was trying to move quickly with my iphone, but these girls are fast :)

She has a fat head. I tried to use double-sided tape to stick it to her, which she wasn't sure about....but seriously, how cute would it be if her big floppy ears stuck out the right way??

We're BAAAAaaaack.

Oh my goodness, life has been busy. But never fear, the pups have remained the center of our universe. Unfortunately, blogging has not. That leaves a pretty big hole in what has been a pretty big adventure in our lives - moving to a new house, starting a business, etc.

But let's start with some cute dog pictures, and we'll catch you up on the details later!

A New House (!) Means Happy Puppies (and happy puppy parents)

So this is it, I can finally spill the big news! We closed on our new house today, and we couldn't be more excited!  We already have happy puppies, but they're about to get a whole lot happier because...

Wordless Wednesday, July 25th 2012 - Sugar S. Bear

Sugar was the first real life pit bull I ever got to know. And while I had already made up my mind that when I rescued a dog, it would be a pit bull, because of the high percentage of the shelter population they represent - Sugar sealed the deal for me. 

She was quiet, sweet, well-behaved, smart, and she really won me over with the trick "show me your belly!" If you've ever met Suvi, you know that this is her most popular trick, stolen from Sugar Bear, and followed closely by "Say please!"

Sugar Bear's momma is my cousin Danielle, and she's one of my favorite people in the world. It stands to reason, then, that Sugar is one of my favorite pups. Chad and I got to visit them in Michigan recently, so I snapped a quick iPhone photo of Sugar.

She was rescued from UPAWS in Marquette, MI about 5 years ago by Danielle and Dan.

Doesn't she just LOOK so sweet!?

Maybe I'll ask Danielle to write a guest blog about her someday. At any rate, this wasn't anywhere close to a "Wordless Wednesday" but I figured I better explain if I was posting a random dog photo :)  We don't need anyone thinking we got ANOTHER one!

Stay tuned next week for some big news on the blog!!

Giveaway! 50,000 Blog Views = Handmade Mosaic Leash Holder for....

One month ago (June 11th), I posted a giveaway - a mosaic leash holder to be sent to one of our subscribers who commented on that post - when we reached 50,000 blog views.

WE DID IT!  Our readers are seriously the best. I know most of you are here because you already knew of Ramsey, Pablo and Suvi through YouTube and/or Facebook. I'm so excited that you care enough to listen to our behind-the-scenes stories, support us (me) through the harder, negative-feedback-times we go through in this life with famous dogs, and to share our ramblings with your friends.

This is a fun process for me - and I hope to look back on this blog one day and be so happy that I've (further) recorded the memories of our family, and that I've done much good for other dogs and friends along the way. Thanks for coming along for the journey!

All that mushy stuff out of the way (I really mean all of it), let's give away some fun stuff!

The handmade mosaic leash holder below will be sent out to.....