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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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??

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

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.





Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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)??


Sunday, November 18, 2012

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?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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??

Friday, November 9, 2012

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!





Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

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!!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

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.....

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Pool Time!

Things have been crazy busy around here, which has left little time for posting. Though, I will admit...I've still been able to sneak in a little time for Pinterest here and there...but, I finally found some quiet time this morning to post a few summer time photos of the girls.

Last week, we had record-high temperatures, and the most consecutive days over 90 degrees in the last 20-some years. The girls LOVE being outside, and I hated to watch them look longingly out the window, only to be let out of the air conditioning into sweltering heat and humidity. So I went out and bought them one of those hard plastic kiddie pools.



Only....they didn't quite grasp the concept of a swimming pool. This is how THEY used it to keep cool...



Even after I sat it in (fully clothed, as I had no intentions of getting in when I ventured outside)...they still didn't care to join me. Suvi did get her paws wet at one point, but unless she was using it as an oversized water bowl, Ramsey stayed as far away as possible....



I didn't pick them up or try to force them in, but I really wanted to! (Actually, that's not true - I did put Pablo in.  He didn't hate it, hung out for a few seconds, and then hopped out and ran around the yard). The girls have no idea what they're missing out on!  We're going to keep filling it up on hot days, and hoping they catch on.




Oh, P.S. - giveaway update - only 800 more pageviews to 50,000!!  You can share this post using the buttons on the left side, to help us bring those views up. Pop on over to this page to see the details on how to win the handmade mosaic leash holder.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

July - Dog House Repairs Month.

I have no idea who dreamed up this silly holiday, but we have one reason to celebrate. Her name is Suvi. Well, then there were those foster dogs that ate the floors, too.

Things that have already been repaired, after Tornado Suvi "fixed" them:


  • Drywall around both the cable jack and outlets in her room. 
  • Window trim that she gnawed on while she was teething.
  • Kitchen stools repainted after her first few weeks at home.
Things that have led to much, much bigger "repairs" - ie, remodeling - started with foster dogs, including Henry literally EATING the vinyl kitchen floor. No damage to him, but...

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Queen Ramsey

She's just so regal, isn't she?  We were out on the deck in some perfect lighting the other night, and I snapped this photo of her.  I could stare at it all day - she's just so elegant!




Contest Update!! We are 4,700 view short of 50,000 at the time I posted this. Share this post, check out the link below for the giveaway details, and when we reach 50,000 views, we'll give away a handmade mosaic leash holder.

Here are the contest details: http://puppymomma.blogspot.com/2012/06/giveaway-monday-mosaic-leash-holder.html

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wordless Wednesday June 27th, 2012 - Will Walk for Coffee

Chad and the girls waited patiently outside the world's cutest Dunn Brothers coffee shop while I grabbed drinks for all four of us. It ended up being about a four mile walk round-trip; and was totally worth it for the coffee! (the girls happily drank water though I'm sure Suvi would have stolen our coffee if we gave her the chance).


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pittie Pride. And a lesson learned.

Today Chad, Suvi and I walked in the 40th Annual Minneapolis Pride Parade. Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue and A Rotta Love Plus team together for this event every year - it's a great way to promote another group that often feels the effects of discrimination - pit bulls!!

Suvi wore her Pride shirt, and gave out tons of kisses along the parade route. Here's a pic of her pre-walk:


You can check out more pics from the parade on A Rotta Love Plus Facebook page

Unfortunately, it was pretty hot today. Suvi was a trooper, and made it through the entire nearly three-hour process without complaint. We learned a hard, scary lesson today though...

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Wordless Wednesday June 20, 2012 - Tree Swingin' Pit Bull

I picked Suvi up and swung with her at the little coffee shop. Despite the look on her face here (she heard a loud truck go by and turned), she seemed to really enjoy it! She relaxed and just laid on my lap. She's so easygoing, and just LOVES being held!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Best Puppy Daddy in the Whole World

We are lucky to have him - the best puppy daddy in the whole world - right here, in our house!  You all probably already know this, because so many of you have been watching (or listening) to him behind the scenes with Ramsey and Pablo for years.



Just to confirm your suspicions though, here are the reasons why I think he's the best. The puppies have their own list below, too!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday, Suvi!

Suvi turns three today. In fact, "The Great Eight" all turn three today. That's the name of the first litter of puppies born into MN Pit Bull Rescue. Momma Sula was a saint, and the puppies have all grown up beautifully thanks to an awesome start with an awesome rescue group and fantastic forever homes.

MN Pit Bull Rescue Great Eight!

Some days it feels like I've had Suvi forever - much longer than 3 years. And some days...

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wordless Wednesday June 13, 2012 - Pablo wants to be a pit bull.

This is Pablo's best impression of a pit bull, albeit a mighty tiny one!




Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Ramsey cheers on her (human) cousin at t-ball!

Ramsey and I took a trip out to watch Chad's nephew Nolan play baseball (t-ball) tonight. Ramsey ate grass and made friends, and Nolan played an awesome game!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Giveaway Monday: Mosaic Leash Holder

Our first giveaway!   Here's the scoop:   We have 39,000 blog views right now. When we get to 50,000 blog views, we'll be giving away a mosaic leash holder to one of our subscribers, who comments on this post!   (I say "we" a lot. By that I really mean "the dogs and me" ;))


How do you win?

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Dog Days of Summer

Well, maybe we're not quite in the dog days of summer yet. In fact, I'm not even sure exactly what that means. The hot ones? I'm redefining that term now - every summer day is a "dog day" around here. Yesterday I got a new camera lens, and took a few new pics.

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend as much as we are!


Click to see more...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Daddy's Away - the puppies will...play?

Chad works out of town for a few weeks here and there throughout the year, which leaves the pups and me to fend for ourselves from Monday mornings through Friday evenings. We manage ok, but some things definitely change when Daddy's away:

  • I have to wake up to let the dogs out and feed them (Chad usually does this, because he leaves earlier).  We have different feeding routines, and I am not a fan of the craziness of "breakfast time" first thing when I wake up. So when I feed them, they are all required to sit, give me attention (look me in the eye), and wait until they're given an "okay" to eat their food. By the end of the week, things are a bit calmer, or at least I have a bit better illusion of control....
  • The dogs are all needier. It's counter-intuitive, really - they get more attention when I'm here alone, because Chad and I aren't going out to eat, and I'm not occupied by hanging out/talking to Chad. Pablo, especially, is crazy snuggly when Chad's gone - he hangs out with me on the couch when I get home, and sleeps next to me for hours at night.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Dog Books: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Has anyone else read this book? I'm officially in love with Enzo.


I finished it in two days, on the bus rides to and from work, and over lunch breaks. Any time I could squeeze it in - it's that good!  It is an emotional book, sad and depressing in places, but I didn't cry - Enzo tells the tail of his life and family in a straightforward way. He helps you believe that it is all happening for a reason, and there isn't a need to feel pity for him - in fact, the sad parts of the book are also filled with a sort of excitement and hope. This is a book I'll look back to when our dogs are ready to leave this world. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - May 30, 2012 - puppy dog eyes

Suvi is the master of puppy dog eyes in our house, but Pablo is giving her a run for her money tonight! He's extra snugly and needy 'cause Daddy's out of town, and Pablo's hoping for some sympathy treats.


It's a bit dark. I'm trying to watch the last (DVR'd) episode of House! But seriously, how can I even concentrate on the TV, with this face so close?

Saturday, May 26, 2012

pinterest - the cutest dogs on earth, all in one place.

I started a Pinterest page for Ramsey, Pablo and Suvi. It felt less "crazy dog lady" if I pinned and re-pinned all the cutest dogs and dog things in the world under their names....I mean, my friends probably get enough of my dog-related craziness on Facebook and real life - they probably don't need their Pinterest feeds filled up with 1,000 puppies sticking out their tongues.

Here are some of my recent favorites. Feel free to follow the dogs if you'd like to see more, their account is http://pinterest.com/ramseypablosuvi/.

This photo is copyrighted by Tim Flach. http://www.timflach.com/ 
Gorgeous, right? This isn't even the START of his amazing work - check out his website for dog, equine, and other photography work. I was literally dumbfounded by some of his shots. Look for the "mop dogs" on his page under Dog Gods.

A vintage bronze door stop. 
I'm kind of in love with this - 7"x7" - the seller thinks it's a doberman or a dane, but it looks a bit stocky to me. Thoughts on what else it might be? 

Oh boy did this one take me on a tangent. First, I saw this on Pinterest: 

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tamales. And Puppies with Limes.

A bit out of the ordinary, compared to my normal posts, but I'm so excited about my adventure in tamales, that I felt I needed to write it down somewhere. So, blog it is. Besides, the puppies like when I make new foods, because Chad insists on feeding them from the table. No, we do not agree on this practice. I'm sure when we have kids, he'll be the one sneaking them bedtime snacks even if they don't finish their dinner...

I'm in love with tamales. Not quite as much as I love chihuahuas. Not quite as much as I love Chad. But enough to try to make them from scratch, despite the time requirements...

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

tough stuff and a kid's view on life


I should tell you up front, I thoroughly failed on "wordless wednesday." Let's call this one "wordy wednesday."

Whoa, boy. I follow Life With Dogs on Facebook, and today they shared a question from a fan asking for input. Their 11-year-old dog's health has worsened to the point that Rosie is on hospice care, and the family is waiting for the right time to put her down. The fan specifically asked for advice from those who have been in this situation, as to whether or not the family's 7- and 10-year-old children should be present as they put Rosie to rest.

The thought of having to go through that ourselves, as adults, kills me. But to add on top of that, taking into consideration our (future) children losing their best friend?  I nearly fell apart at my desk today at work. I can't IMAGINE it, and I haven't yet had to live through it...

I had dogs growing up, and never witnessed any of them being put to sleep. MY dog, MY best friend as a kid, Dingo - was alive when I went to college, and was put to sleep while I was away. I do regret not being there for her - I don't remember having a choice, I don't think my family told me it was going to happen. I do have only good, happy, memories of her - so I'm really torn on this subject?  What do you all think? Have you had to handle this? Oh, please don't make me cry....I just thought it might help others work through this question for their family, when the time comes.

The icing on the cake was a post from another Facebook fan, as a comment on the LWD page. I did some research to find the source of this letter, and some amazing insight on a dog's purpose, from a six-year-old. Have your tissues handy...kids are amazing in their simplicity and life views....

A Dog's Purpose



Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their lit...tle boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Most Popular Dog Names, for the top 10 breeds.

First of all, American Pit Bull Terriers were listed among the top 10 breeds in the US. How cool is that?! I don't know how statisically sound these ratings are, but I won't argue.

Vetstreet.com did some number-cruching and name-analysis, and here are the results for Chihuahuas and Pitties. Unfortunately (*or fortunately), Dobes didn't make the top 10.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

ear-cleaning dobes and leg-nibbling pitties.

You probably saw it in the latest video - Ramsey is obsessed with cleaning Suvi's ears. She will even halt a game of tug to check Suvi's ears with a few quick tongue probes. Ew. And weird!




Based on the comments on the video, it sounds like a lot of other people have dogs that do the same! Is it a dominance thing? A momma-ish thing? A doggie OCD thing?

I'd say it happens daily around here. In the video, Suvi gets annoyed - which happens about 25% of the time. More often though, she just lays down, closes her eyes, and enjoys the bath. Of course, when we pull out the camera, it must trigger "show time" for her, and what you see above is what you get...(or, alternate theory, she's embarrassed and doesn't want her baths shown on the internet?? ;)).

Just as bizarre is ...

Saturday, May 19, 2012

reminiscing about baby suvi.

I am attempting to spend a few hours here and there sorting, labeling, editing photos - I'm so far behind. Today while looking through some old albums, I found these pics of baby suvi. She was so sweet, and snuggly, and just as mischievous as ever....though you can't tell by looking at these!

Happy Saturday!

Getting a bath after her first visit to the dog park. Who knew she'd jump in and wrestle with the big dogs with no hesitation?!
See more...

Thursday, May 17, 2012

National Dog Bite Prevention Week. May 20-26, 2012.

Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Are you celebrating? Well, maybe it's not really the sort of holiday you "celebrate."  Rather, are you doing anything to bring awareness to the prevention of dog bites?

We've never conciously participated in sharing information or educating people on dog bite prevention. With the breeds of dogs we have, though, I feel as if we have an obligation to get the word out there...for every dog that bites, it's just another opportunity for someone to blame it on the breed...

Suvi learned quickly how to prevent dog bites. JUST KIDDING - they're just playing :)


Let's start preventing dog bites, by educating the public, and owners. Here are some facts, and awesome links to information you can share to help spread the word!

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Wordless Wednesday May 16th, 2012 - Ramsey Loves Lemons



Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Pups are TV Celebrities OR Pablo Rules Our House

Take your pick on the title, but the fact is, Animal Planet was out to film us last Friday - mostly to film the dogs - and the moral of the story is that Pablo is the King of our household. But you all knew that already...

This is sure to be a lengthy post, if it's any reflection of the day we had on Friday. Holy moly - 10 HOURS of filming, for what will equate to about 4 minutes of screentime when Bad Dog! actually airs our episode. There'll be another 4 minutes of YouTube clips, but they already exist, so we truly spent all that time filming on Friday for a very, very short appearance....

That said, it was a cool experience! Of course, Chad has been through some of this before, when they came out to film for Dogs 101. He warned me about the long day, but I didn't quite realize what was in store for us....

They started by setting up shop in our dining room, and deciding where to setup the different shots. Each part they filmed shows a different background area of the house, to make it look like this was done over a longer period of time, and give it a more "homey" feeling (or so I was told...).

First, they interviewed Chad for 2 hours. TWO HOURS. The kids and I napped. Well, I fretted about what I was wearing for about 30 minutes, until I wore myself out, and fell asleep too. Pablo didn't have the same problem - TV appearances are old news for him, so he was out cold. But snuggly, which made me calm.



The producer wanted to frame up the story like this:
Chad has Ramsey and Pablo. Pablo is the boss.
Chad starts to film the dogs playing, and they get famous.
Brandy has Suvi. She's a pit bull, and defies the stereotype. But, she's naughty.
Chad and Brandy meet, and fall in love. (awwwww) (maybe I'll blog about this some other time...)
Chad and Brandy are concerned about introducing a pit bull to the dobe/chi mix...and what it might mean for their relationship if the dogs don't get along. (ooooo, drama!)
Chad and Brandy spend a lot of time introducing their dogs, as they fall more in love. They are very anxious about how it will all turn out.
It works out beautifully, better than expected, and Pablo is the Boss.
"We're one big happy family, and Pablo's in charge." 

It's all very true, but if I had $1.00 for every time I said that last line on Friday, we'd be rich. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I had to repeat, restate, or refilm a line on Friday, we'd be rich. It was all an exercise in repetition, as far as I'm concerned. A different inflection, a slightly different word, repeated when there was no traffic passing the house, and no airplanes flying by....the audio equipment was CRAZY sensitive!

We did a dual interview after they'd interviewed us each separately, which was a little lighter-hearted, but still kinda awkward. 



Once we finished filming the interviews, it was finally on to the fun stuff - the dogs!! Of course, there was a ton of focus on getting Pablo on camera. They wanted footage of the fun stuff he does, like teasing the girls with his babies, stealing their toys, and demanding he let them eat from their food bowls. Also, they wanted to see us all hanging on the couch, and see who claims the "best" spot. This was all a lot tougher than it sounds - since we never manufacture any of the videos, we can't get the dogs - ESPECIALLY not Pablo - to do any of this on command....

We spent about 5 hours capturing the interactions of our family, and got some fun stuff on camera. I am a little anxious about how it will all be edited together - I can definitely see the possibility of things being taken out of context, and no one wants to see Pablo looking like a jerk (I mean, he has his moments, but he's really just all personality, with no poor intentions!). They did assure us that this was meant to be a fun, family show that will be cute and endearing.

At the very least, you might get to see Pablo dressed up, because one of the scenes we filmed included Momma putting him in clothes....hm....

We did some shots inside, and some outside. We tried really hard to look like the fun, loving family that we are - but it sure is hard to put on that smiley face after 10 hours of filming, feeling exhausted, and having some tired, tired puppies that just want to go to bed. Poor Pablo was exhausted! So much barking, running, and staying awake - that little guy sure likes his sleep....

And then there was the ever-awkward "recreation" of the 5 of us going to bed. Use your imaginations (don't worry, no birthday suits) - but it was super, super uncomfortable. All I could think the entire time was "this is going to be soooooo weird when people at work watch this on TV...." And for the record, the dogs don't typically sleep between us (as they will appear on TV), but we just needed to settle everyone down for "pretend sleeping" at 6:00 pm.

We were also lucky enough to have Karin Newstrom photography stop out and take some shots over our lunch break, and through some of the outdoor filming. The dogs recently won a photo contest from Karin, and donated the photo shoot we won to Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue. Karin was excited to meet the dogs, though, and graciously offered to come out and do a mini-shoot for us!

The photos she took turned out incredibly! Check them out on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/karinnewstrom

All in all, an awesome experience! We had a great time, and we're looking forward to seeing the episode air. Our friends are already talking about a viewing party, so we might make up some more "Team Ramsey" "Team Pablo" and "Team Suvi" shirts for the event. We'll keep everyone posted about the date - likely to be late summer/early fall.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Wordless Wednesday May 5th, 2012 - Who Can Get Closest?




Sunday, May 6, 2012

pablo's favorite chore is laundry

Pablo's favorite chore is definitely laundry. Not because he likes to actually help clean the clothes, but because he LOVES to snuggle into the warm laundry the second it comes out of the dryer.

I took the comforter and cover out of the dryer the other day, with every intention of putting it back on the bed in a few minutes, but came back downstairs to find this.

Can you spot the chihuahua?




Hope everyone had a happy Cinco de Mayo! I'm sure you saw Pablo's photos on our Facebook page - he definitely had a great time. I'll post more here this week!

Brandy

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Wordless Wednesday May 2, 2012 - Puppy Butts!


Suvi and Pablo trying out a new snuggling position.

Monday, April 30, 2012

what is it about beer and coffee?

Besides the fact that they are two of MY favorite things....what is it about beer and coffee that makes dogs go to any length to get a taste?!

If we spill anything in our house, the dogs are on top of it - but there appears to be some supernatural draw to coffee and beer that leave the floor cleaner than it started following a spill.

When Suvi was little, I brought her to kickball. When my team was out in the field, she strategically spilled the beers sitting on the bench, one by one, and licked up the puddles off the ground. She was out like a light by the time we drove home...I'm convinced she was drunk!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award. I was so sure that I should be honored to receive this lovely award from Jen over at The Elka Almanac. I just wasn't sure why. So, like any good nerd, I Googled, and decided, I am in fact honored. Thanks, Jen!

So, for the rest of you wondering what the heck it is - here are the details on the Liebster Award:

The award is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers and deserve recognition. The rules are as follows:

  1. Thank your Liebster Blog award presenter(s) on your blog - DONE. Happily!
  2. Link back to the blogger (s) who awarded you - DONE. Happily!
  3. Give your top 5 picks for the award
  4. Inform your top 5 by leaving a comment on their blog
  5. Post the award on your blog
Without further ado, my 5 awards, in no particular order:

The World According to Garth Riley :  Written from Garth's point of view, this blog is adorable! Though I'm not sure how Garth would feel about being called adorable....check him out pretending to be a cow. (Bonus, Garth is also a Therapy Dog. How cool is that?!)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Wordless Wednesday April 25, 2012



Comments (captions) welcome below!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Wordless Wednesday April 20, 2012

Getting on the Wordless Wednesday bandwagon. Nevermind that it's Friday, I'll get on track next week.

Feel free to suggest a caption via the Comments section below!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Proud of the Pit Bull

There was a time I wondered whether Suvi would ever be able to handle a brother or sister. NOT because she is aggressive (oh gosh, let's not perpetuate the pit bull stereotype), but rather because she never really learned to take cues from other dogs...she's a bit socially awkward, perhaps.

Now, I've had dogs throughout a large part of my life before Suvi, and I never really paid much attention to how they learn from one another. Maybe my other dogs were more naturally socially savvy, or maybe I was too young to catch the behaviors happening, or to understand.

In the past, when another dog growled or snapped at Suvi, telling her she was playing too rough, she didn't learn to back off. I'm not sure why - I am sure I could have done something differently to help her learn. She went to daycare, socialized with other dogs, did play dates, etc, etc - but I think I probably didn't choose the right daycares, or the right dogs or settings in which to socialize her.

Then came Ramsey.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Jones the Foster Dog

It sorta sounds like a super hero name, doesn't it?  Jones, the Foster Dog! Da-da-da-DA-da-daaaAAA!

Ok, maybe not. He IS pretty super though. And he's our new foster dog through Secondhand Hounds, in Minnesota.



Here's what we know about Jones:


He's about 2 years old, and weighs about 10 lbs. (think two Pablos put together!)
He's the most beautiful brindle I've ever seen. No joke.
He's a chihuahua mixed with....we have no idea. We've been brainstorming for days. I'm convinced he's part hyena (because of his face, not his personality).

Monday, April 9, 2012

i dress up the dogs

I do. I dress up the dogs. All of them. I'm THAT dog lady, and in spite of it, they all still love me (Chad included).

When I adopted Suvi, I said, to everyone that would listen, "I will NEVER dress up my dog. Ever." And then one week, when Suvi was about 3 months, I took her to watch me play kickball. It's good socialization, people and dogs everywhere. I wanted her to stay occupied though, so I stopped to get her a bully stick from Petco.

And there, hanging near the register, was the teeniest, cutest, yellow shirt that perfectly matched my kickball uniform. It was on clearance, for $.97. NINETY SEVEN CENTS. Soooooooo.....I bought it. Just this one.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

a purse full of babies

We've got to keep up our stock of babies for Pablo....and Ikea had these for $.50 each! He was sooooo excited when we got home!


Came home with a purse full of babies. 
Yes, we paid for them, just chose not to waste a bag :)


Pablo's first choice was the orange moose.


And he was not interested in sharing with Chad...


He also got some new polar bears, and some little green snakes!  Happy Easter!






Wednesday, April 4, 2012

suvi, up close and personal

I did a little photo shoot outside with the pups yesterday, to get some more practice using my fancy camera, and capturing *sparkle* in their eyes. The pups all have such dark-colored eyes, that they tend to get lost without the right lighting. While I did get some fabulous practice with lighting and eyes, this was actually my favorite shot of the evening.


I especially love this one because those tiny little hairs on her lips are visible - and I so rarely get to see them without her tongue quickly getting in the way...if I'm anywhere near that close, it's a sure thing I'm getting kisses...

Happy Wednesday!

Comments (and critiques) welcome below...


Sunday, April 1, 2012

having a Pittie Party

MN Pit Bull Rescue hosts a Pittie Party fundraiser every year, complete with a silent auction. Being that Suvi was adopted from MN Pit Bull, we love to do what we can to support them!  (oh, and could there possibly be a better name for this party?!)

Here are some fun pics from last year's event:


Having a drink while enjoying the magic show (really!) at the Pittie Party. The magician bent a quarter with his bare hands.

Oooooh, he's going to be MAD at me for sharing our silly photos! Who can turn down a photo booth opportunity, though. Fun!