The Tales of Dexter, Nora, and Chloe

Write a Post, Help a Dog

2011-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I write 3 different blogs, each one showcasing different passions of mine. I write a book review blog, a small town life blog, and of course this blog about my furry little loves. So, I have blogger friends who specialize in all kinds of different blogs. One of these friends is Melissa from Books and Things. Melissa loves to read, just like me, and she also is a pet parent, also like me. So when I saw her blog about something amazing that would help shelter dogs, I had to get on board.

The Pedigree Foundation and Pedigree dogfood has, in the past, had a blogging program where any time a blogger wrote a blog for the program, 20 pounds of dogfood were donated to a specific shelter. The program is called Write a Post, Help a Dog. Last year, nearly 400 bloggers participated, resulting in 7,820 pounds of dog food donated. How amazing is this. Well, this year, the program is back, and I am doing my part to help. And I am hoping you will too! In fact, you can copy all the info below for your blog post!

How you can help in 2011

Simply spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 and once again Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of food for each blogger's post. Here's all you need to include in your post:

The Write a Post, Help a Dog program is aimed at raising awareness and food for the more than four million dogs that wind up in shelters and breed rescues each year.

For each blog post mentioning the Pedigree Foundation from now until midnight ET on September 3, Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of its new dry Pedigree recipe food for dogs -- its best recipe ever -- to a shelter, because every dog deserves leading nutrition.

The Pedigree Foundation -- a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization is committed to helping dogs by providing grants to shelters and rescues and encouraging dog adoption. This year the Foundation has already raised more than $376,570 against its goal of $1.5 million to carry out its work to fund grants that not only help shelters operate, but to further shelter innovations.

The Pedigree Foundation depends on charitable contributions from individuals to carry out its mission to help dogs find loving homes. In addition to writing a blog post, here's how you can help:

Donate online at http://pedigreefoundation.org/donate.aspx

Apply for a shelter grant from the Pedigree Foundation by completing a form at www.pedigreefoundation.org

Purchase Dogs Rule Gear at www.dogsrulegear.com where the proceeds go to the Pedigree Foundation to help loving dogs find a home. SPECIAL OFFER: Get 10 percent off Dogs Rule Gear by using the promo code BlogPaws10 from August 22 - September 30.

Then, link up to our Blog Hop below, hosted by the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers to help spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog. I really hope many of you will consider blogging to help such a wonderful cause!

The Power of Two

2011-08-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

This totally warms my heart.

In honor of National Dog Day this week, there was a photo contest in which we entered the dogs' photos. I sent my Hubby several possibilities. He showed one in particular to his coworker, M. M has a doxie as well, and has been begging her husband for a second one. He has been resistant, and Hubby has been telling M what a good thing it has been for Dex to get a little sister. So, Hubby sends M the picture. M forwards it to her husband.

Her husband responds by saying, OK, we are getting a second doxie.

So, this picture right here, helped make M a very happy woman, and is going to send a doxie to a loving home where he or she will have a great older sibling.

Yeah, my dogs are just that awesome.

Lookie what I got!

2011-08-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a big arts and crafts festival in our town. The vendors include lots of people with doggie themed wares, collars, coats, toys, that kind of stuff. I looked for something for the doggies, but nothing caught my eye.

As we were walking along a stretch, we saw a vendor who made really cute woodworking items. We had bought something from this particular vendor last year at a different festival, and we had it customized with our last name. When we saw one of his new items, at an incredibly reasonable price, we could not resist.

Isn't it the cutest?

Pampered, by Chloe

2011-07-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy often spoil me, but today really took the cake. It has been so hot, as many of you know, and with my fur being longer and shaggier than Dexter's, I tend to be uncomfortable in the heat. Today, Mommy helped make me feel better by taking me for my very first haircut.

I think it was tougher on Mommy than on me, since she had to leave me alone with a stranger, but I really did not mind. Mommy stayed in the store and watched most of the time. The ladies complimented me on how well I behaved. It felt so good to get a little trim.

They put cute little bows in my hair once I was all trimmed up.

AND

Mommy paid a little extra to get my nails painted!

I felt so special and pretty. I even posed for a few pictures when we got home.

But let me tell you, all this pampering has me pooped, so I am going to take nap.

Love,
Chloe

Travel Tips

2011-07-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I am hoping some of you can help me out. We are having a bit of trouble traveling with Dexter. When we first got him, and he was the only dog in our house, he traveled just fine. He wanted to sit on my lap in the car, but other than that, he did great.

How that we have two dogs, traveling is more complicated. Chloe does great, she sleeps in the backseat, she never fusses if we leave our room without her, she does get scared when pottying in a new place, but otherwise, she is a breeze. It is Dex that is the issue. He now gets very excited in the car, almost agitated. He paces and jumps and claws, it is awful. On our most recent trip, we bought a calming collar for him, and it worked like a charm. He spent most of the drive sleeping in the back seat with Chloe. The only time he got agitated was when we went through a drive through for lunch, and that was only because he wanted our french fries. He was an angel; I thought we were home free.

I could not have been more wrong. The trouble was once we checked into the hotel we were staying at. He would totally freak out when we would leave the room. His excessive barks could be heard throughout the hotel. And when we returned, he had totally detroyed the plastic tray that serves as the bottom of his crate. It was awful. I am at such a loss as to what to do. We really want to be able to continue taking them on trips with us, but if his behavior continues like this, we just cannot. It is not good for him to be getting this upset, and it is really stressful for us.

So, friends, do any of you have any suggestions as to how we can handle this behavior, and how to make traveling with the dogs more enjoyable for all of us?

BlogFest 2011 Giveaway Winner

2011-07-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who entered my Cesar's Giveaway for Blogfest 2011. I am excited to get to know all my new readers and followers!

But I am most excited to announce that the giveaway winner is......

Crystal!

I will be sending the prize out this week, hopefully she will stop back and let us all know how her dog liked the goodies!

Thank you all for being such loyal readers!

Cesar Dog Food Review and BlogFest 2011 Giveaway!

2011-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know I know, it has been way way too long since I have blogged. The summer just has taken me away from my computer. So, in order for my return to blogging to be fantastic for all my readers, I have decided to schedule my comeback to coincide with BlogFest 2011, and include a totally awesome dog related giveaway.

So, a while ago, I was approached to review some products by Cesar. They offered to send me a goody bag, and in a few days it arrived. I was surprised to see that it contained 7 different meals and 2 bags of treats for the dogs, and a t-shirt for me! An awesome bag of goodies indeed.

The meals were all different flavors, and the first one the dogs tried was one of the sunrise meals. Chloe was going through a picky phase, and not eating much, so I was worried about her reaction to this food. Man oh man, she could not get enough! She loved it, licked the bowl clean and proceeded to eat dry food that I gave her right after. The food has really helped spark her appetite, helps to supplement their nutrition, and serves as a nice dietary change of pace.

But if I thought they liked the meals, that reaction paled in comparison to how much they LOVE the treats. The treats are shaped like paws, bones, and hearts, and are small and soft. Both Dexter and Chloe get very excited when they see me opening these treats, and since they are small, they do not get too full to ruin their appetite for their delicious meals.

So, overall, my dogs are now HUGE fans of both Cesar meals and treats, and I anticipate that we will continue supplementing their diet with both.

And now, for the truly AWESOME part.....

Cesar gave me a second goody bag to give away to one of my lucky readers!!!

So, here are the details:

In order to win, you must be a follower of my blog, and a US resident.
The giveaway is open from 12:01 am July 15th to 11:59 pm July 17th. A winner will be chosen on July 18th.
Entering is SUPER easy, just leave me a comment below with your name, your email, and telling me how you follow my blog (GFC, Networked Blogs, etc).
Follow me on Twitter and get and extra entry by leaving a second comment with your Twitter name.
"Like" me on Facebook and get an extra entry by leaving a third comment with your Facebook name.

So, you can get up to 3 entries. Simple right? RIGHT! So, best of luck!

BUT...

The fun does not end there. Check out the following blogs, who are also participating in Blogfest 2011 by sponsoring some great giveaways:

To Read or Not To Read

You can see the full list of blogs participating in Blogfest 2011 at A Journey of Books

Hope you all enjoy Blogfest 2011. Keep track of all the giveaways you enter here! Good luck!

What I Like About You- Chloe Edition

2011-06-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

Oh Chloe. Miss Peepants. Chloebell. Chloenstein. Chloe Bear. Sally Draper. You honestly have made our family complete. I was so nervous about adding a second puppy to the family, but you were our missing piece. There is so so much I love about you.

First off, your ears. From the day we brought you home, your ears had the cutest little curls on them.

You ears were really the only indication, for a long time, that you were a long haired doxie. The rest of you is starting to catch up, but your ears are still the shaggiest part of you. They are like permanent pigtails, and I just love it.

Next, your eyes.

You have such soulful brown eyes. You are my brown eyed girl. They always look a little sad, because your fur around them is so dark, so it looks like you have on black eyeliner. Such an emo puppy. And don't get me started on how cute that snoot is.

Next up, your personality. And for such a tiny dog, your personality is huge.

From the minute we brought you home, you ruled the roost. You are miss sassafras. You bully Dexter, you bully Nora, and you are smaller than them both. You climb stairs, and leap off of the couch. You give daddy special kisses by "booping" him, and you kiss my by licking my eye. You have so many weird quirks, like rolling in the grass, but that is what makes you special. Now, if only we could get you potty trained.

But I think most of all, I love that you are Daddy's Girl.

Because for a long time, it was just me and Dex all day everyday, he is such a Mama's Boy. I am glad that you and Daddy have your own special bond, even though you show that you love me lots as well. It makes me all warm and fuzzy when we all sit on the couch together, and you fall asleep in Daddy's arms.

In short, Miss Thang, you have made us complete. And I love you to pieces.

Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime

2011-06-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the first official day of summer. And the best part of summer, in my opinion, is swimming. Good thing we have a pool. Not for us, for the doggies.

A few days ago, we got the pool out and filled it up. It was a stiflingly hot day, and we thought this might perk up the pups. Dexter had gone swimming last year, but this was all new for Chloe.

Dexter seemed much more interested this year. In fact, he sat in the pool as we filled it up. Just sat there, letting the cool water flow over his tootsies. He was in heaven.

Then we tried putting Chloe in the pool. She was, shall we say, unenthusiastic. Most of the time, she would hop right out before she was completely out of our hands. And once Dexter saw her freaking out, he was no longer interested in staying in the pool.

The pool did seem to help them cool off however. After his little swim, Dexter ran around the yard for the first time in weeks. He had been mostly just moseying, never really wanting to play, because of the heat. But now that he was wet, he was ready to run!

Chloe just mostly wanted to shake

and roll around.

But still, it seems like they had fun, and that is the important thing.

Poor Dog

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, hope all is well with you. We have been patiently waiting for Chloe to get an "all clear" from the vet after her surgery. Yesterday, she got her stitches out, and is now able to play once again. She is now the happiest dog in the world.

Speaking of happy, or in this case unhappy dogs, there is a video clip that Hubby showed me that be both absolutely adore. I seriously watch it at least 3 times a day right now, it is so funny.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Review: FunBites

2011-06-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

We are always looking for new treats for our dogs to try, so when I had an opportunity to try FunBites, I was excited to possibly find another healthy treat to add to our treat rotation.

These treats are marketed as being healthy for dogs, fortified with calcium and phosphorus. The chewing also helps clean teeth and freshen breath. While my dogs do not have a huge problem with this, it never helps to have treats aimed at good dental health.

When I first brought the treats out, the dogs were not interested, as they were engaged in a serious game of bitey face.

However, when they heard me open the bag, they came running.

Dexter, the older dog, quickly chewed his snack down to nothing.

Chloe, who is still just a puppy, took more time with hers, and when she walked away from it for a moment, Dexter swooped in and finished it for her. Clearly, he approves of the snacks. I tried later to give Chloe another one, and she finished it, chewing it slowly. She will definitely get the dental benefits from these.

Since my dogs are small, this was a perfect treat for them. They both seemed to like them a lot. The packaging says these are appropriate for all dogs up to 75 lbs. However, the bigger the dog, the less time it will take to chew, which reduces the dental benefits.

Also, be forewarned that these treats contain rice flour, maltodextrins and dextrose. For dogs with food allergies, this may be a problem. Also, for dogs with weight issues, this treat may not be a good choice. There are a lot of empty calories in the treats. My dogs stay within a healthy range, so these will work for me. But for older dogs, dogs with low activity levels, or dogs already overweight, these may not be the right choice.

So in summary, a decent treat for small dogs that will help with dental health. A nice additional source of calcium, but beware the additives and their empty calories. As for us, we give these Harkle Hounds seal of approval.

I received this product for review as part of the Amazon Vine program.

Meet Our Neighbor

2011-05-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into our neighborhood, we attended a block party to get to know our neighbors. Turned out our neighbors right across the alley has a doxie. It was one of the deciding factors in us getting a doxie, because their little lady was so sweet. When we first got Dex, we told these neighbors about our new doxie love. Sadly, their doxie had passed away. They were planning on getting another one, and before we knew it, a little doxie pup appeared in their yard.

Over the months, both Dex and Chloe have come to think of this pup as their friend. Her name is Izzie, and she is such a sweetie. She is a few weeks younger than Dexter. They talk all the time when they are outside together, and sometimes she and her mommy come to visit at our fence. Once Chloe is all healed from her spay, I am hoping they can all 3 play together in the yard occasionally.

Isn't she just the prettiest little lady?

Recuperating, by Chloe

2011-04-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends, I just wanted to give you a little update as to what is new with me. I had to take a trip to the vet this week. I had to go get spayed. Mommy explained that this was a necessary procedure to insure my continued health, and to make sure that our family does not grow larger than what Mommy and Daddy can handle. Mommy also got me microchipped, so that if I ever get lost, they can get me back home as soon as possible

Mommy took me to the vet yesterday morning, and had to leave me there overnight. I had my surgery, and Mommy called yesterday afternoon to check on me. They told her I was doing well, and I could come home in the morning. So, early this morning, Mommy came to get me and bring me home. I napped pretty much all day, but I am eating and pottying normally, and I really want to play, but Mommy says I can't for 2 weeks. Dexter keeps telling me the time will go fast, I sure hope so, because I miss wrestling. But I am enjoying the extra cuddle time with Mommy.

So, thanks for prayers and positive thoughts. I hope I will be running through the grass again soon!

We know we are a day late but....

2011-04-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

We hope you all had a Happy Easter!

We got to visit Mommy's family, who met Chloe for the first time. We also got to visit our doggie cousins, Phoebe, Champ, and Peaches.

We had a wonderful day, and hope you all did too!

Love,
Dexter and Chloe

A Weinerful Birthday

2011-04-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday this past Wednesday. Hubby and I took a little trip at the beginning of the week, complete with the dogs. We had a blast, despite bad weather, Chloe being pee shy outside, and Dexter having separation anxiety each time we left the hotel room.

When we returned, Hubby gave me my presents. I got a shirt, a video game, a necklace, some candy, a camera gadget, and a doxie. No, not a real one, but he is adorable none the less.

It is a paperweight, and he looks fantastic on our mantle with the other doxie chotchkies. I am getting quite a collection!

We Went on VACATION! by Dexter and Chloe

2011-04-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, it is the awesome dachshunds here. Sorry we have not talked to you in a while, but we went on a vacation with Mommy and Daddy to help celebrate Mommy's birthday!

We went for a long car ride to Erie, Pennsylvania. We liked riding in the car, it is so fun to look out the window. It was only about a 2 hour drive. When we first got to Erie, we went to a place called Presque Isle. We gave Mommy and Daddy a bit of a scare there, because I (Dexter) slipped out of my collar and took off running. I finally caught up with the rest of my family, and Mommy and Daddy decided we needed to stay in the car.

After that, we drove a little around town, and then we got to our hotel. Boy oh boy did we have fun jumping on the bed. We stayed in the room while our parents went to dinner.

The next day it was really rainy, so we once again stayed in the room and snoozed while Mommy and Daddy went out and about. They came back with treats for us, so we were pretty excited about that.

The third day, we checked out of the room and headed for home. We made a couple of stops, again, we had to stay in the car, because us doggies are not allowed in most stores. But then we headed for home. We slept most of the way, but then Mommy and Daddy stopped for lunch and we woke up. We decided we wanted to ride in the back window for a bit. It was so fun, we felt like we were surfing. Mommy was there to make sure we did not fall though.

All in all, we had a great trip. This was my (Chloe) first vacation, Dexter told me it would be fun, and he was so right.

So, when can we go again Mom and Dad?

A kitty named Bruce

2011-04-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend , Hubby and I joined some friends in a trip to a local used book store. I just love mucking around in this place, hoping to find some great bargains (I never leave empty handed).

One of my favorite things about the store is Bruce.

Bruce is the resident cat, always willing to pose for a picture. During this visit, I found him snuggled into a beanbag chair in the children's book section. i could not resist snapping a few shots.

Isn't he handsome? And since he enjoys a good belly scratch now and then, I gave him some scratched on belly and behind ears to thank him for posing so nicely.

He accepted them as payment quite willingly.

Look at all the cuteness!

2011-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while at a very cool store, I found pretty much the best thing ever.

I can't wait to make cookies with it, but in the mean time, I can play with it!

Poor Kitty

2011-04-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Well this week we did something that we sincerely hoped to avoid. It was probably the most difficult decision I have made regarding my pets. Yesterday, we had Nora declawed.

When I first got Nora, she never really clawed anything, and I did not have any nice furniture to worry about, so, no harm no foul.

When Hubby and I started dating, and since we have gotten married, Nora warmed up to him better than she does most people. However, she does get territorial sometimes, and dislikes it when Hubby is in the kitchen. She finds him there, and swipes. Also, she swipes when he walks up the stairs. More than a few times, she has drawn blood. I get frustrated when she hurts him.

Then, she started clawing our new furniture. In less than a year, she destroyed our brand new couch.

We got to a point where the Soft Paw nail caps were no longer working, and she could not be distracted by scratching toys.

So, our choices were declaw her, or get rid of her. And we did not want to get rid of her, so...

Tuesday, Nora came home from surgery. She is happy and well. No bandages, or stitches. Her nail beds are glued closed. She is eating, and purring, and doing well. The only problem is trying to keep her confined to one room so she does not run down the stairs.

I know a lot of people disagree with declawing cats, and I assure you, this was not a decision I took lightly. But in my heart I think we made the right choice.

What I Like About You- Dexter Edition

2011-03-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

I may be just a tiny bit biased, but I think Dexter is the handsomest dog in the tri-state area. He is just so darn cute and lovable, even when he is being naughty. Most people see Dexter and remark on his unusual coloring, which is definitely a big part of his charm, but he has so many other cute parts, I feel the need to highlight them.

Let's start with his eyes. Now, when he was a baby, his eyes were bright blue, and over time they changed, all except for one spot on his right eye, which is still bright blue. It gives him such a unique look. And his eyes are so, well, soulful. I look in those eyes and I know without a doubt, this dog loves me.

Next up, his nose. I love this little nosey so much. Hubby refers to it as Dex's snoot. In fact, we refer to the doggies and being "snoot cute". I love to have this little nose nuzzled up against me, tucked under my chin during some Mommy and Dexter quality time. How can you not want to kiss it?

Oh and his paws. Such big clumsy paws for such a little dog. Such short stubby legs for a dog of such length. His paws are so cute, and I love when he puts one on each of my shoulders, as if to give me a hug.

I suppose I could go on and on, waxing poetic over each spot, and inch of his oddly shaped body. But the truth is I love everything about this doggie. He is my boy, my Dexter Doodle, and I love him to pieces.

I mean, how could you not love that face?

Walkies!

2011-03-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well last night, we did it. We braved it and took both dogs for a walk for the first time. Given Chloe's predilection for shenanigans, this was quite a risky thing to do.

Snarky things come in small packages.

We only went around the block, since a.) it was cold and I was wearing no coat b.) this was only the second time Chloe has walked on a leash and c.) our dogs have short legs and tire easily.

All in all, the walk went really well actually. Chloe never fought the leash at all, other than to want to go faster. She was not scared of cars much, which actually worries me a bit should she ever get loose, and she even took the opportunity to potty. So all in all, we were really pleased.

Then when we got home, they wanted to run run run run run run run so we left them in the yard for a bit.

Apparently Dex is trying out for the track team, and needs to practice his hurdles.

All that fresh air and exercise really tired them out. They were quiet all evening, and slept through the night. For the first time ever, Hubby woke Chloe up this morning, usually it is the other way around.

Speaking of Hubby, read a funny tale he told about the pups here.

So, exercise and a good night's sleep. Yay for walkies!

The Great Collar Debacle

2011-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

I got the brilliant idea to get Nora a collar, after all these years. I got her a cute little pink collar with flowers on it, and a bell. She got used to it pretty quickly, and all was right with the world.

That is, until the 4th day or so. You can see in the photo above, that the collar was getting a little "wispy". That is because Nora was licking and chewing on it. So, one evening, she was in bed with me, and all the sudden she started making a noise like she was in pain. I could not figure out what was wrong, Hubby thought she was having a seizure. Here, she somehow got her tongue and/or teeth caught in the collar. Needless to say, once she was freed, the collar was removed.

I have since gotten her a blue pleather like collar, it is not nearly as cute, but so far, it is much safer.

My First Friend, by Chloe

2011-03-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

Mommy says I am big enough to write my own blog entry now. Lot's of exciting things have been happening. I finished all my shots, started walking on a leash, and went for my first car ride with brother, all in the past week. But that is not nearly the best thing. Last night, I made my first friend.

Rosie has been friends with Dexter, Mommy, and Daddy for about a year now. In fact, she is Dexter's girlfriend. Her mommy and daddy are good friends of ours too. Since the weather was nice last night, they took Rosie for a walk, and stopped by our house. HOOORAY! Another girl around to help me pick on brother.

We all had fun running and romping in the house. Daddy got a little nervous, since I am still a lot smaller than Dexter, so he had to hold me for a little while. But otherwise, we had a grand time.

I can't wait for the next time Rosie visits, and we can play outside!

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend, it was time for Spring cleaning. Not, not our house, the doggie crates.

With all the recent rain and snow, the doggies had gotten pretty wet and a little smelly (hey, it happens), so we decided to clean them, and their crates. We even bought them both some new blankets.

Last night, Hubby bathed Chloe while I cleaned her crate out. She apparently has been hiding (or hoarding) the life source bits from her food, so there was lots of nasty, soggy kibble in her crate. We pitched the old blankets, full of hidden food, and scrubbed the crate. I then put a new pink blanket inside, and a pink polka dot blanket on top. We also took out the divider which restricted the size of her crate. She is doing great with potty training, and is getting so long, we decided it was time she have the whole crate to herself. She is pretty happy with all the new developments.

Today was Dexter's turn. Hubby once again did bath duty while I cleaned the crate. His blankets also had to go, because he had chewed so many holes in them. I scrubbed down the crate, then put a new blue blanket inside, and a blue, white, and brown plaid blanket on top. It is also reversible, and brown inside. Fancy. We will see how long before he pulls that one inside too.

So, now, their crates are all nice and clean, and no more doggie smell. At least for a day or two.

Whenever I need a reminder...

2011-03-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes these doggies drive me a little nutty. The barking. The whining. The play fighting. The 3 trips to potty in an hour.

But, no matter what I love them with all my heart. Whenever I am sad, they cheer me up. Whenever I am sick, they give me medicine in the form of kisses. And there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like the joy of having two adorable doggies snuggling in your lap.

Hubby says to me all the time, "those dogs love you". I really hope so, because I love them both so much.

The barking, I can take or leave.

Could Spring be coming?

2011-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been gorgeous, and we have certainly been taking advantage of it. We are slowly transitioning Chloe into the backyard for potty and play times. Until now, we were training her to go on our covered porch, and then we would clean it up. This was the same method we used for Dexter, and it worked great. With them being such tiny puppies during the winter, it is too cold to try to get them to go on the ground. Trying to get a 2-4 pound dog to potty in the snow can result in hypothermia for the dog, so this way was just better for all of us.

But now, Chloe is starting to venture into the yard. And boy howdy does she love it!

She is doing really well with housetraining, and she even walks up the porch steps by herself now. She really is growing up.

She just loves running around outside, but we have to be careful as she is still small enough to wriggle through the neighbor's fence. But usually Dexter keeps her in line.

One Year Anniversary!

2011-02-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today is our one year anniversary of this blog.

Looking back, Nora thinks the blog was a much better idea than the 2 dogs we acquired this year. I disagree, all were fabulous ideas.

Thanks for reading!

Dexter is a hot mess...

2011-02-24T04:37:00.000-08:00

Usually, of all three pets, Dexter is the most sane. Chloe is still in her awkward puppy stages, and Nora is a typical cat that vacillates between sleeping all day, and racing around the house at the speed of light. Dex tends to be pretty calm, and just kind of chills most of the time.

So, imagine my surprise when I walked down the stairs yesterday to see him sitting in his crate with his blanket on his nose. And I do not mean he had is draped around his nose, oh no. He had chewed a hole in it, and had pushed his nose through the hole. I went upstairs to grab my phone to take a pic for Hubby, and by the time I returned downstairs, this is what I saw.

Dexter had wriggled his body through the hole, until he was wearing the blanket as a a dress.

What a hot mess.

Winter's last hurrah?

2011-02-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last night and early into the morning this morning, we got a terrible snow storm. It took Hubby 5 hours to get home from work, when it normally takes less than 1.5 hours. He did not even make it in to work today, so you know what that means?

Snow day!!! And how do you celebrate a snow day? By playing in the snow of course!

The snow was about up to Dexter's chest, and he was bounding all around. He loved every second!

Chloe was less impressed, as the snow was, no joke, over her head. Plus Dex kept rolling her in the snow. I am not sure who looked cuter, Chloe all covered in snow, or Hubby in his Pen jammie pants.

We did not stay out long, as little doggies get cold pretty quick, but Dexter packed plenty of enjoyment into the 5 minutes or so that we were out. Chloe, well, she just wanted a towel.

What a difference a year makes!

2011-02-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the day we brought Dexter home!

This was him last February:

And this is him now:

Happy Adoption Day Dexter, we love you buddy!

A Weinerful Weekend

2011-02-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I just wanted to say I am feeling much better, my tail bone is starting to heal, and I had a great weekend!

Friday, Chloe had her final distemper vaccine. She is up to 4 pounds, and did wonderfully at the vet. Just like her brother did, she earned her name tag by being so brave through the shots.

Of course, the ladies at the vet, and the vet himself, fauned all over her, and declared her perfect. I was quick to point out how sassy she can be, but that I adore her regardless.

All weekend, the doggies have been so happy to see us; when we leave the house it breaks their hearts, and when we return, they shower us with love.

I think they are just happy to see me feeling better. I am convinced they know something is just not right.

See how much love the give me? I would not have it any other way.

A while ago, I changed URLs, and people did not realize it, thinking the old blog was still correct. The old blog should now display a link directing you here. Please make sure to tell all your friends that Dexter, Nora, and Chloe are still blogging away, and direct them to our new blog!

Healing Dogs, by Dexter and Chloe

2011-02-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

So sorry that we have been gone so long friends! Life has been so busy at our house! We spent some time watching football with Dad, chasing Nora our kitty sister, and of course loving all over Mommy.

And Mommy can really use the extra love right now, because she has an ouchie. On her, um, rump.

"I ASSure you, it is no laughing matter"

Last weekend, Mommy and Daddy were being all mushy and lovey, celebrating something called valley times day, what ever that is. Anywhoser, we wanted in on the love. We had lots of love and kisses to give them both, so we decided to raise a big stink. We fussed and fussed and FUSSED until shortly before midnight, Dad came down to take us outside.

But we had other plans. I, Dexter, waited for Dad to open my crate, and took off upstairs to find Mommy so I could kiss kiss kiss her. And I, Chloe, sat in my crate making sad eyes so Dad would take me upstairs too. It worked like a charm.

Who could resist this?

We got in a few minutes of snuggles, before we were carried downstairs. And that is when the trouble happened. Mommy had taken her glasses off already, since she was ready for bed, so she did not bother to put them back on. She simply scooped me, Dexter, into her arms, and down the stairs we headed.

Suddenly, Nora ran by us, and Mommy missed a step. Next thing I know, down we went. Mommy fell right on something called her tail bone, which is funny because she does not have a tail. But we were all so scared. Dad put us both to bed, and helped Mommy up. He got her some medicine and she put this warm thing on her bum. But ever since then, Mommy is not as happy as she usually is, and sometimes, she makes funny faces when she moves, and she says OW a lot. Dad assures us she will heal, it is just a very bad bruise, but we have to give Mommy extra love. He says we are her healing dogs.

So, whenever we get a chance, Dexter sneaks upstairs to check on Mommy, and Chloe makes the sad face so Dad will take her up too, since she is too small to climb stairs.

"No one's looking, I am heading upstairs to find Mom".

Please keep Mommy and her ouchie in your thoughts, and rest assured, we will keep giving her lots of healing love and kisses.

Love,

Dexter and Chloe

Sally Draper, AKA Ms. Peabody

2011-01-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

When we got Dexter, we quickly realized that we were calling him not only his name but a million nicknames as well. Over the months the nicknames have changed, as he has grown and changed. Lately I have taken to calling him "Chubber" or "Chub a Lub" because he is getting so big, not really chubby, just a thick, fully bodied grown up dog.

We quickly realized that the nickname tradition was going to continue with Chloe, and actually Daddy has been the one coming up with her nicknames. So far she has 2. The first is "Sally Draper". This is after the little girl on Mad Men, the daughter of the main character Don Draper. The little girl is a hot mess most of the time, with a sad face, and that pretty much describes Chloe, with her hound dog looks and her still fuzzy longhair fur. Plus in quite a few episodes, Sally Draper acts like a brat. Ahem.

who me?

The other nickname is a bit more, uh, sensitive in nature. We have taken to calling her Ms. Peabody. This is due to the point we are at with her crate training. We ran into the same issues with Dex at this age. She will gladly go outside for #2, but she is consistently tinkling in her crate. Which means she smells like pee all.the.time. And even when she does tinkle outside, she then proceeds to walk her dainty little feet directly through the puddle. There is no way around this, save for bathing her 3 times a day every day, and with her having long hair and it being January, she would catch pneumonia, so, guess what. Ms. Peabody it is.

Apparently, she has turned up her nose at the idea of this nickname.

Snow Day, by Dexter and Chloe

2011-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, Dexter and Chloe here! First off, a round of applause for Chloe's first blog post!!!!!

Today, we got to romp in the snow! One of us liked it more than the other.

I, Dexter, love love LOOOOOOOVE the snow.

Today, the snow was up to my chest, and when I would run, instead of making pawprints, I made deep tunnels in the snow. It was so fun, I got snow all over my face!

And I, Chloe, and not so fond of the snow, though brother says neither was he when he was my size. I did not even go on the ground, mom just set me on a snow covered part of the porch.

The snow came up to my chin, and it was about 2 seconds before I started to shiver. Mom quickly took me inside to warm me up.

So in short, when it comes to snow, Dexter gives it two paws up, but Chloe is decidedly more undecided. Now, if you will excuse us both, we are going to snuggle up in our blankets for a nice nap.

To see more of Mom's pictures of our snow day, view her Flickr photostream here.

Pretty in Pink

2011-01-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Guess who got her first collar this weekend? That is right, Miss Chloe is now wearing a collar!

On Sunday, we gave her a bath, since she had taken the full course of antibiotics and eye drops. She is so little it took next to no time to bath and dry her, and all in all, she did really well with the first bath at home. After she was dried, we presented her with the hot pink collar.

She is such a little pee wee that even the extra small collars would not fit her, and while a toy collar may have, I found a cute cat collar with a little bell that was just her size. She LOVES it. She does not fuss with the bell at all, so my hope is by the time she gets tags, she will be used to something hanging from her collar and will not chew them. Dexter has chewed his so bad they are not readable, which kind of defeats the purpose.

And even though her collar makes her look a little more grown up, she is still a baby. She is growing really quickly though! She likes to romp a lot, and most of the time she is trying to beat up on her brother.

The rest of the time, she is acting like a little princess. Which of course she totally is.

Typical Little Sister

2011-01-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Things with Chloe are going really well, I honestly can't complain. Crate training is going well, the antibiotics have really perked her up, she is eating better (and on a schedule now!) and we started transitioning her to the same food that Dex eats. Everyone is happy. And she is acting like a typical little sister.

She devils the heck out of Dex. She wants to play with him so bad, even though she is really too little. They try to play, but I often have to tell them to settle down. And it is usually Chloe being the bully! She is starting to learn her name, it is really cute.

And just like any little sister, she likes to sneak into brother's bedroom and play with his stuff, but he is so wonderful about sharing with her.

I am so pleased that they love each other as much as we love them!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T03:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Little Doggie Monsters

2010-12-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

I make no secret of the fact that I adore Lady Gaga. I think she is incredibly talented, and really beautiful. I have even converted Hubby as a fan, though he may never admit it. But the fact that he bought me tickets to her concert for our first wedding anniversary gift shows that he totally "gets" my love for Mama Monster. Lady Gaga calls her fans Little Monsters, and for once I am proud to get called a monster.

We often sing to Dexter, and "Bad Romance" has long been our go-to song. Hubby actually knows some of the words, and sings along. Of course, we make Dexter dance as we sing it.

Today, we introduced Chloe to Lady Gaga (gotta teach em young). Both dogs did the "Bad Romance" monster claw move. Chloe loves it. Dexter tolerates it. But either way, they are now Little Doggie Monsters.

Just like Lady Gaga, I love my Little Monsters!

Santa came back...and this is what he left today!

2010-12-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

Meet our newest family member, Chloe. We all just love her, well, ok, Nora is a little skeptical, but the rest of us adore her!

What could it mean?

2010-12-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Can you spot the tiny difference in the following two pictures? It will require a sharp eye.

Did you find it? What could it mean?

Stay tuned for a big announcement!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T07:10:00.001-08:00

Both the kids opened their Christmas presents this morning. Dexter was so excited, even though he was still tired from his big day yesterday!

Nora mostly watched Daddy open her stuff for her, but once it was all out, she was pretty excited too, which is saying a lot because, well, you know, she is a cat. Cats are usually too cool for Christmas.

All in all we are having a wonderful holiday, and the celebration will continue all through the coming week. Stay tuned for more posts about our holidays!

Merry Christmas from Dexter, Nora, Mommy, and Daddy!

Oh Nora

2010-12-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

I had to run to the grocery store this morning for last minute Christmas dinner fixins. While I was there, Hubby sent me a picture of Nora, messing with my computer.

So either she was trying to write me another love note, she was trying to email Santa Claws, or she finally decided to join eHarmony.

Holiday Hijinx

2010-12-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

You have probably figured it out by now, that I treat our pets like our kids. To me, they are more than just pets, they are part of the family. And as family members, they celebrate with us.

That is why Nora and Dexter got their own stockings this year, since it is our first Christmas with Dexter.

Notice all 4 stockings are already full! We are in full holiday mode here!

I even got the pets dressed up. Dexter was way more into it that Nora was. I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

Ah well, they are both pretty stoked for all the upcoming excitement! Nora even tried to open a couple of Daddy's presents. Naughty kitty.

I saw the following video on Facebook, and I really hope this does not end up happening with us:

Happy Birthday Dexter!

2010-12-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Today is Dexter's first birthday!

Hard to believe isn't it?

Like any good Mommy and Daddy, we got him some presents.

He got 2 new blankets...

and...

TREATS!

Oh my goodness, this is the best day ever!

Even Nora made an effort to be nice to him and celebrate!

He also got a little bit of steak for dinner, as well as some ice cream for dessert. He is the happiest boy ever right now!

Happy Birthday baby boy!

I'm Helping!

2010-12-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

Dexter decided to help me wrap presents the other day. He was so well behaved, I got almost all my wrapping done. And since he never bothered any of the wrapping stuff, I thought it would be ok to leave it in the living room.

Last night, he decided to help me some more, even though I was not wrapping anything.

I finally settled him down, and this is the look he gave me, as if to say "but MOM, I am HELPING!"

Sibling Rivalry

2010-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Lately, Dex and Nora have been engaging in some sibling rivalry. It is not entirely a bad thing. It has really helped both of them calm down a lot, and show us a lot more affection, especially Nora.

She sees Dexter snuggling on the bed or couch with us, and sees how good behavior is rewarded with kisses and treats, so she has also become a bit of a snuggle buggle. After Dex goes to bed for the night, Nora will climb into bed with us and cuddle away. She has even started being nicer to Hubby, and showing him more affection. But now, she is taking it to the next level.

Last night, we had Dex in the bed with us, watching t.v., and instead of snuggling under the duvet, he kept climbing inside of it. You see, our duvet has a removable cover. so he would climb inside the cover, and snuggle into the soft downy duvet. We had to keep removing him, as adorable as it was, because one little chew, and we would have feathers everywhere. Finally, he got the point, and just snuggled underneath all the covers, between my feet.

This morning, I got up to feed Dex, and it was so cold, I decided to lay in bed and read for a bit. When I got back into the bedroom, this is what I saw.

Yes, that is Nora. Yes, she is inside the duvet.

This is getting a little out of hand, this sibling rivalry.

Dexter is a Steelers Fan!

2010-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Hubby was watching the Steelers game, so I sneaked upstairs to wrap his stocking stuffers.

When I came downstairs, he was lying on the couch, and Dex had joined him. He informed me that Dexter had jumped on the couch himself (that is his new thing) and sat there and watched the game with him, totally enchanted.

So, it looks like Dexter likes football. It was pretty adorable.

Mommy saved the night

2010-12-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

We had a harrowing experience last night/early this morning.

It was 1 am and I was awoken from a dead sleep by the sound of what could only have been a feral animal ripping and tearing through our house. I heard the animal running, accompanied by frenzied hisses. The animal was moving so fast (or was so small) I could not see it. My sleep addled brain was trying to think of what animal could be making this ruckus. A squirrel? A raccoon? A snake, wait, they do not have feet, ok, um, a mongoose (cut me some slack it was 1 am). Did that evil bat come back? What in the name of all that was holy was going on?

I woke up Hubby, as the animal was now in our bedroom. He did not hear or see anything, and I am sure he thought me crazy. He got up to go tinkle, and the creature darted into the spare room. By now, Dex is flipping out. I creep downstairs to calm him, as Hubby investigates the spare room. I am almost at the bottom of the steps when Hubby lets out a "Holy $#!T" and I dive onto the couch, fearful of what creature (a lorax perhaps) may be trying to eat my feet once it finishes off Hubby. "WHAT IS IT" I cry out. Hubby yells "It was just Nora. But she darted out so fast it scared me. And something is wrong. She is growling".

Nora. The house had been turned caddywumpus by my little ole kitty? Impossible!

Sure enough, I creep upstairs, and she had lept out at Hubby and stopped so abruptly she left skid marks in the carpet (thankfully, they were the kind left by her nails, not her butt).

At this point she was back in our room, and hissing like a cobra. There was no way any of us were getting back to sleep until we figured out what turned her into the spawn of Satan.

I sit on the floor and try to get a look at her. She darts out from under the bed, into the corner, hisses, then runs back under the bed. I get her over to the side of the bed, and calmly start talking to her. I reach my hand out slowly, and she sniffed it, which was a good sign, so I attempt to pet her. She responded warmly, and started to come out from under the bed. Once she had completely emerged, I immediately saw that the problem was.

A plastic sleeve that had been used to house something, probably something I purchased, that had been secured with tape, had somehow gotten stuck to her tail. Probably because she had gotten into a trashcan. So all this fuss was over a 3 inch piece of plastic packaging and a 1 inch section of tape. I removed the offender and Nora sank into my arms like she had survived a war. I began petting her, and she started purring louder than I have ever heard her purr. If that cat could talk, she would have said thank you, I am certain of it.

Looks like Dexter is not the only drama queen in the family.

Do you like her nails?

2010-12-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

I made a decision long ago to not get Nora declawed. From everything I had read about the procedure, it seems pretty painful for the cat, and it can make cats more hostile, because you are taking away their defenses. Since Nora can be temperamental at times, I do not want to run that risk. Also, should anything ever happen that Nora escape outside for a long period of time, her claws will allow her to protect herself. But, something has to give, because she is totally destroying our couch, which is only a year old.

In the past we had tried a temporary solution that worked well, then we stopped using it for a while. It looked like it was time to re-institute the intervention. They are called Soft Paws. Soft Paws are little vinyl caps that you glue over the cat's individual nails. The caps come in various colors, even holiday packs, and the glue is completely safe and non-toxic. Each application lasts about a month to 6 weeks, so when you get a pack containing 40 caps, if you just put them on the front paws, that pack can last 6 months. They stay on really well. In fact the reason we stopped using them before was that the ones we had stayed on so well, the glue we had for new applications dried up, so when the caps did eventually fall off, we had no glue to reapply.

I will admit, the application process for us can be a bit tricky, because before we started using these, Nora was not used to getting her nails trimmed. So she was really scared. It is best to trim the nails before applying the caps. Because Nora is not used to having her nails touched, she gets really anxious. But she gets over it pretty quickly. My advice to you is start trimming your cat's nails when it is a kitten. In fact, they even make kitten sized Soft Paws.

Once all the caps are applied, you do have to hold your kitty for a few minutes to allow the glue to set. And be prepared, kitty will try to chew the caps off at first. You have to train kitty to get used to the caps. So the first kit you get may seem to go pretty quickly if kitty chews the caps off and you must reapply often. But kitty will get used to it, Nora sure did. And look how pretty her nails look!

After she was finally able to get down, I will admit she did go and hide for about an hour, but by bedtime last night, she was back to cuddling up to me and loving all over me. And now, she was able to show off her pretty new manicure at the same time!

For anyone looking for an alternative to declawing, I strongly encourage you to talk to your vet about Soft Paws, and check them out. We just love them, don't we Nora?

P.S. They also make Soft Paws for doggies too, so if your doggie scratches things in your home, or scratches him or herself due to skin conditions, check them out!

Look at the pretty lights!

2010-12-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Last night we decided to go see some Christmas lights at a lovely display in Pittsburgh. Since it was a driving tour, we decided to take Dexter. He was such a good dog! There was quite a wait once we got into the stream of traffic entering the light display. We were in traffic for nearly an hour before reaching the lights.

He started to get a little weary of only seeing brake lights.

So we decided to let him sit in the backseat like a big boy. This was a first for him.

He did really well, with the exception of once or twice trying to dig through the seat. But no potty accidents or problems whatsoever. Daddy even said this made him want to take Dexter more places, now that we saw how good he could be in the backseat.

Eventually he did get a little bored, so we found a ball to keep him occupied. It worked well.

Once we got to the lights, he was not as excited as I thought he would be, he fussed, mostly because I was not holding him.

I was taking pictures, and had the window down, so we made him sit in the back, and he was not a fan of not being up in front with us. But, he did get to sit with me up front on the ride home. He promptly snuggled into me and fell asleep.

All in all, it was a pretty good family outing.

Walking in a Weiner Wonderland

2010-12-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Someday I may just do a doxie theme Christmas. Or asked for only doxie themed presents. Or just get more doxies (real ones) for Christmas. I am that much in love with weiner dogs.

Just check out this adorable wrapping paper I spotted while Christmas shopping last weekend.

I love it! I want it. I want all my presents wrapped in this, except then I would not want to open them!

Mommy made me COOKIES! - by Dexter

2010-11-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. Dog. I do not know what I did to deserve this, but I better find out fast and do it a lot more often. Mommy made me cookies!

As you know, doggies like us cannot have chocolate. But we CAN have something called carob, which looks a lot like chocolate. So Mommy made me carob chip cookies that are special for dogs!

As soon as she told me she as doing it I got very excited, but she explained that it would take a while. First she had to mix the dough. It already looks delicious!

Then she had to form the cookies and put them on the cookie sheet. The cookies had to bake in the oven for 20 minutes, which to a little guy like me seemed like forever!

After they came out of the oven, the cookies had to cool. That was the longest wait ever. I could not stand it, they smelled so good!

Finally, Mommy said it was time to try one. But I had to sit like a good dog first. I was trying so hard to be patient!

It must have worked, because Mommy gave me a cookie. I took it to my crate, which is where I like to eat my treats (please pardon the mess, I tore the place apart waiting for the cookie).

Oh my goodness it was so delicious nom nom nom nom.

I love my Mommy so much for making me cookies. I gave her a big kiss when I was done eating it. I might even be nice and share some with my friends Rosie and Bandit.

And Mommy, because she loves Daddy as much as she loves me, made special people cookies for Daddy as well, so he can have some when he gets home.

What a lucky couple of guys we are, huh Daddy?

Thank you Mommy!
Love, Dexter

The Divine Miss R

2010-11-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been spending more time over at E's house, and in addition to the blessing of getting to spend time with a wonderful friend, I also get to spend more time with Rosie. This little girl is just about the cutest little doggie princess ever. E and J have become such loving puppy parents, and have done a great job getting Rose down to a healthy weight. Look hoe svelte she looks in her sweater!

Ever since I have become a doggie Mommy, other dogs really take to me. Rose is no exception, she willingly hops up on my lap, and cuddles into me the same way Dexter does. She also loves to give me kisses.

She is also not above rolling around asking for belly rubs, which I am all too happy to bestow. I just love this little doggie, and as much as I enjoy Dex being a baby, I am looking forward to when he is older, like Rose, and more mellow. But Rose still likes to run and play every now and then!

We are in need of a doggie play date soon, and E and I have big plans for a double doxie photo shoot, so be sure to stay tuned!

My pets are neurotic... just like me

2010-11-28T16:39:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that Dexter and Nora are more like me than I realized. They both have nervous neurotic tendencies. Just like Mommy.

First Dexter had major adjustment issues regarding the dining room. To accommodate our Thanksgiving diners, we had to bring our extra table and chair set up from the basement and set it up in the dining room. Luckily, our dining room was plenty big enough to accommodate all 10 chairs and both tables. And when it was first up here, Dex was fine. And then....I put the tablecloths on. Something about those white paper tablecloths creeped Dex out so bad he would not set foot in the dining room. The problem is, he has to walk through that room to get to the back door to go potty. It made for 3 days of headaches. Even after I took the tablecloths off Friday morning, he still would not go in. Even after the extra table and chairs were gone, he still would not go in. In fact, he would not freely walk into the dining room until the table and chairs we usually use were back in their precise locations. Crazy dog.

And Nora, well, I think she has an inferiority complex. She sees me cuddling with Dexter, and I think it makes her feel bad. She was never really all that cuddly of a cat, but last night, she was all up in my business as I tried to read. She literally licked my face the way Dexter does, for a good five minutes. She rubbed all over my face, and literally laid in my arms. Rest assured little girl, I love you every bit as much as I do Dexter. Silly kitty.

At least I know they come by it honestly.

How I plan on spending my winter

2010-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

Some people love holiday shopping, and that is what winter is about for them. Other people love snow, and snow related activities, like snowboarding and skiing, so that is what winter means to them. But right now, I am fairly certain there is only one thing I plan on doing lots of this winter.

Snuggling up in a blanket (or snuggie) with my puppy dog.

Today was the first flakes of snow for the winter, and that was all it took to make me want to snuggle down tight with him for a long winter's nap.

Somehow, I do not think he will complain.

We want this...

2010-11-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

So, in light of our recent potty schedule issues, we thought this was cute. It is a German game called Kackel Dackel, and it involves a pooping doxie.

Hubby brought it to my attention, thinking I would scoff at it, but come ON, it is a doxie, so of COURSE I love it. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US, so unless one of our Euro friends wants to send it to us, I guess we will have to do without. But the good news is, there is an online flash version available here.

Happy Thanksgiving by Dexter and Nora

2010-11-25T03:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Furry Friends and Fur Parents,
We just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving for those of you living in America. For those of you from other countries, we hope today is wonderful too! Enjoy a lovely day full of snuggles and kisses, treats and toys, and lots of love from your families, both furry and human.

While we cannot enjoy any of the tasty food Mommy and Daddy are making for this holiday, because Mommy says it is bad for our tummies, she assures us we will get treats that are good for us. In the mean time, enjoy these silly pictures we made about what it would look like if we took over dinner.

Many blessings to you all. We want to also say we are very thankful for all the new friends we have made since Mommy started blogging. We think about you often, and pray for you all. Thank you for your friendship, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Love (gobble gobble),
Dexter and Nora

It happens...

2010-11-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

We have been struggling lately with Dexter's morning trips outside to do his business. Normally, Daddy takes him out at 6 am to potty, then he comes back in to sleep, and I feed him breakfast later. But this week, in the mornings, he only tinkles, and does not do his other business. It throws his schedule off for the rest of the day, and affects his mood.

So imagine my happiness to see this note on the white board this morning from Daddy:

Only pet owners and parents understand how happy poop can make you. Seriously.

What's all the fuss? - by Nora

2010-11-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

All this week, my Mommy has been sick, so I have been trying to keep her company, but before she got sick, she was making a big fuss, fixing up the bathroom, then the dining room. She must be feeling a little bit better, because she is once again making a fuss, now in the living room. She was waving around a dust cloth, and spraying cleaner. I suppose the loud machine that sucks things off the floor will be next. I wonder what all the fuss is for? I guess I will find out in time.

SNOOOOOORRRREEEE

2010-11-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

Today, I spent most of the day in the living room, because I am a bit under the weather. I did a lot of lounging on the couch with Nora and watched almost all of Season 1 of The Tudors. And just as I was about to start another episode, I heard the loudest, most ridiculous noise coming from Dexter's crate.

SNOOOOOORRRRRREEEEE.

Yes that's right, that huge noise was coming from that tiny dog. He was snoring his little heart out as he slept. He is more like Mommy than I care to admit.

So long

2010-11-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, Long Dog has been officially, permanently retired from the toy rotation. Dex got him months ago, and played with him for a few weeks, before he got really shabby, and took some time off in the toy bin. While I spent the day cleaning and working on projects on Thursday, I fished Long Dog out of the bin to keep Dex company. Dexter had grown so much since last seeing Long Dog that he was actually bigger than Long Dog now, but he loved him just as much as when he was a tiny puppy. And he played with him a ton. It was so cute to hear Dex squeaking away on his toy in the evenings.

However, I awoke this morning to some sad news. Lots of fluffy white batting greeted me this morning, along with a much deflated Long Dog. Seems that Dex played a little too rough last night. So, he had to say goodbye to his old toy. Perhaps one day we will get Long Dog II, but not for a while. Dex is just so hard on toys right now, it does not really pay to get them.

Holiday Festivities, by Dexter

2010-11-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

Even though I was a bad doggie yesterday, Mommy let me go to a fun event last night called Light Up Night. There was one stipulation though. I had to wear a coat, because it was cold outside.

Mommy said I looked really handsome and I actually liked that coat a lot, it matched my fur well.

Here is a picture of me with Mommy, she looked so pretty!

We walked into town, which was a long walk, and got to see a parade, which included Santa. I loved the music and the firetrucks, but Mommy said I was not allowed to have any of the candy they were throwing. She brought me my own treats instead.

After the parade was over we walked up and down one of the main streets in town, just taking it all in. And guess who I got to meet...Cindy Lou Who, that's who!

We had a really fun night, but I was tired so we went home. Later on, after we were home, there were fireworks, which I did not like at all. Daddy had to rock me to calm me down. But other than that, it was a great night, and I am glad Mommy was a softie and let me go, even after being naughty.

Timeout

2010-11-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

Dexter was a naughty dog today, and got put in timeout.

Just this week, Dex discovered he could climb the steps to our second story. He was very excited to learn this, and would try to sneak up at every chance. Usually, we would be able to stop him before he got upstairs. Today, he shot up there before I could say "stop your furry little butt". So up go up, and using my nice calm Mommy voice, try to convince him to come downstairs and play with me. No deal. Then I try to bribe him with a pork chomp. No such luck. When this dog turns down food, I know we have a problem. I had to put on my stern Mommy voice and tell him to get out from under the bed. And then, it became a battle of wills.

He proceeded to hide under the bed, and out-maneuver me for the next ten minutes, until the stern Mommy voice became the yelling Mommy voice. When I finally got him out, he knew he was in trouble. He was put in timeout, and lost his favorite toy. He never made a peep until Daddy got home. Luckily Daddy convinced me that Dex was really sorry, and still deserved to go to our fun outing that we had planned tonight, at which he was very very well behaved.

So, now, I guess we need a baby gate for the stairs. Geesh.

Doxie Shrine

2010-11-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

It is official. I am a crazy doxie lady. I have officially started buying multiple pieces of doxie merchandise.

It all started with this cute little figurine I got for Hubby at an Arts Fest over the summer.

Isn't he cute? And he looks just like Dexter!

Then, yesterday, I went to Hobby Lobby with my friend, where I spied this

and this guy.

Of course, like any self respecting doxie mom, I had to have them. So, I have all of these things now on my mantle, along with a cute picture holder and picture of Dex as a puppy that our neighbor gave us. It is like a little doxie shrine and I love it!

I can't wait to find more cute doxies to add to it.

Snuggies

2010-11-17T05:52:00.000-08:00

So, yes, not only am I one of those fools who owns a Snuggie, I am also one of those crazy people who bought one for my dog. Let me explain.

I am a big reader, and there is nothing I love more than cuddling under a blanket with a good book, but I hate having my arms get cold. Wearing a sweatshirt, well, first off, it just is not the same, and secondly, I do not like things that are tight around my neck (I know, I have issues). So for me, a Snuggie is a perfect solution. Hubby got me one, and I love it. I took a nap in it on Sunday, and slept for 4 hours, it was so warm and toasty. And you never have to worry about the blanket sliding off. It is brilliant really.

As for me getting one for Dexter, well that was just sheer cuteness. Don't judge me.

He loves it, and it clearly does not affect his ability to lick my face off.

Psst

2010-11-16T15:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Daddy,
I think Mommy would love a shirt like this.

or any of these

or pretty much anything with a hero weiner dog on it.

Just thought I would let you know.

Love,

Dexter

P.S. While doing your holiday shopping, I would like more Pork Chomps. Thanks Daddy!

Bark bark bark

2010-11-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

Dexter is the best alarm system we could have ever invested in. He knows when something is off, even the slightest bit. And he alerts us by bark bark barking. He did this when he saw Daddy's Halloween costume, and did it again the other night when Daddy had on a fedora. He knows that these things are not normal for Daddy.

Today, we got a firm knock on the door in the late afternoon, and Dex knew it was not normal, and not the knock of a friend or neighbor, so he bark bark barked to alert me, and to tell that person to BACK OFF. It was just one of the men from the road crew asking me to move my car so they could apply sealant to the edge of the newly paved road. No harm, but Dex knew it was not a person who was normally at our house.

What a good little watchdog he is.

Love Letters

2010-11-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Today, I got love letters.

This morning, Dexter, with the help of Daddy, gave me the sweetest little love letter.

It was so cute, and made me smile so big! I love the fact that the letter is so true, he does show his love for me by licking my face and smothering me with kisses.

Not to be outdone, Nora decided she wanted to give me a letter too. Apparently, she wanted to have no help, so, resourceful cat that she is, resorted to typing me a letter.

I had my blog composer open, as I was working on an entry for another blog. I left it on my bed while I ate lunch, and when I came back, she had somehow opened a new draft, and typed a letter up (I am not joking, she actually did this). I previewed it to see how it would look, and here is Nora's letter to me:

Clearly she could have used a little help. I like to imagine it says the following:

Dear Mommy,
I love you so much, and love to snuggle up with you in your nice warm bed. I am sorry for being mean to Daddy.
Affectionately,
Nora

See that Aqqqqqq, I know that was her attempt at "affectionately". And all those NNNNNNNNNs? She was totally trying to sign her name.

I have the smartest cutest pets ever. I love you guys!

Thunk thunk thunk

2010-11-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

You hear that? That is the sound of one of my favorite doggie parts. It is the sound of Dexter's tail.

Dexter expresses so much happiness with his tail. So many times, when he is happy or excited, Hubby will simply say, look at that tail.

His tail will thunk off of the floor, the couch, the door frame, our arms, you name it. He wags with reckless abandon, the same way he approaches life.

I love seeing my dog so happy, and I absolutely love the thunk thunk thunk of his happy puppydog tail.

What did I ever do without that noise in my life for so long?

Wake up call

2010-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, I had a bad headache at bedtime, and took something to not only make it go away, but help me sleep.

I slept like a baby, and did not hear a thing until I got a wake up call this morning. Not on my phone, or from an alarm clock, oh no, nothing like that.

I was woken up my a little pink tongue lapping at my face. Hubby had snuck the doggie upstairs and put him in bed with me before he left for work. It was awesome and adorable.

I loved this wake up call. How can you possibly have a bad day when it starts off so full of love?

My girl is grown up. Almost.

2010-11-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

I think I finally understand how mothers feel when they see their kids growing up. Especially when they get those rare moments where their almost grown up kids still want a hug, a kiss, a snuggle.

Last night, Nora gave me one of those moments.

Ever since Hubby and I moved into the house, Nora has steered clear of snuggling with us a lot. Having so much room, and having Hubby in the bed with me every night has really changed Nora's patterns. She will still snuggle with me on the bed during the day, or on the couch sometimes, but night time snuggles are really rare.

Lately, however, we have been bringing Dex up to the bedroom for night time snuggles. And I think Nora has been realizing how nice these family moments can be. So, last night, after Dexter went to bed, Hubby and I were lying in bed talking, and Nora hopped up for some family time of her own. For about half an hour, she nuzzled, snuggled, kissed us, and purred very loudly. It was awesome. It made me so happy and was a wonderful end to the day.

I am glad there are times when she still wants to be my baby.

Ugly Dog Toys

2010-11-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

We ran to the store tonight to get some more Pork Chomps for Dex, he really loves them and they are helping with the chewing. While we were there, we saw what was hands down the ugliest dog toy I have ever seen:

What the.....

a cross dressing Santa hooker chicken?

Why would anyone ever buy that horrific thing for their dog? Do you ever buy ugly dog toys? I do not mean ugly cute ones either, like little monsters or something, I mean ugly ugly.

Who ever thought this thing was a good idea?

Oh sure, Dex would happily chew its head off and rip out the squeaker just as lustily as he would a cute toy, but, I would have to look at this thing until he mauled it enough to justifying throwing it away. Why, just why?

I guess when a toy is functional, it does not have to be pretty, like rope toys, or kongs. But something like this, I would be embarrassed to have it in my house. Tell me friends, do any of you have embarrassing toys at home?

Little Piddle Problem- by Dexter

2010-11-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

Dear furry friends,
Oh geesh, I am so embarrassed. I do not even know where to start. Lately, I have been having a bit of a problem. A, um, piddle problem. Let me explain.

Even though Mommy and Daddy were told us doxies are stubborn and hard to potty train, I have been doing really well for months now. Mommy and Daddy have me on a pretty set schedule, and I never have accidents in my crate or on the floor. But lately, something weird has been happening.

I, um, wow, there is no easy way to say this. Lately, I get so happy to see Mommy and Daddy that I piddle a little on the floor. It does not matter if I just went out to potty or what. For instance, Daddy took me out at like 6:15 this morning. When Mommy came home at 7, she opened the crate, and I was so happy to see her, I tinkled a little on her toes. I was mortified.

I know this is not the most polite thing to talk about but I am at a loss dear friends. What can I (or Mommy) do to stop this from happening? Do any of you ever have this trouble? Is this just a growth spurt I may be going through? It has happened just a couple of times in the past, but this week it has happened two days in a row. I do not want Mommy to get upset. She says she doesn't get mad, that she knows I am just excited and not trying to actually potty inside. But still, I want to make Mommy happy and proud of what a good dog I am, and it is hard to do that when you tinkle on her feet, at least I think so. Is this something I will grow out of, or will I just be an excitable pee-er for the rest of my life?

I know Mommy loves me, and always will no matter what, but any advice is most appreciated!

Doggie kisses and tale wags,
Dexter

The great escape

2010-11-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Well, she did it again. Nora tried to escape tonight. Apparently, she thought I was not being prompt enough with getting her food, and she decided to strike out on her own to find dinner.

I had opened up the back door to ask Hubby a question, as he was taking out the trash. It was pitch dark out, and in a split second, she had darted out the door. We were running all over the yard to try to herd her back into the house, but since it was dark out, and she is black, we could not see her. Suddenly, like a rebellious teenager, she hopped the fence and took off.

Fortunately, Hubby got her back into the house with promises of a delicious dinner. I took her right downstairs and fed her. Now she is romping with Dexter, like nothing ever happened.

Thanks for the scare Nora. Don't you know Halloween is over? Geesh.

Chomp!

2010-11-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Dex has never been a fan of rawhide. He usually drops them in his water bowl so that they get all gross and we throw them away, then give him a treat he actually likes. So, when my friend Jen offered to give me a treat she had that were too small for her dog, I was not sure Dex would like them, because they looked like rawhide, even though they weren't.

Boy was I wrong.

Enter, the Pork Chomp.

Instead of being made with beef rawhide, these are made from pork skin. Dexter loves the taste, and unlike rawhide, these do not cause digestive issues, which is important to dogs with small tummies like Dex. They help clean his teeth, which is good, because these treats literally make him smile, I swear! We have also noticed a reduction in Dexter chewing on his blankets, because now he has a better (and tastier) outlet for the chewing instinct.

Right now, he gets about 1 a day, and it keeps him occupied for about an hour, because they are just the small knotted bones. I am sure a bigger one would take longer, but Dex can be a pig and not know when to stop, so for now, we will stick with these little ones. Seriously though, we can bring him upstairs to our room, put on a movie, and he will lay on the bed chomping for almost the whole thing. Everyone is happy.

So, if your dog does not like rawhide, and you need a good chewy treat for him or her, I suggest these. In fact, I want to note, I was not asked to review these treats by the company, and I was not compensated for this review. I just really believe in this product, because it makes my baby happy!

Dexter's Different Barks

2010-11-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

You know how mothers get so in tune with their babies that they know what is going on just by the way the baby cries? This is the "hungry" cry, or that cry means "I'm wet"? Well, I am starting to get the same way with Dex.

For the first 2-3 months we had him, he never barked, I mean never ever. The first time he barked, we laughed, because they were these wimpy little puppy squeak barks. As time went on, he realized that barking got attention, and helped him communicate with us. So now, he barks every day. He as a very specific bark that says "I want attention" and another that is his "I miss mommy bark".

This morning, he was barking, and it sounded different than any other bark he has. It sounded as though he was trying to make himself sound like a bigger dog. The barks were resonating from deep in his chest, and they were hearty. I never knew he could sound like that, and I wondered why he was doing it. Then, I listened very closely. A dog was barking outside, and from the sound of that dog, he was pretty big. I then realized that Dex felt like that dog was threatening us, our home and our family. And he felt the need to protect us. So he was putting on a tough guy bark to try to intimidate the other dog. It kind of warmed my heart that here was this adorable, bumbling, 13 pound weiner dog trying to guard his home and masters.

Thanks for protecting us buddy.

Puppy Power

2010-11-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Remember when I wrote earlier this week that Dex was getting so grown up, and behaving like such a big boy?

Yeah about that.....

For the last two days, he has been in major puppy mode. As in, this is what he is like:

He has been prancing all around, chewing on my feet, flipping and flopping. But not really misbehaving, it is like he is going through a growth spurt, and all his puppy energy is returning.

Want to know a secret? I kind of love it. I want to keep him a puppy for as long as possible. I can't believe that in a little over a month, it will be his first birthday. I really want to find a recipe for a doggie cake or something.

11 months old or 11 years old, he will always be my baby.

Take your pet to work?

2010-11-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

We were at two different businesses today that had pets in the workplace. It seems to be a trend among small business owners.

We were at a bookshop, and there, in all his glory among the tomes, was a handsome cat. He posed so nicely for me that I got a great picture, but I did not catch his name. He did let me pet him a little.

Then, later today, we stopped at an insurance agency, and in there, the owners had a beautiful dog, looked like he was an Irish Setter, at least part. His name was Boomer, and he gave me lovely doggie kisses.

Do any of you take your pets to work, or have pets be a part of your work from home routine? I would love to work in an office with a pet, it would be so therapeutic I think. Who could ever have a bad day at work if you shared your cubicle with this cutie?

He even had appropriate work attire...

Finally settling down

2010-11-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

I think Dexter is finally getting used to being around Daddy without me. It is not that he does not adore Daddy, because he totally does. Once Daddy gets home from work, whenever he leaves Dex's sight, Dex ignores pretty much everything until Daddy returns to the room. But during the day, when Daddy is gone, he is used to being with me. And when I leave, and just Daddy is here, whether in the evening or during the daytime, Dex freaks out.

It was pretty common that within 5 minutes of my departure, I would get a text from Daddy saying Dex was barking his fool head off. Subsequent texts follow at regular intervals to confirm that Dex is still being mouthy. But lately, he has been doing a lot better.

Granted, I try to slip out unnoticed, but he is no dummy, he knows I am gone. He still may bark a little, or whine, but lately he has been doing really well, and then gets very excited when I get home.

He really is growing up. Now if I could only get him to stop chewing on his blankets.

Counting Canine Calories?

2010-11-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today I think I have officially seen everything. While shopping for some new treats for Dex, I stumbled upon this:

100 calorie packs for dogs. Really?

Right now, Dex is still technically a puppy, and our vet told us to not worry about him consuming too much food or too many calories at this point, because he is still growing and using lots of energy. But I know at some point, we may been to tighten up his food intake a little, so that he does not get too plump. Doxies can easily put on too much weight, and it can cause major health issues. So I get the importance of watching intake, but come on, 100 calorie packs?

What is next, Doggie Weight Watchers? I refuse to calculate points for my dog, I have a hard enough time remembering to do my own.

Asserting His Independence

2010-11-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

For several months now, we have been bringing Dexter upstairs to our bedroom for a little bit each day. He runs around on the bed, snuggles with us, watches movies with us, and generally behaves like a good dog.

We have never had any issues with him being on the bed, other than he likes to chew blankets sometimes, and if the cat is on the bed too, he will antagonize the crap out of her until she leaves. But otherwise, it is just an explosion of cuteness.

Today, however, he decided he no longer wanted to be on the bed. So he rolled himself off of the bed, and onto the floor. Before I could even check to make sure he was ok, he trotted down our large staircase to the first floor, and was on his merry way.

My little boy is growing up.

Happy Halloween from Dexter and Nora!

2010-10-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Dexter, aka Banana Split

Nora, aka Dracula

Note, taking these pictures was a lot more difficult than I expected.

Anyways, Happy Halloween from a weiner dog and a cranky cat!

Halloween Party for Dogs? Heck YES!

2010-10-25T07:50:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my good friend and fellow pet owner Kacy, I was alerted to the coolest event of the fall. It was called Barktoberfest, and it was being held in Pittsburgh. Doggies could wear their Halloween costumes, come socialize with other pups, get some treats, have a costume contest, and be in a parade. SIGN US UP!

We got there at noon on Saturday, and things were just getting started. Already, we saw a ton of awesome doggie costumes.

Devil and Hot Dog

Indian Princess

Killer Bees

Scooby Doo (one of my faves!)

By the time the judging started, there was a pretty good crowd, about 70 doggies were registered.

One of the coolest parts was the costume judging. One of the judges was Pittsburgh t.v. celebrity Sally Wiggin. We talked to her during judging, and a little bit after. She was raised with a doxie, so she has quite a fondness for them, and she just loved Dex (who doesn't). She was so friendly and awesome!

Finally it was time to announce the winners of the costume contest. The first place winner was a doggie dressed like Troy Polamalu.

Second place went to a teeny tiny doggie dressed like a Caterpillar.

All the doggies looked adorable, and everyone was so well behaved. Dex did great, no barking, no roughhousing, he definitely got some treats afterwards, and even got to go have a play date with his friend Linus.

I am not quite ready to reveal Dexter's entire costume to you yet, so here is another peak, this is a picture of us from that day.

Sneak Peak

2010-10-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went and got Halloween costumes for Dexter and Nora. Hubby says I am not allowed to post reveal pictures until Halloween, but I can not help but post a teaser sneak peak picture.

Is everyone getting excited? Maybe we should host a Halloween costume party on our bloggy. Would you come if we did?

Mommy and Me, by Dexter

2010-10-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

I do not know what it is about her, but I simply love my mommy with all my heart. I could kiss her all day long. Do not get me wrong, I love Daddy too, and would kiss him lots, but he does not like my kisses that much. Mommy lets me kiss her a lot. We start off each morning with kisses, and end each day with kisses too!

I get to spend time snuggling with Mommy each day while Daddy is at work, and often Mommy brings me up on the bed for snuggles. I love to snuggle and nap in Mommy's bed, as Daddy points out, Mommy is so comfy!

I can't believe I have only been with Mommy and Daddy for 8 months, it seems like so much longer! I am such a lucky puppy that they picked me to be their furry baby. I know that no matter what, I will always be Mommy's boy. How can I not love her, she is so pretty, and she takes such great care of me, and gives me so much love. Daddy is right, I am the happiest dog in the world!

Enraptured

2010-09-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

I just do not know what it is these days, but I am totally enraptured by Dexter. I fall more and more in love with him every single day. I have been a pet owner for years, having Nora for 4 years, and before her, another cat named Isabella. And I have loved my kitties whole heartedly. But this is so....different. Dexter is almost like a person. In fact, I like him better than a lot of people I know!

I can not quite put it into words, and Hubby thinks maybe Dex is just finally growing into his own. But over the summer, something has definitely changed with him, and the way I relate to him. There is no doubt in my mind this dog loves me, and shows me genuine affection. Each morning, when I tell him good morning, and before feeding him breakfast, I pick him up and he throws one doggie paw on each shoulder, and covers my face in kisses. It is his good morning ritual.

When we go outside for potty breaks, once he has done his business, he scurries up the steps, and climbs onto my lap. If it is nice, we sit and bask in the sunshine. Today, we sat out there for about 45 minutes, and I sang to him (looney right?). He was spellbound, and loved every minute of it.

I keep saying I want another doggie, and I really do, but even if we were to get another, Dex will always be my baby. My heart nearly bursts with love for him each time he lumbers into the room and wags his tale.

I wish I could fully express how much this dog means to me. Do all dog moms feel this way? Between Hubby and Dexter, how could I ever possibly have a bad day?

Giant bowl of noms

2010-09-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I went and got a huge bag of doggie food, and another bag of kitty food, to fill up the large containers where we store Deter and Nora's noms. Nora's was completely empty, but Dexter's had some left. I wanted to make sure the old food was on top, so that it got eaten first and would not get stale. So I had to dump it out, before pouring the new bag of food into the container. The only thing I had close was the bowl we used for trick or treat last year. As a result, there was a huge bowl of dogfood. We decided to see how Dexter would react. It was awesome.

Look at what we got!

2010-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

We went to visit my family this weekend to help celebrate Hubby's birthday, do some Labor Day celebrating, and see my sister's new house. Of course Dexter came with us, and was in his glory because he finally got to meet his Rottweiler cousin, Champ, and they are now best buds!

While we were there, my parents gave me and Hubby our anniversary gift a little early, since we do not get home too often. Being that this is our first anniversary, the traditional gift is paper, so we got a gift card to buy some books, and then, we got this:

Isn't that awesome?! We played it today! The game markers are little dog bowls.

Instead of properties, you buy dachshunds.

And you can add different dog toys to your doggies.

This game is perfect for us!

Even the card they got us was so perfect!

So, even though our anniversary is a month away, we got to start celebrating early. I love it! Thanks Mom and Dad, you know us so well!

We had a great weekend, Dex had a blast, but now it is sinking in that Summer is pretty much over. At least Hubby had a great birthday!

Sorry Friends- by Dexter

2010-08-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
I am so sorry that Nora and I have not been blogging so much this summer. Mommy has been so busy with a summer reading challenge she was working on over at her other blog. She read and reviewed 55 books this summer. Mommy has also been working hard to lose weight. I am so proud of her, she looks so pretty!

I know she is going to keep up the hard work!

This summer has been great, we have gone on a few day trips, and have visited our friends a lot, had a party, and a few cook outs. We are getting ready for Daddy's birthday this weekend!

There was one not so awesome thing that happened this summer- we had a bat in our house for a few days. Both Mommy and Daddy blogged about it. And the worst part, for Daddy's blog, he got the bright idea to dress me up like a bat to help recreate the whole thing.

How embarrassing.

So that is pretty much what has been keeping us busy. How have all of you been?

Giveaway Winner!

2010-08-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my pawsome readers and friends! It is time to announce the winners of the Oscar's Gourmet Giveaway.

A random number was drawn from the entries:

And entry number 63 belonged to Erin over at Just a Small Town Girl, and the pet parent to Rosie, who is a good friend of Dexter's. We are very excited for Rosie to try the treats!

Thanks to all who entered, and to all the readers of The Tales of Dexter and Nora!

Oscar's Gourmet Review and Giveaway

2010-08-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be able to share another great product with my pet owner friends. A couple of months ago, I discovered a shop on Etsy and Ebay called Oscar’s Gourmet.

Oscar’s Gourmet is run by Dina, and is named for her pug Oscar. Dina specializes in delicious, organic treats for dogs, which she makes from scratch at her home. If you go to the Oscar’s Gourmet Facebook page, you can see a video of how Dina makes the treats. Using nothing but wholesome ingredients, Dina makes these goodies with lots of love.

I, well, Dexter, had a chance to sample some treats from Oscar’s Gourmet. Dex was so excited when the mail came that day, it was like he just knew what deliciousness was awaiting him. He could not wait to get the package open, as you can see. I have never seen a dog so excited.

We first tried the Sweet Potato. I think Dexter about lost his mind, it was so delicious!

Then we tried the Peanut Butter, which to this day is his favorite. He would have eaten all the treats at once had I not stopped him.

Dexter was so happy about the treats, I immediately went and placed an order. We got the order within just a few days, and I was just as excited as Dex, because Dina packages the treats so nicely. It is a great presentation!

Because Dina uses natural ingredients, you never have to worry about what your dog is eating if you give him or her Oscar’s Gourmet treats. Some of the treats, like the Tuna Snacks, are even suitable for cats (Nora loves these!) Dina also makes adorable pet beds. They look so soft and comfortable.

So, now for the fun part. I consider myself really lucky that I found Oscar’s Gourmet, and I decided I wanted to help all of you discover these great treats as well. So, Dina is sponsoring a giveaway of some Oscar’s Gourmet treats for my readers! The prize pack includes come Apple Ginger Scoops, Mint Carob Chip Scoops, 2 adorably shaped Peanut Butter snacks, and some Carrot Delights.

So, here is the giveaway info:

1. You must be a follower of The Tales of Dexter and Nora, and you must be a U.S. or Canadian Resident.

2. Mandatory Entry: You must tell me your favorite thing listed in the Oscar’s Gourmet Etsy shop. You must do this for any of the additional entries to count.

Now, my whole goal in featuring Oscar’s Gourmet on my blog is to let other people know how wonderful these treats are. So, if you help me with this, you can earn extra entries in the giveaway!

1. Go to the Oscar’s Gourmet Facebook page and “like” it. Worth 5 entries.

2. Blog about this giveaway. Worth 10 entries.

3. Tweet about this giveaway. Worth 5 entries.

4. Post this giveaway on your Facebook Page. Worth 5 entries.

Fill out the entry form here letting me know all the things you did to get entries into the giveaway.

The giveaway will end at 12:01 am on Saturday, August 14^th. So, hurry up and tell the world how fabulous Oscar’s Gourmet is!

Crochet Kitty Winner

2010-07-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Using a Random Number generator, the Crochet Kitty winner was selected. The winner is....

Comment #3 from Mystee!

Mystee said she would choose the Catnip Multi Pack (Baby blush). I will be contacting Mystee to get shipping information, so Abbie can get your prize out to you! Congrats, and remember to visit Crochet Kitty on etsy!

It's My Birthday!- by Nora

2010-07-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Guess what friends? It is my birthday! Well, as close as we can tell anyway. You see, when Mommy adopted me from the shelter, they did not know my exact date of birth, just that it was sometime in July. So, Mommy decided today we would celebrate my birthday. I was so excited, all day I knew something was going to happen, I just did not know what.

Mommy said they were going to have a surprise for me after they ate dinner, so I hung around the dining room, wondering what would happen. After they ate, I noticed them getting into the container where all my and Dexter's fun stuffs are kept, you know, treats, toys, clothes (shudder). Next thing I knew Mommy and Daddy were fooling around on the dining room table. Look at what they were doing:

It's a birthday cake! FOR ME! Complete with 4 candles, because I am 4 years old! And it is my favorite flavor. Fish!

Mommy helped me blow out the candles....

And now, I get to nom it!

Thanks Mommy and Daddy for helping me celebrate my birthday, and for loving me enough to put up with all my shenanigans!

Love,
Nora

P.S. After I finish celebrating my birthday, I will help Mommy pick the winner of the Crochet Kitty contest. Stay tuned!

Mommy's Surprise, by Dexter

2010-07-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today, Mommy went shopping with one of her people friends. When she got home, she was all excited and said she had a surprise. She said it was for Daddy, but I would like it too.

I noticed Mommy painting this little wooden thing, but I could not get a very good look at it. She promised to show it to me when she was all done and it was dry.

Turns out, Mommy was painting something for Daddy to take and sit on his desk, to remind him of me! Here is what Mommy made....

It is a little mini Dexter!!! I was so excited I wanted to carry him around in my mouth, but Mommy said it was for looking, not for touching.

So, I just looked. He is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. I guess I better behave myself, or Mommy might replace me with one of these little guys for herself.

Who am I kidding, there is no way this mini me is as cuddly as I am, and I know I give way better kisses!

Oh and Mommy wanted to remind you all that there are just a couple of days left to enter the Crochet Kitty giveaway. These toys are so fun, I always try to steal Nora's! Get more info and enter the contest here.

Crochet Kitty Giveaway Extended until 7/25

2010-07-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers! I have some exciting news. Abbie and I decided to extend the Crochet Kitty Giveaway until 7/25/2010! Please tell all your kitty friends about the give away, these toys are really amazing!

Snipped and chipped

2010-07-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hello furry friends! Just wanted to touch base with you all to see how you are doing. Yesterday was a bit of a tense day for our furry household. Dexter had an appointment with the vet to be, as I called it, snipped and chipped. He went in to be neutered and microchipped.

I dropped him off at 7 am yesterday, and took him back to surgery. They let me hold him while he got some shots, and the little trooper never even whimpered, he just looked back at his rump as if to say "oh, did you stick me, I had not noticed". I then put him in the cage, and left before I cried. It was a long morning of me missing him, looking at his empty crate, and praying he would do well.

At 1 pm, I called to check on him, and they said he did great and I could pick him up between 2 and 3. You bet your bottom I was in their parking lot at 1:59. I missed my boy. When they brought him out, he was happy as a clam, tail wagging, and perfectly ready to accept the biscuit the vet staff gave him for being so good. He rode on my lap the whole way home, and was acting like nothing was wrong.

After a while, he decided he needed to potty, and stood by the back door, so out we went. He jogged and scampered around, and when he finally pottied, he realized he was a bit sore "down there", and suddenly looked at me with sad eyes, as if to say "owie Mommy, carry me in?" which of course I did. I carried him inside and he slept on the couch next to me for 2 hours.

He is doing so well, it is just hard to keep him from running and jumping around. I fear he will spend the majority of the next two weeks crated, as there is no other way to keep him settled. I went ahead and put bitter orange on him so he won't lick.

I still need to register his microchip and send the license paperwork to the courthouse. I love that he was chipped, now if he ever gets lost, someone can identify him!

So, that is what has been going on with us. Here is a picture of the brave patient.

How are all of you doing?

Crochet Kitty Review and Giveaway

2010-07-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know that many of my readers are dog lovers and owners, but way back when I had my first giveaway, I noticed that many of you own kitties as well, or are strictly cat people, so, as promised, I am now turning my attention to my feline fans.

A few weeks ago, I found the cutest little Etsy shop called Crochet Kitty, which specializes in handmade catnip toys. There were so many awesome toys on there, so I decided to work with Abbie, the shop's owner, to get to know more about the shop.

All the items in Abbie's shop are handmade with eco-friendly materials, and are hand stuffed with fresh dried catnip. I decided to try out some of the items, so Abbie kindly sent me some toys for Nora to review.

Now, let me tell you, Nora is not one to really play much. Her toys are so neglected, she often loses them to Dexter, who will gladly ~~destroy~~ play with them. So, when we got our package from Abbie, I was nervous as to how interested Nora might be.

First thing I noticed about the toys when I opened the package was how cute they were, and how much bigger they were than I expected.

We got a set of 3 polka dotted fabric fish toys (left) and a matching mouse and ball crochet set (right). The crochet set included Abbie's adorable logo for Crochet Kitty. When I opened the toys, Nora tried to play coy at first, as if to say, oh, more mail for me, I will tend to it later.

But she quickly smelled the tantalizing scent of the fresh catnip, and she was in heaven. She played with the fish so hard, she flung it from the table, then turned her attention to the crochet mouse.

She was so enraptured, she had no idea I was snapping pictures, until I "caught" her with a close up.

Nom nom nom!

As the days wore on, Nora continued to be excited about her toys. This is the most she has wanted to play since she was a kitten! These toys are wonderful, so colorful and soft, she just loves them. I catch her trotting around with them in her mouth.

The toys from Crochet Kitty are so wonderful, and have decided to sponsor a giveaway! My readers have a chance to win a handmade toy of their choice for their favorite feline. The rules are pretty simple.

There are two mandatory conditions:

1. You must be a follower of this blog, US residents only.

2. You must go visit Abbie's shop, Crochet Kitty, and take a look at her toys. Then come here and leave a comment on this post telling me which toy you would select if you won. Remember to leave your email in the comment.

These are the two mandatory conditions for entry, but there are also chances for extra entries.

Conditions for extra entries (and the number of entries they are worth):

"Like" Tiffany's Blogs on Facebook (2 entries)

Follow @Tiffanysblogs on Twitter (2 entries)

Tweet about this giveaway, and leave me your Twitter name or tweet URL (2 entries)

Blog about this giveaway and leave me link to your blog (5 entries)

You must leave a separate comment for each entry that you receive, so, for example, if you tweet the contest, leave me two different comments that say "I tweeted this" etc. Always leave your email in your comment!

The contest will run until 12:01 am EST ~~Monday, July 19th~~ Sunday July 25th. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator, and contacted via email.

Please let me know if you have any questions, otherwise, I look forward to seeing what toys everyone chooses! Good Luck!

Hello new friends!

2010-07-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I have decided to take Dexter and Nora on some blog hops today! We hope to meet lots of new friends! If you like pictures of adorable dogs and cats, and hearing funny stories about them, this is the blog for you. I have been slacking lately, due to to being involved in a summer reading challenge, but I am going to be better about updating, I promise!

How I made a 50 cent dog toy

2010-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

When we took Dex to Pugmania, we bought him this dog toy for a dollar that was nothing more than cloth braided together into a rope. He loved it, but when he had tummy troubles this past week, it had to be thrown away. I decided to try to recreate it, in the hopes of making a sick doggie happy.

I went and bought a clearance fabric remnant that was 20 inches wide, and 1 yard 22 inches long. Total price was $1.93

I cut strips the entire length of the cloth, about 1.5-2 inches in width.

I folded creased the pieces, widthwise, and secured each end with a safety pin to hold the fold.

I then took all three pieces, and knotted them together on one end.

With the one end secured with the knot, I began to then braid the three strands of cloth.

I then continued to braid down, until there was about 2 inches of fabric left.

I secured the other end with a knot, removed all six safety pins, and it was ready to go!

Now it was time for the test. Would Dexter like it?

He promptly took the toy into his crate to play with it, a sure seal of approval.

There was enough fabric left to make 3 more toys at least, so the cost of this toy was around 50 cents. Given how quickly he chews dog toys up, I think this was a pretty good bargain!

Dock Dogs

2010-07-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Hubby and I went to the Big Butler Fair in Butler PA. We were walking around taking it all in, when someone made an announcement that the Dock Dogs competition was starting soon, so we decided to go watch.

I had never heard of Dock Dogs before, but apparently, people train their doggies to jump off a dock to fetch toys in a pool. The jumps are measured, and let me tell you, so of these doggies FLY!

I shot some awesome action sequence photos to give you a better idea. You may want to click on it so it opens up in its own page, that way it will be a little bigger.