Ready for Santa Paws!

Does anyone still read this blog?  I have been woefully absent this year, mostly because my book blog keeps me so busy.  I am hoping to achieve better balance in 2013.  In the mean time, some very cute animals want to say hello!

Happy Holidays from

Dexter

Nora

and Chloe

If that is not enough cuteness for you, view the rest of the photo set here.

Paw-don the Pun

I tried and tried to think of a clever title for this post, and that was about as good as I could do.  You see, this post is about paws.  Specifically, Dexter's paws.

Dexter is a happy, healthy dog.  We take him for regular vet check ups, we watch his diet, and we try to make sure his needs are all met.  We also shower him with love and affection.  He is indeed a happy dog.

However, several months ago, I noticed that Dexter, when climbing stairs, did it on 3 paws only, never putting weight on his front right paw.  When he runs around, he does so on all 4 paws, and never acts like his paws hurt, it was just this weird thing with the steps.  At first we chalked it up to him just being a weird dog.

Then I noticed that same paw, the front right, seemed to be bent out or twisted, more than his other one.  Hubby said it just looked like Doxie paws to him.  After one particularly long walk, however, his leg was so bent, it looked like it would buckle under him.  I immediately called the vet.

After a thorough examination, the doctor said Dex has plantar fasciitis.  This means the tendons in his paw have been strained or injured in the past, and are inflamed.  He does not put full weight down on his paw; because of how he does put pressure on the front of his paw, the leg twists outward.  It is not really causing him any pain, but he cannot go for walks right now, until we see if the inflammation subsides.  We are resting his paw, and giving him fish oil.  If this does not work, we may have to have it wrapped.  Other interventions could include cortisone shots (which I am hesitant to do) and eventual surgery.  The doctor thinks surgery will not be necessary, right now at least.

Again, Dexter shows no signs of being in pain, or being depressed.  He still runs around outside like a nut, but no walks and we carry him up the inside steps.  Have any of you ever experienced this with your dogs?  Can you provide me with any insight?  I am unable to find much online about this in dogs, only in people.  The doc says this is simply a risk of a dog being bred to be short legged with a long body.  In other words, doxie problems.

The Power of Two

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!

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?

Travel Tips

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?

Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime

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.

Review: FunBites

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.

What I Like About You- Dexter Edition

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!

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!

My First Friend, by Chloe

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

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...

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?

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!

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...

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?

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!

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

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.

Typical Little Sister

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!