Last fall I took some pictures of the Newfies for my friend Bev and I put them on a disk for for her so she could print them out.  As a thank you, she gave me a gift card to Mutts and Co near the dog park we go to.  Totally unnecessary, but a welcome and thoughtful surprise.  The gift card has been sitting in my purse ever since.  I finally stopped by Mutts and Co with the card in hand and used it about 2 weeks ago.  I bought the COOLEST (pun intended) dog toy ever!

Meet the Dogzilla Deep Freeze.

This ingenious little invention is half rubber dumbbell and half “dogsicle”. The rubber half snaps to an ice tray and you fill it with water, broth or yogurt, stick it in the freezer and viola - you have a frozen dogsicle! I fill mine with diluted sodium-free chicken bouillon.  The XL will hold a full 8oz of liquid.  The liquid freezes to the protein infused rubber bone (which has wells in it) and gives the dog (and you) something other than ice to hold on to when licking it.

This is the first and last time the boys shared it. They always share everything… but not this!  It is highly prized item and they will run off and hide with it so they can enjoy it in peace. Since they are somewhat difficult to find in the stores right now (I am sure due to the heat) I ordered a second one off Amazon.com (actually ordered 3, 2 are for a friend in the UK) and they qualified for the super savers free shipping!  NICE.

They are a little messy when they start melting so if they are not actively licking or chewing on them they should go back in the freezer.  I have my guys eat it on the deck or laying on a towel. Trying to keep Brutus off he couch with it is a challenge.  he wants to lay smack dab in the middle of the couch so there’s a big wet spot where you sit. ick!

Since it can be refilled and reused over and over, its a great “green” way to cool down your dog during the hot “dog days” of summer.  Gotta love green treats!  I have used mine daily since purchasing it.  It certainly is WELL worth the money!

The Deep freeze are available in three sizes -medium, large and X large.

I absolutely hate some parents!  Especially of the Helicopter Dad variety!

This morning I was sitting at my desk gazing out my window watching people go by.  It was really nice out so i had the windows cracked and the saints were going nuts at every little noise so i had to close them.  Well just before I closed them the girls (8 &11) from two doors down walked by.  The had their 12 week old yellow lab (ADORABLE) and chi with them walking.  The lab stopped on my lawn and took a crap.  They started to walk off so I went and opened the door and this transpired.

me: “girls are you going to pick that up?”
girls: “pick what up?”
me: “the poop your dog just left on my lawn, do you have a bag?”
girls: “yes we have bags, but he didnt poop”
me: “umm yes he did, right there, i watched him”

I walked back inside and watched as the little girls walked off, no poop bag in hand.  I went over to the spot where the dog had pooped and as I figured, his little turds were still there.  I picked up the pile and was really irritated, I contemplated going and knocking on the door to tell their mother, but though better of it.  Its really petty when it comes right down to it.  But dont you know, they told their dad and not 10 minutes later he showed up at my door with the puppy and in a huff.

me: “oh, dont bring the pup to the door, I’ll come out” “my big ones get a little nuts”
him: “you talked to my girls a few minutes ago”
me: “yes, the puppy pooped on my lawn and I asked them if they were going to pick it up, which they didn’t”
him: “they said they walked the lawn twice and didnt see anything”
me: “I assure you it was there (points to spot), I picked it up after they walked away. (looks at me as if I’m lying)  If you dont believe me, I’ll fish it out of the trash and show you.
him: “well they had two poop bags and they said you were rude to them  If you have anythign to say to them, you need to come to me.  Im only 2 doors down.”
in udder disbelief at this point
me: “I absolutely was not rude to them. I have every right to address them when their dog poops on my lawn and they leave it.  I considered coming and telling you, but that seemed quite petty.  I have 6 dogs that I walk and pick up after.  Its something that is absolutely necessary when owning a dog.  I dont think you’d appreciate me leaving a pile on your lawn either.  I think I startled them when I opened the door and they were embarrassed, but I assure you I was not rude (trying to muster the biggest smile I could)”
him: “they are my girls from Arizona and they are not used to walking the dogs (well, that explains it right there, you have left them behind and think you can come in and be a helicopter dad on your 6 week summer stint.. nice)

Then we have some chit chat about Arizona and the U of A and how he went to Medical school there… sorry, just got my BA there im not a fancy doctor.  The pup is adorable though.  So far my track records with kids in this neighborhood is not good… I hope this trend does not continue.

GOD I HATE LIVING IN THE CITY!

Today Brutus and I met my friend Laura and two of her little dogs at the Friends for Life “Festival of Friends” in Canal Winchester.  This is an annual fundraiser event Friends For Life holds in June.  I try and go every year to support the group.  This is the group Eris came from and I have met some wonderful people associated with them.  It was so nice to see Gene again.  He was Eris’s first foster home before she came to me.  I wanted to take her, but she doesn’t “do” the heat so I opted to leave her at home.  I regret not taking her though, it turned out to be an overcast and cool day.  She would have really enjoyed it and I would have loved for Gene to see her and how far she has come.

This year’s event was REALLY small, I think it was a last minute decision to hold it.  Several local rescues showed up with adoptable dogs and there were some silent auction items - no, I didnt win anything .  A representative for Therapy Dogs Inc was there and we got some information on their organization.  Brutus, Rufus, Apollo and Zeus all have their CGC and TDI designations, but I have not kept up with their testing since we moved and have all expired so I need to have them tested again.  I really enjoyed doing therapy work with the Saints and Rufus absolutely loves going on visits and being loved on.  I think its time to get their certifications current so we can go on visits again.

Here are some really old pictures of Brutus on a therapy visit in a nursing home.

Therapy visits were always so relaxing for the boys and rewarding for me.  I felt like we made a difference to the residents as well as the staff.  I look forward to getting involved again and finding a nursing home closer to home.

Its been pretty dull around here since summer started.  I haven’t really felt motivated to get out and do much, especially with the heat this past week.  I really dont know why there are two seasons/temps in Ohio… COLD and HOT.  Very few nice 60-70°F days.  Compounding the problem is my lack of desire to follow Hera and Apollo around picking up poop when they are at the park.  Seems all they want to do is mark and poop (I am sure the poop is marking too) everywhere.  They dont really want to play, just poop and pee. UGGG - dogs, who’d have them. I do however, have plans on Sunday to go to the Festival of Friends dog carnival and walk with Brutus and her greyhounds.  Should be fun and is at my old stomping grounds.

One of the more “exciting” things around here has been a “gang” of neighborhood kids that have taken to tormenting my dogs.  The boys, 11-13 years old, told my son the last week of school they were going to bang on my door every night to make the dogs bark.  They have held true to their word and every night between 8 and 11 pm the little turds pound on my door and run. Of course the dogs go absolutely berserk and I am terrified one of them is going to hurt themselves getting so worked up. Of course, by the time I get to the door the boys are long gone.  It has been quite maddening.  Every single night.. with out fail! That is until last week when I caught them in the act!

They got careless, as all hooligans, ruffians and yobs do. They thought they’d press their luck and do a second run by knocking for the evening and I was ready for them!  Around 8:00pm came the ever so familiar pound, pound, pound on the door.  By the time I got up from my chair and ran to the door, they were gone. This scenario had been going on nightly for the better part of a month.  I was sooo irritated, that I decided I would be waiting for them the next night.  I set my trap…. pulled back the blinds just a bit so I could see out and cracked the window ever so slightly so if they made any noise what so ever I’d be ready.

The prospect of sitting at the window all night waiting on them was not very appealing, but enough was entirely enough!  I got super lucky though.  They decided to come back by a second time around 8:45pm.  I heard one of the boys say “just do it! Go knock” and a bunch of giggling.  They had met up with another group of younger kids and they were daring of of the younger boys to knock on the door.  I peeked out the window and sure enough they were heading up my walk.  I raced the door and swung it open just as the little prat was about to knock.  I caught him! Fist raised and deer in the headlights look on his face!  PRICELESS…

As they turned to run I stepped out on my doorstep and shouted at them in the meanest “crazy dog lady” voice I could muster. The conversation went like this:

me: “If you bang on my door one more time, I’m calling the police!”
snotty 12 year old girl with hands on hips: “OMG - Like what is your problem?”
me: “Dont you get smart with me little miss!  You know darn well what you are doing - Stop banging on my door trying to get my dogs all riled up! If I catch you anywhere near my house one more time I’m going to your parents!”

I spread the word around to some of the neighbors and found out who the boys are.  Wouldnt you know, we haven’t had anyone come knocking since.  Thank goodness.  I honestly can’t believe I was being tormented by prepubescent boys!  I am now one of those people from the movies that gets tormented by the nieghborhood kids… ugggg

Brutus and I attended Slobberfest in Dublin last Saturday.  I was so excited to go to my first dog event of the year - it sounded like so much fun.  It was not quite what I was expecting, but really cool for the rescue groups.  Turned out it was basically a giant adoption event.  There weren’t many people there when I showed up but it was a gorgeous day and people streamed in and out.

Things went downhill for Brutus and I from about the moment we got there, which was quite disappointing. There was a young, wild standard poodle was running around off leash (which is against the law here in my city unless in designated dog park areas) and came up and got up in Brutus’s face while he was trying to pee. The first time Brutus just turned his head away.  The second time he curled his lip & gave a little warning grumble and the dog backed up, The THIRD time Brutus snipped at him to back off the owner of the other dog SMACKED Brutus on the snout with his hand. I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t believe it and couldn’t even muster a response.  All I could do was pick my jaw up off the ground, mutter a “wow” and walk off. (Im kicking myself now for not giving him a piece of my mind)

As I am telling a friend at one of the rescue booths what happened the poodle started another full on fight. They walked by and the owner grabbed his dog by the ear so he wouldn’t approach Brutus again. UMM what about a frickin’ lead buddy?!  Its the LAW here for a reason!

I found out from another rescue friend that he is a dog trainer and he has his own business and volunteers or is paid to assist at the Humane Society. WHAT!!!! Are you kidding me?!  Its not 1950 dude - that school of thought isn’t acceptable in this day and age!  I can not believe a trainer would have the balls to smack someone else’s dog. How can someone that is a “professional” hit a strange dog and expect to pull his hand back with anything more than a bloody stump. Had I had my faculties about me, I would have bit his fingers off myself… just kidding.

Needless to say, this really soured the experience for me. But Brutus was an absolute star and was just lavishing in the attention and didnt seem the least bit bothered by the jerk.  Thank goodness for a well socialized, well adjusted and confident dog! 

We survived yet ANOTHER of the Panty Bandit’s (AKA Apollo) raids… whew!  I swear I dont know who I was more mad at.  My husband for leaving the closet door open or Apollo for doing what he does best worst, raiding the laundry basket for my unmentionables (cotton granny panties) and eating them! GROSS!!!!!! (Did I actually admit that?!)

Early Monday morning Apollo got in the closet and had a field day.  He destroyed and consumed bits and pieces of 9 pairs of my undies.  DUMB DOG! Obviously I freak out because of the sheer amount of fabric he has consumed i had a bad feeling this was not going to go well. Consuming foreign objects is a serious and potentially life threatening danger and should be avoided at all cost. Many times a blockage can occur requiring painful surgery to remove the object to prevent death.  As we learned with Rufus’s escapades with the salad dressing packet.. it makes a dog very sick to have even a partial blockage.

Since this wasn’t his first panty raid and all previous raids have had good outcomes I was hopeful and not as freaked out as I could have been.  But 9 is a lot and I held my breath.

Luckily he passed all nine pairs a few at a time over the course of 3 days with the final hold out showing up on day 5.  Why on earth have I been plagued with “poop” related issues this month?  My word!  I swear I feel like a “poopologist” these days….

Signs your dog has an intestinal blockage:
The signs are vomiting, dehydration, and distension of the abdomen. When the blockage is high, projectile vomiting occurs shortly after eating.  When low, there is a distension of the abdomen and vomiting is less frequent, but when present, it is dark brown and has a fecal odor,  A dog with a complete obstruction passes no stool or gas per rectum.

Untreated intestinal blockages leads to death of the dog.  This is most urgent when there is interference with the blood supply to the bowel.  This can be recognized by a rapid deterioration in the dog’s condition, an extremely tender abdomen and signs of shock or prostration.

If your dog is showing any of the above signs rush it immediately to the vet for surgery to remove the foreign object. - source Harlequin Haven Dane Rescue

I dont think I have told you all how much we love Kong toys lately!

Sure we like the standard Kongs, fill them with peanut butter and they are quite and happy as larks. But I am talking the expanded line of toys Kong makes.  Last summer we discovered the wubba line - what a hit it was and still is.  Apollo and Hera LOVE them, especially in the water and at the dog park.  She will chase after it over and over again with Apollo hot at her heals.

Did you know Kong makes a line of plush toys too?  One of Brutus and Rufus’s favorite all time toys is the Kong Dr Noys’ Plush Snake.  They had one at our old house and ran around playing tug of war for hours with it.  Sadly when we moved a little over a year ago it got left behind out in the field.  These are some of my favorite vintage Brutus and Rufus playtime pictures with their snake.

This stuffing-free plush toy has a little pouch in the mouth (pouch closes with Velcro) holds a replaceable squeaker and one in the tail (an extra packet of squeaker comes is included). It is sturdy enough for those two lugs to play tug of war for hours and not rip or tear.  They have missed their toy so.  So you can only imagine how excited I was to find it again at Petsmart two weeks ago.  It is not the easiest toy to find and I wish Kong would make it more readily available because it should be a HUGE seller. Or maybe it is and that’s why I haven’t been able to find it. I bought both of the ones they had so now I have a spare in case it gets lost.  The boys were absolutely ecstatic to have their old pal back. (note - I actually called the Kong company to make sure they still make the toy because it is so hard to find and they do.  Petsmart-$9.99 and Amazon-$10.50 are the two places to look for this particular one)

Now to our latest find…KONG TAILS!

This has to be one of the coolest throwing toys of all time.  The handle allows you to get an extra bit of “ummmfff” when you throw it for some long distance chasing action.  I tested it out at the neighbors with Apollo and his new buddy Tucker and they had loads of fun.

And also at the dog park - having that handle adds to the dogs’ “fun factor” because they really love this - Apollo can hardly contain himself he is so excited about the “swinging launch”.  The tails allow for some great tug of war action as well.

We certainly give this new design a four paws up!  Petsmart ranging from $12.99 - $19.99, available in three sizes.  Ours is obviously the large.

**keep your eyes pealed for a toy give away later this month!**

So, its been a couple of weeks since my last post.  I know, I never go that long with out an update.  Things have been pretty busy around here with my anniversary and the end of the school year.  Now things have calmed down and time to get back in the swing of blogging.  Everyone is doing well, with the exception of Rufus having the runs at the moment.  So all is right with the world so to speak… lol

We actually went to Chicago for our anniversary and left the dogs with my almost 16 year old son for a couple of days. Wow was it fun and exciting, but by day 2 I really missed the dogs.  We I orginally wanted to take Brutus and Rufus with but hubby decided it was too much of a hassle and our trip was almost canceled. It would have been a lot more difficult to get into the city with them and we spent so much time at museums it wouldn’t have been any fun for them.  But its nice to know that my son is now old enough that he can be left in charge for a couple of days.

I was surprised I didn’t see more dogs out and about in the city.  Chicago is ranked as one of the top 10 pet friendly cities and there were very few out and about.  There were a lot more out and about in New York City.  I guess the city dynamic is jut different and I wasn’t in the right places at the right times.

Thanks to those of you that have emailed to check in on me.  It really means alot to me.  I just needed a short hiatus…. so back to our regularly scheduled blogging!