Xena’s Happy Tuesday with Adam

I finally got to go see Adam, who loves me lots! It’s been at least since Easter that I’ve been with him. I like to ride in my kennel in the back seat. It feels safe, and I can even nap if I want to on that 87 hour drive (Mom’s note: it’s less than hour). First place we went was to the Petco place. I admit, I did shake a little when we first walked in, but then I got to look at the guinea pigs and even a pet rat! And I got to sniff the treats and try on a new harness. It’s pretty nifty looking on me too, right?

Oh darn, the pretty part is on my tummy. Oh well.

Then we picked up some food and went to the Greenway up in Cleveland, Tennessee where Adam lives. They have a new dog park, so we went in there and I found out that Mommy also bought me doggie treats. Woohoo! There were two other little dogs there – the big dogs had their own dog park next door – but I wasn’t much interested. Pretty soon the trash and my poop were thrown in the big black can and all three of us went on a walk down a paved trail through the woods. There were a few dirt paths off the paved trail, and brother Adam wanted to ‘splore one. Off we went into the wilderness, dodging vines and poison ivy and slippery slopes. After a while the path disappeared. Oops! We had already walked what seemed like a long way, and Mommy didn’t really want to turn around. So out comes her phone with that Gee Pee Ess and it showed that the Greenway was to the South West. Hmmm. I thought the South West was where the cowboys live…along with some of my blogging friends.

Next, Mommy looks up and says, “The sun’s in the west right now, and it’s around 2:00 in the afternoon, so we should go this way,” and starts leading us through leaves and more vines and under branches and pretty soon, guess what? We ended up on the paved trail. It was a fun adventure, and yes, Mommy checked me over real good for ticks when we got home, and there weren’t any on me. Here’s me and Adam after we got back on the trail

I sure do hope I get to go again in a coupla weeks when Mommy goes back to visit with my big brother.

Thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop! (even if it was a happy Saturday that I saw my Adam)

Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Happy Tuesday with Riley

Hi folks *wags* it’s me, Riley. Mom Amy said I should give you happy news that I’ve been doing better lately. You might already know that I’ve got an enlarged heart that presses on something called an ass off me gus* and I’ve also heard it called my wind pipe. Weird, huh? My Person Andrew has discovered two things. Thing 1: If I lay my head on the bolster, it keeps my airways open and I’m not waking up during the night coughing cause I’m struggling to breath. Thing 2: I breathe better when I don’t get too hot, and opening the bedroom window and turning on the fan helps a lot.

Mom Amy said, “Let’s show the folks you using your bolster.” So, here I am.

Sometimes the bolster rolls away from me, and when Mom Amy or MP Andrew picks it up, I lift my head for them to place it on my legs. I’ve also learned that if I sleep more on my side, that keeps the pressure off my windpipe and I’m getting more sleep and so is MP Andrew! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

*esophagus

Xena Went to the Beach on Happy Tuesday

Mommy loves to go to the beach so much, I thought I’d try it out.

Not sure what the big deal is. If anyone sees my Mommy, please tell her I’m at the beach and would she please bring me my supper?

Thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Happy Tuesday with Xena and Chia

Chia: Guess what me and Xena did on Sunday! Remember why Xe didn’t wanna do a Sunday selfie? No? It’s cause she knew she was going to Freestyle after a long time of not going and was real anxious to get there. And guess who else got to go…me!!!!!!!!!

Xena: Yep, wasn’t as good as just me and Mommy, but it sure was a lot better than not going. I was so excited, and Miss Julia asked me and Mommy to demonstrate a lot of things for the beginners. I got an A++++++! I remembered all of it, watched Mommy for cues and did it just right.

Chia: Yep, and I’m one of those beginners, so I watched real close so that when it was my turn with Mom, I would do it just right, too. And I mostly did! I even got to work off-leash some. Of course, there were treats involved.

Xena: Mommy brought a lot of CD’s home to listen to the music in my tempo (32 bpm) and Chia’s tempo (50 bpm). We’ll help her pick out the ones we like most. Then we’ll do things like help her with the movements. And Mommy will have to download the songs from the CDs and cut parts of it to be the right length for each of us. I’m going to perform in the top level this time, Level 4.

Chia: Mom’s still deciding if I’ll be a total beginner in Level 1 (on leash) or if I get to start in Level 2B (off-leash). We can’t do Level 2A because Mom’s already titled Lexi and Xena. I think I’m a 2B kinda girl! Hmmm, 2B or not 2B, that is the question…where have I heard that before…

Maybe next time we’ll have pictures of us at the Obedience Club where we’re taking our lessons.

Chia: In the meantime, I have something to tell y’all. I didn’t realize this until it happened, and now I know I’m absolutely the smartest dog in the neighborhood, maybe in the whole world.

I’m super smart!

Seriously! Here’s what happened:

Monday night I was standing in the bedroom with Mom who needed to get into “her” bathroom” and had given brother Andrew – who was in the jacuzzi tub - a 30 minute warning. An hour later she yelled through the door that she needed in there now! He said, “Just give me 30 seconds to get decent.” At that, Mom started counting the seconds out loud. You know… one, two, three, and so on. I had scratched at the door a couple of times to tell him to hurry up. Then, just as Mom said, “thirty,” I threw myself at the door and it opened. I know what Thirty means! It means open the @#*! door!!! And I did!!

*Wags* and many thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus, who is hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Xena and Chia, the happy (and smart) pups

Chia’s Happy Tuesday

Hey everyone! Did you see the what I got for Christmas? Yep, I got the praying bear, but I also got a half me. Mom and Dad think I’m half dachshund and half jack russell terrier. I got a dachshund stuffie!!

Mom, I’m sorry I chewed MeMine’s nose off. Is my nose still there? I mean, it’s only half me, right?

Anyhoo, Happy Tuesday! From me, Chia, and Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus, who is hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Happy Tuesday with Gracie

Gracie was one of Angel Lexi’s only dog friends. She’s a very smart little shih tzu, and fun to be around. She came and stayed with our folks for a couple of weeks to try to help them right after Lexi crossed the bridge. She came back regularly as her folks went out of town to visit, and often made trips with our folks. This is the 3rd time in the last two or three months that Gracie’s spent a week with us. We all like Gracie and we think she likes us too.

Me and Gracie, we went for a special walk today around the neighborhood, just us two with Mommy. And with our neighbor Miss Pam. She walked with us too. And with our shadows. **humming “Me and My Shadow”**

Happy Tuesday! From Xena and Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus, who is hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Chia’s Happy Tuesday Pose

Dad, do you remember when you and Mom went to the Knoxville zoo and all of us got our zoo animal look-alikes, but you didn’t get a picture of mine cause it was an otter and it was swimming underwater and the pictures wouldn’t turn out? Well, I don’t think Riley’s the gorilla, I think I am.

See, I even sit just like her. I think I could even make the same noises if I tried. I’ll try that later tonight when we all go to bed, OK?

A big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Riley Goes to Work, Good News, and a Mixed Bag on Happy Tuesday

A big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Riley: I got loaded in the car and forced to ride with Mom Amy. We ended up at her work church. When she let me out of the car, I stopped shaking. Then she took me into the church and I started shaking again. I’m set in my ways and I don’t like new things (unless it’s a toy). I got a bowl of water and some dried meat treats, and eventually I settled down.

A couple of people came in and the mailman came, and I greeted them like I’ve heard Lucy does…but I didn’t smile like her; I just wagged my tail. Then it was time to leave and I had to get back in that d..mn car, but instead of going home I went to my vet. That was good. I love going to my vet. I met a nice lady who pet me while we waited. A vet tech came out and weighed me, then took me to the back and stole a little of my blood, but that was ok, I’ve got plenty more.

Dad Jeff showed up with all three of my sisters and waited in the car. Later they told me they were at their vet and got blood stolen from them, too. Lucy said that Chia yelled, “Me first,” so she went first while Xena cowered under a chair.

Anyhoo, when I was done at my vet, I got in the car with them and Mom Amy took me home while Dad Jeff went to the FedEx place with all our stolen blood.

A few days later Mom Amy got an email from the lab in Canada, who had apparently run DNA heartworm tests on the blood. Everyone was “negative.” I do believe that’s a good thing, cause it made the peeps happy.

I’m happy cause I don’t have to have another DNA heartworm test for almost 6 months.

Mom Amy, however, was not happy when she looked at the bill for drawing blood from the girls. The CHAI vet place had doubled their price. She called the practice manager and was told that she had to raise the price because of all the difficult dogs that came there, and all the time it took to steal their blood, and she couldn’t make any exceptions even though all three of my sisters were in and out in a total of of 20 minutes. After Mom Amy had already told her that less than 6 months ago it was half that price, and she should have been told, the woman said she couldn’t make any exceptions. Then, when Mom Amy told her my blood draw was only $15.50 (as opposed to their $39 each), she had the stupid nerve to ask why on earth Mom Amy hadn’t taken my sisters to that place instead? Then she asked if the email address was the same and said she’d send their records over to Mom Amy so she could go to the other place. Now there are decisions to be made. I’m glad I’m not the one making them, cause I would just say, no more blood theft! Now it’s time for a good nap.

Mom Amy: I’ve recommended Chai (Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute) to many of my grooming clients, some of whom I know read my posts here. I still recommend Dr. Colleen Smith, but if the office is going to be run like this, I don’t know if I can keep going there. Just a heads up. Be sure to ask for a cost if you decide you want to try them, because I have a feeling that blood draws aren’t the only thing that has doubled in price. I may still go for the vet visits, but will always get an estimate first. Still trying to decide for sure what to do after this extremely upsetting encounter. I have, however, already established Xena at Riley’s vet so I can take her there for the $15.50 blood draw in another 5 1/2 months. And I plan on doing the same with Chia and Lucy, too. Thanks for reading!

Happy Breed Results Tuesday

Hi, Lucy here. The results are in! While the Good Dog breed wasn’t listed, Mom said that was just an oversight on the Wisdom Panel people’s part, cause that’s what I mostly am. *big wags*

If you said boxer, as many of you did, you will find out that it is at the top of my breed profile. Also, if you remember, Mom and Dad had a little contest (now I know where Xena gets that from) and wrote down what breed(s) they think I am, and hid the papers away until we got the results. How did my Mom do? She got four out of six she wrote down, and three of them were top of the list. Dad? He only wrote down one, and it was also at the top. Are you wondering what breed(s) I am? Drumroll, please! And here it is!

We detected 10 breeds in Lucy’s DNA.

• Guard
  • 26% Boxer
  • 25% American Pit Bull Terrier
  • 24% American Staffordshire Terrier
  • 7% Bulldog
  • 5% American Bulldog
• Herding
  • 4% Australian Shepherd
  • 2% Border Collie
• Asian and Oceanian
  • 3% Siberian Husky
  • 2% Chow Chow
• Sporting
  • 2% Labrador Retriever

I’m really happy I’ve got so much boxer in me since my guy Achilles is all boxer and my BFF Ella is half boxer. No wonder we all get along so great! I can’t wait to tell Pastor. He still tells me he loves me and kisses and pets me at work. I never knew work could be so great!

Oh, and the panel also showed some of my relatives, and the second one listed is named….Lucy!!
To finish up, I want to thank Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Who’s the Church Dog Now? Lucy’s Happy Tuesday

Monday, a week ago Xena: It’s time to go, Mommy. I’ve got JenJen Bear, we’re at the door, and we’re ready to go home and get our supper.

Yes, it’s time to go, and you may want to say goodbye to the church for a while. Over the weekend you showed me you didn’t want to work at doing Freestyle, so we’re not going to Cleveland, Ohio to try to get your Title 4. Now you left turds for the Building and Grounds guy to find…who, by the way, wasn’t too fond of you to begin with. Then you growled and barked at people as they came in. When you figured out you weren’t getting any treats for doing that, you started running up to them, wiggling and wagging your tail just long enough for you to turn around and run back to me to get a treat. I’m not sure this “church dog” thing is working out so well for you.

Last week: Tuesday and Thursday Lucy: Is Pastor coming today? I love pastor, he’s so nice and he wants to get me a new bed for me to lay in his office when he’s here. I wonder if he’ll pet me a lot. He always tells everyone who comes in that I’m a good dog. This time when he kisses me on the nose, I’ll kiss him back. Are the church ladies coming today? They all ask to pet me, and it makes me so happy I wiggle and smile at them.

Yes, Lucy. Pastor is going to visit shut-ins, but he said since you are here, he will come by the church first to see you.

Note: No dogs on Wednesday simply because of how many folks come in for meetings that day. The church is closed on Fridays. So, Lucy now has every available opening for a “church dog.”

Xena: Mommy, if I’m a good girl, can I come back to work?

We’ll see.

A big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

It’s a Vodka Day by Chia on Happy Tuesday

I haven’t been to the church where Mom works, but some stuff has come to me. I heard that the pastor went to a morning-long meeting and they were giving out a bunch of goodies from a vodka company rep that was there. Mom came home with a large collar, a medium collar (all too big for me, rats!), 2 scarves (also too big for me), and 2 squeaky toys. They all have the vodka company logo and picture on them. Lucy’s wearing her new (medium) collar, Riley’s got one of the scarves, and I’ve got a new squeaky toy!

It’s my Vodka bottle from Tito’s. Their motto is “Vodka for Dog People.” Riley keeps stealing it. He chewed a hole in the corner. I wonder if any vodka came out. I wonder what “vodka” is??

Riley: I was trying to smell like something other than the bath I just had.

A big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Grooming with Mom: Bear and Rosie

Lucy, Ace Reporter, coming to you live from WGWM with another episode of Grooming with Mom. We are so thankful for all of Mom’s wonderful clients and their pups! Today we have two new ones to introduce to you.

But first, a big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

First up is Bear. He’s JoJo’s brother. We introduced JoJo back in January. You can see that episode here. Some of our friends suggested in comments that JoJo be treated for yeast. This is JoJo:

She was here getting groomed with Bear, and still very “yeasty.” So Groomer Mom showed her Dad what she has been giving Xena, a set of 3 powders called “Yeast Free Fido” from Four Leaf Rover, and suggested he try it. It’s really helped my sister Xena’s yeasty ear and this is the first time her tummy has looked “normal” in years. He asked for the link and said he would try it. Groomer Mom did warn him that it would take at least a month to start seeing results. Paws crossed it works for the dear little poodle JoJo.

Back to Bear. He’s also a miniature poodle, silver, and will be 13 this July. This is Bear before grooming.

He really didn’t look too bad. And yep, he’s got a mohawk. His dad wanted him to keep it, just trim it a little shorter. Remember that when you see his “after” picture, please. Groomer Mom would never suggest a mohawk on a poodle, but she also doesn’t argue with a client (most of the time.)

Bear was very timid, and did not want his toenails cut. Who does? I mean, I don’t, but I also don’t make a big production of it. *clears throat* Sorry. Didn’t mean to make this report personal. Anyhow, here is Bear’s “after” picture.

Moving on…

This next pup, Rosie, was referred to us by Brinkley’s dad. If you missed Brinkley, you can see him here. Rosie had been going to a different groomer who had her Dad sign an agreement that said they would not groom her if she had any fleas. The last time he took her, she had 3 fleas and they refused to groom her. They set another appointment for her and he took her home and gave her a flea bath. Then they called to reschedule that appointment. That was the final straw. He loved how Brinkley was groomed, so he got the referral and came the next day.

Here’s Rosie before her groom. Well, almost before her groom. Groomer Mom had already shaved her body when she remembered to take a picture. She is a nine-year-old shih tzu, and looks and acts much younger.

When Rosie arrived Groomer Mom used three different blades on her tummy for her Dad to decide what length he wanted her hair. It ended up that he wanted the longest one. She was a very good girl on the grooming table. Then it was bath time. Groomer Mom had the sprayer hose going full blast when Rosie decided to leap out of the tub. Groomer Mom dropped the sprayer and grabbed Rosie on her way down to the floor. Meanwhile, the sprayer sprayed the ceiling, the walls, the table and the floor. “Popcorn” rained off the ceiling onto everything, including Groomer Mom. It took three big towels to sop up all the water and wet “popcorn”on the floor. Groomer Mom didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, so she laughed.

After all that, here’s Rosie’s “after” picture.

And she looks so innocent.

Ace Reporter Lucy signing off, with wishes for a great “popcorn-free” weekend!

Chia’s Favorite Toy on Happy Tuesday

I squeak it and shake it hard! I know it’s good cause Mom got it for me at Good Will!

We want to give  a big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Those Dogs Eat Better than Me!

Chia: That’s what we hear people say when they hear about or see what we eat.

Our supper time is 5:00 sharp! We all know that, but we never ever mind if Mom feeds us early. Late is a different story. Every evening, Mom makes up our supper and our breakfast for the next day. Our breakfast bowls get covered and put in the refrigerator until 6:00 the next morning. We get her or Dad up if they sleep late. We’re helpful like that.

In the left column is our supper bowls. In the right column, Lucy will get 2 eggs added in the morning, and I will get one. I don’t think that’s fair, but Mom reminds me that means I get more meat, so that’s OK. Xena and Riley are both allergic to eggs, so they don’t get any. Then we get all our special additives on top, like fish oil and krill oil and bone broth capsules and pre- and probiotics and some other stuff, too.

Can you guess whose bowl is whose? Bet you can’t, so I’m gonna tell you. I get up on the stool on the far side of the counter and watch as Mom makes it all up, so I’ve got the scoop on this. The bowls at the top are Riley’s. He eats a lot!

Riley’s picky, so Mom puts his veggies and fruit in the food processor, then mixes it in with his meat. I don’t know if he knows she fools him like that, but it works. The day Mom took these pictures, he didn’t eat his fruit, so Mom saved it and processed it for his next meal. You might remember he had been having lots of diarrhea, and some throwing up. No more! His furs are shiny again, too! He never was excited about meals, and often didn’t eat much, but now he’s right there waiting with us for every meal and licks his bowl clean (when Mom “food processes” his veggies and fruit).

Next are Lucy’s bowls. She gobble, gobbles and barely tastes what is in her bowl.

No need for the food processor for her. Can you see her tongue licking even the outside of the bowl and the floor?

Next are the best bowls…mine!

I’ve got little teeth and I have to chew a lot. I don’t like swallowing my food whole like Lucy does. Sometimes Mom puts mine in the food processor too, probably to make Riley think his food is supposed to look like that, since we eat right next to each other.

Riley and I eat slower, and are always the last ones done. Sometimes Mom puts yuckie stuff like strawberries or apples in our bowls, and we both leave those as presents for our sisters. But when she uses the food processor, we lick our bowls clean!

Closest to the edge of the counter are Xena’s bowls. Mom has to remember or look at the list on the fridge for what to NOT feed her, because of her allergies. She does the same thing now for Riley, too.

Xena loves to eat, and licks her bowl clean then checks out Lucy’s while Lucy checks out hers, BOL! There’s never ever anything left in those bowls. I don’t know why Mom even bothers to wash them after every meal.

We get different things…sometimes grass-fed ground beef, sometimes beef roast, sometimes turkey or tuna fish or sardines. We get deer meat too, when Mom can get it. No one gave us a deer (for the cost of processing) last fall, but we all have our paws crossed that we’ll be eating venison again real soon. We get all kind of fresh veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens, carrots, squash, bell peppers, and also cooked mushrooms that we love. Lucy and Xena really love all the fresh summer fruits, too: watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. We all like avocados, too, and they help with Xena’s leg cramps.

Anyhoo, you can see why we are happy pups, on Happy Tuesday and every day! And oh yeah, thanks, Comedy Plus, for hosting Happy Tuesday. Y’all are the best!

Grooming with Mom: Toby

Lucy, Ace Reporter here with another episode of Grooming with Mom. Many thanks to  Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Today we have another new poodle puppy to introduce. Toby is five months old and never been groomed. I, Ace Reporter, personally met and interviewed Toby. First, Toby’s “before” picture.

Under all that hair is a sweet, 3 pound baby. Groomer Mom’s original plan was to brush him out (that’s a grooming term) and take a couple of inches off that mop, all the way around. But the brush wouldn’t go through his hair. The comb wouldn’t go through his hair. She sprayed him with a de-matter and used the de-matting tool, and it wouldn’t go through his hair. His mats were almost to the skin; there was no way to get some sharp shears there without risking cutting him. So next, Groomer Mom tried a long, #5 blade. It wouldn’t go through the mats. She then moved to a #7 blade, which cuts a little shorter, with blades closer together. Sure enough, with a little work, it found it’s way through. Of course, Groomer Mom also had to use the table strap to keep the little guy on the table and not trying to crawl on her shoulders while being groomed. Here he is again, partway through and wondering what this thing is around his body.

It was at this point that the groom got really tricky.

“Do NOT shave my front legs! Do NOT put that noisy shaver near my throat! Do NOT cut my nails!” declared little Toby with his screams, his teeth, his claws and all his energy to fight. It was at this point that Groomer Mom unstrapped him, carried him upstairs to Groomer Helper Dad and said, “I need help. Now.”

Groomer Helper Dad went downstairs, taking this reporter with him. At that point, I was wearing my proverbial Zen hat. While I sent calming thoughts Toby’s way, Groomer Helper Dad held him, got peed on, got scratched, and nearly dropped him. Then Groomer Mom wrapped Toby in a towel and pulled out or uncovered only the body parts she needed to work on. Groomer Helper Dad agreed to a picture as long as he remained anonymous. I’ll look up what that word means later…

The towel actually worked better than my zen thoughts, if you can believe that! Toby calmed right down and the groom was able to be completed. Here he is after his bath and touch-up.

Since Toby’s Mom couldn’t pick him up for 30 minutes, Groomer Mom brought him upstairs and put him in Xena/Chia’s kennel. Xena and Chia immediately ran up and started barking at him, which our Mom immediately put a stop to, saying, “Stop that! How could you be so hateful to this poor little puppy?!” Xena harumphed and walked away, but Chia decided to stay and try to make friends with him.

In the end, Toby’s Mom – who had never before had an “indoor” dog – loved the cut and understood why it had to be different from what was planned. She bought a grooming comb from Groomer Mom and made a new appointment for six weeks from now. She also told Groomer Mom that her 7-year-old son was very worried about leaving Toby. He asked his Mom how they knew they could trust “that lady” they left him with. She explained that his great-aunt brought both of her Yorkies (Molly and Cooper) here, and that she would never do anything to endanger them. Groomer Mom suggested that the boy be given a chance to stay and help during the next groom, so that option will be presented when Toby returns in October.

Lucy, Ace Reporter and Zen Master, signing off with another successful groom.

Detective Larry Lemur and the Case of the Murdered Stuffie

Many thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Larry Lemur: *gasp* Someone suffocated Rainey!

There’s a murderer among us. I need to start bringing in suspects.

So, Xena, where were you last night and this morning?

Xena: Last night I laid on Daddy’s lap while he and Mommy watched their show on Netflix. Then I went to bed with them and slept all night in the bedroom with the door closed. Do you have any idea how upset Riley’s going to be?

Larry: I do. So are you saying you’re innocent? If you’re innocent, why are you wearing those Big Girl Panties even though you don’t go into heat anymore? Are you trying to wear a disguise?
Xena: Well, I’m not so sure I’m exactly innocent. I mean, I did chase a lizard into Lucy’s mouth once, and I’ve tried to catch chipmunks. Mommy put these Big Girl Panties on me so I couldn’t lick and chew on my tummy because of my allergies. Did you notice they match my herbal flea collar? But no, I didn’t kill Rainey. I think it was Chia.

Larry: Fine. You’re free to go. But don’t leave town.
Larry, talking to himself: Hmmm. I know Lucy has absolutely no interest in stuffies, and she’s the least likely dog to inflict harm on anyone or anything. Although she and Ella did tear up the back of the couch cushion once when their folks were all gone. But that was a long time ago and she has promised to never do anything like that again. She’s a dog of her woof. So…

Chia, did you murder Riley’s Rainey?
Chia: I’m innocent, Your Honor.

Sure, I’ve killed my share of stuffies, but I know better than to mess with Riley. You know he’s going to make somebody pay for this, and I don’t mean with cash or treats. Nobody, but nobody, crosses Riley (except Mom the Brave). There’s going to be pain and suffering…I should run away again.

Later…

Rainey: Hey there Riley. Do you have any idea where everyone went? I can’t find any of the other woofers.

Riley: *slurp, slurp*
Rainey: I mean, I laid down on the loveseat to catch some zzzz’s, but the sun was in my eyes so I covered my head with the pillow before falling asleep. I woke up to the sound of dogs running and doors slamming. Oh well, you and me, we can still have some fun together. Umm, what’s with the Cone of Handsomeness, Big Guy?
Riley: Allergies, and bacterial and yeast infections. I’m on meds, but in the meantime, Mom Amy doesn’t want me licking and chewing on myself. Yeah, let’s go find something to do around here, like figure out where everyone went to.

Larry, peeking around the corner: Case closed!

A Dog and Her Bone

Chia: Xena thinks that’s her bone. It’s not!

I got it!

Where’d she go?

Uh oh, I think I hear Riley coming. He always wants my bones.

He passed right by the couch and so did everyone else, heading for the door.

Now I can safely lay in a sun puddle with my stuffies, my blanket and my bone!

Many thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday!

Fun with Freestyle

Me and Mommy are having so much fun going to practice our dancing on Sundays. We’re getting our moves and routines together to go get our Title 4 in Cleveland, Ohio in June. I think Mommy still has a lot of work to do. Here is what we’re going to do at the beginning. First, we walk in and Mommy honors the pretend judges and audience. Then we get set up to start. Then we start our Freestyle dance.

After that we worked on our ending. Yep, it needs more work…

We went to our class again today and changed up some things to look better and fit the timing better. Just wait til you see us dancing at the Titling Event in June!

Many thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday!

Xena Schnauzer Dancing Princess

Riley on Happy Tuesday

Hey there. This is Riley. I’ve had a bit of a hard time this month. Mom Amy got a new product to rub on my “lower” tummy to try to help it feel and be better. Besides, she can’t stand the sound of me licking and chewing on it. “Riley! Stop doing that!” That’s what I kept hearing from the other room at the far end of the house. I think she has superman or vampire hearing. I hope it’s superman. Anyhow, I started getting the squirts. Bad. And I started throwing up clear liquid. At least it wasn’t my food coming up. It was all shooting out the other end!

Then came the starvation diet. No food for 87 hours. Then just rice and pumpkin. Then half portions of my regular food. I’m normally — yes, I’ll admit it — a picky eater. By this time I was waiting to see if Chia left any of her veggies in her bowl that I might scarf up! Since my head’s almost as big as her whole body (OK, I exagerate) she started backing away and saying, “Here you go Riley, uh, help yourself.” Unfortunately, Mom Amy was right there stopping me. Strangely enough, I stopped itching during this time. And I never actually felt bad, except when the cramping hit. I still played and went for walks and bugged Dad Jeff for my nightly walk and gave a lot of happy tail wags!

Anyhoo, I got back on my regular Honest Kitchen beef nuggets diet, and all was well. Until I started itching again. Until Mom Amy put more of that medicine on my itchy area. Until I started squirting from the nether regions again. Dad Jeff was taking me out every time I asked and he started seeing bright red blood in the squirts. That went on for over a day, and that’s when I was stuck in the car and taken to the vet’s. It was a different vet ’cause our regular vet was full. It was a vet my Dad Andrew had taken me to years ago and we both liked them. I got to stay a while cause Mom Amy had to go to work. They ran some tests and x-rays and stuck that glass stick up my butt. And you know what? I didn’t fight them or scream or complain or threaten them, I just wagged my tail. They said I was the best boy ever! Mom just looked at them like they had grown horns and tails when they told her that. Then she explained how I normally act at the vet’s. (We won’t go into that!) I just looked at them and wagged my tail some more, like, “Don’t listen to her.”

So now I’m on metronidazole and just finished my low-dose opium drug. *wags* That’s good shi…uh…stuff. No more blood and no more squirts. No more itchies and my ears are better, too. I feel really, really good right now. *wags* And I’m very, very happy about that…

Just sleepy…*little wag* Oh look..my reindeer’s snoozin’ with me. His name’s..uh, name’s… Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Many thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Mom Amy’s notes: So, is his itching caused by any allergy to beef? I’ll have to try changing his diet, but I won’t change the brand, since it is the only human grade dog food I can find, so… I may be cooking for the big boy until things other than beef and chicken come back in stock.
Was his “squirts” caused by what I rubbed on his tummy? Probably, so sure won’t do that again.”
Did the antibiotics clear up his ears? If so, it was within a day, which would be odd. Or was it, again, an allergic reaction to the beef in his diet, which he wasn’t getting both times during his “squirts.” During both those times– the first without any meds — his ears and lower belly cleared up. So, probably. So now the search for non-beef Honest Kitchen dog food begins. (In the meantime I really am cooking for him and he’s licking his bowl clean!)

Grooming: Caesar and Rusty

Ace Reporter Lucy here today on the Groom Beat.

There’s an old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Today, however, I have a story for you about how good begets good. Let’s start at the beginning…

Our pastor put out an email asking if anyone could help one of the members by taking her a meal while her husband was out of town. She had recently been in the hospital with an injury and was having trouble getting around. Because Mom has never done this, she decided it was about time she stepped up. The member (let’s just call her M.A. for short) lives very close to Mom and Dad’s favorite Mexican restaurant, so Mom called and asked M.A. what she would like. After picking up the order and finding M.A.’s house Mom was greeted at the door by two sweet pups. (You knew dogs had to be involved, right?) Mom and M.A. settled in to visit for a while with Mom on the floor petting the dogs. Toward the end of the visit, M.A. said she sure wished she had someone who could groom her dogs. She was very excited when Mom revealed that besides working as the Office Manager in a Jewish synagogue, she is, in fact, a dog groomer. M.A. immediately made an appointment for her daughter or grandson to bring her two pups that coming Saturday.

Here’s Caesar, who is a 14 year old long-haired dachshund, doesn’t show his age at all. Here he is before his groom.

Caesar is a very good boy, but he doesn’t like his picture taken. Groomer Mom must have taken a dozen or more shots and finally gave up with the one below after his groom. Groomer Mom asked me to add that she didn’t cut the top part of his face hair at all, but after seeing the picture realized she could have blended it with her thinning shears to look better.

When he got home to his mom, she texted to say how much she loved his cut and that it was the best groom he’s ever had. Caesar will definitely be coming back!

Next up is his nine year old brother Rusty. Rusty supposedly has lab and poodle in him. He and Caesar were both rescues, so it’s hard to say for sure. Rusty has an auto-immune disease, and was recently diagnosed with diabetes, for which he gets daily injections.

Rusty is now the tallest dog Groomer Mom has as a client since Aoife moved to Denver, but he still fit just fine in the grooming sink. He’s a real sweet boy, even though he’s a bit “busy” on the table. Here he is post groom.

Excuse me Miss Groomer, there is a hair sticking up on my nose.

Groomer Mom corrected those misbehaving hairs on Rusty’s nose before he went home. We look forward to seeing Caesar and Rusty back again in a few weeks.

Lucy, signing off with thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.