Zoey and Sam

Sam is a gorgeous, blue eyed cat and her sister Zoey is an energetic "Schnoodle" (miniature schnauzer/poodle mix) with a LOT of personality. They live in a lovely suburban home with loving parents. Part of my job with these two is to brush both their teeth every night. The dog loves it... the cat (predictably) hates it! Despite her advanced age of 9, Zoey is full of zest, still leaping into the air to catch her favorite treats. During our evening walks, Zoey goes full-steam ahead, charging along and looking back at me - breathless and sweaty - as if to say, "hurry up!" If you'd like an affectionate, energetic companion, look no further than the Schnoodle. 

These two are used to a lot of belly rubs, as you can see!

 

Zoey and Sam are in a bit of competition when it comes to food, and they both eat too fast  - which can be damaging to their health.  Their parents found a wonderful solution in the "Portion Pacer," a silver ball that sits in the dog's food dish and prevents her from eating too fast.  If you have a pet who eats faster than they should, try the Portion Pacer!

Grizz at 6 months: All legs and feet!

Here is Grizz in late April, 2012. He is all gangly legs and big feet, and a bit clumsy. He is learning to sit and stay really well, and he can cuddle nicely, too. Sometimes he gets a toy in his mouth and he lies down and goes into a trance, sucking on the toy as if he were nursing. It is adorable!

Here are Scratchy and Grizz playing together on a nice spring day!

Grizz is growing like a weed!

Grizz is now about five months old. He has long legs, big front paws, a long nose, a long, thin, curly tail and some curly hair on his ears. We suspect he might have some Afghan in him! Look at how gangly he is! He is just adorable and sweet as can be.

Higgins the Great Dane

One rainy morning as I was caring for this gentle giant named Higgins, I awoke to the usual dreary Oregon drizzle. Higgins has a big backyard, but enjoys a walk in the morning, so I bundled up - warm pants, sweater, raincoat, gloves, hat, reflective vest, flashlight, potty bag, leash...only to find Higgins curled up...in MY bed! Most dogs get excited at the sight of the leash, but not Higgins. I tried to entice him, but he made it clear he was not interested in a walk that day with a long, low growl. Okay, Higgins... you're the boss! So I got back in bed, or at least, the tiny corner of the bed that Higgins let me have.

Sidney and Taz

Sidney and Taz are two beautiful Australian shepherds who are fortunate to live in a home with a backyard that is appropriate for such energetic dogs.  They have plenty of room to run, jump and chase each other around. Taz is definitely the dominant dog and Sidney is more shy, but they both are so sweet and affectionate.  I really enjoyed taking care of these two! 

Here they are, racing around their backyard:

Taz and Sidney are very well-trained, well-behaved dogs. When they come in from their playtime, they go straight to their bed until you say the magic words.....

Grizz is getting bigger

Grizz must be about 14 weeks old by now and he is growing so fast! Earlier this week, I set him in my lap and wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his belly and kissing his ears. He didn't struggle or chew; he just let me cuddle him to pieces for about five minutes! He will soon be way to big to sit on my lap, so I'm getting all the puppy snuggles I can.

When raising a puppy, it's very important that they get used to being touched all over. Make sure you touch their feet and toes, ears and teeth regularly so that when you really need to touch them in the future (injuries, medications, etc.), they won't struggle against you. Its great to do this when they are relaxed and comfortable.

Here's a real treat: Grizz playing with his toys. This pup was made for the camera! Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMpqwxS-Hko&feature=youtu.be

Recommended dog toys

The best dog toys I've ever found are "treat dispensers," a cube that has treat compartments inside. You can adjust the difficulty and they come in varying sizes.  I can't recommend any toy more highly than this one!

The dog soon learns to push the cube around with his nose (works best on carpet) and treats will fall out! Small, hard treats are the best to use with this cube.  My collie, Isis, played with one of these cubes her entire life and loved it! 

Speaking of treats, the longest-lasting chewy bones I've ever found are Purina Busy Bones. They will keep your dog busy longer than any other chewy, I promise! 

Another toy I've discovered that a lot of dogs like are called "Invincibles." They're filled with a plastic that crackles and squeaks, even if punctured.  They do seem quite invincible and dogs seem to love them!

Dogs Where I Live

I live in the lovely Pacific Northwest. My house is part of a three-home "enclave" of women and dogs with one shared yard. The dogs are free to come in and out of all three homes. When I first moved here, we had four dogs - my beautiful collie, Isis; one neighbor's German shorthair named Tallulah; and the other neighbor's two dogs, a bossy but adorable Shih Tzu named Scratchy; and a timid, affectionate poodle mix named Mimi.

Scratchy

Tallulah

Mimi

Isis

Here is a video of the four of them playing in the backyard, which we have since relandscaped:

Isis, my beloved collie of 13 years, was the first to pass away in January of 2009. No dog ever had a happier life nor a more peaceful, loving passing than she did. Here is a lovely tribute video I made for her. Please take a moment to enjoy it!

Isis Forever In My Heart

Sadly, Tallulah was the next to pass in January of 2012. Her last night with us was a memorable one. She was treated to a birthday party with all her loving human friends and stood smiling proudly in front of the cake when Happy Birthday was sung. Prior to her passing, she was allowed to gorge herself on all the foods dogs aren't allowed to have in life.

To leave this earth with a party in your honor, a huge pigout, and a peaceful, endless nap... we should all be so lucky.

Life was too lonely with only the two lap dogs to entertain the neighbor's young son, so in February of 2012, we added a new member - an eight week old fuzzball named Grizz!

Grizz



Unfortunately, the addition of Grizz brought more drama into the fold than Scratchy could stand, and she took it out on submissive Mimi.  After much deliberation, it was decided to find a new home for Mimi where she could get all the attention she deserves, as she is an exceptionally sweet and loving dog.  Mimi moved to a loving, new home in mid-March of 2012. We all miss her very much but hope she will be a lot happier in her new home.

Stay tuned for the inevitable adventures of Scratchy, Grizz and many more!

Riley: Jack Russell/Blue Heeler, 16 weeks old

I've just completed a petsit in a lovely home keeping watch over two cats and a 16-week-old puppy named Riley. Riley appears to be a Blue Heeler/Jack Russell Terrier mix. He attends puppy class and is learning not to bite, herd and jump on people.  Riley is growing into a really GOOD dog! It's so important to spend time every day training a puppy for about the first year. The investment will pay off for a lifetime!

Daisy finds the perfect spot to avoid the rain

Cooper stays under the bed and comes out at night to sleep on my face

Riley is also learning to sit but cannot bear to "stay."  He has already figured out "find your ball - bring it here." He has no problem staying in his crate overnight and will readily enter his kitchen playpen and calm down when asked to.  Riley loves having all your attention, but can entertain himself as well.  

I really enjoy taking care of Riley and am looking forward to watching him grow into a wonderful, loyal family dog! Click this link for a really cute video of Riley at play!

The day ended in tragedy for this well-loved, stuffed dog toy. Something tells me there are plenty more who are sure to meet the same fate!                                                                                                                                                              

  Riley is learning not to jump up, but he has a long way to go, as you can see. Yes, those are my legs, having taken a beating from the Ike Turner of the puppy world.  Sadly, it was not until the end of my pet sit that I noticed the holy grail of puppy training.... the dreaded SQUIRT BOTTLE, which had been sitting on the counter all along. Once I employed its deadly stream of H2O venom, Riley suddenly understood what all the yelling of "OFF!" had been about.

Riley is fascinated by the television, especially shows about dogs and cats (go figure). Here is Riley watching some other dogs on youtube - super cute! 

 

I loved caring for Riley and his feline friends, and I look forward to watching him grow into a very loyal and very good dog!

Walking Lightly Farm - Cripple Creek, Colorado

In early 2009, I stumbled upon the website of Walking Lightly Farm and High Spice Alpacas. It is an alpaca farm located in the middle of nowhere, Colorado, owned and run entirely by a single female lawyer named Suzanne. She also owns quite a few livestock guardian dogs and her website contains lots of great information about unusual breeds, such as the Caucasian Ovcharka, the Central Asian Shepherd and the Great Pyranees - which are all monstrously HUGE breeds!

I instantly loved this woman's attitude:

A lawyer by profession, a conservationist by passion, a volunteer pet rescuer and puppy foster home, I have always believed in walking lightly on the Earth as its other creatures do. I recycle everything, avoid GMO foods, give the dogs homeopathic remedies, take in strays, hate crowds and cities, love and respect honor, truth, and courage even when it's out of fashion.

I wrote her a brief email and told her how much I enjoyed her philosophies and her website. It so happened that I would visiting her area of rural Colorado soon, and she invited me to visit her farm. Here is a photo showing the beautiful, remote area she lives in.

 What a delightful day we had! Suzanne's hearty smile welcomed me like an old friend and her gargantuan dogs, as well as the adorable alpacas, were excited to meet me:  

 

Suzanne explained to me how alpaca hair is gathered and processed for sale, and introduced me to her whole curious crew!

Here's a video clip of Suzanne feeding the alpacas. Check out her gentle manner & their CUTE noises!

Suzanne and I have stayed in touch over the past few years by email and holiday cards.  I am so glad I got the chance to meet Suzanne and all her lovely animals! If you are passing through Cripple Creek, Colorado, I highly recommend you pay a visit to this wonderful woman's farm.

 

My Favorite Cute Animal Videos From Youtube

These are some of my all-time favorites; sure to make you smile!  I have lots of links to great cute animal videos and will share them over time.

Dogs, Cats and Trust

Teddy Bear, the talking porcupine

Cats playing patty cake

Marnie, the most adorable talking parrot you have ever seen!

Amber the Weimarener sings opera

Puppy Cam captured the world's heart in 2008