Qwill's new "job"

In preparation for winter, and as a way to give Koda lots of exercise with minimal exposure to the grass, i've started teaching the dogs to walk/trot on the treadmill. Qwill really seems to enjoy it! Trophy likes to experiment with the moving tread while Qwill is on the machine (which is why i said his name is this vid as it distracts Qwill. Trophy is successfully trotting on it as well. Shiner said "NO WAY JOSE!" and slammed on the breaks. Since i don't want to break the thing (it's my grandparent's) we're going super slow with him, he'll get a few days off and we'll try again.

Right now they're doing a quarter of a mile twice a day which is about 5 minutes twice a day.

Anyway, here is Qwill "patrolling" the sun room.



I also got some new group shots today!
This is what happens when you try out a manual mode, then forget to change it back to auto and then your dogs get ants in their pants and you only get a few (bad) pics when you do set it back to auto:


auto: much better, too bad about the composition. :(




Shiner has taken up being pensive as a hobby


Trophy just likes chewing on sticks. :)

I'm just too awesome:

I wanted to be sure to show you all the collars i made for Qwill and Shiner. Qwill's is the blue and green stripe and Shiner's the hearts.







I also have martingales done for Daisy and (almost done) with Calli's (Daisy's new playmate). I'm only almost done with Calli's because mom was apparently right about her sewing machine.... and i gave it a heart attack. It's not working anymore and i have to finish it by hand :( it's super cute tho!

And lastly, how is Trophy doing 48 hours post surgery?


so good he's peeing on the floors, wrestling with Shiner, and tormenting Koda.

Awe! Thanks!

We received an award from Samantha, Holly and Zac! Thanks guys!



there are "rules" or something to this, but i'm a rebel and i'm not going to follow them (besides i'll never get my custom layout done at this pace...). I love all the blogs i have listed in the side bar, go check 'em out!

Not so much fun afterall

Trophy says "mawm, plz don't take me back to da vet... they took away all my balls!"

Don't worry Trophy... you can only be tutored once per lifetime! :)

Trophy will be blogging for himself today:

hey-lo der everybodi! Trofee here to updayte u on waht's goin' on! Tomorrow mawm is takin' me on an advenchure. She's takin' me to get "tutored" and she said something about "balls"... i hope she meant tennis balls and i gets to chayse dem all day long! I just wish my brudders could get tutored wiff me, i's sure we'd has so much moar fun if we went together.


Waz dis? mawm said bruddarh's has allready been tutored. Too bad dey's sleepins and i can't ask dem hao much fun i's gunna have.

Oh! Mawm made me a new collar too. She says it fits me purfektly since i'm a skurvvy dog... whutever DAT means.




Okays, I's gunna go to sleeps nao, gots ta get up early to get tutored! Night!
~Luv, Trofee



pee-ess: mawm wanted me ta tells ya she maid mai collar all bai herself wifout any helps at all! Yer da best mawm, nao less go sleep.

i made Trophy a new collar!

...actually my mom MADE the collar, i designed it. And I helped! (I cut out the fabric)
Anyway, it's super cute. It is also a super learning experience, as even tho i made it the same length as the store baught collars, it is only going to fit trophy for another 2weeks or so. Also, we used the cotton webbing we had insteading of buying polypropolene webbing... well, polypro is thinner, tho this collar is very thick. So thick in fact that i can't show you any closeups as my mom's sewing machine couldn't handle the double material and we did it by hand (er, mom did it by hand [it's not that i can't sew, mom just thinks i'm going to cause her ancient sewing machine to kick the bucket and she can't buy a new one]). So the stitching isn't pro-quality. I don't care, i think it looks sooooo cute on him! I have some polypro to make a 2inch thick pirate theme collar for him when he'll look ok in a 2inch thick collar, right now he'd look like he was wearing a neck brace! I also have some 1" collars to make, but (again) we only have cotton, so we'll see how it goes or if it's also too thick.

Isn't it purdy?!


Trophy has decided he wants to be a model when he grows up


He's got that "sexy serious face" down pat.


work it baby!


Shiner is jealous HE didn't get a new collar (soon baby, soon)


Trophy wasn't helping, he was rubbing it in. Look at him and his smugness.


Actually, i lied. Trophy was pouting too. Ungreatful heathen. Actually he's pouting because he really wants to be a dalmation when he grows up and I laughed at him.


And so he doesn't feel left out, here's Q in all his sleeping glory. Yes, he sleeps with his eyes open sometimes. Yes, it's creepy.

Video(s)

The verdict: bad bad allergies. Koda's on pred for a few weeks and we have to wash his feet every time he comes inside and bathe him head to toe twice a week. fun fun fun. Mom and I are going to go make some booties to keep him from licking at his feet.

I'm uploading a swim video i had so i will add that one to this post when it's done. :) hurrah!

Playing in the Morning Dew*

*Morning Dew, much less sticky than Mountain Dew.

Trophy woke me up at exactly 8am again this morning, and i decided instead of taking them potty and going back to bed for an hour to actually get up and go play.

I'm uploading the video to youtube, so i'll post it as soon as it's done loading. In the mean time, here is Monster soaking wet from wrestling in the dew.



I'm off to the vet with Koda here in a few minutes, he's chewed his back feet to peices and i want to make sure they get checked out so they're not infected. Most days he's not chewing/scratching much, but the past two days have been getting worse. So, I'll post that video when i get back.

posting a bit early,

HAPPY FIRST GOTCHA DAY QWILL!

Pumpkin Treats

Today, despite the fact that Trophy and Shiner have completely regressed and forgotten what it's like to be potty trained (don't get me started on that topic of conversation right now); I pulled out some recipes that i had found a while ago for dog treats. And i'm going to share them with you.



The first is for Pumpkin Treats. I modified this one a lot from the recipe i had. This is how I made them:

1 large can (29oz.) of Packed Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
1 box (14oz.) Cream of rice cereal (you could also use cream of wheat)
1 cup Grandma Lucy's True freeze-dried dog food Chicken flavor (large chunks of Chicken removed)
approx 1 to 1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrots and celery

finely chop the carrots and celery, place between several layers of paper towels and press between two plates. Microwave for about 2 minutes. We are trying to get as much water out of the veggies as possible.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Spoon portions onto GREASED cookie sheets. I used a 1/2 teaspoon measure to make training-sized treats and a Tablespoon to scoop out some larger treats. Those were a bit large, i would do a 1/2 tablespoon next time.

Bake in a pre-heated 300 degree oven until the treats come out rather firm to the touch. For the 1/2 teaspoon treats 20-30 minutes. For the 1 Tablespoon treats 40-45 minutes.

The verdict?



Needless to say my boys LOOOOVE them. Koda has turned up his nose, but he's always been like that so he doesn't count.

You can find more information (or order) True here. i much prefer it as an additive for my dog's food, or in baking than as a full food. It smells really good!

I'm also making sweet potato chews. They are super easy. Thickly slice the sweet potatoes, place on baking trays and place in a 250 degree oven until the potatoes have been dryed out.


I'm going on hour 3 in the oven right now. I took them out at 2 hours to flip them over. I used the same trays that i made the treats on, so it was greased. I'm starting to wish i was making something yummy for myself and not my dogs!

The one on the right i already flipped over.

And not that he deserved it, but Monster got a new collar today.

GO Bucks!

Just pretend the date is 9/4, ok?

Well, to make up for *cringe* missing a week of updating, i bring you *LOTS* of photos... over 50 of them, ready? GO!

This is what has been keeping me so busy as of late. Never paint your room argyle. Just don't, trust me. It looks cool when done, but getting there is a ROYAL pain. And yes, i know i technically finished the room on monday, just shush. I was feeling un-photographic.


Oh, and here is the promised picture of Trophy's "new" collar. notice he's not wearing it, because in the ~16 hours or so that he'd been wearing it, he decided he'd rather EAT it, not wear it.


Then, that wasn't nearly enough for him, he had to eat Qwill's collar too. The Brat.

BTW, if your dogs wear Primer collars, don't buy them from anywhere BUT www.sitstay.com. They have a lifetime guarantee that INCLUDES CHEWAGE (as long as they have the product in stock). The replacements only costs you shipping to their warehouse, and $7 for return shipping. I will never order from anywhere else, because they also have the cheapest prices i've found! www.sitstay.com, be there or spend too much money on collar!

Ok, now on to today's adventure. Mom and I took the boys swimming! Some of these photos were taken by her, she's such a nice mum.

Since the last time i took them out Trophy and Qwill decided to dive off the dock and nearly drown, we went with life vests on today. Trophy is complaining because his is not fitted correctly. That's because it's Shiner's. I'm not buying one for each of Troph's growing stages, so he'll have to make due. Shiner, since he doesn't like swimming, got to go nekked today.


It should be noted that Qwill's vest used to be the same color as Trophy/Shiner's. Drat that texas sun!


Koda is, as always, the first to make the comitment to getting FULLY wet.


Trying to get Qwill to repeat his stellar rock impersonation... jump Q, jump!


Err... maybe he learned a leson?






We discovered today that Koda's a bit of a ball/bumper hog. He doesn't care about his dry land squeaky toys or balls.... but don't touch his water toys!


If you hold Koda back tho, other than the fact that you have to listen to him whine and carry on and make terrible noises, Qwill is more than happy to play fetch.


Yay Q!


You do have to admit that Koda has a bit more... flare?

Or it's just that he weighs 1.5 times as much as Qwill... who's counting?

Ah, here's my monster!


Poor Trophy didn't really want to have anything to do with the water today, he must have really scared himself before... hopefully i can get him out of that, as i've contacted the lady in charge of the Buckeye Dock Diving team, and Q, Trophy and maaaaaybe even Koda will be joining next year.


Koda needs to learn to jump off the dock and not just go at it from the shore...




In other news, I've decided i want to keep a life vest of Trophy at all times. Why? because then i can carry him around like a suitcase. See?


Go on in Troph, the water's fine!


Qwill likes to watch the goings on from the end of the dock


He has a much better vantage point there, and can bark incouragement when needed


Or he can look all noble and kingly.


Or not.


Oh yeah, and remember Shiner? Who i said didn't need a life vest cause he doesn't go out in deep water where he can't touch?


Guess I'll be buying another life vest sooner than i want to...


And watch Trophy here, he's no fool...


He knows you get there much faster when you run around!


Doesn't Shiner looks so pleased with himself?




You're looking a bit tired there Koda...


A bit off your game even!




Lets run around on land all crazy! Poor Trophy, after Shiner got done with his debute swim, his new goal was to trounce Trophy into the dirt.. or the water. When he finally tried to drown him we called it a day, but that was a bit later than this...




It's a race to the Wubba!


Go figure, Koda got it first


And Trophy's taken off with the bumper!


Koda can't have that...


The Three Stooges,




"Oh hai, arn't mah ears cuuute?"


yup i noe, kthanxbai!




sploosh!


Splash!




run boys run! It's time to go in!


All ready for their bath!


and by bath i mean hose-down. And by "ready" i mean they can't escape.


All clean!


Ok, that should have satiated you, see you tomorrow! (Or next week, who's counting!)