dogzoomies

Little bit of sun, spot of warmth

2012-01-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

Rolling in the damp grass, Molls takes in the sun.
A little bit of sun, a spot of warmth, on a mid-January winter's day.

Season's Greetings from the dogzoomies' dogs

2011-12-22T00:38:00.003-05:00

Jane says that while she is excited at the prospect of good things lurking in packages
under the tree, she's not so sure about the big jolly bearded man in the funny suit
that brings said packages. She's keeping an eye out for him.

Molly is showing you what her dream of Best Christmas Ever looks like.

Mr. Ben simply wants to wish everyone and everydog a very Merry Christmas.

He says to cherish the days, all days, always. He's a wise one, so I would listen to him.

He says to save some of that baked ham and roast turkey for him, thankyouverymuch.

To stalk or be stalked

2011-11-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

Just "cuz" continued.

2011-10-28T15:34:00.001-04:00

Just "cuz"

2011-10-13T17:30:00.000-04:00

Introduced a new "cuz ball" to Jane. Molly was never into noisy hard rubber toys, so I had stored this particular one away. Until now. Jane thinks it's Xmas! I took a series of cuz ball photos with Jane, and I'll post them up one by one here on the blog. I was gonna add captions, but I think these photos say a lot themselves!

Rain? Don't mind it at all...

2011-09-09T12:39:00.003-04:00

Unprecedented rainfall amounts. We had more rainfall in the last 2 days than hurricane Irene gave us! So much rain. So much water. No place to go. Had some flooding in the basement. Luckily I have an embarassing amount of dog towels that I was able to use to keep the incoming water from becoming a really really big problem. All this rain, never ending rain. Even today. More rain... not as bad, or as heavy. But still rain. I miss the sun.

How are the dogs doing? Molly is reluctant to go out when it is raining and/or when the ground is this saturated. I'm all zipped up hooded up and right out there with the dogs, so as Molly hovers under the cover of the deck I can call her to me and she will come out and do her business. Then she will sit or lay next to me as we wait for the others, getting rained on. My girl. Ben has no qualms about the weather (he used to) and walks through the numerous puddles, walking a perimter of the yard. He looks up a lot squinting in the rain, very cute. And Jane? What rain? She is waiting for our playtime with Jolly ball. Or Frisbee. Or Cuz ball. I get as muddy as Jane does when we are playing. She takes off kicking bits of grass, mud and water up behind her onto me. And she slips and slides as she catches her prize as if sliding onto home plate.

Three wet dogs and 12 muddy paws. Thank goodness I have that embarassing amount of dog towels.

It's official.

2011-08-25T14:25:00.003-04:00

I've been fostering Jane for Glen Highland Farm for 10 weeks (detailed on Journey of a Dog blog). And now? I suck at it! But I totally own up to being a foster fail.

Jane has such a huge heart for a little dog and this light in her eyes that is too incredible for other people to not experience with her and for her to not share with other people. I took on the challenge and I really want to continue to help her get there. Molly and Ben are amazing models for her and I’m learning something new every day and having tons of fun working and playing with her to build her confidence and comfort. No worries... Molly and Ben have given their nod to the little one coming to stay. So this is an official "Welcome Home" to Jane.

Welcome Home Jane!

(You're right where you wanted to be all along.)

Re-enforced

2011-08-22T12:53:00.001-04:00

Me me me, I want!

No! ME ME ME I WANT!

Ok. We'll be nice and sit pretty!

Working with foster Jane means I have the treat pouch at the ready almost all the time. This fact is not lost on Molly or Ben. Working on Jane's recall seems to have re-enforced a very very enthusiastic recall with Molly and Ben. I'd say B O N U S!

In one's company

2011-08-11T10:02:00.002-04:00

Little Jane is our 1.5 year old border collie foster dog. Yeah we've been a little bit quiet about her over here at dogzoomies... but we've been writing about her over at Journey of a Dog.

Aren't Ben and Jane just cute hanging out like that? See what you don't know is that in all these years I have had Ben (he's 13 now) he just doesn't like other dogs (even Molly) in his sleeping space. He was never a jerk about it... he would simply get up and move and find another place to snooze that's not so crowded. But not so with Jane! For a young whippersnapper she is remarkably polite and soft-footed around Mr. Ben. It's very sweet. And he really doesn't look like he minds at all.

HI! That's with a capital H-I !

2011-07-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

Cooling off

2011-07-22T11:14:00.001-04:00

We've just arrived home from dog camp at Glen Highland Farm and man was it ever hot up there! We had a string of days in the mid and upper 90s with high humidity.

Ben was more than happy to remain in climate controlled conditions in our lodging. This year he was much less interested in being around all the activities - even if he had always been the casual observer. I did really miss Ben hanging out with me on the couch during demos/lectures. But he didn't really want to spend time in the Barn so we would find quiet shady spaces outside to hang out in and get out on his favorite trails in the early morning or evening when the temps dialed down a bit. Some folks had no idea that I was there with more than one dog!

Foster pup Janey did great. I was able to get her out and about more than I thought I would be able to. I think coming to Camp did a lot of good in terms of exposing her to people in a very low pressure environment.

Molly was out with me the most, but a lot less than last year (another year older and this darn heat)... hanging out during lectures, walking around with me as we took photos, looking very content and always keeping an eye on me. Part of that was she was waiting for indication that we were headed to water for a swim! She was only a little bit snarky to other dogs, and that was only when she was laying down resting and I don't really blame her. We all get cranky when hot and tired, right?

For the most part, all the campers (41 this year) and their dogs (too many to count!) were troopers in the heat. The dogs, I think, fared better than their human counterparts, as demo'd by Snitch in the water tub (see photo above).

Waiting for dinner

2011-07-11T19:09:00.000-04:00

Do you like butter, Molly?

2011-07-02T09:41:00.002-04:00

Walking in the woods with dogs

2011-06-25T22:27:00.000-04:00

I love walking in the woods with my dogs. Seeing them move to and fro, the way they take in the sights and multitude of smells, the way they 'happy trot' down a path. Ever notice how quietly dogs tread through the woods? Minus the occasional stick snap they are almost completely silent making their way. I used to plod my way through trails... now I step lightly and slowly and deliberately. When you do that, when you become so very aware of everything... I am able to take in the sights of ferns unfurling, the shelf mushrooms and moss, the sounds of a trickling brook, and the leaves rustling overhead. And oh, the deep woods smells... a scent that I could never describe adequately... lush, a green carpet of moss, wet bark and pine needles. There is a great pleasure to be found walking in the woods with dogs.

Happy to be here

2011-06-19T12:50:00.003-04:00

Getaways are good. We returned from a week at our favorite dog-centric destination, Glen Highland Farm’s Canine Country Getaway.

We visit the Farm at least twice a year, and have done so for 6 years. This year, my dogs are 13 and 12... Which means that each visit here carries a bit more sentiment than the last. Coming here with them is more meaningful beyond anything I could ever express in words. There's something about this place... I think it's a little bit magical.

A heartbeat at my feet

2011-05-05T12:54:00.002-04:00

A heartbeat at my feet.

This marvelous boy celebrates his thirteenth birthday today!

My “old soul” pup... you can get lost in those eyes. There’s a comfort there.

I thank DOG for every day this one graces me with his presence.

Happy Birthday Ben!

April and youth

2011-04-03T19:47:00.002-04:00

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

William Shakespeare

Bright eyes. Happy smile. Ben is loving his Spring walks. He trots alongside like he always has, but every Spring – out of the cold of winter and before the heat of summer – his step is high, like a young pup’s trot. His age is betrayed only by the white of his face.

Trail dogs at Hashawa

2011-03-25T14:40:00.002-04:00

I love taking my dogs on off-leash hikes. I heard about the trails and dog-friendly attitude of Hashawa, an environmental center/preserve in Westminster. A dear friend (and one of Molly's fav people) was in town visiting and we thought it would be a great idea to go. On a sunny but cool Spring Sunday morning, we took Molly (Ben was resting at home) on a hike with some other friends:

We were making our way from the trailhead (after a 5 mile loop) back to the parking lot and came across this scene. Just love the trail of footprints, Molly's swingy skippy walk and that golden carrying a stick, perhaps a souvie to commemorate the day?

A great time was had by all - the four-footed and two-footed. The varied terrain was nice - you walk thru the woods at different elevations, thru open meadows, across hilltops, creekside, on ridges overlooking the creeks, lakeside thru a marshy area. I missed Ben on this walk. I know he'll love it here. We'll return to Hashawa soon, doing a shorter loop that he can enjoy with us!

I approve.

2011-03-18T15:56:00.000-04:00

"I approve." That's that's what Moll's look said to me as we ventured into the yard for a dose of Springtime playtime. Today it will reach the mid-70s. When I let her out in the yard this morning she went to the foot of the hill and plunked herself down for a little sunning session.

We have been dogsitting my brother's husky, Shada. In our backyard, Shada enjoys freedom from his leash - at his home he is never without it when outdoors. And he very much enjoys it. He patrols the perimeter and after a few rounds he settles himself into a sunny spot and chills out. I think it's safe to say that Shada echoes Molly's sentiment, "I approve."

It's all in the details.

2011-03-15T12:46:00.003-04:00

Oh, such a familiar view and comfortable sight. One that says home to me. I think Ben is the perfect-sized dog. His lovely head, just the right size, settling into my cupped hands. Home. Those white hairs overtaking the black hairs just a little more each day. Can I tell you I just adore those eyelashes?

Four feet on the ground.

2011-02-28T15:30:00.002-05:00

Dogs make me feel grounded. The both feet on the ground-realistic-live in the moment-do not dwell- know what's important in life-kind of grounded. And I love 'em for it.

In repose

2011-02-25T11:44:00.001-05:00

Despite the wind and rain, looks like the weekend will be pretty nice. Was thinking about joining some friends for an off-leash hike with the dogs this weekend... but Molly turned up with a gimpy rear leg late day yesterday. So rest for Molly. No frisbee or soccer action. No cavorting after squirrels in the backyard. Even dogzoomies in the living room. A little rest does plenty good.

The basket overfloweth

2011-02-23T17:17:00.001-05:00

This is the toy basket. I should really say this is Molly's toy basket. Ben is not into toys, which makes me a little bit sad. But then I remember his mad skillz at disemboweling stuffed toys from the days of his youth. I am not sad anymore when I remember how proficient at that he used to be.

So, Molly's basket of toys. She loves her stuffed toys. She is very good with them, meaning she has no urge to purge the polyfil innards free of their encasements. She does occasionally try to break the squeaky or grunt mechanisms contained within, but most of the time I like to think she realized how much more fun the toy is when it still makes noise.

Because her toys do not get destroyed, and because I can't help myself, the numbers of them accumulate. A few years ago I decided that for every new toy that Molly gets means that 2 of them get the boot from the basket. By that I mean they get laundered and end up in a box with an eventual destination to the jaws of my sis' border collies (who share Ben's former proclivity for tearing them up). But the bounty of the holidays and Molly's recent birthday has me behind the effort to do so. Henceforth... the basket overfloweth.

How to relish, by Ben.

2011-02-18T13:32:00.001-05:00

The warm weather front that has graced us the last few days is soon to depart. But we're relishing it while it's here. Right Ben? Hello? Ben...

Sorry 'bout that. Ben is busy with the "relishing."

Looking ahead

2011-02-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

... to Spring! (Or the cat that dashed under the car up ahead.)

I've taken to shooting more pics with the iPhone for more artistic takes on our everyday activities. Hope you like!

The object of one's desire

2011-02-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

Picasso said it right...

2011-02-16T13:08:00.002-05:00

"It takes a long time to grow young."

Pablo Picasso

Happy 12 years to my dear Molly dog!

You are the happy goofy 'pup' that makes me laugh everyday.

Sun salutation

2011-02-15T12:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday it was 60ºF with full sun and a bright blue sky... in mid-February! Ben paid his homage to the sun and warm temps asking them to stay awhile longer.

Having a ball!

2011-01-30T14:47:00.001-05:00

Yes, thank you we'll take the 10.

2011-01-26T14:57:00.001-05:00

Many would scorn me for saying this... but I LOVED our 2010 winter, all that glorious snow. And I want to love our 2011 winter. I really do. But so far, every system has skirted us by heading northerly or westerly or easterly giving us laughable traces of snow. (New Englanders are waving their fists at me.) So <1 inch and the measly <2 inchers of recent spells be gone! The weather people are saying 5-10 inches. Oh please please, let it be 10! Let anticipation begin...

Both dogs have the thickest winter fuzz I've seen on them to date. Maybe their senior bones need it. I ordered a new vest for Ben since his too small blanket coat wasn't cutting it. I put the old coat on him and he didn't look too happy...

I've noted here before how much the dogs love snow. Molly becomes a giddy-jumpy-rolly-poly-barky puppy-like creature... oh wait, rephrase... Molly becomes EVEN MORE of a giddy-jumpy-rolly-poly-barky puppy-like creature with the white stuff. Ben sees the snow as the ultimate adventure to locate the ground that has so mysteriously hidden itself. They both take their snow seriously.

So we are ready and waiting, and yes, thank you, we'll take that 10.

She's got something to say...

2010-12-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

First snow of the season. Not a lot, but enough to make it oh so pretty out there and to excite the Molly dog to no end. Moll loves her floppy frisbee. Moll loves snow. Put them together and you have a happy dog. While Ben dreams of chewing bully sticks and cuddly warm sleepy spots, Molly is praying to the snow gods.

Wanted to add, both my dogs grew in one helluva thick undercoat this winter. Molly is uber fluffy and even Ben's coat is quite dense. I wonder if that's indicative of the coming weather this winter?

Spice and everything nice

2010-11-04T14:19:00.001-04:00

My sis of "Around the dog bowl" dog blog is visiting. My dogs are in luck, cuz my sis loves to homecook and bake for her own doggies! Last night, sis whipped out a batch of delicious smelling pumpkin spice cookies just for them. We had long been wanting to test out a number of home-baked dog treat recipes – adjusting recipes to be grain-free – since my dogs have been on a grain free diet for the last several years. I had played around with potato flours in the past with ok results, so this time we tested with garbanzo bean (chick pea) flour. Head on over to Around the Dog Bowl and see how we fared and if the dogs approved!

Jumpin' Jilley!

2010-10-26T11:48:00.001-04:00

Every now and then I will feature some of the many great border collies available for adoption at Glen Highland Farm in upstate NY. I was visiting for a week earlier this month with my dogs and had the opportunity to have one on one time with many of the current dogs.

Meet Jilley! Jilley is a delightful girl... she had very buoyant and happy personality and made me laugh at her antics to get you to play with her. She's a sight to watch as she runs, very athletic and graceful with her long lean frame. She found a best buddy at the Farm, Hunter, a very regal looking boy pal... and they would love a home together!

In the weeds

2010-10-16T14:48:00.001-04:00

In the weeds... well, not really. Just continuing on an extremely hectic end of summer into fall season with work stuff and life stuff. I thank my dogs for being a source of laughter and smiles when my head is in a traffic jam. I mean, look at that photo, that's a happy dog!

Meep meep!

2010-10-15T10:01:00.005-04:00

Eyes in the back of my head

2010-10-08T11:27:00.003-04:00

Doggie bliss

2010-10-07T16:34:00.001-04:00

As unique as a fingerprint

2010-09-25T13:46:00.000-04:00

For days like this.

2010-09-14T20:21:00.012-04:00

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.

-- Helen Hunt Jackson, September

"The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head..."

-- Robert Finch, Common Ground

I'm sure you've all seen it... and felt it. There comes that time in September, where you are out with the dogs, the morning air is cool with a reserved hint of crispness. I close my eyes and take it in. The dogs sense it. They have been patiently waiting through the unrelenting heat of a record breaking summer. For days like this. My dogs regain that frisk in the step of their younger years. And they glance back at me, at the other end of the leash, as if to say "Let us walk awhile longer." I am happy to oblige.

Six in One

2010-08-21T12:35:00.000-04:00

Creature at the Creek

2010-07-30T19:17:00.008-04:00

Whenever we visit Glen Highland Farm, Molly spends a good amount of time in Butternut Creek. It winds throughout the property, babbling like a brook in some areas, rushing over rock piles in others and has great swimming for Molly and great wading for Ben.

Molly loves for you to throw things into the water for her to chase and swim after. Note I did not say fetch. For Molly, fetch seems to only to apply to objects thrown on terra firma. Over the years I've lost many a frisbee or floaty toy in the hopes that a such fun bright squeaky object would entice her to bring it back so that, yay, we can play with it again! But no. So I throw sticks. And I know lotsa folks are weird about using "sticks" to play with their dogs but they are plentiful and cheaper than fun bright squeaky floaty toys.

If there are no sticks to be had, or I'm occupied with Ben or taking pics, Molly will entertain herself. She goes bobbin' for rocks using her front paws to scrape the Creek bottom then plunges her head in to pull out the rock of her affection. And these are no small stones. Some of the rocks she's pulled out of the water over the years weighed as much as 3 pounds. (I've even kept a few of the more impressive ones, labeled with the date and location.)

In the photo above, we had just arrived to a favorite spot. My camera batt was low so I was fussing with it. Molly went ahead into the water to start bobbin'. By the time I changed out the batt she had scouted her rock, looking at me with excitement at what she found. She had not gone for a swim yet, so she was mostly dry except for the water pouring from her head. I likened her to a strange creature rising out of the depths of the water and chuckled. "Good girl!" I say. She proceeds to dig out her rock and carry it ashore. Still laughing at her antics I turn to taking pics of Ben. After 10 minutes I turn to Molly and I see that she has a collection now. She had been depositing her rocks in the same place on the shore. She had been standing her pile... I wonder, waiting for me to notice? "Good girl!" I say to her again. Soaking wet now, Molly trots over, right next to me and shakes off. A lot of water. I guess it's payback for not being more interactive with the creature at the Creek!

How to make it through the hazy hot days, by Ben.

2010-07-26T19:22:00.007-04:00

That's easy... go on vacation! We head North from the humid hot stormy Mid-Atlantic to the cooler climes of upstate NY! Ok so it was still a bit hot and a little stormy but it felt positively better then the temps we were having at home in Bmore!

We made a trip up to Glen Highland Farm for their Canine Country Camp. Every year a group of like-minded folks and their dogs come together for a week of fun and learning on the gorgeous 175-acre property. There's agility, herding, rally-o, disc dog, flyball, freestyle, tracking and K9 Nosework. There are fascinating lectures on vet care, integrative medicine, reading dog behaviors, nutrition, etc. Everything about the Camp is about strengthening the bond you have with your dog(s). Ben and Molly's most favorite part.... trails and trails to explore off leash (and NO ticks) with lil ol me! Through the hemlock forests, through endless meadows, through the creeks, through the pond we went. We made lots of new people friends and new dog friends, and even met up with old friends from camps' past.

Here are some highlights from Ben:

Notably hot

2010-07-06T22:08:00.006-04:00

It reached 105 today. I think the dogs knew that I was keeping them out of the heat for a good reason. Yes, as they lay in front of the AC vents around the house, I think they knew it was miserable outside. Molly didn’t even try to get me to toss the Frisbee for her whenever we did venture out for a pee break. When outside, the dogs would relish the heat for a second or two, feeling the warmth contrasting the coolness of their bodies. But it is only a matter of time before they look back at me, squinting in the hazy midday sun, and they run back to come join me in the climate controlled indoors.

A beautiful day! Like!

2010-06-07T17:40:00.007-04:00

After being hammered last week with 90 degree temps and 50% humidity and raging pounding thunderstorms, the skies cleared and today we had a beautiful 80 degree day with a gentle breeze. Ben likes that.

Clean margins!

2010-05-31T12:03:00.004-04:00

Yay for Ben! He has been recovering really well. It has been a bit over 2 weeks since his soft tissue spindle cell sarcoma excision surgery (say that a bunch of times really fast). He's been enjoying the extra pampering, treats, cuddle times and extra plush bedding popping up in places where there was none before. What he hasn't been enjoying however was his limited exercise - very short leash walks only. NO running, jumping or playing for those 2 weeks. We are now easing back into it and he is one happy camper. Molly was being great during his recovery, listening to me (for the most part) when I told her to not body check Ben or invite him on squirrel chases on the hill. BTW, Ben is not wearing a t-shirt because it's cute. He's wearing it because he does not bother his looong incision site when he is wearing it. It's quite effective and worked better than the dreaded cone.

The pathology on the excised mass was guarded news for us. The not great news was the sarcoma was a grade 3 tumor that has up to a 50% chance of recurrence. It was characterized as a neurofibrosarcoma/nerve sheath tumor. The best news is that the doc (a board-certified surgeon) was able to get clean margins by 1.5cm on all sides and 1cm deep, which is excellent!!! I take the bad with the good and stay optimistic. We have a lot of good things going for us: it had not spread to internal organs, Ben is in excellent health for a 12 year old, his blood panels and CBC are great, he is lean, always a great appetite and a good pooper and... and we got clean margins. I'll say it again. Clean. Margins.

Thank you to Dr. Krista Evans and the other fine staff at Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists. This has been quite an ordeal for little man Ben and an emotional journey for me. I hope to write about that in a future post but for now leave you with some random thoughts and observations:

Ben is very happy to be eating more raw food
All the leafy dark green veggies in the crisper drawer of my fridge are for my dogs
Never say you would never buy a dog ramp for your vehicle
I hope to never have to pull a RX transdermal patch off a dog ever again
I'm thankful to have dogs that are easy pill takers
Rescue Remedy is a fine fine product
A dog wearing a cone collar is really freaking funny
Walk your dogs and cherish every minute of their company

Hipsta' Dogs and healing thoughts

2010-05-12T17:02:00.006-04:00

Havin' a lil fun with an iPhone app called Hipstamatic.
Hmmm, what shall I photograph? I know, Doggies!

Molly, indoors without a frisbee, ball or bribe isn't all that interested in having her photo taken. Captions for the above are interchangeable:

"Ok, just get on with it."
"Aren't you done yet?"
"I get a cookie after this, right?! Riiight??"

Now Ben on the other hand, is always ready for a closeup. Again, captions interchangeable: "How about this?"
"This angle good? I can change it up like this!"
"Or this, do I look good?"

Speaking of Ben... look at that face! Dear friends of the interwebz, my lovely Ben, who celebrated his 12th birthday last week, is going in for surgery tomorrow (Thursday) for excision of a soft tissue sarcoma mass from his side. We hope to have him home on Friday, happy, safe, sound, and healthier and minus a certain Mr. Sarcoma. Please send positive thoughts for a smooth operation, clean margins and a speedy recovery. Ben would really appreciate it!

Ben, meet twelve.

2010-05-05T00:47:00.012-04:00

Twelve. 12 years and counting. 12 years, of knowing you. I had spotted you, the one shiny solid black pup in the litter of black and tan shepherd pups. You fell asleep as I held you and I knew you were mine.

You were the star in puppy class but a hellraiser at home. My devil dog. My baaad boy. I called you those things because you were challenging as a little one. When I didn’t know better. When I didn’t know you better.

You wait for me to wake up in the morning, content to sleep in, right along with me. I love that you start the day with long stretches of each of your legs, right down to each of your toes.

You lick to clean Molly’s face every morning and every night. On walks through the woods I so love to watch you two gallop shoulder to shoulder down the trails.

I know you can’t see as well in the dark anymore. But it is you that always find me first when we play hide and seek, Molly not far behind.

Solo walks are a pleasure for me to give to you. You move a bit different, you don’t walk, rather... meander. It’s different when it’s just you and me, I feel time move a little slower. You make that happen. On the warm days, as your step slows I bring you to the shade of trees for a needed rest and you are happy to indulge, rolling around, snorting and stretching, the cool grass on your belly, never failing to make me smile.

I stare at you a lot. I’ve watched the gray face come in, on your cheeks at first, you were still young at 2 years. One day the face of a distinguished and wise dog looked back at me. It’s hard to remember what you looked like before.

Today you turn 12.

You are my Zen dog. My take time to smell the roses dog. My live in the moment, be in the moment dog. My old soul dog. My teacher. I love you Zen Ben.

Happy Birthday my dear friend! That's 12 years... and counting!

Always ready for action

2010-04-30T09:59:00.001-04:00

11 years and ever perky

2010-02-16T13:35:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday to me!

11 years and ever perky, for sure. Playful. Funny (If a dog can have a sense of humor, and I believe they do, she's got one). Focused. Loyal. Gentle. Joyful. Persistent. Happy Birthday Molly girl!

Heads or tails?

2010-02-09T16:01:00.002-05:00

Seriously.

2010-02-06T15:12:00.002-05:00

A few hours ago I measured 24.5 inches. That's pretty serious stuff! Let me put it this way, in this area our average seasonal snow total is 18.5 inches. Serious stuff alright! Speaking of serious, here is Molly looking at me, waiting for me to come and join her outside again. I'd say Molly takes her snow pretty seriously. Meanwhile the Siberian Husky is inside curled in a ball in his fleece bed.

Waiting...

2010-02-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

To hunt or be hunted

2010-01-31T12:48:00.002-05:00

Merry merry!

2009-12-24T10:41:00.005-05:00

Wishing everyone and every-dog a very Merry Christmas!

We're thrilled to be having a white Christmas. This is winter wonder fun playland for them - this time last year there was zero snow and a pool in the middle of the yard. There's something quite awesome about seeing dogs play in snow. Space to run, leap, dig! Frolic!

For example, one of Moll's most fav things to do in the snow - she loves to catch snowballs or 'find' them after I throw them. I'll toss a big one in a drift and she will do a series hops that ends in one gorgeous leap, her feet and nose first in the soft snowpack. (Reminds me of a polar bear hunting for seals hiding under the ice/snow.) Then she'll dig like crazy... where is it? I know it's in here somewhere! She'll pop up her head, covered in snow, and ask for the next snowball.

Ben's job in the snow is to find the ground. Echoing Molly's thoughts... where is it? I know it's in here somewhere! Yep this guy will sniff the ground... and pick out a spot to excavate. And this guy, he'll dig til he finds that solid ground. And to make sure, he'll try a sample of that glorious mud and grass concoction that he unearthed from the depths of that white cold stuff.. Yep that's the ground alright. We're all good it's still there. But lemme check o'er here to be sure. Proud Ben. And more digging commences. Messy yes, fun to watch? You bet.

I have the dogs riled up because shortly we are expecting the original snow dog himself, Mr. Shada dog, the ginormous husky and Borris the silly floppy labradoodlesomething. I'm looking forward to clutching a mug of hot something and snapping a few pics of dogs reminding us to enjoy ourselves this holiday season.

The patient one

2009-12-23T12:28:00.002-05:00

Snowz a coming!

2009-12-18T17:23:00.009-05:00

Hey Molly!

Heeey whasup?

It’s going to snow Molly, a lot! Your favorite... snow-snow!

Snow???? Where?!

Yes! Weee haaaaa! The forecast is calling for snow starting late tonight to Saturday evening. Last night our forecast for the area was 4-6 inches. By noon today they said 6-10 inches. By 4pm the forecast changed to 8-15 inches or more with some areas getting up to 20. You should have seen the graphic posted by our local news titled “Snowfall Impact” which showed large color bands over the mid-Atlantic region. It showed the snowfall impact as “Very Disruptive” or “Paralyzing”. Paralyzing? I think that’s a bit extreme.

Sometime in the middle of the night (cuz we’re freaks like that) I’ll be walking in the snowfall with the dogs. That’s one of my favorite things to do... You can actually hear it fall it’s so quiet. So quiet and peaceful that is until the dogs have had enough of the peaceful and then go about breaking the quiet with outbreaks happy-i-love-snow-barking and dogzoomies. At which point I would kick myself for dropping their leashes as they play cheetah and antelope across the plains of someone’s pristine fresh snow covered front lawn. I whisper yell (cuz it’s after midnite) to them (as if they could hear me) and they eventually circle back to me eyes wild and tongues dangling. That would be when I look around to see if any neighbor's lights have come on and inspect the footprint laden lawns and realize there’s still lots of snow left to fall so by morning the game trails would be covered up. If not, maybe they’ll think it was a big bunny. :)

On finding the good spots

2009-12-11T14:31:00.005-05:00

Many of us dog people know that our dogs have detectors for finding the good spots to lay their furry heads for a nap. This time of the year (brrrr) most of the good spots involve judiciously chosen cozy, fluffy, warm spots. Rather, I should say cozier, fluffier, warmer spots. The higher the better. A spot next to a human pretty good, sharing the warmth and all. But the more recently vacated by a human, even better. Examples...

Ben, who can miraculously change his weight from 45lbs to 90lbs to become an immoveable mass of black dog, centered in the middle of your bed on a just fluffed comforter using your legs as a bolster Points for elevation, the fluffy factor and human presence.

Molly, on the pile of towels emptied onto the couch which were just removed from the dryer to be folded. Points for elevation and the cozy factor. Bonus points for warmth.

Ben, hunkering down on top of the heap of down pillows and down comforter as I change the bed linens. Points for the fluffy factor. Bonus points for elevation.

Molly nestled into my still warm bed, her head on a pillow, after eating her breakfast. Points for elevation, warmth and the cozy factor.

And most recently, on a cold brrr night... Watching TV wrapped in an electric blanket, getting up for a cuppa coffee refill and returning to my spot now occupied by a snoozing dog. A dog pretending to be fast asleep. I mean how fast can you fall asleep in 20 seconds? A dog thinking... how cute an innocent can I look so that there’s no way my person will move me out of the way?

Ben gets points for cozy and fluffy. Elevation good, add a point. Warm spot, add another. Occupation of spot recently used by a human, bonus point. But the taking of a cozy and fluffy electric warming blanket also previously occupied by a human and looking super cute? Total WIN!

Now you see it...now you don't!

2009-10-19T14:00:00.005-04:00

Bye swimming pool. You were good to us but the time has come.

On Day 2 of pool demolition, I let the dogs into the backyard to inspect the "new" space. Well, at first they inspected the perimeter of the now gone pool. Then it hit them that they can RUN into that space! Dogzoomies!

Then the rain came.

And it didn't stop for 3 days. So it's a little bit... muddy out there. A lot muddy. The work will resume on the yard after things get a chance to dry out of bit (grading, topsoil, seed, fertilize and straw). Even though Ben gives me sad puppy eyes to go play in the mud (he LOVES mud) I can't bring myself to let him have at it. He's okay, no worries, all the gazillion extra leash walks make up for it.

So for now, we will dream of the "new" space. And cross all our fingers and paws that we get some grass to grow back there before winter rears so we're not looking at mud the entire winter.

If this doesn't give you the puppy fever... nothing will.

2009-08-02T11:25:00.004-04:00

Last week we returned from a week of Camp at Glen Highland Farm... 40 serious dog-lovin' folks and their dogs getting a dose of the countryside while engaging in a plethora of canine sports and invigorating lectures on dog behavior (Leslie McDevitt of Control Unleashed, gave 2 fascinating lecture/demos), canine nutrition and alternative health.

Whilst at Camp, we came across an 8-week old bundle of border collie puppy deliciousness. Skeeter, also affectionately known as "The Puppy." The Puppy was an owner surrender to Glen Highland Farm's Border Collie Rescue – playful 8-week old purebred BC + resident senior Chihuahua - do not a great combo make. So Puppy was looking for a new home. And boy was everyone (including me) going gaga over this one. Chubby wiggly smiley. Puppy had definite plans for his next home and in short order he picked his new person. Puppy, who couldn't sit still for a second suddenly was focused and calm when he made his choice. For the rest of the week he followed his new person and his new packmate, a BC Aussie cross, like they had been together for years. It was a really cool thing to witness. When the fit is right... the fit is right. For a young pup he sure knew what he wanted, as did his new person, who had arrived to the Farm looking to add to the family.

I was high with puppy fever and smitten, as a lot of folk would be. But we knew Puppy was not for us. Heck we weren't even 'looking' and I would not be amongst those who acquire a pup or dog or any animal on a whim because it was "sooooo cute", without a second thought of the commitment and responsibility that comes along with it.

That chubby wiggly smiley puppy face. I have photos of The Puppy face. And that is all fine by me. And Ben and Molly second that.

A Study in Contrasts

2009-07-16T11:31:00.014-04:00

With those differences... there's a bit of this:

and this:
But not to worry. Even though they playfight with a super gnarly teeth display, there's plenty of this (which by the way, is a 2x daily ritual of Ben - to clean Moll's face and ears... quite... ummm... thoroughly):

and this:

Oh these two... they've had years and years to know eachother and worked out any issues a loong time ago. At the end of the day, these guys are pretty much "nose to nose" on things. :)

Ok I cheated on that last photo... I posted a slightly different version in the past. It's an oldie but definitely a goodie.

Ben takes ya along for a vacation Pt. 2

2009-06-29T13:46:00.006-04:00

Ben takes ya along for a vacation. Pt. 1

2009-06-26T14:22:00.005-04:00

Happy campers

2009-06-04T16:05:00.004-04:00

Ahoy! It's been a long while since I last posted... sorry about that! Did you miss the doggies? We've been super busy and we just got back from a week-long vacay! Aren't those some happy-lookin' campers? To make up for our absence we'll have lotsa pics up here shortly... just bear with me a bit as I settle back in!

Hey hey, it's my birthday!

2009-05-05T02:01:00.005-04:00

Happy Bday!
Today we celebrate Ben, who turns 11! When I brought home this lively 8-week old pup, I thought I was ready for everything. Ha! He showed me! One of the greatest gifts that Ben brought me was patience, and a constant remember to slow down and take time to smell the roses. Everyday this dog warms my heart golden. Happy Birthday to my best boy!

I dug up a few journal entries to share from Ben's "Puppy Ben" website from 1998. Enjoy the antics of vintage Ben!

Week ending July 4,1998
Weight: 8.2 lbs

My First Week: My first night in my new home was a long one. I cried for an hour. But I have my own little hideaway. My crate is comfortable, and I have a warm red blanket and lots of fun toys to play with. My sheepskin bone is my favorite. It squeaks when I bite it and it makes me all excited!

New Neighbors: Within a few days, I met Jazz, a German Shepherd puppy, two weeks older than me, and Blue, a huge 11 month old Mastiff "puppy," and finally, Hoby, a 7 year old West Highland Terrier. And they're my neighbors! I'll always have playmates!

Nickname: My person makes fun of me sometimes and calls me "devil dog." Cuz' when I play and roll over, the whites of my eyes show and my lips pull back to show my sharp lil puppy fangs!

Week ending July 18,1998
Weight: 11.9 lbs

Good Puppy: I walked into my crate all by myself to go to sleep for the night!

Curious Object: Jezebel, the sheep, is really neat. I'm still kind of scared to go up to her. The last time I tried, she tried to head butt me from the other side of the fence! What was that about?!

Unpleasant Experience: I had to go to the vet this week cuz' I felt sick. I didn't feel like eating, and when I did I would spit up everything. It turns out that I ate something bad and it upset my tummy! Whatever it was I ate, I hope I don't eat it again!

Spring Tease

2009-03-30T15:19:00.002-04:00

Business and happy fun snowtimes

2009-03-06T14:54:00.004-05:00

Happy fun snowtimes

We got a late winter snow earlier this week that gave us about 7.5 inches of pure fun. (It's always nice to get one good snowfall that sticks around for more than 3 days... around here that's a rarity!) I love my dogs in the snow... they get happy and perky... and act with wild abandon. Leaping, hopping, pouncing.

In the middle of the snowstorm at about 130am, I took the dogs out for a walk. I had Molls off-leash and Ben was dragging an old lead. I love the sound of the snow falling. If you listen carefully you can hear it. No cars. At that moment, few other noises than the jingling of dog tags and the hushed snowfall can be heard. Peaceful. Quiet.

That serenity, however, was punctuated by my happy perky dogs... you know, the ones acting with wild abandon in the snow. Leaping. Hopping. Pouncing. Barking. At 2am in the morning. They were chasing each other through the untouched snow, barking and snarling. A lot. I mean a lot more than a typical sunny daytime fun run. Happy perky excited by snow kind of barking. Molly barking at me to throw something. Frisbee... Ohhh wait. Snow? Snowbaaall!!! Throw me a snowball! Pul-eeeasssse! And Ben barking at Molly barking at me. My attempts to quiet them were only partially successful, perhaps because I was laughing at their antics and snow covered faces. I think we got home before the neighbors felt inclined to do something about our wee hours of the morning insubordination. It was fun though. When all my neighbors were out shoveling the snow during actual waking hours, I did apologize but it turns out they didn't hear a peep. Yay for us!

Bye-bye happy fun snowtimes. Thanks for a good visit. See ya next winter!

No one messes with the Mollster

2009-01-28T16:54:00.002-05:00

Cold temps, cuddly dogs

2009-01-22T16:07:00.004-05:00

Because a post without a pic is not much fun, let Ben entertain ya. Here he is with his sleepy grin.

The other night as temps outside hovered below freezing, I was indoors, watchin’ TV, nestled in my plush electric throw. Molly was snoring in her donut bed. Ben was laying on the floor, his back against the length of the sofa. I let out a big ol’ exaggerated yawn and stretched out my legs and arms. Within seconds, Molly awoke and did her best imitation of my yawn (scarily... very human sounding), and hopped up on the sofa and plopped herself into a neat little pile next to me. Ben stirred, looked over at Molly and stood up, did his stretches – first front legs, then back legs one at a time, and jumped on the sofa to join me. Ben nestled right up against my side, blinked at me and gingerly rested his head on my lap and let out a big deep sigh. My heart warmed. I’m just lovin’ up these dogs!

Welcoming in the new year

2009-01-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all...

2008-12-24T12:06:00.007-05:00

Greetings to all this Christmas Eve! Ben is all settled and cozy, can’t wait to get busy dreaming of all the goodstuffs under the tree... Idling to the time where he can tear into those double-wrapped gift packs of bully sticks. In case you were wondering where Molly has been, she has been hiding from the Santa hat. I attempted to get a photo of her donning the seasonal accoutrement without looking absolutely horrified and miserable, but was wholly unsuccessful. This one could be interpreted in a few ways:

"If I must suffer through this I ain’t gonna make it pretty" OR
"If you flash that light thingy at me one more time..."
Rest assured, as soon as the hat came off and the light flashy thingy went away, Molly was in good spirits again, doing her happy laps around the living room. So in the spirit of happy, I wish ya'll and your furry critters Happy Holidays from all of us at dogzoomies!

Do I hear...

2008-12-21T23:24:00.002-05:00

Dreaming of...

2008-12-15T18:54:00.001-05:00

Three Dog Night

2008-11-19T16:03:00.002-05:00

With a frigid air mass hovering o’er us, my sister and I came to talk about our dogs' sleeping habits. Molly is more of a curl-up-in-a-ball type while Ben is usually a side-sleeper. If he’s not, it usually means something. If Ben happens to be curled up in a ball, in the middle of the living room for example, then that means “Hey you turn that thermostat up, will ya?”

I don’t mind if they are with me on the bed, esp in winter, as they do make wonderful heaters. They must be invited, and if I ask them to move they must oblige or else they will get booted to the confines of the super-plush-overstuffed-microsuede-sherpa-fleece-donut bed or the heat-retaining-memory foam-sherpa-fleece-covered-orthopedic bed.

Molly is happy to stay with me in bed as I read, but the moment I take my reading glasses off and reach over to turn off the light, she hops off and settles into her super-plush-overstuffed-microsuede-sherpa-fleece-donut bed where she will stay til morning. The last thing I see before the light goes out is Molly looking up at me waiting for me to turn the dang light off.

If Ben joins me, he’ll usually be there all night. I'll be hanging off the edge of the bed as Ben catches ZZZs smack dab in the middle. Of. My. Bed. A simple command, “move,” will elicit a grumble and he’ll move about an inch. When I tell him again to move, he’ll turn his head to look at me, still grumbling, and then move off to the side. This activity usually stirs Molly awake and she will proceed to give Ben the evil eye or the disciplinary muzzle poke. Then we all go back to bed and try to get warm and cozy again.

It was brrrrrrrrr last night! So cold a night it could be coined a three dog night*, but it was a only a two dog night for me, as I only have two dogs! But I suppose if I ball up all that shedded hair that has accumulated en masse around the house this past week, I could come up with something roughly the size of another dog. (Which reminds me – must bring out the Furminator.)

* Whas she sayin? The expression comes from the Australian Aborigines who spent a lot of their time outdoors looking after animals. During cold winter nights when the temperature dipped, a fellow often cuddled up with his dogs to keep warm. For slightly cold nights, you needed the body heat of only one dog to keep warm thus `one dog night'. When very cold, you added a second dog for ‘two dog night.’ For extremely cold nights, you needed three dogs to keep warm, a `three dog night.’