Christmas Greetings from Pooch Smooches!

I was going to save this for (mostly) Wordless Wednesday, but I figured many of you (including me!) won't be online (much) tomorrow, so here's our early Wordless Wed. Christmas greeting! 

Have yourselfie a merry little Christmas!

From our familial unit to yours...

Monday Mischief: Something's a Little Fishy Around Our Christmas Tree

Last week, I decorated our tree. Usually it's just a hodgepodge of ornaments collected over the years, but this year I decided I wanted to have a "dogs at the beach" themed tree, so I ordered some sand dollar ornaments and starfish, and I made some ornaments using shells. Then I decorated the tree with blue/turquoise ornaments, dog ornaments and all the shells. 

I thought it came out very cute and couldn't stop looking at it. Rita, on the other paw, was interested in it for other reasons... cuz it smelled like the beach.

Mirth Watch Thursday: Pet Blogger Gift Exchange Edition - Wag N Woof!

It's that most wonderful time of the year! Time for stressing out about gift-buying and menu-planning and trying to scratch things off your mile long to-do list!

But it's also time for the annual Pet Blogger's Gift Exchange - offering a lovely respite from all that stress. Why, you ask? Isn't a gift exchange just another thing to stress out about? No! Not when you do it like Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes and AJ from I Still Want More Puppies, the co-hosts for this year's event. These very wise ladies have come up with a "gift" exchange idea that doesn't involve buying anything! It's all about sharing the gift of "encouragement and blog love."

I was very excited when I was paired with Janet from Wag 'N Woof Pets! If you've never visited their blog, you should go there. Now. (I'll wait.)

Are you back? I mean, how freaking cute is their blog header??

Wordless Wednesday: A Study in Contrasts

Today, I present a study in contrasts...these pics having been taken literally less than 1 minute apart:

Tasty Tuesday: Buy These Treats with a Clear Conscience

Rita and I were contacted by Clear Conscience Pet and offered a chance to try some of their yummy treats, so today we are joining the Tasty Tuesday blog hop!

I've said here before that we always read the labels on treats/food we buy for Rita and never buy things from China, so we were happy to hear that Clear Conscience Pet offers USA made and sourced treats. (Note that you have to be even more careful these days! Some treats will say they are "Made in the USA" - but they might be made with ingredients sourced from outside the US.)

All their treats are made using free-range, grass-fed, or organically raised sources. They are also grain-free, gluten-free, and very low in carbs.

Mirth Watch Thursday: Why You Should Always Squeak the Toy in the Store

In keeping with yesterday's theme about gift-giving for dogs, I was reminded of a video I took of our angel Abby with one of her presents, and I thought it would make nice "mirth watch" viewing. (Speaking of yesterday's post... did you enter the giveaway?)

When I went back a couple of years on the blog to find it, I saw the cute pics and other pressies she got and decided to share all that again, cuz (a) she was SO cute and (b) I think a lot of you were not here 2 years ago so probably missed some of the cuteness. 

So, here's what I wrote about all of Abby's gifts back in Dec. 2011, plus your mirth watch video for this week:

"Hey, that dog looks like me!"

First of all, she got this very cute Christmas stocking specially handmade for her by her Aunt. She was very intrigued by it - even when it was empty. If you look closely, you'll see that the one dog on the right-hand side looks a lot like our girl! So cute!

Abby also got this very fine orange alligator in her Christmas stocking. My brother actually made toys for all the dogs in the family. He bought a gross of squeakers online (did you know you could buy squeakers in bulk?) and got some heavy-duty fabric and started whipping up dog toys on my sister-in-law's sewing machine. He is a very good doggy uncle. (He also made dog treats out of leftover grain from his beer making endeavors. She loves them.)

Her present from us was also an alligator, which (as you can see) she has already turned into a tripawd. (It was the very first thing she did.) [Ed. note added 12/4/2013: She loved to turn her toys into 3-legged things. There used to be a woman we would see at the beach who carried a small "monkey" pouch for her keys that hung off a cord at her hip. Abby snuck up once and chewed one of his legs off.]

What were the odds we'd both get 'er a gator?

I did not think to squeak this gater in the store. Big mistake. I'd been looking at some other no-stuffing toys that had recycled water bottles inside, and I thought this was the same sort of thing. I thought it would just make that crinkling, cracking sound that empty water bottles make. Um, no. It makes these crazy noises, as captured in the following video. (Note: the *other* crazy noise is just my sister's laugh...)

After opening her own presents, Abby thought everything was for her. Here she is perusing Grandma's presents:

"For me??"

And she got a bone, that she tried to hide behind the Christmas tree.

"No one can see me..."

Hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane and don't mind me reusing content. After all, it's the most busiest time of the year! (BTW, pretty pleased with myself - was able to look at old posts and pics and watch the video of Ab with nothing but smiles. Some sad smiles, but still... smiles.)

Happy Mirth Watch Thursday. Let's be mirthful out there!*

* If you ever watched the wonderful Hill Street Blues you will get this reference...

Mirth Watch Thursday: We Are the Furred

My mother-in-law told us about this video that she saw on TV in Canada. (Maybe in between footage of Toronto's mayor Rob Ford's latest exploits?) It's sort of a "We Are the World"-style video (hence the post title), as you'll see:

Wordless Wednesday: Tiny Hats and Fond Memories

Y'all know Flea, right? If not, go subscribe to her Jones Natural Chews blog now, cuz she's funny and she gives away yummy treats and fun things. (Like the leash Rita won!)

Anyway, you should also be friends with her on Facebook, cuz she's funny and she gives you ideas for things to post about on your blog! Like the other day when she posted this picture of this fine, tiny hat, and said she was going to put it on her duck Jimmy the next day.

Monday Mischief: Rita - Confused About Vet's Day...

There was some confusion at our house this morning.

Monday Mischief: Ever Loved an Obedience School Dropout?

So... Have you ever loved an obedience school dropout? We have. Two of them, in fact. Both our angels, Bailey and Abby, were obedience school dropouts. Although that was the Momma's fault, not theirs. (Bailey's class was unorganized and we got bored, and Abby's class just wasn't a style that meshed with the Momma.)

But no more! We now have our first graduate from Obedience 1! Here she is practicing her down/stay. And she didn't even need to be coaxed into this position with treats!

She looks thrilled, yes? (She's actually just pooped!)

Wordless Wednesday: Outtakes, So-Cal Fall & A New Hop!

I'm going to be a tiny bit wordy today (quelle surprise, right?), because I want to tell you more about the new blog hop that Peggy from Peggy's Pet Place and I are starting! More on that at the end, after I share a passel o' pics. 

So, last week I shared this selfie of Rita and me in my new SlimDoggy gear that I won.

Monday Mischief: Rita's a Howl-o-Weenie!

Rita is not a fan of Halloween. She thinks it's even worse than Fourth of July!

First of all, she hates the decorations people put up:

Skulls with googly eyes have no appeal for her!

K9 Kamp: Are You and Your Pup Keeping Up?

It's time for a check in on how K9 Kamp is going. You might remember that I posted about this month's challenge a few week's back, which is to add an EXTRA 30 minutes of activity with your pup 3 or 4 times a week. 

Mirth Watch Thursday: I'm So Hoppy

In homage to Rita, our Mexican jumping bean, and this photo that I posted of her on Monday...

... I thought I'd post a hoppy video. And this one just happened to cross my path yesterday. This is a lot like how Rita looks when she's amped up about something. Luckily she doesn't get amped up too often!

Wordless Wednesday: A Pup in the Grass

I've posted before about how Rita loves to flop down in cool grass on a walk.

Well, a neighbor planted some crazy tall grass, and Rita was only too happy to disappear into it this weekend on our walk when it was still kinda hot here.

Rita??

Monday Mischief: The Girl's Got Vertical

Recently I posted about Rita being a Sheagle - she's half beagle, half shepherd (at least, as far as we know). But maybe she's got some springer spaniel in her too. Or sproinger spaniel.

She doesn't look like she'd have a lot of vertical (after all, she only measures about 20 inches tall)...

"Measuring tapes are scary, Momma!"

... but man, the girl can jump.

Monday Mischief: The Ball Is Always Greener...

Rita's not all that big on playing ball. But of course she wants the ball if it's in someone else's yard. 

Rita spies a lovely big, green ball in a neighbor's yard

Wordless Wednesday: What's With the Waiting?

Rita has been enjoying some samples we received from I and Love and You of their dehydrated raw food.

She loves it! But in the immortal words of Tom Petty, "the waaaaaiting is the hardest part!"

Human Shaming: Rita's Revenge

Rita here! I want to start by thanking Kol’s Notes or My Brown Newfies for giving me a chance to turn the tables on my Momma. She embarrasses me all the time online, so it's good to get a chance for payback. You know what they say about Payback - she's a bitch, just like me! (Payback is a weird name for a girl dog...)

Follow-Up Friday: Calendars, Captions and Questions

I'm busy busy busy getting down to the wire on the upcoming Monday launch of Rescue Me, Maybe, so I'm going to try to keep this Follow Up Friday post short(ish).

Yes, it's Follow Up Friday - time to answer those burning questions and follow up on the news.