FitDog Friday: Dogs Don't Do Pilates

Today we are once again joining SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place for the FitDog Friday blog hop.

Yesterday I asked Rita if she wanted to go do a cardio workout with me. Of course she did! We live at the end of a street that splits off into three separate deadends, each with a STEEP hill. Luckily we live at the top of the one deadend, so we don't have to always start our walk with a long uphill slog. But yesterday, I decided we'd hit the hills in each deadend, one right after the other. It was a good little 35 minute cardio workout and we were both panting by the end of it.

But Rita didn't really care about that - she just wanted to get out and GO! She doesn't give a hoot about cardio vs. strength training, and could care less about the latest fitness fad.

Don't get me wrong. She does cardio:

"I love aerobics, especially water aerobics! Gotta get the heart rate up!"

And strength training:

"More resistance, Momma! I need more resistance!"

Of course, she also makes time for stretching:

"You can make time for stretching by stretching & noshing at the same time."

And she knows that you need to recover after a hard workout:

"This is an important part of my recovery. Every athlete knows that!"

Abby even had a great core workout that she liked to do. (You think situps work your core - try digging on three legs!)

But Rita's not worried about getting in three hour-long cardio sessions a week, plus 2 - 3 strength sessions, or about keeping her heart rate at eighty percent of her max. She doesn't need a gym membership or any fancy equipment. She doesn't need a pedometer, a chronometer or an MP3 player. She just wants to move more, get out more, have more fun.

So, get out with your pup. Toss a toy around the yard. Chase each other around the dining room table. Move more, do more, enjoy more! It's good for you and the dog!

Happy FitDog Friday!



Mirth Watch Thursday: Best Dog Body Part

What's the best part of a dog? Is it his/her tail, since that's how your pup shows love? Is it the nose - so perfect for planting kisses on? While those dog-parts are pretty great, I personally think the best part of a dog is it's ears!

Whether floppy...

Rita enjoying a cinnamon roll treat

Wordless Wednesday: Name Game Challenge

Last week, Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes mentioned a fun photo challenge going on at the Raising a Super Dog blog. The blog follows the adventures of Euka II, a puppy in training for Canine Companions for Independence. The challenge was to take of a photo of your pup with his/her name spelled out in kibble.

Obviously for service dogs, this is an important lesson - that not everything on the ground is there for their own enjoyment. But I wondered, could Rita (definitely not service dog material due to her fears/issues) handle the challenge? We've been working on our down/stay, so I decided to try it. 

As you can see, success!

Monday Mischief: Poop Happens - a Guest Post

Today on the blog, we have a very special guest post from friend and fellow author, Barbara Techel. In her new book, part memoir and inspirational, Through Frankie's Eyes: One Woman's Journey to Her Authentic Self, and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way, Barbara takes us on the journey that led her to live her own truth and live with more joy, all because of what her Dachshund, Frankie, was teaching her along the way.

I read Barbara's wonderful book and I'll share with you the review I wrote on Amazon:

As the subtitle states, Through Frankie's Eyes takes you along as author Barbara Techel seeks her "authentic self." There was much in this book I could relate to. Like Techel, I, too, was late to figuring out what I wanted to be/do with my life. I also have struggled with worrying too much about what others think and have wondered if I was normal because I preferred "fur kids" over the real kind. I've also had a dog with bone cancer, and I've learned so many important life lessons from my own dogs. If you see yourself in any other those situations (and haven't so many of us at one time or another struggled with finding our purpose in life?), I think you'll also enjoy this tale or a woman's wonderful journey with an adorable little dog who teaches her so much about living life to the fullest. (Have a tissue or two handy!)

So, without further apoo - I mean, ado! - take it away, Barbara:

Poop Happens

Sweet Joie

Whether your dog walks on all four paws, or needs a little help like my Dachshund, Joie (pronounced Joey), who has a dog wheelchair, we can all relate to the delicate matter of talking about, err, um, well… poop!  There, I said it!

My first Dachshund, Frankie, became paralyzed at the age of six. She was diagnosed with a common disease in the breed called Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).  Little did I know after she ruptured a disc, and then surgery that might help her walk again, what lay ahead for me in taking care of her.

After her surgery when talking with the veterinarian technician via phone I heard the words, “You will need to learn to express Frankie’s bladder.” I wondered, what in the world did that mean?

Because of her paralysis, this is the side effect to IVDD. They are not able to feel when they have to go. I would soon learn that pressing gently on either side of Frankie’s bladder would expel the urine from her little body.

Frankie, the walk n' roll dog

Now poop?  Well, that is another matter all-together! Timing is everything and means either finding “gifts” around the house, or getting her over the toilet in time for those little buggers to plop into.

In the beginning I nearly lost my mind as I could not figure out the timing of when she had to go #1 or #2, to be polite in describing her frequent messes. Eventually I decided to change my attitude about her daily duties and trust that all would work out. Once I did that, things seemed to get a bit easier.

That is, until one day I had her in to see an acupuncturist.  All went well with the treatment and Frankie was feeling quite relaxed. I picked her up and held her in my right arm like I often did, as if carrying a football, with my purse slung over my shoulder.

I made my way to the counter to pay for the one hour treatment.  As I glanced into my purse to get my checkbook, I wondered what it was I was seeing in the crease of my checkbook cover. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a small turd. Yup, there it was, lodged into the crease (and just so you know, it’s hard for me to even type the word turd, much less say it- it just seems so un-lady like)!

Being the brave dog mom I am, without saying a word, I gently shook the little guy to the side, took out my checkbook, wrote the check, handed it to the receptionist, and proceeded to the front door.

The minute I was outside, I erupted into laughter! I couldn’t help but think there aren’t too many people out there who can say they’ve found poop in their purse. Tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard I got in my car and immediately called my husband. We laughed for what seemed like forever. 

I share this story in my recent memoir, Through Frankie’s Eyes. Since its release I have heard from others about their IVDD dogs and the places they have also found unexpected “tootsie rolls.” 

One woman shared with me that at a dinner party, after uncorking several bottles of wine it was time to re-cork one of the bottles they didn’t finish. The lighting was not all that bright and they couldn’t find the cork. One of her guests began feeling along the floor. He came up with what they thought was the cork, but was actually a petrified turd.  

Another lady wrote to me sharing that one morning as she was doing some things around her home she kept smelling poop.  She couldn’t find it anywhere!  She knew it was likely her paralyzed little guy had gone somewhere, but she just couldn’t seem to find where the smell was coming from. Just as she was about to give up, she put her hand into her robe pocket.  The mystery was solved…and it seems like another Dachshund has good aim just like Frankie!

Before having an IVDD dog if someone would have told me these stories, I would have been horrified. But it is one of those things I’ve learned to move past, and instead focus on all the joy and blessings Frankie brought me, and now Joie. I just wouldn’t trade that for anything!  And luckily, when you have a small dog, well, one can certainly deal with those little buggers no matter where they decide to show up next.

Do you have a funny poop story?  Please do share!

To learn more about Barbara you can find her online here:

www.joyfulpaws.com

www.facebook.com/joyfulpaws

www.twitter.com/joyfulpaws

www.facebook.com/nationalwalknrolldogday

www.twitter.com/walknrolldogday

About Barbara
Barbara Techel is a passionate advocate for dogs with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) and dogs in wheelchairs. She is also passionate about helping others see their challenges in a positive way. After her dachshund, Frankie suffered a spinal injury she was custom-fitted for a wheelchair and Barbara realized the beautiful opportunity she had to spread a positive message that animals with disabilities can and do live quality lives if given a chance.

In addition to writing Through Frankie's Eyes, in August 2012, Barbara founded National Walk 'N Roll Dog Day in memory of Frankie and in honor of all dogs in wheelchairs. She also started the Frankie Wheelchair Fund which helps dogs who need wheelchairs whose families may not be able to afford them, or for dogs in rescue. To date she has helped fifteen dogs get wheelchairs.

She is the award-winning author of the children's book series Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog which are true, inspirational stories about her paralyzed dachshund. Frankie teaches us that no matter our challenges, we can persevere with a positive attitude. And despite our challenges we can each give back in our own, unique way. Frankie is Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame Companion Dog.

Barbara and Frankie have been featured in Woman’s World, and countless other magazines and articles on line.

When not writing or sharing Frankie’s mission she loves spending time with her new “walk ‘n roll dog” Joie, her English Lab Kylie, and husband John. She also practices yoga daily, enjoys reading, and relishes in the simple things of life.

Happy Monday Mischief!

Senorita Rita Needs a Margarita!

Okay, I rolled these pics out last year too, but they're so perfect (I still can't believe the faces she made for these pics!) that you should just expect these to be an annual event. Oh, and they're not exactly the same anyway - I played with them on PicMonkey.com!

Enjoy:

Mirth Watch Thursday: Bilingual Dogs, er, Chiens

Remember when The Onion "reported" that Kim Jong Un was the Sexiest Man Alive of 2012, and People's Daily Online in China thought it was a real story? Well, something similar has happened only this time it involves dogs, the hub's homeland, and New York magazine.

A Canadian radio show called "This is That" (sort of a Daily Show-type fake news program for radio) aired a bit that was supposed to be an interview with a faux Montreal City Councilor, Benoit LaDouce, who said the "smoked meat city" needs a law requiring dogs using public parks to understand commands in both French and English. (The hubs has long contended that all dogs speak French, so this shouldn't be a problem.)

"Oh yeah... and I even know some sign language! Mon dieu."

Wordless Wednesday: Rita Must Be a Good Dog...

...cuz it says so right on the box we got today! Yep, Rita won something again! This time from Good Dog Takeouts treats from Jeffie's month long birthday party over at Talking Dogs Blog.

It's no wonder Rita thinks every package that comes to the door is for her - more than half the time, they are!

"Oh, for me?? Give me a hand, Momma!"

Monday Mischief: I Met My New Cousin!

Rita here! I met my new cousin, Reggie, this weekend. Momma said I did really good! She took about a thousand pictures, so I will let the pics tell the story:

We met through some bars, but he looked like he wanted to kiss me, and I looked like I wasn't going to eat him, so they let us meet for reals.

Mirth Watch Thursday: Opposable Thumbs

Last night the hubs asked me what I thought Rita would do if she had opposable thumbs.** I said we'd probably need to put a lock on both the fridge and pantry doors.

What If My Dog Had Opposable Thumbs?
I decided to Google "what if dogs had opposable thumbs" just to see what would come up, and it turns out there's actually a "What if cats and dogs had opposable thumbs?" Day. It's March 3rd. Unfortunately we forgot to celebrate it this year. It's in its 22nd year! According to the man who started the "holiday," people "aren't supposed to actually do anything on March 3." (Which is good, since I forgot to send out cards and get gifts!) "It's all about contemplation of canine and feline evolution." Since we missed the official "celebration," we'll contemplate it now.

Here are the top 3 things I think Rita would do if she had opposable thumbs:
1. Open the fridge and help herself to the contents of the cheese drawer.

2. Go online and order all the treats she can stuff herself with. (And she'd be able to open the front door when they were delivered.)

"If you loved me, you'd give me your credit card number."

3. Take the car and head down to the beach whenever she felt like it.

Okay, I wanted to put a picture here of Rita in the driver's seat of my car, but she ALWAYS sits in the back, and no amount of treats could convince her to keep her fuzzy butt in the front. She kept leaping into the back. And nobody wants a backseat driver. (She's so funny. We had to fight with Bailey and Abby to keep them OUT of the front!)

What If a Cat Had Opposable Thumbs?
If a cat had opposable thumbs, he'd probably just lie there and do the Roman Emperor "thumbs up/thumbs down" thing whenever you displeased him. "Why did you bring me so few cat treats? Thumbs down!"

And now... here is Jimmy, a cat who can actually do that:

As you can see, no, Jimmy does not want to do it again. And I love how he gives her the "thumbs down" when she says it's time to get up.

What would your pet do if he/she had thumbs? 

** There's a little back story here... One day loooong ago, Mike and I were talking and I said it was a good thing the dog (our beagle, Bailey, at the time) didn't have opposable thumbs. The next day, I heard him talking to Bailey, and he said something to her about not having "disposable thumbs." Yeah, he gets a lotta teasing about that. (In his defense, English is not his first language - although you'd never know it to talk to him since he has no accent - but he still gets a lotta teasing about that.)

Wordless Wednesday: Jealousy

Today's word is jealousy, cuz I bet you are gonna be jealous that I got to get my hands on this little fluffball yesterday! Meet my new nephew, Reggie!

Reggie with his favorite aunt! (Sure my other sis will have somethin' to say about that.)

Monday Mischief: Photo Mischief

I'm not super techy when it comes to messing with photos. I've never "shopped" a photo, as it were. (Why do they call it PhotoShop? It has nothing to do with shopping. Outta be PhotoTweak. Just my opinion...)
But recently I have played with made mischief with a few photos - and I think I might be addicted now. The photos I want to share also relate to two giveaways you can enter, so read on!

What the Dog Ate Giveaway
Thanks so much to Taryn over at A Tail of Two Cardis who wrote a lovely post about my novel, and is hosting a giveaway for a copy right now. All you have to do to enter is visit her post here before Thursday, April 25th and leave a comment about a funny thing that your dog (or another pet or even you) ate. It's open to folks beyond just the US, so hop on over there.

Now, when you do, you'll see that Taryn decided to "revise" the cover of What the Dog Ate, substituting one of her handsome pups for my usual cover model:

Too cute, right??

This of course made me wonder: "Why didn't I ever think of that?!?" So, here you go - Rita as cover girl:

She makes a cute cover girl, IMHO!

If you are wondering what the dog ate, that's a little spot of melted cheese on her nose.

Celebrate Jeffie's Birthday! 
Meanwhile, Jeffie over at the Talking Dogs blog is celebrating his 7th birthday, and stretching out the celebrating over the entire month of April. (You know how to pawrty, Jeffie!) Part of the celebration involves a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card if you submit a party pic of your pup by April 27. Check out this post here re: entering. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing, so go on over and join the fun. 

I can't resist taking fun pics of Rita, so we had to enter. I was able to doctor up the pictures I sent with some captions using the free website PicMonkey. (Thanks to Taryn -again- this time for the heads up about PicMonkey!) There's a paid subscription version, but you can do some fun things even with the free version.

So, here are some outtakes of the pics I took of Rita, and at the end you'll see the final captioned shots I sent in for Jeffie's pawrty.

One outtake - she's drinking a "The Vixen" beer

Another outtake - the party "aftermath"

One more outtake - I put some cheese on the lid!

 And here are the 2 I submitted:

I had to put a treat in the lampshade to get her in there, of course!

Now go out there and have some fun with your photos! And enter some fun giveaways!

Happy Monday Mischief!

FitDog Friday: Pearly-White Canines!

... and incisors and whatever else a dog's mouth has going on in there. Yes, today on FitDog Friday, I'm posting about something that may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to keeping your pup fit and healthy: teeth. Just as with humans and dental health, keeping a dog's teeth healthy is super important too! (Note: Be sure to read to the end of the post for a link to a giveaway on one of our fave blogs!)

Do I Really Have to Brush My Dog's Teeth?
I grew up in the days of ignoring the dog's teeth, so it's been a little hard to get in the habit of regular brushing. When I came across Jozi the Corgi (yes, another Corgi! You know we love those around here, as evidenced by yesterday's post!) & the Pussycats' Smooch a Pooch Giveaway, we had to enter. How could Pooch Smooches resist a "Smooch a Pooch" giveaway?? Plus, I figured if we won I'd have no excuse not to brush Rita's teeth.

Well - we won! So now I have to start brushing Rita's teeth. And we've been lazy, but no more excuses.

I couldn't believe how big the box with our winnings was. Rita could have fit inside! I didn't remember everything involved in the prize package, so was expecting a tiny box with a doggy toothbrush and some Dentastix - but no! There were tons of goodies!

She's so excited, her head's all blurry in this photo.

I had to really dig around in there to make sure we didn't miss anything!

Rita with our haul!

Here's everything we won:

• A coupon for a free office visit and dental consultation to Banfield (inside Petsmart)** 
• Paw Print Keepsake 
• Doggie Toothbrush 
• 2 Doggie Toys
• Dentastix Fresh samples - yes sir, yes sir - 3 bags full!
• Sephora goodies including a $25.00 Sephora gift card (Whoo-hoo! Some shopping for the Momma!)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste & Altoids for us humans to keep our breath minty fresh and clean

Rita loved the toys that were included:

"Give, Momma!"

But quickly abandoned them in favor of the Dentastix:

"Oh, I love the easy-open packaging."

"Seriously, Momma. The Sephora thing is yours. Get away from my Dentastix!"

Just one, Rita!

After she finished the lone Dentastix I would let her have, she was back playing with her new toys. This one is really cute and is designed for snuggling - it sort of has a blankie attached to the stuffed part.

"I'll snuggle this later. Right now, I think I'll eat it."

Today we got out the toothbrush, which is really cool and 3-sided. As luck would have it, I'd been reading My Brown Newfie's post on all the benefits of coconut oil, (check it out cuz there's lots of good info about the health benefits both inside and out, for you AND the dog!). Via the comments and following some links, I found that some folks use it to brush their dog's teeth, so I thought I'd try that. I've tried in the past to brush Rita's teeth with one of those finger brushes and some gross chicken-flavored toothpaste, but she was not keen.

Today when I came at her with the new toothbrush with a bit of coconut oil on it, she was happy to give it a go!

"Yum!"

"Momma, could you stop the brushing action and just let me lick this??!"

Look at those pearly whites! Gotta keep 'em that way!

Thanks again to Jozi the Corgi & the Pussycats! (Stop by and check out their cute blog!)


**NOTE: I'm happy with our vet and he runs a teeth cleaning special every February, so if anyone would like the coupon for the free Banfield checkup, let me know. I'm happy to mail it to you!

Do you brush your dog's teeth? It's important for keeping them healthy!

Now... In Other News?
Remember when Taryn from A Tail of Two Cardis won my giveaway celebrating What the Dog Ate's first anniversary? Well, she's having her own giveaway starting today, so stop by A Tail of Two Cardis and check it out!





Mirth Watch Thursday: The Unbearable Cuteness of Puppy

Mirth Watch Thursday is all about making you smile (and/or laugh) - and what could be more smile-inducing than a NEW PUPPY??? Nothing - that's what. And thus for today's smiles we bring you the newest member of our extended family. Meet my new nephew, Reggie:

Here he is, quickly falling in love with his new Momma.

Wordless Wednesday: Spa or Gulag?

Rita generally doesn't like to be brushed, so when Daddy came at her with the brush** this weekend, she went belly up. 

Ugh. You try to get a little shut-eye in the sun. But no....

Blog the Change: My First Shelter Love

It's time again for Blog the Change. When I was trying to think of what I wanted to write about, I thought I might do a post on Black Dog Syndrome (if you've never heard of it, in a nutshell - black dogs, especially big ones, are much less likely to get adopted than their lighter shelter mates). While I was looking for a picture of Smiley, my sister's very lovable black Lab mix from my youth, I came across lots of pics of my first shelter love - Lazar Wolf:

Lazar, the day we brought her home - 1980

Mirth Watch Thursday: Mistaken Identity

Today, it's time for a pup pop quiz on Pooch Smooches.

I want you to tell me what this is:

You don't even need any help with this do you? You don't need a hint (like "it rhymes with merit") or multiple choice options to narrow it down (like: "a. Seal pup, b. Ferret, c. Toy Poodle, d. Rodent of Unusual Size".)

I Have Been Remiss - Part II: Winnings!

Okay, I know it's wordless Wednesday, so I'll try to not be too wordy and mainly show pics of what we won, but I have to give shout-outs where they are (over)due!

First off, we won several books!

"I don't always read, but when I do, it better involve a dog." ~ Rita

I Have Been Remiss - Part I: Awards

In the past few months Pooch Smooches has been given several awards by other lovely bloggers. I've been totally remiss in mentioning them and officially thanking them for the awards. There are various rules involved - usually answering a series of questions, and then nominating other bloggers. I added them all up, and (since I've been remiss for so long) that would mean answering 54 questions and nominating 77 different blogs. That's a lotta questions/blogs, so I'm just answering a few of the questions and generically nominating blogs in my Blog Roll to the right. (I hope I haven't left anyone off!)

I know... that's cheating. I'm usually such a rule-follower (like Maggie, the main character in What the Dog Ate), but, geez - 77 blogs is a lot!

"Did we get the awards cuz we are cute, Momma?" No, Rita.

Here are the awards in no particular order:

FitDog Friday: Kale - Good For You & Your Pup

SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place have gotten together to start a new blog hop - FitDog Friday. We love fit doggies around here and have often joked about opening a fat farm for pups, so we thought we'd hop along on this inaugural FitDog Friday. (If you want to hop along, see details here.)

Mirth Watch Thursday: Behind the Limerick

In case you missed the wonderful limerick that Oz the Terrier wrote about Rita, here it is:

There once was a Shepherd named Rita

who was mixed with a Beagle, not an Akita.

She can throw a mean punch

and eats dead gophers for lunch

which she chases with a Peach Margarita.

And if you did see it and wonder why I let my dog drink margaritas... let me 'splain.

First of all, she's actually more of a straight-up-tequila girl:

Wordless Wednesday: Uninvited Visitors

In just the last couple of days, we've had a lot of uninvited visitors. First there was this little guy:

"May I come in? No? Okay, then, I'll just poop and be on my way!"

A Limerick & *Another* High

I don't normally post on Saturdays, but I had to post today because I wanted to share that Rita had a special limerick written for her!

Oz the Terrier has been posting the cutest, funniest, most adorable doggy limericks all month long and Rita and I were a little worried that we weren't going to make the cut - but we did! We got the slot for today. Whoohoo! Check out Rita's limerick here. Thanks, Oz, for the great limerick! Anybody who knows Rita, Rita, gopher eate', knows how perfect it is for her!


Also, remember the other day when I posted about the highs and lows of being a writer - the high being finding out someone wrote a lovely blog post about my book? Well, I'm on another high, since I found out Max, the Best Pup in the World, and his mom ALSO wrote a lovely post about my book. I had no idea they were going to do that! So sweet!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Mirth Watch Thursday: Peeps Show

Peeps. Would it really be Easter without them? No, not to eat - just to mess with. Or microwave. Or decorate with. Or make bunny ears for your dog.

Slightly-Less-Wordy Wednesday: Staycation

A couple of weeks ago, the hubs suddenly decided to take a week off. We didn't have time to plan much, and we had some things to do around the house, so we decided on a "staycation." We'd only done this once before, and the last time it was pretty much a disaster. We took off the week in 2003 when the massive "Cedar Fire" hit San Diego. The fire hit the second day of vacation, so we spent 3 1/2 days basically trapped in the house (because the sky was orange and the air unbreathable) while we watched the terrible, depressing news. (At one point we even had our cars packed and ready to evacuate.) Luckily this time was much more successful!

A staycation is pretty much ideal when you have a dog. (No worries about how the pooch will adapt to the new locale.) And we had fun being dorks and pretending we'd rented our house from VRBO. ("Can you believe these people left us all these projects to do? Jerks!")

We basically pretended we were retired. We slept in every morning, enjoyed our coffees, and then went for long walks on the beach with Rita:

Had the beach to ourselves!

Monday Mischief: Some Bunny Loves You

I can't resist a dog in bunny ears. You? (I've been known to "friend" total strangers on Goodreads simply because their avatar is a photo of his/her dog in bunny ears. It happens more than you'd think.)

Mirth Watch Thursday: Why I Want a Hippo

Remember when I wanted a penguin (that I could get a penguin backpack for and take along to the store)? I said it was one of my all-time favorite videos and that I had one other that I was saving for another time. So, here it is - my other favorite animal video: Jessica the Hippo.

Have you ever seen this? It's about a baby hippo in South Africa that washes up during a flood at this former game ranger's house and how she comes to be a member of the family. The video is short and adorable and talks about how she's lived with him and his wife for 7 years.