Mirth Watch Thursday: Does Your Dog Sing?

I enjoy a singing dog. Sadly, Rita doesn't sing.

Although it almost looks like she's belting out a tune here, using her Himalayan chew as a mic. She's doing her Cindi Pawper impersonation, and yes, this little girl does just wanna have fun:

Less Wordy Wednesday: Marketing Genius

Rita's a weird mix of chow-hound/picky girl, so I'm always on the lookout for new things for her. So, when I was cruising the dog section of our local Sprouts (a chain of natural/organic grocery stores - do you have Sprouts?) I immediately noticed a brand I'd never seen before called: "I and love and you."

Monday Mischief: More Puzzling Mischief

Remember when I posted that Rita was puzzled by her puzzle toy (except she'd pull the pieces out with ease when there were NO treats in it)? Well, I tried a technique that SlimDoggy suggested and put the pieces in upside down so she could grab them easier.

"Well, heck, this is easy."

Mirth Watch Thursday: Lion Cubs, Meatball(s) and a Social-Networking Bear

So, while I was looking at old pics for yesterday's post, I came across a lot of old favorites... including some of these from when the hubs and I got to meet some lion cubs!

Bakari, Jillian, and Suri

We got to feed them...

They were hungry little kitties!

Less-Wordy Wednesday: Origins of the Pooch Smooches Name

So... Did you notice the new banner, tagline, and (slightly different) layout?? Whaddya think?

When I finished making the new banner, I realized I should probably update my About Us page, since I didn't mention Bailey on it before. (What a terrible dog-mom I am!)

While I was adding Bailey to the About Us page, I got the idea to post a This Day in History photo today.

Bailey & her fave person, Daddy. Aug. 14, 2009

(Okay, I know I'm posting this on Aug. 13, but Wednesday - as in Wordless Wednesday - is Aug 14, so I'm sharing an Aug 14 shot. Sheeeesh. Technicalities.)

Monday Mischief: An Unwelcome Guest

Remember when Rita stole my sister's cat's toy and looked like this?

"Whaaa?"

A Special Smile-y Dog Post

Rita and I don't usually blog on the weekends, but when we saw that the fabulous Sugar was having a special hop for her 12th birthday, well, we had to join in! Especially since it's a smiling dogs hop.

Follow-Up Friday: Pixie and Pics Edition

It's another Follow-Up Friday - a chance to answer those questions and follow up on the news!

Fixin' Pixie's Mischief
On Monday's post, I showed you the mischief my friend's pup, Pixie, had gotten up to, tearing mini angel Rio limb from limb.

Mischief Maker, Pixie

Mirth Watch Thursday: What Car Should I Get for Me & My Pup?

I really need to get a new car one of these days. I hate the thought of actually going shopping for it though. And I hate the thought of researching what's the best car for me and Rita (and often the hubs too) to toodle around in. So... I thought I'd ask y'all. Any suggestions for a good dog-friendly car?

Less-Wordy Wednesday: Oh PicMonkey, You Marvelous Time-Suck, You!

Today we have an ode to PicMonkey, inspired by Taryn and her recent post on Tail of Two Cardis. I have to start out by saying a lot of the things I've done below can be done using the free version of PicMonkey, but I subscribed (because it's pretty cheap - I paid for 1 year so it works out to like $2.75/month - and because I love it so).

There are some fun things you can do with PicMonkey, like add captions, thought bubbles and/or frames to pics:

Monday Mischief: Out-of-State Mischief

If you've been around the blog a while, you might remember back in November when this little minx:

Sweet little Pixie, our wee friend in Washington

Follow-Up Friday: Better Late Than Never

I've been really busy this week with the new book and I'm falling behind on my blogging! Also fighting a migraine yesterday and today, but wanted to try to at least get a quick (if late) Follow Up Friday post up!

So, here's Follow-Up Friday - a chance to answer those questions and follow up on the news!

A Slightly-less Puzzled Puppy
On Monday, I mentioned the mischief Rita was making, solving her food puzzle when no treats were in it, but acting completely flummoxed by it when it's full of treats.

SlimDoggy said "I turned [the pieces] upside down so they were easier to grab onto and [Maggie] did it with ease. Try it and see if it works for Rita..."

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: What's It About?

When you tell people you're writing a book, they usually ask, "What's it about?" Sometimes when you are in the midst of it, it's hard to answer. "Well, it's about this woman, and there's this dog, and... stuff happens."

As I said last week when I shared the cover for Rescue Me, Maybe (coming in September!), my short answer to "What's it about?" is to say, "It's a love story... for dog lovers." But you need a longer blurb than that (for Amazon, for the back cover, for sharing with bloggers, etc.) so you have to distill your 100,000 words down to a few sentences. I know I'm supposed to be wordless today, but I wanted to share those few sentences with you, plus a few photos of Abby (since the book has a fictionalized version of her in it). It just wouldn't be a Pooch Smooches post without pup pics!

Our gorgeous angel:

Monday Mischief: My Puzzled Puppy

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A few weeks ago, Rita and I participated in an online auction hosted by Dachsies With Moxie to raise money for the animals affected by the recent tornado in Moore, OK. Rita and I had the winning bid on a fun treat and puzzle toy combo pack, which was supplied for the auction by Bailey, Hazel and Greta of Idaho Pug Ranch. Hooray! We like to win! And, best of all, about $900 was raised for the Moore, OK animals!

Our prize package included some Zuke's Mini Treats, which Rita loves, and a puzzle toy which Rita... is confused by.

Hooray for Zukes!

Keeping Up With K9 Kamp: Calories In, Calories Out

Remember when Rita and I were having fun with K9 Kamp last month, and we said the fun would continue with monthly challenges posted on You Did What With Your Wiener? (No, this isn't anything political about the NY mayoral race... that's a different Weiner. Seriously considered whether or not I should capitalize that last word...)

Anyway... Kamp Coach Jessica's mini challenge this month was to figure out if you're feeding your dog the right amount of food.

The basic idea was to calculate your dog's calories in and calories out and see, based on your dog's current weight (fine? A little pudgy? Too thin?) if you need to make some adjustments.

"Does this fur make my butt look big, Momma?"

Mirth Watch Thursday: Love It? Hate It? Indifferent?

What are we talking about here on Mirth Watch Thursday?? The vacuum! Most dogs I've known hate the vacuum. Rita is afraid of it and heads for the other room when it comes out. (So I don't even have any pics of her with it.)

Abby, on the other hand, feared nothing and would attack it:

"You don't scare me, you noisy creature! Prepare for battle!"

How about your pups? Are they like these cats, who mostly seem to be enjoying the vacuuming in one way or another (including some possibly kinky ways...)

(So cute - but what the heck is that first cat doing? And the last one... that woman is really just mopping with her cat...)

Or are they like this little guy that clearly wants to kill it? Makes it tough to keep the house clean! (And any excuse to not vacuum will do in my book!)

Or are you lucky enough to have a completely indifferent dog like this:

As much as Rita sheds, I'd love to get a roomba, but it would have her running scared all over the house! How does the vacuuming go at your house?

Sadly I need to get at the vacuuming, cuz 2 of my sisters are coming over tomorrow! "Look out, Rita... here we come!"

Happy Mirth Watch Thursday! 

Wordless Wednesday: Cover Reveal for "Rescue Me, Maybe"!

Here it is - the cover for my new novel, which will be out in mid-September. I hope you like it!

Rescue Me, Maybe - due out in September!

Monday Mischief: We Do Have SOME Rules Here at The Spa

Things are pretty easy for spoiled pups who live here at our spa. They can get up on the sofa, sleep on the bed (although Rita mostly chooses not to), lick the plates before they go in the dishwasher (again, Rita doesn't always want to, because she's weird...), etc.

But we do have a few rules, and one of them is hard and fast: No sticks in the house!

Our last pup, Abby, (who was FULL of mischief) often flagrantly attempted to violate this rule:

"What, Momma?? I'm just practicing my Groucho Marx imitation."

Mirth Watch Thursday: A Quick Laugh for Today

This is gonna be a quick one, cuz I'm cranking on getting my next novel ready. I've been making myself nuts/blind trying to come up with a title and cover. But I finally have both! Maybe I'll do a cover reveal soon!

As I said before, the cover includes this gorgeous girl! (The dog - not me!)

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepover Aftermath

Remember when I mentioned that Rita and Reggie were going to have a sleepover at Reggie's house? It was a success! (Hooray! Good news, since we trade dog-sitting for each other.)

It was a success... but that doesn't mean it wasn't a little nutty. It was reported to me by my sis that Rita was "good as gold," and Reggie was.... well, a little excited about the whole deal. My sis has no photos of the sleepover. Well, she does - but they're all blurry.

I have some of the next day when I went to pick up Rita.

"Please. I've had enough!"

Blog the Change for Animals: Well Done, San Diego!

It's Blog the Change for Animals time again!

It kinda snuck up on me this time, and I wasn't sure what to write about - but then I remembered a big pet-related item in the news this week in San Diego: the City Council voted to ban retail store pet sales.

Follow-Up Friday: With Ribbons and More Woolly Ball News and...Other Silliness

It's Follow-Up Friday...

...and that means it's time to answer those burning questions (if it's burning - go see a doctor!) and follow-up on the news!

Back to the Fair - One Last Time...
My sis and I had to go pick up our winning felting displays at the fairgrounds the day after the fair ended, which means we got to pick up our big ol' ribbon (plus a certificate and a little gift of a pin with the fair's "game on" logo. Oh boy.) We are still waiting for our checks!

I brought the ribbon home and made it into a hair-bow, which I've been wearing ever since.

 Okay, I kid! (But it would work that way, right??)

Mirth Watch Thursday: Educating Rita

I know I mostly only post about how cute and sweet Rita is (and how she hardly ever gets into any mischief, leaving me scrambling for ideas for Monday Mischief posts) but she does have some ... issues. Because of her issues, we started working with a trainer.

95% of the time, a very happy girl & a good walker

Wordless Wednesday: Cookie Break. Or Not.

There's a house on one of our favorite walking routes that leaves out a bowl of water and a container of cookies for the pups. We usually stop with Rita to enjoy a cookie on our way home.

"This is my favorite walk route, Momma!"

The Worst (or Best??) Kinda Mischief...Puppy Mischief!

Today, we have a guest blogger! Since Reggie's always such a hit - and some even suggested we should highlight him every day (a suggestion which made Rita sulk for a while...) - well, we decided you should see more than just his unbelievably cute side. So, my sis is taking over today to reveal some Reggie-mischief! Take it away, Terry...

Happy Monday! Just stopping by Pooch Smooches as guest blogger. I am Jackie’s sister, Terry, and the lucky woman who owns and loves Reginald H. Dickenson, a.k.a. Reggie. I am just tickled that so many of you seem to appreciate the little devil. Because at times he can be a devil, and because Rita is almost always an angel, we are taking over Monday Mischief this week.

Rita has been so great teaching Reggie the joys of play dates. She’s got just the right blend of sweet and tough. He loves her! She does me the kind favor of leaving behind one of my favorite things – a totally exhausted pup. After their last session, this is how they settled in on our front porch. Cute, eh? (Please note Reggie’s ears standing up so nicely.  We will re-visit that later in this post.)

Wordless Wednesday: On a Walk in Bird Rock

As I mentioned during K9 Kamp, we do a lot of walking. And we don't usually get bored, because we have lots of different, nice routes we can take. One of our favorite walks is to head down to a little neighborhood known as "Bird Rock." It's called this cuz there's a rock. And birds sit (and do other stuff that rhymes with sit) on it. [Sorry this is wordy - you don't have to read it. You can just look at the pics!]

Rita in front of Bird Rock - with no birds on it at the moment

Monday Mischief: Hold On To Your Pups, People!

We love the Tour de France. And we love dogs. But the two don't mix. Folks who go to watch the Tour should hang on tightly to their pups, lest they cause some brief heart-stopping moments like this which happened on Sunday morning during the 2nd stage of racing:

(Not the best quality as I just videoed it as it played on our TV, but you get the idea - and hopefully they won't mind me showing 10 sec of their coverage - it's a PSA after all!)

That little terrier or whatever he is just misses getting trampled by the peloton, and he probably would have brought down a dozen or so riders. Yikes!

Follow-Up Friday: Replies, Awards, Suggestions & Wooly Balls

It's the Follow-Up Friday, the blog hop that let’s you wrap up your week and leads you right into the weekend! Come on, weekend!

Mirth Watch Thursday: I Whip My Ears Back and Forth

This is gonna be a quick one cuz I've had one of those annoying days where you have a million things on your to-do list and then slowly but surely they all start becoming super complicated and taking 10X longer than you thought they would. You know those fun kinda days??

Anyway, when I went on YouTube wondering what I could do for Mirth Watch today, my home page had items recommended for me. This was at the top of the list. Oh, YouTube - you know me so well!

Wordless Wednesday: Operation - Tired Puppy

My sis was hosting her book club, so asked me to bring Rita over to help tire Reggie out. (Remember when I introduced Reggie - my new nephew?)

"I still have to grow into my ears and my paws."

Monday Mischief: Were Our Bunnies Robbed??

Remember when I posted about how my sis and I had entered two items in the "Home & Hobby" competition for our county fair? And then I posted that our dogs had won first place in the "Needle Felting" class:

Our wee 1st place ribbon

FitDog Friday: The End of K9 Kamp?

Today is the last day of K9 Kamp. :(

Time to lower the flag, roll up the sleeping bag, track all the dirt into the car and head home.

Mirth Watch Thursday: Connected (to the Dog) But Alone

Recently the hubs and I were watching something on TV where they were interviewing Sherry Turkle about her book Alone Together and her TED talk "Connected, But Alone." Turkle is a psychologist and sociologist who talks about how our connection to each other online and via our devices is shaping how we relate and communicate with one another in person.

It got me thinking about Rita, and how when I'm connected to her (out on a leash walk) I often still feel alone...

After all, she's obsessed with checking her pee-mail.

"Says here that Fifi got spayed!"

Wordless Wednesday: The Preferred Part of a Pig

A while back I posted about what's the best part of a dog. (I said it's the ears.) In keeping with that "what's the best part" theme, we recently let Rita decide what was the ... well, not best (we only gave her two options) but better part of a pig. I present:

Ear vs. Pizzle
We gave Rita the option of either having a pig's ear or a porky pizzle twist. Would she agree that the ears have it? Or would the pizzle proudly point a path to preference?

It was a tough decision...

"Decisions, decisions. Calculating weight-to-porky-goodness ratio..."

The Dog's Not Spoiled . . . Much

Rita turned two on Sunday so we did lots of pigging out celebrating this weekend!

Of course, since we knew we'd be pigging out celebrating a lot, we started both days this week with looong walks. (After all, it's K9 Kamp and we gotta keep Rita in good shape!) Saturday we walked down by the coast for almost an hour and a half. Sunday we stayed in the 'hood and did some 'sploring.

A gorgeous day at the coast.

Extra, Extra... Exercise & a Mess o' Followin' Up

It's FitDog Friday as well as Follow-up Friday, so we're (mainly) following up today on how K9 Kamp is going.

Have you been to Peggy's Pet Place and/or Kol’s Notes to enter the giveaway and find out more about K9 Kamp? If you haven't, then get over there. Lots of fun things to win!

So, the K9 Kamp challenge is to work an extra 20 to 30 minutes into your pup's exercise routine 3 or 4 times per week. As I mentioned at the start of kamp, Rita and I walk a lot - about a marathon a week, between a long walk every morning and sometimes another 20 minutes a few nights a week. Adding more time sounded tough, so at first I thought we'd try upping the intensity instead.

A happy-walker makes for a happy-kamper

No Mirth Today - The Worst Walk I Ever Took

I had a very different post planned for our usual Mirth Watch Thursday, but today (Wednesday as I am writing this), I had the worst walk I've ever had with my dog.

Not even sure where to start.

As you know, my friend and I walk with our dogs (Rita, and Rita's best friend, Dakota the boxer) at Fiesta Island (FI) at least 3 days/week. On the weekdays we usually know almost everyone down there. There are a couple of dogs that our dogs don't like, or that don't like our dogs, and we steer clear. Sometimes there's a bit of noise and a skirmish, but no one ever gets bit and it's always fine.

Well, now that school's out and it's summer, there are a lot more people down there. I'm constantly checking out the other dogs and assessing Rita's body language, etc.

We were just about finished up with our walk and had run into another friend who comes to FI pretty much every day with her 4 huskies. At the same time two men (big, older men with big walking sticks) and 3 dogs were coming the other direction. They had a timid puppy with them, and Dakota ran at it showing teeth. Dakota is very good about listening to her mom, but before my friend could even yell "Sit, Stay", the one man raised his walking stick and hit Dakota across the back with it, breaking the stick. (Luckily, he had the smaller of the 2 sticks. The other stick was thicker and could have inflicted some serious damage.)

Wordless (ha!) Wednesday: KONG Premium Treats Giveaway

If you've been around a while, you know I have a hard time being wordless... and this is going to be another one of those wordy-Wordless Wed. posts. But hey... you could win stuff!

We were approached by JAKKS Pets, partners with KONG for the KONG Premium Treat line, about doing a review and giveaway. Rita said, "Sign us up!" Momma said, "Hang on... let's read through everything."

Once the Momma found out the treats are USA-made (very important - don't buy treats made in China!) and use good ingredients (all-natural, no animal by-products, and no wheat, corn or soy!) she agreed with Rita.

So, the lovely folks from KONG Premium Treats sent us 3 treats of our choosing to try, and now THREE lucky winners will win the same - a prize pack with 3 fabulous treats:

A prize package with a trio of treats!

Is My Dog Dumb, Or Just Not as Bored as I Thought?

... Or is she really, really smart?

Rita is usually fine with just a walk every morning and a bit of play time in the afternoon or evening. The rest of the day, she generally entertains herself checking things out in the yard, napping, and following me around. But she often has this bored-out-of-her-skull expression on her face.

"Ho-hum. Another day. Another 37 naps."

Follow-Up Friday: Pupdates on Past Posts

This week Pooch Smooches is very excited to be co-hosting the Follow-Up Friday blog hop along with the hop's originator, Jodi from a Heart Like a Dog. FUF is the blog hop that let’s you wrap up your week and leads you right into the weekend!

Personally, I like a margarita to lead me right into the weekend, but that will come later... As I post this, it's a little early to start drinking.

Sampson & Delilah from Heart Like a Dog - gorg, right?*

Since this is my first FUF post, I have a lot to catch up on, so we'll go back a little more than a week to wrap up:

Mirth Watch Thursday: Should a Mother Read Her Dawgter's Diary?

Yes. She should. And she should share it with everypawdy.

Some (most??) of you have probably already seen this video. If you are like me and on Facebook and mostly have dog-crazy friends there, then you will have definitely seen it. But, I know I have some blog readers who aren't on Facebook, so for that lone person's their benefit I share with you now - Sad Dog Diary. (Note - these are not sad. Does this seem like the kind of blog that would share a sad video?? Angel dog videos notwithstanding...)

As I mentioned, I first saw this on Facebook, but I also saw it on one of my fave blogs - I Still Want More Puppies, wherein we were asked to ponder what our dog's diary entry would be.

Wordless Wednesday: Are You Going to Our County Fair...

Okay, sing along with me, to the tune of Simon & Garfunkle's Scarborough Fair: 

Are you going to our County Fair? Bunnies, dogs, a hydrant of wool....

 

Yep, my sis and I are not only going to the fair, but we entered lovingly hand-crafted bunnies and dogs for the Home & Hobby competitive exhibits. Specifically, we entered "sets" in the needle-felting division. (Oh, no wait - technically it's the needle-felting class, which is within the overarching "Felting" division, which is within the "Needle & Textile Arts" category.) Whatever it is - we want to win.

I've been wanting to enter something for years, and this year we are finally doing it. They wouldn't let us enter together - except for quilts, only one person's name can be on an entry - so we decided to each enter an item (even though we made both of them together). My sis entered our tableau of bunnies: (click on any pics if you want to see them bigger)

Monday Mischief: Cats Cookies for People for our Pup

I realize that title probably sounds a little confusing. Let me 'splain. 

Cats Cookies for People! And/or Pups...

About 6 or so months ago, Rita started having these brief episodes of head tremors.

FitDog Friday: Rise and Shine Kampers!

Rise & Shine K9 Kampers* - It's Time for K9 Kamp!
If you've been following the blog for a while, you probably remember last spring when Rita and I joined in the fun of K9 Kamp, with 4 weeks of fitness challenges sponsored by Koly of Kol's Notes and Kelly of Peggy's Pet Place.

We were so honored last year to receive two awards (Gopher Wrestling Champions** and the Beach Babes Award!), not to mention we won swag! This time, you can win swag too! Fun, right? Read on!

Mirth Watch Thursday: A Bedtime Ritual

Rita makes us laugh (or at least smile) many times a day. One of the things she does is so darn cute and funny that I've been trying for ages to catch it on video.

I've blogged before about our sleeping arrangements - she's welcome to sleep with us but sometimes goes to her own bed for a while first. (Maybe because she fell off of ours before...) 

Almost every night when she goes to her own comfy little bed, she goes through this very energetic ritual of rearranging her blankie. It's like she has to have it just so or she can't sleep - although it usually just goes from one crumpled blob to another.

I've been trying to capture this on video for months (after all, we've had her almost 18 months now!), with no success. She really goes to town rearranging that stupid blankie when my camera is nowhere in sight. But whip out the camera, and she stops and stares at me like, "What?"

Or she acts like "Nothing to see here."

"Seriously, Momma. I'm not doing anything. Go away with your camera."

I thought I'd almost caught her the other night - but no. I got 7 seconds of this. What a tease.

But, then, finally (!) - success!
 
I just wish I'd captured the usual grunts and harrumphing that generally accompany this behavior!

Does your pup have a nighttime ritual? 

Wordless Wednesday:That Was a Dumb Idea

We recently took Rita with us to Santa Barbara for a few days. (That wasn't the dumb idea. It's coming.)

My sis lives there and we wanted to visit and check out the Amgen Tour of California. (Drug scandals notwithstanding, we're big pro cycling fans and this is a very cool week-long race that shows off the beauty of our state.) One stage was ending on the Wednesday we got there, so we knew we'd be able to see an exciting sprint finish, and the next day's stage was starting from the same spot. Always fun to go to the start and see all the big US and European cycling stars at the team buses before the race. (Yes, I'm a cycling groupie!)

We stayed with my sis, who has a cat. Rita HATES cats. (This also wasn't the dumb idea.) But she apparently likes cat toys... She immediately tried to steal a mouse toy:

A terrible - but hysterical - pic. See the mouse's tail? 

Back to Normal(ish)

Hello everyone! Sorry the blog has been quiet for a week. I've been having blogging withdrawals, but   hopefully starting tomorrow things will be back to normal.

I had to take a break from the blogging mainly due to computer troubles (and also just plain being busy - we went away for a few days, it was the hub's birthday, my brother-in-law visited, my sis and I were prepping our entries for the fair - anyway, posts & pics to follow on some of that!).

The computer was definitely the BIG problem though. My laptop died and I was forced to go out and buy a new PC. I'd known I needed a new one for a while but kept putting it off because I was overwhelmed by the options (Mac or PC? Laptop or desktop? Touch screen??). But when your computer dies, your forced to do some quick shopping.

Chick Lit Chit Chat Blog Hop: What's On Page 25?

This week, I'm participating in the What's on Page 25? blog hop. If you read your way through the whole hop, you can enter to win a fabulous prize! Read on! (I'll be back to my regularly scheduling blogging next week!)

Wordless Wednesday: The Almost-Perfect Doormat

Remember the other day when I posted about bilingual dogs and the need for dogs to learn French? Well, a couple of days after that, I came across an almost perfect welcome mat for our house:

Monday Mischief: Smoothie Mischief

If you've read my novel, What the Dog Ate, you know that Maggie, the main character, enjoys a smoothie for a post exercise recovery food. She always lets Kona, her chocolate Lab, have a go at her glass when
she's done.

Kona doesn't just eat undies. Lots of things make him lick his lips throughout the story.