Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me! We’re gonna have a pawty pawty, We gonna have a pawty. Come over and play in the virtual dog park. Hope your day is as fun as mine. – Sofie Bear, the big 2 year old girl.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
“Mommy, I know you have the bone under that blanket and you must give it to me. Just because you think that Sofie has chewed on it enough, that does not mean you should keep it from me. I can smell that you have it under there. I am bigger and should be able to chew on it longer. Mommy, are you listening to me?”
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Sofie: “Mom, did you send the invitation?”
Mom: “Yes, Sofie Bear, they are on your Facebook site as an event”
Sofie: “Did you bake the special cookies I requested?”
Mom: “Yes, Sofie, they are cooling with the other pumpkin treats.”
Sofie: “Presents! Are presents hiding somewhere?”
Mom: “Patience, little one.”
Sofie: “Are my friends going to come to visit?”
Mom: “Yes, Sofie, Mojo and Amy will be here.”
Sofie: “I am so excited that I am going to be 2 years old on Sunday! Can we go for a walk just you & me.”
Mom: “Sounds like a plan, Baby”
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
The last Nasturtium of the season is reaching for the sun. She made it through Super Storm Sandy somehow, and is soaking up the last final sun rays of fall. 
Louise does that too. She finds the one sunny spot, wherever it may be in the yard and lies down to soak it in. She has always been a sun worshipper. She just cracks me up because she will go to great lengths for one little sun spot. Sofie on the other hand, is a shade dweller, like me. She gets tired of Louise’s sunbathing after awhile and tends to be a spoiler: “Time to play, Lulu. Time to play!” 
I love the smells of fall. People are starting to use their fire places to take away the night chill and the air is filled with the earthy yet sweet aroma of burning wood. There is something just so comforting to me about that smell. The first time that I remember smelling burning wood was a summer camp bonfire when I was 5; I was mesmerized by the incredible smell. I also love the smell of the crisp air in the morning, so clean and fresh, and then there is the smell of the the seasonal cooking. Oh my…. all this from a Nasturtium. I wish the internet had ‘smellavision,’ I would bottle some of these delicious scents and post them here for you to enjoy. Well hopefully today you can at least enjoy a ray of sun like Louise.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
I talk a lot.
I talk to myself.
I talk to the animals.
I even talk to the plants.
Oh yes, I also talk to people.
I wonder what the animals hear with my endless chatter. Do you remember the ‘Charlie Brown’ cartoons when the adults were speaking and all the kids would hear is “blah, blah, blah…?” That is probably me and my animals.
There are many trainers that say you should only talk to your animals to give them a direct command; ‘Come,’ ‘Sit,’ ‘Break.’ Not me. I go on and on, about the weather, how beautiful the leaves look, whatever comes to mind (I just realized however, I never talk to them about work or the blog). I ask them questions, I sing them songs, and when needed, I actually give them a command to do something. I think they are able to discern the commands from all the other words that I use, but maybe it is my change of tone that makes them pay attention. I enjoy talking to my animals, and truthfully, I think they enjoy it too. No one around the zoo likes it when Mommy is quiet for to long. They tell me it is just unnatural, and they get unnerved.
Do you talk to your animals? Do you think it confuses them? Do you think they like it?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
RumpyDog posted a great one on Helping Animals Affected by Sandy. Thank you Rumpy for being so thoughtful. Please help as you can. This is going to be a hard winter for an already stressed animal population at the shelters.
Also, here are some good links from Petfinders Blog
Shelters and adoption groups damaged by Hurricane Sandy or assisting their communities in recovering won’t be taking time off this weekend. There is a lot of clean-up to be done, often in areas that still don’t have power.
Mochi is bundled up to stay warm while Animal Haven is without power!
Please take some time to review our posts on Petfinder animal welfare organizations who need help, and reach out to them this weekend if you can. Here are our past posts from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with additional shelters checking in below.
New York:
New Jersey:
We hope Blair finds a home now that Sandy has passed.NOT Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Thank you to all our Facebook and Blog friends that prayed for us during the recent Super Storm. I really think that made a difference. My heart goes out to all those effected in so many terrible ways. Please keep those prayers and virtual hugs coming – it will be a long road to normal for many. We are fine here at DogDaz and appreciate the support. – Lorian (the human of DogDaz)
Sometimes being prepared days before for something as big as Super Storm Sandy, the ‘Frankenstorm’ as they are calling it (because it was near Halloween), only made all our anxiety levels go up with the anticipation. All the hubbub of getting prepared kept me busy for days but then, once ready, I had to just sit and wait for the actual event. Anticipation is an interesting thing. When the animals anticipate what is coming, like when they know I am going into the cookie jar, they try to figure out what I am going to ask them to do to receive the cookie. Both of them sit in anticipation, and if I wait a little to long Louise will start to drool and Sofie will raise her paw (in case I am going to ask her to ‘shake’). Waiting for positive things, like treats, or parties, or walks, is a ‘good’ anticipation. Waiting for a Super Storm, well that is down right ‘bad’ anticipation. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen. Sofie stuck to my side like glue during the whole prelude and event. Louise just slept mostly. But we all got through it. V and me and the 5 cats and 2 dogs cuddled by the fire place and ate a lot of fattening treats until it past. 
Now we are in clean up mode, Power was finally back Thursday and phone, internet, TV took the worst hit, but the main box has been replaced and is running again. The dogs are tired of wet feet but like their new water bowl (the bottom of the picnic table). I am glad that all my family is safe, though those up north are still without power for an unknown length of time.
No matter where you are, please make sure to anticipate weather and be prepared. Mother Nature is unpredictable at times and we can not change that, but we can protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Yesterday’s post got me thinking about dog smiles. Squash was a big smiler. I used to really feel special when he would give me that silly big dog grin of his.
Sofie has the cutest smile. She just has that happy doggy-ness that seems to exude from her. You just want to hug her.
Louise’s smile will melt you if you are lucky enough to be one of the few people that she will show it too. She smiles from ear to ear when she is happy and it is just so…. doggone cute!
Show me your Sunday smiler – leave a link in the comments to your pet’s best smile.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
