Sofie’s Rescue
Ride Home
March 2011
Sofie got jealous because yesterday I talked about how much I love Louise, and that I was planning a party for her 3rd birthday next month which is on Halloween (October 31).
“Hello new Mommy,
Can I come out of this cage now?”
OK Sofie, now Mommy will show off her little bitty baby, It was not that long ago that you actually came to live with us. March 2011. I did not have a car crate, so I brought you home in a large plastic tub (see picture). Since you are a rescue, and they thought you were going to be this big collie/shepard dog, they figured you were younger, based on your size (maybe 12 weeks). But now that I know you are more like a sheltie/corgie thing, you must have been older and I decided that your birthday would be around Thanksgiving; we will celebrate it on November 25. I will throw you a little party just like Lulu’s, but since all the kids will be home from college, you will have an extra special time. You know who (Peanut, the little human) will let you in her room and up on the bed, if you want to go, and also the bigger little human (K8) will be here to give you extra treats and let you out back a lot. You will have to wait your turn though, Sofie Bear. I know it is not easy because I was the youngest and had to wait a lot for the older ones who always seemed to get all the good things and all the attention. But your day will come. You are my ‘Little Bit,’ and Mommy adores your cute little whiney self. You are a sweet silly little girl with mischief on your mind. Your day will come, hang in there. But first you can help me plan Lulu Belle’s party.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: Animal, animals, cute dogs, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogDaz, Pet, pets, postaday
Louise just rescued
April 2010
Louise
July 2012
Louise then and Louise now. It is amazing how much an animal can change when it is cared for and shown respect and kindness. Lulu was such a mess when we got her. Not only was she afraid of everyone and everything, but her skin was in such terrible shape and she had scars in many places; including where the flea collar was embedded in her neck. But you would never know that part of her life to look at her now. She is going to be 3 years old next month. I can hardly believe it. I am so in love with this silly, prancing, ball of anxiety. I guess we should have a dog party. Dog cookies for everyone! I will start planning. Look for your invitations early next month. Of course, I made her birthday Halloween, since I didn’t know the actual date. Isn’t that perfect? Just like Lulu Belle. 
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: adoption, Animal, animal awareness, Animal welfare, animals, cute dogs, dog, dog rescue, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday
Attention Dog Owners – Breeder’s Choice of Irwindale, CA has just announced a dog food recall. Please see the attached article for details. And be sure to share this alert with other dog owners. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/avoderm-dog-food-recall/
AvoDerm Dog Food Recall
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com
September 11, 2012 — Breeder’s Choice Pet Food of Irwindale, CA has announced a voluntary dog food recall involving one of its products due to possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria.
The event was reported by L. A. Biz in a news article dated September 11, 2012.
The recall includes AvoDerm Natural Lamb Meal and Brown Rice Adult Dog Formula in the 26 pound bag only manufactured with Best Before dates of August 28, 2013, August 29, 2013 and August 30, 2013.
The company claims it was able to contain the affected product at distribution centers. And it was not delivered to retail outlets.
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, AvoDerm, dog, Dog food, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, Recall
Our blog friend Bassa (she is now on Facebook too) has this incredible perspective on things as she and her Tall person walk around their town of Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia. So, when we were out walking today, the dogs notices a giant green dog guarding a house. This is something that Bassa would notice for sure. Louise asked me to take a picture of them with him. He did not say much to us and just sat there guarding.
The girls want him to come over and play in the yard but I told them that I think he is kind of ‘rooted’ at his house.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animals, Bassa, cute dogs, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, Tbilisi
Tummy rubs. My dogs love tummy rubs. I think that humans like backrubs best, but dogs, well they really like tummy rubs. I guess it would just feel to vulnerable to me to have someone rub my tummy. When I was pregnant, total strangers thought they had some weird right to touch my belly. How Rude! I think that is so invasive of a person’s privacy. But my dogs, they love it and ask for it daily. (Since I have never had a pregnant dog, I don’t know how they feel about it, maybe they don’t like it during that time for the same reasons that humans don’t, it is just to vulnerable.) Louise and Sofie are both submissive animals in my pack, so I figure they get on their backs and just sort of say, ‘Hey, aren’t I cute, please don’t hurt me!’ Come to think of it, I do not remember ever having seen The Muffin Man, our old alpha cat, ever, in all his years, show his belly. All the other cats in the pride do, but not him. The other cats lie on their backs and show their bellies very often, but around here, if you want to keep your hand in one piece, I would not try to rub any cat’s underside (S C R A T C H!).
Tummy rubs are a big deal in our house. I tend to give them in the morning before work and definitely find time for some before the pups go to bed. Sofie is a big one to throw herself on the ground and roll over immediately if she thinks she is going to get yelled at (smart dog). 
Rubbing a dog’s tummy is different than scratching (I look at rubbing more like massage). I like to give all my animals a good scratch in some of their favorite ‘scratch zones’ regularly. Have you noticed that most dogs seem to have a scratch trigger spot down near the inside of the back leg (kind of between the ribs and mid-hip). This makes their back leg kick as a reaction to the scratching motion. I think the dogs like it, but I don’t know for sure. Something tells me it is probably a protective response (more so in male dogs) to protect their private regions. (Is that TMI (To Much Information)?) Louise also really likes to be scratched on her flanks and top of her tail (as I watch the short little black hairs fly). I am still exploring Sofie’s scratch zones, but I know she likes her chest done.
Does your furry have a special scratch zone?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, Cat, cats, cute dogs, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, nature, Pet, pets, postaday, submission, tummy rubs
It must have been BLACK LAB day at the dog park. There were like a million dogs and most of them had Labrador Retriever somewhere in their blood line (or so it looked like). There were a zillion black, 2 browns, and few yellows but mostly Labs. Little Sofie was actually the smallest of the pack, not that she minded. 
Going to the dog park is always kind of hit or miss thing for us. Some days there are only a few dogs, or even none, but this time there were many. It is hard for me to tell whether the girls really enjoy it or not. My dogs stay very close and tend to avoid getting into it with others. Lulu will run to see what is happening when a whole bunch get loud and snarly, but I usually call her back before she gets to close to that kind of action. Sofie gets hot really fast, especially on humid days, which it was, so she runs and then takes to sitting under my bench in the shade. Dog parks actually kind of scare me. There are times when I go and some dogs get stupid, and then owners get stupid, and it is just not fun. This time was good. They were tired, which was what I wanted, and they were ready to go home when I was. I always enjoy seeing all the different breeds of dogs usually at the dog park but it definitely was Black Lab day this time.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, Black Lab, dog, dog park, DogDaz, Labrador, Labrador Retriever, Pet, pets, postaday
I am lacking inspiration and yes, I know why, but still it is hard to get moving on anything. It doesn’t help that the heat has returned and it is really unpleasant to be outside. So the dogs and I took a trip to PetSmart to return 2 big bags of kitten food that the kittens no longer need and to buy some new cat food and of course to get them treats. I was actually very excited about taking them on an adventure because we have not done that much the last few weeks. When we got to the store, I figured that I would be safe and I backed the truck up to the curb, so that when I let the dogs out, there would be less of a chance of them running into traffic. Well, you know how in parking lots that have those cement bumps on the ground for cars to park against, I think they have some special name like… “curb stops,” or something. 
When I opened the back door of the truck, the dogs were good and stayed until I told them to come out, but when Sofie jumped down she landed right on that cement bump and then proceeded to careen into the real curb, which was only 6″ or so away, and landed chin first. I was initially worried that she lost a tooth, but she appeared just dazed and did not whine or cry. So, being the ‘let’s just keep going no matter what,’ kind of person, I went into the store with them. It was about 5 minutes later, as we were admiring the guinea pigs (Note: please go to animal rescue (even guinea pigs), do not buy live animals from pet stores unless they are from an animal charity), that I realized she was bleeding all over the place. She had really scraped her chin bad. Thank goodness she did not loss any teeth. I swapped her down with a tissue but then went to the in store vet and asked them for some wet guise to clean her up. She did not like me touching it, but otherwise was ok and wanted to sniff and explore. We had a great exploration of the store, got 2 new eggcrate beds for their kennels, and a new rope toy. Did you notice how you always spend more money if your kids are with you in the grocery store (really, they have scientifically proven this to be true), well I absolutely spent more money because the dogs were with me in the pet store (or was it because I was suffering from Mommy guilt because one of my furries got hurt.) Good thing the cats weren’t with us or I would be broke.
“Lulu, I got a boo boo, can you make it feel better?” – Sofie Bear
Post Script: Sofie does not want me to touch the boo boo, but I have been trying to put antibiotic cream on it. She has been licking her paws a lot and I think that is because she is trying to rub it. She also won’t let me take a picture for you to see. But she is fine.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
“No Mommy – I do not want you to touch the boo boo and I really do not want you to take any pictures of it!”
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, Animal rights, Animal welfare, animals, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, Guinea pig, nature, Pet, pets, postaday
“But Mommy! I am not sleepy! Why do I have to go to bed? It is not fair. Can’t I have one more cookie? I need a drink of water! It is much more fun to sleep on your bed! But Mommy I HATE MY BED!”
I find it funny how Sofie is so like a human child. I am not saying this because my human baby has left and gone to college. I think that Sofie is actually entering the ‘terrible teens.’ She will be two in November. I don’t know if dogs have the same type of growth spurts as humans but she definitely is in a defiant and willful phase. It reminds me a lot of what we called the ‘terrible twos’ (which Peanut did not go through until about three). This is the phase in a child’s growth when they refuse to do almost anything they are asked. They are exploring the world and pushing the limits. I read that in the dog world it is called ‘terrible teens’ because for a dog that lives 10 to 12 human years, when they are about 2 years old that is ‘teenage’ in cognitive growth.
According to the DogChannel.com
“Adolescence can be a challenging time for puppies and their owners. It tends to begin anywhere between 9 and 14 months of age for most puppies, but it can start earlier. There is no set time period for how long adolescence lasts, however, the majority of puppies are through the worst of it by 11⁄2 to 2 years of age.
This phase can be so trying that many adolescent puppies are given up because the owners, not understanding that it’s a phase, assume their formerly wonderful puppies have gone bad. An adolescent puppy’s behavior may be far from perfect, but this is a very natural stage of life, one that all growing mammals go through.
1. Understand the adolescent brain.
Before you can help your puppy through adolescence, understand what’s going on in its head. “The puppy’s brain is going through incredible changes [during adolescence],” says Melissa Alexander, author of Click for Joy (Sunshine Books, 2003). “The cerebral cortex becomes a leaner, meaner thinking machine.”
The puppy is changing from a baby to an adult that can think, reason, make decisions and learn. The adolescent puppy might seem to listen to its owner and obey commands one minute and not the next. The puppy really hasn’t lost its brain; it’s simply in transition.
2. Don’t accept the challenge.
At some point after 9 months of age, some puppies become quite challenging. They may refuse to follow a known command or growl when you reach to take away a chew toy. These challenges are normal and short lived (usually occurring just in the beginning of the adolescence). Prepare yourself so you don’t answer the challenge. In dogs and especially in adolescents, aggression begets aggression. If the puppy issues a challenge and you react angrily, the puppy may escalate its behavior, too. Instead of becoming angry, take a deep breath and think before responding.
3. Train, train and train some more.
If you began training the puppy before adolescence began, continue the training. If you didn’t begin training then, start now. By establishing guidelines for acceptable behavior, you can prevent bad behaviors – such as dashing out the front door, growling over a toy and raiding trash cans – from becoming habits. Keep the training as simple as possible by using clear commands, a lot of positive reinforcement and setting the puppy up to succeed by asking it to do known exercises.
Use positive training with rewards your puppy really likes. Make food treats special or use a toy your puppy loves Use your voice or a clicker to mark the behaviors you want to happen again. Daily training will help keep your puppy’s behavior from spiraling out of control during this stage, and will help keep your relationship with your growing puppy positive.”
Or I can just complain endlessly on my blog until she gets to the other side of this phase … BOL!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, cute dogs, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, terrible teens
This week has been wonderful for butterflies in the garden. I capture this shot of an Eastern Black Swallowtail on the grape right before Louise tried to eat it. A Yellow Swallowtail actually landed on her and freaked her out a bit (it was cute but I could not get the camera out fast enough).
Butterfly on the Grape
August 2012
Sofie Chasing Butterlies
Both dogs don’t really understand flying insects very well. I see them constantly trying to eat bees and jump after butterflies. We also have these very large furry spiders that kind of encase the house in webs this time of year. I was bringing in groceries the other evening and one swung down over the front door and caused me to drop the case of water that I was carrying and run. I worry that one of the dogs will try to eat one of the spiders and die: they are really scary looking.
V found a whole family of new born mice inside the extra vacuum we store in the garage the other day. This is a sure sign of fall coming our way. Mother Mouse must have come through the bottom bar and up the hose and had her babies in the inside bag (how smart is that?). While V was working in the garage there was this nibble nibble scratch scratch noise and upon closer inspection, unzipped the bag part of the vacuum, and all these little pink babies fell out. They were quickly scooped up and placed back in the bag and brought outside, with the hope that Mother Mouse will move them somewhere else (outside please!). I guess the Black Snake, who always leaves his skin on the garage shelves for us, will tell us where the mice are… because that is life in our garage in the late summer.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animals, butterfly, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, Eastern Black Swallowtail, Fall, mice, nature, Pet, pets, postaday, rat snake, Spider
