2014 Resolutions for Me & the Dogs

I used the same picture last year; I STILL can't get
my dogs to wear a party hat.

It’s New Year’s Eve!

Last year I wrote a post containing New Year's Resolutions for me and the dogs. I reread the post earlier this week and compared what I had wanted to do with what I had actually done. Some things worked, others didn't, but I think it's worth doing again.

I'd like to start by taking a few minutes to reflect on the past year.

What went well:

• My blogging has gotten better and I actually have readers. Hi everybody!
• Jedi and I completed Puppy Kindergarten and the S.T.A.R. Puppy program.
• I took over the GSD Club newsletter last spring and won giant ribbon from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America for my efforts.
• I got in the show ring, fulfilling a childhood dream. Even better, we got a blue ribbon and I didn't throw up!
• The GSD club voted me member of the year and gave me a really nice plaque. That was pretty awesome.
• I did save some money, though not as much as I would have liked. (And a good portion of it went to car repairs. Stupid master cylinder.) I had envisioned using the money for a trip to Epcot. We went to the Eukanunba dog show instead. (I didn't mind; not so sure about Hubby.)

What wasn't so good:

• I'm still fat! Last year I stated that I wanted to lose 35 pounds – that was only 3 pounds a month. I probably lost 5 total. What's frustrating is that I just cleaned out my closet. If I lost 20 pounds I'd have whole new wardrobe. And some of those clothes are cute too!
• My organization skills are as good as my dieting skills. My office and dining room are still horribly cluttered. Seriously, we haven't eaten in the dining room in years. See, there is a reason I haven't invited you over for dinner (besides the fact that I don't cook).
• Last year's new partner at work didn't last a full year. She found more suitable work in the big city and she's much happier. It only took a couple months to find her replacement (yea!) but I don't expect him to be here long. He's already disillusioned with the petty and arbitrary backwardness of our small town. And honestly, he could do better.
• I fell short on Jedi's training. I'm not sure of what I'm doing and got frustrated. Even worse, I became overwhelmed at work and let it affect my home life. I didn't work with him consistently and when I did I tried to do too much at once and confused him. I suck. So no "one silly trick a month" (I think he learned three total) and no "CGC title by Christmas" like I had planned.

So now it’s time to make those New Year’s Resolutions. And like last year, I am going to make goals for both me and the dogs. I'll try again to make the goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound), but we see how well that worked last time! Every year I say “I want to lose weight, save money, and declutter the house” so let's try that again. And I'll throw in a blogging goal as well.

My goals for 2014:

1. I will lose 35 pounds over the next 12 months. (Again, it’s not nearly all I need to lose, but I need to start somewhere. Besides, the goal needs to be realistic and attainable, remember? Three pounds a month sounds doable – as long as I refrain from combating stress with brownies and merlot.)
2. I will save $500 to use on something fun and frivolous next December. And that frivolous thing will not be a dog show because a) dog shows are not frivolous and b) Hubby isn't as dog show crazy as I am.
3. I will reorganize the computer room and dining room, having at least one of them usable and presentable by my birthday. (This is harder than it sounds. Remember, I don’t live alone. And a procrastinator.)
4. I will post a minimum of 15 times on my blog each month. 

My goals for Roxy & Jedi in 2014: 

1. Jedi will earn his Canine Good Citizen title.
2. Jedi and I will enter 10 AKC conformation shows. This includes the GSD club shows in April.
3. Jedi and I will show at the Eukanuba dog show in Orlando in December.
4. I will teach Jedi one silly trick or a game each month for the next year. It's fun, and I have a plan (more later).
5. I will continue taking Roxy for a car ride three times a week – even if it's just around the block – just because she loves it so much.

And like last year, I'm posting these goals publicly hoping that it will make me accountable and keep me on track. I'll share my progress here and on Facebook. I'm also giving you, my friends and readers, permission to gently nag. Suggestions on how to accomplish any of these goals are also welcome. See you next year.-- K

 

Sepia Saturday

My first time playing with sepia. What do you think? -- K

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Yet Another Puzzle Toy

The K-9 Obedience Club's December meeting included a potluck dinner and a Dirty Santa gift exchange. I'm a new member of K-9 so it was my first December meeting with this club. Right off the bat I noticed that this was a lot different from the GSD Club Christmas parties. Apparently obedience people are a lot more relaxed! We met in the clubhouse (instead of a fancy restaurant), wore comfy jeans and t-shirts (dog themed, of course) and every other gift included a bottle of wine and/or a dog toy. My peeps! I came home with a giant shiny gift bag containing a puzzle toy and several different treats that were reviewed in another post.

Jedi has many puzzle toys, so I was excited when I saw -- and eventually stole -- the Yin-Yang-Yum dog toy puzzle. I hadn't seen this one before! This puzzle is made by Kyjen, one of my favorite dog toy companies. The toy has two hinged flaps on top which are held in place by a pair of cups that fit into a hole. The red cup is shorter than the yellow cup, making it more difficult to remove. Each flap covers three compartments for placing treats, and the compartments vary in size, getting smaller toward the hinge. The smallest ones are about the diameter of a nickel. The dog has to remove the cups and then swing out the flaps to access the treats.

This puzzle was frustrating for Jedi. He didn't get the concept of swinging the flaps open with his nose. Jedi is a foot guy. He pawed at the toy to get the cups out. He kept pawing until the flaps opens up slightly, but couldn't figure out how to open the toy completely. He eventually got it open and ate the treats by stomping on it and flipping it over. After making sure there were no more treats inside, he tried to rip the flaps off with his teeth and paws. I guess I'll put this toy up and try again later.

How about you, have you seen any cool puzzle toys lately? Let us know! -- K

Roxy & Jedi's Goodie Bag

At the K-9 Obedience Club December meeting we had a Dirty Santa gift exchange. I came home with a giant gift bag containing a new puzzle toy (reviewed here) and a bunch of different treats -- most I'd never heard of before. The dogs have tried them all (though not fast enough for Jedi's liking) and I thought I'd share their opinions.

 It's All Rover Power Bars (duck/sweet potato and sea kelp flavor). This was the strangest looking thing in the bag. The treats were long and flat, kind of like granola bars and were vacuum sealed. It reminded me of the Astronaut Ice Cream you get at the Smithsonian Museum. Once opened, I noticed that the bars were light and dry and smelled vaguely of fish food. I broke one in half and gave it to the dogs. I was skeptical, but the dogs LOVED it. Picky Roxy sat in the dining room crunching away, while Jedi took his bounty to the end of the hall to devour in private. Jedi finished before Roxy did and when he went to the dining room to sniff for crumbs she told him to get out.

Greenies Pill Pockets (chicken flavor). This was the only product in the bag that I'd seen before and I was anxious to try it. Giving Jedi a pill is easy -- I pretty much say "Take this" and he does. Occasionally I'll wrap it in cheese or wet dog food, but it's not necessary. Jedi is a food whore. Roxy, on the other hand, is horribly particular! Every month Hubby has to break up her beef flavored, chewable Trifexis pill and force it down her throat. I tried grinding it up and mixing it up in canned food but she'll refuse to eat it while Jedi tries to scarf it up, thus doubling his dosage. It's a hot mess. Got any better ideas? Unfortunately, the pill pockets are too small for the heartworm meds. However, Roxy has allergies and we give her Benadryl when things get bad. I gave her one earlier wrapped in a pill pocket. She ate it but looked at me suspiciously. I don't know if we can fool her again.

Blue Buffalo Blue Stix (salmon and potato flavor). I've used Blue Buffalo products before. In fact, Jedi was on Blue Buffalo for 9 months before it got really fishy and he stopped eating it. Anyway, I was interested in trying this one. The treats have a savory/beefy smell. (I know it says salmon and potato. I was confused too.) I guess the dogs thought it smelled good because they came running as soon as I opened the bag, each giving me a perfect sit. I broke one in half and gave it to the dogs. Roxy took it, spit it out, licked it two or three times (she does this) and then ate it. Jedi took his and spit it out too (this is not normal). Roxy tried to steal it so he ate it. I gave him another Blue Stix in private later. He ate it, but not with the gusto of a Pup-Peroni or a Beggin' Strip. Lets face it, my dog (like me) prefers the cheap, bad-for-you crap.

Fruitables Skinny Minis (pumpkin and mango flavor). I opened the bag and smelled these. They smelled really good. I looked at the ingredients: vegetarian, nothing too weird and made in the USA. So I ate one. (Yes, I ate a dog treat.) I thought they were a little bland, but then again I'm not the target audience. The dogs weren't impressed either. Both dogs spit their treats out and left them on the floor. I think that's a NO on the Fruitables. I'm not that surprised. We've reviewed fruity dog treats before and the dogs didn't like those either.

Bil-Jac Vet Dogs dog treats (Skin and Coat formula). These treats were much better received than the last two. Both dogs ate them with enthusiasm and then asked for more. The treats are soft and small, just right for training. The website states that "every purchase supports America's VetDogs, who train and provide assistance dogs to veterans and active duty personnel with disabilities at no charge. Each bag of treats helps to make a difference in the lives of America's military heroes." I couldn't find out how much or what kind of support (I'm a bitter skeptic when it comes to advertising) but I did find the VetDogs website. I hope it's true.

So how about you? Have you seen/tried any of these products? If so, what did you think? More importantly, what did your dog think? -- K

Christmas Wordless Wednesday

This Wordless Wednesday I'd like to share photos from Jozi the Corgi and the Pussycats. My blog was paired up with Jozi's blog for the Pet Blogger's Gift Exchange.

Wishing you a very Corgi Christmas . . .

 

 

 

and a playful New Year!

 

Isn't Santa Jozi adorable?! This post is actually part of two separate blog hops. If I can link them both it'll be a Christmas miracle! I hope that you'll take the time to hop around and see what others have to share. And if you're feeling generous this holiday season, leave a message or two. You'll make a blogger's day. -- K

 

 

Hop One:   

 

 

 

Hop Two:

Can't We All Get Along?

Kimberly over at Keep the Tail Wagging has an interesting post about dog people disagreeing, especially when it comes to puppy mills.


Everybody loves puppies

It got me thinking. I just love it when blogs do that!

As you know, I'm an animal control officer. I work with rescue groups, shelters, etc. and have many friends in that community. I have had a dozen rescued pets in my home: dogs, cats, birds and Spike, the world's greatest guinea pig. I also have an AKC show dog and have many friends who are breeders and handlers. Here's what I see:

Rescuers often paint all breeders with the same broad brush. In their eyes, the guy with "free to a good home" puppies born under his shed every six months is no different than the breeder who spends six months combing through pedigrees and OFA ratings to find the right stud for her champion bitch. I know people who think it should be illegal to intentionally create ANY puppy or kitten. Many rescuers think it's vulgar to make money selling pets (though if you call it an "adoption fee" and make a profit it's OK.) Some in the rescue community are extremely zealous with their "Adopt, Don't Shop" and "Spay/Neuter Saves Lives" mantras. These attitudes cause responsible breeders to become defensive.

NOBODY likes puppy mills

Responsible breeders just can't fathom puppy mills. I know, sounds weird. They put so much time/effort/money into their puppies. It's a labor of love -- surely everybody does it, right? And, honestly, some breeders come across as stuck up snobs. Multi-page applications and character references are required before a breeder will even think about you looking at her puppies. And if you are fortunate enough to get one there are contracts and stipulations that can make the most ardent rescue groups feel inadequate. Truthfully, most responsible breeders are too busy with their dogs to pay attention to the rescue community. (All breeders I know train/show/compete with their dogs on top of having full time jobs.) The rescue community is foreign to them, and sometimes a rescuer's passion comes across as crazy and/or aggressive.

Having a foot in both camps gives me a unique perspective. If rescuers and breeders would stop bickering for a moment they would see their common ground: neither want puppy mills. Rescuers and breeders both love puppies (seriously, who doesn't love puppies?) and want them to be happy and healthy, loved and wanted. Responsible breeders are working hard to produce healthy, disease free puppies. They don't want poorly-bred, sickly dogs representing their breed of choice. Puppy mills don't test hips, elbows, eyes or temperament before breeding. However, my breeder put more thought into the father of my puppy than I did into the father of my own children. Rescuers don't want dogs to live in cramped in cages with no socialization, turning out as many puppies as their bodies can handle every six months. Rescuers don't want puppies euthanized because they are sick, unsocialized and unwanted.

 

So here's what I would like to say:

 

To the Rescuers:

• Not every owner or breeder is irresponsible. Please don't lump them all together.
• Think this through: If all dogs were spayed/neutered, there'd be no puppies -- and eventually no dogs. We should support responsible, conscientious breeders. 
• Yes, breeders can be a bit kooky, but they really do love their dogs.
• Sometimes your passion can be overwhelming to those who don't know you.

To the Breeders:

• Not every owner or breeder is responsible. Rescuers are trying to stop those who aren't.
• Think this through: Every dog deserves a loving home. We should support the efforts of those trying to prevent adoptable dogs from being euthanized.
• Yes, rescuers can be a bit kooky, but they really do love dogs.
• Sometimes your desire to improve the breed can appear cold and callous to those who don't know you.

 And finally, can't we all put our differences aside and do what's best for the animals?

YOUR TURN: If you could say something to a Rescuer or a Breeder to help them better understand your position, what would it be? If there is something you would like to know, what would you ask? -- K

My Special Dog

Jedi's a star!
He was featured on Your Special Dog yesterday. Your Special Dog is a blog dedicated to sharing beautiful dog photos and wonderful dog stories with dog lovers worldwide. And they decided to share my Jedi! It's nice to know that other people think he's special. (Special in a good way, not the he-should-ride-the-short-bus, finger quote referencing kind of "special" that the boys like to insinuate.) Follow the link above to see Jedi's bio. While you're there, why not check out some of the other special dogs? They're not as cute as Jedi . . . but maybe I'm biased. -- K