Baylee's Reaction

I took Baylee in yesterday for her shots and check up.  As usuall, everyone wanted to hold and pet her, they all love her!  She is 16 months old now and weighed in at 11.11!  So she is officially a tweenie.  That was the good news...bad news was that she had a reaction to one of the shots and I had to rush her back to the vet.  Her muzzle swelled up and she was going crazy trying to rub it on everything.  Thank heaven for these wonderful vets and their staff, they had already closed when I called but they all stayed there to treat her.

She's okay today, but no more lepto shots for her.  Maybe for the others, too.

Tales of the Food Bowl

It's finally happened, someone has emerged as the "food bowl controller".  I've been expecting this as it is just too much to expect four excited little doxies to share a bowl of food.

I've always just filled up the bowl and put it in the floor to let them graze at their lesiure.  They are fed once a day, in the evening, and strangely do not get very excited about the appearance of the food bowl.  Other dogs that I've had would start to pace right before feeding time, or sit patiently in front of the bowl.  But not this pack!  And, sometimes they clean out the bowl and sometimes they just nibble.  Usually they would take turns eating.  For a while Blossom would growl and hog the bowl but that seemed to pass.  I've always kept an eye on them as I didn't want any one of them to controll the bowl.

As an overly concerned "doggie parent" I had added another small bowl into the routine several weeks ago.  I had the thought that maybe adding another bowl would spark more interest in eating and keep down any conflicts if they arose.  Ok, fine.  Or so I thoughht.  Tonight Bentley decided that both bowls were his and no one was going to eat. He did a good job of protecting the bowls while intimidating any one who tried to invade the bowl territory!  I tried separating the dogs but that didn't work; they were all confused and did nothing but yap.  So I'm hoping that everyone did get enough to eat before this little episode.  Tomorrow I'll fill up four bowls and figure out how to distribute dogs and bowls separately.  They'll figure it out once I figure it out!

Cat Chasing

Bentley and Baylee have developed a great affection for cat chasing. They are also fond of cornering a cat and "yip, yip, yipping" until I arrive on the scene. And no matter how many times I tell them "leave it" they just can't resist.  Poor cats, at least  they can jump up onto something and escape!

What is really funny is that Baby Girl will stand her ground with them when they corner her.  She just looks at them like, "really, do you think I'm scared?"  Mitzie, the most skiddish of the cats, is not afraid of the dogs and will nap on the sofa back or arm while the dogs are napping.  Rarely do the dogs mess with her.  But poor Shadow, she is fair game for a chase.  I'll hear her poor little mew and then hear the sound of thundering paws chasing her around!  NO, NO, LEAVE IT!

Post script to the last post

I came home from work today and, as I came through the garage door into the laundry room, I was greeted by a brown, fuzzy wuzzy puppy!  Yes, Mr. Bentley had jumped over the doggie gate and was wonderfully free in the house.  I hope that he had just jumped over when he heard the garage door going up and not that he had been loose in the house all day!

I was in a rush and went on to choir practice pretty quick, and didn't even think about another break out.  Oh yes, when I got home from choir there he was again, welcome committee of one!  So now what do I do?  I may try raising the gate up a little to see if that will keep him for a while.  I have a feeling it won't last for long and he'll just jump over again.  At least, for now anyway, it is only one dog loose in the house and not all four!  Short legs and long body make jumping real easy!