Green Beans

I've had several people tell me that they feed their beautiful dogs an occasional can of green beans.  So tonight I picked up some small cans of green beans to try out (no, I don't keep canned beans in my pantry as I really prefer fresh green beans and the cans go stale, but wait, keep reading as this is about to change).  

When I got ready to feed the dogs tonight, I drained the can and divided it between the two bowls.  Just to introduce the beans I fed one to each dog.  Baylee and Bentley gulped theirs down, Blossom played with the first one and then abandoned it to let Sawyer have it, after he slowly ate his.  But then they were all around the food bowl, chowing down on the remaining beans.  YUK, I thought.  Canned green beans at room temp with no seasoning.  But the dogs did not care, they loved them!

I have also abandoned the grain free food idea.  It put too much weight on them and didn't make any other difference.  I have, however, been mixing Diamond Natural food with the Eukanuba Dachshund formula for a week or so.  We'll see how that works out.

So what do they eat in human food now?  Carrots, vanilla yogurt, cheese, scrambled egg, leftover chicken when available, and green beans.  I do not offer a human food every day, just two or three times a week.  Usually the cheese is something we share before bedtime, as a little treat during the ten o'clock news!

Bentley's Day in the Ring

We went north this morning to Austin to a show there.  This time the show was inside an arena with concrete floors, thank heaven no dirt! I did not take the camera, so no pictures.  Bentley was the only long haired dachshund competing, and I had almost decided earlier in the week not to go.  I finally convinced myself that it would be good experience for both of us and it would be one way to get him into the group ring competition.  Having no competition is one way to get yourself ahead in life, right?

So he came home with three ribbons:  he won his class, was Winner's Dog, and took Best of Variety.  But I was very pleased with him and how he did in the ring today.  He walked good and stacked better than ever.  I had bathed him this morning and he was a little frizzy for a while but the fur had settled down by the time we got in the ring.  He seems to be finally starting to grow a little more length on his legs, and his chest is getting fuller and fuller.  I'm hoping that he will be like Baylee and around his first birthday develop a thick coat of beautiful cream fur!

I was slightly irritated at the judge (we ended up with the same judge both times).  He was pleasant, but didn't "give us our 2 minutes".  As I took Bentley around the ring the first time the judge was looking completely away.  He didn't even give me time to stack Bentley the first time and then just politely checked Bentley's bite and ran his hand down his back.  I could understand him doing that the first time since there was no competition.  But I did pay my entry fee and deserved my 2 minutes.  Then in group ring I was the last in and the ring was crowded and again, the judge was looking away as we came in.  This time I had time to stack but the judge just gave him a quick over.  I'm sure this happens a lot, but it was a first for us!

I was pleased with Bentley's performance today!.  He may not be a champion but he is a good looking fella and as I often say, he's a winner to me!

Sometimes I Do Things the Hard Way

A while back I had switched the dogs from separate heartworm meds and flea meds to just one med, Trifexis.  I made the change at the suggestion of one of the vet's receptionists.  Not only is it convenient, it is cheaper (and with four dogs cheaper is better).  It works great, although I do occasionally see an almost dead flea but the vet said that is normal and the fleas are not able to reproduce at any point in their life cycle.  The only problem is that the dogs don't like the way the pills taste.  I've been using the peanut butter trick (put a blob of p.b. on my finger and stick the pill in it) and it worked fairly well.  I usually had to coax Blossom with eating the pill and the p.b.  But last night we had a little episode with this routine.

It was late, I had been to school and was tired.  Wasn't thinking clearly.  Baylee and Bentley gobbled down their p.b. and Trifexis dose.  Blossom licked two blobs off my finger and no pill.  So, no problem I thought, I'll come back to her.  I tried Sawyer and he did the same thing, ate the p.b. and pushed the pill off my finger into the floor.  At this point I was tired and just wanted to go to bed. 

So I decided to shove the pill down Blossom's throat the old-fashioned way.  It wouldn't have been a problem except I had don't done the trick in a while and forgot how far down the throat I needed to push the pill.  Yep, it came right back up.  And to add insult to injury when I fussed at her she went tee-tee all over the place.  Oh no, I was not happy!  I picked her up again and tried to open her mouth but she is amazingly strong for a very small dog.  She had clamped her teeth together and wasn't opening them no matter how much pressure I put on her.  I don't have a lot of strength in my fingers, but finally got her mouth open and shoved the pill far enough down.  Rubbed her throat and gulp, the pill was down.  Success! I will have to note; however, that her little tiny teeth looked real sharp and menacing as I opened her mouth the last time!

Sawyer was next, but I had remembered the trick.  I think he was half afraid after hearing me fuss at Blossom so he was cooperative and I got the pill far enough down.  Gulp and he was done, too.  I felt bad about the tussle with Blossom, especially at bedtime.  I felt even worse after I went to bed and remembered that I had a new, unopened container of plain vanilla yogurt in the fridge.  The pills would probably have worked just fine in the yogurt because they would have gobbled it right down.  Next time, right.

BTW, Blossom was totally not scarred by the whole episode.  She was wagging her tail this morning when I let her out of the crate and she is laying beside me right now sleeping peacefully.  All's well that ends with a little ear scratching and the words, "I Love You Blossom".

Two Little Doxies Go Strolling

Everybody laughs when I tell them that I bought a dog stroller, and yes, I know it is not the normal thing to have but I think it is a very practical item to have if you have dogs and like to go places with them.  Jaydon and I took the stroller out yesterday for its inaugural run.  The Botanical Garden was having another "Dog Days" so after early church and Sunday School we headed down there, with the stroller in the trunk.  It was Blossom and Baylee's turn to go and those two little girls had so much fun.

Two little girls out for a stroll!

The stroller worked great and was easy to get in and out of the trunk and set up/collapsed.  I kept the mesh zipped up until we actually got into the garden, but even after I opened it the girls never tried to jump out.  I did tie their leads onto the handle, just in case. 

Now, is this cute or what!!

We did have one little mishap...Jaydon had mastered the art of maneuvering a stroller but decided to run down a packed dirt trail with a small incline even though I was telling him not to.  Yep, the stroller got away from him and he went down and the stroller flipped backward.  Friendly folks stopped to help and we were soon on our way.  Jaydon had a slight scrape on one hand and the girls really weren't upset at all.  Just another adventure! (But a note to myself:  don't let him push a stroller with a real baby in it just yet)

This was about the best I could get for a posed shot.  Of course, an lady walked by and asked if she could make their picture and they posed very cutely and attentively for her but not for me.

Our Mama's been shopping

Our Mama bought this thing and she thinks we should sit it in, but we're not sure about this.

What is this thing and why do we have to sit in it, whoa hold on it's moving and I'm in it!

Yes, it is a stroller, a dog stroller.  I had seen these in a catalog or somewhere and thought it would be fun, and useful.  I saw a deluxe one last weekend, and started searching on the internet.  The deluxe one was ridiculously expensive but I found this one that is sturdy, lightweight, and affordable.  We're going to try it out tomorrow on a real outing! It will hold 45 pounds of dog, and Blossom and Baylee fit comfortably.  Probably the boys will have to ride solo, although I really don't think Sawyer will ride in it.

Grain free food, update

Several posts back I wrote that I was going to start mixing the dogs' food half Eukanuba and half grain free (Nature's Recipe brand).  But I realized fairly quickly that all dogs except Bentley were gaining a little weight.  I really wanted him to gain weight, he looks scrawny especially in the ring with these big standard guys.  Go figure, right?  So I decreased the amount of the grain free back so it is about a third of the food.  So far the weight gain is the only difference I can see in the dogs since they've been on this mixture.  I'm going to keep them on it for a while, just to see. 

My suspicions about the weight gain were confirmed when I checked the dogs in to board last weekend.  Sawyer had jumped up to 15.4 pounds!  He is not over weight and he looks good but I know to keep an eye on him.  I'm sure once the weather gets hot he will sweat off some of the weight, too. 

Sawyer doesn't mind having a bath, tolerates having ears cleaned and his nails trimmed, but he hates to be combed.  He will actually run and hide when he sees me combing the other dogs.  He is just a rough and tough boy who wants adventure and action and none of that getting fancied up stuff!

Bentley's Big Weekend

Bentley had a weekend of firsts.  We went to Houston to show on Friday and Saturday.  I was somewhat nervous about traveling on an overnight trip with a dog.  But Bentley did not disappoint me.  He is a champion traveler, wish I could say the same for his show-biz success!

So this weekend Bentley took his first road trip, he took his first elevator ride, he spent his first night in a hotel, he slept on a real bed, he was left alone in the car briefly, and he was left alone in the hotel room briefly several times.  However, he did not have his first points (you can't have it all).  He was such a good traveler, the only problem in the car is that he wants to lay in my lap but his body is too long and doesn't fit.  On the way home he finally put his chin on the console and angled himself across my legs.  On the way over I had to stop at the rest stop and I left in the car by himself (it was not hot and I parked away from most of the cars).  When I came back he was sitting on the console, watching for me!  I wasn't really too worried about leaving him alone but I was concerned that he could be stolen.  He then had a chance to get out and walk around for a stretch break.  I tried to get him to sit in the passenger seat, but he only stayed briefly and then was back in my lap.

This is what a tired dog does after a long day!

We stayed at a Drury Inn and I have to say that they are very pet friendly and the hotel was very nice.  My room was large and we spent a nice, relaxing evening there.  Bentley was very well behaved, and made friends with everyone.  He only barked a few times, once when were waiting for the elevator and a group of kids came running up.  What was funny was that he scared them more than they scared him!  They were relieved to see that he was only a little dog!  The elevator didn't phase him at all, he just stepped right in.

The dog that never sleeps curled up on this little bench for a short nap!

Both days he "won" his class since he was the only dog in the class.  On Friday when we went back into the ring he was just a total dork.  The floor was a packed dirt floor with hay and straw droppings, and probably quite a bit of bait.  He could not keep his nose out of the dirt and I was almost having to drag him around the ring.  But I did enjoy watching the other dogs compete.

Bentley waits for his turn on Saturday morning.

See the dirt floor?  The judge and I laughed that he was the perfect color match for the dirt!

Isn't this a handsome dog? 

I realized that he has outgrown this crate!  So I put the bag inside it and the dog on top!

 

 

He did better on Saturday but he was up against some beautiful dogs.  I'm not giving up on him yet, I still think he has potential, just needs experience.  And, yes, he is now officially spoiled after sleeping on a real bed and being in constant contact with me for two days.  But that's ok, he's my baby!

Piebalds

At the show last week on the first day I was walking around checking out the vendors after Bentley finished when I noticed a lady with two smooth piebalds on a lead.  They were both red piebalds and caught my eye quickly.  So I made sure that I was back at the ring to watch the smooth dachshunds compete.  While piebalds are fairly common I had never seen them in the ring.  They didn't win anything that day or the next, but it was fun to see them.  I found myself almost wishing that I was able to show Sawyer.  He is a fine looking red piebald and his coat, while not excessively long, is very thick and beautiful.  He also has a great, easy going personality that would be perfect in the ring.

The next day I got to talk to the owner of the dogs.  Someone had asked me what makes a piebald a piebald so I asked her.  It was an interesting conversation, she told all of us that were listening that the original dachshunds were piebalds.  The solid coats and other variations came out of the piebald.  According to her, the Germans now deny this fact.  I probably should do some research on this, as I do find it very interesting.

Here's a good looking, fun loving red piebald that has stolen my heart!

What do you do on a beautiful March afternoon after work?

Answer:  you sit outside and make pictures of your dogs. 

Beautiful Baylee!  I just love her quiet elegance.

Little Blossom, always cute!

 

 

Sawyer, always a great dog!

Bentley was practicing his stacks, but decided to take a break.

Three In A Row

Bentley and I wrapped up three days of doing the dog show today.  It was the local spring show and I felt we could not afford to miss this opportunity so I burned two days of vacation so he could show Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  He did ok, brought home some ribbons because he was the only dog in his class and he picked up two reserve winners dogs because there were only two dogs competing.  It is easy to win with no competition.  However, the points went to the other dog.  

I'm not sure what his thinking is about doing the shows.  He practices perfectly, stacks beautifully on the table and walks right beside me.  No problem.  But when he gets in the ring he just won't cooperate on the table (ha ha he thinks, I'll show you Mom) and he pulls away from me when we walk.  On Friday I almost had to drag him around the ring.  He also shies away from the men judges.  So I know we need to keep working at home and just do more shows.  Practice makes perfect!

I had to laugh on Friday.  The judge changed up the routine and had each dog go straight to the table, rather than going around the ring and then to the table.  I led Bentley into the ring and as I reached down to pick him up he looked at me with this puzzled look.  It was really funny because I knew he was thinking that we were doing something wrong.  Smart dog!

He is a beautiful dog and if he will just relax a little I think he will do better.  So many people compliment him and admire him.  I think he is a handsome fella, too.  Next weekend we will travel to Houston.  This will be our first overnight show, so I'm anxious to see how he does with a three hour car ride and staying overnight in a hotel room.  There will be a dachshund specialty show on Friday and then on Saturday there are 22 long-haired dachshunds showing!

Light Colored Carpet

I don't have any carpet in my house, just a small area rug in the living area and a rug under the formal dining table.  I have never really liked carpet, it always seemed dirty to me even after vacuuming and shampooing.  After I got the dogs it gave me a good excuse to get rid of the Berber carpet in the bedrooms and put in the hardwood floor.

So yesterday at the dog park a lady and her daughter had stopped to admire and pet Sawyer and Bentley  As the little girl petted the dogs I asked if they had a dog.  The mother explained that they had had an older dog that they had to put down right before the moved here.  I asked if they were considering another dog, the little girl was about 10 or 11 years old and really enjoying my dogs.  The mother explained that they had bought a spec home and the builder had installed a light beige colored carpet so they felt they couldn't have a dog until the carpet wore out and could be replaced with flooring.  She commented, regretfully, the carpet would probably last for 8-10 years. I reminisced with her that I had also had a house with similar carpet but that my children did more damage than the dogs.  Her reply was, "oh, we don't wear shoes in the house". 

While I wouldn't want anyone that isn't an animal lover to own a dog or cat (some people just aren't pet people and that is okay) I did have to think that it was sad that her children would miss out on the companionship of a dog while they grew up because she wanted to keep her light colored carpet beautiful.   I'm sure the memory of beautiful carpet will not be one that her children retain after they are grown.

It Was A Dog Park Kind of Day

I took Sawyer and Bentley to the dog park for about an hour this afternoon.  It was a beautiful afternoon and if I had not had other things to do I'm sure we would have stayed longer.  I left the girls at home (with much crying and very sad looks) because I wasn't sure how crowded the park would be, and it was a new park I had not been to and wasn't sure they would have a separate small dog park.  As it turned out there was a small dog park, a very big small dog park.  It was not crowded at all, and I wished that I had taken the girls.  I just worry about Baylee because she is easily frightened by other dogs, and little Blossom can't stop barking wherever she goes.  Maybe next time I will take just the girls to see how they do and then maybe I can take all four!

There was a lot of running!

More running!

There was a lot of snooping!

Bentley actually stood still for a second or two so I could make a picture

Sawyer...always at ease where ever he goes!