Saturday, March 26, 2011

Her Pillow

Taricha is such a morning dog. Its annoying because I'm not. She gets me up like clockwork between 7.30 and 8am by moving around in bed so that her entire front half half  is sprawled across my back and her head on the back of my head. So I get up, feed her, let her out and go back to bed. She comes tromping back into my room eventually, usually bringing a toy with her to chew on while I sleep another hour or two.

Lately her morning chew toy has been her main pillow.
Taricha will go into her kennel...
Grab it, pull it out and shake it until its dead.
Then proceed to find (make) a hole and destuff.


I dont mind that she shredded the pillow, or any pillow, because I made it. Im the kind of person who cant justify a $50 dog bed from the store that may or may not get demolished, especially when I can make a way cooler version for way cheap. I prefer felt-ey or wool-ey type fabrics for the outside cover and a hip pattern, skulls, polka dots, swirlies! The inside is a cotton slip holding all the fuzz. Takes about 5minutes to sew on the machine and costs about $5 per pillow.


 When she's had her fill, Ill restuff  and resew so she can destuff it again later.


I apologize for strange photos but it's the best I can do in my bedroom, which is dark, very red and has red lighting!

So if you hadnt noticed, we're huge DIY'ers around here. From braided toys, to backpacks to pillows. We are very curious to hear about other doggies' DIYs!

oh Look we're bouncin around toooday!



Thursday, March 24, 2011

The evidence is on your mouth....

I left Taricha alone for about 15minutes today while I took a shower.

I shouldn have known better to break the habit of taking her into the bathroom with me. She juuust looked sooocomfortable all curled up on one of her pillows!

When I came back out, she was still laying on her pillow with some red gunk around her mouth. "What the hell woman?" I ask her. All I get is that guilty, I did it look. At first I'm thinking it's blood, minor 10 second freakout as I imagine she shredded Rufio the cat....... then I realized I'm an idiot and that she just got into something delicious somewhere in the house.

When I enter the kitchen I find a ripped bag of old strawberries that were in the trash can. She ate them all. A bunch of moldy gross strawberries. Of all the things within reach she could eat, why the nasty stinky strawberries!



Oh.... now... She just finished puking it all up on the back porch.

PS: Forgot to put the photo in the first go around. Now it's here!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Sunshineeeee

We could both lay out on the porch for hours.


I knew bulldogs had issues with overheating, or not being able to stay cool. I didn't quite think it was horrendously bad though? Yeah know I thought just make sure on super hot days she didnt get crazy excited, always go out with water and just keep an eye on them. I thought it was super hot days, not 80 degrees

 She's been panting hard nonstop, refuses to run around or play outside, practically had to drag her on a walk and every time I turn around, she's laying on the coolest spots in the house, which is any tile floor! She cannot possibly be so hot  that she doesn't want to do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g, this early? Maybe she's not used to it? Well... maybe I just have a lazy dog.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Hyacinth!

We do hope everyone is enjoying their hopefully nice weather.

Today became a really lazy day somehow.  Both of us had low energy and just lounged about the yard, poking around to see what was finally popping up. My fave purple hyacinth are some of the first to show their pretty little heads.




We have many plans for the garden this year..... let's find the energy to get up and do it!


Grossssss. This was a sneaky one! She isnt supposed to lick!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Ooo shiny rocks!

I try to keep our walks different by changing up our route or just wandering about. Today we 'found' this rock statue dedicated to Chief Blackfish thats only two blocks from our house.



Thursday, March 17, 2011

Best $16 Ever

We haven't really written much if anything since we started the blog, not regularly anyways! And its not that I've been busy, it's just that I'm easily sidetracked. Like a squirrel. There is that!

Taricha and I have been enjoying the super nice weather lots! (despite a random day of random snow. How random?) One problem we started coming across is distractions. Winter walking was easy when we were the only crazies outdoors. Now it's nice, everyone is out and the simple buckle collar we were using for walks wasn't cutting it. She was pulling more despite various methods of getting her to stop. Maybe it's her breed, but I could yank on her neck all day with a collar and she wouldn't feel it, notice it or care. Her neck and shoulders are probably her strongest body parts and I would not be defeating them easily. (not counting that mouth of hers.... sheesh)

Unless I bought one of these, best $16 ever!

I really had no idea that walking could be THIS easy! It's near magical. I've heard people go nuts over the Easy-Walk harness (or any front clipping harness) but I thought it was unnecessary until now.... and now I understand. From the get go, she pulled a total of three times and realized her entire super strong front half was going nowhere. Easy street. She's paying attention to me more, refuses to put tension on the leash, distractions are still distractions and we have a long ways to go in that area but at least she keeps walking when I ask her to!

Oooh and happy St patty's and all that shizznazz!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

a mostly Wordless Wenesday


I've been busy lately. Trying to re-arrange the house because my younger sister and her family of three children (one being newborn) are in the process of moving in. Taricha and I are not fans of this idea. While she does okay with the kids generally, she does sneak food from their hands or faces any chance she gets. There have been a few play tackles when the littlest one decides to run across the house squeeling like a pig and their toys look awfully chew-able when left scattered everywhere. I'd have to be ON Taricha nonstop with the children living here and neither of us want that. So needless to say, I'm looking into a new, but temporary, living situation!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Waiting for Spring!


The week has been a long one. The weather doesn't know quite which way it wants to go.


A visit to the dog park, the pet store, park with the kids, walks galore and yet we're still not quite getting our pent up energy out. Strange version of cabin fever. Maybe we need better hobbies.





If all else fails, movies are great. Taricha and I watched Hachi: A Dog's Tale the other day and it was one of the best movies we've seen in a long time! I laughed, I cried! We recommend it on your next rainy day!