If you like Puggles 'n' Prose, you'll LOVE Paws to Toes...

New Baby New Blog?

A few months back I found myself having strong desires to blog about my experience to date with a new baby and two absolutely, positively wonderful dogs (and the occasional foster).  And so "Paws to Toes, Snout to Nose" was born (easy, all natural labor :) ).

Life with baby is spectacular, but what really was driving my desire to post is just how awesome my dogs have been with the first screaming and crying infant, now movin' and groovin' munchkin.  Watching them grow together just makes me smile... even when they join forces to execute evil (like getting food OUT of the fridge, getting in TO the dishwasher, raiding the diaper bag for munchies....)

Paws to Toes is NOT a mushy-gushy mom blog... but there is a lot of wet kisses caught on camera!

And as if that on its own isn't a good enough reason to stop on by at Paws to Toes (click on link), this video is:

How'd that Puggle Get In to the Dishwasher???:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pDxqq63H_U&feature=channel_video_title

What's That Puggle Been Doin??

How has it been over a year since my last post??  Well, our household Puggle has been quite the busy "family man" these days... he's got a new project... Teaching Toddler everything he knows....

Check out this video for a glimpse of his new fun:

Dog Park Fun with Teddy

Today in Daily Dog Walk

Brian sent me this email after the dogs' near-daily walk. The email was titled "Summary of Dog Walk."

Begin:

• Bruschi finds wrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup….RPB Cup removed from Puggle and disposed of
• Bruschi finds wrapped Three Musketeers bar…. 3M bar removed from Puggle and disposed of
• Kodi raises hind quarters to pee on lamppost….Bruschi sticks his head under Kodi’s po-po….Bruschi gets pee’d on

Nothing else to report.

End

Bruschi, Kodi, meet Teddy!

This is sort of a teaser post-- because the videos and photos aren't quite ready yet, but I couldn't resist blogging about Brian's and my latest adventure-- introducing Bruschi and Kodi to our new baby, Theodore.

We've been doing household baby prep for the past 9 months-- exposing the dogs to more babies and children, setting up the baby gear, correcting some nagging behavior problems (like barking and pulling on the leash, riding in the front seat of the car, etc). For me, this was more important than any aspect of "nesting."

If I didn't already have an infinite number of reasons I love my dogs before yesterday, i'd have another one afterward. Bruschi and Kodi had a fabulous reaction to the new edition. I couldn't have asked for better, and, I couldn't have asked for two more patient dogs yesterday while Brian and I stumbled through our solo flight as parents, without the help of nurses, a nursery or my mother.

And, perhaps because while still in the womb, Teddy had tons of dog exposure (animal welfare research projects, HSUS Conference, trip to Best Friends, numerous adoption events, a foster dog, a few obedience classes...) barking, sniffing and wet noses did not seem to phase him.

Stay tuned for more details on the actual introduction, including some video footage.

below: kodi and I at 8 m0s, Bruschi and I the night before the baby was born. gotta love cell phone cameras!

QT with the Pups

Excessive home renovations and baby prep limited time lavishing the pups with fun adventures and outings this summer, and a few weeks ago, I craved some quality time with Bruschi and Kodi.

In the car we got, headed to Quiet Waters in Annapolis for a day of play, then lunch downtown. Bruschi and Kodi took in the multiple dog parks, trail walk, and the romp on the beach. Bruschi bravely entered the water, chest deep, and Kodi took to critter surveillance in the swamp.

After, we stopped at the conveniently located dog spa just outside the park to de-stinkify the canines, then headed to a nice Annapolis restaurant with an outdoor dining patio that catered to dogs.

We rode home with the top down and two very, very tired dogs.

Refresher on Terms and Conditions Surrounding Sleeping in My Bed

To: Bruschi and Kodi
From: Colleen
Re: Refresher on the terms and conditions surrounding sleeping in my bed
Date: July 5, 2009

1. Amount of space you are allowed in the bed is proportionate to your weight and height. You can not take up more room than me. Stretching out from limb to limb and laying diagonal will not fool me into thinking you need more space. This will only earn you the title "bed hog."

2. I will require my pillow back when I return from the bathroom. You can keep it warm for me, but do not pretend to be in a deep sleep, and unable to wake up when I ask for it back. I will wake you up.

3. We sleep UNDER the covers. Sleeping on top of them, anchoring them down is not helpful. I understand you might get hot during the night, but remember, I do not wear fur to bed like you do, and therefore need unrestricted access to the covers.

4. Spooning together is OK. Sleeping on my head is not.

5. I brush my teeth before I go to bed out of good hygiene practices and respect for others that sleep with me, including you. Please do the same. If you forget, we will not be able to sleep face-to-face.

6. I still have to get up in the morning, even if you lay on top of my legs like dead weight. This does not make it any easier for me to get out of bed to go make a living, so that you can continue to enjoy the pampered life you lead.

7. Your tail often betrays you. When your body is completely still, but your tail is moving, I know you are awake and only pretending to be asleep so that you think you don't have to shift positions or get out of bed. I'm on to you. You can't fool me.

And, lastly:

8. This is my bed (key words being "my" bed). Do not fight me for space. And do not groan if I shift you over so that I don't fall off the edge. Remember, I feed you.

The Sweetest Puggle...

Bruschi gets a bad rap for being a food-stealing, impatiently whining little bugger, but I gotta tell you, all that is wrapped up in one incredibly sweet, super loving dog.

I'm working late (its almost 12:30 am Eastern), and most of the house is upstairs, asleep. I walk out into the living room, and there is Bruschi, fighting the sandman on the couch while waiting for me to retire. His head delicately placed on the couch pillow, paw ever so carefully curled under his chin.

If cuddling him wasn't a good enough excuse for a work-break, nothing is. So, I sat down, leaned in, pet his super-soft head, gave him a kiss, and told him I loved him. He licked my cheek. We cuddled a bit more, I told him we'd go to bed soon, and headed back to the computer. He sighed, put his head back down, and closed his eyes.

Really, its worth the peanut butter sandwich that we "shared" earlier this evening.

(Left: Cell phone photo of Bruschi right now)

Kodi's Killer Instincts

I've mentioned more than a few times on this Blog that Kodi, our rat terrier, has a very, very impressive prey drive, along with a remarkably agile little body.

Weighing in at 9.2 pounds, this tiny Feist can leap yards from a stand-still position, runs as smooth and elegantly as a racing dog, and springs into action at the smallest sight or sound of oncoming prey, including those that outsize her. OH, she also has a battle-cry that rivals most fire alarms.

Much of this can be attributed to the unique breeding that made the Rat Terrier back in the early 1900's. These dogs can claim roots that include the hound, jack russell, whippet and others. This is a breed that was established for one main purpose-- eradicating rats.

Kodi's opportunities to exercise her prey drive are limited to what can be done in a backyard, or on a walk-- so not much, but we do love to watch her signals and behaviors when she detects a critter or critter-hiding place. We do not encourage her committing or attempting any homicides. In fact, I keep bells and jingles on her to give critters fair warning that she is on their path.

This past Saturday, early morning, a wandering cat became the object of Kodi's "affection." We were at my parent's house in NY, in a neighborhood that does not respect the fact that cats should be indoors at all times. This one extremely large feline dared to enter the neighbor's yard and cross Kodi's sightline while she was sniffing some bushes in my parent's backyard.

She detected, snapped to attention, issued her battle cry, and charged to this teeny, tiny opening at the bottom of the fence, barely wide enough for my wrist. I panicked at her escaping the yard, and then really panicked when I realized her harness was caught on the bottom of the fence, while she was still lunging forward.

I grabbed the attached portion of the harness, my dad ran to alert the neighbor, the neighbor ran outside to look under the deck at where Kodi was caught... I released the harness lest Kodi struggle to escape and dislocate or puncture something. The cat was LONG since gone, and the yard was fenced, so I figured this made the most sense.

Once freed, she charged in impressive fashion out from under the deck that bordered the fence, through the yard, right into the arms of the neighbor, who picked her up and remarked "She's a cute little thing!"

After the panic was over and Kodi was securely inside the house, my dad and I started talking about her prey drive, how she immediately identified her path, and how she maneuvered her body so flat to get between the ground and the fence so, so quickly. And, how in-her-element she was on the chase. While nerve wracking, it was also quite impressive.

Oh, in case you were wondering, our home has been rodent-free since Kodi. And it safe to assume our child will never have guinea pigs or hamsters as long as Kodi is around.

That's a woof for now.

Baby-mania, Bruschi and Kodi

Brian and I frequently say to each other that we can't remember our lives before Bruschi, and it is even hard to remember what it was like to only have one dog, prior to Kodi. Our vocabulary quickly adapted to include words like "no-pull harness, raw food," and "veterinary opthamalogist," and questions like "Did they both poop? What color was it? Did he pull on the leash? Did she have a good time at day care?"


Now, with baby on the way, our regular conversations include words like "Pack N Play," "receiving blankets," "bouncy chair" and god help me, "stroller travel systems." I do remember when these weren't part of our vocabulary.


Silly me for not realizing the full, excessive extent of pregnancy/new baby merchandising....this coming from someone who admittedly is part of the "dog collar of the month" club. I love to shop and buy, I love novelties and accessories. I am a consumer at heart--But I assure you, this is over the top. Selecting a stroller was more difficult, and is taking longer than when I decided to purchase my first new car back in 2005. Business opportunity for Volkswagen: Start making strollers and car seats- oh, and helmets for babies riding in convertibles for your brand loyalists. And, I've seen more versions and types of blankets for babies than I tried on wedding dresses. Someday, I am sure Vera Wang will own that line as well.


Despite my tendency toward consumerism in general, the main focus of my baby prep is not the acquisition of all sorts of plastic baby gear-- its prepping Bruschi and Kodi (and Brian and I) for a teeny tiny human heartbeat that comes complete with lots of crying, dirty diapers, demanding feeding schedules and oodles of special attention from friends and family members. Its breaking bad habits that we've allowed to develop and tolerated over the past three years because they really didn't bother us that much. And, its creating new routines for them that will make for a more harmonious household.


We started this a few weeks back, moving the dogs to a once-daily feeding schedule (critics, have a field day here), and this weekend, even made them sit in the back-seat vs. my lap on the long, traffic-heavy drive to and from NY. This month, we are going to crack-down on turning noise outside the house (that usually brings upon non-stop barking) into a cue for "go get your ball." July we'll start with baby noises, and in August, the stroller (oh, god help me again) will make its debut on our walks.


I'm reading a few books by well-respected dog training professionals on what to do to get the pups ready for bambino. I know that bringing in a baby will be a huge change on them, and I really want to minimize other abrupt shifts during that time. It will certainly be an ongoing process for all of us, and I can't say that I am absent any fears or concerns-- because there are plenty.


I'm also spending a lot of time rebuking accusations that my dogs will become second class citizens in their own home once the baby arrives, explaining to people if that does happen, I will not only be a bad dog mom, but also a bad baby mama as well.


Surely, there will be more to come on this topic, but..


That's a "woof" for now!

The Bigger Question about Bo

Obama-mania continues this week, with the latest topic of obsession being over Bo, the First Family's new six-month old Portugese water dog. While some in the animal welfare community applaud the adoption of a "re-homed" dog from a reputable breeder, other massively criticize it, and feel "betrayed" that the family did not go the Rescue Route.


I find it both laughable and frustrating that this is the focal point-- where the dog came from--, and that these major entities are not instead using this media blitz to focus on what a dog needs in life, and how the First Family can set an example for the rest of humanity on the proper care for a dog.


Many friends and colleagues have asked my opinion on the Obama dog, even before Bo came to be, and here is how I feel. I offer up my opinion as nothing more than a dog-mom (of one rescue, and one breeder-dog). How a dog comes to be with a family is far less important than how a family cares for and tends to a dog's needs over the course of his or her life. A responsible family will do everything within their means to make sure that dog has a high-quality of life and does not end up in a shelter or rescue. This opinion I hold that applies universally, not just to the Obamas.

In fact, by setting a good example for America on proper care for a dog, the President and his daughters can do more for the larger world of rescue pets than adopting just one shelter dog. Those of us that work and volunteer in rescue know all to well the realities that bring a dog into a shelter, or cause a dog to need to be re-homed, the latest being the economic crunch that makes pet care more of a luxury than a necessity. But poor knowledge about good training, pet health leads age-old, way outdated stereotypes to persist when more modern wisdom is available.

Instead of spending any more valuable air time on Bo's family tree, here are 10 other topics that can really help the dogs of America.


1- Consider feeding a raw diet when evaluating food options. It might sound rogue, weird, or crazy, but it is a very real option that is much healthier for the average dog. After all, would YOU want to eat the equivalent of dried cereal every day, twice a day, for your entire life?

2- Use positive training techniques!!! This is the best way to build a working relationship and strong bond with your dog.

3- Make sure that dog has PLENTY of opportunities for exercise, including with other dogs. Two walks a day just don't cut it, especially for a working dog that was bred for a specific intent (like a Water Dog).

4- Treat your dog as a member of your family-- not as a possession you own. A dog is not an iPod, a piece of clothing, a car, or a piece of decor. It is a living, breathing being that thinks, shows emotion, and can express itself.

5- Keep your dog at the right weight. Obesity is a silent killer.

6- Keep your dog's mind stimulated. Their brains need activity as well--- Toys are a dog's equivalent of Nintendo DX and Wii.

7- Use positive training techniques!!! (Did I say that twice-- that is because it is important). Choke chains, shock collars, and other corrective methods can severely hurt a dog physically and emotionally, and make the problem worse than what it is. Dog training has come a long way, and we don't need to rely upon those methods.

8- Expose your dog to all sorts of sights, sounds, people, and places, building positive association with each (hmm, there it is again, kinda).

9- Hire an expert trainer. Dog training is not a "DIY." Get a professional trainer who can help you speak dog, because it's a language that is a whole lot different from English!

10- Don't ignore small problems, thinking they will go away. Address the problem properly when it presents itself, whether it be excessive barking, pulling on a leash, or even an allergic itch. So often a small complication is let to progress to a large problem, forcing a family to make a real tough decision.

Many hard-core policy wonks are probably scratching their head over "Bo-Gate" right now, thinking that there are no fewer than a bazillion more critical issues facing this country. But see, this isn't just about a dog-- this really should be about being a better human.

After all that, I really need my weekly puppy-fix, and there is a little Rat Terrier standing on my shoulder (really, not kidding).

That's a woof for now!

Colleen

Three years of Bruschi

Bruschi's birthday is Saturday, February 21. He turns 3 this year, and it is now hard for me to remember a time when Brian and I were without Puggle. Caring for another being truly changed our lives in a profound way. Bruschi is, and I believe will always be a bit of a menace, and that makes us love him even more.

Here are my top 10 (ok 12) memories from Puppyhood.


- Realizing that a three-month old Bruschi licked my diamond earring out of my ear, then waiting 48 hours to get it back. NOTE: All diamond earrings need to come with screw-backs vs. standard posts.


- Coming home after a Yankee game to find one happy Puggle and one completely and utterly distraught-to-the-point-of-tears husband, who spent 5 hours trying to entertain a puppy.


- Bruschi Graduating "Most Improved" from Puppy Basic. (To say it was an upward climb is an understatement).


- Seeing Bruschi curl up on the couch with Kodi for the first time, snuggling.


- Watching the foster pups teach Bruschi how to take toys out of his toy box so that he did not have to whine and moan for a human to do it.


- The infamous night where Bruschi learned how to escape the crate, then came barreling into our bed.


- The second most infamous night when Bruschi learned how to hop over the extremely tall baby grate, then came barreling into our bed.


- Watching him chase his first rabbit across the back yard, until it ran under the fence, at which point he looked up at us and if he could speak, he would have said "Where'd the bunny go?"


- The day that I realized his ears were finally in closer proportion to the rest of his face.


- Him tunneling into a pillow case, then rolling all about in it until he figured how to get out.


- How he would have the zoomies one minute, launch himself onto my lap the next, and pass out.


- Putting a very sleepy puppy to bed in the crate every night (pre-houdini-ing out of it) and watching him curl up into a teeny tiny ball.

Bruschi's letter to Santa- 2006

This evening, while re-organizing some files on my laptop, I came across Bruschi's letter to Santa that he/I wrote in 2006, his first Christmas. It had our friends and family in absolute laughter, and I thought I should post it on this blog.



It reminds me of just how, um, lets just a say "eventful" puppyhood was for us.



The 2007 letter is just as good, but that will come later this month.





Dear Santa,

I want pizzles. That is all I want for Christmas. I don’t want bandanas, or red socks, or pens that I can chew, or purses, shoes, coats, gloves, glasses, leashes, tissues, rugs, toe nail clippers, or ear washes. Just pizzles. This crazy lady who makes me do tricks told me that if I want something, I have to be good and ask some Santa for it.

I know, I have not been a good boy this year, but I am cute. And, cuteness should count for something. After all, the mischief that I caused gave the crazy man and lady LOTS to tell their friends about, and the stories are entertaining. I hear they get lots of mileage out of that diamond-earring-in-the-digestive-track story. Not my fault that it ended up in my mouth when I was cleaning the crazy lady’s ears. Those ears needed a cleaning! No one appreciated it when I learned to jump over the curiously shaped wall that kept me out of upstairs. They just didn’t understand how much I wanted to get into doggie paradise. I know people think that all those holes in the ground that I dug so carefully are a bad thing, but this will save those people time when they want to plant flowers. And, I guess you could say I really wasn’t supposed to uproot those hydrangea saplings. It just looked like fun at the time.

Oh, and there are some good things that I have done this year. Like, on Thanksgiving, I watched the “gobble gobble” to make sure no one would steal it. I also have alarm clock duties. Every morning, I gotta howl and whine to wake up those sleepyheads. No snooze button on me!! And, every night, before retiring to my box, I give lots of kisses. I also help the big man take naps. He does not snore when I sleep on him. Oh, one other thing, when the crazy lady needs to be entertained, I help with that. I let her play “roll the Puggle” around on the floor. She’s trying to train me not to steal food or possessions—I hear “good boy” a lot, so I guess I am making progress.

So, pizzles all for me. I really like them. And, they keep me out of trouble. In fact, I am willing to barter an evening of schenanigans for one pizzle. You can get them on the Internet… they are called PIZZLES. I hear they are made from bull weenies, but taste goooood to me!

Love, Bruschi (love you even more if you get me pizzles)

P.S.- We’ve never met before, so when you come down the chimney, look for the cute puppy with wrinkles and floppy ears. See picture below.

P.S.P.S. I look sad I this picture because I have no pizzles.









Bruschi at 8 or 9 months old. He was pretty tubby then, until we got him on a better diet.

Today, Brian and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Three years and one day ago today, we both first learned of the Puggle. Now, Bruschi is camped out on my lap, while Kodi is sleeping in sync on Brian's.

I always intended to have a dog, and Brian proudly proclaimed that "Learch men are dog people." The bigger question for us was which breed. I love Labs and Beagles. Brian wanted a Pug. We both have deep feelings for Corgi's but were intimidated by shedding. Undecided, Brian staved off my relentless demands for a puppy-- promising we would revisit after the honeymoon.

The day before we got married, we were in separate states, both watching the Today Show featuring Puggles. Like many Americans, we fell in love, and our next phone call wasn't about floral mishaps, missing pianists, disappearing aisle runners, or bad manicures... it was how we just saw the cutest dog that would be the perfect addition to our lives. The Puggle was to be our wedding gift.

I thought of this today when I got an email from the rescue we volunteer with, letting volunteers know that a hound mama and her 7 little four week old pups were found alone in the woods of Virginia.

Three years ago, we didn't consider a rescue pup, largely, because we didn't have the faintest idea that such a thing as rescue puppies existed. We thought that only older dogs were abandoned, and we really wanted a puppy. In our minds-- who on earth abandons a mama dog with little ones? Well, three years later, we learned this happens as frequently as Bruschi steals food off our plate.

If you couldn't tell by now, we love our breeder-bred designer dog from nose to tail, and have no regrets about how we came to have him in our lives. We just didn't know what we do now about rescue. And perhaps, it was Bruschi who brought us to be exposed to others with rescue dogs.

Brian and I still say things like "what human abandons a dog?," but now we know just how much of a reality it is. And, having seen some of those pups grow, we know just how special a rescue puppy is, just how much joy they bring, and just how wonderful a life they can lead.

I did pause for more than a minute to think about bringing the litter home to foster, as an anniversary present for Brian, but then figured I'd save Husband of the Year material until our five year :)

"The Final Season" Branding Masterpiece

Question: Why did the Yankees Cross the Road?
Answer: To get to the new Stadium

Last Sunday, friends of mine and I made the 4+ hour trek north from DC to pay one last homage to the old Yankee stadium. While the team had yet to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs, we knew that even a resurrection of the Babe (may he rest in peace) would not be enough to ensure even a wild card pass into October. This was to be the last game--ever-- in Yankee Stadium, closing a season where every fan was reminded, every day, that 2008 was the last season-- ever-- of Yankee Stadium.

Admittedly, I was "fan-lite" this past season, missing most games in our Sunday ticket pack, and only sporatically tuning in to the NY Post Sports Section. But this game, this excited me, and by the 3rd inning, my mind was already to how I would blog about it. I know this is a dog-focused blog, but hopefully my handfuls of readers will indulge me in this off-topic post.

In true Yankee fashion, the team went out with pomp and circumstance (including a crazy fan that charged the field), and all the attention of major news media that the winningest team in all of sports has enjoyed since the stadium opened. And remember, the team is only moving across the street-- to a state of the art, amazingly fabulous stadium.

In my opinion, The Final Season was a marketing masterpiece on many, many levels. The Yankee enterprise so successfully branded The Final Season that it took on a personality and meaning all its own. It might as well have been another player on the team... with its own authentic pinstripe jersey.

To best illustrate this genius is the stark contrast with the other NY team (Mets, for those of you grasping for the name), who is also getting a new stadium in 2009, and had a winning-er record vs. the Yanks (until their second epic collapse, not to be confused with the 2007 implosion). What was the last thing you heard about the up and coming Citi Park in Flushing, Queens? Remember, they too are also moving across the street.

The Yankees successfully dominated the news media with references to nostalgia and records, championships and family commaraderie. They successfully convinced fans to pony up the cash and credit to buy new merchandise, that looked just like the old merchandise, only with a "Final Season" patch (guilty as charged in case you were wondering). They successfully convinced 400 million fans to watch the floundering team that had fired their beloved manager, and hadn't been such a long shot for the playoffs since the late 60's. They successfully convinced boatloads of fans to to arrive at the Stadium doors 7 hours prior to the first pitch of the last game, only to sit in stadium seating and watch the equivalent of Yes Network b-roll on the tiniest jumbo-tron in the Majors. And, remember, they were ONLY moving across the street.

Honest to goodness, I firmly believe the White House could have moved across the street with less media attention than this. At least 6 minutes of 1010 WINS "22 minutes, we give you the world" was about The Final Season that Sunday!

Not that it needed any help, but the Yankee enterprise appropriately coined Yankee stadium a "cathedral," structurally crumbling it may be, of Baseball. The opening ceremonies started with additional reminders of it being the last game ever, and closing a legend, yada yada... but no worries, by the 7th inning, fans were re-assured that the team was not deserting them, that these memories would not end...because the team was ONLY moving across the street.

Perhaps my favorite memory of Yankee Stadium will be my young nephew standing outside, telling me he was upset that the "House that Ruth Built" will be going away, and wondering just who will literally be "building" the new house. After assuring him that it would not be A-Rod out there swinging a shovel and leveling dirt, he still seemed less than convinced that leaving a "cathedral" as steeped in memories and history would be a good thing, despite the fact that parts of the upper deck were known to fall down. And, I probably failed to assure him that the team was only moving across the street. They were not deserting him, they were not going to cease playing the game, or stop making records.

But my nephew's attitude was identical to the vibe running rampant through the rows and sections of the Stadium last Sunday night. Why were they leaving the place where Ruth, Lou, Mickey, Joe and Yogi and caught, hit and threw their way into baseball history?

I left the stadium that night concluding that the player named "The Final Season's" biggest contribution to baseball was easing the fan's pain associated with giving up the place where so many legends were made, so many memories had, and so, so many championships won. But, next year, the team will be right across the street, so start spreading the news...

Mookie, our new foster pup

Brian and my fifth foster arrived yesterday. Mookie, a two year old small Pug will be with us until we can find him a forever home. He has an eye condition that will probably require surgery, and we will learn more about what that entails later this week.

In the meantime, he is showing us just how pug-like Bruschi is. So much of what he does reminds us of Bruschi when he was a younger pup.

Just an hour ago, he hopped up onto Brian's lap, assuming Bruschi's standard sleeping position (cradled on leg, head on thigh), and began to snore. I would photo it, only that Bruschi is in the same position, on my lap, under my laptop computer.

That's a 'wuff' for now!

Reason #3 Why I love Puggles: Unity

Anyone who gives presentations to groups of people knows that capturing the audience's attention, getting their mind off what happened in their day before they walked through the conference room door, and creating interest and excitement in the topic is crucial to success-- and so much of that is determined in the initial moments of the presentation. We all look for that collective "chill" of the group, so that their brains are positioned to accept the information we are about to share.

Well, I have a secret weapon in the conference room. And it is.... wait for it...... The Puggle.

I happened to realize this untapped power of the Puggle recently, in a serendipitious way, during a presentation where the attendees all walked in, very, very stressed, and anxiety-ridden. What had wound their nerves back at their desk had not been forgotten, and any anxiety over our topic was staring them in the face.

Within a minute of entering the room, what also was staring them in the face was my computer wall-paper image of Bruschi (shown above) projected onto a large screen. A simple glance at that perfectly cute little wrinkly forehead elicited a collective "awwwww" across the room. Tensions were released, and conversation quickly turned from "did you get that email" to "oh, what kind of dog is that?" "How old is he?" "Did you take that photo?" "My goodness that is the perfect photo."

I now had the attention, and interest of everyone in the room, from the CEO who had to make decisions to the intern taking notes. I was ready to move forward. The picture of the Puggle did in less than 10 seconds what no average human could do in 20 minutes, if at all.

Was Bruschi really was the catalyst for what ended up being a ridiculously successful meeting. I do believe that his image provided the group with a "brain break" of sorts, along with creating a common ground-- everyone in the room was able to agree on something-- that this dog was cute. The dog created a sense or sort of unity of opinion among those around the table that was lacking at the start.

A while ago, I started working images and references to my dogs into presentations, either as clip-art, or to illustrate a point, or simply as an ice-breaker. More recently, I set my wallpaper to this image of Bruschi that I took one morning. He was sitting in a sun spot, I was running late for work, searching for my favorite Charles David shoe. The shoe could not be found, but the camera was sitting on the ironing board. It made me smile in the morning when I booted up, even more than my previous image of Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Oceans 11.

What was so great about the wallpaper doing the work for me, vs. a slide in the presentation, is that I had the room's attention before that first slide ever appeared. They now were excited about the deck, and approaching the material with true interest-- because they had the opportunity to forget the baggage that followed them in to the meeting.

I could talk tons about the emotional and psychological effects that all pets have on humans, the endorphines that their images can stimulate, and studies that show simply petting a dog can lower blood pressure (and conversely, how a puggle stealing a sandwich can make it rise to new heights)... but....

...That's a 'wuff' for now!

(former wallpaper)

Kicking the week off with kittens!

Earlier today, my friend and I photographed some ridiculously cute 6 week old kittens that were recently rescued. These five little fluff balls had the most beautiful eyes, and the teeniest, tinyest paws, each smaller than the palm of my hand.


A foster mom will raise them in her home until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered, and adopted.


I know nothing about cats or kittens, except that they look cute, and Kodi would probably try to eat one if allowed. Well, maybe just nibble.


Below are a few photos of some of the cuties.

Kodi Eye-- New Success!

Every few months, Kodi visits the Veterinary Eye Doctor so that her left eye can be evaluated and we can stay on top of what treatments she needs. In addition, she sees a Chiropractor regularly and she gets regular doses of eye medicines. (eye shown most prominently in photos is affected eye).

For those who don't recall, Kodi has some nerve damage that limits her eye's ability to produce tears, and, causes her to drool a bit when nervous (she can't swallow her saliva on one side of her mouth)

Yesterday we took her in for a routine exam and learned that her eye is producing close to DOUBLE the amount of tears it typically does. DOUBLE!! For a while, she was measuring a 3 to 4 on the 'tear duct scale' test (from 0-10). Yesterday, she got up to a 6. The more tears she produces, the less discomfort she is in, and the better equipped her eye is to fight infection.

And, last night, during a visit to the dog park, she not only interacted with others, BUT did not drool.

We are very fortunate that Kodi has an amazing team of doctors helping her out. And, what I love even MORE is that the vets she sees believe that the chiropractic care she receives helps keep her healthy.... hmm... perhaps human MDs can take a lesson from the animal community.

That's a 'wuff' for now!

-Colleen

Check out past blog posts on Chiropractic care, and history on Kodi's eye condition.

Why I hate retractable leashes

Earlier this evening, Brian and i were walking our dogs on the sidewalk of a usually busy, four lane road (George Mason Drive for those NOVAns). About a half block ahead, a woman walks out with two medium to large dogs taking up the sidewalk, so we quickly move into the curb, about a car width away, and start talking to our dogs to keep their attention. There weren't any cars coming behind us, and if it wasn't a four lane road, we would have just crossed.

Of course, when within lunge distance, this woman's dogs who were both on unlocked retractable leashes, go nuts... And because the leashes are unlocked, allowing the cord to extend seemingly endlessly, the woman can not control her dog from dashing out into the street to jump on Bruschi. And because the handles are so thick, she drops one, which enables the other dog to lunge over to Kodi and near pounce on her, had Brian not done some quick thinking and pulled her mid-air then scoop her up (she wears a harness, so no stress on her neck).

And, because I was crazy annoyed at both my dogs getting pummeled on a walk, I yell "You need to lock your leashes with your dogs, or they are going to hurt someone, or get hurt," And she yells back "I can't seem to control them, they keep pulling from me." You don't say?!

The very concept of using a leash is that it keeps your dog with you.... not away from you. A retractable leash allows a dog to take liberties on a walk that some just should not have. Like, in this case, these dogs clearly were not calm when others were passing by, and the woman could not reel them in. A regular leash, she could have just pulled up on, stepped on, or simply not dropped.

I'm sure this woman really loves her dogs-- but fails to realize that her dogs could run into traffic, getting hit by a car if not careful. Or, bitten by another dog it charged.

I have plenty of friends who use retractable leashes responsibly, with dogs who don't run in to traffic, and with dogs who do not lunge at people or other dogs.

I know they are popular, but these leashes generally do not make life easier, if anything, they require an owner to think about one more thing on walks. What if your finger hits the little button, releasing the lock and the cord, and the dog has free reign in to trouble? What if YOUR dog passes another whose owner can't control the leash or the dog?

I don't know about you, but between, keeping my dogs' attention away from squirrels, watching for signs of poop, and stopping every other tree to pee, I've got enough to think about.

That's a 'wuff' for now!

-Colleen

Reason #2: Expressions

Reason #2 Why I Love Puggles: Their Expressions

All dogs express emotion, but I have to say I believe Puggles have among the most expression-rich faces of all dogs. The wrinkly face, the defined eye-brows, the wide-topped ears, and the cute little round-snout nose are true enablers when a dog tries to show happiness, frustration, mischief, sadness, remorse, fatigue, and excitement....and then there's the tail!

The Puggle's display of expression is just one other tool they have in their box of tricks for wiggling their way into human hearts.