A Blog By Thy Dog

Empawrium

2009-03-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

I received an email from Gail @ Empawrium today - Sahara's and my favorite dog couture boutique - and was delighted to see they've featured Sahara - again - with the story of her two ACL surgeries. They sent her their best wishes, but unfortunately I had to email them back and tell them of her third and upcoming surgery for her torn menisci. Looks like I'll be buying her another beautiful collar to aid in her recovery :)

You can view the link here.

Puppy Update.

2009-02-18T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sahara settled down nicely after a day or two at the dog minders whilst I was away; and even ended up sleeping in bed with Maggie, the lovely lady who took care of her. Phoenix had some time to himself at home, and both were overjoyed to see me return. Sahara is slowly improving, although not exactly in the leaps and bounds I'd hoped for. It was quite depressing watching fly-ball and agility trials at the Pet Expo I ended, as she was coming along so nicely for both before she injured herself. Still, she absolutely LOVES hydrotherapy - to the point where she starts squealing in anticipation the moment she knows we're heading for the pool. Once we arrived, the barking starts, and doesn't stop until she literally launches herself into the pool. Phoenix, on the other hand, doesn't float so well, and as he doesn't appreciate getting wet I have to somewhat manhandle him into said pool. He inevitably sinks, and has to wear a highly attractive, fluorescent yellow doggy life jacket, which he is deeply offended by.

Both are loving the smells on me when I come home from helping with the emergency shifts at the RSPCA due to the bushfire crisis, and they get squeezed awfully hard each and every time I come home - it's heartbreaking seeing all the beautiful pups who will never get the chance to be loved like they should, and so I always make sure my two get extra long cuddles when I get home.

Since Chef & I broke up, Sahara sleeps in my bed with me in the spare room - I'm slowly getting accustomed to the fact she is taking over that as well as my life in general, and wake up on a tiny sliver of bed with paws in my back as she stretches herself out comfortably across the sheets. I've been working her quite gently at dog training, but she's in desperate need of being told who's boss at certain times. She does, however, act extremely angelic when she comes with me to Cam's for the day; she gets thoroughly overexcited to see Cameron but eventually sits quite quietly on her bed once she settles down. It must be pretty hard for Cam; gaining a ready-made family like my own and having to put up with not only my two kids, but Sarah's three as well when we head back to his for a beer after training.

Sarah's new puppy, Ruby, is an American Staffy X Ridgeback, and is absolutely gorgeous. One day she's going to be bigger than all of our lot, and she appears to know it. After their first meeting of snarling and growling and Sahara exerting her dominance; both get on extremely well. We did wonder, as Sahara's the only girl dog in our pack and loves it that way.

I still have my dreams of one day having a beautiful purebred White German Shepherd of my very own, and can't seem to keep my eyes off of Neigepearl Shepherds and their current litters. Oh, to have my own house and a man that accepts me for wanting a large family!
As it is, I'm on two lists awaiting animals to be temporarily fostered through the bush-fire period, which shall be fairly heartbreaking but rewarding as most will be coming to me injured or orphaned from the fires.

Photo fun

2009-01-18T17:51:00.000-08:00

Phoenix: I am Boof, destroyer of worlds. Wanna play?

Sahara: 'wake up mum - time to play!'

Bruza fast asleep @ girls night.

Sahara informing me it's far too hot to sleep - especially with a kitten on your back.

Phoenix ~~destroying~~ opening his Christmas presents.

Sahara not appreciating how pretty she looks.

Update.

2009-01-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Sahara's had a few set backs - she managed to wrench her leg on the flimsy piece of material on the tent door a few weeks ago, and has since been back on a high dose of anti-inflammatory's and pain relief. She did, however, manage to attend training, and I noticed an enormous change in her personality - she will sit, very quietly, happy to observe in her time out breaks. I only worked with her very lightly, and we dropped down a class to get her back in the groove, and concentrated mainly on hand commands, food refusal and solid sit/stays and drop/stand commands. When Bruza & Mac came over for a puppy play date Friday night (while use girls did our nails and watched chick flicks), she was a completely different dog to the Sahara we know and love. She hardly got off her chair, and didn't even attempt rushing out the door with the 3 boys to devour their lamb necks and terrorize the dogs next door. She sat calmly and let Mac adore her with licks and allowed Bruza to lavish her with attention, instead of out-running him for the tennis ball and starting brawls with Phoenix for prime Bruza Love time. I'm glad in one way she's adapting to being 'disabled' and she can self regulate herself with her own exercise a little, but boy do I miss my old girl.

She had another visit to the vet yesterday (a weekly trip at the moment, just to get her out and about and have a good bark at her favorite vet before succumbing to liver treats for affection) and she's been given the go ahead to start her pysiotherapy and hydrotherapy again. She's got quite a lot of muscle wastage in her left leg, and is in desperate need of some gentle exercise to build it back up. In between searching for HOURS online for accommodation for her as I'm going away on holiday on the 29th, I'm trying to book her in for an assessment at the doggy hydro pool. I had to whittle my holiday in October down to one single night (and call my mother in for an emergency babysit session) as it was impossible to find someone who understood the concept of not letting Sahara loose with 3 Labrador pups, Phoenix and a golden retriever. Apparently it was too much to ask that she be kept quiet "oh, she'll have to just stay in the laundry for the week, then" and "but she can sleep outside in the old tin kennel with the other dogs, right?" for which I STILL haven't been given a refund. Seriously, it's a nightmare, and I remember why it is I don't have a social life. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can find somewhere that will love her like she's at home, and stop her from snapping the two fake ligaments she's got goin' on in her leg right now. I'm looking for a miracle on this, it seems.

Back to Training...sooner, rather than later, I hope!

2008-12-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

Sahara had her staples taken out yesterday (slightly early, in fact, as she's healing so well) and after a lot of sillyness from sheer excitement at being outside for the first time in a week, she was given the all clear to go back to training in the New Year. I, for one, am absolutely thrilled - she's in desperate need to get out and about, but in a controlled environment where I can limit her actions, unlike in the dog park where there's crazy mutts running up all over the place and jumping on her. We train with ADT, and she reached Gold - the second highest level - before injuring herself. Before that, I'd been super keen to get her to Platinum within the year - I think we'll be challenging ourselves to at reach that level 4 months, maximum (depending on her recovery time, obviously). It's about time we knuckled down and worked our butts off again - it's been far too long without the discipline she needs (and as there's been no agility or fly ball, let alone any form of hard physical work for the past 4 months, she's going absolutely bonkers). Phoenix will, of course, will be coming along and training at the same level - he's realistically more likely to be a Platinum dog earlier, because of his sheer devotion to doing anything I ask of him, but I'm more than up to the challenge of focusing Sahara's energy, too. Bring it on!

He sure knows how to guilt trip me.

2008-12-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

Phoenix has taken to stealing my socks - clean or otherwise - and making a nest with them. He doesn't harm them (unlike the incident with my new undies having the elastic carefully removed...), he just seems to enjoy suckling them.

I know why he does it. I haven't been home a lot lately, and he's wreaking his revenge. Yesterday I found my bikini in the hall way, a shoe next to his food bowl and several orange hairs in my bed.

We are so heading back to his extensive training in the first week of January.

Sahara...

2008-12-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

...is doing great. 5 days in, she's at the same recovery stage she was at at around the one month mark last time. She's running around like crazy; jumping over furniture and chasing the cat. I am having hysterics practically on an every day basis because of this.

Becuase I don't like seeing that

2008-12-09T16:20:00.001-08:00

..at the top of my screen all the time, here is a nice photo of my chubby kitty, Cleo, doing her best Asian Samurai Master impersonation. Let me hear you say 'aww'.

Mmmmm, messy.

2008-12-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

I've kept this purposefully dark in the vague notion you might be able to keep your lunch down this way.

Lack of posts.

2008-12-07T15:03:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't been blogging here for a while - nor have the dogs, for that matter - but what with Sahara's healing leg, we haven't been able to be out and about like we used to. Now her surgery has failed, and she's back in again today, it'll be another few months before there will be more wild adventures. Bear with us. And check out more details on Made in Melbourne.

I didn't do it.

2008-11-22T03:43:00.000-08:00

ZzZzzZzzZ

2008-11-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

It's a bad photo...but she's so adorable when she's asleep. She looks like a big teddy bear. And snuffles like a real one.

Phoenix's lump.

2008-11-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

I discovered this on Phoenix left hand side, right over his last 2 ribs last night. I am seriously hoping he's simply popped a rib, or run into something and has some fluid built up. It's grown in size over night, and he seems a little down. We've got the first available appointment at the vets this afternoon, and I'm terrified it's cancerous or something sinister. I am also horribly upset that I didn't notice it sooner - I'm trying to tell myself there's no way he could have had a lump for longer than about 5 minutes, because I'm always patting him, giving him massages and generally adoring him, and I would have noticed it, right?

At least....

2008-11-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Sahara still loves me. And our little road trips. She's so nosey.

Captivated...

2008-11-05T16:58:00.001-08:00

...by Kerplunk.

Hydrobath time!

2008-10-28T00:40:00.001-07:00

Baby Sitting.

2008-10-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

I've spent the week trying to organize a baby-sitter for the kids, as we're going away for the weekend, and I've only been left with one option via the agency we're going through. I just called to have a chat with my pet minder, and I'm a little concerned. She already has three dogs there (and I think we're mostly aware Sahara is rather Top Dog and goes to any means to be in that position), two of which are female. Oh Lordy. Aside from that, she didnt' seem to be aware of the fact Sahara cannot be left outside for ANY amount of time - and with 4 other dogs, that would surely be asking for a broken leg or two - to which she said "I'll leave the laundry door open". What does that mean?

I'm also meant to arrange a time to meet the minder before I agree to her looking after my children, but she didn't seem to know this - and I was in too much of a delusional state of mind after my bad haircut and lack of food to push the point - but now I'm getting a bit worried. I think I'll give her a call back in a few hours once I've thought it through a little more.

General Update on Doggyness.

2008-10-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Sahara had a check up on Tuesday, along with her final weekly cartiledge injection. The vet said she is healing super quick, she's still remarkably fit, and she'll be able to enjoy some gentle off leash exercise in the coming weeks. I mentioned she doesn't understand the concept 'gentle', and she'll be on lead for a verrry long time. I was hoping she'd be miraculously fixed for our camping trip in November, but no such luck - I'll have to count myself lucky she's well enough to even make the trip with us.

I had a slight fit of depression on Sunday morning, as we attended the Pets Day Out across the road to us. There were hundreds of dogs - and that meant there was fly-ball and lure coursing demonstrations, the two things she would absolutely excel at and to which she will never be able to do. There was even signs up at the lure course warning of the dangers of rupturing cruciates. But again, it was amazing she even held up on her first big walk to make it there and back, and no one stared at her shaven leg and bald epidural patch too much.

Phoenix has been enjoying his daily hour long walks, which now include Bruza, Mac, Kaos, Mayhem, Kai and whomever else we manage to pick up along the way (usually a lone dog sees our big group and comes to play, refusing to go home with their rightful owner) but he pulled up a little sore last night, so we've just been for gentle strolls around the block this afternoon.

She is, fo shizzle, gonna win.

2008-10-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

Sahara is SO going in for this!

Edited:
DAMN HER LEG!
Do you think maybe I can put hot pink bandages on ALL her legs so they wont notice she only has fur on three of them, and somehow hide her hideous epidural bald spot?

Maybe I can shave a big love heart in her back to hide it...?? Or spray paint one over it???

Oh dear...Life's little difficulties.

Oh, Sahara. Back when you had 4 legs.

2008-10-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Brother's brother?

2008-10-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are constantly on the look out for more Long Lost Brothers to our two boys Phoenix and Bruza. And today...I think I did! He's free to a good home, looks so much like Bruza and I feel like I should be doing something about it. I've made a life long friend from meeting Sarah through Phoenix (and Phoenix now has Bruza, and Sahara has his 'brother' Mac...see where I'm going with this?)

Check out Made In Melbourne to see some more evidence.

Birthday Bash: Fun!

2008-09-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

One of the Birthday Boys :)

Some of the guest enjoying the Fairy Bread (didn't last long, I can assure you!)

Phoenix and his proud daddy show off their muscles.

Phoenix and Bruza let off some steam before their guests arrive.

Adele gets some Lab love from Kai.

Kaos takes a break from Fetch.

Our Old Men wait for some crumbs.

Mac, Bruza, Phoenix and Kai have a breather and pose for us.

All in all, I think everyone had a fun day. Phoenix is completely beat today, and I wish Sahara could have come along and joined in the fun, but we were super lucky with the weather and we made some new friends (as well as the dogs!). The KatFur Bakery doggy biscuits went down a ...treat, and Phoenix and Bruza got some lovely presents from their doggy friends (and ate a whole lot of human food, as well as their Scooby Snacks).

... Sahara's off to get her stit...staples check in an hour. Hopefully they can come out and we'll be able to go for teeny, tiny walkies soon. She's quite clearly about to climb up the wall with boredom, and she's getting rather chunky being idle all the time!

Boys Birthday Bash Vol I: Development Stage.

2008-09-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the boys birthday, Bruza's mummy Sarah and I have joined forces to give them a birthday bash to be proud of on Sunday.

First, the invites were sent out to all their favorite doggy pals.

Then Phoenix tested out his sexy, sparkly Birthday Boy bow tie out, just to show how handsome he'll look on the day. (and, admittedly, to see if he'd take offense and destroy it within seconds).

Then yesterday was Bake Day. Sarah and I slaved over 90+ dog friendly, healthy (ish) doggy treats, which our more-than-willing taste testers Bruza and Mac hungrily approved of. (Sahara doesn't lower her standards to eat anything other than prime steak these days, so obviously she completely ignored them).
These Cheesy Chocolate Chews came out smelling divine! If it weren't for the 'dog friendly' chocolate I'd have demolished a few myself.

On the left we have Meaty Munches, filled with liver treats and vegetables, and on the right are the fishy feasts known as Tuna Treats, which sent the 3 cats in residence into a meowing fit. (Please note: these are the deformed ones that didn't quite come out bone shaped. The 'real' ones are far superior).

Last night I spent quite some time packaging up their 'Doggy Bags' for their four legged friends to take home from the Bash.

So far, these are all we have in them as we're a-waiting more shampoo samples and other doggy goodies.

Today I'm going to be busy making up all the labels (for ingredients lists etc) for the 20 'Doggy Bags' of cookies from KatFur Bakery (that's me!) which will be under our 'production' name of 44Paws (the number of feet our pets have put together),
and get a'baking on the cake front.
Yay!

My two 'just dogs'.

2008-09-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've always loved this quote (hence why it's on the tool bar section of this blog!)...

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

... but today I came across this on Sahara's Myspace page (it's been a while since she'd logged on, what with the lack of opposable digits etc).

"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me. When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog." - Gene Hill

it really does up up everything I feel about my two 'just dogs'.

Mangled Leg and Bowties.

2008-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sahara's leg

She's just come home from the vet, and she's a zillion times better today than yesterday. She's actually alert, and we're having a bit of trouble keeping her off furniture/climbing walls etc.
My little girl :)

Here's a preview of the dress code for Phoenix's birthday bash...

And I think the pooches are strange...

2008-09-03T23:04:00.001-07:00

As you might have noticed on Made in Melbourne yesterday, Sahara and I got a little snap happy to ease the nervousness of her Op (my nerves, not hers. She seems completely oblivious). And today was no different. As I sat down to eat some lunch, it wasn't long before she snivelled her way onto my lap (and believe me, she's not allowed on the couch easily - it takes her a fair bit of those Puppy Dog Eyes and the Oh, My Leg Is So Sore look to make me melt into submission).

Shortly after...

Reminds me a little of...

I really need to get out more, or at least stop singing to the dogs.

Surgery Date.

2008-09-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

I just took all three of my charges for a short walk, and stopped in at the vets to have a chat with the surgeon who I have been hoping to entrust with Sahara's surgery. Luckily, he was available for a chat, and he was absolutely lovely - I couldn't have met anyone I would rather chop open my darling fur child. He didn't seem to mind me bombarding him with hundreds of questions, and practically sobbing when he said she would need to stay in overnight. He really made me feel at ease, and all the dogs were quite happy too - they were so busy snuffling him and tying him up in their 3 leads to realize they were in the consultation room they usually despise so much.

As a result, she's booked in for Friday morning, and will stay overnight. I am terrified, to say the least, and hoping she makes a speedy recovery.

3 dogs, three pieces of news.

2008-08-27T22:58:00.001-07:00

As you may have read on Made In Melbourne, I have two new bits of doggy news: Firstly, Sahara has torn her cruciate ligament, and will be ungergoing surgery soon. Secondly, I have a new foster dog, a Maremma named Axle.

Bruza's mum, Sarah, and I have been busy organizing the boys birthday bash, which will take place on the 21st September at a local dog park. All their nearest and dearest have been invited, and we're still finalizing details of their cake and 'doggy bags' etc.

I've entered this photo into a "What Makes You Smile" competition.

Axle :)

The invite to Phoenix's and Bruza's 3rd Birthday party.

The dog's invite. There was a deciphered version for the human on the other side.

Doggy Weekend Away

2008-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Our evening at the beach.

2008-07-14T03:34:00.001-07:00

Kids @ Sunset.

Sahara shows off her tree climbing ability. Kelpie much?

Phoenix and his handsome new collar.

Sahara and her pretty new 'breathe' collar from Fuzzyard (hello, blatant plug!).

The Extended Family Photos.

2008-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

No dogs were harmed in the making of the photos, but several cocktail sausages lost their lives.

The extended family - Mac, Sahara and Bruza, with Phoenix lurking in the background.

Bruza and Phoenix. Or Phoenix and Bruza...?!

When I got that email saying someone had a dog that looked slightly similar to my own, I never thought they would be quite so creepily identical.

"Feed me!"
"No, give it to me!"

Note from Phoenix and Sahara: We just found Dogs With Blogs, and we think it's WONDERFUL. We didn't realize how many dogs had their own blogs - and we sure can't wait to meet some new pooch friends!

Mud, barbs and collars.

2008-07-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ahh, to be back :)

The kids are both well, if a little exhausted. They've been enjoying running around (and through) The Bog Of Eternal Stench with Bruza and Mac, and even made a new friend in a Mastiff X named Tiger, who is very handsome indeed. Sahara is still being her usual elegant, ladylike self, and ruling the entire pack with her witchy feminine powers.

She's been limping quite badly after her last two visits, so I'm looking at getting her into hydrotherapy or massage to see if it can build up her hip and leg muscles. I think it might be time to cut back all the jumping I tend to encourage her to do - I'm still going to keep up her agility training under a close eye, but no more big ditches and/or fences until she's stronger.

Phoenix is getting more mellow by the day, and would quite happily sit for hours on end with his head in ones lap, drooling slightly and looking at you in adoration whilst he gets pats. I've been training him to 'search' - every time we come home, I send him through the house with the signal and he goes in and out of the rooms checking for the sorts of breaking and entering trash/murderers our area is rather prone to.

Sahara is awaiting her new collar and coat (in pink, of course) I've had ordered in, and Phoenix is looking radiant in her beautiful new studded Staffy collar. I've bought him about 6 since I've had him, and he hasn't liked wearing any (no, seriously. He will actually remove them if physically possible) or they've broken in a day or so. I've been waiting to get him the collar I did for months - Bruza and Mac have them, and they're totally durable - and finally, the day has arrived - I can, once and for all, rid him of the collar he came home to me with. It's a nice collar... I just don't like the thought of him still wearing something from his last home. I know, I get too involved :)

Yesterday I took the kids down to one of my favorite beaches, where they had a blast jumping in and out of the whitewash. As we were leaving, Sahara somehow got a sea anenome embedded in her paw, and as we were driving off she started having what looked like convulsions; jumping all around the car trying to bite her paw off. I quickly pulled over and parked (illegally) and both D and I spent a good half hour sitting on her to keep her still looking for the cause of all the pain in her foot. I washed her leg with water continuously, and it seemed to help, and as I was contemplating the idea of peeing on her if it were a jelly fish stinger, D found the spines in her pad. They were tiny, but deep, and luckily he managed to remove them and she soon calmed down enough to drive him. I kept her warm incase she went into shock (she was very, very upset) and kept a close eye on her all night as I was worried she might get some poison from the barbs, but all seems well. She's a little sooky today, but she soon got into bed this morning and snuffled me in her usual manner, so she'll be fine :)

I think I have a few more grey hairs to add to the collection though...

Grrr.

2008-06-19T02:14:00.001-07:00

After watching Today Tonight on several occasions regarding ACA Breeders in Victoria, I am absolutely appalled by them congratulating the puppy mill. If you look at their website, they claim to not breed their own puppies, yet every expose done on them shoes they own over 300 dogs, all for the purpose of being kept pregnant for the extent of their lives. The guy who runs the business claims to be a dog lover, and gets visibly upset when he mentions the dogs will be put down when they can no longer give birth to large litters, yet he is daily adding to the tens of thousands of dogs put down in Australia every year. I am beyond furious at this breeder in particular, as there's always some sort of bad publicity regarding their puppy mill, which they try and use to their advantage. If anyone is searching for a puppy, I can do more than urge you wholeheartedly to go to the RSPCA or another pro-life shelter, and take the time to really understand what breed is right for your lifestyle, rather than buy from a pet shop and support people like ACA. Here endeth my vent.

2008-06-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

...still here!

2008-06-02T05:09:00.000-07:00

The silence from the dogs is due to the fact the cats are taking over our lives.

O-lei!

2008-05-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

What Sahara has to do for attention whilst she waits for her Empawrium collars to arrive.

My 2nd night alone.

2008-05-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time between posts, and there's been a whole lot happening. The kids are still enjoying exploring their new area, and meeting the lovely Gail from Empawrium - Phoenix has a new crush - and trying on their beautifully sparkly new collars. I will, of course, take lots of lovely photos of them when they receive them!

We did sadly miss the Million Paws Walk today - I would have loved to have gone, but the dogs were in kennels last night (yes, their 2nd night ever away from me. I sobbed unashamedly, both when I left them, and when I got home to an empty house last night. I couldn't wait for my babies to come home this morning) as it was Seah's Hen's Day/Night yesterday.

We've just been walkies with Kaos, Mayhem, Bruza and Mac, and got them lovely and worn out (and covered in mud). They desperately need to get back to training once things have settled down (i.e Sarah gets back from her wedding in Fiji) and I have a training buddy again. Sahara's getting a little too big for her boots these days, and always has surplus energy.

I will update again sooon!

Pet's of the Month :)

2008-04-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

Check out the kids on Empawrium's Pets of the Month :)

I heart you, Phoenix, times 365.

2008-04-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

The photo that made me race down to the shelter and pick him up.

On the 25th, Phoenix will have been in his fur-ever home for a year. A whole year. A whole year where he has spent one single night with out me (I think you may recall I left my mother in charge, with a list of about 18 emergency vet clinics in a 50km radius, a written note of his likes, dislikes, severe hates and how much drool he will produce on average. And yes, he survived, and I nearly did, too).

The first photo of the two playing together...awww!

I am also happy to announce, after his yearly check up and vaccine booster on Wednesday...he has put on a whole 8.2 kilo's since he became my child. He was a very thin 29kg the day I picked him up, and apparently had already stacked on 2kg in the months he'd been at the shelter, so he really was an emaciated little man.The drive home from the shelter with the dog who didn't care where he was going, yet leaned on me the entire way.

As you all know, he's grown masses of confidence, a whole heap of trust, and best of all, he actually smiles these days. He gets a big goofy grin and his eyes light up, instead of the fear and dread thing he had going on back in the day.

Falling for my gorgeous boy!

You'll be aware he now will let people pat his tummy (well, maybe only me and Sarah, as demonstrated at the vets when she attempted touching his manly area and he practically climb up the wall, holwing and rolling his eyes) and he excelled himself to the second highest level of training in our club in a few short months.

He still thinks he's a lap dog at nearly 40kg

He even 95% got over his on leash aggression, and can be walked safely on and off leash in public.It wasn't all roses with Phoenix...

All in all, he's a changed dog, and all for the better. I couldn't imagine life with out my big Boofer Woofer, and I even mostly tolerate his drool all over my black clothing.

One year one, and hasn't he turned into a handsome boy?

His first ever go at agility, such a star!

...and here's some sillyness I just had to share ;)

Happy and Sad

2008-04-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Cleo the Kitten got her lady bits ripped out on Wednesday, and has had a complete character change ever since. Gone are the days of quiet cuddles and sleeping the day away, to be replaced with psychotic episodes of climbing walls/eating my shoe laces/meowing hysterically. I did think of taking her back to the vets and asking for a new version, but then considered how happy I would be with all my fallopian tubes and the like removed. Bliss!

I've taken to taunting her ceaselessly in an effort to wear her out, and bought her a wind up dune buggy car designed for 3 year old children to keep her amused. It didn't work. But I did find someone who did appreciate it.

At least it's cheered her up after her somewhat dismal appearance on national television. I keep telling her she's the most beautiful girl in the world, second only to myself, but she just gets a little down, you know?

Her new collar helped somewhat, and allowing her to roll in starfish/dead penguins/nasty seaweed on our daily trips to the beach, but all she really wants is to be admired by the world.

(please excuse the mess in the video, I was in the process of clearing up, I swear).

You're still one in a million to me, Phoenix.

2008-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I have no idea what happened to the Phoenix lookalike pup - I called several times and emailed them, but to no avail. Let's hope he found a great forever home.
I've found another Phoenix/Bruza.
He's only 3 months old, and he's only got a day or so left before his time's up at the shelter.

Ohhh, dilemma.

Happy hounds.

2008-04-06T19:00:00.001-07:00

Sahara and Phoenix had a super time at the Million Paws Walk Shoot, and I made sure Sahara was right up front and in the cameras way whenever possible. She did somewhat let me down when they attempted a close up, and Sahara had hysterics and tried mauling the lense. Suzie Wilks said she thought Sahara was absolutely lovely!
The dogs went for walkies in all their Million Paws Walk merchandise afterwards - I was dying for a coffee and some mud cake - and they were super well behaved as we sat at Southgate and watched the helicopters take off.

Maccas is over today, my two are baby sitting him as Bruza is having his second round of surgery after getting stabbed in the mouth/throat by a stick over Easter, poor boy. Mac is quite happily chasing Sahara around and declaring his undyi
ng love to her, while she guards all her sticks and toys with her life.

They had a super fun time down the beach yesterday, and found a tasty dead penguin to nibble on while I wasn't looking. Luckily they weren't too keen on freezing their paws off, and mainly stayed out the water. I wasn' t looking forward to wet doggy smell after they were groomed to an inch of their life on Sunday, and are still smelling lovely (Thanks Fuzzyard! Mmm, Orange and Bergamot 'Uplifting' spritz spray and Jojoba and Basil shampoo!).

Millions Paws Walk

2008-04-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's official! Sahara and Phoenix and going to model for the Million Paws Walk T.V commercial!
We're off to the shoot on Saturday, and Sahara and Phoenix will have either coats or bandanna's and I'll wear the MPW shirt, and that's about all I know!

I am beyond thrilled that myself and my kids will be on TV!

Sahara; Diva.

2008-04-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

I think I may spontaneously combust with excitement.

Recall my post about Empawrium ?
I received an email in return to my request for Phoenix and Sahara to be their Pet Of The Month for May - and as well as that wonderful, amazing bit of news - they have offered to link this blog to their own Friends of Empawrium site.

But wait, there's more.

They have offered to design two collars to reflect the wonderfulness of my pooches, and NAME THEM after my two lovable rogues - and will unleash them (pardon the pun...) at the RSPCA Million Paws Walk! (Sunday, 18th May - I sincerely hope this date is in all Melburnians diaries).

My two darlings! Practically stars!

I have also emailed off their best photos, along with their application to be involved in the filming of the Million Paws Walk television ad.

Here's Sahara in her latest video, entitled "I Will Kill You, Mr Balloon".

Self explanatory, really.

Bike riding and blue stuff.

2008-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

The kids and I are going bike riding with Bruza and Macca's tonight - this will be a laugh. Sahara is beyond terrified of the bike, and as Phoenix is a bit dense, he feels no pain when he runs in front of the tires, so it's always a bit of an adventure. Usually I harness them up and take them roller blading, but there's very few paths that go for our minimum 10-15km that are sealed around our new area. And gravel rash is never fun.
Tonight we're going to Sahara's favorite place - it incorporates The Bog Of Eternal Stench II, and Blue Heaven. (When I went away for two days to the wedding, my mum took the dogs here with Sarah, to give them some exercise. Sahara, inevitably, found the blackberries, and apparently spent a few merry minutes getting entirely covered in juice, and emerging a slightly different color, which my mother then had to wash off in the bath with her (Sahara's, not mum's) special whitening shampoo with added light reflective stuff, so I wouldn't have an absolute fit when I saw her).

I will be taking some photos hopefully, as you may have noticed I've been a bit slack lately, as we haven't been on many road trips lately.

Puppy Update

2008-03-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yep - we're back! The dogs have had a wonderful month - their new garden has lots of lovely new smells, great bushes for playing hide and seek in, and mummy's prized rockery to dig up. Sahara is still breaking hearts, Phoenix still makes idiotic noises instead of barking, and both have discovered Baxter park - over 7 football ovals and muddy bog to run through at their hearts content, with 8+ other pups while all the mummy's and daddy's power walk around the perimeter in an attempt to get fit.

For the first time in over a year - since the day my darling Sahara came home to me - I had to spend a night without her when Chef & I attended his brothers wedding. My mother was installed in the spare bedroom, with strict instructions and several emergency contact numbers/vets/Lost Dogs Home etc. I liked to think they were happy with a mini-vacay of their own, yet were still pining slightly and listening for my footsteps with pricked ears, but to be honest I think they were more than happy romping and shedding large amounts of hair over my new queen size bed.

It's been so...I think relaxing is the word?... being able to leave them in the back garden (do we recall the fence drama at the last house? Which, incidentally, was never fixed and I was still unable to leave the dogs outside for more than an hour?) while I'm out. It took me a while to be able to leave them - hell, I've been practically attached to them 24/7 for the past 8 months - but they're more than happy sunbaking in the rockery and taunting the dogs next door while I go shopping.

On Sunday, we attended the RSPCA All Creatures Day - we helped out at the BBQ - and I had a wander around the grounds and found an amazing couture collar shop, called Empawrium - I was blown away! I've been looking for a collar for Sahara dripping with bling and sparkles, and I have finally found it! I'm also entering the kids in to be Pet of the Month and try and get some more traffic here - the dogs do love the attention :)

Speaking of which...it's breakfast time, and there's two big juicy bones with my kids names on :)

Phoenix is still his usual self and demanding attention in his own special way.

Australia Day Doggy Style

2008-01-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

Friday was spent down the beach...

And on Saturday we spent the day having a barbeque while the dogs had a puppy play date...

Bruza showing off his Happy Face...

And Mac shows off his watermelon smile!

The brothers and Mac squash themselves in the kennel.

Here is Sahara enjoying her impromptu bath on Australia Day...

2008-01-20T03:35:00.001-08:00

Cuddles after a night on the town.

Oh my Dog! Phoenix tries slippin' me some tongue.

I have no idea why these came out so badly pixelated.

Gee Haw!

2008-01-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Makes sense to us...sort of.

Sahara & Phoenix had their puppy pals over for a play date last night - and mainly sat and ate the lamb shanks the lovely Sarah provided them with. They're so anti-social sometimes.
After dinner and much chasing with brooms and yelling for them to remain away from the table, they all came in and got harnessed up and we were soon brainstorming and chatting away about how we're going to build our cart. We spent a lot of time scribbling ideas and attaching broom poles to the dogs to attempt demonstrations, and the dogs were all very good with it all. I think they're going to have a wonderful time being chariot dogs!

Phoenix & Sahara demonstrate with a broom.

This afternoon is going to be spent attaching a pole to their harness and somehow attemping to make long lines like reins, and teach them left (Gee!) and right (Haw!). Apparently Mush is rarely used but for movies, if you go by the Iditarod Sled Dog voice commands, and the correct term is "Hike Up!".

Sahara & Sarah have a cuddle.

We're hoping to have our first cart to have 4 wheels, brakes, suspension and a cute little flag on the back, and if we can somehow managed to flog them off, we figure we need a snappy name like 'K9 KruiserS' (Go, Sarah!) to advertise with on the back of the sulky. We also want to be able to snap more dogs on - it needs to just have the one or two dogs when we're exercising alone, but have the ability to have 6 dogs + when we want to be show offs and for puppy play dates. Me thinkies this is going to be a blast, and the dogs are going to love it!

Swanky Pup?

2008-01-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Both pooshes have been super busy lately, but not doing a whole lot of anything interesting. We've all been testing out new parks around {hopefully} our new home (there's an off leash park literally across the road from {hopefully} the new place) and driving hundreds of kilometers in the meantime, searching for our perfect house. They've had a wonderful reference written for them to add to our house applications, and they've also been learning to 'speak' to show their appreciation for our current estate agent (please note the use of sarcasm). I needn't have worried - Sahara's not her number one fan as it is, and happily bared her fangs when the agent held an open inspection at our house last night.

Sahara is going to be entered for Swanky Pup Of The Week on The Swanky Pup today, so fingers crossed she will be a star as of next Thursday! I just need to choose a photo of her... any suggestions are welcome!

She's loving her new Fuzzyard Crush Proof Hot Ball - she's finding it nigh on indestructable, and as it's a glowing orange in color, it's super easy to spot when she gets sidetracked and leaves it in the boggy scrub.

I will update tomorrow - hopefully with some more exciting news after we spend this afternoon in the city doing some stuff for the RSPCA - they had a ball walking through the CBD and having full attention when we last went in December. And I might even locate my camera (I think it's gone walkabout in my car) and take some photos.

Mush!

2008-01-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

A while back on a sunny afternoon visit to Seah's, we discussed the possibility of welding together a sort of dog cart for the boys to pull (Phoenix & his brother, Bruza), and since then I've often thought of it - especially when riding my bike up steep hills or ending up on my knees when roller blading with the dogs. Last night over the batch of cupcakes we were making, we had a bit more of a chat, and on the way home Chef & I really got to business, throwing around ideas about what sort of tires, brakes and harnesses we would need, and the lightest possible materials we could make it with.

Generally, when it comes to my ideas, I'm considered somewhat mad. So it's nice to get together with with Dog People, because it usually means someone's thought of it first. See here.

There's hundreds of sites for cart driving construction (and instruction), weight ratios for what the dog is able to pull (apparently three times the dogs weight is maximum, which is great considering I only weigh 6kg more than Phoenix), harness requirements and motivation for the dog. It's wonderful! I have visions of myself racing along the foreshore with my big boof of a dog, tongue lolling and saliva flying while I'm in my little sulky, complete with my own little numberplate and flag on the back, yelling such exciting things as 'haw' and 'gee'. I obviously can't be instructing him to 'mush', as that's his release word to eat.

Don't you think they'd make a brilliant sled dog team?

Fuzzyard (blatant plug)

2008-01-10T16:50:00.001-08:00

Phoenix's brother - Bruza - has a lovely mummy, Seah. Seah is now working for a lovely pet product company named Fuzzyard.

If anyone's after some quality Australian made products to pamper their pooch with, head to the site and find your nearest stockist!

I had a nice little browse at their website, and so far today I have bought Sahara the Hot Balls, which are apparently 'crush proof' tennis balls for the uber chewer, and a gorgeous pet tag I have had my eye on for a while - she somehow managed to chew through her stainless steel one, and is need of some funky new I.D to match the adorable new collar I just bought her.

Phoenix is the lucky recipient of their Organic Aromatherapy Spray, although I'm debating which 'flavour' to get him - Immunity, Uplifting, Calming or Refreshing. I think I may choose the Uplifting, and hope it fills him with some happiness and light. He's not a happy camper in this weather.

They had a wonderful midnight romp in the surf last night; it got to 11pm and none of us could sleep, so we were soon splashing about in the ocean with an 8 week old Bull Terrier we met down there. Heaven.

Itty Bitty Biting Critters

2008-01-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

When Cleo the kitten came home, she bought a whole party of little friends with her. I'd just spent nearly $100 on flea treatment for the dogs, and nearly had hysterics when I noticed they had little jumping things on them. I immediately called the company from which our flea stuff is from, and was getting ready to have an all in war over the fact they had uninvited guests, but I had the loveliest lady on the phone - she actually knew what she was talking about, was brilliant at her job, and spent a good twenty minutes discussing the flea cycles and their product. It somewhat reminded me of all those house I spent in Horse Studies at school, writing up assignments on bot flies. Anyway, it turns out if I see a flea on the dogs, I need to investigate what cycle it is in, how energetic it is etc to establish if it is a juvenille flea or starting a new cycle. Or something. So she offered to send our free samples to top up their monthly dosage. I was worried if the flea side of the product was wearing off so quickly, it would affect their heartworm & intestinal worm treatment. And hell, it was bloody expensive. So I was delighted to receive 3 free products in the mail today - one for Phoenix (45kg +) one for Sahara (35kg+) and one for little Cleo, whom isn't old enough for any of the products on the market yet. I was also extremely impressed with the free tennis balls she through in - I think I mentioned the fact I have to bathe Sahara regularly as she's a fiend for playing ball, and likes swimming in The Bog Of Eternal Stench to dunk them for added taste. I used the comb she sent, and found several fleas on Sahara - my poor girl! - and one on Phoenix. I washed Cleo yesterday - the bleeding on my arm has finally stopped from her tiny but effective claws - and now I'm wondering whether to bath the dogs now, or wait until this evening. It's 41 degrees, and I'm seriously considering making a pilgrimage to the water and spending the rest of the day immersed in the ocean with the dogs.

I have an absolute fear of fleas. I groom Sahara daily (and I've finally located her actual brush, which is handy as I just packed all my horse grooming gear I'd been using on her) and give her little massages to check for lumps and bumps and so on, and I have never one found a flea on her. Phoenix has a skin condition and is constantly scratching, and he is bathed weekly in a special solution and used to receive steroids, but when he first came home we went through a few days of intensive parasite control with him. It's not the fleas that bother me particularly - it's that the blood thirsty suckers bother the dogs. I'd hate to be eaten alive daily by irritating insects - hence my deep seated and unnatural fear of mosquito's. So I feel horrible guilty for the poor things knowing they've got their little infestation, yet I know with the hot temperatures and long grass it's a fact of life. Still, I plan on making more complaints to companies and getting more samples, as $93 for a month of treatment is ridiculous.

New Years Day

2008-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

I'm going to overlook the fact I've done something strange to my banner, and instead focus on more interesting things. Or at least add some photos.

New Years Day dawned as revoltingly hot as the night before...

So I did something that comes naturally to me. I hit the beach, with my two faithful steeds in tow. Sahara did some hot-man-without-a-shirt watching like the pervert she is, and Phoenix committed to roasting himself evenly on both sides. Lots of swimming and frolicking in the surf was had by all.

And then Phoenix gently but firmly told me the sand was too hot for hit bot, so we made the trek home and watched tennis in front of the fan and consuming anything that was still frozen in the freezer. Ah, Summer!

oops.

2007-12-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

I have somehow just managed to completely ruin the layout of my blog.

No more HTML for me.

I'll be back later to attempt fixing it. Sigh.

Christmas beach romps.

2007-12-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

Sahara and Phoenix had a blast this Christmas. Sahara had already managed to steal half her presents from under the tree (well, in the fireplace, where they were this year) so she didn't get as many as she should. They also got some lovely treats from Mum, and enjoyed all the roast turkey scraps. Luckily they quite like sleeping in the tent - I think they enjoy any excuse to lay all over me and attempt to steal my pillows, but even more, they loved their days down the beach. They didn't get a chance to come surfing - there were several thousand other people on the beach, and didn't think it was wise to see how they reacted alone on the beach.

I was given a nice mountain bike, and after riding it around the back garden a few times, I'm beginning to realize it may be somewhat dangerous to be riding it with the dogs either side, if the psychotic barking is anything to go by.

puppy lovin'. Awww.

2007-12-17T19:28:00.001-08:00

I love this photo. Love it.
And below we have evidence of what happens moments after Phoenix is feeling lovey dovey. He gets a little crazy. And eats my hair.

...There was no love from Sahara. She's too interested in her little stand-offs with her new kitty friend. It's going to end in tears, I know it.

Christmas party's and kittens

2007-12-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a wander around the Australian Dog Training Christmas Party. We haven't trained with them for a long time, due to all sorts of reasons and a bit of laziness, so we thought we'd better pretend we were still active members. Sahara wore her cute little pink jumper, and Phoenix donned his Security vest, but there were plenty of dogs wrapped in tinsel and so on. There was agility rounds, and free barbeque, and that was about it - so we followed S & her dogs, and enjoyed lunch at a dog friendly outdoor cafe in Mt Eliza before heading to the dog park and enjoying some games. Well, the dogs enjoyed some games, centered around tennis balls and running lots - a perfect way to wear them out. After dinner, my new arrival arrived - Cindi the Kitty - and the dogs are yet to even notice her. Although she slept next to my bed, I was up all night sick, and that and their crazy ball chasing exhaustion meant there was no time for inquisitive sniffing. I think it's only a matter of time until they notice the sardine cocktail in the bowl in the laundry, but having said that, there's a large, slimy grey fish thawing out in the kitchen and they're none the wiser.
I again forgot my camera, so I shall be relying on photos being sent via S of the day (and lots of photos of kitty, although some rather bad ones can be viewed on my Made In Melbourne blog). Enjoy :0)

friends and photos

2007-12-12T02:32:00.000-08:00

Phoenix loved BB. Loved her.

And showed her his appreciation accordingly - looking adoringly at her whilst smacking her with his paw and rubbing his drooling lips on her shorts.

We all went to the city - on the train. They took it quite well after the first few minutes of finding their legs. Phoenix was soon sleeping soundly, drooling on the floor, whilst Sahara attempted flirting with any one who looked her way. As usual. I then took them along to Federation Square, and along the river banks, which they seemed to enjoy.

Yesterday we headed to my mums, and they were adored some more and watched me open some early Christmas presents.

Update

2007-12-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

There's been very little activity going on lately, as it's been quite warm and the dogs aren't feeling too energetic. I've been trying to walk them every day, like I used to, but in this heat it's ridiculous - we get about 6km in and we're all ready to drop. Phoenix has even faced his fear, and now launches himself in The Bog Of Eternal Stench and swims madly after the ducklings, while Sahara shouts encouragement from the river banks.

My best friend is coming for a sleep-over tomorrow night (yes, I'm reverting to high school) and so they'll have plenty of attention then - she's just as a big a dog lover, and plays even rougher than I do.

Today I'm thinking of taking them to the beach and sharing some ice cream, but they're not looking too excited by the idea - I think they'd rather round madly around with all the dogs in the park and go play in the lake. I had thought of strapping my rollerblades on and harnessing them up, but I've not taken them out alone like that, and I'd prefer both knee caps intact over this holiday season.

I found the first photos of Phoenix meeting his brother, Bruza again after 2 years, so enjoy.

the shock of it all

2007-12-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

I'm rather regretting encouraging the mutts to clamber through my window.

I came home yesterday from collecting my massive, gorgeous, lovely Corningware casserole set I won via a dodgy magazine, and wondered why I could hear the dogs barking. And echoing. I asked D if he'd left the back door open - negative - and then wandered in a daze throughout the house looking for signs of damage - again, no.

I was shocked. I can't leave them outside for 5 minutes without then eating a pot plant/shoes/my yoga mat, and they'd even managed to climb onto their destroyed couch, somehow open the window pane with their snouts, and jump wholly through my fly screen - yet nothing. No sunglasses with no lenses. My bed was still intact. Even my indoor plants had all their stems. It makes me wonder if a) they'd only been in a few moments and hadn't gotten started yet, b) they were doing an inventory of things on their list to destroy and were interrupted, or c) they may, inch by inch, becoming slightly more trustworthy. It's a hard one.

Squeaks and a Swim

2007-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

Sahara and Phoenix find this relatively amusing - and I've just discovered their new love for irritatingly squeaky toys.

Disclaimer: That is not my crappy outdoor furniture; it is the couch Sahara is intent on destroying. See HERE for a better look at what I mean by destruction.

Phoenix & Sahara go for a dip this morning.

Photo Fun Vol: II

2007-11-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

Phoenix and Sahara tell me they're feeling a tad silly today, so here it is - the {slightly edited} photo fun I had a few giggles with on my other blog yesterday.
Same rules - type in the answer to the question to Google Images, and choose an image from the first page that pops up to represent that answer. Fun fun!

1. With which historical figure do I most identify: P(hoenix): Sherlock Holmes. I've got the jowls, saggy eye sockets and I like wearing brown plaid.

S(ahara): Paris Hilton, because I'm blonde, high maintenance and spread my legs a lot when I sleep.

2. My favorite place: P: Somewhere I can relax and kick back and be waited on hand and paw.

S: anywhere with chickens or feathers.

3. My favorite objects: P: The headrest in the back of the Daddy's car - I adore licking it on long journeys.

S: Feathers. Feathers. Feathers.

4. My favorite food: P & S: Mmmmm....

5. My nickname: P: Big boy, amongst other things.

S: Pudding. Possum. Plumptious. Precious. Pigeon. You get the idea.

6. The place I was born: P: If only I could tell Mummy... S: Puppy Mill.

Hurrah!

2007-11-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

I just emailed Kerri Anne Kennerly. As D was randomly flicking through channels this morning, suddenly 4 utterly adorable puppies were on the screen - Kerri was doing a segment with her Vet on problems with pets in the Holiday Season, and suitable toys and treats etc. And those puppies! I was so utterly impressed with the fact they ended the segment mentioning all the puppies were from... RSPCA! Hurrah! I'm so happy they didn't promote 'designer' dogs this Christmas, and are doing some good. I jumped on the website, and there was a list of all the toys they were showcasing, along with numbers for the RSPCA and other pet sites. So of course, I emailed them. I just can't help myself.

Bugger.

2007-11-28T14:38:00.001-08:00

I'm more than a little concerned.

D is taking the dogs to his mother's today. All day. Alone. With my dogs. For 24 whole hours.

It's not that I don't trust him. Well, actually, that may just be it.

I've spent every day for the past year with my girl, and I know her quirks, her habits, her feeding regime, and when she needs some cuddles.

D doesn't. As much as he thinks he's a big Doggy Daddy, he's fed them maybe 6 times ever, and has no idea what a ... handful... they can be.

He has plans to take them to Blue Rock Dam, which is a huge bushy lake, no doubt surrounded by rabbits and not much else. I can see Phoenix disappearing within minutes, or being bitten by snakes, or... the list goes on. And on.

I've attempted discussing possible scenarios with him. I don't think they've gotten through.

And as sad as it is, I'm going to attach every single form of ID possible to their collars, and give D a list of emergency veterinary contact numbers for the area, along with their registration and microchip numbers.

Yes, yes. I know. I'm borderline OCD. But those dogs better come back to me in one piece tomorrow morning.

Thankfully, Back in Action.

2007-11-26T18:20:00.001-08:00

After all this talk of Thanksgiving in the US, it somewhat made me ponder what I have in my life to be thankful for. There's the usual - mashed potato and cheese, Sex And The City, a super comfy bed and the best mum in the world.

...and my dogs.
So here's a little Thanksgiving tribute to some of my favorite things, even if it's a little overdue.

- S a H a R a -

All the first memories of Sahara - our huge walks each night in the stifling heat, with her collar and leash matching my iPod and discovering all the people and places in the neighbourhood I never knew about. The first time her ears stood up. The way she sneaks her way into bed every morning immediately after D vacates, and crawls her way up under the covers, kneading and prodding the bed like she's a kitten. And the way she eventually steals all my pillow, whilst snuffling in my ear because she knows it makes me giggle and move over. I love the way she reads me, and knows when to be silly and cute, and simply when to give me a cuddle. I adore how she places her toys in her water bowl, then snorkels for them. How she acts dumb and flirts like crazy around new people, and sluttishly jumps and kisses them smack on the gob. I love how she barks when she senses I'm scared, and how her lips flap in the wind when she sticks her head out the car window.
And mostly, since our fight, how she's known to stay away from me, until she right moment, when she climbed on my chair, sat her tush on my lap and placed a paw around each shoulder, and simply sat for minutes on end like she was giving me a hug.

- P H O E N I X -

And where to being with my big man. From the moment I saw him online, I wanted to bring him home. It's taken a while to know I've done the right thing. But since he's come home, he's changed daily. From his terror of being touched on the head and tummy, to the sookiest, cuddliest belly rub loving pooch. His shock at vacuums, windows, TV, Christmas decorations and being fed from a bowl have all been overcome, and it's been amazing watching him in the process of learning a little more how to be a dog. He occasionally picks up a tennis ball. He's learned to chew a bone. And I love that he smacks me with his paw when he's not getting enough attention. I adore that he bites my hands and feet when I won't wake up and cuddle him. I love his big dopey eyes and floppy mouth with too much skin. All the silly little things about him make me smile, because I know he's come such a long way. It's taken months for him to smile, but now there's a light in his eyes and a thudding on undergrowth when he's his happiest - running like a lunatic through blackberries.
But my favorite time with him was the day he overcame his fear of water, and joined me in the surf. I spent hours grabbing his fluffy neck fur and swimming back to shore with him, time after time.

*
I wouldn't change either of them for the world, and I am truly thankful to be able to have two gorgeous who make me smile the way they do.

. . . . . . .

2007-11-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Due to a certain 'family' situation, there will be no blog posts from my dogs for a while.

(check here for more info if you do not read my other blog and want to know all about it).
.

Lamb Chops and my Conscience.

2007-11-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

I feel like a horrible person, as well as a bad dog mummy.

As I mixed the dogs dinners, I added some hamburgers, mince meat and a succulent lamb chop each - and pondered taking out the bones. I was a vegetarian for 13 years, and am still absolutely repulsed by raw meat. I even attempted hacking the bone out, and got as far as putting on rubber gloves and brandishing a large fork and a paring knife to remove them. But as the blood squirted and I smelled the nastiness, it had an ill effect on my gag reflex, and I decided the bones were staying. Since then, Phoenix has been more than a little ill - I was up til 4am soothing him, letting him out and trying to see if he could go potty, as he was whingeing so much. Then Sahara started having difficulty going to the bathroom. So my night was spent with Phoenix stretched out whimpering on my left, and Sahara snuggled into a tight little pussy cat like ball on my right, and me stroking their belly's and trying not to breathe too loudly so they could get a little sleep. I feel so, so guilty - and of course in the middle of the night I tend to get irrational thoughts, like if they died because I was too squirmish to feed them properly, and how I could live with that on my conscience.

Phoenix is a little better this morning, but Sahara has been sitting and glaring at me. I'm having such massive financial difficulties and it upsets me so much I'm worried about taking them to the vet, as it will mean we will be evicted and end up in court if we can't pay rent by Thursday. Last time Phoenix had an impaction - he and Sahara ate their way through a couch, fabric, stuffing, springs, wood frame and all - and it was nearly $700 to be told he had some feathers in his belly, and time would tell if he passed them or not.

When I get so irrational, I completely forget how much I do for them as it is. I'm sure not many dogs get fresh cuts of meat along with their raw eggs, sardines and fish oil tablets for shiny coats. If they're unwell, they're in bed with me, usually under the covers with my pillow as theirs, as I stroke their belly until they fall asleep, and making them mashed pumpkin and rice in the morning. They get sugar free porridge on Winter's mornings to keep them warm, and both are strapped into their waterproof coats if it's raining out. I could go on. And on.

Yep, I take it too far - but they're my kiddies, and the fact I have no little clock ticking away for real children makes me think they deserve all the love they get.

Remembering Ruby

2007-11-20T00:43:00.001-08:00

My dogs truly bring all types of good things (minus the fleas) - today I received a wonderful book in the mail from a lovely woman named Melisa Wells, all the way from the U S of A.
She somehow stumbled across this blog, left me a nice comment, and since then I've been following her process of publishing and promoting her book, Remembering Ruby - For Families Living Beyond The Loss Of A Pet.
The photo were gorgeous, the story; although terribly sad, really was brilliant in tying in relevant information and not being too overwhelming for children. Having said that, it would be a great guide for children of any age - and parents needing a little guidance and advice.

Yep, I'll never be a book reviewer. But in all seriousness, check out Melisa's Remembering Ruby journey here, and then go order yourself a copy.

melts

2007-11-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

Its 36 degrees, we have no air con so the dogs and I are laying on wet towells huddled around the fan, eating ice cubes. Its almost too hot to contemplate going to the dog beach and wallowing in the surf until the cool change is supposed to hit. Decisions, decisions.

In the summertime when the weather is fine....

2007-11-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

I think the dogs are dying of heat exhaustion. It hit 32 out before, and Sahara's laying on the couch propped up on a cushion so her neck fat wobbles every time she pants. She looks like she's on her last gasp, and can barely be bothered getting up to eat the chicken I made for her. ( I don't mean I actually made the chicken; I merely presented it on a plate and offered it to her covered in cheese and honey mustard. And yes, I'm fully aware of just how bad that really is for her, but she's a little underweight at the moment and well...she's a piglet).

Phoenix is flat out by the door on the hardwood, trying to cool down and dribbling in large pools all around him. He's finally calmed down after meeting the rabbit earlier this morning. I've never seen him so excited by life.

Should be fun when it's 38 degrees on Tuesday.

Camping Craziness

2007-11-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

I took the dogs camping over Tuesday and Wednesday, and slightly misjudged their size when choosing a tent. I ended up with Sahara on my legs and Phoenix somehow squashing himself along side me.
Sahara pretended she couldn't see the fly mesh door on the tent, and continued to propel herself towards it to get bounced back onto my chest. She found this endlessly amusing, and continued to do it throughout the night until I unwrapped myself from Phoenix and shut the proper door. She also appreciated me drinking my morning coffee in bed, as she got to drink her morning coffee without having to get out from under my blanket, too.
All in all though, we had a good time, and it was super nice to get away from the city and back to my hometown. Phoenix absolutely adores the grass down there, and throws himself down with a grunt every few moments and thrashes his legs around in ecstatic pleasure. And Sahara being the little piglet she is enjoys getting in amongst the rock pools and eating dead things.

I've never seen such concentration...

2007-11-11T20:27:00.001-08:00

One of the few rare moments my little darlings sat still during the soccer match.
They were so excited by the ball it was like they were watching a tennis match - 4 huge ears like antennas flickering every time someone kicked it.
Still, I think they had a good time. They had masses of grown men fawning all over them, and feeding them oranges at half time.

This, that and the other (non exciting).

2007-11-09T01:23:00.000-08:00

So, we've had a busy few days involving Christmas decorations, walkies and general crazyness.
Phoenix looked more than slightly bewildered by all the Xmas baubles, while Sahara was in heaven, pretending she was a kitten and using them as skittles in between licking and sniffing each and every item in turn.

It did make us wonder if Phoenix has seen a tree or baubles before, not to mention tinsel and the rest of the decorations in my little grotto.

As soon as I washed Sahara today, she went and rolled in the boggy swamp in the river near us. Bush pig.

I'm having fits of excitement about her modeling debut on the 25th, and rashly promised her a sparkly new pink collar if she behaves like a little angel. Hmm.

Muhaha...I mean Ho Ho Ho.

2007-11-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

A little preview of the cruelty my little puddings will endure this Christmas.

Yelling @ the Yarra

2007-11-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

I can totally relate to my mother now. Whenever I ran off or got lost in a crowd as a small child, she'd always say she aged 10 years through worry.

Last night, whilst walking the mutts, Phoenix went off after a rabbit. This is a pretty normal occurrance, and he normally wanders back panting and drooling when he's had his little gallop. This time, 5 minutes passed, and there was no sign of him. Not even the sound of him crashing through the undergrowth could be heard. I started to worry. 15 minutes of searching and yelling, and calling and whistling and looking in all the thickets and still no sign. 30 minutes passed, Sahara tracking frantically like a deranged Springer Spaniel, and I started to really panic. My mother had called not a day ago to mention all the Tiger snake bites local dogs had received. I knew from the amount of rabbits around there would be traps about. There were cows in adjoining paddocks, and I know how happy farmers are to shoot any trespassing creature disturbing their herd. I also know Phoenix is a lunatic, and doesn't display much intelligence when it comes to getting in sticky situations. I've had to cut him from blackberry bushes many times, when there's a perfectly good path not 3 feet away.

As the realization hit there was only around 20 minutes of light left, I really started worrying. There were very busy roads not far, and we had no way of knowing which direction he had headed in. D and I split up, Sahara running madly between us both, clearly upset she couldn't find her brother. We eventually met up, and decided to head back to the car, both wondering what we could do if we didn't spot him on the way back. By this stage, we'd covered around 6 or 7 kilometers, and both questioned his common sense to return to where we'd started. As I was about to admit defeat and sit howling in the bushes for my lost little man, I heard a yell from D. As I craned my neck to see if I could see Phoenix, I noticed a shadow on the other side of the river. The Yarra river. As in, around 50 metres wide, gushing from the 2 days of rain we'd just received. He heard my frantic yell (Phoenix, I mean) and started lunging towards the bank we were on, which was about 15 metres above him, and all that way away - and boy, the dog who can't stand getting his feet wet and wont even go in the bath swam his little heart out. As he started gaining on us, he hit the current from the river, and was rapidly being taken downstream. As D scrambled down the bank, I ran further down, through the brambles and prickles and loose earth, and slid down the hill to meet him. The poor boy was so tired he couldn't manage the climb up the hill, so I half dragged, half carried him, sobbing into his soaking wet fur. I'm such a sook.

We didn't know whether to smack him for running off, or hug him for being safe, so we compromised on cuddling him and yelling at the same time. Idiot dog. As we slowly started our way back to the car, I wondered how he'd got to the other side of the river - surely he hadn't crossed the massive suspension bridge, run through the car park, and down the bank to wait for us? As I reached the car, it soon became evident he'd done just that - there was masses of white foamy drool all over my door handle, where he'd clearly been asking to climb in.

He really is an absolute idiotic mix of common sense and insanity. But boy, did he sleep well last night. So did I, with him cuddled up in a headlock under the blankets with me. I swore I'd wake up with perfectly white hair after our little adventure.

I can't think why people say I'm too attached my dogs.

Happy Halloween & other terrifying photography.

2007-11-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

A while back I took the dogs for a run, and having left their 'proper' leads in D's car, I grabbed two random ones from our pile of dog related stuff (think jumpers, wet weather coats, collars, check chains, leashes, treats, toys etc. They nearly have more crap that I do, and that takes some doing).
As we were happily walking along, they started getting a bit excited at the prospect of frolicking in mud and their usual shenanigans off leash, and started pulling. A lot. My usual method of controlling this is yanking firmly on their leads and stopping, and starting again in a heel. As I launched my arm back to give their leash a tug - they both snapped. Both! I don't know whether this is showcasing my stellar strength, their thick necks, or dodgy Made In China products.
So, being the genius child I am and muttering something about being "worthless youth of today" I constructed a makeshift leash for them both from the remnants of the two leashes. It actually worked suprisingly well, although it was slightly difficult to get them unclipped in a hurry. Here it is.

I needn't have bothered. This was the first warm(ish) day we'd had, and apparently they weren't too impressed with our strenuous exercise.

And of course, I can't go past Halloween without sharing another episode of the cruelty I inflict on my children.

Isn't she just precious?

Sahara, SuperStar Vol II.

2007-10-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

It was only a matter of time. And remember folks, you saw her here first.

Sahara's true potential has been realized.

She's starring in her first catwalk on the 25th November for Count Dogula's.

The only thing is, she's such a little hussy even now. She's going to be unbearable after this. All that flirting and attention is going to go straight to her head.

Let us admire some one of the photo's of her from her photo shoot, and one of my favorites of her at 4months old, still looking like an alien with those Gigantor Ears.

Drum Roll Please...

2007-10-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Phoenix has been my main man since Anzac Day (25th April) this year.

He's come a long way in that time. He now knows what a tennis ball is. He will let his belly be rubbed. He drools even more.

And yesterday, he achieved something for the first time that we are all very proud of.

He cocked his leg!

Yes, that is correct. He did indeed lift his leg to pee, like the gentleman he is.

I only wish I caught it on camera for proof.

{It really is rather sad what I get excited about these days}

Chai Latte

2007-10-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Alex's dog, Chai. She was a rescue from RSPCA; apparently she'd been dumped in a bin somewhere at 6 weeks old. Luckily she came home with us! She was supposed to be a Mastiff X, but looks more like a Lab X Staghound, with a bit of Border Collie thrown in, amongst other things. I know I usually babble about my own two darling mutts, but this was my 'first' dog, back when Alex and & I were seeing each other, and we named her after our favorite tea. Chai lives with Alex and an evil American Spaniel named Bobe, who wee's on everything. Her birthday is the day in between our own birthdays, she's the most gorgeous natured pup, and has the softest fur I've ever cuddled.
She's also so black and shiny she hardly shows up in photos :)

Smooches and slip ups.

2007-10-28T01:14:00.000-07:00

My little pudding is a little bit unhappy at the moment. D took them walking yesterday afternoon - pretty much for the first time ever without me - and my Sahara landed on a rock or some broken glass in the river and sliced half of the pad on her paw off. D bandaged her all up, and since then, she's been a little indifferent to me due to not being there to console her.
It's been strange taking a bit of a back seat to D with the dogs, since I've been sick this week he's been walking them and feeding them a little more, and there's been a massive difference in my relationship with Sahara. She doesn't snuggle up with me in the mornings as much, and doesn't crawl all over me on the couch at night for smooches. I miss her :(

Although it's kind of funny to wake up and see D tucking the dogs up in a blanket and giving Phoenix a big kiss before leaving for work. He's gone from saying Phoenix 'wasn't his type of dog' when I brought him home, to realizing how much better he works for him and enjoying his training - and now big smooches when he thinks I'm not looking :)

Wise Doggy Say...

2007-10-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

Wise Dog Say:
My mummy sucks at Blogger layouts & photos, so ignore the lack of text in blog entry below.
Occupy yourself with simply adoring me.

Sahara Now & Then

2007-10-21T21:24:00.001-07:00

Congrats X 2

2007-10-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sahara joins Phoenix in Level 6 :)

(She's gone from 'Silver' to 'Gold' and working towards 'Platinum')

Starfishy Vol II

2007-10-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

<-- Eating these causes this -->

(Phoenix in a drug induced euphoria)

Stafishs and happy snaps.

2007-10-14T16:31:00.001-07:00

As Phoenix is in a starfish induced delirium (yep, he got peckish at Mt Eliza beach yesterday, and hasn't been the same since. Blank stares, drunkly prancing around the house, constant squeaking noises...I don't know whether to laugh or rush him to the vet.
I'm also about to shoot D - he'd been using my rechargeable batteries in his remote control car (and terrifying the dogs with it) and 'forgot' to a) recharge them and b)put them back in my camera, so when I was about to secure several more road trip happy snaps from yesterday of my darling pooches...my camera was lifeless. Grr.

So, here's a few old snaps to enjoy :)

1. Phoenix's teeth the day he came home. We were both a little in shock how big those biters are.

2. Sahara and I spending the final moments in my old house. I needed a bit of loving, and got a bit of an attack. I love this photo :)

3. Sahara the bush pig. Doing what she does best - getting muddy and wet, and hallucinating about catching fishes.

4. The first moments Phoenix and Sahara spent together - I was busy taking photos and sending them to D, saying 'can we have him? he's really sweet!'. I couldn't see his teeth in the photo, as I was sitting in bright sun :)

...hurrah!

2007-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Phoenix passed into Level 6 at Australian Dog Training last night! Level 6, as in the second from the top! As in Gold, in a Platinum level structure! This, the dog who couldn't walk on a leash properly when he first came home. The dog who'd never been taught how to 'drop' or 'heel', to not savage other dogs, or any basic form of obedience whatsoever. The dog who came home and we worried if we'd made a huge mistake - terrified what we'd do when we groomed him, had clearly never had the joys of a bath, was too highly strung to play with toys, was petrified of the beach, and couldn't make out what to do with a bone. And now, 4 months on, he's slowly losing the fear of being patted on the head, rolls onto his back willingly, doesn't lash out when asked to face a wall, and mastered the art of formal and informal recall, heel at 15 paces and 3 about turns, and general doggy wonderfulness. I am SO proud of him!

While all this was going on? Sahara had to be removed to the Sin Bin (back of the car) in Time Out for the rest of the session, due to her massive attack of the sook's, as she wasn't allowed to play with Phoenix for a whole hour. I'm considering enrolling her in Agility properly this week, and giving her more independent outlets for her to unleash her fury and to give her training in a more entertaining environment for her. Who said girls are drama queens?!

...Also got Phoenix's 'photoshoot' photos back this week, and I think you'll agree, he looks like a star :)

Paws with your Pal

2007-10-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a barrel of laughs - we went to Paws with your Pal, in aid of the AAPS shelter where Phoenix (& Bruza) came home from, and it gave Sahara and big boy a good opportunity to chase tennis balls/other dogs allllll morning. We won 2 vouchers for puppy day care, which involves a whole lot of other stuff like workouts for the dogs and general play dates with other pups, and a 5kg gift of dog meat, along with all the other treats Sahara consumed throughout the day. She wore her new pink shirt and a huge smile all day. Afterwards we carried on to Australian Dog Training, which was much improved by A) Being daylight and there being no strange men lurking in bushes for Sahara to get sidetracked by and B) they were so wrecked from their morning activities they were performing 'heel' without even trying :)

And yes, I forgot my camera. Again.

raver doggy

2007-10-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

I just had a quick squiz at martingale collars online - flat collars wreck Sahara's fluffy neck, and the chokers either burn holes in Phoenix (as posted here) or go rusty and make Sahara orange. As I was browsing the great website I found - Topdog - I found the reflective collars and leads. I've been contemplating getting some for a while now, as we a) live right near a main road and have no fence, and I've been known to let them out for a wee and get sidetracked and b) I do a fair bit of walking at dusk, and quite often around roads or in the bush where I cant quite see the mutts. I used to have LED flashing lights on their collars, but Sahara lost hers in a river and Phoenix's fell off somewhere between home and the park. I don't repDogs - I found a great selection of flashing collarsally like those tacky collars with the flashing stars; I want a collar that is functional by night and not hideous by day. It flashes red at night, and is standard yellow reflective by day. Does anyone want to tell me to stop being obsessive compulsive about being hit by a stray car before I go buy all this stuff?

Speaking of OCD, I also want to get the leg bands - they're brilliant on horses on the road at night, and Sahara doesn't mind things on her legs (yes. I've dressed her up as a gangster and put arm bands on her before. My bad). but I think Phoenix will tear them off and eat them.

Yes. Um. Riiight.

2007-10-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

Phoenix and I had a bit of a snuggle tonight, and there's nothing I enjoy more than a good photo op. My only problem is...which is the more hilarious?!

heffalumps.

2007-10-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick, random update: I weighed the darlings yesterday in preparation for their tri-monthly worming tablet, and I was shocked at how heavy they are. I always joke Sahara is my little heffalump, but she'd actually put on 3kg since the last time I weighed her - she's not a whopping 28.1kg.

As for Phoenix; since 25th April, when he came home at 29.2kg... he has finally filled out, got some condition and is weighing in at 36.8kg. That's over 7kilo, and he's still on the thin side!

Good to know the mass amounts of food they receive three time daily is going somewhere.
This morning they had pasta, their usual dry food, beef casserole, beans, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, and porridge, washed over with brown onion gravy to make it smell more appetizing.
The bloody things eat so much better than I do, it's not funny.

Sahara, SuperStar.

2007-10-01T00:52:00.000-07:00

I got the photos back from Sahara's "photoshoot", and didn't look at the ones on the CD I received - what a little poser! Phoenix's shall arrive tomorrow hopefully, but he's not quite in the same league as Sahara - she totally knows how to work the camera, hussy that she is.

I don't mean to take away from the shining brilliance that is my dog, and put my ugly mug on here - but this photo just took SO long to take, both dogs sitting and looking in the same direction - nightmare!

clicketty click

2007-09-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

For all you pup loving people, or animal lovers in general, please help out animals badly in need by clicking here - all it takes is a single click, once a day - no money, donations or a minute of your time - just a single click!
How easy is that :)

- thanks to Seah for the link :) Keep clicking!

Sahara's new fetish.

2007-09-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sahara has a new addiction. Buoys. One had come ashore at St Kilda yesterday, and another doggie walked past proudly holding it in his mouth - until Sahara saw it, and then it was a lost cause. I have had to leave it in my car to stop her playing with it - she pounces on it, runs with it like a soccer ball and generally worships it, while squeaking at it and making strange hysterical yelps, because it's too big to pick up with her teeth.
Strange dog.

...birthday wishes

2007-09-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

How sweet! Sahara was wished happy birthday by the doggies at Beneful. Not that I would ever feed my dog that scag, but I have them registered on their dog blog thingy. They sent me a printable birthday hat, which for some reason won't upload to share with you.

Dogster, my favorite doggy forum, sent Sahara 25 bones (like a cute way of telling a dog you think they're pretty!) and a rosette in the shape of a birthday cake. Awww!

She seemed to enjoy her doggie choc chip cookies, and I see Finn & Sootie have their special doggie donuts in store - looks like I will be making a trip to Kew tomorrow morning!

Same old, same old...

2007-09-26T17:07:00.001-07:00

my wake up call, as usual.

Happy 1st Birthday to my gorgeous girl.

Ham & Chicken flavored cake is on the menu this morning.

Yum.

My little Baby is growing up.

2007-09-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's Sahara's first birthday tomorrow, and I'm getting a little anxious as to what to do about it. I don't want to be a crazy doggy mommy as I always fear, and go all out with a cake (which I will obviously end up eating it, unless I make it out of mincemeat and meaty bites or something), nor do I want to let the occasion go unmarked.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the Queen of the Under Prepared?

(I did find these doggy candles in case I decided to go through with the cake idea, but they look rather phallic to me).

Ouchies!

2007-09-21T22:08:00.001-07:00

I went to visit my brother for his birthday yesterday. I think he particularly enjoyed Sahara - she's met her match in him; someone who gives as good as she does, and retaliates even better. And yes, that's my 'blow up man' in the right of the shot - he has no appendages, he is merely for comic value when the religious people knock at the door/when entertaining guests. As you can see, Phoenix was loving the attention (from Mum, not Clinton, the blow up man), and giving his best 'my mother beats me' type smack of the paw, indicating he wants some lovin' because he's just so neglected. Ha. Mum and I took them for a lovely walk through the wetlands, and as she has some neurotic fear they will eat small children, I kept them on leash (with many warnings Sahara likes playing in bogs and will quite happily drag one in after her) and Phoenix was sporting his new choke chain. I wondered why he kept getting a dirty patch on his neck, and on closer inspection realized it had BURNED A HOLE IN HIS NECK (see photo evidence below). It took off around an 8cm strip, complete hair loss and red raw skin. It doesn't seem to bother him, and he's lapping up all the attention I'm giving him for being such a mean puppy mummy.
On the long drive home, I asked Chef to tape a show on called 'Millionaire Dogs', which I watched this morning. Other than how callous they were about how many dogs are euthanized each day in NYC, and showing pet stores with puppies for sale in a somewhat encouraging way, it was pretty darn good - although hit a little too close to home with the whole 'I do that...' and 'If I had the money Sahara would have those' type moments.

Doing what she does best.

2007-09-19T19:33:00.001-07:00

My little slurry :)

Snapshots

2007-09-19T00:57:00.001-07:00

When I woke up all snuffly and putrid this morning, I asked D for an extra blanket, which he duly fetched. As he was tucking my up into a cocoon, I noticed he was carefully doing the same to Sahara and Phoenix, who were happily cuddled up beside me. It got me wondering who was the top priority in this family. I then started thinking about the first few days and weeks we had Sahara, when D would rush home to see how she was liking her new food/how many puddles she'd made on the carpet/just how violently she had ripped apart the swimming pool and my belongings.

So, of course, I started going through my happy snaps of her when she was oh so tiny. All 1700+ of them. And I thought I'd share with the world just how adorable she was, way back when, when her ears didn't stand up and she was almost pure white with orange ears...

1 & 2: The first two photos of my darling, when she first came home from the pet shop and I was presented with my beautiful puppy, who I'd begged for after seeing all alone in a pet shop for weeks...(and yes, I know all about puppy mills, back yard breeders and such, but like hell I was going to leave my soul mate in a tiny glass cage to rot).

3 & 4: Day trips to the beach over Xmas, and driving around with my new pooch, who had attitude from day one...

5 & 6 The first two photos of her ears standing up! Doesn't she look like an alien??

7: Trying to cool off on a nasty Summer day in the shower.

and 8: my all time favorite photo of my little bug :)

Totally adorable, is she not?