New Pictures!

It turns out, none of my additional Thanksgiving pictures turned out.  :-(  Oh well, I have a couple good ones here to share!

Ryleigh's first snow!  She's already an expert.

You can see how much all the dogs love this cold, wet stuff.

This is where Owen prefers to sit in the evenings...normally he turns around so he can watch TV,
but he wanted to get this very dapper photo.

Sisters doing sister things.  Minaki (lower left) and Ryleigh (upper right) chewing on bones.

Did I mention that I gave Ryleigh a haircut?  Doesn't she look so adorable!?

One of the few times I can catch her sitting still!  She is such a doll!

Hardy is saying "Why did you do this to us, mom?"

Thanksgiving Pictures!

I know I'm doing terribly at updating this blog lately.  There's just been so much going on...I've finally 'finished' my kitchen renovation.  (I say 'finish' because there are still a ton of little touch-ups I need to do.)  Work has been hectic.  I had to visit the family on Thanksgiving.  And then I hosted a brunch AND a holiday party last Saturday.  I am tired!

I took the dogs with me to visit family last Thursday.  The drive down was miserable.  Owen, Minaki, and Ryleigh were all seatbealted into the backseat, which they did not approve of.  There was whining, hectic activity, and someone got sick (twice).  But they were so happy to get out of the car at the end of our 2 hour ride and stretch their legs!

All buckled in for our long car ride!

Obviously they all love seeing my dad.  He strongly denies enjoying the company of any dog, but it's so obvious that he loves them.  He pretty much does whatever they ask...which basically means he plays with them 100% of the time they're around.  Owen in particular loves my dad (and he's only met my stepmom twice, but already loves her too.)  Thursday night when I was trying to go to bed, I called to all the dogs to go downstairs with me, get down there and realize I'm one dog short.  I go back upstairs and Owen is just hanging out next to my stepmom.  I had to physically pick him up to get him to leave her side.  The little stinker.

Anyway, as can be expected in a new place and with the regular schedule interrupted, we did have a few accidents at my dad's house.  Nothing that couldn't have been prevented if I had been a little more vigilant.

Friday morning, my nephew (6yo) came over for the day, and I had promised him the night before I wouldn't leave until he got to play with the dogs.  Boy am I glad I did.  The ride home was like the embodiment of heaven...everyone slept the whole way.  :-)  But back to my nephew playing...he loved the dogs, and they all loved him.  For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, or who have emailed me lately about Owen, you know he has a history of biting me (yes, only me).  And if that concerns you (which it rightly should), you should just see how he interacted with my nephew.  Granted, he has a dog of his own at home, which he told me has bit him in the past so maybe he just knows how to handle it, but I coached him how to be gentle with Owen.  Owen didn't get defensive at all, didn't growl a single time, and didn't display any signs of fear or anger.  So yes, Owen does have a history of biting, but I 100% think his issue is just with me, not with other people.  And even then, he and I have been working like crazy on becoming a better team, and we are succeeding magnificently.  It's been nearly 4 months since he's displayed any sort of aggression toward me.  I think he'd make a wonderful pet, so I hope someone can look beyond his past and see the lovable boy he is!  Ahh...I got distracted again.  So anyway, my nephew enjoyed playing with all the dogs.  Ryleigh and Owen were giving him tons of kisses, which he thought was just the funnest thing.  Minaki was a little shy at first, so my nephew was chasing her around the house.  Finally I told him if he just sat down on the couch she would probably come over and sit next to him.  So he did, and sure enough within a few minutes Minaki was right next to him.

At one point, he had had enough kisses on the face.  So his solution was
to pull his hat all the way down.  That didn't stop Owen from checking him out!

So that purple rag is Hardy's favorite toy in the whole world.
It used to be one of those long, stuffed, squeaker toys, but has long since lost all that.
Every time we visit my dad's house, Hardy goes right to the TV stand where that toy is stored,
and barks at my dad until he gets it out and plays.
Unfortunately this time Hardy had to share his toy with Ryleigh and Minaki.

Sorry for the poor quality photos...my phone is not the greatest!  I did take my actual camera with me, so if I got any good shots on there I'll be sure to update this post!

Annual Dog-Room Winterizing Day!

Wasn't it beautiful outside this past weekend?!?  I took advantage of it Saturday, and spent the day winterizing the dog room.  I had intended to do it last weekend, but ended up just not having enough time.  So thankfully the weather was nice so the dogs could hang out outside with me.  It took longer than I had intended, but only one trip to the hardware store!  And the dogs now have a cozy room to play in during the winter.  (I know, just in time for this random heat wave, huh?!)

My assistants (from left to right: Ryleigh, Minaki, Owen).
Their duties included: jumping on me while I was carrying heavy things, putting fresh muddy paw prints on the newly cleaned floors, and stealing the garbage I was throwing on the ground before I could put it in the can.  They all deserve a raise.

Lined up during the union required break (from top to bottom: Hardy, Minaki, Ryleigh, Owen).

Ryleigh went above and beyond her specified job duties, and also assisted in digging a tiny hole next to the stairs.

Trick or Treat!

This year, we went as Beanie Babies!  I was worried about people not knowing what Beanie Babies were anymore, but I've seen 2 other people who also dressed their dogs the same!  (I can't blame them...easiest costume ever.)

Minaki was my star, she's the only one who apparently got good pictures.

My Hardy

Minaki again, giving me a Glamour Shots pose.

Owen looking all fluffy.

Minaki and Ryleigh.  They spent most of their costume time trying to eat each other's tags.

Minaki

For about a week or so, I've been letting Minaki sleep in bed with me at night.  She'd just been really adamant about not going in her crate for quite some time now, so finally I just gave in.  Well, last night for seemingly no reason, she just hopped out of bed and ran off.  I thought maybe she needed to go outside so I went to check if she was waiting by the door, but instead, I found she had hopped into a laundry basket full of extra blankets I use for the dogs!  What a goofball!  She ended up sleeping in there all night, then hopping back in bed just before I got up for a few morning snuggles.

Ryleigh = Adorable

I appear to have taken several photos of Ryleigh this weekend, and none of anyone else.  Minaki was pretty low-key, spent most of her time just lounging around.  And Owen chose to hang out outside by himself most of the weekend (he doesn't like my inside rules, so he prefers to hang out outside where the rules are much more to his liking).  Ryleigh was indoors and playful, so she got most of my attention.

My dad and stepmom visited yesterday.  All the pups loved them.  Ryleigh and Owen were excited and jumping around competing for the most pets.  Minaki was excited and came over to check everyone out,but she wasn't jumpy.  She is such a lady.  She even got held a bit by my stepmom.  She was a little nervous at first, but she soon curled up like she was giving a hug.  

Ryleigh has never cuddled with me as much as she did this weekend.  Twice she curled up right next to me.
You can't possibly resist these puppy dog eyes.

Ryleigh spent a lot of time playing with this particular rope this weekend.  I'm not sure she even looked at another toy.
Check out Minaki sleeping in the background.  :-)

Ryleigh rolling around with her new favorite rope.
It is almost as big as her and probably weighs as much!  I don't know how she got it up onto the couch!

I did manage to get one good picture with all 4 of my pups!
Hardy is over on the loveseat by himself (he didn't think there was room for him on the couch (there was) and he was very upset about it)
And from top to bottom on the couch we have Minaki, Ryleigh, and Owen.  Owen has been quite a cuddler lately too.  Maybe I need to consider turning on my furnace soon...but not today!  It's practically summer again!

PAJAMA PARTY!!!

A coworker of mine recently adopted a pup of her own, so she and I regularly trade pictures of our cuties.  Last night she sent me a pic of her little guy snuggled under the covers, looking so cozy.  I immediately said to her that she should get him some jammies...and then I remembered, last time I was at the daycare I got some jammies in Ryleigh's size!  So of course I immediately put them on her, and it is the cutest/funniest thing I've ever seen.

She loved them so much that when I went to put her in her crate for the night, she ran right in and wouldn't come out for me to take them off!  I bet she was extra cozy.  :-)

Tug-of-War

I finally got an all dog match of tug-of-war! Ryleigh vs Hardy, so it was pretty evenly matched. They went a couple rounds before they both got bored, each winning a decent amount.

Super fun to watch!

P.S. how come Ryleigh hasn't been adopted yet? She's the cutest dog ever!

Ryleigh (on the left): ~7lbs
Hardy (on the right): ~6lbs
Fighting to the death...ok, not to the death...over an old rope

Hair Dying

Fear not - I did not dye the dogs hair.  Not intentionally, anyway.  After all the rain we had last week, my yard looked like a jungle.  So with the little bit of sunshine we had on Monday, I took the opportunity to mow the lawn...and then let the dogs out immediately after.

Minaki & Owen - green feet!

Ryleigh's green feet were the worst of all!

So, I ended up with 16 green paws (Hardy is not pictured).  Don't worry, by Tuesday they had cleaned it all off.

P.S. It is impossible to get a non-blurry shot of Ryleigh.  That bugger is always on the move!

Help Needed, Please!

This week, Montreal passed a law banning Pit Bulls (a name covering several breeds), or dogs resembling Pit Bulls. Existing owners will get to keep their dogs, after paying a hefty fee and complying with several other new rules. But dogs in shelters won't be so lucky. There is a ban on adoptions and on October 3rd (next Monday), they are going to start euthanizing them.

As a lover of all dogs, I don't think it's fair to kill thousands of innocent dogs because of a stereotype. A stereotype which I don't agree with.

Plus, my birthday happens to be October 3rd. Please do me a birthday favor and sign the petition to stop this legislation before it takes effect and ends these innocent lives.

https://www.change.org/p/montreal-mayor-montreal-please-reverse-your-decision-to-ban-pitbulls

Mistakes Were Made

Dirty Owen and Muddy Paws Ryleigh in the back

Does anyone else ever completely forget that you have a full section of yard that's not seeded, so you let your dogs outside during a downpour?  No?  Just me?

Oh, if only Owen didn't love to be outside, no matter what the weather!  The rest of the dogs wouldn't get within 10' of the door, but Owen was bugging me to go outside, so like any other day I let him out.  I was putting the final coat of stain on my kitchen cabinets, so it was easy to check on him often.  He was out for probably close to an hour, then I decided Ryleigh needed to go out too.  I had to physically put her out, because as previously mentioned she was not going willingly.  Not too long after she went out I did a quick check and saw Owen with his face on the ground like he was sniffing something.  Now, it's important to note that my backyard slopes downhill about 30' away from my house, and from where I was standing I couldn't see the unseeded area.  It took me about 2 minutes after I had checked in on him for it to occur to me that he was standing right in the middle of it.  So I quickly ran to the door to call him in, and this is what I was greeted with.  He had no idea why I wouldn't let him in the house straight away!  And he was not happy that he only made it two steps in before I threw a towel over his entire body and carried him straight to the bathtub.  But he did feel very good about himself after his quick bath.  He let me blow dry his hair with no complaints, and he gave me a face full of kisses once I let him back into the living room!

Dress-up Day!

So I've had a bunch of dog clothes of various sizes for about a year just tucked away in a closet.  Yesterday I saw another Fluffy Dog blog where they had dressed their dog up and it reminded me about my stash, so last night I got it out and had some fun!  Unfortunately I don't have any clothes big enough for Owen, so he had to run around naked.  Probably for the best, as his thoughts on dog clothes basically amounted to a good place to grab onto while playing.

This is the look Mini gives when she wants her bed to herself.

And this is the look she gives when she gets it!
That's a proud stance!

Sisterly love! <3

I somehow got all 3 dogs to look at me at the same time!  Look how cute they are!

Ryleigh sleeping in her new t-shirt.

This is Ryleigh's "I know everything, and let me tell you about it" pose.

Fence - Update!

Friday night I finished lining the base of the fence with wire, so I opened up the temporary fence and let the pups run wild!  As you can see, they loved all their new space!

We still have a few steps to go before our lovely backyard is finished.  I need to put down the last of the landscape fabric along the house and along the rest of the deck within the fenced-in area.  Then I need to put the wire lining up against the deck (I already had one escapee via a hole under the deck, so that's high priority).  I need to come up with some sort of plan to block off the area under the gates (the plastic baby gate isn't going to cut it forever!).  I also need to plant grass over the drywell area.  That is all slated for this year, hopefully in the coming week or two.  Then next year, I'll be putting in some sort of block/stone/concrete border around the edge of the landscaping fence and putting in a few plants!  Well, depending on what kind of late season deals I see this year, plants might come this year yet.  :-)

We Have a Fence!

Finally, after a year of planning and months of work, we have a fenced in yard!  I really pushed this last week to finish it up, and managed to put up the last picket late yesterday afternoon!  I still need to dog-proof it (I'm putting up chicken wire vertically up to the first rail and horizontally along the ground for about 2', to prevent digging out.  Eventually (next year) that'll also be covered by a mulch bed and maybe some landscaping.), but I was so tired by the time I finished the actual fence that I just didn't think I could manage another couple hours of that.  The beginning of my week is looking pretty busy, but hopefully by Wednesday/Thursday I'll be able to get that down and set my little monsters free!

Here, have some pictures of the rest of our week:

From left to right: Ryleigh, Owen, Minaki
Eating breakfast like good pups!

I gave the dogs a rope chew.  I have no idea how Hardy ended up with it,
but just look at Minaki wishing it was her instead!

Ryleigh's turn with the chew.  Poor Owen really, really wanted it to be his turn.
For being so small, the other dogs really respect Ryleigh's space!

Minaki's turn!  She doesn't try to steal the chew from the other dogs,
but the second they walk away she will pounce!

Owen got the chew!  Look at Minaki's tail wagging!  

Owen thought this was the safest place to store the chew from the other dogs. 

He didn't really want to chew on it...he just wanted to have it!
Just look how happy he is!

You can't possibly say no to this face.

It is so difficult getting good pictures of Mini!  I think she's just camera shy.

Ryleigh Gets a Bath!

 Ryleigh was a little stinky on Sunday, so I decided to give her a bath.  Enjoy the photo tour!

Welcome to the bathtub, Ryleigh!  She was not a fan.

Pretty sure she's saying "Why did you do this to me?"

These two were very upset that Ryleigh didn't invite them to join the fun.
They sat there the whole time we were in the shower.  Owen even managed to
use his nose to scoot the door open once.

A clean puppy!  She was so happy to be done, she jumped right in the towel to dry off!

Turns out, Ryleigh loves the blow dryer.  Didn't run away at all...just sat there like a champ!

Nearly dry!

Assistant Owen: hair drying master

A clean, dry, and brushed Ryleigh...isn't she adorable?!?!

Sorry for the lack of Mini pictures in general.  Her 2 speeds are asleep or lightning bolt...neither of which makes for good photos.