Monday, December 28, 2009

What is it Lassie?

**Mom post

I'm on the phone with my sister tonight and Jack is whining by the coffee table.

me: Jack, you gotta go outside? You gotta go potty? (and I open the back door. He doesn't budge.)
my sister: Oh jeeze, what's he up to?
me: I don't know but he's whining like a baby...
(so I walk over to him)

me: Jack, what's wrong?
Jack: blink, blink
me: You gotta go outside?
Jack: lays down on the floor, with nose next to coffee table
me: What is it Lassie, did Timmy fall in the well?
Jack: Whine.
me: Use your words Jack
my sister: What's wrong with him?
me: Jack, did you loose a toy under the coffee table?
my sister: You've got to be joking, your seriously having a conversation with your dog, again!
me: Hang on, lets look under here buddy

And that's when I spotted the dental toy (look at my last post) rolled under the coffee table. I grabbed it and handed it over to my boy.

Me: Good job Jack! You found your toy!
Jack: Grabbed the toy, laid down and started snacking away
my sister: you two are incredible

Yes, I know.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Crunch 'n Clean

I'm like mom when it comes to dessert; I gotta have it. I'm all about treats, as long as they aren't squishy, yes, I said squishy. I like the crunch.

Gotta have crunch.


So when mom came home with treats from Hartz, Crunch 'n Clean, I was all excited. They had just the right amount of crunch to 'em.

Because I'm a little piggy, mom had to buy another box of Crunch 'n Clean cookies the other day and guess what was inside?! A FREE TOY! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- I love toys!

So, I waited patiently while mom opened the box. I wanted to stick my paw into the bottom of the box to see what the toy was, but she beat me to it. She pulled out this funny looking toy:So apparently I'm supposed to bite on this thing and it cleans my teeth for me! Hu...I've never done this before, but I caught on fast:
Hmmm, tastes my my cookies! Okay, now enough pictures, please?Oh alright, one more...but then will you stop with the flash?
Thanks Hartz for the free toy! Hmmm, tastes yummy!

**Oh, and in case you were wondering about the length of my toe nails, no worries...I've had a 'man'icure since this photo shoot...

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I wanna fight crime, sorta

Mom just found this post over at People Pets! about Midge, the smallest dog in law enforcement.

She's only 8 pounds!

I got like 22 pounds on her, but I think I could do it. Can't you see me walking the mean streets of Medina?
Sniffing out crime...then again, maybe I should stick with what I know best. Being a snuggly puggly...

You got pets? You gonna decorate? Read this...

Our friends over at DogAge sent us our weekly dog tip, this weeks tip includes the 5 decorating do's and don't if you've got a pup. Here's the run down:

  • Put plants in their place. Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias are all considered toxic to dogs and could cause real trouble if your pup happens to take a nibble. No need to ban festive flowers and greenery altogether; just hang 'em high and way out of reach. (we solve this by not having real plants in the house...mom typically forgets to water things; its a good thing I let her know when I need some h2o...)

  • Use cord caution. Make sure your extension cords aren't frayed or showing any exposed wires, and keep them out of your pooch's sight to avoid chewing temptation. (thankfully mom bought all new cords a few years ago, and I don't chew on things, so this doesn't really apply to us...)

  • Accentuate the top of your tree. Consider leaving the bottom part of your holiday tree bare and placing all ornaments, tinsel, and trimmings above your dog's snoot level. Swallowing any bits or pieces of such decorations can produce painful intestinal blockages. (Let's talk about this for a second; I like to run in the house. The other morning I forgot where the tree was, and I ran into it. Opps! Thankfully nothing fell, but accidents happen- oh, and I don't understand why they call it a "holiday" tree, its a CHRISTMAS tree!)

  • Avoid food-based decorations. It's a simple fact of nature: Dogs can smell food and, when they do, will usually go after it. To prevent your tree from being grazed upon, skip the popcorn-and-cranberry strings, and leave off any edible ornaments. (Ew, popcorn? Cranberries? Ewwwwwwww; no thank you. I'll pass.)

  • Enforce water restrictions. Make sure your pooch knows not to drink from the tree water. As it sits, it tends to collect bacteria and often contains traces of fertilizer. (This is solved by having a fake tree. Simple, easy, done. And yes, those are trash bags with the tree sticking out of them...don't judge; it keeps the tree from getting dusty!)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Lookout duty


Frank and I have become best of friends (as you might have noticed from my previous post)...so when I'm on lookout duty in the guest bedroom, I bring Frank along to give me another set of eyes.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

DogAge tip: Vet bills

Mom and I are no stranger to vet bills. (Well, mom more than me- 'cause you know, I'm a dog and all...) but because I've got atopic allergies (allergic to everything) and a sensitive stomach (which requires fancy food) and chronic ear infections and super dry skin, we visit our vet a lot.

Mom got this email from DogAge (that awesome website we go to all the time) regarding vet bills during this "tough economic time"...(I don't know about you but I'm so tired of hearing that phrase!)

Anyway, here is the link to the tips, and here are the tips for you to look over.
  • Consider pet insurance. Although it requires making small but continual payments, having pet insurance could help soften the blow of bigger vet bills down the road.

  • Be honest with your vet. Let him or her know that you're having trouble making ends meet, and ask if he or she would be willing to work out a payment plan to help you get your bills paid off. See if there is a monthly amount you could pay that would work for both of you.

  • Talk to some other vets. Although it will probably cost you a consultation fee, it might be worth it to get a second opinion -- or even a third -- before committing to expensive services or procedures.

  • Visit a vet school. Many schools operate clinics that provide services at discounted rates, so check around to see if there is one anywhere near you.

  • Check with your local shelter. Their staff might be able to recommend subsidized vet clinics or other programs that can offer assistance. Also, check with the Humane Society of the United States for other available resources.
Depending upon what your pups needs are, I recommend The Missing Link. Its like a multi-vitamin, but in powder form that you put over your dogs meal...check it out!


Meet Frank

When Aunt Jessica was here she and mom took me on a trip to Petsmart (my favorite store, ever!) and she let me pick out some new toys! This is my Frankenstein, Frank. He's my new favorite toy.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I'm a good helper...

Mom brought up the Christmas tree on Friday night...we keep it in the basement, in garbage bags, under the stair case so "Jack doesn't think its a toy"...little does she know that I know its not a toy...silly woman!Anyway, here's me helping mom unpack the tree. I decided I do my best 'helping' when I've got a toy in my mouth...I figured that it would take her and dad a while to unpack the tree, so I curled up on the couch and took a nap for just a few minutes. But when I woke up...Heeeeeeey, how'd all that get there?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Have you donated free food today?

Head over to www.freekibble.com, answer their daily trivia question (right or wrong, doesn't matter) and they'll donate 10 pieces of kibble to dogs!

More of a cat person? Head over to www.freekibblekat.com and donate there!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

My Thanksgiving Adventures

I helped Grandma get ready for dinner.I watched her to make sure she followed the recipe...
Snuck into some family photos (you can see my head in the bottom right...)Smiled for the camera with Kelsi.And played with my new toys from Aunt Jessica...what did you do for Thanksgiving?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Oh no!

Mom and I just found this article talking about which breed of dog is most aggressive. Guest the number one breed...go on, guess.

Dachshund!

This makes me upset because I have two cousins who are doxie's! Sam, my Aunt Jessica's dog (who is 10 years old now) and Simon, Uncle Adam's doxie!


When mom read me the article I wasn't surprised by which breed took the second and third place in the aggression race. #2, Jack Russel Terriers. #3, Chihuahua

Our next door neighbors have two Labradors and two chihuahuas...and it seems that the smallest dog always makes the most noise at me when I'm outside.

When mom was six she was bit by a black labrador on her right arm. She's still got the scar from all the stitches, so growing up mom was scared of big dogs.
(Thank heavens I only top the scales at 30 pounds...)

What's most interesting about this article is that since big dogs have bigger mouths, their bites typically require medical attention. Whereas with a smaller dog, who have much smaller mouths, their bites are typically treated at home...which gives big dogs a bad reputation.

I don't have an aggressive bone in my body; I might wiggle a lot, lick a lot and jump a lot...I hope they don't come out with a study on the most wiggly dogs...I have a feeling puggles would take the top spot!



Thursday, November 19, 2009

Shhhh

Some days, I like to just sit in the sun (with my tennis ball next to me, of course!)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Obviously, he didn't get the memo

See that white thing in the midst of all those trees? Its a cat. How did it get there? Well, I hope your sitting down because there is a story involved...

It was a typical Monday morning. Mom let me out back to do my "stuff-fa-fa" and she did whatever Mom's do when their kids aren't watching. I was minding my own business when Mom opened the back door and said, "JACK- GET THAT CAT!", I looked up, "hu? What cat? I don't smell a cat
!" and then. I. Saw. It.

We caught eyes and off we went. The cat, (I'll call him Moe) didn't know its way around my backyard because he ran right past three escape holes (homemade by the resident rabbits)
.

"Go get him Jack, GOOD BOY!" mom said from the deck, and boy did I get him alright. Moe ran the length of the yard (which is not small, just shy of 200 feet) and then, just as I was on him, he ran up the tree.

And I don't mean he ran up the tree like a lil' sissy either, I mean, he hauled ass up that tree (opps! pardon my language!) To make sure Moe wouldn't be joining me for more cross country lessons, I barked at him a few times, tried to jump up the tree a few times and then when mom called me, I ran back inside...drank a bunch of water an
d needed to run upstairs and tell dad what I just did. (He was very proud of me!)

Mom joined me upstairs when I tried to explain to dad (via butt wiggles) how I just chased a cat up the tree but mom did a better job using her words telli
ng dad my heroic tale. It wasn't long after that Mom's curiosity got the best of her and she ran back downstairs to see if the cat was still in the tree. Yup, just where we left him...second tree trunk from the left, 3/4 of the way up...

This is where the story ends for me, because I did my job. I made sure that Moe got the memo to stay outta my yard (and that he'd pass it on to all his other fluffy, feline friends!)


Now its Mom's turn to pick up the story telling...

So after I tell Eric all the details of how Jack chased Moe through the trees, around the burn barrel and up the tree, I realized something: if the cat went up the tree, the cat must come down from the tree.

That's when I realized something else: don't firemen typically assist abandoned felines in trees? I did a quick inventory of my outfit, pj's, slippers, mussed hair and robe. Sexy. This is when I did the unthinkable, I started to root for the cat. "Come on down fluffy...come on!"

After watching in dismay for five minutes, I'd walk away, catch up on real current events (thank you Matt Lauer) and return to the kitchen window like a moth to flame. Moe didn't budge.


My fifth trip back to the window there was activity. Yeah, Moe!

He made his way down the tree, but not head first, no no, Moe is smarter than that. He went butt-first down the tree, stopping at the occasional branch to rest his hammies.

When he did make it to the grass again, I did a little happy dance (not just because I wasn't going to have to put a call into the fire department...)

It seemed as though this was Moe's first time on the merry-go-round because he wasn't all that coordinated. After several failed attempts at jumping the fence, he finally clawed his way up to the tippy top of the fence.
Moe stayed on the top of the fence for quite some time...then finally, after several half-misses (and a few balance issues), he jumped off and into the early morning dew.

It seems as though Moe passed the memo along because we haven't had any other fluffy visitors...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Winston, why are you wearing a lamp shade?

Yup, that's my pal Winston wearing a lamp shade on his head. It seems he was allergic to something in our backyard about a month ago and he chewed his tail raw. Ouch! To help stop him from munchin' on his butt, Grammy and Grampy put this lamp shade on his head!

I had to investigate for myself: Yup, buddy...you're definitely wearing a lamp shade!There was one time I had to wear a lamp shade (mine was blue though) because I had fleas growing on me! Ewwwww.

Winston wearing a lamp shade means a few things:
1- he runs into objects, like doors, tables and the sofa
2- he can't eat his cookies very well because once he drops it, its gone. (Good thing he's got a friend like me who cleans up after him!)
3- he can't really sniff the ground, so the lamp shade gets caught on the carpet, rugs and hardwood floor
4- he looks really sad all the time

It was fun having my buddy around, even if it was just for one night!


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Gosh, they look familiar!

A long time ago (like, when I became a member of the family) Mom found a website devoted to puggles! Of course, I have a profile, visit it here.

Yup, mom and dad take a lot of pictures of me- don't get me wrong, I'm not camera shy or anything...quite the opposite. As soon as the camera comes out, I turn the cute level to MAX!

They have puggle questions. This week, 'does you puggle like to take a bath?'. Mom said, 'no'...but see here's the thing. Taking a bath isn't my favorite thing to do; but I really like the water...just not getting dry. I'm a wiggle-butt...and having to 'sit' and 'stay' while mom blow dries me...uuuuuug, its tiresome!

Be sure to check out all the other cute puggles- gosh, we look really familiar!

Dog Age read my mind

Just checked my email (with mom's help, of course) and there was our Dog Age tip of the week: What to do for dogs with allergies!

I have allergies!

For those other animals out there that have them some allergies, bark at your boy and tell me what your allergic to! (Also what your mom or dad have done to help with your allergies...)

(Notice on the tip, it says what breeds are more prone to allergies...pug is listed- for those of you who live in a cave without internet access, I'm 1/2 pug! Its all making so much sense now!)




Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Unlikely Friends...

Just got done checking the news on msnbc.com when mom and I came across this fun article talking about unlikely pairings of animals.

Enjoy the slideshow...its really cute!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

I love sticks

To help mom while she's painting the trim in the house, I am on stand-by duty all day. This means while she's sitting on the floor putting masking tape on the carpet, I lay next to her. When she's moving around, going up and down and up and down the stairs to get things from the kitchen, I'm right along side her. Yes, I'm mom's favorite little helper.

There is one toy she's been using lately that I'd like to play with, its a long wooden stick. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I love, love, LOVE sticks. So, when I saw one sitting next to mom, I had to investigate.

I sniffed it, smelled good, so I bent down to put it in my mouth, "No! That's not a toy, Jack. That's a paint stirrer. Leave it!"

Himph, mission blown. But I don't give up that easy, oh no, not me.

The next day while mom wasn't looking, I grabbed the stick and sat behind her happily munching away...until she saw me. "NO! Jack, drop it!" Awww, man!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Missing Link...

You know how I told you about my summer time allergies? Right, well after our sleepover (with Winston) Gram noticed that he was biting at his tail...then he started to BLEED at his tail (ewwww!)

Gram took Winston to the vet yesterday and turns out Winston came in contact with something that he's allergic to, AT MY HOUSE! Oh no!

I fell just terribly-terrible that something at my house caused my buddy harm.

To help continue my road to summer time allergy (and now fall allergy) wellness, mom put me back on Missing Link. Never tried it? You gotta. Its the best stuff out there.

It helps with my shedding, skin, joints...its like a multi vitamin, its a powder form that you put over my food! It tastes soooooo good too! I lick the bowl and beg for more!

Mom and I took a trip to Petsmart on Monday to pick up the bag of missing link (okay, mom says its a little expensive, $16.99 for an 8 ounce bag...but it really works!) While we were waiting to check out, I was so anxious to get my check-out-cookie that I sat on the feet of the lady in front of us in line!

"OH!" she said, "I didn't see you there!" Mom sounded embarrassed, but the lady understood...she works at Petsmart too and knows about the check-out-cookie.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mooooom! He's in my bed!

Winston and I had a sleep over on Friday night. He came over and like always, mom brought his blanket so he could sleep on it. I'd like to pull your attention to exhibit 'a' in above photo. When we woke up on Saturday morning, you could imagine this puggle's shock to see exhibit 'b' below:Obviously this is not his bed (as evident by my name on it). But I didn't mind. Winston could have my bed every night as long as I get to sleep in mom's bed! Once Winston woke up, we went outside, went potty and I ran back upstairs to get back under the covers!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Sleepy time

Sometimes I crawl into bed before mom does. I love hiding under the blankets on the bed. I figure, as long as my head is hidden, I'm hidden! Opps!Mom caught me with my tail out! I got excited when I heard her come closer, I had to poke my head out and my tail started to wiggle.Now really, who could say 'no' to that face?! Mom sure can't!


Thursday, October 15, 2009

"Crate" training


Mom gets lots of emails from animal websites. One of our favorites is from a website called DogAge.com.

Each week they send us an email with the 'tip of the week'. This week it was talking about crate training your pup. I gotta tell you from experience, "crate" training is the way to go.


The very first night I came home, mom put me inside the "crate". It wasn't a good experience. I cried, really really loudly.

To ease me into my new "house" (we don't call it a "crate"...we call it my "house") each time mom would put me inside for the night she'd say, "night night Jack", cover my house with a blanket and turn on a cd that was all instrumental music (very soothing!)


If I'd cry or whine, she'd say, "night night Jack". If I woke up in the middle of the night, she'd take me outside to go potty. I'd get so excited because I thought she might let me into her bed, but no. Instead, the door to my house would open, a treat would be placed inside, I'd follow the treat, door would close, cover would be put in place and she's say, "night night Jack".

Here's what I like best about having my own house:
- I get to spend all day in there with a super soft blanket
- I have my own space that I don't have to worry about anyone taking
- When I have a sleepover at Grammy and Grampy's, my house comes with me, so my routine doesn't change
- Because I'm older and wiser, now all mom and dad have to say is "Jack, inside" and I walk
right into my house and wait for a cookie

Even though I just turned four, I spend my days in my house and I sleep each night in my house and I love it. (Although, I get to fall asleep with mom each night but dad wakes me up to go downstairs when he comes to bed...)(This is my door knocker!)

**Mom note**
I grew up in a household with dogs that were not crate trained and I have no idea how my parents did it. For the overall well being of the animal, and the mental health of the human, having a 'safe-place' for the dog to retreat to vital.

Example, when the hubs mows the backyard, Jack thinks this is play time and gets upset that he can't go outside with his dad. He will get SO upset, whining at the windows, jumping at the backdoor. Jack gets himself really worked up, to help avoid this situation, when I know the lawn is getting mowed, I simply tell Jack, "inside", and he goes into his house. Problem solved.

If a child from the neighborhood comes over and Jack gets too excited, "inside". We don't even have to close the door anymore, (well, during the day and at night we do...) he knows that is his house, and that is where he belongs.

Its a tough road to "house" train your pup, but once you do...its TOTALLY worth it!!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Jack the wonder dog to the rescue!

Mom, Dad and I love animals. I love all animals (especially when I don't have to share my mommy with them!)

Mom visits lots of sites throughout the day that help animals in need. Theanimalrescuesite.com needs help right now. All you have to do is click on the link, then click on the purple box and they'll donate food to animals in need.

That's it.

If your feeling generous, you can visit freekibble.com. Take their fun quiz and they'll donate 10 pieces of kibble to shelters! What's even more fun about this site is that its run by a young girl...check out their FAQ's and read all about it!


Tuesday, October 13, 2009

99 red balloons

Saturday morning we got up SUPER early so Mom and Dad could drop me off at Grammy and Grampy's. (They were going to Aunt Caitlin's sisters wedding in New York.)

I ran into the house searching for Winston- he was still sleeping!! Silly ol' man. We said our hellos, he went back to bed and then Mom and Dad left. Normally this makes me upset, but this time, I was so busy running around sniffing the house, I forgot.

My nose lead me upstairs into Uncle Ryan's room. Even though I know I'm not supposed to go into his room, I did anyway. (If mom isn't here to see me go upstairs, I can't get in trouble, right?)

WRONG.

I ran into his room so fast, the door closed behind me. I sniffed the whole room, jumped onto his bed, jumped onto the couch and then, I saw it, the red balloon.

I pushed it with my nose, and it went over the air vent. That is when things took a turn for the worst. The air went on and the balloon took flight!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I was so scared! I didn't know it was going to move! It was coming after me! So I barked at it, but it didn't stop moving. I whined at it, nothing. I barked again and this time, Grammy came to the door!

Gram: Jaaaaack, what are you doing in here?
Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Now that the door was open, I was flying down the stairs. I haven't been that scared since the rocking horse started moving at a garage sale we walked past during the summer!

Needless to say, I've learned my lesson. I will never ever ever never walk into Uncle Ryan's room. Ever again.

Ever.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Walk Against Abuse

Saturday mom and I got up early (before 10) and headed into our town square. I was so excited to be outside and meeting so many new friends that I forgot what we were there for! The Medina County Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Taskforce was sponsoring a "Walk with your best friend" against abuse...Mom was there at the SPCA table to help (because she volunteers as the humane educator coordinator- long name, hu?!) They had a costume contest, so mom dressed me up in my Bat-Boy shirt...

I made so many friends! This is Duke. He's a puppy who was up for adoption, so Mom and I took him for lots of walks around the square. I didn't mind him to much, but I didn't like it when mom left me with Grampy and Grammy (yep, they came to visit!) and she and Duke went for a walk, ALONE! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This is my other new friend. She had the booth next to us, and LOTS of cookies, so of course, she became my new bestie! (notice my tongue!)
And, since there was a costume contest, this was my pick-to-win. She is a one year old Pug, dressed as Scarlett O'Hara! (I would have entered the contest, except I didn't pay attention to where I was peeing, and got my Bat-Boy shirt all wet...opps!)


Meeting all these friends and spending time outside in the fresh Fall air really wore me out! When we got back to the car, mom loaded me inside my 'car seat' and I slept away the afternoon!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I'm four!

Its not every day I get woken up by mom singing to me. Seems that on Monday, I was born. Well, not really MONDAY, like, the day, Monday like, September 21, 2005!

We celebrate my birthday twice each year. First on the actual DAY I was born, and then on my 'gotcha-day' which is November 21! Two parties for ME, in one year? Yes, I am TOTALLY my mom's child!

In celebration of my four years that I've been on the earth (sent from Heaven-above, mom assures me!) Mom gave me a paper bag to shred! It wasn't wrapping paper, but maybe I'll get something wrapped for my gotcha-day!

(Mom is slacking and didn't think to upload the photos before writing this...)


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Day at the lake

For Labor Day we went up to the lake and I had the best day ev-ah!!

As soon as mom took my leash off I ran into the lake and started splashing around.

Dad's cousin, Micah, and I started playing catch with a tennis ball.


We raced each other to see who could get to the ball faster. I don't know if he was really slow (or if he left me win) but I got it every time!!

I had so much fun splashing, swimming and I even made a new friend!


The next door neighbors daughter had a puggle puppy named Henry!

He was really small (or maybe I'm really big?) I liked playing with him. He had to wear a life jacket in the water though!


Mom never put a life jacket on me, I just had to learn how to stay buoyant!

Only 11 more days until my birthday! September 21 I'll be four years old!!

Mom always sings 'happy birthday' to me, but my REAL birthday is celebrated on November 21 when dad got me for mom!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tongue-tied Tuesday

I haven't much to say today, so I'll post a photo Dad took of me this weekend.


Being a puggle is tough work and naps are needed regularly.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Yummies!


I have, what some may call, a "sensitive stomach". Through trial and error (lots of smelly error...if you know what I mean) we found out that I have the dog equivalent of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS.

I've always been on special dog food, you know, the kind that we can only buy at the vet's office.

Mom says, its "gold" because of how much it costs...but I just call it food.


After being on the "gold" food for 2+ years, mom thought it was time to find less expensive food. We found Purina ProPlan food that tastes yummy, smells realllllllly good (well, it took mom a while to get used to the smell, but I liked it right away!) and makes me feel good!
We buy in bulk.

But, since I'm a single puggle, I don't go through a 20 pound bag of food fast, dad bought a big air tight container to hold the rest of the food.


Mom has a smaller one she keeps in the kitchen to feed me from each day...but this is the goldmine!


Once every few months the goldmine runs low, and mom has to fill it.


Filling the goldmine = happy puggle


When its filled to the tippy-top, mom lets me grab some!


Hmmmm, I love yummies!!


**Mom note***


The 'gold' food we bought from the vet was close to $50 for a 20 pound bag! It was Purina EN dry dog food. (The EN stood for gastrointestinal).

The thought of switching his food, and upsetting his stomach really worried me but after a lot of research, found the Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach formula would be the best switch.

I GRADUALLY introduced it to Jack over the course of about a month.

Started with a few pieces, and he would seriously PICK OUT the new pieces and eat those first, then move on to the rest of the old food. Towards the end of the month, he started to pick out his old food, and not eat it! Hahaha.

He didn't (and hasn't) had any stomach upset since making the switch 5(-ish) months ago. He really looks forward to meal time now...seriously, he'll sit underneath the cabinet his food is in, everyday around 4.30 (dinner isn't served until 5)...I'm soooooooooo thankful to the folks at Purina for making a food that really DOES what its supposed to.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Mom Post

Yesterday the boys went and played golf, which gave my mil and I the day to do whatever we wanted. So, we went scrapbook shopping (with birthday money, of course...I still haven't gotten paid- grrrr) and I found soooo many things that I wanted to use for my summer '09 scrapbook...including TWO of those fat pads of fancy papers...anyway, I got 'em and couldn't believe how nice it felt to spend money on such frivilous things (seriously, I haven't taken home a paycheck in almost 12 weeks!)

Okay, I promise this is going somewhere! haha

So the mil and I go back to her house and we start pulling out what we wanted to scrap. Since we just went to Disney for my birthday, it was an obvious choice...while the mil has been working on our wedding album and stuff.

She pulled out a picture of Thanksgiving '04 and showed it to me. I stopped and stared at it for about 10 minutes. We had gotten Jack just four days BEFORE that picture was taken.

I couldn't believe how small he was! How big he is now. How much has changed in 4 years. And then I realized just how much I DIDN'T know Jack then.

Duh, he was terribly cute, but he and I didn't have a relationship yet, you know? He was just a little baby and we were both learning about each other- who we each were...

It made me wonder how I'm going to react to our kids (you know...when we have one!) Will I know then when they come out? Will I cry when I look at their baby pictures when they are turning 4? The obvious answer is, YES, I'm going to cry over everything with them. I cry and get choked up with Jack...haha. Speaking of which, I cannot believe in November I'll have had my best puppy friend for 4 years! Eeek!

My mil finally brought me back from my daydream cloud when she mentioned that my mouth was open (and had been for 10 minutes- while staring at the photo)...

Anyway, my scrapbook is coming along quite well...I'm going to have to make another scrapbook for Jack (yes, he totally already has one! haha)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Buh-bye Kitty

Every so often I need to remind the animals in our neighborhood that this is MY backyard. And, while I don't mind sharing (actually, I'm really good at sharing) I do not like having visitors in my yard that have not signed the guest book. (And by guest book I mean, check with me first).

Last night, it had just gotten dark outside and I saw a flash of orange. This caught my attention. Then it moved again.

me: MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM- Lemme outside! Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof
mom: (Thinking I was hurt) Jack, are you okay?

And then she saw what I saw. An orange tabby cat.

mom: Go get 'em buddy!

With that she opened the screen door and off I went.

Around the first curve of the burn barrel, in and out of the trees, made my way around to the corner and I was so close to the fluffy orange beast I almost caught it, but I didn't.

After the cat reached a dead-end in the corner, it ran the other way, right under the fence and right UP a tree.

mom: GOOD JOB JACK!
me: But I can still smell it! Where'd it go?!
mom: Look buddy, up in the tree!

All this noise got the attention of our next door neighbor dogs, two labs. If the cat wasn't so lame, it would have realized the tree it was digging its claws into was right ABOVE the labs.

I had a good laugh, peed and came inside where dad gave me a cookie for enforcing the rules. You either sign the guest book- or get kicked out!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Party time!!!


I've said this once before and I'll say it again, a party for anyone (especially mom) is a party for me!

Mom's birthday was this past Saturday and the celebrating came early! On Wednesday
night, mom, dad and I packed up 'Choke and my stuff, got in the car and went over to Grammy and Grampy's.

Mom sat on the floor so I could sit near her while she ate. I got to play with Winston (whose back leg is feeling much better! He chased me around, that's how I know) bark at the front door (they have a glass front door, so I can see riiiiiight through it!) and, my favorite part of any party, eat wrapping paper!

Mom tore into her present, but then sat it down, and played with me and the wrapping paper :) Dad tried to tuck some under my tail...silly dad!

After we sung 'happy birthday' to mom, they got up. "Time to go"...so, like I always do, I ran to the door so we could leave.

Mom: Buddy, your staying here with Grammy and Grampy
Me: Hu?
Mom: We're going to see Mickey Mouse tomorrow, so you're going to stay here
Me: But...but...I like Mickey Mouse!

Mom: Jack, you'll be fine
Me: (fighting back tears) I wanna come
Mom: We'll be back in a few days buddy. We love you.
Me: Buuuut

And then went through the door. I ran over to Grammy, "Where are they going? Why are they leaving me?" I asked her with panicked eyes. "Come here Jack".

She put my leash on me, and just as mom and dad were pulling away, Grammy picked up my front paw and I waved good bye to them.

I could tell mom was upset. Either she had something in her eye or she was crying.

Either way, I had so much fun on my weekend visit with Grammy, Grampy and Winston. We went for so many walks (well, Winston stayed home, he's old you know) and then on Sunday, Mom and dad came home!

One big happy family!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

My Summertime Vet Visit (as usual)

Last night my summertime itches came to a head and mom and I took a trip to the vet.

Most trips to the vet I get really scared because I feel okay and don't want to get poked. This trip was different. This trip, I was really sick.


It seems every summer mom and I have to make a trip to the vet. Aunt Jessica jokes that I'm "allergic to being a dog" (I agree sometimes) and mom says that I'm "allergic to summer". This all makes sense to me.


We have poison ivy in the backyard and a bunch of other "things" which I guess I'm allergic to. Like people with th
eir summertime allergies, puggles have 'em too!

Mine starts with my ears, and
ends in hives on my body. Which makes me scratch incessantly, shake my head until it feels like my brains are scrambled eggs and scratch my ears until they feel better. But they never do.

Our trip to Petsmart on Saturday was to pick up some fancy "itch-relief and hot spot shampoo". I got the most luxiourus bath...lots of bubbles, lots of cookies and lots of "hey, you smell good buddy!" from dad. But it seemed, for about a day, that my summertime itchies were gone.


Fast forward to yesterday. When mom came home she noticed I had hives on my back and belly again, so she called the vet.
Normally in the vets office, I run around, meeting other dogs and people.

This time, I curled up on the bench next to mom and waited
patiently. (Well, I mean, true to puggle-form, I whined a lot, but that's just how I communicate!) The dr washed out my ears, which made me wiggle A LOT (I don't like stuff in my ears!) he weighed me (31.2 pounds!) and he gave me a shot (which I didn't really feel because I was too busy thinking of how bad my ears hurt) and off we went.

Dr said I had two ear infections as well as a "serious skin allergy caused by an allergin". I sure don't know what that means, and mom didn't either.

I could tell mom felt bad because she kept saying, "I'm sorry buddy"...but really, she did all she could to help me. When we got home, I curled up on mom's lap and took a nap. Going to the vet sure takes a lot out of me!

Maybe tonight I'll get another bath in that fancy shampoo??


Thanks for taking care of me mom.