Top 10 Most Popular Puppy Names of 2012

I found this article on Yahoo and decided to just type it out so people could see what the most popular male and female names were for pups this year.

ENJOY!!!

Female:

1) Bella
2) Daisy
3) Lucy
4) Molly
5) Lola
6) Sophie
7) Sadie
8) Chloe
9) Coco
10) Maggie

Male:

1) Max
2) Buddy
3) Charlie
4) Rocky
5) Cooper
6) Bear
7) Bentley
8) Duke
9) Jack
10) Toby



http://shine.yahoo.com/photos/top-10-puppy-names-2012-slideshow/-photo-2550634-171700876.html

Christmas Bling

These dogs are truly spoiled. My guys received a whole bunch of toys, treats and chews. Coco the tiny Pomeranian is the only girl of the bunch so she naturally received clothing and accessories. Although, since she is a Floridian dog she truly needs warm coats because she will freeze in this Northeast weather without them! Onix is extremely picky with treats so his gifts were squeaky toys. I feel as though the dogs were granted everything that they could ever want from Santa. 

The humans had a fun time opening gifts too but I personally enjoyed handing the gifts out. I didn't need anything this year other than the warmth of the fireplace and my family. I had both of these things this Christmas. I hope that this feeling will carry on through the new year. 

A White Christmas

I was driving to be with the family and it began snowing. It was so exciting to see the flurries coming down and I had to open the back windows for the dogs. Simba enjoyed every moment and couldn't wait to get out of the car. I love the calm after the snow has settled. There is a peace that is unparalleled. I walked the boys and we felt the serenity all around us. Even though the snow did not pile up, it was great to have a white Christmas Eve. Not only that, I am fortunate to have spent the entire day with my family. Among the awesomeness of this evening was playing "Cards Against Humanity". This game is the best and most politically incorrect game ever. We were even able to get my father in on the action and that is a very rare occurrence. Now it's time to wind down and watch some "Dexter" in anticipation of Santa's arrival. Good times! I'm thankful for having a wild, insane, silly and loving family. 

Merry Christmas!

A Time To Give

I am very fortunate to be a part of an amazing group of people at a dog park that I take my dogs to every morning. Each person has their own unique background and life but one thing that they all have in common is kindness and generosity.

I thought it would be a fun idea to have a Secret Santa that was designed specifically for the dogs. There were a little over twenty doggy participants and even those who were not a part of the affair received treats. The gifts were very thoughtful and fun. My dogs have gone absolutely wild over the yummy treats that they received and I was excited that Buddha received a Star Wars collar and Simba received an awesome charm and car magnet! I live for these moments. I get so excited buying gifts and partaking in the Holiday cheer. Yes, I'm cheesy but it makes me happy. :-)

I also thought it would be important to help those animals who had far less than all of ours. We started a donation box for a local rescue and collected toys, treats, food, collars, leashes and clothes for our furry friends. The rescue was happy to receive all the donations and I think we all felt a little bit better knowing that we could help some animals in need.

A lot of thoughts float through my mind during the holidays. This year has been difficult but I have desperately tried to stay positive. Not only that but Christmas has always been such a cheerful time in my family and it's associated with positive memories. I want to share that feeling as best as I can. I know a lot of people who don't get the same feeling I do. I might not ever be able to change their associations with the holidays but I can keep my own happy memories and perhaps add a few more. I do believe that we made the holidays nicer for a bunch of dogs and cats this year. How can it get any better?

First Tick EVER

I have never found ticks on the boys. I always felt so lucky since we go to the dog park nearly every single day and interact with a bunch of dogs. The pups used to be on Frontline but after a flea situation this past summer I switched to K9 Advantage. The tick was tiny and it's head was already burrowed in his skin. It was creepy looking and I saw that it was still somewhat alive. GROSS!! I had to use my tweezers to get it out luckily the whole tick came out so Buddha is unscathed. I had to mark this momentously nasty occasion by writing about it. Buddha's first tick 12/7/2012 may the tick RIP and may I never find another tick on either one of them again!

A Year of WOAH!

I have had a lot of time to reflect on the course of my life and how quickly things can change. It has been a very difficult process. This year has been one of self realization. It might seem odd to some but when you have been in school your whole life you fail to develop in other aspects of your life. I have been in school forever and I have invested so much time and energy in being the best. I don't regret going to school. In fact, I would be an eternal student if money would allow! However, when you are in school you do not get the opportunity to expand as a person. You gain a lot of knowledge but you don't really get a chance to learn about yourself. You get lost in a sea of books and assignments. There is no time to just sit and not do anything. For these reasons, this year I have had to examine what things make me happy. It might seem odd that as an adult I don't know what exactly makes me happy but it is true. Some of the harshest times have been sitting in silence, with only myself and imagining what happiness is and if I have it. I have learned that it is something that you have to provide for yourself. Other people can add to your happiness but in the end you have to feel complete without all the external stuff.

Don't get me wrong, my pups make me happy every day. Well, except for when Simba eats poop or when Buddha chews up a pillow. The warm the coldest winter night and I am so happy that we found each other.

This year has been tumultuous. I have had two somewhat serious health problems that were directly related to stress and a life altering event that recently occurred that has turned my world upside down. I'm not sure if I'm a firm believer in the notion that everything happens for a reason but I can see that in my case there is a reason. I'm not entirely sure what the reason is but I believe it is so that I can find true happiness.

I have been running on pure adrenaline for so long. I want to change the world, I want to help everyone and I want to feel good about knowing that I have made a difference. One thing I have learned is that this philosophy on life is fantastic but it can run you ragged if you are not careful. I'm exhausted but I truly feel that better things are on the way. I've made a lot of changes and have cut out habits or people who are just not healthy for the direction that I want my life to go in.

I am fortunate to have a strong family and friend support system but it's essential to note that you have to work at your own happiness at your own pace. Only YOU can know what makes you happy. It's a trial and error process. It's not like you wake up one day and say HEY! I had a dream and I know all the little tiny things that make me happy now. Wouldn't that be awesome? It just doesn't work that way. We have to search, we have to make mistakes and we have to keep going. Personally, I love Christmas and have grown with beautiful memories from my childhood. Buying a small Christmas tree this year for myself, by myself made me extremely happy. It's the little things.

So as we go into the holiday season I am glad to say that I am a work in progress. I have made it through some detestable moments and I am stronger as a result. Who knows what the new year will bring but I am happy to say that I am alive and well on this day.Self discovery can take a lifetime and I am committed to it!

Happy Holidays!

Santa PAWS!

Had a mini Christmas photo shoot when I set up the tree today. The pups cooperated and there are many more photo shoots to come! Marry Christmas everyone!!!

Kicking Husky

As we waited for Hurricane Sandy to hit we hunkered down and spent a lot of time together as a family. My sister decided to mess with Buddha and she was surprised by his reaction.

Luckily we made it through the hurricane unscathed. We were very fortunate.

Gone Doggy Gone

It was just a routine evening walk. We were finishing up and the rain was getting heavier. The small amount of day light that was left was steadily fading. I thought that the walk was over. I was tying up the poop bag and before I knew it, both leashes were yanked away from me. I only saw the shadows but I knew that there were deer and that they were running. The dogs were gone. I screamed in shock and began to run. Everything is darker in the woods. I had to focus to find the direction that they had gone. I found Simba first because his leash was snagged and he would never risk hurting himself. He just stared at me and wanted to find his brother. Huskies are insanely fast and pigheaded. I didn't know how I was going to find him so I had to let Simba help me. We ran together. I screamed for Buddha while he sniffed. We went deeper and deeper into the woods. My biggest fear was that Buddha would run into the road. As I reached the outskirt of the road I saw two deer looking back at me. They were heading towards the road and I flipped out. I thought that all was lost at that point. But Simba and I continued to run and the dirt quickly became mud. I fell. Hard.  I don't know how I didn't gouge my eye out with a stick. We kept moving because if anything ever happened to Buddha I would never be able to forgive myself. How long had passed? I do not know. All I know is that the darkness had come. I was running on adrenaline and sheer panic. This might sound insane to some people but these dogs are my family and with all that has happened in the last few weeks, I can't and I won't give up on my family. You fight for the ones that you love and you will find them no matter what the consequences. After falling a second time, I kept screaming and was soaked to the bone. Finally, something cleared up for a moment. I saw a bushy white tail and I used my kindest voice to convince him to come to me. It was indeed my Buddha bear. He came running to me as if nothing had happened at all. 

The rest is history but below you will see what happened to his leash. He must have gotten stuck somewhere and because he wanted to get away so badly, he destroyed the leash. Simba's leash is still intact but I will never use a retractable again. 

I'm just lucky that nothing happened to my baby. 

Transition

Change is never easy. I think that for some people it comes more naturally but I am not one that readily takes change and runs with it. I have noticed this trait in one of my dogs. Simba doesn't like new places or things when he has become accustomed to a certain way of living. His stomach gets upset and he often has diarrhea . There's not much I can do to comfort him. At night, he will whimper and pant because he is anxious. I know that he is nervous and uncomfortable because I know his mannerisms all too well. He is a very sensitive guy. When I cry or am in distress he will immediately come and paw at my arm and smell my face. He always knows when something is wrong. I know how annoying it is to be so sensitive since I face this issue every day. I can only imagine how it looks and feels to a dog.

I wish that Simba and I were more like Buddha (very accurately named). He rolls with the punches and makes himself comfortable wherever he is. He is sensitive in that he does not like being yelled at but he adjusts to his situation. I've seen him freak out when he is in a crate but other than that his mind is simply free. He is a happy go lucky kind of guy and I really wish that I had the same mentality. For now, I have to live with who I am and who Simba is without worrying myself to death. Simba is a sensitive, stubborn Shiba Inu and that is simply the way of it!

Homemade Yum Yums!

I decided to make dog treats for the boys. I tried this one time before with pumpkin but it did not turn out too good. These treats include sweet potato, oatmeal, flour and one egg. I don't really bake or cook or do anything in this way because I always end up making a mistake and ruining the food. This time around, I mixed all the ingredients but forgot one important thing...I don't own a rolling pin. Yikes. So I mixed all the ingredients together and then I had a flour disaster. When I was mixing everything together, the flour went flying out of the bowl. Eventually, I rolled the ingredients in an unconventional way and tried to use a cookie cutter to make the treats pretty. Yea...that did NOT work. The treats were just way too sticky and could not form a shape. It took forty minutes for them to bake and even though they are not nice looking...the dogs LOVE them!! I had to make them both sit and wait but they totally enjoyed every morsel and I can't wait to make more. Except this time I will have a rolling pin and figure out why the paste was so sticky!

If Dogs Could Speak...

Cuddle Monsters

It is a rare thing indeed when Simba decides to cuddle with me. Typically he wants a snack that I am eating and will perch himself on my lap until I give him a piece. Tonight I had my heating blanket on and he really loves the heat. He loves to curl up and sleep on the most comfortable blankets and shed all over them too. If Buddha wasn't a Husky then he wouldn't overheat as much and would cuddle much more. Sadly, Buddha has to get up and down from the couch constantly because even without a heating blanket he is always hot, hot, HOT.

Clothing Swap

We've all heard about Clothing Swaps where people get together with their gently worn clothing and accessories and swap them out for something else. I think that this theory can actually work out for dogs as well. The winter is slowly approaching and there are a lot of dogs who need to revamp their wardrobes. Then there are those pups who simply can't fit into their old clothes and want to donate them to their smaller friends.

I am collecting small clothing right now for a friend who has a puppy who will undoubtedly need some warmth in the cruel months ahead. So if you have any doggy clothes, collars, leashes, food, etc. then let me know! I will start at a smaller scale and if this thing actually pans out then I will contact the local humane society and make donations to them.

Let's not forget that the holidays can be tough for everyone. There is always a financial strain on the humans and this strain can translate to dogs and cats all around. If we can pitch in to keep a dog at home instead of in a shelter then I say LET'S DO IT!

Pups & Babies

We had an eight month old visitor the other day. The dogs get along with kids very well because they have been socialized since we first got them as pups. We feel that we are so fortunate that our dogs are gentle and loving towards babies and children. But it is so interesting to see the levels of interest that the dogs possessed towards the baby. Simba (my Shiba) was interested in sniffing her when she first came to the home and once he figured out what she was, he didn't care what she was doing for the rest of the day. So while the baby was playing for the rest of the day Simba stayed in his own place and in his own world, which is typical of his breed and left her alone until she began to eat. Once the baby had some snacks, Simba had his eye NOT on her but on her food! He quickly figured out that she had the tendency to throw or drop her food and he would steal whatever he could. He is a stealthy guy but more importantly he is very patient. He got away with lots of yummy treats.

Onix the Pomeranian was the most interesting of the bunch. He has met many children as well but it seemed as though he exhibited a little jealousy or confusion. When his mommy made baby noises towards the baby Onix was confused and would come over and sniff the baby and his mommy. Once in a while he would even jump in between his mom and the baby. He never showed any signs of aggression. Instead, he wanted to follow the baby around to check her out and understand what exactly she was! ALIEN! RUN!

 Ah Buddha bear! The kindest Husky in the world. He is like the big brother who is all up in your grill and will take your toys. He didn't care about her food and would move his head from side to side when the baby cried but he wanted to figure out what made this little girl tick. He licked her fingers a few times and sometimes followed her but what amazes me is that Buddha is so careful around little kids. He realized he was much bigger than the baby so he moved around like a shadow but did follow her nonetheless.

September Allure

Nature is a beautiful thing. I love to photograph the dogs at the park because they are pure, real. They play, roughhouse, run and some don't get along. Their kingdom is full of truth where a lot of humans wear a mask. The allure of nature is the variety found throughout the seasons and after storms, days of oppressive heat and cooler mornings. It all seems so elementary but it is truly intricate.