Pretty Girl

I had some fun dressing Willow up in different patterns of fabric. I used to make these bandanas for the dogs all the time but it's been a long while. The red one is from when Buddha and Simba were puppies. The pink is for our little princess. I am hoping to start up with the creativity again and make some fun items for the pup. She's growing FAST!

Week One With Willow

Today marks the first week with our new pup, Willow. She is catching on very quickly and she seems to be learning a great deal from Buddha. Buddha has been a great influence on all the foster dogs that we have brought in. He is confident, fearless and calm. His energy is absolutely perfect for fearful or timid dogs. Willow has had difficulty getting into the car and walking on a leash. Today, I took her and Buddha to the dog park and she took his lead. He made her less fearful in the car and she simply followed his example. It was her first day at the dog park and she did amazingly well. She made friends and ran like mad. I'm proud of her progress and I'm so happy to have Buddha in my life to help bring peace to pups.

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!

50 Date Night Ideas

I have been looking at various websites and speaking with couples about some ideas for date nights that are inexpensive and/or free. I had my own ideas so I decided to compile a list. Some of these ideas are dog friendly as well. 

1) Art night. Find a canvas and a place where you can get a little messy. Pick some fun paint colors. I prefer acrylics because they are easier to clean up. Pick a theme or just do some finger painting. This is where the dogs can come in as well. Dip a paw in some paint and have your pup walk across the canvas.

2) Table tennis. Old Navy has a mini table tennis set for five dollars. You can set it up on any table and it's small enough to put away without causing clutter.

3) Funny photos. This might sound silly but pick a favorite TV show, movie, era, etc. and dress up for the part. There are so many cool settings on cameras and on the Iphone. You can make the pics look dated. 

4) Candlelight dinner and reading. Turn off all the electronics and put candles all over the house. Eat some yummy food and dessert and read a book to each other. Short stories work great.

5) Ice skating. Even if you are no good at it, it can be a fun way to keep busy and laugh!

6) Midnight movie at the local theater.

7) Dress up and go to a hotel bar. If you like to avoid big crowds and prefer a more "chill" atmosphere then this is a great way to drink cocktails and look fabulous.

8) Wine tasting. There are a lot of local wineries and so many weekend events that you can attend. 

9) Local music. Great music and sometimes not so great music! There are a lot of free events with outdoor concerts.

10) Go to a museum. 

11) Take a big blanket and find a spot under the stars. Away from the city lights and in a quiet space. Beautiful!

12) Play pool. Not too expensive and there are a lot of places to go!

13) Comedy show. We were able to see Bill Maher live and it was awesome. 

14) Drive around and look at all the glorious homes that are around. Talk about all the things that you like and dislike. Gives you a better feel for what kind of home you want in the future.

15) Take a cooking class. The prices vary and it depends on what you want to learn to make. 

16) Go to a pottery painting store. Most of the ones that I have seen have really cheesy pieces but it is fun to sit and paint, no matter how ugly it ends up.

17) Mini shopping spree. Pick a price limit and split up. Find as many cool things that you can for one another and wrap the pieces in newspaper. Get back together and take turns showing each other what you bought. 

18) Camping trip. It isn't too pricey and you can go away for a day at a time. The pups can go too!

19) Go for a bike ride. 

20) Stop and smell the coffee. Visit a coffee shop and do nothing but sip your favorite drinks together.

21) Go to a football, baseball or other sport event. If it's too expensive then go to a local high school game. 

22) Putt Putt Golf. 

23) Work on a small puzzle. Something that you can actually finish in one sitting. 

24) Buy remote control cars and find a quiet road to race them! Simba really likes little cars so the dogs can take part in the fun too.

25) Candle making. There are a lot of candle making kits out there and they aren't too expensive. Fun craft idea and not too difficult. 

26) Picnic.

27) Go to a haunted house during Halloween time or you can check out other places that are said to be haunted anytime of the year.

28) Watch a scary movie.

29) Plant a tree. Earth friendly and good karma to boot!

30) Snow outside? Hit the slopes!

31) More snow? Bundle up, build snowmen, have a snowball fight and let the dogs play along with you.

32) Play Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble on a rainy night.

33) Go to a used bookstore and find some classics. Maybe even a poetry book?

34) Visit a local orchard and pick berries, pumpkins, whatever!

35) Rent a rowboat and spend a day on the lake.

36) Create your own signature drink and make scrumptious appetizers and desserts to match.

37) Give back to the community. Spend the day at a soup kitchen, retirement home, etc. Some of these places will even let you take your dog for therapeutic purposes! 

38) Stay positive. Are you in a rut? Make a list of all the positive things you enjoy about one another. Then you can put these little notes in a box or in a jar. This way you can randomly look at things that make you happy when skies are gray.

39) Take a dance class. We did and we laughed at how clumsy we were.

40) See a musical. These can range in price but there are a lot of options from high school to Broadway! 

41) Get a couples massage or get massage oils and give each other massages.

42) Learn how to play poker. I have no idea how to play but it could be fun to use pennies and ante up.

43) Go rock climbing. There are a lot of indoor climbing facilities. I personally love rock climbing.

44) Find a Bed & Breakfast and spend the night.

45) If you're feeling EXTRA bold...go skinny dipping! 

46) Rent a cabin during the winter and get all cozy by the fireplace. 

47) Hit the gym together. Maybe even take a Yoga, Pilates or Zumba class. 

48) Get in the car and drive. Take the pups and stop whenever you see something that is pleasant. Make sure to lots of pictures and enjoy the moment.

49) Meditate. I like to meditate alone but there are some great meditation techniques the can allow you both to decompress and just BREATHE. 

50) Spend the night snacking, gossiping and laughing. There are some great "what if" books that can be conversation starters.

A Sick Buddha

The four days without power really took a toll on both dogs but especially on Buddha. Even after the AC was on, he was lethargic, didn't want to eat his food and would not drink water. It broke my heart to see him that way. I checked for all the outward signs of dehydration such as skin elasticity and whether or not his gums were moist. I kept his temperature down with cold, wet towels and occasional baths but to no avail. Finally I knew I had to get drastic. Since he was not eating (which is insane!) or drinking water, I gave him another chance. He rejected both things. So I took the doggy syringe and loaded it with Powerade. I had no choice but to open his mouth and squeeze the Powerade down his throat. He hated every moment of it but I didn't stop there! I tempted him with some yummy dog food and after he got the taste for it, I dropped some in a full bowl of water. He was reluctant at first but then he started fishing for the pieces of food. This in turn led to ingestion of the cold water and within a couple hours he was spunky again.

The power outages really got to all of us but I can't even imagine what the boys went through. I'm glad it's over!

Buddha Nature

Two of the best activities before sleep are Yoga and Meditation. I am noticeably different after I take the time out to clear my mind and loosen my limbs. Better breathing actually invokes a type of euphoria that feels  remarkable. The dogs typically follow me into the room when I decide to take this time for myself. Buddha lays down by my mat and really looks into my eyes and tries to figure out what I am doing. He has a sort of peace that I want when I am meditating. Buddha didn't get his name by mistake. Instead, Buddha truly has an aura of peace about him and his eyes exude positive energy. It might sound odd but I think that I have learned a lot from my dogs on the concept of slowing down and taking it easy.

I am a type A personality and I am always on the go, go, GO! A lot of times I sit on the ground and look at the dogs who are always living in the moment. Simba's reaction to my Yoga practice is mischievous indifference. There are times when he comes and tries to chew on the mat, bats at my leg when I'm moving through poses or sighs heavily with a judgmental look. Simba is very much like my monkey mind. He is always bouncing around, bored or overloaded. Simba proves to be a challenge at times and his presence is a constant reminder that life is not easy. We can't all have the Buddha nature. It must be cultivated. Usually, we have to fight through chaos in order to find a moment of zen. I'm lucky to have both these pups because they balance me, ground me and bring back to the moment.

Fashion Faux PAWS

It's been nearly two years since I started going to the dog park. I went from never owning a dog to owning two dogs and going to the dog park every single day! Here are some FASHION lessons I have learned!

1) Never wear a white shirt.
2) If you like your gloves, make sure you keep them on because the second those puppies come off a dog will snatch and chew them up!
3) Your legs will get battered by excited dogs so if you want to wear shorts be ready to be a scratching post.
4) Remember those brand new shoes you bought? They now have poop in all the tiny crevices. Good luck cleaning them!
5) High heels? PLEASE! Those suckers will sink into the urine infested ground. YUM.
6) Nice phones and other expensive electronics will get drooled on, stolen by a sneaky pup and ultimately broken because dogs don't mind yanking things off the table and using them as their personal chew toy.
7) Scarves can prove to be ultra hazardous especially if you wrap them nicely around your neck. This can incite a type of tug of war between you and a dog or one dog on each end.
8) That gorgeous Louis Vuitton bag that you own won't stand a chance. First, it smells like a cow (yummy) and second, dogs don't care how much you spent on your accessories.
9) Wild, untamed hair may attract the opposite sex but it will also attract dogs. Scrunch it up lady! Unless you want your hair chewed on and ultimately pulled out.
10) Summer dresses might be nice but if you are conservative be prepared for sniffing dogs to push up your skirt. They don't follow the same moral codes that we do and screaming just makes them want to do it more!

Simba Turns Two

I like celebrations. I think it's great to make a big deal out of small things. It's important to make people feel special and it doesn't take much. I feel the same way towards my pups. I found another perfect cake for my baby boy and the decorations are ready for his party tomorrow. I sang a happy birthday song to him and danced around with him but his expression never changed. Typical Shiba Inu! All of this celebration and gifts are meant for Simba but he doesn't need those things in order to know that he is loved. I guess that is the difference between dogs and most humans. We need reassurance and a dash of appreciation. Shower us with praise, gifts, parties and we smile and rejoice. Dogs know that they are loved without all the fluff. They don't get upset if you come home without a new toy or a gourmet treat. They love you and they know that you love them just by the little signs of affection that you show.

It's a selfish consumer act but I derive happiness from making a day spectacular (be it for a human or a dog) and I don't want to change. All I know is that tomorrow Simba won't understand what the balloons are for and why all his doggy friends are around or even why he gets an extra yummy cake. He'll be happy because I'm happy and duhhh there is cake involved!

Indulge in the little moments and gush over the things that make you happy. It might seem insane to some but this is how I love and treat my dogs. They are my family and we all express our love in different ways. Nothing wrong about that!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMBA BABY!!! 

Yucky

Being a vegetarian and having to serve raw meat to my dogs is not easy! I have take the meat out of the packaging and then make sure to fully cut up and mash up the meat. It feels gooey and gross and I have to ignore what I am doing. Simba and Buddha still go nuts for the food and can hardly contain themselves when I put it out for them. There are still many weeks left in this experiment so only time will tell if this is permanent.

On another RANDOM note...strangers tend to be kinder to other strangers when they see that they have a dog. When I am alone and I say hello to a stranger I don't always get a hello back. In fact, some people just look away or act as though it is odd for me to speak to them. When I am with my boys it is a different story. People become more approachable (unless they are scared of dogs) and there are more smiles. I wonder why that is?

Raw Food Update

The boys absolutely love the raw food. For the first time ever Simba woke me up making whining noises. He usually wakes me up by scratching on doors or biting on the bed post. I did not respond to any of those things today but the whining began and he took me straight to the kitchen. I'm not sure if it is because he was starving or because he just couldn't wait any longer for his food. I sliced the food into small cubes, put their Brewers Yeast on top with a dash of this seaweed formula that helps combat plaque and bad breath. They were ready to go! Simba savored each bite of his food. He truly tasted each bite. Buddha INHALED his food. I had to slow him down but they licked their bowls clean.

I heard another good side effect of the raw food diet is that their stool is much smaller. Today I noticed that this was the case! How pleasant! Anyway, so far so good. It's an expensive alternative to their already expensive kibble but we shall see if there is a big enough difference to permanently convert.

Raw Food Diet

Buddha had a lot of issues with food for the longest time. He had so many sensitivities and we tried so many types of food in order to end the diarrhea. We finally made our way to a holistic dog store and tried a brand of food called "Great Life". This product boasts a natural, organic and raw food approach but in a kibble form. It provides all the nutrients a dog needs but with the benefit of high quality ingredients. It's a pricey meal but well worth it. For many months now both Simba and Buddha have been eating "Great Life". Not only has Buddha's stomach settled but he does not inhale his food anymore! That was a huge concern before but he seems to be a nicely well rounded boy! Simba has always had the strongest stomach of the two and he has enjoyed eating "Great Life" but we did notice that he started eating poop and wood chips. The concern now is whether or not Simba is deprived of something essential and that is why his body craves poop and wood chips. 

This morning we began a raw food diet. It's very pricey. I have many concerns about the raw food movement because not a lot of research has been done to see if it is fully effective. Dogs no longer live in the wild and I think that their stomachs have probably evolved for such domestication as well. The scare of bad bacteria and anemia are some of the reasons that I am not exactly sure if this diet will work for the boys. I'm giving it one month and I will report any changes to their coats, digestive health and overall demeanor. 

Hopefully Buddha's stomach stays happy and Simba stops eating poop!

Buddha Bear

I totally enjoy dressing the dogs up, playing games with them and putting random objects on their heads! Buddha didn't seem to care that he had flower petals on his hair. He was extremely tired from the dog park and just wanted to sleep. I couldn't let him have his way! I am trying to train them both to balance treats on their snouts but that is not as easy as I thought it would be...