Christmas Joy With The Boys

Fast Friends

Simba loves to play with Caesar. They are very similar in size and when they get in the mood for a rumble, it's ON! They chase one another around and around. Caesar will bark at Simba and they will continue the chase for several minutes. I love seeing how care free Simba is when he plays. It is rare that he finds a dog that he likes to play with these days so Caesar joining the pack was great for all of us.

Of course, it wasn't easy to introduce Caesar to our pack. Simba is set in his way and he likes to growl and bark at other dogs. We had to hire a very special trainer to help us, help me, to gain control. Now, these guys cuddle, play and share treats. We are all so happy.

Lazy Day

From couch to bed to floor, these guys know how to relax.

Halloween For Three

After a lovely walk through the park, the boys dressed up for Halloween fun! This year I decided to dress them up as....well I'm not entirely sure. I liked the idea of putting ties on them and found some fun hats and a mask. They are used to dress up time with their mom so this was nothing unusual. The only difference was that Caesar was a part of the crew this year. A three pack! Caesar has fit in very nicely. Simba adores him now. I love it. Happy pups!

Sleeping Simba

He's just so darn handsome. I love when he is sleeping and at peace. Over the years he has become a bit of an anxious and fearful dog so when he relaxes it warms my heart.

Valentine

Star Wars Pups

Our first Halloween at our new home. To share my love of Star Wars, I dressed Simba up as Darth Vader and Buddha as C-3PO. Buddha is goofy like C-3PO and Simba is devilish like our favorite Sith lord. I don't think I'll ever stop dressing these babies up.

Birthday Buddha!

Moving In A New Direction

I haven't posted in a while. I do it for myself and to keep the memories of my pups alive forever. I've decided to now include more animal related laws and news on here. I want to move to human rights and animal law in the near future because it's truly my passion. If anyone happens to read this who knows about these fields then I would appreciate any comments or suggestions for me to move forth in this new endeavor.

The article below is about a new law that helps animal shelters.

HARRISBURG - Animal shelters have greater legal recourse to seek reimbursement for the costs of caring for abused animals under a new state law.
When the law takes effect in September, shelters and local prosecutors will be able to petition a Court of Common Pleas for an order requiring defendants to pay reasonable costs associated with their animal being seized in a cruelty case.
Reasonable costs are defined as up to $15 a day for each animal and necessary medical care as determined by a veterinarian.
The law provides for a hearing within three weeks on a petition. If the animal owner doesn't pay what the court orders, the animal would be legally forfeited to the shelter and made available for adoption.
Until now, shelters have had to wait to seek reimbursement in these cases until an owner is convicted of charges. Meanwhile, the shelters faced the burden of paying costs up front while cases continue for months. And, the shelters do not always getting full restitution in the end.
The Pennsylvania SPCA said it petitioned various courts for $744,000 in restitution for costs of care last year, but received only $31,000.
This law will be a big help because sometimes it can take years before a cruelty case is resolved in court, Cindy Starke, shelter manager of SPCA of Luzerne County said on Friday. On one occasion, the shelter cared for nearly 100 animals brought there for safekeeping as a result of a hoarding case, she added.
The society is caring for about a dozen cats and dogs pending court action in cruelty cases, he said.
"Each year, hundreds of animals are seized by law enforcement and placed in shelters as a result of animal abuse cases," said Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Lyndora, the law's sponsor. "The shelters that take in these abused animals are typically private, nonprofit organizations that rely heavily on donations to operate."
If an owner is found innocent, the law provides that the animals and sums spent for care in the interval would be returned to him or her.
The law will shift the financial burden to those responsible for an animal's suffering, support enforcement of animal cruelty laws and make it easier to find new homes for abused animals, Jerry Buckley, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA, said.

 http://citizensvoice.com/news/new-law-helps-animal-shelters-1.1520395

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

Sewing for Organization

I've been looking for simple projects since I bought a basic sewing machine a few days ago. I aspire to be able to sew things like doggy Halloween costumes one day, maybe even for this upcoming Halloween? The point is, I suck at sewing but am trying to learn! I went to Home Depot and bought drop cloth for another project. I like the color because it is a khaki and can be used in a sewing machine. I had an easy sewing idea and that was to create a storage system for all the grooming products that I use on the pups. There are SO many brushes laying around! Below are pictures of the idea that I had. It reminds me of a painter's brush holder but certainly not as nice. ;-)

A little rough around the edges but it does the trick!

Blazing Sun

It was a scorcher but we decided to meet with some friends and go to a baseball field. The baseball field is the second best outdoor facility that I have been to with the dogs. It's a huge space for them to run in and it is completely fenced in, which is important when you have Shibas and Huskies. These pups ran after the ball and the Frisbee for a while and reveled in their freedom. 

Buddha soaks his front paws in water in order to cool off. He does this at the dog park all the time but luckily doesn't need to do it at home. We shared a lot of water this day but it was just not enough to keep everyone cool. But hey it was a fun day!

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!

Can a Shiba be Trusted?

I spent Sunday with my family. It was my mom's birthday and we decided to have a BBQ. Since the house is in a wooded area with no neighbors in sight, I decided to let Simba be free and off leash. This is one of his favorite things in the world. He prances around and smells everything. Yesterday he even ventured into the woods, which immediately made me nervous because there are a lot of deer that he would undoubtedly chase. But Simba ran freely and then came back within a matter of minutes.

When the grilling began he was so totally transfixed that he did not move a muscle. He sat nicely right next to the meat and hoped that something would fall to the ground or his consumption. Even though Buddha was equally as mesmerized by the platter of meat; I couldn't trust him to stay. He seems to have less concern for coming back if he is off leash and he is always looking for squirrels.

The risks outweigh the benefits of allowing dogs to go unleashed, at least in my perspective, but I can say that I love seeing the look on their faces when they have a few moments of unrestrained bliss! Maybe if I move to a state that a) doesn't have a leash law and b) has wide open spaces for the dogs to roam c) and my dogs can be trusted to come back ....maybe, MAYBE then I will let them walk around without a leash.

Death Of A New Doggy Bed

I was so excited to replace one of the old doggy beds that the pups had been using. The colors had become dull and it wasn't much of a bed anymore. On several occasions I had bought expensive beds for the dogs and only one of those beds has survived thus far. This time I found a very classy looking red bed that would match with the home decor. The boys seemed to be adjusting to the bed so I left it in the living room for them to lay in and woe and behold I come home to a shredded bed and two guilty looking dogs. Were they giving me a hint? Was the bed THAT hideous? I'll never be sure but I'm not buying another dog bed....at least not for a while ;-)

Puppy Love

The pups are always eager to see us when we return after a long day of work. It seems that even the special frozen treats that I make for them every night do not hold their interest for too long. The Dog Whisperer would not be happy because upon entering the doorway, my pups jump up on me. Buddha howls while Simba flattens his ears and make funny noises. Simba then proceeds to bite at my clothes. They act as though they have been alone for weeks without food or water. Quite the contrary! I do everything I can to make their day by day experience a pleasant one. I concoct elaborate treats, I take them to the dog park so that they can run, I give them toys to keep them entertained, leave the TV on for good doggy movies and even leave the windows open so that they can hear the outside world.

Alas, the pups miss their pack at the end of the day. I'm sure that being alone in a house all day is worse than going to work all day.... I take that back. They can have my job and I will have theirs! ;-)