Report Card

12/27

"Barksdale ran REALLY hard into a large rock today. I think she's ok, but just keep an eye on her. It was her left side that hit the rock. She was running too fast down hill :("

Hey, nobody ever said our dogs were the brightest crayon in the box.

In other news, I took the doggies to my parents for Christmas. Although they stank up the basement, they were relatively well behaved. They were even more well behaved when I brought them back home after their three day stay at my parents. I think they thought I was going to abandon them at my parents and therefore had to be on their best behavior when we returned home.

Doctor, Doctor!

In writing the title of the post, I realized I have many doctor or doctor to be friends that treat humans, but no vet friends! What a travesty. I need to add that to my future friend list.

During these past two days we have discovered that Barksdale has come down with ticks. *Shudder* Well, I'm actually more "oh, eh" and the bf is the *shudder**shudder*head in palm of hands*shudder**shudder.* I actually find things such as ladybugs and butterflies way more terrifying.

Anyway, I have spent the past two nights pulling ticks off Barksdale. Last night, I found a tick on Ender so I ended up pulling that sucker off too. So before two days ago, I've never encountered a tick in my life. Which meant it took me a while to figure out that black spot on Barksdale's underside was NOT crusty dirt but a bug. It also meant that the bf and I spent some time on google trying to figure out what to do which translates to deciding whether or not we wanted to pay the vet $50 to remove them or if we should just remove them ourselves. (This would have been a situation where a vet friend would come in handy.)

So far our plan of attack is to watch the dogs more carefully over the next week to ensure there aren't any secondary tick after effects. We have both the dogs on Revolution so I don't know what what is up with this recent tick development.

And to make up for the fact that I mostly mention Barksdale only when something bad happens, here is a photo of her looking cute.

More Bread, Please!

Or more specifically cornbread. Arg on us for leaving cornbread out on the counter. Arg on Ender for being sneaky. We left for 10 minutes to take Barksdale out to pee and take the garbage out. The bf as a joke took the knife out of the cornbread, just in case Ender snarfed it. We came back and he had the "errr, perhaps I did something bad" look on his face. However, the pan of cornbread was still on the counter. The tell? Chunk of cornbread missing! Also, I should really admit to the fact that Ender is indeed tall enough to eat off the counter without much effort. Sigh. He's now officially forbidden from the kitchen.

Backpack

I've been thinking about investing in a new backpack for Ender. We actually have purchased two (yes, what's that sound? Us throwing our money away? uh huh) but I am still dissatisfied with the fit. This is a two prong problem.

The first prong is that we may not be the best in estimating Ender's size. Common sense says that he's a large. Like come on, he's 90 pounds. Large. However, I don't know where that 90 pounds is because he's actually probably a medium.

Second prong, I am cheapo. The last backpack we bought him was $30 and it was some random Outward Hound backpack. I have two issues with this backpack. The first is the strapping system. There are two that go under his belly and one across the chest. When he sits, the weight of the backpack falls on the strap across the chest, making him less likely to sit when I tell him to. Second issue, the bags on each side are humongous. When we put water bottles in the bags as weight, they hang down past his body. Therefore, when he walks, there's a mighty back and forth sway.

These two things really really irritate me.

So I was looking around for some backpacks and found one that I like. Except it is like $100. But offers me two solutions to my irritation: harness straps and bags that don't hang. Here's a photo of my coveted item:



This is the Ruff Wear Singletrak Pack. And I waaaaaant it. However, if anyone knows of a similar backpack that may cost less, I will forever be indebted to you.

Product Review: Tuffy Dog Toy

Apparently the tuff scale of 9 doesn't account for pitty nibbling, which leads to the downfall of most of the toys in this house. I do like these better than the rubber rings because we don't get the rubber bits laying around when the dogs start nibbling on it. However, I might knock the tuff scale down to a 2 because it only took about two days for the toy to get to this:



The dogs have enjoyed playing tug with it so I would say the fun scale is a bit higher, but for the price, I really would have liked this toy to last more than a day before starting to fall apart.

Report Card

Apparently, Ender's trying to redeem the family name. Here was his report card:

"Ender was really REALLY good today (I guess sort of ironically). Minimal whining, I only had to give a couple corrections and he was overall calmer than usual. He also had great recall. Definitely the best walk we've had so far!"

Parent Teacher Conference

Barksdale's being put on blast. Apparently Barksdale is being a bigger asshat than Ender on her walks. Who would've imagined. Anyway, she's currently on probation right now until we figure out what her problem is.

Well actually we know what her problem is. Her type A, domineering, and pushy behavior. The result of such behavior may potentially be more money as this is the news we received today:

"I don't mean to alarm you, but one of the things we're discussing is whether it's appropriate to have Barksdale in a group, or whether she needs 1:1 walks instead."

As of right now, our task is to make sure she plays nicer with Ender. If she doesn't get better, we might have to shell out the big bucks for one on one walks.

Therefore, I have put winning the lottery on my "to do" list so I can send these dogs off to get them professionally trained. Ha!

Bread Please.

I woke up early one morning over the weekend to walk the dogs. I was all set to start something in the slow cooker when I discovered I was missing an onion. The bf was still sleeping and Whole Foods is actually just down the street, so I decided to slip out quickly to pick one up.

We've been giving Ender a little taste of freedom now and then and since I was only going to be gone for a little bit, I left Ender the living room. When I came back, I discovered an empty bag on the floor surrounded by some crumbs. It turns out Ender ate A WHOLE LOAF OF BREAD.

I seriously would not believe it, so I looked around the entire living room looking for a loaf of bread. When I couldn't find it, I had to wake the bf up and ask him to look for it. But we never found it. When I came to terms that Ender did indeed eat A WHOLE LOAF OF BREAD, I slightly lost my shit and though omg, the bread is going to expand and he's going to explode.

After googling this, I felt a little bit better about him not dying, and ended up quarantining him in case he barfed or got hit with the runs.

Turns out, he was completely fine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We have the privilege (seriously took me like three tries to spell that until I gave up and used spell check) of pet sitting over this holiday and lets just say we weren't expecting so much spunk from such a small little package. But again, one look at her and I do start getting the "you looking at me?" vibe. And for someone so low to the ground, she runs pretty fast. I guess I would also be pretty terrified if Ender was chasing me.

Go Bears!

In the honor of the big game today...Go Bears!



FYI, that is my sweatshirt he is wearing..hahahah...

OMG

How does he not fly away?



Available at the Oakland Animal Shelter!

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17228949

Doppelgänger

I was looking through Doggy Lama Pet Care's dog walking pics and I came across a photo which I believe shows Ender's doppelgänger. Well unless it's really Ender, then my bad.



I've started calling the dogs using one name. It's usually when I'm yelling at them. It'll usually go EN-...DALE!?!? or BARKS-...NDER!?!? This must be how parents feel when they have more than one kid.

Thursday

Thursday. It's so close to Friday.

Anyway, there was a huge rottweiler/hound/shepherd mix on the BART this morning. It made me laugh because the train was already crowded and it took up so much space and he looked absolutely miserable. But again, it might just be his hound face which comes across as "ugh, why am I stuck on the train with these foolios."

Anyway, I came across an interesting article today in sfgate describing one family's experience when their dog bites a stranger. It's a good read.

The Yang family dog bites a stranger, leading to a chain of unfortunate events

Oh, Hey There!

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will:

Custody Cases Involving Pets

I came across this article and found it to be a fun read. I know that people are attached to their pets but when I read about how much people actually spent on fighting for custody, I just think holy moly!

http://www.weinbergerlawgroup.com/blog/child-parenting-issues/10-most-bizarre-custody-cases-involving-pets/

Poop Mania

Poop mania has once again hit our household. I haven't figured out what it is yet, but we are holding off treats until this wave has passed.

Here is Barksdale's Report Card:
"Barksdale pooped in the car about 3 minutes after we left your house, FYI."

Ender on his walk this morning, pooped out a whole baby carrot.

Ack.

Pit Bulls and Parolees

I will just put this out there now - I love reality television. It's like candy for my brain. Therefore, I tend to give these shows at least a one episode chance before I move on.

I recently caught an episode of Pit Bulls and Parolees, where the rescue organization was contacted to go to Auburn to evaluate a dog that was part of a larger pack that got loose and attacked someone at the park. The particular dog they were evaluating, although part of the pack, was not part of the attack.

The episode also shows the rescuer visiting with the owners of the dogs. This was the part that absolutely killed me.

As the rescuers approached the house, a nice bungalow located in an upper middle class neighborhood, they started commenting about how this does not seem like a place where vicious pits would be raised or about how it didn't look like a place where animals would be trained to attack.

Anyway, the owners opened the door, which I guess caused even more confusion with the rescuers, because the owners seemed like "gentle, kind people who cared about their dogs." They have the obligatory sit down where they shoot the shit, where the entire conversation consists of the young adult son speaking about how sad it was that he came home and his dogs were gone and the mom talking about how they had the dogs since they were puppies and it was so sad they were no longer going to be with them.

Never once did they say they were sorry for the situation, just that their dogs jumped the fence and it was a terrible accident. Never once did the rescuer ever bring up the fact that, as pet owners, they are not only responsible for protecting the welfare of their animals but also ensuring that, oh I don't know, their animals don't go around trying to kill people.

I'm sorry, but does sitting in a nice house in a nice neighborhood next to a Tiffany's lamp automatically absolve someone of irresponsible pet ownership? Apparently it does because I'm pretty sure their asses would be in jail if they were poor and not white.

I know that Cesar Millan gets a lot of shit, but one of the things he always does is call the owner out, regardless of race or class. He regularly points out that not doing anything (no discipline, exercise, training, socializing etc) can result in a dangerous dog.

Here's a quote from an article regarding the incident:

"She had hoped to evaluate the animals away from the barking of other dogs. But the three dogs would not respond to commands or accept treats or a leash."

I think this quote reveals a lot that the show failed to shed light on or even discuss, that sometimes the failure to teach proper behavior can be just as dangerous as teaching a dog how to fight.

Restaurants are going to the dogs

I am not going to lie, I've considered faking Ender/Barksdale as a service dog so we can take them on public transportation into San Francisco. Apparently people have been getting bold about bringing their pets into restaurants, including service dog fakery, as told by this article:

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/tjjacobberger/2010/11/12/restaurants-are-going-to-the-dogs/

Vacuums

I hate vacuuming. I've hated it since I was a kid and will forever hate it. However, there comes a time, that time mainly being surrounded by tufts of Ender hair, that even I will pick up a vacuum (albeit handheld). We also have a regular vacuum that we (I mean the bf) sometimes uses. A few weeks ago, while at Home Depot, the bf stumbled upon a Dyson Animal vacuum and have been entertaining the idea of getting one. Although wishlisted, I haven't had a chance to really delve into a specific model or make to purchase.

droool....



The most pressing question I have is, what's the difference between a regular Dyson and a Dyson Animal? Besides, oh, a couple of hundred bucks?? However, if this vacuum can, instead of blowing the dog hair around, vacuum it off of hardwood floors, without having to use some kind of hose contraption, I'm sold.

And does it make me a greedy person for wanting both the handheld and upright vacuum? I'm the a handheld type of gal, but if we get the upright, we can get this handy dandy contraption.

Raccoons

Wowza, I came across this article and am now even more wary of raccoons.

Raccoons attack Alameda woman walking her dog

A few months ago, the bf and I woke up early morning to some terrible screeching. I had thought it was something car related but later that day, the bf told me that it had been a bunch of raccoons attacking something. As if I don't get wigged out seeing one raccoon in broad daylight already. When that happens, half of me is thinking, oh man, I hope the dogs didn't see that. The other half of me is thinking, I hope the dogs saw that so they can protect me when that raccoon starts chasing me.

Living in an urban environment, I feel like I am somewhat accustomed to some rather brave rodents. At Berkeley and UCLA, there were some rather aggressive squirrels running around campus. In fact, one of my friends has had her bagel stolen twice while she was not looking. I made it out okay, but I am in no way prepared to face down a group of rabid raccoons. I'll leave that up to Barksdale.

What a Weekend!

It all started Saturday morning with a swollen muzzle. The bf noticed that Barksdale's muzzle was a bit puffy Saturday morning. We decided to just keep an eye on it, as some of her allergic reactions kind of just disappear after a few hours. Later that night, I was at dinner with some friends, while the bf was out picking up some take out. When he came back, he noticed that Barksdale's face had swollen up to about three times the normal size. He gave her two Benadryls, but decided to take her to the emergency vet, who gave her two additional Benadryls and a shot of some sort.

She was looking better Sunday morning and the day passed rather uneventfully until she barfed Sunday evening in the bedroom. And then had a follow up barf in her crate. In between all that, Ender barfed as well.

Sigh.

On a random semi-related note, for people who think that getting a dog from a backyard breeder because it might be cheaper, wait until the medical bills start rolling in. I don't know her exact lineage, but let's just say it's the bald spots, dandruff, food and skin allergy kind.

Where do you buy your pet supplies?

The bf's co-worker just got a new dog and have been trying to stock up on all the necessary supplies before they bring her home on Friday. When the bf told me that they were going to Petco/PetSmart for their supplies, I reacted with a whaaa??! Nothing against Petco/PetSmart except for their high prices without the warm mushy feeling of supporting local business or sustainable practices. But let's face it, my ideologies only go so far and I will gladly exchange them for lower prices. In case there are any readers that live in the Bay Area, here are the places we like to frequent:

Pet Club
This is the Costco of pet stores. We try to buy everything here. Shout out to my friend Anna, mama of Kali, who told us about it. She was also the one who told us about Nature's Miracle. Anyway, everything here is cheaper. Period.


Pet Food Express
We find this to be a good alternative for Petco/PetSmart. They are a locally based chain that have some pretty good business practices. Apparently that's still not good enough for the City of San Francisco because they've only recently been granted approval to open a third store in SF. Small boutique pet stores were worried that Pet Food Express would price them out, to which I respond, yeah right I go to my small pet boutique to buy a 60 lb bag of dog food.


Small Local Pet Boutique
Oh but what do I go to my small local pet boutique for? Well window shopping, killing time before the movies, convenience when, ahem, I'm shopping for clothes, and scoring hard to find items. Here are the two we most frequent:
Dog Bone Alley in Alameda
George in Berkeley
If I ever win the lottery, I will only shop at small local pet boutiques.

The Grocery Store
Trader Joe's
Oh how I love your dog treats. And you have groceries. Yay.
Whole Foods
They sell Chuck-it balls. Enough said.

Baby Ender

If we are to ever encounter a puppy with paws as big as Ender's were, we now know to run the other way.

Thanks for Ruining My Life!

This post is dedicated to the bf's co-worker, K. He was one of the very few people we knew who were our age, living in the city, and had a dog. He rescued his first dog, a little pittie, and expounded on the greatness of dog ownership. He instilled confidence in us and our ability to care for an animal. When the bf saw Barksdale at the pound, K had already adopted his second dog. So again, we turned to him for advice. K assured us that having two dogs was no big deal and that it was quite fun. I thought, if K, a bachelor, could do it, we can totally do it!

Two dogs later, I like to blame him for ruining my life everytime we see him. All in jest, of course. I think. Anyway, since the bf is against dressing the doggies up, here are K's two lovely doggies - Dot and Pesto!

Product Review: Charlee Bear Dog Treats

I was at Trader Joe's and found these new Charlee Bear training treats in the beef liver flavor. First off, they are bite size, and therefore meet my first criteria for ultimate training treat. Secondly, if you are a little squeamish about the stankiness of wet treats, these are perfect for you. You can put these in your pocket without worrying about having to wash all your clothes the minute you get home.

Since Ender needs a little stankiness to get his attention, I use these in addition to the wet dog treats when we're outside. However, when we're inside, I can use these to prolong the wet dog treats to save ourselves a little money.

Although I found these at Trader Joe's, a quick google search revealed that they can be purchased from many other places. You can check out their website here http://www.charleebear.com/index.php

Report Card

Barksdale started her walks today and here is her first report card:

"Barksdale did well on the walk today. She was a little too stiff and forward in her playing, but not aggressive. We will work on her play manners. When I opened the crate she submissive peed right away. So I'll be more careful next time. Poor Ender was really upset I didn't take him. I left some biscuits in his kong as a consolation."

Report Card

The bf is out of town. This is what I came home to:

"Ender rolled in some really gross stuff on the trails today. I hosed him a lot but I don't have shampoo in the car, so I wouldn't cuddle with him tonight. He got the stuff all over both his collars too, which I hosed too, but probably smell a little."

Um, does Ender not know that when the bf is away, he's numero uno cuddle buddy? Geez!

New Dog Park in Oakland

I subscribe to the listserve for our District. And yes bf makes fun of me for that. But if I didn't, we would miss such awesome news such as a new dog park in Oakland:

SAVE THE DATE!!!

EAT PLAY-BARK @ Jefferson Square Park!

Hi Neighbors!

Get ready for...... EAT-PLAY-BARK @ Jefferson Square Park!!


Please save Saturday, November 20th, 11-2pm for a community potluck and party at Jefferson Park (7th and MLK)!!! (Rain Date: Dec 4th)


As you may have noticed, Jefferson Park has recently received a major much needed face lift. New improvements include a big and little dog park, new basketball court, and a brand new fenced in tot lot area. Since it's not everyday our neighborhood gets a new park, Old Oakland Neighbors, in partnership with Oakland Parks and Recreation, Council member Nadel's office, the Oakland Redevelopment Agency, and the Oakland Dog Owners Group (ODOG) are planning for a fun-filled afternoon. The goal of the event is to bring the Old Oakland and Oakland dog owner community together to celebrate and publicize Oakland's newest tot lot and dog run. Mark your Calendars!!


Join us for a:

- Neighborhood Pot Luck

-Children's activities

-Playground games

-Plant exchange

-Dog vendors & Parade



What to Bring:

-yourself, your family, your neighbors, and your dog

-a food dish to share

-plants or cuttings to share/swap

-lawn chairs, if you have them


This is a community and volunteer led event, with in-kind support from the City of Oakland, so please let me know if you're interested in volunteering. We will need help with setup, hosting duties during the event, and cleanup. More details to follow.


Sincerely,


Tiffany

Old Oakland Neighbors

tiffanyeng@sbcglobal.net

It's Fall!

Last weekend, as we were driving back up from LA in anticipation of cooler weekend, we were met with a sizzlin' 96 degrees in Oakland at 4 PM. This weekend, we were met with the first showers of the season, which mildly freaked the dogs out a little. However, in celebration of Fall, here is one of my favorite photos taken at the Berkeley Marina.

Return of the Ender

Ender was returned to us looking like this. I do not understand how he possibly got this dirty.

Road Trip: Santa Monica

Me and the little one on the beach in Santa Monica.

Road Trip: Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha going to do when they come for you?

"So I pull over to the side of the road
I heard 'Son do you know why I'm stoppin' you for?'
Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low?"

One morning, I was waiting outside of Starbucks with Barksdale while the bf and his family were inside. Two police officers came out of Starbucks and slowly ambled to their car. They kind of stopped near Barksdale and I and I could feel some sort of commentary coming.

Seeing as it was 7am and I was still in my pjs and I am not a big chatter in the mornings, I really wasn't in the mood for conversation. But they asked if Barksdale was a pit and puppy, and yadda yadda. And then, of course, they got to the unsolicited advice. One of the officers advised me very matter of factly that I shouldn't be using a prong collar as it makes dogs aggressive.

I kinda went hmmm...and then said something like "well we've tried several different things and we find that using the prong collar is the best tool for now." And then proceeded to look away, which in my opinion is a very strong "I'm done having this conversation."

But then they continue to repeat the SAME SENTENCE over and over about how prong collars make dogs (or PITBULLS) aggressive, assuming that if they repeated it enough, I would say "of course officers, you guys are so right, I now see the light and will not use the prong collar any longer!" And I didn't really want to get into an education speech of why we do use the prong collar.

What I did want to do was yell "Do you realize how long it took us to get to this point?!?!?" We have gone through a regular nylon collar, gentle leader easy walk harness, halti, choke chain. Our training philosophy has evolved as we continue to learn and as the dogs continue to grow. Ideally, in a few years we would not need to use a prong collar, but until that time, the thing that enables us to maintain control when they're lunging at a barking dog is the prong collar.

Normally I'm fine chatting with random strangers, but I do not respond well when authority figures talk down to me. Sometimes I am amazed that I am able to hold a job.

Road Trip: Oakland to LA

If anyone is making a road trip between the Bay Area and Los Angeles in the next month, I highly recommend a stop in Kettleman City. Two reasons:

1. In-N-Out Burger

2. The area next to the In-N-Out is being graded for something. Therefore, there is an expanse of giant flat dirt to play catch in, which is awesome after stuck in the car with a puppy for three hours.

Death of an Area Rug

The rug in the living room has officially died. We purchased it about two years ago and has held up remarkably well for the price we paid for it. The last straw was when Barksdale peed on it Sunday. We were already talking about getting rid of the rug as there were two bald spots on it already from where Barksdale chewed off the wool. This incident just gave us the final push to replace it.

The original rug we had was a DwellStudio for Target rug that we purchased on sale. Since it was on sale, I didn't mind splurging for shipping. The total came out to be about $50 for a 5x8' 100% wool rug. Now that's what I'm talking about.

The other reason why it was so inexpensive was because it's marketed as a rug for a baby's room. After looking through Target's other rug offerings, it seems that babies apparently have better taste than grown ups. Anyway, now we are currently contemplating what to do with the living room. The possibilities are as follows:

1. No area rug
The awesomeness of not having an area rug is not having something that the dogs can potentially destroy. The not so awesome part is walking on the cold floor in the winter. Bleh.

2. New rug of similar quality and price
Man, it's hard finding a 5x8' rug for under $100. (Well, that is 100% wool and plush - girl's got some standards.) I looked through Target's website again and am currently contemplating another DwellStudio for Target rug. The cost is about $80 with potential for free shipping. (I love myself some free shipping.)



3. Flor tiles
The freedom to clean or replace one 19.7x19.7" tile of rug is very appealing. But I wonder how hard it is to move the tiles. I mean, if I wanted to move the rug, I would have to untack all the squares and re-tack them. I don't know if I'm ready for that level of commitment that is required to tacking stuff onto the floor. In addition, I like plush. Not office style carpet, PLUSH.

Decisions, Decisions.

Dogs and Kids

Ender likes to jump at people. It's one of his more annoying habits. We've been trying to break him of it since we first got him. Let's just say progress has been slow. Apparently, there has been some improvement as random strangers have been stopping us at the street saying, oh Ender's so good now! hahaha.

Before, Ender used to completely lose his shit when someone tried to pet him. It's like he has this sixth sense of when someone is thinking about it and and he'll just go for it with all legs up in the air. Now he can at least maintain a sit for a few minutes. I can tell he's trying reaaally hard because after a while he starts shaking and then whining from keeping all the crazy in.

The weird thing is that he is completely fine with children. Which is good because children LOVE him. I've often theorized why Ender is fine with kids. It might be that we are hyper vigilant of his behavior during these interactions, but it might also be that most kids who want to pet Ender are absolutely fearless.

Anyways, based on our previous experiences, I have come up with some advice for kid+parent and dog interaction:

Step 1: Ask for permission
In an ideal world, everyone should ask. However, as a parent, you especially need to ask. This sets a good example for your child so that they can ask on their own and it also allows the owner to say no or lay down some ground rules. We tell people that Ender will lick their child's excessively and if they don't like that or if it scares their child, then they shouldn't pet him.

Step 2: Don't hover
If you already gave your child permission to pet the dog, don't hover around nervously. That makes it an unpleasant experience for everyone, including the dog. When the parent is nervously hovering in the background, it makes me unsure (wait, should I say no? should I walk away?) and the the dog unsure (wait, lick, not lick, half lick?) and we will probably not enjoy your child's presence very much.

Step 3: Help facilitate initial kid/dog interaction
I enjoy parents who help facilitate initial kid/dog interaction. Mostly it's because small children weird me out a little and I don't feel like I should be the one disciplining your child. Some examples include "no honey, you can't ride that doggy like a pony" or "no baby, you shouldn't try to poke that doggy in the eye."

Step 4: Offer up some encouragement
Some kids get really shy when it's time to step up and actually do the petting. Parents need to either seize the moment and give a little encouragement or just walk away. Nothing is worse when you have the parent going "come on, it's okay, come on, go, it's okay, come on, it's okay, come on come on...." and the kid is beginning to resist more and more. Because that just leaves me and Ender sitting there feeling awkward.

Step 5: Let your kid enjoy the moment
Once your kid has pet the dog without getting its face bitten off and has established some kind of rapport with the dog, it's okay to just let them do their thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm still watching like a hawk and you should too, but sometimes the conversation is just between the kid and dog, so who am I to interrupt.

Product Review: Chuckit! Ball Launcher

The dogs received a Chuckit for Christmas last year and now we just leave it in the car trunk so we'll have it whenever we go anywhere. We currently have the original compact ball launcher (18") and we are pretty happy with it. The launcher is classified as "mid range" which is far enough for our dogs. It can basically launch a ball across a practice soccer field with some elbow grease.

Before we got the Chuckit ball launcher, we actually purchased a generic one which worked just as well. That one was a longer one (25-26") and because of that had the ability to launch the ball farther. It worked just as well until it cracked and we had to chuck it (har har).

Here are my pros and cons of a compact ball launcher versus a long ball launcher:

Compact Ball Launcher (18"):
Pros: Small enough fit into a backpack, launches ball far enough where I won't die trying to look for the ball when the dogs lose track of it
Cons: Have to bend down to scoop the ball into the launcher

Regular Ball Launcher (25-26"):
Pros: Can launch ball with less effort, can scoop ball into launcher without having to bend down as much
Cons: Increases potential to lose balls

And on a random note, I feel that the Chuckit we own has a weird grip. I know that they have different Chuckit ball launcher models, the "ergonomic" or "comfort grip," but doesn't having those models just acknowledging the fact that the original model isn't ergonomic? Anyway, I remember liking the grip of our generic ball launcher way more. Therefore I would recommend going to the store and checking all of them out to see which you like better.

Owning this thing humbles us. We've had this thing for almost a year and yesterday I almost hit myself in the face with ball. When the bf first tried it, he launched the ball really hard which of course bounced off the side of his parents house back towards his face. Luckily, we both still have our noses in tact.

Anyway, since I've posted photos of the Chuckit in a previous post, I leave you with a picture of the dogs with Ender doing his best class picture fake smile.

Product Review: Trader Joes Plush Bone Toy

Trader Joes is kind of a cross between your corner store and the grocery store. It's small enough where one can circle the entire store in less than 15 minutes but large enough where they sell raw refrigerated meat that has not expired. Granted they don't carry any of your standard name brands (um, coca cola) except in their liquor aisle, it's a pretty good place to get your groceries. However, they do have this annoying habit of carrying something that you will like a lot only to pull it from their shelves after three months because nobody else likes it (for the love of god, bring back the pad thai mix!!).

They have a fairly small pet section but one day as I was perusing the aisles, I came across this stuffed toy bone.



The dogs have a sordid history with plush animal toys. They like to go for the eyes within the first five minutes and then it's over. I figured we should try this since it didn't resemble any living creation. (Yes, I firmly believe that plush animals resemble living creatures.) In addition, the exterior of the bone was made of 100% wool.

So what else did Barksdale do, but try to skin the thing.

Product Review: Bumi Toy

I purchased the Bumi toy purely based on its shaped. Having gone through four sets of rubber rings, I was determined to find something that would last longer. In addition, it is eco friendly, 100% recyclable, and billed as extremely durable.



Ender loved it. He would fling it in the air and let it fly. Barksdale unfortunately slowly nibbled away at it until it broke.



The makers of the Bumi offer a one-time free replacement or refund if the toy breaks. However, if one has to pay for shipping to ship it back, is it really free? hmmm...

Car Dilemna

I am in the market for a new car. Right now, I'm tooling around in my parent's old 1994 Nissan Sentra. Due to parental nagging about driving around in a death trap without any air bags, I have started to proactively look for a new car. The idea of acquiring something else with a monthly payment which rivaled my school loans wasn't all that exciting but I have been wanting a new "household" car to drive the doggies around in. My Nissan isn't exactly the ideal car as I feel that it's too short for Ender to sit comfortably. The bf owns a Volkswagon Rabbit. Although it's only a two-door it is substantially roomier than my Nissan. I attribute it to the magical powers of a hatchback.

So as I started thinking about different cars, I concluded that my dream car was a Honda Element. The number one draw was the ability to hose down the interior. Can I get a hallelujah for easy clean up?

Honda Element


However, I came to realize that I cannot possibly acquire a car with only two doors. So then I started looking at cars similar to the Element which had four doors - the Toyota Scion and the Kia Soul.

Toyota Scion


Kia Soul (Okay, the dancing Hamsters did it for me)


Both had four doors but sadly I couldn't get past the ooglayness and lack of trunk space.

So I have arrived at my new dream car - a Honda CR-V. More specifically a new 2010 Honda CR-V EX 2WD. Now if only I can get someone to sell it to me for $22,000 without any dealer installed accessories. Sigh.

Honda CR-V

Report Card

Report Card for 9/23/10:

"Ender had a blast swimming today, although there was a moment when he first jumped in the bay, he went completely under water and I thought I might have to swim out and save him! Still learning how to swim."

Report Card

Ender's dog walker leaves a little report card at the end of his walk. It has info such as time dog left, time dog returned, where we walked, energy level, peed? pooped?, and room for additional comments.

Here is what it said for his 9/21/10 walk:

"Ender has a crush on Ursula the Akita (who is new to my group.) He was acting a little bratty today and I think he was trying to show off for her! I have a few pics of them I will post to flickr."

Her caption of the following picture reads:

"Ender just met Ursula the Akita today and he is in love"

My Baby in Flight

Photo courtesy of Doggy Lama Pet Care.

Sigh

I think this picture sums up Ender pretty well:



Photo courtesy of Doggy Lama Pet Care. (Who, quite frankly, rock for keeping us as clients.)

Product Review: Zukes Mini Naturals

I am on a constant lookout for bite size treats. Every treat I've come across, I either thought was too large and/or too much work/too messy to make into bite size pieces. Then I found a bag of Zukes Mini Naturals in a store, which are by far the most perfect tiny bite size treats I've ever come across.



These treats are fabulous in many ways. The treat is tiny enough where I can grab a handful and put them in my pocket. In addition, these treats are "wet" as in soft, moist, and most importantly STINKY enough to catch a dogs attention while outside. But at the same time, they aren't moist to the extent of hot dog juice or cheese so they are way cleaner and easier to work with.

These treats come in three flavors: peanut butter, chicken, and salmon.

Our first experience with Zukes wasn't actually all that pleasant. We tried the peanut butter flavor, which of course induced some major barfing from Ender. Not sure what brought that on, might have been too many treats, too much peanut butter, or the fact that Ender was still young.

Then we tried chicken flavor and although Ender ended up being fine with with it, the chicken flavor did not sit well with Barksdale and propelled us into epic poo/barf territory. Again, this might have been that we gave her too many treats, chicken allergy, or her age.

Anyway, as third time's the charm, we are currently using the salmon flavor which seem fine with both dogs. I have yet to find similar treats this size but if anyone knows of any, pass them this way!

Moments

When the bf and I were looking for dogs, we came across several groups that had dogs that we were interested in. Upon reviewing their requirements, we came to the conclusion that the only people that should ever own dogs are really old people or stay at home parents. Okay, maybe telecommuters as well. Oh, and students. (But I'm not sure students qualify as they are often poor.)

Anyway, we are the type of parents who work full time and crate our dogs. (Well, Ender has graduated to hallway space status but Barksdale still got to work on her pee/poo skills before she gets to taste freedom.) Usually I'm fine with that, but there are moments that I wish I didn't miss.

For example, Ender's dog walker took him to the Lake. And he swam. I have been dying, dying to see him swim but I had only felt comfortable letting him do that in a pool. We've taken him to the shoreline but I've never seen him full on swim before. I've also seen him fall into a swimming pool but that was more of a near-drowning moment. And unfortunately it was too cold at the bf's parents to jump in the pool and he wouldn't jump in without us doing it first. Anyway, that's my random thought of the day.

LOOK AT ME!!!

As I mentioned in a previous post, Ender's dog walker once likened us to tree stumps, based on the amount of attention he would give us when we were outside. He generally walks well with no pulling, but game over if he sees a squirrel, cat, dog, or person that looks like they are considering petting him. Then it's the pull, tug, whimper, lunge routine.

First of all, what a shot to the ego when you realize that your dog doesn't give a crap about you. (And that you might be far less interesting than a tree.) Then, complete and utter despair because really, how do you get your dog to pay attention to you when you personally think you are far more interesting than a tree?

His dog walker started us on clicker training and exercises where we would reward him for just looking at us.

Exercise #1:
Hold Treat to Face
Click when Dog looks at Treat (and Face behind Treat)
Treat to Dog
(This was a serious wtf moment, as in..why am I giving my dog a treat for looking at me when uh, he's SUPPOSED to be looking at me?)

Exercise #2:
Hold Treat to Face
Move Treat to Right/Left of Face
Click when Dog Looks at Face, not Treat
Treat to Dog

So after our initial wtf moment, we committed to the clicker training (because hey, we had nothing else) and Ender has gotten better at paying attention to us when we are outside. (Holy Moly, it frickin' works!)

We still have our moments, where he sees the squirrel before I do, before I get a chance to catch his attention. During those times, I literally have to place the treat in his mouth and let him lick it, and then bring the treat up to my eyes before he looks at me. And yes, sometimes that makes me feel like a crack dealer (first hit's for free!) but hey, they must be doing something right if the drug industry has lasted this long.

This photo is not photoshopped....

...I swear!

Product Review: Mendota Slip-Lead

This item is described as a "British Style Slip-Lead Leash and Collar in One." We purchased this on the advice of Ender's dog walker who said this item would give us more control when he started lunging at people.



Do you ever watch earlier episodes of the Dog Whisperer where he uses those $0.25 leashes or turns their regular leash upside down to use, and the leash always stays on the top of the dog's head? This doesn't happen in real life! Or maybe it only happens if you are Cesar Milan.

Anyway, this lead accomplishes that purpose, where it stays high on the dog's head, maximizing your control. There's a little leather tab on the lead which helps to hold the position. It's seriously like magic.

The jury is still out regarding this lead. We normally use a prong collar (I'll save that post for later) and originally Ender's dog walker advised having the Mendota lead for special cases where he jumps, but keeping his prong collar and regular lead as his usual walking attire. At that point, it was just too much stuff going on.

I've actually tried just using the Mendota lead for walks, but I'm not sure that this lead works well for Ender. Although the lead is extremely well made, the fact that the lead is shaped like a rope makes it harder to hold onto. In addition, it just doesn't feel as sturdy as the Planet Dog leash we have. A big part of this is probably mental on my end, but I like to feel secure when I'm walking a giant jumpy dog around the neighborhood.

Dog-Friendly Fashion

There was a moment in my life that I realized that I needed to dress the part for work. This moment occurred, believe it or not, during my internship in grad school. I was also living in Los Angeles at the time, so not having to walk anywhere helped expand my wardrobe options. I must say that my two years in Los Angeles allowed me to rock a fabulous wardrobe. Then I moved back to the Bay Area. That effectively cut many things, the most notable being heels, from my wardrobe. Two dogs later, my wardrobe has significantly downsized again. I had to learn some of these lessons the hard way but, hey now I know.

1. Wool Coats
If I can't put it in a bag, I don't need it. Wool coat = excess baggage.

2. Flip Flops
Ever been stepped on by an 80 pound dog? I have. It hurts like hell.

3. Dresses
Ever try wrangling a dog wearing a short skirt? I think I ended flashing half of Oakland.

4. Heavy Necklace
I prefer to keep all my teeth.

5. Sunscreen
I think I spent two weeks with my face in a slightly sunburned state before I realized, duh, I need to wear sunscreen

Nature, Point Isabel, and Albany Bulb

One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is that we are about a 10 minute drive from what I refer to as "nature." (For informational purposes, I'm a born and bred city girl and any area that doesn't have paved roads and a starbucks is what I refer to as "nature.") Some people like to go hiking. I like to shop. Some people like lush green scenery when they drive. I like to see city lights and building that's more than one story.

Two years ago, my response to anything that required me to be outdoors surrounded by trees, on a dirt trail far away from any kind of retail establishment, was a resounding "oh hell no." Then we got Ender. That was when I began to familiarize myself with the great outdoors. This is not to say I now like nature. But I now tolerate it.

Here are some of the places we've tried:

1. Joaquin Miller Park
This is an Oakland park nestled next to the Redwood Regional Park. Perfect for "nature" newbies like myself. It has a a separate big dog and small dog fenced in play area and paved walking trails that connect the north and south end of the park. It's close enough to the Redwood Regional Park so that when you get serious about this nature business, you can hike unpaved trails. That are like, dirt.

2. Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
I believe this to be the most popular of doggy spots. It's a place you can bring your dog and let them off leash. They have a cafe and a dog wash area for those times you forget the mountain of towels. The best thing about this area is that there's a part where you can only access with a pedestrian bridge. Which means, if your dog runs away, there's only one point of access to really run away. That is unless your dog is a swimming superstar. Then theoretically they can swim across the channel and really run away from you. The bad thing about Point Isabel is that sometimes there seem to be an inundation of douche bag owners. Just be prepared.

3. Albany Bulb
Interesting fact - this use to be a landfill and I believe still is somewhat a shantytown filled with homeless people who make cool art. I haven't ventured far enough to actually find said town or art but many people have. This is also an area where you can let your doggies offleash. The most awesome thing about this area is that there is something for everyone here: open fields, trails, and beach. Yes, a beach with sand. The bad thing about Albany Bulb is that if you have a crazy dog like Ender, he will want to run away from you to go play with the doggies on the beach. Oh, and you will occasionally run into some random homeless person who may or may not be on drugs while you are on a trail. Other than that, this place is pretty awesome.

Non Nature Extra:

4. UC Berkeley Campus
All hail the alma mater! The campus has the greatest fenced in soccer field where you can really work your chuckit!

Chuckit!

Sometimes your world gets rocked so hard that all you can really do there is sit and blink at your computer screen until the magnitude of what you have discovered sinks in.

I was browsing the Chuckit! website (which I inexplicably hadn't done until today) and I just discovered there is more than one type of Chuckit! ball launcher and more than one type of Chuckit! ball.

What??? I think I just lost half my paycheck browsing the site.

Product Review: Planet Dog Leash

Longest lasting leash thus far:

Planet Dog Hemp Leash with Fleece-Lined Handle




I bought this on a whim at a local pet store and this has been the sturdiest leash to date. This is the type of leash that makes you feel like you have a handle on your 80 pound dog when he starts lunging at a squirrel.

We had originally started off with the standard cheapo nylon leashes but that thing was so slippery, I had to start tying knots into the leash to prevent rope burn when Ender jumped. Therefore, I was interested in an alternative material such as cotton. When I saw hemp, I thought..eh, close enough, why not? The end result - it's awesome.

When we got Barksdale, I got lazy and bought her a leash that was the most similar to the Planet Dog at the big chain pet store. That leash was promptly shredded by Barksdale.

I have learned my lesson and Planet Dog leash number two is now on its way.

Product Review: Doggy Deodorant

My tolerance for dirt has increased dramatically since these two dogs. And I will be the first to tell you that my tolerance was pretty high to begin with. I must say, we kept Ender pretty clean when we first got him. Maybe that's why the bathtub ended up clogging. (We don't have a yard and we refuse to pay Pet Food Express $15 to wash our own dog.) But soon Ender started his dog walking adventures and we acquired a second dog that couldn't stop peeing and pooing on herself. It definitely went downhill from there. After washing poop off one dog, I could not gather the strength to wash another one knowing that in two days he would be caked in dirt anyway. Hence, no bath for Ender.

However brilliant that plan was, I failed to account for the fact that dogs smell. At first I tried pet wipes but soon realized that I would end up using the entire box if I wanted to wipe Ender down. I was in a pet store one day and (cue angels singing) I saw Earthbath Deodorizing Spritz. At this point, I was already an Earthbath fanatic thanks to their shampoo, but this was simply what my laziness ordered.

I purchased the Lavender Scent, which I find to be a bit strong. It masks dog stink fine but it also smells like, what the bf calls, old man deodorant. Next time, we'll go for the Tea Tree & Aloe.

Pet Vacations

Dude, this is cheaper than our regular dog boarding:

Luxury pet resort opening at Disney World
Associated Press
The Associated Press August 8, 2010 04:00 AM

Pluto never had it so good: The next major attraction to open at Walt Disney World won't be for the kids - it will be for the dogs. Best Friends Pet Resort, scheduled to open Aug. 27, will offer not just boarding, but also bedtime stories and a water park for dogs.

The luxury facility will accommodate way more than 101 Dalmatians. With more than 50,000 square feet of space, half of it outdoors, it has room for 270 dogs, 30 cats and assorted other animals, including birds, potbellied pigs and small mammals like hamsters and guinea pigs. (Sorry, no turtles, snakes or lizards.)

Standard indoor boarding for dogs runs $37 nightly. Upgrades for dogs include vacation villas with outdoor patios and flat-screen TVs for watching videos like "Homeward Bound" ($59), or 226-square-foot luxury suites ($76) with private outdoor play yards and personal pet concierges.

Cats can choose between two- and four-story condos.

Product Review: Doggy Shampoo

I just realized that the doggy shampoo cost more than my own shampoo. huh.

Of course I started off with some cheapo brand shampoo (ahem, Fresh N Clean) but do you know how much shampoo is needed to wash a 80+ pound dog if it doesn't lather well? A whole lot.

Several free samples later, we are now using shampoo from Earthbath. The awesome thing about Earthbath is that they have fragrance free and hypo allergenic shampoos for those pets and petowners who are prone to allergies. I am partial to the Tea Tree and Aloe as it has the small hint of fragrance but not an overwhelming amount.



The best part about this shampoo is that it lathers like nobody's business. Because we were so used to having to use a large amount of our cheapo shampoo, we used the same amount of the Earthbath shampoo on our dogs. Needless to say, the doggies got some extra massage time as we worked out the extra lather.

For a price comparison, the Fresh N Clean Shampoo is about $0.55/oz while the Earthbath Shampoo is about $0.94/oz. Yes, the Earthbath Shampoo is almost twice as much which is why I initially went for the Fresh N Clean. But after using it, the Earthbath comes out to be so much cheaper because you have to use so much less of it.

And FYI, Ender and Barksdale's mama uses Johnson's & Johnson's Baby Shampoo which comes out to about $0.29/oz.

Under Seige

I was taking Ender on his morning walk and as we rounded the corner, I noticed a woman training two small dogs on the opposite corner. I rounded the corner quickly to minize the amount of time Ender had to obsess and thought we were well on our way when I hear a jingle jingle. When I look up, I see one of the small dogs running across the street at us. It was a classic fight or flight moment. Or more like sit or flight moment. Do I put Ender in a site and hope that he doesn't lose his shit when the dog comes near? Or should I walk away and risk getting chased?

I choose the former and put Ender in a sit and kind of brace for impact. All the while, the woman is yelling something from across the street, somewhat resembling a "don't worry he's frieeeennndddllyyy." She calls the dog's name, which makes the dog stop IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. Eventually the dog runs back to her and Ender and I continue on our merry way. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her continue her walk up the street with the dog which still has NO LEASH on.

WHAAAAAT??

Product Review: Pooch Planet Dog Bed

We've gone through several dog beds in our short time of pet ownership. One of Ender's favorite has been this random on sale dog bed from Pet Food Express. He has gone through two of them. He slowly eviscerates them by chewing the zipper off first and then eating the stuffing.

However, my all time favorite dog bed is a Pooch Planet dog bed. The bf's sister gave Ender one as a Christmas present last year and I cannot begin to express my love for it. The cover consists of two different materials. One side is this microsuede-esque material and the other side is poly. And it's this special kind of comfort meets durability that you only dream about. In addition, there is easy disassembly for washing. So obviously Ender ate the zipper off of his first pooch planet dog bed and there began my hunt for a replacement.

I managed to find the manufacturer's website http://www.worldwise.com/poochplanet.html and this is what their online retailer list looks like:

www.amazon.com
www.petco.com
www.petfoodexpress.com
www.petsmart.com
www.samsclub.com
www.target.com
www.walmart.com

I can tell you right now that not one of those websites sell the Pooch Planet dog beds. I even emailed Worldwise to ask them to send me an updated list (um, which I have yet to receive a reply to, thankyouverymuch). I sporadically kept my eye out for this object of desire whenever I was at Target or Pet Food Express but luck was never on my side.

At this point, my desperation hit some sort of peak and we went to Walmart. And behold, there was the bed.



Ender I am a happy camper now.

Regurgitation versus Vomitting

So apparently there's a difference. I didn't know that. Until Ender ralphed yesterday. That was preceded by a poo in the hallway. I swear, those dogs are falling apart. Again, the culprit here is unknown. It could either be the transition to new dog food or too many Zuke's training treats. Either way, I had the pleasure of seeing the contents of his stomach three times yesterday. The things I learned about Ender are:

1. He can fit a lot of crap in his stomach
2. He does not chew his food thoroughly
3. He might eat too quick for his own good

And on a random note, does size matter? Ender's old kibble was HUGE. Theoretically, the larger kibble would encourage Ender to eat slower and chew. After seeing the contents of his stomach last night, this does not seem to be the case. So if he doesn't chew, would smaller kibble be better?

Sometimes I feel like I spend a lot of time thinking about things like this. Way too much time.

sniff sniff

Some people wake up to the smell of coffee. I wake up to the smell of poo. Admittedly I totally brought this onto myself. I've been trying to figure out what to stuff Barksdale's Kong with and I don't think I'm having any success. Last time the bf went out of town, I stuffed her Kong with all kinds of goodness including peanut butter, natural balance lamb roll pieces, banana, sweet potato, and uh...steak. That set off some epic pooing that has scarred the bf for life. I attributed the epic to chicken apple sausage and vowed that she would never taste chicken again.

Thinking I had learned my lesson, I whittled my Kong stuffing list down to three ingredients:

1. Peanut Butter (I wasn't going to take any chances so I've been using Trader Joe's no sugar no salt peanut butter)
2. Her kibble
3. Chunk of Natural Balance Lamb Roll

But she still poo'd!

So now I'm not sure if it's too much peanut butter (I've limited this to half a spoonful) or the Lamb (sizable chunk but nothing too crazy). But if it's both, what am I going to stuff her Kong with? I need answers internet! Answers!

Dear Pug Owner

When I'm walking across the street and make my dog sit down because I can see your dog pulling insanely on the leash toward me, please do not let your dog pull you towards us and please do not let your pug sniff my dog in the face because your pug will get rocked.

Thanks.

Product Review: Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover

The best piece of advice my friend Anna has given me thus far - BUY THIS. The miracle is that it really neutralizes the smell of pee. Once we ran out of Nature's Miracle and had to use regular household cleaner. Following that unfortunate incident, we made the decision to upgrade from this:



to this:

whyyyyyyyyyyyy

8:00 a.m. Cleaning pee from the elevator floor while being intercepted by two neighbors. whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

The Dirty Little Secret

Somtimes, it just feels good to know that other people are going through the same thing you are: http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/what-have-you-done-to-keep-your-pet/

Mama said there'll be days like this...

...There'll be days like this Mama said.

Weeks like this make me wonder why anyone in their right mind would ever get a dog. Barksdale has been pooping in her crate for the past two days and peeing in the hallway. Ender has been acting a fool, trying to run across the street to play with off leash dogs on our walks and not greeting people nicely.

Sigh.

Toy Review: Everlasting Treat Ball

In theory, this should be just as exciting as the Kong. It was for a while, until we left Ender alone with the Everlasting Bento Ball for the afternoon and he ate the WHOLE thing. And then proceeded to hurl everywhere. Everlasting my ass.

Before:

After:

Because we didn't want to clean up green barf every weekend, we hid that toy safely in the back of the drawer. However, his dog walker did recommend another product called the Everlasting Fun Ball. We use it to feed him his meals, as the dog walker says it might help him with his ADHD. We've used it for about two weeks now and it is still intact. However, the dirt factor is very high with this one as kibble bits are now strewn all over our hallway.

Everlasting Fun Ball: