Sunroofs are for Dogs!

Keeping with the advent of Spring, dogs certainly love the breeze blowing in their hair, the sun across their face and racing in the wind. We all probably know that most dogs love the first rite of Spring with the ride in the convertible, guess what, sunroofs in cars allow bigger dogs that same treat. My dog can't wait to raise her head regally through the sunroof as soon as the weather turns to warmth.
She's proud and smiling all around town. She's a lucky dog! (Yet, don't forget to still strap her in)! Yippee

Spring is for the Dogs!

Does your dog do this? Everything is beginning to bloom. Flower beds are filling in and the browns of nature are now turning green and nature is alive and bold. The pristine beauty of Spring has a way of becoming blatantly disrupted if you have a pooch who tends to appreciate your plant and flower beds in a not-so appreciative manner. You know that kind of dog. The one who loves to dig, play in the dirt, bury bones and romp in the foliage.
Here's a few early spring tips to guard against that playful pooch who loves to turn your flower boxes into a sandbox.
1. Before you refresh your soil and mulch, add in a layer of chicken wire or plastic netting. Sprinkle small pebbles over it and cover with your fresh soil and dirt.
2. Get a bunch of thin, pointed wooden spikes and tamp down deep into the soil ever few inches apart filling your plant bed or box, cover with a fresh layer of soil.
3. I've heard dogs hate mint, so that's worth a try. And another option is black pepper sprinkled like a moat around the edge of your bed. At the very least it might cause your dog to sneeze a lot and want to stay away.
Of course, you can always train your dog to stay away from your flower and plant beds completely. Or designate one area in your allowed for digging and burying their bones. This would require some good persistent training as well. You can also put a small fence or barrier around your gardens to keep that pesky dog digger away. But if your dog is anything like my golden, the fence would probably be scaled, run over and ultimately dug along right out with the plants. I think this year, I'll try the pepper option. If anything it will be really fun to watch. Happy Spring!

Newfies Make Good Friends!

I have a new friend and his name is Pedro!  He is a year old Newfoundland or "Newfie" as I am told, and he is now my best buddy.  How lucky am I?  Well, right from the start when we became acquainted, I knew he was going to be a loyal friend.  And he enjoys all the same things I love.  We play "chase", "steal and dash" and "gang up" with each other.  I love that he gives up his toys easily to me and that I'm a much better catcher when we play ball!  And for a big guy, he is pretty fast on his feet!  So far we have had a lot of adventures.  We emptied the dirty dishwasher together and licked every single piece of silverware. Very tasty!  He is taller than me so he can get to those higher shelves in the kitchen and has found some awesome things to play with such as jars, bags, and containers of some great tasting stuff!  I'm not so sure Mama K and Mama P are very pleased but that's okay cause we are having the time of our lives!  And we do hear over and over from them how it is a good thing that we tire each other out.  And, best of all, it's rather nice not being the only one told over and over to get "down" or to "stop" or  "bad dog".  Because I'm faster, I can also get away from the scene first, so he gets the blame a lot more.  How great is that!

Pedro is a year old Newfoundland landseer adopted in January.  He is a big guy weighing almost 100 pounds!  He loves playing with his new friend Libby and when he has some downtime, he also enjoys walking, dog parks, riding in the car and playing in the yard...and oh yeah, lots of snuggling!