She loves the Jolly!

Neeko discovered the Jolly ball last night.

She was in heaven. Our Jolly still has the rope attached and she was tugging at the rope and dragging the ball around in the yard.

She started to come out of her shell last night. She was zooming ALL over the house and all smiles. It is so good to see her like that.

She is not too hip on her crate so I am starting to throw the kong in there with her - hoping she starts to enjoy her crate - yea right. Hopefully, she will eventually love it and voluntary go into it like Miss Maddie does.

The Name Game

Here is another photo of the girl.
I am really torn as to what to name her.

Neeko - comes from Nicholas - comes from Nike (NY-kee) Greek goddess of victory, speed and strength. I LOVE the meaning of her name. It can have such great meaning in her life, ( to overcome any issues from her early life and in the flyball lane)

Nykee (NY-kee)- Because of the above...

Snap - I just really like that name for a dog and hoping she will 'snap" off the box. I used that for a day, but it did not seem to fit her

Boogie - I have never seen a dog that wiggles her butt as much as her (Maddie comes close)but she is always wiggling her butt and it's looks more like she boogies instead of walks when she comes to you shaking the junk in her trunk!

She play bows a lot too. Wonder if there is a name I can come up for with that....Hmmm

She has gotten the zoomies a few times. Maybe Zoom?

She is also very chatty. She talks to people and barks at them (no she isn't HA). Someone told me I should name her Hilary since she is so chatty - LOL

Zing is pretty cool too. A friend called me yesterday cause she heard that name and thought it would be cool

I am going to give it a good week until we decide. i want to see more of her personality before I pick her official name.

Routine

So, our house is out of routine.

With a new addition, and me starting a new part time job, we are all out of sorts. I need to figure out a routine we are all comfortable with and that works well for all of us - humans included.

I know how important routines are to dogs, so I better figure out one fast.

Neeko has been coming to work with me the past few days and will so tomorrow also. It's important she come to bond with me and so i can watch her for any health issues she might have due to her transition. I also want to do short play times with her. She is such a chatter box and very very sweet. She is also in love with our cat Socks. They play and play....I swear he thinks he is a dog!

Ok Universe - get to work so things become harmonious with our new routine. - pretty please ;)

WW - Holy Ears Batman!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Miss Maddie

Maddie turned 3 yesterday. Happy Birthday baby girl.

Maddie - You and I have come a very very LONG way together. And all I can say to you is "thank you". We are very blessed to have you in our home.

Tonight, we dine on your Birthday pizza!!!!!!!!!!!

We are back

We arrived home safe last night about 2:30 am. It was a very very long weekend. Yesterday, we did not leave the tournament site till almost 9:00 pm. Thank God Starbucks in Cedar was open. I drove most of the way, and then once we hit Nephi - I could not do it anymore. I am very grateful Socrate's Mom, Aimee, was willing to drive the rest of the way.

Utah Tail Blazers took 2nd place in our divisions both days. We even set a new club record!
We had some green dogs that did amazingly well on their singles runs and their team debuts.

Jake ran well, despite the fact he was dropping one of his rear legs on Sunday. We have lots of work to do this winter. I, on the other hand, could count on two hands my number of early passes. I just wasn't in the zone on passes this weekend :( I was really really OFF the mark......Kind of a personal bummer. Yea, I know I am being hard on myself, but that is what I do.

To read all about this past weekend, check out the Utah Tail Blazers Blog.

I will not discuss this weekend

I will not discuss this weekend.

Why ? Because last time I blogged about it all week and we were almost unable to go...So I am NOT going to jink myself or Jake by writing about how excited I am about where we are going and what we are doing.

I will not...I won't....I will not...As much as I want to, as much as it is killing me, I won't........

lol

But i will share a little brag with you....Go to the below link and look under recent events;
Make sure you read it all the way ;)
http://www.coursealure.com/events.html

WW -Just call me Carry.......Halloween '05

Second annual Pit Bull Awareness Day!

Did you know that this Saturday, October 25th is the second annual Pit Bull Awareness day? And who deserves it more than these dogs?

For more information on the inspiration behind this movement as well as way to get involved, go to blessthebullys.com.

Join other pit buddies and be a voice for these amazing dogs

Just got the above via email...I knew it was coming up. Lots of events all over the USA. Maddie thought it was all about her - parties and parades in her honor for her third birthday, which is Sunday...

Jake does it again!

On Sunday, Jake took home the fastest dog at Course A Lure for that day. He even beat his Saturday time. He ran a 10.63.

w00t! WAY TO GO!

Thanks Jake for being such a great dog - such a fast boy. Now bring some of that speed on your return in the flyball lane! hehehehehe

love,
Mommy

Go Jake Go!

We are really blessed that Course a Lure is a local dog event. It is such a fun event for the dogs. I love watching all the different breeds run the course. But the best, is when the "light" goes on for some of the dogs that were just a little to shy of the lure in the beginning.

The first time we went, I thought for sure Jake would have no interest chasing a lure.
I have never been more wrong in my life!

I don't mean to brag, but who was the fastest boy in the West at CAL today? My Jakie! 10.99..

Check out this photo the photographer got of Jake today.

Look at that smile, and look at his tail. And those ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To see all those better, just click on the photo - it will enlarge. You can even see his teeth - lol

This photo really captures who Jake is......................What he is all about - his essence..

Love you Jakie boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Course A Lure Weekend!

w00t!

Course a Lure will be at the HS of Utah this weekend. We are stoked....

If you are in Salt Lake, come have some fun with your pup this weekend.
4242 S 300 W
Saturday 10-6
Sunday 10-3

As you can see from the below photos, I have to force Jake to run the Course - NOT!

I told him this morning - "Course a Lure" this weekend. Ears went up and the wiggles began..... I said it a few more times and the barking began. Then I told him "later".....He wasn't too happy with that part.....


\

Bad day

But it could be worse right? I could be doing the below...Makes me feel better about today.

WW - Where is your tunnel?

Our "dog" Socks

Tricked ya didn't I? LOL

Socks thinks he is a dog, but he is actually a cat. Billy found him on a construction site about a year ago. He was about to get run over by a dump truck. Here is his kitten photo


Why does he think he is a dog? Well, maybe because he was pretty much raised by Miss Maddie. She has bonded to him and I have even caught them cleaning each other. They play and play. They also cuddle.
It's funny. Jake and Zoe are fine with Socks. He pals around and hangs out with all the dogs. The other cat - has nothing to do with the dogs. But, not Socks - he tries to get in the mix with the dogs. Follows them around and mimics their behaviors....

Either way, I am glad Maddie has her own baby to take care of....

I found our new item for Christmas this year

Look what K-mart has for Christmas! I am so excited!

I have been looking for a carousel for a while. I would love an older one - one that looks like a carousel you would find at a carnival - with the old decorated horses. But I can't find one.

So guess I will settle......

Snow and death of a camera

We woke up to a little snow! It was light - but snow none the least....I always love the first few snowfalls. If it's going to be cold, I want snow.

I bundeled up Maddie in her coat and we went to the big park at the end of the street (yes she was on a long line). It was early enough that no one else was out - call me crazy. She deserves to romp in the snow on a long line.....She loves it. We played a little catch and she did not want to go back to the car. Her long legs were shivering, but she did not care. PLAY MORE MOM!

I took Jake and Zoe down afterward to play tug. That is their toy in the snow. Funny that they enjoy tug more in the snow than on a regular basis. Zoe plays on and off inbetween running and scooping snow up in her mouth. I swear how can you run and eat snow at the same time? Guess it's one of her hidden talents.
Here are a few photos of snow tug from last year





Oh yea, death of a camera. So I took the camera with me to take photos of Maddie....I slipped going to the car and droppd the camera on the concrete. It is still functioning, but when I go to take a photo the viewer is black. There looks like there is a small crack on the lense. I am going to take it to Inkley's this afternoon. Hopefully it is fixable. If not, I will have to contact Pentax and send it off to be fixed. I am sure it will cost me an arm and leg.

Winter Wear Cleaning

I have a chest that I keep all my winter wear in; gloves, scarves, hats etc. I also keep dogs toys and collars in there.

Guess with Snow (yikes!) being in the forecast, it's time to wash them. It's embarrassing, but they do smell like wet dog - LOL!!!!

I should also clean my house, being it's another rainy Saturday. But well, I just can't find the willingness to do it!

Doesn't Ann mean Grace???????

You would think since my name is Ann, which means "grace", I would have some.....
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank God flyball has only one pivot involved during the run - lol

Maddie is sososososo good - she is really a very athletic dog. Watch her take one hop in between the jumps - how she pushes off with her hind legs. She also has a very pretty arc - imho. She is also very fast -and can turn on a dime, if her handler knows how to turn.

I on the other hand...well - She is very very in tune with me, which causes problems.....All I can do is laugh at myself and sing in my head "weebles wobble but they don't fall down - " YET!!!!!!!!!!!!



Swing arms Swing!

Random shots

I was cleaning out my camera and here are some shots that were on there

Jinga - The cat that adopted us and our neighbor across the street. He is outdoors (and fixed). He has been going between our homes since 07. He had tags and we both called the number on the tag numerous times, and spoke with the owner. Jinga did not get along with their indoor cat so out he went. We left our phone number with the owner to contact us about what to do. Guy never called back. He is now fed and warmed (Billy built him a little bed and he has boxes with sleeping bags too), which we have been doing since he showed up last fall. We tried again recently to call his owners, and phone number was disconnected. So, we got Jinga a new tag with our phones numbers on it. Every morning, after I let the dogs out, I go into the garage and he is sitting on the steps waiting for his breakfast. He is a very sweet guy.

Halloween lights - stupid camera. I just can't get a decent shot.

Maddie and Zoe - again stupid camera. I even had the flash on!

This one cracks me up!

My devil

I was saving that for a WW, but - it is perfect for today. Zoomies at 5:40 am!

So, this morning, we are up at 5:15. Drag the girls outside to potty (because they decided this week - it's too cold for early am potty for their precious little selves). Separate dogs so they can get thier treats, joint meds, and oatmeal. Feed them. Ahhh. I think - relax for 20 minutes with a good cup of coffee before getting ready to work..

Miss Maddie - the devil has - other ideas. The girl was full of piss and vinegar this morning! Zoomies begin and so does play with the cat. Cat isn't interested so her attention turns to Zoe. Zoe isn't a morning girl - and of course, doesn't want to participate. Back to full swing Zoomies for Miss Maddie. She finally runs out of gas and jumps into bed with her Dad....

Never a boring morning with my little Devil......

WW - a winter toy

Jake's kidneys

YEA!!!!!!!!

His microalbumin level was 0.00. That means his kidney's are a ok! Everything else was completely normal - with the exception of his PH.

She said he has the PH of a cow - lol. It was 8 and normal range was 6.2-6.5. His PH is too alkaline. It needs to be more acidic. I have to give him a few drops of lemon juice in his food for the next two weeks and then retest using some PH strips.

I am just so grateful his kidneys are ok. Now, I need to get Zoe done, but have to wait till I can get back up there and have some extra cash.

Jake says "YEA - See I told you I was ok!"

Natures Logic CEO called me!

I just received a call from owner and CEO of Nature's Logic; Scott Freeman. I called on Sunday and left a message. The recent bag had darker kibble; hence Miss Maddie's poo was darker and squishier than normal. I was sad because this is really the only food that works for Maddie.

HOLY COW! Never had a CEO of a food company call me. What wonderful CS they have

He said it was new equipment that did not grind the ingredients as fine as before; hence darker and courser kibble. It is 4% lower in moisture than older lots. So, you are getting more nutrients in each kibble; hence not needing to feed as much. I will need to feed Maddie less than her normal amount, which might help with her poops. he said to add water - which I already do. He said it would take a few weeks for the darker kibble to work itself out of the system and they are altering the machinery to go back to the lighter color.

I asked him about sources for their chicken (as I heard they changed). he said their sources change (which scared me). But the get their chicken meal from Tyson or MBA and chicken is always hormone and antibiotic free.

They are sending me a few coupons.

Wish I would of suggested in the future, they need to alert consumers to the changes. You would think they would compare new lots with older lots and seen the change in color.

My source for the product is looking to see if they have an older lot of the food so I don't have to go thru the whole mushy poo issue especially since she has intestinal issues.

New forum to lurk at!

Maddie's kibble, Natures Logic, has changed color - gone to dark brown. I googled it yesterday to see if anyone noticed a change. One result was from a Labrador Retriever Chat board.

I am in heaven. I LOVE IT! I could look at photos of the labs all day long. So excited to find a new forum to discuss my wonderful lab mixes. There are even a few people from Utah on the board

YEA!

Girls and the Rain

Oh,.,,what babies my girls are. It rained here all day yesterday - and this morning too. It's also cold out.

Maddie won't go out - not even on the deck. She barks to go out and when I grab the lead to let her out, she backs away and gives me the "no way in hell look". Zoe will, but won't step off the deck. I finally lured Maddie out and she urinated on the deck. Maddie doesn't enjoy the cold, wet weather. We had this issue all last year - she is worse than Zoe. They both love to swim but cold wet weather is a turn off. Then again, they love the snow - such picky girls!

They are such princesses!

So this is what they have been doing all morning

Oatmeal for the dogs

So we started our morning oatmeal routine yesterday.

Our vet suggested giving it to Jake for extra carbs...Well, I can't give it to Jake and not the girls. So, the girls are getting 1/3 a cup in the morning...I am only giving 1/3 because Zoey has to watch her figure and she does not really need extra carbs. Jake will eventually get a cup, but starting him off at 1/2.

Needless to say, they love it! I only made a little yesterday just in case they decided it was awful. I, of course tasted it, and darn it's good!

So, now I need to make a batch to get a thru a few days. I bought the type my vet recommended; Instant -McCann's Irish Oatmeal and them Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats (not instant). So, I will finish the instant and then more to Bob's which I have to slave over the stove cooking - lol

Jake's Vet Visit

I tool Jake in to get a chiropractic adjustment at our holistic vet yesterday. We also discussed his Rimadyl party.

She does a thermo scan on the dogs prior to the adjustment. His hot spots were very different than his normal hot spots. His sacrum and pelvis were out of line too.

She asked me if I was doing something different. And I have. We have been playing Frisbee instead of ball and he jumps too much because I sometimes throw it too high. She suggested no more Frisbee b/c of the way his body changes - well I can play frisbee just all throws must be low to the ground. I guess I can do that - but I am an awful thrower. So, maybe we neeed to find a new toy - back to the tug for play. I have a resentment with tugs - probably b/c I can't get Jake to love it enough to drop the ball for the tug during flyball. Like it's the tugs fault! LOL

We decided to do a UA with a microalbumin test on Jake. This is for the Rimadyl party. But the UA is a much more comprehesive test than my regular vet gives - it covers a lot things. We decided to do the UA and microalbumin b/c she said kidney issues show up in urine way before it would in a blood test. It takes 75% failure of the organ before it will show up in a blood test. So, we will know the results Sunday. If there are issues, we will start him on some herbs right a way. I am going to have them run a test on Zoe too as soon as I can get some urine back up there and she is back in town.

She also wants Jake to gain weight - more carbs and fats - especially during his working season. So, I have to start giving him a cup of oatmeal in the morning.UGG I HAVE TO COOK! And giving him regular innova mixed in with his Evo. Give it a good month or so and see if he put on a few pounds.

All in a paycheck I say - lol
So, pins and needles, pins and needles this weekend. Paws crossed he gets a clean bill of health.

Girls at play

WW - Owww that flash hurt Mom Lady!