What is this thing?

He gets so curious when he sees me playing with the camera, he puts his nose up to it and then he sees the flash and it all comes back to him..its "THAT" thing. Oh no, didn't turn my head quick enough!!

Puparazzi!! No that isn't a typo, paparazzi is for humans, PUParazzi is for puppers!!

French Kissing

She has tongue and she knows how to use it! Last night when we were walking two pit bulls escaped from their house and came charging up to say hello. The owners were right behind, three adults came running out of the house and the dogs were caught without incident.

Sadie wasn't really interested in the dogs, however when their human came over to apologize and make sure everything was ok and say hello, he bent down to pet Sadie...not one to miss an opportunity she jumped up to meet him, sticking her tongue in his mouth as she did. I tried to say "careful she's a kisser" but I was too late, the guy in the corner house had been slimed, Sadie style!

Dieting for Doggies

Sadie:
Starting Weight: 58.5 pounds
Goal Weight: 55 pounds


My name is Sadie and I love to eat! People food is my favorite. If the humans are eating it, I want to eat it too. I've learned that certain whimpers make them think I'm starving or makes them feeling guilty and compelled to share. I don't care what it takes, I want their food. I've even resorted to stealing a fully cooked chicken breast from the counter and a sandwich from a plate on the coffee table. "hey if they didn't want me to have it, they shouldn't have left it where I can reach it" My hobbies include: going for walks, running through sprinklers, biting sprinklers, laying on the sofa, laying on the chair, begging for food, warming feet by laying on them, sitting in laps and french kissing everyone who dares put their mouth near mine. I'm only doing this diet because my human Mommy is making me. Yeah, Daddy still slips me extra treats every night but shhhhh don't tell Mom, I'm on a diet!

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Max:
Starting Weight: 48.5 pounds
Goal Weight: 45 pounds

My name is Max and I'm cute! I love to eat and people food is my favorite too but unlike Sadie who has to whimper, I've learned to communicate by staring at the humans and drooling until they hand over the food. Sometimes I have to pant a bit and prance around to make sure they know I'm there and waiting but I always get my food! My favorites are cheese, meat, vegetables and whipped cream. I love toast but only if it has butter on it. I love pizza but I won't eat it cold. I enjoy having my neck scratched and my belly rubbed. I truly believe the humans main job is to rub my belly. I roll over and they obey, works like a charm. Everywhere I go people think I'm a puppy because I'm short and cute and they let me get away with everything. My hobbies include: going for walks, playing outside, laying in the sun by day, staring at the stars and moon night, watching geckos, licking frogs, sleeping on the chair and sofa, patrolling the house, sitting in the front window and growling at everyone who walks by, barking should they get to close and running to warn the humans of intruders. I hate cats, cats are NOT allowed in MY yard! Unlike Sadie, I don't slobber on the humans but I do give kisses, especially to my human Mommy. I'm very protective of my family and I'm a good guard dog. They humans don't realize how much work it is being this cute. I love treats, bring on the treats. I'd do a flip for a treat. Don't tell our human Mommy but Daddy still gives us extra biscuits at bedtime every night. He is only supposed to give us two each, he gives us three.

But we're at the beach...

What do you mean we can't go swimming???

Sadie is looking up at Dad saying "but Dad we always go swimming at the beach" while Max eyes up the water and watches the fish jumping wondering if today will be the day one jumps into his mouth. We walked down to the beach the other day, it was about 85 but the water is still freezing. Of course they don't care, they are guppers after all, half guppy and half puppy.

And so we went to the vets...

Does this look like a cry baby face?
Could you ever believe that this sweet face is aggressive?

Yesterday at the vet was a disaster. We are under contract with Banfield's, we pay a monthly fee, Max and Sadie get all of their shots and exams covered. When we first signed up, I LOVED the vet and they loved the vet. Then they had a new vet for a few months. I didn't like him at all. Max and Sadie didn't like him either. After their last drop off visit with that vet, they hated going to the vets. Yesterday was no exception.

As soon as they saw where we were they both had their little anxiety bowel movement. TMI I know. Then we got inside and Sadie started acting like a wild woman. Jumping, trying to bite my hand, trying to bite the lead. Max wanted me to "hold" him. We got checked in, they weighed in and we were put in the little room and for the 45 minutes we were in there, Sadie whimpered. They both tried to sit on top of me. They both wanted on my lap.

First the vet tech nurse came in and they were skiddish. One by one I was able to put them on the table for an exam. Yes, the thermometer goes up the butt Max, I'm sorry. They did ok.

Then the new vet came in. They started barking and Max can't bark without growling. Its just what he does. He growls when he is playing too.

Then they start trying to bribe them with biscuits.

Then the vet starts questioning me as to what they are mixed with. I told him their story. Remember that the entire time Sadie is whimpering, jumping up on me from one side, Max is jumping up from the other side. It was complete chaos. So then he asks me if he just doesn't like Men and I said he has no problem with me, only when they are wearing hats do they not like them. Thats not completely true. Some people they just don't like, others they love. Kids they love. I said "he is just protective because he doesn't know if you will hurt me or Sadie"

So I put Max on the table and the vet starts to go up to him and then stops. Then he looks at me and says "I want to put a muzzle on him"

I guess the look on my face said it all. Max was already traumatized by being there and now he wanted to put on a muzzle? I said "this dog is NOT aggressive. If you could see him with the little children of the neighborhood who hug him, pull his ears and kiss his face and he just sits there wagging his tail loving every minute of it you would never ever call him aggressive"

So then the vet went to plan B. Offering Max a treat. The way to Max's heart is through his stomach. He took the treat and made friends with the vet and all was sort of ok.

Sadies turn on the table was just horrible. I had to HOLD her in place to keep her from jumping off the table. She was trying so hard to escape.

I just wonder what they did to them last time they were there with the old vet?

All was fine until it was time for the vet to leave the room, he dared shake my hand and Max started barking and growling at him all over again. He was sitting in the corner at the time, he didn't leave the corner. He didn't approach the vet. He just barked and growled.

So the vet says, from now on they should have their exams without me in the room.

Unfortunately we are under contract until January of next year and they have to go back again in April for a comprehensive exam. They will have another exam next fall. After that we are looking for a new vet. I'll interview as many as I have to find the right vet for my "children" I really liked Banfields at first but its just a revolving door of vets and I just have to wonder about the quality of care when the vet can't built a relationship with dog and can't recognize basic dog behavior. I really believe that the last vet did something to hurt them or scare them. I wish we would have canceled the contract after last October's visit.

Anticipation and an Ear Curl to Go

Lord Maxwell waits with anticipation for fun and games to begin...

I love the way their ears flop back and they are just oblivious to it for so long and then they realize it and start to shake their head to flop it back in place.

And from this side you can see my giant teeth...

For a smaller dog, Max packs a powerful CHOMP! A Chomp on this favorite dog toys that is. In this picture he is waiting patiently for Ken to throw the toy and he is waiting to pounce. Max is all heart, he is my protector, my defender and my 45 pound lap warmer. He is 100% boy, he loves to play catch, roll around in the sand and sit in the front window to growl at everyone who dares walk past our house. Heaven forbid a cat dare enter our yard! He hates cats! But with good reason, when he was just 5 weeks old, the neighbors cat smacked him on the nose and gave him a big hisssssssssssss for getting too close and too curious. Clearly dogs can hold a grudge.

This is OUR yard and this is MY toy

Max has his orange toy, Sadie has her tennis ball. They are happy puppies. I just walked outside and caught them wrestling and playing in the sand. When they heard me, they each dropped their toy and looked at me with very innocent looks as if to say...oh that wasn't us barking and fighting, it was some other dog...

Its Just A Little Sand

We were playing with the toy in the back yard and Sadie doesn't hesitate to dive right into the dirt, erm, sand and steal the toy from Max. Here you can see by the sand on her face that she has been quite successful in her quest for the title of tennis ball champion of the back yard. She has just given the ball to me and is waiting anxiously for me to throw it again so she can defend her crown.

Maybe some day we will have a full and plush lawn but thats unlikely while we live in Florida.

The Last Blade of Grass

Sadie and Max were quite upset to see a large section of "their" grass cut out of the lawn, however they have thoroughly enjoyed playing in the sand pit that remains. Oh that sand, we call that dirt here in Florida. I like to call Florida one giant ant hill. Often Max will sit outside staring at the ground and I'll go out and see he is actually watching the ants. We keep a close eye on our lawn to make sure we don't get fire ants that bite and leave behind a painful white hard bump.

In this picture Max had one of the last remaining bits of green between his paws and was sniffing it like a flower, of course he moved before I could grab the camera but still, I thought this was pretty cute. He is a true boy, he loves to be outside, he loves to roll around in the dirt and just sit in the grass (on the other side of the lawn) and soak up the sunshine.

Play Time For Puppies

My sweet innocent puppies play rough! Yes thats cute little Max showing his big bad teeth to Sadie as they determine who will walk away with the "toy" The thing is, he wants his orange Cuz, she wants the tennis ball and they both think the other wants their toy...time for a throw down puppy style!!


Sadie thinks she is getting the upper hand when Max falls to the ground but really, its his little plot to just lay there and bite her....

He is up again and they are both wanting their dog toys. Who will win?

And then they realize their "human" is watching and they stop and look all innocent. Look at Sadies (right) face, it looks like she is saying "He started it Mom"

Isn't the back yard lovely? We had a weed that took over a section of the back yard and flower beds, we won't use a chemical to kill them because the dogs like to play in the back so we use a natural weed killer that is puppy friendly but a weed killer. So in the mean time, our back yard is a big sand pit, there are a few stragglers left that need to be treated again and then we get ready for new sod in the spring and mulch and flowering plants in the flower beds along the house. Its quite a project and honestly I don't really like yard work that much but it had to be done, the back yard was looking like a jungle.

We still need to cut back the bougainvilleas and if you are familiar with bougainvilleas you know they are quite beautiful to look at but have long sharp thorns. They are starting to choke out the lemon tree and I need lemons more than I need pretty thorny flowering bushes.

I love to cook using the lemons from the tree and this year we only have about a dozen lemons. Luckily my neighbor only uses about two or three from her tree the whole season and has invited me to pick some from her tree, as long as I take the ones from the top where she can't reach. She is 80something and about 5'2" tall. I went over and asked her to show me how high she could reach and then I held up my arm for a visual. When I reach my arm up, anything above my elbow is out of her reach. LOL she is so sweet, the neighborhood gossip but sweet.

Creature Comforts

When Sadie and Max were just a few months old, my sister made these pillows for them. Each one has a puppy paw print pattern border with their name stitched on, Max's has dog bones, Sadie's has a hand bag, they are both very cute. She was very insulted when she found out they didn't want to sleep with them in their dens but we put them on the floor for them to lay on.

Now that Max is bigger, he will drag his pillow up on the sofa and take a nap. I've posted several pictures of him, he always likes to have his head on a soft pillow or blanket. Dogs like humans really enjoy their comforts!

Sadie Plotting Ways To Jump Into The Front Seat

This was one of those whip out the cell phone and take a photo moments. Max is (of course) riding on my lap (where he belongs, of course) and Sadie has been told to sit "In the back"

Sadie...in the back....but she might miss out on something...

Learning To Take Pictures

This is what happens when you have the camera on the WRONG setting and try to capture a photo of your dog....the excessive flash makes her scream Paparazzi and stick out her tongue at me....

Slightly Wounded Ego

Last night at the dog park Sadie, aka Alpha Dog, met her match, a Boxer named Tasha who outweighed her by about 40 pounds. Max and I were still getting out of the car while Ken went ahead with Sadie, I heard her crying and yelping and by the time we ran up there, she was pinned to the ground with Tasha's human pulling her off of Sadie. I yelled at Tasha and told her she was a very very very BAD DOG!! (Yeah I know, I'm an over protective Human Mommy) She didn't hurt her physically but I noticed Sadie treading lightly at the park. Clearly nursing a wounded ego.

Guard Duty

Max's favorite spot...looking out the front window, growling at every suspicious movement. Notifying me with very loud "big dog" barks should a cat dare walk into our yard. When I come home, this is the window where two little faces are looking back at me. I'm getting ready to go out soon to run some errands and my last words to them as I leave: "be good puppies, guard the house. I'll be home soon"

Sleeping With One Eye Open

Sadie was laying there watching me use the computer...clearly its exhausting work. Never fear, she is keeping one eye open as she sleeps