tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41541782338185673412023-11-16T04:37:18.139-07:00My Mixed Up Mutt & MeThe trials (and errors) of owning my first dog.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-86207586861545320682011-05-17T01:18:00.000-06:002011-05-17T01:18:09.399-06:00Toby's Bed!One of the benefits of taking a couple <strike>days</strike> <strike>weeks</strike> months off was that it gave me the chance to gather some ideas for posts! Like this past Christmas!<br />
When I first got Toby I got him a simple crate mat, a thin "sheepskin" covered layer of fluff. He was so thin that i knew he had to be uncomfortable on such a hard surface and I felt bad. So for Christmas I decided to buy him a new, better bed. I set out to do my shopping and soon became very discouraged. His kennel is 23 by 34 and <i>none</i> of the beds were the right size! I wanted to get him a foam bed so that he would have better cushioning and the only ones I could find were several inches too big or too small. I was about to buy one that was a few inches too small for about 25 dollars when my mom suggested that we look into making one. We went out to a craft/fabric store and checked the price on foam padding. It was pretty pricey! So we went home and found a store coupon online for half of any product! I got a piece of 2 inch thick foam cut to the exact size of his kennel. we found a very cute, machine washable fabric, and a zipper for just under 25 dollars! We brought it all home and my mom sewed the fabric and zipper into an awesome and removable cover for the foam pad! (She is really good at this stuff!)<br />
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On Christmas morning Toby got his new bed and loved it! If I bring it out to another spot he always lays on it, before he would just lay on the floor if his mat was out. The fabric we chose wasn't super durable and now has a few little holes, but I know that if it gets too torn up we can make a new one for just a couple bucks!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-87302395400075028242011-05-14T22:57:00.000-06:002011-05-14T22:57:38.881-06:00It has been a long time!I was reading another dog blog today and I really missed posting here! I am going to make this one of my homepage tabs so that it will remind me to write! Today I thought I would write about the boys' vocabularies. Toby's is mostly taught to him intentionally with a few self taught words, Todd on the other hand only cares to learn certain words.<br />
Toby knows: inside, out, bed, go potty, come on, off, come, sit, down, stay, heel, roll over, crawl, spin, hold, shake, high five, wave, settle, walk, car, wait, leave it, get a drink, dance, okay, penguin, ball, toy, get it, no and of course, good boy!<br />
Todd knows: car, walk, potty, outside, inside, come on, dinner, dance and good boy. He sorta knows/is working on: sit, spin, kennel, wait and off.<br />
Not to mention they both know their names! Each of these words has a specific meaning to them, and the same word may mean something different to each dog, to Toby "go potty" is something I say when we are outside and he needs to stop playing for a minute and focus on doing his business so that I can get back inside before the neighbors see me in my pjs and messy hair at noon. To Todd "potty" is something I say when he is standing at the door for the billionth time that day and I am asking if he actually wants to go out or if he is just watching for cars he thinks are coming to see him.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-21835759531337282262011-01-28T13:22:00.001-07:002011-05-17T01:14:50.842-06:00It's been a while!I really got off track a while back! I haven't posted in forever!! But today I noticed something I just had to write about, even if it makes me sound like an ad for Canidae...again! I compared Canidae to the grocery store "value brand" today (I will leave the brand name out we will call it Brand X). I am amazed!! Canidae costs me 42 dollars for a 35 pound bag. Brand X is 20 dollars for a 40 pound bag, way better deal right!?! WRONG!<br />
Right now on Canidae, Toby eats 2.5 cups a day. If I fed him Brand X, he would eat approximately 7 cups a day!!! That "way better deal" just went out the window! And if that's not enough, take a look at just the first 5 ingredients:<br />
<span data-jsid="text">Brand X - "Ground Yellow Corn, Soybean Meal, Whole Wheat, Beef Meal, High Fructose Corn Syrup"</span><br />
<span data-jsid="text"> Canidae - "Chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, brown rice, white rice". </span><br />
<span data-jsid="text">For those of you who don't know, when it says "meal" after a meat that just means the water has been cooked out already. A meat "meal" is good, "by-product meal" not so good, and those show up later in Brand X's ingredients but not Canidae's.</span><br />
<span data-jsid="text">Moral of the story, compare labels before you decide which food is a better deal, you can usually do this online too, much easier than in the store.</span><br />
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<span data-jsid="text">PS I am going to try to start posting at least once a week again.</span>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-43181973314222659942010-10-29T23:37:00.000-06:002010-10-29T23:37:41.857-06:00Todd goes "swimming"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dySK6fHW8-57HLVgkjnmhJJBXudSlmPJiA5AZFw-awXh_0rX9sNxP6itc_44ShbNF4dp6Wdk4amdhmjC0s94A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Yeah, we love Todd... but he is not the brightest! Maybe we can turn it into a trick though!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-1332198789624960032010-10-21T16:03:00.000-06:002010-10-21T16:03:09.267-06:00Coats!As the daily temperature drops many of us start to consider buying coats for our dogs. Toby made it through last winter only shivering one day, so I know he will be fine without a coat. Todd on the other hand, has already shivered this fall! It was about 50 degrees out and Todd was out for a few minutes, since it often gets much colder around here during winter, we plan on getting Todd a fall sweater and a winter coat. None of us are big fans of dressing up dogs but it's apparent that he would appreciate the warmth! But not all dogs will tolerate or need coats. Toby would tolerate it if I thought he needed it but his undercoat keeps him warm and his top coat keeps him dry. If you have thought about getting your dog a coat put a little research into it, see if his breed (or main breed in the mix) has a good winter coat or not, watch for shivering as the weather cools down. You also don't want to start putting on the coat too early. If your dog was hot during the summer he will be hot in a coat during the early fall.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-34919481744297866902010-10-13T23:21:00.000-06:002010-10-13T23:21:15.953-06:00Technical DifficultiesMy computer has been causing lots of trouble for me lately so I got out of the routine of writing for a while, but I am back and hoping to get back in the routine again!<br />
Toby and Todd are pretty much best friends now! Todd seems to have bonded most with my dad, a little odd considering he is home the least, but he is always staring at the last door dad went out. His crate training hasn't gotten much better but his house training has reached the point that I can trust him to sleep in my bed so that I can get a full night's sleep again! Toby has taken the new dog situation very well, only developing one new bad habit; when Todd barks at the door, so must Toby.<br />
As it starts to cool down I plan on posting about cold weather tips, tricks and products I have found and new ones as I discover them. If anyone out there has any requests/ideas for new posts I would be glad to hear them (Mom, I already have your ideas on my list).Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-34727301064785968942010-09-14T15:34:00.000-06:002010-09-14T15:34:42.530-06:00Tired!The past couple days I have been working at a nearby golf course with my dad. Getting up at 5:40 and shoveling dirt for five to seven hours is NOT easy! I have been so exhausted! Luckily, Toby and Todd have been helping me out by playing with each other all the time and wearing themselves out so our walks are easier! It's hard to believe that a couple weeks ago these two could hardly get near each other without getting into trouble! They are playing together very nicely these days. Todd's crate training is making progress...slowly but surely. It is always much easier if he is worn out, but that is usually only at the end of the day. Now that the boys are getting along much better and Todd is house trained I usually don't have to put him in his kennel during the day. If I do it is because I am leaving and then I don't have to listen to him bark so it doesn't stress me out as much as it was. He has started barking a little when people knock or come in but since that is new I should be able to stop it before it gets too bad. Over all things are going great with the boys!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcsTwiLZ0G9s-L3XoVMjnOkZiH8fhzlmGnc0CdpDgn_XVRlp9tq5RuG8lcKtG58Krd1mMWYIzMQ48EgjcDKE-FFp2pW1fKFnEerXKmA1ijhR-BQerrz4XqxTgOpfExilqPFwDwdrJEGY/s1600/boys1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcsTwiLZ0G9s-L3XoVMjnOkZiH8fhzlmGnc0CdpDgn_XVRlp9tq5RuG8lcKtG58Krd1mMWYIzMQ48EgjcDKE-FFp2pW1fKFnEerXKmA1ijhR-BQerrz4XqxTgOpfExilqPFwDwdrJEGY/s320/boys1.JPG" /></a></div>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-22358754168539554282010-09-08T22:35:00.003-06:002010-09-08T22:51:52.947-06:00Attention Treasure Valley!Anyone near Boise thinking about adding a dog to their family? <a href="http://idahohumanesociety.org/">Idaho Humane Society</a> is having a "Fall in Love" adoption event tomorrow through Monday, Sept. 13. Dog adoption fees will be lowered to just 39.95! Their kennels are too full and all these (and so many more) dogs need loving homes! So if you have the room, money and love for a dog (or a foster dog), please consider the Idaho Humane Society! Plus a drawing will be held and one lucky new owner will get a three hundred dollar gift card to the IHS veterinary clinic! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuMGM_YKX_BKHTzo_sSaGxZmRhYN7e6TsCYDcUATTzNIU6BrLlUUXIrxKVPvkXFQ-rqDvCmfj0b73_PQf0kWYOyoujyvozphv94sQboeuUyonOlCL6vVgEfNpNpCzAHlqKCSZjavkVsk/s1600/adoptable2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuMGM_YKX_BKHTzo_sSaGxZmRhYN7e6TsCYDcUATTzNIU6BrLlUUXIrxKVPvkXFQ-rqDvCmfj0b73_PQf0kWYOyoujyvozphv94sQboeuUyonOlCL6vVgEfNpNpCzAHlqKCSZjavkVsk/s320/adoptable2.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrdYteSAU6ykuUmZKVSDodVRvWenMbmCgNs7hv64tM4CvPbapBEUodSZ9_bJ2DjMOHS-PFvrYNPDRdgtyCErm8iN4jy2Vy3L1zle9lKLdW8KoxL7pCp3YMTlS49FUuwCuoDiC_u_U6CU/s1600/adoptable4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrdYteSAU6ykuUmZKVSDodVRvWenMbmCgNs7hv64tM4CvPbapBEUodSZ9_bJ2DjMOHS-PFvrYNPDRdgtyCErm8iN4jy2Vy3L1zle9lKLdW8KoxL7pCp3YMTlS49FUuwCuoDiC_u_U6CU/s320/adoptable4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm8q6vtY_rmZbfmiac5bJZsyn79ZJNeQy5WLaJ8ig2YfR0tgEBTQgwLZKv_etig8eNkGMwpMvpE-bD4EfYk-W1RvePQsgr7YZ-Bjn6SVb74PXKagbMYNkUa4-LzvOcNUkp2OZOEmvCCs/s1600/adoptable.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm8q6vtY_rmZbfmiac5bJZsyn79ZJNeQy5WLaJ8ig2YfR0tgEBTQgwLZKv_etig8eNkGMwpMvpE-bD4EfYk-W1RvePQsgr7YZ-Bjn6SVb74PXKagbMYNkUa4-LzvOcNUkp2OZOEmvCCs/s320/adoptable.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaCGRx5rIw8MQz16OKICbxg_vq44Kdn0rY_aKx5_ZBQy3POAtzJtuLdbwJ9f39_koZHDWuR4wSP0n4yPcYFqjfMBti2Vi7rtrGXc434LUzdea0EdxdBHPZQpXcqMKkW1VCHjLTWXcOn4/s1600/adoptable5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaCGRx5rIw8MQz16OKICbxg_vq44Kdn0rY_aKx5_ZBQy3POAtzJtuLdbwJ9f39_koZHDWuR4wSP0n4yPcYFqjfMBti2Vi7rtrGXc434LUzdea0EdxdBHPZQpXcqMKkW1VCHjLTWXcOn4/s320/adoptable5.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9psS0vzi_XPWL7UgvJGrPjtPIVA3p_8YgCbHD-_fpdkK6N85YF0ouX9baGAC01DrD_xh0_RuzuBjXpZG1ok5SmVJRCIZgWOiOJsUr2-q5FdDCj2ORZygNvH6jZeOstDVEx9-pSzyuraE/s1600/adoptable3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9psS0vzi_XPWL7UgvJGrPjtPIVA3p_8YgCbHD-_fpdkK6N85YF0ouX9baGAC01DrD_xh0_RuzuBjXpZG1ok5SmVJRCIZgWOiOJsUr2-q5FdDCj2ORZygNvH6jZeOstDVEx9-pSzyuraE/s320/adoptable3.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3IcwDE3FBEjihCnGazM_t9ghbTtXsPaz1wTRNfWBT3umnSRkUBxeBqz4os_rk1V9Ua9mRhrAIOo0M1KV_IvMZyjmIh022f7DP-35NNKUGf2ZwuT938OR-WopgjRtVIT0X23ZJ-0aruw/s1600/adoptable6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3IcwDE3FBEjihCnGazM_t9ghbTtXsPaz1wTRNfWBT3umnSRkUBxeBqz4os_rk1V9Ua9mRhrAIOo0M1KV_IvMZyjmIh022f7DP-35NNKUGf2ZwuT938OR-WopgjRtVIT0X23ZJ-0aruw/s320/adoptable6.jpg" /></a></div>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-64803353330463014832010-09-06T22:47:00.001-06:002010-09-06T23:59:27.864-06:00Shout out for BSU!GO BRONCOS!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKk69xL06oAzOqDbXqO21_Tkh4ER56xRh5XDp4NkrVZwBuk2JOMH4OYjKO7BSMsrhtQKdShQMHbq3nGUeDS2yB4P__WBtq_L8AQtvJLibIZ-MKsGaCbqw0TsAG5SV3x5JHFvEXCGULROU/s1600/blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKk69xL06oAzOqDbXqO21_Tkh4ER56xRh5XDp4NkrVZwBuk2JOMH4OYjKO7BSMsrhtQKdShQMHbq3nGUeDS2yB4P__WBtq_L8AQtvJLibIZ-MKsGaCbqw0TsAG5SV3x5JHFvEXCGULROU/s200/blog.JPG" width="130" /></a></div><br />
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Might have to get one of these for each of the boys! Ha ha, if I can find extra money for it! Toby would look amazing in Bronco Blue! That is one advantage to black fur, he looks gorgeous in just about any color :) we put him in one of our old BSU shirts for a little while today (mainly for a facebook picture) and he didn't mind wearing it around the house but he would need one made for dogs if we ever have a game party here!<br />
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Update on Todd: We noticed some blood in his urine and took him to the vet. They found a urinary tract infection and an ear infection. He has been on meds for a few days, he is going to the bathroom less (we had assumed that he had been marking everything not that he just had to go that often), and seems to have more energy (again we figured he was just lower energy). We don't know if he had the infections when he got here or what but it wasn't easy to spot the changes in a new dog, if there hadn't been blood we may not have noticed.<br />
Once again I have to say I love Canidae! When Todd got here his fur was stiff and wiry. We switched him to Canidae when he got here (normally I would mix in the old food during a switch but he picked the Canidae out and left his old food) and almost all of his fur is already softer! In just over a week! Love it!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-42009689929449318972010-09-02T23:24:00.000-06:002010-09-02T23:24:41.426-06:00Busy busy busy!If anyone out there is reading this blog on a regular basis, I apologize for not writing lately. With two very different dogs in the house now it has definitely been busy. I have had to watch Todd to make sure he doesn't mark any of the furniture, and I have to make sure Toby stays off of Todd! Not to mention extra walks! Todd had no crate training when he came to us and since he also wasn't house trained we couldn't leave him loose in the house for one second! So we had to put him in a crate, where he barks and barks and barks. The only way to avoid the barking is to walk him first to wear him out. In addition to the two before-meal-walks we went on before we are taking before church walks, before shopping walks, before bed walks and "April needs a break from constant dog surveillance" walks. Thankfully we are seeing some improvement! Todd only barked in his kennel a little today, and the boys actually played together, twice!! One of the games ended in a little argument but the fact that they actually played gave me hope! It is definitely a learning experience for all of us, the 40 pound, high energy dog, the 12 pound, low energy dog, and the 120 pound, now exhausted girl!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-77043930862792478792010-08-29T22:12:00.000-06:002010-08-29T22:12:55.138-06:00The boys.It has been a little stressful around here the last few days. Toby and Todd are having a hard time learning how to get along and Todd is being difficult about crate training. The first day he was here Todd was doing fairly well at crate training. He was going into it for hot dog bits and sleeping in it very well. Unfortunately he can't be supervised 24/7 and we had to put him in his crate longer than he wanted to be there and now he is only getting worse. He won't go all the way in on his own and if you shut the door and get up to leave he starts whining then barking. I have tried feeding him his meals and treats in there, giving him a bone to chew in there, a kong type toy stuffed with food, I even tried putting a little device in my room that is supposed to stop barking. Nothing is working. I have tried going back to the basics of crate training but before I can get anywhere we all have to go out somewhere and he has to go in his kennel. His stress is even stressing Toby out.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-86588120892039238372010-08-26T22:20:00.000-06:002010-08-26T22:20:53.631-06:00Todd is here!Todd got here this afternoon. He seems to be settling in well! He walks well on a leash, is calm in and out of the house, is taking well to crate training, and likes the food we have for him. He does need a little house training work, but it should be taken care of within a few days. Toby wasn't sure about him at first and now he can't sniff Todd enough! The next few days are going to be pretty busy, Todd doesn't know any commands as far as I can tell but he is pretty well behaved :) I am looking forward to doing some learning myself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuLpWSbwbBs3e8FNk0zZDcAEi4H0r3Yyp-qWno2HMToA-fv403pZNjPsANYzfdAXx4SFu7Od0exw65nWJavMf16wns1FYBEVttAwtqfHbOHn-OZ9UdMkCHuHA4DLaligSY9ig3Vh8lt8/s1600/todd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuLpWSbwbBs3e8FNk0zZDcAEi4H0r3Yyp-qWno2HMToA-fv403pZNjPsANYzfdAXx4SFu7Od0exw65nWJavMf16wns1FYBEVttAwtqfHbOHn-OZ9UdMkCHuHA4DLaligSY9ig3Vh8lt8/s320/todd1.jpg" /></a></div>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-54032769101058408602010-08-25T15:13:00.000-06:002010-08-25T15:13:14.706-06:00National Dog Day!Tomorrow (Aug 26) is National Dog Day! So give your dog a special treat and maybe make a donation to a shelter/rescue. We will (coincidentally) be celebrating by adding a second dog to the family! Todd will be arriving tomorrow and we couldn't be more excited to meet him! Toby of course has no idea what is in store but he will soon understand why there is an extra kennel in my room that is too small for him!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-1972276738710796142010-08-23T18:43:00.000-06:002010-08-23T18:43:32.264-06:00Update on Reuben<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ezDrkLgYF139hJzVlD2aA21t0axxkklni1Fy8Ql76lpU_DJeJY5_6Hd8R5UNGk3UWwJOzqtHIVT7rarcMKOOlWw2Dvv-gWWfl0NWQNA8Ta2M_6KU8TyboEFF2QvC1idaHo7zIu1kK04/s1600/adoptable.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ezDrkLgYF139hJzVlD2aA21t0axxkklni1Fy8Ql76lpU_DJeJY5_6Hd8R5UNGk3UWwJOzqtHIVT7rarcMKOOlWw2Dvv-gWWfl0NWQNA8Ta2M_6KU8TyboEFF2QvC1idaHo7zIu1kK04/s320/adoptable.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Reuben was our featured adoptable dog a couple weeks ago. The <a href="http://idahohumanesociety.org/">IHS </a>just announced on their facebook page that Reuben's <a href="http://www.idahohumanesociety.org/page.cfm/idapi">IDAPI</a> class has graduated and Reuben, along with some others, is available for adoption! As an IDAPI dog owner I know that these dogs make great additions to the family! They are already trained in the basics including house and crate training. All you have to do is maintain and build on that foundation! In over a year, Toby has only had three accidents in the house, not bad for a dog adjusting to a new home and schedule! From day one he would go into his crate on command, he also knew sit, down, stay and come! These dogs not only know commands but they know how to learn. The more Toby learns the faster he learns new things. When I first got Toby, I could not get him to Roll Over but I taught him more tricks and worked on his basic training with him and now Roll Over is nothing!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-18184785268104964362010-08-19T22:27:00.000-06:002010-08-19T22:27:21.006-06:00Been busy!Haven't posted the last few days, we have some relatives in town getting ready for my cousin's wedding Saturday so we have been pretty busy.<br />
Toby and I have been getting ready for Todd's arrival! Kayleen, who will be his owner, is in college so she is trying to save any where she can so we have been buying what we can at yard sales and with coupons. So far we have saved over 30 dollars of the initial supplies cost! A new kennel would have been about 25 dollars, we got one at a yard sale for one! All it needed was to be hosed down and the gate/door needed WD-40. A new leash would have been six dollars, we got one for 25 cents. Bowls we bought at the dollar store and he had a collar already. He will be eating the same food as Toby and we just got coupons for that! For chew bones we are buying Busy Bones and cutting them down to his size, normal price they are $2.85 for 2 full size, but with coupons we can usually get the two pack for 85 cents! So far I must say we are doing a pretty good job at getting a dog on a budget!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-21956412205687534352010-08-16T11:32:00.002-06:002010-08-16T11:32:00.213-06:00More to love!A few days back I posted about how much (and why) I love Toby's dog food, Canidae. This Friday he ran out of food and I went to buy another bag. I had gotten an email with a coupon from Zamzows for five dollars off any purchase of 25 dollars or more and the 35 lb bag of food I buy qualified. I got to Zamzows and they were out of the 35 lb bags of Canidae so I had to buy a smaller one. It was $23.99, one dollar short of qualifying for the coupon, so I started looking for something that cost a dollar.<br />
Toby has always treated all food the same, it is all really, really good. I usually just use his kibble for treats but every once in a while I like to get him something different. So I was looking at whatever treats I could buy a pound or so of in order to use my coupon, when I spotted a bin of biscuits that said Canidae on them! I knew Canidae made quality food so I trusted them to make quality treats. I bought enough to be able to use my coupon and headed home.<br />
As usual, Toby gobbled up the treat I gave him after he gave me a high five, and I set the bag of treats on the counter. Later, I was in the living room talking with my family and out of the corner of my eye I saw Toby looking at the bag of treats on the counter, he had only counter surfed for food once and got in trouble so we have never worried about him taking food off the counter. Suddenly he hopped up on his hind legs and put his feet on the counter so he could sniff the bag of treats! Startled, I told him, "No!" and he dropped to the ground. Not two minutes later he did it again!! This time I told him, "No, leave it!" and finally he left them alone.<br />
They have clearly become Toby's favorite treat (I never thought he would pick a favorite food) and they are also my favorite treat because I know they are good for him. Plus when I looked them up on Canidae's website I found out that the factory they are made in is wind powered! Just one more thing I love about Canidae!Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-88627741107193473032010-08-14T15:50:00.000-06:002010-08-14T15:50:20.067-06:00Adoptable!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_JgjAYhvFBIr7zLrFl8RIIBIZQMlPIn9bMlUJtJvoPZqBNoOlGVjEtmbcMORWYNWNd-oRXuh1qLUJUpho7nlMdq4ipFziIevYjNtpws4YZx6rigk9u4SaM3pvO4w7OtaQwxhVJWCSKc/s1600/adoptable.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_JgjAYhvFBIr7zLrFl8RIIBIZQMlPIn9bMlUJtJvoPZqBNoOlGVjEtmbcMORWYNWNd-oRXuh1qLUJUpho7nlMdq4ipFziIevYjNtpws4YZx6rigk9u4SaM3pvO4w7OtaQwxhVJWCSKc/s320/adoptable.JPG" /></a></div>This is Honeycomb! She is one of four puppies still waiting to be adopted from the <a href="http://canyoncountyshelter.org/dogs.php">Canyon County Animal Shelter</a>. They are just over two months old and are Australian Cattle Dog mixes. They are also just a few of the puppies at the shelter right now.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-25957069788242815462010-08-13T11:58:00.002-06:002010-08-13T11:58:00.660-06:00K-9 Health Solutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk8D6w4Bwl9TKt9Ydu8MzdJOINUVkG8ScHih85WFg5g1eN3-gwKQk4HesDnJ9KtbMAzhF6fvhczcHqBgAhzbbQjeJnHQZyGds-XJGbuaoibuj1bcHlTDeT8YE02NSsp4K2rey48YU4_M/s1600/blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk8D6w4Bwl9TKt9Ydu8MzdJOINUVkG8ScHih85WFg5g1eN3-gwKQk4HesDnJ9KtbMAzhF6fvhczcHqBgAhzbbQjeJnHQZyGds-XJGbuaoibuj1bcHlTDeT8YE02NSsp4K2rey48YU4_M/s320/blog.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://k9healthsolutions.com/">k9healthsolutions.com</a> is a website shop run by a former police K-9 handler and his wife, the shop features supplements and other dog products. Right now they have several items on sale including Nylabones starting at 25 cents. In addition to having some awesome sale prices K-9 Health Solutions also writes a blog! They have many dog advice posts, treat recipes, product and blog reviews, Ask Rakker (their dog) and more! So if you are all caught up on Mixed Up Mutt and have some free time check their blog out <a href="http://blog.k9healthsolutions.com/">here</a>. And be sure to come back here and let us know what you think! :)Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-59642706770972450742010-08-12T22:00:00.000-06:002010-08-12T22:00:14.850-06:00Amazing Animals<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know this is a dog blog but when a story like this comes up you just have to share it! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gdO0-PFsxDc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gdO0-PFsxDc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some say the cat should have been put down rather than remove all four legs but this cat seems very happy and healthy and the vet is clearly looking for just the right home for her needs so I am very happy with the results :) </span></span>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-20455165072397155942010-08-11T20:47:00.001-06:002010-08-12T20:57:56.891-06:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugk88HQhkvkDwaWTbivzqAPzTN1rw6DhiXwp0O-nyWvil3jxNvPmD73MinHvP4PGdvDLv2PG4xkO4ycVzDSOQl-IS-Mk8X1C0hiCaIoILV8AzUFxUkw6FQiMinlYJSxEWa6VrTzAmBF4/s1600/toby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugk88HQhkvkDwaWTbivzqAPzTN1rw6DhiXwp0O-nyWvil3jxNvPmD73MinHvP4PGdvDLv2PG4xkO4ycVzDSOQl-IS-Mk8X1C0hiCaIoILV8AzUFxUkw6FQiMinlYJSxEWa6VrTzAmBF4/s320/toby2.jpg" /></a></div>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-76612829712300314602010-08-10T15:26:00.001-06:002010-08-10T15:41:04.132-06:00Toby gets a friend!A year and a half ago, if you had told me that my parents would allow a dog to live in their house, I would have had you committed. But as luck would have it they have not only allowed Toby to live here but are now going to allow a <i>second dog</i>! Now that I have had time to figure out this topsy turvy new world I seem to be living in, Toby and I are getting ready to welcome a new member to the family!<br />
Todd is a little chihuahua mix (not a breed my family would normally go for, but this one sounds great). Most likely, Todd's owners could no longer afford him, so they drove him out to the country and said farewell. Luckily for him, Maggie lived nearby! Maggie found him and took him home. Unfortunately her mom said they couldn't keep him, so Maggie started looking for a home for him. She had told my sister Kayleen about him but knew that Kayleen could not have him at her house. Knowing my love of dogs very well, Kayleen showed me his picture and told me that she was already attached (though she hadn't met him). Feeling bad for the little guy, we decided to give it a shot and ask our parents if he could live with us. Amazingly enough they said "Yes" and Todd will be here August 26th.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-29481782774586043232010-08-09T11:04:00.000-06:002010-08-09T21:17:28.595-06:00Adoptable!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkw5X7OVmufWWgV982FGqTEw2AHdb7GJ1Y1uKdrqaBt84Uq5jxiWP6YvlpHhZHgwdC3eqMIthBHN3o1sZtrPm8rVFd6i7NFZrqWIIvzZQ8vERwgd4IREIKfWTuRVElRFH9zW58I0dDPQ/s1600/adoptable.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkw5X7OVmufWWgV982FGqTEw2AHdb7GJ1Y1uKdrqaBt84Uq5jxiWP6YvlpHhZHgwdC3eqMIthBHN3o1sZtrPm8rVFd6i7NFZrqWIIvzZQ8vERwgd4IREIKfWTuRVElRFH9zW58I0dDPQ/s320/adoptable.JPG" /></a></div>This is Reuben! Reuben will soon be available for adoption from the <a href="http://idahohumanesociety.org/">Idaho Humane Society</a>! He is a sweet lab mix who loves tummy rubs and petting! Reuben is currently in the IDAPI training that Toby went through! That means when he graduates and is available to adopt, he will know his basic commands, house training and crate training, and maybe a few tricks! Learn more about him and the program <a href="http://www.idahohumanesociety.org/animalprofile.cfm?id=2F538053-1C29-4A70-B9CF27C51BA60077&search=browse%3Dtrue%26animaltype%3DDOG%26breed%3D%26gender%3D%26age%3D%26size%3D%26location%3D%26keywords%3D%26login%3D%26idapi%3D1%26display%3D10%26submit%3DSearch%2BNow%26start%3D11">here</a>.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-64327213831162422712010-08-06T11:36:00.002-06:002010-08-06T11:36:00.672-06:00Love it!Every once in a while you find a product that you just love! I LOVE my dog food! It took me a lot of research, and time to find a really good food for Toby and a few months ago I found something great! Lots of dog foods you find these days are full of corn and grain fillers when many dogs are allergic to these grains and we all know dogs are carnivores. But to feed your dog a home made diet, raw or cooked, is time consuming and complicated, so most of us choose to feed whatever kibble we can afford. <br />
When I first got Toby I was feeding him a popular brand's "natural" formula, the ingredients were decent (top ingredient was meat, no by-products etc) and I could manage the price. He<span class="grey"> was doing pretty well, but I was feeding him a lot more than the recommended amount for his weight just to keep his hips from sticking out. I knew that with his active lifestyle and being part whippet would keep him thin, but his ribs showing some was my limit. He was otherwise completely healthy so I knew it had to be his food that was the problem. So I tried another brand. No change. That is when I went on Dogster and asked around about affordable, quality dog foods. Several brands came up that sounded good but were pretty expensive. There was one brand that many people suggested that sounded great but I couldn't find a price or a store that listed it online, Canidae.</span><br />
<span class="grey">I was about to just give up and stick with what I had, when I saw that Canidae's website said they only sold to independent stores, not big corporate chains. I clicked on their store locator link and entered my zip code. Zamzows popped up, the one place I hadn't checked. So I ran out to Zamzows expecting to be shocked by the price of such a great sounding dog food, and I was. It was significantly <i>cheaper </i>than what I was feeding him!</span><br />
<span class="grey"> - More after the jump -</span><br />
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<span class="grey">I bought a bag right away and transitioned him to the new food. The first difference I noticed was that Canidae smelled good! Almost like bacon! I figured it had to be a good sign, and sure enough it wasn't long before Toby's coat was even shinier than before, his skin didn't get flaky like it used to, his breath was a little better and he was eating less and keeping his weight on better. </span><br />
<span class="grey">Just when I thought this dog food couldn't get better I was on their website again and saw a suggestion box link. I decided to write in and suggest that an occasional coupon would be nice, since my mom and I hadn't seen one in the months I had been feeding this food. The next day I got an email back saying that they would mail me coupons if I provided my address and they would sent a Frequent Buyer card. So I emailed back a thank you with my address and let them know I loved their food. Again I was emailed back the next day, they said that they were glad to hear it and asked if I would write a testimonial for their website. So I sent one in and they emailed back <i>that</i> day to say it was on the site! It was the best customer service I have seen from a company.</span><br />
<span class="grey">Toby and I both suggest Canidae to anyone looking for a quality dog food at a good price. To find out what to look for in a dog food check out this <a href="http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts">site</a> for some tips.</span>Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-9812394464659466502010-08-05T11:25:00.002-06:002010-08-06T01:05:13.657-06:00Toby and Kashka7 years ago my family got a kitten, and named her Kashka (Russian for cat, more specifically a girl cat), it turned out she was a he but the name stuck. Kashka was an outdoor cat, but after a 280 dollar vet bill after he wandered off for a couple days, he became an "outdoor" cat, meaning he lives in the garage and comes in the house sometimes.<br />
After being the center of all pet attention for six years, Kashka was not too thrilled about Toby moving in and cramping his style. Toby on the other hand is fascinated by Kashka. Toby loves sniffing him until Kashka smacks his nose (no claws out though), and then Toby acts like he is surprised and tries again. I personally wanted them to be comfortable with each other and if not make friends at least live in harmony since Toby frequently goes into the garage with me and Kashka likes to come in the house when he can.<br />
So I had to figure out how to train a cat! Not an easy task! Dogs are happy to do any trick they can for a "Good Boy!", cats want to get something for doing something that they wanted to do in the first place.<br />
I tried kenneling Toby and letting Kashka wander the room and get used to Toby's presence, I tried kenneling Toby and putting bits of ham and turkey near his kennel to entice Kashka over. Kashka sat by the door ready to bolt.<br />
So I was just going about my business, and letting Kashka get used to Toby at his own pace, when I saw a little progress (Toby and I went out to the garage and he and Kashka sniffed each other nose to nose) I decided to try something new. I took Toby out to the garage and got him some food. Kashka was laying on his big box that is just taller than Toby's head. I grabbed Kashka's favorite treats and alternated giving Toby a piece of food and giving Kashka a treat while they were about a foot apart. I slowly had Toby move closer to the box and kept feeding them. Within minutes I was able to put a cat treat and piece of dog food in the same hand (one on each side of my palm) and Kashka and Toby would eat them, nose to nose! They may not be best friends, but Kashka seems more at ease these days.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154178233818567341.post-26047978287057327582010-08-04T08:12:00.001-06:002010-08-04T15:34:04.086-06:00Grrrr!On the <a href="http://dogblog.dogster.com/2010/08/04/study-dog-growls-have-different-meanings/">Dogster blog</a> today, there is a post about dog growls and their different meanings. The Dogster blogger then asked if readers knew their dog's growls. It got me thinking about Toby and his growls. When I thought about it I counted three situations where he growls and the more I thought, I realized that they all sounded different.<br />
The easiest to distinguish is his play growl. I have only heard it a couple times when he was really into a game of tug. It is a much lighter growl and sounds a lot like my "grrrrr" (yes, I play growl when I play with my dog). His other two growls are more similar, and more intense. One is the growl he uses when he hears someone else in the house at night (I think he thinks we live alone), or when someone comes in the front door unannounced day or night. This growl is more intense, and deeper than his play growl, but still short and to the point. The last growl is the most intense. Toby doesn't like strange dogs, this is something we have been working on since I got him, and though he has improved he is not a social butterfly, yet. His third growl is the one he uses before he goes after a strange dog who has come too close. It is deep, loud and intense. <br />
Toby is definitely an example of why puppies need to be well socialized and adult dogs need to keep being socialized. It has taken a year to get Toby to a point where I can introduce him to a new dog. Even now it takes time and preparation to get him to sniff a new dog long enough to realize they are not a threat. But it is all worth it every time he makes a new friend. He loves his dog friends so much! Once he makes a friend he is always ready to play with them, he shares his toys, and waits patiently for his turn for a treat. My goal with him is to get him to a point where he can go to the dog park and play fetch, and I believe it is possible, with more work and time.Hi, I'm Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077127481931996346noreply@blogger.com0