Lucy going to grandparents for Christmas

Lucy's bags are packed and she's ready to go to her grandparent's house for Christmas.

Let's see, her "Lucy bag" is a black shoulder sling bag filled with:

Her Furminator

Monthly Heartguard treatment

Monthly Flea/tick prevention treatment

Small poop bags (biodegradeable)

One or toys, namely her Kong

Her "winter jacket"

Safety flashlight I bought on Amazon which fits nicely in my hand and has a red flashing light on the backside to protect you from cars/traffic.

Also, a tall tub of her Evo brand dog food which she loves.

Here's a pic of Lucy with her bags:



She loves going to my parent's house since they play with her alot, give her too many treats and let her run around in the backyard. My mom also takes her for regular walks. They just love having her there too. I'll miss Lucy, but at least I know that she's having fun and being well taken care of.

2,000 word essay - in 2 photos

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's one of my favorite pictures of Lucy ever, taken recently by Stuart's cousin, Lindsay:



Also, here is a picture of a friend's newly adopted pup, Tank. He is sporting a new hair cut called the "Lion Cut". So instead of me writing the word cute in ten different ways, I'll let the photo speak for itself:

Spa Day for Lucy

Today, Lucy got the full doggie-spa (home) treatment:

1-Dental care: We brushed her teeth with the doggie toothpaste that's flavored like chicken. Unfortunatly she doesn't enjoy this much, but tolerates it. She likes to just lick the toothbrush and then chew on it. So, I'm not sure how much actual brushing we get done, but it's better than not trying at all.

2-Nail filing: We used the Pedi-Paws nail file device to file her nails. Lucy also doesn't care for this, but she was a quiet trooper, sitting there patiently, while Stuart had one paw in his hand and then the other. We gave her a few treats to let her know she was doing well.

3- Furminator: I think we each spent about 10 or 15 minutes brushing Lucy with the Furminator. She seemed to mind these less than the other "spa treatments" and even laid down a while calmly while I brushed her back. I was surprised by the large wad of fur on the floor from the furminator. I took a picture. Check it out:

4-Bath: Okay, Lucy really doesn't like bath-time. When we call her into the bathroom, she suddenly runs down the hall and hides under the bed. So, this time, we closed all the bedroom doors and got her gently into the bathroom. We did have to pick her up and place her in the tub and her ears were back a bit, implying she wasn't happy. But she's always like that and then once we're done, she's happy and clean and looks so much better!

Halloween-2010- Yara and Lucy

Our friends brought over their daughter Yara on Halloween Sunday. Little Yara was dressed up as a monkey and looked so adorable. We tried to get pictures of Lucy next to Yara, but it's tough to get them to sit still. So, I took a short video-clip of Yara giving Lucy a treat:

Additions to our dog family

Well, Morgan, a 6 month old Plotthound, just joined our extended family. My nephew Alexander adopted her just a few weeks ago. She joins the family's German Shepherd, Katie. Thankfully, the whole family,including the dog Katie have warmly welcomed Morgan. Apparently, Alexander is all grins and smiles over his new buddy too!

Here's a snapshot of Morgan at 6 months old:



On a related note, our extended family, on Stuart's side of the family came to visit and brought Lucy's cousin, Dakota, a black lab mix. Dakota is very lovable albeit a little scared of things and reserved. She did love Lucy's dog toys, especially the one I bought at Phyedeaux in Chapel Hill -- the "tested by Lucy" and "Hand-made in Chapel Hill" red fabric pull-toy. I'll have to get one for Dakota and mail it up to them in New Jersey. And no, Lucy didn't meet her cousin this visit as there was simply too much going on. Lucy spent the few days on vacation visiting her grandparents who love to spoil her and play fetch in the yard with her.

Here's a pic of Dakota on the couch, enjoying coddling her two toys -- Lucy's red one and the racoon she brought:

Bee Killer Lucy

So, how do you have a yard with 20,000 bees and 1 dog? Sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, of course, you keep them away from each other. First of all, bees don't like the smell of dogs and if Lucy were to get too close to their hives, they might swarm to protect the hive and sting her many times over. We don't let her get close to the hives and she seems to have zero interest in them anyway.

The only problem has been us hanging out on the back porch. Lucy is enthralled by the few random bees that buzz around. She thinks that they are her own personal entertainment and can literally snatch one out of the sky with her jaws. Not good. After 2 or 3 of these episodes, I got so frustrated that I took Lucy back into the house and at the end of day, at dusk, let her back out on the porch with me. Once it starts to get dark, the bees tend to go "home" or stay closer to their hive....

Then I noticed that she seemed lethargic and just not quite herself so I got worried that she might have been stung in her mouth or on her jowels. I asked my mom as a favor to take her to the vet on Monday. Thankfully, she got a clean bill of health, but the vet suggested to give her some benadryl in case she was stung and maybe had allergies to that.

Lucy's 2nd dog show for Yara

This August was Yara's 2nd birthday and we brought Lucy out again to celebrate and put on her annual dog show!

On the agenda were shaking hands, roll-over, bow, speak and her signature jumping high through her purple hula-hoop. A few pics:

Lucy helps me study accounting

Lucy has been helping me hit the books in my financial accounting class. She regularly checks in with me when I am studying on the couch.

Here she is after several hours of homework with me:

4th of July weekend

For 4th of July, I went up to Michigan to visit my sister and her family. Katie, their large black German Shephard has a lovable disposition -- very easy going. She too, like my dog Lucy, will sing along to certain songs. In this little clip, Katie sings along when Alexia plays one particular song on the piano:

Dental Cleaning for Dogs

After my recent visit to the dentist, it occurred to me that I ought to take Lucy to the vet for a dental cleaning. I did some research online and found this useful blog called "Small Dogs Paradise" which had a posting regarding dental cleaning dental cleaning.

It suggests that you brush your dog's teeth daily, which I had intended to do when I first adopted Lucy, but I got out of practice. I have a toothbrush for her and dog toothpaste, which is chicken flavored. I have found it hard to get and keep her mouth open for an actual through tooth brushing. Usually, I can only brush her front teeth and then she just licks off the toothpaste which she likes. I best get back into the habit. I'll enjoy those doggie kisses more too (which now don't smell so good).

Dog toys - tested by Lucy & made in Chapel Hill!

I found this dog toy at Phydeaux in Chapel Hill. When I read that the toy was "tested by Lucy" and "made in Chapel Hill", I had to give it a try! The result: My dog Lucy just loves it! Also, when her doggie cousin Dakota visited, it was her favorite toy too. I hope I can find another one to get for Dakota.

Here are a few pics:

Photos from PMAD event in Raleigh

My friend Tricia sent these to me from the PMAD event in Raleigh in May 2010. PMAD is Puppy Mill Awareness Day. As much as I love North Carolina, we have a long way to go in terms of regulating dog breeding and stopping puppy mills.

The Rescue Ink guys and Victoria Stilwell were also there to support the event.

With Tricia's okay, here are the pics that she shared:









Thanks to Tricia for sharing these & supporting such an important cause. To read more about this event, visit their press release.

Soldiers Team up with Shelter Dogs in Operation Heroes & Hounds

I found this great news article from the GoodNewsNetwork and had to share it:

Soldiers Team up with Shelter Dogs in Operation Heroes & Hounds

Tamar Geller developed "The Loved Dog" method of training - a book & CD set that I studied when I first adopted Lucy. I really was touched by how her methodology centers around compassionate and joyful play instead of punishing the dog when training. She also opened the first cage free dog facility in California. Check out the article for more details.

Mother's Day Weekend

On Mother's Day this past weekend, I did a lot of thinking about mothers in general, my mother and Stuart's mother and if I'll ever be a mother. Having a dog like Lucy who is so wonderful at least makes me feel like a "doggy-mom" as I have to take care of her and love her so much. I know that having an actual child is much much more work though, based on close friends who have little ones at home.

The other day in People Magazine, some celebrity was interviewed about her relationship with her dog. It was one of the dancing with the stars ladies, but I forgot her name. She said that coming home to her dog every night was like,and I loosely quote, 'coming home to a 3 to 5 year old who is eager to see me.' I couldn't have said that better myself.

I spent Mother's day with my parents, and of course, with Lucy in tow. I took a few pictures and will upload them, esp the one of me, Lucy and our friend Maria and my mom:






Lucy's favorite (and newly replaced toy):



As one of my Mother's Day goodies to my mom, I bought a raffle ticket for the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Rotary Club's annual "Rubber Duck Race". Each ticket has a number and corresponds to a number on a big rubber duck. They dump the rubber ducks into part of the Eno River in Durham for a "race". The first 15 or so ducks are culled out of the water and those raffle ticket holders are eligible for some great prizes. When I bought the ticket, I got a mini duck which I wrapped up for my mom. I think I'll go to the event too. I asked specifically if dogs are allowed and the volunteer joked that each year someone's golden retriever jumps in the water and steals a rubber duck. For more information, check out this link.

Playing with big sticks - not a good idea.

As they say, It's all fun and games, until someone looses an eye. Well, for a small dog like Lucy who thinks she's a big dog who likes to chew on large sticks or fallen branches, the phrase should be, It's all fun chewing and fetching, until a big branch swings you in the jaw and knocks out a tooth. Poor thing got a tooth knocked loose late Sunday afternoon. She kept rubbing her paw over her mouth and I figured something was stuck. I looked a few times in her mouth, gently reaching into her mouth to look for a string or piece of bark, but found nothing. A few hours later, Stuart looked again and we saw a small tooth that was very loose. I made a vet appointment to see how we could help her.

Then the strange thing happened. The vet couldn't find anything wrong with Lucy's teeth. Yes, a few of her small teeth are oddly shaped, but there were no signs of damage or problems. I still don't understand what happened, but am thankful that Lucy is alright and pain free.

Hundreds of dogs and thousands of bees....

Last weekend was full of creatures of all sizes. First of all, Stuart and I went to the SPCA of Wake County dog walk in Moore Square in Raleigh...lots of fun.
We saw the biggest dog ever. See photo:



Lucy was just fine around all the other dogs, although too excited to eat the doggie yogurt that I bought for her!

Then, Saturday afternoon, we checked on Stuart's bees (all 20,000 of them). I was a little nervous and agreed to only watch. First, we had to "smoke" the bees with a few puffs of smoke from the mechanical smoking device. This just makes them sleepy and slower. As I stood there a few feet away from the first hive, we saw a large block of honeycomb just fall from one of the frames and he wanted to pick it up to either take out or put on top of the hive for them to dismantle and use on one of the frames. But the only way to do that was to reach into the hive itself. He had to remove one more frame and was already holding one gently resting on it's edge. He replaced the one he was holding and then pulled out the second frame. He needed me to hold the edges. I was afraid, but slowly stepped up and held the edges. The sound of buzzing surrounded us and I think I stop breathing, in a miconcerted effort to seem relaxed around the bees. They just buzzed away, really ignoring us thankfully. I had to look away for a moment or two to try to _not_ think about the thousands of bees within touching distance. I did at least have the protective head gear with net on and long sleeved and pants on. Once we were done with the first beehive, we had to repeat the whole thing at the second one.

After the whole afternoon full of fun and creatures, I was exhausted and found my way to the hammock for an afternoon siesta!

Although we didn't record our bee outing, Stuart recorded the first weekend with his bees. Check it out:

Video-clip of Lucy & Tucker playing

Dog-sitting Tucker meant it was a 2 dog weekend!!!

Last weekend, Stuart and I were "dog-sitting" our friends' dog name Tucker. Lucy was very excited to get to play with her buddy Tucker. The two dogs were almost inseparable all weekend and constantly playing. Whenever there was a quite moment -- they were rare -- both dogs were so tired they'd just pass out, or even cuter, go into their respective crates for naps. Here are a few pics:


Tucker in full play bow and Lucy looking at him:

Lucy's first romp in the snow!!!

It snowed a lot this past weekend in North Carolina and we got to enjoy the snow with Lucy. She was so excited about the snow -- jumping around, licking the snow and just being silly. She knew that the snow was something special. And now in photos, what words could only describe...

Lucy gazing out of the garage at the untouched white landscape:



Lucy loved licking the snow:



Lucy in full play posture in the snow:



Lucy settling into the snowy landscape for a pause:

Lucy's trip to the office - last one at that address

I brought Lucy into the office last Friday. Since our company is moving offices next week, it was the official last time Lucy will be at that office. She was particularly well behaved. In fact, not only did she do her tricks for colleagues that visited, she stayed put near me when I left my office door open the whole afternoon. Perhaps it is just that she's getting a little older and calmer.

Here are some pics.

Lucy in her own office chair, alert:



Lucy snuggled on her blanket:




Lucy hanging out next to my desk, but watching the open door:



I enjoyed being able to take Lucy to the office, even if it was just once in a while. In our upcoming office, most of us have been "cubed", aka. moved to cubes, so I don't think I can bring in Lucy.

Lucy shopping at Phydeaux

Lucy loves going to our local pet boutique, Phydeaux. There, she likes to examine, aka sniff, the latest toys, treats and large bags of dog food.

Exhibit A:



We stocked up on those beef bones she likes to chew on. I've heard that they are healthier than the traditional raw hides and she likes them a lot more too. Yes, they are more expensive, but I give them to her only occasionally as a special treat. It's always an adventure going there!

Great dog book: The Other End of the Leash

There are also a lot of great reads about dogs. A few of the books I read the past 2 years include:"Dogs Make Great Pets" by Margaret H. Bonham, "How to Speak Dog" by Stanley Coren and "The Other End of the Leash" by Particia B. Mcconnell, PH.D.

My most recent read, "The Other End of the Leash", was very touching and written by an animal behaviorist, Dr Mcconnell, who also runs a sheep farm and uses dog to help her heard her sheep.

She had a chapter dedicated to the topic of puppy mills and how important it is to vet out breeders if you feel the need to purchase a pure bred species. I was saddened to learn about puppy mills across the US. It made me want to ban the sale of puppies in those big box stores like PetSmart. I highly doubt that they are visiting the breeders and ensuring the conditions are not only loving but at the minimum sanitary.

I was also touched by her stories of companionship with her dogs and by the strength of personality she conveyed for each of her dog companions. I was especially touched at the end of the book about grieving for the loss of a loved pet. She really emphasized that the emotional bonds between humans and dogs are very strong and that our society could be gentler to humans who have lost their canine companion. When the author grieved over the death of one of her dogs, it wasn't even in consideration that she could take some time off of work to grieve and be alone. That section had me teary eyed.

Overall, it was a wonderful read -- personal, entertaining, informative and, of course, all about dogs. Honestly, it was my favorite read. What more could you want?

Lucy diagnosed with a urinary trac infection

Lucy was staying with my parents overnight for a visit and they noticed that she didn't sleep well and whined in the middle of the night.

The next morning, she didn't want to go outside and seemed to point behind the door, where she had peed. Once my mom saw it, Lucy ran under the kitchen table with her tail between her legs. She thought that maybe she just had an accident, but at lunch with some friends, a friend said that those were signs of a UTI.

Thankfully, she was able to rush Lucy to the vet. Her friend was correct. She needs antibiotics immediatly. I wonder what caused the infection. The vet, over the phone via my mom said that "it just happens." I googled and found this nice website that discusses causes:

http://www.uti-in-dogs.com/signs-of-uti-in-dogs.php

It seems that possibly drinking water with bacteria or food with some bad bacteria could lead to a UTI. Lucy likes to lick the floor and eat dust bunnies, so it's hard to know how to prevent her from getting bad bacteria. I guess we'll have to swiffer more and make sure we clean out her water bowl more often, daily at least and maybe even more.