Lazy Bones

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Bottles and baby food and bones! Oh my! We spent the weekend watching our niece, Claire. Delilah and Phoebe loved Claire (especially her apple baby food and squeaky toys) and are always vying for her attention. They ran circles around her while she clapped and squealed in delight. Only stopping to give her a quick lick on the forehead, the dogs spent Saturday and Sunday worshipping the five month old baby girl.

Flora, on the other hand, was not amused. At all. The feline would rather be in a pool full of ice water than be around little Claire. Luckily, Flora never made a harmful move towards the tiny human. Instead of being aggressive, she chose to show Claire her true feelings by ignoring her completely. And here we thought she would be so interested in the baby! Based on what they say about curiosity and cats and all….

Out of everyone in our household, it was the two legged animals that had the most fun! We loved every minute! There is nothing quite as miraculous as a baby. How can something be the perfect ratio of down right gross and ridiculously cute? Even though we will be able to sleep straight through the night tonight and no dirty diapers will be involved, our house sure does feel lonely without Claire now that her momma and dad picked her up. Guess Phoebe, Delilah and Flora are the only babes here tonight! Lucky for us they are already passed out. Delilah is all bundled up, Phoebe has already crawled into her kennel where she burrowed under her mound of blankets and Flora is asleep in her kitty condo. All is well….

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Knick-Knack Paddy-Whack Give a Dog a Bone….

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Call me biased, but our pooches are too adorable. Such adorability calls for a meal so divine it could satisfy the dog gods on Mount Olympus. For us, that means a combination of dry kibbles and treats.

After working in a veterinarians office for almost six years, I am very picky about what my animals ingest. All too often I see pets sick as a result of their owners’ bad food choices.

The only kibbles that leave crumbs in Delilah and Phoebe’s bowls are Hill’s Science Diet Advanced Fitness. They each get 3/4 cup in the morning and at night. It is pricey in terms of dog food, but it helps our dogs stay strong and healthy. Dachshunds and Bassett Hounds are very prone to joint problems, specifically arthritis. I have seen first hand at work just how effective Science Diet foods can be in combating joint conditions. Plus, the girls dig it. Special treats are added to their morning food to ensure they stay full throughout the afternoon. The treats change daily. Sometimes we use Hill’s Science Diet treats, sometimes Greenies or sometimes we use homemade treats. One of the girls favorite treats is a sweet potato cookie. Being one of the simplest recipes ever only adds to how awesome it is! Give it a try:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cooked plain mashed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons chicken or beef broth (or water)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sweet potatoes and broth. Add flour, cornmeal, mint and apples and stir until combined. Knead the dough a few times until it holds together. Roll out half of the dough on a generously floured surface until about 1/4-inch thick. Use (2- to 4-inch) cookie cutters to cut out treats. Transfer to baking sheets; reroll and cut the remaining dough.

Bake until dried and just slightly golden on the bottoms, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave oven door ajar and let the treats cool and dry out in the oven for 1 to 2 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving:35 calories (0 from fat), 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 1g protein

Bon Appétite, friends!

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Who Let the Dogs Out(side)?

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Anyone who has been to college knows the best feeling in the world is waking up to an email that says your only class of the day is canceled! That’s right! No class today! So what do we do with no class and unseasonably warm weather? Load up our pups and head to the mountains for a day of trail running, tunnel seeking and good ole’ southern comfort food.

Living in the upstate of South Carolina has it’s advantages. We are a little over three hours away from the beach, making a weekend stay a breeze, and only thirty minutes from the Blue Ridge mountains, our preferred destination. One of our favorite spots to visit is Issaqueena Falls. To get to the Falls, you must drive through a series of small, southern towns. They are riddled with Mom and Pop restaurants that beat out a wine and dine experience any day, antique shops full of left over war and Native American relics and the most fascinating art galleries one could fathom. After these towns pass you by, you are at the base of the mountain which is home to Isaqueena Falls. You can see the mountains from our town thirty minutes away. But it is nothing like when you reach the base of that mountain, surrounded by leaves of every warm color ever painted and streams that trickle softly down large boulders. Birds chirp overhead, singing songs so intricate and unique. Deer, squirrels and rabbits are your neighbors and the wind is your radio. Peace and serenity are overwhelming.

Issaqueena falls was once home to the Issaqueena people. One of the many Native American tribes in upstate South Carolina, these people hunted and thrived in the Blue Ridge mountains. Their legends and history still effect the surrounding areas. When the civil war began, the South used the Falls to hide a secret railroad tunnel. They used dynamite to eradicate large chunks of rock from behind the Falls. The tunnel was abandoned during the midst of war, only a mile along. Years ago, one of the state universities used the tunnel to make and store blue cheese. Their agriculture program found its damp and cool conditions to be the ideal location for the cheese to rest. Today it is part of a state park, intended to be explored and enjoyed by curious residents, just like us and our dogs.

Delilah and Phoebe are having a blast this morning already. They have explored trails, played in the creek, chased squirrels and took two walks to the end of the tunnel. We always pack a travel, no spill water bowl with us. Whenever we stop for a break, we fill it up using a water bottle. The girls lap it down then prepare for their next adventure. We also pack sweaters (which it is too hot for right now) and some Hills Science Diet treats that Delilah and Phoebe go nuts for. Looking forward to see what the rest of the day holds!

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Reunited and it Feels So Dog’gone Good

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After a weekend away from our three girls, we are pumped to be reunited! A somber weekend spent at the funeral of a dear friend got our spirits down. Tears, Kleenex and Ibuprofen made up most of Saturday and Sunday. Leaving Delilah, Phoebe and Flora with a pet sitter only added to our stress.

When we arrived home today it was as though our soul was cleansed! Wet noses, furry snouts and padded paws welcomed us at the door. Our girls were happy for us to be home almost as much as us. We have spent the entire afternoon and night so far playing fetch, cuddling on the couch and eating Japanese takeout while watching House on Netflix

Does life get any better than this?

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Rub A Dub Dub… Two Basset-Weenies in the Tub?

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Ahh the dreaded bath time. Complete with a loofa and rubber ducky who’s squeal shrieks out over the dripping water. I don’t know about y’all’s dogs, but Delilah and Phoebe are terrible during their baths! Drinking the water as though they been dehydrated, attempting to roll in the suds or make an escape and slosh water all over the hardwood floors.

We use a cucumber melon dog shampoo and (spoiled brats) Paul Mitchell conditioner on both of the girls. We also use a CET rinse that smells of delightful mint to decrease their doggie mouth odor. These three products have proven wonderful! Their fur is left shiny as a disco ball and their sensitive skin is untarnished.

Though bath time can be annoying, time consuming and over all unpleasant, the time spent together is nothing but memorable and rewarding. We wouldn’t trade moments like this with Delilah and Phoebe for anything.

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Sisters Before Misters

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Delilah and Phoebe aren’t the only four-legged critters ruling over our household. They have a younger sister who is every bit as sassy, sweet and spunky. Flora came into our lives May of 2013. She was the last remaining from her litter, which consisted of her and two brothers. People seemed to lack interest in her. Her brothers’ adoptions proceeded speedily, while Flora rarely received any recognition. The animal hospital, where she lived, told us she was borderline unlovable. Scary, evil and demonic were a few of the slanderous words used to describe the gray tabby. If she wasn’t adopted soon she would have been put down.

Needless to say, we picked up Flora and brought her home immediately. The ten week old kitten quickly took to us. Where was all of her anger? Her aggression? Her borderline psychopathic tendencies? Where did all these horrible traits we had been told about go? Our sweet kitten never acted out. Flora has been in our family for going on two years and she has never demonstrated any of the behavior the animal hospital told us she had.

Flora sleeps at the foot of the bed everynight, purring herself into a slumber. She watches movies, preferably Disney, on the television with her eyes chasing the characters on the screen. She kisses everyone on their nose to say hello. If she lays in your lap, she likes to lay facing you so she can connect with your eyes. She follow her sisters around, trying to play fetch and chew on bones with them. When their brother, Louie, was dying, Flora laid with him through the night loving him and snuggling up beside him.

Failing to live up to what the animal hospital said about her, Flora turned out to be a jewel. I often wonder if perhaps she never showed those employees love because they never bothered to show her any. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here?

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Snowmageddon

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Every South Carolinian knows that even a few measly snowflakes can lead to chaos in the Palmetto State and neighboring areas. It seems as though our ability to drive and control ourselves vanishes when the mercury in the thermometer drops below thirty-two degrees. Northerners laugh at us every time winter rolls around. Perhaps rightfully so. At the word “snow” most southerners cringe and run for the grocery store to buy bread and milk. Its logical…right? To buy two of the most easily perishable items to survive being trapped inside for days due to icy roads?

Last winter we experienced what we call Snowmageddon. This particular ice storm took upstate South Carolina by storm. Schools were closed down for five to seven days and roads were blocked off. What did this mean for college students? Homework was thrown aside carelessly, school clothes exchanged for warm pajamas and more hot cocoa than one can wrap their mind (or stomach) around. We even considered using our gargantuan textbooks for firewood. What did Snowmageddon mean for Bassett-Weenies? A whole day full of wagging tails, playing outside and new adventures!

About two hours into our education-less day, Delilah and Phoebe began to beg to go outdoors. Being that they are so short, we knew their bellies would drag along the ground, leaving trenches in the snow. First, we put them in their favorite sweaters. Target sweaters seem to fit them best, the knitted fabric comfortably stretching along their thirty inch long bodies. Finally, they were wrapped securely in their fleece and corduroy jackets (also from Target).

The girls took to the snow immediately. Eating it, jumping in it and kicking it up with their paws. Soon enough, trenches filled our front yard. We walked Phoebe and Delilah for thirty minutes all around our neighborhood. They did well, expect for their paws. They don’t have any doggie booties or shoes. Their legs are only four inches long (no joke) so finding shoes to fit it a challenge. Any advice? We welcome any suggestions.

Delilah and Phoebe finally had enough. They came inside where they were stripped of their snow gear and dried off with a fluffy towel. These Basset-Weenies settled down for a puppy slumber in front of the fire. Earlier this week I saw a forecast calling for freezing temperatures this weekend. I couldn’t help but think of all the fun we had last year and how heart warming it was to see our dogs enjoy the season and each other.

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Two Bassett-Weenies? Pshh…Whatevfur!

Introduction

Today it seems as thought it is a rite of passage for college students to have one.  A constant companion with fur to dry the stressful tears, cuddle at night and distract from the rigorous homework.  A dog.  We transcended the bounds of rational.  We didn’t get a dog.  We got two.  Innocently enough, it began on Craigslist where funny dog ads had caught our attention after dinner.  The idea of getting a dog was thrown out on a whim and immediately embraced by the whole group.  Why not?  Dogs are fun…right?  They dried the stressful tears, cuddled you and could distract us from the rigorous homework we put off, like the procrastinators we are.  We looked at several, scrolling through the ads halfheartedly, passing over several Labradors and Poodle-mixes.  We even stopped to ponder a feisty looking Boxador (boxer-lab mix, for you ignorant dog lovers).

About an hour into the search we stumbled across an image of a fuzzy muzzle that will forever be branded on our hearts.  A small brown blob with a hint of a black nose poking out from the most delicious puppy rolls ever seen.  Just a blob.  That is how tiny it was.  Call it intuition, but we knew it was the one.  Its breeder was immediately contacted.  He let us know our little blob was a female and a Basset-Weenie.  Her parents were a Basset Hound and a Dachshund.  A visit was set up in the next Saturday to allow us to meet her.

For seven days we hardly did anything but revisit that image of the tiny, soft brown blob.  Delilah was agreed on for a name because, if after the visit we decided we couldn’t live without her, she needed a name.  When Saturday arrived we drove two hours to Travelers Rest, South Carolina just to see her.  The car ride was packed with non-stop chatter about Delilah and the new collar we had just purchased.  We entered the breeders’ house full of anticipation and curiosity.  Here, Delilah was sleeping in a basket with her siblings.  She was immediately placed in our arms.  Her warmth radiated and she smelled like sweet, sweet puppy.  Her heartbeat was pulsing and her tiny whimpers could melt the iciest of hearts.  She had to be ours.  There was no other option.   We set her on the floor to watch her walk with her siblings.  Her two brothers had been previously claimed as well as one of her sisters.  However, one pup had yet to be adopted.   This one was a black and brown ball of fluff.  She spent our entire visit pushing her siblings out of the way to get more milk from her mother and demanding attention.  Her spunk contrasted Delilah’s calm.  “Can we take her, too?”  I asked.  Delilah needed a companion.  Someone to love her consistently, play with her daily and lay beside her at night.  Plus, this black and brown pup had spunk.  It was an unanimous agreement.  We would be leaving with two puppies.

Delilah and Phoebe got to come home with us on Valentines Day of 2013.  There is a scene in the famous movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas where Grinch’s heart grows astronomically in a matter of a few minutes.  That best describes how we felt when Phoebe and Delilah stumbled into our lives.  Every day is better as a result.  They have taught us of unconditional and consistent love, blind trust, commitment and more values that can be listed in this post.  Delilah and Phoebe turned two last week, giving us ample opportunity to reflect on the past twenty-four months with them as our beloved dogs.  They are a treat we get to enjoy every day.

Phoebe and Delilah on the car ride home.

Phoebe and Delilah on the car ride home.