Mind the K9

2008-02-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

Puppy Love

2008-02-24T16:09:00.001-06:00

I know its been a while. Give me a break, its winter and things get very boring. We went to the dog park today for the first time in ages. It was glorious! They ran and ran and ran. They got to play with a ton of dogs and are now officially pooped out. There was a surprising amount of rat terriers there today and no one that I usually see around there.

Murphy more of a puppy!

2008-01-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

Murphy did not come into my life until he was about 6 or 7 months old, but he was still definatly a puppy.

Norma was a puppy!

2008-01-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

Update

2008-01-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

Norma seems to be doing better. She is much more alert than she has been in two days. She has kept some water down and some white rice. I think the worst is over. I will keep her on her meds just to make sure but I think she is ok now. Tomorrow she will go back on regular kibble.

Remember how she gained two pounds? Well, she lost them. The vet did not seem too worried about it since she is healthy in all other ways. She even said that she would rather see her a little on the thin side rather than being too heavy. Small dogs have a particularly hard time when they are carrying too much weight. I think it would be good to get those two pounds back on her though. I am shooting for 3 overall but its a slow process.

Sick as a Dog

2008-01-24T13:53:00.001-06:00

I had to take Norma to the vet this morning. She has been vomiting for 24 hours off and on and after three calls to the vet I decided to take her in. She was really dehydrated from not drinking and throwing up but I was told to withhold all food and water. So they gave her some medication and pumped her full of liquids and now she has this crazy big lump of water under her skin (looks sort of like a camel) until it absorbs. I have medication to give her for the next 5 days. I was so worried about her! I had to baby gate her into the bathroom so in case she did throw up more it wouldn't be on the carpet again. Its much easier to clean up from tile! Around 5 am she was whining and crying to I took my pillow and blanket and layed/slept right on the other side of the baby gate so she would see me and not cry anymore. IT WORKED! I was so freakin worried about her! I can only give her 2 tablespoons of water tonight to see if she can keep it down. If this doesn't work I have to take her back for xrays/labs/bloodwork/the works. I am thinking this should work though. She hasn't thrown up yet today which is a good thing.

My poor little Norma!

Animals are so hard because they can't tell you where it hurts or anything. I felt so helpless! I think she will be ok though.

2008-01-22T16:47:00.000-06:00

Sock Monkey!!!!!

2008-01-22T16:38:00.000-06:00

I am finally getting around to getting these up! Murphy and Norma got sock monkey collars for Christmas! I had a hard time getting them to cooperate but I think you get the idea. They are super cute!

We are back!

2008-01-19T19:37:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I took a while to update, but we are back and we are FREEZING! Here are Norma and Murphy trying to stay warm on the recliner.

Weather.com says its -7, feels like -23!!!!!

Leaving

2007-12-22T10:35:00.000-06:00

The dogs and I will be out of town for a while. Staying at Grandmas while I am out of town so there won't be a lot of updates until then.

Denim

2007-12-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

Just for fun.

Another one that did not make the xmas card

2007-12-10T14:28:00.000-06:00

hello

2007-12-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

Dearest Readers/watchers/whoever-

I just want to let you know that we encourage comments! If you like something or don't or if something isn't working or whatever the case may be, send me a comment! I know there are people out there and I find it encouraging to get some sort of response...maybe just so I feel like less of a crazy dog lady if there are people out there who actually look at this. It doesn't matter if we know each other or you are a stranger or you simply stumbled over here some how.

Love, Mel, Murphy and Norma

Jammies

2007-12-10T08:36:00.000-06:00

Norma in her comfy jammies.

yay!

2007-12-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

Three Little Iggies got us a gift card for k9closet!!!!! I am so excited!!! THANKS AMBER & LUCAS!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to pick out collars!!

My Sleepy Baby

2007-12-09T18:12:00.000-06:00

2007-12-05T20:38:00.000-06:00

2007-12-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-02T20:44:00.001-06:00

I ordered my holiday cards today. Here are a couple of pictures from the pictures that I am using for it. These are not the ones that will be on the cards but are too cute not to share.

It snowed!

2007-12-02T17:45:00.000-06:00

Murphy in HIS parka!

2007-11-28T17:57:00.000-06:00

Norma in her parka!

2007-11-28T17:55:00.000-06:00

2007-11-27T20:14:00.000-06:00

2007-11-27T20:11:00.000-06:00

Diaper!

2007-11-19T20:01:00.000-06:00

Norma in her diaper. She has been NAUGHTY!

Faye

2007-11-19T19:59:00.000-06:00

Meet Faye. She stays here sometimes.

RIP Ripley

2007-11-19T10:38:00.000-06:00

2007-11-15T19:43:00.000-06:00

Sentimental

2007-11-15T19:36:00.000-06:00

Vet

2007-11-13T18:18:00.000-06:00

I can hear the angels singing, can you? Norma got her nails trimmed at the vet today. She also has gained about 1.8 pounds. This is fantastic. I think she could even gain just a tiny bit more and be perfect. She looks good. She is up to date on her shots and will no longer be in dangered of becoming Cujo.

Life is good!

Shots

2007-11-13T07:20:00.000-06:00

We are going to a new vet today. She is in the neighborhood so I can get there on foot which is not true for the other. Norma needs her rabies and distemper shots. I will update on that later.

Norma looks chubby in this picture which is funny because she isn't although she has definatly gained weight which is a good thing. I am kind of excited to see what she weighs. She hasn't been on a scale since I started her on the puppy food and noticed that she is not skin and bones anymore.

Close up!

2007-11-11T08:11:00.000-06:00

2007-11-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

Guilty

2007-11-08T06:48:00.000-06:00

Norma with Murphys favorite toy.

Recap

2007-11-07T21:34:00.000-06:00

Just in case you forgot what Norma looked like in her costume :)

Murphy is a bee!

2007-11-07T21:26:00.000-06:00

Murphy hated his lobster costume and it wasn't looking as cute as I had hoped. Here he is modeling the bee costume.

2007-11-06T18:48:00.000-06:00

Food.

2007-11-06T08:01:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa got us stocked up on dog food which is excellent.

Norma is refusing the nail clippings. She tosses and turns and screams before I even get the clippers to the nails. The nearest grooming shop closes at like 4 on weeknights. WHO CAN BRING THEIR DOGS BEFORE 4:00?!

I don't really know what to do about this.

I am in love with this face.

2007-11-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Squeeeek!

2007-11-05T20:26:00.001-06:00

Murphy takes his toy from Auntie Ambie into his crate for some one on one time.

Dinner?

2007-11-05T20:24:00.000-06:00

2007-10-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

This is the exact look I get to see a number of times throughout the the day. Every time I am standing and Murph is sitting. You must admit, he is sure handsome. Again with the ears!!

Baby Bee

2007-10-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Norma in her costume. Unfortunatly, it is a struggle to get Murphy to even let me get his on. It will happen and I WILL take pictures to prove it. Until then, here is Norma who never fails to crack me up.

Puppy

2007-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Norma as a pup.

Wishlist

2007-10-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Here are two of the collars from my K9closet.com wishlist on! Dreams do come true.

My Fair Lady

2007-10-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

Murphys Hoodie

2007-10-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

I am ordering custom Red Sox hooded sweatshirts for the k9's. They are going to be freakin great! I am so excited! Here is Murphys current sweatshirt. Gosh dang, he is tough.

2007-10-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

STR

2007-10-18T19:26:00.001-05:00

I am saddened to report that Norma & Murphy do not enjoy their costumes as much as I do. They did not go over well. Maybe Murphy wanted to be a sheriff or maybe Sponge Bob and not a lobster. These are things I will never know.

Pictures after Halloween. I can't spoil it!

Costumes!

2007-10-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

Halloween costumes have been purchased! Murphy will be a lobster and Norma a bumble bee. I can’t not wait and now wish that Halloween was a week long event so that everyone on the planet can see their outfits.

The new roomie moves in this weekend. I will be interested to see what the pups think about that one. I think it will be just fine.

I have to start updating this more often! Things have just been so crazy lately that I haven’t had the time. I promise I will be better at updating again.

Hoodies

2007-10-11T07:19:00.001-05:00

It's that time again! I realized two nights ago when we went for our after work walk that it is getting a bit chilly for the pups. Norma will sit on the ground with one little paw lifted up and just shivers. It makes me feel terrible and as if I am doing this just to torture her but we have business to take care of out there! It must be done! I busted out the hooded sweatshirts. Murphy was not cooperating and so his will come soon.

Blood

2007-10-03T20:34:00.000-05:00

I was cutting the dogs nails this weekend and accidently clipped Normas a little too short. My biggest fear came true, there was blood all over. I had to stick her in the bathroom away from carpet and she left little bloody paw prints all over. I felt so terrible! I didn't think I went any lower than I did on the other ones but this one got her.

New collars came in the mail! I will post pictures of them soon. They are just as cute as I hoped and I am loving the new charms Heidi is using! It adds just a little something extra that really works.

I am trying this new thing for dog food. I signed up for Fetch Delivers and they are supposed to deliver it on Friday. If it works out correctly I will be pumped. I just hope I can be home when they deliver it or that no one in my building takes my dog food if I am not home. Keep your fingers crossed!

What?!

2007-09-28T21:07:00.001-05:00

K9 Closet

2007-09-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

Heidi put both of my top collars on sale so I really had no choice in the matter and bought them. I can't wait until they get here! Pretty soon though we won't be so strapped for cash and then watch out!

We went to the dog park tonight and met another rattie, a cute little girl and her friend the IG. It was fun and they were both very adorable. It gets dark earlier every night and so we had to leave soon after we got there but at least there was a little DP action to be had.

Winter

2007-09-27T20:14:00.000-05:00

It's almost this time again! Just wait until you see their parkas. You won't be able to stand it!

2007-09-18T07:10:00.000-05:00

Here is another one that I really like. Gotta love those ears.

My Birthday Boy!

2007-09-16T11:37:00.000-05:00

Murphy is two! Here he is in his bow tie to celebrate! More to come because they are all so cute I can't decide which ones to share.

Building Blocks

2007-09-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

Ok- Here the the one that would look great on Murphy. So many new collars coming out all the time I can't keep up!!

FAKER

2007-09-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

Here is Norma acting like she hates her picture being taken, we all know she is the ham in the family.

RT

2007-09-13T20:33:00.000-05:00

We met a little rattie on our walk today. This one was like most, lots of white with some black and brown patches. Murphy doesn't really look like most other RT's that I see. The little nub tail and faces are the same but colorwise it throws everything off. He is a special one.

In other exciting news, Murphy turns TWO this week!! Pictures of him in his bow tie to come!!

Miss Skullina

2007-09-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

Heidi keeps adding fabulous collars. I love them all, as usual, but this one is now on my top ten list. Now I need to figure out my next 'must have' for Murphy.

Gain!

2007-09-10T20:25:00.000-05:00

I think Norma is gaining weight! Not tons yet, but the past couple of days I have felt like she is a little sturdier. She is still pretty narrow but I feel like I can see less of her ribs than before which is fantastic. I put her on the puppy food and its not upsetting her tummy and seems to be working. Slowly but surely!

On our walk around the lake today they were so bad! They would not stop wrestling around with each other and people look at me as if my dogs are about to kill each other. I am not phased unless there is an audience and then I become aware of the noise and craziness of it all.

Also, Murphy could not despise roller bladers any more than he does. I dread each one that I see.

2007-08-30T06:25:00.000-05:00

Something that makes me totally insane is when people bark back at my dogs.

Is that really necessary? Do you think its cute? Funny? Clever?

It's not. Its obnoxious and annoying.

Yawn

2007-08-28T20:06:00.000-05:00

Thankful

2007-08-28T18:13:00.000-05:00

I couldn't stop worrying about what I was going to come home to today. I walked in the door and took a sniff, all was clear, I went up to the crate and raised the sheet off and everything was fine! I made some rice for her dinner and Murphy had his usual kibble with about a tablespoon of rice so that he didn't feel left out.

I am going to continue to feed her only the rice (maybe some boiled beef or chicken, too) until tomorrow just to be sure she has calmed down.

I am so glad that it seems to be over!!

Nightmare

2007-08-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

Norma is having some major issues of the digestive nature. One could call it explosive. In the past 18 hours I have had to clean up more poo (if you can even call it that) than I have ever wanted to in my life. I put them in the bathroom for the night with the baby gate up so that it would at least be contained to one room and that room is one with tile. She cried and barked the ENTIRE night. I did not sleep a wink. I woke up and had to clean up even more. I am going to withhold her food this morning and feed her rice tonight. I think it is her new food. That blows because I was trying to do a good thing and help her and now its backfired. I guess I will have to come up with a new plan. If I stop the food and the "issues" stop, then I guess I have my answer.

I am exhausted. I bet they are too though since they didn't get their usual rest either.

Please make it stop.

Isles

2007-08-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

We walked the lake again today. Here are a couple photos to show you how it went. I should have gotton some of the pooped out pups afterwards.

2007-08-26T11:53:00.000-05:00

Airedale

2007-08-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

We took full advantage of the beautiful night and walked around the lake. Before that though, we stopped at the dog park for around 15 minutes. It was too dirty and wet to stay.

And now, for my total Best in Show moment. We were walking out as a woman with an Airedale Terrier was walking in. She asked me what kind of dogs Norma and Murphy are and after I told her she said

"Well, they are both at least part terrier which means they must be great!"

Of course, I wanted to burst out in song right there but just smiled and agreed.

Dog people are so funny. The terrier people, the pug people, you know the ones. I really do love it. I love when they are sporting the shirts, too.

New Collars!!

2007-08-24T18:31:00.000-05:00

Today was a great mail day, not only did I get a package in the mail but the dogs got TWO. The Flint River Ranch Drywater came. I can't wait to see what it does for Norma. AND! We got FOUR new collars in the mail today! Thank you to the fabulous Heidi at k9closet.com for the surprise!! What an awesome thing to come home to. I took some pictures of two of the new collars and will take some with the other ones on tonight or tomorrow. Murphy refused to sit still so you only get to see one picture of his. They are adorable.

Peace at last!

2007-08-24T07:04:00.000-05:00

Now, this is what i like to see!

High Energy

2007-08-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last night Monty came over again! We went and shared a frosty from Wendy’s and went to the Loring Park Dog Park. I hadn’t been to that one in a while. By the time we got there it was pretty dead but they three of them still had fun and got to run. Apparently there was more than I was aware of. I thought that by going so much later in the evening that they would be pooped out for bed. WRONG! Murphy was insane for a good two hours after I got home. Randomly barking a single bark, wanting to wrestle and play with Norma. This is why I take you to the dog park! Get that energy out!

The food for Norma still has not arrived. I am keeping my fingers crossed for today. Each day, I go home and hope that when I open the door it will be propped against the mailbox. Soon though!

Bedtime.

2007-08-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

Normas special food has been ordered. Flint River Ranch Drywater. I hope it arrives closer to the three days than the seven. I just want to get her started on it. Keep your fingers crossed that this works. If she does not gain weight on this than I will be taking her back to the vet just to be sure that she is ok.

On my spending spree this weekend I purchased two more collars from k9closet.com. I am making myself only get the sale collars for right now because the budget is tighter than usual but not so tight that I can completely resist purchasing them at all.

Last night the dogs did a little switcheroo. Normally, Norma is the one who sleeps under my covers and Murphy will burrow on the other side of the bed. I usually do a little check to make sure that both of them are where they should be. I will reach under my blanket, see who I feel and then pat the bed next to me until I bump into one. Murphy was under my blankets in the exact way that Norma usually is. Very cute.

This is what we do when it rains.

2007-08-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

It has been raining all day. I was hoping for a nice day, maybe a cool day but not all this rain. My plan was to go to the dog park for a while and let out some energy. The kids are spoiled and when we go out in the rain you would think that I was sending them off for some terrible doom. Big eyes just looking at me like "Why would you do this to me?!? What did I do wrong???" So instead we are enjoying having a nice rain with the windows open.

My Watch Dog.

2007-08-18T17:02:00.000-05:00

BEWARE OF DOG! 15 pounds of pure muscle.

Murphys New Collar.

2007-08-18T17:00:00.001-05:00

Here is Murphys new collar he got this week from the best place on earth, k9closet.com. I would take one of everything from there.

Pack it on.

2007-08-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

I am worried about Norma. She is too skinny. She eats like a horse but you would never know it. I am trying to get maybe just 2 or 3 pounds on her. I have started feeding her even more than I was and I am putting her back on puppy food for a while to see if she can pack a couple on that way. Murphy eats ¼ cup twice a day and Norma was eating a ½ a cup twice a day but I have now been giving her between ¾’s and 1 cup. She doesn’t have worms and the vet checked her muscle mass and everything was fine there. (THANK GOD!) but of course, being her mother, I am still worried! Lets cross our fingers and hope that my little bag of bones can gain a little weight.

Follower.

2007-08-17T06:51:00.000-05:00

She has to do everything Murphy does.

Crate

2007-08-17T06:44:00.000-05:00

They go in willingly. They will go into the crate and just look at me. I assume they are waiting for a treat for being good dogs and going right in. That only works when I say to 'kennel up' not just anytime you want to go in there! They are hilarious. The happened to capture the exact look that they give me. They sit and look at me and wait for me to catch on to the big treat plan.

Murphys Favorite Spot

2007-08-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

If he could do this all day, I believe that he would. He loves looking out the window!

Norma.

2007-08-16T18:40:00.001-05:00

This may be one of my all time favorite pictures of my little Norma girl.

Helly!

2007-08-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for the weekend. I feel so guilty having to crate the poor things all day while I am at work. I wonder if they enjoy their weekends as much as I do. They get to run around and have minimal time in the crate. I have felt such a bond with them now that it is just us. Don’t get me wrong, I did before too but its different now. Just the three of us and I would be lost without them.

Helly came over last night. It is so funny how similar yet totally different her and Norma are. I think they must have the same father but different mothers. They all got along so much better this time. The last time she came over there was a little scuffle upon her arrival but this time around it was like they all already knew their place. Dogs have an amazing way of working those things out amongst themselves. I will have to get some pictures of the three of them together.

Tuckered Out

2007-08-08T21:17:00.001-05:00

Here are the kids after their long day.

We spent almost two hours at the dog park. We met a cute little jack russell/pug mix named Zoey. She looked like the spawn of Norma and Murphy. They were very cute together. Zoey has the same curly tail as Norma. I love it!

Monty came over afterwards which is fun because we haven't had another K9 visitor for a while. We were past due.

Introduction.

2007-08-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

I am going to begin by introducing the stars of this blog.

Murphy age 1 and 3/4's. Black and tan Rat Terrier. Handsome. Big dog in a small body.

Norma age 1 and 1/4. Brindle Bugg. Half Pug and half Boston Terrier. Princess.