Wordless Wednesday

We start school tonight

Watch me....watch me....

Sit....

Heel.....


Ahhh... the lessons in manners to be taught tonight.  For Tucker and for me.  I've been through doggie school so many times that dear son wonders why I need to go with Tucker.  Surely I can do it on my own?  I try to explain that I enjoy going.  After 10 years one gets rusty.  So you see, I need to go as much as Tucker.  I am excited to meet the new classmates.  I'm curious to see if Tucker walks forward or hops like a pogo stick, as that is what he does when he is excited.  We shall see......

Good boy!

Sunday magic

A little Sunday magic that a fellow blogger I follow had on her post today.  So lovely and thank you Ciara. 

Little boots

Remember the "boots" I mentioned that Tucker appears to wear?  Yep, had to get a photo of his little fringe "boots". 

You can see that darn rear dew claw on the far foot that Tucker will have removed when he gets...ssshhhhh....neutered.  Okay the boots.... look at that fringe of his.  Minnetonka Moccasin's never had it so hip as you can see here.

Here is a back view of his "boots" and also his big boy coat down his back and his tail.  Yes Tucker works for his keep by "rinsing" our dishes before we turn the dishwasher on.  He does a fine job too.  

Hi Tucker!  Something tasty there?

Wordless Wednesday

Oh Thank You!!!!!

Just several days ago I received another Liebster Blog Award from Brando and Bogart.  Talk about surprised and tickled pink!  Thank you so much for honoring us Christine.

It has been so busy around our house as all my children were here and I wanted to just be with them so that meant no blog time.  Now everyone is gone :( and I have some time to try and catch up reading and writing on my blog.

Okay...here goes!

Liebster means “dearest” in German, and the award is intended to help up-and-coming blogs get the attention they deserve. As with any award, there is a bit of ceremony involved. In order to accept the award, we must do the following:

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award

3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.

4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs

1) Two Collies and a Mutt....  I am enjoying Marquie's blog about her gorgeous furfamily, Lassie and Petal who are the collies and sweet Ella.    All her photos are picture perfect and I wonder how she captures her poochies so well.  I could learn a thing or two if I ask.  I was taken in with a warm fuzzy memory when I saw her Lassie.  How many hours did I watch the old TV show Lassie?  A whole lot!  I loved Lassie so to find someone with a Lassie...heaven.

2)  Stella and Rory from Down Under...  So I get a huge kick out this blog.  I especially love their comments on mine!  They live so far away from California where I am, in a country I would love to visit someday.   I didn't know much about Great Danes and I can't believe how fast they can grow or how big they can get!    Love their photos too as well as their great stories they write about.

3)  Just me, Meeka....  Okay...I am a lover of Goldens.  Whenever I see Meeka I am reminded of our two adored Goldens Dixie and Annie.  There is a bit of whimsy in this blog that I enjoy so very much.

4)  The Chronicles of Cardigan....  This is a new blog I just started following and I am a becoming smitten with Corgi's!  I follow another corgi blog and thus my eyes keep seeing corgi blogs.   Back to this one though....it's catchy with fun writing and cute photos.  Looking forward to more reading time with Dewi and Jon Farleigh.

5)  Dakota's Den... Another newer blog I am following.  A Sheltie...yes I do love my Shelties.  Looking forward to reading more from this blog as well.  Good reading of all kinds about our furfriends.

Once again thank you Christine for the award.  Now click on the links and learn about these super blogs!   Congrats to each of you.

   Fondly,

      Ellen, Tucker and Stewie

Grooming 101

Tucker's back paws at 12 weeks

Have you had trouble grooming your pup?  


I have been fairly regular at brushing Tucker and he seems fine with the brush if he can take a few bites at it for fun every once in awhile.  That was early on, now he seems to really enjoy his "spa time". For my benefit I have him on my kitchen table on top of a large beach towel.  I have him stand though he tends to do a bit of dancing around to see what I am doing from every angle.  Sometimes he will sit while I stroke down his back.  He clearly enjoys this section the best.  I do his chest, neck, ears and head last.  I take off his collar which has been a handy way to hold on to him, and hold his muzzle gently.  I can lift his head and have some control getting the brushing down under his chin and his chest.   His hair around his ears is growing a lot recently, so I have been trying to make sure no mats are forming.


Tucker's baby puff fur is been coming out and his guard hairs down the middle of his back seem to be coming in first.  Almost like the parting of sea with the adult fur on top and the baby stuff down the sides.  New color presenting itself for me to wonder if he will be toffee brown or a shade of honey.  He has the silliest fur on the back of his lower back legs which remind me of fringe boots.  I can't help but think of the song "These Boots Are Made For Walking" when I see him walking or running around.  Especially with his little strut he does.  Tucker is definitely a confident pup.  


What I am having trouble with is his nails.  He won't let me do them.  When he was smaller and younger he didn't put up much balking.  He wasn't happy to have it done but he would sit in my arms and allow it to happen.  I am so glad all his nails are white so I can see the quick!  Now he is a wiggler.  He squirms like crazy and before I know it he is staring at me with a look that says "What are you doing?!".   It's going to have to take two to do this boy.  Any advice from my blog friends?  What worked for you?


I tried to bring out the dremel nail tool I have as it is quiet.  He wanted to chew on it and make it a game.  Also he needs to be still for me to get the nail in the opening.  Stewie actually likes the dremel better than the nail clippers.  Stewie has never liked getting his nails done.  He hides his head into my neck, stiffly sitting in my lap, barely letting me handle each paw that he reluctantly allows me to extend.  Then I discovered by accident after grooming Tucker that he does much better sitting on the table and the towel.  All these years of doing his nails in my lap and now I find out that for him he feels more secure on a firm base.  Once done it is biscuit time and these pups love their treat!


Bath time had been quite easy as both pups fit in my large kitchen sink.  Until recently.  Just before Christmas I gave Tucker a bath and he is getting too big.  He wanted to plant both his front paws on the counter, then he would slide and that would get him nervous about the bath.  I can see that bathing him in the sink is soon to be a thing of the past.  Tucker is going to be much bigger than our past Sheltie Jesse.  I guess the shower or a trip to Petsmart to use their bathing area will be what we will have to do.  Darn.  


Which brings me to groomers.  I have considered that I could take Tucker to the groomers to get him use to being calm for grooming.  I hadn't thought about it till now that we use to always bring the other poochies to the groomers for baths and trimming.  It was there that they must have learned grooming manners because I don't remember having troubles with nail clipping before.  Okay, Annie our Golden really hated getting her nails done.  She seemed quite ticklish with her paws.  I would try to use the scissors or the clippers and have to be really careful that she wouldn't jerk her paw so I wouldn't clip too much.  Jesse loved his pampering.  He would lay down and practically doze off.  I suppose I could make Tucker an appointment.  I really like the groomer that I have used.  It is just two women who also board dogs and are into agility training.  It was one of the first boarding facilities that offered "play time" in a decent sized fenced in area with a lawn, doggie toys, and a little wading pool.  Most kennels use to just have a run for your dog and that was it.  Canyonwyck offered a chance for your poochie to run around and have some fun.  Seems like all kennels now have some kind of play area.  We rarely board as we have been lucky enough to either have our daughter come home to housesit or a friend of ours comes and housesits.  We need someone here to take care of our hens as well as our two kitties.  When we had our horses they needed their stalls cleaned twice a day as well as feeding, so it only made sense to have a housesitter.


One more week and Tucker starts doggie school!