Category Archives: bella

To all the dogs (and cats) I’ve loved before

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With this post, I reach a bit of a milestone – 100 posts!  For a while, I was stumped regarding what to blog about for number 100.  (I then went on vacation, which resulted in a total post hiatus… more to come on that later.)

While driving earlier, it hit me – the perfect way to commemorate my 100th post.  I’ve decided to dedicate this post to all the pets I’ve loved before.  (Yes, that’s a nod to the Red Headed Stranger – bonus points if you figure it out without clicking on either of the links.)

Anyway, you obviously know lots about Bella, my current fur child.  I’ve also introduced you to some of my past loves – Shadow, Sparkle, Bourbon & Pedro.  Today, I’d like you to meet the rest of the pups and cats I shared my house with growing up…

Each of these wonderful animals (as well as the ones above) really deserves their own post.  So many stories to share – definitely a topic for future discussion.  For now, I’ll just stick with the basics…

I should start at the beginning (a very good place to start).  My first pet was – believe it or not – a cat.  A white cat that I named Buttercup.  (Don’t ask me why… I’d love to ask my three-year-old self the same thing.)

She wasn’t the friendliest of cats to start with, but that’s a story for another day.  She was my first love.

Next, I’d like to introduce you to Kandi, a chihuahua that my dad adopted and brought home one day.  Note – when she got older, her tongue began to stick out all the time.  We used to say that her spring was broken.

Quite the character, that one.

We also had a Norwegian Elkhound named Lady – one of the many dogs that found us over the years.

I loved to cuddle with that gal.

My sister also had a cat – though Tiger joined us when I was much older.  She was once our neighbor’s cat, but decided to adopt my sister instead.  She even decided to have her kittens in my sister’s lap – I believe my sister was around three at the time.  Talk about a surprise!

Last, but by no means least, I must introduce you to the source of my terrier love.  When I was ten years old, I met the most wonderful dog.  My parents had promised me I could get a new dog that would be officially “my” dog.  I considered many breeds, and had my heart set on a Scottish Terrier.  However, when I met this girl, that plan went out the window.  I’d already settled on the most creative name (sarcasm intentional) for the Scottish Terrier I had convinced myself I was getting.  Thus, Scotti the Toy Fox Terrier joined our family.


Take note of the teddy bear in the photo to the right… this is one of the two teddy bears that Scotti adopted and carried everywhere.

Long story short, Scotti was by my side every minute from the time I was 10 until I left for college (as well as every moment I returned home during college and beyond).  Definitely a girl’s best friend.

I have tons of wonderful stories about each of these special animals (as well as several other animals who didn’t live in my house but were responsible for some great memories).  I’m sure I’ll be sharing them over many nostalgic nights in the future.

For now, I just want to say thanks for reading my blog – the first 100 posts have been fun, and I look forward to many more.

In closing, say hi to your puppy for me… and then give him or her a big hug.

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Trick or treat

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Until this year, we lived in an apartment – thus, Bella had very little exposure to children seeking candy on Halloween.  After the first trick or treater came by tonight, Bella decided to camp out by the door in case more showed up:

We’ve turned off the doorbell (which makes her a bit batty) and sent her to hang out downstairs with Mr. Pup Fan while I man the door. After carefully evaluating our candy selection (respecting the candy hierarchy), I’m ready to hand out treats.  Wonder what kind of costumes we’ll see tonight…

Anyway, thought I’d share a few quick photos of some of our decorations… the last one is my favorite.

 

Happy Halloween!
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Of pumpkins past…

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Bella generally likes to express her boredom and disapproval when we carve pumpkins for Halloween.  After all, that means we’re paying attention to something other than her.  Don’t we know that she is much cuter than any orange gourd?

In 2008, we “gave” her a mini-pumpkin to entertain her during the annual pumpkin carving festivities.  She was unimpressed:

 

 

What do your pets think about these orange invaders?

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Be like Bella

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Time for a brief PSA (Pup Service Announcement)…

Humans aren’t the only ones who should buckle up in the car.  Dogs should too!  You know your dog wants to be cool like Bella – pictured below in her “flight suit.”  (Travel drugs optional.  Not optional for Bella though.)

Bella models the Travelin’ Dog Harness from the Good Pet Stuff Company

For more info, check out Be Smart Ride Safe, this week’s cause at Be the Change for Animals.  If you have any traveling recommendations or tips, feel free to share them in the comments!

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What would Bella do?

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I have a feeling that most dog owners can relate to today’s Dog eat Doug – this comic illustrates perfectly what Bella would do if given the chance to go off leash:

(Apologies for the small print – you can see the full-size version here.)

To any new readers who found us through Make a New Friend Tuesdays at the Two Little Cavaliers blog: welcome!  Hope you’ll stick around and check us out.  (And if you haven’t met Felissa and her pups Davinia and Indiana, head on over and say hi!)

If you’d like to meet the dog behind this blog, check out some of our past Bella posts.   Happy Tuesday!

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Citizens on paw-trol

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I love this cartoon over at Draw the Dog.  The pup keeping a close watch on his domain reminded me of Bella.  She’s always keeping an eye on things.  I often find her barking at dogs down the block – she can see them, so they must be on her property, right?

Anyway, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to share some photos of Bella’s daily patrol… enjoy!
 

 

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My deer Bella vs. the garden

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Yesterday, I decided to tackle some chores around the house.  In particular, I decided that the gardens (both front and back) could use some work.  Maintaining a garden will keep any homeowner busy – having a dog who likes to run through the flower beds with reckless abandon presents an additional set of challenges.

Bella seems to have “new plant” radar… she walks outside and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the yard.  She will then run over it and flatten it, among other things.  What’s a pup devotee and flower fan to do?

 

Pet Project has posted some useful info about gardening with dogs (check out Part I and Part II for lots of tips).  In addition to the great tips, there are also links to other helpful articles about gardening with dogs (including two articles from HGTV about pet-proofing the garden and training your dog not to garden).

I particularly liked this piece from Sunset about how to create a dog-friendly garden.  The piece discusses some of the keys to a good “dogscape” in which your pet and your plants can coexist.  (As a bonus, there are also links to photos of dog-friendly gardens and additional tips.)  Pet Project also led me to this great site that contains a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when you have both a dog and a garden.

 

However, Bella isn’t the only hazard to my garden these days – recently I came home to find that a mysterious creature had eaten my Hostas.  If you take a look at the photo at right… those jagged stems used to be home to some very nice leaves.  Now, they’re just a mess.

The primary suspect in the investigation is a deer.  Maybe even an entire deer gang.  (In my mental landscape, apparently deer are tough, like bikers.)

Deer love Hostas.  However, my Google-fu has revealed some natural, non-toxic ways to keep the deer from coming back for seconds.  I may try some of these ideas, although I’m not sure how well they will work as a long-term solution.  I’m also considering trying different plants out front (there are some out there that deer don’t view as appetizers).

When deciding what to plant in your backyard, don’t forget to think about pet safety in addition to aesthetics.  Check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants before you buy.  Happy gardening, fellow pup fans!

 

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She’s cute, but…

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First, if you are a dog owner (heck, even if you’re not), you must go read this blog post over at Hyperbole and a Half.  After realizing that her dog doesn’t know how to go up and down stairs, the author decides it’s time to see if her dog is… challenged.  (Let’s call it that.)

Although I love Bella dearly, I’ve always been aware that she’s not exactly the brightest of pups.  While she can successfully navigate the stairs, some of the other behaviors in the post seemed similar to Bella’s daily activities… particularly the random acts of licking throughout the house. The floor, the wall, the cabinets, the dresser… you name it, Bella’s licked it.  Once while on a walk, she even licked a goose.

Other parts of the post hit close to home as well.  My favorite sentence: “But when turning her head at an extreme angle fails to produce a life-altering epiphany, she usually just short-circuits and rolls on her back.”  It’s like the author is talking about Bella.  Bella tilting her head at an angle (we call it the puppy face… or the extreme puppy face, depending on how severe the angle) and rolling on her back (affectionately, and perhaps inappropriately, known as “having a seizure” in our household) occur with frequency throughout the day.

So, after reading this post, I decided that maybe I should try some of the tests on Bella.  The blanket test was out (throwing a blanket over the dog and seeing how long it takes her to get out) – I’ve seen this happen to Bella on many occasions.  I’m not sure she could find her way out even if I gave her a map.  She usually  just gives up and takes a nap under there.

Instead, I decided to try the treat under a cup test.  The test involves getting your dog into a sitting position, letting her sniff a treat (we went with Snausages because Bella loves them in a way that defies description), and then placing the treat under a plastic cup while the pup watches.  Then you see how long it takes the pup to get the treat out from under the cup.

Watch the video below to find out what happened (and try not to judge  – it’s the first time I have ever attempted to edit a video):

I love when she looks up at the window, as if considering the possibility that the treat grew arms and legs, found a treat-size grappling hook, and climbed up there somehow.  Although the results were not encouraging, Bella didn’t seem to mind.  After all, she got two Snausages out of the deal.

Thank goodness she can get by on her looks.

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