Adorable dog cleans up her toys, wins hearts

Bella has the habit of returning all of her toys to her chosen Toy Corner. (I didn’t train her to do it, but maybe some of my Type A rubbed off on her.)  However, she just keeps them in a big pile, which tends to expand throughout the week until Toy Corner has somehow annexed half of the family room.

Apparently I should have taught her to put them in a box instead, like this adorable gal:

Does your dog clean up his or her toys?

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In space, no one can hear you clean…

Here we are… my 404th post (and not, as previously predicted, my 502nd).  No matter.  Live every day like it’s your 500th post, right?  Or something…

Anyway, confusing numbers aside, here are your squeaky clean links for this week’s No Frown Friday:

  1. Your punny pet names for this week: January Bones (for a dog), Christina Findricks (for a fish) and Elizardbeth Moss (self-explanatory).  Can you tell I’m ready for Mad Men to come back?
  2. Speaking of Mad Men, Jon Hamm’s birthday is tomorrow.  Here’s your present. (Proposal: I think that we should celebrate Jon Hamm’s birthday by giving presents to each other. It will be like Christmas, but we celebrate the birth of Jon Hamm instead. Who’s in?)
  3. Um, moving on… this tiny kiwi chick is so fluffy that I just can’t stand it.
  4. This canine thief is adorable, but he’s not quite as savvy as that dog and bird duo I shared the other day.
  5. A cat running for the Senate?  Why not?  His ad’s pretty convincing.  (However, I hear that the Canine Caucus is questioning his credentials.)
  6. I have decided to start using the phrase “Tiny leaping goats!” to express my surprise.  You’re so over, Heavens to Betsy. 
  7. Have you ever wondered how a puppy is like an old man?  Now you know.
  8. This photo is awesome.  On a related note, 3 people have found my blog by searching for “corgis in space” – I had to giggle.  This factoid inspired me to Google “corgis in space” (the situation is very meta), and I found a tumblr dedicated to the subject.  Full circle.
Tiny leaping goats! I have a feeling that this dog and I would understand each other perfectly, based solely on our Type A personalities. (I realize she might just be cooling off, but in my mind, she’s the Monica Geller-Bing of the canine set.)


(via Jezebel)
I love how she just owns it:  “That’s right. I’m cleaning my ball, and it’s awesome. Deal with it.”

Finally, you know I can’t resist a little shameless self-promotion… but this time it’s for a good cause!  A friend and I have teamed up to start a new blog dedicated to ovarian cancer awareness.  It’s called Sisterhood of the Whispering Crowns, and I hope you’ll check it out.  (You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.)  Stay tuned for more, including the story behind that name – you know you’re curious.

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I like big mutts and I cannot lie…

First off, happy National Mutt Day!  I’d like to dedicate today’s post to all of the awesome mutts out there, including my own.  (Considering adopting your own mutt? Check out a really cool way to announce it and help other shelter pets, courtesy of Bocci’s Beefs.)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled linkage:

  1. Your punny pet name: Johann Sebastian Bark. (Also, this week’s award for awesome punnage goes to… Goatzart.)
  2. It seems that one local law school has taken a cue from the extremely awesome TV show Community – George Mason University has enlisted some cuddly puppies from a local rescue group to help law students relax during exams.  (Perhaps they got the idea from Yale, but in my mind the administrators are just big Community fans.)
  3. Speaking of TV, I really enjoy that the worried dog from that insurance commercial is starring in a happier commercial.
  4. So, has anyone seen the new Muppets movie yet? I really want to see it this weekend. After all, I can’t wait to see the next stage in Ms. Piggy’s style evolution.
  5. This next video has the perfect soundtrack… and it made me giggle, alot (typo intentional).
  6. I think we can all agree that dogs are cute. (If not, how did you end up reading this blog? Go watch this video and then come back.)  Today, let’s also appreciate some cute from off the beaten path.
  7. Um… on a related note, hedgehog bathtime is awesome.

I think this week’s video really ties it all together…

(via Paw Nation)

You know, I had to give Bella a bath last week in preparation for her holiday photo shoot.  Why couldn’t she be into it like that guy?

I’ve been battling a sinus infection this week – however, new research shows that the doctor should prescribe a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  Now that’s medicine I can get behind.  (See how it all relates? My mind works in odd ways.)

Don’t forget – if you have any questions that you’d like to ask a professional pet photographer who also photographs shelter pets, send them my way.  I hope to have some answers for you in the near future.

Have a great weekend!

 

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Cats in hats & dogs in blogs…

Lots of good stuff for you today….

  1. Your punny pet names for the week… wait, I need to put on my punglasses first.  That’s better.  In honor of last night’s So You Think You Can Dance finale I give you… Mary Purrphy.  (Bonus SYTYCD-related name in need of no alterations: Cat Deeley.)
  2. Multiple cats in multiple hats?  Dr. Seuss would be proud.  (Since we’re kicking things off with some feline links today… here’s a bonus quiz about purring.)
  3. I have a feeling Dr. Seuss would have also liked these adorable doughnuts decorated to look like cats.  Okay, I don’t really have that feeling.  I just like them.  That’s enough, right?
  4. Speaking of cat-shaped food (not to be confused with actual cat food), check out this cool jewelry shared on under the blanket.  Love the whimsy.
  5. Speaking of finding lost pets (I sort of was, I promise… visit blanket ID for a great and stylish way to keep your pets safe), viva la microchip!  This dog was reunited with his family a year after fatal car crash.
  6. Are you a pet blogger in addition to being a pet blog reader?  (I think it’s safe to assume you are at least a pet blog reader, right?  After all, you are here… reading my pet blog… but I digress.)  If so, hop on over to Rescued Insanity and join the discussion – how did your blog get its name?

As you know, I like to close things out with a video on Fridays.  In all honesty, I almost didn’t today because I just watched this video from No Dog About It and there’s no way I can compete… I can’t even tell you how much I loved it.  I cheered.  No joke.  So… you should go watch that.  Really.  

In any event, I’ll still give you a video, since one can never have enough cute.  I think that this will be Bella’s reaction when she finds out she needs to have her nails clipped and get a bath this weekend:



(via Life with Dogs)

However, although Bella tries to hide when she senses a bath on the horizon, I’m just glad she hasn’t earned a black belt in bath avoidance like this guy.

In other news… two weeks until BlogPaws!  Will I see you there?

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The weekend in Bella

It’s Bella… unleashed!  Our friend Bella is quite the escape artist, so before she was allowed to go in the backyard off-leash, we had to make a few modifications.  This week, we put in a new gate, shored up a few places in the fence, and added railroad ties to deter Bella from attempting to dig an escape tunnel.  This week, Bella left the leash behind and I think she really enjoyed it.

 

 

 

After her first foray into the backyard as a free pup, she then had to take that bath I told you about last week.  Needless to say, she was not pleased (as I think her look in the photo at right demonstrates).

Extreme paw closeup!

After that traumatic experience, I thought Bella might enjoy a new collar… she’s very possessive of her collars and gets very excited when she gets a new one.  I bought the collar below in March at the Pet Expo:

Ahoy, Bella!

 

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Stinky puppy, you’re the one…

At some point this week, Bella needs a bath.  As she slumbers beneath the desk, stinky and content, little does she know that within days she will be suffering through such an ordeal (she really doesn’t like getting a bath).  Anyway, this seems to be the perfect opportunity to post one of my favorite Bella photos:

 
I haven’t attempted to take photos of Bella in the bath in quite some time – usually I’m too busy playing defense to keep her in the tub, or attempting to throw up a towel shield right before she shakes off.  We’ll see if I can get some new ones this time.

Given Bella’s impending doom (her description, not mine), I thought this would be a good time to share some tips with you.  In my family, we have always bathed the dogs at home instead of taking them to the groomer (do they even have groomers in the sticks?).  I’ve been lucky – most of my pups, Bella included, have been pretty low-maintenance.  If you are a new pet parent, or considering bathing your dog at home sometimes instead of always paying the groomer, I’ve rounded up some tips for you.  (If you’re an experienced pet parent, you still might find some new info or tips to improve bath time.  Never stop learning, right?)

  • If you’re new to this whole puppy bath thing, here are some basic tips to get you started.
  • While Bella is definitely not a bath fan, at least she isn’t scared of the bathroom.  If your dog gets really anxious around bath time, check out these tips for making bath time more fun.
  • Even when I think I’ve gotten Bella as dry as I can (or as dry as she will tolerate – after a while she has had enough), she’s still usually a little damp.  Maybe I should get her this robe so she can relax in style (and stay warm) post-bath.  I’ve also considered getting one of these Brush Buddies – it’s both a towel and a flexible brush that might help make brushing seem like a nice puppy massage.
  • Do you have a stinky dog and no desire to give him or her a bath?  Similar to dry shampoo, you can use cornstarch in a pinch if you want to clean up your dog but don’t want to fill up the tub.  Here’s how.
  • If you’re looking to make bath time more green, check out this post on how to find eco-friendly grooming products.    You can also try eco-friendly grooming wipes if you need to freshen up a stinky pet.  Also, you can find information on where to purchase a host of green grooming products via Raise a Green Dog.

Do you have any bath tips or stinky dog stories? Feel free to shake that knowledge off and leave it in the comments, like Bella will soon be leaving water droplets all over my bathroom.

 

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