Dog Treats

For the past year I have been trying very hard to use all the dog treats in our house before we buy new ones. Now it is not that I have a year's worth of treats in my house I have just not been very good about sticking to this rule. I will inevitably find myself in some sort of dog or pet store with some new treat Chopper has not had and think he needs to try it.

If I travel somewhere and there is a treat that I haven't seen before I will buy it for him. When I visit my parents' in Pennsylvania there is a store called Brandt's Mill that has these hard sausages for dogs that he LOVES and I can't find anywhere else so I will inevitably come back with at least a dozen of those after every trip. (Chopper is well aware of this fact and will raid my luggage when I come back from Pennsylvania.) Also I seem to get lots of samples of different dog foods and I will use those as treats as well.

Since October though I have been sticking to this rule pretty well and there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I like to empty Chopper's treats into big glass jars all around the house and there are no treats left in storage at this point and only the treats in the jars. When we finish all the treats we are going to celebrate with a shopping trip to the local pet food store and spend the $25 gift certificate a co-worker gave me for Christmas (they know I love my dog) and go to town. We have our favorites - freeze dried liver, dried chicken strips, Zuke's, and a few others which will likely make it into the cart. I'm sure I will be supplementing the gift certificate though.


Since we will be starting from scratch though the possibilities are endless!!! Do you have any treats that your dog would recommend?

Doggy Loot

Well I love free stuff and a deal as much as the next dog- sometimes my mom will go to some dog event and come home with a whole bunch of samples of treats or dog food (which she uses as treats but I know its just kibble I'm not stupid).

So the other day I came across a site that had mentioned my review of the yep yup door organizer. The site is called Doggy Loot.  I'm not sure how long Doggy Loot has been around but it seems like a fun site if you're a dog or have an owner that likes to spoil you rotten (enter me).  Anyway the site allows you to buy a voucher for a product at 50% off or more.  Right now most of the deals are available for local businesses in Chicago but once a week there are national deals.  Also the site indicates that they are looking at expanding to other cities (at least that's what my mom said).

So while I keep my paws crossed for a LA doggy loot website you should check this site out!

Happy Valentine's Day

Just thought I would say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. 

Last night I celebrated with my mom - she's my Valentine - at the Zoom Room in Culver City.  They were having an Italian-themed Valentine's Party so Mumble and I wore some Italian necklaces my Aunt Joey sent me (you can see Mumble's better because he has a white neck).  My mom also dressed up to match me!



Me and Mumble with our Valentines - our moms!



Bath Time at Bark Williams

So yesterday my mom decided that I needed a bath.  I've been a bit flaky and she keeps telling me I stink (which I don't think is very nice of her).  So after our Scent Discrimination Class we went to Bark Williams.  This is a place where you go and it looks like a groomer's but then your mom stays with you - my mom calls it a self-service dog wash.  It was busy yesterday because it was Sunday.  Usually my mom goes when they first open so we don't have to wait but today we had to wait.  I kept trying to convince her to leave but she was not having it.

When it was my turn the man cleaned out the tub for me and lowered the ramp.  After the promise of some hot dogs I begrudgingly went up the ramp and let my mom hook me up.  My mom likes to hook me up so I don't try and jump out because she has to use both hands to wash me.  They have nice tubs at Bark Williams that have some sort of double floor system so you're not sitting in all your own hair and dirty water - yuck.  they also have a nice nozzle that has warm water (something we don't have when my mom washes me in front of the house).

They have different types of shampoo to pick from right there - no need to bring your own.  My favorite is oatmeal but they also have "tear free" and "flea and tick."  After the shampoo my mom uses the "rinse" to condition my fur.  Now I have to say that I am not the most cooperative dog when it comes to bath time and I try and get back at my mom by giving her a bath.  Lucky for her they have aprons for the moms and dads so that they don't get too wet.

After you are rinsed off they have some shammies to dry you off.  Now here is the one negative part of Bark Williams.  I was there a few years ago and enjoyed those shammies because the more dry I can get with those the less time I have to be dried with the "monster."  But today the shammies had lot of holes in them.  I think they need some new shammies.  After my mom pre-dried me she turned the orange "monster" on.

Now I know it's not really a monster but I hate it.  It makes noise and air comes shooting out of it and I'm strapped to the tub so I can't get away.  My mom is pretty nice about being gentle and drying my face from farther away so it isn't too scary.  She also let me take breaks and used some treats to keep me calm. 

Then it was (finally) time to go.  Now my mom says we have too many treats and toys at home but if you are in the market for some of that stuff they have lots at Bark Williams.  They had some treats that I have used before and some fancy stuffed toys. 

The people are friendly and helpful (the first time we went we had lots of questions but now we know what to do) and the place is very nice and CLEAN.  And when you pay for your bath they give you a "cookie" - who can beat that.  All in all if you're going to get a bath I would recommend it - it's nicer than getting a bath outside because there is warm watter, your parents don't have to hunch over as the baths are up high, and your parents don't have to clean up the mess.  It costs about fifteen dollars for a bath but my mom thinks it is well worth the money.

P.S.  When my mom decides I need a professional bath and haircut she takes me to Paws 'n' Claws in Pacific Palisades.  They are the only people that have ever been able to cut my nails.  They also deal with glands that need to be excreted and given nice haircuts.  I've been going since I was a puppy and if you have to get a bath it's a nice place to go.

Scent Discrimination Class Week 5

So today it was up off and early to yet another scent discrimination class at the Zoom Room in Culver City.  One of my classmates was absent but we went ahead with class nonetheless.

Today we did some review first and I sniffed all the boxes and then sat at them without being told.  Everyone oohed and ahhed for me.  That made me pretty proud of myself. 

Then the trainer put out boxes with scents and treats and hid them from us.  He hid them behind agility equipment behind bigger boxes.  He couldn't fool us though - we found those boxes.  Next he hid them and then pout out a decoy box that had no scent in it.  Well that was a little harder.  The first time I sniffed the decoy and pawed it and my mom said "no" so kept going.  The next time around I was not fooled though. 

Next week is our last class so hopefully I will pass (I'm not sure you can fail but my mom won't be happy if I do).  Either way I have LOVED this class.  I'm finally getting to do something that I was bred to do.  While I enjoy walks and sleeping and sleeping, sometimes a hound dog just has to sniff.  Hopefully my mom will keep practicing with me.  (I think she will because it makes me tired and calmer which she LOVES.)

My mom had to ruin the day though by taking me to get a bath (more on that later). 

Also since next week is our last week my friend Carrie is going to come watch and hopefully she will take some pictures of me sniffing those boxes that I can share.

Scent Practice

So yesterday my mom got home early to let the plumber in and since it was still daylight when he left she took me outside to practice sniffing - I mean "scent discrimination."  I'm taking a class at the Zoom Room and my mom decided that we needed to practice at home as well.  (Now I don't think I need to practice because I'm the only hound dog in class but I still LOVE to practice.)  So my mom cut up some hot dogs and we went out where the Chopper-Mobile is parked (that's what I call my mom's CR-V) to practice. 

She would put my leash on a pole and then put stuff in the boxes we got at the Zoom Room and then come and get me to "find it."  Now we had some problems.  First, the boxes came unfolded and my mom had to put them together.  Well she kind of screwed up figuring out the first one and it wouldn't stay closed.  She used it as the "decoy" box but it was not very effective when it kept popping open.  So then we didn't have a decoy box until she kind of just smashed it together.  Second, my mom did not set up my crate (even though it was in the Chopper-Mobile) and instead just put my leash over a pole, which meant as soon as she put those boxes down I thought it was time to do my stuff.  That is until the pole pulled back (I never liked those poles, sometimes she puts my leash on one to brush me and I have not figured out a way to get away from her when she does that).  Other than that it was fun fun fun. 

My mom tried to fool me by putting the boxes near garbage cans and around corners but I found them every time and gave her the proper alert, which is sitting next to the box (and only had to be reminded to sit a few times).  And I NEVER sat at the decoy box.  Also I sniffed a lot more than I do at class - I think my mom didn't put as much of the smelly stuff in the box so it was a little harder and I had to use my nose more - I'm not really sure. 

After that I was too tired to eat dinner right away and had to go take a nap inside - all that sniffing can sure wear a dog out.

Sleepover

So Mumble and I have had a lot of sleepovers in the last few weeks.  First he stayed with me when my mom had to go out of town for work and now he is staying with us because his mommy had to go out of town.  We brought my big bed from the living room in for him to try but that lasted about five minutes before he decided to sleep on my mom's bed with her.  I guess he misses his mom because normally we don't do that here. 



Mumble didn't last long on the dog bed - I guess that means we have room for another friend.