Potty Time

The humans have been informed that adding a puppy's monthly age plus one is a good formula for determining how long the puppy can go without a bathroom break. So, in my case, the equation looks like this:

4 (months old) + 1 = 5 (hours)

My four-month birthday was Saturday, which apparently means I should be able to hold "it" (i.e., pee and poop) for five hours. Therefore, the humans have decided to rearrange my daily schedule. Mealtimes will remain the same at 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., but instead of getting a morning bathroom break at 9:30 I'll now have a break at 10:30. Short Human normally came home for lunch around 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 p.m., but now she'll come home sometime between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Because Tall Human gets home around 5:15 p.m., there will be no afternoon break.

This is a bittersweet occasion for me. On one paw, I'm excited to be growing up because the humans trust me more, which offers a little more freedom. But on the other paw, I'm sad because I'll only get to see Anna, my pet sitter, once a day unless Short Human can't make it home for lunch.

Meeting Angie: A Photo Story

No Surprise Here

My friend Dewey Dewster sent me a link to a story CBS's Early Show ran about the top 10 smartest and top 10 dumbest dog breeds. According to their list, poodles rank as the second smartest dog breed.

Tell the truth now; are any of you really surprised? I know I'm not, and if you're reading this blog, you shouldn't be either.

"Love 'em or hate 'em, Poodles were ranked as the
second smartest dog breed out there."

Thanks for the link, Dewey!

LalaSPOOlooza '08

Remember how I promised to tell you about my exciting weekend last weekend? Well get ready because it's going to be a long post. (Oh, and sorry it took so long.)

Last Saturday, me and my humans traveled about an hour to attend a party for local members of the Flickr Standard Poodle - Caniche Royal group. I'm dubbing it LalaSPOOlooza '08. (For those of you who don't know, spoo is code for standard poodle. Pretty clever, huh?)

Our host and hostess were fabulous, but I was most excited to meet their three poodles: Clifford, Murphy, and Molly. (One of my humans, Short, loved Clifford, and I'm pretty sure he felt the same way about her.)

But these weren't the only poodles at LalaSPOOlooza. Rufus was there along with Hawkeye from Illinois.

Molly and I were outnumbered by the boys, but it wasn't bad. I had fun running, playing, and getting lots of attention. But soon, three more female poodles arrived: The Curlytop Girls (Chauncey, Jasmine, and Blueberry). Don't they all look the same?

Fun was had by all, especially me. I love to run!

Crate Sweet eiCrate

Back in March, I mentioned liking the Browning Passage Pet Cave, but I'm glad the humans didn't buy that for me because I'm now obsessed with the eiCrate. Friends, this crate is seriously stylish. I'm hoping the humans will win the lottery and buy this for me.

We all know I look good in black, but the eiCrate also comes in white, silver, gold, and for the richie-riches out there, 22.5k gold gilded.

And for those times we desire and need privacy, the eiCrate can be enclosed with a fitted cover.

But what about a bed? What will fit inside the oddly shaped eiCrate? The Ouef Bed fits into half the eiCrate, which, according to GO!PETDESIGN, "Creates a perfect live/work space." The bed comes in four colors (gray, lime, pumpkin, and "purple"), but I'd opt for lime just to spruce things up a bit.

To get my dream crate, as configured here, delivered to my door, the humans would have to spend U.S. $575 plus tax and shipping. Although I don't think this will happen any time soon, it doesn't hurt to dream.

Peteena the Pampered Poodle

While shopping for a gift today, I discovered an intriguing and beautiful doll called Peteena the Pampered Poodle. As you can probably imagine, I would like to have this doll very much. But there is one problem: Peteena was manufactured by Hasbro in 1966 only, so she's extremely rare. Bummer. At least there are lots of photos of Peteena on Flickr from those lucky people who have her.

Peteena's First
Originally uploaded by violetpie

My "Big" Sis

As many of you know, I have a big sister named Hedwig Rosette von Cluckerschwein. She's a multicolored Abyssinian guinea pig, or cavy (family Caviidae).

Hedwig is not only a very wise guinea pig, but also a prolific writer. She blogs often on her MySpace page and may be one of the most befriended pets/guinea pigs on the site with approximately 257 friends. Hedwig is actually my inspiration for this blog, and I hope to possess a fraction of her talent with words when I grow up.

Because I think Hedwig is so cool, I often stare at her. Last night, as I am wont to do, I propped myself on the side of her cage so I could get a better look. Normally, she waddles out to greet me and we play a little game: I bark, scratch, and push the cage while Hedwig popcorns (jumps) and runs laps around her cage. (Sometimes she even cleans, which is very cool because that means she's happy.) Regardless, she never cowers or acts afraid even though she probably should be. I'm at least eight times her size!

But last night, Hedwig did more than play our little game — she actually sniffed and licked my paw. Quite frankly, I was in shock and could only stare at her in disbelief. We have not had much contact lately because I can be a little rough when I play, which would not be good for Hedwig. (Read this post and you'll understand why.)

I wish the humans had been a little quicker so they could have captured this moment on film, but alas, they are pretty slow most of the time. You'll just have to take my word for it.

A Day of Beauty

Yesterday, the humans took me to a new grooming salon. Tall Human is in the process of learning how to groom me, but in the meantime the humans like to have some professional help. (Thank Dog for small favors).

Anyway, I got groomed by a really nice lady, Andrea, from East Orlando Animal Hospital's grooming salon. She liked me a lot and we became fast friends. I didn't fuss as she groomed me, which made her like me even more. She let me roam the salon, and I followed her lots of places. That was a much better alternative to sitting in a kennel all day at the salon.

Andrea gave me my first hair cut and guess what was underneath all that puppy hair: my adult coat! Well, sort-of. My coat is starting to curl like a big-girl poodle and I'm very pleased. Andrea also put flowers in my hair and rhinestones on my toes.

I wasn't sure about this look at first because I'm a tom-dog, but it was okay for a day. I had the humans remove the flowers last night, but I'm keeping the rhinestones for now. There's nothing wrong with a little bling every now and then. However, I'm completely against continuously supporting the poodle stereotype, so don't expect to see me like this very often!

Whirlwind Weekend

This weekend has been one of the busiest and most exciting I've ever experienced. I had my fourth puppy class yesterday and met eight standard poodles (five of whom I adore) at a party, was stricken with some major diarrhea last night, and had a wonderful day at the spa today. I'm too exhausted to go into great detail right now, but I will be writing more about all of this tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

xoxo,
Dixie

Desperately Seeking Gordy and Georgie

From reading your comments, I understand you're friends with my breeder and know my birth parents. Are you both poodles? How old are you? I'd like to get to know you better. Do you have a blog or Flickr account? I'd very much like it if you'd reply to this post and let me know how I can get in touch with you. And don't worry, I won't make the comment public for everyone to see, so you won't get spammed or anything.

Hugs and licks,
Dixie

Safety First

I've neglected to tell you all about the safety harness I've been wearing in the car for road trips. It's called the Ruff Rider Roadie Elite, and my breeder recommended this brand to the humans before I ever came to live with them.

There are eight sizes in the Roadie Elite series and I started out wearing a size 2, which is for dogs weighing between 14 to 18 pounds with a rib cage circumference between 17.5 and 20 inches. However, for the past few weeks, the humans have been struggling to put it on and take it off. I guess I really don't make it any easier for them when I let my body go limp, but you know I enjoy having some fun at their expense. (Above is an old [and not-so-good quality] photo of me wearing my safety harness.)

Tall Human ordered the size 3 Roadie Elite for me last week and I started wearing it today. It was easier for her to put on and take off, which is good. I hate waiting around. Size 3 is for dogs weighing between 19 to 24 pounds with a rib cage circumference between 20 and 21 inches. As you can tell, I'm getting bigger. (Yessss!)

Making Up for Lost Time

Today was the first day our family was reunited since last Friday. Can you believe it?

Anyway, I think the humans were trying to make up for lost time because they walked me all over the place today. First, we went to Lake Eola and made a loop around the lake. There were lots of school children there and they all wanted to pet me. I knew this because they pointed and shouted, "Poodle!" I won't lie; it was a little frightening.

After that, we headed to a different park where the humans threw a plastic disc, or Frisbee as they call it, and I chased it. I wasn't interested in picking it up or catching it, but I did like for them to see me run after it. I'm quite fast. I had a lot of fun running around because they let my leash go. The park was so big, so far away from the road, and so empty that they said it was "safe." I like "safe" very much.

Now I'm pooped and will be napping the rest of the evening.

Toys 7 and 8: Fleecy Clean Rope and Ball

At long last, I continue the investigative series by discussing two toys made by the manufacturer Kyjen: the Fleecy Clean Rope and Fleecy Clean Ball. (FYI, Kyjen is the same manufacturer that makes all those cool Outward Hound gear bags for dogs and their humans.)

According to Kyjen, fleece toys are "a softer, more effective alternative to rope toys, and are the product of choice by agility handlers and other sporting dog competitors. [I wonder if this is true or just good marketing.] Fleecy Cleans toys are made with safe and non-toxic materials. The soft fabric is gentle on a dog's mouth while effectively wiping clean teeth and gums during play, reducing plaque buildup."

My Fleecy Clean Rope is about 27 inches long from end to end, and my Fleecy Clean Ball is size medium (4.75-inch). The humans bought the ball in the holiday colors. I think it was on clearance or something.

I really enjoy playing with both toys, especially the rope. I can easily carry it around the house, shake the crap out of it, and play tug with my humans (when they feel like it, anyway). The humans like these toys a lot because they are good for my teeth and are machine washable. I'd definitely recommend any toy from the Fleecy Clean product line. Oh, and they have lots of shapes and sizes. Yay!

Great news!

I'm recovering nicely, everyone! Thanks for sending good woofy vibes my way. But do you know what the best news is? I don't have to go to the vet today. Woo hoo!

So now that I'm feeling better, I'll pick back up with the investigative series, "My Toy Box." I regret the interruption, but it was impossible to keep up during my brief illness. I know you all understand.

Hugs and licks,
Dixie

Health Update

Sorry I've missed posting the last few days. Things have been unnervingly hectic. The humans have gone away and left me with Anna, my pet sitter, until Wednesday.

As you know from my last post, I was having some allergy or cold issues. I also came down with the puppy squirts, so Tall Human took me to the vet. Before you start worrying, I must tell you the vet gave me a clean bill of health. I might have a little infection or something.

The humans have been giving me natural prescription medicine from the vet, and Short Human made lots of chicken and rice for me (at the vet's suggestion). However, because I haven't recovered, I think Anna is taking me to the vet tomorrow for stronger medication.

Should I be worried? I miss my humans. Wednesday can't come fast enough.

P.S. Short has recovered nicely from her infection, so I'm not feeling guilty about that anymore.

Big-Girl Bark

Guess what, everybody? I'm getting my big-girl bark! It started happening on Sunday and I love it. The humans — Short in particular — are extremely excited because my shrill puppy bark hurts their ears.

Toy 6: Kong Puppy Flyer

Today, let's take a look at the Kong Puppy Flyer. I must tell you that I have no interest whatsoever in this toy, which is a shame because I have not one, but two of them.

The humans (Tall specifically) registered for this toy. I suppose they had some grandiose idea that I'd pop out of the womb playing Frisbee, but you and I know that's not how it works. I am not even a reliable fetcher yet and they expect me to catch a Frisbee?

If you're the kind of dog who enjoys this sort of thing, the Kong Puppy Flyer would probably make a fabulous addition to your toy box. But if you're older than a year, upgrade to the Kong Flyer.

Am I contagious?

Remember when I had that ear infection a couple of weeks ago? Well now Short Human has one. Tall Human says I shouldn't feel bad because there is no way I could have passed my infection along to Short, but I still fret about it a little. Short came home from work around lunch time and slept all afternoon. Tall came home too to take care of her and to watch me. She managed to do both of those things and work from home. I was shocked.

To top it all off, I don't feel quite like myself. I've been sneezing since yesterday morning and I've been panting a little more than usual. Tall called the vet today, but they said to just keep an eye on me until tomorrow. They also mentioned something about Tall eventually needing to buy a rectal thermometer, but I am hoping she ignores that part. That's all I need.

I'll keep you posted on my cold or allergies or whatever it is.

Blast From the Past

My human shared these photos with me and I couldn't resist posting them here for all of you to see. Of course, I don't remember either of these photos, but I love looking at them!

Looking at the first photo does make me feel bad for Mom though. She had eight of us in her belly. How uncomfortable!

Toys 4 and 5: Orka Stick and Tube

This report in the "My Toy Box" series covers two toys: the Orka Tube and the Orka Stick. Both are part of the Pet Stages toy line specially made for puppies.

I received the Orka Tube as a puppy shower gift and it entertained me on and off for minutes at a time, but I never got too excited about it. Obviously, it's small size is good for most puppies. The denim rope threaded throughout the tube is interesting, but nothing to write home about.

Now the Orka Stick is a different story. I love the different textures on the tube (e.g., bumps), but my favorite part about this toy is its cotton ropes. I have the best time untying the knots and chewing on the ropes. My humans have to be fast in retying the knots or I'll pull the ropes from the stick. As a matter of fact, since this photo was taken I have removed the yellow rope. Ha!

Both toys are made of non-toxic, synthetic rubber. FYI, the manufacturer states these chew toys can help reduce a dog's boredom and destructive behavior.

Toy 3: Pink Puffy Thing

I'm not sure what you call this toy or where you can buy one, but it's one of my favorites. For the purpose of this report, let's call it pink puffy thing, or PPT for short.

My breeder sent PPT home with me when my humans picked me up. I slept on it all the way home (2.5 hours!) and it was always in my crate with me for the first few weeks I lived with the humans.

I love nibbling on PPT, tossing it in the air, shaking it, and using it for a pillow. It's just so soft and comfy! I hope PPT lasts forever or that the humans can find another to replace it if the need arises.

Sometimes Tall Human picks it up and smells it. She thinks it smells salty and good, just like me.

Puppy Training (Week 2)

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about my second puppy class yesterday. It was just Tall Human and me this time because Short Human wasn't feeling well. (She feels better now though. Yay!)

During class, I showed the HIC (human in charge) that I understood the previous lesson by sitting, standing, and slipping into a down. We covered a lot of material this week — almost too much for me and my human to keep track of. Looks like it'll be another busy week of practicing.

Play time was fun, but I admit to being a little nervous after the incident at the dog park last week. I was doing fine until the small chihuahua in my class began shrieking — an awful, scary sound — when the bulldog puppy approached her, but then I lost it. My tail went between my legs and I was running around trying to find a quiet spot. I soon recovered though and enjoyed playing with the other pups.

Oh, I must commend the humans on choosing some seriously delicious treats for class. They drove three towns away to find a kosher butcher so they could buy some good quality meat to cook into treats, but that was a bust. The butcher only had frozen stuff. So they went to Whole Foods and bought a lamb shank and some chicken livers, which Short cooked up for me. Forget sitting and all that lame stuff; I would have washed the car for one of those treats!

Toy 2: Nylabones for Puppies

Ah, how I love Nylabones. The humans normally try to wait until the ends are worn down on one before replacing it with a new Nylabone, but for some reason I have three right now (pictured). I don't count the white one because it's yucky and not flexible, but I'll get to that later. You can read all about why and how I started getting Nylabones here, if you're interested.

Nylabones come in all shapes and sizes, so it's important to choose the one that's right for the puppy or dog in question. For example, when I first came to live with the humans, I was eight weeks old and weighed 10 pounds, so they bought the regular size Nylabone flexible puppy bone for me. After going through about three of these, they decided I had matured enough to get the wolf size Nylabone flexible puppy bone, which is the three brown bones pictured above.

Although I don't chew the Nylabones as much as I did between eight and 10 weeks, I do still enjoy them, especially when I'm in my crate or the car. But let me give you a piece of advice about the three-pack starter kit: don't buy it. If you do, make sure you understand that one of them is edible and the other isn't flexible. Short Human unknowingly gave me the edible bone and I ate it all in one sitting, which wasn't so good for me. And forget about the regular durable chicken Nylabone, which is the white one pictured above. I just don't care for it, as you can see by the unchewed ends.

Oh, and do keep in mind that these aren't suitable for adult dogs. (Sorry, guys.)

Toy 1: Bad Cuz

For the first report in the "My Toy Box" series, let's take a look at Bad Cuz, the cool rubber toy with an attitude. Like all of the toys in JW Pets Company's "CUZ the Walking Ball" product line, Bad Cuz is made from thick-walled heavy duty rubber and contains a long-winded, low pitched squeaker.

As you can tell from the photo, I have two of these toys: an orange and red one. They were both gifts from humans who came to my puppy shower. I'm quite fond of my Bad Cuz toys and enjoy chasing them. I also like the funny sound that escapes when I squeeze them with my teeth. My humans like seeing me running toward them with little feet sticking out of my mouth. It's a win-win situation.

I have the medium Bad Cuz, which is 75 mm in diameter, but you can also get them in small (50 mm) and large (100 mm).

Oh, and if you're really not into being bad, there's Good Cuz and Dino Cuz. Basically, there's a Cuz for every dog.

My Toy Box: An Investigative Series

You know how journalists sometimes present a story in a series of reports rather than one giant segment? Well that's what I'm going to do as I share my toy box with you.

Each day for the next three weeks, I'm going to give you my unbiased opinion — the "poop," if you will — on all the toys you see in the above photo, as well as some that didn't make it in the shot.

So, don't forget to "tune in" each day for my report.

A Pile of Dogs

Tonight, Tall Human took me to the little park near our house where neighborhood humans and their canine masters gather after the work day is complete. We've been to this park two or three times now, and I've enjoyed it very much. I'm able to run around freely without being connected to the humans by that small nylon string, or leash as they call it.

There were some new faces there this evening, but I played with all the dogs and was having a good time until a mini spat broke out. Unfortunately, I was at the bottom of a pile of dogs and was screaming like a little girl. How embarrassing. But it was slightly unsettling. A nice male human scooped me up and passed me to Tall (who, for the record, looked more afraid than I did).

Obviously, my playtime got cut short because of this, but we went for a long walk after getting home. I probably won't go back to that park until I'm a little bigger and can hold my own. But when I do, those dogs better watch out.

I'm legit!

The humans took me to the vet tonight for my last series of puppy booster shots. Woo hoo! This means I can play with any dog I want.

The vet said I'm a little thin at only 16 pounds, so the humans are going to increase my rations starting tomorrow. You know I love that. Oh, and my ear infection and pustule problems are all clear, and the vet gave me a clean bill of health. Yay!

Tag. I'm it.

Friends, I have been tagged by the lovely Asta Marie to play the "Middle Name Meme." I love games!

Here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.


2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).


3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blog of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

My middle name is Belle.

• B = Bright. I'm a poodle, what do you expect?


• E = Energetic. Have you been around a three-month-old puppy lately?


• L = Lovely. My humans use this word to describe my personality and my looks.


• L = Lucky. My humans take really good care of me.


• E = Ebony. You may admire my shiny black coat.

Now I get to tag some pals. Hey guys, you're it!

• Boo
  
• Ellie
• Lucky
• Luc (and Remy)
• Eddie

Have fun!

Love,
Dixie

Uh-oh. She's a "do-it-herselfer."

I just discovered that one of my humans, Tall, is searching for a good DVD about poodle grooming. So far, she's brushed me, bathed me, and cleaned my ears, but there's so much more that has to be done. For instance, my nails need to be clipped, my ear hair has to be pulled, I need a sanitary trim, and I need my face and feet shaved. Oh, and lest I forget that I must have my hair cut. I'm not sure if she can really handle grooming me.

If any of you humans who read this know of a good DVD, please let me know. If she's determined to do this, I at least want her to have the right education.

Dog help me.