tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32488607918768957782009-01-05T19:18:19.051-08:00Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-51981668314381810692009-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:002009-01-05T16:55:18.505-08:002009-01-05T16:55:18.505-08:00

I've long been a fan of Planet Dog products, especially their Orbee-Tuff Ball that looks like earth. Now I have another Planet Dog toy for my collection. Last night, Tall Human came home from Target with some space heaters and a bright green Orbee-Tuff Bone. I couldn't care less about the heaters, but the bone is pretty awesome. It bounces all over the place, tastes minty, is non-toxic and

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-30336331568065154952009-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:002009-01-04T21:09:52.559-08:002009-01-04T21:09:52.559-08:00

Because I'm feeling better, I was able to attend the Poodles of Yolo monthly play group today. Today's turnout was the largest I've been to yet — there were 12.5 poodles there (the other half was cocker spaniel). Here are some of my friends (left to right: Padrig, Judah, Sadie, Marley, Peanut, and me): I played for two hours, and I'm completely exhausted now. It was a really fun way to spend my

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-64606858959746409482009-01-03T12:17:00.000-08:002009-01-03T12:45:37.971-08:002009-01-03T12:45:37.971-08:00

I have great news, friends! My final lab work confirmed that I do not have Addison's disease. Everyone here, including Hedwig and Hazel, is very relieved. The medicine I'm taking for giardiasis seems to be working because I'm back to my energetic self. Tall Human even took me to the dog park this morning for some exercise to make up for all the days I spent inside sleeping. If I continue to

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-8106137401996468822009-01-02T09:57:00.000-08:002009-01-02T14:37:56.970-08:002009-01-02T14:37:56.970-08:00

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the gift my humans gave me for my birthday. They bought me a Ruff Wear Cloud Chaser, which is a storm-ready, soft-shell jacket, to help me through Sacramento's rainy winters. Although I didn't care for it at first, I've decided that I can tolerate it (and may even enjoy it). Plus, I look so stylish when I wear it! And in case you're wondering, it does match

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-41738797530978687772009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-01T00:01:00.187-08:002009-01-01T00:01:00.187-08:00

I want to wish all my human and canine friends all the best for 2009. Happy New Year! And in the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I've come up with a few for myself: Have even more fun than last year.See (and play in) snow.Go camping.Try not to play so rough with the humans.Pass the Canine Good Citizen test.If any of you have New Year's resolutions, I'd love to hear about them. You can post

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-64855349287971325872008-12-31T08:37:00.001-08:002008-12-31T09:53:34.063-08:002008-12-31T09:53:34.063-08:00

As promised, my vet human called yesterday with the remaining test results. My blood work was all good, but it turns out that I have giardiasis. (By the way, I'm still getting tested for Addison's disease just to rule that out.) Giardia are one-celled organisms that live in the small intestine, and a dog becomes infected by eating the cyst form of the parasite. Where does a dog find these cysts?

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-55594770819971152052008-12-30T10:00:00.001-08:002008-12-30T10:06:54.953-08:002008-12-30T10:06:54.953-08:00

I'm not feeling very well today, friends. Perhaps last week's festivities were too much for me. The humans took me to the vet yesterday for an x-ray (to rule out bloat), blood work, and a fecal test (gross!). My temperature and basic health checked out fine yesterday, and the preliminary blood work came back fine. Now we're just waiting for a few more results from the blood work and the fecal

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-75094684070481983592008-12-27T16:22:00.000-08:002008-12-27T19:37:51.366-08:002008-12-27T19:37:51.366-08:00

The week before last, I received a package from my cousin Audrey for my birthday. The humans finally let me open it yesterday and I couldn't wait to show off my gifts. First, Audrey sent me a poodle stocking (with my name on it, no less) filled with yummy treats, which I managed to grab and eat as soon as I opened the box (see photo at right). Next, I unwrapped an awesome Tuffie lobster toy,

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-11475597889444492572008-12-26T12:13:00.001-08:002008-12-26T17:20:29.153-08:002008-12-26T17:20:29.153-08:00

Yes, today is my first birthday. Yay! I've had quite an exciting week celebrating my first Christmas and my first birthday. In fact, there's been so much excitement that I'm worn out, so I'm spending my birthday resting. I have received lots of gifts this week and will post photos later. Right now, I'm off to nap while the humans clean our apartment.

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-39243854003873323462008-12-25T22:04:00.000-08:002008-12-27T19:20:14.182-08:002008-12-27T19:20:14.182-08:00

The holidays are pretty low-key around our house but, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I participated in a gift exchange with other standard poodles on Flickr. I have to admit that I had almost as much fun giving as I did receiving. I suppose that's what the season is all about though, right? When I opened my gift today, I was excited to see lots of cool toys and treats. I got a Huck ball, which

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-56247868463027634982008-12-23T18:38:00.000-08:002008-12-26T17:26:17.123-08:002008-12-26T17:26:17.123-08:00

He's not Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, but my neighborhood buddy, Rufus, has a really cute pink nose. Rufus and I get to play together almost every morning at the park. Actually, it's more accurate to say Rufus enjoys stealing my ball to get me to chase him, but luckily for him, I enjoy that game. Besides being very playful, Rufus is also a big sweetheart. He sent me one of the coolest

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-76601066821816780352008-12-22T10:40:00.001-08:002008-12-22T10:41:38.919-08:002008-12-22T10:41:38.919-08:00

I've been showered with gifts lately because of my upcoming birthday. Last week, PetSmart sent me a birthday card in the mail, and yesterday, I got a birthday e-mail from Petco. Both are offering me a "free" treat with a purchase, of course. (Dixie the Dog reads the fine print, friends.) Regardless, I'm pretty excited about all the attention. Why can I only have one birthday a year?

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-3811428782839627342008-12-21T10:33:00.000-08:002008-12-22T10:39:34.333-08:002008-12-22T10:39:34.333-08:00

Last night I got to visit my friend Toby at his house while our humans had a delicious-smelling dinner of crab cakes. Would you believe that they didn't even share with us? Toby and I played for about four hours straight. I'm still tired today! We also smooched quite a bit, just like we did on Thanksgiving (see photo). I'm not entirely sure what that's all about, but I enjoyed it anyway! Photo

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-65583910392372909762008-12-20T22:45:00.001-08:002008-12-26T21:04:57.103-08:002008-12-26T21:04:57.103-08:00

I met a pit bull named Joe-Joe at the dog park this morning who has only three legs. Despite this, he's a total bad-ass! Joe-Joe was playing fetch with me even though he already had a ball in his mouth. I think he was running with me because I'm so pretty, but also to show me how fast he is. The amazing thing about Joe-Joe isn't how fast he can run with three legs though; it's that he had room

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-38503288089740165582008-12-20T12:43:00.001-08:002008-12-20T12:45:40.104-08:002008-12-20T12:45:40.104-08:00

Yesterday, the FedEx delivery guy stopped by with a package for ME. It was addressed to Ms. Dixie Belle's Orange Blossom. Can you believe it? I've never received a package before, so this was very exciting! I think it's a birthday present from my little cousin, Audrey, but the humans won't let me open it until my birthday. Why are they so mean? Thanks in advance, Audrey! I can't wait to open my

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-4624022623933238152008-12-16T13:26:00.001-08:002008-12-16T16:19:12.822-08:002008-12-16T16:19:12.822-08:00

As you know, I have two guinea pig sisters — Hedwig, who is older, and Hazel, who is younger. I often struggle with my place as the middle (non-guinea pig) pet, so I try to fit in with my sisters. We actually have a lot in common, like our fondness for making noise, shunning affection that isn't given on our terms, and a love for timothy hay. It's this last similarity that landed me in the

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-32044268902251394642008-12-15T17:07:00.000-08:002008-12-15T17:46:14.768-08:002008-12-15T17:46:14.768-08:00

I have long realized that my humans are odd, but this week I'm finding out that I had no idea just how odd they are. After petting my coat the other night and joking around with Short Human about how people could use poodle hair like sheep wool to make clothes, Tall mentioned this to another standard poodle owner. This person told Tall that there are indeed people out there who will "spin" hair

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-9075788282460669832008-12-13T15:52:00.001-08:002008-12-13T18:01:52.730-08:002008-12-13T18:01:52.730-08:00

Today I got a special treat; I spent the morning out and about with Short Human. Tall is feeling under the weather and Short wanted her to be able to rest undisturbed (by the way, I take offense to this), so we headed to the dog park around 7 a.m. After playing for about an hour, we left and drove around for a while. I love car rides! Although I spend lots of time together with my humans, it was

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-29542298798355394582008-12-12T11:30:00.001-08:002008-12-12T11:36:39.322-08:002008-12-12T11:36:39.322-08:00

And boy am I pulling Tall Human's strings today. We woke up around our normal time this morning, 5:30 a.m., and I was in the mood to play. Neither of the humans seemed interested in the ball I presented to them, so I decided to make Tall play with me. I jumped up and pinched (an apparently tender) part of her arm, which seemed to anger her greatly. She grabbed me and shouted "no." Once she let

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-67152790666926209892008-12-12T08:28:00.000-08:002008-12-12T08:37:21.014-08:002008-12-12T08:37:21.014-08:00

Short Human's dad, Grandpa Human, sent her a cool link to "What Your Dog Says About You." Here's what Forbes, who published this info, had to say about poodles and their owners: "America's choice for the next presidential dog, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Kennel Association, the poodle is the runway model of the canine world. This dog is highly intelligent and graceful.

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-71705900540498821162008-12-11T17:11:00.000-08:002008-12-11T17:21:38.569-08:002008-12-11T17:21:38.569-08:00

After picking up fox tails during our last hike, the humans think they have a solution to save me from pain and to save their bank accounts from an expensive vet visit. In this photo, I'm sporting a pair of Ruff Wear Grip Trex boots. Sure, they look great and will probably protect my paws from the "elements" and fox tails, but they drive me crazy. Actually, they annoy me to end. I understand

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-31637575328003400352008-12-09T12:24:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:18:33.428-08:002008-12-09T17:18:33.428-08:00

My humans aren't much into holidays, but this year, Tall and I are participating in a Flickr holiday gift swap with other poodles and their humans. I am so excited about this, and think we picked some awesome gifts for our recipients. Once my package has been delivered, I'll tell you about the gifts; for now, I don't want to ruin the surprise. Here's a photo of the decorated box, which is

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-40910747899501697882008-12-09T06:33:00.000-08:002008-12-09T12:03:01.916-08:002008-12-09T12:03:01.916-08:00

There was an interesting article on StarTribune.com yesterday about poodles as hunting dogs. Sure, some people laugh at the thought, but keep in mind that poodles were bred as water retrievers for hunters. I like the thought of hunting, but after picking up fox tails during my hike in October, I would be reluctant to roam the woods unprotected. Apparently there is a solution to this problem,

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-13498341871322538252008-12-08T14:28:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:36:07.814-08:002008-12-08T14:36:07.814-08:00

At this point in time, I do not. Tall Human and I went to take the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test on November 9, and I failed so horribly that she wouldn't even allow me to discuss it until now. I guess she's moved past the horrible memory. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, I should explain what the CGC is for those who aren't familiar with it. The CGC is the American Kennel Club's (AKC's)

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248860791876895778.post-69935747511202869552008-12-02T14:14:00.000-08:002008-12-03T17:35:00.896-08:002008-12-03T17:35:00.896-08:00

Tall Human took me to the vet today (it seems like I live there, doesn't it?) because my right eye has been producing ungodly amounts of green goo. This started a few days before the humans were going to visit San Francisco, but cleared up just in time for me to go to Wag. Coincidence? Maybe not. Unfortunately, the goo was back by Thanksgiving, but Tall couldn't get an appointment for me until

Dixie the Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09139469689023358080noreply@blogger.com2