Halloween 2014

We only had two trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Disappointing, but it gave us plenty of time to torture-I mean dress up-the Rosendogs in their costumes. Enjoy!

Tip-a-Canoe and the Dogs Came Too

September was a blur. We took the boys floating early in the month. Lieu cried all 6.2 miles and Jason had to counter balance Speck the whole way. They used to float with us all the time but I don't think we'll be taking them again.

We've been trying to take Ray in the car on short trips. Now she loves to go and gets excited whenever we leave, unless we take one or more of the other dogs, then she throws a fit. One day we took her and Speck to the pet store, to get puppy cones at Andy's and for a walk on the greenway. She didn't quite make it, but we've had many shorter successes, all in good time. Ray also got to accompany Jason to my work picnic. She wouldn't let anyone pet her, but she loved walking around the park and didn't get upset with any other dogs.

I was 5 minutes from leaving for work one morning, getting ready in the bedroom with Ray laying on the bed, when I leaned over to give her some love. She jerked her head up, gave me a fat lip and knocked my bridge out. Luckily the dentist was able to get me right in.

We took Magi and Speck in for vaccinations. She's up to 54 lbs. and he's 23lbs. Magi didn't throw up on the trip, we're on a roll! Lieu's been to the vet twice-his first anal gland issue and to have a fatty tumor checked.

October brings Ray's birthday. I can hardly believe our Baby Ray is already a year old.

Her Rotteness Reigns Supreme

We've created a monster. These teenage months are going to wear us down as much as puppy hood did, the only difference is Ray moves faster now. She's still adorable and funny, and we could definitely have it much worse, but she's as obstinate as ever and has little interest in listening to, much less obeying, commands. Unless you're Magi...or Jason.

Magi has very little patience for Ray's antics. They're still buds and wrestle regularly, but Ray cow tows to Magi, even when she shouldn't or doesn't need to. Magi's gotten really bossy with everyone, including us when she thinks she can get away with it. The two of them keep the boys in check though. They won't put up with Lieu picking on Speck at all.

Ray's love-me-not behavior wouldn't matter if she hadn't decided she's Jason's dog. She loves, loves, loves her papa. She brings her toys to him to play (while refusing my offers to play), and tries to share by shoving them in his mouth, she snuggles with him in bed or on the couch and ignores me or jumps off. And now she cries when he leaves.

So I've decided to use Ray's fondness for Jason to teach her a new trick. I always wave goodbye to him from the dining room window and Ray has started standing at the window with me when he leaves. So I'm trying to teach her to wave at him by moving her paw up and down. She's not very patient so she usually runs off before he actually leaves, but I call her back and help her wave as I do. I'm pretty sure she tried to wave by herself today and even if it wasn't intentional, she's still getting the idea.

I'm also teaching her to catch treats in the air. We started with Cheetos, cause who doesn't love Cheetos!? Ray did great, Magi not so much. Magi just lets them bounce off her head and the floor, much like Betty used to do. And Specker is great at it too. Lieu didn't hear the commotion and slept through it all.

A word of warning should you ever visit the Animal House: Ray loves to stick her nose in your crotch and butt, and will happily lift your skirt, shorts to do so. She actually has to approach you to do so, the chances of which are fairly slim given her track record with people, but consider yourself warned all the same.

Belly Love and Other Topics

Ray is a belly whore. Betty was the original belly whore. Whenever you'd pet her, Betty would invariably roll on to her back so you can pet her stomach, and usually sooner than later. Most dogs like their bellies scratched, but these two would prefer it was all belly petting, all the time. Ray takes belly whoring to a new level as she throws herself on the floor at your feet as you're walking through the house. She's hard to resist, laying there wiggling her butt and wagging her stubby tale, but she's also a danger to our well being at times. But look how big she's getting! The first photo is from today and the other six months ago.

Ray gets to sleep on the floor in our room every night. She's becoming a pretty good watch dog and doesn't care to sleep on the bed or tear anything up, so we're happy to let her sleep outside her box. The best part--Sillybutt comes up for snuggle time before we go to sleep and when we wake up. The other Rosendogs aren't too happy about it but they also aren't content to sleep on the floor. I also started pulling a bed in for Lieu (Ray also if she wanted) a few nights a week, he gets some special treatment as our senior Rosendog. Like getting to drag our clothes around the house.

Magi's been getting her own special time. I've started painting her nails every week or so. She does really well through about three paws, then it's sometimes a struggle to finish.

I'd feel bad if I didn't mention Speck. We're trying to keep his annual summer allergy freak-out at bay with Benadryl. Luckily the weather has been much cooler than normal. 

Dog Treat: Smarties

Here are a couple of pups who are as talented as they are cute! The patience and time these owners and talented canines exhibit is impressive. Bravo!

I'm ready for an end to daily rain and muddy paws. The floors and my clothes can't take much more. If only I could train the Rosendogs to wipe their feet...and Ray to quit jumping on me.

And the Beat Goes On

Tried to get a new selfie with Ray and had to settle for this one. At least we're both in it.

Raylene managed to lose her fancy name tag and rabies tag. Guessing they came off somewhere in the yard during a wrestling match with Magi. Scoured the yard a couple of times but they've yet to turn up. Now's our chance to turn her loose!

If she continues pleasuring herself in the manner she recently discovered, Sillybutt may have to go elsewhere anyway. Just kidding! But seriously, what's with the masterbating dogs?!

Rosendog Family Field Trip

Very rarely do we take all four dogs anywhere together. A quick trip to Sonic for half-price shakes provided the opportunity to take the girls for a short trip with the boys as company so we loaded them all up and headed down the road. Everyone did really well! Ray had a blast hanging her head out the windows with the boys and looking at everything. Magi did pretty well too although she stuck it pretty close to us. But there was no crying or puking so I call it a win!

Ray brought a stick in yesterday through the dog door. I told her that sticks need to stay outside. She promptly went over, picked the stick up and headed back outside with it. I know she didn't understand everything I said, but Ray shows us everyday just what a smart dog she is.

Rosendog Athletic Department

Huge news! Ray caught the Frisbee twice tonight while I was playing with her. It's the first time she's caught it for either of us and two times no less! We were super excited!

Here's a video of one of our other athletes. Lieu loves to "play soccer" and will push a ball around the yard until he's about to collapse, so he doesn't get many opportunities.

Nothing is Safe

Well, that was frustrating. After working on it for three days, I just finished my intended post with this title and it disappeared. I didn't know the title was a prophecy as well. Nothing is safe.

So here's the post in a nutshell:

• Ray & Magi eat all of our ripe strawberries before we can. Gonna have to move that planter. 
• Speck tortured a snake briefly and killed a new brood of opossums during nightly hunts last week.
• Ray had another clingy, anxious day Sunday, probably caused by threatened use of can. Then got stung by a bee on the foot. Back to self by evening.
• Sillybutt would not stay in out of the rain Monday.

And how about some pics:

 

 

Spring Romp with Magi & Ray

Took this a couple of weekends ago. Jason was building a pavilion/carport and I was cleaning the deck and deck furniture, but as you can see the girls didn't let that get in the way of their fun. Forgive the poor  videograghy,  they're hard to keep up with.

We decided to go with Pet Armor for flea and tick control now that it's available at more retailers. I don't care for the smell but nobody had a bad reaction so I'm hopeful.

Big news for Ray this weekend -- she managed to ride with Jason and Speck to Sonic and back without vomiting! I'm hopeful it's a breakthrough,  even if it means we always have to take another dog with her.

Crate Chaos

Ray's grown so much that she's outgrown her crate. Since the Rosendogs have days when they spend a good chunk of time in their boxes, I like to make sure they're as comfortable as possible. I hated that Ray might be uncomfortable or even worse,  that it would stunt her growth!

I really like her current crate so I looked online and found that Amazon handled the larger ones. Sillybutt just keeps growing and she still has a ways to go before she grows into her feet and ears, so I opted to go up two crate sizes to give her plenty of room.

Ray's definitely got plenty of room.  The new cage is gigantic! We could fit a couple of Sillybutts in it. And it's not even the largest size available, can't imagine how big the next size is. We rearranged Rosendog Row to fit in and moved Speck's bedding into Ray's old box. He's gotten pretty tubby so he needs the extra space.

Bear in mind that each dog knows whose box is who's, the same way they do with their bowls. Complete chaos ensues now when it's time for the Rosendogs to go in their boxes. It should only last a day or so, but for now we get to spend an extra few minutes sorting everybody out as they all go in and out of the wrong box. Even Magi and Lieu which I find funny since nothing really changed for them. At least we started on Friday so we have the weekend to get everyone sorted out.

Dog Treat: Feeding Time

I love watching videos of smart, cute and funny dogs, and I love to share their talents. I'm going to start sharing my favorites as "Dog Treats." So enjoy this first treat. These guys are so smart & sweet, I can only hope to train our four this well. And that fluffy one is as cute as he can be!

And if you were wondering about feeding time with the Rosendogs...

Each knows which bowl is theirs and stick to them pretty well at meal times. Of course given the opportunity one will take advantage of another wandering off. They may not pray or clear the table, but we have our own little system and it works.

Pain, Patrols and Rights of Passage

Ray's a big girl now. Yesterday she passed that all important milestone for modern bitches-getting spayed. I hate to put her through it but I also feel strongly about the importance of spaying and neutering dogs and cats. There are far too many animals in need of homes and too many irresponsible pet owners. Sorry, off the soapbox.

Since they were putting her under anyway, we went ahead and had that last baby canine tooth removed. Add in the microchip and Ray had a full day of poking and prodding. Oh, the price of being a Rosendog.

Poor baby had a long day that started with her routine being thrown out of whack. She couldn't have any breakfast or water and wasn't allowed in the backyard to do her morning patrol. Ray's outside more than ever now that spring has arrived. We rarely see her inside unless it's time to eat or take a nap. You can see her weigh her options when we call Sillybutt in the house for any but the afore mentioned reasons. She's sure there's something more important that needs her attention. But I digress.

Ray cried all the way to the vet, again. It makes me sad that she hates riding in the car so much. But I was happy to hear that her weight is up to 36 pounds. Her surgery went well and I was able to pick her up at the end of the day...after a thirty minute detour to reach the clinic due to an accident on the highway. I was really glad though that I didn't have to take the detour with Ray in the car, she really would have hated that. She threw up on the way home just the same. Luckily the seats were covered.

My sweet baby topped off the day by nipping my hand when she snapped at Speck for getting too close to 'her' water. She wasn't happy about being denied free access to the backyard either. Lucky for all of us she's already feeling much better and back to her usual hijinks. I'm sure surviving Ray's teenage period will prove to be a challenge, but I'm glad to have this right of passage behind us.

Lucha Libre por Peros

The Rosendogs are ready to rumble--Mexican wrestling style! Don't turn your back on these ferocious beasts, you're liable to regret it. Meet the All Bads:

Rowdy Ray

Mad Magi

Licky Lieu

Spazy Speck

The Rosendog Races

Okay, so it's not all of the Rosendogs, only Magi & Ray (although Speck adds some vocals). And they aren't racing so much as...well I'm not quite sure, maybe tag or keep away. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this video of the action we witness daily. It took me at least a dozen attempts to record them successfully. Yes, it's a little crazy for a few minutes, but they never fail to make me laugh. And no one Rosendog race is the same as another, the girls seem to add little variations here and there to keep things fresh. Enjoy!

Growing Pains

Ray is taller than Magi now, not by much mind you, but she is. Of course Magi still has 20-30 pounds on her. Sillybutt has also figured out how to jump on the bed but she's terrified of the abyss between Jason's side and the wall.

I was sitting on the couch with a cup of hot tea the other night when my sweet yeti-hyena dog came barreling through the house and straight onto my lap. Ray had no interest in staying, just making sure I knew she was in, but she wasn't expecting to send hot tea flying everywhere, including her face. Luckily it wasn't fresh out if the kettle and since it didn't scald me we don't think it hurt her, but boy did she make one hell of a mess!

Did you know dogs love pistachios? The commercial doesn't lie. I shared some of mine with the Rosendogs and while they all enjoyed them, I'm pretty sure Ray's decided they are the best thing EVER. Just try and eat a pistachio in front of her,  you may get to eat it but it won't be easy.

My Yard is Mud

And therefore so are the Rosendogs feet. I pretty much give up on the floors this time of year, not that I put that much effort into housecleaning anytime, but spring is a losing battle. I wish I could train the Rosendogs to wipe their feet. I've seen it on the interwebs so I know its possible, but ours just look at me like I'm crazy/gnaw at my hands when I try to wipe their feet. So until the day comes when they wipe their paws, thank goodness for hardwoods and tile!

Speaking of messes--hopefully I'll have fewer in my SUV from now on. The dogs will still ride, but hopefully Magi & Ray's messes will be easier to clean up. The Rosendog humans spent a romantic Valentine's Day evening at Petsmart picking up dog food and a new harness for Ray. We passed an end cap of as seen on TV stuff and there sat one Pet Rider for only $9.99. Now, full disclosure--I love as seen on TV stuff! I don't try it all and I don't QVC but there are a few quality items to have come from infomercials and I'm hoping this is one. It installs easily and is machine washable. There's kind of a rubbery backing so hopefully dog bodily fluids won't soak into the seat/cargo area as easily as with sheets, blankets or towels. Sorry for the poor quality of the installed puke guard, at least you get the idea.

 

Made a second visit to the vet this week. Took Speck to get his eye and a tumor checked out on Saturday. So he got to try out the seat guard first. It didn't seem to impede him any and saved the seat from his dirty feet. His eye has a little ulcer, probably from playing with Ray, should heal fine with antibiotic drops. And it's a fatty tumor so besides being a tub-o, sausage of a dog, he's good. If only you could have heard Speck's monk chanting during his exam--om. Here's a little of his Elvis impression instead.

The Dingo Is My Baby

Who's up to 25.5 pounds? This girl is! We went to visit Dr. Davis today for Ray's second puppy booster and rabies shot. She's gained nearly 10 pounds in her first month with us. We also got a treatment for her latest fascination-poop eating. I've decided she's going to present us with every dog behavior issue possible as a trade off for her cuteness. I blame her early feral upbringing, after all I am raising a yeti-coated dingo--check out those ears! Further evidence: Ray's on top of Magi, shaking her by the collar as I write.

It was a banner day for Baby Ray, but not all of it in good ways. Work schedules required the Rosendogs to stay in their boxes longer than usual. I found Ray's  protest over her treatment when I came home to pick her up for the vet.

Ray cried the whole time on the drive to Nixa but was happy in the clinic and wanted to meet all the other dogs and their people. We had no sooner left the lot and got back on the road toward home when she threw up in the back seat. Poor baby! There's nothing I could do in rush hour traffic but head home. Ray just doesn't do well in the car. I'm not so sure she'll be up to being our new river dog if she's going to be sick every time we travel. We'll just have to keep trying and invest in one of those washable backseat covers, sheets just don't quite do it.

Another possible trip to the vet on Saturday, this time with Speck. One of his eyes is bothering him so hopefully it will clear up by then, but if not, at least he doesn't get car sick! 

Some days are like this one, even with our little Ray of Life, and sorry if it grossed you out. Life is definitely not all puppy kisses and cute photos around here, but I love it. 

Ray's Snowy Day

Our little yeti of the Ozarks ran herself silly today playing in the snow. Of course it's better when Magi joins in, but Ray's happy to play on her own. The Rosendogs didn't get their walk today but at least they still got plenty of exercise.

I came home early with a headache and the intention of napping. Sweet baby Ray would have none of it. She not only refused to nap with me but took every opportunity to accost my face with her barracuda teeth and claws. Such a sweet girl.

The Art of Kissing With Your Teeth

Sweet Baby Ray made her first kill this week. Jason let the Rosendogs in and she ran up and dropped a black bird/starling at his feet. She was most proud of herself and I'm sure will spend her life giving the birds a run for their money.

Raylene continues to be a lively spirit, or holy terror, whichever you prefer. She and Magi chase and wrestle off and on all day. Poor Magnolia takes a lot of abuse but it's kind of fitting given the hell she used to give Betty.

Ray also seems to think I'm a chew toy. Whether its my hands, face or ankles, most kisses start with the tongue and quickly turn to nips. And then there's the sneak attacks on my ankles. Guess what SuperDogMom will be reading about and working on with Ray this weekend? Haven't had much luck so far.

Friday night with the Rosendogs. 

Speaking of training, Ray's getting pretty good at sit but stay is challenging for her. We're still working hard on come but she's gotten much better!