When Toby doesn’t feel well, he likes to go under the furniture to get sick. Last time he had an upset tummy, he went under the bed where I tuck an extension cord power strip for when I need to charge things. Little stinky monster decided to puke into all of the little plug holes in my power strip. I didn’t notice it until it had dried. Honestly, I don’t know how this puppy hasn’t managed to kill himself the way he finds dangerous trouble to get into.
What? I’m not dead.
I don’t know what you are complaining about.
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To find out what other trouble my boys have been into, pick up a copy of Dream Our World. Inside Bitey and Toby view the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun! Dream Our World is available from my shop.
(But I think I’ll sleep sitting up with the lights on anyway.)
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If you enjoy the idea of having a starry sky in your house, consider adding this fun accent pillow! Across the background of the cosmos a friendly alien hand signs “I love you” in American Sign Language. (Hollywood has taught us that most aliens look humanoid and speak English, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.)
Did you know that pistachios, cashews and mangoes are in the same plant family as poison ivy? Guess why I know this.
Forget pistachios, I’ll just eat shoeberries.
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If you haven’t had a chance yet, check outDream Our World. Literally. You can check it out through inter-library loan at your local library! If you would prefer to have your own copy of Dream Our World, you can order one through my shop, L Bowman Studios.
I drew this story after last year’s crop. That year we got exceptionally large cukes.
This year’s crop leaves a bit to be desired.
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OK, so there aren’t any poop stories in Dream Our World, but there are plenty of other things to laugh at! Visit the Museum of the Imagination with Bitey and Toby and view the world of art from a canine perspective.
Bitey and Toby are part of the Dog Days of Summer display at the Glendale Public Library in Arizona! If you happen to be in the area, stop by to Find Bitey & Toby, read a good book or do a fun craft project related to well-known literature
Toby and I are so honored to be part of this display. A big thank you to the wonderful librarians at the library!
Dream Our World can be borrowed through the inter-library-loan system or purchased through my shop, L Bowman Studios.
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You are being boring so I am going to steal this sock.
The other night I walked past Toby’s kennel and found him sitting up. Figuring he had to go outside I started to reach to open the door. As I did, I realized that he wasn’t looking at me, his ears weren’t moving when I spoke….oh dear, this dog is asleep sitting up!
It took forever for me to rouse him, and when I did he was very logy. What a strange little boy I have.
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If you are looking for the perfect birthday or holiday gift for someone you love, consider giving them a pet portrait! Stop by my studio to see sizes and pricing. Order now to avoid the seasonal rush!
If you think chickens are adorable (or delicious. Your pick.), then consider adding this Chicken and Egg Cross Stitched Bread Cloth to your table. Homemade, warm, crusty breads (or breads you claim are homemade!) presented on a beautifully decorated bread cloth will taste even better when served to guests.
I was always tempted to get those for my dogs so they would have to carry their own stuff. (See how they like hauling around bags of poop for hours!)
Dear Ladies’ Clothing Designers: they’re not really “cargo shorts” if you can’t fit anything in the pockets!
Here is a sketch I did of Toby’s girlfriend from the previous post.
(I’m guessing she’s a half-Malt.)
Is it hotter than blazes outside, but you’re stuck inside with arctic air conditioning? The solution might be a hand knit tweed cardigan! This Olive Green Tweed Cardigan is as cozy as a hug. It is silky soft and is hand knit of a fine merino wool/alpaca/Donnegal tweed yarn. There is no scratchiness or coarseness to this sweater. The mid-weight fabric has a wonderful drape and a comfortable, broken-in look to it already. There is no stiffness as there are with some knits. The sweater is also generously sized to fit comfortably.
Aaah! The “hydra” in hydrangea stands for “hydrate”.
Well, here is Toby’s hydrangea. As you can see he was very creative with his colors making his flowers everything from white to purple. My little boy does enjoy his work.
Actually mom Icheated. I used these!
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Add some colorful flowers to your day with this lovely Floral Tote Bag. The floral bag can also be used as a gift presentation bag instead of disposable paper or plastic ones. Floral Gift Presentation Bag can be used over and over. In fact, the bag itself can be part of the gift!
Figuring out what has been going on with Toby has turned out to be a painful adventure. For months, my otherwise happy puppy has been attacking me. Every resource I encountered mentioned checking the dog’s thyroid levels because low thyroid in dogs can lead to erratic behaviors. I had Toby checked; no low thyroid.
During the attacks, it were as if Toby were asleep. Sometimes he would “wake up” in the middle and looked confused or embarrassed about what was going on.
I think I may have finally figured out what is happening with Toby: Sleep Startle Reflex. Older dogs, deaf dogs – and for some reason greyhounds – tend to have this most often, but any dog can. Basically it is an old survival instinct where if anything – any little thing – happens near the sleeping dog it will attack instantly without even waking up. I don’t even need to touch Toby but make a noise near him and he will come running to growl at and bite me.
What made the condition even harder to pinpoint was that the attacks only happened in the evening or at night not during the day even though Toby sleeps at all of those times. Turns out that the SSR is only triggered during REM sleep. In the afternoons, Toby is merely napping, so he doesn’t dream then.
It felt good to find out that nothing is really “wrong” with my boy; he is just a sleepwalker…..er, sleep attacker. Experts recommend not punishing or yelling at your dog because he is unaware of what he is doing. To him, he just wakes up and everyone is mad at him. It is recommended that you put your furry attacker in a quiet room at night and block it off so that no one disturbs him. Little Toby’s heart has been breaking because I have been having him sleep in his kennel and not in the laundry. I feel awful that he can’t sleep in the bedroom with me, but this room is so small I can’t fit his kennel inside.
Maybe this will be incentive to get rid of some stuff so my puppy can toot contentedly beside me in his sleep.
I hate this kennel. I wanna come back and sleep in the laundry.
Dirty laundry – the bed of the gods.
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Come see what Bitey and Super Sleep-Bitey (otherwise known as Toby) have been up to, pick up a copy of Bitey Dog and Toby in Dream Our World! Inside the boys view the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.
The Adventures of Bitey Dog 