pup

Another Encounter

Hey, what happened to you? I had a run in with a yellow jacket. How does it feel.
It stings!

Ba-dum-dum!

I saw a movie recently where Mila Kunis’ character knew she was royalty because bees never stung her. I must be the opposite of royalty.

Up in heaven, Geordie is saying, “It’s not so funny when it happens to you, is it?!?”

Sleepy Cairn terrier puppy.

This was Toby on the day he got his nose stung.

He didn’t know me well enough to trust me to take the stinger out.

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Dream Our World

What would two puppies do if left on their own in an art museum? Find out in Dream Our World! Inside the boys discover the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.

Dream Our World is available form my shop.

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Adoptable Hershey

Hershey, an adoptable Chocolate Labrador Retriever Mix in Alcoa, TN

A friend of mine is in need of a good home. His name is Hershey, and he is an active, healthy, young male pup of possibly lab or Vizsla heritage.  He is a bit too active for his older, smaller siblings and is looking for a new home where he can play and play and play.

I hope I am not breaking any rules by posting a link to his adoption site here, but I wanted to help spread the word about him.  Hershey’s site.

Hershey and his brother and sister play online with Geordie and Toby, so I have known his family for a while.  They are good pups and peeps and only want the best for this little boy.  If you would like to share his story on social media, that would be great.

Two Cairn terriers pant in the sun.

Hershey wants to go for long walks too!

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If the Bee Stings

A very sick little dog.

Is this the saddest little face or what?

My poor little boy had a rough weekend.  He started it out by stepping on a bee.  I watched him for symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling, hives and excessive drooling, but he didn’t have any of these.  What I didn’t realize was the tiredness and soft poos he was having were signs of a reaction bad enough that he should see a vet.  (I was blaming the tiredness on Benedryl.)

Should your pup come out the loser in an encounter with a bee, first remove the stinger.  (The pup will not like this.)  Then put a baking soda paste on the wound.  (The pup will not like this.)  Apply ice to help with the pain.  (The pup will not like this).  Then give a Benedryl.  (The pup will really like this if you wrap it in peanut butter!)

Along with the Benedryl, I gave my boy some of the topical cortisone spray I keep on hand for his hot spots.  It isn’t as strong as what the vet would have given him, but it did seem to bring him a bit of relief.

Be safe around those bees this Summer!

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Flashback Friday

Can you find the puppy hidden in this picture?

Carn terrier puppy hiding under a chair.

When Bitey was little, this was his favorite hiding space…until he got too big and needed help getting back out.  Wasn’t he an adorable itty bitty beast?

In instances like these, I try to envision non-linear time.  What might it be like to have your little dog with you as a puppy and a senior and every step in between simultaneously?  I suppose we have that with memory, but to us the points of time don’t fall together but are strung apart.  I imagine that in the world beyond this one, time is non-linear.

I guess we won’t need Flashback Fridays then!   : – )

 

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Peek-a-Boo!

 

Peek-a-boo!

Aah, this is such a rare moment – Toby looking at the camera instead of away from it.  I must have taken a dozen shots with my uncooperative little guy beating the shutter every time.   I am thinking of starting a folder with just blurry, back of head shots.

Toby got shortchanged on baby pictures since things were so chaotic when he was young.  (It is nearly impossible to take pictures when you have a puppy with a UTI.) I am trying to make up for that a little by getting some nice photos now.

 

Boy's Navy and Copper Suspenders, handmade.

June brings with it a variety of formal events.  Make sure your young man is prepared to look his best with something from the Boys’ Shop at Needful Things of Salem.  With these Navy and Copper Brocade Silk Suspenders your youngster will be ready to conquer any social occasion.

 

 

 

 

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Good News: Follow Up Visit at the Vet

Happy smiling Cairn terrier sitting next to flowers.

Today was Geordie’s first follow up visit after getting his C diagnoses a couple of months ago.  He had a new vet this time because his long-time doctor recently left for an other practice.

The news the new doctor gave us was just what I had been hoping for.  She said that despite the cancer, he is in excellent health!  I was afraid it was wishful thinking on my part and that I was only seeing what I wanted to, but no, Geordie is strong and “healthy” and happy.  She said that whatever we’ve been doing, keep it up.  And, not to get our hopes up, but…if he keeps up the way that he is, Geordie could live one to two more years.

On top of the good news, today was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.  It was perfect for lifting one’s spirits.  I hope everyone reading this had something equally wonderful happen for them too.

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Dog Fight or Aggressive Flirting?

Smiling Cairn terrier boy.

Come on…I can take ya!

As Toby and I were going for a walk, a little boy was walking his dog.  Toby and I have met the pup before.  She is small and full of bluster until she gets close to you, then she is sweet and shy.  Yesterday, though, the little girl pup broke free from her human and came barrelling toward Toby.  She ran into his side with furious growls, and Toby answered her back with equally furious growls.  They spun and twisted and to human eye appeared to be locked in a vicious battle.

I grabbed the little girl’s leash, pulled her back from my pup and handed the leash to her boy.  I looked over at Toby to see how he was handling the situation since this was his first encounter like this. He was panting, had a huge grin on his face and wanted to go back to the little girl dog.

Something similar happened on two other occasions with Geordie and a different girl dog. Both times after the two were separated, Geordie kept asking for the little girl to come back and “play” with him.  (For days he pestered me.)

I am curious if I am reading these situations properly.  Is there such a thing as noisy dog-flirting or are my dogs actually caught in fights?  Each time my boys have come away without so much as a scratch.

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A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy is available at Amazon.

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Formaldehyde in Wrinkle Resistant Fabrics

Two Cairn terriers sitting in the grass.

This year for Mother’s Day, my boys very thoughtfully got me a pretty, new set of sheets for the bed.  As I opened the plastic to remove the sheets, I quickly had to set them down because of the itchy red rash I got from touching them.  Not only did they cause redness and itching, but they had a very strong chemical odor to them.

Not sure of what was going on, I checked the packaging and saw that these were “wrinkle resistant” sheets.  I Googled the term and found that what makes a fabric, in this case cotton, wrinkle resistant isn’t the way it is woven (as I had thought) but that the fibers are infused with formaldehyde to cause them to swell and not bend as easily.

I know that formaldehyde can be used in the sizing on fabrics to make them appear crisp when displayed, but I hadn’t known it was bonded to the fibers over something as unimportant as wrinkling.  Formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, breathing difficulties and of course it is a carcinogen.  Since formaldehyde is absorbed through the skin, every time you lie on treated sheets or wear wrinkle resistant clothing, you are exposing yourself to this poison.  Sadly, there is no government regulation requiring disclosure for formaldehyde use.

A big concern should be our children and grandchildren being exposed this chemical.  As a parent, I would not have given a second thought to the term “wrinkle resistant” on my child’s sheets – I would have chosen a print he/she would enjoy.  I would be horrified to find that I had exposed someone I love to something so dangerous.  And don’t forget our furkids.  If your pup or kitty sleeps in the bed with you, they are also breathing and touching carcinogens.

Fortunately there are a number of companies who still sell regular cotton sheets at pretty reasonable prices.  Cotton can be treated with a lot of pesticides as it is grown, so if this a concern look for organic sheets manufactured in the US.  Organic regulations are more strictly enforced for domestic products than foreign ones.

So, if you are making a purchase of bedding or clothing, please be aware of what might be coming home with you uninvited.

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The Spirit of Cooperation

Two Cairn terriers refuse to look at the camera for their portraits.

Two Cairn terrier brothers turn their backs to the camera as Mom tries to take a picture.

As you can see, my two are nothing if not cooperative when it comes to having their pictures taken.  I just gave the two little monsters a very itchy pair of fur cuts, but neither of them would look at me so that I could capture their new do’s.  Thanks guys.  I’ll remember this next time.

 

Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which deals with time B.T. (Before Toby).

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Both are available from Amazon.

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Hand painted Chihuahua dog handkerchief

Looking for a special gift?  Hand painted handkerchiefs are not only thoughtful but eco-friendly.  Show someone you love that you care about them as well as the planet!

This and many unique handmade gifts are available at my shop L Bowman Studios.

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