Gone to the Dawgs

Our house has finally gone to the dawgs!  Well, if we're honest, it headed that way a LONG time ago!   Some of Mommy's friends and family make fun of her frequent house cleaning habits, but she has let the housekeeping slide over the past few years.  With the addition of each of us, she falls a little farther behind.  There are frequently black tumbleweeds in the kitchen from our shedding.  Seriously!  This is not an exaggeration!  (If you should ever receive any food from us that has a black hair in it, just remember it's the thought that counts and it was made with love!)

With the Christmas season in full swing, Mommy has noticed we have quite a few decorations that revolve around us four-legged family members.  There are several ornaments on the tree that honor us.

The paw print ornaments were made by Mommy last year.  This is Hunter's.

A s'mores dawggie

A new addition this year: a peppermint bone.

An ornament for the girls; there's a chocolate version for Hunter too!

This ornament gives new meaning to reduce, reuse, and recycle; 

it's made from a computer's motherboard.

The wreath that hangs on the kitchen door has dawg themed cookie cutters all over it.

Mommy really likes this wreath, but wishes she'd made the bow bigger.

We have a new addition to the wreaths in the house this year.  Mommy scored this wreath at TJMaxx and was thrilled to find it.  She saw it in a magazine a couple years ago, but it was terribly expensive.  She brought it home, took the ugly bow off, and replaced it with a plaid ribbon picked out by Daddy just for this purpose.  We think he made a great choice.  This wreath is hanging on the master bedroom door this year.

We also have a tree in the master bedroom that is made by the same company.  Mommy is considering making a small bow for the top of this tree, but she can't decide.  What do you think?

The best part of going to the dawgs is that even our friends know that we've crossed over.  These delicious treats arrived last week.  Our adopted Aunt Gwen sent them to Mommy because she knows how dawg crazy Mommy is!  So far, Mommy hasn't shared any of the peppermint bark with us.  Surely if we give Aunt Gwen a "bark out" she'll tell Mommy to hand over the treats . . .

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care in hopes that 

Santa Paws will leave something fabulous in there!

We hope you have all of your decorations in place as you too wait for Santa!
Hunter, Dixie & Jenna

Like Father, Like Daughter

Mommy has noticed something about me lately that has her slightly bewildered.  They call me Daddy's Girl and that is becoming more apparent by the day!  I am starting to take after my Daddy in one particular area: GRAY HAIR!!!!  Seriously???  I'm only four years old!!!!!  This can't be happening already.  Hunter is twelve and hardly has any gray hair.  At this rate I'm going to look old before my time.  Dixie hasn't shown any signs of premature aging.  I thought we were twins.  How unfair is this?

Daddy says not to worry about it.  He has learned to live with his gray hair, and Mommy finds it attractive.  That's all well and good for him, but I doubt a male dawgie is going to think the same about me.  Since when has a man found a young lady with gray hair attractive??  Hmmpf!!!  The injustices of the world!

I guess I'll just have to take heart from the Book of Proverbs . . .    [sigh]

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained though righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)

Daddy says that's what got him through his younger years.  Either that, or Mommy is going to have to make me an appointment with her hair dresser!

Reluctantly working on my crown of splendor, 

Jenna

Negative Consequences?

I don't mean to focus on Jenna's bad habits or the illusion of her expanding backside, but . . . (pun might be intended) . . .

Recently Mommy was cutting up a stalk of celery to take to work as her snack.  She turned her back for just a second and heard a terribly loud CRUNCH!  You already know what happened.  Jenna had helped herself to the celery.  Lucky for us, it was a huge stalk.  It broke when Jenna chomped down on it giving us a chance to enjoy it too.  All three of us had a last minute snack that morning before Mommy left for work.

This was a new taste for us.  Mommy was surprised Hunter ate the celery too.  He used to be rather picky, but apparently his taste buds have changed as he's grown older.  Either that, or he's afraid of being left out!  Once again, Mommy immediately starting googling celery to make sure it's an okay treat for us.  Thankfully it is.  Whew!

When Daddy heard about Jenna's escapades, he pointed out that perhaps she too was concerned about the appearance of her backside.  He calls celery a negative calorie food and says it might be good for us to snack on.  Technically, celery does have calories, but not many!  Only time will tell if we're going to have a chance to enjoy this treat again.  For now, we might just have to stalk it up to a mischievous accident!  (Did you catch that one?)

Dixie Doodle

Looks Can Be Deceiving . . .

While trying to capture that perfect photo of me for Thanksgiving (and I still don't think she was successful), Mommy took this picture:

Daddy took notice of how skinny my body looks from this angle.  We decided I look like a wiener dawg with a long body and a REALLY BIG head.  Daddy already calls me TWD (Third World Dawg) sometimes because of how skinny I am.  I topped out several years ago at 101 pounds.  When I had my first ACL surgery, I dropped down to 85 pounds and have kept off the extra weight for years.  Over the last couple of years, I've gotten down to about 75 pounds.  Mommy tries to keep all of us slim and trim so we aren't carrying around extra weight on our bones.  She is especially aware of my weight since I'm old and have enough trouble moving around some days as it is.  But, jeez Mommy, that doesn't mean I have to look sickly!

Here's what I actually look like:

That's much better, don't you think?
Hunter


PS: If Mommy could develop a camera to make humans look this skinny, she could make a fortune don't you think?

Tis the Season

It's that time of year when we are just coming off the Thanksgiving Pig Out and are ready to move into the Bake a Million Cookies and Pies and Then Eat Them All By Yourself season.  Ahhhhhh!  These are good times.  As luck would have it, all of this good food tends to stick around longer than we intend.  A moment on the lips turns into a lifetime on the hips!  And speaking of hips . . .

Mommy caught Jenna in a compromising position recently and couldn't resist taking Jenna's picture.  I am thrilled to share the results with you.

We aren't sure what Jenna was doing or looking at.  She's never sat quite like this before and probably won't ever again now that we're publishing her rather wide-looking derriere for all the world to see.  Have no fear.  Jenna really doesn't look this wide in person.  She still has her supermodel figure . . . mostly!

Jenna's favorite sister,
Dixie

So Thankful

We are thankful for so many blessings in our lives . . . 

Our parents who love us like crazy and take care of us

Our siblings

Our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends

Food to fill our bellies

Toys to play with

Warm beds to sleep on

Lots of love to you on Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

And the only picture Mommy could capture of the three of us . . .

Love to all,
Hunter, Dixie, and Jenna

Put a Cork On It!

Recently Daddy needed a door prize for the local Ducks Unlimited banquet.  He asked Mommy to make a wreath using some of the many wine corks they have collected over the years.  She was happy to help him out and so was I!

Mommy kept a close eye on me.  I guess I can't blame her.  Once when Dixie was younger, Mommy had allowed Dixie to stay out of her crate for the day.  Upon Mommy's return, she discovered little bits of cork all over the house.  Dixie had decided to stand on the sofa and help herself to the corks Mommy kept in a glass hurricane on the end table.  I guess Dixie thought they looked yummy.  I'll admit, they DO!  But I wasn't allowed to taste them.  Drat!   That hurricane has had a new home in the house since Dixie's taste testing adventure.

This isn't the first wreath Mommy has made to help Daddy.  Last spring she made a shotgun shell wreath.  It takes a special person to appreciate these wreaths.  It's a good thing I'm that person . . . er, dawg!  Mommy made her first shotgun shell wreath over a decade ago.  It's been hanging in our garage ever since.  I really prefer the empty shells over the wine corks.  The many smells attached to the shells are simply divine!

Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to win the cork wreath?  Or maybe I'll win and can use it as a new chew toy?  Hmmm . . .
Jenna


PS: Since we're on the subject of wine, we should make a toast to Aunt Kelly who is celebrating her birthday today!

TP Snob

Mommy discovered something strange abut my sister Jenna recently: Jenna is a toilet paper snob!  As a human, you probably have a certain brand you prefer to use and that is perfectly normal (I assume).  If you're not the shopper in your house, then you might not know what that brand is, but the person doing the buying certainly does.

At our house, the chosen brand is Angel Soft.  Perhaps because our house is full of angels?  I'm not really sure why Mommy buys this particular brand.  She probably doesn't even know herself.  All she really cares about is that she isn't buying the kind Grandma does.  No offense Grandma, but that stuff is ruff!  We like our paper a bit more cushy!

A few weeks ago, Mommy had to take Jenna to the vet for a vaccine.  While they were there, Mommy needed to use the restroom and so of course, Jenna had to go along with her.  As you already know, Jenna LOVES to eat toilet paper.  Oddly enough she doesn't eat it when our parents aren't here.  She only eats it when they are in the bathroom!  I think she just loves the attention!  Mommy, being the kind person she is (and the one waiting for a dawg's intestines to be impacted), offered Jenna a couple squares of the toilet paper the vet had on the roll.  Jenna grabbed it and promptly spit it out!  She refused to eat it!  Mommy tried to entice Jenna to at least clean up the floor, but Jenna refused.

Apparently Jenna is a toilet paper snob!  Very strange!  She usually isn't picky about anything.  She will eat anything, lie down anywhere, and play with any toy.  I don't know what brand the vet uses, but it must not be up to Jenna's standards!   I guess it tasted "tearable!"  (Kind of like that joke, huh?)

This just goes to prove that my sister is indeed strange!
Dixie


PS:  Grandma, I hope you don't feel too paranoid about your paper choice!

More Bad Habits

Since my brother is ratting me and my bad habits out, I will do the same for him!  Isn't that what little sisters are for???

Apparently Hunter thinks being the oldest child in our house comes with privileges.  Being oldest children themselves, Mommy and Daddy tend to agree with Hunter.  That lucky dawg gets to sleep upstairs while Dixie and I are forced to sleep in our crates at night.  The fact that we like sleeping in our crates isn't important; we'd like the option to choose!

Hunter must think that being first to drink when we're hot and thirsty is another privilege that should be granted to him.  As Dixie and I jostle for position at the water bowl or water hose, Hunter stands back to watch.  He waits as long as he can for his turn (about ten seconds) and when he grows impatient, he begins to bark at us.  He continues to bark until we move out of his way.  Never mind the fact that he is large enough to push us away.  Nope.  He just stands and barks.  [sigh]  It's very annoying.

Maybe Mommy should put out another water bowl for us . . . nah, he'd just bark more!  We don't call him the Barkalounger for nothing!

Pesky Little Sister,
Jenna

Bad Habits

We all know bad habits are hard to break.  Unfortunately, they are very easy to learn.  Jenna has picked up two of Dixie's bad habits and it's about to drive Mommy crazy.

Usually Jenna only rings the bell to go outside in dire circumstances.  Mommy and Daddy know when they hear a slight jingle (instead of Dixie's crash of the bells) that Jenna is waiting for them and she means business!  Jenna rarely has to ring the bell because Dixie rings it so often; chances are Jenna will need to go at one of those times.  This was all true until recently.  Jenna has started ringing the bell to go outside even when she doesn't really need to potty. We're not sure why Jenna feels the need to sound a false alarm.  She must see Dixie receive attention and crave some for herself.

Jenna has also started barking for Mommy to throw a toy.  Since Dixie was a puppy, she has barked nonstop when she wants attention.  Mommy tried every training trick she could think of or read about to stop this annoying habit and it never did any good.  Dixie loves to have attention.  She grows very impatient when she is waiting for Mommy to throw the ball.  (The fact that Dixie is standing over the ball and Mommy can't grab it even with the Chuck It means nothing!)  While Mommy is trying to coax the ball away from Dixie's mouth, Jenna usually waits patiently until it's her turn.  Not any more.  Lately she has learned a bark might help her receive faster attention.

Mommy is NOT pleased with these turn of events.  Lucky for Mommy, ignoring Jenna is more effective than it was for Dixie!  Our kind Daddy reminded Mommy that most dawg training is more about training the owner than the actual dawg . . .

Here's to breaking these bad habits soon!
Hunter


PS: How do you like that bandanna covered in bones?  We all have one and the white bones GLOW in the dark!!