Poodle Days

Gypsy is loving having the warmer weather here. That means the Sandi and I are outside the majority of the day and Gyp is obviously with us. We all get our work in and then usually just hangout and enjoy the yard. Gypsy will divide her time with us, Dino, and a bone or two.

Gypsy loves it when we spend the day outside with her. We call it a "Poodle" day.
Everything is all about me!!!
This past weekend was really the first nice weekend we've had this spring and it was perfect for a Poodle day. Gyp has always been the life of the party when it comes to outside play time although I couldn't help notice that she is starting to show some signs of age. Slowing down a bit.

She spent a big part of the day taking naps. She finds a sunny spot and enjoys the sun as much and we do.

 

 

 

After a nap or two on the grass, she usually finds her way to the comfy sofa on the deck. this is the only furniture that she is allowed on and I think she likes it. It's OK if she is slowing down a step or two. We'll keep having our "Poodle Days" I think I like them as much as Gypsy.

Easter Bunny?

 I have mentioned several times on Gypsy's drive for little furry things. Bunnies in particular.  She hates bunnies more than Elmer Fudd. We have an abundance of rabbits in our neighborhood and they all seem to come out when we take our walk. No matter in the morning or evening, it is like the bunnies line the street, taunting Gypsy. She always has her head on a swivel, looking for them. We have had a few close encounters in the backyard but never on the street.

We were walking along and I remembered to take my camera, hoping to get a picture of Oscar the pig that lives down the street. He sure did get big over the winter.  Gypsy saw this bunny way before I did. It was up in a yard munching away on the flowers the home owner just planted. The bunny then turned and charged us.
Come on Bunny, make my day!!!
I have to admit that it startled me. How many times do you get charged by a bunny? Anyway I was able to take this picture. This bunny had a look of determination on his face right? Gypsy lunged at him at the last minute. Had she not been on the leash she would have been eating rabbit stew for lunch.

Gypsy seemed to scare the bunny back into reality as it turned and ran away. Gypsy lifted her tail and high stepped it all the way home.
OK, did I date myself with the Elmer Fudd reference?

Another Ram Update

I thought I'd give everyone another Ram (formerly Rim) update. Sandi's Cuz sent this video of Ram practicing cuddling. I think he is catching on pretty fast.
We brought Ram home from a great breeder, www.crossbrookpoodles.com. Our thought process was that maybe having a male around the house would somehow put Gypsy at ease. She has always been a bit nervous and on edge. Ram was an adorable puppy full of love and ready to play at the drop of a hat. Gypsy somehow didn't see that side of him. As Ram grew, and brother he grew fast, Gypsy seemed to get more and more nervous around him. After much debate we decided to re-home Ram.
If you go back and check out the blog titled "Forever Poodles" 4/30/13 you can get more detail. All I can say is that Ram is proof that sometimes rehoming a dog is a good thing. Not only good for Ram but also good for Gypsy. Ram has graduated from "Canine Good Citizen" school and seems to be on his way to becoming a therapy dog. In the video Cuz is working with Ram on the head in lap move. Very sweet indeed.

I sometimes feel that Ram found Sandi and I for a reason and that we just helped him along to the place where he was meant to be. things always seem to happen for a reason.

Post Beauty Parlor

Gypsy was looking like a homeless poodle recently. She gets that way between trips to the beauty parlor. It's mostly my fault because I don't groom her like I probably should. I'll work on that this spring.
Hey, look at you...you have a goal!!!
Yes, that will be a goal of mine to keep current with your grooming needs.
Anyway we've been taking her to the same girl for years. Her entire life. I'm not going to tell you she enjoys the entire grooming experience. She always hops into the car in the morning thinking we're going on a road trip. She loves it. Then when we arrive, she hops out sniffing and excited that we are visiting someone.  And then we go into the beauty parlor.
Crap, not this place again!!!
Her tail drops and suddenly she is depressed.

 

I drop her off in the morning and Sandi picks her up in the afternoon. She acts like the most grateful dog in the world when Sandi picks her up.
Thank you for breaking me otta this joint!!!
She always comes home and takes a long nap, happy to be back in her world. I know she isn't keen on the groomer visits but I think they are will worth it.  Just look at her.

Sunday Morning Walk

 

It is a beautiful spring morning today and Gypsy looked forward to taking a walk. It's her most favorite thing to do. You can see the big smile on her face. Thus the nickname "Smiley" We went out to the field behind us and she was able to do some running.

She can still scoot pretty good given her age. She did some "birdin" while we were in the field. Keeping us safe from the enemy big black birds.
I hate those things!!!

Between running, birdin, and sniffing, she had a big morning. When we come home from the field she is totally worn out and happy.

Thanks for the fun morning!!!

Spring has Sprung

At long last! It appears that Spring has finally SPRUNG... Things are starting to grow, I need to mow the lawn, Sandi is planting things in the garden. No veggies or flowers yet. More importantly, Gypsy went shopping for a new Spring time collar with Sandi. This is the latest of an extensive collection of collars for this poodle. I like the wide collars because she has such a long neck. This one is very light weight and perfect for spring.
Hey, I like my flower collar too!!!
Yep, when things start to bloom we'll put that one on her.

 

It was a long, cold winter. It looks like the cold weather killed a few of our plants. Not only that, Dino (Gypsy's all time favorite toy) spent most of the winter buried under a blanket of snow. Or, during a brief thaw, laying in a pool of mud. I'll have to clean Dino up today. The winter is behind us now. Our Farmers Market opens today, I have a long list of outside things to do, and we are riding our bikes more. It's great to be back outside.

Friends

I just can not figure Gypsy out. Her typical behavior around other dogs is pure excitement. She gets nutsy crazy when we first  go to a dog park. She gets the happy feet thing going and is beside herself wired. When I walk her and she sees another dog she gets really excited. Recently she has started an excited bark at other dogs while we walk. I'm not very happy with this behavior and not really sure how to correct it. I think she'll be OK once we are out more that it is warming up.

Recently Gyp was introduced to this little boy in the photo above. Sandi and her friend decided to meet at the park and walk a bit and let them run some in a nearby field. I was at work but thought that Gypsy would be her typical crazy self. I get a text from Sandi, "Gyp loves him!" She walked with him, side by side, polite and reserved. They played at the park, running and playing tag until they were exhausted. Gypsy can still run with the best. After play time she came up to his side and rubbed up against him.

What is this all about? What in the world would make her so comfortable around him and not other dogs? I more I try to figure this quirky poodle out, the more confused I get.

Blog on Hold?

I know it has been over a month since I've blogged. My handful of readers are in an uproar. I have plenty of excuses that I wont bore you with. Computer issues and all the other things that happen. I think the biggest thing that happened to me that brought my blog to a stand still was winter. Like most of the country it has been cold and wet keeping us from doing all the things we do outside.
Hey, I like the snow!!!
Yes, Gypsy does like the snow. The picture above is from one of the first significant snows of the year. She jumps outside and does a snow dance. Jumping and twirling sideways always with a big smile on her face.

Nothing better than a fresh snow!!!
Yep it is pretty and you sure are a good dancer. But Gypsy even became sick of the snow and cold and wet after so long. We had over 12 inches of snow in the month of March. When will winter end.

I think we were all in a winter funk. House bound and bored. It was too cold to even go for a walk most of the time.

The cats, on the other hand, thought it was great that we were inside and they had our undivided attention. The birds joined the party, coming up close to the house for seed driving the cats nuts.
Now that we are seeing signs of spring, we'll get back outside and hopefully find a few things to tell you about. Sandi and her friend have been busy in the backyard planting things already so, spring has to be here.
Hey dude, take me for a walk!!!

Goose Drive By

Today we took Gypsy to the field again. Being Sunday we felt it was free from hunters. I had Gypsy's red coat on her just in case we had a stray hunter out there. Gypsy has discovered goose poop.
Hello it's goose pâté!!!
What ever it is there is plenty of it out there. Here is a short video of her doing a drive by. I'm sure this is in some way goose cruelty. By the time we got home she was a muddy mess but still smiling.
It sure was worth it...
Yep, she had a big time.

More Shots

When I came back from the walk with Gypsy, we found Suede up taking a snooze. This is the most comfortable I've seen him in a few weeks. The shots are apparently working and he is due more shots today.

Walking on Saturday

Saturday morning is walk time for Gypsy. I walk her during the week too but Saturday we try to take our time and enjoy it a bit more. We usually see neighbors and other dogs on our Saturday walks but this morning was cold and everyone was inside. I had planned to take her over to the field and let her run thinking hunting season was over. Sandi heard some gun shots and we discovered it is "youth" hunting season. Adults are barred from hunting but our youth can load up and let the buck shot fly. So we had to avoid the field this morning as the Jr. Duck Dynasty guys were shooting anything that moved.

As we came up to the field the geese were coming in.

Gypsy loves to run towards the geese, getting them all upset at her. They squawk and fly a few feet away and then go about their business as usual. I was tempted to let Gypsy do her thing hoping she would get them moving out of the field away from danger but thought better not. Nothing worse than an upset Jr. Duck Dynasty Dude hold a grudge towards a poodle.

FEELING BETTER

 

Update on Suede (aka: Captain America)

 

He has seen the Vet more over the last few weeks more than I've seen a Doctor over the last 5 years. But, I suppose that is a big part of taking on the responsibility of pet ownership? You need to take care of these guys when they are not 100% right. That said, does anyone know if Obama Care applies to cats??? I have no idea of what this is costing and I don't want to know.

 

He has had tests and shots and poking and prodding. Sandi is running him back and forth for allergy shots now and over the last few days we are seeing an improvement.  He is up and moving around more and following us around the house like a shadow. It will take some time for his fur to grow back in I guess but that is OK. He doesn't look very good but we can tell he is feeling better.

 

 



Field Day

This morning Gypsy and I had a "field day." We have these big farming fields behind our neighborhood that we walk by all the time. Since it is after hunting season Sandi suggested we let Gypsy off leash and let her do her thing. One of the very first things we did with Gypsy as a puppy was to take her hiking. We could tell way back then that she was crazy happy running in the field, off leash, sniffing everything.  She takes off like a rocket when I take her leash off. At first I was thinking "great we lost the darn dog." She always turns around and checks to make sure we are there. Sandi would hide behind trees and Gypsy would come running back to us looking for her.

Here we are just arriving in the field and I take her off leash. ZOOM...she is still pretty fast.

Look at the smile on her face. She is having a great time. How can this not be a great thing for her? After about an hour we walked home. She kept looking up at me smiling like she was thanking me. We will make sure to have Field Days more often.

Photo Shoot

I wish it was warm!!!

 

We are very fortunate to have a fantastic farmers market in our little town. During the warm months it is open with all the veggies and fruits you would ever want. It has grown into the place to be on Saturday mornings. In addition to the yummy food, local artists are setting up stands to peddle their talents. I take Gypsy down on Saturday mornings to walk around and buy a few things. There is usually an abundance of dogs there and it is great socialization for Gyp.
Everybody there thinks I'm beautiful!!!
Yes they do.

A few years ago Sandi, Gypsy and I were there walking around and stopped by a booth containing beautiful nature photographs. This one of a Cardinal stood out to me as a possible Christmas gift for Sandi's Mom. She was crazy about Cardinals. Sandi and the artist talked for a long time and we ended up purchasing the photo for a gift. Sandi's Mom loved it. That is how we were introduced to:
http://www.capturingnaturesimages.com/

That was a few years ago. We recently reconnected at the farmers market and ended up purchasing a few pieces for our own home. During the process, Donna (the artist) came into our home a few times to help make suggestions on frames and size. Fortunately she is a cat person and took many, many photos of our cats. She actually has them on her web page. Just go to Gallery and check out the FELINE section. She made this rag tag group of cats look pretty good.
Hello, I don't see any POODLE photos???

More Feline Drama

Suede has continued to have some kind of reaction to something in our house. We had our vet check him for allergies and he is about allergic to everything. She said she had never seen the numbers that this guy has. Strange because when we brought him home he didn't have a thing wrong with him. That could be because he had been living in a "cattery" for who knows how long. So he wasn't exposed to wood fires (we have many) carpet, furniture, and all the other things he is now exposed to.
At least he isn't allergic to me!!!
This is true, Standard Poodles are great for people with allergies.
He is loosing his fur in several spots and is just very uncomfortable. He has had several steroid shots and that seems to help briefly but over the long run they are not the solution. The vet is making up an allergy shot for him and hopefully that will do the trick. For the weekend he is staying at the vet's in an effort to get him feeling better. It's strange not having him around. He became part of the family so quick we all miss him.

Winter Storm JANUS

Since when did we start naming winter storms? Seems like it is all part of the Weather Chanel hype to me. They talked about the coming of JANUS for a few days, whipping everyone into a frenzy. The grocery stores were crazy with people stocking up for the storm. Toilet paper was in high demand.
Jim Cantore from the Weather channel actually arrived in DC a few hours before the snow began to fall. When he shows up in your town you can expect the worse. Well, JANUS didn't live up to expectations. Much to Sandi's dismay. We did get 4-5 inches of snow but not the 10" plus they were forecasting. They even warned us that we would have near blizzard conditions.
While Sandi and I are a bit bummed over not getting as much snow as they thought we would, Gypsy is happy with what we did get. She jumped out the back door and did the twist in the air, trying to lure me into a game of tag. Sorry Gyp, it's a bit cold for me.

 Come on light weight!!! Catch me if you can!!!

 

One thing they did get correct in the forecast was the cold temps. It is so cold that Gypsy only wants to play in the snow briefly and then heads back to the garage to warm up.

Snow Day!

At least that is what the weather guru's are saying. At first they said we could get a dusting of snow and now we are expecting 8-10 inches. Gypsy loves the snow almost as much as Sandi. The first time Gyp experienced snow was when she was a puppy and she jumped around and ran through it without a care.  She still  shows the same enthusiasm for snow at almost 9 years old. I took her for her morning walk today and we had a terrific sunrise.
The calm before the storm?
We have not had a significant snow storm in some time so I'm looking forward to this.

Kitty Drama (again)

When you have multiple cats it seems as if there is always something going on with one of them. We take pride in the care that we give these guys and they all won the kitty lottery when they came to this house to live. The latest addition, Suede (aka Captain America) hasn't been feeling very well. Shortly after moving in with us he started scratching and lost some fur on his face and had an ear issue. After a few trips to our trusty neighbor the vet, and after much testing and lab work, we discover he is allergic to just about everything. That long list includes oak, elm, oats, and a bunch of other things. He has had a round of steroid shots in an effort to make him feel better. If cats could play baseball Suede would be a home run king. Move over Barry Bonds.

He is still laying around a bunch. He gets up and follows me around like usual but I can tell it is an effort for him.

 

As I write this he slowly came up into the office and took his usual place by the door next to Gypsy. Gypsy is always present when I'm at the computer and Suede is right by her side.

I think we are going to try some allergy shots this week and hopefully that will do the trick. My job today is to go out and try to find some firewood that isn't oak or elm.



Poodle Day

I have to admit that Stormi winning the "pet of the year" award last week created some turmoil in the house. Sandi made a strong case why each of her cats were deserving of the coveted award. She made good arguments for each but I stand by my decision. Gypsy, on the other hand, needed some TLC after loosing out to a cat.
I still can't believe I lost!!!
Maybe next year gal.

What better way to help Gypsy get over her loss than to have a "poodle day." These are days that we spend outside almost all day long. We hang out on the deck or patio and Gypsy is with us all day long. Most importantly, she is with us without cats. Chloe is the only cat allowed outside and only on the deck. She is too fat to squeeze between the posts on the railing to hop off and escape. During the nice weather we are basically outside almost everyday but when winter comes we are trapped inside. This year has been wet and cold  and we've not been out much. After a few weeks of hunkering down inside we all get pretty antsy. Last weekend was a bit warmer and sunny so we headed outside for the day.
Poodle Day!!!

It was so nice out we decided to break out the charcoal grill and cook something. We are in the middle of oyster country here and Sandi is nuts about them. I like oysters too. We've been getting into roasting them on the grill. It takes a little longer but the charcoal gives them a hint of smokiness. Very tasty indeed.

Gypsy used to turn her nose up at oysters. In a previous post I had pictures of Rim devouring oysters. Of course he would devour just about anything you set in front of him. This time around Gypsy ate a few oysters with gusto. She also liked chewing on a shell or two.

One of the things Gypsy does when we are out is keep our air space free from intruders. That includes all big black birds and an occasional Cessna. She started this "Birding" a few years ago and I've talked about it before. It never fails that when we are out with her she will look to the skies and chase off all intruders.

Strange behavior for a Poodle that is going to be 9 years old this June. She had a great day and we are all looking forward to warmer weather.

PET OF THE YEAR

Yes, with the beginning of the New Year we have all the awards being passed around. We have the Golden Globe, Oscars, and Peoples Choice Award all coming up just to name a few. I saw Britney Spears won some award the other day. Jeez, how would you feel if you lost an award to Britney?   So I was thinking which of the animals would win the coveted Pet of the Year Award at our house. (The coveted trophy shown above)
Hello...this is a no brainer!!!
Obviously Gypsy would be the hands down favorite. She has all the attributes worthy of the Pet of the Year. She is pretty, funny, and provides us (me) with endless joy.
Please continue...
That said, she has become much more of a Diva this past year. She is getting more obsessed with bunnies and other furry things. She has been a picky eater and is stressing out over being alone more than ever. So, I had to keep an open mind and consider each of the pets equally. After a second or two of thought I came up with a decisive winner.

STORMI (aka Pretti)

Yes, we have a cat winning the Pet of the Year award in a major upset.
I've been robbed!!!
Stormi was the rescue cat Sandi came home with a few years ago. We don't really know much about her past. One thing we know is that she was not very comfortable in the house at first. I think everything was new to her. She hid for the first few months we had her. She stayed up stairs under the beds coming out at night secretly to eat or use the cat box. We never saw her and she never came downstairs. She eventually poked her head around the corner of the steps one evening and took a look around and decided this place was pretty cool.

She now is one of the most outgoing of the cats and loves to have her picture taken. How do you like the pose above? Whenever Sandi or I sit down, Stormi is with us, up on the arm of the chair poking our arm prodding us to pet her. Whenever a guest comes over, she is there checking them out. She has become very social over the last year. She enjoys hanging out and laying down close to Gypsy. Not to mention she is one good looking cat.
I'm thrilled Stormi is with us and she deserves Pet of the Year.
I demand a recount!!

Snow

It warmed up some today and much of the snow has melted. We had it for a few days though. Looks like it is going to turn very cold next week and perhaps we'll get more snow. I'll have to remember to bring Dino and gypsy's favorite bone in before it snows next time.

HOLIDAZE

Yes the Holiday season came and went. It was a different holiday for Sandi and I. First off each of us recently lost our Mom so that was strange to begin with. Then, Sandi had Rotor Cuff surgery a few days prior to Thanksgiving. The first several days she was on pain meds so, she was in a daze. The biggest problem was she had difficulty getting comfortable enough to sleep. Hardly any sleep at all for the first week or so. Finally, right before Christmas she started to feel a bit more normal and then, she came down with either a wicked bad cold or Bronchitis. She couldn't sleep again because of the coughing. We went to the "Doc in the Box" it was so bad. They said it was Bronchitis but we aren't so sure about that. Anyway, it was a bad cough and they gave her some serious meds. She was basically in a daze through the New Year. Of course this meant more cat box duty for yours truly.

We began giving Gypsy a doggie downer a few times a day. After talking to the vet we decided it might be something that would take the edge off and make her a happier dog. We are only giving her 1/2 pill a few times a day. Not nearly what they prescribed for her. I can definitely see a difference in the way she is acting. Nothing dramatic but a bit more relaxed. She is still on alert while we are walking. Looking out for bunnies or squirrels. One thing that has changed is she is eating much better. (knock on wood) I was making her food from scratch and as she typically does, she started to turn her nose up at it. I was concerned that she wasn't getting the nutrients from what I made anyway. So, se decided to just get a runoff the mill dog food. We tried many of the high end foods and she was not that crazy about any of those. Sandi came home with a Purina Pro Plan kibble and she is devouring it. Maybe it's the drugs?

We did have some snow the other day. I guess we had about 4 inches or so. Gypsy jumped into the snow and went on a search for Dino and her bone. She found them both and checks on each of them every time I put her out.