Merry Christmas!

We celebrate our Christmas on Christmas Eve because Erica works on Christmas day.  Boy oh boy, it was an exciting time for Ralphie, Ollie, Diva, and Bubba!  Santa was very good to all of them!  But naughty Ralphie was stealing all of their gifts. LOL  He thought all the toys and bones were for him! LOL  I made some extra special homemade doggie bones for all of them.  By their reaction I would say they were delicious!

Merry Christmas from Ralphie, Ollie, and me!!

Homemade doggie bones!!

Merry Christmas from my little reindeer!

Beautiful dreamy eyes!

Ralphie's big bone gift!!

Ollie sporting his jingle-bell collar

Diva just hoping for a taste of Christmas Eve

Bubba enjoying the festivities

Christmas Day on the beach.

Grooming My Vizsla

One of the nicest things about a Vizsla is the minimal amount of grooming they require.   Vizslas are almost cat-like, keeping themselves clean.  Often I see Ralphie grooming himself; licking his legs and belly.  Vizslas do not have the doggy odor that most dogs have.  However, there is some grooming on my part....very little.

After an early run at the dog park this morning, I knew for a fact it's time to give Ralphie the grooming overhaul.  He was DIRTY where shampoo is a must.  I bathe Ralphie about four times a year, which is suggested by the Vizsla breeders.  Today is the day.

I would highly suggest, start getting your Vizsla used to a tub of water, nail-clipping, and brushing as a young puppy.  When Ralphie was a pup, I would always touch and play with his paws and nails to get him used to the feel thus he's not afraid of the nail clippers.  Ralphie really didn't love the tub of water as a puppy.  He would always try to jump out of the tub and I would have a little battle with him to keep him in the water.  But in time that has changed.  Today...it's a different story...he hops in the tub on command, stands there as I scrub him down, lets me wash his face and ears with a wash cloth, jumps out of the tub on command, loves to be dried down with a big fluffy towel.  He allows me to clip his nails without squirming and most of all loves to be brushed.  Ralphie's excellent bathing behavior started with early training and now it's a pleasure to groom him.  Then he ends his grooming session out in the warm sun, soaking up the rays to dry off....ahhhhh!

Salty Tears

This is the most joyful time of the year for many of us.  We're all preparing for the holidays that we celebrate...looking forward to all the festivities with our family and friends.

I love this time of year but I also have my sad moments.  Yesterday I walked Ralphie at night and was in awe over the beautifully lit homes dressed in white lights, colored lights and glitz and glamour.  We really enjoyed that walk.  The Christmas spirit was definitely in my heart.

After such a wondrous walk, back at home, I stretched out on the couch with Ralphie laying above me on the back of the sofa.   Then something just overcame me.  I felt this feeling of sadness; almost a feeling of loneliness.  Thoughts of Christmas pasts surged my head.  Although I know yesterday is today's memories, I couldn't help myself to relive all those past Christmases.  Christmas isn't the same now.  I am alone most of the time.  Now I find my own way to celebrate and be joyous during this season.  I don't have my mom and dad anymore.  I miss them so much.  I miss all the cookies I baked with Mom...now I do that alone.  I miss the excitement of going to bed as a child on Christmas Eve and hearing Dad's hohoho's as "Santa" arrives at our house with the Christmas tree and gifts.  I miss Dad's Christmas morning breakfasts after Mass.  I miss our whole family together on Christmas Eve with tons of food, laughs, gifts, and festivities.  I miss my brother, Tommy whose been gone for many years now.  He would make his grand entry at my sister's house with huge awesome fruit baskets for all of us...filled with fruit, pancake mixes, syrup and other goodies.  I miss sitting under the Christmas tree passing out the gifts to everyone.  I miss the beautiful handmade beaded ornaments my mom would make us each year.  I can write pages and pages of all my memories.  Our Christmases were very special with so much love.

As all these memories filled my head and the quietness in my home, I felt a tear roll down my cheek, then another, then another.  Oh, how I miss Christmas pasts!  Ralphie then plopped his paw on my shoulder, looking at me as if he knew how sad I was.  It was like he was reassuring me that everything will be okay.  He licked one of my salty tears, and then another, and another.  Then started wagging his tail, getting a little frisky and then kisses and more kisses!  How can't I smile now!  This most special, sensitive, loving dog knew exactly how to comfort me. (smiles)  LOVE.

Dog Park Woes

I've been going to this awesome, new dog park in my area.  I really like it ... it's clean, it's landscaped nicely, just the right amount of dogs go there, playful dogs, friendly .... well......up until yesterday.

Ralphie and I go to our local dog park almost every day of the week.  Ralphie made a lot of 'regular' friends there.  It seems like the same group of us meet at the dog park each evening before dark to give our pups the last run for the evening.  Yesterday was a typical day.  There were about 8 dogs there.  They all played so well.  It was a good evening until two girls arrived with their pit bull dogs.  Ralphie greeted them in a very friendly way at the gate entrance and had a great run with one of them.  For some reason Ralphie lost interest in the pit.  So he came strolling by me sitting on the bench.  I was sitting with the owners of the pit bulls just watching the other dogs play.  Then suddenly one of the pits aggressively went after cute 10 month old Bailey, an Australian mix.  The pit pinned Bailey down in a mean way with his growl and teeth.  The owner of both dogs were able to separate the two.   I really didn't think much about that 'little' attack.  I just thought the pit was exerting his energy.  With Ralphie still sitting next to me, we were just relaxing, continuing to watch the other dogs.  Then it happened...the two pit bulls got in a brawl with three other dogs...yep...a big dog fight!  Luckily a couple of owners were able to break it up.  However the pit owners continue to sit on the bench and watch.  I overheard one girl say to the other, 'it's the others' fault; it's not our dogs'.  I just couldn't help myself and I had to say something!  So I said, "well the dogs were playing nice until your dogs came in". OMG...these two nasty girls blew up and started swearing, calling me every name in the book.  I comeback in a normal way and just said, "there weren't any problems before".  Again they blew up at me.  Gosh, I thought they were going to attack me!  LOL  Needless to say I left and everyone else was leaving as well.  I found out the dog owners can be as vicious as their dogs!!

The one thing that amazed me was no one supported me, they all just watched this nasty spat between the pit owners and me.  People are very strange ... no one wants to get involved, even if it's involving their dog.  This incident really makes me think twice about dog parks...how safe are they?  I felt attacked as much as those dogs.  But I like it because Ralphie can socialize and run as much as he wants.  I guess I'll continue to go and if those girls with their pits show up, I'll just leave.

Ralphie at our local dog park.  King of the mountain!!

Ralphie's Favorite Things

It's that time of year ... the holiday season is here.  Many of us are out there doing the holiday shopping hustle-bustle...a tie for dad, perfume for mom, a rattle for baby, a bicycle for the toddler...but what do you get your most loyal, lovable pup?

Here are Ralphie's Favorite Things...

The Chuckit Amphibious Bumper Dog Toy.  Ralphie absolutely loves this toy!  I can honestly say it is the most durable toy out there!  This toy has been thrown, pulled, tugged, buried, weathered and it's still good as new!  Highly recommended!

The good 'ol Milk Bones...Ralphie LOVES them!!  I truly believe these are candy for dogs.  It seems like all dogs love these!

The Chuckit Launcher Dog Toy.  Holy cow this is the best ball thrower!  Ralphie really likes this because that ball flies far and high! He's beginning to catch the ball on a fly now.  I always take this toy to the dog park and all the dogs actually love it.  Just to mention this was a lifesaver for my sore shoulder.

Homemade beef marrow bones. Ralphie sits in front of the stove drooling when I'm cooking these.  I buy these at the grocery store, cook them up, and store in the refrigerator.  A package of 6 cost about $3.00 ... low cost, wholesome, and delicious! 

The Chuckit Paraflight.  This is Ralphie's favorite keep-away toy.  That's right he doesn't play the normal 'frisbee' game with this; he just loves being chased by the other dogs with this toy hanging out of his mouth.

The Lupine Harness. Well actually this is my favorite thing and I'm sure Ralphie's favorite thing as well.  This harness makes our walks and runs more pleasant for the both of us ... no pulling.  I highly recommend this harness if you have a pulling dog.  It's the BEST!

Best Personal Trainer Ever!

Wow, what an great, invigorating run this evening!  Ralphie is the BEST personal trainer EVER!!  We ran and ran and ran and ran...  He really pushes me.  When I start slowing down, Ralphie looks up at me with a look as if he's saying, "hey pick it up"!  And then I try harder.  Again, he did so well...minimal stopping.  I can only wish I can keep up with his pace; but he tolerates my slowness.  I'm really enjoying having Ralphie as my running parter.  What a difference it is now that he's over a year old.  I'm looking forward to many years of running together!

P.S. I should mention that Ralphie is sprawled out on the sofa, one front paw up in the air, other paw on my shoulder, back leg stretched out across my stomach...snoring away.  Hmmm, maybe we both had a great run this evening!

Bad Boy Ralphie

Ralphie had a real bad day this past week.  He seems to be a bit naughtier recently.

When I dropped Ralphie off on Thursday before work, I gave Erica a yummy homemade loaf of pumpkin bread that I made. They've been busy packing for the move to their new house...boxes everywhere!  So I thought they would appreciate the bread for breakfast.

Erica and Dave had to run errands in the morning so they crated Bubba in the bedroom and they let Ralphie and Diva loose in the apartment.  Upon their return home they walked into a whirlwind mess and I can promise you it wasn't Diva's doing and certainly couldn't be Bubba's doing when crated.  The only culprit...RALPHIE!!!  He was a bad boy!  He ripped open the box that had the ashes of Leroy and Dave's past dog.  Luckily he didn't get to the ashes!  He gnawed on a picture frame, chewed up a candle, shredded paper everywhere, and then there was bits of foil everywhere.  YES...Ralphie ate the WHOLE loaf of pumpkin bread!  Erica and Dave didn't even have a taste of it!!

We were trying to figure out, why??  Why was Ralphie so bad?  Erica said the maintenance guy came in to change their air filter.  We're figuring Ralphie was probably sleeping, the guy came in for a short time to do his job, disrupted him, ignored him, and left.  Bubba was probably barking and crying in his crate and Ralphie was unable to reach him.  We figured Ralphie must of been upset and started on his rampage of the apartment.  But we'll never know for sure.

The next day Ralphie stayed home.  I went to Erica's place during my lunch to let her pugs outside and exercise them.  Ralphie was soooo sorry and he had me leave this for Erica and Dave...

Running With A Vizsla

2013 has been a rough year for me as far as injuries, putting a damper on my running and everyday workouts.  I suffered with plantar fasciitis for a good 7 months and my torn rotator cuff which I'm still struggling with but seems to be getting better, slowly but surely.   I've been more of a couch potato than a workout maniac this year.  During this time Ralphie changed from a puppy to a dog (well big puppy, in my eyes).  When I got Ralphie I wanted him to be my running partner.  But I sort of reneged on him because of my aches and pains.

Last week I bought some nice, comfy running shoes from Zappos.  Yep, it's time to start running again!  And that's exactly what I did...I started my runs with Ralphie last week.  We ran four days...short runs, but you have to start somewhere.  I can honestly say I was impressed with Ralphie.  He trots slowly along my side with minimal stops.  I've learned it's best for us to run in the dark with less distractions like squirrels, lizards, and people.  Ralphie has quite a high endurance level, unlike mine.  I bet he can run a half marathon right now ... but oh no, that's not going to happen with me. LOL  At one time in my life that was a goal of mine but I'm going to have fun with 5K and 10K races and that's about it.  Now my goal is to seek races that allow dogs and to simply enjoy our short runs together!  I am one lucky girl to have the best running partner ever!!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Ralphie!!  It was a fun Halloween evening.  Erica and her boyfriend, Dave and his daughter, Megan came over for our traditional Halloween chili and cornbread dinner.  Then we all dressed up and went trick-or-treating...even Ralphie!  Ralphie visited our neighbors' homes dressed as a pumpkin.  He put a smile on a lot of people's faces that evening.  He was as cute as a button and the most adorable pup out there trick-or-treating.  So sweet.

Ralphie Loves Bubba

I love watching Ralphie with Bubba.  To me it's amazing to see the natural instincts of an animal.  By that I mean how Ralphie knows Bubba is a little puppy.  Ralphie knows exactly how to play with Bubba without hurting him.  He knows not to bite him and knows exactly how much pressure to use when wrestling.  Ralphie plays tug-a-war with Bubba, letting Bubba win sometimes.  Bubba jumps all over Ralphie, tugging on his ears, licking his nose, running between his legs...all typical puppy play, and Ralphie doesn't mind at all.  Ralphie is lucky to have Bubba and Bubba is lucky to have Ralphie...they truly love each other.

Ralphie Updates

Ralphie is a little over 14 months old now and just a few updates ...

* My injury from two months ago with Ralphie pulling me and then fall ... I never got an MRI and no surgery ... well at least right now.  I still cannot lift my arm sideways, however I am able to lift my arm over my head now ... but there's pain.  I really feel it's a torn ligament in my upper arm and not the rotator cuff.  I talked to several people that had a similar injury and it sounds like a very long recovery period, 8 -9 months!

* Ralphie has all his hair again.  He was losing hair along his back.  I had him checked for mange, no mange.  I'm thinking he may have a chlorine allergy from the pool or mosquitoes.  The weather is changing, so less bugs and no swimming.  His coat is beautiful, shiny, and red!

* We haven't been going to the big dog park lately ... the dog park where Ralphie got in a brawl with his pit bull friend, Rambo.  I've been taking him to a small local park with less dogs.  I feel the big park sometimes has way too many dogs and then they all form a pack and aggressiveness begins.  As a matter of fact, the last time we were there I discovered a small dog was attacked by a pit bull and died.  There is a brand new dog park that opened in my community so we will be visiting that soon.

* We haven't been running.  Sad.  With my injuries, it's been on hold.  But we do take long walks.  I may give running another try, but my arm bounces as I run which hurts.  I'll try taping my upper arm to hold it in, maybe that would help the pain.

* Ralphie seems to be getting easier.  He's still very active, but not as hyper.  He doesn't pounce on Ollie anymore.  He actually listens to me.  Haha  There's such a bond between us now.  He truly is my best friend and I know life wouldn't be the same without my baby.  Love.

Sick or Sad

I'm home after a week-long vacation visiting my family and friends in Ohio.  I had a great time, but really missed my Ralphie and Ollie.  Luckily my sister has three dogs ... a mastiff, great dane, and a chow mix.  So I did get my doggie fix while I was away.

Ralphie seems a little out of it today.  I'm not sure if he's sick or sad.  He has diarrhea, probably from the different dog food Erica gave him because she ran out of his normal food today.  So maybe Ralphie's stomach is upset which is making him lazy and tired.  Or he could be sad because he misses Bubba.  Bubba has become his best friend especially while I was gone.  They were together for a whole full week.  They played, bonded, and slept together.  Luckily I will be picking up Bubba tomorrow for some fun with Ralphie.

I am so happy to be home with my pups ... back to normal life with my babies.  LOVE.

On Vacation

I'm in Cleveland this week visiting family and friends and this is the first time I'm away from Ralphie. As much as I love going back to my home town, boy do I miss my Ralphie and Ollie. I'm lucky that Erica is staying at my house to care for the pups. She tells me Ralphie seems a little down and out, maybe missing me and Ollie sits by the back door waiting for me. :(. Isn't it amazing how our pets know that something is different and the one who cares for them is not there. It's fascinating the bond we have with our pets...how I miss them and they miss me. Yes, our pets are very, very important to us ... they truly are our family members ... our babies. 

The Fly

So a fly got into the house yesterday.  I hate when that happens because they are so annoying buzzing around.  But luckily I have a hunter now in my household, my Ralphie.

Ralphie is a fairly good hunter ... well, a neighborhood hunter ... lizards, frogs, bugs, squirrels.  Most of the time Ralphie will get a fly who invades our space.  Ralphie's fly-hunt was a little different yesterday.  He spotted the fly and that thing was buzzing around frantically ... it was all over the place.  Ralphie was jumping from one area to the next, barking, jumping, flopping around trying to come in for the attack.  Oh poor Ralphie,  he was chasing that fly for a long, long time.  I can see he was slowing down, feeling frustrated, defeated and he gave up!  Yes, he gave into the little 'ol fly!!  He hopped on the couch, closed his eyes and ended his hunt.

Ralphie started dreaming restlessly in his sleep...chirping little barks.  Then suddenly he popped up from his sleep...scared...yes scared!  He looked all around the room...up, down, left, right.  I'm sure it's the fly he was looking for...but he looked scared...ears back, tail tucked between his legs.  I thought I would distract his uneasy feeling and take him outside.  Tail still between his legs, he was quite jumpy outside.  He did his pee and wanted to go into the house right away.  We get in the house and he headed straight to my bed, pretty much telling me it's bedtime.

As Ralphie was waiting for me in my bed, I manage to swat that fly,  thankfully, so there's no buzzing in my ear during the night.

This morning at 6am Ralphie was plopping his paw in my face to wake me up.  He was frisky and refreshed, ready to conquer the day.  Weirdly, as he walked out of the bedroom, his eyes roamed the living room..."is there a fly out there??"

Luckily, Ralphie is over that fly incident.  He's having a normal day.  All I can say, dogs are remarkably smart.  they remember, they feel defeated at times, they dream, they get scared, and most of all they make us laugh, smile, and really fulfill our lives.  Love.

Puppy Play

Well today is the last day I'll have a house of four dogs.  It's really been an experience taking care of an itsy-bitsy tiny puppy (Bubba), a big puppy (Ralphie), a middle-aged aggressive lady (Diva), and and little 'ol man (Ollie).  I probably can sum up this experience in one word ... WORK!  Yes, it is an all day job caring and feeding and playing with the dogs.  But I can say one thing, I really enjoyed the puppy experience again.  They are so darn cute when they're that small.  Surprisingly all of them got along well.  Ralphie and Bubba are great playmates.  How I forgot how a puppy follows you around all day, always one step behind me...LOL  How I forgot how much a puppy goes to the potty throughout the day...LOL  How I forgot how sharp those little teeth are...LOL  But what I didn't forget is how cuddly and lovable a puppy is.  Love.

Today is clean-up day...I need to wash all the pups' bedding, wash the rugs, and clean the floors big time.  All that after a trip to the dog park for some fun and frolic.

                                                Short video of Ralphie and Bubba playing.

Puppy-Sitting

I took a few days off from work to puppy-sit for Erica while she's out of town for a bike race.  It's really an experience... I'm not used to watching a dominant 8 year old Pug (Diva), a 13 year 'ol man (Ollie), a feisty teenager (Ralphie) and a crazy, needy puppy (Bubba) all at once!  I feel like I have a kennel in my home with the four dogs.  LOL  I'm sure it's beginning to smell like it too.  LOL

Bubba is 13 weeks old and boy it brings back memories from a short time ago when Ralphie was that age.  It's interesting seeing the differences in the breeds (Vizsla vs Pug) at that age...

* Ralphie the VIZSLA seemed easier to 'potty-train'.  I'm not sure if a bigger breed has less accidents or the Vizsla breed is that much smarter.  All I can say I'm wiping up pee and picking up poo in the house from Bubba A LOT.  I can count on one hand the accidents that Ralphie had in the house.

* Bubba the PUG seems to accept the crate better at this age.  When I put him in the crate for the night, he cries for maybe three minutes and he's quiet the whole night!  Oh no...not with Ralphie...he could not stand being alone in the crate at night knowing I'm in the other room.  Ralphie was sleeping in my bed from day one.  I feel the Vizsla breed just needs as much human contact as possible.  Vizslas are clingers and that's what I love so much.

* Both breeds play hard, loves to run, frisky, fun, lovable, way too cute, and keeps you on your toes.

Did I say I just LOVE puppies!!

Feeding time!

Welcome Bubba!

Exciting news today...Ralphie has a new cousin!!  Erica and I drove out to Sebring and she got the cutest little 13 week pug today.  My new grandpuggie's name is Bubba!  This will be interesting to see how Ralphie reacts to a new puppy in the family.  He's no longer the baby.  But Ralphie is MY baby always and that's all that counts!  Hahaha

Now isn't that the cutest face ever!  

Erica and her new baby, Bubba

Ralphie kissing his new cousin.

One-Year Vet Visit

Ralphie had his one-year vet checkup and shots today.  He weighs exactly 55.9 pounds.  The doc said he's very healthy, looks good, but there was one slight concern ... losing hair along his back.  I thought it's probably the mange coming back just like he had when he was a young puppy.  The doc didn't feel it was mange, but I wanted the test done anyways.  So they scraped his skin in two places and plucked a few hairs to examine under the microscope.  No mange.  The doc was puzzled ... could be almost anything ... mosquito reaction, allergies to something, environmental conditions.  So the doc gave me three options... do nothing and see if it clears up on its own, go back on the mange med-just in case it's mange developing (sometimes it's hard to find), or put him on antibiotics for a few weeks.  I decided on the antibiotics, just in case something is in Ralphie's system.  So we'll see what happens.  Otherwise, Ralphie is all up-to-date with his shots for the next three years.

Lastly, here I go again (brag-brag) ...  Ralphie was such a good boy at the vet office...very well-behaved.  He didn't yelp, pull away, and just went along with the program.  He trusted everyone, showed his love to everyone.  He is now sleeping, knocked out on the back of the sofa with his paw on my shoulder and the other sticking straight up in the air ... I was so proud of him...love my big boy lots!!   XXOO

BEWARE: Poisonous Plants

In yesterday's blog I wrote about Ralphie's unusual behavior.  As I was discussing all the doggie drama with Erica over the phone, I mentioned he seemed a little depressed, tail between his legs and inactive in the afternoon.  Ralphie vomited on Saturday.  On Sunday I noticed a yellowish foam around his mouth.   Erica said maybe it's the plant he chewed up on Friday.  As weird as it sounds, how can a plant alter a behavior?

I googled "Peace Lily" plant and this is what I found...

Peace lilies are moderately toxic to dogs and cats, but doesn't cause kidney damage.  All of the symptoms Ralphie was having are typical symptoms of toxic plant.  Luckily Ralphie had mild symptoms,  nevertheless this made me aware of something I was totally oblivious about...poisonous plants.

Here is the list of poisonous plants for dogs ... WOW ... I never knew!!

Plants Poisonous to Dogs

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	SYMPTOMS WHEN INGESTED
Aloe	Aloe vera	vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, tremors, change in urine color
Amaryllis	Amaryllis sp.	vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, abdominal pain, excessive salivation, tremors
Apple and Crabapple	Malus sylvestrus	seeds, stems and leaves can result in red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock
Autumn Crocus/Meadow Saffron	Colchicum autumnale	oral irritation, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, organ damage, bone marrow suppression
Azalea/Rhododendron	Rhododendron spp.	vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, weakness, coma, death
Calla Lily/Trumpet Lily/Arum Lily	Zantedeschia aethiopica	oral irritation and pain, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Castor Bean/Castor Oil Plant	Ricinus communis	oral irritation and burning, increased thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, convulsions;Note: beans are highly toxic
Chrysanthemum/Mum/Daisy	Chrysanthemum spp.	vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, loss of coordination, dermatitis
Cyclamen	Cyclamen spp.	excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, heart arrhythmias, seizures, death
Daffodil/Narcissus	Narcissus spp.	vomiting, salvation, diarrhea, convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors, heart arrhythmias
Dumbcane	Dieffenbachia	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Elephant Ears	Caladium hortulanum andColocasia esculenta	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
English Ivy	Hedera helix	vomiting, abdominal pain, excessive salivation, diarrhea
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	heart arrhythmias, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, death
Hosta	Hosta plataginea	vomiting, diarrhea, depression
Hyacinth	Hyacinthus orientalis	vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors
Hydrangea	Hydrangea arborescens	vomiting, diarrhea, depression
Iris	Iris species	excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy
Lily of the Valley	Convallaria majalis	vomiting, irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, disorientation, coma, seizures
Marijuana/Hashish	Cannabis sativa	depression, vomiting, loss of coordination, excessive salivation, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma
Mistletoe/American Mistletoe	Phoradendron flavescens	gastrointestinal complications, cardiovascular collapse, difficulty breathing, slow heart rate, behavior changes, vomiting, diarrhea
Oleander	Nerium oleander	vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, shallow/difficult breathing, muscle tremors, collapse, cardiac failure
Peace Lily	Spathiphyllum	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Philodendron	Philodendron spp	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Pothos/Devil's Ivy	Epipremnum aureum	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Sago Palm	Cycas revoluta, zamia species	vomiting, black (tarry) stools, jaundice, increased thirst, bruising, blood clotting problems, liver damage, death
Schefflera	Schefflera	oral irritation and burning, excessive salivation, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	hyperexcitability then depression, vomiting, loss of coordination, paralysis
Tulip	Tulipa species	vomiting, depression, diarrhea, excessive salivation
Yew/Japanese Yew	Taxus sp.	sudden death from acute cardiac failure (early signs include muscular tremors, difficulty breathing, seizures

Ralphie Update ... Ralphie is doing fine.  He seems to be his normal self again.  Smiles!!

Dog Fight

This morning Ralphie seemed a little different than his normal self.  I noticed him licking Ollie's ears and oh boy I'm pretty sure Ollie was enjoying that.  This is something I've never seen before but nevertheless I thought it was very sweet.  Or was it a control thing going on.

We got to the dog park earlier than normal this morning.  I wanted to get an early start because I had so many errands to run today.  There were literally tons of dogs there today.  As we entered the park gate Ralphie was acting very strange...his tail tucked under his back legs and rather scared upon entering.  Then he took off going after a furry, hairy type of dog.  He's never attracted to the long hair dogs.  He was trying to aggressively hump this dog and at the same time wanting to wrestle him.  Ralphie was getting way to playful and eventually I was able to pull Ralphie off the dog and directed him over the bridge to another play area.

Now in this other area there were at least 20 dogs gathered around playing with each other and some just relaxing.  All of us humans just stand around chit-chat and watch our dogs at play.  Then I see Ralphie walking towards to bridge back to the first area.  He looked like a lost dog.  I called him and he turned around in almost a look of relief.  He found his Mama!  So we went back to the big playground of dogs and again Ralphie strayed away looking bewildered trying to find me.  I was standing right there, but with all the people and dogs he probably lost track of me.  I approached Ralphie to reassure him I'm there and won't leave.

Then Ralphie got a hold of stick.  With this stick in his mouth, he had a group of dogs chasing him.  He just loves to be chased!  The dogs eventually lost interest in the chase.  Ralphie stretched out to relax guarding his stick in front of him.  A couple of dogs tried to steal the stick but Ralphie growled them away...which I don't like at all!  Before I was able to grab the stick and dispose of it, Rambo, a pit-bull who Ralphie plays with all the time quickly dived for the stick in front of Ralphie.  Ralphie growled, Rambo growled and before you know it there was a big dog brawl between Ralphie and Rambo.  It happened so fast.  I'm not even sure who had the stick at that point.  It was scary!  The two dogs were in the bushes in a serious dog fight...growling, snarling, teeth out, rolling around.  I was screaming and Rambo's owner threw his whole body on top of Rambo to pull him away.  Rambo is a big strong 90 pound pit-bull and it took his owner a lot of strength to break it up.  After the breakup, we checked out the dogs...no bites, cuts, or blood.  However, Rambo's owner's legs were scratched with blood dripping from the bushes, shells, and gravel while breaking the dogs up.

This incident was very upsetting for me and I'm sure Rambo's owner was quite upset as well.  Truly Ralphie and Rambo are BFFs, but today portrayed how you really can't trust any dog.  Rambo is a good dog.  Ralphie is a good dog.  But sometimes good dogs do bad things.  I feel Ralphie was on edge that brought out this hostile behavior.  I have no idea why this happened today...maybe dogs have moods too, maybe Ralphie was overwhelmed by all the dogs, maybe he just didn't want to be at the dog park today.  But whatever it is ... thankfully it's over.

Ralphie seems extra calm this afternoon.  Doesn't really want to go outside.  He's sleeping on the couch now.  All I can say... dog fights are very, very scary ...  very upsetting.  I pray this won't happen again.

One Year Old Bad Behavior

Ralphie has been quite an angel up until recently.  It seems when he turned the magic age of one...POOF...his behavior has changed.  He's becoming more naughty each day.  He's non-stop!  Maybe he's feeling more confident  but probably simply bores easily like a typical teenager.  From what I understand a one year old dog equals a 15 year old human.  Then I remember back how my kids were at 15.  Yikes!!!  I'm going through that stressful time in my life again.  Erica was a handful at 15 years old and Rusty wasn't quite a handful, but very active especially with skateboarding.

Ralphie is becoming more daring, taking risks...e.g. swimming in the pool on his own.  He's becoming destructive...e.g. tearing things apart, like magazines, plants inside and out.  To put it mildly, he's becoming a handful.

 I did some research on this subject and a few things I've learned...
- This is the time I need to supply him abundantly with bones and different toys.
- Exercise him more than ever and then more.
- To deter him from my plants, make a homemade pepper spray for the plants and hopefully he will lose interest in destroying them.
- Keep socializing him.

I know this is going to be a challenging road ahead for the next year or so for me with Ralphie.  Just like the challenging road back when Erica and Rusty were at this adolescence age.   I'll do it...I know I can...I know I can...I know I can....I'll get through it...I know I can...

*Sigh* This is what I came home to after work today.

Goodbye Leroy

Today is a very sad day for our family.   Erica's Leroy passed.  I just loved my little granddoggy so much.  Ralphie was very lucky to be a part of Leroy's life.   I always felt he was 'special' throughout his life.  Leroy was a very vocal pup loving his extra needed attention.  I always called him my 'lil gorilla from the first day we met.

Leroy has been healthy until recently after developing ongoing seizures.  These multiple seizures blinded him, crippled his back legs, weight loss... destroying his quality of life.

Leroy gave us a lot of laughs, gave us all his love, and was the most cuddly little pug ever.

Leroy left us at 8 years old this morning.  Rest In Peace Leroy.

Leroy and Ralphie snoozing after a fun-filled 4th of July celebration.

My 'lil gorilla...I'm going to miss you so much.  Goodbye little guy.

Life is Good

Vizslas ... you gotta love them!!  I've had many different dogs before...but a Vizsla is different.....

Right now I wish I had someone here to take a picture...but I don't, so let me explain...

I am stretched out on the sofa, relaxing and watching TV.  Ralphie's entire body is draped over my lap, with his ear flipped back, his long legs sticking straight out, his head hanging over the side of me, snoring away.  You may wonder how I'm typing this with a 56 pound dog on top of me ... well my MacBook is balanced on his shoulders, up against my chest, and my wrists are cramped up as I type.  He will not budge.  He's got his comfy spot for the evening.   Gosh this Vizsla has it made!!   Life is good for him (and me too!).   Just love every little thing about him!!        

Cooling Off

Our Florida days are hot, hot, hot at this time of year.  Every day it gets up in the 90s.

Ralphie can hunt for hours in the backyard...chasing those lizards and bugs.  He really works hard, like it's his job.  Obviously, dogs don't sweat... panting is his sweating...and boy he pants a lot under our sweltering sun.  Finally Ralphie got smart and let's say quite daring...

Ralphie now sits on the top step of the pool to cool off!  Yep, he's getting smarter every day.  Haha
He actually takes a swim on his own now too...from one side to the other.  Gosh, I think I have a water dog now!!  He is just way too much fun...I just love him so much!!!

Ralphie swims alone now ... no need to be held.  Boy he's getting to be a big boy!!

Pool Fun

Ralphie is getting more daring and more sure of himself as he gets older.  Finally he's starting to love the pool.  He had so much fun fetching and swimming for the ball in the pool ... and this is on his own!  Ralphie is more fun and more fun each day.  Seriously I am having a ball with him...so many laughs and I absolutely adore his high energy and playfulness.  Right now he's snoozing on the sofa next to my feet ... he's out cold ... snoring away ... he had quite a day...

Naughty Boy!

Ralphie stays home with Ollie a couple days a week while I'm at work.  The other days he goes to Erica's place for the day and she takes him to the dog park.

At the beginning as a small puppy I crate-trained him.  Ralphie did very well with the crate.  Then I thought I'd take the next step and leave the crate open but close the kitchen door so he doesn't have run of the house.  He did okay at the beginning but as he was getting bigger he started jumping up on the sink, then onto the breakfast bar and then leaps onto the sofa in the living room.  I knew I couldn't continue to let him loose in the kitchen with the door closed because of this danger of jumping.  I can just see him breaking a leg.  Then I thought I would give it a whirl at let him have the run of the house.  He does pretty well most of the time, no major damage.  I always leave a test for him before leaving the house in the morning.  I'll leave out a pair of old shoes to see if he would chew them...he passed.  I'll leave a magazine or napkin on my coffee table...sometimes he passes and sometimes...well today...see for yourself... LOL

Naughty Boy!

Dog Park People

Ralphie and I go to several dog parks in the area.  We do have our favorite, Enterprise Dog Park located in Clearwater, however it's not the closest one.  We go to a small dog park in my area soon being rebuilt to an awesome-looking park.  We go to the county dog park where very few people go.  Then we recently tried out a 'shaded' dog park that was highly recommended by my neighbor.  Every park has it's own style and it's own regulars.  The regulars are the dogs and owners who frequent that particular park...that would be us at Enterprise Dog Park.

I've realized we dog park people are seemingly a little different from maybe what someone would think is the norm.  It doesn't matter which dog park you're at, we're all the same.  We spend a lot of our time at these parks to keep our dogs happy and to see them have fun.    It never fails we dog park people always ask the owner their dog's name...never or rarely do we ask their name.   Truly we really just care about the dog.  We never ever forget these dogs' names!   We know each dog's ailment or health issue ... yes, we know who is on meds for rashes, mosquito bites, eye problems, ear problems, etc. etc.  We also know the age of all the dogs and how much they weigh...and we REMEMBER this information!  We know all about the dog's naughtiness at home and at the park.  We're all so proud of our much loved pet.  We all stand around admiring our pet and think our dog is the best.  We think our dog is the smartest.  We all think our dog is the 'popular' one at the dog park.  We're all about the dog and that's pretty much it.

YES, YES, YES Ralphie is a handsome, healthy one year old, 56 pound Vizsla who has slight mange again, on his meds, gets a lot of mosquito bites, his ears bug him once in awhile, and he's really smart and loves to show off his tricks at the agility park, some of his best friends are Jake, Rambo, Jessie, Gus, Boomer, and Kong, loves to be chased by all the dogs, he's the leader,  and he's VERY popular!!  LOL

Ralphie at the Agility Park

Ralphie loves doing his 'tricks' at the dog park...take a look.

My Fall

Ralphie is getting big and strong.  He's about 56 pounds and a strong powerhouse one-year old dog now.  Shame on me for not taking precautions of his great strength.

Ralphie was home all day yesterday while I was at work.  It was obvious he was restless by the shredded paper napkin left on the coffee table and shredded plant leaves that I found when I got home.  After the rain, I took Ralphie and Ollie out for their walk to do their business.  I was lazy and didn't put on Ralphie's Lupine harness (which I LOVE and works!!).  So I hooked him and Ollie up to their collars to take our walk.  Well, Ralphie pulled sharply and I slipped on my neighbor's wet driveway and fell.  I got a rush of dizziness and nauseousness. I felt sick to my stomach probably from the excruciating pain in my shoulder.  We turned around to go home ... I just wanted to lay on the sofa to overcome this sick feeling.

I'm not the type to run to the doctor or ER right away.  I have to scope out the injury myself through word of mouth and Google.  Erica recommended to ice it and take 3 or 4 ibuprofen, which I did.  I didn't go to the ER...well at least not yet.  This morning I wake up ... can barely move my shoulder, can't lift my arm...but no bruises, no bones sticking out, no swelling.  I'm thinking it may be a bad sprain or dislocated shoulder.  More than likely I will be visiting the ER today or tomorrow if I don't see any improvement.

LESSON LEARNED ... Know I have a strong, powerful dog now; he's not like Ollie, an 8 pound Yorkie...don't be lazy and take the time to put on his Lupine harness to stop his pulling, continue to train him to walk like a show dog.

Happy First Birthday Ralphie!!

Today is Ralphie's first birthday...I cannot believe it, seems just like yesterday he was an itsy-bitsy little puppy.  He's brought so much joy to my life this past year.  He makes me laugh every day! 
Of course, I had a little birthday party for him...LOL  Well it was a fun BBQ for us!

Losing Hair ... AGAIN

Oh boy, I'm starting to see some thinning hair along Ralphie's back and a couple of tiny bald spots.  I'm hoping it's not the mange coming back.  He battled manage as a small puppy and there's a good chance he may have it again.  But on the other hand I'm thinking it could be all the mosquito bites he got at the dog park last week.  He had small bumps all over his back.  The bumps are pretty much gone now, but now it's the thinning hair problem.  Vizslas are known to have allergies.  So before I take him to the vet, I'm using the Nu-Stock cream that I used last time to see if it helps.  Of course he's on HeartGuard...which is a must in Florida.  Ralphie loves his outdoors...so it's expected he's going to get some bug bites, nicks, and scratches...a true hunter.  Other than this nuisance of a problem, he's a crazy, active, high-energy pup...
and I love him for that!

Top 10 Things I LOVE About My Vizsla

10.  I LOVE how Ralphie follows me everywhere ... he'll follow me in the kitchen when I'm cooking, he follows me to the laundry room, he follows me everywhere...he even follows me to the bathroom! Geesh, no privacy!  LOL

9.  I LOVE that Ralphie put life in little old Ollie.  Ollie is a perky old man now...he chews bones, plays, and not anti-social anymore!

8.  I LOVE Ralphie keeps the bed warm next to me each night.

7.  I LOVE how Ralphie is always in "hunt" mode and seeing his natural instincts come out.

6.  I LOVE how Ralphie loves other dogs and seeing how happy he is with his doggy friends at the dog park.

5.  I LOVE Ralphie's sweet, cute face...sometimes with a look a innocence and sometimes a look of mischievousness.

4.  I LOVE hugging Ralphie and he loves me hugging him.  He just molds right into my hug, managing to get in a kiss or two...well maybe even more than two!

3.  I LOVE Ralphie's energy; keeping me healthy by pushing and motivating me to walk/run 2 to 5 miles everyday.

2.  I LOVE when Ralphie is sleeping...the way he dreams...giving me some rest and 'me' time!

1.  I LOVE that Ralphie is my best friend, more than a pet, he's there when I'm happy or when I'm sad. I love that he's my world and I'm his world.  LOVE.

Best Bones Ever!

Normally I'm not drawn to the meat section of the grocery store since I eat minimal meat...chicken and turkey occasionally.  But this past weekend something popped out at me that looked very familiar.  It was the beef section with packages of raw marrow bones cut perfect for a dog.  I remember my mom buying these marrow bones for our dogs when I was a kid.  She would boil these bones for a long time on top of the stove...I still can remember that smell.  Yum...Not!  LOL  I thought I would give it a shot and bought a package ... 4 bones for $2.40.  I put them in a pot of water and boiled and boiled them until I got THAT smell.  I let them cool off, gave a nice size one to Ralphie and a small one for Ollie.  OMG...they LOVED it and they are durable, long-lasting, and obviously delicious.  Ralphie chewed on that bone (plus Ollie's bone after he gave up on it) for hours, all evening until bedtime.  He actually got up in the middle of the night and started chewing and gnawing again on that bone.  As I'm writing this, he's chewing one of these bones!  Yep, my mom knew exactly what she was doing boiling those smelly bones.  PLUS you can never get a 4 bones with no additives, no dyes, all natural for only $2.40!!
Ralphie is so happy, keeps him busy and Ollie as old as he is, loves them too...good for the 'ol guy's teeth!

**Just an added note, the bone does not smell after they are cooked and cooled off.**

Sweet Dreams

What can Ralphie possibly be dreaming of?  Lizards?  Birds?  Yummy treats?  His BFFs?  Bones?  

Whatever it is...looks like a good dream!  :) 

Sweet dreams Ralphie!

Seizures

No worries...Ralphie is fine.  He's not having seizures!!  Thank goodness!  The reason I'm blogging today about seizures is I'm just flabbergasted how many dogs have seizures these days.  We never heard about seizures years ago when I was a kid.  I don't remember my mom ever talking about her dogs having seizures. I wonder why?

Ollie has seizures, but very rarely and they seem to be mild.   He's not on any medication.  My past Vizsla, Jazz had seizures as well.  Again, they were mild.

But the real reason I'm writing about this is Ralphie's pug cousin, Leroy has been having extreme, strong, intense seizures.  He never had them before, but the last few days he has experienced multiple huge seizures!  It's so heartbreaking to see him go through this ordeal.  Just a forewarning, if you have a gut feeling your pet is having a seizure and your vet diagnosed something else...beware of that vet!  Leroy was taken into a vet after his first seizure which weakened his legs and disoriented him to an extreme and the doctor said it was hip joint problems...NOT!  If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's a duck!  Needless to say, Leroy was taken home with the wrong meds and began having grand mal seizures one after another.  My daughter rushed him into an emergency vet on Sunday and he was given phenobarbital and stayed the night to be watched.  He came home on Monday morning with numerous meds to treat his seizures...to bring him back to the life he had.  It's going to take awhile for Leroy to bounce back to normal and has a long road ahead...right now he's blind, no strength in his legs, and very confused. 
But he WILL get through this with all our love...with all our caring.  Leroy...we love you TONS!

After Leroy's seizure...confused in a corner.

Leroy doesn't have control over his tongue after these seizures.

Confused and blind, Leroy sometimes get entangled in the wrong areas.

Puddle Funtime

We're in our rainy season now and it rains almost everyday for about a half hour - just like a rainforest.   There are puddles everywhere especially in the dog park!  Of course, Ralphie needs to still have his playtime...watch his puddle fun!

How does Ralphie cool off during our hot summer days ... yep, find the biggest puddle and just lay in it!!

Fourth of July Festivities

Ralphie survived his first 4th of July celebration ... barely!  It was not a good situation with the fireworks...yep, my hunting bird dog is afraid of the firework pops and booms!  I thought it would be a natural instinct in a gun dog that they can handle loud noises...Not!  I tried not to coddle Ralphie when the fireworks were going off outside, but how can I act like nothing is happening when this 56 pound puppy is on my lap, with his head on my shoulder shaking.  I wrapped a blanket around him to give him the feel of security and it seemed to calm him down.

Now it seems Ralphie is extra sensitive to any noise.   When Ralphie hears a small pop out in the distance, he's scared and doesn't want to continue his walks and drags me home. (sigh)  I really need to start on desensitizing him.  It would be horrible for him to live a fearful life of sounds.

But other than that, we had a fun-filled day...

C'mon Ralphie, you can do it!

Diva the swimming pug!

Such a baby!

Pups, pups everywhere!

My little 'ol man, Ollie

The queen, Diva

Sweet Diva

Ralphie and Rusty catching some rays!

My baby, Ralphie! Isn't he a beauty?!

Leroy snuggling with Ralphie

The end of a fun-filled 4th of July!