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.**