Getting Ready for Christmas

We don't do too much around here for Christmas. With family far away, we don't enjoy fighting the weather, crowds, and expense of travel to spend the holiday with them. I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about the holiday in general, but that's another blog post!

But we (I) do like to decorate -- put up a tree, wreath, string lights outside. It really makes the long, dark winter days much more palatable.

And I like to bake. This year I made almond spice cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, toffee, and spiced nuts. I'm thinking of making some pumpkin bread too. I also included my doggie friends in my baking. I made pumpkin dog cookies for Anika and Steffi. And to give away to our neighbors' dog Norah (who will be going back with her family in January) and for their soon-to-be-adopted new dog, Jubilee.

Anika and Steffi think they turned out pretty good. Here's the recipe, courtesy of  California German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue:

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

2 eggs*
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour **
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2– depending on your dog’s chew preferences, – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough.

Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

* I didn't have any dry milk, so I used almond milk. I found the dough exceptionally dry, so the added moisture helped!

** I couldn't find brown rice flour, so I used 1 1/2 cups white rice flour and 1 cup barley flour.

So to all the hungry dogs out there: Happy Howlidays!

Our Squirrel Saga

Last week, Anika captured her first squirrel. To say she is obsessed with squirrels is an understatement. But I never thought she could catch one.

It's hard to believe this sweet looking dog is so blood thirsty.

It went like this:  I saw her outside with the squirrel in her mouth.I commanded her to drop it. And like a well-trained Weimaraner (not!), she did. The squirrel scurried into the garage and hid under the car. Meanwhile, the dog is going crazy trying to get at the squirrel. My husband held the dog while I opened the garage door and tried to scoop the squirrel outside.That squirrel was having nothing to do with that idea.

I did manage to get him outside into the fenced-in part of the yard though and put the dog into her kennel for a couple hours.

I searched the yard for the squirrel and found him under a fern. I nudged him with a shovel and he scampered up the tree. I knew he was injured and I hoped he would wander into someone else's yard and die.

In the middle of the night I let the dogs out and heard the dog scream and the squirrel squeal. Got the dog in, dabbed the cuts on her face with antiseptic soap and went back to sleep.

In the morning we did a full sweep of the yard and Anika found the dead squirrel hiding behind some fencing.

I should have just let Anika kill the squirrel when she had the chance because that poor squirrel suffered for a long time before it died. 

But I think the word is out:  I haven't seen another squirrel in the yard since then!

Christmas came early for the Weims

I ordered a beautiful new bed from Orvis for the girls that came last week. I get only one bed because they really don't sleep in the bed, just lounge in it while they chew bones. And only one dog uses it at a time.

Might I add that almost every bed I have ever bought ends up having holes chewed in it and the stuffing pulled out in no time. I usually cover the beds in a throw so the dogs can root around and nest in the throw and chew on the throw if they must chew on something. And might I also add that I usually don't leave the dogs loose in the office when I leave the house. They are put in their kennels.

You can probably guess where this is going. I felt sorry for Steffi the other day when she balked at going into her kennel, so I left her loose in the office. When I came home, sure enough, she had chewed a hole in the new bed.

It had lasted a week, maybe two.

Fortunately, I can turn the pillow over and it's not noticeable. Until another hole is chewed. Oh well. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. I just wanted it to be later.

Orvis advertises a sturdy, "chew-proof" fabric covering for some of their beds. I might have to try that, even though those beds don't look very comfy.

Car Trips = Fail

I posted earlier about using the Thundershirt during car rides to alleviate Anika's excitement. I have also used a herbal calming medication provided by a friend. Neither works for her.

I have come to the conclusion that the barking is excitement, not anxiety. She doesn't like to sit still either, even though I have her in a seat belt. If I didn't use the seat belt, she would be in the front seat trying to paw at me, which is definitely a recipe for disaster.

I have more or less thrown up my hands in resignation to her barking and don't take her for many car rides. I think the only solution at this point may be to hire a professional trainer to come offer some help.

Something to Chew On

My Weims love to chew. I cannot buy them anything rubbery, like a Kong, because once the inside junk is licked out they chew the rubber Kong. Or anything fuzzy and squeaky because they will eat the fuzzy part to get at the squeaky part and in a matter of minutes the whole toy is destroyed. Tennis anyone? No. I can't use tennis balls because they eat them too! I can throw tennis balls and this other squeaky/bone/tennis ball material thing as long as I put it away when I'm done.

If I leave it with the dogs to play with alone, it's gone. I have had lots of scares, but fortunately I have not had to have emergency surgery to remove a chewed-up toy.

I usually look for toys for tough chewers. And most websites say upfront that the toys are durable and strong, but not indestructible. For example, this nice boomerang-type thingy: It's strong, but not indestructible.

So mostly all I buy them are Nylabones. And only the Wolf-sized kind. Here is the basket of chew toys for the girls. Those purple rubber bones are good, but they don't like the taste. I don't recommend them.

But, I came across some people on one of my favorite Internet forums: Weimaraner Addict, discussing the merits of antlers. So I ordered some elk antlers from Mountain Dog Chews. I got 2 of the Medium Whole, and although at over $15.00 a piece are pretty pricey, they are worth it. They seem to last a long time, and I know they are good for the dogs' teeth.

To say my girls loved them is an understatement! It gives them almost all the satisfaction of chewing on a real bone, but without the mess. They also don't smell or splinter. And although they chew on them for a long time, they haven't given up on the Nylabones, I'm happy to say.

This is not meant to be a product endorsement, even though I guess I am endorsing their product. I will definitely order more of these!

Meanwhile, happy dogs = happy life or something like that.

Stuck in the House

The rainy season has begun. For the next 6 months that means:

• No more trips to the dog park for off-leash runs--the grassy part of the dog park is closed. 
• Walks around the neighborhood only when it's not pouring since nobody likes to get drenched.
• Inside zoomies, which make me crazy. 
• Lots of towels at every door to wipe off paws. 
• Extra laundry to wash and dry said towels.
• Frustrated dogs chewing on their nylabones.
• Pacing dogs.

The transition from nice weather to awful weather is the hardest. Once we all get used to staying in more, we all adapt, but these first few days are awful. Plus we are having very heavy rain for the next 6 days. Yuck and yuck!

Raining Feathers?

The other night I was watching TV in the living room when I looked out the window to see what I thought was ash floating through the air. Worried there was a house on fire, I ventured out on to the deck. I didn't smell smoke, but continued to see this stuff floating in the air. I soon realized it was feathers! Needless to say, Anika could smell the bird and was frantically racing around the yard trying to find the source of the feathers. Since I have a superior mind (!) I figured out there must be a hawk in the tree having a snack. I watched the breeze lift the feathers from the trees and tried to find their source. Finally, I spotted the hawk half way up an oak tree. I went to fetch my binoculars to get a closer look. And there he was. I watched for a bit and went away feeling awed and blessed at seeing a little but of wildlife right in my own backyard.

Sometimes I'm a Bad Mother

I am usually very vigilant and responsible about my dogs. But I have had two experiences of being absent-minded that could, but fortunately did not, end disastrously.

The first incident occurred when we were getting the dogs ready to go for a walk. I put Steffi in the car to wait and left Anika in the garage. But I also left the prong collar on Anika. You know those awful-looking collars, used for training:

Now, I never, ever leave a choke collar on my girls because I've heard horror stories of dogs getting strangled on them, so why I would leave her alone in the garage with one of these on is just beyond my own comprehension. She tried to get it off by putting her paw in between the prongs and got it stuck. She started howling and both my husband and I came running! Luckily for all of us, she didn't hurt herself. But it could have been horrible.

My second incident of absent-mindedness happened yesterday when I came home from the store, drove in the garage, and went in the house, but left the garage door open and the door to the back yard from the garage open. The dogs were safely in the house. But did I leave them there? No. I got distracted, let them out the back door and put stuff away. Then my internal alarm went off. Did I close the garage door? Yikes! I ran downstairs to check on the dogs, saw the garage door open and panicked. Thank goodness those dogs were merely circling the car, hoping for a ride and not running loose in the street!

I was extremely lucky in both cases that nothing happened to the dogs, but I need to make sure my head in on straight from now on!

Anika wearing her Thundershirt

I got Anika a Thundershirt yesterday. Although I haven't taken her for a test drive yet, she looks very beautiful in it.

More to come...

The Barking is Driving me Barking Mad

Weimaraners have lots of energy. Anika is no exception. She has energy to burn. She wakes up at first light and is on the go all day. Usually she's zooming around the yard. Sometimes the excessive energy manifests itself in barking.

When we first got Anika, she barked at EVERYTHING. The worst was the middle of the night barking when she would hear my husband wandering around the house. Or when he would open the bedroom door to come to bed. I do appreciate her desire to warn me of unwanted intruders and protect me, but I'm glad she's not barking at Jack coming to bed. She does, however, vigilantly hop off the bed and greet him at the bedroom door, just to make sure he should be there.

I don't even mind her running along the fence and barking at people walking their dogs by. After all, many dogs do that. I do, however, discourage that behavior when I am outside with her.

The barking that has me barking mad is the excited barking she does in the car, behind me, in my ear, when we pull in the driveway, the dog park, off the freeway to anyplace. It's the slowing down and getting ready to park in anticipation of some fun activity that sets her off--even if it's at the veterinary clinic.

She can sit quietly for maybe 20 minutes in the car and then she's chewing on a chew toy, rolling on her back, hurling herself around the back seat. I keep her in a harness restraint, so she can move around, but can't get too far. But soon she's whining and then she's barking. We want to take both dogs to the beach, but when we tried a couple of weeks ago, it ended in both dogs barking after about 20 minutes. Coincidentally, we were close to a hiking trail we've been on with them. Hmmm.....

I've decided to try a Thundershirt for the car travel. I will report back.

The Verdict

We visited the boarding kennel. As far as boarding kennels go, it's nice. It's out in the middle of nowhere, next to a nattional wildlife refuge, so no neighbors to be bothered with barking. It has an on-site trainer and groomer, so that's good. But it is, after all, a kennel.

The owner is very nice and knowledgable. Been there forever. She loves the dogs.

But it is, after all, a boarding kennel. The best thing about it is that the kennel isn't going to cancel on you at the last minute.

So we made an appointment for Anika to stay there for 3 days next month. We will see how it works out. If it goes okay, we may have to use them in the future.

To Board or not to Board

My husband and I are taking a short trip next month and plan to take one dog with us. I  know -- it sounds bad for the one left behind. We have used many different methods over the years for our various dogs who stay at home. We really don't like taking them to a boarding kennel. It can get expensive -- expecially when we had 3 dogs. And each dog has a different temperment regarding being left in a strange place. We used to have a reliable pet sitter who would come and stay at our house with our dogs while we were gone. That was by far the best solution for the dogs and the house. Yesterday, she notified me that she's too ill to do the job next month, so we are left scrambling to find a solution for the dog we are leaving behind.

Let me first explain why she's being left behind. Anika is 2 years old and hasn't learned how to relax in the car for a long car ride. Within 20 minutes she's restless and soon starts barking. All efforts to get her to stop have been futile. So we decided we couldn't take her for a 3 hour car trip. She could stay home with the pet sitter for 3 nights.

So now we're looking for a kennel for her to stay. With only a couple of weeks before our trip, I don't think I have it in me to find and interview a new at-home pet sitter. They are difficult to find. Especially people who are willing to just hang around our house all day and night and basically mimic the routine we have. We need retired people who love to spend the day with dogs, or someone who has a low-pressure, work-at-home job they can bring with them to our house while they keep an eye on the dogs. Basically, our dogs are not used to being left alone all day. They can handle being in their crates for 2 hours, maybe 3, but beyond that and I start to worry about them.

So, back to finding a boarding kennel. We are going out tomorrow to visit one that has been recommended. It's not very close to our house, but I'd rather take her to a nice place with 24-hour supervision. I'll post my thoughts afterwards.

The Weimaraner Way to Eradicate Pests

I'm thinking about hiring Anika out as pest control. She's proven herself so adept at hunting and killing fledgling birds that any small creature doesn't stand a chance with her.

In fact just yesterday she proudly presented me with some kind of baby rodent or small field mouse. When I told her to drop it, she obediently did. When I realized what it was and that it was still alive I commanded her to get it. She did and took it to her hidey-hole which is on her blankey in the garage.

Well, the rodent was still alive and since I didn't want to stomp on it, I threw it over the fence in the front yard. Later that evening I found its dead little body on the driveway.

So I wonder how much I could fetch for her services.

More Summer Hazards

I have recently posted warnings about not walking one's dogs (in my case, Anika) on a hot sidewalk because the pavement can burn the dog's pads. Also, I've cautioned you not to leave your dogs in your car on a hot day.

I realize there are many hazards in the summer when we are enjoying outdoor activities with our dogs. Be careful taking your dog to the beach. Around here we have very powerful rip tides. White water rivers are also a drowning hazard for dogs. There are a lot of those around here, too.

But closer to home, in fact right in your own backyard are pet hazards to be on the watch for: do not use slug bait, Roundup, or rat traps anywhere your pets MIGHT get into them. Poisonous! Also do your research when planting landscape plants. Many are poisonous to dogs. And if yours are anything like mine, they eat everything. Do you know how to induce vomiting in your dog? A bottle of hydrogen peroxide is a must-have in your first aid kit.

The last hazard that comes to mind and is fresh on my mind is what to do if your dog tangles with a bee, hornet or a yellow jacket and ends up with a nice big welt. Last week was Steffi's turn on the left side muzzle:

Last summer, Anika got hers above her eye. Since I don't run to the vet every time something happens to my dogs; only when it's beyond my first aid expertise, Benadryl is another remedy to have in your first aid kit. I use half a child's dose and by the next day the swelling is usually gone. If that doesn't seem to work, then I would definitely take them to the vet.

Besides bees, dogs can more easily tangle with skunks, raccoons, snakes, and other dogs in the summer when everyone is out and about. So be smart and have your first aid kit ready and your vet's phone number on speed dial, just in case.

My Bad and Poor Anika's Pads

Last week Jack and I took the Weims for a 2.5 mile walk. I was dripping wet from sweating so much when we returned. The dogs were panting. Did I mention it was hot? Probably too hot for the dogs to be walking on hot pavement. This is what Anika's pads look like today. And it's almost a week afterwards.

I learned my lesson not to walk the dogs on such hot pavement. Now I feel really bad.

So let this be a lesson to you:  if it's too hot outside for you, it's way too hot outside for your dog, and the pavement is even hotter. And don't even get me started on the car. Unless you can leave your dogs inside the car in air-conditioned comfort, don't leave them in the car on a hot day. Leave them at home.

I am done preaching. Have a fun day with your dogs!

Circus Dog

Weimaraners are known to be good bird dogs. They work with their hunter people to point out birds hiding in the brush. My dogs have the hunting instinct, but I have never trained them to hunt. Instead, I think Anika should try out for the circus. Watch this video--towards the end she walks backwards on her hind legs.

Homage to William Wegman

What would the Weimaraners breed be without William Wegman? Ask anyone. There are calendars, Christmas cards, and short videos featuring his dogs everywhere. Children are taught the alphabet on Sesame Street from his alphabet-forming gang.

His work is currently on display at Bowdoin College Museum of Art in an exhibition called Hello Nature.

Update Friday, July 20: Martha Stewart visited the exhibit and wrote about it in her blog.

In homage to the brilliant William Wegman, here's my contribution to Hello Nature:

Gardening with Weims

I try to be a responsible Weim owner while enjoying my gardening passion. That means I don't poison my dogs by using pesticides in the garden. My hostas are slug bait because I refuse to use poisonous slug bait. I can't use compost or fish fertilizer because the dogs think I've buried something tasty and proceed to dig up the plants I've just planted.

My garden is inviting to birds and insects alike. Especially insects. And because we've had the wettest spring in recorded history, mosquitoes. I looked into using a fogger in the garden, but the small print on the label said "harmful to pets and humans." So I got some of those mosquito dunks to kill the larvae in standing water.

In my case, a birdbath. To make a long story short, I had no sooner put a dunk in the birdbath, turned my back, and returned to the garage when I found the eaten crumbs of the mosquito dunk I had just put in the birdbath.

Anika is a fast, sneaky dog! She had eaten the dunk. I quickly contacted the pet poison hotline to make sure there was nothing harmful in the dunk. (Even though the label clearly says they are harmless. I wasn't taking any chances.)

And because I have insects and flowers and birdbaths in the garden, I have lots of birds. I had a daily fight with a robin this spring who insisted on building a nest under the deck. Each morning I'd knock down the nest she built the day before.You just can't have bird dogs and robin nests in the same garden. Unfortunately, I have been unable to talk sense into the robin that built a nest in a low branch of the birch tree under my office window. Soon, when the hatchlings become fledglings, I'm afraid they won't last long with fast and sneaky bird dog, Anika.

Stay Cool!

Most of the nation is suffering a heat wave. So I won't complain about our too-wet and too-cool spring. Two days ago the sun FINALLY came out here so now it feels like summer, although it's only about 75.

This is where Steffi ended up after we returned from a quick walk around the neighborhood--under the ornamental grass.

Wherever you are with your dogs, stay cool and please don't leave your dogs in a parked car.

My Neighborhood

I think I live in a nice neighborhood. There are many retired people who take good care of their yards. Lots of kids riding scooters and bikes. But I have to admit, I see way too much dog waste left along the way as I walk my two girls each day.

I see many people walking their dogs. All generally have their little waste baggies with them. I have never actually seen anyone watch and just walk away after the dog relieves himself. But I see the evidence that it happens.

People! Please pick up after your dogs! We don't want to step in your dog's waste on the sidewalk or street.  Do you want your kids to step in dog poop?

And while I'm at it, please keep your dogs leashed at all times. It happened again yesterday. I was taking my girls on their daily walk In the flash of an eye, barreling out of a house at top speed come two dogs to attack! We were not on their property, but due to the owners' negligence, their dogs escaped, barking and teeth barred. The friendly-looking yellow lab turned in an instant into a ferocious attack dog and bit Steffi.

This is the fourth time this has happened with people who can't or won't for some reason keep their dogs restrained. How would you feel if in that moment of negligence, a car ran over your dog? What if your dog chased down a child and bit the child? You would be in big trouble then.

I was not nasty about it. The owner made sure Steffi was not hurt. But still.

And now I have to deal with my dogs anticipating the attack again and again each time I walk by that part of my neighborhood in the future. Because, believe me, they do. They become agitated and pull on their leashes, bark, and jump. Well, Anika does. And I have been working for months to be able to walk her calmly through the neighborhood without this agitation and now because of some stupid asshole, I have to start all over again.

I thought I lived in a nice neighborhood. But there are a few jerks everywhere.

Fourth of July is Coming

July 4, or Independence Day, is my least favorite holiday. I totally respect the reason we are honoring Independence Day, but I do not like what it has become: a day for crazies to shoot off illegal fireworks. Most dogs don't like fireworks.

My dogs don't mind them, but I have had many dogs over the years who were so deathly afraid of them that I had to create a sound-proof fortress to protect them. So no, I don't like the 4th of July holiday.

The other reason is that I basically go to bed before it gets dark; therefore by the time all the yahoos are shooting off their fireworks, I am asleep, or attempting to be asleep until they wake me up and create what sounds like a war zone. Sometimes the noise gets so bad the dogs do bark and want to go outside which only makes it worse, but they don't understand that.

So this Independence Day, celebrate our freedom, stay safe and especially, keep your pets safe!

Where's my Beach Umbrella?

You wouldn't know it was summer in the Pacific Northwest. Rain and temps in the 60s around here, but that doesn't stop Steffi from jumping on her lounge chair and looking like she's ready for her fruity drink and sunglasses!

This is where she likes to spend the sunny days while Anika races around the yard hunting for any furry or feathery critter. When she can't find a critter, she'll settle for a rock or a stick or some unidentifiable thing to chew on. I have to keep my eye on her for fear she will end up with some kind of bowel obstruction. Life with Weimaraners is always exciting!

Welcome

Ever since I left the corporate world (or it left me, however one looks at it), and I got my first Weimaraner, my life has revolved around my dogs. Mostly because I soon found out how difficult it is to leave a young Weimaraner at home under the supervision of an aging Greyhound. Much love, devotion, destruction, and hilarity followed as I have become Barking Mad (AKA Weimsforme).


These are my Weimaraners. I got my first Weimaraner, Coco, Silver Rain's Horseback Rider, in 2004 from Leslie Like, Weimaraner breeder extraordinaire. Not only is she the most responsible breeder I've ever met, she runs Oregon Weimaraner Rescue. She is a true devotee to the breed. As they say, she talks the talk and walks the walk.

Coco came home and immediately fell in love with our rescue Greyhound, Bella. She LOOOOVED Bella.

Sadly, Coco developed a cancerous tumor in her mouth and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on December 3, 2010. She was 8 years old. Bella followed her in November, 2011 at the age of 12.


Steffi joined our household about a year after we got Coco, because if one Weim is good, two is better, right? Steffi and Coco loved to play together when Coco wasn't snuggling with Bella.

Steffi--Gould's Silver Rain Slingshot by NFC FC AFC Grau Geist Lil's Gust V. Westend DC MH from FC AFC Gould's Jus Call Me TJ

Steffi distinguished herself as a puppy winning a few field trial titles, so Leslie reserved the right to one breeding before she relinquished her completely to us. Steffi had a litter of 8 puppies in 2007 with Silver Rain's Rodeo Rider (Zypper)--Coco's brother.

Shortly after Coco died, Leslie contacted us regarding another tiny Weim we might welcome into our home. We went to her place for "just a look" and of course brought her home.

Anika--Silver Rain's Eight Second Ride by AFC Silver Rain's Rodeo Rider from Waltz Ember V Regen

These days, our canine family is Steffi and Anika. Anika was 8 months old when we brought her home and is now 2. Both Steffi and Coco were 18 months old when we got them, so I had no experience with true Weim puppyhood. My journey with Anika has made me Barking Mad, as every day is new whirlwind learning experience.