Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Doggy Play Date!

Last week my good friend came over with her three dogs and we had a super fantastic happy fun time doggy play date!

Yoda's three pals are Dustin, the white spotty pitbull, who had been found tied up to a dumpster.... Nelly, the toy poodle, also adopted... and Chichi, the chihuahua, whose a rescued puppy mill dog. Poor thing has a permanently twisted leg that was broken and was never treated so it healed all crooked :( again why I always say

Don't shop, Adopt!

So , our 4 little rescue pups had a wonderful time together! So much fun, love, and play! We had such a good time that my home felt so empty after they were all gone! Now I feel I need to get more dogs!

look at those pitbull smiles

Yoda, the ball buster!


What good dogs!

The pibbles surveilling the neighbourhood, protecting the Chi

I'm in heaven!

Pitbull sneak attack!

Yoda was all pooped out by the end, but look at that face!

Friday, October 3, 2014

New toy! New Training!

Yoda is a manic tugger. She tugs. and tugs. If she swam, she would make a good tugboat.

But....

She doesn't like to drop whatever it is you are holding on the other end... so that's sometimes less fun.

I picked up this awesome rope tug toy at the dollar store that comes with a comfy handle on my end so I can hold on comfortably and not lose my grip.

I used this opportunity to teach her a new command... "back off" for when she would come to tug too close to the handle. Something she picked up almost instinctively, maybe because my voice meant it. I also reapplied the "drop it" command which is her weakest obedience point. Again, she loves tugging SO MUCH that I gotta work really hard on reinforcing that "drop it + potential treat" is way more worth her while than continuing to pull. We are already making good progress!

JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Beauty and the Beast

...and by beast I do mean myself.

She's clearly the beauty!

She is back up and at 'em, feeling all better since her little sick bout. We enjoyed this past weekend to the max, possibly the last summery days before fall settles in for realsies. What did you guys do this past weekend?

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Yoda's Mom, Versatile?

Oh boy, Yoda and I were pleasantly surprised to receive the Versatile Blogger Award award from Lisa over at Dogs N Pawz! Lisa's website is chalk full of info, photos and lots of heart, so go check out her blog!

Here is the award!

And here we are - a looong while later - accepting the award, but better late than never, right!

As a nominee, there are rules to accept and receive the award:

Accept the nomination: Thank the person from whom you received the nomination and provide a link to their blog
List 7 things about myself
Nominate 15 blogs for The Versatile Blogger Award

And without further ado – 7 things about me:

1. I'm a big fan of various sci-fi tv series and movies (Farscape, Babylon 5, Star Wars (uumm, I did name my dog Yoda after all, so I guess it speaks for itself!)
2. I'm a young professional and I run my own legal practice, so I am usually pretty high-strung with my mind running a mile a minute. My pets are what mellow me out after a long day and melt the stress away.
3. I love everything about early fall up here in Canada - colourful trees, apple picking, sweater weather, halloween, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin everything!
4. I often start things and never finish them, such as complicated DIY furniture projects, speaking of which...
5. I listen to so much music of so many different genres, my head is a music library.
6. I think french fries are the best food every invented.
7. I'm a pretty intense fitness freak and I train at the gym at least 5 times a week, despite my hectic schedule.

(I think that explains why I haven't been very consistent in blogging lol, but I love Yoda so much, I can't abandon it!)

Here are the 15 blogs I am nominating! Some of you have never heard of me, lol, I am nominating you because I think your blog rocks, your pup is cute, your blog is about pit bulls or all of the above :)

Beagles and Bargains
Dakota's Den
Wag 'N Woof Pets
My Pawsitively Pets
You Did What With Your Weiner?
Your Pitbull and You
The Lazy Pitbull
Oh My Dog Blog
Have Dog Blog Will Travel
Kissa-Bull
My Two Pitties
Two Pitties in the City
Pocket Pittie in the City
All Things Dog Blog
Death By Chocolate Lab

Friday, September 26, 2014

Now I know where the expression "Sick as a dog" comes from

Poor thing must have caught some type of bug or eaten something at the park she shouldn't have because she's litterally sick as a dog. I don't think I have ever seen so many piles and puddles of poop in my life. Guess how much fun it was to clean up after her! She's currently on a 24 hour food fast, and we're only giving her fresh water to drink. See if that helps. I'm taking her out every couple of hours and she hasn't had to do 'em again so that's a good sign I hope. If it persists, we'll have to take a trip to the vet.

She's still a beauty though even though she's a sickly bear right now.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

It's been over a year since the last post smh with sad puppy dog eyes

You know that look your pup gives you when he knows he's done something he shouldn't have? The downward shifty eyes that look up at you tentatively in shame? Well... that's me right about now because I turned to posting more on Facebook and I haven't posted in over a year on this blog and I feel bad for abandoning my it. I started my own business and things have been busy as all hell, so I guess the dust had to settle a bit. However one thing has remained a constant in my life and that is YODA! Throughout it all, Yoda has been there every step of the way being her very sweet, spunky, snuggly self. And she is happy and healthier now than ever! So, how about a brief recap of the previous year in photos!? and a promise to post more regularly, as in once a week? I think that's a very reasonable goal!

Yoda in Star Wars mode

Random kisses over the year!

Christmas 2013

Outdoorsy Family Trips

Yoda being ridiculously cute

Monday, July 15, 2013

Blog went MIA but still running!

Wow... I realize I have not posted on my blog in a month! Is this something that new bloggers experience as well? Ah the ups and downs of blogging... For our readers that follow the blog, Yoda and family are alive and well (and kicking!) and I promise to post a real update with photos asap. Wags and woofs, Mama Pitbull

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: So Many Shoes!

Who is this good dog choosing to lie in her crate to chew on her antler when there are so many delicious shoes lying around? Yoda, the well-behaved dog that's who! She loves shoes too much to ruin them! Whatta good dog she is!! Yes she IS!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Ruuv Her, I Do

You know those photos people take when they meet a celebrity? Well here I am pictured with my biggest star, Yoda. Unfortunately, she was not disposed to give out an autograph.


My hubby took us to the Star Wars Identities Exhibition in Ottawa as part of my birthday celebration and we picked up some cool merch, including this Yoda t-shirt and a Yoda mug. :)

I am mos def this dog's biggest admirer! 

(In case anyone spied the silver table in the background, that's one of my first DIY projects, a mahogany vanity table refinished by hand with silver leaf.)



Yoda? Squeeable's June pet of the Month? YES!

Hi guys!

Our good friend Ann who runs a wonderful blog about pets over at Just So Squeeable hosted a poll for the "pet of the month" based on the pets featured in May. They were all so darn cute!

Yoda won first place and is being featured in the blog for the whole month of June, that's so awesome!

Thank you to everyone who voted, little things like this really make one smile!


Yoda says thanks in her usual humble & cute fashion!



Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Good ol' Bully Breed Bum Wiggle


I just wanted to say, that there is *nothing* more endearing and heart-warming in life than coming home and seeing Yoda SOOOO excited to greet me that her bum wiggles erratically left to right!

I swear her head shakes along with it like a bobble-head!!

my Bobble-Head Yoda! Bum wiggles are the best hello!!




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Who Said Mama Can't Cook?

So in my last blog entry, I said I was thinking of making healthy, home made treats to avoid the store-bought kind and that I was going to make sweet potato and peanut butter doggy cookies, buuuuuuuuut I kinda went all out, a bunch of ingredients went into the mix and yumminess in the oven ensued!

I didn't use a recipe as I kind of made it up as I went along, but out came what must have been some really delicious cookies, according to Yoda anyhow. This is more or less how it went:

Yoda's Liver-Chip Cookie Recipe
  • half a sweet potato (cooked in the microwave and mashed up)
  • 4-5 caps of yellow and orange peppers chopped up
  • 4 large eggs
  • about 1 cup of cooked plain oatmeal
  • 1.5-2 cups of whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • about 4 tbps mixture of flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and almonds all ground up
  • lots of cinnamon
  • big handful of dry liver treats broken up into small pieces like chocolate-chips
Mashed it all up together in the blender, then I added an extra sprinkling of oats into the mix to give it a chunkier, crunchier texture, placed small spoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with foil and baked it at 350F for 45 minutes and voilĂ ! homemade treats for the whole week!


Who said you can't instagram photos of dog treats?


MMM I think she likes theeemmm!!!


OM NOM NOM!

100% natural, 100% healthy and 100% Yoda approved! (Geez, I sound like such a Mom, lol)

This was SO much fun for everyone involved and I can't wait to try out more recipes!

If you have any healthy recipe ideas you would like to share, let me know! 

Monday, May 27, 2013

Healthy, Home-Made AND Yummy Dog Treats!

Hi friends,

Just posting a little bloggy post to talk about some yummy home made treat ideas for your pups!

My Yoda is very food motivated, and by very, I mean she salivates at the mere thought of food crossing MY mind, let alone hers! So I am thinking of fun new meals to feed her that I know will make her happy!

Right now she is eating Lamb & Rice kibble but once every few days I come up with a new treat for her to eat.

As a supper idea:
  • chicken liver 
  • green and red peppers caps left over from our supper (good source of vitamin C and Beta Carotene)
  • steel-cut cooked oats 
My hubby quickly seared the liver, then he put it in the Ninja and chopped it up lightly and she ate it all up!


Least week I made a yummy doggy desert made of:
  • cooked eggs
  • no-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • steel-cut cooked oats
  • natural peanut butter 
  • bit of cinnamon to taste
All whipped up together in the blender and she gobbled it up in a second.  


Tonight I am planning on making something that even I find yummers!
Sweet potato & peanut butter mashed up and baked into little treat cookies!
The mixture can also be placed in an ice cube tray and once frozen you can put the cubes in your pup's Kong so she can work away at it.  Yummy AND mentally stimulating!!

Other interesting mixtures that I want to try out in either cookes or frozen form are:

Sweet potato and apples
Sweet potato and carrots
Plain yogurt and apples
Carrots and apples
Yogurt and mashed banana

I will keep you posted on my recipe and how it turns out, with photos too!


Thursday, May 23, 2013

How NOT to Raise a Monster

Heya,

It's been a good week that I haven't posted a real entry in my blog (being a busy birthday girl and all, ahem!) and I am overdue!

I have been spending the last few weeks bonding with Yoda and I must say our relationships is growing stronger every day. We run into people or neighbours and almost everyone is astonished that we have only been together for a month because of how obedient, calm and in tune she is with me, always looking back at me and making eye contact, they all just assume I must have had her for a much longer time.

The truth is we meet people walking their dogs who complain that though they have their dog for 1 year, 4 years, 8 years...their dog doesn't listen to them, or they bark anxiously, they are hyper, or even that they try to bite if the owner approaches!!!

They tell me that I am lucky to have a good dog, I tell them that she could have also been a devil had she wanted. It is really in the ownership and how you handle your dog. I think most people don't like hearing this because it places the responsibility on the owner. Of course it is easier to blame the dog....

One of our friends recently got a puppy and their puppy cries all night and day. Then they tell us that they leave it loose in the home and they have friends with their adult dogs come over almost every single day since the day they brought the puppy home, "in order to socialize it".

Well no wonder the puppy is stressed!!
Poor pup just got taken from her mom and home and isn't given the chance to adapt to her new family and home, but instead she is thrown into a busy, scary, new place full of free-roaming strange dogs every day and strangers coming and going. Also, how is she supposed to be calm when she isn't given the time to bond and form a trusting relationship with her new parents BEFORE getting to know strange dogs and random people? She doesn't trust her owners or see them as leaders! Of course the poor pup is overwhelmed and cries incessantly!

Also, it is not a good idea to allow a puppy free reign of the home, but rather to slowly introduce her on-leash to every room and relay the message that every new room is your territory and that she is being invited in with permission. This allows the dog to respect that you are the parent and respect what is yours from the very beginning.

This is how we introduced Yoda to our home, slowly, on-leash, room by room, behind our lead. Our master bedroom is the only room which is off limits and so, we have never shown it to her or allowed her in. She understands that we have set a psychological boundary for her to not enter that room, because she only ever entered rooms from the get-go with our explicit permission. 

Now that she has earned her freedom to move freely about the house, even if the bedroom door is open, she has never even attempted to cross the doorframe (though she has sat just behind it, looking in curiously, she known not to enter, because she respects my space).

Of course, if you have been reading my blog, you know we went through a whole 2 week cocooning period and in the 3rd week, Yoda was only introduced to my mother and my best friend. By that time, she already knew to look to me for guidance and I was able to get her to listen to my commands, which I started teaching her from Day 1.

Although we are together for over a month, I still choose to hand-feed her. I now ask her to look at me and only feed her once she has made eye contact with me. I find this is a special time where we bond and she learns to connect with me mentally in order to be rewarded with her food. Maybe she would have growled or snarled had I allowed to have unrestricted access to meals, rather than recognizing I am the parent that provides it and whom she should respect. However, I did not give her the chance to develop any such guarding, protective possessiveness. 

I was told this is cruel because I control her and keep her dependent on me with food. Almost everyone in life keeps you dependent on them with resources, including your boss with your paycheck. I think it is cruel to allow a dog too much freedom and lack of structure which leads them to feel anxiety, stress and thus, act out. I find I have only seen positive reactions from making mealtimes interactive. Besides, I like to be associated with doggy food and other good stuff!

I try to gently educate people I meet who tell me their stories, but most people don't accept tips easily. I wish they would read more books or educational websites for their dog's sake.

I won't say that Yoda isn't just the most perfect dog ever and that I am purely blessed and lucky to have found her!

But I do think that a large part of why she is such a good dog is because I have given her a quiet, stable environment with a lot of consistent discipline, obedience training, daily exercise and of course, love. She feels calm because, for her sake, I am controlling the pace at which is introduced to new people, dogs and exciting stimuli. I am trying to set her up for success and ready to redirect any unwanted behaviour as soon as it happens.

So of course, when we are out, she sits quietly beside me, waiting for my word before we start off again or waiting patiently while I talk to someone, because she sees me as her leader and she feels confident with me. She doesn't need to cry or bark or jump in anxiety, because she doesn't need to worry about anything.

Mama has it all under control.











Sunday, May 19, 2013

Black and White Sunday : Yoda the Big Baby

I just love how she curls up her body into a minuscule little furball like a cat does. She is a cuddlebug extraordinare! 60lb baby!