Monday, February 28, 2011

Nugget's Next Stop...


A&E's Hoarders.

Seen above is only a very small sampling of the tennis balls Nugget has accumulated in his collection.  Just when I think we're running low and make it a point to purchase more, the "missing" balls suddenly reappear and my living room looks like the sideline of an ATP World Tour event.  
And if ever anything is missing in this house, I immediately check under Nugget's couch cushion, pillows or blanket.  Still hoping that someday I'll unroll it to find a winning lottery ticket or millions of dollars worth of diamonds.  As soon as I hear the "clinging and clanking" of gold and platinum hitting my floor as I unveil his treasures, I'll let you know!  
Neither of them ever destroy anything that doesn't belong to them, but I often find my towels on the floor in another room or the occasional shoe (thanks, Osc) and Nugget has been known to carry socks out of the laundry and cuddle with them.  He rarely hoards any of my belongings, but I regularly see him parading through the house with a "new" bone that he could only have gotten from a stash he has somewhere hidden and I've yet to find... or Oscar for that matter :)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Tired Pups = Happy Pups (& Mom, too!)

We arrived back from our brief Wilmington trip this morning and hurried over to the Pet Paradise Resort to reunite with our canine companions.  Like the over-protective, mildly psychotic, control-freak mom that I am, I called earlier in the weekend to check on them and made B call 3 hours later to make sure we got the same report from a different staff member.  Both reports confirmed what we had already suspected - Nugget was swimming to his heart's content and Oscar was prancing around the playground with a blue frisbee.  Predictable?  Maybe.  Adorable?  Always!
They were beyond ecstatic to see us, just as we were to see them!  Well, speaking for myself, of course...  B might described his own feelings differently as he tends to enjoy his time away more than I do.  Anyway, we danced, hugged, kissed and danced some more.  A reunion of all reunions - as always.  Once everyone was piled into the car, it was only a matter of seconds before the eyelids began drooping.  Normally in the car we have heads hanging out windows and mouths panting and drooling...  Not after a weekend at the resort!


Nugg's face of contentment.  Please note heavy eyelids and huge smile.

 Osc is too frightened by B's driving to relax.  Please note deer-in-headlights look.


Only moments before B and I left for softball practice, this is what we found in the living room: 2 otherwise very hyper pups with their heads up, but eyes closed.  Busy weekend of partying at the resort with their friends, I suppose.  Rough life!

I always feel better knowing they had a great time.  The 3-day long nap they each take once we get home always allows me to get more done, too!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Beautiful Carolina Sunday


Nugget enjoys some sunbathing on the patio.  (This was taken last weekend). Don't be a hater, but we've enjoyed a good number of 60-70+ degree days over the past few weeks in NC. Good thing, too because cabin fever was wreaking havoc in this house!
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Let's Call Him What He Is...

Finally B returned home from this week's business trip around 8 this evening.  Good thing because I was about half past crazy.  All in all it has been a decent week and his trip was rather brief.  I've had more energy thanks to the increasing number of daylight hours, nice weather and frequent visits to Starbucks, thus I've been able to accomplish more which always leaves me in a better mood.  Since it's not immediately dark-as-midnight when I get home from work at 5:15 anymore, I allow the Nugg and his Doodle ample romping time in the great outdoors before we return inside for dinner noms.  Today would have been no exception, but they were in rare form and extremely on my nerves.  After the 5th time of being wrapped 38 different ways between 2 leashes, I put an immediate stop to any and all fun that would be had outside by these 2 for the rest of the day.  Inside we marched.  And everyone had dinner in silence.
Due to the short duration of outdoor play, their nonsense quickly resumed once dinner was finished.  They resumed eating each other's faces, eating each other's tails, Nugget was pulling Oscar through the house by his collar, Oscar was eating Nugget's ears, Nugget was barking, Oscar was growling, Nugget was wailing, they were fighting over a tennis ball, Oscar was jumping on and off the couch, rinse and repeat.  This went on for almost a 2 solid hours.  Once B came through the door, they acted like fools for less than 5 minutes, jumping up and barking at him.  A reunion of all reunions.  And then they both laid quietly under the table while we ate dinner.  Wait, what?  Who are these dogs?  And where did my beasts go?  (Not that I was complaining!)
So I took advantage of the peace and quiet to get a few things done around the house - namely laundry, which is most difficult with the Tasmanian Doodle is tearing through the place.  But just in case the beast would arise, I did put up the gate at the end of the hall.  Well then all hell broke loose.  The overgrown crybaby (as he shall now affectionately be referred) began wailing and whimpering and crying.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  He doesn't want anything to do with me... until we are apart.  And then he cries.  And cries.  And cries.  And cries.  Absolutely ridiculous.  But shoot, I love the heck out of him.  And I super duper love that he misses me when I'm in the next room and he can't see me.  Aww!  At least somebody wants and needs me!

Nugget Says...

You're never too old for your teddy bear!
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Prognosis is GOOD!

Call me a slacker-mom.  I totally neglected to update our readers after our visit to the ophthalmologist for Nugget last Thursday.  But let's be real for a minute - this canine companion needs his own secretary.  Between vet visits, testing for his therapy dog registration and getting all of his forms mailed off and now responding to therapy visit requests, I'm in the process of Googling "How to Train Your Doodle on Email Basics" (because if you can't find it on Google, it's not possible, right... and it's about time this Doodle earns his keep!).
So last Thursday, I left work early (not unlike having a human child, right?) to take my Nugget over to Carolina Vet Specialists to see Dr. Grover, the ophthalmologist.  Nugget was his usual ham-self, entertaining people in the waiting room and relishing in all of the belly-rubs and compliments he received.  He was actually very well-behaved in the exam room.  He's very tolerant of being poked, prodded, having his paws touched, his face touched, his mouth opened, etc.  It took Dr. Grover less than 5 minutes to complete his exam but cost me MORE THAN $100!!!  WTH!?!?!  His conclusion is that Nugget's cataracts are hereditary, meaning he was likely born with them.  It is possible that they've progressed some since birth, but he believes it's highly unlikely they will progress any further.  In his experience and he's old (sorry, Dr. G), he said he's only ever had to perform cataract surgery twice on Golden Retrievers who presented with hereditary cataracts that actually progressed to the point of drastically affecting the dog's vision.  Nugget is fortunately nowhere near that level.  At this point, we're not going to schedule surgery.  Since Dr. White knows what to look for, we'll just continue checking in on them at our yearly check-ups to ensure there is no further progression.  Needless to say, I was extremely relieved to learn we probably won't be needing surgery.  Yes, cost was going to be a bit of an issue, but the thought of putting my sweet Nugget through that was just tearing me apart.  
And really, the Doodle is probably going to be a very half-assed secretary, let alone a decent guide dog for my visually impaired Nugget!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY



CAPTION US :)




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Sunday, February 20, 2011

How to Become a Registered Therapy Dog

Several days back, Tucker's mommy commented on a post asking me to explain the process of becoming a registered therapy dog.  So in light of Nugget having completed his final observation this afternoon (HOORAY!), I will explain.


A friend of mine from our local Golden rescue, Golden Retriever Rescue Club of Charlotte, recommended Therapy Dogs, Inc. to us.  This is a national organization and they've been around since 1990.  To date, they've registered more than 11,000 therapy dog teams.


A good first step would be to explore their website through the link I provided above.  They have a lot of great resources and information about what it takes to become registered.  You can download and print all of the testing forms and observation forms you'll need to have filled out so you'll know exactly what the tester/observers will the judging you on.  Their application and release forms are also available on the website.  Submit your name to receive information and within hours, you will have an email which lists every tester/observer in your state.


So here is how it works:  A therapy dog team consists of you and your dog - that's right, you both get registered together.  You (human) are known as the handler.  Any dog can have more than one handler, as B and I have done.  I believe there's an additional $10 registration fee for each handler beyond one.  Each handler has to test and observe with the dog individually.


After you receive the list of Therapy Dog Inc. tester/observers in your state, chose one local to you to contact.  Fortunately, there are four of them here in the Charlotte area and they all work together.  They also share a common calendar, so each of them knows what the other is doing and when.  You will typically meet with a tester/observer about 15 minutes prior to one of their regularly scheduled therapy dog visits.  Your first encounter with them will include a short "test" of you and your dog.  He/she will grade (pass/fail) on how well your dog walks on a leash; how well your dog listens to you when you give commands; how your dog interacts when being approached by strangers; how your dog interacts when approaching a stranger with you; how your dog reacts to loud noises, someone running past them, etc (distractions).  The tester/observer will also watch your dog's overall demeanor and personality looking for red flags such as jumping up, cowarding, growling, aggression, etc.  (Let's be honest, if your dog does any of those things, you wouldn't be wasting the time or embarrassing yourself by going through this just yet).  


After the test, you'll head inside the facility with your tester/observer who will likely have their own dog in tow and there will probably be a few other already-registered therapy dogs or others in process of becoming registered like you.  Following the tester/observer's lead, and depending on the facility, you'll either go from room to room asking residents if they'd like to visit or you'll enter different common areas to interact with the residents there.  Your tester/observer will look again for how your dog interacts with strangers, if he/she seems to be enjoying the visit and overall whether you make a good team in that setting.  These visits generally last no more than an hour.  The dogs get tired, the residents get tired and an hour is the perfect amount of time to make your rounds through the entire facility.


Once you've been through the facility with your dog, the tester/observer will complete your observation paperwork for that day and you'll be finished.  


In total, you will complete one test and three observations per dog, per handler.  B and I were able to complete observations at the same time, however, as most tester/observers will allow you to split the visit hour between two handlers.


You don't have to complete all three observations with the same tester/observer.  As long as you find someone who is a registered tester/observer through Therapy Dogs, Inc., you can complete those observations with anyone, anywhere.


There are several national organizations out there who will register your dog as a therapy dog.  A few things I liked about Therapy Dogs, Inc. was the cost - $35 to register a dog with one handler, $10 for an additional handler - for the entire year.  No money is due up front.  You wait until you've completed all of your requirements and then you send a check with your paperwork.  Also, they have many tester/observers in each state.  You'll won't be confined to one person's schedule.  Additionally, to maintain your registration, you must only complete a minimum of 4 therapy dog visits per year.  (I've heard other organizations require as many as 8 hours per MONTH to maintain registration - who has time for that?!).


In addition to the test and observation forms, you'll fill out an application which your vet must sign (to verify your dog is UTD on all shots, etc.).  You'll sign a release form and be asked for copies of your dog's proof of rabies vaccination.  Once everything is completed, you'll mail it all off to the Therapy Dogs, Inc office with your payment and in a few short days, your proud canine companion will be donning the red "I'm a Therapy Dog" heart shaped tag on his or her collar.  Such a proud moment :)


If you are at all considering this and have even the slightest bit of doubt, please contact me before you rule it out completely.  Admittedly, Nugget is not the best behaved dog since he's had no formal obedience training.  (I trained him myself and I'm a COMPLETE amateur!).  A few remarks we got on our observations included leash-pulling and barking.  We still passed everything.  These people all love dogs and all own dogs.  They know you'll have the occasional barking outburst or the dog will be a little excited in new environments, etc.  (Today I was mortified because Nugget was totally not into it.  He was more interested in laying on the floor than having people pet him - and we still passed!).  Definitely give it a shot!  The dogs really do enjoy the love and attention and the residents in nursing homes or rehab/assisted living facilities absolutely love the visits!  They are so appreciative and thank us endlessly for coming by.  The caregivers love when we visit, too!  Eventually I'd like to visit children's hospitals with Nugget, but he needs to mature a little more first since kids excite him the most.


I'm getting all of Nugget's paperwork ready to drop in the mail on Tuesday so I'll post a pic as soon as we receive that beautiful red "Therapy Dog" heart-shaped tag.  (Obviously, we'll have a dog party to celebrate his achievement!).  If you have ANY questions at all about the process, please leave me a comment with your email and I'll respond to you ASAP.  It truly is an amazingly rewarding activity for everyone involved. 

Friday, February 18, 2011

Funniest Video I've Seen - Dancing Goat!

I Know You're Jealous of My Dog-Snot-Covered Windows...

... and furry seats, floors and clothes.  You see me rollin' down the road and you're thinkin' to yourself, "Shoot... look at those smudged windows and those dog faces hanging out, drooling all down the side of her car.  That is not tacky at all!"  I'm not oblivious.  I can see how cool we are.  However, I simply can't take credit for all that awesomeness as it is the doodle who tends to rule this roost.  My efforts to enjoy, clean or redecorate anything I own or accomplish anything productive for that matter are often derailed by drama doodle and his trail of destruction.  Let me explain:


Dog Rules - the Doodle Version 
  1. Always greet parents with uncontrollable tail wagging and wiggles and whip their legs with hyper tail repeatedly until bruised to your satisfaction.
  2. Ensure uncontrollable tail wagging and wiggles make it impossible for them to attach the leash to your collar.
  3. Pee yourself.
  4. Pace 57 circles around mom before you squat to poop; add 20 laps if it's below 30 degrees outside.
  5. Give your brother the stare-down before pouncing into high speed chase mode.
  6. Walk through every patch of mud you see before re-entering the house.
  7. Ensure all mud transfers from paws to carpet.
  8. Find a toy with stuffing and tear toy to shreds, leaving trails of said stuffing throughout house.
  9. Steal towels from the kitchen and happily place them at mom's feet no less than 23 times a day.
  10. Always interrupt a peacefully sleeping Nugget to instigate a loud, slobber-slinging wrestling match.
  11. If brother has a bone, bark loudly and incessantly until he attacks you or dad puts the shock collar on you.
  12. When dad tries to boot you out of the bed, growl at him viciously and then position yourself on his back to sleep for the remainder of the night.
  13. When not allowed in the bed, whine incessantly for 4 hours and then alternate with glass-shattering howls until someone wakes up and beats you with pillows.
  14. During neighborhood walks, always pick fights with bigger, meaner dogs... and then run like hell.
  15. Never allow mom or dad to sit on the couch and relax without you in their lap.

Yup, I'd say that about sums it up...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Please Don't Tells My Brother...


I stealed one of his tennis balls!
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Cup of Joe?


"I is not readies to get up... Can someone brings me my coffee ...?"
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

B has a theory...


He thinks the reason the boys don't act like they miss him anymore when he's traveling for work is because they are excited to get to sleep in the bed while he's gone. I tell him, "No! Of course they miss you!"  But then out of the corner of my eye I see Nugget give Oscar a high-five as soon as B leaves with a suitcase...
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POTTY HELP!

Ok, I'm totally about to lose my mind with Oscar.  He is on a strict potty schedule, which is great.  We go (i.e. poop) first thing in the morning, (occasionally at lunch), right before dinner and right before bed.  The problem is this: he will whine to go out at the appropriate times and then take an additional 30 minutes of parading around before he actually poops.  I don't have an extra 90 minutes in my day to mess with this.  He obviously HAS to go, which is why he whined at the door.  How do I make him go immediately (ok, in WAY less than 30 minutes) once we get outside?  I've tried the exorbitant amounts of praise when he does go.  I've tried limiting his "parading" radius and giving him a time limit which doesn't work because he immediately comes in and poops on the floor.  We have a designated pooping location (2 actually, in case the first is already occupied).  He always goes out without Nugget otherwise he's too distracted.  I'm out of ideas... HELP!  PLEASE!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day Standoff

Doggy standoff over a rawhide bone. Oscar devoured his in .8264 seconds. Nugget saves his, mostly just to torment Oscar. That is the source of contention.
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Happy Valentine's Day

Love Confetti Pink Valentine's Day Card
Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Another Success

We had our second test and observation today with Therapy Dogs, Inc. At a nursing home in Charlotte. This was my first opportunity to attend with my handsome Nugg. It was another very successful visit! I get absolutely tickled to see how much some of the residents enjoy the company of the dogs. Some may have stayed and pet the furry visitors for hours if they could. I heard so many tell me stories of their own pets they once had. It was very sweet. And Nugget absolutely adores the attention. He likes to park his furry butt right at their feet and lay down. We received so much positive feedback and so many compliments from both residents and staff. He makes me so proud!
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Cuteness

This is what I woke up to this morning. Totally made my whole day :o)
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

"Meet Us" and Join the Blog Hop!

PupLove is hosting a "Get to you know your fellow doggy bloggers" type of blog hop.  This will also help new followers get caught up with us... Don't forget to go over and link up!




Name:  Nugget George Houdini
Humans:  Katie (Mommy) and B
Website/Blog:  
Life is Like a Box of Nuggets

Age:  2 1/2 yrs
Location:  Charlotte, NC
Breed:   Golden Retriever
How we met:  My golden retriever parents had a litter of just me and my sister.  My sister died shortly after birth.  The humans put my picture in the paper and soon my new mommy came to meet me.  It was love at first sight!  Two weeks later, I went to live with her and we have been inseparable ever since!
Best trick:  "Good game" high five and sitting on my hiney
Favorite toy:  TENNIS BALLS!  I love 'em! I love 'em! I love 'em!

Best Friend:  Definitely B!  
Worst Enemy:  The vacuum cleaner, thunder and big trucks.




Name:  Oscar Elvis
Humans:  Katie (Mommy) & B
Age:  14 months
Location:  Charlotte, NC
Breed:  Labradoodle
How we met:  My old humans couldn't keep me anymore, so they put an ad on Craigslist.  My now-mommy, who happened to be a neighbor, saw it and came to meet me.  She loved me and wanted me to come live with her.  So I did.  I was a little sad at first, but excited to get to know my brother, Nugget.  Now I'm attached to mommy's hip and we are inseparable.
Best trick:  I can almost catch my frisbee in the air!
Favorite toy:  I really love my "kitty kat"

Best Friend:  Mommy is my best friend.  I try to be Nugget's best friend, but he's more of an independent guy.
Worst Enemy:  Reflections and loud noises.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Murderers

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Therapy Dog Article

From the Life with Dogs blog.

The Best Medicine: Pet Facilitated Therapy

Meet Gracie, a golden retriever trained to comfort and console.
Gracie is one of five certified therapy dogs who make regular trips to Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha.
The visits are part of the hospital’s pet-facilitated therapy program. Such programs are based in large part on studies that show that patients, like Isabella, who interact with animals exhibit reduced stress levels and improved emotional well-being.
Therapy Dogs Inc., Delta Society and Therapy Dogs International have certified more than 40,000 handler-animal teams to serve in therapy programs across the country. Outside of health-related facilities, volunteer teams also visit schools, libraries, courthouses and crisis centers. Several volunteer dogs were called to Ground Zero to provide comfort to the men and women working in the rescue effort, said Bill Kueser, Delta Society’s vice president of marketing. Health care providers, however, remain the most common institutions to incorporate animals into their services, he said.
Children’s program began informally in the late 1980s through the hospital’s volunteer services department. Nancy Ethington, Gracie’s owner, and two other volunteers streamlined the program to make it an official hospital service in 1995.


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY II

This one is deserving of a fun caption, too. Whatcha got?
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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Give us a caption!
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Busy Night...


...Of some intense paw-to-paw combat!  That's right, the next battle of Dog War III occurred right here in my living room tonight.  I even have two exhausted pups to prove it!  (Thank you, Jesus!)  I captured a pic of Nugget snuggling with his new stuffed blue lizard thingy.  So maybe I was at Kohl's earlier and saw these cute critters that I knew Nugget and Oscar would love to have... don't judge me!  (And don't tell B!).  Anyway, it's almost Valentine's Day so these basically count as their presents along with the new blue dog beds I ordered for each of them from Overstock.com and will have embroidered with their names.  What?
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Often Heard in the LILABON House

Oscar, NO!  Down, OSCAR!  Who wants to go potty?  Is it time for noms?  Quit barking!  Quit licking your wiener!  Quit licking his wiener!  Quit licking me!  Quit eating your poop!  Who farted?  Oscar, get off the counter!  Oscar, NO!  NO, OSCAR!  Can't you go back to sleep for 10 more minutes?  It's not time to get up yet!  Oscar, what are you into?  Nugget, quit pulling your brother around by his collar!  Why is everyone BARKING at ME?!  Quit eating your leash!  Stop pulling on the leash!  Again? You were just out!  Why are my towels on the floor, OscarCan't everyone BE QUIET?  Oscar, NO!  NO, OSCAR! Down, OSCAR!  Oscar, get off of the table!  Oscar, why are you whining?  Oscar, NO!  Down, OSCAR!  Who wants to go potty?  Is it time for noms?  Quit barking!  Quit licking your wiener!  Quit licking his wiener!  Quit licking me!  Quit eating your poop!  Who farted?  Oscar, get off the counter!  Oscar, NO!  NO, OSCAR!  Can't you go back to sleep for 10 more minutes?  It's not time to get up yet!  Oscar, what are you into?  Nugget, quit pulling your brother around by his collar!  Why is everyone BARKING at ME?!  Quit eating your leash!  Stop pulling on the leash!  Again? You were just out!  Why are my towels on the floor, OscarCan't everyone BE QUIET?  Oscar, NO!  NO, OSCAR! Down, OSCAR!  Oscar, get off of the table!  Oscar, why are you whining?

Hmmm... has anyone else picked up on a common theme here?  I surely don't see Oscar's name in there anywhere.  I am positive my neighbors must think I'm certifiably insane.  Oh to be a fly on the wall...





LILABON = Life is Like a Box of Nuggets

Monday, February 7, 2011

My Sunday Outing - by Nugget

Yesterday, mom and dad took me to a baseball game!!  Mom's alma mater, Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY) was visiting at Belmont Abbey out in Gaston County.  So mom put on her favorite GC gear, we piled in the car and headed up to Belmont for a bit.  The doodle had to stay behind because mom said we were going to work on my training in a different setting.  The doodle sometimes makes me forget my manners...
It was a fine day for a Golden to enjoy a baseball game!  The sun was bright and the temperature was mild.  Dad wouldn't let me sit in the stands at first.  He said I was too hyper - whatever that means.  But eventually we joined mom and sat front row right behind home plate!  I especially loved when other spectators walked by and petted my head.  But I really don't understand how some can walk by and pay me no attention at all!  I got a little distracted by some players tossing a baseball back and forth behind the dugout.  I kept trying to army-crawl my way closer, but dad always caught me.  He's the fun police... at least that's what mom always says.  I'm starting to agree.  Mom lets the doodle and I sleep in the bed on the nights dad is gone for work.  But as soon as dad comes home, we're back on the floor.  I don't mind it most of the time, but the doodle just whines and whines and whines all night long!  I wish mom would get me some ear plugs, too!

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

It's a Blog Hop Saturday!





So first, stop by to follow and thank the first 3 bloggers listed as they are hosting the hop on this beautiful Saturday!  Add your URL by clicking the link at the bottom of the list.  Grab the code and post the list to your own blog.  Then have a blast hopping around to all the fun blogs and meeting new friends.  And don't forget to follow your new followers from the blog hop!  Happy Blogging from the Nugget house :)

It's a rough job...

But somebody's gotta do it. We're of course talking about being CUTE! It can really tire a pup out, I'd say.
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Friday, February 4, 2011

My First Blog Award


This post has little to do with dogs and everything to do with my very first blog award - the STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD!  Thank you to Lesley over at  Five Seconds From Crazy for bestowing this honor upon me.  Since I'm a good sport, I'll follow the rules (shown below) for accepting this award.  

7 things about me:
1. I'm an animal lover.  All animals.  Period.  The more people I meet, the more I prefer the company of animals.

2.  I'm studying to take the CFP exam in November.  Prayers, please.  LOTS of prayers!

3.  I attended law school for a year.  It wasn't for me... but unfortunately, schools don't offer refunds if you don't like them.

4.  I have 800+ pictures on my phone.  799 of them are of the dogs.  I've only had my phone since last summer.

5.  Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author and I've read ALL of his books.  Every time he publishes a new one, I buy and finish reading it on the day it's available in bookstores.

6.  I know nothing about farming, but I'd love to live on a farm one day.  With LOTS of rescued animals (See #1).

7.  If I had to eat pizza everyday for the rest of my life, I would not be sad.

15 Blogs I Love:


RULES FOR ACCEPTANCE OF STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD:
1. Thank and link back to the person(s) who awarded you with this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.
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Thursday, February 3, 2011

I Am a Proud Puppy Momma!

You can probably guess from the post title that Nugget's first test and observe went very well!  B and Nugg ventured down to York, SC to the White Oak Manor this afternoon.  The first order of business was his test - which he ACED!   Next was the hour-long observation in the nursing home for which he was on his best behavior.  We still need to work on leash pulling, but he received all positive scores.  I'm so proud of my handsome man!  I couldn't wait to get home from work to give him a big hug!  (He also got a special peanut butter bone treat for being such a good boy since I'm such a cool mom.)  Our next test and observe is a couple of weeks out, but he is well on his way to becoming a newly registered therapy dog and I'm preparing mentally for one more calendar to keep!  


Here's what the ham bone is up to tonight:

BALL HOGGING!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

So Much for Wordless Wednesday...


I simply cannot keep this to myself - not only because I'm excited, but also because I hope our family, friends, fans and followers will cheer us on!  


That handsome man pictured above (Nugget!) has his first official "test and observe" tomorrow for Therapy Dogs, Inc.  B is taking him to a nursing home in York, SC to meet with one of the observers where they will first run through the test and then he'll be observed in the actual nursing home setting.  During the test, they will score his ability to follow basic commands, how well he walks on a leash and his physical appearance, etc.  (Let's hope he's having a good hair day! ha!)  During the observation, he will be evaluated on his temperament in the nursing home setting and his ability to follow commands with the normal distractions of that environment and how well he interacts with strangers and other dogs.


I know he did great last week at the nursing home in Chapel Hill, but there weren't any other dogs present and tomorrow, there will be at least 2.  That could go either way, really.   So again, I'm very nervous but also very excited to get this ball rolling.  Please send prayers, bow-wows, paw-fives and good vibes our way!  We'll post an update tomorrow :)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

What Dogs?



I don't see any dogs in the bed!
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