Buddha

Danny and Heather are selling their house. Because they both have awesome new jobs that are both (almost) an hour away from home, I said I would help out when they get last minute requests to show the house.

Today I got the call.

I surprised Buddha in the middle of his day, which was very exciting... until I put him in the car. His little brow furrowed and he looked at me like, "um, are my parents aware of this?"

We continued driving and he got a little more worried. "Am I being kidnapped?"












He whined a lot and was SUPER obnoxious until I let him sit on my lap and help drive.

We got to my house and he stayed in the kitchen while his cousins licked their lips behind the gate and pondered whether they were going to eat him if given the chance.

But everyone headed out to the yard and stayed calm and happy and were eager to go to the park.

Buddha, Griffin and Olivia played at the park for a full 30 minutes and got covered, head to toe in mud.

Buddha and Grif re-started the neighborhood watch- just two bro puppies barking at everything together.

When we got home, as soon as I closed the gate, Grif got that look in his eye and lunged for Buddha. I was expecting it, so I had Buddha in my arms before the teeth could fly. I cleaned off Buddha first and then he hung out in the living room while Griffin and Olivia stayed in the kitchen until it was time to take Bu home.

Bulldogs in the back, Buddha on my lap, we drove him home.

When I got back to the car from bringing him inside, Olivia had climbed from the backseat into the front seat, her eyes clearly saying, "since dogs are riding in the front these days, I figured I'd just move..."

She was more than a little annoyed that her cousin got to ride shotgun when she doesn't usually get that privilege.

The Brigade being back together was exhausting. 3 dogs- I don't remember it being that much work!

Some Bulldog Pictures and Video

Some random photos and video I've taken recently-

The bulldog tantrum continues to elude me. ie- the monster dog I live with refuses to allow me to catch her being a terror on video. 

This was a recent trip to camp- Olivia sometimes
thinks she is a cat, not a 55 pounds dog. 

Snuggled in a blanket because it's cold outside!

Just two puppies hanging out, chewing on their bones together.

The bulldog lean- no better place to sit than a lap!

Too early to be awake on a Sunday morning!

The good news is- the weather is finally warming up a little bit! The bad news is- the park is a giant puddle... and also my winter boots are not as waterproof as I thought.

Today we were at the park for 45 minutes! It was so nice outside, but by the time we got home, I was muddy, Grif was (a little bit) muddy, my car was a mess and Olivia was unrecognizable.

But it is sunny and nice outside, so I'm not complaining!

Bull(dogs) in a China Shop

It's been ridiculously cold for weeks and weeks. It's been too cold to go to the park and too miserable to go for a walk (which they don't even enjoy in nice weather, so when the sidewalks are icy and the air is freezing, it's REALLY not worth it).

I was out of town last week and weekend. Nate did his best to keep Olivia and Griffin active, but when I got home today, Liv looked ready to cause some trouble. I knew we were in for a rough night with a crabby dog.

And then I found this website- http://www.sidewalkdog.com/ which has a list of dog-friendly businesses in Minnesota and we were off.

First we headed to Chuck & Don's Pet Food. We actually go here pretty regularly, but they got treats, lots of attention, saw some other dogs and sniffed every inch of the entire store.

From there, we headed to the hardware store. Once again, the dogs got treats, lots of attention and smelled every corner of the store. I wasn't shopping for anything in particular but I found bully sticks for $4.99! And there were free samples of Taste of the Wild pet food (which is a quality food) and the manager gave me one of every flavor. We shared a bottle of water when we got back to the parking lot. Success.

From there, we headed to a store called Garden of Eden that carries aromatherapy products, candles, and like a million other smelly things. Again, the dogs got treats and attention and there were lots of things to smell. But that stop was literally bringing 2 bull(dogs) into a china shop. There were so many shelves, each covered with pretty bottles. I was a bit nervous, but they were very well behaved and we didn't crash into anything.

A little over an hour later, we headed home and I've had two happy dogs all evening. On our next outing,  we're going to check out the bookstore, the shoe store and UPS.  If it doesn't warm up soon, I am going to go to every last place on that list. I can't believe it is only February....

Olivia- shopping

Relaxing after our outing

Playing in the Snow

January has been SO cold and snowy. We haven't been able to go to the park every day, which makes Olivia a bit of a terror when she doesn't get her energy out.

Yesterday was in the upper 20s and it actually felt nice outside. Unfortunately, the snow was above my knees and it was difficult to walk, much less chase the ball. We lasted about 20 minutes and stayed in a small little area, but they were tired after burrowing through the snow.  

 

Exhausted after a long day of playing

Good Couch Sheets

He looked remorseful for peeing on the couch

When we bough our beautiful new couch a few months ago, we also bought a couch cover. Under the couch cover, the cushions are wrapped in a fleece blanket. Over the couch cover, we have 2-3 sheets draped over the whole thing.

I have several "good couch sheets". I never knew that could be a thing. Good couch sheets are king sized (big enough to really cover the most area of the couch) and kind of a jersey material that stays in place and doesn't slip too much.

So when I woke up this morning and there was a giant wet spot on the couch, I wasn't too worried and not upset at all. Grif looked pretty sad, but I immediately kissed and snuggled him and assured him that I loved him more than the couch (and, in terms of investment, I've put like, a million times more into him than the couch).

I like having nice things and it's important to me that my house and the things in it are clean. But having dogs (especially a special needs dog that regularly projectile vomits, slobbers, poops and pees seemingly without control) has taught me to have perspective. Things are just that- things. Nothing lasts forever and everything can be replaced.

Grif does his best- he is actually pretty well potty trained. But he has accidents. Which is why I am the foremost expert in pet cleaning products and pet-proofing furniture. Perhaps some day I will go into business. Until then, I will continue the battle of cute vs. keeping my house clean.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

A bit too much turkey left Griffin and Olivia pretty sleepy!

Olivia and Griffin's 5 Year Photos

Olivia and Griffin turned 5 in October, and, as I have done every year, I had their photos taken. The photo session happened to be a week after Nate and I got engaged, so the bullies and I decided to include him this year.

When Nate and I first started dating, he thought I was a CRAZY dog lady who worried too much about Olivia's feelings. Three years later, HE is just as dog focused as I am (is it coincidental that our engagement happened once he went dog crazy???).

Anyway, here are some of my favorites-