Stop and Smell the Roses

Over the weekend, Hush and I took a few really long walks. At one point, it got really hot, so we found a clean part of the creek, and I let her get her paws wet. Dogs "sweat" through their paws (they don't actually sweat, but they release heat through their paws), and wading in a nice cool stream can really help them cool off. I try not to let her drink out rivers and streams, but I couldn't pour her portable water fast enough! So here is my little troll under the bridge.


After we played troll under the bridge, we continued on our walk until we got to one of Arlington County's many, many, many parks. This particular park has lovely rose gardens, and beautiful benches where you can sit and relax. We walked around the gardens, sat on a bench, picked and shared blackberries, and then took a nap in the grass together under a large shady tree.



Hush is a big fan of roses. First she wanted to smile with the pretty pink ones. Don't you just love this picture? When I showed it to her breeder she was blown away by how beautiful Hush is looking. She just gets better every single day!



But, Hush still does not have a very long attention span, so it did not take long before she was sick of playing photo shoot amongst the pink florals. Next we came to the yellow ones, and she decided it was time to stop and smell the roses. Of course, with all this trolling, posing and sniffing... we were exhausted. So, we collapsed in a ball of Lydiahushness under a big oak tree, and didn't wake up for over an hour! When we woke up there was a snow cone truck parked on the side of the road, so I bought us each a snow cone. Hush has hers with no flavoring, just shaved ice, but she doesn't seem to mind, and the snowcone salesperson usually discounts hers since there is no flavoring on it. You have to be careful feeding frozen treats or ice cubes, because of bloat, but the occassional frozen goodie is safe... just make sure you supervise your dog, and your dog does not eat the shaved ice too quickly.

It's Swimsuit Season!!!

For most people, you hear the words "Swimsuit Season" and start looking into gym memberships, spending more time exercising, and substituting a large salad for a big bowl of pasta. It seems everyone around me always loses weight during the summer, and sorry for calling friends out, but most of them gain a few pounds in the winter.

But then, there is me. I am the opposite. In the winter, I shed the pounds. Of course, you wouldn't know it, because I'm buried underneath oversized sweaters, big scarves, and cords that fit when I bought them in October, but by January are 1-2 sizes too big. I hear summer, and I think "Sangria while sitting in a rocking chair on a porch!" As soon as the weather starts to warm up and the flowers begin blooming I yearn for the smell of cheeseburgers cooking on the grill, and day dream of holding a ginormous Ben & Jerry's cone under the blazing sun, racing the rays to eat it before sticky droplets of Mint Chocolate Cookie dribble their way down my fingers, passed my wrist, and somehow land on my blouse. For me, summer is socializing time, floating in the pool, and indulging over lobster tails drenched in lemon butter.

But, this year is different. I have Hush as my motivation. She recently started swimming (and by that I mean going in the deep end and actually swimming), and she loves it. I've taken to walking her on long walks, we stop half way to lounge under the shade of a large tree and snuggle... usually sharing some granola while we do. So far, I seem to have not gained any weight, and if anything, may have lost a little. Ideally, I want to lose about 3 lbs and tone up a bit. Not too lofty goals, and things that should be easily attainable with my furry friend at my side.



As soon as she heard the pool was opening, I walked in my living room and found her like this. I didn't have the heart to tell her the pool does not allow dogs. She looks so good in a bikini that I think I need to work on my own body now!

Milly's Beach Getaway (without moi)...

I’ve often joked that my dogs live better than I do, and I now think this is actually true! Milly has a surprise in store for her this weekend – a trip to Kitty Hawk! I am green with envy that she’ll be spending the weekend on the beach, playing in the surf and sand, and having attention fawned on her, while I’ll be in sticky, hot, old DC.

As you know, I sometimes let my ex-boyfriend keep Milly for anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks at a time. Whenever he has her I use the time to focus on organizing my life, and training Hush. Two dogs can be a lot of work at times, especially while living in a small apartment, working full time, and trying to maintain a social life in a bustling city as a single 26-year old with a tendency of over-committing herself. Add into the mix that one of those dogs is in heat, and training to be a show dog, and sometimes it’s enough to make me want to rip my hair out. Of course, I adore my dogs, and I would not trade them for the world, but there are moments where it is stressful trying to manage everything.

Each year my friend Tina, you might remember her from some posts about apple picking, or know her from Love, Tina Marie, organizes a trip to the Outer Banks over Memorial Day Weekend. My ex and I have many of the same friends, and Tina is one of the many friends we share. The OBX trip is always planned many, many, many months in advance, and when the invitations went out I was not sure what sort of terms I would be on with my ex, he RSVP’d first, so I opted out. Next year, however, I plan on going on the trip! :)

When I got a gchat from the ex today asking if he could see Milly for an afternoon or a couple of days, I said sure. He asked when he could see her, and I told him I’d have to figure it out. Then, he asked if she could go to Kitty Hawk this weekend. Well, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I should say no. She’ll get exercise, she loves the beach, and everyone going on the trip loves her. Of course, I couldn’t make it that easy for my ex, so I promised he could take her with him under one condition… he return her with some wonderful portraits of her at the beach. The ex is a great photographer, and he was happy to oblige with my terms. So, tonight I’ll be packing Milly’s beach bag, and he’ll pick her up tomorrow night, then at noon on Friday they’ll hit the road.

Of course, I sure do wish I had some fun locale to escape to for the weekend. Oh the irony, my Golden Retriever lives and vacations better than I do.

Balls, of the tennis variey...

I know many of us have ball obsessed dogs. When you think of many dogs, especially retrievers, throwing a tennis ball with your faithful fur friend probably is one of the most common images to pop into your mind. But, did you know, the classic tennis ball is actually dangerous, and for reasons beyond choking hazards.

Tennis balls, a classic amongst us dog lovers, are coated in a yellow fuzzy coating that is actually quite abrasive. While for some dogs, this won't ever be a problem, for the truly tennis ball obsessed the abrasive coating can quickly wear down teeth, and wreak havoc on your dog's teeth and gums! Scary.

Of course, I would never say get rid of the tennis balls, because, after all, so many of our dogs love them, I know my Milly loves hers. Instead, I offer you an alternative. Kong is now producing "tennis balls" they are manufactured in the same factory as the balls made for tennis playing, but the yellow outer layer is softer and less abrasive, because it is made of felt. This truly will save your dogs teeth. But, at about 3x the cost of a tennis ball, these are not balls you want to lose.


For dogs like Milly, that enjoy squeaky things, they even make a tennis ball with a squeaker inside. Are you worried about the choking hazards associated with tennis balls? They make tennis ball material toys in all different shapes and sizes - I buy the over sized round tennis balls, with squeaker, for Milly.

Nuts for Knots!!!

Recently, I discovered a great new product Nuts for Knots, and Milly is begging me to order her one! Nuts for Knots are made of tightly woven cotton rope compressed into a compact ball. The tightly woven cotton is not only colorful, but also very durable! And best of all, you can toss them in the washing machine when they get gross and slobbery. I love the green, yellow and purple design, because it really stands out, and will be very easy for Milly to find in her massive basket of toys.

I love to bring Milly to work with me, but she can only sit still for about four hours before she wants to go out and play. To keep her occupied at the office I’m planning on ordering Nuts for Knots and throwing it down the hallway in my office building. This will give her the exercise she needs while at work with me, and prevent her from getting too antsy and barking. Our hallways in the office are carpeted, so it is the ideal place for indoor fetch. The carpet provides traction and prevents any slipping that can lead to joint damage, especially in older dogs.

This is not a toy I would leave a dog unsupervised with, though. The tag warns to throw it away once the knot becomes damaged or starts to unravel. Normally, this would prevent me from ordering a toy. But, for such a great price ($2.49 for the small, but I’ll need the large) it is worth it! This will be the office toy, so I’ll keep it in my drawer at work for office dog days.

These fun, brightly colored balls come in three sizes: small, medium and large – making them ideal for any sized dog. You can purchase them online at ThePuppyShop.com, and if you search for a coupon code online you’ll probably be able to find a discount code!