T'was the Night Before Christmas

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the forum

Not a creature was sleeping, not even a Golden;

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Santa Paws soon would be there;

The kitties were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of catnip danced in their heads;

With Arry in his headphones and I on the sofa,

Had just settled down for a TV marathona;

When out in the dining room there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the davenport to see what was the matter.

I sprung round the corner in a lightening flash,

Skidded across the floor and landed in a splash;

The lamp on the breast of the newly mopped floor,

Gave luster and shine to what was below;

When what to my wandering eyes should I see,

But eight disengrated bulbs looking back at me;

Next to them two Goldens so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment they had their favorite pick;

But then from above we hear a voice deep and jolly,

The voice rings out, It must be Santa Paws, by golly;

The Goldens they scrambled to the front door with glee,

Leaving Ma on the floor like a swatted down bee;

The doorbell it rang and a package heard dropped,

The Goldens they barked and they barked and they barked.

Santa Paws Santa Paws, yes he had finally came,

Then he whistled and shouted and called them by name;

Heal Beethoven, Heal Marley, Heal Benji and Buddy!

On Marmaduke, on Lassie, on Yellar and Snoopy!

Then in a flash with a wag of their tail,

The team went away with more to mail;

The Goldens ran back with stories to tell,

Eyes bright with joy but on deaf ears it fell;

I scolded and pointed to the fallen bulbs,

But the Goldens denied any action at all;

Must have been the fat man Mom with all of his dogs,

For we love all things Christmas, even the logs;

To my puter I headed with a story to tell,

With a log and a click I knew all was well;

To family and friends, and yes, furries on paw,

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to All!

The Road To The Breed Ring:

I am very excited to announce that on January 18^th, Hush and I will be starting Beginning Conformation Class! Typically, the trainer of this class likes dogs to be at least 6-months, and Hush will only be 5-months, but because she will only be teaching the course this winter she is making an exception. I had the opportunity of meeting with the trainer last week after puppy kindergarten, and she is fantastic. She shows Chow Chow’s and is an AKC judge, who seems to be a wealth of knowledge!

So you ask, what is Beginning Conformation Class? Basically, this will serve as an introduction to conformation (dog showing, like what you see on TV when you watch Westminster) for both Hush and I. The class is geared towards anyone who is a novice and has never shown a dog in conformation, or has limited experience. To ensure all students receive individual attention, the class is capped at only 10 students.

The course covers:

• Familiarity with breed standards and their importance
• Canine anatomy terminology
• Proper equipment use for exhibiting specific breeds
• Show procedures and attitude
• Movement patterns
• Ring appearance
• Good sportsmanship

The course is 6-weeks long, and will be the first step in preparing us for the show ring. After this class is over, another class will start on weekends, where each Saturday will be like a mock show to get dogs used to having dogs standing in front of and behind them while being shown.

I can begin showing Hush at 6-months in AKC puppy classes. I already have one show planned on our calendar in June, in Traverse City, Michigan, where as you know, Hush came from. Whether or not this show will be our debut, only time will tell!

Don't Kill Your Dog With Antifreeze!!!

With a cold front hitting much of the country, and snow blanketing many cities, it’s a great time to be outside with your favorite fur friends for play time in the fluffy white stuff! But, with the cold weather, one potentially lethal substance seems to be everywhere: antifreeze.

It’s in windshield wiper fluid and coolant, which I know I personally seem to be buying in droves these days. If your car is leaking coolant, it can be dripping on your sidewalk, or you may store your extra bottles in a corner in your garage. Please, be extremely careful. Do not let your dog lick your driveway, or anywhere antifreeze may have leaked from a car, and make sure to keep products containing antifreeze far from reach of pets (and children), and your garage locked. Should any spill, clean up every last drop.

Antifreeze has a very sweet taste, which makes it particularly attractive to dogs, who do not realize the substance is toxic. Ethylene Glycol is added to antifreeze to lower freezing points, and is the sweet smelling and tasting chemical making antifreeze lethal. Just a teaspoon of antifreeze can quickly cause a small dog to go into kidney failure and be lethal, and not much more is needed to kill a large dog.

I know when I think antifreeze, I automatically think of its uses in automobiles, but we can’t forget our holiday decorations that may contain it, too. Snow globes are very popular this time of year, and these tend to be manufactured in China. Like many products from China, snow globes are transported to this country on large cargo ships. To prevent the liquid inside of the globes from freezing (which would cause the glass globes to break), antifreeze is added during manufacturing. Keep your snow globes out of your pet’s reach this holiday season, and should one break, make sure to thoroughly clean up not just the broken glass, but the liquid as well.

Remember, with all of our decorations and holiday treats, dogs are tempted to counter surf or jump on tables this time of year. Because of this, it is extra important to never leave a dog unattended in a room, or within reach of a surface holding a snow globe. The sweet scent and flavor of antifreeze is just too good for many pets to pass up, and the results are almost always lethal.

Should your dog show signs like staggering and vomiting, immediately check out your veterinarian. For extra precaution, companies like Sierra produce less toxic propelyne-glycol-based antifreeze.

My Neighbors

If you read my blog, you probably own dogs, or love dogs, or want a dog. Or, you are one of my few non-dog readers keeping tabs on me through my dog-related exploits and posts. If you are the latter, you probably know my name is Lydia, and I blog under the name Miss Muddy Paws, and knowing these facts puts you in the minority.

My new condo is filled with dogs, and the people on the end of their leashes seem incredibly friendly and welcoming. My neighbors (of the human variety) regularly walk dogs for one another, and swap dog sitting duties if someone is going out-of-town. I have gotten to know them quite well – on the first floor, we have Marley, on the second floor there are Jessica Simpson and Milly and Hush, the third floor is home to Gus, and a pitbull, whose name escapes me. I can also name eight of my neighbors in other buildings.

When I walk around the corner, Retrievers in-leash, I can hear people talking, “There’s Hush-Puppy, and the other one is Milly. They live on the second floor of X building.” I’ve quickly learned which dogs are ones that can play with mine, and which are a little less-social. In my interactions, I sometimes garner little tidbits about their owners. The hound Hush loves to play with has an owner that works most weekends; Jessica Simpson’s owner adores Colbert and disapproves of my “Warning: Dog Bites Democrats” magnet on my car; Gus’s owner is engaged; the husky-mix is owned by a man who drives a BMW; Marley’s owner recently re-did her hardwood floors; Nellie’s owner has top-secret clearance. If this sounds like LSAT prep, it’s not, it’s my life.

I’m sure at some point in time, we’ve exchanged human names, but the names we most frequently use are our dogs’. Most of the details about our lives come from exchanges about our dogs, and a conversation almost never leads with human-questions, unless it has to do with the weather.

Having dogs has afforded me the opportunity to get to know my neighbors, I know them much better than my non-dog-owning roommate, Sydney, but do I really know them? Or, do I simply know the canines of the condo complex? It’s one thing to know the names of the dogs at the local dog park, and not their human counterparts, but, has this been taken too far when the same holds true for my neighbors?

Award: Bad Blogger

I am the worst blogger ever! If there was an award for bad-bloggers, I would get it! So much has been going on.

First, I moved on Tuesday. I now live in a lovely little condo complex in Arlington, on 14-acres of beautifully manicured lawns, with well established trees, and a river… did I seriously just discuss the “well established trees”? No wonder I’m single.

The complex is extremely dog friendly, and I love it! Moving has really monopolized the majority of my time, and I will be very excited when everything is set up. I’ll post pictures as soon as my apartment no longer looks like a national disaster area. I have so much stuff, so I’m implementing a lot of down-sizing and space-saving tips I’ve learned on all of the blogs I follow, and am debating ordering the shoe rack DC Gop Girl blogged about.

Second, I am currently trying to get a new job. I know, controversial whether or not to put this out on the worldwide web, but my boss knows about my endeavors, and fully supports my career so I’m going to go out on a limb and own up to it, at least on the blogosphere.

Third, as you all know, I have a puppy. I really did not grasp exactly what I was getting myself into with getting Hush. Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the best decisions of my life, but I now really understand first hand why you should never get a puppy on a whim. I researched puppies, breeders, training, and just about everything dog related for over three years, and am still blown away by the amount of time and work involved in having a new puppy, especially if you care as much about training as I do.

I promise to return to blogging regularly, just as soon as possible.

How To Spot A Meth Lab

FUN FRIDAY: Little Dog In A Bath Tub

Save Money With Homemade Training Treats

As you all know, I recently finished a basic obedience class with Milly at the Mt. Vernon Dog Training Club. Because MVDTC does not offer any puppy classes, I have enrolled Hush in puppy kindergarten through the Capital Dog Training Club in Silver Spring, MD (more on this to follow).

In puppy kindergarten, not only does Hush learn the basics: heal, sit, down, stay, recall, off, etc. But, she also gets vital socialization and exposure to a variety of distractions like clown masks, baby carriages, ladders, and loud noises.

The first few months of a puppy's life are the molding period. In this phase, you can essentially teach your puppy not to be fearful of things through positive associations. Already, Hush has learned to love being blow dried, baths, nail clippings, and yes, loud noises. At home, my food motivated puppy gets rewarded with regular puppy treats or pieces of kibble, but in class she needs more. Low fat string cheese is a great motivator - she only gets these high value treats in class, but I want her to have more options. Today, I picked up some all-natural, low fat, all beef, nitrate free hot dogs. I plan on cutting these into tiny pieces and dehydrating them. To do this, I will simply set the oven to 250, place my sliced hot dogs on a cookie sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, or until dry, but not burnt.

Voila! Months worth of high value training treats, for $3! To make them last even longer, I'll only dehydrate 1-3 hot dogs at a time, and store the rest in the freezer, thawing them and baking as needed.

Hush!

Here are some pictures of Hush. I apologize now for my appearance. These were taken the first day I had her, at work, with a cell phone camera. As you know, I was operating on absolutely no sleep. No, those are not black eyes, just dark circles.





She spent the first week with me at the office, and had a crate set up at work and everything. She has been such a delight to train! I've never seen such a food motivated dog!

The Journey to Get Hush

I have been such a bad blogger! I can’t believe that I have not posted yet about my trip to get Hush, and my first weeks with my little bundle of joyous fuzz!

On Halloween, my only day off in months, I boarded a flight out of Washington Dulles, with a planned connection from Detroit to Traverse City, Michigan. All was set, my breeder, of Nitelite Goldens, would pick me up at the airport take me to her house to meet Hush’s ancestors, then we’d head to Hush’s home, a winery, where I would the litter, enjoy lunch, and a glass of wine before heading back to the airport to fly back to DC. It was a jam packed trip, which started with me up before 5am to primp, out the door by 5:30. My parents met at an airport; as a result, I always look my absolute best when I fly. Four inch stilettos, an adorable dress, curled hair, not an eyelash out of place.

All seemed well as I sat in my seat on that first plane, but soon, the trip from hell would unfold. First, my second carry on, the size medium Sherpa bag, did not fit in the overhead bin. I decided to plane side check it, knowing it would fit on the next flight, and I could rearrange my other carry on. However, Delta failed to give me a tag for it when I plane side checked it. The next thing I knew, my flight was pulling away from the gate, only to have to go back to the gate because of mechanical failures. The mechanic took his merry time fixing the plane, stopping half way through to go get a bagel and cup of coffee, yes; I watched this out of my window. Needless to say, we were delayed, very delayed.

When I arrived in Detroit, I raced off the plane, eagerly bounced up and down as the person unloaded plane side checked bags, waiting for my little Sherpa so I could grab it and race to my connection, praying under my breath my connection was also delayed, knowing if it was not, I had already missed it.

After all of the bags had been set beside the plane, I inquired about mine; he picked it up, and said, “Oh, this one?”

“Yes!” I squealed as he taunted me with the pet carrier.

“I need your ticket,” he responded in an authoritative way while examining the carrier very closely.

“Don’t worry; there isn’t a puppy in it, yet…” I said while digging through my cluttered purse for my boarding pass. By this point in the trip I was quite experienced at fielding inquiries about where the puppy in said puppy carrier was. I found my tattered boarding pass and thrust it at him. My heart was racing; my nails were digging into my palms as the dismal reality of missing my flight was setting in.

“No, the baggage ticket, you were given plane side in Washington,” he explained.

“I wasn’t given one; I checked it very last minute.”

Because of FDA requirements, he cannot give me back my bag. If I would like it back, I’m going to have to go to baggage claim in Detroit to retrieve it. I want to scream; I want to shout, “I’m not going to blow up a plane with a Sherpa bag!,” But realize, if I wind up in jail for attempted terrorism, my boss will probably fire me for missing work two days before the election.

I race towards the gate, hoping to find a kind Delta representative to give me my puppy carrier and get me on the next flight to Traverse City. I think to myself, I’m in the right state; it can’t be that hard to get me there. I’ll just be an hour or so late. Wrong, so wrong. The next flight to TC was schedule to depart in three hours. I called the breeder in a panic; she was waiting in baggage claim at Traverse City for me, and assured me that no matter what, I would have my puppy today, even if it meant Hush meeting me at the airport.

The rest of the trip was a blur. I literally ran miles through the Detroit airport – at one point Tweeting that I had a new found respect for “Workout Barbie,” as blisters began to blanket my feet. In the end, I was booked on a flight that would put me into Traverse City five minutes before I would have to board my flight back to Detroit, and then back to DC. Delta offered to put me up overnight, but they wouldn’t be able to get me to DC until 10am, with two days until the election, that would not work. Because technically, my flights from TC back to DC were a separate return trip, I could not check in and acquire those boarding passes until I landed in TC. My puppy carrier was now being checked through to Traverse City. I was a nervous wreck, but a nice Delta employee assured me Traverse City is a tiny airport staffed with very nice people. If I told them as I got off my plane that I had to run to baggage claim to get my checked bag and a puppy, and would be on that flight, the last flight out for the night, they would most likely be very accommodating.

When I landed in Traverse City my feet were bleeding, my once perfectly curled hair was disheveled, my side bangs clung to my sweaty brow, my dress was wrinkled, I had coffee stains on my purse, my eyes were dark and haunting from lack of sleep during an election and mascara tear stains. I walked off the plane, in a zombie like state. I began explaining my story to the woman working the counter at the gate.

I think Traverse City airport is in an alternate fairy tale universe.

“I’ve already checked you in. Here is your boarding pass.” The kind lady said at the gate, before I had time to finish explaining my sob story.

“Your puppy is waiting with that lady right over there,” the fairy godmother Delta employee comforted as she waved her magical wand in the direction of a woman sitting by the gate, holding a puppy carrier and waving at me.

I was confused. How did this woman with my puppy get through security? I ran up to the puppy woman, Marie, the lady who owns Hush’s mom. I had so many questions. She pulled Hush from a carrier. As I walked toward her, the gate attendant explained she was personally pulling my checked bag from the plane, so I would not have to go through security.

My little Hush popped her head out of her carrier. Marie was so kind, with a bag packed of everything I might possibly need on our journey. My flight was delayed, again, but I didn’t care.

I never did leave an airport that day, I spent 20 hours running from gate to gate, mastering the art of going through security, and going from pure elation over getting my puppy after 3 years of waiting, to total meltdown over lack of sleep, work related stress, and having all of my travel plans come tumbling down around me.

But, when I finally limped off the plane in DC, exhausted, a sense of calm came over me. This was the best Halloween of my life, and I buried my face into a warm fuzzy ball of fluff, and shed a tear of joy.