Blu's Update

Blu's Monthly Update

It has been another full filled month with this beautiful girl! Its crazy to think just four week ago she was 16 lbs. and now we are at a whopping 28! Her coloring is changing everyday and her fur is still as soft as ever. Everyday it seems like I learn more and more of her funny quirks!

Quirks: This is by far her weirdest quirk. We tried to feed her meals by learning new tricks or having her work it with her food dispensing toy. However, every once in awhile she will eat from a bowl or in this picture a container and when she doesn't have to work for her food, she simply lays down and slowly but surely finishes her food!

Her other funny quirk is her lack of self- awareness. She insist that she is still that six pound pup that can fit under the couch, the beds, and rest her head on pillows. Several times she has gotten stuck under the couch now and as you can see in this picture below, she just must fit on the pillow still! She must!

                                
Friends: Her number one best friend I would have to say is still Jaqen H'Ghar. Although the dominance has shifted due to her size, he still gives her a run for her money! Every week she sees her friend Ruby on their walks and has spent some time with her cousin Redford (who still have some height on her) and this superbowl weekend she spent lots of time with her other cousin Buster! 

Tricks: This picture here is our new favorite trick! Its her "sit pretty" trick! But lets see we have been lacking on the trick learning because we have been focusing more on walking, but she knows all her previous tricks still : sit, lay down, rollover, shake, give me ten, jump up, stay, crawl, go to your room. We have added: sit pretty, turn around, look at me, just up onto things, jump off of things, she place her paw anywhere you say paw, gentle, and she knows how to transition from a lay down to a sit. Smart girl!

Blu's Update

Blu's Monthly Update

 

Boy, has this month been fun! By looking at those two pictures you wouldn't even think its the same dog; she has changed so much. She surprises me everyday with how smart, loving, and how she is unlike any other dog I have ever met.

Toys: The first few weeks she showed no interest in any toys, however, that all changed once I gave her an antler! After we had her for three weeks she expanded her interest in toys and well lets just say she is nothing shy of spoiled in that department. She has everything from a stuffed hedgehog, every size ball, ropes, bones, and lets not forget one of her favorites, her Himalayan Yak Milk Bone.

Tricks: Her very first trick was sit, which was the by far the easiest thing to teach her. She is a total sponge though. Shortly after sit she picked up : lay down, rollover, shake, give me ten (shake with two hands), jump up on hind legs, stay, crawl, and go to your room.

Friends: Her very best friend I would say would have to be her feline brother, Jaqen. They can't get enough of each other! They wrestle all day and chase around the house. The cutest thing is that Jaqen cares for her like his own. He cleans her and whenever she has an accident, he pretends to bury it for her. This month has been full of new friends though! She has met: Lucy (black lab), Mac (yellow lab), Bennett (red lab), Ruby (maltypoo), Captain (Brittany), Buster (Aussie), Chappy (Wheaton Terrier), Redford (Goldendoodle), Waldo (Chaweenie), Tula (Boston Terrier), Guinness (black lab), and of course Mochi & Moose (frenchies).

There a little update for anyone who is interested in Blu's journey! Until next month!

What is a Tamaskan?

Typical Tamaskan litter. My little baby Blu is in there. 

I thought it was time for me to write another blog and what better to write about then about my new puppy, Blu's breed! She gets here in two days, and I am sure there will be lots more blogs about her in the future!

This is Blu's dad, Balto. (www.blustagtamaskans.com)

 A lot of people haven't heard of the breed Tamaskan. So what is a Tamaskan? The cutest thing to a wolf I think! (; Yes, I am one of those people that fell oh so in love with Game of Thrones, that I just needed a wolf of mine own. Through all the late nights on the internet looking for the perfect breed that not only resembled a wolf, but had a temperament that would be able to be around people and other dogs. Finally, we find the breed Tamaskan.

This is Amber, Blu's mother. (www.blustagtamaskans.com)

Other than being a rare find in this country a fun thing about this breed is that there are so many different looks out there. As you can see with Blu's mom and dad in the above pictures. They were originally bred from several different sled-dogs in Finland. The breed was created with a mixture of Northern Inuit, Utonagan, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, Saarlooswolfhond, and other Finnish racing huskies. Quite a bunch of not only highly intelligent dogs but major shedders!! (;

This is Blu. (formally Lexy) 

Screenshot of Blu during her last week with her mom.

We can't wait to meet her and share more of our experience with this rare breed with you!

Some fun facts for you:

-NC State's mascot is a Tamaskan

-They love to howl

-Average life span of 14-15 years

-Known to be escape artists

-Very pack oriented

-The word "Tamaska" means "might wolf" in Native American Language

Too Cute Tuesday

Here are a few wet noses I've met recently that are just too cute to be real puppies! 

                            

This curly-headed heart stopper is my new cousin Redford. He is the most laid back lover you'll meet, that is when he isn't getting into trouble (; 

     

                                                "Uhh, a little help here human!"

                     

                               This little peanut is Olaf, and boy what a cuddle bug! 

                                 

      He is so awkwardly long and short at the same time and has big ole paws as well. Poor little fellow didn't know that once I laid eyes on him, he would be stuck in my arms for the next hour (; 

                                

I kid you not, I have been waiting for it feels like a year now to meet this human lipped cutie, and last weekend I finally got to see her. 

                            

Although, I would argue that her name should be "luscious lips", this brown eyed girl is Miss LuLu.

                               

                                         Talk about too cute, look at those ears! 

                    

Little Brody is a chihuahua/basenji, but I think he looks an awful like a bull terrier with that oh so perfect nose! 

   

Make-out Mondays

                           

This pretty girl is, Izzy. I got to board her for a little over a week. She is such a sweet little fur-ball! She has toe hair like the grinch who stole Christmas, it's adorable! 

     

You have all seen this stud before, this is Samson. He is most famous for his smile from ear to ear! But when he can he likes to get a few licks in to show his loving personality. He is a big softy! 

     

Although blurry, I have to give credit to this sneaky kiss! This is Jax, the one who has stolen my heart. This Lab/Dane mix has one of the longest tongues I have seen! Just look at that thing! 

                  

Last but not least, Milo boy! He may be tiny, this little Jack Russell Terrier, but he sure gives the biggest kisses! 

Gentle Jax

                                   

The love I have for this guy amazes me and grows every time I see him. There's just something that happens to my heart every time I see him. I know I say it about lots of dogs and it's true it happens with many of my waggin' pooches. But man, this dog can do no wrong. 

        

His name is Jax, he is a Great Dane-Lab mix. He is one of the best looking dogs I have seen. In his pictures he doesn't appear that tall, but he is. He has long slender legs, and there's not an ounce of fat on him. He is solid though, like a Dane. 

                                   

If those eyes don't fully capture your heart and don't now what could. I have never seen a dog with such kind eyes. I can never stop looking at them!!

                       

He knows how much I love him, I like to think we are best friends. He does greet me with hugs and kisses everytime I see him and tends to stay close by my side. The only hard part for me working with dogs is that we have to send them home at the end of the day when all I want to do is keep them! I am thankful that I get to borrow Jax from time to time and he will forever have a place in my heart. 

                                   

Awesome Aussies

        Australian Shepherds are becoming one of my all time favorite breeds. They range in shape, size, and color, however all have their way of winning my heart!

                             

Tally is the very first one I have ever had a relationship with. She is considered a "Texas Heeler", which is a mix between an Australian Shepherd and a Blue Heeler. She's on the medium size, with lots of fur (which she is very particular about). Her mother cut her hair on her hind legs and got very self conscious. Silly girl! She is very intelligent as well. I go for the cute factor first in dogs, but once I find out they are smart it takes my love to a whole new level. This girl learns new tricks within minutes. 

      

She is also quite the ball player! This is her after 45 minutes of fetch. She may look tired here, but don't let that fool you, she will be begging to play again after a short rest as if she hasn't played in weeks! Another awesome thing about her, is she is the best hiking buddy. She never strays far from your side and when I get to far behind she comes back and "herds" me by nipping at my ankles followed by a whimper of encouragement. 

                   

You all remember Buster from my previous blog. He was a tough shell to crack but once you do you can't help but fall in love! Like I said Australian Shepherds come in many shades but he has one of the  most well known coat colors for his breed. The most common by breed standards are liver (red), black/liver, and Merle pattern. 

                    

This little guy is Linus, he is a toy Aussie and boy is he a charmer! Don't let his size fool you either, toys have just as much energy as their bigger brothers and sisters and are just as easy to train. They were bred smaller due to the increase in popularity in the past few years for people who wanted a smaller dog but still had smarts and endurance. 

      

His piercing blue eyes are very common in Aussies that have the Merle coating. The Merle gene dilutes pigment in eyes and nose as well as their coat. The more diluted coat leads to higher chances of blue eyes. I have also seen Aussies with "wall eyes" which is when only one eye is blue as well as "split eyes" where one eye might be mostly Amber or brown with hints of blue within. I'm a sucker not only for anything Aussie but for blue eyes to, what can I say! His nose print is also called a "butterfly" nose which is just a cute way of saying loss of pigment.