Wet Nose Wednesday

   

Did you know that a dogs nose print is unique to each dog, just like our fingerprints are unique to us? 

So what's the reasoning behind theses wet noses? There are a couple reasons. 

The most well known reason is that by having a wet nose it allows our furry friends to keep cool. They only sweat through their pads on their feet. So by panting and secreting mucus through the nose it aids in cooling themselves down. 

   

Another helpful reason behind wet noses that I recently learned, is that their noses aren't wet from sweat but rather from a mucus that allows for chemicals in the air to dissolve onto. This aids with their wonderful sense of smell. 

                 

When these silly pooches are scavenging about in the grass with their rapidly moving noses, they are also licking their nose. By doing this, they bring the entrapped chemicals in the mucus and drag it back to their mouth, where they press it to the top of their mouth. On the top of their mouth there is another olfactory sense organ that can allow them to smell things you and I can't. 

                 

I've seen black noses, wet noses, dry noses, pink noses, brown noses, blue noses, multi colored noses, squished noses, long noses, and runny noses,  and love them all! 

                                  

 

"Berne" Mac

     

Bernese Mountain dogs have become one of my all time favorite breeds. I've got to meet so many of them at my job and I love them all! My buddy Mac was boarding with me last night for the second time. 

The first time he boarded with me, it was his first time ever being there and he did great. We spent the whole night cuddling. My coworkers did not believe me when I said he is one of th biggest cuddle bugs. So I made sure I get plenty of picture to prove to them, that behind that big bear head and those gigantic paws , is a puppy who wants some snuggles! 

                                

He is quite the flirt, as well. This is him trying to get my attention by chewing on my boots. He would toss and turn while lifting his arms to pull me to the floor.

      

Before I knew it, he got me to lay on the dirty ground with him. Sometimes I totally forget how gross that is because I get so wrapped up in the dogs, and then when I look back I go, " oh yeah that's probably why my sweater is full of dog hair and smells like disinfectant". But I would way rather have bonding time than a clean sweater! 

  

Mac got so comfy, that we couldn't contain his tongue. He let it all hangout for a good 15 minutes. 

  

Before I knew it, it was lights out for this guy. Until next time, my Bernese buddy. So there's all the proof I think anyone needs to prove that although he is a beast he is a sucker for some snuggles. 

        

Bonding with Buster

                  

This extremely good lookin' guy is, Buster. He is an Australian shepherd. Buster is a funny guy, who is so in love with his dad that he pays almost no attention to others. This got to me because I loved him from the moment I met him, I mean how could you not fall in love with that face? I was so determined for us to become best friends so I started taking him on walks on Thursdays. We would spend our mornings going to the near by park or taking a drive to shoreline community college dog park. 

                 

Throughout our days spent together, I have learned that the way into his heart, is simply spending time with him, oh and did I mention that I fill his belly with treats? That saying may be true not only for men but for dogs as well "that a way to a mans heart is through his stomach." Of course, I do make him work for his treats ( sometimes)! He knows sit, shake, come, lay down, and rollover! 

                

We are still working on the whole "fetch, retrieve, and return" idea, because his nose tends to want to wonder instead. But he lets me know when he is ready to play ball. The only things he loves more than his dad and his ball, are sticks. 

    

                

Funny story about this stick in particular. He found it on his early morning walk with his dad and again when we went on our walk. He almost always goes for bigger sticks then he can handle and sometimes taking me out with them! 

                             

Now that I got him to like me, he never wants me to leave! He does this routine on our way home where he lays down and pulls on the leash the opposite direction. Although some would think its naughty, I always have a big smile on my face, thinking maybe, just maybe, he loves me as much as I love him!! 

It's always sad saying goodbye, but I always look forward to his happy cries next Thursday when we reunite for our fun adventures! 

Make-out Mondays

Everyone knows that feeling of a big, cold, slobbery, wet, sometimes sticky feeling tongue sliding across your face and there's nothing you can do about it,because they always manage to sneak one in. Although many people tend to rub it off and push it away, I can't get enough of them, in fact I encourage them! I have to admit there have been times where I let my furry friends clean my face from ear to ear, forehead to chin! It doesn't get more precious then being attacked by dog kisses. 

Here are a few of the big smooches from my pooches that I managed to get on camera.   

    Everyone that remembers my friend Rudy from my

    previous blog knows the love that comes from that slobbery kiss! 

 

      This wet one is from the little snowball, Maui. 

  

        Although her tongue was too fast for me to catch, I promise you it was 

        there, from my girl Callie.

  

       I have to admit, that Elwood, gives the wettest kisses and he does 

       sometimes sneak a nibble in sometimes. 

    You get not only kisses from Sampson, but if you are lucky 

     enough you he gives hugs as well!! 

  

      Last, but not least, is Mac. He likes to sit in your lap and then wash your face for you. 

Boarding Buddies

 I thought I would share with you some of my boarding buddies from last night. The night was filled with lots of licks, wagging tails, drool, snuggles, and positive vibes! I normally have between 1-4 boarders, but last night I had thirteen wiggly wet noses. It's always so fun when I get a big group and especially when they all get along so well.

The night began with a feeding frenzy. I get to work around 6:30, which I am then greeted by all the daycare dogs. The dogs that are extra excited to see me, know that feeding time is near. Being the boarder has it's perks, because the boarding dogs associate me with food, so I get extra loves! 

      

This infectious smile belongs to Sampson, a pit bull shepherd mix. His smile is literally ear to ear and greets me with it after he gulps down his dinner. It's always so cute when I look over and there are dog heads barely peeking over the walls. 

                       

This golden guy is Finn, he is a silly eater. He likes to tip over his bowl and then immediately jump up to look at me. Finn and I have a special bond, when I arrive for the day he tackles me, goes between my legs, and hits me with slobbery kisses. It was getting to be too much that I tried to stay on the other side of the fence one day, but then he kept bulldozing the fence so I had to just brace myself and head in. He also, won't eat his food until I sit in the suite with him and hand feed him his food, silly boy.

                                

This curlicue doodle is, Flynn. He has a food allergy and gets very special food containing fish and sweet potatoe. He is a special guy full of love and has those big brown sweet eyes. 

     

These siblings are new here but have already found a special place in my heart. Cedar on the left, is an old lady who has to be, if not in my lap, next to my lap with her paw on my leg. Koa, on the right, is truely a loving lab. All his paws have white tips except his front right paw that is all black. Just look at those eyes, they melt my heart!

                    

This young doodle mix is, Winston. We had quite the name game this night. We had two Winston's and a Finn and Flynn. Winston is doing surprisingly well; his owner is having a second surgery and he is definitely experiencing empathy for her. I just made sure I gave him extra snuggles and love. 

     

This young pup is, Cashew. Below is his brother Peanut. His has the nicest coat I have ever seen. It's super smooth, clean, and almost looks like he goes to a personal stylist at the salon that cuts his hair with scissors, it's so nice. My favorite thing about Cushew, other than his coat, are his facial expressions. His eyebrows are always moving. 

   

Last, but not least, is Peanut. Don't be fooled by his name, he is a big guy. I didn't think he could get any cuter until I managed to get him to try my glasses on. He has such a gentle personality and remains completely still if you just continue to pet his head. Love him! 

Hope you enjoyed a few of the pooches from last nights boarding adventures! 

Friday Frenchie Frenzy

I have to admit that I may or may not have a frenchie addiction. Many would say it's bad that whenever I find something with a French bulldog on it, I instantly have to have it. My obsession grows more and more each day and I never want it to stop (; 

My obsession began a little over three years ago when two little wrinkly "piglets" entered my life.

Mochi and Moose are brothers from the same litter and couldn't be more different in their looks and attitude. Although, both irresistible, they each express themselves in different ways. 

This is Mochi, I like to call him my chunky monkey. He is very compact and loves to give kisses. He likes to think he can jump up on you like his brother, but ultimately faces the fact that gravity is too heavy for him! But don't let his stocky stature fool you, this little chunky monkey can out run almost every dog at the dog park. Everytime he runs I remember that old commercial for Skechers that played for the superbowl a few years back, with Mr.Quiggly and how lightning speed he was. It truly is a sight to see when those little legs,so close to the ground start to move, it's almost as if they were floating above ground! 

Mochi greets everyone he meets by finding his bone and proudly showing it off to you. He likes to spend his cold mornings lounging by the fireplace, snug like a bug on the bottom stair, or making several attempts to lay on the couch, even after being redirected several times. That stubborn bulliness is very apparent in both of these frenchies! 

Moose, is our human trapped in a bulldog body. Although, much longer than his compacted brother, it doesn't stop him from wiggling his way into your lap. But don't be fooled, he doesn't like to lay in your lap, oh no, he likes to sit in your lap as though you were holding a 35 lb baby.

He is very loving and quirky. He discovered that his favorite thing is having his head and back tickled very gently, almost like having someone lightly tickle your arm. His favorite delivery of this gentle touch, is from our curtain. We call it his "car wash" when he goes under the curtain, draping it on top of his head and slowly moving forward, allowing the curtain to fall down his head to his back. He will do this over and over throughout the day. When he finds that the curtain has done it's job for the day, he will try and look for your blanket slightly hanging off the couch or use the bottom of the chairs at your kitchen table. So forget the bones and give the dog a tickle and watch him be completely satisfied. 

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Due to my obsession I thought I would share some of the frenchies I have met at work. Every night I get there my coworkers already know to alert me that there is a frenchie near and to stand back because my baby talking voice and open arms are coming for them! 

This is Archie, a brindle french bulldog who instantly melted my heart. If his smug little face doesn't get you, I'm sure his over crowded underbite will! 

This is Pepper, she is a frenchel. But I don't discriminate against frenchie hybrids. Anything with a smushed face and those big bat ears will be getting my undivided attention!!

This is Chunk, aka Chunky-Chunk. This little peanut is a burst of energy. She is always so full of life and licks. I believe she is a cross between a frenchie and possibly a pug. I don't know if you notice either but since she likes to play with the big guys (always in the big dog area, due to similar play style) she found herself with a big ol' turd on her head! But that didn't put a damper on her high spirits at all, however, it did allow for her to stay still long enough to snap this picture. 

The Ravishing Rudy

                       

Meet Rudy, the young and rambunctious miniature bull terrier. 

This was a tough call for me to decide which dog I wanted to kick my blog off with, since I have special relationships with every dog I get to board. However, I decided on Miss Rudy because she has an extra special place in my heart. Rudy is the very first bull terrier I have ever come across, and to be honest, it was not love at first sight. She frightened me when I first met her because I have never had experience with her breed. The most exposure I have had is just that she happens to be the mascot of my favorite store (target)! That did not stop Rudy though from becoming my best pal. 

So a little about Rudy, she is a bully breed, however, after spending several days with her boarding she shows no signs of anything to be afraid of. She absolutely loves to play fetch and is a very, very good listener. She played fetch for a good hour before getting bored and never hesitated to hand it off. She tends to jump but only when over excited, and can tell that she only does it when she knows she can get away with it (never jumps on her dad, when he picks her up). I am a sap sucker when it comes to dogs jumping on me, it makes me feel loved! She also loves to give kisses I have the cutest video of her sneaking them in when she can.  But be warned that sometimes she wants to kiss you so bad she nips instead of kisses ( I think she does that while thinking "I love you so much I want to eat you up") but wants you say "Ouch, Rudy be gently!" she slides a few wet ones on your cheek!   

                                

Other then being playful and loving, she is also a very good cuddler. She does have a stockier build, so for someone like me she feels like a tank when I pick her up.  Another perk of having her with me at nights is I feel completely safe wih her. We had a new trainer that started working at night and when he peeked his head over the fence she went from 0-10, once I reassured her he was okay she calmed down, but if you are looking for a protective and alerting dog that can also fit in your arms, she might be the right fit for you!