Monthly Archives: July 2011

Shih Tzu Day 21: Bath and Vet Time

Posted on by
8

Dottie gets a bath

I made the momentous decision this morning to give Dottie a bath. Don’t ask me why I waited this long.

Dottie wet after bath

shih tzu after a bath

The eldest shih tzu did okay with a little grooming when Barbara, her former foster mother, was here, but I was still concerned that she would be afraid of a bath.

I was going to bathe her in the bathtub, but John thought the sink might work better.

 

She did better than I thought she would, although the blow dryer scared her. She kept gasping for breath and blowing bubbles out of her nose, which she does when she is afraid, so I finally decided to let her air dry.

Flower & Candy Visit the Vet

Delores from BFF Rescue emailed me today that she would pick up me, Flower and Dottie at one o’clock to go to the vet. Oops. I had my days off. I thought vet day was tomorrow.

We talked last week about concerns I had regarding Flower and Candy that I wanted to discuss with the vet. Candy never seems to have the energy her sisters have, plus she seems to tire easily. When her sisters come inside, she likes to stay outside and lie on the paving stones or in the dirt in the garden. I’m always afraid she’ll get too much heat. When I see her, looking so quiet and a little frail, I think of the youngest sister on Little Women who became sick and died. I can’t help it!

In the morning, although she often runs up the stairs with Dottie and Flower now, and although she romps playfully with them, biting at my hand, she backs away before the other two and goes back to her safe area. Delores said that when she was rescued from the puppy mill, the veterinary clinic in Kansas noted that she had an umbilical hernia. I was afraid it was something that was bothering her. We have been seriously talking about the pet adoption process, so Delores wanted the vet to check the shih tzus while they were still foster dogs, so that Best Friends Forever Rescue would take care of any vet charges.

Another thing I wanted to ask the vet about was Flower’s left eye. It seems a little bigger and darker to me than her right eye, and sometimes when I look at her, it has a “glass eye” look. It’s fine if it’s cosmetic — she is such a cutie, with those Maybelline lashes — but I want to ask the vet if it is anything serious.

shih tzu waiting for adoption

Delores brought the shih tzus some canine visitors: Peekaboo, the Pekingese I had met at Barbara’s while visiting the girls, and a poodle named Miss Muffet, who was going to get a chip implanted by the vet. They were wearing very cute “Adopt Me” harnesses for their vet visit. They wandered in and made themselves at home instantly. Peekaboo quickly figured out how to get up on the dining room table, climbing onto a chair that was pushed out and then jumping onto the table, where she promptly lay down. Miss Muffet started to follow her lead, but I was afraid our little ewoks would get an idea, so I got them down and pushed in the chair.

Peekaboo, a Pekingese, wearing her adopt me harness

Flower and Candy rode in a kennel on the way to the vet, Clear Creek Animal Hospital. Flower got so frightened on the way to the clinic that she pooped in the kennel. Once we got to the vet, I talked to the shih tzus in their kennel in the lobby to try to soothe them. When we went into the assigned room, Miss Muffet and Peekaboo wandered around, examining everything, while my little shih tzu princesses huddled, frightened, in their kennel.

Candy was the first one out of the kennel when we opened the door, so Dr. Lindsey examined her first. Although Candy was frightened, she let the vet weigh her (11.5 pounds) and then examine her. The vet said that the hernia had healed over (I can’t remember the medical term!). She didn’t find anything else wrong with her, so her temperament must just be different than the other two shih tzus.

Flower did okay at first. She sat in the scale (13.5 pounds) and let Dr. Anna look at her eyes. The vet assured us that she didn’t see anything wrong, but that it was good to watch their eyes. However, when the vet touched Flower with the stethoscope, the shih tzu freaked out and tried to jump off the table. I caught her — barely. That was the end of Flower’s vet examination.

Shih Tzu Day 20: Treats and Chew Things

Posted on by
Reply

The Shih Tzus Survey New Treats and Chew Things

Flower gives Mom a high five Flower and Dottie greeted me upstairs this morning, and Candy joined them at the bottom. Candy started to do the tribal dance for John this morning, but Flower intervened by barking and running around and acting spastic. I might be teaching them very bad manners by participating in their ritual, but I just love those little, playful bites on my hand, and I love to watch them jumping and flying around like maniacs — especially since they are so reserved most of the rest of the day.

When I went downstairs, someone had pooped on the pad for me, and Flower peed outside after eating. One less of each for the carpet!

Mini Taste Test

Now that we're up here, what do we do?I have tried feeding the girls “healthy” foods that people say dogs usually like, such as apples and carrots, but these girls haven’t shown an interest yet. They want their apples wrapped in chicken, as in Waggin’ Train Apple and Chicken Wraps. Maybe after they get used to that taste, they’ll realize real apples taste good.

Say Uncle and I'll let you up.Dottie and Flower turned their noses up at the Milk Bone I offered them, but Flower seems to be capable of eating anything. They all also liked the Waggin’ Train Chicken Wrapped Yams. I liked the fact that the only had five ingredients, with the first two being yams and chicken breasts.

In my mini taste test, the girls also sampled cheese flavored Pup Corn. Dottie wouldn’t touch her piece, probably, again, because of her teeth, although Flower ate it, and then, later, attempted to open the Pup Corn container and treat herself. Candy wouldn’t take it at first, but then she figured out how to break it apart, and chewed her piece after that.

Being cute all the time makes me tired. Orange dog too!What Flower always goes back to is the remnants of the first pepperoni flavored Pork Chomps they brought with them from Barbara’s. The bag is long gone.Treats don’t last long when you have three shih tzus. One thing that gives me a shock whenever I go look for treats is the price!

 What to Chew

Mom, Candy took the orange dog and I wanted to sleep with it!!I come home usually with something I didn’t need to buy. For instance, Flower found a small, round container of floss and eagerly began chewing on it. I assume that’s bad for her, so I took it away. I also took away the bottle cap, thinking she might swallow it. I invested in a chicken flavored nylon bone, which none of them had any interest in. I also brought home a Tire Biter Mini PawTracks tire, that I knew at least John would like! Again, no interest (except John did like it). I need to research household items that won’t hurt them that they will have hours of fun with.

Shih Tzu Day 19: Sleepy, Shabby and Psycho Shih Tzus

Posted on by
Reply

 Shabby but Happy Shih Tzus

Being a big sister tires me out sometimes.I look at these shih thus every day and thing that they are a little shabby and need some grooming. John thinks they desperately need a bath. I know, it’s odd, but I don’t really notice that “dirty dog” smell. But, I will soon try to give at least Dottie a bath, to begin with. I have this dream of succeeding in making one of them look like a “real shih tzu,” with the hair down to the ground, but I don’t know if that will ever happen.

Fluffy Puppy Moments

The girls were sleepy heads earlier, but now Flower is raring to go. She has a new habit of running off with my socks. At the present, I think she has four in the pen.

Mom, do you want to see me do a back flip?I commented earlier in the blog that I thought wistfully of “fluffy puppy” moments that come with getting a dog shortly after it is born. However, we have lots of playful moments. They are so excited to see me every morning and when I come home. I do wish that they would want to come up and sit beside me or on my lap, though — for company, and not because they just want a treat.

Speaking of treats …

That Man says I look like a lion. Do I? Grrr.I continue my search for the ultimate dog treat. This time, I handed out Bil-Jac PB Nanas (peanut butter and banana treats). I thought Dottie would like it, since she can’t seem to eat hard treats well, but she sniffed and walked away. Candy did too. But I can count on Flower to give a paws up to most of the treats. She ate hers and theirs. Since Flower and Dottie didn’t want the Bil-Jac treat, I gave them all each of the Waggin’ Train Cowboy Steaks. They will always eat those.

The Safe Zone

I have to hurry! I think I heard Mom open a treat bag.I’m not sure why, but Dottie hasn’t come over to the couch to visit me today. Candy is spending a lot of time at the other end of the play yard, away from her sisters, on the floor, instead of a dog bed.

I shouldn’t really keep calling their area a play yard or pen. We have only been using two sections of it, so it’s more like a fence with a wide open area for them to walk through. Somehow, although it’s only about a fourth of a pen, they still feel it is their “safe area.”

Flower is being a little bolder these days. She goes and sits near the front of the play area and stares at me.

Psycho Baby

Daddy called me psycho, so I planted poop for him to step him when he comes down!Candy and Dottie took hamburger from John when we were eating, but Flower wouldn’t. She’s holding out. Although she seldom growls at him anymore, she barks when he comes in the door. He says she’s protecting me. He also says she’s out of control. He playfully calls her a psycho “female dog.” I call her the psycho baby. I also call her “Maybelline lashes,” because of her dark, long lashes.

Candy Gets Closer

Candy does seem to be taking to John. She came up to him repeatedly while we were sitting on the porch after the sunset and let him pet her.

Shih Tzu Day 18: Candy, Wise Dog and Inquisitor

Posted on by
Reply

a shih tzu appearing to meditate in a garden.

Candy reminds me why I call her inquisitor

We stopped at Home Depot on the way back from church to look for a solution to block the other side of the porch, so we could expand the shih tzus’ play and exercise area. After eating leftover pizza from last night, we stepped out in the hot sun to survey the yard.

We decided that instead of blocking off the porch, we would move the fence/exercise pen around our flower bed and add the additional exercise pen we brought from Barbara’s to the two we have, doubling the size of their exercise/play area. I thought the girls might enjoy wandering between the flowers, or at least I hoped they would.

a shih tzu in a garden.

I also hoped to give them some grass for their paws, instead of the dirt that always seemed muddy lately, due to the rain. The pens wouldn’t stretch that far, however, but we did spread out some leftover mulch.

When we first tried to get them to explore, Flower was too busy barking at John to notice the new arrangement. Then, her and Dottie tried to run into the house, forcing their heads through a very small hole. That looked like it hurt!

Later, they were nervous again, because we were onto steam cleaning the hard wood floor in the living room and redoing the carpet. There is still a very strong smell of urine, and we are trying to get rid of it. We discovered that part of it was probably coming from the pad under the carpet. Also, part was probably coming from the shower curtain liner in their inside pen. Pee you!

It wasn’t just the noise from the steam cleaner that bothered them. I knew they were wondering why their pen kept moving or disappearing. We had to keep them in the kitchen while we cleaned their area. Flower tried desperately to get loose by sticking her head as far as she could beneath the baby gate. Again, I feared for her little head!

Outside, once they had calmed down, Candy wandered around contentedly, sniffing and wagging her tail. Our little inquisitor. Dottie sat faithfully by my feet, and Flower roamed up and down the porch, looking at me, looking at John, looking back at me, until she stopped long enough for me to pick her up. John attempted to pet her, showing her his hand slowly, and then rubbing her ears. She didn’t object. In fact, she let him pet her for several minutes.

Another part of their day that didn’t seem to appeal to them was their treats. Flower gnawed on her dental treat, and probably Candy’s, too, since I saw her take it from her (I don’t think Candy minded). Flower also was the one busily chewing on the Canyon Creek treat, and again, I saw her take Candy’s. I am beginning to see why Candy seems so independent. Her sister protects her, but she also picks on her. It doesn’t seem to be much different in the animal kingdom!

I think Dottie’s teeth prevent her from enjoying harder treats. Candy just doesn’t seem to care sometimes, which is lucky for Flower.

Candy, in fact, concerns me. She is the most calm, but sometimes I think she is too calm. She lay down in the dirt without moving for quite a while, and then lay down among the flowers. I hope she is just happy and that nothing is seriously wrong with her. That little tyke pulls at my heart, just like her sisters do.

Shih Tzu Day 18: The Strong Willed of the Shih Tzus

Posted on by
Reply

a chorus of shih tzus

two <strong srcset=shih tzus running up cow painted stairs.” width=”514″ height=”381″ />

Woke up a few times this morning, without a chorus of shih tzus barking, but forced myself to stay in bed. I was tired after getting up at 6 yesterday, plus, I knew if I moved, even to go to the bathroom, the shih tzus would hear me. Finally, when I was wide awake, I got up at 7:30 to go into the bathroom. Sure enough, I could hear the tags jingling, so I tried to stay very quiet, hoping the shih tzus would think they had been mistaken.

two shih tzus on a landing.

I had brought my camera upstairs last night, and set it down on the desk in the spare room, while the battery charged. I tiptoed in there to get it, but I wasn’t quiet enough. Candy came barreling up the stairs, with her shih tzu half-sisters behind her.

I made a mistake when I allowed Candy to enter her sanctuary. She disappeared inside and under the bed. I tried to snap photos of Dottie and Flower, but they moved too quickly. Also, they love to play with my hands in the morning, playfully biting them, and it’s hard to allow them and shoot pictures at the same time. Someday I need to get John up and have him hold the camera.

When I came downstairs, I was happy to see two separate urine spots on the training pad. Who would have ever thought that would make me so happy? My happiness was quickly dampened, however, by the sight of at least two sets of poop sprinkling the carpet near the pad. Sigh.

the strong willed shih tzu

Although I picked up all the poop I saw, John still stepped in some when he came down the stairs. Something about the way Flower was acting, plus a trail she was leaving, made me try to approach her to clean her butt. That was a step back.

Each time I got close to Flower, she bolted, until I finally felt my patience fraying. I finally walked out of the pen, pulled the section closed behind me, and said, “Fine. All of you are grounded!”

It was funny that the other two shih tzus knew they hadn’t irritated Mommy. They easily nudged their way out of the gate, although Flower sat in her bed, looking at me, thinking who knows what.