Category Archives: Animal Welfare

Shih Tzu Day 89: Kitty in the House!

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Monday Morning

shih tzu on grassIt’s funny how things change when you have pets. I woke up at 5:15 and lay there for several minutes debating if I wanted to get up and go to the bathroom. Before, that wouldn’t have been an issue. Now though, I had to consider the three little dogs downstairs. They hadn’t barked yet, so I imagined they were still asleep. If I did go to the bathroom, their alert little shih tzu ears would hear me, and they would be running up the stairs to try to lure me down to the kitchen. I did end up getting up, but I was very, very quiet, and I succeeded in getting back to bed without waking the three girls up. In fact, they didn’t come up and bark until 7!

After the girls had breakfast, they went back to their dog beds at Shih Tzu Central. They seemed sleepier than usual. My guess is that they were partying last night. One clue was that someone had dragged the little orange dog up on the loveseat. Also, the blanket that covers the loveseat was cockeyed.

Chew, Chew, Chew

shih tzu with toyDottie has found another treat that she likes, the Hartz Crunch and Clean chew bones. I bought them because of their dental benefits. After all, the package said “scientifically proven to reduce tartar 87 percent.” I’m all for reducing tartar, but I get three in a bag for around five dollars! That’s a little expensive, and I haven’t been able to find a super economy pack. I think Flower liked hers, because it vanished after a few minutes. I sat Candy’s down in front of her. She didn’t take it, but Flower trotted up, grabbed it and trotted back to the dog bed she had been laying on. I took it from her and put it away, in case Candy might change her mind later.

There is a Cat in Our House!

shih tzu staring at kitty in pet carrierDid Mom bring you in here??Mom and I had to take Panda and Spot Collins back to the Dumb Friends League for a vet appointment this afternoon. They have both been sneezing, but now Panda has blood around her mouth and nose. The vet said Panda had the URI that many cats there had and that he wanted to keep Panda there, mainly because he was severely dehydrated and they could control it better there. He said they would probably have to keep Panda there for three to five days.

two shih tzus staring at a cat in a pet carrierWhen he checked Spot Collins, he said he had a temperature and definitely had the URI as well. He gave us a ten-day supply of Doxycycline and said we should pick up some Gerber chicken and gravy baby food, to get water and nutrients into him. He also said that we needed to either run the vaporizer for him or set him in the bathroom and turn on the shower for fifteen-minute intervals, twice each day.

a shih tzu staring at a cat in a pet carrierWhen I got home, I brought in the groceries I picked up, put them away and then took the dogs outside for a treat. While they were outside, I went and got Spot Collins out of the Jeep and took him upstairs. I set his pet carrier on the floor, turned on the shower, shut the door and went downstairs and set the oven timer.

shih tzu with mouth openWhen Flower came inside, she ran to the stairs, trying to figure out why there was noise upstairs. When the timer went off, I got Spot Collins and brought him downstairs. I sat the pet carrier by the couch, leaving Spot Collins in it. Spot Collins meowed loudly, wanting to get out. Candy and Dottie merely look at the kennel, and then walked away.

Flower’s eyes got big. She ran up to it, barked, ran back, ran up, barked, ran back, repeatedly. I tried to shush her, because I didn’t want her to give Spot Collins a heart attack.

I was lucky that I didn’t have long until John got home. As soon as he did, Flower’s fixation with Spot Collins diminished. After we had dinner, John syringe fed SC the Gerber baby food, then held him on his lap. No longer interested in the alien in the living room, Flower retired to Shih Tzu Central for the evening.

Shih Tzu Day 87: Sadie Shih Tzu Calling

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Goodnight Candy

shih tzu on porchWe did an experiment with Candy last night. When we went up to bed, I brought her up with me and sat her between us. She sat there, perfectly still. I didn’t think she would stay with us, but I wanted to see how long she would remain where I put her. When we turned out the lights, she sat there for about five minutes, and then silently wandered to the bottom of the bed and jumped off.

Who is that Man?

shih tzu on carpetEvidence that three dogs had peed on the training pads again this morning. Yeah! Another victory. Also, this morning, while we sat outside during the girls’ breakfast, John remarked that Flower hadn’t been barking at him when he came outside, like he used to do.

I realized that was true. That doesn’t mean that he never barks at him. He still does that, when he comes home from work, and if he puts on a visor or his glasses. I think he thinks he’s a different person then.

Pet Me!

Flower came up to me while we were outside, and as I petted her, John started petting her too. She didn’t back away. I don’t know if she didn’t know he was petting her, or if it was okay as long as I was petting her too.

shih tzu on carpetJohn and I went for a 30-mile bike ride this morning, and we were gone for three hours. We got home, took the dogs outside for a treat, and then left to go to lunch. After we came back, we decided we were a little tired and were going to take a nap.

Well, we tried. Dottie came up to get me. I could hear her nose sniffing in the hall. I finally decided I didn’t need a nap, and went downstairs to visit with them.

When I settled in on the couch, Flower jumped up, wanting her petting session. When I had to put my hands back on the keyboard she jumped down, but Faithful Dottie stayed. Candy came up to the couch, and I thought she might jump up, but she didn’t.

Sadie Shih Tzu Guest Blog

The Shih Tzu Sisters got a request today from Sadie Shih Tzu to guest blog on her blog. She said she wanted them to tell her readers what it is like being a rescue dog. I told her they would be happy to tell their story! Maybe it will encourage other people to adopt rescue dogs. We need to get her an article and pictures by October 1.

Shih Tzu Day 85: Flower’s First Bully Stick

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Spot Collins and Panda Update

black and white adopted catThe day started off good again. There was evidence that all three girls had used the training pad. I still don’t think it’s safe yet to put the carpet back down, though. Maybe after they’re a little more used to the fact that they are supposed to use the pads.

I went to see Mom and check in on Spot Collins and Panda. Mom has been concerned because they have both been sneezing. Panda was sneezing first, so Mom kept her in her kennel, in hopes that her other two cats wouldn’t catch a URI, if that was causing the sneezing. Spot Collins should be able to get out of the kennel now; she kept him in it for a week, per the Dumb Friends League’s instructions, to make sure he didn’t get wild and hurt himself after his neutering surgery. However, if Spot Collins has a URI, he might have to be in the kennel longer. We did let him out for about 30 minutes. He instantly ran into Mom’s room, explored for about 10 minutes, and then jumped up on her bed and settled down on her pillow.

grey and white tabby on bedI called the Denver Dumb Friends League and asked if sneezing was one of the symptoms of a URI, since Mom can take them back and get medicine within 15 days of adoption if they show symptoms. The woman told me that it is an initial sign, but that I don’t need to bring them in unless they show other signs, such as congestion, lethargy, etc. That made Mom a little less nervous. Hopefully she won’t end up with four sick cats.

Bully for Bully Sticks

two shih tzusI stopped at WalMart and decided to buy the bully sticks I saw the other day. I keep seeing mention of them on Twitter, so I thought our dogs might like them. When I got home, I looked it up to see what they were made of, since it said “beef pizzle” on the package. As it turns out, they are made from bull penises. Hmmm. That does not sound very appetizing, but Flower attacked it with gusto.

shih tzu with a bully stick.Flower has been averaging two or three trips up to the couch lately. Today, she sat at the end of the couch and just stared at me, so I figured I knew what she wanted: to be petted. She gets such a cute look on her face when I scratch her chest or haunches, or rub her tummy. She turns her head from side to side and her eyes get big, like when she knows she is getting a treat.

Rub-a-dub-dub

shih tzu with apple treat in her mouthDottie usually nudges my hand when I rub Flower, so I have to go back and forth between the two of them. When I scratched Dottie’s haunches, she started wiggling all over the place. Candy stood near the couch and acted like she wanted to join the party, but didn’t come up. If they would trust John more, they would realize that would mean twice the amount of love and petting.

Shih Tzu Day 84: Mommy, Come and Play!

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shih tzu a.m.

two shih tzus on a couchI don’t usually eat cereal for breakfast, but I have had Frosted Mini Wheats the last few days. Flower always jumps up on the couch to see what I am eating and if she can talk me out of any. I know I should discourage this, but it’s tough. I gave her half of a mini wheat. She stayed on the couch with me for a while. I was busy updating our blog, but I realized that the shih tzus were waiting for some time with me, so I stopped and gave them some attention.

shih tzu afternoon

shih tzu on a blue and grey dog bedAfter the shih tzus had their early afternoon treat, Flower and Dottie came in with me, but, as usual, Candy, our independent shih tzu, stayed outside. She sat on the porch steps for awhile, and then went and sat by the trailer. I don’t know why she is such a loner. I’m glad she likes it outside though. I wish Dottie and Flower would stay out more, because they get so bored inside.

I had some leftover pasta for lunch. Dottie was already sitting by me, but the smell of food brought Flower running. I gave them a few small pieces, but Candy stayed in Shih Tzu Central. Flower sat on the couch with us for a while before jumping down to find something more excited to do, like lying on her dog bed staring at us.

shih tzu and she really wanted one. She asked me if there was a shih tzu rescue in Colorado. I told her about the Colorado Shih Tzu Maltese Rescue. I told her that their adoption fee is $300, but also told her about BFF Rescue and that they have a lower adoption fee: $175 versus $300.

I told her about Nigel and that BFF Rescue gets other shih tzus in from time to time. However, she is like I was at first. She wants a dog under a year who is housebroken, healthy and has no big issues. I told her that might be a little harder to do. I also told her that our girls were definitely problem children when we got them, but we had worked out some of the kinks.

Candy and the couch

Itwo shih tzus on a couchn my campaign to get Candy to be one of the couch dogs, I picked her up Candy and put her between John and me after we finished eating. She stayed there for probably 20 minutes and then jumped down. However, about five minutes later, she came towards the couch; I thought she looked like she was thinking about jumping, and I held my breath. Then, she jumped up! Except for the day when a noise scared her weeks ago, this is the first time she jumped up on the couch with us on it. She lay down between me and Dottie and stayed for probably another half hour. I don’t think Dottie knew what to do initially. She tried to sit on her when Candy first lay down, and then lay down next to her.

Shih Tzu Day 83: Just Another Tuesday

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More Grooming for Candy

shih tzu on carpetWe did a little grooming on Candy. She is still the worst one on the grooming table. She bites at the clippers and squirms and wiggles. She seems to do a little better when she can’t see the clippers. She had a short session. She ran off as soon as we let her down, but then she came back and got her hot dog pieces. At least she isn’t so traumatized she can’t eat.

As soon as John left, Flower and Candy came out of their corner and started wandering around. Flower came up on the couch looking for food. I know I shouldn’t, but I gave her half of a frosted mini wheat, so then had to give one to Dottie and Candy too. Flower stayed there while I petted her, but got down shortly after I helped Dottie up.

Looking Guilty

shih tzu on a carpetI haven’t put my beautiful cowboy area rug back down, because we need to clean it again. After we clean it, I guess we will only put it down when we have company. I miss it, but I have to break them out of the habit of peeing on it. I know they liked to sit on it, though, so I put their red blanket from their couch on the floor. I had it down for a few hours before I noticed a wet spot! My guess is that is was Candy and Flower. When I pointed and asked who did it, both of them looked guilty; also, both of them scampered under the dining room table.

A little later, I went into the spare room to print a coupon. I don’t let Candy go in there, because I think she’ll pee on the carpet, but I did let Dottie come in with me, because she is so good with the training pad — and she peed on the carpet! I know I am not supposed to raise my voice, because puppy mill dogs particularly are fragile dogs, but I couldn’t help it. I chased Dottie out of the room, stomped downstairs, pointed toward the door and told them to go outside.

Fall Wardrobe

I didn’t want the girls to think I was angry with them, so I made sure to kiss them all goodbye before leaving to run errands. While I was out, I went to PetSmart, and then next door to T.J.Maxx/HomeGoods. While I was looking at the pet stuff, I found three adorable sweaters for Dottie, Candy and Flower. I don’t want summer to end, but at least I have their fall wardrobe!

When I got home, I took the girls outside to give them their apple and chicken snack, and then left them out for a while, hoping that if anyone needed a potty break, they would take care of business. The bad thing about leaving them outside when I go inside is that I don’t know who took that opportunity. A little after they got in, however, Candy ran upstairs. That often means she’s looking for a place to relieve herself, so I quickly followed her up there, and she ran back downstairs. I asked her if she wanted to go outside. She did, and she did her business, so that spared us one spot to clean up. As soon as I remember to buy some, I’m going to try to train them to ring jingle bells when they need to go outside.

Flower Loves Lovin’

shih tzu on carpetCandy was excited when John got home, although Dottie and Flower acted wary. They warmed up to him again by the time we went outside and he produced the treat bag. We also gave them a teeny bit of our Noosa yogurt, in three separate little bowls. We hadn’t given them any in a while. They love  it.

We are one of those couples who usually eats our meals on the couch, in front of the T.V. Tonight, we had leftover roast. Flower quickly caught the scent and leaped up onto the couch, hunting for the source. That prompted Dottie to jump off the couch without even begging for any roast. Flower stayed for about 10 minutes after I gave her a bite, waiting for me to finish eating so I could scratch her chest and pet her. Then, she lay down for awhile, staying there until John came back into the room. I am glad that she’s learning how to be loved. I still recall very vividly when she ran every time I tried to get near her — and pooped!