Shih Tzu Week 42: April 12 (Day 288) – 18 (Day 294)

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Di Freeze

Shih Tzu Day 288: April 12 (Thursday)

Release the Kraken!

Flower has been spending more time on “her” couch again, instead of with us. So far so good; as long as she doesn’t pee on it, she can have her space. I assume she has been spending more time there because Dottie growls and tries to hiss her away when she comes to our couch. When she does that, John says, “Release the Kraken!” Nobody seems very afraid of her, so I don’t think her acting ferocious is working.

Come out and play

Around 4 o’clock, Candy decided it was time for something other than napping and started prancing around the living room. I think she’s a little disappointed these days with her playmate choices. Nigel used to go play with her instantly, but lately he’s been as lazy as Dottie, and lies on the couch next to Mom a lot of the time. Flower finally joined her for a tap dance across the floor. And Nigel eventually got up and romped around with both of them. When they took it outside, he grabbed Candy’s tail in his mouth and wouldn’t let go, so she couldn’t get very far. He finally turned his attention to Flower to play the bitey face game.

Shih Tzu Day 289: April 13 (Friday)

Happy Birthday, Flower!

Today is Flower’s birthday! She is now 3 years old. I made up a batch of chicken jerky for her treat. One of my friends suggested Frosty Paws and I couldn’t find any at the closest Wal-Mart, so I found a homemade Frosty Paws recipe:

32 fluid ounces vanilla yogurt
1 bananas, ripe, mashed or 1 (5 ounce) jar baby food
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together and freeze in 3-ounce paper cups.
Microwave just a few seconds before serving.

The dogs loved the treats, once they found a way to get their tongues in the cups. When I make it again, I think I’ll use shorter containers. One of the fun parts of making dog treats is you can try them without feeling you are eating dog food! I actually thought the Frosty Paws treat was good! I had a few bites myself.

I dressed the girls up, with Flower in a new dress that says Girly Girls. And I bought them Happy Birthday crows from the Dollar Tree. I gave her a stuffed animal and rubber chicken from the Dollar Tree, too, but she ignored them. She was far more fascinated with the cardboard insert I took out of the wine box. She carried it to Shih Tzu Central and spent probably 20 minutes seeing how much of it she could tear apart.

Dottie didn’t care if it was Flower’s special day. She was sitting beside me, with Mom to herself, when her shih tzu half-sister came up to the couch this morning, Dottie didn’t want to give up her Mom time and did her growly fixation thing. I think she particularly doesn’t like it because Flower wants to be petted when she jumps up.

Indoor mess

Someone pooped on the floor near the training pad and on the mat I have under the pad. It was the runny kind, and I hope it’s not from my homemade treats. They shouldn’t have anything in them that would cause that.

Shih Tzu Day 290 – 292: April 14 – 16 (Saturday – Monday)

I didn’t realize it, but I neglected to record any information in my journal for three days! I guess that means nothing exciting happened.

Shih Tzu Day 293: April 17 (Tuesday)

Celery treats

I passed out celery today. Candy doesn’t normally take it, but she did this time and chewed on it for a while. Dottie is the only one that wouldn’t take any.

Not so close

Dottie was scratching the sofa arm this afternoon, so to stop her, I reached over and picked her up and sat her on my chest facing me. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she stayed there for several minutes staring at me. She finally moved off, but stayed next to me instead of retreating to her corner.

Shih Tzu Day 294: April 18 (Wednesday)

I was gone most of the day, so I didn’t have very much shih tzu time. Someone seems to be having tummy problems, because I found more poop on the floor.

Back it up

Dottie was peacefully sitting in her corner this afternoon when Flower jumped up, right next to her. Instead of sitting down, she started backing her butt up into Dottie. I’m not sure what the purpose was, but Dottie started making her Kraken sound. Flower seemed oblivious to it. I guess she knows Dottie’s growl is worse than her bite.

Shih Tzu Week 41: April 5 (Day 281) – April 11 (Day 287)

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Di Freeze

Shih Tzu Day 281: April 5 (Thursday)

Nothing much to report. It’s been a lazy day.

Shih Tzu Day 282: April 6 (Friday)

Contemplating Flower’s birthday

Flower’s birthday is a week away. I feel a little sad that she will be 3 years old! Her and Candy are so cute at 2 years old. There is such a big difference between Candy and Flower, who can be so playful, and Dottie, who, at 6 years old, is so “stationary,” with just brief moments of playfulness.

And to think that Candy will be 3 years old soon too, on April 30. I guess Nigel will remain forever young, since we have no idea when he was born!

The stick game continues

Nigel chewed contently on a rawhide and chicken stick for some time this morning. I imagine he stole someone else’s, because no one else still had one. Flower kept one eye on him, and when he went to get water, she jumped down from her side of the couch, walked over to where he was sitting, walked up the milk box step, took his chew stick, walked back down and sauntered over to Shih Tzu Central to enjoy it. To be fair, it could have been hers to begin with, since Nigel always seems to have an extra.

When Nigel came back, he looked carefully at the blanket where he had been lying, trying to figure out where the stick went. When he realized it was miss, he snorted his disapproval, and then finally gave up.

And speaking of treats, it’s amazing how long the Christmas bone-shaped rawhide has lasted. Flower trotted by with it in her mouth this afternoon. It will vanish for a while, and then it will resurface again.

Flower’s couch

Flower sat on her couch for a while today. Since she seems to have given up on peeing on it, I don’t put the cushions up anymore. However, I am not used to her sitting there, and I carelessly left a picture lying on the arm; she got it and started chewing on the corner. I rescued it just in time.

She sat there for a while until something Candy did caught her attention, and she dived off to join in the action.

Shih Tzu Day 283: April 7 (Saturday)

Much better

We couldn’t put it off any longer, and gave Candy a trim today. She looks so much better. We are painting our kitchen cabinets and worked on them all day after that, so the shih tzus got little attention.

Shih Tzu Day 284: April 8 (Sunday)

Easter lunch

My mom came over to have Easter lunch with us. I fixed the shih tzus each their own small bowl of ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, and part of a hard-boiled egg. They loved it.

They weren’t so happy later on when the children and grandchildren arrived. They went back to Shih Tzu Central and didn’t come out until the coast was clear.

Shih Tzu Day 285: April 9 (Monday)

Flower is quite a character. She was sitting next to me, and I bent over to pet Candy. She started pawing my head with her paws. I guess she wanted me to give her attention, and not Candy. A little later, the two of them tap danced across the floor, playfully biting each other’s faces.

Shih Tzu Day 286: April 10 (Tuesday)

your stick’s better than mine

I never tire of the chew stick game the shih tzus play. This morning, Nigel was sitting on the couch chewing on his, and then jumped down, leaving it there. This time, Flower was sitting on the floor below where he had been, watching. As soon as his back was turned, she jumped up on the couch, grabbed the stick, and ran to Shih Tzu Central to chew on it. In the meantime, Nigel came back to the couch, with the exact same type of stick he had left behind. He had gone to Candy’s “apartment” and stolen hers, probably because he figured his would be gone when he got back.

Squirrel!

Drats! The squirrels are back in town! When I let the shih tzus outside this morning, and sat down their food, Flower tore off towards the back fence and started barking like crazy. And then I saw the attraction. I couldn’t get her attention back, so I finally picked up her bowl and saved it for her. That always makes things difficult, because the other shih tzus want to help the late eater with their food.

Shih Tzu Day 287: April 11 (Wednesday)

Flower’s birthday is two days away. As a special treat, and to avoid treats made in China, I decided to try to make chicken jerky for the shih tzus. I found a recipe at Raise a Green Dog that I modified a little. I had John cut some chicken very thin. Then, I lighted coated the chicken with oil and sprinkled parsley on it. I put it on a baking sheet and put it in an oven heated to 200° F. Although the recipe said to bake for about two hours, it didn’t seem done, so I left it in longer. I ended up baking for at least 6 hours.

Truthfully, I don’t think it looked much like the jerky I buy them. It more looked like very thin, slightly dried out chicken tenders. I gave the shih tzus a sample, and they liked it. I taste tested it, and it was okay, but I can probably do better. Since the experiment was sort of successful, I am now going to go a step further and buy a dehydrator to experiment more!

Shih Tzu Day 216: Poop Patrol

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Di Freeze

double feeding

John got up with a headache at 6, and since he was going downstairs, I asked him to feed the dogs. I didn’t think I went to sleep. I heard scratching at the door, and opened it to see Nigel, Flower, and Dottie sitting there, waiting for me to get up. John was indisposed, but I assumed he hadn’t been able to get them to go downstairs and outside, so I went to the kitchen and got their food bowls together, threw away the soiled training pad, and went to fill their bowls with water. One still had quite a bit in it, so I filled the other one.

When John emerged from the bathroom, he asked if the dogs had gone outside “again.” I said that they had gone outside, because I had just fed them. He looked surprised, and told me he’d already done that. Oops. Of course, they didn’t tell me they had full bellies. I guess they had eaten and immediately ran up the stairs to wait for me. I must have dozed off for a few minutes, so just assumed they had been waiting for me the entire time and that they hadn’t eaten. They were probably thrilled to get one over on me.

poop patrol

When it’s warm enough, I leave the door open, hoping to tempt the dogs to go play. Candy and Nigel will do that sometimes, which is why they weigh less than Dottie and Flower. I know they need a good exercise program, translate, lots of walks. I am waiting for the weather to be warm enough when John is home so we can get on the ball again.

I was on poop patrol today, and I am embarrassed to say it had been a while, and we have a pretty big backyard, so I got my exercise. Flower and Dottie trailed behind me, and I’m sure they were wondering why I had a baggie on my hand and was picking up those small, brown blobs and throwing them in a plastic bag. Too bad they can’t help. Another item on my to do list is to figure out how to get them to go in one small area. The good news is that they do go outside, and not inside.

That reminds me how good Flower has been lately. I did find some brown blobs downstairs, and that was either Flower or Nigel, but it seems like an isolated incident. Flower also seems to have gotten over having to poop when she is frightened. John was working in the area today and came home for lunch. She was sitting on the couch and he was petting her. I told him she likes butt rubs, but when he moved his hand away from her face, she bolted, jumping over Dottie to sit by my side. At least that’s all she did. Oh. Her eyelashes have grown so long, and she looks so adorable.

green dog

I just heard a noise and saw Candy jumping away from something on the floor. My first thought was a mouse, but it was actually just Green Dog. She grabbed him in her mouth and trotted out the door. At least she is getting exercise, while Flower and Nigel are curled up on the couch. I also just realized that Dottie is just standing near my feet, waiting for her elevator lift up to the couch.

Shih Tzu Day 120: Wild Shih Tzu Banshees

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Di Freeze

breakfast twist for the shih tzus

The shih tzus got a twist on their breakfast food this morning. I normally mix together rice, ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey) and frozen vegetables. I have wanted to try Sadie Shih Tzu’s homemade dog food recipe, but I still haven’t gathered all the ingredients at once. I did compromise though. We bought veal, turkey and ground beef and mixed them together. Then, instead of the normal vegetables (carrots, corn, green green beans and peas), I used more of a fall mix, which included squash, baby carrots and zucchini. They all seemed to like it. Of course, they had their kibble too.

Nigel is still the most adventurous when it comes to food, meaning I think he will eat anything. John had toasted and butter and bananas for breakfast, and he shared the banana. I tried to give Flower some banana, but she dropped it out of her mouth and Nigel grabbed it up and ate it. Nigel also grabbed up a carrot that fell off the floor. The girls hadn’t tried a raw carrot before, but John put one in front of Flower and she chewed on it a little and took a bite.

wild shih tzu banshees

I gave the shih tzus something to chew on a little later. I could hear Nigel chomping away from his position on one side of the couch and Dottie and Flower on the other side. After that, I had to abandon the children for several hours, because I went to meet a former coworker for lunch way across town.

The three youngest shih tzus were a little rambunctious after I got back this afternoon. Candy and Flower were wild shih tzu banshees running up and down across the floor, scuffling with each other. Nigel was running up and down too, but I think he was mainly trying to join in. It must have been wild shih tzu girls day, because they mainly ignored him. It’s very hard to tell when they are really irritated with each other sometimes or just play fighting. I don’t understand how all of that wild shih tzu face biting doesn’t result in injury.

After their frenzied play, Nigel, Candy and Flower sprawled out on the floor in front of me, in a sort of line. It was about time for John to get home, so they could have been listening for sounds, or their play just plain tuckered them out.

Nigel sat on John’s lap all night. He sneezed about ten times in a row. I’m very conscious of that, since he had pneumonia when he got here.

Shih Tzu Day 107: Puppy Play Date

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Di Freeze

Puppy play date for Candy and Nigel

This morning after all the dogs had eaten and I had taken my place on the couch with my laptop, I heard something in the backyard that sounded like muffled scuffling or pounding. My first thought was that something or someone was about to break in or a storm had begun. I was very surprised to look outside and see Candy and Nigel engaged in a scuffle on the carpet we put on the porch. All that noise was just a puppy play date! I came back inside and sat down. A half hour later, Nigel and Candy’s play date was still .

I am very happy about that. I think their play date is a good sign. I think of Candy as the “loner,” because she always stays outside by herself when her sisters come inside. Maybe she was just waiting for a little male shih tzu to come along and “knock” her off her feet.

Got Gas?

I am going to have to study Nigel’s reactions to food. The female shih tzus have never had gas, but he has bouts of it every day. I guess it could be that he was on medication until a few days ago. However, it could be some of the treats he gets. Today I gave them each a small piece of bologna, and I did read afterwards that bologna could give dogs gas. I also gave them all an apple and chicken treat at one point . Or he could be reacting to the rice, hamburger and vegetables I have been giving them. None of the girls ever seem to get gas. I also read too that younger dogs sometimes have more sensitive systems. I will just have to try to monitor what seems to cause it. After all, Nigel might not get another play date if he smells!

That reminds me that I still have to try the organic dog food recipe Sadie Shih Tzu gave me, if I can remember to get all the yummy ingredients. Her recipe is a lot more interesting than what I have been giving them, including elk or bison; I don’t think I would do that often for four shih tzus with big appetites, but she also uses chicken, turkey or beef. Plus instead of the vegetables I use, she sometimes uses organic butternut squash or frozen sweet potatoes, which would give them a good variety. Add apples, blueberries and eggs and the girls would probably love it. (Note to self to pick up ingredients!)

Puppy play date aftereffects

Candy did something unexpected today. She joined Flower in coming up and putting her paws on the couch, in front of me and Dottie. I’m not sure if they wanted to see me or Dottie, but since Dottie is the one that growls at them, I am assuming they visited me. I tried to get them to come up, but they walked away. I am just happy that Candy was that bold. Her puppy play date with Nigel might have nudged her towards being more social.

Later, Flower jumped up for some loving. We had a quick petting session. Dottie was sitting on the floor, waiting for her sister to get down. Flower sat with me for awhile, but she doesn’t seem to know how to relax on the couch like Dottie. I always think she is just waiting for something (like me to pet her) or keeping watch. She did lie down for a while though.

While Dottie and Flower played musical couch position, Nigel sat on the other side of me, where the girls never sit, chewing his rawhide bone and getting it gooey.

Couch privileges suspended

Flower got couch privileges on “her” couch taken away again this afternoon. I am not sure why she feels the need to pee on it from time to time. Luckily, I had a training pad under the red blanket just in case. I have no idea how to stop her from doing that or why she does it. I sprayed both cushions with a cleaner, even though it hadn’t gone through. I stood the cushions up on end and put a plastic gate in front of the couch.

She paced up and down in front of it later, glancing up at me, and then glancing back. I didn’t give in though. As a result, she got up on my couch more often later in the day.