Category Archives: Dog Food & Treats

Shih Tzu Day 104: Dog Bone Wars and Dog Bed Relocation

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Dog bone Redistribution

three shih tzusa shih tzu dancingOnce the girls started barking this morning, Nigel started stirring. He sleeps so soundly that throughout the night, you would never know he was there, except for the lump that is his body. It was different with Joey, because she had a tendency to snore. Occasionally, though, he will sigh. I’m not sure why, but it is very cute.  When John got up to go to the restroom, Nigel wandered up to lay on my pillow. Well, he actually lay down on my head, which was on the pillow.

three shih tzus at bottom of stairsthree shih tzus at bottom of stairs.I kept the dogs occupied for a long time this morning with various dog bone and chew things. Of course, although Nigel had more than enough, he went to Shih Tzu Central to steal the dog bone I left on the dog bed for Candy. Flower also had two red and white rawhide minis, but she had to take Candy’s too, so I had to do bone redistribution again.

three shih tzusDottie isn’t much of a thief. She usually just takes what Mom gives her and chews away contentedly. Even after the redistribution, Flower went and took the dog bone Candy was chewing on and Nigel boldly pranced into Shih Tzu Central and came out with a mini rawhide to add to the collection in his dog bed. I had to shush everyone when the barking over dog bone property got a little fierce. Later, though, Nigel left a half chewed dog bone on the couch and Flower stole it. He watched her walk away with it without charging at her. That’s a good sign.

Bologna thief

The back end of a shih tzuI had a bologna sandwich today, so I gave each of the dogs a very small piece. When I got to Candy, however, who was in her dog bed, Flower ran up and nipped it out of my fingers before I could do that. When she sprinted away, I blocked the entrance of Shih Tzu Central with my legs so she couldn’t do that again and Candy could get her piece. I also shared some of my apple with Nigel. He is the only dog still interested in apples.

Dog bed relocation

two shih tzus greeting dad.shih tzu in a lap.I saw a very cute video a few months ago of a small dog dragging its dog bed all over a room. Nigel was doing that today. I don’t know what he was trying to achieve, but it was fun to watch him. Another thing I haven’t been able to figure out is why Flower likes to lay behind her bed, against the wall, instead of on one of the dog beds. Candy does that sometimes too. I thought maybe it was because the floor was cool, but it hasn’t been that hot lately.

Flower did abandon her wall to sit between Dottie and me on the couch for quite a while this evening. Once John got home, Nigel was content to sit in his lap for most of the night.

 

Shih Tzu Day 103: The Shihtzuation with Nigel

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crazy little thing called Nigel

A shih tzu howlinga shih tzu in his dog bed.Our household is getting used to Nigel. John has been his biggest fan since day one. I think he’s adorable, but Nigel can be a handful. This morning he crawled into my lap and stayed there for awhile. Every now and then he would look up at me with a very sweet expression. I jokingly told John that when/if he leaves, we will retire his little black skull sweater, like when sports figures’ numbers are retired. John suggested we could frame it and hang it on the wall.

shih tzu with a Milo's Kitchen bag.shih tzu with tongue out of mouth.Flower and Candy are getting used to him too. At first, it seemed like they weren’t quite sure if he was replacing them. No, I don’t know how dogs think, but they did seem to retreat a little. I just kept giving them lots of love and telling them that this was their home and they were staying. I think Dottie accepts him, but she just tolerates him, kind of like when she tolerates when Flower wants to enter “her” space on the couch.

waggle, waggle

two shih tzus a shih tzu and a childEvery once in a while, Candy and Flower will suddenly leave Shih Tzu Central to saunter in front of the couch, going who knows where. Usually, they head for their home under the dining room table, like it was one of those makeshift forts kids make, thinking that once there, no one else will see them.

shih tzu begging for pizza.Sometimes, they turn right around and saunter back. It is really cute when they stop in front of my computer stand, where I can’t see them, and nuzzle or slightly lick my toes. Then, when I look down, Flower will do her little head waggle and Candy her butt waggle.

I always tell them to come up and see me, but usually, Candy walks on by. Flower often comes closer, puts her paws on the top edge of the couch, stretches and then slides clear down to the floor until she is flat. It is so cute, but I don’t know why she does it. It would be interesting to see what she would do if Dottie wasn’t queen of her end of the couch and Nigel didn’t reign over the John end. Usually when they start getting restless, I herd them outside, give them a Milo’s Kitchen dog treat or something else, and then try to get them to play in the yard.

I love you this big

Nigel with dog treat in mouthMy shih tzu trio couldn’t be more “my girls” than if I had birthed them. As Scottie McCreery, the reigning American Idol would say, I love them “this big.” I acknowledge their dysfunctions and fears. I have more patience with their idiosyncrasies than I ever thought I would have with a canine companion. Still, I have to admit that it is refreshing having a puppy in the house that loves people easily and hasn’t learned fear.

two shih tzus on a couchI know that Nigel’s life was different. I wish I knew what it was. John doesn’t understand how anyone could turn Nigel over to an animal shelter. Looking at him and seeing how he loves people, I assume he had a loving home. Maybe his family just couldn’t afford taking care of him when he had pneumonia. Maybe he was sick before that. We will never know, but it’s easy to wonder about his life before.

All we know is that the last couple months of his life were tough, but he seems very well adjusted. It was heartwarming watching the way that he completely trusted Leticia and Candace’s children, climbing into every lap that was available.

We also thought it was so cute the way that John’s sister Lynda and her husband Jeff embraced him, even though Jeff joked about him sneezing all over him. I imagine that is aftereffects of the pneumonia. He does sneeze a lot, and his big eyes always water. Despite that, he is so cute.

I thought he seemed a little down this afternoon. He was very excited when I got home though. I’m not sure what happened. Earlier he was resting by Dottie, with his head on her side. Since they are the two couch dogs, that’s par for the course. Maybe she gave him one of her ferocious growls, telling him he was intruding on her space. I try to stop that when I am there, but I can’t always be there.

in the ring

Candy and Flower picked a play fight with each other this afternoon. They were fighting in their make-believe ring for quite a while, their paws up. Well, they look more like dancing ponies than wrestlers. I saw Nigel watching them, and thought he probably wanted to play, but they haven’t yet accepted him, either in the morning when they get up or later in the day, in their “reindeer games.” My hope is that they will accept him soon. After all, they sure know what it’s like to be a dog down on their luck!

Shih Tzu Day 97: Upside Down Day

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Bones, bones and more bones

upside down black and white shih tzuHaving four dogs around the house means we need lots of bones! And it’s not possible to just pass out four. I have to have extras for when they steal each other’s. Flower used to be the biggest culprit in that area, but Nigel outdoes her. I haven’t figured out yet if there is a way to mark them, like you would a plastic glass at a party, so I know who is stealing whose.

I did discover that the Dollar Tree has retriever rolls, mini rawhide bones and pressed bones, which is a relief. They might not be their favorite treats, but they seem to like them all. All of the dogs happily chewed on what I gave them for a long time. I have bought the small red and white rawhide bones before, but I have never seen the girls demolish one. Nigel sat next to me for a good hour unraveling his into a gooey mess.

 

two shih tzus rompingWhen he let it go and Dottie picked it up to try to help him finish it off, they had a growling contest. Neither would back down, so I had to intercede. Dottie happily chewed on one of the treats at Shih Tzu Central for quite a while, which gave Flower the opportunity to jump up on the couch without any dirty looks or growls from the couch monitor. I gave her a good rub down, and she jumped down as soon as I stopped. Whenever she does that I tell her she is a user; of course, she doesn’t know what that means.

two shih tzus romping

 

Nigel stayed outside by himself for a long time today. It’s tough being an outsider. But, hopefully it’s just an adjustment period. When he came inside, I was eating an apple and offered him a piece. He ate it like I thought he would. I still haven’t been able to get the girls to try one.

Dottie was in a playful mood today, so she picked a play fight with Candy. Then, Flower jumped into the fray. It’s always funny when Dottie gets involved, because she is usually so mellow.

 

Shih Tzu Day 95: Chicken Sunday

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Chicken Cuisine

four shih tzusblack and white shih tzuWe picked up two whole chickens at the store yesterday. We put both of them in our crockpot last night, so we could make two dishes out of them. When we got home from church, we used one of the chickens to make chicken noodle soup. The other was for homemade dog food.
When I was helping Delores groom the newest foster dogs, she was feeding the dogs a recipe made from chicken, rice, chicken broth and frozen vegetables. Since I am experimenting with their diet, I thought it sounded like a good recipe to try for them. Dottie, Candy, Flower and Nigel quickly gobbled it down.

I tried it before giving them any, and I really liked it. I took some out for us. All it needs are a few spices and we can have it as a small meal.

Shih Tzu Day 94: Watch Nigel

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Just Watch Nigel

two shih tzus snugglingJohn and I left the girls and Nigel alone for a few hours this morning, so we could take a bike ride and then eat lunch at Noodles. When we got back, we decided to try and take Nigel and Candy for a walk. I had to hold him back, because he wanted to run, which might not be good for his stitches. Candy kept stopping. She still doesn’t understanding this walking thing. I just hope she will see Nigel do it and eventually realize it is supposed to be fun. I could tell she was stressed. She wouldn’t take any award treats while we were on the walk, but when we got back, I held out a hot dog piece to her and she attacked it hungrily.

We also decided to do a little grooming, and chose Nigel and Flower. Both behaved well. Flower just stares at Mom when John clips her, as if to say, “You’ll protect me, right?” We are trying to get the tear stains off her face and figure out if it is allergies or some type of eye problem causing them. We are using two different kinds of moisturized pads on her face.

black and white shih tzuNigel doesn’t like taking his pain pills. We tried putting them in cheese, but he ate the cheese and then spit the pill out. He did the same with a hot dog piece, even though John tried to put it in his mouth and massage his throat. Bologna finally worked.

Nigel continues to do things that I have always read dogs do, but that I never see. For instance, some ice fell on the floor when I was filling my glass, and he ran to get it and gnawed on it. My guess is that he might like other crunchy things, like apples and carrots. I will have to try that.

A Rumble at Shih Tzu Central

A dog squabble at Shih Tzu Central caught my attention this afternoon. I heard Nigel’s deep, raspy bark, which could be caused by his pneumonia, and then yipping and yapping from Flower or Candy. My guess is that Nigel might have been stealing bones again, which he loves to do, or play fighting with Candy. John says if they were children, he would be pulling their pigtails or stealing their lunch money.

I can’t tell if Candy likes to play with him or not, but I don’t think Flower does. After the commotion, Candy and Flower flew out of their corner and went to hide under the table from the little terror. None of them look hurt. John says its just a dominance boundary scuffle. What I don’t want is for Nigel to dominate them in their own home.

Monkey Boy

As for John and I, we can’t help but like our little foster dog. Nigel is so darned cuddly and cute, always jumping up into our laps and following us around. We already have several nicknames for him besides Elvis and James Brown, including Monkey Boy and Spider Monkey. John calls him Baby Boy.

We have been trying to think of a way to keep him in the family. The problem is that I don’t know anyone in the family that would qualify to adopt him. John’s sister Lynda has a nice home, but not another small dog, and Delores thinks Nigel needs canine companionship. Mom’s house wouldn’t pass inspection, and the kids live in apartments, without a secure, fenced yard; plus, none of them have a small dog. So, Nigel’s future is up in the air.