Shih Tzu Day 98: The Shih Tzus Weigh In

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Weigh In

three shih tzusthree shih tzusI keep looking at my little girls and thinking that Dottie and Flower may need to eat a little less! I finally got out their adoption paperwork and checked their weight from when we got them. Dottie weighed the same and Flower and Candy have gained a half pound, so it’s not as bad as I thought. I was surprised that Flower, at 14.5 pounds, weighs a half pound more than Dottie.

I think Candy is at a good weight, at 11.5. I also weighed Nigel, since we are trying to get him to gain weight after his illness. I didn’t weigh him when he got here, but Delores had told me he weighed about 9 pounds. He weighed 10.5 today.

Best Dressed

shih tzu in a houndstooth dressshih tzu in black sweaterWhen I was at Ross Dress For Less today, I couldn’t resist looking at pet stuff. I saw the cutest little houndstooth dress. It looked pretty small, but I thought it might fit Candy. I also saw a black sweater with a skull on it that I thought would be perfect for Nigel. Nigel’s fit him just right. I thought Candy’s fit, but when John got home he thought it looked a little snug. I will have to take it back and see if I can find a larger size. John said it looked like Candy and Nigel were going to a school dance or something. It would have been cute to get their picture together, but I would have had to force them to sit together.

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 96: Couch Potatoes

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Nice Morning

It has been so nice in the morning. The girls didn’t start barking until 6:30. When I went downstairs I left Nigel with John, to give Dottie, Candy and Flower a little time alone with me. After I fed the dogs, we put Flower up on the grooming table to work on her tear stains a little more. We trimmed some of the stained hair, especially close to her eyes.

Nigel and the Girls

black and white shih tzuNigel is a funny, little thing. Last night, he ran around the yard with Flower a few times. He was a lot slower, most likely because of his stitches. If he had gone faster, I would have had to try to slow him down.

Today, he came up to the couch several times and puts his paws on it, but then just stood there. His paws seem big for his little body. They are very cute. When I put my hand down to pet him, he bites it. Not hard bites — just small, play bites.

two shih tzusThis morning, he strolled over to Shih Tzu Central and inspected their large dog bed, but didn’t try to get on it. That’s good, because the girls probably aren’t ready to get that close to him yet. It reminded me that I need to get him his own bed. I did fold up some blankets for him to use for now.

two shih tzustwo shih tzusWhile he was laying on them, Flower approached him. I don’t think he knew what to do, so he got off and went to stand under my computer stand. I think Flower might want to play with him, but I am not sure she knows how. She is only used to her sisters.

two shih tzusI was a little concerned about Candy, because she seemed a little withdrawn when Nigel arrived. She was spending a lot of time in their corner. However, this morning she came out and started prowling around, watching Nigel and Flower as they gnawed on bones.

I am struggling to get the girls to want to play outside. Whenever I open the door, they run to it, but then look at me expectantly, hoping for food or a treat. I guess that’s my fault.

I went outside with them at 11:30. Walks are out of the question since we haven’t gotten very far with the leash, so I ran up and down the length of the yard. Flower ran behind me. Once in a while she would get distracted, but then she would come back and catch up.

While we were doing that, Nigel wandered over by the shed, away from the girls club. He chewed on one of the bones he has dragged outside. Candy and Dottie mainly sat in the dirt or on the porch.

Couch Potatoes

Nigel keeps coming up to the couch, so I decided to give him some type of step, since he can’t get up on his own. I found a cute box filled with games for the grandchildren and put it next to the couch, on the John side, not the Dottie side. He quickly learned its purpose.

He sat on that side for a while, and then walked across my lap to go lay next to Dottie. She doesn’t appear too thrilled to have another dog trying to enter her space. She moved up to the arm of the couch to keep a little distance.

Candy and Flower roamed around together later in the afternoon. Nigel was on the floor chewing on something. They came near him, but not too close. Nigel got up and went and nuzzled Flower’s face. She backed away quickly. I don’t think they are quite sure what to think of him.

Flower hasn’t come up on the couch all day. I know Dottie keeps her away sometimes, but I think the Nigel factor contributes to her distance now too. Candy did walk back and forth in front of the couch, though, looking a little interested. However, Dottie stared her down and then Flower pounced on her, breaking her concentration.

Nigel aka Elvis was making it hard for me to work for a while this afternoon. He crawled into my lap, which made it difficult for me to reach the laptop keyboard. I let him stay there for a while, then put him back down beside me. I guess I am lucky that the girls aren’t lap dogs. I would never get any work done, unless I abandoned my home office and got a real office job!

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.