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 88: Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

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 Don’t Eat That!

three shih tzus on a dog bedWe had a nice, leisurely day. I didn’t get up until 7:30. A quick inspection showed that all the girls used the training pad properly, but someone had pooped on our hall runner. Also, I know that it is occasionally used for number one. Oh well. I can’t get rid of all the carpet. I considered throwing the runner in the washing machine, but read online that the rubber backing deteriorates over time, eventually falling apart and clogging up the drain and water lines. So, I guess I will look for an inexpensive, machine washable runner.

A few days ago, John mentioned that he was glad that none of our shih tzus had the bad habit Joey, our Yorkie, had, of eating dog poop. Well, he spoke too soon. This morning, after Candy did her business outside, she came back and started nibbling on it. We shooed her away a few times, and then I went and got a plastic baggy to remove it. We’ll have to keep an eye on her, and I need to research how to stop it, if she continues. I don’t remember what we ever did with Joey, but I don’t think she did it that often. Maybe Candy was just experimenting!

John finished putting the rototiller back together successfully. That means we can get rid of the weeds on the backyard. Yeah! When he got done with that, he made cinnamon rolls with his mom’s recipe. I mainly sat on the couch all done with my laptop and Dottie, when she wasn’t at Shih Tzu Central. Flower paid me the occasional visit, but Candy mainly lounged on one fo the dog beds.

 

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 86: Will Dance For Food

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The Breakfast Dance

breakfast dance 1The shih tzus didn’t want to let me sleep in today. They barked until I tumbled out of bed at 6. I needed to get up early anyway, because I had to finish up some work before I left for a morning appointment. The little dogs did their usual breakfast dance, which begins once I pick up their dog bowls and head for the back door, and ends once I put the bowls down.

breakfast dance 2I was gone for probably five hours, so they were very excited to see me when I got home. I put groceries away and got them outside, but Flower ran back in because of loud machine noises next door, so I gave her a treat inside.

breakfast dance 3The Canyon Creek apple and chicken wrap bag is almost empty, so I have to be making another PetSmart trip soon. That’s the only place I know that carries a big enough bag to last a while for three, small, food-loving dogs. They each got a small piece and then I gave them all a small sweet potato treat on the couch.

breakfast dance 4Flower jumped right up, then she sat there for a while. When I started to pet her, she rolled over on her side and then on her back.

breakfast dance 5I still haven’t been able to get the dogs’ mouths open to put the Tropiclean teeth gel on their teeth, so I have been experimenting with different so-called dental products. This time I bought something from Walmart that looks like a rawhide Flip. I passed them out, and they all chewed on them for awhile.

When they got bored, Candy and Flower took turns taking an Oinkies roll from each other. Candy would be chewing on one on the carpet and lay it down. Flower would trot over, grab it, and head back to Shih Tzu Central. It seemed unnecessary to me, since there are always several half-eaten Oinkies on the floor. I think they just like taking things from each other.

Wrong Truck

breakfast dance 6breakfast dance 7The girls are pretty good at recognizing sounds. For instance, they know when I am up, because they know every sound from when I go into the bathroom until I open the door. They bark once they know I am up, but they don’t start barking crazily until the electric toothbrush goes on, because they know the bathroom door will open shortly.

breakfast dance 8They know when I am home because they hear the garage door opening and then closing. When I get out of the Jeep I hear frantic barking. However, then they stop, waiting to see if it’s really going to be me or if it might be that Man. Once I walk in the backdoor and say hi, they go crazy, dancing around.

When John comes home from work, they hear the rumble of his truck and start barking.

Today, however, they heard another truck an hour earlier than John would be getting up and started barking. They acted very confused when they waited a while and then the door didn’t open.

breakfast dance 9I got down on the floor and told them they were silly. Then, I started making noises. Flower kept running up to me and then running off again, doing her “ruff” thing. Dottie just looked puzzled. When John did get home, Candy started to get excited, but then she checked herself. After all, if Flower and Dottie aren’t excited, should she be? However, once John told her hello, she ran up to him, shaking her little butt in greeting.

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.