Shih Tzu Week 46: May 10 (Day 316) – May 16 (Day 322), 2012

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Di Freeze

Shih Tzu Day 316: May 10

Thursday

Today is my birthday. I had a coupon for a free lunch at Roby Tuesday’s, so we picked up Mom and went there. Nigel is very friendly to Sandy, of course, but the female shih tzus are still mainly remaining at Shih Tzu Central when we are home. Sandy tried to pet Flower and her eyes got big. Sandy laughed and said, “You have to be really careful when she gets the googly eyes!”

Shih Tzu Day 317: May 11

Friday

We went to lunch at Tokyo Joe’s as Sandy’s present to us. The female shih tzus are getting better around Sandy. They will at least walk around and Flower and Dottie will come up to the couch and sit by me, even if she is on the couch.

Shih Tzu Day 318: May 12

Saturday

We invited the children and grandchildren over for a BBQ. Candace came alone, but Leticia brought the four girls and Gabe and Crystal brought Samuel. Leticia also brought her friend, Chris, and her little boy. The female shih tzus either stayed in the corner or outside. Flower was the best around the children. She came up to get treats from them without much coaxing.

Shih Tzu Day 319: May 13

Sunday

I bought a french fry cutter from Harbor Freight, because I am hoping to use it to make uniform sweet potato treats. John mounted it on some wood in the kitchen. Sweet potatoes are a lot harder than normal potatoes, so they need some preparation. We tried boiling them slightly and microwaving them a little, and both ways worked. I do have to cut the ends to make them as square as possible. It’s a little difficult to push down the handle, but I think it will work.

Shih Tzu Date 320: May 14, 2012

Monday

I took Sandy to the airport to get her there by 10 a.m. We had such a great vacation together. John and I are sad to see her go, but I think the female shih tzus are happy to have the house to themselves again. She fell in love with Nigel, of course, and she got a big kick out of Flower. She gave me a gift card from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I used it to get another gadget, an apple peeler/corer. You put the apple on it and turn it and it cores the apple.

Shih Tzu Day 321: May 15

Tuesday

John and I took a five-mile bike ride this morning. Flower came to sit with me on the couch when we got back. She gazed at me adoringly when I pet her. She is such a cutie.

I have been leaving the back door open so the shih tzus can come in and out, but I am getting tired of flies coming in. I finally bought a Magic Mesh screen door to try, although it didn’t have great ratings. I need to have John install it over the weekend, but for now, I did tack it up so it works partially. They can’t figure out how to go through it though, so I folded it up and pinned it for them to go beneath it. That works, but the flies go beneath it too.

I can tell that the three youngest dogs are bored. Again, I know I have to see if I can get them walking. Soon!

I gave the dogs all jicama. They all ate it except for Candy.

Dottie was sitting by me this afternoon but jumped down, giving Flower the opportunity to take her place. Dottie growled at her, but Flower just ignored her. They seem a little more ornery since Sandy left. Candy has come up to the couch several times, pawing and shaking her head. I never know what she wants. I think it’s food, but I did get down on the floor to play with them. I put my face near Candy and she licked my mouth quickly. Flower tried to climb up my head.

Flower has a lot of energy. She was rolling around on the couch, and then started playing with some potholders and socks I hadn’t put away.

Shih Tzu Day 322: May 16

Wednesday

I am happy to say that if I was starving I could eat my shih tzus’ dog food or treats! That’s because they are made with all people food and no preservatives or “natural flavorings” of which I don’t know their origin. I made them their Sadie Shih Tzu food today. I bought all fresh ingredients, so I didn’t use any frozen veggies. This time I used ground beef and ground turkey. I bought a box of apples from Costco to use for that, John’s lunch, and the shih tzus’ chicken and apple treats. I also bought a box of sweet potatoes for that and their sweet potato and chicken treats. However, I realized later that I forgot to use the sweet potatoes. I was too busy blanching all the fresh vegetables instead of using frozen. I did freeze some squash and carrots for next time. I put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer first, so they would get hard enough to seal in a bag with the vacuum sealer.

Shih Tzu Week 45: May 3 (Day 309) – May 9 (Day 315), 2012

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Di Freeze

Shih Tzu Day 309: May 3, 2012

Thursday

Flower is pawing the air and giving me her come hither look. She definitely loves attention. She went back over to her couch, so she could stare at me from there.

Shih Tzu Day 310: May 4, 2012

Friday

The dogs seem so bored. I need to practice walking them, because I know they need that exercise. At least Nigel and Candy and Flower play together sometimes.

Shih Tzu Day 311: May 5, 2012

Saturday

It doesn’t seem like I got much done today. Keeping up with the dogs grooming sometimes seems overwhelming. We really need to make sure their paws are groomed, trimming their nails and getting the fur out from between the pads, and get them walking!

Shih Tzu Day 312: May 6, 2012

Sunday

I have been having trouble keeping Flower’s attention when it’s breakfast time. She keeps leaving her food bowl in the mornings, to fend off cats or squirrels from the back of the yard. This morning, instead of guarding her bowl, I went ahead and let Candy eat the rest of it. She needs more food anyway, and maybe Flower will learn not to run away so often.

Shih Tzu Day 313: May 7

Monday

I am very happy with the chicken jerky I have been making them. It makes me feel good to know exactly what they are getting. On my latest batch of jerky, I marinated them in lemon/lime juice and olive oil, and then sprinkled them with fresh sage, paprika, and rosemary. I read that dogs don’t really like citrus, but they were a bit hit. I also made more apple and chicken treats and chicken and sweet potato treats. They like all of them. Buying the dehydrator is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

Shih Tzu Day 314: May 8

Tuesday

My sister Sandy arrives today from Florida for a weeklong visit. We have been concerned because she has severe pet allergies. She’s like me, too, in that she can’t handle a lot of smells. I washed doggy beds and blankets this morning. I used to clean them more regularly, since they tended to have messes on them from accidents, but these days, that doesn’t happen, so I forget. Hurray for that!

John is on vacation. We have been steam cleaning the carpets with pet/allergen formula. We even tackled the carpet downstairs in the exercise room, which hasn’t been steam cleaned for years, since we hired someone to come in and do it. Flower followed me downstairs. I kept one eye on her, waiting to pounce if she tried to squat to pee. She sniffed a little, but then ran back up the stairs.

Shih Tzu Day 315: May 9

Wednesday

We went to breakfast this morning with Mom and Sandy. Mom treated us for my birthday at Gunther Toody’s. Sandy is trying very hard to make friends with the shih tzus. The female shih tzus growled at her and barked when she came downstairs this morning.

Shih Tzu Week 44: April 26 (Day 302) – May 2 (Day 308), 2012

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Di Freeze

Shih Tzu Day 302: April 26 (Thursday)

Flower has still been sitting on her couch a lot, mainly, I think, because Dottie is mean to her. They were squabbling tonight and it was really getting on my nerves. It’s just like having bratty, little kids sometimes.

Every time Nigel comes up to the couch, he drags up a toy or treat with him. He’s the only one who seems to love toys.

Shih Tzu Day 303: April 27 (Friday)

I went to pick up Dottie today and Flower growled her disapproval. Her bark is definitely worth than her bite.

Shih Tzu Day 304: April 28 (Saturday)

I made chicken jerky for Candy’s birthday, which is Monday. We took Flower for a walk again behind the Wal-Mart. I thought she was secure in her harness, but she pulled out of it again. This time, I just sat down on the grass and put my hand out, with cheese in it. She came up to me and I grabbed her collar. The next time I attempt to take her for a walk, I am going to put a leash on her collar and one on her harness.

Shih Tzu Day 305: April 29 (Sunday)

Flower is such a funny, little thing. Today, she was lying on her back, wagging her front paws at me. I was trying to work on the computer, so I didn’t stop to pet her, but when I looked again, she wagged her paws again. I finally gave up and gave her some petting time.

Shih Tzu Day 306: April 30 (Monday)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Candy!

Today is Candy’s third birthday! We celebrated with the chicken jerky I made over the weekend and the Frosty Paws that was leftover from Flower’s. I also made dog and people treats again this morning. I dehydrated some diced apples for John for oatmeal, and I made more chicken and apple and chicken and sweet potato treats. Candy didn’t eat the Frosty Paws, but the other three loved it. They all love the other treats.

Of course, Candy, Flower and Dottie didn’t want to wear the birthday crowns, but they had to wear it long enough for pictures. The peace sign top and skirt I bought her (Ross Dress for Less) was too big, so I passed the outfit on to Flower. I thought they could be twins and I found a size small, but that was too small. I ended up putting her in the Girly Girl dress I had bought Flower.

Shih Tzu Day 307: May 1 (Tuesday)

Restless Shih Tzus

I made up a batch of Sadie Shih Tzu food. It doesn’t last long with four shih tzus. I dragged out my old FoodSaver unit to seal the individual bags. When I came back into the living room, Flower was lying on her couch, with her front paws hanging over, watching over everyone, and wagging her tail. She has so much character. All four of the shih tzus got restless later and started wandering around. I don’t know how they can be bored, when they should be able to just play with each other. Since they do get bored though, it would be great if I could just hand them some coloring books to keep them busy.

They have a big backyard and lots of toys. They aren’t to the point where they like walks, so I know that’s not what they want. My guess is when they start wandering around, they are looking for food, but I can’t feed them all day. I did hold Candy for a while, because she looked like she wanted some loving.

Shih Tzu Day 308: May 2 (Wednesday)

Dog food storage

I was disappointed that there was ice inside the dog food bags I froze, so I decided to invest in a new unit. I cut open the bag of dog food and rinsed the ice away so I could try again. My unit was probably seven years old, so I would imagine technology is better these days. When I read the instructions on the new unit though, I realized one thing I did wrong. They advise that you freeze “wet” food first, and then vacuum seal it, so I will try that next time.

Flower is being ornery again today. Dottie came up to the couch for me to help her up, and Flower growled at her. I guess turnabout is fair play. Dottie always sounds more serious when she growls.

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.

Happy Birthday to Flower (Day 289) April 13

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Dottie

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Dear Flower! Happy Birthday to You!
Flower is now 3 years old! This is Flower’s first birthday at her forever home. She spent her first birthday at a puppy mill and her second at a foster home.
So glad that Flower, Candy and I have a Forever Home together! Nigel too, although he didn’t come with us from the puppy mill!

Mom says she will have pictures later of our birthday party, including the homemade chicken jerky!!