Never Too Many

Once upon a time we were a one dog household. Then DixieLee came to live with us. Before I came to live with Mom and Dad they had two dogs so having two dogs was no big deal for them. Or so they thought.

The two dogs they had before were litter mates.  One was a boy and the other a girl. Since they lived together since they were babies and they knew that the girl dog is always the boss, there was no problem who got to make the rules.

DixieLee and I both had to make changes in how we did things and it wasn’t always easy. DixieLee likes to be the boss.  I get to do what I want most of the time so I don’t care. Besides, we both know that the real boss of the house is Mom so if DixieLee gets too bossy, Mom steps in and makes her be good.

Dogs are pack animals and in the way long time ago it was important for the survival of the pack that all the dogs got along.  I don’t know about you but sometimes having a sister gets on my nerves. Like when I have a good toy or when I get the best seat on the couch she tries to be a bully and make me give in. 

There are things peoples can do to help dogs in the family get along better. Everyone knows that a tired dog is a good dog so seeing that we get lots of exercise is important. Exercise gets rid of energy and stress. Yes, we get stressed too.

When she first came to live with us, DixieLee got fed in her crate. Mom called it preemptive action.   It took time but she knows I am not going to steal her food so we now eat side by side in the kitchen. Mom still takes preemptive action when we have extra special treats like marrow bones or carrots. No sense looking for trouble.

We have to be a little careful when we play fight too. Most of the time we play fight good but Mom makes sure we take breaks so we don’t get too excited

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When Mom or Dad comes home DixieLee wants to be petted first so sometimes she pushes me out of the way. Mom says “Hello Girls” but doesn’t pet either of us until she has taken off her coat and put her work stuff away. Then she pets us both at the same time.

Dogs can get jealous so making quality time for each of us is important. I love to play catch with Mom and Dad and sometimes when we go for walks, Dad and I take a short cut home and Mom takes DixieLee for more miles.

Relationships take a lot of work and it’s important that we all work together to make us have a happy family. Mom says as long as we remember that she is the BOSS, everything will be just fine.

Your friend,

Zeva

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Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work I Go!

I just took a look at the calendar and boy, time is sure moving along. At the Studio we are getting ready for the upcoming Holiday Season. DixieLee and I are working very hard testing treats and toys and approving designs. We are very lucky that we get to go to work every day with our Mom.

I know lots of dogs and cats that get to go to work with their humans every day too and there is even a special day called Take Your Dog To Work Day in June where some places let the humans bring their dogs in and spend the day in the offices.

Most people I know think it is a wonderful idea to let pets go to work with their humans. Allowing pets to go to work lets the employees have a more balanced life. They will stay later to finish projects when they don’t have to rush home to feed their furry friend and walking a pet for a potty break gets the employee outside for some fresh air and exercise which can increase creativity and productivity.

Of course there need to be some rules about pets that go to work like they have to be housebroken, well mannered and friendly. Having dogs peeing in the office, fighting with other pets or biting coworkers would be a very bad thing. No company wants a smelly office, employees rushing their pet to the vet or dealing with lawyers over dog bite claims.

Some pets, like DixieLee, manage to get in trouble without trying. She’s not B-A-D just curious and klutzy. She chews socks and pulls pillows off of the sofa or gets into the trash. In an office it would be very bad for a dog to chew on computer cords or jump up on other workers or clients.

When we had our Shoppe, I had to stay in the office/studio part and not go out into the store area. I know I was a good greeter but there were some people who are afraid of dogs who might not think so. Also from the Shoppe I could get into the main hall and wander into other businesses.  I love to socialize with our neighbors but Mom says it's a no no.

As hard as it is to believe, not all people like pets and there are some people that are allergic. I am a very clean dog but there are still some businesses like medical offices and restaurants where animals shouldn’t go because of germs.

I’d like to know if you get to go to work with your human and if you do, do you work from your house or do you go to an office. If you go to an office, what are the rules you need to follow?

Sorry, got to go, I see the big brown truck just brought us some more packages. I wonder what we’ll be testing today.

Your busy friend,

Zeva

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The Lazy Dog's Workout Program

People know that exercise is very important to being healthy. Exercise lets people have strong bones and hearts and exercise is good for being happy too. Well dogs want healthy bones and hearts and we want to be happy too. When dogs get exercise we get rid of extra energy that makes us look for things to do like chew shoes and furniture, dig holes, and bark too much. Our people like it when we don’t do destructive things which make us happy.

Some people think that talking walks is the only way to get dogs exercised. Not true. Walking is very good but on days when it is rainy or cold, we don’t want to go out much either. So, I found lots of other ways to get exercise.

1. Obstacle Courses. These are big fun and can be an indoor or outdoor exercise. Our pen is a good place for an obstacle course. Big chunks of wood are good for running around and old tires stuck in the ground are good for going through.

In the house we get to run around the chairs and tables and up and down the stairs. Stair running is good because it makes you tired fast and you use different muscles going up than you use going down. Mom throws a toy down the stairs and we fetch it and bring it back.

Mom shows us how she wants us to go around chairs and we follow. DixieLee usually is better at the running stuff but I good at the figuring out stuff like a champion agility dog. The thinking part is hard because we train with treats and in obstacle course you don’t get to go straight to the treat you have to go around stuff.

2. Hide and seek. Dad is a good hide and seek player! Our house is not very big but he still finds good places to hide. At first we needed to be held while Mom counted one, two, three… but we learned not to go until ten. Sometimes DixieLee still starts looking earlier.

3. Tug of war. This is a good game to play with our humans and just with dogs. Tug of war is a very competitive game and both DixieLee and I are very competitive so we have strict rules about how hard we can play. When Mom or Dad say “stop it” we know we have to give up the toy and calm down. We have some good tug of war toys but DixieLee likes Dad’s socks the best. She forgets that socks are no nos.

4. Hiding treats. It’s sort of hide and seek where you look for hidden treats instead of hidden people. Good hiding places are behind chairs or doors or under tables.

We also play hide treats with our Kongs. Treats hidden in Kongs are easy to find but hard to get to. It takes concentration to get the treats out and keeps us quiet for long times.

We still like taking walks with our friend Scout and her new puppy friend but when we can’t we have plenty of other ways to get our exercise.

Let us know what you do to stay fit.

Your friend,

Zeva

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