All by himself...

Rene and I took off for Sedona for 5 days (to post celebrate our anniversary, more on that on 7Dresses) and we needed to figure out what to do with Whiskey.... sad to say our wonderful friend and longtime dog-sitter, Gabe, recently moved to Texas (very sad) and letting Grandma Nance and Grandpa Jack watch him was out of the question (sorry mom) and we really did not want to kennel him. SO after much thought we decided to leave him at home and have Abby come over and feed him. What this really meant was that we needed to get a Doggie Door!

We attempted to buy on.... and for $250 we brought one home..... and since we have a custom 8 ft sliding glass door IT DID NOT FIT!!!!!

SO RENE DECIDED TO MAKE ONE:

The picture is a crapy phone pic (sorry) but I am really impressed with his work!

AND WHISKEY LOVES IT!!!! This way he can be in and out all day and no worries (though we did have Abby come and lock him in at night because of the coyotes).

During the week he managed to drag all of his "indoor" toys into the back yard but overall kept the house pretty clean. But we can tell he was pretty lonely. He was SO EXCITED to see us when we came home but I think this was the best situation as he could be at home on his own territory. Good job Rene!

Adventures of Whiskey.... In the forrest!

While taking a trip to El Paso, Whiskey got to stay with Grandpa Jack & Grandma Nance in Prescott.  All was going well, Grandma took him on a hike, Grandpa played with him.  But one day the window washers came and Grandpa's famous last words were "Please don't let the dogs out"!Well somehow Whiskey got out and TOOK OFF!  The cleaners had to go get Grandma at the clubhouse and then the search was on!  Whiskey was running all over the golf course and the neighborhood.  And this is no normal neighborhood... this is the terrain he was running on:

They had the whole golf club looking for him.  Golfers spotted him on the 9th hole and would

call Jack, neighbors saw him running up a hill.  Since Whiskey is sort of shy he would not come up to strangers.  But even Nance saw him once and had treats with her and he took off running away when he saw her.  Everyone said Whiskey looked scared and disoriented.

Meanwhile, Rene and I where driving back from El Paso and get a call from Jack.  "Your dog got out. He is running all over the F***ing place!" (Obviously, he was mad).  So we drive straight to Prescott but still did not get there until 8:00pm..... Whiskey had been missing since 1:00pm.

Rene and I go to the last place someone saw him which was in the neighborhood across the canyon and ran down into a ravine.  We called him and called him "WHISKEY COME!" and our voices echoed through the canyon.  No luck.  We walked the whole neighborhood, still no luck and now it was 10pm and dark. 

We went home and decided to go out behind the house to the golf course and sit and call for him. So Rene and I head out with flashlights.  We call for Whiskey and listen.  Then I spot two glowing eyes staring at us from across the fairway.  I call for Whiskey and we see it move and then look at us again.  Then it runs across the fairway to our side (but no sound).  All of a sudden Rene say "Babe, I don't think that is Whiskey!" WHAT!!!!!!  I yell "Get in the house, Get in the House!" as we take off running to the back porch. (the reason I freaked out was Yavapai county has a rabies outbreak and there have been numerous reports of foxes and bobcats attacking people).

So now with all of the WILD ANIMALS out there we could no longer look for Whiskey, we would have to go back out at daybreak.  This is when I lost it!  I was beginning to think we would never find him and now I had to accept the fact that he was out there in the forrest alone and having to spend the night.  Rene and I slept in the downstairs bedroom with the windows open to listen for him.... thought I did not sleep a wink!  All night I was saying to myself "bring him home bring him home, keep him safe keep him safe" over and over and over again. At 2:00am I a hear the coyotes howling and barking just down the road and I FREAK OUT and JUST UP FROM BED!!! I was so worried as Whiskey usually barks and chases the coyotes at our house.  I WAS SICK WITH WORRY! It was the worst thing I have experienced so far and a feeling that I cannot describe. It is like losing a child!  In all of my years with animals we have never had a pet gone missing like this.

At 4:00 am I get out of bed as I knew it would be daybreak soon and I couldn't stand it.  I went out to the front and called him.  Then I went to the back and called him as well... no luck so I went inside.  Once we got all of out gear together (MISSING fliers, walking sticks, flashlights) we set out again at 5:00.  We get in the car and as we pull out Rene says "GASP! Whiskey just ran behind the car!" YAAAAAYYYY!! I open my door and practically fall on top of Whiskey. I grabbed him SO TIGHT!  He looked a little crazy and his eyes were all bugging out and

 bloodshot, poor boy!  After bringing him inside he plopped down on the floor and did not get up.  We took him home and he was one sad sight for sore eyes.  He practically did not get up for 2 days.  We gave him boiled chicken and pedialite to hydrate him.... he was one spoiled mutt! Considering he was missing for 16 hours Whiskey's was pretty much okay except his paws were all cut and torn up from running over that terrain.  HE was lucky, WE were lucky!  Rene and I feel SO BLESSED that we found him (or that he found us). 

I wish he could talk and tell us what happened and where he was all night.  I would

 like to think that he has learned his lesson to never run away..... but I doubt that.  All I know is I am SO HAPPY we still have him and life is back to normal (somewhat).  Just not so sure if Grandpa and Grandma will be dog sitting anytime soon! ;-)

I was skeptical....

So over the weekend I bought a "Chuck It" dog toy.

Now forever I thought it was a waist of money, why do you 

need a fancy contraption when you can throw the ball yourself?

Well, over the last few years my husband has become the official 

ball thrower for Whiskey as I clearly SUCK at throwing.  It honestly 

goes 20 feet.

So I decided to try it after my friend convinced me to buy one.

And....................... IT WORKS GREAT!!!!!!!!! 

I finally can throw the ball just as far as my husband 

(him without the chuck it) and Whiskey is a happy boy!

I highly recommend it, even for skeptics :-)

Camping with your mutt

Now camping is an activity that 90% of the time your furry friend can attend.... and they usually LOVE it!  If you are Whiskey, you spend most of your day inside.   You pretty much sleep ALL day from 8am - 5pm until we get home from work.  Then you go CRAZY when we get home, eat dinner and maybe play outside for an hour by running around and playing fetch..... sound familiar???

But camping the mutt gets to be outside ALL of the time!  This was our first time camping with Whiskey and it was an adventure.  Rene and I found a nice secluded campsite NE of Payson at Tonto Creek campgrounds.  There was a nice creek that ran throughout.

We set up camp and then went for a hike.... Whiskey LOVES hikes, especially if it involves water! We could hardly keep up with him.

When we got back it was time to make a fire and start cooking dinner.  I have to say I loved having Whiskey with us there but one thing did get on my nerves a little..... every time Whiskey heard the slightest noise he would prick up his ears and look into the forrest.  Now that was getting me paranoid that something was out there coming to get us (more than usual), whether a bear, cougar, coyote, crazy forrest people.... heck even a turkey would have scared the beejeezes out of me!  So that was really the only downfall of the situation.  I would hope to think if we do it enough he will get used to the "forrest noises".

If you are looking for something fun and adventurous to do with you mutt, go camping!!!

Scottsdale Arabian Horse show.... Not just for horses

Over this past week I have been working at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse show at West World. It has been 10 days of talking with horse people about nutrition and feed BUT also surprisingly with a lot of dog people.





This show was a great destination for an outing with your mutt. You can take him anywhere. He can accompany you while you shop in the two vendor tents filled with clothing, tack, art, jewelry, books, etc... and there even are a few "pet boutique" vendors so even your pup can pick up something nice.


After you have shopped your little heart out you can sit and rest your feet & paws in the stands of the Equidome and watch the beautiful Arabian horses "do their thang" in the many classes including Mounted Native Costume, Saddle Seat English Pleasure, Carriage Driving, and Liberty.





You smell the wonderful array of food carried by the wind and so you and your mutt decide it is time for lunch. There is so much to choose from (think fair food)... Mexican, Chinese, Italian, burgers, smoked salmon, ice cream, Greek, turkey legs, corn on the cob, funnel cake, etc!!! Take your pick, and then maybe take come more :-)


After full bellies, you can go for a stroll through the wonderfully decorated barns and see the Arabians resting in the barns. You might even be so lucky to stumble upon a stallion or sale offering presentation where they take out the horses to show them off to the crowd.




You can find dogs of every size and breed here at the show (from mastiffs to mini pins and everything in between). I bet one in five attendees bring their dog with them whether they are "horse people" or not. You do not have to know about horses to attend, it is just an all around fun event.

The show happens every year in February, so if you haven't already, check it out next year and BRING YOUR MUTT!!

Wish Arizona had a dog beach

Over the holidays we got to visit the California coast and man did we have a great time! Whiskey got to play in the ocean for the very first time and he LOVED IT!  He had such a great time at the beach with his new girlfriend, Dolce (a very cute Boston Terrier).  They chased each other all over and running into the waves... Whiskey was in heaven.  And having such a wonderful time it would have been so convenient to have a professional photographer document the event..... OH WAIT, WE DID!!!!  Thanks to my best friend, Michelle Warren (www.mwfoto.com) we got awesome pictures of the mutts at the beach! 

 

I really wish we could have a fun beach in Arizona (at let alone ANY beach).  I love the ocean!  Maybe it is because I am a water sign (Aquarius).    So, if you have never taken your mutt to a beach and he/she loves the water, I HIGHLY recommend it!

(pictures are not permitted to be printed)

The Dog-Friendly Breakfast & Lunch Place!

Have you ever been to Kashman's Deli? It is GREAT! As far as I know there are only 2... one on Scottsdale/Pinnacle Peak and the other is at the Summit off Scottsdale. I have been to both and they are VERY dog-friendly! But first, lets talk about the food... it is only open for breakfast & lunch (hence my title) and offer such a wide range of food. For breakfast they serve up omelets of all kinds and a smörgåsbord of BAGELS. And for lunch they have all sorts of salad, soups, cold and hot sandwiches. Probably the best thing on the menu is the "nova lox platter" which is exactly what you see above (YES, it is THAT good).

Now getting back to the "dog-friendly" part.... you are allowed to keep your mutt with you on the outdoor patio which has plenty of umbrellas to sit under. There is also a fresh icy cold bowl of water for your pooch and the very friendly waiter will bring you a milk bone to give to your mutt.

When we were there on a Sunday morning the place was crawling will all sorts of mutts... we saw a golden retriever, Schnauzer, Chihuahua, cocker spaniel and a bulldog all within the hour. Whiskey had a great time socializing with them. So next time you are in the North Scottsdale area, check out Kashman's. You won't be disappointed!

mmmmm... PIZZA

Have you ever been to Grimaldi's in downtown Scottsdale? If you haven't you should go because it is great! Last weekend we were looking for a yummy place for lunch in downtown Scottsdale and of course we had Whiskey with us. We stumbled upon Grimaldi's and notice they had a patio. Rene went inside to ask if our mutt was allowed and they gladly said yes. We were actually allowed on the patio in the back which was a very nice courtyard tucked away. The patio is brick and has nice trees and white lights... very nice ambiance!


AND best of all the pizza was out of this world!! We decided to build our own and we had one with marscapone cheese, tomatoes and sausage.... YUMMMO (okay, did I just quote Rachel Ray?)

Anyhow, the pizza had thin crust and cooked to perfection, I even think Whiskey got a try (shhh, don't tell). The waitress was very nice and was joking around with us which always makes it fun. There were no other dogs around but because we were so tucked away I can see how you would not think this place was so dog friendly. Whiskey was surprisingly relaxed and laied down most of the time (besides a little begging here and there). I think the difference was we where not out on a sidewalk (like most other dog friendly places) so it was a lot more quiet and had less commotion.

Funny story about the fountain..... well we had previously been walking around downtown and when we ate we forgot to offer our mutt some water (what bad owners we are)! So as we walked away from Grimaldi's Whiskey pulled us over to the fountain and we had no idea what he wanted (even though he is a water dog). He actually jumped his front paws up to the ledge and tried to drink out of the fountain! Unfortunately for him the water was a little too shallow even for his long tongue but it sure was a funny sight (sorry we didn't get a picture).

We have noticed a lot of people walking their dogs around downtown Scottsdale so I am sure there are more restaurants around there that allow us to tow our mutts with us. I will keep on the search. BUT if you are looking for GREAT pizza with your furry friend definitely try Grimaldi's!