Dinner was made for eating, not for talking.

Made with love for three hungry border collies.

 

Lightly cooked ground turkey meat and chopped vegetables 

(green beans, carrots and spinach) in water.

 

Add high quality dry food and supplements.

Mix everything up. Dinner is served!

These BCs have a post-dinner routine. They take turns wandering over to each bowl to check for tidbits. The cycle typically goes like this: Lucas to Josey. Josey to Maddie. Maddie to Lucas. Every dog's head hangs low to appear non-threatening. Every dog walks slowly on approach. It is really fascinating to watch. Maddie's bowl is always the catch (she leaves food stuck on the sides of bowl). Lucas' always has the cleanest bowl. By this time, you'll always find Josey standing next to the treat jar waiting for her after-dinner-treat!

One ship sails east and another sails west...

One ship sails east and another sails west

With the self-same winds that blow.

Tis the set of the sail and not the gale

Which determines the way they go.

As the winds of the sea are the ways of fate

As we voyage along through life,

Tis the act of the soul that determines the goal, 

And not the calm or the strife.

Happy 10th Anniversary my darling!

A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises.

Part II - Confessions of a pet sitter, dog walker

In a previous post, I wrote about pet peeves. Time to share the bright side, surprises on the job. Pet names have been changed. Sorry about the poor quality of photos (shot with cell phone).

Met a handful of awesome dogs.

• Rex. Rex is the neighborhood superstar that everyone says hello to. You don’t walk Rex. He walks you. Knows his turf and takes you on different routes. He is gregarious and sweet at the same time. He also has mutilated hind paws that need to be wrapped up in bandages twice a day and protected with booties. But don’t feel pity for him. He doesn’t even notice.
• Will. He died this past spring from renal failure. He was a lovely, quiet old dog living with two cats (see below). Charming. Noble. Stubborn. Loved his walks to the park but over time he could not walk anymore. His fur was also always soft and clean. R.I.P.
• Max and Tara. They are superstars in their neighborhood, too. Don’t walk them as much anymore because their owners demand one hour running sessions. I walk not run dogs. Their markings are the same because they have the same grandfather - that’s what the owner said to me the first day I met them. Um, okay. Max and Tara are spoiled rotten and dearly loved. 
• Boris. He's young but mellow, sweet. You just want to hug and kiss him all the time like a new boyfriend. Eats like a horse. Plays with his Kongs with or without treats in them. Adorable.

 Met some very cool cats and I’m not a cat person.

• Chuck and Gia. Chuck loves to drink from the kitchen tap, meowing until you turned it on. Gia is shy but what a beauty! It's a challenge to get Chuck to take his meds. Need to be creative with tuna fish meat, tuna fish liquid and wet cat food.
• Ellie and Chet. These cats lived with Will. There was harmony and love in this house. Now when I visit the cats, it is noticeably different. Chet is a pain in the ass 'cuz he bites but he’s funny and lovable. He does catzoomies too! Ellie is elegant, classy like royalty. She’s the only cat I let out of the house because she doesn’t run away. Will, Ellie and I sat outside together soaking up the sun many times. Ellie and I still do.

Observe what clients feed their pets. 90% of them feed their dogs and cats the bad foods. And they feed too much. Lots of free-feeding which explains their overweight pets. It’s been an eye opening experience to witness. Clients who feed the good food shop regularly at the independent retail stores.

Appreciative clients. There are cool clients who are so thankful that you have cared for their dogs, cats and their home, too. They can see the difference and know the difference. They leave you goodies, too.

Hard to make a living pet sitting. But when the dogs and cats greet every visit with wagging tails, woofs and purrs you forget that part. Live in the moment.

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Lucas: Hey you, guess what today is?!

It is the one-month anniversary of Around the Dog Bowl!  

Been blogging everyday since September 4, 2010. The first post was a tribute to Sam - our beloved first border collie. I am also appreciative, grateful to those of you who follow & comment on the blog. Blogosphere participation is a true wonder. Thank you so much! 

The blog was conceived and intended to busy myself. The biggest surprise so far? I love doing it. Gives me something to look forward to either at the start of my day or the end. It’s a selfish act really - writing about life with the BCs and feeling it matters. Yet, could anything be more fun? I love that this medium lets me be creative. So long as there is inspiration to draw from (and there is plenty), I’ll keep at it, enjoying the ride and hoping for the best!

Every dog must have his day.

Postcard greetings from dogzoomies

Feeling nostalgic, I am posting photos from a trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea a few years ago. Definitely one of the joys of blogging for me - finding (and organizing) photos and sharing them. We didn’t bring our dogs on this trip because it was a weekend getaway for us girls sort of trip – full of wine tasting, eating, shopping, sightseeing and hanging out at the beach. Dog watching was a big part of the fun, too. There’s lots to love about this hamlet. Merchants in dog-friendly Carmel-by-the-Sea greet their four-footed friends with welcoming water bowls.

Even inside the courtyard areas of restaurants you'll find places to secure your dog.

Of course, there were a few exceptions. This place made it very clear that dogs were not welcomed.

Regardless, a good time was had by all. Carmel-by-the-Sea refreshes your soul and it is heaven on earth for the dogs!

Sunset at Mission Ranch

The dog that trots about finds a bone.

Favorite Things > Treats

The border collies love their treats. Not too much. Not too little. Just right.  Rawhide chews are just right for them. Rawhide chews are not created equal though. The Whole Dog Journal wrote an elaborate article about choosing the best rawhides (May 2009) and their top recommendation is Wholesome Hide. These chews are naturally processed in the U.S.A from 100% beef hides - thick, fresh with a "collagen flavor layer."

After an early morning pet sit, I picked up a bag of Wholesome Hide at Trader Joe's for $7.49. Just the treat to keep the border collies busy while I work on the Mac today! This bag contained 7 rawhide chews in all shapes and sizes. Perfect to customize to each dog! The big knot measured approx. 7" long; smallest knot 5" long. The largest roll measured approx. 8.5" long; smallest roll 4.5" long. The ring measured approx. 5" wide.

Our foster BC Maddie is still with us and I'm happy to see she enjoys a good chew! Yum!

The rawhides are nothing new to Josey & Lucas but they've only had Wholesome Hide one other time. Definitely worth seeking out this brand! In addition to rawhide chews, check out the Favorite Things page for more treats we love!

A company needs to have good business reflexes, to be able to marshal its forces in a crisis or in response to any unplanned event.

Customer Review > PETCO

Yes, I know PETCO is a big-box retailer, not an independent retail store. But…they seem to be steadily growing their natural pet food selection and providing favorable options for dog owners. I guess to stay afloat they want a piece of the phenomenal natural, holistic and organic dog food market. Their website says they carry Natural Balance, Wellness, Solid Gold, Castor & Pollux, Halo, By Nature, Grandma Lucy’s, Pinnacle, Cloud Star and Only Natural Pet etc. In the past, I purchased Natural Balance L.I.D. & Wellness Super 5 Mix dry foods for Lucas & Josey, respectively.

PETCO is also testing a new format - a boutique-style store called Unleashed. Tag line: “PETCO know-how and knowledge in a smaller package.” Competing with the independents! Interesting. Website says: “We serve up only the best in premium, natural, organic and raw pet nutrition.” Very interesting. So far, the only Unleashed store is in Elk Grove but two more are on the way (Fair Oaks and Sacramento). Unleashed is on my list to review. Let’s see what all the buzz is about.

Bottom line: We shopped at PETCO on a regular basis in 2008. They had sales all the time – 10%, 15% to 20% off. In the mail, I recently received a coupon for $4.00 off a case of Natural Balance L.I.D. wet food so maybe it is worth another visit (before the coupon expires).