Seven Random Things

Hello pups, Tasha here. We were tagged by Pippa from Spain to tell seven random things about us.
1. We both like pickles.
2. I have had two lipoma fatty tumor removed from behind my left front leg. If your humans feel a new lump on you, make sure that it gets checked out. Tell your humans to give you a good massage every once in a while to check for lumps that might be a problem. Another good reason to give us some lovin'!! Luckily for me, it was just a fat tumor and not cancerous.
3. Eva still has her toy that came to our house with her when mom & dad adopted her. Its kinda grimy and Little Puppy has a slight injury to his right front leg, but she still plays with it . Here's a picture. 4. Eva burps A LOT! She is NOT very lady-like.
5. I know when its 8:00 p.m. and that means its time to go outside! Daylight savings time goofs me up for a little bit, but I get back on schedule pretty quick.
6. Eva's favorite place to be seems to be between dad's legs, especially when he least expects it.
7. I make sure the kitchen floor is clean at all times! Humans can be sooooo messy!

We noticed that there are a lot of new pups in the DWB world. So we will tag MayaMarie, Suzy & Kate, Satchel, Sasha, Butters, Pugsley, Buster, and Cricket, and Chuckles. Its always good to make new friends! Belly Rubs, Tasha.

Few Words Friday

Drooling Problem?
I Don't Have a Drooling Problem!

OK, maybe I do when I'm running around. The rest of the time I just drip. Belly Rubs, Eva

Eva's Ball

Hey puppers and Girl Girl, Eva here. Well, it finally happened. My ball lost it's fur.

At first I didn't know what to do. I tried to get dad to throw the ball's fur for me. He wouldn't do it. Something about not wanting to encourage me, though he said I looked pretty funny running around with the ball fur in my mouth! He tried throwing a ball that was NOT mine. I chased after it all right, but as soon as I realized that it wasn't MY ball, I left it where it lie. That's not mine! So finally dad threw the bald ball. Now that's more like it!! It bounces WAY better than it did before! It's really fun to chase.

Its been very hot and humid here the last few days, so no walks or dog park adventures for us. That's OK, though, cuz when its hot, we get OUR POOL! It's pretty well shaded in the back yard so we can stay outside for a little while and splash around and get cooled off after a session of bald-ball chasing.

How Refreshing!!

Not much else going on around here. Mom & dad took Bob to the car hospital on Monday. We haven't heard how much its going to cost to get him better yet. He probably won't be fixed until after the 4th of July. We just want him to get fixed so we can go for a ride with the top down! We just love the wind in our fur! Stay cool, pups! Belly Rubs, Eva.

A MeMe (UsUs)

Hi pups, Tasha and Eva both reporting today! We saw a fun list of questions that a few of you other puppers have done and it looks like a good way to learn a little more about us. We saw that Peanut and Penny from the Dogs of Jackman Avenue have done it, so we thought we would too!
1. Your ages? Tasha: I'll be 10 years old in September. Eva: I turned 3 last December.
2. Your ages when came to live with your people? Tasha: 12 weeks. I was rescued from the Golden Valley Humane Society. Some other family had me then brought me back. Lucky for mom and dad! Eva: I was 8 weeks old when I came to live with mom & dad. I was the runt of the litter and the last one to be adopted.
3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? We both have black, leather round collars.
4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? We love Sheryl and Sunnie ( two of our neighbors) we both get VERY excited when they come to the door!
5. How much do you weigh? Tasha: 72 pounds. I'm down from my high of 83 pounds. Dad says I used to have a badonk-a-donk butt, whatever that is. I still have about 5 pounds to loose according to my vet. Eva: 52 pounds. Even though Tasha and I look like we are the same weight, I'm fluffier than Tasha.
6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? Tasha: I chewed on a fire extinguisher and set it off! There was white stuff everywhere! Eva: I chewed up a thing for the TV called a Leap Frog. That was $100 down the drain! And Dad's cell phone. And a bunch of drywall. And a pair of boots that Mom never even got to wear. (See a trend?)
7. Do you like other Dogs? Tasha: I love other dogs unless they try to dominate me. Some have tried, all have failed. Most stop when I give them the evil eye but some need bigger hints. Eva: As you may know, I'm a bit shy. If doggies come to my house I will play with them after a little time. At the dog park, I usually only give other dogs the butt-sniff.
8. Who is your best non-human friend? We both like our neighborpups Dutch, Molly, and Bo. You can see them at this post.
9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Tasha: I like all sorts of toys. Check out what I have in stock here. I would have to go with the tennis ball if I had to choose. Eva: I love, love, love my one and only tennis ball! He's bald now (I'll post about him later), but I still love him.
10. Do you like to be brushed? Tasha: Is there anything worse in the whole world? I think not! Eva: I can put up with it for a little while, only because I know there are treats involved when I'm done!
11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Tasha & Eva: YES, PLEASE!! We have our own jar of peanut butter and did I just hear the fridge open?
12. Do your people cut your toenails? Tasha: Yes, and it makes me none too happy. Eva: I'm very good about it, and my nails grow REALLY fast. Mom & dad say I don't have nails, but talons!
13. Any formal education? Tasha: None. I'm smart enough that I didn't need school. Dad trained me very well. Eva: I went to puppy kindergarten. I was very timid then, too, and I barely passed the final test.
14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Tasha: Couch potato. Eva: Definitely Energizer Bunny! (Did someone say BUNNY?!?!)
15. Five nicknames your people call you. Tasha: TashaGirl, Super Scavenger, Under-foot Girl, The Smart One, Your Oldest (when I'm bad and mom and dad are talking to each other), and Natasha Raye. That name comes from a girl that played bass in a band dad worked for years ago. Her name was Latisha Raye. Eva: Little One, Fluffybutt, Pointy-Nosed-Girl, Your Youngest (again when mom and dad are talking to each other), and Velcro Dog cuz I like to be VERY close to my humans most of the time. Collectively we are sometimes called The Dog-Faced-Girls!
16. What is your best trick? Tasha: I can find things. If I'm asked to find daddy, momma, Eva, or some sort of toy, I can usually find it. Eva: I can get my tennis ball out of the hammock Here's a video of me doing it.
17. Do you like kitties? Tasha & Eva: We used to have a kitty that lived with us and we got along very well. It's been a while since then, so we don't know how we would react now.
18. What did you have for breakfast? Our usual grain-free kibble with a little boiled turkey and a dab of plain yogurt. And Tasha gets a little bit of Syn-Flex for her hips.
19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? Tasha: I have gotten a couple of bunnies that had the gall to come into our back yard. Eva: I just chase things.
20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? Tasha: Just last week for my yearly checkup and vaccinations. The vet said I was in perfect health for a 10 year-old. I have a bit of arthritis in my back hips and have had TPLO surgery on my back right leg two years ago. Here's a picture of me after the dressing was removed from my leg. Dad called me turkey-leg dog. NOT FUNNY, DAD!

How humiliating! A naked leg! Ugly scare.

After the surgery and 6 weeks of dad carrying me up and down the deck stairs to do my business, I was as good as new! Eva: About time you let me answer the question, Tasha! I was to the vet about two weeks ago for the nasty reaction I had to some commercial flea and tick repellent. I got two more baths (OH the HORROR!) and I was soon back to normal.

21. Where do you sleep at night? Tasha: On the floor of the bathroom off the humans bedroom. Eva: On the floor on Dad's side of the bed, but after dad leaves for work (about 4:30 in the morning) I'll jump up on the bed to protect momma until she gets up.

22. Do you like to swim? Tasha: Yes, yes, yes! Pool, pond, or lake, makes no difference to me! Eva: I just like to get my delicate feet wet.

23. Can you make puppies? Tasha: Heavens, no. Eva is enough puppy for me! Eva: Hey I resemble that remark! No, I can't either.

24. Your favorite place to visit? Tasha & Eva: Any dog park. Here's a post from Starring Lake and one from Lake Zumbra. They don't call Minnesota the Land of 10,000 Lakes for nothing. (There are actually closer to 15,000 lakes, but who's counting!)

25. Do you give kisses? Tasha: Its only one of my favorite things in the whole world to do! Eva: I have to be in the mood. I usually just give sniffs and a nose nudge.

26. Can you potty on command? Tasha: Usually, but only if I have to. Eva: What's a command?

27. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Tasha & Eva: We just got an Evil Cuz in the mail the other day. We have played with it a little, so put us down "To Cuz". We'll post more about that package later.

Wow I guess we got a little long winded with this post! Hope you pups liked learning some more about us. Gotta go, Mom's cooking with cheese. Belly Rubs, Tasha & Eva.

Few Words Friday

Stylin' in My Storm Shirt!

Hi pups, Eva here. This is what I wear when there is a thunder storm. It helps me stay calm along with a little Rescue Remedy. I usually will run and hide in my kennel when it thunders, but with the shirt and RR, I stayed out with the humans and was a lot more at ease. Stormy from the AO4 swears by it, too, so you know it must be good! Have a good weekend everypuppy! Belly Rubs, Eva.

P.S. Mom wants to apologize for the look of our kitchen. The humans have been remodeling (for the last 2 years or so) and the floors aren't done yet.

Mom has a Bad Day

Hi pups, Eva here. Our poor, poor momma. She really loves her Mustang convertible. We mean REALLY LOVES her car. I even got to go for a ride in it the other day. Well, today she got in an accident. Don't worry, she is a little stiff, but she is OK. She was hit by a big Ford F550 pickup truck that was pulling a trailer. Here's a shot of mom's prized possession.

Poor Bob :-(

Yes, mom named her car Bob. Well, she names all her cars Bob. Here's a close up shot of the damage.

CRUUUUNNNNCCHHH!!

Poor momma. She is very depressed. Oh well, that's what insurance is for. I don't know what insurance is but dad says it's a good thing. Hopefully it will be fixed soon, cuz I really liked going for a ride in that car with the top down! Both Tasha and I are looking forward to using our new seat belts and Doggles for rides in the back of the convertible. I sure hope we can get Bob fixed soon! Belly Rubs, Eva

Our Flea and Tick Stuff

Hi puppers and Girl Girl, Tasha reporting today. Some of you pups wanted to know what was in our flea and tick repellent. I will tell you what we put in ours. Are you ready? Here we go. These are all essential oils:

1. Organic sage

2. Peppermint

3. Sweet Orange. Any orange oil will do.

4. Rosemary

5. Citronella

6. Tea Tree

7. Texas Cedar wood. Any cedar wood will do.

8. Eucalyptus

9. Pine

Health food stores or natural food stores should have what you need. If not there is always this wonderful thing called the internet! Once you have everything, just put 2 or 3 drops of each one into 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use. We should be sprayed every couple of days if we're out in the wild a lot! This stuff should also help repel mesquites and flies.

Mom has also seen references to rose oil for the mixture. If you do a search for holistic or organic flea & tick repellent, you can probably find some other recipes that might work for you. Here's a link to a sight that has our recipe. The humans think that it smells good, but we think otherwise!

Got to be protected out here!

Hope this was helpful to you pups! Even though the stuff smells bad to us, we put up with it cuz it keeps those nasty creepy-crawlers off! Belly Rubs, Tasha.

Bunny Baby!

Hi puppers, Eva here today. Look who dad found in our yard when he got home from work today!

Little Baby Bunny!

When dad began his daily duty of Poop Patrol, he looked down and right outside the garage door was this little guy. We didn't even see him. He was being very still. Its a good thing we didn't see him. Dad made us go in the house before he moved him outside our fence. I don't know HOW we didn't see him! Dad said he was very scared and was shivering when he picked him up. But as soon as he was put down on the other side of the fence, he hopped away. He was one LUCKY bunny! Below is a picture of him by dad's hand so you can see how small he is. He didn't move a muscle when dad put his hand up to him. Be safe baby bunny!

Remember from our last post when Tasha mentioned that we have a new tick repellent? It was quite the ordeal for mom to find all the stuff she needed. She found a recipe on one of the Belgian Turverun boards she reads for an all natural mixture that you mix with water.

When you're out here, you NEED tick protection!

Here's a picture of all the things used in the tick repellent.

Then you get a water sprayer like this one.

You put 16 ounces of water in the sprayer and add three drops of each of the ingredients. Dad has done a bunch of very thorough tick check on us since we went to the park on Saturday. So far not one tick and I don't have a bad reaction to it! We really don't like to be sprayed every other day and we smell pretty funny, but its better than nasty ol' ticks!! Belly Rubs, Eva

Happy Father's Day!

Hi pups, Tasha here. First of all we want to wish all you dads a very happy and hopefully relaxing Father's Day! We've told you before how much we love our dad. He the greatest! Here's one of the few pictures with dad. He's usually behind the camera, which is where he likes it. Us with dad at the park

We haven't posted much for the last few weeks, so we are going to try to make it up a little to you today. As an early Father's Day present to dad, we let him take us to the dag park yesterday. (IT'S ABOUT TIME DAD!!) When we first got to the park we saw all these guys that dad said were playing with a cricket. We don't know what could be so exciting about that, but those guys were running around and cheering. That must have been one fun cricket!

Finally we're almost there! There weren't too many pups out at the park. It was a little over 80 degrees, so it was a little hot.


These were the only other doggies out today. Looks like they're having fun!

So here we go on a little tour of Starring Lake dog park. Its way greener now than it was in this post. You're lagging behind again Dad!

This park is a true test for our new tick repellent. We'll post about that later, but what a production! This is at the bottom of the hill from the picture above it. Nice and shady and lots of wonderful smells! Just can't get enough of these dog parks. For once the humans had a good idea!

So many pee-mails, so little time.

Down in the valley waiting for dad. (Again)

Just a few shots from along the walk through the park. You can click on any picture if you would like to enlarge it.

Trails through the park

Here is the archery range that the sign at the entrance to the park mentioned. If people are using the range, Eva gets all nervous cuz she hates the loud noise when the arrows hit. That doesn't bother me a bit. Not much does!
There's nothing better after a romp in the park than a nice drink of cold water. See the ice cubes? That makes that drink even better!! But do you know what is even better than a nice drink of water? That's right, A POOL!! You can drink and get all nice and wet and cool off after a hot DUV (Dog Utility Vehicle) back from the park.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Even though Eva is a REAL pain in my neck sometimes, this sure felt great!

Shake Baby, Shake!

Wet and kinda goofy lookin'!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

All you pups give your dad lots of love today and make him play with you cuz you know that he wants to! Have a great day with your dad!! Belly Rubs, Tasha.

Few Words Friday (Long version)

It's hot out here. Fill our pool!!

Hi pups, Tasha here. Sorry we haven't done other posts this week. Dad continues to work ridiculous hours at his job, then he gets home and has other house projects to do. Which means little time for walks and NO dog park trips. Yes, it's very sad. It has been in the high 80's and low 90's all week here in Minnesota, which means one thing. We get to go in our pool! We love the pool and promise to post some pictures and maybe some video of us playing. Have a good weekend everypup! Belly Rubs, Tasha.

Few Words Friday

Be cafeful, kitty!!

This one is for Tia, Wilbur, and all our other cat friends out there. No, dad didn't take this picture. A friend of his where he works sent him a bunch of cool animal pictures that you and your humans may have seen. We'll mix them in from time to time with pics of us for Few Words Fridays. All you pups (and kitties!) have a great weekend!! Belly Rubs, Tasha & Eva.

P.S. Sorry some of you pups couldn't see the picture. Hope it works now!

A Couple of Things

Hi pups, Eva here today. Sorry we haven't been posting more, but dad has been very busy with work and his supposed "Big Project" and doing other projects around here. We think those are pretty weak excuses, but what can we do? No dog park and only a walk every other day. Lazy humans.

I am SOOO bored.

Poor neglected Tasha

Anyway, last week was a little scary for me. On Monday, May 28 my humans put some flea and tick repellent on me and Tasha. The label said to put some at the base of the neck, the middle of the back, and at the base of the tail. On Tuesday before she left for work, mom said I was acting weird. When dad got home I was carrying my butt low and holding my tail off to the right. Dad was really worried about me so off to the V-E-T we went. I was scared because Tasha didn't come with us. The vet couldn't find anything wrong with me (he checked my anal glands! Not fun for man or beast!). He suggested bathing me to wash off the flea and tick treatment. NOT ANOTHER BATH!! But, yes, it was unavoidable. Dad was also supposed to take my temperature every few hours. HA HA HA!!! Mom was out of town so dad would have had to grow a third arm for that to happen! One to hold under my belly, one to hold my tail, and one to do the dirty deed. DID NOT HAPPEN! Mom did some research about my delicate European Princess skin. After all, I am a Belgian Tervuren, and according to lots of sources, we can be very sensitive to chemicals. When she got home on Thursday, I got ANOTHER bath with Dawn dish washing detergent. I felt better after that and I am now back to my normal energetic and bouncy self! So no more over-the-counter flea and tick stuff for me.

Now I have a question for all you pups. Mom and dad think its time for me to retire my tennis ball. You might remember from this post that I play with only one ball. Here is a picture of my ball shortly after dad dug it out of the ice this spring.

Then last week while I was uncomfortable, Maggie came to stay for a couple of days while her family was out of town. You might remember our friend Maggie from this post at the dog park.
Maggie May
This is what my ball looked like before Maggie got to it.
She got my ball and had the cloth part in her mouth and whipped it back and forth, over and over again and dad couldn't get it away from her. So this is what my ball looks like now.

I still love playing with this ball. Dad says it has no aerodynamic properties and floats like a knuckle ball. I have absolutely no idea what that means, but I LOVE MY BALL!! I don't want to give it up. What do you pups think? Is it time to say goodbye to a ball that I had last fall, lost in a snow bank for most of the winter, and joyously found again this spring? Am I holding on too hard? Such a dilemma. Belly Rubs, Eva.

Few Words Friday

Pretty Pups at the Park

We must always keep a watch over things at OUR dog park!