fooled mommy again!

Mommy says schnauzers are smart, but that maybe I am too smart for my own good! As you know I am taking antibiotic pills for the scratch infection I gave myself with those yucky allergies. Well, my ears are doing a bit better, but not for lack of me fighting every pill and every ear drop! Those drops are the worst!

Well, I was doing okay with the pill taking for days 1,2,3. Mommy would hide the pill (it's a yucky flavour, and not even coated!) in a chicken flavoured pill pocket. I thought that was pretty nifty! She would jam the pill in there and make it like a package. She was sure I could not get the pill out, and the pill pocket would cover the taste! As I said, I put up with this for the first few days. But today, I ate my pill pocket in front of her, and then went into the living room. Mommy found the spit out antibiotic. I showed her! I gently ate the pill pocket AROUND the pill, and spit that sucker out!

Sheesh Mommy, it tastes bad! We schnauzies have excellent taste buds.


(Mommy here. Rudy crunched the pill in half, so I put each half in a pill pocket, and fed them to her. Then I opened her mouth to make sure she swallowed them! Then she got a tiny taste of chicken for a reward. It's going to be a long 6 days!)

oh dear!

Allergies, allergies! Mommy noticed I was not comfortable the past few days, and I have even scratched myself under my chin and made it bleed in a few places! I was licking my paws a lot too. Mommy took me to the vet, and it's a good thing, as a few spots of skin are starting to get infected. Nice Dr. Beth put me on antibiotics for my skin, and gave me some special shampoo to bath in, to get rid of some of the crusties that has built up under my fur. I also got eye and ear drops because my ears are inflamed and my right eye is red and leaky. And I got a prescription of hydroxizine for my allergies. The vet (who LOVES me) said I will start to feel better real soon, and that we are going to continue the allergy medicine all summer, cause we don't want this to happen again!

Mommy cried. Sheesh, she's such a worry wart. I'm gonna be fine, ma! It's all that rolling around in the grass with Izzy that got me so allergic; I never had anyone to roll around in the grass with before!

OMD - I won!!!

I joined a Dogster group called Zealie lotto, and oh MY dog, I won! I won 100 zealies as top prize of this week's draw! There is a draw every week, and when you enter, you sign over 5 zealies to the administrator. There are 30 dogsters/catsters allowed per draw. There is a top prize and a 2nd prize. Plus you get a nifty bumper sticker. I still can't believe I won! How awesome is that!?

bark to you soon,
love Rudy

Izzy is coming tomorrow!

(By Rudy's mommy Sarah)

Well, our 2nd baby schnauzer is coming tomorrow. It's hard to believe that not quite two years ago, we drove to PEI to pick Rudy up. We knew that we would get her a playmate eventually, and we thought it would be nice to get another puppy from the breeder that we got Rudy from. They are really nice people, and were more than happy to oblige us to keep Rudy's tail intact. Now the breeder won't dock any tails!

That being said, I want all my dear Dogster friends to know that we were/are on a waiting list for a schanuzer at one of the local adoption agencies, should one ever come up. As a family, we want schnauzers, because they don't shed, and we are slightly allergic. We think adopting is so admirable, and if there was a schnauzer rescue nearby, we would have used it, but there is none in this area of the country. We think anyone who adopts a pup/dog who was abused/neglected/given up, are the best people in the world!!!! We wish we could adopt.

We love you all, and we will update soon!
Sarah

It was a good week!

Yesterday I went to doggie country camp with my friend Jason. Jason is a big dog lover, and he takes in dogs to his house which has lots of land (fenced in), so they can have a big playdate. He watches over us, feeds us, gives us water, and does grooming too, if you need. He supervises our play, and sometimes we go on field trips, like yesterday, when we went to the beach. It was great fun, and when I got home I was tired!

Today Mommy and I walked to the mailbox to get the mail (it's down the street from us), and there were two pieces of mail for me! The first was a birthday card from my dear friends Rocky and Sarge. The card had a dog on it, of course, a lab like Rocky. It was really nice. The second piece of mail was a package, from my bestest Canadian pal, Jelly! With affie wags and kisses, Jelly sent me a new pink loofah dog and a box of local peanut butter and Saskatoon berry biscuits, all the way from Winnipeg! Jelly and her mom are so nice to think of me, and get me a present for my birthday!


Today I'm going around the bay with Mama Deb to see Nanny! I will be back on Sunday. It is always nice to go out there, because I get lots of attention!

bark to you all later!
Rudy

oh my heavens, I have a sister!

Mommy and Mama have gone and done it now. Apparently I am getting a sister! Her name is Isabella and she is 6 weeks old. Mama Deb is going to pick her up in 2 weeks. Can you believe it? I don't know about this. I better not be replaced for cutest in the house. I will always be the cutest in the house. Humph. I have yet to decide if I will like this creature. Mommy says I will love her. I will reserve my judgement for now.

It's my birthday!

I am two years old! I am still a young pup, mommy says, so I have lots of energy, a small attention span and want to play play play all the time. Mommy gave me a new rope toy - it is super cool, it is a bumblebee squeaker, with rope handles. I also got a bully stick last night and I think there is another one up in that cupboard.

(Rudy's mommy Sarah)
Now, here's the part Rudy doesn't know. This afternoon is her last class at agility. I am bringing a homemade doggie birthday cake (complete with real turkey flavour) so that all the dogs can share Rudy's special day!

(Rudy's mama Deb)
I have almost finished the back fence, so Rudy will be able to run free outside and we don't have to worry. Yippee! We are also searching for a mini agility set to put up outside, so we can practice over the summer!

(Both mommies)
Happy Birthday Rudy! We love you so much, you are the light of our lives!

Miscellanea

1) I am doing well at agility. There are two more sessions left, can you believe it? I went from skidding and digging my heels in to not have to approach the weave poles and the jumps, to doing the weave poles for fun, and ALMOST getting up the A-frame. After this session is over, I am going to take a break, and restart in July or August. Mommy and Mama want to do a bit of travelling on weekends in the summer, so it only makes sense to take some time off, since agility is on weekends.

2) Mommy and Mama have put in for a SISTER for me! Yikes! It will be from the same breeder, and we will find out soon when we are getting her. I can't believe it! I won't be the Princess anymore! Mommy says not to worry, cause I'll be the Queen, and the new one will be the Princess. I don't know about this. I will reserve my affection until I'm sure it won't steal my thunder (or my treats)! I will be calling the sister "it" until Mama/Mommy bring it home and it gets a name.

3) Mommy is super excited because Ellen DeGeneres and Portia deRossi are getting married! She wants to go to the wedding. I'm sure they would love to have a Newfoundlander there, wouldn't they? Mommy thinks she would be a fabulous addition, seeing how she is such a proponent of same-sex marriage and equal rights and stuff. Plus, Mommy wants to be married herself someday, and going to Ellen's wedding would give her some great ideas. :)

4) A great friend in Schnauzers Rule, Velvet passed away a few days ago. We will miss her, and are sad to see her leave, but trying to think of her, happy and pain free at the bridge.

5) There are only 7 days till my birthday! I wonder what I am getting!?! Mommy says I will get a new toy or two. Mama says that the new backyard fence will cost enough! But Mommy says that if the fence doesn't go up this week, Mama will be single (!), so Mama went and got the materials, and started digging the holes for the posts today!!! Whoo-hoo, Mommy will stay! She was joking... I think. BOL :)

love you all,
Rudy

Agility, week 4

Yesterday was my fourth session at agility, and Mommy said it was my breakthrough week! I don't know what it was exactly, did I just get it? Or was I more comfortable, or more excited than usual? Either way, after the warm up, I was more than ready to do that teeter (stretched out flat, for us beginners), go through that hoop, and jump over the jumps! Sure, I'm the only pup there with two handlers (Mama handles me, while Mommy runs ahead and convinces/encourages me to come!), but that doesn't phase me, and all the other pups are jealous that I have such a great cheerleading team!

So, to sum up:

I did the teeter three times, and am practicing "floor" so that I don't jump off the apparatus too quickly

I did the tunnel four times and I only turned around to come out once! The last two times I did it, I even did it with a curve in the tunnel, and I ran right through it!

I jumped through that pesky tire at the lowest height, and I did not put on the brakes this time.

I did the weave poles twice. I don't like them so much.

I did the A-frame twice. It's too high for me, so Mama puts me up at the top and I walk down. I don't like that one either.

The breakthrough is that I barely hesitated at all this time! Everyfur in my class is so proud of me, because I don't put on the brakes nearly as much as I did in weeks one and two!

Bark to you all later!
Rudy

Agility week #3

Today was my third Sunday of agility classes (Mommy calls it school). It was pretty good!!! We did a few new apparatuses today, including the jump through the hanging circle, and the dog walk. I jumped over the bar three times, with just a bit of prompting. I did the dog walk starting at the flat part, and then walking across it with Mama's hand in my collar to guide me. I didn't like that so much. I went down each time though. I really have a problem going up and pretty much put on the brakes real hard and drag my back legs when Mama tries to get me to go up. It is the same for the A-frame, I will not go up, but I will go down. The trainer says that's okay, we just will take our time. (It is the same at home, I hate going up stairs. Mommy is not sure what to do about that! Any hints anyone?)

I did the tunnel all by myself, this week, twice at a short length and twice at full length! I like that one, and the last few times I didn't even need very much prompting.

We did the table, where you jump up on a short platform and have to stay there for 5 sec. with all elbows planted firmly. Well after much cajoling I jumped up, and even sat, but would not lie down. Still, this is a big improvement for me. I did the weave poles once too. That one is hard, and I don't really know what to do!

All my school buddies' moms and dads are saying how much difference they can see in my confidence and that I am obviously enjoying it more now!

So far mommy and mama are saying that they are getting "WAY" more exercise than I am, becaause I have to be convinced and pleaded with to do any of it. Still, everyone thinks that I just have typical schnauzer in me, and that I will do it when I am good and ready!!!!