Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Doggie Bidet

The only place Rocco wants to see water is in his water bowl.
He keeps his distance from the spool, even when we’re all in it having fun.
He won’t go near the hose, even on the hottest of days in Fairfield.
The sprinklers are a nuisance when he has to go potty.
And let’s not even talk about rainy season.

But more than anything else water-related, he despises baths. And it does not matter who is giving it—a pretty young groomer at a fancy dog salon, the kind grandmotherly woman at the quaint little boutique wash, the ‘professional’ canine cosmetologist with the Goth make-up and pierced tongue at Petco, or his momma and daddy in the security of his own home. He always has the same reaction –uncontrollable shaking and a look of terror on his face.

Recently, however, Rocco has had the occasion to become acquainted with the concept of a ‘doggie bidet’. It seems his long hair has been getting in the way of a ‘clean’ potty break and doggy wipes just can't do a proper job. So after snapping the rubber gloves on, daddy has carried him upstairs to the torturous laundry room sink.

Like Aunt Jackie, I (Brown) need to know what’s going on at all times. So naturally I have to follow them up the stairs, but am careful to stop & watch from the doorway.

Rather than a full bath, the affected area only required the spray hose. The nice warm temperature and a gentle cascade of water made for a pleasant experience. And I (Rocco) walked away feeling clean and rather refreshed.

I (Rocco) really must descend from European royalty.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Our Hero: Zoey the Chihuahua

Zoey, this pretty Chihuahua who lives in Colorado, saved a little boy from a mean old ferocious rattlesnake. She stepped in between the two just as the snake was about to strike and took the bite herself.

What a brave pup.

I (Rocco) hope she had her rattlesnake vaccine like we had to get.

But shots hurt! I (Brownie) would have chased that snake down & pulled out all of its stuffing in record time to get at its squeaker.

Oh Brownie, you & I (Rocco) need to have a chat…

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Zak




We have THE C U T E S T new cousin. His name is Zak Dunn. What a tough name, for such a sweet little pup.

Aunt Jonalyn and our cousins Jalen, Kobie & Avrey rescued him from a shelter in Pheonix. They say he's a really good boy with very good manners and a soft little bark.

He's a rather fancy dog. A handsome wired-hair Jack Russell with big brown eyes that just melt your heart. They were lucky to find him.
Annnd, he was lucky to find them!

We can't wait to meet 'Lucky' Zak Dunn.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Long walks = Good poops

The more time we spend in the city, the more we get used to the walks and the noise and the smells and the schedules.

And the more ‘going potty’ on demand becomes…well…second nature.


Bottom line: Long regular walks equal good solid poops.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Relaxing in the Condo


We're starting to like it in SF...


...as long as mommy is here to nuzzle with on the couch.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Daddy Cuts Off the Leg

Daddy sawed off a chipmunk’s paw today. Yep, he sure did.

STOP! No need to call PETA readers. It’s not like it sounds.

No, not at all. It’s actually kinda funny.

Honestly. Our daddy loves all animals. He even takes spiders outside, rather than stepping on them like momma asks him to…

So calm down; it was just a toy!



…I (Brownie) love it when they’re weak and wounded.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Parental Pact

Tonight mommy and daddy made a pact. No more loose kitty parts for Brownie to swallow. All dangling digits will be manually removed by a parent or adult, utilizing a pair of scissors, if necessary, prior to commencing a friendly game of fetch.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Relaxing by the Fire

I (Brown) love laying by the warmth of the fire.

This only happens in "the city by the bay" in the summer.

As Mark Twain once said:


The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

Truer words were never spoken...

Monday, July 9, 2007

Brownie Pukes Up a Leg

Daddy’s out of town, so we’re staying with mommy in the city for a couple days. It’s usually boring when we’re home alone, but today was a different story.

I (Brownie) still had that stomach that I’ve had for over a week. But as I was sitting on the window seat, I started feeling even MORE sick.... Next thing you know I'm threwing up the kitty leg I ate 10 days ago! It was NOT fun coming back up, but I felt a lot better when it was over.

We were resting in the sun when we heard mommy’s voice call out” “Where’s my puppies?” After a bunch of kisses and a couple of treats, mommy spied the leg and let out a yelp!

She cried out: “Oh my God, Brownie! Has that been in your belly all this time!?!”

“Are you ok little girl?”

“What do I do!?! What do I do?!?!”

“Where’s the number to the vet. O lordy, am I going to have to drive you out to Fairfield! Where's that number!”

After a call to our vet in the country and a second to the doggy hospital in San Francisco, mommy calmed down. Both vets said that they could X-ray my tummy, but the offending object was out. They told her to watch me over the next couple days and to feed me a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice for a few days.

Brownie, I (Rocco) love it when you do something dumb and we end up eating our favorite meal for the rest of the week.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Houseful of Cousins

This weekend we had eight visitors come to San Francisco. Mommy's family from Ohio--our cousins and their friends are in town. Two parents and six kids are traveling across country in an RV. We don't know exact what that is, but it sounds fun.

But then again maybe not, because all of a sudden yesterday, the condo was loaded with bags, and kids were here and there and everywhere. It was like a big slumber party.

We really enjoyed meeting everyone...especially that big boy Ben and sweet little Sara. They liked cuddling with us and they even took us out for potty breaks. Hardly anyone that comes to visit offers to be a pooper scooper.

We were sad when we said goodbye; but we hope they'll visit us again.

The condo seems so quiet now.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Fourth of July in San Francisco

We celebrated the birth of our country in San Francisco.


Mommy, daddy and A. Susie went to a barbeque for awhile. They took Muni and BART because they don’t drink and drive. They made sure to be home well before the fireworks. Mommy didn’t want us to be alone and be frightened by the loud noise.

We're lucky to have her as our mommy.
And we're lucky to live in the United States of America.