Halloween Treats

This is Petunia's third Halloween and we once again decided not to buy her a costume. The selection for X-Large dog costumes are pretty slim. We could have bought her a silly hot dog costume...or put her in Mr.'s Detroit Tigers jersey but after their disappointing sweep in the World Series we instead decided to put her in her fun Halloween pajamas. I found these at Target a year or two ago and love the cute pumpkins and candy on them...but my favorite part is that they are a full body suit...not just a tee shirt.

Petunia even had her own trick or treat bowl...

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Ready for the World Series

Even though we live in Southern California we can't help but root for our Michigan sports team...Mr. still loves them all...and truly is a die hard sports fan. Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, U of M, and Michigan State...we cheer them on from afar.

The Detroit Tigers swept the Yankees and earned their spot in the World Series! Yay! Petunia is all set for the game...

She even gets to wear Mr's Tigers jersey...

Now we just have to decide if she will also wear the jersey as her Halloween costume or not...she looks so cute in it!

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Dog Door....

I have another product to recommend. One that has truly changed our lives. It's the Doggie Door for Sliding glass doors! My co-worker told me about it before we got Petunia.

This has been a life saver for us! I can't remember exactly when we got the doggie door for Petunia but it was probably when she was between 8-12 months old. Boy, I don't know why we didn't get one sooner. It truly is amazing. We now don't feel as guilty leaving her at home while we are at work. She can come and goes as she pleases into the back patio.

Our only set back with this product is Petunia's fear of going through the flap. It's true...even after dozens of attempts to train her to crawl through the magnetic plastic flap...she refuses. So our solution has been to tape the flap up. Thankfully we live in Southern California so we don't have to worry about to many bugs or other creatures sneaking into the open door. The weather also isn't a factor here either... thank goodness!

We purchased ours at Petco. Since it's been almost 2 years ago I don't remember the exact brand we bought but this one appears to be very similar:

http://www.petco.com/product/10688/PetSafe-Deluxe-Satin-Patio-Panel-Pet-Doors




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Trash, Trash and More Trash

Mr. and I came home to a big surprise from Petunia yesterday...

Yes, it happened. We forgot to close the pantry door which left Petunia with full access to the Kitchen Trash. She must have had a fun day!

Dogs will be Dogs!

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Where has the time gone...

Wow...I can't believe it's already the last weekend in September...and over three months since my last post. I'm sorry. Let me start by catching you up and giving a quick recap of our summer.

Let's begin with my 30th birthday in June. We went to Lake Arrowhead for the weekend to celebrate. The lake is beautiful and the surroundings are peaceful...reminds me a lot of my childhood growing up in Michigan.

Petunia watched from the sidelines while I went water skiing...

Had no problem making herself at home after a long day...

And even got a souvenir T-shirt...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In July we had the pleasure of meeting up with family in Solvang, CA. What a cute town...

Petunia had a blast and got a lot of attention...

As usual, she had fun checking out the hotel...

And was ready for a nap after the long, busy days...

We've had a fun summer and look forward to sharing more as we head into Fall...our favorite time of year. Pin It

More Sibling Love...

I'm so excited! We have come so far. While they do play together and sometimes lay near each other, our cat, Soccer, hasn't been on the couch in over 2 years. I assume because he is scared of the dog. Finally...after more than 2 years we have two pets that can truly coexist.

They both look so comfy...

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Another funny one...

I came across this on Pinterest and just had to share...

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Not My Shoes...

Even though she is two, she still has some puppy behavior (aka bad behavior) that we haven't been able to break. It's true...and I hate to admit it...Petunia likes shoes! In fact, she loves them! She thinks it's fun to barge into my closet when I open it and immediately grab my shoes or slippers. I suppose she thinks it's funny. She shows it off, carrying it by her mouth, and runs around the house. Down the stairs, onto the couch and then quickly runs circles as I chase after her. She sure knows how to make a game out it.

This love for shoes has resulted in about a dozen pairs that have been totally destroyed. Not just mine...Mr's too. But recently she's been most interested in mine. She can chew the strap off a sandal in record time. We try to keep our shoes out of her reach but she has a way around it. For example, after a long, hard day you sit down on the coach to relax and watch a little TV. This is Petunia's prime time. Within minutes of leaving your shoes unoccupied she grabs them quicker than you can react and starts chewing. Within minutes they are usually chewed, broken or totally destroyed.

Fortunately, we have learned we cannot leave shoes out around the house or else...

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Thundershirt

Have you heard of the Thundershirt??

Over a year ago, after we took a family trip with my mom, we discovered that Petunia DOES NOT like to be left alone in unfamailiar spaces. We learned this the hard way after we tried to leave Petunia in the hotel room alone while we went to dinner. More on that trip in another post...

Shortly after that trip my mom told me about a product called the Thundershirt that she saw advertised in a magazine. As you can see on there website, www.thundershirt.com, the Thundershirt uses gentle, constant pressure to calm your dog, effectively aiding anxiety, fearfulness, barking and more. I looked at their website but wasn't convinced enough to purchase the shirt.

However, this past weekend, I noticed the Thundershirt on display at our local pet store. I was intrigued...and became even more excited to see that not only did they have it in Pink...they also had it in X-Large. I decided to give it a shot and purchase it for Petunia!

I love when I find things that are pink in Petunia's size...so girlie...

So far we have only tried the Thundershirt a few times. We put it on her before walks and it seemed to calm her down a little-it kept her from jumping up with excitement when trying to put the leash on her. I will post again with more updates on the Thundershirt once we have used it a few more times. We'll let you know what we think and if we recommend it :)

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Wow...that's a Big One...

Petunia, like most dogs, loves Bones...big ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones...any bone she can get her paws on. A few months ago we discovered the X-Large Bully Sticks at Unleashed. We buy these for her every once in awhile. These are thin, long bones that will last her at least a week or two.

This bone is so long it's awkward for her to walk around with it in her mouth...

But she loves to chew them...

And chew them...

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Cats vs. Dogs

For those with both cat(s) and dog(s), you can appreciate this one...

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Sibling Love

As I've mentioned in past posts, Petunia isn't our only 4 legged family member, we also have a cat named Soccer. He is 7 and hasn't been thrilled that he has to share his space with Petunia.

As a pup, Petunia thought it was fun to play with Soccer's cat condo. This is too funny...

With time, Soccer has become more comfortable with the dog. Here they are both sharing spots on the bed....

Relaxing together...

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Exercise?!?!

One of my hobbies and past times is working out...specifically I've been on a Turbo Fire kick. It's an amazing at home DVD program. There are a dozen DVD's that are mixed up week to week. It's fun!

Petunia really isn't too interested in the early morning workouts. In fact...she is quite slow getting out of bed in the morning. She drags herself downstairs and immediately hits the couch and her oh so favorite pillows for an early morning nap while I workout. Sometimes she watches but most of the time she has little interest...UNTIL...the yoga mat comes out! She LOVES it! She rushes over and sprawls out...often preventing me from fitting on the mat and doing my exercises. Maybe one day I can convince her to join me in my exercises...kidding of course. :)

Look at this face....

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Dog is Good

I guess it's time to recommend another pet product. While at a Pet Expo last year I purchased a dog water bottle. I had been looking for one for awhile but couldn't make up my mind on what type to buy. The dog park we go to doesn't have water and we also needed a solution for our uphill summer walks. I had been looking for a plastic bottle that had a fold out water tray but hadn't bought one yet when I stumbled upon the Dog is Good water bottle.

dogisgood.com

Not only is it super cute, it is stainless-steel so it stays cold; it has a clip so you can carry it hands free by attaching it to your belt loop or purse, etc; and it has two openings, one that has a ball...like a hamster water bottle...and another large opening for filling or for flipping over and using it like a cup. Too cool!

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To the Park

Petunia loves outings. She loves everything about them...the fresh air, the smells, and even meeting other dogs. While we've had a few set-backs and bad experiences at the dog park...more on that in another post...we just can't help but take her to the local dog park. She loves the car ride getting there...

And once we get there she just can't wait to get in...

We prefer to take her in with the small dogs...even though she is over the 30 lb weight limit. She's had a few bad experiences with the large dogs...lots of mean dogs :( Plus the side for small dogs has grass (vs dirt). When we arrived she was the only dog...

But after about 15 minutes another dog arrived. It was a miniature poodle that looked like Petunia. His name was Puddle and he was speedy. He loved to chase his ball.

What a fun outing to the Park!

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This is funny...

I found this on a fellow bloggers page and just couldn't help but re-post. I'm sorry it's a little blurry.

Enjoy!

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Longer and Longer...

So one of the biggest challenges that we faced with Petunia was what to do with her fur...or is it hair? Regardless of what we call it, it has been the topic of discussion and given us many hours of work. Before we got Petunia, when I researched Labradoodles online, most had beautiful long, wavy fur. It's one of the things that made me want one so bad. They can look almost like teddy bears...fluffy and cuddly. When we were searching for a Labradoodle I knew I wanted one with a curly coat.

I apparently didn't do enough research beforehand to truly understand the differences in the hair types nor did I realize that the coat can change with age (ie the fur can get curlier as they get older). The breeder was honest with us and said she would have a curly coat. But I guess I was under the impression that her coat...or hair...or whatever you want to call it...would stick with her and continue to look just like it did when she was 12 weeks old. Little did I know, her hair is curly..really curly. Just as the breeder said it would be. Not wavy as it looked when she was pup and how I had imagined.

Not only was it curly...it also grew...and it grew quickly. I loved the look of her fluffy coat and wanted to keep her hair long. But as she got older, her fur got longer...and longer...and longer. So long that it eventually looked like this:

Looking back at it now, I can't believe we ever let it get that long. Even with regular bathing and brushing by a professional groomer, we still had the challenge of maintaining this coat. We spend hours and bought countless brushes, combs, and other grooming gadgets trying to keep it from getting matted and tangled.

Sadly, we were forced to not only cut her hair, but shave it when she about 10 months old...that will be a story for another post. Nevertheless, I am happy where we are today. With the help of an amazing Groomer we have come up with a happy middle ground...short enough on her body that she doesn't get mats and long enough on her face and tail that she can still be the fluffy, cuddly Doodle I wanted:)

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Opening Day...

Opening Day...the start of the 2012 season.

Well...I'm a little late...but at least I can say Opening Week! When I think about Open Day...or in this case Opening Week...I think of Spring. The start of a new baseball season. Flowers blooming...sunny blue skies...and warm weather!

Mr. and I were fortunate to get to go to the Padres game on Friday night...not Opening Day...but Opening Week...the second game but the first night game of the 2012 season.

Mr. likes baseball...not as much as football...but he likes it alot.

Mr. and I got to the ballpark early and I spotted a booth giving out free stuff from afar. As we got closer I realized it was the Budweiser girls but they had this fun wheel that you could spin to win free Padres stuff...shirts, hats, towels, etc. There were about a dozen people in line...which didn't seem to bad. I wanted to give it a spin. Mr. didn't want to...but after a little persuading and begging...he agreed. :) The line moved quickly and before we knew it we were up to bat...I mean spin. I went first. My first spin I got a strike...yikes...if I got two more of those I'd be out...without a prize. Thankfully that didn't happen but on my second spin I got...drum roll please...a koozie. A beer koozie!?! This wasn't the shirt or hat that I was hoping for...what a disappointment.

I was so distracted by my disappointment and the Budweiser girl handing me a $2 off Budweiser coupon, that I forgot Mr. was behind me spinning his luck. By the time I could even look over he already had a shirt in his hand. He had won a shirt! I was so excited for him. However...my excitement quickly deflated. First...they must have assumed everyone is "one size fits all" because you didn't get to pick your size...they handed everyone a size L. I thought to myself...that's okay...it might be a little snug on Mr. but I could wear it. Second...after getting past the one size fits all...I mean Large...I held the shirt up and my mouth dropped. This was one of the most hideous t-shirts. It was white with a baseball and big Budweiser logo across the middle. What a disappointment.

Before long I realized I had a plan...a plan that immediately made me smile. This "shirt" could be Petunia's souvenir! She would love it! The game, unfortunately, was a blow out...but I was excited to give Petunia her new shirt.

Here is Petunia showing off her new shirt, along with the baseball toy I found for her this weekend at the grocery store. She is all set for baseball season!

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Happy Easter!

I hope everyone is celebrating and enjoying this special day with family and friends.

Mr. surprised me with all of my favorites! A purple basket-my favorite color, filled with candy-also my favorites...jelly beans, Reese's and SweetTarts gummies. Yummy!~

Since we don't have any bunny ears to put on Petunia, I have decided to post pictures I found of other cute dogs with bunny ears.

Petunia's friend, Taffee, has agreed to a cameo. Here she is celebrating Easter.

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The Litter Locker II

I realize this Blog revolves around Petunia and our lives with our wonderful Doodle but I would like to periodically Blog about pet products I love and recommend. Soccer, our other 4 legged family member, happens to be a cat. Growing up I never owned a dog and therefore I was naturally drawn towards cats and kittens. A few weeks after settling into our first apartment after getting married we adopted a kitten, Soccer. That was over 7 years ago. Even having a cat almost my whole life I didn't hear about this product until about a year ago.

The Litter Locker II

Have you ever heard of this amazing product? To best describe it I would say it is the diaper genie for cats. The Little Locker II has a cartridge of bags. They cost about $10 and last approximately 4-8 weeks.

Here is what the refill cartridge looks like.

You essentially scoop the litter into a small compartment at the top of the litter locker. Once you are done scooping you pull open a trap door and the litter drops into a bag that is in the larger compartment. The trap door keeps odor out. Once the bag is full (about 1 month later) you open the large compartment, tear the bag, tie it off and take the bag of litter to the garbage.

Mr. would describe it as another place to store the poop. And those that don't have cats might not understand what this does exactly but I can confidently say it makes cleaning the litter box so much more convenient and easy. Most cats prefer a clean litter box, and some will refuse to use it if it's not clean. Instead of having to scoop the litter and take it out to the dumpster every day you can simply scoop it into the Litter Locker II, which you can store right next to your litter box. The Litter Locker II blocks all the odors and will last about a month.

I would recommend this to every cat owner. This truly is an awesome invention.

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