Trapped!

Help, I'm trapped! Get the camera!

Duke doesn't want to give up his spot.

Duke knows we need to rest up, less than 2 weeks to Woofstock!

Watchdog Backup

The Dude and Duke

And Maggie

Duke can snooze with a puppycat on the job.

16 Pieces of Cheese

All right, we're waiting...where's the cheese?

(More than) 16 pieces of cheese

Yeah, clippers, who cares.

I see the cheese on the counter...

Okay, I nose honked them. Gimme the cheese.

 Maggie and Duke used to be very nervous about nail trims. They would shake so much it wasn't really safe to try and trim their nails. We first got them used to us holding their paws by giving them treats for "shaking hands". Every day we would practice Sit, Down, Paw, Wait, Look and Touch (or as Duke likes to perform it, Nose Honk). They would get a treat after each step. (Look is making eye contact with us or looking at whatever we're showing them and then making eye contact.)

I would show them the clippers and give them a  little piece of cheese for looking at the clippers and for sniffing or touching the clippers with their nose. I trimmed all of the nails on one paw and then gave each dog a piece of cheese. The 16 pieces of cheese are two per paw for 8 paws, since both dogs get cheese every time I finish a paw. This way they both wait quietly since they know they'll get a treat.




Now the dogs will run into the bathroom and sit down whenever we get the cheese ready. Duke will poke me with his paw as if to say "Me first," while Maggie tries not to be noticed. A vet cut a nail too short once, which completely freaked Maggie out, so I tend to leave their nails a little long. Maggie still gets a little nervous, but she is so obsessed with cheese and making sure that Duke doesn't get all of it that she waits patiently.

I don't bother to put their collars on, as I'm not coordinated enough to hold their collar or a leash and a paw and clippers. They've gotten so used to the routine that I don't bother to shut the door, they're not leaving as long as there's cheese!

Maggie used to be the stinkiest dog ever after having regular cheese, as in biological weapon stinky. We switched to Cabot cheese, as it's lactose free and the problem is solved!

Profile Pics

Maggie

Duke

Monday Mischief

Maggie and Duke love running around our friends' backyard with Blue. 

Unfortunately Maggie "marks" as much as the boys, so everything is getting "marked" at least 3 times.

Hopefully they don't kill all of the grass and plants!

Rescue dog blogs and awards

The Dude, Maggie and Duke say "cool, thanks!" Cocoa slept through it.

Thanks to A Day in the Life of a Goose for passing on the following 2 blog awards! 

Goose is a super cute rescue pup that was adopted through Northern California Family Dog Rescue and now lives with his person  Domeek and his 3 cat brothers.

The requirements for the One Lovely Blog Award are:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post.
• Share 7 things about yourself. 
• Nominate other bloggers you admire. 
• Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know.    

 7 Things About Maggie, Duke, the cats and Doug:

1. Maggie hates car rides, Duke loves them. The cats hate car rides, luckily their vet now makes house calls! Doug doesn't seem to care either way.
2. Maggie has allergies and doesn't like most treats. Duke loves treats but won't eat when he's nervous.
3. Cocoa loves meat and will meow and circle the Mr. when he's cooking. None of the other cats will eat anything beside cat food and treats. (Serina does like to eat paper...)
4. Maggie sounds like a giant dog when she barks. Duke has a hound dog "woo woo woo" call and a regular bark.
5. The Dude will take any spot that the other animals like, he is a complete copy cat.
6. Ozzy will cuddle up with anyone, dog , cat or people, and they all love him
7.   The Dude loves to "hold hands"; he'll put his paw on us, Ozzy, the dogs and visitors. He's tried to hold hands with Cocoa and Serina, but they don't trust him because he has sat on them in the past.

 The requirements for the Beautiful Blogger Award are:

• To copy the Beautiful Blogger Award logo and place it in your post. 
• Thank the person who nominated you and create a link back to their blog. 
• Nominate 7 other bloggers for their own Beautiful Blogger Award. 

In alphabetical order, the bloggers we're sending the One Lovely Blog and Beautiful Blogger awards are:

• Boogie's Blog - Boogie the Boston Terrier and his amazing artist mother Lili.
• Life in 2-Player Mode - Life with Badger and Mushroom, 2 adorable pitbull mixes.
• Lizzy's Life....we're just hanging out in it - Lizzie and the adoptable dogs of Husky Haven.
• My Furry Place  - Life in Cambodia with 9 cute furry dogs and 7 cats.
• My Rescue Story - Muppet, an incredibly tiny poodle and her new life.
• Of Pit Bulls & Patience - Parker the schnauzer, Skye the pit bull and Jenny the dog trainer.
• Our Waldo Bungie - One couple, two dogs, their bungalow and foster pit bulls.

Check out their blogs, there are so many different stories of adopted dogs and their great families!

Watch Dogs

Corgi! Shar Pei! Roxy!

This is Iggy, a 4-year-old male Pembroke Welsh Corgi, currently at Buddy Dog. Here is his story:

"Iggy's previous owner passed away unexpectedly, and the family member who was caring for him realized he was not receiving the attention he deserved in her multi-dog household. Iggy is super friendly and outgoing. He loves to play, he loves to go for walks, and he loves getting attention! Iggy has lived with cats and enjoys their company. He has lived with other dogs, but he can be wary of dogs he doesn't know yet. If you already have another dog in your house, please call the shelter and ask the staff about introducing Iggy to your resident dog."

Another great dog at  Buddy Dog is Princess, a 2-year-old female Shar Pei. Here is her story:

"Princess came to Buddy Dog when the landlord told her owners she had to go. She is a little unsure about being at the shelter, but once she gets to know you, she is friendly and affectionate. She likes to go for walks and she knows many commands. Princess gets along with other dogs and she seems to be good with cats."

Seriously, 2 purebred dogs that are good with cats! In other great news, Roxy has been adopted! 

Yes, this Roxy, one of the coolest 8 year old Lab mixes around. Congrats on your new home Roxy girl!

If you see Maggie and Duke with us at Pet Rock in Worcester tomorrow, say Hi!  (We humans aren't as scary as we look.:)

Nana's Couch

Nana's couch is the best, I'm so tired from playing with Griffin and Maggie in the yard.

Is he freaking serious?!

I don't care, I am NOT moving.

The Blues Brothers, Pet Rock and Woofstock!

Jake & Elwood

Ever since I saw this picture I've had the song "Soul Man" running through my head, not kidding!
Here is their story from the Buddy Dog website:

"Say hello to Jake and Elwood! These 1-year-old male Chihuahua mixes are brothers, and because they are so bonded, they are looking for a home together. Can you believe someone rescued these cuties from the side of the road? Both were in rough shape when they made it to Buddy Dog, but with a little TLC they are now doing so much better! Jake (on the left) was found with an injured front leg, which had to be amputated. But not to worry, he gets along fine on three legs! Jake and Elwood are super friendly, and they love to play and cuddle. They get along with cats and other dogs, but their playmates should be gentle! They are semi-housebroken and they use puppy-pads here. Jake and Elwood are two very special little guys! Please call or visit the shelter for more information about them!"

These guys are the definition of cool. They've been through a lot and are happy, fun dogs who get along with everyone. Talk about rock stars!

Two great events are coming up that both feature music and pets, Pet Rock on Sunday, September 9 in Worcester, MA and Woofstock on Saturday, October 13 in Hudson, MA.

This will be the 14th Annual Pet Rock Festival, Pet Rock has raised thousands of dollars for many New England based animal welfare organizations since being founded in 1999. There will be rescues, shelters and animal organizations from across New England attending, click here for a list of groups. The festival will have a live music stage, an activities stage with an Adoptable Pet Parade plus a Dog Contest with categories including Best Ears, Owner-Dog Look Alike and Waggiest Tail. Click here for the full Events Schedule. I wish I had remembered the awesome Cat Photo Contest earlier, as online submissions are closed, but the winning photos will be on display at the beginning of the festival. Click here for a printable coupon for $2 off admission, otherwise tickets are $13 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

Click here for a current list of organizations and vendors attending Woofstock, with more to come as we get closer to the big day! Woofstock 2012 wristbands are now on sale at the shelter, $5 per wristband, just wear it to Woofstock for admission to the festival.