Pimping My Ride!

I have loved my Mini Cooper since the day I got it. But these days, it's even cuter with my sweet little passengers in it.  They have such great manners in the car!  But, I really only take them one at the time when we go on an outing.  They're still a bit hard to handle when they're together.  All they want to do it play-- And I'm not just talking for 10 minute bursts.  It's endless.  I have yet to see them rest when they're near each other.

We'll be taking a road trip soon to visit a friend in San Antonio.  That's right-- something like a 5 hour car trip.  Which may take 8 hours with puppy pit stops.  What a test that will be.  For all four of us! But when we get there, there will be sheep to herd,  and other dogs to play with,  and sweet people to hang out with!  And I have a feeling the ride home will be quiet due to exhaustion. 

Happy Father's Day

Lucy and Ricky's Father's Day gift to Fermin

After Ricky had a little problem in his crate over night (yikes!), I found myself bathing him around 6am this morning.  And then, Fermin bathed Lucy so she'd smell extra sweet, too!  What a great Dad!  

"He even makes bath time fun!"

"What a wonderful man he is!"

Fishy

The pups and I got invited over to our neighbor's pool the other day.  I'm so excited for them to move beyond the kiddie pool we use in our backyard and onto the adult pool!

I couldn't get pictures of them while they were in the pool, because my hands were quite full!  They both got in by stepping on the very big, shallow step.  Lucy was a little more spunky about it than Ricky.  He's a cautious boy, but there is nothing wrong with that!  He got brave and was walking around on the step, and then fell off at the one edge of it that doesn't have a step beyond it, but instead goes right into be the official swimming area.  Oh no!  His head went under!  But it was very brief, because I was right there to help him get his bearings straight.

He and Lucy both did a little dog paddle stroke by the time we were done.  The falling off the step episode was pretty scary for little Ricky, but I wanted to make sure he got in and was successful.  And he was!

"Swimming made us tired and thirsty!"

But later that afternoon, after the Ricardos got up from their naps, Ricky was sputtering.  I don't know what other word to use to describe it.  Sputtering. It sort of sounded like throwing up and coughing.  And in fact, he did throw up a little.  Just bubbles and grass.  He ate his meals fine, played with Lucy as usual, but he would hack that weird little cough every now and then.  Later in the evening when I put him in his crate to sleep, I took a bath.  And since my bathroom is right next door to his bedroom, I could hear him.  Sputtering.  And I was getting more and more worried!

Well, I am a bit of an over-protective mother at this stage and I do way to much Googling!  My ipad was right next to me, and the next thing I knew, I was perusing the internet about "water in lungs- puppy".  (Water in lungs?  Yes, somehow I came up with that!)Very scary stuff!  I got out of the tub, got Ricky and coddled him for hours.  I even got him up in the bed with me and Fermin which is typically not allowed.  By Fermin, obviously.  Not me.

Fermin was tired- of me, and just from his long day at work.  He's also not a worrier by nature.  So he told me to put Ricky in his crate- that he would be fine.  Reassuring me that Ricky had been eating, drinking, breathing fine and would get it worked out, whatever it was.

And thank god!  He was right!  The next morning, Ricky was as good as new. 

So we all look forward to our next swim.  I'll keep my eye out for Ricky a little better this time, and there will be know "head under water" swimming--- only doggy paddle!

"I'm a survivor!"

An Unexpected Guest

This morning, while Ricky and I were taking a walk, a yellow lab who had obviously gotten out of his yard decided to join us.  He wasn't wearing a collar, so I didn't know who he was, where he came from, or where he belonged.  He was really muddy, and friendly.  So friendly, that he followed us all the way home.  The walk was pretty challenging.  He and Ricky seemed to be instant pals, and Ricky seemed annoyed that I was holding onto his leash.

I dropped Ricky off at home so he could take a little nap after all of the excitement.

what a morning!

I walked with Buddy (that seemed like his name) to where he first started following us, hoping I would find his owner out looking for him.  I knocked on a few doors, but no one answered.

So I asked Buddy to follow me back home and told him he could just hang out in the yard. 

Buddy was just a little too big and a little too puppy acting to safely play with Lucy and Ricky.  When Lucy and Ricky out to see him in the yard, they quivered beneath my legs as he pounced around them.  I felt like if they took off running across the yard, he would chase them- all in good fun- but someone might get hurt.  Someone, being Lucy and/or Ricky.

Lucy and Ricky spent most of their morning in their crates and Buddy had to stay outside alone.  Although, honestly, I was outside with him most of the time because I could tell he was lonely.

Buddy- AKA Bo

pretty exhausted after the great escape

Thru my neighborhood lost dog hotline, we were able to get Buddy, who is actually Bo, back to his rightful yard.  It ends up, Bo's owner is out of town and a neighbor is taking care of him.   Last night, Bo suffered some pretty severe separation anxiety and tore up the house.  So this morning, he was put out in the yard.  Once everyone had left for work,  he found a way out of the fenced yard, and his collar fell off during the escape.  I'm so happy his owner will be home later this afternoon.

Hammock Time

I have never loved my hammock as much as I am loving it this summer...

My foot hanging off, and Ricky's leg peeking out from under.

I lay in my hammock reading, while Lucy and Ricky play under and around it.

Yes, many of my photos are fuzzy do to rapid movement!

And occasionally a sweet little face pops up and says hello!

 Well hello, Handsome!

We are loving these puppy dog days of summer...

Wet Noodles

For weeks, Ricky and Lucy have been coming in for visits when I take my bath at night.  They lay on the bathmat and chew on their bones while I bathe.  Occasionally, they peek their sweet faces over the side of the tub and take a little sip of my bath water.

Please don't report me to the SPCA, but I have to confess, I hadn't yet bathed them.  Until this morning.

I wanted to make sure they had fun experiences with water before throwing them in the tub.  So I got them their little pool, I invited them in the bathroom during my baths, and every now and then, I'd pick them up and put them in the tub as the water was almost drained out of my tub at night.  And I gave them treats whenever they got their paws wet.

There's nothing stinky about Lucy or Ricky.  A few times, they've played in the mud, but somehow, they clean themselves up and look fresh all the time. I figured, "Why bathe them?"

But Fermin kept bugging me and saying I needed to bathe them already.  And Ricky had started hinting around that he was ready...

leaning over the tub earlier this morning- pre bath

So- we took the plunge.  First Ricky~

And then, Miss MacGillicuddy.

Her body reminded me of a Chihuahua's!

So they're smelling just as pretty as they look now.  No one cried.  It all went swimmingly.

Dog Park

Today the puppies got to go, for their first time, to the dog park near our house.  It's actually divided into "little dog park" and "big dog park".  Because of their size and all, for now, we started off with the little dog park.

We took them early so it wouldn't be too crowded.
And we took them separately thinking that would be best.

As we expected, Lucy warmed up to both people and dogs relatively quickly.  She was also a bit of a nightmare in the parking lot, pulling on her leash because she was so excited to get inside the park.  Ricky on the other hand was very calm during the walk from the car to the park.  And he was a little more reserved and slower to warm up to the crowd.  He yawned a lot, not out of boredom, but out of feeling a little uneasy.  But both Lucy and Ricky seemed to have fun and made some new friends by the time we left.

Our favorite little playmate was Nugget, pictured below.

It was hard to capture a good photo of Nugget- She moved fast!

Here's a little video of the Ricardo's at the park today.

The Men in Our Lives

Lucy and I know how lucky we are to have them!

Tug

First, it's an innocent little game of tug...

There's some touching...

 And some kissing...

But somehow, it always ends up in WAR!

Awww, my sweet Ricardo's.  They're learning to live together peacefully.  It's a bit of a challenge, but I know we'll get there!

They're 4 months old now.  Which is a big milestone, really.  Like turning 16 and getting your driver's license.  Or turning 18 and being old enough to vote.  Or turning 21 and being of legal drinking age. At this 4 month mark, the puppies got their final vaccinations.  Which means they can go anywhere that dogs are allowed.  They've been already going lots of places, but we stayed away from places where there were lots of dogs we didn't know- like the dog park, and the pet stores.  But now, well, the skies the limit!

To be honest, I'm not sure that I even want them to go to the dog park.  I've seen some crazy stuff out there.  Dog owners that ignore their dogs, fights breaking out...some stuff I don't want my puppies witnessing.  But I think they'd love to run around in that big fenced area.  So maybe we can find a time to go when there aren't too many other dogs there.  I don't know.  We'll see.

Make love, not war!