I couldn't resist taking this photo of Beauty and her dog Cleo napping on the couch together this morning.
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Cleo the contortionist...
It's another bitterly cold day in Melbourne.
A perfect day for sleeping in, drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie while wrapped up in a velvet throw rug.
People complain endlessly about the cold weather (me included sometimes) but honestly, it relaxes me.
It makes you slow down, take time out from you usual schedule and do the bare minimal.
And of course if I relax then the dogs relax as well.
They sleep the day away at most times anyway but in winter they get so lazy that I have to practically pick them up and put them outside to pee!
Cleo is the Queen of sleep. She can sleep in the wierdest places with her body contorted in the most uncomfortable looking positions.
When I call her name to wake her up for dinner she just stretches, opens her eyes and gives that wordless look that says "I'm not getting up, bring it to me".
Who's been walking in my bookcase?
I've decided to give a few pieces of my furniture a face lift so on the weekend I found the box with the paint tubes in it and decided on a magnolia cream color for the book case in the hall way.
I completed the first coat and told Beauty and The Knight to be careful of the wet paint.
Unfortunately I forgot to tell Tommy.
I think that temptation and curiosity was just to much to resist as at his height, all he has ever seen is a row of books.
Or maybe the other dogs dared him to walk on the empty shelf as he is the only one small enough to fit!
Or maybe the other dogs dared him to walk on the empty shelf as he is the only one small enough to fit!
Cookie thief....
It's been raining in Melbourne for two days now.
I was tired of being cooped up and decided to have a coffee and cookie break on the outside veranda and take some photos of the stormy sky.
Before I could even sit down Tommy had nudged the lid of the pirate cookie tin and stolen two chocolate chip cookies.
One for him and one for Rocky.
Walking the dogs.....
As you know we have four dogs.
Tony Montana, Tommy Gun, Rocky Balboa and Miss Cleopatra.
I think their names are pretty self explanatory but for those of you who are new to my blog let me explain.
The three boys are all Maltese Poodle Cross breeds so they look small, soft and fluffy (and they sort of prance around alot)
So we decided when they were just puppies that we would give them tough names so they would grow up with the "I might be small and fluffy but don't mess with me attitude"
Tony Montana was the first to join our family.
He was a tiny ball of pure white fluff with these big black eyes.
There was a litter of four and he was just sitting there looking at us while the others were ripping a newspaper to shreds.
I picked him up and turned to Beauty and said "say hello to my little friend".
Any movie buff will know that this is a line that Tony Montana says in the movie Scarface and it was a source of much amusement to everyone who heard his new name.
Over the years it has been shortened to Montana and believe me when I say that he has more attitude than Al Pacino could ever have.
Tommy Gun joined our family a year later as Montana needed a friend.
The lady at the pet store tried to steer us away from him as she said that he was the runt of the litter and that she was sending him back in the morning as he should have been put down at birth.
Of course he came home with us and I hope to this day that the pet store owner remembers how disgusted I was with her.
He has jet black hair with a fine white stripe down his chest.
Tommy never grew very much and he had a habit of just suddenly running really fast from room to room like a bullet from a gun.
Miss Cleopatra was a gift to my daughter Beauty from a boyfriend past.
She was moving to Melbourne and Cleo was going to keep her from getting too lonely.
The move did not last long and Cleo came to live with Montana and Tommy.
Beauty won't admit it but she was the ugliest little dog.
Fortunately she had these beautiful Cleopatra eyes and super long eyelashes.
She grew up to be a beauty like her owner and she would laze around all day and lap up the attention if you let her. She acts like she is royalty.
Rocky Balboa is the product of Montana and Cleo.
She gave birth to 6 puppies with Rocky the last one born and he was huge(double the size of the other puppies).
It was obvious early on that he was a little slower to learn than the others but he was the most loving and affectionate.
He is a pale cream colour and his fur feels like cashmere as it is a mix of Poodle, Maltese and Silky Terrier.
When it came time to find homes for the six puppies I noticed that The Knight always held him back from the viewings.
When I asked him what was going on he said that it was time to face the fact that he was not completely normal.
He was worried that the new owners would not understand and that he would be mistreated.
He said that he knew that I did not want any more dogs but keeping him safe and loved with us was the right thing to do.
So Rocky Balboa, slightly slow but loveable, makes four.
This brings me to the subject I wanted to talk about.
It has always been impossible to walk our dogs and it will always be impossible to walk our dogs BUT I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO STOP TRYING.
Yesterday I was shopping and saw the best dog collars in the world.
All of our dogs have just been clipped so nice new collars would look great on them.
I purchased an assortment of eight because I was not sure of neck size (without the fur) and I was worried that the studs and charms and diamentes on some might make them to heavy.
I came home pleased with myself but as I unpacked them reality set in.
I remembered how Montana loves to walk and prances along until he sees a flower or a piece of paper or a bird and his OCD sets in and he just stops as still as a statue and won't move.
I remembered how Tommy runs so fast that he nearly chokes himself and races around every tree ten times until he's tied up like a kidnapped victim.
I remembered how Cleo loves to walk but has to stop and watch every butterfly, smell every flower, smile at every bird, flutter her eyelashes at every one who walks by and this has taken her a leisurely 30 minutes and we are still only 10 houses away from home, all because she didn't want to leave in the first place.
And then there is Rocky. As soon as the lead is clipped on he is in enemy warfare mode. Dodging and weaving to hide behind every tree, gate and passer by. Barking at EVERYTHING.
As I put the collars back in the bag I feel so mean but then I really think about the life the four of them have.
They have four completely different personality that we have adapted our lives around.
They eat better than we do sometimes. They formed a mutiny about three years ago and went on a hunger strike to make sure we outlawed dog food from their diet. The Knight who is a chef, cooks them one of their favorite dishes every night. Chicken breasts, spaghetti, fried rice, omelets, beef stir fry etc etc.
They take car rides to visit with their Maltese cousin Donna and she comes and stays with them on holidays four times a year.
They wander around inside with continual outside access to a huge backyard with lawn to run, play, dig(Tommy) and sunbake on(Cleo)
There are flowers to smell (Montana) and ball games to play.
Butterflies and birds and bees and snails to discover, watch, sniff, lick and learn about.
Rocky can bark at the dog next door and only gets yelled at once a day.
Every night Montana goes out into the backyard at dusk and watches the bats arrive to sleep in the big tree and then barks for a full 5 minutes just to let them know that they better be gone by morning.
But the most important thing I realize about them is that they are so very, very loved.
They don't need flashy collars.
They don't need to be put through another disatrous walking experience.
They are happy right here at their home.
Tony Montana, Tommy Gun, Rocky Balboa and Miss Cleopatra.
I think their names are pretty self explanatory but for those of you who are new to my blog let me explain.
The three boys are all Maltese Poodle Cross breeds so they look small, soft and fluffy (and they sort of prance around alot)
So we decided when they were just puppies that we would give them tough names so they would grow up with the "I might be small and fluffy but don't mess with me attitude"
Tony Montana was the first to join our family.
He was a tiny ball of pure white fluff with these big black eyes.
There was a litter of four and he was just sitting there looking at us while the others were ripping a newspaper to shreds.
I picked him up and turned to Beauty and said "say hello to my little friend".
Any movie buff will know that this is a line that Tony Montana says in the movie Scarface and it was a source of much amusement to everyone who heard his new name.
Over the years it has been shortened to Montana and believe me when I say that he has more attitude than Al Pacino could ever have.
Tommy Gun joined our family a year later as Montana needed a friend.
The lady at the pet store tried to steer us away from him as she said that he was the runt of the litter and that she was sending him back in the morning as he should have been put down at birth.
Of course he came home with us and I hope to this day that the pet store owner remembers how disgusted I was with her.
He has jet black hair with a fine white stripe down his chest.
Tommy never grew very much and he had a habit of just suddenly running really fast from room to room like a bullet from a gun.
Miss Cleopatra was a gift to my daughter Beauty from a boyfriend past.
She was moving to Melbourne and Cleo was going to keep her from getting too lonely.
The move did not last long and Cleo came to live with Montana and Tommy.
Beauty won't admit it but she was the ugliest little dog.
Fortunately she had these beautiful Cleopatra eyes and super long eyelashes.
She grew up to be a beauty like her owner and she would laze around all day and lap up the attention if you let her. She acts like she is royalty.
Rocky Balboa is the product of Montana and Cleo.
She gave birth to 6 puppies with Rocky the last one born and he was huge(double the size of the other puppies).
It was obvious early on that he was a little slower to learn than the others but he was the most loving and affectionate.
He is a pale cream colour and his fur feels like cashmere as it is a mix of Poodle, Maltese and Silky Terrier.
When it came time to find homes for the six puppies I noticed that The Knight always held him back from the viewings.
When I asked him what was going on he said that it was time to face the fact that he was not completely normal.
He was worried that the new owners would not understand and that he would be mistreated.
He said that he knew that I did not want any more dogs but keeping him safe and loved with us was the right thing to do.
So Rocky Balboa, slightly slow but loveable, makes four.
This brings me to the subject I wanted to talk about.
It has always been impossible to walk our dogs and it will always be impossible to walk our dogs BUT I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO STOP TRYING.
Yesterday I was shopping and saw the best dog collars in the world.
All of our dogs have just been clipped so nice new collars would look great on them.
I purchased an assortment of eight because I was not sure of neck size (without the fur) and I was worried that the studs and charms and diamentes on some might make them to heavy.
I came home pleased with myself but as I unpacked them reality set in.
I remembered how Montana loves to walk and prances along until he sees a flower or a piece of paper or a bird and his OCD sets in and he just stops as still as a statue and won't move.
I remembered how Tommy runs so fast that he nearly chokes himself and races around every tree ten times until he's tied up like a kidnapped victim.
I remembered how Cleo loves to walk but has to stop and watch every butterfly, smell every flower, smile at every bird, flutter her eyelashes at every one who walks by and this has taken her a leisurely 30 minutes and we are still only 10 houses away from home, all because she didn't want to leave in the first place.
And then there is Rocky. As soon as the lead is clipped on he is in enemy warfare mode. Dodging and weaving to hide behind every tree, gate and passer by. Barking at EVERYTHING.
As I put the collars back in the bag I feel so mean but then I really think about the life the four of them have.
They have four completely different personality that we have adapted our lives around.
They eat better than we do sometimes. They formed a mutiny about three years ago and went on a hunger strike to make sure we outlawed dog food from their diet. The Knight who is a chef, cooks them one of their favorite dishes every night. Chicken breasts, spaghetti, fried rice, omelets, beef stir fry etc etc.
They take car rides to visit with their Maltese cousin Donna and she comes and stays with them on holidays four times a year.
They wander around inside with continual outside access to a huge backyard with lawn to run, play, dig(Tommy) and sunbake on(Cleo)
There are flowers to smell (Montana) and ball games to play.
Butterflies and birds and bees and snails to discover, watch, sniff, lick and learn about.
Rocky can bark at the dog next door and only gets yelled at once a day.
Every night Montana goes out into the backyard at dusk and watches the bats arrive to sleep in the big tree and then barks for a full 5 minutes just to let them know that they better be gone by morning.
But the most important thing I realize about them is that they are so very, very loved.
They don't need flashy collars.
They don't need to be put through another disatrous walking experience.
They are happy right here at their home.
Designer dog collars on ebay soon!
Scarves As Cushions
I did a post a while back about making these pink rose scarves into cushion covers.
They will fit the design idea I have for some outside furniture in a very girly enclosed cottage garden section at the Italian villa.
Since then I have been on the lookout for some great scarves to turn into dog cushions.
Our four dogs all love to lounge around on padded cushions so I have been searching for something special.
I finally came across the perfect scarves on ebay. I made an opening bid of 99cents on 30 of them and managed to win 18.
So my dogs will now be sleeping in the designer style they think they deserve on Burburry, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Fendi and Chanel cushions when we get to Italy.
Of course their fakes! (So ssshhhh, I won't tell them if you don't)
(A small portion of the scarves)
Give the dog a bone.
As I will be spending every cent I own on the renovation of the villa next year, some of the treats I take for granted are going to have to be reined in and that includes dog treats.
No more Smackos or cheese treats as they will be too expensive.
I don't want to spend $20-$30 a week on biscuits for 4 dogs when that money could buy me a tin of paint or 6 lavender shrubs.
No more Smackos or cheese treats as they will be too expensive.
I don't want to spend $20-$30 a week on biscuits for 4 dogs when that money could buy me a tin of paint or 6 lavender shrubs.
So even though I am a terrible cook I have decided to make my own dog biscuits in Italy. I purchased this cookie cutter today in the shape of a dog bone and did some research on google for some great recipes.
As my dogs love cheese, this first one was the pick of the bunch with the second one a Must Have!
Cheese Bone Dog Cookies
2 cups - Unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups - Shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves - Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cups - Vegetable oil
4 1/2 tb - Water (up to 5 tbs)
2 cups - Unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups - Shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves - Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cups - Vegetable oil
4 1/2 tb - Water (up to 5 tbs)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Make a cardboard pattern of a dog bone, 10 cm long or use a dog-bone cookie cutter.
Combine flour, cheese, garlic and vegetable oil in container of food processor. Cover, whirl until mixture is consistency of coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water until mixture forms a ball.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to 1cm thickness. Cut out bones. Transfer to ungreased cookie tray. Do not re-roll scraps.
Bake in preheated hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Carefully transfer bones to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight container.
Homemade Dog Treat Recipe
Bad Breath Banishers
Bad Breath Banishers
1 Tablespoon activated charcoal (find this at drugstores, not the briquets!)
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup low fat milk
Doggone it!
"Dogs have owners, cats have staff"
I use to have a cat so I completely agree with this quote but after trying to figure out how to get 4 little dogs to Italy I need the staff!
As you know I have been looking into the legality's of relocating my dogs to Italy.
I have 3 boys and a girl and only the girl is desexed. Apparently the boys must be done as well. This is good for them as they can fool around with the Italian dogs with no consequences. Cost to me? $150 each for the operation.
They need rabies injections and 2 other necessary injections. Cost to me $110 each dog.
They need to be micro chipped but my vet is a bit confused about this, as if they are micro chipped in Australia and get lost in Italy how will this help get them home? I'll get back to you on this rule but cost to me? $200 each chip.
Airline dog travel crate. I was going to buy soft sided crates because I thought they would be more comfortable for the dogs but on a 20 hour flight hard sided crates are safer apparently. Cost to me $150 each plus accessory's for the crate $15 each.
Plus the airfare for each dog that I haven't even inquired about yet!
Maybe I could smuggle them in my luggage to cut down on costs.
I know they have super hearing as they start barking like mad before I even drive into the driveway. Maybe they have other super powers and they could fly themselves to Italy!
Then with the money I save I could have a beautiful Ballroom in the villa like this one.
I use to have a cat so I completely agree with this quote but after trying to figure out how to get 4 little dogs to Italy I need the staff!
As you know I have been looking into the legality's of relocating my dogs to Italy.
I have 3 boys and a girl and only the girl is desexed. Apparently the boys must be done as well. This is good for them as they can fool around with the Italian dogs with no consequences. Cost to me? $150 each for the operation.
They need rabies injections and 2 other necessary injections. Cost to me $110 each dog.
They need to be micro chipped but my vet is a bit confused about this, as if they are micro chipped in Australia and get lost in Italy how will this help get them home? I'll get back to you on this rule but cost to me? $200 each chip.
Airline dog travel crate. I was going to buy soft sided crates because I thought they would be more comfortable for the dogs but on a 20 hour flight hard sided crates are safer apparently. Cost to me $150 each plus accessory's for the crate $15 each.
Plus the airfare for each dog that I haven't even inquired about yet!
Maybe I could smuggle them in my luggage to cut down on costs.
I know they have super hearing as they start barking like mad before I even drive into the driveway. Maybe they have other super powers and they could fly themselves to Italy!
Then with the money I save I could have a beautiful Ballroom in the villa like this one.
10 to-do lists and still going...
So, 4 hours ago I started making to-do lists AND I'M STILL GOING!!!!! I am trying to categorize them from most important to least important but everything seems important.
First thing to do is to organize my documents for my passport application.
First thing to do is to organize my documents for my passport application.
Second thing to do is to find out the rules and regulations for taking my dogs with me. My 4 little dogs are already spaghetti eating little monsters so they will fit in with Italian life just fine.
That's 3 doggy phone calls for this morning. The vet to talk about vaccinations and micro chips, the Italian consulate to see what regulations there are on pets and the air lines to check on costs and rules for travel.
Montana-Male-Maltese, Poodle cross-9 years old
Tommy-Male-Maltese, Miniature Toy Poodle cross-8 years old
Cleo-Female-Maltese, Chihuahua Cross-6 years old (the Beautys dog)
Rocky-Male-Son of Montana & Cleo-4 years old (the Knights dog)
Well I'm off to make the calls. I'll keep you updated on what I find out.
That's 3 doggy phone calls for this morning. The vet to talk about vaccinations and micro chips, the Italian consulate to see what regulations there are on pets and the air lines to check on costs and rules for travel.
Montana-Male-Maltese, Poodle cross-9 years old
Tommy-Male-Maltese, Miniature Toy Poodle cross-8 years old
Cleo-Female-Maltese, Chihuahua Cross-6 years old (the Beautys dog)
Rocky-Male-Son of Montana & Cleo-4 years old (the Knights dog)Well I'm off to make the calls. I'll keep you updated on what I find out.
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