Happy birthday, Koko

My little furry dude had a birthday last week and if I hadn't been home sick I probably would have felt more motivated to create some homemade dog treats, but instead he had some lovely sweet potato and venison concoctions from the store. He also got a few other doggie perks: a trip to the pet store, a ride in the car, and an extra long walk. Not bad for one doggie day.

Duel, pt. II

Rusty & Koufax were at it again...this time a bit more evenly matched size-wise. They both look really sadistic in these pictures, but actually it was pretty tame.

Face off & other additions

CB was here over the holidays and we spent some great time together--out for sushi, buying very important after-Christmas merchandise, and playing with the pooches. Here's a funny clip of her Cav, Rusty, getting chased by mine, who is about 1/4 the size.

Her mom's neighbor graciously made Koufax this sweater (which we hide from Corey because he is not happy about garments on his dog. Also Koufax is trying to eat it every time I try to put it on, so I had to create a sneak attack.). It turned out great. No, I don't have it because I want to dress my dog up in outfits (he already looks somewhat effeminate). But honestly dude, it's cold outside. I also ordered some dog booties from this local store, who supplies them for all the sled dogs in the area. The salt wreaks havoc on their little paws.

Welcome home, Koufax

The first weekend of December, I drove to Rochester to meet our puppy's breeders. I guess I would use that term loosely, but we really checked them out and were happy with the setup they had. As soon as I met this little guy he came right to me and practically licked me to death. We stayed at my sister's house for two days, much to the delight of my three-year-old nephew, Nathan, and then picked up Corey from a conference on our way home. He's adjusting to our family quite nicely; with the exception of the typical puppy bursts of energy in the early evenings, he's mostly just cuddly and wants to be played with. I don't even really mind taking him outside, as he's learned to climb the deck steps and is pretty autonomous. We had really thought he'd have an Irish name, but we couldn't find one that really stuck, but this one's a good fit.

Meet our new friend

We are getting a friend to bring home! Thanks to Anne, who has tortured me with cute puppy listings for quite some time, I fretted over his (and another male's) picture. We'll be meeting him in a few weeks. He doesn't have a name yet, but we want it to be Irish. We've got a few ideas, but any suggestions? I've already asked the resident expert, Jane. He's a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, specifically a Blenheim. He sheds little, doesn't need too much exercise, and will only get to about 12 pounds. And he's just so darn cute. Who wouldn't love him?

Doggie debate

Okay, I'm pretty sure that within the next few months, we'll be seriously looking to purchase a dog, not to mention the fact that I pour over this website everyday (Did you know your life expectancy increases by 7 years with a dog?) We live in a pro-dog neighborhood, we have a fenced in area in our backyard, and I think it's okay to have other living things besides houseplants. However's there's a lot to consider: are we home enough to care for this little pooch--training, obedience classes, poop, vet bills, etc...but we've also got to decide which breed we want. For those of you who know me well, you know that I have a very soft spot in my heart for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Pros: they are active, but don't require a ton of exercise; they are smart, and they like people in general; they don't shed too much; they are FRICKIN cute; they like to cuddle; they only get to about 15 lbs. Cons: they are FRICKIN expensive. Yellow laborador retrievers are my other absolute favorite dog. We always had medium-sized dogs growing up, so I've always been interested in bigger (nicer) dogs. Pros: they are super smart and obedient if trained correctly; I could run/jog with the dog; I would feel somewhat protected if I was home alone; they also like to cuddle; they are also great family dogs; Cons: they are big, even the runts--aka they take up a lot of space; they needs lots of exercise; they chew things a lot. Plus, in general, we're looking at two breeds that tend to be overbred. I'm not going to support puppy mills, so there's the very important aspect of treating animals humanely. This is a total ramble, but what are your suggestions? I am having major pangs just looking at all of these pictures of doggies.