Monday Funnies

Lemurs...

Just look at these guys. Aren't they about the funniest, crazy little creatures you've ever seen? We would love to have a lemur friend. Think of all the fun we could have. What's the craziest looking animal you would like to be friends with?

Where did it go?

This week officially marks the passing of our Mom's youth.
[sigh...]

Trivia Thursday

Okay smart dogs! Let's have some trivia fun.

It's time to get those brain cells moving! Jump up and down and run around the room a few times to get the blood flowing so you can answer all of our "literary dogs" questions.

Time to prove that dogs are smarter than cats.
We've posted the answers at the bottom but try not to cheat.
Ready?
Here we go...
Name that dog!

1. In Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, published in 1935, this dog is nearly lost when the Ingalls family crosses a swollen creek.

2. These dogs - a Labrador and an English bull terrier - go on an "incredible journey" through the Canadian wilderness (accompanied by a Siamese cat named Tao) in search of their lost human family.

3. This oft-slobbering boarhound is one of several pets belonging to the lovable giant Hagrid in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

4. Aggressive and angry, Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist doesn't take very good care of his dog, his pet bull terrier.

5. Dorothy Gale and this little terrier go on an amazing adventure in L. Frank Baum's 1900 classic.

6. Bridge to Terabithia, first published in 1977, tells the story of Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke, two lonely kids who create a magical imaginary land in the forest. One of their kingdoms royals in this dog.

7. The Darlings of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play (officially published in 1911) Peter Pan employ this Newfoundland to watch over the children.

8. Jack London's Call of the Wild tells the story of this Saint Bernard/collie mix. In the 1920s and 1930s several European countries, including Italy and Yugoslavia banned the book, calling it "radical" and too socialist.

9. The tragic A Dog of Flanders was first published in 1872 and told the tale of this dog and Nello, his poverty-stricken young master who lives outside Antwerp. Although set in Belgium, the book is incredibly popular in Japan, where it has been turned into a cartoon.

10. This canine narrates Rudyard Kipling's Thy Servant a Dog, published in 1930.



So, how many do you know?
Between the three of us, we only knew the answers to 5 of the questions.
Here are your answers:
1. Jack 2. Luath and Bodger 3. Fang 4. Bull's Eye 5. Toto
6. Prince Terrian 7. Nana 8. Buck 9. Patrasche 10. Boots

Wordless Wednesday - Tuck's Big Change

Surprise!
The Tuckman got a haircut!

Remember the haircuts your mom used to give you growing up? Well, Tucker got an in-home groom-job too. Cheaply done, as in F-R-E-E, FREE! It's not pretty but it works!

Think he likes his cooler coat?

No Mr. Puggle.
Tucker did not pull a "Chastity Bono" and change to the other side.
Very creative thinking on your behalf though.
We give you points for creativity and for making us giggle!

Life is good

Our family returned from their vacation... finally! Sounds like they had a really great time visiting Mickey Mouse. In all honesty, we had a really great time too. We met lots of new friends who were in the same situation as us so we all decided to play together and have lots of fun. Don't tell our family that though. They are still feeling really guilty about leaving us and we don't want the extra treats, snuggles and special attention to end any time soon. Oscar is never going to let Mom out of his sight again! We even missed that crazy cat of ours, Taz.

We have a lot of work to do catching up with everyone and what has been going on for the last week. We're going to give you a teaser for tomorrow's post though. It has to do with a major change for Tucker. Check back tomorrow for our "Wordless Wednesday." We can't wait to hear all your comments. [snicker, snicker]

Monday Funnies

We're home!!!
Blowing kisses to all our friends!
We've missed you!

A quick update...

We're here, in the kennel, and it's not as bad as what the boys were thinking it was going to be. I told them they had nothing to fear.

Lots of new friends to meet and play with. We have a huge play area to run around in too. And you won't believe the love and affection we are all getting! We're going to miss our family terribly but we will be taken care of wonderfully while they are away.

The ladies here kindly let us on the computer to type up this quick post but we won't be back on again until our family returns.

Have a great week everyone!

Tinkerbell, Oscar and Tucker

It's Official

You all guessed right - we're getting sent upstream. We'll be going to the "Big House" tomorrow. Our family is leaving us. [Heavy Sigh]

I've been through this before but the boys have not. This should be quite the experience for them. Oscar, the poor little guy, is our mom's mole... he is always attached to her wherever she goes. How is the boy going to sleep? He may be so scared that he won't eat and will whither away to nothing (like he couldn't stand to lose a pound or two!) I'm not too concerned about Tucker. He'll make friends with his shadow if he has to. He's easily entertained.

I plan on making lots of new friends and having a wonderful time.

Please send Oscar well wishes. He is going to need all the encouragement he can get.
Thanks ~ Tinkerbell

Something wicked... part deux

This cannot be good.

We are hearing rumblings throughout our humble abode about a mouse, a castle, a tower of terror, a tree of life, typhoons in lagoons...

We are also hearing words like kennels, day care, shot updates...

Something bad is definitely about to happen. We feel a disturbance in the force!

Something wicked this way comes

A couple suitcases have just made their way onto the big bed.
Clothing is being piled nearby.
Something big is about to happen....

Monday Funnies

Nom, Nom, Nom.

Life's little subtleties

EXHIBIT A:
The Kitchen

EXHIBIT B:
The empty food bowel strategically scooted to be smack dab in the middle of the kitchen so that it cannot be missed - sure to cause someone to trip over it.

EXHIBIT C:
The overweight wiener dog

Tinkerbell & Tucker:
Oscar, dude. No matter how many times you scoot your bowl around the kitchen, Mom is NOT going to put more food in it. Look at you! You like like you're prepped and ready to be spun over a fire. The only thing missing is the apple in your mouth.

Oscar:
[Heavy sigh] Can't blame a guy for trying.

Icky Ticky

We've been reading a lot lately about ticks. No, not the thing our moms eye does when she finds another tissue torn up by Tucker. You know, ticks. Those icky, creepy-crawly parasites that give us the heeby-jeebies just thinking about them.

So, if you found a tick on yourself, already head-embedded, would you know the correct way to extract it without breaking off the head in the skin which could lead to an infection?

We have never found a tick on any of our bodies to date... knock on wood. We are lucky dogs but we also don't live or play near a lot of high grasses or bushes. Of course, ticks can be found pretty much anywhere. Did you know a tick will hang from a leaf for weeks just waiting for an animal to skirt by so it can attach itself?

We have discovered a lot of techniques used for tick removal. Here are the two our mom has used in the past and has found effective.

First:
Wet a cotton ball with liquid hand soap and lay it on the tick for a few seconds (20-30 seconds). Gently rub the cotton ball on the tick. The tick will extract itself and will be on the cotton ball. No ticky-touchy which is two thumbs up with our mom!

Second:
If the cotton ball trick doesn't work, then it is time to get the tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Gently but firmly pull straight away from the skin until the tick comes out. Never twist! Avoid grasping the ticks abdomen. This can cause the tick to regurgitate its stomach contents, which can increase the likelihood of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Ehrlichiosis or any other scary diseases that ticks like to carry and spread.

Most importantly is tick prevention. Use any preventative medicines your vet may recommend. We know a lot of doggies who do not use products like Frontline. That's okay too. It is up to their owners to make sure they are kept safe from ticks whichever method is preferred.

Also, if you find a tick on a cat, do not remove it yourself. This would be a good time to visit your vet. Healthy cats almost never suffer tick infestations due to their good grooming habits.

So, now that you are all scratching yourselves and cursing us for giving you the creeps, let us know your suggestions for tick removal. Any and all information is nothing but helpful in case a tick emergency should rear its ugly little creepy crawly head.

Wordless Wednesday

Cry me a river

Last week we asked for advice regarding Tuckers tear stains and we realized a lot of our friends did't know what it is since their dogs don't experience this problem. We thought we would give you some information on what exactly dog tear stains are and what causes it.

The tear stains are a cosmetic problem, caused by an overflow of tears onto the fur under the eye of a dog or cat but is mostly noticeable with white and other light color coats like Tuckers. The damp facial hair is a breeding ground for bacterial and yeast growth. The most common is "Red Yeast (Ptyrosporin)" which is usually associated with reddish-brown facial stains - which is what Tucker has. In order to control or remove the tear staining, the cause or causes need to be understood and under control.

What causes tear stains? Just about anything! The causes can be traced to health and diet, as well as genetics. We do not know a lot about the genetic aspect of Tucker. He was not found under a rock or given to us by aliens, which we like to tease him about all the time.

A few of the causes are:
• Blocked tear ducts
• Ear Infections
• Genetics
• Cutting Teeth
• Irritation & Allergies
• Water
• Fleas
• Plastic dog bowls

Since Tucker has no fleas, ear infections or blocked tear ducts and all his teeth have been cut, we lean more towards genetics, irritation & allergies or water.


We have changed Tuckers diet and changed his water. Being a smooshy-faced dog with a major underbite, he sneezes and snuffles a lot. Smooshies do that - because of their facial structure, they are prone to irritants more often. Tucker likes to get into everything he shouldn't get into. He loves to pick garbage out of the bathroom trash can and will steal any toy left laying around in our girls room. He loves to play under the beds and loves to sniff through moms flower beds. He is a hard nut to crack trying to figure out what is causing the stains and trying to get a grip on handling them.

Breeders, handlers and those that show dogs go to extremes to eliminate the stains. Even using colloidal silver, Milk of Magnesia, hydrogen peroxide and human hair bleach. Obviously, our mom will not do this. A lot of times these home remedies make the staining worse because they irritate the eye more. Changing the dog's pH slightly can do wonders in the tear stain war and help eliminate bacteria, the deep stain color and prevent the yeast buildup.

There are many over-the-counter dog tear stain remover products that can be used but it the root of the problem is not found, then the stains will continue.

We are working hard at finding Tuck's problem (tear staining problem that is! Heaven knows our boy Tuck has many other problems, but those are for future posts).

We're back with a Monday Funny

Yep! That's his pet skunk!

Our little girl attended a barnyard themed birthday party yesterday - complete with petting zoo and pony rides. A tortoise and a black and white chicken roamed the yard freely all during the party. There were goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, ponies and this skunk. The skunk was rescued from a fur trader who could not use his pelt because his stripe was not straight down his back. We'd love to chase this guy around the yard since we have been assured that he is de-scented. Doesn't he look like fun?!? His owner sang funny songs and told lots of jokes that the kids just loved too.

We cannot understand why we weren't allowed to attend the party too. Everyone seems to think we would have caused mass chaos. They at least could have given us a chance. Maybe next time!

(We wonder if skunk tastes like chicken?)