Monday, November 28, 2016

Pooches: Miss M is Sneaky

You know all of those photos we have of the pups sleeping together cosily in the same bed?
There is a bit of behind-the-scenes that you may not have realized.
So something that looks like this:
Really started out like this:
Miss M has a way of finding any bit of space and squeezing in to make it look like she was always there.
Like this sweet scene of them sharing a pillow cheek to jowl:
 Is really a photo that started out with this solo pillow user:
What seems like tandem laying:
Started like this. Notice Miss M in action and Mr B's pained expression.

Also:
Remember where it all started?
Or her plan here. (I forgot how hilarious this one was!)
Beauty sleep!
Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and storylines beyond the blog.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Two Dogs and a Little Baby: Bringing Home a New Baby

The biggest question we've been getting lately, is how the pups are doing with the (not so new anymore) baby.
We also weren't sure what to expect when we added Baby K to the mix.
Now that Baby K is a whopping 9+ months old, we've seen a couple of stages of interactions.
This is what it was like in the early days.

On Bringing Baby Home:
Even before doing introductions between the pups and Baby K, our trainer told us it was important to set the tone and think about how we would greet the dogs after having spent all that time in the hospital. I would probably smell strange to them, and it could be simultaneously confusing and exciting to have us show up again after leaving so suddenly.
We decided I would come in first, and I would have a high value treat. E would follow with the baby.
As it turns out, the pups weren't concerned that we'd been gone so long or smelled different. They just saw the treat and took off. I guess it was that high value! (We chose pig ears).
It wasn't until later that night that they even realized we had someone new in the house.

Early Introductions:
I pups didn't realize anything new was in the house until the middle of the night.
Like the 3:00am middle of the night where all normal people (and dogs!) are sleeping, but it's Baby prime hour.
For crying.
And not communicating why they are crying.
I was with Baby K in his room when I heard footsteps. I figured it was E, but instead it was Miss M (oddly walking human-like) peeking around the corner and and staring wide-eyed at us.
I could just imagine her saying "Excuse me. My name is Miss M. I am the Mayor of this house. You may be new here, but this is a quiet house. And you are not being quiet."
The first few nights Miss M would come in like this and stare scoldingly.
Which evolved to her literally following my every move. She would sit next to me when I was feeding Baby K at night. She would follow me to the bathroom and wait outside. I felt really bad when I had to run downstairs to get something because she would follow me up and down.

Meeting the Pups:
This was the first time Baby K saw Miss M's gargoyle face.
Just kidding! This was the first time Baby K farted. (Not kidding!)

Being Creature-Like:

I think all dogs don't know what to think of new babies. Between the way they cry and their weird movements.
They must think they are creatures.
Even we think Baby K is like a creature.
The first time Baby K was on his stomach doing tummy-time Miss M tried to poke him in the rear because she still couldn't figure out what he was.
Mr B spent a lot of time retreating backwards because he couldn't figure out what Baby K was.
Since the pups were so perplexed, we were always very aware of holding him up higher and making him seem human-like.
We also very closely monitored any interactions if Baby K was practicing his tummy time on the blanket, and taught the pups to stay off his blanket.

We know all babies and dogs are different. What are some other experiences people had when bringing home baby?

Also:
Being Pregnant with Pooches.

Monday, November 21, 2016

DoggyStyle: P.L.A.Y Dog Bed (The One You Always See them In)


It was about 2 years ago when we first moved into our new space that we started our search for sturdier, more comfortable dog beds for our aging pups.
While we used to get away with floor pillows and fluffy rugs,  we want to give them options that offer more support.

We had a lot of people recommend the P.L.A.Y dog bed which we were lucky enough to snag with a really good Black Friday deal...two years ago.

So just in case anyone has been looking at these beds, and if they have an upcoming sale this weekend, here are our thoughts after having the bed for 2 years.

We bought the Urban Denim Lounge Bed in size Large.
Each of our pups weighs 60-something pounds.

What We Like:
1) We like that it is comfortable for one pup:
Or two:
In multiple configurations:

2) We have it in our main living space, so we like that it's nice enough to blend in with our home.

3) We like that it has a bolster-type headrest, but it still has a walk-in cutout so the pups don't have to be climbing into their beds as their joints become more stiff.

What We Didn't Like:
1) It has become squished in the past two years.
You can see from some of the earlier photos that it started out really stiff, but has been starting to squish down and lose its firmness. I'm not sure if it's a matter of needing to fluff up the padding, or to be fair, if it is a result of 130+ pounds of pooches laying in it.
2) This style is difficult to wash.
We also have this style in the Orvis dog beds, and you need to take out all of the bolsters separately so it does take time to clean it and put it back together.
3) It shows dog hair really easily.
Sure, we know that it's a dog bed, but since it's in the middle of our living space we at least try to keep the illusion that we have the dog hair under control. The color we chose, and the material make the dog hair (or is it baboon hair?) really stand out.

4)  It's Pricey
 I was just looking at the website to see how much it is, and it is on the pricey end for larger dogs.
We did get a really good discount when we bought it on Black Friday (it was 2 years ago, but I think we received 40% off!).

Would We Buy It Again?
From all of the dog beds that we've tried, I think our top choice would be the Orvis Deepdish Lounger one size smaller. It is pricey, but it's good for a lifetime.
We even also had the zipper break and they sent us a new cushion AND a new a new back so it would still match.

I still think that the P.L.A.Y beds are good as a next option and especially if you need to buy a second sturdy bed.

Though we always love hearing what everyone else has been using. Are there more good bed recommendations out there?

Also:
An inexpensive option
The most beautiful, but impractical bed
We had forgotten about this guy. How is it possible we haven't seen it around the house?
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