Pooches: Mr B's "Cape Feare"

When most people see Mr. B, they usually just see a big-headed, huge-muscled lunk.
You would think he's fearless.
Though Mr. B doesn't see himself that way. He has a huge fear of small dogs, and he is even more afraid of...cats.
At the sight of a cat, Mr. B will squeal like a little piglet, and literally sprint away in the other direction.

Unfortunately for us, we live near a large feral cat colony. These cats survive on the "mean streets of Chicago" and they are fearless. Once, one even slowly sauntered down the sidewalk towards Mr B, and slashed him across the face "Zorro-style".
These cats hang out a mere few houses away, and Mr. B is always nervously watching for them on our daily walks.

During his photoshoot, Mr. B has the unsettling feeling he is being watched.

While we still see the Zorro-cat, there is one single cat that Mr. B is even more afraid of: the fluffy white cat.
It's almost like it is stalking Mr. B. It pops up from the most unexpected places and it watches him unwaveringly.
It keeps Mr. B on high alert. The other day he thought he saw it under a car so he dashed away. It turns out, it was only a white plastic bag floating by.

Another time I was picking up the dogs' poo during our walk, and Mr. B suddenly jumped up from his sit-stay and started squealing and bouncing. I made him stay again, so I could finish picking up, but I couldn't understand why he kept squealing. Then I saw over his shoulder, the fluffy white cat's face peeking out from behind a tree.

I used to think that maybe it reminded Mr. B of another cat in his past life. Or maybe that cat knew a dog just like Mr. B when they were back in the shelter together. But really, I think Mr. B might be startled and unnerved because the cat has an expression that looks eerily like this:

P.S. We could never get close enough for a real photo, but this is the closest Internet image I could find to what Mr. B's nemesis really looks like.

Also:
What he's really like.
Because of this, Mr. B keeps asking for his own pet cat.
Miss M's own literary tale.
Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments and storylines beyond the blog.

Things to Do with Dogs in Chicago: Miss M and Mr. B go to The NOSH at Wicker Park

For some reason, a lot of people say the Taste of Chicago is the can't miss food festival of the summer. Though after spending most of our time waiting in lines, being bulldozed by crowds, and seeing someone run off with the full strand of food tickets dropped by an elderly man, we haven't been back in years. 

We really do love food and festivals and we were excited to hear about The Nosh food festival in our very own neighborhood.

This festival is a bit different because it showcases small-batch artisan foods that you can't really find in restaurants. We've tried homemade Bloody Mary mix, Dutch-Indonesean fusion sandwiches, lobster rolls, poutine, rib tips smoked on site, and sliders from Paulina Meat Market.

We love that it's a weekly market, and they are often bringing in new vendors. 

Plus, it's very dog-friendly. It's not overly crowded so there is plenty of space for the dogs, and they leave out water bowls. Though we have found that since it is on asphalt, without much shade, it can become hot for the dogs. They started setting up picnic tables on the side grassy areas where the pups can get out of the sun.

Also:

This is how we've prepared.

We think this is the pups' favorite.

Check our Facebook page for extra photos, discussion and storylines beyond the blog.

Pooches: Do Dogs that Live Together Morph?

One of the first questions we're always asked when we walk the pups together is...are they twins?

Sure sometimes they do wear similar outfits, but they really are quite different. Miss M is tall and brindle while Mr. B is stocky and grey. They are both pit bull-type dogs, but Miss M resembles an American Bulldog and Mr. B is more of an Am Staff:

But despite all of these differences, I often catch myself sometimes unable to tell them apart.

They lay the same:

Even outdoors:

They practice synchronized walking:

And they love sleeping pressed up together that it almost seems like they are morphing into a single dog:

Is it common for dogs that live together to just grow to resemble one another?

Also:

We think this is their real relationship.

I wonder if they would have still morphed in this situation.

Check our facebook page for extra photos and storylines beyond the blog.

SociaBulls: On New Members & Applications

Our  Chicago SociaBulls group is always a work-in-progress, and it's funny to think how much it has evolved over the past two years(!).
I remember during the earlier days it was easy enough to just have people email us that they were interested in the walks, and they would basically just show up. We didn't know the benefits of pre-creating a pack order back in the day.
Though it was this unexpected surprise that really changed everything.

Suddenly, we had more new member requests than we could handle.
And we had to create a waiting-list.
We also realized that it was more beneficial for new members to attend walks without their dogs first so that they could learn about the group first before concentrating on walking their dog.

One thing that also helped us was creating a new member application process.
We don't discriminate and everyone has a chance to join as long as they follow the rules. The applications help us understand more about the members and their dogs, and it helps us align them with a similar 'new member buddy' during their inaugural walk.

We've loved how we have so many diverse and interesting members joining our group, even with such a long wait.

These photos were from an early summer walk I had forgotten to post!

Also:
Tips on starting your own group!
Why we don't publicize our group
How we have been managing.

Pooches: The One Where Miss M is Over It

There used to be a time when the pups were always on their best behavior.
And this was the worst thing Mr. B had ever done.
 I think they lived by the Little Orphan Annie mentality that there was always a chance that they might be sent back to where they came from. And they didn't want to take any chances.

Perhaps clever Miss M actually figured out how to read signed adoption paperwork, but one day she realized they were here to stay. And they became comfortable.
It first started when the pups decided to excuse themselves after dinner. To keep discipline consistent, we used to have them stay in their crates where they were fed until they were excused. But one day, we realized they were excusing themselves and just walking around. And Mr. B was just walking around with stuffy in tow and he was even doing things like this.

Then Miss M took things a bit further, and she would sneak onto the forbidden sofa. Though she was always clever and pretended like she had just been sleeping in her own bed the whole time. Even when she had this evidence attached to her.

Though now we realize Miss M is just over it.
See, we have a little understanding where the dogs are left in their unlatched crate (and tepee!) when we leave.  And they think that we don't know that they actually come out and walk around because they are very careful to run back to their beds the moment they hear us coming home.
Mr. B takes this very seriously and he always makes sure that he is in his bed when we come back. A few times we have even caught a glimpse of his little buttock scurrying away to his bed.

For awhile, Miss M would play along too. There were only a few times when we caught sight of her rubenesque belly trotting down the hallway. Because she was usually back in time.
Then we would catch her as she was just walking down the hallway, often giving us a backwards glance, as she returned to her bed.
Which has now become her just standing in the hallway, without any attempt to pretend she was in her bed the whole time.
Maybe she knows that we know she was walking around, and she just doesn't see the point in humoring us anymore?
And maybe Miss M is just over it. Or we aren't the enforcers we once were.

Also:
See, he really was in his tepee the whole time!
We have evidence this happens too.
The first time.
Check our facebook page for extra photos and storylines beyond the blog.

Pooches: On Family Photoshoots with Dogs

 Photo by Sparenga Photography

E and I never had a real wedding.

Though I think if we did, we would have figured out some way to include the pups in our photos. 

Because they are our little family. 

                                                                              Photo by Sparenga Photography

As luck would have it, Miss M and Mr B asked to be Mr. & Miss July for this year's Unexpected Pitbull Calendar (see our page here!), which became extra lucky because this meant we were able to have photoshoot with a professional pet photographer. 

                                                                                Photo by Sparenga Photography

We were beyond excited to work with Sebastian from Sparenga Photography. Besides being fun and easy to work with, we liked that he was able to capture the pups' personalities so well. Photographing dogs is so different than photographing people, and so often dogs are just seen as an accessory in the photo. I think getting our family photos with a pet photographer made them turn out that much better. (We don't like our faces allover the Internet, so we are purposely sharing photos that don't show as much of us.)

                                                                          Photo by Sparenga Photography

We had a couple of location changes, including downtown:

                                                                    Photo by Sparenga Photography

In our home:

                                                                     Photo by Sparenga Photography

And on the lakefront, showing their personalities so well:

                                                                              Photo by Sparenga Photography

We loved all of the photos, especially since we have so few photos of all of us together.

You can see more of our photos here.

Plus, check our Facebook page for more photos and stories beyond the blog.

Things to Do in Chicago with Dogs: Miss M and Mr B go to the "Secret" Chicago Air and Water Show

We know every Chicago transplant has a story about the first time they realized the slew of planes flying mysteriously close to our homes and downtown were actually one of Chicago's biggest attractions: The Air & Water show. This event brings in stunt pilots and military planes (typically) with crowds starting to gather as early as 6 am (I know because these were always some of my big training days).
One secret that we've learned to avoid the crowds: we go on the Friday during their practice session. They have everything set up like the real show complete with announcer and food trucks without the large crowds. Luckily for us, this year had mild temperatures, and our pups aren't deterred by loud noises, so we set up a picnic spot a bit further up from North Avenue Beach to watch the show along the backdrop of the Chicago Skyline.

Unfortunately with this years sequester, the show was missing a few key acts, including the USAF Thunderbirds, but Mr. B was thoroughly impressed and loved the acrobatics of the biplanes.

Even Miss M enjoyed herself, cracking a smile for the camera, as she enjoyed our grilled cheese foodtruck picnic, the nice weather, and the rare sight of spotting biplanes flying in the city. And being the center of attention in photos.

Also:
We are also looking forward to this city tradition. And our all-time favorite.
Plus, check our Facebook page for photos and storylines beyond the blog.

Pooches: What Are the Real Dog Essentials?

The other day E was at the store standing behind three little boys that didn't speak English. They were trying to buy a generic brand shampoo when they realized they were short 10 cents. One of the boys left to go find money, and when E realized what was going on, he gave the boys a dime so they could buy the shampoo. The boy did come back with a quarter, which he tried to pay back to E, and when E told him to keep it the boys were very excited. After they left, the cashier told E that the boys were buying the shampoo for a dog they just got, and they were happy that now they could start saving to buy a leash.

I teach in a neighborhood where pet overpopulation is a problem, and many dogs are being left homeless as people are still struggling with the effects of the economy.

My students are often telling me stories about how they want to help the dogs left behind in their alleys or how there are so many free puppies being given away in boxes that they will take one home, and it becomes their responsibility to finance it. Knowing how many dogs need homes, I do believe this is a better option to keep them safe and off the streets and avoid over-crowding the shelters.

We actually started a Dog Club at my school where we talk about how to care for our dogs, the dangers of overpopulation, and how to help dogs in our community.  The biggest question I am usually asked is what do they need to buy for a new dog. We all know how expensive dog ownership can be, but I'm often stumped trying to figure out the essentials when you're trying really hard to care for a dog, but you just don't have money to spare.

What are the essentials dogs really need to be able to live a happy life?

Also:
We usually tell new dog owners this, and this is what I used to consider the "essentials".
Check our Facebook page for extra photos and storylines beyond the blog.

Pooches: When Your Dog is Too Clever

I know people always say they want a clever dog, but living with one now...we're not so sure. We're guessing Miss M has the same IQ as a kindergardener (which is amazing for a dog!) as we've seen her actually think and rationalize before acting. Though it's not always fun to live with a pup who is always plotting and scheming.

Like the time I decided to teach her to 'poo on command' by treating her each time she poo-ed. Realizing she would get a treat each time, Miss M learned to 'ration her poo' and she will go just a little bit, but she now goes as many as three times on a single walk.

Or the time we were bachelorettes together and I suspected that she was sneaking out of my bedroom at night to sleep on the couch then coming back in before I woke up. One night I decided to set a trap where I hid on the sofa under a blanket and prepared to jump up and scare Miss M when she snuck onto the couch. Instead, Miss M never came out and I ended up falling asleep on the couch. Though when I went back to my bedroom I did found some wrinkled bedsheets and a few tell-tale brindle hairs on my bed. But of course, Miss M feigned innocence.

Or when Mr. B first came to live with us and she saw him playing with a toy she wanted. She went to the toy bin, picked a new toy, walked by squeaking it, and when Mr B came over to see the toy she ran over and grabbed his toy. Though now she just outright grabs the toy directly from him.

Is it better to have a clever, or not so bright pup?

Plus:
Remember the time she actually told on Mr B?
And she thought she got away with this?
Fooling the camera.

DoggyStyle: Accommodating Dogs on Furniture

If we were a sitcom, all of our scenes and storylines would take place on this 'set'. Though when we go on 'summer hiatus', we move over here.
We aren't kidding when we say the winters are so horrible we need to soak up every minute of the summer. What was once a barren 10x10 deck when E lived here in his bachelor days, has now become an over-acheiving seasonal room multi-tasking as: herb garden, al fresco cafe, outdoor movie theatre, and urban lounge escape all in one. We have even  perfected the ability to just roll out of bed to begin enjoying the outdoors.

Ever since this great debate, we have decided to give the pups outdoor furniture privileges. We took your advice and we decided to use a blanket--which has also doubled as a picnic blanket--as a quick cover to make sure the space is still comfortable for guests.

Which also inspired us to change up our outdoor room this year: adding some more vibrant flowers, making pillows out of extra serapes (thanks ebay!) and adding a layered rug. Which looks so much different than it did here.
Our pooches love being outside so much, it has been hard to convince them to come back in.

Also:
Some people think this is a terrible part of living in the city, but this is what it is really like.