Don’t be rushing when you’re brushing . . .

Take your time it’s all worthwhile, cause you want your teeth to be there every time you smile, you smile.* Wookie is learning how to brush his teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste. My sister said he likes to kind of chew on tooth brushes, so this should be a snap, right? Ha ha ha, he loves the taste of the chicken toothpaste, so much so that he’d prefer to just lick the toothpaste off!

This is his toothbrush, it has two sides, one for little mouths and one for bigger mouths.





Here is his toothpaste.








So, for now, I am just rubbing toothpaste on his teeth with my finger and letting him chew a little on the toothbrush, hopeful we will one day reach a compromise of the toothpaste and the toothbrush work together.

* = Lyrics from a kids movie we watch when we were little, can’t remember exactly what it is called though.

Ha I fibbed!

Just too busy, lots of overtime, but I have projects and Wookie pics and videos to share with you when I have a moment. Should have some time tomorrow night! :)

We are still here

We are still here, just a long weekend, we shall be back tomorrow, hopefully with Wookie videos! :)

Finale!

Well, it is final my beloved readers! I have graduated from Beginner Education, better known as Beginner Doggy Training! I must say I was a top student, I know, I know, I am modest too!

Mommy says tomorrow when she gets off work and after we go to the doggy park, she will have Daddy film us doing some of my obedience skills and tricks.

Now, on to the glamor shot!









Mommy says come Spring we will consider Intermediate Training, depending on how I do over the Winter.

Love,
Wookie

P.S. I stole some of that pretty roving! Mommy said she things it's still usable though. Of course it's usable, it just has some Wookie slobber . . . doesn't that make things better?

The Spinning Attraction

Ha ha, you thought I was going to talk about the exercise bike, huh? Gotcha!

The spinning attraction started with this blog post from Erica of Desigknit. She fell in love with a picture and I fell in love with her colorway Sea Anemone. I had to have it! This is actually the first dyed roving I have ever bought, usually I dye my own.


I mean seriously people, is it not just beautiful?!?!? This is the first time I have worked with Polwarth before too and I am LOVING it!


I am working very hard to make my spinning thicker, so instead of like a thread thickness, it's more like a lace-weight single, which looks enormous to me, but I am liking it. The colors are just beautiful . . . I am thinking about designing some gloves for it when I am done spinning it.




The Wook, wanted me to reassure all his lovely readers that he is doing much better and he is NOT eating any roving . . . not because he didn't try though! He looks tired because we just got home from a 2 hour play at the doggy park and he loved it! He played with a Chihuahua named Bella and they ran, wrestled, and wore each other out. He is slowly transitioning to doggy food, here is his dinner tonight (a repeat of yesterday night).

Be it by force, guilt, or choice . . .

Hey everyone, this is Wookie! Boy am I so glad to be feeling better. Mommy says we have to take better care of not only the Wookie, but the Mommy too. So me and Mommy are going to get healthy together.

Right now, I am still eating Mommy's home-cooking, low fat food. Today I got just a small bit of dog food as they ease me back into normal doggy food. However, my dinner was brown rice with, one scrambled egg, a little pork, cauliflower, and some zucchini. Who knew healthy could be so yummy?!?!

Mommy says she cannot expect the Wookie to change if she doesn't change herself as it is unrealistic to expect things from someone that you wouldn't do yourself - - within reason. So, she is going to be eating healthier too. She will also start exercising more, this week her focus is going to be on riding this bike in the apartment that doesn't actually go anywhere (humans are weird!).

So expect to see a healthier, even cuter Wookie in the future!

Love,
Wookie

P.S. Mommy bought this new roving for something she calls spinning, I haven't been attracted to any of her yarn yet, but this roving is hard not to steal from her. It smells good!

Sunday Inspirations

This sewn Froggy is adorable. Yet again, I think it would make a great dog toy. What do you expect, my dog essentially is my child? :)

Also by Coloured Buttons is this Fridge Shnookie which is so cute and I so want to make some!

Adorable Coin Purse!

Absolutely, super-duper, love this Art Journal Tutorial! These will definitely fall into the Christmas present category . . . I may even make one for myself! :)

I am a lover of the Pencil Case! I love little bags this size for various little project, notions reasons. This may also fall into the Christmas present category!

This Vertical Garden idea is nifty and very space saving.


Recipes I’d like to try:


Doesn’t Peach Vanilla Bean Jam sound delicious? I definitely want some.

A new to me gluten-free blog Gluten Free on a Shoestring that has some nifty ideas. Haven’t had time to take a good look at the site, but it’s definitely added to my reader and here are a few links that sound good : GF Pizza Dough, Ice Cream Cones, Soft Taco Tortillas, and GF Enchiladas.

I have to admit that these Steamed Eggs sound interesting and healthier. I will have to try these.

Oh how I miss Asian food, but there is a cookbook coming out, The Gluten Free Asian Kitchen, I want it!

Canine Pancreatitis

Well, we most definitely had a scare yesterday that is becoming less of one, but is still present, unfortunately.

I was at work yesterday and the husband sleeping, like normal. The husband woke up about 2:30pm to find many(10 or so) puddles of clear, watery vomit around the apartment. Wookie was huddled under my desk. He tried to get Wookie out and he got scared, vomited again and quickly went into the craft room and under my chair in there. He hadn't touched his food or the doggie treat he had been given in the morning - which is completely unlike Wookie, he is definitely a lover of the food. The husband called me at work and told me what happened. I told him to call the vet and come get me that we were taking Wookie in. He called the vet and went to get Wookie and found him huddled in the back of closet. Wookie threw up twice on me while in the car.

On the positive side, the vet and the technician/nurse didn't think it was bad enough for Wookie to stay overnight at the vet. They ran some test and we should find out today, but so far they think the signs point towards a mild case of Canine Pancreatitis. So he was given some drugs and some saline solution with instructions not to eat or drink until this morning. He has a very strict diet for the next couple days, maybe the rest of his life. He has over-boiled rice, so it's basically mush, mixed with pureed sweet potatoes and boiled chicken. Which he doesn't mind, because he thinks it is yummy. They don't know specifically what caused it, but getting occasional pieces of cooked meat can be too much for some dogs . . . this may have been something that has been slowly building in him his whole life or he could just have a life change and something he use to be able to handle, he now cannot.

Whether this is or is not what is wrong, Wookie will no longer be getting "table scraps" of any kind and we will be even more careful about the food and treats we buy him. I had no idea that cooked meats could be so bad for him. Hopefully I can find a way to make a very low-fat, healthy doggy treats for him. Wookie's diet will be very restricted as we want him to be healthy and with us for as long as possible.

We have to watch him to make sure he is not lapsing backwards, but so far everything seems to be improvements, some slower than others, but he was definitely interested in eating again today and has kept his food down. He's getting lots of needed sleep for his little body to heal. He's about 75% back to his normal personality/behavior and will hopefully be 100% soon!

Food Day - Taquitos

Well first off, I am home today. Blah! Woke up to no hot water, evidently when we had a huge downpour yesterday the water heaters in my apartment building got wet and knocked out all the pilot lights. Then they needed into my apartment for a backed-up bathroom sink and to replace the lock on our front door which doesn't work anymore. So I was only able to shower recently. Missing work is more annoying than I can possibly put into words, but nothing I could do about it.

Anyways, onto the food. So this is my 2nd attempt at these Chicken Taquitos. Our main problem last time was that they were a little bland and dry. So I tweaked the recipe.


We have:
1package of cream cheese, slightly melted in microwave
1/2 white onion diced
2.5 tsp of cumin


1 jalapeno diced small


2 Tbsp of Wegman's Salsa Con Queso (It's gluten free and tasty)


And 2oz of prepackaged Mexican Shredded Cheese.





Add 2 boiled and shredded chicken breasts.





I also thought it might helpt to fill them a little fuller . . .


This caused the flour tortillas to absorb too much moisture and not crisp well.


And the corn tortillas to burst.




So the moral of this story is, the changes to the filling worked, they were tastier and not dry. However, they do not need to be filled any fuller! Will definitely continue to try different versions of these . . . shredded pork sounds really good in there.

Sunday Inspirations

So, today is not only about inspirations found out in the vast Internets, but also about my own. As I have been blogging I have created specific structures for myself (Food Friday, Wookie on Wednesday, Sunday Inspirations, Healthy Thursday, etc) and in the past this created a good thing for me. Unfortunately, as life has shifted . . . not only with Wookie and all the things I do with him, but just as I change, that structure had become a little stifling. It made me less likely to post because I felt more like I require specific things from myself at certain time and with my life busier now, I just couldn't keep up with those requirements or could only fulfill them on a day that wasn't the day they were scheduled for. I know, crazy you are thinking, huh? So, no more with the structure, things will be posted when I am inspired and have time. So if I have food to post on a Monday, then Monday it will be. I think this is just what I needed in terms of blogging.

On to the Inspirations:

I love the look of this Book Cover, not only do the fall colors appeal to me, but when I was younger I would make book covers for most of my books. I need to go get myself some plastic canvas!

This adorable Pin Cushion could also be adjusted to be a dog toy, which was my first thought. Take out the button and the pompoms and this thing might really fly. It’s a nice pin cushion also, I just don’t use them often myself.

I know you are thinking that I am turning into too much of a dog mommy, but the first thing I think of when I see the directions for these Crocheted Beads is that when made in a few certain sizes they would make perfect little balls for Wookie!

Love Chan’s Moonlight Sonata! Makes me want to knit one.

Recipes I’d like to try:

Don’t these Peach Bars look yummy!? I’m wondering how well they would do with Gluten Free flour? Might have to try real soon while peaches are in season.

This Raspberry Mango Coconut Smoothie sound interesting!

One thing the husband and I disagree on is Lemon, he is not a fan of lemon flavored things and I love them! These Lemon Ricotta Cookies sound interesting and delicious! I need to try these . . . yes, need!

I never thought of making something like these Zucchini Chips, but they are just like eggplants in the Eggplant Stacks and I am betting zucchini tastes great like this too . . . maybe even with a little of the tomato mixture used in the Eggplant Stacks.

Dehydrated Doggie Treats

Hey guys, it's me again, Wookie! I know you guys are probably wondering where Mommy is in all of this, well she's been dealing with some pretty nasty migraine stuff this week and weekend. I'm told her head hurts lots, so she's mostly been hiding out in the A/C in the bedroom and sleeping when she's not at work. She was suppose to go in for overtime this weekend, but didn't cause she is feeling very icky. I'm trying to give her lots of cuddles and letting her pet me lots in case it makes her feel better.

I thought I wouldn't leave you guys hanging though, so I thought I'd tell you about Mommy trying to make me some doggy jerky in the dehydrator. She wanted a cheaper way to get me good treats and honestly, she's found it is cheaper to make me them than to buy them. So here is what she tried this first time:


So on the left we have turkey jerky, right we have ham jerky, and on the bottom we have hot dog jerky.




So, lets talk about all this yumminess, yes I have tried a piece of each of it and let me tell you, delicious!

So the turkey jerky is just lean ground turkey from the grocery store. She didn't add anything to the meat for flavor or anything, because we wanted a base of flavor for just the meat itself. I personally think it's pretty tasty. She used the tool in her jerky kit to make them thin tubes of meat and then dehydrated them and broke them into smaller lengths. She thinks this tool is going to come in handy with future batches and ideas.

The for the ham, we just bought a ham from the grocery store and sliced it up and put it in the dehydrator. We were wondering how well this would work, because ham is precooked, but it worked out well. Mommy then took those big pieces and cut them into smaller pieces for me. I'll tell you a secret . . . even Mommy likes the ham jerky.

Lastly, the hot dog jerky. This was more of a "lets see if this will work" idea. Mommy hates it at class when her hands are all slimy from feeding me bits of hot dog and thought it might work so much better if it were dry. They are also yummy.

Since these worked so well, Mommy has a few more complicated ideas in her head. Especially some ideas to make the treats more bite size for me. I have to say, who knew a dehydrator could be so doggy friendly?!?!?

Love,
Wookie

Wookie's World

So, this week has been exciting so far too!

On Sunday we went to the dog park again. We went on the "All Dog Side" again because there were no little dogs on the "Little Dog Side", but I held my own really well according to Mommy. This time I actually walked around the perimeter of the fence with Mommy and my tail was in the air and I was happy. Some big dog would occassionally run up to me and sniff me, but I wasn't too afraid. I even ran with the other dogs a few times, it was fun. One time though we were running and I just stopped and the big dogs either couldn't stop in time or didn't want to and plowed me over. Luckily I didn't get stepped on, but I did roll a few times. Then some big dog playingly gnawed on me, like puppies do, and I had doggy saliva all over my back. But I enjoyed it and it was fun.

At the end two little dachshund came over in the "Little Dog Side" so Mommy let me go over there and meet them. Boy did they have a lot of energy, I found it almost scary. They loved running up to my Mommy though and dropping their tennis ball for her to throw for them. I let this happen a couple times, then I had to yell at them, I mean she's my Mommy, not theirs.

We stayed in the dog park for about an hour and then we walked around the park by the water's edge. You cannot really go in, which is fine by me, because the edge is where big boats use to tie their boats to the cement. I was very interested in the smell of the water and it was crazy how many big bird hang out by the water. It was fun to chase after them.

See some pictures of our day :




























Yesterday, Tuesday, we went to the dog park again. This time was not only for me to get some more exposure, but for Daddy to see that he doesn't have to worry about me so much. Unfortunately, it didn't work out completely like that and we had our first bad experience at the dog park.

When we first got there, there was actually dogs in the "Little Dog Side", about 8 or so. Which was super exciting because Mommy says I need more experience around little dogs. It was fun and I did really well according to Mommy and Daddy. There was this little Chihuahua mixed puppy that was SO flirting with me.

So we played over there for about 30-40 minutes and all but one of the little dogs had gone home, so Mommy wanted to show Daddy that I do well in the "All Dogs Side" too. So Daddy picked me up, this is because I refuse to walk into the areas on my own yet. We walked out of the "Little Dog Side" and went to walk into the "All Dogs Side" when a Bassett Hound jumped up on my Mommy, it looked friendly enough and so Daddy continued in with me when the Basset Hound then jumped up on Daddy and bit me! Luckily he didn't get any flesh and just got a nice chunck of my tail fur! Mommy and Daddy immediately took me out and we went home.

Mommy and Daddy were upset too, not only because I could have been seriously hurt, but also because the Basset Hound's owners weren't paying attention to their dog and if they saw what he did, they didn't come over to make him behave or apologize for his behavior. The rules of the dog park, is that they are suppose to leave because he is not behaving, aggression is not allowed. I shouldn't have had to leave, I was behaving and having fun. It also caused about 3 or 4 other owners to take their dogs and leave.

Mommy says we will go again and we might try the dog park in Amherst too, but we will not be going in when that dog is there. She is very disappointed and it is too bad there isn't someone there to watch and make sure the owners and dogs are doing what they are suppose to. This was suppose to be our trip to show Daddy that I was SAFE around other dogs and that they wouldn't hurt me! Bad owners suck!

Wookie's World

Okay, I know I am behind, but today I am going to tell you about last week and then Wednesday I'll be back to tell you about this week so far!

Well Mommy says my behavior is slowly improving. We went to the dog park, had a second play date with Rosie, and had training class this week. I am definitely learning that dogs aren't always something to fear. It is going slowly, but there is definite progress, especially around
dogs I have already met.

Sunday evening we went to the dog park, there are two sides to the dog park, the small dogs side and the all dogs side. Since there were no dogs in the small dogs side, we went into the all dogs side. Before we went in I was barking at the dogs, but once we got in, I didn't bark
at all. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I was afraid, but Mommy says this is what we are working on anyways. I did try to run a couple times with some of the dogs, but then got scared because I
thought they were chasing me. I got to wander around some and let me tell you, I loved that the other dog's brought their people. Afterall, I love people and not to brag, but people love me! We also went back yesterday, but we will talk about that on Wednesday. We will also be going back on Tuesday. Unfortunately Daddy is having a hard time with my socialization also. He is worried about me annoying other dogs and the other dogs hurting me, so we have to work on Daddy's comfort level too.

Tuesday night after Mommy got home we had our second play date with Rosie. Daddy came with us, so we could start working on his comfort level. Do you know what I figured out? Rosie is a girl! Mommy says not to go into details, as this is a PG blog. It's not like I really tried anything. So needless to say, I am getting pretty comfortable with Rosie and I love the way she smells.

We went to training class last night. I am getting more use to my class mates, when walking around the store, I recognize them. I tried smelling some of them, which Mommy assures me is a good thing, but can you believe that they wanted to sniff me back? That obviously was not kosher. I still barked a lot at class, but less than last time. Some of the stuff we do in class I am already good at, like we did handling at the beginning of class, trust me, growing up around little kids, I have that one down. Then we did some loose leash walking around the store, which I am always good at when Mommy has treats. :) Although, do you know how hard it is to pay attention when you are walking down the treat aisle?!?!? Last we worked on greeting strangers. Our Mommies and Daddies had to ask strangers in the store to ask us to sit for them and then give us a treat. That was fun because then people wanted to pet me.

I did get ran over a few times by Ellie, one of my classmates, who evidently doesn’t like little dogs, but she is fascinated with me. She is a black lab, so she looks similar to Rosie, so I am a little more tolerant of her. But Ellie wants me to wrestle and play and I am so not into that.

Overall, it was a good training night. We were both worn out by the time we got home. And we both crashed. Mommy also found some dog treats that not only do I like, but she feels comfortable feeding me. They gave us a sample the first class. They are called Blue Bits in the Chicken flavor and basically no grains and no crappy fillers. Only downfall, of course, is that they are a little pricy – but not too bad. Mommy says this has given her the idea to try to make some of her own doggy treats. I hope they are good!


Well guys, this has been a long catch up post, so I think I need some sleep! See you all Wednesday!




Love,
Wookie