Good-bye 2014! I will not miss you. It wasn't a bad year but it was a strange one. Looking back, I felt like I was in a fog all year. But at the same time I gained a lot of clarity around some life questions.




About a year ago around this time, D and I talked about 2014 being the year where all the ingredients we had picked to go into the 'cake' we were making was finally ready to be baked. And in 2014, we would be baking the cake.  Looking back now I think the analogy was about right. And I think in 2015, the cake will be ready to be taken out of the oven....we will just have to remember the #1 beagle life lesson ;)



xo

I like reading the last few pages of a book before I get there, I look up spoilers for movies and tv shows, getting my tarot cards read, I like knowing what's ahead. I like being able to make the best of opportunities and also brace myself for the low points.



Lately thought I've been feeling a bit stuck.  I'm trying to live in the moment, train and use some patience and it's hard! How do all you spiritual live day by day peeps do it?!?!!

Summer love, beautiful day, happy.

We just got back from an amazing family (minus the bbs) vacation! For me the vacation is one I will never forget. It also helped me with this next transition in my life. I've come back feeling renewed and re-energized for what's to come next.

Feeling, hau‘oli (peaceful, happy).



xo

I ♥ lazy Sundays. We spent the day choosing photos to actually print (omg!) and put into frames (what!?) and hang on the wall (what a concept!!!).

Here's me taking a break with Hammie. He didn't like having to follow me around the house as I tried to figure out where to hang things. He prefers it much more when I'm his pillow.




xo
Grace

My mind has been racing lately. And, there are two things that I've been obsessed with that have helped calmed the million thoughts running through my head:


1. Candy Crush

As I write this post I realize the photo of me in my new red dress oddly looks like the candy crush girl! LOL.

How do you deal with stress and over-thinking things?

xo

Dave and I are starting up our workout regime again. Hampton and ZuZu have become accustomed to our unusual activity (I wonder what they really think we are doing?). This comic pretty much sums up the routine.




Today I caught a funny pic of Hampton as he was 'taking it to the next level',  do you think he was trying to tell us something was starting to smell a little funny (ahem, Daddy?):



We had a longer than usual workout today and it ran into Hampton's dinner time. Here's a pic of him as he was pacing upstairs waiting for us to finish.


I have to admit I had no problem ending the session a few minutes early...I can't let my bb's starve can I?

It's time to re-vamp our website. I have also been meaning to start blogging again and posting more of our photos and comics on our website but feeling stuck on where to start. Especially with all the social media apps etc etc out there, it feels a bit overwhelming.

I've mostly been using facebook and a teeny bit of twitter but like everyone else I'm getting bored of facebook. Not sure if I'm too late for pinterest, I love instagram but only have a personal private profile, I'm still not sure about Google + (are people using it now?) and what do I do with whatever else is out there? aaaahhhhh!!!!! :)




I guess I should just start with this website. I admit I've been neglecting it because it's so easy to just post on facebook. But I don't want facebook to take place of what we originally started here and I don't want all our stuff stored on Zuckerpoo's site.

I shouldn't let laziness and wanting to revamp the website be a reason to stop blogging. One step at a time, ok that's what I'll do...re-start blogging and posting back on our site, while working on the re-vamp. Thanks for listening... :)

xo

I'm happy. We just got back from a 5 day trip to Arizona. Man, were our days packed with things to do (thanks Dave!). In 5 days we golfed 3x, shopped at the major outlet malls, drove to the Grand Canyon (3.5hrs 1 way), checked out some real estate, went to a hockey game, caught up with some friends and I think that's it. LOL. I didn't think I'd last but I did it. haha! Dave knows I need my down time and I only had 2 mini breakdowns but I did it!! We both noticed the rate of my f-bombs were much higher than usual and since coming home it is back down to it's usual rate ;)


The Grand Canyon was definitely the highlight of the trip. Such a beautiful and spiritual place. I could spend a week + there. We only had a day so we went to a few of the major viewpoints and took lots of pictures. Next time I would plan to watch the sunrise / set, maybe go for a horseback ride through the trails, do some hiking and sign up for a tour by water.

Golf was also really nice. We both beat our personal best scores! I think the lessons with Dad are definitely paying off! We both agreed Arizona is a cheaper alternative vacation spot next to Hawaii (nothing beats Hawaii!!!).

xo

For howl-o-ween this year I made peanut butter noms for friends at work.


Most of the team I work with are dog mums so they really appreciated the unexpected treat :)

The bbs were piggies again for 5th+ year in a row. They are just too darn cute in these costumes I haven't changed them. I saw pictures of one beagle dressed up as a banana. Maybe next year I'll get my my ass up and buy them new costumes....maybe.




xo

Hello Internet,
It's been a while (wow over a year since my last post!). But I think I'm back...and back with a totally awesome new sweater that I want to wear every day!



I've been away from blogging and being obsessed with all things dog as my day job has been extremely busy. But now I've got some extra time...over the next while I think I'm going to be working about 2.5ish days a week.  With this new found time I'm debating between finding another contract or just hanging out for a bit. I'm thinking the latter at least for a little while.

I have some ideas I'm going to try out, just some fun things I want to do. I will definitely post more about it once I'm ready.

Until then, be on the look out for more pics of a cute beagle named Hampton and cute mutt named ZuZu! :)

We're not having much of a summer yet but I managed to take a few pics (edited using Camera+) of us enjoying the garden when the sun peaked out. I just love these ones of Hampton and ZuZu.




xo
Grace

The other day we were just relaxing in the kitchen and Hampton decided to snuggle up on my lap, as he usually does.

What was different this time was how he began to stare at me. It wasn't the look of "where's my dinner" or "let's play" or "I'm bored". But rather he was staring at me so intently, as if to really study or memorize every feature on my face. It felt like he was really trying to "see me". Does that make any sense?

Dave managed to capture Hampton's 'stare' in the following photo:


I guess the only way I can explain the moment we shared was that he was really jonesin' for some Mummy love? xo

It was a gorgeous day today. We got our first snowfall and the sun was just beaming. The pups were just itching to get out (and so was Dave with Cammii Zunon) so we spent most of the morning out in the yard. Dave is still getting used to Cammii but getting the feel for her quite quickly. He took some great shots and I want to post them all right now but have to conserve and also think Hampton and ZuZu want to use them for their own blog posts ;)

Here is one set that I really like. I didn't even know Dave was taking these.  These were taken right after Hampton finished zooming around the yard. I think he wanted to 'touch base' with me and kept jumping up at me to give me a kiss. A little sweetie isn't he?





I like that we are set behind a heart (it's actually one of our patio chairs) and also like that my face isn't in focus because I didn't have make up on - ha! Thanks Dave for catching such a beautiful moment for me. 

Grace

Dave and I just came back from a mini vacation to Courtenay, BC.  We were only there for a few days and had a great time. We had a lot of R&R time and I especially appreciated the fact I could sleep in past 5AM -- that's when Hampton wakes me up every morning!! Here are some pics from our trip:








Again, it was a great time but I am glad we're back home with the bb's - even if that means a 5AM wake up call... (jonesin' for puppy love!).

Grace

I'm procrastinating which is unlike me but I have more than a few things on my plate and feeling a bit distracted.

One of the things I'm procrastinating on includes drawing up a new comic. I have a few ideas ready to go but I want to save those for later. Hmmm....ugh!!

Oh, by the way, if you haven't already seen this, check out this wonderful write up on our Puppy Jones comics by My Daily Toki...♥. We found Toki and her Mum via the wordless wednesday blog hop we recently  joined. The write up goes into our process for how we come up with our comics (thanks again for writing about us Toki & Christine!!!). 

Ok, now Hampton is on my case. He is giving me the evil eye because its dinner time. I certainly can't be late for that!

The other day we left one of our laptops on the armchair and then came back to find this:


Hampton wiggled his way onto the armchair. I guess he wanted to update his own blog, fb status or twitter? Or maybe he was trying to tell me mine was getting a bit stale. LOL! The little task master (just look at the expression on his face)!

It has been a while since I updated my own blog. I've been busy studying, reading and also preparing for some new work. And, it seems between that, the comics and all the social networking the pups are into (ha!) my own blogging has fallen to the wayside.

With that said, generally all is good on the home front. We are all just trying to get past winter and looking forward to spring and warmer weather!

xo
Grace

Its been a while since I've posted. Last week life was really really busy for us all and this week is much slower. I'm have a hard time focusing, especially when the pace is slow.

Hampton and ZuZu have been lazy in their posts as well,  seems the whether has effected their mood. ;) Its been grey and rainy here in Vancouver. And, we actually got a bit of snow today. That got Hampton up and moving early this morning but he's back under his blankie snoozing as I type this.

There's not much to this post except to say hello! And that hopefully we'll be more motivated to post more soon.

This pic of ZuZu recently posted on her fb sums up my mood:


xo
Grace

Some of my favorite photos of my bb's ♥

A few months ago I blogged about dogs, thailand and voluntourism! I got the info from an online friend Melissa (mum to Hampton and ZuZu's beagle friend Sadie). Since then I received an email from Zoe,  founder of www.theinsideandout.com. I went on their website and it looks like another great opportunity! A couple of trips coming up include, one in March in the oceanside town of Manzanillo Mexico which includes volunteering in a mass community spay/neuter clinic and then surf, snorkel, trek and kayak, and one in May in Greece (I want to do this one!), which includes helping to fix up a shelter and also doing educational work, followed by rafting, trekking, sea kayaking and a mineral springs excursion. Zoe blogged about her experience in Greece last year here.

I am so very inspired by all the work that is being done to raise awareness and help animals around the world!

*sigh*

I have decided within the next 5 years we are definitely going to do one of these volunteer vacations and soon you'll be reading about all about our adventures! :)

xo
Grace

It's Market Monday! I love shopping and browsing for things online and so I thought I'd start a weekly "Market Monday" blog post and share with you random cute, fun and interesting things we find. And occasionally we'll include product reviews too.

Last week I blogged about PAWZ booties we received as xmas gifts (see previous post here). Since then we had the chance to have the bb's try them out. Here is what we think:

Getting them on:
We were able to get these puppies on our puppies pretty easily. They feel (and look) like balloons, were quite stretchy and flexible. We were happy there weren't any straps or laces which would have taken a bit longer to put them on. We did distract them with some treats which definitely helped!


How they look:
They are pretty simple looking and more function than fashion. But still pretty cute I think!



How they feel:
The bb's got used to wearing them quite quickly.  PAWZ website describes their booties as "the most natural-feeling boot your dog can wear because without padding your dog feels the ground, providing a needed sense of security". Based on how fast the bb's got used to them we would agree with that statement. Here is a short video of ZuZu and Hampton wearing the booties for the first time:



Booties in action:
It was slushy and rainy out on our walk. We assume there was quite a bit of salt on the roads as it snowed earlier in the day and we live in a pretty hilly area. We actually walk them on the road as there are no sidewalks in our neighborhood. 
The bb's seemed to easily adapt to wearing the booties - no awkward steps. The only downfall we found was when we got home we realized one of ZuZu's sharp toenails punctured through the bootie. This is partly our fault as her nails weren't cut as they should be. The upside is that Dave has rubber paint we can use to try and mend the bootie. If that doesn't work, its no big deal as its a package of 12 booties so there are extra to spare!
We will give another update after the bb's get the chance to wear these a few more times. But for the first time out and for our first impressions, Hampton and ZuZu give these booties 3 out of 4 paws!



♥ we're jones'in for puppy love!
did you know puppy jones has our own 'clothesline' shop? click here to view!if you have a product you want to tell me about, send me an email: grace (at) puppyjones (dot) com

On Monday we celebrated Dave's birthday by going ziplining up at Whistler.

Wheeee! Its my birthday!

Wheee! This is awesome!

View from one of the tree tops where we zipped off of. Beautiful!

Ziplining was so much fun! Its a little scary at first but once you get the 'hang' of it, its a piece of cake.  Speaking of cake, when we got home, we had some yummy tiramisu and Dave made his bday wishes.

Hampton and ZuZu thought it was their birthday

We had a great day and it was a great start to the new year.  xo

Grace

I love shopping and browsing for things online and so I thought I'd start a weekly "Market Monday" blog post and share with you random cute, fun and interesting things we find. And occasionally we'll include product reviews too.
I was recently browsing for some beagley things on etsy.com and found the following cute things:

Beagle leg warmers!! Can't get any cuter than that! By the way this is Hampton's fb and twitter friend Ellie. Isn't she cute? Visit the etsy shop by clicking here.


Lou the Beagle iphone case and key chain:



Van Gogh's a starry night painting made even better with a beagle in it!! Painting by Todd Young:

Wow I can't believe its already the end of December! It seems December has come and gone with the blink of an eye! And what an eventful month it was!

At the beginning of the month I went on a girls trip to Vegas with my sister and Mum. I can't remember the last time the three of us went on a trip together...just before Sis got married I think. Vegas was good. It was my second time there and the first for Sis and Mum. They both said they were glad they went and saw and had fun but don't think they would ever want to go back. I have to agree. It was good to spend time with them though and hope we can go on another girls trip soon. You can see a few pics of our trip from 'Henrii's' point of view here.

I got home from Vegas just in time for Hammie's birthday, see previous blog post. Then a few days later Dave and I took off to Hawaii. It was our first time there and we loved it!! Hawaii was never high on our list of places to travel but the deals were too good to pass up and we were feeling a bit depressed with all the dreary weather. We had a great time and would definitely go back. Here are two of my favorite pics from our trip:

Me reflecting on all the good things in life and feeling really lucky. (photo taken by Dave)

Pic of the sun setting. I like this picture b/c I feel like the sun rays are reaching out to me and they look like flower petals (photo taken with my iphone)

You can see more pics of Hawaii from 'Henrii's' point of view here.
 
My top 2 favorite memories of the trip include:
- getting a surprise helicopter ride from Dave. I felt like the bachelorette (yes I watch that cheesy show). It was the first time for both of us riding in a helicopter and definitely got to see parts of the island from 2 of the best seats! 
- floating around in the ocean with Dave, waiting and watching for the sun to set. We managed to catch a few waves on our inter tubes (we called them 'bubbles'). True paradise! I'll never forget that day *big sigh*!

We got home from Hawaii just in time to get ready for Christmas. Christmas yesterday was great. We went over to my sister's house for a family dinner with my sister's family, my parents and Dave's parents. The pups had fun running around, sniffing out cousin Max the Cat and sharing bison bones with cousin Moby the Lab. They both got the cutest little scarves and neat biodegradable booties from Auntie and Uncle. I think Auntie felt they might need them after she saw ZuZu's facebook pictures of the booties we tried to make out of duct tape (hey they look cute though don't they?)! :P


The pups were sooo tired from all the activities (so was I). As soon as we got home Hampton ran for his favorite spot on the couch and started rolling around on his back as if to say "aaahhhh feels good to be home...good night!!"

All in all, December was good to me / us this year. I'm a little sad to see it all end (vacations, time off work, presents, shopping, etc!!) but at the same time ready for 2011!

xo
Grace

Its our little baby monster's birthday today (lol), Saturday December 4th! We can't believe he's 2 already and at the same time has only been with us that long.  Over the last 2 years we have seen and enjoyed many sides of our little Hampton Monroe. Here are just a few pictures that help describe his colorful character:

Sweet puppy Hampton, about 3 months old:


Ham being a "ham":


 Resourceful (?) Hammie:


Happy Birthday Hammie!  Lots of lub, Mummy & Daddy!

2 years ago today Starbuck passed from a very bad cancer, hemangiosarcoma. There was a time when we couldn't even say out lout or write that he had cancer. We thought somehow this non-admission might reverse his diagnosis.  But it didn't. We still miss Starbuck with all our hearts. We still think about what more we could have done or what we should have done. But because of him, we cherish every moment we have now with ZuZu and Hampton. We still believe he is with us and his spirit does live on through Zu and Ham.

We love and still miss you very much Starbuck! xxoo

I've always wanted to go on a volunteer vacation and maybe this is something in our (or your) near future??

If you love dogs and want to visit Thailand, how about trying out this new voluntourism program, organized through Cultural Canvas Thailand.




I would love to do this one day. The only drawback would be leaving our bb's behind! I think I'm going to put a volunteer vacation helping dogs / animals on my bucket list!

For anyone having a bad day, you have to watch this video of a cute dreaming puppy (shown on The Ellen Show)!

Enjoy!

Hi all!
I can't believe its already mid / late October! The year is just flying by! The other day, Dave and I were reflecting on how our little web site has grown since we re-launched it back in January. A few of these include: actually getting the web site up and running again, having our comic featured bi-weekly in The Anipal Times, getting our trademark in Canada and US finalized and the latest is having our t-shirt and Hampton Monroe featured in an online Indian Magazine "Woof!". Its a small feature but a feature none the less! And we are happy for the opportunity to reach out to readers internationally!




We are also having fun with making our videos of the bb's. Dave recently put together a video story about Hampton plotting to steal ZuZu's t.b. Some of the footage really makes me laugh: the scene where Hampton ruins it for himself by lunging out at ZuZu and forgetting about t.b., and the scene where ZuZu is sitting on the armchair all victorious from getting her t.b. back. lol!



If you haven't seen it yet, click here and have a peek at it!

For those of you who have seen us grow from when we first launched back in 2004 and those who just discovered our web site, thank you for visiting us. We hope we can continue to grow and share our story for the love of our pups with you for a long time!

xo
Grace (aka Mummy)

A city in British Columbia, Canada (Richmond) is considering banning puppy sales in pet stores.

See video here. What do you think? Will it stop the evil puppy mills?

Did you know "barking dogs" was once used as an idiom for sore feet? Well today I wore these new shoes to work and OMG the dogs were definitely barking! I thought I was going to die by the end of the day. But they are so pretty that I can't help but still love them! ♥


p.s. the framed picture is of Starbuck and ZuZu :)

Ever since Hampton was a young pup he has had pretty bad car sickness which included excessive drooling, puking and whining. We tried everything from treats, positive reinforcement, favorite blankets / beds, short rides, etc etc. but nothing seemed to work.

About a month ago we were introduced to the thundershirt via Hampton's beagle friend Dukey whose Dad runs When Hounds Fly! Positive Reinforcement Dog Training (they also sell the thundershirt). We were pretty excited about trying it out.



We first let Hampton wear it around the house. Almost immediately we saw a change in him. He was much calmer and relaxed. We were pleased with that. We also let ZuZu try it out on our walks (she yaps quite a bit and gets excited very easily). We didn't see a great deal of change in ZuZu but noticed she wasn't as yappy.

After a few weeks of letting Hampton wear it around the house doing different activities (so he didn't associate it with car rides) we finally decided to try it out in the car and...success!  We drove to a nearby dog park / beach (about a 20 min drive away) and there was no drooling or puke! He usually pukes right on the 12 min mark of a drive. He was even able to sit and lie down in the car (usually stands). It was so nice to actually drive them somewhere and have a nice day with them without worrying about Ham's car sickness.

So, we are pretty happy with the results so far. Fingers and paws crossed for more success in the future on extended car rides! We would really love to take them on a road trip soon!

Hampton's facebook pal, Abby Wabby Beagle-Chan (isn't that such a cute name?!), posted this video "The Truth About Pet Food". It provides an interesting history on how pet food came about and information on what should NOT be in pet food.

If you're not interested in the 'commercial' part of the video that starts at the 11min mark.

Please note: Always consult with your veterinarian first before changing to raw food!

We've been feeding the bb's raw food for over a week now. The first week we fed them a turkey mix and gave that to them for a week to help with transition. They say you can switch to raw food cold turkey without experiencing the diarrhea etc and it was true. There was no diarrhea. But, we stuck with the turkey for a full week just in case.

Based on consultations we have decided to try the following (for now):
- turkey mix (mixed with some veggies)
- salmon
- lamb

I recently learned that we can just alternate between the three, e.g. Monday: Turkey, Tuesday: Salmon, Wednesday: Lamb, Thursday: Turkey, Tuesday: Salmon...etc etc. That makes it real easy! I thought there was a big formula behind it all but it really is that simple! Especially because we decided to buy pre-mixed packages (has all the right amount of bone, veggies, meat mixed for you).

One thing to note however is how much to feed. Here is a link to a calculator that will help determine how much food to give per day http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

Benefits we've noticed so far:

We have noticed that ZuZu has more energy. She is also really eager to eat her food. With kibble she had to be encouraged. Now she just gobbles up whatever is placed in front of her!

Almost instantly we saw a change in Hampton's ears. I was shocked. However, just in the last few days there has been a little bit of discharge. His ears are also still dry and a bit swollen but nothing like they were before. Our vet said it will take a while for his immune system to change and his allergy may not necessarily be linked to his food but something in the environment. So, we will wait and see how things go. 

And last but not least, well least in some sense....we are seeing smaller poop! Their poop is less frequent and much smaller in size! This is definitely a benefit - less to pick up :)

We've been thinking about switching the pups to a raw food diet for a while and finally taking the plunge! We did give Starbuck and ZuZu a home cooked diet when Sb got cancer but since Hampton joined our family we went back to kibble. Honestly, at the time it was just easier. However, Hampton has had a re-occurring yeasty ear infection the last few months that just won't go away and we hope this will help solve the problem.  As well, ZuZu is also getting older, she turned 9 this year,  and we want her to be as healthy as possible for the next 10!

When we first started looking into making the change it was a little daunting I admit. There is so much information out here and it almost did turn me off. I like simple and easy, especially when it comes to preparing food (hec I rarely cook for Dave!). I was also worried about ensuring the pups would be getting a balanced diet (e.g. the right amount of calcium, protein, veggies etc etc). Luckily, we were referred by our vet's office to a natural pet food store with an owner who is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Yay! It was like finding our own dog dietitian!

For now they are starting off on a Turkey Veggie blend (we went cold Turkey on Turkey! lol) by 3P Naturals (a local company). Zu and Hammie both loved it! I'll write a bit more about their meal plan and progress in the days to come (in case anyone else out there is curious or has been confused with raw diets too). :) 



Oh and if anyone has any tips to share, we'd appreciate the info!

Wow, I feel like I've been away from the internet world for sooo long! There is so much to update you on! Dave and I just got back from vacation (in California) yesterday and we are pooped.

I thought we would have internet access on this trip but turns out the access was quite limited. So all the updates I wanted to do along the way didn't get done! The last 3 days of our trip we did get free unlimited access but we changed the permission settings on our laptop to enhance security and ended up locking ourselves out! Murphy's law? Anyway, we had a great time.  Here is a short summary of what we did:

- Golfed in Palm Springs - It was crazy hot and we were the ONLY golfers on the course that day. We had to play though as there was just nothing else to do out there! At least we can say we did it.
- Went to Disneyland - It was my 1st time ever and finally full-filled a childhood dream.
- Went to Universal Studios
- Spent a night in LA. The night we were there it happened to be the premiere of the movie SALT. We spotted some stars: Brangelina, Naomi Watts and Liev Schrieber, Jon Voight...we also attended a concert at the Hollywood Bowl (the best time on the trip I have to say)
- And finally, we attended the Comic Con in San Diego! This was the main purpose of our trip to Cali. It was crazy busy and we had lots of fun. I even wore a Puppy Jones t-shirt because it is my favorite comic of course! :)


There is so much we wanted to do and see but once you pick a room you are pretty much stuck in there, otherwise you loose your seat and can't get in anywhere else. Some of the panels we saw included: Tron Legacy, Megamind, RED, Expendables, The Simpsons, Fringe, Chuck, V for Visitors....One of the definite highlights though was when we met Snoopy! He was so sweet and cuddly.



Charlie Brown and Snoopy were on the cover of the Comic Con programs - they are celebrating 60 years in the industry! Wow 60 years. Go Snoopy! 



It was a great trip. We had lots of fun but its nice to be back home with the bb's. I missed them so much! We even drew our latest comic about how much we miss them! :)

Well, its getting late. Hampton is ringing his bell for his late night potty break so better go. Thanks for reading about our trip. 



xo
Grace

 


Hey All! Sorry we haven't posted in a while. There is so much to update you on (e.g. the amazing Anipal Academy Awards event, our trip to Disneyland, our upcoming comic con experience etc etc). We'll be back soon to update, promise!

Thanks for checking in!

 

I'm thrilled to report our comic will be featured every other week by The Anipal Times! We are very excited an honored to be part of this family.

"The Anipal Times was founded in March 2010 to give the Twitter anipals* a central place to find, write, share and link to content, news, announcements and events in the anipal community and beyond. There is an amazing community of anipals creating all sorts of great things around the web, but the more it grows, the harder it becomes to locate and keep up with it all. Most communities have a newspaper and now we have one too."

We will still post our comics on our comic blog so you can still access them here. Drawing the comics for The Anipal Times will also motivate us to get them out on a more regular basis (I know I've been slacking a bit on that!).

On a related but seperate note, I also would like to take the opportunity to redeem myself from the last comic write up for "Mummy Farts" (our first comic to be featured on The Anipal Times). Dave wrote the following to go along with the comic on our blog:

"Mummy tends to have some pretty loud farts. Must be all of the peas she eats. She conveniently blames it on ZuZu due to the fact that we once put her on a low carb diet that seemed to produce some very interesting smells. With bb (bad breath) and smelly farts, ZuZu can't seem to catch a break."

What is false in that statement: "Mummy tends to have some pretty loud farts" - I have to object! I have no idea what he's talking about! My farts are quiet and smell like flowers!  ;0)

Our life on the internet just wouldn't be complete without a facebook fanpage: www.facebook.com/puppyjones


We'd love it if you'd join us there too if you have a facebook account.

Hampton Monroe also has his own account as our spokespuppy for Puppy Jones. He'd love to have you as a friend.

We were really touched by a tweet we received yesterday about our most recent cartoon. I'm always touched and surprised with any nice comments we received but this one really made us feel good.

It was from our bulldog friend @That1EBD. He tweeted:

"They" meaning kids at a learning centre where @That1EBD and his Mum volunteer at. Here are photos they took of the kids watching our cartoon:


Its nice to know that we brought smiles to those who watched our cartoon and in turn brought us big smiles too.


http://that1ebd.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/man-it-pours/

Thank you to our dear friend @That1EBD, you made our day, week, month!!!

Part 4 of our cartoon animation is up on our youtube channel www.youtube.com/user/puppyjoneslove! Wow this one took longer than I thought it would. Not only because I was thinking about what would happen next but also because I decided to try and use voices! It was fun playing around with the audio and bringing the characters a little bit more to life.

The latest cartoon is Part 4 of a series where our little Hampton Monroe tries to find love online. Being a puppy, Hampton has lots to learn and most times he fails. I have to give him one thing though and that is he never stops trying! And that's true to life :)

If some of you are thinking that Hampton Monroe's voice sounds more like a little girl we agree with you.  However, we thought since he is a puppy we wanted to portray a pre-pubescent voice and the innocence that goes along with it.

We were also happy to introduce Curly Poo and Sunbeam in this cartoon.
Curly Poo has only been in one of our comics so far and you may have seen Sunbeam around here and there. If you haven't figured it out by watching the cartoon, Sunbeam is a little pre-madonna. She loves her self and everything beautiful. Curly poo is well, a piece of poo! But he is dealing with it and trying the live his life as best he can. I think you get a glimpse of what these two are about in this video. Their short bios are also found here.

I'm having a lot of fun just playing around with this stuff. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while and don't know why I didn't get to it sooner! My pups and I have met some great anipals and their "hoomans" on twitter. Recently one of our anipals had a great idea for an "Anipal Academy Awards" show and pawpawty event! We were very honored to be asked to be part of the planning committee!

The inspiration behind this was of course the many anipals out there with so many different talents.  From the words of @AutumntheDoxie the Executive Director of this event "Whether we make others laugh, help organize, write blogs, make movies, help our furfriends on the journey to rainbow bridge, or are just a good furfriend to have we all do something to help one another. Now we will have the opportunity to  shine and show one another how much we appreciate what we do for each other and animals everywhere, no matter how small or how big what we do is."

So if you are on twitter or if you are new to this and want to check out some of the nominees / videos / photo submissions etc, please do so. Here are the links:

Anipal Academy Awards information and blog can be viewed here: http://anipalacademyawards.blogspot.com/

Rainbow bridge nominees can be viewed here: http://anipalawardsotrb.blogspot.com/
Hampton and ZuZu nominated Starbuck, here is his write up: http://anipalawardsotrb.blogspot.com/2010/05/puppyjones.html

We can't wait for the pawty!

I've had to delay putting up new cartoon videos of the BB's but I am working on that! I'm aiming to get another one up next week! I'm going to try to actually put in voices on this next one. Its fun learning to do this stuff and hope you'll like it.

Stay tuned! ♥ ♥ ♥

Until then, here is our youtube channel again www.youtube.com/user/puppyjoneslove

Subscribe and be our friend! :)

 

Random person: Do you have kids?
Me: Yup, I have 3 dogs. Starbuck is our first, he's a beagle and now with us in spirit. ZuZu is a schnauzer / heeler, the middle child and the angel of our family. Hampton is the newest member.  He's a beagle too. He has no fear and can be a handful but he's adorable so gets away with it.
I leave you with a funny I saved from an email I got a few years ago. Enjoy!

IF I DIDN'T HAVE DOGS
1. I could walk around safely barefoot in the dark.
2. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
3. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of dog hair.
4. When the doorbell rang, it wouldn't sound like the SPCA kennels and I could get to the door without wading through four or five dog bodies who beat me there.
5. I could sit how I wanted to on the couch without taking into consideration where several little furbodies would need to get.
6. I would not have strange presents under my tree, like dog bones, stuffed animals and have to answer to people why I wrap them up.
7. I would not be on a first name basis with a vet.
8. Most used words in my vocabulary would not be: potty, outside, sit, down, come, no, and leave him/her ALONE.
9. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates.
10. My purse would not contain things like poop pick up bags and dog treats.
11. I would no longer have to spell the world B-A-L-L and F-R-I-S-B-E-E.
12. I would not buy weird things to stuff into "kongs" or have to explain why I'm buying them, or what a "kong" is.
13. I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.
14. I would not look strangely at people who think having their ONE dog ties them down too much.
15. I would not have to answer the question why do I have so many dogs from people who will never have the joy in their life of knowing they are loved unconditionally by something as close to an angel as they will ever get. Who else has a friend who considers you the MOST important thing in the whole wide world all the time.
-- Author Unknown

Hey everyone! I'm feeling out of touch as I haven't been online as much as I usually am. It's been busy as we're trying to catch up on a few projects. One of them is working on Part 3 of our first series of animation shorts called "online love", featuring Hampton Monroe. I had hoped to have it posted yesterday but will have it up by tomorrow! If you haven't seen Part 1 and 2 please have a peek! If you like them please feel free to forward, tweet, or post on your blog / facebook or simply subscribe!  :)  We plan on creating more of these on an ongoing basis. Starbuck, ZuZu and our other characters will also have their own story lines.

Our youtube channel is www.youtube.com/user/puppyjoneslove (I wasn't able to get Puppy Jones).  We also posted them on our fun stuff page so people could access them on our site as well. Note: We are still going to make modifications to the fun stuff page to make it more fun. We'd like it to have much more than just our videos...its all coming soon (still on my list!)

Love,
Grace

So its been a few months since we re-launched Puppy Jones and I'm happy about how its going so far. We are still working on a few of the pages (e.g. fun stuff needs to expand, the links page, the shop...). Dave and I still have our day jobs so we are doing what we can in our spare time. There are a few hiccups with the shop but we're getting there and that is our priority.

I am still really shy about my drawings, animations and everything else about Puppy Jones because its a part of me that not everyone has seen or actually knows about (this is the first year that Dave and I have really tried to put Puppy Jones out there). But what is really encouraging for me are the really great people and dogs that I and the bb's have met online over the last few months. Its such a great community!

By joining twitter (@puppyjones and @puppyjoneslove) and facebook (mainly Hampton's profile) we've made connections with writers / bloggers, artists, photographers, graphic designers, life adventurers, etc. What is extra special about these connections and discoveries I think is that there is a common love for dogs.

It seems everyone I've come across has showed encouragement, positive energy and support that you don't always get from other people you meet or know. I think it definitely has something to do with the fact that we all have this love for animals, especially dogs. For lack of a better term, I call that puppy power! (I'm imagining puppy rock doing his fist pumps as I say this - if you don't know what I'm talking about see puppy rock in this video)

Here are a few people and their blog / websites that I've come across and really enjoy. They are all genuinely nice, interesting people and am happy to have met them online.

azora - Hyedie co-writes on this blog which is mainly about sharing thoughts, art and various creations. She belongs to a beagle named Dukey and regularly fosters rescue beagles. By day Heydie is a graphic designer and I love her designs. Her design work can be found here: http://www.happyd-designs.com/ What is also cool is that her boyfriend / fiance(?!) is a positive reinforcement dog trainer. I love this video of her fiance and Petey the rescue beagle they are fostering. I hope to meet Hyedie and Dukey in person this month!


The Joyful Springer - This blog is inspired by Ande's joyful springers, Ducky and Muggins. Ande has such positive energy I was naturally drawn to her website / blog. This blog is all about joy and each post features a fun / happy dog.  Who could ask for more? Ducky's twitter is @joyfulspringer

Ruby's Big Adventure - Ruby is a very cute and funny Boston Terrier and one of the bb's twitter friends. Her Mum Kim writes about  adventures with Ruby which include what its like raising a puppy (with 2 other cats in the house) and the recovery from surgery on both of her hind legs. Ruby tweets @RubytheBT

Animals Wisdom - Maya is a Intuitive Communicator and Holistic Health Consultant learning life lessons with her pitt bull, Starr. She blogs on her website and takes beautiful photos. I really like her outlook on life and perspective on our relationship with animals. She tweets regularly @animalswisdom

Melissa Travels - This is one of the life adventurers I was talking about. Melissa moved all the way from the US to Thailand...with her Beagle Sadie! Need I say more? She blogs regularly about her new life there with Sadie by her side. Sadie and her Mum tweet @Sadiebeagle

http://blog.merrindonahue.com - Merrin is another life adventurer and a beagle Mummy to Oliver. Merrin's traveled to Africa a few years ago and wrote all about it in her blog. I really enjoyed reading all about it - she was very detailed in her posts with great photos. Oliver tweets @Oliverthebeagle

lipsmackstudio - I just recently met Scooter and Bella (2 beagles) and their Mummy Laura on facebook via Hampton. Laura is a graphic designer and a photographer. I'm still reading through Laura's blog but really liking it so far. You'll find beautiful photos here and I really enjoy reading her posts.

That's it for now but I'm sure I'll have more to add to this puppy power blog roll list in the future. There are a few dogs with their own blogs I'd like to mention but I'll save that for another post.

 

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




I mentioned in my previous pupcake post that I make all our treats for the bb's. Peanut butter nom noms (aka peanut butter terrifics) are the staple treat I make for them. Its super simple to make and they love the peanut butter. Here is the recipe (c/o "The Healthy Dog Cookbook, by Jonna Anne with Mary Straus) and a few pictures:

Prep time: 10 min, makes about 24 treats
 
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp peanut butter (organic, no salt)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (brown) or brown rice flour

ZuZu and Hampton are always on their best behavior when I bake cookies for them. And, some most times they get to lick leftover peanut butter off the measuring spoon.  Hampton got some on his nose. I thought he might go crazy not being able to get it off but he did after about a minute.

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




The last 2 weeks have been busy for me in my non-puppy jones life. Finally enjoying a day off to myself with the bb's. Its rainy today but no complaints here. Rainy days are good sometimes in that no expectations come with it. I only feel bad for the pups when they have to do their 'business'.

Now if I could really get them to take themselves out for a walk in the rain that would make rainy days even better!

Hope you all are enjoying your rainy day too!
xo

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




So I'm finally feeling better. Still coughing at night really badly but at least during the day I'm feeling back to normal. Turns out I have bronchitis so I'm on antibiotics right now. I thought about not taking them and looking for an alternative more natural remedy but I'll have to look into that for next time.
There is so much to catch up on! I am committed to getting things done this weekend I had to put off. Especially updates to the website.

xo

p.s. Hampton has gotten into a bad habit of waking up and waking me up between 4:30 - 5:00 AM!! Any ideas on how to get him to stop? I try to ignore him but turns out he has more endurance than I do.

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




Hi All
I caught a nasty bug not feeling 100% (more like 60%). I'm trying to catch up on work (my day job) and also need to pick things up on Puppy Jones. Just a quick note though to say I'll be back soon with more updates! Just need a few more days to get caught up. If only things were as easy and quick as updating your twitter status haha!

xo

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




As you may know, Starbuck and Hampton have never met. However, we believe Starbuck's spirit lives in Hampton. After all, Ham was born the day after Starbuck passed. We often wonder what lessons Starbuck might have taught Ham, from one beagle to another. We're sure a head tilt (see comic page) would be on the list.

Although they are similar in the simple fact they are the same breed and in terms of the abundance of love and snuggles they have to give, they definitely have their own personalities. A few examples:

Starbuck was very particular about his cleanliness. He did not like stepping in anything dirty. He would literally tip toe around muddy puddles and very quick to leave the area where he would do his business. He also loved loved loved his baths. We would often find Starbuck sitting in the bathtub just waiting for his 'spa time'.

Hampton is...well not so clean. He loves getting his paws dirty and I have to admit he did have a thing for eating his poop (yuck!). Hampton doesn't mind baths but soon after its all done he is quick to get himself all dirty again.

Starbuck was very particular about his food and treats. Quite unusual for a beagle. We could leave food out for him and he wouldn't touch it until he felt like it. He also liked to inspect the treats that were offered to him. There were some he would take politely and others he would shun away.

Hampton loves his food and treats. He will gobble anything up. Recent evidence is the charcoal we had to give him for the potential exposure to rat poison. He also likes to eat up all his toys. That's why he's only allowed a few minutes with them at a time.

Starbuck was also a very dramatic beagle. He would yelp at the slightest things that upset him. He also was very sacred of bugs. If he saw a spider or fly he would run to straight to me and literally jump in my lap.

Hampton isn't scared of anything. When we first brought him home he was bouncing around and exploring every area of the house. We first knew he was going to be a fiesty one when he went down the stairs for the first time. He didn't want any of our help and barked at us when we tried to get close. He wanted to do it all himself!

Despite these differences I think if they did have the opportunity to meet they would be great pals. I could see Starbuck teaching him the secrets to getting what they want from us humans, just like in the head tilt comic. I think they would have made great partners in crime!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




I am still really tired from the events over the last few days so I hope this post makes sense as its an important one!

We've always been very careful about not having the pups any where near anything dangerous they could consume. But unfortunately on Sunday while we were out celebrating Lunar New Year Hampton was exposed to rat poison. One of our worst nightmares!

It happened while we were coming back from a walk. I saw Hampton reach for something and at first I thought it was plant fertilizer. He was on a his lead so I immediately pulled him back and checked his mouth. I didn't find anything but wasn't 100% sure that he didn't get any of it. When we found out it was actually rat poison the panic really started to set in. We spent the next 30 minutes trying to get him to vomit. We gave him a tsp of salt...nothing happened. 15 min later we gave him another tsp of salt, that didn't work. We didn't want to waste anymore time so we decided to take him for a drive. Hampton gets really car sick and yup, within a few minutes it all came out. The car sickness is something we've been trying to help him with and this was the only time we were grateful he vomited in the car.

We ended up taking him to the emerg vet clinic as a follow-up. They ran blood tests and checked that the salt didn't do any damage as well. All the results came out positively (big sigh of relief). We didn't get home until about 3am as there was a wait at the clinic (even animals have a long wait in emerg!).

When we got home we gave him a dose of charcoal as directed by the emerg clinic. A few hours later we were up to give him the 2nd and final dose. Luckily, Hampton being a true beagle, just gobbled it all up. We didn't have to do any tricks or give him anything extra to encourage him. If it were ZuZu or Starbuck, there's no way they would go near it without extreme coaxing.

I do admit all of this reminded me of when Starbuck first got sick. They initially thought Starbuck had rat posioing b/c he was exhibiting almost the same symptoms. But I've pushed those thoughts of anxiety away and replaced them with positive ones.

Our vet came by today to take the 2nd blood test and we just got the results. Although they are normal, they are in the high range of normal. I'm not sure what that means exactly but she is going to let us know tomorrow if another test needs to be taken. So we are almost out of the woods!

Hampton is doing great. He is his usual curious, playful self and not exhibiting any symptoms. He's milked his time of being sick by cuddling up with ZuZu (see her post their My Puppy Diary blog).

So a few tips and lessons learned from all this:

1. Always ask whomever you are visiting with about any potential dangerous substances. Especially ask those who don't have dogs as they won't be as aware of what could be dangerous.

Also check with your neighbors about whether they use rat poisoning. Because rat poison can last in the system for up to 3 days without showing any symptoms the rodent could end up bringing the poison into your yard.

2. You can use salt to induce vomiting - 2 tsp max. Salt is generally bad for dogs. I don't use salt in any of my baking and check that its not an ingredient in whatever food or treats we give them. It can cause dehydration, allergies and too much of it can cause major problems like brain damage.

3. Its better to be safe than sorry. Go to the emerg clinic or get your dog to your vet right away even if (s)he has vomited after being exposed to a dangerous substance. Its always best to check than to regret it later

That's all for now. I'm getting really tired and need to sleep. I just wanted to give you an update as its been a few days and I'll be sure to give another when he's 100% in the clear. :)

Nite nite!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~Dr Seuss

We can relate to Dr. Seuss today. We're all up late working on a few things for Puppy Jones and just spending some quality time (QT) together.

We have a new valentine's day comic up in our comic blog that basically sums up how we spent our weekend. We're a pretty laid back couple and its true we feel happiest spending time at home with the bb's (except we were pretty happy on our honeymoon in Paris but we did miss them very much). We didn't come up with the comic for laughs but wanted to share something sweet with you and something other dog lovers can relate to.

A heart warming observation today in theme of heart day:
On our walk tonight a car came up the road which separated me and Hampton on one side and D and ZuZu on the other side. I could see Hampton getting a bit anxious about seperating away from D and ZuZu, which I expected. I also noticed however that ZuZu looked a bit anxious too. I was a bit surprised as although I know she looks out for him its not the same bond she had with Starbuck. When the car passed they both ran at each other and touched their noses as if to say 'hi we're back together again'.
Its nice to see the bond between ZuZu and Hampton becoming stronger. She even let him snuggle with her in her favorite spot and she also gave him some kisses as Hampton proudly posted in his blog. Perhaps she knows its Valentine's day and is giving him some extra love.

Hope everyone gets some extra love today!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.

Don't have anything in particular to blog about today so thought I'd just share some puppy love!

Hampton is just a little over a year now but he still is like a puppy to me. ZuZu will be 9 this year (yikes!) and I still call her my puppy.  Its funny how they still think of themselves as being the same size as they were when they were just a few months old. Sometimes I don't think Hampton realizes how big he has is now by the way he tries to squeeze himself on my lap. He manages to fit but he's just not as small as he used to be! Too cute.


Hope everyone is having a good day today!


p.s. Btw we have a new valentine's comic up. Just a simple story but definitely mirrors reality. I'm also working on another flash and hope to put it up soon. Having fun learning how to use it but no expert by any means so its taking me a bit longer to create.

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




We're going to be trying out a new project this month - silk screening! Its something I've always wanted to do and with some time off this month we thought it was the best time to try it out. We just need a few more things on our supply list and then we can get started. I'll document on here how it goes! I'm pretty excited about it.

When Starbuck got sick I really started to think about what type of food the bb's are eating, including their treats. Last Christmas Dave got me a kitchen aid mixer to support my interest in baking for them. And since then I've had lots of fun baking. For those of you who don't know me its amazing that I'm actually spending time in the kitchen. I barely even cook for Dave!

Anyway, here are some pics of carrot and molasses pupcakes I made. These pupcakes are good for our pups as they are high in vitamin A and potassium.

The carrots and molasses:

The next asian martha:

Waiting anxiously:

ZuZu gets first bite, she's older than Hampton and plus it was her birthday that day:


You can add yogurt or cream cheese icing ( fyi - not the low-fat kind for either) but i decided not to as too much dairy isn't always good for puppies.


These will keep in the fridge for 1 week. Let me know if you want the recipe!

*updated*

Here is the recipe from 'The Healthy Dog Cookbook' by Jonna Anne with Mary Straus.

Prep time: 15 min
Makes about 12 pupcakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

1.  Preheat oven to 350F / 180C
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and oats in a small bowl
3. Thoroughly combine the carrots, molasses, water, egg, and oil in a large bowl
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into small cupcake pans and bake for 20 minutes

Note: Store the Birthday Cupcakes in the refrigerator for 1 week.

We'd love to hear from you once you give this a try!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




I missed watching the Grammy's last night! However twitter was all the buzz with the latest updates so in a way I feel like I kind of saw it. I heard it was actually one of the best Grammy's in a loooong time. Darn! Oh well! I'll have to go check out who was best / worst dressed online after I write this. I hope Rachel Zoe's clients all 'shut it down' :) BTW is her show coming back on for another season? I wonder what happened or is happening with Tay...but I digress.

So I guess you can say I am now addicted to Twitter. I actually signed up when it first came out but didn't go on it much. But now I can't help myself. I'm a bit scared tho of where this puts me in terms of the behavioral disorders I might have LOL!

Btw you can follow me at @puppyjoneslove and the pups at @puppyjones (the pups are more popular than I am!)

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




D and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary today. We first started dating 10 years ago today! Amazing how fast time goes by. We went out for a nice dinner and then for desert. My tummy is very very round and bloated right now but also very happy :)

We also finally launched our new puppy jones website! Yahoo!  I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary present. D timed it so that it would launch on the same day. Yes he's very sweet. I've been wanting this new site for a long while now and he's basically behind pulling it all together and the look and feel of it. We still have to finish up a few of the other pages which we're working on but I'm pretty happy with what we have so far. I really just wanted a space for all things related to the bb's and its nice to be able to have the blogs all integrated into one site. Thanks D!! xoxo

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




2010 has been great so far. Its been very different lifestyle wise. I went from working 6 days a week to actually having spare time to sleep, watch tv, cuddles and QT with the puppies and work on the new puppy jones web site! It feels good but also makes me a bit ansy. But in general I'm excited about 2010.

A few years ago we stopped doing the traditional new year's resolutions and instead decided to create a 'theme' each year with the intent that each new theme would bring related experiences. These are a few examples of themes we've had over the years: 'just do it',  'feel the fear and do it anyway', 'situation critical'....This year its 'we're living the dream'. Let's see what that will bring :)

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




I've never had a dog that was soooo into his routine. If he is off his schedule he goes crazy. Without his routine he gets very uncomfortable, whiney, paws at me, starts chewing whatever he can get his mouth on and rings his bell constantly (we trained him to ring the bell when he has to pee but uses it for other communication purposes). What a control freak! Here are a few examples:

- Since Hampton joined our family a year ago he has not let me sleep in past 7am. By the
  way I am not a morning person.

- He must must must have his breakfast at 6am and dinner at 6pm.

- He must go for his walks at the same time each day and after his walks he picks up one of
  his favourite toys and runs up and down the hall way with it non-stop for 5 to 10 minutes.

- After dinner he must have quality time with mummy on the couch (which 50% of the time
  includes mummy holding one end of a chew toy while he chews the other end).

- Just recently I discovered he has a favourite blanket which he must nap with. He refuses to
  cuddle and nap with any other. Btw his naps are very important especially when I am
  working from home so I can have some peace.

Again, what a control freak!  But a very cute one so I can't help but enable his behavior.  LOL! As I write this he is ringing his 'bell' alerting me to the fact that its almost 6pm - dinner time. He's so silly!!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




In the middle of the night I was gently woken up by a wet nose on my toes. At first I thought I was dreaming. Then I turned on my night light and there was "Starbuck" by the side of my bed. I screamed! Daddy was not impressed. It turned out "Starbuck" was actually little Ham. He somehow broke through the baby gate we have up on our bedroom doorway and was trying to get into bed to have a snuggle with me. I'm just not used to seeing Hampton in our room. Starbuck's bed was right beside me so Hampton really caught me off guard. The little bugger! It is amazing though how much Hampton does remind us of Sb sometimes. Still missing Sb lots. xoxo.

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




Hello friends!
We are getting really close to re-launching our new web site. I'm so excited! Its been a really long time and I can't believe we are finally going to have an updated web site that we did all on our own! Its not perfect and there is still a lot to do but the first release still makes me very happy. We will have to release the shop and a few other fun things at a later date but we are definitely working on it. I am a bit nervous about our new site for many different reasons but I hope you will like it too!

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




Hello! I haven't been able to keep up with this blog as regularly as I'd like to. Time just goes by faster and faster each year. Here is a quick update:

Hampton is doing well, I can't believe he's already almost 9 months now. He's the most expensive pup we've had so far - in terms of things he's destroyed around the house. To name a few examples, he took a chunk out of our living room couch (the one my parents don't even sit on because they didn't want to ruin it), he ate the leather straps off my mother in law's watch she gave me and he's eaten bits and pieces of our baseboards which we will have to replace eventually.

ZuZu continues to be our angel and a little tattletale. She will come over and sit at our feet or paw at our legs when Hampton is up to no good. She turned 8 back in June but is still going strong, loving life and jumping for balls.

We still think of Starbuck everyday. He is still so much a part of our life. We see so much of him in Hampton.

Here is a pic I quickly made from photoshop of our three bb's being silly together.

xo

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.




Its been a while but finally ready to post again. We've been kind of offline the last few months after Starbuck passed. It was 6 months yesterday since he left us and I'm still missing him lots. However, what I haven't blogged about is the newest addition to puppyjones (our family)....Hampton Monroe! Hampton was born 6 months ago today. Yes, the day after Starbuck's passing...so he holds a very special place in our hearts. He's been keeping us busy...very busy. It had been so long since we had a puppy in our home we forgot about how hard it is to potty train and how much attention he needs. Thank god we have ZuZu to babysit from time to time. ZuZu has adjusted really well. She was of course needing some time to heal from Starbuck's passing (she had nightmares and anxiety). But Hampton has warmed up to her and she is back to her happy self. Can you believe she turns 8 this month!!
Anyway, just wanted to give an update as I haven't blogged in so long. Here are some pics!

Hampton Monroe - his first week here


ZuZu's watchful eyes during Hampton's first week home


Hampton Monroe at 5 months - a special trick i taught him

Please click on the post title
before using the "share" tool.





Hello friends. Its been a while. I promise to post again soon...

We're snowed in and loving it! I love snow and we have lots of it this xmas.
Here are some pics:

our back door..can't even get out!





our mailbox



front yard




Here's a little video of ZuZu out in the snow. She was excited but also wanted to get back into the warm house ASAP




We are all still missing Starbuck very very much, especially during this holiday season. He loved the snow so much. Here are some pics and a video from last winder:

running around the yard



sb and zz



Look at that face!




after all the play in the snow, resting with his dawg mobibi



happy holidays everyone! stay safe, keep warm and cuddle lots with your loved ones during this special time.

xo

We would like to say thank you for all the messages we got back regarding Starbuck's passing. We miss him so much. There are some days I feel like he is still here and in disbelief about the last few months but then reality sets in pretty quick. Its been up and down and mainly trying to keep busy.

Some people spend a lifetime without ever experiencing that moment of finding their soul mate. We’ve been fortunate to experience it more than once. The first was when we met each other. The second was when Starbuck and ZuZu came into our lives.

SB hasn't been feeling so great these last few days. However, tonight he had a good meal and soon after fell into a sleep coma. I love watching him sleep, so peaceful. He was dreaming when I took this photo as he started barking and growling. I think he was dreaming of that squirrel he chased in the yard a few days ago. I wasn't happy about that as it may have triggered the last episode he had but at least in that moment he had fun doing it.




ZZ got a haircut this week...you like?

It feels like its been a while since my last post. Time is just flying by and a part of me would just like it to move a bit slower -- esp if that means more time with Starbuck.


Starbuck is doing ok. We are happy that for a period of time, SB was episode free (for about 13 days). But he had another episode that started on Monday which was very different in that it was a slow build up of various symptoms to a point where he wasn't eating or sleeping and was very pale, weak and depressed. It came to a climax yesterday and our doctor came to see him. We got new remedies to try out and thankfully it seems to be working. We're feeding him chicken broth now as he doesn't like any of his food except his treats (of course). He loves his chicken broth and I guess I never thought of feeding him soup but what a great idea as its easy to go down, warm and easy on his system.


ZuZu is doing ok too. I think the stress is getting to her as she seems to know when SB isn't doing so well. She is loving the new food we are giving her though and still tries to cheer us all up with the funny things she does.

Here are some pics for those of you who haven't seen our babes in a while:


teehee! Starbuck and ZuZu are famous!

Believe it or not but I'm getting really excited for xmas this year. Of course our tree is up all year round but it seems extra nice to have the lights on when it gets closer to that time. I tried to take some early xmas pics but I don't think Starbuck and ZuZu are as excited as I am about the approaching holiday season. They don't looked too thrilled do they?




The weather is starting to get really chilly and I like that. And today, after a stretch of rain and grey, we had a beautiful day. ZuZu was really excited about that, so much so that she escaped from the backyard and went for a little walk on her own!! Yes we freaked out but we found her in the front sniffing around in our neighbours yard (thank god).

Update on Starbuck:
He is doing well. He had one of his worst episodes a week ago (2 in a row) and we were up for 48 hours taking care of him and making sure he was comfortable. D and I were major zombies after that! He is doing so good now though. He bounced right back again, hungry and snuggly as ever. His doctor came by just after his episode and said he was doing great despite his condition. So happy about that. She gave us new remedies which seem to work better than the last one he was on. Yay!

Its been a while since I've posted. I've been busy spending QT with my babies. D was out of town so grandma came over to stay with us. The bb's were happy to see her. Grandma spoiled them lots and gave them lots of love.
SB has been doing well. He went 10 days without an episode. We even managed to get him into a halloween outfit.
I dressed our bb's in piggy outfits. Kinda fitting don't you think?

SB figured since he was in his outfit he really should get a treat (he's standing where he always does when he wants a treat).

I haven't figured out how to embed videos from other sites...Anyway, this is a cute, funny and kinda weird video. Thought I'd post it.

Click here

Things have been really good. SB is in such good health right now. His doctor came by for a check up and she was surprised at how well he is doing. Heartbeat good, gums good, weight good. All good! Yay!! He has been episode free since Saturday. He and ZuZu are snuggle bunnies these days. I think she feels more comfortable snuggling up to him now that he's feeling better. We also expanded their bed and made it a bit longer and added more blankets. They are super spoiled!
We've also been able to actually sleep through the night which is soo nice. But getting just a little bit of something good always makes you want more and more. All I've felt like doing is sleeping. Speaking of...night everyone! Just wanted to give you all an update on things.
xo

p.s. By the way, we've had a few people ask what BB stands for as its a term we use all the time to refer to our family and to SB and ZZ. "BB" comes from an inside joke between me and D which stands for Bad Breath. Long story... ;)

How did it get to be October?

September was just a blur. It was probably the hardest time I've experienced in a long while. But, there are also many things to be thankful for. In no particular order...

I'm thankful for Starbuck. He is truly our miracle dog. The doctor who saw him at emergency only gave him a few days or few weeks after the 1st scare. Way to prove them wrong SB! SB's health has been up and down but he is doing good. And I'm so thankful for everyday that he is with us.

When you have a scare like this you realize how precious life truly is. Anything can happen at any moment and you just have to live life with as little regret as possible.

I'm thankful for ZuZu who is really our little angel. Always giving us such joy and love. She is so attentive and always making us laugh. I'm thankful she is healthy and happy.

I'm thankful for my family. They are always there 100% to support me and D. My mom and dad go to church every week and they always pray and light a candle for us and esp. for SB to get better. My mom told me the other day that even her friends are worried about us. She goes out for coffee (gossip time) with her friends each week and they always ask if he's ok and what his status is. Its nice to know that people do care and that our doggies are accepted as part of our family vs just being considered pets. My sis and her hubby are also always checking in and always there to just listen or offer support.

The same goes for my wonderful friends who are also so supportive and understanding. Its nice to have friends who know what I'm going through and offer support via emails, msn and fb as they know I'm not a phone person :)

I'm thankful for my nephew who is so happy and healthy. He started school this year and he is doing so well. My mom says everyone at school knows him as when she goes to pick him up, everyone is always saying hi to him from the different teachers to the kids in the school no matter what grade they are in. Must be the family charm ;)

I'm thankful in general for having such a great life. A husband who is my soul mate, a good job, a good home and being able to live a comfortable life. There are so many people out there struggling to make it and I'm thankful for everything we have.

Hi!
Thought I'd post 2 cute videos of SB for those who haven't seen him in a while (taken Sunday). This first video I'm in the kitchen and I knew he'd be walking in as I was making noise with plates etc...his cue that its eating/snack time. ZuZu makes an appearance too :)



In this second video, he's finished his snack and the look he gives me at the end is classic "are you going to feed me or what"



p.s. don't bug me about my baby voice, can't help it :))

dedicated to my bb's

"Lullaby" by the Dixie Chicks

They didn't have you where I come from
Never knew the best was yet to come
Life began when I saw your face
And I hear your laugh like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

I slip in bed when you're asleep
To hold you close and feel your breath on me
Tomorrow there'll be so much to do
So tonight I'll drift in a dream with you

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you're miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

*******

This week was tough but we pulled through again! SB is recovering from an episode that he started to come out of as I played the lullaby song for him. ZuZu was right by his side, the angel she is.

We didn't do much this weekend. Stayed home, worked a bit and mostly spent time with the BBs. It was so nice out today. We got to spend time out on the patio again and SB got some fresh air.

I'm worried about him right now but I think he's ok. I think he's just tired from having us around all day and not having a chance to really nap. I hope. Its so hard to tell sometimes. His temp is good but his gums seem a bit pale and he seems uncomfortable. We gave him some carbo veg and he seems ok right now...therefore, crossing our fingers and toes really tight that he is not having another episode.

I've been reading forums and blogs of other people who are going through something similar and I could totally relate to what this one person wrote

"your world becomes smaller and more compact - my days revolved around checking her gums for re-fill time..for color - dear God please let me see pink not pale or white. I would check her gums a million times a day. Not knowing when I come home after being out for a few hours will she be there to greet me."

Its so true that everything becomes smaller and more compact. Everything right now revolves around when I have to check temperature or check the color of his gums. I record everything in a notebook so I don't forget the details. There are also other things I look out for. Like if he doesn't sleep on his pillows or blankets its an indicator that he's not feeling good. When he moves off his pillows D and I look over at each other with worry. When he moves back onto his pillows we high-five each other (he's on his bed right now, moved over a few min ago - yes!). Also when he snores I know he's ok b/c he's in a deep sleep (c'mon snores!!).

Ok I better go. I've got to get ready for tomorrow and need to check up on him again. Will update more tomorrow...don't worry. I know he'll be ok. Crossing fingers and toes really tight.

xo

Starbuck is doing so well.

But I'm going through so many different emotions. I'm so so happy he is doing good. But I feel angry because I don't want him taken from our family. I am sad. I am hopeful. I don't want to waste time feeling down. I just want things to stay the way they are.

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts "Sunshine and Salmon" that SB and ZZ have started to eat organic meatballs (salmon balls). They loove these home-made all natural and organic meatballs. And they are sooo good for them. The meatballs are 80% meat and 20% vegetables.

Vegetable ingredients include:
ALFALFA SPROUTS, GINGER, APPLES, CARROT, ASPARAGUS,GREEN KALE, BLUBERRIES, PARSLEY, BROCCOLI, RED YAM, CHARD,SPINACH, CILANTRO,CRANBERRY and GARLIC

The meat is 100% Free Range and Non-medicated.

Also, the ingredients help to reduce allergic reactions. The food is PRESSURE COOKED to keep the ingredients healthy and fresh as possible. Pressure cooking the food prevents bacterial growth in organs when they eat, and does not damage minerals and vitamins from natural source as much as regular cooking.

Their products are GRAIN, Soy, Sorghum, Corn, or dairy products FREE.

We were feeding them Origin organic dry food which was one of the better organic dry foods out there. We tried feeding them raw food before and they just didn't take to it so we were really happy when we found these meatballs. Here is a link to their web site. I also had the opportunity to meet Heather who was so sweet, nice and very helpful.

http://allergyfreepetfood.com/WELCOME.html

Please, anyone feeding their doggies processed commercial food, please reconsider switching to a healthier option.

Daddy is working really late today. Poor guy is working crazy hours once again. So this leaves the three of us at home bored...

We can't do much as we have to limit SB's movement. We have to make sure he doesn't get too excited or too stressed out as it might trigger another episode. ZuZu looks like she is going to go stir crazy. I can't take her out though b/c SB has never been on his own...come to think of it, he hasn't been on his own since ZuZu came into our lives when he was about 5 months. So don't want to create stress in that sense. I feel bad for her so will take her out for a walk when D gets home...if i'm still awake!

I just looked over and he's licking ZZ's head. They are so cute together.

**yawn**

So we are on day 2 since the last episode and all is good. Yay! We've been resting a lot and taking it easy. SB's vitals are all good, he's just more tired.



Things were getting a little too quiet for ZuZu so she decided to entertain me and SB by playing with her T.B. in front of us. Luckily I had a camera to capture her craziness. She is too hilarious. If you don't know by now, she is obsessed with T.B. Can you see the crazy look in her eyes?



"come to me T.B...come closer"


"got it"


"rar! rar! rar! you're mine"


She wrestled with T.B. for a while...later on she and D entertained us with Quatchi-choo...she is too cute.

Didn't get much sleep again last night. I woke up about 3 and SB seemed uncomfortable. I stayed up and gave him a massage to provide some comfort. I eventually fell asleep with him again (an aside: my body isn't what it used to be, sleeping on the floor does not do my body any good!).

Leaving for work was so stressful. It was hard for us to leave him. The only comforting thought was that he would have ZuZu with him. I was so sensitive at work. I didn't want to talk to anyone about the situation. Luckily an afternoon meeting got canceled so I was able to come home even earlier than planned.

The hour long drive was awful. It just isn't good for my nerves these days. I tried really hard not to think about the worst case scenario but its just my nature. I tried to focus on believing that SB and ZZ would be ok when I got home.

When I got home, I smelt something really bad. Something I hadn't smelt before. I rushed over to their bed scared out of my wits. ZuZu looked nervous and was whining. To my relief, there was doggie poopoo in the middle of the floor (luckily we had laid down some plastic before we left). Also to my relief was little Starbuck sitting up in the bathroom happy to see me!! He was sitting up!!! I'm happy about that b/c since the last episode SB has been lying down most of the time and only standing up to eat, drink water or pee.

ZuZu was so nervous b/c she knows that poopoo and peepee in the house are a big nono. It took her a bit to calm down and wouldn't stop yapping at me. I think she was just trying to explain what had happened.

SB is doing well. It seems as though his bloating has gone down. He ate and is resting beside me now. I am sooo happy!!!

I'm sitting here watching SB sleeping. He's had a rough 24 hours. We all have. Good notes: He ate a full meal, had some treats, temp is up and staying up around 38 and gums look ok.
We are still really worried about him and how could we not be. He's tired and the bloating is hard on him.
For some inspiration, here is a pic of sb at the park when he was a few months old. Strong and healthy as he has been in mind in spirit the last few weeks.



He looks kinda crazy huh? teehee...always making us smile.

Last night was tough. I haven't slept yet and can't sleep. Last night around 11pm SB had another episode. It started again with him looking a bit uncomfortable and not wanting to sleep on his blankets or pillows. We checked his gums - pale. His temp also had fallen to around 36 (normal healthy dog temp taken from the bum is between 38 and 39). We started him on his meds/supplements.
We spend the whole night waiting, monitoring and escalating the meds. Finally at about 7am his temp turned and was back around 37. And now its at 38.3 which is the highest its been since he's been sick. His gums also have their color back. He's very tired and I'm sure its the meds and not being able to sleep properly. I'm still anxious though and waiting to have him ask me where his treat is. Thats when I'll know things are ok.
I am so happy he made it through the night. It breaks my heart to see him this way and its so hard when they can't tell you how much pain they are in. At one point I told SB how much we love him and that we knew how much he loved us. And, if this was the right time then it was ok but that if he felt he wanted to fight then we are all here fighting for him. Based on his response I think there are still a few things for him to do in this lifetime.
Will update more later today when he wakes up.

Back from dinner. SB and ZZ are ok! We had to go out as we don't have much groceries. Will need to get some tomorrow. I get a lot of anxiety when I'm out. Worrying so much about Starbuck.
Its good that I can work from home when I can but next week is going to be busy and worried that I might have to be away for full days. D is even busier than I am and we both try really hard to have at least one person be at home or not to be away for too long. I want to spend as much time as I can with the BBs. I just don't feel good when I leave home.
SB is tired today. He's been burying himself under his blankets. This isn't something new as he loves to be under covers but I often wonder how he can even breathe!
He is such a cutie pie. As I type this, I look over at him and he's looking back at me. We love you Starbuck!

We got an update from our Vet last night that SB's blood looks good. She came by the next day after his episode to check in on him, take some blood and gave us more supplements (we're giving him a lower does of carb veg every 4 days now).

The results of test show his blood is better than last time and there is good red cell regeneration. He still shows as a little anemic but she says its probably due to his episode the other night. This is great news.

I am feeling ok but more worried now. D is still trying to cheer me up and keep me in good spirits. On Thursday my mom and dad came for a visit and I think mainly to check in on me. They kept me company as I waited for D to come home. I get kinda nervous when he's not around. Its so nice to have the support of my family during this time. They totally understand that SB and ZZ really are our babies. I really can't stand when people roll their eyes or look at us funny when we talk about them and I think, do you not have any empathy or ability to put yourself in others shoes. D and I aren't going to have kids and SB and ZZ are our life.

I don't feel like doing anything else but to spend time with SB and ZZ. Last night we watched a few episodes of 90210 together (I can't watch anything serious lately as I end up getting really anxious). SB slept on my lap and ZZ was beside me as I gave her a massage. She enjoyed that v. much. :) D also took ZZ for a looong walk to help relieve stress in both of them. D had to sneak ZZ out though and did a good job as SB didn't notice.

It was a perfect night.

On Tues night around 11pm as we were getting ready to go to bed we noticed SB was looking a bit more tired than usual. But it was hard for us to really tell if it was because it was bed time or if something was wrong. I took his temp and it was lower by a few points (36.7 vs 37 under the armpit). His gums were also pink and he looked fine otherwise and ate his midnight snack. So we decided to not panic.
At about 3:30AM I woke up to ZuZu panting really hard beside me. She never goes up on the bed but she was there trying to wake me up. I got up and checked on SB and his vitals weren't very good. His temp was still low and his gums were looking really pale. I was really scared.

We started to give him the supplements our Vet gave us, phos ac (every 30 min). At about 5:30 he got up and went over to his bed. Eyes looked shinier, gums pink. He also started snoring so I thought that was a good sign. Yay! And, I was just amazed that our little angel ZuZu helped to save SB. Amazing!

Just before we started getting ready to go to work, we checked on him again. I also was finally brave enough to check his temp via his bum (more accurate this way vs armpit). It wasn't so bad and he surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) didn't mind. Temp was good and gums good color. However, there was a nagging feeling inside me that I still needed to monitor him. I called our Vet and left a message to see if she could come check in on him that day instead of the next day when we had our appointment scheduled.

Throughout the morning, he slept but seemed a bit lethargic and depressed. His gums and temp were still normal so I wasn't sure what was going on. Its so hard to tell or decide when to do something! At around 1pm I noticed his gums were looking really pale. I offered him a treat and it took him a while to eat it...not a good sign. So I started him on the supplements again.

I called our vet but she wasn't answering (I later learned she was in surgery all morning). I called the Emerg Clinic we went to last week and I was getting ready to take him down there to help but after a few conversations they told me the only 2 options I had when I got there was surgery or euthanasia. I WAS ANGRY. I didn't like those options AT ALL (also later found out that they could have helped out with his fluids..what is up with that??! they didn't even offer that as an option...so angry at them. Next time I will demand they do that for us.)

So I started SB on the second set of supplements, Carb Veg...after about an hour, he got up and went to his bed (a good sign!). Me and ZuZu were sooo happy. I also offered him a salmon ball and he ate it right away. His temp was back to normal although his gums were a pale pink.

After a few hours of sleep, he woke up and ate dinner and was OK!!
Throughout that whole time D was at work and trying to get back as soon as he could. He was really stressed and we were all in a panic.



I'm so thankful SB made it through this episode and that our little angel ZuZu was there to alert us. They never cease to amaze me.

Thank you ZuZu!


p.s. I wanted to thank DJ & LJ for being there when I called for advice! Sometimes its hard to think clearly when you're in panic mode. DJ & LJ's dog Buster was SB and ZZ's best friend. He was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in 2004 and lost his battle in Sept 2005. We know Buster is out there looking over SB too.

Today our good friends are getting married and D & I are the MC’s. We’re nervous about leaving SB but he is in great condition and my Sis kindly offered to babysit. I’ve written down instructions on checking his temperature and gums and how to hold him when taking him out for pee/poo. We know he’s in really good hands so that will reduce some of our anxiety about leaving him.

This reminds me of when we first got SB, he was around 8 or 9 weeks old. D and I had plans to go out so my Sis babysat for us. She took amazing photos of him for us. Here's one of him...as you can see he was grumpy that we left him behind.


Update:
Everything went well. Whew! Thanks Sis for babysitting!

SB is doing really well. We spent some time outside again to give him some fresh air He loves our backyard and being out there in the sun.


ZuZu was happy to be out there with us.


She found some time to relax but mostly was as frisky as ever and obsessed with her ball. This is a pic of her waiting for me to throw her ball. "Hurry up mommy!"



Another good thing is that this hasn't effected his appetite! Look at him go...we switched their food to organic salmon and cod meatballs. He LOVES these! The fish will help fight any potential cancer in him.

We're thankful for all the love and positive thoughts from our friends and family. I was especially touched by an email from my sister:

"Sean, Quinn and I love SB very much. He is our furry nephew/cousin. We think SB IS a miracle dog who gives everyone he meets love and joy.
A"

Love you!

We wanted to start a blog about Starbuck and ZuZu for quite some time now and finally got around to it. We thought this would be a good way to keep you up to date on SB’s progress and how we (me - Mummy, D - Daddy... and ZZ) are doing. So here it is!