My Birthday Party

I waited all weekend for my birthday surprise! Jenn said something special was going to happen and around 4pm yesterday my friends started arriving. My surprise was my own birthday party with a few of my special friends: Niamh the Gordon Setter, Ruby the Aussie, Sky the Golden-Doodle, Mona the German Shepherd, Trudy and my special friend Oscar, both Italian Spinones. My housemates Big Sandy and Bernie were happy to share my special day too.For an enjoyable and safe dog party, be sure to invite the right number of guests. You want a 1:1 human to dog ratio and probably no more than 10 dogs total. A fenced back yard is a great place for a dog party. You want to make sure all your guests "play well with others" and enjoy the company of dogs and people. We ran and played...The people tried to keep the dogs moving and not bunching up in one area...I was very happy to share my water with my special girlfriend Mona. Even on a cool day, you must provide lots of fresh water for your party goers.
Bernie had to take a break in a hole under the stairs. Some dogs need time out from the crowd and place to crash and chill.
Every birthday boy needs a cake and here is my birthday peanut butter carrot cake which Jenn made from a recipe for "dog birthday cake". It has cream cheese, dog biscuits and sprinkles. Click here for this recipe and a few others.
Everybody sang a song for me wishing me a happy day!
Then I got to test out the cake. I must say that it was unlike anything I've tasted. It definitely passed the taste test.
We cut the cake up and every dog got to eat some. Jenn's friend Mimi brought some yummy doggy "ice cream" made with plain yogurt and peanut butter that went perfectly on top of the cake. We all had small pieces so we could share. Jenn says that small pieces are best for dogs, even if the cake is special for them. She didn't want anyone to get an upset stomach. No one complained! Then we did our gift exchange so everyone could go home with a new toy.
Wow! I am bushed. What a super special day. Thanks to all my friends and their humans for coming out and sharing their day with me.

It's my first birthday!

Today I am one year old! Jenn says that she cannot believe that a whole year ago, this was me...
Here I am with all my brothers and sisters, who I have not seen since I was 10 weeks old. I'm second from the right. I'd like to wish them all a happy birthday too: Happy Birthday to Rockstar, Jazz, Onyx, Topaz, Flash, and Justice!
Jenn says she has something special planned for me next weekend to celebrate my birthday. I can't wait!! I'm sure that I'll get some new toys or maybe we'll take a field trip somewhere exciting.

My Favorite Toys: Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker

Here's a new addition to my favorite toys list-the Kool Dogs Ice Treat Maker.
It makes a giant ice cube treat that lasts for hours. Jenn takes some treats and toys and freezes them inside the tub. Here she put in a stuffed Squirrel Dude (see previous post), some dog biscuits, and some baby carrots and then she adds water immersing all the goodies. You always want to use healthy things that your dog likes, but no more than just a snack.Once the tub is completely frozen, you take it out in the yard and plop it on the base which is pushed into the ground. Viola! A super fun frozen treat that keeps me occupied.

Big Sandy has Spondylosis

Jenn told me that my best girlfriend Big Sandy has something called spondylosis. Spondylosis is a very common condition that comes with dogs getting older. Lots of times people don't even know their older dog has it unless they have an x-ray. People get it too. Spondylosis happens over time as the spine becomes deformed from boney growths. Sometimes the growths create fusion of the vertebrae, which is what's happened to Big Sandy. For her it is probably more of a problem because she only has three legs. She's just not as flexible and she gets pain sometimes. So Jenn started to take her for acupuncture and she give her lots of TTouch, which seems to help a lot and she'll give her medications from our vet for pain and inflammation.


Jenn says that I have to play more gently with Big Sandy from now on and give her lots of breaks. People should monitor their puppies when they play with their older dogs. Puppies can be overwhelming for an older dog, especially if they are feeling stiffness or pain from aging and you need to step in and give the older dog a break.

You can learn more about Spondylosis by clicking here.