Dobby's Teeth are Clean!

Well today finally was the day Dob went and had his dental work. His teeth are clean and three were pulled. I just brought him home. He is doing well, considering he is pretty drugged up :) We are just going to snuggle and have a quiet evening.

Thanks to all who shared kind words!

Dobby Gets his Teeth Cleaned

I am so nervous right now... Everyone please tell me this is a routine procedure and dogs much smaller than Dobby are just fine under anesthesia. (That's the part I'm worried about.) He needs at least one minor tooth extraction, too. :( He is so perfect just the way he is and I'm worried it will change his pretty smile and I hope it doesn't hurt too bad :(

I'm just being a worried, worried mom. I can't imagine what having human children is like! Everyone please keep Dobby in your thoughts tomorrow (Thursday) while he's at the vet. I will try not to call them every half hour to see how he's doing :) Updates to come.

UPDATE Fri. 6/3:
Well the vet had an emergency in the morning, so his day got re-arranged and it bumped Dobby off his list. So, no teeth work yet; I need to reschedule. Updates as necessary.


<3 S and D

PSA, Product Plug, and a Visitor

We have lots to tell you about this week!

It all sort of weaves together, so I will just jump right in. Last weekend, I took in a stray dog, a minpin I called Max. I found him on Friday, so he had to spend the weekend with me since my vet was closed until Monday. He was covered in ticks and who knows what else, so he had to stay outside, but I gave him a bath, pulled off all the ticks I could find, and made him super comfy with my outdoor cushions and lots of towels. He was adorable and made himself a little nest.



Because he was roughed up a bit and my posters, craigslist ads, etc. hadn't gotten any responses from his owners, I sort of didn't want him to go back to them anyway. It didn't seem like they were taking good care of him, and didn't want to find him. So on Monday, I had mixed feelings about finding a microchip. He had a chip, but luckily the number on file was disconnected. So, I felt like I did the right thing trying to find his owner, but was also glad he didn't have to go back there! The vet called the person they know who does minpin rescue, and she came and picked him up right away. They all said how friendly he was and how easily he would be adopted. Happy ending!

So, TICKS! This is my Public Service Announcement: Finding so many ticks on little Max reminded me it is bug season. Everyone, please be careful about treating your pets for pests. Also, when I took Dobby to the park today, a tick got on my TOMS Shoes so remember to be careful even when you are in a well-kept area and stay on the paths. They can still get you!

And that is my product plug. Free advertising for TOMS! They are a fantastic business model and the shoes are beyond comfortable. Basically, for every pair you buy, they give a pair to a child in need. They're my go-to shoes. You can wear them straight out of the box (no break-in period at all), and I never get tired of wearing them.

And lastly, since this IS a blog for Dobby, here he is modeling his new froggie harness:

Dobby's First Visit to the Beach

Dobby and I went on a grand adventure on Wednesday. My best friend from college moved to Raleigh last year, so we take turns visiting each other and for this trip, she had the great idea to go to the beach! So, I took Dobby with me and she brought Grizzly, her adopted mutt, and we made the journey to the coast. We went to a special beach that allows off-leash dogs on an island called Topsail Beach. Here's how far Dobby and I travelled on Wednesday:

We left Greensboro, drove east for almost 2 hours, then my friend L drove us all south east for another 2.5 hours. It was a long day! Breaking it up by stopping at L's house in Raleigh made all the difference, though, it would be hard to do the 4.5 hour drive alone as a one-day trip. But when we got there we had so much fun!!

It was high tide when we got there, so there was really just a narrow strip of sand between the water and the dunes. It was actually pretty great though, because it meant that the water was very shallow for quite a way out. We could walk out into the water 20 feet, and it would still only be up to our ankles! So that was great for shorty Dob. L had been to this beach with Grizz before, so she knew it was best for the dogs to stay on the sound side of the island, not the ocean side, because there were no scary waves. Once we walked a little past the few other people who were there (most of them just fishing), we let the dogs off leash.

Dobby really loves doing anything outside off leash :) So, although I was a little nervous about him being a baby about his paws in the sand or getting wet, he was a trooper. He was brave and trotted out in front of us along the sand and dunes, and then after I showed him how shallow the water was, he even went into the water by himself! I don't think he was really interesting in playing in it, but he definitely liked just exploring. And of course I took lots of pictures! (Click to make big!)

(Grizz wanted to play with Dobby but Dob thought he was just a little too energetic...)









Here are some special pictures taken by L with her fancy Nikon D80 camera (The one at the top of the post is hers too!):

Me and Dobby!

Then, when we got back to L's house in Raleigh, Dobby met her pet bunny and was fascinated.


What a great day!

Tada!

Here's a picture of the yard!! It's so cozy :)

And Dobby enjoys the patio:

The Surprise and BIG NEWS!

Wellllll I got caught up in the end of semester insanity but now I'm ready to tell you about our surprise! Sort of! Basically, I got sod in my little back yard area and it's gorgeous and Dobby loves it. My back yard is about 35' by 20', about half concrete patio and half grass now.

I forgot to take a "before" picture, but this will give you a good idea of what my yard used to look like:
It was a weed patch with random bald spots sparsely covered by old mulch. When I moved in, there were even heaps of old chunks of concrete of some sort tossed back there. The patio slab is nice, but the yard was hideous. So, my landlady has been promising me sod basically since last summer, but the weather has been interfering. Now I have grass!!! It's so beautiful. I do have an "after" picture, but it's on my camera still and I don't have the cord.

I don't have my camera cord because I'm home in MD for Easter, and me and my mom are leaving tomorrow to meet my sister (who is studying abroad in Israel and is on spring break) in Athens, Greece!! Woohoo!

So, not a very exciting surprise unless you are me (and Dob) who enjoy the back yard SO much more now! Also not a very exciting post unless you are interested in what's going on in-the-life-of us instead of just pictures of Dob :)

Also, sorry I haven't been around much still! I finished my thesis and turned it in, then wrote another final term paper for a total of about 130 pages of writing this past two months. Plus working part time and social activities (which Dobby has been thoroughly enjoying, too!) Now I am all set to graduate with my MA on May 6, and BIG NEWS! I will be attending WVU in the fall to start a PhD. Anyone in that area, or anyone know anyone in that area, let me know. I need to find a spot for me and Dob to live :)

Love you all, and we miss you!!
<3

Our Surprise... Suspense!

Well I want to tell you about our surprise, but it is outside and it's been very rainy lately so I'm going to wait until I finish it and can take pictures before I share :)

I'll post about it ASAP!

Spring Time Hooray!

Hi all! Last post I talked about taking Dob for a run in the baseball fields of a local park. We've gone several times since then. Usually we just walk, but sometimes, we do the baseball-run thing. He loves it!! Once, about three weeks ago, I remembered to take my camera:

His little butt is so cute!

That day we took squeeky, his favorite toy, to play fetch :)

Then we finished off the afternoon with a walk through the rest of the park. Dob LOVES peeing on ornamental grasses. He finds them really irresistible!

The park--this was just before everything started to bloom and grow.

My favorite--an action shot! Yay!
The weather has been super gorgeous here, and we are lovin' every minute! A lot of days, I'll get home from work and we sit outside for an hour or two just reading and hanging around. Plus, I have a surprise I'll be posting about soon... A surprise that just happened TODAY and made Dobby a very happy boy :):)

Gasp!

I can't believe I let so much time go by since my last post! The truth is, I don't have a lot of time these days. I am graduating in May so this semester is all about thesis writing. I'm also taking one class and working part time... so, you can imagine ChihuahuaPost has fallen down some on my list of priorities :( My little Dobby is just as important as ever, though! I make sure we go for walks all the time, and he is still a spoiled little brat.

Today was a really beautiful day here in NC--it was in the mid-sixties all day. We went to the park to go for a lovely walk, but as we were walking through a field, Dobby spontaneously burst into a run! He was on a leash so I ran alongside him to the end of the field. He hardly ever gets to run like that outside because I don't like to take his leash off him unless it's an enclosed area, and there aren't many public fenced-in fields around, especially ones that have cut grass (because uncut grass is too tall for him to run in!) I could tell he was so happy to be out in the sunshine he just wanted to run, run, run! Nearby there were some fenced-in baseball fields, so we went into one and ran, and ran, and ran for about half an hour. It was a blast. He was so happy! I will definitely be doing this again--the baseball fields are a great idea.

I don't have pictures from today's spontaneous fun, but here are some recent ones:




PS Happy Valentine's Day to you and all our four-legged lovies!

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!

Dobby recognized his stocking and was being nosey...

We usually give a chewie to the dogs first to distract them while we open people presents.

Gracie with her big Christmas bone!

Silly Christmas ornaments I bought for the dogs :) (click to see bigger)

Grandmom visited; she gets a kick out of Dobby sitting on her lap! Grace was overwhelmed.

An afternoon pig's ear :)




The day really wore out little Dobby. In the evening we all just relaxed by the fire and Dobby was curled up in my new afghan my grandmom made me.

Hope you all had a wonderful day!!

Christmas Week!

A quick round-up of December Fun!

Dobby loves the little heater!

Dobby helps my best friend, R, write a final paper.

Dobby has a nice visit with Zinnie!

Snuggles on the couch in PJ's.

Call for Addresses!!

Hi everyone! I got the Christmas card list from the Fiesty Three, but a lot of you are not on the list!! I have some of your addresses from past years, but if you've moved or if we just met this year, please send me your address so I can send you a Christmas card. You can leave it in the comments or email me at sekelly2 (at) gmail (dot) com.


Happy Holidays!
<3 S and D

A Quick 'Hello' and- Christmas Card Exchange??

Hi everyone! We are still here, just having a busy fall. The weather has been uncommonly nice so we have been taking lots of trips to the park, which Dobby loves. I've been busy with school, but that just means Dob can enjoy quiet evenings snuggled next to me while I work :)


I just this week got out my Christmas things- I'm going home to Maryland for Thanksgiving, so I am decorating before I leave (so I will get to come home to Christmas cheer!) I found lots of great cards from four-legged friends from the past two years we have been a part of this great community but it made me think "HEY! What about this year?" So: Are we having a card exchange? I would love to send you all cards, and would really enjoy getting cards from anyone who sends them out. Please email me if you're interested in swapping cards (or just receiving one!) at sekelly2 (at) gmail (dot) com.

UPDATE: Thanks for telling me about Fiesty Three! I emailed them. If you're not on their list, though, please still email me directly if you'd like a card!

Happy Halloween!

Dobby's annual Halloween photo shoot :)

Enjoy!!

RIP Much-Loved Doggies

My boyfriend's family has just had to help their 15 year old fox terrier across the Rainbow Bridge. Calvin was just very old and recently developed tumors throughout his body, including several that stopped his liver from working. I got to meet him a few times, and he was a quiet little old man with a funny little kinked tail and sweet gray eyebrows.

EDIT:
Shortly after Calvin passed over the bridge, my best friend's childhood dog, Belle, also had to be helped to the other side. She was a very big chow / german shepherd mix, about 14 years old, who was very loved. She was pretty sick and although everyone is sad, it was her time to go.

Also recently, some relatives of mine lost their old pup as well. My cousins, aunt, and uncle were very sad to see their 17 year old terrier pass. I have very good memories of Buster as a young dog, frolicking in the fields behind their house.

Please send happy thoughts their way.

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Every year, Dobby and I go to pick out pumpkins together. Next year I will probably be moving to a new town during the summer, so we will have to find a new pumpkin patch. I was extra careful to take pictures this year so we could remember our first falls together! I got Dobby on October 13, so picking out pumpkins was one of the very first special things we ever did together. We go to a local church that fills their front lawn with pumpkins to raise money for their youth programs. (I like the idea that my pumpkin money is going to a good cause instead of a big grocery store!)



Those pumpkins are bigger than Dobby is!


These are more his size...


A happy outing!


Yesterday, I turned two of the pumpkins we got into jack-o-lanterns! I'll post pictures of those and Dobby in his Halloween outfit soon :)