Happy Vacation Day

Claire and Cameron were supposed to camp out after 4th of July firework in Cambridge, MD. But the weather forecast (rain clouds) didn't look so good so they drove home instead. Yay to us because they took us for a walk on the Trolley Trail this morning. Trolley trail has a lot of trees, so most of the walk is in the shade. We were so excited to go for a short car ride and walk around. And now we are exhausted. In fact, my eyes are half shut as I type this blog post. But gotta share the joy! Off to a nap now.

Happy Birthday Lilo!

Three years ago, we welcomed Lilo to our home.  Lilo is our very first dog and she is the best dog.

Today, we celebrate her 5th birthday.  We were told she was about two when we adopted her.  Cameron and I baked her a pumpkin cake with peanut butter icing.  I tasted it myself, it's pretty good.  It's basically a can of pumpkin, flour and butter.  Obviously, it's not sweet or anything, but I'm sure it's very tasty for the dogs :)  This year, we have Gizmo and Ozzie attending her paw-ty.

Here's Lilo waiting to taste her cake.

Finally to eat it!  Yum!  Gizmo, on the other hand didn't like the cake, or rather, he didn't like the peanut butter.  I had no idea.  I have never seen a dog who doesn't like peanut butter.  Gizmo is special :)  He ate the cake ok once I cut off the part with peanut butter.

I served a piece in a bowl for Ozzie.  He grabbed it and walked to a "safe" place to eat.  LOL.

First Peke Foster

This is our very first pekingese foster.  Ever since we watched Malachy winning Westminster best in show, we are very drawn to the breed.  So when Mel over at Mutts Matter Rescue asked if we would foster Ozzie, we agreed.  He is so sweet and friendly, rides well in the car, walks well on the leash.

Wouldn't you want to take him home? 

Vacation without us!!!

Isn't this pretty? Well, Cameron and Claire went on a vacation without us. We would love to be there hiking with them! Maybe next time.

Did I hear treats???

We seem to have a lot of house guests lately, what is going on???  The latest one we have is a miniature schnauzer named Lucy.  Lucy is kinda crazy because both Lilo and her wants to take charge.  I don't really care as long as she doesn't steal my food or my spot on the couch, hehe!  I did notice something good happened since Claire picked up Lucy on Thursday.  We started getting treats on our walks.  Whoah, an extra snack in between meals makes stomach very happy :) 

Lucy walks separately from us.  They said she needs one-on-one training on walking and not barking when walking.  I don't know what that means...how could you not know how to walk???  I enjoy walking very much and choking myself is the last thing I want to do on my walks.  And why would you bark at humans/dogs when you walk?  When I see other dogs or humans, I try my fastest to hide behind Cameron or Claire.  This doesn't make any sense to me!  Oh well, beef jerky tastes so good I would not complaint.  I'm looking forward to some more beef jerky tomorrow.

Spring is here, so is the rainy season

Lilo's contribution.  Gizmo's contribution.

We really enjoy spring time, it means more walks, more daylight, flowers, grass, etc...But one thing we don't particularly enjoy is walking in the rain.

Last weekend, there was this huge thunderstorm.  Stupid Gizmo kept whining about going out, so the humans took us out IN THE RAIN and GUSTING WIND!  

I didn't know any better, Lilo.  Did you see my expression afterward?  I was traumatized!  I didn't want to go out ever again.

Claire felt bad for us.  After all, both of us have quite a bit of fur, and could get to be quite a pair of dirty mops if soaked.  So she went online (her favorite Amazon.com) and looked for nice raincoats.  She ordered them earlier this week (actually sold by Petco.com) and the package came yesterday, just in time for today's rain.

Boneheads water proof raincoat is pretty awesome.  Just checked the price, $19.99 for small/medium/large, it's $2 cheaper than earlier this week!  I think Claire is going to order a medium size for Gizmo.  Ok, so about the sizing, Claire ordered two large, because doggie apparels tend to run a bit smaller.  Turns out, large fits me, Lilo (14 lbs with lots of fur!), perfectly.  But it's a bit too big on Gizmo (11 lbs with not as much fur). It does a very good job keeping our bodies dry, allowing us to maintain our appearance.  No one likes to see either of us soaking wet...we look like rats without all the poofy hair!  Plus, we look like we're on a mission with the raincoat!  Like a construction worker, or firefighter, you know, something about being in uniforms.

Pictures of us after our very first walk with the raincoats.  Face slightly wet since we didn't use the hood (yeah, it gets in the way of seeing/sniffing things), feet are all wet as expected, but body 100% dry.  I would say, good $45 spent on us!

Avery Adopted!!!

That was fast!  Our house guest Avery just went to his forever home.  He only stayed for 5 days.  We just started playing with him, and now he is gone.  Farewell Avery.  We hope you all the best with your new family.  Here are two pictures taken on his last day with us.

He loves shoes, carries the winnie the pooh slipper around all the time.  Weird!

Foster Pup Avery

Avery is a shih tzu mix, available for adoption over at Mutts Matter Rescue.  He is our latest house guest.  They said he is about 1-2 years old.  He seems ok, not too big of a dog.  We haven't play with him yet because both of us are a bit sick from this warm weather.  He was neutered last Friday, so he wasn't in the mood to play anyways. 

The three of us walk pretty well together.  He doesn't try to push us around, so that is good.  We really enjoy our walks, and we already get enough hassles from the humans for sniffing too much. 

And he likes toys, always seems to have one in his mouth.  Runs around the house with toy in his mouth all the time. Only one suspected accident so far in the house.  Enjoys hanging out with us on the deck.  Let our humans know if you are interested in adopting him.  He's really sweet.

Marshall Adopted!

It has only been a week and Marshall is gone already!  And we have just started chasing around the house like crazy.  We're going to miss you Marshall, but I'm sure the family will bring another dog home in no time.  We just hope those dogs (hopefully shih tzu's) are as nice of a playmate as you are Marshall.

Good luck with your new life, Marshall!

Foster Dog Marshall

We have been fostering Marshall for a week now.  He has settled in very nicely into our family.  Gizmo started playing with him some on Friday.  Today, Lilo, Gizmo, and Marshall were all chasing each other around the house!  What a breakthrough for Lilo.

MMR had an adoption event at Bark pet store on Rockville Pike.  Lots of people are interested in him.  Who wouldn't??  Marshall is so sweet, so affectionate, friendly towards people and other dogs.  So hopefully, if all goes well, Marshall will be going to his forever home in a few days :)

After the event, we stopped by Cameron's parents house.  Apparently, Marshall is one very intimidating dog.  Both Yogi and Bandit were running away from him.  Bandit even opened the basement door and went down to the basement!!!  (Bandit was spent first few months of her life being locked up in the basement by her first family.  So she is not a big fan of the basement.)  Yogi is a simply chicken about small dogs...so it was no surprise that she tried to run away from Marshall.  In the mean time, the only thing Marshall did was play bows, opened his mouth slightly with his tongue out (indication of friendliness).  Pretty funny to watch.

 Marshall is so friendly!  He made himself comfortable next to someone he had just met.

Mutts Matter Rescue

About a month or two ago, I came across with Mutts Matter Rescue through Barks facebook fan page.  They rescued dogs with very sad stories.  I've been thinking about volunteering for this rescue, but we had Lexie then, so I didn't pursuit.  As you know, Lexie was adopted to a very nice couple last Sunday, and MMR posted a facebook message about the need for foster homes, so I applied on Thursday.

Things moved pretty quick, and I picked up Marshall to foster yesterday.  He is a 1-year-old shih tzu, rescued from BARCS (Baltimore animal shelter) earlier this week.  BARCS was full and couldn't take in any more dogs, so Marshall was on death row if no local rescues could take him.

He is super sweet and friendly!  He wants to play with toys and other dogs.  My dogs aren't so sure about playing with Marshall yet.  It's pretty funny to watch Marshall in play bows, tail wagging, and my two dogs try to run away.  This morning, Lilo and Gizmo were chasing each other around in circles, and Marshall sat in the corner tail wagging, waiting for their acceptance.  (maybe in a few days...)  At least all three of them walk very well together, so that's a good sign.

Marshall is super soft!  I'm actually pretty envious of his thick soft hair.  (I wish Gizmo has the same type of hair.  It'd definitely would make brushing a lot easier!  Gizmo's hair is more cotton-ish and picks up leaves/sticks/everything during our daily walks.)  Plus, who can resist that cute face, hehe!
If you're interested in adopting Marshall, please check out www.MuttsMatterRescue.com for more info!

Farewell Lexie

It's Sunday again, which means, it's Lucky Dog's adoption event again.  There goes, Claire and Cameron take off with Lexie at 11am.  We don't quite understand the concept of adoption events.
I (Lilo) would certainly want to meet some other dogs!  I love to make friends. 
I (Gizmo) would rather stay home.  I hate car rides and worry about other dogs.

They usually come home in a few hours.  Lexie is usually very exhausted.  She never wants to talk about it.  Today is a little different.  Only Claire and Cameron come back.  Lexie is nowhere to be found.  They tell us that Lexie found a very good home.

Farewell Lexie.  You've been a nice housemate, and we will miss you!

Lexie at Adoption Event

Lexie was at Towson Petsmart this past weekend to show off her beauty.  Wouldn't you adopt her??  Check out LuckyDogAnimalRescue.org for more info. 

New Rescue Group

As you know, both Lilo and Gizmo are rescued dogs.  Lilo was pulled from a puppy mill in North Carolina, and Gizmo was left outside in the snow with his sister Lucy in South Carolina.  They both turned out to be the most awesome dogs, and we simply cannot imagine our lives without them. 

We have been actively volunteering with a few rescues in the Baltimore/DC area.  And guess what?  My friend Jessica started a new rescue - Dogs XL.  As the name suggested, the rescue will focus on dogs 75+lbs.  Please check out its website at DogsXLRescue.org.  

Macaque

My parents met this little monkey, technically macaque, in Japan.  Isn't he the cutest thing???!  He is so adorable, I could not stop thinking about him.  He is now the wallpaper of my phone and computer.  Wish I can watch his street performance. 

Lexie needs a little luck

Lexie is such a sweet dog, who simply doesn't draw much attention at adoption events because she hides behind us, despite how many times we try to get out of the way or position her in front of us.  And she pretty much takes a two hour nap, waking up occasionally when people come and pet her.

See, this was what she did at today's adoption event at Columbia, MD.  If only people can see what we see at home (watch the video), they would know how loving Lexie is. 

Ever wonder what they do while we are at work??

They really don't do much.  Mostly sleep and stroll around the house.

EVIDENCE!!!

PROOF! Our suspicion is correct. Lilo opens the crate door like no one's business.  This happened 14 minutes after we left for work.  We think Lilo waited to make sure no one is coming home to catch her in the middle of the act. 

Animal Neighbors

Today is a very exciting day.  I met a kitty this morning, then I met two shih tzus on our evening walk.
Whoah, could you believe??  Two shih tzu's?  You don't see too many shih tzu's around here.  They had just moved into the neighborhood.  We've so many bichons, labs, beagles in the neighborhood.  I'm so excited to see more of my kind.  That's what I called diversity!!!

Gizmo's escape

I don't know why, but Cameron locked me up in a crate this morning before they left for work.
(Gizmo, you were chewing on things when we're not home, that's why!!!)

But no fear!  Lilo and I are best buds.  She and I together, figured out how to open the crate door.  ESCAPE!!!  Now ran in circles, just like every other day!!!!
(That's what we suspected.  Gizmo isn't smart enough to do this on his own.)

5:45pm rolled around, I ran to the door to greet Cameron and Karen.  And shocked them that they had to call Claire to confirm she didn't release me before she left for work. 
(Cameron and Karen rushed to get home since Gizmo was crated all day, just to see him roaming freely in the house)

Your mischievous dog,

Check out Lexie

Look at that BIG eye!  Lexie is such a doll, so adorable. Yes, she doesn't see very much, but that doesn't stop her from following everyone around the house or going on walks.  In fact, she loves walks.  She knows when you get her leash out and would run to the door, wag her tail, and sit to wait for you to put her leash on her.
Lexie has dry eye, and requires eye drops a few times a day.  Giving her drops is pretty easy.  She doesn't mind it at all because she feels much better when her eye is not dry.

Let me know if you are interested in adopting Lexie. 

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!

From your doggies,

Laptop.

Claire finally bought a new laptop, which means blogging returns! She found pictures from a few months ago. 

Look at us, we are such good friends, we even share a pillow.

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

This is an organic strawberry grown from our house. The plant didn't yield many strawberries in 2010. And it looks like it's dying right now. Claire was nice enough to let us sniff it before the humans ate it. 

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

Lexie at Adoption Events

Lexie when we picked her up from transport. 

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

Lexie at Whiteflint Petco adoption event.

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

She is just so darn cute!  We will not be at adoption event today because of Chinese New Year.  But we'll be out there to meet adopters next weekend.  Check out luckydoganimalrescue.org for the location of adoption events.

Lexie

Here's our latest house guest, Lexie.  She has been living with us for a month now. 

Here's a little bio on her:
She is rescued from a puppy mill in South Carolina.  She is about 5 years old, very friendly dog.  She only has one eye, and mostly blind.  She has dry eye, pretty common for the breed, so you'll have to put eye drops a few times a day (once in the morning, once in the evening, and whenever her eye gets too red.)

Her blindness doesn't really affect her that much.  She goes on walks with us, eats and drinks without problem.  Learned the layout of our house within 20 minutes of arrival, figured out how to go up the stairs after just a few days.  She loves to be petted, always tail-wagging. 

From Lilo The Shih Tzu

She also loves to sun bathe (don't we all?!)

If you want to adopt Lexie, you can check out Lucky Dog Animal Rescue or her petfinder site here: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18355606

Dr Office

Lilo: "No Dr. Zakai today.  Claire forgot to ask for him when making the appointment."
Gizmo: "I don't like him anyways...I still remember vividly how he shaved my neck!"
Lilo: "Alright, regardless, the dr we met today was a very nice dr.  We are now up to date with shots...and also feeling sick!  I saw you threw up earlier in the short cut.  And I just threw up some kibbles, in my bed."
Gizmo: "I was sick b/c of the stuffed bone.  It was so delicious, but you can only eat so much junk food."
Lilo:  "I'm concerned right now.  I heard that I have a dental appointment next week.  I don't know what to think of it.  I hated it when Claire brush my teeth..."  ::sigh::