Dog Park Days

Jazzy's Speedy Delivery Service

2011-04-07T21:54:00.004-05:00

Please welcome four year old Jazzy to our home! A good friend of ours asked if we would take Jazzy and we were very happy to do so. I have never had a dog as tiny as Jazzy. She is a teacup chihuahua. Soooooo tiny I can carry her in one hand!

Now that the weather is warm I will be posting more here! We are looking forward to many dog park visits! I will write more about Jazzy soon!

Maizie & Jazzy Share Emotions

2011-01-10T18:47:00.006-06:00

Darwin Communicates

2011-01-09T23:31:00.004-06:00

This happens if I go out at night. Darwin's way of communicating to me that he is not pleased with me feeding him later than he is accustomed to. I cleaned up the mess and he refuses to eat even now! Spoiled...spoiled....dog.

Dog Park Days Returns

2011-01-09T13:19:00.009-06:00

I am back to blogging slowly. I have adjusted to my new life in Iowa and feel ready to get back to blogging. I have missed it very much. Darwin and Salem are doing well. We lost Zebra, our other guinea pig about a year ago. She passed away quickly. Salem is getting old but you would never know it.
Darwin goes everywhere with me. He is such a great guard dog and companion.
Still ornery for being seven years old. In the photo above you see blue teeth. He enjoys finding crayons the girls drop and eats them. Yuck.
Darwin continues to love Salem, helping clean her and makes sure she is happy.
Darwin loves his girls and follows them everywhere. When they leave he wanders the house looking for them and whines. That breaks my heart but it is life now. Visitations causing children to go from house to house from divorce are not easy on anyone, pets included.
Darwin and me.
The girls love taking Darwin out for ice cream. He is spoiled.

The Long Winter

2010-02-11T21:48:00.005-06:00

I can not believe how long it has been since I posted last. Maizie has been struggling to stay healthy. New events in my life have required great time to adjust and trips to the dog park have been few due to large amounts of snow and ice. And yet, warm and cozy times inside with pets are still special. In the photo above Maizie is reading to her respite care worker's dog after recovering from a hospital stay.Rudy, my mom and dad's dog enjoys laying on the kids snuggies at Thanksgiving. My friend Kate's new puppy is adopted from a shelter in Keokuk, Iowa. Quimby has brought so much love and play into our home. He is part Great Pyrenees and part Black Lab. Kate is training Quimby to be a therapy dog. He is so relaxed and loving I find it hard to believe he is not even close to a year old yet. Quimby brings us all lots of needed therapy right here.
Poor Darwin has been struggling with his paws this winter. The snow and ice has done a number on them. Eventually requiring an antibiotic and pain medications. His new Elizabethan Collar has sent him into a mild depression.

Darwin has always followed me everywhere and I usually don't think too much about it. However, with this collar he can't judge distance very well and every time I stop the collar hits my legs. The poor guy keeps crashing into the door ways to go outside. When he sniffs to go potty he lifts up his head and his collar fills with snow. I have resorted to keeping a towel handy to wipe the snow out. For the time being trips to the dog park or long walks have came to a stand still. Lucky for Darwin Quimby is always ready for a play date!

Back to the Dog Park

2009-10-30T09:26:00.009-05:00

Maizie, Ryan and me took off to our local dog park. Ryan had never been to a dog park before and he loved it. I did not think I would ever get them to agree to leave.

The walk home was nice. Darwin was exhausted and so were the kids.

Darwin's Big Decision for the Day....

2009-03-29T13:05:00.008-05:00

This post is dedicated to Chris who finds everything Darwin does very entertaining. Thank you for being exactly who you are Chris. I am so happy our paths crossed. I love you.

Dog Park Days Goes on a Bloggy Break Till Spring

2008-10-07T23:28:00.006-05:00

Oh my!

It has been way too long since I posted. Please excuse the dust. I am going to be creating a new blog.

Dog Park Days is going on an extended Bloggy Break until Spring.

I want to make a Guinea Pig Blog. I know. I know. It is silly. This will be a great winter project for Maizie and me. I will post a link to the new blog as soon as it is ready.

Sweet Dreams Stella.

2008-09-03T19:18:00.018-05:00

Stella follows me around from the moment I wake up and let her out of the crate. She hangs out with me in the bathroom, she stares intently as I make breakfast.Stella insists on being a part of everything. When I fill the water bottle for the guinea pigs she is there making sure I do it correctly.Stella seems to know when I am thinking about running an errand. She begins "talking" and howling until I give in and allow her to come along.In the car she stares at me while I drive. Being an exceptionally high strung dog she can't seem to relax. By the end of the day her intensity can get to be a bit much. I discovered that Stella loves to be brushed before bed. The brushing relaxes her and she begins to calm down for the first time all day. Within minutes my hyper, over attentive puppy begins to get sleepy. Stella sighs her little sigh and before long she begins to drift off to la la land. Sweet dreams Stella.

Darwin Pulls a Fast One and Quotes Darwin Himself

2008-07-29T00:30:00.004-05:00

Darwin creeps through the kitchen, head down...trying to look innocent.The evidence 'spills forth'. How much he managed to consume we will never really know.
Darwin says, "Animals manifestly enjoy excitement, and suffer from annul and may exhibit curiosity. That is a quote of the late Charles Robert Darwin."

I say, "Darwin! You think you know everything! You are just a dog. An animal. Be good...you cheeky dog!"

Gorgeous Golden

2008-07-15T22:24:00.004-05:00

Meet Maxim, the German Shepherd Puppy

2008-07-14T21:53:00.016-05:00

Happy Fourth of July from Stella the Flying Dog

2008-07-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

Love Bites at the Dog Park

2008-07-03T07:45:00.010-05:00

The Old English Sheepdog Visits the Dog Park

2008-07-01T14:44:00.008-05:00

The Dangers of the Dog Park...SLOBBER

2008-06-30T22:57:00.005-05:00

Stella, The Australian Cattle Dog Can Fly!

2008-06-16T22:09:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the Dog Park Jenna!

2008-06-16T22:00:00.007-05:00

This is Jenna. An adorable yellow lab puppy who frequents the dog park. Jenna is Harley's little sister. Harley is the big lab on the right in the photo below.Maizie kept the puppies busy playing tug o' war.

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

2008-06-02T22:32:00.007-05:00

Stella and the Fountain

2008-05-27T22:40:00.004-05:00

Maizie loves to turn on the water fountain at the dog park. It has become a new game between Stella and Maizie.

Stella jumps and drinks the water as it sprays over the bowl. She becomes quite obsessed.
Can you see her look of satisfaction? What a cutie. Stella is a handful. These trips to the dog park really help her burn off excess energy. I think Australian Cattle dogs rarely nap. Sigh.

Stella Grows Wings

2008-05-15T19:32:00.006-05:00

Sunny Days Are Here...Finally!

2008-04-18T14:15:00.014-05:00

Getting Back Into The Dog Park Routine

2008-04-15T20:12:00.007-05:00

I have yet to get back into the swing of taking photographs at the dog park. To be honest I am afraid of dropping my camera. The park is a mud bog and I have my hands full with Maizie. Today our visit went well. Maizie and I have worked out a routine where she runs to the gate, enters the code and holds the door open for the dogs.

We make certain no other dogs are coming or leaving the park and then I open the back of the truck and Stella and Darwin make a mad dash to the gate. Once in Maizie closes the gate and unhooks their leashes. We open the second gate and the dogs take off into the park for a frolicking good time.

It took a few visits for Maizie to get back into following the rules of staying seated on the bench while the dogs run. If it is just Stella and Darwin she can roam but if there are many more dogs we sit on the bench. Today there were twelve dogs! Twelve wild, ornery dogs. Maizie and I were both covered in mud by the end of our visit. It was a great time nonetheless. I missed a lot of great photo opportunities today. Argh.

I am praying the weather stays nice, the earth dries up a bit and the trips become less muddy.
Tonight I combed Darwin. What a mess. All of a sudden he is shedding...bad. I combed him for a good forty minutes and he still needs work. A bath is in order. I think I will be taking him to a groomer within the week.

2008-04-08T21:54:00.007-05:00

We are back at the Dog Park! The mud has dried up enough to where I am not too afraid to go. Granted, Darwin always seems to find a small mud puddle to lay in. Stella and Darwin followed Maizie around while she looked for clues in the holes left behind by various dogs. She also found a worm that she called a "snake". You can read more about her great find on the Dazlious blog.

Max in the photo above is pretty old. He walks around a bit and then sits and watches the other dogs play.
Cody is one of Maizie's favorites. A soft yellow lab that is lazy and enjoys following Maizie around since she showers him with attention.

Cody is quite relaxed here as you can tell.

After almost two hours of running Darwin and Stella finally sit down for a break. Stella never sits long. I swear that dog never gets tired.

We can't wait to see our friends from last year at the Dog Park!

Stella's Red Shoes

2008-04-03T10:21:00.002-05:00

Stella on Easter Morning!

2008-03-23T12:06:00.000-05:00

Maggie Meets Alex

2008-03-19T22:35:00.013-05:00

Stella Plays Scrabble!

2008-03-14T22:23:00.006-05:00

Tonight we ordered Indian food and sat down for a game of Scrabble with some friends. First Joe was up. Next was Pat who always wins.
John and Cindy played as a team. I left the table to take care of Maizie and when I came back look who was making my play for me! Stella!

Having a limited vocabulary Stella played the word below. John and Cindy felt the pressure. Stella is a serious Scrabble player.

Miss Sadie's Request

2008-03-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

Miss Sadie is known as a gentle giant. Her owners adopted her from the pound on the very day she was scheduled to be put down. Sadie is a constant and compassionate companion to Hannah. You can read more about Sadie at A Life of Triggers. Sadie's buddy has been diagnosed with Mesenteric Adenitis. Hannah should recover but right now she is in a lot of pain and feeling pretty down. Please send your prayers that Hannah will be feeling better soon. If you have time stop by A Life of Triggers and wish Hannah well.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2008-03-06T09:32:00.007-06:00

Meet Our New Guinea Pigs!

2008-03-04T13:54:00.006-06:00

Meet Salem. Salem is a Guinea Pig. I know...I know...what are these Guinea pigs doing on a dog blog? Well, Maizie had been begging for a couple of guinea pigs for months. I was growing weary of finding guinea pig videos on my iPhone and endless chatter about guinea pigs. So, we "cavied" and bought her a pair. Salem is the shy one.
Darwin is in love with Zebra the black and white cavie. Zebra loves to be held for hours and seems to enjoy Darwin's intrusive attention. I think Darwin may be a tad bit jealous? Whenever the guinea pigs are out he has to be laying right there. He loves to clean them with his big ol' tongue. I don't think the cavies appreciate it but they put up with him. Maizie finds holding them very relaxing. It amazes me how lovable these little critters are. Thank goodness because they have a very long life span. They will be pals with Maizie for years to come.

It is hard to decide who is cuter! You may be wondering where Stella is. Lets just say Stella is a tad more "passionate" with the guinea pigs. She wants to herd them and make them her dinner. When the guinea pigs are out Stella has to go down for nappy time. Poor Stella.

Maggie!

2008-03-01T18:05:00.002-06:00

Please join us in welcoming Maggie. My Mom and Dad brought her home Saturday to be best buddies with their dog Rudy. They are all so excited. As you can see Maggie is great photographic material. Maizie is so excited to see her!

Dog Park Days Spring Cleaning

2008-02-29T23:03:00.002-06:00

Dog Park Days is doing some Spring Cleaning around here. Please help me out by clicking HERE! Thank you!

Go Sparky!

2008-02-23T07:39:00.005-06:00

Kathryn from Crystal Jigsaw has a beautiful dog named Sparky. Sparky is a very busy collie, helping with the sheep on their farm. Unfortunately Sparky had an accident and dislocated her hip. She was not able to work the farm and spend a lot of time laying around like this.

With time, patience, meditation (as seen below) and lots of loving from Kathryn and the Farmer... Sparky began to feel much better.

As you can see from the photo above Sparky is now leaping and frolicking like a puppy! Check out that jump! Amazing! We are so happy you are feeling better Sparky!

Bubble! Bubble! Bath! Bash!

2008-02-20T06:12:00.001-06:00

Bath time tends to get a little wild around here. Stella and Darwin like to visit Maizie while she plays in the tub. If left alone...bubbles....bubbles....everywhere!

Stella takes it all in stride. She loves to lick the bubbles and sits very still while Maizie decorates her head with bubbles. Yup, she is a real weird one...that Stella. Darwin keeps his distance but has had his fair share of,'; "bubble heads" before.

Trapper is Waiting for his Dog....you wanna help out?

2008-02-19T19:22:00.008-06:00

Dogs are the best. As you all know our daughter Maizie loves dogs. Maizie is Autistic and has a special devotion to dogs and animals of all kinds. Dogs are her favorite.

When I told Maizie about a little boy who wants a dog to help him every day she suggested we blog about it on our Dog Park Days blog. What a great idea!
Trapper is an autistic three year old boy whose family wants to provide him with a dog that is specially trained to help Autistic children. These incredible dogs can help the child deal with stress and overcome many obstacles faced by autistic children.

Even though our dogs are not therapy dogs I have seen how they touch Maizie's life. When Maizie is going into a cyclical vomiting syndrome episode our German Shepherd mix Darwin is always at her side. He guards her bedroom and notifies us when she is sick. The best benefit is the loving relationship Darwin and Maizie have. They are buddies. Considering the social difficulties Maizie has Darwin is a safe friend who is always there for her. Maizie and I both think that thearpy dogs are a fantastic idea for Autistic children and adults. Please take some time to read about how assistance dogs can help.

If you are interested in helping Tucker be matched with a loving assistance dog please visit his website called 4 Paws for Trapper. Trapper is awaiting a dog through 4 Paws for Ability. As you can imagine training a dog for service is an expensive process and Trapper's family needs some help. You can also assist by purchasing a collar and leash for your special pup at Feline Fido.

Maizie is Doing Better! Sean and Carol Have a Baby!

2008-02-13T22:43:00.006-06:00

I am so behind on the dog blogs! Maizie is finally doing much better. We are on day three of no throwing up. She has been diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. We spent so much time in the hospital in the last twenty eight days if felt like we were going to have to move in! CVS is like having a majorly bad migraine that lasts a long time in your belly. We were surprised it is not seizures....well, at least we think she is not having seizures at this point. She was sick with this last bout of CVS for twenty eight days! Miserable. There was nothing fun about it. It is so good that we finally have a diagnosis. This will help us treat the episodes with the right medication. Hopefully it will be a while before she has another CVS episode.

Thank you for all of your prayers, e-mails and comments. I really appreciate them. We are working on catching up with the Dog Park Days blog and reading all of our doggie friends blogs.

The above photo is Maizie visiting with her doggie friend Gail. Sean and Carol who frequent the dog park with Gail and Zephyr added a new member to their family recently...little Archer. We were able to visit Carol today and I took this picture of her holding baby Archer. How cute is he? They are all doing well!

Stella and Darwin Were Tagged!

2008-02-03T10:09:00.000-06:00

Darwin and Stella were tagged by Mr. Milo, a very silly and cool dog at Her Indoors. He is so handsome, as you can tell in the photo above.

The rules: Post these rules on your blog and links where appropriate. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. Tag six random people and let them know they've been tagged.

Darwin will go first.

1. One of my eyes is partially blue. Most people think it is pretty and some say, "Something is wrong with your dog's eye." Can you imagine?

2. I like Stella to watch me eat my dog food. She stands real close and stares at me and I make these real menacing grumbly noises. I stare at her through the corner of my eyes and stand real still like. It is super funny. Sometimes I throw out a piece of food and tease her with it. She goes to eat it and then I jump at her. Stella is such sucker.

3. I sit on my owner's new leather furniture when they leave the house but manage to never sit on it when they are home. I am soooo sneaky. They have no idea.

4. When I was a puppy I had seizures a lot. I had to go to a special hospital and everything. Maybe that is why I love Maizie so much. I know how much seizures suck. This is me as a puppy with Maizie.
5. Stella always wants to cuddle with me. Wherever I lay she has to be at least touching me. I always look annoyed but I let her do it. I guess I kinda do love her.

6. Sometimes I go into the basement and hang out with Joe while he works. Stella is afraid to go down the stairs and gets so angry when I am down there. I love driving her crazy like that.

Stella's List
1. I am addicted to ringing the pee pee bell on the door. I can't help it. It is so tempting and makes such a pretty noise. Best of all, when I ring it they take me outside and I get to sniff.

2. I love my crate. I have a hard time sleeping anywhere but in my crate because I have to always see everything. I don't want to miss anything cool going on! My owners even put a towel over my door so I would not be tempted to stare out and not sleep.

3. Cuddling with Darwin is the best. He keeps me warm and I feel so safe with him. I do think he is handsome but don't tell anyone I said that!

4. I like to be held like a baby, so my belly is rubbed. If my owners are not paying attention to me I will put my paw on their face. It works every time!

5. My owners always say I am a lot like a cat. I don't know what the heck a cat is but I know this is probably not a compliment.

6. I sigh a lot. Marla says it is the cutest little sigh.

Now, we need to tag six others to do this totally cool tag. We would like to tag the following cool doggies!

1. Lacy Lu Lu

2. Johann the dog

3. Life With Three Dogs

4. Peanuts

5. Serendipity Park

6. Lab Brats

a bloggy doggie break for a family emergency

2008-01-27T04:15:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! This is darwin. Some of you are familiar with my best buddy maizie. Right now she is in the hospital having a 72 hour EEG due to some ongoing seizures. Maizie is a special little girl who is autistic. She has been dealing with seizures for a long time but recently they are getting very intense and she is having several a day. I love her so much and miss her.

So, while my marla and joe are coming and going from the hospital there won't be any new doggie posts. Stella and I are trying to be good and patient. I have been naughty though and chewed up two library books, a loaf of bread, opened a jar of fish food and ate a bunch of it but then I decided to spread it all over the floor and roll in it instead... It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. We are getting plenty of attention, I guess. I suppose Stella and I are just a little stressed out since we miss our buddy maizie.

Please pray or wish or whatever it is you humans do that the doctors can help maizie feel better soon. If you want to learn more about autism and our little peanut maizie you can at www.marlabaltes.blogspot.com

Meanwhile, please check back soon. Oh! Marla wanted me to tell you that she misses reading your blogs and knows she is so behind. She will get back to reading them once maizie gets home. Marla loves reading all her doggie blogs and just wants you all to know she misses you. Not as much as she misses me though... Her best dog...Darwin. She misses Stella too.... Just not as much as me cuz I am her most favorite doggie.

Love,

Darwin

Stella is a What?

2008-01-21T20:37:00.000-06:00

Here is Stella sleeping on my "mosquito chair". I think she looks like a fox or some weird animal other than a dog. Australian Cattle dog? She is still so tiny. I think she is possibly mixed with something. What do you all think?

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

This is Stella when she is depressed because I don't have the time or the energy to dress her up for Wordless Wednesday.
This is what Stella's legs look like when she is not running around the house and ringing her pee pee bell every ten minutes!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-09T12:15:00.000-06:00

Yummy! Darwin loves his cones. You can see more yummy pictures here.

Playing in the Snow

2008-01-05T11:14:00.000-06:00

Snow Dogs

2008-01-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

Darwin and Stella were all smiles to finally be going to the dog park.

It was so cold out that we were pretty sure all the muddy puddles would be frozen.

Ned stopped by and Darwin was thrilled! They are good buddies.

I love this picture of Ned. He has the most beautiful golden eyes.

Even though we brought water the dogs insisted on eating snow. Lots of it.

Darwin enjoyed his usual lazy lounging in the snow.

Come back tomorrow for more snow dog pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-01-02T00:30:00.000-06:00

Stella likes to surf the world wide web and e-mail her boyfriends from the dog park.

This is Boomer. He is suffering from a post Christmas hang over.

A Dog's New Years Resolutions

2008-01-01T23:01:00.001-06:00

I borrowed this from The Days of Johann. Thanks!

Author Unknown

I will not play tug-of-war with Daddy's underwear when he's on the can.
I will remember the garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.
I will not suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.
I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.
I will shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.
I will not eat the cat's food, before, or after, he eats it.
I will stop trying to find new places on the carpet when I am about to throw up.
I will not throw up in the car.
I will not roll on dead things.
I will stop considering the cat's litter box as a cookie jar.
I will not wake up Mommy by putting my cold, wet nose up her bottom end.
I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think that I am hemorrhaging.
When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.
I will not drop soggy tennis balls in the underwear of anyone who is sitting on the can.
We do not have a doorbell. Therefore, I will not bark each time I hear one on the television
I will not steal my Mommy's underwear out of the laundry basket and then dance all over the back yard with them
I will remember the sofa is not a face towel and neither are Mommy's & Daddy's laps
I will remember my head does not belong in the refrigerator
I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for Mommy's driver's license and car registration.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-25T23:26:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from Stella and Darwin!

2007-12-25T21:40:00.000-06:00

Stella and Darwin were pretty excited this morning! They love to watch Maizie open her presents from Santa Claus!

After all the excitement Darwin lays his head down on some toys to rest. How cute is it that he lays down right by Maizie's new calendar that says, 'Pooped Puppies'?! So sweet!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Boomer and his Kitty

2007-12-21T21:53:00.001-06:00

Today I was visiting with my buddy Boomer. He agreed to model for a few shots. On top of his head is one of Chloe's little cats. Too cute!
After a while he got sleepy from balancing the kitty on his head and decided to be a reindeer sleeping. What a sweetheart!

Wordless Wednesday Merry Christmas Edition

2007-12-19T04:57:00.001-06:00

Darwin Visits the Vet

2007-12-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

Today Maizie and I had to take Darwin to the vet. Whenever we were outside for him to do his "duty" I noticed it was taking longer than normal. I bent over to take a peek and saw that his anal glands were probably infected. Eeeeeew! Poor doggie. This is a first for Darwin.

At the vet Maizie weighed Darwin and he came in at a whopping 56 pounds.

Next Maizie weighed herself while Darwin watched. Too cute!

Waiting always gets a bit boring.
Once in the examination room Maizie entertained herself by drawing on the dry erase board. What a cute drawing!
Darwin required a shot in the sore. Ouch! He did not make a sound though. We were sent home with directions for warm compresses and a strong antibiotic pill. I am so glad we noticed this quickly and before the holidays. Darwin seemed to feel relief with the warm compress. I thought we would be wrestling him to the floor but he was very cooperative.

He is resting now.

Ten Peeves That Dogs Have About Humans

2007-12-14T07:31:00.000-06:00

1.Blaming your farts on me....not funny... not funny at all !!!

2.Yelling at me for barking.I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG, YOU IDIOT!

3.Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

4.Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose.Stop it!

5.Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.

6.The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

7.Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freakout every time we go back!

8.Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

9.Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur?

10.How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.

Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you?

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY.
A DOG ALWAYS OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
CATS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!

Thanks to DJKirkby for this one.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-12T07:57:00.001-06:00

What You Dogs Looking At?

2007-12-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

This is what I see every time I am at the bathroom mirror. For some reason the dogs are fascinated with watching me put on my makeup or brushing my teeth. Stella also likes me to point the blow dryer at her face so she can jump up and lick the air. It is really weird. I guess she is a weird dog, so it is fitting. Eventually Stella can't sit still and jumps into the tub despite being reprimanded regularly for doing so.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-05T04:36:00.001-06:00

Maizie's Doggie Photography

2007-12-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

Maizie, my nine year old daughter has taken a liking to my iPhone. She especially loves taking photos of the dogs with the iPhone camera. Here are a few of her latest photos. Enjoy!

The Dog Park is Muddy & Cold, Stella is Growing...Kinda

2007-11-30T18:22:00.000-06:00

Today we went to the dog park. It was a muddy mess! Stella and Darwin ran around while I watched nervously. I was praying they would avoid the gigantic mud pit in the middle of the park. Stella loved leaping across the mud puddle while Darwin chased her.

This winter I have a feeling pictures from the dog park will be few. It is freezing out and my fingers just don't do well holding the camera with mittens, scarf, hat and big coat. I am a wimp...I know.

I will do my best to come up with entertaining doggie pictures this winter. They just won't all be from the dog park.

I can't believe how big Stella is? At the same time I am like....okay...she is supposed to be an Australian Cattle Dog? Stella is so tiny compared to other cattle dogs. Hmmm...she still has some growing time left so it will be interesting to see how big she gets.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-28T05:54:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

Ring Around The Rosie!

2007-11-10T16:30:00.000-06:00

Stella had a great time chasing after Lucy, a beautiful shepherd mix. Maizie loves Lucy! Lucy loves playing ball but once you get her started she won't play anything else. So, for a while she was being encouraged to play with her puppy buddies. Do you see little Louie way in the back? What a cutie. Louie is a West Highland White Terrier.
Niblet, the lil' Rat Terrier was a tad shy. Stella was thrilled to be with a dog smaller than her.Stella outgrew her first collar so we bought her this cute one at Target. You can tell she thinks she is cool.
Louie and Lucy found the deserted red ball to play with. Once Lucy found this she was hooked.
Niblet likes to play shy while Stella wonders what she is doing.

Ring around the rosie time!

Go Louie!

Right after this shot was taken Louie took a little piddle on the big red ball. I guess Louie wanted everyone to know who the ball belonged to. Lucy could have cared less and just kept on playing with the ball.

Go Louie! After our trip to the dog park today Darwin and Stella crashed for a long nap! Mission accomplished!

Dog Drives Car!!

2007-11-09T23:01:00.001-06:00

Beautiful Day, Beautiful Dogs

2007-11-04T19:01:00.000-06:00

The weather was beautiful for the dog park today. Darwin, our German shepherd mix was so excited on the way there that he was "talking" up a storm in the car as we turned into the parking lot. In the photo above he is getting to know Nanook, the puppy shepherd on the bottom and Kotter, a beautiful standard poodle at the top.

Kotter was named after the character Kotter (Gabe Kaplan) in Welcome Back Kotter. The owners said Kotter's curly hair was their inspiration. Too cute! Kotter is also a therapy dog who works with children. Very cool.

Kotter looks like a Muppet here, I think.

Darwin must be checking Nanook for fleas or something.

The chase begins.

They quickly wear out and Nanook has to rest for a while.

Darwin and Nanook like to wrestle.

Stella works up the courage to play a bit with Kotter. She runs a bit and then hides behind Maizie and Joe's legs. That little stinker.
Wow! Look at Kotter flying.

Stella gets brave and chases Kotter a bit.

This is a close up of what Stella looks like when the big dogs are chasing her. She loves it.
Gail was one of the few dogs I saw actually playing with this red ball. Stella just jumps over it and the others just stare at it.
Gail on the run for Darwin.

Darwin was getting a little upset with Stella here. Darwin likes to be on his own at the dog park. Of course Stella wants to be with him constantly.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Stewie and Harry dressed as Under Dog! Hope you all had a great Holiday! See you soon at the dog park!

Fall Fun! Stella is Back!

2007-10-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

Stella is back and feeling great! Her first visit back to the dog park was a barking good time. See how pretty she looks soaking in the sun. The weather was perfect!
Here is Maizie learning how to throw a Frisbee with Diesel's owner. All of the dogs wanted to be the one to catch it.

Stella loved chasing Diesel the best.

Here Darwin has chased Stella when she suddenly stops, drops and rolls. She literally does a somersault as he runs over her. This seems to be her favorite move.

This beauty of a yellow lab stopped by for a quick run. I was not able to catch his name.

Here little Opus is running in one direction with a Frisbee and Diesel is running in the other direction. Too cute.

Kobie loves chasing the other pups around. Mostly though he likes to wrestle with his best buddy Opus. Check out how hot Kobie looks in his Harley Davidson shirt.

Jake, the golden retriever was happy to be out running. He always reminds me of a doggie baby sitter. He makes sure all the dogs are behaving and barks some sense into them when they are not. Jake enjoyed a good brushing while at the park. He looks pretty nice.

Diesel looks like he is floating!

Darwin takes his usual rest in the grass while Dexter runs around him in the hopes of wrestling. For some reason these two had it out for one another. Dexter is a mixed breed. Maybe part boxer? It sure would be interesting to find out.

See you all soon at the dog park! The water has been shut off for the winter so remember to bring your pups some water!

Stella's Bell

2007-10-25T14:28:00.000-05:00

Stella is doing much better! Her belly is all closed up and looks good. The antibiotic seems to have done the trick.

In an effort to make potty training a bit easier we placed a bell on each door to the house. Whenever Stella or Darwin went outside we would shake the bell and say, "Potty! Potty!" We did this in the hopes of training them to ring the bell when they needed to go outside. Well, Darwin caught on immediately and rings the bell whenever he needs to go.

I thought Stella would never get the hang of it. After a few weeks she finally rang the bell and I praised her like crazy. Now she is ringing that bell every time she has to go potty and then some! I continued praising her and letting her out when she rang but now....well...if she is bored or in the mood to chase a leaf or a stick...she rings the bell. In the evening she rings the bell about every seven minutes! Last night Joe and I got to laughing so hard because every time he sat down from letting her out she would run back and ring the bell again. After ringing it she would sit down and stare at Joe as if to say, "Get up all ready!"

We are having to make her wait a bit longer after ringing the bell to see if she really needs to go. If she begins to "doggie talk" we know it is a "number two" and we better move quick. If she lays down after ringing it chances are she is playing us. I love the bell but I do think our puppy is way smarter than us.

Doggie Park Pictures Coming Soon!

2007-10-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

I have not forgotten about the dog park! Stella is still healing from her spaying surgery. She is such a frisky little pup that her stitches broke open pretty bad. I have been giving her an antibiotic and covering her boo boo with peroxide and Neosporin a few times a day. Unfortunately her crate time has increased in order to give her some sleepy healing time. I don't think she is too happy about that.

Darwin has been to the dog park a few times in the last couple of weeks. I know he is missing it bad. He may even be a little depressed...poor guy. With the fall leaves it is difficult to find the doggie messes making it a bit "messy" for me. Check back soon. If this weekend is nice we will be hanging at the park and hopefully getting some awesome pictures to share.
For those of you that have little doggies like the one here you may want to check out THIS website for adorable clothing and accessories!

Chasing the Red Ball and a Bucket Battle

2007-09-30T22:14:00.000-05:00

Stella Wears a Dress

2007-09-29T21:08:00.000-05:00

How cute does Stella look in this white lace dress? Very! Maizie and I were shopping at Target when we found this doggie dress clearanced for three bucks! I know it will only fit her for a couple more days and she totally hated wearing, but I just had to get a picture of her in it. It took me about thirty times of telling her to sit and stay to get this one decent shot. I will probably dress her up in it again tomorrow because I really want one where you can see the back of the dress. I can hear her whining with disgust all ready.

Nelson and Stella the Australian Cattle Dogs

2007-09-20T19:52:00.000-05:00

Wow! Don't be fooled. This is not Stella all grown up. This is Nelson the other Australian Cattle Dog that visits the dog park. I love watching Stella and Nelson run around together. Check out how both dogs have the white spot on their heads. A cattle dog marking.

I tried to get a picture of them side by side so we can really compare the two. No such luck. They are both pretty impossible to make sit still.

Nelson and Ginger enjoyed wrestling a bit. Check out Ginger's cute new collar. She looks so pretty.

Here is Harley sitting down for a break. He was also really into the squeak toy behind him. All the dogs wanted it.

Maizie had not seen Ginger for a while. I winced at the licker kiss. Maizie did not seem to mind.

Darwin and Nelson are getting to be pals. I wonder if Darwin realizes Stella may be as big as Nelson one day?

Bhutan is enjoying a stick he found. Harley came along and snatched it right from him. Look at Bhutan's shocked expression below.

Tonight there were lots of dogs at the park. There were even more mosquitoes! In between taking pictures I was swatting at those pesky bugs. Our trip had to be cut short. I felt like running to the car to escape being bitten. The dogs don't seem bothered at all.

Chase! Run! Pant!

2007-09-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day! The sun came out along with a nice cool breeze. No mosquitoes! We just had to take off for the dog park! Pongo chased Stella around the park. Stella can't wait till she is bigger and faster! Watch out Pongo!

Darwin was sticking up for his lil' girl Stella and took after Pongo. There was lots of chasing going on today.

Opus wore his t-shirt just in case the bugs were bad. You can tell Opus thinks he looks hot. Too cute!

Stella loved running in the breeze. She is so cute.

Kobie was looking regal like always. It was not long before he was wrestling with Opus.

Here is a picture from our last visit. Stella was playing with this destroyed frisbee.

Darwin was chasing this German Shepherd puppy when he jumped into the pool. Smart dog! Darwin can't stand the water.

This is Blue. No doubt named for that piercing blue eye.

If you have some extra 'poo bags' please bring them to the dog park and put them in the green bin. The park is totally out! We gotta work together to keep the park clean! See you next time.

Stella and Darwin

2007-09-10T21:07:00.000-05:00

We finally found a use for those unwanted Mac Donald toys. If they are puppy safe we let Stella play with them. She loves this little tiger and treats it like a baby.

Here is Stella sitting 'froggie doggie style'. She looks so weird and yet so cute. I am so in love with her. Below she is seen using Darwin as her jungle gym. Those two are getting so close. Training is going pretty good. She knows how to sit on command like a pro. The 'down' command is not going so well. Stella immediately rolls over to her back. I am not sure how to stop her. Walking on a leash is going great. We are going to try some agility work with Stella and Darwin. Stella will be a natural. Or I can at least hope.

We have missed out on the dog park for a few days. The mosquitoes are so bad we can't stand it. I know a lot of people cover themselves with bug spray and do fine. I think those nasty bugs like my blood best or something. The spray does not work at all on me. Hopefully we will see you soon. Keep in touch through the My Space pages or send me your own dog photos to post. The e-mail address is on the side bar.

Chasing Sticks, Playing Catch and Funny Times

2007-08-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

Stella found a stick tonight and managed to carry it around with her most of the dog park visit. She was really getting serious about this stick. Zeus, the chocolate lab came in and took a real liking to Stella. First he said hello to Darwin and then went over to see Stella and get her precious stick.Stella did not see Zeus going after her stick until.....
it was too late. Zeus stole Stella's stick before I could even take the picture. What a fast puppy!

We all loved Kita. I am guessing she is some Australian Shepherd Mix.

Maize had Kirby, the yellow lab and Darwin waiting patiently for her to throw the ball. After Maizie threw the ball Stella would crouch down and shake her butt ready to pounce on Darwin.

Here are a few shots of Kita enjoying the sunshine. I love it when dogs lay down 'froggie doggie style' with their back legs sticking out.

Ginger is wearing Maizie's orange floppy hat. She looks so cute!

Fuji is a Siberian Huskie. What beautiful blue eyes. In the picture below Maizie and Fuji are laughing about something, I am not sure what.

Dog Park Tricks

2007-08-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

Shadow is a Shiba Inu. Darwin had a great time chasing him around the dog park today. When it was time to leave Shadow ran way out to the other side of the park and took a rest in the shade. He just did not want to go home. I can't blame him since it was such a beautiful day out today.

Here is our Australian Cattle Dog or Blue Heeler, Stella. She loves the pool at the dog park. We have not seen her lay down in it yet. Her favorite thing to do is run through it and hop out the other side. Ned enjoyed laying down in the pool every now and then. He really knows how to enjoy himself.

Maizie ran out to the car to get the chuck it stick to throw for the dogs. The dogs like to greet everyone as they come and go from the dog park, especially Maizie.

Joe took some time to fill up the water bowls for the pups. Stella liked to jump up at the water. Too cute. Maizie tried out all the tricks Harley likes. For a large lab he can jump amazingly high.

Maizie tried to teach Darwin the jumping trick. He was a little slow to get it.

Next Harley showed off how he can roll over. Darwin and Stella looked on in awe. We hope to see everyone at the dog park soon. The rain and the mud have been a problem. Luckily the dogs stayed out of the swampy area today.

A Beautiful Cool Summer Day for Puppy Play!

2007-08-13T21:12:00.000-05:00

Here is our little rascal Stella. We officially managed to wear her out today. Darwin and Stella are becoming good buddies. They like to sniff around and wrestle. We met another adorable Australian Cattle Dog named Nelson a few days ago but I did not have my camera with me. Nelson is nine months old with the exact same markings as Stella. I hope to get some pictures of Stella and Nelson playing together soon.

Sean and Carol were leaving the dog park when we arrived. They were nice enough to stay a little longer so the dogs could get to know Stella. They did very well with her. I was worried they would try and chase her down like a lil' rabbit.

Here the dogs are picking on Potato, who seems to be loving every minute of it.

Diesel was playing catch and joined in to wrestle with the others for a while.

I took this shot of Bhutan relaxing a few days ago. There won't be as many dog park pictures for a while. I will be taking some time away for a surgery. Hopefully I will be back at the dog park real soon! Joe and Maizie may take some pictures for me so keep checking back.

Dog Days Of Summer

2007-08-07T21:08:00.001-05:00

Hot! Hot! Hot! Sean and Carol came to the rescue today with a doggie pool for the pups at the dog park. We missed their grey hounds but arrived in time to catch some of the pool party action!

Sammy loved splashing in the water. Darwin came close enough to the pool to check out Sammy, a dog he had never seen before. From then on he stayed away form the water. Darwin is not a water dog.

Potato went in and out of the water a lot. Misty was encouraging Potato to lay in the water. I don't think he was too into the idea.

Ginger, the puggle liked to cool off when the big dogs were out running. Harley, the yellow lab liked walking through the water every now and then too. The pool really seemed to give the dogs a lot more energy for running tonight.

Bella is seen below. Darwin has a major crush on Bella but stayed clear of her whenever she was in the water. Thanks for the pool Sean and Carol and thanks to the ladies who spent hours filling it one little bowl at a time. Now that is love!

Darwin's New Buddy

2007-08-04T22:57:00.001-05:00

Kobie was sitting all handsome today. I was lucky to get quite a few beautiful shots of him. He is quite photogenic. Kobie and his new pal Opus played and played.

Opus was looking sleepy in this shot. I think Kobie is wearing him out. Bella, the boxer is seen below running with a stick as Opus follows.

Darwin had a great time playing with this beautiful black shepherd. Darwin looks terrified.

It is crazy seeing these play shots captured. If you did not know any better you would think these two dogs were really being vicious with one another. They were just wrestling. Within a few minutes they were all tuckered out and decided to walk around and sniff the grass together.

Luckily it was not so hot today. Hopefully all of Darwin's doggie friends will be back at the park soon! Darwin is extra tired since he has a new buddy with us at home. Her name is Stella and she is a nine week old Australian Cattle Dog. We are all so in love with our new family member. Stella is too little for the dog park. She is staying busy playing tug o' war with Darwin and potty training. I love her markings. She has a great personality and is very strong willed. We will be busy for quite a while.

Hot! Hot! Hot! Dogs!

2007-08-03T08:40:00.000-05:00

I have not forgotten the dog park blog. The weather has been so hot and miserable that most owners are not taking the dogs to the park until late evening. Including us. Many of the dogs have to stay indoors to avoid heat exhaustion. Even in the evening Darwin will run for a while and then he just sits and watches the more energetic pups run. Hopefully the heat will break soon. Here are some photos that I did not post previously...hopefully. Keep checking back for new dog park photos. See you at the park!

Happy Go Lucky Dogs

2007-07-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

This morning Maizie and I went to the dog park pretty early. We ran into this Aussie mix named Scout. Scout was one of the most unusual looking dogs I have ever seen. He is without a doubt a working dog. Maizie had a blast throwing the tennis ball over and over again for him. It gets to the point where Scouts owner has to encourage him to rest.

Shelby is an incredible Golden. I have met her many times before at St. Anne's Nursing Home where my Grandmother lives. Shelby visits all of the residents and brings love and hugs to many lonely residents. She is a special dog.
Shiloh is a Jack Russel Rat Terrier mix. Opus, the Beagle Mix on the right and Shiloh played quite well together. Opus was also busy playing catch with the kids at the dog park today.

Potato enjoyed playing with his buddy Bhutan. They are a funny pair. Ginger, the Puggle walked around the perimeter of the park today and picked flowers with Maizie. They are such good buddies.

Maizie loves playing catch with Opus. She was laughing when he would jump up high to get the ball. All of the dogs wanted the red ball. Kobie is doing great in his new home and loves visiting the dog park. He runs all awkward with his gangly puppy legs. He is about nine months old. Kobie is going to be a big big boy.

Darwin lit up all excited like when he played with this red ball. He is pretty darn lazy at the dog park. Tonight though he played catch a little more than normal. Of course he would only run after the red ball. We have to buy him one of these Kong Balls.

In the picture above Darwin is on the left, a bull dog named Fannie May is running towards the other dog Potato and Bhutan is peeking around the back. They all looked pretty funny running around tonight.

The boxer Fannie May was leading this happy go lucky pack. Maizie asked why Bhutan and Fannie May "talk" the same way with their mouths. When they pant she thinks it looks like they are talking. We explained how they were the same breed. She seemed impressed and insisted they were probably brother and sister.

I love this action shot. I swear Bhutan always looks like he is grinning. Even with Potato keeping him on his toes.

Welcome Kobie and Maizie Plays a Game with Harley

2007-07-29T21:08:00.001-05:00

Welcome Kobie! Kobie is a doberman, a real handsome one. Harley, they yellow lab above is giving Kobie a warm welcome kiss.

Max and Maggie are two older dogs that love to lay down and rest under the picnic tables. Maizie made certain they got some good loving.

Harley and Maizie began playing one of Maizie's games today. Harley is such a sweet guy. I am not sure what they were playing but both seem very focused.

Kobie was learning how to play catch today and enjoyed hanging out at the dog park. Today was pretty darn hot out. The dogs ran a little bit and then came back to hang out in the shade with their lazy owners who were also too hot to play.

Darwin Goes to Zesto's

2007-07-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

Tonight we made a special trip to Zesto's with Darwin. Boy, was today his lucky day! Afterwards we went back to the dog park for more fun. Darwin and Gracie had a nice evening playing catch and chasing one another. I did not have my camera. I will get an adorable picture of you soon Gracie! If you have any cute pictures of your dogs doing funny things e-mail them to me and I will post them here!

Notice how spotless this cone is! Darwin licked every last bit of ice cream off. I had to set down the camera and encourage him to eat the cone too! He really loved his very first ice cream cone!

Ginger...Queen of the Tennis Balls and I Took Home the Wrong Keys

2007-07-28T18:32:00.001-05:00

This is Sally. She is so cute. Her and Darwin played great together. I love her expression in the picture below.

Ginger and Sally played lots of tag around the picnic tables. Ginger had a blast getting the tennis balls and keeping them from Sally and Darwin. Yesterday Ginger took a nasty fall off of the picnic table. She is doing much better today. Despite falling she still wants to be up on the picnic table. Most of the little dogs do. They like to look big since they all have really big attitudes!

Sally did not keep a hold of this ball for long. Ginger is too smart for the other dogs.

Sadie is a really friendly dog. Similar to Darwin she liked to take it easy a lot, roll around in the grass and watch the other dogs run on by.

What's this?! I caught a picture of a little Goldfinch brave enough to be hanging out at the dog park.
Maizie had all the tennis balls confiscated in her orange hat. Ginger wanted them all! What a look of concentration she has.

Darwin and Sally made it a point to gang up on Ginger a few times. I think Ginger enjoyed making them think they were the big dogs at the park.

Darwin loves Ginger but this photo looks a little rough. They truly were having a good time despite the terrified look on Ginger's face.

Boomer is a very large, gorgeous German Shepherd. He is two years old. I could not take my eyes off of him. He lives with Sadie. You could tell they are great buddies. I accidentally took Boomer and Sadie's owner's car keys home with me! I got home, took some keys out of my pocket and about had a heart attack when I realized they were not mine. I jumped back in the car and headed back to the park. I saw that all the dog owners were combing the grass for a set of keys. I apologized over and over! Thank goodness I live kinda close to the park. Next time I will double check whose keys I am picking up off the table. Sorry again!

Friday Night Fun!

2007-07-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

We headed over to the dog park late today due to the nasty heat. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. Arrive late and stay till it is too late to see the dogs. A pit bull was racing Jack, the Aussie around the fence. Jack was very happy to have a running partner. Jack plays so cute. He is Joe's favorite dog at the park. We are partial to Aussies since we used to have one before we married.

Here is Jack staring at Darwin wondering why on earth he is taking a rest. I don't think Jack slows down at the park. Darwin on the other hand can be quite lazy.

Darwin loved this dog. They were wrestling like this for a long time.

Here is Jack getting a hug from his owner after he was wrestled to the ground by a group of dogs. Jack was fine but needed some encouragement to play on. I am sure over the weekend there will be many more pictures so check back again soon!

Kissy Kissy Dog Park Day

2007-07-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

There was all kinds of kisses going on at the dog park today. Joe got licker kissed by Libby several times, a big wet one from Bhutan and of course Nikki had to lick his ear real good and wet like. Too cute. The most adorable kiss picture I caught was of Libby puckering up to give a little kiss to Nikki. Nikki looks a tad bit touched by the experience.Tucker, Maizie's favorite beagle gave me this look when I took a photo of him. Jenah says Tucker does not care for cameras. I can tell. But he is so cute I can't resist stealing a shot of him.Sebastian was playing frisbee today. He is probably one of my favorites here at the dog park. Of course I have many favorites.Maizie took a break to read some doggie riddles to Ginger and her owner Michelle. Look at how Ginger is listening so carefully. She is such a bright little dog.Maizie was picking flowers for Ginger. Ginger likes following Maizie and helping her play her games.Libby and Diesel enjoyed running together. Diesel is a much larger pit bull than Libby. Diesel is seen below taking a breather.Jenah was playing with Bhutan out in the field. I think Tucker may have been a little jealous. See Tucker's little eye peeking through?
Darwin, my darling sweetie pie was caught wrestling with Tucker and Libby. Darwin looks so tough. He is really just a big ol' baby.Here is Libby giving Darwin a puckery kiss. Bhutan is looking on with great interest. I am sure that right after this kiss they began wrestling.Bhutan and Libby were playing some frisbee together. They are such buddies.After a few hours of play Darwin came over to me at the bench and began rolling around. Eventually Maizie was the one who tired first.

Lazy Sunday

2007-07-22T19:38:00.001-05:00

Cyrus is above. He is still a puppy. He is probably a German Shepherd and Husky mix. I was sitting on the bench when he came over to say hello.
Nikki is a ten year old Akita. Nikki has some skin allergies and arthritis that slow her down a bit. Despite this she is a real lover and enjoyed hanging out at the dog park.
Jenah let Maizie hold Tucker like a baby. She got a kick out of that. Maizie thinks Tucker is adorable and is real curious why beagles and beagle mixes look so similar and yet so different.Grace is a black collie that was rescued by a loving couple. The owner's wife found him eating a deer carcass with another dog on the side of the road outside of the city. Grace certainly had some guardian angels watching over her that day. She has a gorgeous silky coat. All of the dogs at the dog park love standing on the picnic table. I think they like the view. This doberman, Rosco was watching for motorcycles. Apparently motorcycles are an intense interest for this pooch.

Darwin is in the middle, Lyra is the black puppy and Cyrus is taking a well deserved break. These three had lots of fun running around together. Darwin is wearing his big grin again. He is so in love with the dog park.

Pizza at the Park

2007-07-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day. A perfect breeze, no mosquitoes and not too hot. A perfect day to hang out at the dog park. We had planned to go for a while and then get lunch afterwards. Maizie was so enthralled in playing with the dogs that she did not want to leave. Finally, we picked up Pizza King and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Kodi was playing with Sophie above. I hope I get all of the dogs names right. There were so many coming and going and I did not have a pen to write down names. Forgive me if I mess up a name.

Here is Kodi, a gorgeous yellow lab. When I was taking pictures she would come out and sit on my feet and lean against me. So sweet.

Maizie went out to visit with Sophie's owner. I caught this picture of him kissing Sophie. Maybe this is one reason I love the dog park. Everyone seems so full of love and happy watching their dogs. I think I soak up this energy and love every minute of it.
Libby the pit bull was full of good loving today. I caught this picture of her running through the air. She is so beautiful. We had a few discussions today about the bad rap pit bulls have. After knowing Libby I have a new found love for this breed. I am saddened by the abuse and sad situations they are often bred for. Libby is proof that pit bulls can be loving and adorable dogs if they are treated with the love and respect that all dogs deserve.
Every now and then Kodi would run over to the water bowl and splash around in it. I love it when the dogs play in the water. Sean came out with the greyhounds today. Zephyr and Gail sure do love to run.

Here we are on the other side of the dog park enjoying our lunch. It drove the dogs a bit crazy smelling all the yummy pizza. Our tummy's were all satisfied and before we knew it we were back playing with the dogs.Here is a beautiful shot of Ginger. Maizie was so happy to see Ginger and Michelle. Check out Ginger's My Space page on the side bar. If anyone wants their pup's my space page or picture put on the side bar write a comment or e-mail me and I will post it for you.Here is little Roxy. Roxy loved Joe and kept giving him licker kisses. Most of the tiny dogs seem to gravitate to Joe. It is kinda weird. Okay, maybe all dogs gravitate towards Joe since every now and then Nikki seen below would leap up on Joe and cover him with wet, sloppy kisses.

At one point today a military officer stopped by after noticing Darwin playing. He said he had trained a dog that looked just like him. Darwin apparently brought back some good memories for him. He stared at Darwin in amazement. Darwin is so cool.
Maizie loves kissing Kodi. She is such a squeezable dog. I love that thick yellow lab skin. You just can't help but hug labs a lot.Above all the dogs are running around. They love to chase and run whenever a new dog comes to the park. Then, they slow down and rest for a while. I love Darwin's expression in this shot.

Maizie loved playing with this little dalmatian. I swear they look like they have the same expressions on their faces. Look at the dalmatians ears blowing in the wind. Adorable.

Gia, Sebastian, Motley and Little Shadow

2007-07-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Here is little Shadow. He is a Shiba Inu. Shadow reminded me of a little fox. His fur is so soft and velvety. Darwin is seen below playing with Motley. Motley and Darwin love chasing one another. Motley is part black lab and part chow. Notice the black spots on Motley's tongue. He is currently in doggie obedience classes. I am sure he is a class star.

Here is Motley playing catch with Maizie.

Darwin and Motley love drinking out of the water bowl at the same time. It is almost like a game to see who can get the most water.
The dog above has a collar with different beer bottle caps on it. I think Joe would like one of those for Darwin. Apparently a local artist makes them.
Maizie loved this dalmatian Gia. I absolutely love Gia's collar. I have to find one of those for Darwin.

Sebastian is a Blanket Back German Shepherd. I love this dog. Maizie had a blast walking with the ball as Sebastian followed closely, never taking his eyes off the ball. Eventually Maizie would throw the ball...Sebastian ran to get it and then would promptly run past Maizie and drop the ball into the water bowl. Maizie thought this was hysterical. The two of them played together until Sebastian's owner had to take him home. Once Sebastian left Maizie went over and sat on the bench with Ginger and her owner Michelle. Maizie loves playing catch with Ginger and getting her daily ginger kisses in.Even with Joe's tiny camera I managed to get a pretty good shot of the dogs chasing one another. They ran around like this for a while. It was awesome to watch.

Potato had his mind set on wrestling this cute bull dog. I love Potato's energy and playful ways. He is so special.

Fun with Soup, Iced Water and the Orange Toy

2007-07-19T21:37:00.001-05:00

When we first arrived at the dog park today it was looking like it was going to be a short trip. There was little to no action. Maizie and Christian resorted to making what Maizie called, 'egg soup'. I don't think any of the dogs were too interested in it. I made Christian and Maizie refill the water bowls with fresh clean water. Before I knew it they were having fun spraying one another.

An owner who truly loves to spoil his pooches brought ice to put in a clean bucket for his dogs. Opus is seen having to dunk his whole head in the bucket to get a sip. He got to the bucket a little too late. The golden was more mesmerized by watching the ice melt on the cement. Amazingly enough Darwin really enjoyed sharing this iced water. When I have iced his water at home he looks at me like I have lost it.
Here Maizie is petting the doberman. If you look close you can see Christian holding his tail.
Maizie was getting a bit acrobatic with the water fountain as the doberman was sitting with me for some one on one petting time. He is a beautiful dog.

The doberman enjoyed playing with his "brother" Opus. The two of them wrestled for a long time. Opus even tried showing Darwin who was boss. Opus is a mix of Daschund, Beagle and maybe Jack Russel Terrier? An adorable mix. He is the cutest little thing.
Ginger loves to run and hide behind her mom's legs whenever Darwin chases her. Maizie said, "Ginger made it to home base!" Ginger also loves to play chase behind the picnic tables. They have developed their own little version of hide and seek.

Maizie and Christian love puppy kisses. Ginger is always willing to give a little puppy loving.

Opus was willing to share his favorite orange toy. Maizie loved throwing it for all of the dogs. I don't think Darwin ever touched the orange toy. I think he was afraid of it. Or Opus may have made it clear he did not want to share it with Darwin.

Opus has the cutest eyes. Can you tell I really think Opus is adorable? Before I knew it we had been at the dog park for a few hours. I still had not fed the kids dinner! Not to mention they now needed baths more than ever. Time flies when you are playing with your doggie friends.

Doggie Days of Summer

2007-07-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

Today I had every intention of a lazy evening. I was cleaning up after dinner when Maizie came into the kitchen all serious. She said, "Mom. Darwin just told me that he really needs some exercise. He wants to go exercise at the dog park. I need exercise too." How could I refuse after she so wonderfully articulated what Darwin told her. When we first arrived Maizie took some one on one time with Tucker, the beagle seen above.

I called up our friends Sean and Carol and they headed over with their Greyhounds Gail and Zephyr. Maizie loves walking Gail across the field as Zephyr follows. Once at the other end she tells them to run and they take off across the field at lightning speed. It is impressive.

I was unable to capture a good running shot since I did not have my good camera with me. Soon I will get some action shots of these two speed demons.

Maizie loves filling the water bowls for the dogs. Today there were three adorable Golden Doodles at the park. One in particular took a fancy to Maizie and followed her around and loved drinking from the bowl as Maizie held it.

One of the Golden Doodles enjoyed putting her ball in the water bowl. Don't you know the soggier the ball the better!

Here are a couple beautiful shots of Gail. She has the sweetest eyes. Gail has lots of energy and keeps Sean and Carol on their toes. She is growing up to be a real gentle and loving lady.
When it was time for Libby to go home she walked real slow out into the middle of the field. Her owner put Tucker in the car and came back for her. Libby looked at her owner across the field without a care in the world. Her poor owner had to carry her out of the park. She must weigh quite a bit. Sometimes the pups are having such a good time that they don't want to go home.
I love this picture of Bhutan, the boxer. He was a lovable pup, giving Carol a huge wet kiss. She was not prepared for that. Once home Darwin ate and then curled up on the chair for a little rest. Maizie covered him up with a blanket and asked me to take a picture of him. She said, "I love you buddy. You are such a good little buddy." Too cute! Darwin has it real rough as you can see.

My Favorite Dog Park Photos

2007-07-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first post of the Dog Park Days blog! As a family we love going to our local dog park. Our dog is Darwin (seen above) and he is three years old. He is a beautiful and loving German Shepherd/Aussie mix. Darwin is a blessing to our daughter Maizie. His gift to her is being a friend when life becomes a bit of a challenge. Dogs bring laughter and light heartedness to our days. Darwin's favorite activity is going to the dog park. Lucky for Darwin we love playing with all types of dogs too.
Here is Maizie petting an adorable Golden Retriever pup. Below Maizie is playing a game with her favorite pit bull.

I have put some of my favorite dog park photos here. There will be many more to come. I am also looking forward to sharing the adventures that take place at the dog park. Please check back often for adorable photos of dogs and puppies. I love the expression on the Australian Shepherd below.

I absolutely love this photo. I am not sure why but I am so intrigued with the expression the beagle is making. Below Darwin is running with a little puppy. I love these soft looking action shots. The puppy looks like he is practically glowing. I love it.

Here is Maizie getting her fill of licker kisses. I have collected so many dog park photos but these are a few of my favorites. Get out there and play with your pooch!