Olive: December 2009

12.31.2009

Peace to you in 2010....

Happy New Year Everyone.. I hope the very best for you in 2010!!

12.30.2009

It has been beautiful to walk the last few days with the cooler weather and even the snowfall we had, it is so refreshing to get outside and walk :) Now I know..I know, my family was from NY before they adopted me, so they view Winter now in Texas as a treat, I smile and let them enjoy their silliness.

Our walks have been a lot of fun..a few things though to keep in mind in the winter months.

*I almost sent Mom on a trip when I went running down a steep hill and there was ice! Yikes!! She slipped but did not fall..phew! So remember that.

* Let the people wear their gloves and mittens....don't try to RIP them off when walking, they get cold and tend to shorten the walks when we do that.

*It's best for your people to keep the walk moving...when they stand too long and they are cold, they tend to once again, want to end the walk early..not fun when that happens. So keep sniffing in check, plenty of time once Spring comes to stop and smell the flowers and other dogs..etc...

Now just make sure we(dogs&cats) are not outside either very long or we get cold too and if we are willing to wear cute little booties or sweaters, go for it..now I would NEVER but I have some friends that look pretty darn cute wearing them :) I like to rough it, that is just me.

Rock Salt on sidewalks can be tough on our paws too....so rinse them please if we are walking on it much.

As always...drink water.

Those are my Winter Walking Tips...please share yours , I would love to hear them. Either for Peeps or Dogs..Cats too :)

12.28.2009

Wubba Lovin'

While chewing my new Wubba...Mom found this Wubba Commercial on You Tube. These doggies are so nice and calm. Not normal dogs at all....must be aliens or robots. You will need to to pause my tunes below to hear their very soothing muisc on the Wubba Ad. For some reason I can't get it to fit on my blog though... :(

Madi...I must confess..my Wubba, well..it no longer squeaks. No ,No..it is not defective...it is not a bad Wubba..I just ripped it right out, it never had a chance.

I still like to use it for Tug o War :) Oh I love Wubba so much, I just like to pull the squeaker out too :)

What was kind of funny..we saw the KONG newsletter today and in it were pictures of Lions and Tigers with Kong toys..and they were in one piece!! I am more ferocious that they are..ROARRRRRRRR.......

12.25.2009

Thanks Madi!!

Thanks so much Madi for the Wooferful Wubba!!! I love Wubbas and either lost or..um...destroyed the last ones I had..so I was really in need of a new one. I Love it so much!!! Mom did make a booboo...when I was unwrapping my gift from you she got so excited that she turned the flash off ..so we have lousy pictures of that... She tried...the day got the best of her . Thanks so much Madi and Mom!!!

Thanks to Jazzi and her mom for organizing our gift exchange!! Now Dogs and Cats all over the world love the mail people :)

***We are going to be away for a few days...we will see everyone soon!!***

Merry Christmas..Happy Holidays to All!!

Have a Wooferful day!! I will post pictures from the unwrapping later today...Back to more holiday fun for now!! We have snow too!!! Yay!!

12.23.2009

Twas.. the night before..the night before christmas....UPDATED

Heading out to walk soon...I am looking for squirrels, need to make sure it is clear.

Started making cookies...they need that yummy frosting on them today except for those chip ones..which I can't eat--hmph!

Can I eat a cookie? How about the dinsosaur shaped one..Mom says they are Dog shape..I disagree

Well, it's Wednesday..which means tomorrow is Thursday or...Christmas Eve!!

It has been very hectic around here the last few days..so I have not been able to blog much. I am sure most of you are having busy days too.

We are walking A LOT..mom has been eating cookies she said and needs "extra" help now. So today and all next week... we are spending Mom's off time..walking :)

Speaking of walking.....here is an interesting news story on Dog Walking or..Running :

Dog walking with a speedy twist

If you have a pet dog how do you make sure they get all the exercise they need?
Well if you normally take your pet pooch for walkies how would you feel about making it a race.
Cani-cross is a new sport where people run around a course with their dog.
It looks a bit like extreme dog walking but it's becoming more and more popular.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8410000/newsid_8410800/8410833.stm

Have a wooferful day and today is my 100th blog post!!! I could not think of anything to do for it...so maybe for 150 we will celebrate BIG!!

I will be back on Christmas Day to tell you all about my gifts and share what Madi sent me too!

12.19.2009

How to Unwrap a Gift...Woof!! Woof!!

Caught in the act!! Not really..it was actually kind of a last minute decision to tape this. The only light in the room was the warm glow of the tree in the corner. So please look close and see how good I am at unwrapping these gifts!

12.15.2009

Walking Wednesdays...

Walking ...walking..everyone knows we love to walk! Our walks are the best part of the day!!

We wanted to share this story from the Well Section of the New York Times

December 14, 2009, 12:27 pm — Updated: 12:51 pm -->
The Best Walking Partner: Man vs. Dog
By TARA PARKER-POPE

Is it better to walk a human or to walk a dog?

New research from the University of Missouri has found that people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion. In a 12-week study of 54 older adults at an assisted living home, 35 people were assigned to a walking program for five days a week, while the remaining 19 served as a control group. Among the walkers, 23 selected a friend or spouse to serve as a regular walking partner along a trail laid out near the home. Another 12 participants took a bus daily to a local animal shelter where they were assigned a dog to walk.
To the surprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a big improvement in fitness, while the human walkers began making excuses to skip the workout. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28 percent, compared with just a 4 percent increase among the human walkers.
“What happened was nothing short of remarkable,” said Rebecca A. Johnson, a nursing professor and director of the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The improvement in walking speed means their confidence in their walking ability had increased and their balance had increased. To have a 28 percent improvement in walking speed is mind boggling.”
Ms. Johnson said that because some people are afraid of dogs, the participants were given the choice of walking with a human or a dog as the companion. Ms. Johnson said the dog walkers were far more consistent in sticking with the program than those who were walking with humans.
“In the human walking group, they were regularly discouraging each other from walking,” she said. “Missouri is a hot state. We would hear them saying: ‘It’s hot today. I don’t want to walk, do you?’ ”
The response from participants in the dog-walking group — and their dog companions — was very different.
“When the people came to the animal shelter, they bounced off the bus and said, ‘Where’s my dog?”’ Ms. Johnson said. “And the dogs never gave any discouragement from walking.”
Ms. Johnson said she suspects differences will show up in other areas, like depression and anxiety, although that data are still under review and the final study has not yet been published.
But there were also other subtle indicators of improvement among the dog-walking group. Many people in the dog-walking group stopped using canes and walkers. “They would say, ‘Now I’m physically fit enough to take my dog for a walk,”’ Ms. Johnson said.

Happy Holiday Walking! Take a trek around your neighborhood in the evening and enjoy the holiday lights!

12.13.2009

Olive!! Olive!!

I looked up and saw this book in the gameroom...Olive?

I was sitting with Dad on the sofa this weekend and the TV was yelling..OLIVE! OLIVE!

Huh? Who's is this Other Olive?? Or is that me? Am I ..the other reindeer?? Does Santa Paws need me?? Is it just a coincidence?? We both have white tummys...

I listened to the story and watched the movie version...it is so funny!! I BOL! Try to catch it on TV and I highly recommend the book for you and your humans :)

And...No it is not me afterall..but I love her name!

**I am about to celebrate my 100th post since I came on the scene in July 2009..please offer up any thoughts or ideas for how we can celebrate**

12.12.2009

Taking What Kind of Pictures?? Do I get a treat??

Mom has been trying to get a Christmas Picture.

I stop and sit like she says...but, where is my treat???

Mom...I am sitting..where is the treat?? Something?

I have to time this just right..the minute she steps back ..I go and ask her..Where is my bacon buddy? ..BOL. She is going to try again and use the other humans to help her get the right picture.

So Lorenza...our gift just got sent. Mom spent most of the week trying to get a new picture for the card..sadly with no success. Your gifts though are in the mail!!!

Our Christmas Picture....will be coming soon :)

12.09.2009

Trees in the house...now Fire???

This door in the livingroom..is where I see the dog. The dog looks at me from the behind the doors everyday. Now there is fire...where is the dog??

**Olive is referring to the fireplace doors...she spends way too much time looking at her reflection and barking....and barking. She is certain that dog in the fireplace is not suppose to be here . Like the dog in the tv or oven doors :)*

12.05.2009

I am Stronger than FIRE.well, fire hose that is ...

Mom seems to be on a mission to find me toys that cannot be chewed through..even though they are ..chew toys. Jack seems to have a similar issue at his house..we get toys like the one in the pictures..made of fire hose..yawnnnn, I chewed it up, made a hole and am now in pursuit of the mighty squeaker nestled inside it's tummy....muhahaha. We have KONG toys too...I love them, but chew them right up, then she buys more and so on ...I love Buster Cube, now Buster Cube I cannot chew..it tires me out. Buster Cube was the toy that made me work to get my food. I recently tried Dogzilla Toys...yawnnnnnnnn. Nylabone....nice and enjoyable not long lasting.BOL!

Bring them on, lets see what she finds next to give me.

Have a wooferful weekend!! Bark!!

12.03.2009

Snow...Snow.....where are you???

That is me looking for my snow..I think I lost it..it was there..then , gone :(

Thanks for all of the happy birthday wishes!!! Thank you Madi for the Greenies...oh I gobbled them right up! When Mom got the mail and brought in the package that day..I tackled her down to get the box!! OOOOHHHH I was so excited!! I really REALLY love the mail..almost as much as chasing rabbits :)

My birthday was wooferful! Did you know...someone sent me snow??? Yep, we had our first snowfall on my birthday!! Sadly we were not able to get pictures....I lost the snow on the way home from taking the younger people to school. I looked all over for it...it just vanished!

I still have no pictures of my birthday gifts..Mom is buying me really tough to chew through toys now, like this new one made out of Fire Hose...Fire Hose? Huh? Well, guess what?? I have started chewing through it..I even woke up in the middle of the night and had to go find it so I could continue my work!!