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Flashy Friday Week 2!

Flashy Friday! Week 2 -  "Spin" Whew! A whole week between posts, sorry guys! Like I've mentioned before we're pr...

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Top Nine Instagram Pics!

A Picture is Worth A 
1000 560 Words Likes?

We just had to share our top 9 Instagram moments because I think it's hilarious!
And we can tell who the crowd favorite seems to be, our little smiling pibble princess of course!

Happy New Years Eve from our family to yours!
Stay Safe Tonight!

Another great piece of news? Dante made the Best of Pack's top photos for 2015!!
You can see all the pictures HERE.


Wednesday, December 30, 2015

A Year in Review - 2015

A Year in Review

When it comes to welcoming in a new year, we don't believe in tossing out the old but rather learning from it and moving on as needed for either learning purposes and or new adventures.

2015 was a year full of fun, exciting adventures, and growth as a family for the Dz Dog household. We've included a bunch of fun links in case you missed something!

This Past 2015:

Dz Dog dad took up canicross and developed a love for trail running, he also wrote our very first guest post! "Canicross - Trail Running with Dogs."


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

A Home for Eddie!

It's Official!
Eddie has been adopted!

He went for a sleepover last Tuesday and has been with the family a whole week! He's fit in perfectly with everyone and they really love his gentle and happy demeanor.

Congratulations to Eddie!


Sunday, December 27, 2015

Thank You Fur-Friends!!

Thank You Friends For Making Our Christmas So Special.



This year we participated in Blogvilles 2015 Christmas Card swap and gift exchange! Thank you so much guys! It was a blast receiving so many awesome cards from bloggers we hadn't heard of before, and some of our favorites of course! Now we have some catching up to do in order to get to know everyone!

A big special thank you to Higgins & Niles!

What a fun blog, you can visit them HERE: 

They had Dante and Ziva for the gift exchange and our gift was a huge hit!
Dante and Ziva each got a horn, and then a frisbee to share!

THANK YOU!

A video posted by DZ Dog Mom (@dzdogadventures) on




Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Foster Pupdate! Happy Boys!

Best Gift of All!

We've had quite the busy year with fosters! As a family we've decided that we need to take a little bit of a break after Eddie is adopted out. Looks like we'll be moving late spring/early summer, and the idea of packing up our house and all our fur babies is a bit daunting especially with extra pups thrown into the mix.

But what a great year we've had!

Remember Captain Jack?

We had Jack for 6 months, can you believe it?! But truth be told, he needed that much time because he truly was a wild child and practically feral when we got him. You can read more about him HERE - Meet Jack and how we came to have him HERE - A Dog Kind of Week.

Jack put us through the gauntlet, he was a thief (thankfully he didn't destroy the things he stole), he was a major runaway risk, he was a counter surfer, garbage diving, escape artist who figured out how to pop his crate open without exiting through the door (we had to zip tie the edges together so he couldn't dismantle it), he was also incredibly smart, super snuggly, great with other dogs and cats, and mildly protective/suspicious of strangers.

Jack stole our hearts but we knew he'd be better off probably as an only child so that he could be spoiled and given 100% of the attention, he really loved to be the center of attention.  My Journey With Jack - HERE

Well Jack is doing great in his new home!


His family periodically sends me pictures and updates, he's the perfect match for them and they are having a wonderful Christmas season sharing their love with Jack. They do lots of hiking and running so he gets tons of exercise and he's the perfect adventure buddy.

He's also a darn cute reindog!






Great News!!

Eddie is having his first trial run with a family for Christmas! Paws crossed, we think this is a great match!! We had a meet and greet with the whole family last night and they wanted to keep him for a sleepover. If all goes well, we will finalize his adoption after Christmas! Yay for Eddie!

Adopting a senior is such a great gift. He's a perfect dog, wonderful house manners, gentle, sweet, great with kids/cats/other dogs...all he needs is a family to call his own and I think we found him one! Keep your paws crossed for him!

How we came to have Mikey & Eddie - HERE - And Then There Were Four.  And more on Mikey & Eddie HERE - Full House!


More on Mikey, now Sampson!

Mikey now named Sampson, is loving his new home! He's in stuffed toy heaven and his new mommy can't get enough of his wiggly butt and squishy face, Merry Christmas Sampson and family!!


Stuffie Mass Destruction!


Sampson with his new brother Tucker.



Our Not so Wordless Wednesday Post.

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Friday, December 18, 2015

NoxGear LightHound Review 2

NoxGear Light Hound 
Dog Vest - Part 2


We absolutely love our NoxGear vests! 

Recently while out on a walk I had a truck pass us, slow down, pull off the road and compliment us on our vests. The nice gentleman said, "Thank you for wearing those! I can see you really well!"



With the return of our good ole' Oregon drizzle, I am constantly reminded about the need for safety. We have rain, fog, and just plain old drizzly gray days. It is easy to be unseen, especially with it getting dark starting at 4:30 in the afternoons. I'm guilty of having a dark colored clothing collection, what can I say? Black matches everything!

Even if you are walking on the sidewalk, be careful and don't assume drivers can see you. Watch for cars backing out of their driveway, if it's wet and dark you may be missed in their rear view mirror. I actually heard a story pretty recently where a black lab was hit by a car backing up out of the driveway while he was walking on the sidewalk with his owners. It was terrible! Thankfully the dog was ok, but still what a shock for everyone!

We've featured NoxGear's Light Hound vest before, but recently we received a second vest for Ziva and wanted to share their name with you guys again because they are having a holiday sale!

Our First Review Click - HERE


Thank you NoxGear for this fun invention! We've been putting our vests to good use!

In the morning we try to do a fun but hard workout for the pups, usually this is a fun game of fetch. If it's drizzly I'll still put the vests on the dogs, even if you don't turn the lights on these vests are very bright and retro-reflective which means that they shine much brighter when hit with light because the reflection bounces straight back towards its source as opposed to diffusing.

In the late afternoon when I get home, we do a walk, maybe playtime again outside, and some training time. I'll put the vests on, and then turn on the lights as the daylight fades.

Evening Zoomies!!
If you have a darkly colored dog you'll understand the problems we have with seeing Dante! His dark brindle becomes the perfect camouflage and he's just a walking shadow in the dark.

Unless of course he has his vest on! We love that these vests have allowed us to have an extended playtime!

Star Wars Blue!!
"The force is strong with this one."

Light Hound Vest
  • Water Proof
  • Machine Washable
  • Super Lightweight (5 ounces)
  • Don't Impede Your Dogs Movement (I love that the straps are across the ribs and not running under the dogs legs)
  • Adjustable Fit
  • Rechargeable Batteries with Long Life. (Comes with a micro-usb for recharging.)
  • Different Flashing Modes or Solid Color Options
  • Retro-Reflective Straps
  • Super Bright!
Keep in mind that this vest does not have a leash attachment, it is designed to be used in tandem with a harness or collar for your dog. But don't let this deter you, it's nice and adjustable and we haven't had any issues fitting the vest on over our dogs bulky rain coats, just slide over the head and adjust the straps as needed.

Accurate Size Chart:

Dante  Size Large - 75 pounds, 19.5" neck.
Ziva Size Medium - 50 pounds, 18" neck.


Easy to Wash

The vest goes on super easily, you just slide it over your dogs' head and buckle it around the rib cage. It also comes apart easily for washing, the vest portion you can just toss in the washing machine, the light portion you hand wash in the sink.

Here it is taken apart in it's two pieces.
This vest is extremely well made, both Dante and Ziva have been putting their vests through the gauntlet! Lots of zoomies, rolling in the grass/mud, and some awesome pibble style chase and tackle games.

The vests are holding up beautifully, they still look brand new, and neither dog has had any issues with chafing because the straps stay well away from their legs.

You can see the strap well behind her front leg in this shot!
I've got to admit, if it were not for these vests we probably wouldn't get outside in the dark as much. Now I don't have an excuse! I can no longer say, "Aww shucks guys, it's too dark to go for a walk!" Which is another good part of this vest, it is helping myself and the pups from packing on those holiday pounds.

"I'm coming for my toy mom, hand it over!"

Here is Ziva and I practicing her loose leash walking skills, having foster dogs in the house has recently upset our training schedule but we're getting back into it! Especially with Mikey (now Sampson) having been adopted!


If you or your pups need a good light up vest for those night time walks now is the time to get them! They would also make for fun stocking stuffers and not just for dog owners, runners, bicyclists, hikers...pretty much anyone who likes to get outside could benefit from a vest.

Now head on over to NoxGear.com and check them out!

100% DZ Dog Approved!

FitDog Friday


This post was sponsored by NoxGear, however all opinions are our own and we do not endorse products that we don't 100% support for safety and usability.  NoxGear is not responsible for the content of this article.





Monday, December 14, 2015

Mikey's Going Home!

Mikey Update

Who could resist this sweet little bulldoggy face?! 

Well, cross your paws looks like we found a family for Mikey! We're planning on finalizing the adoption next week!



They've had him all weekend for a doggy sleepover/trial period (a week long trial) and he's getting along perfectly with the whole family! 

I brought Mikey over to their house on Saturday and first we just played and went on a short walk so that the couple could get to know him better, of course they were immediately in love. Because how couldn't you love his silly grin and wiggly butt! 

Playtime with Mikey's new dad!


We then took our time introducing Mikey to their dog Tucker; Tucker is a 7 year old Pointer mix who can sometimes be leash reactive towards other dogs. 

When we introduce dogs, Dz Dog Dad and I like to first go on a walk. For our walk we want the dogs to see each other but not sniff yet. We usually start with the handlers on the inside walking side by side, with the dogs on the outside. We then slowly work our way closer together, handler with dog on each side then handlers on outside dogs on inside (short leashes watching them the whole time) then we take turns letting the dogs casually sniff while we are still walking.  

If the dogs progress nicely through each step then we allow them to stop and sniff butts, but I like the keep their faces away from each other at first.  This technique has worked really well for us when introducing Ziva (who has fear reactivity to strange dogs), and so we've just adopted it for all our doggy introductions when bringing in fosters.

Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was meant to be - but Tucker didn't have any reactivity towards Mikey! In fact Mikey really wanted to meet Tucker, who at first just wanted to ignore Mikey.
After a long soggy walk, we brought both boys back to the house so that we could visit, drink hot coffee, and let the boys get to know each other.

When we introduce our fosters to either our home or a new home, we like to leave a leash on at least one of the dogs so that we have a way to catch them quickly if a problem arises.

Mikey didn't have any issues in the house so we transitioned him to off-leash after we introduced him to the home. He was curious about the kitties but after my cats he's a bit cautious, he doesn't like being smacked and my Belle cat has been known to chase dogs who get to close to her.

Mikey and Tucker settled in perfectly together!
It was absolutely perfect, Tucker guarded his mama at first but didn't show teeth or behave rudely at all towards Mikey.  And Mikey being half chicken (we're pretty convinced he's really a bulldog chicken), wasn't pushy at all and read Tuckers signs - giving plenty of space to Tucker and his mama while still trying to end up in everyone's lap. Maybe he's part cat too? He definitely loves laps.

In the time that I was there, Mikey destroyed two stuffed toys! He especially loved the ones with the squeakers, I don't have these toys at my house since my dogs go through them so fast. At first Mikey didn't seem to know what to do with the toys. But Tucker showed him real quick that they are meant to be mouthed and chewed on.


I can happily say that i'm getting great updates! 
Keep your paws crossed I think they are perfect for each other!

Look at this happy squishy face!
Pictures courtesy of Mikey's new mom.


Thursday, December 10, 2015

Dear Nasty Dog Owner.

Dear Nasty Dog Owner.

A letter I would love to write, but won't, for fear of the coward doing something in retaliation.

Editors Note - 
The field is privately owned by a local church, dogs are allowed off leash in the field because it is private property. The church doesn't mind people using and playing in the field but they do want dog owners to clean up after themselves.

I see you coming as you pull up in your silver van, you park where you always park. I wish you'd pick a different neighborhood, you don't live around here and yet you insist on walking through our neighborhood nearly daily.

I see you letting your dog out, I call Ziva to me in case your dog decides to make a break for it and come running at us. Thankfully you were smart enough to pick the far side of the field, and it's a big enough field if you have a dog that stays close to you. My girl does.



She's here with me to play ball, we didn't come for your stress, but just in case you don't control your dog - know that I will defend my girl. I will have the leash on her before your dog can get to us, because her recall is solid. And I am prepared to spray your dog if he tries to attack her.


I'm going to keep watching you, I hope it makes you uncomfortable and you leave.

Ideally I'd like it if you quit coming. Although this is a field dog owners are allowed to use, its people like you who fail to clean up that get the rest of us banned.

 I see your dog squatting, sure enough you aren't going to clean it up. I know you know I saw that. I won't confront you again though, last time I did you were very rude to me. And Ziva's safety is my #1 priority, being leash reactive to strange dogs i'm not putting her in a situation to fail so we're just going to stay over here and keep playing ball.




I love to play with Ziva, she relaxes me. We do leg weaves, sit pretty, down stays, sit stays, circles through my legs, nose touches, she rolls over. All for the love of the game!

I'm sorry you're so angry, but hitting and kicking your dog because they won't stay or sit is not how I get Ziva to listen to me.

I'm sure you're just jealous and thus trying to copy us from a distance, can you see how relaxed my body language is? It's like a dance. If I talk to Ziva it is in a quiet voice unless i'm calling her to me in which case i'm VERY LOUD. But she doesn't cower, quake, or attempt to duck me.  Unlike your dog.  I can see you trying to show me that your dog can do down stays, but I don't count your attempts. Hitting your dog with the chuck-it do not make for a solid down stay. I don't count those.

Watch me walk away from her. She will stay for me.

Watch me throw the ball, you can't see her quiver with anticipation - you're too far away. But watch her continue to stay.

Watch me call her to, "look" at me. See her head turn? Perfect eye contact.

Now watch me release her.

See her fly? That's my pretty girl.



I hope you learned something today, and I hope you never come back. What you don't see is me picking up after your dog, I made a mental note where your package was left. Next time I might leave it on your window in a nicely tied little baggy of course. Because after all, you do always park in the same spot and I believe I found something that is yours.


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Meet Lil' Mikey!

17 Days until Christmas!
Meet Lil' Mikey!




I haven't been posting much about him because I really wanted to get his allergies under control before we worked to find him a home, and in the meantime we made finding Eddie's home a top priority.

But here he is!

When we first took in Eddie and Mikey, Mikey was a mess. He has a nasty rash on his tummy, across his ribcage, and the rash extended into his groin regions where we also found some mean open sores. His poor little toes were swollen and bright red, his ears were swollen and also red, he was scratching non stop at his poor ears, and licking his feet constantly which of course wasn't helping the matter. His eyes were full of a mucousy goop...poor pup was miserable! On a good note though his personality has been just adorable.

Cleaning and massaging his ears.
His first week with us, we cleaned his ears with a peroxide/water solution and doctored his open scratch wounds with neosporin, attacked his tummy with coconut oil massages, and with my vets recommendation we picked up a very specific eye wash to try clearing his eyes up. We also put him on Benadryl to ease his itching, and he began eating the high quality grain free salmon diet I feed my dogs.

Our goal with our at home remedies was to see if it was just a food allergy that we could quickly get under control on our own.

Well after a couple weeks we definitely saw improvement, his tummy cleared up, his sores closed and looked much better, one ear was healed, but his other ear got worse, his paws didn't improve and his eyes were just as yucky as when we had started so off to the vet we went!

Turns out he had a bacterial infection! Our vet said we did awesome though with his home treatments, but prescribed a foamy wash for his rash, special meds for his ears, and special medication for his eyes. Her best guess is that his allergy went untreated for so long that it worsened and became a bacterial infection, or he picked something up from the kennel at our local human society, but our bets on his allergy was never treated based on what we have learned about his deceased owner.

Time to clean his eyes!
He's been awesome to work with though, and he's used to the handling at this point so I can medicate and clean him up twice a day on my own if I need to. Although having a helper for his eyes makes that portion easier! You try telling him to keep his eyes open! He at least holds still with massive amounts of cheesy bribery.

Cleaning out the gunk!
Washing his feet with the medicated foam.


After a week now of the vet prescribed meds, foot wipings, and daily benadryl I can now say we have a happy little bulldog! He'll be off of his ear meds soon, and we're going to keep wiping his feet but i'm going to talk to the vet about taking him off the benadryl, it'll be a little more trial and error to figure out if he has a grass or a food allergy but at least we're on the right track!


Mikey looks 100% better the only thing that hasn't improved is his eyes...so we're heading back to the vet tomorrow to try something else.  But his rash is gone, his feet are no longer swollen and bright red - they're a healthy pink! And his ears no longer seem to be bothering him!

We just started looking for a family for Mikey because we feel like his allergies are under control, wish us luck! He's such a doll, that i'm half tempted to keep him myself!

If you know anyone, here's a link to our adoptable dogs page with more info!  


Monday, December 7, 2015

A Home For Christmas.

Eddie

Here is a sneak peak of some of our Christmas photos!


Eddie is really hoping for a home for Christmas, oh Santa please! He's doing great but mama has decided she's really not up for four dogs in her home long term. It's a lot of work, and I know some of you have four dogs and we applaud you!

Any tricks for keeping sane with four or more dogs? We'd love any ideas you might have!





Friday, December 4, 2015

Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!

Ain't Nobody 
Got Time for That!

Happy Fit Dog Friday!

I can't afford to be sick with four furry maniacs in the house who need exercise!

Please tell Mr. Flu to take himself elsewhere. He is not welcome or needed at our house.
My poor voice is nearly gone, it's cracking on the phone when i'm at work...the clients on the other hand find it hilarious.

The dogs like the loss of voice part, this morning Dante decided he could pretend to not hear me when I said it was time to go home. He clearly was not done peeing on all the wonderful smells in the field. Rain or shine we go, preferably shine, and not when it's a crazy downpour. But we always get out and play because four dogs with cabin fever - Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!

"You weren't serious were you?"
And Mikey certainly doesn't like to call it quits when it comes to his jolly ball!



And if I don't exercise them, then they start to become little monsters. 
Not that you'd believe it looking at this precious face.

"Come on mom, just another throw? Please?"
To be honest I'd really rather just curl up on the couch and nap, or watch my favorite show with a hot cup of tea to soothe my scratchy throat.

But alas, the time to play is now!

Our trainer always mentions how people talk too much to their dogs...maybe I should try just hand signals and body language for a while. I talk to my dogs all day and it's ruining my voice.

What about you? 
Would your dogs know signals if you tried not talking to them?

"AAAAAAAA, is mine scratchy too?"







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