WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: ALL SMILES

Thanks to my awesome petsitters who sent me this photo when I went away last year...looks like they didn't miss me at all!

Related Posts:
Smiling Pups
Family Outing

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK...

Did anyone catch the Golden Globes last night? I had it on mute while I talked to my mom so at least I got to see what all the girls were wearing, which is really the important part...right? Today I get to thank my blogger friends for a couple awards of my own! The wonderful Pitlandia and the awesome A Peace-a-Bull Assembly have nominated us for the Liebster award!

 "Liebster means Dearest in German, so the Liebster Blog Award is the Dearest Blog Award. It’s an award intended to recognize worthy, lesser known blogs and to help expose their work. Of course, accepting The Liebster Award comes with a few rules!" 

Liebster Blog Award Rules:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you
   
2. Share five things about yourself and five things about your dogs
   
3. Pitlandia and A Peace-a-Bull Assembly
4. Ask five new questions to your nominated bloggers
   
5. Reveal your top five picks {with less than 200 readers} and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
   
6. Copy and paste the award on your blog
   
7. Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favorite up-and-coming bloggers and keep it going!

Five things about myself:

1. I am obsessed with the TV show, The Walking Dead.
2. I do not do mornings. I wake up at a decent hour, then sit in bed for a couple hours, drinking coffee and catching up on emails and blogs. The dogs have easily adapted the my schedule:)
3. I love Howard Stern.
4. I have an extreme fear of birds. I will cross the street if their are pigeons in the way and I will panic if I even see one on TV or accidentally touch a cartoon drawing of one in a magazine.
5. I've not always been a Californian. Nope, I was born in Frederick, MD and moved here when I was 7. I've moved away three times since then and keep coming back:)

Kaya likes to watch The Walking Dead with me:)

Typical morning view while I'm answering emails:)

 Five things about my dogs:

1. Kaya is terrified of getting her nails clipped. Luckily she does so much running that they wear down naturally, but I have been slowly conditioning her by giving her treats while rubbing the clippers on her paws and nails. The first time she saw them in my hand she hid under the couch for several hours:(
2. Kaya & Norman have several dog beds that they can chew their bones on, but they usually end up together:)
3. Norman gets around pretty good when he's running and playing, but when he's not in a fast motion, getting him onto something higher than a curb is a no go:/
4. Kaya & Norman used to swap food bowls half way through their meals. I finally made them stop because I didn't know if someone was getting short-changed:)
5. When I want both dogs to come at once, I call out "puppies!" instead of their individual names.

Kaya & Norman love to chew on their bones together:)

Five questions asked by Pitlandia:

1. What's a book (training, behavior, fiction, etc.) that you would most recommend to a new dog owner? It's not necessarily for first time dog owners, but I can't get over how big an impact The Lost Dogs made on me. I was fighting back tears throughout the entire book and couldn't put it down. It reminded me with every word to always be patient with my dogs, love them for their strengths and enjoy each day with them.
2. What's your favorite command or trick that you've taught your dog? Kaya can "place" on different objects and then spin in each direction. I call it her circus dog act:)
3. What's one goal that you have for your dog in 2013? I really hope to start therapy work with Norman. I know he would love it and be great at it. It would be great to brighten some people's day, not just those at the park and the pet store:)
4. Where's your favorite place that you've traveled to? Though it's only a few hours away, every time I go to Lake Tahoe, it takes my breath away and I hate to leave. It is awesome in the summer and the snowy winters too. Plus, I can bring Kaya, Norman and Gina too! It is doggy heaven with swimming, hiking, beaches and neighborhood dog friends who always come "knocking" at our door:D
5. Do you prefer coffee or tea? I'd say Coffee, but my favorite right now is actually a chai tea latte with a shot of espresso!

It's true!

Five questions asked by A Peace-a-Bull Assembly:

1. Most of us have a common theme in the titles of our blog, but tell us: how did you come by the name of yours? I have no idea why, as I have never even seen an episode, but when thinking of a blog title the tv show,My Three Sons came to mind...and it turned into My Two Pitties.
2. What is the be-all end-all favorite treat of your dog(s)?  They love the chicken strips by Dogswell and I've been using the little training treats by Zukes lately. The roasted chicken smells so good it makes me want it for dinner, haha.
3. What has been the biggest challenge of dog ownership? Probably the fact that I never want to leave them. When I'm out with friends and the couple times when I've taken trips without them, I think about them and want to get back. I try to structure my activities and vacations so they're always involved.
4. And what has been the biggest reward? This question could easily bring me to tears and I could go on and on forever so I am going to keep it simple. Happiness:)
5. What is your favorite "me" activity? Wasting time on the internet!

How could these guys not make me happy every day??

My five Liebster Blog Award Nominees:

1. It All Started with a Pit Bull - Their two adorabulls, Braylon and Hades are usually joined by a foster pittie or 2! It's always great to read about their adventures in AZ:)
2. acd6pack - The activities of 7 lucky rescue pups. The fact that several of them are blind and/or deaf does not hold them back from enjoying life!
3. 2 Punk Dogs - With 2 dogs, 4 cats and Doug, the lizzard, it's always fun to see how these guys are mingling.
   
4. Peaceful Dog - 2 cool dogs living in MD, they love going on awesome hikes and recently started fostering a super-cute whipper snapper called Star.
5. My Mini Pet Pig - This is one of the very few non-dog blogs I follow, but boy oh boy, I can't get enough of the adorable Coccolino the mini pig.
   

Five questions for my nominees:

1. Where did your dog(s) or pet(s) get their names from?
2. Do you have a favorite animal from a movie or tv show?
3. What is your number one pet peeve when it comes to other dog( or pet) owners?
4. Sweet or savory?
5. If you and your pet(s) could teleport anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?

Thanks again to Pitlandia and A Peace-a-Bull Assembly!

KAYA & NORMAN'S RESOLUTIONS 2013

KAYA:

- chase more tennis balls

- find more swimming places

- finally find those missing snacks in Norman's mouth

- chase more tennis balls

- keep good stuff away from Norman

- steal good stuff from Norman

- chase more tennis balls

- find more stinky stuff to roll in

- get more of those smelly sticks to chew on from the snack lady

- chase more tennis balls

- refine my blanket burrowing techniques

- sleep upside-down more

- oh...and chase more tennis balls

NORMAN:

- kiss more faces

- make more friends

- get more snacks from the snack lady

- prove to Kaya that i can be cool too

- find more stinky stuff to eat off the ground

- did I say kiss more faces?

- remind my cat how much i luv her fish breath

- kiss the snack lady more

- finally break through to China while digging at the beach

- NEVER get in the bathtub

- try not to look at the camera when snack lady tries to get my attention

- finally catch Kaya

- kiss more faces

Wish us luck!

Related Posts:
Wordless Wednesday: Happy New Year!
A Year with Kaya 
A Year with Norman

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: TUNNELERS

KAYA'S DNA RESULTS!

Kaya's DNA results are even more of a mixed bag than Norman's! After seeing Norman's results, I really thought that Kaya had some Vizsla in her. Especially after reading this line in Wikipedia, Many Vizslas will sleep in bed with their owners and, if allowed, burrow under the covers. But I was wrong again. And if I was given both their results without knowing which was which, I would definitely have them swapped. Nonetheless, Kaya's mix is 1/8 Bull Terrier, 1/8 Collie, 1/8 Bulldog and 1/8 Am Staff.

How the heck did Kaya end up with so many large breeds in her mix and she is so slightly built and agile?!

Like Norman, I decided to compare her behavior to the traits listed for her breeds by Wisdom Panel.

BULL TERRIER:

Intelligent, active, strong, and usually friendly dogs. - YES

Enjoy dog sports such as flyball, agility, weight pull, tracking, and both rally and competitive obedience. - YES

Respond well to a reward-based approach to training to reduce any stubbornness and to teach dropping of retrieved items. - YES

Some may be apprehensive around strangers. There have been reported incidents of Bull Terriers being aggressive with other pets or people. - NO

COLLIE:

Intelligent, obedient, active and watchful dogs. - YES

Collies are eager to learn especially with reward-based training. - YES

Collies seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, Frisbee, tracking, rally and competitive obedience. - YES

Although they are often good with children and are usually friendly, some Collies can be wary or reserved with strangers. - NO

BULLDOG:

Playful, calm, and usually friendly dogs. - YES, NO & YES (Kaya is playful and friendly, but definitely not calm.)

Bulldogs are less energetic than other breeds, although they still need exercise to avoid becoming obese. - NO

Stubborn tendencies may be lessened by using reward-based training involving small treats. - YES

A Bulldog can be tenacious or difficult to disengage from an activity that has its attention. - NO

AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER:

Intelligent, hard-working, and stoic dogs. - YES

Very loyal to family and usually good with children. May not get along well with other dogs. - YES & NO (Like Norman, Kaya loves everyone she meets, including kids and would probably go home with any stranger. She is not submissive like Norman with other dogs, but she generally either ignores or enjoys every dog she meets.)

American Staffordshire Terriers seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and competitive obedience. - YES

There have been reported incidents of American Staffordshire Terriers being aggressive with other pets or people. - NO

Kaya had a lot more similarities than Norman. And I am pleased that she is at least a tiny bit Pit Bull and relieved that she is not Beagle (sorry Beagle lovers). I am assuming the Collie in her is where she gets her tracking abilities. Kaya can sniff out her tennis ball within a acre of space! And I can really see the collie in her snout and nose.

I read a bit about the Briard in Wikipedia and thought this was interesting...

The Briard has a very good memory. Once a lesson is learned, good or bad, the knowledge will be retained for a long time to come. Sometimes they may appear to be strong minded and stubborn but these are a few of the Briard's characteristics. They were bred for centuries to think for themselves and to act upon their conclusions, sometimes to the point of thinking what the "flock" will do ahead of time.

I can see that in Kaya for sure! But it's amazing that both of my dogs look much more Pit Bull than anything else. I guess it goes to show how dominant the gene is physically and it's sad to think so many dogs are mislabeled, looked down on and put to sleep when they are just mutts like mine. Though of course full Pit Bulls do not deserve that fate either. And I'd be happy with all pittie too:)

I am slightly disappointing that she came out with so much mixed breed in her results. I wonder if she really is just that much of a mix or did I not do a good enough job swabbing her? Some day I might repeat the test. If it comes back different, Wisdom Panel will refund you. But for now, it was really fun to test them and I'm glad I did it!

Related Posts:
Norman's DNA Results
What the &^#$%@! Mix Am I?
Kaya: aka Pretty Little Baby

NORMAN'S DNA RESULTS!

Norman's DNA results finally came in! The puzzling thing is that the breeds that showed up are actually exactly what I would think Kaya's would be. I even double checked that it was his test results and not hers. I am happy to report that Norman is at least 1/4 Pit Bull(Am Staff). He is also 1/4 Vizsla and 1/8 Bull Terrier. The rest is mixed breed.

Interestingly, I don't think the main traits Wisdom Panel lists for each breed relate to Norman at all.

AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER:

Intelligent, hard-working, and stoic dogs. - NOPE

American Staffordshire Terriers seem to enjoy dog sports such as agility, flyball, rally and competitive obedience. - NO

Does playing with a flip flop count?

Very loyal to family and usually good with children. May not get along well with other dogs. - YES & NO (Norman adores children, but he also adores every living thing on the planet earth and would probably go home with any stranger who says hello to him. He loves other dogs too.)

There have been reported incidents of American Staffordshire Terriers being aggressive with other
pets or people. - HELL NO

Though it is not described by Wisdom Panel, we all know that Pit Bulls are also known to be very affectionate, willing to please, goofy and wiggly which he certainly is.

VIZSLA:

Energetic, alert, intelligent, and active dogs who may be exuberant. Good swimming or jogging companion. - NO

May be shy around strangers. - NOOOO

Like dog sports such as retrieving, flyball, Frisbee, hunt and field trials, agility, tracking, and obedience events. - NO

May chase or hunt wildlife or bark. - NO

I did find some similarities on Wikipedia though:

Vizslas are gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, children and even strangers. Vizsla thrives on attention, exercise, and interaction. However, they must be trained gently and without harsh commands or strong physical correction, as they have sensitive temperaments and can be easily damaged if trained too harshly. Vizslas are very gentle dogs that are great around children. The Vizsla wants to be close to its owner as much as possible. Many Vizslas will sleep in bed with their owners.

And more differences:

Vizslas are very high energy. They are very vocal dogs, and some will gladly "sing" along to the radio. Whenever these dogs feel neglected or want something, they will cry. They are natural hunters with an excellent ability to take training. They will retrieve on land and in the water, making the most of their natural instincts. Like all hunting dogs, Vizslas require a great deal of exercise to remain healthy and happy. Vizslas have been compared to horses in their tendency to "trot" rather than run.

BULL TERRIER:

Intelligent, active, strong, and usually friendly dogs. - NO & YES (Intelligent - not really. Active - sometimes. Strong - NO. Friendly - YES.)

Enjoy dog sports such as flyball, agility, weight pull, tracking, and both rally and competitive obedience. - NO

Respond well to a reward-based approach to training to reduce any stubbornness and to teach dropping of retrieved items. - YES & NO (Never had to teach him drop, he just does it. And he has never retrieved a thing in his life. He is anything but stubborn and he does respond to reward-based training.)

Some may be apprehensive around strangers. There have been reported incidents of Bull Terriers being aggressive with other pets or people. - NO WAY

I also found some more similarities on Wikipedia:

The Bull Terrier is a fun, comical, people-loving dog. They are known to be courageous, scrappy, fun-loving, active and clownish.

One of the few times I've caught Norman with a ball in his mouth.

Though the differences were aplenty too:

Bull Terriers can be both independent and stubborn and for this reason are not considered suitable for an inexperienced dog owner. A firm hand and an assertive demeanor are essential if the Bull Terrier is not to run riot. They are also fiercely protective. When it comes to other animals, caution should be advised. Bull Terriers have a strong prey instinct and can cause injury or death to other animals, especially cats. Introducing a Bull Terrier of the same sex as the dog in residence is considered unwise, and some Bull Terriers won't countenance any other dogs, of either sex. - HA!

I was really banking on Lab to be in his mix due to the fact that he is so sweet, gentle, fun-loving, forgiving, similar ears and head, longer hair on his back and not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I guess not!

I can see the Vizsla in his ears and his narrower build, but I have known them to be hyper, intelligent and driven which he is surely not. In fact, I do not know why I did not think of it before, but I can definitely see Vizsla in Kaya. In fact, in almost all of the traits above, I would say yes according to her behavior. I sent in her results a few days later, so hopefully I'll get them soon!

I guess his results prove the beauty of a mutt. Norman got the best of all his breeds and somehow missed out on their downsides. I couldn't have designed a better dog:)

Related Posts:
Kaya's DNA Results
What the &^#$%@! Mix Am I?
Norman's Adoption Story