Saturday at the Movies: The Dog Food Container Saga

The cleanup crew: I, Twinkie, the tiny teacup chihuahua, and my pack members, Pedro, the rat-cha, and Frankie, the brindle chiweenie (aka chicken-weenie) are given the hard task of cleaning out a dog food container,yay! Happy Weekend! Twink!

The Conspiracy Theory

Mom bought me a brand new dog bed yesterday. She said it was just for ME. Butt, Pedro, the devilishly mischievous yellow rat-cha, had other plans. He got Frankie, the brindle chicken-wienie, to plot against me, aaand to take over MY pressie!        

A pox on them both! A pox on them both! A pox on them both!

Happy in and on my brand new bed

That didn't last long

First take over by Pedro

Me, giving Pedrito a piece of my mind

Peace temporarily restored, but I'm still upset

THE PLOTTING

That didn't last long

Pete is a "determined" little fella

Check out Frankie's face. The brindle chicken-wienie may have a conscience after all. Can't say the same about "the rat" however. He's enjoying his zzzs... 

I miscalculated and decided to "show them" by squeezing in

Ugh, so not worth it. I'm outta here 

Pedro looking all "innocente"

He's probably already thinking of his next move

Frankie holding her nose, running, and screaming, "Pedro! You how could you!

Mom sprayed some Febreze to my beautiful dog bed. In a couple of weeks, I should able to move back in.

Twink!

Wordless Wednesday

The Rockettes at the Blue Dog Beer Tavern 

(or is it the Red Dog Tavern?)

Twink!

The Dangers of Dog Collars (and Cat Collars too)

Mom wasn't supposed to be home today, but, lucky for our Sasha, our black Great Dane, she had a last minute change of plans, so, she stayed home and started measuring our couch, hoping to find the right size cover to save it from us. She kept looking fondly out the glass doors at all of seven of us. We've come a long way as a pack. We all get along, and we all enjoy one another's company. The two litter mate Danes were horsing around (literally) with the new pack addition, Rocket, who was also playing with Pedrito, the tiny Rat-cha. I was observing them and our mom. At the blink of my tiny eyes it happened! Sasha and Ziggy, her even larger Great Dane bro, where both under Sasha's collar. Huh? Ziggy cannot ever wear a collar because of his Wobbler Syndrome. I started to bark my little head off and sure enough mom heard the urgency in my voice and ran outside. Sasha and Ziggy were SUFFOCATING each other, but Ziggy appeared to be "winning". Sasha's eyes were fading fast. She went down with a thud as mom got to her. Mom grabbed both dogs' heads and fell down to the ground, squeezing their heads together to allow for a bit of air to get through their throats. She was screaming for scissors, but nobody was coming. Finally, she was able to feel for the plastic buckle, but the tension was too great for her.  As it sometimes happens at times like this, extraordinary amounts of strength come out of nowhere. Mom's fingers squeezed hard enough and Ziggy and Sasha fell apart onto the ground. Mom was shaking. The rest of the pack, watched quietly for a change. Sasha's eyes looked bloodshot and Ziggy had gotten a few cuts in the process, but they were both alive!

The potential dangers of dog collars are a serious matter

Dear dog lovers, and cat lovers too: Dog collar strangulations are common. The dangers of dog collars are numerous. Even in the case of a single dog, the collar may get caught on something, for example as they jump, and then your beloved furiend will be... think about it. Our own Linguini, about 10 years ago, was tied up in our front yard while mom was getting our things loaded for a hike. In those short moments, Linguini, jumped over our fence into our neighbors', about 8 feet below. Mom found her on her on her tippy toes doing the strangest dog dance, as she hung by her throat; another close call. We missed that one. NO more. My home is pro-active. We're changing things around here.

There are a couple of solutions out there that I know of, but feel free to add to my research. First, get us all microchipped. Secondly, if you must have a collar on us, here are a couple of suggestions. A breakaway collar, or a stretch safety collar for dogs that stretches when it's not clipped with a leash, allowing us to slip free in potentially life-threatening situations.

Peace and quiet are by now restored at Casa De Twinkie, but we will not forget again, and you better share with your friends and furiends. No uncalled-for trips to the Rainbow Bridge!

Now, go give your dog a hug and keep him/her safe!

Respectfully,

Twinkie

Wordless Wednesday/Hide and Seek Kitteh

See. For once I kept completely quiet on Wordless Wednesday. Oops!

Twink!

To Pee or Not to Pee on Other Dogs

Does YOUR dog pee on other dogs? Huh? Does he?

Actually it's a quite common behavior that our Pedrito, El Diablo, the little yellow "Great Dane", is fond of. Overall, the act itself can have diametrically opposite interpretations: submission OR domination.

Let's analyze this!

Your average dog pee pose

A safer distance pee

Notice the indifference in both beasts' faces

You can almost hear them singing indifferently

These two gentle giants, are secure in their relationship. They go potty only when and because they get the urge. 

There's another reason for dogs to go potty however. We will have our little DOGMINATRIX demonstrate the rest:

Eggs-ibit A

Eggs-ibit B

Eggs-ibit C

Lil' Pete, is a dog full of surprises. If you remember him from past posts, he is also a talented Po(o)p Artist... 

Let's focus for a minute. Peeing on other doggies, is an excellent way to spread one's scent; however, one possibility is that the Pee-er is submitting, therefore showing deference to other dogs. Hmmm. In that situation, the Pee-er means no harm to the Pe-ee. Let's look at the body language in the 3 photos above. Is Pete's head lowered? NO. Is Pete showing his belly, even just a tinsy bit? NO. Is his tail down? NOPE! Well, in his case he is trying to DOMINATE. This is no subordinate urination, it is treachery and he's lucky the Great Dane litter mates are so laid back.

Mark away Lil' Pete, mark away you amazing little big dog...

Twink!

Extra, Extra Read All About it!

A couple of days ago, I received the most pawesome email from Silver Lining Herbs. A kind lady contacted me to say that my bloggie had been featured on their TOP 10 FAVORITE dog blogs! She went on to mention the criteria used for their wise choosing:

"Although there are lots of dog bloggers out there, the blogs written from the POV of the dogs tend to be our favorites, especially because they're quite entertaining. We also love looking at lots of cute pictures. Through your posts, you have displayed responsible pet ownership, compassion, a sense of community, and dedication to sharing the story of your pet(s), which we admire."

This is the first thing I did when I received the email

Here's my personal take (yes, I am still as opinionated as ever)

1. I am quite entertaining, I agree. 

2. My blog has cute pictures. I agree, although sometimes my human makes me post photos of the cat-astrophic kittehs. Blah

3. Through my posts, I have displayed responsible pet ownership. That is correct! I, Twinkie, love all my pets. Okay, so I wasn't crazy about all our adoptions right from the start, but I've learned to trust my humans plus I am also responsible, so there's truth to this statement.

4. I have demonstrated compassion. Being a rescue dog myself, of course I feel compassion. I was a MESS when M found me. It's been several years now, and I'm healthier than ever, with the exclusion of my useless leg, but even though I have a forever home, I always think of my beginnings and think of other abandoned animals in need of a bit of food, water, and TLC. 

5. The sense of community makes me a bit emotional. You see, that was the goal, once upon a time when my mom and I had lots of spare time, and a smaller pack. I put up lots of events to feature my friends, I spread the news, put links up, contests, my Dear Twinkie column, and the cherry: GABE, the Global Animal Blogging Event. Everyone's link is still up, but unfortunately, I currently do not have much time to  dedicate to my community. As some of you may know, we are an ever growing pack; a pack which includes a geriatric case, a Wobbler, a scrawny and sickly tiny dog, mois, a demanding devilish younger terrier terror . . . mom also works a lot teaching Pailates... While the sense of community is still strong, lack of time gets in the way. Sniff. 

6. Dedication to sharing the story of my petS is also true. If I'm not blogging, I'm still finding a moment here and there to share through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the rest of the most important media. 

This is my custom badge (for all you skeptics)

You may also read the actual Silver Lining Herbs' post by clicking HERE

Therefore, after this breakdown and careful consideration of each and every point, I am HONORED to be part of Silver Lining Herbs' Top 10 Favorite dog blogs, especially when that means I am on the same list as (here I will mention the long time bloggie furiends that I am familiar with only): the legendary Ms. Khyra, my beloved Chronicle of Woos, the hilarious comic duo of the Two French Bulldogs, and the rest of the deserving blogs.


Before I wrap things up though, allow me to break down the blurb that Silver Linging Herbs used to feature my blog, 'cause I really can't help myself:

Twinkie is a very appropriate name for the sweet little Teacup Chihuahua who runs this blog. He was rescued off the streets and rehabilitated despite doubts he would ever pull through. Despite only being able to use 3 of his legs, he’s a happy little dog who shares space with his fellow K9 siblings and even cats. Although this blog is centered around Twinkie and dogs, it also is appropriate for cat lovers, too!

"Twinkie is a very appropriate name"  . . . They are correct, I was named after the infamous "Twinkie Defense". I also do run this blog, don't ever be fooled. 

"He was rescued," is almost accurate, but I am a SHE. I'm a girly girl, kk? Good. 

The rest of the text I cannot object to, until we come to the last line: "[Twinkie Tiny Dog, the blog] is appropriate for cat lovers too." While it's true, I do NOT want my blog to go to the cats. 

I'm afraid it's time to wrap things up. Don't ask...

Lots of licks to y'all!

Twink!