Olympic Dogs

The Winter Olympics have been going on for about a week now, and I can tell the dogs are just as excited as we are!

We had an Opening Ceremony party with a few friends last Friday, and of course the boys got to come along. While we celebrated the Opening Ceremony with take-out BBQ and adult beverages, the boys ran around with their little girlfriend, Nutmeg. Our friends also have a dog (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) named Nutmeg and the boys are just in love with her. It is the cutest thing to see them chase her around the house/back yard. But, they also know it is her house, so she can put them in their place with the swish of her tail.

The boys have known Nutmeg since they were little bitty, and it is funny to see how they have out grown her (the boys are 25 and 30 pounds now, while Nutmeg is about 20). But Nutmeg doesn't seem to mind playing with them- she has all the control! Nutmeg does allow them to play with her toys and drink her water. But, if the boys get too close to her food, she will let out this low, menacing, no-nonsense growl and the boys will back away faster than you can say naptime.

While we were engrossed with the Opening Ceremonies, the dogs were behind us playing their doggy games. They were playing "tease" (where one dogs has a toy that they wave in front of the other dogs to get them all jealous. This game will usually result in a fight or chase of some sort). The other game, in which all three dogs participated in, was "chase Nutmeg around the coffee table" which is descriptive in itself. Nutmeg would do her vixen dance in front of the boys, then tear off around the couch/coffee table/chairs in a big circle with the boys close on her tail. The dogs would go round and round and round until the adults were all dizzy, but it was just good fun for doggies.

Eventually, everyone started to chill out and lay down. We were getting tired too, so it was time to go home. Going to Nutmeg's house is always a tiring adventure, which is a win-win for all of us!

Big Boy Collars

When the boys were little, the only collars that would fit them was the "extra-small dog" collars- you know, the collars for those little yippee dogs types that fit in your pocket :). The collars were pretty cute, both were little Burberry knock-offs (I got them at Petsmart, so they were pretty inexpensive). I wanted the boys to have matching collars, and the Burberry was the best mix of colors that match both of their fur (black and white/brown).

Well, we've been steadily expanding the extra-small collars until about a month ago when we noticed Bear's collar was getting awfully tight (he has a big head for the breed- ha). So I decided it was time to step up to the next level- big boy collars. I liked the Burberry look, but Petsmart did not offer those in the bigger sizes, so I decided to hit the net to find a good knock-off.

I ended up finding matching collars at Swanky Pet online. I got two collars for a very reasonable price- and apparently they hand make them when they are ordered. Even though the boys are classified as a "medium" dog breed, I got the small collars and they fit well with plenty of room to grow. I ended up getting the matching leashes as well, even though we had leashes that matched the extra-small dog collars. It was definitely a good move as the new leashes are wider with less slick material, so they don't slip in your hand as much. The new leashes also make the situation easier when we have to walk the boys without their Gentle Leaders (a device that goes around their nose/neck and prevents them from pulling- a more humane version of the "choke collar"). The boys are getting bigger and stronger, so a better leash for their walk is a good decision.



The boys look very dashing in their new accessories. I think they like them, but more importantly, I like them :)