What would Brie do?

This article came out yesterday about a dog saving her owners life by doing the Heimlich maneuver. Even though there is some doubt about whether the dog had the intention of dislodging the apple it is nevertheless a fascinating story.

And this got me thinking what would Brie do in the same situation. Well, in the previous case if I was in pain on the ground she has always came beside me but instead of comforting me she just expects to play. Hmm...... this is a not a positive sign, also as Brie is very fond of apples chances are that she would sniff my face trying to find out where the rest of the apples went. I think I better be careful when eating apples as the chances of Brie giving me the Heimlich maneuver are slim to none.

Too wet and windy for Brie

This weather we are having is not very accommodating for Brie. The high pitched squeal of the wind gushing through and rattling branches scares Brie, so her bathroom outings are often cut short because our Brie lacks nerves.

So we have to usher Brie and accompany her on her outings, this usually consists of me or my husband carrying a giant golf umbrella above Brie. Sometime this works, and other times we end up doing a tour of the garden inch by inch.

Another lazy day of laying on the bed, we can go for a walk when he weather clears up a bit.

Preparation for the fun run/walk.

Annual "Purina fun run/walk with your dog" is on again on 15th of April. Last year she was unable to attend because she was recovering from minor surgery. So we are all looking forward to go this year.

Although there is lots to be excited about Brie has been spending this grim day couped up inside because of the terrible weather. Her day consisted of lots of sleeping and hiding under the bed. She thinks she is great at hiding, but what she doesn't know is that her fluffy paws were sticking out and giving away her little hiding spot.

Brie is helpful????

I knew Brie would get muddy all over so I had a plan!!! - to make her wear jumper this time. There was a deffinate reduction in the amount of dirt she carried into the house. Anyway, Brie had got it into her head that she was great at helping when it comes to gardening. So this is what she calls helpful:

Brie: "I'll help I'll help"

B: "I know, you want me to dig here"

B: "and a bit more digging over here"

B: "oh look, a cricket...must get that cricket"

Gardening Pt II

Over the weekend thanks to the good weather we got a lot of gardening done, and this includes Brie too. Brie might say she is she is an expert at gardening, but I may not use that particular word when I describe Brie's gardening skills. Brie always investigates the new recruit to our garden, and this usually includes extensive sniffing to add the new scent profile to her database.Brie is very fond of our new ground cover. Not only does she enjoy sniffing it, but she decided to munch on the all the little white flowers. By the time we planted them they were all out of flowers. I have to teach her the difference between flowers and the veggies.

Sulky little poodle

When we are busy Brie doesn't like it and she tries every tactic she knows to get our attention. This includes sitting like a good girl, tapping on the chair and even meowing like a cat. Yesterday all her little tricks failed and she went away.

After I was done with my work I went to find Brie and she was sulking on the bed with her teddy bear. I Even tried to play with her she was very uninterested, I think she is playing the guilt trip card.

My sweet sweet basil.

I compulsively bought some basil seeds thinking that it would be nice to have some herbs in my garden. To my joy it is growing pretty well, I guess this is expected as it is a simple plant, but I'm excited to add them to salad and pasta.

Recently I spotted Brie also attending to the basil, so far she has only sniffed it and had a lick of it but I have a suspicious feeling that when it gets bigger she might munch on it. I guess I should be happy knowing that Brie can't water them or fertilise them because it is placed in a raised pot.

USB Poodle 2.0

This multipurpose, wireless roaming device is compatible with Windows, Mac and selected dog breeds. Features an intense gaze and requires constant attention. Shuts down randomly and requires 18 hours per day to charge. During charging disturbances will be noted and unimpressed glare may result. Runs on two bowls of kibble, but may need some cheese and/or apple pieces to aid refueling. Will conveniently stand on keyboard when you are typing. Must be kept away from food, glasses and tissues while in wireless mode. Comes with an abundance of selective memory. Primary purpose - unknown.

Creature comforts

Brie knows that the only place a poodle should rest is on a nice comfy bed. And in order to feel comfortable on a nice bed a poodle requires certain items. These items include raw hide chews, soft toys and maybe something to eat, like a marrowbone treat. What Brie doesn't realise is that waking up to cold, wet, chewed up bits of raw hide and suspicious crumb patches (that Brie has tried to hide by licking up) isn't very nice. I know it's you Brie so you can stop pretending you're innocent!

On her own

Brie is very good at staying in. Before she joined our family I read up on how to raise a dog who is comfortable on it's own at home when the owner leaves. So we trained her from a young age and she seems to take care of herself when we are not there.

Even when we are not there we can usually tell what Brie has being up to on her own. This is not because I set up a Brie-cam at home (I'm not that over protective of Brie) but she leaves trails and these can be spotted with keen eyes.

When I arrive home I am usually greeted with a sprinkle of toys and raw hide chews that Brie has been attending to around the house. Also, on the bed or the couch she leaves footprints and a bum crater. Usually a bum crater is accompanied by wet raw hide and is found in the middle of the bed along with pillows and cushions. I think that while we are gone she is lounging around in the center of the bed enjoying the luxury of having the bed all to herself.

Brie's way of appreciation

Brie loves parcels and letters arriving, she always has to investigate them using all her senses. She considers letters a little less exciting as she never received an eatable letter. The most recent parcel that arrived contained a little cushion for Brie amongst other non-Brie related things. As soon as she spotted a fluffy pink Brie-sized cushion she loved it and decided to carry it around everywhere.However later she decided to maul the cushion instead of cuddling up to it. I guess she figured that was more fun. Oh well, Brie seemed like the cushion very much.Especially the ribbons. Who can blame her, all the girls like ribbons, but I'm not sure if other girls would chew on them.

Beef ribs

When there is nobody around the house to play with Brie needs entertainment while she guards the house. So we have been giving her a beef rib to chew on during the day. This turned out to be a very effect method of keeping her mind occupied. A little too effective even, as once we have given her the rib, she runs off, only to return a few minutes later to check if we have gone and it's safe to chew it in the lounge. She even gets excited when she sees us getting ready to leave, instead of being sad. I thought you loved us more than ribs Brie!

Grim day

After last night's black out I'm convinced that our location has more power cuts than the rest of Auckland. The only source of entertainment in our house without power is Brie, so she got reluctantly trained under candlelight. This gave her a new challenge - find fallen treat in the dark.

This morning I was recovering from the flu and feeling pretty rotten in the bed. When Brie got up and snuggled up beside me I was overwhelmed with Brie's affection and her concern that my eyes where watering, well, the only thing watering was my nose, but they could have been. While I was pondering how fortunate I was to have Brie to cheer me up, she twisted and rolled onto her back!?... then I realised that she just wanted a tummy rub.It ok, I know you just have an unconventional way of expressing your concern, I know.

Huge relief

Last night we had a message from Coco's family that she had been hit by a car. Apparently the gate unlocked in the strong wind. This was a huge cause of concern for us and we were very worried about her.

Luckily, she is not too badly hurt, some bruising and scratching, and a chipped canine. She had a day of thorough check ups and the vet has confirmed that she has not even a single bone broken. Brie, I think your friend Coco is either a super dog or just a very lucky dog. Either way she is recovering in the comfort of her home. Get well soon, we'll be visiting as soon as you get better.

Coco during intense chewing. She can't get enough of her bone (pre-accident).

Meet Coco

Since the last entry about Coco didn't even capture a hint of Coco-ness this is a long over due follow up to gain her some fans. She is my friend's 4 year old golden retriever and is a very dog-like dog (unlike Brie). She loves dogs, bones and running around.

A while back we took Brie to meet her in the hope that some of her dogginess will rub off on Brie. This idea was as far away from reality as possible. Just like I thought, Coco was ecstatic about Brie and she wanted a sniff, but Brie on the other hand was a bit frightened of the friendly welcoming and she decided to curl up on my husband's knee. Poor Coco. I hope she isn't traumatised by poodles. Hopefully one day they can share amicable doggie greetings.

Day after trimming

Yesterday I trimmed Brie and thought that I did a fine job if I do say so my self. But when I woke up this morning I saw something that I clearly missed yesterday. Brie's left leg was an inch fatter then the right!!! Even though she wakes up with completely flattened hair from the humidity and heat I think she looks rather fat on one side. Luckily, Brie is a very easy customer to satisfy, as long as she gets her treat at the end.

Pork Chop

I have been looking around for Brie's staying at home treats, and Phoebe's mum recommended we give pork chop raw hide chews a go. The small pork chops come in a pack of something like eight and we gave one to Brie today. After a long time sniffing and trying to bite it, she gave up and decided to throw it around. She hasn't figured out that it isn't a toy yet.

Another dog..?

My husband and I always talk about getting another dog hypothetically, and we always come to the conclusion that we probably shouldn't because chances are with our parenting skills we will have two high maintenance poodles and that would be a nightmare.

But looking at how polar opposite Phoebe and Beau are may be we would be able to raise a dog with a different persona to Brie. I have to admit the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

Still puppy at heart Phoebe:
Beau having a Zen moment by himself:

Eating out

Brie's visit to Phoebe and Beau's house was full of excitement for such a little poodle. She even got a little home made chicken and kibble from Beau's mum for dinner. I wasn't sure how she was going to react but to my horror she decided to pick out the chicken and spread the kibble all over the carpet. BRIE WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS!!!

Phoebe and Beau had no idea why Brie was leaving her meal.

Seeing double

Last weekend Brie caught up with Phoebe and Beau. Luckily Brie remembered them and she was very VERY happy to see them both. Her tail never stopped wagging for the whole evening and she was comfortable enough to be sniffed and even did lots of sniffing herself. This is a huge change from what happened during the first encounter.

There is one little change - Phoebe is nearly fully grown now and is similar sized to Brie. They are so similar in size and they move so alike that neither her parents nor my husband and I could tell the difference. So we were constantly getting them confused. Brie saw Phoebe's new pirouette for the first time, and she was over whelmed! I think she was worried that she may have to learn a new trick.

Emergency preparation

I was flicking through this season's pet magazine and they had a little article on disaster preparation. With last weeks incident I thought I should make an evacuation kit for Brie. The stuff that goes into the kit is pretty simple; pet food and water for three days, towel/blanket and plastic bags. Also, a carry case and vaccination record is recommended. Hmm, this is definitely not going to go into your small pack Brie. We'll have to put your stuff in our pack.

You can find out more about evacuating with dogs here.

Bunny like.

Brie loves veggies, but not in big doses. So when I give her lettuce or cabbage I chop it into strips. I don't want to give her too many doggie treats per day, so Brie gets bit of a apple and veggies for treats sometimes. I have told this to other dog owners but they all seemed very surprised. I knew she has little bit of cat in her, but she may have little bit of bunny too.