Guess what?!?

On August 19, 2020August 18, 2020 By CarynIn dog, Life Hack

Another puppy post! But I managed to squeeze in another life hack/craft project.

Missy’s favorite place to nap is under feet.

I don’t know how big little miss is going to end up. She has a vet appointment soon, but I don’t want to put her in a cat carrier. I don’t want to buy a soft carrier that only holds 10 pounds if she ends up being 17. So I drew on my baby days and sling wearing. I don’t have much time to craft, so I took an old t-shirt with no side seams from the recycle box, and cut it off under the armpits to make a wide tube of fabric.

Sad little app sketch because I couldn’t reach my sketch pad with the puppy asleep on my feet

I put this on cross body, and tucked little miss in. She likes it! I’m using it periodically at home to get her used to it. It also helps when I need to do something and can’t watch her. It isn’t hands free, but it does free up one hand to do things like make tea. I tried one of my husband’s old shirts first, but that held her too low. She actually prefers the sling a little snug.

Missy in a sling made from an old t-shirt

Oh, puppy

On August 18, 2020August 16, 2020 By CarynIn dog

We’ve been looking for another dog for while now, both as a companion for our current dog, Griffin, and as a potential family lap dog. We are an adopt kind of family, not a buying kind. We applied for some adoptions but were not selected, visited some other adoptables that were afraid of Griffin, then stumbled upon a litter of Chihuahua (maybe) mixes at a rescue where I had previously applied. Somehow, we ended up at the top of the list and so we went to meet a puppy at the foster home. So much sweetness and cuteness in a such a little package! And the puppy was enamored with Griffin.

So this is Missy the (maybe) 2 month old, 3.6 pound puppy. Oh, puppy. It has been a long time since we’ve had a puppy, and never one this young! We’ve been puppy proofing the house, and watching carefully. When she wakes from a nap (I forgot how much puppies nap), we take her outside and she does her business! The only accident in the house was totally my fault. She whimpered at night and I thought she was lonely. Nope. Watching a 3 pound puppy play with our 50 pound dog is hilarious, and he is so careful around her.

We are crate training, and taking turns with the cuddles with the hope she will bond to the whole family rather than one person. The humans are all enamored. Griffin was much happier when he realized she was a dog (she did the play position). Sophie the cat was wary, and Izzy the cat is hiding either in the catio or the craft room. She is an 11 pound, very long calico, absolutely scared of a 3 pound puppy. Oh my.

Kayaking

On August 4, 2020August 1, 2020 By CarynIn dog, Wildlife

I like to take the kids kayaking at one of the small local lakes. This last trip we saw all sorts of different wildlife! Great Egrets, great blue herons, lesser blue herons, diamond back water snakes sunning themselves on logs, and a leech. Attached to the bottom of the boat. Very interesting trip. We have started taking our dog Griffin too. He sits in my eldest’s kayak and falls out once per trip, then lays quietly the rest of the trip. The handles on his life vest make it much easier to get him back in the kayak! Still, he seems to enjoy the outing.

Griffin our dog in his life vest standing in the kayak (pre fall)

Diamondback water snake (non venomous) photo credit to my eldest

Dust

On July 24, 2020July 18, 2020 By CarynIn chickens, dog

My dog loves laser lights. Correction: my dog is obsessed with laser lights. He is funny about them though, he doesn’t chase it just wherever, he has a self defined path that if you flash the light at the beginning of the path, he will traverse the whole trail, whether or not the light leads him. If you shine the light elsewhere you are given “a look”, and he waits until you get it right. Goofy dog. This behavior does result in a dirt path through the yard. For me, though, this is not a bad thing necessarily. We have clay soil, which is hard and unforgiving to dig. In the dog’s trail, the clay has been churned to a fine dust, which is easy to scoop up and add to the ash and diatomaceous earth for the chicken’s dust bath. So really, the dog’s favorite activity in the whole wide world is also providing a chicken service. So there we go. The dog is happy, the chickens love their dust bath, and even the cat, when she dashes through the door, beelines for a good roll in the fine dust.

His boots!

On May 21, 2020 By CarynIn dog

Griffin’s new boots arrived, so we put them on and took a walk. He had a small adjustment period, but settled into his new footwear pretty well. They certainly stay on better than old socks! And no stickers in his paws.

Critters and Craft

Category: dog