Punkin and Petunia

Petunia is growing fast. She is the cutest little pug I ever did see. Well, except for all the other pugs I have seen and owned. She was four months on May 23rd.

She has the perfect temperment as she is just a happy little pup.

She loves her buddies Punkin and Piffles (the cat) and REALLY loves her mommy :-)>

She has had cleaned vet checks, weighs about 7.5 pounds right now. Punkin weighs 13 pounds and loves her as well. Although she lets her know she is the alpha all the time.

They are just so dang cute its illegal!

Just couldn't resist Posting these Pics!

Its 10:20 pm and this is an example of how stressed the animals are! NOT!

Last Night Together.....

This is our last night together and I am sure the fur children can't wait for their mommy and daddy to come home. We hung out today and played in the sunshine for a long time. We visited with Tina and her horses as well. The dogs love it when I buy them bones to chew so they were spoiled as I bought them each three. They are gone, of course. This is a picture of Sunny and Cassie fighting over Sonny's bone as Cassie had already eaten hers. So, everything went smoothly and no scares, thank goodness. Can't wait until my next visit!

We Are Back........

My computer crashed so I was forced to buy a new one. Of course, didn't have to twist my arm. This one is much faster which makes it easier to do these posts.

So, sorry for the delay with the McCoy family but hope you enjoy these pics. The animals have been very patient with my schedule. I had four clients over the weekend. Three of them were just daily visits, i.e. dog walks, feeds, tucking them in at night. Up to this time I spent 24/7 here so they are wondering where I am going. That all ends today and I can go back to devoting my entire time to them until I leave on Tuesday. They have all been really good. Cassie got a little rambunctious and she knocked me over, but no broken bones and I am fine. Thats it for now....I will blog one more before I leave.

Back with the gang.....

I am with Ruggles, Cassie, Sunny, Barnie, Major and Chip. Sounds like I am hanging out with a soroity group in Vegas, eh? Better than that.......the pups, the cat and the two horses are much better company. Although, I must say, its rather uneventful. But I would rather have it that way than drama!!! All the fur children are doing great. The rain came in a bit ago and stormed. Then just as quickly as it came, the sky parted and turned blue and its about 60 out. So, Sonny and Cassie are romping outside while Ruggles lays in her corner in the house. Barnie can't decide if she wants in or out so we are playing revolving door with her. The horses seem fine.....no signs of anything wrong. They are getting their flake in the am and pm. Well, thats all to report for now. I will post some new pictures in the next day.

Polly and Pearl Pug

Polly and Pearl are precious and near and dear to my heart as I am a HUGE Pug lover. They are very easy to take care of as they have a house which is completely condusive to their needs. Not spoiled.....just loved.

Pearl loves to cuddle and would sit in your lap all day long. Polly is the alpha and she sits anywhere she damn well pleases! Most Pugs have the same attitude....'What me? A dog?......I don't THINK so" They are little people with short legs! They have a fur brother named Harley, but Harley missed the photo op. They have a beautiful back yard to run in but they prefer to be in the house. They are the cutest of the cutest!!!!

Meet Sparky and Jenna

Jenna and Sparky are the newest additions to The Playful Paw family. Jenna is a fair-haired Retriever with a very sweet personality. She is quiet and loving and very devoted to whomever she is with. She loves smelling the grass outside and chasing any rabbits that might be in the yard. She loves her treats and will carry a bone around in her mouth all day before deciding to begin chewing on it.

Sparky is a unique mix of Basset Hound and Bichon. His personality is completely Basset, while his fur and head are completely Bichon. He has a great personality. He loves to play and be inquisitive. He likes lots of attention and sleeping on the bed as close to you as he can. He isn't big on the dog treats but loves a good bite of REAL food once in a while.

They are both very sweet dogs and they were a joy to watch.

Abbie Girl

Apologies for the slow blogging of Abbie. I have had her since Thursday but no computer. Guess its time to replace my laptop because I think it died.Abbie is doing well as usual. She was funny yesterday. I went home to shower and change and when I returned she was laying by her cookie jar. I asked 'what are you doing laying in here?'. She just wagged her tail and sat up. I continued into the living room and kept calling her name as I was going to take her for a walk. "Abigail.......Abbie........Where are you?" I looked in the laundry room and there she was still sitting by the cookie jar. I asked 'What do you want". She jumped up on the counter and pointed to her cookies. Boy, has she got me pegged. But she is so darn cute you can't help but give her one.....or two......or three.......well, as many as she wants really. The weather has been hit and miss today. Some sun and some rain. We are just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. She is perfect!

Cool and Gloomy

Abbie is great and enjoying her chew toys I bought her. It has been raining so she is getting a lot of indoor time with me. We hang out and watch TV, Read, Computer and play fetch with her chew toys. Of course, she gets way too many cookies but its her time to be spoiled. I wish there was more to report but no news is good news. She sends kisses to her family.

Lazy Days

Abbie and I are having lazy days. Although she and I played with toys yesterday in the backyard. She is pretty spry for being a senior. She is happy and loving the attention as always. The weather is suppose to warm up, but is windy and cold at the moment. Hopefully, it will warm up for our afternoon walk. Abbie loves to walk and sniffs everything as if that was the very first time she'd walked by that spot. All is well in Abbieland.

Last Day together

Its our last day together until June. All is well and no incidents to report. It has been raining all day so we have been keeping busy playing with toys and chew bones. They get their daily treat of their frozen bones...they love that.
The horses are doing well too but standing out in the rain and the mud. They were exceptionally happy to see me tonight and finally came over to the gate to see me. I ususally have to go to them but he brought his nose right up to the fence for me to scratch. Unfortunately, I have forgotten their names? The black horse seems to be a little agitated the last couple of days. Or, maybe, he is just used to me and is attempting to play. They love their treats.
Barnie is happy except when Cassie is tormenting her which is most of the time. She holds her own though and gets away when need be. I know they are all anxious to have their family home with them and will be very glad tomorrow when that happens. I will be here until about 6pm and tomorrow and say my 'good byes' until next time. They are good fur children.

Abbigail Tail!

Back with Ms. Abbie. She was happy to see Kathy yesteday morning and just as happy to see me in the afternoon. She was already for her walk on a fine spring day but unfortunately it was raining pretty good. Today is much better and she can get that scarf back on as a walk is in her future. She seems to be doing quite well despite her senior years. Better than me! She is so funny about her cookies. She loves to bark at me and tell me to go to the cookie jar. She is probably one of the brightest animals I have ever known.

All is well on the homefront and Abbie is well taken care of!

Raining Cats and Dogs.......

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.......,

We have been rained in for a day or two. Lots of mud and rain. But, the pups are enjoying their inside time. Lucky for them I bought them the big rawhide bones which is keeping them busy when they can't be outside. Barnie the cat doesn't seem to mind the rain....she goes out all the time. The horses are also not afraid of a little rain, although I just checked them and they are standing in their stalls. Everything is going smoothly. All are happy and anxiously awaiting their mom and dad's return!

Sunny and Sonny.....

The sun is shining and the pups have been outside. But, for some reason, Sonny doesn't want to be outside. She's torn between taking care of her little sister or staying inside with me. She seems to be craving attention so I am giving it to her.

Other than playing outside and chewing on their new rawhides everyone is happy. I can't get Cassie in her crate. She has gotten wise about what it means when she goes in there. Animals are like children.....they are completely different with the sitter.

The horses are enjoying the sunshine as well as is Barnie. When the rain comes they all take shelter! Can't say I blame them.....I do the same!

All is well on the farm! No news is GOOD news.

I am slow in blogging but Abbie is doing great. She loevs spending time with her petsitter and she never forgets a face. As soon as she sees me she runs for the cookie jar.

Think she has got my number?

The weather has been rain one day, sun the next. So, Abbie doesn't get a lot of outdoor time as she'd rather stay in the house but she gets out when the sun shines. Kathy is helping me out right now so between her and I, Abbie is rarely alone for long. Tomorrow everyone is just hanging out. I may throw Abbie in the car and take her for a ride. Don't tell her mom and dad, but she likes going to McDonalds the best. She likes the french fries as much as I do. But she is trying to keep her figure in her golden years so she is limited to one. It is hard to deny her when she is looking at you with those beautiful eyes. :-)

I will blog every other day to keep her family posted.

Finally, worn out!

I don't know what got into Cassie and Sonny today, but they were so full of energy. In fact, they were non-stop all day. It was raining in the early part of the day so they didn't go run off the energy until mid-afternoon. They finally came in and I was puttering in the kitchen, filling their bones and when I returned to the living room, this is how I found Cassie. I love the lip action in the close up of her face. She is a riot and FULL OF ENERGY. Everyone else is doing great too. I will post pictures of Sonny and Ruggles tomorrow. (computer problem solved). The deer were plentiful today and there were several out grazing early morning. I have a trick for keeping Ruggles and Cassie out of the pond! I will share that info with her mommy when they return.

They send their love to their family!

Sunshine all Day!

The kids are enjoying the sunshine today. I didn't go anywhere so they have been hanging out in the sunshine. The Elk came to visit this morning but I wasn't aware of it until I heard Cassie barking wildly. I looked out and sure enough she was barking at a rather large Elk. I yelled for her just as the neighbor in the white truck decided to leave. She lost interest in the Elk and decided to chase the truck. She can run very fast!

I have a loud whistle that I trained my kids to hear when they were little. I have been whistling for the dogs and they all come running. I assume their mommy and daddy do this too and that is the reason they know what it means.

Cassie got into some oil or something. Maybe laying under the truck. Her back is black. I may try to bathe her if I think my wrist can manage.

All else is boring and uneventful here on the farm which is how I prefer it to be. We have and enough 'events'.........time to relax. :-)

Me and the gang.......

With a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier, three great pooches, a very funny cat and two horses, I am settled in for a two week stay with the gang! Ruggles, Cassie, and Sonny are all doing well and loving the attention they have been getting the last couple of days. Barnie is loving the weather and wants to spend a lot of time outside. The horses are liking their treats and all is well on the farm! I haven't seen any Elk yet, but hope to soon. Spring is here so a lot of little critters are out. I saw some deer down the road and there are lots of ducks on the pond.

Cassie has been very good and she loves sleeping outside of her crate. We watch TV until late and I just let her sleep with the others. She has been good so far. However, she got into a little trouble with the ceramic floral piece on the table. I came in from feeding the horses this morning and she had gotten on the table and knocked it over and broke it. She knew she was in trouble and kind of hung her head when I came in.

We cleaned floors this morning and windows. They each got a frozen bone when I left for the doctors. I was only gone about three hours, so it was enough time for them to devour their bones.

I will attempt to post some pictures in the next few days. A computer gliche is keeping me from loading my pictures to the blog. But, all is well here in Enumclaw, Washington!!!!

Meet Petunia....

Otherwise known as 'Cutie Petutti'. She is just 7 weeks old and she is full of personality. Who can't love a pug. She is inquisitive, weighs just 2 pounds and she is completely healthy. In other words, she's pure joy!

Katie and Katja

I have been with Katie and Katja for a week. They are a unique couple of Mini Schnauzers. I have known them for a couple of years and they always bring a smile to my face. They know their routine. They know what they want and when they want it and that always makes it easy to care for them as they let you know if you are slipping up! Katie is the Grey girl. She is verbal, outgoing and an avid huntress. She can smell a rabbit from 500 yards. She never heads out the door with less than a full speed run. She might seem stand-offish, but she loves a good ear rub and all the attention she can get.

Katja, the black girl is the larger of the two. She is a little more subdued but also loves to chase the rumblings in the bushes. Katja does everything on her own terms and her own time. She needs the perfect spot to piddle and comes only when she is ready. She too likes attention and love, but again, only on her own terms and she lets you know what those are.

They both love their mommy and daddy and have the luxury of having someone home with them all the time.

They were a pleasure to watch and I can happily say everything went smooth as silk!

Kira and Joe....

Kira is also loving the sunshine. She has averaged every other day outside. Nala came to play one day and she spends the rest of the time wth me, Kathy and Joe. But shes just as happy to chase squirrels up a tree or just sit and ponder whatever is next door. Joe Kitty is doing well too and both are being spoiled as usual.

Abbie Sings

Abbie sings for her cookie. She knows how to work me.

Forgive the slow blogs but Auntie Dee is working with one arm these days. Abbie got to spend most of the day outside today as the sun showed its happy face. she couldn't wait to bury the new bone I bought her. She has a pretty Ruff life.....Eat, sleep, play, eat, sleep, play.....etc. Nothing new to report as all is well on the homefront.

Joe and Kira

Joe and Kira are doing gret. No rain so Kira is enjoying the company of me and Kathy. Since I have a broken arm, Kathy takes Kira for walks while I visit Joe and drive him crazy with his laser light.

Nothing new to report. Both are happy and enjoying treats and company.

Tee Time

Anyone for a game of golf? Is there anything Abbie won't allow me to dress her up in? LOL. She almost looks Ahmish in this photo, but she is wearing her mommy's golf cap. She is still enjoying the dry days and walks whenever we can squeeze them in. Auntie Dee has a broken arm so a walk is sometimes difficult.

We may go for a ride tomorrow in between some cleaning. I bought her some bones so she is enjoying hiding them in the yard and digging them up at night for a nightly chew-fest. She is doing great and looking forward to her family coming home.

Auntie Dee and Kathy..........

The dynamic Duo are quite the pair.......

They are both cute with Jet Black hair.....

No two fur children are quite the same........

Gentle and sweet, they both remain......

The sky has been clear - no rain for days.......

So Kira goes out and loves to play....

Joe and his laser are never a bore....

But what is really funny is Kira likes it more......

Between Kathy and I they are getting some love.....

These two fit like a leather glove.

Chilly but dry.....

Its been dry the last two days, but a little chilly so she borrowed her momma's scarf for her walk. I think she looks stunning, don't you?

We had a little scare at 4:00am this morning. (its always something when I am here). The house alarm began beeping very loud. It scared me at first because I thought someone was attempting to get in. But this alarm was different than the screeching alarm that goes off. I would know the sound of that alarm since I have tripped it a few times. I walked through the house to investigate and read the code on the alarm. It read '02'. This meant the Front Garage Door had tripped the alarm. So, now it was time to go outside and investigate the garage door. The door seemed intact. I lifted it apprehensivley a few times as well as the other doors and the alarm didn't stop so I just input the code and it was fine. I locked the two doors that go into the garage but it still kept me awake thinking all those thoughts about strangers hiding in the garage, or worse, in the house. I checked everything out this morning and all is okay so I am just guessing it was a gliche in the alarm. Nothing to worry about (:0}

It is suppose to be dry again today but it is looking rather gloomy. I am bringing Abbie a big bone today so she will be happy.

Abbie and me.....

I've been on hiatus for the holidays. But, now its time to get back to what I love. Spending time with Abbie and all my other fur babies. Its been raining non-stop for days now so Abbie and I just hung out and read. Like me, her eyesight is failing so she is wearing her mommy's reading glasses. I think she looks rather studious. She is so good about posing for anything I want her to do because she knows at the end there is a treat in store for her. She is content to just hang out. She only goes out when she HAS to. If there is a sunbreak, she will go out for a while. She was out earlier when her German Shepard friend came over to visit. Abbie isn't real thrilled with her neighbor but she tolerates her. She was ready to come into the house before the neighbor went home. Looking out the window I felt sorry for the German friend because he looked so sad and just sauntered back across the street. Abbie is sleeping right now. Her belly is full and all that reading made her tired. She is a joy!

Weathering the cold.......

We are weathering the cold. They are predicting snow on Saturday. The indoor kids and I have been staying out of the cold as much as possible. Even the pups don't want to go outside much. The horses are braving the cold as well. It is 16 degrees this morning. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Cassie and I have a game to keep her occupied. She will chase the ball all day long if you just throw it. I have to admit they have been spoiled. Sonny sleeps on her loveseat, Ruggles sleeps behind the couch and Cassie never sleeps! I hope their mommy and daddy are enjoying all that warm weather because when they come home it will be completely different! All is well for now.

Hanging out.....

Its a lazy Sunday with my fur friends. As you can see, the three muskateers are hanging out with me and enjoying the fact that I didn't have to go anywhere today. They love all the attention. Its cold and windy today. The winds are pretty strong and I keep hoping we don't lose power. The pups and Barney and I are just enjoying the warmth of the house and not doing a whole lot. The horses have their blankets on and they are grazing where they can and run to greet me at feeding time.

Other than that...nothing new to report!

Cassie's First Snow

Well, I have been saying this snow was coming for a week now. It has been dry and freezing. Although we just began dipping into the thirties, we are scheduled for the low twenties, high thirties next week. But, when I went to feed the horses tonight, this is what I found. However, it began snowing really hard after these shots and we actually almost got a full ground cover. And its sticking! FFFFFRRRREEEEEZZZZIIIINGGGG.

Cassie had her first experience with snow. I know she will get much more than this but it didn't stop her from exploring and getting a little snow on her nose. Of course, Sonny is her partner in crime so she had to investigate too even though she has seen it all her life.

Everything is fine other than us freezing our butts off. Barney doesn't even want to go outside! I'm very jealous that their mommy and daddy are off in Costa Rica right now soaking up the sun!

Back on the farm.....

Back with Cassie, Barney, Sonny and Ruggles......(left to right)

The pup, Cassie has grown a little but remains small but mighty. She is wound tight like all pups but cute as a button. Sonny and Ruggles love her and take care of her. Well, Ruggles gets a little ticked with her once in a while, but loves her nonetheless. Barney is a great cat. She is much more social this time and loves it when you give her treats.

The horses are always glad to see me at feeding time. They got shoed yesterday and are doing great in the pasture.

Other than that, we are just hanging out. Everyone is happy, healthy and hungry as usual!

The older we get, the harder we fall......

Abbie is doing great. As a matter of fact, she is doing much better than me. She has been watching me doing some extra chores. We cleaned the entire bar area, cleaned the oven, washed all the kitchen cabinets and finally cleaned the stainless steel hood over the stove. While working in the kitchen today, Abbie laid at my feet while I cleaned counters and did dishes. I turned to take some recycled trash out and took a huge fall across the floor. Abbie came to my aide but unfortunately couldn't break my fall OR help me up. It took me a good fifteen minutes to get up and I realized I had done some serious damage. So, I spent two hours in emergency before coming back home to her. Nothing broken, but seriously bruised. I feel like a Mac truck hit me. Other than that, everything is swell.....or should I say 'swollen'. LOL. But, we will get by and do the rest of the cleaning one handed. I am glad we got the largest projects out of the way. I have a few days to finish before Abbie's mom and dad come home, so we will be okay! I wonder what goes through her little head. Wish I could speak pooch so I knew what she was thinking. On second thought....maybe I don't want to know. She is probably calling me a clutz or a dork or something! She loves me though!

Not too much new to report. Abbie and I have been slugs (appropriately so in this house!). We caught a sun break so Abbie romped in the yard for a while. She loves going to get the mail with me. Ever since she showed me the trick of carry a piece of mail to the house, she insists on doing this each time. Of course, it could be because she gets a treat every time to show what a smart girl she is. She is still sleeping on the bed with me. She has been knawing on the bone I bought her and just being lazy as dog should do!

We went for a ride yesterday and got some McDonalds. She got a french fry but was kind of upset I wouldn't give her any more. Don't want to make her sick. But that doesn't stop her from looking at me with those sad eyes pleading for a bite of my burger! I had to be strong.

I have some shopping to do today. A friend of mine is coming in from Chicago and she will be staying at my house and visiting during the day so Abbie will have more company. Other than that...all is well and peaceful at the Abbie household.

Abbie update.....

I just realized it has been a few days since her last blog. I guess we can blame that on the weather as she and I have lived a very low key few days.

Since the weather is bad I have been taking Abbie on rides in the car. Little trips to the Post Office, the market or just over to my house to check on my little one at home. She loves this and now expects it every day. We have also been working out in the garage as I have a few projects for Christmas and I have set up a little workshop in the garage. We don't spend a lot of time in there as we are freezing.

Abbie has been enjoying the bones I bought her. She doesn't want to go outside much and I can't say I blame her. But, she enjoys playing toss the toy in the living room and following me around to see if I am going to drop any food for her. She is getting lots of treats and plenty of attention. My friend who lives down the street always enjoys seeing Abbie and she played with Abbie the other day when she picked me up to go to lunch. We had a visit from Katy and Katja today but Abbie really just wanted them to go away so she could have all my attention. We go for walks too as soon as the sun breaks. All in all, everything is going smoothly and she is a happy girl.

Abbie...the smartest dog EVER!!!!!!

Abbie never ceases to amaze me. Comical as it was, she made me feel so safe last night........

It began about 11pm. Abbie on the bed and resting. We both heard a TWEET! Having the same Fire detectors, I recognized the sound of that Tweet! But, Abbie raised her head from a dead sleep and gave me a look as if to say "Did you hear that?". I told her (as if she understands me) it was okay. Just the fire detector and we would change the battery the next day.

Five minutes passed and another TWEET. Abbie again, raised her head and looked at me. This happened about three times before she sat up. She was not having any part of that TWEET! She jumped off the bed and became very restless. I tried to ignore her but she began her little growl that usually tells me she wants outside. I asked her (again......as if she understood) if she wanted outside. I went to the door and she followed. When I opened the door she wouldn't budge. She followed me back into the bedroom. I tried again to ignore her but she came to the side of the bed and nudged my hand. She continued to do this. I finally realized she was leading me to the door because of the warning signal from the fire detector. Well, needless to say, this is her house and what Abbie wants, Abbie gets! So, we went to the garage at midnight and rustled up the aluminum ladder and I was on the ceiling fixing the detector. I couldn't find batteries so the housing ended up in the garage until the next day. But one thing is for sure........As long as Abbie is around, you will not be hurt in a fire, eaten by a critter in the closet or have too many dog biscuits!!!!