Sandy Paws

Sandy paws....literally!

A couple weekends ago we went to Virginia Beach. The last time we took the kids to the beach we had a great time, but it was very cold and windy. This time the weather was beautiful! We were quite a spectacle too - I can't even begin to count the number of times we were asked "what kind of dog is that?" or "are they greyhounds?". I mean you get that all the time, but I guess it was the first time we've been around that big of a crowd without being at a greyhound event.

Buford had a fabulous time! I think he loved every part of going to beach! Macy on the other hand was less than impressed with the beach. However, she did like seeing all the little dogs (and thinking about how fun they would be to chase) and her favorite part was monopolizing the bed in the room!

The sand and the waves sent Buford into a playful frenzy. He was so happy all weekend and always ready to go. Here is a video of him spinning in the sand - whenever he gets really excited, he starts spinning!

Buford even enjoyed the water, often preferring to walk right through the waves rather than further up the beach.

Macy was the exact opposite and spent her time perfecting the avoidance maneuver!



Ummm....I've had enough of the beach, can we just spend the rest of the weekend right here on the bed, pleeeaase??!!

After a long day, Buford was happy to have his turn on the bed too!


An evening stroll on the beach. We stopped to get a quick picture of me and Buford, the "other man" in my life...haha.

Macy was bored - ho hum, can I go back to my bed now?!

Traffic was horrible (of course) so I snapped a picture while sitting on 95 on the way home. M&B were all tuckered out again!

All in all, it was another greyt weekend!

Happy Birthday Macy Grey!

On Friday (May 8, 2009), Macy turned 5 years old! Yes, she did try to celebrate early by eating a box of chocolates. Still...I figured birthdays only come around once a year (fortunately!) and it was cause for celebration. So, I made her some yummy chicken liver cupcakes with cream cheese icing! She loves that recipe! Last year, we made her a cake and let her eat the whole thing for her dinner that night. She gobbled up every bite, but I guess it was a little too much because it caused a bit of tummy upset. This year, I was smarter and made cupcakes for better portion control!

Tracy even got her a card...I told him I was going to make fun of him for it. It had a row of dog tails on the outside with a "Wag it if you got it" message on the inside. Tracy then wrote her a note that said "Your mama is a dork, but Happy Birthday anyway!". OK, so I made our girl a delicious treat...but, Tracy bought her a card! So, really, who's the bigger dork here???

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the birthday girl.

Shortly after this picture, they each carried their cake to their beds and made a big mess...plus I dropped one on the floor, but oh well, they cleaned up after themselves (and me) pretty well too : )

We went to the beach this past weekend too, but those pictures will have to wait until the next post...stay tuned.

The Food Thief Strikes Again

Last night, while I was in the shower, Macy was quite busy. She ate an entire box of Godiva truffles! It wasn't a big box, but still 5.25 oz with 8 pieces of chocolate. Most of them were dark chocolate which has more theobromine - the stuff that makes chocolate toxic to dogs. Tracy has had to work odd hours this week so I was here by myself and started to panic.

I remembered one of Michelle's past posts and also did some internet research so I knew that hydrogen peroxide induces vomiting in dogs. What shocked me though was how little and how quickly it would do the trick. I gave her one teaspoon of peroxide (5 mL) via syringe. She started gagging immediately and ran to the door to go out (what a good girl!). Literally within just a few minutes of the peroxide hitting her tongue, she threw up a chocolatey pile outside. She then started eating grass like crazy! She looked so pitiful and I hated to do it to her, but I felt better knowing that I did. She did drink a little extra water, but otherwise showed no signs of anything - thankfully! She probably would have been fine - I read that truffles are less toxic since they have the cream filling and are not all chocolate, but I didn't want to take the chance. We don't even like truffles, someone gave them to us and we planned to pass them along to someone who would enjoy them - it wasn't supposed to be Miss Macy though!

And how do I know that Macy got them all and not Buford? Well...

1. Aside from a few teeth marks and a couple scratches, the box was very carefully opened. The ribbon was removed, the lid opened, the plastic carefully unwrapped and the chocolate missing just like a person may have done. It was a very clean job, except for two tiny crumbs on the floor and one spot of chocolate on her paw. Buford would have crushed and torn the box and made a big mess.

2. Macy LOVES any kind of treats and she has a sweet tooth too. I'm sure she was in heaven munching away. Buford is leary of anything new. He won't try anything new unless he sees Macy eat it first and figures out that it's okay.

3. Macy is the boss around here - in case you haven't noticed :) There is absolutely no way she would have allowed Buford to have any of something that she obviously thought was a really yummy special treat.

And that's how I knew the culprit was our sweet little girl! Fortunately, she appears to have no ill effects so catastrophe avoided and I learned something new in the process.