Tag Archives: #dogblog

One Year today

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TGIF!! We are celebrating today Nili’s Gotcha Day, it is one year since I rescued her from LA Animal Care and Control. How time has gone so quickly and I am sure Layla is smiling over the Rainbow Bridge or giggling as she watches Nili get up to mischief.

I remember the day I saw her online on Facebook, her name there was Gladys and all I could picture was me standing in a dog park calling Gladys, I am sure half the park would have laughed at me but as per my tradition I gave her a Hebrew Name : Nili – which means forever Israel. I love the name because it is short and easy to pronounce.

The face I saw in the cage and knew she was mine

 

I have been reading Nili’s intake papers from Animal Control as I was curious to know more about her and this is what I found, her intake was on 6 July 2024, and she was a stray/OTC.  What I have learned about OTC for stray pets is that it was brought to the Shelter by a person who found her and I would love to thank that person for saving her from the streets. She was not microchipped so they could not find her family but is microchipped now so she is safe. She was a perfect weight when they took her in, had no wounds but a scab on her head which has since gone.  They also wrote that she was born in 2021 so she is 4 years old today.

I think Nili is a Fireworks runner because of the date of her intake but am not sure, the most important is that she will never be alone on the streets again.

One of my favorite photos of her taken by Jonathan of her looking at Animal Control from the car saying bye bye I am on my way home

Nili went from LA to Palm Springs where she stayed with some friends of mine till we could find a lift to bring her to SF, where she is now a San Francisco dog living the life of a princess.

Guarding the oven waiting for her salmon treats

Since her arrival she has grown so much, her confidence is amazing, she is fearless in many ways playing with big and small dogs in the park, very food motivated which is one of my biggest problems as she eats anything and everything off the streets but is learning slowly not to do it. She got up to mischief the other day in the park, some guy left a pizza in an open backpack on the ground and guess who found it and stole a piece, LOL, she came running to me with it in her mouth and hid under the bench to gobble it up, I laughed but went over to the guy and suggested he close his backpack and put it on the bench so no other dog would get some.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fN1fGTBdl7w?si=Je7MrM-KIbmD2MR2 

She loves howling when sirens go off, she has a partner in crime with this and we just laugh, see the video below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/-0-TboXgbek?si=Vpef9sie99HpQi7v

So, to my darling devil Nili, Mom loves you, I count my blessings daily that you are part of my life and keeping me on my toes all the time with your antics but if you are happy I am happy and life is too short to make a big deal over things.

I love when she sleeps on her back under her blanket, the Diva

Happy Gotcha Day !!!!!!

Lots of love Mom and Angel Layla

 

 

I am very busy

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Good Morning Friends,

This is Nili sharing my life with you like my Angel Sister Layla used to do. I have had a busy time, an adventure and so much more.

We went to a Chihuahua meet up on Saturday to visit Layla in her resting place, as it was a year since she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. For me it was the first time there and it is a very beautiful and peaceful place although we did not see the ducks in the lake. It was hot day so I lay down on the rock next to the lake while Mom stood there looking out and thinking about Layla. Mom was depressed so I tried keeping her smiling by getting up to mischief which for me of course was fun. I was wearing my Foxtail Mask as there are a lot there, met other dogs wearing them also, and as Mom calls me a Bee Keeper as that is what I look like, BOL.

Resting on the rock next to the lake

Walking along among nature

 

Otherwise, I have been spending a lot of time playing in the park, playing with my friends, howling at the sirens when an ambulance or fire truck goes by, plus keeping Mom on her toes running after me when skateboarders go by, I hate those things and even chased one with another dog in the busy street escaping from the park. Mom was not impressed and kept me on lock down on my leash as punishment plus warned me next time I do it she will not let me off leash in the park anymore.

 

So that is what I have been up to plus of course looking out of the window watching the world go by especially the dogs going for walks when I bark at them if they bark which does not make Mom happy.

 

I am very busy all the time, in or out of the house, and life is good, I cannot complain.

 

Have a wonderful safe weekend friend, make lots of memories,

With a woof and love from

Nili

 

 

 

 

Walking Nili in the rain

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TGIF!! It has been raining nonstop all week, and I am sure Layla is chuckling as I fight Nili to go for walks or should I stay swimming. She does not like the rain, and she does not like raincoats, so we walk without one and we come home drenched. Nili does not  like the hairdryer either so I have to towel dry her for as long as she allows me and then I put the heater on to warm her up. (I am scared to know what my bill is going to be). Another new quirk with her is grabbing a toy on the way out so she has one in her mouth while walking, I always take them away from her before leaving as I do not want her to get them dirty.

Mom is calling me a wet rag from the rain and my walk

I have come to the conclusion that once she starts walking, she is happy as the entire street smells food and I try to avoid it all but when she manages to get something in her mouth, she is happy and I am not. But I have come to the conclusion that this little girl was a stray and used to eating off the ground so her tummy is used to it and I cannot fight her anymore and getting bit and bleeding. I know it sounds crazy and until she gets proper training (am waiting for a trainer) the walking food fight is going to carry on. One of her cute quirks when walking her is she walks up to people for pets and the rolls on her back for belly rubs, everyone just laughs and rubs her belly, it is really cute and reminds me of my dog Baby who was with me before Layla as she used to do the same. I call her the meet and greet on the street needing belly rubs. She is very stubborn, and it is either her way or no way and she will sit. Every day I am learning something new of her. Never a dull moment. I am open to all suggestions to make my life easier when walking her.

So, with the rain, and us being stuck inside, I have been keeping Nili playing with her and her squeaky toys and we are already minus 5 toys that she has totally killed, stuffing all over the house, a squeaker in pieces and she is having the time of her life, never boring.

Below is a video of her evening ritual, I sit and talk to the toy and it talks back, I am going crazy LOL.

https://youtube.com/shorts/7CYHuHHzG18?si=XWxIzOl9JGFI76mc

That has been our week, I am hoping next week it will dry out a bit although we need the rain but I need some outdoors with her so she can burn off energy and not be stuck here, although I am lucky to live in a locked building with a large hallway so when we come home from walks I let her do zoomies and she is happy doing it.

How has your week been? Stay warm and dry, be safe.

Love and woofs from Nili

 

 

The holidays have arrived

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Happy Holidays Everyone, this is my first holiday without Layla, she is sorely missed but I know she is at peace today. Nili is part of my life today but I think of her daily especially with the Holidays here.

Next week we celebrate Hanukkah and this year it falls on the same day as Christmas. For Nili it will be her first with me and I plan to make it very special. She already got her Christmas presents and her Hanukkah present she will get on Hanukkah. We celebrate Hanukkah for eight days so I am going to do the way I did with Layla, give her something new or extra yum every day. For those of you that do not know Hanukkah is the festival of lights and we light a candle each night till our Hanukiah has all 8 candles lit.  The story about Hanukkah in short is that the Maccabees found oil for one day, but it lasted for eight days and that is why we light the eight candles.

The lit Hanukkiot at the party last week

Hanukkah Sameach Everyone with love from Nili

Nili killed her Hanukkiah BOL

Another tradition is to eat oily food, so we eat Sufganiyot (Hebrew for Jelly Donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes) so I am going to share with you the latke recipe I used to make for Layla but I have adapted it this year using oat flour instead of regular flour. See the recipe below, they are very healthy and I bake them as it so much healthier thank frying for the dog.

One of my favorite memories of Layla, eating a latke from a Dreidel (spinning top) plate, we play them at Hanukkah

I have switched to Oat Flour instead of regular flour

I have another Hanukkah party today which I am looking forward to, am going to get fat LOL the rate this is going as I over ate at the one I went to last Sunday and am sure am going to do it again today, oy vey I need to go back on diet.

We must not forget Christmas

Why peanuts ? Pets can choke on shelled peanuts

 

With all the happiness going on we must not forget the pets in shelters as they deserve the love and warm home our lucky pets. January is one of the worst months in shelters as they will be overflowing with pets that have been dumped for a new puppy or have got lost. I am once again saying those that dump their pets should be blacklisted so they cannot have another pet.

On this note I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, please be safe and remember not to drink and drive as your fur kids are waiting at home for you.

One of my special memories of Layla

 

With love, licks and woofs

From Nili xxx

 

 

 

 

Carrying on her legacy

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Woof hello friends,

Two weeks ago, I took Layla for her last adventure to spread her ashes in a place that she loved to go to in her younger years, where she wandered around, sniffing all the smells and barking at the ducks in the lake.

I went with Alice, one of my closest friends who we used to do adventures with, visiting the different lakes in the Bay Area, so this was the last adventure for the three of us, we sat at the lake with a picnic and then I went towards the lake and spread her ashes. It was hard, sad but I knew in my heart it was the best thing to do as she is now back in nature, barking at the ducks and turtles and at peace, not as I felt stuck in a box on my shelf. Pine Lake in Stern Grove for me is like heaven, just beautiful, natural and quiet which is what I wanted for her. However hard it was for me, I am now finally at peace, moving forward with a more positive attitude and finally taking care of me.

Pine Lake

The Duck welcoming Layla

I have been going out more, lunch with friends, a jazz concert in a park, and much more but I must admit I find it hard without pushing her in the stroller which is something I am slowly getting used to. Her strollers I have donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue and her other things I am going through slowly at my own pace.

As I vowed, I would do is carry on her legacy and this week I am going to talk about fireworks, as the 4th of July is around the corner. I personally hate fireworks and feel the money could be given to nonprofit organizations who are struggling, rescue organizations and so much more instead of burning the money.

The fireworks scare the wild animals that many flee in fear and get injured or killed by cars, our pets who sit in our houses shivering from fear, the Vets that suffer from PTSD and so many more.

I think it is unfair to all those that are afraid and disrespectful especially when you live in a city and people  just stand in the streets shooting them off and our apartments are shaking from all the noise. I used to have my TV on the Jazz Station loud during the night to disguise the bangs as much as possible, I would make Layla a bed in the shower with her water, toys and food and put her in there where she felt safe and secure, cover her with a blanket and let her stay there all night with me checking on her every 30 minutes.  What I did give her was the Relax Calming Chews from Real Mushrooms which helped a lot and actually once calm she would fall asleep and sleep through it all, these chews were a blessing in disguise as they kept her calm and relaxed especially as she got older.

So to help other pet parents we are doing a give away for a bottle of  chews to help your pet. They are for both cats and dogs so everyone can enter to ease the stress and anxiety from the fireworks.

What are they :

I have been sponsored by Real Mushrooms for this giveaway.

You can read more about them on their website where you have a 10% discount with coupon LaylasWoof.

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

To enter go to the link below and fill in all that is asked from you.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/baa88aa67/?

 

This Giveaway is for the USA only and you must be over 18 years old to enter.

 

Good luck to everyone, you enter you will have a calm pet in the house.

 

With a woof and love

From Layla’s Mom

 

 

 

 

People make me sick

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Hi everyone and today’s blog we are going to discuss what is making me sick inside.

This week was Pet Appreciation week where we all show our appreciation to our pets by spoiling them more, loving them and showering them with everything they deserve plus more. It is a week when I used to spoil Layla with extra treats although she was never short of anything LOL. It is the guilty Jewish Mom side of me.

I am going to let you into a secret, I have been looking at shelters to see if I see a new baby but nothing yet and that is what is making me so angry. While perusing the Facebook pages seeing the words OWNER SURRENDER next to the poor dog in a cage and there are also seniors in that position. How can people dump their loyal dog in a shelter and leave with it petrified, shaking and miserable while they sit closed up, and the humans walk away like it is ok and hey they can now go on holiday and forget about the poor dog, with shelters over crowded at this moment, unless it is a no kill shelter, they have sent their dog to die unless a rescue steps in. Most I have seen are beautiful big dogs of all breeds that have been dumped like garbage. I really think there should be an online national registry preventing them from ever getting a dog again, and it should be for the entire family, what do you think?

What really worries me is 4th of July is around the corner and that means more dogs will be dumped and the shelters will explode from overcrowding, and the rescuers/angels will be running around trying to save them, find fosters and then homes for them, it is a frightening thought but a reality also.

June is also Microchip Month, it is very important as with 4th of July around the corner please make sure your microchip information is up to date, tags are all up to date and your pets will be safe inside.

I have now vented how I feel now and am sure Layla would agree with me especially as she came from a scary shelter,

Please keep your fur kids safe, give them a big hug as always,

With love

Layla’s Mom

 

 

 

We have been busy

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TGIF !!! Good morning all my friends, we hope you are all well and safe.

I have been debating whether to write this week about what is happening in Israel but as an Israeli I cannot keep quiet so all I am asking from my friends is that they say a prayer for all the pets that through the massacres have lost their families, are now orphaned and I pray they all find new safe homes.

I am attaching a link from a newspaper that broke my heart and made me really think about all of them : This is what is said in English as the article is in Hebrew “We just left the slaughter area at the party. We cleared the bodies. The horrors that we saw will never get out of our heads. The only thing that came out of this life is one cute little dog ”   Tomer Peretz

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=874483190704433&set=a.258252685660823

We have been very busy the last two weekends so will now share our adventures as life needs to carry on and Layla loves going out so this is what we have been doing :

Two weeks ago we went to a dog event, a place I have never been to which was fun and visited a friend of mine who had a booth there and she has the cutest most well mannered dog so Layla said hi and I sat and chatted with her for a bit. We then wandered around checking the booths and from there walked to our favorite park where Layla was happy to sniff a lot, bark of course and then nap LOL. Her favorite past time.  From there we came home as I needed a nap also so we just chilled and relaxed at home the rest of the weekend.

Phew thank goodness my butt is not that fat, Layla

Layla and Musk

Wandering around the cool damp grass

 

Last weekend was Fleet week in San Francisco. There was a lot going on in our park next to our house but because of her in the stroller and always wanting to jump out I decided not to go but instead took the train to our favorite park on the Bay where we chilled, she wandered and barked of course and after an hour or so fell asleep. I sat a bit longer but when the Blue Angels started (I don’t like) she woke up, seemed to be a bit anxious so I packed up and came home to relax.

Cool as a cucumber in my cooling vest

Me and the sailors

Being on the Bay is the best for me as I totally relax plus do not have to worry about her as there are no dogs so she is safe wandering around sniffing and napping which makes my life more relaxing.

I love this view

On top of all this we did her senior blood panel this week, she has no liver problems, phew but does have a kidney infection and it does not matter how much water she drinks she seems to be dehydrated to am making sure she drinks a lot and I wake her up in the middle of the night to drink more.  She is on antibiotics for two weeks and hopefully they will clear it up.

So never a dull moment in our house, but cannot complain because as long as she is a happy healthy 17 year old I am happy.

On this note we are sending prayers to all our family and friends in Israel, please be safe everyone and have a wonderful weekend,

With love and hugs from

Layla

 

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month

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Woof Hello all my friends.

Did you know September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. Are you prepared?

We are family so we all must be prepared, humans and we pets so if something happens we can just leave the house safely. With climate change and weather conditions changing all over the world we must be prepared just in case we are caught off guard. It is a worry and I worry especially since Layla has aged and become blind what would happen if I am not home so I have come to an agreement with my neighbors that when I go out for a couple of hours they are warned just in case and I leave a pet carrier out with her harness inside so that they can grab her safely and leave the building.  It might sound crazy but for me I feel more relaxed knowing she is safe plus I have a sticker on my door saying blind dog inside with instructions that the pet carrier is there for her to go out in as she cannot walk fast.

Being prepared with a disaster bag is so important also. I have one prepared with items for Layla and me, including food and water. Living in San Francisco where earthquakes can happen without a warning, I would rather be safe than sorry.

So who is prepared and what do you have to grab to get out safely ?

Last weekend being a long weekend and the weather being perfect I decided to take Layla down to the Embarcadero or Promenade, it is easy to get there on train ride each way and they have a wonderful lawn there where I sat back and relaxed while Layla ran around tail wagging and happy. Umm did I say sit back and relax LOL I was chasing after her to make sure she did not leave the lawn and land up on the promenade which was full of people, dogs, bikers plus so much more. She had so much fun and actually at one point lay down and fell asleep. It was a great couple of hours, relaxing and there is nothing like smelling the sea air of the bay, watching the yachts sailing by, the seagulls flying around and the calm blue waters was so calming.

Lots of new smells

Smelling the flowers

Am thirsty

You can see on the video below how happy she was running like there were no problems in the world, a happy Layla is a happy Me.

https://youtube.com/shorts/WJ2grRFtkHw?feature=share

This weekend I have not thought what to do am going with the flow but am sure we will do something fun together, make memories and be outdoors enjoying the weather while it lasts.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Stay safe,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

Strolling with a Stroller

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Woof hello Everypawdy,

The weekend has arrived and this week we celebrated my year with a stroller. I love it and Mom is going to share with you today what she has learned when walking me with it. I can be Bossy.

I need a haircut which Mom is planning to arrange this week

Riding in the stroller is fun, relaxing as I enjoy the outdoors and although I cannot see there are lots of smells to keep me awake and alert. When I stand up in the stroller Mom knows I need to do my business which is my way of telling her, so we have no accidents in it, and I get to walk as much as I want. Mom does not stop me from walking as she says I need exercise plus I love to sniff all the pmail that other dogs have left me. I can also now travel safely on the bus or train as no one will step on me and the nice thing is the public transport can lower the step which makes it easier for Mom to get on or off. Using public transport instead of taking a taxi has made it so much easier as I do not have to fold the stroller each time which is back breaking for me, so it is a win win situation for all of us.

Another plus with having the stroller is being able to take Layla everywhere with me as she lies in the stroller when I am in meetings, so I am totally relaxed chatting and that includes coffee shops and restaurants, so she is less at home alone plus when we do get home she is tired from being outdoors. It has become my other arm as such, and I feel lost without it and her LOL so it is working wonders for both of us.

The only thing that really upsets me and gets me angry is when people on the street make rude comments about her in the stroller but am learning slowly to ignore as I say, “Small things amuse small minds” That is my motto at the moment.

Otherwise, our life is busy as always, we went to a pool party on Tuesday evening which she loved as she was petted and spoiled by everyone but we got home late and I was so ready for bed but Madam was ready for snuffle ball and playtime LOL. Park time with her friends and in a nutshell a slowish but busy week as we always have as I believe keeping both of us busy means keeping us young LOL.

Standing under a tree in the park

Walking home from the park

I must admit although we have the stroller, which eases the lives of both of us, she especially being nearly 17 years old and blind, she does love to walk and I allow her to as much as possible also, I am thankful to Myos for their amazing muscle formula mixed with green lipped mussels as they are keeping her joints really healthy and her being able to walk sometimes even two blocks is fantastic, you should check out their products on this link.

https://myospet.com/?aff=852

So on this note we hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with out plans strolling with the stroller not sure where yet.

And out we go again

Woof and love, Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am running like crazy

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TGIF!!!  The weekend has arrived, so many of you are complaining about the heat and here in San Francisco it is cool, overcast and gloomy. We need some sun.

I have been researching supplements for Layla to keep her muscles and joints in as best condition as possible with her aging, as she loves to walk but noticed.

That she would sit down in the middle of a walk and although she has the stroller, she needs exercise also. With my research I came across this company

Myos which have a fantastic muscle formula with green lipped mussels and decided to give it a try. What a difference since she is getting it. The plus is it is powder form so easy to put in her food and she does not know she is eating it, LOL.

The supplement she is getting is the Myos Muscle Formula with Green Lipped Mussels:

 

Fortetropin® Plus Green Lipped Mussel Powder

  • IMPROVED STRENGTH: Fortetropin provides nutrients from a patented process using fertilized egg yolks and is a powerful muscle building supplement perfect for improving leg strength and reducing pain and inflammation in dogs with muscle loss from aging, injury or surgery.
  • INCREASED MOBILITY: Green Lipped Mussel supports joint health, movement and flexibility, offering natural anti-inflammatory properties that helps rebuild lost cartilage and tendons, reducing associated joint pain.
  • ALL-NATURAL SENIOR SUPPORT: Containing just 2 natural ingredients, our canine muscle and joint health supplement helps to reduce muscle loss and boost daily movement and activity in older dogs.

https://myospet.com/

We went to the dog park the other day and she was running in the park, something she has not done in months, I was chasing after her as her being blind  I was

afraid she would bump into a big dog or the poles around the park but if she had her own way she would have been going nonstop. I was totally amazed and happy to see her move that way, tail wagging and all happy.  See the video I have put here.

https://youtube.com/shorts/MKLNoQmRtjg?feature=share

As our pups age, we are always looking for a supplement plus good food to keep them comfortable, happy, and healthy and this is one I strongly suggest you look into for your pups as their mobility is so important. I am so pleased I have started adding it to her food as she is one energizer bunny again, keeping me on my toes but I would not change it for anything in this world.

I was sponsored by Myos and thank them so much from the bottom of my heart.

Now we must remind everyone that July is Pet Hydration Awareness Month, We must make sure our pets have enough clean water to drink all the time, if we are out on an adventure we have enough water for them as we do not want out pet to get dehydration because of lack of water.

Stay safe everyone, have a wonderful weekend,

With a woof and love from Layla