Tag Archives: #dogblog

We had an adventure

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Good Morning friends,


Friday has arrived and we have had a wonderful week.


On Wednesday my Aunty Alice phoned Mommy and said weather is beautiful lets get out of the city. So Mom packed my picnic bag with my food, blankie and one of my pet carriers so that I could sleep comfortably in the car and off we went.


We drove along the coast to Half Moon Bay. What a beautiful little town where we stopped at a great fish restaurant and Mom and Aunty got some lunch, Mom’s favorite fish and chips. 


We then drove to a beautiful area facing the beach and sea where there were picnic tables, unpacked and sat back and relaxed. It was so much fun wandering around with lots of new smells. The only thing I could not do is go on the beach as dogs are not allowed, that is not fair although Mom was happy as with my itchy eyes the sand would not have been good.

Below is a video of Layla running with her tail wagging, the ground was so uneven the movie turned out jumpy sorry.

https://youtu.be/q2ceL0p9qII


While Mom and Aunty were eating I was spoiled with treats and my dinner which was so so good. After about 2 hours we packed up and drove slowly home.

I was so tired by then so I crawled into my bag and went to sleep till we got home.


It was just what we needed to be outdoors, especially breathing in the fresh sea air and relaxing, throwing all stress into the sea. 

Aunty Alice always has surprises for Mom and me and this was a wonderful one, thank you Aunty  Alice.


Yesterday I went to the groomers, that is one place I hate but as Mom told me I have not been groomed in nearly a year because of the virus, if we could do it we must as I will feel so much better after being pampered. Mom was really happy as our groomer has opened a new place not far from our house so I was safe and in good hands.


Don’t tell Mom but I feel awesome BOL.


Storms are expected over the next couple of days which means rain so we are going to be locked inside as I hate the rain so we are both relieved we managed to get to Half Moon Bay on Wednesday and take advantage of the beautiful weather.


I am so tired now, Mom has gotten me ready for bed so am off to sleep here, I need my beauty sleep,


Have a safe wonderful weekend everyone, stay warm and eat lots of treats,
With a love from Layla 

December has arrived

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!


December has arrived and we are having a warm one, no rain which is something we desperately need.


Over Thanksgiving weekend I had Trippe stay with us, Madam did a bark and growl but in the end settled down LOL. He is an adorable Tripawd but afraid of going outside so the walks with him were quick ones, and Madam took me on the long ones. It was so great having him and what I thought was really cute was him bringing his toy to me to play with him which is something Layla never does so I was really spoiled.


The only problem Layla had with him LOL was he loved to sleep in her bed and she was not happy, as soon as she moved he was into her bed like a bullet. He had his bed here but was not interested. 

At night they both hogged my bed and I slept dangling from the corner of my bed but in a nutshell I loved it.


Other than that San Francisco is going back to strict lock down so once again our outdoors will be limited to walks and some park time if I can do social distancing which sometimes is not easy plus Madam loves to walk around visiting others on their blankets and not everyone likes it.


December means the holidays are upon us, Hanukkah starts next week and I will share our Doggy Latke recipe on the blog, Layla gets spoiled for 8 days so I am not doing Christmas for her.


So at the moment it is quietish in the Layla Neighborhood, we are taking each day as it comes but am relieved she is healthy, happy and eating like a pig. Something new I have started with is giving her freeze dried kibbles as treats and she loves them. She now has a snuffle mat and loving it, keeping her busy sniffing all the time hoping something might be there.


Have a great weekend, be safe 

With love from Layla 

Praying for the fire victims

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


Good Morning friends,


Layla would like to apologize about not blogging last week but Mom decided to have a break from the laptop and actually it was really nice as we had lots of Mom and Me time together and nothing else. 


This past week we have really been staying indoors because of the poor air quality from the fires burning in Northern California. It is so sad to see what is happening as there has been no rains and everything is dry. The fires were started by lightning which happened last Saturday night and it was a crazy night.  So at the moment Mom is working sharing all information possible on our Facebook page to help save the animals, including the wildlife.

 https://abc7news.com/wildfire-live-updates-cal-fire-to-give-update-czu-lightning-complex-fires/6381687/?fbclid=IwAR1faK1w8oHwi6sEwla09ePvnT0R129eonpyhxs4YmVFZJ1LTjiEUQ5h3sQ

This is the time that I say Facebook does something good as when a disaster happens someone starts a page with all the information and everyone posts, gets together to help out with trucks, cars and whatever else is needed. It is one way for the word to get out fast and I call them all heroes.


So let us all pray for all those in the path of the fires and that this nightmare will end soon.


We are reminding everyone today to make sure your emergency bag is ready, your microchip is up to date, and that you are ready to go if necessary.


Please be safe 


With love from Layla

Helping Pets in need during the Lock Down

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!!

Friday has arrived, first Friday in August and we decided to dedicate our blog this week to an amazing organization that has just started,  a Free Pet Food Pantry in San Francisco, in one of the areas where the residents have been hit hard economically.


This organization is called the Latino Task Force. I am sure you will ask who they are ? 

They formed as a clearinghouse of COVID-19 information and resources for the Mission District community. The group has more than three dozen community-based organizations, along with City Government partners, that are working together to meet the needs of immigrants, families, elders, homeless, LGBTQ, youth, and other Latino populations who are experiencing challenging times during the pandemic.

It’s an all volunteer organization that provides boxes of food to 7,000 people a week. SFDOG is working with the San Francisco SPCA to distribute dog and cat food as part of the services operating at the Mission Food Hub three days per week. They are recruiting volunteers to hand out food and raising funds to keep purchasing food for families to feed their pets.


You can see the links for the Latino Task Force and SFDOG below.

This is the link  :     https://www.ltfrespuestalatina.com/contact

This is the link :     https://sfdog.org/blog/help-san-francisco-families-feed-their-pets


The SPCA and Pet Food Express (An amazing pet store where I shop all the time) contributed food to kick off the pantry. And they will purchase food through the SPCA at their corporate partner rate on an ongoing basis. They are at this moment  testing the pantry on a three-month trial, which could be extended and expanded to other locations. As it stands with the Mission Food Hub, they can only distribute pet food that is shipped directly from the manufacturer.

Thank you David from SFDOG for allowing me to share your photos
Thank you David from SFDOG for allowing me to share your photos


I am putting it out here if you manufacture pet food/treats and would like to donate I am sure it will be welcome. Thank you.

Our pets are our family, I always joke that Layla eats better than me but then she is my furkid so there is no question about that, and as I am watching pets unfortunately being dumped at shelters as families cannot afford them at this moment it is a reminder that there are solutions, amazing people out there who are helping in whatever way possible and we must learn to reach out and ask for help.


So Layla and I want to thank these fantastic volunteers for all the amazing work you are doing, you are our heroes this week.


Do you have a free pet food bank in your city ?


To all our furfriends, please be safe, wear masks and remember you are not alone, we are unfortunately all in the same boat today.


With a woof and love from

Layla 

Quirky Layla’s week

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TGIF !!!! 


Good morning everyone,


The days are getting longer, the weeks are going fast and living in lock down is slowly taking its toll on me.  That is one of the reasons I took a break from blogging last week also.


I lost all my work so am sitting here figuring out daily what to do and like many I think I am driving myself crazy. BUT thank goodness for Layla she is keeping me on my feet and amused especially as she is back to being her funny normal self.

Layla has some new quirks which are amusing but on the other hand not sure where she has picked them up or do they come with age ?
She now sits at the door barking when she wants to go out, telling me to get ready to go and does not let up till she sees the leash. This is a dog that has never barked unless someone knocked on the door and I have to laugh although it can be aggravating also.  She has become a really bossy little girl.


I was very fortunate and a friend of mine, who grooms his dog did Layla for me last week so her fur is short and with the heat I am sure she is a lot more comfortable. It is not perfect but a lot lot better plus she got a bath. 


Last Saturday we did a professional photo shoot in our dog park with a great photographer who took some amazing photos. Unfortunately towards the end some idiot decided to set off fireworks in the neighborhood and she freaked out but thank goodness I had her backpack with me so I put her in it and she started relaxing. As soon as I get the photos I will share with you as some of them are really adorable.

Our adventures have become nothing as such which is sad as I miss them and am sure she does also and like me getting bored of the same walks and dog park so I decided that as they are having a ShiTzhu meetup this Saturday in another park to take her. There will not be many people, the park is enormous so great for social distancing and for both of us it will be mentally good to be somewhere else for a couple of hours.  Yes I will be wearing my mask and have hand sanitizer with me.


So as you can see we have slowed down here, our routine is not exciting and praying for it all to be safer so that we can start out adventures again.

Be safe everyone, have a great weekend 

With a woof and love Layla 

Boss vs Slave

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Good Morning friends,


Layla is slowly on the mend and oy vey is she a little bossy one, it is either her way or no way so I now know she is on the mend.
This past week I have battled with the vet clinic to transfer prescriptions over to a pharmacy near my house so that I do not have to take public transport to pick them up, the pharmacy is across from my house which makes life so much easier. The major plus is the prices of the medications are a third of what I have been paying, what a difference. I picked up one today that cost me like 5 dollars and I paid at the vet about 30 dollars, it all adds up in the end.


She has become very smart and knows what time she gets her meds so she now hides in her box at those hours so I cannot get to her. It is funny and frustrating as she is a real little Madam and her slave, that is me, is exhausted with the fighting over it LOL. So I found a solution especially for the evenings,  one of my neighbors in the building knocks on the door, she runs to the door and I catch her, meds she gets then HA, I thought I had outsmarted her with that till she realized the game and last night did not move. I am not sure whether to laugh or cry when she does that as I am trying so hard to stick to the medication schedule. The good thing is my vet told me another week and I can stop them and keep an eye on her and if she starts in pain again then start again. I also have the Hemp oil for emergencies thank goodness and feel that works better for her plus the muscle relaxer she is taking. She is becoming Miss Piss and Vinegar again, ordering me around and expecting me to do what she wants only, which is a good sign but tiring.


I have also taken her to the park each day this week which has been great for both of us, I sit far away from everyone social distancing as best as possible plus using her carrier for her to lie in and I feel I need to stop with that as she is getting used to it and now not wanting to walk at all.  Drastic changes and a bit of tough love is needed here for her.


This weekend is 4th of July and the damn fireworks, I hate them so much and people have been setting them off for the past 3 weeks after 11 at night so I am not getting much sleep. I have got to the point and this sounds awful but I do not care if those that do it get hurt as they are upsetting all the pets in the area plus the Oakland Zoo spoke on the news the other day saying the animals there are freaking out.


I am putting below how I keep Layla safe during the fireworks plus all the information how to keep our pets safe.


Remember : 5th of July is one of the busiest days in the shelters as so many poor pets have escaped from the fireworks so please please keep your pets safe.


Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone, I know it won’t be like in the past because of the lock downs but lets make it as pleasurable as possible and don’t forget to wear masks.


Are you doing anything special this weekend ?
Woof with love from Layla 

Its Pride Weekend plus a Give Away

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Happy Friday Everyone.


We have cabin fever do you ? 


Update on Layla. After three visits which are hard as you cannot go inside with your dog they have come to the conclusion that she has degenerative arthritis in her spine so is now on a third medication. My goal is to keep her comfortable and not in pain so we are working on it and she is sleeping most of the time.
They wanted to put her also on an opioid patch but I said no as it would mean more medication plus it would mean me taking her every second day to get a new one and they are costly – 64 dollars each.  So during the day or at night if I see she is uncomfortable I am giving her Hemp Oil.


The oil I am giving her is from a company called Blossom and is fantastic, she is alert and like her normal self when she gets it which relaxes me a lot. It is grown in Colorado but made in California and what could be better than supporting a local company. 
What is good about their oil is it is instrumental in building and repairing tissues plus it has the two primary essential fatty acids — Omega 3 and Omega 6. 


Blossom Info: They craft all of their full-spectrum hemp oil using proprietary strains of hemp, thoughtfully grown on our Colorado farms. Each batch is lab-tested on-site to ensure the highest consistency and quality in every bottle.

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, that’s why blossom does too. Their simple and easy to read serving guide takes the stress and guesswork out of administering hemp oil to your furry family member.

Presidio Natural Pet: We love making treats, but its solving problems through better ingredients and recipes is what gets us out of bed in the morning.

Below you can find the links for the Hemp Oil and Treats which is our Give Away this week :

https://blossompet.com/

https://presidiopet.com/

So the gift box will have the following :
Cat sushi (if you have a cat) Tincture of Blossom, Pill Buddy Natural treats, Off Leash Mini Trainers, Off Leash soft Bake treats


I have been sponsored with this giveaway and the age limit to enter is 18 years old. It is for the USA only

To enter click on the link below :

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7d1ec19c51/?


This weekend is Pride weekend, 50th anniversary, but because of the lock downs San Francisco cancelled the entire event which I am sad about as I enjoy it every year so decided to share some old photos of Layla at the Dyke March that we have done. plus one of the Bikes on Dykes videos so we can all enjoy and hopefully next year we will be doing it again. Layla has been doing them with me every year since I got her, my mini dyke I call her LOL so we are going to just have to watch different events on TV this year and enjoy Pride that way.



And last but not least one of my favorite photos of Layla from one of the Dyke Marches we did.

The Dykes on Bikes

https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.smith.56211/videos/vb.100007051925495/2165784706999906/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab


So to all our friends out there that celebrate Pride – Happy Pride, have some fun and of course wear a Rainbow which always brings a smile to my face.


Have a wonderful weekend

Layla and Me 

I have a question

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Good Morning friends and how are you doing ?


Summer has arrived and we are still on lock down so unfortunately not being able to be out to enjoy the weather but hopefully will be able to do so soon. 


Layla went back to the vet this week as she was yelping really loudly and another vet looked at her and said the same thing, neck injury so she is still on her pain meds and sleeping most of the time.


I have changed her diet a bit to tempt her to eat, Costco chicken which she loves and Gizzards which she gobbles down. She does not want to eat her regular cooked food and as one of the meds has to be with food am trying everything.  I am also putting pumpkin directly in her mouth before meals for fibre etc and it all seems to be working phew. So lets see how this goes.

She has perky normal times and then she just sleeps LOL. What I can say is she is very smart as she knows when we come in from walks she gets her meds so she runs to hide in her box and that can be a problem. I solved it by  keeping her leash, putting her on the bed and dosing her and then taking off the leash and putting her on the floor. I am winning this fight. The other fight we are having is once she goes out she wants to walk non stop and not allowed so I now take her back pack with me and when she has pottied she is put into it and I carry her home. I wonder who the slave is !!!!!!!!!!!!!


On top of it all at about 9 every night people in our neighborhood have started setting off fireworks grrrrrrr so I am having to give her on top of it all some Hemp Oil as she freaks out. Our schedule has gone down the drain totally but will figure it out again slowly once she is well.


So that is all the news in the Layla Neighborhood at the moment, nothing exciting but at least she is healing slowly.

I would love some input from all of you – the weather is really warm at the moment and I thought of taking Layla to the dog park and putting her in her carrier which she can sleep in and relaxing there, I have to keep her in the bag otherwise she wanders around to visit the neighbors. We would be in the shade only – what do you think ? 

 Your comments would help me make the decision.


Summer is here and we must not forget to keep our pets safe in the heat. 


And Now most important of all, Layla wants to wish all the dog dads Happy Fathers Day and we both hope you have a wonderful fun day.


With woof and Love from Layla


National Pet Preparedness Month

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TGIF !!!!!!!


The days are going too fast and I cannot keep up anymore and wondering if everyone feels the same way.


The past week Layla has been ill. She hurt her neck, not sure how, but last Thursday she yelped when I was brushing her, so I checked her everywhere and thought I would just monitor it. Well on Friday she woke up from her afternoon nap to go out to potty but could barely walk, all hunched up and yelping again. So I carried her inside, nearly having a heart attack and called the vet clinic immediately and they told me to bring her in.


So that is what I did. You cannot go into the clinic but the vet tech comes out to get all details and then you wait for the vet. Three hours later they took her in to check her and by then I was freezing cold, hungry and stressed out. He checked her, not a vet I know, and then came out to me to ask some questions. He checked her vitals which thank goodness are good, and told me she has hurt her neck. I got pain meds for her plus an anti inflammatory and have had her on bed rest as such since then. I carry her outside to potty and then bring her back in. 

I am relieved she is eating and drinking phew. I also bought her chicken jerky to tempt her with food LOL. I had some other questions as I had been so confused with all on Friday night so emailed her vet on Sunday and she explained everything to me in easy English LOL. After that email I started relaxing more. Layla is on the mend, it is going to take time, she has yelped once since then and I am monitoring her daily. I emailed her vet again today as her meds are nearly finished and wanted to know how to move forward, he told me that if she yelps again I can get refills which is good to know.
So that is what is happening in our neighborhood.

June is National Pet Preparedness Month, a  reminder of what to do in case of an emergency or natural disaster.  It is also National Microchipping Month and they both are important and connect with each other.

Have you got an emergency plan for your pets ? I do and update it whenever necessary.


I have a close friend who will take Layla if something happens to me as I would not want her to land up in a shelter at her age especially. It is something that everyone should make sure is in order at all times and especially with what is happening at the moment with the virus.


Is your Microchip updated ? Please check so that they are safe.


Please stay safe everyone,  keep your pets safe 


With a woof and love from Layla 


Pet Appreciation Week

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TGIF !!!!!!!!! 


Summer has arrived here in San Francisco and it has been hot, breaking certain records in some of the areas so between lockdown, curfews there are heat advisories and warnings of fire danger. It is really sad with what is happening and I pray that this year will end soon and 2021 will be a better year.


Every June, the first full week in June we celebrate Pet Appreciation Week, that means from Sunday the 7th till the 13th we celebrate. This holiday was created in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Why we should celebrate Pet Appreciation Week.


01. Because appreciation means love which they shower on us.

02. Because they do not judge us and understand us.

03. It is a good and extra reason to shower them with something different and special.

04.  Without them our lives would be stressful as they keep us balanced and healthy by loving us unconditionally.

05. Plus of course they are smart, cute and keep us on our toes.


How can we pay them back :


01. Give them extra special delicious treats by baking/cooking something for them which they have not had in the past.
02. Try taking your dog out for a longer walk or extra time in the dog park, lock down permitting of course.
03.  If possible try arrange a playdate for them especially with so much closed at the moment it would be extra special.
04. Dedicate more playtime with them than you normally do.
I must admit, every morning when I open my eyes and see fluffy muppet Layla curled up under the blankets sleeping is even better than coffee as she makes me laugh so much sometimes so I am really going to make sure this coming week she has some surprises.
What are you planning to do for your pet ? We cannot wait to hear.


On this note, Madam is sleeping after spending a couple of hours in the park today, Gidget is here too and sleeping next to her,

Have a wonderful safe weekend all

With a woof and love from 
Layla