So Sorry For Being MIA

I am so sorry that I have been MIA.  As life sometimes does it was a little busy and needed some much needed spare time to catch up on some things...but I'm back and ready for the weekend!  Braddock is healing nicely from his Panosteitis and I have some baking in store!  Get ready for Mini Pumpkin Flax treats available the Little B's Organic Dog Treats store starting Monday.  I will also be experimenting with some new baking techniques that will ensure each treat is the exact same size!

Whatever you have planned this weekend have an amazing time.  I wanted to share this picture of Braddock in his Ruffwear Portage Float Coat paddle boarding in Lake Tahoe.  Isn't he just the cutest!!!  

Just Sit Back and Relax

This is so adorable I had to share it with you all.  Please enjoy this great video sent to me by my good friend Carol of a Bdog enjoying her favorite TV show.

Vacay with The Black Dog

I will be shutting down my computer for a while as I fly the friendly skies to visit my new family and friends on the East Coast.  While I am there a trip to "The Vineyard" is planned where a definite visit to The Black Dog Tavern will be made.  What is The Black Dog Tavern you ask?  Well to make a long story short it is a restaurant named after Robert Douglas' dog named The Black Dog after the character in Robert Lewis Stevenson's "Treasure Island".  This dog sailed with Robert for years and become a welcome wagon of sorts for Captains and sailor's visiting The Vineyard.  After living on the island for a while and being sick and tired of having no options for food outside of his own kitchen in the months that followed the business that summer brought, Robert decided to open up his own place.  And so, on New Year's Day in 1971 the Black Dog Tavern opened and has been a staple for residents and visitors alike ever since.

Today, the chefs of The Black Dog are eager to share their passionate culinary creations with you. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are currently served for locals and travelers alike. The Black Dog is known for its menu, desserts and atmosphere, as well as the view of the harbor and its sailing vessels.

The brand has grown into The Black Dog Cafe, The Black Dog Bakery, The Black Dog Store, and even Black Dog Wedding Cakes!  You can find a bunch of cute items for your pooches as well, like Mint Tennis Balls, Doggie Water Bottles, and Sporty Mesh Collars!

Don't miss me too much while I'm gone!

Dogs and Design

If you love dogs and you love home design you will love this slideshow from House Beautiful!  In my opinion a house doesn't really become a home until the pitter patter of little paws so it makes sense the two go hand in hand.

Have a great weekend!

Braddock...is that you?

The Bman

Ladies and gentleman meet Paxton... BRADDOCK's BROTHER!!!  We still keep in touch with Braddock's breeder and she recently sent us this picture of Paxton and we could not believe how much they look alike!  If I saw him on the street I don't think I would be able to tell them apart.  Paxton I'm sure is much better trained as he is a show dog and has won Group and Breed awards...pretty impressive if you ask me.  I don't think Braddock would be able to sit still long enough for anyone to really look at him if we wanted him to...he would just want to play! 

We can't wait to head back down south for Christmas so that Braddock can be reunited with some of his siblings.  They are all so cute!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Hot Dog's Aren't The Only Dog At This Game

I have been a little MIA this week as I was down in Orange County cheering on the Angel's while they played my husband's favorite the Red Sox's.  It was a gorgeous day with great company, but sadly my Angel's lost.  In honor of the sport here is a fun little video of a cute dog, who was the "Iams Adoptable Pet of the Game" at a Northwest Arkansas Naturals game enjoying in her own special way.  Not only did she get adopted from this cute little stunt, but she helped get two other dogs adopted at the same time!  Go Mona!

Dog Poops on Field During Naturals Game @ Yahoo! Video

Have a great weekend!

The Dog of Beers

Photo's by Will Seith

This week my dad and brother found themselves cheering on the Angel's at the All Star Baseball Game held at Angel's Stadium.  It was a fabulous affair filled with sports, food prepared by executive chefs from stadiums around the country, and stadium vendors who traveled from as far as Canada to be a part of the celebration, which ended in a gorgeous display of fireworks.  They sent me photos of their good time and these were so adorable I had to share.  Meet the Anheuser-Busch Dalmatian!

The Dalmatian atop of Anheuser-Busch's beer wagon has become an iconic staple to the brand. Alongside from the Clydesdale horses, the Dalmatian remains a fixture in public events and advertisements. Though the horse team was introduced in the 1930s, the Dalmatian made its first introduction in the 1950s. Historically, the Dalmatians were often used to be a watchdog over the beer wagon while making deliveries.

So cool!

Will SF Ban the Sale of Pets?

Last night a law that was under consideration this week by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare to ban the sale of companion pets was tabled.  A companion pet includes everything but fish.  The goal of this law was to address the issue of people taking on pets before they are ready and as a result placing them in shelters.  It was also aimed to stop the support of puppy and kitten mills.  If this law were to go through it would be the first of its kind in the nation and would mean all San Francisco residents who want a pet would have to purchase them in another city, from a shelter or rescue group, or through a classified ad.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  On the one had I support the idea of minimizing the number of animals that are turned into shelters, and doing away with puppy and kitten mills all together, but I don't know about banning the sale of animals.  If the problem is that people have misconceptions about animals before they buy them than maybe there needs to be a responsibility on the pet store to ensure that the purchaser is aware of the animals' habits and capable of caring for it in the way that shelters do.  Or what about placing a ban on pet stores being able to purchase their animals from pet mills?  It will be interesting to see where this all goes.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Happy 4th of July!

Is your pet celebrating the Red, White, and Blue? Want to see how other pets show off their patriotic best? Check out these Yankee Doodle dandies, the finalists from Martha Stewart's Patriotic Pets Contest to find out. 

Have a safe and happy 4th of July everyone!

Tigers and Panda Bears...Oh My!

I felt like Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers on the Weekend Update when I first read this article...REALLY?! I dog that looks like a tiger? A panda that is really a dog? REALLY?! That's right people, what you see before you are dogs whose fur has been dyed so they resemble an exotic animal. This is the sign of a community with too much time and too much money. Is this interesting...yes...should it happen...HECK NO! I really hope these owners are using henna or herbal dyes, but from the look of the bright orange tiger retriever my guess is that's a NO. To force these animals through the hair dying process to me is just horrible and at the expense of the animals health. Come on people...REALLY?! Next time just buy a tiger or panda costume for your pet. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!

Stepping off my soap box now :)

Happy Pawther's Day!

To all of you dog fathers out there Happy Pawther's Day!  You know your pooches love you and here is another fun reason to go out and do something fun together.  We will be celebrating with family at the lake where plenty of water fun will be had.  I know I am so appreciative of Kristian and all he does for Little B!

BTW how adorable is this Pawther!?!  Joel Camancho readily admits that he uses PEDs (Performance Enhancing Dogs).  Puppito is the cutie on his shoulder (how does he do that?) and Peanut is hanging out in the back.  I would LOVE to see this in person, these are some amazing dogs!

Have a great weekend!

Best Snuggler Ever!

This week B and I have been holding down the fort as the hubs has been in Beantown all week.  It has proved to be a wonderful bonding time for us as Kristian is his favorite.  I can't say that I blame him as he is the best wrestler in the family.  I often sing the "My Buddy" song when they are together because wherever Kristian goes he goes :)  Not this week though, this week me and the B have discovered our favorite past time...snuggling!  He is the best little snuggle bear (as seen in this picture), 55 lbs of love who will often fall asleep with his head on my shoulder.  At first I thought this would prevent me from sleeping as he can snore like a bulldozer but it has actually become a bit of white noise for me.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes he makes noises that makes me think someone has just broken into the house, but for the most part it is just the cutest thing ever!

Here's to you and your snuggle bunny and to a fabulous weekend!

Surfer Dude or Surfer Dog?

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Dogs from around the country took part in this SoCal competition that has been going strong for 5 years, which also served as a fundraiser for the San Diego Police Department's canine unit.  Each dog had 10 minutes to show its stuff while judges noted the length of the dog's ride, its confidence and whether or not it could "grip it and rip it."   Fear not, animal lovers. The dogs were equipped with special harnesses and flotation devices so their owners can keep them safe.  There were three different heats for these 65 dogs to compete in: small dogs, large dogs and tandem and the breeds ranged from 5-pound Pomeranians to 85-pound Bernese Mountain Dogs.  The Surf Dog Competition is an extension of Loews Hotels’ Loews Loves Pets program and has become a successful fundraiser for local pet-related charities.

Braddock let's go get your life vest and "Hang 20"!

Pet's Fly the Friendly Skies

So you want to go on a long distance trip via airplane, but you don't want to leave Fido at home.  One problem, you don't have the heart to put him in cargo either, so what do you do?  Started by Jack Russel Terrier owners in this same predicament you have an option, Pet Airways, a pet only airline where the "Pawsengers" fly in the main cabin! 

This means they fly in a temperature controlled environment with a "Pet Attendant" checking on them every 15 min.  The planes are regular Beech 1900 with the "human" equipment removed.  They provide the necessary pet carriers free of charge so you don't have to!  This is great as those carriers can take up valuable luggage space in the trunk of your car.  These carriers are secured to the plane with special fasteners that keep it in place so there is no chance of accidental movement.  You can even monitor your pets progress on their journey online as the site is updated every 15 min.  There are even potty breaks so you won't have to worry about your pet being uncomfortable during a 5 to 6 hour trip.

The airline is also doing its part to help out rescue pets by offering a 15% discount for rescue pets flying to their new home.

My only problem with this airline is they do not fly out of San Francisco.  But you lucky people in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, and Atlanta have it made!  Necessity is truly the mother of invention :)

B2B Dog Costumes

For those of you who have never had the pleasure of participating in San Francisco's Bay to Breakers run/walk I highly encourage you to do so.  It is definitely an only in San Francisco experience and should be a part of everyone's bucket list.  This year's race will take place on May16th, this Sunday, and will mark its 99th anniversary.  The course is 7.46 miles and starts at the Embarcadero (the Bay) and takes you through the city with the finish line at the end of Golden Gate Park at the Great Highway and Ocean Beach (the Breakers).  You can choose to run the course or walk, but the true spectacle is the walking option.  Just consider it a moving party where everyone dresses up in costume (or nothing at all) and creates floats to push along.  It is unbelievably fun!  Over the years my favorite costumes have involved a group of older ladies who dressed up as synchronized swimmers and performed a routine while walking the route.  Another was a group of people dressed as salmon who swam "up stream", too funny!  The sky is the limit!

So while I don't encourage you to bring your dog amongst the drunken debauchery I do encourage you to dress like one!  Here are some fun dog themed costumes in case you are still looking for something.

I get a chuckle imagining a group of dudes walking around with dog ears and tails with a stereo blasting "Who Let the Dog's Out!".  Imagine the trouble they could cause and blame it on the fact that they are a bunch of dogs.

Hot Dog Vendor

Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife

Elle Woods and her dog Bruiser

Lady looking for her lost dog

Sick as a dog

What ever you end up dressing up as I hope you have an amazing time!  Remember your sunscreen, try to stay hydrated, pick up after yourselves, and make a plan on how you are going to get home :)

Nice Day for a White Wedding

When Kathryn Kalabokes of Dream a Little Dream Events posted these wonderful photos of a wedding she planned I had to include them in Little B's Blog as well!  Anna Kuperberg is the creative genius behind these gorgeous pictures and really captured the sweet relationship between Tina, Stephen, and their dogs.  I loved how personal it made the event feel by including them.  The location was the beautiful Hotel Vitale which is a dog friendly hotel and a big part of why the couple chose it.  Apparently the cute little white pooch's favorite part of the whole event was his/her mama's wedding dress which was used as a relaxation bed a few times...why not!  It's so cute how the dogs' neck decor also matched the brides' shoes and flowers!  Great attention to detail :) 

I personally toyed with idea of training my parents dog Conner to walk down the aisle at our wedding as a ring bearer with the rings attached to a pillow attached to his collar, but we all decided that would never happen as he would take 30 minutes to get down the aisle after saying hello to everyone.  The image will always exist in my mind though :)

Have an amazing weekend!

Say Goodbye to Your Little Friends

That's right ladies and gentlemen today is the day our little boy gets neutered.  BIG DAY!  At first I thought this decision wouldn't be hard.  They were so tiny when we first got him that I figured he wouldn't miss them.  But as he grew so did they and have become a larger part of his personality than I realized.  It just won't be the same when he gets comfortable on the couch lying on his back full spread eagle anymore.  The view from the rear won't be the same either...I know it's for the best but I can't help but feel a little bad.

It will be interesting to see how his behavior changes.  Will he feel the need to mark everything?  Will dogs be a little bit friendlier to him?  Will lying on the floor like a pancake be more comfortable?  I am happy that this procedure ensures he will never have problems with testicular disease and will reduce the chance for problems with his prostate glands and cancerous growths.

We had initially planned to do this a little over a month ago, but then the whole table dragging, toe nail breaking incident occurred the week before and we couldn't bear the thought of him wearing the cone of shame longer than he had to.

So wish him luck B lovers and say goodbye to these!

Meatball is King!

You heard me, Meatball has been crowned "Beautiful Bulldog" at the 31st annual Beautiful Bulldog pageant in Des Moines, Iowa.  As the bearer of the crown and cape he is the official mascot for the 101st Drake Relays track and field event at Drake University held on April 21st.

There are 50 coveted slots in this competition that were filled in 22 hours!  I so wish I could have been there to see this event.  As a first time owner of an English Bulldog I have gained a new found appreciation for this wonderful breed.  I had no idea how silly, sweet, and hilarious they are.  One of my favorite things that Braddock does is stick out his tongue like in the picture below of the cheerleaders.  I'm not sure if his tongue is to big for his mouth or if it's just more comfortable, especially when he is in a deep sleep, either way it sticks straight out and it's adorable.  Now imagine a room full of 50 of these cuties doing the same thing!  LOVE IT!

Congratulations Meatball!

Through a Dog's Eyes

“Through a Dog’s Eyes will change the way you feel about your own dog. The documentary follows a handful of people as they journey through the heartwarming and often challenging process of receiving their service dogs”. This movie will warm your heart and make you appreciate even more the amazing creatures that dogs are, just watch the trailer and you will see what I mean.

Service dogs are assistance dogs trained to help people with disabilities. If you have not seen one of these pooches in action you need to, they are incredibly smart, well behaved, and loving.  So turn on your TV to PBS this coming Wednesday, April 21st at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT to see what service life is like Through a Dog's Eyes.

If you are inspired to help an organization that trains service dogs be sure to check out Guide Dogs for the Blind.  They are always looking for community volunteers, breeding stock custodians, puppy raisers (fun!), campus volunteers and speakers.

Have an amazing weekend!