Why Does My Dog Do That?

Today is Wednesday, which is Why Does My Dog Do That? day.

Today we are going to ask the question..."Why do dogs hate it when you blow in their faces, but love to hang their heads out of the car window?"

A dog's sense of smell is 100,000 times stronger than humans. To them, the sensations of the wind sweeping by at high speed and you blowing the smells of last night's dinner in their direction does not even come close to being in the same category.

As they hang their head out the window, they are capturing the smells of hundreds of things as they speed by. Interesting things. Fascinating things. It is a glorious smell-o-rama. They can decode everything that is going on around them as they pass by.

In comparison, our breath blown onto their face is not as delectable. Sometimes your dog may show a brief interest in the smells coming from your mouth, but for the most part they are irritated by the sensation. They catch those smells each time you talk to them. Compared to all the interesting smells from outside the car window, it is just plain boring to them. And if you blow directly into their noses, it tickles and irritates the nose cavity and they sneeze and shake their heads. You make think that's cute, but it's not going to win you any dog-owner-of-the-year award nominations from your furry friend.

This said, not all pleasures are safe ones. That's why it is a good idea to keep the window rolled up and dog's head inside the car. Road grit or an insect traveling at high speed can do a lot of damage to your dog's eye. If you really want to provide this pleasure to your dog, there are dog goggles available. Honestly. They are called Doggles. They are used a lot on military service and search and rescue dogs. Your dogs can get used to wearing them, just as children get used to having to be in a carseat.

As our girls are all too little to hang out the window as we drive down the freeway, I haven't had to really worry about this. My girls are perfectly satisfied if I just open the sunroof. They sit on the seat with their little noses in the air, sucking in all the same wonderful scents.

But Doggles might be kind of cute. May have to look into this.....

Have a great week with your little ones and happy traveling! Be sure to check out the fun Spring and Summer fashions we have at www.gilesk.etsy.com.

We are Crazy for 'Crazy for Collars'

We had a wonderful opportunity to help out our great friend, Suzanne, of Crazy for Collars, by modeling some of her new Spring line of collars.

Stormie did a great job and of course, loved all the attention.

I love Suzanne's collars. They are superbly made and come in all sizes from X-Small to Large. Suzanne lovingly makes each one herself and is one very creative lady. The bows are a wonderful addition that really makes them stand out!

Thanks, Suzanne, for entrusting us to help your collars look great!

Yummy treats from Leo and Company

We received a package of yummy dog treats from Leo & Company the other day. Oh my goodness, were the girls ever excited!

Leo & Company is a fellow seller on Etsy. As I love to support the others who sell on Etsy, I was extremely excited to see that they were also located here locally.

Leo & Company makes organic dog biscuits from only the very best organic, human grade ingredients and are completely wheat-free. They make the biscuits to order and dehydrate to crunchy perfection.

We received the Peanut Butter and Apple biscuits, which are made from apples picked from their own trees, and peanuts that are locally ground, with no additives or salt.

We also received the Lamb and Rice Biscuits. The lamb in these biscuits comes from Abundant Life Farm, here in Oregon. The Pasture reared lamb is slowly cooked with produce from the farmers market to make very delectable treats that the dogs love.

Both varieties came in small, heart shaped biscuits that will surely please even the most discerning dog. Our pups loved them and get super excited when I shake the box.

The biscuits come packaged very professionally in cute paw print boxes of 1/2 pound each. Shelf life is four weeks, but I certainly doubt they will last that long around here!

The girls have already requested that we try the Cream Cheese or Parmesan Cheese biscuits next! They also feature little training bite-sized treats in BBQ flavor, as well as liver flavored.

Why Does My Dog Do That???

We have decided to designate Wednesdays as "Why Does My Dog Do That? Wednesday". Each week we will address some of the curious, sometimes perplexing things that dogs do. Hopefully we can help others to understand the reasons behind their dog's behavior.

Today we will start off with the question..."Why do dogs yawn? Are they sleepy or bored?"

Yawning, whether in dogs or humans, increases the flow of oxygen and boosts the heart rate. This gives the brain a good jump start. Dogs will yawn to both rev themselves up and to calm themselves down. When you see dogs yawn before they participate in an activity such as a walk, a ride in the car, or some other event that they are excited to do, they are doing so in excitement and charging their brains in anticipation of the upcoming event.

When your dog is unsure or nervous about a situation, such when they are in the waiting room at the vet's, or in a group of unfamiliar dogs, the yawning represents stress. They are trying to calm themselves down.

Dogs really do not yawn out of boredom. Just as in humans, yawning can be contagious in dogs. If one dog yawns, particularly if they add that little whine to it, they can set off a chorus of yawns in other dogs, even their humans. Many dog handlers will use this to their advantage and encourage their dogs to yawn to relieve stress before a big event.

Hopefully this information will help you read the messages that your dog is sending you. Oftentimes people see their dogs yawning in a new situation and assume that they are bored, when in reality they are nervous and you should be alert to what they are preparing to experience. You can avoid a negative experience by tuning into this often unnoticed reaction.

Have a great day with your dog, and hopefully we haven't got you all yawning now with all this talk about it!

Me and My Shadow(s)

Those of you who have little dogs, will know what I mean when I talk about having shadow(s). Little dogs love their owners. They love to be near their owners. The closer the better. Wherever I go, I have three little shadows following behind me. One would think that it could be a hazard to maneuver around with three little bodies dancing around one's feet, but the girls are expert at avoiding getting stepped on.

Now I know that while oftentimes this is due to undying devotion to be near me, I also accept that sometimes it isn't me at all that is the attraction. It is what I am doing. Such as cooking. Or looking like I'm cooking. Or thinking about cooking. Or even just standing anywhere near a cooking facility.

Yes, I admit it, my dogs think about food constantly! They love to head to the sewing room each day because they get a treat from the Chihuahua treat jar as we settle in to work for the day. Here lately they think they should get one everytime I walk back into the room after leaving for a moment. They are learning that they don't always get what they want.

But, yes, I love the fact that mostly they follow me because they love me and want to be with me at all times. If I sit down on the couch to relax and watch some T.V., they all three pile on top of me and scuffle to be the closest to my face. This can sometimes make actually seeing the T.V. a little challenging, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Our dogs bring us such joy with their love and devotion. Their loyalty is unchallenged by few human friendships. They love us no matter who we are, what clothes we wear, how much money we make, how famous we aren't or any of the other things the world judges us by. Dogs are one of the greatest gifts we are given. Hug your dog today.

Stormie's Top Ten List

We don't really watch much late night television, but Stormie has come up with her Top Ten List and would like to share it with you.

Stormie’s Top Ten List
The following are Stormie’s top favorite things:

10. Stand at the patio door and growl at the big dogs like I am a giant Rottweiler.

9. Eat ANYTHING that my people put in my food bowl.

8. Spin in circles like a whirling top whenever my Mom reappears in a room.

7. Chase the 20 pound cat all over the house, up and down the stairs - until he cheats and jumps up on the desk where I can’t get to him.

6. Dance on my hind legs for treats - or to try to see up on the counter to check out what Mom’s fixing for dinner!

5. Sit on the desk and watch Mom when she’s working on the computer. Especially great if I can glare down at the cat (refer to #7).

4. Stare out the window and try to figure out just what those things called squirrels are and what is their fascination with running on top of the fence..?

3. Come running so fast and excited that I almost plow into her legs whenever Mom calls me.

2. Give lots and lots of kisses - especially when my tongue goes up someone’s nose...THAT gets a great response!

1. Cuddle with my Mom at any time, any where.

But where does modeling our clothes fall into this list...???

Stormie, we need to talk!

Top O' the Morning to You

With the name of Kelli, married to a Shawn, many people have commented that we are a perfect Irish couple. We even named our first-born son Michael. But, no, there is no Irish blood in us.

This does not keep us from enjoying St. Patrick's Day, however. And little Mexican Chihuahuas can look awfully cute in green and white dresses to celebrate, don't you think?

Remember to wear your green on Wednesday and the girls wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

The View From the Top...

As usual, my girls have to be wherever I am working. You have already seen pictures of them in their beds under my sewing table.

Stormie and Shimmer LOVE to camp out on top of the desk while I am working on the computer. They will dance around my chair, put their little paws on my leg and make the most pathetic whining noises until I relent and put them up here with me. Then, while I work away, they snooze.

It would certainly seem to me that they would be more comfy in their soft, cuddly bed. And yes, we even have a bed or two in the office for them. I tell you, we have them everywhere!

But, I think they like being up higher sometimes.

Gives them a feeling of superiority.

From the cat.

Whom they love to look down on from this vantage point as he lays on......the floor.

Chihuahua Treat Jar

My dogs love their treats! We have several treat jars throughout the house and the girls know exactly where each one is and the sound of the lid being lifted will bring them running.

When I ordered a cute jar off the internet a year ago to have in the sewing room, I was very disappointed that it arrived with a large crack. The seller refunded my money and I used it, but kept an eye on the crack, which was getting larger as time went on. Finally I decided that this created a good excuse to go looking for a new one. Excuses to shop are always nice, right?

Imagine my thrill when I found one with a Chihuahua that looks like Breezy as the lid! This jar is soo cute. It even has a little tail on the backside!

It doesn't take much to thrill me and this little treat jar makes me smile each time I look at it. I'm sure the girls think the treats taste even better from this jar, right?

March for Mutts Event

Check out the article in our local community paper, The Clackamas County Citizen News for the upcoming March for Mutts event happening this weekend at North Clackamas Park. We were surprised to see them use this picture taken at a previous year's event of Hannah and Stormie!

This event is a lot of fun and supports some really great programs.

You can read the article at

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/citizennews/201002/g.htm

Here it is, March 1st. How did that happen? It seems like it was just Christmas!

We have the first wave of the Spring line listed in the store, including the Easter clothes. I always loved making Easter dresses for my two daughters when they were young. They don't seem to want to be dressed in all that lace and ribbon any more, so I have to release all that creativity on the dog fashions. At least these girls keep their opinions to themselves...

Check out Shimmer in the Easter dress, plus much more here