Security Newsflash

We here at Cody and Company are sometimes privileged to be in on some pretty top-secret information.

Recently, we were sent a just de-classified photo of a rarely ever seen MEXICAN SEAL.

They are a very valuable resource for the military, but few on the 'outside' know of their existence.

I am honored to be able to share this with all of you.......

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Have a great day!!!! :)

Our Prize Package came!

Our package came from Pet flys!

Stormie and Breezy had their pictures chosen as the July winners on the Pet flys website, so they received a HUGE basket of fun stuff that this company sells.

They are wearing the cute little dresses that they received. There was also a sweater for Shimmer and one for Cooper, too!

There are toys, toys, toys and TREATS -- their all time favorite thing in the world (next to me, of course!) There are brightly colored doggie waste bags, a really adorable photo album and a reusable shopping bag with a Chihuahua on it!

We send big hugs and thanks to Pet flys and Monkey Boy for choosing our picture as the winner for this month.

If you would like the chance to win big like this, just order some of their great products, then take pictures of your dog with the products and submit them to the website. Each month they choose two pictures as winners - you have a great chance to be a winner!

Organizing Collars

We have lots of collars, all from Crazy for Collars. They are the best!

I had them all in a drawer, but I could never seem to remember exactly which ones I had and wouldn't get inspired to have the dogs wear them.

Today, Shawn the Wonder Guy, helped me out by putting up this great rack to display them on. I bought a very inexpensive wooden towel bar at Lowes ($5). Shawn had a four foot piece of dowel that fit perfectly in the holes of the brace pieces, and POOF! Instant organization.

I love it.

Cooper is feeling very sad that he doesn't have as many collars as the girls, though.

I tried to explain it by saying that I have to buy everything in triplicate for them, so it just LOOKS like they have alot.

I don't think he's buying it.

Don't worry, Cooper, I have a nice wish list of new collars for you that I am sending to Suzanne this week!

MonkeyBoy Picked US!!!

A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog about a visit from our good friend Melissa Williams and how she surprised us with a PetFlys brand traveling bag. You can read that here.

We sent a couple pictures to the company's website of Stormie and Breezy enjoying their new bag and they have been chosen by MonkeyBoy (the company mascot and trend-setter) as the July winners! Check out their pictures on this page.

Pet Flys makes the most awesome airline approved travel bags for your pets, as well as a huge variety of other items that you can purchase from their website. You really need to check them out. If you purchase anything from them, be sure to send them a picture of your little one enjoying their purchase and YOU could be a winner, too!

Stormie and Breezy are going to be very anxiously awaiting their prize package filled with items personally chosen for them by the famous MonkeyBoy himself!!

Why Four Is Enough...

I often get asked how many more dogs I am going to get. When I first got Stormie, I swear I was going to stop there, but Chihuahuas are like potato chips. It's hard to stop with just one.

A year later came Shimmer and a year after that came Breezy.

I was going to stop there, really I was.

But a puppy seemed like it would be so much fun.
And I had a spot for one more.


This is the spot under our kitchen bar area that I keep the dog crates. As the girls were all retired show dogs, they were very comfortable sleeping in their crates at night, so we left it that way. As you can see, unless we want to start stacking upwards (we don't), we have met our quota. We have. I swear. I am positive. No more.

Just in case you are curious - from left to right it is Cooper, Breezy, Shimmer and Stormie. And believe me, they know their own crates and as soon as they hear the treat jar lid come off, they each scurry into their own crate.

Heaven help the dog that dares to get into the wrong one.

Cooper Wins

Puppies are a lot of fun. Puppies are a lot of work.

And puppies can do some damage....

Antique Secretary Desk.....................Zero

Cute, teething Puppy..........................Winner

I suppose it would help if his little bed wasn't right next to the previous mentioned piece of furniture. Makes it awfully convenient to just lean his head out and nibble, huh?

Good thing he's so adorable and easy to forgive!!!

 

Lovely Easter Model

I know it has been a while since I have written, and I apologize. We are dealing with a family situation that takes up most of my time. I will write a post about it all soon!

Meanwhile, I am still in business, making our clothing designs and Easter has been a busy time!! One of the requests I received was to custom fit this lovely little Trixie in a Sparkly Easter Dress that had the bow that matched the Easter collar available at Crazy for Collars.

Trixie looks stunning and it was lots of fun to work with my dear friend, Suzanne, to coordinate our designs. We are looking forward to doing more in the future!

Smiley Shimmer

Shimmer is our quiet one of all the dogs. She doesn't push for attention, just sort of hovers around the edge and hopes someone will notice her.

I love Shimmer to pieces. She is the sweetest dog in the world.

She also does something that none of the other dogs do -- she smiles!!

I have tried to catch it on camera so many times, and I finally got it!

Dreams Really DO Come True

Good morning everyone, this is Breezy and I have taken over the computer again to share with you how my greatest dream became reality recently.

As you all know, I am most certainly NOT fond of the granddogger known as Bonnie. I steadfastly refuse to reveal why I can't stand her, but suffice it to say it may have something to do with the day she stepped on my head.

We red-heads carry grudges.

Well, I prayed to the good Dog-god every night that I could have my burden lifted and Bonnie would no longer live in MY house. Guess what?!?!? It came TRUE!!!

Bonnie and her mom and dad moved into their own place about three weeks ago. We knew this was going to happen a few weeks in advance and I could hardly contain myself. Mom kept checking the walls of my crate to see if I had a little countdown going on the walls. She could never find one, but that is because I had it under my blanket!!!

Yes, the house is peacefully mine again. Except for that energetic puppy, Cooper, but I have him pretty much under my control. And my sisters and the cat already do my bidding.

Life is pretty good.

I know that Bonnie isn't too far away, as she has returned for a few visits, but I ferociously bark at her and remind her that this is no longer her place of residence and the visit better be brief. This last weekend she returned to have a bath in the dog tub. I thought that was pretty funny as I know how much she HATES getting a bath. I just laid there, watching and gloating.

It is nice to know that if you wish for something long enough it just might come true.

Mom keeps telling me that I better not get too proud of myself, as life has a way of sneaking up and biting you in the behind. Not sure exactly what she's trying to tell me, but I have taken to sleeping with one eye open, keeping a lookout behind me!

Everyone have a GREAT week!

Super Cooper - Rock Star Model!!

Cooper helped us show off the fun Aloha Hawaiian shirts that we make for our favorite Hawaiian boutique. He did quite well with the modeling session, although the whole "Stay" concept is still a struggle for him!

It didn't take him too long to figure out that the yummy treats came when he stood still and looked cute! What a little ham!

He did so well, I'm afraid that the boutique manager is going to want him to come over to Hawaii and model them in person for the tourists.

Hmmm...wouldn't that trip be a business write-off....???? Guess I better go convince Shawn that we need to head to Hawaii!

Cutest Puppy -- Oh Yeah!

We took Cooper and visited the annual March for Mutts event on Saturday at our local park. This event raises money for Meals on Wheels in our area, as well as supports AniMeals, an organization that provides food for the pets of the citizens in our community that are served by Meals on Wheels.

We only took Cooper this year as we had a very busy day and didn't intend to stay very long. He needs the socialization more than the girls do right now anyway.

There were lots of dogs - BIG dogs - and Cooper soon decided that he preferred to be held up at a higher level to view them. I guess he didn't find their feet too interesting!

We ran into our good friend Marti Harris with her sweet little Papillon, Lucy. She was excited to meet Cooper as she had only seen him on Facebook!

Of course we had to go see P.J. and Bonnie. P.J. works as a dental assistant at Gladstone Family Dentistry and they were one of the main sponsors of the event. P.J. and Bonnie spent the day handing out doggie toothbrushes, as well as people ones. This is the only time that Bonnie's daddy lets her wear clothes. You can't tell, but she is wearing a Gladstone Family Dentistry tshirt. Cooper was happy to see Bonnie again as they all moved into their own place earlier in the week and do not live with us anymore. He was saying "Bonnie! Where have you been?!?!"

They held several contests and we entered the Cutest Puppy one. There were several entries, but we couldn't get any good pictures of the judging as there were too many people gathered around to watch. In the end the judges chose COOPER as the cutest puppy. He won a big dog bone and a lunch box full of other goodies and toys. He didn't seem too impressed.

I think Cooper must be hard to impress, as he wasn't even all that excited to meet McGruff, the Crime Dog. After one sniff, he knew it was just a guy in a costume. He looked at him like "I may be young, but I'm not stupid!"

We also were happy to see our friend Stuart Cullins there with his display of Waggin Tail Dog Biscuits. We love those guys and the great service they provide for people in our community. We had Cooper pose with the display, but he still has some learning to do to catch up with the girls in that department. The word 'stay' is just not in his vocabulary yet!

We had a good time, the rains held off for the day, which made everything much more enjoyable. Cooper came home and shared all his treasures with the girls and took a long nap.

This celebrity life is tiring for a little guy!

Snow Day!!

Well, it finally happened, and we actually got some snow this winter. We have been promised it numerous times, but it didn't ever really materialize. While the rest of the country has been buried with storm after storm, we always seem to dodge the bullet.

It wasn't much, but when you're a Chihuahua, it doesn't take much snow on the ground to make for a fun snow day. We went outside first thing in the morning and it was a good thing, because a few hours later it was pretty much gone.

Cooper had the most fun, but then, according to Cooper, EVERYTHING is fun!

Shimmer usually enjoys the snow, but then she loves being outside and enjoys whatever she's doing out there. She thought it was great.

Somehow, the only picture I got of Breezy is just as she was squatting to potty. Don't tell her!!

Stormie hates the snow. And the rain. She always sticks right next to me, looking pathetic and begging to go back inside.

I had plans to go back outside and build a little snow Chihuahua, but it all melted too quickly.

At least I had pictures to prove it happened!

Photo Contest Winners!

Last month we entered a couple photos in the Fashion Pets 2011 photo contest on Martha Stewart's website. We submitted the pictures and then didn't think much about it.

Imagine our surprise yesterday when we found out that our pictures were chosen as two of the winners! Since hundreds and hundreds of photos are always entered in these contests, it is an honor to be chosen.

You can see our pictures and all the other cuties that were chosen HERE.

Be sure to check out the very next photo after this one, as it is our other entry.

I guess all that practicing is worth it, huh?

They currently have a contest going called 'Pets at Play'. If you have a fun photo of your pet playing, then you should think about entering it in this contest. It is fun to see all the photos of everyone's pets!

If Only We Could Bottle This Energy...

I had forgotten just how much energy a puppy can have. And I know the girls have certainly forgotten. Or perhaps they hadn't, but just were content to not have any puppies around to pester them.

Stormie, Shimmer and Breezy do all take turns playing with Cooper, sometimes two or three at a time even. But, they weary of the antics long before he does.

Yesterday was just such a day. Cooper was in a fiery 'play with me or else' type of mood. He just went from girl to girl.

First, Breezy was willing to play with him and participated in a little tug-of-war. I know the pictures are slightly blurry, but YOU try to capture action like this and not be a little blurry!

It is obvious who won the prize in the end!

Breezy gave up, so Cooper went on the search for another victim. Shimmer is the least likely to play with him, and in true typical little brother fashion, he knows this and will seek her out to torment her.

She was sleeping peacefully in one of the beds, but was willing to consent to a little tussle.

Stormie came over to check out the action for a bit, but wasn't interested in joining in.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped and it was time for a snuggle and a nap.

Needless to say, I am having a hard time staying on task with my sewing with so much fun and action going on around me. That's okay. He will only be a puppy for a short time, I am going to enjoy every minute of it!

First Photo Shoot

We have been somewhat MIA on here lately, and I apologize. We have been dealing with some family issues and it has been difficult to keep up with everything!

But, orders are still going out, and Cooper is doing great. He is such a wonderful, fun diversion from some sad times that we have been experiencing.

We did manage to work in his first photo shoot to show off his fun collars that Suzanne at Crazy for Collars made for him. He did pretty good, but oh my goodness, what an active little guy he is! We have gotten very spoiled by the girls who usually sit still and cooperate nicely. Cooper - not so much. But, we still got some cute ones!

The Valentine collar was so sweet. We started with this one and got at least one cute photo.

By the time we started taking pictures of him in the St. Patrick's Day collar, he was getting more cooperative and we got more pictures!

 

How can you not just adore that face? Cooper is the sunshine of my life!!

Does This Constitute Animal Abuse..??

Okay, the girls love their beds, most especially their Sock Monkey Bed, as we have discussed here before. One could say that they lovingly revere it as a member of the family.

So, they are not too amused to find that someone has been abusing their beloved Sock Monkey friend.

Yes, indeed, someone has tried to rip one of his nostrils out of his slightly over-sized monkey face. Horrors!

Who would do such a dastardly deed of animal abuse?

Indeed, that adorable little face can try to look innocent, but he has been caught in the act. Try as he might, he cannot deny it, so he doesn't even try.

 

Instead, all that wrestling and abusing wears out a little guy, and soon he just curls up in the bed and takes a nap.

 

Face it girls: there's a new guy in town and he is force to be reckoned with.

You are cutest thing around here, Cooper, but there are some things you probably just shouldn't mess with!

A Week With The Coop

What a fun, busy week we have had getting Cooper adjusted to life in the Giles household. He has been doing great and I am feeling very guilty for not writing a post before now. Guess I have been a little selfish in just spending my time enjoying him!

He has settled in with the girls, who like him....most of the time. Some times they will play with him and have loads of fun, then other times they let him know that he is invading their space. He doesn't take no for an answer very easily and will sit back on his little bottom and bark at the offender. Sometimes I make them work it out among themselves and sometimes I save the girls and whisk the pesky little brother away.

He does like to curl up in the beds with Stormie. She seems to be the most willing to share a bed with him -- as long as he doesn't get too close!

He has taken to wearing clothes very well. We tried a formal photo shoot, but that was futile. This little guy does not know the meaning of the phrase "hold still". He is a busy, busy boy, that's for sure!

He has made friends with Bonnie, who REALLY wants to play with him, but they still stay on opposite sides of the puppy gate. Spencer the cat just looks at me like, "You are going to stop bringing these things home eventually, right?" Although our cat is eight years old, he still has quite the playful side and is usually willing to engage in a rousing game of tag with Cooper.

We have all decided that there is not much possibility of finding anything cuter than Super Cooper. He has firmly wiggled his way into our hearts and is there to stay.

Not bad for a week's work!

Getting Our Super Cooper

Yesterday we drove to Spokane and picked up our little boy, Cooper. He already has several nicknames: Super Cooper, Mini Cooper, Super Duper Cooper, and Super Coop, to list just a few of the starter ones.

Liz was happy to see the girls and brought Cooper's mom, Abbie, to see her old friends and to say goodbye to Cooper. The girls were pretty happy to see their 'first mom' again!

Soon it was time to get back on the road to head home. For the first little while Cooper rode in my lap, just looking up at me and being adorable.

Then he decided he wanted to get in the back seat with the girls and get to know them. At first he seemed to like Shimmer the best, I think she reminded him the most of his mom, as they look alot alike.

Then he settled in, deciding that Breezy made a really good pillow for him, and stretched out across her back. Surprisingly, she tolerated him just fine. He could barely keep his little eyes open, but the bumps in the road would startle him and he had a hard time napping.

One time when I turned to check on him, he was actually sitting on top of Breezy. I love the expression on her face. Kind of like she can't quite believe what is going on.

We finally arrived back home and he got to run around the backyard with the girls. He even went potty in the grass for the first time! Yay for the Super Cooper!

He then came inside and met everyone, including Spencer, the 23 pound cat. Didn't faze him one bit. I think he just thought Spencer is a really big Chihuahua. That's okay, I think Spencer thinks the same thing.

We put him and the girls to bed and he settled right into his little crate without a single peep. Slept all the way to 7:00am without letting out a single whimper. He went outside this morning and pottied, ate his breakfast, played with toys, went potty outside again, ate his lunch, took a nap, played with the toys some more, went back outside for some practice on the leash (he does GREAT!), tried on his first tshirt (he looks way too adorable, I have to get some pictures loaded!) and has had a marvelous day so far.

We now need to come up with a new slogan. We have been the Girls of Cody and Company for a long time, but we need a new one.

The crew of Cody and Company?

I don't know, any suggestions..???