Meet the Boys

Five of our pups are boys. I thought it would be fun if we did a Meet the Boys post, so here we go!

First, we have Cooper James. He is our resident Old Man, having just turned 12 years old. He has the most nicknames of any of the pups: Super Cooper, Super Coop, Super Duper Cooper, The Coops, and not often, but sometimes we even call him Super Cooper the Paratrooper. I don’t know why on that last one, it must have been a silly day.

Cooper was our first Chihuahua puppy, as the original three girls came to us as adult retired show dogs. Cooper was a bundle of energy and loved to drive The Girls crazy. He has slowed down a lot over the years, and now he prefers to be left alone. Cooper NEVER enjoys a puppy. Whenever a new one has joined the pack, he spends days glaring at me from across the room. He eventually accepts the new one, but he makes sure I know he isn’t happy about it.

Cooper is our number one barker in the family. Despite getting older,  his hearing is still very good, and he is the first to hear any delivery trucks that stop at the driveway, anyone that comes to the door (even before they ring the bell), anyone that walks by the property, every time the refrigerator door gets open. You get the idea. He barks at everything – even moth farts! 

I know our days with Cooper are short, and I enjoy every moment I can still have with him.

Next, we have Finn Robert. His nicknames are: Finner Winner, Finn Finn, and Finny. He answers to any of them. Finn spends most of his day walking around with a stuffed toy in his mouth – usually a Lambchop toy. He is the second most enthusiastic barker. Finn came to us at Christmas time and was a gift from my husband. Finn is very attached to me and can usually be found either laying on my feet or leaning against my leg. He is the dog that is most talented at finding something gross to roll in and relishes in doing so. Finn tolerates the new puppies but isn’t fond of playing with them. He has a great talent of being able to smile and is often photographed giving us a toothy smile. Finn has the same luxurious coat as his Mama, Panda, of the infamous Cheeky Chis. Finn is our blueberry thief, keeping our bushes cleared of all berries except for the ones on the very top that he cannot reach.

Next up is our second Cheeky Chis pup, and half-brother to Finn, Tucker James. Tucker arrived just six months after Finn and they would wrestle and play all day. Tucker is the most playful of the older boys and will still wrestle and play with Benny. His only nickname is Tucker Man. Usually said with a drawn out maaaan. Tucker is SUPER camera shy and I have to sneak any photo I get of him, which is why he is usually looking away from the camera in his photos. Tucker has the thickest, softest coat and reminds me of a rabbit. Which was appropriate when he was young, as he also hopped a lot like a rabbit. Before Tucker arrived, I use to always put Sweet Potato Vines in all my patio pots. I loved how they trailed down the sides. Tucker discovered that he loved the taste of them and would go along behind me as I planted and tear them out and eat them! After all my attempts to dissuade him fell on deaf ears, I gave up and only plant them in the front yard pots. He was a hiney-biter as a puppy, chasing all the girls and biting them from behind. He did not win any popularity contests at that time. Tucker has the most endearing head tilt when he looks up at you. It melts my heart. He doesn’t bark very much. When the others are barking like crazy fools, he will let loose with one or two quick barks and then he is done. He is the most patient pup of all, rarely getting tired of the young ones’ antics.

Fourth in line is the lovely Leo Thomas. He is our tiniest pup, but thinks he is a lion. He gave me a run for my money a few times when he first arrived as he would go on a hunger strike, causing his sugar levels to plummet and he would have a hypoglycemic crash. One such episode was so bad that he was unconscious when I discovered him and I really thought I had lost him. But, I was able to get him back and after that I would get up several times in the night for months to check on him. His nickname is Leo Banbino. He can run like the wind and would probably win every Chihuahua race he entered. His biggest nemesis is the squirrels that live in the trees near our deck. They even like to taunt him by coming up on the deck and peering through the patio door at him. He is practically foaming at the mouth in a tiny rage. Leo is our third Cheeky Chis pup, son of Nitro and grandson of Kilo. He has the vocal talents of his grandfather and always has a LOT to say. Very LOUDLY. He never approves of Tucker and Benny’s playing and will speak his mind, while at the same time he is biting Tucker’s hiney. Which seems rather justified, considering Tucker’s history of doing the same.

Last, but not least, and certainly the craziest of all the pups, is Benny Ray. Nicknames are Benny Boy and BenBen. At times, Benny can actually be calm. But this is only when he is asleep. When awake, he goes a mile a minute. He runs, he pounces, he jumps, he runs some more, he tackles the other dogs…you get the idea. When he went in to be neutered, I begged the veterinarian to find his crazy energy button and remove it for me. Alas, that did not happen. He turned one year old in May and I am still hoping that this energy level will begin to reduce a little. He is such a loving dog that you really can’t stay mad at him. Well, I can’t any way. The other dogs will tell you differently. Tucker is his best friend, and they play for hours. He is a beautiful dog, and as most people know, I have a definite weakness for tri-colors. He adores me and will look up at me with little squinty eyes like he is trying to flirt. He rarely barks, but he does do a blood curdling screech that I am sure has often had the neighbors thinking they need to call the police. This is usually done when he wants to go outside, and I am not opening the door fast enough. Or fixing the meals for the dogs. He brings an insane level of energy to everything he does, and I am considering doing some agility work with him. At the speed he runs, I don’t know that I could keep up with him though.

So, this has been a long post, but hopefully you have enjoyed getting to know the boys of Cody and Company a little better. I will do a post on the girls next!

Pup Organizing Notebook

People often are shocked when they hear that we have seven dogs. Besides the looks from some that clearly show that they think I am crazy, there is usually a barrage of questions as to how I keep so many dogs healthy, happy and organized. I have decided to start a series on this topic, not because I feel that I am an expert in every aspect of dog ownership, but rather to show what is working for me and hopefully give my readers some ideas for themselves.

I am starting with my Dog Notebook. It is a simple planner binder that you can find at any office supply store, or even at thrift stores.

I started  using planners for organization many years ago while raising six children. It was before the days of smart phones and digital calendars. While I use those now also, I still like a physical book that I can keep information in.

So, let's take a look inside!

I have this adorable first page that is really just for my enjoyment. I purchased the stickers at a local scrapbook supply store. The little dog stickers are available here.

Because I like cute things, I also have this little felt Chihuahua bookmark. You can find it here.

Next I have a page with our veterinarian's contact information and our local emergency veterinary hospital.

And I keep a page with information on our original three girls that have passed away.

From there I have individual dividers for each of our dogs. I made the dividers using dog themed scrapbook paper cut to size and laminated. When you turn to each tab, there is an updated photo of the dog, held in with Chihuahua washi tape so that they can be easily removed and replaced with a new photo as my dogs age and change in looks.

Aren't they such cutie pies??

Let's take a look at what is in each section. The first page has all the important information that I need about the dog.

I have all the actual documents in files, along with veterinary visit reports, etc., but this system keeps them at my fingertips at all times. The next few pages have quick notes on vet visits, as well as weight charts. 

I weigh the dogs with a baby scale when I give them their monthly baths. This helps me keep track of any gains or losses that would be concerning. Chihuahuas have a tendency to gain weight easily and this system helps me to monitor it before it gets too far. Keeping them at a healthy weight will prolong their lives and certainly makes my veterinarian happy!

The rest of each section has blank note paper that I can keep notes of training, milestones and special memories that I want recorded.

After each individual dog's sections is one dedicated to health, which is where I keep quick charts on what foods are safe for dogs, medication uses, a CPR chart, etc. All of which you can find with a quick Pinterest search.

Next are sections on all autoships I am subscribed to (Chewy.com, Barkbox, etc.), recipes for homemade dog treats, and a section for contact information of breeders, veterinary specialists and others.

This book resides in a corner of our kitchen, alongside a similar book that I have for family and household, as well as my daily calendar planner. It is easy to grab and take with me to  a veterinary appointment so I can reference any information the doctor may want. 

I feel comfortable that if I ever needed to leave the house in an emergency with my dogs that I could grab this book and have critical information that I would need.

I have a lot of information about each dog stored in my head, but the technical details are impossible for me to remember for all seven dogs. Does anyone actually have their dog's AKC registration number memorized? This book brings me a sense of peace in knowing that I have the information organized and at my fingertips.

What other topics would you like to learn about on how we organize a household with so many dogs? 

Fun Frozen Treats

Summer time has hot days. There is just no way around that. As human beings, we have all kinds yummy frozen treats that help us to endure. I am personally a huge fan of Magnum chocolate and caramel bars. Sigh...heaven. We also enjoy going to Dairy Queen for an M&M Blizzard. 

Okay, I really need to quit talking about MY favorite cool treats and start talking about the DOGS' favorite treats!

I ordered these fun silicone molds from Amazon, then searched Pinterest for some easy, yummy frozen treats suitable for pups. There are LOTS.

The recipe that I chose was this one here for Strawberry-Banana Frozen Yogurt Treats.

After blending the mixture in our blender, I poured it into the molds.

                  

I put the molds onto a large cookie sheet for easy transport to our big 

freezer in the garage. I like to leave them in for a full 24 hours. I then

pop them out of the silicone mold and put them all into a Ziploc 

gallon size bag or storage container.

Easy peasy, right?

You will want to order the mini size molds if you are making these for 

small dogs, but they also come in larger sizes.

The bone shaped ones are available here.

The paw print ones are available here.

I thought I would share some other frozen recipes that our dogs 

have enjoyed.

These watermelon ones are a favorite.

Or these minty ones for fresh breath.

I hope that you enjoy making these for your sweet pups!