Sgt. Stubby, An Unlikely Hero - Review

#SgtStubbySA

Sgt. Stubby is an unexpected movie, with an unexpected hero. The animated movie of the war trials and heroism of a stray dog during the First World War are epic. Especially since it is based on a true story. The dog formed a strong bond with a his master and battalion. He managed to stay with the dough-boys of the 26th "Yankee" Division at the onset of America's involvement in WWI in Europe.

Dog breaths in the house

Time for "tooth-brushing" with Dentastix

The dog dynamics in the family has changed considerably this past year. Some of us still miss our Benji Yorkie very much. But our Pavement Special takes it in her stride. She is very much spoilt, and has earned a spot next to our beds in the evening. She only jumps up early mornings when the alarm goes off, and we are trying to get in an extra 10 minutes.

The Eldest has gotten two dogs this year. They are both Pekingese breeds, and both come from situations that were not as favourable. My daughter is very much involved with Peke Rescue SA, and has helped them with their social media, as well as get some of the dogs a home. She has done her bit as well with adopting one. Sometimes they stay with us, and sometimes they are at my daughter's fiance's house. They were so much spoilt, because she took them everywhere, even to work, but now she has taken up a new job. Luckily the two keeps each other company during the day. Our Pavement Special are not as impressed with them, but she tolerates them when they visit.

We did not know much of the the Pekingese breed before this, but they are lovely and very intelligent dogs. They are also great with children, and as companions. They are very cute!

Pavement Special and Peki's with Dentastix - check the eyes

We got the Pedigree Dentastix as a blog drop a while ago. The dogs sees it as a treat, but it helps with dental care. Apparently we should be brushing our dogs teeth also every day. (Cue "guilt") We are not doing it, but feeding them the Dentastix helped me feel a bit better. Their breaths are more palatable after chewing on it. Because smelly breaths give an indication of teeth health. (Cue "guilt" again)

You brush, they chomp (Pedigree Dentastix)

Do you brush your dog's teeth?

Wordless Wednesday #351 - It's a box life

Wordless Wednesday #346 - Pekinese cuddles

Hill's Prescription Diet and our dogs

We were contacted last year to test Hill's Prescription Diet. Based on our dogs' profiles we got the Hill's Prescription Diet k/d + Mobility food for Benji (the oldest) and Hill's Science Plan Mature Adult for our pavement special, Petite Peu. (Petite Peu is already a senior after she passed the age of 7 years already. So quick!)

We had to say goodbye to our little Yorkie Benji last year. It was difficult for me to write about him, and think about him. Even while writing this, I am tearing up! Our pets are not only our pets, they are our companions and our friends! He left a huge gap. He was such a happy chappy all along!

Dog dynamics in the family

Camera shy beloved dog PP

It seems that this dog do not feel the loss of our Yorkie Benji like we do!
We feel the empty space...
(Maybe not Hubby...)

But Petite Peu is having her best life! She slept the winter with the Eldest on her bed, but pretty soon she was waking her up to come and sleep on our bed. She's been playing musical beds. When we get up in the mornings, she goes and snoozes with the youngest until it's time for Little Miss to get up.

Wishes for Benji

Benjamin last night

We had to let our Benjamin Yorkie boy go last night! Our furry dog has gone to a better place! That we believe!

My Benji Boy, we are missing you so much! Even your embarrassing accidents, and running out of the door at the speed of light...

But you were not healthy and we could see you were struggling. You must have been 15 going on 120 already. Your legs were buckling under you. The vet says you had no more blood pressure. You were not eating, although you still did not say no to a morsel from our plates. You stopped drinking water. Maybe your bad teeth caught up with you? We don't know, but we could see all was not well anymore. You were sleeping most of the time! You were a bundle of hair with skin and protruding bones and lots of growths.

Dandy Dogs to the rescue

Banji

Our old Yorkie is living on borrowed time. He is 15 or 16 years, going on 105! He looks as cute as ever, but picking him up you can feel all the growths and moles on his body. We tried giving him away for free, but he is still with us!

Dog Heaven at Walkhaven

We found a Dog Heaven at Walkhaven on Sunday! We are always searching for places in the outdoors that does not cost an arm and a leg. Places that cater for the whole family. What a treat to be able to bring along your dogs as well!

The dogs roam free and they are all well-behaved. Except for our little "monster" that we had to keep on a leash... But she did leave a little bit more calm after all the running around!

Our pavement special "screamed" (there's no better word for it! as all our nerves are shot driving with her!) all the way to Walkhaven. (I think she thinks we are taking her to the vet! Or maybe she can't handle the excitement? Who knows!)

Our old boy, Benji, took it all in his stride, and while missing a few steps and strides, we think he had a lovely time. We even took him off his leash, and he could not be bothered by other dogs sniffing his behind. (The same can't be said for the other anxious one!)

We told Benji several times he can go to the light! (A family joke, because he is OLD, and the regular foul-smelling pees in the house is a huge irritation!) To die while walking in Walkhaven must also be like missing a step crossing over into Dog Heaven! He would carry on walking in the fields...!  But as long as he still catches the snacks with such ease, he must be okay!

Walkhaven is in the Muldersdrift area, right next to the Cradle of Humankind. There are braai and picnic facilities on the premises, as well as a great outdoor restaurant at The Dog Box Grill. We had the burgers as they were on special, but the pizzas look great as well!

Adults pay R35 and children and students R20 for entrance for the day. (Not bad!)

I was there as well! ;-)

Yorkie boy update

Our Benji boy is still with us! We got this new addition to the family when he was 7 or 8 years, which means that he is now 14 or 15 years old. That's a lot in dog years!

But the vet thinks he still has many more years to go! (Much to Hubby's disappointment, because he can be a handful!) He is worse than a toddler which made me try to give him away five years back, but here he is! He still loves going on walks with us.

He is now also covered in moles, which makes the doggy parlour owner reluctant to cut his hair shorter. That does not help with his appearance at all! Yorkies can look scruffy very quickly, especially since the other dog "grooms" him, and Yorkie boy loves "vacuuming" the floor for scraps! And the food scraps get stuck in his beard...

Last night we wanted to leave him at home when we went for our afternoon walk, but he was waiting at the gate as well. Because he is a boy, he marks every bush, tree and pole in the street! That slows us down quite a bit. We also have to pick him up when he gets tired. But for most we are very impressed with the way his short legs can still keep up with the pace!

The Vet reckon it is his bad teeth that infects his liver, and that's why we get the accidents in the house. (Large foul-smelling puddles!) The Vet proposes that we pull most of his teeth, and that could aid in clearing up the liver. 

It is going to cost me, but I am starting to save! Poor boy! 

What would you do? Spend the R3500 ($259.95)  on the vet's bill?

Donations are welcome! 

(hint-hint family?)

Children and their best friends, their pets - dealing with loss

Chase the Ball, By Kyle Logan


This is a Kickstarter project, but a really worthy project!

We have to help our children deal with the loss of their best friends, their pets! I do believe you can't shield your children from the loss, because they need to learn to deal with one of life's heartaches that we can't avoid! Most of the time we don't know how to do it. Little Miss got really upset when her silkworm moth died. I think we will have to keep our dogs alive forever (sic), because I can't imagine...

This project is the creation of a 6-minute movie which addresses the issue of losing a loved one, Chase the dog.

"Chase the Ball is a touching story about best friends; a tennis ball and his dog named Chase. Told from the tennis ball's perspective during the final day of Chase’s life, the tennis ball reminisces about their time together. Through these memories, we witness the formation of a life long bond not even death can break." 

Art by Juhmelly Calrson

To back this Kickstarter project, go here: Chase the Ball

Please share the project on social media if you are not able to contribute financially.
The share buttons are available on the Kickstarter page.

We nearly started the New Year with a third dog

We waited and celebrated the New Year in Pretoria. We were visiting friends, and stayed overnight as to not be on the roads.

We had a great New Year's Eve!

But we did worry about leaving our two dogs alone, especially since the black dog is highly strung and people are still doing fireworks...
(How stupid and irresponsible as our social media streams are filled with lost and injured dogs today!)

We got a Whatsapp notification this morning from a concerned neighbour about a black dog running around near our complex. From the picture it looked exactly like our dog. Luckily we could ask the neighbours to catch her. Little Miss freaked out and wanted us to go home immediately!

Our friendly complex neighbours caught the black dog, and put it "back" in our yard.
It is only when we got the picture and message about "three" dogs that we realized it is not our dog!

The one being sniffed on the photo is the one that was running around. Luckily she was taken to the vet and she has a micro-chip!

It all turned out well!

Thanks to concerned neighbours, and thanks to a dog that is micro-chipped!


Photo by the complex neighbour!

Wordless Wednesday #283 - Bandana Day pose

Wordless Wednesday #281 - Dog's play

Wordless Wednesday #277 - What are you looking at?

Wordless Wednesday #271 - Dog's life!

Wordless Wednesday #241 - A dog's life

The dog that we wanted to give away for free is still alive and living with us

We have tried giving our Miniature Yorkshire Terrier away for free, because he is some most of the times worse than a toddler.

Our Benji Boytjie is a dog that has one brain cell, and that brain cell is focused on scavenging for food. The rest of the times he gives us a bark when he wants to go out, and a bark when he wants to come in again. It happens about 100 times a night. And when we do not adhere to his demands, we are still sometimes rewarded with a puddle of a surprise.

He had a limp in his hind legs, but since we started feeding him with Fido (what the guy at the local pet shop recommended), he has shown remarkable improvement. (To great disappointment of Hubby.)

At the vet

He started coughing the previous week, and had to be taken to the vet. (And who took him to the vet? Hubby , of course! And he had to fork out the R650. Thank you, dear Hubby!).

Benji got kennel cough. Where, and how we are not sure, because he lives in an enclosed garden, and the other dog is not sick.

We are beginning to suspect that he has a separate life during the day where he roams around... (We have caught him getting out underneath the gate where he is not supposed to be getting out.)

Benji, you are Special!
We all love you!

Wordless Wednesday #217 - Sunday afternoon nap with the dog

Sunday winter walk in the park

The park lost a lot of its glamour when looking at photos of a walk in the park during the summer months...
But we still had a lot of fun walking with our two dogs.
(Shame, we don't do it enough. The one got the jitters when she saw her leash, and howled all the way on our way to the park.)

Little Missy with Benji

Fairy wings on the swings

The tongue

Sunday evening again...
It was good!

How was your weekend?