Summer's Coming!!!!

Michaelangelo and I have yet to try scuba diving....but we really really want to!

And we can't wait! Our favorite time of the year to be out and about getting way more excercise than we do in the winter, that's for sure...I've come across some fun & useful doggie items and wanted to share our 'wish list' and the links, in case you find them helpful too!

I really like riding my bike in the summer, but find it's difficult to ride my bike and have Michael run along side....I have always wanted a little bike basket or something for him, and as he weighs in right at 20 pounds, this little bike seat would be perfect and I already have a back fender thingy across the back tire...I think I might need a fender though, also....under that to keep things cleaner...Hhhhmm.....I was thinking how fun it would be to put the bike rack on this summer and take the bike and Michael for rides out on the paths round and about....

Super Cool! Pet Rider Bicycle Seat!!

Paws Abord Pet Life Vest Jacket

K9 Top Coat Artic Fleece Bodysuit

Dog Back Pack Carrier & Car Seat (in black!)

Mending......

I woke up on Saturday morning about 2:00am....I had been watching tv/sleeping on the couch for hours...The pup was asleep on his little bed the last time my eyes were open....Now he is not there....I get up to go potty and look for him, thinking it's awfully strange, he lately stays in one place....I went around the house, not seeing him....I went to the back door, figuring the boyfriend must have let him out for a potty, and I figured I'd find him shivering under the picnic table....

Still I don't see him, and he is not coming to my call...I step out on the deck go down the steps and peer around the corner to the gate area, making sure it's shut....I see him cowering in the corner...by the fence....sitting, shivering...I call him again, he just won't move...I go change out of my house slippers and put on a pair of shoes...I go over to where he is and he tries to get up and walk but it's obvious he can't really...Immediately I go into a state of andrenaline panic, rushing through my veins, I see now blood on his mouth and he's shaking so badly, he's almost convulsing...I don't remember alot, but I got him inside the house, I remember him crying out when I went to pick him up...I feel sick and faint, but know I have to get him inside safe and figure out his damage...I get him to the tub, and put him in, he stands there waiting patiently with a very sad look on his face....I see that he's missing two teeth in the front, and his belly has an abrasion there...I wash him gently as possible, his paws dirty dirty muddy and there's some black something on his back....what is that? And a big spot of blood, which the boyfriend was saying was his, from the gash on his hand that he got whilest working on the RV...I remember him getting that....I'm sort of spinning in my head about HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???? and WHAT THE BLEEEEEEEEEP HAPPENED TO MY DOG???????

Thankfully there is a 24 hour vet clinic less than a mile from my house, I bundled Michael up in a towel and went there directly....I told them what I knew, and they took him in back, and I started really shaking and spinning, just kind of in shock of what I was thinking....anyway...

I'm going to skip some other parts of that story....But the good part is that he seems to be doing "ok" other than his left food/leg area is still causing him to limp and hop around, favoring it. When we went on the hike, he amazingly went all over the place just fine....After the walk, he was limping and favoring the leg again....Hhhhmm. I think we need to go back to the vets for a check up. And we need to go out our vet anyway, the fabulous Hawthorne Vet Clinic in Portland.

Beautiful Autumn Days....

We've been particularly blessed with lovely weather here in the Northwest this autumn! The skies are blue usually after a foggy, chilly morning...This was one day in particular that was sunny & very breezy. Beautiful. We love to walk on these days!!

Hope all our pals are happy & well! xoxoxo

Been Way Too Long!!!

I can't believe it's been SO LONG since I posted on Michaels Dog Blog!! Almost a year!!! That's crazy! I guess I took a break from all of my blogs - there was A LOT of stuff going on last year, which carried over into THIS year, and I'm now getting back on track with some of the fun things in my life...

We've been doing good! Michael especially! Hours and hours each summer day, spent outside on our deck in the back yard, chasing teasing squirrels around and around and up the trees...We do our usual walks and adventures...We're ALWAYS up for some fun & adventure....

The other GREAT news is that this year I discovered COMFORTIS at our holistic vets!! I have never been so happy to find a vet! These people are the bomb! Michael has not had ONE FLEA on him this year, so all that misery we suffered before - is now GONE with Comfortis...It's a natural flea remedy and will not hurt your animal. They make it for kitties too...Check out the natural way to keep fleas off your dog and not poisioning them slowly with pesticides!!

Michaelangelo got to go to a "play date" with a bunch of other Jack Russells, put on by a woman who has a ton of acreage AND a bunch of rowdy JR's!! We had a blast chasing lures, ratting in the hay cages, but we need a little practice on the go-to-ground aspect! Michael refused to stay in the tunnels, just KNOWING he could just go right over there where the rat is!!! haha, it was funny....He did pretty good on the lure racing, though at the end, he veered off course, again - Michael's pretty clever, and "Hey? Why run all the way over there, when I can plainly SEE the "bunny" is right here?!" Yes, we do need a little more practice!!

Hope everyone & all their pups are happy & well...We hope you had a great summer!

Stay tuned!!! More soon!

xoxox Michael & his mom

Night Time Hiking at the of Start of Autumn........

It's so hard to believe that summer went as quickly as it did....
Unfortunately, I missed a lot of it because I was shrouded in a grief process after my father passed on May 20th....
Been keeping busy though, with house projects, making things nice and pretty....Upgrading things for possibly selling up next year and moving on....or??? Keeping it, renting it out and going off on a little sailing and scuba diving winter adventure with T....
HHHHHhmmmmmmmm......Who knows what adventures might be around the corner???
The Big T has been working on some training with Michaelangelo....He also spoils him with the real food a good deal, and now he is deciding that he will cook raw food for Michaelangelo...
Michael now responds when T points him "out" of the kitchen, so that's good....
Now Michael sleeps his nights on the living room couch under many puppy blankets...It was tough at first, Michael would come to the hall door and scratch....I would have to get up and take him back to the couch and go back to bed and do this two, three times a night....
Now, I'm happy to report he will spend the whole night on the couch, unless he is hearing a bunch of moving around in the middle of the night (me or T going to the loo, for example).....
So, our sleep is getting better.....
Nightfall comes much quicker now....We started out on a little walk in daylight at our local park and 15 minutes later it was dark! It was a fun little adventure....I just have to remember to adjust my time with our evening walks.....
I hope everyone has had a nice beginning to their fall....It is a fun time and my favorite time up to Halloweeen!

Dog Days of Summer

Happy September Friends! I can't believe how fast summer has been flying by!!! We have been keeping pretty busy round here this summer...Home improving projects...

and as always, of course, hunting.......

Being the mascot and general side - kick while keeping the troops in line....

I'm also into inspecting the jobs to make sure they're getting done right......

Always looking for the next adventure.....

We hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!

Scary Near Misses - Aggressive Dog Trauma

Michaelangelo as you know - is an Adventuredog, we like to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!! We love to meet other dogs on our walks too! We always seem to make fabulous new friends.......

Michael says, "Dogs of all ages and breeds are my freinds! I love EVERYONE!!! I love little babies too, who are just intrigued by me!!! Ruby Mae, for instance just adores me!!! You may have seen us hanging out together before!!! "

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I'm hesitant to post this post but....It's really been bothering me and....So I have to rant a little....

The other day, Michael and I had just gone out for his afternoon break mini-walk down the block and back...When I think back about it, I'm really thankful that I let him guide sometimes...He wanted to cross the street to start the walk, and so we did....Thankfully, we did....I like to think that dogs know more than we do - that they can sense more than we can....and...essentially would do what they could to keep us from harm......

About two houses down, on our side of the street (meaning the side we live on).....there is an aggressive dog that always runs to the fence with the snarliest i'm-gonna-rip-your-face-off-if-I-get-hold-of-you hysterical Cujo-style fence attack. Usually Michael wants to cross the street BEFORE we get to that dog's fenced yard - then we cross BACK again to get to our house....

Well, this dog - and I saw all of this happen - as if in slow motion - the dog got out of the gate and came tearing around that gate tearing holes in concrete to get to us --

I was watching in horror - this dog on it's terror trail hell bent to get to us in a HURRY - and me picking up Michaelangleo with one hand to throw him over the fence we were walking past and prepare to jump it myself before the dog got to us --

But as I rushed to drop Michaelangelo on the other side of that fence to safety, I saw this dog run blindly right into a passing van -- I saw it, I heard the dog cry out....I found myself screaming "NNNnooooooooo!" and "Help!!" hoping the owner would quickly figure out what was happening -- and she did -- she came running out -- shocked and wondering - crying out "What happened???!!" as I nearly passed out from the sheer rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins....I was standing there holding Michael, shaking, breathing hard, I was scared, I was totally freaked out.....I started running for home.....

We don't walk that way anymore....We never liked walking that way anyway....Wow, that was seriously traumatic. And that is the third time we have been rushed by a loose dog like that in our neighborhood. I'm absolutely terrified each time something like this happens....My mind quickly takes me back to my mother's Pomeranian getting mauled right in front of me, my mother, and my son - at the time 5 . As we tried everything from throwing rocks, hitting the attacking dog with toys, (we were PLAYING in our FRONT YARD!!!!!) we watched and screamed in horror the German Sheppard attacked and left our dog, Wendy Sascha with a broken back and having to be put to sleep. The trauma, I cannot express to you. My son was terrified of dogs for years after that. We all had nightmares for months about rapid dogs....I mean...It left a lasting mark on my mind, ok? And I won't go into further details of what I had to go through with that incident....Court with the owners, I mean. Damn.

So...the neighbor dog that was -- from where I was standing with my dog - out for blood -- was picked up from the street by it's owner and carried off to the vet down the road I'd imagine. She was sort of laying down on the street, but with her head up, so I don't know what state the dog is in...I haven't talked to the owner. I still have felt bad for her with her dog getting hit like that - but what is UP with dogs who act like they want to KILL people? I personally could not live with an animal with those issues, and I wonder why people aren't more careful.... I also wince when I think of what might have happened to Michael and me if that dog had gotten to us. If we had not crossed the street - we would have been right there, with no where to run...It would have been horrible, I'm sure of it. Oh, God, I shudder to think.....

I think I need to start carrying a bat or something with me when we walk. I'm paranoid and nervous when we walk around here. I find that getting in the car and driving to other parks and areas is much more satisfying to both of us. OH and isn't it STRANGE how Michael has to be practically DRAGGED or carried off our property to go for walks??? Isn't that strange, YET when we go other places, he is tearing the window out wanting out of the car.....HHHhhmmmm.....

In any case. This is a scary subject. Once, in the fall, a Pit Bull got out of his owner's hands as they were getting out of their car and the dog came charging, barking at me and Michael, I just picked him up and held him up over my head, while screaming to the owner, "Please HELP ME! STOP YOUR DOG!!!" I thought I was going to die. I can't help but being freaked out with a large barking animal comes running at us....And I have nothing against Pit Bulls, my son has a full blooded Pit, incredibly loving animal, wouldn't hurt a flea, and a Pit-Pointer mix, so...it's ANY dog off it's leash unless it's SO SO SO docile, you know and wouldn't rush people like that. I don't know where I'm standing on this issue right now, but I tell you what, if your dog comes running with teeth bared at me and MY baby, watch out! I'm swinging!!!

Just Hangin' Around Being Beautiful......

Yes, it's the doggie days of summer....Been out hiking a bit....playing with my frisbee kong....meeting tons of fabulous other doggies....Here I am hanging out my mamma's bedroom window, watching the squirrleys teasing me from the trees....Darn! I wish I could jump into the tree and catch him......

We hope you're having a fabulous fun summer!!!

Please Read! Be Aware!

My blogger friend Jan writes some funny and also unsettling things - yet things we need to know - please read her blog regarding Peta. In case I haven't mentioned it enough.....

Out and About Making Friends

Out and about in the Pearl recently, we met a puppy Jack Russell! Michael loves making new friends, even jumpin, bitin little puppies!!

Beauty Jack hangin' out enjoyin' a summer afternoon walk around downtown...

Traveling Adventuredog!!

Every summer my mom and I do a big event selling our wares and this year Michaelangelo got to come and be there with me all day! All weekend! Yeah! We have a nice little set up here, where he can go hide and be quiet in his little adventuredog travel-hut! Here, Michael is taking a break from all the visiting he's been doing! More pix soon!

Observation Journal for new remedies

Day 1 Saturday June 27th:
Visit with our fabulous new vet. An hour consultation ending with 20 minutes acupuncture.
For dinner, started with new herbs mixed in his food.
Michael did not eat his dinner.

Day 2 Sunday June 28th:
Start the day with fresh application of Front Line.
Added some real chicken and flax seed oil and re-mixed his dinner from last night.
Breakfast devoured.
Added some Dr. Ackerman's spray to his hind quarters in afternoon.

Day 3 Monday June 29th:
Am: breakfast: kibble with herbs, flax seed oil and some chicken diced in. Michael ate all but a few bites.
pm: Michael ate his dinner, loves the added real chicken and carrotts and that helps to get the herbs down him that is being mixed in.

Day 4 Tuesday June 30: Doing well on food, herbs

Day5 Wednesday July 1st: eating all food with herbs, still scratching.

On the constant check with him for fleas. Have found a few here and there....

Day 6 Thursday July 2nd: Woke several times during the night michael itching scratching like crazy! found fleas each time I checked him. Upon waking michael's tummy area was BRIGHT red, pink and obviously he'd been scratching all night long....Since waking I have found EIGHT fleas on him, and I am in panic state right now. Part of this problem relates to having two inside cats that get taken out every day to "play" then brought back in. My room mate is from Colorado, where apparently they don't have fleas (how was I to know that?) and she knew not what the flea issue would be like. However, I did tell her weeks ago to get the Frontline, etc, going and had she done that at that time, we might not have quite this problem right now. So, I'm not terribly unhappy having just spent a whole bunch of money I don't really have to help him and he's being totally bombarded with fleas now.

am food: ate up everything with herbs. HOW ARE HERBS SUPPOSED TO WORK WHEN I CAN'T GET RID OF THE FLEAS?!?!?!?!?

Day 7 Friday July 3rd: Same as usual.

Day 8 Saturday July 4th: The issue of fleas and Michael's scratching is becoming constant. he is eating his herbs in his meals. loves having the wet food mixed in with the dry. Not doing too much, I don't want him to gain a bunch of weight.

Day 9 Sunday July 5th: Michael's belly is red, raw, and horrifying. I am applying aloe very (100% natural, no additives) to soothe the raw belly areas....He is eating his food with herbs morning and night. He is liking a little kibble mid day now....asking for it.....

Day 10 Monday July 6th: am: had dry food with some wet food added with herbs.
Added dose of Frontline as flea situation is too much. he can't possibly make progress under these circumstances. I'm disgusted, let down and beside myself over this situation. it's keeping me from getting my work done at the computer because I have to sit by Michael's side all day to keep him from scratching himself any more raw than he already is. It's very upsetting. Will call to Dr. tomorrow morning as soon as the clinic opens.

Things get hellacious for a couple of days where I am frequently in tears over it all......

Day 12 Tuesday July 8th: The holistic vet prescibes a natural hydrocortizone and I run down there and pick it up. Also Dr. says to give him some benedryl.

12:00 Noon: Administer Hydrocortizone and Benedryl a little while later. Later in the day Michael has totally chilled out on the scratching!

Day 13 Wednesday July 9th: Breakfast: Herbs, both pills @ 7am

Scratching like mad from about 5am - 7am I get up two or three times to search for the )_@)@(#*$()%)()( culprit, but cannot get my eyes open enough to find the bugger......

Day 14 Thursday July 10th: Belly looks "normal" no pink at all!!! No scratching!!

Day 15 Friday July 11th: Breakfast Herbs, natural hydrocort. pill

Mid Day: gave Benedryl as Michael was starting to scratch

Day 16 Saturday July 12th: Scratching and licking in the early morning hours....

Breakfast: herbs & both pills
midday at show: Michael doing good, having great day visiting with everyone at the show. ate light snack in afternoon.
Dinner at 7p
Doing good, hardly any scratching!

Day 17 Sunday July 13: Doing good at the show. Starting to scratch a little bit.
am Breakfast: Last of the herbs. 1 natural hydrocort. pill. No benedryl
pm Home very late after show. Michael scarfed down his dinner innova kibble & real chicken off the bone.

Day 18 Monday July 14th: Starting to scratch. Checking for fleas. Pulled off FOUR fleas!
Breakfast: Hydrocort pill. No benedryl

Michael had a really messed up tummy day! Super loose had to go several times. poor baby. yucky tummy.

PM dinner: dry kibble only

Day 19 Tuesday July 15th: Breakfast with a tiny bit of innova wet just to get down hydrocort pill.
Bowels loose
Called vet took sample to them by 6pm. Should hear back tomorrow morning.

Day 20 Weds July 16th: very light breakfast, no pills, no tummy movement.
very light dinner. finally late in day bowel movement, appears mostly normal.
No call from vets regarding stool results.

Day 21 Thursday July 17th:
Michael scratching all night. Got up at 1:30 am to give him a benedryl.
7am light dry kibble with a sprinkle of brewers. Gave hydrocort pill
Bowels loose again. No word from vet as of 8:45am
Called vet in afternoon. Negative result in stool test. He should be fine. Dr. thinks my stress level is affecting Michaelangelo. (My stress level has been higher than I can ever remember it being. I feel sick in my stomach a lot of the time.) Dr. suggests Sweet Potato or Yams blended and added to his food. MMMMMmmm. I love sweet potato.
Went to the beach for afternoon meditation near sunset. We took lots of happy pictures cuddling on the beach.
PM Dinner: Dry Innova kibble.
9:30pm Benedryl. Tummy pink. Checkin' for fleas.

Day 22 Friday July 18: Still having tummy problems. Itchy! Red Tummy! NOT HAPPY!
Dry kibble & brewers yeast
am hydrocort pill


Day 23 Saturday July 19th:
benedryl & hydrocort pills
dry kibble drizzled with flax seed oil
NORMAL POOPS!!

pm dry kibble with baked organic sweet potato slices from Trader Joes
normal poops!!
10:30pm red itchy gave benedryl

Day 24 Sunday July 20th:
am: hydro cort pill
dry kibble with warmed sweet potato LOVES LOVES LOVES sweet potato!
pm: dry kibble with sweet potato!

Day 25 Monday July 21st:
am: hyrdo pill, dry kibble & sweet potato. very itchy, scratching....
pm:

Getting What We Need for Summer Allergies....

Over the 4th of July holiday, we'll be celebrating Michaelangelo's birthday! I don't know when he was really born, but that is the time that he came into my life. This is the beginning of our 4rd year together - he was found wandering alone on July 4th, 2005.

As much as we love summer, we don't love the seasonal allergy issues it brings Michael. He has what has been called a flea bite dermatitis. So, just one flea bite, and he'll turn pink and scratch himself a raw spot...It's painful for me to know he is so uncomfortable. I have been wanting to find a way to deal with this issue without the use of the prescribed steroids...Anyone who knows me or has read this blog in the past knows how I feel about putting chemicals on my babycakes! And after a very unproductive visit with our vet last year, I vowed I would find someone who would listen to me and take my thoughts seriously about the health and longevity of my dog, and help me find a way to help him without spraying chemicals that are known to cause other very serious problems with long-term use. And since I have known him long enough to know that the minute the heat sets in and the fleas come out of hibernation, there is going to be an issue. He does get however, Frontline once per month, and I supplement combating fleas with Dr. Ackerman's Natural Botanical remedy which has nothing but herbs in it.

And FINALLY ! after much research I have found our new vet clinic!!
Michael just about jumped into his new doctor's arms, we thought she might have treats in her pocket, but she did not! He knows good people when he smells them, and even though she eventually was sticking some acupuncture needles in him, he left happy and wagging....

Yes, you read me right! Michaelangelo had ACUPUNCTURE! I had never thought that would be something we would do for his doggie allergies! But, they have a REAL holistic approach and also promote raw diet for dogs, which I'll be looking into further. Right now, Michael is eating and loving Innova for dogs. We'll see about the raw diet later this summer. For now, I'm focusing on getting his allergic issue under control. In addition to having had acupuncture, he is on some herbal stuff as well, which I will mix into his food. So! Thus begins my observation journal for Michael again, and we'll talk with the vet in two weeks and see what is happening! I hope this is going to help! I'm definitely hopeful!

Here is some info that might also be helpful in regards to combating fleas this summer!!
Let me know if any of you have had similar experiences and also what your results are!

HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE!!!!

No Day is Complete without Friends.......

Look at this cutie!!!!
Sylvia found her new baby at the Animal Shelter in Troutdale....
She and this little Schnauzer really connected and he is going home today!!! Michaelangelo is super excited about his new buddy he'll be hiking and having adventures with this summer!!!!
Yaaaaaay! What's his name, Sylvie????

Chico LOVES Michael! and Michael LOVES Chico, too!!

Beautiful Ruby Loves Micheal too. I wonder if she is going to be a vet someday...

Oh my....

Doggie Porn!!!

Loving this Summer Weather!!

Of course we are out on adventures every day, and even more so now that summer is starting to make its way to the NW....

This morning on our walk, we came across a little white rabbit hanging out in the yard of a little apartment complex and of course, Michaelangelo was ON and very interested.....

Cute little bunny, bunny......

We bump into our neighbors at the park in the mornings.....
Rick loves to meet up with his girlfriend Blondie...

Michael & Alysha after a long day of play......

Michael and Blue

Needed Some Giggles....

This is where I started my day and I'm glad I did. We really need to know about these mind games dogs play with humans..I really have been needing some giggles, and I got them at Jan's Poodle and Dog Blog!! Have fun and a giggle with your morning coffee!

Oh and for the other Jack Russell fanatics, here is a story about a Jack in York, England! He takes the bus to the pub!!! I bet Michaelangelo would like hanging out with Ratty!!

Michael in Super - Stealth Hunting Mode

Michael and his love for the squirrel...It's always a fun little adventure going to the park!!

Getting Out and About.....

We had some absolutely wonderful summer weather for just a few days last week and we quickly took advantage of that wonderful weather by having a yard sale whilest my house-mate Amanda and I are on a clean out purge process of our individual belongings.....

Michael had a fun day being the Official Yard Sale Mascot and Greeter....everyone was happy to see Michael and got a smile from visiting.....


Where ever we go, Michael's day is not complete until he gets to make some new friends. Here Michael makes friends with some "Parisian Jacks".
Michael loves people watching. He's happy to sit and just watch the world go by. No hurry, no worry....Just Zen Michael..........
Michael loves the downtown life too, here he gets to hang out at his Aunty Sylvie's place with mom and Rick.

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. As we were walking by these people outside of this pub, this little JRT lookin doggie looked really nice like he was going to say hello, when suddenly he lunged angrily like a wild dog, and I let out a scream pulling Michael up into my arms with one fell swoop! Wow, my heart was beating in my throat for about a quarter hour after that.....yikes! watch out! It's a Mini -CUJO!