Jazzy turns 14 years young this year! We celebrated with a homemade doggie cake from a recipe book I purchased recently. Jazmine enjoyed her cake, except for the blueberries. She is not a fan of fruits or veggies but she did eat the shredded carrots! However, by day 2, Jazmine refused to eat any pieces that ever had a blueberry on it. Picking off the blueberries was simply not good enough. Next time, I’ll be sure to skip the blueberries – but your pup may love them! To ensure Jazmine safely ate her cake, I did cut up her slice into small chunks.
CAKE:
Grease two mini loaf pans with coconut oil. Mix together all dry ingredients in one bowl and all moist ingredients in another. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix to combine. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool.
** I do not have mini pans, so we used one regular loaf pans and cooked for about 30 minutes, until toothpick came out clean. **
FOR THE FROSTING:
Mix yogurt and honey together. Level the bottom cake by cutting the top flat. Stick layers together with a little frosting. Use the remaining frosting on the top and sprinkle with carrots and blueberries. Store in fridge.
This recipe comes from “When Life Gives You A Furry Friend” – A collection of recipes to spoil your fur-babies. This recipe book can be found here.
Bruno was our first foster puppy. As much as my heart belongs with seniors, I have chosen to foster puppies while my daughter is young. Puppies are not as unpredictable as an older dog with a potentially abusive past. Below is Bruno's Shelter Photo. His nose was rubbed a bit raw from rubbing it on the bars.
We got Bruno on one of the coldest nights of the year. We were on the 2nd day of -30 degrees. It was the middle of the 2019 Polar Vortex. My daughter and I drove to pick Bruno up at the pet store location that my rescue group uses. My 5 year old daughter, Parker, was so excited and beside her self with excitement. She had already fostered Buster, but this was a PUPPY.
We brought lots of extra blankets because Bruno was only about 5 weeks old when we got him, he was just a tiny baby. It was so special to see him and have him handed over to me when we got to the store. Bruno was as black as night, his eyes were closed and he smelled of stinky puppy. He was the teeniest, tiniest thing - much smaller than Jazmine was when we got her. The pet store employees were kind enough to offer to clip his lethal puppy claws.
Bruno was exhausted from his transport from the shelter – and he basically slept on my chest from the moment I picked him up until we carried him to the car. We oooh’ed and awwww’ed over him in the parking lot for quite a bit before we finally drove home. Here is a photo of his freedom ride. I turned on the heated seats, set up a blanket and he slept through most of the ride home.
Once we got home, Bruno got settled in pretty quickly. Since Bruno was so small, I just held him in my arms when greeted by Jazmine. Jazmine loves other dogs, so for the first time in fostering history, I wasn't too concerned about an introduction. Jazmine couldn't stop sniffing Bruno!! Bruno was pretty tired and it was very late, so we just let Bruno get acquainted with his new surroundings.
Bruno was a stinky puppy!!! They always are when they get out of the shelter - but Bruno seemed to be more stinky than normal. Parker and I gave him a bath in the laundry tub. Bruno wasn’t fond at first and was a bit of a wiggle butt. He did try to climb out a few times, but he didn’t try too hard. After his bath he curled up in my lap for a nap. This is when you could tell Bruno was starting to feel safe and relieved from being out of the shelter.
Since we had Bruno dd
During the time we had Bruno, he wiggled his butt right into our hearts. He was so sweet and had the happiest, wagging wiggle butt I ever saw. He was extremely smart and quickly picked up on his new routine. He would wake up with me and hang out in the kitchen while I made breakfast for the rest of the pack. After he ate breakfast, he would bounce up on Jazmine's bed to take a nap while I got some work done.
Since it was freezing cold outside, we used pee pads with Bruno, to start. I had never used pee pads before, but I never had a puppy in the dead of winter. Poor Bruno didn't need to go outside in those freezing temps. He picked up on the pee pads almost immediately and started using them quite frequently. We still had plenty of messes throughout his fostering but by the time he had got adopted, Bruno had gotten used to his routine of going outside to go potty. As it warmed up, he appreciated spending more time out there.
Bruno was the first dog I ever put a sweater on. Here is sporting his red CC sweater, which I'm sure helped keep him warm - and it certainly added to his cuteness!!
Bruno Life
While we had Bruno he probably tripled in size. He had learned how to sit and would follow me everywhere. Bruno loved to snuggle with humans any chance he could and loved to take naps with my daughter Parker. I came home to check on him almost every day at lunch. He usually messed in his kennel. But seeing his happy wiggle butt was worth it every time.
Bruno loved to play with the kitty toys, which we perfect size for him.
Bruno had the cutest sit.
We had Bruno for about a month before he was adopted to a his furever home. He was adopted by a loving family, with 2 older children, about an hour away. Bruno had several applicants who wanted him and he ended up going to a home that had previously adopted from our rescue group before. Bruno now has a dog sibling as well!!
Every foster is hard to say good bye to. Bruno was our first foster puppy, which made it even harder. Bruno was such a sweetheart and loved to cuddle, he easily could've become a permanent member of our pack but we know he went on to the loving home he's meant to be in.
Below are a few more of our favorites with Bruno:
Did Bruno wiggle into your heart too??
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As we were walking around Petco, an adult German Shepherd came along to check her out. They sniffed each other and then the bigger dog barked at Jazmine. He scared her – She whimpered and layed down in the cart. My first momma bear moment “Heyyy, be nice to my baby!!!” but the big dog meant no harm.
I remember getting her the smallest choker collar and it had pink threading throughout the links. I feel differently about the choke collar today but this was too cute to pass up. I was impulse purchasing everything! I loaded up on doggy treats, some toys and decided to get the “Puppies from Dummies” book. It was a good idea since I hadn’t actually ever trained a puppy before.
We returned home after Petco. It was time for Jazmine to meet her new dad. Dad was at home, cutting the grass, when we pulled up. I got out of the car and asked “Are you ready to meet our new puppy?” He was surprised she was so little and young but he was pretty excited for what was in store. I gently put her down on the driveway and let her explore her new back yard. She looked, she sniffed, she peed and shortly, she relaxed and got cozy in the grass.
After playing in the new yard, we went inside and introduced Jazmine to her new home. I poured her first bowl of food, measuring it out according to the bag and wondered if she would be the dog that woofs down all of her food or if she would be the grazer type that would always have some kibble left in her bowl. I was used to having dogs that grazed.
My husband and I sat on the couch as we looked over at Jazmine and saw that she had curled up and was starting to doze off. Every time her eyes started to fall shut she would open them really fast and Pat said to me….”It’s all about trust….It’s hard to fall asleep if you don’t know your safe”…and soon enough, she fell asleep. What a day for her!
Do you remember when you first brought home your furbaby? Feel free to share a story below
]]>Bringing Jazmine home was a new leash on life for all of us. I got her on a Saturday so we could have some time getting acquainted before normal life resumed. Not that a weekend is much time. I made the commitment beforehand, that I would give my new pup daily walks. Exercise is important – not just for us, but for our furry friends as well. It’s not only great exercise, but a way to socialize and make friends too!! Daily walks would benefit us both. I had plenty of neighbors that walked regularly, including a retired man that lives down the street and walks his dogs probably 4 times a day. He inspired me. I decided I would walk Jazmine before and after work.
We discovered on day one, at Petpalooza, that Jazmine didn’t know how to walk on a leash and that I would need to teach her. The day after getting her, we went for our first walk. We started with using the slip knot leash that she came with. Oh, how I giggle remembering that walk. She wouldn’t do it. At first, she would just sit there, while I tugged on her leash. So, I would drop her leash and then coax her to walk next to me. She would trot along side of me, sniffing at the grass. As soon as I picked up the leash, she would stop walking again. Or collapse on her side. SO FUNNY – I wish I would’ve had a video of it. It must’ve taken us an hour to get around that block, the first time.
The second day, she was a bit better. I would still have to drop the leash and coax her along but she was more cooperative. A neighbor (who I didn’t know) called out from his porch – “That pup’s walking much better today then she did yesterday!!” I laughed so hard, not realizing we were being watched the day before. What a sight we must’ve been!!! That neighbor watched our progress over the next few weeks and would comment from time to time on how better she was doing.
It didn’t take long before I couldn’t drop the leash anymore. My puppy was FAST. Once she got the hang of things, she was on the GO! Now that she was actually walking on the leash, she needed to learn some rules. Rule #1 was learning to stop and sit at the corner before crossing the street. She still had to learn to sit on command, but with daily walks, it was great practice.
Since Jazmine is part husky, aka sled dog, it didn’t take long before she was pulling pretty hard. Still to this day, I haven’t quite broken her of that. But, I feel it’s in her DNA, right?? On day 1, we started with her slip knot leash but quickly started using her pink threaded choker collar that I bought for her on the way home from her adoption event. She grew out of that in a few weeks and went to a silver choke collar….and then I realized I didn’t love the choke collar and I got her a standard collar, which was also pink. Jazmine went through several pink collars, as she out grew and even out chewed some. She is currently in a purple collar, that she has been in for several years now.
** This was originally published on 4/8/2018 but due to technical error was republilshed.. **
How well does your dog walk on a leash?
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Barktoberfest is a local doggie festival we went to in early fall. It was still hot outside and a beautiful sunny day. There were many tents and food trucks. Tickets had to be purchased ahead of time, to be used at food trucks and drink stands. We bought a few tickets and headed on our way.
We were first greeted with a kissing booth. Dog kisses for 5 cents!
We walked by the food trucks but passed on getting anything. We got to the tents and tried to stop be each booth. I tried to talk with the people running the booths, which wasn’t an easy task with a 60 lb dog in a one hand and 4 year old in my other hand. I did the best I could, while at least grabbing business cards and other literature offered, to check back later with potential vendors. We were there for fun – but I was also networking and trying to find vendors to offer their awesome products in our online store. One of the first booths we stopped at sold hankerchiefs and Parker insisted on getting one for Jazmine. I let her pick out whichever one she wanted and she went with super hero, BATMAN!!
It was super hot and Jazmine was getting thirsty. Their were plenty of doggie water bowls set out, but with the dog flu running rampant, I was trying to keep her from drinking out of those bowls. I hadn't thought ahead, so I didn’t bring our travel bowls. But…right after the bandana tent we found another vendor who was giving out free travel bowls!! We were able to get one and fill it up with water. Jazzy was refreshed.
We continued through out the park, checking out many of the tents. We talked with many vendors and received a lot of product samples. There was much people and pet watching to do. My daughter had noticed a very large playground on our way in, that I promised we could visit if she was good at the fair. I found a picnic table to chill at, in the shade for Jazzy. Jazmine and I were able to cool down and relax while Parker burned off the rest of her energy.
2 – Maddies Birthday
Maddies birthday was September 30. She turned 11. We celebrated with singing her happy birthday and some ice cream. Only the humans had ice cream – because dairy isn’t good for cats. I tried to take some photos….you can see how cooperative the kitties were….
3 – Taking walks, smelling flowers
We love taking our walks all year round. Jazmine, being the husky dog she is, appreciates the cooler weather. As I’ve gotten older, with each passing year, I have more and more appreciation for the changing of colors. I do enjoy taking the time, to look at each tree and marvel at the bright reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves. It’s a great way to reset my mind and relax. Jazmine needs the stimulation and exercise as well. Here she is stopping to smell my fall asters after taking a walk and stirring up all the dogs of the neighborhood.
4 – Cider Mill
Living in the mid west, one of the greatest fall ventures is going to the CIDAR MILL!!! Some cidar mills accepts dogs – some do not. Obviously we prefer the ones that accepts dogs.
We picked a really nice day to go , with the sun shining and warm enough to sometimes take off your jacket. Everyone had the same idea as we did – a great day for the cidar mill. The place was packed and we parked far away.
The line to get donuts had to have been an hour….or 2 …wait. My husband and I had never seen anything like it - we've been going to this cider mill all our lives. My husband is amazing and happened to remember “the other” line that many people don’t think about. There was about 5 people ahead of us and we had donuts and cidar in about 10 minutes..
We crossed the street…maneuvering through many other people and dogs and went over to the water side, where a river runs. We ate our cider and donuts. Checked out the river. Enjoyed the fall weather. Then we were on our way back to our car. Another great family Sunday in the books!!
5 – Raking Leaves
When the leaves fall, they must be raked up. We spent the day as a family outside in the backyard, leaf blowing and raking. Jazmine loves any outdoor activity. Here she is, hanging out with with us and Micah dog from next door. Isn't he a handsome fella???
6 – Novi Pet Expo
The Novi Pet Expo was similar to Barktoberfest but about 10 times larger….or more!! Jazmine and I went on a Saturday that was much colder than Barktoberfest. Turns out there were several shows going on and the parking lot was so full. I took a bit to find a parking spot, but once we did, we were on our way. Jazmine’s excitement level was high after seeing all the dogs in the parking lot.
Getting in to the expo was quite chaotic. I’m grateful I brought Jazmine’s pet records inside with me. We came in a random door and ended up doing everything backwards.
After paying for admission, I found out I was supposed to register Jazmine. So, I went to that area and there was a long line. No biggie – but before getting in line, I started going through my paperwork, so I wouldn’t be that idiot fumbling up at the check in table. Some random “check in” lady came to me, calling to check me in, asking, more like demanding, for Jazmine’s vet paperwork.
I’m standing there with this 60 lb bouncing dog, trying to not drop all this paperwork and trying to explain to this lady that I’m looking for her paperwork, how she had just been to the vet for a UTI, so I had to sort through and find it. This woman is going on and on about she didn’t need that paperwork, just needed her shot info and I’m trying not to get annoyed, because, yeah, I know that. I was just trying to explain why I didn’t have it at my fingertips….and that’s why I’m on the sideline!! I’m not even in line. A great reminder to myself of why I like dogs more than people….like stop complicating things lady!!
I was glad when I finally found the paperwork and was able to move on. Getting in to the expo was still an ordeal with people and dogs everywhere – and some dogs were being not so friendly. So I was trying to hang back and be cautious….
Once inside – I was completely overwhelmed. It was SO BIG. There were people and dogs everywhere. Even Jazmine seemed to be a bit stressed out by the environment at first with all of the commotion. I took her to the side to just people watch for a few moments and calm down. Although we were there for fun, my main intention was networking and finding awesome products and companies to bring into our online store.
Many of the vendor booths turned out to be rescue groups, with animals to rescue. It was fun to look at. Jazmine got to sniff at some friends and I had to stop her from scaring some kitties and even bunnies (Oh, Jazmine loves a good bunny scent!!)
Vendors were less generous with samples here than at Barktoberfest. And frankly I didn’t want to buy much. I was there to grab some business cards and move on. Companies who give samples are more remembered than those who don’t. (I’ve learned the from 20 years at my day job) We did get Jazmine some of these fun decorated doggie bones…because I’m a sucker for treats. Once we went through all the booths, I was ready to get out of there. It was so, so busy and I only have enough energy for that. We did stop for some nachos, I was starving. We ate next to 2 malamutes who were just gigantic!! And big balls of fluff! Then we checked out and went home. Jazmine was exhausted after the days events!
Jazzy's First Puppacino
I love the Starbucks Salted Carmel Mocha – which is only available in the fall. But I had never about the puppacino until a friend on facebook posted a photo giving one to his dogs. “What is THIS??” I thought. “Jazmine must have one!!” Shortly after seeing that post, we had to take a trip to the vet. Jazzy was such a good girl during what was probably an unpleasant experience for her, I decided she needed a rewarding treat. I normally reward these experiences with a small cone of ice cream, but today I remembered the puppacino.
8 – Lots and Lots of Shedding
Jazmine generally sheds greatly in the early summer months. May – the beginning of July. I’m often brushing her outside with sometimes fireworks going off and her running to the door, to go inside. She did not have a big shed at the beginning of the summer season this year (2018), but fall began, that is when her tufts started falling out. She always makes me giggle during this time - How can I take her seriously when she looks scraggly? Her hind quarters has clumps that you can lightly pull on and they come right out. I have to brush her repeatedly, daily, and the amount I brush out can make a new dog, each time!! Jazmine is worth every strand of fur.
9 – Opening Rescue Tales Store
Jazmine generally sheds greatly in the early summer months. May – the beginning of July. I’m often brushing her outside with sometimes fireworks going off and her running to the door, to go inside. She did not have a big shed at the beginning of the summer season this year (2018), but fall began, that is when her tufts started falling out. She always makes me giggle during this time - How can I take her seriously when she looks scraggly? Her hind quarters has clumps that you can lightly pull on and they come right out. I have to brush her repeatedly, daily, and the amount I brush out can make a new dog, each time!! Jazmine is worth every strand of fur.
We are a business and my dream and plan is to make it a full time business. But the mission of our business is to give back. We want to help and save animals. We want to help those that love animals and their pets. One way we plan to do that is to donate a portion of our proceeds to local rescues, shelters or even local people in need who sometimes fall on hard times and need help with a bag of food from here to there. We’re figuring out all the ways on a day to day basis.
Our intent is to be transparent so you can expect to see some announcements of where these proceeds are going. There are many organizations our there pretending to care about animals and pocketing funds without actually helping. We will never be that organization. Please help us help others by reading and commenting on our posts, checking out our store, liking and sharing our Facebook page and following us on Instagram. We thank you for your support!!!
10 – Modeling Collars
With opening our Rescue Tales store comes finding and marketing new and exciting products for your furbaby. Naturally, Jazmine would be one to model off our new line of the Very Vintage dog collars. This made the cut because the irony makes me giggle. Jazmine is supposed to be modeling the Ribbon Candy Christmas collar – but she is so fluffy that you can barely see the collar. This “modeling shoot” was fun for us both.
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We started in the hallway, at the end. I closed all bedroom and bathroom doors, so Jazmine really couldn’t go anywhere and I blocked her in at the end of the hallway. Blocking her in also prevented distractions and allowed Jazzy to focus on just me. She was only 3 months old and her paws and ears seemed so much bigger than the rest of her, which made her appear clumsy, which made training so much funnier. I knelt before Jazmine and said, firmly “Sit.” Then I would put her in the sit position and immediately follow up with a treat…a treat, some pets, some kisses and lots of “good girl”s!!! Praise and reward work when training puppies. Dogs love to please.
Jazmine would either lay down or spring back up on all fours after her treat. I would then again firmly say “sit” and put her back into position, again, quickly following with a treat (some pets, kisses and more good girl!!) I repeated this over and over again. I started out training her for 5-10 minutes a day, every day.
Puppies do not have the greatest attention span, but with consistent training can be quick learners. Within a week, she got it! We went to the end of the hallway as normal and when I said “sit” Jazmine sat on her own. At first, I thought it was a fluke…then we did it again….and again and again and again!!! My dog was sitting!!! I was so amazed that I had taught this little furball how to do something. This was one of the best feelings I ever had. I was in awe!
We would now practice Sit all the time. I would have Jazmine sit (and wait) at every meal when I fed her, sit at the door every time she was let in (I like to clean paws before they come inside). When we take walks, we would now practice sitting at the corner or anytime before we crossed the street. Sit is the most basic of commands because sit is part of every day life and routine. Now, to make these sits successful sits, we would have to work on “Stay” next…
** This was originally published on 4/22/2018 but due to technical errors was republished. **
Did you ever have a pup that didn’t know anything when you got them and you had to teach them everything? It’s such a rewarding experience!!
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A big thanks to Pam Smith from our CBD for Dogs and Cats Facebook group for this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
Instructions
Add parchment paper to a baking sheet. In a bowl, add peanut butter, pumpkin, cinnamon, turmeric, honey, pepper & coconut oil; mix until incorporated. Add the oats & mix well. If the consistency seems to wet add a pinch more oats. Grab a chunk of the batter & roll into balls (I use a melon ball scoop.) Place on prepared baking sheet. Do the same until no more batter remains. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to let the balls harden a bit then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reviews:
Please let us know if you make this recipe and if your pets love it just as much!
** This was originally postedon 3/8/2019 but due to technical errors was republished **
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Now that we had the command Sit figured out, I needed Jazmine to STAY sitting when I told her to. Jazmine learned to sit in a week, so I decided we would try to learn a new command or trick, every week. Or longer if necessary. So, on week 2, we started training on Stay.
We started back at the end of the hallway, with the bedroom doors closed. I had Jazmine sit. Then I firmly said “Stay!” and put the palm of my hand in front of her – like a stop signal. I immediately followed up with a treat. Then I repeated but took a step backward. I kept repeating, taking one more step back and giving her a treat each time. As I walked further back, she would sometimes bounce back to a standing position. I would tell her to sit again and start over. I did this until she could stay long enough for me to get to the end of the hallway.
Then we went into the livingroom and I would have Jazmine sit in the middle of the room, followed by a treat. Immediately, I would follow up with saying Stay! and giving her another treat. I had to be quick, since her attention span was short, but I would run around in a circle around her, saying “Stay! Staaayyy….Stay!! Stay! Staaayyyy!”
The first couple times, I ran around her in a circle it was a disaster! But a hilarious disaster! Jazmine didn’t stay for long and at first, I could not complete the circle before she was bouncing back up. As soon as she would start to bounce back up, I would start over. Sit, stay and start to go around her….for a while, she would bounce back up when I would go behind her. She finally learned how to turn her head and look at me while keeping her wiggle butt on the floor at the same time. It took a couple days before I could go in a full circle around her while she actually stayed but we finally got there.
** This was originally published 5/16/2018, but due to technical error was republished. **
Do you remember some of the cute antics your puppy did during training? Please feel free to share your story below!
]]>I am an animal lover. I’ve had a love for animals since the beginning of my time. For most of life, I have had a pet of some kind. It wasn’t until I became an adult and got my first puppy that I truly discovered how deep that love and devotion goes.
Ever since I got my pup, Jazmine, almost 11 years ago (!!), I wanted to document her life. I’ve been snapping photos of her from the moment I put her in my truck for her first car ride home. I wanted to share her life and adventures with the world. Blogging and the internet weren’t quite around like they are now when I got Jazmine but my days were still filled with picture taking, memories being made and future stories (and lessons!) to be told.
I intend this blog to be filled with pictures and stories of not just Jazmine, but of the other rescued animals in my life - and possibly the lives of others. I would like to make people aware of how many animals are in need of a good, loving home. It can be so rewarding and fulfilling to help an animal find their furever home. Rescued animals bring so much joy to so many lives, I hope to inspire more people to rescue and adopt their best friend. Adopt, don’t shop is my motto.
I will share personal stories and experiences on a wide variety of animal topics. I would like to offer helpful advice and suggestions that I have learned over the years. Some posts will be to shed light on topics such as animal homelessness and abandonment. Many posts will be for pure entertainment. I would like to build a community of animal lovers who want to make a difference in the lives of these four-legged friends.
Most importantly, I want to give back to the animals. I spent a few years fostering dogs through a local rescue group. It was a very rewarding time. I eventually became pregnant with my daughter and decided to take a break from it until I felt comfortable bringing in unfamiliar dogs around my new child. I figured it would probably be best to wait until she’s old enough to know how to properly behave around them.
Not fostering has been heart aching for me but it’s the animals that suffer most. I intend to get back to fostering, hopefully sooner than later. In the meantime, I feel the constant pull to be helping in some other way. I’ve thought and prayed on it much over the last few months….and it’s led me here. So, here we are – the start of MyRescueTales…..I don’t know exactly where this is going to lead, but I hope that you will continue to read, enjoy and follow our future stories and journey….
**originally posted 2/19/2018, but due to technically difficulties, was re-posted at a later date **
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