Best Toy Ever

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Over the weekend I made an impulse purchase of a new toy for Johnnie. It was a combo of her two favorite toys: a strong rope and a big ball. Called a Jolly Pet Romp-n-Roll Toy, I figured Johnnie would really like this new find. I was wrong – she *LOVED* it.

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This toy is perfect for our new found favorite form of exercise: moving vertically. Nothing tires Johnnie out faster than the exceptional effort of trying to grab a toy I’ve waved right above her head.  It’s also a great outlet for her natural need to chase/catch things. We absolutely love it, as does she!

toy03Just like tug, we make sure that we have rules when we play a game like this. Johnnie must always be sitting calmly and making eye contact with me before she gets the “okay!” cue to go for the toy. By realizing that moving towards the toy makes it go away and most definitely does not get her closer to catching it, she quickly learned to sit and wait politely.

toy06She also must drop it when we ask. Her “drop it” cue is a little rusty, so we use this game as a way to practice. As soon as Johnnie gets the rules down, she is free to play away! Check out this little jumping bean in action.

toy08 toy05 toy03 toy02 toy01Can you see now why it tires her out so well? We went ahead and expanded on this concept by buying her a flirt pole from Squishy Face Studios. We are in love! This type of play is so much fun because it’s both a bonding experience and ultra-fast exhausting tool. Aside from crowded public events or difficult new experiences, I’m not sure there’s anything else that makes little J work this hard. Look at her tired smile!

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toy09Does anyone else use a flirt pole or other similar exercises to work their dogs?

Pretty Pittie

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Johnnie Cash here. I’m on the blog to show off my pretty furs. Why, you ask? Well because Foster Mama has been putting up all these stoopid iPhoney pictures lately, and those just don’t do me justice. I know that I have beautiful furs and pretty brown eyes and not to mention a sparkly new collar – and I want to make sure you all know that too! So here are some real photos from a real camera. Finally!

01 02 03 04Foster Mama says she promises to try and be better about putting real pictures on here. Though I know while they don’t always capture how beautiful I am, they are better at showing what life is like with me, so a little mix of both is good sometimes!

Happy Friday!

To adopt your very own pretty pittie named Johnnie Cash, email peacelovefoster@gmail.com.

Find it!

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After many months of medical procedures and recovery, Joanie is getting her spunk back as she continues to feel better every day.  While walks are great to tire her out, she can only handle so much physical activity – so she needs another outlet for her energy.  From the three days I’ve had her, I’ve found that Joanie really benefits from using her nose to exercise her brain and wear her out (like all dogs!).

The easiest and most fun way for us to do some informal nose work is playing “Find it!” in the backyard. Using string cheese, I throw little pieces all over the yard and send her sniffing after them. I try to put them in a pattern so that she can find her way to the next one (she’s got a good sniffer, but it’s not that good if the treat is too far away). Because she has to root through the grass a bit, it’s not a super easy find and usually takes some effort – which is great since I want her to work those brain muscles!

We even tried a few times where I was up on the deck and she was down in the yard. The string cheese is bright white so she can see sort of where I throw it, and the rest is up to her nose.  This also helps to get her down the stairs to the yard without me taking her down there. She’s not really needy, but she doesn’t particularly care to venture down on her own – which is sort of inconvenient when you’re a lazy FosterMom!

“Find it!” is a great game. Ten or fifteen minutes of this is equally as tiring as probably a thirty minute walk. The thing about physical exercise versus mental is that when we’re done with a walk, Joanie’s brain is still ready to go. She still wants to sniff and investigate everything. But after a walk and some nose work, she’s out for the count.

It’s been fun learning what helps Joanie relax around us and what she needs to keep her happy. Watching a dog settle down right before your eyes is really rewarding, especially when you’re not sure they’re going to get there initially (more about that later).  Joanie is just another perfect example of how enrichment can be helpful for any dog!

My Life in the Backyard

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Sorry to be back two days in a row, but fostermama says she is too bizzee planning some big event for work so I have to take over for a bit. Hope ya don’t mind.

I’m here today to tell you about my life in the backyard. You see, I LOVE it. My backyard means so many things: a warm spring afternoon, playing ball, lounging in the grass, romping around, and hanging out with my humans – to name a few.

In case you wanted to know, I make the perfect hangin in the backyard dog. I love playing and running, but I also love chillin out. You know, like this:

Now, since we’re on the subject – I’d like to point out that I would be the perfect dog for someone who likes to be outside. Yard work buddy? Someone to play ball with? Relax and enjoy a lazy afternoon in the sun together? It just so happens I’ve perfected my skills at all of those.

So let me join you in your outside, backyard world?

For more information on adopting Honey Bunches of Otis, check out his adoption page, or email peacelovefoster@gmail.com.