Mary's Dog House

Lily & Lola went to their first official "grooming" yesterday at Mary's Dog House in Bethel Park. I got a good recommendation for Mary's from my friend, Julie, and it's not far from home, so that's why we decided to take them there. I'll sum up our experience with a quick list of pros and cons.

Pros:
-Price! It was $56 for both dogs to be deep cleaned (they even cleaned around their "bumholes" as the lady working there put it), have their nails trimmed, ears cleaned, hair between their paw pads trimmed, and Lola even got a beard/eyebrow cut and had her nails ground to make them less sharp. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be this inexpensive.
-Results! Both dogs looked bee-yoo-tiful when they were finished. Mary's put cute little flowered bandanas on each of them, and Guy didn't even recognize Lola when she first came out with her fresh haircut.
-Staff! The staff members were very friendly and accommodating.

Cons:
-Time -- Now, since I have never taken the dogs to be groomed before, it's hard to know if this is truly a con, but it took 2 1/2 hours to finish them. I was expecting more like an hour. But, I could be totally off base in my expectations.
-Appearance of store -- When we first walked in, the store definitely appeared in a state of disarray. I know that shaving and cleaning dogs all day is sure to be a messy business, but the place looked like it could use a good scrubbing.
-Strange child playpen in the rear of the store -- There was a really, really odd fenced-in area in the back of the dog-grooming space with toys and a little toddler just kind of piddling around. It looked like we were observing him at a zoo. Granted, this doesn't have anything to do with the quality of their business, but it was just plain weird.

So, as you can see, I would say the pros definitely outweigh the cons at Mary's Dog House. If you don't have the time to do a self-serve wash, I'd highly recommend Mary's for all your grooming needs.

The Great Poop Caper

Lily is two years old now, and we'd like to consider her housebroken. It's a very, very rare occasion when she goes potty in the house, so when she does, we know it must have been a true emergency.

The other night, Guy and I were cleaning his loft, so we left the gate open by accident. Later on, I noticed a piece of poop literally draped over one of the steps to the loft, like whichever dog had done it did so on the run. I immediately blamed Lola because she still has issues with pottying outside, but Guy had other ideas. He got a paper towel to clean up the stuff, but while he was transporting it to the garbage, he decided to model it for me to explain why it was much too big to be Lola's. He was holding it at different angles and viewpoints while I was screaming at him to stop. Eventually he relented and flushed the poop and the conversation down the toilet. However, after observing the size of Lola's BMs for the past day or so, I guess I have to agree with Guy that there's no way Lola could have managed the poop drapery.

So, sorry, Lily, for not letting you out if you really needed to go. And sorry, world, for letting you know that poop analysis is part of our daily routines. This is what our lives have come to.

I'm Sick 'Cause I Ate One

When I took the Red Cross babysitting course in sixth grade, they taught us a little "poem" to remember the phone number for Poison Control. It went, "I'm sick 'cause I ate one. Sick, sick, sick, upside-down sick." Can you figure out what the phone number was? See the bottom of the post for the answer.

Anyway, I really wish there was an online database for all things poisonous to dogs. Lily, being the smart darling that she is, chews things up and spits them out. Lola, on the other hand, chews things up and ingests them. She eats paper towels, plastic, her own vomit, and pretty much anything she can get her paws on. Today I caught her chewing/eating an old Polaroid picture of one of my friends and Ian from Survivor: Palau. The back of the picture smells kind of funny, like it has chemicals on it, and Lola's breath now smells the same way. I'm really not sure if it is a big deal, and I don't even know if she swallowed anything, but I tried Googling "dog ate Polaroid" just in case. Needless to say, I didn't find any helpful results. I don't think this situation warrants calling Poison Control, but it'd just be nice if there was a message board or online chat with veterinarians who could ease my fears.


*681-6669

Tails to Trails

I just want to bring your attention to this event that will be taking place on Saturday, June 6. Guy and I attended last year with Lily and had a grand old time. Despite the extremely hot weather, we were really impressed with how well the event was organized. They had buckets spaced out along the trail for the dogs to drink from, and at the halfway point, they had water and fruit for the humans. Plus, there was a drawing for door prizes, free food, and a chinese auction. We won a door prize and a few different items from the auction. The highlight of my morning was when we were almost at the finish line and Lily, instead of drinking from one of the coolers on the side of the trail, decided to put her feet into the cooler and stand in it. It was just one of those "dogs do the darndest things" moments. Also, if you look at the slideshow in the upper-right corner of the page, you'll see Lily lounging in one of the baby pools that they had at the event. Overall, it was a great morning for a great cause. If you frequent the Montour Trail with your dog(s), please support their efforts by attending this dog walk. For more information, go here.

My New Best Friend

I wrote this poem/story tonight while I was laying in bed (my best thinking time). If I could figure out how to illustrate it, publish it, and give some of the proceeds to a shelter, I would. But for now I'll just post it on my dog blog for your reading pleasure. Oh, and forgive the punctuation and stuff -- just kind of wrote it as it came to me and didn't really worry about proper grammar.

"My New Best Friend"
I'm going on a walk today to search for my best friend –
Someone who'll laugh and play with me
And love me without end

I start out toward my neighbor's pond,
Whistling as I go.
I stoop down by the water's edge
And peer down deep below.

I see a fish just swimming by.
His scales are shining bright.
I wonder if he'll be my friend.
I think that he just might!

"Mr. Fish, oh, Mr. Fish,"
Will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?

Bubbles rise from where he lurks,
I think as if to say,
"Sorry, kid, you're much too dry."
And then he swims away.

I keep on walking on my trek,
Humming a sweet tune.
I hear a flutter in the sky,
Look up and see a loon.

"Mr. Bird, oh, Mr. Bird,"
Will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?

The loon looks down and flaps his wings,
A language of his own.
"Sorry, kid, although you're nice,
I'd rather be alone."

My walk goes on, a lonesome hike.
A car comes down the drive.
My mom rolls down the car's window,
Asks if I want a ride.
"I hear you're looking for someone
Who'll love you without end.
I think I know just where to go
To find your new best friend!"

We drive a few miles down the road,
Somewhere I've never been.
Mom parks the car and out we go.
I cannot help but grin.

I hear them barking from the lot.
It's louder from within.
The woofs and yips call out to me,
"Yes, I'll be your best friend!"

I run my hands along the bars,
Each grate and every rung
Until I see my special pup.
I think I've found the one!

"Mr. Dog, oh, Mr. Dog, will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?"

I see the twinkle in his eyes
And how his tail does wag.
I know he thinks I'm super-cool, though I don't mean to brag!

My mom and I bring puppy home.
My journey's now complete.
I found my new best friend today,
and boy does it feel neat!