Breaking Bad

This is a picture of me breaking the rules. The RULES of car safety. Mommy says this is the LAST time I will be allowed in the CAR without my crate and ME IN the crate.

This is a picture of a crate LIKE mine
My actual crate shows more wear and tear
But I love it

Being in the CRATE keeps me safe from flying through the air should the car come to a complete STOP. It also keeps me away from Mommy's feet when SHE is driving. Being UNDER her feet is one of MY FAVORITE places in the world. Being in the crate also keeps me OFF her lap when she is trying to steer, off her shoulder when she is trying to see, and keeps me in one place rather than ALL OVER the car sniffing out eatables.

So why was I out of the CRATE to begin with? Well, the reason is not good because there really is NO GOOD REASON for me to be out of my crate and not otherwise RESTRAINED. The reason is Mommy was in a hurry and couldn't get to my crate with all of the Christmas stuff pulled out all over the garage. The other reason is even though I have TWO different harnesses made specifically for being in the car and staying safe, I am very adept at wiggling OUT of them. Yes, they do fit properly - even kinda snuggly. 

This is an example of my car harness
Clearly this is not me

But in the car I turn into Pug Houdini and I can wiggle out of ANYTHING. I had a car bed with attached harness and I jumped out of it then out of the harness all while Mommy was pulling on the freeway. She used some HBO words then, I tell you.

So that is the end of my roaming wild while on a road trip. It was fun while it lasted. I was a pug on the edge - Reckless and Free.

Car Ride to FUN

It is late December when I get in the CAR

It won't take long, We won't go FAR

We're driving to a place we KNOW

And meeting FURiends with humans in TOW

We'll drive up and over the hills so GOLDEN

To the place we all have CHOSEN

Down again and here's the STREET

We sit on the patio, what a TREAT

There's Tiffy, Phoebe, Zoey, TOO

Fezzik, Draego, and Ellie - is that YOU?

Hanna, Baloo, oh such GLEE

Noodle, Mochi, and finally ME

We Are SOX Compliant!

Love these

I know I told you all about Miss Lorraine. . . about one day Mommy was reading the newspaper and saw a story about a LOCAL WOMAN who created these awesome therapy socks. Mommy thought it was the most interesting story and she contacted Miss Lorraine for more information about her product and her inspiration (Woodrow). Mommy and I like to highlight small businesses when we can because it is important to support them over big box stores.

Well one day what should arrive at our door - a pair of PURPLE Power Paws to try for ourselves!

Wow! These socks looked really cool and stylish. We, meaning me and Molly, couldn't wait to try them on.

Why should somePUGGY as young and healthy as MOI need therapy socks, one might ask? Well these socks are useful for a number of reasons - traction is the main reason and for Molly this is important. But they are also good for protection and I, perfect PUG PRINCESS that I am, will occasionally drag my "knuckles" when I go on long walks and this causes sores and scars. THAT will not do for me.

So we told Miss Lorraine THANK YOU and promptly tried them on. Guess what! They fit! AND they felt so good, too. I had no problem walking and did not even think to do the ROBOT walk I do in shoes. Molly also trotted all over the house and UP THE STAIRS! This is for what she needs traction - uncarpeted stairs like in our den. Molly has very furry feet, even when she is groomed! The fur concentrates under her toes and it is like she is walking on ice because she slips and slides around. She refused to walk up the two stairs from the den to the kitchen because she kept going SPLAT onto her chin.

I look sad only cuz I had to sit still for the pix

Well Miss Lorraine's Power Paws solved that one right away! Molly, once she realized she wouldn't slide, started dashing up and down the stairs with a whole lotta joy!

The big question is - DID THEY STAY ON? We all have socks that look real cute and fall off real fast. Those are such an aggravation. So for Power Paws to do any good, they HAVE to stay on. Well, they MOSTLY stayed on me but did eventually fall off. Molly's front ones stayed on but her back ones twisted and overnight worked their way off. So Mommy contacted Miss Lorraine who said "Come on over and we'll check the fit!"

Normal socks

I gotta say right off the bat - we loves loves loves Miss Lorraine and did RIGHT AWAY (cuz she gave us lots of big dog treats which we never get). In all honesty, she was very nice to us and spent a long time with us checking our feet and trying different socks. Turns out Molly's BACK PAWS are more like a poodle's than her front and so require POODLE socks. Once Miss Lorraine tried them on, they STAYED and STAYED and STAYED.

Poodle socks are longer in the toe

Molly is now able to wear them all the time which helps on the stairs. She even wears them outside so her delicate tootsies don't get wet when she does her early morning bidness.

Unlike other "therapy" socks, Woodrow Wear offers several kind of fits. Miss Lorraine has discovered that dogs do not have a ONE kind of paw. Some are square, some are long, some are skinny. And one dog may have different kinds of paws in front and back. It all comes down to what the dog was originally bred to do and how it evolved. For this reason, Woodrow Wear has different styles and fits. Check their sizing info here.


For me, I have skinny ankles (who'd a thought?) and so Mommy needs to wrap them with stuff so the socks have something to grip. She chose this -
She got it at Target. It works very well and now my socks are on for
the long haul.

And I gotta admit that adding the tape sorta gives me my own style.
And any of you who KNOW ME know I am all about the style.

Although the socks are not originally meant for outdoor wear, many of Woodrow Wearers DO find they are good for protecting pets' feet in rain, snow, and heat. Miss Lorraine suggests Scotch Guard to make them waterproof. It also helps create a little insulation to keep pets' feet dry and warm. And she discovered the reinforced ones (soon to be the standard Power Paw) will also protect a pet's paw from heat in excess of 180 degrees!!!! So, in essence, desert dogs can now go on walkies on hot pavement without damaging their pads. Amazing.

We cannot say enough about Woodrow Wear Power Paws. They are certainly everything they claim. The proof is in the wearing and we wear ours all the time. And I know they are not cheap ($19.99 for the regular ones, $29.99 for the reinforced ones) but they are durable and washable so they last a lot longer than the $6.99 ones that fall off almost as soon as Mommy puts them on. So they get lost, too. What good are three or two socks when one has four paws?

For PUPS with traction problems, Power Paws give them a dignified* way to move around on their own and do their bidness and eat and interact. It sure made Molly's stair phobia go away.

For dogs with grass allergies, Power Paws keep their sensitive paws away from the grass; and because the sock can then be taken off before the dog enters the house, they prevent the allergens from entering the home!

Thank you Miss Lorraine for giving us a chance to try out your socks and tell Blogville all about them.

*******************************************************************************

We were not paid to do this review other than receiving the socks free of charge so we could try them, wear them, assess them, and put them through our own tests. All of the opinions contained in this review are our own and no one elses. . . MAYBE Mommy's cuz she has to do the typing and stuff. BUT THAT'S IT - no one else got any input at all but me and Molly. Really!!!

*This is the term Miss Lorraine used and we liked it we wanted to use it. But it was all Miss Lorraine's usage.

ChiTurDuck, Duckchikey, Turchiduck . . . No WAIT! It's Turducken!

I think it is funny what HUMANS name their food. I mean EGGPLANT - what's egg got to do with that purplish vegetable thingy? And NACHOS? What in the world? So imagine my PERPLEXITY* when Chewy.com offered something called TURDUCKEN by Merrick.

*Yes, that's a word. I looked it up. Actually I looked PERPLEXTION up and was scolded by Webster because that is not a word at all. But it sounded so sophisticated. . .

Molly and I discussed it and decided we HAD to have TURDUCKEN. It was the holiday season, after all; and all of the food shows were featuring this unusual meal. What is TURDUCKEN, you ask? Basically, it is a Chicken stuffed into a Duck stuffed into a Turkey and all roasted together. 

Courtesy of Pennsylvannia Flyboy's Deviant Art

It took awhile for the TURDUCKEN to arrive because it was so WILDLY popular. While waiting, Molly and I did some research into this fine product by Merrick, one of our favorite pet food companies.

DID YOU KNOW -

1. Merrick uses local growers for their food. Nothing from Asia, nothing from S. America, nothing from the arctic. . . you get the picture?
2. Merrick uses only real whole foods which means my Mommy, if she weren't a vegehead, could totally eat and enjoy the Turducken.
3. Merrick makes all of its pet foods in its own human grade certified kitchens. Nothing in the cooking process is portioned out to other facilities.
4. Merrick foods have lots of high quality protein and healthy fats which help pets thrive. Fillers are not used to bulk up the meal - only good rich foods.
5. Merrick foods are designed to give pets the most healthful benefits their food can provide. The Turducken is grainfree so perfect for pets with allergies or sensitivities.

And just look at what Merrick's Turducken is made from -

Deboned Turkey, Chicken Broth, Duck, Chicken, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Green Beans, Apples, Peas, Potato, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrageenan, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Guar Gum, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Cassia Gum, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Flax Oil, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lecithin

Do you see the first TWELVE ingredients? They look like they are straight out of my Mommy's refrigerator!

Anyhoo. . . after all the research was done, all there was left to do was wait. . . Wait. . . WAIT! 

Finally in the waning hours of 2014, the TURDUCKEN arrived.

Mommy said she didn't NEED to add veggies
 as the TURDUCKEN has a lot already;
 but she liked the presentation

AND THE AFTER PICTURE 

I think a picture is worth a THOUSAND words, don't you? Plates licked clean! Happy pups! One happy CAT who decided she HAD to try it too!

Would I recommend Merrick's TURDUCKEN? Yes, absolutely! We love it and have eaten it every night for dinner, along with our kibble. Even picky picky Molly goes KOOKOO for the stuff. And our FURS have never been softer or shinier.

*Thank you Chewy.com for letting us be your taste testers for this fine product! We were not PAID for our opinions. As always, our reviews have our opinions by, for, and of ourselves.

Tootsie Tuesday

What am I wearing on my TOOTSIES? They are Power Paws and I will be talking about them on Thursday.

Auntie B Visited

My New Year is starting off GREAT! How about yours?

Not only did I have the UNDIVIDED attention of BOTH of my MOMMYS for 5 whole days, but I also got visited by many many other PEEPS.

Yesterday Auntie B came to visit. You all know my Auntie B - she is the one I used to stay with when My Mommys went away. She runs an AWESOME boot camp, too.

ANYHOO - she came by to say hi and have tea with gingerbread cookies and dollops of the lemon JELLY my Mommy #2 made. I got to sit on her lap and give her kisses and stuff like that. Oh DOG, I had missed her!

While we were enjoying the sunshiney room, Molly came by, hopped on the chair I WAS ON, and proceeded to snuggle right there. I didn't mind too much. Auntie B though it was cute so she snapped this PICTURE.

Everything Seems Fresh and New

Have you ever noticed how even the old toys seem new and exciting once the new year rolls around? Its true! Why,I was rummaging in our toy bin of FEW toys (remember we donated the older, gently used ones to the shelter) when I suddenly got excited about this one flat squirrel. I walked out of my room to the den where Mommy #2 was sitting and shoved it on her leg, as I generally do with new toys. "Noodles!" she said waaaaay too loudly and irritatedly, "What is the meaning of this?" 

"Well Mommy, it appears this new toy has showed up in my toy box and I wanted you to know how much I love it," I said by way of explanation.

"Oh Noodles," Mommy said while choking back a giggle. "That is an old old toy- one of your first ones." 

But it seemed so new! Mommy had washed it which perked up the fake fur and also took out the old saliva scent. It had a new lease on life.

So it got me thinking. Maybe this is why we celebrate the new year so excitedly?

It is a total DO-OVER!

The New Year brings forward that feeling of newness, of new beginnings. And that in turn makes everything else in our lives full of new hope and new promise. I think we owe it to ourselves to look at everything else in our life with that same sense of newness and wonder and perhaps find a new approach to an old habit or dilemma.

I plan to see the NEW TOY in EVERYTHING in 2015!