Something mysterious has been happening with Chili Dawg and we can’t figure out how he’s doing this.  He’s a very smart dog and now we fear, too smart.  THREE TIMES this week we have left home with Chili Dawg in his pen and have come home to this:

an empty pen–still locked–and Chili Dawg greeting us at the door.  This pen is 30″ high, but somehow he is able to jump out, scale the sides or teleport himself.   I think the first time was a fluke, the 2nd time was to see if he could do it again and now by the 3rd time he knows exactly how to get out.   Next time I walk in the door I expect to see him laying on the sofa watching a movie and eating popcorn.  Obviously we need to find other ways to confine Chili Dawg when we’re not a home

Chili is full of hijinks.   We have to push the chairs away from the table or otherwise this happens:

And it is not unusual to see a whole roll of toilet paper unraveled in the bathroom.

All attempts to keep him off the sofa lead to this:

My husband is not amused.

Chili Dawg is a handful, a rascal, a SCOUNDREL, but he’s my puppy and I love him so much.  Look, this is a photo that I tore out of a magazine years ago; I knew instantly that it was my dog.  I taped it in my “dream notebook” and forgot about it until I blogged last year about wanting a dog.

And now look at this photo of Chili Dawg.  See, Chili Dawg was in my heart, even before he was born.

*Not only do I blog about my puppy, Chili Dawg also has a Facebook fan page!  Click on the badge to the left to become a fan, keep up with his status updates and to see more photos.  I have officially become “one of those dog people” that my friend @StuMcDnld talks about makes fun of on Twitter.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I’m new to the dog retail world and it’s very overwhelming; all I do is buy dog toys, chews, food, treats.  I even bought a life jacket for my puppy!  It’s like having a baby all over again, there is so much gear available; trolling the aisles of my local pet stores is quite fascinating.

So when we came across LickALots we had to buy one for Chili Dawg. Back at home we were eager to see if he would like his ice cream as much as we like ours.

Chili Dawg inspects it; hmmm…smells good….

And it tastes good too!  Hey Mikey; he likes it!

Chili Dawg thoroughly enjoyed the LicksALot and lapped it up in about 10 minutes.   I call it “doggie ice cream” but really it’s a healthy frozen treat as noted on the website:

The pedigree of this FROZEN lickable treat for dogs (think healthy dog ice cream) is the best of its breed. LickALots® are created using all-natural, ultra premium ingredients in a low-fat yogurt base. LickALots® provide your four-legged friends with the health benefits of wholesome natural ingredients and active yogurt cultures that assist digestion, aid nutrient absorption, boost the immune system and provide long-lasting benefits to your beloved companion.

Since then we bought more LicksALot for our home freezer and we bring one with us whenever we go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt.  While we are having our frozen treat, Chili Dawg has his too!

Um, okay, yes; I’ve totally given in to the fact that I am crazy about this puppy and will buy all kinds of special treats and fun toys for him, but so what?  Don’t judge me!

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

How does that feel, master?

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

If you read my blog regularly, then you know the drama that the Tooth Fairy brings around here.   

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Chili Dawg is still a young puppy, so he mouths and chews EVERYTHING: furniture, walls, baskets and worst of all, our body.  Right now I am on a mission to find appropriate things for Chili to chew.

Chili has a drawer full of toys, but this lamb that I purchased at Target is his favorite.  The toy makes a “baa” sound and at first Chili Dawg used to whine whenever it made noise; it was so funny!

Another favorite toy isn’t a toy at all, but a small clothing hamper that I bought in Target’s Dollar Spot.  He loves to put toys in the hamper and also get in there himself.  

These are rawhide chews.  They can be bought plenty much anywhere dog products are sold, but I got these from Whole Foods.  Rawhides can be dangerous if swallowed, so we have to really watch Chili when he’s chewing one of these.

These bully sticks that I bought at Highland Pet Supply are an alternative to rawhide and are supposed to be healthier as they are totally digestible.  Rawhides are the hides from a cow, but bully sticks come from a bull/steer.   A part of the bull that is shaped like a stick.  Remember that a bull is a male animal.  Did you get it yet?  Yes, you can be grossed out; I am.

If you didn’t know what it was, then you wouldn’t be so grossed out over the bully sticks because they really aren’t that identifiable.  That’s not the case with this cow’s tendon I bought at Iman Park Pet Works….it looks exactly like a tendon; ewww!

It smells awful too, but look how much Chili Dawg loves it.  The tendon also kept him quiet and occupied for a good hour, so that was golden, but I don’t know if I can take the smell.  Chili Dawg’s breath was kicking something terrible for days afterward and that just won’t do because I like to hug him.  

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.