My Brown Newfies

Pillars of Strength. A Special Day for K

2012-02-14T00:15:00.001-05:00

For those of you who are not familiar with K, she is a very wonderful Labrador Retriever girl who lives in the Rocky Mountains with her owner, who may I say, is quite an adventurous lady. I have followed their blog Romping and Rolling in the Rockies for quite some time now and I am always amazed at their Rocky Mountain adventures. This is a blog that has really taught me how to open my eyes up to my surroundings and to take every day as a gift. I often find myself on walks with the Newfs thinking about how they would romp up in the Rockies with all that beauty surrounding them.
K and her pal R, encounter some pretty wonderful wildlife on their walks including Bobcats, Bears, and even Mountain Lions. While I would probably freeze in my tracks if I ever got the smallest glimpse of one of these creatures on a walk, K's owner is very aware of her surroundings and makes sure that her dogs are always safe.
Daily romps in their beautiful world is K's favorite activity and she embraces every day that she has, yes she is a dog but you can see it in her face, her will to live life to the fullest.
At the end of December K was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her ulna, which is a forelimb bone.
K is currently undergoing stereotactic radiation, which is a new procedure for killing bone tumors. While this procedure will not cure K, it will kill the tumors in her forelimb and hopefully give her and her owners more precious time to share together.
K and her family are simply amazing and have such a love for life and the world around them. If I am ever feeling blue all I have to do is stop on by their blog and see K's beautiful face and the adventures that she had that day. Seeing this and knowing what she is going through just makes my problems seem so very tiny.

With K's next chemotherapy treatment approaching this week, a wonderful group of bloggers has gotten together to show their support and encouragement to K and her owner. To let them know they are not alone in their fight and that we are all sending strength their way.

This one is for you K. Thank you for showing me the beauty that life has to offer.

Monday Mischief Blog Hop. I Am Not Moving....Ever

2012-02-13T00:02:00.002-05:00

This weekend we finally got some very welcomed lake effect snow.

Welcomed by the Newfs, of course, and Leroy was soaking it all in, literally.

As long as it was snowing he was not moving.

Not moving at all. Even if it buried him alive.

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Welcome to Monday Mischief Bloghop, the hop that wraps up the weekend!!!

This hop is brought you by Alfie's Blog, Snoopy's Dog Blog, and Luna, a Dog's Life, and My Brown Newfies

From Australia to the UK, to California and Ohio, our dogs all love getting into something mischievous over the weekend and we are sure yours do as well! This isn't open to just dogs though, because we know that other animals can get into some mischief too! So why not jump on our blog hop and share your tales of mischief, or just wrap up the weekend!

Here's what you need to do to join the hop:

*Share your Monday Mischief Post on your blog

* Link up your Blog name and URL using the linky tool below

* Grab the Button from any of our 4 hosts and include it in your Monday Mischief Post

* Stop by the hosts of the hop and say hello.

* Visit the other blogs on the list and see what they have been up to and say hello

* But most importantly have fun!!

Fun Facts About Westminster

2012-02-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Westminster 136th Annual Dog Show starts tomorrow and I thought today would be a good day to share some fun facts about the Westminster Dog Show that you may not know.

* The Westminster Dog Show is held at Madison Square Garden in New York

* The Westminster Kennel Club was established in 1877, making it America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs.

* The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held in 1877, making it America's second longest continually held sporting event, The Kentucky Derby is first.

* Westminster pre-dates the invention of the automobile and the light bulb. Seriously!

* Since Westminster held its first show there have been 25 men elected President and 12 states have joined the Union.

* The first telecast of Westminster was in 1948, 3 years before "I Love Lucy" premiered.

* A portion of Westminster's first show in 1877 went to the ASPCA to establish a home for stray and disabled animals.

* The Empire State Building first honored Westminster by lighting its tower in the Westminster colors of purple and gold in 2004 and will do so again in 2012.

* Westminster was established in 1877, before the American Kennel Club which was established in 1884.

* In 1884 The Westminster Kennel Club became the first member of the American Club.

* The Westminster Dog Show is a benched show, there are very few benched shows left in the dog show world. At a benched show, dogs that are entered are required to be in assigned areas at all times when not being judged in the ring. This allows for interaction of dogs and their owners with spectators and other owners and breeders as an educational process.
Leroy is entered in a benched show in a few weeks up in Detroit, Michigan. We have only been to a benched show one other time with Sherman.

* There are 6 new breeds entered at Westminster this year.
American English Coonhound
Cesky Terrier
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Finnish Lapphund
Norwegian Lundehund
Xoloitzcuintli

If you are planning on watching the Westminster Show on Monday and Tuesday night you can go here for the broadcast schedule.
The breeds show during the day and then the groups are televised at night.

Curious of just how much it may cost to to get to the Westminster Dog Show with your show dog? Check out this great article How To Win The Westminster Dog Show. It's pretty safe to say that you will not see Leroy at this show anytime soon, unless of course we win the lottery, or if Mr.Scott discovers a hidden love for the Newfoundland.

So who are the front runners for this years show? Check it out here and here and then check out this persons predictions on the The Straight Poop, make sure you check out their Working Group predictions.
And last but certainly not least, see what Billy Wheeler has to say about the show in his interview, Inside Westminster. Billy Wheeler writes a blog called Dog Show Poop and also writes a column for Best In Show Daily. I had the pleasure of meeting him in Florida this past December, and he knows dog shows!

So who is it going to be? Any guesses?

Here are mine:
Are you kidding? I'm not even going to try and guess!

Dog Smooches. Cute? Safe? Or Just Plain Gross?

2012-02-10T00:02:00.001-05:00

There has been many debates on this topic over the years.

Is it safe for you to exchange kisses with your dog?

Some people will say it is absolutely NOT safe to smooch with your pet. They will say that a pets mouth harbors way too many forms of bacteria that can make a person sick, after all, they do lick their butts with the same tongue that licks your face.
Others will say it is perfectly safe for your dog to give you a smooch, their mouths are cleaner than ours.
Still others will say they don't care if it is safe or not, it is just plain gross to have the saliva from a dog anywhere on their body.

My opinion?
Do you know how many times I am kissed at work? At least 10 times a day.
Do you know how many times my mouth accidentally happens to be open when a dog greets me in the waiting room? At least 8 times.
Do you know how many times a puppy gives me a kiss on the lips and I think to myself, "Great now I am going to get roundworms?" Every time. (and no, I have never had roundworms. Thank you.)

In my opinion kissing a dog is perfectly safe for a healthy person, except of course, if you live in my house.
Trying to kiss or being kissed by Sherman and Leroy can sometimes be hazardous.
I mean have you seen the size of their skulls?
They are big and hard.
Kissing a Newf when you come home from work is a CAUTION. Seriously, their heads should have caution tape around them. CAUTION. KISSING MAY RESULT IN A FAT LIP OR BLOODY NOSE.
So many times I have come home from work to an excited Sherman waiting for me at the door. First he circles me and then he bows his head down for a kiss, then at the exact moment I go down to give him that kiss he decides that he wants to kiss me first and whips his head up only to bonk my lips with his big skull.

Leroy however, is a pecker, and I don't mean a pecker pecker, although that is funny, I mean he is a kiss pecker. Leroy proudly displays his nose for a smooch, then pecks you, and not in a gentle pecking way.

Here's my nose for you to smooch.

and now here is your peck. Bonk.

You would think our intelligent family would learn. Well, we don't. We're dog smoochers.

So what about you? Do you think dog smooches are safe?

Oh.... and since we are talking about kisses and smooches, Leroy is entered in a Kissing Contest over at Sure Fit Slipcovers. I could really use their first place prize package which includes a Deluxe Comfort Cover for Leroy's favorite couch! We entered the contest kind of late so we are about 100 votes away from the leader, but hey, we are use to be the underdogs! If you would like to vote for Leroy and Gracie in the kissing contest you can go to Sure Fits Facebook Page Scroll down until you see their picture, click on their pic and hit like!
This is the pic that is entered:

Feel free to share with all your Facebook friends too!! Leroy and Graice and my couch thank you!

Thoughts On Thinking

2012-02-08T00:18:00.002-05:00

Normally thinking is a good thing, it exercises your brain. Some people do it too much and some people don't do it enough. I am the type of a person who does both. According to my husband I over think the things that don't need to be over thought and I under think the things that deserve more thought. I have the ability to think myself into frustration, exhaustion, anxiety, and occasionally, illness. I can make the simplest of things complex, the easiest things difficult. I can take a minor issue and turn it into a major issue in the blink of an eye, especially when it comes to my dogs.

Take Leroy's rock eating which recently went into overdrive last week.

Some dogs eat rocks, this I know, but why does my dog eat rocks? Is he sick? Is he bored? Is it behavioral?
Is he lacking something in his diet? Is he playing? How do I get him to stop? Rocks are everywhere, how do I get rid of them? How many times can this happen before he eats a rock that is too big to exit?

Some of these questions I still don't have answers to, but so far here is what I do know:
Medically speaking, Leroy checks out just fine. Nutritionally speaking, it is too soon to tell. I have switched his protein and carbohydrate sources and have added in The Missing Link supplement, only time will tell.
We have picked up the rocks in our backyard, not all of them, but ones that could potentially cause an intestinal blockage, let's say bigger than a quarter but smaller than a softball. It was suppose to be smaller than a baseball but my son said that he thought Leroy may be able to swallow a baseball and when I told him that wasn't physically possible he already put the image in my head so we upped the size just to be safe.
We did our best, but many rocks still remain in and under the soil and because of this Leroy is not allowed out in the backyard without a basket muzzle on.

The basket muzzle.
***insert sigh here***
The basket muzzle didn't work out very well at first because Leroy quickly figured out that he could remove it with his paws. However, my totally awesome husband thought of the idea to add a piece of an old collar to the top of the muzzle so it went over Leroy's head and looped onto the muzzle. He even sewed it together himself. God, I love that man.
This new muzzle took Leroy and I a few days to get use to.
The image of my Gentle Giant being turned into an image of Hannibal Lecter completely and totally bummed me right out to the point of tears.

This image led to my never ending question, "What if this breaks his spirit?"
"What are you going to do? Just let him eat rocks? It's Leroy, nothing can break his spirit." replied my husband.
Of course, he was right....as he usually is, and after two days the muzzle is no big deal to Leroy. 1 out of 5 to times he comes back in the house without it on or it is covered in mud, but for the most part the basket muzzle is doing its job and Leroy is fine with it and that makes me fine with it too.

As for walks......our walks are filled with rocks and there is nothing that I can do about that.
I have decided not to use the muzzle for walks for two reasons.
1. The least I have to use it the better. Plain and simple.
2. I quickly learned that my right foot is faster than Leroy's mouth and Leroy quickly learned that trying to eat a rock during our walk results in his chin meeting my foot and his chin meeting my foot can occasionally result in him biting his tongue and........well....no one likes biting their tongue.

My conclusion:
Leroy eats rocks, he's not the only dog that does. It's not the end of the world. I can handle this.
The mind is an exhausting place. My mind is an exhausting place.

Monday Mischief Blog Hop. Sherman!

2012-02-06T00:02:00.001-05:00

Alright doesn't anyone else, besides Leroy, get into mischief around this house??

Oh wait, why someone does!

Is that Sherman's head buried in the mixing bowl?

No one needs to know that I gave him the bowl and said it was o.k. to lick it....right???

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Welcome to Monday Mischief Bloghop, the hop that wraps up the weekend!!!

Bad Sports Entry

2012-02-05T23:15:00.001-05:00

This is our entry for Mango Minster 2012. Better late then never right?

It's obvious who I'm nominating.

I mean Bad is in his name, not once but twice, and with a double D.

So I give you Badd Badd Leroy Brown.

I cut the horns back every day, but they always grow back.

He smokes sticks. It's a horrible habit, but all the dogs are doing it these days.

He thinks his name is "Damn it, Leroy"

And he has no respect for personal space.

He sits on our blankets and refuses to give them up.

He creates friends from his own fur and doesn't even bother to ask if they can spend the night.

He uses mud as hair gel.

He eats tomatoes

and rocks. I have proof.

Oh...and I'm not even going to mention the "pants" thing.

So what do you think? Is this right category for Leroy?

Thank Goodness, There's A Party!

2012-02-03T19:10:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular reader of our blog I am sure that you have noticed that my posts here are not following my regular schedule and they are just popping up at any given time. You may have noticed that I haven't been replying to comments like I normally do, and I haven't been able to make my normal rounds to see what you have all been up too. The reason being is that Leroy's rock eating situation has gone from bad to worse over the last few days and I am scurrying around trying to quickly find a solution that will prevent him from doing this, and I am a paranoid freak.

I will give you the low down next week.

If you are curious you can view the latest x-rays on our Facebook Page.

With that being said, I am looking forward to taking a break from rocks tomorrow afternoon and getting down and partying hard. Partying hard for me these days equals sitting down on the couch with my cheese Pringles and Pepsi and jumping up every time I see myself on T.V. for 0.1 seconds.

You may be able to get a glimpse of us bloggers when the dogs do their down and back. We will be on the down part, I guess it all depends on which camera is being used.

The party starts Saturday February 4th. I will be joining the party at 2pm EST and will be posting on our Facebook Page and talking gibberish on Twitter. Just in case your wondering the dress is casual and pajamas are acceptable. Word on the streets is that there will be some fun giveaways happening during the party and Team London (the winner of the show) will joining us too and I'm sure he would be happy to answer some of your questions.

London on Facebook.

London on Twitter

Here is some important information for you if you'd like to join me for the party.

Eukanuba on Facebook

Eukanuba on Twitter

Current times that we will be partying and that the show is set to air on ABC. (check you local listings to be sure)

2-4PM EST
2-4PM Central Time
12-2pm Mountain Time
12-2pm Pacific Time

Use the hashtag #AKCEukShow to join the conversation on Twitter. Also be sure to follow the VIP Bloggers that were ringside for the show:

There has been a lot of posts written by these awesome bloggers and Dr.V from Pawcurious has created a blog hop to showcase these posts. If you have the time I would totally go check some of these out, there are some classics in here that you don't want to miss.

Meet The Final Seven

2012-02-02T22:49:00.000-05:00

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championships airs tomorrow on ABC, but before you watch the show let me introduce you to the final seven. The seven extraordinary dogs who made it to Best In Show, the place where many of us dog show fanciers could only dream to be one day.

From the Hound Group
The Harrier. GCH CH Downhome Hitech Innovator (Chet)

From the Toy Group

Affenpinscher - GCH CH Banana Joe V. Tani Kazari (Joey)

From the Sporting Group

Spaniel (Cocker) Black - GCH CH Casablanca's Thrilling Seduction (Beckham)

From the Non-Sporting Group

Poodle (Standard) - GCH CH Jaset's Satisfaction (London)

From THE HERDING GROUP

German Shepherd Dog - GCH CH Babheim's Captain Crunch (Capi)

From THE TERRIER GROUP

Fox Terrier (Wire) - GCH CH Steele Your Heart (Eira)

From THE WORKING GROUP

Boxer - GCH CH Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream (Scarlett)

If you are watching the show this Saturday, promise to do me one little favor, when you are watching these beautiful dogs grace the ring with their presence, remember behind every one of these dogs there is a team. A team that has worked their hearts out for a moment like this. A team that may not have expected this moment at this time, but has dreamed of this moment ever since they stepped into the show ring. Remember my recent post on Operation Leroy and times that by one hundred. Remember that these dogs and the team behind these dogs are very similar to me and you and that we all share one thing in common, the love for dogs.

AKC Eukanuba National Championships 2011 Slideshow

2012-02-01T14:48:00.000-05:00

Here is the slideshow that I tried to post earlier today of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championships.
I had to remove the music that I had put to it, so now it is just a plain old slideshow. The music made it so fun!
Oh well, I hope you enjoy it anyway and don't forget to watch the show this Saturday, February 4th on ABC. Check your local listings to see when it airs in your area!

So You Want To Be A Vet Assistant. Guest Post

2012-01-31T00:02:00.000-05:00

The following guest post was contributed by Paul Glovers who is a freelance writer based in Tacoma Washington and writes for Veterinary Assistant Schools.

Anyone who is interested in following the path of becoming a veterinary assistant will want to choose a learning institution. Choosing the proper school is the most important part of the process. The institution of choice should fit certain criteria to ensure that the student obtains a quality education. The skill set the student learns will set the mold for future occupational opportunities.
The first thing one should check for before selecting a veterinary assistant program is accreditation. Selecting an accredited school will ensure that the student's education meets the minimum standards set forth by the AVMA Council on Education. The skills that he or she learns will be sufficient for that person to receive an official certificate or degree. An accredited school will also have to conduct itself in an ethical and resourceful fashion.
An individual seeking an accredited program may opt to take a veterinary technician course instead of a veterinary assistant program. The AVMA does not accredit some veterinary assistant programs. The difference between a veterinary technician program and a veterinary assistant program is the length and courses. A veterinary technician program lasts at least two years. A student can complete a veterinary assistant program in less than six months. The reason for the shorter training period for veterinary assistants is the decreased responsibilities. A veterinary assistant is very limited in the tasks he or she may perform. A veterinary technician on the other hand, may take x-rays and administer medications. Most states require technicians to pass an exam for licensing. Veterinary assistants do not need licenses to perform, and thus make less income.
The second thing a person will want to consider before choosing a school is locality. Local schools are less expensive than out of state schools. The difference in tuition can be as high as $10,000, so proximity is very important.
An individual considering training for a veterinary assistant also has the option to seek online training. Online training is beneficial to people who have full time jobs and family obligations. This type of training allows people to work around their schedules while still fulfilling their educational requirements.
Finally, the school's reputation is very important. The individual should conduct research on all aspects of the facility before enrolling. The school should have helpful staff members, including knowledgeable admissions personnel and financial aid advisors. The school should also have instructors who excel in their jobs whether the training is online or in person. Skilled instructors and trustworthy advisors are two crucial components of completing a program successfully.

A special thank you to Paul for this guest post. Being a vet assistant myself, I often wonder if I should have chosen to attend a veterinary school. I think if I had I would of learned more, at a quicker pace and may have been better prepared for the veterinarian field. Even after working in the field for about 7 years now, I have considered going for my vet tech degree.

Monday Mischief Blog Hop. Potato Thief

2012-01-30T00:02:00.000-05:00

The other day I was getting ready for work and I heard the sound of plastic bowls hitting the floor in the kitchen.
I yelled "Hey!" from the hallway and then before I could make my way to the kitchen I heard the scurrying of fours paws down the basement steps. When I arrived in the kitchen there were two bowls laying on the floor and I quickly surveyed the counter tops and it wasn't long before I noticed that the sack of potatoes was gone.
I went to the basement door and peered downstairs only to see an innocent little face peering back at me.

If I didn't know him any better I would of turned and walked away, however, I know him a lot better than that and I know that he just looked way too innocent for his own good.
As I proceeded down the stairs he continued to just lay there looking all innocent like he had been laying there all day, just him and his toy, hanging out chillin......... with a sack of potatoes behind them.

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Welcome to Monday Mischief Bloghop, the hop that wraps up the weekend!!!

Inspiring Awards

2012-01-28T00:02:00.001-05:00

Over the past few days I have been inspired by reading some other blogger's award posts.
Reading these posts has inspired me to write my own post on the awards that I have received over the past few months. I feel bad that I haven't gotten to this post sooner because these are some fantastic awards that were passed on to me from some very amazing bloggers. I don't take receiving blog awards lightly and I apologize to those who have passed them on to me without public acknowledgement, although I know that isn't what you were looking for, it is only proper for me to thank you here. So please accept my sincere apologies for this overdue post!

The first person I would like to thank is JustRamblin. Not only is this of my favorite blogs, but she also has a beautiful brown Newf named Stella. Yes, we were destined to find each other through blogging:)

The Noteworthy Archive Award.

This award is to let other bloggers know that there are some great posts buried in your archives that are worth bringing to the surface for other's to read. This award doesn't come with any strings attached but IMO it is definitely worth passing on to bloggers to let them know that they have some great posts buried!

So this award I would like to pass on to No Dog About It, and Back Alley Soapbox.
Thank you so much to JustRamblin for passing this wonderful, unique award on to me.

The next award came from Misty Shores Chesapeakes. Thank you! I love this blog and her Chessies!
The Kreativ Blogger Award.

For this award I have to tell you 10 things about myself that you may not know.

1. I snore, LOUD, at least that's what the hubbie and kids tell me. I don't know if I believe them.
2. I don't watch a lot of T.V. but my favorite show right now is Sons of Guns and I don't even like guns!
3. My favorite movie of all time is Pretty in Pink. Seriously how can you go wrong with that one?
4. I'm a steak and potatoes kind of girl. I like meat what can I say?
5. I am not a very organized person, but I think I might have mentioned that before:)
6. I'm a Daddy's girl. I love my Mom, but Dad is where it's at!
7. I'm still smoking. I know....I know, spare me the lecture.
8. I get migraines. I never got them before I had kids.
9. When I was a teenager I once walked into a telephone pole. Stop laughing, it was dark outside.
10. I use to steal my sisters clothes and wear them to school. One day she found out and brought me up the ugliest plaid pants and striped shirt to wear the rest of the day! I was mortified!

Now to pass this on to six other bloggers.

1. WyldeChylde. This blog always brings a smile to my face each time I read it.
2. Seriously I Think I Need Stitches. This is a fun and creative craft blog but she also has a beautiful Newf.
3. A Filly's Best Friend. How can you go wrong with horses and dogs?
4. The Daily Dog Blog. Great stories about living with furry kids and great pictures!
5. Down Under Daisy. Bella, daisy and Roxy are my favorite pals from downunder!
6. Kols Notes. Such a creative and fun blog, and she makes the best treats EVER!

Thank you to Misty Shores for this award!

The next award comes from Roxy Traveling Dog. Thank you!
The Pawsome Blogger Award.

This award goes to those bloggers that you think are just plain and simple awesome!

In all fairness, every blog that I read is awesome because I wouldn't read non-awesome blogs! Duh!

So I am going to cheat a bit and give this to every blogger that has taken the time to visit us and inspire us to keep at this blogging thing, without you I never would have received this award!

Dock Diver Wanna Be

2012-01-27T00:02:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite events at the AENC was dock diving. I am a dock diving wanna be. I think there is a little dock diver wanna be in all of us. It's so fun and exciting and every dog is unique in their own way. You just never know what you might get!

There's the I'm just going to do it and love it!

There's the "You want me to do what? Down there? But it's so far"

Then there's the "Whoa, put the brakes on. You didn't tell me I had to jump in and get the toy'"

The "I'm not going in even if you push me."

The "I only have one thing on my mind and it's getting my toy."

And "Yeah, I'm just that good."

So what kind of dock diver wanna be are you?

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship airs next Saturday, February 4th, and because I am running out of time to share all the pictures that I took while there, I am putting some of my favorites into a slideshow. I hope it will be all ready to go sometime next week!

Introducing Pedigree's Best Dry Food Ever

2012-01-26T00:02:00.000-05:00

We haven’t had a chance to taste it, but don’t put it past us.

Longtime cat and dog adoption advocate and pet food maker, Pedigree®, has developed their best dry food recipe ever, and the result is… extra nutritious, just as tasty. (At least the latter is what we hear.)

Pedigree, created this dog food formulation on recommendations from the Waltham® Centre for Pet Nutrition, which identified four Universal Needs of Dogs: healthy skin/coat, preventative oral care, good digestion, and a strong immune system. In other words, when your pup receives the nutrition he needs to fuel these four areas, and you have the foundation for a happy, healthy pet.

Makes sense to us. Like with humans, skin is your dog’s largest organ – essential to everything from protecting her from bacteria and viruses to regulating her core temperature. So, Pedigree added zinc and linoleic acid for a healthy coat and dermis.

And oral care, often overlooked by pet owners, is the best protection against periodontal disease. Eighty percent of adult dogs will suffer from this painful condition; potentially worse, periodontal disease can lead to serious heart, lung, and kidney problems.

As for healthy digestion and a strong immune system, those are no-brainers. Gastrointestinal troubles are no fun (for either of you), so Pedigree’s formula includes increased levels of fiber – essential for bacteria control, nutrient absorption, and even weight management. Vitamins C and E, antioxidants, were incorporated to boost immunity.

Pedigree’s best dry food ever is in stores now, and the results of taste tests from our four-legged reviewers will be in shortly. Meanwhile, we applaud Pedigree’s commitment to ensuring all dogs receive loving homes – and high-quality dog food. If you would like to read more about Pedigree, head on over to their website: Pedigree.com.

This post is brought to you by Pedigree and Dog Time Media.

While Sherman and Leroy do not eat Pedigree dog food, I am still a fan of their brand and their mission, after all Dogs Rule.

Operation Leroy

2012-01-25T00:02:00.001-05:00

"Operation Leroy" has been underway since January 1, 2011, which is why you may have not seen me around town lately. You've seen me post but I may not have visited you as much as I would like, but it's for a good cause, I promise. I am busy trying to get Leroy back to showing. I am busy, I am busy, I am busy.

So what the heck is this operation I speak of and what am I so busy doing?

When you look up the definition of "operation" you will find many meanings. However, I am referring to the meaning "a planned activity involving many people performing various activities.

Getting Leroy back into the ring is an operation with many different levels and I am in the process of getting some of them done now.

1. Repairing Leroy's coat. After our last show it was kindly pointed out to me that Leroy's coat has seen better days. The problem? We were not drying Leroy's coat all the way after his bath, which caused his undercoat to become damaged. The day I got back from Florida I brushed out must of his undercoat. So now we are starting from scratch. I am bathing Leroy once a week and completely drying him, a process that takes well over 2 hours.

(In this picture you can see how much coat Leroy is lacking compared to the other Newfs around him)

2. I am saving up money to buy a new dog dryer. My dryer is 15 years old and just isn't cutting it anymore. Time to make an investment.

3. I am planning out our show year. While we won't be showing every weekend, I need to have a game plan. I need to figure out what shows may work best for us. Showing Leroy as a champion is a whole new ball game and there isn't much room for error. We'll soon find out if we can hang with the big dogs.
I'm watching the shows that are taking place now, seeing who is out there and who is winning.
Let me tell you, there are a lot of very nice specials out there. More than I would like to compete against and I am tryng to stay positive.

4. Health Clearances. I am still in the process of getting these all done and finalized on Leroy. Most of the big ones are done like his hips, elbows and heart. I will go more in depth about health clearances in another post because I feel the importance of health clearances deserves it's own post.

5. Conditioning. Not the conditioning that goes on after shampooing, I mean getting Leroy in shape.
Exercising him. Building stamina and muscle. Less couch laying and more exercise.

6. Advertising. While this is certainly not necessary when showing your dog, it certainly couldn't hurt to have Leroy's picture featured in a show magazine. We are amateurs, Leroy is brown, we need all the help we can get. However, putting a full color ad in a magazine takes money and lots of it, so we will just have to see if we can fit that into our budget.

7. Money. Boy oh boy if only I was rich this would be a lot easier! I have picked up extra hours at my day job to help pay for Leroy's showing expenses and his new dog dryer. I don't like it, but it has to be done.

I am hoping that this is just the beginning of "Operation Leroy." There is so much to do and learn and I am really looking forward to sharing this adventure with all of you and to show you the sport of dog showing.
We don't know if we have what it takes but we are willing to give it our all, and when I say we I am talking about our team. It's not just my husband and I, there are other people involved too, like our breeder, our handler, family and friends. They are all giving us their support and each helping in their own way. We have a whole lot of "believers" behind us!

I had our first show all planned out for March, however refer to #3. I am not sure if the Operation will be where we need to be,or how we need to be, in order to be competitive. It's a risk, but then again I would like to think of myself as a risk taker. Alright, I'll just say it.......I have no idea what we are going to do! I need another 30 days to think about it! (I hope my handler isn't reading).

So there you have it. The beginning of Operation Leroy. Let's just see where we can take this Operation.

Cranberry Apple Dog Treats

2012-01-24T00:02:00.002-05:00

For Christmas my favorite and only mother bought me a smoothie maker. I think, in a not so subtle way, she was trying to tell me that I need to eat healthier. She doesn't have a problem telling me this to my face, I just think she was getting tired of repeating herself for the past 30 years, so what better why to say it then with a smoothie maker.
Anyway, in attempts to make her happy I bought some cranberries, apples and blueberries to make a nice healthy smoothie for myself. I fully intended to make one, I swear.
So two weeks pass by and I go to get an apple out of the fridge for Gracie and there I see my cranberries, still in the unopened package they came in. Damn it! I forgot to make the smoothie! Oh well, obviously I'm a lost cause for eating healthy but I know of a few furry little doggies that could benefit from these happy little cranberries. So I googled cranberry dog treats and found a very simple recipe for Apple Cranberry Dog Treats.

Ingredients.

1 cup of cranberries
1 cup of apple sauce
2 cups of whole flour
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of milk

I had cinnamon apple sauce so I just used that and omitted the ground cinnamon.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Puree cranberries and mix with applesauce.
Add mix and whole wheat flour and mix well.
Knead dough into a ball and roll out onto heavily floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
I just cut the dough into squares but you can also use cookie cutters.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 15 minutes or until light brown.
I rolled the dough out a little thick and the boys like their treats crunchy, so after the 15 minutes I turned the oven off and left the treats in there overnight.

The dough was so pretty with the red cranberries in it that I couldn't resist snapping a picture.
The dough was sticky, and I used a lot of flour on the surface, so I'm not sure what went wrong here.
I remember that someone once told me that there was something I could do to make the dough not as sticky but I forgot, so if you are reading please tell me again!

The treats came out pretty good and the boys love them, which makes me feel good.

At least someone is eating healthy around here! Sorry Mom!

Thanks to Doggy Dessert Chef for this great and simple recipe.

To see what other bloggers are cooking up for their pets stop on over at Kol's Notes and Sugar the Golden Retriever for Tasty Tuesday.

Monday Mischief Blog Hop. Someone Did Something, Imagine That.

2012-01-23T00:02:00.001-05:00

I know you might find this hard to believe because things just always go so perfectly here, in my perfect, little, organized, boring, injury free world, but someone did do something bad this weekend. Alright, it wasn't bad.
It was upsetting, but only upsetting to me, and I wasn't really all that upset. I was more annoyed.
Annoyed that someone took their favorite inside toy, outside.

Now I know to some of you that might not be that big of deal, but I don't like inside toys outside. If they go out they get all dirty and gross and frozen, and they could get bugs in them. I don't like bugs.
That is why we have designated inside toys and designated outside toys. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
I have no idea how long this toy was outside and who let someone out with it in his mouth, but by the looks of it it was out through one rainy day, one muddy day, and one snowy day. It weighed about 8 pounds because someone must have slobbered all over it and then left it out there to freeze.

Please meet someone.

<div
align="center"><a
href="http://www.mybrownnewfies.com" title="My Brown
Newfies"><img
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXIn256AHbY/Trhi0uYkG0I/AAAAAAAAAV8/06Sm33olJaw/s1600/Bloghop.jpg"
alt="My Brown Newfies" style="border:none;"
/></a></div>

Welcome to Monday Mischief Bloghop, the hop that wraps up the weekend!!!

RuffBowl Giveaway!

2012-01-21T00:29:00.002-05:00

A few months ago I received an email from the very creative person behind the RuffBowl asking me if I would be interested in doing a product review and giveaway of their brand new product.

The RuffBowl.

This is one of the most creative products I have seen! The RuffBowl is a travel water bowl

and a poop bag carrier all in one! I'm not kidding! Just look at it!

Isn't that so fun and convenient?! The best part about the RuffBowl is that it also clips onto most large retractable leashes! So you have a water bowl and a place to put your poop bags right on your leash!

Awesome!!!

I was sent 3 RuffBowls. 1 to try out on the dogs and 2 to giveaway to 2 lucky readers! Unfortunately, the bowl was a bit too small for Sherman and Leroy to get the big mouths in, so we were unable to provide you with a review, but I have 2 to giveaway!

In my honest opinion, I think that this bowl would be great for any dog other than a dog with an extra wide muzzle, such as the Newfoundland.

Follow the rafflecopter below for a chance to win! Two winners will be chosen and each will receive one Ruffbowl!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snow is Good

2012-01-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

Our winter has been anything but normal here in Ohio. One day we have a few inches of snow, the next day it is 50 degrees and raining, and the next day it is snowing again. It's a very weird weather pattern and one that I could do without.
Since we (and when I say we I mean me) can not bear the image of running around in mud puddles, we seize every day that the snow falls.

Getting out and playing in the snow is like a dream come true for the dogs.

A Newf and a Beagle playing in the snow is good.

They get to turn from white to brown right before my eyes.

Newfs in snow is good.

Leroy in snow is good.

If snow is good for them, then snow is good for me.

You know what else is good? Dog is good. Dog is Good is my favorite new shop that I discovered when I was in Florida at the dog show. They had a vendor there and I spent over an hour at the booth trying to decide which one of their awesome logo shirts I was going to buy. I finally decided on their Dog. Codependent long sleeve tee. I love this tee. Love it! I get so many compliments on it, and I've decided that I must get another one, not the same one of course, I have been eyeing this one and this one, oh and this one too! Stop by and check them out, I will be giving one away next month to one lucky reader!

The Certificate and the Mission

2012-01-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

Last week we received Leroy Championship certificate in the mail from the AKC.

As you can see, I am not listed
as the owner.
The owner is my husband.

Remember that.

The dog that I own (Sherman)
does not possess Leroy's silly
and strange antics that will
put me in an early grave.

I just had to point that out.

Receiving this certificate is an honor. It is a sense of pride to my husband and I. It is way more than just a piece of paper. The letter that accompanied this certificate meant just as much if not more, it read:

It is my pleasure to send you the enclosed certificate of the title recently achieved by your dog.

We at the American Kennel Club recognize the commitment and dedication underlying this accomplishment. Every title won in an American Kennel Club event reinforces our mission to support and promote the sport of purebred dogs. You and your dog are part of that mission.

I received the same letter when Sherman got his championship certificate two years ago. For some reason it didn't hit me the way this one did. Maybe it's because I know more now then I did then. Maybe it's because times are changing within the world of the purebred dog. Maybe now I understand what the mission is.

Admitting We Have a Problem is the First Step

2012-01-17T00:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday you saw the evidence that Leroy eats rocks. This is not earth shattering news. Leroy has eaten rocks in the past, just refer to back to Rock Hard Stomach, which was written in March of 2011, there you will see more x-rays of rocks in his stomach.
Anytime time Leroy vomits, which is not often, this is my clue that he has been out eating rocks again.
Last year we knew Leroy was eating rocks while we were on walks, so in order to prevent further rock consumption we began to walk him with a basket muzzle on. Not exactly the way I want to walk my Newf, but then I also don't want my Newf eating rocks that could potentially cause him to get obstructed. We walked him this way for about a month and then it seemed as though the rocks weren't as appetizing as they use to be, so we did away with the muzzle.
Fast forward to last week when we took Leroy for a walk and he starts to pick up rocks and swallow them whole as we are walking. I counted three that he swallowed before I could get my hand down his throat.
Two days later I wake up to a pile of vomit on my floor that contained seven rocks, and then three more rocks laying in vomit in his cage. Off to work he goes with me.

Where he stays there for my whole 10 hour shift so that we can monitor that the rocks in his stomach will pass. In the below x-ray you can see that the rocks are lined up in a nice row. They weren't like that in the first x-ray. They were scattered all about in his stomach.
We took a total of seven x-rays that day to make sure that all the rocks would pass with ease.
Leroy is no stranger to the x-ray machine and he does everything that he can to avoid direct eye contact with it when he comes to work with me. Do you know how hard it is to lift a 150 pound dog, who turns into dead weight as soon as you go to lift him onto a table, seven times??

The vet assured me that all the rocks were safely in his colon and would pass with ease.
After 2 days I didn't see the rocks pass so I took him back to the vet and we took another x-ray and low and behold all of these rocks had passed. However, imagine my surprise when there were two NEW rocks in his stomach!!! To say I was a bit pissed off is an understatement, but I was able to determine that since we hadn't walked him in 2 days that he got these new additions to his stomach from our backyard.
I have no idea what is causing him to eat rocks. No idea at all. The term Pica, which is a disorder that involves the consumption of nonfood items, has been thrown around, but I'm not convinced that this is what he has. We have also ruled out medical conditions that may cause him to do such things and he checks out just fine. We are in the process of switching his food to a different protein source to see if maybe his food just isn't working for him. Otherwise I am just at a loss.
We know we have a problem. Figuring out why we have this problem is going to take some more time.
The rocks that Leroy is eating in the backyard are in the soil, not rocks that we have purposely put there, fixing the problem may take even longer. Every time I pick up the rocks, in a few days there are more that surface. If I didn't know any better I would think that Leroy and the rocks are trying to devise a plan to drive me insane. Regardless, Leroy is grounded until further notice.

Three Words. 1 Picture.

2012-01-16T00:02:00.001-05:00

Leroy Eats Rocks.

More on this breaking story tomorrow, and don't worry he is just fine.

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align="center"><a
href="http://www.mybrownnewfies.com" title="My Brown
Newfies"><img
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXIn256AHbY/Trhi0uYkG0I/AAAAAAAAAV8/06Sm33olJaw/s1600/Bloghop.jpg"
alt="My Brown Newfies" style="border:none;"
/></a></div>

Welcome to Monday Mischief Bloghop, the hop that wraps up the weekend!!!

Hope for the 27. A Cleveland Pittie Story

2012-01-13T00:02:00.003-05:00

Let's face it, I am a Newfie person. I am now, and will always be a person who will share their life with a Newfoundland. However, with that being said that doesn't mean that I don't have enough room in my heart for another breed to be passionate about. In fact, I have enough room in my heart to be passionate about any dog, mix or purebred. I think most of us do.

Today we are going to talk about the Pittie in me. I have learned a lot about the Pit Bull over the last few years through blogging and through friends that have graced my life. There are so many people that put their heart and soul into protecting this very misunderstood breed, and one such person is a good friend of mine that I use to work with. She has made it one of her missions in life to do all that she can to help save this breed. She opens her home up to them, she rescues them, she fosters them, she cares for them, she places them into loving homes. She protects the ones that she can.

That is why when she came to me a few days ago and asked me if I would be willing to do a post on a dog case referred to as "Hope for the 27", I told her she need not ask twice.

"Hope for the 27" refers to 27 pit bulls that were removed from a Cleveland, Ohio home last month, where a suspected dog fighting ring was operated.

photo courtesy of fox 8 news

According to Examiner.com the 27 dogs were kept in poor living conditions, living in barrels and boxes, and some of them being restrained by heavy towing chains. While none of them appeared to have any life threatening injuries, some did have deep scars and scratches.

Sixteen of the dogs were thought to be puppies, but after further examination by a vet, they were determined to be very malnourished.

All of the dogs were people friendly and did not appear to have aggression towards each other but a fighting pit was found in the basement along with other items used to train dogs to fight.

While the county prosecutor continues to build a case about the suspect, Cleveland City Kennel employees work to rebuild the trust of these 27 dogs. Many of the dogs were fearful and did not want to walk on a leash, they were more interested in just being held.
As of Wednesday, January 11, two of the dogs remain under veterinarian care, fifteen have been taken into rescue or foster homes, but ten of the dogs still remain at the kennel waiting for more rescues and fosters to come forward. At this point most the local rescues that were able to foster a dog have taken one. The Cleveland Kennel is willing to let the dogs go to out of town rescues as long as they meet the approval requirements and are willing to bring the dog back to Cleveland if the prosecutor should need them to.
A slideshow of the 27 dogs has been made and is ready to be viewed here.

This is Blossom.

Blossom is in my friend's foster home network.
It is likely that she has never been out of a cage and was used as bait.
She is very sweet and has a lot of love to give.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in fostering, kenneling or donating to the care of the "Hope for 27" dogs you can contact Muttleycrue@rocketmail.com or visit here for more information on how you can help.

When I saw my friend the other day and we were talking about the temperament tests that she had performed on some of these dogs, I could see the love and passion in her eyes, I saw the Pittie in her.

Help me spread the word about "Hope for the 27". Share their story.

3 Tips to Cut Down Pet Care Costs. Guest Post

2012-01-12T00:02:00.002-05:00

Today we have a guest post by Eliza Lyttle explaining a few ways that can help some of us out there who may struggle with health care for our pets.

3 tips to cut down pet care costs

Are you having a tough time managing expenses both for your family and your pet? Have you been a victim of the rising costs and have thought of giving away your beloved pooch to the adoption center? Forget such thoughts, since here are few simple ways to help you cut the costs of pet healthcare:

1. 1. Plan ahead for pet checkups - With the rising costs of veterinary healthcare, it is better that you plan ahead in case some medical emergency arises for your pet. It is easier saving on some smaller amount of money every month to pay a hefty bill in the near future. In fact, try to avoid buying costly toys for your pet and invest that money in a saving fund. The latter could come in handy if your pet requires some major treatment sometime later. Of course, this leaves you in a better state of preparedness and also brings in some relief since you know that you have the required amount in hand.

2. 2. Prevention is better than cure - Of course, this age old adage holds true even in the context of pet care today. Instead of simply piling up funds and waiting to spend only if your pet has a major ailment, you could get it checked more regularly. Of course you do not want that big a problem to arise with your dear little pet do you? Get the vaccinations and precautionary medicines on time from a qualified vet.

3. 3. .Be careful about food - Just like you are extra careful about that your baby eats, you must be very careful when it comes to choosing food for your pet. Instead of settling for inexpensive pet food that comes in huge packs, it is better to buy lesser quality at a higher price. Buy a trustworthy brand of pet food since it is always wise to invest in food of a high quality. Since the nutritional value of pet food tends to lower down with the prices, go in for a brand that offers a properly balanced food for your pet.

Summing up

Other than saving for a medical emergency and the like, you can also cut down on pet care costs by avoiding certain high end things like keeping your pet at a pet crèche when you go vacationing. This is an easy way to save expenses. Rather ask a friend or relative to take custody of your beloved pet during the time. Of course, they would love to have your pet at home for some time. Or, another great idea is to find a good wholesale dog supplies store online to save huge bucks.

Thank you for the wonderful and very important guest post Eliza!

Eliza Lyttle is a pet lover and is the owner of two Labradors.