WiggleButt Wednesday

For WiggleButt Wednesday, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pictures from this past year. 

This was taken from this past Easter. Since we were on a blogging hiatus at the time, I thought I'd share the cuteness now! :)

Ranger & Mykelti

All three senior kitties are doing well too.

The Aussies share the same birthday, exactly one year apart, January 27th. This was taken on Ranger's 4th & Mykelti's 3rd birthdays. 

Best buddies! 

Ranger and his girlfriend...

True story, my dog has a girlfriend. Ranger is a canine Casanova! When he's not hanging out at home with our own girls, he likes to hang out with the girl pups at our training facility. The dog that has always "had his heart" though is our friend's dog, Liebchen. (Isn't she gorgeous?! She's a long haired German Shepherd.) Ranger and Liebchen have been training together since they were puppies. Their birthdays are in the same week, and both are three years old now. I am so grateful that I have such an amazing friendship with her family (they're awesome!), and that Ranger and Liebchen get along so well! It's a lot of fun getting to see them interact not only in a training setting, but also when they play on Liebchen's farm together and run around with the horses there. 

Here they are riding in the car on the way to Novice on Monday night.

(Novice is a step-up from Advanced Obedience, and helps to garner their focus in the show ring, or in a therapy setting. Ranger is a registered therapy dog, and his Liebchen is a sweet therapy dog-in-training. They are the best of friends!) 

 Happy pups enjoying their car ride together!

Are we there yet? We're ready to train!

Ten Things Tuesday

1. It's the simple things in life: cup of tea, a good laugh, nice company, funny movie, my puppies, so on....that make me really happy!

I took these tonight. Aren't they cuties?!
Mykelti, Rosie, and Ranger

2. I'm currently burning Candles by Victoria's "Cinnamon Gingerbread Latte" candle. It smells amazing! I plan to do a "wax review" video on it soon.

3. Hair clips are bad hair day saviors!

4. My dogs enjoy chasing the laser pointer more than my cats. It's so funny to watch them bounding around the house trying to chase after the little red light that they think is a bug!

5. When I went to the doctor yesterday, the receptionist called out a lady with the exact same name as my sister. So of course, I stood up and looked around for my sister, only to realize the lady just coincidentally had the same name as her. (Slightly embarrassing!)

6. I'm obsessed with Harney & Son's Hot Cinnamon Tea! I highly recommend it to all of you out there who adore tea as much as I do! 

(You can pick it up in the cafe section of Barnes & Noble bookstores.)

7. Today I got fitted for braces for both of my wrists. I'm supposed to wear them when I sleep and during the day. Apparently, my immune system is attacking my nerve endings in a rather painful way, so having braces on my wrists might help a bit. We shall see if they're worth the annoyance! 

8. I love quirky, whimsical coffee mugs! I'm planning on doing a video/blog post soon to show you all some of my very favorite ones. 

9. After a lot of tears and soul-searching, I've decided that I would rather keep my friends few and genuine, than have unnecessary fake, toxic friendships that do not add to the quality, joy, and happiness of my life. It's a tough lesson to learn, and even harder to cut the metaphoric string when you care about someone. When they continually cause you more grief than happiness though, it is  the right thing to do when you really look at the big picture. True friendship is not selfish. It should add joy and happiness to your life. A true friend should be there to be build you up out of love and care, not cause you misery. Life is just too short for drama. The older I become, the more I've discovered that I'd just rather not have any, nor associate myself with it. On that same note, I've also grown to appreciate and cherish the sincere, amazing friendships that I do have. They're such wonderful blessings in my life! 

10. Am I the only person out there who is absolutely going crazy to see the movie, "Warm Bodies"? I think it looks adorable! The previews remind me a bit of the, "My Boyfriend's Back" movie that came out in the 90's.

Three Dog Night

A Three Dog Night is a term coined by Inuit & Ranchers (origins are a bit sketchy on who coined the phrase first.)  who were working out on the range/etc and would need to sleep with their dogs at night to keep warm when the temperature dropped. A one dog night was chilly, a two dog night, cold, and a three dog night....well, REALLY cold! Ergo, the expression developed into something along the lines of, "Last night was so cold, it was a Three Dog Night!". After all, what's better on a cool night to keep you toasty other than three fluffy, happy dogs on your bed to keep you warm? Nothing! Even the band, "Three Dog Night" named themselves after the expression! Since the temperatures have dipped a bit around here lately, I can definitely relate, seeing as I have three fluffy, friendly puppies that just LOVE to share the bed and keep me warm at night when they're allowed up lol... 

This looks familiar. ;)

It's apparently a "Three Dog Night" at my home tonight! My dogs were also kind enough to offer a complimentary linen turn-down service while I was in the shower. Isn't they way they re-arranged my bed just lovely lol?

I love how they smile like they're so proud of themselves for being up there! 

PetFlow's "Spoiled Rotten Box" - Reviews!

I was recently contacted by PetFlow to see if I was interested in sampling items in their new monthly subscription service for dogs, the "Spoiled Rotten Box". I'm quite happy that I took them up on the offer! After taking the time to research each item and let my dogs test them out, I was very pleased with the quality of the products chosen for their box, as well as the customer service. The "Spoiled Rotten Box" is $24.99 a month, and they have a box for dogs and box for cats, which I think is a nice since I own both. The products included in each box add up to around a $40 value, and I appreciated that the ones included in this box were made in the US. 

I wanted to make sure that the dogs and I both had a chance to really review the quality of the products, so I decided to do four mini-reviews that go into more details on the specific items. I've linked all of the videos below for those of you who are interested in ordering a "Spoiled Rotten Box" for your furbaby! Their website is: http://www.petflow.com/spoiled

Items included in the November "Spoiled Rotten Box":

-Etta Says Roasted Duck Meat Treat for Dogs

-RoadRageous Seth th Skunk Toy

-Nuts for Knots Dog Toy

-Waggers "My Little Wolf" Turkey Treats

-Pure Love Sweet Pea Ear Cleanse

-Lickety Stik Braised Liver Lickable Dog Treat

-Merrick Natural Beef Dog Chews

-John Paul Pet Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dogs

REVIEWS

Spoiled Rotten Box by PetFlow (November 2012)

Tutorial: John Paul Pet Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dogs (SpoiledRotten Box product review)

Mini-Review: RoadRageous Seth the Skunk Toy & Nuts for Knots Rope Dog Toy (SpoiledRottenBox)

Treat Review: Waggers, Etta Says, Merrick, Lickety Stik (Spoiled Rotten Box)

Tutorial/Review: Pure Love Sweet Pea Ear Cleanse for dogs and cats (SpoiledRotten Box)

Ten Things Tuesday

1. Today's was my Granny's 88th birthday! I had such a terrific time celebrating with her. She is such a wonderful blessing in my life! (I need to post pictures soon.)

2. Current CD in my car's player: Otis Redding

3. I absolutely LOVE that my gym has little TVs on every single piece of exercise equipment. I think it's terrific that you can plug your ear buds in and you have instant entertainment while you work out! So fun!

4. My cat Lucky, hasn't been feeling so "lucky" lately. Please keep the sweet fella in your prayers. He's around 15 years old now and in CRF, which means I might have to make a pretty tough decision soon if he continues to decline. He is such a sweet, sweet boy; I'm hoping he hangs in there a while longer and improves.

5. Rosie, the puppy is now bigger than Mykelti! She grew up like a little weed.

6. Tomorrow, my mom and I are planning to make the most fabulous diaper cake for my niece's upcoming baby shower! We found so many cute ideas on Pinterest!

7. I really need to get my hair done soon! I'm a firm believer that nothing makes a woman feel much more terrific than a great trip to the salon to lift her spirits a bit! :)

8. I got my flu shot yesterday. If you haven't had yours yet, consider going to get it done, especially if you live with or care for people with compromised immune systems. It protects against three strains of flu.

9. Currently reading: "The Eleventh Plague". It's pretty good so far; I will do a literature review on it once I've finished the book up. So far, it reminds me a bit of the TV series, "Revolution".

10. I am proud that it was announced the candidate I voted for just won another term (according to the electoral college votes thus far anyways). (Keep in mind that I am a Centrist.)  I voted early last week, but prior to that I took quite a bit of time to devote to researching all of the candidates that were playing a role in this election. Not only did I study up on their views, voting records, and such, I also felt it was important to pray for each of them, that God would guide whomever was in a position of leadership in our country. So, my prayer tonight (and for the next four years and onward) is that God blesses and guides our leaders at local, state, and presidential levels. I pray God blesses our nation and everyone works together to make this a prosperous and thriving nation. Whether or not you voted for or agree with the candidates who won in all of the elections, if you are a believer, I do hope that you will take the time to pray for the future of your country and the leaders who are working to  guide our future as a nation. 

Pit Bulls Defy Stereotypes By Saving Lives (Thank you Action News 5 for a POSITIVE story!)

I dedicate today's blog post to my beloved Pit Bull x, Macy. My precious girl passed away in my arms back in April. When I adopted her, I knew our time would be short; she was in end-stage heart failure.  That did not stop sweet Macy from completely stealing my heart, and the love of all of those around her! I had an incredible year and a half with Macy before her heart gave out. During that time, Macy displayed more than a lifetime's worth of love and affection towards myself and everyone that she met. She was an AMAZING advocate for Pit Bull x's everywhere! I am happy to say that during her short life, Macy changed quite a few people to understand that Pit Bulls are incredible, intelligent, loving dogs. Not only was she a gentle, calm girl, she was also extremely intelligent and earned top honors from every single Obedience class she trained in. I couldn't have been blessed with a more wonderful girl! 

Well done, sweet Macy; you are dearly missed!

This picture was taken on Macy's very first "Gotcha Day" 

(I didn't know her birthday, so I celebrated the day I brought her home...8-28-10.)

It's about time we see a news station run a POSITIVE story on these amazing dogs! Thank you Action News 5! Hopefully we will continue to hear positive stories like the one below, rather than constant negativity and misinformation. My Macy w

as an incredible, gentle advocate for her breed when she alive; Pit Bulls are incredible! Stories like the one below are why it's so important for responsible pet owners to work hard to train/socialize their dogs, and prove the negative stereotypes wrong! Owners please: be a good advocate for your breed(s), so that we continue to see more positive stories like this one below! 

(Click the link below to watch the video/read the article)

Pit Bulls defy stereotypes by saving lives!

Get your hair did! (My dogs are obsessed with the blow dryer!)

I thought this post would be appropriate since I'm going to get my hair done later today! The sweet girl I normally go to was booked solid when I called their salon well over a week and a half ago trying to make an appointment. So, I decided to try out another salon my friend recommended, that is actually closer to me! Please say a little prayer that they do a good job! (I just want more highlights and my layers redone...nothing crazy). I'm always a little bit leery about letting new people touch my hair, so I'm hoping this goes well! (My friend's hair always looks amazing, so I trust her recommendation!) 

Why did I want that appointment so badly? Well you see, my birthday is on Sunday. Even if I can't do a darn thing about getting older, I can still make sure I look nice! I refuse...REFUSE to turn 27 (ahh I feel ancient) looking anything less than fabulous! I truly believe that women should be classy and beautiful at all stages of their lives! I don't know about you lovelies, but one thing that always makes me feel beautiful and happy is getting my hair done once in a while! 

There are several other members of my family that also LOVE getting their hair done too: My Australian Shepherds. Yeah, you read that correctly....my dogs are FREAKS lol! They LOVE bath time, they LOVE hair dryers, they LOVE getting their fur brushed....Love it! (Ranger even enjoys having his nails trimmed and dremmeled smooth! (Mykelti has ticklish feet, so that's the only grooming thing she despises...even the new puppy is better about having her nails done!) Ranger and Mykelti always come running up to me anytime they hear me break out the hairdryer to style my hair....they LOVE the hairdryer! Mykelti is especially enamored with the hair dryer and will pester me incessantly until I blow dry her fur too! (She does the same thing with lip gloss, body spray, makeup, and so on. Anything that I, she wants to be right in the middle of the action too! If I put something on, she hounds me until I let her see it or put a pinch on her. She's such a little ham! I know she's a dog, but if it's possible for a dog to be a "girly girl", Mykelti is one!) Even Rosie is now showing interest in the hair dryer since she's seen how into it the Aussies are lol. 

Here are two video clips of my weird dogs and just how enthusiastic they are about hair dryers!

(The song starts off a little loud, but listen closely to the lyrics: Hilarious!)

Ranger equally enjoys the hair dryer! I've linked a video below of him being goofy while I was grooming him before a therapy visit. I'm not sure why my Aussies enjoy the hair dryer so much, but it definitely makes life easier on me when it comes time to groom them for therapy visits and special events! Rosie seems to be following in their footsteps too...hopefully she will be an easy dog to groom as well! :) 

Here's the link to Ranger's video- He's such a goofball!

BarkBox Review!! (July 2012)

It's time for another BarkBox review from Ranger, Mykelti, and Rosie! :)
(Want a BarkBox for your dog(s)? visit www.barkbox.com and use promo code: LYGRE005 to save $5 off of your first order!)





The dogs also did a more in depth review on two of the items in this month's BarkBox: the "IncrediBubbles" and the "YumZies" treats! Watch the video below to see their stealth bubble-popping skills! ;)

Please pray for Elicia and her dogs: Horrible Accident!

Please, say a prayer for Elicia Calhoun and her dogs tonight. Elicia was returning home yesterday morning from an Agility competition in Texas, when exhaustion set in and she feel asleep. Her car was in a  wreck with an 18-wheeler that flipped her SUV over several times, and immediately ejected all of her dogs from her vehicle. She had six of her beloved dogs with her at the time; two are dead (her thirteen-week old puppy died on impact, and her beloved Australian Shepherd was found dead after a car hit it. Three other dogs are injured and receiving veterinary care, and her Border Collie, Tobie, is still missing. Elicia checked herself out of  the hospital early with a punctured lung to go out and look for her lost pup. Please pray for her health, the recovering dogs, the ones she lost, and that they find Tobie safe and sound!

The Video Coverage

Facebook Page

News Story


If you or someone you know lives near Wilcox, AZ...please keep an eye out for Tobie!

Please, please pray for them. I know her heart is aching tonight. My dogs train in agility just like hers. They are not just working dogs; they are there for my every up and down. They are there to kiss my tears away. There to make me smile and laugh. They are the most beloved, gentle creatures I've ever been blessed to be around: They are my family! I know Elicia feels the same way about her beloved dogs; those are her babies! Please pray for her as she grieves the loss of two of her dogs, aids in the recovery of her surviving dogs, and searches for Tobie. I can not fathom how devastated she is tonight. I travel with my dogs several times a week; you just never expect something like this to happen. The facebook page I linked above has been staying updated with the latest news. If they do not find Tobie tonight, they will be sending helicopters out in the morning to look for her. Please pray Tobie is found safely!


If you have a pet that you take in your vehicle with you, please make sure you go out of your way to ensure it's safely contained in your vehicle. You are your pets advocate; they can not buckle themselves in and ensure that you are a safe driver. It is your responsibility to look out for them! This also includes mircrochipping them, and making sure they are wearing updated ID tags at all times, should they ever escape. My dogs all have safety harnesses that buckle into the seat belts in my car.(If you're local, you can purchase those at Hollywood Feed). I never start my car before buckling them in! (My car is too tiny for a crate, so my dogs wear safety harnesses. If you have a van/SUV, an aluminum crate or an airplane approved, thick plastic crate wouldbe the most safe option you can put your dog in while traveling; please add an ID card to the top of each crate and tape it so that all of yours and your pets information is there should you ever get into a wreck. Metal crates can fall apart, and even impale a dog with the right force during a crash. If you must use one, please strap it down securely and make sure it is as far back from the rear window as possible. I would even put a crate cover over it to protect from flying glass/debris. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart; they are used in my kennel room for my dogs when I crate them at home, but they would be perfect for transport. They have three sides that are canvas and the front has a roll down clear plastic sheet; that'd be perfect for car transport if you have to use a metal crate. I will be doing an entire post on traveling with your pets/safety soon!)