Happy 29th Birthday, Chewie's Daddy

| Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Chewie's family sent this to wish daddy a happy birthday

From left to right: Big sis Maddy, mom Tara (she was shaved recently), brother Sylar, step-brother Jeffers, and dad Reagan
From left to right: Tara, Jeffers, Sylar, Maddy, Reagan

More old pictures of my little guy

| Tuesday, April 29, 2008


Holden and Finnegan

| Sunday, April 27, 2008

This is baby Holden, Chewie's older brother from the first litter, as a puppy.
So cute!

My best friend's Golden, Finnegan.
(I got a semi-fisheye lens)

More old school Chewie

| Saturday, April 26, 2008

Look at this fuzzy bunny. This was his first day home.

Odinn-the adorable toy rescue

| Friday, April 25, 2008

This adorable black-tri, a rescue belonging to a MARS volunteer. She says he has the sweetest disposition ever. I he is just perfect and looks as sweet as his mom says he is. Because of foreclosures and various natural disasters, MARS is looking for volunteers to foster Minis. There are also a lot of dogs in California looking for forever homes. We may get to foster a lil pup, or at least we hope we get to!

Lolo

| Thursday, April 24, 2008

This is Lolo, Chewie's sister (is it me or does she look so much more adult than my Chewster?). Lolo lives in Maine where she gets to help collect maple syrup. Apparently she too is an ice lover!

More squirmy little Chewie pics

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This is Chewie mere minutes after being born, with his mom, Tara.
Chewie with his gorgeous dad, Reagan.

Back by popular demand! More baby Chewie!

| Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Newborn Chewie!
Check out those little pink paw pads!
Sylar and Emma holding paws, and yes, that is them again touching foreheads above.
More from the 5 week visit: look how big his white spot was
Chewie and Sylar: Partners in fuzzybutts

Buying a puppy and avoiding puppy mills

| Monday, April 21, 2008

I don't normally write a lot here, but without my Chewie I figured it was time I addressed this topic. Deciding to get a dog is a big step; when you bring a pup into your life you are committing upwards of ten years to another living being so it shouldn't be taken lightly. If you have the experience and the ability, getting a dog from a shelter or a rescue organization is the most socially responsible thing to do. MARS, the Miniature Aussie Rescue and Support has information about Mini Aussie rescues across the country, and petfinder.com can help you find any kind of dog, of any age, anywhere. Of course, the downside is that these dogs can sometimes come with baggage, but the majority of shelters are very good about describing what owner would be best for each dog. Nonetheless, as Cesar Milan says, dogs live in the now, and a little love and patience can go a long way.

However, if you are like me, and just absolutely need to have a puppy, then it is imperative to make sure that you go to a reputable breeder to avoid helping the advancement of a puppy mill. The reason I got a Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy was because, 1) I hadn't had a dog in over 25 years and I wanted to have the whole experience, and 2) when I saw my first mini Aussie puppy, I knew that was the breed we had to have, and I wanted my own fuzzball! Getting a puppy is a lot of work. There is all the peeing and pooping and getting up 3 times a night, not to mention how hard it is to crate-train when your lil guy or gal is whining or crying. If you still want a puppy, then the first thing is to find breeders. Unfortunately, there are disreputable mini Aussie breeders in Virginia and North Carolina. The trick is to find the breeder before you find the puppy. A good breeder will ask a lot of questions about you, your home and your activity levels. A good breeder will also show you the facilities where she raises her dogs, and the puppies should live inside with the dam. The breeder should be very knowledgeable about the breed, as should you. You, as the buyer should ask about the dam and sire's hips and eyes, and make sure the contract you sign has a health guarantee of at least 2 years. The breeder should also have contact with past buyers and be willing to give you references. No reputable breeder will let you have the puppy before 8 weeks of age, and the breeder should want to be apprised of veterinary care given once the puppy goes home with you. Lastly, never ever buy a dog from a pet store. While you may feel like you are rescuing the dog, you are encouraging puppy mills to produce more puppies.

If you are interested in avoiding the mini Aussie puppy mills in the mid-atlantic region, or finding good breeders, please contact me.

Post 101-Itty Bitty Chewie

| Sunday, April 20, 2008

These are from our visit to meet Chewie. I want another!


Chewie leaves for boarding school :(

| Saturday, April 19, 2008

One last game of fetch with mommy.

Cute in the car

Smelling the hamlette and cheesy tots

Checking out daddy's croissanwich

No idea he's about to be left behind for 2 weeks :(
Chewie should come back knowing how to heel, halt, wait, go to spot and having perfected his sit/stay and down/stay. In the meantime if anyone has cute pics for me to feature let me know in the comments or send me a link. Otherwise I'll be posting cute picture I had not featured before as I cry a river into my keyboard.

The last night before Chewie went to boarding school

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Giardia and lost tooth!

| Thursday, April 17, 2008

This is the first tooth we have found, although he has already lost most of them.


The Sickbed of Cuchewie*

| Wednesday, April 16, 2008

*If you don't get the reference, click here and here.

Today we got an alarming call from the dogwalker that Chewie was sick, had di-di and was vomiting. Like two rational adults we immediately left work, caught a cab (screw the Pope, our baby's sick!) and ran home to take him to the vet. The poor little guy has a parasite called Giardia, probably because he is very indiscriminate about where he puts his tongue.

Chewie awaits his diagnosis
On his new bed, being sorta sick

Such a cute sleeper

What gorgeous eyes.

The Alexandria Hotel Monaco Doggie Happy Hour

| Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Today we went to the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria for their bi-weekly Doggie Happy Hour. All Kimpton Hotels allow dogs and in the summer the Hotel Helix will host Doggie Happy Hour on Wednesdays. We love the Kimpton chain and can't wait to take Chewie on our next visit to one of these hotels. Chewie looked gorgeous. The drinks were yummy. A good time was had by all.

And yes, someone brought Rika the pig.

With Riley the Maltese

| Monday, April 14, 2008


Handsome!

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Five and a half months

Saturday Play

| Saturday, April 12, 2008

A trip to the firehouse inauguration

Met Dizzy the German Shepherd

Did a little gardening

Day in the life

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A little work
A little play

A little awkward sleeping

From the fabulous fail dogs

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From www.faildogs.com
Chewie would have shredded that pacifier.

Fun on the walk

| Thursday, April 10, 2008

Really ready for this walk
On the walk
Dewey is already licking his chops at the thought of Chewie's delicious fur; Wally prepares to get in on the action
Who said Chewie was a dominant pup?

This is how Chewie gets so wet!
Jonaki, Chewie, Dewey, and Wally