Month: October 2018

Puppies’ First Halloween

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Comic Relief, Deep Thoughts, FamilyLeave a comment
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Halloween 2018

Koda and Summer are experiencing their first Halloween. It is sure to be exciting with the doorbell ringing all evening long. While I will not be bringing them to the front door to greet the little trick-or-treaters, I will put them in their costumes and let them jump up on the puppy gate to watch. Hopefully Koda’s deep barks don’t scare the younger children. He will be dressed up as Superman and Summer as Minnie Mouse. The decisions were based on which dog costumes actually fit their long bodies. As it is Superman is wearing more of a capelet than a cape, and Minnie is sporting a tiny red polka-dotted mini-skirt. I promise to provide pictures. Our house is stocked with assorted chocolate candy bars (miniature of course, no kid needs a full size bar). The front yard is littered with sculls, bones, spiders, and tombstones. Basically whatever was in the large plastic Halloween decoration bins in our attic, I dumped in the mulch bed.

This is a far cry from our celebrations of October 31st in the past. Our family used to go all out in the decorating. We would spend all weekend early in October hanging fake spider webs, rigging up battery operated flying bats, glowing ghosts, and chattering skeleton sculls. My husband even built a coffin to set out on the lawn amidst the scattered tombstones. The night that the kids came trick-or-treating we were actively involved, with fog machine, and scary music blaring from my daughter’s upstairs window. We (the adults) even put on costumes and scared the older kids. Whether it was the gorilla or the ugly troll jumping out from the shrubs the tweens shrieked with fear and delight. Our house in Texas won the coveted garden of the month award for October.

My parents did not decorate our house. As far as I can remember it was just our carved pumpkins that sat outside the front door. But that did not mean my house wasn’t scary to visit on Halloween. On the contrary. To get to our front door you had to walk through iron gates, past a dimly lit garden area, up the brick path until you got close enough. Then you’d hear my dad playing spooky organ music from the dark living room. We may have even placed some weights on different keys, and lit candles, giving the illusion of an invisible ghost playing the eery music.

I loved Halloween, mostly because of the dressing up, but also because of the heavy sack of sugary treats we’d end up with at the end of the night. We never bought costumes at stores. It was always about thinking up some wacky idea, like the year my friends and I dressed as a six pack of coke bottles, which was fun in the school parade. My mom would also sew my costumes, like my cave woman outfit. She fashioned a one shoulder little dress out of cheetah print fabric. The big bummer was that it was cold that night so she made me wear a long sleeve purple leotard underneath. I remember being bugged by that but it didn’t stop my fun as I went trick-or-treating with my friend who was dressed as a tv set. At least I didn’t have the mobility issues she had wearing a box all night. When we got home from gathering candy from neighbors and strangers, we would dump our bags on the carpet and begin the counting and sorting. This then led to the trading with my sisters or friends. The highly coveted candy in our house was the Sugar Daddy. I loved the unwrapped wax lips and fangs, and distinctly remember the flavor and consistency when chewing on them.

Things are so different now. No costume parades at school. Barely any trick-or-treaters come to our door even though I have a large bowl filled with candy. Hardly anyone decorates their houses. My own kids have outgrown this candy collecting holiday, but still enjoy dressing up for work and school. That makes me happy. Finding and dressing the dogs in their costumes has been a real treat for me this year. I laughed so hard, all my myself, as Koda and Summer sat looking at me in their mouse ears. Happy Halloween!

More Aussie or More Poodle?

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Our Aussiedoodles are half and half, austrialian shepherd and standard poodle. Lately I have been wondering which breed they resemble more. I have not thought much about it since I’ve embraced the portmanteau Aussiedoodle. I even attached a sticker to my car that says “Aussiedoodle Mom.”  The combination word rolls off the tongue in a delightful way, and I have had a lot of fun playing with the words and sounds on my blog. But today I am contemplating what about them is aussie and what about them is poodle.

The coat of curls that both Koda and Summer have is definitely poodle. But the extra smooth silkiness may be passed from their aussie mama. Our aussie Dot was gifted with the luxious coat of hair. In winter Dot’s coat thickened up, especially when we moved up to the cold northeast. All Aussie’s shed and this included Dot. Poodles do not shed. From what we can tell so far, Summer and Koda do not shed.

Then there is that picture I posted of the puppies’ father poodle. Koda and Summer have his same long lean body and legs. His poodle head is small and pointy for his large frame. Koda and Summer have fuller faced round heads, more like their aussie mama.  So basically they are physically a true combination of the two breeds, but what about behaviorly?

Aussies are known to be loyal by-your-side dogs. Dot was like this her whole life. She came when I called to her out in the backyard, that is unless she was already following me around. She liked being wherever our family was: the tv room, the kitchen, the outdoor patio, our bedroom, my bathroom… Koda and Summer definitely have this trait. They will be sound asleep next to  me or on the sofa and if I get up to go get a drink of water in the kitchen, they pop up and follow me. They go upstairs with me if I allow them, and if I don’t they lay at the puppy gate just waiting for my return. This drive to stay close to the pack leader (me) is Aussie all the way.

Koda and Summer have shown no aggression or brattiness that some dogs exibit, especially what I have heard about some poodles. These pups are no fuss, eat what I put in their bowls, and are happy to meet new people. I believe the no fuss part is aussie, but the happy to meet new people part is something I question. Dot was nervous and protective around newcomers. Maybe poodles are more social. So that’s a toss up.

Both breeds are known to be smart. Koda and Summer have done very well with their training. They seem to understand even more than what we learned in puppy school (sit, stay, heel, come, climb). These dogs know words like “kisses” which prompts them to lick someone’s face giving kisses. They will go get a ball when I say, “Bring me the ball.”  Now they still get all excited and jump on us when we first get home, but I think that’s the poodle part. Up the street is their poodle friend Otto. He is a real sweetie pie but he jumps all over me when I bring the dogs for a visit. I don’t mind his excitement and affection, but it does make me think the jumping may be a poodle thing.

I am starting to sound like a mother who is wondering who my child got a habit from, it had to be from your father, I don’t do that. The truth is our children are combinations of both mother and father.  Each may take a few more traits from one or the other.  Koda and Summer are not only a mix  from two different dogs with different personalities, but they are two separate breeds. A little aussie and a little poodle make these aussiedoodles. It also comes down to our environment. My daugher said, “happy people have happy dogs.”  I think she may be right.

One last word on this questioning of aussie vs doodle, my husband surprised me with a personalized liscense plates. Finding something that was not yet used was challenging. He tried for letters that got close to “aussiedoodle” but was only able to order this: AUSEEE.  So I guess this sort of tells you which way we think these dogs lean.

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Aussiedoodles

Our Duo of Doodles

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Puppy TalesLeave a comment

It is hard to believe anyone would ever advise against us bringing home two Aussiedoodle puppies. Just today my family was talking about how wonderful the additions of Koda and Summer are to our lives. Each one has his or her own personality, which I will take the time to focus on separately this week in my blog. This pair of puppies gives us so much love and attention, in addition to the affection they express toward one another. Today we took them to get a bath so their furry coats are even softer. They are cuddling more tonight in their fresh smelling black curls. One look at this duo of doodles confirms how right our decision was six months ago!

Snuggle time
Cuddle time

Halloween costumes for the Aussiedoodles

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I had so much fun dressing up Summer and Koda. They both seemed to like it to. They willingly gave me each front paw to squeeze into the leg hole in the costumes. Then they sat and posed for the pictures. Dress ups were always popular in my family with the kids. We have a large accumulation of wigs, superheros, witch dresses, pirate outfits, ghouls, and clown suits. They range in the too small to wear anymore batman suits to the adult size gorilla costume. We like dressing up for spirit days at school, for Halloween, and just for fun. Koda and Summer, once again, have been placed into the right family. They like costumes too!

Costumes on Puppies

Oh, To Be Young Again, Or Just Do a Headstand

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Children, Deep Thoughts, Family1 Comment

Youth is something we covet the older we get. I remember earlier in my life when I would excitedly count down the days until my birthday, and be thrilled about each additional candle on the cake. Then there were the special birthdays: becoming a teenager, the driving age 16, the R rated movie age 17, then adulthood at 18, and the drinking of 21, even the 25th birthday was celebrated with finally being able to rent a car. Then life was about the big milestones like turning 30, 40, and 50, milestones that would not be as welcomed as the excitement of reaching double digits at age 10. Getting older was much more fun as a child with the increased privileges, but now it’s more wrinkles, aches and pains. It is dealing with graying hair or loss of hair. Even more serious, as we age we are faced with health scares, increased risk for heart disease and cancer. Nothing about any of that is fun. So when I say that I covet youth, it means that I am longing for my young body that could do cartwheels on the grass, topple down the stairs on purpose and get up giggling, and a mind that does not forget what I was looking for or what I was about to say. I miss my younger sprite self.

Yesterday this yearning for youth was brought to the forefront of my mind at my weekly tennis match. My partner and I were warming up against our two opponents. One of the ladies was a large 70 year old woman who wore two knee braces. She was friendly and spirited on this cold fall morning. We were hitting groundstrokes, and as she was going for a ball she tripped and fell. It was clear right away that she had badly injured her wrist, but she was also sprawled out and felt pain in her hip. We ended up calling for an ambulance. She broke her hip along with her wrist, and needed surgery. All day long I kept thinking about this friendly 70 year old woman who eagerly took the court on a crisp cool Wednesday morning, excited to play a sport she had played for years, and in one fall had seriously injured herself. I kept thinking about how a ten year old child would bounce back up from a fall like that. Maybe even a thirty year old would only sustain a sprained wrist from braking her fall. But for a 70 year old, landing on the hard surface of a tennis court was simply too much.

I am surrounded every day by youthful energy in these puppies. They run, chase, fall, wrestle and get back up and do it all over again and again. I remember when our 14 year old Aussie Dot would run around our farm on the weekends. She flew across the fields like a 4 year old dog, but her 14 year old body suffered the brunt of that boundless energy. Dot would be limping by the time Sunday rolled around. In her mind, she must have felt like Koda and Summer do, but her aging body just could not keep up. I can relate to that. I did gymnastics as a very young child, I still feel like I could do a cartwheel, a back bend, or even a somersault. But if I tried this at 53 years old, I am sure I would either fail or get hurt. There are some older women that are the exceptions. My mother, who is 78 years old, still teaches yoga, and does inversions (headstands). I’m not exaggerating. She even likes to do inversions. That inspires me and scares me at the same time. She does not run marathons or play tennis anymore, but back bends and headstands, no problem.

Instead of wishing my aging away or stopping activities because I could get hurt, I need to accept the transformation we make as a part of life. But then I need to put forth effort to do all the necessary things I can to prevent injury and extend participation in the things I love. Flexibility, strength, healthy diet, cardio fitness, sunscreen, rest, sleep, brain exercises and preventative medical care can all contribute to a more positive pathway to aging. While cartwheels (or headstands) may never again be in my repertoire, there are other activities that I can enjoy into my later years, tennis is just one. Koda and Summer need long walks and playtime now and for years to come, so I better take care of myself. They, along with the rest of my family, need a healthy Mama Bear.

Size Does Not Matter

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Comic Relief, Puppy TalesLeave a comment

Size does not matter, but somehow I am fixated on the unanticipated large size of Koda and Summer. Maybe it is because there are two of them, or maybe it is because their tiny puppy stage flew by so quickly. Either way I keep thinking about it. Yesterday their Halloween costumes arrived from Amazon. It was only a few days ago that I placed the order, so I know they could not grow any larger in the few days it took for the costumes to arrive. Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large are tough to gage in dogs. In terms of canine apparel, I think of Great Danes as wearing extra large, and Chihuahuas in small. So I ordered Summer and Koda size large costumes. It was a matter of minutes before I had the packages opened and was calling the dogs over to try them on.

Dog costumes are typically worn with the front legs going into two holes, with fabric extending over the dog’s back. I could tell right away that these were both going to be snug, but I still squeezed Summer and Koda into their adorable outfits (which will be reveals in a post closer to Halloween). Ordering them larges was like me grabbing a size 8 when I am really a size 12 (actually who am I kidding, grabbing a 12 when I am really a 14 or 16). Snug fitting small clothing only makes the dogs long and tall body more pronounced.

The size of my dogs may have been a surprise to me because of the picture the breeder gave me of the poodle father. Look closely, he seems pointy nosed and petite for a standard poodle when in the sitting position with the camera angled a certain way. This week I came across another picture of their poodle dad because he fathered another litter and the breeder posted more pictures of Pop. Now I see where they get their long body and legs. Poodle Dad is so big! His head is poodle pointy and petite, but not his body. If you take the round fullness of the Australian Shepherd mom’s head and put it on the large poodle dad’s body, you get Summer and Koda.

Maybe I will finally stop talking about it now that I have solved the “How did they get so big?” question. I love them just the way they are. Long legs to wrap around my shoulders from behind me when I sit on the edge of the sofa to tie my shoes. Tall enough to pop their heads up above the baby gate to greet me. Sometimes they even curl up into a small ball of black fur. Large or small, they are sweethearts. Size does not matter.

Really tall poodle dad
Really tall poodle dad

PuppyGate

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Comic Relief, Puppy TalesLeave a comment

I barely remember the days not so long ago when I had long stretches of time in the day to do whatever I wanted. An afternoon nap, running errands all afternoon, or even just sitting upstairs at my computer as the hours passed. I do not have that luxury anymore. Six months ago that all changed. My days are sectioned into small bits of time divided up by taking the dogs out, feeding the dogs, and walking the dogs. In the early days of puppyhood the segments were short and interrupted with accident clean ups, training practice, and visits to the vet for shots. Now the six month old dogs sleep longer, but need longer walks and sessions of exercise and play in the yard. So my errands I run are timed around the dogs’ schedule, and the only naps I take are when they nap, which is usually when I am upstairs taking care of things that aren’t easy to do with the dogs underfoot (i.e. showering, folding and putting clean laundry away, and just general picking up).

I’ve tried to bring the eager-to-be-with-me-at-all-times puppies upstairs with me. But with new undiscovered territory they usually go running through the bedrooms and long hallway in search of some kind of goodies. Snack wrappers in my son’s room by his computer, unmatched socks in the clean sock pile, contents of small trash cans in bathrooms, sandals, slippers, yoga mat… Whatever it is, it is interesting to them since it’s something from the elusive exciting forbidden area of the upstairs. Baby gates and shut doors have always kept them confined downstairs in the main kitchen-family great room. People disappear upstairs and return, building the curiosity and desire to explore for Summer and Koda. So when I make the hesitant decision to bring them on up with me as I tackle some household chores, I am asking for trouble.

Maybe one day this will change. Our Aussie, Dot, had free reign of the whole house, and would sleep on the floor of our bedroom. She also had her share of treasures she discovered in my older son’s room (like packages of oreo cookies and cereal boxes from his late night snacks). Dot also left us some presents up in the finished attic tv room; perhaps when she just couldn’t hold it when I was gone for too long out of the house. At least she chose a faraway spot to do it. Dot was not given that kind of freedom when she was as young as Koda and Summer, so they too have a ways to go before they are able to roam about the house. This brings me back to the present need to take time to supervise them, let them outside, take them on walks and give them attention. I knew my daytime activity schedule would change with puppies as it did each time we added more babies to our family.

Not that I am complaining, a house with busy puppies is a joy. They dance inside their crates when I come down in the morning, eager to jump all over me and give kisses before running out to the garden to relieve their full bladders. The second anyone in our family enters the kitchen Summer and Koda pop up on the sofa and turn their heads to see who is there, then it’s off to run over and greet them. One of my favorite sights is to see them wait for me to return from retrieving something from upstairs. As soon as they hear my feet coming down the stairs, they rush to the baby-gate and both jump up to see me reappear. They’ve done this since we brought them home. The only change is they are now almost taller than the gate. I’m hoping it continues to support their weight and doesn’t come crashing down. Or those dogs will be running wild through the whole house in search of the upstairs treasures!Puppies at the gate

Hey Shark Tank, How About These Product Ideas?

On By Carolyn FreudenthalIn Comic ReliefLeave a comment

Some of the best products are thought up when people find solutions to common problems. I do not consider myself an inventor or an entrepreneur but I am a solution finder. Lately several things are driving me nuts: wet aussiedoodle beards, mud tracked into the house by the dogs, and accidentally getting dog doo on my hand when I am bagging up poop. Sorry for that last one, yuck! So it got me thinking about what products I would pitch to Shark Tank. Check them out:

The Bandana Bib
Does your doodle dribble water from his beard every time he drinks from his bowl? Then you need to get him the Bandana Bib. It’s a triangular bandana made of super absorbent material and comes in different colors and patterns. Simply tie it around your dog’s neck, then anytime your pooch takes a drink you can easily sop up the hanging wet beard with the Bandana Bib. No more wet floors or wet puppy kisses.

The Paw Dunk a Dunk
Tired of muddy paw trails on your hardwood floors? Having trouble keeping your house clean during those rainy days when the pups still have to go outside? It’s time for your hose to get a Paw Dunk a Dunk. This special invention reduces the amount of dirt and debris tracked into the house. It takes a little bit of training of your dogs to use each time they come through the door, but once they get in the habit, your dogs will insist on clean paws! This 18 by 24 plastic pan is lined with a thick spongelike insert. Fill to the line with clean water and a dash of Paw Dunk a Dunk soap. Each time your pup enters, he will step into the plastic pan, two paws at a time. The Paw Dunk a Dunk Scrubby Dub Mat is sold separately but is a great addition to the Paw Dunk a Dunk. Clean paws mean clean hugs!

Disposable Doody Gloves
No more stinky accidents during pet poop pickups. End the hassle of turning baggies inside out and chancing a bag slip. Just place the Disposable Doody Gloves on both hands, pick up the poops and place in Doody Bags then dispose of it all.  Hands and yard stay clean and fresh smelling! For a little extra, you can also buy the Doody Glove Compartment. This small rectangular plastic rod hangs from your dog leash. On one side it contains the Disposable Doody Gloves and Bags, and the other is an air tight compartment large enough to store two doodies until you get home from your walk or reach a public garbage can. No need to hold onto the bagged warm stinky doody on your walk. It’s safely tucked away in the Doody Glove Compartment hanging from the leash. If you have two dogs you can get the Double Doody Glove Compartment with more storage.