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outings / photos — No Comments
13
Feb 11

A Hike in Marin

On Saturday we took Ada on an 8-mile hike in the Marin Headlands (an area that may become closed to dogs if the GGNRA’s proposed changes go through).

The weather was perfect and the views spectacular.

Despite the steep ups and downs...

Ada did really well.

(Except one particularly intense section when Dan gave her a lift.)

The Marin Headlands is one of few areas near San Francisco where you can take a hike with your dog. A few trails even allow dogs to walk off-leash if they are under voice control (which is a much more comfortable and relaxed way to hike since you won’t be constantly tripping over a tangled leash).

During our hike we passed by about a dozen other dogs on the trail. Unsurprisingly, ALL of them were politely trotting along a step of two behind their humans. I didn’t see one canine that was threatening the environment or anyone’s enjoyment of it. When this is the situation a vast majority of the time, it just doesn’t make sense why the GGNRA thinks dog-access needs to be restricted.

A Weekend with Petra

While Dan and I hit the slopes, Ada spent the weekend with our friend Petra, who was so kind to send us many cute photo updates.

in the car.

at work.

in the photo booth. (Looks like we need to brush Ada's teeth more often!)

on a pee pad. (Apparently she has forgotten what those are for...)

in camouflage.

in a comfortable position?

Needlesstosay, we were pretty excited to get these cute updates throughout the weekend. Thanks Petra!

photos / sleeping — No Comments
18
Dec 10

Nugget Dog

There is something I love so much about how Ada sleeps curled up like a little nugget when the weather gets cold.

And I especially love that she’s cuddled up with Dan’s hat.

I just want to jump in and snuggle my nose right under that ear. Must resist!

Oops I woke her up!

I guess she’s still pretty cute when she’s awake. Snuggle time!

outings / photos / playing — No Comments
15
Dec 10

Snow Pup

An unseasonal snowstorm in Seattle meant Ada got to play in the snow for the first time over Thanksgiving.

I expected her to dislike it since she hates getting wet.

But to my surprise, she loved it.

photos / random — No Comments
2
Nov 10

Vote!

Ada will be really sad if you forget to vote.

outings / photos / training — No Comments
1
Oct 10

(Not Quite An) Agility Pup

For my birthday Dan got me two lessons with Kathleen of Heart Dog Agility and an overnight in the Santa Cruz Hilton.

Princess Ada could get used to this.

We had lessons with Kathleen on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Since Ada is just a beginner so we just learned some basics including how to effectively train using a clicker.

We started off with Target Training which helps Ada learn to interact with her environment to get a reward.

Ada gets a treat for touching the target with her nose.

Ada gets a treat for walking to and then touching the target.

Then I had to get her to stand in a box without luring or gesturing. She just had to try things and see what would be rewarded.

First she gets a treat just for touching the box.

Next she gets a treat for stepping into the box.

Finally she gets a jackpot (3 or 4 treats) for standing all feet in the box.

We finished off with Kathleen helping Ada overcome her fear of walking through a tube.

Ada weighs her fear of the tube against the deliciousness of hot dog.

Although Ada has a long way to go before she’s an agility champ, I think we’re all excited to learn more and it was terrifically fun. What a great birthday!

UPDATE: Something to aspire to: National Finals Small Dog Agility Course (video) and National Finals Large Dog Agility Course (video)

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14
Sep 10

Pupcake

I like to cook. Ada doesn’t like kibble.

And here we have pupcake.

Yes, I know I’m spoiling her. But it actually costs less than some high quality wet food and takes less time than driving to our local pet food store. And this is only about half of what she eats in a day – the rest is kibble and duck treats.

Ada’s Pupcakes

The recipe originally came from another dog owner who said she got it from her vet. Her recipe called for baking it in two loaf pans for 60 minutes, cutting it into slices, wrapping the slices in foil, and freezing. Cupcakes are much faster and easier.

1/4 lb chicken liver cut into dime-size chunks

1 1/4 lb ground turkey (dark thigh meat if you can find it)

2 eggs

1 lb chopped spinach (frozen is ok if you thaw it)

2 carrots, grated (about 1/2 lb)

1 cup + 2 Tbsp rolled oats

1 Tbsp multi vitamin powder

2 tsp calcium powder

Preheat oven to 350. Put 14 foil cupcake wrappers in cupcake tins.

Mix all ingredients with your hands. Grab a large handful of the mixture and form it into a ball and plop it in a cupcake wrapper. Repeat to fill 14 wrappers. (The mixture should divide evenly into the 14 wrappers and they don’t rise or shink in baking if that gives you an idea of the size.)

Bake for 35 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack. Once cool, put a few in a tupperware in the fridge (they are safe to keep in the refrigerator for 3 days) and put the rest in a ziplock bag in the freezer (move to fridge to thaw ~24 hrs before serving).

Remove wrapper before serving.

**I am not a vet nor a nutritionist. Please consult your vet before changing your dogs diet.**

naughty / photos / playing — No Comments
10
Sep 10

Ada the Ripper (and Tearer)

I’ve mentioned Ada’s destructo-tendencies once or twice before. It’s probably a bit harsh to compare her to a serial killer*, but a serial toy destroyer she certainly is!

Here we find a common scene: