Tag Archives: dog pictures

Dress Up Dogs

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When Gertie was just a puppy, I struck a deal with her that I would only dress her up once per year. So while I have admired the many adorable canine Halloween costumes I’ve seen floating around the web since Monday (I have listed some of my favorites below), I did not put Gertie or Duke in costume. (Full disclosure: I was actually out of town on Halloween, and Tom did put scarves on the dogs for some reason. I’ll add pictures later.)

Though I know dogs feel uncomfortable and sometimes stressed when dressed up, I also can’t help but coo and laugh at how cute they look in their duds! I think it’s ok to dress up a dog for just a short time, as long as the costume isn’t painful or especially uncomfortable. Check out A Belle, A Bean, A Chicago Dog’s post featuring her adorable Sea Creature Crew (kids and dogs), as well as Kissbeep’s rundown of cute canines in costumes. My favorite costume, however, has to be the Bob the Builder bulldog, whose picture headlined my post from Monday: A No Dog Howl-o-Ween.

While all of the above dogs looked festive on Halloween, I save my one day of doggie dress-up for our annual holiday card, in which Duke will get to participate this year (I’m sure he will be thrilled). I don’t think the photos in these cards accurately depict Gertie’s personality, since she’s so put out that she’s dressed up she can barely stand it. But I do think they’re pretty funny (if I do say so myself).

2008–The year that started it all:

About 10 days before we had these pictures taken, Gertie underwent surgery to remove two large cysts from her head. She was well-healed when we did the pictures, but she still had a large square shaved into her head. So, she had to wear the Santa hat (though you can still see the shaved patch in one picture). Gertie is a very sweet dog, but it probably took all her will to resist biting the back of my neck in the first picture because she hated that sweater. Notice that she’s not wearing it in the second picture–we’re not that mean!

2009–Oops, we missed Christmas!

The look on Gertie’s face in the middle picture doesn’t actually suggest warm wishes (or warm-up wishes).

2010–Continuing the tradition

Gertie is wearing a vest in the top left picture, though it was so big it looks more like a cape. I like how she’s looking at us like we’re crazy in the largest picture. She’s probably right.

2011–Wait and see!

We have already planned our theme for our 2011 holiday card, though we have to collect all the props to make it work. We also have to figure out where we’ll get the pictures taken since the place we’ve gone the past three years has closed. We may try to take the pictures ourselves. Is that a crazy notion? Can we get a good picture of two dogs and two people using the timer on my camera? Stay tuned to find out!

Do you include your dog(s) in your holiday card? How do you feel about dressing up your dog(s)?

By the way, check out this new event in Eastern Iowa: Iowa Humane Alliance Community Mosaic Art Project, Thursday, November 17. For information about dog-related events in Iowa (and the Midwest), check the DoggiEvents page. You can also find links to read about past events.

Snoozing Brain and Snoring Dogs

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My brain is slumbering right along with the dogs tonight. I have tried, and failed, to write two different posts this evening. I start to write and just end up staring blankly at the screen, my fingers not tapping the keys, and the snores of the dogs taking over as the only sound in the room. They’re subjects that I would like to give my full attention and infuse with creative energy, so I’m holding off until I can truly think. I’ll take this cold-and-sleep-deprivation-induced opportunity to let you know that I’m still alive and make a few quick points, as well as share some pictures that I’ve been meaning to post.

  • Bushy Tail Bakery–You can now find their treats at Pawsitive Paws Academy in Cedar Rapids (137 30th St Dr SE) and at Tails A Wagg’n (210 41st Ave DR SW), also in Cedar Rapids. Lea Taplin, who owns and runs Bushy Tail, is also considering becoming a vendor with Iowa Valley Food Coop.
  • CR AniMeals–I like the sounds of this organization because they help animals and their people. They provide food for animals of the elderly, disabled, and other disadvantaged people who can’t afford pet food–it’s basically a “Meals on Wheels” for animals. I’m going to contact them about volunteering (I’ve been meaning to do this for a while–funny how things just keep getting dropped from the to-do list). Has anyone volunteered with an organization like this before?
  • Steps to Ending Puppy Mills Update–A reader (Laurie) noted in a comment to my post Toronto vs. Puppy Mills that Jack’s Pets, a large pet store chain in the Midwest, will no longer be selling puppies. I was not familiar with Jack’s, but I looked into the story a bit, and they have stores in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Read more here (at the link Laurie provided to the ASPCA page) about their decision to stop selling puppies in all stores and to partner with the ASPCA for in-store pet adoptions.

And now for some doggie photos. In Dog Toe Bouqets and Other Dog Blog-Inspired Musings, I posted my upside down pictures of Gertie. But when I went to upload the upside down pics of Duke, I realized I didn’t have any. So here are a couple:

Well, half of him is upside down.

Ok, he's not exactly upside down in this picture, but the photo does have the same jowl + gravity effect of many of the pictures on Upside Down Dogs.

I’ve been meaning to post the next pictures in a “Wordless Wednesday” or “Silent Sunday” type of post, but when I go to the trouble of creating a post, I find that I want to say something. So since I haven’t fit them into any other posts, here they are. The subjects are Gertie, my mom, and my niece Ella.

This is how we pet a dog.

Got it! I LIKE petting this dog.

Anyone have any other news about dogs?

Weekend Dogs and College Dogs

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This weekend we traveled sans dogs. Tom and I went to homecoming at our alma mater, Knox College, while Gertie and Duke enjoyed a weekend in Dubuque. We are so lucky that both sets of dog “grandparents” are willing to, and enthusiastic about, take care of our babies. Terri, my mother-in-law, even picked them up in what they must have considered a rolling apartment (a large conversion van). Gertie staked out her spot on the bench in the back, relieved that Duke wouldn’t be shoving her face into the window on this trip.

I satisfied my need for almost constant canine companionship by meeting lots of dogs at Knox. I’ve never seen so many dogs on campus, and it was a welcome surprise.

I spotted this Westie from inside the campus restaurant, so I went right out to meet him. He was more interested in chasing a napkin than having his picture taken, but I got a few shots:

Then I saw Lily, who had traveled to Illinois all the way from Pennsylvania (but she let her parents do the driving):

I met several dogs at the football game. Sophie and her sister, both goldendoodles, were wearing bright purple Knox jerseys, looking very festive. Unfortunately, I didn’t get pictures of them. I did get a shot of two other goldendoodles (at least I think that’s what they were):

I also saw a beagle and a spaniel. It was funny to see all these dogs because I had noticed a sign posted on the fence outside the field that prohibited all animals. I’m glad that the people in charge chose to look away. Having dogs there added to the festive atmosphere, and they were all very well behaved.

Of course, I still thought about Gertie and Duke, especially when we went to the bookstore. So here are the dogs with their homecoming gifts that were really gifts for us:

While we missed our pups, we knew they were having a fun weekend. They ran in the yard with Joseph, the springer spaniel, cuddled with Grandma on the couch, and even got to sleep in the bed! Then they came home to us in the rolling apartment today and have been snoozing pretty much ever since. Ah, the weekend.

Who watches your dogs when you’re away?