Bully in Internetland

You can now see videos of the bullies, Boss and Daisy, on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/lissahoop



Also, I have found a few helpful sites having to do with music for pets. I used to have special music that soothed Boss, but Daisy seems to tend towards classical music and Boss liked Enya and other calming sounds when he was a puppy.

First is http://www.welovepets.com/dogradio.html
Then a little different is: http://dogcatradio.com/
This is good for humans too: http://www.soundsleeping.com/

Daisy really likes this one Dvorak CD, so we have been listening to it over and over--she likes the familiar sounds. It is soothing me as well....now, if I can find music to help me focus AND calm the dogs...then I will be set...

Bully in a Bath

Boss never takes bathes voluntarily--not since he figured out that soap was involved and it wasn't at all like hanging out in the wading pool. He will get in the bath, but grudgingly and he resists getting his face washed and jumps out --with suds and all if I let him--and runs around manic-like to get dry if I don't contain him in his crate. I have given Daisy a bath, but assumed she would find the process as irritating as Boss does. So, I let Daisy in the bathroom when I was taking a bath, didn't think anything as she tried to drink some water and get bubbles on her face in a cute way--Boss like bathwater too. Then, like a stealth overweight seal she slid into the bath before I could stop her. I didn't intend to bathe her at this point, but I got out and used the opportunity to clean her, soap and all--and she was fine with it. Afterwards, she even sat in a towel like she was ready to hang out--no wild running about like Boss would do. Boss seemed very curious about her whole process, like why are you doing this? I caught the aftermath in some pictures...

Daisy in a towel after the bath

Boss trying to understand Daisy's willingness to take a bath--and be in a towel

Boss: No Towel Dry like a dog!

Get off me you brute--I like my towel!--Daisy

Of course, I have no idea what was actually being communicated, if anything. Boss might have wanted to play and saw the towel as a barrier! Since this incident they have been sparring nonstop--I often think that changes in our routine throws their power dynamic into a tizzy and they have to fight out the dominance issue again. They have taken to biting each other's hind legs, like they are taking a chunk out of a turkey leg...and their mouths are raw and pink from biting. Yesterday we got our mattresses out of storage finally and they also seem to be fighting more at this change....I can hear their heavy breathing and snorting and occasionally bully yells (a cry unlike any other!) They make noises like warped Muppet's.

100 days of bulliness

Actually, it has been much more than 100 with Boss and less than that with Daisy, but I felt in a 100 day mode, considering it is the 100 days of Obamaness and the 100th episode of Lost. I could do a list of 100 things I love about my bulldogs, but that seems a little excessive in itself. I am sure there are 100 poops in the yard, in fact, many layers of poop-I am sure. Many more than 100 licks and 100 times I had to say, "No." Probably many more than 100 times I could be a better dog mommy, either too permissive or too strict, or too oblivious, lazy or ignorant. Probably more than 100 times they loved me anyways, 100 moments more of bully adoration on my side (and Matt's as well). 100 times at least that people thought I was too obsessed with my bulldogs and many more when we thought our dogs were too good for other people. Many hundred "pettages" and so many hundreds of morsels of dog food. 100 plus of discoveries and lessons, like sit, jump, don't eat the cat poop or cat food, take turns, don't fight, eww, where is the air freshener, open a window, and the best lesson of all--don't leave the remote where bully teeth can get it. And the phone must of rang hundreds of times, but we still remember the one time that Boss decided to answer it. We had to get a new phone. I am sure there will be hundreds of more experiences like this, hundreds more to record, but there won't ever be hundreds more of Daisy and Boss.

Bully Bully Sunday

Keep in mind that it wasn't that hot today--maybe 85, but to a bulldog, that probably feels ten degrees higher and we don't have any airconditioning right now. So, here are some pictures of the bullies coping with the "heat." Daisy has never experienced heat, having been born into airconditioning and living through a Missouri winter. Boss lived through Michigan heat where airconditioning doesn't exist and got to be an old hand at laying in the shade, standing in his wading pool, taking cool bathes, eating ice and anything else cold he can get his jowls on...


Daisy is here eating a pedialyte popcycle with a cold microfiber rag on her back. Boss looks on with approval.

Daisy walking along trying to find a cold spot.

Boss is such a cool cucumber.

Daisy found the bricks quite nice and cool and poses cutely.

Bully Hugs and Kisses

I got some snuggle love from the bullies--and Matt was hear to capture a little of it. My glasses broke today and I have them held together with painter's tape--problems with my glasses always makes me feel vulnerable...I don't even feel like I can wii without my glasses flying off. We did more gardening today and the dogs got to have more offleash fun. I still need to get Matt to go to the lake with me and get some footage of the dogs playing, but today got away from us and it started raining before we could go over there. I am going to get some doggy proof summer proof glasses next week and then I will be up for lots of activities! I have had the same glasses for over four years during which time Boss ate two pairs of new glasses--hopefully he has grown out of that fetish. I did catch Daisy chewing on bricks (doing it no real harm--it is a brick afterall) because of teething. Having dogs, especially bullies really changes your life so that I hide my glasses every night in my dresser drawers. It is nice having Matt home and he is out of the shower so I am going to spend time with him now...

Floatation Device

I can't wait until I can take the dogs out to swim in the lake. I need to get Boss's life vest out of storage and get Daisy her own personal floatation device off the internet like below image (and that isn't one of my bullies in that picture, just an image from amazon.com). Bullies need to wear life vests because their heads are so big. Boss can swim without a floatation device, but it helps him in case he runs out of steam and just wants to float. He was so cute when we were floating down the river last year and he pulled me along while I held his leash. I am not as sure with Daisy since I have never seen her in deep water. But, she did get in the wading pool a few times today--it was so hot and it made me want to get my bathing suit out (which is also in storage).

Summer Moment

Off-leash fun wears us out

I have been remiss in chronicling the exploits of the bullies for awhile because my mother was in town. The bullies didn't get much special time either this past week so I decided to do something fun with them today. Today was a somewhat warm sunny day so I bought the bullies a wading pool at the dollar store and gave them some offleash time in our front yard. Last year Boss spent days playing in a wading pool with no water in the living room when we lived in Michigan and so he was ready to go when he saw this new wading pool--he is such a swimming dog so the water was an added benefit. Daisy seems to enjoy water but was a little unsure about the wading part--she mostly saw it as a giant water bowl to quench her thirst. Matt was at work so it will be even more fun during the summer when he and Britin can play with the dogs while I get some good shots of them frolicking...it is hard to be the photographer and the person telling them not to run in traffic or run off with other dogs, so an extra person will be nice! :-)

Fun in the wading pool