Just a Dog and His Toys

Some dogs have stuffed animals and tennis balls as toys, but early on, we learned that Rambler couldn't be trusted with those. When he was a year old, he ate not one - but two - stuffed Santa's that were a little bigger than the size of a golf ball. Unfortunately, because of their size, he wasn't able to pass them or have induced vomiting. A couple of days later, there was blood in his stool, and we knew surgery was the only way to remove the Santa's. 

The vet hospital was great and took expert care of our boy. They gave us a picture of the x-ray of his stomach that showed the Santa's intact. AND they gave me the two Santa's (that were removed from his stomach) in a plastic bag. They said the reason he wasn't able to vomit them was because the stuffing inside the Santa absorbed liquid inside his stomach and made it solid.

Needless to say, we learned a lesson the expensive way. But a dog still needs toys to play with, and Rambler's favorite is a chew bone. He not only chews them which is great for his teeth, he also plays with them and brings them to us like a ball. We can't throw them as they are too hard, but we slide them across the floor for him to chase after them.

We currently have six bones that scatter our floors...because Keefer likes them too.

In the Yard with My Boys

It's been a few weeks since I posted a photograph of my boys, so I thought I'd share one today.

This photo was take yesterday afternoon. The wind was blowing a cool breeze, but the sun was shining so we sat by the shop out of the direct wind. Well...Keefer and I were sitting and relaxing, while Rambler was on the hunt for any leaf the wind blew past him.

Keefer turned and posed for the photo. What a handsome boy!

Spring Snow?

It's March 23, and we've had another snowfall. Ten centimeters has fallen since late afternoon yesterday, and it's still snowing with an expected ten more centimeters.

A couple of rainfalls last week finally got rid of the snow mountains. And now we need to look at snow again. Good grief. I think Old Man Winter lost the memo that it's Spring on the Atlantic Coast.

I wanted to take a photograph of the snow, but a large dog photo-bombed the picture, lol. Beyond that big head, the trees are covered in snow as are the roads. While Rambler doesn't like the cold, he loves playing in snow. We were already outside, but he wants to go play again.

Just say NO to SNOW.

Happy 8th Birthday

My big boy, Keefer, is 8 today!

We got Keefer when he was eight weeks old and like most Yellow Labs, he's incredibly sweet. Keefer has the kindest heart. He loves playing, especially with his stuffies. Treat are his favourite. He likes to bunch up his blanket and use it as a pillow. He's extremely loving. He's also an excellent watch-dog and has a deep bark. He lets us know when anyone is near the property. 

Keefer can also be stubborn and lazy. We often call him Eeyore, because he walks through life at his own pace. I told him this morning that he's eight, but acts like he's eighty. He's in no rush. His motto is..."I'll get there when I get there." LOL.

Many hugs and treats for Keefer today! 

King Keefer

On this Family/Heritage Day, I thought I would share a family photo.

The mountains of snow in our yard were getting so high, I was concerned the dogs might jump over the fence. So, with the sun shining yesterday, my husband went out and cleared the snow along the fence. But he left a mountain in the middle because the dogs love to climb and dig in the snow. As soon as I let the dogs out, King Keefer immediately went on his mountain snow throne.

Photo compliments of my daughter.

Dogs in Snow

I didn't want to say the W or S words today, but it is still Winter and we did have Snow, so I can't escape them.

A few centimeters of snow fell overnight and left the roads in a mess this morning. So, no walk with the dogs. But after shoveling the driveway, I took the them in the yard and let them play for an hour. I think they actually get more exercise jumping and running in the snow than they do on a walk. I got their rubber stick out and let them play tug. With two large dogs that have a lot of strength, I don't know how that toy hasn't ripped in half. 

They love a good game of tug. And as picture two shows, Rambler won that round.

#YellowLab #ItalianMastiff #DogsPlayingInSnow

My Sweet Boy

My sweet boy, posing for my daughter. He never takes a bad picture. Such an adorable face.

I love how his reflection is visible against the stainless steel refrigerator toward the left.

#YellowLab #DogMom

My Boys

This time of year it's either raining, snowing, or just too dang cold to be outside for long, so it's extremely difficult to get a picture of my boys...sitting still...and beside each other. 

On this rare day of above normal temperatures, Keefer leisurely strolled around, while Rambler sniffed every corner of the yard and looked for any twigs he might have missed the day before.

But I was able to get their attention and sit still for a moment to take their picture. Okay, so there may have been some treats of bribery involved, lol.