BoyinSuit

Three Legged Titus - Day 27 of 365

Titus went to the vet recently for his twice annual checkup.  They had to give him a shot and put him under to clean his teeth.  His bandage is from the IV and the limp is from the shot.  It's fun watching him try to get around.

Bedtime - Day 25 of 365

I thought this shot would turn out cooler than it did.  I was trying to show what happens when I usually go to bed, but the dogs would not cooperate with me.  All they wanted to do was play with each other and not lay down like they usually do while reading.  Frodo didn't even make it into the photo!

Snow Monster - Day 23 of 365

We took the boys to the dog park and Titus accumulated massive amounts of snow on his paws.  By the time this photo was taken, lots of snow had already fallen off.  He looked like he was wearing Uggs.

Canon 7D, 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, ISO 160, 1/160 second, f/4

The Window - Day 7 of 365

Titus was hanging out by the window so I grabbed this shot.  I had a strobe and umbrella setup near the couch that allowed me to catch detail of Titus' coat.

Cleaning Leaves

This past Saturday, we prepared our backyard for winter.  By "prepared" I mean Brian cleaned up leaves while I setup the camera to take a photo of us.  And then I shot a video of Brian cleaning up the leaves.

The Dog Park

Brian and I took the boys to the dog park this afternoon.  We hadn't been there in awhile, so I brought my camera along to take photos so that the next time they complain, I can show them the proof.

Photographing moving dogs is a challenge because I don't know where the dog will be next.  Besides lots of movement, I have to keep them in focus (or near focus).  Some friendly dogs walked right up to me and put their noses on the glass of my lens.  Then I still have to make an interesting photo that is different than the rest that I've made in the past.  It's more challenging than photographing people.

I also tried to photograph everything in landscape rather than portrait.  If you look at all of the photos I've taken, most are portrait (hot dog style rather than hamburger).  As you'll notice, all of the photos above are landscape.  I tried to be different today rather than do my regular thing.

In the White

I indulged myself and purchased a new camera- the Canon 7D. I'll talk about it in another post, but I wanted to post this photo because I really like it. It actually turned out horribly on the viewfinder because I was learning how to use the settings of the new camera.

But through editing, I was able to make the photo look like this. I was going for a bit of artistry. Whether I accomplished that or not, I don't care because I like the photo.

I know I post a lot of photos of my dogs, but they are always easily available. Plus, they don't complain. ;)

Titus & Frodo

I was playing around with my flash and flash diffuser and used my boys as models.  If you zoom into the eye of Frodo, you'll be able to see me with my camera and a dog toy.

It's a pain to get these guys to stay still, but when they do, they produce photos like these.

Puppy Pictures

I failed to take photos this week, so I'm posting some cute ones I took today of Frodo.

And here's one of Titus:

His Favorite Place

Why?!

Frodo!

Not Tired

The Jumper

To tire Titus quickly, Brian positions himself at the top of the stairs while I stay at the bottom.  We take turns calling Titus and he runs, and mostly soars, to reach us.  Sometimes, he'll get brave and jump from the second top step, which creates the illusion of flying more than this picture. 

Watching

Forced Pose

Last Minute Photo

My First Model

Titus as a Steak

Some people see Mary in bread, but I see Titus in this steak.  His little nose, ear, and beard on the right, and his little tail on the left.  Can you see it?

Yes, I know he has no legs and there's a pee spot at the bottom.

Muddy Dog Days

We went to the dog park today and had quite an adventure.  We tried leaving the park in a different way that we usually go.  This proved disastrous because we encountered lots of melting ice which made the hillside muddy.

As we tried to climb the hill, Breanne and I kept slipping and falling.  I kept yelling at Brian to "keep taking pictures!" 

Brian and I planned on going to school after the park, but I was too muddy.  Luckily, I was wearing long-johns and Brian had his gym clothes in the car.

My Perfect Day

You know the popular saying that says you should live your life as if it were your last day?  Today was one of those days. 

It didn't begin like that.  Brian and I brought Titus to the dog park and met our friend Breanne and her dog.  I brought along my camera and took over 200 shots (mostly because of continuous shooting mode).  It was a bit too bright and animals are hard to photograph, so I only got a few that I actually put up on flickr.  This photo was an accident, and although I wish the ISO was lower, it turned out to be my favorite.

After the dog park, I dropped Brian at school (because he has lots of homework) and I went to see "Hotel for Dogs" with my sister and my nieces.  I think it's so much fun to watch children experience the world and they were fun to watch in the movie theater.  They are such good kids and are a pleasure to be around.

When I left their house, I unexpectedly stopped by my Aunt Wendy's house.  She was glad to see me and said that I could help her in the kitchen.  After I was done helping her, she prepared a piece of her awesome chocolate cake and a glass of milk for me to enjoy.  The situation took me back to my childhood.

By this time, it was 6pm and I had dinner plans at 8pm and I still hadn't gone to the gym (I did eat a piece of cake after all).  I quickly worked out, took a shower, and met Brian and our friend Matt for dinner.

The night could have stopped here and I could have happily croaked, but I ended the night dancing with friends (not Brian--he was at home playing video games).  My energy level seemed limitless, the music was great (techno-Journey is awesome), and I was surrounded by friends. 

I know "how I spent my day" blog posts are quite boring, but today was different.  Spending time with family and friends made me realize how lucky I am to be me.

The Prize

I was working in the office when Brian asked me if I wanted to see something gross.  I said yes and Brian presented the plastic container that contains Titus' food:

We surmised that this little fellow got trapped in the dog food bag that we keep in the garage and died.  When we transferred some of the food in the bag to the plastic container, he went along for the ride. 

Brian said that the mouse was the prize at the bottom at the bottom of a cereal box!

You wake up and find...

...Titus, who rolled around in poo this morning.  Before we left the house, we had to give him a bath because he was so stinky!

Two Titus Pictures

Titus had a great summer and here are two pictures to prove it.  The first picture is a trip to the Gateway mall and the second picture is the result of a trip to the groomer.  They had just cut his nails and I was holding him and he was trying to get away.

Fourth of July

My friend Megan asked me if I would march in a Fourth of July parade for a political candidate and I agreed.  I normally don't like parades, but I figured that Megan could use the help. 

We brought Titus along with us and he had a great time.  Before the parade, we had to keep him on the grass because the pavement was getting hot and we didn't want him to dehydrate.  Once the parade started, we all had a lot of fun.  I handed out American flags while Brian walked Titus.  There was one cute moment where three little girls ran up to Titus and started petting him.  He was loving every minute of it!

Okay, enough dog gushing.  Here's the funny part: a guy walked up to us in the parade and asked if Titus was fixed.  When we told him no, he handed us his card and told us that his bitch was in heat.  Brian and I debated on whether or not we should do this since we want another dog, but we decided against it since we can't afford a new dog.  (And I'm against studding Titus out because there are enough puppies in the world already and many do not have homes).

Here's the funniest part: The guy who came up to us in the parade was a police officer for Salt Lake City.  As I read his card, I thought he had a really weird first name-- C-h-a-p-l-a-i-n.  I thought it was French or something and I had a hard time figuring it out.  A few hours later, I realized that Chaplain isn't a name at all, it's a job.

A Birthday Party for Titus

I accomplished so much today! I built temporary fences on the sides of our house using plastic chicken wire (now Titus and Silver can't run to the front of the house), pulled out the rosebushes in our backyard, and had a birthday party for Titus.

He turned three on May 3rd, but we decided to have a party with a few friends. It wasn't anything special, but Shawn brought over his new dog so it was fun to watch three dogs run around and play.

Spring Weather is Here!

Russell, Brian, and I took Titus to play in the park. The weather was nice enough and I knew Titus has been itching to get out and run.

Dog Poop

Titus keeps pooping in Austin's room. I think it's some sort of passive-aggressive behavior since the room used to "belong" to Titus. Before Austin moved in with us, Titus never pooped in that room; now it happens every time Austin leaves his door open.

We'll have to teach Austin how to take his place in our pack.

Our Formerly Sleeping Dog Would Not Lie

When we first got Titus, he slept in a kennel every night. Then we allowed him to sleep in our bed if both Brian and I had been gone all day and he spent the entire day in the kennel. At some point, Titus managed to convince us that sleeping in our bed was a privilege he should enjoy (since he is kind of like our kid).

He hasn't been a bother--except for this morning. At 4am, he woke Brian and I wanting to play. Everytime we'd tell him to go to bed, he'd put his paw on our face, lay down on our chests, or start licking our face. I had to put myself completely under the sheets for him to leave me alone.

That said, I'd much rather have a dog want to play in the early morning hours than change a diaper or feed a baby. I can't complain.

Titus is Official

Brian and I went to Layton tonight to celebrate the birthday of his dad's new wife. We went to the Olive Garden (bleh!) and then went to his Dad's house.

At the house, Brian's sister gave us something that we've been wanting ever since we got Titus:

His official American Kennel Club papers!

It's like his birth certificate that shows his pedigree. We learned that his parent's names were "Obedient Oscar of Ours" and "Little Miss Cloey." We always thought Titus was three years old, but it turns out he's only two and a half. We even have his exact birthday!

I also met the dog that Titus was bred with to create puppies and boy, was she ugly! I told Brian that I felt sorry for Titus that the only dog he's mated with was really ugly.

My Boys

The perfect ending to a great day was to find this waiting for me:

The Trouble with Boys

I hear Brian yelling from our room.

"Titus! You know you are supposed to pee outside. You are a bad dog."

"What's going on?" I yell.

"Titus peed on our down comforter," Brian yells back.

Argh. Titus knows when he's done something wrong because his ears go back (even if we haven't yelled at him...yet). He even curls up into a tight ball. Granted, it is cute but he shouldn't do bad things like pee on our down comforter.

"You go potty outside! OUTSIDE!"

Brian keeps yelling at Titus and even goes so far as to calmly explain why little dogs don't pee on beds. Titus usually goes potty outside, but there are sometimes when he can't... won't... wants to get even... doesn't. Since he's a boy dog, he always pees on the corner of things resembling trees: our bed, our sofa, even our garbage can.

Brian takes him outside while I go upstairs to pee. As I left the lid, I notice that there is pee on the seat.

"Brian!"

"Yeah?"

"Did you pee with the toilet seat down?"

He responds in a way that I know he's not telling the truth: "Um, no?"

"Brian!" I yell again.

"Yeah?"

"You know you are supposed to pee with the toilet seat down. You don't have that great of aim. It's disgusting! How many times have I told you that you have to lift the lid when you pee?!"

I walk out of the bathroom and head down the stairs toward the living room. At the bottom of the stairs, I see Brian and Titus with their ears back rolled up into two balls.

"Titus!" I yell, "You are supposed to pee outside! Brian! You are supposed to pee with the seat up! I will not live with a bunch of boys who can't control themselves!"

At this point, I knew I got my point across and said that I forgave them. They both understood and started licking my face.

Titus is officially well-behaved!

Titus had a test tonight for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen. It's basically a certification that your dog is a good dog. Brian and I didn't think that Titus would pass (he has trouble with a few commands), but he passed! He did such an excellent job and now he's officially a good dog.

Brian was so excited that he called his parents to tell them the news. I thought that was really cute.

First Snow

We got our first snowstorm. I like snow except when it's on the road and it's cold. In my perfect world, I could wear flip-flops and snow would only be on people's lawns.

Dogs and Garages

Titus had a vet appointment today because he has bumps on his head, especially between his eyes. The vet told me that it's just "Schnauzer Acne." It's nothing to be worried about.

I also bought shelving for our garage and set it up today. We recently got a shipment of tile and it takes up one side of our two car garage. All the furniture in our basement takes up the other side. I refuse to be the kind of person that uses their garage for other things besides their car so I spent the day organizing and making room for one car. Once we finish the basement, we'll be able to use both sides of the garage.

What I wake up to every morning

Political Lawn Signs

One of the greatest things about having a house is putting political lawn signs on the lawn. For the past eight weeks, I've put one up each week. Today, I put all of them up to proudly display my committment to the candidates.

I could have just taken a picture of the sign, but since Titus is a Democrat, I thought it would be cute for him to pose with them.

New Credit Cards!

I got the cutest credit card in the world today! Check out my "grill"!

I got the next credit card awhile back, but I thought it would fit well with the credit card theme. I know I'm a dork, but I think it's awesome. Yes, I only got the card because of the look (and the free first season of the show).

Like a Child...

I felt like a proud parent watching Titus and Brian at dog training tonight. Titus did a great job and it was cute watching Brian getting Titus to sit, stay, and ignore the other dogs.

The Dog Park

Brian and I took Titus and Megan to a dog park today. It was Titus' first time and I was excited to see how he'd react. I don't think Megan enjoyed it as much as Titus did, but then again, she wasn't sniffing all the dogs butts like Titus was.

Titus is Blue

Titus is usually fun all the time, but this morning he had too much fun. He got ahold of a blue gel pen.

Farmington Dog Show

Brian and I went to a dog show in Farmington. We were SO excited because (1) the only dog show we've ever seen was on "Show Dogs Moms & Dads" and (2) we're excited to see the events that Titus will eventually do!

We met a guy there who told us lots about showing dogs. We're not going to do the actual "show" because those people are a little too pretentious for me. We're going to do agility activities--dogs run around and jump on things.

The next dog show is in Layton in May. Brian and I are going to work hard to make sure Titus is ready so he can get a first place ribbon!

My dog's smarter than your dog

Dog training went SO WELL tonight! Titus did everything right and obeyed us very well. I feel like a proud parent of a kid who does things right. I guess the only difference is that we gave him a hot dog afterward. That probably works kids too, right?

The Value of a Dog

Going to Dog Training and have no one in the class show up so you get 1-on-1 instruction: $50
Hearing the trainer say what a handsome dog Titus is and remark on his great stack: $75
Watching Titus have lots of fun and then playing with him and my gorgeous boyfriend: Priceless

Dinner with my other family

Brian's dad Doug and his wife Esperanza came over for dinner tonight. When Brian told me they were coming last week, I really dreaded it because I thought it was going to be weird. Esperanza doesn't speak English and looks odd (remember the wedding?). But Brian and I knew it had to happen now or later.

I was more excited when Doug said that he'd bring one of Titus' puppies. I told Brian that I'd mostly play with them while he entertained.

As I do for most things that I don't want to do, I always assume the worst. I actually had fun tonight and enjoyed both Doug and Esperanza's company. She went outside and watered our roses without asking and even cleaned dishes. I didn't object because I thought she was more comfortable doing work than just sitting around (like my mother is).

Titus and his puppy played and it was really cute to watch them. It made Brian and I want another dog to keep Titus company, though right now we're too busy to even give Titus all the attention that he needs.

Titus and his daughter.

Titus at School

Titus had school tonight. He tried semi-hard to do what we needed him to do. He's really good at sit, down, and semi-good at heeling. It's fun and cute to watch Brian and Titus together (Brian's doing the training since I cannot make it every week). It's fun to meet other dogs and other people with dogs!

Titus' Day at the Vet

I wrote yesterday that Titus peed in his kennel and I had to give him a bath because of it. After I told Brian about it, he went to Petsmart and talked to the Vet. She said that dogs usually do that when there is something medically wrong. Brian made a 9am appointment for today.

We let Titus pee on the Petsmart floor since we needed a urine sample. I immediately told that to the Petsmart workers since I didn't want them to think that I didn't let him pee before we entered the store.

Titus got onto the scale and weighed 13.7 pounds. Brian and I were both shocked because only a month ago, he weighed 15.2 pounds. I knew Titus was anorexic, but I didn't know that he losing weight.

When we walked into the room where Titus had to be examined, I immediately said, "The last time I was in a room like this is when my dog died." I was joking, but then I started crying. As I looked around the room, I could only think of my last moments with Lucy. It was really weird to be crying, especially over something that happened almost one year ago.

I finished crying since Titus looked so cute and I realized that Lucy was fine.

The doctor came in after testing Titus' urine and said that they found sediment in it (usually caused from kidney stones). She also said that his pee is really acidic and he needs a change in diet. She told us that she needed to do an x-ray on him to make sure he didn't have kidney stones and do some blood work. Since we didn't want to wait 4 hours with him, we left and told the Vet to call us when she was finished.

Brian picked him up later in the day and he was fine. It turns out that he doesn't have kidney stones, but he needs to be put on medication to prevent them from happening since they are just starting to form. The Vet also gave us a prescription for a special kind of food that will bring down the acidity in his urine so he doesn't pee everywhere.

Price of Vet visit: $690.
Price of Vet visit by signing up for a wellness plan at $22 a month: $275.
Price of having a happy, healthy dog: Priceless.

Newsflash - Ashley and Jesse Reunite!

I finally saw Ashley today! It was only for about two hours but I liked seeing her and her two kids.

Since I'd never seen her kids and wanted them to like me, I ran to Wal*Mart and bought them gifts. I bought Elle a "My Little Pony" and got Jeffrey a ball. It was fun giving them presents (though Jeff was more interested in the pony and Elle was more interested in Titus' toys).

When I got home, I went upstairs to let Titus out of his kennel and saw that he had peed in his kennel. Because he smelled and was covered in pee, I had to give him a bath. Since I have a Ross event tonight, I was dressed in nice suit pants and a nice shirt. I could have changed, but I decided to just roll up my sleeves and wash him. It actually worked quite well.

Ashley and I talked while her kids played got in trouble by touching everything in our house. Elle was deathly afraid of Titus so I had to put the babygate up to separate him from us. Jeff crawled up our stairs and fell, hitting his head as he went down.

It was so interesting to see Ashley in a different role. She's the same person, but now has additional responsibilities. I think it's cute.

AKC Training

While Titus is a really good dog (most of the time), Brian and I want him to be trained so he does exactly what we want, when we want. We found a local American Kennel Club and signed up for their training tonight.

It was really fun to watch Titus interact with lots of other dogs. There were lots of training classes there, but in our beginning obedience class, I think there is only one other dog. I think it will be nice to have a small class so Titus gets lots of attention.

Tonight was just an orientation and the real class starts next week. But through the orientation, Titus just wouldn't stay still. He's so friendly and wants to meet all the other dogs. Though annoying, it was really cute to see.

We met a lady who shows dogs professionally and talked with her. When I mentioned that we want to show Titus someday because we fell in love with the show, "Showdog Moms & Dads" on Bravo, her eyes lit up because she also loved that show.

I can't wait for class to start and watch Titus obey us. Now if I could only get training like that for Brian...

Leaving the Mountains for Civilization

This morning a debate occurred. Brian's parents were going to leave today when we left, but many family members arrived today and Carol wanted to stay longer. The biggest issue in deciding whether or not to stay was the amount of water that their motorhome had. If they wanted more water, they'd have to set everything up to make it road ready and that would take some time.

I listened to the whole back and forth. But when Titus needed some water, without thinking, I went into the motorhome and filled up his water bowl in their sink. When I gave the water to Titus, Brian looked at me and said, "After the whole debate on the water situation, you filled the dog bowl?" I felt stupid and apologized.

Besides that happening this morning, Titus was almost taken advantage of by another dog--another boy dog. Titus isn't gay but the other dog was because his lipstick came out when he was playing with Titus. It was even grosser that it was a 13-year old dog trying to seduce Titus. Dirty old dog...

 

Brian and his mom in their RV.

Titus and Elvis, his admirer.

Titus

My sexy boyfriend.

Our family.

Brian, Titus, and me in our collapsable home.

Titus, strong and fierce!

We came home after camping and cleaned our tent, gave Titus a bath, and did all our laundry. Brian had turned off the air conditioning in the house, so it was 95 degrees when we got home.

I couldn't sleep tonight and went to bed at around 3am because my mind was thinking about everything that I have to do. I mostly think about Ross campaign stuff because I worry that I'm doing a crappy job and that keeps me up longer than it should.

All camping pictures here.