We're Gonna Party like it's Your Birfday

As you know, this month was Edison & Tesla’s birthdays.

Being the spoiled pooches they are, they requested a birthday party.  But they didn’t want any old party – it had to be fancy.

And boy, what a party it was.  We had so much fun!  It was nice to get dressed up – Edi & Tess thought so too.

Tess wore a silver tutu from Izzy's Couture and pearls by Beadz N Bling. 

Edison looked dashing in his gold bowtie and matching cuffs by Mia's Closet.

The matching cuffs only stayed on for photo ops - this is after the photos.

And our flowers were from Rosebud Flower Shop, here in Erie.

"Ooo, they smell so good!"

And although they are such spoiled doggies, they realize that they have everything they need – a bottomless (or so they think) tub of kibble, super-duper yummy treats, a warm bed, and belly rubs upon request.

So they decided to ask their distinguished guests to make a donation to their favorite animal shelter – The A.N.N.A. Shelter.  And their guests pulled through!! 

Tess & Ed raised $700.00, thanks to the generous support of their guests. 

Thank you for making our party such a success!

The Walking Wonder

When we first got Ed, we knew we needed to somehow combat his energy.  We began with walks. 

... and ended with dislocated shoulders.  Sam could barely control him and I had only a prayer.

We invested in a Halti, and while it greatly displeased him, it really didn’t slow him down too much.  (Side note: we heard that this can be a great tool for smaller dogs with pulling issues; however, for larger dogs it can actually be dangerous to their necks since they can pull with more force).

"Doh! I don't like this..."

We then got Ed a backpack.  While that definitely helped deplete his energy source, it didn’t do much for the pulling...and we only got 15 minutes reprieve.

In my research, I had read different methods and tools – including the prong collar, and I was still unsure about it.  As we began talking to trainers, we were getting more and more recommendations for the prong collar.  So, we decided to try it out

WOW.  What a difference!  Ed immediately began walking better.  We didn’t have him figeting with it as we tried to walk like the Halti...he didn’t even know it was there!  A quick ‘pop’ of the collar and he settled back in beside us.  It did take him some time to realize that this was what was expected.  The first few walks were filled with corrections, but he’s gotten the hang of the expectations.

"Look Ma, no prong!"

We also invested in a traffic lead from Mud Puppies, like this one.  This gives us better control and we have less leash to fight with.

It is important to make sure that your prong collar is properly fitted and that you are using it correctly.  We were told that while walking, the collar should lay flat.  You should only see a triangle when you are correcting him.  This keeps your pooch from getting used to the correction. 
If you have any questions, you can always ask your trainer (or the trainers in Petsmart/Petco seem to always be super helpful for us, too!).

While he's calmed down quite a bit (thanks to a good ol' fashioned neutering and a 2nd birthday) and is a rockstar on lead, he still has energy to spare.  We're looking into getting a dog-powered treadmill, like this one. 

 Does anyone have any experiences with these?

Lake Effect

Erie is finally having the winter we all know and...love?

The dogs Edison is having a blast playing in the snow.  As a bonus, doing his zoomies in a couple feet helps wear him out!

Tesla, on the other hand, is not so enthusiastic about this weather.

We're having fun anyway.  

If you watch at the end, Ed grabs my glove (trying to play).  This means game over.

Stay warm, everyone!

What's in a Name?

People often come up to us and ask what breed Tess and Ed are.  Most people think they are sibling boxers.  Our typical answer is “Edi is an American bulldog/boxer mix and Tess is a pitbull/boxer mix, but who really knows.”

Sometimes I get “well, she could pass for a boxer if you wanted.”  Sure, she could.  But because Tess is so good, I love rep’ing pitbulls with her.

In all reality, both dogs are pitbulls.  And there's no denying it (not that we would!)

I love Ken Foster’s definition from I’m a Good Dog: Pitbulls, America’s Most Beautiful (and Misunderstood) Pet: 

"A pitbull is exuberant, affectionate, loyal, block-headed, athletic, ridiculous, occasionally stubborn, challenging, rewarding, and loved.  A pitbull is American, and like most Americans these dogs are a jumble of DNA and contradictions, which is, naturally, what pit bull lovers love most about their dogs."

Sound familiar?

We knew it!

Down in FLA!

Last week, Tess & Ed accompanied us on a road trip...to Florida!

We woke up very early to start the looong journey.

As it was cold & snowy in Erie, the humans and the dogs were looking forward to the Florida sun!



"Are we there yet?"



Tess decided, in order to make herself more comfortable on the long drive, she would make Ed her personal pillow...throughout the whole trip!

Ed returned the favor.  Who does this remind me of?

In Georgia, we stopped for a potty break at Magnolia Plantation in Tifton, GA, a cute tourist stop with tons of delicious food stuff – jams, nuts, candy, sauces!




"Now are we there?"

 

When we finally got to Florida, the pooches were in for a culture shock

They even made a new friend...Bandit!

By the end of the week, I think both dogs were ready to get back to their routine.

Ed had a great trip getting love from his kids.

Edi & Tess's Holiday Adventure

You may have been wondering where we’ve been the past few weeks...

Well, we’ve been traveling a lot,

Visiting with some of our favorite kids,

Traveling more,

Making new friends,



This is my new friend Bug



and traveling even MORE (more on that later)!

What a good vacation...

Happy Birthday, Edi & Tess!

Your very own Ms. Tesla Jean turned “5” yesterday.  Her birthday is her “Gotcha” Day, since her age was a best guess.  I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I brought this skinny, garbage-fiend home.



January 7th, 2010



Today, Mr. Ed turns 2!  His birthday is a bit more calculated, but also based on his “Gotcha” Day (October 8^th).  The kennel we got him from estimated his age at 9 months, making his birthday just 1 day after Tess’s!  My how he’s grown and matured!



This is when Ed still had to be tethered at all times.



Last night we celebrated with a cupcake for each of us. 

If you take a close look, you can see that the cupcake liners are brindle!  (Okay, they’re tiger striped, but close enough, right?)

I really wanted to try this recipe from Dog Treat Recipe Exchange, but I just didn't have it in me after my first day back to work.  So we all got carrot cake!

We used cottage cheese instead of frosting on the pooches’ cakes.

Here’s to another wonderful year with our two best buds.