Walking in the snow

Whew! Just got done walking the pups in the snow, it is quite a workout!
One of my promises for the year was to go out and walk daily with the pups, not just for their benefit but for ours too. The older we get the more we need to do to stay active.

Maggie did really well although I did notice she is pulling on the leash so we need to work on that. She is getting the sit command too : )

Izzy did do well too even though it has been quite a while since we took her out on the lead for a walk. We have taken her out on grounds to run free and she loves that but she is missing the discipline of lead walking.

We came across some trucks and both of the dogs did not flinch or go crazy....good.
We came across a man who greeted both dogs, Maggie was not very sure at first but warmed up instantly....she did well. Izzy of course wanted to go right on up and jump, have to work on that with her.....she is too big of a dog to jump on people.
We also came across a couple of barking dogs, the first one i was able to steer Izzy away from since it was across the street and blocked by trees and cars.....she did good in ignoring it after I broke her attention. The second one was a bit tougher as it was directly in her sight and it kept barking! she did get out of her harness but we were able to get it back on. While we struggled with that she was good and listened and was able to ignore the dog.

All in all it wasn't a bad walk, we just have some issues to work out. I am determined to get Izzy much more social and tolerant of other dogs! I would love for her to be able to run free at dog park.

In time : )

Update!

Maggie after her bath which she didn't like!
Not a happy camper



Izzy watching the snow fall outside
Playin in the snow

Tired pup

Maggie joined the family!

Introducing Maggie the newest member of the family! She is an English Mastiff.
We picked her up today! What a special fun day it was for us!

This is Chloe, who is Maggie's mom. She is a big girl!
This is Raja, Maggie's daddy....he is still young and has some more growing to do!
Maggie in our yard exploring. She is such a beauty!
12 weeks old and I can hold her in my arms! In a few weeks I won't be able to lift her up!
I love this pose of Maggie....12 weeks and 40 lbs!
Izzy and Maggie getting to know one another.
Izzy got tired playing in the snow with us, so nap time it was for her.
Jessica comparing her hand to Maggie's paw! She is going to be one big dog.
It was a long exciting day for Maggie and for us! Her first day with us was a pleasant one. The kids fell in love with her and Izzy even likes her!
I am sure there will be many stories to tell of her adventures with us! Stay tuned.

Busy Days

Just wanted to say things are better...we still miss our lil peanut. Izzy is eating again and has a lil more vibe in her step. She seemed to have gone thru a moment of mourning over Sophia. They were rather close.
I have been busy with the holiday stuff but have made time to get Izz ou and play with the birds too! such a hectic time of year!
More to come later!

Sad News

Yesterday we lost our Sophie.....we are very sad. Iz wouldn't eat until Lucy came over and then only ate a few bites.

Fall Fun

Somehow the busyness of life just keeps going and going and time flies by!
As we are getting ready for the holiday fun to start we have been enjoying the wonderful days of a mild Fall lately! The weather has been very nice and although we have had a few wet days the temperature has been great!
The pups love going to our favorite stomping grounds to run and run in the fields and scare up a few squirrels and deer! I love to watch Izzy and Sophie run completely free! You can tell as they are running how much they enjoy it. Every now and then we see them looking for us as if they need to make sure Mom and Dad haven't abandoned them in the fields!
Here are a few pics of the fun times.


This is Izzy running full force down the hill right at me! Thank goodness she veered off the the side of me and didn't knock me over!




My lil lady Sophia prancing in the tall grass. She reminds me of a very delicate deer when she runs.






Izzy on the run more than likely after Lucy! Lucy is our son and daughter- in- loves pup.
















Lucy and Izzy off to do some exploring.

Critter Update

Well I wanted to post some pics of the critters but for some reason my computer just won't let me do so. Oh well, I will have to do some picture posting next time.

We took the pups out to a hiking area a few hours away from home. It falls right in between the Illinois/Iowa border. It was a gorgeous day! The sun was out and it wasn't too cold yet.
Izzie had a ton of fun romping thru the bushes while Sophie traipsed on the well worn path. Sophie is not fond of getting dirty.

The past few days have been very cold and wet so the pups don't get out too much, they don't like being cooped up to much so I will have to take them out for a good romp somewhere.....where mud is not to be found!

The birds have been rather quiet lately, they usually are when it is cloudy and cold out. I have caught Mazi talking! He won't do it when we are in the room but one day when I came home and walked in the house he greeted me with a "I love you"! he hasn't spoken in front of me since but when I am in a different room I can catch him saying a few phrases!

The rest of the crew is just happy to whistle and chortle. it makes me happy to hear those happy lil sounds coming from their lil "nests" .