Valentines 2011

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To each his own...melons!

We love our two huskies to bits, but sometimes...we just don't know!

If it isn't one thing, it's another. We have been leaving the pups indoors for quite sometime now, actually...years now. Lord knows that my husband has tried everything imaginable, big or small, expensive or...well expensive just to try to give our two furry children the most comfortable life they have ever had. After all, they are rescue dogs. We do believe that they deserve it. But for some reason, they just do not believe they belong outside, especially our male husky. He has escaped from every containment we have tried to put him in just so he could figure out how to get back into the house. We suppose that to him, it was kind of a game. He is a real smart dog and lives up to the husky trait as quite the Houdini. He is a true blue escape artist.

Our female husky is gorgeous and she knows it, the little princess! She may not be the athletic one or the escape artist but don't be fooled. She is no dummy. That angel face is just as mischievous as the male husky. She is quite the "surfer". Dining tables and counters are her specialty. Oh and also, she could unzip a zipper! I should have taken a picture of my diaper bag.

On one of our short trips to the mall, we were being diligent in putting everything away...or so we thought. My husband had just gone to the grocery store to get fresh fruits. After unloading them from the car I made sure that they were out of sight (putting them in our reusable grocery bags, on top of the kitchen counter pushed all the way back) from the dogs. Well, I should have put the fruits out of smell as well, even in a completely separate room. Needless to say, Layla (we're pretty sure it was her) got to the reusable grocery bags, pulled it down to the floor and the dogs each had a fill of their own personal melons, cantaloupe or honeydew.

The cantaloupe was Layla's choice. We know it was her because there were dewclaw marks on the side to keep it from rolling away.

Lobo had his dewclaws taken out sometime back so he had the honeydew. In any case, when we got home, the neatly packed bag was on the floor, the box of powdered baking cocoa spilled all over the floor, an empty ziploc bag where my son's left over Honey Maid crackers all gone and also on the floor, and a full bag of unopened unbleached flour also on the floor but still unopened.



Well, thank goodness to the melons (small favors?) they ignored the spilled cocoa. That would have been a very bad and expensive vet bill.

Update: Pups and Dylan

It's almost been a year and a half since Dylan was born and now more than every does Dylan love the dogs. He plays with Layla most of the time because she's home with us everyday. Lobo goes to work with Daddy. But when Lobo is home, Dylan likes to sit beside him. Look at the most recent pictures I've taken. I never tell Dylan to sit by the dogs, he just does it because he wants to.

Soooo bad

It's been a while since I updated this blog and I feel really bad because the dogs now have to share my attention. Please visit our family blog for more updates at http://theishidas.shutterfly.com/ This is a private website and may need to be added to view so if you're family or friend just send me an e-mail and add you to our list of viewers.

5 months after

Here are the most recent pictures of our baby with Lobo and Layla. They just love Dylan!

Layla and Dylan. He loves her so much that he giggles when she walks by, even more so when she comes to sniff him really close but not actually touch him.

A New Addition

It's been a while since I last signed in and there has been a new addition to our family that has monopolized everyone's time, including Lobo's and Layla's. Our little bundle of joy, Dylan, was born on September of 2007. Our lives has not slowed down since but it's at a managable pace now. Lobo and Layla has taken this change extremely well. Layla is even a little bit more over protective of the baby at times. I would like to share a few pictures we've taken of Dylan with his furry brother and sister.


Dylan just recently turned 5 months and Lobo and Layla have gotten used to Dylan's presence. In fact, Layla misses Dylan sometimes when he goes to grandma and grandpa's house on Wednesdays. She stands in front of his swing and whines and sniffs it like she is looking for something. Then she would look at me with the cutest curious expression as if saying "Where's my baby brother?" So cute!

A cause that we support

We have been watching the animal planet channel and every so often they air a pet adoption commercial. It makes us very happy that we adopted our Siberian Huskies. There are so many breeders out there breeding cats and dogs for a profit, only for these poor animals to be left unloved and dumped in the shelters simply because the owners couldn't take care of them for one reason or another.

This was the case with our little princess, Layla. She was reserved and bought from a breeder for about $1000 even before she was born. Breeders list a pregnancy as soon as they find out their dame is going to have a litter. Interested parties then put their names in and a portion of the fee as deposit. When Layla was weaned she was taken to her new home. 7 months later, she was returned to the breeder because the couple was going through a divorce and could not care for Layla. When prospective puppy parents purchase a puppy from a breeder they sign a contract that if for any reason one could not care for the puppy, it should be returned to the breeder and not be surrendered to a shelter.

That is how I met Layla. We thought that Lobo needed a companion he could run around with so he wouldn't try and escape our premises. I saw her picture on the internet, so happy despite her then condition. There was something about her that I just got to take her home. Right from the get go she was a little shy, even skittish. I signed the necessary papers, gave the breeder the fee and took her home. When we arrived home I noticed that she was more than just skittish...she was ON EDGE, big time! She was scared of a lot of things especially men. Later on, we found out a laundry list of things that's wrong with her. Although Layla's gene pool includes champion lineage, we found out that she has cataracts! I contacted the breeder and told her about all these and because she had a slew of other dogs, and I mean A WHOLE SLEW of Siberian Huskies in a barn somewhere in Fresno, she did not notice these problems when Layla was returned to her. How could she, she does not interact with these dogs very much I don't think. She breeds them for show, picks the ones deemed "show-worthy" and sells the rest. The breeder said that they will take Layla's mother out of the breeding program. Who knows if they really did or not. Considering all that Layla has gone through, it gave me a sense of relief that she is not in that situation anymore. I feel that now, she has a second chance to live a better life, away from screaming owners & kids throwing things at her, cramped pens where she has to share food from the trough. She literally inhaled her food the first time I fed her at home.

It's not that the home the breeder provided for the dogs was dirty or unkempt, on the contrary, but it could be a little bigger and the number of dogs per kennel could be reduced. She lived in a barn with more than enough land to build a new housing developement.

This very experience with Layla made us appreciate the rescue places such as the Bay Area Siberian Husky Rescue Referral or BASHRR. This is the very reason why we support adoption only if to give that one dog a second chance at a better life. After all, it wasn't their fault they are in this most inauspicious condition. If I could adopt all the unfortunate dogs out there, I would. If I could put all the bad breeders out of business, I would. Unfortunately, these two are both an imposibility. But you can help, one pet at a time. Adoption information is available, please click on the banner below.

Fiasco on the 4h

So the 4th of July has come and gone. I hate to say that it did without an incident.

We had one scared and nervous dog in our hands with all the fireworks going off in every direction. How about you take a guess on which pooch was this? If your guess is Layla, then you are 100% WRONG. Surprisingly, she held her own against the noise of the fireworks. Lobo on the other hand, did not quite know where to position himself.

It wasn't the 4th yet but people were already fired up with the fireworks. He tried the guests' bathroom, got behind the shower curtain and into the tub. He tried the master bathroom but he started scratching on the walls. Next stop was under our bed. He did not feel safe there either. He tried our walk-in closet. I was willing to let him stay there if he would only keep off my clothes, expensive purses and new and unused "unmentionables". He almost got to my pink Victoria's Secret bra, good thing it was still wrapped in its original plastic that he only got that far. Whew! Close call! Layla already got to my one new Victoria's Secret undergarment and new cashmere sweater. I don't want to lose another.

Anyway, we were up until 2 am because of this tense dog. Although we gave him calming tablets and Zen puppy treats it took a bit of a wait for it to take effect. He finally found peace around 3am.

Finally, the 4th of July came. Luckily, we had put on the bedskirt on our bed. After a replay of Lobo's quest for a quiet place, he finally took solace on a space under our bed...behind the bedskirt with a little piece of his nose sticking out.

What we hated most was after the 4th of July, people were still lighting their fireworks. You would think that they have had their fill but why they have to keep at after the 4th is beyond me. One more thing, it's not even legal where we live. Ugh! My poor, poor Lobo. Today is the 7th of July and SOME PEOPLE are still at it!!!!!! Ugh!

They Keep Me Fit

Yes, without these two dogs I'd sit idle and gain about 100 lbs.

Almost everyday we go walking, since these dogs love to pull, I have to walk briskly. Layla is a little more of a challenge than Lobo, aside from being skittish when other people are coming from the other direction she has high tolerance for pain. Walking a siberian husky requires a pinch collar. A pinch collar is a chain link with spikes. Contrary to popular belief, the spikes do not hurt them unless they pull on the leash only then would the pinch collar "pinch" them. Layla does not care if she gets pinched, she'll keep on pulling to get away from strangers especially screaming kids. Walking her by the playground is a pain...literally. If you were on the other end of that leash opposite Layla, you will get your arms yanked out of its socket. We tried to so hard to train her by sitting on a bench at the playground so she will get used to screaming children. I suppose she will never completely be over her trauma from her previous owner/s. She had improved a lot since we first adopted her almost 2 years ago. If we never have to see a stranger coming from the other direction during our walks, we would have such pleasant ones.

Despite the arm yanking, it has not deterred me from taking them for a 2 mile walk almost everyday. Believe me, it's better all around. They are happy and not antsy, as the breed itself has a plenty of energy and I'm fit. We all benefit!

Pregnancy and my 2 huskies

It's been a while since I last wrote and there has been a few life changes. I'm now 6 1/2 months pregnant and my dogs have been wonderful about it so far. Considering that I wasn't able to walk them for the first 5 months of this pregnancy, they've been wonderful and hardly gave me grief. Sometimes I feel that they know when I'm not feeling well.

The first trimester and most of my second has been difficult. I suffered from a rare condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. What is this?

Here are the symptoms:

• loss of greater than 5% of pre-pregnancy body weight (usually over 10%)
• dehydration and production of ketone
• nutritional deficiencies
• metabolic imbalances
• difficulty with daily activities <~~ this part affected the dogs the most.

We use to walk the dogs twice a day, then once, and in the first 5 months of this pregnancy...zip! Those 5 months were torture for them I am sure, but it was for me as well. I fainted (complete blackout) in a public place, I had irregular heartbeats and gave everyone around a scare. It was a good thing that my husband was waiting for me in the car. But poor husband of mine, in a panic, left the car door and windows open while the dogs were in the car. Good thing they did not try to jump out and go "exploring" on their own, never to be seen again. Crazy! But the dogs seem to understand that something was wrong. In a normal day, they would have jumped out of the open door. Few days after the incident the dogs refrained from howling for their walks which they normally do when they get antsy and restless. They seem to be in tuned with my feelings which amazes me still.

There are some days too that the dogs will put their heads on my lap close to my stomach as if listening for the baby inside me. I love my dogs, and I hope they'd love the soon-to-be new member of our family. Such wonderful creatures Siberian Huskies!

The Sweetest Things...

Lobo and Layla's Valentine Tribute:

♥ ♥ ♥ Happy Valentines Day Everyone! ♥ ♥ ♥

Brownie Update

Although I may think that having brownies for dogs is a great idea, those things do not last very long. After I have baked mine it turned moldy after a week. Dividing it up into small pieces to sparingly give as treats is not idea but I wouldn't give it all to them at once.

Just a thought...

These are a few of my favorite things...

This Christmas, Lobo and Layla received so many squeaky toys, more than they know what to do with. What I do not understand is why each of them would want the toy of the other when the toys are exactly the same. They end up fighting for it and I end up the referee. If this makes sense to you, please feel free to inform me. I would really like to know. In any case, Lobo only plays with his toy for about two minutes then he is done with it. Layla, on the other hand, is very playful with her toys. She squeaks away to her heart's content. When she is tired with her toy she goes over to her toy corner and picks another squeaky toy. She is then off to squeaky-land.

She is fun to watch. She tosses it around and catches it. She pushes and kicks it around like it is a soccer ball. Her current fave at the moment is Lobo's Christmas present from my brother and his family, a gray, squeaky squirrel.

Her toy was already broken even before she was able to get a chomp out of it. Can you believe it? I had to stitch it up twice before she was able to play with it! After I thought I had fixed it up I handed it to her. Literally 30 minutes after, it ripped showing the squeaker. What a rip off!

Sharing is Caring

Look at my huskies, they share everything except food. But aren't they cute? This was taken a few minutes ago so I could say that it is fresh off the press. I don't know why they do this when each have their own beds. It's so cute they look so peaceful. While we work on building a family that comprises a "human baby", I suppose this will do for now.

For the love of Dogs!

We truly believe that Lobo is going to be on this prescription food for the rest of his life.

Whenever we give him the regular food, cheap or expensive he gets the runs and it pains us to watch him go through this digestive problem. Not only is this condition painful for Lobo but it is for us to. Imagine trying to get up from a deep sleep at 3 am. THAT is painful.

What irritates me is that the vet that did Lobo's examination did not really give us a definitive name for what Lobo has. He just told us what we already know, gave us a prescription medicine he should take for 10 days. Well, it worked for those 10 days. It alleviated Lobo's condition a bit but after the medicine was gone, came back the chronic diarrhea.

We went back to the vet and was seen by the same doctor. This time he gave us more prescription medicine and prescription food but still did not tell us what is wrong with Lobo no matter what we ask or how many times we ask "why". Ugh, irritating!

Anyway the medicine plus prescription food worked very well. Before that bag of food was consumed, we tried to mix his food with regular food hoping to get him back to regular food. BAD IDEA! So here we are with a new bag of prescription food. Nutro brand is one of the better brands and so is Chicken Soup for the Dog Food, neither worked. Now we keep a stash of two different dog food, one for each husky.

Oh for the love of Dogs!!!

I did my research about this because I want to know. I think Lobo has IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). Based on the consistency of his stool and his then condition, a watery diarrhea with weight loss results if the infiltration of cells involved in inflammation and immune response is called to the lower small intestine. There is no known cause for this condition, it just happens. Just glad it's not his liver or his kidney.

We're just happy that he can go about doing his business as normal...in more ways than one.

Pets, good for parenthood training

A dog, man’s best friend, loyal, provides unconditional love and best of all, trainable. I have heard many people say that a true test for parenthood is to own a pet. I never really believed it. Pet vs. human, totally different species, right? Well, it is not really a comparison between species but a true test for commitment and rightfully so.

My Siberian Huskies had their yearly dental check-up; includes cleaning and vaccination updates. The vet usually keeps them all day due to the administered anesthesia; drop-off is in the morning 7:00 a.m. and pick-up is usually around 6:00 p.m. I browsed through the treat aisle at Petsmart before picking them up. I wanted to give them a treat to make them feel a little better which I equate to giving your child ice cream after their tonsils have been removed. Walking down the aisle I spotted a new product…brownies for dogs!!!

When one is as in tuned with their pet as I am, you will know exactly what they need...or what you think they need. I waited for them to be brought out after checking them out (as you would in a hospital) they couldn't get out of the vet office fast enough. They saw me and they saw "home". They definitely have had enough of the place, they were whinning all the way home as if they were crying "why did you have to leave us at that awful, awful place mom!" I suppose no one in their right mind would like to be poked and prodded. My heart just went out to them. They really did not like that drugged and groggy feeling, neither would I. My efforts to make them feel better amounted to baking carob brownie from American Health Kennels. Add two eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, & 1/2 cup water, voila, we have brownies and they loved it!

Can you believe it? I thought chocolates are poisonous to dogs? I guess it isn’t when they are made especially for dogs. Besides I have always said that I wanted to learn how to bake. Well, here’s my chance.

Ok, don’t chastise me for thinking that I am actually baking when everything is coming from a box or ready make mixture. Hey it’s practice, hopefully I will be able to use my mixing bowls and kitchen aid electronics from my wedding registry. My future children and grandchildren will be the benefactor of all this in the end. So wish me luck.

Overrun by Siberian's

...Siberian Huskies that is.

How our lives have been turned inside out and upside down in less than 3 years.

A little over 2 years ago we adopted Lobo. I spent hours everyday showing the then 1 year old pup the ropes; training him a few tricks. He was such a joy to train, he learned quickly. He learned basic commands like, sit & stay. He learned a few tricks like shake, rollover, speak, bye and a few others. He will and does everything we tell him to do. There is one thing he despise the most, be left in his kennel. He is the epitome of the phrase "escape artist". He will find a way to escape from confinement.

A year after Lobo, we adopted the then 7-month old Layla. She was a skittish little thing but oh so cute. I fell in love with her the first time I laid eyes on her picture on the internet. She had that "puppy dog" look saying "Please love me. I give hugs & kisses." My husband thinks it was all in my head, but I swear that's how I saw it. Anyway, she was an extremely frightened puppy who needed plenty of TLC...and I mean A LOT. The first night she was home she kept checking up on me. She was not potty-trained, she had plenty of "accidents". The worst part of it, she trusted no one. It seems like every time she made a mistake, she expects some kind of punishment. Maybe I am reading too much into the events but it was the only thing that made sense. Her body language just read of submission, and lack of confidence. Her tail was tucked in, her nose low to the ground; she was almost crouching.

We tried our best to show both dogs that they could trust us. The first day we got Lobo, we spent $250 at Petsmart. We got them toys that lasted (in one piece) for all of 2 seconds before it is shred to pieces. That is not an exaggeration. They were loved to the extent that people say they were spoiled. We pay for a "wellness plan" much like our insurance to make sure their health is kept in check and necessary vaccines are updated. Basically they were given the run-of-the-house. That is where the problem comes in.

They cannot be left alone for more than 5 hours or someone is going to get hurt. We had found Lobo a little bloody from trying to break out of the kennel. He will find a way if it means hurting himself. We have tried those doggie hotels but it is too chaotic for them. It's not that our dogs are not sociable, in fact, they like other dogs. But Lobo and Layla are pretty mellow dogs during the middle of the day. When there are other dogs around they cannot nap in peace.

Lobo pretty much lounges around. He could be seen napping around the house when we are home. He does not like to be bothered which is hard to come by when you are in a big indoor playground with dogs constantly wanting to play. Layla will have a nervous breakdown if she's in a pen with other dogs. Her mouth foams when she's in a situation like that. She will have her butt planted on the ground, in submission, the entire day if she has too.

Lobo is very social when he wants to. But he is easily bored and the magic of spending a couple of hours with petmates wears down quickly. We would like to socialize Layla better but I have to leave Lobo because there isn't a dog park with a fence high enough to contain him. Yes, Lobo is a jumper. Taking one and not the other is not fair.

Now, we take them everywhere we go. Good thing they are good in the back of a car, better than in the kennel.

Oh for the love of pets!!! :)

What does Layla think about the world?

This was Layla when we first got her. She was 7 months old when I picked her up from Fresno. I found her on the internet during one of my surfs. She was up for adoption. A returnee from a couple who were in the middle of a divorce and could not probably take care of themselves, let alone a dog. She was so skittish. I think there was yelling in that house because Layla is so scared whenever she hears high pitched sounds like kids having fun at the park, loud cheers from baseball games, the door on the UPS delivery truck being opened and shut with a bang, loud laughter and screams set her on a frenzied panic.

Layla, having lived in a kennel situated outdoors she did not quite take into the indoor situation Lobo is comfortable with. So we would leave her outside for a little while but she would never want to come back in. It was like pulling teeth with her. She was so stubborn that enticing her with treats seldom worked. I guess having a thick puppy fur coat is not suitable for indoor wear in the middle of a California summer. Little did we know, there were other things that kept her busy and cool in the backyard. She was digging. We always have to clean her. Believe me when I say, there is such a thing as "graceful digging". Lobo does it. He digs deep holes in the backyard but you will never know he did. He remains clean! Layla on the other hand bathes in dirt. Her puppy fur was so thick that she dug almost every night, and sits in the hole to cool down.

She's almost 2 years old now and she's been doing so well. She is still a little apprehensive with strangers especially when we are not around but she warms up to people quicker now than she did 6 months ago. She is so cute that she catches everyone's attention wherever we go. Everyone wants to pet her but she's so afraid of strangers. She would let you pet her only if I have my arms around her or if she's sitting on my foot. She feels safer I guess. She is our baby girl, spoiled and treated like a true princess. So if you ask Layla what she thinks of her life now?

She's doing just fine!

We all scream for Ice Cream

I normally make my sibes their own ice cream from plain yogurt, peanut butter, banana, strawberries, and honey. Yes, all natural no preserves. I mush all the fruits then I add the yogurt, peanut butter and honey and mix them thoroughly. I then place the thick mixture into my handy dandy ice cream maker and let stir for 30 minutes. I bought those sauce disposable containers from Ziploc and divvy 'em up. After a few minutes in the freezer, Voila! We have ice cream, au naturale!

Yesterday afternoon was a bit warm. I wanted to give Lobo and Layla a break by giving them ice cream. I opened the freezer to my dismay, there is but one container left. I was not in the mood to make a new batch. It calls for me to go to the grocery for the ingredients. Besides, bananas will have to wait to ripen.

Light bulb! Rite-aid sells Thrifty ice cream for $0.99 a scoop. I packed the dogs into the car and we're off to the drugstore. I paid my dues for two separate scoops of vanilla ice cream and headed back to the car. They loved it of course...until we got home.

I'm not sure if it was brain freeze, too much dairy, or too much sugar but I thought they were choking. They were doing this thing humans do when we drink that Jamba Juice or that Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frapuccino too fast. They were coughing too. It's not like this is their first time. We've given them vanilla ice cream from Dairy Queen before (a suggestion from a dog lover's book) and they were fine. I have to admit though, the drugstore's scoop was a little too BIG!

Here comes the big scare. After I thought they've settled down, I went to check on them. They were not moving and seemed weak. I wanted to punch myself for loving my dogs too much; spoiling them too much. Good thing they were still responding to my calls although a little sluggish. I guess sugar does not have the same effect on animals as they do on 2 year olds. Needless to say, I almost took them to the vet. I was relieved when Lobo stood up and asked to be let out into the backyard, Layla followed shortly after and both started playing and chasing each other.

Lesson learned: Stop spoiling your pets too much before you kill them.

Ok readers, don't go calling the Animal Control people on me. I promise, it will never happen again.

Spoken like a true criminal.

Can you train a Siberian Husky?

Lobo was a rumbunctious 1 year old when we adopted him in March of 2004. He caught our attention while trying to escape his pen. Right then and there we knew he was going to be trouble, but the same spunky spirit is what finalized the decision for us to adopt him. Did we know what we were in for? Well, we read about the breed, we weighed the pros and cons, needless to say, we only have an inkling of what we were getting ourselves into.

He pulled like a horse on a leash. He chewed on our teak furniture. He took apart my cell phone charger. He broke open our cushion (that we inherited from my husband's grandmother). He dug pot holes and left our backyard looking like the moon. He jumped the fence and caught a cat. It was horrifying! I'd rather forget that incident all together. Just when we thought we had husky proof our home, he always found a way to prove us wrong. He was a very willful pup but we were more persistent owners.

We spent many hours even days and weeks patiently training Lobo. It took over a year or so before we were able to train him. Everyday was a challenge, every two weeks we see progress. We worked on his strengths and putting that bundle of energy into something positive. He even learned a few tricks. Thank goodness he learns quickly but he is a husky. He is easily bored, to top it off, he was only a pup.

It took us a year of love, patience and understanding to teach him what he knows now. He walks gracefully on leash heeding our commands. He does not chew on our furniture anymore but he did chew on a leash once this year. He does not dig anymore. He understands the phrase "Leave it!" when a squirrel or cat crosses his path, displaying reluctant restraint, torn between his strong hunting instinct and obedience to our commands. He still is a willful escape artist as he has found a way to get out of the kennel but he has not jump the fence to leave the premises of our backyard. He is more mellow now and his days are 80% lounging around and 20% horse playing with our younger female husky.

We attended BASH's Ice Cream Social today and did us proud one more time. All that Sit! Stay! commands finally paid off. We decided to join him in the fun of "Musical Sit Down Contest" and he won with flying colors leaving all the other huskies in the dust. He listened. He obeyed. He made us proud!

So can you train a Siberian Husky? Oh most definitely!