The Fur Cap Cometh

I don’t think I told you this but we’re staying in this fancy high-rise down south for a few months to avoid the worst of the New England winter. I was so excited the other day cause dad got a call from Fran (she’s the building’s concierge) informing us that a package had arrived for me. Dad asked Fran to bring it right up and I could hardly contain myself when Fran arrived. My tail was really wagging and my butt was moving all over the place. I got even more excited when I saw the return address. The package was from Aunt Joyce. You may recall in one of my earlier posts I wrote about the book Pet Projects: The Animal Knits Bible. It’s this cool book with instructions (and great pictures) of all these fantastic things that you can knit for your pets. You may also recall that I have been coveting this really groovy hat from the book. I think I told you that I received the book as a Christmas present from Grammy Jill. Well, I quickly had my dad copy the pages with the instructions for the groovy hat and I gave them to Aunt Joyce. You see Aunt Joyce is kinda crafty and I know she knits.

So you can see why I got so excited when a package arrived from Aunt Joyce. I couldn’t open it fast enough. And there it was a beautiful variegated groovy blue hat with baby blue ear warmers. It couldn’t be more perfect. And then I noticed the note that accompanied the hat:

My Dear Suddie,
I hope this fits Angus. I don’t know if the ear muffs are in the right place. I probably should have used wilder colors – to make a statement. Let me know about size and colors for you and Roxie if you like it.
Love,
Aunt Joyce

Hope this fits Angus? What? Well Angus was out and I could have easily lost the note, but when I tried it on it was definitely not my size. Don’t get me wrong. I still looked darn cool in it. Dad thought I looked like Edie Brickell in it. Do you remember her from Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians? They had one hit “What I Am.” Do you remember that song and the video? My dad does. I bet you didn’t know that she is married to Paul Simon. Do you think that makes Carrie Fisher mad?

Anywho…the hat was way too big for me and at 11:03 AM I sent Aunt Joyce this email with two pics of Angus attached:

Subject: Angus loves his new hat











Thank you. It is great.
I tried it on and so did Roxie and the face opening needs to be quite a bit smaller and the neck a few inches less for us. I trust your judgement on the colors. It would be great to have them before spring arrives. Thanks again. We love your work!!!!
XO

You see I was trying to be diplomatic and not let on how disappointed I was that it wasn’t my hat. You know when you ask others to do things for you, you shouldn’t be too pushy or demanding. Then at 11:07 AM I sent Aunt Joyce another email. There wasn’t any content just a subject line and a pic of me in Angus’s hat:

Subject: I want my own hat











And at 11:12 AM Roxie had me send Aunt Joyce the following email and pic:

Subject: Roxie says there must be a mistake…

Aunt Joyce always liked me best.











The next day after putting the hat on Angus and going for a walk we sent Aunt Joyce another email:

Subject: Hat – Field Test Results
So I put the hat on this morning and took it for a test in the field.
Results:
I looked adorable
Neck fits perfectly
Cap needs to be quite a bit more snug. Falls to one side or the other or falls back and off my head while walking. Still somehow looks adorable. We found that if you tuck the cap under it makes quite a handsome scarf.
I think just making the cap smaller and reducing the size of the opening would do the trick.
I can't remember what size you made for me but mom's and Roxie’s hats should be quite a bit smaller.
Thanks again for my winter head gear.
Angus (Roxie and Suddie)

We have yet to hear from Aunt Joyce

Brotherly Love

Right after I posted Angus' Best of Breed video I received this sweet note from Roscoe.

Mommy,
Yeah for my big brother! Congrats Angus! I miss you. I got my first shampoo, nail clip and trim (which my adopted mom and dad were not expecting, but the groomer just couldn't resist...ick!) Can't say it's my favorite thing...I came home looking all poofed up...after three days I'm looking more "myself." I also started "kindergarten," not sure I like behaving, but I do like the praise and treats : ) I promise I'll send photos to you soon. I'm just so busy being a dickens, there's not much time to write! : )
Love you and miss you,
Roscoe

I love you too Roscoe. You know what? I'm a bit jealous that you've already had a hair cut. I have never ever had my hair cut. Btw, I think all the hair that fell out with my pregnancy may be growing back a bit, but I still look a bit ragged. I could use a new look.

Best of Breed

My sweet, handsome boy Angus won best of breed in a dog show recently. He really hadn't been in a show since he became a champion more than a year ago. The day before the show, after his bath, Angus had to wear his boots every time we went outside so that his feet wouldn't get dirty and he wore his hair up so that it would fall just right at the show. I guess it worked because he looked great in the ring and he was a finalist when he advanced to the non-sporting group competition. I made a video of the whole thing and and you can see that Angus is third in line after the judge selected the final group competitors.

To be honest with you, I find dog shows to be a bit boring. Sometimes the best show is going on outside the ring. Guys in fur coats that match their dog. Make-shift caravans of pooches. Handlers in their unsightly get-ups.

To pass the time, I sent Dara an email from my iPhone:
We are at a dog show. Angus took best of breed so now we have to go to group. Dog shows are boring.

And she replied:
I know they are boring. My sister takes me to them when I go to MPLS. But it's great that Angus won. Give him a big kiss on the LIPS for me.
I'm cooking mushrooms and Lacinato kale and having a bit of wine. Wish you were here.
Dara

Snowballing

You might know that us TTs love the snow. The only problem is when we walk through the snow snowballs form on our feet and legs. It seems to be a universal problem. This is a pic of my new friend Bobby, a TT from Bristol England, just back from a walk in the snowy fields.

Grooming Tips

After posting my "Grooming Your TT" video on youtube, I received the following comment:

Thats all very well on how to groom, but, how do you stop the fighting when they dont want to be brushed?. We have to put ours on the ironing board to keep her still, and it takes two of us because she struggles all the time!

An ironing board?

This comment made think I should post the grooming tips that I share with the new owners of my pups. Really, I think the biggest key to success is to start grooming your TT as a small pup even before they need to be groomed so that they get used to it (and maybe even enjoy it). Also us TTs can be very sensitive about having our feet touched so I recommend that you start massaging and holding and grooming your pup's feet very early on.

Grooming Tools
Although your new puppy won't really need to be formally groomed until the age of 6-9 months (with the exception of nails which should be done from the time you bring your pup home), we recommend that you accustom the pup to grooming from an early age. Make sure you handle the pup’s feet during grooming (so they get used to it), because TTs seem to be particularly sensitive about having their feet touched.
We recommend that you buy a metal greyhound comb, a good quality pin brush, and a slicker brush for grooming. (We use a pin brush with 27mm pins and a slicker brush from Chris Christensen, available through Cherrybrook at www.cherrybrook.com.) You’ll also need nail clippers; we use Resco guillotine-type clippers.


Grooming
Teach your pup to lie on his side on a counter or table. You’ll be forever grateful. With your dog lying on his side you can complete one side, then flip him over and do the other.
Brushing completely through the coat is the only way to get out all mats and prevent new ones from forming. We use the pin brush for this. It isn't enough to brush from the part along the back down the sides of the dog. You must line brush each side of the dog, starting at the belly and proceeding up the side of the dog, brushing each section or “line” of hair separately. In this way you can brush all of the undercoat as well as the top coat.
When you reach a mat, gently try to separate it with your fingers until you can pull out just the mat without any of the surrounding hair. You can also use the greyhound comb to tease out the mat. The belly, behind the ears, and where the legs meet the body will are the areas that mat most readily.
When you’re done combing your dog’s coat with the pin brush, comb through the entire coat with the greyhound comb to find any mats you might have missed.
Always mist the dog’s coat with water and little conditioner before brushing or combing, to reduce coat breakage. Also, always brush and comb your dog before and after a bath. My parents usually bathe us every two to three weeks. They find that a clean dog is easier to groom.

Pandy in Paradise

I received this video of my little Pandora chasing her dad Toby around the pool in California. I understand that sometimes poor Toby has to hide under the bed to get some peace and quiet.

Grooming Your TT

About a year ago our friend Sonia asked us to create a video that would help her groom her TT. You see she lives with one of my pups from my first litter. Well almost a year later.....

I hope that Sonia finds this video helpful and maybe some of you will as well. I am in a coffee shop with my dad trying to upload the video and youtube won't accept it because it is too long. So I am now trying to break it down into three parts so that it fits. I can't really play it to see if the parts equal the whole without disturbing everyone in the coffee house. So I'm going to wing it and hope it's not too shabby. I will fix it over the weekend if it's all nutty. Oh, and another thing, please try to ignore the view of the toilet in the background of the videos. I tried to push the door closed with my head, but I just couldn't seem to manage it.

Schools are for Fishes...and Puppies

You know I value education. So I was very happy to learn that Elsa and Rufus are attending school with their new sister Sophia. I received this sweet note from them. It makes me feel warm all over.

Dear Mommy,
It's been a crazy few weeks since we left you in Massachusetts. The ride to our new home was a LONG one, and our stops at the rest areas were sometimes downright frightening. Our new crates are warm and cozy though. It has been cold and snowy outside. During our most recent walks, the snow is deeper than our legs can carry us. We have to jump.. jump... jump. We've had great appetites, and our new owners think we are growing every day.
Grace and Sophia can't help but give us hugs and kisses all the time. Ryan likes to snuggle with us on the floor. Just this week we took a trip to Sophia's preschool. It was fun to explore a new place, and all the kids were sweet. We included pictures of the trip so you could see how nice it was.
Gotta go for now. We are going to play downstairs with Grace and Sophia. We miss you, our brothers, and our sisters, but we love the new family we have found in Iowa. We hope you can visit us sometime.
Love,
Rufus and Elsa

Buster and Jazz and Mabel and Elsa and Rufus

As promised by her new mommy, I received some pics of Jazz with her big brother Buster (from my first litter). I thought you might like ot see a couple. Jazz seems quite content curled up in Buster's tail. Buster and Roxie and Angus and all of my pups from the first litter will be two years old on Saturday.


And I just received a bunch of great pics from Mabel's new parents. Mabel now lives in Maryland and, as you may recall, her parents want another puppy from Deep Acres Farm's next litter. Mabel turns two on Saturday too. Here are a couple of pics of her out in the snow. She's a pretty girl!


And my newest pups will be three months old this week. Here are some cute pics that I received from Elsa and Rufus.

Jazz Hands

I was dying to hear about my little Bitsy and how she is doing with her big brother Buster from my first litter of pups. Her name is now Jazz and she is doing just great:

Buster and Jazz are doing are doing great together. She holds her own with him. We tried so hard to keep her on her puppy food but she and Buster traded bowls and that is that. Buster is not a great eater. His bowl will sit full all day and he will pick at it. Jazz on the other hand will not stop until every last bit is gone. We will have to watch her waist line...We call her Jazz because she has "Jazz hands". Vet says she is fine. I'll send pictures when I can
Tammy

I am not exactly sure what they mean about her "Jazz hands." I am guessing that they are referring to her great big TT paws and the fact that she is highly physically expressive. Perhaps she has a future in interpretive dance.

And then I heard from Mabel ( the darling itsy bitsy from my first litter) and she wants a sister from Deep Acres Farm's next litter. That will have to be from Roxie or Angus because I AM DONE!

Dear Suddie, We have been following your puppy blog with great interest. The puppies are so cute and they have all found wonderful homes. It must have been hard to let them go. Mabel wanted to inquire about the possibility of getting on a list for your next litter of pups. She seems to want to have a playmate, perhaps a sister? The cat is just not any fun to play with. We know you don't plan another litter for 2 years but we just wanted to let you know of our interest.
Sincerely, John, Sarah and Mabel

The Barefoot Dogtessa

Well. Let’s see. I heard from my friend Laura. Laura lives in the Hamptons and among many other things she is a fabulous pastry chef. She made all the pies for the movie Waitress. Did you see that movie? I loved it. Laura claims she has a dog but every time I visit, her pooch has been at the spa. Lucky dog! Well anyway Laura wrote to tell my dad he is a silly goose and while she was at it she let him know that she has an article in the January issue of Town & Country. Rather than rambling on, I‘m just going to show you dad’s email back to Laura:

Subject: T&A

Err…I mean T&C.
I love your article. Well done Ms. D.
Who would have thought Ina and I would share a love for whiskey sours?
I love your glamour shot. Hair extensions? ☺ You look great.
(Note from Suddie: Do you remember when I was considering Jacqueline Smith’s clip on hair pieces? Click here for a refresher.)
I paid a visit to our vet this morning and there was Town & Country right between Dog Fancy and Modern Dog in the magazine rack. Who would have thunk? So I couldn’t help myself, I had to snag it (along with Modern Dog and an issue of Outside with a hot babe on the cover). I was going to buy it. Really I was.
Suddie’s Dad

The article is a profile of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. It’s very good fun and it lists all the Contessa’s favorite things. In addition to whiskey sours (you may…or may not…remember that I shared my own recipe not that long ago), the shoeless one loves Fran’s dark-chocolate-covered caramels with sea salt. My parents love then too. Every Christmas Dara sends them a box and they inhale the entire box in like two seconds. Dara also sends me her famous homemade doggie treats in one of the beautiful silk bags that she has taken to making now that she has given up her tedious high-powered Wall Street career. That’s what Wall Street will do to you. Or so I hear. Well, anyway, Dara is none the worse for it. Last year she also sent my parents a jar each of Fran’s dark chocolate and caramel sauces, but not this year. I think they were a bit disappointed and figured their status on Dara’s Christmas gift list must have fallen. But then they received this note:

Howdy Pardners.
Where are you? In Texas?? That picture doesn't work for me. Do you have 10 Gallon Hats?? Pointy boots??
Anyhoo, I don't think I have a street address for you there. So, I need it to send the missing Fran's sauces. As my sister and I say, a jar of that stuff + a spoon = PARTY. We are simple people.
Chocolate Kisses,
Dara

And just so you know, the barefoot one actually wraps her tootsies in $500 Loro Piana cashmere slippers. She lists them as her most treasured article of clothing or accessory: “My Loro Piana cashmere slippers. I have them everywhere in the house! I wear them for cooking, for traveling, and for dinner parties at home.” Now me, I am the real barefoot contessa, I can’t stand to have anything on my feet. But, I must admit, I might make an exception for cashmere slippers.

My Little Calendar Pups

Now I have to brag. The 2010 Tibetan Terrier Health and Welfare Foundation Calendar came out recently and my pups were chosen for not one but for two months. Angus and Sadie as pups are Mr. and Miss. April. Angus appears again as Mr. September with a tennis ball in his mouth. I am so proud of my pups. If you want to get a calendar yourself and support the Tibetan Terrier Health and Welfare Foundation, you can visit their website.

And do you remember the book Pet Projects: The Animal Knits Bible that I talked about months ago? Well Grammy Jill gave it to me as a Christmas present and then she asked my parents to knit Sadie a sweater. It wasn't really as self-serving as it sounds, but now Sadie has a beautiful red cable knit. I still don't have the little knit cap that I have been going on about for months now, but I did copy the instructions page and gave it to my Aunt Joyce and she promised to knit one each for Roxie, Angus, and me. I hope she does because we are going to need it this winter