Turning Point

Have you ever seen the movie The Turning Point with Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft? You know it's the one about two former promising ballerinas that chose different paths in life. One gets married and gives up her career in dance and the other dedicates her life to the dance and becomes a star. I haven't watched it for a long time, but as I recall the two main characters meet up again later in life and both regret the road not taken. Lots of drama, name calling, and bitch slapping ensue. Well I kinda felt a bit like the Shirley MacLaine character (she's the one that gave up her career for a man) when I had to forgo my chance to star in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 this fall because I was with pups. Are you listening Toby?

You see I came across this casting notice:

Rich King Casting is looking for purebred, talented pups for “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.” They’re seeking dogs with the looks and the talent to make it in Hollywood. “Here is your chance to show off (to the world) your best friend. The scene is the Beverly Hills dog show and your purebred could be part of the movie. No talent too big or too small! If interested, please email your name, contact info, a video of your dog and its talent, a picture of you and your dog, breed, and any miscellaneous information to dogshowfilm@gmail.com. Casting will start the week of September 21, 2009, so send in your submission as soon as possible.” More information can be found on their website.

Well, of course, I'm purebred and I have tons of star potential. I would have been a shoo-in. Life and all it's regrets. Well, perhaps they'll make Babe 3. I can play a pig no problem. I AM an actress.

Do you know the origin of that term "shoo-in?" I actually thought it was shoe-in, but it's not. It's shoo-in. Well, as I understand it, it has it's origins in horse racing, where a shoo-in was the winner of a rigged race. It comes from the verb shoo, meaning to drive a person or an animal in a given direction by making noises or gestures, which in turn comes from the noise people often make when they do it. Do you think I could play a horse? National Velvet 3? Or better yet a remake of Black Beauty. I was born for that role.

Did I ever tell you about the time I ran into Shirley MacLaine in Palm Springs? You see my parents and I were having breakfast on the terrace at The Parker Hotel. That's the hotel that was formerly known as The Givenchy, owned by one of my favorite talk show hosts Merv Griffen. It's much cooler now that it's The Parker. It was redesigned by Jonathan Adler, you know the guy that started out making really cool pottery and now has a whole line of stuff for your very hip home. The Parker is very dog friendly. The hotel was even featured in a reality show of the same name. On one of the episodes, hotel management was thinking about banning dogs from the property which made Mr. Adler extremely upset as he is a devoted pet owner and pooch enthusiast. I have no idea how that all turned out. I have a very busy life. But let's get back to Ms. MacLaine. Shirley, as I now call her, was also taking her breakfast on the terrace at The Parker. She was probably actually staying there. We had much finer digs. We were staying in the guest house on Donna Reed's former estate in the Las Palmas neighborhood. Fabu! Well, anyway, as we were leaving, my parents approached Ms. MacLaine and said hello. She was very nice and launched into some whack story about Snoop Dog. But you know what, she didn't even notice me and she is supposed to be this BIG DOG FREAK. I think she even wrote a book about it. I think the title is Out on a Leash. She even has this whole page on herbs for dogs on her website. And another page just filled with pet stories where she claims, "We all love those dear fur people we call pets." Puke!

Maybe she'll come back in her next incarnation as a dog. You know she believes in all that. See how she likes staring at everyone's ankles all the time. No, better yet, a pig. Now, she, she could definitely play a pig. I like this picture of her. This is exactly how she looked that morning at The Parker when I didn't meet her. In fact, I think she was wearing this very same wig. And that's how I came to be on first name basis with Shirley. Are you impressed Toby?

All A Twitter

I don't know if you know this but puppies need to be dewormed at four weeks. So yesterday dad went to the my vet and picked up the wormer. The wormer is a milky-looking liquid and it comes in what looks like a cough medicine bottle. Dad administered a small amount of the wormer in each pup's mouth with a small syringe while I watched over everything. It must taste pretty good because the pups all drank it down and did not appear to suffer any ill effects. We will re-administer the wormer in 10 days. After that, we will take the pups to see my vet at seven weeks for their first immunizations. The second set of immunizations will take place approximately 4 weeks later when the pups are with their new families.

Did I tell you where my pups are going to be living? Two will live with families in Massachusetts one is going to a nice home in Connecticut. Two are going to Iowa and one to Virginia. And I think I already told you that one of my girls is going to live with her dad, Toby, in California. They won't be leaving for awhile now, but I know the time will be here before I know it. The days go by so quickly what with all the activity around here. And, as Grammy told me they would, the days, months and years go by even more quickly as you get a bit older. I don't know where the time has gone, but I am trying to enjoy every minute with the pups.

When the pups are napping, I like to get on Twitter. I think I may be addicted. I don't know why. It's really kinda annoying and I haven't quite figured out how it works. Or maybe I have and there really isn't much to it. But darn I want to find out if their is. So I keep tweeting away. You see on Twitter you can follow other members' updates if you find them interesting and they can follow you. You can also block them if you don't want them to know what you're up to. I have already blocked two of my followers. This guy who was trying very hard to sell me some Viagra and this woman who appeared very heavily involved in the marketing of porn from the Czech Republic. But I am following all sorts of folks. For example, I am closely following Jaclyn Smith. You remember, the lovely dark-haired lady from Charlie's Angels. I have often been told that I bear a very strong resemblance to her. I want very much to keep up with her comings and goings. And, let me tell you, so far it has been very useful. You probably recall that TT's blow their coats after they deliver pups. I, unfortunately, am no exception as far as this is concerned. Well, on Twitter I discovered that Ms. Smith has a line of clip on hair pieces that are easy and fabulous. Now that's just what I need. And guess who is following me. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan. He even sent me a private message which on Twitter are called direct messages. He tweeted "Stay calm and assertive." Well, I didn't know what The Dog Whisperer meant by that. So I just tweeted back: "Thanks Cesar. That means a lot." I am also following a woman with the handle SugarBoobs. I mean with a name like that she just has to be nice. I'm also following Oprah (even though she's no Tyra) cause her profile pic is of her and a very cute puppy. I'm also being followed by and following a bunch of dogs like GizmoDog, BarttheDog, and LordOscar. There are lots of cute ones out there. I'm definitely following sprinklesmobile. You know Sprinkles is the Beverly Hills cupcake shop that Oprah is always raving about where you have to queue up for hours just to get in the door. Well it appears they have a mobile cupcake van and they Tweet their location so that you can find them: "Sprinklesmobile has arrived at Grand Avenue between 8th and 9th! The first 10 people to whisper "downtown" receive a free cupcake!" My dad loves cupcakes so I definitely need to follow this in case he ever takes me back to California. I like to treat him sometimes.

Speaking of treats. My dad whipped up a trial batch of Pumpkin Pie Biscuits in anticipation of Sadie's Thanksgiving holiday visit. I haven't tasted them yet, but they sure smelled great baking in the oven. I think it must be the maple syrup. So don't forget your furry friend this turkey day. Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Pie Biscuits

These biscuits make your house smell like Thanksgiving! Pumpkin is a great source of fiber. You can add any leftover pumpkin to your dog's food, if you'd like. (BTW, I like to eat pumpkin right out of the can when I have an upset stomach. It seems to help.) The added spices and syrup make these treats sweet and aromatic.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Blend together the broth, pumpkin, oil. syrup. and egg with a mixer. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a spoon. Using your hands, incorporate all the flour into the dough. Roll out onto a floured surface. lightly sprinkle flour on top of the dough, keeping it floured so that it won't stick to the rolling pin. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out the biscuits with cookie cutters and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Gobble. Gobble.

Cyber Pooch

I guess I'm what you might call a cyber pooch. I mean I have my blog and my website (www.deepacresfarm.com) and yesterday I tweeted for the very first time. All my dogs (and bitches!) can now tweet me on twitter @DeepAcresFarm. I am not alone. There are tons of dogs (and bitches!) on the internet. I already have quite a few doggy followers on twitter. Think of the possibilities!

I like being a cyber pooch and thought I probably coined the term. But, on no, Sony introduced a $2500 robotic dog called Cyber-Pooch in 1999 that can go for walks and wag its tail and do tricks. When it first came out it sold out in 20 minutes. At the time, a survey was taken to determine the reason for its popularity. Here are the results.



I also came across a website (www.foopets.com) where you can adopt the world's most realistic, interactive virtual pet. The website even claims that you can "mate your FooPet with your friend's FooPet and make FooPet babies! Watch out — puppies and kittens are a lot of work!" Yeah. Right. Tell me about it. I must admit that the FooPet beagle is kinda cute.

Well the best thing about all this cyber stuff is that I found another Tibetan Terrier blogger. His name is Wigglebutt Duncan and he is VERY cute. He refers to his blog as musings and deliberations of a spoiled, but lovable TT. Roxie has her eye on him. Yesterday, Wigglebutt posted a list that I want to share with you.

The 10 things I Like Most About Being a Tibetan Terrier

1. I've made friends all over the world with other Tibetan Terriers and their owners. I'm on Facebook; you can even Google me (WigglebuttDuncan) and I have 2 whole pages devoted to me! A TT!

2. I've convinced my humans that I'm smart (and that's not just about my breed trait).

3. I'm forgiven for my willful, independent disposition (because my humans believe it's a breed trait).

4. Most people forgive my misbehaving because they think I'm a terrier and it's "terrier behavior," even though I'm NOT a terrier.

5. I get tons of extra special treats for doing stupid things in training. I even get cooked special foods as rewards where I reward my mom intermittently for listening to what I want her to do.

6. It's OK for me to have ADHD; in fact, it's expected.

7. It's OK for me to have notoriously bad recall; in fact, it's expected.

8. Everyone who knows me thinks I'm cute and I know how to maximize it in order to get invited into people's homes (Thanks, Aunt Karen and Uncle Fred).

9. There are very few of my breed around, so I always get LOTS of attention from everyone asking me what kind of dog I am.....

and, finally .....

10. My mom and dad love me so much and think I'm so special, that they actually do something dorky like blogging about me!

For the Birds

Did you notice Roxie singing in the video that I included in my last post? TTs like to sing. We are known for it. Among other things! We sing when we're happy. It feels great and I think more people (and dogs) should sing. I know you want to. I think everyone wants to sing like birds sing not worrying about who hears or what they think. My dad sometimes sings to me and the pups. Ramblin' Rose is a current favorite. He doesn't like to sing in front of most other people though. Not even at birthday parties.

I have a friend who helps others overcome their fear of singing (www.thebirdsings.com). She's a trained vocal coach and leads workshops all over the place. Now, I'm not afraid to sing. I'm just too tired to right now. My dad is afraid to sing, but he would never go to anything like a singing workshop. Oh no!

I think I mentioned that we recently introduced Roxie and Angus to their new siblings. They are really sweet with the pups. I won't say that I'm surprised. I didn't quite know what to expect. Today I shot and cobbled together a video of my older kids with the pups.

Movin' On Up

My pups are now a month old. Can you believe it? Yesterday we moved them out of the whelping box and into a more spacious ex-pen so that they have lots of room to romp and play. As you can see, the move wasn't too hard on them and they find their new accommodations quite comfy. The ex-pen has a raised gate that allows me to come and go, but keeps the pups safe inside. They even have a cardboard box to hide out in. Who could ask for anything more? And there's a little puppy bed in case they do. And toys. Lots of toys. The kids are now noticing and playing with their toys. Although they find the edge of the box just as interesting. In a couple weeks we will move the ex-pen downstairs and add some panels to make it even larger. It will grow as the pups grow. And downstairs it will have easy access to the backyard so I can try to get them thinking about the great outdoors as a great big toilet. We'll see!

You probably know that during housetraining it’s helpful to confine the pups to a small area with hard flooring while you are at home. You can use a gate or, if you can’t use a gate to confine your pup to, say, the kitchen, you may want to buy an ex-pen. You can put a vinyl flooring remnant (usually readily available at stores such as Lowes or Home Depot) under the ex-pen if you have carpet. JB Pet Wholesale has relatively inexpensive ex-pens (www.jbpet.com) that can be expanded with add-on panels.

At night and when you must leave your pup for any period, I recommend that you remove their ID collar and place them in their crate. It is unlikely that they will have an accident in their crate. Immediately take your pup outside upon releasing them from their crate and allow them the opportunity to relieve themselves. I find this crate training to be highly effective in house training my pups. The crate is also a safe and secure refuge for your pet and they are likely to feel more secure confined in their crate when you must leave them alone.

Either a vari kennel type airline crate or a wire crate will do. My parents like the wire at home and at shows when the weather is hot. The airline crate is safer for travel in a vehicle and some dogs prefer them as they make them feel safe. I use a wire crate, the Midwest Lifestages 1630 (30” x 21” x 24”).

Despite all this serious business I did get outside today to shoot this video. Angus and Roxie are definitely ready for their close ups Mr. De Mille.

Shining Like The Sun

My Super Troopers. 3 1/2 weeks old.

I Feel Pretty

Pretty tired that is. Just like MeeMaw.
That woman is always tired. Then again she is old as dirt. But you see, in addition to tending to the little ones, I've been walked up the hill and back down. Let me tell you it's a long, tedious walk. Day after day after day we go on this same blasted walk. And, you know what, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've plodded up and down these stinking stairs. For the coup de grace, dad cajoled me out of the house to play catch with Roxie and Angus. Well, he only threw the tennis ball a couple times for me. I think he thinks I'm going to hurt myself with all this milk I'm carrying. Darn straight!

I'm still better at frisbee than Roxie and Angus. They're young you know. I put Angus' hair in a pony tail. Otherwise he can't see the frisbee at all. Now I must admit it's good for me to get outside and clear my head. It also gives me some quality fun time with Roxie and Angus. I feel a little bad that I can't spend as much time with them now that I have seven other pups to care for. But, you know what, I think they really understand. I must admit that I was a bit worried about what Roxie and Angus would make of these tiny pups, their new brothers and sisters. They hadn't seen them at all until two days ago, but they knew something was up. So the day before yesterday dad carefully introduced them to the pups one at a time. They were surprising calm and gentle. Especially Roxie who has been nuzzling them and even turned over on her back like she wanted to nurse them. Now wouldn't that be nice.

I'm so glad that they are all getting along so well and I look forward to the day when we can all go out in the backyard and play together. It is so good for the pups socialization to safely interact with other dogs and people from a young age. Grammy Jill is coming for Thanksgiving and she is bringing Sadie so that will throw another friendly dog into the mix.

If you ever bring a new puppy into your home, I strongly recommend that you enroll in a group puppy socialization class as soon as possible. This is a great way to learn basic tools for working with your new pup and it is good for their socialization as well. I also believe it is important to actively introduce your puppy to dogs, people, and a variety of situations to aid in their development. These introductions should be practiced both off-leash in a safe, enclosed area and on-leash in a variety of settings. This will help ensure that your pup becomes comfortable both off- and on-leash approaching new situations and meeting new dogs and people. Praise all positive behavior and quickly correct any negative behaviors. Ask your training class instructor to demonstrate appropriate methods to praise and correct your pup. After completion of your puppy training class, continued group training classes and socialization activities through your pups first few years promote optimal behavior. You know what they say. Pretty is as pretty does.