Thursday, January 31, 2013

Pixel's Wordless Wednesday - Carolina Panthers Fan

Super Bowl 2013 is happening this weekend here in the U.S. I believe you should always support your favorite team, whether they are in the Super Bowl or not, so I'm wearing my Carolina Panthers fan jersey. 
All smiles and ready for kickoff!
A look of love for my favorite team. Go Panthers!!
Check out some of my fellow pet bloggers as they take part in  the Wordless Wednesday blog hop, sponsored by BlogPaws. Want to be in it too? Follow the instructions under the blog links below...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Joy of Snow - Pixel Celebrates the first Snowfall of 2013

Snow is one of my greatest joys in life. The beauty of a good snowfall and how it blankets the earth with a white crystal blanket just fills my heart with such wonder and awe! I have always loved snow. It is one of my favorite things to play in, run in, and even eat! Mommy loves it too, that's probably where I get it from. We've been waiting all fall and winter for a really good snowfall. The last two winters left SO much to be desired in that area, and we've been disappointed time and again when they call for snow...but no snow comes. Well, not now!
We've had two beautiful snowfall events in less than two weeks here in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and I have been full of immense joy, excitement and happiness with these "First Snowfalls of 2013".
Mommy and I went outside the evening of the first snowfall while it was still falling, and measured 6 inches. I went "dashing through the snow" as fast as I could! Because it was dark and Mommy had to use a flash, I have neon red eyes, but I just call them my 'night vision' eyes. I ran so fast, I was like lightening! Mommy made me wear a big thick sweater so I wouldn't get too cold too quickly. Look at how my ears fly up and out so high. I do believe I could lead a pack of sled dogs across the tundra like this...don't you agree??
I tried to see just how fast I could run through 6+ inches of fresh, heavy snow. I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a speeding ticket at the rate I was zooming! We're lucky the snow didn't melt in my wake as my legs moved with lightening speed.
With my keen mind and incredible athletic abilities at work in the snow, I even made up a new Winter Olympic sport:  SNOW JUMPING! As you can see in this illustrated photo, I have an obvious natural ability to do snow jumping. My long legs helped me clear a good 4 feet, I'm pretty sure, between each jump. If you remember, I also took part in a Summer Olympic sport called Synchronized Sleeping (photos available by selecting the link). Needless to say, after all that fun, Mommy and I went inside exhausted and excited about what it would look like the next morning.
It was even MORE beautiful than we could imagine. The snow lay so thick on every branch and the morning was extra quiet here in the mountains. We went out early and took more photos.
I wore one of my best red sweaters and we were off on a little tiny snow adventure in the yard. I always have to eat the snow, it's a Pixel tradition. I think it could have used a little cream and sugar in it, but otherwise the cool medium packed snow was quick delicious!
As I basked in the joy of "being in the moment" in the snow, I took the time to really absorb the wonder and awe of being surrounded by such a frozen miracle.
I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to put my thoughts to paper, to try to capture the essence of a day with snow that fills me with such joy. I went back inside and created my first masterpiece poem, "The Sparkling Snow". I do hope you like it. If you do like it, will you share it with friends and family? I know for a fact it's hard to come by good 'Sparkly Snow' poetry.

Let me know what you think. And please make sure to tell me if you get snow! Don't forget to go visit my other friends (shown below) on this Monday Mischief blog hop. Have fun! 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pixel's Wordless Wednesday - The Joy of Dressing Up!

National "Dress Up Your Pet" Day was this week, so today, on Wordless Wednesday, members of the Blog Paws Community are celebrating with fun photos. I don't dress up much, but I try to make it count when I do. Here are some of my favorite dress up photos. Which is your favorite??

Butterfly Pixel

Serious Rastafarian Pixel

Carolina Panthers Football Fan Pixel

Princess Pixel

Country and Western Pixel
Florence Nightingale Nurse Pixel


Noel Kitty as Miss Santa Paws (I am going to be in SO much trouble when she sees this!)
Click on some of the links below to see what some of my fellow pet bloggers are sharing on this Wordless Wednesday! Have fun dressing up...

Pixel's Continued Voice for Change to End Tail Docking "No Tail Left Behind" Campaign Still Going Strong!

Four times a year, pet bloggers from all around the internet come together with the "Be the Change for Animals" advocacy group to blog about important topics that we feel will help "Be the Change" for animals. People and animals working together to help animals! I have a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, and that is educating about the dangers of tail docking. During the July 15, 2012 "Blog the Change" for animals event, I introduced my campaign to educate about the dangers of tail docking in my post "No Tail Left Behind - Giving Voice to the Dangers of Tail Docking." Well, I have been amazed at how it has grown in just six months time. Our following has greatly increased, and we have supporters from all over the country and the world. We have banded together with breeders who used to dock but no longer do so, typical "docked tail" breed loving groups who reject the concept of docking, and many other people. We've been able to help many dog owners identify if their dog is having issues with their docked tail, and have been able to point them in the right direction to seek help for their beloved dog.
 You see, I am incredibly passionate about the topic of tail docking because I have suffered greatly in my 5 years of life because the people who had me before I found my Mommy, had my tail docked. Do you know that they remove a puppy's tail while they are fully awake?? How dreadful. When Mommy and I found each other, she was not happy I did not have a tail, but she did not really understand about it. It took Mommy a little while to realize that some of my unusual behaviors and health issues were all related to my docked tail. She has studied now for years, and has since done a great deal of research.
Tail docking is not just a 'cute way' for some dog breeds to look. It is not an answer to prevent 'potential injury' in a dog's tail, and it is not a 'health requirement' for certain breeds either. It is a useless, senseless practice that involves the removal of part of a dog's spine. It severs vertebrae, muscles, tendons, and nerves...ALL of which are vital to body function and communication for a dog. We basically have millions of dogs in the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world that are needless amputee victims...countless dogs that are suffering in silence for no good reason. A human who has had a part amputated often has phantom pain in the missing limb area, and it is a terrible thing indeed. Well, the same thing happens to dogs with docked tails, but often we have a hard time letting our loved ones know we are suffering.
My tail before surgery as well as the vertebrae they removed during surgery.
It took Mommy years of struggles and trying different things, having vets tell her it was nothing, trying different pain medicines, nerve pain meds (which I still have to take), and finally finding a vet who believed and really understood the issues us docked tail dogs suffer before we were really able to help me long term, and that was with tail surgery.  This photo shows my poor little tail (already docked too short after birth) and the extra shard of vertebrae that was left over from the probable 'shaved removal' of my tail and spine when I was just a tiny puppy. My dear surgeon had to remove yet another vertebrae during the corrective surgery just to give me some relief. It has made a marked difference in my quality of life, but I still have phantom nerve pain on occasion, just not nearly as constant as I did before the corrective surgery.
Soon after my tail surgery. My tails is not nearly as long as the bandage.
This is me after my tail surgery in August 2012. It was a very long and difficult recovery, but my Mommy took excellent care of me, and my wonderful friends and followers of my "No Tail" campaign as well as my blog and Facebook followers were so loving and supportive. I am still healing from it, as it has only been 5 months, and they say it can take up to a year for a full recovery from spine surgery. I have almost no tail anymore, but at least I am able to wag it some now.
No Tail Left Behind's main goal is to share all the information we can about how to help other dogs like me and their families deal with the pain, struggles and difficulties that tail docking cause for so many dogs out there. We believe that EVERY DOG DESERVES A TAIL. Our second goal is to help stop tail docking and ban it in the United States, Canada and eventually the entire world. Many countries have already banned tail docking including Australia, Belgium, the Czeck Republic, France and Italy, just to name a few. Why is the U.S. not banning tail docking too?
Having to wear my neck collar because my tail hurts and I want to go after it.
I know there are lots of people don't believe that tail docking issues exist, insisting that it would be far worse for a dog to get a tail injury than to just remove it before an injury happens. I have always maintained that removing a body part "so that it won't get injured" makes no logical sense, because humans don't do that for their much needed parts. For the people who don't think tail docking is wrong, it makes me wonder if they ever think of how the dog must feel? One lady actually stated regarding my campaign that "schnauzers don't look good with tails". HUH?? That just helps prove my point that tail docking is cosmetic and is not done to benefit the dog at all. I would ask those people to think for a minute and imagine if it was their own body. Imagine if someone decided for you that a part of your body was not pretty, or didn't look good, and they decided for you...to remove it.
A dog's tail is so incredibly useful and is an integral part of our communication, balance and proper usage of sphincter muscles and emptying of anal glands. (This is sort of personal here, but I have issues with my back end because my tail is gone and I can't empty my own anal glands like dogs with tails can do) But the best thing about tails is how much they communicate with other dogs and with people. There are SO many beautiful tails out there in the world, and I love looking at a wagging tail more than anything. I often wonder what my own tail would have looked like. I bet it would be pretty. Mommy thinks I'm pretty no matter what!
I would love to have you join my cause and be a part of our campaign to educate about tail docking, and to help bring about change in our world for dogs everywhere. No dog should suffer what I and so many other dogs suffer with tail docking. Let's make a real change...let's BE the change and join together to end tail docking and all the suffering that comes with it. Please visit my "No Tail Left Behind" Facebook page and follow me on Twitter at @NoTailLeftBhind.
I would love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts on this controversial issue. Please be kind, no matter what your views are. I always welcome conversation, but I believe in being gentle and polite. So let me know in a comment here on my blog, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter. Thank you! And don't ever forget that Every Dog Deserves a Tail!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Monday Mischief - Pixel Blue Eyes is The Finder of Lost Kibbles

All of us have special talents and skills. We work on them constantly, as we strive to perfection in those pursuits. Well, one of my many talents is my ability to find long lost kibbles, aka pieces of dry dog food or dog treats. 
Officially the title is "Finder of Lost Kibbles'...an investigator of sorts. I seek out lost kibbles, and can find them when no one else can. I will sniff them out and will not rest until they are saved. I mean, you can't just let an innocent piece of kibble remain lost forever, now can you? 

On Sunday, Mommy documented me saving another lost 'kibble'. Usually I point it out to Mommy by giving short, one bark call outs every 30 seconds or so. Mommy pretty much responds quickly, as she know my specific coded messages. After she comes to investigate with me, I will point at it with my paw, like I am doing here. I've done most of the work by this time, and am just letting her know I am in retrieval mode but might need back up.


I double checked the location of the lost kibble, estimating how far it was in conjunction with my small body and long neck. "Would I truly be able to reach this lost kibble on my own? Or would Mommy need to help." I weighed the possibilities and then prepared for action!





My estimations were correct...I definitely would be able to reach this lost kibble all on my own! Carefully, and ever so gently, I reached my head and neck in there and after a few seconds of getting my bearings down there, I snatched that piece of kibble right up! For some reason, Mommy was laughing at this point while documenting my rescue. I guess she was just really happy and relieved that I had once again saved the day for another long lost kibble!



What special talents and skills do you have and are especially proud of? I'd love to hear about them in your comments. Have fun and remember to keep your skills and abilities sharp, because you never know when they might come in handy!
I am taking part in the Monday Mischief  blog hop! See what some of my fellow pet blogger friends were up to this weekend.


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Joy of Multicolored Eyes - Pixel's Mostly Wordless Wednesday

Several people have asked me recently...why are you called Pixel Blue Eyes when your eyes often look brown, gold or even gray in some photos? Well, just for fun, here's a detailed look, up close and personal. 
Now, can you tell me what color my eyes are? 
(When I was younger they were a lot more blue!)