Friday, April 26, 2013

The Joy of Pixel's Dance Routine - It's Fit Dog Friday!

I am always trying  to come up with new and creative doggie ways to stay fit. This week, I thought I'd share a super fun dance routine that I created with my sister kitty, Noel, back when she first joined the family. We are very close, and share treats, sleeping space and play time. In this video, we finally got to meet after she was quarantined and then had to recover from being spayed in which she stayed in a crate. We started playing immediately, as you will see. They always say dance is a great workout...I had no idea!!


Happy Fit Dog Friday! Have some more fun and go see what other dogs do to keep 'fit'.
As always, special thanks go to our blog hop hosts, Slim Doggy, Peggy's Pet Place, and To Dog with Love.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Joy of Laughter - Pixel Illustrates What ROTFL Means

As a social media doggie, I have to keep up with the way people and pets communicate.
There are all kinds of acronyms out there that are used on Facebook, Twitter, in texting...
I am trying to learn them all.
This is my interpretation of ROTFL or ROTFLMBO (rolling on the floor laughing my butt off)! 

Did I take it too literally?

Happy Wordless Wednesday!!! Click on the links below and visit the many other bloggers having fun on Wordless Wednesday. And don't forget to say hi to our blog hop host, the one and only Blog Paws!!

Friday, April 19, 2013

The Joy of Running - Pixel's Smile in Action

I have just made friends with the wonderful people at the "Slim Doggy" blog and am happy to join in my first ever "Fit Friday" with them. Mommy has always taken great care of me, making sure that my healthy diet and regular exercise routine help keep me fit. As long as I don't steal cat food from time to time (which I must admit...I do!), I am always in tip top shape!
One of my favorite things in the world to do is RUN! We have an acre of land which is just enough room for a little Pixel like me to zoom as fast as I can all around it and never leave the yard.
One of the things Mommy loves most about my running is that I always have such a look of pure joy on my face every time I run. She loves trying to capture the expressions of bliss on my face on camera. The other thing she adores when I run is that my ears go flying high above my head, and that I sometimes hop like a gazelle when I run. I just love the feel of the wind in my hair and I love to see just how fast I can go. A favorite quote of Mommy's that she says applies to me is from "Chariots of Fire", where the main character tells someone about why he runs. He is referring to God when he says, "When I run, I can feel His pleasure." I certainly wear my pleasure all over my face when I run.
I have even mastered running at top speed in 9 inches of snow! Now THAT is a lover of running. I run in the day, in the night, when it's wet, when it's dry...it doesn't matter. Of course, Mommy always monitors my weight and makes sure I have good nutrition as well as exercise. She measures out my food into 3 meals a day, plus occasional treats. And those treats are tiny bits of chicken or a piece of gluten free bone. She will take several bones and use a hammer to break them into tiny pieces. She says that for us dogs, it doesn't matter how small the treat is, the fact that we are getting  one makes us feel special.
Sometimes I look like I am actually flying when I run. But don't worry, I never run "away" from Mommy. She's trained me super well to always stay in our yard. I wouldn't even dream of leaving! In fact, I created a game that reassures my "come back to Mommy" guarantee...I will run like crazy, but I am always looking for Mommy too. And when I see her put her arms out, or hear her say "Pixel, Come!" or even when I just see her wonderful face, I will dash as FAST as I can right up to her and them "tag" her with my front paws. She LOVES it. So I make sure to do it every time we run and play outside.
Our focus is to make exercise fun for her and me. Even just a little walk around the yard or street is great exercise too. Getting moving is the key.
Do you have any exercise that you enjoy doing? What is your favorite and why? I'd love to hear about it!
I hope you've enjoyed my first "Fit Friday" blog hop post. Please go and visit our "Fit Friday" blog hop hosts as well as the other bloggers who are participating. Our hosts are the first 3 blog links below.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Pixel's "Blog Paw" - Mostly Wordless Wednesday

We are just one month away from Blog Paws 2013, the amazing pet blogging and social media event of the year!! I am still so excited to be going for the first time ever, thanks to Tillman Skates of "Who Let the Dogs Out" fame and the Blog Paws organization. 

Mommy was hand trimming the hair on my legs & paws as she has always done.
She completed my third paw and had just one more paw to go. 
I pulled my paw away and said, "Mommy, don't do this last paw....that's my BLOG PAW!" BOL!!
I really made her laugh, so she let me wear my "blog paw" for the rest of the day and night.
I gave in to grooming that last paw the next day though, but she promised we'd take this photo just for grins.
I sure hope to see some of you at Blog Paws 2013!
Happy (Mostly) Wordless Wednesday!!



Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Chinese Crested Pixel?

The other day, a nice lady who works with a friend of my Mommy asked her if I was a Chinese Crested doggie. I never would have thought that I could possibly look like those beautiful and unique doggies, but I thought it might be fun to do a comparison since it was brought up. So, do you think I could have Chinese Crested in me somewhere? I have the ears, the spots, the pink & brown skin & the pizazz. Heehee!


Maybe my ears look more Chinese Crested here...

In any case, the breed sure is beautiful, with lovely unique traits just like each of us. 


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Joy of Adventure - Pixel Tries her Paw at Being a Survivalist

Pixel Blue Eyes here, reporting to you live from the field as I wrap up an extraordinary adventure, practicing my canine survival skills in the great outdoors. Now, I know you are asking yourself "Why?" It is all for the greater good you see...my greater good. If you remember, I was given the great honor, along with the My Brown Newfies blog, of winning the "Who Let the Dogs Out at BlogPaws" blogging contest in February that was hosted by BlogPaws and Tillman Skates. We won a trip to the "BlogPaws 2013 Pet Blogging & Social Media Conference" near Washington, DC, so Mommy and I have been planning for that wonderful adventure at BlogPaws ever since.
On Saturday, Mommy and I found these awesome saddle bag backpacks by Outward Hound on sale in my size. I thought they'd be perfect for me and wanted to get them. I told Mommy that it really wouldn't be fair for her to carry all the luggage and items we will need while at the conference, so I suggested she get the bags for me. I told her that I wanted to be able to carry my own kibble (dry food), and I promised that I wouldn't eat it all at once. She agreed and we got them, along with matching portable food and water dishes that fit inside the packs. I couldn't wait to try them out!
Once we got home, I thought it best to do a real life field test of my saddle backpack, because although we bought them for our trip, there are many things that could happen in which I might need to survive out there.
Being a survivalist takes skill, and you need to know your terminology. I called my field test "TEOTWAWKI-DE" in order to be authentic. TEOTWAWKI (tee-et-wok-ee) stands for "The End of the World as We Know It" and is the catch phrase for survivalists and preppers everywhere. I added the "DE" at the end so everyone would know it's the "Doggie Edition".
The very first thing I did was pack my bags with the bare necessities to survive. Preppers call them "Bug Out Bags" or B.O.B.'s for short. If I'm going to practice surviving, I need to be as realistic as I can. So, I packed the following:
As you can see, I have the backpacks (bowls already inside), one of my Kong Wubbas (a tool no dog should be without), some water (hydration is super important!), my tail medicine (I DO need to be realistic about my health), some dry kibble (in case I can't forage well enough), a notepad and pen to write my adventures (since I won't have my computer), and finally a lip balm, because Mommy always says, "I'd never survive without my lip balm!"
The bags were packed and I was off! As soon as I was in the wilderness, I sniffed the ground to see if I could catch a scent of some big game or something. A survivalist must be able to fend for themselves, so reading the terrain for signs of wildlife is a crucial skill if one is to survive. Nothing was happening in that direction, so I proceeded onward.

 I decided that I should probably gather some firewood and kindling for a fire in case it got cold. I did so quickly, for I knew that wild animals can lurk about in the wilderness. I was on alert every second.

 Sure enough, I saw a tiger-werewolf-monkey behind some trees, so I ran as fast as I could, just like a cheetah, and I lost him! It's a good thing I love running fast and practice it all the time at home, otherwise he might have gotten me. I was thrilled to know that my new saddle backpacks really moved with me and stayed on with no problem.
Once the coast was completely clear, I thought it best to just do some foraging for native plants and roots that I could survive on if need be.
 I used my powerful sniffy nose to seek out some edible plants. I know grass is okay, because I eat that all the time. But I was looking for something a little less "urpee", like chicory, dandelions or clover. Unfortunately, it's still a little early in the season, so I tried something else...

Yep!! This is definitely NOT very edible...YUCK!
At one point, I climbed to the highest summit I could find, to take a survey of the wilderness in which I was trying to "survive". My journey had been long and arduous, and I was beginning to get tired.
As I climbed back down off the great peak, I felt it best that I begin my journey back home. I had braved the elements, used my resources as best I could and managed to survive, thanks to my quick thinking and new saddle bag backpacks.
 As I walked along, I thought back to my many adventures while on this "TEOTWAWKI-DE" survival adventure, and felt confident I'd done my best. I missed Mommy, Grammy, Grampy, my dearest Auntie Helen, my sisters Peanut Pumpkin Pie and Dixie Mae, and even my kitty sisters. It was time to go home.

As I thought of Mommy and our warm bed, 3 square meals a day, and all the fun and love I have with my family, I had moments where I ran, anxious to get there faster.
 Finally, as I reached the final leg in my journey home, I saw Mommy. "Mommy!!!" I cried, as she opened her arms to me. Her face was the sweetest sight on earth!
Our reunion was beautiful and sweet, for no matter how long or short a time we are apart, whether miles away or across the yard from each other, we love being reunited. "Oh, how I missed your loving touch Mommy," I said. "Dearest Pixel, I promise that as long as I live, you will never have to try and 'survive' on your own, okay?" Mommy said as she held me close.
So, for now, my saddle bag backpacks will indeed only be needed for our BlogPaws adventure trip in May...and perhaps for some mini adventures we take together out in the great 'unknown'.
This is a Mischief Monday blog hop, hosted by my friends Alfie, Snoopy's Dog Blog, My Brown Newfies, and Luna, A Dog's Life. Want to join in as one of the blogs? Look below for instructions.
Now, go click visit some of my other friends listed below to see what great "Monday Mischief" they've been into!