This past weekend we had the opportunity to dog sit for Bella, my parents’ 4-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Tug seemed to take the experience in stride. Always the gentle giant and typically focused on one thing, and Bella didn’t seem to impact his rigorous sleep schedule. The other two dogs in the house, Toby, a high-strung German Short Haired Pointer, and Eddie, a sort of easy going yellow lab-cattle dog mix, each had their own reactions to the 5-lb puppy. (For the record, Tug weighed more at birth.) Bella trounced into the house and comfortably assimilated (and asserted) herself into the pack. It was like the the movie, Three Men and a Baby, with the same personalities on display.

Bella, Tug and Eddie (in the back)

The three boys greeted her with the usual fanfare of sniffing and cautious tail wagging. Tug, in a way only Tug and Eeyore can do, let out an unemotional sigh and went back to his corner.  Eddie engaged in play with the pup and was happy to have another happy-go-lucky playmate. Toby spent the weekend uncertain on how to behave around Bella. He spent the weekend as a four-legged contradiction, letting out a low, non-aggressive growl–along with a couple of barks when she got too close–combined with a constant wagging of the tail whenever Bella approached him. The whole scene was entertaining to watch.

The most fun though was taking the four dogs on a three-mile hike and swim at Lake Grapevine. The hike and swim is a regular event for the three Stooges (Tug, Toby and Eddie), and three miles is nothing for the adult dogs. I wanted to bring Bella and assumed she would need to be carried most of the way, but like the little red-haired girl with Howie Long in the Chevy commercials, she’s a big girl and insisted on trotting alongside the lumbering Tug the entire way. Keep in mind that the hiking and horseback riding trail is not easy for a puppy. Bella navigated the soft dirt with an easy stride and dodged oversized horse hoof prints with finesse.

We reached the lake at the midpoint of our hike, and Tug and the gang raced into the water and waited for sticks to be thrown and birds to be chased. Bella chased after them and stopped right at the water line and sniffed. She remained hesitant and watched the other three frolicking in the lake. After another few seconds, Bella took the plunge–sort of. She never ventured farther than knee-level (which is about 3 inches for her), but each time one of the dogs came running back with a stick to be thrown, she jumped at the stick trying to help bring it back.

Bella tackled the hike back with the same ease as the first half. Back home, Bella and Tug each enjoyed a bowl of Merrick Elements Wilderness Blend. Bella chose to ignore her puppy food in favor of the gourmet treat she discovered in Tug’s food dish, which could double as a bed for the puppy. After a long workout and a stomach full of Merrick dog food, it was lights out for all four dogs.

Tug, Wilderness Blend

Winter is gone and spring is here. The arrival of the warm weather also marks the beginning of an annual tradition at our house that we call Shedapalooza. It’s the time of year when Tug loses his hair faster than the Detroit Lions lost football games last year. (For those with short memories, the Lions were the first-ever NFL team to finish the season 0-16.)

It is absolutely “mind bottling,” to quote Chazz Michael Michaels, to try to grasp how much fur this long-haired St. Bernard has and doesn’t have on his body. Tug gets brushed pretty regularly, but this time of year is absolutely amazing to watch –and endure. The floor gets vacuumed twice daily, and the collection canister on the vacuumed gets emptied twice per cycle. It also should be noted that vacuum cleaners meet their demise at my house this time of year. And no matter how much of an accomplishment I feel after taking the vacuum for a spin around the fur field, the feeling is always quickly unraveled as I plop down on the couch and watch a Tuggleweed (think great big ball of fur) casually rolls across the floor to spawn yet another crop of vacuum busters.

The ultimate encore of Shedapalooza is when Tug stops in the middle of the room, and in slow motion—really slow motion, just like the movie Beethoven—Tug steadies himself and begins one of his earth-rattling shakes that sends fur and drool flying from floor to ceiling in every direction imaginable. I call this “little” maneuver the Tugnado. It’s eye watering on so many levels. It’s all I can do put myself between him and the 60-inch TV. I will sacrifice my body for the TV—especially with the NCAA Tournament underway right now.

This year’s Shedapalooza may have a different ending. This week, which seems to be the height of the season, I took Tug to our local groomer. I expected them to give him a good bath and spend a lot of time brushing out his undercoat, which they did. They also bathed him what I can only call some sort of Wonder Tonic. They bathed him twice with a couple of cycles of FURminator. It’s really called that, no kidding. It is pretty amazing stuff, and has practically eliminated the need for vacuuming since his trip to the groomer three days ago. And no Tugnadoes yet this year! Though they are sort of special, I don’t think I’ll be heartbroken if I don’t get to witness one this year.

The reduced shedding combined with the Merrick Elements diet, Tug is enjoying his best spring ever as an adult. He is more active and playful—almost puppy-like—since he started eating Merrick dog food. The Elements additives also seem to be having a significant influence on his joints and breath. The breath is the most obvious improvement. I don’t flinch or wince when he wants to get face-to-face with me. The improvements on his joints, though, have been really noticeable. Tug seems more spryly and playful and is engaging other dogs in play rather than other dogs trying to engage him.

Tug Merrick dog food, Merrick Elements, Tug

Cowboy Cookout crossed our food bowl this past week, and we have just posted our initial review and list if ingredients.  Start reading the review below:

Beef, beef and more beef.  Nothing gets Tug drooling faster than when watches me grill steaks. The loving stares from his “Don’t-you-love-me?” brown eyes just beg for his own ribeye grilled to perfection, and I have to admit to serving Tug a steak or two (or 20) during our years together. Read More

Cowboy Cookout Cowboy Cookout