SashaCleo

The pugs' new sofa

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our new sofa finally was delivered this past weekend (just in time to watch the game that will never again be mentioned). We were fussing with its position, trying to determine the absolute best place to achieve the maximum chi and TV-viewing angle. Hadn't even yet tested it with our behinds before the pugs decided to christen it with theirs.

u guys r way too slow

We did choose the fabric knowing full well that the puglets would be the sofa's main occupants. We brought home swatches of fabric and rubbed them all over the pugs' bodies to determine which one best repelled their incredibly tenacious fur. I highly recommend this maneuver for all items to be brought home -- blankets, clothes, small children, etc.

we r glad u picked this color to best highlight our fur

Cleo found the sunniest spot on the sofa in which to rest. Note her judicious use of the fuzzy comfy throw.

Deedee wasted absolutely no time in perching herself on top of the sofa back. Again, as pug-loving suckers, I mean, parents, we designed the sofa so that the back would be wide enough for a pug butt.

u could've made this a leetle wider

Bonus: it's also in a sunny spot.

mama i am working on my tan

Watching TV with the dada

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Football season is a great opportunity for the puglets to get in some quality pug dada time. Normally the dada is not one for massive long-term shnerglage. So when the game is on, and he becomes an immobile lump of potato-chip-eating, beer-drinking example of humanity, the pugs gravitate towards what they know will be a guaranteed lap for hours.

Sasha treasures this quality time with her favorite human.

i am crushed by pug but still happy

Cleo appreciates there is less wild screaming on that side of the couch, than what is exhibited by the mama.

Look at this pug, looking at her dada adoringly.

Deedee snuggles for a bit and then goes off for Private Pug Time.

she has her toy for company

Off to chase the snow

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Because of the ridiculously temperate winter we've been having, snowfall in Tahoe has been few and far between. So when the weather forecast finally called for snow, we were off to the mountains! Let it SNOW!!

The pugs have decidedly and wildly different feelings about the white stuff. Fairly characteristically, the puppy Deedee loves it -- romping around in it, getting snow all over herself...

... running in circles through snowdrifts...

i am free! running thru der schnee!

... and peeping in it.

Sasha approaches snow from an investigative angle. She likes to explore its many culinary offerings.

Sasha actually ate quite a bit of it.

this is just delicious

I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that Cleo hates the snow. As soon as she knows we're going outside, she starts shivering melodramatically. She won't do her business until I've cleared off a wide swath of snow-free ground. And she certainly is not up for walking in it. Look at this pug, huddled up in the one square foot of ground not covered with snow.

it burns us

The pugs are, I mean, the car is, filthy

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

After our trip to the beach, I had to make an emergency stop at the carwash.

Because not only did I drive all through an unpaved beach parking lot, but the pugs then proceeded to fling about the car as much dust and sand as they could.

at least Cleo has the decency to look ashamed

The pugs love the carwash. Because the carwash loves them. They each get a (giant) treat from the guy that checks us in. Needless to say, the pugs get very excited about that.

Deedee is looking for her new BFF

Weirdly, the pugs are Totally Unfazed by the spraying, the scrubbing, and the blowing that goes on. These are the same animals that'll bark at complete silence.

Sasha is upset that someone has missed a spot

even our pug-carriage has cleaning minions

What's with this weather?

2012-01-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

While it appears that global warming is progressing inexorably, we may as well take a moment to enjoy the unseasonably warm winter. It's not like we were expecting snow where we live, but it's definitely a first to drag the pugs off to Beach Day in January.

mama that water still looks pretty cold

Deedee takes full advantage of her black fur to soak up the warm sun.

this is more like it

Sasha, my darling old pug, still loves the beach. She can't run through the sand and surf as she used to, but she'll still walk with me by water's edge and enjoy a good natural paw scrub.

Cleo not so much.

i do NOT like the water sam i am

Cleo REALLY doesn't like the water. Her flipper paws are just for show.

take me home now demmit

Doesn't stop Cleo from chasing Deedee around the sand, tho. We were also lucky enough to run into 2 other pugs! Joyful sniffing ensued.

ring around the... em, pug butt

Enjoy what you can, little puglets, as our environment hurtles towards its demise.

Cleo is still puppy

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

When Cleo was a wee pug, she was an energetic little chewy playful sprinting spazz. We called her 'puppy'. As she got older, even at 5 and 6 years old, she retained the same level of energy. We started calling her 'perma-pup'.

Alas, age caught up with her, as it does with all of us. Cleo started to slow down a little, grey a little, and sleep a little more. My little darling, who used to rush down the stairs to greet me home every day, now saves her joints and just waves her tail vigorously at me from the sofa.

She still enjoys a good chew, every now and again.

Note this is the same loofah that is Deedee's fave.

Probably not a coincidence, that.

Certainly puts those humongous teeth of hers to good use.

My little girl will still always be my baby.

A break in the rain

2012-01-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

It FINALLY started to rain, just when we thought Wet Winter Willy had passed us on by. The garden (and our reservoirs!) certainly needed it.

The pugs are not so much fans of the rain. Deedee uses it as incentive to do her outside business in record speed. Cleo likes to pretend that she doesn't need to go at all, not really, can't she just come back inside? Sasha, on the other hand, is the only pug that doesn't seem to notice.

This morning saw a small hiatus in the rain. Cleo and Deedee took the opportunity to bask in the sun.

Sasha saw there was a good thing going on, and came over to get some fur-warming action.

Deedee seems very happy to see Sasha

Somehow the pugs managed to position themselves optimally -- 1) for maximum sun exposure,

and 2) for maximum body contact.

The best-laid plans

2012-01-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

The pugs got a new bed. To replace the nasty one that's been chewed/peed on/pooped on/washed so many times the filling is clumped up into giant balls of cement. OH WAIT I already did that. That turned out well. The pugs will only sleep in the Very Expensive Bed if there is absolutely nothing else to sleep on, and that includes discarded piles of underwear.

This bed was actually obtained with the intention of having a Back-up Bed. It was not at all meant to be a Primary Bed.

The pugs had other intentions. Within seconds of pulling the bargain bed out of the box, the pugs were on it like flies to dead people.

Little runts even positioned themselves so that each could enjoy maximum snugglage. I will mention here that the pugs actually LEFT their other (fabulous) bed in order to camp out on this ultra-cheap one.

I may as well have saved myself the effort and just thrown down a piece of used tarp.

Look. Deedee and Cleo are mocking me.

Merry super-belated Christmas!

2012-01-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

What with all the flying around the country, whilst lugging, towing and stuffing 3 pugs into various travel craft, I may have decided to take a mini-break from posting pics of the spoiled pugs, bah-humbug-style. In any case, hope your holidays were as fabulous as the pugs'.

Actually, there is no way that anyone had a more fabulous holiday than the pugs. Not only were there 2 more pug cousins to play/snuggle with, but also 4, count 'em FOUR, additional humans to sucker into giving them treats, er, I mean, cuddle with.

Just a small sample of the type of goodies they enjoyed:

artisanally-baked dog cookies. seriously. I did not make the 'artisan' label up.

3 pugs verrrry excited to get at some good eats

note the drool

Deedee's got her paws splayed like she's ready to bolt with her prize. no worries, little pug, no one wants to take that slobbery treat away from you.

even Sasha got her (two) teeth into it.

annnnndd.... Cleo's molars in action, up close and personal -- they could double as the jaws of life.

Another good spot to nap

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

In preparation for our upcoming cross-country flight for the holidays, I pulled out all of our dog carriers from storage. The pugs got inordinately excited. Weirdly, they seem to LOVE being stuffed into a bag for hours on end, thrown under a seat to be multiply kicked while trying to nap, all the while struggling to hold their bladders.

We have (1) large Sherpa (technically the dimensions are a wee bit larger than that listed on the airlines' websites, but I've never had a problem), (2) a medium wannabe Sherpa that's been irreparably flattened, and (3) a small sporty Samsonite I used to transport Deedee when she was a puppy.

mama i am quashed in this thing

Clearly Deedee's puppy carrier is no longer an option. We will have to save that for our next puppy WHAT DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD HUSBAND STOP READING NOW

I decided that the medium bag also needed to be replaced, because it's been so crushed that it no longer stands upright and any pug within would have to lie completely flat in order not to get a concussion. So I'm frantically shopping online for 2 replacement carriers (of course I wait until the last possible moment to discover that we need another one), and I look over and see this:

small unacceptable carrier in foreground, medium crushed one in the middle, large keeper in the back

Yes, that is what I think it is. A pug has made a nest in her fave, medium, crushed, about-to-be-replaced bag.

she looks pretty darn comfy

mama do not replace this i luv it

may i have some of that?

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

As part of the ongoing effort to keep the pugs' teeth clean, we've taken to giving them these chews. They were recommended by their puggy dentist, so I'm sure they're totally worth it.

Well, the pugs love these things. They're like the toasted marshmallow on the proverbial s'more for these animals. Of course the pugs eat them at wildly different paces -- Cleo like a shark, Deedee like she's never seen food before, and Sasha like the toothless geriatric pug she is, will gum and lick hers to death.

the beginning of Sasha's attack

she's getting into it now

now she's really showing it who's boss

Given that it takes Sasha approximately 1 billion times longer to eat her chew than the other 2, there ends up being quite a bit of watchful waiting. Behold the lurking 2 younger, hungrier pugs.

Deedee really REALLY wants another chew. perhaps Sasha's.

Deedee has always been a pest

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

While going through some old CDs, I found some pics of the pugs that our friend had taken. Deedee was not even 4 months, and Cleo was 6 years old. Already you can see the beginning of their bonding process.

i sneeff u to see if u r a suitable candidate

do not try and prevent the sneeff

i must inhale more deeply of ur armpit

y r u foiling me. i bite ur arm.

o yeah? just because u have my eyeball, does not mean u have me

lemme go! fine u win miss Big Flipper Paw

mama i am good i was doing nothing

A Monday Pug Mystery

2011-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Post-Thanksgiving, the kitchen was the cleanest room in the house. This is not only because I try to avoid having to deal with crusty roasting pans days after the event, but also because Christmas decorations are strewn all over the rest of the house. So as I'm walking through my as-clean-as-it's-going-to-get kitchen, I look down and see this:

eh?

Oh, did you not get a close enough look? Inspect for yourself the teethmarks:

you can almost see the pug drool dripping off of this.

Clearly, the next question is -- whichpug dunnit? This is not merely out of curiosity, mind you. This is also to mark the pug for heightened surveillance in the event there are to be GI woes, post-Forbidden Item noshing.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was not Sasha.

As I'm pretty sure that a pug must be conscious in order to be naughty.

Was it Cleo? She's looking suspiciously innocent.

Nope. She was otherwise occupied.

mama. i am hurt u would suspect me.

Well, that just leaves one pug, then. Anyone who had already guessed Deedee does NOT win a prize as it is usually obvious which pug gets herself into the most trouble in this house.

it was such a tasty nibble.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

We are grateful for so many things. Our health, our happiness... a warm sunny spot in which to nap... and a sister with whom to enjoy it.

Are we going somewhere?

2011-11-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

I took out one of the pugs' travel carriers in order to clean out the closet. The pugs immediately swarmed the bag, sniffing and inspecting. I left them to it, as I continued to rearrange the closet. When I turned around, I saw Deedee:

mama. i want to go wherever it is that we r going. and i want a treat.

For our veterans

2011-11-14T22:00:00.000-08:00

Belated, but better late than never?

Here's to all that are laboring for our country's peace. hope there's ample peace waiting for all of you at home.

Love pugs

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know if (1) Deedee was snoozing and Cleo came over to snuggle her rump end, or (2) Cleo was happily sleeping and then Deedee shoved her butt under Cleo's chin.

The end result is the same. Two snuggly pugs.

Annual visit to the vet

2011-11-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Oh, wait. These pugs visit the vet far more often than once a year. No matter. The 3 girls were due for their 'annual' checkup.

u said there would be treats

This checkup is comprised of:

- heartworm tests -- all negative, thank you (altho WHY 3 incredibly spoiled and sheltered animals would have heartworm is beyond me)

- DHLPP titers -- no annual vaccines for us. NO, we LIKE to spend as MUCH $ as possible checking antibody levels in order to avoid over-vaccination. But it also turns out that geriatric pugs don't need DHLPP more than every 3 years. Good news for Miss Sasha.

thank goodness, mama. i was alarmed.

-blood tests for gerry-pug Sasha -- her kidney and liver appear to functioning perfectly

why do i need more needles than the other 2?

Our astute vet discovered another lump on Cleo's left forearm. It was aspirated. And.... it's another STINKIN' SUNOFFA mast cell tumor. Luckily it appears to be very low-grade, but I don't think I need to explain how disheartening it is that Miss Cleo has another tumor so shortly after her surgery. Our vet thinks it can be treated with a steroid injection, so fingers crossed, no more surgery in the immediate future.

this does not bode well for Miss Lumpy

Deedee was just delighted to be there at the vet's, showered with attention and love. As a matter of fact, if more than 5 seconds passed without getting any love her way, she would get pretty vocal about it. Nothing more humiliating than a loudly yarping pug while trying to have a professional discussion with one's vet.

i am sitting PRETTY demmit gimme a treat

Happy Birthday, Sasha!

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

My grand poobah is 13 years old! So, maybe we're the worst pug-parents in the universe and maybe after talking about it for months, we forgot to celebrate the actual Day Of, but we made up for it last night.

We celebrated with a dinner of her favorite things -- cabbage, turkey and sour cream. Sound gross? Not to the pug.

gimme my birthday dinner NOW

snarf snarf snarfsnarfsnarf

and.... days later.... she's still eating. did I mention that Sasha is nearly toothless? Here she is, licking her dinner to death.

i would be indignant but i am deaf and can't hear u

Happy 13, my baby girl. Here's to many, many more.

The many sleeping faces of Deedee

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Before we adopted our 1st pug, Sasha, we had read something to the effect of 'Pugs sleep 18-20 hours a day'. That's ridiculous, we said. No living being can sleep that much, we said.

i am sleepy. and a little miffed that u don't believe i can sleep that much per day.

To be honest, we were probably a little more than envious. Oh to be a pug.

cast ur eyes and weep

Post-Halloween

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. A big part of Halloween is the post-holiday sales. In particular, the post-holiday candy. Given that pugs are not allowed to eat chocolate -- what kind of a cruel world do we live in -- oh wait is it the one where 3 pugs get all the love and treats and fluffy beds they want -- it's really all about the post-holiday toys.

The sales, in particular. This little devil dog was 50% off. Whoo hoo! I am a Saver!

Deedee was quite pleased.

In fact, she almost ripped it from my hands as soon as I walked through the door.

Aaaaaand, then apparently she tired of playing.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:06:00.001-07:00

Hear no evil

See no evil

Speak no evil

Hope it was a great Halloween!

Pugs dozing in the sun

2011-10-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it feels like we have many more than 3 pugs. Particularly when they're just strewn all about the house, looking for the best sunny spot.

I found Cleo and Deedee on their favorite sofa. But, wait, they're not on top of the back cushions, where they normally are.

They were chasing the afternoon sun...

... right off of the sofa.

Where is Sasha? She is too old to be playing the catch-the-sun game.

Or not.

Are they dead or sleeping?

2011-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is way too common a question for a pug mama.

Babies are fun

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

The pugs went to visit their almost brand-new baby friends the other week. Sasha was completely uninterested in all but the deck construction in the backyard. Cleo kept desperately trying to occupy a lap. Unfortunately, she usually chose the same lap that was being occupied with a hungry baby.

Silly Cleo. Laps are for kids.

Deedee was just FASCINATED with the babies. When she wasn't sniffing a baby bum, she was trying to lick a baby toe or take a whiff of baby breath.

do u think she'll share with me?

Deedee got particularly excited when there was a baby-burp/barf.

is that eau d'cow juice that i smell?

Deedee Reposing In Sunlight -- a montage

2011-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things that warm a pug mama's heart

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing all of my babies nestled together in one giant pug lump. It *zings* right to the bottom of my heart and makes me all fuzzy inside.

you can't tell where one pug starts and the other begins

Sasha was clearly here first, but is tolerating the Deeds.

Cleo loves nothing better than to be surrounded with love

Kinda also makes me want to run over, bury my face in pug, and give a good shnergle.

i heard that

Surprise! I'm naked!

2011-10-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm patting myself on the back about how well I've prepared for the shivering, bald pug situation, by having on hand numerous shirts and sweaters. Extra cold? No problem! Cleo gets a shirt AND a sweater! She is bundled-up, extra-loved pug!

So I come home to find this on the floor:

there really is no suspense, is there

And in the other corner of the room, I see this:

NAKED PUG! If you look closely you can see her little surgery sites, poor thing.

i am a little embarrassed that u caught me

I think what happens is that she stretches the clothes out, and then she manages to slip right out of them.

u could get me a fur coat, instead OH WAIT i had one and u shaved it off

Rainy Monday

2011-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up to this:

bleh

Sometimes the rain is magical, but this misty, sky spit doesn't do it for me.

the pugs don't seem to be all that excited about the weather, either.

sasha doesn't even want to look. wait, she's always like this.

deedee went to cover her eyes with her paws and fell asleep before they got there

me and cleo, in the doldrums

Post-op Cleo

2011-10-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our vet took off EIGHT lumps/tumors that we either knew, or she suspected to be, mast cell tumors. After discussion with the oncologist, we had opted to do little local removals as opposed to the giant wide excisions they normally do for these tumors. Otherwise, she would be Skinless Pug. She's already Hairless Pug.

she really looks like a kid goat

I like to believe that the smaller excisions hurt less, too.

5 on her back/hips, 2 on her neck, and 1 on her inner thigh

begone, damn mast cell tumors!

Cleo also had a cracked molar removed during surgery, and our vet discovered a urinary tract infection. FABULOUS. what next. Little puglet was so dopey afterwards she was just a little wadded up bundle of sleepy pug. She may have gotten Supreme Shnerglage.

Deedee played the part of pug-nurse. She was surprisingly gentle with her older sister.

i missed u

Oh, the horror

2011-10-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

In preparation for her upcoming surgery, Cleo got a shave. We figured that since we had already found 5 mast cell tumors, there were bound to be more, and I wanted to make sure we identified all of them before going under the knife.

mama. i don't look all that different, do i?

I got a loud, long round of laughter from our groomer when I made that appointment, but she did an excellent job. And, it's a darn good thing we did, because of course we discovered a few more lumps for our vet to inspect during surgery. insert wild wailing and thrashing about by the mama

she looks like a baby goat

I've read of some shaving their pugs to spare them from the dead heat of summer, and I can see why. Miss Cleo requires at least one sweater at all times to keep from shivering.

u could turn up the heat to 90 instead

Oh, Cleo, my baby girl.

How to stay alert while sleeping

2011-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I SWEAR I had absolutely nothing to do with this pose. I heard a soft pug snore, looked over, and saw miss Deedee with not one, but BOTH ears flung back. All the better to hear the sound of a treat in the making, I guess.

Treat time!

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was making this delicious banana pudding yums and inadvertently made too much whipped cream. sacre bleu! ok so I may have made a little extra, just in case the pugs were snackish....

I tried to take a pic of the 3 of them with their heads buried in the bowl, but was unable due to being doubled over and laughing.

mama. is there more?

whaddaya mean there's some on my head

It's like 'got milk', but instead of moustaches, they're sporting whipped cream visors.

More good news for Cleo

2011-09-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Miss Cleo had another vet appointment yesterday, this time with the super-sweet, oncologist Dr. Siedlecki at Bay Area Veterinary Hospital. Apparently, pugs, and when I say pugs I mean specifically pugs, are prone to getting multiple mast cell tumors at the same time (even as numerous as 20-30!). Luckily, even with multiple tumors, the pug carries the same low risk of aggressively spreading disease as that of a dog with a single low grade tumor. What a relief!

mama this means u can stop weeping blubbery tears over my head every night

mama does this also mean i get extra tasty treats?

Cleo needs surgery for a cracked molar (I do not want to discuss why my pugs keep fracturing their teeth). So we decided to have the five mast cell tumors taken out while she's under. We have an option to 'stage' her disease -- with an abdominal ultrasound and lymph node biopsies -- to see if there is disease spread, in which case she would be a candidate for chemotherapy. I'm just not sure that we would put her through chemotherapy even if there was disease spread. She's a very sensitive pug.

So, we'll do the surgery. If she has more pop up afterwards.... well, we'll deal with that when/if that happens.

In the meantime, the pug is going to get a shave! so that we can see exactly how many mast cell tumors she does have. oh hooooooo, little miss Cleo. You ain't seen nothing yet.

i am concerned. will i still be pretty?

Now I know what Deedee does when we're away

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our super-sweet pugwalker sent me some pics of the Deedles from her phone, from their walk the other day. Clearly she has caught on to the craziness of the crazy lady that is me, and decided to humor me. Perhaps because I pay her. naw. It's because she loves the pug, I'm sure of it.

deedee excited for her upcoming walk

her (v large) doggie pals

leading the charge -- apparently little miss dominant likes to walk ahead of the pack

wiped after the walk, cuddling with her new BFF

in the front seat, where she belongs

Cleo's x-rays were clean!

2011-09-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our vet said they look good, and that there's no evidence that the mast cell tumors have spread to Cleo's internal organs. What a relief. Weepy tears of relief while shnergling a pug, all around. Thanks for everyone's good thoughts!

Husband said -- I knew they were going to be OK -- like he never experienced a moment of panic, and I said -- oh yeah? well we just spent a bazillion dollars making sure, funny man.

look ma! no arthritis, either!

Cleo was pretty happy to be outta the vet's, despite the copious amounts of treats and loving she was getting.

i was damn good. gimme a treat.

Now we just have to get through yet another vet appointment, this time with the oncologist, to see what Cleo's treatment options are.

another vet?! the treats there better'd be just as good

oh, Cleo

2011-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

We found 6, count 'em SIX, new lumps on my baby girl. We've been watching them for a bit, because Miss Allergies tends to get lumps that come and go, but these just didn't go away. Worried that they were mast cell tumors like the ones she had removed over a year ago, she was packed off to the vet for some biopsies.

Unfortunately, 3 of them turned out to be the dreaded tumors. Luckily, they're low grade, but it's quite a pickle because a) they're baaaack, and b) they're in numbers. It goes without saying that this induced a fairly serious episode of hysteria in the pug mama.

Apparently there are many options of treatment, including chemotherapy, but we're going to take it one step at a time. First is to take some X-rays to see if there's spread to internal organs. I dropped her off this morning, and the little tree frog clung to me, shaking, like I was abandoning her. Giant weepy tears all over the place (emitted by moi), as I left the office of the vet that now officially considers me a lunatic. That little pug breaks my heart on a regular basis.

INTRUDERS!!

2011-09-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

er... I mean, 'honored guests'. the puglets had some surprise visitors!

who is taking up the pugs' fave spots on the top of the sofa??

it's baby rilka and baby sadie! little mufflettes of love came for a long-awaited puglet meet-and-greet.

rilka... I think

sadie -- caught in the act

the pugs were super excited to meet the babies. in that sasha totally ignored them and cleo refused to relinquish her dada's lap even when also occupied by a feeding baby.

deedee was the only one who was truly curious -- lots of baby bum sniffing and tiny toes licking.

wait a minute... i thought i was the baby

Another new bed

2011-08-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sasha likes to find sleeping spots in the oddest places. Usually it's a pile of clothes on the bathroom floor -- OK maybe left by me, I mean I am a busy woman and have numerous outfit changes to coordinate. So I got her this adorable little clamshell bed with a built-in warmer for her aging bones.

Methinks she likes it.

She just needs an apple in her mouth

2011-08-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

I believe I've mentioned the pugs' predilection for the tops of the sofa cushions. It is, usually, Cleo that's nestled there about 100% of the time.

Look at her, all bundled up into a little sofa-ball.

hmmm.....

She kinda looks like a piglet, waiting to be trussed.

Look at these paws. They're just waiting to be collected and tied.

Recovering from the weekend

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend for the puglets -- meeting new friends, catching up with old friends, taking all those naps, eating all those meals... a puglet needs her beauty sleep. And that's what Mondays are for.

Sasha

Cleo

Deedee

One of those days

2011-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt just a little blue, just a little forlorn? sometimes the waning rays of the sun will bring out a touch of the doldrums.

Royal treatment

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

What the queen-bee pug wants, she gets. In this case, it's an extensive belly rub from the grampa. I'm pretty sure Sasha has mastered the art of mind-control.

Cleo and Deedee crane their necks around the grampa's lap, like they're waiting in line for their turn.

is that eau d'ear that i smell?

They'll have to wait for a long time before Sasha relinquishes her mind-meld.

it is! i will take a deeper whiff. perhaps a small slurp

Sasha would like the camera flash to stop, please.

I see nothing, I hear nothing

2011-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

In Sasha's case, she really can't. As she's gotten older, she's preferred more and more the 'buried-head' position -- to shield her gradually dimming eyes from the light.

And now that her hearing is also fading, she's less and less aware of the outside world, enveloped as she is in this cottony silence. She doesn't hear the doorbell anymore -- no more howling at the UPS guy (he probably does not appreciate the reduction in pug cacophony, however). We have to make sure to thud the ground with our feet when we approach so as not to startle the geriatric pug. She misses out on little things, so sometimes I have to physically get her for treat-giving, even tho the other two are howling.

She's always be my little girl, my little grand dame.

Grampa and Cleo = BFFs

2011-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

I think that Cleo's fave person in the whole wide world is her grampa. No one else is able to dish out the bottomless love, cuddles and snuggles that this pug craves as her lifeblood. For example, it is not enough for this puglet to spoon herself with you when taking a nap. She needs to be half on top of your body, crushing one of your lungs.

grampa if u can still breathe i am not close enuff

She also requires almost constant contact -- and if it's in the form of belly, chest or ear rubs, all the better. Neither I nor the pugs' dada have that kind of attention span. Luckily the grampa spends the majority of his day in the supine position, which is perfect for the needy pug.

i am ready for another 24 hour nap, grampa

Happy Birthday, dada!

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

And to celebrate, the pugs will do what they do best.

Sleep.

we r sleeping in an exuberantly celebratory way

Quick jaunt to the shore

2011-08-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

For oysters. For the humans. Because Cleo is violently allergic to seafood (in that her GI system rebels and produces copious amounts of diarrhea). And it seems patently unfair to indulge the other pugs if one of them cannot partake. So they had to settle for artisan-made cheese and bread. Poor pugs.

Deedee is waiting for her share

Sasha really really really would like a nibble

Cleo is not even trying to be subtle

Of course, the pugs' wiles are only too effective on their grampa.

grampa is munching happily away, and all of the sudden feels the weight of 2 pairs of pug eyes boring into the sides of his skull

he makes his decision. and he looks around furtively to make sure he's not being watched.

I don't think it would've mattered if I'd also had a spotlight and movie camera in hand. The pugs still got their share.

Remember how I said the pugs would never be able to survive in the wild? I take it back.

quiet mama i am digesting

The Big Pieces of Food come to visit

2011-08-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

And there is much joy to be had in the Land of Pug. Because the 3 pugs know that as soon as the grandpugparents hit the threshold, there will be a continuous and delicious supply of previously forbidden treats. Like sausage. and buttered crumpets. and foie gras. Ok, not foie gras, but you know what I mean.

we will survey the garden with our grampa for comestibles

Deedee is willing to endure a fair amount of shnerglage in return for approximately one week's worth of calories.

i 'd better get a crapload of yummies for this good behavior

Cleo is happy to help her grampa do some computer work. He is somewhat technologically helpless, and who better than a pug to lend assistance?

grampa u forgot to dot ur i's

Falsely accused

2011-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

As I think I have clearly established, my pug-babies are of the black-furred variety. and yes, their fur does get all over everything, but as previously proven (ad nauseum, some may argue), that would be black fur.

So when I find WHITE fur scattered all over my patio furniture, I just assume that it's pug fur leftover from the amazingly prolific fawn pug cousins. I rant, I wail, I rent asunder some fairly old and disposable clothing, and I question of the heavens the necessity of granting fawn pugs such ridiculously floofy fur coats -- as I vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum again the offended sofa cushions.

Perhaps I was a bit quick to judge. Because the last time we whipped back the furniture covers, this is what we beheld:

Who is this, you ask? Why, it is some random cat, owned by some random neighbor, who has apparently adopted our deck as its home.

Needless to say, the puglets hate this cat. Woe to the cat who is left outdoors to roam, at jeopardy from the vengeful pugs.

Pug torpor

2011-08-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, there is nothing better than taking a nap outside. Something about the perfect temperature, the slight breeze.... the plethora of sleepy, dead-weight pug. One is never without a sleeping companion in this house. or three.

Deedee is almost is buried-head node. note the daintily-crossed hind paws.

Cleo, as always, likes to be awake for maximum enjoyment of nappage.

I think Sasha may be in a coma.

Oh, wait, did you think the vet visits were done?

2011-07-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

So, to continue the chronicling of my incredibly fun day carting a puglet around for her (v expensive) medical needs...

Deedee needed a re-check of her thyroid hormone levels after being on medication for hypothyroidism. Apparently, her thyroid gland just decided to up and poop out, which we noticed by her uncharacteristic lethargy

redonkulous hair loss (I think her groomer thought we were waxing her chest)

flaky skin rash and fur color change.

look at this pug. she's brown, not black.

Once on replacement thyroid hormone, however, the puppy has regained her inky black silky coat and OH THANK GOODNESS her frenetic rabbit-like energy. It just requires a couple of blood draws to make sure the pug is getting the correct dose.

Deedee L-O-V-E-S our vet. She loves the office, she loves the people, she loves the building, the parking lot, the grassy patch next to the parking lot.... She literally DRAGGED me into the door, and leapt into the first person's arms. Too bad that 1st person happened to be another client, who happened to be a cat person, but whatev.

if i don't get more treats, i will... i will.... i will look EXTRA cute

During our wait, Deedee had a parade of fans visit her for some luvin'. and some munchin'. rewarded with lots of lickin'. She then even managed to behave for the exam.

this good behavior better be worth it

Good news -- Deedee is euthyroid! which means that we keep her on the same dose of thyroid hormone for the rest of her life, she keeps her hair and boundless energy, and I and the geriatric pugs get to sleep less.

Back to the dentist vet

2011-07-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

This was just for a routine post-operative checkup for Deedee after having the majority of the teeth in her head removed. OK, it was just 6 of them, but it seemed like a really large number on the final bill.

i am toothless, mama

Deedee was unreasonably excited to be at the vet's. I think because after the eye vet visit, she now associates copious treats with going into buildings where there are dog smells. Once in the building, she stood at attention, like the good pug she is not, at the desk, waiting for her treat.

note the blur of her tail, bobbling away in anticipation

Once in the examining room, she was like a maelstrom of begging. That dentist vet didn't know what hit her -- Deedee pulled out the perfect sit, the big hungry eyes, and as a last resort, the gentle reminder paw on the face followed by a lick.

i am being so damn good

Off to the eye vet

2011-07-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

So the other weekend we noticed that Sasha's left eye was half shut, runny and red. Thinking she may have gotten something in it, I took a closer look. Only to discover -- with a fair amount of vocalized horror -- that she had somehow managed to injure her eyeball and acquire a corneal ulcer the size of an asteroid crater. Luckily, this is not the first time Sasha has had one of these, so we knew what to do.

I called the eye vet to make sure we were doing the right thing, which was the Wrong Thing for me to do. Of course they INSISTED on seeing Sasha. I could've refused, but then I'm pretty sure that something to effect of 'terrible neglectful pug mama refuses treatment for poor invalid geriatric pug' would somehow get into our file. So off Sasha went. Deedee, too, because it was time for her checkup.

hm. they look more than a little horrified.

Good news -- Sasha's corneal ulcer had healed. Bad news -- she now has small cataracts in both eyes. And apparently it's too dangerous to operate because of the lack of visibility imposed by her pigmentary keratitis. Poor blind and blinder pug.

don't worry mama. i will use my sense of touch instead -- with my face.

I will just note here how deliriously happy Deedee is at the eye vet's. The puglet that cannot string together the 2 events -- 'Come' and the subsequent treat -- somehow manages to remember the treats given after an eye exam she has approximately once a year.

gimme 'nother treat. i know u have more.

WHOdunnit??!

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

After carefully nurturing several tomato plants to maturity, we have finally been able to (slowly) reap the rewards. Last weekend, we had 2 whole, ripe tomatoes!! produced from 6 ridiculously lazy plants. So you can understand that when I noticed another single tomato ripening on the vine, it was with Great Anticipation.

But, what's this? The tomato is no longer perfect!

i show you perfect. and it is not me.

Not believing my eyes, I took a closer look. Could it be? Someone else has gotten to my tomato first?

i am half eaten

Muttering dire curses and threats against all imaginable wildlife, including raccoons, deer, housecats, and even snails, I plucked the offended tomato for a closer look.

i have claw marks. possibly from an individual with opposable claws.

well that just leaves one option. Miss Cleo.

i have no idea what ur talking about. i don't know why i have tomato breath.

Visit with the cousins

2011-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was able to spend some quality time with my pug-nieces last month. Lots of shnerfles and snuggles and furballs to be had. Sadly, there was no cousin-bonding, mostly because traveling with multiple pugs is a Pain In The Ass, and also because said travel costs approximately ONE MILLION DOLLARS in pet travel fees.

Luckily, I was visiting the East Coast during the equivalent of a cold snap, in that one was actually able to remain outside for more than 2 seconds without steaming to death. It was almost like home, except 20 degrees hotter. The pugs seemed to like it, too.

we're working on our tan

auntie, we think we could be california pugs, too

Another day, another surgery

2011-07-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

We found a cracked molar on Miss Deedee one night while brushing her teeth. She was behaving even more squirrelly than usual, and it turned out that the tooth was so damaged it had to be pulled (believe it or not, we did go to a vet dentist to see if a root canal would have been an option -- yes, we are that crazy).

BEFORE AFTER

Oh, you can't tell the difference? Well, look closer, because as it turns out, Deedee needed to have SIX TEETH pulled, total. Three of them are her top front teeth. So that crooked, sunken smile she's sporting is due to the drastic reduction in number of teeth.

The mistress of the toe-lick

2011-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was totally remiss in not mentioning the stellar champion of the foot-and-toe lick. Miss Cleo.

u r filthy and need to be cleaned.

All one needs to do is expose a bare foot around this pug, and it will be licked. Excessively. So much so that the husband now wears socks and slippers in order to avoid this apparently unavoidable fate. I call it a gentle massage. He calls it annoying. We all know who the true pug mama in this house is.

Deedee is a lover

2011-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have tried, but it is almost impossible to capture on static film the ridiculous perspicacity that is -- Deedee Licking. She licks everything. From the the obvious food or toys, also her sisters (ears and eyes preferentially), to feet (human, that is, preferably mine) and faces (that would be everyone's).

Caught in the act. Sort of.

mama. i am licking air. because i can.

did u catch me?

Where IS that sleeping spot?

2011-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

With age, Sasha has definitely become much less indiscriminate about where to sleep. She sleeps all the time -- on the stairs, on the sofa, on our bed, on her bed, and on *gasp* my lap. Methinks she is getting a wee bit senile in order to be tolerating the mama's shnergles.

i am grand. and not that old. do not disturb me.

One must never underrate the soft plush sofa.

this is most comfortable. i will think deeply about all my worldly contributions and then...

the one sofa, by the way, that has been thoroughly chewed upon by the Deedles.

**shnerk**

Cleo's fave thing

2011-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Other than food, Cleopatra's favorite thing in the whole wide world is to be loved. Actually, I'm pretty sure that in her world, love is first, then food. by a narrow margin.

And how is this love to be expressed? Mayhaps is it the human allowing herself to be trampled on a regular basis in her lifelong search for the perfect snuggle spot? Or being snookered into making organic, locally sourced, sustainable meals? Well if it's not feeding and clothing her, or spending ridiculous amounts of time, energy and money on her happiness and health, I guess it would be -- rubs. belly rubs, neck rubs, back rubs, but most especially, ear rubs.

Or, even better, ear rubs while snuggling with a fave sister pug.

Pug-less vacation

2011-06-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Is there a sadder combo of words in the English language? We do try to keep a full complement of pugs to escort us on vacations, but sadly, pugs were not allowed on our recent cruise to Alaska.

That's not to say that the trip was completely sans mammals of the non-human variety. We saw plenty of these:

look! a killer whale! seriously

and these:

the elusive humpback whale tail

Actually, there was a pug-sighting on the trip. We passed by this little guy in the park, and our entire family descended upon this unfortunate, er, LUCKY pug, cooing and oohing and snuggling and all in all making general fools of ourselves.

do you blame us. look at that face.

getting a back scratch from a stranger. is there a greater happiness for a pug?

Cleo is a funny pug

2011-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

It has been well-documented that the pugs' fave spot is on top of the sofa cushions. Most of the time they're sleeping. Some of the time, they're monitoring our activities. And, apparently occasionally, somepug will engage in some yoga moves.

I'm not entirely clear as to which maneuver she's trying to perform.

I think it's the 'Gimme Food' pose.

Twins in the sun

2011-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

While having our backyard re-landscaped, the pugs were sans grass in which to play.

Didn't keep Cleo and Deedee from their supervisory roles, tho.

Deedee misses her cousins

2011-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Little puglet had such a good time playing and sleeping and eating with her cousins from back East. When it was time for them to leave, she found it very hard to let them go.

take me with u

She continued to be quite mopey after their departure.

my days are so empty

Cleo gets some bling

2011-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cleo has a way of snuggling herself into one's heart. During a too-short visit with some friends from NYC, she managed to make herself the cuddle-champ darling. And was rewarded with the opportunity to share in some serious jewelry.

i am baaaad

I am mostly grateful that she didn't consider it some weird type of food. That would've been an ungracious way to return the items to their rightful owners.

note the diamond-encrusted dog tag. get it? "dog' tag?!

Lunching with da pugs

2011-05-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the spring, we spend a pug-friendly weekend in Carmel, which is probably the dog-friendliest little town in the nation. I've been to places where streets of shops put out water bowls for dogs, to make them look like they're dog lovers, but then look at me askance if I were to actually escort my pugs anywhere near their establishments.

Not so in Carmel. Not only do the shop put out water bowls, but they mean it. At the cute little place we ended up for lunch, the maitre'd was much more excited about the pugs then he was for us.

One of the many dogs lunching on the same patio. Note how well she sits patiently under the table.

The pugs were hopeful that was a sign they would be dining at our table, as well.

gimme FOOD. i don't need ur stinkin' water dish

i must head to the kitchen to get my food myself

mama? may i have some of your breadsticks, pleeeez?

Deedee in particular was verrrrry persistent. She spent the entire meal, perched on top of a poor geranium plant, at her dada's (read: the weak link's) elbow. I don't think I need to tell you that all 3 got a significant portion of our meal.

i am willing the food to come to me

gimme some of that rose

The best spot ever

2011-05-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure if there can be any better napping spot than one in which a puglet's head is perfectly supported.

By her uncle's loving hand. Even includes special support for the lip.

Cleo is a verrrrrrry lucky pug

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

PUGLETS, WAKE UP AND LOOK CUTE FOR YOUR GRAMMA.

this is embarrassing

I'm certain that in their hearts, deep within their unconscious little bodies, they are thinking loving thoughts.

BFF?

2011-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

After spending a significant amount of time trying to pulverize each other into submission, Rikki and Deedee seem to have accepted each other -- as soulmates, best bosom cousins, true pug buddies in every sense of the phrase.

i am so sleepy. i will rest my ridiculously wrinkled head on this v comfy cushion.

I don't think I need to tell you what Miss Rikki has decided to snuggle with.

Yes, Deedee's sleeping butt

Caught! in a moment of weakness.

auntie. i do not appreciate ur documenting my luv

I dunno. That last pic could've been Bunni. It's impossible to tell.

Long weekend

2011-05-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

Sasha, in her old age, is not one to tolerate prolonged and active shenanigans by the younger pugs. So after a long weekend of gallivanting about with her more active, and younger, sisters, Sasha has had enough.

i will bury my head so that i can hide from the active puppy

Poor Sasha. It's so hard to take a good nap around here.

This pug has a problem

2011-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think she actually chews the toy. Rikki, who by the way is quite toothless (more so than gerry pug Sasha!), just gums her toys to death.

Annnnnddd, falls asleep.

i will evaporate my left nostril into the fabric of this here toy

Partners in Crime

2011-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Either our pugs are the most accepting of all animals, or their survival instincts have been suppressed to the point where, instead of competing with each other for food, they collaborate in wholesale begging.

Cleo and Rikki don't know to whom they should look for free handouts.

why r ur hands empty, auntie?

Cleo wonders if perhaps a stray morsel has fallen onto the table. easily accessed, by the way, due to her pole position on her uncle's lap.

it smells like food

The pugs wait patiently. They know, from experience, that if they look pathetic enough for long enough, they will be fed.

feed us now! dammit!

Visit from the townie cousins

2011-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

So we've got 5 pugs milling around, and what is there to do? well, pack 'em up into the car and head to Tomales Bay for some fresh-shucked oysters! (for us humans. because we were sure that raw oysters for pugs was bad. the pugs had to make do with truffle sausage, wild boar sausage, and infinite varieties of cheese. BUT NO WINE.)

Deedee was verrrrrrrry interested in the oysters.

wha, mama. i was only looking

Cleo was just happy, as usual, to be out and about and loved.

Sasha required a bit of protection from the sun. That black pug fur soaks up a lot of rays.

Bunni is pensively contemplating the view.

She is a philosophical pug when hungry.

Rikki is just sleepy. From what, I don't know.

Manhattan Pugs were here for a visit!

2011-04-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am terrifically lax in posting pics from our visit with the hairy-ass, em I mean, supper cuddly pug cousins from NYC, Bunni and Rikki!

I will just note, briefly, here that fawn pugs apparently possess 2 coats (an undercoat and incredibly profligate outer coat), while black pugs make do with just one. Not a great survival trait for black pugs in the frost-bitten woods of the wild, but also essentially unnecessary for pampered fawn pugs in urban environments whose last forage foray can be summed up with 'poached asparagus or raw?'. From what I can tell, the main purpose of the fawn double coat is to reduce The One Whose Job It Is To Vacuum, to tears.

Note aside. We, and the Deedles, LOVE when the cousins (and their mama and dada) visit. There's nothing like having a pug stashed in every corner. Deedee, in particular, is just delirious with finally being able to frolic with a non-geriatric pug.

To the casual observer, it may look like Deedee is just getting the crap beaten out of her, but look closer:

Look at that pug grin.

i am happiness in a bucket

Sleeping angels

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

When Deedee first joined our pug family, she had glommed onto Sasha as her big sister. wouldn't leave her alone, constantly playing with her, licking her ears, snuggling with/sitting on top of her. Sasha tolerated this puppy behavior for all of one hot minute, and then made it clear that she was the Grande Dame and not to be trifled with. So Deedee has since moved onto Cleo as her perma-friend.

Well, Sasha, it appears that you didn't make your message entirely clear to the Deedles.

i will cuddle u while u are comatose and unaware

i will blow soft puppy breath into ur nostrils

eh? who disturbs me?

Such a rude awakening for the Sasha.

Happy Spring!

2011-04-21T08:07:00.001-07:00

Deedee is dressed as a little lamb for the occasion.

She is.... um.... not pleased.

Do the pugs do anything but nap?

2011-04-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

It is inconceivable to imagine that the pugs have much to do other than sleep.

Oh, wait. They DO have other activities on their agenda. It is to find the best spots to sleep.

Certainly not to snuggle with their mama.

Happy Birthday, Grampa!

The puglet has found a good napping spot

2011-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, to be a pug. Oh, for the most difficult thing in one's day to be find a good comfy spot to sleep.

i don't know. is this a good enough spot. the sun doesn't feel quite right.

Seems like a good spot. The puglet settles in.

i must bury my head.

It's all I can do not to grab her up and snuggle her.

Blast from the Past Doppelganger?

2011-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm archiving my photos from our recent trip to the beach, and one of the pics tugs a little more than usual at my heartstrings. And not just because Deedee is so damn cute (which she is just try and DEFY ME), but because her happy expression reminds me exactly of the deliriously happy face she had on during her first beach trip ever.

Summer 2008 ----------------------------------------- Spring 2011

Pair of Love Pugs

2011-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's a gorgeous sunny day, not too hot and not too breezy. Just right for napping by the window. (On top of my fave armchair, no less, is nothing sacred you little runts)

Who knows what was the sequence of events -- did Cleo pioneer the spot, and Deedee take over? Probably.

i grow tired of all this talk

Sometimes I have to believe that they do love each other.

I'm exhausted from all the self-congratulating I'm doing for being such a good pug mama.

WHO did this?!

2011-04-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Do I even have to say the name. Of course it's Deedee.

i cannot tell a lie

First Beach Day of the year!

2011-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

As I have alluded to previously, the puglets love the beach. And not just a little. Miss Sasha Geezerpug will usually shed approximately 7.8 years off of her life and miraculously develop plushy joint cartilage so that she can frolic freely in the sand.

Or in the water.

Le Grande Dame is, uncharacteristically, completely blase about where her frolicking is done.

Cleo, on the other hand, likes to keep a very cautious distance from the water.

Because it's about -1000 degrees in temperature, and it is, well, wet.

She does, however, LUUUUUVVV snuggling with her human on the blanket.

happy panting pug

Deedee was either thrilled to be reunited with the surf, or just stir-crazy after being cooped up during all the rain we had. As soon as her little paws hit the sand, she started sprinting. Except that didn't work out quite the way she had hoped a la Lassie, since she was still firmly attached to her leash, and thus, me. I will say this -- Santa should think about employing some pug puppies for speed.

Deedee lost no time in making new friends.

All that cavorting around makes for a tired puglet. Where better to nap than on the sun-warmed sand?

A good sleeping spot

2011-04-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's amazing that a 99.99999999% deaf pug is able to SENSE when there is a comfortable sleeping spot. In Sasha's case, her fave spot is the knee nook.

She can sense a knee nook develop from a whole house away, and come running to fill it.

this is a most excellent knee nook, mama

Wait a minute. What is this?? An interloper!

i am outraged

Although Deedee doesn't really have a favorite spot. It's just usually wherever the other pugs are. Or.... on her dad's neck.

hold still, dada, i am making ur carotid a comfortable nook for me

i said, hold still

i am much more soothed by the pulsing of your carotid underneath my paw

Miss Jekyll and Hyde

2011-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

When Deedee is good, she is very verrry good. as in sweet and sleepy and snugglable and sooooo puppy.

mama i can see u torturing me with the flash

And then, when she's excited, feeling spunky, or just awake, she's like a pug possessed.

give me my dinner NOW!

Happy Birthday, Cleopatra!

2011-03-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

My little girl is 9 years old today. We may have, um, forgotten until the day had already started, so the puglet's birthday dinner was a little bit of a scramble.

free range chicken and kibble for the allergic pug

I don't think she noticed the lapse. Since she is always quite excited for her dinner.

She hoovered it up in about 15 seconds.

Note the careful hoovering of the chicken pieces, first. She's no dummy -- with age comes experience.

A car ride!

2011-03-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

The pugs get so excited when they know we're going to 'GO FOR A RIDE??!!' They all race each other down the stairs to the garage, yipping excitedly the whole way. and then whine in front of the garage door, hopping from foot to foot, looking at me, like -- come ON mama, let's go let's go letsgoletsgoletsgo! and practically fall over each other in their exuberance to be the first into the car. and then.... promptly fall asleep as soon as the engine turns on.

What is so exciting about this car ride, pugletinis? because you could have done this at home.

u would never understand mama it is a pug mystery

Le Grande Dame

2011-03-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

So the other night, I was accosted by a pug looking to snuggle up like a heat-seeking missile. I just assumed that it was Cleo. and was shocked to look and see Miss Greybeard Sasha looking at me, with her very white, very distinctive eyebrows.

Sasha, you are old

Sasha doesn't know where the time has flown. She was only just yesterday a frisky puppy, chewing all the wallpaper off of her gramma and grampa's house and knocking wineglasses off of kitchen tables. Now she is toothless, half blind and deaf.

i must shield myself from the harsh truth

Noah's ark

2011-03-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been raining the equivalent of 40 days and nights. And you know what they sung about the animals -- the pu-ugs, they came on, they came on, by twosies, twosies.

Yes, I realize that the sun is shining in this picture. It was the one brief 5 minute period of no-rain before the clouds opened up again.

Dog-friendly park areas are being threatened!

2011-03-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Golden Gate National Recreational Area has entered an open forum in which to discuss their currently (mostly) dog-friendly policy on their park trails and beaches. Most of their preferred alternatives involve changing off-leash/'voice control' policies to 'on-leash' access only.

However, one of the proposed/preferred changes is to completely disallow dogs on our favorite, local beach -- Muir Beach! as well as some other popular Park trails.

This is totally sacre bleu! the puglets love the beach, especially my darling geriatric Sasha. So on a hot day, when husband and I want to take off for the cooling waves to escape our non-AC house, we have to either a) abandon the pugs and leave them with a bag of ice to help cool 'em down, or b) abandon our escape, stay and swelter in the house, get cranky, fight and get divorced, instead.

The link is formidable, but the key chart summarizing the alternatives is on pages 5 - 11 on the 'Executive Summary'. Comments can be submitted directly through a link on the left of the page.

Please help get the word out to all dog-owners who would like to continue to enjoy the park, responsibly.

WHERE are the guard pugs

2011-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

when I need them.

With the continuous drizzle and rain, the yard has been fairly constantly damp. Which means that every evening, when the sun goes down, the snails and slugs emerge. As crushing them would result in a yard covered in a thick layer of dead slime, our latest technique has been to toss 'em in bag, seal it, and throw 'em away.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg

The tables have been turned

2011-03-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Deedee's propensity to lick her sisters within an inch of their lives is well-known. What's less known, is Cleo's new habit of licking Deedee. Not yet documented, of course. Since she's apparently keeping it all under wraps.

i sense that ur remarkably stinky ear is available

i am stealth licking pug, who will never be caught on film

i am innocent non-licking pug

Pug weapon of choice

2011-03-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

In the absence of opposable thumbs, pugs have very little in their offensive arsenal. I mean, they have paws and claws, but let's face it, they're not only not sharp, but also not coordinated. They have their amazing cuteness, but no one has ever been adorable-d to death.

So what is left? their teeth. Most pugs, with their flat little plate-like faces, can't even get those in gear. Except for Cleo. She has the advantage of -- a muzzle.

A really dangerous muzzle.

Convalescing Pugs

2011-03-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was feeling under the weather, for various reasons unknown, and here unspoken. As it involves embarrassing details. SO, I spent the majority of the day in bed. Luckily, the pugs were only too happy to keep me company.

OK, so Sasha and Deedee aren't so much keeping me company, as much as totally passed out.

Sasha can't even face the most delicate rays of the morning sun.

Deedee is... barely breathing, barely conscious.

Cleo is ever alert for the next snuggle. or treat.

The best seat in the house

2011-03-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

is apparently, not any of the number of cush, plushy, expensive dog beds in the house.

It would be my fave armchair.

I am still beautiful

2011-03-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sasha can't see well or hear anymore, but she still knows how to look pretty.

I need a skeleton, STAT!

2011-03-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

How is a puglet to maintain structural integrity in the face of such odds?