Spring Has Sprung At Astrid Nicole's!

Spring has sprung at AstridNicoleEtcetera's Etsy shop! Lots of fun dog fashions and gifts for their people! Many are modeled by your faves such as Sugar, featured here and Astrid Nicole herself!

Mistfit or a Match For Life?

Are shelters full of misfits? Of course they are! There are high energy dogs taken home by mellow, homebodies. There are dogs that would like nothing more than to lie at your feet all day but end up in a house full of children that want to dress them up. There are dogs that love to 'work'. By that, we mean is they love to learn, learn, learn new things! They may find themselves in a home that wanted a dog that was just content to be there. And there is nothing wrong with any of these dogs in and of themselves! But the harsh truth is that they are labeled. Labled "odd ducks", "square pegs", "odd balls" and many other defamatory words included the worst, 'returns'. This....all because the word that could really describe the situation was 'misfit'. A situation that didn't work. It didn't work, it wasn't right and it all could have been avoided from the beginning with a little bit of help. First, one needs to make the right fit between dog and potential family. Once assured that the match is right,  the rest is called 'rehoming skills' and there are lots and lots of books written about it. Tons of info on the 'net, too!

So, when adopting a dog, make a list of what you want from your new family member. Want a dining companion? So did we! And here she sits. Astrid Nicole, social butterfly and you can tell, she is a little 'older'. And so are we.

There's A Story Behind The Mistakes

I've been trying my hand at these old fashioned crochet doilies lately.  My Swedish grandmother had the time and patience to surround herself and her home with homemade things like this. Well, maybe not quite like these as you may find mistakes in mine. Especially that little white one. Why is it all scrunched up against the others you ask? Of course, there's a story behind it.  And of course it involves Astrid.

Astrid is well trained. I could put a sandwich on the floor and if I told her not to touch it, I could leave the room and return and still find the sandwich on the floor. She touches nothing that isn't hers. Except once. It was Christmas time and a dear friend sent Astrid a stocking with her name on it. Of course, she joined in the excitement as we opened it but I was super surprised when she picked the stocking up and ran off with it! That was a few years ago and she hasn't 'stolen' anything since. Until last Friday night.

Astrid's dad had come home later than usual. We were in the living room. I was working on crochet. Apparently, she got a little beside herself with jealousy as her dad and I ignored her while we talked. She grabbed my work out of my basket and ran off...leaving a nice little trail of unraveling crochet thread. She only traveled a couple of feet, but that was enough to undo my work a little. Wow...talk about guilty looks! You should have seen her face when she realized what she did. I'm not that experienced at this tiny (and tedious) work, so I tried putting it together as well as I could. But there's a mistake(s) and it's noticeable. Hence, the scrunching up of the little white one for the picture. 

I don't imagine Astrid will continue in her wayward behavior. We all act irrational when our emotions get the best of us so I forgive the doily runaway. But the stocking? Do I think she is so smart she can read? Of course not! But it did have her name on it.

The Pampered Pooch...Hot and Cold

We came across a great idea for our senior pets the other day that would be especially 'cool' in a warm way in Winter or on those damp and chilly days. Toss your dog's blanket or even a towel in the dryer for a few minutes on warm, then drape it over them and enjoy some snuggle time with your pet. Imagine how comforting this would be for older dogs with arthritic joints. At age 7,  Astrid is still free from joint problems but she was a willing model for this idea.

The Pampered Pooch - Something Scent-sational

We (maybe you too?) often wonder what we can do to pamper our dogs a little more. Maybe we already take nice long walks but we feel...and no doubt our dog feels and senses it...that we could walk the same path we always take in our sleep. Possibly you think along the same lines as we did...what is wrong with being predictable. We know the route and the dogs and people we will meet along the way. No surprises there! Maybe that's why our dog yawns when we do the same old tricks in the same old room of the house and then take a walk on our same old path.


To give our dog some new excitement in life we don't have to change our schedule or even learn new tricks. Walking the sidewalk on the other side of the street will bring all new scents and a different perspective. So will practicing 'tricks' and behaviors in different rooms of the house. Anything just a little different will be 'scent-sational' for the dog and their person.

Spring and Summer Dog Fashion

Spring has sprung and Astrid is showing off her treasure trove of Spring and Summer fashions from her Etsy shop. All sizes, you will find bandanas, collars and even some matching totes for Mom. All sales from our AstridNicoleEtcetera Etsy shop benefit the Santa Cruz Humane Society in Nogales, AZ. Astrid is a proud alumni of the shelter, finding her 'for ever' home with us in 2006.

A Good Day To Play Dress Up

It's March. It's cloudy and there is a little rain off and on. What to do...what to do? It's a good day to play a little dress up. A little fun, a few treats for being so co-operative and even a cloudy, rainy day turns into fun for Astrid and Astrid's mom. 

Mardi Gras

Astrid might be a day late at the party, but there sure were enough beads to go around. Here she gathers with a few of her friends.

Fashion Paws...Big, Small or Inbetween

Everyone has heard the old adage 'the cutest clothes only come in small sizes'. Well, these three are here to bark "no way!" It's all a matter of finding the cutest things in your own size. Whether you are big, small or inbetween, love the skin (and fur!) you're in! 

Graying With Grace

Tomorrow is the last day of 2011. One of the things that means is before all of us see the last day of 2012, we will be a year older. If we are in the second half of our lives, we may be discovering some gray hair, stiff joints or other age related characteristic. Here's Astrid, peering out of her big brown eyes through rings of gray. Astrid just turned approximately age 7 a couple of days ago. She's aging gracefully, aging well. And how is Astrid's mom doing? I'm aging with gratitude that I have Astrid.

Fashion Paws...Oh, The Parties!

Even being homeless didn't stop this little reveler from enjoying the party! A Christmas open house at Carolina's Veterinary Hospital last weekend gave him a chance to strut his holiday finery. He is being fostered by the facility while he awaits his forever home.

A perfect host, big or small he greeted them all.

The gala event featured the big man in red with Miss Astrid not missing the opportunity to pose.

Rounding out the day with a stop at her fave cookie bar, we found even the plastic dogs in glittering attire!

After relaxing outside of Caribou Coffee with her mom and dad enjoying an espresso while she ate her cookie, she took one more opportunity for a photo in her Christmas finery.

Stand Up For Senior Pets...Take The Pledge

Today may be the last day of November which is Adopt A Senior Pet month, but it should not be the last day that we stand up for senior pets. For various reasons ranging from the economy to the death of the pet parent, senior dogs sit in shelters across the country. They wait for their second chance to be loved and to give love. Let's not forget them. Take the pledge today, but in your heart make it a pledge to keep the promise of a home for senior pets alive every month and to mention them often in your Facebook and Twitter posts and other opportunities. 


Pictured here is Fred. He is an adult dog waiting at the Santa Cruz Humane Society in Nogales, AZ.

Easy Peasy

Often times I think that if I would make the time, Astrid would stay engaged in learning new things most of the hours of every day. I tend to get caught up in trying to encourage more difficult and complicated behaviors and tricks. When I see the fun and satisfaction she gets from a simple game of 'touch', it reminds me to sometimes scale things back and let her enjoy the gratification she gets from the easier games in life. One of her favorites is 'which hand is the treat in'. She's right 50% of the time...and even when she is wrong, she is right with her second guess.

Helpful Facilitation

"Helpful facilitation is much more powerful and helpful than domination" (from Simple Taoism...A guide to living in balance). When trying to teach Astrid new things, I would often talk loud and slow. Did I really think the louder I said 'sit' the better she would understand it? How many times when out and about do you see someone with their dog  keep repeating the same command over and over, getting louder and louder while the dog stands there with that bewildered look in their eyes? That's why I love clicker training and shaping behavior so much. It's easier on me...I don't get exhausted trying to exert my will over hers...and with this gentle facilitation, once she's 'got it', she's got it for life. 

4th of July Parade

Every year, we take Astrid to the 4th of July parade in a neighboring tiny town. Always standing in the same spot, Astrid becomes a 'kid magnet'. These are the pictures from the parade this year and we appreciate the people in them allowing us to take them.

Fido's Manners Matter

That expression says it all! Miss Sugar Cookie has just read in the book Miss Fido Manners that she isn't supposed to bark out the window all the time. Your dog doesn't have to be a graduate of Miss Fido Manners school of charm to become a welcome member of the community.

Astrid is about to study her own copy of the book. She (and we!) know that learning a few 'meet and greet' skills for when she is out in public makes a big difference. Learning is a never ending fun experience.

Here, Astrid enjoys music on the patio of a very dog friendly Earth Fare store. We are lucky here in North Carolina. Restaurants with patios allow pets to dine along with their people, at the discretion of the restaurant owner of course. If the issue of dogs on patios ever comes up in your community, let your local officials know that a 'yes' vote is important to you and that you plan to vote in the next election.

Proud To Be A Canine Good Citizen

We adopted Astrid on December 28, 2006 and that following May we moved to Charlotte, NC. At that point, I was totally unfamiliar with BSL - Breed Specific Legislation. When it comes to BSL and a dog's temperament, there are all kinds of opinions out there but the facts are that a dog's temperment is determined by the nurturing and training methods used. 

I quickly became aware of Breed Specific Legislation when we were denied insurance for the house we rented while looking for the home we wanted to buy. Astrid had been labeled a Rottweiler at the shelter and Rottweilers were discriminated against by our first choice of insurance companies. Being unaware of the magnitude of the BSL issue, I didn't take it seriously at that point but started to do a little research. Turned out, BSL is everywhere usually starting out with a dog bite incident that is sensationalized by the media spreading fear throughout a community. 

Immediately, Astrid and I took action. Yes, we absolutely understood that Astrid will be judged by her color. Even though she is a mix of 'who knows what' and about 20 to 60 pounds lighter that a Rottweiler...she will be labeled such because of her black with brown markings. Our very first course of action was to show that Astrid and most Rottweilers are good companions and community members. We discovered the AKC Canine Good Citizen  program and learned the requirements. Having fun with the training required, that following year Astrid became an AKC Canine Good Citizen proving that she meets the program's standards for being a good member of her family and community.

An excellent, common sense approach to the dangers of Breed Specific Legislation can be found at 'NO BUTS ABOUT BSL...Stand Up & Help Stop Breed Discrmination.

Many dogs sport the same colors. Here's just a few that show a striking resemblence to Astrid's own colors...and no, that last picture is not Astrid. It appears to be that wonderful breed called 'All Mixed Up'.

Freeze

We don't think of Astrid's concentration skills as a 'trick' but I guess in many ways it is. If our dogs won't pay attention to us, how can we ever teach them the fun stuff? This one...that we call 'freeze'...is something we play anytime and anywhere, even when out on a walk. Today, Astrid was having trouble with the number 5.

It's That Time Of Year

While the spring weather remains unpredictable, one thing we can always count on is Astrid's pose in front of the azaleas.

Fit For Royalty?

With all the talk of the royal wedding going on, Astrid insisted I make her a new bandana fit for  a  queen.