On Happy Holidays

As the holidays approach we are looking forward to another Christmas with Teddybux.  This year Teddybux will be spending christmas with one family while we will be spending it with another.

There's always lots to remember when discussing holidays with pets. Sometimes pets and decorations don't go well as I am always reminded when visiting my parents and their very playful cat. The christmas tree ends up being a bald tree surrounded by a sea of ornaments. It's always important to be careful of loose hooks or any ornament or decoration that could cause a choking hazard for your pet.

If you are traveling for the holidays it is important that you have a safe place for your pet. When we can't bring Teddybux along, we are fortunate enough to have family that loves his visits. So we pack up his crate and all the essentials and send him on vacation knowing that he will have as good a time as we will. When family is not an option be sure to plan ahead when planning for your pet. Pet sitters may book up fast or be planning a vacation for themselves and when boarding your pet it's important to be sure your favorite spot has the room and that your pet is up to date on all his shots. It is much easier to enjoy the holidays when you know your pet is happy and safe.

With Teddybux we have some additional concerns and limitations when worrying about the holidays.  When we bring Teddybux up to spend time with the family he is surrounded by other dogs with fewer limitations on their diets. In order to help alleviate the allergic reactions, I like to bring homemade dog treats that are Teddybux safe as gifts for all the dogs.  This way all the dogs have delicious treats that they can share without worry. It may take a little bit of extra time to prepare but everyone in the family deserves something a little extra special for the holidays!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

On Injured Puppies...

Around here we are always thankful for a healthy puppy but this Thanksgiving Teddybux decided he had been trouble free for too long and split his nail.

Once the nail was split there wasn't much we could do. We were able to trim the hanging part of the nail off without causing too much pain but the quick was exposed and painful to touch. Teddy took to limping around and only wanting to play in quick bursts. During one of the bursts he slid on the  brand new carpet and caused the nail to start bleeding again. So in order to protect the carpets and keep Teddybux from hurting himself even more we pulled out the bandages and wrapped his paw. Teddybux hated having the gauze on but it provided just enough protection to give the nail time to heal.

I have to admit that while Teddybux was recuperating I enjoyed having a cuddly puppy for a change. We spent a good chunk of our Thanksgiving break curled up on the couch together. Don't worry these days he is back to his old self playing never ending games of fetch and napping as far away from us as possible. It was nice while it lasted but overall I'm always thankful when my puppy is happy and healthy.

What are you thankful for?

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Baby it's cold outside!

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I finished my first knitting project today and of course had to let Teddybux try it on.  He makes a pretty good etsy model! Don't you think?  It also helps that I was eating a cookie at the time and he was hoping I would share!

On Bulldog Calendars

I am happy to announce that Teddybux makes a cameo in the 2012 Ador-a-Bulldogs calendar. He isn't one of the featured Bulldogs but his picture made the back page. Thanks for all the votes everyone!!! Maybe next year we can make Teddybux Mr july!


Happy Posing Everbody!!!

On Dog Bed Repair

As anyone who has a dog knows, they don't come cheap.  Crates, beds, toys, food it all adds up fast. When Teddybux's bed ripped in the wash there was no way I was just going to throw it away and buy a new one. Out came the needle and thread!! 

Since we use the Mollymutt covers over his bed we didn't have to worry so much about looks for the repairs. I just wanted something that would keep the stuffing in and help keep it from being ripped further. I pulled out some pieces of old fabric I had lying around and sewed it on top of the holes. 

It's not the going to win me any sewing awards but it will keep the bed in circulation for longer and that makes our wallets very happy.  Teddybux was also happy to get his favorite bed back.  Once i finished sewing it up and put the Mollymutt cover back on he hoped on top and was ready to play. It took some coaxing with treats to get him off the bed long enough to transfer it to his crate.  

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On Partying with Teddy

Planning a party isn't always easy when you have a dog to worry about, especially when that dog is a timid, allergy ridden bulldog like Teddybux!  But we take extra precautions pre-party to make sure both our guests and our puppy are happy and entertained.

Firstly, we make sure Teddybux is relaxed and well fed before the party. This requires making sure that we finish all the last minute party prep well before party start time so that we aren't running around making him nervous all day. We use his favorite food filled toy to make sure he gets lots to eat and take him on a long walk shortly before the guests start to arrive. This keeps his energy calm when guests arrive and the full stomach means he won't be on the hunt for falling food.  We also leave out a couple of his favorite treats for guests so that they can reward Teddybux for tricks well done.

Secondly, we prepare the guests.  This is now a pretty easy thing because most of our party guests have met Teddy before and know the drill.  But for any new guests we introduce them to Teddybux and let them know that the only food he is to eat are his dog treats and that he can be very shy so for petting and play time the should let him come to them.  We don't have to worry about Teddybux running outside when guests arrive but if you have a more ambitious dog it would be helpful to put a sign on the door so guests know to be careful not to let the dog out. 

Once the party starts it is important for us to keep an eye on Teddybux.  As the night goes on I watch for any signs of uneasiness or stress. Usually about halfway through the party I take him outside for a bathroom break and a chance to relax which is always much appreciated. We also make sure his water bowl has clean water that is easily accessible and set up a place for him to retreat to if the party becomes too overwhelming.  It is important to keep an eye on the floors, while guests in general do their best to keep crumbs and things from falling to the floor it happens every now and then so I am sure to casually pick it up so that Teddybux isn't tempted. This goes for spilled drinks as well.  Not only does it prevent future stomach aches it makes the next days clean up a little easier.

Teddybux does surprisingly well at parties. He quickly becomes the party entertainment as he walks around playing fetch and giving high fives.  He is more social then he normally is one on one and partygoers get pretty excited when he stops to let them pet him. The only time he seems to stress out is when he can't seem to find one of us in a crowd, so I try to make sure i'm easy to find when he needs some reassurance.

For the most part parties at the house are fun for all and we are glad that Teddybux seems to enjoy it as much as we do. The final step on the plan of course is to make sure Teddybux can just lay around all day the next day in order to recover from being the life of the party!

On Teddy Votes!

Hey everyone

Vote for Teddybux to be in the Ador-A-Bulldog 2012 Calender. Registration is free and you can vote for up to 3 adorable bulldogs a day. Just Click on the link below:

Vote For Teddybux

While there you can pre-order a Bulldog Calender for yourself & for friends and the proceeds will go to the Southern California Bulldog Rescue group who help lots of Bulldogs in need.

Happy Voting!

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On Bath Time

Teddybux is not a fan of Bath time. Whenever he senses that Bath time is upon us he tries to run and hide in his crate. Despite hating baths he behaves very well in the bathtub once plopped inside. We have a hose attachment on the shower so that we can quickly hose him down, plop cotton balls in his ears, and pour on the EarthBath dog shampoo and scrub him down. The best part of bath day is getting to cuddle with a tired puppy who is soft and fluffy and smells good for a change. Here's some pictures of Teddy at bath time:

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Don't be fooled! He is not as tough as he looks!

On keeping cool but active!

Although Teddybux is not the most active pup he does enjoy taking trips to the park and spending afternoons hanging out in the sun. Unfortunately, as the weather gets warmer it gets harder and harder for him to spend so much time outdoors. This fourth of July we didn't want him to miss out on all the outdoor fun so we packed him up and took him along to our friend's barbecue.

To help him stay cool, I soaked a bandana and  put it in the freezer the night before. (leaving the ends dry so that I could easily tie them into knots.) When we got to the party we simply put it around his neck as a cute and comfortable way to stay cool. It worked great! He had lots of fun hanging out and as his bandana started to dry out I simply ran it under the cold water and reapplied. Of course we also followed our usual rules for outside play: plenty of water, lots of shade, and no playing fetch in the afternoon sun.

At sunset we got in a little bit of fetch before the fireworks started, which always makes his day. We weren't sure how he would handle the fireworks based on all the Doggy horror stories we heard so as the sky started to light up we put his leash on to be sure he stayed close.  To our surprise the puppy who is afraid of everything was not afraid of the fireworks. This is one Party puppy!

Now when Teddybux is ready to take a break from the central ac (i know, what a lucky pup) we have all the tools we need to take him along.

Hope everyone is keeping cool!

On birthdays!

Teddybux is two! We took him to the vet last week and he walked out with a clean bill of health (after pooping on the nurses who tried to weigh him of course) Because he is a measly 42lbs people are constantly stopping us to tell us how big he is going to be when he is full grown. We just smile and nod and love the little wrinkled face bundle that we have. Here are some pictures from the Birthday boy photo shoot.

After all that hard work, Teddybux deserved a treat!

On Overcoming Separation Anxiety

When we first got Teddybux he was a little ball of nerves. Now nearly 15 lbs heavier and over a year later it sometimes seems that pup can't wait for us to leave him at home. We have lots of time and people to thank for this of course.

First of all Bill Stavers a dog trainer here in Los angeles  who gave us tips on how to help Teddy get over his early and very extreme anxieties. Without his tips i'm not sure how we would have gotten by. Secondly, we have our family to thank. They have been so helpful by letting Teddybux come and visit their house when we need to go away for anywhere from a night to an entire week. They make his time away from us one that he can actually enjoy.

Most recently we must thank our dog walking team from Los Angeles dog company. Their team has really done wonders for Teddybux's self esteem. Because of them he is less afraid of people and less stressed out when we leave him alone. We think the routine helps alot as well. He knows that most mornings we will wake him up walk him for 20 minutes and then head off to work. On his favorite days he'll be picked up and taken to one of the local dog park on the others he will spend some time in the afternoon playing with his favorite toy. In between, although we can not be exactly sure, we think he just sleeps. Since this is listed among one of his top 3 favorite things to do, I would say overall he is a pretty happy pup.

So now as we near Teddybux's second birthday we are happy to say that his puppy days are behind us and maybe someday soon we will be able to replace our trusty old couch with one that the arm hasn't been half chewed off.

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A pup's best friend!

Happy Mother's Day!

From your favorite Emo Pup!

On Keeping Cool

Summer time is just around the corner for us here in Southern California and that means finding ways to keep cool when the weather gets too hot. We are very fortunate enough to have the essential air conditioning for those unbearably hot days, but we don't like to over use it. So we've come up with some techniques to keep Teddy cool on those hot days.

The first thing to go is the afternoon walk, probably the most exciting change to the routine. We not only limit the afternoon exposure but also try to do morning walks or park trips earlier in the morning before the sun comes out. When we are out we bring lots of water to help cool Teddybux down.

In the house we put ice cubes in Teddybux's water bowl (something we now do year round anyway) and give him icecubes to play with as a special treat. (Some people suggest freezing chicken broth to give the cubes a little flavor but we haven't done that due to fear of allergies. Teddybux's grandmother gave him a Dog chew toy Freeze 'n chew which is shaped like a popcicle that you soak and then freeze for a nice summer treat. We have to watch him with that one though because once the pop thaws it's susceptible to Bulldog destruction. At night we have water bottles that we have filled with water and frozen and then put in socks to put in Teddybux's crate. That way if he needs some cooling off he can lean against them.

After trips to the park in the summer we usually like to throw him in the bathtub and hose him down with cool (not freezing cold) water. That helps get off all the mud and dirt he has collected and is also cool him down really quick.

For the most part we haven't had any problems keeping Teddy cool and happy during the summer time. He enjoys spending his time laying around the apartment on the cool hardwood floors and letting the AC or a fan do all the work for him. He doesn't miss those afternoon walks one bit!

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I did a post earlier this year on how much we love Teddybux's Molly mutt bed covers. Here is proof that Teddybux loves them too. He doesn't even need the bed inside to seize the moment to stretch out and play!

On Food Health

Keeping Teddybux happy and healthy is no easy task especially when it comes to his eating habits.

We have Teddybux on a pretty strict diet of duck and potatoes because of his allergies and while we try to feed him twice a day we found that he prefers to eat in his own time at his own pace. So we stick to the dry food. Natural Balance has worked best for him and he goes crazy for the Happy Hips duck jerky. Unfortunately even with the limited diet Teddybux's was having trouble keeping his food down. The vet felt that it was just a case of indigestion and suggested we get Teddybux a raised bowl to eat his food in. As you can see in the picture it doesn't keep the food off the floor, but don't worry he will eat up those little bits as dessert.

While the raised bowl has helped with the gas it wasn't enough to keep him from gobbling up his water too quickly. The solution was to replace a full bowl of water with just a little bit and some ice cubes. It forces Teddybux to slow down when drinking and makes him a happier healthier pup!

I think the hardest thing about having a bulldog, or any dog i'm sure, is that no two are the same which is why our Veterinarian Dr. Britto at the Brentwood Pet clinic is amazing. We can call her any time with questions and bring Teddy in whenever he has an unexplained bump or behavior without breaking the bank and she is happy to help out. So all in all the best advice I can give a new bulldog parent is go out and find yourself a bulldog expert to help with all the little things that will come up!

On Puppy Drama...

Friday was an interesting day at the office. One of the office dogs had an accident in the hallway, (thankfully not Teddybux) and unfortunately someone else stepped in it and carried a trail of gross back to his desk.  In the spirit of the moment, because there was really not much I could do but laugh, I made these t-shirts:

What do you think? Would you wear these shirts?

Watch where you're stepping!

On Odd Behavior

The first thing we learned about Teddy Bux was that he had not read any of the dog training or behavior books that we had.

Case in point number 1: There are tons of articles about what to do when your dog tries to pull ahead when walking, there's even the heal command for preventing it.  But you will be hard pressed to find an article about what to do when your dog refuses to walk. Our Teddy Bux is a fan of the "I'll just sit here while you try to pull me down the street" command. That and the "I'm going to sniff may way back to the apartment" command. Where's the book on how to stop that?

Some of the articles and personality traits came straight from the bulldog breed. When picking a bulldog as our perfect apartment dwelling dog we had read those beautiful words. "Bulldogs are Low energy." This was just another thing that Teddy Bux forgot to read. As I type this between rounds of fetch in the apartment I have to laugh. Just because he won't be running a marathon any time soon doesn't mean we can call him a Low energy dog.

Bulldog eating habits was another misconception. We had been warned that bulldogs liked to devour their food and that you must be careful because left to their own devices they will eat everything in sight. Our bulldog on the other hand spits out treats that he doesn't like, will leave his bowl full of food all day, and will take breaks while eating by walking around the apartment.  This is another trait we were pleased to have gotten wrong, with all the other issues he has, it is a relief to not have to add constant stomach ache to the list.

Teddy bux's personal space bubble was another trait we were surprised about. While we are happy that he does not run and jump on every person he meets we are a little embarrassed about the fact that such an adorable attention grabbing bulldog runs away from any new person who tries to pet him. This is something we are still trying to work on and I do hope that one day Teddy Bux will let you pet him.

One thing we can say about Teddy bux's behaviors, they are sure to keep us on our toes. Whether it's playing with a bouncy happy puppy or convincing a tired lazy bulldog it's time to get out of bed we can't help loving the dog that we have and the adventures that he brings. As a result we have learned to abandon all those books and articles  and just follow our instincts. With all the things we discovered I will leave you with our favorite peace of advice:   "Bulldog's Love to play in alley ways."  While we remember that line every time we take Teddybux outside, I think we will leave that to other bulldogs and let ours keep playing fetch in the apartment.

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In honor of the hail we got in Los Angeles last weekend here's 

a picture of Teddy sporting a comfy scarf.

On Working Dogs

Every couple of weeks we put Teddybux to work! Well not literally. He just comes to work with me at the animation studio I work at in Glendale, CA. He's not the only dog put to work at the office, so there's a little bit of play time mixed into the day.

We bring along Teddybux's water bowl, treats, blanket and a couple of toys to play with so that he won't get bored. He hangs out in my cubicle most of the day but gets to get out and explore during lunch and break times.

While Teddybux loves being by my side he is not entirely a fan of going to work. For one there are not nearly enough play breaks or cuddle breaks, all people do there is work work work. Secondly, the work day is way too long. In a perfect world Teddybux would be off the clock by noon. (A perfect world for all of us, really)  For me having Teddybux can be a little distracting, it's hard to focus on work when you have such a cute puppy wanting to play.

There are some plus sides to going to work, lots of treats and new people to play with. A chance for Teddybux to get familiar with a new environment. Teddybux enjoys the excitement of hanging out with someone all day instead of sleeping alone in the apartment. Although we are pretty sure he likes that too.  It's a great option for those days where we need to get him out of the apartment and really tire him out.

At the end of the long work day Teddybux is rewarded with some well earned cuddles! What more could a working pup ask for?

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Teddybux at 7 months cuddling with one 

of his favorite things!

On Dog Toys

Saying that Teddybux is a chewer is a bit of an understatement. When he was a puppy his chewing was a bit destructive leaving us remnants of a shoe and the arm of our couch to prove it.  Lucky for us he quickly outgrew that destructive chewing and now focuses solely on his toys. It took quite a bit of trial and error to find toys that could not only survive play time but also provide enough entertainment to keep Teddybux coming back for more.

While it's great to watch Teddybux rip to shred any fabric toy he comes in contact with, we tend to shy away from them. It takes him less then half an hour to rip to the stuffing and has to be watched too closely to be sure he doesn't choke on anything. Likewise squeaky toys are out except for outdoor trips to the park. They don't hold up well to aggressive chewing and are, lets face it, also quite annoying.

We have spent the past year building up a collection of toys that have been deemed indestructible. Many of them have not passed the test but there have been a few that have held up over time. The trick however is finding a toy that won't fall apart but will also keep Teddybux's attention. Considering this criteria there are a few clear winners:

In first place we have Petstages Orka Tire
Teddybux loves all his orka dog toys but this one stands up as the best because it can be used for both fetch and chewing and has survived months of heavy use with no sign of letting up.

In second place we have the large Planet Dog Orbee Tuff bone.
This one also doubles as a fetch toy but is mostly the favorite for chewing.

In third place is any rope toy. Depending on frequency of chews Teddybux's rope toys can last anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple of months. Our favorite ropes can be found for 99 cents at target and help keep our pup and our wallets happy.

Now Teddybux and I are off to do some more toy testing. Happy playing!!!

On Dog Beds

Having a shedding, slobbering, and drooling Bulldog can lead to quite a few clean house dilemmas, one of which was finding a dog bed that fit snugly into his crate and could stand up to numerous washings. The first bed we got was a west paws Eco-nap and while Teddy Bux loved it, after a couple months of weekly washings it had shrunken and lost most of its shape. The next bed we got was much tougher and thicker, but was too big to fit in our apartment sized washing machine. Not wanting to spend my weekends washing dog beds at the laundromat,  I returned to the internet for answers and eventually stumbled upon Molly Mutt bed covers. The med/large size fit right over Teddy's existing bed, is super durable, and has so far held up to numerous washings. You can use the covers over your existing dog beds or purchase a stuff sac and create a bed out of old sheets, towels, pillows or anything else you find lying around. Teddy Bux gets some major geek cred for the adorable robot design, but there are many styles to choose from.

You can check them out at www.mollymutt.com

Now keeping Teddy Bux's bed clean is no longer a chore, so drool away tired pup, we've got you covered!

On Dog Blankets

Now as a Southern California resident we have nothing on the rest of the country when it comes to the cold. But as the temperatures here dropped below their normal sunny 70 degrees we noticed teddy cuddling just a little bit closer. Because it's southern california we don't like to turn the heat on and tend to just throw an extra blanket on the bed when the nights get chilly. So in order to keep Teddy Bux warm at night we figured he'd benefit from a nice warm blanket of his own. So I made him this neat little blanket.

The blankets are a cheap easy to make alternative to those pet blankets you find at pet stores.

Just go to the fabric store and get two pieces of fleece cut to the size you want the blanket to be. (I made this one about half a yard so that it wouldn't take up too much space in Teddy Bux's large sized crate.)  Be sure to pick out the non-pill fabric in order to save yourself the headache of adding little pieces of fleece to your home decor.

Next lay the two fabrics on top of each other so the back sides are touching and the good sides are facing out.

Then cut squares out of each corner. (6 inches is recommended for a full sized blanket. For this one i did roughly 2.5 inches.)

Next cut slits 1 inch apart and as deep as your square (in my case 2.5 inches).

When you have cut all the way around tie the top and bottom pieces of fabric into square knots and now you have a great little blanket!!! Once you've got the hang of that, go ahead and make a full sized one for yourself because you are sure to be jealous of your cozy warm pup!

Stay warm everybody!

On Crate Training

One of the first things that sent us searching the internet for advice was whether or not to crate train our pup. At 6 months potty training wasn't much of an issue but we needed to find a solution to the sleeping and separation anxiety issues. After sifting through some positive reviews we went out and bought Teddy Bux a wire crate. To this day it has been by far the best decision we have ever made as dog owners. It has become his bed, his safe place to play and hide, and his home away from home when we travel.

It was easy to get Teddy Bux used to playing and hanging out in the open crate, but getting him to sleep in a closed one at night was no easy task. At first we would leave the crate open beside the bed so he could sleep partially out but was not able to move around too much. (we used the bed, a wall and a baby gate to prevent him from getting too far). After a couple of days we moved the bed entirely into the crate but left the door open, in a few days more we closed the crate and then slowly started inching the crate away from the bed. Now experts suggest that we should have moved the crate entirely out of the room but we stopped at the door. With the dog in the room we can hear any emergency wake ups without a bark upsetting the neighbors or sleep in on weekends. But if you do want the bed in another room, you can just keep inching that crate out the door.

The beauty of the crate is that we can bring it anywhere and Teddy Bux is sleeping in the comforts of his own home. We also sleep easily knowing that he and all the stuff in our apartment our safe and secure. It proved to be a much better solution then having a 50lb snoring, farting bulldog lying in bed beside us. Now the issue of how to disguise a giant wire crate in the middle of our living room is one I haven't yet resolved. Perhaps thats for another blog post!!!

Meet Teddy Bux

Theodore Buxton III (Teddy Bux)  is a one year old English Bulldog.  His hobbies include eating, sleeping, and playing fetch!  He does not enjoy taking walks unless they are to the local park, but loves to spend the weekend mornings at the dog park. His favorite days are spent at home cuddling on the couch watching cartoons.