Zooming is what many dog owners call the frenzied running around that puppies often engage in. When a dog has the zoomies, they are usually running around the house at top speed like they are on a mission.
Dogs typically have a pattern they follow when zooming, running the same route over and over again. Usually a puppy or dog begins zooming when they have a sudden burst of energy that needs to be spent. Since puppies have greater excess energy than older dogs, puppies tend to zoom around the house more often.

Sadie still zooms around my house a couple of times a week. It usually only lasts a few minutes, and then she crash lands onto the couch, tongue hanging out, happy to have spent all of her energy. Sadie gets the zoomies after every bath. Like in the photo above, she will zoom around the house trying to air dry herself, occasionally stopping to rub herself up against furniture to get the water off of her.

This post is my last post of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. We made it!

Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below to see who made it to the end with me!

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate the love!

For most dogs barking is about protection and warning. They bark to warn people and animals that this territory is claimed. They bark to say this is my food or my toy or my human, so stay away. But yapping is all about excitement. Dogs will yap when their owner or friend is approaching. They will yap when you are heading to that cabinet or shelf where they know their treats are located. They will yap when you are opening up the package that contains a new toy.

Sadie sometimes surprises people be not adhering to their stereotype of a little yappy dog. If she’s in a new or strange place or with new people, Sadie is always very quiet. Strangers can approach me while I’m holding her and even pet her without Sadie making a peep. Cats, dogs, squirrels, bikes, cars, anything can pass by while we’re outside and Sadie won’t make a sound. Sadie’s only ever in guard dog mode while on her window seat, and even then she only barks once or twice at anyone who walks on our sidewalk.

But Sadie does get very yappy in one specific circumstance: when someone she knows is coming to the door. If she sees you get out of your car, she makes an excited squealing sound and makes a beeline to the door. Then she will begin yapping incessantly while you open the outside door, come up the stairs, and finally open the door where Sadie has been waiting. She will continue yapping at you until you pay attention to her, then she will go get one of her toys and happily follow you around until you play with her. I know most dog trainers teach you to discourage this type of behavior from your dog, but my family and I think it’s adorable. Whenever she is yapping like that, to me it sounds like “Yay! You’re home! You’re home! You came back! I missed you!!” It makes me smile every time, even when it’s assaulting my eardrums.

This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below for other great pet blogs taking the challenge with me!

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate the love!

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in most chewing gum. Many dentists, mine included, recommend chewing xylitol gum at least once a day to help strengthen tooth enamel and keep your mouth healthy. But in contrast to xylitol’s health benefits in humans, xylitol can be deadly to dogs. In small amounts this artificial sweetener can cause your dog’s blood sugar to drop drastically. In large doses, xylitol can cause liver failure in canines. So make sure when you chew your gum with xylitol for a healthy smile, you keep that gum well out of reach of your canine companions.

This post is part of the Blogging From A To Z April Challenge.

Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below for other great pet blogs taking the challenge with me.

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate the love!

Today’s post is about Sadie’s favorite spot in the house – the window. During a recent home renovation we added a bay window to the living room. I had all kinds of visions for that space – some nice plants in the Spring and Summer, a scary tableau for Halloween, a twinkling Christmas scene, etc. But I should have known better. The minute Sadie found the window seat, she claimed it as her own. I decided not to fight the inevitable and have since put a cozy dog bed and some blankets and toys on the window so Sadie can be comfortable. She now runs up there (I conveniently placed a set of her dog stairs so she can get up easily) every time she hears a noise outside. Sometimes she stays on guard duty for hours, keeping tabs on the neighbors and alerting me if strangers dare to park in front of our house. Other times she just likes to nap in the sun like a cat. Sadie knows that when people leave our door, if she runs to the window she can see them outside as they leave. Similarly, if I leave her home alone, she knows to sit in the window and watch for me to return. If someone she knows walks up to our house, she uses a very high pitched bark to let me know someone we know is there even before the doorbell rings. If it’s a stranger, like a delivery person, her bark is very different. Sadie has even learned the word window, automatically running to her window seat anytime someone says the word. I can now use window as a command. It’s a very convenient trick if I need her to get out of the way quickly.

This post is part of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below for other great pet blogs taking the challenge with me.

This post is part of Ruckus the Eskie‘s Sepia Saturday blog hop.

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate the love!

Today is Arbor Day! Time to celebrate all things verdant and green! It’s the perfect day for a gardening project or planting a new tree in your community. Spend some time outdoors with your pets this weekend and enjoy the beauty of Spring together.

This post is part of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.
Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below to find other great pet blogs taking the challenge with me.

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate the love!