Photo Shoot with the Girls!

Belle in Charcoal!

A few pics from our Yosemite Trip!

To check out some landscape pictures from many of the places Belle and Dora have gone to play- go to their Daddy's website (not nearly as many adorable dog photos though!) http://www.math.caltech.edu/~jimlb/California/californiaphotographs.html

Family Hiking Sunday!

Always make time to stop and smell the flowers...

Blast from the past photo!

Dora was about 10 months in this photo and Belle was about to turn 3!

Dogster!

Both Belle and Dora have dogster accounts (I honestly forgot but make sure to add them!)

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/301700

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/301699

Guess who is a play hound again?

Dora.... nope- Dora has always loved toys!

But Isabelle has turned into a playing monster again and she apparently has watched Dora enough to decide tug is fun. Each night we have to play retrieve (come on you know this involves chase cause that is half of the fun!), tug, and wrestle with Belle! While she ISN'T a dog, she does have fun acting like one sometimes!

What do you do on friday nights with the pups?

Could you leave them and go out?

Dear Grandma...

I am glad you and your friends loved the monkey photos!!! Mom said you had such colorful feelings on the pictures that she wouldn't share cause she knows a good dog like myself shouldn't hear that kind of language.

But I do miss you!

Love Always,
Isabelle

Orange County Pet Expo

I attended this pet expo with a few friends and it is huge! I was able to see the world's tallest dog (the black/white great dane head shot in one of the pics), a cat show (they just stand on a table!), a hairless cat that was actually cute in a way, many different animals, vendors, etc. Overall it was a great time but very warm outside! This pet expo was a lot bigger than the ones Dora and Belle have performed at- many barns of just dog stuff! But I was good and hardly bought anything- Dora and Belle have many new samples for kibble chase games though!

Belle & Dora's Special Guest & Vacation!

Isabelle had her favorite pair of hands come visit- Grandpa's. She was also spoiled with Grandma and her sharing treats! Dora like normal wasn't so sure about visitors staying at our home but by the end she decided warm laps are great no matter who they belong to!

The girls joined us on a ride up to Yosemite, hiking, and back down the coast-starting at Pebble Beach. To say they were exhausted for the next few days would be an understatement. The stroller came in handy a few times but my favorite part had to be letting Dora see snow again at Yosemite....

A favorite...

Here are the 3 loves of my life, standing in front of birds of paradise- the first flower my husband bought me when we just started dating!

Tori's fun house

One of my favorite friends (Leslie!) and her big havanese (Tori is now 8 months) invited me and the girls over for some fun with her and her niece Rascal!

We miss you Auntie Hanan

P.S. Belle REALLY misses your Pan Dulce (breakfast donuts!) and Dora misses your toes!!!

Join the girls for a walk!

Here is a walk that really shows the girl's personalities. Belle loves nothing more than a walk, she loves going out and she runs her little heart out. Dora is more reserved but enjoys her walks but she loves other animals! See if you can discover Dora's new friend!

Do the girls eat?

While Belle may appear to be small, she sure eats like she has a hollow leg! Here is breakfast one morning!

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

I'm coming back!

Dora and I worked thru some things. Dora was competing and earning perfect scores before we moved out here- going thru the start line before I said okay because she loved it, then her world came crashing down-we moved to Los Angeles. I take her for lessons and she flips out. She runs under the A-frame and hides. She continues to do this each time I take her offleash or she runs back in her crate. She isn't avoiding me, she is honestly flipped out. Some suggest it is the going outdoors is too overwhelming. I had no clue but I knew it wasn't fun.

I took Dora out of agility. I felt horrible and I was really disappointed to be honest. Dora was always my great dog (of course everyone says God gave me Dora cause he had to make up for Belle) She loved to work, listen, have fun, and she loved me. But I will never force any of my dogs to do anything. So I threw Belle in Dora's classes. I did that for a few weeks and decided to bring Dora to just watch. Well she started to act like she wanted to play. When I would grab Belle she would jump all over me, then I would take her out there and she ran back into her crate. But I decided to keep taking her. We would play on jumps and just keep it totally happen. I learned even if she went offcourse, let her and keep going.

So this weekend, guess who made her full debut to play with mom. I was ready to put her away if she wasn't into it or acted scared. But if anything, she was a tunnel sucker (old Dora was the same) and hated the table (old Dora the same) but weaved like she hasn't quit doing agility for a few months! I hope my little girl is back. But wait till I tell her we are moving again

Triumphs and Distractions and Hot Dogs

Great success in the agility ring. Belle is starting to realize that we are outdoors and even though there is a million things we could be doing, we are there to do agility. We are still having issues with stable speed. Belle is either flying and not listening to me or pissed off cause I told her no to the tunnel and taking the smallest steps she can to the next obstacle. When working together, Belle and I both have a love-hate relationship. Thank goodness she is so cute. I also would like to point out, everyone tells you when you are doing agiltiy, no one watches you, etc. I would like to say, then don't get a dog as cute or as smart as Belle! Because I have countless footage of people laughing at us, smiling at us, or interrupting us. And I have the proof when the maltese runs out of the ring thankfully after our run straight to them because she knew darn well, she was the one who made the smile! Today we had a maltese family come watch at agility and for once, Isabelle decently behaved herself. She saw them, was drawn to them, and then remembered Mom was the hot dog goddess!