Romeo's Coat Care

I get a lot of comments about Romeo's coat. A LOT. How soft he is, how beautiful his coat is, how clean he looks, even, if you can believe it, how nice he smells sometimes. I'm asked a lot how I keep his coat so soft. I think a lot of it has to do with the food that we feed him. But after not bathing him for about two months, I am going to have to break down and say that a lot of it also has to do with the shampoo and conditioner I use on him:

Cloudstar's Buddy Wash and Buddy Rinse

So we've been using this shampoo and conditioner on Romeo since he was like 6 months old. Not long after I started using Buddy Wash and Rinse on Romeo, they had a "buy the shampoo, get the conditioner free" promotion, and I bought like 4 bottles of shampoo. Romeo's small, and I think I've only gone through one or two bottles of shampoo in the last two years. It makes him smell nice -- like lavender, and the conditioner helps me keep his coat from getting matted. I'm sure there are other products out there that also work very well, but I've only ever used Cloudstar and baby shampoo on Romeo, so I don't have much to go on except for the fact that I know Cloudstar works great.

Romeo's Day at the Park

I brought my camera with me this weekend to our park outing. Romeo *loves* his flying disc! We caught some great action shots, plus a couple of great catch sequences. Check them out!

Romeo's Day at the Park

Blast from the Past

I recently found this wonderful picture of Sambora, maybe around 1 year old, with Romeo when he was 7 or 8 weeks old. To say that these two bonded with each other is an understatement.

Romeo Visits Alice's Dog Park in Pasadena

Today we went to the off-leash dog area in Pasadena. It has been around for nearly about a year, and this was the first time we went. We met up with my friends and their dogs. I have to say, it was one of the nicest off-leash areas we've been to! And most of the dogs were really nice. Here's more information on the off-leash dog park -- http://www.phsspca.org/about/news-dogpark.htm

We can't wait to go back!

Romeo's Outing: A Pet Friendly Pasadena

I'm always so amazed at how pet-friendly Old Town Pasadena is. Yesterday, I took Romeo shopping, and we went into Old Town.

We went to the Paper Source to buy some paper for a test project that I'm doing. Then Romeo and I stopped in at The Gap, because for some unknown reason, Romeo LOVES The Gap. (FYI: I could be wrong, but I believe dogs are always welcome at any Old Navy, anywhere.) We were stopped there by a woman who had a regular sized Aussie, but hadn't ever seen a mini aussie so small. The Gap saleslady also stop to chat with us for a bit about Romeo. After all that cooing, we went to Romeo's favoritest place in all of Old Town Pasadena: Three Dog Bakery. There, he got to lick frosting off of a spoon. Doggie heaven!

No trip for an urban puppy could be complete without a stop at Victoria's Secret. The first time we went, I wasn't sure if they would let Romeo in, because, well, let's be honest, dogs are notorious for destroying underwear. But my sister went in and asked, and they said, "No problem." So we went to Victoria's Secret so I could get (yep) more underwear.

Our trip culminated with a trip to The Container Store. I had never seen a dog in The Container Store, so I stuck my head in to ask if it was all right before bringing Romeo in. There, another woman stopped us and asked if Romeo was a miniature Australian shepherd. To which I replied, "Yes." She asked how old he was, and when I said, "Two and a half." She asked, "Two and a half months, right?" And I said, "No, two and a half years." Apparently her friend has a mini aussie, and it was NOT Romeo's size. So many people are calling their mini aussies "mini" when they are actually standard size Australian shepherds coming from mini aussie stock. But that speaks to the politics of the Australian shepherd breed and not the actual size of the dog. (For any who claim that Romeo is not a true Australian shepherd, I invite you to look at his pedigree. He comes from CHAMPION, pre AKC, pre differentiating size, Australian shepherd lines! He's just small!)

We ended the trip there at The Container Store. Romeo is more well-behaved on Old Town Pasadena and other urban areas that is dog friendly than at dog parks! I love that Old Town loves dogs (and cats!) as much as the owners do. There is almost no retail establishment in Old Town Pasadena that won't let a dog in. (I'd ask before bringing in a dog to Barnes and Noble...there is a food establishment attached.) But if you're unsure, don't just barge in, canine in tow. Poke your head in and ask if it's ok. Gordon Biersch, for instance, even with its outdoor patio, when I last asked, wouldn't let Romeo in.

See you in Old Town!

2007 so far: Romeo Sees Snow!

At the end of February, we took Romeo on our snowboarding trip. There are lots of pet-friendly lodges and hotels up there, and we stayed at one that was close to Snow Summit.

Romeo saw snow for the first time since he left Turtle Mountain (Romeo was born in a snowy season!), and he didn't know what to make of it. It had just snowed, and Romeo just sank in and almost got lost in all the fresh powder! The first night we were there, it snowed, and we took Romeo out to see it. I don't think he thought anything was going on, but when we came back in, Romeo was covered with snow, and he didn't shake it off since it was so light he didn't know it was covering him.

Here's a picture of Romeo and Joel, with Big Bear Lake in the background!

2007 so far: New Year's Celebration

So we haven't talked much about Romeo's goings-on all that much. It's been a busy 2007 so far!

So we'll start out from the top with New Year's Eve, where Romeo got to stay in a ritzy hotel for the very first time and got to make googly-eyes at none other than Mr. Justin Timberlake himself (SERIOUSLY, Justin Timberlake, former boy band member, ex-boyfriend of Cameron Diaz). I was a little tongue-tied, but Romeo made the cutesy face at the pop star. JT remarked while we waited for the elevator that Romeo "is a cutie, isn't he?" Indeed he is.

The little miniature australian shepherd leads a charmed life. Romeo is now the envy of his Auntie Tania.

Here are pics of Romeo after a hard night of partying with himself in the hotel room. He loved the bed.

Romeo wishes everyone Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Romeo & Friends

Romeo's Birthday Parties!

For Romeo's second birthday, Romeo had two parties! The first birthday party was on Saturday, December 2nd. All of Romeo's doggie friends showed up, along with some human friends, too! Romeo's agility friends Chachi and Ella were there along with Bridget and Kiwi. All the dogs enjoyed pupcakes from Three Dog Bakery as part of the party. Romeo got lots of cool presents and loves them all! Thanks everybody for showing up and getting such great gifts for Romeo!

Here are some pictures at the park:

Romeo looking adoringly at me (I have his frisbee)

Romeo running, Ella on the right with Romeo's frisbee

The humans look on...

On Monday, December 4th, after agility, Romeo came home to a beautiful boxer brownie from Three Dog (some days, we think Romeo keeps Three Dog Pasadena in business all by himself). Here he is with his birthday cake! Being a proper dog, he decided the best way to eat the cake was by licking all the frosting off first, then to eat the carob brownie.

Happy Birthday Romeo!

Happy Birthday Romeo!
Originally uploaded by Tina Pham.

Happy birthday Romeo!

This year, Romeo turns two. Let's hope it isn't the terrible twos!

More about his birthday celebrations to come...

Happy Halloween! Romeo at Agility in Costume!

Here are the cool kids at agility! Romeo, Chachi, and Ella!


 

Happy Halloween! Romeo in Costume!

We don't remember what Romeo was last Halloween (I don't think he dressed up, actually), but this Halloween Romeo dressed up as a dinosaur! Call him Dino!

First Romeo Agility Pictures!

Our friend Gina (Chachi's mom) took pictures at agility! Yes, that's Romeo coming out of the weaves without his leash on! (It might look like he's on leash since it's dark, but look closely, I'm holding the leash rolled up in my hand, and it's not connected to him.) He went through a bunch of obstacles on the course, finishing by doing the weaves all by himself!

Also pictured below are Romeo's agility friends Ella (the affenpincher) and Chachi (the chihuahua). We're the cool kids in class!

[Pet Care Articles] Romeo's Teeth are Now Bright White!

This past weekend was a full, eventful weekend for Romeo. Not only did Romeo try herding for the first time (more on that later) and go play frisbee, Romeo got his teeth cleaned for the first time ever!

The American Veterinary Dental Society reports that by age 3, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of dental disease. Rocco has been getting anesthesia free teeth cleanings from a dental hygenist every six weeks, and my sister has been raving about the service. All my pets, despite my best efforts to brush their teeth, have noticeable tartar buildup and somewhat stinky breaths (you might know it to be dog breath or cat breath - it's actually just bad breath). I've been putting off doing the veterinary dental cleaning for them because, well, it's really expensive.

When I saw a sign for an anesthesia-free teeth cleaning clinic at Steve's Pets in Altadena (2395 Lake Avenue, Altadena, CA, 626-798-6290) by SmilePet (number below), I decided to give it a shot with Romeo. Now, with anesthesia, teeth cleaning at the vet's office can cost anywhere between $200-$300+, depending on your vet. So at $75, this was what I considered quite a deal. I decided Romeo should be the first even though he doesn't have the worst teeth out of all my pets -- he is the youngest, after all -- because dogs have shorter memories than cats and are far more forgiving of people. So Romeo got to be the guinea pig, and off we went for our appointment. It took about 40 minutes, and Romeo's teeth are now amazingly white! His breath smells better and all the icky yellow buildup on his teeth is gone! His gums, which were beginning to look inflamed, are starting to look normal again.

SmilePet isn't the only service out there, obviously. Rocco gets maintenance visits instead of a more involved teeth cleaning every six months (which is what most dental hygenists around here do or recommend). I did a lot of digging around, and these are the resources that I've confirmed exist (as of the time of this post, of course). Romeo will be going back to Kathy of SmilePet, as she did such a great job with him.

As a total disclaimer, do this at your own risk. Some dogs and cats need more work than what these dental hygenists can do without anesthesia, and some dogs and cats are too high strung to let a dental hygenist do this without being sedated. Check out the person before you go - this list is meant to be inclusive as a resource for you to find a good person to care for your pets and is not indicative of any sort of endorsement on my part. I'll add more to this list as I hear about them or run across them. The only person on this list we can attest to is Kathy of SmilePet, and we attest that Romeo's teeth are dramatically cleaner than before and that she didn't hurt him. That's all I'll swear to under oath.

ANESTHESIA-FREE TEETH CLEANING FOR DOGS AND CATS
(Los Angeles/Orange County/Southern California)

SmilePet (Kathy, 866-628-9745)
Makes housecalls and holds clinics from Los Angeles to San Diego. Kathy holds a clinic at Steve's Pets in Altadena (2395 Lake Avenue, Altadena, CA, 626-798-6290) every 6-8 weeks for $75 a pet. Call Steve's Pets to make an appointment. Romeo's had his teeth cleaned by her and his teeth are now bright white!

Houndstooth (Kathy (I think a different one), 877-309-8849, pettoothfairy@yahoo.com)
Makes housecalls to San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles (City and County), and Orange County). Price depends on type of pet and distance traveled. Also takes office visits in Chatsworth for $80 a pet.

The Tooth Fairy LLC (Shane, 818-988-3443, shane@thetoothfairyllc.com)
Housecalls only to most of Los Angeles county. Rates vary by type of pet.

Pearlie Whites (Dana, 818-667-5747, dana@pearliewhites.com)
Makes housecalls and takes office visits in Encino. Rates vary by type of pet, distance traveled, etc.

Gental Dental (JoEllen, 800-264-3094, petinfo@gentledentalforpets.com)
Housecalls around the Long Beach/South Bay area. Call for availability in your area. Rates vary. Holds teeth cleaning days at Wags to Whiskers in Long Beach (5505 Stearns St., Long Beach, CA, 562-430-5161) on the 1st Tuesday and 4th Saturday of the month for $85 a pet.

Bathe R Doggie (626-795-7777)
Pasadena, CA, based pet grooming salon. Anesthesia-free teeth cleaning available every other Sunday, by appointment only. Price ranges from $65-95, depending on the pet.

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Posted By Tina to Pet Care Articles at 9/26/2006 02:33:00 PM

Romeo Catches the Frisbee!!

I've posted the 5-second video of Romeo catching the frisbee under the Video links.

Romeo's Frisbee Skills

We brought a camera with us to the park and caught Romeo in the middle of catching his frisbee! Go go Romeo! We also took a short video that I'll put up soon. 

Romeo's First Sweater

I don't care what anyone says about my sanity. Today I bought Romeo a sweater. And he's absolutely adorable in it. The sweater serves no useful purpose except to amuse me, so don't even start.

Doesn't he look so preppy and adorable???

Dogwalks and Pupcakes

Romeo did super good at agility this past week - he did the dogwalk for the first time ever and flew over it. For those who have no clue what a dog walk is, it's a 9-12" wide balance beam about 4' off the ground, with ramps on either side. Now, Romeo is the dog that would not get on the A-frame or the seesaw the first time, and the poor guy did not want to take this obstacle slowly like we made him. He also did very pretty sets of three hurdles, each set at a 90 degree turn from the last.

I'm pretty sure that Romeo's favorite obstacles are the A-frame and the dogwalk. Considering that we believed that Romeo had a fear of heights, this is pretty amazing.

On another note completely, Casey and I took Romeo to Old Town Pasadena, where Romeo had a grand old time at his favorite place in the whole wide word: a restaurant. We sat outside Mi Piace, and Romeo got a grilled chicken breast. You can't imagine how well-behaved Romeo can be if there's food in front of him. Then we took him to Three Dog Bakery, since he was being so good. On the way there, we passed a statue of a coyote, which Romeo immediately started barking at. It was the most hilarious thing. I took him closer so he would see that it was a statue, but he just started barking and growling more. It amused us and other random passers-by. So then we got to Three Dog. I had never been inside before. He's been finicky about treats in the past, so I was a little concerned that fresh-baked, gourmet dog treats would not be for him. Boy was I mistaken. The man working there was very nice, and let Romeo taste a couple things to see what he would like. We ended up getting Romeo two Harlequin Hearts (peanut butter cookies half dipped in carob) and two pupcakes (Romeo especially liked the yogurt and honey frosting they had on top). Suffice to say that this was probably one of Romeo's best days ever.

Romeo at the Park

On Saturday, in record-setting heat, Joel and I took Romeo to the park. These are pictures taken with Joel's cameraphone. We went around 4pm, and it was still sweltering hot. Romeo had not had a real walk in a couple days, so he was geared to go. He's becoming more accurate at catching the frisbee when it's thrown to him, and he's starting to do some fun jumps like you see on TV. We weren't able to catch any on the phone's camera. Next time, I'll have to remember to bring a real camera.

Romeo loves his frisbee. Even when he was dead tired, he refused to leave the park. As we were leaving, Romeo took the frisbee and started walking back to where we were playing. One thing Romeo's got plenty of - it's personality!

Romeo Finishes His First Session of Agility!

Okay, this isn't Romeo...I took this photo from Jump City Agility's website. We'll get Romeo pictures soon. The dog in the picture is Shelby, who we haven't met. But Romeo does love his agility. Last Monday, Romeo did the A-frame, seesaw, and the weave poles like a champ. And it goes without saying that he loves the tunnel. There was a switch at some point in the class where Romeo stopped barking randomly at everything moving around him and started barking in excitement whenever it was near his turn to do the seesaw and the A-frame.

So we'll continue agility. It's definitely way more fun than obedience.