Has it really been a year?

Geez, the crickets here are deafening! lol

My tiny blog has been a bit neglected over the past year, but it definitely has not been forgotten! Let me bring you up to speed . . .

just keep sniffing has moved from Weebly to Blogger, and I am very happy with its new look!

To showcase some of my katzdzynes' products at Zazzle, I am now on Instagram, on which I also occasionally post a few pics of what’s going on in my world. I mention this because my own personal IG feed is filled with pet dogs and cats, a lot of them homeless in shelters or rescues. One of my favorite IG accounts is Susie’s Senior Dogs (@susiesseniordogs), which spotlights senior-aged shelter dogs within the United States in need of forever homes, a cause that is dear to my heart. Here at just keep sniffing on the sidebar to the right, you’ll see the section, “Adopt … don’t shop,” with a link to my katzdzynes Google+ collection “Senior dogs needing forever homes,” featuring the senior dogs spotlighted on the Susie’s Senior Dogs IG account. I hope that in some small way my sharing the photos of these overlooked senior dogs will help them find their forever family with whom they can happily spend their retirement years.

Finally, if you’re tired of paying up to $28 (!) per pound for dog treats, check back soon for my homemade crunchy dog treats recipe . . . only 2 real food ingredients with no flour and no grains! Khloe LUVS them, and so does my budget.

Training a terrier ... continued

Despite daily training, I'm gradually accepting the fact that what we affectionately have termed "terrier mode" is just something to be expected with Khloe. Our daily walks are training sessions, and lately I feel we are actually walking together, with eye contact and a slack lead, some of the time anyway. I'll call that progress! We're working on "heel" a little bit, and she definitely knows this from prior training with a previous owner because she has started sitting when I stop walking--something I did not train her to do. Despite our progress, some days I cannot help but feel like Khloe views me simply as her very own, very generous walking doggy treat dispenser. And I'm okay with that.

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the "Just Keep Sniffing" collection I've put together at Zazzle. In the collection you will find funny dog training tanks and tees and humorous, customizable "Terrier Mode" dog beds and door mats, as well as Christmas ornaments and stockings for the C.O.O. (Chief Olfactory Officer) of the family.

Just Keep Sniffing by katz_d_zynes

Training a terrier - (I do believe) it is possible

Patience, patience, patience ... We're making slow but steady progress with Khloe by continually praising and/or rewarding her for good behavior and for making eye contact with us as we're working on teaching her "watch me." Those rare instances when I am able to divert her attention back on me during her "hyper-reactive" behaviors feel like such a huge accomplishment. Khloe has a number of triggers that send her into crazy, lunging, barking terrier mode - a passing vehicle, or pretty much anything with wheels, is one of the biggies. One day I decided to take Khloe out to sit near the road with me, and with a pocketful of treats we'd work on sit, down, and "watch me" when a vehicle passed. This went well until a motorcycle passed ... I got her calmed down again for a few more vehicles and then, what the ... ? I couldn't believe my eyes. What I initially thought was a police officer pulling a driver over was actually a police officer just driving very slowly and escorting--wait for it--a small group of runners, followed by an ambulance and flanked by a motorcycle, and I think there was also a bicycle in the mix, too. Plus traffic was backed up behind this group--more motorcycles, of course, which were allowed to pass the runners and caused traffic to slow in the opposite direction almost in front of us ... trucks, one with a boat trailer. All I could do was laugh my ass off while I waved to the nice police officer and held tightly to my crazy, lunging, barking terrier's harness. Little did I know we would have a front row seat for the "trigger parade." :)

How?

How a person can ultimately decide the best thing they can do for a dog is to leave him tied up on the roadside then drive away is beyond me. Earlier this week I came upon a dog in this very situation. My first call was to the business owner to confirm the dog wasn't known, after which I contacted emergency services to arrange for the dog to be picked up by dog control. A very sweet boy, a beagle much like our Lola, I stayed with him while waiting for dog control. I could hear him whimpering as I parked my vehicle, obviously scared and confused, and he continued to tremble as I petted and comforted him. He sure did enjoy having his shoulder blade scratched though, and the double-shoulder-blade scratch elicited a roll onto his side for a belly rub.

Of course Khloe got extra kisses and belly rubs that night.

Quick, while it's still sunny ...

A runner or a sprinter I am not, but since our furry best friend is a terrier with a bit of pent up energy (daily walks this winter are few and far between due to temperatures hovering around or below 0F most days), when the temperature hits 20F and Khloe does get to go outside on leash, well, out the door and off we go … and I acquiesce with a 60 second sprint. After that (phew!) we walk (again, phew!) and I work on having her “check in” with me. I take a couple of her yummy treats with me and break them up as we walk, rewarding her if she looks at me when I call her name or if she looks at me, or “checks in,” even if I don’t call her name. I’ve tried “heel” with her, and she seems to already know that, but of greater importance is that she pay attention to me when I call her – we can work on “heel” later. A few weeks ago she somehow broke free of her leash, but luckily I had a few remaining treats in my pocket so, when I called her and offered her a treat, she quickly reversed her sprint away from me so I could grab her. Our little terrier walking beside us outdoors sans leash is a lofty but worthy goal.

October is adopt a shelter dog month

Yes, I'm quite "late to the party" with this blog post, but if you've been following the just keep sniffing blog, you know that I believe homeless dog (and cat) adoption month is every month! Fortunately I'm not too late to remind you that the first full week of November each year is National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week. Please visit The HSUS website to learn 10 ways that you can help your local shelter or rescue group.

If you're thinking about adding a new pet to your family, please first consider a visit to your local rescue shelter. Also please spay or neuter your pets to prevent pet overpopulation.

More four-legged inspiration

Meet Khloe, my new source for inspiration and Chief Olfactory Officer in my effort to spread the word about homeless pet adoption and the prevention of pet overpopulation. My C.O.O. is sitting next to me now while ... oh, never mind. She just got up and left ...

more important C.O.O. things to do elsewhere, I guess. Well, later we'll take our usual mid afternoon break and go for a walk in our field--she LUVS snacking on the grasshoppers that jump every which way as we walk through the grasses. "Hoppers" are one of the least disgusting "snacks" she finds outside. How is this inspirational, you ask? Well, my new design at katz_d_zynes, "Butterfly Fields," reminds me of our daily walks through the field. Autumn is truly my favorite season--too bad it is followed a little too closely by winter, but ... Anyway, if you also love autumn, maybe you, too, will enjoy "Butterfly Fields." I hope you'll take a peek ...