Sarah Lukemire – Page 14

January 3, 2014

Rio aka Crazy Ears

Let’s talk about dog ears. Both of our dogs have some serious EARS, lol.

Not hound-like ears, you can’t tie them in a bow or anything, but seriously…they have a mind of their own.

I don’t think the whole wearing a cone for several weeks helped his situation but what’s done is done. Kidding – I love my little crazy Rio ears!

Do your dogs have a recognizable trait that you find funny or unusual? Share with me on Twitter!

On a more serious note, isn’t this the truth? I saw a similar photo to this one on Instagram from our friends at Camp Bow Wow and had to recreate my own!

January 2, 2014February 17, 2014

Caprese – Adoptable Dog of the Week!

UPDATE: Caprese has been adopted!

This is Caprese! She is a 4.5 year, DEAF, pit bull that has been in rescue for MUCH longer than most dogs at Secondhand Hounds.

Maybe it’s because she is deaf(?), I really can’t figure it out because she’s as cute as a button! Plus, being deaf doesn’t mean she is not trainable. There are several trainers in my area that work with you on hand signals and training your deaf animal and TONS of videos on YouTube to help as well.

The best thing we can do is SHARE this post to get the word out about Caprese. Her family IS out there waiting for her and once she gets adopted another dog will be saved!

From the foster:

“Meet Caprese! This happy, tiny bundle of pittie love is always smiling and ready for action. Even though she is deaf, Caprese won’t let that get her down. She’s ready for an active family who wants to keep her busy! Caprese was saved from a local animal control, and during her temperament test we realized she couldn’t hear a darn thing. This means she will require some extra training on hand signals, but Caprese is smart and will learn fast. She has already picked up the signal for sit, and if you point to her kennel she goes inside of it. She’s drawn to people, and will run to you when you open your arms and smile at her. She’s learned quickly her kennel is a great place to be, she might give a few barks but then settles down and goes to bed. Caprese attends doggy daycare, and she’s good with dogs big and small. Sometimes when she plays, she needs people to help guide her when a dog does or doesn’t want to play with her. She just can’t hear their signals. She easily redirects though, sometimes with a squirt of water on her foot, and goes back to running laps like she loves to do! She really loves the GIANT dogs, her best friends are a mastiff mix and pyrenees mix. The only negative behavior Caprese shows is some resource guarding with food around other dogs, (NOT people though). Being that she was so skinny when we rescued her, it’s not surprising. To remedy this behavior, we only do meals and bones in her kennel. If she was an only dog, then this behavior would not affect her. She loves to go on long walks and keeps her nose to the ground as she sniffs along. She’d probably make a cute little jogging partner and enjoy that too! Caprese is so affectionate, like a true pit bull should be. She loves leaning into you for love and lets you give her kisses on her snout. She’s not a nervous or under-confident dog even though she lacks one of her basic senses.”

Apply to meet Caprese today through Secondhand Hounds Rescue!

10 Signs you shouldn’t adopt a pit bull – a must read, not what it may seem like!

January 1, 2014April 18, 2015

10 Signs You Shouldn’t Adopt a Pit Bull

1. You don’t like cuddling.

I grew up with shelties who didn’t even like sleeping on dog beds – they preferred the hard, cold floor. Umm, let’s just say these pibbles know what’s what when it comes to comfort.

2. You want to carry your dog around in your purse.

Not happening unless your purse = duffle bag and you = superman.

3. You think dog clothes are lame.

Let’s face it, unless you live in San Diego and never stray, your pit bull may need a coat. Maybe even boots and a hat, possibly a scarf if you live within 500 miles of me.

4. Your nose is stuck so high in the air (or somewhere else) and you think pit bulls are “mean” and “vicious”.

A certain meme comes to mind…

5. You don’t like proving people wrong.

I mean…you don’t? Really? Where are you from?

6. You only buy from a breeder (and they must be pure bred).

In which you would not be adopting and saving an innocent life. I’ve also had friends tell me that before they knew better, they always thought there was ‘something wrong’ with the dogs available for adoption through rescues and shelters. Hmmm….see #10.

7. You can resist faces like this…

and this…

8. You want a hunting dog.

I take that back. Lola would love to go squirrel hunting with you. And others have been trained to hunt.

9. You can resist butts like this…

That’s Lola’s boyfur-iend, yes, I said it. His name is Tater Tot, he is doing some awesome things in this world over here.

and this…

(That’s another Tator Tot, he’s really good at saving lives and stuff like that.)

1o. You judge based off of the negative things you’ve heard in the media and elsewhere vs. judging an animal as an individual. You aren’t willing to accept the most loving dogs I have ever met, which are all of the pit bulls you have seen in this post.

*Follow Lola The Pitty on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest!*

On a different note, you can also check out my recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats.

December 28, 2013June 6, 2014

Exercise is great!

You know you’re living in Minnesota when…it’s 40 degrees outside and it feels like a heat wave. We soaked up the much-needed sun today, especially after the holidays and all the craziness.

I was beginning to get slightly frustrated with both Lola and Rio lately.

It seems like Lola has been rebelling lately which has led us to taking away her roam-the-house-when-we’re-gone freedom. Last week she pulled a pack of gum off the counter and managed to eat half of it and the pieces of gum that she didn’t like, well…those were in the carpet. Then take that last sentence and repeat – she did the exact same thing a few days later. On Friday, while I was showering (which takes a whole 15 minutes) I thought to myself, “She’ll be fine, I’ll leave her out” and proceeded to bring Rio in the bathroom with me. Well, I come out only to find my notebook with a piece of paper shredded on the floor. That piece of paper was my blog post idea with all of my notes jotted down on it. Joy. And if that wasn’t enough, Lola helped me finish my cookies & cream smoothie from Caribou – dumb on my part for leaving it on the table, but sheesh. Just thankful there wasn’t enough chocolate consumed to make her sick. :/

Then on top of that, Rio peed in the house last week. Twice. I think Rio’s two accidents were just a freak occurrence because he has been potty trained since before his leg surgery, or at least we thought so.

But when it comes down to it, I think the real problem is simple. I am not the only one that is going stir crazy in the winter. The week before Christmas was insanely busy and bitter cold here. I was working 12 hour days and ‘A’ was the only one to really tend to the dogs. When it’s in the negative temps, the dogs can’t really stand to be outside for too long because their paws get too cold, too fast. Yes, we have booties for them but they are pretty worthless. So on those days we practice training inside and go outside for 5 minute spurts, lol. But what they really need is a good exercise!

But today, today was good. I took Rio out for his own walk and it was probably the best walk we have had. He stayed close to me, paid attention to me and we practiced “sit”, whenever a car would drive by or whenever I would stop walking. Then Lola and I went up to the park, played disc for a little bit and went on a short trek. She absolutely loved it. They are SO much better behaved once they are able to get out, run off that energy and just be dogs.

I will never underestimate the importance of physically exercising your pets. It’s good for their health and mind as well as yours! So not only for the new year…but for life – resolve to keep your dogs (and other pets) in good shape!

Here is a short video taken on my cell phone of Lola today:

psst – I’m on Bloglovin’ (a great way to keep track and follow your favorite blogs) and I’d love if you followed me!

*Join the BLOG Hop hosted by Keep The Tail Waggin’ and SlimDoggy below:

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

December 27, 2013April 29, 2014

Funny Friday – I don’t always look adorable…

I just couldn’t help myself after seeing all of the “I don’t always X, but when I do, Y” meme’s after the Dos Equis commercials…

I laugh out loud every time I see this one I put together for Lola. Partially because it sounds so conceited, but partially because it’s true. At least her mama thinks so, *wink, wink*.

Hope you get a laugh out of this and enjoy your weekend!

P.s. here’s another great one, for us crazy dog people.

December 26, 2013December 26, 2013

Lillie – Adoptable Dog of the Week!

*Fill out an application for Lillie HERE*

Look at Lillie bug! This girl holds a special place in my heart because I have personally met her when doing volunteer work at Secondhand Hounds Rescue in Minnesota. She reminds me of Lola in several ways – she is spunky, energetic and loves people!

Lillie, however, has been in rescue for way too long. She did not have an easy start and has spent more time than a dog ever should have to in a kennel. For several reasons, Lillie would need to be the only animal in your house.

She is a petite little thing, weighing it at around 45 pounds with plenty of puppy left in her at just over a year old! Do you know someone who would love this gorgeous blue pit bull mix!?

Here is a little more information about her!

From the Foster:

“Hi! I’m Lillie and I like to snuggle! No, really – I mean I LOVE to snuggle. Pretty much the most awesome thing ever is to snuggle. Laying next to you is great, but I’m not against trying to curl up right on top of you either. I heard the term ‘lapdog’ once, and I figure that’s what I should be… Even though I’m a little big, I fit nicely on laps, I really do. I also like to sleep under the covers. What can I say, I have super nice pretty soft blue fur, but it’s not the warmest – so, under the covers I go. I snuggle well under there, too!

Speaking of my fur, I’ll let you in on a secret. I LOVE it to be brushed. It’s like a tickly massage and it’s fantastic… I don’t love baths, I’ll be honest with you, but since I know I get brushed after it I deal with it. Getting brushed makes everything worth it.

I’ll be honest with you again – I’m a bit of a spaz sometimes. Not ALL the time, but come on – who doesn’t like to play?!? I know I do. I love to play with people but I’m not so great with other dogs. As I’m getting older, I’ve decided that I would like to be the only four legged family member in the home since I like all of the attention on me! Oh… and no cats please. For real. They smell weird and I’m NOT a fan.

As far as humans go, I truly love them all. I love kids, but my foster mom says that because I’m still young – and still unsure of how big I am, I probably shouldn’t be living with super young kids… I admit it, I might knock them over. I’ve got a big body and a lot of spunk – I’ll do better with kids that are bigger than me! I get very excited when I meet new people and get to do new things – I’m still young after all! But I relax and turn into a snuggle bunny after I get used to stuff. I also listen very well and I do really well with obedience classes, giving me some things to learn and do.

So there you have it, I’m Lillie and I’m looking for my forever family. Are you it?!? Fill out an application to come and meet me, I’m sure you’ll love me!”

December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to take a quick moment out of our busy lives to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & happy holidays. Here is a little dose of cuteness for your Tuesday!

A little dose of Rio…

December 22, 2013August 14, 2016

(Small batch) Peanut Butter Banana + Flax Seed Dog Biscuits

4.9 from 11 reviews

(Small batch) Peanut Butter Banana + Flax Seed Dog Biscuits

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Simple, small batch Peanut Butter Banana + Flax Seed Dog Biscuits! This recipe is a breeze to pull together and is a nutritious snack for your dog!

Author: Sarah @ LolaThePitty.com

Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (can be substituted with rice or coconut flour for a grain free option)
½ banana, mashed
⅓ cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
¼ cup almond milk (unsweetened)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Mix ingredients together thoroughly using a spatula until well combined.
Roll out mixture on a floured surface to approximately ¼". Cut into desired shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Notes

*This yielded 24, 2-inch dog treats for me.
*Store in a airtight container.

You know the best thing about these Peanut Butter Banana Dog Biscuits is?

Besides that they have flax seed in them obviously and that they yield ~24 treats?!

You only need one bowl, a spatula and 30 minutes to pull these off!

I love making homemade treats for Lola & Rio – don’t get me wrong. But if the recipe yields 100 little dog treats, that translates to a lot of rolling dough, cutting cute little shapes out, and lots of dirty baking sheets. Then before you know it I’m ready to throw the entire piece of dough on the baking sheet and break it up for the dogs after it’s been baked. Today was one of those days, so this recipe was perfect. I played with the measurements and really enjoy this simple dog treat recipe!

I included flax seed in this because it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your pup’s skin and coat. You can omit this of course if you don’t have any.

I baked these treats for 20 minutes – this resulted in a somewhat chewy yet still slightly crunchy dog biscuit. (My pumpkin dog biscuit recipe is baked for longer and produced a crunchy dog biscuit, similar to a Milk Bone or something similar.)

My taste testers would tell you they LOVED this recipe. But then again it does have peanut butter AND banana AND it came from a human hand. That pretty much guarantees it’s being eaten.

I hope your pups (and you!) enjoy this small batch peanut butter banana + flax seed dog biscuit recipe!

Christmas Photo Shoot FLOP

Amaya and I had this idea that we would take pictures of Lola and Tater in their ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’. Lame, I know. But after all we are obsessed with our dogs.

Rio was originally going to be included in this, but as you might have read – he grew out of his matching sweater. Plus, you will see how it went with TWO dogs, let alone three!

Let’s just say…train wreck! But it was fun, the dogs had fun and we left with about ONE good photo – one that they were not together in. Ha.

Have you ever taken photos of two dogs that LOVE to play together?! We clearly need some tricks! If the weather would’ve been better, it would’ve been quite wise to let them run off their energy before attempting this seemingly impossible task.

Here are some of the bloopers:

Here’s the real fun! We decided to shoot a video instead. After all, the bloopers are sometimes the most fun of them all.

Adoptable Dog of the Week – Violet!

Oh, Violet! Look at this big hunk of love! Violet is such a laid back dog. She should teach Miss Lola a thing or two! She is a four year old English Bulldog/American Staffordshire Terrier Mix.

Violet is living in a foster home in Minnesota and she has foster siblings too – dogs and cats. She would really love to find her fur-ever home, as she has been in rescue for way too long.

Pet Project Rescue is an amazing rescue group to work with. They are always very upfront about any issues the dog has. And Violet…well, she is healing from a torn knee. This may not be something that requires surgery. BUT if it does PPR will pay for it, even if she is already adopted. That is amazing!

Violet is a dream dog, she is very well mannered, potty and crate trained and an all-around great girl! She would make a superb dog for someone that enjoys taking walks but also wants a cuddle bug of a couch dog!

Just look at that face!

You can find Violet’s complete bio online here. Please share this post to get Violet the exposure she deserves. Her perfect family is out there, is it you?!

If you cannot adopt, please consider making a donation to Pet Project Rescue for all they do.