Archive for the ‘Videos’ Category

Walker

Preston loves to get his paws on Nolan’s toys, even the walker.
This is how Nolan does it…

Now it is Preston’s turn…

“;

A Useful “Trick”

Mommy and Daddy have pretty much given up on training Preston to be a good walker. He knows the commands “next to mommy” and “slow” very well but enjoys his walk so much better when he can stop and sniff around. When Mommy takes Preston and Baby Nolan out for a walk, a retractable leash makes it easier for Mommy to keep her hands on the stroller and still allow enough freedom for Preston to do some sniffing that he loves. The biggest problem with letting Preston have the extra long leash is that he often wraps himself around a tree or pole, Mommy has to undo it by going around the tree or pole. It is not always easy to do that with a stroller.
It is time for Preston to learn to unwind himself with the command “go around!”. (A retractable leash should only be used on well-behaved dogs. Mommy thinks Preston has passed the test!)

Merry Christmas 2011!




Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas!
Preston is flying to Seattle (again!) to spend Christmas with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Karin, Uncle John and 6-month old Cousin Madeline whom he is going to meet for the first time! How exciting!
Before leaving for his trip, Preston wants to leave a funny video as a Christmas present for everyone!
Daddy left an open bag of potato chips on the coffee table and took off for work. Preston really wanted the chips but as a well-behaved (cough! cough!) puggle, he knew he couldn’t get his paws on the chips (well…at least not when Mommy is still in the house). He must have stared at the bag of potato chips for a long long time before he finally decided to bring the bag to Mommy in the next room…

Anything you can do, I can do better

Cute!

Cuter!!

See how Preston wiggles his butt into the pumpkin…

Life With a Baby- Music

Mommy and Daddy always know Preston has ears for classical music. He can distinguish Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major. The former is the ringtone on Mommy’s phone when Daddy calls. Mommy and Daddy sure hope Preston can show Baby Nolan how to appreciate classical music because right now Nolan’s favorite sound is the noise from a portable vacuum cleaner!
See how helpful Preston is!


Thank Uncle Paul and Auntie Carrie for the wonderful Mozart music box!

Life with a Baby: Meet Nolan

Oh boy!
It’s been ages since Preston’s last blog update. Taking care of a human baby is NOT easy! Baby Nolan is keeping Mommy and Daddy extremely busy.
A month ago, Mommy and Daddy brought Baby Nolan home to meet Preston. They had been waiting for this day for months. When the big day finally arrived, Mommy came home and greeted Preston first when Daddy was waiting outside the house with the baby. Then Mommy asked Preston to stay in the living room while Mommy introduced the baby to him.
Here is a video clip of Preston meeting Nolan for the first time and learning who Nolan is.

Even though it was not love at the first sight for Preston and Baby Nolan, Preston quickly accepted Baby Nolan as a new family addition.
The first couple of days after Nolan came home, Preston must have sensed Mommy and Daddy’s anxiety whenever the baby was crying. He got very stressed and started barking and howling. Mommy and Daddy gave Preston lots of praise, kisses and of course, treats to help him develop a positive association with the baby. As Mommy and Daddy became more comfortable with handling the baby and Preston was reassured that the baby noises were normal, Preston started showing affection towards his baby brother.

Crispy Kale

This is a popular human recipe but since kale is a highly nutritious vegetable that is rich in anti-oxidants, Mommy is happy to share this tasty and healthy snack with Preston. If you are not a big fan of kale (like Mommy), you will be surprised how yummy the crispy kale is.
There are many recipes of crispy kale online. Mommy’s recipe is based on one of her favorite food blogs: SteamyKitchen-Baked Crispy Kale.
Ingredients (scale up if needed):
5 cups of leafy kale, torn into bite-sized pieces, thick stems removed.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt/seasoning salt (for humans)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Wash and dry kale thoroughly (very important!)
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale and toss with your hands until all surfaces are coated.
4. Spread the kale evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Toss slightly at the 10 minutes and check every 2 minutes from this point on until the leaves turn crispy. Remove the kale from the oven immediately. (This step is tricky. Mommy burnt two batches before finally figuring out the right timing)
5. Save some unseasoned crispy kale for your pooch! Sprinkle the remaining crispy kale with salt/seasoning salt.

Crispy kale vs. raw kale. Preston sure knows the difference…

Dinner is ready, Daddy!

Daddy used to have a bad habit that drove Mommy crazy. When dinner was ready, it always took Daddy forever to move from his computer to the dinner table. Preston must have felt the same frustration with Mommy because dinner couldn’t start without Daddy!
To solve the problem, Mommy and Preston teamed up to make sure dinner always start promptly!

What’s in the Bag?

Because of the hot weather here in Houston, Preston hasn’t been able to go grocery shopping with Mommy and Daddy like he used to in Boston. Preston’s friends know how much he likes to help out with carrying groceries home. Well…nothing is gonna stop Preston from being Mommy’s little grocery helper; afterall, there is a perk for being a good helper.
(Watch when Preston’s tail stops wagging…)

Rover Oaks Pet Resort

Long before going to Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Jo’s wedding in New Hampshire this weekend, Mommy and Daddy started worrying about who was going to take care of Preston when they were away from their new home. Since Preston was still adjusting to the new home, Mommy and Daddy thought it would be a good idea if he went to a boarding kennel where he could hang out with other doggies as opposed to staying at home with a pet sitter. In the search for the best boarding kennels in Houston, Rover Oaks Pet Resort’s great customer reviews stood out the most. Mommy and Daddy made a visit and were given a tour of the facility. They were very pleased with what they saw and immediately booked a luxury suite for Preston (since it was Preston’s first time staying in a kennel, Mommy and Daddy wanted him to have a cozier room that feels like home. Next time, they are putting him in a standard room called “Bunkhouse” to toughen him up!). The luxury suites were so popular that Preston had to be on the wait list until a cancellation came up.
There are different packages including some extra services to go with the lodging. Preston got the package with the most playtimes (3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the afternoon) that would hopefully tire him out.
Here are pictures of some of the nicely decorated luxury suites at Rover Oaks (photos taken from RoverOaks.com). Aren’t they cute? No wonder the reservation has to be made way early!

Preston stayed three nights at Rover Oaks. Mommy and Dadddy missed Preston so dearly over the weekend that they showed up at the door to pick him up as soon as Rover Oaks opened at 7am on Monday.
Mommy and Daddy made a special request to see Preston in his room and take some pictures. Preston was surprised to see Mommy and Daddy and looked a little confused.

He must have told the staff at Rover Oaks that he misses his best friends in California, Mina and Milo the Westies, so they gave him a room with the Westie theme.

Once Preston realized he got to go home with Mommy and Daddy, he was beside himself with excitement. (warning: you might want to turn down the volume of your speakers first)