Archive for 2010

Kayak Outing

After having so much fun canoeing on the Charles last year, Preston went on to try kayaking this weekend. Mommy and Daddy like kayaking better than canoeing but finding a good spot to sit on the kayak could be tricky for Preston.

There are many crazy individuals along the busy Charles river on this given day.

It was a fun family outing. Preston even got to jump off the kayak (with a little help from Mommy) and swim in the river.

While in the water, Preston started to panic when mommy and daddy paddled away…. of course they came back to pick him up.

Yikes! Ticks!


It was a nice spring Sunday. Preston went hiking at Mount Misery. Unfortunately, his first hike of the year was ruined by the ticks. After spotting two ticks on Preston, Mommy and Daddy couldn’t get Preston out of the tick-infested grassy field fast enough. Tick-borne Lyme disease is endemic in New England and NOT fun to have. Mommy examined Preston thoroughly and did not find more ticks on him. Hopefully, Frontline Plus® does its job keeping the ticks out of Preston!

FYI: some good articles about ticks: Ticks on Dogs. and Canine Tick Disease FAQ.

“Blanket” trick

Preston hasn’t learned new tricks for awhile. Last week, Mommy saw a great tutorial posted by Preston’s new friend, Honey the Great Dane and decided to teach Preston the “blanket” trick. Thanks Honey for sharing your training secret!

House Guest

Bunbun is Auntie Katherine and Uncle Steve’s furkid. She came to stay with Preston for a few days this week when Auntie Katherine was having a human kid. Bunbun is the cutest Havanese Mommy and Daddy have ever seen.
Bunbun the Havanese
Bunbun the havanese
She brought a very interesting dog treat to share with Preston. It is “black forest cake” flavored chewy candy from Japan! It DOES smell like “black forest cake”.
Black Forest Cake dog treats
Bunbun is the sweetest girl who loves every person she meets but she has no interest in playing with other dogs. How does Preston think about this house guest?
This picture says it all…
Preston and Bunbun

“Houston, we have a puggle”

Texas Puggle
Preston is moving to Houston, TX in July!
Just like Preston, Mommy and Daddy have never lived in Texas before. This will be a new adventure for the whole family!
Dear Coco, sorry it is not Austin but Houston is not too far away, Preston will definitely visit you in Austin. He can’t wait!

Moving…AGAIN!

As much as Preston enjoys living in Boston, he will have to say good-bye again in July. Guess which State his new adventures will be?
Cowboy Puggle

La belle ville de Québec

Immediately after Preston came home from his sitter, Catherine, Mommy started packing Preston’s travel bag again but this time he got to go on the trip with Mommy and Daddy!
Preston may never visit Europe so Québec City is probably the closest for him to get a taste of Europe.
It is a long drive from Boston (7 hours!). Preston stopped in NH and played in the spring snow.
Spring Snow in NH
Bonjour from Old Québec!
family picture at Chateau Frontenac
Preston stayed at the very charming and dog-friendly Hotel du Vieux Québec. The hotel even allows quiet dogs to stay in the room by themself but of course, that is NOT Preston…
hotel du vieux quebec
Old Quebec has the most beautiful architecture.
quebec city architecture
Mommy and Daddy dined at this charming french bistro, Le Lapin Saute, and yes…they ate bunny for dinner…
le lapin saute
The incredible wall mural in Place Royale. Can you spot a puggle?
Place Royale wall mural
Preston was bummed out that he wasn’t allowed into the store but in the end, the gelato was well worth the wait.
Outside Maple Delights
Before heading home, Preston visited Chute Montmorency.
chutes montmorency
Ready to tackle the stairs!
chute montmorency stairs

Time before Preston

Bringing home a four-legged kid and being able to provide them the attention and TLC they need is a HUGE commitment. Mommy and Daddy waited more than 10 years before they felt they were ready. They are glad that they did.
The waiting wasn’t easy. During the years when they were longing for a dog, Mommy and Daddy brought home these “substitutes” to keep them company. Now that they have Preston, it doesn’t mean they forget about their other dogs…
Scottie pen holder.
Scottie Pen holder
IKEA hat rack
IKEA doggie hat rack
Junkyard™ Sculptures by YardBirds®
junkyard dog
There is no substitute for this…
Silly Face
One of the biggest challenges Mommy and Daddy face as dog owners is going on a trip without Preston. When living in California, Preston used to spend time with Uncle Allen or Mina & Milo when Mommy and Daddy were out of town. It wasn’t until they moved to Boston did they realize how hard it is to find a perfect sitter.
Just as Mommy was very worried and frustrated, Mommy’s friend Leesteffy (an awesome dog walker!) came to the rescue and found Preston that perfect someone, Catherine, who takes Preston to work with her (in a nice big house with a friendly dog!) and even let Preston sleep on her bed with her (yes, under the covers!). How great is that!
Mommy and Daddy are going on a trip without Preston again this week. As soon as Mommy took out Preston’s travel bag, he started whimpering.
After Mommy finished packing and set the bag down, Preston immediately started unpacking…
Preston's travel ba

Pawdicure

Mommy hopes this video will encourage anyone who has a hard time trimming their dog’s nails to keep trying eventhough it might seem like an impossible task.
Preston used to be terrified of nail trimming. Visits to the groomer were quite traumatizing for him. Mommy tried Peticure® but Preston ran away on the buzzing sound of the electric filer. Nail trimming was such a dreadful activity for both Mommy and Preston. For more than two years, Mommy had given up on trimming Preston’s nails. Luckily, his active lifestyle kept his nails naturally short. His dew claws were removed by the breeder so Mommy never has to worry about them.
This past winter was Preston’s first winter living in a place where there was a lot of snow. The de-icers on the ground made it hard to go for long walks. Running in the snow or grassy parks was just not enough to wear down his nails. Nail trimming became necessary again and Mommy wasn’t looking forward to doing it at all.
To Mommy’s surprise, nail clipping was so much easier this time around. Preston has become quite comfortable with his pawdicure, sometimes, he even falls alseep in the midst of it.

Preston’s pawdicure kit:
Preston's Pawdicure kit!
How does Preston learn to enjoy the nail clipping?
1. Growing up Preston is used to having his paws handled. Mommy likes holding his paws and wiggling his toes when cuddling.
2. Preston got two cheerios and a big praise if he let Mommy touch his toes with a nail clipper (without clipping). Repeat this many many times.
3. Then, move on to real clipping, Preston got two cheerios for each snap sound the clipper makes.

And many many cheerios later…



FYI: Nail clipping instructions

Maine Coast

There are not many 70 degree days in New England this time of the year so when the weather was this nice on Saturday, Mommy and Daddy couldn’t pass up the chance taking Preston to the beach. Mommy and Daddy drove along the scenic Maine coast and visited Portland, Maine.
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Maine coast is beautiful and full of characters.
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Can’t go home without tasting Maine lobster!
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