Please take this thing off.

two weeks, 

TWO weeks... that is how long they recommended this collar stay on. (stupid thing - nikko's words not mine)

He got his snip, snip done and the spca uses glue not stitches and they said don't let him lick it too or much he will lick away the glue... 

sigh - poor fella.

Cheap Dog treats

Don't spend a fortune on training treats at Petsmart or on dog toys - here are two cheap alternatives:

youz suxch a goooood, goooood boy, momma loves your furry little cuteness... don't forget praise in training its free and they love it

For training treats (yes training treats are very important!) You can use the dogs own food, but I've never found them to be incredibly motivating. So I use these:

See? they really, really like them and will do all sorts of tricks for you in exchange!

You will need to buy the cheapest hot dogs you can find. You see dog treats run you about $3 bucks a bag and are way bigger than you need for training. And you can find cheap hot dogs for as low as 75 cents a package and that will make you roughly half a million training treats. THESE ARE NOT A SOURCE OF NUTRITION for your dog - just training incentive.

Cut up cheap hot dogs

Spread out on plate

And microwave to just before the dust stage.

They will be dry and hard and keep without refridgeration - I nuked mine for 4 full minutes in my poweful microwave. If they look gross to you your doggie will LOVE them.

oh and best dog toy ever - that I just found out about from Dances with Fat:

An empty water bottle in an old sock:

they LOVED it.

awwwww....

wuv that bwessed awangement..

seriously he sleeps this way always on the tile...

I heard words from the cat carrier one day and I thought I had lost my mind... I thought she should demonstrate:

"I did it myself"

Introducing the newest member of the family:

Sunday night at the dog park - we go there A LOT, its kind of our 'thing'. I said, "you know I've never really had two dogs but Hickory sure does like the company here... maybe one day"

and Kyle looked at me like I was nuts - because despite being pet people, Having a puppy as of late has been H. A. R. D. - remember my garden anyone??

So I let the thought pass, but then the next morning I read about a cute puppy on facebook that had been rescued by a sweet family down the street and adopted by another sweet family but it wasn't working out.

Kyle and I texted all day about how bad an idea it would be... But somehow, somehow....

somehow....

we went to bed that night with a puppy in the bed at our feet.

Hickory is in heaven with a friend, I have the kids helping alot before they are back to school, maybe this house training thing will go fast (it did with Hickory) and Popper has a new lease on life because Hickory doesn't play the "where's that cat" game all day - he bothers the puppy instead.

His name was supposed to be Hunk.

Zeke was the Cowardly Lions name on the farm at the beginning of Wizard of Oz, Hickory is the Tin man's name, and Hunk was the scarecrow's name.

but Hunk just wouldn't stick... So by Tuesday we had deemed the trial run a success and named him...

Nikko

the leader of the flying monkees...

from Wizard of Oz....

just in case you haven't noticed we kind of got a theme going on up in here.