His hair won't be back

Dog Butt

I'm happy to report that Barksdale's hot spot is healing very well!

The redness is almost all gone and he hasn't been itching or biting it at all these past few days. Even though he is on a regiment of pills that rival Michael Jackson, they all seem to be working well and soon enough, his hair will even grow back and he will look totally normal again.

I can imagine that BD is excited for his butt hair to grow back for several reasons: 

1) so that he doesn't look like a silly little bald butted doggie anymore; and

 

2) so that I stop running around the house calling him my silly little bald butted doggie while trying to force feed him his pills.  

But, unlike my dog, I'm not necessarily looking forward to his hair growing back. I say this because I know that within two minutes of it being back on his body, it will end up on my white carpet. Yes, shedding has been a big problem for us here.  BD's winter coat has been falling out in clumps and it's not unusual for John and I to find it on our clothes, in our bed, and even in our food.

Shedding is by no means a new problem for me. I owned a Samoyed growing up, so I am very much accustomed to dog fur. In fact, when I was in high school I started to knit a sweater made from the fur I would brush off of my dog . Apparently I'm not the only one who has thought of this: 

You can see more of these amazing sweaters here

But since I'm no longer in High School and my sense of fashion has evolved from wearing dog fur as a fashion statement, finding wads of dog hair all over the place is no longer a good thing.  

So what is a non-dog-hair-wearing-girl to do?

Enter the FURMINATOR!!!!

This is the must-have accessory for any dog-owner in Savannah. Yes, it's a bit pricey ($50), but trust me, it's worth every penny. When I first saw the videos for this thing, I couldn't believe my eyes and I doubted that it would actually do what it said it would.   But having owned it for a while now, I'm here to tell you that it's all true. This tool has been a life saver for us down here in Savannah. I'm now using it on BD everyday in our backyard...and with all of the fur i'm pulling off of him, it's a shame that I'm no longer in the market for a dog-fur afghan.

Anyone else have positive experiences with the furminator? Have you used anything else that works?

Downward Facing Dog

Maybe John and I aren't the only ones enjoying delicious southern cuisine too much!

We've now been told by two different Savannah vets that Barksdale is a "tad" overweight and needs to go on a diet.  Yes, perhaps the three of us have been enjoying life post-wedding a bit too much and really, who can blame us when we now live with a couple miles of the Mellow Mushroom (mmmmmm....pizza......) and plenty of other delicious spots in town.  And it's so freeing to not have to think about fitting into a specially tailored dresses, parading around in front of everyone you've ever met in your life. So perhaps it's true, perhaps we've all packed on a few extra pounds here--just enjoying life (and delicious food) to the fullest.

Another big change in our lives here, one that has certainly added to the extra padding, is the fact that walks aren't what they used to be.  Back in DC, we were walking 3 miles every morning before work, and then going on at least another 2 mile walk in the evening--sometimes followed by another mile or two at night. Now, with the weather hotter, the work schedules more flexible, and the bugs a whole lot worse, we haven't been walking nearly as much. And I think that it's starting to show.

Perhaps we need to find a new way to integrate some exercise into this pack. I've been reading a lot about Doga recently and I have to say that I'm intrigued. 

Relaxation? Check. Exercise? Check. Dogs? Check.

Apparently this is a fad that's been catching on more and more. I even found this (hilarious) video about it that you can watch by clicking here.

Even Savannah is getting into the act. Every first Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. in Forsyth Park, you can bring your pup for some hot yoga action (pun intended). The cost is a $10 donation, with all donations given to Save-A-Life. Here is the contact info: 898-0361 or www.thesavannahyogaroom.com.

Perhaps we'll see you there!...

A serious hot spot

John and I both knew that moving to a new city in a new climate would present its fair share of challenges that would require some serious adjustments. But for the most part, we figured those adjustments would involve having to spend a Saturday at the beach to beat the heat and somehow having to make it through a winter without enduring a record 53" of snow. (Even though we all know that dogs love the snow). 

Seeing as how Barksdale is the member of our pack who is most easy-going and seems to adjust the fastest to new situations, we never considered that he would be the one who, a couple months after moving, would be having the hardest time. 


First, it was the fleas...

Once we got those under control, we realized that the poor guy takes after me and is allergic to all kinds of things--especially some of new flora or fauna in the area. This allergy manifested itself in the form of a "hot spot" (learn more about them here), which, trust me, is not a pretty sight. After several trips to the vet, and quite a few swipes of the credit card later, we finally seem to have all of his ailments under control.

Barksdale in happier days

And speaking of the vet, we have been going to the Central Animal Hospital in the Starland District and have been very pleased so far. We highly recommend them!

Any other dog owners out there had similar problems? What helped you and your dog adjust to the new climate?

Feeding Time.

My friend sent me this ridiculous video yesterday and I've probably watched it 20 times so far. I dare you not to laugh.

Blown away

I'm not sure which one of my two men, my dog or my husband, loves BBQ more. While John and I were making the final decision to move to the South, part of me always wondered just how much of his decision making was being steered by the promise of southern chicken drenched in sticky sauce. And there are very few things in the world that my dog chooses over cheese--BBQ chicken is one of them.

Turns out, it took only a couple of weeks before the two sets of pleading eyes that made their presence every time dinner discussions began, wore me down.  This might not sound like an extraordinary feat, but since I'm a strict vegetarian, it's no small matter for us to plan date night around meat cooked on a grill.

So last week we went to Blowin' Smoke, drawn not only by the promise of live jazz music on the outside patio, but also the multiple vegetarian options on the menu!

We also had a feeling that this might be a pretty dog friendly establishment, based on the number of outside seating. And we were right! Not only was Barksdale welcomed with open arms, our server promptly brought us water in a proper doggie bowl for him to enjoy only moments after we sat down. The highlight of the night for him was when another waitress stopped off on her way bringing cleared plates to the back kitchen to offer him a giant rib bone that had been left. Barksdale gladly took the offering and took turns both eating and guarding his new treat for the rest of the night. So much so, that we almost forgot that he was there! One small drawback to the night was when we sked for a small plate of chicken or a meatball for him, we were told that it wasn't economically feasible for the restaurant to offer dog-sized portions.

So, for my first dog-restaurant review in Savannah, I would give Blowin' Smoke a pretty high rating (let's say 3 out of 4 bones). Not only was it a great place to bring the dog, but the food, the music, and the overall atmosphere were all great too. My only hesitation in going back to Blowin' Smoke in fact, is that BD will certainly try for a second rib bone, and judging by his stomach's reaction to the last one (as evidenced by the new stains on my carpet), this may not be the best idea...

Stay tuned for many more restaurant reviews as we continue on to the next delectable dog-friendly place!

It's a Dog's Life

A face only a mother could love

I guess it's best start off with a shout out to the dude who has inspired this blog, especially since if you are reading this, you'll probably being seeing waaaaaay to many pictures of this goofy guy (so you'd better get used to it now). His name is Barksdale and he, along my new husband and myself, have recently made the long migration from Arlington VA to Savannah in search of a more relaxed and happy life. Now that the three of us are happily settled in, we are hoping to connect with dog owners and dogs alike to talk about dog issues in the area, share hidden gems, and create an online space for like-minded folks. Please check back frequently as we plan to regularly share the ins and outs of owning a dog in this beautiful city!