Banjo & Millie's Favorite Baby Gifts

While Banjo and Millie are the only kids in our house, we are at that stage in life where lots of our friends are having kids - the human kind. And as my friends become pregnant and have their first and second kids, I have a blast looking for little baby gifts for them! I may not be ready for kids yet, but baby clothes and toys are just too cute to resist. Here are just a few of our favorite (baby) things:

We love this little stuffed dog by Mason's Cottage - perfect for a little boy or girl.

This little daschund stretches all the way around the back of this adorable onesie from Megan Lee Designs. 

Oliver Blu Designs has a collection of precious dog breed onesies from this little French Bulldog to Labs, Goldens, Pugs and Chihuahuas.

Dribble in style with this cute bib from The Lab.

Is it wrong that I want these little vintage kids' barrettes from Loley's & Co for myself? Would it be weird for Millie to wear one?

This "Doggie Love" nursery artwork by Trendy Peas is super sweet.

Modern Dog Prints by Jenn Ski

Banjo and Millie LOVE Etsy. Here's some of the latest pup prints from Jenn Ski Art that we adore!

H.B. 2482 Pulled!

Well done, friends! After a massive response from animal lovers, Delegate Lee Ware pulled H.B. 2482 from the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. Check out Richmond SPCA CEO Robin Starr's message about the bill here.Thanks for letting your voices be heard! Banjo and Millie are moved that there are people who will stand up and speak for them! 

Love,

Banjo & Millie

Millie's Tinkle Bells: Who's Training Who Here?

After stumbling upon these cute Tinkle Bells in Etsy Shop Fido's Fashion Collars, I decided to try out the idea of potty training bells with Millie. So I ran down to the local craft store and bought some ribbon and bells and started sewing my own (much more pitiful and not nearly as cute) version of Tinkle Bells so I could see if Millie took to the concept (because though she understands the word "potty" she has no way of telling us that she needs to go)... Turns out, she's a pretty smart little girl.

I hung the training bells on the doorknob where we go out to potty and started by shaking the bells every time I took her out to potty so she would begin to associate the bell with the word potty. Within the first day, she started walking over to the bells and just barely tapping them out of curiosity. Each time she did, we would taker her outside (even if we knew she didn't need to potty). Very quickly she learned that the bells mean that the door opens. Mission half accomplished...

So now Millie knows that she can go outside by tapping the bells. But I believe Millie is smarter than we gave her credit for. I'm fairly certain she has begun to abuse them. After all, tapping the bells opens the front door in Millie's eyes. And outside is for pottying... AND PLAYTIME. So she has now turned the tables on us and trained us to open the door at her beck and call. We will, after all, open it every time she taps the bells, but it's a gamble for us whether she actually needs to potty or just feels like playing.

It's particularly amusing to watch little Miss Mildred tap the bell ever so slightly with her nose, then immediately (and somewhat suspiciously) turn to see if Mom or Dad noticed. She is testing us. She's testing to see if we've learned to come when she rings, like her very own butlers. You rang, Millie? Touche, Millie. Touche.

Have you ever tried the potty training bells with your pup? What system do you have in place where your dog can tell you that he's gotta go?

Virginians Unite Against H.B. 2482!

Banjo and Millie just learned of a House Bill that has been introduced to the Virginia General Assembly by Delegate Lee Ware. The bill, in essence, would erase 20 years of progress made on behalf of abused animals in the state of Virginia. Here are a few key takeaways:

• It would allow an abuser to keep the abused animal during investigation and prosecution.
• It would allow the abused animal to return to the convicted abuser.
• It would allow pet dealers/stores to keep selling animals even after being convicted of abuse, cruelty or neglect.
• It would allow convicted abusers to have animals in the future.

Please visit the Richmond SPCA blog to get details about the bill and how you can make your voice heard to your delegate, and to Delegate Lee Ware. And please, pick up the phone and express your opposition - Let's put the pressure on! 

What's in a Name?

A hypocoristic (not to be confused with hypocritic) according to Wikipedia is a nickname of affection between those in love or with a strong emotional bond. My husband and I are notorious for the ridiculous nicknames we come up with, not only for each other, but even more so, for Banjo & Millie. It's only fitting, of course, because really, who has a blog dedicated to their dogs who doesn't have a nickname for them? It’s surprising, in fact, that Banjo & Millie even recognize their names, because we so rarely actually use them. So I thought it would be fun to share with you all just a few of the ridiculous names we have dubbed the pups. 

And Banjo and Millie want to know from you, what hypocoristics do you have for your furkids?

Banjo

Banji

Banjelina

Banjelina Jolie

Beags

Beaggie Smalls

Acute Banjina

Beaglelicious

Obeag wan kenobeag (sound it out) 

Banjo Ramirez

Mildred (her real name is not actually Millie!)

Millie

Millie Moo

Moo

Moo Moo

Moo Pie Moo

Moo Head

Shiz

Bubs

Bubalicious

Millie Digs to China

Hello friends! It seems I have managed to become sick over the course of my vacation, so I have no doubt neglected the blog over the past few days. As I recover, I thought I would just share a clip of our feisty, little Miss Mildred after a bath. We believe she is digging to China since we told her that's where her family comes from long ago. Enjoy!

Millie Digs to China from Banjo and Millie on Vimeo.

One Feisty Shih Tzu from Banjo and Millie on Vimeo.

Good Fetch, Millie!

Millie will chase a ball anywhere.

Good Fetch, Millie! from Banjo and Millie on Vimeo.

Millie in the snow, just because she's cute.

As we vacation in several feet of snow, I thought it would be fun to share just a little footage of Millie in our last big snow! Gotta love that cute white snowy face!

Millie + Snow from Banjo and Millie on Vimeo.

Blogging the Change: FETCH's Pen Pals

With our new involvement in FETCHaCure, we were really pumped to learn about Blog the Change. And since we are still relatively new to blogging, we are excited to see how we might be able to help spread the word. We feel small sometimes, like we can't do much as just one small voice, but a bunch of small voices in unison add up.

So Blog the Change asks that we make a fresh commitment to act on behalf of animals. And that's what Banjo & Millie are doing. There are so many causes that we want to support, but thought we might have the most impact by focusing on just one for the time being, and that's FETCHaCure. We hope that through our involvement with the organization, we can educate our followers and inspire them to get involved too.

In my previous post on FETCH, I explained that FETCHaCure works on behalf of pets and their owners who are or have been affected by cancer or aging. The organization also has a program that I have mentioned called Pixie's Pen Pals. Banjo is a veteran of Pen Pals. He was taken from a shelter where he spent two years, and was trained in a Virginia correctional center by the inmates with the help of two trainers. This gives the inmates the chance to bond with the animals, reinforcing responsibility, patience, and tolerance, and it gives these now fully-trained dogs a second chance to find a permanent home.

If you or anyone you know is looking for a new furry family member, I highly recommend checking out one of these Pen Pal Pups. Not only are they in need of a home, but you get the added benefit of getting a dog who is already fully trained!

Three Irresistible Puppies

Just three sweet little pups for your viewing pleasure. I couldn't resist. Seriously.

Vacation Guilt!

We're on our first real vacation since we brought Millie home, and I have to admit that I feel downright guilty. I know, it seems silly, but I do. I feel guilty for leaving Millie at the kennel where she is scared, all by her little sweet self, while I'm off having a grand 'ole time on the slopes of West Virginia. And to make matters worse, big brother Banjo is off at his other Mama's house (his previous home) while we are away, having the time of his life - breaking all the rules of our household, lazing on the couch, downing beef and cheddars, roaming the property unsupervised. Banjo doesn't look back once when we leave him for vacation, but poor Millie goes to a scary, loud, lonely kennel, shaking uncontrollably as we leave her there. It breaks my heart. Am I the only one that feels this way when leaving for vacation? Do you ever feel guilt for leaving your pup behind?

Banjo & Millie love you, Pet Bloggers!

Banjo and Millie just want to express our gratitude to all of the lovely bloggers who have stopped by over the course of the Pet Bloggers Challenge! Each and every one of you inspire me and remind me of why I love blogging! I look forward to seeing how your blogs grow and change in 2011, and hope that Banjo & Millie will continue to interest you throughout the year too!

Thank you!

Love, 
Banjo & Millie 

Volunteers for FETCHaCure!

Banjo & Millie want to help FETCHaCure! Back in November we attended the Million Paws Walk in which proceeds went to help find a cure for canine cancer. Though we are blessed to have two happy, healthy dogs at present, we know how painful losing a pet is. So when we received an email from FETCHaCure asking for volunteers, we jumped at the chance to see what we could to do help. (And Banjo just so happens to know something about the FETCHaCure Pen Pals Program. That’s because Banjo is a Pen Pals veteran! Before Pixie’s Pen Pals was a part of FETCHaCure, it was called SOS (Save our Shelter) Pen Pals program. Our sweet Banjo was in a shelter for 2 years - which I find just absolutely impossible to believe as he is one of the most loving, gentle and well-behaved dogs I have EVER known. And I’ve known a lot of dogs. But thanks to Pen Pals, Banjo became trained at a Virginia correctional institution before receiving his therapy beagle certification, and now he goes to work every day in the prison. But more on that at a later time.)

So last night we attended FETCHaCure’s first volunteer meeting of 2011 to see how we could get involved in the organization and are so excited to get started! There were 35+ volunteers present at the meeting, all of which were so excited to see how they could help. Being in a room with that many passionate dog people is inspiring. We are total strangers who happen to share a bond that requires no explanation. For me, it’s the things like this that really energize me and give me a purpose that is greater than some of the trivial things of day-to-day life. Thanks, FETCHaCure for your work, and for letting us be a part of it. We can’t wait to see what wonderful things the organization does this year! Look for posts to come about what FETCH does for canine cancer research as well as the ways we are going to try to help contribute!

Nite Ize LED Collar Light

For Christmas, we bought Banjo and Millie both the Nite Ize LED lights for their collars when we go out for walks at night. We live on a street that is pretty quiet, and both dogs are trained to stay in the yard, so we allow them off leash in the yard only. Banjo is particularly well trained and isn’t terribly difficult to see at night, but Millie on the other hand, with her impossibly hard-to-see-at-night dark chocolate fur, speeds like a bullet around the yard, and is a bit tougher to keep track of. And since she is so small, there’s also the added concern of any predators thinking she might be a rodent for dinner. So we were very excited to add this safety item to their collars at night (which has also proven very useful during the weekly power outages we seem to get in the winter). Overall, my feelings are mostly positive about the light’s functionality, however it hasn’t proven terribly reliable. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly:

PROS

• The light attaches very easily to your dog’s collar so you can take it on or off as you please. We mostly leave it on though, as it isn’t all that large and cumbersome for the pups.

• The light is very bright. You can see your dog from quite a distance, which not only helps you to keep an easy eye on them or locate them if they are to wander off, but also helps protect you if you walk your dogs on a leash at night. Cars will be able to see you, which is an absolute must for protecting yourself and your dog in the dark. (Side note: One night when Banjo took off into our fairly large backyard, Millie flew off after him. The Nite Ize was the only thing that let me know where she was. And I had the added amusement of watching her run straight into our vegetable garden’s arbor in the dark, or rather, I saw a floating orb fly straight into the arbor.)

• The Nite Ize has two settings, steady light or flashing. It’s nice to have the option depending on what your purpose is. I suppose when walking at night, a flashing light might be best, whereas when it’s just me and the pups in the yard, the steady light will do. The light also has a 5 color rotation, which I don’t know if it is useful or not, but it sure is fun to watch your dog resemble a disco ball.

CONS

• Banjo’s broke after two days. I’m not sure if his was just a lemon, but it stopped working almost immediately. The battery didn’t die (if you hold the on button down, the light will come on, but as soon as you let go, it turns off). That was definitely disappointing, but again, could just be a fluke. 

• The power button is a little tough to press. If you have a dog that doesn’t like to sit still, it can be a little difficult to turn on or off. Definitely not a dealbreaker though.

Pet Bloggers Challenge

Banjo & Millie are taking the Pet Blogger's Challenge! Below are the answers to some of the questions posed by GoPetFriendly and Will My Dog Hate Me, organizers of today's challenge.

When did you begin your blog? What was your original purpose for starting a blog? Is your current purpose the same?

I started Banjo & Millie this past August when my husband and I were preparing to bring home Millie, our first puppy (and first challenge as newlyweds!) Banjo, our 11-year-old super laid-back therapy beagle, had already been part of our family for two years and until we brought Millie our 4-month-old shih tzu home, life had remained very calm.

We got Millie from my parents, whose 3-year-old shih tzu (Delaney) had given birth to five pups. My sister kept two puppies (Brie & Wally), my parents kept one (Penny), a close family friend kept one (Scout), and we kept Millie. I started the blog as a way to share stories with my friends and family so they could see what our new family was up to (since we all live in different cities).

Then, after bringing Millie home, I realized I had no idea how to raise a puppy. A lot of fun stories come out of our adjustments to daily life with Millie, so I continue to write because I simply enjoy writing about life’s joy and messiness with our dogs. It’s a small way for me to share my love of these two dogs with the world, and with a community of people who share that same bond with their own furkids.

The blog is still mostly stories and photos of the pups, but I intend to grow the content to include more product reviews, tips, and resources for other dog lovers. I’ve had fun sharing the content with my friends and family, and now I would like to branch out more.

Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

I don’t blog on a schedule, although I do plan on moving to that eventually. I currently blog as something inspires me to do so. It’s easy to do when something prompts a story. In the future, I would like to make posts more regular with more structure in order to hopefully capture an audience that is interested in regular reads. I also plan to focus the content of the blog more.

Are you generating income from your blog?

Nope. It would be lovely to do that in the future through advertising or whatever other opportunities come along. At this stage that would simply be an added bonus for doing what I enjoy doing anyways. I would love to learn what opportunities, if any, are out there though. I’m certainly open to ideas and suggestions!

What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)? What do you like least?

I love keeping records of my life, namely, my friends and family. I’m super sentimental, and I love seeing memories come to life in concrete ways. Before the Internet, this meant photo albums lining my shelves and coffee table. But now blogging is my outlet. But it’s even more fun because you get to share it all with the world instead of just keeping it to yourself! What I don’t enjoy as much about blogging is that I don’t have enough time in my day to do it. OK, that’s not blogging. That’s just life.

How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

In 2011, it’s yet to be determined how my blog will change or grow, but what I do know is that I would like for it to change and grow. As a new blogger, I would love some guidance or tips out there from some of the more seasoned pet bloggers!

I think Millie hates me.

I think Millie hates me. Why? Because right after going out for a walk in which she refused to potty, she comes in to the house, jumps up on the guest bed, and maliciously, pre-meditatively, dumps on my clothes laying out on the bed. I mean seriously Millie. I suppose we have entered the spiteful teenage years? Has your pup ever pooped on your bed? Not just that they were sleeping there then decided they had to go, but rather they sought it out and determined it was the perfect toilet?

A Beagle & A Shih Tzu

I was feeling crafty today, so while at our brand new Hobby Lobby, I saw these little dog t-shirts and though it might be fun to personalize one for each of the pups. Unfortunately, they didn't carry a beagle-sized t-shirt, so Millie was the soul benefactor of my crafting endeavor. Here are a few photos of the Beagle & Shih Tzu t-shirt I made for Millie. She's also wearing the bow she got from her brother and sister, Brie & Wally, for Christmas! Lookin' good, Millie!

Saturday Pet Blog Hop, Round 2!

We had a good time checking out some new blogs last Saturday. I think Saturday might be our new favorite blog day!

Dancing Dog

A dancing dog is always an amusing way to start off a Friday. Especially if there is a camera and the merengue involved! Happy Friday!

Millie's Morning Mischief

Normally, Millie stays in her crate while I shower in the mornings because she tends to sneak off and potty in the house if I leave her out. But this morning, she took care of all that business before my shower, so I decided to trust her enough to let her roam the living room while I showered. Major test for Millie! 

Welllllll she failed. Dear little Mildred managed to get herself into more mischief than usual...

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back from Banjo and Millie on Vimeo.

Show Your Puppy Love

If you're like me, you don't mind advertising your love for your dog. I'd like to do so with any number of these adorable t-shirts!

"Chairman Shih Tzu" - Cafe Press

"Bad Dog" - Dog Mountain

"My Dog's Brain" - Dog Mountain

"Beagle is my Homedog" - Cafe Press

"Beagle" - Cafe Press

"The Regal Beagle" - Cafe Press

"It's All Fun and Games" - Dog is Good

Banjo & Millie's First Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop

Thanks to Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume, Banjo & Millie are participating in our first blog hop! In case you don't know, a blog hop is a list of blogs that is shared on multiple blogs by putting the same "linky" list code on their blog. Across the blogosphere, the blog list will appear on all blogs that have embedded the linky code, so readers can literally "hop" from one blog to the next thanks to the list on each page. 

What's the best way to spend the first morning of 2011?

Lazily snoozing on the couch, of course. Millie was a tired little pup after her first New Year's Eve. She slept in. And Banjo, he didn't get out of bed until 10:30. But for him, of course, that's actually earlier than usual.