His Stealth Antelope Move {from my moving car}

Photo by Yoga Mom Sylvie

See this face?  How can I be mad at this face?  I mean really.  When you pull an antelope move from a moving car what do you expect?  Cheers?  Applause?  I mean, Jedi's leap out of the car window while the car was slowly moving today was flawless.  Executed with perfection.  No broken bones or injuries.  Can I really be mad? 

Of course I can be.  Mad, upset, disappointed, pissed, saddened, the whole nine yards - maybe ten.

However, thankfully, I already had a phone appointment scheduled with life coach, Sue, this morning.  You bet this was the first "issue" we discussed.  And the only issue.  

Here are my conclusions after my coaching session:

1. I am way too hard on myself.  Sue reminded me that perfect passed away in the fall.  ....I seem to forgot her passing....
2. Jedi is lovely, but our family has dropped the ball on his training since last summer.  
3. No excuses, our family is signing up for a training class with Jedi.  Like now.
4. Dog training classes don't have to be boring.  I am exploring other training opportunities like a nosework or agility class for Jedi and our family.
5. I am not alone in this. I have Mr. UpCyclist, Lil O and a ton of other dog parents to consult.
6. Perhaps, Jedi is preparing me for when Olive takes a leap of faith - maybe as a teen?  Oh my.
7. Sue is amazing.  Really, she is.  She asked me what Jedi might have thought about the window leap.  Really?  What does Jedi think? 

I think Jedi LOVED that leap.  I think he's been dreaming of that leap for months - every since he hung out the window for the first time - is my guess.  I think Jedi is BRILLIANT for choosing a non-busy street & time of the day when the car was going at just the right speed.  I think Jedi has been PRACTICING his standing leap for weeks in the forest and wanted to see if the same skills apply to moving vehicles.  I think Jedi, like his family, appreciates ACTIVITY and ADVENTURE.  I think Jedi wanted to try something NEW and CHALLENGE himself and deal with the repercussions later.  I think Jedi is more like a HUMAN than I could have ever imagined.

But....

He's still going to a training class.

What a morning,

Jen

PS - Did you ever have a dog leap out of your moving car?  Tell me about it below.  I need strength in numbers.

Homemade Dog Treats - Make That "Homecrafted"

For Jedi's birthday party favors, Lil O and I baked up some gluten-free pumpkin, parsley and brown rice dog treats.  It was fairly easy following this recipe here.  We made a few modifications including:

• We bought all organic products.  Yep, only the healthiest for Jedi and his friends :)  We found the ingredients at our local organic market.
• We baked two batches.  The first batch without parsley, the second batch with parsley.  I think the look/texture of the dried parsley and the nutrition it adds makes the parsley a must!
• Our neighbor and faithful blog reader suggested we roll out the treats between wax paper lightly dusted in flour as the first batch kept sticking to the rolling pin.  The wax paper (we used freezer paper) was a nice rolling trick.  Thanks, S!
• We took the leftover canned pumpkin and stuffed a Kong for Jedi and then froze it.  He will love that delicious snack.  He always loves a frozen Kong.

When it was time to bag them up for the party favors, I jumped on Photoshop Elements 10 and made a label for the treats.  You can see Lil O's faux business name.  "Olive loves Jedi.  Homecrafted Organic Dog Treats for a BFF - A Best Furry Friend"

And by the way, I designed the logo.  Lil O said she envisioned something else.

Crazy kid.

Jedi totally approves of these dog treats.  He is like me and will eat just about anything with the word pumpkin in it. Remember this post here and my pumpkin fascination?

While we are on the subject of dog treats, do you have a favorite dog treat recipe?  I am looking for more recipes that aren't wheat-based.  I think Jedi does better gluten-free like most dogs and humans.

All the best,

Jen

A New Kind of Party for Our Family

As many of you know, Jedi celebrated his first birthday the past weekend.  Since our family is totally in love with Jedi & slightly kooky, we decided to throw him a first birthday party at a local dog park - decorations and all.

We brought human and dog treats to celebrate.  Plus, party favor bags for all of Jedi's dog friends.  The favor bags included homemade dog biscuits (check back later in the week for the recipe) and samples of Jedi's dog food, Honest Kitchen (leftover from his stint as a spokesdog for their company).  PS - Did you know Honest Kitchen was featured on CBS Sunday Morning last week?  I heart that company.

We asked all of the party-goers to bring a donation for Black Dog Rescue - the amazing rescue that chose Jedi from the shelter in Kentucky and nursed him back to health. If we ever adopted another dog, it would be from Black Dog Rescue in a heartbeat.  

We had quite a crowd of party attendees.  About 10+ dog friends and 30 lovely humans all bundled up in the cold.

Oh, the dogs played!  Only one got bit :(  Many got chased, licked, smelled, wrestled or just explored the dog park.

The kids were quite happy.  They brought Jedi toys, cards and items for the rescue.  I should mention that some families who attended the party don't even have a dog!  Yes, you heard me.  They just like Jedi and so they attended.  Doesn't that tell you how sweet Jedi is?  He is.  What a temperament on that sweet pup.

Case in point, Lil O's friend, N.  She doesn't have a dog.  Her mom asked her to choose between attending Jedi's party and another party she was invited to - a human party.  She chose Jedi's!  N also made this sweet card for him.

The party-goers were so giving.  Here are some of the donations for Black Dog Rescue - new toys, leashes, collars, chew toys/sticks, gift cards, and cash!  I know the rescue will appreciate all the new items.

Have you ever thrown a party for a pet?  Do you have another way you like to celebrate your pet's birthday?  I'd love to hear.  We are already brainstorming celebration ideas for next year and Jedi's second birthday.

xoxo,

Jedi's Mom, Jen :)

Puppy Jedi Recommends {and Giveaway}

Puppy Jedi had a lovely surprise recently.  I ordered him a personalized dog treat from My Dog's Bakery.  Kris, the owner of My Dog's Bakery, was kind enough to send the treat since I had newly "liked" the bakery's Facebook page.  When I read the ingredients on the treat, I was in shock.  I am not kidding - I could have eaten the treat myself.  Everything was food-based and real.  No fillers, junk, or words I couldn't pronounce.

Want to order a {free} treat for your dog?  All you have to do is support a growing business, My Dogs Bakery by "liking" their Facebook page.  Then, email or message Kris to let her know the name of your furry friend.  The bakery sends out the treat lickety-split (pun intended :).  Kris gave me the thumbs up to share this awesome giveaway.  Of course, My Dog's Bakery is in Colorado - you knew that since they are so kind and generous.


Oh, and Puppy Jedi completely recommends their treats!

Now, you see it....(Jedi is practicing his "leave it" command. Look at his patience.)

Now, you don't.....

Thank you so much, Kris and My Dog's Bakery.  And thank you to Clipper's Canine Cafe for turning me onto to this bakery.

Bow wow,
Jen (and Jedi)