Furbee and Sophie in snuggle-zone modes

Mr. Furball's hair is relatively short so he has to make extra effort to cuddle himself into a comfortable snuggle-zone, and that spot is sometimes located in the spot Papa likes to occupy. If one were to take things at face-value - an incorrect conclusion might be drawn - that Furbee wants to be alone; he doesn't. Cuddling up into Papa's snuggle-zone is a great way for Furbee to communicate that he wants love, and he gets it every time!

Another cute and wonderful aspect of Furbee's personality is that he sticks his tongue out of his mouth as he sleeps, and it stays stuck out when he wakes up from his naps (as shown above).

Sophie likes to baste in the Sun's rays early in the morning, but during Wintertime - overcast prevents that from happening - so she quietly hops out of bed and lays her furry body under the warmth of the 1000-watt High Pressure Sodium lamp keeping Mama's indoor, organic, vegetable garden growing.

Mr. Furball Enjoys Newman's Own Organics Premium Treat

"I actually wanted you to film him playing with it, but he didn't play (very) long." Furbee's mama said after eat a whole Newman's Own Organics Premium Turkey & Sweet Potato dog treat to himself. Sophie had come to inspect the 'premium' dog treat for herself, but rejected it for reasons only she knows. Mama and Papa joke that she doesn't like to eat anything that wasn't previously bleeding or breathing.

Newman's Own Organics Premium dog treats were purchased because Sophie's taste is so picky and we're motivated to make Daughter happy. PetSmart's customer satisfaction guarantee assisted in creating confidence for the purchasing decision; they guarantee that if you or your pet are not completely satisfied with a purchase - return the (reasonably) unused portion for an exchange or refund if no alternatively satisfying options are available. Sophie was completely uninterested, and Furbee was playful about not sharing. When Mr. Furball shakes his tail in approval of treats - tail-wagging is not always acknowledgement of greedy behavior; it means "I'm eating it! It's good!" Unlike other dog breeds - this representative is not aggressive when reaching towards his food and he definitely never bites, but he does increase the pace of his eating to inhaling speeds leaving no crumbs in sight. The one time you will hear Furbee growl is right before he eats the treat - sometimes he pretends he's attacking a small animal by mouthing the treat and growling at it before breaking it into smaller, edible, bite-sized pieces.

Sophie's Lip Heals!

It's a miracle, Neem Oil has healed Sophie's lip inflammation back to normal - restoring her skin pigmentation, too! Applied 2 to 3 times daily, the Organic Neem Oil used was originally intended as a natural and safe foliage treatment for the indoor/outdoor gardens. In addition, as the Winter weather disappeared - so did Sophie's stress over the falling roof snow disappear. Her appetite improved under some circumstances, but life isn't perfect; however, she isn't fazed much - she's more interested in what is or is not happening right now.

Dogs are excellent communicators that use their eyes and ears to speak to us. In this picture, Sophie's chin (Nickname/aka: "Chin Rester") rests on a roll of toilet paper. The paper roll is in front of a computer that is distracting Mama's attention from Sophie so she places herself between Mama and the  paper roll. Sophie is so smart; she displays the patience of a hunter.
Enjoy this picture of our beautiful, naturally-smokey-eyed, shih-tzu daughter, Sophie Garcia, being cute on the bed.

Potentially Cancerous Growth on Canine Lip Identified and Treated

The potentially cancerous growth on Sophie's lip has been identified as ugly, but not unnatural based on the small amount of food she's been eating and the amount of household stress from new visitors and weather she's experienced. Snow falling off the roof and thunder make her shiver and hide in the bathrub sometimes. A violent, bloody biopsy was not performed on Sophie because I wouldn't do that for myself; a simple web search with graphic photos was helpful enough to identify homeopathic solutions for treating potentially cancerous or warty skin growths on dogs, and per chance I could be wrong - I consulted the veterinary clinic in Sunriver and learned that Neem Oil, Tea Tree Oil, and something else that I forgot, but may have been hydrogen peroxide.

Research showed that Sophie's condition may have been contributed-to by stress and poor diet, but also poor hygiene. Before this picture was taken, Sophie's facial and body hair were significantly longer. She was shaved with a very short hair-trimming clip attachment (1/4", or 0.25 inches), followed by a nice shampoo-shower which  conserves more water than a bath might.

Various methods of treatment were applied to reduce the swelling and source of Sophie's facial discomfort, including; baking soda and water paste, followed by Castor Oil, and another natural homemade oil extract being researched for its cancer-fighting capabilities in not only humans, but in pets  including small dogs as well. A wise quote says something like, "If you cannot help - do not harm." Although Hydrogen Peroxide was used, it should not have been because it appeared to damage some beneficial flesh, but not quite beyond repair. Garlic and olive oil were experimented-with since they helped Sophie's mama's mastectomy infection heal overnight. Sophie is a fan of natural medicine, has never been surgically invaded, and is willing to eat other animals that once lived in order for herself to thrive.

The day Sophie is cured of her condition, the world will be made known and she will be a mascot for herself. As of lately, the growth appears to have stopped growing and reduced in size!

Shih-tzus without breakfast may eat burritos

On the way to an appointment this morning, a rare stop was made at Del Taco in Bend to try their breakfast burrito. Upon arrival to our appointment; however, the burrito hadn't been finished; it had been wrapped into a ball shape to be finished by one of the humans later. Of course, events do not always occur as planned and upon return from the appointment, the shih-tzus were dancing all over the half-eaten fast-food - inside the vehicle.

The shih-tzus Del Taco Breakfast Burrito leftovers had been transferred from the center-console to the passenger-seat in direct sunlight where Sophie figured-out how to re-heat the meal or at least to keep the leftover warm upon our return in case anyone was still interested in finishing what she didn't of the meal.

Sophie works for Furbee (aka: "Mr. Furball") so she tried leaving Furbee things he normally likes to eat including tomatoes, tortillas and eggs. There was bacon in the breakfast burrito, but not in the leftovers so they may have shared that portion of this particular meal. Furbee also happens to love bacon, but they're both limited in how much processed food is shared with them because the effects on their physical health have the potential to cause exponential harm to their little bodies. The truth is they shouldn't eat anything with hot salsa in it and this burrito had too much of it for a human to finish before their appointment so the shih-tzus were fortunate to avoid suffering negative physical health consequences.

One effect that was learned from this shih-tzu junk-food-binge is that if your shih-tzu eats any portion of your salty breakfast burrito - they're probably going to need to drink some fresh, ice cold water to wash the (figuratively-speaking) puppy down their little intestinal tract. The next time you have an important appointment that involves leaving your hungry canine friend near food you intend to eat later-on; do yourself a favor by putting it somewhere safe - somewhere teeth, paws and claws cannot breech in a moment of hasty survival appetite.

What a Bed Hog Looks Like

Most days, Furbee and Sophie's papa is awake after midnight because it's the quietest time of the day audibly and visually, but it's also the babies' opportunity to keep his side of the bed warm. In this picture, Sophie is laying on Papa's side of the bed, but she's doing a little more than keeping the bed warm - she's also extending her little body preventing Papa from being able to finally get into bed.

Sophie's favorite pillow is this pink pillow obtained from a not-for-profit organization that makes the pillows for the comfort of patients fighting cancer. The shih-tzus' Mama did not use chemotherapy or radiation as tools in her battle, but she did use the pink pillow as a tool to enhance Sophie's cuteness even when she's being a bed-hog in preventing Papa from having any space on the bed to sleep on. In short, shih-tzus will extend their little bodies across areas you need to put your own body for comfort and they will look and be cute every moment they're doing it.

Furbee's Sleeping, Dreaming Tongue

Furbee was so exhausted after a long day of "going bye-bye" that his body could no longer keep up with his mind. While Furbee slept as heavily as a rock in Stone Henge, his tongue flapped outside of his mouth as-if he were panting or licking something - only he knows, but his tongue stayed out the whole time so it was really cute to watch him dream.

His leg muscles occasionally spasmed in-motion as-if he were running somewhere, but again, Furbee's tongue was sticking out of his mouth as he dreamt - probably about the day he had just experienced, or the day as he would have preferred to have experienced it.

Furbee and Sophie Visit Strictly Organic Coffee Co. in Bend, Oregon

Furbee and Sophie took a ride with their papa to Strictly Organic Coffee Company in Bend, Oregon for a refreshing cup of rich, creamy, double-Espresso Joe with plenty of sugar for the first time ever today! The coffee shop located at 6 SW BOND ST roasts their vast varieties organic, environmentally-sustainable Fair Trade coffee on-site and serve it with an array of snacks and food options from their kitchen where pastries are also baked fresh daily, and meals are made-to-order.

The outdoor patio dining area is dog-friendly and is a great place to watch people from all walks of this beautiful life as they drive, walk and sometimes fly by. Seating was readily available here at Strictly Organic during our visit for coffee and banana bread both inside and outdoors. The crowd is calm and casual inside - thanks to the comfortable climate control, and outside we were entertained by an eclectic musical artist who also paints and sells her artwork.

Full of colorful character and feminine energy that would make RuPaul proud, multi-talented "Monica" serenades passers-by on the street-corner with her painted banjo - singing melodies of life and love by musical artists including, but not limited to John Denver among others. Monica's canine companion sat by her side - minding her own business as other dogs walked by and even joined-in to accompany Monica's singing vocals with a funny, cute and ear-filling howl! The outdoor dining area is absolutely perfect for those Spring and Summer mornings when organic coffee, maybe a soft piece of Strictly Organic's freshly-made banana bread, and fresh, breezy, naturally-oxygenated air are all you need to start your day with a furry friend or two. Furry friends Furbee and Sophie look forward to returning even if it's just to people- and dog-watch.

Strictly Organic also hosts various live musical artists throughout the week including Canaan Canaan, a young girl whose hybrid musical style combines Japanese lyrics with acoustic-accompanied American-English in an original style she refers-to as 'cuddle pop'. Other artists, according to their website include; "Rebecca Smith (contemporary harp), Joe Balsamo (Blues), Bobby Lindstrom (rock), Jumpin’ Joyce Respess (Folk Rock) and the Classic Jazz Duo (Dillon Schneider/John Allen)". Also, "a very popular and supportive Songwriters’ Open Mic, hosted by Hal Worcester takes place Thursdays 6-8 PM". This venue is obviously community and artist-oriented by providing artists a place to play for the public without charge (with exception to wares such as music cds, for example), and giving the community an added value to great service they already consistently receive here. This business is special because it adds value to the source its coffee is purchased from, but to the community where the coffee is distributed and consumed in, because it facilitates integration and growth of local Central Oregonian culture.

The shih-tzus did not want to leave this stop, but their papa loves them so he knows to bring them with him next time he comes to visit Strictly Organic in Bend to experience more of their great food, drinks and people at the most valuable cafe and interesting corner in Central Oregon!

Shih-tzu hate taking showers, but love having clean bodies!

Furbee and Sophie love laying beside each other, but they really enjoy it when they've both been cleaned with a fresh shower. Sometimes it depends on who needs a bath more, but Sophie is a very cooperative ragdoll that makes cleaning easier than Furbee because Furbee dislikes water near his head or rear-end.

Before any water is turned-on and warmed to a nice, warm temperature, their fur is combed-out to remove snags and tangles. Once their fur has been combed-out - the shower water should be warmed to a temp the dogs can handle. Furbee has a low tolerance for warm water because to him it's hotter as he has a smaller body than we humans so he is bathed with relatively cooler water, but Sophie doesn't complain and she's bathed with the same warmth preferred by temperate humans.

After a refreshing rinse, the babies are lathered from tail-to-head using a Cedar shampoo which is applied with therapeutically (for the shih-tzus and I) massaging strokes that helps promote healthy circulation and good, general health. This opportunity is used to identify any abnormal growths or scabs that may have occurred since their last bath, but it's also a way to find and remove fox-tails, splinters, thorns, or any other noticeable health hazards.

After rinsing the lathered shampoo completely, the anal gland is checked for 'expression fluid' which is removed from the exterior of the anus by feeling for what feels like tiny, round marbles on either side below their anus; the tail is manually lifted and held in-place, the anus is pointed towards a poop-spray-safe wall-like surface and the little sacs are gently squeezed from bottom-to-top until the sacs are drained. A successful anal-gland expression should stink worse than anything you've ever smelled - so don't get it on your skin or any surface that is not easy to clean. Immediately clean and sterilize any surfaces touched by the anal gland fluid. Sometimes the fluid is pearlescent; other times it's mustard-like, but in all cases it smells horrible. The best way to know whether your dog's anal gland needs to be expressed is to feel it from the outside, but another indicator is if your dog is scooting their butt on the floor; they are not just 'wiping' their butt on the floor to upset you - their butt is probably upsetting them and they perform the routine to provide relief. A simple expression will usually solve this.

Jack Rebney Loves Shih-tzus!

Jack Rebney is a unique type of celebrity because he never intended to become famous, but an unauthorized video containing cut-takes of a Winnebago commercial he was shooting became viral before viral was a word used to describe infectious popularity. While the public fell in love with Jack's frustrated and vulgarly-expressed language in this video he was presenting for Winnebago dealers, the Winnebago company fired him as soon as they saw the cuts that one of the people making the video put together. It is the opinion of the author of this blog entry that the Winnebago company should instead of capitalized on Jack's popularity and if anyone was going to be fired - it should have been the person who put all the cuts together, made copies of if and distributed it to everyone they knew, because Jack's permission was never obtained to release the compilation of takes. Normally, the 'takes', 'cuts', or 'cut takes' as they're known - depending on whom you ask - are excluded from videos and the final version of the video Jack presented did not feature any of his vulgar frustrations. What does appear in the video, is a scene where Jack is showing viewers the storage space; he opens the door and behind the door of the storage compartment are two happy young girls and a cute black and white shih-tzu.

Years later, a film-maker decided to catch-up with Jack to see how he was doing and ultimately the film was released much to the public's satisfaction. The film helps people see that Jack is not really the angriest man in the world. Jack probably isn't even the angriest Winnebago sales-person because it's not every day frustrated salesmen are recorded on video for their flaws to be viewed by the public with a microscope.

Jack lives in Northern California - apparently alone, with the exception of his canine companion. Jack's eye-sight has deteriorated over time and with age, so he navigates his daily walk with his dog (not a shih-tzu breed) by holding-on to a rope that guides him away from and back to his home safely. Jack doesn't understand why so many people found his expressed anger in the old video to be entertaining, but he values the love and appreciation his fans express to him as long as they don't invade his personal space.  His sense of humor remains healthy and his wit is quick and as sharp as a razor-blade.

Request the DVD/film/movie title, "Winnebago Man" at your local public library and if they haven't purchased it yet - recommend it for purchase so you and your friends can watch the story of a man who ages gracefully and stays true to himself.

Shih-tzus; the free computer keyboard warmers!

There is no doubt that Mr. Furball is a mama's boy - as seen in this photo.  Whether mama's listening to meditations or affirmations, Furbee just likes to touch and connect any way the space around him will allow. He really doesn't mind mama being on the computer as long as she can still reach him to give him physical, loving affection - she just can't expect to be comfortable enough to continue being on the computer uninterrupted and in-peace.

What is so important about a shot like this is that it teaches us that living being are more important than technological advances. A computer may entertain your attention for hours on-end, but no computer will ever genuinely create emotions built on the foundation of a loving and trusting relationship that these lap dogs do. Computers and chips don't come to you when you call them, they don't lick you with love salivating from their mouths, and computers won't feel nearly as soft as furry shih-tzus do when they're resting their little bodies on your body.

Of course, it's not healthy to use laptops directly on your lap and your pets should not rest their bodies so closely to the radiation-emitting devices; it's at this point that you're morally required to make a decision; continue on your sickness and headache-inducing computer under poor lighting, or shut it all off and give your babies (the shih-tzus) lots of love until they fall asleep; which would you prefer be done to you if you were them?

The Shih-tzu Wishlist

It isn't fair to Sophie that her Papa can shoot pictures of her and edit to entertain himself and the rest of the world by creating animations of Sophie mid-lick and yawn while nervously waiting for Mama's affirmation, but the genuine expressions were the ones caught while capturing daughter in her moment with Mr. Frisbee - and the catalyst for the idea that the shih-tzus need to have their own Amazon.com Wishlist (seen here: Furbee and Sophie's Shih-tzu Wishlist).

Other than Love Bear, a full-sized Care Bear with hearts on its chest is Furbee's Wishlist item, but since they're a rare fine, he's willing to try cuddling with an 8" version titled Care Bear Love a Lot Bear 8" Plush Stuffed Toy for as little as $7.

Sophie helps occupy the personal gap filled by a quality partnership. Furbee is one of Sophie's consistent life partners when her attention isn't occupied by Mr. Frisbee (a vinyl-type of plastic, pink-colored miniature frisbee disc that once had two eyes and a smile illustrating a traditional happy face. The disc was probably a gift traded in lieu of paper tokens won in fixed-to-lose game-houses) - pictured in this article, and "Ball-ie" - a small-sized tennis ball (not around at this time) torn into shreds, and the eyeballs of any menacing plush toy that doesn't blink at her.

If you're a Shih-tzuLovers.blogspot.com fan, you feel your life has been enhanced by the existence of our companion creatures, in particular those shown here - feel free to let them know by sending them an Amazon.com Wishlist item. The first item on Sophie's list is a replacement for Mr. Frisbee, but since a pink frisbee with the traditional happy face is going to be a hard find - the next best thing was any frisbee that hasn't been chewed to chunks she may swallow; shih-tzus are as smart as you make them, but you still have to beware of what you allow them to ingest. One lone frisbee seems impossible to find, but Sophie's Mini Flying Saucer Assortment (6 dz) is $10.94 (shipping included), or for half the price - a 3-Pack of Squeaker Tennis Balls (Small Dog Toy) sells for $4.45.

Of course, as long as the shih-tzus have their Mama and Papa - that which matters more than anything money can buy - they are truly happy. With Sophie eyeballing squirrels in the yard, and Furbee playing Officer Herbert - using his sharp senses to detect danger or unexpected visitors - artificial entertainment only goes so far. There is no entertainment so precious as real love and that's what all living things want and need to experience - shih-tzu blogs aside. Non-shih-tzu parents can give back to the world by spreading their love to the next two living creatures that have the capacity to return your genuine affection.