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Posts Tagged ‘Dogs’

Meet Peg, The Wonder Dog!!

April 11th, 2013 by carriagehouse

Peg the Wonder DogI would like to introduce you to the newest Carriage House Bed and Breakfast team member, Peg.  Peg is a 1.5 year old Lab/ Pointer mix and she is all puppy.  This sweet girl was adopted in February from FurrEver Pets and has been working hard for the last six week on socialization and getting used to life at a B&B.

If you look closely, you will realize that Peg is a Tripawd.  The first part of her life was awful and she has been abused horribly bad.  She was eventually thrown out along side of the road and shot.  They missed…Thank you Lord.  She was picked up and taken to a vet in Gilmer where her left front leg was amputated.

She still gets a little nervous around men.  So if she doesn’t come running up to greet you, give her some time. She has come a long way in 6 weeks and will be your best friend before you leave.  She LOVES belly rubs so that is an awesome way to say Hi to her.

Happy Birthday to the Dixie girl!!

October 11th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Dixie

It is hard to believe but today our sweet Dixie turns 9 years old.  May we all age this gracefully and beautifully.  She is a little grayer around the face but that is just wisdom showing through.

Rat Poison and Dogs Don’t Mix!

July 26th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Yesterday was just pure chaos here at the Carriage House Bed and Breakfast.  I felt like a ringmaster in a three ring circus.  We had the painters on one side of the house, scrapping and prepping the wood for new paint.  We had the builder and his subs out in the breezeway.  They were demoing and roughing in my new pantry.  I was trying to do all of the final packing of the kitchen and Tom, bless his heart, was trying very hard to find a quiet place to work.

In the middle of the chaos,  the pest control  lady from pest control barrie shows up for our monthly service.To avail pest control services you can also contact experts from #1 Bed Bug Exterminator in Toronto Canada! Control-Removal-Treatments as they can help you out in controlling pests and bugs.Now I know I am always pointing at The Bug and saying we need to get the pest control company out to deal with our Bug problem, but seriously, I was just kidding. I adore the little puppy even if she does go out of her way to bug me and drive me crazy. And drive me crazy she does.  As I am writing she is trying to pull the sheets off of the bed.

Now a dear friend of ours who is a Master Gardener diagnosed my yard yesterday morning as having grubs and ants.  This makes sense since we are the only ones on our block watering.  Everyone else has decided to let their yards die and everything (critters and bugs) is looking for water right now in this drought.  So when the pest control lady who came from the well known firm of pest control san diego, I asked her if she could treat the grass for bugs.

She had her hands full of rat poison blocks to refill our stations and so she had to put them down to look at her schedule.  Dixie gingerly grabbed one of the rat poison blocks off of the table and ran into the yard where she started eating it.  Bug went nuts trying to scoop up all of the crumbs and pick up the pieces that Dixie dropped.  Both the Pest Control lady and I dove to grab all of the poison from the dogs and keep them from eating any more then they already had. So, if you’re having pest problems, you may look for a company that utilizes a software like https://www.fieldroutes.com/industries/pest-control-software to effectively rid your home of pests without compromising the safety of your pets or kids.

The Pest Control Lady called her boss to see if the girls needed to go to the vet but I wasn’t waiting around for an answer.  I put them both on their leashes and rushed them to the Dr.

The good news is that we got them both to the vet in time.  Doc gave them both some medicine to make them throw up and started them on Vitamin K, which I keep calling Special K for some reason.  He is hopeful that none of the poison even made it into their system.  Certainly they are acting like themselves.  Dixie, being an older lady, is just laying around and supervising the work and The Bug is looking for mischief and trouble (which she undoubtedly will find).

There is no place like home…or the BnB

July 1st, 2011 by carriagehouse

The Bug

Tom and I ran away for a few days to Natchez, Miss to celebrate our anniversary.  Technically, our wedding anniversary is this Sunday (July 3rd) but this is a busy holiday weekend in BnB land so we took off a few days early.  We are back in Jefferson now and although it is great to go off for vacation.  It is even better to be home.

Already my phone is lighting up with texts from friends checking to make sure we are back.  We will get together this weekend with everyone to catch up on the news of the town and here all of the latest goings on.  It seems that it was a very active week for Jefferson this week.  I can’t wait to hear all of the details.

Dixie and The Bug are both back home as well.  They loved their new boarding place in Marshall but were overjoyed to see us come and pick them up this afternoon.  The Bug literally jumped for joy, she was so happy to see us.  They both got baths and had a lot of play time in the yard.  They were so cute sporting their July 4th bandannas at pick up.  All of the proper dogs will be wearing one this weekend.  

As I write, they are both fast asleep at my feet but if I get up to go anywhere they follow me.  It will take a few days before they let me out of their sight again.

I will post some pictures and musings on the trip over the next few days.  My favorite photographer, Tom, is still post processing all of the photos from our vacation.  He took some really awesome ones and even I dabbled with the camera a little bit. 

The photo above was not one of his.  That one was taken in the car on my phone of a very happy Bug who wanted to climb over the seat and get into my lap for the ride home.  It is a bit blurry but the car was bumping along a country road.

Stay tuned.  More to come.

It’s a Bug’s Life!

May 13th, 2011 by carriagehouse

The Bug  
 
 
I stood there and proudly surveyed my work…piles of sorted laundry.  With a sense of accomplishment, I gazed at my piles, whites and unmentionables, dark colored clothes, The Bug, towels, light colored cloths.  My head snapped back…The Bug.  Gleefully and with joyful purpose, the puppy was busy scattering my piles. Grrr!  I angrily stomped my foot and sternly said “OUT” and pointed in an arbitrary direction.   Not to be out done, The Bug grabs one of Tom’s smelliest socks and takes off for the door to our quarters.  She quickly pops the door open with her snout and merrily takes off through the main house. 

Let the games begin!

What happened next was the Carriage House’s version of the 2011 Puppy Olympics with all of the usual events, Track and Field (The Bug), Cross Country (The Bug), the High Jump (The Bug), Gymnastics (me).  Into the dining room we went, with the Bug in front and me in a not so hot pursuit.  Under the tables, around the server, through the chairs and then into the parlor.  The Bug defiantly stops between two guests sitting in the parlor and grins at me from ear to pointy ear with a twinkle of mischief in her eye.  A gentleman, who had been trying to quietly enjoy his morning coffee,  reaches over and tries to grab The Bug, the sock, anything, but comes up with only air.

I, however, have the advantage.  She has to get past me to get back into the dining room and then into the back of the house.  She tries to dart past me.  My reflexes kick in and I grab at her.  I am able to get one finger around her collar.  Game over.   I get the sock from her mouth and then escort her back to our quarters embarrassed that I had disturbed our guests perfect morning peace.

It is not easy raising a puppy in a Bed & Breakfast.  The Bug wants a life with no limits and I want a room with no toys scattered.  She wants free reign of the property and I don’t want her in the guests room.  She wants the freedom to do what she wants, when she wants, and I don’t want her underfoot when the guests are checking in.  We can both be stubborn but I have wisdom and cunning over her.  She has speed and agility over me.

It is not a that tough of an existence for her though.  She has a large piece of property to play on and plenty of squirrels to chase.  Every day, new friends check in and they always have a willing hand to scrunch an ear or rub a belly.

It is the end of another busy day.  All of our guests have checked in and are out enjoying their evenings.  Breakfast has been prepped and the morning table has been set.  Dixie and The Bug have been out for their evening walk and had their dinner.  Tom and I are finally settling in for the night.

Tom sits down in his recliner and without any encouragement, The Bug jumps in next to him.  She nuzzles up close and gazes at him with heavy lidded, sleepy eyes. 

It is a Bug’s Life!

A Better Way to Stay With Your Pets

April 20th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Dixie and Alien

A few weeks ago, Tom and I broke away for a few days and went up to Hot Springs, AR.  Hot Springs is one of my favorite places to visit and it is just a quick 2.5 hour drive away from here.  How can you not love a place that calls itself Spa City?  And yes, I do take one of their famous baths every time I go there.

Like so many people, I love to travel with my two dogs (Dixie and her sidekick, The Bug).  Our first Golden Retriever, Samantha, hated riding in the car.  Dixie tolerates it and The Bug hangs out the window giddy with excitement the whole time (she can tolerate speeds up to 40 mph).  In fact, The Bug goes everywhere with me.  She loves a trip to Walmart.  She thinks hanging out in the Lowes parking lot is a blast and I will save the incident at the bank yesterday for another day.  Hint: they were out of dog biscuits. If you are looking for dogs like Samantha and Dixie, you may want to visit AmericanListed for more options.

No matter where we stay, I try and learn something new about this crazy profession of  innkeeping.  There are lessons to be learned at every type of lodging establishment.  Just because I run a B&B, doesn’t mean that hotels don’t have a few hints and tricks to show me.

This trip, we stayed at a famous hotel in downtown Hot Springs that claimed to be pet friendly.  I say they claimed to be pet friendly because they were not that pet “friendly”.  What I learned is that  just because you accept your guest’s pets doesn’t mean you are pet friendly.

When we checked in, we received a list of dog rules that we had to sign and agree to for our visit.  Some made sense such as you have to pick up after your pet.  We have this very same rule here at the Carriage House Bed & Breakfast and try and help our guests by providing complimentary waste bags.  I left Dixie’s and The Bug’s poop bags at home by mistake. It was like pulling teeth at the hotel to get them to let me have some trash bags to use. We ended up at a pet store and buying some to use during our stay.

Others seemed a little strict like you can not leave your pet  in their room unattended for any amount of time.  I understand this rule.  We struggle with this at our B&B but feel our guests know their dogs better then we do.  Our guests know what there dogs can endure and would not let their dogs or another guest get uncomfortable.  In our case, we brought Dixie’s nest and The Bugs crate so that they had their beds with them in the room.  We wanted the girls to be comfortable and feel secure in this strange place.  This rule made it very hard for us to enjoy our vacation.  How do we go out to dinner if we can not leave the girls alone in our hotel room?

In case you are not aware, our innkeeping trade organization, the Professional Association of Innkeepers or PAII (pronounced pie -how can you not love a group whose name is a dessert) has been running a marketing campaign this year called A Better Way to Stay.  This campaign’s focus is to show the traveling public that there are places better than a hotel.  That a Bed & Breakfast or Inn is often times the Better Way to Stay.  One of the things that makes the Carriage House B&B a Better Way to Stay is that we don’t just accept pets.  We are pet friendly.

Here at the Carriage House Bed & Breakfast, we want ALL of our guests to feel welcome.  We have room packages that are designed to help our two legged guests unwind and get romantic such as the Naughty and Nice package and the Love and Devotion package.  These two people packages help our two legged guests enhance their Carriage House B&B experience and make their visit at our Bed & Breakfast a Better Way to  Stay.  We also have a Pampered Pooch package to help our cold wet nose and four legged friends feel comfortable and have a Better Way to Stay.  You love a massage.  They love a massage.  You love a day at the spa.  They love a day at the spa.  You unwind and decompress.  They unwind and decompress.  Like I said, it is a Better Way to  Stay.

By the way, we did have a blast in Hot Springs!  Dixie, The Bug, and I went hiking back in the National Park every day we were there.  It was awesome.  I have no idea how many miles we went each day but the girls were no problem in the evening.  They were exhausted!  Dixie, the Golden Retriever, is a bit like an over loaded 18 wheeler.  She would have to kick it in low gear to get up the mountains but went into free fall on the way down.  The Bug is more like a sports car.  She only had one speed…90 mph.

Paws on the Bayou

March 26th, 2011 by carriagehouse

5th Annual Paws on the Bayou Animal Fair

Saturday, April 16th

10am to 2pm

Lions Club Park, Jefferson Texas

Festivities Include:

– Low cost rabies and age appropriate shots for dogs and cats – $15 per animal

– Blessing of the animals

– Canine demonstration by local law enforcement

– Contest for the animals and their people:

Best in Show

“Look Alike” Contest

Most Unusual Pet

– Fun activities for the kids

For more information call the Marion County Humane Society at 903-790-9012

I’m with the Photographer

February 4th, 2011 by carriagehouse

Tom got up early this morning.  I mean really early.  By 5am he was in the kitchen banging around and starting a crock pot full of beans.  Dixie, the Golden Retriever, and I were for once in full agreement.  The bed was warm and the morning was not ready to be begun.  The Bug, however, was throwing herself against the sides of her crate whimpering and demanding to be let out. For a little dog, she can make quite a big racket.

By 6am, my beloved had enough of me lounging around and crawled back into bed with cold feet.  I guess he thought he was super cute when he woke me up by touching my warm legs with his ice covered toes. Why do people think it is cute to touch your bare skin with their cold feet?  Be clear, I will seek revenge for this crime of winter!

Tom couldn’t sleep.  He was too excited about the snow.  This far south, snow is unusual and a snow day is a day to be celebrated.  We are always amazed and inspired by the beauty of a fresh blanket of snow even if it looks odd clinging to the knees of a bald cypress tree in the swamps.  It only adds to the mystical and ethereal quality of this area.  Snow for us is a treat…a cold wet treat!

Just like a little boy, Tom couldn’t wait to go outside and play with his toys.  Of course, his toys are a gear bag full of camera equipment and going out to play with his toys somehow involved me getting out of bed and going with him.  So at the crack of dawn we were out pounding the icy pavement of Jefferson Texas.  We were everywhere.  We literally went from one side of the Historic Riverfront District to the other.  At one point, we were crawling along the banks of the Big Cypress Bayou holding on to trees to keep ourselves from slipping into the cold water.  We went up and down the streets getting pictures of these beautiful old homes covered in a blanket of the white stuff.  If you saw someone creeping and clambering through your yard, it was probably us.  Just in case you are wondering, I was the one in the back complaining about my feet being numb (no snow boots).

Photography is Tom’s passion, and as it turns out, he is really good at it.  From a distance, photography looks like a solitary pursuit.  Just a man and his camera out exploring and capturing the essence of nature.  In reality, every photographer has a tag along.  In the industry, I guess they call them grips.  In this household, we call them wife.  Rarely does Tom and his camera ever go out alone.  In truth, I enjoy the adventure as much as he does.  Through Tom’s eyes I have seen places and explored nature like I would have never done on my own.

This passion was our inspiration for the Photography Weekends here in Jefferson.  One weekend each quarter we get the best photographers like Toronto commercial photographer and photographers of all experience levels from all over the country together for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and photography.  Our next event is scheduled for 3/18 – 3/20 and we only have a few spots left so you should probably call us at 903-665-9511 to reserve your place.

Oh and of course, bring your grip.

It’s a Dog’s Life at the Carriage House B&B

February 2nd, 2011 by carriagehouse

Well the Snowcation is over and it was back to work this morning.  Dixie roused me from bed at her usual time of 6.30am.  I don’t know how she learned to read a clock but I wish she would just decide to sleep in one day.  Or at least not be so demanding about me getting up with her.  And of course as soon as I let The Bug out of her crate, we are off to the races.  Coffee, breakfast, shower and then I plop in front of my computer to see what has come in over night.

The nasty cold weather has been keeping people from traveling all week and we have had no guests here at the Carriage House since Sunday night.  Tom bravely turtled his way back on the ice from Dallas this morning.  The normal 2.5 – 3 hour drive from Allen took him 5 hours but I am so thankful that he is home.

Dixie and her trusty sidekick, The Bug, come in mid-morning from a hearty wrestling match in the yard and Dixie goes running straight to her water bowl for a large drink of water.  I noticed several weeks ago that she was drinking more water then usual.  In fact, Ms. Beverly, our housekeeper has noticed it.  Dixie’s groomer, Ms. Tracey, has noticed it.  Everyone has noticed and commented on it.  At that moment, Dixie is lapping up water like it is 110 degrees outside which it clearly is not.  So I call the vet to make an appt and he tells us to come right in.  He too is not busy.

Now a quick trip to the vets office should be no big deal…right.  I just put Dixie on her leash and I throw her into the back of my SUV.  Simple!  Some how The Bug gets out the gate at the same time and self loads into the back of the truck as well.  “Fine”, I say “but you are going to have to stay in the car” and I spend the whole 2 minute drive trying to figure out how that is going to happen.  I decide the best way to approach this is to block the car door with my body there by controlling the access.  I open the door and throw my body in front of it.  The Bug goes flying over my head and straight to the door of the office.  The vet tech thinking she was being helpful opens the door and what ensues is a scene out of one of those British comedies.  Everyone is chasing The Bug through the office.  The Bug is in front followed by Vet Tech 1, the Vet, me, and then Vet Tech 2.  She runs from room to room dodging us under furniture and slipping between us as we all grab at her sprinting little body.  We finally trap her in the surgery room (the last place I would want to be trapped).  I catch her up and carry her out to the car where she spends the rest of the visit.  Poor ol’ Dixie has to get some blood work done.

Dixie as it turns out is fine.  No Diabetes and her kidneys are fine.  The doc says that she may just be thirsty.  However, The Bug has been diagnosed as being ADHD.  Quote…”you have to get up real early in the morning to catch up with her”.  Deep Sigh.

Feeling that the days adventures are over, I sit down at my desk and start pounding out some work.  I glance out my window only to see The Bug dragging something the size of herself around the yard and into the breezeway.  Curious, I get up and go out to the breezeway where she proudly drops a dead and yet still bleeding squirrel at my feet.  Blech!  Yuck!  Aaargh!

You see, The Bug is a Feist Terrier.  If you are unfamiliar with that breed don’t feel bad.  They are a non-AKC approved breed and are only found in the rural South.  They are bred for the curious sport of squirrel hunting.  So I guess she was taping into her genetics and decided that now was as good of a time as any to go hunt a squirrel.  I double gloved before I picked up the nasty, oozing thing.

Ah well, under the instructions from Champion Rottweilers dog breeder, the morning’s escapades wore out the puppy and Dixie and they both found there way back to their respective beds.  I finally have some peace and can get some work done.  My only fear is that the day is still young and there are plenty more misadventures to be had.  Just a quick nap and then back to business of being them.

It is a dog’s life.

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