Stanlee's 5th Birthday

pink plaid dog bow tie

This weekend we celebrated Stanlee's 5th birthday.  I can't believe the little guy is five.  Kids, they just grow up so quickly...

Every year on Stanlee's birthday, I think about how cute he must have been as a puppy.  We adopted him when he was a little over a year old, and we never got to experience the puppy stage with him.  I'm sure some of my favorite Stanlee traits were even cuter on his 3 month old self!  There is something unique about this little guy.  Something that really has a hold of mine and husband's heart. 

My computer holds hundreds (honestly, probably 1,000+) pictures of Stanlee.  I love looking through the photos of Stanlee after a product shoot and finding the pictures with the most expressive faces.  I thought it would be fun to add some captions to his pictures.  Because I think it's a common thing for pet owners to make up dialog and voices for their four legged family members ;) ;)

If you are new here and just getting to know Stanlee, these are the things that make us love him so very much:

• His mismatched ears
• His expressive face
• The way he loves to curl up and snuggle under covers
• The way his skin has black spots all over it, but his hair is white on top of the spots
• When Stanlee gets so excited he hops around in circles
• The fact that he is such a morning dog and is so excited to see us when we wake up
• His loyalty

I love you, Stanlee.

Giving In

Instagram username:  LittleBlueFeathers

In case you didn't know this about me yet, I am 100% completely in love with our pups.  Yes, we are one of those families.  Sometimes I stop and laugh at how normal our interactions with Stanlee and MileyJo have become.

The other night my husband saw Miley and I getting ready for bed and asked if Stanlee was going to join us.  I said I don't know, he can stay out on the couch with you.  My husband quickly replied with, Ok, well I will go ask him what he wants to do.  100% serious, as if to walk back into the living room expecting Stanlee to have a conversation on his decision!  Like I said, one of those families...

Something I struggle with is sleep.  I'm not sure why, but I have always been a light sleeper.  I don't want to be touched, I like space to turn over and I need to have multiple layers to keep me warm.  With that being said, I have been adamant on not having the dogs sleep in bed with us even though we have a big bed.  

Until recently...

The past few months I have been a softie toward these boston terrier's bug eyes staring at our bed waiting for the magic words inviting them up.  I have given in numerous times, and every night turns into the same thing.   Two pups (weighing a combined total of 40 pounds) taking up 2/3 of the bed and leaving this pup momma exhausted the next day.

Why do I keep giving in?!

Stanlee loves to crawl under the covers and every time I worry myself sick that he is going to suffocate under the layers and layers of blankets I have to keep me warm.  MileyJo throws around her body trying to get comfortable every 10 minutes.  I have been kicked in the face, woke up with a butt resting on my pillow and panicked at a lifeless Stanlee that I thought we lost in the middle night.  

But then, some mornings, I get a sweet pup resting her head on my shoulder.  A stanlee face that says I am so so tired and I just can't seem to open my eyes yet.  It's funny how in those first few moments when I wake up in the morning and I see their sleepy selves, that I somehow justify the 9 hours of horrible restless "sleep" they gave me. 

I'm trying to get back to the strong Michelle that said no for four years.  

Time to toughen up...

Pupdate: Anxiety

I mentioned a while ago about Stanlee's allergies and posted this photo of him the day he had his allergy testing.  It sparked a lot of interest about the jacket he is wearing and our experience with it, so I thought I would talk about that here.

Stanlee is wearing his thunder shirt in this photo.  The thunder shirt is for pups with anxiety as a way to feel more secure.  Stanlee has always had anxiety since we adopted him.  At first, it was separation anxiety.  He followed me around right at my feet the first few months we had him, while at the same time he wouldn't let me pick him up because he was scared and stiff.  Stanlee and I worked a lot on building a relationship and now it's amazing to see how far we have come.  Not only has he completely opened up to us and shows so much love toward our family, but he has also taught me to never give up on a dog that needed special attention.  

Stanlee's anxiety today is more elevated when changes occur.  When we moved, he had a little bit of a hard time with all the boxes, the moving and then adjusting to a new place.  If we have people over, I try to have his thunder shirt on to help with pacing and hiding under tables.  Or, if I notice him feeling extra sensitive for whatever reason, I put his shirt on.  Stanlee loves his thunder shirt and I definitely notice a difference when he is wearing it.  I think it keeps him warm too which he always loves.  (This pup will curl up under any blanket or bury himself in pillows given the chance!)

I'm not sure if Stanlee will ever grow out of his anxiety.  Sometimes I look at him and think it is a part of his personality.  Stan is very different than our other boston terrier, Miley, who is care free and miss independent.  Each year he gets better and better and I feel proud of how far he has come.  If your pup is like Stanlee and has an anxious personality type, I recommend trying the Thunder Shirt.  You can probably find it at most large pet store chains or online here.  

Dress Up

Today we played dress up around the house and it was a such a fun time!  Stanlee is wearing a witch hat that one of my husband's workers gave to him and Miley is wearing a shark fin.  We have a hard time passing up anything shark related with our last name being Sharkey ;)

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!  

Pupdate: Allergy Testing

Stanlee is my pup that does all the modeling for my shop.  He is super sweet, loyal, and knows how to model a bow-tie very well.  What you probably don't know about Stanlee is that he actually suffers from two things: anxiety and allergies.  

Ever since we adopted Stanlee, we knew he had some type of skin problem.  Stanlee gets pretty stinky, even after just having a bath, his skin is usually pink and itchy, he breaks out in hives and is sensitive to just about anything.  After having the little guy for 3 years, we decided it was time to get an allergy test to see exactly what it is he's allergic to.  We tried e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. and nothing seemed to get his allergies under control, and our vet visits to something less frequent than every 6-8 weeks.  So, we did an allergy test a couple weeks ago and we now FINALLY know what it is he is allergic to.

A specific type of mold.

Mold.  

That's all. 

I honestly thought the vet was going to say he was allergic to grass, pollen, wool and even his own dander!

However, when an allergy test comes back, if the dog's level is over 150, they are considered allergic to that item (and they test for everything).  Stanlee came back with a level of 1300+ for this specific mold! Yes you read that correctly, over 1300!  Talk about severely allergic to this mold.  Our next step is to give him injections every 4-5 days over the next 6 weeks and then he will go to just once a month, hopefully.

Because we have lived in four different apartments in four different cities across Ohio, the vet didn't seem to think it was a problem with our current living conditions since Stanlee has a very long history of skin allergies, and our apartment complex is brand new.  Mold can grow anywhere, but the vet explained this mold is common in old homes, basements and very humid walls.  We aren't sure exactly how this severe allergy came about.  The vet said it could be the product of his last home environment before we adopted him, and his body reacting to being removed from that environment.   

Either way, we now know what Stanlee's allergy is, and how to treat it which makes this momma very happy.  And, seeing him in his little bandaged paw made me want to cuddle him even more than usual. How pitiful does that little paw and face look.

Bath Time

These pups.  They are always making me laugh.

Recently, the three of us were walking in our neighborhood when Miley and Stanlee both decided to stop and sniff the same fire hydrant.  One of them {ahem... Stanlee} decided he needed to hike his leg and leave his mark at the same time Miley tried to walk around the hydrant, resulting in someone peeing on someone else's face.  It was one of those moments when I couldn't stop laughing, yet I felt bad for Miley, especially because she dislikes bath time very much.  After laughing for a couple minutes, we walked back to the apartment and I filled the tub to bathe these two little guys.

What's funny is the way both of these pups feel about bath time. 

One pup, Stanlee, enjoys bath time.  He does a great job holding up his leg for me while I scrub and standing still.  Miley on the other hand is always inching toward the edge looking for a way to escape.  She hates being in the water.  She hates being told what to do and she hates having to be towel dried.  This last photo cracks me up because she is really great at giving glares, telling me exactly how annoyed she is at that moment.

Pups.  Aren't they great?!

Stanlee Gets Noticied

Recently, this pup has not only been melting my heart, he has been winning over stranger's hearts on etsy.  This past month he has been on the front page of etsy three different days, which lead us to meet some new friends in the handmade world. 

A few weeks ago, I was asked by a couple painters if they could use Stanlee as their subject for their next painting.  I was first contacted by Clair Hartmann and introduced to her amazing paintings she sells in her shop.  I was so impressed with her work and definitely agreed to let her use Stanlee as her subject.  In turn, she is also sending me a print of Stanlee for my home!  I can't wait to receive it and am blown away by how well the painting turned out of my little Stan man.

Please check out Stanlee's painting in Clair's shop and let her know how you discovered her.  She is a sweet person with great talent and I feel honored to have been asked for her to use my pup as her painting subject.  

Isn't it amazing the way an animal can touch your heart?  Even when you don't know him/her?  Stanlee is doing just that across the internet.  

I am one proud momma.

Bow-tie Model by day...

Super hero by night.

Yesterday I went to the pet store for one thing; to pick up a new bed for the pups.  As I am walking to the back of the store, I couldn't help but stop and take a look at all the Martha Stewart pet items at Petsmart.  As I turn the corner of the fixture, I see the most awesome pup clothing I have ever seen.  Super hero t-shirts!  I love buying things for the pups, but especially things I can put on Stan Man to dress him up.  And yes, he loves it.  Don't let him tell you any differently.

Wordless Wednesday: Modeling

Stanlee proved yet again that he is a perfect model for my bow-ties.
Dog bow-ties sold here: Little Blue Feather Dog Bow-Ties

Funny Friday - All Lit Up

You leave a pup alone for 2 minutes and you come back to find he has tangled himself in Christmas lights, plugged them in and is posing for you.

Five Favorites: Stanlee Edition

Five of my favorite characteristics and photos of Stanlee:

1. his over the top excitement to see me every morning when we wake up 
2. his mismatched ears
3. his stance
4. his little face is so full of expression
5. he loves to be loved on

Stanlee's Story: Part 2

Stanlee's Story continued...

Once I got off the phone with the woman from Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue (MWBTR), I thought about how long this two weeks could last.  At the time, I didn't think my feelings for Stanlee would change.  {silly me}

Each day after that phone conversation I noticed little things changing between Stanlee and I.  We discovered he loved salty green beans and realized he must have been fed table food in his previous life and started to mix green beans in with dog food until about a week later he was eating only dog food.  I also saw that at night Stanlee would leave his little bed and crawl into bed with Miley.  This drove her nuts but it made me realize, all he wants is affection and contact from someone.  This is when I started making it a point to try and love on him a little more. 

Since I knew Stanlee didn't want me to hold him, I tried sitting with him on the floor and letting him crawl into my lap.  I remember the little bits of progress he would make and it made me so excited and proud that I was learning to "train" him and also that he was starting to feel more comfortable with us.  Stanlee then started to really warm up to me and wanted to cuddle with me at all times.  I remember sitting at our dining room table painting and he would try and squeeze in between my legs and the table to see what I was up to and if he could join me!  It wasn't long until he let me hold him for the first time.  I remember him being stiff and staring at me, but he didn't yelp and he didn't try to wiggle away.  He was beginning to trust me.  

My heart started to change during those two weeks.  Not only was I wanting to keep Stanlee, I was actually falling in love with him.  Something clicked inside of me and went into protective mom mode.   I emailed the MWBTR back and told them we would be keeping him and thank you for your encouragement.  We were officially Stanlee's parents from here on out!  He has grown into a very loving dog that is loyal, gentle and ready to snuggle.  I see things in Stanlee that I didn't see before, or I didn't like before, but are now my favorite features.  I love his unique look and his petite frame.  I love that his face is so full of expression and how he still gets a little nervous when experiencing new things.  I love the relationship him and Miley have formed and their love for Justin and I.  I really don't think that anyone has ever been as excited to see me as what Stanlee is every single morning when I wake up.  What would I have done without him?

A year later I contacted the MWBTR again, but this time I wanted to know how I could help out and make a difference for the little BTs in need.  I filled out an application, did a phone interview and am a volunteer in Ohio for the MWBTR.  I am unable to foster because of living in an apartment, but hope this is in my future someday.

Stanlee's Story: Part 1

Stanlee.  Where do I begin with this little pup!?  Stanlee came into our lives when he was 13 months old and was terrified at what was in store for him.  He suddenly had new parents, in a new part of Ohio and a boston terrier (BT) sister who was a little bossy toward him.  Life was sure to change for this little guy and for myself.  You see, Stanlee has completely changed my perspective on dogs, adoption and love for animals.  Here is his story:

After Justin and I got married, we moved a couple hours north of our hometown.  This meant taking Miley with us and breaking up her and her best friend, my in-laws pup, Louis.  After we got settled, we knew we wanted to find a friend for Miley and we wanted to adopt.  We heard about a woman in Dayton that was unable to care for BT anymore and was looking for a new home for him.  How perfect! 

Well, when I first met Stanlee I have to be honest with you, I did not think he was that cute.  Miley was my first dog, and I thought she screamed perfection.  {which we know, is all in the eye of the owner.  But I was convinced she was the most perfect and beautiful BT out there! You know how it is with your first ;)}  Stanlee looked nothing like Miley.  He was very petite, had one floppy ear, a long crooked tail, a weird smell, unusual markings and was very timid.   I know this is awful to say, but I kept thinking "how am I going to say I don't want him without sounding like a horrible person?".  Then my husband spoke up and said "I love him!  He is so cool looking and we can give him a good home!"  Say what?!  Oh boy.  Suddenly, this new pup (his name was not yet Stanlee) was now ours.  

The first couple weeks were rough to say the least.  Being an inexperienced dog owner, I didn't quite understand the fact that Stanlee, a BT, could have a completely different personality than our other BT.  After being home a few days, I took Stan to his first ever vet appointment.  It was awful for both of us.  He got several shots, he had an ear infection, eye infection, sensitive stomach and thinning hair.  A very large vet bill later, I think we both cried on our way home!  

In the beginning, I remember thinking I couldn't do it.  I wasn't committed to this new relationship with Stanlee and I was going to find him another home.  I didn't know where to look for his new owner or what questions to ask, so I found the Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue online and called right away.  This is when one woman said something to me that I will never forget.  She said, "We have so many fosters right now and we will take him if you absolutely can not do it any longer, but I really encourage you to give it two more weeks and if you still feel this way, call me back and we will take him."

Thank God she did not say "Yes bring him right over..."

To be continued.

Stanlee, you smell like...stale popcorn?

At the time we adopted Stanlee, he was 13 months and had yet to go to the vet.  Before he went for his first visit, I noticed his skin and coat looked and smelled a little unusual.  Stanlee is a unique looking dog with black spots on his skin but white hair; unusual but adorable.

My nephew calls him a fire dog ;)   

Stanlee's black spots were pretty noticeable because his hair was very thin.  It almost seemed like maybe his hair was falling out more than normal and his skin was pink and had a distinct smell to it.  With the help of antibiotics, good quality food and some lovin he has turned into a pretty healthy dog.  Although his constant stench is gone, he still seems to get this weird smell when it is time for a bath.  Yes, I know dogs get stinky and that is why they need bathed, but this is not a dirt, sweat, nasty outdoor smell.  In my opinion, he smells like stale popcorn.  My husband says his smell reminds him of waffles, but if that were true I would never bath him and sprinkle powder sugar on him to keep his coat from looking dirty.  

Needless to say, Last week was bath week for the pups.