Road Trip

This Memorial Day Weekend, Niko and I took a road trip on our own for the first time.  I put him in the backseat with his doggie bed and brought a "diaper bag." Although I don't have kids, I now know what it's like to pack a diaper bag.  I have a designated canvas bag that I use to put all the essentials for Niko whenever we go on a trip.  I had a plastic container for water during breaks and plenty of poop bags.  Niko is a great travel companion; he is not fussy at all and it's awesome to look back at that cute mug of his.  He gladly listened to my bad singing and loves looking out the window and smelling the air outside.  Here's a picture I took when I was a passenger on a different trip. I didn't know, but his ears are floppy in the wind!

The car ride was approximately 4 hours long each way.  It's really nothing compared to the 3 month road trip that my good friend Joe is taking.  Joe just kicked of his second road trip this weekend and I am psyched for him. Be sure to check out his whereabouts this summer at http://joesroadtrip.com/ 
His blog is linked on my blog, so be sure to check for updates on his whereabouts this summer!

Best Buds

There's a Wheaton Terrier named Vito who lives next door who is a few months older than Niko. They met early on when Niko was a peanut compared to Vito the elephant.  Every time Niko goes out the front door, he looks over to see if his friend is outside. They pine for each other and have a blast playing together.  Vito and Niko chased each other around in the yard, shared a bowl of water, and a shady spot next to the deck. 


The few times that Niko got loose from his leash & collar, Vito was a great aid. Most of the time Niko runs away to look for Niko. We're able to corral Niko back because of Vito.


Here's a "before and after" picture of last summer vs. this weekend:

Fresh Baked Treats

I like to think of myself as a Do-it-Yourselfer.  Cooking and baking happen to be hobbies of mine.  I got the idea in my head to make homemade dog treats. A quick google search brought me to very simple to gourmet-ish recipes. I decided to try something simple and found this peanut butter treat recipe:
http://www.all-natural-dog-treat.com/peanutbutterdogtreatrecipe.html

I had all the ingredients in the pantry: whole wheat and regular flour, oil, and peanut butter. As soon as I opened the peanut butter jar, Niko trots into the kitchen with his nose in the air, sniffing out the good stuff. The recipe was easy to make and I had fun with Niko by my side, waiting patiently for his very own treats.

I found a Christmas cookie cutter and did my best to reshape it into a bone shape. They're not perfectly shaped, but Niko doesn't mind!

 I'm always wary when I shop for dog treats, what with all the preservatives and chemicals that are used. Making homemade treats is great because I know exactly what ingredients I'm using and I save a few bucks. Without having to go to the store, I baked 2 dozen treats tonight. I can't wait to try other recipes and giving Niko healthier treats.

P.S.: My curiosity got to me and I did taste a small crumb of the treats. It tasted like whole wheat bread with a hint of peanut butter. Not too shabby.

Niko Turns One

Niko turns 1 yr old sometime this month. We're unclear on the exact day he was born, but it was closer to the latter part of May 2009. We talk about the day we got him all the time and it's been a great first year. It is hard to notice the changes day to day but they are pretty apparent when we look at older pictures.

We recently came across a picture taken by someone else of Niko on the day after we brought him home from the breeder. Finding this picture was like finding a treasure: