Zeke did not appreciate my birthday balloons:

The boys had one more outdoor bath before it got too cold.

Sum really enjoys the post-bath toweling ...

... while Zeke goes for the good old-fashioned shake-off ...

Remember the sad story of Jax?

His successor, Bailey, is now home, and I got to meet him last week. What a charmer!

More pictures ...

Zeke turned 9 yesterday.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the first year I've ever remembered his birthday on the actual day. Sometimes I even forget how old he is!

No, we didn't throw a party, and he didn't get a present. (Do extra belly rubs count?) Guess I'm a bad Mom.

I did throw some funny hats on the guys for kicks!

More pictures ...

They're still at it.

Some dogs don't enjoy modeling sessions, but some really understand the concept of "working the camera."

Take a look at Mulligan the Supermodel:

More pictures ...

The Presa Boys are back:



Their mom sent me this Halloween photo and it made me laugh out loud. She said that I was the first person to correctly identify their costumes! The pirate outfit is really obvious (love the puffy shirt), but can you tell who the other guy is supposed to be?

Meet Slapshot.

This sweet little 2-year-old poodle endured a nightmare last January, but aside from a small scar on her hip you'd never know it.

While on a walk with her owner, she was attacked by an off-leash dog so severely that she spent 12 days in ICU. Poor pup lost part of her intestine -- can you imagine how awful that attack must have been? Slapshot pulled through, and the only lingering result of the attack is that she gets a little nervous being handled (we're working on it).

What's most surprising is that Slapshot isn't afraid of other dogs when she takes walks ... gotta love that canine resiliency!

Did your dog overcome adversity? Share your story in the comments.

He's had a good run, but Ball-y Ball is in his final days, thanks to Zeke's overzealous play:

Thanks, Captain Destructo.

Zeke and Sum did some sparring over the weekend:



Zeke's usually so pushy when playing that Sumner gives up and walks away. Not this time. Sum was in it to win it:



They always play harder and louder when they have an audience, and since I was sitting on the floor right next to them, this little game got rather intense. There was much growling and yodeling.

After about ten minutes they were too tired to go on. Game over!

This is the last howling dog post, I promise. I couldn't resist this guy because:

a. He's a Boston

b. His facial expressions are hysterical

My Boston doesn't howl -- does yours?

I was out in California last Wednesday and Thursday filming some stuff for a new pet-related TV show ... here I am on the set getting ready to do Q&A with the host:

The beautiful background is Bonsall, Calif., and if you've been tracking the news you know that the region is close to the heart of the fires. So close that the resort I stayed in -- just 15 minutes from the set in the above picture -- no longer exists. It burned to the ground.

I feel so bad for the folks out there ... Bonsall is thick with horse farms (San Luis Rey Downs is a stone's throw away from the set where we filmed), and I'm sure everyone is on high alert, if not already evacuated.

Here's to a change in the winds, and some rain. We're thinking about you, California.

This makes me laugh. Mr. Coonhound could be the best dog singer I've seen!

I love working with all of my canine clients, but my heart does skip a beat when I get a call from a boxer or a Boston person. Biased? Who, me?

I started working with lovely Bentleigh on Saturday and she reminded me why I adore boxers so much. Is any breed quite as goofy? When we did our recalls she opted to go over the couch instead of around it, and she practically skipped down the sidewalk during our leash walk.

Boxers have an unusual mix of good looks and clownish charm ... and oh yes, there's that pushed-in face thing again. Boxer folks -- can I get an "amen"?