Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 3

Good times at the dog park

Well, today was a good one. I actually got exercise! We went to the dog park and I trotted around the circle, considered playing with a big black dog and ran up to the entrance gate to greet new dogs. I think I lost about a pound today, don't you think?

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 2

After a fairly successful start to my weight loss program, it was all ruined yesterday. It was one of those days when my owner takes Francesca to Day Care and then leaves me to fend for myself ALL DAY! She went off to sell at a school bazaar to make money, she said. But I called it a day of NEGLECT!

So when that happens I just spend the day in bed (or, if I get nervy, in the forbidden big green chair!).

So we had to get up extra early for our breakfast. She felt sorry for me and gave me a full helping of kibble for breakfast. Then I went back to bed and she left with Francesca.

While Francesca romped with a five-month old puppy all day at Day Care, the most exercise I got was going out the doggie door to chase a squirrel and to do my business. Aside from that, I just moped around. No one to play with. No one to talk to. No one to bug.

At 4:30 they came home! I got all excited and Francesca and I went outside for about five minutes. Then it was time to eat. Yay! I got some dry food mixed with some canned food. That was pretty good. With my tummy full, my thoughts turned to play and exercise. So what happened? Francesca just turned around and walked to our room and plopped down on her bed to go to sleep. At 5 p.m.? No matter what I did, she just laid there with her eyes half closed. She was really tired.

Here's Francesca lying on her bed
trying to go to sleep while I play in our room.

Here I am with the squeaky ball.
Do I look skinny yet?

After bugging her and squeaking the ball in her ears, I went out to find my owner to play with. I had so much energy I ran, played tug o war and had her throw the ball for me. After about an hour and a half, I wore her out and had no alternative but to go to bed EARLY!

Here I am playing tug-o-war with my owner,
I must have worked off a few calories!

So, I doubt I lost any weight yesterday!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 1

I'm so hungry I could eat this rug!

Like I said yesterday I, somehow, ended up fat! So I am on a weight loss plan. Now, I don't like it, but maybe it will help me regain my girlish figure.

So today began with less food in my bowl than I would have liked. And Francesca got a BIG BOWL OF FOOD!

Since it was sunny out, the exercise part of the plan was easy. Now I didn't go on a volksmarch but I did go to the dog park. It was still a little foggy out but I took off running as soon as I got there. Then Wes and Nikki showed up. I was so happy to see them. Wes said he was proud of me for all the running I did! Nikki went sniffing with me.

We stayed until Francesca saw the cat in the neighbor's yard. That means our time is up because she won't do anything except fantasize catching that cat!

As far as treats, I got my two treats when we got into the car and two treats when we left the dog park. Of course, Francesca got more. But that's life when you are FAT!

How do I feel? I feel HUNGRY! Now I get as excited as Francesca does about meals. I jump around and act stupid and run out the door to where my bowl is going to be placed. I was really hungry by dinner time today. So hungry, our owner fed us just a little earlier than usual.

I survived Day 1!

Cinnamon is Fat

Here I am in the dog park this summer.

Hi everyone. It's me, Cinnamon. I have to report that fall and winter don't do much for my girlish figure. I went to the veterinarian's office yesterday for a pedicure. On the way into the doggie spa (a.k.a. procedure room), I stepped onto the scales. 49.6 pounds! I weighed 3.6 more pounds than I did in August. I waddled in to have my nails clipped. I was devastated!

I've written articles on dogs with weight problems and special foods for dogs on a diet. A strong message in these articles was sent to dog owners. Owners were killing their dogs with love! They were the ones that were overfeeding them. So was it my owner that was making me fat?

I also learned that exercise is important for us hounds. When Francesca came to live with us I lost several pounds because we started going to the dog park almost every day. And we romped and played at home. In the evenings we played ball in the yard.

But now it's fall and it's raining. They days are short. We head for bed before 6 p.m. Francesca gets up around 7 a.m. but I sleep in until after 8 a.m. I only get up because I hear breakfast being served!

This is what I do most of the time when it's raining.
Please forgive the ragged blanket.
My good one is in the laundry.

And I don't like going outside in the rain. I stay inside as much as possible. Francesca, on the other hand, goes out rain or shine and wants to stay out in the rain squirrel hunting. (Well, the squirrels are not out but she thinks she might see one).

So what to do. What to do? My owner has decided to CUT BACK ON MY FOOD AND TREATS! I am not happy with that. Here's the plan:

I usually get 1 cup of food in the morning and one cup of food in the evening. Now I'm going to be served only a half cup of food in the evening.

Here's Francesca watching for squirrels
in the pouring rain!

I usually get several treats at once when they are doled out. Now, I'm going to be given two treats only while Francesca scarfs up as many as she wants.

Now on to exercise. That's a tough one. It's fine on nice days. We go to the dog park. But when it's raining and my owner goes somewhere, Francesca goes to Day Care and bounces around all day playing. I, on the other hand, mostly sleep when she's gone.

I don't want to go to Day Care because I don't have patience for pushy dogs and ill-mannered dogs. So that is not the answer. So I am not sure what to do about exercise. Maybe I can convince my owner to take me on a volksmarch once a week. The rain has to let up at least once a week, right?

So that's the plan. I'll report back when I get weighed again. If you don't hear from me, it means I have starved to death! :(

Love, Cinnamon

Francesca's Story: From Jail Bird to Upscale Coonhound

Hi it's me, Francesca. Cinnamon said that if I was good, I could eventually tell my story. So here it is.

I've been in my forever home since July of this year. That's less than five months. I can still remember what life was like before I came to live with Cinnamon. Life was difficult.

I was a puppy in Yamhill County, Oregon. I was really cute, but I was really bouncy too. (What's new?). I always wanted to bounce myself out of the yard where I lived. So the people put me on a chain. I didn't like that. Sometimes I ran out of water. I didn't like that. So one day, when the door was open, I ran away. I ran really far and then it hit me. I WAS ALONE. NO ONE WOULD FEED ME.

Here's the DOG CONTROL TRUCK
that came to get me and put me in jail.

So I started to hunt rabbits and squirrels. I never was able to catch them. But I hunted. I got my water out of an irrigation ditch. I got really muddy and my beautiful white fur was brown. I was a real mess. I was starting to get sad.

So one day, someone grabbed me and a Yamhill County Animal Control truck came to pick me up and put me in jail. I guess I was in real trouble. But I was surprised. They actually fed me and gave me a bowl of water. Jail wasn't so bad after all.

There were other "women in orange" at the jail. They actually were nice. They took me out walking. They fed me and even gave me a bath. I was feeling much better. But then things took a turn for the worse. I was taken to a clinic. I WAS DRUGGED. AND I HAD SURGERY AGAINST MY WILL. I didn't even sign a release. Imagine!

After the terrifying trip to the clinic, I was brought back to jail to recover. And, I recovered pretty fast. My friends in orange (you know, orange is the new black) petted me and walked me... slowly at first. But it wasn't too long before I got my voice back and my bounce.

Here's the picture they took when they
put me up for adoption.
I looked so sad no one wanted me!

The next week a lady came and took my picture. I looked kind of sad. They said I was going to be put up for adoption. I guess I should have smiled in my picture because no one came to adopt me for over a month! I was beginning to think that jail was my new home.

One day, the lady in uniform came to see me in my cell. "Frances (that was my name then) a lady called about you. She's coming to see you tomorrow." I perked up. I was getting excited! Maybe I would get adopted. Maybe I would go to a home where I could run and bounce and eat all I wanted and have a big bowl of fresh water.

I could hardly sleep that night. I was so excited. I woke up early. The morning passed and no one showed up to visit me. I was starting to get sad when a grey car pulled up. The staff at the jail were really excited. Someone actually was interested in seeing me, a hound. I was told hounds were not popular in Yamhill County.

The Animal Control people were so excited
that someone was finally coming to see
Frances the unwanted hound

I was taken out of my cell and got to meet the nice lady. And then there was a BIG SURPRISE. Another coonhound had come to see me too. I was told her name was Cinnamon and that she was a famous blogger looking for an intern. We met and sniffed. Cinnamon was kind of stand-offish. I was my usual bouncy self.

Cinnamon said to me, "Well, Frances, can you write?" Of course I said yes. Cinnamon said she'd give me a chance. We played a little and Cinnamon snapped at me to put me in my place. I guess I was a bit too bouncy.

This is the first time I met Cinnamon.
The ladies in orange supervised us in my
outdoor cell.

After about an hour of getting to know each other, the lady told me to wait while she went into the office to do ADOPTION PAPERWORK! The staff gave me a big bag of toys and some food samples to take with me to MY NEW HOME. And, they let me keep my purple collar from jail. (why it was purple I don't know because everyone else wore orange).

The grey car had an open back door. There was a dog crate in it. I jumped right in! FREEDOM RIDE!

Freedom Ride!
(Notice I'm sticking my tongue out at the jail!)

Cinnamon, because she is a famous blogger and knows her travel manners, rode next to me out in the open. She didn't need the crate. We drove and drove. As we went up a hill, Cinnamon and her owner were talking. It was decided that I needed a more upscale name. After all, I wasn't going to be a country bumpkin any more. So they said my new name would be... FRANCESCA. If that isn't upscale nothing is. I thought to myself. Don't call me Frances. Don't call me Franny. Because, I am Francesca the Upscale Coonhound! I puffed out my chest in pride.

After a long long drive we crossed a huge bridge. Cinnamon said it was a bridge over the Mighty Columbia! And, before I could even see what a Mighty Columbia looked like, we were home.

Cinnamon and I played and then she snapped at me.
(She's moody)

We were sure glad to get out of the car. Cinnamon and I played in the BIG back yard and took out a Hosta plant and a fern. We were pretty wild. But then Cinnamon snapped at me and told me to quiet down. I was learning from her and, believe me, that wasn't the first time she'd snap at me!

I was so tired, I feel asleep on the couch.
This was my first night as an upscale coon hound. I was living in the lap of luxury all right!
Check out the leather couch!

So that's my story. I hope you liked it. Since I've been promoted to Feature Writer, you'll be hearing even more from me.

Love, Francesca, the Upscale Coonie

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Days are Best!

The leaves are beautiful. I don't have to rake them!

Francesca survives water torture!

Hi, It's me, Francesca. I'm sitting around this afternoon smelling very pretty. I am not happy about it and I'll tell you why.

I was being my rather pungent self this morning when FINALLY we got to go to the dog park. I was having a great time running and jumping and annoying dogs at the gate when they came into the park. It was fun, although I got into some trouble being too pushy with some of the dogs.

So I was thrilled when a young studly pup wanted to run and play with me. Off we went... running and jumping and growling and play biting. I had a great time and even slid in the mud and rolled a couple of times in the wet grass. When I was finished playing, I had mud and grunge all over me. I was a happy dog. I smelled just right.

It was time to go home and I went right to the car. I was tired. I laid down in my crate and dreamed of my nice warm bed at home. I was in the mood for a nap. We drove down the road.

Right about then we turned, abruptly, onto Fourth Plain. Woah, that was different. We weren't headed home. We pulled in to the parking lot in front of Petco. Now that was ok. I could see trotting around in there sniffing snacks and shopping for toys. But then I looked at my fur. It was all dirty. They might laugh at me in Petco.

My owner came to get me and marched me right through the front door... mud and all. But we didn't stop to sniff the food. And we didn't stop to check out the toys. We went into the grooming office. Oh oh.... this was not what I had in mind.

She asked for a SELF SERVICE DOG WASH. And, I was the only dirty dog in sight. I decided I wanted to go home right then and there but the door was shut. She paid the lady $10. Then we went into the WATER TORTURE CHAMBER OF HORRORS! There was a huge metal tub with a ramp leading up to it. And... and... A NOOSE! What was going to happen to me? Was this the end for Francesca? Was I really that bad at the dog park?

This is what the metal tub looked like.
But its a fake photo because the dog looks way too happy!

I pulled away but she got me up the ramp and into the metal tub. Slam went the door. I was caught. The noose was around my neck. Then the water torture started. I was all wet... with warm water. Then came the prissy smelling shampoo. Like it or not all the mud and dirt was being washed down the drain. I thought it would never end. After a couple of rinses she finally turned the water off. I relaxed a bit then. She told me I was pretty. (Pretty mad, I'd say).

There were raggedy towels and I got dried off. The metal door slid open and I WAS FREE! I Felt better although I was still wet. I got my regular collar on and then I got out of the WATER TORTURE CHAMBER OF HORRORS. I had survived.

As we walked past the desk, my owner said, "That was the best $10 I ever spent!" I didn't agree. I could have spent $10 on treats!

So now here I am smelling all pretty with nowhere to go. I can't wait to get back to the dog park so I can run with the big dogs and roll in the mud.

Love, Francesca