So, with my hip surgery on the horizon, I've been thinking a lot about exercise. About a week or two after my procedure, I will have to start an exercise program that will help to maintain motion in my hip joint. From what I've heard, this will involve flexing and extending my hip joint. Swimming will be a very good option for me because this will cause me to flex and extend without a lot of pain. But, I don't have a pool so this won't be something I can do all of the time.

So, I've been doing a little research on the internet about other types of canine exercising, and I came across this growing trend called Doga. Now, I've heard a lot about yoga. My person Jennifer has been practicing it for my whole life. Sometimes  we even do this move together called a Downward Facing Dog. She really gets a kick out of it, so I go along with her. But, honestly, I never really understood what the big deal was. Well, until now. Turns out this Doga thing is really good for dogs like me.

Dogyoga

According to the ABC news report, in Doga class, people help their dogs do different poses, and also do their own poses using the animals as props. People also give their pups massages and acupressure to help them relax and feel better. Now that sounds good to me!

Bark Bark...or should I say Namaste?

Hattie in the Garden

I just love three-day weekends, don't you? I get to see my people more often and run around with Annie and Bubba all day long!

This weekend, at HOUNDMADE headquarters, we conducted a much needed Spring Cleaning. While Matt and Bubba scrubbed the house,  Annie ran around the yard chasing her orange ball all day. She is obsessed!  

Jennifer and I did yard work. We mowed, trimmed the hedges and planted pretty flowers.

We have two HUGE trees in our front yard and are always searching for shade-loving plants. So, we went to Redenta's Garden in Lakewood to find out what our options were. The nice man there told us to try impatiens and Caladiums.

Gnome

I just love the red, white and green color palette they create. 

Jenn found this cute lil' gnome man at her favorite store, Target.

Hattie 2

Here is a picture of me with our pretty flowers.  

Hopefully, they will grow big and fill in the space. Last year, with all of the rain, we didn't have much luck. Judging from the weather so far this year, I think we might just have ourselves some pretty plants!

  ...and now for Etsy Tuesday!

Magical yellow lab

This collage, by artist Moira McLaughlin, reminds me of this past weekend.  It's so bold and colorful. I love the yellow background.

McLaughlin not only sells on Etsy.com, she also has her own company called Dream Dogs Art. Her custom collages and dog art products sell worldwide.

To commision a collage of your dog, cat, or child just send her an email or visit DreamDogsArt.com.

That's all for now. Have a happy Tuesday.

 Bark BArk.

Here's a couple of pictures shot by Jessica of Funky Finds.

The first one is of the HOUNDMADE booth and Jenn. The second one is of Annie, modeling her HOUNDMADE collar and leash, while meeting Joe of Funky Finds.

You can click on them to see them full-sized.

 Bark Bark.

So, from what I've heard from Annabelle, the Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q was a huge success! Annie got to go and model because she doesn't mind the heat as much as I do. Plus, I like to bark at everybody I see. I hear that there was a lot of people there, so not only would I have overheated, I would have barked myself into delirium. Can you imagine what it would have done to my modeling career? A girl has got to be careful!

Anyway, lots of pictures were taken, so I'll post some later. For now, you can check out some reviews here and here.

...and now for Etsy Tuesday!!!

Check it out!

HipHazel

In honor of the Etsy Dallas, let me introduce you to one of the fabulous artists from the show. I love this drawing of a dog and bone by Jen Rose, the artist behind HipHazel. It reminds me a lot of my sister Annabelle. Jen's images are hand-drawn, original  pieces of art, that are both decorative and functional.  Her work is dishwasher and microwave safe; however, I think I would just hang this up on the wall so I could admirer it each and every day.

 Bark Bark.

Beer B Q

Free beer, free food, free crafts, a free raffle, 25 FREE Goody Bags for the first 25 customers...Need I say more? I think not. Be there or be square, Dallas.

More info? Sure. Click here.

and here. 

and here.

and here too!. 

 Etsy Dallas is the talk of the town. yay!

 HOUNDMADE will see you there.

Bark Bark.

Happy Hump Day, everyone. Or should I say "hip" day, because that's what I want to tell you about today. Yep, my hips. You may recall from earlier, that I took a road trip with my person, Matt, down to College Station. We drove down to the A&M Vet clinic so that they could have a look at me, and figure out what to do about my severe hip dysplasia. You see, my mom, Sadie, had this disease and it is hereditary. It's really important that if you know your dog has HD, not to breed them. Sadie's people weren't very responsible people, so here I am today, having to deal with the consequences. Luckily, I have some really good people in my life and they are going to get me all straightened out! 

So, it turns out that the best option for me is going to be a procedure called Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO). This means that the ball portion of my hip joint will be shaved off. OUCH!!! But, it will be worth it, because I won't have pain anymore from my bones rubbing together the wrong way. It's going to be a hard recovery though. I will have to be crated for at least two weeks and I'll have to do special exercises that will be painful. No fun! Full recovery can take up to a whole year. I'm going to have to work really hard to get back to normal so I can use my leg again. I think it's a good thing that I am so young. I'm sure older dogs like Bubba would have a much longer recovery time.

I'm going to have this done on June 25th which is about a month from now, so I am starting to get a little nervous. After my surgery, Annabelle, my sister-mama,  has promised to keep up with my blog for me. She is going to report on my recovery and take lots of pictures. I think this will be good, because it will help other dogs out there with HD to know what to expect.

Bark Bark.

Rain

Today, in Big D, the forecast calls for rain and I so wish that I had this fabulous raincoat from 1+1=ONE.

Not only is it stylish, but it's practical and comfortable too! 1+1=ONE, a proud member of the Etsy Dog Mafia Team, believes that doggie clothing should reflect your doggie personality and be fun to wear.

So, If this raincoat is not what you are looking for, no worries. They will certainly have something for you. 

 1+1=ONE loves custom orders too! Give'em a bark!

Oh, and how cute is the model? I think I have a doggie crush.

Bark Bark.

Helloooooo, and happy Monday to you all. So, my HOUNDMADE humans survived the intense humidity and heat at the Urban Street Bazaar on Saturday. From what I heard them saying, they had a really good time. Lots of HOUNDMADE friends stopped by to say hi and some new friends were made. As for me, I was at home, in my nice, cool, air-conditioned house. No way was I going to hang out at the Bazaar with my fur coat on. Maybe I'll make it to some of the shows in the Fall. Anyway...I'll post some pictures of the event later on.

Speaking of events, have you Dallas-area people and canines heard about the Dog Days of Denton? It's on May 31st, from 9-4. There is going to be yummy food, doggie contests, live music and entertainment, and kids' games. Canine-themed wares, arts/crafts, pet care information, and pet rescue groups will be there too. Hmmm...I may have to get a summer shave and head out for this one. Sounds fun!

Bark Bark.