Bailey: Noodle Spoodle (& care for pets)

One of my favourite topics to read in Blog Land is about people and their pets. I am especially fond of blogs that regularly share pictures of the gorgeous, furry members of a family.

I, too, have a fur baby. His name is Bailey, and he is an 18-month-old English Spoodle (which is an English Cocker-Spaniel x Poodle, also known as a Cockadoodle or Cocker-Poodle). We have had him since he was twelve weeks old.

Some might say that Bailey likes to destroy things, but I prefer to think of it as being inquisitive. He loves the sound that paper makes as he shreds it to pieces, and gets so excited by the Rip! of a piece of cloth. He likes pulling balls apart and leaving bite-sized pieces around the house, but none of this is nearly as much fun as going on a mission to remove the squeeker parts from his squeeky-toys.

He is certainly a little eccentric. Sometimes it is hard to remember that he is a dog, not a human being! Over the past few months he somehow managed to convince SJ and I that our bed was also his bed. Every night he would jump onto the bed, give us both goodnight kisses (slobbers) before curling up at my feet and going to sleep. The only problem with this arrangement was that during the night Bailey would stretch himself out, and with his four little paws push us over so far that we were effectively giving half our bed to the dog. This wasnt particularly comfortable, and needless to say things had to change. So this week we have had to teach him to go to sleep in his actual bed, complete with cushiony mattress, fleece blanket and pillow, located next to our bed. He wasnt all that impressed at first, and it took two nights (and a belly full of treats) before he cottoned on. If he's not tired and/or doesnt want to be in his bed he will dig at it, pull the blanket off and drag the pillow into another room. When this fails to get him the attention he seeks, he flops on his bed and sighs consistently for at least twenty minutes, before finally giving in to the sandman and going to sleep.

Despite loving balls (and things that bounce) to pieces (literally), Bailey refuses to play Fetch. It's not that he doesnt know how, because at one time he was more than happy to collect the ball and drop it back at our feet for us to throw again. That was until he realised how much more fun it is to have either mum and/or dad chase him around the house and yard trying to get it back off him. He will play this particular game with anything: balls, rocks, sticks, pillows, pieces of clothing, his leash, flannels, and the list goes on. This is easily his favourite past-time.

For Christmas, SJ & I gave him a bouncing Moose toy, affectionately named “Moosey” (yes, awfully creative). Moosey has since become his favourite toy, but I don’t know how much longer it can withstand Bailey’s constant games. Since Christmas Day poor Moosey has lost his nose, an eye, half his tail, and nearly had his head ripped clean off (I have since sewn it back on)!

This got me thinking about how great it would be to have homemade toys for my pup, and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to where I might be able to find patterns and ideas? It’s so easy buying pet toys from the store, but how good are they for your dog? Not only do they tend to be poorly made and do not last very long, what chemicals etc have been used in their creation? Since I always ensure that what I buy for myself is safe, I would like to do the same for my beloved furry friend.

Looks as though I’ve given myself another project for the New Year!