Tag Archives: Doggie Domain

Self-indulgence

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Some would say I was indulging my pets when I built them their own little room onto my house, then steps down into the pool to aid in Morrie’s easy exit when he goes in to retrieve a ball I haven’t retrieved and thrown for him with sufficient speed, but in truth, I’m indulging myself as it means more space in my part of the house, less worry that Morrie will drown if he falls in the pool when it is half full, and more ease in feeding them since there is a little fridge and pull-out drawers for their dry food in their room so I don’t have to stoop over to scoop. Nor do I have to let them in and out on rainy nights, because it has its own entrance. No cruises or diamonds for me.  Just give me a new doggie domain and steps down into the pool.  Indulging us all.

The Ragtag prompt today is indulgence.

lifelessons's avatarlifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown

Now that we are recovered from and over the thrill of the Doggie Domainconstruction earlier this year, I have decided the pups needed a second indulgence.  For 15 years, I’ve been entering and leaving my pool via a ladder really intended for a hot tub, which makes the first step a doozie and upper arm strength a must. Until Morrie arrived, I’ve never thought much about what would happen if one of the dogs fell in the pool.  Although they all hate the water, probably because it is their super-sized doggy water dish and they even resent me immersing myself in it, I nonetheless have pulled them all into the pool enough times to know that when it is full, they can make it to the side and crawl out.  The problem is that sometimes it is half full, because Pasiano empties it half way three mornings a week to allow…

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A Place for Everything

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                                                                     A Place for Everything

Disclaimer: If you haven’t been following the progress of the Doggie Domain, you may want to skip this post.  It is sorta silly, really, but I absolutely love having the means to make routine, repetitive daily tasks as easy and quickly done as possible.  With that end in mind,  it took a good deal of time and many changes in details to design the perfect dog-feeding cabinet. And, here it is–freshly installed with just two adjustments to be made tomorrow.  Chino did a great job building a  cabinet exactly to my specifications!

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It’s on rollers so I can move it if I need to.

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Top door opens to reveal the fridge needed to store opened cans of dog food. When Morrie learned to open the fridge door, it meant  moving the fridge from the bottom to the top of the cabinet.

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Twin doors below the fridge open to reveal a shelf big enough for all three bowls to be stored, waiting to be filled with kibble at the next feeding.  I’m having a half shelf built above them for more storage.  I’ll still have easy access to all the bowls.

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Next drawer down is big enough to store two large bags of dog food, side by side.  I’m having a division put in so I can store Frida’s food to the right and Morrie and Diego’s to the left.  I’ll pour bags directly into the drawers to save room.

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The two bottom drawers store canned food, grooming supplies and dog biscuits–in a drawer Morrie can’t open.  See him checking it out?

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Here it is all sealed up again, tight as a drum. The metal chest to the right will be removed as soon as the deep drawer for kibble has its divider installed tomorrow. If Chino can make another little storage container to cover up the electrical plug and cord, I will be happy.  Or perhaps a little stand to hang collars and leashes on?  What a luxury to be able to afford handmade furniture to your design in Mexico.  I’ve designed most of my furniture and love how utilitarian it is. This is the tenth piece Chino has made for me.

Okay, Bob.  Now it’s time to get revenge for the time I teased you about your post describing your new pan that you ordered on the internet.  I confess, this is much worse!  And I must admit I totally understand how exciting it is to have exactly the correct “tool” for something you need to do every day.  I just couldn’t resist ribbing you.  Now I’m having to pay the piper!!!

Bedtime in the Bodoga

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 Bedtime in the Bodoga

Frida and Morrie both got new beds today, thanks to Morrie who ate Frida’s old one and has eaten two of his own as well as one of the cat’s beds.  He  leaves only his idol Diego’s bed alone and sleeps in it whenever he can get away with it, so I bought him one just like Diego’s. (It’s upside down for now with the plastic side up just in case he decides to have an “accident.”  (That’s not unknown to happen!) Once he’s a big boy, we’ll put the hot pink cloth side up. (Although it isn’t obvious in this picture, he does still have ears!)

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Frida got a big pillow that isn’t even tacky.  First one I’ve found that isn’t obnoxious colors or plaid or some other horrid print. At first Frida was suspicious and wouldn’t sleep on or even put one paw on her bed, but as you can see, she is now giving it a chance:

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Since Morrie is still being mean to her, Frida gets to continue sleeping in the main house.  She should have a few privileges of age.  We all should!  She now likes her new bed and I think it will be more hair-resistant than her old bed that seemed more like a hair-receiver than a bed.

Here’s Diego, in his same old bed that has made it through six months with Morrie:

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The carpenter came today to measure for the shelves and storage bins for kibbles.  They’ll have aluminum liners so the mice can’t get in–or the dogs!!! And, they have their own tiny fridge for opened tins of wet dog food and fresh bones, which the vet tells me I have to freeze for two weeks before giving them to them.  Do you think the Taj Mahal got this much press when it was being built????

I tried removing the cages and just had their beds in the room, but they were so restless and that was when Morrie ate Frida’s bed, so I’ve put their beds back in cages and they seem much happier.  I haven’t been shutting Diego’s door and he hasn’t reminded me to do so.  He used to want it shut and locked.  Morrie has learned how to open his cage door.  Smart little trouble-maker!!! He’s even opened the side that has two locks instead of one.

I think I mentioned before that my friend Dan of Dan and Rhonda fame has dubbed the Doggie Domain with a new name:  The Bodoga.  (A bodega is a storage room so the bodoga is of course a storage spot for dogs!)

Let me know when you are sick of Doggie Domain (Bodoga) news.  I don’t seem to be able to stop myself.  I have a cool slide series showing the entire construction process but can’t figure out how to have the last pictures I want to add go on at the end and also I don’t know how to post a video or slides on WordPress.  I just now learned how to find the Shortlink and how to post on Thursday Doors! Does the learning curve ever flatten out?????

Before and After

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Before and After

(First shots of the almost-completed Doggie Domain!!!!  Two months in the making, soon to be painted, skylighted and sliding-glass-and screen-doored, but finished enough for habitation.  Inaugural night!!!)

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And After:

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What is wrong with this picture?  Well, Diego is in Frida’s bed and Morrie is in Diego’s bed (and cage) and Frida is outside, waiting to be let in to sleep in her bed in the guest bathroom!!! They all stubbornly refused to readjust themselves until mom got tough.  Kids today don’t appreciate what we go through for them!!!!  But, it’s wonderful not to trip over their cages in the hall and not to have to remove Frida’s bed to my room every time company comes. ( And not to wake up in the middle of the night wheezing because I’m allergic to her.)  Poor babies.  Wish they could all sleep with mom, but fear mom wouldn’t be around long if they did.

Ant: One Word Photo Challenge

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My worker ants have been working assiduously for over a month to build the doggie domain.  They say they’ll be finished by Thanksgiving, so I’ll have something extra to be thankful for this year. I have been constantly amazed by their skill, energy and drive.  It’s been like watching a ballet!!!

http://jennifernicholewells.com/2015/11/17/one-word-photo-challenge-ant/

Doggie Palace 3 (Hereafter to be known as Doggie Domain!)

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Well, the walls are 1/2 up and it is laughable how tiny this room is for all the hoopla that has gone on.  I’m showing pictures of the week’s work below. I must say, they do things right in Mexico.  These men have been working so hard with only one break a day and are so professional and precise.  Here is their work in pictures so far:
IMG_6531I was surprised when they started chipping away at my stone patio.  Little did I know!

IMG_6571A day later, they were waist deep.  This little room will probably be standing when the rest of the house is rubble.  Long after I’m rubble, hopefully.

IMG_6589I heard a truck drive up and went out to see what new was happening in my neighborhood.  Oh!

IMG_6597Soon, men were walking by with those big stones on their shoulders. They weren’t interested in using my wheelbarrow.
IMG_6681And in the street, they were mixing up concrete. IMG_6690Which this poor guy carried back two buckets at a time!!!

IMG_6694To fill in the spaces they’d just chipped out with a pick axes and mortar and chisel!  IMG_6700Father and son decided to look busy when I asked if I could take a picture.  This doesn’t look too staged, does it? Note those nice new foundations which we all know go down at least a meter deep into the earth! Chino tells me that they construct their own castillos because the welded ones don’t flex in case of earthquake.  These are wired together so they can move a bit and the structure doesn’t crumble during tremors.IMG_6701We have walls!!  Well, the beginning of walls.IMG_6705The only injury so far was my toe–cut on a shard of rebar. Some alcohol, Neosporin and a bandaid corrected most of the damage. A pedicure will take care of the rest.

IMG_6710Morrie inspecting his new domain.  The minute the men left for their lunch break, he must have gone in to stake his claim.  You’ll see his addition in the dirt in front of him. I removed it! Trust Morrie to wreak a little mayhem even before the walls are fully up.

IMG_6716All in all, now that I see the size of this new room, Doggie Palace seems a bit excessive, so I have altered its name to Doggie Domain.

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