The #WordPress Family Award

Yes, Dakota and I are actually blogging about an award that we recently received, and you are correct that we don’t normally blog about awards any longer. While we  have always been  deeply appreciative that anyone would take the time to think that Dakota’s blog is “award-worthy”, many of the awards were just coming around repetitively and it was becoming cumbersome to post about them. Then, Dakota’s blog received the:

and not only were we deeply touched when we  read what this award was actually FOR,  but this award is so unique, not to mention we hadn’t received this one yet, that we  felt compelled to blog about it.

Dakota and I received this award not just once

but TWICE!!

We were shocked!

The first blog we received it from was:

COMING HOME RESCUE

Click on the photo to visit the Coming Home Rescue Blog

and to be completely candid, neither Dakota nor I had heard of this blog until we received this lovely award.

FROM COMING HOME RESCUE

Coming Home Rescue is an all volunteer, non-profit organization focused on helping homeless animals in shelters throughout New Jersey. 

 

It is estimated that approximately 38,000 animals were euthanized in the state of New Jersey last year alone.  Coming Home Rescue is dedicated to reducing that number by rescuing and rehoming as many dogs from these shelters as possible. 

 

We have saved over 500 dogs since starting in 2009.

After reading their “About” page, Dakota and I signed up to follow their blog. Anyone who has read Dakota’s blog for any length of time knows that while Dakota was purchased from a responsible breeder, animal rescue is a cause that we hold close to our hearts, and we feature blog posts that focus on  animal rescue many,  many  times throughout the year.

It touched us greatly that someone who we  didn’t even know read Dakota’s  blog,  felt moved  in some way by what we do, and were moved enough to present us with this award!  Dakota and I are deeply humbled and moved.

The second blog we received this special award from:

PEACE, LOVE & WHISKERS

I “stole” this photo from her Facebook page. Hope she doesn’t mind. To visit Peace Love & Whiskers on Facebook just click this photo!

 

This is a delightful blog that features some of the best animal and pet blogger interviews on the web! We are honored that we are going to be featured there (we think on Monday?)  If you haven’t visited this gem please click their name above and head on over!

What is the WordPress Family Award?

“This is an award to celebrate those other WordPress bloggers who inspire, help and encourage us – just like a family does.”

Dakota and I feel that to be viewed like “family” makes everything that we do worthwhile and this is truly one of the most wonderful awards that we have received thus far.

What are the requirements of this award?

1. Display the award logo on your blog  DONE!

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.  DONE!!

3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family

4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them

5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people who have taken you as  a friend, and spread the love

Ok this part we  just can’t do. Many of the bloggers we  would like to give this award to have already received it, and as we always say, if we follow you, we consider you to be our “friend and our family” and we think the world of ALL OF YOU.

Thank you for touching our lives the way each and every one of you do.

Thanks for welcoming US into your world!

If you are reading this and are a WordPress blogger,

grab this award for yourself because, 

we love and think the world of ALL OF YOU!

Barks and licks and love, 

Dakota and “Mom”

I am HONORED!

There are a lot of contests out there that many of us enter that offer prizes such as money, pet supplies and blog “notoriety”, just to name a few. I recently entered a contest that for me, was probably the most emotionally rewarding of any contest that I have entered thus far.

 

My friend Ann Paws who is the author  of one of my favorite new blogs:

 

Click here to visit!

had a contest where we had to submit a photo of what our PETS are thankful for.

 

For me, this was a no-brainer. My “boyz” are MOST thankful for EACH OTHER. This photo was my entry:

 

 

 

Cody and Dakota have a most unique relationship. I couldn’t be more blessed, nor could THEY!

 

They are playmates, partners in crime and conspiracy, companions when my husband and I aren’t home,  they visibly worry when one of them is gone from our home even if it is just for an hour or two.  At night, by choice, they  sleep in close proximity of each other. My vet often tells me how he marvels at the intensity of their bond. Don’t tell them that cats and dogs aren’t supposed to get along. They exhibit care and concern for each other that many of us could learn from. All of this, and my method of “introducing” them  completely defied “conventional” blogging and textbook guidelines. I listened to my heart, which rarely steers me wrong.

 

There were 3 winners of this contest and my photo of Dakota and Cody was the GRAND PRIZE WINNER! I am honored and elated that my photo won the contest! What thrilled me the most was that the “judge” of this contest was Anns’  8 year old daughter, Lily:

 

Photo courtesy of: http://mypawsitivelypets.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-photo-contest-winner.html

 

 

What was special to me,  was this was TRULY a “fair and unbiased” judge who not only didn’t know any of the entrants, she just loves animals! There was no “hidden agenda” here! You know what they say, “out of the mouths of babes.” Lily said that my photo was  “adorable.”

You can’t fool a child. Children are often our harshest critics. They respond on an emotional level,  a child can sense dishonesty and those with less than stellar intentions a mile away. Ironically, our pets also have this ability. Want to know if a person is GENUINE? Introduce them to your children or your pets.

 

Being the winner of the “GRAND PRIZE” for this contest didn’t bring money, or pet toys or supplies or even a shiny statuette. The prize is THIS lovely badge that I am displaying with enormous pride:

 

 

 

this is PRIZE ENOUGH for me! I don’t have mad photography skills,  or the latest camera loaded with bells and whistles. What I DO have are a dog and a cat whose affection for each other lit up that photo and made my message clear.

 

My “prize” was my work touching the heart of a child. To me, that is the GREATEST gift of all, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving….I THANK YOU LILY from the bottom of my heart.

 

 

 

 

Thankful Thursday: Wonderful Team Member Readership Award

See the title of this post?

Confused? So was I!

I was awarded the:

by not one, but TWO of my favorite blogging buddies!

This award is a real honor because it is given to blogs that are found  to be enjoyable reading!

The first one to give me this award is a most BEAUTIFUL doggy named Misaki:

If you don’t know Misaki (and I bet that you DO!) Here is some info about her directly from her blog!

“I live in Essex (UK) with my human mummy and daddy. And I’m also a girl, incase you weren’t sure.

I enjoy eating (especially bonios), having my belly rubbed, chasing pigeons and playing with my humans. They both need the exercise.”

The second bloggers to give me this award are the beautiful Lexie and Mica from:

Tylers at 99’s Blog

I love viewing photos of their many hikes and viewing the lovely photos of nature that they feature. Here is some information about this great blog!

” Hi we are Lexie & Mica, two Newfoundlands that enjoy taking long walks through the woods. We have a beautiful creek in the woods and we enjoy swimming every chance we get. We live in Ohio, USA and want to share our walks with you.
Newfoundlands are Working Dogs. We are cart dogs, but more importantly we are water rescue dogs. This means we are people dogs and bond very strongly with our people and each other. We rarely allow our people out of our sight for long and some of us have been referred to as Velcro dogs because we never leave your side.
Newfs are very large strong dogs and therefore MUST be trained early. Once trained we are very obedient and gentle and make fantastic and fun pets “

Of course this award comes with rules, and one of the rules for acceptance of this award  states that I must complete this phrase:

“A great reader is…”

In my humble Sheltie opinion, to me, “A great reader is someone with a love of the written word. Who finds themselves lost in the mind and heart of the writer. Who respects the power of words and the emotions that they evoke. It is someone who is curious, who has a good imagination and who believes that we not only learn from each other every day, but more importantly we should NEVER stop learning!”

Pretty deep thought for a Sheltie, eh? I have told you before we didn’t rate 6th on the intelligence scale for nothin’!

There is another rule that comes with this award and as  always, being an obedience school drop-out, I am  going to break it because it requires you to pass this on to FOURTEEN OTHER BLOGGERS! OMD!!

I  know that MANY of you have already received this AND as I always say, IF I FOLLOW YOU, I FIND YOU TO BE ENJOYABLE READING…so PLEASE grab this if you have not received it with love from ME to YOU!

Barks and licks and most appreciative love,

Dakota

“Devious?” Never! “Clever?” Of course! “Genius?” ABSOLUTELY!

Happy Friday all! Yep, I’m late! Almost wasn’t even going to be able to blog today with all that is going on at my house, but duty or is it DOODY? calls!

Today I am going to tell you about an award I was given by my buddy Toby over at

Click on the photo to visit Toby’s blog!

This award was a new one to me! Check it out!

The requirements that one must complete upon accepting this award, is to name and link to the doggy who gave it to you…DONE! 

You know what? I am not sure what the other requirements are, but to prove that I am worthy of this award, I am going to elaborate on a couple of things that Toby mentioned in his post that we seem to have in common. Once you read these you will know that I was a deserving recipient.

TOBY EATS DOG POOP. YES, you read that correctly. If you think you missed it, let me say this again, TOBY EATS DOG POOP. Ya know what? So do I! Does that make me “devious?” Nooo…it makes me a genius and proves that I am quite  clever! Why? All dog poop is, is the same food that I just ate right before I  pooped!! It’s just in a more palatable form! It’s packed with nutrients and comes with the added bonus of dirt, cat fur, dust bunnies and whatever else I  may have ingested while going about my  daily “business.”  With everyone being so concerned about the environment, consider it a form of recycling and get over it, ok?

TOBY DOESN’T DO WELL WITH COMMANDS.  Neither do I. Let me put it to you this way, do YOU like to be told what to do? What if you feel like running and someone tells you to SIT? What if you want to rest and someone tells you to COME?  What if you found a hundred-zillion dollars and someone told you to LEAVE IT!! You wouldn’t listen, would you? Well, my 2-legged friends I am  no different than you! I have the ability to think, and in some cases I can exercise sound REASONING skills as well! I will be the one to decide WHAT I will do and WHEN I will do it! Being a Shetland Sheepdog I am the 6th most intelligent dog of the top 20 breeds. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

1 – border collie
2 – poodle
3 – German shepherd
4 – golden retriever
5 – doberman pinscher
6 – shetland sheepdog
7 – Labrador retriever
8 – papillon
9 – rottweiler
10 – Australian cattle dog
11 – Pembroke welsh corgi
12 – miniature schnauzer
13 – English springer spaniel
14 – Belgian terrine
15 – schipperke / Belgian sheepdog
16 – collie / keeshound
17 – German short haired pointer
18 – flat coated retriever / English cocker spaniel / standard schnauzer
19 – Brittany spaniel
20 – cocker spaniel

Source(s):

The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren

 

See? I don’t need YOU to make decisions for me. You want TRICKS….buy a SEAL!

I could go on and on with further examples of why I am worthy of this award but one thing that makes me even more clever and even more of a genius is that I know when to STOP. Well, unless I am on a barking binge but I digress…

Now I am supposed to award this to 7 other bloggers!  Ok…here we go, if you have already received this just pretend I never told you about the award, it will be our little secret.

It’s EASY!!!! click on the photo to visit his blog

 

Click on the photo to visit their blog!

 

Click on their photo to visit their blog!

 

 

That’s it. Yeah, I KNOW that that’s not SEVEN. Did you NOT read my post above? I DON’T DO WELL WITH COMMANDS and I am the SIXTH MOST INTELLIGENT. I told you, I MAKE the decisions.  I don’t care what some arbitrary award tells me to do, “it’s MY way or the HIGHWAY!!” Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will go and:

EAT SOME POOP!!

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

 

 

 

 

The “Ass” Award-Silly Saturday

OMD I am totally embarrassed!!! In case you haven’t picked up on it already,  my Mom is INSANE, COMPLETELY CERTIFIABLE. Frankly, she shouldn’t be walking the streets unattended. Now…she is using MY BLOG as a vehicle for her insanity! What am I to do?

A few days ago Mom was reading our friends, Mollie and Alfie’s blog and was told that she was given an award (the award I am talking about will be featured on another day). What catches Mom’s eye? A different award that really isn’t an award, it’s a JOKE. But don’t tell Mom that. Mom was eyeing it longingly and being the demented person that she is, felt that she MUST have it! So, she told Mollie and Alfie’s Mom, who of course said “take it because you ARE one!” She really didn’t say that but I can bet she was thinking it, how could she NOT think it when you see what Mom has posted below?

The award that Mom was  longing for wasn’t a Pettie, or a Nose-to-Nose award…nope, those are WAY too normal and prestigious for her. THIS IS THE AWARD that my mentally challenged Mom wanted:

Click on the image to visit Mollie and Alfie!!

If wanting that award wasn’t bad enough. Mom had a REASON for wanting it! Approximately 3 years ago Mom filmed this INCREDIBLY EMBARRASSING VIDEO! (Please ignore how our home looked at the time. We have redone the floors, painted and got a new TV and new furniture, so our old place looks REALLY BAD in this video!) But…our condo isn’t what is so embarrassing…watch and you will see…

See what I mean? Soooo in my opinion just because I like to sniff butt, that doesn’t make me an “ASS!” My Mom is the “ASS” for filming it and deriving such great enjoyment out of it!!!

I am tellin’ ya this woman is impossible to live with! My heart goes out to Dad…HE married her!

Hanging my head in embarrassment,

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

Thankful Thursday: “You Are So Beautiful…”

I am such a lucky Sheltie! I was given the:

by not one, but TWO of some of my favorite blogs!

The two blogs who gave it to me were:

Dogs N Pawz

and

Sheba’s Life Story

It makes me feel good to receive such a “BEAUTIFUL” award!

I try hard to be a good boy

who is not only beautiful OUTSIDE

but

INSIDE TOO!

I sure hope that I am!

So now…

for all of you…there are no specific requirements

for this award (that I am aware of!)

other than to link to the bloggers who gave it to me (done!)

So please grab the award for yourselves

AND

here is my gift to

ALL OF YOU!

 

After such a romantic song I would be remiss if I didn’t tell a certain “some-sheltie” that I was also singing it to THEM….blushing…bet ya can’t guess who….

Click the photo to visit her…isn’t she just the most gorgeous Princess ever? Photo courtesy of Eva’s blog: Phang Photos

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

Thankful Thursday: The Addictive Blog Award

Happy Thursday everyone! I was so excited to learn that I had won the:

and it was given to me by a couple of my favorite blogging buddies:

Click on the photo to visit Mollie And Alfie!!!

If you haven’t visited Mollie & Alfie you don’t know what you are missing! They are a couple of the funniest and FUN blogging kitties and doggies that I have ever met!

From their HOMEPAGE: “Weee’s is just silly, we likes to have fun.I’m a 15mth Border Collie and he’s just a Furball. Hopes yooo’s like the fings weee’s get up to.”

I don’t know if there are any requirements that come with this award (but I did link to them!) because they didn’t tell me! BOL!

I am just thankful that they enjoy reading my blog because I know I sure enjoy reading theirs and I am sure that you will too!

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

 

Thankful Thurs:”Thinking Of YOU!”

Hi everyone! It’s Dakota and I am super thankful today.  Recently I received the:

“Thinking Of You” Award

from my buddy Zac

from the great blog:

ZAC THE ALL BLACK

Click on photo to Visit Zac’s blog: Zac The All Black”

It’s always special to be thought of, isn’t it? I was super honored!

One of the requirements of this award is that I link to the doggy who gave it to me– DONE! Next: I am supposed to tell you about SEVEN things that I LOVE and think about daily!

1) Mom

This is a SUPER OLD photo before Mom lost some of her chubbiness, she is still chubby but she looks better than this! BOL!

2) Dad

3) Cody

4) My red, white and blue ball

5) SmartBones

6) DINNER

LAST but FAR from LEAST!!

MY BELOVED

7) EVA!!!!

My beautiful Sheltie Princess! Click the photo to visit her blog!

Next: I am supposed to pass this award on to SEVEN bloggers who I LOVE and think about all the time! There is a good chance some of you may have received this, if so…just ignore it, if not, ENJOY!!!!!!! And…if I didn’t list you it could be because:

a) I know you don’t like receiving awards

b) I  knew that you had  already received this award

c) I can’t possibly give it to everyone that I follow,  but I love ALL of YOU!

Now, on to the Seven:

Eva The Sheltie Princess

Torrey from Roxy The Traveling Dog

Fred and Gloria from Bassetmomma

Snoopy from Snoopy’s Dog Blog

Cinnamon and Bob from Cat From Hell

Leroy and Sherman from My Brown Newfies

Sue, from For Love Of  A Dog

And for everyone else, I LOVE and APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF  YOU and THINK ABOUT YOU every day!! I couldn’t have a blog without YOU!!

FROM DAKOTA AND MOM: Our hearts are breaking.  We feel awful. At the time we wrote this we didn’t realize that our beloved friend Zac was extremely ill.  We treated this post in a light-hearted way not knowing that Zac was reaching the end of his time here with all of us. We are shocked, devastated and frankly just too upset to write much now.  We weren’t blessed to know Zac as long as many of you have. In the short time we knew him he has touched our hearts and we grieve for his family. Please forgive us Zac and your family for doing a light-hearted post. We didn’t know. We love you…….for the rest of you, please click on Zac’s photo below and send your love and sympathy to his family.

Zac, we will miss you…

Thank you for bringing so much joy to all of our lives.

Run pain-free, you will always be with us

Barks and licks and love, 

Dakota and “Mom”

 

Friday Funny:Lipstick? Seriously?

Happy,  happy Friday all! It’s Dakota and I am here to tell you about an award I received from my buddy:

Click on the photo to visit his blog!!!!

 

 “Easy” from Easy Blog !!

The award I received was the:

 

 Gotta tell ya furiends this award really had me stumped.  LIPSTICK??? Seriously??

Leave it to the prankster Easy to give me an award about LIPSTICK!! Hey Easy, you may like wearing lipstick, but I’m a manly Sheltie and you won’t find that stuff on me! BOL! Gee, thanks for the award pal!!! NOT!!! BOL!

One of the requirements of this award is that I link to my lip-sticking wearing buddy (done!), and tell you something about me.  Since I am an obedience school drop-out, I have decided to  tell ya something about Mom instead!

You see one of the jokes among many in my house that pertain to Mom, is that Mom is OBSESSED with lipstick. YEP she is! Won’t be caught without it. She loves wearing it, buying it and finding lipstick that lasts so long that she could wear it the rest of her life if she had to.

Why is Mom so obsessed? Well, back when she was a pup of about 16 her own Mother  said that Mom’s lips were so light and thin that she must NEVER go without lipstick! Mom took the advice   warning  to heart and the obsession began!

Mom’s current favorite brand of lipstick is:

REVLON COLORSTAY:

Just part of Mom’s “stash” Click on the photo to visit Revlon’s website

Dad has a major pet peeve about Mom and her lipstick. He HATES that she touches it up at the table when at a restaurant. Mom says it is perfectly fine to do that, Dad says NO!! What do you think?

Ohhh about this award, if you would like it, grab it….and…nope, Revlon isn’t involved with this post AT ALL…this is Mom’s REAL lipstick. Believe me, if Revlon knew Mom they wouldn’t want to be associated with her! BOL!!

Barks and licks and love, 

Dakota

 

Sisterhood of the World Blogger’s Award

Mom is the proud recipient of the:

that she received from the wonderful blog:

Click on the photo to visit the blog!

From Long Life Cats & Dogs, “Long Life Cats and Dogs has been started, in order to introduce people to the lives of the people and animals in these shelters.  It is a regular news feed and, hopefully, a future means of assisting with the generation of funding and food for the Pro-Life, No-Kill Animal Welfare Shelters in and around Gauteng (South Africa).  These shelters provide permanent homes, love, food and medical attention for rescued animals for whom they are unable to find “forever” homes.”

Here are the rules when accepting this award:

• Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.—check!
• Share the love and link the person who nominated you—check!
• Tell 7 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 7 other fabulous bloggers.
• Link your nominees to this post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

Since this is a “girly” award and my Mom is a “girly” I decided to tell you seven things about her!

1) Mom’s  Grandfather was from Johannesburg, S.Africa. When I met “Long Life Cats & Dogs”, finding out they are from S.Africa was a special treat!

2) Places Mom has lived: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and now Michigan!

3)  Mom’s father, (Ray Osrin)  was an  Editorial Cartoonist at Ohio’s largest newspaper,  The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio who enjoyed world-wide notoriety (BEFORE the days of the Internet and blogs)  and was featured in TIME and Newsweek (to name a few)

4)  Mom is a “middle child” and oh yeah she suffers from “middle child syndrome”

5) Mom was a lifeguard and taught swimming, she was also on a summer swim team where she swam the 50-meter freestyle and various relays (Mom wasn’t quite as “fluffy” back in the day as she is now BOL).

6)  Speaking of  “fluffy” Mom collects cook books and loves to watch Rachael Ray, Bitchin Kitchen, Master Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, tons of shows on the Food Network and The Cooking Channel. Funny thing is, with the TONS of cook books that Mom has, where does she go to search for recipes? The Internet. Yep….she has brains…NOT!!

7)  When Mom was little and drew pictures in school, she had a unique way of “signing” her name on the back of the pictures. She would draw a TV and put HER NAME inside of the screen. Delusions of grandeur? Yep…I would say so. BOL!

We are supposed to pass this award on to 7 other fabulous bloggers. You know the drill. Mom is a rebel (and I can be too). We love ALL of you and want you to accept this award as YOURS!! We value, love and enjoy each and every one of you!!

What we DO have to say is:

Barks and licks and love, Dakota and “Mom”