Ethnic Scrapbooking

Portuguese Water Dog for the Obama's

The Sanford's have been praying for the Obama's to select a Portuguese Water Dog to take with them to the White House.  We too had allergy issues here, but frankly just couldn't find a breed that was big enough to handle to traffic in and out of our house without getting crushed to death.

Porties or PWD's are an excellent choice for the First Family.  We've had our Sierra Leone for over a year and she is an absolutely beautiful animal, perfect for girls who want to give a dog constant love.  The best thing about this...only the Obama's will appreciate this is that you use Black Hair Care products on them...NO LIE!

They love the water, their hair is silky to the touch, they are big enough that no one will step on them, yet small enough to cuddle at the foot of your bed.  Grandma will grow to love'em too.

Here are some shots of our Portuguese Water Dog, I understand all the shelter talk, but the bottom line is that the animal has to be the right fit for your family and your lifestyle.  Our dog travels everywhere with us.  For more tales of our Portie,CLICK HERE

 

 

Sierra loves to fetch the ball and love to ball of any kind, especially soccer.

 

As her name implies...she's a water dog.

Our Portuguese Water Dog turns ONE!

Our  Portuguese Water Dog, Sierra turned one years old last Tuesday.  She spent the whole day at the groomer, Animal Crackers in Laurel getting spiffed up.  The cut is too close, but was necessary because she was matted and long overdue for a clipping...that will never happen again.

The kids made little doggie treats to give out to the neighbohood dogs.  She's a lot of work, but we love her!

Memaw Makeover

Jerin and I watch "What Not to Wear" just about every Friday night.  We fantasize about being a mother/daughter makeover on the show.  Well Jerin got to makeover her Grandmother ("Memaw") during our vacation.  My mom picked out the clothes, but Jerin did everything else including scouting out the photo shoot location.  I think they both did a fabulous job.

Here's Jerin checking out her Memaw the day before the makeover.

Jerin did a fabulous job flat-ironing Memaw's super duper curly hair (her childhood nickname was curly).  It didn't last long though, the curls were right back the next morning.

Now the poses...that's all Memaw's doing.  But isn't Jerin's Photography fabulous!  Jerin really knows how to accesorize an outfit too!

Our Portuguese Water Dog, Sierra even got in on the action.  Fabulous photo shoot Jerin, you have real potential...now makeover ole' mom and dad too!

Links of Interest

Photography Tips over at Memory Makers

also see my new webpage of photography links located under Resources in my side bar.

Some great photos of Portuguese Water Dogs...we love our Portie.

Update on Sierra

A few of you have asked how our 7 month old Portuguese Water Dog is doing after quite an ordeal after being spayed.  She ingested something metal which did pass, thank goodness and she seems to be doing well after the Vet unkinked a portion of her intestines.  We are still on a raw food diet, but now a store bought brand by Nature's Variety.  After many a spent ducketts, she's all good now, very well behaved and big...she's 38lbs already...50 lbs is full grown.

She still gets car sick, we are open to any remedy suggestions.  Here she is:

Kids & Dogs

It is never a dull moment here at the Sanford's.  There is always drama here!  We could never survive the goings on here if Jesus wasn't in the midst of all of it.  Last week, we had an appointment to get the dog spayed.  Well I almost re-scheduled the surgery because someone needed to stay home with her the following day.  We stuck to our appointment, the Vet did the surgery and just as he was closing, blood came out through her nose.  He had to open her back up again and see what the problem was.  After an xray he found, something, maybe metal in her upper colon, which means we needed to pray that it passes through.  After raising six kids, never has anyone swallowed something that has put them in harms way.

We've been checking poop for days, haven't found any metal objects but quite a few hard plastic pieces from one of her chew toys.  It was such a stressful few days knowing our 6 month old puppy was in so much danger.  Jerin took the news the hardest, but she slept next to her crate all night and Sierra spent the whole night moving around her trying to find a comfy spot, as Joseph would say.

Folks say, OMGosh how do you do it...It's only because of our Faith that we can go through so many trials and tribulations in our daily lives...For those without Christ...my question is HOW DO YOU DO IT?  We cry, we pray and then watch God do his will.  Did I tell you, both of our hamsters died in the same week, the same week our Grandmother and favorite Aunt died too.  There's been a lot of talk about death around here, which really opened the door for discussions on life after death.

No...she's not a Poodle

The kids and I count everytime we go somewhere with the dog and someone asks, "Is that a Poodle?".  Her hair is a bit curly, but that's really where the similarity ends...at least to us.

We describe the Portuguese Water Dog breed like a "Poodle on steroids".  She'll grow to about 50lbs and she's thick and muscular.. a beautiful dog.  She's hard to photograph, because she's so hairy, but here's my latest attempt...can you make out her face LRY?

I think the side view of her muzzle distiguishes her from a Poodle.

Working Dog Class

A couple of Saturday's ago, I was getting ready in my Master bath when I heard chairs turning over and kids screaming at the top of their lungs.  I thought for sure that blood was involved.  I ran to the family room to see what was the matter.  There were all the kids gawking at the television at an AKC dog show...the working class division, where there was a Portuguese Water Dog.  Jerin had the camera in hand and was taking pictures of the television and the other kids were screaming with excitement because the dog came in third place...it was hysterical.  The overturned chairs was Jerin leashed to the dog trying to manuever in the kitchen with the dog in one hand and the camera in the other...too funny.

Territory Wars

With a new puppy in the house, there are quite a few territorial wars going on around here these days.

Joseph has relinquished the floor to Sierra and taken up life on top of the chairs.  Sierra, at every opportunity claims our pillow, blankets and now Tavien's Elmo chair which he is extremely possessive of since the day he received it.

When he wasn't looking this week, Sierra took a nap on it.  I didn't get a photo, because I needed two hands to break it up, but right after this shot, Tavien proceeded to dump her out of the chair and they both battled over who's butt was going to sit in it!  Tavien held his own and Sierra, sniffs around it, but she doesn't sit in it anymore.

 

Sierra, our Portie

Here are a few more pics of the new love in our lives.