Rocket's grumpy barkday

i don't know if it was because it was cloudy and rainy outside or rocket just didn't want to turn one, but he was in a grumpy mood yesterday.

yuki was uncharacteristically cheerful and made good on her promise she made last year, and totally made rocket's birthday all about herself.

rocket was suddenly fearful of his cake and yuki took that opportunity to eat as much as she could of both slices of cake.

when rocket decided it was 'safe' to eat, he ate what yuki had left on the plates and floor.

i guess i will see if their attitudes are different in august, when it's yuki's 2nd birthday. below is the super easy recipe for rocket's barkday cake.

barkday cake

ingredients:

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb lean ground pork

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup veggies (i used a organic frozen mix)

3/4 cup shredded cheese

1 egg

potatoes, that have been peeled, chopped and boiled. you will use this for the 'frosting'.

directions:

preheat oven to 350 f. grease a cake pan, i used two of the smallest cake pans i have.

using your hands, combine all of the above ingredients (except potatoes) in a bowl.

press meat evenly into prepared cake pans and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until completely cooked.

meanwhile, place your cooked potatoes in a potato ricer or similar device and mash into a bowl.

once the meat has cooled down, but is still warm, 'frost' the meat with the potatoes. basically you will use your hands to scoop up the potatoes and mold the 'frosting' on to the cake.

refrigerate unused portion, should be good for 2-3 days. i like mixing it in with their everyday kibble.

Happy 1st Birthday!

it's rocket's first birthday today and we will be celebrating it with a special cake. birthday celebration pictures will be up tomorrow! this year's birthday photo shoot was completely different from last year. this year, yuki was all for getting her picture taken. she didn't even care she had a party hat on, as long as she got her photoshoot treat. rocket, on the other hand, thought he was being punished. maybe they are a bit touchy when it's their own birthday and are sensitive to aging. ;)

looking back

 rocket's first birthday will be this wednesday and it's hard to imagine that he was once this tiny. rocket has been such a great influence on yuki, i'm so thankful he has become a part of our family. below is a list of a few things you may or may not know about rocket.

things you may not know about rocket:

1. he is such an alpha when around other dogs. he let's everyone dog know he is the boss. but around human's he is very submissive. yuki will have a staring contest with humans and will bark her demands. not rocket. he won't even look in your eyes for a second, he quickly looks away when human eye contact is made and he has not barked a demand to a human once.

2. speaking of barking, rocket it actually not that barky, at least for a schnauzer. the only time he really barks is at the birds outside and on our walks (can be controlled with treats). but around the home he is very quiet. when yuki and rocket welcome us home yuki has an excited bark, but not rocket he greets us with silence and a wagging tail.

3. rocket does not like yuki's 'unstable behavior'. whenever she is barking excitely at us when we come home, or when she's barking at a guest, rocket will correct her. when she starts barking, rocket will block the person she is barking at with his body, and either bite her mouth bitey face style or jump on her and push her out of the way. i will actually let rocket do this, because i find it quiets her a lot faster when rocket is telling her to be quiet.

4. rocket still thinks he's a tiny puppy. he likes jumping on us and also forcing his body to fit in small spaces that he cannot fit in.

5. rocket is really whiney. so much so i call him 'cry baby'. while he doesn't bark at us, he does actually whine, a lot.

faker

it's really hot outside. i know it, yuki knows, and so does rocket. but unlike yuki and i, rocket loves the sun. he loves it so much, when i tell them to come inside the house, he drops to the ground and will lie down on the grass and pretend to be asleep. i guess he figures he doesn't have to listen if he's 'sleeping', since it means he cant really hear me.

rocket after he's suddenly dropped to the ground.

oh, look. rocket's in a very deep sleep all of a sudden. this picture is the very next shot after the one above. it's amazing how still he is and how he can't even hear me. it must be because he's been sleeping for a while.

serenading schnauzers

it's been a while since i've posted video, but i had to share. i'm so lucky, yuki and rocket must really love me because they serenade me and the entire neighborhood every morning when i water my flowers.