Merry Christmas to all!

All of us here at Bringing up Bella would like to wish you and yours a very happy Christmas. Thank you for following our adventures with the crazy dog. Here's to a bright and brilliant 2014!

'Twas the night before Christmas...

And Bella was wondering if she was going to be on Santa's naughty or nice list. What do you think?

Naughty?

Or nice?

Christmas card photo-shoot 2013 - The Outtakes

I'm afraid I don't have an abundance of outtakes to share this year. Bella's getting to be such a good model that the only real problem we have remaining in our photo-shoots is that I can't see worth a darn to focus the camera.

Still, this year's Christmas card photo-shoot was extra fun for a two reasons: 1) I got to trash the house (before putting it back together) and "blame" it on the dog and 2) Jan got to see just how good Bella is at modeling for me these days.

Usually Bella and I go off somewhere to do our photo sessions. I'm not sure why (probably the shock and horror at seeing what our living room looked like pre-dog) but Jan decided to hang around this time. I put him to work being 'the treat guy'. That definitely helped me out because it allowed me to get some shots of Bella where she's not looking right at me (a photography hazard of teaching the "look" command.)

When we wrapped the shoot and I was cleaning up, I overheard Jan cooing and coddling our little super model sounding rather amazed at just how good she was when asked to stay, look, and pose.

He was impressed and I was proud.

Still, I did find a few outtakes of Bella not looking her most lovely and elegant. Enjoy!

You're going to blame this mess on me, aren't you?
Yes, yes, that's very funny. Blame the dog. Har har har.

I can't see you.

Maybe if I look drunk you'll stop doing this to me.

Is this the pose you want, Daddy?
Am I doing it right?
Can I have that treat now?

Is that tree going to land on my head?

I'm not sure this one really qualifies as an outtake. Still, I wanted to include it because she's just
so. darn. cute.

Oh and for the record, yes, yes I did totally decorate the house and wrap Christmas presents in the middle of November only to trash everything and then put it all back together again. I don't know where I got the idea I had an abundance of free time that wouldn't be better served by doing something other than decorating the house multiple times and wrapping 'pretend' presents. (It actually was kind of fun though. :)

WW 71 - I got a duck

What'd you get?

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Hey friends, also, if you happened to miss it, my sister had to help her beautiful boy, Thor, cross the bridge this weekend. We are all very sad but I'm collecting comments to make a keepsake for her if you want to drop over and offer a word of condolence. Thanks.

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Christmas photo-shoot outtakes #2

Bella LOVED dressing up for her Christmas photo-shoot. Just look...

I was going to caption these but really, I think she speaks for herself. ;)

PeeS - In case you missed it, be sure to enter our Pawalla goody box giveaway that started yesterday!

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Christmas photo-shoot outtakes #1

She was trying so hard to be good...

Uh, Bella, the Santa hat is supposed to go on your head...

This had so much potential if only she'd kept the costume on.

Closer...

I admire her determination in trying to keep the hat from slipping off.

But she's just such a goof.

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'Tis the season

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post for this important announcement:

I need to take to a moment to share my appreciation for the truly good hearts and gentle souls of our blogging community. I am ever in awe of how much you people do and how quick you are to reach out to offer a kind word, a helping hand or simple gesture to brighten another's day.

1. First, I've been participating in the 2012 Blogville Christmas card exchange and have been so enjoying all the lovely cards and creativity from blog friends old and new.
   
   If I were the type to actually keep track of these things, I might have noticed that Bella has received 21 holiday greetings whereas Bella's mom and dad have received, as of this posting, exactly 1.
   
   Hrumph.
   
   
   
   
   
   




2. Next, we have joined in the fun of Something Wagging This Way Comes' Pet Blogger Gift Exchange. The 'gift' is simply to offer some social media love to the blogger with whom you've been randomly paired. A word of encouragement, a tweet of appreciation, a share on StumbleUpon or Facebook.
   
   
   
   Can I even tell you how lovely an idea I think this is?
   
   And then, on top of it just being a fabulous idea in theory, I got paired with a blogger who has left a real and tangible mark on Bella's life, not just the life of the blog - Kristine and Shiva from Rescued Insanity.
   
   I'll be writing a post specifically about how awesome I think they are but the long story short is that it was Kristine's blog and her efforts to reign in Shiva and all her anxiety that set us on the path of pursuing agility with Bella.
   
   Just knowing it was attainable is a gift they gave us which I will never be able to repay.






3. Finally, a little over a week ago, I received an email noting that our friends over at Roo's Doins had sent us a gift. Since I was part of the Christmas card exchange noted above and some of those cards were coming to us electronically, I'm embarrassed to say I didn't fully appreciate this gift right away.
   
   See, I thought Roo had sent us a Christmas card because they were on the Exchange list with us. It wasn't until I had time to stop and explore this weekend, after having finally signed and addressed all our Exchange envelopes, that I realized Roo wasn't participating in the Exchange.
   
   They had just sent us this gift out of the kindness of their hearts.
   
   And what they sent us was a Jacquie Lawson Alpine Advent Calendar.
   
   
   
   
   I admit it, I am a sucker for the holidays - I adore the music, the lights, the greenery and decorations, the holiday spirit and the hope for peace on earth.
   
   This advent calendar offers a new little activity every day from visiting the post office to see what new gifts and goodies have arrived to building a snowman and decorating your very own Christmas tree. It was such a sweet treat and so unexpected and every day I look forward to seeing what's next to come and think fondly of our friends at Roo's Doins who so graciously sent it to us.
   
   Your friendship is a gift beyond measure.

And on top of all of that there are the daily efforts everyone in this community puts in to getting around to each other's blog to tweet posts and share content on StumbleUpon and Facebook, leaving comments and helping bring fans and attention. Every day. (Even when some of us haven't been able to get out to your blogs in far too long.)

What a lovely community I stumbled into when I stepped into this role of 'pet blogger'. I really had no idea but I am ever so grateful.

I know that not all my readers celebrate Christmas so I wish you happiness in the season of holidays you do celebrate. Be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Winter Solstice, I hope you are surrounded by love, family and peace this holiday season. And if perhaps you aren't, know that if you're here, you are within our circle of care.

Thank you for sharing your time and your holidays with us.

One last thing: There is something about Blogville I am reminded of whenever I hear this:

"If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last

By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask."

Thank you for welcoming us into your cyber-family.

Bella really does love Christmas (video)

A little video 'evidence' that Bella really does love Christmas. (Or at least she loves the tasty treats waiting for her on Christmas morning!)

Merry Christmas one and all!

(Ooh, and 5 points to the first commenter to name the Christmas musical playing in the background. ;)

Bah humbug - a scared-y dog's view of the holidays

First, allow me to say, I LOVE the holidays. L.O.V.E. them. I love the traditions. I love the music. I love all the cookies and movies and lights. Hmmm, this is starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss thing so we'll just cut to the chase: I love Christmas.

Bella, on the other hand? Not so much.

Well, actually, she does love Christmas (See: video evidence here). What she doesn't love is all the company the holidays bring. And well-meaning animal lovers who want to pet her.

Four years

Bella is almost 4 years old and the only people who can reliably pet her are me, my husband Jan and my mom. My sister and my youngest nephew are about 50/50 and my oldest 2 nephews have to wait for the rare occasion when Bella is worn-down-to-the-bone exhausted for a chance to sit quietly next to her and get a snuggle in. (See: only existing photographic evidence of such below.)

This picture was almost 2 years in the making...

Bella doesn't want to make toys er, friends...

It's nothing against you, really. Even Bella's trainers, vets and behaviorist aren't immune. One trainer, that magical Sheila again, can usually coax Bella into a chin scratch but only when there's food involved. We are working with a few select friends and neighbors as well as her vets so someone will be able to handle her in case of emergency.

I wish for her sake and yours that it was different and I know some will not believe me so, on behalf of Bella and all the other shy and fearful dogs out there, and for those who feel they absolutely must pet the pretty dog's head, allow me to offer this advice:

Over head = bad.





Under chin = good.

• Don't try to pet the pretty dog's head! It will not happen. She will still, on occasion, duck away from me and Jan if we approach her from above. She's much more comfortable with an under the chin approach.
• Pay attention to what she's telling you. Bella is very (very, very, very, very, very) communicative. She will tell you how she's feeling with her body language. If she's ducking her head, leaning back, moving away or just averting her eyes, she's telling you she'd rather you not try to pet her. Don't.
• If she approaches you to sniff, let her. She's assessing your risk to her. Offer her the back of your hand to sniff, a loosely closed hand is best. This is not the time to try and pet her!
• If she thinks you're not hearing the messages she's sending you with her body language, she will actually try to speak to you. (Did I mention she's very (very, very, very, very, very) communicative?) It's okay to listen to her. She's scared and she's doing her level best to tell you that, so go ahead and let her have the treat. Drop it on the floor and end the game. She won that round. It's okay, really.
• Finally, if the barking doesn't work, Bella will leave the room. Please, for the love of all that is holy, let her leave. Bella is a dog. She's a fearful dog. If you remove her option of flight, well, there's only so many options left, right?

As her owners, Jan and I take our responsibility very (very, very, very, very, very) seriously. If we sense a situation getting out of control, we will leash her or remove her from the room. But we're trying to teach her that people = good things and we can't do that if every time company arrives, she gets thrown in another room.

Every person she meets in her life will teach her something. What do you want your lesson to be?

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To all who enter our home, we want everyone to be comfortable, including our dog. To help us achieve that for Bella permanently someday, we're asking for you to help us by following these few simple rules.

To our friends and neighbors who are working with us to help Bella overcome her fear of people, thank you! It takes guts to offer a piece of food to a 60 lb barking dog.

To my family who didn't sign up for this, has put up with the crazy dog and done everything right every time, including sometimes just treating her like a normal dog, I love you all so much.

To strangers on the street, yes, I know my dog sounds like Cujo. You shouldn't get so close to an unfamiliar dog.

And to all our friends in the blogosphere, we here at Bringing up Bella would like to wish you the happiest of holidays and all good fortune in the New Year.

Best,
Les