Friday Fix (2/15/2013) - Dreaming

By Christy Hess

If I had a million dollars, I would start up an indoor dog park here in the Denver metro area. If you or any of your friends would like to fund this venture, please contact me. But for now, that is just my dream.

Today I spent some time on Houzz.com - super fun website to see some really cool things for your home. There is a section for pets as well, and thought I would highlight some of my favorites. My comments are in red.

by Etsy

by Etsy

Wine Barrel Pet Bed by Wine Barrel Woodcraft - $92.00 » Can't think of a better way to use a winebarrel!

by Opulent Items

by Opulent Items

Tennis Bed - $300.00 » My border collies would love, love, love this bed!

by FRONTGATE

by FRONTGATE

Brown Metropolitan Double Pet Bed Dog Bed - $400.00 » This is better than the bunk bed that I bought for my son!

by FRONTGATE

by FRONTGATE

Dyson Vacuum Grooming Brush - Frontgate - $69.99 » I would recommend these people think of getting a different photo, this pup does not look very happy.

by Santa Monica Bay Lighting...

by Santa Monica Bay Lighting...

23025 Lucky, Pet Bed by uttermost - $415.80 » What company sells dog beds but doesn't even use a real dog in the photo to sell their product?

by FRONTGATE

by FRONTGATE

Sonoma Pet Feeder by Unleashed Life - Medium (16-3/4"W) - $99.50 » These are nicer than any dish I have in my home - wow what a bargin!

by FRONTGATE

by FRONTGATE

Umbrapet Portable Pop-up Dog Tent - Small (23-5/8" sq. x 26-3/8"H) Dog Crate - $129.50 » For you campers out there!

by La Lune Collection

by La Lune Collection

Rustic Dog Beds from La Lune Collection » I am going to get this when I purchase my mountain lodge!

by Wannekes

by Wannekes

Luxury Caravan Doghouse - EUR 950.00 » A trailer home for your dog, if I do the math right that is $1270!

by The Well Appointed House

by The Well Appointed House

Luxury Dog House: English Cottage for » Park that next to this luxury dog house and make it look real!

by La Lune Collection

by La Lune Collection

Rustic Dog Beds from La Lune Collection » When you have two dogs, of course the first thing you think to purchase is bunk beds - NOT!

by Rockstar Puppy

by Rockstar Puppy

Glam Limestone Dog House - $30,000.00 » Click on this link! It is a $30,000 dog house with an air conditioner and chandelier. People accuse me of spoiling my dogs!

by funnyfur.com

by funnyfur.com

Series 2 Double Raised Feeder - $118.00 » I don't own anything this nice for the people in my home, sigh!

Puppy Tweets - $9.45 » This was just the geek in me!!!! 

A. what is this woman doing in this photo? 

B. they send a tweet by interpreting your dogs movements! 

This I gotta see!

by Wind & Weather

by Wind & Weather

Hot Dog Feeder - $99.95 » This is just weird enough that I want one! Anyone else?

by Better Living Through Design

by Better Living Through Design

Mutt : dog dwelling - $750.00 » It looks like they just stacked some boards up and that this is going to fall down at any moment - hmm, let's call it modern art!

by Royal Shiva Floor Pillows and...

by Royal Shiva Floor Pillows and...

Pictures for submitting to Sundance and Gilt projects - $350.00 » This is truly a nice pillow!

by The Well Appointed House

by The Well Appointed House

Colonial Mansion Dog or Cat House - $6,160.00 » When I win the lottery, maybe I should consider a mansion for my dog, or maybe just get them a doggy door so they can share my mansion.

Enjoy your week. Check out this website and let me know what must have items you find on houzz.com.

Friday Fix (2/8/2013) - Around Town

By Christy Hess

Thank you for voting for the names of the 5Ks last week. Of the four suggestions Mutt Strut won by a landslide, but a suggestion for Ruff Start and Ready to Walk is also going to be brought back to the committee. Stay tuned for more details.

Spring is in the air...unless of course you live on the east coast, where Nemo is pound down snow. Here in Denver the weather is quite mild and I am looking forward to Spring when I can take the dogs for our nightly walk.

I have lived in Colorado all of my life, and often times I overlook new places because I am always headed to the same place all of the time. To get out of that rut, I download a couple of apps on my IPhone (also available for Android) to find new things to do with my dogs.

The first app is called Dog Friendly Mobile, it is great for travelers, telling dog friendly hotels, highways and rest stops, but not what I wanted.

The second app is called Dog Friendly. I put in my zip code and it immediately came back with dog friendly hotels/motels, but also dog parks & beaches and campgrounds. These are places that are just a few miles away from my house that I never even knew existed. The mileage is a bit off, but it definitely gives me some new places to check out with my dogs!

Please let me know what your favorite application is for your pup?

We have some really cute puppies this week, and I have a couple of bloopers that I pulled out that didn't make it on the website, but were just too cute!

Whoops - my eyes are closed.

Big head...tiny body.

Where does the tiger end and the dog begin? Perfect angle!

I seeeeeeee you!

Aw please, aren't I cute enough without having to use the stupid props?

Wink, wink!

I am soooo tired!

Happy Valentines Day!

I looooovvveeee you!

This one was active, but so sweet!

The shame of having your picture taken in a basket!

Hope you have a fabulous week and Happpy Valentines Days!

Friday Fix (2/1/2013) - Alumni

By Christy Hess

One of my favorite things is seeing the before and after pictures that our adopters send in. I love to see how much the puppies change!!!

Even better I would love to meet these dogs in person. This week we started planning the Alumni Reunion. We are hoping that our previous adopters will join us! As soon as we have a date and details, I will make sure to get the word out.

In the mean time, I have a serious question:

What should we call our Colorado Puppy Rescue Walk/Fundraiser?

Feel free to add a comment if you have a different suggestion, I would love to hear your ideas.

This week we only have a few puppies, but what a great set of puppies they are - little ones, big ones and cute ones in between. Check out some of their pics.

I am just over a pound!

I believe I can fly......

Just for fun, here are a few of the bloopers from this group of pups!

Hmmmm.....

Here kitty, kitty, kitty!

"¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!"

Too scared to look at the lights!

Did you know there is a lion.....right here?

Neither one of them looked very happy in this pic!

Hope you enjoy, have a great weekend and please, please, please vote for your favorite puppy rescue walk name.

Friday Fix (1/25/2013) - Launcher

By Christy Hess

I have two ball crazy border collies. Brody would sell his soul if someone would just throw the ball!!!!

I have seen the video of the Jerry and his ball launcher. If you haven't seen it, check it out here on YouTube. I tried to get my brother to make a dog ball launcher for me, but he refused. So today I was playing around on the internet and found www.godoggoinc.com. I am going turn in my coin jar and get this for my dogs - hope to post my own videos here shortly, for now, here are some other dogs enjoying this new gadget!

So, this is what I want and if anyone is adopting a puppy from us, they might consider getting one of these for themselves.

Also wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from this week.

Hope you have a great week!

Friday Fix (1/11/2013) - Photos

By Christy Hess

In case you haven’t seen my previous blogs, I LOVE working with our puppy photos. I finally caught up on our pictures from our previous adopters (alum) and our before and after books. These photos are just so much fun to look at; I must say the best and most interesting looking dogs come from Colorado Puppy Rescue. So check out our current photo albums here.

The last couple of years I have been helping with the website. Our criterion for puppy photos on the website is to have at least one good full body photo (to give potential adopters an idea of size and coloring) and one good close-up of the face.

I am not sure how many people have followed our website over the years, but I can tell you first hand, that the photos that we have posted to our website the last two years are consistently better than photos from any other rescue that I have seen. The bar has been set.

The past year I have helped with taking photos. Intake is so busy, that there is no time for touch-ups to photos, just crop and go. I am a beginner photographer at best, and although all puppies are adorable subjects, capturing that in photos is an art that I am still learning. Puppies move FAST!!!!!

I try to take 10-30 photos per puppy – hoping to get 2-4 that show our adorable puppies at their best within about a 5 minute time frame. There is an art to setting up for puppy photos, then being able to get out of the photo. I have been so lucky to have some fabulous photo assistants.

I am sure that people who watch a photo session crack up. Not only are we trying pose the puppy and snap as many photos as possible, but we are also making all kinds of weird noises and holding up toys to try to get the ears perks and the puppy looking straight into the camera.

So as you look at our website and see all of the adorable pictures of our available puppies week after week, I just wanted to share that it takes a lot to get there. Here are some of the photos that didn't quite make the cut.

Peek-a-boo

Nope - not gonna look!

Ohhhh - what's that?

Whoops - hands.

Curious puppy!

Framing of the photo is important too.

Focus

They just move so fast.

This is an adorable photo, if only I could see the face

Maybe they will go away if I don't look.

Got an itch!

This doesn't count as a full body photo.

Let me get closer to you!

We get a ton of these that would make great T-Shirts.

When a puppy has to go, they have to go!

Awww - shy!

Ummm - are you done yet? 

What is that WAAAYYYY up there?

Thank you to everyone who takes photos and assists with photos – you make finding homes for our puppies effortless. Thanks to Colorado Puppy Rescue for supply great props for the photos.