Kobe wants to wish all the mom's a Happy Mother's Day today!
Kobe got his mom (me!) a nice card for Mother's Day. He really is the BEST ;)
Enjoy your day!
5/10/15
4/29/15
4/10/15
Flashback Friday
Today's Flashback Friday photo is when Kobe visited Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo a couple years ago. I remember my fiance's parents were in town visiting for the weekend, and we took Kobe for a long walk near the zoo. It was a crisp Spring day; May 2013.
We obviously couldn't make it inside the actual zoo :) BUT we managed to take some nice pictures in the pond / nature area close to the zoo.
Kobe is naturally very curious, so it was nice to shoot him looking at all the little animals that lived near this pond: ducks, geese, turtles and frogs, to name a few.
Now that the weather has warmed up, we'll have to pay the area another visit!
We obviously couldn't make it inside the actual zoo :) BUT we managed to take some nice pictures in the pond / nature area close to the zoo.
Kobe is naturally very curious, so it was nice to shoot him looking at all the little animals that lived near this pond: ducks, geese, turtles and frogs, to name a few.
Now that the weather has warmed up, we'll have to pay the area another visit!
4/8/15
4/5/15
Happy Easter
For those who celebrate Easter: wishing you all a very Happy Easter!
I love this picture for a couple reasons.
1.) The picture was taken from our downtown apartment & it shows a [somewhat] nice view of a partial Chicago skyline.
2.) I recently bought Kobe a new toy bunny [whom we named Roger] and he loves him! [Or maybe he just really enjoys his chewable floppy bunny ears], but either way, he loves him :-)!
I love this picture for a couple reasons.
1.) The picture was taken from our downtown apartment & it shows a [somewhat] nice view of a partial Chicago skyline.
2.) I recently bought Kobe a new toy bunny [whom we named Roger] and he loves him! [Or maybe he just really enjoys his chewable floppy bunny ears], but either way, he loves him :-)!
3/27/15
Flashback Friday
Today's Flashback Friday photo was when we lived in Chicago's Lakeshore East Neighborhood a couple years ago. We went to their dog park on a daily basis, usually between 2-3 times, since Kobe loved going there so much. He had a small group of dog friends he'd play with, and they were usually on the same schedule as Kobe was, so we'd run into them almost every time we'd swing by.
We once brought Kobe's favorite toy ball into the park with us, and that was a huge mistake!
Kobe became SO overprotective over his ball; he wouldn't let anyone play with it, and whoever came near it, he'd growl at. (Human or dog!)
Eventually we learned our lesson to discontinue bringing his ball with us to the park because we didn't want Kobe starting fights with anyone!
Has that ever happened to anyone else?
We once brought Kobe's favorite toy ball into the park with us, and that was a huge mistake!
Kobe became SO overprotective over his ball; he wouldn't let anyone play with it, and whoever came near it, he'd growl at. (Human or dog!)
Eventually we learned our lesson to discontinue bringing his ball with us to the park because we didn't want Kobe starting fights with anyone!
Has that ever happened to anyone else?
3/25/15
3/24/15
Snowy Start to Spring
Spring was officially here 4 days ago, yet you wouldn't know that if you lived here in Chicago ;)
I took Kobe for a walk over my lunch break, only to be reminded of the fact that winter isn't ready to leave!
Hopefully this latest snowfall is the last before we dive into warmer weathers!
3/23/15
March Madness Doggy Social Event
We took Kobe to a fun March Madness doggy event in Chicago's West Loop Neighborhood yesterday.
Chicago Party Animals is a social event venue, where the owners host various events, including dog-friendly meet-ups. I've taken Kobe to Chicago Party Animals for dog socialization events and dog training sessions. It's the perfect place to go in the wintertime, when temps are too cold to be out for long. Anyone who lives in colder region areas knows exactly what I mean! We're fortunate enough to have an indoor place we can take our pups in the wintertime.
Kobe had fun exploring the familiar space again. He met a couple new friends & reconnected with some old ones. Socialization events like these are especially important since I've noticed Kobe's (slight) lack of socialization as he's gotten older. When he was a puppy, he was super rambunctious and all over the place. He'd greet any dog with such enthusiasm; he was a happy-go-lucky kind of puppy. Then I began to notice he'd trot around doing his own thing at dog parks and socialization gatherings. He's not a loner by any means, but he makes it clear that he likes his space, particularly with BIGGER dogs. Smaller dogs he's completely fine with; it's the bigger dogs he has issues with.
Luckily Chicago Party Animals meet-ups are set up for smaller dogs for one hour, then bigger dogs a separate hour. Kobe was out & about playing with many of the dogs. It was a really successful event! The NCAA games were being broadcast throughout the hour, so the basketball fans were also pleased :-)
Chicago Party Animals is a social event venue, where the owners host various events, including dog-friendly meet-ups. I've taken Kobe to Chicago Party Animals for dog socialization events and dog training sessions. It's the perfect place to go in the wintertime, when temps are too cold to be out for long. Anyone who lives in colder region areas knows exactly what I mean! We're fortunate enough to have an indoor place we can take our pups in the wintertime.
Kobe had fun exploring the familiar space again. He met a couple new friends & reconnected with some old ones. Socialization events like these are especially important since I've noticed Kobe's (slight) lack of socialization as he's gotten older. When he was a puppy, he was super rambunctious and all over the place. He'd greet any dog with such enthusiasm; he was a happy-go-lucky kind of puppy. Then I began to notice he'd trot around doing his own thing at dog parks and socialization gatherings. He's not a loner by any means, but he makes it clear that he likes his space, particularly with BIGGER dogs. Smaller dogs he's completely fine with; it's the bigger dogs he has issues with.
Luckily Chicago Party Animals meet-ups are set up for smaller dogs for one hour, then bigger dogs a separate hour. Kobe was out & about playing with many of the dogs. It was a really successful event! The NCAA games were being broadcast throughout the hour, so the basketball fans were also pleased :-)
1/7/15
1/3/15
Rainy Day in Chicago!
Today was the first day Chicago got hit with a decent amount of snow, but even so, it's still very light on the ground. Mid-morning it also began raining, so it's a rainy Saturday morning here & Kobe loves it so much, he's been napping all day!
1/2/15
Happy New Year!
In the midst of a wonderful holiday season, I wanted to wish everyone an incredibly prosperous, loving & happy 2015!
Kobe's holiday season consisted of his mom turning the big 3-0, hosting his first ever Christmas with his extended family, and traveling to Michigan for continued holiday celebrations!
He continues to be incredibly blessed with so much l o v e!
Kobe's holiday season consisted of his mom turning the big 3-0, hosting his first ever Christmas with his extended family, and traveling to Michigan for continued holiday celebrations!
He continues to be incredibly blessed with so much l o v e!
8/14/14
Kaptain Kobe!
We took Kobe out on a friend's boat over the summer, and he had such a fun time!
At one point on the cruise, everyone had to put on life jackets, and we couldn't forget about our Kaptain Kobe! :)))
8/13/14
Feed Your Best Friend Better!
I recently wrote about switching up Kobe's food to a Raw Diet, which he initially loved.
Recently, however, he's become very bored with it. We even switched up the different type of proteins, such as duck, geese, & fish, but he just wouldn't eat it. It's pretty transparent that Kobe is a picky eater: he refuses to eat dry kibble & other types of food we've put him on, so I decided to try something completely different!
I have to admit I've never been a fan of basic dog food. I've read about how it's made, and it sounds disgusting. I literally feel bad giving Kobe such bland food, yet I'm eating a healthy / tasty meal.
After a little research, I found this book on Amazon about cooking meals for your dog, using regular food. Of course you'd need to avoid certain foods, but for the most part, veggies & proteins are all allowed! I know it'd be a major effort on my end to cook for Kobe on a regular basis, but he is 100% totally WORTH every single minute spent making his meals.
I bought the book & am super excited to begin making some of the recipes for Kobe.
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Your-Best-Friend-Better/dp/1449409938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407964560&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+dog+food
We'll see how he likes it! Anyone else try something similar?
Recently, however, he's become very bored with it. We even switched up the different type of proteins, such as duck, geese, & fish, but he just wouldn't eat it. It's pretty transparent that Kobe is a picky eater: he refuses to eat dry kibble & other types of food we've put him on, so I decided to try something completely different!
I have to admit I've never been a fan of basic dog food. I've read about how it's made, and it sounds disgusting. I literally feel bad giving Kobe such bland food, yet I'm eating a healthy / tasty meal.
After a little research, I found this book on Amazon about cooking meals for your dog, using regular food. Of course you'd need to avoid certain foods, but for the most part, veggies & proteins are all allowed! I know it'd be a major effort on my end to cook for Kobe on a regular basis, but he is 100% totally WORTH every single minute spent making his meals.
I bought the book & am super excited to begin making some of the recipes for Kobe.
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Your-Best-Friend-Better/dp/1449409938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407964560&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+dog+food
We'll see how he likes it! Anyone else try something similar?
6/16/14
Happy Father's Day!
Hope you all had a great Father's Day!
Kobe enjoyed spending time with this "dad!"
4/18/14
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I think Kobe is still debating what his plans will be for the upcoming weekend...
4/17/14
Raw Diet!
We recently changed Kobe's diet to raw food, and I must say we are HUGE fans for multiple reasons.
Prior to raw food, we were feeding Kobe various brands of dry kibble (Fromm) and Dr. Harvey's fresh food for dogs. For awhile, Kobe really liked Dr. Harvey's, but then I could tell he got really bored with it. He stopped eating it altogether, so we went back to dry kibble, which I could tell he had NO appetite for. Who could blame him? Dry kibble probably tastes like cardboard, if you really think about it. We even tried adding wet canned food to his kibble, but it would upset his stomach.
After a couple recommendations, we decided to make the switch to raw food. It's been about a month, and this is the ONLY food that Kobe eats hungrily. When I set it down, he gobbles it right up. He just LOVES it. We're so happy we made the switch. We get the frozen patties in beef flavor, also surf & turf is a favorite of his.
Here are some helpful links I found online for anyone considering the switch in their pup's diet:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/raw-dog-food-dietary-concerns-benefits-and-risks
http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
*Do any of you feed your pup a raw diet? If so, what are your thoughts?
Prior to raw food, we were feeding Kobe various brands of dry kibble (Fromm) and Dr. Harvey's fresh food for dogs. For awhile, Kobe really liked Dr. Harvey's, but then I could tell he got really bored with it. He stopped eating it altogether, so we went back to dry kibble, which I could tell he had NO appetite for. Who could blame him? Dry kibble probably tastes like cardboard, if you really think about it. We even tried adding wet canned food to his kibble, but it would upset his stomach.
After a couple recommendations, we decided to make the switch to raw food. It's been about a month, and this is the ONLY food that Kobe eats hungrily. When I set it down, he gobbles it right up. He just LOVES it. We're so happy we made the switch. We get the frozen patties in beef flavor, also surf & turf is a favorite of his.
Here are some helpful links I found online for anyone considering the switch in their pup's diet:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/raw-dog-food-dietary-concerns-benefits-and-risks
http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html
*Do any of you feed your pup a raw diet? If so, what are your thoughts?
4/16/14
4/14/14
Playtime!
Hello fellow pet bloggers!
Springtime is upon us in Chicago, and the warm weather is (very slowly) making us forget about the brutal winter we just endured. It's definitely been a winter for the record books (literally!)
Kobe has been extra playful the last couple days, and I was able to capture one of these adorable moments on camera the other day.
Kobe's toys have a tendency to be ripped apart limb by limb within a matter of days of getting them.
This pic is a clear example, as he's chomping on a ripped leg that once belonged to a witch!
