Located in the Fairmount Neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, and set in a 19th century firehouse, Jack’s Firehouse is definitely worth a visit! Jack’s Firehouse is located directly across from Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue.
Margarita
Margarita
Even though we sat at the dog-friendly outdoor seating area, Brian and I each took a moment to explore the inside of this unique establishment. Most of the original mahogany interior, wooden plank flooring, and yes, even the brass fire pole are still intact! There is also a racing shell suspended over top the bar.
What great history this place has! The fire company that originally occupied Jack’s was Truck A, now referred to as Ladder Company 1 and located on Parish Street in Philadelphia. Truck A was the first paid Philadelphia Fire Department in 1871.
We enjoyed a glass of wine and ordered the Calamari with Hot Pepper Chips, Carrots, and Hot Lava – and it was absolutely amazing! We enjoyed being able to take in the historic, yet sometimes eerie views of Eastern State Penitentiary.
Located in the Fairmount Neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA on Fairmount Avenue, Urban Saloon has outdoor seating, is dog-friendly (they even bring our a bowl of water for your pup!) and is situated directly across from Eastern State Penitentiary.
Margarita visited here in 2019
Margarita
Margarita
Cello was here on April 27, 2014!
Limoncello
Limoncello
“Not a worry in the world, a PBR on the way – Life is good today. Life is good today.” ~ Zac Brown Band
It was exciting, yet eerie to enjoy a glass of wine at their outdoor seating area while gazing at the historic Eastern State Penitentiary.
As the start of our 2018 Dock Diving season quickly approaches, we wanted to share the following with our family, friends and followers:
After some recent testing, Limoncello was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (a heart disease that causes dilation and poor contractility of the heart muscle). It was also discovered that Cello also has two leaky heart valves. After a long and difficult discussion with our veterinarian, it was determined that the best choice for Cello at this time is to retire her from dock diving.
Although we are disappointed that Cello’s dock diving career has come to an end, we are focusing our energy on celebrating her dock diving journey and how it has positively impacted our lives: her many notable accomplishments, the abundance of joy it has brought us, the amazing people we have met, the incredible dogs we have seen, the spectacular places we have visited, and the unforgettable memories we will continue to cherish. …We have SO MUCH to be grateful for because of Cello!
Without Cello on the dock this year, it will be an emotional dock diving season for sure. However, we are so thankful that because of the knowledge, expertise, and advice of Cello’s veterinarian and cardiologist, we were made aware of her condition before the season began. We are also looking at this unfortunate news as a positive opportunity to explore less intense bonding activities with Cello such as Barn Hunt, Nose Work, and Rally. We fondly anticipate learning new things, setting new goals, overcoming new challenges, traveling to new places, meeting more wonderful people, and building additional priceless memories. But above of all – we look forward to the many years of love and companionship we will treasure with Cello.
Even if we don’t understand why at this point, we are firm believers in “change is good” and “all things happen for a reason.” We are hopeful and eager to discover what new adventures will be had as Cello once again broadens our path. However, if Cello decides that in her early retirement she’d rather just relax, we welcome that change-of-pace as well.
Hooch and Lager will still be on the dock this year. We look forward to seeing our dock diving family this season.
The Dock Diving Diva’s Personal Bests:
•Big Air (on camera): 25’0”
•Extreme Vertical: 5’6”
•Speed Retrieve: 7.371 seconds
•Iron Dog: 2869.62 points *2016 DockDogs #1 Warrior Iron Dog in the World
National Limerick Day is celebrated annually on May 12, and celebrates the birthday of English artist, illustrator, author and poet Edward Lear, known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and limericks.
National Limerick Day also celebrates the limerick poem. Limerick poems were popularized by Edward Lear’s book “Book of Nonsense.”
A limerick is a very short, humorous, nonsense poem. A limerick has five lines. The first two lines rhyme with the fifth line and the third and fourth line rhyme together.
Here is an example:
THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY By Edward Lear
There was a Young Lady whose chin Resembled the point of a pin; So she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp, And played several tunes with her chin.
Here at Cello’s Corner we thought it would be fun to try and create a Limerick about Limoncello. So on May 12, I did my best on writing my first Limerick:
Both Limoncello and Margarita did very well this weekend! Both gals ran 2 Novice runs, and both secured one qualifying Novice score toward their Novice title. The Novice level requires the dogs to find the tube containing the rat, complete a tunnel, and have all-fours up on a hay bale (in no particular order) within two minutes. Cello and Rita will need two more qualifying scores to earn their Novice title.
Margarita
Instinct Run: Qualified! 13.53 seconds (new Personal Best!)
*For those of you wondering why we participated at the Instinct level when Rita is already titled at this level, you are allowed to still do an Instinct run to get your pup warmed up as long as the dog has not titled in Novice.
Novice Run 1:Qualified! 1:44.71 seconds
Novice Run 2:Rita completed the tunnel, and before she could attempt the hay bale climb, Jenny jumped-the-gun and called the wrong
location of the rat.
Rita’s First Qualifying Novice Score Ribbon!
Limoncello
Instinct Run: Brian called the wrong location of the rat.
*For those of you wondering why we participated at the Instinct level when Cello is already titled at this level, you are allowed to still do an Instinct run to get your pup warmed up as long as the dog has not titled in Novice.
Novice Run 1: Qualified! 1:50.82 seconds
Novice Run 2:Cello executed the tunnel and the hay bale climb, but Brian called the wrong location of the rat.
Brian and Cello in Novice Run 2:
Cello’s First Qualifying Novice Score Ribbon!
Overall, we had a fun day, and enjoyed Barn Hunt with our two little gals!
THE LIVER KILLERS 2015 DOCK DIVING SEASON IN REVIEW!
The dock diving season technically ends in mid-October, with the World Championships being held in November. We have officially completed our season, and what a season we had!
Cello had and absolutely incredible season, earning an invite to the World Championships in every discipline possible!
We thought Hooch would never jump – not only did he jump – he entertained everyone with the “Hoochie Hop” – -but only for a short time as he soared to over 24 feet in just 6 months of diving at a mere 1 year old! Hooch also ranked #1 German Shorthaired Pointer for Big Air in the United States, and 2nd GSP in the WORLD – by less than an inch!
Lager came in to our lives unexpectedly, and without any training, and jumped like a boss, earning an invitation to the World Championships after participating in just 2 national events!
Limoncello was offered a sponsorship from TurboPUP.
Cello and Hooch made the front page of the top local newspapers
News teams came to our house to do features on Cello, Hooch, and Lager – and they all made the top TV news channels with their stories.
Cello and Hooch had a story published in a world-wide published magazine.
Lager had a story published in a local magazine.
TOMMY D’s LIMONCELLO
Brian’s main goal this season was to earn an invitation to the World Championship with Cello in Warrior Division Iron Dog (a combined averaged score of Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve). Not only did Brian and Cello achieve this goal, they did so very early in the season at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia during the month of May!
Little did we know that was just the beginning of Cello’s road to Worlds! Brian and Cello went on to earn an invite in Speed Retrieve (also earned at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia)
But that’s not where Cello’s invites ended! She earned an invite for Dueling Dogs, after participating in that discipline for the first time ever at the Mid Atlantic Regionals, held at Shipps Corner Pet Spa in Virginia Beach.
At the end of the season, we found out her rankings from sanctioned facility events also earned her an invite in Extreme Vertical, as well as Big Air!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
5th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Master Titled
23′ 3″ average
SPEED RETRIEVE:
2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Express Titled
7.964 average
EXTREME VERTICAL:
4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Cadet Titled
5′ 2″ average
IRON DOG:
2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Warrior Titled
2754.67 average
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Master Titled
22’3″ average
SPEED RETRIEVE:
2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Express Titled
7.964 average
EXTREME VERTICAL:
4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Cadet Titled
5’2″ average
IRON DOG:
#1 ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Warrior Titled
2754.67 average
Cello ended the season with an injury. While competing at the indoor event at the Pittsburgh Pet Expo in Pittsburgh, PA, Cello slipped on the wet floor, and strained muscles in her neck and front leg. Unfortunately this meant pain meds and lots of rest during the 2 weeks leading up to Worlds. We are hopeful that she will be be back to 100% for the World Championship competition.
Windy Spot’s Homemade Hooch
As a puppy, Hooch wanted NOTHING to do with water of any sort. He slowly began to realize water wasn’t so bad, and cautiously went into our lake and into a baby pool. The weather quickly became what was to be the coldest, snowiest winter we’ve ever had, and access to water became difficult. We took Hooch to some indoor pools, were he felt comfortable jumping in at the water’s edge. However, when he found himself up on a regulation dock, which sits 2 feet above the water, Hooch gave dock diving a second thought. Hooch kicked off his dock diving career in January being very hesitant on the dock. He would run down the dock, get to the edge and “teeter” for a long while – sometimes not jumping and timing-out, and other times projecting himself off the edge of the dock as if he had springs in his back legs, only landing a few feet into the water! He quickly became a crowd favorite with his “Hoochie Hop,” as the crowd waited in anticipation to see if he would POP off the dock…or not! By about April, he was “hopping” out to about 7-8 feet, still hesitating, and still choosing not to jump at times. By May we discovered that with Jenny running down the dock with him, Hooch would hesitate less. This technique got Hooch leaping up to 17 – 18 feet by the beginning of June. By mid June we had switched to the “Place and Send” method, bringing Hooch to the very back of the dock (Thank you Frank Moraff for forcing me to do this!!) With that change came great results. Hooch jumped 21 feet in mid-June, and by the end of June soared 23’8″ and earned his invitation to Worlds at 13 months old ! By July, Hooch jumped his current personal best, 24’2″, and also earned a second invitation to the World Championship for Cadet Division Extreme Vertical. In September, Hooch was nominated for “Most Improved” for the Golden Paw Awards, held at the Gala during The World Championship celebration, and was voted to be one of the finalists for the award.
Here is my absolute favorite video from this season: It captures Hooch’s progression from being fearful of water, to his 23+ ft jump that earned him his Big Air Invite to the World Championship!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Elite Titled
23′ 7.4 ” average
EXTREME VERTICAL:
2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Cadet Titled
5′ 10.7″ average
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
#1 ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Elite Titled
23′ 7.4 ” average
EXTREME VERTICAL:
4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Cadet Titled
5’2″ average
Brogan’s American Lager
Lager came home with us on August 23, apparently born to be a dock diver, not an Explosives Detection Canine! When the training company who had Lager (known then as Nayt) saw how much he loved the water, they contacted DockDogs in hopes to find a family who were familiar with the breed, had access to water for him to swim, and would promise to get him dock diving. Read the full story on how Lager became a part of our pack by clicking HERE! The first day Lager came home, he was exposed to water, and had no fear of the lake, or jumping off the dock. He had a perfect sit-stay, and seemed like he came to us with the Big Air discipline of dock diving mastered! In less than a week’s time, Lager also picked up on Extreme Vertical, easily grabbing the bumper on our home rig. Lager competed in just 2 national level events, and earned himself an invitation to the World Championships in Big Air!
OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
9th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Senior Titled
19′ 10.4″ average
UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:
BIG AIR:
7th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
Senior Titled
19′ 10.4″ average
GIVING BACK:
The Liver Killers are also happy to report that through their 2015 winnings, an abundance of food, toys, and supplies were donated to the Animal Orphanage of Voorhees, NJ, and over $1,100 was donated to the GSP Rescue of NJ!
When Custom Ink found out that The Liver Killers donate all their cash prizes to the GSP Rescue of NJ, they made a donation to the rescue in honor of Cello’s Corner and The Liver Killers! How cool is that?!
And of course, “pawtograph” cards – made by our friend, Mandy!
After the season our team has had, it won’t matter to us what happens at Worlds – we are beyond proud of all three of our pups- and overjoyed that we have the opportunity to share this experience as a family!
As we begin to pack for our big adventure, we continue to reflect back on the amazing season these pups had. We will cherish every memory – the highs and lows – the laughter and the tears – the (very) early mornings – the late nights watching EV under the lights – and the comradery shared with friends at events. We are truly blessed to be part of such a great community (humans and animals alike). Never have we met such a large group of the nicest people who not only strive to improve within their own team, but will at the same time stop and help other fellow competitors to enhance their game, and applaud fellow opponents just as enthusiastically as they cheer on their own dog. The patience, advice, support, and guidance we have received from friends, family, fellow competitors, and social media followers is overwhelming, and greatly appreciated. Thank you all for being part of this thrilling escapade with us. We look forward to writing the next chapter of this adventure together!
The Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show is one of our favorite competitions to attend. This event was the first DockDogs event in which Brian and Cello competed in 2013, when we met Annie, Matt, and Bailey from The Little GSP! Not only is it very close to our home, but the GSP Rescue of NJ also sets up a table here – and they are one of just many REALLY cool vendors at this large festival. We especially love that we can compete, and still volunteer the pups as donation dogs in between their jumps! This was also an especially thrilling event, because Lager won First Place in Senior Division Big Air finals! Another exciting part of this event, is that a friend and fellow GSP Rescue of NJ volunteer, Jen C. , as well as Jenny’s sister Dana, both jumped Cello… AND got medals!
Lager and Jenny with Lager’s 1st Place winnings
GSP Rescue Volunteer, Jen
Jenny’s sister, Dana and Cello with their 2nd Place medal
LIMONCELLO:
Big Air:
21’9″ 22’3″
Finals: 22’5 22’2″ 4th Place Elite
Jen C and Cello
Dana and Cello
Extreme Vertical:
5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet
Speed Retrieve:
7.972 seconds 5th Place Turbo
**FIRST PLACE WARRIOR IRON DOG!
HOOCH:
Big Air:
23’3″ 20’11” 2nd Place Elite
22’0″ 21’9″
22’2″ 22’5″
Finals: 22′ 7″ 23’4″ Third Place Elite
LAGER:
Big Air:
16′ 19’0″ 2nd Place Senior
18’6″ 18’11” 2nd Place Senior
18’2″ 18’6″ 1st Place Senior
Finals: 19’8″ 19’5″ 1st Place Senior
Extreme Vertical:
5’10” 1st Place Cadet
We were extremely proud of all 3 of our pups! They earned several awesome ribbons and medals!
The Liver Killers were pretty exhausted after performing so well, and slept in a Pointer Pile the whole way home!
Cello and Hooch are coo-coo for coconut, so I decided to try a new recipe that includes both coconut oil and coconut flour. These treats are organic and grain-free.
Coo-Coo for Coconut Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup broth (I make my own from boiling Bison meat from Whole Foods). If you do not make your own, be sure that the broth has no traces of onion or onion powder in it.
¼ cup organic coconut oil
¼ cup canned organic pumpkin (100% pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1⅓ cups organic tapioca flour
⅓ cup organic coconut flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons organic ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon organic fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line a baking sheet.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth and coconut oil to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the pumpkin.
In a large bowl, stir together the tapioca flour, coconut flour, sea salt, yeast, flaxseed and parsley. Pour the broth mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until no traces of dry ingredients remain (the dough will become stiff).
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, to about ¼-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes. I cut mine into 1-2 inch squares.
Transfer parchment paper with cut treats to the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, leave the treats in the oven and crack the oven door until they are cooled completely (this will help them dry out a bit, and make them crunchy). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the freezer to keep longer.
Whitecliff is an artisanal, family run winery fashioned by the current owners and founders from the ground up, in what was an empty field thirty years ago.
The view of the White Cliffs from the tasting room patio was magnificent!
Arriving at the winery, there was a driveway lined with artistically painted doors – really cool! This driveway leads you right through the heart of the vineyard.
They had a great list of wines to choose from here! The dogs were allowed in the tasting room – but with this view, who wants to sit INside?!
Check out the storm drain!
Currently, White Cliff Vineyard is one of the largest vineyards in the Hudson Valley, with over 20 varieties of grapes planted in their vineyard.
We enjoyed the wine, the dog-friendly atmosphere, and the view at this vineyard!
The wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail just keep getting cooler!
Adair Vineyards, located in New Paltz, New York, is housed in a 200+ year old barn, once occupied by cows and horses.
The winery has a stream running by with the Shawangunk Mountains in the background.
The winery also supports several animal related charities including:
Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary: a no-kill animal rescue, located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, This organization’s mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education.
The Sato Project: dedicated to rescuing abandoned & abused dogs from Puerto Rico. They have rescued and rehabilitated over 1,200 dogs, and are working towards systemic change through education and partnerships on the Island.
The tasting room and gift shop are located in the loft of the barn and the wine making area is below – and dogs are allowed inside!
We decided to do a wine tasting here, as this winery had many interesting wines to choose from!
The loft of the barn – the tasting room – was really neat!
Continuing along the Shawangunk Wine Trail, we came across Stoutridge Vineyard. This winery is located in Marlboro, New York, which is about 70 miles north of Manhattan, and located in the Hudson Valley.
Stoutridge Vineyards is built on the historical foundations of vineyards planted in the late 1700’s. The old winery’s foundation wall is all that remains of the historic structure. You can see it in the above picture, as it is now the beautiful front wall for the Stoutridge tasting room patio.
This is a very unique winery!
Many of the wines and spirits at Stoutridge are locally grown, and all are from New York State sourced fruits and grains. The winery is built into a hillside, and the wine cellars are underground. This establishment uses entirely solar generated electricity, and utilizes the heat off of their stills to heat the building in the winter through a radiant system built into the floor. How cool is that?!
Stoutridge is also what’s known as a “gravity winery,” meaning the never use pumps or filters in their wine making. In addition, they do minimal chemical processing to their wines. Stoutridge does not not “fine” their wines with gelatins, tannins or clays, doesn’t add water or sugar, or chemically adjust the acidity of their wines. They also do not add sulfites or sorbates to the wines after they are made. All of this means that the wines are pretty much unprocessed, and in a very natural state. All Stoutridge wines are sold exclusively at the winery, so that they can make their wines using less processing, and retain higher levels of naturally occurring antioxidants in the wines.
We enjoyed a glass of wine on the great tasting room patio with the pups, although the dogs were allowed inside the tasting room at Stoutridge.
The setting is a 37 acre estate that overlooks the historic Hudson River Valley. The grounds were stunning!
This winery had delicious wines, also was very dog friendly. The allowed Cello and Hooch to come inside to the tasting room – this was Hooch’s very first time INside of a winery’s tasting room!
The inside of the winery was really unique as well!
This winery was SO neat! So far, we are very much enjoying the Shawangunk Wine Trail!
Orange County Choppers (better known as “OCC”) is a world-famous custom motorcycle manufacturer located in Newburgh, NY, that has been the center of the hit TV reality series “American Chopper” aired on the Discovery Channel. Founder, Paul Teutul Sr., and his team custom-design and manufacture choppers. OCC bikes are customized, and often built around a theme. Check out some of their cool bikes by clicking HERE.
Cello and Hooch competed in a Wild Card event, called “Bark in the Park,” held at Bay Creek, in Cape Charles, VA. What a gorgeous and dog friendly community!!
We bought a new canopy – LOVE it!
CELLO:
Cello had an awesome weekend. What started out as an event to continue practicing, ended up with Cello taking first place in the Semi-Pro finals, and also setting a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve!
BIG AIR:
17′ 11″ 21′ 00″
20′ 08″ 20′ 03″
21′ 06″ 21″ 06″
21′ 05″ 22′ 05″FIRST PLACE SEMI-PRO FINALS!
SPEED RETRIEVE:
8.325 7.650 NEW PERSONAL BEST!
HOOCH
We entered Hooch in this competition specifically to see if we could get him an additional invitation to the World Championships in Extreme Vertical. Not only did he win First Place in Cadet EV and achieve an added invitation in Extreme Vertical, he jumped a new Personal Best (and on camera!!) of 24′ 2″ and made the PRO Finals (first time ever!)!!
BIG AIR:
24′ 2″ 22′ 5″
23′ 3″ 23′ 4″
23′ 0″ 22′ 11″
22′ 10″ 22’2″
23′ 6″ 23′ 9″ Fourth Place in Pro Finals – not bad considering it’s his first time!
EXTREME VERTICAL:
Starting Height: 5′ 4″
Ending Height: 5′ 10″ First Place Cadet (and an invitation to compete in the World Championships in Extreme Vertical!)
Jenny and Brian Beadling had no idea they were raising a prodigy.
Their German Shorthaired Pointer, Limoncello, never took to the sport her breed is known for—hunting—because she had a fear of guns. But she still had that GSP high drive, which she’d exert by jumping off the dock of the family’s lake house to retrieve toys they’d thrown in the water. “We began to notice at a very young age, she would jump off the dock just for fun—even with no toy being thrown for her,” Jenny Beadling says. So when the family saw a “dock diving” event for dogs at a local festival, they thought, “why not?”
And so, a star was born.
Limoncello (or Cello for short) came in second place in that first event and in the year and a half that followed, she’s become one of the highest-ranked dock-diving GSPs in the world.
Cello competes as an “Iron Dog,” meaning that she participates in all three dock-diving events, including Big Air (long jump), Extreme Vertical (high jump), and Speed Retrieve (timed retrieving). And this November, she’ll be one of the dogs representing the USA at the DockDogs World Championship in Dubuque, Iowa. She’s also inspired her little brother, Hooch, to try out the sport.
And like any pro athlete, Cello has earned endorsement deals. TurboPup selected Cello to be the ambassador for their human-grade meal-replacement bars for active dogs on the go. Her social media accounts have attracted tens of thousands of followers, and she’s been featured in multiple publications.
“With her vibrant personality, extreme speed, and stunning build, she is a crowd favorite,” says Beadling.
But she’s not in it for the fame and fortune. The Beadlings donate all the cash awards won by Cello and Hooch to the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue of NJ, and all of their food and toy prizes go to a local animal-welfare organization.
This event was more of a practice for Cello since she had already earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championships. Cello did get to try a new DockDogs event, called Dueling Dogs – it was lots of fun!
For Hooch, this was a chance to shine, and earn an invitation. Hooch not only earned himself an invite, he scored several new personal bests, and jumped right out of his division with one of the longest jumps of the weekend!
On the weekend of Hooch’s first birthday, The Liver Killers competed in a dock diving competition in Triadelphia, WV. This competition was held at Cabela’s. This was a very special event that we will never forget, because Limoncello won First Place in Warrior Iron Dog, and earned herinvitation to the DockDogs World Championship!
We camped out in Cabela’s parking lot for this event, which was very convenient for our times in between jumps.
Limoncello competed as an Iron Dog. Here are her results:
BIG AIR
21’3″ 22’3″
22’3″ 21’10’
21’10” 21’3″
EXTREME VERTICAL
5’0
SPEED RETRIEVE
8.206 8.728
IRON DOG
Total Points: 2739.11
HOOCH
Hooch did very well this weekend, but wound up with a limp after his last jump. We noticed this as we were lining up for Speed Retrieve. Thank goodness Dr. Yurko of K.E.Y. Animal Hospitalwas there to evaluate Hooch.
It seemed Hooch had a strained muscle, so we scratched him from the rest of the competition. Here are his results from his Big Air waves:
BIG AIR
14’7″ 15’9″
15’0 13’0
9’6″ 15’9″
14’6″ 15’3″
Overall, this was a SUPER fun (and apparently an exhausting) event!
While competing at the Cabela’s Presents Wildcard event in Triadelphia, WV, Limoncello won first place in Warrior Iron Dog, and earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championships! The World Championship event will be held in November, 2015, in Dubuque, Iowa.
Our good friends surprised us with the wonderful news!
Cello won a contest, and we are proud to announce that she is now helping to “share the light” with Charity Wick Candles!
Cello’s 16 oz Candle, “Red Hot Cello,” has the aroma of fresh-cut granny smith apples, smothered in butter and topped with cinnamon… YUM!
The candle is made with all natural, kosher 100% soy wax with a lead and zinc-free self trimming cotton wick. The burn time for this candle is approximately 150 hours.
All Charity Wick’s candles are produced from vegan friendly, kosher certified, soy beans grown in the USA. All candles are free of any dyes or coloring, and feature lead free, self trimming cotton wicks, as well as environmentally conscious fragrance oils.
Even more reasons to buy a Cello candle:
Lasts up to 50% longer
Burns slower and cooler which helps to better distribute the fragrance of the candle
Melted soy wax will not cause severe burns
Non-toxic
Less likely to trigger allergies
Clean up off of fabric and carpet with soap and water
Produces very little soot compared to paraffin wax based candles.
Made from American-grown soybeans, so it supports the U.S. economy instead of foreign oil conglomerates
Biodegradable
Manufactured here in the USA!
The positive attributes of Charity Wicks soy candles, combined with the fact that your purchase benefits the GSP Rescue of NJ, makes any
Shorthair Candle the best choice for any candle friendly household!
Cello’s best friend is Nemo, a 4 year old male Boykin Spaniel. Cello and Nemo have been buds since the first week they both came home with their humans! “Finding Nemo” was one of the best things that happened to Cello – as Nemo is the only dog Cello truly ever fully “accepted.” If you have ever seen these two together, you can really see just how alike they are – and just how much they truly enjoy each other. They have played, swam, had sleep-overs, camped, and of course dock-dived together!
Cello and Nemo lounging on the couch together:
Cello and Nemo “holding hands” while sleeping during their first sleep-over:
Nemo’s mom, Cindy, wrote a beautiful article on Nemo, which was published in the Boykin Spaniel Society Magazine, and included a mention of Cello.
The two pictures that were chosen for the magazine happen to be two pictures I took of Nemo and Cello at Nemo’s house.
The article is a wonderful read!
Although Nemo lives in our town, his mom, Cindy, has recently started a job in Michigan. Nemo and his parents travel back and forth from Michigan to NJ, and we are often away at dock diving events, so Cello and Nemo don’t get to see each other as often as they used to.
We wish we could gather more often, so we do try to get together whenever both families are home in NJ and have a free weekend!
We ended up at Nolde Forest State Park– a gorgeous sate park with more than 665 acres of beautiful woodlands.
What a beautiful place to hike! This area was acquired by Jacob Nolde in the early 1900s. As the story goes, a single white pine grew in a meadow. Inspired by this tree, Jacob Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. As the trees grew, they formed a this magnificent forest!
There was a pretty stream running through most of our hike.
Cello and Hooch were excited to be on this adventure!
Throughout the hike, there were many unique stone bridges and lined walkways.
This was Hooch’s first Pennsylvania hike – and first hike in the warmer weather. He was getting tired quickly, and began to stop in the shady areas for a breather!
At one point, in usual Hooch fashion, he decided he was “DONE!”
Belly rubs, anyone?
At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with the beauty of an early 1920’s mansion. In 1926, Hans Nolde, a son of Jacob, began work on the Tudor-style mansion that sits on the property. Today, visitors can tour the grounds as well as the inside of this mansion.
The garden area of the mansion was incredible!
Pennsylvania purchased the property in the late 1960s , and in 1970, Nolde Forest was established as the first environmental education center operated by the Bureau of State Parks. Now operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Bureau of State Parks, the park provides a wide variety of programs for students, teachers, and adult groups. Teaching stations offer places for students to work, and benches for those who wish to sit and enjoy nature.
The water views around the campground are gorgeous!
This was Hooch’s first-ever Easter! It was exciting to make his basket for the first time!
Cello’s Easter basket:
Easter morning – the Easter Bunny has arrived to the 5th Wheel with toys and treats!
Cello and Hooch had a great time opening their Easter baskets with the help of their Pop!
After Cello and Hooch opened their Easter baskets, they had an Easter egg hunt in the 5th Wheel! …see if you can find all the “hidden” eggs!
Yay! Hooch found his first bacon-filled Easter egg!
After each egg is found, the pup who found the egg gets the bacon inside of the egg – Hooch thought this was LOTS of fun, and waited patiently for his bacon reward!
Hooch enjoyed all his Easter treats and toys – and, of course, stole Cello’s bunny toy!
Overall, we had a great trip, and Hooch enjoyed his first-ever Easter!
This cute squirrel treat recipe was taken from Dog Treat Kitchen – I modified it a bit from the original recipe. I loved the look of the cookie, but wanted to make the treat grain free, and as organic as possible.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour (I used Arrowhead Mills brand)
1 cup organic almond flour
2 Tbsp organic ground flax
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 very ripe medium organic banana
2 Tbsp organic beef broth (I make my own – but be sure if you purchase to check that there is no form of onion listed in the ingredients!!)
1 Tbsp organic safflower or sunflower oil
Topping Ingredients:
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp organic honey
2 Tbsp finely chopped organic raw sunflower seeds
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F
In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, almond flour, flax and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the banana, then stir in the beef broth and oil until combined.
Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture.
Stir together until you reach a coarse crumby texture.
Knead the dough with your hand, in the bowl, until it forms a dough ball.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, or dust it with buckwheat flour so the dough will not stick.
Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, between two sheets of parchment paper (or dust top of dough with flour).
Transfer cut outs to baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn off the oven, and leave the treats inside while the oven cools.
Once completely cooled, apply the glaze and sunflower seed topping.
Topping Instructions:
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the water and honey.
Microwave on high for 5 to 10 seconds.
Stir together until the honey is completely dissolved.
Using a pastry brush, brush the honey glaze on the tail of the squirrel.
Press the tail into the finely chopped nuts.
Set aside, and let the glaze dry before serving to your dog.
These treats will stay fresh in the fridge for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Yield – Depending on the cookie cutter(s) you use, you’ll be able to get about 9, 1/2 inch thick squirrels. Using the squirrel cookie cutter I had, I got 9 squirrels, and used an acorn cookie cutter for the smaller, left over dough pieces. The yield will vary, depending on the size of dog treat cookie cutter(s) you use and how thick you roll the dough.
TIPS:
Rolling dog treat dough is so easy with parchment paper. If you don’t have it, you can to dust your work surface and rolling pin with buckwheat flour to keep it from sticking. You can line your baking sheets with parchment paper – or spray your baking sheet with non-stick spray before placing the cut outs onto it.
For some dough mixtures such as this one that may be a bit stickier, try filling a shallow dish or bowl with flour and dip the cutter into it before each cut. Then very gently wiggle the cutter back and forth to separate it from the rest of the dough.
I hope your pooch enjoys this treat as much as Cello has!
This hotel was very conveniently located right outside of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, where Winter Meltdown was being held.
This hotel offers several favorable amenities, including:
free wireless internet
fitness center
laundry facilities
indoor heated pool
complementary breakfast buffet
24-hour pantry with snacks, drinks, and other items
The room was clean, and the people were friendly. Our room had a king size bed, sitting area, and a full kitchen. Cello and Hooch made themselves right at home!
It’s hard to believe that it was last year (for this same dock diving event) that Cello stayed in a hotel for the very first time!
Next year we will definitely book a room in this hotel for the 2016 Winter Meltdown!
Cello had been going through a little bit of a slump, but during this event, she really seemed to be starting to get back on track! We were very proud of her!
Big Air Results:
22’6″ 22′
22’3″ 21’10”
23’3″ 21’9″ 2nd Place Elite Division
21’3″ 21’5″
Extreme Vertical Results:
5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet Divsion
Speed Retrieve Results:
17.128 10.968
Big Air Finals:
22’2″ 17’5″ 3rd Place Elite Division
Iron Dog Points: 2511.83 3rd Place Warrior Division
Hooch
Hooch is still a bit nervous to run and jump off the dock, but he loves to get the crowd going with his “Hoochie Hop” off the end of the dock!
What a fun and exciting Valentines Day weekend we had!
We took a 5.5 hour drive down to Hampton, Virginia, for Cello and Hooch to participate in the World of Pets Expo dock diving competition,”Lover’s Leap,” hosted by Tidewater DockDogs.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, there was a Pawentine’s Box decorating contest.
Before we left, I built our Pawentine’s Box. Here are the pictures after I built the box with foam board and a hot glue gun:
Here is the final product:
There were many other great Pawentine’s Boxes in the contest as well:
We made Pawentine cards to place in the other boxes:
Hooch and Cello received lots of really cute Pawentines in our box!
The dog treats above were homemade by our friend, Mandy. Check out her Face Book page – her cookies are AMAZING!
We won the contest!
Although Cello has not been performing up to her last season’s standards, she had a great weekend! Cello competed as an Iron Dog, and participated in all three events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve.
In Big Air, Cello’s longest jump of the weekend was 21’11.” She made the Elite Finals, and placed Third.
In Extreme Vertical, She reached a height of 5’4,” and placed Third overall in the Cadet Division.
Cello set a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve at 8.788 seconds:
…AND Cello placed FIRST in Iron Dog in the Warrior Division! Way to go, Cello!
Hooch also had a BIG weekend! He placed in every Big Air wave he jumped in, and earned his first First Place ribbon!
In just his second event ever, Hooch even made Novice Finals – and placed Second!
Hooch was once again, a crowd-pleaser, with his last-minute “pop” off the dock:
Hooch’s best jump of the weekend was 8’10”
While we were there, someone recognized Cello from our Instagram account — our friends, Cyndee and Lola – – How cool is THAT?!?!
This was a SUPER-fun event, and the best Valentine’s Day weekend ever!
Cello and Hooch hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!
This has been the third hotel we’ve stayed in since we’ve started practicing indoors for Hooch’s sake, and this is the third time we have gotten assigned to room 125 (which is also Brian’s extension at work – crazy, huh?!?!
It was such a great experience, as we had never stayed in a hotel that had a full kitchen, and provided kitchen necessities like plates, glasses, wine bottle opener, pots/pans, and had an eating area. Since it was freezing, and were weren’t going to be doing any sight-seeing, we very much enjoyed having these “extras.”
The hotel room was cleaner than clean!
The hotel offered grocery shopping free of charge, had all local take out menus on hand, and offered an included breakfast that was just as good as home-cookin’!
The staff could not have been more helpful during our stay.
We met several other people, all with four-legged children.
The sink area was separate from the main bathroom area, which made it nice while trying to get ready.
Cello and Hooch were very comfortable!
Overall, this was one of the best hotel experiences we have had, and would highly recommend staying here!
