Daisy, The Hunter-Gatherer…Or Should That Be Hoarder?

Daisy’s not one to keep a secret. If you don’t want anyone to know where you are in the house, don’t be in the same house with Daisy.

Because Daisy is a hunter-gatherer – once I settle into a spot, she hunts down all her toys and gathers them around wherever I am. If I move, she and her toys move there too.

You always know where I am, or at least where I’ve recently been. No secrets here.

This is part of my collection. Where I go, it goes. See me holding hands with my dinosaur, Bert?

My philosophy: Leave no toy behind!

Everything is good, just as long as we’re all together, right Mommy?

Sometimes I like to lie in the middle of my toy lineup and see if I can fool Mommy into thinking I’m a stuffed toy too!

Daisy Loves Herbert!

I fell behind with my blog visits this week – ACK!! Fortunately it’s all work related and nothing negative. Hopefully I can do more visiting today. 🙂 Meanwhile…

Even though Daisy had done some of her famous microsurgery on Herbert, the two of them are still thick as thieves.

We have no idea how this happened.

But once they’re together, there’s no separating them.

We’re settling in for the evening – you find your own place to relax.

And we sure don’t want to come between a dog and her snake!

You couldn’t come between us even if you wanted to…

I can’t say I understand how Herbert ended up riding Daisy like a horse, but that’s how I found them and I just had to take pictures!

We’re part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop!

Happy Birthday Daisy!!

Yep, it’s official – Daisy turned FIVE on Friday! Yes, it was Friday the 13th, but for us, it’s a good luck day because that’s the day that our little sweetie was born. 😀

Daisy the Furry Caterpillar at 2.6 months old.

Daisy got big “good morning” greetings, and she actually seemed extra excited, as if she knew it was a special day. She jumped higher, romped, and did little ram-like jumps over absolutely nothing. 😀

Daisy loves over-the-shoulder hugs!

We started celebrating early with an extra long morning excursion out and about, despite the muddy grounds.

Daffodils should be shooting up in our flower garden, but instead we just have a muddy pool.

We couldn’t wait to give her her present – she de-stuffed poor Pinkie last week, but she loved him so much that we got her Pinkie’s little brother, Baby Blue.

Meet Baby Blue, Pinky’s little brother and Daisy’s new favorite toy.

I love my Baby Blue!

Daisy didn’t let go of Baby Blue all day.

Since one of Daisy’s favorite things is paper bags, we put Baby Blue into a long paper bag, scrunched up the end, and turned her present-opening into a homemade “mental exercise” toy. She had a blast and it took her a little while to figure it out.

Daisy’s day was full of kisses, cuddles and mushies. I think she’s already looking forward to her next birthday!

Daisy gave lots of lovies too!

 

Daisy Performs Microsurgery

When Daisy was a puppy, she thought it was her official duty to unstuff stuffed plush toys. It took her all of 10-20 minutes on even the supposedly toughest of the lot. And there were a LOT.

Now that she’s four years old, she’s got a little more respect for soft toys and they can last for months. However, Daisy has developed a new skill – she’s become a microsurgeon.

Now this won’t hurt a bit…

She received her honorary title because where she used to cause total destruction, she now has targeted destruction with extremely minimal stuffing removal. How she chooses her targets, we don’t know, but clearly certain toys – and only certain toys – require very precise surgical skills. It’s almost like she just wants to see what’s inside, then leaves it there.

Evidently SpiderMan required some microsurgery to his arm

And Pinky obviously had an issue that Dr. Daisy the microsurgeon was able to correct.

But once in a while, major surgery is required, and Dr. Daisy steps up to the plate.

Pinky’s ears must have been problematic, because both needed removal by Dr. Daisy.

I’m happy to report that all surgically altered toys are still smiling and happy and seem to have suffered no ill side effects from Dr. Daisy’s medical talents. Whatever will she think of next??

We’re part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop!

Oh Herbert, We Hardly Knew Ye…..

Poor Herbert. He’s not half the snake he used to be. One night with Daisy and it was poor Herbert’s last hurrah.

Herbert had it all. Three LOUD, easy to activate squeakers and lots of fuzzies. It was love at first sight for Daisy….unfortunately for Herbert.

Herbert

Daisy and Herbert were inseparable.

Hello my new friend! Let’s see what you’re all about!

She poked his squeakers with her nose….

Poke – Squeak! Poke Poke – Squeak Squeak!

Rolled him around….

Hmmmm….interesting….

And then finally got down to business.

You’re miinnnne!

The next thing we knew, the squeakers that promised to continue squeaking even after being punctured were squeaking no more. In fact, they were rattling. Very appropriate for a snake, it’s true, but not for a squeaker toy!

Then we found the inevitable trail of evidence….

Endless trails of Herbert fuzzies told the whole sordid tale.

….and discovered that Herbert had given his all for love.

He’s still with us, bless his tenacious little heart, but he’s a silent friend now.

Herbert, post initiation. The rest of him looks much worse.

We’re part of the Monday Mischief blog hop!

Monday Mischief: The Packaging is Always More Fun

Daisy has discovered what kids have always known: that packaging is always more fun than whatever was in the package. And the holidays gave her many opportunities to have some fun!

Her mischief secret – get hold of that fascinating stuff before anyone’s the wiser.

Hey Mommy! Lookee what I found in that box!

Heehee I made a nest for myself!

Now let’s get to work on this bad boy….

What do you mean you need to put it in the garbage?! It’s MINE!

As they say, one man’s trash is another pup’s treasure! 😀

We’re part of the Monday Mischief Blog Hop! Follow the link to join the fun!

Monday Mischief: Havachon Beats Spiderman!

Yes, it’s true – little Daisy went up against Spiderman and knocked his stuffing out! Havachon style, of course….

Here he is before the battle:

I am Spiderman, fear my strength! Haha little Havachon, do your worst!

Can I Mommy? Can I do my worst? Pleeeeeeze? Just let me at him!

Daisy: I’ve got you now! You’re MINE! You’re no match for me!
Spiderman: uh ohhh……

Take one last look at him, Mommy – he’s going DOWN!

And here he is after half an hour with our little maniac:

…..owwweeee……

Poor Spiderman. He had it all – a squeaky head and a body that made enticing crunchy sounds. How can a Havachon resist?

Join in the Monday Mischief Blog Hop!

Monday Mischief Makers – We’re Famous!

Hey fellow Mischief Makers, guess what? Cracker Barrel has come out with a whole line of toys and ornaments in our honor:

Can you believe this?! Toys and ornaments made just for us Mischief Makers!

We discovered a whole line of toys, plushies, and ornaments being sold at Cracker Barrel exclusively in honor of cat and dog Mischief Makers – how cool is that?! We should each put one on our Christmas trees! 😀

Finally! Someone out there recognizes our Mischievous talents!

Happy Monday Mischief everyone! Grab the button below and join the blog hop! 🙂

The Effect of Dog Toys on Humans….

Haven’t we all experienced those freak-out moments when we unwittingly step on one of our pet’s toys and it scares the living daylights out of us?

Hehehe...I wonder how far she'll fly when she trips over my trap??

Stepping on Daisy’s bunched-up blanket in the dark is one of those things. It’s so soft, it makes me think I’m stepping on Daisy, which sends a major rush of adrenaline through my body, makes me do a crazy sort of twist-dance to get off it before I do any damage to her, then finally results in a major expletive explosion when I turn on the light and realize it was only the blanket, and Daisy is staring at me from across the room, quite entertained by the whole show.

And then there’s Daisy’s Nylabone, the toughest, hardest one they make for “extreme chewers”. Once Daisy starts in on it, it develops these tiny sharp bits all over it (not harmful to her, just painful to us) – beware the barefoot walker! This thing feels like hundreds of teeny-tiny spikes piercing the bottom of your foot, not to mention being thrown off balance by the awkwardness of its shape.

But one of my favorite stories was written up by my blogging buddy Mumsy and Chancy, who has been so terrorized by her dog’s one particular innocent-looking squeak toy that she saw fit to warn other dog owners about it! I laughed so hard at her post, I had to share it with you here. I’ve read it twice and it still tickles me! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 😀

Now, where can I put this to scare Mom and get the best laugh?

Eureka! We Have A Destructo-Pup-Proof Winner!

It’s true – there’s finally a toy that even Destructo Pup isn’t destroying!

Ladies and gentlemen – I present to you the Four Paws Rough and Rugged football! Daisy’s been playing with it for 4 days so far, and there’s not a scratch, gouge, or tooth mark on it!

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Daisy’s alter ego, Destructo Pup, this sweet  little character of ours has razor-sharp teeth and a steel jaw that have absolutely no mercy when it comes to toys. She’s decimated Kongs, Level 9 Tuffie Toys, and everything else we’ve put in her path.

She’s 15 pounds of pure Havachon Hell when it comes to toys (otherwise she’s a sweetheart!) and in less than a year, we’ve spent more money on toys than on dog food and treats combined. Nothing withstands her tenacity – Leave No Toy Unmauled is Daisy’s Motto No. 1.

BUT this football, advertised as “virtually indestructible”, withstood all of Daisy’s tests. In fact, when she couldn’t get a tooth-hold on the thing (after hours of trying), she stopped obsessing and now plays with it like a regular dog!

The football has jingly bells inside, so we always know where Daisy is (an added bonus!) when she’s playing with it, and she loves the sound it makes. Plus it rolls really well, so if she drops it while she’s running or walking, it gives her an automatic game of “fetch”!

Hmmm - finally a challenger I can respect!

Thank you Four Paws! We’ll be looking for more of your “virtually indestructible” toys! 😀

I love my new football almost as much as my family does! 😀