Niki enjoying the large Bumper Bed in Brick and Sunset (twill fabric).

I am always in search of products that my dogs will give Paws Up…and these beds do just that. I have been in search of comfortable dog beds….made in the USA and found a company that is here in the states….what really sold me was that so too are they a green company as are the beds affordable ($79.00-175.00 plus S&H). Did I mention all covers can easily be unzipped, removed for machine washing….the perfect dog bed!

So, coming soon to Paw Prints Store will be several of these wonderful beds.

The Bumper Beds come in nine colors that by mixing and matching you have up to 81 different combinations to choose from. The Tuckered out comes in two colors (plus a Premium which is in cow print….fun).

Roomy enough to share!

These beds are stuffed with 100% recycled intelliLoft …and they are very well made!

Rocky and Niki in the x-lg Tuckered Out Bed in the Beach Glass / Chocolate (made with reinforced Berber material).

Beach Glass/ Chocolate & Oatmeal/ Chocolate

Each bed is well made and is zippered so covers can be easily removed and machine washed! So “Paws Up” from my pack!!! Please know that if interested and you just cannot wait until listed in Paw Prints Store, just contact us and we will order one for you!

Paw Prints Studio does it’s best to support local small business’s and business’s located in the USA and actually stands behind their products beings sold as Made in the USA products.

I love creating the above sketch type portraits. Just a simple sketch on a colored background with a few highlights and the faint bit of coloring added here and there to the background. Always printed on art paper where splashes of oil pastel is added throughout making it a Mixed Media print!

Coming Soon…I have been asked enough times about creating sketches in Corel Painter, enough so I have decided to offer this as a class. New classes will be starting again in September. Check back for the dates and times of all classes.

Yesterday found me sitting on the floor grooming the dogs. I have a grooming table, however this pack of dogs….I am terrified Niki will fall off for she cannot stand for long periods of time, so to groom her I actually have her down and on her side…she is till so very sensitive through out her spine and hind legs and paws. I never taught Rocky to Hup onto the table for he has Pano (sore joints) and did not wanting him jumping off and I cannot lift him off the table. Gemma…well what can I say…the easiest to groom soI just do the same with her.

So, Niki the ckr mix has her face clean shaven with a #10 blade and body shaved with a # 7 blade, then paws, tail and ears are scissored with straight shears, the top of her head is trimmed with thinning shears. Then her nails are “sanded” with the dremel tool. The nails come out nice and smooth when doing it this way. If wanting to give that a try remember to introduce it to the dogs slowly…the noise, the vibration and very important to make sure they understand stay. Paw fur should be neat and trimmed…you can even put a little sock with whole cut out the toe end onto the dogs paw to protect the fur from getting caught on the rotating sander drum. Now, grooming Niki is time consuming for I need to take a lot of breaks, as does Niki. Since the dogs were not getting a bath following thier hair cuts their ears were cleaned with a home made ear cleaning solution and they are also flea combed (yippee….fleas are under control). Niki was given a good waterless bath, then sprayed with a mixture of vinegar, water, cedar wood, lavender and tea tree oil. For being such a good girl some Peanut Butter as a reward

I have three 7f blades that at the feel of them getting warm I swap for another, this way I do not have to use the spray to cool them down (I cannot handle the smell). Plus the fact we take several breaks everything stays pretty cool.

Then Rocky’s turn…good brushing. I do not remove the whiskers on his face….just a personal choice. The thinning shears are used on his ears, the inside of his ear flaps….all the fur near the ear going down on the side of his neck. Then his front legs….Rocky has a lot of “fuzzy hair” growth that is removed on the front of his legs with thinning shears then the backs are trimmed with straight shears. His rear legs….again a lot of fuzzy fur growing every where….thinning shears used….then rear feathering and tail. He is then told to down, over onto his side where the fur growing out between the pads of his paws is removed with a #10 blade. Then fur on top of the paw is brushed against the fur growth and the thinning shears is once again used to remove all of the fur….and he has allot of fur that grows fast like a weed. Once the paws are completed I also shave the fur in his groin area….followed up by some medicated powder. He is told to stand ears are checked and cleaned with the appropriate cleaner and he is brushed once again then sprayed with the vinegar, water, cedar wood, lavender and tea tree oil mixture. PB is given as a reward. Rocky is never ending for he has sooo much fur.

Gemma….easy, easy…easy. Good brushing, told to down over and nails are sanded. Placed in a stand and another good brushing, ears looked at and wiped clean and then she is sprayed with mixture PB is given as a reward.

All three are kept neat and trim, I will not be winning any grooming awards anytime soon. They are brushed just about on a daily basis….grooming takes place about every four to five weeks….I do try to sand their nail more often…about every two to three weeks.

All three will be bathed over the weekend then a quick going over with the comb and scissors.

Grooming Tools Used: Pin Brush, Greyhound Comb, Flea Comb, Straight Shears, Thinning Shears, Dremel Tool with Sander, Clipper, #7 F Blade, #10 Blade, Home made Ear Cleaning Solution, Ear Flush, Waterless Bath Spray, White Wash Cloths, Vinegar-Water-Cedar Wood Oil- Lavender Oil- Tea Tree Oil Spray, Gold Bond Medicated Powder

I have so many images of the wild life found in our yard, especially the raccoons  Several weeks ago our raccoon stopped visiting us…I am not happy about that for I tend to get attached and worry about them.  Going by the past years it seems normal that we would stop seeing them….only the short period early summer are they really out and about during the day….and this one was. Oh well, maybe she will visit again with us next year….or I will happen to catch a glimpse of her for her favorite trees are right behind my home.

Late yesterday I got to hang out with a few friends for a little while. Needed an image or two of Rusty so that I can paint him (Molly the Beagle is too cute to have not shared her with you… and she is one of Rusty’s best friends)….looking for that look that his favorite person adores. You all know the look…the one that just melts our hearts. Each of our furry friends have an expression or two that conveys just what they are thinking…or feeling. I know….so many believe it impossible that our furry friends can have such feelings as love, Oh but they Do!!!! I have shared my life with several wonderful furry friends, as have based my career around working along side these wonderful beings….I know this to be true

New class starting today at Paw Prints Studio. I opened the forum to the students yesterday and several have been busy making themselves comfortable, learning their way around. While class really did not start until today, I posted a little something about having everyone create a very quick self portrait (sketch) so that they could use it for this weeks avatars. While this course is about painting animals…this is a fun exercise to help everyone have a good time, laugh a little and just experiment and feel comfortable with the software, brushes and moving the pen around the tablet!

I posted a quick one of me….under 10 minutes…named a couple of the brushes used to create this very quick sketch and several took the challenge and ran with it. This was about having fun…no worries about it being good, bad….just play, experiment and fun with color and brushes. Thanks Cindy and Jeff, wonderful work! Looking forward to what the other students create

If your a student and would like to see your work on my blog all you have to do is e-mail me your permission to do so! Our next online Digitally Painting Animals course will be in Sept. Check back for the official date and time.