Saying Goodbye, and a New Arrival

Saying goodbye to a dog is always hard, but this month has been especially difficult. Two weeks ago my husband and I made the decision to euthanize Remi, our Great Dane. He was only 7 ½ years old, but due to health issues he was in a lot of pain and could no longer walk, and we could not bear for him to suffer anymore. We adopted Remi when he was a year and a half old – he was my first dog, other than the family dogs I had growing up. He taught me a lot about dog behavior, and I went from being afraid of dogs to reading about them and starting to understand them to loving dogs. He endured all of my mistakes as I learned to train dogs and to manage a multi-dog household. He was a clown who loved to drink directly from the sink faucet and loved to de-stuff teddy bears. He won the Tallest Dog contest in a local pet parade, and yet was afraid to step over a ledge that was just two inches above the floor. He wouldn’t go through a doorway unless the door was all the way open, and he once pulled me face-down across the front lawn in order to meet some very nervous neighbors out walking their dog. He sounded ferocious but was a big baby, and yet I always felt completely safe with him by my side. In spite of the fact that he was a purebred Great Dane and weighed 160 pounds, people - both adults and children - would often ask if he was a Dalmatian.  I was always tempted to say yes, yes he is.  


I miss you, my Giant Dalmatian.

 A week after losing Remi, I was back at the vet’s office with Lee, the smallest of the Chihuahua puppies. Lee was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid inside the skull. There are a variety of causes but in his case it was most likely a congenital defect. Lee did not survive, and walking out of the vet’s office without him was so hard. I am glad that both of his littermates do not have any issues and are doing well, but I really miss him. 

Lee


I also said goodbye to Stella the deaf Lab mix this week, but that was under much happier circumstances since she was adopted into a wonderful family. Saying goodbye is not so hard when I know the dog is going to a wonderful home and I will get to see pictures and hear updates on her in the future.


Stella and her new family


I have also had a new arrival this week. Brittany is a two-year-old dog who came into rescue after being picked up as a pregnant stray. She went to a neonate rescue until her babies were weaned and now she’s been spayed and is ready to find her forever home. Brittany is a sweet girl who loves attention and loves to play with other dogs. She went to her first adoption event on Saturday and many people were drawn to her, so I am hoping that she will find her forever home very soon.


Brittany



Yard Work

We've had a lot of rain here, which means my grass keeps growing faster than I can keep up with it.  So this weekend I called in reinforcements.

"This grass is much too tall."

"And just look at all of these weeds!"

My dogs Noelle and Remi came to visit, and I had hoped they would help with the yard work while they were here.  However, Remi kept laying down on the job.

"Just taking a short break"

 And Noelle seemed too busy taking notes on the height of the grass to bother actually eating any grass.

"Much too tall over here, too."

In the end, I was disappointed to find that I'd have to do all the yard work myself.

We're Having A Party: Guest Post by Remi

Remi

Hi everyone, remember me?  I'm Remi the Great Dane. I don't get to be in my mom's blog much anymore since she moved out to the country.  She really likes to help homeless animals, so she bought a house where she would be allowed to have foster pets.  But my dad is still living at our old house, so Noelle and I stay with him. He doesn't ever take my picture so I don't get to be in the blog very often.  But today I have some really fun news to share, so I get to post even though there are no new pictures of me!


Some of my mom's blog friends read about her problems with the foster dogs escaping the fenced yard and being in danger of being shot by the neighbors.  My mom is real worried about that, and she says the only way to make sure the foster animals are safe is to put up a privacy fence.  Now I don't know why these foster dogs would want to leave the yard in the first place.  But you know, some of them come from shelters where they ended up as strays, because they had become experts at escaping their yards at their old house.   So maybe they just have bad habits that they need to give up.  But since running around the countryside is not such a good idea, mom has to put up a fence that will keep them in the yard.  She just hasn't found a new job yet so she's not sure how she's going to afford it.  This is where the really exciting thing takes place.  Those blog friends decided to have a fundraiser to help my mom pay for a fence to keep all the foster dogs safe.  When my mom heard that she couldn't believe it.  She was so shocked that they would do that, and that so many in the blogging community would want to help.  She is grateful beyond words, which is probably why she's letting me tell you this news instead of telling you herself.  So here's the deal - we're having a party!!

Jess and Glacier are organizing the event, and it is going to be great!  There are even rumors that Ziggy has volunteered to help staff the Kissing Booth!  You can read more about it here.  Thanks to Jess and everyone else who is helping to put this pawty together - you are wonderful!

Remi and Ziggy Meet the Neighbors

Yesterday evening I took Remi and Ziggy for a walk together. I felt this would be a good way to reintroduce them and let them get comfortable with each other again after their six weeks apart. We had a few strange looks from people as they drove by - I'm relatively sure they've never seen anyone actually walk their dogs on a leash on our dead-end gravel road. But I was glad they were on leashes when when we got to our neighbor's property, because otherwise, I'm quite sure that Ziggy would have been injured!

Ziggy and Remi walking down the street.

 Sadly, the neighbors do not like Ziggy.  They didn't exactly come right out and say so, but it was clear from the look in their eyes that they were not happy with him.  And although Ziggy was interested in the neighbors, he wasn't threatening toward them.  Remi, on the other hand, was acting very aggressive - barking and even lunging at them.  I think he felt safe because the neighbor's property is fenced, but there were a couple of times when Ziggy tried to go through the fence to get into the neighbor's yard.  All in all, I was a bit nervous about the entire situation.  The neighbors (I haven't yet learned their names) haven't done anything overtly aggressive, but from what little I could discern, they were clearly not happy that we were walking down the road.

Ziggy and Remi show a bit too much interest in the neighbors.



 Although I'm no expert on cows, I think this is definitely one unhappy neighbor.



Moo!

I'm thinking about baking some cookies to bring to them to help smooth over the situation. Do cows eat cookies? Maybe apples? Dog food? Someone help me out here - what can I do to make sure the cows forgive me for moving in next door with some very obnoxious dogs?

Introducing Missy: Small But Mighty

Missy is a ten month old Schipperke/Chihuahua mix that was an owner turn-in at a local shelter. The All Paws volunteer who pulled her took her home to foster and got her all ready to be adopted. But there was a problem. Missy may only weigh eight pounds, but in her mind, she's a Big Dog. And she didn't do well with the other small dog that was in her foster home. Because after all, as the Big Dog in the house, she was sure she would be in charge, and when the small dog didn't agree, there were issues. So it was suggested that perhaps she would be better off in a different foster home, where she could no longer beat up on tiny toy poodles. This is how I came to foster Missy.


It's pretty obvious around here that although Remi weighs over twenty times more than Missy, he is not in charge. Although to be fair, Missy is also not in charge. In our house, we have a hierarchial relationship that looks like this:

I think it's obvious from reading this chart that I am very good at wasting time that could be spent on more important things like fixing up the house. It's also obvious that I need to spend more time learning the definition of a hierarchial relationship.  But the point is that the size of the dog or cat does not matter in the least. Tigger is my newest foster cat, and he is in charge of Missy. Granted, Tigger is larger than Missy. But Missy is in charge of Remi, and she is definitely not larger than Remi.

Never mind that one swipe of his giant paw could flatten her.

Missy is fast - she can run circles around Remi!

One thing that both Missy and Remi have in common, is they both think that no matter their size, they are cuddly lap dogs. Whether you want to cuddle or not - if you sit on a couch in my house, you must be prepared for this:

My dad, wishing the dogs understood the concept of personal space.

Missy is turning out to be a perfect foster dog, and surprisingly, a great playmate for Noelle (when she visits) and Remi (when he manages to wake up from a nap).  She will probably be adopted quickly but I'm enjoying every minute I have with her.

Why My Pets Hate Me

It's a good thing dogs don't hold grudges. If they did, I'd be in big trouble. Last night was my first night at the new house. I took Remi with me, but my husband Dave won the coin toss for Noelle and she is staying with him at the old house. Okay, we didn't really toss a coin. We had a grown-up rational discussion, where nothing was decided, until I finally acknowledged it was his turn to win a fight so I gave in. She's always been his dog, since the moment they met. I still get visiting rights, but the only thing Noelle knows is that I've abandoned her. Fortunately, she's a pit bull - one of the most loyal breeds there is - and when I come visit her this evening, she's not going to hold a grudge. She'll instantly forgive me and shower me with kisses. Of course that'll make me feel even more awful when I leave her behind again.

But then I get to go home to Remi, who doesn't have a reason to be angry with me. Oh other than the fact that I took him away from his home and brought him to this strange house that he hates. Dave installed all new laminate flooring throughout the house, and it's very slick. Have you ever seen a giraffe trying to walk on ice? If you can imagine that, you can imagine Remi trying to walk on laminate floors. It's not a pretty sight. But Remi doesn't hold grudges, so it's safe for me to return home. I think. Even if he is angry, it's pretty easy to outrun him inside the house.

Tomorrow I get to go to an adoption event and the boot camp instructor dog rehabilitator is going to bring Ziggy by to see us. I am so excited and nervous. Because if any dog were ever to hold a grudge, I'd imagine it would be Ziggy. When I see him, I want to just bend down to his level and wave at him and say Hi Ziggy!! and then throw my arms around him and give him a big hug. Which of course is exactly the wrong thing to do. I didn't say I'll do it. But I really want to. Hopefully Ziggy is not holding a grudge for me sending him to boot camp. If he behaves himself I may even be able to take him home soon!

And then there's Merlin. Merlin has been living a life of contentment and luxury at my parents' house for several months. But I miss him, and my parents are not begging me to keep him, so I'm going to be bringing him to the new house in the next few days. And one thing that is different about cats and dogs - I think cats do hold a grudge. So Merlin may never speak to me again, after I bring him to the new house. At least the dogs won't be able to chase him very easily on the new flooring. With enough canned food and cat treats, I might even be able to convince him that life with me isn't so bad after all.

Have you ever done anything so awful that your pet held a grudge? Tell me your worst stories, and help me stop feeling so guilty for making all of my pets miserable!

Remi is a Guard Dog

Remi is my Great Dane. He lives for guarding. Even when given a comfy bed on the deck in order to nap, Remi feels it his his job to guard. Unfortunately in our subdivision there are a lot of things that Remi finds threatening and needs to warn off. Things like mothers pushing their babies in strollers down the sidewalk. And things like delivery trucks driving down the road. And things that I don't even notice and can't identify, but that must be threatening because Remi gives his best threatening bark.


 

He has one bark he uses when he perceives a threat, and a different bark he uses when he is hungry or wants to go outside, and a different bark he uses when he is playing. But the bark he likes the most is his threatening bark. Great Danes were at one time bred to be guard dogs, and Remi seems to have all of those guard dog traits. He has even been known to ignore bones tossed to him when he is in guard mode. This is bad because I can never have a petsitter come to the house since Remi won't let anyone in the house - even people he knows - unless Dave or I give our permission. But this is good because I'm going to be moving out to the country by myself, and Remi makes me feel completely safe. Well, Remi and my Colt .380 handgun. But mostly Remi, because he is a lot more effective at scaring away bad guys. He is the best guard dog I've ever had. Okay, fine, he's the only guard dog I've ever had. Other dogs are good at keeping intruders away because they look or sound scary, but they wouldn't really guard a home or a person. I have no interest in training a dog to be a guard dog, so the fact that Remi is a natural guard dog, with no training required, is going to come in handy when I'm living in the middle of nowhere with no close neighbors!

Do your dogs make you feel safe? Would they guard your house if you weren't home? Would they be distracted from guarding by a bone or a piece of steak? Would they welcome all intruders to your home with a big lick and a friendly wagging tail? Or would they run and hide under the bed?

Silent, Snuggly, Sleepy Sunday

Let the Challenge Begin..

We were invited by DogTime Media to enter the 28-Day Eukanuba Challenge.   This means all three dogs (Remi, Noelle and my foster dog Ziggy) get to eat Eukanuba food for 28 days, and I get to tell you about the experience.  So I decided that the most fun thing to do would be to have a taste test.

I ordered the Eukanuba Adult Large Breed formula for Remi and Noelle, and compared that to Remi and Noelle's current food (let's call that Brand A) and Ziggy's current food (let's call that Brand B).   Remi and Noelle eat a relatively inexpensive brand which has more fillers and probably a higher fat content, which also means although it is not as healthy, it is usually more appetizing to dogs.  As a result, I expected Brand A to be the most popular, and was more interested in whether Brand B (a higher quality food due to Ziggy's allergies) or the Eukanuba would be next most popular.  So let the testing begin.

I like to be scientific, and since I didn't have three matching bowls, and I was late for a fundraising meeting, I decided I would just put a handful of kibble in three separate groups on the floor.  I needed to mop the entryway anyway. So this is how the taste test began:

Remi started out at Brand B, the closest pile of kibble.  He sniffed it, then moved on to the Eukanuba.  He stopped there and started eating the Eukanuba brand kibble as quickly as possible.

At this point, I wanted to be fair to Brand A, so I led him away from the Eukanuba and over to Brand A.  He then started gulping down Brand A as quickly as possible.  No surprise there - Remi loves to eat.

But then, with absolutely no coaching from me (this is a scientific study, remember?), Remi left Brand A before finishing it and headed back to the Eukanuba.

It wasn't until all the Eukanuba food was gone that he headed back to Brand A.

And as for Brand B?  Well, it didn't fare so well in Remi's taste test.  Even when all the other food was gone, he only ate about half of Brand B before leaving the scene.

So at least according to Remi, Eukanuba is a pretty good tasting food!  Come back tomorrow when we'll perform the same taste test with Noelle, the only finicky eater in the house.

Snow Dogs

We had over a foot of snow on Thursday.  This was viewed quite a bit differently by each dog. 

First there was Remi.  He was not overly affected by the snow... but then again, even a foot of snow only came up to his ankles.  Do dogs have ankles?  Nevermind.  Suffice it to say that the snow did not slow him down at all.

Look at me - I'm finally the fastest dog around!



I can leap invisible snow banks in a single bound!



Then there was Noelle, the Princess.  She prefers not to get wet.  Therefore a foot of snow on the ground was not her favorite thing. 

If I just walk in Remi's footsteps, I think I'll be okay.

And finally, there is the Snow Monster.  I mean Ziggy.  Ziggy likes the snow.  In fact, he likes it so much, that he makes really strange faces as he is running around in it.  Someone warned me that if I shared this photo on my blog, it would ruin all chances of Ziggy ever being adopted.  But since it's been a year and no one has adopted him yet, I think I may as well share the photo anyway.  Because really, everyone should see this photo.  I believe it is proof that the Abominable Snow Monster does in fact exist.  And he's living in my house.

Yep, that's Ziggy.  Strange.  Silly.  Cute, in a strange way.  And mostly just strange.  You, too, can have an abominable snowdog living in your house!  


Please adopt me?

Tug-O-War

Right after Ziggy finished destroying the box, Remi engaged him in a rousing game of Tug-O-War. I tell you this to explain why there is still cardboard all over the floor at the time these photos were taken. We won't discuss whether or not there is still cardboard on my floor today, okay? 

Noelle also got in on the action.

I thought about editing these pictures and correcting Ziggy's glowing red eyes. Then I decided they were appropriate, and I was lazy so I left them.

 

Here Ziggy engages in the ever popular "head-twist" manuever in an attempt to confuse his opponent.

Please ignore the lamp with the missing lampshade in the background. Ziggy ate it.

In the end, I decided pictures couldn't do this justice, so I took this video. It's very long, but only by watching it will you truly understand what takes place at my house every night. Please take note of the following:

At 00:28, I talk to Ziggy. I know he can't hear me. I don't care.

At 00:40, Noelle decides to come in and be a bully to Remi. I love her anyway.

At 01:04, Ziggy takes refuge under the futon. He's a strange dog.

At 01:19, Ziggy does his best seal imitation. You don't want to miss that!

At 02:05, Ziggy runs across the glass-top end table. This is nothing out of the ordinary.

At 02:12 - 02:43, Ziggy takes a water break.

At 04:21, Ziggy begins pulling Noelle across the floor. She seems to have forgotten she has front legs.

At 04:27, Ziggy the deaf dog begins growling at Noelle the other deaf dog. I wonder if Ziggy realizes Noelle can't hear him.

At 05:52, Ziggy steals the rope from Noelle, which apparently I found very funny for some reason.

Click here to view the video at Youtube. 



Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am grateful for my family, my friends, my country, and my pets.

I'm grateful for the couple who took in Gretchen as a foster dog when she was out of time and had no other chance to be saved.  I'm also grateful to the rest of the rescue volunteers who save all the dogs and cats just like Gretchen when they have nowhere else to go. 

I'm grateful for the family who adopted Gretchen, and I'm grateful for all of the other people who adopt dogs and cats - especially those who adopt the ones that are older, disabled, shy, difficult, or otherwise hard to place into permanent homes.   

I am grateful for those of you who share your life with me through your blogs.  I'm grateful for each reader that takes time to read my blog and share in my life as well.     

I'm especially grateful that you don't turn me into the ASPCA when I post pictures like the one above.  

I'm grateful for my cat Merlin, who was yesterday's DogTipper Cat Of the Day!  I'm very proud of him.  Regardless of the fact that he did nothing to earn this honor, and regardless of the fact that they have so few submissions of cats right now that I believe anyone who submits their cat will quickly see their cat become Cat of the Day as well.  I'll pretend he would have won in spite of the competition from thousands hundreds dozens of other cats.   

From Remi, me and Noelle - Happy Thanksgiving!

Vacation

I recently went on a short vacation, and as I got out the suitcases and started packing up, the dogs soon realized that we were leaving, and they were going to the petsitter.  This was their reaction. 


But how will I survive without you??

 

I know something's wrong, but I'm not sure what.

  

Please don't send me away again!  I love this couch!

 

Wait a minute... everyone is upset just because you're leaving us for a week?

 

Here, let me help you pack your bags.



I mean... I'm so sad.. I'll miss you Mom!

Housing Saga Recap and Play Time

For those of you having trouble keeping up with my housing saga, here is a recap:


Four years ago my husband and I bought a house in a subdivision that has a lot of rules. One of those rules is that only two pets are allowed. At the time we had no pets so didn't really think about it. Then we adopted Remi. Then I decided to start fostering. That led to many more dogs. And cats. Then we adopted Noelle and Merlin. Then my subdivision board had their lawyers threaten a lawsuit if we didn't get back to only two animals. So I had to give up fostering, and send Merlin to live with my parents, until I could find another place to live. I thought it would only take a month or two at most. After all, we weren't ready to sell our current house - I was just going to buy a cheap house/trailer somewhere with no restrictions so I could keep fostering while we fixed up our house and waited for the housing market to improve. Buying a cheap house that was not in a subdivison was harder than I expected. I had multiple contracts on homes but they all fell through for one reason or another. So three months later, I'm still waiting. I have a contract on a home (the log cabin!) and hope to close in the next month. In the meantime, my long-time foster dog Ziggy decided he would like to stay with us, and since no one else would take him (wonder why?), we took him back. This meant we were still over the two pet limit, so Remi went to stay with a friend of ours. Then Remi decided he would like to come back home, so we managed to get an extension from the subdivision to allow us to keep three dogs until the end of the year. So now we have Remi, Noelle and Ziggy. Merlin is still at my parents house (sorry Dad!) and I am hoping that I am able to move before the end of the year because I miss my cat and I miss fostering! In the meantime, life with Remi and Noelle and Ziggy is never boring. Here is a short video of them playing in the backyard.

Outnumbered

Noelle and I are outnumbered. We're just two girls, having to live with seven boys. It's tough, I tell you. Here's a quick summary of who we have to put up with:

Dave - Male - Adult Human - Entertains himself with violent video games, violent movies, and cleaning his multiple guns after target practice. He claims he's trying to keep his "Expert" status as a sniper in the Army. I think he just has too much testosterone.

Remi - Male - Adult Great Dane - Barks at everyone and everything. Claims he is doing his duty as a watchdog and protecting the females of the house. I think he just has too much testosterone.

Ziggy - Male - Juvenile Dog - Enjoys wrestling matches, chewing on everything in sight, and creating large messes for the females in the house to clean up. Claims he's just a guy trying to have a good time. I think he just has too much testosterone.

Bosco - Male - Juvenile Dog - Enjoys wrestling matches, and humping other dogs. Claims he's got too much testosterone. Even though he's been neutered, I agree.

Tripoli - Male - Adult Shepherd Mix - Enjoys shedding. Okay, maybe he doesn't enjoy it, but he does a lot of it. Perhaps its caused by too much testosterone.

Rudy - Male - Adult Cat - Constantly complains of feeling trapped. Wants freedom to go outside and flirt with the female cats. Definitely caused by too much testosterone.

Merlin - Male - Juvenile Cat - Eats everything in sight, much like a teenage boy. Never seems to be full. Claims he needs more canned cat food. I think he is lying.









And okay, all of these cats and dogs have been neutered, but still. They're boys, they act like boys, and Noelle and I are outnumbered. I have a right to complain about it. Especially since I have another male cat coming back tomorrow. Where are all the girl dogs and cats? How did I end up with all male fosters?

I think tonight Noelle and I are going to have to have a Girl's Night Out. We'll put on makeup, and watch a movie where nothing blows up, and put up a big sign that says "No Boys Allowed!!"