There Isn’t Anything He Doesn’t Like to Eat

My new baby….

Aspen has been with us for 2 months now. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. He’s fairly settled in so far. We love each other. The whole puppy thing is so wonderful in some ways and so awful in others. Aspen is smart, enthusiastic, lovable, playful and joyful. But he’s also chewy and mouthy at times, scared of water, a big licker and so happy he knocks you over. He is with me all day, following me everywhere. Although I must admit that he does love my hubby a lot. Can’t keep his tongue off of him. (hee, hee).

One thing we discovered, is that the dog will eat anything. I am most amused at feeding him fruits and veggies. So far he has happily consumed (and looked for more ) – spinach, squash, carrots, cukes, peppers, apples, bananas, swiss chard, mushrooms, celery, strawberries, blueberries and watermelon. Can’t get enough of those strawberries. Wow, this dog is a maniac.

He’s our first mix with Aussie Shepherd in him, so it’s a new experience learning the quirks of the breed that come with him. So far, not much herding, but a little bird dogging it here and there. Although, he is no match for Sparky, head squirrel chaser and varmint killer.

Overall, we’re enjoying the experience of a new dog. But, he is new, and still not replacing in any way, my princess, Casey. Funny how a dog can leave such a big hole in your heart.

 

The Little White Dog

We lost Casey. I have written before of the anguish and grief of that time. Knowing it was over, but yet having to wait. Loving her and knowing that losing her and letting go was the best and only way. And over the months, trying to add a dog to our pack, but feeling a panic and pain in the process. Still yet, as I write this, there is a hole in my heart for that missing dog. And most people don’t understand it. My husband doesn’t. Perhaps, even I myself struggle with the wondering.

One thing was certain though. Sparky, the dog left behind, certainly ached for canine companionship more than we did. His obsession with guarding the house escalated. He was not really meant to be the alpha dog – which he became as only dog. And so the journey to find a new pooch was for him as much as it was for us.

I will not detail the failures in our search or the lack on my part. But in March, we decided to extend our search beyond our city to other rescue organizations. And I found a super German Shepherd mix named Sully. He was about 3 years old and would have been a “slide right in” kind of dog. In my heart, I wanted my kids to have a puppy. Not necessarily a little puppy, but a dog who grew up and would believe that he was theirs as much as he was mine. So I was also considering a white Aussie/Lab mix (that’s what she was advertised as) named Winter. At 4 months, I thought she’d be just about right in age.

We traveled an hour to see these two dogs again and decide. As much as I liked Sully, Winter was a great pup and a part of me gravitated that way. While we were looking at her, one lady stormed right up and just wanted her. We backed off, but knew that this rescue group picked the “best” application, not the first. Since I had been in contact with them for some weeks, I decided to “go for it”, figuring if we didn’t get her, we’d default back to Sully.

We didn’t get her. But we discovered that two siblings of Winter had also been rescued and that they though her brother Aspen might be perfect for us. We agreed to go through the application process and were approved to bring him home. Only then did the waiting begin.

Aspen came down with a couple of things – Upper respiratory infection and intestinal tract issues. Three weeks later than we were supposed to, we brought him home. Finally.

And yet, our world is still turned upside down as we work with Aspen and all his puppy things. Housetraining seems to finally be done, but crate training is much more challenging and he is quickly picking up bad habits from Sparky. While we love him, our joy is subdued. Back in the furthest reaches of my mind is the memory of an old dog, whose red head I wish was resting on my foot.

 

Who’s That Barking at My Door?

My life has sure become doggy lately. With the arrival of my Sparky, my love for doggie TV, my kids finding themselves playing games like “humane society” and the “Dog Whisperer”, and then this little dog that came a calling.

On Friday afternoon, I was sitting here at the computer reading my emails. My boys were watching a show. We’d just gotten back from errands, preschool, and had some lunch. Sparky started barking. No surprise there. He barks a lot. I suspect sometimes he even barks at bushes with leaves blowing in the wind.

The surprising part was that someone barked back. I opened the front door to find a beagle sitting calmly on my front stoop.

My dogs went nutso, so I pulled them back to the back yard. I even put a leash on Sparky who was really OOC. Then I went outside to investigate this little guy.

He was sweet and calm, licking my hand. I gave him a treat. He was an older beagle with a collar, but no tags. I hadn’t seen him before, but he reminded me of a beagle we used to have – way back in the 70s. I ushered him into the house, through the kitchen, and into the garage.

Then, I called animal control.

Could he be a neighbor’s dog? Possibly. But there are a lot of hunting compounds in these parts, and they often come into town and dump their old beagles. He was an old beagle. Plus, beagles are wanderers. They can go for days without food. When our beagles got into a hunting mode, they could be gone for as long as two weeks before they turned up again. Since we live only a few blocks from a busy highway, I always call animal control when there is a stray that I don’t recognize.

And off he went to the humane society.

I briefly entertained the notion that maybe this was a sign that we should get another dog. Honestly, I’d like about 4 dogs. But our living space is just too small right now to accommodate. I quickly snapped myself out of that mode. As much as I love animals, it’s just not happening.

I tortured myself some more though by picking up Pawprints of Katrina by Cathy Scott. It is the story of one animal rescue group and their efforts to find lost animals in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in and around New Orleans. I must admit that I didn’t pay much attention to the Katrina coverage beyond the initial stories of human perseverance. What happened in the animal community is utterly amazing. If you have a chance, pick up this book from your local library and read of the courage of volunteers and the animals that they set out to save.

 

Sparky, the Star

Since my friend Donna wanted pics, I thought I’d try Sparky on a short video premier. I actually got the idea from visiting Don Miller’s (the author of Blue Like Jazz) blog. He got a new lab puppy. Now, I don’t have the time our resources to make a whole video with music, but here’s 27 seconds of my cute little boy.

 

Dog Adoption Story: Sparky on Day 17

That little mutt has become part of the family.

Despite a tramatic vet appointment last week, Sparky seems to have overcome a lot of anxieties and just slid right into our household.
During the day, you might find Sparky…
…curled up in the middle of the floor – Bump playing NASCAR on one side, Little E doing trains on the other. You might not even notice there’s a dog in there somewhere.
…chasing squirrels and patroling the perimeter of the yard. He has a friendly lab who he stares longingly at from our back corner.
…eyeing down the cat in the yard behind us.
…perched in the front window.
…sleeping at my feet with one eye open watching every move.

Sparky and Casey…
…play the inside/outside game all day long. First their in, then they are out, then back in again. They are keeping tabs all day long.
…wrestling. While Sparky would love to get down to it, our almost 9-year-old broken dog manages a few chase and push matches several times a day. It’s almost like old times, and it’s nice to see the playfulness.
…love to go on walks with me. We go every night after Gil gets home from work. It’s the best part of their day.
…vie for my attention. I get lots of doggy love-ins from the two of them.

I’m still waiting for the day that they will lie next to each other. Casey used to preen Winnie, and now she’ll get a few licks from Sparky.

On Sunday, after 2 weeks, Sparky came over to me and just licked my hand. He wouldn’t stop. I felt like he was saying “this is my home now.” It’s amazing how obedient he is. He no longer will dash out the front door, but back off with a simple command. He is tolerant of the boys – he even passed the Little E “ride em cowboy” test.

We have two issues with him. 1) He barks a lot. I believe that is more because he is unfamiliar with things and will subside as time goes on. 2) He is overly protective when on the leash – especially when other dogs are around. I’m not sure why or if he’d back down. I’m investigating how we can work on this one and what the real problem is.

Other than that, he’s mostly perfect. No housetraining necessary. No chewing. Just one lovable little guy with a curly tail.

 

Dog Adoption Journey – One Week Later With Sparky

Sparky has now lived with us for an entire week. He has become, more or less, one of the family. He is out of his crate, living in mostly harmony with Casey, and learning to love his home. He is also barking at most passer-bys, trying to escape every time the front door opens and sneaking on the furniture and upstairs every chance he gets. Overall, things are coming along. He sits at my feet now.

I must admit that I was very anxious about bringing this animal into the house and have had my share of mini-panic attacks throughout the week. Although many dogs have darkened our doorstep, this is the first time we’ve brought one in with our young boys. Sparky was raised in a house with a toddler, but I’m still always worried. He is being more social and friendly towards them, and they love him. Bump tells me every day how much he loves Sparky.

Yes, his name remains Sparky. I have been unable to persuade Bump that we need to change his name. So I have instead resorted to calling him “Sparks”, “Sparkplug” and “Sparkle” – even Sparky Joe, on occasion.

Sparky was most certainly on death row at the shelter where we adopted him from. This shelter does keep their animals as long as they have room. Sparky was not the dog who had been there the longest, but he was not far from the top of the list. And the shelter is filling up.

If you are considering an animal in your life, please check out your local shelters. There are wonderful pets available that are looking for a forever home. Also, older pets often times make an easier transition into a family. Trust me, I know. I remember when we brought Casey and Winnie home. First it was house training, then chewing, then barking and attempted obedience. Sparky has not gone in the house, chewed anything except food and dog treats and already knows a few tricks. Not that he’s perfect. Your new pet will always need loving guidance from you to learn the rules and adjust to your home. But older dogs offer a fantastic alternative to those who don’t want to go through puppydom. (Trust me, I did not want a puppy. My neighbor had two Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppies – purebred no less – and they ate his sofa, kitchen cabinets, rug and curtains. He spent tens of thousands upgrading his home. Nope, no puppies for this girl.)

I’ve been watching the show Dogtown on National Geographic Channel. It tells the stories of special needs dogs that have come to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kaunau, Utah and how the staff worked with the dogs to turn them into adoptable and loving companions. There are only about 8 episodes (including a two hour special on pit bulls formerly owned by Micheal Vick that have landed at the sanctuary) but a new season with 10 more episodes is starting in March. You can catch the next episode of Dogtown on Friday, January 16 at 9PM Eastern Time.

 

Sparky Settling In

It’s day 5 in the “Sparky Comes to Stay” days of our lives. All things considered, it’s been a pretty mellow week. I think that I’ve freaked out more than anything else. I’d become quite complacent in all the things happening around my house. A new dog would shake things up and give me more to do. Plus, with Sparky being an older dog, we always worry about the kids.

Eight years ago, we fostered 5 different dogs. A few for a week, and two of them for more extended periods of time. The last one, Binkie, we hoped to keep (or I should say, I hoped). Although she seemed to initially gel, after a few months she began to try and get better positioning in the pack. She continually picked on Casey and had a few minor scuffles with Winnie. Blood was drawn. It became a daily concern. After 2 rough and unprovoked attacks on Casey in 2 days, I could no longer take it. She thought she was the boss and it was never going to work. But the biggest worry was for Casey. I wasn’t concerned with my own safety.

With Sparky coming in, it’s still the kids I worry about. So far, he’s been super. He has taken their mild torture well. Of course, I’m right there all the time reading him and backing them off when they need to.

He and Casey are still working it out. But they go on walks together without issue. They run in the backyard together. They even realized they both have a common fear of thunder and huddle up together near me during the action. Entering and exiting the house is the biggest problem, with dog pileups and little growl outs. Casey has accepted him for the most part, he’s just got to fall in line now. Her initial attacks have raised a bit of fear in him. I have faith that it will mellow out.

He’s fallen to one of Casey tricks – stealing his food dish. And she doesn’t care one bit if he gets all huffy and puffy about it.

Sparky seems to have had some training. I’ve already got him sitting and lying down on command with little coercion. And he’s quite fond of chasing squirrels in our backyard.

He hasn’t figured out that he could easily climb the 3 foot fence. And we hope he never does.

In general, he seems to be a good dog. But we’re still not seeing his personality shine through completely. That will take time. We know he’s bonding to us. As the days wear on, he’s more protective of the people walking by. On a walk tonight, he was in full swell up over a passer by. He’s in the pack. And we’re happy to have him!

 

As Tough to Photography as My Little Boys

I’ve spent a good deal of time in the last 24 hours trying to photograph Sparky (whose name is starting to wear on me already – we desperately need a new name for this dog!)

This is the best of about 15 shots:

Things are a bit better today. The doglets are working through their hierarchy issues.

 

The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

I’ve always been an animal lover. If I go to a party and there’s a dog, I usually end up hanging out with the creature and bonding – much more easily than humans. It was almost 9 years ago that we brought home Casey and Winnie as 5 month old pups. My first dogs – how exciting.

For a year following, I volunteered with a local rescue group, fostered a bunch of animals and tried to adopt another who ended up not jiving with my girls. I had a blast. I really, really wanted to open my own kennel and work with dogs all the time.

But, it was not meant to be. And other things came along and volunteering in rescue just didn’t work in the midst of it. Although, my love for animals persisted, and I continued to have fun with my two and eventually our house expanded to include two little boys.

On the eve (practically) of Little E’s birth, Winnie fell in a seizure at my feet. Two days later, the diagnosis came back – CANCER. And then she was gone. It was horrible and heart wrenching.

We never thought that we’d bring another dog in with Casey, who seemed lost for many weeks and then content in being the big dog.

But times have changed. All of Casey’s dog buds in the surrounding yards have gone on to other things and places. She has no real interest in playing with the little boys, although they can do ANYTHING to her and she won’t move a muscle. As much as I enjoy Casey, she’s an old dog, almost a fixture. We walk her, we love on her, but she sleeps a lot and has little activity.

We decided she needed a playmate. While we don’t think that Casey will play a whole lot with a new dog, we do think that she will be “busy” keeping up with him – much as she once did with our neighbor’s dogs. She’ll watch and lurk.

I hope that the dog that is coming to stay on Sunday will be our forever dog. His name is Sparky. He looks to be Lab and some kind of springer spaniel or britney spaniel mix. His family dumped him and his two house mates a few months ago. He’s about 2.5 years old and has some energy, but is not a crazy man. Weighing in at about 45 lbs., he’s exactly the size we wanted. He loves kids and people and dogs – just like me.

So on Sunday, Bump and I will head to our local shelter to bring him home. Casey has met him there, but the environment made her shut down. She didn’t oppose him, but didn’t want to play either. I think she’ll be okay.

In the meantime, we’ve set up a borrowed crate for Sparky – which will be the entertainment for the little boys during the next few days. Earlier Bump proclaimed that they were playing “Humane Society” – whatever that means….

I’m excited and happy, but a little anxious for the changes over the next few weeks. It’s more work for me, but more love in our family. I believe that animals are a great enrichment to our lives.

We’ve healed here, too. We still have a little coughing going around, but otherwise, my energy is returning and so is that of my boys. Our Christmas company leaves tomorrow, which gives us a day to get the house in order before inviting the disorder that will no doubt come.

But I am ready, and happy and excited!

 

Don’t You Forget About Me

I have only one female com padre in my house these days – my dog Casey. She’s 8 years old now. A big fat dog with broken hips, but a special love for me.

In the days before two little boys called me Mom, my dogs were great friends to me. Gil was working lots of and odd hours. So, I hung with the dogs at night. I walked them. I sat in the backyard with them. We played and hugged and snuggled. The three of us were always together – even when I was doing something else around the house.

Of course, Winnie has been gone these two years now. I think Casey misses her in a way. Yet at the same time, she is a much more mellow dog because she’s not being bossed by Alpha- Winnie. I find her, though, at my feet more often these days. At night when I sew, read or watch TV, she’s closer than ever. Last night I had to sleep on the couch (snoring) and she was there the whole time. She’s my bud again.

I’m not being a good dog Mom, though. And she lets me know it. Her walks have been down. I never play with her in the backyard. And she’s very put off when I’m exercising and don’t put down my weights to pet her – especially if I’m sitting on my step or on the floor. (Bad me.)

So lately, she’s been discovering ways to get out of the backyard.

This is a new thing for her. We have a three-foot fence, because our dogs just never had any “up”. We had to worry more about digging than jumping. And really, Casey is an old dog. She’s not interested in getting out for the same reasons that young ones do. She’s just a little bit of a busy body these days and looking for some attention.

She had found a small gap where we hooked onto our neighbors fence. We had worked to cover it previously, but she tore down our work and escaped a few times. I caught her the second time and repatched the hole. This morning she went through a place that I could never see a fat dog slithering through. She ended up in the fenced in maze of our neighbor on the other side. I had to hop the fence and weave her out of there with the help of my neighbor.

I get the message Case.

All of her escapades are during my workouts on the porch. She won’t stay outside by herself, except to eat breakfast or make a pit stop or check on my neighbor on the other side who has been known to slip her a dog treat or two.

After I finished my workout today, I fed and dressed the boys and we grabbed her for a big explore in the woods. It’s been a few months since she’s been out there and really enjoyed herself.

And she came home exhausted. She’s now lying a few feet away, napping and panting a little. She has a joyful snarly look on her face. No Case, I haven’t forgotton. Hang with me girl.