The more things change, part 2

I sometimes think that my animals have been reincarnated from earlier pets.  Then, I read W. Bruce Cameron's book A Dog's Purpose, and realized I may not have been too far off the mark!  If you have not read that book, and are reader and a dog lover, I urge you.... but make sure you have tissues handy. I read the book about a year before Hector died, and in some small way having done so helped me get through our loss a little easier.

If you've read this far, and still think I'm a sane person (which is highly debatable anyway, even without all this reincarnation stuff thrown in), then keep reading about my Sunday morning "a-ha" moment.

I was looking for a childhood photo of my step-daughter (now all grown up).  I started looking through old photos that her mom and dad have scanned onto our computers.  I didn't find the picture I was looking for, but I found  pictures of her parents' dogs:  Schulz and Winslow.

Schulz, left; his son, Winslow (as a puppy) right.
Winslow later lost a leg.

I had completely forgotten that Winslow was Schulz's son, and that Winslow had lost a leg, and was affectionately called "Tripod"after that!  Now, in the back of my mind, I "knew" this, since I knew Winslow when he was still alive (but never did meet Schulz).  But it just never clicked that the resemblance of these two dogs to Charlie and Cooper, was so striking, and that the"tripawd" thing entered into the story.  The irony was somehow lost on me, until this morning when I accidentally stumbled across the photos.

Charlie Brown

Schulz

Schulz

Cooper

When I started looking for a puppy several months after Hector died, I remember Gil saying he would like to have his next dog be a combination between Hector and Schulz -- two dogs he loved very much, and both of whom died way too young.  Hector was a hound mix, and Schulz was a collie or collie mix.  A few days after he said that, I found Charlie Brown on a local rescue's web site, and he was described as a hound/collie mix.  You can read more about that here.

Maybe we just prefer our mutts to have similar physical characteristics, sort of like when folks always get the same breed:  Great Danes, German Shepherds, Huskies, Labs, Dachshunds, Chihuahuas.... except we always get mixed up mutt hound collie mixes.

There's no particular ending to today's blog post.  I just thought it was interesting enough to share.

Curly-tailed Cooper.

Hector, a very tall hound with a long tail.
If he stood on his rear legs, he was as tall as me

Charlie Brown, an equally-tall hound, same tail.
Same markings, except brown instead of black.
If he stands on his rear legs, he is as tall as me

How To Put a Harness On a Dog

There have been a lot of questions going around online about how to put harnesses on dogs.

The folks at Kurgo Pet Products have provided two great infographics demonstrating "how to" for two different kinds of doggie harnesses.

My dogs don't seem to be bothered by one or the other, so either type works for us.  I will say that getting three-legged Cooper to use the step-in harness would be next to impossible, so for that reason we have never tried one of those on Coop.

First, here are instructions for an overhead harness:

For those who'd rather have their dog step into a harness, this is for you:

Kurgo Pet Products can be purchased at many, many locations including Pet360.com; Amazon.com, Pet Smart, Petco and of course from kurgostore.com!

I am an affiliate blogger for Pet360.com.

Adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment

I wrote this for this month's DoggyWoof blog, but I'm unable to get a-hold of anyone over there, and I noticed my article from last month was the most recent one they published (there are several people who blog for them) so I don't know what's going on with the DoggyWoof blog.  This was supposed to go live on Feb 11th.  So I'm just going to post it here on my own blog instead.

Shelters, rescues and the internet are overwhelmed lately with animals who were abandoned or surrendered by their owners.

Dogs are generally given up on at two points in their lives by their human adopters:  during puppyhood from ages 18 months to three years; and during their senior years.

Raising a puppy is hard.  Caring for a senior dog is hard. In the end, the reward for each definitely outweighs the difficulties.

When considering dog adoption, remember that it's a commitment for the lifetime of that pet.  If you adopt, you agree to take care of the dog for the rest of its life.  This is not a temporary assignment.  If you envision yourself going through life changes that will cause you to "get rid of" the dog at some point, then owning a dog is not for you.  It's that simple.

The majority of dogs in shelters right now are young males between the ages of 18 months and three years -- the very time when they should be being socialized and trained.

But senior dogs may have it the hardest. Given up on when they are old, infirm and set in their ways, it can be extremely confusing for an elderly dog to suddenly be without its family and familiar, loving home.

Be prepared for the hard work, the expense, the huge challenges of dog parenting; and then be prepared for something else: the reward of unconditional love and experience that comes from sharing your life with a canine companion.

Don't be "that guy"!  Adopt a pet for life.  If you can't make that commitment, consider volunteering, fostering, or dog-sitting as an alternative.  That way you get the joys of canine companionship, without the huge commitment.

Raising a puppy is hard. Caring for a senior dog is hard. In the end, the reward for each definitely outweighs the difficulties. 

#ThrowbackThursday and #LoveYourPetDay

Here's a little memory of the good ol' days!  Hobie and Hector doing what Charlie and Cooper now do (yeah, they were troublemakers, too!), and big snow, just like now.  The more things change....

Senior dog gets lost in the snow, but this one has a happy ending

It's been a very challenging winter, and there have been quite a few stories going around social media lately about dogs going missing in the snow, particularly senior dogs.

I'm usually the one who screams the loudest with outrage that anyone could lose their dog or let their dog out of their sight.  How could people be so careless, so irresponsible.... bla bla bla???

And then, it happened to us.

If it were not for the quick action of my boyfriend, Gil, this story would have had a very different ending.  I would be writing a very different blog post tonight (or, more accurately, I'd be in the psych ward!).  I could be posting pictures of Hobie and to Facebook and Twitter, pleading for help in finding our beloved mutt, scouring the woods day and night.  But instead, Hobie is home, safe and sound, with the rest of the family, in our warm, cozy (that's code for "too-small") house.

How did this happen, anyway?

When Gil got home from work, he let the dogs into the fully-fenced backyard as he always does. I usually arrive home two or three hours after Gil. After a few minutes, like all good parents, he realized thing were a little quieter than usual. When he went to investigate, sure enough he discovered nobody was in the back yard. He went to the front of the house, and there were Cooper and Charlie, playing in the driveway. Good boys!  They hadn't run away, and they had stayed away from the frozen lake!  But Hobie was not with them.

Gil grabbed a flashlight, put the twins in the house, and walked up and down our snow-and-ice-covered dirt road, searching for Hobie.  With no sign of the dog in any of the usual spots, or out on the frozen lake (thank goodness for that part), Gil hopped in the pickup truck and decided to drive the neighborhood looking for the Hobester. At the end of our dirt road, where it meets the main road to Worcester; there, to the left, walking towards the bridge, the forest and the highway, was Hobie.  Gil drove up, parked the truck just before the bridge, and got out.  When he grabbed Hobie's collar, the collar came right off Hobie's head!  To make matters worse, Hobie seemed completely disoriented, did not recognize Gil, could not hear or see Gil, and had obviously lost his way home.  If he was using his nose, it wouldn't have helped much, since everything is covered in 10,000 feet of snow (ok, I exaggerate, but it sure seems like 10,000 feet!).

I looked at that same section of road tonight on my way home, and it is pitch black -- there are no streetlights.  We really do live in the middle of nowhere.

Now mind you, this is a somewhat heavily-traveled road for work traffic.  It's the main route from "nowhere-ville" to the city of Worcester, with 6-foot-high snowbanks at the moment, and no sidewalks. This all happened in the dark, during the 6 p.m. hour when people who work in the city are coming home.

Gil managed to trot after Hobie, grabbed him and put the collar back on, and then he realized.... "How the heck am I going to get Hobie into the truck?  He can't climb anymore."  Amazingly, Gil picked up all 80+ pounds of Hobie and put him into the truck's cab, drove back home, and then carried Hobie into the house!

He then asked a neighbor to help check the gates, and that's when the latch was discovered to be "frozen open".  I had just checked that latch the day before, and I know it was securely shut.  But with all the shoveling and plowing and snow-blowing going on, it got opened again, and not securely latched.  We've had a lot of people coming and going around here.  But everyone knows the rules -- they're all good friends as well as helpers/workers.  They know that "the big thing" is: never let the dogs out, always secure the gates.  We do not know exactly what happened, but somehow the latch on the far gate to the back yard, which we cannot see from either entrance to our house, became frozen in the open position.  The gate was "closed" but not secured.  Any dog could simply push on it with a nose or a paw, and the gate would fly open.  And that's exactly what must have happened.

So that's how we (almost) lost our elderly dog in the snow.

Our story has a happy ending.  Others are not so lucky.

I've learned two lessons:  don't trust anyone else to securely close the gates -- they simply are just not going to do it as diligently as we pet parents do; and 2) don't criticize dog owners who lose their pets -- accidents happen.  This could happen to anyone.

Above all, have a plan and make sure everyone in the family has a plan for "if the dogs get loose".  When I'm home, it's grab a leash, a handful of dog biscuits, and jog the neighborhood.  If the dogs are not in one of four usual "hangouts", go back, get in the car and drive the neighborhood looking for them.  Gil knew the plan, and took over in my absence.  He's not as used to it as I am, but he knew what to do, and he did it.  He's my hero.  He loves the animals as much as I do... come to think of it, he may even love them more than I do!

Car-chasing hound - do you have a reactive or fearful dog?

I'm taking part in the WOOF Support Blog Hop today.  This is where reactive dogs and their owners can come together to share similar experiences.  

Are you a reactive/fearful dog or its owner?  
Then please join and share your story.  

The Blog Hop is open through Sunday, February 16th on Oz the Terrier's blog as well as on co-hosts Roxy the Traveling Dog and Wag 'n' Woof Pets blogs.


Gosh, where do I start?  All of my dogs are presently, or have been in the past, reactive or fearful dogs! Hobie, in particular, and Timba, both had fears of various things from thunder to fireworks and even balloons and kites.  And I am their fearful owner.  There, I finally admitted it -- I'm fearful when I socialize my dog(s) in any situation that involves other humans.  I try to see the humor in it; that's how I get through life in a fearful state.

But dogs are perceptive little creatures, and something you can successfully hide from other humans (maybe?) you can't hide from a dog.  Dogs are all about your energy, and if you're afraid, they know. People say that about horses, but it's true about dogs as well.  Probably cats too, who knows?

So back to the reactive dogs.  Hobie is aging and reacts to sounds around the house (mostly when the other two dogs bark because they are reacting to something!).  When he was younger, it was hard to take him and Hector on walks because they would react to other dogs, and they'd drag me down the road in an attempt to "greet".  One time Hobie and another dog's leash got tangled together and the two dogs' heads got pulled towards each other, then they sorta "got into it" until I stepped in and untangled the leashes... the other dog's owner threatened to call the police. Aye carumba! Seriously?  She was the one using a flexi-leash, and I stuck my hands on the necks of two fighting dogs whose heads were an inch apart!  I should've gotten rewarded for being a hero.  I walked Hobie back home, crying and shaking.  The woman said she was sending the police to my house (that never transpired).  And you wonder why I'm afraid?

Did you.... h-h-H-H-HEAR something?!  

Cooper is somewhat disabled (we have to be careful not to over-exert him as his single front leg takes the brunt of all activity).  So, he stays home a lot, and reacts to anything and everything going past the house.  We live on a dead-end dirt road in the middle of nowhere.  You'd think there wouldn't be anything going past the house.  No, it's like Grand Central Station around here.  Oil deliveries, visitors, spring water deliveries, people walking and riding bikes, lawnmowers, boats on trailers, snowblowers, snowmobiles, snow plows, people with snow shovels, Fedex, UPS, USPS!  Cooper has no concept of "inside voice".  He is the smallest of our three dogs, but has the loudest and deepest "bellow" of any dog I've ever met... and we've had several honorary members of The Hound Group, so you can only imagine how loud are said bellows.

I will belllloooooowwwwwwwwww at the windooooowwwww!
(while balancing on one leg)

Cooper on high-alert on Cape Cod

Charlie Brown is currently the most reactive of the family, and this post is really about him.  He's the able-bodied one -- the one I should be taking on walks, if only I was not so fearful (putting the weather and humongous snowbanks aside as today's excuse, for the moment, of course).  So anyway, Charlie reacts and chases every car, bicycle and motorcycle that goes past us -- in any situation.  If he is inside the car, he goes ballistic barking when any of those items goes near the car.

The twins, waiting for action on the dirt road

Motorcycles and bicycles he will bark at, even if we are in the car and moving.  He does not bark at other cars when we're moving.  When at home, he fence-runs whenever one of the aforementioned goes past the house. This is true at both of our houses -- each of them happen to be on a dirt road, in the middle of nowhere. At our home on Cape Cod, he fence-chases people carrying surfboards, beach chairs, or pushing strollers.  He will also bark at someone just walking by with nothing in their hands. Runners are of particular concern.  So is anyone wearing pink clothing.  I don't even need to mention this, but anyone walking a dog gets immediate attention!

At the fence, ready to react

Now, what's really funny and strange about this is, I find myself constantly apologizing to people as they're walking by our property.  100% of the time, the humans have all told me to stop worrying, "he's so cute", he's "just doing his job" (a police officer actually said that!  I thought he was coming by the house to give us a citation!), "can I pat him?", "oh my daughter/son loves dogs" (as the small child is standing there clapping hands and giggling), and of course, "What kind of dog is that?"  Everything except, "you better call off your dog, or I'm gonna report you!"  I suppose I should be grateful.  When I had black dogs (and they didn't have any bad behaviors!!), people were not so nice.  Funny, eh?

The hunter spots a squirrel

I should mention that Charlie is a hound-mix, he looks more like a foxhound, and he "trees" small animals which is a coonhound behavior.  When he trees a squirrel [his favorite] he barks repeatedly. These are short barks, repeated while propping his front legs against the tree or fence.  He will only stop when I walk all the way over to him and congratulate him.  This is a fascinating inherent behavior that he was not taught, he just does it because it comes naturally.  He has no interest in hurting or catching the squirrel.  He is just sounding the alarm:  "Squirrel!  squirrel!" Charlie is like no dog I have ever had before. He is smart in a very different way from all those Labs we had before him, and it's taken us a couple of years to figure out what the heck he is trying to say and do.  A fascinating process! You get the dog you need, not the dog you want!

ooooooo!  Squirrrrrellllll!

 

Charlie "treeing" a squirrel

Imagine being out on a walk with Charlie on leash.  He is now 85-90 pounds, and very tall.  I'm no sludge, but I'm also no spring chicken.  I somehow manage to hold onto him when he lunges at EVERY car (no exceptions).  If a cyclist or runner goes by, or a person carrying a board or chair, it's pretty bad.  We have no sidewalks in either of the two communities where we live.  We could walk in the woods, but in order to get to the woods, we have to either drive, or walk on the road with no sidewalks.  On Cape Cod, we go to a park where other dogs gather.  It's not a dog park, it's a people park where dogs are welcome.  Charlie does great in that situation, although when we first pull into the parking lot it is pandemonium getting him out of the car.

Scoping out the parking lot at the beach in Truro

Does anyone else out there have a dog obsessed with chasing humans in cars or on bikes, etc?  If so, I'd like to hear suggestions on how to cure him of this -- because it's a new one on me. None of my previous dogs had this problem, so I'm stumped.  I would love to be able to walk my dog and get us both some exercise!

Additional update on the Sturbridge dogs #HappyValentinesDay

Second Chance Animal Shelter in East Brookfield has announced that ALL of the puppies who were dumped at Westville Lake in Sturbridge have gone to their adoptive homes!!!  Yay!!!

The mama and papa dogs are still under Second Chance's care, as they both still have medical issues, but their adoptive homes are all set up and as soon as they are well they will each go to their new homes.

Here's a copy 'n' paste of the story from today's Second Chance newsletter (and if you missed the original story, it's at the very bottom of the copy 'n' paste:

We always love happy endings but the golden story has an extra special meaning to us.  These dogs were left in the frigid cold and now are on their way to new lives!

Left out in the cold..... and now on their way home! We are very pleased to say that the puppies from this story have all gone to new homes!  The mom and dad are still with us as they undergo further care.  Mom has put on over 10 pounds since she came to us!  Dad had frostbite but is being treated for it.  Both mom and dad have homes waiting for them as soon as they can be released!  Thank you to everyone that responded to help these dogs.  Below are the pictures of the pups going home with their new families!     We will keep everyone posted on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/secondchanceanimals   This was their story........ It's hard to believe in this subzero cold that someone would do this, but they did. They left a family of retrievers in a wooded area. There are two adults and 3 puppies. The female adult is emaciated, the male adult is suffering hair loss and skin issues. The puppies are loaded with worms and ALL of them were loaded with fleas. Luckily the police in Sturbridge got these dogs to safety and called Second Chance to help. Second Chance has taken these dogs in and provide emergency medical treatment to rid them of the flea infestation and worms. More treatments will be needed to help with the skin issues and sores, get them all spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and address any other medical concerns that are found. The shelter already has homes ready to take these dogs once they are ready for adoption. This may be weeks for some of them because of the skin issues. The female adult will need time to put some weight on too. Please help support the efforts of the shelter to get these dogs ready to go to their forever homes! It is very sad how someone could be so cruel as to leave these dogs out in a wooded park in these temperatures. The freezing temperatures and other dangers could have cost these dogs their lives. There is no excuse to abandon pets. All donations are tax deductible and every donation will be used for these dogs and for other pets as well. So many have come through our doors lately in tough shape. Thank you for your support! This was the mom when she came in, severely underweight.

February is adopt a black shelter pet month #WordlessWednesday

In honor of adopt a black shelter pet month, here are pics of my black pets for #WordlessWednesday.

I didn't realize how many black pets I've had until I started doing this post!!

Adopt a black pet -- you won't be disappointed!

Fritz. Our family dog when I was a kid.

Caesar.  Smartest dog EVER.  (sorry guys)

Timba.  Lounging at the Boathouse. She gets the most loyal award.

Slippers (aka Hendrix). Cat of my teenage years.
That's my teenage bedroom LOL!

Ratsky. On top of my 1974 Ford Galaxy 500.  Va-room!

Love Kitty. My sobriety cat.  I got her from some AA friends.
She was chased by a neighborhood dog, hit by a car,  and killed on June 21, 1998.
This photo was taken at Long View Farm. 

Bonus picture of Timba when she was a puppy, playing with cat Idgy in the back yard.
Just because it's so cute!

No-Name. We bonded on a vacation in West Virginia.
I wish I could have taken him home.

Hector.  We still grieve for him every day. 

Mr. Kitty.  Best cat EVER.  (sorry guys)
I still think of him every day and he's been dead for almost 15 years!

Tux (aka Bullet).  Still here and goin' strong!
Snoozing in the basket on my desk as I type this!

If it weren't for Facebook...

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  Mostly hate.

I hate that it's addictive, I hate that if you are a blogger, pet advocate, business owner or photography buff, you are more or less obliged to have a Facebook account and/or page.  I hate that they are now pushing page owners down, down, down on the totem pole unless of course you want to pay $5 a day to "boost" your posts!!  I hate that most of all.

I love that the site has connected me with old friends (one of whom I had lost touch with for over 30 years, and how cool was it to reconnect with that person!?).  I love that it has revealed cousins that I did not know before (ok, ancestry.com helped with that one, too).  I love that I can stay in touch easily with my nieces, nephews, cousins, sisters-in-law and aunts -- all at once, just by posting a stupid photo or remembering a birthday or anniversary.  I love that I am actually "Friends" with musicians I have adored my whole life.

And then there's this:

If it weren't for Facebook, we wouldn't have Charlie Brown; and we wouldn't have Cooper, either!

Five months after the sudden loss of our beloved Hector, we weren't looking for a new dog.

Handsome Hector Huge!  We love ya, buddy!

We were enjoying our time being a one-dog (and three cat) family.  Enjoying trips to the beach and the lake with Hobie, and spoiling him rotten.  Hobie missed "Hec" just as much as we did, maybe more.  They were brothers from other mothers.

Hobie, at the lake, after a spa day!
(Bandana provided by groomer)

I had been on Facebook for about 3 years, having joined because of a high school reunion.  So, after the reunion came and went, I ended up spending a lot of time-wasting on Facebook.  Once the cold weather set in, and trips to the beach with Hobie would be on-hold for a few months, I started looking at PetFinder and was following a bunch of shelters.  I kept showing puppies to Gil and he kept saying no, we are not ready yet.  At one point, he casually mentioned how his next dog should be a combination between Schulz (his beloved Collie-mix from before he knew me) and Hector (our beloved hound-mix).  Remember that for later: a collie, and a hound... 

A day or so later, I saw that a friend of mine had "Liked" the Facebook page of a local rescue called "Great Dog Rescue of New England".  I just went to their Facebook page and clicked "Like" for no other reason than it was something to do.  

And a few days later, there was this picture and post about a dog named Charlie Brown.  

Charlie Brown is a smart, cuddly, 7 week old Collie/Hound mix who weighs 8lbs. He was rescued along with his siblings after being discovered in rural Tenn by a construction worker who was sent to bulldoze a house. When he looked inside to do a final check of the home, he heard a cry and started looking around. That is when he found the momma, Kate and her 8 tiny babies hidden in a closet. The worker thought he did the right thing by taking them to a shelter, but unfortunately it was a kill shelter where Kate+8 faced certain doom. Luckily for this little family one of the kind shelter workers called a Southern Rescue partner of Great Dog Rescue New England. She saved the family and kept them healthy and well until they could be moved to MA where they now are living with one of our wonderful foster mommies who loves and adores each and every one of them! Charlie Brown is the leader of the pack and the first to climb in your lap, grab a toy or let you know hes ready for fun. He likes to be cuddled and play with toys and his littermates. He has the sweetest face and a tail that is always wagging.. Due to his age, he is not crate trained or house trained, but he is such a smarty, he should not have any problems learning. 

We didn't adopt Charlie right away.  Someone else had beat us to it.  But a few weeks went by, and I decided to see if Great Dog had any other guys available for adoption.  Lo and behold, the adoption fell through with the original family, and we were next in line!  We got Charlie Brown in 2012, and 7 months later, we adopted his brother and litter mate, Cooper, the three-legged cuddling machine!

So, you see, Facebook isn't all bad!  

To follow my Facebook page, go here:  K2's K9s and Kitties, on Facebook

Adopting a dog is a lifetime commitment

My 14-year-old senior dog, Hobie, was lounging on the bathroom floor yesterday morning while I was getting ready for work, as he has every day since we first adopted him at four months of age. It's our special time together, just the two of us.  He started the routine as a young pup, when he would actually hop into the shower with me!

With the exception of one cat, and one dog, each of whom had fatal accidents and left us much too soon, all of our pets have lived well into their teens, some of our cats even into their twenties. We've been fortunate to guide the majority of our pets into their golden years with love, affection and more-than-adequate health care.  Basically, my guy and I would do anything for our pets.

But shelters, rescues and the internet are overwhelmed lately with animals who aren't so lucky. Either abandoned, or surrendered properly to a shelter or rescue, dogs are generally given up on at two points in their lives by their human adopters:  during puppyhood from ages 18 months to three years, when their cute puppy-ness has faded away and the reality of raising a young dog gets to be too challenging for the human; and during their senior years when the dog has outgrown its usefulness for the family, no one is paying attention to it,  health-care costs are too much to handle for the caregivers, or the dog has simply become a burden.

In both cases, the dog is just entering the threshold of two milestones in its life.  In the first instance, the puppy is about to reach adulthood.  A year goes by very fast.  The chewing of furniture does end, believe me.  By three years old, most dogs settle down and become loyal, loving, relaxed, well-behaved companions. But people are impatient nowadays, and can't deal with the waiting and everything that comes along with the wait, such as being responsible enough to put shoes and food out of the reach of the dog; giving the dog enough exercise so they don't destroy the furniture, curtains and wainscoting out of boredom; providing appropriate toys to chew on during the pesky teething phase, etc.  Since it's almost always the human's fault when a dog gets into trouble, it's our responsibility as pet parents to provide the tools a dog needs to keep him or her safe, trouble-free, and keep it from eating your house and belongings! Having a "conversation" or trying to treat the dog as if it's a 7-year-old human does not work.  Dogs are dogs.  They chew. It's a fact of life.  So, the impatient human decides they need to "get rid of" the dog like some sort of disposable, damaged goods, hoping someone else will want to pick up where they left off with their unfulfilled hound. The majority of dogs in shelters right now are young males between the ages of 18 months and three years.  Many of them will be killed, for no reason other than there is no room at the inn, and their number comes up.

In the second instance, the senior dog is (let's face it) probably going to die soon.  Some people can't deal with the burden of an elderly pet.  The dog is then put out to pasture, so to speak. Either it's euthanized prematurely, or it's surrendered to a shelter or rescue, to live out its remaining days (possibly years) without its familiar home, people, and routines.  The number of surrendered senior pets posted by shelters and rescues on the internet these days is staggering. Even in a photograph, you can almost always see the confusion in their vision-impaired eyes. Imagine being an old dog, unable to see or hear anymore, reliant on smell alone, unable to walk easily or climb stairs, solidly grounded in your daily routine at what you thought was your loving, forever home, with people you assumed loved you as much as you love them.  Suddenly, you're taken from your home, put in a strange place, confined in a cage or crate, on a concrete floor with barely enough room to turn around, let alone stretch out,  without your favorite couch, chair or doggie bed, being cared for by strange (but kind) people, eating different food, and nothing smells familiar. Even the water smells different!

If the reasons for surrendering a pet are financial, there are organizations that can provide assistance if the person qualifies.  Local veterinarians often have low-cost services and clinics available.  Shelters and rescues and pet-related fairs almost always have low-cost or free vaccine sponsorships going on throughout the year.  Some organizations actually specialize in providing pet parents with food, medical costs, etc.  Dumping or abandoning a pet does not have to happen in the 21st century.  There are people and organizations available who want to help prevent the surrender of pets to shelters in times of financial difficulty. 

Want to know more?  Read my post on FairyDogParents' blog, "The Myth of Free To A Good Home".

Raising a puppy is hard.  Caring for a senior dog is hard.  If in the market to adopt a dog, remember that it's a commitment for the lifetime of that pet.  It's like a marriage, except the other party (the dog) doesn't have free will and options like a human partner would.  If you adopt, for better, or for worse, for richer/for poorer, you agree to take care of this dog for the rest of its life. This is not a temporary assignment.  If you envision yourself going through life changes that will cause you to "get rid of" the dog in the future, then owning a dog is not for you.  It's that simple. Be prepared for the hard work, the expense, the huge challenges; and then be prepared for something else: the reward of unconditional love and precious moments that come from sharing your life with a canine companion.

Hobie spends most of his time sleeping nowadays.  He's on pain medication, and can't see or hear very well.  Sometimes he needs help going up or down stairs.  But he's happy, and he's enjoying his life with us. Occasionally, when one of the younger dogs barks, Hobie raises his head off the floor, ears forward, not quite sure if he heard anything.  After looking around the room, he puts his head back down, and snoozes.  I observe this, and then his life flashes before my eyes in a blink of a moment, and I realize how terribly fast these years have gone by.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Every day we get to spend together is a gift.

Our other two dogs, litter mate brothers, Charlie Brown and Cooper, are just over two years of age. They're rowdy, clumsy and they make me mad on a daily basis! They're also cuddly, affectionate, adorable, "wicked smart" and predictable as a clock. I'm proud that I've successfully raised two puppies who are turning out to be pretty good dogs, who will one day (hopefully) become old, senior dogs with health issues. I wouldn't trade this for anything, either.

Update on the Sturbridge dogs

I received Second Chance's email newsletter today, and they posted an update about the dogs who were abandoned in Sturbridge at Westville Lake.  Here is my original post, to refresh your memory.

And here's Second Chance's update:

We are very pleased to say that the female adult golden has put on nearly 10 pounds since her rescue!  The puppies are doing well.  The male golden is undergoing treatment for his skin issues and is doing well.  We are still working on appropriate names for all of them.  The puppies have all been spayed/neutered and are anticipated to go home this weekend to their new families.  The mom and dad have been cleared to be spayed/neutered and will hopefully go to their awaiting adoptive homes soon.  Thank you to everyone that has responded to help with these dogs!

And here is Second Chance's synopsis of the original occurrence:

It's hard to believe in this subzero cold that someone would do this, but they did. They left a family of retrievers in a wooded area. There are two adults and 3 puppies. The female adult is emaciated, the male adult is suffering hair loss and skin issues. The puppies are loaded with worms and ALL of them were loaded with fleas.

Luckily the police in Sturbridge got these dogs to safety and called Second Chance to help. Second Chance has taken these dogs in and provide emergency medical treatment to rid them of the flea infestation and worms. More treatments will be needed to help with the skin issues and sores, get them all spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and address any other medical concerns that are found.
The shelter already has homes ready to take these dogs once they are ready for adoption. This may be weeks for some of them because of the skin issues. The female adult will need time to put some weight on too.

Please help support the efforts of the shelter to get these dogs ready to go to their forever homes! It is very sad how someone could be so cruel as to leave these dogs out in a wooded park in these temperatures. The freezing temperatures and other dangers could have cost these dogs their lives. There is no excuse to abandon pets. All donations are tax deductible and every donation will be used for these dogs and for other pets as well. So many have come through our doors lately in tough shape. Thank you for your support!

For more info on Second Chance Animal Shelter, check out their web site

http://www.secondchanceanimals.org/







*I do not get anything for promoting Second Chance, I simply think they are a great organization, and they're local, and that is that!  I've never even adopted an animal from them, I just think they're cool!!

5 Ingredients for Special Moments with My Dogs #RecipesForMoments

Dog lovers enjoy a special bond with their canine friends that is not easily explained to folks who have never lived with a dog.  In my experience, each of my dogs has a special bond with me that's unique to me and that individual pet, exclusively.   As part of BlogPaws #RecipesForMoments blog hop, here's our can't-be-beat recipe for bonding with your dog!

1. Choose a dog, preferably 75 pounds or larger, with a photogenic face, lovely brown eyes, and black nose and mouth.  

   

   Was Hobie ever that little?! 

2. Exercise said dog sufficiently so he or she is tuckered out.  A tired dog is a good dog.

   

   Hector and Hobie.on the bed at the Cape, when Hobie was pack leader LOL! (who else puts their feet on the other guy?!)

   
   
3. Find a small sliver of the bed (or sofa) and insert yourself on, under, near, or up against one or more dogs. 

   

   How did all 3 of us fit on that loveseat!?

4. Read, watch TV, play video games, surf the 'net, sleep, or just admire your dog.

   

   Mom, please stop taking selfies of us!

5. Repeat as often as possible. 

   

   The next generation, on the same furniture!

   
   
   

Happy anniversary, Charlie Brown

Two years ago today, I took a long drive in the afternoon and met this little rascal; signed the adoption papers, and brought him home.  Happy "anniversary" Charlie Brown!

Grainy iPhone photo

Dogs in advertising

I've been wanting to write this post for a long, long time.  This morning, I spent about five minutes on Facebook and of course the Super Bowl ads are already out (makes people like me NOT watch the game, since the only reason I watch is for the ads!  Technology, greed, and instant gratification strike again.)

Have you ever noticed how many advertisements on TV utilize the family dog (or, better yet, puppies)?
So, on Facebook this morning, TWO of the regular Super Bowl ads are promoting their 2014 product using a dog.

Not to mention the Subaru ads which have been using their famous Subaru-driving dogs for several years now, to promote the dog lover's alternative to the Super Bowl.... The Puppy Bowl!  [This year in its 10th year!]

A year ago, I was pushy enough.... er, I mean FORTUNATE enough to be chosen as one of the bloggers to work with Subaru on their Dog Tested-Dog Approved Puppy Bowl campaign.  A huge fan of Subaru for nearly 30 years (I have lost count, but I've owned, leased and driven many Subarus in that time period), and a dog owner since I was a child, I just had to get in on that campaign.  It was a no-brainer.  Thankfully, they let me join them after much begging.  Hey, hanging around dogs, you learn how to beg like a champ.

My favorite Subaru of them all... my '09 Forester.
With Hobie and Charlie standing guard.

So anyway, back to the two Super Bowl ads:  The first one is from Audi -- another car manufacturer.  I will not spoil the ad because it is hilarious and there is someone famous in the ad which was totally unexpected and just cracked me up!! That's all I'm going to say.  You can find it yourself. I'm sure it's going viral as we speak... or be conventional and wait for the GAME, dagnabbit!

The second one is Budweiser's Super Bowl ad.  Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a sap and I cry at all Hallmark and Budweiser ads.  This year's Bud ad is no exception.  It features a dog.  That's all I'm gonna say.  See above.

But this brings me back to the original observance, that of using dogs or puppies in advertising.  I'm not the first guy to write about this.  There are many blogs out there on this subject, and one person is even writing a book about the topic!  Cats are used in ads, too, but it's the family dog that seems to appear in more ads on TV, it is pretty amazing.  From insurance companies to investment banking, to automobiles and those annoying medication commercials.  Dogs in advertising are everywhere.  Does including a cute canine in a commercial bring in more business?  It must, right?

American corporations have been using dogs in advertising since before television was invented (and continue to use canines to advertise in magazines and newspapers for as long as those publications last).

Let's refresh our memories, shall we?  http://mentalfloss.com/article/22360/6-famous-advertising-dogs

Who, of a certain age, can forget Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon's famous Alpo lead-ins to commercial break! (two links there, because, you can't only watch just one!)

So, on behalf of Super Bowl fans everywhere..... Go!!! whichever team wins!

Do you know a cat that loves water?

Our Newman is one. He goes outside in the rain, he follows us to the lake and gets his paws wet, he goes into the bathtub or shower when it's running, and he prefers to drink from a running tap. Here he is, tonight, thirsty after having regurgitated an entire can of cat food onto the carpet!  One minute I'm furious, running for paper towels and yelling at the dogs "Get away from that!" (Ewww); the next minute I'm running for the camera, giggling. Never a dull one in this house!