Feel Like Complaining

Sonny is a 7 year old Pit Bull/Mixed/Pug mix; quite a combo! He was a rescue dog trained at a prison program in the Tri-Cities area here in Washington. They had just gotten another dog from the same place so we met them both. They didn't know much about the female since they hadn't had her that long but I was nervous about having her. It's never wise to get a rescue, then go on a trip. The day of the stay he wrote to tell me that they had to return her for aggression issues. I breathed a sigh of relief because Sonny will be back in July for almost a month. He was so shy at first and pretty much stayed on the bed. He did like walks but really did not want to go out the back door. We're used to taking dogs out every few hours for potty breaks but that stressed him out something fierce. He acted like he was in trouble; trembling and putting his brakes on. We finally decided that morning and bed time, with a walk in-between were best.  Blocking off the bedroom made him inte...

As a parent gets older, their children take on rolls to make things easier for them. Simple phone calls to complain about Mom's phone being down was so stressful to her, especially when it happens over and over. I would have to call her phone company several times a year and always had the same spiel, "No, I'm not going to unplug it and plug it back in, this is an ongoing problem and she uses a lifeline so she NEEDS her phone". Then they would send someone out on emergency status.  At her new home we'd have to step in to tell the owner and girls what Mom liked and how she liked things done. Yes she was particular but it would make their life so much easier if they did it her way. She had so many things taken away from her the day she moved in; just give her control over a few things. Just because she couldn't do everything for herself, she still wanted things done her way. Even after death I fought with her funeral home for an entire week.  She had a prepaid p...

This little girl stole our hearts! Khaleesi is a 6 year old long hair Dachshund who really didn't want anything to do with us for about 4 hours. When an owner drops off later in the day it often takes up till bedtime for them to settle in. She wanted to sleep with Faith and that's where she slept the duration of her stay. Poor Faith only has a twin bed so most of the time doesn't sleep well when a dog insists on sleeping with her. Khaleesi is happiest in a lap (usually mine) but does like an occasional walk and her toys. She won't bring anything back though. After we throw a toy she'll stand by it and bark, expecting us to come and get it. It's fun getting on the floor with her to play, I'm still sorta able to do that.  There were so many cute pics of hers to choose from! We even did a little painting project with her that I saw online. You take a large zip-loc bag and smear peanut butter or maybe soft dog food on the top of it. Get a small canvas. I ended u...

Mr. Baxter was our last dog of February and he was here for two weeks. He's a 13 year old Cairn Terrier, full of Piss and Vinegar! He absolutely loves being outside which isn't a problem, unless there's a lot of snow. A normal dog will want in after their business is done. But not him, he'll get close to the door then run away. Again, no big deal on a nice day..... On a snowy day, his fur packs on the snowballs but he can still run away and then the chase is on. I saw him wear Faith out as he zigs and zags around the bench. One day after the snow had melted I thought it would be OK to let him off the tether. Tony and I left and Faith had quite a time catching him. He got all muddy trying to escape her. She finally had to leave a treat trail into the house. Because our promise is to either be outside with them or standing in the doorway, we would be there for hours waiting for him to get in the mood to come in. I finally devised a tether out of 6 different leashes to tie...

Next came 2 older gents, Cash and Waylon. Cash is a 9 year old Puggle (way over his fighting weight). Waylon is a Black and Tan Coonhound mix. This poor guy is 14 and very lame; he walks worse than Nellie ever did. They were only here for a day-and-a half and I had to pick him up 3 times. He takes meds but I don't think they're doing him a lot of good. He was extremely shy and guarded but by morning he would follow us around and beg for treats. Their parents had to bring so much stuff that we put everything by the back gate to make it easier to load. When they showed up, Cash ran out the door so excited to greet them but Waylon went in our bedroom and lay down, ha. When he finally got outside he looked at his mom, me, back to her again, then me, like "What, I just got comfy and now I have to leave?" Lulu was a last minute booking and we didn't even have time for a meet and greet. She's a 5 year old Labradoodle with the most beautiful gray coat I've ever se...