Day two of this attempt to share my life with our four legged children.

As I sit here typing this I feel a nudge at my elbow.  I turn around and there sits Safira (our newest addition, a German Shorthair Pointer) standing there with her toy in her mouth and Budd (our mutt with a heart as big as the world) standing behind her.  They both have tails going a mile a minute.  Do you think they want to play?

Let me tell you about Budd.

One day (I think it was a Saturday) I walked outside and there on the carport is my granddaughter Catie and her friend sitting at a little table having a tea party.  Also at the party was this, shall I say HUGE dog.  I was a little nervous simply because he was so big (now he weighs in at 120 lbs).  He was drinking out of a tea cup and sitting very nicely with the girls.  Catie is as bad as her grandmother about taking in strays so she was feeding him and giving him lots of love.  I told her she needed to stop since we already had three dogs (all girls) and we didn't need a big male around.  Well, the next morning my daughter came in the house and told me that the dog was hurt.  I went out to see what had happened and make sure everything was ok (dogs can be dangerous when they are hurt).  When I got outside I find this big lug running around with blood on his hind legs and, um, shall we say, a very delicate area.  He came right to me and laid down as if to say "Make it stop, please."  Apparently he had jumped over a fence and caught one very delicate hanging body part.  It had been ripped open and was exposed and badly bruised.  Can we say "OUCH"?  When I tell this story to guys I get a lot of cringing.

Not knowing what else to do I called the Animal Care and Control.  So when the Dog Catcher showed up I was a little surprised since I thought it was an animal rescue group.  Anyway, we were talking and this big dog is licking the guys hand, wagging his tail and generally being a sweetheart.  It took two men to lift him into the truck and get him settled.  I really felt bad for him but after all, we already had three dogs and two cats.

So off he goes in the dog catcher's truck and I'm thinking "He is such a sweet guy.  Someone will surely adopt him."  Catie was so sad all day and I was beginning to miss the big guy.  My husband Jeff and I talked and talked about it an decided, what the heck, one more won't make any difference.

The next day I started making calls and finally located him.  I called the vet's office where they had taken him and told them that I wanted to come to get him.  They were very pleased and said he would be ready when I got there.  After work I drove 10 miles to the clinic to get him and pay his vet bills.  When I got there they took me back to see him.  They had him in a (what I assume) standard sized crate.  He was so big he could hardly move.  Needless to say he was one happy boy when he saw me (it's always nice to see someone you know when you are in the hospital).  When I left him to go do paperwork he cried and cried.  Little did I know that we were adopting the biggest (literally) crybaby in the world.

So when all the paperwork was done and monies exchanged, I put him in the car and took him home.  A couple of days later I took him to our vet to have him checked out and make sure his surgery to finish what he started was healing well.  The vet said he was about 1 1/2 years old and weighed 80 lbs.  Still a puppy really.  He then proceeded to talk about the scars on his back.  Apparently this sweet boy had been beaten with some kind of wire or thin rope.  He has one big scar that looks like he was cut (to even to be a bite wound) and he has scars from cigarette burns on his muzzle.  I was sick.  How could anyone do something like that to this sweet guy?  Everything checked out otherwise so I took him home and proceeded to shower him with love and affection.  We went through the same trials as just about everyone does when getting a new pet but it has all worked out wonderfully.  Budd (stands for Big Ugly Dumb Dog, but he is NOT dumb and he is beautiful) is the sweetest, loving-est big lug that I know.  He cries and kisses.  He thinks he is a lap dog.  He is stubborn and strong.  When I think about how he could have turned out because of the abuse it's a little frightening.  He is so big that he could do some serious damage if provoked.  Budd is truly a Gentle Giant and he is my boy.

I have lots more to share.  Maybe not on a daily basis but there will be more stories and other stuff as I make my way into blogging.

Have a great doggy day.

New doggies in your home

I'm writing this blog to help new pet owners and long time pet owners who might be having problems with their dogs.  What I say here is my own opinion (learned through many years of having pets in my home) and should not be taken as "expert" advise.  Hope it helps.

So you have gotten a new dog?  It's a wonderful and happy time right?  Not so much?  Your "old" dog is jealous or looks like he has been betrayed.  The new dog wants to learn all about your home and yard.  The "old" dog already knows where all the "good" places are and doesn't want to share.

Be prepared.  There will be confrontations (and maybe some aggression) but dogs are not people and sometimes it takes a while to get used to the idea that this "new" dog really does live here too.

If you have multiple "old" dogs, well, the problems can be multiplied exponentially.  Especially if you have a strong Alpha dog.  You (and the dogs) will have to show the new dog who is in charge.  Of course, you and whomever else (human that is) lives in your home are ALWAYS the Prime Alpha.  This includes children and, yes, even babies.  Dogs have to know their boundaries and who is in charge.  If you aren't in charge, one of the dogs will be and that can cause more problems than you can imagine.

Use a strong voice (Mom or Dad voice) with your dogs but don't yell at them.  A look can do as much good as yelling.  Maybe even more.  Dogs usually know when they have broken one of the rules and a stern look from Mom or Dad usually suffices.  If the dog has done something especially naughty (snagged food off the counter, gotten into the trash, snapped at another dog for no apparent (to you) reason) then you have to IMMEDIATELY scold them by telling them that that is bad.  One trick I use comes from how wolves interact with their pack.  If one of the pack members breaks a pack rule, the alpha will chastise them and then they are shunned for a short time.  Tell the dog something like "Bad dog." and then turn your back on them.  If they are sensitive they will probably try to get in front of you to get you to look at them so just keep turning away from them.  You don't have to do this for long.  Just long enough for them to understand.  You need to remember that dogs are descended from wolves and wolves are very strong pack animals.  Dogs NEED a pack and you and your family (and other animals that live with you) are their pack.  They will do anything they can to make you happy so go with that.

So with your new dog safely in your home, start to let them know you are large and in charge and they can't do whatever they want.  They have to follow the rules.  Let you alpha dog teach them (without getting violent).  They will probably learn more and faster that way.  Step in when you need to and give ALL of them as much affection as you possibly can.

Please remember that just because it's difficult sometimes, you brought this new dog home and you CAN NOT just give up on it in a few days or weeks because it's hard to get them to do things your way.  Pets are a forever thing.  Unless they are overly violent you should be able to teach them easily.  If it is a major problem there are trainers available to help you.

More later.

THE MORE I KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE, THE BETTER I LIKE MY DOGS.