Monday Maximus

From my amazing friends, many of whom never met Maximus but loved him all the same.

If you need something to memorialize a beloved, be sure to check out the Etsy shop PetMemories. I sent her pictures of Max playing in the pool, told her I wanted something that looks like water, and 2 tbs of his ashes. The light blue square sitting next to this is a piece of his last cone of shame. This sits above my desk where I do my schoolwork. I also wake up facing this window every morning.

Friday- forced love

I keep wondering if/where Shelby's limits might be. With me, I can get away with anything like holding her like a baby, something my dogs would never allow and were always too big to do past puppyhood. She now will elicit pets and loving from the husband. Here he asks for a kiss, but she is not a kisser. It's a rare and special treat to get a very quick and dainty kiss from Shelby. She saves them for me and Becks! Maybe one day the hubby will get one...

My loves

Bellona and Becks sharing some blankets and sunshine.

Shelby the Shark

With it being freezing cold here, I decided after 2 months of Shelby not eating the towels I give her to lay on to try and see what she would do with a proper bed. Maximus used to eat his beds, so I knew going into this to give it to her under strict supervision. Well, a few hours in, I step away and this is what she was able to accomplish. I then doused the bed with Pfooey spray and let it dry. She was given the bed back at bedtime. I then slept with my ears tuned to her for sounds of gnawing. She actually slept on the bed all night! Woot!

Then the morning came. While blow drying my hair something sounded off. I walked out to find her de-stuffing the bed. Great. Not even Pfooey spray (which is the strongest stuff on the planet) deters her.

Today she is back in her ex pen with just her towels. I wonder if I can train her to not eat her bed? But even then, I don't think she should ever be trusted not to eat all things fabric if given the opportunity; obstruction surgeries are $$$$$ and scary. Some silly dogs are just like that I suppose.

Dog Heaven

Last night Becks picked out this book for one of his three bed time stories. We made it through the book, but it wasn't pretty. I tried my best to read it aloud without cracking but could not. Thankfully Becks knows how to handle an upset momma- sweet back rubs, gentle kisses, and reminders that it will all be ok.

The empty spot next to our reading chair reminds me every night of the boy we miss deeply.

ps- have you ever heard about Dog Chapel? Sadly, the artist, Stephen Huneck, creator of this amazing piece of art committed suicide one year ago on Friday 1/7/10. Dog Chapel has always been on my bucket list of places to visit. You will probably recognize his work. Stephen, you will be missed. My thoughts go out to your loved ones.

Heartworms are scary

So we know Shelby is HW+ but we do not know what her load is. Is she mild or moderate or severe? Tomorrow I am taking her to my vet to find out. With her hunting prey drive in full effect, I am noticing her hacking up phlegm after sprinting around the yard and in/out of bushes looking for critters to kill. A cough is not a good sign for a HW+ dog. I am forever haunted by a friend who lost her rescue dog very suddenly after receiving a low + on his HW test treated by monthly heartworm medication. After treatment, he died running in the yard in front of them as a result of having all male heartworms discovered during necropst- the antigen test only looks for antibodies for female adult heartworms; there must be at least 5 adult female worms to receive a positive hit on the test. This was a very rare case but very real and continues to be on my mind as a what if.

Be sure to keep your dog on heartworm preventative. You can read more here http://www.heartwormsociety.org/veterinary-resources/canine-guidelines.html#8

ps- outdoor cats can also become infected so be sure to treat your cats as well though I will tell you as domesticated animals they would be better off inside 24/7.

pps- I bet you won't be eating spaghetti for dinner tonight, will you?

Making friends

Shelby has slowly earned more out of the ex pen privileges. Last month when off leash for the first time she and Bellona had a loud and nasty sounding fight. No one was hurt, but I went back to crate and rotate to keep everyone safe. I suspect Shelby was trying to find her place in the pack and needed me to remind her I'm the leader and Bellona is my second in command. She has now been spending time with me on leash using the umbilical method. She and Bellona have been doing great ignoring one another and for now, this is our manageable comfort level. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Shelby is so tolerant of Beckett though I can tell his fast movements and loudness at times scare her a bit. I think she will be great with kids in the long run. She will let you poke and prod her, feet, tails, and even infected ears without a single complaint . She is such a snuggle bug and longs to have her belly rubbed and her velvet ears rubbed. I hope her forever family finds her soon for I fear Beckett is getting attached. I mean who wouldn't? Look at that cute mug? Please pass her around to anyone in the Texas area who might be worthy of such love and devotion!

What a difference!

Shelby the day I pulled her out of long term boarding:




Shelby today:



2 months in and she is looking so much better! Let's hope in the next 2 months we find her a family to call her own. She certainly deserves it!