Testing...testing...1,2,3

 Had to make some changes to our email subscriptions.  They were technical changes that do not effect any of our subscribers, so no worries.  And since I'm not very technical it took me a while to figure it out.  But it is all fixed and ready to go.   So hopefully every one of our subscribers is receiving this post.

Because of the delay, I missed posting about Zappa's year anniversary.  It is so hard to believe that a year ago he was here and that he actually been gone that long.  It still hits me, just like that, out of the blue sometimes.  In the evenings for some reason, his loss really gets to me, as well as the rest of the 24 Paws.  During the day I'm basically OK, but when the sun starts to set, I feel that emptiness and loss every evening.  Not really sure why, but I do.

Boxer, our cat is doing well for having cancer.  He was given 3 months to live last July, but no one told him that.  lol  It has been eight months since he was diagnosed and he is still here.  There have been no changes that I can see and he is acting fine.  In fact, he is starting to get really needy, wanting to be close to me all the time.  He's starting to drive me crazy.  lol  Boxer has always been like that, but he's been a little worse than normal.  Not sure what that means, but we are taking it day by day with him.  

Princess Leia, the Siamese, is also doing fine.  The food and supplements she takes for her kidney disease are doing a great job at keeping it under control.  She is very healthy for a 17 1/2 year old.  

Well, that's about the latest.  I hope I will be able to post more now that the emails are fixed.  

Thank you for staying with us.

Take care,

Patty ♥

Wrapping up summer

 I come to the blog every day.  I always seem to find all kinds of things to write about, until I'm actually on that blank post, then all the words and thoughts and feelings trickle down from my brain and leave me empty.  

That's how my whole summer has gone.  It has been a very, very long summer without any dogs.  Every day seemed to drag into the next.  The evenings were the worst part of the day. That's when it would really get to me.  Or going outside alone with no doggie company.  The cats helped, but they couldn't make up for the loss of dogs or the fact that they weren't dogs.  

Time has been hard to fill. It doesn't help either that I have a bum knee and I am limited as to what I can do.  That made it worse.  When I really wanted to get something done and distract my mind, I wasn't able to do it.  To say I was depressed this summer would be an understatement. 

 And while I didn't blog much this summer, I did journal.  Every day.  

I still say good night to all the pups every night.  And if wasn't for that spiritual connection with the dogs, I would have never made it through this summer. 

It did help that the cats were still here.  We've gotten to know each other all over again, which has been good.  And since Boxer is terminal, I've been getting extra quality time with him, that I wouldn't have gotten if there were dogs around.     

Now we will be going into our first fall and winter without any dogs.  I hope Mark and I don't kill each other.  lol  There isn't anything worse than being cooped up all winter without the love of dogs to get you through.  We have decided not to get a dog until sometime after Boxer goes.  It would be way too much stress on him at this time with his cancer.  So we're going to try and make the best of everything and hope for the best.  We only have one life to live and there's nothing better than trying to live it.

Take care my friends.  ♥        

The cats

Boxer on top, Leia on the bottom.

I don't mention the cats much, because, well, this is a dog blog, but they have been in our lives since before the 24 Paws.  Boxer and Princess Leia have become a great source of comfort over the last couple of years in dealing with the dogs' illnesses and deaths.  

I've discovered a new love for the cats after the dogs passed.  Boxer and I have played aggravation with each other for years.  After 17 years of it, I think we have finally come to a unanimous truce.  I'm sure it has something to do with age, but don't tell him I said that.  Boxer thinks he finally wore me down and won the game.  lol

It is never easy caring for sick dogs.  You're heart breaking every day on borrowed time.  The cats were my escape from that.  After their nightly meal we would curl up together in their bed and snuggle.  Sometimes I would cry and Boxer would head butt me over and over.  

My relationships with the cats, is complicated, probably because they are cats. My previous two cats were more like dogs than cats and did not prepare me for how catty Boxer and Leia are.  I've been shocked and appalled at how much cattiness Boxer and Leia have in them.

Boxer, my tuxedo cat, is the dominate angry cat.  He is always glaring and disgusted with something. (usually me)  I swear the only time he is happy is being fed and being on my lap, otherwise, he's angry.

Leia, my Siamese, is psycho.  Simply put.  She is hyper off the charts.  She isn't mean or angry...she is just crazy.  I have to use my "get a grip" tone of voice to get her to back off from me. She is the pesky little sister that bugs Boxer and me.   

It's been a completely different household having just cats, that I have slowly learned to enjoy again.  Since they are both older, Boxer is 18 years old and Leia is 16 years old, I appreciate their quiet pace.

We found out a few weeks ago that Boxer has a rare, aggressive form of cancer.  We have seen two different vets and an oncologist.  There is an option of surgery, but the space is tight and they may not be able to get clean margins.  That means since it is aggressive, it will come back again.  We have opted not to do the surgery and they gave him three months to live.  That's how fast this cancer spreads. So, we are spending every minute possible with him.    

Leia has kidney disease (which is common in cats) that is being regulated with special food and supplements.  She is pretty stable and we try to keep her that way by making sure she eats. So far, so good.

So, while our lives have changed with the loss of the dogs, we still have Boxer and Leia to hold on to for however long we may have with them.    

 

Impossible Love

I really don't know how I would get through the day if it wasn't for hubby, Mark, the 24 Paws and our two kitties.

They are all my best friends and I couldn't ask for anyone better.  I love them more than life.  They are always there for me, always love me, and have helped me to love myself.  I couldn't be more honored or blessed to have them all in my life.  And I know I don't deserve such blessings, but God must have thought otherwise or I wouldn't be with them today.  Everything in my life has lead to this moment and everything I could have dreamed of is here.  If you would have told me 30 years ago that I could be happy, fall madly in love and have all the unconditional love possible, I would have never believed it.  Never in a million years.  Yet, here I am.  Yes, here I am.  Living, loving and tackling every sharp curve and obstacle in my way.  We are going to do it. I am going to do it with the help of my family and God.  We are going to do the impossible.  Because that's what we have...impossible love.

What is Boxer using for flea and ticks prevention?

Well, you've heard about our success with Nexguard for flea and tick prevention for the dogs, now we are going to turn it over to the feline of the house, Boxer to see what he is using.

Boxer take it away!

Well, I get a yummy treat every night with my canned food.  It is liver flavored and goes well with my ocean fish and tuna mix.  I don't know what it is but my coat is wonderfully soft and silky smooth and with no bugs.  Mom, tell that what it is...

OK Boxer, as you wish.  The product is called "Flea Away."  It repels mosquitoes, ticks and fleas by masking the Co2 our pets produce that attracts these pest.  "Flea Away" is a vitamin...Yes, a vitamin that mask this Co2 (something humans can't smell) which in turn keeps them from getting on your pet.

I check Boxer every couple of weeks and so far it has been working.  No ticks or fleas.

One of the down sides is that it takes about 30 days to become effective, so it's best to start Flea Away before fleas and ticks are active.  But after that it seems to be working.

On the plus side, Boxer's fur is as he said, silky, shiny, and oh so smooth.

I must tell you that the last two years Boxer has been going outside without any preventive on and has never gotten fleas, but my fear was ticks, and so instead of using a topical (which I've never liked the idea for cats) we decided to test him out with Flea Away.  Like I said, so far so good.

We found Flea Away through Chewy.com.  They have always been great to us.

And as always, nobody is paying us for our thoughts, we are just sharing products we are using and our experience with them.

 

Counting our Blessings...

10 puppies...

4 Back Dogs

2 Front Dogs

2 kitty kitties

and 1 duck, who will never make it for dinner!!

Plus all of our animal loving blogging friends.

Happy Thanksgiving

From the 24 Paws of Love  :)

Blaze and the cats...Part Duex

Peeking

I've been working with Blaze and her high Husky prey drive with the cats.  For safety reasons, Blaze is separated from the cats.  I've tried several different things and the one I had the most success with is in this post.  I hooked a leash to the wall, hooked Blaze to the leash, had lots of treats and a cat who stood at the doorway, but never crossed into her territory.  I have done this a couple more times since that post.  The last time I did it, I wore Blaze out with mental games and she actually laid down and looked at me, without paying any attention to the cat.  That was HUGE progress!!



Then a few weeks ago, I had this spur of the moment idea...

I needed to clean my disastrous computer desk.  Computer is in the cat's room.  (yes, for all you doggies I read all your post with the cats!)  I had the radio on in Chance and Blaze's room.  Both were sleeping.  I didn't want to close the door or I wouldn't be able to hear the music, so I thought, I'll leave it open and see how things play out.

It's open!

Chance paid no attention, he rarely does, But Blaze slowly woke up and stayed rather quiet, just watching as Boxer walked around his room and crossing in front of the doorway every so often.  The computer/cat's room is about the size of an over sized closet and easy to keep watch on my rolling desk chair.

Was that a feline?

Blaze watched for some time, we're talking a good 10-15 minutes, before she started creeping closer towards the door.   That alone was impressive.  She was relaxed with a playful demeanor, instead of her wild eyed "I want to taste you" look, when she stood at the doorway.  When her and Boxer finally met face to face I was right there as she went to pounce and I caught her in my arms, held her very gently and let her sit with lots of eye contact.  She was so excited and happy at being so close!  I can tell after 4 years her curiosity is starting to get the best of her.  Although any direct contact would've have sent her into prey drive mode.  So this was exciting!  I can't remember how long Boxer stayed in his room after that, but it was long enough that we practiced not letting one paw cross the cat's threshold.  It didn't take long after that to see the her body buzzing into overdrive as the adrenaline reached her eyes to know it was time to close the door.

You said "No Paws!"

I was so excited it didn't take much to share it with Blaze as I smothered her with kisses and treats and told her how fantastic she had done.  It wasn't long before she was jumping at the cat's door with the same bound excitement that said, "Let's do it again.  Right now!!"  She was so great and I couldn't be more proud of her.  I didn't try again for a while as her interest in the cats peaked since trying and I was letting that thrill wane down a bit before trying again.

Then I tried again last night.  Same scenerio:  Blaze sleeping, leave door open, she slowly creeps towards the door.  For a while their were no cats, then my little Siamese, Princess Leia popped in and curious Blaze just observed without once crossing the door frame.  Just as I saw the little sparks start jumping in her eyes, I walked out, closing the door behind and praised her like crazy.  She was so calm and controlled.  It was simply awesome!!  It is so humbling to be part of this trusting foursome between Blaze, the two cats and myself in this little dance and simply more awesome than I can put into words.  Time is a wonderful thing.

Look at me!!

Boxer update

 OBNOXIOUS??  Like she's got a lot of room to talk!!

You may remember THIS POST about Boxer, my obnoxious cat that I built up resentments towards because his behavior and temperament is the complete opposite of my previous mellow, laid back cat Sparky that I found myself still grieving for.

 A QUICK RECAP:
About the time Boxer became more than I could bear, was about the time I realized I was harboring such feelings toward him and we began a process of healing.  Pamela’s Challenge came along about the same time and I began by focusing on our evening lap time with simple ’reward and ignore’ techniques to calm him down.  It worked beautifully and we began to bond again. 

I claimed that if all I ever had with Boxer was gentle lap time, I had conquered everything and I did, but Boxer, being who he is, didn't stop being his pushy, demanding self the rest of the time.  We weren't through yet. 

AND THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES…

SAY WHAT??

Boxer’s overbearing attitude and presence made me realize I had to start building some boundaries between us.  Using my hand as a gentle block, like I use with the dogs, didn’t phase him in the least, he just kept pushing himself towards me.  Then out of a reflex, a threw up my foot to block in front of his face and he instantly stopped.  Finally, I was on to something.  He had to think for a few minutes and when he went to swerve around, bam!  foot in face.  It took a little reinforcement until he got the message, but it worked!!

An amazing thing happened out this action, we began to understand each other and learn how to read each other better.  Since I am so hypersensitive and Boxer being so strong willed and determined, we are finding how to work together and ease into our lap time.  When he comes at me with such force, I tell him “NO” with my foot.  I continue this until I see his attitude soften.  Which only takes a couple of times if that.  Then I use my hands which say “wait” or “not yet.”  We will continue this dance of coming closer and like minded, one step at a time until I will invite him on my lap or he has snuck in close enough to make the initiative himself.

I can not tell you how many times I have cringed when I would see him rallying towards me like a heavy weight boxer gearing for a fight and I never knew what to do.  Boxer is one powerful cat, not just in size but in willpower and I always felt plowed over by these combined strengths.

This simple body language has changed our relationship even further.  There is more respect between us and we are enjoying each others company with the bonding that has ensued because of a foot that means “NO” and a hand that says “not yet.”

OK, how about now?

Now if I can figure out a way to keep him off my chair every time I get up, I think I would be in heaven.  MOL!!         

Dog stories. Are You a Fanatic?

How could you...?? 

How could you read about a dog other than me??

It's that time of the year again, when the latest holiday movies start hitting the theaters for all that warm family cheer.  (UGH!)   Or the release of some gooey feel good story that is just begging to be read.  Somewhere in all those heartwarming movies and books is bound to be something about a dog.  Or cat.  Or other animal.  Causing ripples of laughter and tears with the humorous havoc that usually ends with that teary, clutching your heart ending.  You know the one.

Well, it made me wonder how many animal lovers out there enjoy watching and reading all those touching animal stories because I have found that other than reading blogs, my husband and I do not.  I've had my share of many Disney classics that I'll always love, but don't watch anymore.  Any dog books I've read have been for information and other than a brief period when we watched dog sledding movies when Brut was quite young and just learning, we don't.  Anytime we are at the video store (yes, you can still rent movies from a store) and we'd see the latest dog movie out, my husband and I will give each other that look of, "yeah, right," and move on.  I guess having our own personal cinema everyday with the 24 Paws is enough for us.  We like to take our escape time with a little more adventure and a little less canine.

 24 Paws of Love...

 the saga continues...

So where do you stand?  Are you like us, who can do without the Hollywood animal drama?  Or do you find yourself drawn to any movie or book that has fur, feathers or otherwise with an appetite for more?  Please share!

It's a blog hop, join us!

   

Blaze and Boxer the Cat

The infamous "cat door"

Here kitty, kitty!  I just want to meet you...with my teeth!

We have had some exciting things going on and here's one I like to highlight.  Blaze has a more Husky qualities than any of the other dogs.  She is hyper, whiny and has a strong prey drive.  It is this prey drive that she can't be around the cats.  For the past three years, I have been trying everything my little brain can think of to accumulate her with the cats with very little success.  The latest thing I could come up with was putting her in a crate and letting Boxer roam about.  Blaze isn't crate train, she will go in one, but has never been closed in one.  So my mind kept reeling.

 The unsuspecting Boxer

Don't I look scared?

 Finally it dawned on me to tether her.  Bingo!  So I found a hook, attached it to the wall in her corner of the room which is also the furthest from the cat's door.  I leashed and hooked Blaze with a bag full of cheese and began with simple commands, then we moved on to "leave it."  She was so excited with the game and the cheese, she could hardly contain herself!  I wondered for a second or two, whether introducing the cat was a good idea because she was so excited, but I had to at least feel it out.  So I made her sit, while I opened the door to the cats room.  That got her attention.  She was on complete alert, but in an happy way.  She doesn't show any signs of being aggressive, but being an avid hunter, her play would be quite rough and serious for the cats.

 Don't worry, I've got this dog thing covered!

As Boxer began to stir around, I kept telling Blaze to sit.  She was so focused on the doorway, that I had to gently raise her muzzle to get her to sit.  Click and reward.  She took the cheese!!  I couldn't believe it!!  Food means nothing when there are cats around.  So this was a BIG plus.

Well, you would have thought that Boxer and I had rehearsed all of this the night before. Boxer came to the doorway, staying behind the threshold and stayed there.  They both looked at each other, Blaze's body was wiggling like crazy, with her eyes locked on the cat.  I continued to make her sit and she still took the cheese.  This was fantastic!!  After a few minutes, Boxer began grooming himself, not paying any attention, and when I told her to sit again, she actually turned, faced me and sat.  I about fell over.  This was better than I could have expected.

Let's try again, Mom.  This time without the leash!! 

That's when Boxer took his cue and went back in his room and Blaze's excitement began to reach it's peak.  So I realized, I needed to wrap this up before she started bouncing off the walls.  I told her to sit and stay while I closed the door, then took a few more minutes of praise and simple commands before letting her off the leash.  Success!! I thought for sure that her first instinct would be to go to the cat's door and investigate, but instead she followed me around while I was doing happy dances and singing praises to her.  Another big surprise!  It was simply awesome!!

It helped that Blaze's intensity with the cats has died down this past year and both parties are becoming more curious about each other.  I was quite impressed with the entire experience.  Little by little we can take things a step further.  And who knows, Blaze and Boxer may become the best dog and cat friends that a little hyper Husky could ask for!

Dreams are not impossible.  They just take time and a whole lot of cheese!

Did she just say dreams are made of cheese??
Yummy!!  

It's Pumpkin Time!

 Told from Blaze's viewpoint:  

So Mommy decided she'd better start working on cutting up and freezing those 4 pumpkins she picked up last week.  It wasn't long before the four-lettered words starting popping out.  She'd forgotten how much work this was and how tough the skin was. She'd only made it through half a pumpkin and Chance and I were having a blast gobbling up all the pumpkin pieces that were flying all over!

She'd then remembered if you steam bake the slices the skin came right off.  In order to save time, she steamed some off them too.  For some reason she kept muttering "what a pain in the butt this was," but Chance and I held her together giving her those puppy eyes, knowing the chaos would all be worth it in the end.

 Come on Mom!  You can do it!

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!!!

She says she discovered the value of pumpkin after the c-a-t-s got the poopies and the v-e-t that didn't have any easy answers. An online search found that pumpkin was great for runny c-a-t-s.  Little did she know they worked for us dogs as well.  "Fiona seemed to be making a career out her rear," became a common phrase until Mom added some pumpkin to her diet and soon Fiona retired her licking sensation and went back to aggravating me through the door that separates us.  Which was great because I was starting to miss our challenges. 

I hear my daddy Brut tends to have a sensitive stomach and he also gets a blob of pumpkin in his food.  The last thing that boy needs is to have a reason to more ornery than he already is!  Teehee!! 

After the pumpkin cools Mommy will skin and cut it up into small chunks, throw it freezer bags and sigh as she cleans up the gigantic mess she made in the kitchen.  Since she only did two pumpkins tonight (more muttering, something about cutting into blog time) she will make the same mess all over again with the other two.  But fresh frozen pumpkin for the winter...can't be beat!!

 Just how long do you expect me to hold this pose??

 It's PUMPKIN!!

**Mom's Note**I read that pumpkin is good for diarrhea and anal gland issues in cats and dogs.  I use about 2 Tablespoons a day for dogs and about 1 teaspoon for cats.  You can use canned pumpkin, but DO NOT use the pumpkin pie filling, only pure pumpkin.

The vet told us to give the c-a-t-s tuna if they had diarrhea, so I mix about half and half of tuna and pumpkin until cleared up then gradually add in regular dry food. Works great!

Disclaimer:  This is based on my personal experience in accordance with my vet and is not intended to be used for medical advice.  Always consult your vet regarding the health of your pet.     

Got Disgusting Hariballs??

Do you have cats?  Cats with disgusting hairballs?  Are you tired of cleaning up the slimy mess?  Not to mention the stains on your carpet and floors?  

Well we have the solution for you...

 All you need is a FIONA!!

Put down that bucket and towel! A Fiona will take care the cat's mess in a jiffy.  That blob of hair will be gone before it even hits the floor!  Our Fiona's are unlike any other cat hairball remover on the market.  They are specially designed to sense the exact moment your cat will hack up that hairball and literally swallow it without ever touching your floor! No other hairball remover can say that!

  Just Checking!

Our Fiona's are so effective at removing hairballs, you'll never know that your cat is having them.

 Imagine, never having to see another puked up mess of fur again.

Multiple cats?  No Problem!  Our Fiona's are equipped to handle any number of cats.

Hurry!  Supplies are limited

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Holy Cow!!

We have been very blessed that such wonderful people that take the time to read our blog and to received not one but two awards from several different people...we find ourselves a little speechless.  

 Thanks to Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes, Kol's Notes and I Still Want More Puppies for this wonderful award.

And...

 Thanks to Jet's Furkid Palace, Arwen's Pack and Greyhounds CAN Sit for this great award.

Since I am a bit overwhelmed by the generosity of this dog community, I am going to skip sharing about ourselves and spread the love.

We have been exploring more into our dog/animal blog world and have discovered some blogs that are new to us and would like to pass these wonderful awards forward. 

While we don't know much about them, they all caught our attention in some way or another.  Some you may already know and some may be new to you, but we believe they are all worth having a look at.
We even threw in a few cat blogs to shake up the mix!

Familiar Spirit

Bert's Blog

At the Farm

Lapdog Creations

Miz Coco Kat

Cattipper

Two French Bulldogs

Married with Dawgs

No Dog About It

So go ahead, take a minute and check out a blog you haven't heard of.  You'll be glad you did.

Thank you again for these wonderful awards, because it is really YOU, the readers who makes this blog what it is. 

 

CAT ATTITUDE

Predatory animals have attitude.  It is something that stands out among them and one of the reasons they are my favorite regardless of species.  I am particularly fond of the large wild cats as their power and grace is astounding and they are nothing short of attitude.

As I have observed my male dogs over the last few years, I find they have more of this cat-like intensity than that of a wolf.  They have a warrior-like attitude that holds true not only in their stance and exquisite energy, but with the fierceness of a quick thinking mind.  They are agile and fluid in both their movements and thinking.  There is a stealth in each of them that is lightning fast and powerful, yet tamed with discipline that magnifies their grace and beauty.  I have come to cherish this wildness as I experience this inter-species of behaviors and the freedom of this wild cat/dog attitude that draws me in even closer to them.

Brut I associate with a tiger.  I remember during those early days when I brought him home and the wild craze in his eyes and feeling like I was among a Bengal tiger.  His cut throat dominance and seemingly unpredictability with which he throws his power around brought me to this conclusion at a very early age.  And though it has tamed, the fire in his eyes still roars.

Zappa has been referred to as a lion by many because of his coat and short mane.  Zappa is king in is his castle.  While he knows he must wait under his father Brut to claim the throne, he roars in protest and challenge, not one to go quietly.  He does not back down easy and will stand his ground, but not without proclaiming what is his first. I can picture him lying in a grassy field, shaking his mane with a loud, grumbling roar warning all that come near, he is king.

Chance's stealth is the quieter than the other two.  He is sleek and sly and calmer with his power.  Crouched in the grass this white panther is ready for the pounce.  Always on the look out, every muscle is taunt and ready to protect.  His low key posture keeps him alert and ready for his patrols, aware of every potential intruder that may cross his path, hiding like a thief in the night.

 While they don't exhibit these wild cat attitudes all the time, there is a sense of covertness that I can not deny.  The roars that come forth have power and strength that is beyond that of what I know of dogs.  There is a grace and intensity that I attribute to this cat-like attitude that I don't find in the females.  Whatever it is, I have come to love and respect it.  For I have always wanted to live among the wild cats and crazy as it might sound, now I am.             

BOW WOW Trivia for Free Kibble

 Did someone say free kibble?

Mike K. from Best Pet Blog has a wonderful new blog with updated pet stories of the day.  Mike wanted to let all our readers know of a site called Free Kibble.  Mimi Ausland was 11 years old when she felt a need to help feed hungry dogs and cats at her local shelters.  You can read about her story here and the awesome work she is doing.  

At the site of Free Kibble there is BOW WOW and MEOW trivia and whether your answer is right or wrong, Mimi's sponsors donate for every hit she gets.

So take a minute and check out Free Kibble, click and help out a good cause.  And please stop over and visit Mike K. at Best Pet Blog, for his great links to pet related articles and thank him for making us aware of this wonderful free opportunity to help out shelter dog and cats. Let him know 24 Paws of Love sent you.

Thank you Mike K for passing on this great info.

Paw Prayers that all doggies and kitties are fed tonight.

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 p.s. for those of you that are having problems commenting, I am working on problem.  If you are still having problems let me know by emailing me:  24pawsoflove@gmail.com  Thanks.

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How Many of Us?

How many of us have been ridiculed by non pet lovers?  How many of us have been told, "They are just dogs," or "It's just a cat or horse or fill in blank."  How many of us have went home after being chided about our love for our pets and held them tight knowing their value is worth more than money?  How many people just don't get it and feel the need to express their dismay at this strange relationship between human and animal?

I think we have all been there at some point.  I read two post on the same theme.  Buddy Wilson's Ponderings and Jet's Furkid Palace.  Buddy Wilson's Ponderings who is sacrificing everything for her dogs, some who are fosters that would have been put down otherwise, has been bombarded by negative comments by others who feel what she is doing with her dogs and the number of dogs she has is a waste of time.  Jet's Furkid Palace stated something similar how others don't "get it," referring to her relationship and bond she has with her dogs and why.  We have received many of those same comments (How much is that doggie? and Throw Away Dogs)with those shaking their heads about the time, money and energy we waste on our pets.  How many of us have gotten those looks that state we are crazy for our investment in these furry little creatures and devote a blog to them?  Yes, we are certifiably insane and proud of it!!

I could devote an entire post of all the reasons why we are dog, cat and animal crazy in our house, but they still wouldn't "get it."  Unless you've experienced the unconditional love of an animal and form that everlasting bond that comes through love, training and emotional healing and teaching you aren't going to "get it."  That is the magic of the these pet blogs, because we get it.

Just because my husband and I decided not to have children, doesn't mean I go around berating everyone that does.  I'm sure we all know people who we don't understand the way they live and why, but I don't feel the need to let my ignorance be known by butting into their lives with such rude comments and remarks. We all need life, love and purpose so please give us some respect especially when you obviously don't know what you are talking about.   

For those that feel the need to express their opinions at the cost of others for things you can't understand, here's a monumental saying I learned when I was in third grade:  "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all."  Try it out, you might help make some one's day.

Daddy Love

When Silver was really young Daddy started singing Rock-A-Bye-Baby to her at bedtime and she would crawl under the bed to sleep before he was through with the song.  He continues the tradition with each and every dog.  Daddy wasn't allowed to have any pets as a kid and has never really known the joy and love of having any.  Every day he wakes up in the awe and wonder like a kid on Christmas morning, cherishing every minute he gets with our family before heading off to work.  After eleven years, he never tires of the dogs or cats and their antics.

The dogs hate to see him go and they all start howling when he leaves in the morning.  No matter how sneaky he tries to be to get out, it never fails, they see him off with a song.  They put on quite circus show when he comes home, barking, singing, circling and practically doing flips, even when he just runs to the store for a minute.  It is comical and heartwarming and Daddy always gets into the spirit by calling all their names, for he is finally home in a house full of love.

There is something refreshing about Daddy's playful spirit and watching the dogs blossom from it.  He has a way of making every moment with the dogs count.  He can smooth over the rough edges of the day and bring the dogs to life with his songs and silly antics.  They look forward to Daddy being home because he's missed them all day and wants nothing more than to make up for all the time he lost with them.  I guess Daddy just has that way with everyone he's close to in life.  Sometimes I forget about the fun that comes with dogs, but Daddy has a way of always making me remember.  It is so wonderful to be a part of and witness all of this love around me and Daddy and the dogs make that happen.