Happy Birthday Silver

 Dear Silver,

Nine years ago today you were born and seven weeks later we brought you home to join our little family.  You were such a sweet blessing and such a pain in the ass all at the same time.  How was I to know that the independent Husky in you was going to override the Lab that shown through.  Who would have thought that such a innocent looking Lab could be so defiant and determined to teach me of the Husky within you?  How very little has changed with time, you are still as strong willed as ever, just a little greyer around the edges now. 

If it were not for you we would not have the 24 Paws of Love and the most wonderful mother to the greatest gift of our lives.  Through you I have healed from my own wounds as you became the nurturing mother I so desperately needed.  You have always known before I did when I needed your instincts of comfort and care and you so graciously gave of yourself every time.  How can I ever thank you for just knowing?

We are so grateful for all of the gifts you keep giving from the time I first held you.  Daddy pick you out and I named you and you were our first puppy together.  Who would have dreamed that you would lead to Brut and you two together would lead to ten more puppies all with half of you in them.  10 little Silver and Brut's running around, who would have thunk it?

 We love you Silver and all of your ornery ways because we couldn't love you any other way.

Happy Birthday Silver,
Love, Mom and Dad

WE ARE ON A ROLL!!

Chance is dealing with a bit of, um, let's just say tension today and I think he just couldn't take it anymore.  Blaze is in season and so he's been taking his frustrations by humping Mrs. Bear.

Yes ironic as it looks.  Mrs.Bear ask for love and Chance has been giving it to her. 

So I figured the big boy needed to get out of the house for a while.

Then I remember Chance hasn't been in the truck since I took him for his "slow ride" where we took breaks in between each step from getting in the truck to putting it in gear and never left the driveway to work on his anxieties of being in the truck. 

THE MAGIC INSIDE

So I do a bit quicker version then back up three feet and realize I need something to occupy him as he just started to freak a little.  Bones and chewing things never work, then I saw Daddy's empty peanut butter jars he saves for treat time for the dogs, BINGO!!  Once he got his tongue working on the peanut butter smears he laid down, relaxed into himself and we took off, smooth as silk.  He was done by the time we hit the main drag, but he is always fine by that point.  It's always leaving that is the hardest part.

We took a little walk down the residential section of downtown someplace he had never been and he heeled and loosed leash walk like a champ.  Then I ran in to buy ice cream as a reward for Chance and Blaze whom I'd had left home and was busy letting me know how unhappy she was on the camcorder.  Since Chance and Blaze are hardly ever separated and Blaze is like the hyper queen of the dogs, I taped her to see how she does on these short jaunts and try to come up something that will help her out.  And I did, but you'll have to wait while I try it out to see if it works.  But on the plus side she didn't eat the couch or even knock the cushions off!!  Woo-Hoo!  Go Blaze!!

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SAY BROCCOLI!!

     This is the result of us all sharing carrots and broccoli together and the fact they didn't move while I went in the other room to grab the camera!  All four Back Dogs in one shot!!

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And I'd like to know why nobody told me about the ease of walking two dogs on one of these connector thingys.  Talk about the greatest invention to dog kinds out there.  I can actually walk Chance and Blaze together without being yank every which way.  Brilliant!!  Although one might think with some of my sledding knowledge I would have an inkling that something like this might work.  It was so cool because now the three of us are working as a team together.  Chance listens to me, Blaze listen to Chance and we got to practice our turn commands and what "WHOOOOOOOOOA! means. This is going to make such a difference in being able to practice for sledding at a slower pace and with a bit more control.  AWESOME!! I've done it twice with Chance and Blaze and once with Fiona and Zappa (who also did quite well) and I feel like I've broken down a barrier I've been trying to bust for the last year.  WONDERFUL!  SPLENDID!  TOTALLY KICKS A$$!!

All of this in just one week and things couldn't be better!!

How did your week go??

 

PuppyWars App

My husband and aren't very tech savvy and we are kind of old school when it comes to computers and gadgets and all those  new high tech stuff. A simple desk top computer does us just fine.

The reason I'm telling you of our technical 'handicap' is that I was given a free download to an app for dogs, called: Puppy Wars.  At first I blew it off because it is for use with an iPhone or iPad, neither of which we have or plan on getting.  But then I began to look through the software HERE and there is game where you win votes for who's the cutest puppy, but what really caught my eye is they have program for adopting rescued pups.  And I figured letting others know about this vital app may help save many lives.

Free Download link:   http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppywars/id514381653?mt=8

Here's the features the PuppyWars app carries as given to me from the company.   

How PuppyWars Works:

Do you have the cutest puppy in the world and want to prove it to everyone? Now you can! With PuppyWars, you can upload all the best photos & videos of your dog and then compete 1-on-1 against other pups while our community of over 15,000 users votes on who is the cutest. With each winning battle, you’ll earn your dog “bones” and rise to the top of the standings.

Help “Adopt A Rescue Puppy”:

The best part about the PuppyWars app is that we are helping rescue dogs find homes through adoption. By enabling your phone’s location services, our “Adopt A Puppy” feature can find local shelters and show you photos of all available dogs in need. With a quick tap you can call or email the shelter right from the app.  In less than a month, we've had over 15,000 adoption searches and over 250 shelters contacted by interested families.  

About PuppyWars:

Created by Cleaversoft, LLC., PuppyWars was launched in early May 2012. PuppyWars is a game for dog lovers to settle the age-old question: Who has the cuter dog? Take some pictures of your pooch and challenge another user's dog by opening it up to a world-wide vote. After 3 days the pup with the most votes wins. Don't have a puppy you say? DOESN'T MATTER, we need your votes to help determine who has the cutest dogs in the world.

PuppyWars is free to play, but you can buy more bones from within the app. We're donating 5% of all Bones purchases directly to the ASPCA.
- Take pictures of your dogs or use photos from your camera roll
- Make a slideshow of your cutest shots
- Take your dogs out to the battle by opening it up to a world wide vote
- Turn your phone horizontal for instant full screen voting!
- Earn PawChievements!
- Unbelievably beautiful UI painted by Mattahan (Paul Davey)

I don't normally promote something I have tried first, but I thought about all the techy people of the world who would be interested in a app that may help a dog find a home.  So I thought I would just put the info out there if any one is interested.  Hey it's a free download, what do you have to loose?

Blaze's Throne

Have you seen this picture?  BLAZE ON HER THRONE   It will only take a second to take a quick look.

Now take a look at this picture

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We finally felt the time was right to invest in a 'new' used couch.

You didn't really think that we were that silly to buy one off the store room floor with these couch eating monsters,

Did you?

BOL!!

Monday Memories-Do you have a memorial garden or grave site for your pets?

 Sparky's Weigela

We have a small grave site for our past on pets.  It is on the side of the house.  There are five sites and each one is lined with large rocks and has a small fence around it because of dogs.  I picked out plants that flower according to the time of their death.  My cat Sparky and our dog Alex died in June and I bought them both Weigela bushes.  I've actually seen the flowers open on June 4, which is when Alex died and stay open just past June 22, when Sparky died.

  Top view of Alex's site

For Alex I also have ferns from his favorite stomping grounds.  A swampy forest on the lake where he was able to run free and do as he pleased.  I also planted myrtle from another one of his favorite spots where he love to hang out with us.

 Mojo's Rhododendron

When our first duck Mojo died in the early spring, I have a Rhododendron that blooms as early as spring can start up here.

I'm still looking for just the right plant for our other duck and my duck egg, both whom died in the spring as well.  I'm thinking of an Orange Quintz, a small bush that has orange flowers (to also match their bills) and even though my neighbor has one, they tend not to grow well this far north.  But I would like to try.

 Claw's Burning Bush, ready to be planted.

Then for Claw, my heart cat twin, who died in October, I did have a Hibiscus for her that bloomed in late summer.  It died a couple of years ago.  But as I rethought my idea for having the the plants flower during closest to their anniversaries, I decided to go with a Burning Bush.  And while it doesn't flower, the leaves will turn a bright red in the fall in October, the same month Claw died.

So that's how we memorialize our pets.  What do you do?

Ads for Dogs

I think any dog would qualify for this position.  

In our home I think Brut and Silver would win this hands down.

 Another one many dogs would be bidding for.

Blaze would be our lead contestant for this job.
She's the only one who has caught any critters and she's beaten last year's record!

You'd need your most devious thinker for this one,

Brut and Zappa would tag team to set everyone free!!

 And while we may not be able to apply for this one, I know many of you have dogs that would be perfect for it.

Which one would your dog(s) be best at?

My New Summer Job

Well I've been becoming quite the snake wrangler.  I've captured four snakes in the last month.  An Eastern Hog-nosed who's hooded neck (like a Cobra) looks worse than it's bite (non-venomous) and hissing that sounds like a rattlesnake.  The Back Dogs keep finding these completely harmless and awesome creatures (did I mention, I love snakes, especially Cobras ) and I catch them and release them elsewhere.  They are pretty slow moving so it doesn't take nothing but my grilling tongs and a bucket with holes in the lid. 

I think they may have had a nest somewhere in our yard.  For every one I get rid of, there seems to be another to take it's place.  Either that or we have some very tasty toads in our yard, which is their staple food.

The dogs are well spooked by the snakes, just enough to bark at them and jump if they try to strike.  They don't try to press their luck with these strange creatures.  And if it wasn't for the dogs, I wouldn't even know the snakes were in the yard.  Brut has an uncanny way of finding them.

They are pretty interesting snakes, if not only for their hooded head and neck, but when they are threatened they will flip and squirm on their backs, act as they are vomiting something, let out a musky scent and play dead.  They first one we ever caught my husband believed it was dead and when we went back to find it, it was long gone.  

We've had two other encounters with this Eastern Hog-Nose snake over the past couple of years and from the way this summer is going I don't think it will be the last. 

This snake is the latest one, I think "she" is just gorgeous compared to the other ones.
(Well, "she" must be a girl, look at how pretty and colorful "she" is!)

Back Dog Treat Time

I used to use treats with the  Back Dogs, until I realized Brut (my-food-possessive-dog aggressive-territorial boy) turned into a psycho with food around.  So if I did I would only use it when Brut or the other three dogs were alone.  This has went on for over a year and a half and now I'm beginning to incorporate treats with all four dogs again. 

Our yogurt spoon feeding time has been helping all the dogs learn how to take turns.  Well, I decided to test this out.  I had Brut, Fiona, and Silver together in the house doing simple things like sit and lay down, all the while making Brut stay when it was someone else's turn by holding my "stop sign hand" in front of him.  Worked like a charm.

So today, I decided to take it one step further.  For one, I wore the treat belt, so there's no mistaking I HAVE TREATS as I walked out to the backyard with Brut on alert. I threw treats into our wading pool and had Brut grab them.  I let the other dogs come at their own will.  With the same "stop sign hand" I told Brut to stay and Silver and Fiona got their turns at bobbing for treats.  Zappa tried to come in close, but Brut snarled and he turned away.  And I let him, because it is better not to force these two together.  They will come together when they are comfortable with each other.

So we went back and forth between Brut bobbing for treats and Silver and Fiona.  It was obvious that Silver was feeling safe because, one, she was all the way in the pool and, two,  she got right in front of Brut to grab a treat.  My plan was working!!

When I was almost out of treats, I called an end to the game while things were still going good.  Then an interesting thing happened Brut, Silver and Fiona were all lined up sitting, so I praised them with treats.  Then next thing I know here comes Zappa at the end of the line and sitting for his treats with no fuss from Brut!!  SO COOL!!  I could have gotten a great snapshot of all four of them lined up!!  Which is another one of my goals, to get a picture of all the Back Dogs together at once.  My mind is clicking now.  BOL!!

So I will have to remember to have the camera close, unfortunately this time all I could do was pretend with them.  But I have this great moment saved in my memory forever and that's the best place it could be.  :)