A Little Brut Freedom

 No Brut?  I'm in charge!!

Have you ever been waiting for someone to leave so you can have the house to yourself and do what you want without getting yelled at?  That's what it is like for the Back Dogs when Brut goes for a ride with Daddy or is even outside for a long period.  Silver, Fiona, Zappa and I party down!!  Everyone needs a break from Brut's dictatorship every now and again and we tend to live it up.  The treats come out, the forbidden toys come out and we turn the music up loud!  It sounds horrible I know, I am such a mean mom, but Lord knows that boy deserve to be left out of the party sometimes and the rest of the Back Dogs need the reprieve.

  If you haven't heard, Brut can be like the Drill Sargent keeping everyone in line and on time.  He is always keeping the other three Back Dogs in check and at attention.  So when he's out of the picture you can imagine the wild time we have when we become unleashed.

I'm sure it isn't fair to make a special occasion when Brut is away from his command post but it feels so good to breathe and loosen up for a few minutes without him harping down everyone's neck that I can't help myself.  It may only be for a few minutes or it might be for a few hours, whatever the time is, it is precious.

Zappa especially likes razzing his mom, Silver and usually can't get close enough for any length of time to actually have a good round of bitey face.  So when he gets the opportunity, he takes it.  They can all roll on the floor and cause as much commotion as they want without being sent back to the barracks.

It is so nice to drop my guard for a little while and really enjoy the time with Silver, Zappa and Fiona.  We ALL need a break from Brut sometimes, because we know when he comes back home, rank is pulled and the Brut-miester is back in charge barking out the orders.

 You did WHAT while I was gone??   

Blaze,Start Your Engines!

What a little hot dog and a head halter can do!!  I had a great start with Blaze on practicing her leash training.  I almost want to pinch myself!  This couldn't be the same crazy, wild dog I tried this before??  Blaze was so great!  Once she grasp what we were doing, it was almost like she couldn't get enough of it.  Like she's just been waiting for the opportunity to learn.  I was so proud of her, I felt like I was going to burst!

I started Blaze by putting on her no-pull head halter (like a Gentle Leader) and we walked around the yard several times in the heel position.  Once she settled into that, I worked with her going out the gate.  Which is usually our breaking point.  She thinks she's at the Kentucky Derby when the bells sound, but with a little discipline and the wonderful head halter we were eventually able to go in and out the gate and into the driveway.  This really couldn't be the same dog that was pulling my arm off, could it?  Another thing I was surprised at was that she wasn't fighting the head halter, at all.  That was a huge plus. This was the first time I had a leash hooked to it so that she was getting the correction and it didn't seem to phase her a bit.

I was very happy with our results and almost didn't want to stop, but I didn't want to overdo it either.  It was so much fun and very exciting.  As I have stated before, I have tried this with Blaze before, it isn't a completely new concept for either of us.  I have always just struggled with doing those baby steps and usually bypass them by jumping in head first.  I think time and maturity have done wonders for both of us.  I am very impressed with Blaze and myself and ALL of the baby steps we have taken in the last three years to get to this point and I am excited at what all is waiting for us to discover together.

You can read our starting point with It is Blaze's Turn

Monday Memories-To be loved

 Black and white newborn

Silver and Brut both came from litters where there wasn't a lot of human handling.  Both are very loving dogs, but neither are much for cuddling or showing grave amounts of affection.

We were handling the puppies from the minute they were born.  Mostly out of necessity, but let's face it we couldn't keep our hands off of them!  :)  One of my goals in raising the puppies was for as much handling as possible, as I wanted to bypass what had happened to Brut as a young pup.  I wanted the pups to be born and be with their mother until they were at least nine weeks old and I wanted them to grow up having the social skills that they receive from living with their siblings.  Two things that were taken away from Brut in his early puppy days.

New born:  "Grumpy"

Not that that was very difficult to do!  We were also keeping our hands all over those puppies and we were constantly rewarded with sweet, loving puppies.  Yes, they could be little terrors sometimes, get ten puppies in one room and it is bound to happen, but they were equally loved and emotionally well balanced.  It was such a blessing.

 Newborn:  Zappa

When we visited some of the puppies from our litter, we are still rewarded with this love.  Both my husband and I are almost knocked down with the kisses from "our" pups.  They still remember us and are never afraid to share their love for us.  I don't know how many times I've heard the owners say that we are the only ones that their dog will greet like that.  What an impact we were able to make on their lives, but it no where near the impact they made on ours.  What a wonderful feeling to be loved. 

SPECIAL BULLETIN-The Death of Barney

We have just learned there has been a tragic accident that you may want to gather the children until you are ready to break the news to them.  Barney, that lovable children's dinosaur is dead.  We are getting a live report from the scene at the 24 Paws of Love and from what we understand involves a certain pair known as the Front Dogs. 

Jean, are you there?

Tom, I'm here with the Front Dogs from the 24 Paws of Love where it looks as if Barney was buried alive.  If you look closely you will see his feet sticking out from the dirt along with Chance and Blaze who in their digging frenzy say they "accidentally" buried Barney in the process.  Here's what the Front Dogs have to say:  

Jean: "Chance and Blaze, can you tell us what happen here?"

Chance:  "I love you, You love me, We're a happy family.  I love you, You love me..."
Blaze:  "Chance, SHUT UP!!"

Jean:  "It seems Chance is in some sort of Barney trance.  Blaze, can you tell us what happened?" 

Blaze:  "Well, we were trying to dig for squirrels and Barney opposed the idea, being the "loving fool" he is.  He started singing that stupid song over and over, trying to stop us, until Chance joined in with him and well, that's when the milkbone crumbled.  I just kept digging and looking for squirrels.  I don't know how Barney got under all the dirt...!" 

Jean:  "And there you have it Tom, right from the dog's mouth.  All Barney wanted to do was share his love with all of the woodland creatures only to come to his own demise trying to express that love.  Children everywhere will be heartbroken as they remember this sad day for the rest of their lives.  


Blaze do you have any last words?"

 Mission accomplished!

***********************************************

Thanks to Life with Dogs, The Two Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume.

Lessons in Photography

We are working on designing a new header, so I decided to try and get some shots of the dogs.  I started with Zappa and Fiona, because my chances of getting all four Back  Dogs in a shot are about as good as winning the lottery.  So I figure I will start with the pairs.

These turned out pretty good, except I couldn't get either to look at the camera at the same time.  Then I had it.  The perfect shot.  Zappa was sitting down and Fiona was lying in front of him...I had it except my perfectionism played tricks with me as I fussed around trying to center the picture around a bucket on the ground that could have been cropped out when Zappa move and the moment was over.  I'm still kicking myself for that one.

We are working on designing a new header, so I decided to try and get some shots of the dogs.  I started with Zappa and Fiona, because my chances of getting all four Back  Dogs in a shot are about as good as winning the lottery.  So I figure I will start with the pairs.

These turned out pretty good, except I couldn't get either to look at the camera at the same time.  Then I had it.  The perfect shot.  Zappa was sitting down and Fiona was lying in front of him...I had it except my perfectionism played tricks with me as I fussed around trying to center the picture around a bucket on the ground that could have been cropped out when Zappa move and the moment was over.  I'm still kicking myself for that one.

So then I took a wild gamble and tried for all four Back Dogs together.  I couldn't believe it, they were all together in one spot.  Nobody was moving, Brut didn't know if I had treats or not, I had their attention except for Fiona. Just keep shooting, she'll turn around.   Moments like this don't come along every day....INTERNAL MEMORY FULL!  WHAT??  You've got to be kidding me!!  I didn't have my SD card and I couldn't move to go get it. ...NOOOOOOOOO!!  I couldn't believe it.  It was the best shot I've ever seen of the four of them together and I only got two shots.  All I could do was give them their treats and watch as everyone scattered.  The moment was blown and there was no going back.  I tried a few more times to get everyone together, but it just wasn't going to happen.  :(  Maybe tomorrow?

One last chance for a good shot with my trusty Front Dogs, Blaze and Chance.  I think this photo says it all of how my photo shoot went:

  Did you say play dead??

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.

It Is Blaze's Turn!

When I started working with Chance on his leash training, I had Blaze in my thoughts all along to train her as well.  Blaze is cut from a completely different cloth than Chance.  Chance is a worker, very task oriented and is more stable minded than Blaze.  Blaze is higher strung, has a shorter attention span and is smart as a whip.  You can almost hear the gears winding in her head as she does everything in her power to outsmart me.  She gets bored easy and will often just do as she pleases.  We tend to have a bit more clashing between the two of us than I do with Chance.  Must be a female to female thing and that we are more alike than not.

I have done a couple of trial runs of leash training in the yard to get a feel of what I need to do differently with her in order to create success.  I've come to the conclusion that I need to use a no-pull halter for a while in order to help.  I would prefer not to use one, but Blaze's drive, being that she's in training for pulling sleds, is powerful.  Between her strength and wits she has more of an advantage than I do to get her attention and this is where the no-pull halter comes in.

I have used the no-pull head halters in the past and have gotten good results, the problem is I didn't really train her properly when using the tool.  I was under the impression that the tool did all the work and that I would just walk her while she wore it.  Although I didn't use the head halter with Chance, I got practice in teaching him commands and using consistency with him, that I feel I will help in my success with Blaze while she is using the head halter.  I am deeming Blaze my summer project.  I have already started the process with getting her used to the head halter, little by little.  I am taking my time and not rushing into it like I did before by just putting the halter on and taking her for a walk.  I'm am doing what I don't like to do, having to follow instructions and I'm already seeing results!  Imagine that!  :)

My confidence is up, thanks to the amazing strides that Chance has taken and my willingness not to give in.  My relationship with Blaze has improve immensely as recently our bond has grown deeper.  I have been training Blaze in other areas that have also taken our respect for each other to a stronger level and I am feeling rather hopeful in our success during this period of our lives.  Sometimes that's all it takes for a great accomplishment, is the right timing and this time I think Blaze and I have it!

I'll be posting our successes and challenges so please feel free to follow along!

Monday Memories-A Look Back

 The Back Dogs

Our lives have been in heartache, pain and joy for the past three years.  When  Alex died we were devastated, then six months later Silver gave birth to ten healthy puppies.  In three months all of the puppies found homes, and we were left with what we now call the Back Dogs, Daddy Dog Brut, Mommy Dog Silver, and their two puppies, Zappa and Fiona.  Things were just starting to simmer down, when four months later one of our puppies from our litter, Blaze came back home from an abusive owner.  Suddenly our home was in chaos again as we had to separate Blaze from the others because the Back Dogs wouldn't accept her.  Thankfully Chance, another puppy from our litter came back home four months after Blaze and they would be known as the Front Dogs.  What a blessing as Chance and Blaze's owners were related and Chance and Blaze practically grew up together.

  The Front Dogs

The experience was overwhelming and painful as we did our best to help in healing the Front Dogs wounds from their previous owners as well as heal Brut and his aggressions.  It was a rocky and winding road with many twist and turns.  It was a difficult time and we struggled with knowing what to do sometimes.  Then there were days when everything seem to fall in place and there was peace that let us know everything was alright and that we were doing the right thing.

Looking back it was a stressful time but a wonderful time of growth and healing for all of us and what seemed so strange in the beginning has become our normal.  Six dogs divided into two packs, a divided house and yard have become a natural way of life.  Our family is beginning to settle into our routines and we are finding stability and grounding in our home that has been in upheaval since Alex died.  We have been able to really sit back, relax and enjoy our time with our two packs.  I don't know if they will ever be integrated but we are OK with that because for now we are enjoying our family right where they are at. We are really beginning to savor this new stable period and enjoy the progress everyone has made.  It's like finally being able to breathe a quiet sigh of relief, soak in the happiness and take some time to enjoy our odd family.  And isn't that what family is all about?