Lifeline

Three days without a computer and the doc says it is OK, we just need to get a few things for it and it should be running like a champ again.  So we will wait on pics and video for a while until all is rendered.

I don't completely depend on a computer for my life, but it is funny how you feel like your whole life is in that box when you lose it.  When there was a possibility of losing some of pictures and video,  it was scary to face the thought of losing such great memories, so I just hugged Chance a little tighter when I went to bed to be reminded that the dogs were here.  Right here.  And I would always have them regardless if I lost every single photo I had.

After I hooked the computer up, I just sat for a minute, taking in the power of this awesome system of the Internet and what I missed the most out for those few days was all of you.  Being part of your great friendships and your furry companions with the notion you will always be there.  It was the first serious problem we've had with our computer and I missed all of you.  It is easy to take a day off and take a break, but it is a lot harder when is taken from you.  White Dog Army referred to it as a lifeline and I never realized the reality of that statement, until it was gone.

So before I start getting all mushy, I just want to thank each and everyone of you for being part of our life.  You have taken dog crazy to a new dimension and we are glad we are not alone.  :)

So, please forgive me while I try to catch up!

Happy Birthday Brut!

First, the bad news, our computer is at the V-E-T and things aren't looking so good.  There is a chance it won't be coming home with us.  :(  We will do our best to post and visit as we can. 

Today is the last day for the Brut Birthday Bash Give Away and we will post the winners as soon as possible. So make sure you enter HERE.  

With that said, we could not let the Birthday Boy's big day go by without laying it on him.

I have been finding myself in a bit of a sentimental mood as Brut’s fifth birthday has been approaching. As we lay next to each other while he tore apart one of favorite forbidden toys, just because, I began to realize this was the dog that changed everything I thought I knew about dogs. It is because of him that I had to channel my creativity and explore my out of the box thinking. Brut is the one who challenged me like no other dog could and let me question those traditional ways of thinking. It was Brut who bent me to the brink and then would pull me back through. He was the only one who could grab my attention and burrow into those deep walls that I held myself a prisoner in. He was the only one who could to break this heart open and build it anew from the ground up.

Five years of blood, sweat, and tears of a raw love that has transformed everything I ever knew about the true meaning of love, that I can not even begin to put into words…

Who would have thought that this little guy would change my whole life?

Happy Birthday Brut.

Thank you for being exactly who you are!

Love, Mom and Dad

Dog Names-Self Fulfilled Prophecy??

 Don't let the name or the persona fool you,

inside I'm all mush!

A behaviorist that we took Brut to once claimed that by naming our dog with such a macho, dominant name we had embarked him on a self-fulfilled prophecy and hence the reason we were sitting in her office.

While there is a part of me that can see her point, (don't we all act a little different around a dog named "Killer?"),  my husband named our little puppy, Brut after his favorite aftershave, having no idea about Brut's dominant and aggressive temperament.

 Don't I look real tough playing with this stuffie doll??

While Brut has fully lived up to his name and then some, is it because we gave Brut the "rights" to his name that set the course of his destiny?  Or did we find a name that by chance happen to fit the dog he already was?

Personally, I think it is the second one.   I don't think that Brut's name made him the dog he is, but his name encompasses all that Brut is.    

What do you think of this theory?  Can a dog be "created" out of a name alone??  Do you believe your dog has grown into his/her name?  Do you act or respond differently to dogs with cute or dominant names?  Do you think there is a stigma behind a dog's name?
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Sweet Potato and Beef

Wouldn't your dogs love these Terra Paws Freeze Dried Treats?
 Sign up HERE to win a bag!! 
Just leave a comment with your flavor choice and an email address and THAT'S IT!!

(Sorry, US Residents only)

 Hurry, you have until midnight, Oct. 11, 2011

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Our Secret Dog Language

 We all know the basic command words, sit, stay, down, etc., but do you have any of your own words, phrases or signals that you've developed just for your dog?  Something you won't find in any training book, but is part of your every day lingo?

Here are a few of ours:

"ALL GONE"-  Waving both hands with palm facing dog, like a double hand good-bye.
I started this when Brut was young to tone down that crazed food monster in him.  Any time there are treats or food that are being given to dogs, when it is gone we use this phrase along with the hand signal to stop resource guarding.  Works great!

"BE NICE"-I started using this with Silver when she was a puppy for bite inhibition.  I would keep my hand still and say the phrase and she would let up on her bite pressure.  I've used it with all the dogs when they were puppies and it also works when the dogs get a little crazy with the Boxer the cat.  Though not always as well.  :)

"1, 2, 3"-This is an interesting one.  Brut was driving me crazy one day on a walk when every time he  stopped to sniff something it seemed like I was waiting for all eternity for him to move on.  I was getting so frustrated with him, I started counting to three and on "three," he started walking.  I was so surprised, I kept using it throughout the walk and it worked.

Now the funny thing about this is that I was walking Silver separately as she was quite pregnant at the time and while I've never really had a problem with Silver taking too long, she responded the same way.  And that's not even the best part, when I started walking Fiona and Zappa, without any training before hand, they too also started moving on the count of three.  Chance and Blaze picked up on it just as easy when they came back to live with us.  Pretty cool, huh?  Wonder if those pups were listening from the inside??  bol!

So tell me, what are some of the words, phrases or hand signals that is part of your secret dog language??

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If you haven't already, make sure you sign up to win a bag of Terra Paws Freeze Dried Treats for Brut's Birthday Bash Give Away HERE!

Sign up ends on Brut's Birthday at midnight, Oct. 11, 2011.

Taking a few steps back

As some of you may know, I am learning about sled dog pulling.  I don’t compete, it is only for fun.  It is something different for the dogs and myself and we are both learning as we go.

When I started teaching Chance how to pull, he didn’t like the harness.  He would let me put it on and would run great, but he never got used to it.  He has a severe anxiety to foreign things on his body.  It took me almost a year to be able to brush him.  I sort of rushed through the whole getting-used-to harness-thing as I thought he would get used to it eventually, because he was always fine once he started running. I don't know what I was thinking, but to my dismay, I have found his anxiety has gotten worse after the last time I put his harness on him.  So I had to take a huge step back and try to break down this fear to the beginning.

I walked outside with a harness in hand, Chance immediately backed away.  I dropped it on the ground, crouched down by it and he came only so close.  I picked it up again.  He hesitantly came to me. I hung them on the fence while standing by them.  Chance was still on guard.  The harnesses were too much for him.  So I got rid of the harness and came back out with a leash that I’d made a loop through.  He stuck his head through the loop for a treat, while I put the loop over his head and hung it around his neck for a couple of seconds then removed it.  I tried this a couple more times, the tension in his body was still too stiff.  I had to go back even a step further.  I held the loop in front of him, while he stuck his nose through and he grabbed the treat.  WHEW, success!  His whole body heaved in relief that said, Now I can handle that!  His eyes crinkle with happiness, as I'd finally found that safe spot.  Putting his nose through the loop was all he needed and it was a relief for me as well.  Now I knew where to start and could take my time working through his levels of fear.

I may or may not be able to get a harness on Chance.  I don’t know.  We may or may not sled this winter, we might just practice sled training without actually getting on the sled, or we may do nothing related to the fact.    Whatever we do, I want the dogs to enjoy it, worry free.  The dogs mental and emotional well being means a whole lot more than learning any dog sport.  I ended up getting way ahead of myself when I started doing this sledding thing and I too, am ready to just take a backseat if necessary.  Whether we are riding the snow or just enjoying a walk through it, I want to make this winter a special time.  Any time spent together is too precious to not enjoy to the fullest. 

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There's still time to sign up HERE

Kodiak

The Thundering Herd lost one of their own this past weekend.  We will forever be saddened that the Red Team won't be the same after losing their teammate, Kodiak.

The Thundering Herd was the first dog blog I came across, when we were exploring the notion of doing a dog blog and they stuck.  There was something about those 6 Huskies that we could relate to.  :)  They have a special place in our hearts and have become like family.

And while we are still in shock over Kodiak's death, we can't imagine what the hu-dad must be going through.  In an instant, life changes.

All of our dogs are paired with a strong female, male bond.  Sometimes when they are separated for any length of time, it is as if they hold their breath waiting for the other to return.  We are sending special paw prayers for Kodiak's girlfriend, Kiska who also shared a deep bond.

Our hearts go out to the hu-dad and the Thundering Herd.  We are thinking of you.

Run Free Kodiak...

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If you missed it, check HERE to sign up for Brut's Birthday Bash Give Away

Brut's Birthday Bash Give Away!!

In honor of Brut's upcoming 5th Birthday, we've teamed up with Terra Paws in celebration of the 24 Paws of Love's first give away!  From now until midnight of Brut's birthday on Oct. 11, 2011 you can sign up to win one bag of Terra Paws Freeze Dried Treats!  

For those you who haven't tried these tasty treats you can check out our review of them HERE.  Or you can check out Terra Paws HERE at their website and click on freeze dried pet treats. 

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Here's all you have to do:  

Leave a comment with your choice of Terra Paws flavor along your email address so that I may contact the winners.

And that's it!
(Sorry, only US residents eligible.)

Brut will pick 4 winners from all entries at random and winners will be notified by email.

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So pick out your dog's favorite flavor and sign up to win!

Beef Liver

Beef and Chicken Liver

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato and Beef Liver

Sweet Potato and Chicken

Sweet Potato and Chicken Liver

As an extra bonus, Terra Paws has also thrown in a special promo just for our readers.  

If you order from their website, enter promo code: OCT30 at the check out, you'll receive 30% off any order for the month of October!

How great is that??

                                    

Monday Memories-Boxer

Three weeks after burying Sparky, I did my habitual check of the pet section of the classifieds.  Free kittens.  My heart was pounding and I began to shake a little. The house seemed so empty without my favorite cat and it couldn't hurt just to call...he had two kittens, one of them was a black and white male.  Just what I had always wanted.  The guy tried to give a further description but I was shaking so bad, I didn't a word of what he said, except to get directions.  After I hung up, I remember feeling the guilt of betrayal.  What the heck was I doing?  How could I even think of another cat when Sparky was still so fresh on my mind?

Something kept pressing me forward.  When I saw the little kitten, I was memorized.  I was in a total state of shock.  This little wild guy was the cat I'd always dreamed of having.  Solid black, with white paws, belly and face.  He was so precious.  He looked like Sparky, but he was all his own.  I couldn't believe any of this was happening.  He was like a dream come true.

We headed into town to pick up some extra's for this little bundle of joy, when while I was holding him, he pooped in my lap.  While a natural reaction, I began sobbing, as my husband pulled over.  Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I said through my tears.  I took his accident as a sign that this was all wrong.   The enormity of taking this little guy home became suddenly overwhelming.  I didn't know if I was ready for caring for this kitten, when I was still so heavily grieving my heart cat.  How could this feel so right and so wrong all at the same time?  But a little voice inside of me kept saying, he was the one for me.

We called him Boxer for his white paws and his boxing action.  Boxer was born outside, wasn't litter trained or weaned and was like a wild tom cat.  He was one of those crazy kittens that climbed up the screens, curtains and anything else he could reach.  He was the first cat I didn't have de-clawed and he was just plain wild.  He didn't like to held, never sat on my lap and seem to never tire of tearing all around the house or playing with toys for hours upon end.  He had no problem livening our household right up.

An amazing thing happened as I watched this little bundle of wild abandon, little pieces of my heart began to heal.  Since Sparky was over year old when I got him, watching Boxer was like watching Sparky as a kitten.  Sometimes I would be laughing out loud and other times I was in tears as I grieved and rejoiced in Boxer's spunk and personality.  Nothing like the mellow mood of Sparky, yet so many times, I saw that Sparky look in Boxer's eyes.

Did Boxer replace Sparky?  Never.  But he gave me something to hold on to so I didn't fall through that gaping hole in my heart and gave me just what I needed to heal and love again.   

            And now I can't sit down without Boxer plopping on my lap.