Desperate House Dogs!

Farewell Faithful Friend

2012-01-03T17:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a sad day for our family, especially for Annie. It was on January 2, 2012, with no other options available, her sweet Pug dog Frodo entered eternal rest. Rest it will be for the poor little guy who has suffered long with breathing issues; in the last several weeks his health deteriorated completely due to those issues. After two weeks of doctor visits and x-rays and medications, it was apparent there was no hope for even partial, let alone full, recovery.

Dogs have heart? They feel? They understand? They comfort? No one can convince me otherwise. Frodo was such a dog. Rescued at about age eight, his first job was to take Annie from a state of depression following a crippling bout with staph that infected her bloodstream.

He arrived on a Friday night a week before her birthday. “Who’s this?” she blinked when he walked into the great room where she had been living for weeks.

“It’s your new dog. Happy Birthday.”

The light in her eyes and smile on her face, the first we had seen in a long time, was answer enough. From that moment, the two were inseparable.

Frodo knew his purpose in life. It was to be a companion. He did not play typical dog games, he didn’t run with the other dogs in our family. He only desired to be close to Annie. He knew when she was sad or happy, and leaned into her. He waited for her with more patience than Job. He filled every lonely moment of her first sixteen months in Colorado, some of the toughest times she knew.

Annie was given a gift of assurance this morning that Frodo is at peace, breathing freely, and where he belongs. For many years, she has gotten up before the crack of dawn to head out to witness that dawn. Sunrise has always called her. This morning, when she walked out her apartment door to the parking lot, early as usual for her commute, a sunrise greeted her that stopped her in her tracks and took her breath away. See the pictures below. It is truly the most spectacular sunrise. God knows our language and is ever seeking ways to communicate His love to us, as He did to Annie.

Frodo was the most devoted dog I have been honored to know. He put every ounce of energy into being the best at what he was meant to be. I wonder if we humans put as much effort into living our calling how much more content we would be. If we were all content, think of what a better world we would live in.

Thank you, Frodo, for your sweet example of selfless devotion and love. Thank you for teaching us lessons in contentment and fulfillment. You will be missed by many, for ever.

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A Wagging Tale: Devotion = Contentment

2011-11-02T20:30:00.001-05:00

They wait on me hand and foot. Well, foot and foot may be more accurate. They lie by my feet, lean their heads on my leg, and wait. I stand up, they stand up. I move across the room, their little feet carry them to the same place. I sit down again, they sit and gaze into my eyes, desiring only that I look back and smile. They even look to me to allay their fears during thunderstorms.

They actually desire me to guide and set boundaries for them. It makes them feel secure to know what’s expected of them, as they only want to please me. They wait for my commands. If they go ahead of me, it usually leads to them being dissatisfied because I will reprimand, which makes them sad.

All day, and even into the night, they only want to be near me. They are grateful for my presence with them. They are content. For Jasmine and Gypsy, life is good.

Would that I be as devoted to God. Perhaps I, too, would find rest and contentment every day.

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A Wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy: Friendship

2011-09-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

My two devoted canines are an example of true friendship. They wait and watch for each other when we call them inside, or send them out to potty, or call them to crate or bed time. Together they race around the yard or house, and snoop under bushes for tiny critters after a hard rain.

Their friendship is not only evident because they have fun together. Each pup has her own private space and often calls for private time. They have separate eating places and crates and their favorite human chairs. One may want to run around outside (Gypsy) while the other prefers to lounge indoors (Jasmine). One chooses to play with us (Gypsy) while the other watches contentedly from the sofa (Jasmine). Jasmine is highly protective of her dinner. She lets Gypsy know with her ears back and a glare if Gypsy strays too close on those days Jasmine feels like taking her time to eat. An audible warning is given when one continually bugs the other to play (Gypsy to Jasmine).

Regardless of the day around them, at some point each day, they can be found lying close together, usually touching with feet or back, often with Gypsy curled next to Jasmine’s strong body. They always forgive and forget. They let each other be themselves. They are friends.

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A Wagging Tale of Gypsy: Hunt

2011-07-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

Gypsy, as you may recall, is part Beagle. I am thinking that would be why she loves our game of Hunt.
She keeps a ball or bone in her mouth for the entire game.
I roll a hard rubber ball (the only toy she has never been able to destroy).
She runs to stop the ball, then points at it for me to come over.
I walk over, roll the ball, she chases, stops it and points.
Over and over again.
What do you think? Hunting instinct, right?

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I miss my puppies

2011-06-20T19:47:00.000-05:00

I have taken two weeks in Colorado to visit my daughter and to enjoy this glorious land.
Unfortunately, I had to leave my sweet Jasmine and Gypsy behind.
Gosh, I miss them. I miss their following me around. I miss their asking for me to do things for or with them. I miss them lying at my feet while I work.
No more to say.
When do you miss your pups?

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Just a Few New Pics

2011-05-26T16:25:00.000-05:00

She's getting old

Yes, she is sitting on the back of the (covered) sofa

Attached at the hip

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A faithful friend is gone

2011-03-29T20:09:00.003-05:00

Today my cousin’s faithful Yellow Lab died. Tanner was a sweet canine who only loved life and her family. After four days of agony and a final diagnosis of a cancerous mouth tumor and prognosis that the end was imminent, Karen told me how the family walked in to say farewell. Tanner sat up and let them love on her. The scene I envisioned made me weep. In the midst of her pain, she loved and let herself be loved.

This reminds me of Jesus. Here was a man without sin, who lived a wholly nonviolent life, who only desired good for all mankind and to be the servant of all. In the midst of His agony after betrayal by a friend, with sharp thorns piercing his brain, flesh torn in chunks from flogging, and nails ripping through tendons in his wrists, He asked our Father to forgive those who raged against Him. And then, as His mother wept at His feet, He made certain that she would be cared for by His dear friend.

You’ve heard me say that I believe our best dog pets are an example of unconditional love and who desire to serve us. Jesus Christ was the first man, who was also Divine, to show us in His life and in His dying moments the truth of unconditional love.

When this earth and all its beings and life were created, the intention was for all to live and breathe in peace and harmony, in joy and love, with no evil, no famine, no murders, no anything ugly. Yet man let himself be deceived and chose not to trust God by disobeying. That covenant of good was broken, for God had given man his own free will. And sin, disobedience to the perfect will of God, entered the perfect place.

Jesus Christ came to be the repair in the fabric of all that is good and kind and to be a model for us all. Dogs like Tanner teach us on another level that good and pure hearts offer unconditional love until their last breath.

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A Wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy: Forever Young

2011-03-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

I watch so many stories being played out between these two creatures named Jasmine and Gypsy. Unfortunately, at least in my estimation, I rarely record them. Today I was watching a common scenario and found a few minutes to jot it down to share with you all. (at least I think there are people enough who read my blog for me to say you ALL!)

It was late morning. Jasmine, the four year old Boxer, had already settled down for the day, content to curl up for hours, only to raise her head if she heard a monster (any truck with a diesel engine or, worse, a UPS truck), or a ring at the doorbell. Gypsy, the one year old Beagle/terrier cross, was in no way ready to settle down for the day. The terrier that courses through her blood keeps her wanting to move at least 50 minutes of every hour of the day. She began begging Jasmine to play, which may look to some like a form of terrorizing of the older dog. First, she brings a toy to the settled-in older sibling and drops it by her mouth. Jasmine, deep mahogany coat lying on a matching dog bed, opens one sleepy eye and closes it quickly. Immediately Gypsy gets into her ‘play with me’ stance: down on front elbows, butt up in the air, with long white tipped black tail wagging furiously. Jasmine peeks again. At no real response, Gypsy begins barking, high pitched and loud. Absolutely nothing from Jasmine. (Although a sharp, “Gypsy, quiet,” from me curtails that behavior quickly.) As a last resort, she begins nipping at Jasmine’s back legs. This brings a low growl with one eye open. Not mean, just a warning that said, “Leave me alone. I do not want to play.” Gypsy picks up a chew toy and tears her teeth into it, lying close to her favorite canine friend.

Jasmine really is not that old, even for a Boxer. I love her to bits. She’s quiet and the most gentle, non-aggressive dog you’d ever meet (you cannot get her to play real tug games). She’s devoted and pretty well behaved (naturally would be better if I spent more time on training). She makes us laugh when she wiggles her little butt and that stubby tale moves like a metronome set at 140, and melts us with those big sad eyes that make us want to give in every time she asks permission to for ‘sofa time’ with us. But there’s not a productive bone in her body, either. She doesn’t care if life passes her by. She doesn’t even care if Gypsy gets more attention from us because we end up playing with her more often. She would be content to sleep away every day, as long as it was near us. It’s not because she’s old; it’s her personality.

Gypsy, on the other hand, is not only active because she is young. We’re thinking it’s that the terrier strain fills her with uncontainable energy. We watch her so often trying to sit still and be good, that sweet beagle face looking up, that is surely saying, “See? I’m sweet and quiet and good, too.” But under her skin we also see energy beginning to bubble and suddenly, without real warning, she jumps straight up in the air and then bounces, nipping at our hands, happy as a lark. We turn our backs on her, she sits and looks remorseful, again as if to say, “I just can’t help myself. Why do I do those things? I so want to be a good girl.”

What I thought of today, though, as annoying as this jumping by her is to us, Gypsy is getting everything out of life there is to get. She is not letting life pass her by. She is aware of every movement around her and is fast as lightning to get as close to it or a sound as she can for closer investigation. She’s happy and waggy and loving and devoted. And she might stay young forever because of that attitude.

Maybe I should take a lesson from two of my favorite canines. There’s certainly a time in each day to relax. But I do not want life to pass me by. I want to be in life. I want to be full of life. I want to have uncontainable energy that is ready to bubble over at any given moment. I want my outlook on life to be forever young.

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A Wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy: I love my dogs

2011-03-09T18:44:00.001-06:00

They run to greet you with tails wagging wildly and mouths open as though ready to say, “You’re home – at last,” even if you’ve been gone only ten minutes. When you walk through the house, they follow you. If they don’t get up to follow on all fours, they do so with their eyes. They stay in the same room with you, often by your feet. You can hear them breathing when all is quiet. They bark to alert you when a stranger approaches. They want nothing more than to sleep and eat and play. And be near you.

I know why I love my dogs. Recently we had company who wasn’t able to enjoy them as much as me, so we kenneled them for five days. Even with extra people here, it felt empty. That’s when I realized that my dogs bring with them a love of life that has a purpose in my home. They make me laugh at their antics so that I don’t become too serious. They cause me to stop and play when I might otherwise keep working and forget to pause. They are so grateful for just a little pat on the head or rub behind the ears to remind me it doesn’t take much of my time to make someone happy. They fill in the energy blanks of my day. They breathe between my breaths.

My dogs are not human companionship. And they are not my way of connecting to God. But they still hold a very important place in my life. Jasmine and Gypsy, you are often crazy and wild and goofy and sometimes even frustrating. But, that’s okay. You are my dogs and I love you.

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A Wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy: We're Home!

2011-03-07T16:55:00.000-06:00

12:30 a.m.
We sleepily climbed the steps. No pups to greet us. The house sitter must have gone to her own house earlier. Walk down the hall following sounds in my office. Usually when they've been crated while we go out, they are sound asleep when we return and barely raise their groggy heads to greet us.
In their crates they stand, wiggling and smiling.
Open Gypsy's door first. Jump, jump, jump. Oh, good. I see the tail is 100% normal and wagging endlessly. Run down the hall to meet Ed.
Next, Jasmine: wiggle butt moving a mile a minute. Can't stop wiggling. And laughing. Yeh, I think she was actually laughing with glee.
They slept by our bed.
They have followed me from room to room all day. I'm thinkin' they're pretty happy that we're home:) Me, too. I missed them.

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A wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy: A Not so Wagging Tail

2011-03-02T14:00:00.002-06:00

Be kind to your best house sitters. A good motto for folks like us who travel more than the average working people. Wouldn’t she be happy if my two favorite canines were bathed and had their nails clipped for our upcoming trip?

The animal hospital had two openings Friday morning. Perfect.

I must admit that a day without both dogs can be pleasant. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like them gone for as long as overnight. But part of a day gives me some walking-freely-in-the-house space that can I can use well. I began thinking that a day or two a month at Doggie Day Care might be fun for all.

Jasmine wiggled her best and Gypsy jumped on me when I picked them up at 3:30. They were both so happy to head home. They went outside, had their dinner and then rested.

Well, Gypsy didn’t rest. From then until my bedtime she followed me from room to room. When we sat down to watch our evening 40 minutes of comedy on the television, she couldn’t seem to settle. Cute little black and white pup wouldn’t stay off of us and kept her face close to ours, her eyes steadfast on our own. She does that eye thing when she’s trying to tell us something. This time the Dr. Doolittle in me could not understand her language. We could only think that she was anxious from the bath time, though she had never acted this way before.

The next morning they both slept in till 7:30 almost two hours later than usual. I thought, wow they really did get worn out yesterday. “Gypsy, sit,” my usual command for her to receive her meal and, sadly, one of the only two commands she obeys willingly and quickly. “She’s sitting oddly. I don’t remember her tail coming forward between her legs when she sits.” But I was rushing to prepare for a morning meeting and dismissed the curious thought.

In the afternoon I brought the dogs upstairs to my pretty little writing room. That’s when I noticed. I brought them downstairs to Ed. “Look at Gypsy’s tail. Something’s wrong. It’s going down instead of up and she’s not wagging.” Gypsy is a wagger whose tail is in constant motion. It makes us smile. But not today. Her dark eyes were cheerless as she looked up at us with ears flattened to her head, sharing our sadness. I felt her tail; nothing seemed broken. She didn’t even wince.

Naturally, the vet’s office was closed. I called the vet on his cell phone and explained the situation. He could not imagine what happened. He was out of town and so was not there Friday when my pups were. He told me to give her a human adult aspirin and watch her.

Sunday morning I had to wake them both at 9:30. Now that was really bizarre. The experience took that much out of both of them? Gypsy’s tail was heading ever so slightly upward and the tip could wag a bit. In the afternoon I gave her another aspirin.

Monday morning it was 85% improved. Ed and I were ready to leave for Colorado but I called the vet anyway. “If you can get her here at 7 a.m. on the dot, I will see her before I go into surgery and see if I can tell what was going on.” Fifteen minutes later, Gypsy and I arrived. I was surprised she didn’t pull back when we got to the door. She really is quite forgiving.

Doc looked her over thoroughly. Nothing seemed wrong. And then when she sat, we both heard a little pop. Like from her lumbar or sacral area. We both decided she probably had twisted the area and was very, very sore. He gave her a week’s worth of pain meds for our wonderful house sitter to administer.

I will admit, Gypsy is a handful. I cannot imagine that bath time is fun. Oh, right, she hates water, too. But I am quite unhappy that no one said anything when I picked her up that she may be sore because we couldn’t hold onto her, or it took three of us to hold her down, or whatever. That part was just plain wrong. Not sure what I’ll do with those thoughts.

We left a few hours late for our travels but the peace of mind was worth it. And now my clean and clipped puppies are with their cousin Nakima and one of their favorite house sitters. I understand they are all happy as they bound through the yard together. Gypsy even had her first experience at a dog park on Monday and loved every jumping minute.

The tail that was not wagging does so endlessly again. I am still considering Doggie Day Care from time to time (but not run by the bathers at my vet). And this tale is at an end.

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In the arms of her big sister

2011-01-24T16:09:00.000-06:00

The relationship between sisters is ever constant, even in the midst of life's changes. Even for puppies.
Gypsy finds comfort in lying close to her older sister Jasmine.

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A Wagging Tale of Instinct

2011-01-18T07:09:00.000-06:00

Gypsy has decided that not only should she sleep on my bed. Now she must burrow under the decorative pillows. Like a little cave. Great. Why do I make the bed each morning if this is the new activity?
Instinct on her part, I guess. Which is why I do not place things over the entire tops of my pups' crates. And why they duck when you put your hand on their head. (honestly, I do not hit my dogs - so that' not it!)
Silly creatures. They disrupt so much of my life. But I can't live without them.

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A Wagging Tale of Enthusiasm

2011-01-12T11:01:00.002-06:00

I come home late in the day after using my brain at meetings here and there. I’m tired as I walk up the steps from the garage but under the door at the top I spy eight little furry feet dancing. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I open the door to be greeted with four eyes riveted on my face. Two tails are wagging like flags in the wind, and one Boxer butt wiggling like a fish on a hook.

“Hi, girls, did you miss me?” They run to bring me a bone or a ball, so I can be certain of their answer. And for a few moments at least, I am no longer dragging.

This scene is repeated every time I walk in the door. My puppies’ greetings make me feel truly missed and needed. No wonder they make me smile and lift my spirits.

Unless we’ve been traveling for days or weeks or longer, rarely do humans greet one another as enthusiastically – especially not every time they see us. What kind of change would happen in our lives if we did?

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A Wagging Tale of Relaxation

2011-01-06T12:56:00.000-06:00

My two favorite four-legged friends still follow me around like puppy dogs all day. As I write, one is lying by the right of my feet, the other by my left.

They enjoy going upstairs to my prayer and writing room. I keep special bones in the closet that they can only access when we are locked in together. Gypsy used to chew every minute of every hour that we spent there. She’s three now which must mean her gnawing needs are not as great. Now she will often chow down on the bone for only 15 minutes and then find a place in the sun by my feet, and near her best bud, Jasmine.

They are buds. Their sleeping crates are both in my office, and they are nearly always in the same room during waking hours. Jasmine must like Gypsy more these days because she’s begun to ring the bell by the door to let Gypsy inside rather than only ring it to get Gypsy outdoors.

Sometimes I wish I could be as content and relaxed as they. But then I remind myself that their level of relaxation does not lead to much productivity. So I will be content but I will also be productive and take little breaks during the day and they can take day long breaks and make me smile. It’s a good situation for us all.

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They follow me around like Puppies:)

2010-09-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

In case you didn’t know,

I love my two puppies.

They are so devoted.

They love and approve of me

no matter what I do or say.

They make me smile and laugh.

They lie by my feet and wait for me,

however long I choose.

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A Wagging Tale of Constancy

2010-08-15T13:13:00.003-05:00

I was at work one day when my mother called. “Please go to the animal hospital as soon as you can. Pebbles is not recovering properly from her surgery and the vet is concerned. She’s not eating. She seems depressed. The vet thinks that if she sees her family, she may perk up.”

My brother, sister and I met at the animal hospital late that afternoon with a small serving of browned ground beef. We went in to see Pebbles, our family dog of about 9 years. When her eyes lit up, her head lifted and her tail wagged, the vet said it was her first sign of healthy recovery. We sat about an hour with Pebbles, talking to her and rubbing her, and feeding her the beef which was a treat for a dog never allowed to have people food. She came home the next day, happy and fully recovering.

About seven years later I lived in the city, away from home. The call from my mother in a hushed tone brought me to instant tears, “Pebbles is gone.” I could barely eat for days. I couldn’t fall asleep at night. I was numb with visions of the past 16 years of constant faithfulness in the form of Pebbles, a black and white, 35 lb. Springer Spaniel Mix.

A family dog in a loving home truly becomes a part of that family. The longer they live with that family the harder it is for everyone when they leave this earth. (I always like to think that when they leave us they're with St. Francis and the animals he loved and also with that big white horse that Jesus rides in the Book of Revelation).

As I consider my devoted Jasmine and Gypsy, I’m beginning to realize that the reason for that deep sense of loss which is often profound must be related to the fact that in our ever changing lives, it is our dogs who remain constant. They might slow down a bit with age, but the only real ‘change’ is that they also become more loyal as time goes on. The family changes in size and it may even change location. But our dogs are always there - the same today as they were yesterday. We can always count on them. Partly because they are creatures of habit. Partly because it’s their very nature to be devoted and to accept us as we are. Pure and simple, they love us.

Besides God in our midst, there are few others we know who can boast such faithfulness even when we are faithless. It’s no wonder that when it’s their time to cross over we are so devastated. Our constancy has been replaced with a perception of uncertainness; life moves on unsteady ground once more. Thank God, we do truly always have Him.

As Much as She Makes us Crazy...

2010-08-14T13:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, Gypsy makes us crazy with her incessant need to play. Play is like an obsession to her. And as much as she wants to play nonstop, she thinks we do as well. Which must be why she takes turns with us. One of us throws the ball, and she brings it back to the next person in the room; that person throws the ball and she brings it back to the other person. It's like she wants to be fair. Why should only one person have the chance to play with her? And this continues until the humans finally say, no more! Which by that time often means she'll give us a break. For a little while, at least.
So as much as she makes us crazy, there is always a sweetness in her nature, i.e. playing fair:)

Another thing I love about dogs

2010-08-10T16:17:00.001-05:00

"Do you know something else I like about dogs," I asked my husband, rubbing Jasmine's face and ears as she slept by me on the sofa.
"No. What?"
"You can rub them and move them and talk to them while they sleep and they never say, 'leave me alone, I'm sleeping, stop bothering me.' They just love us that much...."

A Wagging Tale of Gypsy

2010-08-02T07:27:00.001-05:00

When Gypsy was new to us (about 6 mos old after living an entire life in a kennel), she was even more crazy than today (really).
Our first camping trip with her in our new RV was wild. We had to keep our eyes on her every second.
One morning I was in shower, and kept hearing a very strange gnawing sound. I knew Ed had ben reading on the sofa so everything must be fine. But it just didn't seem like a good sound.
When I walked out of the bathroom, there was Gypsy with the bone we had given her, sitting right by her side, while she gnawed a hole in the FLAT vinyl kitchen floor. OMG
So now it's time to sell the RV because we are preparing to move to Colorado where we really won't need an RV to get to the mountains, lakes and streams. And we have this patched hole in the middle of the floor of a hardly used RV. Thanks, Gyps:)

My Traveling is Not Appreciated

2010-07-28T06:59:00.001-05:00

I was away for 4 days, home for 3, gone another 4.
My puppies (well,, okay, grown up dogs) missed me.
How can It tell?
They won't leave my side for a minute.
You know what I mean. They follow me around like puppies.
I missed them, too. They are my constant friends.
Thanks, Jasmine & Gypsy. I will be home for a few weeks now:)
And I missed you, too. Of course.

And I Love Her

2010-06-29T08:43:00.002-05:00

She nuzzles, coaxing me.

Her face moves ever so close to mine

Her eyes steadily stare into my own,

Boring through me.

She is trying as hard as she knows

To communicate.

I try to understand but to no avail;

We do not speak the same language.

She nods, her head pointing the direction of her need:

It may be a door needs opening,

Or a toy needs picking up.

She quivers with excitement

Each time she spots prey

and bounces wildly, unable to be contained.

I rub her chest and speak softly,

Intent to calm her.

She acquiesces,

hoping her calm will convince me to release her to pounce.

All day long she rarely stops moving;

Only in the evening does she slow down.

And when disobedience is her action,

As it often is,

Her ears lie flat against her head

And with deeply remorseful eyes, she awaits forgiveness.

This is my Gypsy Jingles

And I love her.

A Wagging Tale of Jasmine & Gypsy

2010-05-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

There is no doubt that adopting Gypsy Rose, a cute and lively brindle and white Boston Terrier/Beagle was exactly what regal, Mahogany colored Boxer Jasmine needed to lead her out of depression and restore her own fun-loving personality.

Gypsy is almost as smart as her new big sister, and just as eager to please her owners, making Ed and I elated. She’s fast as lightning racing around the back yard, giving Jasmine the exercise she has been needing since cousins Nakima and Frodo moved. And she loves to cuddle close to doggies, something Jasmine never got as much as she wanted from Nakima and Frodo.

Tough as it has been to bring in a puppy with zero training at 4 months of age, seeing the bond between the new sisters is reward enough, knowing this perfect match will make the desired difference in the long run.

Do dogs really need friends? I mean, friends in other dogs? I can only answer for Jasmine, and that would be a definitive, yes.

Is your dog this smart?

2010-02-26T20:39:00.003-06:00

We taught Jasmine to ring a bell to go outside when she was a bitty Boxer. But being a Boxer, she is smarter than us in the use of that bell.

She rang the bell when we were in the back of the house. When we came out, you can guess what those big sad eyes said to us when we found her not at the door but by her empty water bowl.

Gypsy is our other dog. And we used to have a Pug and a Shiba Inu cross, who now live with our daughters. Many times when one of them is outside, and she is not, she will ring the bell. And walk to the other side of the living room. Because what she wants is for us to let her sister or cousins inside.

Sometimes she gets tired of Gypsy’s incessant energy. She’ll ring the bell which alerts Gypsy and us to the door. But when we open it, and Gypsy runs out quickly, Jasmine backs off and refuses to join her. Gypsy is usually more surprised than us!
And sometimes she just rings the bell because we’re not in the living room with her and she thinks we should be. Maybe she wants sofa time with us. Or maybe she decides it’s time to watch television. She has been especially loving the Olympics. Seriously. She watches until her eyes get heavy and her head finally drops off in sleep.

Does your dog ring a bell to go outside? For the life of us, we cannot get any of the other three dogs to ring that bell. They all know what it means. And they are thankful when she rings it for them. In fact, Gypsy runs back and forth between the door and us when Jasmine rings the bell to make sure we heard it.

We’re thinking she’s not just cute and funny but pretty darned smart, too. What do you think?

Puppy Lovers Anonymous! Help!

2010-02-08T17:46:00.000-06:00

(I wrote this before we added Gypsy to our family)

Jasmine Jane Clementine Wills is the best little dog in the whole wide world. She is sweet, smart, well behaved, devoted and funny. She’s not territorial and enjoys playing with other dogs. She’s not a barker or a jumper. Though she does have a problem with licking people to greet or thank them. She loves music. And she watches television. No kidding. She likes her sofa time and situates herself next to me so that she actually watches. The show will keep her attention as long as the music and action is fast paced. Her favorites toys are squeaky toys that she likes to play a variation of keep away, with sport. She holds it with her front paws to keep us from kicking it, which is exactly what she wants us to do so she can then chase “Mr. Squeaky” and do the keep away thing. She is a wonderful auto traveler. And a really good RVer except that she growls at all the RVs and diesels that tow them so we need to work on that. We’re beginning to think that perhaps she is subdued while we’re camping not because she’s content but because she’s depressed. This revelation came when we arrived home from our last trip. When we came into the house she immediately began joyfully playing, jumping and running. My husband, Ed, and I looked at each other and sadly said in unison, “She hates camping.”

Did I mention that I really like Jasmine?

In fact, I really like dogs. Especially dogs that don’t act too much like dogs. Dogs that are well behaved, don’t expect much from their owners and don’t bark much. Like Jasmine, my little 80 pound Boxer Dog.

Somehow over the years, our family ended up having three dogs, several cockatiels, a few rabbits, gerbils and a cat in our home, all at once. One by one the pets either died or moved out. As the last two dogs moved out with two of our daughters, I missed them. And then adjusted. Now our pet population has been reduced to one cat named Allysea and one dog named Jasmine. Very soon the cat will be moving out. And Jasmine will be alone. I am fearful she will be lonely for a four legged friend.

And herein lies a dangerous dilemma.

On the one hand, I admit that having one dog is easy. I can play with her daily, take walks and take her in the car to run short errands, regardless of how busy I am. She has become a daytime companion. I can easily afford vet and food costs. When we camp, it’s simple to find one tree to temporarily attach her long lead to while we’re both setting up the RV. I convince myself that she will adjust to being with only humans and will actually end up being more devoted to us. That’s a good thing.

On the other hand, I don’t even have to close my eyes to picture round short legged puppies running, jumping and tumbling over each other. And I can see any one of them in my living room romping with Jasmine who simply loves the company of other dogs. I can see her teaching the puppy how to ring the bell by our back door to potty out side, to whimper when she wants us to play with Mr. Squeaky, or to sit quietly seat belted in the car.

I told my husband that regardless of my list of valid Reasons to Have Only One Dog, if I saw any puppy anywhere not one of those reasons would surface to my consciousness. I would immediately fall off the One Dog Wagon and run straight home with that puppy held close to my chest.

Help! Where is Puppy Lovers Anonymous? I have to sign up. Fast!

A Wagging Tale of the Love of Dogs

2010-01-30T16:44:00.002-06:00

I love my dogs. They make me smile. They make me laugh. They do annoy me from time to time. But mostly they make me happy.

They love me to say hi and rub their heads and ears.

They love to follow me.

They are sad when they upset me when they do the same things over and over that they know they should not do.

They just love to be around me. And that’s good. Because I love when they are close-by, too.

Pretty simple.

Dancing

2010-01-25T22:06:00.002-06:00

My parents were inspired after watching Confessions of a Shopaholic and thought they would attempt their own version of break dancing. And of course the dogs had to join the fun...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjsUkBTPLW8

Holiday Blues

2009-12-21T09:07:00.001-06:00

Oh it's Christmas time, a time when family gets together and where family travels so does the canine. I live close to my family which is a blessing especially around the holidays. However just because we live near by does not mean the dogs get together often so when the holidays cone and full days are spent at parents' home the dogs get to romp and play together. The clan consists of, a 5 year old boxer who is more of a lap dog than any of the others, a not quite 2 year old beagle/Boston terrier cross who thinks it is a crime to lay down and be still or more than 30 minutes at a time, a 10 year old mutt who is persnickety and set in her ways, and lastly a 7 year old pug who makes a lot of noise sleeps and feels the need on ocasion to mark every blade of grass as his own.
Christmas baking ran late Saturday so the night was spent in my old bedroom te dogs happily sleeping curled up at my feet peace all around. Morning comes the parents' dogs are crying at the door so wanting to play with their canine cousins. The mutt, Nakima, jumps on to the bed and won't get off until I do moping behind me to the door. At the top of the stairs the cousins are running up and down crying barking so excited to have company. So what does Nakima do? Lays down won't come down the stairs it's too messy of a situation for her to get involved. We put the two over hyper over joyous pals outside. Nakima still won't come down the stairs whimpering from the cat walk asking for some unknown need of assistance. So I walk over to the landing and sit on the bottom stair. Overjoyed she flies down the stairs to plop her bum in my lap and to look egearly at my face as to say thank you. For what I have no idea, but she was grateful.
Oh and this was just for one night. I cannot wait to see what happens over the long weekend coming up :-).
B

-- Posted From My iPhone so please excuse the typos!