Car ride

We took the girls for a short car ride. They didn't do as well as Skooter but were MUCH better than Moped (and that's saying a lot). They seemed to really enjoy getting out. The seat belt restraints worked really well. I'm going to try to take them out for at least a short ride each day this week. They need to get out of the house more. I also want to try to take them for a walk (as long as my back holds out). They don't seem to be lacking exercise because they are so low energy.

Tomorrow I get the new food for them. I know they will enjoy it. I also got them some treats (liver biscotti).

Today I started filling out the paperwork to transfer their microchips to us. I also have the AKC paperwork started. Nancie has to sign a couple of the AKC forms before I can send them in. I've named Huxley, Samantha's Lady of the Lake and Blitz, Samantha's Lady of the Loch.

They both are laying down right now (imagine that!). Blitz is on the couch and Huxley is on the dining room floor.

They pass the mower test

The maintenance man was cutting the grass in the common area next to the house and I let the girls out into the back yard. They didn't bark at all. When he got close to our fence, they went over and inspected, but didn't get up on the fence or bark. They seemed excited.

I have Furry Friends delivering pet food tomorrow (dog foot, treats and cat food). The cat food has gone faster then expected because the dogs have been eating it! Huxley loves cat food.

Snoring dogs!

It's 3:30am. I haven't been able to sleep at all yet. But the dogs are sleeping soundly - snoring! They both snore, but Blitz is a more accomplished snorer than Huxley. They go to sleep whether I go to sleep or not. They are so low energy! I love them.

Skooter's birthday coming up

Skooter will be two years old on May 1st. I don't know if his new family will know that or not. I still miss him terribly. Having the girls makes it a bit easier though. I don't feel so alone. But it's not like having Skooter and Moped (Duke!). I had to be so much more attentive to those two.

I've changed my mind (again) and have decided to hang on to the girls (at least for a while). We'll have to board them with Kris while we are gone to Milwaukee. I sent her an email tonight about it. She has the puppies listed on the Rescue site now. They are so cute!

I'm going to make an effort to take the dogs for walks and car rides this week. This whole past week I couldn't because of back problems. I've got to get them out walking and riding in the car. I might take them with me up to Woodland Park (I have some user manuals to drop off). I don't know if I could walk them both by myself, but I'll try. David will have worked hard and will be too tired to take them for a walk after work, so I'll try to take them in the cool of the morning.

Hard to believe but they both are asleep (Huxley on the couch and Blitz on the floor on a blanket)!

Smile!

A friend sent me this picture of a dog. I love it!

Our girls

Video added

I added a video (see bottom of page) of Huxley and Blitz playing. They are six and a half years old, but they play like puppies. They don't play together all that often but when they do it's fun to watch. Skooter and Moped played like this constantly. And I mean CONSTANTLY!

The cats and the girls are getting along okay. The cats aren't living under the bed. They come out into the bedroom, bathroom and hallway quite often. The dogs chase them once in a while, but it's more like they just want to get to them quickly to play. I'm glad they are doing well together.

The fence is still an issue. They could go over the fence any time that they wanted to. I'm afraid that a rabbit or the squirrel will entice them to do just that. I'm apprehensive about letting them out and not keeping an eye on them. They don't seem to want to go anywhere though. But a bunny could make all the difference!

How remote!

I've been thinking a lot about Skooter and Moped the last few days. I think it's because I've been home so much and know that Skooter would be laying down with me if he were here. Moped would still be a wild man! I think of him every time I pick up the remote though because it was his favorite chew toy!

There's just something about the two of them that the girls don't have. It's some measure of intelligence in their eyes, a knowing. The girls are much more dog like in their intelligence, where Skooter and Moped were like little kids. I miss that a lot. I don't know that I'll ever have that again unless I raise a dog from a puppy.

I mean, just look at that face. Can't you just see the intelligence in his eyes. Can't you just see that he'd say something witty if he could. He's such a regal boy. I sure do miss him.

King size isn't big enough for the four of us!

I've had some issues with the sciatic nerve in my back and haven't been able to post on the Dog Blog. I've missed it! And it's not that the dogs have been up to nothing (as you'll see). What was really great was that while I had to lay in bed or on the couch, the girls stayed with me, in bed or on the couch. I never felt lonely. They are excellent companions.

They slept in bed with us two nights ago. But last night we made them sleep off the bed. There just isn't enough room for all four of us, even though it's a king size bed!

They both made themselves right at home on the bed for a nap the other day too. I don't really want to encourage that behavior because then they'll always want to be up on the bed. As it is, I can rarely get on the couch these days without them being on there with me.

The girls saw a rabbit outside tonight while they were in the house. They went nuts for about half and hour. They wanted out to get to that rabbit. I didn't let them out because I didn't want to chance them going over the fence. After a while they settled down and as usual, Blitz is up on the couch and Huxley is under David's chair. She was cute earlier with her head peeking out from under his blanket. She looked like Red Riding Hood!

I'm still not sure whether keeping them is the right thing or not. When they get real active, which isn't very often, it kind of stresses David out. And that stresses me out. I don't want to be stressed out with the dogs. I'm able to leave them in the laundry room for hours and they don't have any accidents and they aren't whining when I get in. They do great. But I just don't know that David really wants two dogs right now. Especially if it's not Skooter and Moped.

Good girls

Kris called last night. She's fine with us keeping the girls on for a while. I didn't think she'd have any problem with waiting for the girls. I told her how they are doing (great) and that they have wonderful personalities and dispositions. We talked about the girls for a while and then we talked about some of the other dogs down at the Rescue. There wasn't any new info on Skooter or Moped.

This morning the girls woke me up around 4:30am to go to the bathroom. I went back to bed and so did they once they came back in. I put them out again around 7am. I went back to bed again and they sat at the door to the bedroom until I got up. They were very well behaved. They weren't whining or going after the cats. At one point, after I got up, Blitz got up on the bed with David. She looked so huge up there. She's so big compared to Skooter and Moped. But she's such a sweetie, just like Huxley.

I love thier new collars on them. They really look nice.

They're both napping right now; Blitz on the couch and Huxley on her blanket.

Squirrel

The girls are pacing back and forth because there's a sqirrel in the back yard. I let them out earlier but Blitz got up on the fence. I'm afraid they'll go over the fence trying to get the squirrel so I'm keeping them in for now.

I took a nap this afternoon and Blitz got up on the couch with me and put her head on my leg and napped with me. It was so sweet.

They look so nice in their new collars. The colors go really well with their coats. I'm glad I got them for the girls even if I don't end up keeping the dogs. They deserve nice collars.

I just checked the GSP Rescue site. There are 4 or 5 dogs pending adoption or adopted. I hope they get to go home this weekend. That would help Kris out.

Change of heart...

I sent an email to Kris and asked her if we could foster Huxley and Blitz for a while longer. We're trying some different things with the cats and the fence and we'd like some time to see if we can work things out. We can always return to bringing them to the Rescue at a later date if it doesn't work out. I just feel like I need some more time with them. Now that I bought them new collars and they look so pretty, I don't want to give them up (just kidding!). Really though, I'm already in love with them. They are my girls and I'd like to be able to keep them if I can. I know it's a big responsibility, but it just might work out. I still have to walk them on a leash and see how that goes. And it's not set yet with they cats. Still so much to work out. But they are worth the effort. I don't want to make a rash decision and live to regret it. They're both up on the couch again! Silly girls. They love living the comfortable life.

New collars

I got Huxley a new orange collar and I got Blitz a new pink collar. Two girly colors. And I got them a Buster Cube but they don't really know what to do with it. Blitz is sort of figuring it out. They apparently haven't had any toys to exercise their minds. They both look beautiful now.

Wishy washy

I don't know that I can bring Huxley and Blitz down to the Rescue. I'm already attached to them and want to keep them. I have the gate down today and I'm letting them and the cats be around each other. The cats are staying under the bed. The girls are laying down in the living room, Blitz on the couch, Huxley on her blanket. I just don't know what the right thing is to do. What's right for us? Keeping the dogs, getting homes for the cats? I don't have the answer. I'm so wishy washy on this. I can't make my mind up. I have to decide what to do though. I could just keep them as fosters until I can decide, but I'll just get more and more attached to them. Arg! What to do?

Duke

David and I were just talking about Moped and his new name: Duke. He just doesn't seem like a Duke to us. I'd like to refer to him as Duke, but I just can't do it. I don't have any problem with the name. I'm glad they renamed him, but he'll always be Moped to us.

Two dogs on a couch

I went to bible study today. I put the dogs in the laundry room while I was out. They were so happy when I got home. They were dancing all around. I let them out for a few minutes, then they wanted to come back in. As usual, they were excited when David got home. Right now they are both up on the couch! They've made themselves right at home. If I could have any dogs, these would be the dogs I would want. But I can't keep them because of the cats. That makes me so sad. I know I'll cry when I have to let them go. I'll keep track of them on the GSP Rescue web site until they are adopted. It might take a while though since they need to be adopted together. They'll miss being here, I know they will. They've got it really good here. Spoiled little babies. :-)

Morning 'tentions (attention)

Huxley and Blitz woke me up by barking. They must have heard a noise. It worked out okay because when I let them out they both went to the bathroom. Now they're both laying down, Blitz on her blanket and Huxley on the couch. I lavished them with attention and they absolutely loved it.

It's at times like this that I get wishy-washy and think that I can somehow keep them. But it just doesn't work for the cats. I really wish my cats would have reacted differently to Huxley and Blitz. If they had been able to get along, I would have somehow made the fence issue work out. But I just can't have my cats living under the bed.

I got an email back from Kris. She is disappointed that it didn't work out for us. She's asked that we hold on to them past this weekend because she has some adopters coming down Saturday and she also has an inspection on Saturday. New dogs in the mix would just upset things and that's not what she needs this weekend. I'll talk to David and see if he wants to bring them down during the week (taking some time off of work) or wait until the following weekend.

The longer I have them the harder it will be to part with them. They both just got majorly excited because David got up. He came to say good morning to them. They both were wagging their tails and grunting at him with excitement. I can't believe how easy it has been for them to adjust to us and our routine.

Now Huxley is on the blanket and Blitz is up on the couch. They both seem quite content being here. Arg! If it weren't for the cats this could work out. If I were going to have dogs, these are the dogs I would want to have. They are so mellow and loving and affectionate.

David told me last night that right now he doesn't want to have a dog. It ties us down and makes it harder for us to go places. That is true. I have bible study later today and I'll have to put the girls in the laundry room while I am gone. I'm going to try to be gone just one hour today. I don't want them to be in their for hours.

David came out into the living room to love on the girls. And they are truly enjoying the 'tentions. Blitz especially loves the 'tensions from David. She's just sitting (sort of) in his lap.

Now that they've had their 'tentions they are back on the couch and their blanket. A beautiful start to the day.

David says we can bring them down on Monday afternoon. I'll probably cry when we leave them.

It's more about me than I care to believe

The dogs are STILL sleeping. They've been asleep all night. I'll have to wake them up so they can go outside to go to the bathroom before we go to bed. They'll sleep through the night too. What lazy butt dogs! :-) I love that about them.

I've done a lot of thinking and talked to David about what is bothering me regarding the dogs. I realize that I want to be the solution (a home) to their problem (being given up for adoptionl). It's important to me that I be the one who fixes things for them. It will somehow make me feel special or important to be the answer. It will make me feel like I'm making a difference somewhere in my life.

This is off topic for the Dog Blog, but I feel the same way about Brad. I want to be a solution to his problems. And I want to be the one that he turns to in his time of need. That would make me feel special and important. It would make me feel like I'm making a difference in someone's life. But I can't be the answer there either.

I feel an obligation to 'make things right' with these situations. If I don't make it right and something bad happens, will I feel like it's my fault, that I could have done something and I didn't? Or even worse, what if it all works out okay? Will I feel bad that someone else was the solution to the problem? Will I feel less special, less important?

Even though all of this is difficult, it is helping me to learn about myself. I'm figuring out what my motives are for doing things. I'm not as altruistic as I'd like to think that I am. But I am more emotional than I thought I was. The dogs are helping me to learn about myself.

Now I'll have four dogs that I will miss and want to keep track of: Skooter, Moped, Huxley and Blitz. I don't regret having any of them. They've all added a lot of joy to my life. They are all sweet, loving dogs and I just wish I could have made it work out differently.

I am so emotional right now. I feel the way I did with Moped and Skooter: could I do more to make this work out? If I could put the cats aside I think I could make it work, but I can't put the cats asisde. The girls are over by the sliding door right now, laying down. I love them. I will miss not having them here. I really wish I could make things different with the cats and the fence. Were just not at a point where we can make any changes or adjustments in our lives to accommodate dogs, any dogs. I feel so bad that this didn't work. I had to try it though. I would have always wondered if I didn't at least try. I wanted to give the dogs a chance and give Kris some relief. But it's just not possible. I can't sacrifice the cats to foster dogs. David agrees with me and feels the same way I do emotionally.

I'd like to say that I'll never do this to myself again, but I don't know that I wouldn't try it again sometime when things are different. There's so much going on in our lives right now that I won't get into, but it does effect our decision.

I want to change my mind. I want to keep these dogs. I just can't figure out how to make it work though. This is killing me. I feel so bad.

I haven't heard back from Kris yet. I dread that. I know it will be disappointing to her that it hasn't worked out.

Huxley has come over to me so I can pat her. She's putting her head in my lap and on my laptop. It's like they already know something has changed.

I don't know how much more sadness and disappointment I can set myself up for...

I had to go out for a short time this morning and I put the girls in the laundry room. They did great. When I went to let them out to go to the bathroom, Huxley zoomed out the door. Next thing I saw was a squirrel jumping into the tree on the other side of the fence. It's the first squirrel we've had her in seven years! The dogs went nuts. They were pacing and pointing and really excited. They wanted that squirrel. They made attempts at going over the fence. That concerned me. I believe they need a six foot fenced in yard. GSP's are so agile and can jump so easily. Anyway, I let them out into the yard, supervised, so they could run off the squirrel energy. They've finally settled down. It didn't take them too long.

The cats are stiill (and always will be) an issue. My cats just don't like dogs. I've had Tabby for 15 years and Paulie and Minnie for 6 years. It bothers me that they are having to live under the bed in our room. I think that Huxley and Blitz just want to play with them, but my cats take it as an aggressive overture and want to retaliate. I can't take a chance on anyone (feline or canine) getting hurt.

So, I've sent an email to Kris letting her know what's going on and what I feel we have to do at this point. This is an extremely difficult decision. I've already become attached to the girls and love them. They are sweet and generous and affectionate and mellow. Everything I'd like in a dog. But I can't do anything about the fence or the cats. Those two things will not change with time. So, before I get in even deeper, I'll make the decision that I don't want to make.

I am disappointed that this is not going to work out. I already had it planned in my head to grow old with these two dogs. But I can't chance them getting out of the yard for their safety and as a courtesy to the neighbors. If we didn't live in such a close community, it would be different. And it would be different too if we didn't have covenants that don't allow us to make any modifiations to the fence. We're not even allowed to put up the electric fence at the bottom of the fence to keep the rabbits and squirrels out. Darn it.

I love having Huxley and Blitz here. Especially since they are so easy and mellow. But I have to think of my cats too. They have seniority here. I don't want to have to choose one over the other but in this case I have to. It stinks.

I guess it just isn't meant to be for us to have a dog. At least not as long as we have our cats and live in this house. I am so very much disappointed.

For the first time since they got here, Huxley and Blitz are playing together. They are play fighting. I wouldn't want to get in the middle of the two of them. Blitz is so big. They are so relaxed here that they feel that it's okay to play. It's fun to watch them. I'm glad that they feel comfortable with us. They've been all over David tonight. They really do love him.

They've settled down now. It's getting to be bedtime so they need to chill out. I thought we might get a thunderstorm tonight and that would have been interesting because Blitz is afraid of thunder. I would have stayed out in the living room and slept on the couch if we got a storm, but it looks like it has passed us by.

I can't get over how easy these dogs are. They are so generous with their love. It's easy to love them back.

Huxley and Blitz are good nappers! I napped for a while this morning and they just napped on the floor next to me. They are such good dogs. They're both on their blanket right now all curled up into a yin yang ball. The blanket is only about 4'x4', yet they both fit on it so nicely. Skooter would take up the whole thing and then some if it were his blanket. :-) I let the girls out quite a few times today. It stayed chilly all day so they didn't really want to be out for very long and that was okay with me. It was windy and cold. They are very well housetrained. And they love just lounging around. My kind of dogs! They were cute snoring and dreaming today. And they are so affectionate. They just want tons and tons of attention and I'm happy to give it to them. The only time they whined today is when they would catch a glimpse of a cat. I think it's killing them that they can't go play with the cats. But my cats wouldn't be too much fun to play with. Other than that, they were happy as clams. At one point, they were so quiet, that I actually forgot that I had dogs here! Than never would have happened with Skooter or Moped. I almost stepped on them when I was getting off the couch and then I realized they were here.

I hand fed them again today and they did real well with it. Blitz took a couple of minutes to get into eating but then she did really well. They have been great today. They barked when David got home until they saw him, then they were extremely excited. They knew he would give them a lot of 'tentions. And he did. They sure do like David a lot. They must be 'guy dogs'.

I went out tonight to get dinner and David said that Huxley whined for me at the gate. Isn't that sweet? They've just been laying down since dinner. We'll let them out before we go to bed and then we'll leave them in the living room with the gate up so they cannot get to the cats during the night.

Huxley has her head on Blitz' back. It's so cute.

We made it through the night!

Huxley and Blitz did great last night. They didn't whine or make any noise (besides breathing loudly and snoring ;-) ). They didn't get into anything at all. They were perfect little ladies. When I went into the living room they were both waiting for me at the gate. They just wanted some morning 'tensions. Once David was up he came and said good morning to them too. They loved the tention's that he gave to them. Then I let them out to go to the bathroom. They both went outside and went to the bathroom. They explored around a bit then came back in. It's a rather chilly morning and they didn't seem to want to stay out in the chill. When they came back in the settled down nicely. They are very mellow GSP's. David came to say goodbye to them and they loved that. Right now they are laying together on their blanket on the floor. They seem content enough.

I'm feeling a lot less stressed thim morning since we made it through the night okay. This morning I can see them for who they are, not who I want them to be. They are very different than Skooter and Moped and that's a good thing in a lot of ways.

I'm going to lay on the couch to get some more sleep, sleep that I missed last night because of my Skooter wake up. The girls will be right next to me on the floor.

It will be weird for them, I think, to be in the house so much of the time. But I'm not yet comfortable just letting them roam the yard without supervision. If Huxley sees a rabbit, she might take off after it. I don't know. So I can't let them out unsuperivised just yet. And my dogs won't be 'outside all day' dogs any way. I want companion animals that will spend most of their day with me. I'll go out with them at least every hour, but otherwise they'll be in the house with me.

Their schedules have drastically changed, as has their location, so I would imagine there will be an adjustment period. Of course, they don't seem as attached to the previous owners as much as Skooter was attached to me. Skooter waited by the door, down at the Rescue, and whined for me when I was leaving. He didn't want me to leave him there. But these girls didn't look or whine for Nancie. That has made the transition a whole lot easier. I think it's because they are adult dogs that they are doing so well.

I still need to see how this is going to work for the cats. I don't mind having the gate up to keep Huxley and Blitz out at the front of the house. But I don't want the cats being all stressed out because strange dogs are here. I'll get itt figured out with them all.

Off I go to join Huxley and Blitz in a nap.

Comfy girls

Bedtime worked out okay. We let the girls sleep in the living room (30 ft away from us) on their bed. Huxley whined a bit, just a tiny bit, and then everyone went to sleep. I think one of the cats was on the bed but I can't say for sure. I woke up at my usual Skooter time. :-) When I went down the hall the girls barked at me. I was able to quiet them quickly. They didn't wake David up. They were genuinely thrilled to see me. Right now they both are fast asleep on the couch. Yes, on the couch. They got up there on their own. And since they seem to comfortable, I'm not going to disturb them. I hadn't realized that Blitz was up there, she's dark colored and I have no lights on, and she startled me when she got off the couch. She was just trying to follow me to the gate. Here they are sleeping:


So, they are being spoiled already. Can't help it. It's the way that I am with dogs. Plus, a nice comfy leather couch is much better than a dog pillow on the floor. :-) I can hear both of them breathing in their sleep. It's a beautiful sound. I'm thrilled that there's sound at all. The cats are so stealthy. They don't make much noise. And I've missed the noise of a dog, subtle as it may be.

Bedtime

Well, it's bedtime and I'm not quite sure how we're going to work this tonight. If the dogs are in the bedroom the cats won't be able to get to the litter box. I don't know if they'll stay in the living room and even if they do, can I just let them stay out on their own? Yikes! I didn't think about dogs not having kennels because I'm so used to Skooter and Moped being in kennels. I'm sure it will work out somehow. They are good dogs. It'll be okay.

I'd give it a 9 out of 10

We've been hand feeding Huxley and Blitz. They seem to be doing okay with it. It helps with the bonding process to hand feed them. They are both laying down next to David on his blanket. They are sharing the space and it's not all that big. They really love each other.

I'm feeling bad about the cats. I don't like that I'm treating them like second class citizens and making them stay in the bedroom under the bed. I'm not sure this will work if that continues. My cats just might not like dogs and it may be that simple. I'll have to see how they do together.

I didn't take these dogs in to replace Skooter and Moped. That would be impossible. But having them makes me think so much about giving Skooter and Moped up for adoption. If I'm going to have any dog shouldn't it have been them?

I don't want to give anyone the idea that I'm unhappy with Huxley and Blitz. I'm not. I'm just still feeling really emotional about the loss of Skooter and Moped. It's a big responsibility to have dogs and I want to make sure I'm up to the task. The dogs deserve the best and that's what I want to be able to give to them.

I know I'm guarding my heart because of the sadness I feel about my boys and not reaching out 100% to the girls. And that's not easy to not do because they are so loving and generous. They are such good dogs. They are so easy to be with. It's totally the opposite of what it was like with Skooter and Moped. This is exactly what I wanted: dogs that would lay around a bit and not be running through the house like wild animals.

Nancie called to check on the girls. I told her that they are doing great. They seem to have made themselves at home here already. I said that Blitz was a riot with her snoring. I did let her know that the initial meeting with the cats led to a chase, but I think the dogs just want to play and my cats don't know any better. Nancie said we could meet next weekend so we can get the dog's outdoor house and the electric fence.

If anyone asked me how it's going so far, I'd have to give it a 9 out of 10. They are gentle, beautiful dogs and are wonderful to have in the house. Now, if I can just get over these emotions I have for Skooter and Moped it will all be a lot easier.

Bombs away!

The dogs had their first sighting of the cats. First they froze. Then they loped down the hall which scared the heck out of the cats. They went in the bedroom and tried to look under the bed for the cats. I don't think they were going after them, I think they were just curious. My cats are afraid of dogs. It's that simple. They'll be stuck in the bedroom if the dogs stay. I'd have to teach the dogs not to chase the cats, at the very least.

Right now the girls are laying on the living room floor sleeping. It's so weird to have dogs that I don't have to interact with every second. They are so much more mellow than the boys were. Of course, they are a lot older than the boys.

Having the girls here makes me miss Skooter and Moped really bad. I try not to compare the girls to the boys, but it's hard not to. Girl dogs are very different than boy dogs. Not bad, just different. B. snores a lot. It's so cute.

I feel like I have a wall up so that I don't allow myself to get hurt again by losing a dog. I feel just a bit distant from the girls. I don't mean to, but after having to give up Skooter and Moped I am naturally a little gun shy. And they've only been here for a few hours. I'll see how it goes, day by day. If things are good after a week, then we'll commit to fostering them. I will not commit to adopting them for quite a while. I have to make sure that I can bond with them. It wouldn't be fair to them if I were distant. They need lots of affection and love and I want to be able to give that to them.

The girls have really taken to David. They enjoy the attention that he gives them.

B. has gas really bad. It is so stinky. :-) Someone needs to go potty. :-) They are sleeping back to back. It's so cute. (Another stink bomb has been let go! Yikes!)

So far, so good

Well, Huxley and Blitz are here, laying on the living room floor sleeping. They seem to be very content being here. I was sitting on the floor with them for a while. One on each side of me.

They haven't met the cats yet, so I don't know what will happen with that. I'll give it a week, if I can, and then see how they are doing.

They're here!

Wahoo! I'll let you know how it goes.

Row of J's and K's

Nanci called a little while ago. They are running a bit behind but should be on their way by now. So, within the hour they will be here, the girls and all their stuff.

Minnie's out here laying in the sun. She really enjoys the sunshine. I hope that the cats and dogs can live together without too much fuss.

I have my business card that I made that has all my information on it, and the Dog Blog info too, ready to be handed to Nanci. I'm so tired (I took my morning medicine) and want to nap. But I'm going to wait until after Nanci leaves. I'll see if I can get the dogs to take a nap too. (Almost fell asleep while I was typing! Yikes!)

I told David last night that I'm not having second thought but I am thinking: what makes me so special that I can take in someone else's dog and think that everything is just going to be hunky dory. They are definitely going to miss Nanci. They'll miss their house and yard too. Everything will be different fo r them here.

Okay I just had to erase of row of j's and k's because I'm falling asleep. No more typing for now. :-)

I miss the clink

David's in the shower so I'm just sitting here, ready to get dogs. I noticed how quiet it is in here. I have missed the clinking of tags on collars. That sound fills the air when you have a dog. I'm looking forward to the silence being broken. The cat's are so stealthy and you rarely hear them and they don't have collars, so there's no clinking.

Just a little over an hour to go and then we'll be dog people again. I'm looking forward to it.

Today's the day!

It's not quite 7am yet and I'm already up. Today is the day! The girls will be here in about three hours. I am so excited!

Duke? Does that really fit Moped. I guess I'm used to him being a Moped. I'm glad that they have taken him in as their own and named him. He's really a part of their family now. I wish them well.

No news on Skooter right now. I'm sure he's doing great though. Probably sleeping in someone's bed at night and sticking those paws straight out! :-) I hope, for them, that he is sleeping through the night.

Nancy must have all of their stuff ready by now, or is getting it together this morning. Where she lives is, I would guess, an hour away. The dogs will be anxious to get out of the car by the time they get here. I sure hope this works out.

I'm going to go take a shower, to make myself presentable for our guests today. :-) I do feel a bit sad that the cats won't be out here all the time like they have been but I really want the dogs. They should have more interactive personalities. I'm sure they'll be shy at first, but will warm up to us quickly. I have my treats ready to greet them. :-)

That's it for now. I'm just so excited that I'm bouncing off the walls!

An update from Kris (RM GSP Rescue)

I talked to Kris tonight. She said 'tomorrow's the big day' (meaning that the girls will arrive). I told her we were excited and she was glad to hear that. I told her I would keep her updated on how they are doing. I need to get her to look at the Dog Blog so I don't have to duplicate information.

She also told me that Moped's family has the paperwork to get his chip switched over but they just haven't sent it in yet. And here's the big news: the renamed Moped to DUKE! What an interesting name for him. I don't think he looks like a Duke but he must to them. I'm just glad to hear that he is doing well and getting along with the 4 year old smashingly.

I've been working on a web-site all night for Kris/the Rescue. I told her I was doing it. She seemed interested. She also said I could do the flyer, but she wants to see it first. I'll email it to her tomorrow along with the web site address. I hope she likes it. It's pretty cool looking.

That's it for tonight (this morning!). I'm off to bed. I need my rest before the dogs get here in eight and a half hours! Wahoo!

Rescue flyer

I made up a flyer for RM GSP Rescue. I might email it to Kris and ask her if she would like to do something like this for advertising her Rescue up here in Colorado Springs. I used Moped as the poster child. :-) It looks pretty cool. I could take it to pet stores, vet offices and any other place that will let me post a flyer.

I also made a business card that has all my info on it and the info for the Dog Blog. I'm going to give one to Nancy tomorrow. I made a couple of extras to use. I might send one to Kris. It's fun to make stuff related to the dogs. I'm having fun doing it.

Well, about sixteen hours now until we get the girls. It's going to weird to have someone just come and drop off their dogs. Now I'll know how Kris feels.

I sent Kris another check for a donation to the Rescue ($40). I just feel like I'm supposed to help her out right now. And I'm happy to do it.

Rocky Mountain GSP Rescue statistics

I was just checking the GSP Rescue site and here are the statistics:

* 28 dogs listed
* of the 28, 3 are courtesy posting for other Rescues
* 2 Adoptions Pending in the 28 listed

Kris could have 25 dogs right now! She must be fostering out some of them or maybe some of them are still with their owners until they get adopted. But still, that's a lot of dogs. It makes me really glad that we decided to try to foster Huck and B. If we can help out in just a small way, I'd like to be able to. There was 1 new posting yesterday (Amber). She looks a lot like Skooter. Check her out at http://rockymtngsp.org . She's the very last listing.

I wish I could do something to help Kris get homes for the dogs. I'll have to ask her if there's anything I can do. Maybe I could put up some flyers in the local pet stores and at vet offices. I'l have to give that some thought.

Anyway, I feel good about trying to help out. It makes me want to try my hardest, which I would do anyway, to make this fostering situation work. Someday I'll have a place where I can have lots of dogs and take in more fosters for Kris.

The best things in life are free

Well, I finally opened up that priority package. I installed the seat cover and the seat belt restraints. It looks really good in David's jeep because it's all black stuff and his interior is black leather. So we're ready to take them for their first drive.

I'm ready, ready, ready for the girls to be here. I have the feeder out and some treats and a tug rope. I know they'll have all their own stuff but I wanted to give them some stuff too. But they won't be here until tomorrow at 10am-ish. Unless Nancy gets some free time in her day today and brings them down today.

I need to ask Nancy if the girls have any bad habits that I need to know about. All dogs have at least one bad habit. I wonder what Huck and B.'s are.

I think I'm going to get both of them orange collars. I really like the orange colored collars. That way if they get out I can locate them easier. I'm going to have to make sure I keep them tied out for a while until they get used to this being their home. I wonder how weird it will be for them to be at a new home.

The Flintstones are on and they just showed Dino running to Fred when he came in the door and he jumped all over Fred. That's not going to happen with Huck and B. If they don't know yet how to find their spot, I'll teach them how to do that. It's important that they behave from the get go.

I've had a real good feeling about all of this, but we'll see what the reality is. I always think that the best will happen, but who knows.

The adventure continues

I slept until almost 5:30am! Wahoo! Slept through the night. This is such a big deal because Skooter had me trained to get up for him when he whined in the middle of the night, usually around 2:30am or so. So this is great that I slept past that time. My first intelligible thought was about Huck and B. They are coming! I'm so nervous. What if they don't like us? What if Nancy doesn't want to leave them here with us? What if they do like us?! This is so much fun to think about them joining the family. It's all I can think about.

I'm glad that the first dogs we are fostering don't look anything like Skooter and Moped. It would be difficult to have dogs that look like them. Huck had a similar face to Skooter but not exactly a twin.

I hope that they are not too much for me to handle. They look like good size dogs, but it's hard to tell in pictures. I really want to be able to take them for walks. And I'm going to work on giving them time apart. I think it's crucial so I can see what behaviors they will do if separated. I can always bring them to Doggy Day Care to give them more socialization and time apart. But first I just need them to get used to the house and the yard. They'll be some initial potty training to do so they'll know that the sliding glass door gets them out to the back yard where they can go to the bathroom.

I'll be busting out of myself waiting on them to arrive Sunday morning. I hope that Nancy's schedule clears and she can bring them down today. That would be great to get them today. I'm just so anxious to see how things are going to go. I know there will be an adjustment period and I'm willing to let things shake out the way they need to. As long as they don't try to eat the cats, or as long as Paulie doesn't try to eat them :-) it will work. I'll be so disappointed if we have to bring them down to the Rescue. I want this to work out, us fostering Huck and B.

I hope Nancy doesn't mind me giving them nicknames. It's a bonding thing. It says that they are now our dogs (for as long as we want them or until they get adopted by us or someone else).

I don't want the ground to be all muddy for there first days here, but it may well be because of the snow we got. I was hoping it would all be melted by the time the girls got here, but I don't know that that will happen. I'll just have to deal with it.

In additon to the cats, I'm worried about them jumping the fence. I'm going to put them on tie out for at least a few weeks, until they get that this is home. Then I'll try supervised free roam in the backyard. What I'd like is that they go out a couple of times a day to go to the bathroom and that they roam around the yard some to get some energy out. Mostly there energy will be expended going on walks.

Okay, I'm going to stop writing about them for a while. Nancy thought it was interesting that I'd have something to say on the Dog Blog everyday. She joked that it would be that B. was sleeping. Now B. is snoring. That's funny. I don't know exactly how, but I do find things to say about them every day.

And if it's not Huck and B. that I'm writing about there's always Skooter and Moped. There adjustments must be going well otherwise I think Kris would be hearing about it. I hope that Skooter is finally sleeping through the night. Maybe my sleeping through the night is a sign that Skooter is finally sleeping through the night. And I hope that Moped has settled down some since he's been with his new family. I'm sure that he's getting tons more energy out with them than he could have with us.

Well, today is the last day for the cats to be out in the living room At least until they get used to the dogs and the dogs get used to them. Tabby is on the side table that is next to me. Minnie is up in the window, looking out at the Peak (really she's looking for birds in the backyard) and Paulie is sauntering around like he owns the place. I hope that they continue to come out even though the dogs will be here. I don't want them shut up in the back of the house all the time. Although it's not a bad place to be with the beds and comfy chair in the den. They'll figure it out. Paulie is sitting next to my chair on the floor right now. Yep, Minnie is watching birds out in the backyard. I can hear the birds chirping all the way in here. Minnie is intensely watching them. Now she's sitting ont he counter waiting for me to call her over. But I think instead of doing that I will go back to bed and see if I can get some more sleep. I'm feeling vewy, vewy sleepy all of a sudden.

Skooter and Moped. Huck and B. The adventure continutes.

Waiting on Huck and B.

I'm so excited about Huck and B. coming that I zoomed through the house getting things done. I''m so ready for them to join our family. I found a Dog.com advertisement and I'm going to look through it to see if there's anything we might 'need'. :-) I've got so much energy because I'm excited. I know we'll have to be very gentle with them at first and let them get used to us. It'll be hard for them being away from their family. I have a couple of treats for them so when they get here I can invite them in with treats. I also have one Greenie that I got in the mail for free. I can split that between the two of them.

I'm still missing Skooter and Moped. They will always be my boys. I see their pictures and I get a little teary eyes. I love watching their slide show on the Blog. I sent an email to Kris tonight asking her if she knows if they changed Moped's name and if they did, what did they change it to. I'd sure like to know.

I hope that Huck and B. get use to their nicknames quickly. It's not that I don't like their names, I think they are great names. But they are hard for me to say and Huck and B. will be a lot easer for me.

I'm so anxious to see what they look like in person. They are so beautiful in their pictures. I've never seen a black ticked GSP before so I'm looking forward to seeing B. Huck sort of has a face like Skooter's but I think she's lighter colored than Skooter is.

I hope they don't whine when Nancy leaves. I know they will miss her and wonder what the heck is going on, but I hope I can make them feel at ease and at home right away. It will be good that they have all of their stuff. That will make the transition a bit easier. I'm probably going to have them sleep in the living room (if they'll stay in there). The cats will be in the bedroom and Paulie doesn't like it when the dogs come in there. He'll get used to them eventually but at first it will be a situation that I have to keep a close eye on.

I wonder how much obedience they know. It'll be fun to do training again. There's always something that a GSP can learn. I wish I could afford the training classes but right now things are tight and I can't spend money on classes. I know the gist of it though since I went through the classes with Skooter and Moped.

I look forward to petting Huck and B.'s fuzzy faces.

Sunday

Nancy just called. She's going to bring the girls down on Sunday morning instead of tomorrow. She's going to bring all their stuff with them (feeding bowls, toys, blankets, etc.). They are purebred GSP's but are not registered. However they are micro-chipped which is awesome. I told her about the Dog Blog and she said she would like to be able to access it. We'll also exchange email addresses.

It actually works out better to have them come down on Sunday because I still have so much to do around here to get ready for them. I mean, I'm ready for them to be here, I just want to get a bit more organized. I'm so excited that they are coming. Nancy is glad that we're excited.

So, on Sunday we'll have two additions to the family, Huck and B. The cats won't like it too much but they are used to keeping to the back of the house. They've done it for years now. It's nice that they've had a little break, but I'm okay with them not being all over me all the time.

Nancy said she is pretty strict with the girls. They aren't allowed up on the furniture, they aren't allowed in the kitchen and they have to settle after coming in before they are allowed to roam the house. Luckily I still have the gate we got for Moped and I'll use that to give the cat's some distance when they first get here.

I'm not going to do the RAW diet with the girls. I'm going to feed them kibble. At first I'll probably hand feed them so we can bond and so that they will know who is boss and who provides the food. I'll also work with them on some obedience stuff. And I can't wait to take them for walks and for drives. I still have that priority mail package that has the car seat cover and seat belt restraints in it. I just never got around to doing anything with it. It's still sitting right where I put it the day it arrived. I'm glad that I'll finally be able to open it and use the stuff.

We had another snow storm and got about 4" of snow. It should all be melted by the time Huck and B. arrive. I need to remember to ask Nancy how well the dogs are socialized with other dogs and people (like going to PetsMart and things like that).

I'm so anxious to know if this is going to work and how it will all play out. I'm hoping we can foster them and keep them out of the Rescue. Not that the Rescue is a bad place, its' not. It's just that Kris already has lots of dogs and seven new puppies to take care of. If we can give her a bit of a break, we'd be happy to.

Well, I'm going to get busy around here and be ready for the girls to arrive this weekend. I'm so excited!

Huck and B.'s owner (Nancy) called. We're going to get the girls tomorrow! Huxley is named after a character in Demolition Man and Blitz got her name because Nancy's son was playing football and had the blitz position. Nancy was very appreciative of us taking the girls and letting them remain together.

I told Nancy that we are ready to get the dogs and are really looking forward to taking care of them. I sure hope it works out. The cats will be the biggest issue.

I'm going to ask Nancy if she wants email updates on the dogs. I'd be happy to keep her updated on the girls. I know it must be difficult for Nancy to have to give them up.

So, we're going to have dogs again starting tomorrow. How exciting!

No word yet

I haven't heard from Huck and B.'s owner yet. I wonder if she has changed her mind. I wish someone would call just to let us know what's going on. It's a tad frustrating not knowing what is going on.

It's a very snowy day today. I always think of Skooter and Moped when it snows. They both love playing in the snow, especially Skooter. It makes me sad to think about them playing and me not being able to see them. I sure do miss them.

Kris said that the owner of the GSP's lives up in Denver. They may be getting bad weather up there and maybe she's not calling until she knows when the weather will clear so she can drive down here. Kris did say that Huck and B.'s owner wanted them to be placed this weekend.

It's got to be so hard for her to give up her dogs after having them for six and a half years. I'd have second thoughts if I were her. I know how hard it is for me to lose Moped and Skooter and we didn't have them near as long as she's had Huck and B. I just wish she would call so I'd know what the deal is.

Considering other dogs

All of the dogs I've considered lately won't work out for one reason or another:

* Jack - not sure how he is around cats

* Harley - he's not a full lab puppy, he's a mix with border collie (a high energy level dog)

* Blue - doesn't like cats, is a fence jumper

* Tuxy - toy fox terriers - they are too small, the cats would eat them for a snack

* boston terrier - bigger than a breadbox but still not a dog-size dog

* labrador retriever - another sporting dog (although supposedly a mellow dog)


So, I'm not just picking the first dog that comes along. There have been many cute dogs with fuzzy faces to chose from, but it has to come down to more than just a pretty face. It has to be workable, doable. It has to be realistic. There has to be an out if it doesn't work.


I just don't think I could make a complete commitment to another dog just yet. Maybe in time, but not right now. Now all I can offer is fostering a dog, no long term commitments. If it would work out that would be just fine, but if it doesn't then the dog already has a place to go.

Changing subjects: Tabby is asleep on the couch and she's snoring. It reminds me of how Skooter and Moped snored when they were sleeping. It's such a comforting sound. I miss hearing them snore and 'talk' in their sleep. I miss my little Wookie. I want to ask Kris if she'll get in touch with Moped's new owners and ask what they named him. I'd really like to know. And I wonder how my buddy Skooter is doing at night. Is he still waking them up at 2:30am or is he sleeping through the night now? If they let him sleep out of his kennel he's more apt to sleep through the night. I think it's because he can stretch so much out of the kennel. He needs to stretch to be comfortable and sleep well.

That's a collar laying on Skooter. I got the wrong size (obviously) and had to return it, but the new size was too big too. He never got to wear the collar. I always liked him best in his orange collar.

He was spoiled from the beginning. I don't know that I ever had a chance of making him behave because I set such a liberal tone from the get go. I don't regret any of it though.

What a beautiful dog Skooter is. Puddin' Pop is incredible looking too. There's just something about the two of them that I haven't seen in other dogs yet. Maybe I'd have to see the dog in person to feel differently about it. But Skooter's specialness comes out in his photos. He exudes charisma, if a dog can exude such a thing. :-)

So, every dog gets compared to Skooter and Moped and so far all have fallen short. They were more than just dogs to me. I wish things could have been different.

Happy Birthday to me!

No dog will ever make me stop missing Skooter and Moped. They were special dogs, unique. They are Midder Wiggles and Puddin' Pop. I'll always wish it could have been different with them, that I could have done something different to keep them. But every time I go over it in my head, I come up with the same conclusion: they have too much energy for me and that stressed me out.

There are so many things to consider when thinging about taking in another dog:

* taking them for walks every day
* keeping the back yard cleaned up again
* the cats
* the 4 foot fence
* we just gave two dogs up for adoption!
* being on the dogs schedule
* obedience training
* being tied down to the house more
* will it up the stress level
* will they be destructive
* will they be aggressive chewers
* will they have too much energy
* how much will they eat (my boys were fairly picky eaters)
* they'd have to go on tie out for a long while before they could be let free to roam the backyard
* would they bond with us like Skooter and Moped did
* do I want to take another chance at losing a dog I become attached to
* will they get me up in the middle of the night
* will I get them up in the middle of the night (more likely!)
* will they ride in the car okay with only a seatbelt restraint
* can I keep them out of their kennels enough of the time that they don't get bored
* can I keep them from getting bored in general
* will they try to steal food like Moped and Skooter did
* will the carpet get destroyed again
* how much more work will it be for me
* could it be fun this time around
* could I ever love a dog as much as I loved Skooter and Moped

These are just some of the things I think about when I entertain the idea of getting another dog. The reality is always a lot different than the fantasy. I want to think it will work out so that the dog is a great companion and is obedient, but they could just as easily chase the cats and be rowdy.

That's why I'm glad that Kris talked to me about just fostering dogs. If for any reason it didn't work out, then they would join the other dogs down at the Rescue. No commitment to the unknown. No commitment to stress. I'd be walking into it with my eyes wide open, knowing it could be a disaster waiting to happen. I can look at the pros and the cons of letting another dog live with us. I can see that it is not a panacea.

But isn't this part of my dream, taking in GSP's for Rescue? Isn't this something I feel compelled to do? Do I feel that God is putting this opportunity in front of me? Will I choose to help out or to do a whole lot of nothing while pining away for Skooter and Moped? Not that pining away for Skoots and Mopes is a bad thing; it did get me the Dog Blog and that has been a Godsend. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the Dog Blog as a place to settle down my feelings. It's really helping me get through a tough process.

By the way, Happy Birthday to me. It's officially the 12th and it's my birthday. Think I'll celebrate by taking in two dogs :-)

Tough decision

Well, Kris presented an interesting arrangement for Huck and B. Their owner would bring them to us, we could give it a try and if it didn't work, we could bring them down to the Rescue. Even if it did work, we could just foster them and keep them until they were adopted. Or if they really work out and we want them, we could adopt them. But can we really take in two dogs after just giving up two dogs? How much stress would it cause and can I put up with any stress at all?



It sounds like a win-win situation but would it be? Is it what's best for the dogs and for me? There's so much to consider. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have two adult dogs. And every dog is different. Who knows what Huck and B. would be like.



So considering all of these things, David and I could only come up with one decision. There really is only one thing that we can say to Kris...

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Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!!



Of course we said yes! We're crazy, nuts, out of our minds! But we really feel like it is the right thing to do. These dogs need a place to stay and Kris is just over-run with dogs and puppies right now. And she did help us find wonderful homes for Skooter and Moped. I guess I feel like it's the least we can do for these dogs. Someone helped up out and we need to help someone else out. If it works out - great! If it doesn't work out, then we'll take the dogs down to the Rescue.



So, it's not completely definite yet because I haven't talked to their owner. It's up to her if we can foster them. If she says 'no' then we know it wasn't meant to be. But if she says yes, then we know that we are crazy! :-)

Our decision

Here's the deal: Kris asked if we would consider fostering Huxley and Blitz. You know, a trial run. If for ANY reason it doesn't work out we can bring them down to the Rescue. It would be a win-win situation. Very good idea. We had some extra questions though and I had to call Kris back a few times before we could come to a decision. Some of the questions:

* Do they get along with cats? Yes, they live with a cat, however, they don't know my cats and my cats don't know them, so they would have to be introduced to each other slowly

* Are they fence jumpers? They currently have a six foot fence and we only have a four foot fence. Their current owner doesn't think fence jumping is an issue. Again, they'd have to be introduced slowly to being let free in the back yard

* Do they walk well on a leash? Yes

Our decision? I'll keep you waiting. Time for dinner.

Huxley and Blitz

Let me introduce you to Huxley (liver and white) and Blitz (black and white). They are 6 1/2 year old German Shorthaired Pointers. They are littermates. They have been with the same owner since they were 10 weeks old. Because of personal circumstances the owner must give up the dogs. She's requesting they get placed together. Kris (RM GSP Rescue) asked if we would consider taking in the TWO dogs!

Whew. What can I say. After seeing them, of course, I'll think about it. Kris is going to call at 4:30pm to talk to me about it. I still don't know how they would be around the cats. And that's the big thing. These dogs are used to each other and might not do well with other animals. I don't know.

We're still considering a lab puppy too! I haven't heard back about Harley yet. I don't know if we'll be able to adopt from Dream Power or not since we gave up Skooter and Moped. I don't know what the weather will be like on Satureday, but we'd like to go down to Penrose and go to the local adoption fairs to look at dogs/puppies.

What to do, what to do? I think Huxley and Blitz might be too energetic for me. I know they'd keep each other company, but I don't want to get stressed out again. I don't know if they walk okay on a leash or not. I just want a companion dog(s). And I really want a dog that will get along with the cats. I can't stress that enough (to myself!).

I can't be taken in by these cute faces. I have to think about what is best for me AND the dogs. They do have cute little fuzzy faces though. :-)

How about this little guy?

Hercules: The World's Biggest Dog Ever According to Guinness World Records

Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff and who has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds. With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's standard 200lb. limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just "grew" .. and grew. and grew. and grew. Hercules' sheer volume may have won him the Largest Dog world record, but the Heaviest Dog title still rests with Kell who weighed in at 286 pounds in August of 1999. This English Mastiff, however, only has a 32-inch neck - far less than Hercules' 38-incher. Think about that for a second though - 32 inches is a standard waist size for a man! Proud owner Tom Scott said Kell is two years old and is expected to continue to grow for the next two years. Kell needs to be fed 100lb of beef every week, and drinks gallons of goats' milk to stay healthy...

How about TWO dogs?!

Kris called. She wanted to know if I would think about something. She has a lady that is getting divorced and has two GSP's. They are older and female. They are littermates. They are very well house trained. She doesn't know how they would be with cats. She doesn't think the fence is an issue. She's going to send me more info and pictures in an email tomorrow. I can't wait to get the email. I didn't even ask her what the dogs are named. That's important to me.

I don't know what to think. Two dogs. Females. I just don't know.

We've been looking at dogs at the Humane Society and Dream Power (Harley the lab mix puppy) in addtion to dogs at the Rescue. So much to think about. The biggest issue is the cats. We have to get a dog (dogs) that can get along with the cats and not go after them.

People are going to think I'm crazy for even considering getting two dogs when I just adopted out my own two dogs. I am crazy!

What am I thinking? Am I just going into this with my eyes closed or what? I've been running everything by David and getting his opinion on it all. He's as up in the air as I am about all of this. We need to see all these dogs and get a better idea of what we'd be getting into. And then we need time to think. Think hard and think seriously about what we want to do.

Do I want a puppy? Do I want anolder dog? Do I want TWO dogs? Do I want a dog at all? I can't be impulsive. I have to make the right decision.

Harley

This is Harley. He is a Lab, approx. 6 weeks old and available for adoption on April 24th. I've put in an application to see if we can adopt him. I don't know if having just given up Skooter and Moped will play a significant role in their decision for us to adopt Harley. I tried with Skooter and Moped, I really tried. I gave it all that I had and when it got to a point that it just wasn't working, I did the right thing and put them up for adoption to good, screened homes. They were just too active for us. We need a dog that will at some point be more mellow. I also need a dog that can grow up with the cats. And I want a smart dog and Lab's are smart. I want to be able to go through obedience/socialization classes with my dog. I also want my dog to experience doggy day care, so if there are times that I will be away for an extended period of time, he can go to doggy day care. We'll be going away for three days in mid-May and will need to put him in doggy day care overnight for four nights. We can go see Harley on Saturday from 11-1 at the Petsmart at the Citadel Crossing (if they have the puppies there, they may just have pictures, don't know). I hope he is there so I can see if he's compatible with us.

I'm just going to take this a step at a time and not get ahead of myself. The adoption application needs to be approved first. They may not approve it since it's such a recent thing that we gave up Skooter and Moped for adoption. I have to know that going into this.

Breed loyalty

I've been as transparent as I can be during this whole grief process about the dogs. I have shared my ups and downs. I have shared all my thought, as difficult as some of them may be. And I have shared all of my feelings too.

I can see that thinking about another dog was just a way to cope with the sadness and grief I am feeling. In my heart of hearts, I don't really think I'm ready for another dog. I just don't like being without a dog. I like the thought of a dog more than I like the reality of a dog.

I've been struggling with breed loyalty. I feel like it has to be a GSP or nothing. And that's not the case really. I can chose any breed that I want. And there are more appropriate breeds for us. A lab mix would be better for us. Labs are generally a more mellow dog. I see the plight of the GSP down at the Rescue and I think that I must do something to help. Getting a Rescue dog seems to be the answer. But in reality it is not the answer. Getting another GSP would probably put me right back where I was with Skooter and Moped - stressed out! And I don't want that.

So how do I get past breed loyalty? How do I 'give up' on the GSP? I think I just need to be more rational about all of this and realize that getting an older GSP will have as many difficulties as having Skooter and Moped did. We'll have issues with the cats, issues with the fence and issues with energy level. I can't keep up with an energetic dog. It's that simple.

Dream Power, a local Rescue, has some lab mix puppies that they have for adoption. That would be more difficult, going through the puppy phase again, but there is a far better chance that the cats will get along with the dog if it is raised with him. And a lab mix is less apt to want to jump the fence to run around the neighborhood.

I just want a dog that I don't have to think so much about. I want to eventually be able to go out and just leave the dog in the house, out of the kennel, and not have to fret about it.

They do have a lab mix named Harley. He's a cute little bugger. Maybe we can consider him. Or maybe I should consider committing myself!

Missing my boys

It's been a long day today. It's the kind of day that would be made so much better by kissing the fuzzy face of Skooter or Moped. I'm really sad and missing them tonight. I feel like crying. I just miss them so much. I realize that having another dog wouldn't make that pain go away. I see the picture of Skooter smiling and it's a bittersweet feeling. I smile because he smiles, but I get sad because he's gone. I'm glad that he'd doing so well though.

The TV remote still has the chew marks on it from Moped. He always, always, always was grabbing the remote and playing keep-away with it. As soon as he got out of his kennel or got in the door, he would run for the remote. I don't know what the attraction was of the remote but he sure did like it. I wonder if he grabs their remote!

Happy Easter to everyone!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

The weather did not cooperate today for us to go down and see Jack. We're socked in with fog and the roads are icy again. Kris called earlier to check to see if we were going to come down this morning. I told her that we would not be able to make it because of the weather. We rescheduled for next Saturday at 10am. David said we could go down even though he'll have the duty pager. If he gets a call he'll ask one of the other guys to take it. I can't believe we have to wait another whole week to see Jack and the other dogs. I congratulated Kris on having the puppies. She says they are changing already (they are six days old today) and they are cute. They are all black and white, half pointer, half english setter. A few of them have ticking, the rest are all white so far. I can't wait to see them next week. I wonder if a GSP/setter mix would be any calmer than just a GSP? Anyway, we'll have to wait until next week to see any dogs.

I wonder how Skooter is doing on his weekend away? I bet he's having a great time. I'm not sure if Moped is doing any visiting this weekend or having anyone visit him, but I hope he has a great weekend too.

Stinkin' 4ft fence!

I need to face it - our yard just might not be something we can overcome with a GSP. They are so agile and can jump over our 4ft fence with ease. I don't want to have to put my dog out on tie out everytime he needs to be outside. Let's face it, that's why we had to get a home for Skooter - we couldn't keep him in the yard anymore. I didn't mind him going around the neighborhood, but I'm sure other people in the community did. He always came home though. But I couldn't expect that of a new, older dog. They might just take off. Definitely have to get them microchipped if they haven't been already.

I wonder if Jack is registered? Wonder if he has an AKC/UKC name besides Jack? When Home Again Pet Recovery called yesterday that referred to Samantha's Prince of the Prairie (not Skooter) being transferred to the new owners. It was cool to hear his AKC name.

Getting ahead of myself again. First thing we need to do is meet Jack and see if we like him and more importantly if he likes us. We also want to check out his coloring. We're used to liver and white, patched and ticked and he's solid liver. I think having a different looking dog would make the transition easier though. There'd be no question as to replacing Skooter and Moped. I'm still going to take some pictures of Jack, just in case, to start his album. If it doesn't work out at least I might get a happier looking picture out of him. He looks so sad in his profile.

The house is just so quiet without the dogs. No snoring, no whining, no scratching, no kennels shaking with excitement and no Wookie sounds. I miss some of those sounds. I miss the constant background noise that they provided. Especially when Moped started dreaming and would yelp. I could picture him dreaming of chasing anything he could get his paws on! Now all there is for noise is the sound of the heat vents popping and the occaissional elephant run by the cats. But for the most part it is just quiet. And there's no furry face to hug and kiss in this quiet.

Holly

Isn't she a beautiful GSP!

Memories

I love the picture of Skooter and Moped on the deck catching rays. It's my favorite picture of them. They look so content. And they were both calm at the same time!

I'm anxious about going down to Penrose tomorrow. I need to remind myself that I don't have to make any decision tomorrow. I need to do this right and take it slow. Enjoy the process, Sam! There just might not be a compatible dog for us down at the Rescue now. Kris will keep an eye out for a dog for us though. It would be interesting if Jack was the one. Even if he is we'll still have to take it slow and go through the adoption process with Kris. Then there's the issue of the adoption fee. We can afford it but things are always tight the first part of the month. We can work it out though if we need to.

I had popcorn again today and thought about how Skooter would sit and wait for a piece of it. I always worried about him choking on the popcorn but he always did fine with it. And cheese, he loved cheese. He always had to have a piece of cheese if either of us had some. He ate the wackiest things. Moped is the one who would eat anything though - yogurt, fruit, cheese, popcorn. He is such a puppy.

Skooter would probably be up in David's lap right now. He'd be taking a nap. And David would be so content. That's the kind of dog we want. One that can get up in our lap but not hurt us doing it. A dog that would be calm. I want a dog that I can sit on the floor or couch with and just enjoy the companionship. So we'll go look at Jack tomorrow and who knows what will happen. I really just want to enjoy the process, go through it slowly and make the right decision.

I wrote to Brad earlier and told him about the puppies that are down at the Rescue. For a second I thought that getting a puppy wouldn't be such a bad idea, train him the way you want him. But that didn't happen with Skooter or Moped. I didn't get through the puppy stage with either of them. That's why an older dog (Jack is about two years old) would be better for us. But is there such a thing as a calm or relatively calm GSP? It's hard to imagine. But I'm hopeful.

Easter weekend

I just received a call from Home Again Pet Recovery. At first I thought that maybe Skooter or Moped had gotten out and were lost. But it was a transfer of Skooter to the new owners. I'm glad they are putting in the effort with the Skoot Man. It tells me that he really is a part of the family and they really do care about him.

It's been hitting me today that the dogs are really gone. This Blog is about two dogs that I don't have anymore! They are not out on the porch catching rays (especially not in today's weather) or in their kennels napping. They are gone. They are in separate homes, living with other families. And it sounds like they both are doing really well with the transition.

The roads have cleared up quite a bit so I'm not too worried about Skooter's family traveling with him this weekend. He'll make a fine addition to the festivities. I'm really glad that he is an integral part of the family. They could have put him in doggy day care for a night or two, but they chose to have him go with them. That makes me happy.

And then there's the Mopster (or whatever they are calling him now :-) ). He's become such a part of the family that they want to name him themselves. I think that is sweet. Moped just isn't a name that most people could live with. Imagine introducing your dog as Moped. How silly is that when you don't have a Skooter to go along with it? I do hope that they'll call Kris and let her know what they have named him. He'll always be Moped to us though. I hope they are enjoying the energy he has. He's such a happy go lucky little fella.

I can imagine both of them smiling and wagging their tails (tick, tock, tick, tock :-) ) a lot. They must be loving being out of their kennels so much of the time.

David said yesterday that we probably could have kept Skooter. That devastated me. It made me feel like I've done the wrong thing. But I thought about it quickly and realized that I haven't made a mistake. Skooter was jumping the fence and therefore had to be put on a tie out when he needed to go outside. I couldn't get him to walk decently on a leash with Moped. And I couldn't let him stay out of his kennel and make Moped stay in his because he couldn't behave like Skooter would. And when I went out he had to go in his kennel because there was a great chance that boredom would set in and he would chew on stuff. No, it was no life for Skooter here with us.

I was just thinking about the letters that I sent with the dogs. I wonder what the new owners thought of them. I was feeling very emotional when I wrote them and didn't put in enough stuff about things that they each liked (ice cubes, popcorn, yogurt). I didn't tell them about Mister Wiggles or Puddin' Pop. I did give them the link to the Dog Blog so maybe they are keeping up with what the dogs liked through it. If they are reading this I'd like them to know how grateful I am that they have given my dogs a wonderful home, a home that they deserve. I'd tell them that I thank them for giving Skooter and Moped a chance at a better life.

I still wish I had said goodbye to them better. I should have taken last pictures and had pictures of them with me and with David. I should have hugged and kissed their fuzzy faces for a long time so I could remember how they feel and how they smell. I should not have been afraid to cry and show how much it hurt me to let them go. I should have petted them for a long time and hugged them. I should have made them happy one more time, so I could see their tails wag. If I had it to do again (and I hope I never do!) I would do it all so differently. I would have gone through there toyss and chews and separated it out for each of them instead of just dumping it all in bags because I just couldn't bear to hold on to their toys. I would have let Skooter ride in the back seat so I could see him and touch him. And I would have slowed down and taken in the whole experience so I could give them what they deserved, what they needed in a goodbye. I was very selfish and self-centered in my grief.

Now, when there is some distance, emotionally and physically, I can be more objective and be happy for them. And I do want to be happy for them. That's all I really wanted was for them to have better lives. Their lives here were too stressful, for them and for me. They were bored so much of the time when they were here. Going out into the yard just wasn't enough for them. And Moped always egged Skooter on to play fight and it seems like that's all they ever did. I had one day with Moped being settled down. That was the day he got neutered. He layed on the floor with me and just was so calm and loving. I treasure that memory. The rest of the time he was running around like a wild man and driving me up a tree. But he was cute when his tail wagged, tick, tock, tick, tock. And he loved being in his dad's lap.

I have so many good memories of Skooter. Seeing him do his Mister Wiggles, taking a nap with him, riding in the car with him and having him sleep straight-legged in bed with us. :-) So many happy memories. Then of course there's the other side of Skooter, the one that led to him chewing up my glasses ($159 repair!) and ripping couch pillows apart. He is quite the boy.

I miss them. I wish I could have done things differently with them so I could have kept them. I wish so many things were different in my life, but it is what it is. Maybe another dog will fit into our lives, maybe not. And maybe it just won't be a GSP until we live somewhere with some property. Who knows? I'm not going to force anything.

The cats are happy that they have the run of the house and can be with me/near me all of the time. I'm not used to having an animal be so calm and sit in my lap so much. Sometimes I feel like I never get a break. And the cats don't interact with me like Skooter and Moped did. It was a different kind of relationship. I hope to have that again one day.

Well, that's enough blather for now. I'll get back to the real world for a while. Thank goodness I have the Dog Blog to run to when I need a break from reality. It's been good for me.

Visiting Jack

We may not get to visit Jack this weekend because of the weather. If it's this icy on Sunday we're not going anywhere. Jack can wait. David has the duty pager the next weekend so we couldn't go then either. It would have to be two weeks from now if we don't get to go on Sunday. I'm okay with not going though if the roads are bad. There's no way you'll get me out there if the roads are icy.

I know they are having the same kind of weather down in Penrose. I worry about the dogs at the Rescue and how much work Kris is going to have to do because of this weather. It's iced everything over. I can see dogs slipping and sliding everywhere down there :-) I pray that they will all be safe. Kris said they were supposed to travel to the Springs today, but I'm guessing that trip will be postponed.

It would be nice to have a dog to cuddle up with on a cold night like this. Skooter wouldn't cuddle as much as he would hog the whole bed, legs sticking straight out and all. And Moped never settled down enough to be able to join us in bed. So I look forward to the day when I can have a dog that stays in our room, not necessarily on the bed, but when invited up, will be a companion not a bed hog.

It would be kind of weird to have a dog named Jack. It's so common. I'd like to rename him but he's old enough now where he knows his name. But if we picked a name out and started calling him that right away maybe we could get him to switch. I really like Harley or Vespa. Have to keep those cycles going (Harley Davidson, Vespa motor skooter, get it, got it, good!) But I could call him Jack if I had to.

3:00 a.m. again

We're having an ice storm. It looks beautiful out but it's deadly on travel. I'm worried about Skooter and his family traveling this weekend. I don't know if they have the same ice issue up in the Denver metro area but if they do, they won't be going anywhere today. I want them to be safe and warm in their home with Skooter by their side.

Skooter must be up, because I'm up. As bad as it was, I still miss our times in the middle of the night. I miss hearing him whine for me. I miss being needed. I was the only one who could give him what he wanted. There was some measure of comfort in knowing that.

And I wonder what the Mopester is doing this holiday weekend. I hope he's not left at home while the family goes out. I want for him to be calmed down enough that he can go places with them. I miss the little stink pot.