Happy New Year!

Please enjoy this photo from my Christmas and may you and your dog (or dogs) have a warm, merry, and bright New Year!

Thankfulness

     The Thanksgiving Holiday has come and gone, but with its passing, the Christmas Holiday Season is upon us. Thankfulness isn't meant to be honored on only one day in November every year.   Let us not forget to remain thankful throughout the season, and every single day as well. 

 

Here is a photo of a well-fed, well-spoiled, and assuredly thankful dog!

When is the Right Time?

     When is the right time to replace an old dog that has passed away with a new one?  I was pondering this question when one of my neighbors had to say goodbye to her 13 year old Boston terrier.  It was a sad time.  It's been a whole year since I said goodbye to my 12 year old Labrador.  I told my neighbor that she may not want to hear it, but from my experience, having a new puppy come in to my home a mere two weeks after my dog passed truly helped me heal.  She waited two weeks and now has had a new tiny Boston terrier for 2 days. It's nice to see her smiling again.
     Sometimes if I dwell on a thought long enough, I might take a poll on social media.  In this instance, I posed my question on Facebook.  And this is what happened...

 IF you have had a dog that was an important part of the family, and it died ...how long did you wait to get another dog? What do you feel is an appropriate amount of time to wait? There is no right or wrong answer.

Top of Form

Comments

MFS The sooner the better

October 10 at 1:18pm

ME: I don't think I could have gotten another dog after Abby died last year. I would have kept coming up with excuses not to. Thankfully, Steve brought me Lewis. It was only 2 weeks after she died, but I wouldn't trade my Lewis for anything in the world.

 October 10 at 1:22pm

NBD: You can not replace the old dog but you can love a new one at any time.

October 10 at 1:25pm

JC: Immediately

October 10 at 1:30pm

BH: We have almost always had at least two dogs, it makes it a little easier but it can be hard on the surviving dog. Then you have to get another one to help that one!😊
October 10 at 1:46pm

RA: We knew that Sebastian was getting old, so we got another dog before he passed away. He helped train her to be a better dog. When he passed away, she comforted us and we comforted her. I think it helped us heal to be able to pet and love on her. Hope all that makes sense.

October 10 at 2:50pm

AH: I've never had a dog die on me yet, but I had to give one up. It was difficult, but I know I wanted another dog immediately, not to replace, but I love most dogs, so I wanted another one. I think I will feel similarly, when the time comes.

October 10 at 4:41pm

LKC: I think it depends on the person. I think you know when the time is right for you. Mamba has been gone three years and, while we still have Tessie, I couldn't bear the thought of getting another dog. I'm sure I'll feel the same when Tessie is gone. Not saying I would never have another one, but just not ready.

October 10 at 6:33pm

HSST: Everyone is different But as long as I am alive and able to care for them i will always have a critter of some sort. Death is a part of life and its hard ...very hard when you loose a pet. But my heart is big enough to give another animal a home. Even if I have one to die I can still turn around and get another to love and give a good home too.

October 10 at 6:58pm

CC: Sooner the better! I can't replace my old love but I can love another and the void wouldn't be as big! I would go crazy without a dog in my home!

CM: ASAP

October 10 at 11:29pm

ME; Thank you for your responses

     This is a real question I asked (you see at the top) and these are real responses.  I was actually surprised by how many said to get a new pup right away!  Of course, every person is different.  Every dog is different.  

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)

Zundel Attacks Christopher

     The neighbor's dog was a grey poodle.  She named him Christopher.
     This was while we were living in our first owned house.  It was a one level living area with a basement.  When opening the garage door that led to the basement, I sometimes took the baby out with me and sat at the entrance.  We had one child, who was in a playpen in the garage with me, and our dog Zundel would run free in the yard but always chose to remain somewhat close by.
     I heard the door to the house next door open and shut.  I knew the neighbor was letting Christopher out to do his business.  She never watched him.  She would let him out and then about an hour later, she would holler for him to come on back inside. Zundel ordinarily ignored Christopher whenever Christopher wandered over into our yard. 
     But this time something was different.  I had the playpen with the baby in it out here with me. It amused me to some extent when I saw a fight about to happen.  Christopher came near the playpen.  Zundel attacked him.  Christopher was able to get loose after a bit of a struggle.  I watched Christopher run back over to his house and scratch at the back door.  The neighbor let him inside. 
     I was amazed. Zundel had protected my child.  She had considered Christopher as a danger and protected her master!

Look Alikes

     Do dogs really look like their owners?  Does it really have anything to do with what breed you pick?  Or does the dog, after accepted in the new home, simply pick up on the owner's behavior that makes him resemble the owner?  You be the judge.

The Neighbor's Dog

     There is a man and a woman living in the house across the street from me.  The house is a rental house.  Over the years, I have seen many different people living there.  The man living there right now told my son that the owner of the property did not allow pets.  I have heard this before.  I have also seen pets there anyway from time to time.  I mind my own business.  It has not been a surprise to me to see the man and woman come home with a puppy one day. It is a grey pit bull.  I wonder if they got a dog in hopes of protection.
     I sit here on my porch writing. I observe the treatment of the puppy.   Pit Bulls do have a reputation for being mean.  I see them carry the puppy outside and slap him.  Then they hold him by his neck.  Do they want him to learn to hate people?  Why would they want him to hate them?  Will he ever be able to be around children?
     The puppy is going to get bigger.  The man and the woman will eventually stop bringing the puppy inside and most likely chain him up outside.  It seems to be what they all end up doing. There is no fence on the property. Unfortunately, if they continue to mistreat him, putting him on a chain will be safer for the rest of us.  God help us if they let him roam freely.
     I don't have a dog myself.  If I did, I would treat it with kindness.  I don't like to see animals abused.  I don't think God meant for us to mistreat them.  I think they were meant to be our companions.  I think we should show them love and respect.  That is how you earn their love and respect.  And that makes them want to protect you.

Dog Days of Summer

     The dog days, I always thought, were those summer days so devastatingly hot that even dogs would lie around on the asphalt panting.  Many people today use the phrase to mean something like that- but originally, the phrase actually had nothing to do with dogs.  It had nothing to do with the lazy days of summer.  Instead, it turns out, the dog days refer to the dog star, Sirius, and its position in the heavens. To the Greeks and Romans, the dog days occurred around the day when Sirius appeared to rise just before the sun, in late July.  They referred to these days as the hottest time of the year.  It was a period that could bring fever, or even catastrophes.  Who knew?

Buddy

     Buddy was hit by a car about four weeks ago.  He died instantly.  He was loved by four families along this strip of road.  We all cried and mourned him.  He was a good dog.  He was a handsome dog.  He was only two years old.  He will be missed.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the My Life with Dogs blog family.  The black dog is my daughter Karen's dog and the other dog belongs to a friend of hers.  The dogs are enjoying a lovely spring day together.

Two Waters

     As children growing up on a farm, we had our chores to do.  Farm work was easily acceptable, but it was the indoor chores that didn't' sit so well my with myself and my siblings.  We had rooms to clean.  But the most disliked chore was that of washing dishes.  For a family of two parents and six children still at home, there were lots of dishes to wash.  Two sisters had already moved out to go live in the city on their own.  But they came home enough to add to the pile of dishes.  They never got a turn washing dishes as they didn't live in the house.  Mother and Daddy never got a turn either.  Mother cooked meals and Daddy farmed.
     For the longest time, I could not understand when my turn came around why I had so many dishes to wash.  This went on for a long time until it was discovered that my older brother had something to do with it.  His turn to wash dishes was before mine.  He had been hiding the big lot of his dishes and bringing them out when my turn rolled around.  When discovered, my mother put a stop to it.  But, surprisingly, it was not my brother that showed anger.  He merely laughed it off.  One of the older sisters who had already left home pitched in her remarks.  She went in defense of my brother.
     "You're making too big a deal over nothing," she said.  "Your brother was just playing with you."  She continued, "At my house, dishes get washed with no problem.  I put my dishes under Two Waters."  She laughed, "He's my dog."
     I washed dishes the same as always, but kept wondering if I could train our dog to wash dishes.  As a little girl of seven, I was quite gullible at that age.  I actually tried training our dog.  I had no success come of it.  I laugh to this day, recalling that I actually did believe she had a dog named Two Waters.  When visiting her in the city, I never saw any dog.  I found myself even washing her dishes.
     I laugh at that whole incident today.  Why did I fall for the Two Waters story?  Although I am certain the dog never existed, I still hold memories of that dog that might have been.

Bear

     I had a tree that I needed cut down and two others that needed to be topped.  On referral from a co-worker, I found the man that would do the job.  I knew nothing about him except the co-worker said he did a good job for her.  The man came giving an estimate that I accepted.  With him, he brought his dog with him.  In the passenger side of his truck, the dog sat.  It is not uncommon for people to drive around with a dog staring out the window.  But drive around with one on jobs, it was my first time to witness this.  But this dog was evidently the man's close companion or family.  When he and two others came to cut the trees, the dog on a leash was tied in my front yard.  When they went around to the back yard to cut down an entire tree, the dog was led on leash around there and once again tied so as not to run off. 
     It had taken the man three days when actual work began to finish the job.  Every day, the dog came too.  It was now obvious to me that the dog and man were never apart.  I was curious and so asked the breed and name of the dog.  I really guessed myself correctly on the breed.  It was a Pomeranian.  It was a male and his name was Bear.  Not knowing the correct spelling of the breed, I went to the internet.  There I found the correct spelling and more information.  The type of Pomeranian was Teddy Bear.  How appropriate it seemed as this appeared to be where the dog's name came from. 
     I knew nothing personal about the man.  He was there to do a job and not to make friends.  I didn't know the dog was to come every day.  But I can only imagine why.  The dog possibly could have filled a void in the man's life.  I was only guessing.  The dog very well may have replaced loneliness in the man's life.  It sounded like a good possibility to me.  People do become attached to their pets. 
      The work was finished and the man has since gone.  But the memory stays of the dog as he watched his owner and two others cut trees.  Bear would surely now travel on to other tree cutting jobs.  His master seemed to firmly believe in, "Take your pet to work with you."

Sasha-- The Dog that had Dementia

This post was from almost two years ago:

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Doggie Dementia

     A year and a half ago, my cousin Marisa called me. We don't talk frequently, but we do touch base from time to time.  She told me that her dog had been acting strange.  Her dog, Sasha, had just turned thirteen.  Sasha was howling all night long and refusing to eat.  Marisa took Sasha to the vet and was told that Sasha is physically healthy, but that her symptoms all pointed to Dementia.  It is just like dementia in humans....it is part of some dog's aging process (meaning not all dogs get dementia).
     I will be honest with you.  I couldn't believe what my cousin was telling me.  Dementia...?  In a dog?  Well I never heard of such a thing!  I don't know why I had such a hard time believing it.  Sometimes I get suspicious of vets-- like maybe they didn't know what was wrong with the dog, so they just made something up!  Here it is a year and a half later and Sasha has stopped the all-night-long-howling, but other things have gotten worse.  She refuses to eat sometimes.  My cousin will often purchase cheeseburgers for her from the local fast food joint because that is one of the things she will eat.  The only other thing she will eat is just one specific brand and flavor of dog food.  Sasha sometimes stands in a corner and stares at a wall or shakes like she is cold for what seems like an endless amount of time.  The funniest story my cousin has told me is a recent development.  Sasha will exit the house through the doggie door, but then stand on the outside and bark to be let back in.  She used to go in and out all on her own, but somehow she has forgotten that she can go back in the same way she went out. 
     If I hear about it enough,  I will eventually look up a condition or something I have never heard of on the computer.  I looked up dementia in dogs just a few days ago.   Surprise, surprise, it is a real condition.  I guess I just haven't spent enough time around dogs to have known any better.  The proper term for it is Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, or CCD. Some of the symptoms I have found are:(1) becomes lost around the home in places that used to be familiar, (2) has trouble using doors or even stairways, (3) often has accidents in the house when that has not been an issue before,  (4) can be found trembling, shaking, staring aimlessly, or wandering aimlessly in odd corners of the home, and (5) becomes more hesitant of food and water.  These are just a few.  If you are a skeptic like me, look it up on the web.  There are countless articles on the topic.

     I thought it was important to repost this whole story because it has so much information on the topic of Dog Dementia.  It is a real condition.  And the reason behind it coming up again--- it is with great sadness that I tell you that Sasha passed away last week.
     My cousin, Marisa, is heartbroken, of course.  Sasha was nearly 16 years old and had lived a long life.  Sasha had been spoiled greatly and was the oldest pet Marisa had ever had.  She knew, as all dog lovers know, that Sasha couldn't live forever and was very very old.  She still got around pretty good despite her dementia, and she only had three legs, by the way.  I never mentioned that.  That's another story.  It was just such a part of who she was, I  actually kind of forgot. She was hit by a car when she was probably 9 or 10 years old.  She was one tough dog.  And she also lived with numerous cats over the years.  She would wrestle with them, sleep with them, and most importantly, tolerate them.  Sasha came to the family when Marisa's children were almost teenagers.  They grew up and left Sasha behind.  One time, Sasha disappeared for two whole weeks and was found in the next town over! What a life she lived. Wouldn't you just love to hear Sasha's life story from Sasha's herself?

(This was posted by my daughter, Karen.)