Snow Day!

We don't get much snow where we live, but Daisy didn't mind.

In fact, she loved it and barely slowed down!

Here she is taking a break, not even winded!

The Golden Retriever Dance

This dog reminds me of our Maggie, years ago when she was in her prime. She never danced like this, but I'll bet she could have!

The Pupster

The boys insisted on naming her Princess, but we called her Pup-Pup or the Pupster, too. Mostly, she was daddy’s girl.

She showed up at our front porch steps one October morning about 14 years ago. We heard her whining, trying to get up onto the first step which wasn’t very high, but her legs were just so short that she couldn’t make it. We all agreed that she looked like a fat, furry black barrel with four little legs and a tail attached and some white underneath. It was the day before dad’s birthday – and he was smitten.

We checked with the neighbors to see if anyone was missing a puppy, but no one claimed her. We live in the country, so maybe she was dropped off; we never knew for sure. When we took her to the vet for shots we asked him what kind of dog he thought she was. He answered, “She’s a dog dog.” We already had Maggie, the golden retriever and King, the German shepherd, but we knew that a “dog dog” would fit into our family perfectly, and she did.

We adopted Princess, but Princess adopted King. They both remained outside dogs, our trusted watch dogs, and Princess followed King everywhere and copied, or tried to copy, everything he did. She learned everything from King and learned well, except for the one skill King did better than any other dog. Try as she might, and she did try and try and try some more, Princess could never howl. King had the best doggy howl I have ever heard. When he heard a siren in the distance he would raise his long snout into the air, start out with a short, quiet howl and then work himself into a loud, wonderful barking, howling melody. He was an expert and we loved it. Princess loved it, too, but she didn’t have the long snout that apparently is required to sing the way King did. Instead, she would watch him, raise her nose into the air and try to shape her doggy lips just like he did, but the only thing that ever came out was more of a yappy sound of frustration. Once or twice she came close, but she’d usually end up with a frustrated little whine. When we would hear King start up with his song, we’d run to the door or the window to watch poor little Pup-Pup and we’d laugh every time.

Maggie was old when Princess came along and lived another year or so. King was middle-aged then and kept Princess company for several years, but his long, good life came to an end about four and a half years ago. We were a little concerned that Princess would be sad, but she adjusted quickly to being an “only dog” and settled into a routine, becoming very attached to her doghouse and her spot under the back deck, which we called her porch. She was a good watchdog, always quick to alert us to any intruder and, especially, the slithery kind that sometimes wanted to share her favorite spaces with her. In fact, she decided to take matters into her own paws, or jaws, with a copperhead one time and it got to her before we got to it. Fortunately the snake was small and the bite was small and she was okay the next day, but that was a close call that we certainly didn’t like, though it never happened again. Interestingly, after King died Princess never tried to howl again.

As Princess grew old she developed a tremor in her legs and she went deaf, but she was always happy, although she really preferred to just spend time alone. We began to miss her greeting us every time we came home as she could no longer hear the car when we arrived. When she did see us, her flag of a tail would always give us a happy wag, especially if we had brought her a doggy treat, which we usually had available in a pocket. She’d take it and run back under her porch. We’ve always wondered how many of those treats she buried there.

Princess left us on July 8th to be with Maggie and her old buddy King. We think she had a pretty good life.

But we miss her.

Special Care for Your Outdoor Cat

Dusty is our outdoor cat. I'm not a proponent of allowing cats to live outdoors due to the safety factor, but when Dusty showed up and decided to live with us, there was no way our older cats would tolerate an addition to our indoor family, so he has to stay outside. Fortunately, we live in the country on a dead-end road, so traffic is scant and Dusty is relatively safe. We've also discovered that he's a great mouser, so he certainly earns his keep around here.

If you have a cat who lives outdoors even part-time, here's an article that I found on Purina's Yesterday's News cat litter site that offers some excellent safety advice:

If your cat is allowed outdoors, train her to wear a safety collar with an expansion device and a tag that gives your cat’s name and your telephone number to distinguish your cat from stray cats. Proper identification enables someone to contact you if your pet wanders far from home. Cats who are allowed to roam may damage neighbors’ gardens or use planters as litter boxes. If you allow your cat outside, keep a watchful eye on her. If she leaves to visit a neighbor, bring her back to her own yard. Keep her vaccinations current and take her to a veterinarian regularly to be certain she is free from internal and external parasites and in general good health.

You'll find safety collars, Purina's Yesterday's News paper-based cat litter, and other great products for your cat at petco.com.

"Smokey" part 1

When I read the email my mouth suddenly became dry and my pulses pounded. I yelled in a very loud voice that my husband has come to accept, if not relish, during our 20 year marriage “Pat, Amy says we can have Smokey!”

Having lived and worked in the city most of our lives, my husband’s dream was to move to the country and have lots of animals that we both loved. We had first acquired 2 donkeys from the Bureau of Land Management Rescue program and now we were going to be given a horse. I had been corresponding with Amy via email for several weeks. She had answered an advertisement I had placed on an Internet classified site. I said we wanted to adopt a “companion” horse, companion meaning we had no intention of riding but wanted a horse to keep our grass down and to whom we could love. Amy loved Smokey and wanted to be as certain as possible that we were the kind of people who would also love and care for him. She told us he had a crooked leg from birth and could be ridden only by a child or a very small person. We assured her we did not intend to ride him. She gave him to us with only one stipulation, that if we ever decided to give him up we would contact her.

We had picked up our donkeys from BLM and had kept them in a small pen for a couple of weeks while they had gotten used to us. They were about waist high and, while at the beginning very wild, with treats and gentle voices we had won them over – but now we were going to get a horse.

Smokey was coming from Iowa, and when the hauler arrived with the large trailer and Smokey was led out, my husband and I both let out a gasp! He was so big!! Amy has said he was very friendly but would he accept us and if not… The hauler handed my husband the halter rope and started around the side of his trailer. Both of us remained frozen! Smokey, meanwhile, gazed around, then eyed us passively as if to say “OK, now what?” I’m not sure what we did in the next 10 minutes except stand as statues. The hauler eyed us with amusement, probably understanding that he was in the presence of novice horse owners, he asked my husband “Do you want me to take the halter off him?” Pat later denied that his voice squeaked. The man took off Smokey’s halter and the big horse meandered out to look things over in his new home. I believe now he was probably amused at all the brightly colored ribbons we had tied on the barbed wire along our pasture line to make sure he knew his parameters. We had been told that horses might run and not see barbed wire fencing so the ribbons would be a good idea.

Smokey adjusted more quickly to us than we did to him. We have memories of our first days. Of Smokey coming up one morning and putting his head over Pat’s shoulder in an attempt to get to the sweet feed that was in the bucket Pat carried. Smokey didn’t push or bite, just stood there nuzzling at the bucket with the oats. When Pat got over his initial shock, he placed the bucket on the ground and hugged Smokey’s neck as he ate his breakfast.

Another time we learned how quietly a 1400 pound horse can walk. Pat was again in the feed lot and had gotten down on his knees to clean out the water trough. He felt a tickling at his back and turned to see this large horse towering over him. Smokey was peering down at him while gently nuzzling his back.

(Find "Smokey" part 2 here to read the rest of the story.)

©Carol Thomas
04/15/07

(Carol, Pat, and Smokey and the rest of their four-legged family live in Oklahoma. When Carol isn't outdoors enjoying her large animals, she's indoors enjoying her small ones while running her ebay business.)

"Smokey" part 2

(Find "Smokey" part 1 here.)

During our second year in the country, Pat learned he had diabetes. This change in health combined with the death of his mother and the end of his 25 year career at the university was too much for Pat. A dark cloud descended upon him and he became very depressed. Over a period of several months of debilitating darkness, Pat decided that the cloud would lift only if we could return to our life in the city. I love him very much and couldn’t stand to see the pain he was suffering. Although uncomfortable with the decision, I agreed to the move. But then we had to decide what we would do with our animals. Amy was told of our plans and she found a home for Smokey with a friend who lived in Missouri whom she knew loved horses and would care for him.

When the hauler came to pick up Smokey for his trip to Missouri, Pat led him out to the trailer. The hauler put Smokey in a trailer stall then decided to put his own halter on him. As he left to get the halter, Smokey wheeled around and jumped out of the trailer. He headed back up the lane to our barn and pasture. Tears came to both our eyes. Later Pat said if he could have called the whole thing off at that moment, he would have done so. We had fallen in love with the great, gray horse.

In the weeks and months following Smokey’s departure while we searched for a house back in the city, Pat’s diabetes was brought under control with medication and the cloud lifted. Suddenly he was enjoying life again. He spent hours in the pasture, mowing the weeds and brushing and loving on the donkeys. We missed Smokey but we had pictures that showed him with other horses and living a happy life.

A little over a year passed when we received an email from Amy saying she had sad news. Because Smokey had not gotten along with another gelding at his new home, he had been taken to a relative’s house. The relative, a large man and perhaps not knowing about Smokey’s crooked leg, had ridden him. Smokey had started to limp badly. A vet had been consulted and he had said, because Smokey would probably always have arthritic pain in the leg and shouldn’t be ridden, he should be put down. Amy was heartbroken and so were we.

Pat and I talked and decided to ask Amy if we could have Smokey back. We could give him the medicine he needed for his arthritis and we would not let anyone ride him. Amy consulted with the vet and was told that Smokey could make the trip back to Oklahoma. Pat and I were beside ourselves with joy.

Some negotiations with a hauler and several weeks later Smokey returned. We wondered if he would remember us, but when he arrived there was no question about that. He checked out all his favorite spots and learned he now had new horse neighbors on either side of our pasture. I’m happy to say that, after several weeks of rest, he no longer has a limp. Now when I go into the pasture, Smokey immediately comes to me and nuzzles my pocket for the carrot I carry. Life for us, and Smokey, is good again.

©Carol Thomas
04/15/07

(Carol, Pat, and Smokey and the rest of their four-legged family live in Oklahoma. When Carol isn't outdoors enjoying her large animals, she's indoors enjoying her small ones while running her ebay business.)

Buy From a Reputable Breeder

Breeders specialize in their chosen breed. They know the breed standard, temperament, and characteristics. They strive to breed only animals that epitomize these qualities. This benefits the buyer by allowing the buyer a type of quality control. You will know better what you are getting - fewer surprises, fewer disappointments.

They make it a point to be aware of all known inherited defects affecting their breed. Reputable breeders then screen their breeding animals to be sure they are free of such defects. This may not totally eliminate an inherited defect from showing up, but it will greatly decrease the chances of them occurring.

A breeder is a valuable source of information should any problems arise after your pet is in your home. They can give advice on almost all aspects of caring for and training dogs. In the event that you find it impossible to keep your pet, many breeders will help you relocate your pet.

Most breeders provide you with written instructions on how to feed, care for and train your pet. You also have the comfort of knowing you have a concerned individual who is only a phone call away.

Breeders take the time to properly socialize their puppies. They give the special handling needed during the critical developmental stages in the puppies' lives. This socialization helps the puppies adapt and adjust to life with humans as well as laying a foundation for learning. A carefully bred, well-socialized puppy makes a happy, eager to please dog that is a pleasure to live with.

Because the breeder has been laying the foundation for learning through socialization, and because your puppy has not been kept in a small cage for a long period, buying your pet from a breeder may make it easier to housebreak your pet. Constant confinement in a cage, such as in a pet store, leads to a loss of the puppies' naturally clean nature. This complicates housebreaking because they are no longer bothered by living with their own waste. By living in a home situation with the breeder, they maintain their naturally clean nature making it easier to housebreak them.

If you wish to show your pet, your pet's breeder will help you get started in whatever area you wish to pursue- be it conformation, obedience, agility, carting, herding or tracking. A reputable breeder wants to better his beloved breed by constantly striving to produce animals of high quality. This endeavor carries a high price, not only in time and money but more importantly in emotion. Along with the joy of breeding litters comes much heartache. The satisfaction of bringing joy to the lives of others through the ownership of quality, loving companions is well worth the effort. On the other hand, buying a puppy also carries a price in terms of money and emotions. It is worth spending the time and effort on your part to find a reputable breeder for the purchase of your special companion so you can both enjoy a long, wonderful relationship together.

Total Rottweiler- Connecting rottweiler breeders. Our main goal is to connect breeders with lots of useful information such as rottweiler yellow pages, upcoming events, worldwide show results, online rottweiler show and much more.