Animals, Boca Raton, Canine Cancer, cats, chew, dog training, dogs, exercise, Feline, Florida, food, health, life, Pets, training, Veterinarian

A Gimp Trifecta…

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Never fails…. ever. The moment we think we can go away without a care… something happens with one of the animals that makes us paranoid. This weekend it was all of them… Let me start at the beginning….

We have a house guest and she is getting to know the animals. We warned her about Albert’s eating disorder and she is good about keeping temptation away from his prying eyes. The little runt cat is obsessed with food. He eats PLENTY, and really fast and it is not uncommon for him to eat so fast that he immediately pukes it up. Which is an ordeal unto itself because the other animals immediately try to eat it. Yes. Gross. So when the hell of the puking starts the referee hat kicks in and we play Keep Away while trying to clean up the traveling mess. Those of you with cats know that they move around and puke in multiple spots. It is lovely. But this feeds into Albert’s bigger obsession, eating anything that is on the counter. This includes bags of chips, bread, crackers, pens, napkins, paper of any kind. And apparently COFFEE. WHO KNEW????

Let me set the scene for you. Hubby and I retire for the evening and the daily routine usually goes like this. Just about to doze off, in that twilight haze of just about to go under…. and then…. out in the main part of the house….

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Rustle rustle rustle…. sound of something hitting the floor…. something being batted across the floor… scurrying…. nails scurrying around a turn at top speed…. rustle rustle rustle. My eyes pop open. An expletive laden muttering from one of us “Dammit WTF does he have now?” “What does it sound like? What was on the counter? Do we care about it? Is it the mail? Was there anything important? Should we get up?”

Inevitably one of us does. Albert scurries into a dark corner and we see whatever it is on the floor, possibly in shreds. Clean up, possibly lock something behind the doors of a cabinet or into the refrigerator, and back to bed. Just about to doze off, again in that twilight haze of just about to go under…. and then…. out in the main part of the house…. AGAIN… rustle rustle rustle…. sound of something hitting the floor…. rustle rustle rustle…. rustle rustle rustle…. rustle rustle rustle…. rustle rustle rustle….

UGH!!!!!! WTF IS THAT???? This time hubby gets up… walks out there… and all I hear is …

“Oh no…. oh that is NOT good…. oh no…. geezus that is not good….”

Of course I get up now too and idiot cat has DESTROYED House Guest’s BAG OF COFFEE! It is all over the floor… bite marks all over the bag… and if you do not know this… IT COULD KILL HIM!!!

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Caffeine and animals DO NOT MIX. Hence no chocolate… same thing.

So we clean that up and now I am ULTRA paranoid about Albert dropping dead of heart failure all night long. Needless to say I was WIDE awake and had a pretty sleepless night………… waiting……………………… So we got that going on….

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

Oscar runs every morning with Hubby. They go to a local park where Oscar can run and wear himself out off leash, it is a beautiful thing. Friday morning he ran to his heart’s content and by that night we THOUGHT we saw what appeared to be a slight limp. Bah… probably just stiff from laying around all night.

Saturday morning….

Yeah. DEFINITE limp. NO JOKE. Could not even put weight on his front right leg. He was hobbling around very pronounced and of course, being the freak about his feet that he is, would not let us really get in there to look to see what was going on. He will not let anyone cut his nails and we have tried a lot. Even Butzer cannot cut his nails. Hubby was convinced he broke a toe. I thought it was just a sprain or a pulled muscle because all day, ALL DAY…. I was all over him every time he crashed out. I felt all over his entire leg starting at his shoulder and down to his toes. Never once did he flinch so there was no obvious point of his pain. I felt every toe, ligament, muscle…. nothing obvious at all. Then we started to look at his nails. Maybe he jammed one up into a toe??? Not noticeable if that was it. It is so frustrating to not be able to figure it out. It MUST hurt him because as you know, dogs are resilient. They never show discomfort unless it is bad.

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I obsessed all day of course. I watched his gate, his limp, how he held his foot, where he bore his weight. We discussed taking him up to Butzer but it was OF COURSE Saturday, weekend hours at the vet are almost twice as expensive and what would they do? Xray him and not see anything, then what? Like I said, I felt his leg and foot all day long. There was nothing out of the ordinary. So we played the waiting game.

So we got that going on…..

Then there is Jimi, my almost 15 year old tabby who suddenly acquired a squint in one eye. Jimi is a mess most of the time anyway, with his putrid breath and his pooping around the house, his ears require daily cleaning and it is not uncommon for him to scratch himself in the eye and cause irritation. So he is winking at me Saturday morning and I get a soft tissue and go attend to the goop oozing out of it. It is pretty heavy but once I clean it out he was doing ok most of the day. By Saturday night his eye looked red so I cleaned it out again with some water and a tissue. And again we play the waiting game.

And now we have that going on…

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Well it is Monday morning and all seems to have righted itself again. The dog is not limping nearly as much, Jimi’s eye looks a bit better,  Albert is still alive and kickin’. We narrowly averted spending a small fortune for three animals on weekend hours at the vet, and everyone seems to be improving.

Let’s just try to hold a steady improvement in all areas through the weekend so that we can go to Spring Training with a clear conscience??? Can we??? Huh?? Please????

Ommmmmmmmm…….. Ommmmmmmmmmmmmm……..

Breatheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…………………………………………….

Animals, Boca Raton, Canine Cancer, cats, dogs, Feline, Florida, food, health, life, Pets

Oscar Has A New Friend…

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As any pet owner is well aware, it is a bit of a stress to go on any vacations or getaways, for whatever reason, and leave your pets. It is ALWAYS a concern whether it is a Camp Canine situation, or home with family, friends or a pet sitter. This is a HUGE issue for us in particular and always has been. Cody had his specific dietary and socialization issues with his cancer treatment, not to be exposed to other dogs because of his compromised immune system and all his supplements and regimen. It was just not possible in the midst of his illness to go away without him. Or even with him at some points too.  And with Oscar, well he is a special boy.

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Oscar loving Jodi’s Green Smoothie du Jour

As I have mentioned Oscar has some odd behaviors. He is skittish around people and gets very intimidated by any noises outside almost hiding under my husband or I when he hears something loud outside. When someone new walks into the house he LOSES HIS MIND for a rather lengthy amount of time. It is interesting.

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Oscar the Green Smoothie Junkie!

Well, I have a friend staying with us for the week. She actually is a pro pet sitter (sorta) and Oscar took to her IMMEDIATELY! It was astounding!!! I have known Jodi for a while and knew she moved around a lot pet sitting for various folks, but it never occurred to me to utilize this skill. Mostly we talk nutrition and healthy lifestyle speak. She is a Wellness Coach as well and helps people transition to a healthier lifestyle by showing them how easy it can be. And apparently she is a dog whisperer too.

So husband and I were planning to go check out some Pittsburgh Pirates/Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training next weekend in the Tampa area and were kind of concerned about leaving the dog with my Mom who is visiting and does not know Oscar too well yet. Jodi was making her move to head towards her cooking gig in the great white north for the year… but the lure of the sun was too much for her and all the stars aligned to have her extend her stay and take care of the boy(s) while we go away. AWESOME SAUCE!!!! Whew is that a freakin’ relief!!!!

Honestly I am obsessed with Oscar and the cats (and Cody) when I am away from them. It has NEVER been easy for me to leave them with anyone, regardless of the situation. This just works perfectly. Oscar stays at home, he loves her, she gets him and his routine and she gets to soak up some south Florida sun for an extra week. And Mommy gets to relax and enjoy some Spring Training!!! WIN WIN WIN….

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Just missed the green mustache photo
animal rescue, Animals, Boca Raton, Canine Cancer, Canine Diet, cats, dogs, Feline, Florida, food, health, herbs, life, painting, pet portrait, pet rescue, Pets, photography, rescue, vegetarian

Ups And Downs…

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fruitsveggiesWell it has been an interesting couple of weeks for me. The biggest news is that I was laid off from my job on February 7th. This is the third time in five years I have been laid off from a job. Not fun. I could go on and on and on about this and the state of the job market, the economy and Florida etc etc yadda yadda yadda… but I will not subject you readers to that nonsense. Suffice it to say I am over it. Even while still employed in January with this latest job I knew my time was short with them and that I am tired of working to make someone else successful and being left with nothing. Giving my days over to another company that can literally cut me off at any moment and destroy my income is giving away control of my future and my life. I am done with it. So I enrolled in school to start myself on the track to self employment, completely changing my career.

I have a goal. I will be self employed and immersed in my new career by the end of this year! I am enrolled in The Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Wellness Coach. It is something that I have been passionate about forever, and it started with Cody. Well, it started for ME before Cody but he really put it in perspective. When I saw how much time he got from simply changing his diet and supplements, I was inspired. I truly believe with all my heart that he would not have done so well, been so happy and symptom free, had it not been for the diet I had him on while he was getting his chemo treatments.

You are what you eat.

And no one cares more about YOU than YOU. If you take charge and fuel your body with the right things, you can fight illness, disease and thrive. I plan on teaching people exactly how to do that for themselves AND their pets. It is very important to me to incorporate pet wellness in my practice. When I see folks in the grocery store buying the cheapest dog food on the shelf I cringe. When I see them loading their carts with boxes and bags of processed chemical laden foods I feel like I want to help them. I want to teach people how to cook at home, cook better and healthier, shop better and make better choices all the way around. We all vote with our dollars, let’s vote for health! And this will totally satisfy my love for cooking which I am incredibly passionate about! It is a win win win!!!

Anyway, it has been a while since I wrote here and I wanted to update you all on my world a bit.

On other notes, I am still painting and would be happy to take any orders for pet portraits if that is of interest.

And of course now that I am unemployed I get to spend a lot of quality time with my favorite boy, Oscar. Not too shabby!

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As you can see he is quite the photogenic handsome boy, growing into a good looking healthy and incredibly shiny dog. I am not sure I mentioned this but he has been on Orijen since he was a puppy. I order it from Chewy.com and I love them. Orijen is biologically appropriate dog food with no grains. It is cage free, wild caught proteins and locally sourced (to their factory) vegetable and fruits etc. And Oscar thrives on it. He looks great, not an ounce of fat on him, his coat is shiny and healthy, and his eyes are bright and clear. His breath is fine too… none of that weird digestive smell some foods can give dogs. And the best yet, NO GAS!

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He is quite happy and so are we! HAHA! I also give him organic carrots, organic broccoli stems, and deer and elk  antlers for chewing. Regular cow bones that most pet store sell can seriously crack dog’s molars and cause you enormous vet dental bills and of course, cause your dog pain. Antlers are softer and do not splinter, so they are better for your pet’s teeth. And they come in all sizes and last a REALLY long time. Which makes the higher price tag on them much more worth it.

20140219-122031.jpgLife in the animal house is good. Everyone is getting along fine and of course, just like Cody before him, Oscar is best buddies with the little black cat Albert. Or as I like to call him, The Don. He is definitely the boss, which is hilarious. I need to try to video their chases around the living room. To see a small runt cat chase a big dog around the house is quite amusing.

Anyway that is my update. Please feel free to comment and let me know how you and your pets are doing!

animal rescue, Boca Raton, cancer, Canine Cancer, Canine Lymphoma, Chemotherapy, death, dog training, dogs, exercise, Florida, kayaking, Labrador Retrievers, pet rescue, Pets, running, tragedy, Veterinarian

Thinking of Cody…

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I have been spending a lot of time lately really working with Oscar to try to understand his separation anxiety and his weirdness towards strangers in general. Both my husband and I spend an inordinate amount of time analyzing and over analyzing his behavior. He is so awesome with us… happy and playful and warm and loving… just normal and seemingly well adjusted. But get him in a situation with other people, like at the Vet, or at a store, restaurant… and he is a raging mess. He shakes, he hides, whines, barks, and will not let anyone near him or us. The other thing that he does is he reacts incredibly odd if we are talking loud in the house or if one of us yells at him or corrects him, like when he has been destructive. He COWERS. Like… unbelievably so. He hunches down, ears are back, tail between his legs, and he shakes in fear. Like a leaf.

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This dog has never ever been hit. We got him when he was 3 months old and he has always been a whiner, but we have never hit him, or even really corrected him in any loud or aggressive way. AT ALL. He totally acts like a dog who has been beaten severely. In fact people who have seen him react this way have said, because he is a rescue that he must have been beaten.

Nope.

That is why it is so perplexing. It completely confounds me. One theory we were postulating  this weekend as we ran him through the park for 2 hours each morning watching him and wearing him out, is the pack leader thing. Maybe he is insecure with who is pack leader and asserting himself in that role, and if there is a “threat” of other people he gets super protective. If one of us were solid in that role he could relax and follow along in a secure manner. He does try to pull and walk in front of us constantly. But Cody did that too and he was never like this. It seems to me this may in fact be the key here. The question is how do we, one of us and most likely my husband since Oscar listens to him more, become pack leader? I know it is all about consistency and keeping him in check, but it is not easy. Oscar cannot be allowed to walk out the door in front of us, he cannot lead on the leash, he cannot run ahead off leash unless we release him to do it… among other things. And he CANNOT charge the front door. That is a huge one… he loses his mind when someone knocks or comes over and it takes a good ten minutes to get him out of that mindset.

He is still a work in progress for sure, but this is a situation we need to get under control. It totally inhibits where we can take him publicly. I would love to be able to take him to restaurants with us. Florida is starting to become a lot more dog friendly and the weather is great for outdoor eating and libations. It is a goal.

So while I was hanging with Oscar all weekend, I could not help thinking about Cody. I am not sure what is triggering this so intensely lately but it has been a constant for about a week now where i cannot get him out of my head. I have been on a 15 day juice cleanse (today is day 10) and that may be what is doing it, it triggers emotions as well as releasing toxins, it all about release. I have also had a couple people in my world pass suddenly this holiday season which doesn’t help the reflective thoughts. But I seem to continuously have him on my mind. And a lot of it is the difficult parts of his illness I keep reliving. Especially the moment of his passing. I keep seeing his eyes when Doc gave him the first shot of heavy tranquilizer. He never liked being doped up, it is really the only time I ever heard him whimper and whine. He was laying there with total labored breath, complete renal failure, and I was laying on the floor with him, my head next to his and kissing his forehead, and as soon as the shot went in his veins, his eyes opened wide. I just cannot get it out of my head………………………

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On the lighter side of Cody thoughts and reflection are the comparisons I cannot help to make with Oscar. When I would take Cody running with the Chuck-it and the tennis ball, we would walk across the street and he would of course be excited and pull a bit, but as soon as we got to the spot he would sit as I unleashed him. And he would stay seated. He would not take off like lightning as soon as he heard the click of the hook fastener like Oscar does.  Cody was all about interaction with me. If I was not playing and engaged he was laying down waiting for my attention. Oscar is all about just running around in circles and finding anything stinky to eat or roll in in the grass. Oscar has no real interest in a tennis ball or interactive games, Cody as you all know was OBSESSED.

I was laying in bed with a bit of insomnia last night, which never happens to me… I am really good at sleeping! haha! But I remembered that I think I have some old Cody pics on a CD that I forgot I had! Sometime this week I will need to dig that out and see what I have. I remember it was approximately 2006, I was DJing for XM and had a band staying at my house, and two members were in my foyer playing mandolin and guitar, and Cody, being very young and adolescent was in there with them. He was fascinated, pacing and looking out the front window on his hind legs all tippy toed. I need to see if I can find those pics and I will edit this post and put them in.

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He was such a great dog… I miss him every day. And again, I am not sure why these feelings are so intense right now but they are undeniable. As much as I love Oscar and feel that he is a huge part of my life, filling that void in many ways… I really miss Cody. He was just getting into his stride and becoming what I worked so hard to make him… and he really was robbed of a great life. CANCER SUCKS!!!

Anyway, it may be the juice cleanse… it may be that it has taken me this long to really process all of that crazy battle and the catalyst is the cleanse… whatever it is I am allowing these feelings to come to me and really allowing myself to process them. I am not trying to distract myself from them or push them aside, I am owning them and feeling them and thinking them through. They deserve that and I think it is cathartic. It’s part of healing.

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And I think Oscar is amazing in his differences. I very consciously try not to compare the two. They are definitely two completely different animals. And the one thing I am very excited about with Oscar that Cody never got to try, is kayaking. Oscar is really good in the boat!!! So among the things we need to work on with him, he is really awesome in the kayak and that is something I love because we can take him on trips with us instead of leaving him home like we had to do with Cody because of his illness.  I love that Oscar can be a part of the fun.

I will post that picture of Cody when I find it… maybe I will uncover some more gems. I love looking at old pics, you remember things, little details you forgot about and it refreshes memories you may not have wanted to forget.

Cheers!

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animal rescue, beach, Canine Cancer, chew, death, Dog Parks, dog training, dogs, exercise, Florida, Labrador Retrievers, pet rescue, Pets, pitbull, puppies, puppy, rescue, running, tragedy, training

Holiday Road Trippin’…

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I love a road trip. The love of being on the road was instilled in me at a young age traveling across the country far and wide seeing the Grateful Dead with my band of hippie brethren. I love the sound of the car, the feel of the road, the change of scenery and the slow progress of pavement under my tires every mile. I love the soundtrack I get to choose as I pass through the miles and miles… creating memories associated with tunes that last lifetimes for me.

This Thanksgiving holiday I was on the road for almost all of it. Sometimes things are bigger than you are, bigger than a feast of turkey and you need to forgo the norm and be present for something important that hopefully only ever happens once in a lifetime. A good friend, a sister of mine lost her brother in a horrid accident caused by a drunk driver that was senseless and sudden, and the family needed support. So off I went, piling Oscar in the car for the drive from South Florida to New Orleans and back for a funeral and some much needed hugs.

And that is what this post is about. Oscar and the road trip…

I have told you all before that Oscar is an odd dog. For me anyway. I have no idea his bloodline and I can only guess at best what he has in him that makes him so nutty. And this trip… being that it was close quarters for extended stints in the car, constant companionship and different scenarios… was like a crash course in who my dog is now that he is 15 months old.

Let me start off by reiterating his separation anxiety. He is a nutcase. If I have him in the car and get out to get gas, he loses his mind. He cries and whines and paces and gets shaky. This happens when I go outside the house to get the mail, when I leave him for a few minutes for anything. I mentioned prior that he has become destructive when I am at work, which goes in spurts. Some days he is really good and others he has destroyed things I had no idea he could or would. It is exciting to say the least. I got him around Thanksgiving last year and even though he has been through a “winter” here in Florida when I finally open up the house and turn off the AC, he does not clearly remember it. As soon as I opened up the sliders and let the air through the house he flipped out. He ran all over and did this odd “bark” constantly at whatever he heard. The neighborhood noises were just a bit too much for him I guess and he could not stop that wonderful “Bfffoff” noise that escapes from his chest every two seconds. Almost like a slight low energy protest bark.

So we have had a couple weeks of that on and off as it warmed up again and then cooled off again. Setting the tone for his anxiety for sure… and the road trip…

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So we piled in the car at 4:30am and took off in the dark for a very long drive. He was pretty sleepy so the first part of the drive was fine and uneventful. At times he would start to whine so I would stop at a rest stop and he would get out, sniff around but no peeing, pooping, eating or drinking. This was to be the state of things almost the entire trip. He barely ate anything and i had to pretty much force feed him at times, he would barely drink anything…. he peed and pooped ok but it was a lot of long walks and it was NOT warm out.

Ok disclaimer…. I live in south Florida. Right now it is average about 75 during the day… maybe 65 at night. This last weekend it was in the 30’s at times during this trip and I am not at all used to that temperature. So walking the dog in the cold back and forth, back and forth in a hotel parking lot was not at all what I wanted to be doing… and Oscar definitely was not in any hurry to do any business.

I took him to a state park in the Florida panhandle that first day to get him out of the car and to stretch our legs. We went to Falling Waters State Park and it was gorgeous! We took the nature trail around the forest and saw the largest waterfall in the state at 73ft… and tons of sinkholes. Sinkholes are stunning as long as there are no houses or roads built on them apparently! He did great too! He was off leash and ran ahead but stopped and waited for me whenever he lost sight of me. I wore him out and as we headed back to the car to start the next leg I tried to feed him. Nope. Not at all interested.

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We made it to Slidell about 7pm and stayed at a La Quinta Inn because it was way too cold to camp like I had planned. I did bring all the camping gear in hopes I would be able to stay at least one night on one of those beautiful panhandle beach campsites, but it never warmed up enough. So La Quinta it was and they are great, all pet friendly with no pet fees and the one in Slidell was awesome. Totally clean and new and had a great dog area. Louisiana people are always so nice and sweet. Always.

And this is when it really started with Oscar. He was a nutcase as soon as we got in the room. I am sure he could smell every dog that was ever in that room prior and he could not relax at all.  He paced and whined and did not eat or drink anything. It was pretty brutal. And this set the tone for the rest of the trip. I went to the funeral and left New Orleans around 3pm after the services. We headed East back to the Pensacola area, went to another State Park in Mississippi on the way that I cannot remember the name of (it may have been a county park actually), and did a nature trail, and then to Fort Walton Beach and stayed at another La Quinta. Same deal… pacing and anxiety and no eating or drinking.

I took him to Henderson Beach  State Park in Destin the following morning and we did another nature trail. This place was gorgeous too, and Oscar is a total beach dog. He loves sand!

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20131203-113729.jpgThen we headed to Tampa to yet another La Quinta, checked in and then headed over to Cigar City Brewery for dinner and beers. THIS is where I found my dog to be a complete stranger.

After trying to get him to eat dinner unsuccessfully in the room I gave up (he did eat little bits at a time during the trip OUT OF MY HAND and not the bowl I brought for him, but not nearly the normal amount) and we went over to the brewery. I have been wanting to go to this place for years now, I love their beer. They are doing some very unique flavors and I was excited to check them out and do some tastings. I was psyched when I called and they said they were dog friendly. I brought Oscar in and he was a handful right from the start. He would not do the bar so we got a table and he proceeded to crawl under it, shaking like a leaf and hiding from every person, male or female who walked by. When people would try to approach him in any way, even to give him a bowl of water… HE GROWLED!

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GROWLED!

My dog growled at people!!!! He acted like he was cornered and fearful, totally anxiety ridden and growled at people. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. I coaxed him to lay next to my chair and talked him down a bit here and there but there was really no reaching him. I was stunned. I stuck it out too… not letting him control my time and hoping he would settle in. He never really did.

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This is not the first time I have taken him to a restaurant or bar either. I have no idea what was going on. Maybe it was the entire trip combined that caught up with him, all this change and stress? Maybe the brewery smelled really weird to him? No idea…

I hung out for a while, ate some yummy food truck food, tasted some fine beers and bought a t-shirt and a couple six packs, and we went back to the hotel. I sat on the bed with him and he was simply EXHAUSTED.

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The next day we headed home after stopping at a farmer’s market where he yelped the entire time I was in sight buying fruit.

We have been back home for a couple days now and he is totally “normal”… eating like a small horse and being destructive as usual when I am at work. I am truly at a loss at what all of this was about. I cannot have him growl at people or be threatening in any way, and I do not think it was simply aggression. I think HE felt threatened. But when dogs feel threatened they are unpredictable and that scares me. I do not want him biting anyone… although I am not sure he has it in him to get that far. I had him in my reach the entire time and I scolded him for reacting that way… but who knows. I definitely was not certain I was in control when he growled and coward.

I guess I just need to get him out there more so he gets used to people and busier places… and I can test the situation again.

I also may try a DNA test on him to see what breeds are all mixed up in that nutty head of his. Everyone that sees him, that tail and the spots on his tongue say he is part Chow.  And Akita is also known for the curly tail as well. Chows definitely have interesting personalities and it may explain some of his weirdness.

Anyway, it was an intense get-to-know-you-better type of road trip with the boy. I now have a list of things to work on with him that I was not really aware of prior. But as with any pet, you take the good with the weird and the odd and you love them through it… that is what it is all about right? He loves me unconditionally even though I am a freak show… so whatever this is… we will get through it together…

dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Pets, puppies, puppy

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

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I just had to share this here because it is hilarious and I am guilty as charged! Totally stolen from the linked site below…

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

Obviously your dog is better than everyone else’s. posted on October 23, 2013 at 1:21am EDT

1. You talk to them when no one is around.

You talk to them when no one is around.

They totally understand and sympathize with your problems.

2. You’re actually pretty sure that your dog is a person.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

They must just be trapped in a dog body like Eddie McDowd.

3. You have so many nicknames for them.

You have so many nicknames for them.

My little baby.

4. No dog can ever be as cute as yours.

No dog can ever be as cute as yours.

Step aside, Boo.

5. You justify it when they deny your affections.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

They must just be tired.

6. You refer to them as a member of your family.

You refer to them as a member of your family.

i.e., your child, sister, or brother.

7. You stare at your dog while it sleeps because it’s so cute.

You stare at your dog while it sleeps because it's so cute.

Nothing is more adorable than when they’re dreaming.

8. People think you talk about them too much.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

How can you not, though?

9. You let them walk all over you.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

As long as your dog is happy, you are willing to sacrifice comfort.

10. You take your dog on vacation with you.

You take your dog on vacation with you.

Dogs need a little R & R too.

11. You don’t hang out with people because you don’t want your dog to be alone.

You don't hang out with people because you don't want your dog to be alone.

No one wants to be by themselves on a Friday night.

12. You are as excited to feed them as they are to eat.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

Seeing them so happy just makes your day better.

13. You find it necessary to celebrate your dog’s birthday every year.

You find it necessary to celebrate your dog's birthday every year.

Peanut butter cake for everyone!

14. You imagine what it would be like if you and your dog were on Adventure Time.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

Finn and Jake are awesome, but no one compares to your dynamic duo!

15. You provide your dog with the love and loyalty that your dog provides you.

15 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Your Dog

BFF

animal rescue, art, Canine Cancer, dogs, Labrador Retrievers, pet rescue, Pets, photography, pitbull, rescue

Oscar and The Landfill Dogs…

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Oscar is now completely over his Kennel Cough and is back to normal with his routine. We are running in the mornings again and his energy is back especially being off the hydrocodone. Wow that was crazy to watch him on that stuff… totally dopey. It also made him incredibly thirsty and he would drink bowl after bowl of water. And because of that I think he may have relieved himself somewhere in my living room while I was at work because all weekend I smelled it… I searched high and low and cannot find the exact source but I can find the “area”. I bought a Bissel pet carpet cleaning gadget and tried to spot treat where I thought it was… but it still reeks.

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Yuk.

I hate carpeting. If I could afford to refloor my entire house I would have done it long ago…

Anyway… that will be a fun detective project for the next few weeks.

On another note… I found this woman’s project in my travels around the web and I think she is doing great things. I truly hope she decides to continue with it after her year. It is called LANDFILL DOGS and I will paste her own words here to describe the project. If you are anywhere near North Carolina please friend her on Facebook where she posts adoption info and spread the word about these amazing dogs. And the majority… AGAIN… are pitbulls. Look at how incredibly happy they are to be outside for even a brief stint…

From Landfill Dogs :

Artist Statement

These are not just cute pictures of dogs. These are dogs who have been homeless for at least two weeks, and now face euthanasia if they do not find a home. Each week for 18 months (late 2012–early 2014) I bring one dog from the county animal shelter and photograph him/her at the local landfill.

The landfill site is used for two reasons. First, this is where the dogs will end up if they do not find a home. Their bodies will be buried deep in the landfill among our trash. These photographs offer the last opportunity for the dogs to find homes.

The second reason for the landfill location is because the county animal shelter falls under the same management as the landfill. This government structure reflects a societal value: homeless cats and dogs are just another waste stream. However, this landscape offers a metaphor of hope. It is a place of trash that has been transformed into a place of beauty. I hope the viewer also sees the beauty in these homeless, unloved creatures.

As part of this photographic process, each dog receives a car ride, a walk, treats, and about 2 hours of much-needed individual attention. My goal is to offer an individual face to the souls that are lost because of animal overpopulation, and give these animals one last chance. This project will continue for one year, so that we can see the landscape change while the constant stream of dogs remains the same.

—Mary Shannon Johnstone