Monday Mischief - Peanut!!??

Methinks, Snoopy, that my old dog who wasn't up to stuff like this when she came has been reading, absorbing and practicing your Mischief Master Class! Peanut - oh, dear.

WW - Silver and Gold

Pink Floyd and Sweet Pea

Godspeed, Wilf

Very early today in deep France Profunde, a graceful old Polish Sheepdog by the name of Wilf left this world. He had outlived his initial prognosis of 3 days by over a year and a half, teaching those of us who followed him how to love, live, laugh and be generous (as well as diplomatic!).

Our prayers go out to Angus, the Font, Madame Bay, Wilf's waitress, the cafe crowd, the mayor and all in Wilf's town and the world who knew and loved him. Please visit his passing HERE as well as Pamela Terry's Edward's premonition HERE.

Adapting a Truism

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of sharing three adoptable dogs from Silverwalk Hounds with a mom and her autistic son. B. is so gentle with dogs, loves family dogs he spends time with and wanted one for his own. Each dog had her (they all were girls) issues: Mami is very shy, Molly T. has her OCD and Darlin' Clementine just would not walk with the young man though she was very social with him. So, out came Sweet Pea - already spoken for - but wow, did she and he hit it off, esp. when she took the leash in her mouth and took B. for a walk instead of the other way around :).

Sweet Pea - yes, as sweet as she looks

I normally strongly suggest an adult dog for a first dog. It just makes sense - the adult dog is already trained (at least basically), will let a new dog owner make mistakes w/o long term consequences (for the most part) and adapt to a new household easily w/o the house training, chewing, charm of a puppy.

What we noticed, however, with this autistic boy, was the "need for a dog with a blank slate; someone who wasn't already pre-programmed but could grow with him to how he works, talks, and interacts."  We saw that with Sweet Pea, who already has a home waiting. I called Alice, the director of Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary and sent them over there.

B. found his dog. To his credit, when Alice asked what type of dog he wanted, he said a Beagle; man after my heart! Together, B., his mom and Alice looked at a couple dogs Alice had chosen from my quick phone call. As his mom says, despite her promises to herself to not get a puppy, that's what they did - she and Alice were able to articulate (note the quote above) what we saw with Sweet Pea  - that a puppy would better adapt to B. and his way of interacting and he to her. They are doing very well,  Mom has raised puppies before so not a whole new thing.

What we all agree on is the fit - the right dog for the right person. People come looking for one type of dog and often end up with another because the fit is right. I'm sorry none of the SW dogs worked out but am ecstatic the dog from SH did. From where a dog is adopted is less important to me than that the dog is adopted and is the right dog. In my mission statement, I say "..dogs as trainable and desirable for adoption into homes for a very, very long time." Both the dog and adopter need to be happy - and I am happy to spend an afternoon helping to facilitate that goal - if not with a SW dog, then my next choice, as always, is with a SH dog :).

Congratulations to all - and to all, a wonderful home and life. Oh, and Sweet Pea? Her new home has two young girls just waiting for their new puppy :).

Walter's Day Out

On Sunday, Walter had a day out - he went to Busch Pet Products for a nail trim, bath and teeth cleaning. He then sported a new collar I have been coveting (the red one he's wearing with moose & pine trees - reminds me of MN) as we went for a not too long walk. I was able to let him off leash as he enjoyed the terrain & smells away the path.

Walter with his Northern inspired collar - doesn't he look spiffy?

Sharing MO with My Sis, Denise

Wow - have been running around, getting up early to feed dogs and then share the sights and sounds of Cape Girardeau, MO with my sister, Denise, from Sioux Falls, SD. We had a great time, though she was a bit over-whelmed with the Pack. At home, Denise has a lovely, chatty cat named Oliver. Her favorite dog here was Justus :). I had last seen Denise when my dad died and she had last been to Cape when I was sick in 1995 - so it was high time we spent some time together.

Denise at STL Marriott checking in with hubby

I had not been to the STL airport in a long time, was coming off two tough night shifts, had 1/2 hr sleep before leaving, slept 1/2 hr at a rest stop on the way and then took the wrong interstate - I headed to Kansas City instead of St. Louis. Oy, vey - called sis after was on I-44 which I was sure was in the right direction; she had gone to a Marriott so no longer was even at the airport - whew, glad I called; got directions to that Marriott. Did you know Marriotts have different types and names? I didn't so stopped at two before finding Denise. We stayed the night - wonderful room! - and headed back early in the morning. Good weather but cooler than has been - was cool all weekend long.

Shared the dogs - a bit overload for my sis who entertains people a lot but not animals so much. Her husband keeps the backyard wildlife well fed and watered; Denise loves on Oliver.

Broke in a new pet sitter - she is awesome, did very well by my dogs and me - just starting her business - Run Your Tail Off; Deb is a runner so wants to combine her love of dogs with her running; Justus is all geared up (what, you're not? well, get cracking, baby!). She fed and cared for them Sat. eve and Sunday morning, coming back Sunday afternoon to throw the ball for Molly T., find Shiloh across the highway (bad dog) and put Sweet Pea into her house crate 'cause she seemed chilled.

Sweet Pea - small dog, big bed

Denise at the Arch

Denise is an antiquing fiend, so we spent time in those stores as well as Safe Harbor Thrift Shop.
We went to the Bollinger Mill/Covered Bridge State Park, Charleston Dogwood/Azalea Festival, and visited Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary to show off all we, particularly Alice, have done for cats and dogs. On the way to the airport (yes, knew the way this time), we stopped by the St. Louis Arch, Gateway to the West.  We had a great time! And now, back to regularly scheduled programming.

Denise at Bollinger Covered Bridge with Mill in background

Walk The Dog

I'm going back to the future thanks to Pamela in January. I still want to walk my dog(s) - every day. This go round I'm less concerned about the training aspects of the walk than the beneficial aspects to dog and person.

Angus shared a poem by Mark Doty which so says what I'm thinking of by saying "walk the dog." Here it is:

Golden Retrievals

By Mark Doty

Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention

seconds at a time. Catch? I don’t think so.

Bunny, tumbling leaf, a squirrel who’s—oh

joy—actually scared. Sniff the wind, then

I’m off again: muck, pond, ditch, residue

of any thrillingly dead thing. And you?

Either you’re sunk in the past, half our walk,

thinking of what you never can bring back,

or else you’re off in some fog concerning

—tomorrow, is that what you call it? My work:

to unsnare time’s warp (and woof!), retrieving,

my haze-headed friend, you. This shining bark,

a Zen master’s bronzy gong, calls you here,

entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow.

 

So walk the dog - and let yourself be with her in this time.