2016 start

I've been so swamped at work (and at home) that it's been nearly a couple weeks since I've checked in . . . what a lovely surprise to see you, Paige!  I'm very sorry to hear about Gracie.  You were blessed to have each other for 12 wonderful years.  She was a lucky girl and is most definitely bragging to her old and new friends at the Bridge about the awesome Mom she had.  I can still remember the beautiful photos you used to post of her.  I particularly remember some from a house on/near a lake -- was it your parents' house, I think?  During your absence, I got much older and my middle-age memory is getting worse by the day.  :-)

I so understand the way it feels to give an auto-pilot response about having to get home for your dog, then suddenly realizing you don't have to rush home anymore.  It's a heartbreaking feeling.  It took a long time before those kinds of habits faded a bit.  Of course, they're immediately resurrected once you get another dog, and even after 5 years between our Tonka and Ruby, we quickly got back to our habit of turning down all weeknight invitations so she's not alone day and night, as well as watching the clock if we're out for more than X number of hours.

Glenda, congrats on the impending arrival of a grand-daughter.  How exciting!  Little does she know that she's going to have a grandma who can cook her the best goodies a grandchild could ever want!  I always envied my friends who had grandmas who baked them cookies and made homemade lasagna, etc.  I didn't have that growing up.  I'm also glad to hear that your skin is improving so much.  Continued good vibes to you!

Kate, thank doG you were able to track Rock down so easily.  How scary!  And Doug, your descriptions of the cold make me shiver, but I do want to see your photos because nothing is as beautiful in nature (IMO) as a snow-covered landscape.  

Things are hectic here -- January is my busiest month at work, we're about to welcome Round 2 of house guests tonight (with my MIL being in such bad shape, DH's sisters and their kids are visiting far more often).  I really need to work this weekend, but I'll be hosting at home, so next week I'll have to put in extra hours.  Oh well -- I won't complain when my paycheck is larger!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

navigation here, for a while, was a nightmare. They meant well but tried to do too much and all at once. I am more resistant now to change than when I was young, and almost faded away. Hopefully we can get some more people back. I pretty much stay on this forum and the gallery for photos. They gave me "moderator"status to smooth out a few problems I was having. Apparently I have no real powers.

we were all in the dark. I think the latest eas basically live with it or leave.

Unfortunatelythis is where the action is. On the rare occas ion that I get a notification from another thread I do try to reply. Haven't gone near training and behaviour since the bad old days of Cesar Milan. Just got too po'd and I'm not great about holding my tongue. Might not have notifications checked there.

All six of our GSD's have gone to the Bridge. Theo was the last this past summer. We now have an almost 19 month old Great Pyrenees. She came from anoutstanding rescue in north Carolina. They are partnered with the NE Pyr Rescue. Martha...the southern

gal is fabulous! Dixie is deaf and Martha trained her sooooo well. She will not set foot outside until we touch her hip as a go ahead signal. She waits until the humans are at the bottom of the stairs before she starts down. That's just the tip of the iceberg. She is really almost perfect. Sweet, loving, gentle and very polite. And her ears might not work but everything else super works and she is incredibly intuitive girl. Just in case you can't tell we are totally in love with Dixie!

@DougB

They gave me "moderator"status to smooth out a few problems I was having. Apparently I have no real powers.

I think people get sick of facebook after some time.  Nobody wants to know the ugly underside of someone's political beliefs.  Just share dog pics/stories so I can still like you!! ;0)

@glenmar

All six of our GSD's have gone to the Bridge. Theo was the last this past summer. We now have an almost 19 month old Great Pyrenees. She came from anoutstanding rescue in north Carolina. They are partnered with the NE Pyr Rescue. Martha...the southern

g al is fabulous! Dixie is deaf and Martha trained her sooooo well. She will not set foot outside until we touch her hip as a go ahead signal. She waits until the humans are at the bottom of the stairs before she starts down. That's just the tip of the iceberg. She is really almost perfect. Sweet, loving, gentle and very polite. And her ears might not work but everything else super works and she is incredibly intuitive girl. Just in case you can't tell we are totally in love with Dixie!

Dixie sounds like a gem!!  I'm glad you're enjoying her, and what awesome training that was put into her.  I'm really sorry to hear about Theo and your GSDs.  I was still around when you lost several close together.  I just can't even fathom how quiet and still it all must have felt without them.  I was fortunate I still lived with dogs, even though they weren't mine. If I'd had a silent house... lord.

Hi Tracy!  I'm in no rush to get a dog (despite every person under the sun bringing out every dog who ever needed a home!!) I don't miss having a dog (I've got access to plenty), I just miss my baby and unless she comes back to me in some other form, I'm good for now being able to admire and love on dogs, but not be immediately responsible for them.  

Mmmm, grandma cookies.  Come to think of it, none of my grandmothers ever did that, except my step-grandmother.  What a lovely lady.  Food really does bond people! :)  Lucky little granddaughter you'll have Glenda!

Good luck with your houseguests, Tracy.  Looks like I will be a houseguest next weekend when I go visit my sister in WA.  I'm wondering if those pics are the ones you recall, Gracie in Lake Wiser following some Canada geese. lol  I have probably thousands of pictures, now, since the camera on my phone has been so great!  Sigh.  No new pics of G anymore.  (Although I did start a pet portrait while at a local paint/wine bar place... I just gotta finish it now and "unveil" it.)

Okay-it's cold out. Little breeze and the wind chill sets in. We decided to defrost the freezer today, because we can just set everything on the patio and it will stay frozen. You betcha!!! Ya sure.

Homemade stew for supper. Second night on this batch, so it is aged and good.

The dog park we go to is about a half mile from BENCHS (Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Shelter) so we see a lot of rescues-volunteers bring them for a good run in a large fenced area, and I am amazed at how many people have rescues. I am also amazed at how many don't realize the value of good training. I watch people calling and calling, then chasing their dogs with a leash. But the dogs are loved and cared for. Dug out two insulated jackets we had for Gunther. I think I'll bring them to the park and see if anybody with a small dog wants one. He barely used them as he had enough fur to love the snow.

Sky is of course going nuts with the cold, and tomorrow will be worse. Put on shoes and he heads for the garage door. Use the work "go" and he heads for the door. Walk in the general direction of the garage and......

Paige-waiting might be a good move. If we had waited longer, I may have gotten an adult. Several have gone through our local shelter since Gunther left us. When Gunther died, my wife told me-two days later-that we were getting another pup. We lucked out on the timing. Sky is Pipers great niece, give or take a generation, and is from the third and last litter from an excellent pair of hunting Springers. One of my brothers had Pipers full brother and Skys great great GF, and now has Skys full sister. Sky has Pipers body, but the hair is like a Brittanies, and has Pipers gentle and biddable personality. And like Piper, Sky is a joy to watch in the deep grass-although Piper was easier to see. And once he got us trained, he became a joy in the house.

Doug-moderator without credentials. or actual duties.

@DougB

Sky is Pipers great niece, give or take a generation, and is from the third and last litter from an excellent pair of hunting Springers. One of my brothers had Pipers full brother and Skys great great GF, and now has Skys full sister. Sky has Pipers body, but the hair is like a Brittanies, and has Pipers gentle and biddable personality. And like Piper, Sky is a joy to watch in the deep grass-although Piper was easier to see. And once he got us trained, he became a joy in the house.

Sounds like you ended up with a great dog!! And when you say hair like a Brittany, I immediately flash back to pulling prickers out of the Brittany who was boarding with us this summer. Got to the point we put a shirt on her, so it would slightly lessen the amount of picking time. I ended up with poison ivy off of her, because my hands were on her so much.

As for waiting, yeah. I can help my mom with their current dog if I want a working project.My mom was anxious for another dog after their Zoe died. But, my parents have aged and may have bitten off a bit more than they expected with their latest dobe, Buca.

It's warmed up to -14F.  UFF DA!!!!!.   The air feels hard when it hits your face.  Nose hairs freeze, break off, and explode when they hit the ground (I made that up). I am so glad I have an attached garage for the vehicles.

Son is coming down with his daughters to finish the grouting in the kitchen.  All I have for beer is Heinekens and I have that only because I can not drink it..

Sky body hair is tight and short, thick shafts.  It actually sheds and resists burrs quite well.  Sometime I need a comb through, but his ruff mane and feathering accassionally need a scissors.  Piper had long silky hair that I had to cut before hunting. and Rags had heavy thick long hair that was frequently a nightmare to clean up.

Glenda-Grand Daughters are aptly named.  Enjoy, and you can not possibly spoil them, but try hard anyways.  

Sky is hunting right now.  Through the picture window.  Birds like to set in the shrubs there and sun themselves, and Sky settles in on the sofa and watches them.

The only thing better than having a boat, is having a neighbor with a boat you can borrow.  Sometimes, same with a dog.

Doug.

Well Paige we lost Rocky suddenly to cancer in April.  He was 7 yr old,  same night a neighbors Pyr had puppies.  Hubby fell in love with a striped unique looking pup.   Me, I was not so sure we needed a puppy, maybe an old rescue, a year old or so.  Needless to say we have Garth.  His Mom was full blood Pyrenees and his dad is Pyr mix.. Not sure what the mix is but Garth is a rambuncous  65lb 9 month old.  He is unique in color, he has some white on him but his top coat is kinda golden reddish with black and white streaks thru it.  White chest and socks.  His face is kinda tiger striped. If  I had read up on Pyrs we probably wouldn't have one now. ... We have always had them around us, neighbors on 2 sides have Pyrs for their goats and sheep.   The nocturnal barking is something we are having trouble with but he does not bark when he comes in for the night.  I think once the spring and summer come and it gets dark later maybe ......   He is really smart but super stubborn.  He picks up on routine but will not pay any attention to other commands, we have been working so hard on "no" "no counter surfing"  I can redirect him occasionally when he takes of with something he is not supposed to have.  He will sit beautifully most times and then turn into the Tazmanian Devil Dog other times.  I do have to say he is getting better as he gets older.  He is so loving and sweet when he is not being a Brat :)   Hot Shot is being a good teacher.   Although he looks at us sometimes like  "why did you have to let him come live here?"    Hot is 10ish so even tho he tolerates Garth he doesn't really play.   He does however spend more time outside than he did, he was definitely mopey when  his buddy Rock passed.

It got up to zero, so I took Sky to the park.  Sweet Pea, a sled dog originally from Alaska, was there so the play was good.  Then the two standard poodles showed up, and the 4 dog pack was running through the woods and flats having a really good time.  Then Zephyr , a pretty little herding dog that doesn't like Sky, showed up.  When we got the two separated, I took Sky and came home.  Lots of noise, lots of show, no blood.  But Zephyr  had a good hold on Sky's sweatshirt for a while.  Sky had held back from the gate greeting when he realized it was Zephyr .  Don't know what is going on, but this wasn't there first run at each other.  I'll try later in the day next time.   Apparently clean up rules only apply when it's warm and green out.  When the thaws hit, I think I'll wait for the floods to clean it up before I take my pup to the park.   There are plenty of plastic bags stored at the gate area.  No excuse.

My son grouted in our backsplash area yesterday .  He kept complaining about stray voltage, so I had to kill all the electric in the house.  The outlets and switches on the backsplash have at least 3 separate circuit breaker s, and the outlets each have two.  Putting in new outlets and some under shelf lighting.  Not as much fun as it used to be.

Ginger, I saw your photos -- absolutely adorable.  Such a cuddly fluff ball as a puppy -- I think Garth could have passed for a bear cub!  His coloring is so pretty.  I don't envy you having to deal with the energy and stubborn streak -- but as each day goes by, he gets more mature, and eventually he'll calm down a bit (hopefully for your sake!).  

We always say Ruby has TWO speeds:  Zoomie and Off.  Both were on display this weekend.  When our guests arrived late Friday night, she spent several minutes jumping, howling, barking her greetings.  We had to crate her a couple times because she was leaping into their laps on the couch.  Thankfully, they have dogs, too, and they love Ruby, but it's annoying.  Then this morning when they tried to say goodbye to her as they left, she didn't even lift her head off the couch (she was cozy under her blanket).  Talk about two different energy levels!

Paige, "borrowing" dogs who live nearby or belong to friends and family is a great way to get all the dog fix you need.  We did that a lot, and had the added benefit of doing a lot of dog-sitting, so we had blocks of days with a dog in our home.  What you said about your parents reminds me of my neighbors.  They lost their beloved dog this summer, and the wife wanted a new one immediately.  The husband was not interested (he does 99% of the care since the wife has health issues).  The compromise is waiting until this spring, but they're getting another puppy, which I think is unwise.  They are in their 70's and although they're home all day, and the husband is quite active, the puppy requirements might be too much.  We'll see.

Hollee canoli Doug!  Sky is ok??  You said no blood, but you know sometimes things show up later.  I hope no lasting mental impact.  Crud, that stinks when dogs that otherwise are fine with others choose an "enemy"

My parents got a new dog in June (before Gracie was sick.)  I tried introducing them on long lines from a distance and Buca's reaction was weird.  Standoffish and scared but came out vocalizing when G got close.  Gracie had a long history of giving me a good read on other dogs and their intentions.  As she got older, she got less tolerant of obnoxious stuff, but I could tell if a dog was giving her the "bad dog" vibe.  Buca did not.  Yet, to this day, this dog who had lived w/a male dobe prior to being rehomed, will light up on other dogs from a distance.  She's got some prey drive confusion going on.  Weirdos.

How did the backsplash come out?

Ginger, I'm sorry about Rocky.  I'm so sick of dogs getting cancer.  It just blows.

Interesting that both of you have Pyrs/Pyr mixes now.  I have a strange connection to a Pyr (mix?), too.  There had been a rescue who escaped her first day in her new home.  On the run for 53 days in our humid hot summer wearing a Thunder Shirt (imagine how hot that poor dog was!)  As I was holding Gracie in a dark hallway at 3am the morning she passed, I saw the news the Pyr was found at that exact time.  I had a little something to celebrate while my poor girl was slipping.  Taking down the Pyr's "Lost Dog" posters the rest of that day gave me something to do other than sit in a puddle and cry my face off.  I thanked my friends at the organization who captured her, for giving me something to be positive about.  That's when they told me the new owners had named her Gracie.

As fate would have it, late fall she ended up at my friend's dog training facility and I got to put my hands on her and hug her and thank her for being caught that day.  I told her if she ever needed a new home, she's got a place with me.  Me, with a LGD! lol  But she was suuuuper sweet and mellow.