Category: Dog Blog

Living the Life With Labradors

I read this wonderful piece on DogStarDaily this week. At first, I was thinking, “Yeah! Right on!” as I was reading, and then it made me think about how I got to where I am today, as a dog owner, I mean.

I know that my three dogs are all rescues and most of the dogs I have owned and loved have been rescues. So it might seem like I might be “anti-breeder” but I’m not. I have purchased a puppy from a reputable breeder exactly once and I honestly can’t tell you if I have it in me to do so again. I was in a time and place in my life then, where I was ready to raise a puppy. I had all of the patience in the world for that puppy and I don’t find myself in that frame of mind right now so I’m not shopping around for a breeder.… [Read More]

The Tall, Leggy Blonde.

One year ago today, I walked into a busy park in Seattle and met this beautiful blonde. Her gait was kind of silly. She loped around like a kid who hadn’t quite figured out how to use her legs, even though she was definitely in mid-life. At first, she didn’t seem very interested in me, but I got to spend a moment or two with her and I felt a connection. We were meant to be. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but this bombshell wormed her way into my heart and I just knew she would be coming home with me, I just didn’t expect things to move so fast! The day we met, was the day she moved in. The road trip home was long and she took shot gun, while I squeezed into the back seat with the rest of the clan, but she gave me my first kiss on that long road trip.… [Read More]

Ignorance is Bliss, or Maybe it’s Just Ignorant

Sometimes, you read something that is just so ridiculous that you can’t leave it alone.

Let me add a bit of full disclosure here. I firmly believe in the cause of animal rescue. All three of my dogs are rescues and 5 of the 6 dogs I have owned in the last 15 years, were rescues. I donate to my local animal shelters on a regular basis and I also believe that puppy millers are the scum of the earth. But… enough about me.

Let’s get started.

“Dog show promote [sic] unhealthy business.”

Do they? Really? How so?

“Because of breeders we still have too many puppies/dogs in shelters who need to be adopted to good homes. This includes purebred dogs.”

Yes, there are plenty of puppies and dogs that are in shelters that need to be adopted. Plenty. Do you know how they get there? It’s not just puppy millers that put these dogs in shelters, it’s ignorant dog owners that put them there.… [Read More]

In Loving Memory of a Certain Brown Dog

It’s been a year since Mugen passed away. I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year. Where does the time go? I’ve added a new dog to the family since then, and Jazzmin will leave us soon and life has somehow managed to go on since that horrible, horrible day and I don’t know how it happened, but at some point I accepted it. I’ve been able to let go and move on, sort of. When I think about losing Mugen, I realize that the pain is never going to stop. There are things I don’t talk to anyone about that happened the day we lost him. Things that are just too damned painful to share. All I can tell you is that no one should ever have to lose their best friend that way and no one should have to carry the memories I carry of that day.

Mugen was a wonderful dog and I still feel as though the life we were meant to have was stolen from us.… [Read More]

Dog Cancer, Jazz and I Have a Gesture For You.

Four months ago, Jazzmin was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Four months ago, we made the decision not to proceed with chemotherapy and decided to do steroids instead, figuring her odds of having good quality of life were better with steroids instead of chemo.

Every day after this, is a gift from God and a big fat middle finger aimed in the direction of Cancer. Jazz has had a wonderful life here with us and has been so loved throughout her life that we know she just wants to spend a little bit longer to give that love back to us. So, we’re going to treat every single one of these remaining days with her like the gift that they are.

As for today, I plan to take Jazzmin for her usual .4 mile walk. She will get a game of fetch with my daughter when she gets home and she will have many cookies and cheeses to beg for and, if the weather continues to look as beautiful as it does right now, we’ll go for a ride in my car and I’ll open the sun roof for her so her ears can flap in the breeze, one of her favorite things.… [Read More]