Category: Dog Blog

Gotcha!


It has almost been a year since we adopted the divine and the lovely Jazzmin. Her 12th birthday has passed and her gotcha day is at the end of the month. Gotcha days are what those of us who adopt second hand dogs celebrate, instead of birthdays. Often, we don’t have confirmed birth dates for our dogs and we’re lucky that we know exactly when Jazzmin’s is. But still, I can’t mark my time with her any other way, so she gets both and as I look back on this year, I can only see it as filled with change. Some was good and some bad and in spite of all of that she has rolled with everything we’ve thrown at her and landed on her feet with style, but perhaps not grace. She is a Labrador and they are not known for being particularly elegant. There is a reason that I refer to my three as “Labradorks”, after all.… [Read More]

Tug

WOOHOO!There are better things, I suppose, than saving dogs from boredom, but I suspect Lexi would argue to the contrary.

Lexi’s anxiety has turned out to be nothing but pure boredom, a common ailment in the Labrador Retriever. She may have confidence issues too, but I’m unable to diagnose those because she is constantly with another dog. Both Jazzmin and Jet are very confident, low stress and happy go lucky dogs. I think their condition is highly contagious and Lexi has definitely caught the bug.

Since arriving almost three weeks ago, Lexi has gone from a very quiet, very reserved dog to an annoying, obnoxious, barking pain in the rear. She’s just like every Lab I have ever loved. She is definitely a tomboy. She loves to run in the mud and get filthy. Rolling in the grass is a favorite past time. Chewing on Jet’s head is her primary occupation and, when she’s not doing that, there are walks and games and toys and all kinds of wondrous things but mostly, there is Jet.… [Read More]

Welcome Home, Lexi!

LexiIt seems that a little over a month is about right for me to get another dog after losing a best friend. I am still in the weepy, sobbing stage of grief after losing Mugen. I’m still missing him every night when I go to bed and I miss him worse in the mornings because he’s not in my face giving me kisses. I started looking for a third dog for real about two weeks ago. I wasn’t 100% sure that I was ready, but then I met a puppy at a shelter, and while I missed the chance to adopt him, I knew that I was ready to make room for a rescue. I would love to be able to raise another puppy again someday, but that’s not where I’m at right now. I’m too heartbroken. I’ve raised two puppies and I lost both of them far, far too soon.… [Read More]

FYI: Pet Food Recall and Dangerous Jerky

Just an FYI for all you dog lover’s out there! As of April 6, 2012 the FDA has issued a recall on Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice dog food, the ENTIRE flavor has been recalled due to salmonella contamination.

Diamond also makes, Costco’s Kirkland brand, Canidae, Solid Gold, Chicken Soup, Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance, and 4Health. These foods are NOT included in the recall, but if you feed these kibbles, you might want to consider a safer manufacturer that has fewer problems with production of their pet food as Diamond regularly issues ***voluntary*** recalls on its products.

If you must feed these brands, PLEASE KEEP UP TO DATE ON DIAMOND’S VOLUNTARY RECALLS!!!

Also, there are brands of Chicken Jerky that are still on the shelves at Wal-Mart and pet stores across the country that are contaminated with something that is causing dogs to go into kidney failure. It’s such a common problem that I have heard rumors of some dog owner’s vets posting signs at their front desks asking pet owners not to feed these products.… [Read More]

Desperate Measures

Things have slowly fallen into a new routine. It’s easier with two dogs, at least, it should be, but when one of your two dogs is Jet, well, just so you understand my meaning I will tell you that I have been working on this sentence for ten minutes. Jet is bored and wants to play and is continually bringing me toys. Jazzmin got annoyed with him and hid under my desk so now I can’t move my chair without rolling it over one of her delicate little toes and I can see the curly q on Jet’s tail sticking out from behind my reading chair and he’s barking at something behind it, probably a toy.

So I’m thinking that you get the idea.

Life with Jet is actually more complicated without Mugen here to correct his behavior, but I am getting results. He doesn’t bark when we’re at the dinner table anymore, he does bring me toys when he wants to play and he used to just sit and bark at me until I got up and grabbed a toy and I have learned that he is the sort of dog that needs mental engagement in a way that Mugen did not.… [Read More]