Category: Miscellaneous

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Working from Home …

Benni & Bob telecommuting
Benni & Bob telecommuting

… or How Many Distractions Can One Household Provide!

Like so many others these days, I find myself working from a home office … dragging files and supplies home in a banker’s box.  Going on three weeks now, I find I miss going into work (don’t tell hubby that or I’ll never get retired).

My routine has been significantly disrupted and I struggle to find focus or a clear desktop from which to work. I already had piles of filing or projects to work on and they’ve been shoved to the side to accommodate client files, accident reports, medical records and medical bills for preparation of settlement demand letters.

Dinero at computer
Dinero at his laptop

Added to the distraction are the dogs. They wander in/out, ask to be picked up, demand treats and/or more potty trips. Toys are dragged into the office to later be navigated and/or stepped on. In an attempt to gain some semblance of “normal” (whatever that is in a dog household), they are banished – the two adults to the front room and the puppy to the kitchen. The puppy finally decides she’s had enough after an hour or so and starts whining.  Which sets Teller to whining.  Which then turns into full-blown howling by all three. At some point, it just disintegrates into barking and doesn’t stop until I exit the office.

Evidently, if they can’t see me, they can’t hear me either as “quiet!” and “enough!” go ignored. I guess this is a good excuse as any to take a break, stretch, find something to drink and send everyone outside for a quick potty run.

Butters & Bella
Butters & Bella, just hangin’

Repeat ad nauseam.

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Winding down …

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Dinky

… for the year and, yet, here we sit, still trying to figure out what happened to March!  The last four months of 2016 were a whirlwind with dog shows in Minnesota, more shows in Colorado, the American Lhasa Apso Club’s National specialty held in Loveland, Colorado the end of October, yet another dog show and then the holidays. Whew!  No wonder I didn’t get my usual holiday preparations and cards done.

Unfortunately, I also received word that two of our fosters passed away in December. Dinky, the little dog that blew kisses and Mae-Mae, our little puppy mill survivor.  That on top of Boo passing away in September.  All had long lives in loving homes and one certainly can’t ask for more than that in the grand scheme.  Still, the loss is felt deeply.

We have a page on Facebook … https://www.facebook.com/LhasaApsoRescueColorado/ … it’s a public page so one does not have to have a Facebook account to access it.  A large variety of content there for the fancier.  Visit, like and get updated postings!

Bringing this post up again … Night Tigers … to remind everyone that raptors pose a real and deadly threat to our little ones.  A cat was taken in a neighboring subdivision a couple weeks ago by a large hawk.  Last night, something woke me up at 2:30 a.m.  Not sure if it was one of the dogs stirring in its crate or the house settling with a creak.  What I heard after that, however, was the hooting of a Great Horned Owl (GHO).  It was either on the roof above our bedroom or in the tree right outside the bedroom.  December/January is mating season for the GHO  with February/March being the hatch … which means they will be looking for easy prey to feed the baby owls.  It is estimated that up to 40% of raptors’ diets are household pets, depending on the area.  Check out this information … Great Horned Owl.  Fair warning!

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Night Tigers …

Bet you’re wondering what fits that definition.  And I’ll bet you’ve probably had one (or more) in your area whether suburban or rural.  While you may not be aware of their presence, they are definitely aware of you and what’s wandering around in your yard at dusk, midnight and dawn.

The Night Tiger … also known as  the Great Horned Owl … is common and the second most widely distributed owl in the Americas.  With its six-foot wingspread, it is capable of hunting and carrying off a great variety of animals including porcupines, dogs and cats.  In some areas of the country, dogs and cats are used as a readily convenient food source.owlperched

Hubby found owl pellets in our yard about a month ago … a sobering find as we had two small foster Tzus in residence at the time.  Weighing in eight and nine pounds, they are prime prey for the winged predators in our neighborhood.  Both owls and hawks have been spotted flying low over the yards; last year a hawk family was fledged in a neighbor’s trees.

For more information, please tune into this YouTube video prepared by East Mountain Pet Alert in New Mexico and friend and artist, Katy Widger …

Birds of Prey Attack Small Pets

Be safe, be aware!  And keep those small pets under your direct supervision.

 

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Sabbatical …

After a year off the blog, it’s time to return.  Suffice it to say that a herniated cervical disc drastically limited after work computer time for most of 2014.  By a stroke of luck, acceptance in an FDA study for an artificial disc and a surgery in September finally stopped the chronic neck pain/arm numbness when nothing else worked.  So, here we are again.

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Daisy n/k/a Piper

Last year was slow for rescue with only one intake, Daisy.  Daisy came from a shelter in Aurora, Colorado via a family who quickly realized their lifestyle didn’t mesh with dog ownership.  Thankfully, they took the time to search out rescue to ensure she would be placed appropriately and find a good home.  A darling little thing at only eight pounds, she made up for her petite size with a big personality.  Daisy was placed with a family in Casper, WY who adopted Kersey from us many years ago.  Promptly named “Piper,” I have it on good authority that she’s spoiled rotten by Jan and Neal.

Christmas brought news of Lucy doing well in Westminster … Bubba n/k/a Max is living the good life … Murphy, our long-legged boy is enjoying life with his family.  Mary reported that we’d lost Kalsang to age … I know with certainty that the best years of his life were spent with Mary.  John, Neil and “the boys” are doing well in their new home in Oregon; Andy, our puppy mill survivor, has positively blossomed in their care.  As a foster home for rescue, their presence is greatly missed here in Colorado!  PippyDo and BellaToo were getting ready for a move to Covington, Louisiana to become real southern belles.  Judy advised that Magoo is doing remarkably well despite his blindness and advanced age.  Katu and Emmy are keeping Trudy amused with their antics.

Best of Opposite Sex
Best of Opposite Sex

On the show front, Teller completed his championship in August and went on to pick up Best of Opposite Sex in the Maturity classes at the American Lhasa Apso Club’s National Specialty in St. Louis this past October.  While there, we visited the Missouri Botanical Garden, the oldest botanic garden west of the Mississippi.  We could have spent the entire week wandering the grounds!  Teller is now retired from the ring, preferring to ride the couch rather than the show circuit.

Rescue is ramping up with an intake here very shortly.  Unfortunately, due to a death in the family and other circumstances, Sammy, our little black Tzu, is coming back into rescue.  And he’s bringing a friend with him … Budha, another little black Tzu!  Ideally, we’d like them to go together but are all too aware of the realities of placing a pair in the same home.  In any event, we’re off and running for 2015.

Spicewood SaltAs if all that wasn’t enough, we recently launched our e-business, SpicewoodSalt.com.  Some of you know the product as “Little Lion Dog Master Salt Blend.”  With a new name, new logo, new packaging, two new products, a website and a Facebook page, we’re officially open for business!  As part of the global community, a portion of our proceeds will be donated to rescue.  Visit the Facebook page and say hello or just browse the website.

 

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Of Yard Guards and Bird Dogs …

Spring has arrived here in Colorado … one day it’s almost 70 degrees and then we have a 50 degree drop in temps and snow falling.  Warmer weather brings to mind getting out in the yard, even if only a tease through February, March and April — typically our major snow months.  Like the human residents of the household, the dogs also enjoy spending more time in the yard, especially when the x-pen “snow fencing” comes down and they have run of the entire grassed area.  High on their “to-do list” is grabbing a Frisbee on the way out the door as one can always coax Dad or Mom to throw it for them.  The fact they actually bring it back and drop it at your feet certainly makes it easy to oblige their happy request.

On duty ...
On duty …

Frankers was our first “retriever” and, in later years, got to where snagging the Frisbee and then laying in the grass playing with it was more fun than having to chase it down again.  You want it … you come get it!!!  Summer days were spent checking out his pee mail and generally being lazy.  Unless you were a bird or squirrel.  Varmint visitors and nuisance birds were cause for a race across the yard to chase them from the premises.  Many years ago, he actually injured his sacroiliac joint bouncing up/down at the base of the ash tree in the corner of the yard and/ or chasing them down the fence line (the vet advised that this is an injury very common to the “treeing” breeds).  One of the reasons we put the x-pen fencing up, keeping the dogs confined to the grass areas only.  While he had a decent recovery from the initial injury with the use of anti-inflammatories and acupuncture, the injury would follow him down the years.

He was my first ever male dog.  He arrived as an 8-month old “home school” project.  I was to work on his house manners and then help find him a home.  Ali, however, had other plans.  She had been with us a year and was completely bored with the human company despite our many activities.  The bond forged between the two of them secured his place in our home.  A sweet boy.  A quirky boy.  A little old man even as a young dog.  My velcro dog, he could always be found just steps from wherever I was located.  Second to being near me, his favorite place was the yard … his self-claimed dogdom.

frankali
Tramping in the Tetons …

His passing on March 14th marks a sad milestone.  He was the last of the original “family” … Boogins, Ali and Frankers.  Memories rush in but cannot replace his quiet presence.  My second shadow.  Sleep well little one … you’ve earned your rest.

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Summertime … and the livin’ is easy
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Soapbox …

The following post has been making the rounds on Facebook … couldn’t have said it better myself.  And, yes, I own three dogs from responsible breeders.  Dogs who have the qualities and characteristics that make an Apso “an Apso” … something that can’t be said about the dogs coming from the mills or backyard breeders.  And, yes, I know this first hand from my work in rescue, taking in dogs that were produced in the mills and backyards.  There really is a difference …

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“Neither Of My Dogs Killed a Shelter Dog” – Our favorite Facebook status update in awhile [from Showsight magazine].

A big thanks to dog lover (and Facebook friend) Michelle Gonsalves, for this well worded commentary on “purebred dogs creating shelter dogs”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Over the years there’s been a growing number of uninformed voices rallying against the wonderful LOVING world of dog shows and ANY form of dog breeding. We thank Michelle, and any other people brave enough to speak up on the subject!

“Neither Of My Dogs Killed a Shelter Dog”

A Facebook Status update by Michelle Gonsalves – Reprinted by permission.

I am NOT ashamed to be the owner of two responsibly bred dogs.  Neither of my dogs killed a shelter dog.  Neither of my dogs took a shelter dog’s home.  Neither of them added to pet overpopulation.  If I didn’t have them, I just would not have a dog.

Do you know what kills shelter dogs?  Irresponsible owners kill shelter dogs.  They kill them when they don’t do their research and add the wrong dog to the wrong household, then ditch it to die at a shelter when they can’t or don’t care to properly care for it.

Let’s not forget that in many breeds, it was responsible breeders who started their breed’s national rescue club.  Not to save their own dogs (which don’t need saving), but to save the dogs that they never bred.  To save the ones that don’t have safety nets.  Responsible breeders did that.  They did that in IGs [Italian Greyhounds].  I was interviewed more intensely to buy my two responsibly bred dogs than I ever interviewed a rescue candidate.  I had supervised visitation … multiple times.  I don’t even own them outright, they are on co-ownership, so that if anything ever happens to me they will go back to their breeder (yes, even the neutered one).

How do I know this will come to pass>  I’ve seen her do it with another of her dogs when the owner died unexpectedly.  And I saw her do it with my own dog when I nearly died myself.  No questions asked, she opened her home to him for as long as I needed her to … potentially forever, if it came to that.  Because that’s what responsible breeders do.  And trust me, I researched until I found a responsible breeder.

Added to that, I am PROUD of the responsible breeders in this country who work SO hard to preserve our wonderful breed.  Without them, the IG would be an unsound, neurotic, unhealthy creature.  Not the elegant, sweet, healthy blessing that I love so much.  Without responsible breeders, we’d never have gotten the amazing genetic health tests for enamel hypoplasia, the vonWildebrand’s test, the CDA test or the PRA test that are on their way.  Without breeders, the domestic dog would CEASE TO BE!  I do not ever want to live in a world without dogs.  What a terrible place that would be, yet so many professed animal lovers are campaigning through shaming to create just such a world.  Because that’s what it means when you say things like “adopt don’t shop,” “don’t breed while shelter dogs die,” and “people who buy dogs from breeders should be ashamed of themselves.”

What do you think will happen if we sterilize all dogs?  What do you think will happen if all breeders stop breeding?  You’d very quickly lose the rare breeds and the giant breeds FOREVER.  Wait a bit more and you’d lose important genetic diversity, causing untold suffering for dogs that have to come from increasingly small gene pools.  And then, the dog — man’s best friend — would become extinct.  Gone the way of the Dodo.  Gone forever.  So shame on YOU!  Shame on you for hating dogs!

I am not ashamed of my dogs.  I am not ashamed of their breeder, who is an amazing person who has given so much of herself for this and other breeds.  I am not ashamed of my extended family all around the world in the sport of dogs.  And I am not ashamed of myself for daring to want a responsibly bred dog that fits my lifestyle.

Blaming me for the death of shelter dogs is like blaming a parent for the death of orphans in Uganda because she chose to have a baby through pregnancy, rather than adopt one. I have never surrendered an animal in my life.  I have never caused the death of a dog in all my life.  So why don’t you focus your ire on the people who did — the people who dumped those dogs at the shelter.  They are the ones who left those dogs to die.  Not me.  Stop bashing your allies.  Stop the shaming.  We ALL need to work together for the good of dogs.  Because there are scary people out there who want your dog gone.  Who want your cat gone.  Who want the horse out of your paddock, the guide dog out of his harness, the chicken out of the coop and the cow out of the dairy.  Keep shilling their slick propaganda and shaming your fellow animal lovers and you help Animal Rights militants erase your dog from your very own home.

If anyone has a problem with that, feel free to unfriend me.

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Musings for the New Year …

Tanqueray & Tonic in hand, I wander back to the computer this snowy, cold day.  Granted not really either when compared to friends in Minnesota or Canada but, certainly cold/snowy enough.  A trip to the computer also serves as an excuse to get away from the football blaring from the TV in the front room.  A sometimes fan, today isn’t the day.   A pan of brownies is cooking in the oven to go along with the pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli and stuffing to be fixed later for dinner.  It’s been a reading-by-the-fireplace and dog weekend … Teller got brushed/bathed/trimmed Saturday; Frankers and Dante were brushed out today in anticipation of a trip to the groomer sometime in the coming week.  Hopefully when it’s warmer as I always feel bad when they have a spiffy new short ‘do and then the temps drop and the snow flies.

The time since my last posting has been hectic, to say the least.  A major surgery the third week of November, trying to keep Teller mat free during my recovery with him having a major coat blow and then getting ready for Christmas was, ummm, interesting.  Hubby informed me the surgery was karma for taking so many fosters in to get spayed … I say it was good karma for warding off some more-than-likely major problems in the future.  The three weeks off work has been dubbed my “spaycation” … hmmph, some vacation!

For the second year in a row, one of our adoptive families (Judy and Magoo) made a Christmas donation to rescue.  The only “condition” was that I write a letter to her great-granddaughter telling her what it meant to rescue and how it was used.  The back story … Judy had inquired of her grandson what the baby could use for Christmas.  He replied that the baby had more than she could possibly use and that if Great-Grandma wanted to do something, make a donation and then explain what that donation meant to the receiving organization.  The letters would be kept and read to the child when she was of an age to understand giving and sharing.  Kudos to these parents for instilling empathy and compassion early on in this child’s life … and thanks to Judy for including rescue in her holiday charity.

Best buds ... Sammy & Budha
Best buds … Sammy & Budha

We also heard over the holidays that Bubba (n/k/a Max) was doing fine and that Sammy’s family (f/k/a Wrigley) added a new Tzu named Budha.  Little red Tess in Golden continues to do well and pretty much rules the roost at that house.

Senghe … adopted in 2007 and n/k/a “Peanut” … continues to do well in his new home even with some major changes.  Here’s what his Mom has to say …

I thought you’d like to see Peanut’s big transformation today!  We had been growing him out and while he looked so adorable with his topknot (I took it out for the before photo for dramatic impression), it was obvious he is much happier with his close puppy cut.  As evidence of that he has been a complete ball of happy energy ever since I picked him up from the groomer this afternoon.  He even gets to wear his sweaters which he absolutely loves – weird, huh?  He will follow you all over the place if you have one of his sweaters in your hand and will hound you (no pun intended) until you put it on him.  He wasn’t able to wear them with his longer hair since they had a tendency to mat him up and he really hated the unmatting process!!  He also wasn’t real fond of the topknot so that was a constant battle.  Oh, well, now he will just look like a puppy all the time!

Senghe n/k/a Peanut
Senghe n/k/a Peanut

We got married this summer … Peanut absolutely loves his new dad and pretty much ignores me when Christopher is home Christopher has been awesome for him too – he is very structured and does not let that little darling get away with anything.  Peanut is his first ever dog so I’m quite surprised at his ability to handle him – I’m sure you remember that Peanut is quite the strong willed little thing.  I think Michelle would be shocked and amazed at the different little man Peanut is now.  He has learned so many new commands of which the most amazing is wait.  He will wait for quite a while even with a treat right in front of him on the floor and he waits for his dinner quietly until you tell him he can go eat.  Another cute thing he has started doing all on his own is to put himself away.  He is way too curious for his own good so he has to go into his kennel when we leave the house.  We used to tell him “kennel” and he would go in and sit down.  Now…all I have to do is grab my purse and he runs to his kennel.  I think the treat he gets when the door closes has a lot to do with it!  It is awful cute though – although sometimes I am just grabbing my purse to get something out of it and then you have to convince him you aren’t going anywhere.

Unfortunately, our little ones age right along with us and I got word that Oscar lost his battle with Cushings.  He was such a nice foster with a sweet, sweet face!  I know he is greatly missed by his family.

On the home front, Teller is being shown on a limited basis … and probably even more limited (read that “not”) until his side coat gets longer :::sigh:::.   Dante sired a litter here in Colorado in August and his two daughters (BeBe and Lily) will hit the ring sometime this spring.  Frankers is, well, Frankers and at 13.5-years old, he’s entitled to his off days.  He’s still pretty spry, all things considered, and we’ve had really good results using Dog Gone Pain (DGP) as recommended by my vet.  Definitely something to consider if you have older dogs with arthritis issues.  And while we’re on the issue of older dogs, studies have shown that it is easier to prevent joint problems than fix them after they develop.  For this reason, I start my dogs on glucosamine/chondroitin once they turn 7-years old.  We’ve had really good luck with Glyco-Flex II, a half caplet every Mon-Wed-Fri.   Don’t be put off by the price … a 90-caplet bottle will last you a year+ on a Mon-Wed-Fri schedule.  And, yes, Frankers gets the Glyco-Flex as well as the DGP.  He injured an SI joint several years ago chasing squirrels and this regimen keeps him both comfortable and mobile.

Wishing everyone the best of the coming year!  May the snows fall lightly on your winter … and may you always find a heartbeat at your feet …

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Farewell, old friend …

… hard to believe you’ve graced our lives for double the time of an “average” marriage.  And what a “marriage” we’ve had all these years!!  Typical independent feline … a clown in a cat suit … teacher for the Apsos and foster dogs.  At 16.5-years old, you’ve had a long healthy run and for that we’re grateful.

Dementia and chronic kidney failure now claim these fleeting last hours.  I can see in your face and movements that the day no longer holds any comfort for you.  Sleep well, my beloved companion.  May your journey be swift, your memories bittersweet solace …

Boogins 1997 ~ 2013
Boogins
1997 ~ 2013
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Have a Heart …

… literally!  A beef heart, to be exact.  Besides work and rescue activities, I’m also in conformation training with the puppy, Teller.  Well, not so much a puppy anymore as he’s now 14-months old but I suspect he’ll be known as “the puppy” around our house for quite some time to come.  Getting — and keeping — his attention at class can be hit or miss depending on what’s going on and how many dogs are in attendance.   While he’s greatly improved in the past month, it’s time to step our game up.  With a recipe for microwaved braunschweiger (thanks, Deb!) and the most recent find … baked beef heart … we have his mostly-undivided attention.

After several phone calls to the meat department at King Soopers, the two half beef hearts arrived in vacuum-sealed packages.  Not a stranger to the meat industry, opening the first package brought back a flood of memories … on smell alone.  I have a twin brother and every summer my father, a commercial meat salesman, would take one of “the twins” on his three-day out-of-state sales route.  More than just time spent with Dad, it was a break for my Mom who apparently didn’t want to listen to the twins bickering and/or whining all summer.  So, for years, part of my summer was spent being schlepped from grocery store to butcher shop to meat market.  The smell of fresh meat is unmistakable and, in my case, unforgettable.  Know how to cook kidneys?  Boil the piss out of ’em!!  Haha … sorry, inside joke.

With recipe in hand and a two-pound chunk of beef heart oozing blood on the cutting board, I put aside my disdain for the organ meats.  Or anything that even remotely resembles organ or “offal” meat (a totally appropriate name in my book), i.e., heart, kidney, liver, tongue, tripe, etc., etc.  Supposedly, beef heart is making a culinary comeback but I’m not buying — or biting — into that trend.

First step is to slice the heart into 1/8″ slabs.  Easier said than done as the heart wants to roll with each slice, leaving a much Heart on cutting boardthicker piece than what’s needed for even baking.  I quickly figure out that squeezing and compressing the heart while slicing results in thin, uniform slabs.  Dad would have been proud … and prouder still that my knives are always razor sharp and made quick work of the slicing.  Know the most dangerous utensil in the kitchen?  A dull knife.  If nothing else, I did learn proper knife use and care while on the perimeter of the meat industry.

Lay the slices on cookies sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with crushed rosemary and a little garlic powder.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (325 if using a convection oven).  About half way through baking, dab with paper towels to remove excess liquid.  At 35 minutes, I removed the cookie sheets from the oven (now turned off), turned the slices over, dabbed again with paper towels and put back in the now-cooling oven for another 10 minutes or so.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  When cool, slice into very small cubes and package for freezing.  During the baking/dabbing process, Teller got a bite.  Evidently it was pretty good as he kept going back over to the oven door and looking in at the still-baking treats after that bite.  Once completely cooled and cubed, I kept some out for this week’s training treats and stored the rest, about three cups worth.  For storage, I opted for freezing and used the FoodSaver with the wide-mouth jar accessory to seal in pint jars.  Vacuum sealed, the treats will stay fresh longer and won’t form ice crystals.

Now the answer to the question that’s sure to be on your mind … does it smell??  Yes, but not nearly as obnoxious as liver that’s being cooked (I’m *very* aware of cooking and dog odors in the house).  The odor dissipated fairly quickly once I opened the house up to air out.  Given the first run, I will make this again but with more rosemary added and the house windows open at the start.  At some point, I’m going to try the dehydrator so (1) it doesn’t have to be under refrigeration at all times and (2) so I can set it up in the garage for volume production.

In any event, the homemade treats are definitely a hit with my four-legged crew!!  Hubby … not so much  lol.

UPDATE:  Hold the rosemary!!  Evidently there is a connection between rosemary and seizures in dogs.  Guess I’ll be using parsley next time around.

Ready for freezing
FoodSaver w/wide-mouth jar attachment
Top – braunschweiger treats; bottom – baked beef heart
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All That Remains …

Sweet Sophie
Sweet Sophie

Friends recently had to said goodbye to their 16-year old terrier mix, Sophie.  A delightful little sprite, she had a good long life with her owners and the two Apsos in the household.  As is so often the case with elderly dogs, quality of life became the deciding factor.  Difficult as it is, we owners are called upon to take their pain and make it our own, giving them release from a body and/or mind shuttered with age and disease.

In my many decades as pet owner and rescuer, I have been at that crossroads seven times now.  While it does not get any easier, each passing has given me a deeper experience base from which  to call upon when the next time comes around.  And there is always a “next time” for those of us who choose to share our lives with four-legged companions.  Over the years, I have learned to set aside my grief and look objectively at what is best for the animal, whether treatment should or should not continue, and how any of it will change the outcome and to what degree.  Are they here because they find enough interest in each day to carry on … or is it because I, in my gathering grief, can not let go?  Sometimes, the hardest part of letting go is seeing beyond what the heart feels.

During email conversations with Sophie’s mom, the subject came up of what to do with the remains of our companions.  A profoundly personal choice with no “right” or “wrong” answers, there are a myriad of choices available now.  Options that were not available in the late ’80s when faced with my first euthanasia!  My beloved cat — Bear — was brought home, wrapped in a blue towel and buried in a corner of our large yard (a practice not allowed now in many communities).  A divorce not too long afterwards precipitated a move back to my home state of Colorado and it has always saddened me that my old Bear was left behind.  With that experience imprinted, my first Apso, Brittany, was cremated and returned to me in a little floral box.  I’ve toyed with the idea of “planting” her in the yard with a spectacular specimen of some sort — high on the list at this moment is a yellow magnolia tree.  Then the nagging questions set in, i.e., what if we move away?  (And we will eventually move away, even if it is only on a gurney out the front door.)  What if the plant dies and we have to dig it up and send it on?  So, there she sits, on my bookcase with her collar and tags laid across the top.

After the death of my parents along with a major clean out of their house and 50 years’ worth of accumulated items, hubby and I embarked on a major decluttering of our own home.  While dusting the bookcase one day, I began to think about how many boxes of ashes I’d eventually end up collecting … and why leave them for my niece to dispense with when our time has run.  With four geriatric animals in the house at that point and Locketscertainly more in the future, I made the decision to let go of the ashes to come.  When we lost Ali in 2011, she was cremated and then scattered at a pet cemetery in Northern Colorado … a quiet place with a stunning view of the Front Range of Colorado.

In all honesty, I did not let her go completely.  Starting with Ali, all my dogs have been in full coat at some point.  Just before being clipped down, I take a lock of the full coat starting at the top of the shoulder … a visual and tangible reminder of the life we shared when they are gone.  These lockets now hang in the grooming room, a collage of sorts with fired clay name tags from another friend.  Hubby has compared them to the shrunken heads one might find in a voodoo shack.  But, in the same breath, I’ve also seen him reach up and gently rub the red braid between his fingers.  A connection across the years and a whisper from the Bridge … all that remains.

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Pet Safety on the Road …

Dog-in-CarAs a legal assistant specializing in personal injury law for the past 27+ years, I’m acutely aware of bad driving practices on the road.  Without fail, injuries are caused because someone wasn’t paying attention to traffic patterns, road conditions and/or traffic signals.  Short of a boulder falling off a mountain, there are no “accidents” when it comes to people, vehicles and inattentive driving.  It literally takes just the blink of an eye to change someone’s life and health forever.

While running errands yesterday, I saw several vehicles with dogs riding in the front seat next to their owner or pacing the full length of the back seat.  And — I have to admit — I’ve been known to toss a dog on the front seat and make the straight-shot, 5-minute drive to my vet/grooming facility.  However, after watching the slow motion videos from the Center for Pet Safety, that practice is hereby discontinued.  Permanently.  These videos are part of a study on pet restraint systems and how effective they are in an automobile collision.

Please take a moment to read the short article and view the videos in the link below …

Canine Automotive Restraint Crashworthiness Testing

Now imagine a dog with no restraint system in a collision.  Imagine a small dog on the front seat with airbags deployed (at 200 mph) in a collision.  Imagine a dog hanging over the door as in the above photo (convertible or not).  From here on out, my dogs will always ride crated in the back of the vehicle with the crate secured in some fashion … no matter how short the trip.

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Sliding into Fall …

Teller …

Rescue has been a bit quiet here lately … which is a good thing when one considers the overall picture.  No strays and no dogs surrendered by their owners.  On the home front, it has been a bit hectic, however.  The end of August, I flew to Minnesota to meet up with friends, attend a four-day dog show and pick up a new puppy.  My retired champion, Dante,  sired a litter in Canada and we were there to evaluate the puppies and bring home the new little one.  Meet Apsolutely FFT Tell Me No Lies a/k/a “Teller” (yup, that’s a red Apso!).  He did just fabulous on the trip home, including sitting calmly on my lap in the airport watching the travelers go by and sleeping in his Sherpa bag during the flight with nary a peep.

Given that it’s been seven years since we had a puppy in the house, there’s been a learning curve.  Potty training is a challenge and I’ve had to refer back to my own article a time or two.  Thank heavens for belly bands and hardwood floors!  The kitchen floor by the water bowl is scrubbed daily as puppy can’t get a drink without getting his whole beard wet and trailing water through the kitchen.  Frankers has earned the nickname of “Uncle Grumpy.”  Thankfully, Teller is respectful of the old man and will back off with a correction from Frankers.  The geriatric resident — Boogins, the cat at 15.5-years old — isn’t so fortunate as the puppy is fascinated with him.

The house looks like it’s inhabited by toddlers with toys strewn from the kitchen to the bedroom and everywhere in between.  Last night Teller came flying into the front room with a bath mat in tow, shagged out of the master bath.  Other times, it’s a crate pad from the master bedroom.  And he’s certainly not above running off with whatever clothing item that hits the floor.  My last routine for the evening is gathering up all the toys and putting them back in the toy baskets … which reminds me of dusting the house.  Wait 12 hours and it looks like it’s never been done.

Grooming Teller has been … ummm … interesting to say the least.  Yeah, “interesting” is a good word.  Here’s why:

Bathtime with Teller …

Can’t say that the subsequent baths have been any less loud or any less vocal.  Just not as long!  Given that Dante was very vocal about his baths for the first couple of years, it would appear that Teller comes by it honestly.  While only 5.5-months old, Teller is quite well-traveled.  From Canada to California to Minnesota to Colorado.  He’s been through a puppy kindergarten class and has attended two conformation classes.

Fall arrived in Colorado with some fabulous color in the mountains … and decidedly colder temps.  The hard freezes have taken out the annuals and we’ll start the yard cleanup here shortly in anticipation of putting it to bed for the winter.  Have a great fall y’all!

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Hot, hot, hot!!!

Asphalt temps …

Colorado, like the majority of the country, has had miserably hot temps which arrived in early spring.  Given the weather patterns so far, I’m sure it will remain quite warm well into September.  This post is prompted by the number of people I see out walking their dogs in the afternoons here lately.  Rule of thumb, folks — if you can’t walk barefoot on the concrete or road surface due to the heat, neither should your dog!!  I did some checking and found this handy-dandy asphalt temps guide which notes that while the air temps might be tolerable, the pavement is much hotter than one would expect.

As children growing up in Colorado, my twin brother and I sustained burns on the bottom of our feet walking back from the swimming pool on an asphalt road.  We’d gone — barefoot — to the pool in the early morning and didn’t even think about the pavement being scorched on the way home.  We sustained burns severe enough that we had large, raised water blisters on the balls and heels of our feet despite the heavy callouses from running barefoot most of the summer.  Think a dog can’t sustain burns on the pads??  Think again …

If you simply must walk your dog, please do so in the early morning or late evening when the ground surfaces have had sufficient time to cool down.  And while you’re at it, don’t forget the mosquito repellent.  Living in Larimer County where we had a severe outbreak of West Nile several years ago, one must always be aware of the danger of contracting West Nile (I, personally, know four people who have had it to varying degrees).

Since we’re on the subject of hot summers, let’s not forget how quickly car temps can heat up with moderate temps … for dogs and little humans alike.

Keep it safe … keep it sane … and keep your dogs home out of the heat!

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Wishing …

… everyone a happy and safe 4th of July!!  And one without more new wildfires in the West or monster storms in the East.

For those of you in areas with fireworks (banned in most of the western states due to the extreme fire conditions), please please please make sure your pets are secure in the house.  Pets are lost every year when they escape their yard, frightened by the booming of fireworks.  Make sure your pets have current ID tags … utilize white noise to help drown out the neighborhood noises … try Rescue Remedy to lessen their anxiety.

Stay tuned to meet our newest foster … a puppy mill survivor from the eastern plains of Colorado.

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The Pitter Patter …

… of puppy feet!!  Well, not quite but at least the puppies have arrived.  We’re very excited as these are Dante babies.  He was bred to a Canadian champion in early March and the puppies arrived the evening of May 7th.  Thankfully all are doing well;  the pups are thriving and gaining weight daily.  Welcome, little ones!

#1 Female gold sable 4.2 oz
#2 Male Red sable …. Ta Dah!!! I Is Here!!!
#3 Male gold sable w white blaze & markings … a flashy little boy
#4 Male Gold sable 4.4 oz
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In Transition …

If you’re trying to find our rescue website — ApsoRescueColorado.org — please be advised that we’re in transition and will have the new site up shortly.  Until then, you’ll most likely get a sign-in page for WordPress.com.

If you need to reach rescue, please contact me directly at ApsoRescue@aol.com.  Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait for our very capable Webmistress Michelle to get us on the ‘Net again.

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You Win Some … You Lose Some!

Hardwood floors, my reading nook, and the usual clutter of dog toys and beds ...

The past three months have been a whirlwind … figuratively and literally.  With the home update finally completed, we moved back into the main floor over Labor Day weekend.  Amazing how much stuff one can accumulate.  And which is not fully appreciated until one has to pack and move it, be it downstairs, out in the garage or across town!  Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity are a regular stop as the clean out continues.  One more room to go (the office) and I think we’ll be back to normal.

In mid October, we traveled to Albuquerque to see the end of the Balloon Fiesta (Fri/Sat) and then spend a week at the American Lhasa Apso Club’s (ALAC) National Specialty.  Having never been to the Balloon Fiesta, it was quite the experience once the event got off the ground for the weekend.  Friday was scratched because of the rain; Saturday because of the winds.  On Sunday, we finally got to see the mass ascension of 385+ balloons … what a sight!  One of the most popular balloons of the weekend was … Spider Pig!

BOB - Cut Down Sweepstakes

On Wednesday, Dante was entered in the first-ever ALAC cut-down sweepstakes, meaning dogs who had been clipped could be shown.  Given than he hadn’t been to a show in well over a year, I was just hoping we could get around the ring with no new behaviors thrown in for interest.  When Dante was being shown and specialed, he was notorious for coming up with heretofore unknown behaviors.  Like barking at clapping … bailing off the exam table … barking at the Dobermans in the ring behind us … asking to be picked up.  Never a dull moment with this boy!  Dante was a sport and did everything I asked of him … and managed to pick up Best of Breed in the cut-down class.  His niece, Lily, was awarded Best of Opposite Sex.  That was our win.

Late October bought the freak snowstorm that dumped ten inches of heavy wet snow overnight.  Given that that majority of the trees in our yard hadn’t lost their leaves yet, they sustained heavy damage from broken branches.  We lost one tree outright and there are two others that we’re not sure will survive their wounds.  Alan spent a weekend cutting broken branches and hauling them out of the yard … just in time for the next snow storm to hit.  Not complaining — well, okay a little — as snow equates to snow pack and snow pack is water on the high arid plains of Colorado.  Our beautiful 12-year old Honey Locust is now a bit lop-sided after the snow took five fairly larges branches down, twisting them off the larger wood.  Given the struggle to get trees to grow in our yard, it was like losing old friends.

Our fav lady bug ... Tootsie!

I got word that a certain little dog was a huge hit at Halloween.  Cute as a bug … a lady bug to be exact … Tootsie took center stage with the visitors.  Here’s what I heard from Jane and Jerry:  “I thought that I would share a couple of pictures of Tootsie at Halloween.  She doesn’t look real happy in her little lady bug costume, but once she realized it was going to get her lots of attention, she was just fine with it, ha!  She is such a little love and I can’t believe we got so lucky that we found her.  She has got such a fun personality, she keeps us laughing.”  I think Tootsie was pretty lucky to have found Jane and Jerry!

Sang-Po was placed just before Thanksgiving … best part of that he’s still in town with friends so I’ll get to see and hear of him often.  He now lives with Don, Kathy and BooBoo.  BooBoo is one of our former fosters, our first out-of-state intake.  Arriving from Oklahoma, we picked him up late one night in Limon under a full moon that left the eastern plains awash in moon glow for the three-hour+ ride home.  BooBoo, who has been in his new home since 2003, is showing Sang-Po the ropes and adjusting to not being an only dog anymore!  Photos to follow as they get taken, in the next week or so.

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Just because …

… I can. And I love this photo!!! A shot of Bella and PippyDo in their new home in Texas with friend Mazzi …

Bella & PippyDo resting after a hard day of play ...

These two bonded in foster care and, thankfully, met up with Mazzi who just had to have them both.  While I normally do not do female/female placements, these two are the exception.  And exceptionally cute … enjoy!

The house remodel continues.  Mostly at a snail’s place it seems.  While we are moved back into the kitchen, the rest of the house is yet to follow.  Appears we’ll be moving furniture in next weekend … finally!