Top 5 Dog Matches

Cole here again. I recently saw Sophie's mom's post about her top five dog matches, so I thought I'd try it out. I honestly wasn't expecting to have a labrador retriever pop up as a match, but guess what?

Top Five Personality Matches:

Labrador Retriever

Harrier

Briard

Golden Retriever

Swiss Mountain Dog

Hmm. Guess I did alright in choosing Labradors. Actually, Labs chose me. I wasn't a huge fan of labradors about 8 years ago. I considered them a little too common and overbred. Kind of a mindless lump of a family dog. Where I grew up, a lot of people owned so-called guardian dogs: Dobermans, Rotties, and mainly Staff. Terriers. Why anyone thought that pit bulls make good defenders against people always escaped me, but I digress. No one I knew had a lab and the ones I did see always seemed a little bit...boring. But then Hooper waltzed into my life (I say waltzed because that's pretty much what he did. He danced his way into my heart with his wiggly butt.) He was a very sick puppy from the beginning, but in the short time that I had him, I fell in love with him. After he passed, I gave it another go with my next dog -- a yellow lab named Amadeus. While I fell in love with Hooper and he was the one that made me decide to adopt Amadeus when I saw him, Ami was the one who made me fall in love with the breed. Now I completely adore labs for their unwavering loyalty, their willingess to 'go get the ball' in the freezing cold water, their drive while they're "working" (even if their job is just chasing a soccer ball around the yard), and their capacity for love. They come with their own set of challenges as all breeds do, but they've worked their way into my heart and soul and are now an addiction. I'll always be up for adopting other breeds and mixes, but it's those labs sitting in shelters that REALLY tear my heart up. Maybe one day soon, when we've got Orion's allergies and diet finally under control and Cassie has some more training under our belt, we'll head back over to the shelter or a rescue and let another Labrador (or pointer or poodle or dalmation or shepherd...who knows!) into our hearts to stay.

So sorry. . .

. . .that I've kept your friends away!


It's the Mom here and it's all my fault that Orion and Cassie haven't been keeping in touch. We've got some exciting news and it's the reason why we've been away. We're starting an extended stay dog boarding business out of our home. I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, and I'm really excited that we now have the land and a large enough house to do it. Preparing the house and setting things up have taken up most of our time as of late. We built a dutch door to put on the door frame leading to our back room as a more "permanent" baby gate and made a few things in the house and yard more dog friendly.

I have a lot of goals in mind for Lucky Dog (our chosen name for this boarding venture). I really would like to create a loving, stress-free home environment for our boarders -- a place that focuses and maintains the routines each individual dog. There are no kennels or dogruns and we treat each lovable pup like our own :)

I've started another blog that our clients can follow while they're on out of town. It will track the daily doings of their dogs so they can check up and have a nice chronicle of what they did while at Lucky Dog. You can see it HERE.

And you can see our website with more info on Lucky Dog HERE. We're still working on it.

AND the best thing is that we're working with the Central Texas SPCA (which is located right down the street from me). We're a donation hub for them and we're donating some of our proceeds to them (especially our grooming services once we get those going).
We have our first boarder under Lucky Dog right now :) Her parents dropped her off this morning and she's getting along well with all of us.

And here's a picture of our original Lucky Dogs:

I promise that Orion and Cassie will return soon to tell you about what they've been up to the past week or so. In the meantime, any advice or feedback is greatly appreciated!

Until next time!

Letters to a Dog

Hi there. The Mom here. Earlier today while looking through a Pet Posting board that I frequent to find out more about rescues here in the area, I found something that made my eyes start to well up with tears. This time, it wasn't an ad posted by some person with a new job that can't take care of their shih-tzu anymore, or by someone who found out three weeks after they adopted their retriever mix that he has allergies and they can't afford to take care of him, or another 'take my dog' ad that are all too popular. Instead this time, it was someone who posted something about loving a dog for their flaws and about giving second chances. I don't know who wrote it originally -- maybe it was the person that posted it. But I thought that it deserved to get posted again where others could read it.

Letters to a Dog

Source Unknown

January 6: Dear Dog, I saw you today for the first time, just a couple houses from my own. The school bus stopped to let out your kids, and your mom opened the front door to let you run out and greet them. You are a wiggly, bouncy and happy little puppy with a full belly and a shiny coat. Your kids grabbed you up, hugged you, held you and toted you inside. Your tail was wagging the entire time. I thought to my self, how sweet, what a way to end a long hard day. I spoke to your mom this evening and she said that they got you from the Animal Shelter, and the kids named you Lucky.

March 10: Dear Lucky, I saw you today as I always do on my way home from work. You were already outside to greet the kids today, which seemed a little odd. The little girl got off the bus and shooed you away; she appeared to not want you jumping on her. The boy got off the bus and gave you a quick playful pat on the head, then smelled his hand and brushed you aside. You looked confused and sad, as you went to lie by the porch. You curled up in a tight ball on the cold ground and let out a huge sigh. My heart felt heavy that day.

March 21: Dear Lucky, I saw you today. I was headed home, and the kids got off the bus, walked to the house, and you ran out as far as you could on your heavy chain to let them know you were there. The little girl ignored you, the little boy told you to be quiet, when you barked for his attention. My neighbor commented that they needed to do something with your barking because you keep them up at night. You had a bucket of water and a bowl of food, a relatively nice doghouse, but your eyes were sad and empty. I shook my head and let out a huge sigh.

April 30: Dear Lucky, I worried for you today. You look thin, your chain heavy on your neck, your coat is dirty and falling out, you don't get up to do much anymore. Your bucket is turned over, and I have not seen your food bowl for a few days now. I spoke to the neighbor and asked about you. He said you still bark at night and he saw the man of the house throw something at you the other day as he scolded you. I shook my head in despair as I went back into my house.

June 4: Dear Lucky, My heart sank today. I was headed home, and you weren't in your yard. A large part of me hoped you got away, another large part of me was frightened at all the other possibilities. I asked my neighbor about you, and he said your family went on vacation and sent you back to the Animal Shelter. I shook my head and cried for you as I went into my house.

June 5: Dear Dog, I went to the shelter today. I found you huddled in the back of a cage that had a bucket, a bowl of food, and a blanket for you to lie on. You looked up at me as if you knew me, and my heart broke as I read your card. They did not even care enough to give them your name, and the card simply said, "male, neutered retriever mix. Owners did not want." I cried when a gentleman from the kennel said, "That's a sad one there. He came from here, you know, last Christmas. Guess they just got tired of him. He's too frightened, no one will adopt him." I went to the counter and told them I would be back tomorrow and please don't do anything just yet. They all kind of nodded like they heard that one before.

June 6: Dear Dog, I brought you home today. You were scared and untrusting, but a small part of you somewhere allowed you to wag the tip of your tail when I told you that you were a good boy and that I loved you. I gave you a new name, "Happy", because you aren't and I hope that someday you will be. You had an accident on the floor, and when I came back to clean it up with paper towel you slunk down and whimpered as if the hand was coming for you. I tried to choke back the tears when I thought of what you must have gone through in the past six months. I reached out and patted you and your eyes closed and your body went limp at such a gentle gesture. "We're going to be all right," I told you. I showed you your food, and you ate voraciously, and you marveled at the treats and toys I got for you.

December 25: Dear Happy, Good morning my best friend! You woke me, as always, popping out from under the covers on your side of the bed, licking my face to tell me it was time for our walk. We went through the living room and you sniffed what Santa left for us. I hugged you and said, "Last year you were a Christmas gift, now this year, these are all yours!" Your coat is shiny, your belly always full, and even though we found out at your first vet visit you had heartworms, you are healthy now. As we went out for our walk, we saw your old family in the front yard. They look at you each time as if they recognize you in a way, but you don't give them a second glance. --- Then I believe both our hearts stopped as we saw the children emerge from the yard holding a small playful puppy. "Isn't she just precious? We got her from the animal shelter. Hope this one works out, the other dog we got from there was so much trouble." I sighed and refrained from pointing out that you were not the trouble. You looked up at me as if to say, "Thank you, mom." I kneeled down and whispered in your sweet ear, "No, it is I who thank you."

We need some pawsitive thoughts...

It's the Mom here. I just wanted to let you all know that Cassie isn't feeling very well today. When we woke up this morning, she seemed normal, but when I looked more closely at her, I noticed some bloat. I thought that she must have an upset stomach, so I only fed her half of her morning meal to see if she would eat. She did, but reluctantly. We watched her all morning and though she was in her typical high spirits and she did not vomit, her abdomen was getting more and more distended. She was alone for about 3 hours while Marc and I went to work and I when I got home around 5:00, she had only gotten worse. I phoned our vet, Dr. Cottier and brought her in. Dr. Cottier was somewhat concerned that it might be an obstruction, however because Cassie wasn't feeling any discomfort, it was hard to say. She advised us to wait it out through the night, to keep her calm (yeah, right!) and not to feed her the evening meal.

EDIT: (7:09pm) I didn't mean to alarm some of you. I failed to mention that the vet does NOT feel that it's "bloat" or a flipped stomach. That was the first question I asked because it's the scariest. I'ts more likely a small obstruction that we are hoping will pass naturally. But rest assured, if she does get worse or I have ANY reason at all to think that it could possibly be bloat, then we're off! And I'll keep you all updated. Thanks for the thoughts!

Cassie seems not to notice that anything is wrong but her poor little belly keeps getting bigger. We're going to give it 6 more hours (until Midnight-ish) and see if there's any change. If it gets worse, it's off to Emergency we go. But let's say a prayer that it won't come to that. I (as well as Cassie) appreciate any pawsitive thoughts you could send our way!

EDIT: (12/4 8:00am) I think Cassie is going to be okay! She stayed pretty much the same throughout the night until the early morning when she frantically asked to be let outside. This worried me, so I followed her out there. Thankfully it was just because she really really REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. There was apparently something binding her up --possibly a blockage or maybe just constipation. Either way, after sleeping a few more hours, she woke up looking sooo much better. It looks like she's still a tiny bit distended, but that might be water retension. So we're off to the vet again to see what they think. Thank you so much everyone (dog and human) for all the prayers and good thoughts. It could have been something really scary, but I'm glad it turned out to just be....well...gas. Haha. :)

Just one more thing before the Holiday season...

Hi everyone, it's the Mom here. Just wanted to post this reminder of some human foods that could be harmful to dogs if ingested. With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to leave some of these foods in Fido's reach.

Alcoholic Beverages: Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.

Avocados: The fruit, pit, and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.

Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs. Raw bones should always be supervised.

Chocolate (all forms): Can cause staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, death. Bakers (semi-sweet and dark) Chocolate is the most dangerous.

Coffee, Coffee Grounds, Tea: Drinks or food containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms as chocolate.

Fatty and Fried Foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Fruit Seeds and Pits: Contain cyanide. The core/pit of fruits can also become lodged in the intestines and kill a dog in 24 hours with no warning.

Grapes and Raisins: Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, kidney failure in dogs. A single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

Hops: Causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.

Macadamia Nuts: Can cause locomotion difficulties, tremors, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Limit all other nuts, as their high phosphorous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. The exception seems to be Peanut Butter (Organic salt & sugar free is best.)

Moldy or Spoiled Foods: Can cause indigestion, diarrhea and vomiting. Molds and bacteria go hand in hand. If the dogs are small, they will not be equipped to ward off diseases caused by these bacteria.

Mushrooms: Can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarhea, convulsions, coma, death. The only safe mushrooms are shitake, maitake, and reishi.

Nutmeg: Can cause tremors, seizures, and death.

Onions, Onion Powder (and Garlic in large quantities): Can cause Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine. Weakness, confusion, dizziness and accelerated heart rate are other symptoms of onion poisoning. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.

Raisins: (see grapes)

Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems and may lead to electrolyte imbalances.

Sugar and Corn Syrups: Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus. Small amounts of honey or molasses are okay (but not for dogs with cancer.)

Tobacco: Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.

Tomato Plants: Can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias.

Yeast dough: Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Xylitol Sweetened Products: Even a small amount can cause liver failure and death.

If your dog has ingested any of these foods, make sure they stay hydrated and get veterinary help immediately. The sooner you act, the less amount of the poison will be absorbed into his system. Call your emergency vetrinary hospital and then call the ASPCA Poison Hotline (888)426-4435. They can provide you with answers on how to help your pet based on their size, weight, and what they ingested.

Everyone have a Happy Holiday season!

A New View

Hi everyone. It's the human mom here. I thought I'd go ahead and upload some pictures of the house so you DWB's (and all the mum's and dad's) could get an idea of what it looks like. Most of these pictures were taken in the middle of setting up the rooms, so they're not quite finished yet.

Here's (part of) the front of the house. I don't have a full picture of the front yet.

The living room/doggie obstacle course (as seen in picture)
the fireplace
our french-style kitchen. okay so it doesn't look very french in this picture, but I swear it's getting there.

the master bedroom the pretty kitty on our bed in the master bedroom:
this looks like storage right now, but in a few weeks after we move our instruments over, it'll be the music room.
this is the guest room/writing room/private suite for the cats when they feel like some alone time
sitting room/soon to be art room looking into the kitchen
same room, different view

through the back door...and into the backyard! (which is by far Orion and Cassie's favorite part)

It's entirely fenced in and has a gate in the back leading to our wet-weather creek (which is also fenced in). We haven't actually scouted out the creek area yet. It's kinda overgrown and we haven't had the time to cut a path through it.


Anyway, that's our new home. Hopefully we'll be here for a while and we'll make some great memories along the way. I'll post some updated pictures after we're finished updating the place a little and making it our own.

I suppose I should turn the blog back over to Orion now though, as he's watching me impatiently.

Talk to you next time!

From Orion's Mom

Hobbsie

I met Hobbs almost one year ago when Marc's niece brought him home after she and her boyfriend "found" him. He was a small, cute as a button lab mix with little white spots on his nose and a sweet sensitivity that made anyone and everyone want to cradle him. It was soon after that we realized that where they "found" him was an acquaintance's house where labrador/dalmatian mix puppies had just been born. Knowing that this was a large responsibility, most of the family tried to convince them to give Hobbs up. He was so cute and loved however, that their attempts were futile. So for the past year, he's been part of the family. He's become very special to Marc and I in particular. For the past 6 months or so we've been taking him out periodically to train him and get him some exercise. Months ago, we knew that there was something different about him - he wasn't quite labby. Sure, he liked to play fetch, but there was another overriding characteristic that we couldn't quite figure out. Now we've come to understand that his dalmatian mix parent was a dalmatian/heeler of some kind. Man, does this boy like to herd things. He's got all of the skill and technique - including the herding nip. This was never so clear as it was on Friday when we took him out with Orion. He's always been very protective of us, but he stayed on top of Orion all day long, getting in between him and other people and watching other dogs diligently. Since we've figured out a little bit more about him, Hobbs has become especially near and dear to me.

In the past, I've owned many types of dogs - a Lhasa, a Rhodie/Great Dane mix, a Cocker, and of course my beloved labs Hooper and Amadeus. Though I've become quite partial to Labradors (this is why we were certain about where to look when we got Orion), I've ALWAYS loved and adored herding breeds. Unfortunately with work schedules, school schedules, and trying to find time to write I've never had the time to designate to owning a herding dog. Hobbs has made me remember that it would be a mistake (and maybe even a disaster) to try and love a dog when you're not ready to take care of them the way that they should be. Thankfully, even in my younger years, I was smart enough to realize that I couldn't possibly try to make that work. One day in the future, I hope to have the time, space, and patience to love a dog that needs so much attention - because what they give back is so extraordinary.

Knowing Hobbs for this short amount of time, and though he doesn't live with us, I've fallen in love with his intelligence and his desire to please. Not to mention, he's just as handsome as any dog I've ever seen. It's easy to see that he and Orion have become fast friends.

To see more pictures of Hobbs and Orion, check out Orion's Photo Gallery.