Lucky Number Seven

Birthdays kinda suck around here. I am so not the buy your dog a cake gal. But, you know, that’s one of the things that makes dogs so great. They don’t care about that shit, either. They are just happy when you’re happy. One only needs to yell YAY to get tails wagging. We had a Yay morning.

Yay! Birthday wakes

Yay! Birthdays poops

Yay! Birthday breakfast.

And so on

She didn’t know why she was happy, but she was.


Patience of saint, this one


Unbelievable desire to just Do


Even if she’s not thrilled with the doing


I sometimes can’t get over how much I have learned with her. And even more so, how forgiving she has been. :-)


She puts up with a lot.

And, not just from me.


Kate and I are pretty damn lucky to have her. I tell Kate that all the time. And, anthropomorphizing aside, I think she agrees


Everyone should be so lucky as to have their very own Bella


Happy Birthday, Punk!

Maybe when you’re 10 I’ll do the cake thing.

Personal Hygiene Makes You Look Like An Old Man. Or, Perhaps Just Drunk

Did you know it’s Pet Dental Month? I did not. Is this really necessary? A whole month? For dog teeth? Are we supposed to celebrate some how? Can I use this as an excuse to eat cake?

Every time we go to the vet I get asked if I brush my dogs teeth. Sometimes they go so far as to assume….”I see you’re a regular brusher...” Which always leads to me to ask if people really brush their dogs’ teeth.

They do, and, like, on the regular.

Bones, people, bones! Dogs like chewing. Give them something to chew on. No brushing.

Think of bully sticks as natures toothbrush.

So satisfying




Although not particularly lady-like


Maybe not something to do in public


And you know how sometimes you brush a little too far back?

Yeah, dogs do that, too.


I’m going to have to watch myself floss tonight and see if it makes me look like an old man


And, thanks for all your replies about the buying a dog thing. Very interesting to read.

Just for the record, I am not anti-breeder at all. I do wish that more people would choose responsible breeders, though. You only need to spend 5 minutes on craiglist, dogster, or talking to your neighbors to realize the majority of folks out there buying are not doing so in a responsible manner.

I am curious about the jump from successful rescues to bought dogs. I do think that this all comes down to personal experience and opinions. I totally agree with The Border Collies/RDM/The Food Lady’s red herring comment. We could all go back a forth all day about bad rescue/breeder dogs or great rescue/breeder dogs.

You can take examples from worst case scenario puppy breeding and raising (puppy mill/hoarder) to best case (good breeder, health checks, socializing, etc) and still have a range of results.

It’s that vast array of experiences that leads me to believe that the only way you know for sure what you are getting is to get an adult. Puppies, regardless of where they came from, are such a crap shoot.

I do prefer a certain type of dog, as evidenced by the two I own, and it just so happens that the type is athletic and biddable. No couch potatoes here. Both came before agility and don’t ever see myself getting a puppy specifically to do a sport with. I don't actually ever see myself getting another puppy. I think I am cursed. Bella was too easy. Like scary easy. I can imagine the payback. No thanks. There's a lot to be said for a functioning bladder!

A Question About Buying A Dog...And...Some Stuff On Kate

So, I am curious about the process of deciding to buy a dog. Not just any ol’ body, but those who have had rescues in the past (or still have).

This is not a trap.

I am not going to get all rescue-judgey on you and try to shame you for you spending your money on a dog when there are so many homeless ones.

I am just curious as to how you made the leap, as it were. Really curious if the rescue dogs you had (or have) have been healthy, loving family members and/or successful at sports.

I can see the thought path for a “failed” pound dog. I totally get having a bad experience with a dog of unknown background whether it be health, temperament, whatever and deciding to go to a breeder for the next one.

I don’t understand having a fantastic mutty-mutt – great friend/family member, healthy, fun and successful at sports, and then going to a breeder.

Again, not judging. Don’t feel like arguing about it. I just don’t understand. Would like to know how you made that decision. And how you feel about it now? Was it what you expected?

And if this doesn't apply to you, ask the folks you know who it does apply to. You know that you know at least one. :-)

And, no, I’m not buying a dog. Not even adopting one.

Isn’t this enough?

The Ladybug Bus

Thanks And A Payment

Thanks for all your input. I am fascinated with the color genetics stuff, but I have to admit that reading about it gives me a headache. All the ayaydd and atatEmEm and KdKbr stuff makes my head spin. I think we need a Canine Color Genetics For Dummies site. Perhaps using muppets, lots of pretty pictures and colorful graphs.

Less words, more vis.

I still haven’t decided what I’m going with name-wise. I like the sound of seal, but plain ol’ sable is more recognizable by more people.

I would love to know what Kate actually is. I did the first DNA test that came out for shits and giggles. I certainly don’t put any stock in those things. Just curious as to what it would say. That was the cheek swab one when they only had like 43 breeds or something. She came back with no primary breeds and two secondary breeds. Border Collie and Poodle. HAHA. That is why Poodle is one of her nicknames. Although you can’t just say poodle. It must be said….poooooodalllllllll.

She’ll come if you yell it.

I have my doubts that she has any Border Collie in her at all. If someone told me that they knew for sure that she was a Malinois/JRT mix I would totally believe them. That’s what she acts like. Or, perhaps, Border Collie and coyote. That would work, too.

And your payment: 29 seconds of listening to my BCMalJRTyote.

Kate's favorite things: Grandma, ball, park, cows

ETA: Dang it! The embedded vid is not working. Sorry, you'll have to settle for a linky link

http://www.dogster.com/video/337607/Kates_key_words

ETA Again! I guess this is how my day is going to go. :-)

Kate does have banded hair. Her short hair is a mix of color. Guard hair has two bands (light - sort of cream colored - on bottom third, rest black). Her tail hair has 4 bands (light, dark, light, dark)

That's all I'm saying today, swear!

Color My Dog

So, if you were someone, not unlike me, who owned a dog, not unlike Kate, what would you call her color?

For the sake of simplicity, I usually just go with B&W. Although, she’s not black and white and I don’t really know what to call her.

It doesn’t help that her color changes with the lighting.

She is my mood ring dog.

Here is a smattering of pics I chose that show her color in various lights.















Your thoughts?

Harassment

Red-tailed Hawk harassed by crow


Red-tailed dog harassing a ball






Sometimes the red ball gets to do the harassing


It particularly likes to harass the don’t-know-what-color-to-call-her dog


She does manage to get the upper hand occasionally


Barely

That's What I'm Talking About

Our glorious winter


My kinda winter.

*This* is why we spend a kajillion dollars to live here


It just makes you feel sooo good


You even feel good about being tied to a log whilst the tracking dogs practice the tracking


Well, good with perhaps a smidge of why-the-hell-am-I-tied-to-a-log


Maybe even more than a smidge in some cases