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Rough Housing

Puppies play rough.  I’m not talking about Pitbull puppies specifically, just puppies in general.  When they are still with their litter, they learn certain boundaries of play like when to back off and when to continue with the help of little yelps and other body language signals.  After being separated from the litter, continuing with the yelps helps the puppy know and learn new boundaries with their new human pack.  While I find this continued training to be slow going, I am also finding it to be successful.  When Ray was much smaller, and his teeth were like the jagged metal blade of a table saw, his bites were pretty potent and we made sure to keep lots of chew toys handy.  Now, the biting/gnawing is becoming infrequent and much softer allowing for a nice healing period for my hands and feet.  I can tell when he’s getting tired because that is in direct proportion to the pressure and frequency of the nips he administered.  Last night I actually said to him, “You’re getting cranky, it’s time for night-night.”  Upon hearing that, he ran to his crate door and waited for his three sugar snap peas.  (Bedtime snack.)
Sometimes it’s more difficult to tell, though, when play becomes too rough.  This weekend we had friends and neighbors over to enjoy some libations on St. Paddy’s Day.  It’s funny because all three of us couples had no dogs about six months ago and now we all have puppies.  One person brought her 8 year old chihuahua for a short time and the neighbors brought their mini American Eskimo who is nine weeks old and had met Ray only one other time with little success. 
Coby at 6 weeks
Coby was only home for a day when he me Ray with the big bruiser paws and had already decided that Ray was not going to be his kind of dog. Three weeks later, though, the little pouf was much more outgoing and ready to play. 
As sometimes happens, play got exciting and Coby’s mom picked him up to calm down.  No one yelped, no one seemed to want to get away from anyone else, but still a couple of bite marks on a snout (muzzle?) resulted in some blood.  I’m sure you can guess where this is headed…



Your pouf bit my Pitbull

…or maybe not.  All in all, no one was harmed and I didn’t even know Ray had gotten scraped by the baby teeth until a bit later.  From the looks of it, Coby got a nice grab on both the top and side of Ray’s muzzle, but like I said, there was no yelping etc, so no signs of harm.  Coby’s mom was all worried that Ray was hurt, but after all, it takes quite a bit to harm the anvil-head.

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Weekend Fun

What a glorious weekend in Indiana.  We have been completely spoiled these past two weekends with unseasonable temperatures which have allowed us some pretty serious hanging out on the patio time.  This weekend we got some of our summer gear out of storage over the weekend such as our lawn ornamentation, the furniture cushions and the solar lights.  Kevin even got the lawn mowed.  I imagine we’re going to pay in spades over the insects this summer since we’ve not had many sub-freezing days.
Ray being a December baby has not been typically excited about spending much time outside until lately but we try to be outside as much as possible when the weather permits.  These past two weekends have really been enjoyable for him as I’ve noticed a new reluctance to come inside.  Since we spend so much time on the patio I wanted to find a nice cushion for Ray as well so that I could have him nearby without having him lie on the concrete.  I actually scored big time with a weatherproof cushion that I found at WM for under $30.  It’s even big enough and strong enough that he’ll be able to use it for many years (I hope.)
You can see the pet cushion in the background.



I didn’t even know he could get up there.

 So even though he was on his cushion quite a bit over the weekend, the only pics I got were of  Ray after he sneaked into Mommy’s vacated chair.

The other good news of the weekend is that Ray’s sister, Kimmel, has been adopted and will go to her new home right after her spay surgery. 

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Feline Friday-The Great "Outdoors"

Both Jae and Miko are basically inside only cats.  By basically, I mean Jae loves to go outside but his trips are always closely supervised and confined to the patio.  He is a grass eater and consequently a grass puker so as soon as he heads for the tasty green blades, he is relegated back to the safety of the house.  Miko, on the other hand, has absolutely no desire to go out of those doors and onto the patio.  He loves to lay in a warm pool of sunshine on the soft carpet but if the door is opened he scampers away as if he’s about to be tortured.  I imagine whatever time he spent wandering the mean streets of Fort Wayne before being picked up by ACC have cured him of ever wanting to leave the house.

There is, however, a type of “outside” that the boys are allowed to enjoy with relatively little supervision and that is the garage.  The boys will typically stand at the door and meow to “go out.”  They don’t explore out there as much as they spend time lounging from the hoods or roofs of our vehicles.  Being that we have a pick up and an SUV, they are able to reign from some altitude.  In the winter months they gravitate toward the most recently driven vehicle or the top of the freezer, which must be warmer for them.  I like being able to give them some adventure time in a place where they are still safe.  I know the garage might not seem like a safe place to some, but we don’t typically keep anything in there that the boys could get into and get sick on. 

It has recently become a nice haven from you-know-who as well.
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather and whatever makes you happy!
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Baby Steps!

With the glorious weather that we’ve been experiencing, the urge to go for a walk with Ray has been overwhelming.  I love taking walks when the weather is nice and have had visions of walking with my dog for quite some time now.  As we’ve discovered, though, at just over three months old, Ray is not ready for the hikes I’ve envisioned.  Last night would have been a perfect evening for a walk.  While we grilled some steaks Ray played in the yard, investigated everything with a scent to it and ignored the two little neighbor dogs who insist on charging the fence and barking at Ray.  Yes!  Good boy.
 These are Ray’s “paying really close attention” ears.
Knowing that I was probably setting my expectations way too high and had really set us up for failure, I decide to take a few steps back and referred to the Lily Fireworks/Lolly Wonderdog school of desensitizing.  In my typical fashion I actually started obsessing about the string cheese Lily and her mom used.  Should I shred it? Chop it? Stuff a whole stick in Ray’s mouth?  Have it ready?  I decided to peel it into strings and have all of that ready in a small bowl.  Off we went to the front yard.  We picked a spot more than half way away from the house but not too close to the street.  I secured Ray’s leash around my foot and we just waited until a vehicle approached and JACKPOT!  I got his attention/eye contact and began stuffing string cheese in his mouth until the vehicle passed.  It worked pretty well, too.  There were a few times he was ready for cheese but we didn’t have a vehicle to distract and a couple of times he still sneaked a peek out of the corner of his eye, but all in all it really started to work.  It worked so well that we made it back to the house and he only grabbed his leash once, but immediately let go. 
Ah, baby steps, how I love thee.
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(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Sweet Baby Ray 16 days old.
Whenever a speed bump appears in the road, it’s good to look back to reflect on how far we’ve come.  Class last night went really well and I’m always proud of the progress we’ve made and the work we’ve done to date.  I’m also thankful for the encouragement received from all of the wonderful people in our lives both in person and on the interwebs. 
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One Step Forward

Just like Yin and Yang, and for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction, great days are often followed by not so great days.  While we had a wonderful time over the weekend playing, yard working and just chilling, we had a pretty rough time last night.
I know a big part of this is that Ray is still such a baby, which I tend to forget sometimes.  He learns things so quickly and is eager to win treats gain approval so I forget there are limits to how much fun and excitement he can really bear without getting over stimulated.
Last night the weather was still so beautiful and warm so we headed off for a walk down the street which started off well as usual, but  all of the cars zooming by and all of the smells along the way sent his poor little sensory self into over drive.  We spent a miserable few hours minutes trying to relax enough to get back home without too much trouble and the fact that my feet and hands are pretty much intact and that I didn’t actually cry are good signs.  Back at the house Ray ended up in a time out in his crate which really did him and me a world of good.  A few minutes for everyone to calm down, relax and reset were just the ticket.
Tonight we venture back to that wonderful world of puppy class.  This, I’m sure, will consist of corralling the wild beast while trying to learn our lessons to be practiced at home but there are only two more sessions.  I just need to make a note to expose him more often to various types of stimulus in small doses and not get too wrapped up in the obstacles. 
On a brighter note, this is a picture of Sparkles, Ray’s mama.  Isn’t she beautiful?  Sparkles is a sweet gal who is open for adventure and looking for love.  Her baby-mama days can be classified as pretty much one and done so now she is ready to be your baby love.  Contact SmilingK9s for info, if Sparkles could be the light of your life in your no-cat household.
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My Weekend, by Ray

Hello folks, Ray here.  Mommy said I could write a blog post because I’m getting so big and I’m doing so well in school (well, maybe not in school, but I’m getting my lessons learned really well at home.)
We were really busy all weekend, and I liked that because Mommy was tired too and we got to take a nap together on the family room floor.  Usually I nap alone in my crate which is ok, but snuggling with Mommy was great.

On Sunday we did what Mom called “yard work” in the morning.  I see now why humans spend so much time “at work” because it is so much fun!  First we cleaned out the shed and I got to sniff every single thing that was in there.  Then Mommy got out the broom which made me really excited.  The broom tried to push all of the fun dirt clods and dried leaves out of the shed but I did my best to stop that from happening.   I bit that nasty broom and then ran off with a big, clump of dried grass so I could save it from the broom.  Then we put everything back in the shed and Mommy said I was really brave when I saw the bicycle go in.  It was  pretty big and I wasn’t sure about it, so Mommy let me sniff it and I decided it was ok.

Then we worked in the garden a little bit.  I love garden work.  Mommy was digging holes with the shovel and chopping up weeds and I was a super big help.  I think I can dig holes better than anyone and it has to be true because Mommy said, “that’s enough you a dirty little mudbug” and put me out of the garden.  I did such a great job!  What would Mommy  have done without my expert digging skills?

After that, Mommy said it was too beautiful outside to be in the house so we “just chilled” on the patio facing the sun.  Mommy got some pretty tasty stuff called sunscreen to put all over my ears, head and nose and then rubbed some on my back.  Mom says I’m a little pink piggy and I might get sunburned.  Daddy said I smelled like a beach bunny.  Then we just sat on the loveseat enjoying the day.  I had my bully stick and I wanted to sit on Mom’s lap to chew it.  She said I’m getting pretty big to do that but she sat sideways so I’d fit without falling off.  She kept telling me I looked “ridiculous,” which must be another way of saying incredibly cute and very handsome.

Mom said I’m going to be a tired puppy today and she is right, I really wanted to sleep in today and was happy to go back to my crate this morning after breakfast.  I hope everyone else had a good weekend too.

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Feline Friday-Asia and Miko

For quite a few years Asia has been asking for a dog or a puppy. I always treated it like a request for the newest clothing or fad item: with a grain of salt.  Asia has never exhibited the behaviors of a “dog person.”  Asia has always been a “cat person.”  She’s always been so much of a cat person that I’ve joked that she is a kitty cat herself.

When Asia’s cat, ET, passed and when to the bridge, Jae seemed sad.  He seemed to be looking for his sister in the usual places that she was known to nap.  He checked under her favorite pieces of furniture and like the sometimes creepy, “I see dead people” cat that he is, often just stared as if he really did see her.

We decided to adopt a cat for Jae.  Boo Kitty was too old and disinclined to play with him so we figured a younger cat would do well in the household.   This would be a first for us since all of our other cats were “homegrown.”  I started checking out the local animal care and control website and found the cutest little tuxedo cat that I wanted to meet.  He was just adorable, and so off Kevin and I went to meet the little guy.  Upon arrival we were taken into the kitten room to check out the inhabitants, of which there must have been well over a dozen.  Kevin sat on a low stool and I grabbed a prime spot on the floor to check out the prospects.  The little tuxedo kitty, whose name in my mind at least was Oreo, was indeed a cutie but neither Kevin nor I made a connection. 

While I was looking at Kevin and talking to him I became aware that a silky haired purr machine was on my lap with his front paws on my chest and he was sniffing my nose while I was absentmindedly petting him.  He was so friendly and curious.  Another great feature was that he was more of a juvenile, one of the older kittens being nearly six months old.  He jumped right on Kevin’s lap when called and apparently the three of us had made a mutual choice.  We wanted Captain Paws.  The volunteer went to look for his paperwork and found none.  Either he was that new to the facility or he was spoken for was the first assumption.  I started crying.  She looked again and found the paperwork so that we were on our way to giving a home to our first officially adopted cat:  Miko.
The first few days at home, Miko and Asia spent the majority of the time in Asia’s room watching cartoons and letting the other cats smell the new inhabitant through the door.  Because of this, Miko began to act as if he and Asia were both the new cats in the house, having been adopted on the same day and acclimating in the same room. To this day, I think he still believes that.
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The Committment

Arriving at the warmth and safety of Katie’s house, she and her awesome kids sprang into action getting Kane settled in and tending to Sparkles.  As you can see from this picture, Sparkle was a bag of pregnant bones and was completely fidgety, probably because she was not done birthing.  One of the kids got her a bowl of food that she scarffed down, though I’m told that is unusual for a dog in labor.  Then we settled in for the pups that were still to come.
After quite a bit of comforting and trying to get Sparkles to relax, in a puddle of greenish black sludge, Ray began to make his entrance in the world.  It wasn’t easy and eventually Katie had to help pull him out, becoming elbow deeply covered with the above mentioned sludge .
My little green guy!  I was slightly smitten already but there was the champagne colored male who looked to become quite the handsome dog and Ray was soon followed by the only girl of the litter.  I was moderately in love with them all, but even that night, I didn’t know one of these sweet little piggies was destined to be mine.
 See?  He had a green tint.
We had had a dog, actually she was very much Kevin’s and when she went to the bridge, I was pretty convinced that I was a cat person.  Only a cat person.  It had been so long since I had a dog that I interacted with as my own and by so long, I mean decades.  Of course I loved Bam Bam, but she really wasn’t mine so when the yearning for another dog hit me, it started growing along with my desire to help in some way.  To really help.  I wanted to foster and I was pretty sure I wanted to foster adult dogs and possibly elderbulls.  I had spent months reading and researching and was sure I could do this but convincing the family was a different matter.
I had gotten Kevin on board with my first love, the Rottweiler, but he then uttered that fateful sentence that changed our lives, “You know, I’d consider adopting a Pitbull, but it would have to be a puppy.”  He was not completely comfortable with the idea because he was still conditioned by so much negativity in the media, but it was a great sign that he was willing to consider it.  Exactly four days later, December 5th, we had officially committed to one of the “Sparkle pups.”
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It Started with a Picture

It started with a picture, or maybe it started even before that but I like finding the beginning and tracing the path, so we’ll start there for now.  I once had two job interviews in the same day, back to back and I mixed up the times.  I went to the second one first and was hired and accepted on the spot.  That is where I was working when I met my first husband who also came to work there, we married and then we had our baby girl.  If I had gone to the interviews in the other order, what might have happened?  A completely different path.
A non-friend, a person whom I had a slight connection to but had never met, saw this picture of me and sent a message.  She had two Pitbulls that needed to be re-homed, could I help?  I knew SmilingK9’s was pretty full at the time but messaged Katie and she got down to the business of networking to find a spot for these two that we knew little about.  We then found out the female was pregnant and the next message was even worse.  I was at work on December 1, 2011 when the message came, “Sparkle just had her puppies, 6 and 4 are dead…”  and then as I was leaving work, “She just had another baby.”  It was thirty two degrees outside.
When I got there, the mama, Sparkles, was in an open transport crate with three nearly dead pups and the male was chained to a tree with a padlock on his choke collar.  Both the adults were the sweetest dogs I had seen in such a long time.  Katie arrived, took one look at the freezing pups and stuck the nearly frozen one in her cleavage to warm up.  (The little guy survived four weeks.)  We got everyone loaded up and even took the male.  The owner thought she might have a taker for him from Craigslist, but I said, “I think we’ll just go ahead and take him, too.” 
As we drove off, Katie transporting Sparkles, the first time mom and her little frozen popsicles and me with Kane, a male Pitbull that I had just met, freed from a chain and now laying in my backseat calmly as if he had known me forever I could hear my husband’s voice echoing in my mind’s ear, “You don’t even know these dogs.”   I could tell right away, these dogs were sweet.  I might have fallen a little bit in love with the big sweet lug but there was a lot more to do that night.