Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

The Diva of Drama

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We’re in the midst of winter in the northeast. Thursday we had a blizzard that dumped about a foot of snow on top of the six or so we already had on the ground. The state and towns are pretty good about pre-treating the roads BEFOREa storm, but the chemicals they use on the roads, can really do a number on little paws. Add in some Arctic air, with temperatures dropping below zero, and walks can be challenging.

There have been walks where both dogs have lifted up paws, because they’ve gotten road chemicals, or snow in their paws. Sometimes they come up limping, or sometimes they just stop and wait for you to wipe their feet. After it happens once or twice, and you’ve used your gloves to wipe a foot, you come up with the only conclusion you can.

COATS and BOOTS.

One dog will wear a coat. One dog will not.

One dog will stay still while you put the boots and coat on.

One dog runs and tries to hide, or just refuses to get off the couch.

One dog tolerates boots fairly well. One dog walks like Frankenstein every time the boots go on. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Honestly, you’d think she was a house elf and I was trying to give her clothes.

It’s not the greatest picture, because I was too far away, but she thinks by hiding on the couch, she can get away without wearing boots.

I’ve reached an age where I’m particular about the battles I fight. I won’t fight the coat battle. My thought is, we move along at a pretty decent clip, and if it’s too cold, I can always cut the walk short.

But I will fight the boot battle. I insist they wear the boots on their back feet, and I carry a small dish towel to wipe front paws if the need arises.

Yesterday she tried to climb into Daddy’s lap to avoid getting the boots on. Of course we laughed. I mean you can’t help but laugh because she’s just so damn dramatic, I started calling her the Diva of Drama.

What did your pet do to make you laugh this week?

You make me laugh, (or smile). The sweet, funny, loving things dogs do that make us laugh or smile.

The Chocolate is Banana For Bananas

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If you asked Delilah what her favorite treat in the world was, she’d tell you (well….if she could talk she’d tell you) it was bananas.

A few years back I discovered dehydrated banana chips from Trader Joe’s. Both dogs love these treats, and I use the for many things. NOT walking, God not walking, they’re much too sticky for that. BUT, we do use them when the dogs sit nicely while we’re working in the kitchen, while they’re waiting for us to finish our dinner, or after Delilah gets her eye drops. Hubby even leaves her a few banana chips for her to discover when we come back from our morning walk.

If I had to categorize banana chips, I’d say they are a VERY high value treat in our house.

As it happened, Delilah had a vet appointment yesterday morning (just a lipoma, thank God!), but as luck would have it, I had run out of regular treats, so Hubby said, “Grab the banana chips.”

After she’d had the lump aspirated, and while we were waiting to hear that it was in fact, a fatty tumor, I naturally gave her some banana chips, then I set them in the window.

Chocolate Lab Loves Bananas

Look at that focus.

Of course I smiled. Because really, look at that face and tell me it doesn’t make you smile.

You make me smile (or laugh), the sweet, funny, loving things my dogs do that bring a smile to my face, or a laugh to my lips.

What did your pet do this week that made you smile?

Our Story – Happy Birthday Delilah

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I sometimes wish I’d known you when you were a puppy. I know I could have provided the love and security that every dog deserves from the beginning.

But that isn’t our story. Our story is a far different one.

Our story began when I agreed to adopt a 2 to 3 year-old Chocolate Lab named Ginny, sight unseen. Our story also almost ended on that day. In fact, for some people, it would have ended. But when you finally gave in to your exhaustion, and fell asleep with your head on my knee, I knew our story would be great.

Chocolate Lab

She trusts me enough to sleep.

I just didn’t know HOW GREAT.

Our story is one full of challenges and learning experiences, patience and frustration, failure and success, sadness and joy, mistakes and forgiveness.

Our story is about two strong-willed individuals who learned to trust each other and eventually to work together as a team. Our story is a complicated, but beautiful story. It is a story about heartache and hope, faith and kindness.

Our story is all of these things and more, our story is a story of great love.

Today is the day we chose to celebrate your birthday. It is a day of happiness and joy, a time of reflection, of thinking back to where we were and where we are now. It is a day to celebrate the amazingness that is you.

Because you really are amazing. You’re smart and stubborn, sassy and fun, focused and determined. And loving, oh so loving.

You’ve grown into an amazing dog. A good dog. Anyone who knew you in the beginning, knows exactly what that means, and how far you’ve come.

So today, on a day we choose to celebrate the wonder of you, I want to thank you. Thank you for hanging in with me and being patient in your lessons. Thank you for licking my tears when I’m sad, for jumping for joy with me when we succeed, for guiding me home when I feel lost, and for loving me when I feel unloved.

You have been one of the greatest challenges of my life, but you’ve also been one of my greatest joys.

Chocolate Lab

“Baby” Delilah

Happy 12th Birthday Delilah, I love you to infinity and beyond.

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