Celebrating My Girls and Boy

I don't know who declared it but apparently it is National Dog Day!  Woo-hoo!

When we said good-bye to our beloved Simba

we walked around in a fog for several days. Before she passed we knew she was slowing down and someday that final good-bye would come. My thought at the time was when she passed, I didn't want another dog. She was irreplaceable. We still had our 21 year old cat, A-choo, so I thought well... maybe we will adopt an older cat to keep her company. And when her time comes we'll adopt another adult cat to keep that one company.

Of course when the time really came my head was so cloudy, my heart so broken I couldn't think of bringing another soul into the family at all.

After a few weeks I began to feel an incredible void. Simba was my constant companion. We walked several mornings a week in the huge State Park at the end of our street.

She was by my side every day in my studio.

I have to admit, though, as winter was approaching (she passed in September) the idea of staying inside by the fire with a couple of cats as opposed to bundling up and trudging thru the cold and snow was appealing.

As much as I love cats (and I truly do adore them ~ we just adopted 12 year old Kia the cat!) there is something about having a dog in your life... Simba always got me up and moving early in the day. We enjoyed our morning walks in nature. It cleared my head and inspired me. Some of my best photography was done on walks with her. And there is something about the excitement a dog expresses when you come home ~ whether it has been 5 minutes or 5 days. That unconditional love...

A home just seems more complete with a dog.

So when my friend, Janet, gently suggested -- when I felt ready -- to just take a walk thru a shelter and, you know, just look.  Later my husband and I laughed and said, "That's like telling us to 'just go look at new cars.'"  We could never do it without buying one.

Of course our walk thru the shelter found us coming home with a 6 year old puppy. Kizzie's adoption story is on my other blog, Oh My Sweet Goodness.  

And when A-choo passed rather than adopting an adult cat, back to the shelter we went to adopt another 6 year old puppy ~ and puppy described him to a tee. Enter Koko. 

So today I celebrate Simba - the love of my life for 16 years and Kizzie and Koko ~ who brighten my world every single day. It has been almost two years since Simba passed and I think of her every day. In fact this blog post started out to be about Kizzie and Koko. But Simba spoke to my heart more loudly.

Kizzie

you are my snuggle buddy ~ my sweet girl ~ my good girl. Y

Koko

you make me laugh every day ~ you make me happy ~ you're my boy, my sweet, crazy boy.

How blessed I am to have all of you in my life and in my heart. YYY

Loving a Reactive Dog

First - let me state that I am by no means an expert on dogs and dog behavior. All I know is how my reactive dog behaves and how I am learning to deal with his reactive behavior. 

When it came time to adopt a buddy for our 6 year old Kizzie, we turned to the Dumb Friends League. I searched the website and fell in love with this little face.

I knew with an adorable face like that he wouldn't last long so we went down that afternoon. Meeting him in person I realized there was more to this little guy (also 6 years old) than just a cute face. Taking him to meet Kizzie I soon realized... he's got A LOT of energy...

But we decided to take a chance and adopted him anyway. Kizzie wasn't sure what to think.

(To be honest... 17 months later she still doesn't know what to think.) 

Within about 30 minutes home he fell fast asleep in his Dad's arms.

In the ensuing days as we got to know our little Koko better we realized he, indeed, was quite energetic. 

If an animal appeared on television, he went bananas - barking and barking and barking.

If he saw a bunny or a bird or a dog or a person outside, he went bananas - barking and barking and barking.

He didn't appear to know how to walk on-leash and was very wiggly and awkward when we tried to walk.

We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood which proved to be a double-edged sword for Koko. We learned he was very reactive to noise - any noise - a truck, a timer, an alarm, a dog barking, a telephone ringing, a doorbell, a lawnmower, voices outside - any noise. Thunder... oh my goodness, thunder! So a quiet environment can be good for him. A quiet environment also makes any noise - any noise - louder than it would in a noisier environment. So we were dealing with a lot of barking issues. One his favorite spots to "guard" the house and make us aware of anything - anything - going on outside was (still is) the top of the stairs -- in perfect view of a large window above the front door.

Although he loved going for Jeep rides (still does) ~ again ~ any little motion or noise outside would set him off. 

I knew within days I was going to need guidance and help or I would lose my mind. Returning Koko to the shelter was not an option. 

I believe that The Universe puts people and things and situations in your life at certain times for a reason ~ and if you are paying attention The Universe will usually present an answer.

We love our Vet Clinic and, of course, took Koko in within days to have a well-check exam. I explained we were experiencing some behavioral issues and we were immediately referred to Yukari of You n' I Animal Wellness. I thought about it for a couple of days and remember after one particularly stressful day I sat down that evening and poured my heart, stress, concerns - and yes a few tears - into an email to Yukari. I basically had a meltdown.

Long story short, within days we were working with Yukari once a week.

And work we did! For almost a year we met first once a week, then once every two weeks then once every three. We always had homework ~ and by we I mean the whole family ~ Koko, Kizzie, me and my husband. We all were trained.

One of the first things we learned was to make his living space smaller and more manageable. Up went the puppy gates!

It helped! 

We tried crate training. Koko seemed to like it ~ especially when I covered the crate with a blanket. It was his little man-cave.

Kizzie, on the other hand ~ mellow as she is ~ fought the crate. So we put the crates on hold.

There were lots of commands to learn ~ sit, stay, come, down, leave it, look at that! Some are automatic now; some still need some work. He did get "down!"

For those thunderstorms we bought a Thundershirt and it helps a bit. We also have calming treats, Pheromone spray and calming gel. When a storm approaches and it gets dark we turn on all the lights. We play the television loud. We have special treats. We dance. We sing. All of it helps. He still gets a little anxious, but he is much better.

Who knows what the first 6 years of Koko's life were like, but we can be pretty sure he had no training and very little attention. So he's like a puppy still. He loves to play fetch so it has become a daily ritual for us. A very fun, very cute, very beneficial thing to do for him and with him.

We're constantly learning and just the other day bought this awesome travel crate for him to ride in comfort when we go for Jeep rides. We're still working on this one and he seems to like it!

So after a year working with Yukari our trainer-client relationship transitioned into a great friendship. We still see her often and Koko and Kizzie are always over the moon happy to smother her in puppy kisses. 

Bottom line in all this is ~ living with a reactive dog is challenging but it is doable! Enlisting the help of a good trainer - one who believes in training with positive reinforcement - is crucial. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch Koko learn and advance and become more comfortable in his own skin. He is a happier dog now. He's a smart boy and he learns quickly; when it clicks, it clicks. I have learned that consistency and routine are very important for him. It has made all of our lives easier. We're still learning; still working on commands and routine. But it is 1000 times better than it was. He's probably always going to have some anxious tendencies, but I feel so much better knowing that we're doing all we can to make him comfortable.

Is every day perfect? No. Do I still have days when I want to pull my hair out? Yes. The occasional meltdown still occurs. But now I know it is only temporary ~ this, too, shall pass. Tomorrow is a new day. All those cliches apply.

Koko mainly just likes being with us. He loves being with his family and we love him.

And always there is that face. That precious little face that brought him to me. We joke and say it has saved him many times. 

That face that I still fall in love with each and every day. I feel blessed that The Universe decided we needed each other, Koko. 

Meanwhile on the Home Front...

We had some interesting weather yesterday. I was working in my studio when I heard the faint wail of sirens which got increasingly loud. I flipped the channel to the local news - nothing. So I concluded perhaps the sirens were just a test.

A few minutes later - ah, there it is. Several funnel clouds spotted - oh my - right in my neighborhood. In the past I would be the one on the deck with my camera searching out the best (read that most dangerous) looking sky. Something in me clicked this time, though. I'm responsible for three beautiful souls and I owed it to them to be as safe as we could be.

So when the meteorologists were strongly advising "take cover if you live in this area" I took it seriously.  So I packed a bag with water, treats (human, canine and feline), an LED flashlight, my laptop, my phone, batteries, adapters - you know the typical we'll-be-here-for-days type stuff.

Koko was already in his Thundershirt so we were good to go.  Go to that mysterious place called "The Basement."

You see, Koko and Kizzie aren't allowed in the basement. It is unfinished and full of all manner of stuff - a virtual playground and recipe for disaster when two puppies descend.

This is what it looked like to be in forbidden territory. The dogs explored as I tracked the storm. As Koko is very reactive to storms exploring the basement was actually a good distraction for him.

He thought perhaps it was Christmas.

Kizzie had other distractions. Kia merely enjoyed her position as Princess 

~ kind of like Princess and the Pea.

We moved upstairs as the storm passed; but the fascination did not.

Someone else was quite pleased the thunder was gone.

And then - as time went on and Koko went to bed (he's always the first to bed) the most amazing thing happened.

Almost a month in to Kia's adoption and I was beginning to wonder if she would ever acclimate... I found hope.

Of course, there is still some work to be done. *wink*

Kizzie: Ahem. Kia ~ that's my lap.

Oh here we go...

Oh January...

Oh January. You're so... January.

The holidays and laughter and fun have passed, family has all gone home and all that lies ahead for [seemingly] ever is cold and gloom...

Living with a wee dog and no backyard requires one to walk several times a day. And it doesn't matter what the weather. My wee one loves to be outside.

In any weather.

But even she has her limits on days when the temps dip below Zero.

That's when I see a lot of this. 

On days like that I bundle us both up in our winter warmest and open the door to head outside she takes one look, promptly turns and makes a mad dash back inside. But, alas, she being a dog, she does eventually need to go outside - no matter the weather.

So we dodge ice and snow and dreary mornings.

And feel really sorry for ourselves.

But despite the snow and ice and cold, if we only take time to notice, nature shows us how amazing she is.

Ice crystals on the edge of the lake.

There are days when January redeems itself ~ if I just pay attention.  Days when the Colorado sky is so blindingly blue it hurts my eyes.

And mornings when it is so, so quiet I can hear the rhythmic whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the Canada geese as they glide gently above my head.

And of course there is the lighter side of our January mornings ~ those mornings when, while still a chill in the air, the sun in shining and the promise of a warmer day gives us a lift. Kizzie and I meet our fellow dog people and pups as we round corners. We chat with our Southern friend who has dubbed Kizzie not only as "Miss Kizzie" but has now added a middle name for her.  "Good Morning, Miss Kizzie Mae. How are you today?" he asks in his welcoming Southern drawl.

I don't know many people names, but Kizzie Mae and I know Daisy and Dolly and Chester and Murray and Max and Ricky and Barkley and Monroe and Annie (well, two Annies) and a few others we wave to (hands and tails respectively).

So in looking at the big picture of January ~ for the gloomy days there actually are a fair amount of beautiful days.

And then comes February...

The Absolute Best Feeling in the World

I'm becoming that old lady. You know - the one that carries her little dog around in a bag with rhinestones on it. 

And we're becoming those old farts who travel with their little dogs everywhere. (Yes, I said dogs - we don't have a friend for Kizzie yet but we're thinking it's kind of inevitable). Next thing you know we'll be driving around in an RV.

After our Vet recommended using a harness for Kizzie when we walk her I have spent hours searching online for the perfect harness for her - comfort is the #1 priority. And then I realized - wait - we're heading into winter and she's already wearing her coat on our morning and evening walks.

But now I need one that has the buckles on the back to hook up her leash - a coat with harness if you will. More hours of research.

I was out most of the day today - the first time I've left Kizzie alone for several hours since she joined our family a week ago.  A couple of hours in I was literally having separation anxiety. This is ridiculous.

While my hair was turning blonde I received a text from The Mister. All it said was, "How is Kizzie." We're hopeless.

But the errands needed to be run ~ and I found a coat w/harness and a promising comfy harness at - of all places - Home Goods. Isn't that where everyone shops for their pet?

My hair was in desperate need of shaping and blonding - so that was a necessary 2.5 hours.

Then I fought rush hour traffic - taking short cuts where I could because I couldn't wait to get home.

And wow. I don't think there is a better feeling in the world than walking thru the door and a 10.8 lb bundle of fur dances and jumps and the tail wags and she can't wait to be picked up and there are puppy kisses and oh my ~ it's wonderful!

I'm hopeless. 

And I love these little dancing, jumping, cuddling feet.