Found a Dog

Well, I did everything I could. Last night, I called the police and had the Helper Police keep an eye out for her. I also attempted to look for her at her house and at her Aunt's house.

This morning I called the Animal Shelter and notified them to call me on any 'found' dog calls.

My next move was to call Barter Bar on Monday so that pretty much everyone in the county would know about Sugar. I wasn't as worried about coyotes or cats getting her as someone finding her and deciding to keep her.

After that, all I get to do is worry. And we all know how good I am at that.

As I wasn't sleeping last night, I was telling myself the she is not wandering around. She may have wandered away from me, but once it was dark, she probably is hunkered down somewhere waiting for morning.

I think I might I have been right about that and not just trying to talk myself into some sleep.

Sugar was found in the parking lot of the building across Main Street from her house. Gee, I almost parked there last night. Her Aunt thinks that since she has been scolded so many times for being in Main Street that she was headed home but afraid to cross the last road.

Yeah, all's well that ends well.

Lost a Dog

Just not what you want to realize just as you are putting the dogs to bed and it is getting to be full dark.

She is just the littlest thing and cute as a button sitting in her dog bed. At dinner, I had just been thinking that I needed to get a picture of her sitting there.

I am just in shock and so upset. As you can imagine, the owners are even more upset. The lady that owners her drove home last night to look for her. Her daughter, who was also out of town, drove back from Wendover to start the search and her actual plans were to head out to Elko today.


After talking to the owner, I got her home address and I tried there for the dog, no luck.
That was about 10pm and at 1:20am, they called and asked me to check their daughter's house as well. Yup, that was me wandering around 4th Avenue in my PJs.

I have contacted Price Dispatch and they let the Helper Police know. I have been trying to call the radio stations, but it is Saturday, crazy early, and there just aren't any real people there.

I don't know what else to try.

If you see a dog so small it could be a kitten...Sugar is a teacup poodle, all black, only 5 months old, won't come if called, no more than 8 inches tall and about 2-3 pounds. Call me, she is missed.

Two Tobits!

I have had 2 Buddies, at the same time. And two Roxies, both Boxers at the same time. And more than one Harley, but two Tobits, that was really unexpected.

The kids liked the grandparent's dog's name so much they used it on their dog.

I understand it is from the Bible.

Just Not Goofy's MO

Goofy might 'love' me, but he usually isn't that big on dogs. He doesn't play with the other dogs, he doesn't really react to them either. He usual interaction is to latch onto a small dog and follow it around endlessly while barking at it.

Yes, Goofy does often cross that fine line between 'love' and 'stalking'.

For the most part, the little dogs just completely ignore Goofy. They do end up with a Goofy spit covered back but otherwise not put out by Goofy's attention.

For the first time, Goofy has attached himself to a big dog, Shilo. Goofy has never picked on someone his own size before.


And is he ever attached. I have also never seen him so focused. So focused that I was able to comb out all of his underfur off his rear end without him even noticing me.

Maybe just too big.

I noticed the other day that Cai has scraped up his back. He must be doing it as he goes in and out his dog door. I tried sanding off some rough spots, but in the end, I just covered the plastic trim with duct tape. I wish I had thought of it sooner.

Really, I thought I bought the perfect doors for the kennel. Then, again, I also thought my dogs were big dogs. I have had to rethink my definitions of both 'big' and 'little' as applied to dogs.

If I ever get to build a new kennel, the doors will be higher and lower. I have a couple of logs that I put under the doors to make ramps for the little bits, so I think closer to the ground is important. And I have more than one of the extra large variety of dogs, so taller is essential.

Everyone is having fun, including me!

Since the girls that were not getting along went home, things have been running pretty smoothly. I have the big guys on one side of the play yard and the little bits on my side.

Maki hasn't completely gotten over being the "little" dog in the pile when playing with Cai, but Diesel is completely unfazed by the size difference. He is just happy whenever a dog will keep playing with him.

I tried and tried to get the money shot of them leaping up at each other, but no luck.

I even got Pug to come out and play with Tiger. Pug had been acting like she was old and pitiful for the first 3 days. Now, I think she was just being wise and staying away from all the craziness over the weekend. She is practically a puppy again, playing with Tiger. Missed the pictures, of course.

Silent Night?!!

Tuesday night was like everyother night before it. I close all the dog doors and then I give a bedtime biscuit to each of the dogs, either one of mine or one their parents sent.

Then I say "Good Night!" to each of them by name.

And when I am about to leave and turn off the lights, I say, "Night, Night doggies! Be good doggies and don't bark, I will see you in the morning!" Then I step out and close the door.

Been saying the same thing for just shy of 7 years now.

When I stepped out that door on Tuesday, I was met with something that hasn't been heard around the kennel in weeks - SILENCE.

It was really lovely.

I know it won't last, there is a Beagle in there, but it was both nice and surprising.

A Perfect Storm of Dogs

Really, I can't come up with a worse combination of dogs than the one I have now. If you have any desire to lose your hearing, feel free to stop by, the barking is nothing less than spectacular.

I have Tessie and until yesterday I had Jinx. Neither of these dogs comes with an OFF switch. Jinx barks all the time and when Tessie is not barking, she is jumping straight up and down. Which of course, just makes all the other dogs bark.

Tessie's barking has been a problem from day one. The only time she stops barking at the dogs that are playing is when I throw a toy for her. She doesn't bring them back so I try to load up and keep throwing them. Her constant barking at dogs that are wrestling is like a circle of people yelling, "Fight! Fight!", it just isn't going to lead to anything good.

But Tessie comes here all the time and frankly me and most of the dogs are just plain used to her.

Well this weekend, between Tessie's leaping and Jinx's yipping was Keisha, barking right along with them. Then the Glitter Twins showed up, Jasmine and Jake. Two yellow labs that no one wants to play with because just one of them is too much playing. Tessie's constant motion has the puppies in a frenzy and Keisha is revving up right along with them.

If you watch the Dog Whisperer, he always talks about the 'energy' level of the dogs. Let's just say that this much barking and jumping, the energy level in the kennel is at 11. And high energy in dogs is, frankly, unstable. So I have a full kennel of fur covered nitro...one wrong touch and this place is going to blow.

When I first let the dogs out into the play yard, the energy is at its highest and worst. Sometimes they shoot out of their gate like madmen. Diesel had a problem with this. He has calmed down since, but at first I would let him out, lock him on the far side of the play yard and let him run it off for 5 or 10 minutes before letting him in with the other dogs. If I just let him out into a crowd he would being playing but at such an intensity that to the other dogs, it would be an attack.

So, the trick to defusing this situation is first, who can play with who, and second, in what order can you let them out.

I have all these nutty dogs and some of them are of the extra large variety. I have to say that I am mostly focused on Cai, the Irish Wolfhound and on Maki, the Mastidor (Mastif-Labrador). Maki is clearly not used to being the SMALL dog in the pile. Maki was really getting picked on fir a while. Keisha on one side, Cai on the other, when Jinx darts in a bites her on the ankle. Now, Maki doesn't even see Jinx, who is the size of a pound of butter. He thinks Keisha did it and growls at her. "Break it up, break it up, everyone back in their own rooms". First things first, Jinx is not coming out anymore.

I was thinking that the puppies, who are a perfect match for Maki might also do well with Cai. Everything just might work out. Nope.

Let out Cai, let Bella out but not Jinx, let out Keisha, get the tennis racket to defend myself, let out the puppies and Maki, let out Tessie last as she HAS to go in everyone kennel if she is let out sooner.

I am so worried about the big and bouncy, that I total missed the girls working themselves into a tizzy. Of all the dogs, it was Keisha and Tessie that went at it. Looked bad, sounded worse, no marks on either of them.

Okay lets try again.

Let out Cai, let Bella out but not Jinx, get the tennis racket to defend myself, let out Jake and leave Jasmine in the kennel obsessing over Tessie, let out Maki and try to keep her off me, let out Tessie last. Stuff them all on the other side while trying to keep Jake and Maki off me.

Latch the divider gate for the play yard and let out Keisha and Jasmine.

Spend playtime throwing balls to get Tessie to stop barking and fencing with a tennis racket to defend my personal space from Keisha and Jasmine.

I just keep asking myself...so, when are they all going home?

Eeekkk! Bees!

Really big and fuzzy and just plane weird because they are so darn big, bees.

They seem to love the Locust tree I planted last year. When I bought this half dead, barely a stick of tree, on sale last year, I had NO idea what I was getting. First, it has grown like crazy. The trunk is already more than 2 inches across. Second, who knew about the wild purple flowers? Last year, I got them in the spring and again in the fall. I am getting my shady play yard back, finally. After losing that huge peach tree, we were all baking in the sun out there.

Both the BIGGEST and the LITTLEST!

Cai and Jinx, marvel at the shear range of dogdom.

This weeks visitors

Littlest to Biggest

Jinx



Jinx's BIG sister, Bella



Tessie, who never lets me get a picture of her.



Ellie-Belly, she no longer requires a belly rub to get back into her kennel.



BB, doesn't she look mean in this picture.



Shadow, who just might be afraid of his own shadow.



Cai, short for Mordecai, short for nothing else. He is the biggest dog, ever, at The Ranch!