A Good Workout for Both of Them

Ike getting what he usually dishes out!

At first, it was just Ike and Tobit. I was trying to get the shot of Tobit mounting Ike's head like a furry Russian hat but, Ike wasn't letting her get into her favorite position.



Then Belle got in on it.










Then BB and Millie joined in.



The girls had even had him down and surrendering.



















Kissing to make up.

BB's Back!

Haven't seen her for ages.

Hee,hee, BB's got back, too.
I think since her cousin dogs went home, she is getting all the snacks.

I have noticed some of my regulars have 'thickened up' once they got out of the puppy years. Booker, Diesel and BB are starting to pick up some pounds. All these dogs are what I call "furless wonders". Their coats are so short it is more like velvet than fur and are no good for hiding extra weight. Very much like skinny jeans on humans, every pound is on display.

Personally, no one is getting me near any kind of mirror that lets me see my rear!

Getting Along Much Better This Weekend

I have a threesome of big and bouncy, BB, Amica, and Booker. They are a good match for personality, speed, agility and even color. That is a bit of problem, I almost fed Booker, BB's food. And it is hard to tell who you are yelling at when they speed by.

Booker is still playing too rough, but the girls are more than willing to put him in his place. I think they are going to be a good influence on him.

Booker's owner sent a squirt bottle of water for me to use on him, when he acts up. Funny, I just bought myself one last week to try on the nuisance barkers. The lady that runs the animal shelter recommended it. I still think it seems a bit mean, which probably explains why the bottle is still in its bag in the back of my husband's car. Now, I don't have any problem dumping an entire bucket of water on dogs that are fence fighting, but squirting them still seems too harsh. I haven't even tried it on Booker, I keep forgetting his bottle in the kennel.

Or, maybe, it is just that I love them all the more when they are terrible.

Another Game of BB Fetch

Turns out that Tippy plays fetch very much the same way as BB does. That is that I throw and they keep the ball. It really does limit the time we get to play fetch unless I can find another tennis ball to throw.

Note the paw pinning the ball to the ground.

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!

Well, call me Impressed!

Max just out smarted BB out of a tennis ball!

Max has a very bad habit. He eats rocks when he gets bored. I know this from past visits to the ranch. I was a bit worried about this visit. After the first weekend most of the other dogs would be going home. This would leave Max with only his sister, Pepper, and his cousin, BB, to play with. I had to find something to keep Max busy with or it would be back to the rocks. And as bad as eating rocks sounds, it is the pooping rocks that you have to worry about.

Fetch, yeah! Max plays fetch and he even brings the ball back. Max returning the ball means a somewhat risky venture into to removing it from his mouth, but with my winter gloves on, I am willing to go for it. This was working out really well. Much running, much returning, and no rock eating. So far, so good. Some new dogs arrived on Wednesday and they decided to join the game of fetch. Not so good. The new Max also likes fetch and also returns the ball. Only getting the ball back from the new Max doesn't include prying it out of his teeth. He just dropped it at my feet. That was all BB needed to swoop in and steal the ball.

As we all know, fetch is a game of limit iterations with BB. One to be exact, because once she gets the ball, she can't give the ball back.

Well, along with liking tennis balls, BB also likes apples. We happen to have quite the collection of apples on the ground this year and for most of this stay BB has been carrying around apples and not tennis balls. I thought I was only one who noticed this. Turns out Max was aware of BB's new favorite.

When the new Max, I hate when I have more than one dog with the same name, dropped the ball and BB took off with it, Max went a got and apple. He dropped it about 3 feet from BB and then walked away. I immediately thought he was trying to trick BB, but I couldn't believe it. I mean, really, are dogs that sneaky? Max is and it did work. BB zeroed in on that apple, leaving the tennis ball behind. Max whipped over got the ball and brought it back to me.

We were back on for a game of fetch.

Now, I am a bit worried about when they will be able to out smart me.

After All the Rain, Comes All the Running

This is Smuckers

I remember asking her owner how she came to be named after jelly, but I can’t recall their answer. Her family calls her, Mucky. I kept finding myself calling her ‘Smuck’, which isn’t really that nice of a name. She really is a lovely boxer and doesn’t deserve to be called ‘smuck’, ’shlemiel’, ‘shmoe’ or any of the other Yiddish words I know. Thank goodness no one in Utah, other than me, seems to know what I am saying anyway.

I was trying very hard to get a picture of Smuckers for this post only to discover that she doesn’t like to be photographed. I am many shots of the back of her head and a number of her left ear. Her little sister, Prudence, seems to love the camera.

I think Smuckers liked coming here just to get a break from her kid sister. Prudence gets to run with all the other bouncy dogs and Smuckers gets to hang with me. Us old ladies need to stick together. Whenever Smuckers would come around for some loving, I would have to work fast. Prudence likes to butt in and demand all the love for herself. And if Pru stops running and pays attention to me, so does Sonny, BB, Bailey, and Poky. That is just too much dog for even I to love all at once. Especially, since they are want to get on my lap. At seven months pregnant, there just isn’t that much lap to go around anyway.

We had a very cold and rainy day on Wednesday. We even got some hail. The dogs had been stuck in the kennel for most of the day, when the sun decided to show up for dinner playtime. I was letting everyone have an extra long playtime to make up for such a crummy day. I had been snapping pictures with the good intentions of trying to blog again when I gave up on the camera. My ability to get a dog in a frame seems to be even weaker than before. So I was just enjoying the dogs doing what they do best, hauling around the play yard at top speed. I was standing by the inner gate, trying to stay out of the way, when I heard and saw Smuckers fall.

Did she trip?! Dogs don’t trip.

Did someone run into her?! No one was anywhere near her.

I rush over and kneel down next to her. I want to keep the other dogs away incase she is hurt. Normally, if I get down on the ground, dogs overwhelm me: licking, or knocking me over. I should have realized when I wasn’t shoving dogs out of my face, that something was really wrong. Her legs were out straight and stiff so the first thing I think of is that she is having a seizure. My dog, Sam, had those. I am three steps ahead in my mind…finish the seizure, put the rest of the dogs away, and put her in the car and take her to the vet. I am holding her shoulder and telling her that everything is going to be fine, ‘cause I have a plan, when her breathing slowed and stopped. It seemed like a long time, but it was probably less than a minute.

My husband figures it was either a heart attack or stroke to happen so fast. We both decided that going that quickly while having a great time with your buddies would be the way we’d like to go.

Maybe I have led a sheltered life, but at 43, I have never been present when someone died. The last thing I said to her was, “Oh no, Smuck, don’t go.” It was really simple and peaceful, she was here and then she wasn’t.

Usually, I get to hear about the death of one of my doggies when their owners call to cancel on reservations or when they see me in the grocery store. I don’t usually have to be the one to tell their moms.

I guess I have to expect that after 5 years, I would lose some of my clients. It is just as hard with Smuckers as with the first dog I lost, Snoopy. The biggest black lab you ever saw.

We buried Smuckers under my favorite pear tree. My kids and my dogs saw her off. My son wants to light a candle for her at mass this weekend. I told him, that I doubt Smuckers was a practicing Catholic, but I think it would still be okay. St. Frances would be proud.

This last photo taken about 5 minutes before she died.

Dang, I Had No Idea It Was That Cold!

BB arrived at the end of last week and on her first playtime, I spotted her holding her back leg up.

My first thought is that these big idiots had hurt BB. My second thought is, if you idiots have actually hurt BB, who exactly is going to play with you? As you all know, I am no fun.

I check her leg and I don't see anything wrong, nor does she react like my exam is hurting her. So, I let her walk around. No limp when she is walking, just holding her passenger's side rear leg up. All the way up, not just off the ground, all the way up to her belly like a shiny black flamingo. Hold it, wasn't it the passenger side? Now it is the driver's side rear.

She is not hurt, her feet are cold - so are mine for that matter.

Then she did something I have NEVER seen before. It was the most awkward pose I had ever seen a dog assume. BB sat on her butt, in the snow, tail tucked and lifted both legs up off the snow - up to her knee, ankle? whatever it is really called.

Forget the wind chill factor, you know it is cold when a dog won't put their feet down and colder than that when BB walks over to her kennel door to let back in. With that I can assure you that hell has officially frozen over.

And so much for never having seen that pose before...Oreo did the exact same, butt down - feet up, position right after BB did. Must have looked like a good idea.

I thought last weekend was bad...

but this Thanksgiving has been the worse.


Last weekend that dogs just never jelled. They never seemed to get it together and really has some fun. I kept thinking that the right dog would pull the group together. Sophie showed up and my hopes were all riding on her. No luck, they mostly just wandered around and ignored each other. I am getting a crash course in the psychology of group dynamics. The right dog can make a playtime, removing a dog can improve play time, but sometimes you just can't get them to play at all.


This weekend is is less worrying about them not having fun and more of keeping them from killing each other. Every single dog I have this LONG weekend is a regular. Every single one of them has lost their minds.

I have Tessie and with Tessie you never get a quiet weekend. She is quite the barker, in the kennel she is bad, but out to play she is worse. She barks non stop at all the dogs to get them to play with her. I keep trying to point out that this is not working for her, but she hasn't changed her approach.

I have Sunny, a collie, who is herding all the dogs. Sunny also barks in the kennel and even more when out to play. Sunny needs an authority figure. I work on him every time he comes. I pull out everything I have learned from the Dog Whisperer's show and his books. I can usually get Sunny to tone it down but this time he is just not stopping at the nipping at other dogs. He has actually managed to piss BB off so bad that she has snapped at him more than once. He has not gotten the message.

I will try again to talk to his Dad about how he walks his dog and how the humans need to be the pack leader and not Sunny. Sunny is a severe dog bite waiting to happen. He is going to happily chomp on the wrong tail or flank and he is going to catch hell for it.

As for the rest of them, they all left their manners at home. Chaser and Bella were teasing Jake far too much last weekend and now they are doing it to Smokey Bill. Patches likes to play with everyone, but as soon as it gets to rough on her, her teeth come out and the growling starts. I just never let her play with anyone for too long. Sweetie is just a nervous wreck and she is fully capable of avoiding all the other dogs, normally. This group just can't leave her alone.

Which brings me to Kodi and Bella, two of the biggest dogs and yet the frightenest. These guys bark a big fight inside their run, but then just spend playtime avoiding all the other dogs. They have been coming for years, this is their routine. Bark like killers until let out and then tuck tail and go hang out by the rose bush.

Not this weekend, I don't know what changed but it changed for the worse. They still bark like killers in their run, but now when I let them out Kodi growls at whatever dog he comes to first and Bella puts her whole mouth on the neck of whatever dog she comes to first. As you might guess, Kodi and Bella now have one side of the play yard all to themselves.

One more weekend like this and I quit!

I Have Never Seen BB Hold So Still

She was on point and every muscle was coiled spring. There was a look in her eye and it clearly was not love for my neighbors kitten. I have never seen this pose before. She even had her hackles up. Which for BB, the fur-less wonder, is more of velvet brushed the wrong way. You can only see it as a difference in her normal shade of black.

"Daisy, do you remember KNOCKED SILLY!"

I guess not. Daisy is right back to 'liking big dogs' just like her owner said. I, however, am still a bit paranoid about her running with the big dogs so I keep trying to remind her.

"Daisy, do you remember KNOCKED SILLY!"
"These are the dogs that KNOCKED YOU SILLY!"
"Really, Daisy, KNOCKED SILLY - not ringing a bell for you!"

"Nope!"



THE LEAP!




PLAYING WITH THE BIG DOGS!

Roxy is Our Resident Wild Thing!

So Many new Friends...

..To Smell!

Speaks For Itself

Turn on your volume and learn all about BB's version of Non-Fetch.

Matched Set

Not only does BB have a friend to play with, she practically has herself to play with. I often notice dogs that don't look alike but are virtual twins in personality. BB and Smokey are those kind of twins.

Not only to they play together and wrestle together with a lot of the same moves and maneuvers; they respond to affection and delivery affection in the same manner.

Lovin' on these dogs runs a high risk of bruising on me. Start scratching or rubbing on Smokey and he turns on the wiggles, revs up his tail, and starts bouncing. Petting BB starts her curling around and around you, and she turns on a tail that is more of a fur covered steel cable. Now, make the mistake of thinking that you have two hands and can pet two dogs at the same time and try it with these two...you will be lucky if you can stay on your feet. That is just too much dog to try to pet at the same time.

Getting love from BB usually involves a paw to the heart, "The Flying Leap of Love" as I have dubbed it. Smokey has his own variation of "The Leap"; it is a two pawed affair with now discernible pattern of where it lands except that it lands on me and threatens to knock me over.

I guess it is all good - BB isn't bored anymore, Smokey is having a great time, and I have a few more bruises than normal.

I thought I knew BB....

But I never had her all to myself before.

BB is the only dog in the kennel today. I think she is a bit bored with just me, so I tried to get my dogs to play with her. I think she is bored with them also. Not for long, though, she has a buddy showing up early tomorrow.

I never get to love on BB until she is going into her kennel. BB always gets to be the last one in and she gets an allover rub down before she steps foot in her kennel. She really has done a great job in training me.

I decided it was safe to sit down for a playtime with only one dog and I got more BB lovin' than I have in the past 5 years. This is what I learned about BB.

First, she is a licker. Trying to pet her is an extreme effort in getting your hands washed. It is just a bit too cold for that much dog spit.

Second, she is a bird-dog. I had her out trying to squeeze in one more play time before the rains hit and she was barking straight up into the sky. I thought she was barking at the thunder, but it was a dove on the power lines. She dashed across the play yard chasing a couple of other doves that flew by only to return to barking at the first one. When thunder finally scared that dove up, BB shot after it like she really had a chance at catching it.

Third, BB really is the smartest dog I have ever met. All summer long, BB has been leaving her blankets outside. I have tried to put them back in her inside run, but she takes them right back out to the outside run. Last weekend, we had some rain and when I went down to the kennel after it had ended, I noticed that BB had her blanket inside and perfectly dry. Smart Dog! Well, once might have been a fluke. Seeing her do it again this time, means she knows what she is doing. Very Smart Dog!

BB Eats Another Toy

This is why I shop for dog toys at DI.

Tug-O-War!