Finally, I have a system that works!

It is very long and convoluted but, everyone gets out and no one gets hurt.

First, the cast of characters:

We have Zoey and Kale, they are a perfect match and are having a good time together. They would, could and should play with the Big and Bouncies that we have this weekend. Only, Puppy plays WAY too hard and I am worried about a Little Bit getting a little bit smooshed.



Under the title of Big and Bouncy, we have Lily, Puppy, Prudence, Emma, and Oakley. Two Lab mixes, a Boxer, a Standard Poodle and a Labradoodle, respectively. They are all getting along, famously.







Then there are Tequila and Mikki, these two are giving me gray hairs and I really don't need anymore of those. Tequila is a Pitbull and is showing too much fence aggression to ever be let out with anyone else. It is just as well, because Mikki is so old and arthritic that I can't risk having him hit by another dog. Mikki is in such bad shape, he can't get out the dog door. I actually thought I was going to have to take this dog to the vet to be put down because he wouldn't even stand up for the first day. Talked to the owners and it turns out, I have to get Mikki to stand up and move or he will just lie down all day, making his stiff joints even worse.






That is when I came up with my system:

Step one, lock Tequila in the outside run.

Then let Puppy, Lily, Prudence, Emma and Oakley out to play. Try to get them all on the back portion of the play yard and close the gate. (Biggest hold up in this process is waiting for Puppy to pee. Either that dog has the largest bladder or the smallest urethra, 'cause he takes much to long to finish peeing.)

Go back in the kennel and walk Mikki out the door and through the gate to the play yard. Let Tequila out with her brother. Keep Lily, Puppy and Tequila from fence fighting at the gate.

Let them all play for at least 15 minutes.

Put Tequila back in her run.

Walk Mikki back through the gate and into the kennel. Feed him his special combo of dog food and chopped up hot dog. Grab Tequila's special bowl, that keeps her from eating too fast and throwing up. (Will have to get a picture of this bowl and find out where they got it, I know a number of dogs that need this device)

Go back outside.

Give Tequila her food in the outside run.

Put all the Big and Bouncies back in their runs.

Let Zoey and Kale out, and stick them on the far side.

Let Amos and Dillan out. I don't have a picture of these guys, a Shitzu and a Chiuhuahua. They are truly the rarest of all breeds, a small dog that comes when called. A wondrous treat for me. Only, they don't get along with the other two little bits.

All of this takes about 45 minutes, minimum, so I am thankful that this mismatched set of dogs showed up after my husband is off from school.

Cast of Characters

Buddy



Emma



Roxie



Teesha



Dexter

Yet Another Cold and Wet Memorial Day Weekend

I am equally shocked and pleasantly surprised when we get nice weather for Memorial Day or Halloween.

But it is still a good day at the Ranch, as Butch finally has someone to play with. Lucky and he are a pretty good match, I only wish that Ziggy hadn't cancelled out. Luck and Butch are getting plenty dirty, wet and worn out, but three in a dog pile is something to watch.

I will stick the camera in my coat and try to get some footage.

Until Lucky showed up this morning, Butch had been trying to play with everyone else. Teesha seems to want to play for about 30 seconds and then she seems to want to take a chunk out of Butch. Butch is unaware of this change in mood. Butch wants to play with Roxie, the boxer, but she seems to have a sore leg. She would have been a good playmate, but she started holding her back leg up just last night. I am trying to determine if it is the leg or the paw, but she is still mobile enough not to let me have a good look. Emma, the white lab, is too old for this stuff and is sticking to playing with Dexter, the cocker spanial. Dexter is avioding both Lucky and Butch as too big and bouncey for him to play with. And little Buddy, the dachshuad, never plays with anyone but his brother Ziggy and they just had a big fight and are spending some time apart. Another talk with the owners over that one, coming up.

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

Emma is one of my favorite dogs. Have you ever seen such a white Labrador? Isn't she just the cutest thing. I do have a soft spot for the labs. Emma is getting old and a bit on the heavy side, but hey, who isn't? But, she still likes to run and play.

Only problem with Emma is that her owners just don't travel often enough.

And Then There was Hank

So much for just the girls. Hank, the cow dog, showed up Tuesday morning to mess with my quiet week. Hank can sometimes take issue with male dogs that want to wrestle with him. I have to keep a close eye on him. But it turns out that he is happy to let the girls beat the tar out of him.

Dusty, Emma, and Nuray are all taking advantage of a boy dog that they can catch.

Missed the Shot, Yet Again!

I remembered the camera, finally. I remembered to bring a camera with dying batteries, finally.

I was hoping to get some video of this great group of dogs doing some amazing dashes around the play yard with Ziggy in the lead. Ziggy has come into his own and clearly has left his skittish days behind him. Behind him this weekend was a group of dogs panting hard to keep up. Bailey and Max were always close behind with Tessie, never in the group, but always running along side barking the whole long way. She is our orange and white referee. Even the old ladies, Dusty and Emma would try a lap or two. The one dog that could never really keep up would be Ziggy's brother, Buddy. Buddy is a Dachshund. He doesn't seem to realize that is legs are only 2 inches long, but the fact is that they are and he will never be able to keep up with the big dogs.

Buddy, like many little brothers before him, only joins the fight after Ziggy stops to take a break. As soon as the running stops, Buddy starts lunging for Ziggy's neck. With a high degree of skill and determination.

Ziggy doesn't seem to mind and it does keep Buddy out of the herd during the stampede where I worry that he might just become a little furry speed bump.