Shilo is the Life of the Party!

And the center of attention.

Maybe too much attention. It takes a very confident dog to stand still when this crowd come in for a 'Meet and Greet'.

When Shilo decided that was enough and started to run, the play time really started.

I am so glad Shilo came today.

The Gentle Giants

I really like Great Danes, they are the most gentle of all dogs. They are just so darn big, too. I ahve been watching this one cruise around the play yard. She is so graceful that if she wasn't wearing sleigh bells, I wouldn't even hear her passing by. She even looks gracefully as she gets herself through the doggie door - no small feat for a dog her size.

This is Maddy. She is not the biggest Great Dane that I have ever met but she might be the shyest. She held out for a whole day before I got to love on her. I also learn that she does not like my camera, which is why I couldn't get a good picture of her face.

Lucky is Not Liking My New Rule

I declared a 'No Paws On Me' rule awhile back. I am still trying to pull a Dog Whisperer. If I want to have peace and harmony in the kennel, I have to be the pack leader.

I have been walking the dog that think they are in charge on a lease to change their minds. That has worked pretty well with most dogs, no real effect on Millie last week. The other thing I decide to do was not tolerate any dominating of me. Thus, the 'No Paws On Me' rule.

This is particularly upsetting to Lucky who likes to be petted while he is up on his hind legs with his fore paws on your chest. I think I was giving him a complex telling him to get down. So yesterday, I called him over, I had him sit and then I ordered him 'Up' and then I gave him a big rub down. He seems to be back to his old self and I am back to having to throw an endless number of slobber covered, mud caked balls.

And I am very happy about that.

I still think this is a good rule, I get to keep my position of authority, my coat is staying a bit cleaner, and I don't have nearly the number of bruises that I usually sport.

I Felt Like Hercules Fighting the Hydra

I think I have my metaphor right. Every time he cut off one of the Hydra's 6 heads another 6 would grow to replace it.

When Bo went home a little early yesterday, I thought, "Great, no more non-stop petting."

I could not have been more wrong. I actually had it pretty good over the weekend having to pet Bo ALL the time and Harley just MOST of the time. Two hands, two dogs works.

After Bo left, Flip and Yanni also went home. So the dinnertime play time, was going to be pleasant and easy - just Lucky, Murphy, and Harley - this should be fun. Oh no, it seems that they were all just waiting their turns. Lucky doesn't want to play ball. (Clearly a sentence I thought I would never write.) He just wants to be loved on. So does Murphy and he is particularly demanding. He pushes against me and shoves the other dogs away. But I am trying to hold my footing and pet both Murphy and Lucky at the same time, when Harley strolls over and want part of the action.

It is not humanly possible to pet three dogs at the same time and make them all happy. So I abdicated and went to scoop poop.

Wish me luck this morning, I am going to need it. That or I have to grow a third arm in the next 5 minutes.

And Then Came Murphy...

Who was actually willing to play with the other dogs.

I thought I had found my solution. With the arrival of a new dog, there is alway lots of meets and greets and the dogs find that endlessly entertaining. After exchanging smells with the new kid, everyone seemed to be able to find something to occupy them.

Yanni was now busy trying to hump Murphy, so Harley was happy being left alone. Flip and Lucky were still happy chasing balls. With Murphy, Izzy now had a new dog to try to get to play with.

That first playtime went better than any other one this weekend.

Yanni Will Always Be Yawny to Me

The first time I heard this dogs name, I heard 'Yawny'. So I made a joke about having to give him a discount since he was named after my place.

His name is really Yanni, named after that musician.

I have decided that he really should have been named 'Yippy' as he cannot seem to stop barking inside the kennel.

These Boys Just Can't Get It Together

They are driving me crazy, they cannot figure out how to play together and together they are having a lousy time at the ranch this weekend.













First is Bo, he is old and not socialized. He doesn't want any dog to smell him nor does he want to smell them. He just wants me to pet him nonstop until another dog comes up to me and then he growls at them. This got old two days ago. Today, he decided to try to interact with another dog. he tried to mount Harley - wrong move on the wrong dog, so much for improving his social graces.













Then there is Harley, he is old but usually playful. This time he is only getting the attention of Yanni who is small and annoying. Yanni only wants mount Harley. Of this Harley has only a limited tolerance. The fact that Harley doesn't want this, and that he has sitches across is back so Yanni is actually hurting him, is complete lost on Yanni. Yannis also oblivoius to the fact that a ticked off Harley can eat him in one bite.













Next is Lucky and Flip, they just want to play ball. They are even willing to bring it back to some where in the general vicinity of me. Great, we will play ball, we will pet Bo and Harley between throws and all will be good.














Nope, I forgot about Izzy. He just wants to run and wrestle. To have a decent game of 'run and wrestle', you need two dogs or more. Izzy doesn't have a partner. So he has taken to stealing the ball from Flip and Lucky or to just harass them as they bring the ball back. I don't think he realizes that interfering with Lucky and a tennis ball is a capital offense in Lucky's eyes.

So I have spent my days throwing dust and spit covered balls, keeping Yanni off Harley's back, kept Bo from even trying to get on Harley's back and trying to keep Izzy from losing his mind from lack of quality play time. I am so tired.

This is Nila and Pondo

These two are the sweetest little dogs I have ever met. I always worry when an owner tells me their dog is a 'pound puppy'. With all the chain link and barking dogs, coming to my place can be a very bad flash back for a dog that spent a long time waiting for adoption.

But these two made themselves right at home and demanded all the love from me for themselves. I was happy to oblige them.

Bailey Steps into Buddy's Spot

He took over his kennel and his place in the big wrestling match. Millie has found another dog that can handle her level of 'attention'.






Bailey even gets to 'win' a few rounds.


Then Spike joined the game and Bailey ends up working at an extreme disadvantage - he has to wrestle with a Spike attached to his rear end.




Spike's involvement lured Bourbon into the fray. I don't really understand why Bourbon wants to mount Spike. The size difference alone makes it impossible. Besides, Bourbon is female and Spike is male.

And this turn of events get me 'Doggie Trains'.


I think Bailey is all worn out. I bet he went home and slept for 3 days.

Buddy is Now Just One of the Dogs

This is a GREAT thing!

The first time Buddy came, he wouldn't leave his kennel and come out to play. The second time he came, he came out for the first play time and then never again. The third stay he came out for a couple of playtimes, maybe once a day. This stay, his fourth, he came out for the first play time and then he stayed in his run for the rest of that day and most of the second day. I was worried he had had a set back and I'd never get him out again.

When he is out he is calm and friendly, not playful yet but doing okay with the other dogs. When he is locked behind a fence, he is barky and fond of fence fighting with the other dogs. I have seen this before, somehow being restrained makes the dog insecure and frightened and therefor they act aggressively.

Well, yesterday afternoon Buddy not only came out, he came out to play. I had a mass rough-housing with BB, Millie, Nila, and Buddy. They were having a great time and Millie was not playing in her hyper-aggressive style. They were just have a big furry ball of fun.

I couldn't have been more pleased. Only problem was that Buddy when home shortly after that and the others couldn't seem to work back into a fun wrestling match with out Buddy.

My Remodel is Stressing Me Out

For the past week and now this week, I have to pack up everything I will need for the day and get out of my house for the day.

The contractors are pulling down the walls and ceiling of my kitchen, and there is so much coal dust that they have to nail up a plastic sheet to protect my make-shift kitchen area and the access to upstairs (which is where we are living).

Therefore, I have to plan out what I think I will need - phones, purse, change of clothes, dog calendar, family calendar, snacks, water - and take it with me.

Yesterday, I didn't think of the camera, which was a shame because I got the two pugs, Max and Buster back just for daycare. I hope they come again soon they are just plain cute together and hysterical when they try to mount a big dog like Bourbon.

Bella just wants get the ball first.

She has developed a bad habit in the endless pursuit of thrown toys and balls. She is so worried that someone else might get it first that she starts to run while still watching me throw the toy.

Running away, while still looking back, causes her to plow into any dog in her way. She has plowed into pretty much every dog down there, and a few more than once. The smarter dogs learned to not stop in her general 'flight plan'.

Yesterday, I was standing in the alleyway between the kennel and the storage shed that is next to it. I was just trying to protect myself from these wicked winds we are having. Bella took off so fast one time that she smacked into the side of my shed, a barn-shaped shed.

Yup, that Labrador ran smack into the 'broad side of a barn'.

Bella, please, look before you dash!

Bella just wants to play Fetch

This is all I see of Bella. I throw, she runs, she brings the toy back and repeat, and repeat, and repeat.


A problem has cropped up in our endless game of Fetch, Bella is hording all the toys in her kennel. The play yard is almost barren at this point. Never before has a toy hoarder managed to clean out the play yard in only 3 days.

I think I have found the trouble with Skrowty

He has peed on everything that can't move and a few things that can.

Since I already covered the Big and Bouncey Dogs...

How about a 'Meet and Greet' for the herd of little guys.


Sasha and Sierra, the Shitzus, make a formidable team. Whenever the big dogs come sniffing around, these two close ranks and back each other up. Together they are a one larger and more impressive of a dog. Nice to see such team worker with a set of sister.

You have already met Skrowty. Really different looking but still all dog. He seems to be getting along with everyone. I am supposed to give the owners a report back on this dog. It seems that he has been adopted out and returned to shelters over and over. I don't see what the problem is and niether does his Mom, but his Dad described him as 'awful'. I will have to follow up and see what trouble he is causing at home, because he isn't causing trouble here.

This is Spike. He doesn't want to come out with the other dogs. He has been here many other times and I don't remember him being timid. Though with some of this big, wild things I have this weekend sometimes I am a little timid about heading out to the play yard, too.


And last Brandi. Who keeps wanting to be with the big dogs so he can play with his cousin, Maggie.

There is alway something NEW and INTERESTING...

at the Ranch! Today, his name is Skrowty. I got my first Chinese Crested.

Get this, I have to put SUNBLOCK on this dog. And the poor little naked thing will burn in all this nice sunny weather we are having. So out comes the sunblock.

I wish the owners had bought the spray on kind. Getting a good coating of sunblock on a dog is actually tricker than getting on on a two year old.

Mounter vs Mounter

I was curious to see how this was going to play out. Along this Bruno, I now have Drake. Who is equally guilty of trying to hump anything on four legs.


This is what I got. Drake putting up with Bruno at least once and a while. And the side effect of Bruno leaving the girls alone for at least a little while.

Weird, I would have never thought that in Canine Algebra, two mounters cancel each other out.





Drake does get mad and growl at Bruno on occasion, but for the most part he just stands there and looks bored.

I just wish they didn't look like they are killing each other.

This really should be shots of Terry and Millie. They were a perfect match for each other. They were both growling and showing their teeth and completely harmless except that they looked like they were killing each other. At least they had each other, any other dog would think Millie was really coming in for the kill and I'd have a real fight on my hands.

But now Millie has Bruno all to herself. None of the other dogs want anything to do with either of them. Bruno is still trying to mount Millie but she is too small and too fast for him to pull anything off.

Once again, they are having a great time, and no one is getting hurt, but they still look like they are killing each other.





Millie really is the sweetest looking little thing. I just had no idea the Tasmanian Devil that was hidden under all that cuteness.

Enough to Drive Me to Drink

I have Bourbon and Brandi this weekend, too bad Boozer went home last Sunday.

Bruno, Bruno, Bruno...you are not impressing the girls with this move!

Nor, the boys.

Bruno seems to think that all dogs were put on this earth for him to mount. All the wrestling he does with the other dogs it just in an attempt to pull his one and only 'move'. One problem is that we have only dogs that are much smaller than him. He was having a great time trying this on Terry, but Terry is a little too fast and maneuverable for him to really pull anything off. Besides he is just do darn big, I have to interfere and pull him off before he smushes some dog.

He tried to mount Bourbon, but she told him in no uncertain terms that was not going to happen. She growled, lunged, and snapped at him. That is all the more message I would need. I have a highly developed sense of self-preservation, Bruno does not. It took two more snaps before he took that Doberman Pincher seriously. Bruno is all Lab, big, and happy and not the sharpest tool in the drawer.

Here he is trying out he moves on Maggie:

The Meet and Greet.

Returning the Favor.

Coming About!

The Move. Quickly followed by a Growl, Lunge, and Snap. This is number 2 for Maggie. Maybe Bruno will catch on quicker this time.

I have already taking Bruno for a couple of leased walks hoping that establishing myself as the leader would knock down on his desire to mount all the dogs. The 'Dog Whisperer' I am not. No luck with Bruno and his 'hobby'.

Maggie and Brandi

Brandi belong to Maggie's owner's mother. In dog family trees, that makes them cousin-dogs.

Maggie used to be one of my neighbors. When she ran away she would always come up and visit me and my dogs. I would never return her right away because my dogs would actually play with her. As they had gotten old, they really didn't play much. It was fun to see them at it again.

Maggie is also the dog that taught me that dogs can climb fences. It is because of her that all the runs have tops, and there is an extra chunk of fencing on one of the corners of the play yard. I caught her just as she was heading up and over that corner. Fortunately for me, when she first climbed and bolted, she just went home and all I had to do was walk down the alley and up the street and retrieve her from her front stoop. If she had decided to run, no one would have ever caught her.

I was a bit worried about the cousins bunking together since Maggie is such a wild thing. But no worries, it seems that Maggie had grown up and slowed down with the rest of us. I hope I can get her together with my girls and see if they remember each other.

I Found It!

Actually my husband found our camera. Down in the garage of all places. Even he doesn't have a theory on how it got there. But I am delighted. I was trying to wrap my brain around the pain of picking a new camera out and finding the best price. I just couldn't bring myself to think about it and remember, I wasn't going to be doing any of it anyway, I was going to assign that project to my husband.

But now you can meet the cast of characters I have staying with me this Easter.

Last Out, First In

Oh my word! We have another Tessie!

'Last Out, First In' is the rule for Tessie. She has a thing for jumping into other dog's kennels, if given the opportunity. The key is not to give her the opportunity. This week I have a very large and happy lab named Bruno that has the same penchant for other kennels as Tessie. Only problem is that I can't seem to remember the 'Last Out, First In' rule for Bruno. Maybe I will do better today.

With Tessie, I always assumed that her fascination was with checking out what the other dogs have in their kennels. She always whipped in and back out in record time, and always with a bite of food or a stolen toy. Then I noticed she is just a ready to jump through the gate that divides the play yard. And once when she came, she was running free and all I had to do was open the play yard gate and not the kennel door and she whipped right in.

Oh I get it now, it is not the kennel that she keyed on, it is the gate. She cannot resist going through an open gate no matter where it leads to. Good to know, but I will still have to stick to my 'Last Out, First In' rule for both Tessie and Bruno