Holiday Lights

I've posted about this before, but since everyone loves xmas lights...What else can you say. The Welsh are cool. So are their sheep. And LED lights are cool to the touch - the sheep won't get burnt [we left LED lights plugged in on our live xmas tree last year & they stayed cool for hours & days on end].

Thank you and welcome...

Thank you to everyone who sent me and Evie notes from reading all about her over on Jen's blog! England seems like it was a million years ago. It's hard to believe Evie is 10yrs old now - and her trip will have been 6yrs ago this coming February.

I firmly believe that every greyhound [or any dog for that matter] has a talent. Evie was certainly great at coursing - she also did well in lure coursing [ASFA] - and participated in amateur oval [NOTRA] and straight racing [LGRA]. There were better greyhounds from the US that could've gone to England [namely her 1/2 sister Cherry] - I was just lucky because Evie was NGA registered! [AKC registered GH can't run there.]

There are plenty of GH that are fabulous in other sports as well. My dog Oliver was a wiz at NOTRA & LGRA - sadly he died too young. Jen's dogs do aces at obedience & agility. My first GH, my love, Newell, was a track dog through & through - his passion was the mechanical lure - and he was good at it! I view the dogs like kids - some are good at football, some baseball, some drama, some dance. Some kids like to stay home and read books all day.

Try a sport or activity with your GH - even if it's taking hikes in your local parks/wilderness areas. Your GH was an athlete and they enjoy exercise & being outside & being competitive on some level! Evie, sadly, is retired now. She squeaks and aches when she plays in the yard too hard with new brother Flash. Too much arthritis in her hands & feet from all the years of hard core running. But, the true competitor she is - I also know she'd give me 120% if I asked her to run again. So our adventures now are limited to local hikes and walks - and the hard running is only in her dreams.

And on that note...welcome to Gracie [Pat C Dark Moon]. She arrived in Las Vegas when we were there this past weekend. She's home now - and what a handful! A few issues we have to work on - namely counter-surfing - but she's going to give Flash a run for his money! She's about a 1/2 inch taller than Evie, but just as slight as Evie was in her prime!

She wiggles quite a bit so it's been hard to get a semi-decent photo of her!

Waiting for Santa [and other things]...

Here we are waiting to have our picture taken with Santa. Flash is on the reindeer substitution list if someone gets sick. Let's be honest - greyhounds would get the job done *much* faster than reindeer.

Gracie arrives one week from today. Whheeeee! I think. We're afraid she'll be a little whirling dervish. She weighs in at 59.6lbs as of the day she was spayed. About 5lbs bigger than Evie.

And... to get a bit of background about Evie and fun sports, take a look over at Never Say Never Greyhounds - or click the link on the right. Jennifer is re-posting the article about Evie that appeared in the Spring 2005 CG Magazine.

Hello. My name is...

So, we're still working with Flash's shyness & timid tinkling issues. He's got moments of brilliance then he takes 10 steps backwards for what appears to be no apparent reason. Well, Flash has a reason but he hasn't opted to share it with us at this point. [And thank you Jennifer for sending us your DAP spray. We put it on the blankets in our crates...]

Several books, including a book on shy dogs and clicker training [illustrated no less] were ordered. Along with a book on managing a multi-dog household in a positive manner. Now, I've had a multi-dog household and I thought I was managing it as best I could. I think I can do better. I WANT to do better. I want to be better for Evie and Flash...and Gracie!




Meet Gracie [Pat C Dark Moon]. I actually wanted to pay homage to her southern roots and call her Pie, a la Dark Moon Pie but I was vetoed. I had originally posted about her back-story but decided to remove it for a wide variety of reasons.

We really know nothing about her except she's not cat safe. She was a decent runner so we hope she'll be fun & help out Flash too. She's catching a ride us just in time for Christmas! What a full household all of a sudden - hence my goal to work on positive training. Not to say I wasn't positive before, sometimes I think things dissolved into chaos though. This will be better and help me keep my sanity!

Still...

An upset tummy. Back at the vet. Still a LOT of bacteria in the gut. More antibiotics for 2 weeks this time. Then we'll try more hard-core gut tests to see if it's something like IBD [inflammatory bowel disease] - tests run out of Baylor vet school. Keep on the salmon & sweet potato grain free with probiotics. At the vet...I hear you coming for me Dr. Wilson...



On a fun note, I took Evie to a Petapalooza festival here in town back in September right before we went to get Flash. They were making clay paw prints. Evie had one made & we went to pick it up today.

Upset Tummy

So, we figured part of Flash's problems & nerves were because he was sick. Partially true. Vet + stool sample = bacterial infection in his tummy = metronidazole for 2 weeks and some prebiotics. Meds are done. Still continuing on the prebiotics for his tummy [OptaGest brand].

STILL having pudding coming out of his butt :( Bad. I've mixed in canned pumpking, oatmeal, eggs, yogurt. Kibble was originally Kirkland lamb & rice - which I've fed for YEARS to all my dogs & never had a problem. Recently switched/added in the new Kirkland food - the salmon & sweet potato grain free. Evie is absolutely SOLID. Perfect. I've mixed in dehydrated raw - always have - including Addiction & Honest Kitchen, Evangers & Merrick canned food, and just plain ol' ground beef or chicken.

Neither dog is a picky eater. Cautious - as Evie will sniff everything carefully before digesting as my guess is she's trying to ensure it's not poisoned - but they'll both eat and polish the bowls clean.

I'd really hate to switch from the Kirkland food. I've been happy with it. But, maybe it's time for a change as Flash's tummy can't handle it. I really DREAD having to do food experimentation now :( but I'm realizing it's unavoidable to get him feeling better.

Suggestions welcome!

Happy Halloween

The requisite Halloween pictures...we were pumpkins this year.

And we went to the park today. BEAUTIFUL fall day. The sun didn't fully break until after lunch, so I'm glad we held off & didn't go to the park until later. I had them dressed in their coats, which promptly came off as it was way too warm for them - even though it was in the low-mid 50s.



The DAP collar we are using with Flash also seems to be helping a LOT. Combined with the DAP diffuser [like a little glade plug-in] and his thundershirt, I think we have a winning combination. Well, the disclaimer being that he's not 100% cured of his anxieties, but his anxiety level has decreased from 100 to about 50 - which is significant. I'm also trying to note what his "triggers" may be - and narrow it down so we can learn things to work around them or overcome them if possible. His biggest trigger seems to be men. How to get over that fear?

Baby Steps

Here we were at the vet getting our microchip after only a few days at home. He did *aces* at the vet - a bit of trembling - and we're hoping the scale was somewhat accurate since he was trembling so hard :) The longer we were there, the more he calmed down & started/attempted to relax. Even when that gigantic microchip needle was inserted, not even a peep...

Other adventures have to be downloaded off the camera, but we've been to the dog park twice. Good results both times. A large amount of trembling & the longer we're there, the more the tail comes unpinned from his tummy and relaxes. And this Sunday, he ACTUALLY CHASED A SQUIRREL!!! And he got 3 other greys to join him in the chase! Yeah Flash!

We're also wearing the thundershirt almost all the time. We aren't sure if it's helping or not - but for $37 and a 45 day money back guarantee - what can it hurt???

More pictures to come!

He's Home...

We picked up Flash in Broomfield/Westminster CO on Friday morning. Headed to the dog park to let him stretch his legs and take in some scenery - and get to know Evie a bit better. The car ride home was perfect too.

He and Evie slept in the back perfectly the entire time. They were both muzzled - though Evie was quite unhappy about that. He's still a bit shy and unsure of himself but he's following Evie around the yard and starting to get the lay of the house.

Two favorite places - his crate and his bed in the corner of the bedroom. He won't eat in the kitchen - only in his crate or bed. Typical since he was likely fed in his crate at the kennels, but how to get this to stop???

He's also super white and pink - translucent - with one patch of red above his left eye. And parti ears!



We're still deciding if his name will be changed. His full name is CTW Flash Gordon.

Pedigree Adoption Drive

• This year the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a “Fan” or “Likes” The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.
• Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive through September 19th, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It’s simple: Write a post, help a dog.
• Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, September 19, the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers will host a Blog Hop, to help raise awareness for the “Write a post, help a dog” effort.
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  At the end of the day, there's nothing worse than watching an animal go hungry. Look at little greyhound Sweetheart - and look what some food has done for her! So, I was at the DoggieStock event sponsored by Valley Animal Partners & got tons of samples of food. Went to Starbucks. Leaving & there was this guy there with a sign on the corner & his dog. No dog [or cat] should go hungry. I'm a shmuck - here I am with a sack full of sample foods & Evie in the back seat. I do NOT give money to homeless people for a wide variety of reasons - but this guy had his dog with him. I pulled up, asked him if he needed food for his dog, and proceeded to unload a ton of samples [ok, I kept 3 and 1 can of food]. Again, no dog [or cat] should go hungry.

Almost Home!

One more week and the new kid will be home. I've been trying to get Evie excited about him coming. She's quite ambivalent. Sent his harness [a No-Pull Harness from Wiggles Wags & Whiskers] so he can get used to wearing it before his trip. Got his matching collar as well - and ordered a fancy kangaroo leather tag collar from Hi Tide Creations. Holding off on a coat till he gets here.



[And for people not familiar with greyhounds, no Flash isn't wearing a muzzle because he's dangerous. Greyhounds have notoriously thin skin and playing with friends can turn what would seem like a tiny cut on most dogs into a huge wound on a greyhound.]


I'm also a big fat liar. I complained well over a year ago "what's the point of twitter?" Well, Evie has had a twitter account for awhile now. She's made lots of friends all around the world! Not very exciting about what a greyhound does all day, but it's fun :)


And a quick "thank you" to Jennifer and her dogs over at NeversayNeverGreyhounds as she's writing a little story on her site about Evie! Greyhounds excel in all sorts of sports - Evie was good at lure coursing and open field coursing. Stay tuned...

Meet the New Guy...

Here's Flash! He's coming up next month [finally]! His full name is CTW Flash Gordon and he just turned 3yrs old :)

Flying him up on the new PetAirways & we're taking a road trip to pick him up. So excited!

Sorry, I don't know how to make the picture bigger!

More Firsts...

first blackberries of the season picked the other day from the wild & crazy shrubbery growing across the street.




And the first sunflower in the front yard.

Annoying?

Not sure if I like the fact that people have been posting comments in foreign Asian languages on my blog. The Chinese/Japanese or whatever language characters are a bit disarming from the standpoint that I have no idea if what these people posted is insulting or obscene or something! No offense to anyone but...apologies if the comments are rude in any way!

I'm Domestic

Evie was a bit disappointed I left her at home [she really needs a pal, but that's a whole other saga right now]. So I went and did this for about an hour or so before it got too hot...

And then, one packet of some new Ball pectin mix & some sugar later, I did this...

Extra chunky raspberry jam. Yum!

Garden

Hens & chicks are some of my favorite garden "flowers" - ok yes, I know they're succulents. Anyway...what is going on with this hen? Note the pic of the normal ones in the garden [above], then the mutant alien one [below]. Do they flower? I've never seen one flower. This is odd...

It's Been 7yrs and Then Some

Evie came home 7yrs ago as of July 4th! It's hard to believe it's been that long. So many things have changed. I never saw Evie as "my" pup. She's turned out to be a good little kid though - a bit quirky - but she's mine. Excentricities and all!

Her siblings Cherry & Gizmo just turned 7yrs on July 4th as well. I hope they're doing well. It's been almost 2yrs since I've seen them but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about them. I doubt I'll ever stop thinking about them.

This past June was an odd month as well. So many memories. June 1st was the 3yr anniversary of Oliver's death; June 12th was the "gotcha day" anniversary of when Newell came home - it would've been 8yrs we had him had he not died back in February; June 21st was Boone's birthday & the 23rd was his "gotcha day." I wonder if the memories will ever start to fade?

Ack - It's April!

A picture from back in early March. How did it get to be April already? Hearing from friends back east & they're having a miniature heat-wave. Here, it's more soggy rain and lower 50s. I'm so waiting for spring/summer to actually begin. Still waiting...

Evie's chugging along fine! Back on her thyroid medicine so we're hoping that helps with her weight again. She appears to have dropped about 2 lbs so far! [Keep in perspective that 2 lbs on a little GH is a LOT.] She's at doggy day care 1x/week. Learning to socialize with dogs that aren't GH is a challenge - but confident she's up to the task. They even come pick her up in the little white bus which is totally cute.

Evie's also been to the dog park and we had some luck meeting some other GH that she got along swimmingly with. We also made a trek back to the dog park where it all began with my dear dear Newell.

Speaking of Newell...



Coldwater Newell [3/13/1997 - 2/14/2010] - sadly Newell died back in February. I hadn't seen him in the longest time due to issues beyond my control [namely my ex husband refused to let me see him - and the only thing I can say to that is *selfish*]. Oddly too, just about 2 weeks before he died, I had talked to the ex and begged him to let me see Newell to no avail.

He was beyond the best dog ever. He was everything. He was the reason I have Evie and why we got all the other GH over the years; he and the other dogs allowed me to meet some great people all over the country [and world]; he is the reason I travelled to some pretty odd places that without him in my life - I never would have gone. He is why I will always be a GH person! While I love Evie, no GH will ever compare to Newell.

The only bit of comfort is knowing that so many other great GH like Oliver, Tara, Tigger, Crusader, Joser, and were there waiting to greet him at the bridge when he arrived

Evie's been on Twitter for awhile now [to my chagrin since I was complaining about it on this blog not too long ago]...and some of her Twitter friends were greyhounds that left their people too soon - prayers to the owners of Sheba greyhound and Tahoe greyhound who recently died.

Nothing Changes

well, I'm still here writing this and avoiding studying. So I guess nothing has changed...

Acutally, I spent a week in DC [Virginia to be exact] for work at the end of January for some training. Nice to be back. I used to live there so it all felt very familiar.


The Carlyle House in Alexandria - a short walk from my hotel.


A nice row of restored 18th century houses along N. Fairfax St in Alexandria.


A view from my hotel window across the Potomac River towards Washington DC - you can *barely* see the dome of the Capitol [to the very left]...if I had a 10000x zoom on my cell phone maybe!

It also gave me the chance to reconnect with a friend from law school. I'm decidedly bad about keeping in touch with friends over the years. I move around too much and it was always easy to lose touch. Shouldn't be an excuse in this day and age with all the technology out there. She believes I should join facebook. Uh, no.

I do admit though - Evie has had a Twitter account for several months now [some of you who read here have found her on Twitter]. Despite my rant months ago about why join Twitter, Evie broke down & convinced me to sign her up. So I did. She has lots of greyhound friends now all over the US, England and Australia. Plus a few cat friends too. Fun to have her chat with GH around the world though! It would be better if we could meet in person at some point!

Ok, back to studying [procrastination needs to stop...]

Ides of January

The new year has been uneventful so far. I've been holed up studying [hopefully for the last time] so BF has been out and about in the evenings. He's getting space to do his own thing while I'm "attempting" a valliant effort...



I will say it's quite the setup here - nice little mood candle for ambiance [really?], music, hot cup of tea...and it's nasty outside pouring cats & dogs!

Evie is doing much better than expected being a solo pup. She gets sad pretty easy though - at least I think it's sadness - when she's left alone too long though. Helping me upstairs while chewing on her xmas gift...



I also have a new - well new to me - recipe to post later...