January 14, 2008
E.S.P.
How many of you have lost a loved pet and found that you can occasionally “hear” them, sense their presence, or feel them? This has become a topic of discussion on one of my online groomer groups and while some may think I’m crazy, I have had those same things happen to me after losing a dear pet.
For the record, I want you all to know that “I” do not think you are crazy for having these feelings. Some people seem to be more “in tune” with psychic feelings than others are. While I’m far from being psychic, I have had over my lifetime sensations, or visions that can’t be explained by any other means. For instance, when I was 14 years old, I had a horse. I raised him from a 3 month old colt to an obnoxious 2 yr. old gelding that was a holy terror, but that’s another long story. (Note to those wanting horses, do NOT buy a baby horse thinking you can raise it if you have NO experience. They are not puppies. They require someone with handling experience not a novice!)
One day while riding home on the school bus as I was daydreaming out the window I had a “vision” of my horse running in circles in the field we were passing by that was next to our house. I could “see” him running like the wind! As the bus stopped at my house, I shook off that vision and went inside only to hear my mom tell me, “your horse got out today, he was just running circles in that field, you should have seen him! But your dad got him back in his pasture”.
I can’t explain how I envisioned that before knowing anything about it.
Then there was the time a few weeks after I lost my cat “Fuzz”. He died unexpectedly at the vet before they received any of his blood work back. I was in shock. I couldn’t stand to be “catless” in my house. It just wasn’t the same. I adopted another cat from a rescue nearby to help me with my feelings of loss. One night I felt a cat walking on my bed. I could feel the cat walking up my body and could feel the pressure of weight lying against my side. I reached down thinking it was my new cat Dixie, but there was nothing there. I decided I must have been dreaming because Dixie was in my son’s room lying with him and my doors were closed. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep but then I felt it again. This time I opened my eyes and I could see the indentations in the covers as the “feet” walked up my body. Suddenly I sat up, I woke up my husband and told him, “Oh, Tim, Fuzz has come back!” He was not happy being woke up, and decided I was hallucinating, but I was adamant. It’s Fuzz! I smiled and lay down content to feel the weight of Fuzz lying against me to say goodbye. I wasn’t able to say goodbye to him when I rushed him to the vet. I never expected him to die in the night either while nobody was around. I have felt Fuzz maybe once or twice since then. But I feel he came back to say goodbye to me, and went on. For me, it was comforting to be able to say goodbye to him and feel him again.
Many people have expressed to me that once their pet has passed away they can still hear them, or sense that they are there. They talk to them and eventually it stops and I truly feel that it’s to help us with our grieving and know that they have gone on to a better place but didn’t want to go without saying goodbye and taking care of our feelings of unfinished business.
There are so many times that I wish I have those feelings about some other pets that I’ve lost. I so want to feel the cold wet nose poke my hand for a pet one more time. I want to hear the sighs, feel the bodies brush against me one last time. But it hasn’t happened. I don’t know if it’s because those pets didn’t pass away without me being mentally ready for it. Those deaths were expected. Perhaps that’s why I haven’t felt them around me. It doesn’t make me miss them any less. I still long for them and wish they were here. Maybe it’s God sending back my pets that were such a shock to lose to help me deal with the loss. That’s what I choose to believe anyway. I’ve had dreams about people that I’ve lost and loved that have come to me in dreams and left me with the feelings of being hugged and feeling the weight and pressure of arms around me. That comforted me.
Why I have these feelings is a mystery to me. I prefer to think of it as a blessing that I am able to feel this, and not be afraid of it. I know there are many others who have similar and perhaps more intense feelings and connections with those that they have lost. They are blessed.
If you’ve never had these feelings, it’s okay too. Know that your pets loved you deeply and they will always be in your heart. Love doesn’t stop when someone dies. You will always feel love for someone or a beloved pet. It may get easier as the years wear on to deal with the pain of loss, but love never dies. It’s right there in your heart where it began.
December 31, 2007 Resolutions
December 31, 2007
Resolutions
Who doesn’t resolve to start off the New Year fresh with a new attitude and goals to improve our life? Which made me start thinking what if our dogs made resolutions?
Resolution #1 Get the fat guy out of his recliner to walk me so I can get in shape.
Resolution #2 Chase the cat more to shape up.
Resolution #3 Leave my mark on the world, and the couch, and the table and all the trees in the neighborhood.
The wonderful thing about dogs is they change easily with new rules. They adapt to resolutions every day with ease. If today the rule is no more table scraps and you mean it, your dog make still give you those doggie eyes and beg, but if you IGNORE him, and in the end after all the whining and carrying on he gets nothing, no attention, no food, no acknowledgement for the bad behavior, the next day is much easier! They are so much like kids it’s not funny. You just have to be tough and resolve NOT to give in!
I’ll be the first to tell you I’m a fair weather walker. Therefore, my dogs don’t get enough exercise. Exercise is the key to fixing bad behavior, sort of like a kid with ADHD; you have to allow time to burn off the excess energy before you are asking the dog to do something. Throw the ball for your dog, play chase! Go on a long walk. Putting the dog outside in a fenced yard is NO substitute for interaction with you. You can’t just toss the dog out and expect him to exercise himself. It doesn’t work that way. You have to go out there with him and keep him busy chasing toys, or you.
If the weather is crummy, you can do most of this stuff inside the house. If you have a treadmill, teach your dog to walk on it. (Lord knows my treadmill makes a great place to hang clothes and collect dust!)
Okay, so maybe exercise isn’t MY thing! However, I am going to resolve to be more involved with my dogs in 2008. Maybe it will be trick training, working on a homemade agility course, and when the weather permits you may even find me walking the dogs this year. I expect to have a little more time. Who am I kidding? Okay, so I won’t have more time, but I WILL make more time.
I won’t bother making resolutions to lose weight and all the usual stuff, why disappoint myself? If it happens, great but I will not expect it. That’s the wonderful things about dogs; they have no expectations, therefore no regrets. They live in the moment! Life to a dog is all about what is going on at this very second. Which is why when you go out to get your mail and come back in your dog is so excited to see you! “You’re here! Hi Mom, long time no see!” I say live each day to its fullest. Enjoy every second. Eat dessert first! If it itches, scratch it! Lie in the sunshine and smile! Enjoy the wildlife around you, like your dog does, well maybe not quite as much as your dog does!
The point of all this is life is short. Dog’s lives are even shorter! They would never waste time brooding over something in the past, or not taking advantage of the fun in the present. Life is serious enough without worrying over silly things. So when the blues start to get you down, think like your dog. Live in the here and now, let go of the past. That’s one of our flaws as a human with such a complex brain, we think too much! Let it go, make time for today and enjoy it. I think that is going to be my next resolution for 2008, think like a dog and enjoy life. I hope you do too.
Resolutions
Who doesn’t resolve to start off the New Year fresh with a new attitude and goals to improve our life? Which made me start thinking what if our dogs made resolutions?
Resolution #1 Get the fat guy out of his recliner to walk me so I can get in shape.
Resolution #2 Chase the cat more to shape up.
Resolution #3 Leave my mark on the world, and the couch, and the table and all the trees in the neighborhood.
The wonderful thing about dogs is they change easily with new rules. They adapt to resolutions every day with ease. If today the rule is no more table scraps and you mean it, your dog make still give you those doggie eyes and beg, but if you IGNORE him, and in the end after all the whining and carrying on he gets nothing, no attention, no food, no acknowledgement for the bad behavior, the next day is much easier! They are so much like kids it’s not funny. You just have to be tough and resolve NOT to give in!
I’ll be the first to tell you I’m a fair weather walker. Therefore, my dogs don’t get enough exercise. Exercise is the key to fixing bad behavior, sort of like a kid with ADHD; you have to allow time to burn off the excess energy before you are asking the dog to do something. Throw the ball for your dog, play chase! Go on a long walk. Putting the dog outside in a fenced yard is NO substitute for interaction with you. You can’t just toss the dog out and expect him to exercise himself. It doesn’t work that way. You have to go out there with him and keep him busy chasing toys, or you.
If the weather is crummy, you can do most of this stuff inside the house. If you have a treadmill, teach your dog to walk on it. (Lord knows my treadmill makes a great place to hang clothes and collect dust!)
Okay, so maybe exercise isn’t MY thing! However, I am going to resolve to be more involved with my dogs in 2008. Maybe it will be trick training, working on a homemade agility course, and when the weather permits you may even find me walking the dogs this year. I expect to have a little more time. Who am I kidding? Okay, so I won’t have more time, but I WILL make more time.
I won’t bother making resolutions to lose weight and all the usual stuff, why disappoint myself? If it happens, great but I will not expect it. That’s the wonderful things about dogs; they have no expectations, therefore no regrets. They live in the moment! Life to a dog is all about what is going on at this very second. Which is why when you go out to get your mail and come back in your dog is so excited to see you! “You’re here! Hi Mom, long time no see!” I say live each day to its fullest. Enjoy every second. Eat dessert first! If it itches, scratch it! Lie in the sunshine and smile! Enjoy the wildlife around you, like your dog does, well maybe not quite as much as your dog does!
The point of all this is life is short. Dog’s lives are even shorter! They would never waste time brooding over something in the past, or not taking advantage of the fun in the present. Life is serious enough without worrying over silly things. So when the blues start to get you down, think like your dog. Live in the here and now, let go of the past. That’s one of our flaws as a human with such a complex brain, we think too much! Let it go, make time for today and enjoy it. I think that is going to be my next resolution for 2008, think like a dog and enjoy life. I hope you do too.
December 17, 2007 On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me....
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, an 8 week old puppy.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 2 kinds of bowls for my 8 week old puppy.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 3 squeaky toys for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 4 kinds of treats for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 5 cute outfits for my 8 week old puppy.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 6 paper towels to clean up after my 8 week old puppy
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 7 pick up bags for my now 9 week old puppy.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 8 pair of shoes to replace mine from my 9 week old puppy.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 9 rug doctor rentals for my 9 week old puppy.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 10 computer cords to replace mine from the 9 week old puppy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 11 obedience lessons for my 9 week old puppy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 12 apologies for getting me an 8 week old puppy.
Christmas is a wonderful time for giving, but think before you give someone a living creature to take care of for the rest of its life. Not everyone appreciates a baby animal that requires lots of attention, training, and care. You can give lots of things if you are a pet lover, you can give money or donations to your local animal shelter for the animals there at Christmas. You can give your time to volunteer at a shelter or rescue. You can give a donation to a shelter in your friends name as a gift.
You can adopt an older dog that is already past the puppy stage that may not get a new home. Everyone wants puppies. Who can resist them? But they grow up, and like children they go through stages of disobedience, and bad behavior and housetraining can be a real issue. Sadly, many of those same adorable puppies end up at the animal shelter due to their owner’s inability to deal with their issues.
If you can’t adopt a pet, donate some treats, or toys or food. Donate your time and take a dog for a walk and get him out of that kennel for a while. Make a shelter dogs Christmas merry and bright, even if just for one day.
You can give all year long and not just at Christmas. Rescues are always searching for foster homes to house homeless dogs until they can find an adoptive home. Call your local animal shelter or rescue, or look some up on the internet. Do what you can to help out the homeless animals in your area.
Give gifts of your time to your neighbors by walking their dog for them, checking on them to make sure they have food for themselves and their pets when the weather doesn’t permit them to get out.
Time costs nothing and is easy to give.
On that note, I just found a poem I’d like to share, author unknown.
My dear canine friends, I've a story for you.
I beg you to listen: what I say is all true.
Your Humans are human and can't help their behavior,
They get all confused 'bout the birth of their Savior.
See, it's that time of the year, when the humans are hopping.
"No time for our walk today, gotta go shopping.
And tomorrow we have to put up all the lights.
You understand, don't you? You'll be all right?
"No time for your Frisbee, no time to throw balls.
Got to wrap all the boxes and deck all the halls.
"I'm sorry," they say as you're back in your crate,
"Office party tonight, we won't get home til late.
"So you sit in your crate for a very long time.
You're warm and you're safe and they know you'll be fine.
But you're bored and you're worried and you don't understand
Why this time of the year things get all out of hand.
As if rushing around like a nut's not enough,
They keep filling the house up with all kinds of stuff.
There's holly and candles for all to see,
Then to prove they've gone starker's THEY BRING IN A TREE!!!
Yep, fellow dogs, they bring a pine tree right in
They put glass things on the branches and plug the lights in.
You think "Hey! Indoor plumbing!" But they say, "Get away!!"
"This is Our Special Tree for Our Special Day."
And don't think for a moment those tree balls are for you.
Though they bounce on the branches and call you, they do!
You haven't been chasing your own ball for weeks,
Or played tug o' war with your toy that goes "squeak."
As their Big Day approaches, their tempers grow short.
They're tired and stressed out and all out of sorts.
They've spent way too much money, whatever that is.
On gifts, decorations, and on something called "status."
See, they're only humans, and they always forget
It's not about presents or getting in debt.
The Birthday they're celebrating is all about Love
About gifts of the Spirit, sent from up above.
And that same great Father who sent them his Son
To teach all the humans to love every one,
Sends us to remind them, my good fellow hounds:
We exemplify love with positively no bounds.
So when their Big Day is ending, their presents unwrapped,
And they've eaten their feast and settled down for a nap,
That's the time when we dogs can show by example
That it's just about love, and can give them a sample.
They will feel something’s lacking, will see something's missing.
This is the time you can teach with your kissing.
They've ignored you for weeks with their rushing around,
Still you shower them with Love - the True Love of a Hound.
Whisper quiet, Dear Dogs, "It is not about Things!"
"It's not about buying new cars or rings."
The True Gift of Christmas is Love, sweet and pure.
And at Love, none can out do a dog, that’s for sure.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 2 kinds of bowls for my 8 week old puppy.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 3 squeaky toys for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 4 kinds of treats for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 5 cute outfits for my 8 week old puppy.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 6 paper towels to clean up after my 8 week old puppy
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 7 pick up bags for my now 9 week old puppy.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 8 pair of shoes to replace mine from my 9 week old puppy.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 9 rug doctor rentals for my 9 week old puppy.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 10 computer cords to replace mine from the 9 week old puppy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 11 obedience lessons for my 9 week old puppy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 12 apologies for getting me an 8 week old puppy.
Christmas is a wonderful time for giving, but think before you give someone a living creature to take care of for the rest of its life. Not everyone appreciates a baby animal that requires lots of attention, training, and care. You can give lots of things if you are a pet lover, you can give money or donations to your local animal shelter for the animals there at Christmas. You can give your time to volunteer at a shelter or rescue. You can give a donation to a shelter in your friends name as a gift.
You can adopt an older dog that is already past the puppy stage that may not get a new home. Everyone wants puppies. Who can resist them? But they grow up, and like children they go through stages of disobedience, and bad behavior and housetraining can be a real issue. Sadly, many of those same adorable puppies end up at the animal shelter due to their owner’s inability to deal with their issues.
If you can’t adopt a pet, donate some treats, or toys or food. Donate your time and take a dog for a walk and get him out of that kennel for a while. Make a shelter dogs Christmas merry and bright, even if just for one day.
You can give all year long and not just at Christmas. Rescues are always searching for foster homes to house homeless dogs until they can find an adoptive home. Call your local animal shelter or rescue, or look some up on the internet. Do what you can to help out the homeless animals in your area.
Give gifts of your time to your neighbors by walking their dog for them, checking on them to make sure they have food for themselves and their pets when the weather doesn’t permit them to get out.
Time costs nothing and is easy to give.
On that note, I just found a poem I’d like to share, author unknown.
My dear canine friends, I've a story for you.
I beg you to listen: what I say is all true.
Your Humans are human and can't help their behavior,
They get all confused 'bout the birth of their Savior.
See, it's that time of the year, when the humans are hopping.
"No time for our walk today, gotta go shopping.
And tomorrow we have to put up all the lights.
You understand, don't you? You'll be all right?
"No time for your Frisbee, no time to throw balls.
Got to wrap all the boxes and deck all the halls.
"I'm sorry," they say as you're back in your crate,
"Office party tonight, we won't get home til late.
"So you sit in your crate for a very long time.
You're warm and you're safe and they know you'll be fine.
But you're bored and you're worried and you don't understand
Why this time of the year things get all out of hand.
As if rushing around like a nut's not enough,
They keep filling the house up with all kinds of stuff.
There's holly and candles for all to see,
Then to prove they've gone starker's THEY BRING IN A TREE!!!
Yep, fellow dogs, they bring a pine tree right in
They put glass things on the branches and plug the lights in.
You think "Hey! Indoor plumbing!" But they say, "Get away!!"
"This is Our Special Tree for Our Special Day."
And don't think for a moment those tree balls are for you.
Though they bounce on the branches and call you, they do!
You haven't been chasing your own ball for weeks,
Or played tug o' war with your toy that goes "squeak."
As their Big Day approaches, their tempers grow short.
They're tired and stressed out and all out of sorts.
They've spent way too much money, whatever that is.
On gifts, decorations, and on something called "status."
See, they're only humans, and they always forget
It's not about presents or getting in debt.
The Birthday they're celebrating is all about Love
About gifts of the Spirit, sent from up above.
And that same great Father who sent them his Son
To teach all the humans to love every one,
Sends us to remind them, my good fellow hounds:
We exemplify love with positively no bounds.
So when their Big Day is ending, their presents unwrapped,
And they've eaten their feast and settled down for a nap,
That's the time when we dogs can show by example
That it's just about love, and can give them a sample.
They will feel something’s lacking, will see something's missing.
This is the time you can teach with your kissing.
They've ignored you for weeks with their rushing around,
Still you shower them with Love - the True Love of a Hound.
Whisper quiet, Dear Dogs, "It is not about Things!"
"It's not about buying new cars or rings."
The True Gift of Christmas is Love, sweet and pure.
And at Love, none can out do a dog, that’s for sure.
December 3, 2007 Baby, it's COLD outside!
December 3, 2007
Baby, it’s COLD outside!
This time of year always bothers me, not just because I’m not a “winter” person, (if I had my druthers I’d be a snowbird heading to Florida or Hawaii for the winter), but because so many pets are kept outside all winter long without adequate shelter.
I know there are those who believe animals should live outside. But dogs with short coats really don’t have enough to keep them warm.
For example, I hate to admit this…but once upon a time, I was one of those people who left all the animals outside. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents didn’t believe in animals in the house, and gee, lucky me, I married a guy just like them! We used to have Dalmatians. One cold day, I’ll never forget, Dottie came up to the back door, looking in at us shivering. I told my husband, “Oh, let her in, she’s freezing!” He wouldn’t let her in. Gave me excuses of she has straw in her dog house, or she has a heat lamp in the barn, if you bring her in now she’ll get sick when she has to go back out., no dogs in the house! Like a fool, I actually listened to him and let him get by with that. It was so hard to watch my dog shiver, while I sat in my warm comfortable house. I felt like the world’s biggest heel. Today I am truly ashamed of myself that I allowed that to happen.
Well, growing up does wonderful things to a person, it made me a whole lot more confident, and I stopped “asking” permission to do stuff. I just did it. Soon our pets became house pets. Every complaint he had I learned to ignore. My backbone grew finally and I was able to stand up to him and do the right thing. Never again would I allow animals to suffer due to ignorance. Today we have 3 dogs, a cat, guinea pig, turtle, and fish as pets in the house, all cozy and warm, as it should be. The turtle even has a tank heater.
I know that some pets prefer to be outside, some have ultra thick coats that were made to endure harsh winter weather, but use common sense. If you are cold, your dog is bound to be cold too! If your dog is inside, you won’t have to worry about his water freezing either. If your husband is still bound and determined to complain and make life difficult, maybe you should put your hubby outside in the doghouse, and bring Fido in. Your dog won’t complain because you are everything to your dog. He loves you like no other. Don’t you wish your husband was as quiet and attentive? Meanwhile, your hubby can get used to breathing the crisp outdoor air and sleeping in an itchy, straw filled doghouse with frozen water to drink. Be sure and put a chain around his neck too, just to keep him out of trouble.
Now I can say I’ve “reformed” my husband. He’s learned that pets in the house are not a bad thing, and if he thinks they are, tough noogies. I’ve tried to compromise with him. I don’t let them in our bedroom at night to sleep with us, so my cold feet have to get warmed up on my husband instead of the dog. Of course, after he goes to work in the morning my dogs know the bed is fair game, and they are happy to snuggle in with me and keep me warm.
What’s not to love about pets in the house? They clean the floors; trust me there is not ONE crumb on my floor. They don’t complain about anything. They don’t leave their shoes where they don’t belong, and they don’t hog the remote!
He’s learned that when I bring a new pet into the house, all the complaining about “you don’t need another dog” is simply a waste of breath. I finally had to tell him this a few years ago, I said “You’d think after seventeen years you’d realize that I always get my way.” Well that must’ve had an impact on him, because he hasn’t said a word about any new critters since then. It’s good to grow older and speak your mind! Now I realize why the red hat society exists! Save me a hat girls, I’m coming to join you in a few years!
Baby, it’s COLD outside!
This time of year always bothers me, not just because I’m not a “winter” person, (if I had my druthers I’d be a snowbird heading to Florida or Hawaii for the winter), but because so many pets are kept outside all winter long without adequate shelter.
I know there are those who believe animals should live outside. But dogs with short coats really don’t have enough to keep them warm.
For example, I hate to admit this…but once upon a time, I was one of those people who left all the animals outside. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents didn’t believe in animals in the house, and gee, lucky me, I married a guy just like them! We used to have Dalmatians. One cold day, I’ll never forget, Dottie came up to the back door, looking in at us shivering. I told my husband, “Oh, let her in, she’s freezing!” He wouldn’t let her in. Gave me excuses of she has straw in her dog house, or she has a heat lamp in the barn, if you bring her in now she’ll get sick when she has to go back out., no dogs in the house! Like a fool, I actually listened to him and let him get by with that. It was so hard to watch my dog shiver, while I sat in my warm comfortable house. I felt like the world’s biggest heel. Today I am truly ashamed of myself that I allowed that to happen.
Well, growing up does wonderful things to a person, it made me a whole lot more confident, and I stopped “asking” permission to do stuff. I just did it. Soon our pets became house pets. Every complaint he had I learned to ignore. My backbone grew finally and I was able to stand up to him and do the right thing. Never again would I allow animals to suffer due to ignorance. Today we have 3 dogs, a cat, guinea pig, turtle, and fish as pets in the house, all cozy and warm, as it should be. The turtle even has a tank heater.
I know that some pets prefer to be outside, some have ultra thick coats that were made to endure harsh winter weather, but use common sense. If you are cold, your dog is bound to be cold too! If your dog is inside, you won’t have to worry about his water freezing either. If your husband is still bound and determined to complain and make life difficult, maybe you should put your hubby outside in the doghouse, and bring Fido in. Your dog won’t complain because you are everything to your dog. He loves you like no other. Don’t you wish your husband was as quiet and attentive? Meanwhile, your hubby can get used to breathing the crisp outdoor air and sleeping in an itchy, straw filled doghouse with frozen water to drink. Be sure and put a chain around his neck too, just to keep him out of trouble.
Now I can say I’ve “reformed” my husband. He’s learned that pets in the house are not a bad thing, and if he thinks they are, tough noogies. I’ve tried to compromise with him. I don’t let them in our bedroom at night to sleep with us, so my cold feet have to get warmed up on my husband instead of the dog. Of course, after he goes to work in the morning my dogs know the bed is fair game, and they are happy to snuggle in with me and keep me warm.
What’s not to love about pets in the house? They clean the floors; trust me there is not ONE crumb on my floor. They don’t complain about anything. They don’t leave their shoes where they don’t belong, and they don’t hog the remote!
He’s learned that when I bring a new pet into the house, all the complaining about “you don’t need another dog” is simply a waste of breath. I finally had to tell him this a few years ago, I said “You’d think after seventeen years you’d realize that I always get my way.” Well that must’ve had an impact on him, because he hasn’t said a word about any new critters since then. It’s good to grow older and speak your mind! Now I realize why the red hat society exists! Save me a hat girls, I’m coming to join you in a few years!
November 19, 2007 Grooming Shows
Grooming Shows
Well I finally made it to the Dallas, Texas U.S. Pet Pro Classic this year and competed in the creative invitational competition. Our theme was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and we took Jasmine and Bogey. Bogey I turned into a football.Yes I know, this is Colts country and honestly my heart is with the Colts, but I was going to Dallas, and doing a Colts theme there could be deadly! My boys were even in on this, their first competition. They worked really hard with me to help me get some money ahead to make this trip. Drew helped me bathe dogs while Lane was busy helping me organize tools and clean up. I’ve never taken my kids with me before to grooming shows simply because for them it would be boring to listen to seminars and it would be too nerve wracking for me to watch them and try to learn stuff at the same time. It’s not exactly a place for children. This year however would be different. They were “props” so to speak for our entry. They were dressed as the Dallas Cowboys in full football gear. Big thanks to my clients David and Brenda Landes and Dave Huckleberry for supplying me with football gear!
The show manager told us to be downstairs for a meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, the day of the show, no easy feat for me the “non-morning” person. We were informed on how the show was going to go, when we would go on our tour of Southfork ranch and when we would eat. We were told to have our dogs and displays there by 3:00 p.m. This cut into my prepping time considerably. I was planning on 5:00 p.m.
Prepping a dog for a contest like this has got to be the hardest thing any groomer has ever done considering you can’t dry the dog in a hotel room, and the drying room they set up for us could only accommodate one dryer at a time or the circuits would blow. I took a shortcut. I found a self-serve dog wash in the vicinity who gave me a generous discount since I was a contestant! Things were going just bit too smooth for my luck, so true to Sandy Blackburn fashion, as I was loading up the van to head to the dog wash my van was dead as a doornail. I left a map light on from the night before, that could be when my cell phone also was mysteriously lost, sigh. Luckily for me, I knew several people in the hotel at the trade show so I went up to one of my equipment suppliers Curtis Hanvey and begged him for a jump start! He was most gracious and dropped everything and got me going. What a guy! My oldest son Drew went with me to help get the dogs ready. While I was busy dyeing Bogey, Drew went to work bathing Jasmine. Even the guy that was working at “Dirty Dawgz” dog wash helped me wash and dry the dogs. Lane stayed with my mom at the hotel and went to the trade show with her and her dog Suzy who made a wonderful demo dog for some groomers and vets putting on seminars.
We finally had to leave the dog wash about 3:45 p.m. I knew it wouldn’t take us long to get there and set up and judging wouldn’t start until 5:00 p.m. so we made it to Southfork’s Oil Baron’s Ballroom to put up our display. Every one of the creative contestants did a fabulous job! I am proud of my entry even though I didn't have enough time to prep them as I would've liked.
My dog Jasmine did a great job jumping thru a hoop with streamers on it as her introduction and did a fine job jumping up and dancing, to the music as did my little football Bogey. As you can see he sits up and was ready to punt!
We may not have placed, but we did have the "cuteness" factor. Hey the football players weren't bad either!
The best parts of the trip were seeing my groomer pals again, and I met my late dog Katy's rescuer Debra Bryant. We cried together, I thanked her and gave her a copy of the book, Petfinder.com Presents Second Chances, Katy's story is in it. She and her husband came by the hotel before we left so we could meet each other in person. That was great!
Well I finally made it to the Dallas, Texas U.S. Pet Pro Classic this year and competed in the creative invitational competition. Our theme was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and we took Jasmine and Bogey. Bogey I turned into a football.Yes I know, this is Colts country and honestly my heart is with the Colts, but I was going to Dallas, and doing a Colts theme there could be deadly! My boys were even in on this, their first competition. They worked really hard with me to help me get some money ahead to make this trip. Drew helped me bathe dogs while Lane was busy helping me organize tools and clean up. I’ve never taken my kids with me before to grooming shows simply because for them it would be boring to listen to seminars and it would be too nerve wracking for me to watch them and try to learn stuff at the same time. It’s not exactly a place for children. This year however would be different. They were “props” so to speak for our entry. They were dressed as the Dallas Cowboys in full football gear. Big thanks to my clients David and Brenda Landes and Dave Huckleberry for supplying me with football gear!
The show manager told us to be downstairs for a meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, the day of the show, no easy feat for me the “non-morning” person. We were informed on how the show was going to go, when we would go on our tour of Southfork ranch and when we would eat. We were told to have our dogs and displays there by 3:00 p.m. This cut into my prepping time considerably. I was planning on 5:00 p.m.
Prepping a dog for a contest like this has got to be the hardest thing any groomer has ever done considering you can’t dry the dog in a hotel room, and the drying room they set up for us could only accommodate one dryer at a time or the circuits would blow. I took a shortcut. I found a self-serve dog wash in the vicinity who gave me a generous discount since I was a contestant! Things were going just bit too smooth for my luck, so true to Sandy Blackburn fashion, as I was loading up the van to head to the dog wash my van was dead as a doornail. I left a map light on from the night before, that could be when my cell phone also was mysteriously lost, sigh. Luckily for me, I knew several people in the hotel at the trade show so I went up to one of my equipment suppliers Curtis Hanvey and begged him for a jump start! He was most gracious and dropped everything and got me going. What a guy! My oldest son Drew went with me to help get the dogs ready. While I was busy dyeing Bogey, Drew went to work bathing Jasmine. Even the guy that was working at “Dirty Dawgz” dog wash helped me wash and dry the dogs. Lane stayed with my mom at the hotel and went to the trade show with her and her dog Suzy who made a wonderful demo dog for some groomers and vets putting on seminars.
We finally had to leave the dog wash about 3:45 p.m. I knew it wouldn’t take us long to get there and set up and judging wouldn’t start until 5:00 p.m. so we made it to Southfork’s Oil Baron’s Ballroom to put up our display. Every one of the creative contestants did a fabulous job! I am proud of my entry even though I didn't have enough time to prep them as I would've liked.
My dog Jasmine did a great job jumping thru a hoop with streamers on it as her introduction and did a fine job jumping up and dancing, to the music as did my little football Bogey. As you can see he sits up and was ready to punt!
We may not have placed, but we did have the "cuteness" factor. Hey the football players weren't bad either!
The best parts of the trip were seeing my groomer pals again, and I met my late dog Katy's rescuer Debra Bryant. We cried together, I thanked her and gave her a copy of the book, Petfinder.com Presents Second Chances, Katy's story is in it. She and her husband came by the hotel before we left so we could meet each other in person. That was great!
November 5, 2007 Matchmaker
November 5, 2007
Matchmaker
I recently found myself in yet another service I’ve happily provided for my clients, “matchmaker”. Not the kind of matchmaker that sets up people, but the kind of matchmaker that finds the right dogs for the right people.
One of my clients who is at a young 97 years of age, asked me to find him a dog. His dog had passed away and he was lonely and needed a companion.
I set myself to work on the internet searching http://www.petfinder.com/ and of course found dozens that would be just right for him. The problem was of course, well he’s 97. The odds are good that the dog will outlive him, or at least have to live with someone else if he got sick or ended up in a nursing home.
I had to ask him a lot of questions, such as who will take care of the dog if you get sick? He assured me that he had “people” to step in. I asked about his daughter, if she would be willing to take the dog, he said he was sure she would but he hadn’t asked her. So I kept inquiring who his “people” were that would take care of the dog and he told me he had “housekeepers” (he lives in assisted living) that took his old dog in when needed and returned her when he was able. I asked him to have her call me so I could ask her a few questions, as I know the rescue groups were going to ask me. He said he would and she called me the next day.
I grilled her on her pet life at home, what kinds of pets she has, and if she would be willing to take on the responsibility of another dog should she have to and possibly it could be permanently one day. She assured me that yes, she would and I found a kindred spirit, she rescues lots of animals and has a farm full of them. She put my mind at ease and then I was confident I could speak with the rescue organizations and let them know that the dog would have a permanent home with someone who would care for it, and love it, and has a plan B should something happen to him.
It helps that I’m involved in rescue myself, and I know better than to match up a puppy with a 97 year old person, or a dog that is bound to be more headstrong and dart out the door as soon as it’s opened.
My client had Shelties in the past and it turns out that Shelties are the perfect breed not only for him, but also for his “housekeeper” and her menagerie of pets at home. I was not about to match him up with a dog that wouldn’t mesh with her life as well because it’s very likely that she will end up taking care of the dog at least temporarily at some point.
Well I found him the perfect little Sheltie online. She’s 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, heartworm medicine and flea prevention and calm and happy to be in someone’s lap! The rescue wants to meet my client in person naturally, so we go tomorrow to meet her and take her home. I told my client to be ready for a road trip; I was picking him up and taking him to Terre Haute to meet his new companion.
He was thrilled that I found him a buddy; I was thrilled that I did too, before he grabbed just anything out of the paper. Many times, when a person wants a dog, they get the first thing available, and it ends up being a nightmare and not the perfect match. I can temperament test dogs and I know the rescues do too, so I also grill them on what they know about the dog.
Good rescues foster dogs for a while before placement so they can temperament test them and match them up with the right homes. Being 97 isn’t a barrier to pet ownership, or at least it shouldn’t be, as long as there is a back up plan should something happen to you. Not every next of kin wants our pets; unfortunately that is how many of them come to be in rescue.
I believe there is a dog out there for everyone. There are rescues who have programs of “seniors for seniors” matching up older dogs with senior citizens. Face it, we could all die in a car crash tomorrow or get hit by a truck regardless of our age. We don’t know what tomorrow holds so it’s important to have a plan for your pets should something happen.
So before you adopt it’s important to know your breeds, their traits, and temperament of the individual dog and be aware of your own lifestyle and if you have the time commitment and the resources to really take care of a pet the right way and make sure you have a back-up plan to provide for them if you can’t.
October 12, 2007 It's Howloween!
October 12, 2007
It’s Howloween!
It’s that time of year again when the streets will be full of witches and goblins going door to door for candy! What fun! I love Halloween because it brings out my creative side. I try to make costumes rather than buy something for my kids they will only wear one time. Of course you realize my kids aren’t the only ones dressing up for Halloween. The dogs have to get into the action too! Don’t worry, it’s not torturing them, they seem to enjoy it and love the attention of course!
My dogs have gone trick or treating with us almost every year. One year I made my Collie into a scarecrow and my black Standard Poodle into a witch, complete with green face! I’m sure that’s how my interest in creative grooming began. Then one year I turned my Poodle into The Incredible Hulk, made her body green and put a pair of my son’s shorts on her, tattered the legs and wrote “The Hulk” across the rear. I made a hole for her tail to poke through and she loved the attention she got! The one thing I didn’t plan for was her having to go to the bathroom, and well let’s just say she had a couple “accidents” while we were out trick or treating! When we went downtown for the merchants trick or treat, she really stopped traffic…literally! She had people taking her picture; we kept getting stopped for photos. It was great! We made a theme that year, my youngest was Superman, and he was 3 at the time. My oldest son was Spiderman, he was 6 and Katy my dog, was The Hulk. The problem was everyone kept telling the kids to step aside so they could get a picture of the dog. I’m the only mother I know who can upstage the kids with the dog!
This year, if you’re downtown you’ll recognize us I’m sure. We are heading to Dallas, Texas in November for a creative grooming class, so I figure I’ll show off my entry for the hometown before we go…I’m turning my Poodle Jasmine into a “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader”. We have recently adopted a Bichon Frise, Bogey, and he will be coming to Dallas with us. He is going to be a “football”. I’m glad my dogs put up with me!
People ask me all the time, isn’t that torture to your dog? No! They actually enjoy it! Jasmine will jump up on my table by herself, ready for being fussed with. I can’t say she enjoys a bath; she doesn’t like it, and hides from me if she thinks one is coming. But she enjoys every other thing about grooming. The bath is just one of those things she has to put up with before the fun stuff comes.
If you are dressing up your dog for Halloween, remember a few things:
Make sure your dog is comfortable in the costume. Some dogs like to be dressed, and others don’t. I know Jasmine doesn’t like to wear hats, but Dreamer does. So dress them according to what they will tolerate. Make sure it fits well and you dog won’t step on it while walking.
Remember, not everyone loves your dog. We went trick or treating and some little girl was unfortunately going to every house we were and we kept running into her and she was terrified of dogs. Every time she saw Katy she screamed and cried. Stay clear of kids who are afraid of dogs.
Keep your dog under control! Keep your dog on a leash at all times and carry pick up bags with you! Your kids may get candy, your dog may get treats too, but if your dog leaves a gift on someone else’s lawn you will not be welcome there anymore, so pick up after your dog.
Remember dogs can be afraid of those scary costumes people wear too, and with all the extra attention, some dogs don’t tolerate it well and can get snappish. If your dog isn’t having a great time, don’t push it. Not all dogs enjoy kids reaching out for them quickly to pet them. If you have any doubts on how your dog will behave, don’t chance someone getting bitten, leave your dog at home in a safe place away from the door and trick or treaters.
If you make a costume for your dog that includes pants, remember to cut a space out for your dog to urinate! (See second paragraph above)
If you do get a few treats for your dog or share some of yours remember some very important things. Chocolate, especially the unsweetened bakers’ chocolate is dangerous for dogs to eat. If your dog has allergies to wheat, corn or soy and you get a few dog biscuits, it’s likely that at least one of those ingredients are in those…(you can come to my house at 1205 S. Brady St., I’ll have some dog treats that are ok for allergies to wheat, corn or soy.) Raisins are toxic to dogs! Do NOT feed your dog raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and watch out for candy that is sugar-free because it may contain xylitol a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs.
If you take your dog trick or treating with you, remember your camera, keep all of the above in mind, and have some fun!
P.S. Oh almost forgot! I did manage to get my own website up and running, visit me at http://www.groomroompetspa.com/ Thanks! Sandy
It’s Howloween!
It’s that time of year again when the streets will be full of witches and goblins going door to door for candy! What fun! I love Halloween because it brings out my creative side. I try to make costumes rather than buy something for my kids they will only wear one time. Of course you realize my kids aren’t the only ones dressing up for Halloween. The dogs have to get into the action too! Don’t worry, it’s not torturing them, they seem to enjoy it and love the attention of course!
My dogs have gone trick or treating with us almost every year. One year I made my Collie into a scarecrow and my black Standard Poodle into a witch, complete with green face! I’m sure that’s how my interest in creative grooming began. Then one year I turned my Poodle into The Incredible Hulk, made her body green and put a pair of my son’s shorts on her, tattered the legs and wrote “The Hulk” across the rear. I made a hole for her tail to poke through and she loved the attention she got! The one thing I didn’t plan for was her having to go to the bathroom, and well let’s just say she had a couple “accidents” while we were out trick or treating! When we went downtown for the merchants trick or treat, she really stopped traffic…literally! She had people taking her picture; we kept getting stopped for photos. It was great! We made a theme that year, my youngest was Superman, and he was 3 at the time. My oldest son was Spiderman, he was 6 and Katy my dog, was The Hulk. The problem was everyone kept telling the kids to step aside so they could get a picture of the dog. I’m the only mother I know who can upstage the kids with the dog!
This year, if you’re downtown you’ll recognize us I’m sure. We are heading to Dallas, Texas in November for a creative grooming class, so I figure I’ll show off my entry for the hometown before we go…I’m turning my Poodle Jasmine into a “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader”. We have recently adopted a Bichon Frise, Bogey, and he will be coming to Dallas with us. He is going to be a “football”. I’m glad my dogs put up with me!
People ask me all the time, isn’t that torture to your dog? No! They actually enjoy it! Jasmine will jump up on my table by herself, ready for being fussed with. I can’t say she enjoys a bath; she doesn’t like it, and hides from me if she thinks one is coming. But she enjoys every other thing about grooming. The bath is just one of those things she has to put up with before the fun stuff comes.
If you are dressing up your dog for Halloween, remember a few things:
Make sure your dog is comfortable in the costume. Some dogs like to be dressed, and others don’t. I know Jasmine doesn’t like to wear hats, but Dreamer does. So dress them according to what they will tolerate. Make sure it fits well and you dog won’t step on it while walking.
Remember, not everyone loves your dog. We went trick or treating and some little girl was unfortunately going to every house we were and we kept running into her and she was terrified of dogs. Every time she saw Katy she screamed and cried. Stay clear of kids who are afraid of dogs.
Keep your dog under control! Keep your dog on a leash at all times and carry pick up bags with you! Your kids may get candy, your dog may get treats too, but if your dog leaves a gift on someone else’s lawn you will not be welcome there anymore, so pick up after your dog.
Remember dogs can be afraid of those scary costumes people wear too, and with all the extra attention, some dogs don’t tolerate it well and can get snappish. If your dog isn’t having a great time, don’t push it. Not all dogs enjoy kids reaching out for them quickly to pet them. If you have any doubts on how your dog will behave, don’t chance someone getting bitten, leave your dog at home in a safe place away from the door and trick or treaters.
If you make a costume for your dog that includes pants, remember to cut a space out for your dog to urinate! (See second paragraph above)
If you do get a few treats for your dog or share some of yours remember some very important things. Chocolate, especially the unsweetened bakers’ chocolate is dangerous for dogs to eat. If your dog has allergies to wheat, corn or soy and you get a few dog biscuits, it’s likely that at least one of those ingredients are in those…(you can come to my house at 1205 S. Brady St., I’ll have some dog treats that are ok for allergies to wheat, corn or soy.) Raisins are toxic to dogs! Do NOT feed your dog raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and watch out for candy that is sugar-free because it may contain xylitol a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs.
If you take your dog trick or treating with you, remember your camera, keep all of the above in mind, and have some fun!
P.S. Oh almost forgot! I did manage to get my own website up and running, visit me at http://www.groomroompetspa.com/ Thanks! Sandy
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