Wednesday, February 22, 2012
but i love the fluffiness
Monday, February 20, 2012
fun with friends
Thursday, February 16, 2012
the purpose of a dog...
"Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.
They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.'' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
- Live simply.
- Love generously.
- Care deeply.
- Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
- Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
- Take naps.
- Stretch before rising.
- Run, romp, and play daily.
- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
- Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
- When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
- Be loyal.
- Never pretend to be something you're not.
- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
who knows if this story is true or not, but it tugs on your heartstrings (at least it did for me).
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
happy valentine's day!
Monday, February 6, 2012
who knew? i didn't.
silly me, i thought when someone scanned the chip, your dog's info was displayed/given.
after talking to my friend lori about blogs, she was talking about this local blog called "the cat dish" ---written by catherine toth, who also writes for the staradvertiser. lori actually was talking about all of the food posts, but i went straight for the section about her pets, which was where i stumbled upon this post: Lost Dog: what i learned (go read it!!!)
in a nutshell, if you don't register your microchip, it's pretty much useless. {i don't know about you, but when you get your dog microchipped, there should be more information about it.}
so i researched the brand of chip that ollie has...AVID. their pamphlets say that if we don't enroll in their registration program thingamabob, all the information someone will get is the name of the vet that implated the chip. If you enroll, all your information should come up immediately.
you bet i immediately enrolled!
i also printed out the form to register his number at the humane society. here's the section on "pet identification"
i had no idea....
just thought i'd post this in case others were clueless like myself. :/
Thursday, February 2, 2012
T-W-O
but he hated it, so it came off after i snapped a few pictures. i think the long tuxedo tails bother him. maybe i should shorten them, so he can wear it more. it's his only designer-doggy gear, he should make the most of it!
of course there were gifts:
gift #1: a new toy! (unpictured)
gift #2: terrabone dental chew. he ate the whole thing in under 45 minutes. i tried to take it away from him to save half, but he cried and cried looking for it. i'm not too sure how well it freshens breath...it made it smell like my mom's vitamins. strange. i really wanted to try the zukes mini bones, but i couldn't find it.
he also got new treats from my mom. i also got him some peanut butter cups and mini pup-cake from cocojor. after all those treats, ollie was POOPED.
after his nap, he went to my mom's house (i had to go to the dentist...oh joy) where he had a ball looking out the window and running around. he saw his favorite dog pass by the house (twice)...there's just something about that fluffy white dog....he ate even MORE treats! he seriously had to open and taste test each bag.
{quick notes about the above treats: the barksters were the clear favorite of the bunch. and the salmon sushi rolls...SO STINK! i don't know what i thought they'd be like...maybe little salmon flavored treats that looked like sushi? but they were just dehydrated salmon pieces rolled to look like sushi. the "nori" was actually the salmon skin. the skin was SO HARD that ollie couldn't even eat it. we had to resort to smashing the pieces with a hammer, and taking the skin off. maybe this is a better treat for bigger dogs with stronger chompers...and kind of funny, you know how dogs like to roll around in patches of grass where it smells? well ollie tossed the sushi treat on the ground and started rolling all over it! so funny...and gross.}
then it was off to his other grandparents, where he was treated to new toys (unpictured: loofah dog & mini dolphin toy) and in lieu of cake, he got his favorite "people food", Ani's Sweet Bread.
a little note from ollie:
thank you everyone for all the birthday wishes, presents, and love. i had the best birthday ever! i love everybody!
love, ollie pollie.