March, 2011: 3 Dog Night
Years ago when we moved into this house we decided we had to get a king size bed because there just wasn’t enough room for all of us on a queen size bed… Back then we had at least 4 – 6 dogs…. now we have only 3, but they seem to take up the whole bed, leaving just enough space for Ed and I to cling onto the edges at night.
Jake sleeps at the top, and hopefully he turns around before I come to bed! Jake has his head on Dad’s pillow, Teddy curls up on top of Jake, and Cooper uses Teddy for a pillow, and takes up the entire length of most of the bed.
Definitely a 3 Dog Night!
November 10, 2010:
Teddy has settled in nicely. We are scheduled to start a “Manners” class with Jessica Blake next week, then 11/21 we are taking a core conditioning class with Bobbie. Here are a few snapshots of Teddy and the big boys!
From the moment he came home, Teddy knew he was Jake’s dog!
They cuddle together, and Teddy walks beside Jake on our walks…
But, Cooper keeps him busy!
They play all day – 2 puppies, one huge and the other tiny!
Cooper usually lies down to play with Teddy.
Typical boys: “Nanner, nanner” Teddy’s sticking his tongue out, and Cooper looks SO fierce.
Sometimes Cooper’s on top of the pile ….
Sometimes it’s Teddy …
Sometimes Teddy just drags Cooper around by the ruff of his neck!
October 17, 2010: Teddy Arrives!
Jakey has been wanting his very own Rat Terrier for years. I have been in touch with several rescues and shelters trying to find the right match for our family. Jake has been patiently waiting for a playmate; I wanted a calm dog, not a high powered machine, so it took a while. But, Susan Cadell of Rat Bones Rat Terrier Rescue called and said she thought she had just the right boy for us. We met “Chance” and agreed he was the right boy for our family!
We had to wait to adopt him until Jake’s eye recovered completely from his surgery. But, we finally got him on Sunday. We spent the day playing with him, letting him get to know us. Jakey is madly in love with his new little brother. Cooper thinks he’s fun to play with, but pls. leave my hedgehog alone!
Meet Teddy!
It took a full day for us to agree on the name Teddy, but he has responded to it since the moment I called him Teddy! He loves his new name, and his new family!
He wore Jakey out completely, but Jake was a happy boy with his tongue hanging out!
I just need a minute for a little break….
Thanks for my new little brother, Mom!
Best buds already.
They hang out together watching over their territory.
My 3 boys playing together.
Cooper and Teddy play, Jake barks ….
Once Teddy wears Jake out he goes after Cooper. They run and play, and Jake pulls a “Bonnie” – he stands in one place and barks, and if Teddy races by, he lunges at him just as he sweeps by ….
We are so glad to have Teddy with our family. I think you will enjoy watching him grow up!
October 1 – 3, 2010: Diamond Lake
We were working all year, so I didn’t get a chance for any fun breaks until the end of September. Off to Diamond Lake, with a twist! Some dear friends GAVE us a tent trailer!!! It was manufactured in 1984, but it really does look new, and is WAYYYY better than camping in a tent ….it has heat, and beds ….
Our “new-to-us” tent trailer!
We had to get it registered and minor repairs done then we could go. Jake, Cooper, and I sat in the trailer in the driveway while Ed worked on it. The boys said they really liked it, except Cooper thought the step at the door was a monster, and he kept trying to figure out how to get past it without actually stepping on it…..by the end of our trip he was reluctantly using the step.
The first order of business was to get some firewood for our campfires. We headed out to find a downed tree. There were a lot of them, so that was pretty easy … Dad bucked up the tree, while we waited patiently….
Jake patiently waits for Dad to cut some firewood.
Yippee, work is done! Now on to some fun!
We pulled back onto the highway and were so impressed with the view of
Mt. Thielson!
Taking it easy after cutting wood.
Dad loves to fish at Diamond Lake, but before he can go fishing he has to know what flies to throw. So, he goes into the fish cleaning station, and asks to see the fish guts…. we wait out in the van while he does this…. ugh! Cooper is getting mighty impatient and decides to drive the van! Jakey usually drives, so look out! Cooper isn’t one to focus too long on anything ….
Mom, if he doesn’t come out of there pretty soon, I’ll drive us to the lake!
Now yur talkin’! This is heaven!
Jakey was still recovering from eye surgery, so he had to stay out of the water. He enjoyed the hikes, though.
Great smells out here!
Had to stop and wait once for bicyclists to go by …
Everything was going great, until bed time…. Jake doesn’t like to sleep in tents, and now we know he doesn’t like to sleep in tent trailers, either! Needless to say, Jake, Cooper and Mom had a rough first night – no sleep. Jake made up for it the next day, snoozing on the bed he shared with Mom and Cooper.
Then, the second night he fell out of the tent trailer, slipping between the bed and the wall, ouch! No sleep that night either…. so we came back home to our bed to get some sleep …. Dad stayed another week to fish…. maybe next time …..
September 26 – 30, 2009: Diamond Lake!
Here’s a link to our latest adventure!
July 27 – 29: At the Beach!
We took off for the coast on Monday, and returned Wednesday evening. It was still 100 degrees when we got back!
The kids had a fabulous time. We stayed in Oceanside, in a cute little house just above the beach. Here’s a composite of our view from the comfy chairs in the kitchen.
There were more people on the beach than I had seen in all our past visits combined! But, Jakey still enjoyed the view – it just gave him more to look at!
The first day we sat up on the deck outside and enjoyed the cool breeze – it was like natural air conditioning!
We spent a lot of time on the beach. Bonnie and I would plop down in a chair while Dad and the boys took off running on the beach. Bonnie enjoyed the scenery, and the boys enjoyed the run!
One evening we were sitting on the beach, and somehow Bonnie thought this cute little dog was a bunny! She started howling and barking, and of course the boys, who had no idea why she was barking, started in a chorus with her….
She’s so old she couldn’t get up that fast, but her rear feet were running so hard, she dug a hole beneath her! She was pretty pooped after that “run”!
The second day we toured the coast, and finally found a relatively unpopulated area near a jetty, so we went exploring. The boys and I could get to our destination faster than Bonnie and and Dad.
Dad helped Bonnie along by using the Lift Up and Out Harness, and Bonnie decided that was a handy thing to have around! She would actually wait to start walking until Dad could lift her up a little to take the weight off! He said she would say “Here, Boy!” when she wanted him to help her!
Wherever we were everyone loved it!
Jakey cut loose running like a Madman on the beach!
Here’s my goofball trying to get his Dad’s hat!
As soon as we got back, Brent from KPTV came into the store to interview us about the cooling vests… It was on the news a few times that evening and the next morning!
Photos of Bonnie, and Jake courtesy of Julie Melfi Photography(www.juilemelfiphotography.com)
My dogs are a vital part of PetUtopia – they test the food, treats, toys, apparel, collars, harnesses, leashes, everything we bring in is tested by either my crew, or those of my Staff.
Bonnie, The BOSS
Bonnie
She weighed over 100 pounds when we brought her home. (She even made the cover of The Oregonian when they needed a picture of a ‘fat’ dog!) We treated her for the mites that caused her demodectic mange, and started a weight loss and gentle exercise routine. She now weighs 82 pounds, and loves to go for short walks, as long as the walk has a purpose. She has finally adjusted to life with us in Oregon, and is now the Top Dog of our dog hierarchy.
Bonnie is my extremely aggressive chewer, and I am always on the lookout for suitable chew toys. I only give her toys to chew that are labeled as such. If she steals one of the boys’ toys (which she often does), the game stops. Look for “*Bonnie Tested” to find toys for aggressive chewers! She is very picky about foods, so we often have food sampling parties at our house. Right now she likes Nature’s Variety raw, and Innova Large Breed Senior foods. She also has hip and elbow dysplasia, and arthritis. We often try new supplements, etc. to maintain her quality of life as best we can.
- Cooper, The Baby
Cooper
Cooper is my first puppy in 14 years. I had to have a Golden Retriever again. He is wonderful, and I love him with all my heart, but I forgot how much work it is to raise a puppy properly. He’s constantly into everything – I have to watch him 24/7. He is intelligent, handsome, mellow, and loving, and the apple of his mom’s eye. He loves everyone, and is in training to be my next pet assisted therapy dog.
I have the chance to start “from scratch” with him, so I am trying to do everything I can to raise him correctly. Cooper helped me realize I had better find ways to keep him busy, or he will find something to do on his own – and it might not be as constructive as Mom would like it to be. (Bonnie’s favorite way to keep him busy is to train him to hunt moles – ugh!)
We are always on the lookout for new ways to play together, whether it’s a new type of interactive toy, or bonding together during training. He believes every action deserves a reaction – a treat! So, we experiment with lots of different types of treats. Every toy, regardless of shape or form, is used to tease the other dogs (or people) into playing tug or chase.
- Jake, The Brains
Jake
Jake used to live next door. I often saw him run down our busy rural road in the morning to visit with another neighbor’s dog, then return home in the evening. He took a shortcut through our property, pausing to visit briefly with our dogs. I could tell during those brief visits that he was extremely intelligent, mellow, and a very lonely yellow Labrador Retriever. I couldn’t stand seeing him in danger any longer, so one day I walked over to the neighbor’s to talk to them about the dangers he was exposed to. The neighbor told me his previous owner moved out and left him behind. They were looking for a good home for him. “You just found one”, I told them. I leashed him up, and took him home. It didn’t take long before we realized he had two major problems, but weren’t sure exactly what they were …..
Our vet said Jake had the worst hip dysplasia she had ever seen, and sent us straight to the orthopedic surgeon. Three months after we got him, he had major surgery on both rear hips. He was about a year old, too young for hip replacement surgery, which is what he really needed. Instead, he had his hips “rebuilt” with “shelf surgery”. He never realized that he had the surgery; hence it was extremely difficult keeping him quiet during his long recovery. We crated him, and hired Julie, of what is now called Out & About Pet Services (outandaboutpetservices.com) our wonderful pet sitter/dog walker/general helpmate when it comes to our dogs. She would come over and let him out of his crate briefly during the day. Many months later, Jake’s hips healed enough to let him stay out of the crate, but we soon realized his second major problem. He literally shredded anything in his quarters while we were at work. Our vet and a dog behaviorist helped us realize he had separation anxiety. He went back into the crate, coming out for short periods of time. It took many months of gradually increasing his time out of the crate before we could leave him out safely all day.
It was worth all the effort. Jake is one of the smartest, most wonderful dogs I have ever met. He never disobeys, loves everyone, and is such a joy to be around. He is also great taste tester, very discerning when it comes to food and treats. He loves a good round of tug, so he and his buds also are great tug toy testers. (All toys turn into tug toys at our house, so all toys have to be pretty sturdy in order to avoid becoming teensy pieces of fabric lying on the floor.)
Click on the names below to see each dog’s page.
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