DogMom: Happy DogMom Day!

I may not be a mom. A mom to human kids, anyway. But I still feel like a mom. I have an innate desire to protect and care for our dogs and I love them unconditionally. I think that counts for something. I'm a DogMom and, to me, that brings joy and fulfillment. This is who I was meant to be.

I grew up around animals of all kinds. Living on a farm, I was surrounded by cows, horses, chickens, ducks and the like, and of course dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, etc. I loved all of these sweet creatures. 

My dogs of childhood were Beethoven, Ben, Timothy, Gretchen and Holly. Beethoven and Ben were miniature schnauzers and they were a handful! Timothy and Gretchen were strays that showed up at the farm. I loved those dogs. Holly was one of Gretchen's puppies. She was precious.

The first cat I remember our family having was a kitten named Lucy. Unfortunately, my memory is of my brothers and the neighbor kids burying her. She had gotten hit by a car. Interesting what memories stick with us. I wonder how big of a role that memory has played in my desire to save animals. When I turned four years old my parents said I could pick any cat from the animal shelter to adopt. I chose an orange and white kitten and named him Tiger. I vividly remember him sticking his paw out of the cage trying to touch me. I knew then and there that Tiger was the cat for me. He may have grown to be big and tough, but we called him "Kitty." He was with us for 18 years. Gertie was an affectionate and beautiful kitty with long gray fur and gorgeous green eyes. I am thankful I decided to walk outside to look at the stars one cold November night because that is when that pretty gray kitten came running to me, practically jumping into my lap!

Since 1987, I've been blessed to be DogMom to ten sweet, loving, smart and beautiful dogs. All rescued either from life on the street or in the shelter. And I couldn't have done it without DogDad. I love our DogLovingLife!

Lindsey

Bogey

Annie

Gus

Buster

Hobbit

Huck

Abby Grace

Doc

Hope

DogMom: Our Sweet Gus

Fourteen years ago I walked into a 7-11 and found a cute puppy wandering the candy aisle trying his best to sniff all the sweet things on the bottom shelf. That funny little guy soon became an important part of our household, bringing us smiles, laughter and so much love. 

Last week, with great sadness, Wayne and I had to say goodbye to that sweet, grown-up puppy. Gus was such a good boy and so very patient with the other dogs. He was the last of the original gang of five (Bogey, Annie, Gus, Buster & Hobbit). Losing him was like losing the others all over again. It's the end of an amazing part of our lives. For several years those five dogs made our home crazy, chaotic, messy, loud and busy -  and we loved every minute of it. And, oh the joy and laughter they brought us! 

Every single dog had his/her own unique personality and quirks. Gus was the sweet and sensitive one. We'd had him longer than any other dog. At 14 1/2 he still managed to wag his tail, have a good appetite [granted, we fed him rotisserie chicken with warm broth], enjoy periodic walks down into the woods to smell "woodsy" things, and even enjoy playtime with puppy Doc. What he loved most was being with us and taking naps on our bed. 

After losing Hobbit and Buster last year, we were concerned about Gus. He was thirteen years old and limped around with arthritis. We knew we wouldn't have long with him. But the blessing was that he ended up having his best year yet! He seemed to thrive knowing that he was now Top Dog. Although he slept a lot, he appeared happier and more relaxed. He started enjoying his stuffed toys again and lavished in the extra one-on-one time DogDad and I were now able to give him.

When we brought Doc home four months ago we weren't sure how Gus would react. If he didn't like Doc, then we would've just considered it a foster situation and looked for a good home for the pup. Much to our relief, Gus loved that little frisky puppy! We noticed Gus was more alert, taking fewer naps, wagging his tail more and even playing and nuzzling little Doc. Gus was so patient with him and you could tell that Doc just thought he was the best! 

It was a good year for Gus, indeed. For that, as well as having fourteen years of looking at that sweet face, DogDad and I are very grateful and blessed.

Dear Gus, 

You finally get to meet Lindsey, our first dog. He was so very sweet, too. You will like one another. Please tell Lindsey, Bogey, Annie, Buster, Hobbit & Huck we miss them. We will see you all again someday.

We Love You, 

DogMom & DogDad

 Gus was a gentle, sweet soul and we will miss him dearly. 

Beautiful Gus.

  

Gus sleeping on our bed. His favorite!

Such a sweetheart!

Gus & Abby at sunrise, Pawleys Island, September 2013

We have a very similar picture taken 10 years earlier of Gus and Annie. 

I will post it as soon as I can find it.

DogMom & her sweet Gus, November 2012

DogDad and his big boy Gus, Christmas 2003 or 2004

Gus had a beautiful smile.

A happy Gus enjoying one of his favorite toys.

Our sweet angel boy.

Our our beloved Bogey, Annie, Gus, Buster & Hobbit, Christmas 2006

Gus: Finding good in the sadness.

I can't believe it's been eight weeks since we lost Hobbit and Buster. Mom, Dad and I can't get over losing them so quickly and so close together. Abby Grace seems to be doing just fine. Her daily routine and attitude haven't changed. She always did what she wanted anyway. I guess the biggest difference I notice is that she barks less. She doesn't have Buster to boss around anymore. Well, actually, Buster didn't let her boss her around. He just ignored her. It frustrated her like crazy!

As for me, I am doing great. To be honest, my life is less stressful now. As much as Mom and Dad miss Hobbit and Buster, they say they are happy to see me enjoying my golden years in peace. Hobbit and Buster picked on me a lot. It really bothered Mom and Dad and they tried everything they could to stop it. Maybe they were bullying me because I'm getting old. It didn't help that I don't have a mean bone in my body and would back down every time. I also wonder if they were cranky because they weren't feeling well. They were good boys, but I do have to say that my life has changed for the better. I can play with all my stuffed toys and not be fearful they will be taken from me. I have some favorites: Molly Meerkat, Sebastian Bunny and Benjamin Squirrel. My newest ones are Henny Hen and Kingston Koala. Abby plays with them, too. When I let her. I'm the boss now. I've regained my confidence. I sleep, eat and play in peace.

Another thing that is different is Abby and I get to travel with Mom and Dad now. Whenever they would drive the eight hours back to visit family and friends in West Virginia they had to leave us at home with a dog sitter. (Her name is Miss Sunny and she is very nice.) Now we get to go with them! But there's nothing like being with Mom and Dad. No matter where we are. I usually get a little nervous on car trips, but the more we travel together the more comfortable I get. Mom says is warms her heart that the whole family can be together. Dad says there's nothing better. Abby Grace and I like to snuggle in the back seat. We're buddies. Always have been. I'm glad we have one another.

We've felt a lot of pain over the past few weeks, but somehow God found a way to show us something positive. It seems in our our deepest sadness, goodness can be found.

God bless our Hobbit and Buster. We miss you and will see you in heaven where I know we will play and snuggle together happily.

Love,
Gus

Gus: Thinking of the shelter dogs.

My mom told me today that October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. I think it's important to remind people that there are lots of dogs who need homes. I was one of those dogs twelve years ago. I don't remember much about how I ended up in the shelter 'cause I was just a pup. What I do remember is the smell of chocolate, sugar, brightly colored wrappers and lots of human feet. I'm pretty sure that was before I went to the shelter, 'cause when Mom told me the story of how she found me it all made sense.

Mom stopped by 7-11 to pick up a newspaper. It wasn't the usual 7-11 that she went to. For some reason, and now we know why, Mom went to a different store that day after work. She walked in to find a little tri-colored puppy (me!) cruising the candy aisle sniffing all the goodies. There were plenty of people walking around in the store, but nobody paid much attention to me. The store clerk said she thought someone in a black truck dropped me in the parking lot. She'd tried to keep me out of the store, but I kept sneaking back in. Well, you know Mom, she couldn't leave me there. Dad and she were headed for vacation the next morning, so she took me to the animal shelter where she was a volunteer and asked them to keep a special eye on me. Two weeks later she was told I was adopted. Turns out that was a mistake. It was three months before Mom realized I was still at the shelter. She came to get me immediately. I was so happy to get out of there. I know the workers and volunteers tried to help, but there were so many of us animals that they couldn't give us much individual attention.

I remember the shelter being loud. There were lots of barking dogs and banging food bowls. Every now and then someone who worked there would say, "Hey, buddy," as he cleaned my run or fed me. I also remember that it wasn't very comfortable. The towel provided me wasn't much protection from the cold, hard floor. Looking back on my stay at the shelter, I think I know why I have a few nervous tics today. I guess when you have bad experiences as a puppy, you can't help but carry those feelings the rest of your life.

The good news is that my life today is much, much better. In fact, it's almost heaven! I sleep on Mom and Dad's bed, play with my own toys, and get lots of big hugs and kisses.

I love to lie on Mom and Dad's bed with my red Kong, Sebastian Bunny and Molly Meerkat.

My prayer is that all shelter dogs could find a family like mine who will make them feel safe, warm, and loved. If only every home could have a dog and every dog could have a home.

Love,
Gus

***My mom is trying to get the word out about Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, so she wrote about it in the Daily Mail's blog Cap West's Pet City.

Gus: Phew!

I went to the vet yesterday and it turns out my biggest problem right now is an ear infection. We were so worried it would be something worse. Dr. Sarah said my labored breathing might be caused by the pain in my ear. She listened to my lungs and said they sounded just fine. Phew!

It's a pretty bad infection, though, so now I have to take antibiotics and prednisone for a couple of weeks. Mom also has to put ointment in my ear twice a day. Dr. Sarah said when my ear is cleared up we'll talk about doing laser treatments on my arthritic joints. As a matter of fact, she said that if my ear doesn't heal soon that she'll do a laser treatment on it. Pretty cool, huh?

We're very thankful that Dr. Sarah didn't find anything seriously wrong with my health. Mom, however, is feeling pretty bad that she hadn't noticed my sore ear before yesterday. She checked my left ear just the other day and commented on how clean it was, like always. I've never had ear trouble. So because my left ear was okay she just assumed the right ear was fine, too. I tried to tell her not to worry about it. She didn't know and I didn't have anyway of telling her. Like I said, it's just an ear infection and I'll be okay.

Oh, there was one bad thing about my vet visit and that was getting my ear washed out. I HATED that! They actually had to muzzle me. Mom was surprised because I have never been aggressive toward anyone. Never ever. I LOVE humans. But when your ear hurts like mine did and people are messing with it, well, you'd be pretty upset, too! I understand why they had to do it and my ear does feel better now, so I guess it was worth it. I have an appointment to go back on Friday for another cleaning. Ugh! Maybe my ear will be completely healed by then and I won't have to go through that again. That's worth a prayer, I think.

Love,
Gussie xoxo

Gus: Feeling my age.

I'm having some trouble getting around these days. I guess that's to be expected when you're 12 1/2 in dog years. It's getting hard to climb the stairs, go down the stairs, walk across smooth surfaces, lie down, get up ... well, you get the idea.

Mom and Dad are doing all they can to help me out. To make me feel more secure they guide me on the steps and put down carpet treads so I won't slip. They ordered new orthopedic beds because my arthritic joints ache and I can never seem to get comfortable. (The beds are for Buster, too, because he also has arthritis.) The elevated doggy bowls make dinnertime easier because I don't have to lower my head to eat.

I've been taking medicine for a while now and it still works, but not quite like it used to. That's why we might try something new - a laser treatment that Dr. Sarah now offers at her veterinary clinic. Mom is going to investigate the procedure to see if it's right for me. It requires about 20 minutes or so three times a week for two weeks, then only once a week for a while, I think. It's not supposed to hurt and should help take away some of my joint pain. My consultation with Dr. Sarah is Monday afternoon. Mom said she's going to first talk to her about my breathing. It's pretty labored. We're not sure why. Could be from the pain of my arthritis. Could be a lung problem. I don't know. I do know that my Mom and Dad are doing everything they can think of to make me comfortable. I get to sleep on their bed anytime I want. They let me walk outside in the front yard off leash when they are gardening, washing their cars or checking the mail. Best of all, they pet me, rub me, hug me and tell me they love me all day long. I do feel loved, that's for sure.

Wish me luck on my appointment Monday.

Love,
Gus xoxo

Here I am on Mom and Dad's bed dreaming sweet dreams.

Gus: My buddy Winston.

Our family lost a furry friend this week. Winston was a friendly, handsome yellow lab whom I had the privilege of meeting earlier this summer. Hobbit and I accompanied Mom and Dad to his home to spend some time with his parents, Mr. Ken and Miss Grace. (See my Friends Fur-ever post.) Winston was such a congenial host. It's no wonder - his parents are also very gracious. He seemed really happy to see us 'cause he came outside with his big teddy bear to greet us! I liked Winston right away. We wagged our tails and enjoyed sniffing each other. He even shared his big basket of toys with me! Yup, Winston was a fine fella.

Thank you, Winston, for being such a great buddy. We hit it off right away, didn't we? I'll see you again someday and we'll have a grand time catching up and playing with more stuffed toys that we could ever imagine!

My buddy Winston and me getting to know one another.

Mr. Ken, Winston and me.

Dear God,
Please bring comfort to Winston's mom and dad. They loved him so much. Help them to find peace in knowing that they gave Winston a charmed life full of treats, toys and love. Amen.

Love,
Gus

Gus, Buster, Hobbit & Abby: Goodbye, Huck. We love you.

Yesterday was a very sad day. And things will be sad for a while. Our mom and dad had to make a difficult decision. They prayed and prayed for guidance and they had heartfelt and honest conversations with our vet Dr. Sarah, and our doggy behaviorist Mr. Scott about our brother Huck. It was determined that although Mom and Dad did everything they could to help Huck, there was nothing else that could be done. Huck was a nervous dog with aggression issues that could not be brought under control. Dr. Sarah and Mr. Scott truly believed that Huck was suffering from a mental illness or genetic brain abnormality of some kind. So, yesterday afternoon, Mom and Dad held Huck on their laps, kissed him, hugged him and told him how much they loved him and what a handsome, smart and loyal dog he was. He was sedated, and then Huck went to Heaven. Mom and Dad said they had never seen him at such peace. Peace that he never seemed to have because of his anxiety issues.

We all miss him terribly, but Mom and Dad said they know in their hearts that they made the right decision. The right decision for us, for them and for Huck. Our brother is at peace now. We know that God welcomed him home and that he will now get to meet our beloved brothers Bogey and Lindsey and our sister Annie.

The day we found Huck.

Huck as a beautiful puppy.

Huck comes home with us and discovers his new backyard.

A growing boy with lots of energy.

Our very smart Huck on the day of his obedience graduation.

Playing in the snow and with pine was fun for Huckleberry.

Huck was quite fond of gerbera daisies.

Huck giving Mom a kiss during our Christmas photo session.

Huck's beautiful smile.

Handsome Huck.

Goodbye, Huck. You were so very loved, and even though things weren't always easy with you around, we are so glad that you were a part of our family for the past 14 months. Be at peace, sweet brother. We love you.

Gus, Buster, Hobbit and Abby

Gus: A Home for Huck.

This is not easy to write.

Here it goes.

Mom and Dad need to find another home for Huck. We are all very sad about it, but he is not doing well in our home. He needs to be in a calmer environment, a home where he is the only animal. And no children. They frighten him. He can be an excitable dog, but he had a tough puppy hood. He was only about four months old when Mom found him abandoned on the side of a country road, waiting for his owner to return. He was there for hours and he wouldn't leave. What a loyal dog. And smart, too. He learned all his obedience commands super fast. He knows "sit," "stay," and "heel," and he picked up on the house training thing quickly, too. And he is so affectionate and loving. But first he has to get to know you, and sometimes that can take a little while.

Mom and Dad are looking very hard to find just the right home for him. Someone who can give him loads of attention. Huck craves human interaction. I sure hope and pray there's that someone special out there waiting to love him and work with him. He would make someone a wonderful companion.

Happy Huck

Smiling Huck

Silly Huck

Handsome Huck

Dear God,
This has been a very difficult time for our family. First, dealing with Buster's illness, and now coming to terms with the fact that Huck isn't a good fit for our home. Please, God, we pray that you will find that special person and home for him. We pray that you protect him and keep him happy. And, God, please be with Mom and Dad through all of this. They are having a hard time. Amen.

Signed,
Gus