Abby: Merry Christmas!

I just got back from a walk with Mommy and Buster. It's a beautiful Christmas Eve Day - bright, sunny and brisk!

My brothers are happy that Mommy didn't insist on a family portrait for this year's Christmas cards. Instead she decided to make a collage with pictures she took of us this year. That made it much easier on everybody. It's pretty difficult to get all four of us to sit still for a picture!

We have so much to be thankful this year. It was a tough summer with Buster's illness, but we made it through and he's doing better than ever. He's back to eating his regular food and he hasn't gotten sick in over six weeks! Mommy and Daddy said they are so thrilled and grateful.

Mommy tells me that Santa Claus will be filling out stockings again this year. Apparently, we've been good! We already got our big Christmas presents from Mommy and Daddy: four fluffy memory foam dog beds! Oooooh, they are so comfy!

Merry Christmas to all our blogging buddies!

Love,
Abby Grace xoxo

Buster: Pet Blogs United!

We're all purdy excited around here! The Doggy Diary is featured on Pet Blogs United this week. That's quite an honor! Maw helped us out by submittin' our diary for consideration. We hope this opportunity will allow us to meet many more bloggers (both human and furry). We love to hear from others.

In the meantime, all is well around here. Things weren't so great earlier this week, though. Poor Hobbit got sick. Remember that hole to China he was diggin' in the backyard? Well, apparently he ingested some sort of organism that gave him lots of tummy trouble. Poor little guy. He had a rough few days. But as I write this he is hangin' out on the new dog bed as comfy as can be. He's definitely all better. I had a little of the bug, too, but I got over it right quick. I've been eatin' good and feelin' peppy these days. That's a big improvement from last summer when I got so sick.

Gus is doin' okay, too. Maw started him and me both on some sort of vitamin to help our arthritic joints. I sure hope it starts kickin' in soon. I'm not one to complain, but my hips do stiffen up a bit ever' now and then.

Abby has been behavin' like a little lady lately. Well, not so much this mornin'. She was up and at 'em awfully early. Thank goodness she's restin' right now.

So, I just wanted to catch you up on what's goin' on. Like I said, I sure hope to meet new people and fellow furry ones through Pet Blogs United.

Love,
Buster

Hobbit: I've been a busy boy!

Hello, Diary! I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. We've been pretty busy around here. Abby and I found a great digging spot. It's taken a lot of work, but we've gotten the hole about as big as we had hoped. You would be impressed. I know my mommy and Poncho are amazed. They don't seem to be too fond of the mud that's involved with our work. I've found myself in the sink a couple of times. I'm not exactly fond of that myself. Abby says she echoes my sentiment.

Mommy and Poncho have also been busy. They have made numerous trips to the veterinarian for Gus' laser treatments over the past few weeks. He had six visits and seems to be feeling better. Buster's health continues to improve. He only gets sick about every five days or so now. Other than those moments he feels good!

This past week we stayed home with Miss Debbie while Mommy and Poncho traveled. Abby went to Aunt Mary's house. She likes it there and they like her. It works out for all of us. Gus, Buster and I get a vacation from our crazy sister and she gets to spend time with a family that loves her almost as much as Mommy and Poncho do. They even have five dogs for her to play with, so she never gets bored.

We are expecting company tomorrow night. Three family members will be staying with us. I am normally excited about having visitors, but two of the three guests are not exactly dog people. I can't imagine. I say they are missing out. Dogs have a lot to offer: fun, comfort, kisses, cuddles and, of course, unconditional love.

Well, it's cold outside and that puts me in the mood for a nap.

Night, night,
Hobbit xxoo

This picture doesn't do it justice, but the hole Abby and I created really is quite impressive!

Buster: Good things are happenin'.

I'm happy to report that I'm continuin' to get better. I'm eatin' good, enjoyin' the outdoors, and haven't gotten sick in nearly a week. It's hard to believe that almost four months ago I was strugglin' just to make it through surgery. I'm real lucky to be here. Well, actually, it's more than luck. I'm alive and well because of prayin' friends, our veterinarians here in town, the surgeon and student vets at Virginia Tech Vet Hospital and, most importantly, God. In Maw and Paw's eyes, I'm their Miracle Dog.

I'll tell ya who else is happy and thankful today: Kenny the 16-year-old beagle and his owner! I can't imagine the harrowin' ordeal Kenny went through when that bad stranger stole Mr. Fannin's truck with him in it. Here's the full scoop in the Charleston Daily Mail.

Yup, life has been real good lately - and busy, too - so Maw has had fun documentin' what all we've been up to. Here are some pictures and even a video.

One beautiful October afternoon when Maw and I were walkin' she noticed my shadow and thought it looked purdy cool. I think my shadow looks like a wolf!

On another day when maw was cleanin' she stacked our dog beds in a big pile. Well, that looked right comfy to me, so I climbed on up and you can see how much I liked it. Talk about cushy!

Speakin' of gettin' comfy, here's a picture of Hobbit fast asleep on Paw's lap. I think he stayed in that position for nearly two hours!

Below are a couple of pictures of Gus gettin' his laser treatments. He's had three sessions this week and he says he feels a lot better. I can tell 'cause he looks like he's walkin' better, too. He said the laser light felt nice and warm. In fact, he was so comfortable with the procedure he nearly took a cat dog nap!

And then there's the Abster. While we old guys are always lookin' for the best place to sleep, Abby's usually somewhere causin' trouble. As you can see from the picture below, she was quite busy this mornin'. If you think she looks bad, you should see the yard!

Abby Grace may play hard, but that also means she sleeps hard!

So those are a few snapshots of our lives over the past week. I think I'll turn in for the night. I hear tomorrow might bring us the first snow of the season and I can't wait!

Love,

Buster xoxo

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.

Abby: Citronella Cinderella

About a month ago Mommy decided she had to do something about my barking. She said it's excessive and loud. I say it is necessary. Like I wrote in my August 8th entry, I have a job to do and to get that job done I need to bark.

As the only little girl of the house I believe my purpose is to keep the other boys in line, especially Buster. Mommy and Daddy say it's not. We have a difference of opinion. Anyhoo, after much consideration Mommy ordered something called the Gentle Spray Citronella Anti-Bark Collar. I have to tell ya, I wasn't too keen on this idea. I mean, me, Mommy and Daddy's Little Princess, wearing an ugly black collar with a box on it? And on top of that, what little girl wants to smell like bug repellent?

I thought wearing the collar would be a lot worse than what it is. It actually isn't too bad. I learned really quick that if I bark while I'm wearing it, then a funny smell is sprayed just under my chin. I picked up on that connection real fast. Bark = funny smell. I'm pretty smart. So smart I figured a way around it. Being the boss doggy I need a way to communicate to my brothers when they are irritating me. Yes, I am the boss. Buster thinks he is and no matter how often I try to correct him he just ignores me. Talk about infuriating! Basically, that's what usually gets me barking. But, like I said, I've learned that I can communicate with him in quieter ways. I can stare at him and growl just enough so the spray collar won't detect it. Or I can initiate a standoff with him. He usually gives up first and just walks away. I think he's slowly getting the message.

I'm happy to say that the citronella collar was a success. So much so that I almost never have to wear it anymore. I think my mommy and daddy are pleased. And that makes me happy.

Goodnight,
Abby, aka Little Princess

***Oh, by the way, my mommy wrote her version of this experience on the Daily Mail's pet 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.

Hobbit: Beach time!

Boy, did I have an exciting week! My sister Abby and I got to go to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, with Mommy and Poncho. Grandma, Aunt Ginger and Uncle Roger went, too. It took us eight hours to get there, but Abby and I were very comfortable the entire ride. Our mommy set up a sweet travel space for us. She put in the soft, quilted doggy hammock and then lined it with a fleece blanket and topped it off with a pillow. We had it made! I was a little nervous the first hour. I always am, but then I settled in and enjoyed the ride. Abby is a great little traveler. Mommy and Poncho were very proud of her. They were also pleased with how well-behaved she was the entire week. She was nice to me and didn't bark much. You see, at home she can be pretty loud and annoying. For some reason Buster and she don't exactly gel. I think it bothers her that he doesn't pay much attention to her. Well, at the beach she didn't have Buster around to distract her, so she was a real pleasure. It was fun to watch her as she checked out the sand and surf for the first time. She wasn't afraid of the water. She followed Mommy into the ocean and even started swimming a little! Mommy and Poncho are very glad they took her. I go with them every year, but this was sissy's first time and she'll get invited again, I'm sure.

Gus and Buster stayed home with two dog sitters, Miss Debbie and Mr. Eric. Miss Debbie takes care of them a lot. She knows their quirks and does a good job of catering to their funny behaviors. Why, she even hand feeds Buster when he's not eating enough. Mr. Eric took care of them the final night. He's our next door neighbor, so they feel comfortable with him. As a matter of fact, Mr. Eric got Buster to take his medicine with a Pill Pocket treat. Buster hasn't wanted a Pill Pocket since he got sick. All in all, Gus and Buster did great, but Mommy thinks they got lonely for us 'cause Buster chewed on a couple of the dog beds. That's not like him. He also got sick a few times. Mommy and Poncho have learned that Buster will most likely always have a tendency to vomit. The veterinarians think he has bilious vomiting syndrome. It has been a problem ever since he got sick this summer. The vets prescribed Prilosec and Reglan and they both seem to help. Although he still gets sick every now and then, he's eating more, looks healthier and seems to be a happy and energetic doggy these days. Mommy and Poncho say he's our Miracle Dog!

Oh, before I sign off I want to share some pictures and videos from our beach trip:

My Poncho and me. :)

True contentment.

Abby enjoying the sea breeze.

A peaceful picture of my sister.

Strutting my stuff on the beach!

Swimming with Mommy! Oh, that water felt so good!

Abby up close and personal.

Playing on the beach can make a little boy tired!

Goodnight!

Hobbit xoxo

Abby: All lives are precious.

I'm going to make this short. I have a few things on my mind, but I don't want to go into detail. What I want to do, though, is share what I've learned this week:

1. Life is precious.
2. Everyone is special to someone.

My mommy and daddy say we should appreciate one another, our family and friends, and the time we have together. Sometimes a loved one can be taken from us too soon, so we need to keep in mind that we have all been given a wonderful gift - the gift of life.

I may annoy my brothers Gus, Buster and Hobbit at times, but they are my family and I love them. My mommy and daddy love all four of us, no matter how much we bark, pee in the house or bicker with one another. They love us unconditionally.

Unconditional love. It's what parents have for their children, and it's what God has for all of us. What a blessing.

Love,
Abby

Buster: Thankful for health, happiness & bloggin' buddies.

It's been a long couple of months. Nausea, vomitin', emergency surgery, a week in the ICU, losin' 25 pounds, then more nausea and vomitin'. I started to get better, but then I had a setback. Maw, Paw and Dr. Sarah were real concerned. Well, I'm happy to report that it appears as though I really am on the mend this time. Dr. Sarah put me on antibiotics and a new anti-nausea medicine and my body is respondin' positively. I'm eatin' more and have gotten sick only once in the past five days. I'm definitely gettin' some spring back into my step. When Maw and I headed out for a walk yesterday I was so excited I practically dragged her down the street! That made her very happy. :)

Many people have written to us here at "The Doggy Diary." They've sent good wishes, encouragin' words and lots of prayers. Maw says she never knew how wonderful the bloggin' world could be. There really are a lot of fine folks out there.

Speakin' of the bloggin' world, Maw has been asked to write for a pet blog hosted by the local newspaper, The Daily Mail. It's called "Cap West's Pet City." Her first post is titled "The joy and amusement of living with four rescued dogs." She and five other people are takin' turns postin' their thoughts, stories, and whatever else they think the pet-lovin' public might be interested in. Maw said she's real honored to be a part of the blog and is enjoyin' the camaraderie with her fellow bloggers.

I just finished eatin' some ground turkey that was lovin'ly boiled by my Paw. Now it's time to settle down for the evenin'. That is unless I get a whiff of somethin' interestin' outside tonight. There's quite a breeze out there, so I think the odds are in my favor.

Love,
Buster

Hobbit: Playdate & Buster update.

Yesterday was an exciting day! My mommy's friend Penny came to visit and she brought five children with her. Yes, five! Four of them belong to her and the fifth child was a friend of her oldest, Claire. They ranged in age from two to nine. They seemed to really like me. And I liked them, too. I was very good and remained calm. I didn't want to scare them, especially the baby, Laurel. Kids are fun, but they can make a little guy tired. I made a point to take a nice long nap after they left. :)

Abby was a good girl and behaved herself rather well. She did make Ava a little nervous, though. I can see why. Abby doesn't quite understand the concept of personal space. I know she's being friendly, but she needs to realize that not everyone likes to be kissed and sniffed all over!

Mommy didn't let Gus and Buster hang out with the kids because they are too big. Bennett said they weren't too big for him because he's a big boy himself, but Mommy said it would be best to let them rest in another room. Can you imagine a room with five kids and four dogs? Now, that would have made for a great diary entry!

Here's a picture that Claire took of me. I think she did a great job!

Claire took this funny picture of Abby. My silly sister loves it when Mommy holds her upside down!

It's nice to have a fun day, especially because our family has been so worried about my brother Buster. He's still on the mend from his surgery back in early July, but he took a turn for the worse a week ago. He had a bad reaction to a new medicine. He wasn't eating and was just lying around. He's moving around a bit more now and eating a little, but not like he was a couple of weeks ago. Poor guy. He is pretty thin, so Mommy and Poncho are trying really hard to get him to eat. They have offered him boiled ground turkey, boiled chicken, crackers, bread, cottage cheese, canned dog food, dry dog food, fish and pretzels. Sometimes he wants one of these things and sometimes he doesn't. It's frustrating. He does get a burst of energy every now and then. He'll start barking and break into his signature trot. Usually when someone comes to visit. Or he sees a squirrel. Or he smells something in the air that just seems to catch his interest. (We never see what he is howling at. He's definitely got the nose of a hound!) It does our hearts good when he perks up like that.

Time for my mid-afternoon nap. After that, dinner! It's another good day! :)

Love,
Hobbit  xoxo

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

Abby: Can you hear me now?!

So things are getting back to normal around here. Mommy and Daddy miss Huck very much, but say the sadness seems to lessen as time passes. Buster is trotting, howling at whatever scent he picks up in the air, and eating like crazy. (He still gets sick about once a day, but Mommy and Daddy are in constant communication with the vets about that.) Gus is happy and sweet as always, and all is right with Hobbit's world, well, as long as either his Poncho or Mommy is nearby. (Nothing new there.) And me? Well, Mommy says my barking seems to be more offensive than ever. Hmph! I don't think my voice is shrill, but Daddy and she say they beg to differ. Mommy says she doesn't mind that I bark because that's what doggies do. It's just that she doesn't want me to bark so much, especially because it's pretty loud. She says it's more like "eardrum-piercing loud." Well, how am I supposed to get my point across if I can't make myself heard? I have valuable opinions to share. Like when someone new comes into our home, I need let them know that they are to greet me before they do anything else. Or when Buster is ignoring me while I'm trying to get his attention, it is necessary that I raise my voice to make him listen to me. I have to admit it usually doesn't work, though. Oh, and when  I want to play fetch, I must bark loudly so that Mommy and Daddy know that it's time to throw the ball. Yes, they may be standing right there reaching for the ball, but I still need to prompt them. I am certain of it. So, as you can see, my voice is an important one in this family.

Well, I overheard Mommy and Daddy talking about something called a citronella bark collar. Hmmm. I'm not so sure how I feel about this. Mommy says that it may be necessary, though, because I don't listen to her when she tells me to stop barking. She asked our vet Dr. Sarah about it today and Dr. Sarah said it's safe and effective. Mommy says she is apprehensive but she might go ahead and order it and give it a try. I'll let you know how that goes - you can be sure that I will voice my opinion about this experiment!

It's getting close to my bedtime and I need to rest my vocal chords. Good night!

Love,
Abby xoxo

Buster: Gettin' better. Mournin' Huck.

What a long few weeks it has been. I'm very thankful to be feelin' better, but I just wish my recovery would pick up some speed. My appetite has increased quite a bit and there have been a couple of days here and there that I've gone without gettin' sick. I'm tryin' to eat and put some weight on.  My last weigh-in was at 63 lbs. I should at least be about 75, but I usually weigh around 85 or 90. Maw and Paw are feedin' me four times a day to get that weight back on me. I'm eatin' more than boiled chicken now 'cause Maw and Paw introduced a special, yummy canned dog food to me. The veterinarian said it's good for dogs like me who have been sick. And, boy, do like Maw's whole wheat bread! So, I guess I just need to be patient and focus on the fact that I am gettin' better. Maybe not as fast as we'd like, but at least I am improving.

Of course, it's been very sad around here the past week. We all miss Huck. Especially Maw and Paw. Maw says it's hard to believe that they had to make the decision that they did, but they know in their hearts that it was the right one. Huck is at peace now and someday we will all see him again. Huck, we miss you more than you know and we hope you are havin' fun rompin' around with Lindsey, Bogey and Annie. We love you.

Love,
Buster

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