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