ZOOM ZOOM!!!

I've waited a long time to get this on video. Hoss in the middle of a zoomie attack! Enjoy!

Greyt Art

It isn't unusual for pets to be inspiration for artists. Their unconditional love, their quirky actions at unusual moments - it's good stuff! I saw Hoss laying amongst a pile of stuffies, with his face buried deep within. I grabbed the camera and snapped a shot. After a little Photoshop filter magic, I got the watercolor displayed above. Abstract to some.....precious to me.

Here is the original photo:

A new friend and snowy morning

Last weekend, I picked up a new stuffie while we were at a Meet & Greet. It was the one I featured in a previous post. The boys pretty much fight over it. One waits for the other to look away, then they do a drive by and snag it before the other knows what hit him! So, when I was out and about this weekend, I ran across this cute green alien stuffie. I just knew the boys would love it. Sure enough, they both went crazy when I brought it home. I've even seen some Hoss vs. Bud tug-of-war going on. I love it!!!

With the snowfall last night, it made for some interesting walks this morning before the plows came through. I had heard the rumor that greyhounds will just sit down in the snow if their feet get packed and they are uncomfortable. I witnessed it today as Bud plopped down and started gnawing on his feet. Yikes!! I warmed them up and cleaned them off, enough at least to get him home.

Jail Break!!!

As I closed the garage door and walked into the house, I heard an unusual sound. Down the stairs and around the corner, here came Bud and Hoss!!! AAAACCCKKK!!! WHAT THE?!?!?! I'm not sure when it happened, but they had busted out of their confinement to the kitchen. They seemed so proud of themselves!! Smiling and prancing around. "Look at me, Ma!!" "Look what I can do!" Apparently, the screw in the wall stripped out from the drywall. I knew I should have put an anchor in first. Guess I need to make a trip to the hardware store.

Stuffie time!

My new camera has the ability to record video. Today I got some video of Hoss working on a stuffie while Bud looks on. What you don't see in the video is that Bud had been playing with the stuffie, looked away for a mere moment, then Hoss stole it away. Bud isn't as aggressive, so he patiently watched Hoss until it was his turn again. Kind of cute, so I thought I would share.

Nesting

Hoss is my nester. He will paw and dig at his bed or blankets to get them into proper nesting form. With the weather so cold, I brought out the comforter so that the boys could use it in the living room. Hoss proceeded to gather up his bed and the comforter to build himself a nice nest. Notice the stuffie close at hand in case he needs a quick fix.

Money well spent

If you remember, I purchased a pair of jammies for each of the boys a few months ago. I've tried a few times to get them to wear them, but they always fussed about it. With the temperatures dipping down into single digits the last few days, Hoss has been a bit whiney. I thought maybe he wanted attention since he doesn't whine about food or going potty. When I went to lay with him and rub his tummy, I noticed he felt chilly. So.........I pulled out the jammies and gave them another try. Wouldn't you know, IT WORKED!!! He is now zonked out!!!

Another First!!!!

When I come home from work at night, the boys are at their prime playing condition. It is usually a romp back and forth between me and the stairs. A few hugs......ear scritches.......belly rubs.......and for Hoss, it is Attack of the Stuffies time!!! He pounces on them, throws them from side to side, then begins the greyhound-nibble (if you have a grey, you know what I'm talking about.) Bud will tend to follow along, but when I try to instigate a game of tug, Bud has always backed down and just let the stuffie go.

Tonight he growled, then proceeded to play along. It was complete with head jerks from side to side and full lunge backwards, tugging with all of his might. YEAH!!!!! I love playing tug, and so does Hoss. The next step is to get the two boys tugging together. How sweet that would be!

Shadow

It is so funny, the difference between my boys. Hoss is very content to find a spot to lay and just "be". Bud on the other hand, is my shadow. Every time I get up, he is at my side. "Whatcha doin' ma? Food for me? Scritchies for me? Somethin' for me? Heh????" If I walk downstairs to do laundry, Bud thinks we are going for a walk and gets excited. As soon as he realizes it is a false alarm, he gives me the sad eyes, like I am depriving him! Such a pitiful life, huh?

This is the typical look - "What's next?"

Random thoughts

This is Tito - cousin to Hoss and Bud. When I first introduced the boys to him, I was worried that they wouldn't be good with the "little man", but amazingly, he is the one that likes to instigate things. Tito is cool with Hoss, but he still seems to have an issue with Bud - constantly showing his teeth and growling. He is so ferocious!!!!

Bud looking happy on Thanksgiving. He was doing his happy dance for some reason - first guess would be food.
"It is so rough being so cute. New toys, people petting me all day.....I need a nap."

"Did you know those big boys are stealing MY stuffies? MY STUFFIES!!!!"
"Stuffies, ear scritches......life can't get much better than this!"
"Since when do the stuffies have the right to attack me?!?"
"I didn't do it, I swear!!!"
UPDATE: Mr. Giraffe has lost his other eye. Only two of his feet still squeak.

Christmas as a family

So, me and the boys packed up the dog-mobile on Saturday morning and made the trek to CR. It was uneventful as always, and the boys were ready to get out and run in the yard as soon as we arrived. We couldn't have hoped for nicer weather!

The weekend was full of various events. Last minute shopping. Eating. Sunday mass. Preparing potato soup and chili for the festivities on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve celebration with the family. Christmas Eve mass. Wrapping gifts. Cleaning the house so that it was presentable to our Christmas morning guests. Christmas celebration with more family. All great fun. As a side note - I did get to try CR's newest sushi restaurant. I was impressed! The red tuna was wonderful! I even brought some miso soup home to my sister who was feeling under the weather.

Hoss is always very content wherever we go. He finds a spot where he can lay down, and he will sleep through anything. Bud on the other hand is a nervous wreck all of the time. He paces from room to room, making sure he knows what is going on at all times. Given that I don't have to leash and walk the boys each time they need to potty, their schedule became a little "off". Saturday night I had to let them out at 12:30 am, 3:30 am, and again at 6:30 am. Sunday was a little bit better - only 4:30 am and 6:30 am. In most cases it was Bud that was whining. Part of me thinks he didn't really need to go, but just wanted to make sure nothing was going on without him upstairs and outside. On Monday morning, it was Hoss that was whining - very unusual. I let them out, they did their business right away, and back inside they came. I led them downstairs, then did a few things upstairs before heading back down. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw Bud laying in bed, but could not see Hoss. So I called his name, and "jingle, jingle" of his collar - his head popped up.........from my spot on the couch where I was sleeping!!! The little booger took my bed!!! Rather than fight with him, I stole my pillow out from under him and took residence on the opposite end of the couch. We shared the spot all night - my legs draped over him most of the time. :)

All in all, it was a good weekend. It was wonderful to see the family and eat some good food. The boys made off with some new toys which they really enjoy. Everyone came home in one piece.

Breakthrough

Hoss and I have a special connection. He is my heart-hound. He comes up to me in those special ways and shows me his affection. (And for a dog that doesn't give kisses, this usually involves him rubbing his head up and down my leg, often getting hair all over my dress pants before work. ) When I brought Bud into the house, I tried to make sure that I equally showed my affection to the two boys. I didn't want Bud to feel like the second.

I got him at the end of October, and since then, I've been waiting for the signs that Bud was finally feeling at home. It took Hoss about a month, so I was expecting to see signs around Thanksgiving. But Thanksgiving came and went, and he still seemed nervous and unsettled. I was starting to worry that he wasn't ever going to love being with us.

I think it was last week when I noticed the first sign. It was a weekday morning. After my shower, I usually sit down by the boys and give them belly rubs to wake them up before breakfast. If ever I am giving belly rubs, Hoss will whine if I stop rubbing for a split second. That morning was the first time Bud reached out with his paw and touched my arm when I paused for a mere moment. When they start to care whether you are paying attention or not is when I know that they are becoming attached. I saw the switch in Hoss, and finally, now in Bud. I'm so excited. Now I know, when I look into his perpetually pouty eyes, that he loves me.

Cruel and Unusual?

I know my posts have become sparse through the month of December. It is one of those months that I always wish would just get over with. It is always so packed with random things that need to be done, usually centered around Christmas, that my whole schedule gets out of whack, and I feel like I am constantly running. Not to mention that December is always one of the busiest months for me at work. I won't even get into that......

A few weeks ago, I ordered some goodies from a place in Seattle for my previous foster for Christmas. At the same time, I ordered a new stuffie for the boys. They LOVED the grunting monkey I had previously bought for them, so when I found these grunting toys, I wanted to get another. Well, the package arrived this week, and it didn't take long for the new stuffie to become the new favorite. The boys are sneaky with each other. If one has it and turns his back, the other will snatch it up and claim it for himself. It is comical to watch.

In less than two days, we've already had a stuffie emergency. It was horrific. I heard a long grunt come from the other room, a thud, then the smacking of jaws. I knew it wouldn't be pretty. I walked into the other room to find Hoss laying on his side, licking his chops. To his right, the tragedy lay.


Mr. Giraffe has decided that he can live with only one good eye, so we are not going to operate. I have noticed that his grunting has ceased, so there was internal damage as well. With time, he should recover, but he will never be the same. His squeaker feet are still functioning, but I'm sure it won't be long. I've seen Hoss looking at Mr. Giraffe with a devilish grin. I know he is plotting something.

Coffee

On Monday night, the boys and I met up with my previous foster Daisy and her forever-mom at a local coffee shop that is pet-friendly. It was a chance to have a little social time not only for the dogs, but for us as well. We hadn't been there long when I had a flashback to the days when Daisy lived with us. Hoss had found a comfortable position on the floor, so Daisy took her position - standing over Hoss! So funny how my very alpha boy lets this alpha girl take her position. This was very common when she lived with us. If she was standing up, she was usually standing over Hoss.

I like this picture because it looks as if Daisy and Bud are talking and laughing like they are the best of friends. Notice Daisy standing over Hoss.....

Here are a few others from that night:

Ridin' Sleepy.....

The drive from CR to DSM is always an uneventful one. The boys in the back, sleeping. Me up front, jamming to some tunes and going through the motions to get us home.

Apparently, Hoss decided he wanted to shake things up a bit - get a change of scenery. I'm driving along, and the next thing I know, Hoss is climbing over the back seat. He plops down right on top of everything I have packed in the seats. I grabbed my camera, pointed it towards him, and the picture above is what I got.

Wednesday night already

I noticed that my last post was almost a full week ago! Wow - where has the week gone? I began to think about everything that had happened over the last week. Let's see...

Thursday was a post-daycare night, so it was pretty quiet. I think I had something going on that night. I don't even remember now what that was.

Friday was a crazy day at work. I did some quick shopping at work then it was home for the evening. I knew the next few days would be hectic, so I took advantage and got some sleep.

Saturday started with a photo session with me and the boys. Oh man, that was a hoot! Hoss was quite the ham - posing for the camera and acting so cooperative. Bud on the other hand is sooo anxious all of the time - he kept pacing around, trying to figure out what was going and why we were in this strange place with the light that keeps flashing in his eyes! We were lucky to get off any good shots. But, all was good! We picked out some nice pics, and they should be in soon. I'm excited!

Saturday evening was the holiday party for the greyhound rescue group. It was a great time, and I got to talk to other people and hear their stories. Funny how, even though it was one of the few events where we didn't bring the dogs, the dogs were all we talked about!!!

Sunday was a relaxing day. I figured out how to use the hard surface attachment on my floor cleaning machine then tackled the kitchen. Sweet!!! So much better than my mop! Later on, I caught a movie with a friend, picked up some Thai food from my favorite place on the way home, then relaxed with the boys the rest of the night.

Monday was a Monday. Chaos at work, so I looked forward to coming home at lunch and walking the boys. A great excuse to get out and clear my mind.

Tuesdays are always a rush. I teach at 6:30 pm, so after work, it is rush home, walk the boys, feed the boys, change clothes, then run out the door. When I got back, I snuggled with the boys on the floor while watching tv, until it was time for bed.

Today, I had to go out of town for work, so the boys went to daycare. It wasn't greyhound day like it is on Thursdays, so they were with a more rambunctious group. They both passed out on the floor after we got home. I had to wake them up for dinner. Now that dinner is over, they are both sleeping again. I can hear the wind howling outside the windows. I'm not looking forward to the potty walk before bed.

This week is their lucky week. They will get to go to daycare tomorrow again. Two times in a row!!! Yowza! I'm glad I have daycare as an option in the event that I need to be flexible with my schedule during the day. Plus, the boys love it and it is nice that they get to be social rather than being stuck in the kitchen all day.

I've been considering installing a webcam in the kitchen so that I can watch what their typical day is like at home while I'm at work. I'm so curious......

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........................

17 degrees......

First, I layer on their jammies.....then their winter coats.

Both stick a nose out the front door. Hoss turns as if to go back inside. He has gotten me up at 3:30 am the last two nights. He is going out to potty.....

We start our walk. Hoss takes care of both to-dos on his business list, then refuses to go any further. Rather than fight him, we turn back, drop Hoss off, then Bud and I head back out so that he can take care of to-dos.

Of course, he hasn't figured out that the quicker you go, the quicker you get to go back in. He waits until the very end our potty walk loop, then goes. It is back to the house as quickly as possible. It is too cold out here.

Back inside, Hoss is still in his jammies (I took off his coat when I dropped him off), but looking rather uncomfortable. Bud runs upstairs as if to go to bed (still in his jammies). I start to hear an odd sound.

I run upstairs to find Bud in an infinite loop of the greyhound-shake. (For those of you that don't know, that is the head turning one direction, the trunk of the body turning the other with legs flinging, butt in the opposite direction as the trunk, and tail whipping around like a propeller.) Shake. Stop. Repeat. Over, and over, and over. I think the static build-up was really bothering him! As soon as they came off, he was much better. Weird.

Both now zonked out....Hoss down here with me, and Bud upstairs in his bed. Let's hope that 3:30 am comes and goes with no potty run. 17 degrees will feel mighty warm compared to the low we are supposed to hit....I think they said 5 degrees on the news.

Reunion

In my previous life, I adopted a little puppy - a black and white, spotted, Jack Russell-Springer Spaniel mix. His name was Marty, and he was very precious to me. Circumstances changed and I needed to find Marty a new home. A good friend of mine had recently moved to Florida and had bought an acreage. Knowing how much Marty loved to run around outside, and that my friend was a "dog person" in need of a dog, I knew it would be a perfect fit. After some discussion, the adoption was set, and I drove my pupper to Florida to be at his new forever home.

Over the years, I had seen him once or twice, but never any real quality time. Today was my lucky day!!! My friend is in town for an extended trip, so we got together to introduce my new dogs to my old dog. What a treat!!!! Like my boys, he is so well behaved (that is due to my friend and the diligence he put into training him). We all went on a walk together, then just hung out at the house and talked about old times.

My friend and I concluded that it was a case of destiny, or "meant to be". I was able to adopt and rescue him, give him a home temporarily until it was time for him to go to his forever home with my friend in Florida.

Turkey Day Tug-of-War

Jack: Hello?!?! I have a perfectly good stuffie sitting here. Does anyone want to play? Hey you there! Old man!!! Yeah, you! Bet you can't keep up with me!









Hoss: You talkin' to me?!?! I'll take you up on that challenge!




Let the games begin!!!

Hoss: HA!!! I got it!!! Now, who you calling an old man?!?









Hoss: Ahhhh! The sweet taste of victory!

Looking handsome

Finally!!! The new collars for the boys arrived today. I think I squealed when I opened the mailbox and saw the package. :) Check out how handsome they each look in their new duds.


(Notice Hoss and his pile of stuffies.....one just isn't enough!)