Dogs in Motion II

Watching dogs rough house and run gives me a feeling of peace. It even makes me giggle.

Dogs in Motion

My Christmas gift this year was an amazing camera so I decided to use it to capture the dogs playing at the dog park. This is the best time of year for Buddha and Simba. While they relish the freezing cold I shiver and shake! But hey at least they are happy!

Love Thy Neighbor

Simba and Buddha hate to play dress up. I think I have mentioned that before. Their dismay does not stop me from finding goofy and absurd outfits for them to wear for the holidays. This time around we were able to get the neighborhood dogs together for a photo shoot. Simba sat next to the tree like a champ. He was patient and relaxed and always struck a pose. The other dogs were not as relaxed as he was so it took a long time to get them all to actually SIT and STAY. Can you believe that just a few months ago Simba and the white Scottie hated each other? Now they are buddies. Maybe humans should learn to be more forgiving like dogs.

Sasha Needs a Home!

The holiday season stresses people out even more than usual. Money is tight and the tension keeps growing. Some people get depressed, obsessed, angry and even crazy. The saddest part is that people begin to neglect their basic responsibilities. The small furry creatures in our lives feel the pinch but sometimes their owners can't afford to keep them any longer. I have seen this in full force recently and the thought of having to get rid of my pups makes me sick to my stomach. They have become part of the family and have brought so much joy into my life.
Today I'm writing this post for a special pup named Sasha. She is a Maltese, Shih Tzu mix. She is two years old and very cute. Her family does not have the time or means to take care of her anymore. They are looking for a good home for her so if you know anyone or want a new dog for the holidays then contact me for more information!

She is the little one on the right in the photo above...

Happy Holidays!

Bah HUMBUG!

The holiday season is meant to be all about the joy of family and friends gathered together. It's not meant to be about greed, perfect presents, yelling at people in stores and just being an overall nasty person. All I know is that the nicer I try to be the more stressed out I have become! The last couple months have been one disaster after another. The economy is bad but there is no reason for people to base every more on money. Giving is better than receiving and being a kind person is so much more rewarding than being a big jerk.

Too Smart for Her Own Good!

What do you buy...

for the pup who has everything? Simba and Buddha have been pretty naughty recently. I wrapped their first gift and put it under the tree along with all the other gifts. After I left the room they quickly found their gift, ripped it open and proceeded to try to open the packaging. I walked into a room with wrapped paper strewn everywhere. I guess it's the excitement of Christmas that is getting them so hyper and naughty.

Another Rick Perry Comparison

I think by now everyone has made the comparison between the jacket that Governor Rick Perry wore in his campaign video that was flamboyantly anti gay and anti Obama. People put his picture next to Heath Ledger's picture from the movie "Brokeback Mountain" because the jackets appeared to be exactly the same. Now it's time for me to make a comparison of my own. While at the dog park this morning I noticed a cute little white pup in a stylish jacket. He was this tiny little guy who tried to hump several of the other male dogs in the park. Naturally, I could not get the image of Rick Perry's jacket and message out of my mind. I might have even offended the owner but I had to take several photos of the dog with his Rick Perry style jacket. Clearly, the dog is MUCH cuter.

Holiday Spirit

Christmas decorations are up and running. There will be an explosion of pictures next week but I have already started my photography rampage! I still need to purchase sweaters for the dogs but for now they must pose in the nude!

58 pounds

Buddha baby had his annual checkup this weekend and he is now a whopping 58 pounds! He's had a crazy year but at least he is healthy and I hope he will be disaster free from this point on!!!

A look back

Before Simba and Buddha I never owned dogs. I had a guinea pig once and a cat for a brief period of time but that was it. No matter how much we begged and pleaded, my sister and I were never allowed to have a dog.

I have always adored animals. I became a vegetarian at the age of fifteen and never turned back. My furry friends were always on my mind. So even though I loved animals and especially dogs, I was also fearful of them. I was bitten by a German Shepherd mix when I was young and that scared me away from bigger dogs. For many years I was sure that I wanted to get a Pomeranian. They were cute, small and cuddly. I still think that they are adorable but I am so glad that I have my "bigger" pups.

The first day that Simba came home to us I was frightened and allergic to him! My whole body broke out into hives. I shed some tears and was scared that he was going to get big and bite me. This fear crippled me for the first few days as I adjusted to life with a puppy but it quickly went away. I was determined to be the best dog mommy I could be. I picked up all of the Cesar Milan books, watched every single episode, took my pup to class and socialized him every chance I got. I would NOT have a hostile, sad or angry dog! So while I provided these basic things for my little Simba he provided so much more for me.

I never realized how much having a dog in your life can change you. On the one hand, I lost many expensive outfits, accessories and electronics but on the other hand I gained two companions. Simba and Buddha have taught me to wake up extra early (rain, shine or bitter cold) to experience calmness and serenity. This had led to patience. Be patient as the dogs sniff every little thing and choose the perfect spot to do their business. I have had to learn the beauty of persistence as I tell Simba for the hundredth time in an hour to stop biting on the coffee table.

Every morning they are the first to greet me and they are always happy to see me. I am fortunate to have made the decision to get over my fear and embrace two amazing animals.

All dolled up!

All I wanted to do today was get Simba and Buddha's pictures taken with Santa Claws! We went last year when Buddha was a pup and I could think of no better way to spend my Saturday. This difference this year was that Simba was afraid of Santa and barked at him several times. Buddha couldn't care less and I persuaded him to sit nicely because I had a treat in my hand. Simba was more difficult to persuade but eventually he sat next to Santa for his picture.

For my sister

My sister has had to experience quite a lot in her 21 years of life. Many of her close friends have died, she has been plagued by many odd illnesses and there has been a general black cloud above her head. Yesterday her best friend died. He was a brilliant and generous person who probably experienced more in his short life (25 years) than most of us have. My sister asked me why this had to happen to him. Why did such a wonderful person have to suffer through stage four cancer, fall in love and get married (only to be cheated on), lose his brother in a freak accident (and have the settlement money stolen by his devious wife), witness the birth of his beautiful twins (only to find out that they were not his at all) and finally go into a painless remission (only to have a stroke due to three unknown brain tumors). I could not answer her question because I can't think of any reason that could explain such a tragedy. A 25 year old who fought so hard to live finally lost the battle.

He did not have a long life but from what I understand he had a rich life. Even though the woman he adored was a traitor from the start, he was head over heels in love. Not everyone can say that they have ever experienced something like that. True love. Perhaps her feelings were a farce but his were not. He lived in that dream as he lived in the nightmare of various surgeries and cancer treatments. He was not mediocre as so many of us are.

Perhaps the only thing that I can say to my sister is that he had more zest for life than most people I know, he had more disasters in life than any person I know, and he knew the value of every moment more than I could ever know. Don't ask why. Life is not black and white. Not all stories have a happy ending. Just feel fortunate that this rare gem, this pure positive energy touched your life, no matter how brief it was.

TV Remote Fetish

I woke up to the horrible sound of my husband's alarm clock. The thing had been going off for an hour and he kept pushing the snooze button and falling back asleep. This is pretty much an everyday thing. But this morning there was an added sound. Something I could not put my finger on right away so I ventured into the living room to see what the dogs were doing. As my eyes adjusted I saw them huddled together with the remote in Simba's mouth. UNBELIEVABLE! This is the third remote that they have destroyed. The first two cost over $200! I'm not sure why our boys love the remote so much but it has become a very costly toy.