OFF TOPIC: 1 - The People Closest To You

The people closest to you are the people who tend to hurt you.  And in most cases, they do it intentionally.  Through much self-reflection and trial and error I have finally learned to be seen and not heard and that my silence is golden.  

The bottom line is that you just can't help some people.  They love their own misery even when they complain about it. They seek out your help when the chips are down but lash out at you when you try to help them prevent falling into the pitfalls that cause them suffering.

They say misery love company and I know its true but I also now believe that the miserable love their own misery so let them dwell in it.

FALL = ALLERGY SEASON FOR CHOPPER!

I hate hate hate the Spring and Fall due to how much my dog suffers.  I suffer with allergies too but I know how to manage my issues but my poor Chopper begins to drag his face across the carpet, scratch like crazy, and bite and like at his legs and paws.  He is in misery!
And then we (his human family) have to suffer right along with him as we try to follow several steps to make him as comfortable as possible WITHOUT resorting to the cortizone steroid shots at the bet.
His daily walks now include wiping off his entire body with a damp cloth or a complete oatmeal bath.
He takes Tavist allergy medication, which makes him drowsy.
He also takes a plant steroid and a skin supplement from a natural pet website.
And unfortunately he has to wear an e-collar for the better part of the day to prevent him from sneaking off and secretly licking and biting his paws.
It is really a bad time for our little family and I just keep praying that God will remove this affliction from Chopper.  I've done everything I can including changing his food and treats to all natural, primarily turkey, veal and salmon foods.
Fingers crossed that God will show us favor and this will be the last season of allergies that will affect Chopper.  Going forward I pray he will be happy and healthy.

Houston Heat & Caring for your dogs!

Okay, so I'm totally ticked off because I went to the grocery store on Saturday and as I'm coming out, I hear a dog letting out a miserable cry! Its so loud that everyone walking in the parking lot keeps looking in the direction of the cry.  The heat index is at least 100 degrees so I'm sweating instantly but my love for dogs made me follow the cries to see if someone was actually cruel enough to have left a dog in their car while they went into the grocery store.   AND JUST AS I SUSPECTED....SOMEONE HAD!
They parked their car in the shade and had the window down completely but this dog was still panting heavily and drooling from the heat!
I immediately grabbed my phone & called the Humana Society.  Unfortunately, this place has just continued to prove over the years that they are useless to animals in danger.  I get an automated answering service and then I'm prompted to dial an extension for animal cruelty.  I dial the extension just to have to leave a message!  I was soooo annoyed.  SO, who do we call in the case of an emergency like this one?
By this time, a woman comes walking toward the car and she begins to look nervous as she sees me on the phone and standing near her car looking at her with disgust.  She rushes by me and jumps in the car.
I look at her license plate and then head for my car.
I wanted to say something to her but I was way to angry to speak and I knew it would not have turned out well if I had spoken.
I'm hoping that my unspoken look of anger and disgust and my intentionally loud report being made on the phone about what she had done, at least made her nervous enough not to repeat the action.

In the meantime, I will be calling the Humane Society to speak with someone and find out who/where do I call in a situation like that.

Long Awaited Doggy Bed Training with Chopper

Wow...I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted.  But on with the update.  It was a struggle with Chopper for a while.  And since my husband was working nights, I really took my time.  Afterall, I was home alone with Chopper in a huge bed so I didn't really care to push the issue.  But wow how quickly things change.  In May, my husband's schedule changed and he would now be home at night.  This meant that I had to fully commit on getting Chopper trained not to sleep in our bed.
It still was a struggle because I was having to get up in the morning to go to work...so having my sleep disturbed throughout the night with Chopper jumping in the bed & myself or my husband telling him to get down was just not happening.  And then it happened....I was laid off! It was a shock and also a mixed blessing.  I didn't want to lose my job like that but I was ready to move on to something bigger and better.
This "mixed blessing" not only afforded me the opportunity to seek other job opportunities but it also allowed me to work better on Chopper's training.
Within a few days, he was trained to not to sleep in our bed.  Notice that I am not saying that he was trained to sleep in his bed? lol  Well, his bed is the last option for him.  I think he's mad at it for coming in and changing his world.  So, when he goes to 'bed' at night, he goes under our bed.  I think he likes it because there are pillows under there and also the skirt of the bed hangs down gives him his own private space.

He will come out from time to time & test us by jumping in our bed but for the most part he stays "down" and he will also from time to time surrender to HIS bed.

WAY TO GO CHOPPER!!

An update to my Dog Fighting Post

I'm glad a friend of mine stepped in and talked to me about forgiveness before I started this post...(sigh)...because I was really on a rampage after viewing more of Michael Vick's documentary about dog fighting.

It really broke my heart to find out that he had been brutally murdering the dogs...on top of the horror of forcing them to fight. In my mind I imagined that he was "mercifully"...if I can use that term..shooting the dogs to put them out of their pain after having been torn apart in a dog fight. But now I see this documentary that reveals that he was hanging and drowning the dogs as well.

It takes a cruel and cold person to something as awful as this and while I have to remove the hatred I was feeling for him in my heart (because God says we should forgive), I will never be a fan.

Please stop dog fighting rings and cruelty to animals!

Dog lovers unite!

Please donate to your local humane society and adopt dogs from shelters rather than purchasing expensive puppies manufactured in horrible puppy mills and sold to "some" pet stores.

Always gotta include a cute shot of Chopper. He's the best! This post is for you Chops!

Dog RE-training...

Well, my cockapoo Chopper is 4 years old and probably the best dog I could ever have. I have to admit I've kinda spoiled him...lol...and he's been sleeping in my bed for about 3 years now. In my defense, he's such an awesome and lovable dog that its hard not to spoil him. In fact, I've enjoyed loving him as much as possible ever since I laid eyes on him.

Anyway, my dear husband is ready for us to have our bed back and I promised him I would try to get Chopper out of our bed and into his own.

I bought a new bed for Chopper this week. Its so plush and comfy but it became clear

really quickly that the comfort of the bed was NOT gonna be enough to win him over.

Night #1 was a nightmare for Chopper & I. I spent half the night waking up to direct him back into his new bed. He would snuggle up and sleep there for short periods of time and then jump right back into bed with me. Sigh... He did not understand why he couldn't go "nite-nite" with me like he has for years now. I didn't get much sleep but I know we'll have to be consistent for this to work.

Night #2...I wasn't willing to fight the good fight. I was exhausted from night #1 and working all day and couldn't do it again the very next night. I put him in his bed and rewarded him with a treat for staying there but sometime during the night, he made his way into bed with me and that was fine with my unconscious, exhausted mind and body.

I'm not sure how tonight will go but I'll give it the old college try again and keep it up until he willingly goes to his bed on his own. It'll be a kind of long process for me because I don't want to force it and I don't want to rush him. He's smart and he's a happy dog....he'll get there.

Animal Cruelty

I've been tuning into Michael Vick's "documentary" on BET and trying to decide how I feel about it and whether or not I believe he's sincere about regretting how he tortured and murdered dogs.

I believe he regrets what he did because it landed him in prison but I wonder if he really feels bad for the animals that suffered and died.

I'm a total softee when it comes to animals...especially since I got my dog Chopper 4 years ago. He has changed how I view animals. In years past, I never wanted to own a dog..though I had a few in my family growing up. I never paid much attention to them except to play with them off and on and feed them...if I was told to do so by my parent(s). Chopper, however, has changed my world. I think actually owning a small dog and taking care of him from the age of 5 weeks caused my maternal instincts to take over.

I never knew how smart, sensitive, and loving dogs were. Unfortunately, like a lot of people, I felt they were "just" dogs. Having Chopper has made me realize that they are more like us than we realize. They get lonely, they get sick, they express sadness and happiness. The biggest thing I've learned is how social they are. They travel in packs and when they are removed from their environment (their mother and their litter of siblings), they still long for companionship. And once we take ownership of them, we are obligated to provide that companionship.

It frustrates and angers me to see owners who leave dogs completely alone all the time. They believe that putting food and water out is all they are obligated to do. My question is, "what is the purpose in owning your pet if you don't show them love and attention?" I just don't get it. And then when their dogs run away...they are shocked and surprisingly saddened. Why are you saddened by the loss of a pet that you completely ignored and never even walked?

One thing I know for sure is that Chopper will never run away. This is one happy dog and it makes me happy to know that he is getting all the love and care he deserves. He didn't choose me...I chose him so I owe it to him to do my best.