Category Archives: Riggins

Buckle Up for Safety

24 Friday May 2013

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buckle-upRiggins has always worn a doggie seat belt.  When he was a puppy I had a truck and a seat belt was necessary to keep him off my lap and in his seat (vs out the window) while I was driving.  Since he doesn’t know any better, he has no problems wearing his seat belt and the few times I allow him in the car without it he doesn’t quit know what to do.  Normally he will sit back as if his seat belt is on.  He will stay there until we go through a drive thru and then he will balance his front paws on the middle armrest thing.  You can see him pondering how he can get from that position, over me, out the car window, and into the food window without anyone noticing.  All those enticing smells so close and yet so far away.  I am actually surprised he has never tried it.  If he doesn’t have his seat belt on (which happens now and then when we drive somewhere to go for a walk and he has his walking harness on instead of his seat belt) he will refuse to get out of the car until I “unbuckle him” (see video below).  I can stand there all day and tell him that he is free to move around but he won’t go out that door until I lean down and free him from his nonexistent restraints.  Silly dog.

I’m often shocked at how many dogs don’t wear seat belts.  It seems like common sense right?  You buckle in.  You strap you kid down.  Why not your dog?  I don’t understand how people can safely drive with a tiny dog hanging out in their lap and if you have a big dog, one collision and that dog is flying over the seat and taking off the head of anyone in his/her way.  Ouch for the dog and ouch for any person in the dog’s flight path!

The most common reason I hear from folks not using dog car restraints, is that the dog doesn’t like it.  My suggestion … keep trying.  Like anything it is training.  Your dog will eventually calm down and it will be a safer ride for everyone.  There are many types of seat belts and restraints so look around and see what is going to be the best for you.  Here are the ones I know about:

download (3)Dog harness – This is the type of seat belt Riggins uses.  There are different brands but they are all similar.  It is essentially a harness with a double loop in the back for you to stick the seat belt through.  In addition to that, this version (that I linked to) has an extra attachment that is a longer loop which gives the dog more freedom.  I don’t use the longer loop on Riggins.  It isn’t necessary and frankly it is just more work for me to take that on and off.  This is the harness you see on Riggins in almost every Runyon picture of him.  When we go hiking I just take off his leash, wrap it around my waist, and leave the harness on.  It also gives you an easy to grab “handle” if you need to grab your dog while you are out and about.

Seat belt connector – This is the same idea as the harness Riggins uses it just allows you to make any dog harness a seat belt.  Pretty nifty.

Zip line – Some car seats aren’t very dog friendly.  This is true of my folks car.  The bench seat is way in the back and Riggins prefers to be up near the action.  The middle seats are bucket seats which Riggins can’t really sit in well.  I bought them the zip line.  It goes across the length of the car overhead (attaching to the handles on each side) then you hook the dog to that (they usually come with a short loop leash to make this easy).   I don’t like this restraint as much simply because it isn’t much of an actual restraint.  The dog has the freedom to pace back and forth if he/she wants.  The plus is because of the increased freedom, it is a good solution for dogs who aren’t “comfortable” in the harness seat belts.

download (4)Booster seat – For smaller dogs they make booster seats (hilarious right?).  These not only allow you to seat belt your dog into the chair it brings the chair up so your tiny dog can have the luxury of looking out the window (not all are up in the air like the one I linked.  Some sit on the chair and have pillows to help boost up the pet).  Obviously Riggins has never required a booster so I don’t have any experience with any of the booster models.  My friends who use them love them.

Pet partition – I’ve never used these.  I have too many things in the back of my car.  Dogs don’t fit.  BUT … if you dog does ride back there the partition keeps him/her safely in that area.

Cage/carrier – Finally, if you are a monster, you can put your dog in a cage while you drive.

If you take your dog in the car give a restraint a try.  It’s safer for your dog (and your human passengers) and makes you a very responsible dog person!

An Evening with Riggins

22 Wednesday May 2013

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Killing toys, getting kisses, guarding the house, and begging for treats. All in a days work!

Silent Protest

20 Monday May 2013

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imageAs you know, or surmised by the lack of posts last week, I was sick.  Sicky sick sick.  I really dislike when I don’t feel well.  It throws me off my routine and there is nothing worse than getting back into a routine after spending two weeks switching between lying in bed and lying on the sofa.  My goal was to get back to Runyon come hell or high water this past weekend.  I didn’t care if I was still coughing or not.  I was going to get off my tush and start moving!

Sat I got everything together and Riggins and I headed out to the hill.  Once out of the car and on the road Riggins made it clear that he was not on board with my plan.  He lagged behind and even came to a stop, looking at me as if to say, “you are crazy if you think I’m going a step further.”  People who passed looked at him with sad eyes and then angrily at me as if I was forcing this poor sickly dog to take another step.  Frankly, that may have been his plan.  There is nothing he likes more than human attention.  After a few steps I gave up and did some shorter and flatter paths around Runyon.  Riggins couldn’t have been happier to do those.  He galloped along as if nothing was wrong.

Sunday was a new day.  TODAY we were going to make it up and down the hill on our normal path … or not.  Again Riggins refused to move faster than a turtle taking the time to look up with pathetic eyes to each human who passed him.  Again I gave up and did the secret loop.  The secret loop isn’t really secret.  Although the few times I’ve done it I’ve seen no more than 2 other humans on it.  Runyon can be packed with people and the secret photoloop is still deserted.  It’s possible that the reason for this is the big “no trespassing” signs you go by to get to the path.  The signs I ignore.  Frankly the signs confuse me.  It’s obviously a path.  There are park trash cans dotting it and someone even took the time to put plant markers up.  Not to mention there isn’t just one but two park benches tucked away so you can sit and meditate in the silence (or if you are me force Riggins to come close so you can take your picture together).  So really someone besides me is walking past those trespassing signs.  It’s possible that it is public property kept up by the folks who own houses around there.  My theory has always been to act like you belong and no one will question you.  So that’s what Riggins and I did.  At one point (although not in the no trespassing zone although obviously headed that way) a ranger cruised by and waved at me.  I considered that the “all clear” signal and carried on.  (Please note I in no way suggest that you should do something unlawful like pass no trespassing signs and/or ignore “dog on leash” signs.  In fact if this is an officer of any kind then I deny that any of this story is anything but fiction.)

Today, Monday, I didn’t even try the hill.  Instead Riggins and I walked around Silverlake image (30)and then went to that dog park.  His favorite dog park.  He grumbled a bit at first when he realized he wasn’t going to be able to play until we made the loop around the “lake” but that is normal behavior.  By the time we turned the corner on the 1/2 point he was a full speed trying to get to the park part as soon as he possibly could.  Once at the park he seemed to be happy as a little lark, canoodling with people and dopily following other dogs running in circles.

So the question becomes what was Riggins problem?  Why did he refuse to go up the hill this weekend?  I have lots of theories but since he doesn’t speak English he isn’t much help in clueing me in to which one is right.  Here are my thoughts:

*  He doesn’t feel well.  He has shown some signs of having a tummy ache.  Then he doesn’t.  So this is a coin flip.

*  He didn’t think I feel good enough.  Possible.  I went to Bar Method yesterday and, for the first time ever, had to leave class part way through.  I knew I wasn’t doing well when I looked in the mirror during butt exercises and watched the color drain from my face right before things started going blotchy.  Since the next step was to pass out I choose, instead, to lay my head on the bar and then exit to the sofa in the waiting room until I felt good enough to drive home.  I’m going back today.  I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.  NEVER SAY DIE!

*  He was being a brat.

*  He wasn’t happy with the heat.  I’m leaning toward this one.  Riggins does not do well with the heat and although it wasn’t horribly hot this weekend we have had a few days of super heat and that puts him in “time out” mode.  I always forget how much he gears down over the summer until the winter comes and he peps up again.  His unhappiness with the heat seems to get more pronounced the older he gets.  This may just be signs that he wants to stay far away from the hot.

* He misses his buddies.  We haven’t had a dog on vacation with us this past week and Riggins seems a little mopey.  In his heart Riggins is a pack dog and would be happiest if everyone he loved (human and dog) lived with us and all slept in a pile on my bed.  He stepped it up on our walk when a group of dogs came by and took off to be part of the bunch.  He is also super happy at the dog park where he can spend his time following dog after dog until he is distracted by a human he thinks needs to pet him.

Those are my theories.  What do you think?  Either way we are getting back on that hill this weekend (as long as it’s not too hot) and I am going to Bar Method all this week …. all without passing out and/or dragging a dog on a leash behind me.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

 

(Dog) Mom’s Day

10 Friday May 2013

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It’s that time of year.  Allergies kick up, shedding requires more pushes of the vacuum around the house, the weather can’t decide if it’s winter or summer, and childless single woman over the age of 30 refill their Xanax prescription to prepare for their 24 hour Facebook blackout on Mother’s Day.  I’m actually convinced Facebook has some sort of under the table deal with the anti-depressant folks.  You can’t tell me since the people of the world have decided to post every minute of their day (me included) on a “wall” for the entire world to see, the rate of severe clinical depression hasn’t risen.  I envy those who are social media blind and don’t know their Facebook from their Twitter.  Their lives seem so uncomplicated and serene.

When Riggins was a puppy I had a dream that Josh (Anna’s oldest son, who at the time was very young), Riggins, and I were standing on a platform inside a volcano and I had to choose which life I could save.  Riggins or Josh.  I immediately chose Josh but it made me so furious.  I was angry for a long while after that dream.  Of course I would choose the human child but the fact that Anna’s adorable baby was more valuable than my adorable baby, and this really couldn’t be debated, pissed me off.  Don’t try to debate it.  You can’t.  In that horrible Sophie’s choice you HAVE to pick the human child.  There is no way that you can say a dog and a human child are equal.  You just can’t.

So when I saw an article on Dogster (a dog blog site) titled, “Do ‘Dog Moms’ Count When It Comes to Mothers Day?” I was ready to get annoyed.  It was on a dog blog so undoubtedly the answer was, “yes.”  I was all ready to scream, “Stop giving us crazy dog people a bad name!”  Let’s face it.  I don’t need anyone giving me a lift to crazy town.  I can manage my way there all by myself, thank you very much.  I have to say after reading the article I, reluctantly, started changing my mind.  Perhaps I was part of a population that could celebrate on Sunday.

Here are the arguments and counterarguments I came up with while reading:

* I never refer to Riggins as “my dog.”  He’s always, “Riggins.”  When we walk I yell out to him “sweet baby boy,” “sweets,” “baby,” “cutie boy,” “sweetheart,” etc. although I’d never call out “come my son.”

* Riggins will, very most likely, die before me.  Some people put this in the “pro human” category to prove dogs aren’t “children.”  I “only” take care of my baby for 13 years-ish while you get yours until he is 18.  Who are we kidding.  I’m 39 and my folks still take care of me.   I see this as a huge negative.  I don’t know a single “dog person” who wouldn’t love their baby to have the same life expectancy as a human.  I’m a mom to a child that I know has a shorter life expectancy than me.  It doesn’t make me love him any less.

* My baby can’t communicate.  He can never tell me what hurts or how he is feeling.  I have to figure that out on my own.  I have insurance for him and he sees the vet more than I see my doctor.  When Riggins had that unfortunate ear issue and Riggins couldn’t get comfortable on his bed I dragged a pillow into the office, where he was sleeping, and laid down next to him so I could be there if he needed me.  His comfort often comes before my own.

* I can leave my baby unattended alone while “real” mom’s can’t (without having child protective services being called on them).  I do admit that is pretty convenient but given a choice it would be a very hard decision.  I wouldn’t mind taking him everywhere I went with me.

* The clincher to me was my attitude now that I’m a dog sitter.  The dogs that stay with me aren’t treated like “dogs.”  They are treated like someone’s baby.  I even refer to them as such in emails and texts (see video below that I recently sent to Clover’s folks).  Why was I allowing them to be “dog parents” and not me?

Riggins isn’t sitting in his kindergarten class pressing his paw into a round clay disc to gleefully hand me on Sunday but I think I’ll go get myself an ice cream as a celebration for me!

Happy Friday! (And Happy Mother’s Day to Mothers of humans and other living creatures.)

My First Quilt

09 Thursday May 2013

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(I’m still sick. I don’t know what hurts more my throat or my chest. I’ve decided to ignore it. I’m sure that will work …)

photo (9)I’m thrilled to announce that I (finally) finished my first quilt! I first mentioned this quilt to you in mid Feb so it’s been awhile. The majority of it was completed months back but the hand sewing of the binding (the edge of the quilt) took more time than I expected mostly because I had to keep it away from any dogs that would prefer they be on my lap vs. having me concentrate on sewing.

My mom has been hard core quilting for about a year now. She’s REALLY good at it. I’m lucky enough to own two of her pieces. She made me a tiny quilted center for my dining room table and a HUGE and beautiful quilt for my bed. That one isn’t even the biggest she has made. That amazes me. I can’t image (27)even imagine making any quilt bigger (or with so many more pieces) than the lap throw that I did!

When I showed my mom a picture on Pinterest of a quilt I liked she decided I should make it. At first glance it seemed pretty easy, for a quilt, so a perfect project for a novice quilter. There wasn’t really a pattern but the overall look was a tree bark that had a heart and initials “carved” into it. Of course it was a no brainer that I would change the initials to “Riggins.” (The original Pinterest poster now makes these on request. You can purchase at her Etsy store. Although I think it is kinda weird to have a stranger make something so personal for you it isn’t a bad price. You’d have to pay me closer to what Demi Moore’s character was offered in Indecent Proposal to make this again.) A trip to JoAnns yielded the perfect fabric including material for the back/binding that had brown leaves all over it. (We didn’t purchase enough and my mom was nice enough to go back and get more so I’d have enough strips to make the binding.)

image (11)The hardest part (and when I say hard I mean the part that most tested my patience) of quilting is the need for PERFECTION. Everything has to be perfect. The Wendy attitude of, “good enough” does not work. My mom helped cut and pin everything … thank goodness. She sewed on the heart to the main piece of fabric but after that refused to sew another thing despite my, sometimes constant, begging and whining. According to her I needed to be able to say that I made the quilt myself. So there you go! I can officially say that!

If you choose to make this quilt, and why wouldn’t you it’s adorable, I suggest making the bark pattern fatter. Meaning more space between stitches. It seemed like such a good idea to put them close together for more texture when I was zipping through the first few but about 1/3 of the way in I was done. By then it was too late. I couldn’t go from skinny image (10)to fat part way through my quilt! I had to grit my teeth and power through. (There was no pattern for the “bark.” My mom and I started to draw a pattern on with pencil until she looked at me and said, “You can just do this right? We don’t need to draw this on.” I guess so …) I’m pretty proud of the bark pattern. When I was nearly finished my Dad, clueless at what was happening, came in and said it looked like a tree. GREAT! PERFECT! GOAL ACHIEVED!

During this process I was reminded of something I’ve always known. If someone makes something for you (a quilt, afghan, needlepoint, etc.) they REALLY LOVE YOU. They have spent their time, money, energy, tears, and sometimes (in my case) blood to hand make something, a one of a kind something, especially for you. Cherish it. It’s special. I choose very carefully who I hand make presents for. I have to feel like they will appreciate it and the effort it took me. Personally I feel that a homemade gift is far superior to anything you can purchase at a store.

Now I can move on to my next project. I’m cross stitching a sampler as a gift. I realized, when describing it to friends, that many people don’t know what a “sampler” is. To be honest how I’m using the word and what it really describes is a bit different. Long ago, pre-patterns, women who were good at needlepoint would keep a “sampler” of their work. Anytime they invented a new stitch it would be added for reference. These samplers are a mix of different types of threads and needlepoint styles. They would often include using the stitches in an alphabet along with basic patterns and numbers. These were passed down in families and eventually seen as art and framed and hung in homes and museums. A bit later a “sampler” became a learning tool for young girls. In school needlework was an important subject and each girls “sampler” showed off what she had learned. These also often contained the alphabet along with quotes, sayings, etc. Apparently you could judge a girls status based on her sampler, skill (financial ability to get lessons), and quality of fabric and thread. Laura from Little House on the Prairie most likely had a sampler.

photo (5)Today when I say sampler I am referring to a needlework pattern that contains the alphabet and sometimes numbers (Although I’d consider a “Home Sweet Home,” “Home established …”, or other such sayings samplers as well). My mom made the sampler that hangs in my entry way right now. This is its third house/apartment it has been hung up in and I love it. A handmade sampler, to me, is a symbol of a loving and happy home.

There are patterns for very simple samplers. Much like those girls on the prairie it’s a great place to start if you want to get into needlepoint.

The Gentle Giant

07 Tuesday May 2013

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image (9)Don’t hug a dog.  That is one of the top rules of dog and human etiquette if you don’t want to loose part of your nose in a dog’s teeth.  Understandably the dog sees the move as aggressive (or if he/she is well socialized a move to wrestle).  Kisses are another no-no.  What moron would put their face up to a dog’s nose (shamelessly raising my hand).

I hug and kiss dogs.  Every single dog I’ve ever dog sit or know well I’ve hugged.  I get right up in their face and give them kisses and a snuggle.  I don’t suggest you do that.  Per the rule it just isn’t smart.  And yet … Riggins gets cuddles almost every morning.  He will come to my bed and wimper until I say, “come up and get kisses.”  He jumps up and positions himself so I can drape my arm over him.  I’ve curled up with Morgan in the Gogreve’s guest bedroom.  Even the killer, Lousy, wanted to snuggle whenever possible.

image (26)90% of what I do would give Cesar Millan a heart attack.  Cesar’s dog etiquette follows the main rule that a dog is a dog.  Not your baby.  A dog.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha!  As if.  Riggins puppy trainer told me how he gave his dog his own steak every now and then.  He also fully admitted his dog had separation anxiety as the dog went EVERYWHERE with him.  His reasoning is that his dog’s life is short so f*ck it.  He was going to do anything he could to make his dog’s life the best possible.  Hazzah!

In general the bigger the dog the shorter the dog’s average lifespan is.  This is proof positive there is no God.  Big dogs are almost always the biggest hearted lovers you could ever meet.

image (25)Case in point … Clover.  Clover is a golden retriever mix (mixed with something big) who is staying with Riggins and me for a while.  I call her the Gentle Giant.  She is about 35 pounds bigger than Riggins with fur that feels like crushed velvet (and is all over my house … I just vacuumed yesterday and my hall/bedroom looks like it has a white fur rug over it) and a giant fluffy squirrel tail.  Clover spends our time at home laying in the middle of my house where the bedroom door and kitchen door meet the hallway.  No matter where I want to go it requires me to step over Clover (usually bending down to give her a smooch).  The best thing ever is hugging her.  I lie down and use her as a full body pillow.  This poor dog doesn’t get a normal Wendy hug she has to endure a full body hug!

I’ve walked the neighborhood with Clover and Riggins only once so far and every single person was scared crapless of the terrifying creatures at the end of the leashes I was carrying.  Riggins and Clover where much more interested in getting to the many squirrels we saw scurrying up the trees, than tearing any humans to bits.  You have a much better photo (8)chance of getting nipped by a chihuahua then Clover!

Give me a big dog any day.  Not that I don’t like small dogs too.  I do.  It’s no secret that if I had a little dog he would come EVERYWHERE with me in a fancy little purse.  Poor thing.  Imagine how tortured he would be.  When it comes to hugs, comfort and overall goofy happiness I pick big dogs.  Big dog hugs are the best!  Cesar is missing out.

OMG – GOT

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Sir Riggins, first of his name, lord of the Isle of Squirrel, and son of Wendy the Amazing.

Sir Riggins, first of his name, lord of the Isle of Squirrel, and son of Wendy the Amazing.

(I suppose I should warn that there may be Game of Thrones season 1 and 2 spoilers in here. Although if you haven’t watched those yet that’s on you.)

I’m a huge fan of TV in so much as I watch a lot of it but I’m not a fanatic fan of any show. There is nothing that I “must see” as it airs. Frankly there isn’t anything that I can’t have sit on the DVR for a day or two. I blame Lost for this lack of enthusiasm. That show destroyed my TV soul. It was so aggravating. I remember reading an interview with one of the creators that it wasn’t their job to answer all the questions. Really? Then whose job is it? You need to at least answer a majority of the questions. That last episode made me so furious I could feel my blood pressure rising. Stupid Lost.

Riggins is not amused by me. I, on the other hand, find myself hilarious.

Riggins is not amused by me. I, on the other hand, find myself hilarious.

Most of the shows I have loved, Boston Legal, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS have been forced on me by others. I am drawn to them kicking and screaming that I didn’t need another TV show to follow and that I just don’t have enough time to give up to more boob tube action. Then I settle down and realize that the shows are brilliant and add them to my DVR schedule. Last year when I was very unhappy I was drawn to sitcoms. I didn’t care what sitcom it was as long as it was 22 minutes of easy to digest “humor” with a solid beginning, middle, and end, I was happy. This year I’ve been drawn more toward the hour-long dramas. Things I can settle in and get involved with but not so much that I can’t check Facebook or flip through Pinterest while I’m watching.

The Gogreve girls with Morgan. Cassie, Giovanna, and Shelby

The Gogreve girls with Morgan. Cassie, Giovanna, and Shelby

When my friends the Gogreves (better known to you as Morgan’s folks) told me that I NEEDED to watch Games of Thrones I tossed their suggest aside. They were brought into the GoT fold by their daughters and were mesmerized by the series. One day last week I went to pick up Giovanna and Morgan for some dog park time and she handed me season 1 on disc demanding I watch it. Here is the thing, Giovanna doesn’t watch TV. The ONLY series she watches are Nurse Jackie (she is constantly asking when it will be premiering) and Shameless. The fact that Giovanna had sat down and carved out enough time to watch not only season 1 but season 2 was not just amazing. It was as close to a miracle as I’ve ever come. That was what persuaded me to pop in disc number one.

Now I can’t stop! Darn those Gogreve girls and their dark magical powers of persuasion. It wasn’t enough they had to take down their parents with the series. Now they had me too! I can’t stop watching the show. I’ve given up my life and dedicated it to kings, queens, dragons, and wolves. I’ve NEVER watched a series one episode after another but I just can’t stop. It’s addictive.

No surprise the wolves are my favorite! In the first two seasons they are originally played by dogs but in season three become CGI, making them bigger and badder than ever. It’s my understanding that the wolves’ characters are much more important in the books. Giovanna’s mother is ashamed of us all that we dare waste our time on the TV series when the books are a million times better. She is probably right. 1. Because she is a mom and mom’s are always right. 2. Books are almost always better.

My favorite character is by far Tyrion Lannister. I’m madly in love with him. Sure he isn’t perfect but who is? He lives in a land where chopping off someones head is common place. In fact that normal argument of, “they won’t kill him off he is a main character” means nothing to the writers of The Game of Thrones. Tyrion is a charming bad boy with trouble written all over him which is, after all, my type (Sad but true. Admitting it is the first step to a cure.) It also helps that the actor who plays Tyrion is crazy good. Peter Dinklage can act circles around any cast member of Lost.

It’s only a matter of time before Tyrion comes up against Daenerys Targaryen (the character every man who watches the show falls in love with) and turns into dragon charcoal. The woman owns dragons. Come on. She wins! (I’m only up to season 3 episode 3 so this may have already happened and I don’t even know it.)

This entire blog is a really long way to tell you if you haven’t watched the series you should. It is worth your time. You can thank me by buying me a dire wolf or a dragon.

The Call of the (Urban) Wild

29 Monday Apr 2013

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Riggins harmonizes with sirens.  Not all sirens.  They have to be a specific pitch, but if they are he joins in as they zoom past.  This often happens in the car which amuses those around us.  You can’t make him stop even if you wanted to and why would you?  He is helping out our brave fire fighters, cops, and paramedics.  Here he is yesterday afternoon.  Note that Morgan and Miles (more on him in a second) think Riggins has lost his marbles.  Isn’t he the sweetest boy in the entire world?  I like the moment when he stops and snaps back to being Riggins.  It’s like he goes from Superman to Clark Kent in a blink of an eye.

Riggins and Miles fight for Wendy snuggle time.

Riggins and Miles fight for Wendy snuggle time.

Now the promised scoop on Miles.  Miles hung out with us on Sunday.  I nicknamed him Miles the Sweet because that is what he was … sweet.  He is part golden retriever, chow, and something else I can’t remember.  A true loveable mutt.  His fur is like silk so you can’t stop petting him which is a-okay with him.  He also smiles when he is happy (aka panting) which means if you look at him during a smiling moment, he will burrow his way into your heart.

Morgan, a notorious other dog hater, was mean at first but warmed up fast to Miles.  The two of them ran an uncountable number of circles around the backyard.  Morgan would follow Miles to the end of the earth … air humping him the entire way.  Morgan doesn’t know how to hump right.  This is a good thing as I never have to pull him off a dog … since he is never on one.  He skips the “mount” part and just stands behind the dog humping the air.  It is pretty darn funny.

Miles face looks a lot like Riggins did when he was a puppy.  It made me love him even more.  When looking at the pictures how do you tell Riggins and Miles apart?

  1. image (8)Miles has dark brown/black eyes while Riggins has pumpkin colored.
  2. Riggins has white on his chest and paws while Miles is all black.
  3. Miles face is tinier and younger looking than Riggins sharp angled snout.
  4. Miles has long flowing fur while Riggins‘ fur is shorter and lays close to his body.
  5. Miles is tinier than Riggins.

Miles, Riggins, and Morgan were the Three Musketeers yesterday.  Minus the time Riggins was howling and the other two thought he was bonkers.

In Memory of Mr. Squirrel

25 Thursday Apr 2013

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

As you know I have set up the Death Race in my backyard.  It requires the neighborhood squirrels to successful bound from tree to tree to get a tasty treat with a dog (or two) barking up at them.  The Death Race has been set up for years and not once has a squirrel met his maker because of it.  Once or twice one has fallen during his jump, but all have managed to scurry quickly back up before nearing the sharp teeth of its predator.   I can’t say the same for other creatures of the backyard.  I’ve found a handful of dead baby opossums.  I assume the were playing opossum instead of running away which gave Riggins plenty of time to snatch them.  There have been 1/2 eaten snakes, and good ridden to them!  Every once in a while I’ve found a partially gnawed on bird.  I assume it was sick and couldn’t fly otherwise it never would have been caught.

Source

I don’t consider any of this death my fault.  I love animals and all but there is such a thing as a circle of life and I have warned these critters more than once, that they shouldn’t hang out in the backyard with the big dog.  It’s not my fault they don’t understand English and logic.  My neighbor has tiny little dogs and birds.  That yard is a safe zone.  Hang out there.

Riggins is a hunter.  It was passed down to him by his German Shorthair Pointer Mommy.  It’s why, when he has a stuffed toy, he will aggressively shake it back and forth … “killing” it.  It’s why he “skins” his tennis balls, methodically ripping off the fuzzy part strip by strip.  A domesticated dog is still an animal!

Yesterday Lousy was going nuts so I let him out back.  He made a beeline for some bushes.  Riggins had been under those bushes the day before so I figured something was happening in there.  He disappeared and came back with a squirrel in his mouth (This is actually shocking.  Lousy isn’t a very talented hunter.  His bounding makes too much noise.  Every time Riggins and Lousy went out back and there was a creature to chase Lousy would quickly screw it up and Riggins would look at him as if to say, “you have got to be kidding me.”).  I yelled and he dropped the still living creature giving me time to grab him and pull him away.  As I was thinking the squirrel might be okay Riggins came darting out of the house, through the back gate and straight for his prey.  Within seconds he had picked up the poor thing, dug his teeth in and whipped it around until it was a lifeless fuzzy corpse.  Lousy didn’t mind Riggins coming in on his kill.  Apparently he was under the impression they would share in the feast.  Not on my watch.  Circle of life or no circle of life eating a dead squirrel is gross.

I got Riggins down with the squirrel still firmly in his grip.  We then started the game I like to call “I always win.”  That’s when I stand over Riggins with my hand on his throat demanding he “drop it” and he ignores me until he realizes I’m eventually going to win and let’s go long enough for me to pull him away.   I did take a time out in the game to go get my camera.  I realize this is morbid of me but he looked so regal and Duck Dynasty-ish.  A hunting dog that Uncle Si would be proud of!  Sadly I didn’t get the picture I had hoped for.

Eventually I got the squirrel and threw him away.  I felt sort of bad for the poor thing.  He was actually pretty cute.  As cute as disease carrying rodent can be.

I’m sorry to Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Squirrel’s family.  I realize yesterday was a tough day for you.  In the future remember dog is god spelled backward.  You mess with one of them there is a chance you will meet your maker!

Wendy’s Life Choices – An Interactive Discussion

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

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wendy dogsI think it is fair to say that, although happy, I haven’t exactly made what some may consider the “right” life choices.  If you would have asked me as a college student where I would be at 39 the answer would have included a home, husband, kids and a brilliant career.  I have none of these things.  Oops.  So where do I go from here?

I propose the following …

MOVE TO A LOCATION WHERE I CAN HAVE SPRAWLING LAND AND RESCUE/LIVE WITH APPROXIMATELY 10 OR SO DOGS.

Your assignment:

  • Give pro and cons to this lifestyle.
  • How can Wendy earn a living given the above scenario?
  • Brainstorm on how Wendy can own a chunk of space that is both crazy woman and dog friendly in an area that is still close enough to a Target and movie theatre that Wendy won’t go even crazier.