Gotta love Diva

My birthday was last week.  We took a road trip to Vegas!  On my birthday, my daughter fell off the bed and broke her clavicle!!!  I felt so badly for her.  As we began our drive home, she cried off and on.  The thing we heard most frequently was "I miss my doggies"...
When we finally arrived home, her doggies were VERY happy to see all of us.  Especially their kiddo!  They all knew something was wrong, but three of them went off to bed.  Diva stayed behind and watched Christa.  For the last several days, Diva has not left Christa's side, except for the occasional bathroom break.  She has brightened Christa's days of pain and sadness.  What a sweet mastiff!

The big scare

When I left today, Beau was on the deck.  When I came home, he was not there.  The other really scary thing, not a single bark!  My lab is a VERY mouthy boy.  He barks all the time.  To hear only silence when I got home was scary and upsetting, to say the least...
Godiva was acting strange, so I said "take me to Beau".  She just jumped and wiggled.  I went all over he house, searching.  Nothing.  I went back downstairs and asked Diva again, "where is Beau"???????  She ran outside.  My heart sunk.  I thought that maybe it had been time.  Maybe he went outside to find a quiet place to go in peace.  I searched the yard, nothing.  No Beau, no bark......  Diva was not being helpful!
I went inside again.  I went upstairs, my daughter downstairs.  No Beau....  I went to the closed, quiet laundry room door.  I opened the door and WOKE BEAU UP!!!!!!!!!  Really?????
Apparently, he wanted to do some laundry and fell asleep, after he shut himself in!!!  This labby is going to give me a heart attack!

Old guy update

So Beau had his vet check up.  He's lost 6 pounds (a good thing!).  He was happy and barky at the vet.  We upped his rimadyl and he seems to be doing pretty well.  All in all, the visit was good!  We talked about keeping him comfortable.  We will know when "it is time".
In the meantime, the day after the vet.  Beau leaped into our bed!!  He laid with us and grumbled for about an hour.  So far, the rimadyl seems to be helping him out!  Yeah BEAU!

Thoughts for my old labby.....

Beau has been with me for the last 8 years.  I adopted him from a local shelter.  It was hard to tell his age as his teeth were in bad shape from rock chewing.  Best guess, he was 5ish.  So, my old boy is now 13ish...  It is getting close to that time where we will have to make a decision for my old boy.  We had all hoped he would make it to Christmas this year, as it is his favorite holiday!!  He did, and had a great one!
Tonight, Beau was different.  Not as chatty, a little more limpy, and for the first time ever, I saw sadness in his eyes.  I do not claim to know a lot about anything, but I do know dogs.....  My big love came over to me while we were all playing "Don't Spill the Beans", breathed a heavy sigh and laid down in my lap.  I stroked his head and hugged him.  He groaned and sighed.  He looked up at me with his sad eyes, and my eyes welled with tears...  It was as if to say "Mom, Christmas was wonderful, but it is time".

I held him and cried.  My daughter cried.  My husband cried.  The other three dogs came an laid with us (there is never that much calm in my house!).  The discussion with my 5 year old hit a new level tonight. Beau is her favorite and she is heartbroken.
So, please send some good thoughts to my good, old labby.  We will be seeing if there are any other options at this point, but he will not suffer.  He has been an amazing old friend.  Loving, kind and funny.  Taking care of his needs is the very least I can do for everything that old boy has done for me.....

Beau putting up with the new bulldog puppy, 4 years ago!

Sorry, Mom

When Bruno was younger, he went EVERYWHERE with me.  I was on the local fire department, and he even went on calls with me!  On one call, Bruno waited in my truck for me to return.  When I got back to the station Bruno was so excited to see me!!  I walked over to the truck to bring him inside and he was bounding everywhere.  I heard the distinct "Click" of the door locking!!!!  When parking at the firehouse, we left our keys in the car in case our vehicles needed to be moved.....
There stood Bruno, locked in the truck, baying at the top of his lungs!!  We tried everything to get the truck unlocked, with no luck.  I had to call my Dad to go get my keys and come to the firehouse.  Bruno jumped and howled for about half an hour until we broke him free!  He jumped out and wiggled his way to the firehouse, happy to greet everyone!

Merry Christmas to all!

As I sit, getting ready to go to sleep on this wonderful Christmas Eve; I am surrounded...  Surround by love.  Surrounded by 1 old, minature beagle, with whom I have now spent 12 Christmas Eves with.  He has been there when many have not.  He has given me the true meaning of Christmas - unconditional love.

I am surrounded by a very large mastiff, who is snoring and exhausted from stealing a very large piece of beef tonight.  She ran outside with it and gulped it down.  She came back inside, sheepishly wagging her tail, as if to say "sorry, but thanks, it was good!"

I am surrounded by a very old black lab, who has given me nothing but joy and love since I adopted him 8 years ago.  A loyal, loving boy, who laid on the floor with my daughter tonight, both excited for Christmas.

I am surrounded by a farting bulldog...  Perhaps not such a lovely Christmas thought, but he is a lovely dog.  He was the hit of our Christmas party last night and really made people smile.

So here I am, in the midst of dogs, thinking about the true meaning of the season.  I all I ever need to do is look to these four heros and I have found the spirit and love of the holiday season.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good (and less stinky) night!!

Unconditional Love

So, this post is not about my current dogs, but ones I grew up with.  Valentine (a golden), Tank (a golden) and Crash (a lab mix).  This time of year reminds me of my Mom, who passed away 14 years ago.  She loved the holidays!  LOVED Christmas.  SO I always think her of her a little it more than usual this time of year.
My Mom and I always had a "date" for Wednesday nights to watch "Beverly Hills, 90210".  I worked for a treatment center and usually called Mom during lunch.  One particular Wednesday, the boys were acting up and I could not get away.  So, I waited until I got home to talk to her.  When I got home, it was eerily quiet.  Usually, I would be greeted by barks and tail wags.  I pulled in and heard nothing...
I went into the house, still quiet.  I heard the TV downstairs on "snow" with that loud humming sound.  I called to my Mom and got no response.  I looked downstairs, and my Mom had died.  Laying in the room we called "the pit".....  She had a heart attack.  As sad and painful as it all was, she was surrounded...  All three dogs were with her.  Laying by her side.  One had a toy, the other had a ball, the third just laid with her.  I remember the faces that I saw when they looked up at me; so sad, so peaceful....  I can't prove it, but I am certain they were with her all afternoon.  Once they knew it was ok to leave her side, they began comforting me and continued to do so for many years.
Dogs are wonderful.  Dogs are amazing.  Dogs are unconditional love defined.......  May your dogs give you peace, joy and love on your worst days.... and your best days!