Life with Dogs

Here are some photos to catch you up on what's happening with us. Really, nothing is new, except for the continued excitement of owning a dog. We've met quite a few new friends in these past couple weeks and we love everyone! There have been some lessons learned along the way, but that's part of growing up!

A few weekends ago, Remy met Sparkle and Ceilee. Sparkle tried so hard to keep up with Remy and they had some great tug-of-war sessions. Ceilee, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the beast. Zach, Mom , myself, and the three dogs went for a long hike together and we all came home positively pooped. While in dreamland, Remy and Ceilee happened to cozy up together (I'm sure Ceilee would have woken up instantly had she known what was touching her!).

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Remy also got to spend a gorgeous day at the park with my friend, Nicci, and her two daughters. He did really well with them and the other kids that wanted to meet him. It was funny that the kids knew exactly what character he is named after - the rat, Remy, in Ratatouille. Everyone else just assumes it's an abbreviation for Remington!

I chose this day for a photo op of the handsome guy. He really doesn't pay much attention to me or the camera when he's out and about. There are way too many smells for him to investigate.

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Remy really enjoys just hanging out in the yard. Often, with the weather being so beautiful, he will literally flop on his side and become dead weight at the end of his leash, refusing to come back inside. Don't worry, I'm not letting him get away with it, despite how terribly cute it is!

Not too long ago, we spent almost the entire weekend outside gardening. I have a 50 foot leash that I use to keep him near me. We got a lot of practice with his recall, which was evidenced this past weekend in my mom's yard with four other dogs - he actually came when called, twice! (Prior to that, he completely ignored me, so we're making strides!)

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For those of you who do not follow my Facebook page or my clinic's Facebook page, you have not yet been introduced to this sweet girl, Annie Oakley. She was brought to our clinic by the police and had wounds that we presume were from a gunshot. She has remained in our care for over three months now and has been searching for a loving home.

For quite some time (well, honestly until about two weeks ago!), we were not sure what her reaction to other dogs would be. After some thought, I decided that Remy and Annie could potentially make a good pair. The introduction between the two was a little hairy, admittedly. However, once we got over that initiation, it became apparent that Annie is indeed just fine with Remy, even when Remy decides to plant his butt on top of her head, or bark loudly while holding onto her ear. Seeing them play together for the first time was truly one of the happiest days of my life and I do not think I will ever forget it!

Remy and Annie play together at work now whenever I have the opportunity. I have also tried to work Remy's daily walks into our routine so that they can include Annie. They both have a lot of energy, so it's difficult to curb that enthusiasm in the initial greeting, but they settle down and can be walked side by side together.

I'm so glad that I took the plunge and made this introduction, and I tell Remy all the time that he has helped to save Annie's life! Prior to their introduction, she was becoming so bored, had limited exercise opportunities, and she continued to obsessively lick her older wounds, requiring her to wear an e-collar all of the time. Now, she is free of that blasted, tattered and torn e-collar and she has a buddy who loves her so much he cannot contain his excitement when he walks past the kennel door. It has also opened up a whole new group of potential adoptive homes with dogs and, fingers crossed, we can find a special place for her VERY SOON!

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Just this past weekend we met Jack and Natas, Melisa and Thom's dogs. They were at my mom's house, so we got to experience the full pack of dogs! Overall, things went well and everyone got tuckered out by the end of the day.

I asked Zach to take some photos of Remy and I. Turns out he took about 25, 1-2 second video clips instead! Mom happily jumped in and we got some pictures together and even had some surprisingly good success with a full group photo!

(And if you're wondering, I have no idea how my mom managed to get all FIVE dogs looking in the same direction. Granted it's not at the camera, but aren't profiles better, anyway?)

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And if you're still reading this lengthy post, I'll save the best for last. This photo of Zach with his new love is just one of many occasions that I find the two of them snuggling together in bed! Too cute. Zach wonders why we never got a dog sooner! (Umm...hello!!!!)

Weekend Visit

I drove down to D.C. with my parents to see my brother, Brian, and celebrate a much belated birthday with him. We did a bit of sightseeing on Saturday, despite the dreadfully cold, harsh winds! Brian showed us the Old Post Office building which has a large bell tower and viewing deck, currently the highest point in the city since the Washington Monument is closed to tourists.

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The bells in the tower are replicas of those in Westminster Abby and one of the largest sets of change ringing bells in North America. Learning about change ringing was interesting, in particular the reasons one would want to ring bells: It is an opportunity to engage in "a non-violent activity." Seriously, though, it was interesting to learn about the peals and to realize that a full peal can take hours to complete. Interested? Click here.

We also quickly toured the Natural Museum of History, just long enough for a nostalgic visit among the dinosaurs. My youngest brother, Steve, was a huge dinosaur fan. The kid knew everything about every single dinosaur. Of course, T-Rex was a favorite.

Saturday evening we had a fabulous French dinner and on Sunday we toured Ikea, attempting to outfit Brian's somewhat bare apartment. We actually had some success!

Comfy House

Remy enjoys his crate at home. He often takes toys into the crate and spends time in their on his own. Zach seems concerned, though, that Remy would prefer this "prison" to our own bed. I'm trying to convince Zach that this is actually a good thing!

Remy has a fluffy dog pillow and then several blankets in the crate that he will paw at until he makes the perfect nest for himself. It's quite cute to watch.

The cats also enjoy his crate, so if Remy's awake and wants to get into his crate, he'll bark at them. Sometimes they move, but usually they don't. If Remy's tired and heading to bed for the night, he'll concede and just flop into the opposite corner and fall fast asleep.