Someone's on the Naughty List...

I am often amazed by the ability dogs have to "just know" some things, even when us sensory-limited humans have tried extra hard to keep any clues hidden.

For example, how did Shadow know that beneath the Christmas tree... buried between little ceramic houses and amidst a bunch of other presents of the two-legged variety... was a brand new Kong dog toy just for him? Sure, the tag said "To Shadow," but... well, I'm not that crazy.

The Crime Scene

Just like a little kid on a quest to uncover all of Santa's secrets,  Shadow's suspicions began several days ago, when all the gifts sat in a pile on my desk, waiting to be wrapped. He couldn't see the Kong. And I can't imagine how he could have distinguished it from everything else by smell. But more than a few times I caught him staring anxiously up at the pile, wagging his tail, and whining.

But since we already unwrapped his big gift (a bed), I was not about to give in.  He had to have ONE gift Christmas morning. So this weekend, I  stole a few minutes to wrap the toy and place it under the tree with a nice little "To Shadow" tag.

(Click here to check out Shadow opening gifts on his first Christmas last year.)

Exhibit A

There it sat, untouched and peaceful for one whole day. But then... what did I hear just a few hours ago while typing away in my office? Rustling. Rustling like paper coming from the family room.

This is what my mind said: Shadow doesn't usually make noises like that. Shadow makes noises from chewing, bouncing his toys against the floor, and drinking water. But the presents would make that noise. Especially the tissue paper in the bags for my parents, but... no... no way. Shadow never EVER touches things that don't belong to him. He's good like that. He knows... but...


Slightly worried but certain that all would be fine, I walked into the room... and right in on the crime. There, in the middle of the floor with a tear and obvious signs of a struggle, was the gift. And there, a few feet further was Shadow... frozen and staring at me -- not with his usual tail wag, but with a look of "What? I didn't do it."

Ah, the joy of Christmas. Fun for kids and dogs alike!

The Remorseful (?) Culprit

Buttoning Up for Autumn

Two good things happened in the last month: My husband and I finished fencing in the back yard, and I landed a (fantastic!) literary agent. For each of these things, Shadow deserves some credit.

Shadow's quintessential look of confusion. I love it!

Here he is enjoying the autumn leaves, his newfound freedom, and his suddenly less anxious owners.

 

 

 

A Little Perspective

I used to think it was impossible to be morose around a frolicking, tail-wagging, quasi-smiling dog. As a writer and aspiring author, toeing the coast of my dreams and getting constantly walloped back by the system, I've learned that this isn't always the case.

While my furry companion sometimes likes to warm my feet with his paws, he hasn't yet learned to shield my problems. More likely, when all I want to do is lie in the sand and let the waves of self-defeat wash over me, Shadow forces me to stand up and take him for a walk, throw him a ball, or socialize myself while socializing him at the dog park. Rarely do I forget my troubles as a result, but my tunnel vision usually widens to remind me that every storm cloud has a brighter (though I won't go so far as to say silver) lining.

Maybe writers need dogs almost as much as they need ink. Thoughts?

Doggie Pacifier

I have a new favorite product. It hasn't quite overtaken the Furminator in terms of making my life easier, but it's definitely up there.

Thanks to a tip from a good friend and fellow dog owner, Shadow now has the canine version of an infant's pacifier (Alleluia!)

It's called the Petco Mammoth Bone (PetSmart carries a similar product as well), and it looks like Shadow killed an eight-foot turkey in the backyard and is slowly working on an early Thanksgiving dinner.

Especially because Shadow destroys stuffed toys in minutes, gets bored with toys he can't destroy, and whines for attention the moment he's bored (making it very difficult for me to work), this thing is a life saver.

I do have to limit his chewing time to avoid any possible indigestion (same as if you sucked on hard candies for three hours straight), but that actually helps retain his excitement for the next time. Could it be that Shadow finally has a toy he can't get enough of?

One can only hope. Either way, nothing beats seeing him jump around like it's Christmas morning every time I pull out the Mammoth Bone, and then scamper away to some corner of the yard with his treasure.

New Digs and a Fear Conquered

Three months? Has it really been three months? Boy, is my hair red ;)

But rather than brainstorming a list of excuses as to why you haven't had your Shadow fix since spring, why don't I just get to divvying some out?

The Shadow-meister took quite a big step this month, crossing state lines with the rest of his family and moving into a brand new home that (once fenced) will provide him with the outdoor space he's always deserved.

In typical kid fashion, the moving days were filled with sulking eyes and pulled back ears... but they didn't endure. Not only is Shadow now at peace with his new digs, he's got a new favorite spot... far away from where his "parents" are the majority of the time. (All he needs are some punk rock CDs and opposable thumbs so he can lock the door, we'll have a typical pre-teenager on our hands.)

Scaling these stairs was a tall order when Shadow first arrived.

But it wasn't all fun and new discoveries. Hands down, the hardest part of the transition was something I never expected would be even a blip on the radar: Stairs.

Our old house had them, and Shadow was fine. He's always been iffy at our in-laws, but those are open stairs. These new guys are completely enclosed. But did this make Shadow feel better? In the words I think he'd say if he could speak human, "Not a chance in hell, man."

We tried everything - physically helping him up one paw at a time, bribing him with toys and treats (even peanut butter!), giving him a running start, putting his food bowl at the top of the stairs - but nothing worked. For weeks, when bedtime rolled around, Shadow would tense up like a brick of ice with his back legs on the first floor and his front paws on the steps, and proceed to bark and whine until my husband ultimately carried him up like a toddler.

We read tons of forum posts and articles about this fear - not extremely rare in dogs. Some writers advised leaving him alone, suggesting he'd eventually just get lonely and come up. Others said to keep helping him past the fear. (The knee-jerk "just give him treats!" theory was dead in the water.)

When we finally decided to give the first theory a try, Shadow spent the entire night curled up at the base of the stairs while his bed waited a short climb away. That morning, I assumed he'd never conquer his fear. Still, we continued to help him - one paw at a time - once or twice a day.

THEN one fateful day while I was unpacking on the second floor, a furry grey figure came strolling in beside me as if he hadn't a care in the world. Used to having Shadow be my constant shadow in our old house, I didn't even realize what he'd done right away.

A couple weeks later, he races up and down the stairs like they're nothing but wrinkles in the floor.

Shadow discovers the view is sometimes worth the climb.

What's more... remember that new favorite spot I mentioned earlier? Second floor window. It's his lookout tower.

Next time you think you're having a bad day...

... just be happy no one's doing this to you:

Hot Dog

He hasn't yet figured out how to fetch slippers or bark when his water bowl is empty (only to inform me there's a kamikaze squirrel on the lawn or the neighbor's escaped and is making a run for his mailbox)... but don't underestimate Shadow when it comes to his tan.

It's barely the size of a towel, but when Shadow realized a fraction of the deck was still in the sun this afternoon, he positioned himself for optimum rays. Like how he's getting his full face at the right angle? No bathing suit to give him lines? What a pro.

Sacrifices

Just gave Shadow a bath. He took all the hot water. If waiting an extra hour (in a damp bathing suit reeking of wet dog) to shower isn't love... I don't know what is.

Help for an Angel

What would you do if one of your dog's puppies was born with two broken forearms? Would you put the pup down without giving her a chance to survive, or would you hold your breath and try to nurse her -- fully aware that would make losing her that much harder.

Janet Wilson and her family chose the latter route for Angel, Shadow's half-sister (through dad Levi) from Blue Diamond Breeding in New Hampshire.

According to the company, Angel broke the birth sac during delivery in October, causing her disability. She was the last to arrive in a litter of four.

"When she started to walk, she screamed in pain," Janet told Blue Diamond dog owners in a recent e-mail. "She was unable to stand up and required extra care." Fellow breeders advised the home-based company to cut its losses and put Angel down, but the family couldn't do this. They named her Angel of Hope on Thanksgiving and began to research medical options.


At eight weeks old, when most pups go home to their new families, Angel could still only "swim" across the floor. The break above her elbows made it impossible for her to support her own weight, according to Blue Diamond. The video below is quite heartbreaking... but don't worry, there's a happy ending.




On January 12, Angel underwent costly surgery at Angell Memorial Veterinary Hospital in Boston. A few weeks later, she was walking, sitting on command and retrieving. It's impossible not to smile while watching this next video.



What Janet Wilson and her family did for a helpless puppy - including finding her an adoptive home - is commendable. However, it was not without sacrifice.

Blue Diamond has set up a trust fund to cover Angel's surgery and is seeking donations from all dog lovers. The company came through for my family nearly a year ago (Yes, Shadow's almost a year old!), and losing them prematurely would be terrible for the dog-loving community.

For more information about Angel, more photos, and information about donating (via Paypal or check), click here. I'm headed there in a minute, right after I give Shadow a gigantic hug and loads of kisses.

From my dealings with Blue Diamond, I have no reason to believe this is anything but legitimate. But as always when donating money, please do some of your own research as well. I benefit in no way from spreading Angel's story.

They are what they eat

Shadow is just one bag away from graduating to adult dog food. Before choosing his newest culinary experience, however, I wanted to share a tool that was invaluable in choosing his current brand (Wellness Super5 Mix for large breed puppies).

For the first few months, we were feeding him something that sounded great but, upon further inspection, was providing him with almost no real meat. His digestion was iffy (I won't go into detail), but we weren't sure what to change.

Then I stumbled upon DogFoodAnalysis.com. The site breaks hundreds of brands down by ingredient, providing reviews and analysis. It's amazing how many of the big brands I found out are... well... neither very good nor very honest.

Dog owners can't completely control the health of their pets, but being diligent about what they eat is probably as close as any of us are going to get. So check it out. You might discover something critical.

I Spy A Doggie

Maybe his color is closer to tree bark than silver?

I Call it Puppy Love

My husband would disagree, but this is how my overly active imagination saw the events of New Year's weekend in Maine:

Once upon a time, Shadow the Silver Labrador loved the freedom that came with visiting his extended family in Maine.
(Click here for more info about his first visit.)

The fresh mountain air and lack of artificial boundaries made Shadow feel alive and full of adventure.

But like many a bachelor, Shadow was happily following his instincts when the unexpected crossed his path.

In his case, the unexpected came in the form of a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Zula.

He didn't know what was happening, but suddenly Shadow was floating on air.

For three days, he and Zula played with each other,

looked out for each other,

and even began to look like each other.

Like all couples, they fought...

but they always made up.

Alas, as is so often the case with young love, the time came for the puppies to part ways.

But as Shadow was summoned to the car, he gave his Zula a final glance and a promise that he would return.

A Snow Dog at Heart

Last weekend's blizzard wasn't the best for many humans, but Shadow was in heaven. Frolicking in the snow for barely an hour knocked him out for the rest of the afternoon, but he had a blast. Doesn't it look like he's in his natural habitat.