Five Dog Quartet

So I finally got Ben to agree. I'm sure those of you who know me well and also happen to read my blog can guess. A puppy! A sweet little Papillon puppy! Never mind that I had to work endlessly to get him to agree, and that first, I must get Basil more reliably trained and housebroken. But I figure within 6 to a year I will be on the hunt. Of course I will have to find a good breeder, and probably get on a waiting list, so it may take much longer, but that's ok.

After adopting Basil who by accident turned out to be a Papillon, I have fallen completely in love with this breed. I love his feisty personality and his utter devotion to me. I love his cute fringed ears, and his little hare feet with their tufts of fur. I love his energy, his playfulness, and the way he cocks his little head at me with that cute "who me" expression. I love everything about this breed, and since the first week I had him and someone said "oh look at the cute Papillion", I have been researching this breed trying to get into his cute little head.

Many people I know will have issue with my going to a breeder, especially since I have worked in animal shelters for so long. However, while I agree most people should get a shelter dog, if you have your heart set on a certain breed, you've researched it fully, and have decided to make a life long commitment to an animal, I have no problem if you purchase from a breeder. However, I'm not talking about looking in the paper, or walking into your "friendly" neighborhood pet store. I'm talking about doing research, checking with your chosen breed’s national club, talking to people and making an informed decision on what breeder you want a dog from. Get on that breeders list and wait.

Now I know this goes against everything we here in America stand for. We need everything now, now, now! Trust me, the health problems you will get from a badly bred dog are not worth it. I know, Basil is cute, he's lovable, I would never give him up, and I don't regret the thousands (yes really) of dollars I've spent on him. It just would have been nice to actually enjoy his puppy hood instead of constantly running from vet to vet for x-rays, breathing treatments, and medicine. I would have loved to watch him play happily instead of running fevers, coughing, and wanting to do nothing more than lay on his bed and be left alone because he was so sick.

So I will pick a breeder and I will wait, I may hate it, but I'll do it anyway. In the mean time, Basil and I have some training to do.

Basil had his last dog class last night, and it was much more work with him than it has been with my other dogs.

Buddy was a dream in his classes, he learns fast, and will work for almost anything.

Emma Lou had some issues with other dogs in the beginning of her class, but she learned quick too. It's hard to match a terrier for work ethic and trainability. Plus, since she has a little Schnauzer in the genetic mix she will work for almost any kind of food.

Curly never went to a class. He is one of those dogs that ruin pet owners forever. Curly is just good, he comes when he's called, he does what you ask, and when off leash does not run off. He is NOT typical, and people always think I am the dog training goddess when they meet him, because he's so good. Really he is just one of those rare dogs who need no training.

The Princess Pea weighing in at not quite 1.5 pounds has never been to a class either. She lays in her bed on top of a heating pad all the time. She uses a pee pad, eats, and sleeps. Once in awhile, she comes out to bark and demand attention. Her health and her size just make a dog class too dangerous, though socially she could really benefit.

Which brings me back to Basil. I feel he is one of the cutest dogs ever, though of course I am biased. Since he has been sick for the entire time I have owned him, he has never been to a class. I'm not talking about a little bit sick, I'm talking about I'm not sure he is going to make it sick. So sick that he slept with me so I could monitor him, so sick that I took him to work everyday just in case I had to run him to the vet, so sick I took him everywhere with me. People just had to deal with the fact if Ben and I went some place, Basil went to. However, all of this attention has brought about consequences, Basil has become that little dog people hate. He barks, he's demanding for attention, jealous of other dogs and people, and is basically an asshole. The worst part is, it's all my fault. I admit it, my dog is an asshole because of me.

So what now you ask? Well, he won't work for food, and he won't work for attention. He will work for toys, but that is a pain in the ass and I hate it. There has also been the debate about if he's deaf. I've had him since 4 months old, and he still doesn't answer to his name, or even act like he can hear me talking to him. Which makes everyone wonder if he can even hear the clicker. Basil is hyper, and LOVES to bark at the other dogs in class, lovely huh? So where in this is the training happening? A little at a time, day by day, one thing at a time, and he can not work at the pace the rest of the class is going. So last night was the last class, and he did graduate, though only because the trainer loves him, and despite everything he IS better, it's just going to take more time. After everything he was able to wear his little cap and gown, and get his picture taken.

All I have to say, is thank god we can re-take the class as often as we want for the next 6 months, because he is going to need it.

After much deliberation I have decided to try homeopathy on Basil again. After months of hearing he would always be chronic, would have to be nebulized for the rest of his life, and one day would most likely become untreatable, I felt I had very little choice.

The surprise was, after talking to the new vet, and going over Basils' history, he was placed again on Lachesis. The same remedy he was on when he crashed the last time. This time however, he is on a really low dose. Every week we evaluate him, and decide on the next step. So far he has done really well, and is making slow, but sure, improvement. Which I am really happy with. I don't want to rush him at all, I want him to heal at a pace that is good for him, and avoid any kind aggrivation if possible.

Overall I am very happy with the new vet, I feet very comfortable with him, and am comfortable with his treatment plan for Basil. My last veterinary homeopath was fine, I just didn't feel as comfortable with her. Plus, I was put off by the fact she didn't want to discuss diet or heartworm prevention with me.

Dr. Falconer has a really great site which you can take a look at here. I will post updates as Basil makes progress, for now at least he seems on his way to true health!

My best friend Kelly has decided to switch her dogs to a raw food diet. This is a huge step for her, especially since she has worked in the animal industry since the age of 16 and has very definate opinions on pet care. When I switched Basil to raw, she was supportive but skeptical. When I started alternative medicine, I could tell she thought I was crazy but she didn't say anything. Basil was sick, it looked like he might not make it, why quibble over food and medicine, when she knew I had tried everything and spent thousands of dollars trying to find out what was wrong with him? He was't getting better, and it didn't look like he could get much worse. So to her credit, she supported me, but thought I was crazy on the side.

I however, was determined to get her to at least start looking at a different kind of pet care, so here and there I would email her a web link, or send her a book. However, the real turning point was when she attended the ADPT conference, and much of the conference focused on natural pet care. After that she started bombarding me with questions, and I loaned her a whole bunch of books to read. Kelly then started her Pit Bull Mix Chauncey in agility and weight pulling. During these classes she met more trainers, and found out that many of the trainers she really respected fed raw.

Kelly has now gone raw, and I smile and laugh when she calls me everyday worrying about bones and choking, what kind of meat to feed, and how much to feed. Mostly because I remember myself being the exact same way. Worried about every little thing, and fearing I was going to kill or hurt Basil in the process.

For myself and Basil the raw food has paid off. People can't believe he is a sick dog when they see him because he looks to robust and healthy. His fur is soft and glossy, and his skin supple and smooth. His ears and teeth are clean and fresh, and he has no signs of "dog breath". For 10 months, he was the only one of my five dogs on a raw diet. I guess you can say I was experimenting with him since I really had nothing to lose, but about a week and a half ago I switched the other dogs to raw and they have never been happier. Emma Lou, who has always carried extra weight I could not get her to lose, has started to slim down quite nicely, and unlike other times I have tried to get her to lose weight, does not act like I'm starving her. Buddy, who has always been my picky eater, loves every meal and finishes everything, even his veggies. Curly, who has started to have quite strong "doggy breath" in past few months, crunches down his chicken necks happily, and I've already noticed his breath becoming sweeter.

Does the raw diet work for everyone? No, it doesn't. It takes commitment and extra time everyday. Feeding raw is not as easy as dumping dog kibble into a bowl, it takes some imagination, and some planning ahead. However, my dogs are reaping the benefits of their new diets, and though there are nights I would rather go to bed then make the dogs' dinner, I think about all of the benefits and haul my lazy ass into the kitchen to make dinner.

Will Kellys' dog reap the same benefits? I believe so, and I also think she will see a reduction in the health problems some of her animals have been experiancing. She is determined, has done her research, and once she sees the positive changes in her dogs, I know she will come to be a believer like me.

So the Oldsmobile Achieva finally died. Well it didn't die exactly, but it was going to cost at least $2,000 to fix which is way too much for a 14 year old car.

I had been blissfully driving it to and from Longview, Texas for work, and it seemed I was having to put more and more antifreeze in it. I told myself it was because it was over 100 degrees outside, and it WAS an old car after all. Ben was having none of those excuses, and while I was volunteering at the shelter on a Saturday, he took it into the shop. The news was not very good, to say the least. Ben called me two hours later and asked me when I wanted to go car shopping.

Ok, I had planned on getting a new car in the spring. Which was only like, 6 months away. During this 6 months I was going to pay off the majority of my credit card debt, most of it associated with Basil. Once everything was paid off, THEN I was going to go out and buy a new car. Apparently no one had informed the Oldsmobile, and she decided to die before I was ready. Ahhh...such is life.

Ben wanted to go out and "just look" at cars. However, that was not in my plans. Being much like my mother, I do not share transportation well. The reason I had a car when I was 16 was not because I wanted one, it was because we lived too far out for me to take the bus, and my Mom hated working her morning around dropping me off at school. Let's just say with that history, I was not willing to spend the next several weeks looking at new cars and sharing Bens'. No way.

I have been looking at the Pontiac Vibe for several years now. The Vibe gets good gas mileage, is a hatchback, which I love, and has plenty of room in the back for all of my small four footed hellions.

We decided to het the Pontiac used lot, where they showed me several cars that were NOT Vibes. Now, I may have considered another type of car, but I had one other desire I refused to budge on, the car MUST have cruise control. No negotiation on that. So this salesman is showing me all these cars, which don't have cruise by the way, and they don't think they have any Vibes on the lot. As Ben and I are about to leave, they tell us they just got one in from auction and I am free to drive it if I want. We, Ben, I, and the Salesman, take the car out. I immediately really like it, it's zippy and has nice room on the inside. I do notice that the inside is not very clean, and kind of looks like its had a hard life. The outside doesn't look so bad, however it is a 2005 and it already has 38,000 miles on it. Ouch!

However, I felt if I could get them to come way down on the price, I would seriously consider it. Who can resist a bargain after all? Right away the guy tells me the car is marked at $17,995 but because they are having a "sale" the car is for this weekend marked down to $15,995. I told him my dad worked in car sales, and I know a sale is not really a sale. Come on, they mark things up to mark them down. Whatever, I wasn't falling for that one. So we start to negotiate, and they come back with a final offer of $14,100. I thanked them for their time and walked out, the car was NOT worth that. Here's the funny part, the used car manager came running out after me, saying he just couldn't come down lower because he wouldn't make any money. I told him it wasn't my problem he paid too much for the car at auction, and he may be able to get a person to pay what they wanted for the car, but it wasn't going to be me.

We left the Pontica dealership, went to grab a drink, and decided to check out the used Toyota dealeship for Matrixs' since it is basically the same car as the Vibe. Turns out the Toyota dealership does't have any Matrix's, but they do have two Vibes. We decided to test drive the red one, and it is super clean on the inside, only has 22,400 miles on it, and is still under warranty. They want $15,995 for the car, but say they may be able to get the price down to $14,995. It has a few paint scratches, and one tiny little dent, but other than that it looks really good. They offer me $400 for the Oldsmobile, I sign some papers and I am on my way with my first non-beater car.

So in the end for $900 more than the Pontiac dealership I was able to get fewer miles, still under warranty, and far more clean both inside and out. I was very happy, that day anyway.

The next few days I had some buyers remorse. Did I do the right thing, did I pick the right car, could I have found something better? However, I have found going over the internet for the past weeks, very few used Vibes have such low miles, and the majority of them have been rentals for 1.5 - 2 years. My car also came with all of its accessories, the back tie downs, all the hooks and eyes, and all of the floor mats. A month later I am not sorry I bought this car, I love it, and it is everything I hoped it would be!

For some reason I have been getting lots of questions about why I haven't been blogging. Mostly it's because I just don't have the time, and I tend to get long winded and then have lots of really long posts. These long blogs usually relate to my dogs, but what can I say I basically live the majority of my life focused on them.

Recently, I have finished the bedroom floor, the Oldsmobile has died, and Basil is seeing yet another new homeopathic vet. My job is going good, I'm very busy, and have lots of customers who need my help. Which brings me to another point, it is finally nice to have a job that I don't worry about at night.

You see, for the five years I worked in animal shelters, I loved it. Shelter work is definately my calling and my passion. Shelter work in Texas is what killed me. I'm sorry, I just can't deal with one more person not having enough time for their outdoor dog and surrendering it, and I'm really not ok with adopting good dogs to outdoor homes. If one more shelter administrator tells me the people of the good state of Texas just haven't "gotten there yet" I'm going to scream. Rather than let that happen, and hate the majority of adopters I am faced with, and losing sleep about good dogs living their entire life outside, I am now working for a prepaid company. While this work isn't my passion, it is challenging, I am learning tons of new things and hey, the paycheck isn't bad either. The bonus is, I'm no longer going home at night and stressing compulsivley about work.

Sure, the customers sometimes call late in the eveing, but hey, at least I'm at home with a dog in my lap instead of working in a dark shelter all alone feeling guilty because I'm not giving my animals the same time and attention as all those homeless animals at work. Now, I can sign the dogs up for classes, and I hope to start at least two of them in agility. Fun for them, fun for me. The flip side is, I am now telling my new job, "sorry I have plans" and I soar out the office door at 5:30 or 6:00 and can't wait to get home to my "kids". So that has been my trade off and so far I'm not sorry.

I know I won't be doing this forever, I know in a few years I will get the bug again and have to get back into the shelters. For now, I am happy with the trade offs I've made and my home life with both with my dogs and my husband are better.

So the answer to "3 months out of shelter work and how do I feel?" I feel good, and I am not sorry.

So the home improvement has finally begun. I am so excited! I finally have the money to do the things I have been wanting to do to our house for a long time! This weekend John and I will be laying wood laminant in the master bedroom. I found some really great stuff at Costco. Who would have thought? I have looked everywhere and was not able to find any that I liked in my price range. Then I walked into Costco and found the perfect stuff! So this Saturday, early, we will be laying floor. Then, since we have a long weekend, I will be painting the master bath, and putting up new towel bars, new toilet paper holders. So much fun! Then the master bedroom will finally be done! It has been a long haul!

The next project will be adding on to the side of the house. We have this concrete slab that is part of the foundation that sits on the side of the house just outside the kitchen. Currently, we have Ben's grills, and smokers sitting on that slab. However, since it is already walled on three sides by the kitchen, the master bath, and the guest bedroom, all we need to do is put up one wall and roof. I am pretty sure we could do it for about $2000. Which is cheap when you think we will have the added value of the house having one more room. This new room will by my office/animal room, giving us back the use of the dining area. So exciting!

So check back next week, I hope to have some photos of the finished projects!

So I guess Basil is doing better. My husband says he is, I'm just a freak and worry constantly about him. We have started weaning him off of the nebulizing solution which is making me a basket cast to say the least. Every sigh is Basil having trouble breathing, every sneeze is him getting worse. I really just need to chill out, but I can't help myself.

I just fell for that dog. Fell for him in a way I have never fallen for any other animal. Having said that, he has caused me more stress and anxiety than any other animal I have ever owned. When it comes to Basil I am always researching, reading, wondering if I have done everything I can. Trying to find out if there is anything I have not done. It is a horrible cycle that I need to get over, but I just can't.

However, I have finally taken the leap and signed him up for an obedience class. Ben says he is the most ill behaved animal in our house, and I have to admit, I have babied him. Basil has been sick since I brought him home, so I have been a little lax in the discipline. Signing him up for that class was a huge leap for me. It means I am looking into the future, instead of anxiously getting through the day to day.

When I am feeling my most philosophical, I know that I found Basil for a reason. I plucked him out of that shelter with no thought or plan for a reason. Maybe because I am supposed to learn about a more natural way to care for my animals. Maybe it's to learn that regardless of what you do, time, money, and love is not always enough.

I do know one thing. All of my animals, both the ones I have now, and the ones I will own in the future have benefited from the things I have learned because of Basil. If for some reason he does not make it, my heart will break in a way it has never been broken and I will never be the same. For now, I have to move forward and try not to worry. After all, Basil and I do have a class starting in a few weeks.