If I had one suggestion...

If someone asked me what got me through losing the 24 Paws of Love, I would have never thought it would be a pillow.   

The summer after Zappa died, a friend of ours gave Mark the above pillow of Zappa and him.  You would not believe the relief this pillow brought us.  We could hold it, talk to it, squeeze it, kiss it and cry into it and it was if Zappa was right there.  It was something tangible to hold on to and it made it difference in our grieving process.  

The following Christmas I got pillows of all the 24 Paws.  It was hard to believe that a pillow of the dogs could make such a transformation as we muddle through the loss, but it did.  There was something almost real about it.  

I know for some a pillow might not be your first thought, it wasn't mine either, but that gift from our friends, changed the way we thought and grieved.  I still hold them every night as I tell them good night.   

Maybe it could work for you. too.

Just a boy and his dog

One of the joys of having Chevy is watching Mark and Chevy's relationship develop.  They are like two peas in a pod.  They sleep together, they sit on the couch together,  they take their morning walk every day and they have snacks together at night.  Chevy follows Mark everywhere waiting for the next adventure or treat.  The happiness between the two of them is heartwarming.  Mark took the death of Zappa and the 24 Paws pretty hard.  Zappa was his dog and the last to die.  And while Mark loves all dogs, I wasn't sure how he would feel getting another dog.  I still can't believe he said, "Let's go get him tomorrow," when I showed him the picture of Chevy.  It has been miracle after miracle with these two boys.  Chevy is the kind of dog boys dream of having. 

 

WOW! What a game changer!

 

If you've followed our blog for any length of time, you may remember that training the dogs to walk on a loose leash isn't my strong suit.  In fact, I am horrible at it.  For the most part, when I walked the 24 Paws of Love there was tension on the leash.  Which meant there was tension on my arms and body and I paid for it.  Well, I swore I wouldn't do that with my next dog.  Enter Chevy...

Now Chevy is a good walker and basically keeps a loose leash.  Then he started getting comfortable here and began pulling, especially when he would catch a scent in the leaves.  He would actually lunge to get to that scent and follow it, dragging me behind.  And he does the same thing when he sees people or dogs.  My body was feeling those old pains again and my frustration level was rising on every walk.  

Several years ago when I mentioned my walking troubles with the 24 Paws, Carrie Noar suggested doing some training before a walk.  It sounded like a great idea and I may have even tried it a couple of times, but I didn't have the time or patience to do it with all the 24 Paws.  So, I blew off the idea until now with Chevy.  

Wow!  What a game changer!

The first time I did it, I noticed that Chevy was more relaxed.  He wasn't as anxious or wired up and for the most part he was starting to listen to me.  It was like his brain was rewired and he realized I was there.  This meant I also had to be aware and pay attention to him, instead of letting my mind wander.  I did that by continuing the training on the walk itself.  This kept us both engaged with each other.  

I've been doing this training/walking exercise for the last couple of weeks and what a difference it has made.  (Hot dogs and cheese also helps)  We are both getting to know what the other wants and expects of each other.  Chevy will go into a heel position several times throughout the walk without me telling him.  He has even started staying in that position even after I give him a treat.  While we rarely see people or dogs out this time of the year, the few that we have seen we have passed successfully.  No lunging, pulling or stopping.  It has been great!    

It isn't perfect, but our walks have improved quite rapidly.  I still don't know how to handle the side jerks to a scent, except by watching his body and anticipating it.  I have also found that the longer the training is, leads to a better focused walk for both of us.  It has been amazing what a little extra effort will do.    

From our paws to yours...

 

Wishing all our readers a very Happy Holiday!

Confessions of a grieving dog mom- part 3

 

Three days after Chevy came home with us I got scared.  While everything felt right and I knew we made the right decision getting him, I was afraid of the commitment I'd made to Chevy and if I could mentally and emotionally follow through after losing the 24 Paws..  Taking Chevy in was such a big step for both me and Chevy.  I didn't know what happen to him or why he was at the shelter, except it involved humans.  I was afraid of letting him down.  I'd fallen in love with him from day one, but was afraid of being able to love him for him.  He was the exact same color as Zappa, which I hadn't really noticed when we first saw him and on that third day it scared me.  Then I noticed his eyes.  Chevy is bi-eyed.  His left eye is a caramel color,  matching his fur and was the same color as Brut's left eye was.  It was Chevy's right eye that messed me up.  It is a dark, dark brown.  You can hardly see the pupil it is so dark.  It looked just like Brut's right eye when it filled with blood and was the first sign of what we would eventually discover to be a tumor on his liver.  Looking at Chevy eyes was a huge trigger of Brut and freaked me out.  So, on that fourth day, I laid down with him on his bed and cried.  For him, for me, and the uncertain life we were taking together. 

And as the tears flowed, after a while Chevy started to get up.  He seemed scared. He moved away from me. That's when it dawned on me that probably the last person who cried over him let him go.  I stopped crying and told him, we were in it with him forever.  And ever.  And ever.  And ever. 

Things went fast and slow with our healing.  He was such a fantastic dog who was happy most of the time.  He made it easy.  Every afternoon we would go outside and sit out in the shade and have some decompression time.  Sometimes I would pet him or talk quietly to him about what he'd been through, or I would tell him what a miracle he was to us.  Sometimes we would sit in absolute silence, with just the breeze blowing around us.  Those moments we had together were the glue that held us together.  We connected deeper and deeper each time.  I literally watched him settle into his skin a little more during these times.  That time period was precious.

Chevy's six month Gothcha Day will be this Saturday, December 21.  Right on the Winter Solstice.  I've come to embrace his Zappa coloring, which didn't take long.  I still struggle a little with Chevy's eyes.  I find myself looking at the lighter one more, but at least it isn't as painful to look into both of them.  And as for my fear of being able to love him, Chevy took care of that just being his gentle loving self.  We have been so blessed with Chevy and I can't say it enough.  He is the most amazing dog.  It was so easy to fall in love with him and love him forever.  ♥            

Everything is better with a Chevy

24 Paws of Love Angels watching over Chevy

Sitting on the couch with my boy.  Still utterly amazed by him.  This canine by my side.  Even after five months of being here, Chevy still surprises me every day by how much love he has in him.  

Chevy and the 24 Paws of Love

When I lost the 24 Paws, I could not fathom a dog that could match them.  Yet, here we are with Chevy doing just that.  The 24 Paws are physically gone, but they are still here in spirit.  And they are in Chevy, but he is his own dog.  It is weird.  I'm constantly doing a mental double take. Chevy has smoothed all the rough edges of that loss and made me fall in love with dogs again.  

This boy is the most loveable dog we have ever had and that I have ever met.  Chevy loves to snuggle and is always open to attention and affection.  He loves everyone he meets and everyone he meets loves him, including his four doggie girlfriends.  He wants to do a meet-and-greet with all people and dogs he comes across.  Which is one of our challenges when out and about with him, not being pulled towards potential "new friends."  lol  He has such a hard time controlling himself, but we are working on it.

   

His training is coming along great!  We are working on a solid "stay" and "come."  10 to 15 minutes is all he needs for training until he's rolling on the grass or grabbing a stick to let me know he's done. lol

Chevy is just such a good dog overall.  I still find myself in disbelief at just how good of a dog he is.  We have been more than blessed with him.  ♥

Chevy: 3 month Gotcha Day

Those wrinkles!

It has been 3 months since we picked up Chevy from the Humane Society and he is coming along just fine.  He was a pretty confident dog when we got him and yes, looking back he had some anxiety, but that little bit is melting away day by day.  I have literally felt him back in his skin.  Which is wonderful. 

We discovered he was a therapy/support dog.  Which explains a lot of his mannerisms and behaviors.  Like why he feels so secure with himself and other people. Including dogs, cats and kids.  What a blessing he has been to introduce him to our doggie friends, take him to the vet and out in public.  He loves everybody!  In fact, I have to pull him away from greeting every single person he sees.  lol

We did a DNA test on Chevy and found out he is 100% Labrador Retriever.  A friend of ours thought he might be an English Lab.  When I looked up the breed, Chevy fit the criteria.  His Yellowish-red coat was what threw us off and we wondered if he was a mix.  I can't explain the genetics, but turns out he is considered a Yellow Lab, even with his reddish coat. 

Nothing like a dog with a stick

I introduced the "find it" game to Chevy and he loves it.  You should have seen the first treat he found on his own, his eyes lit up.  It has been fun doing nose work with Chevy, especially since Labs are sight dogs.  He is getting lots of practice.  I just started elevating the treats, on chairs or tables, and he picked up on that quickly. 

Chevy is as sweet and loveable as the first day we picked him up.  It is amazing what love of a dog can do for you.  I wouldn't have traded our time without a dog, I needed that time, and now it is time for Chevy.  ♥ 

   

Feeding Chevy

 

We've discovered that Chevy is an avid grass eater.  His first week of being with us, he threw up a huge wad of grass one morning.  So, I gave him some chicken and rice for his tummy and that started us down the road of home cooked meals.  It is something I have wanted to do with the 24 Paws, but just couldn't with 6 dogs.  Not to mention being scared to do it, with my lack of nutritional education.  I always preferred to let the dog food companies do the work for me, but as it was Chevy wasn't taking so well to his kibble as it was.   He ate it, but wasn't too thrill about eating it.  I know he was new here and he had been though so many changes that made him nervous that I didn't want food to be one of them.  So I bought some recipe books and we took the plunge into home cooked dog food.  

The first thing I noticed, like immediately, was his grass consumption went down considerably.  I'd like to say he stopped altogether, but I think Chevy's grass eating is a habit he won't quit.  So cutting down was huge!  Sometimes after he eats, he bypasses it all together.  So that was a definite plus of fixing his food.  

The second thing I noticed was the horrible gas he had dissipated.  I mean it was awful and went down to almost no smell.  That was awesome!

After that I noticed the Chevy didn't have that "doggy smell."  He had a bath a couple weeks after we got him and I thought it was going to be a regular thing, but honestly, he doesn't need one except to maybe rinse the dirt off of him.  Another bonus!

And the most recent thing I've notice after feeding him cooked food for the last 9 weeks, is that his fur is silky smooth and so healthy.  I am loving it!  

I still feed Chevy kibble sometimes, but it is an add-in and not the main meal.  I cook almost everything in my Instant Pot pressure cooker.  I am learning as I go and I am enjoy making his food.  I know exactly what he is eating and how much.  There is something really comforting in knowing that.  

I know there are all kinds of controversies on what to feed our dogs, all I know is that homecooked is working for Chevy and me.