My name is Patty...

And I'm a dog sled addict!!

Whenever there's a hint of snow on the ground my brain freezes and my heart goes into a dog sled frenzy.  I can't stop myself, nor do I want to.  I just want more, more, more.  I'm afraid there is no hope for me and I can not be saved.  There is nothing like that first "whoosh" that rushes straight to your head and there is no turning back after that.

I'll admit I have a problem and the falling snow isn't helping.  Help!  I'm afraid I'm a lost cause to the dog sledding bug that bites me every winter for which the only cure is to DOG SLED!!

Did someone say dog sled? and snow?  I'm there!  I'm there!

There's no hope for me, but folks save yourself!  Unless, unless you care to join me....one time won't hurt...trust me......BAWHAHA!!

Looks fresh snow!!!!!!!!  Dog sled!  Dog sled!!  Dog sled!!

"It's really a lifesyle, isn't it?"

My husband said to me as we were relaxing after dinner.

I hadn't thought of it in that way, but I loved the way his question explained itself.  The dogs, the cats and the duck are our lifestyle and everything we say, think, do and express is centered around these nine animals.

A lot of people don't get it, even those with animals, but I know there are plenty out there that do!

A lifestyle!

What an awesome word that describes what is so full and emboddied with love.

We wouldn't have it any other way.

This coming from a guy who never had a pet growing up, but always wanted one, would be the one who phrased the question and noticed the difference.  I'd grown up this way, with dogs and cats, it was second nature to me.  And there was something about the way his eyes lit up with excitement when he discovered the meaning to his question.  Almost as if it surprised him!

There is something about owning animals and the life it entails.  Where people look at you and shake their heads with bewilderment.  That's OK, they will probably never understand what they are missing out on.

It is us who live this animal lifestyle that it really only matters to.  Because I never want to miss out on the way we live, our family of dogs, cats and a duck together.  I think it's the best lifestyle ever!  ☺  

Do you see your life with animals as a lifestyle?

BRUT SNOW!!

One foot of lake effect snow that hit in a day and a half.  

Brut really didn't want to come in.  He wanted me to go out.  

lol  

Silly Husky!

(sorry for the crazy sideway shot, but I thought the camera would shift. 

Silly mom!)

It's Not Always What it's Cracked Up To Be

A post I found but never published from Feb. 2011 when looking back through my drafts.  I remember being scared to post it because it shed some light on the negativity of having dogs and I didn't know how well it would be received.  My feelings are somewhat the same about most of the writing, except the responsibility now feels like a second skin and the two dog packs now feel more secure although I still am not sure where we are going with them until we get there.  ☺  

I love my dogs and I have always tried to remain positive about the responsibility of having them, but sometimes being a dog mom isn't always a warm and fuzzy feeling.  It could be as simple as not wanting to go out in subzero temperatures for playtime or having to do yard duty.  Which most days I don't mind either, but I'm not always jumping up and down about it.

Then there are the harder things to digest.  Like the chances of ever taking a vacation again are close to nil.  When we just had Alex and Silver we would travel downstate and take one vacation a year.  We were able to take the dogs with us, now with 6 and being divided into two packs, it is impossible.  Not to mention the cost of boarding them, it is out of the question.

Then take the two packs themselves, we are really just winging it on a hope and prayer with integrating them.  It is frustrating and discouraging and sometimes I wish we could just hire someone to fix everything and be done with it.  The limitations in trainers around our rural area have been exhausted, not to mention not being able to afford what would be a long term situation.  Some days it is heartbreaking and I get tired of doing it alone.  That's when I have to take a step back and just do the best I can with the situation.

I think what it comes down to is responsibility.  I don't think it matters how many dogs you have, they come with responsibility.  The amount increases with each one you have.  I can not tell you how envious I used to be when I visited the other puppies from our litter because for most of these owners this was their first and only dog.  How easy.  How simple.  To be able to focus all your attention on one dog.  Not to have confrontations and challenges rearing up.  Not having everyone demand for their needs all at once.  The ease of training, etc.  It would all be easier with just one dog.

There is such division in our house.  Even with the cats who can not visit the Front Dogs because Blaze was taught in her former home to chase cats and has that strong Husky prey drive.  So many challenges that we must tend to and not really knowing how we are going to get there.  This is a more concentrated version of what I experience every day.  Most of the time I vent and I am able to let go and do what I need to for the day.  Other days it comes down hard on me and wondering whether we are ever going to be able to reach our goals.  Then I look and see that the dogs are doing OK.  They are happy and healthy and hopefully have a long life in front of them.  All it takes is to see that spark in their eyes, those sheepish grins and those tails going full tilt to watch the joy that flows around them and in them and for these moments, everything is more than OK, it is just the way it is suppose to be.

Black and White Sundays-Simply Brut

"Brut Charging"

by Daddy Mark

Yes there is nothing like getting a little "Brut Charging" first thing in the morning.   Do you  ever, when you first get up in the morning and the alarm clock rings find it hard to get ready for work?

Well, I know I am not alone.  

I pour myself a cup of coffee, watch the news and God knows the news is seldom good.

Having 6 dogs is really a blessing.  Each one have their own way of helping me make it through the day.

Daddy Dog Brut is the one who helps me get my day started.  

Since I'm not able to spend much alone time with any single dog, the time I spend with Brut alone is when I first get up and everyone else is sleeping.

 Best buds

When I bring my coffee in the living room and sit on the sofa, Brut will sit right next to me while I'm watching the news.  I drink my coffee and pet Brut who is pressed up against me.  I can feel his energy flowing from his body to mine.  He then gets on his back and I give him a belly rub.  As I do this he turns from Daddy Dog Brut into a puppy mode.  I can feel his energy just flowing and as this is happening, it is like getting a charge of electricity and wakes me up until I am wide awake. Brut's puppy mode has so much energy and drive that it rubs off on me.  By the time I am finished with my coffee and it is time to go to work I am ready to face anything that happens in the course of my day.

"Brut Charging" is so awesome.  Brut really is my battery charger to get going through my day, realizing when after that first day I kept track of each day.  The days I am late getting up and having to rush out of the house to make it to work, I don't have as good of a day as I do when I have time for "Brut Charging."  I don't get my battery charged and my day just seems to be a drag.  So I try my best to get up when I'm suppose to, to have a better day.  

And like the old saying goes, "A day without Brut charging is like a day without sunshine." ☺

Vroom! Vroom!

Do you ever have days like that with your furfamily?  

  

Always Nice to Talk and Walk with Friends!

With hubby Mark in recovery after his hernia surgery, my life has gotten a little bit busier taking care of him and the things he can't do for now.

For instance, Mark usually walks all the dogs on a short walk every other day and even though I walk with him, it is really his time with the dogs.  On my walks with the dogs I take one or two dogs and take a longer walk, rotating dogs on walk day.

So now I'm trying to do both walk schedules.  It isn't easy.  I missed the last few days since hubby has been home and needed to give all the dogs a walk.  It was 6pm, dark, and cold and we had just come home from running in town.  Walking the dogs was the last thing I wanted to do after starting a fire and sitting down for a "few" minutes.  But I'd already made the committment and the dogs really needed to get out of the house, so I buttoned up my coat, put on my hat, grabbed my favorite leather leash and out the door Silver and I went.

Silver is my easy walk.  She is a good warm up dog to start with and I tend to daydream when I am with her.  Once we got going I could feel the tension melt from muscles as we found a synchronizing pace.  I realized my own pent up energy as we moved swiftly down the street.  I was glad I told Mark I was going to walk the dogs, otherwise I wouldn't have followed through with it and I was feeling pretty good doing it.  

Now I don't know much about horses, but there is one on the corner of our block, and when I was in sight of her, she whinnied at me.  She's never done that before.  I've spoken to Sugar several times on my outings with the dogs, but just met her for the first time a couple of nights ago.  She belongs to my friend and her dog Callie who I have mentioned before who is helping us learn how to socialize.  Sugar is a beautiful girl and has never spoken to me before, but tonight she couldn't stop.

As I walked the dogs one by one we passed Sugar then turned around and past again and every time with the exception of Silver she whinnied at us after we turned the corner, just before passing out of her sight.  Even though I expected it by dog 5 and 6, she scared the crap out of me walking in the dark.

It was an awesome experience to share and I can see some interesting things happening between Sugar and our dogs.  My friend and I have already talked about some ideas.  It's going to be an interesting winter.  :)

p.s. Thank you for all your well wishing and prayers for Mark.  He is taking it easy, which is EXTREMEMLY hard for him, but he is maganaging quite well.  He will get his staples out this coming Monday and then will have 5 more weeks of taking it easy.  He just had a scare after hearing about someone having the same surgery, not resting and having to go back for surgery again.  Believe me that's the last thing he wants, so even though he may go stir crazy for a while, I don't think I'll have to worry about him overdoing it.

 

Prayers, Good Thoughts and POTP Welcome!

Hello friends!  We took a longer than usual pause this week because hubby, Mark ended up in ER for emergency surgery on his groin hernia.  He was admitted at midnight Sunday morning and came home yesterday.

Mark is doing well and of course all the dogs were glad to see him.  We waited until they had their dinner and settled down before they greeted him.  They were all very gentle with Mark as he is obviously still in pain from surgery and is moving a little slower.  He has 6 weeks of recovery ahead of him but things are looking positive.  He feels better without the worry and threat of his bad hernia and he had an excellent surgeon who took care of it.

We are just so lucky to have him home with us again and know that he is only going to get better.

Any thoughts, prayers and power of the paw would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for staying around with and reading the 24 Paws of Love.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, dog bloggers are the best!