It's a Dogs Life

"When there is a dog in your life there is always a reason to laugh."

I love dogs.  All dogs.  Big ones, little ones, even the ugly ones (if there is such a thing).  I am always (trying to) making my dogs pose for pictures and have wasted my entire morning doing just that.  I got a new lens for my camera and since it is too cold to go out and find something to take photographs of, my dogs have become my models.

I thought since I had all of these pictures I just took of the boys I would do a blog post dedicated to them.  Right now we have five dogs in our house.  Which, even for a dog lover like me, is too many.  Especially when they are all in need of attention at one time.  Especially since one wants to go in and out constantly.  And two bark non stop at everything that moves indoors and outdoors, real or imagined.   Only three are truly ours, but I love them all just the same, even if they happen to be driving me crazy on this particular day.

This is Winston, fondly known as Win.

 Winston is about to celebrate his 13th birthday.  He came into our lives when Luke was in first grade.   He is Poodle Terrier mix.  The advantage to this is that he doesn't shed.  He is also tenacious and barks at everything. When he was a puppy someone asked me if he was a Rottweiler.  I don't know why they asked that, but ever since then he thinks he is bigger and tougher than he really is.  Even though he is a senior, he is still fit and very feisty.

 We often have to bring him down a notch by reminding him that his birth father was a Poodle.  He normally resides with his dad (my previous husband, Rich) in Kalamazoo.  Since Rich works pretty much all the time, he is here to hang out with his brothers and get caught up on his vet care.

He is sweet and loving and rides well in the car.  He also hates it when snowballs get caught in his paws and licks the couch all the time.

This is my beloved Trapper.

He is my 7 year old Black Lab.  When Luke was in middle school he wanted a lab in the worst way.  I, of course, said no.  We had a dog (imagine that, just one) and besides, Labs were too big and they shed too much.  We would never get one.  Then we got one.  

My friend, Suzie's Chocolate Lab, Rusty, fathered twelve black and chocolate babies.  We went to "look" and of course came home with this adorable eight pound ball of absolute cuteness.  And, because moms are always the ones to take care of the dogs, despite the multitude of promises from the kids who wanted them, Trapper became my dog.  He has been my best friend and confident through out all of the trials and tribulations of the last three or four years. He was also there to celebrate all the happiness that I found along the way.   And, of course when I moved to Oscoda, there was no question that he was coming.

I love him.

And then, of course, there is Nolan

 Nolan Francis Budrow came to live with Matt and I when we were still in Kalamazoo.  At that time, I shared custody of Winston and Trapper and Matt thought it would be nice if we had a dog of our own.  So we went to the SPCA to take a look.  When we got to the last cage, there he was.  Imprisioned with a hyperactive Jack Russell named Cindy Lou Who.  She was jumping up and down trying to get our attention while he sat there silently imploring us with his eyes to get him out of there.  This was obviously no place for a dog like him.  So, we bought him home.

 Nolan is a Chihuahua/Skipperke mix who was named after Francie Nolan, a character in my favorite book, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."   Nolan is the biggest character we have ever met.

He barks too much, for no good reason, is very defiant, loves Elton John and all things sparkly.  He makes us laugh everyday.  

The next dog to come into our lives was Saber.  Sabe's, Big Saber, Saberlicious. 

 Before he knew that he would work for the railroad, Luke rescued Saber.  He was living with a family that loved him, but with many kids he had become rather neglected and they couldn't keep up with an ear infection that wouldn't go away.  So, Luke went to see him.  Luke wasn't sure about taking him and his shoebox full of problems.  As he was trying to think of a way to get out of it, Saber came up to Luke and leaned on his legs, like German Shepherds do.  Then Saber looked up at him with those big brown eyes, and Luke made up his mind.   He has been an adored part of this family ever since.

 After the proper vet care (although those darn ears will never get completely better) and a good diet, Saber is beautiful, inside and out.  He weighs 120 pounds, but is a gentle soul.  He is dignified, majestic and truly never does anything he isn't supposed to.  And whenever we go away, he is in charge.

He is staying with us until the day comes that Luke is able to have Saber with him.  So even though he is here temporarily, he will always have a home here for as long as he needs one and has a permanent part of our hearts.

Before Saber came to stay with us, Matt and I decided that we would love to have a German Shepherd of our very own.  We rescued Diego, a senior, from the Southwest Michigan German Shepherd Rescue in Augusta.  Kristen does an awesome job of finding homes for GSD's that are in shelters and abandoned.   Unfortunately, after we brought Diego home to live with us, we found out that he was very sick.  This wasn't evident when we got him.  Kristen, Matt, and I were devastated when shortly after we got him, we had to euthanize him due to the severity of his illness.  Not long after that my friend Bobbi called, as she heard that another friend, Jamie, had a German Shepherd that needed a home.

We went to meet him and that is how Rudy became part of our family.  His owner apparently had to move and couldn't take him along.  He left him at his dad's home, who tied him outside without food or water.  Probably starving, Rudy killed and ate a chicken.  That prompted a call to the police and Rudy was going to be shot if someone didn't come and get him.  Rudy's hero, Jamie, and her brother went out and got him and saved his life.

He has been with us almost a year.  I believe that Diego sent him to us because he couldn't stay, but knew Rudy needed us.  A very smart dog and quick learner, Rudy has mastered his manners.  The hair that was gone from the chain rubbing around his neck grew back, and he is absolutely beautiful.  Probably because of his past, Rudy is very needy and his nickname is "Needy Ned."

 He always tries to lay in your lap and nudges your hand so you will pet him.  He promptly puts himself to bed in his crate every night at ten o'clock.   Although he loves everybody, he is especially fond of his dad.

So, these are my boys.  As I type they are all laying around me.  And if I get up to get another cup of coffee, they will all get up and follow me out to the kitchen.   If I go into the bathroom, they will all get up and follow me.  If I take a shower, they will lay on the bathroom floor until I am done. They get on the bed when they are not supposed to and leave hair on our pillows.  They shed constantly.  They are always ecstatic when we come through the door, if it is one time or one hundred.  They love us more than anything and they love us if we are having a good day or a bad one.  They are always available for a hug and their warm fuzzy heads have absorbed many a tear.   They keep us company when Matt and I are home alone.  They work hard to keep us safe.  They make us laugh and drive us crazy.  We love them. They are our dogs.