We have had a full weekend of laziness, but that doesn't stop Mulligan from hoarding his favorite stuff... Which just so happens to be anything Oliver shows an interest.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
He didn't get much choice in the matter...
I'm laying on the couch with Scott after a long day of work when he says,
Being male and all, Scott's tolerance for gross stuff is pretty limited so he quickly removed the little thing from our little thing's mouth, shoved it in the grass and high-tailed it away with the boys.
I'm laying on the couch with Scott after a long day of work when he says,
"Hey- did I tell you Oliver tried to eat a turtle today?"
Umm, what?!Apparently, Scott was walking the boys before I got home (thank you, thank you) and Oliver was lagging behind. Scott tugged the leash a bit, and Oliver came trotting forward and in front of Scott with his head low- the doggie "tell" that they have something they don't want you to notice. So Scott muttered the meme of this house "what do you have this time?" and pried apart the jaws of doom to reveal that Oliver got one of his best finds yet- a small turtle.
Being male and all, Scott's tolerance for gross stuff is pretty limited so he quickly removed the little thing from our little thing's mouth, shoved it in the grass and high-tailed it away with the boys.
"Did you get a picture?!"And the shoes went back on, we tracked the little thing- which hadn't moved. I picked it up and it was totally dead, with just one leg and a head hanging out of the soft shell... I'm assuming it was probably that dead when Oliver found it- which is both a relief (that Oliver didn't kill it) and even more revolting than if it had been live.
"No..."
"I need it for the blog!"
RIP Turtle
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How Much Wood Would a...?
Q: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A: No idea. But Oliver, our resident woodchuck wannabe could chuck a bed leg's worth.
I bought some wall art for my bedroom this weekend (because the bare walls were 2" of padding away from being an actual asylum) and so we had to move the bed to hang it. Annnd we knew the legs were loose, so we decided to go ahead and flip the bed to tighten them. Annnd we were greeted by the realization that the boy's "funhouse" under the bed was doubling as a wood-chewing speakeasy for Oliver as well.
Awesome.
A: No idea. But Oliver, our resident woodchuck wannabe could chuck a bed leg's worth.
I bought some wall art for my bedroom this weekend (because the bare walls were 2" of padding away from being an actual asylum) and so we had to move the bed to hang it. Annnd we knew the legs were loose, so we decided to go ahead and flip the bed to tighten them. Annnd we were greeted by the realization that the boy's "funhouse" under the bed was doubling as a wood-chewing speakeasy for Oliver as well.
Awesome.
The Pawmaggedon Continues...
We have been really fortunate to stay in touch (via Facebook) with the special volunteer, Aunt Tammi, who introduced us to Mulligan, though we hadn't seen her in person since we left CACC that day. Well lucky us, Tammi has a new job (with dog food company!) that brought her to the Wheaton area- a perfect opportunity for a reunion!!
 |
Aunt Tammi with her rescue, Mully
and her new BFF, Oliver |
With Tammi came some stupendous goodies- treats! (which are like diapers in this house, can never have enough on hand) and two Kong Wubbas!! I've been wanting to get them for the boys for awhile, but just didn't want to make the financial investment. And frankly, after the quick destruction of them, I wish Tammi hadn't either.
It only took Oliver about 20 mins to have the top ripped off
and one of the "tails" ripped off. Within 1 hr the tennis ball at the top was crushed (thanks, Mully) and we had to throw the skin away. The only redeeming feature of the red kong is that somehow, the squeaky ball is still in tact a week later. I think this is most likely due to it's large size which makes it difficult for even Mully to totally mouth it.
Mully was drawn to the Snugga Wubba, which, at 1 hr before the "beginning of the end" lasted nearly 3x as long. I believe that the skin is much thicker and that is what kept it from being penetrated a bit longer. Once pierced, however, it was finished off within about 20 mins. (He has since moved on to the squeaker ball from the other Kong and spends much time hoarding it.)
Unlike the red Wubba, the top in the Snugga isn't a tennis ball, it's some sort of foam- doesn't really matter, it may as well be a clod of dirt for as quickly as it was obliterated.
The big ball had a pannel torn out pretty easily by oliver as well- not even on a seam.
Overall, while they had a blast destroying them, and it warmed Tammi's heart to gift the Wubbas to the boys- I was really bummed about the durability of these toys- basically it was around $30.00 for 20 mins of fun. I'm no mathamagician but that is $90.00 for an hour, and certainly we all have better things to spend money on. Definitely headed for the Wall of Pain- sorry, Kong- for the money, I expect way better lasting power.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Things My Dogs Would Eat if I Let Them- Promenade Edition
The thing about dogs is that they have to go outside a few times a day for a walk. In our house, it's more of a forced march meets sled pull, and at no time is that pull stronger than when prey drives kick in.
Alex didn't have anything but a food drive. This is not the case with dogs 2.0 and 2.1. They both pretty much want to ambush anything that is small and happens to move, but Mully leans more toward the 4-legged variety while Oliver is a big fan of birds. (By fan I mean wants to catch and mame.)
Neighbor I'll never get to actually meet #1. This guy sits on his first floor balcony, conveniently located approximately 10' from the walking path. On nice days, he brings the 2 biggest of his 4,000 birds out for some air, which would be awesome to see, except my two sweet and sometimes rowdy dogs out for a stroll are instanly transormed into Cerberus on a leash. So glad it's only spring and we'll get another 6+ months to visit with this guy :)
Alex didn't have anything but a food drive. This is not the case with dogs 2.0 and 2.1. They both pretty much want to ambush anything that is small and happens to move, but Mully leans more toward the 4-legged variety while Oliver is a big fan of birds. (By fan I mean wants to catch and mame.)
Neighbor I'll never get to actually meet #1. This guy sits on his first floor balcony, conveniently located approximately 10' from the walking path. On nice days, he brings the 2 biggest of his 4,000 birds out for some air, which would be awesome to see, except my two sweet and sometimes rowdy dogs out for a stroll are instanly transormed into Cerberus on a leash. So glad it's only spring and we'll get another 6+ months to visit with this guy :)
 |
| Oh don't mind my gnarling, howling, barking, suddenly vicious attack dogs, we're just out for a promenade. |
It's Electrifying!!
"Are you kidding me?!"
These words actually came out of my mouth into the empty bedroom. I know for a fact that this extension cord was plugged into the wall and that my cell charger was plugged into it. I remember that I removed said charger and took it into the living room when I went there to work ( I so love working from home!). I'm not sure what the actual events were that led this to become unplugged, shredded, and half-under the bed (which is basically the tree-house for our dogs) but I'm 90% positive it was Oliver. I can only hope it was unplugged before he started the shred. (Picturing Chevy's Christmas and the cat under the chair.)
These words actually came out of my mouth into the empty bedroom. I know for a fact that this extension cord was plugged into the wall and that my cell charger was plugged into it. I remember that I removed said charger and took it into the living room when I went there to work ( I so love working from home!). I'm not sure what the actual events were that led this to become unplugged, shredded, and half-under the bed (which is basically the tree-house for our dogs) but I'm 90% positive it was Oliver. I can only hope it was unplugged before he started the shred. (Picturing Chevy's Christmas and the cat under the chair.)
Soooo I guess cords and plugs will be items #3,457 and #3,458 on the list of things we've now learned that we have to keep from Oliver. This should be easy.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Things My Dogs Eat: Each Other
Once Mulligan decided Oliver could stay, it was GAME ON! I must admit that even now, months later, it still makes me a little anxious when they play.
Aside from the noise level (imagine 2 Chewbachas mating), there's the whole "put your head in my mouth" move that they do wherein Oliver sticks his head in Mully's mouth (duh) and Mully gums it. Doesn't look like fun to me, but they love it. Oh, then there's the not any less disconcerting "neck massage" that Mully gives Oliver. Around his throat. Like, all the way around his throat.
It's not one-sided, Oliver has a few signature moves as well. He mostly leverages his relatively small size ( Mully is bigger than Oliver about 3:1) to dart in and out, anchor himself to Mulligan's achilles and pull at the scruff around Mulligan's neck. So his best fighting technique is... annoyance. And when those fail, he grabs a bottle and chases Mulligan with it. Pupster learned quick that the crunch of bottles is Mulligan's kryptonite. He's a smart little shit.
Aside from the noise level (imagine 2 Chewbachas mating), there's the whole "put your head in my mouth" move that they do wherein Oliver sticks his head in Mully's mouth (duh) and Mully gums it. Doesn't look like fun to me, but they love it. Oh, then there's the not any less disconcerting "neck massage" that Mully gives Oliver. Around his throat. Like, all the way around his throat.
It's not one-sided, Oliver has a few signature moves as well. He mostly leverages his relatively small size ( Mully is bigger than Oliver about 3:1) to dart in and out, anchor himself to Mulligan's achilles and pull at the scruff around Mulligan's neck. So his best fighting technique is... annoyance. And when those fail, he grabs a bottle and chases Mulligan with it. Pupster learned quick that the crunch of bottles is Mulligan's kryptonite. He's a smart little shit.
Mully Gets a Snack... errr, Brother.
To say we were in over our heads with Mulligan would be a gross understatement. For the first three weeks, he woke me up at 3:30 am almost daily. I started walking him 1 mile in the morning, 1 mile every night and it was never enough. We must have said and thought at least 1,000 times those first weeks - what the hell were we thinking? This isn't a dog, it's a husky! For a month he wouldn't go in the front door of the building. Sometimes he wouldn't get in the elevator. Sometimes he wouldn't get OUT of the elevator. Mully taught us PATIENCE. I lived on the internet, poured over breed research and started coming across a common theme- huskies need constant companionship.
We discovered the local off-leash area at the forest preserve where he could run, socialize, hunt, and dig ( oh yeah, our husky DOES dig). PERFECT. A tired dog is a good dog. And we encountererd other husky owners, who kept telling us that huskies need other huskies. (The howling finally chilled)
So the conversation about a second dog picked up between Scott and I. For a short time, we thought we may actually get a second husky for Mulligan to have. And then he started blowing his coat and there was NO WAY I was getting a second husky.
More research, more Dogs 101, more watching dogs at the park, and we decided on a Boxer. Back to obsessive dog browsing on Petfinder.
Thursday, November 10th- New post from TLC in Homer Glen that they have a truckload of dogs and puppies coming from a high-kill shelter in Cynthiana, KY and look! it's a pair of boxer puppies!!! Send the pictures to everyone, start picking out names. I'm totally getting a little girl (finally!) that I can dress in cute sweaters and pink collars! We're going to name her Birdie (another golf term- see a theme?) and I spend the next two days squealing and posting every 12 seconds to Facebook.
Saturday, November 12th- Our anniversary weekend and we're going to make a really nice dinner at home to celebrate. But first can we go look at those puppies? Scott agrees, we pack up Mulligan, and off we go to Homer Glen. Big shocker, the puppies are gone but "you're welcome to look at the other dogs we have available." I start to wonder if anyone ever leaves these places without a dog.
I walked over to the cage Scott is standing in front of and looked down at two dogs curled up. One is brown, one is white with brown patches. The brown one kind of looks up at us and his little nub wags a little. The worker says- wanna see him? His brother wasn't happy to have him removed (still breaks my heart to remember that part) but the little brown puppy never went back to that cage. We went to a little room with him, he was undoubtedly totally adorable and seemed maybe even kinda potty trained. But "he" wasn't a "she" and what is Mulligan going to think about him? So we grabbed Mulligan and took him to the side yard, which was thankfully fenced in, and let them run around together. Mulligan was mostly disinterested and puppy was in love with Scott. Ok, that could work. They think he's 6-8 months old and about 15 lbs. He's mostly fully grown. Did we want a dog this small? But wow, he sure is cute. He licked my nose, and that was it. For the second time in 4 months I say, "We'll take him!"
We learned as soon as we got home that Mully's indifference was false and for at least 24 hours we thought he was going to either eat the new dog or we were going to have to return the new dog. Neither was an especially pleasant option. One night we layed in bed in tears and if TLC had been open on Monday, we may have returned him. Right around 48 hrs though, Mully changed. He was still guarding somewhat, but mostly indifferent. By 72 hrs, we knew we could keep him, and within a few days from that, Mulligan seemed to actually like this new addition. He responded really well to "Puppy" but we decided on "Oliver", which seemed to suit our little orphan with sad eyes from Kentucky.
As he settled, he discovered 1) how wonderful it was to have a dog bed (Scott had to show him how to get into it, then he wouldn't get out!) and 2) how incredibly fun it is to destroy toys- especially stuff with squeakers. He also found his voice, which we found out from our upstairs neighnors as apparently he was howling every time I left the house (awesome.)
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| August 14, 2011 |
So the conversation about a second dog picked up between Scott and I. For a short time, we thought we may actually get a second husky for Mulligan to have. And then he started blowing his coat and there was NO WAY I was getting a second husky.
More research, more Dogs 101, more watching dogs at the park, and we decided on a Boxer. Back to obsessive dog browsing on Petfinder.
Thursday, November 10th- New post from TLC in Homer Glen that they have a truckload of dogs and puppies coming from a high-kill shelter in Cynthiana, KY and look! it's a pair of boxer puppies!!! Send the pictures to everyone, start picking out names. I'm totally getting a little girl (finally!) that I can dress in cute sweaters and pink collars! We're going to name her Birdie (another golf term- see a theme?) and I spend the next two days squealing and posting every 12 seconds to Facebook.
Saturday, November 12th- Our anniversary weekend and we're going to make a really nice dinner at home to celebrate. But first can we go look at those puppies? Scott agrees, we pack up Mulligan, and off we go to Homer Glen. Big shocker, the puppies are gone but "you're welcome to look at the other dogs we have available." I start to wonder if anyone ever leaves these places without a dog.
"Honey- this one kindof looks like a boxer"
I walked over to the cage Scott is standing in front of and looked down at two dogs curled up. One is brown, one is white with brown patches. The brown one kind of looks up at us and his little nub wags a little. The worker says- wanna see him? His brother wasn't happy to have him removed (still breaks my heart to remember that part) but the little brown puppy never went back to that cage. We went to a little room with him, he was undoubtedly totally adorable and seemed maybe even kinda potty trained. But "he" wasn't a "she" and what is Mulligan going to think about him? So we grabbed Mulligan and took him to the side yard, which was thankfully fenced in, and let them run around together. Mulligan was mostly disinterested and puppy was in love with Scott. Ok, that could work. They think he's 6-8 months old and about 15 lbs. He's mostly fully grown. Did we want a dog this small? But wow, he sure is cute. He licked my nose, and that was it. For the second time in 4 months I say, "We'll take him!"
We learned as soon as we got home that Mully's indifference was false and for at least 24 hours we thought he was going to either eat the new dog or we were going to have to return the new dog. Neither was an especially pleasant option. One night we layed in bed in tears and if TLC had been open on Monday, we may have returned him. Right around 48 hrs though, Mully changed. He was still guarding somewhat, but mostly indifferent. By 72 hrs, we knew we could keep him, and within a few days from that, Mulligan seemed to actually like this new addition. He responded really well to "Puppy" but we decided on "Oliver", which seemed to suit our little orphan with sad eyes from Kentucky.
And that was it- Mulligan had a brother, and life with two dogs began.
 |
| November 17th, 2011- Are you gonna eat me? |
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Hi, We're here about Kenny! (How we got Mulligan)
Mid July, 2011- I was working a crappy temp job @ an architectural firm and tired of coming home to an empty apartment. Still, I didn't have a perm position and we were still researching and telling everyone, and ourselves, that we would probably wait until Septemberish or later for Dog 2.0.
I happened to have too much time on my hands and looking at dogs made me feel better, so I started stalking petfinder "just to look". Who was I kidding?
What we wanted: Non-shedding, short-coat, medium-sized (though I was open to anything less than 100 lbs), young but not puppy, easy to train, smart, like to play with toys, social. We wanted a dog that would play in play time and chill in sleep time and one that was easier to have in apartments (not a generally prohibited breed) Short list included small lab mixes and Wheatens. And we didn't want to pay $300 for the dog, so reasonably priced was definitely on the list.
July 20th (Wednesday)- log onto petfinder, check the CACC page (Chicago Animal Care and Control) and there's the PERFECT dog, Kenny. He's a 35 lb lab mix, volunteers claim he's sweet, smart, chill. I'm thrilled. I call Scott squealing, arrange to leave work early and Scott meets me at the pound. I'm instantly in love, but we can't take him home because he's sick and he won't be off his meds until Sunday. I cry (shocker) but we go home and start buying the accouterments that dogs need and I squeal to everyone and post every 12 seconds on facebook about how excited I am.
July 24th (Sunday)- I wake up (squealing) and make us breakfast, we jump in the car and head to CACC to be there by 12 noon when they open because we're sure someone is going to snatch Kenny. We find him as a volunteer is bringing him in, there's a red mark on his nose. She hands me the leash and as other volunteers are walking other dogs, we realize what it's from. Kenny's medicine has worn off and he's a deranged lunatic, lunging and growling at every creature that walks by. Scott and I shoot eachother a look, this isn't going to work. My heart drops, we put him in his crate and start looking at other dogs.
Tami, a friendly volunteer walks up and says "may I introduce you to the volunteer favorite?"
They were calling him Joker, but the cage card seemed right. He seemed sweet, timid, did walk great on a leash (that's changed), and wasn't lunging or snarling at anything as we walked out into the yard.
He didn't seem to want to catch anything, we said it was stress. He didn't seem treat motivated, that's ok, right? Alex was too food motivated. I needed to see him with other dogs. We walked around, he didn't really look at them. Introduced him to a tiny dog and he showed it his belly and let it climb all over his face. Submissive? That's pretty awesome. He seemed like everything we wanted ( except the shedding. ugh) So what if it was a husky? He wasn't a "typical" husky, we just knew it.
Scott was excited, I was too... so we looked at each other and I said "OK, we'll take him!"
What seemed like an eternity later (and after tearful goodbyes from volunteers), we walked out the front door with "Joker" and to the car. We had to load him in because he didn't know what to do or how to jump (this has also changed).
In the days that followed we must have said "no, he doesn't chew anything" at least 100 times. "No, he isn't a typical husky" ,"No, he doesn't talk or sing", "No, he doesn't counter-surf".
We should have left his name "Joker". The joke was on us...
I happened to have too much time on my hands and looking at dogs made me feel better, so I started stalking petfinder "just to look". Who was I kidding?
What we wanted: Non-shedding, short-coat, medium-sized (though I was open to anything less than 100 lbs), young but not puppy, easy to train, smart, like to play with toys, social. We wanted a dog that would play in play time and chill in sleep time and one that was easier to have in apartments (not a generally prohibited breed) Short list included small lab mixes and Wheatens. And we didn't want to pay $300 for the dog, so reasonably priced was definitely on the list.
July 20th (Wednesday)- log onto petfinder, check the CACC page (Chicago Animal Care and Control) and there's the PERFECT dog, Kenny. He's a 35 lb lab mix, volunteers claim he's sweet, smart, chill. I'm thrilled. I call Scott squealing, arrange to leave work early and Scott meets me at the pound. I'm instantly in love, but we can't take him home because he's sick and he won't be off his meds until Sunday. I cry (shocker) but we go home and start buying the accouterments that dogs need and I squeal to everyone and post every 12 seconds on facebook about how excited I am.
July 24th (Sunday)- I wake up (squealing) and make us breakfast, we jump in the car and head to CACC to be there by 12 noon when they open because we're sure someone is going to snatch Kenny. We find him as a volunteer is bringing him in, there's a red mark on his nose. She hands me the leash and as other volunteers are walking other dogs, we realize what it's from. Kenny's medicine has worn off and he's a deranged lunatic, lunging and growling at every creature that walks by. Scott and I shoot eachother a look, this isn't going to work. My heart drops, we put him in his crate and start looking at other dogs.
Tami, a friendly volunteer walks up and says "may I introduce you to the volunteer favorite?"
They were calling him Joker, but the cage card seemed right. He seemed sweet, timid, did walk great on a leash (that's changed), and wasn't lunging or snarling at anything as we walked out into the yard.
He didn't seem to want to catch anything, we said it was stress. He didn't seem treat motivated, that's ok, right? Alex was too food motivated. I needed to see him with other dogs. We walked around, he didn't really look at them. Introduced him to a tiny dog and he showed it his belly and let it climb all over his face. Submissive? That's pretty awesome. He seemed like everything we wanted ( except the shedding. ugh) So what if it was a husky? He wasn't a "typical" husky, we just knew it.
Scott was excited, I was too... so we looked at each other and I said "OK, we'll take him!"
What seemed like an eternity later (and after tearful goodbyes from volunteers), we walked out the front door with "Joker" and to the car. We had to load him in because he didn't know what to do or how to jump (this has also changed).
 |
| Outside CACC |
In the days that followed we must have said "no, he doesn't chew anything" at least 100 times. "No, he isn't a typical husky" ,"No, he doesn't talk or sing", "No, he doesn't counter-surf".
We should have left his name "Joker". The joke was on us...
Musings on Mastication
Here it is... the inaugural post!
The quickest explanation for why I've started this blog is that I have two incredible, YOUNG, dogs- both of whom are chewers. Not just any ole dog chewers, but super-canine, obsessive, destroy stuff chewers. To their credit, they (mostly) gnaw only what is given to them but seriously, I'm shocked almost daily at the stuff they consume and at the speed that toys and such are destroyed. They also do funny things that I think other people will also laugh at, so there will probably be a nice dose of those stories as well.
My dear friend Kim Boyle (owner of Barkstown Road) has been telling me for months that I should share these (mis)adventures- so here I am! Additional inspiration provided by another good friend, Taming Insanity, who has the best name and one I could easily share... She wrangles kids hilariously and I hope to be able to hang.
While this blog will memorialize the comical and sometimes infuriating (or infuriatingly comical) life of Mulligan and Oliver, the story actually begins before them with my first dog all of my own, and the world's best friend- Alex.
I got Alex when he was 2 from a friend, Gavin, who wasn't able to keep him after a significant life event changed his living situation. Alex moved with me when I came to Chicago in 2006 and was my steady friend through the unsteadiest stage of my life and still there as it finally calmed down. He was with me through apartments, jobs, friends, boyfriends, you name it- always with a smile and wagging nub.
It's important to note- for the sake of this blog- that Alex pretty much only ate food. And when I say only ate food, I mean it was his religion. Alex had toys for YEARS that other dogs eventually destroyed or we threw away because they were dirty... but Alex didn't destroy beds or toys, he didn't chase birds, paid no mind to squirrels or rabbits. The only toy moment Alex ever had was at the beach (his favorite place) with a tennis ball. In the house or any other time, he didn't care about anything but at the beach, he was a different dog.
Like big old dogs do, Alex developed arthritis and then osteosarcoma and was put down May 28th, 2011 (at the ripe age of 10) by Scott and me amidst way too many tears. His remains were scattered at the Foster Dog Beach in Chicago- the perfect place!
So this is my training. Aside from a miniature schnauzer, Gunnar, my family got when I was 16- all I knew about dogs I learned from 8 years with Alex, a big (100+ lbs) goofy, LAZY Rottweiler. After a couple months of mourning, the lack of companionship was too much, life felt too dull so Scott and I decided we were ready for a new canine adventure. This would be our first dog "together" (Scott and I met November, 2009) and a 10-15 year commitment so it had to be perfect. I poured over Petfinder, I DVR'ed Dogs 101, we made lists of what we did and did not want in Dog 2.0, we interviewed friends and families about what *they* thought we needed (Mom voted "small", Dad voted "none"), we held puppies at Dog Patch, we made size motions with our arms to judge too big, too small, at least this huggable, etc.
Good thing we did all that too... because it went completely out the door on July 24, 2011.
The quickest explanation for why I've started this blog is that I have two incredible, YOUNG, dogs- both of whom are chewers. Not just any ole dog chewers, but super-canine, obsessive, destroy stuff chewers. To their credit, they (mostly) gnaw only what is given to them but seriously, I'm shocked almost daily at the stuff they consume and at the speed that toys and such are destroyed. They also do funny things that I think other people will also laugh at, so there will probably be a nice dose of those stories as well.
My dear friend Kim Boyle (owner of Barkstown Road) has been telling me for months that I should share these (mis)adventures- so here I am! Additional inspiration provided by another good friend, Taming Insanity, who has the best name and one I could easily share... She wrangles kids hilariously and I hope to be able to hang.
While this blog will memorialize the comical and sometimes infuriating (or infuriatingly comical) life of Mulligan and Oliver, the story actually begins before them with my first dog all of my own, and the world's best friend- Alex.
It's important to note- for the sake of this blog- that Alex pretty much only ate food. And when I say only ate food, I mean it was his religion. Alex had toys for YEARS that other dogs eventually destroyed or we threw away because they were dirty... but Alex didn't destroy beds or toys, he didn't chase birds, paid no mind to squirrels or rabbits. The only toy moment Alex ever had was at the beach (his favorite place) with a tennis ball. In the house or any other time, he didn't care about anything but at the beach, he was a different dog.
Like big old dogs do, Alex developed arthritis and then osteosarcoma and was put down May 28th, 2011 (at the ripe age of 10) by Scott and me amidst way too many tears. His remains were scattered at the Foster Dog Beach in Chicago- the perfect place!
So this is my training. Aside from a miniature schnauzer, Gunnar, my family got when I was 16- all I knew about dogs I learned from 8 years with Alex, a big (100+ lbs) goofy, LAZY Rottweiler. After a couple months of mourning, the lack of companionship was too much, life felt too dull so Scott and I decided we were ready for a new canine adventure. This would be our first dog "together" (Scott and I met November, 2009) and a 10-15 year commitment so it had to be perfect. I poured over Petfinder, I DVR'ed Dogs 101, we made lists of what we did and did not want in Dog 2.0, we interviewed friends and families about what *they* thought we needed (Mom voted "small", Dad voted "none"), we held puppies at Dog Patch, we made size motions with our arms to judge too big, too small, at least this huggable, etc.
Good thing we did all that too... because it went completely out the door on July 24, 2011.
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