Congratulations Annie - It's been ONE year!

Where does the time go? I can't believe that I am writing Annie's first anniversary post. What a year it has been! LOL. This is what I would refer to as a true Tiger year; hardships abound, unpredictable, tumultuous but oddly productive. That about sums it up. People in the hospital, deaths in the family (3), my little Ginger moving on, new jobs, challenging people, I have to admit, I will be glad to see 2011 sweep in the year of the Rabbit (of course, who know's if this will be a better year?!). Enough about Astrology, this is little Annie's Anniversary blog.

How did she spend her Anniversary? Very nicely, it started out with company coming over on Christmas Eve, Annie always loves company. I was going to pen them in and then decided not to as it was just family members that she knew well. She loves Nomy and Ampop.






Christmas Day, Annie had alot of fun sleeping in. Tossing and turning, stretching, readjusting her position and then falling back to sleep. When she got up, she was very excited and let me know quickly that she needed to go out to take care of business. She and Tiger both ran to the back door, I opened it and they ran down the deck steps, sliding all the way as it was covered with a thin patch of ice, they did their business. They were getting ready to run back up the steps and Annie ran over to the leaves on the side of the yard. Apparently, she had heard something, she jumped on the pile of leaves and kept bouncing up and down. I have no idea what was under there but Tiger had to get in on the act too. She did. Before I knew it, both dogs were pouncing on whatever poor creature had buried itself underneath the leaves. I called them off, of course that only last for a second but it was long enough for whatever it was to get away. They were both definitely diappointed at the mystericous prey getting away.

A year ago, what a nightmare her first day was. I have spent the past year trying to show her that life can be good. I know that she has bonded with me. When she is up on the bed with me and Tiger comes in, Annie will run to my face and start giving me little dog kisses, then she growls at Tiger. I guess, she has adopted me as much as I have her. What a wonderful little dog. Many times over the past year, I wish I had her from the time she was a puppy, she would be a different dog. She honestly suffers from PTSD, I am working with her on that too. Time, hopefully, will heal all of her suffering behaviors. I feel bad about that because she is such a sweet dog that only wants to be loved.

Here's to you, Annie. I honestly believe I am a better person for knowing you. There is a say among dog rescuers and it goes something like this.. "my rescue dog rescued me..." something like that. I really feel that way about Annie. Thank you, Annie. I love you and I promise to ensure the rest of your life more than makes up for the hardships you have endured in those first two years. I promise you that, little one.

Becky, my sister, was here on Christmas Eve. She said, "I see what you mean, there is a sadness in her." Yes Bek, that is exactly what I mean. This little loving dog has been abused and is always afraid of what is coming next. I have no idea how to fix it other than to shower her with love and compassion and pray that it works to get her over those bad times. I just wish she could forget them.

Congratulations, Annie!

The Three Amigo's - Catching up!

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Tribute To My Ginger

Ode to an old friend, I miss you, my best friend of 15 and a half years.. what do you say? I haven't written in this blog for almost three months because Ginger got really sick shortly after the last entry and at exactly 1035am on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010, she took her last breath and passed away. Ginger had been diagnosed with Leukemia (Chronic type)almost two years ago. I took her to the canine oncologist in Annapolis and bought the prescribed chemo meds. I couldn't go through with it after seeing the suffering that my own mom went through when she fought off breast cancer. Chemo is no joke, people. The vets were telling me that dogs handle it better, etc. Yeah right, do dogs speak? Regardless, I just couldn't do it and put it in God's hands. I knew there would come a time when I would need to make a decision, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to and that Ginger would do that on her own. Well, she was such a little slugger, she surprised me by living much longer than the vets had expected. She suffered through seizures that were brought on by the leukemia robbing her brain of oxygen. In the beginning, the seizures were few and far between but she ended up having them almost every time she exerted herself. She was my shadow for the past 15.5 years. My third ankle, my best friend. I could write a book about her and I have in my own journal, this is Annie's venue so I will remain true to that. I had to mention Ginger's passing on though. If it weren't for Ginger, there would be no Annie or Reed, my sister's Jack Russell Terrier.

When she passed away, she took some of me with her. I do not handle death well and that is the only thing that I do not like about dogs, they die and leave us. I keep thinking this will be the first Christmas in 16 years that she and I aren't together. How is it fair that life goes on and she's not here? The vet came to the house, I couldn't have her last memory in a cold vets office with all the noise and chaos. She'd reached a point where she hated to go to the vets after all the blood tests with her Leukemia. Dr. Golden was very kind when he arrived but before he got here, I regretted your last night's sleep, very rough but it showed me I had made the right decision. You ended up in the corner of the room with your nose buried in the carpet, your breathing was labored. We went outside, you did great and took a quick whiz. We stayed out there for quite a while. I don't think you knew what was going on but you knew you were with me and that is all that has ever really mattered to you. I made you scrambled eggs, you wouldn't eat. I did give you some cheese, I was glad to see you eat a little of it. Then.. the Dr's car was in the driveway. He stayed a long time, asked if I was ready and I said yes. I gave you one last hug. He explained what was going to happen, I looked at you and you looked scared Ginny, kinda confused. It broke my heart. He ended up trying to stick you with that needle three times. You scurried up into my arms for protection, I held you while he finally got it in. I feel terrible about that but I knew it had to be done, I'm sorry little peanut. You fell asleep almost instantly. You were so sound asleep, you snored and snored loud, I told the Doc that you hadn't slept that soundly in a long long time. Finally, he gave you the second shot and your breathing stopped instantly. My heart shattered right then and there. I looked up and noted the time 1035am, August 4th. I will never forget that. After he left, I brought your little buds out one at a time, Tiger gave you a couple of sniffs and laid down, Caesar sniffed you too, your little son and ran off up the steps. Annie, the one that I know you did not like, truly grieved.. I guess it's because maybe she has seen death before and Tiger and Caesar haven't, Annie went into the front bedroom and did not come out for two days. She has not, as of yet, used your bed to sleep in. Tiger and Caesar do sometimes, not often. We all miss you, Ginny but Annie hurt. I was honestly surprised by that. She loved you, too.

I first met you when you were six weeks old, you were already potty trained. My little over achiever :) You were born in a little Rancher house to an older retired couple that loved Jack Russell's. Your mom was 9 and your dad was 11. The man had built them the biggest dog house that I have ever seen; a converted shed with many floors to play in. The lady gave me a pick, you or your sister.. there were only two of you, you were the tiny one, I picked you. You didn't need a leash, you never left my side, even outside you always stayed with me. I always felt that you and I were meant to be. Thank you for sharing your life with me, little Ginny, my Binnio, my Gin Gin, your life was a special one. Heaven is now a brighter place because you are there.

Rest in PEACE my little one, I love you. Ginger, aka. .jelly bean, peanut, boo.. and many other little names she acquired over the years .. March 12, 1995 - August 4, 2010. :( ..until we see each other again.

Annie Being Thoughtful, penny for your thoughts!

How did I miss this picture? I took this of Annie back during the first blizzard. It was the first day that the sun came out after the storm. I don't think I have ever seen a more thoughtful picture of a dog as this one. Annie is obviously deep in tought, I would love to know what she was thinking. That was months ago. I pray she realizes that she is in her forever home now.

This past week we had overnight company for a few days. Annie always amazes me at how much she loves people. She ran up the steps when my mom and dad went up for bed. She jumped on the bed with them and refused to get down. Cracked me up. Maybe she knows that is the gene pool that I come from, who know's. She enjoyed having them here and I think misses them. She very much lives in the moment.

Nothing gives me more joy than to see her unbridled happiness. She literally kicks up her heels and runs around the house in little leaps. Other times, she seems sad. My parents witnessed her having a nightmare. They commented on how sad that was, I agree. I wish I could erase those memories out of her little brain. She's a wonderful dog and the post pup for Rescue Dogs. Can you tell how much I love her? Good dog, Annie :).

CONGRATULATIONS, ANNIE!! SIX MONTHS!!

Little Annie, it has been six months! Wow, I hope you feel like you are a member of the family. I am starting to think that loyalty is a Jack Russell character trait, Ginger is the only other dog I have had that has been as loyal as you, little Annie.

You have come so far. When you came, you had serious behavior issues. I have seen dogs dream before but never wake up from nightmares snapping at everything in sight. You attacked other dogs and tried to kill the "dogs" on the television. Those issues broke my heart and made me feel bad for you but now I realize, what ever bad things happened to you won't ever happen again. I won't let it. I think you realize that too. At least I hope you do.

You are great when it comes to grooming, you can tell that someone has taken a lot of time with you. I think that was one plus from all the time you spent at the rescue kennel. You are still working on losing weight but you acted like you were starving when you came here, I couldn't have that so I know I made sure you were never hungry (and you gained FIVE pounds!). My fault. So, now you and your doggy sisters get true people food; Chicken, veggies, rice, ground beef -- you're doing ok. You've lost 3 of the 5 pounds you've gained.

One thing I can tell you little dog, you got me hook, line and sinker. But you always did. I remember that first week, I was sure I had made the biggest mistake of my life. Someone suggested, send her back.. I could never do that. I wish everyone felt as strongly as I do about this, dogs are not disposable they are a part of the family, a permanent part.

That is the hidden message of this post, folks. Keep your dogs close, they are a part of your family. Today, I watched Marley and Me, surrounded by my own dogs. Marley was definitely a member of the Groghan family. What a tribute to the patience man has with his dogs and the love a dog will reward you with in return.

In honor of Annie's six month anniversary, I want to quote something I heard John Groghan say in Marley and Me today, "a dog does not care about what kind of car you drive, what neighborhood you live in or how popular you are, you simply give a dog your heart and the dog gives you his in return." That is not a direct quote I am sure but what a great statement of the bond between humans and dogs. Thanks for reading! Annie is doing great. :)

Two posts in one night after none in 2 months? What gives?

Annie trying to get Ampop to pay attention to her.

I guess I had to get the creative juices flowing but I did forget to write something I wanted to document about Annie. Annie loves people. When people come to visit, she is very polite but literally hounds the visitors for attention. When multiple people come over, she's besides herself. She jumps up repeatedly to get their attention. I think it's priceless, although I think it bothers some of my family. Annie has such a strong and good natured spirit. Other than these little nuances with my friends and family, Annie is my third ankle. I have begun looking down before I move because 9 times out of 10, Annie is somewhere near my feet so I need to be careful. Truly, she's a great little dog.

Right now, Ms. Personality plus is whining because she wants my attention instead of me giving it to the computer. Cracks me up.

Wow-two months have gone by!

Amazing that this much time has gone by since my last blog entry for Annie. Well, lots has been going on. The video show's Annie, Tiger and Ginger checking out the new fence. Enjoy, Annie has a surprise for you that I call, "Good Girl, Annie." You'll know it when you see it. Anyway, my entire purpose for creating this blog for Annie was to document the story of Annie's journey to a better life. She does have a better life, but I still see little glimmers here and there of her days suffering abuse. As I mentioned, the new fence came in the spring. The other day, I was kicking the kids next door ball back over the fence and I kept kicking too low. I probably kicked it four times before I finally tossed it over the fence. Annie, originally was by my side. I didn't think a thing about it but then realized she was cowering by the patio door up on the deck. That little dog broke my heart doing that. I realized that she was terrified of this big man kicking a ball. I didn't even want to think about what memories I stirred up. I just hope no one has ever kicked her. Why would a human do that to a poor defenseless animal? Scares me what we humans are capable of. Long story short, I paid a lot of attention to her and gave her some snacks, about half an hour later, she was back to her old saucey self.

So why haven't I written in so long? Truly, it's because Annie has been fine and has come into her own. She know's she is loved, I would even say.. "cherished". She certainly has brought a lot of life into this house. Her doggy sisters, Tiger and Ginger have finally found a peaceful power balance with their new sibling. It's hard to believe she has been her almost half a year. Amazing that much time has gone by.
She has certainly become comfortable in that time.

So what is on the agenda for little Annie? The next blog entry will be Annie getting friendly with the groomers, she needs her little nails filed down and I want her coat to be groomed for summer. I think before the rescue kennel sent her up to me from Florida, Annie had a very nice grooming done. Her little body, I have to admit, has gotten a little plump due to her good new diet and me spoiling her with snacks. Really, it is diet time, more on that in a bit. Anyway, her coat was short with the exception of her little twist of fur on her back. She now, after 5 months, has little furry feet and fur coming out all over the place. She's a little fuzzy ball. Ginger, my 15+ leukemia fighting, JRT has a smooth coat. I'm cracking up at Annie. She's getting more fluffy by the day!



I like this picture because it shows how well Annie has settled in here. She is very comfortable. I do feel bad in one regard. Tiger and Ginger and Caesar the cat all have a bond that has formed over the years. They are each others best friends. I am Annie's best friend. I recently read that Jack Russell's often bond with one person for life, I think that has happened to me with two Jack Russell's, my Annie and my sick little Ginger. If it weren't for Ginger, there would never have been an Annie. Jack Russells make wonderful pets if you enjoy high energy, very entertaining dogs that can be very possessive. I don't have a problem with any of that, I actually prefer their little antics. And.. like everything else, they slow with age and time. I enjoy Annie's spirit now, it reminds me of Ginger years ago. Tiger the beagle, at 11, still has that same spunk and spirit that I fostered all those years ago and have protected ever since. I thought it was funny that our Dog Whisperer from Bark Busters told me that Tiger was my pack leader. I appointed her to that position as she was so well qualified. My little Alpha dog. Annie, is an alpha too but they are becoming better friends with time.

Ok, so Will..what are you doing about Annie's weight? Well, she's lost almost a pound. When I adopted Annie, I promised that I was always going to give her human grade dog good. So, I have a decided to feed her human food until she is back to a manageable weight, then I'll have to see what I'll feed her. Right now, she gets plenty of protein from chicken and low fat cottage cheese, she gets vegetables that are steamed in the bag and sometimes she gets some instant rice mixed in with that. She has always had a soft stool, guess what, she's improved in that arena with her new diet. It agrees with her. It agrees with her so much, all of the dogs are being fed this new dinner menu. I try to vary between chicken and beef (ground or steak)and vegetables. They all enjoy it. And..believe it or not, I spend less on this menu for them than I did on the human grade dog food from the pet shop. Besides, this way I know exactly what they are eating. And, Annie is losing weight. I do worry about them getting all of the nutrients they need so I ordered a "dog food cook book" today that has all types of recipes for "good" home made dog food. Should be interesting.

Ok, enough for now. Next time, I'll have to write about Annie's habit of whining. I can't decide whether she is spoiled or trying to tell me she has to go out for a bathroom break. More, next time!

Annie gets a rescue dog Van

It's been a month since I last posted to Annie's blog. So much has happened and I noticed that the majority of what I wrote in her last entry, I some how managed to delete. No idea how that happened and even worse, I can't remember what I wrote about other than her needing to lose weight.

Well, a lot has happened in since the last entry in Annie's blog. Her sister Ginger turned 15 on March 12, 2010. I am happy that she is still a part of our pack. She is a wonderful dog and the entire reason why Annie came to live with us. I was hoping that some of Ginger's good doggedness would rub off on the new dog.. who turned out to be my Annie. Ginger's Birthday was great, all the dogs feasted on nice juicy filet's with mashed potato's and gravy, some steamed veggies and capped off with a piece of cake and some vanill ice cream. Good times to celebrate Ginger's 15th. They had a blast, so much for Annie's weight loss.

A couple of weeks later, I found the right mini van for Annie's rescue missions. It's a Honda Odyssey, dark gray with a light gray interior. Somehow, I think she know's that I bought it for her and to rescue other dogs like her. So far, I've made a few rescue runs and saved 37 dogs to date. Good times and the mini van performed nicely. Even the gas mileage was better than I expected. More importantly, in honor of little Annie's story, I'm out rescuing other dogs with stories like her. Too sad, really. I wish we were more humane. Some of these dogs stories are just sad. If you are interested in volunteering or rescuing a dog, read about www.petfinder.com. It has all kinds of good information there.

On to the story of Pugcasso.com and my artist friend David King. I commissioned David to do abstract portaits of all the dogs and cat. Annie's is posted here. I think he did a great job. He has a website at www.pugcasso.com. If you are interested in having one done to immortalize your pet,contact him, it wasn't expensive at all and I will have it to remind me of her forever. The process was easy and he accepts payment in paypal.


So, back to Annie's weight loss. Wow, my little one has lost about half a pound between cutting back on snacks and increasing the length of her walks. Poor dog. I feel bad since it's my fault she's gained the weight. Anyway, taking her in the Swagger Wagon or Chan Van as I call it, is a blast. When we leave for her nightly walk at the lake, she sits on my knee up front and looks out the window, on the way home though, she lays in the back seat .. all the way in the back, stretches out and relax's. If I make a stop at store on the way home, she stays in the back but when I come out, she's sitting in a middle row seat looking out the window for me. She's hysterical on walks, she likes to dart all over. I don't use the Bark Busters collar because I want her to enjoy her time and not focus on training. We save traning for other times. Here's a picture of what she looks like on our walks, yep.. she's a blur..
Until next time...........

Annie, poor girl..needs a diet!

When Annie arrived on Christmas Day, I weighed her. She weighed 14.2 pounds. To be honest, she looked a little thin to me so I set out to put a little weight on her. In addition, she WOLFED down her food and got very defensive when Tiger or Ginger would go near her food. She would also try to take Ginger's food as I think she probably views her as a weak and sickly member of the pack.

For all of those reason's listed above, I fed Annie until she wasn't hungry anymore. Not to mention, Annie has been given all kinds of good snacks from overiszed greasy pig ears to spoonfuls of tapioca and rice pudding (she loves that stuff). In addition, we have had all of the snow that the north pole normally gets this year and so her ability to play and go for walks has been very limited.

Annie Digs a whole to China and Gets a Bath!

I was studying for a test and Annie was obviously bored, she kept staring out the back door and I finally gave into her, opening the door to let her out to play. I checked on her a few times and she was fine, exploring the quickly disappearing snow mounds.

I realized about an hour had gone by and I decided it was time for my little Annie to come inside. I went out and called her to me, no response. I didn't panic because I could hear her dogtags jingling from under the new deck. I just couldn't see her. Then, low and behold as I look under the deck, I see her little bob tail poking up. She dug a hole under the deck about a foot and a half deep. I have no idea what she was going after but she was a mess.



So in comes the little dirty dog, and man.. was she dirty. Look how pathetic that little dog looks. You could see she wasn't too happy with her "pigpen" look but I think she had fun digging that hole. Her Jack Russell roots really came out in that dig. I wonder if there's a fox under the house somewhere! If there was, Annie would find it.



Anyway, long story short, Annie got a bath and now she is all pretty again. She's great in the bathtub. You can tell she's had experience with a groomer. Probably at the Rescue Spa where she spent that past year at. Clean at last! She even did the little happy dance (maybe she was just trying to dry off). Happy Dog!



How could you not love this little happy dog? She's the best. I meant to mention that she is having fewer nightmares. They are almost gone. Also, she doesn't wolf eat anymore. She takes her time eating which shows me she knows she isn't going to run out of food anytime soon. Good dog!

Annie gets her teeth brushed! And Tiger, the nemesis!

Annie and I have bonded so much, she just sits by my side when I am in the house. I feel bad about this but I realize that is where she wants to be for the time being. I want her to feel comfortable in this house, comfortable enough to explore and roam around. I think she is worried that I'm a chapter in her life, maybe I am reading too much "humanism" into her little doggy brain. Maybe it's just more she just needs more time to adjust or maybe this is how she is. Either way, I'm ok with it.

Tiger, Annie's 11 year old Beagle sister (that's Tiger's picture above left)continues to try to dominate the house as the alpha dog. An example is training, I can't practice Annie's training without Tiger trying to be the center of attention. Also, all three dogs have a plentiful supply of rawhide chews, toys and the like. I noticed Annie growling at Tiger, well for good reason. Tiger was trying to abscond with Annie's rawhide chew. I looked over where Tiger had been laying, she had a bunch of them stacked up. I think she thought it was a fire sale! Probably just jealous or trying to save up for a rainy day.



Long story short, I got home.. let the dogs out, they had a great time exploring the melting piles of snow and then fixed their dinner. I take Ginger, the almost 15 year old Jack Russell, fighting leukemia but doing well, into another room so she can eat her dinner in peace. I come out and all the sudden Tiger and Annie break out into a full blown fight. I have no idea what it was about, I know they were looking forward to getting fed as well. So, I blurted out the loudest "BAH" I could muster and they didn't stop, I did it again and added the hand clap this time, they still didn't stop. Finally, Annie submitted but Tiger wouldn't let up, I had to use my legs to block Annie from her. To say the least, dinner wasn't had for a while. Ginger had a great meal but Tiger and Annie watched from the "puppy playpen" where I had put them both together to realize I was the pack leader. Annie got to eat and Tiger had to watch, further sign of her pecking order on the pack list.

The sad part about my Tiger is that I have always protected that strong independent spirit of hers. She's a great dog who has been spoiled for many years. Her AKC registered name is "Will's Flying Tigress" because when she was a puppy, she literally flew around this house and had the longest little puppy fangs I have ever seen on a Beagle. She's going through her own adjustment issues with Annie her, not to mention she has some hip issues and the vet thinks she might have Cushings Disease. Poor dog.

It will all work out in time. I look at how far they have all come in the almost two months that Annie has been with us and wow.. we've all come through with some scars and bruising but we're better off for it. My Dad said that Annie has brought new life into this house, he's right. The other day, she cracked me up by coming in from outside and taking off through the house again at eighty miles an hour. Cracks me up every time she does it, I equate it to, she's a happy dog! I hope so.

Tonight, I finally followed through on something that has bothered me. I know how important it is to brush a dogs teeth but I have never been good at it. With all of my previous dogs, I gave it a shot and finally gave up. With Annie, I am determined to make sure she gets her teeth brushed at least a couple of times a week, I would really like to do it once a day after she's had her dinner but, it's a goal.. not sure I'll hold to it.

So, she got her teeth brushed tonight. She hated the toothbrush but she tolerated the finger brush. Emphasis on tolerated, I know it was a first attempt and more of an exercise in familiarizing her with the process but.. we did it. So on Thursday, February 18th, 2010, mark it down on your calendar's people, Annie got her teeth brushed. Let's hope we stay up on it. She seems kind of depressed tonight but I think that has more to do with the fight with Tiger than the tooth brushing episode. Time to close and hit the hay. It's almost been two months, hard to believe but worth every minute and gray hair! This little dog has a great home, two months ago she barely had any human contact. I keep hoping that she doesn't remember those hard times.

Annies Survives the Blizzard of 2010!!

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Yup, that is little Annie girl after the blizzard dig out, she survived the Blizzard in style Poor little dog is so well potty trained that she couldn't decide where to go. She finally decided to go under the new deck off the back of the house. I have no idea how she found her way under there in three feet of snow, but she did. Then, I had to find a way to get her out. Sometimes, I think we humans think too much. I finally realized that when she was ready, she would come back up and guess what, she did; wagging that little nub tail of hers all the way. She is a happy dog. I really hope that she doesn't remember her past. The picture below is Annie waiting out the storm in her new dog bed. I think she was bored but at least comfortable by all accounts!



I think her nightmares might be more from ghost pain where the breeder most likely, amputated part of her tail. Jack Russell's typically have the end of their tail removed, so they have the appearance of a shortened "handle". The Jack Russell has been bred to chase fox into their holes, so the hunter back in the day would grab the little tenacious Jack Russell by their tail to pull them back out. The tail on a JRT should be the width of a human hand. Whoever cropped Annie's tail took a little too much off. She just has a cute little nub

When I see her wake up snapping and growling, it's always at her tail. That's what I mean when I say she is having nightmares. Now that I have witnessed it for almost two months, I am starting to think that she has ghost pain or maybe bad memories of her tail being cropped. I have a sick feeling they did it while she was awake which is probably a common practice. I can't imagine someone even doing that to a puppy and want to think about it even less. If only I could save all the puppies at the pound. At least I can try!

Speaking of which, faithful Annie's Blog readers, I have decided to buy a mini van so I can do the transport of rescue dogs for Shih Tzu and Furbaby Rescue runs. I am going to wait until April when the new 2011 Toyota Sienna comes out. The new 6cyl model is already out but I want the 4cyl because it gets much better mileage. 26mpg Hwy for a big vehicle like that is impressive. Better than my FJ Cruiser but not nearly as good as my Corolla at 41mpg. Gotta be as green as you can. I need the bigger vehicle to transport the kennels the resuce pups are transported in. Poor dogs. It's a shame they have to go through that but they way I look at it, it is a journey to a much better life. I think my little Annie would agree with that. Just look at that picture in her new dog bed. She's loving it.

I'm surprised how much she likes the snow. Today, I shoveled off the new deck and the entire time, she was out and about the back yard, the three feet of snow did not get in her way. I knew it was cold for her but I decided to let her play because I can't take her for her walks and this was a good way for her to burn off some of that Jack Russell energy. They are high energy dogs. That's why I enjoy them so much. They are like little dogs that have ADHD. I think if Annie were a human, she would talk a mile a minute and multi-task better than anyone I know. ADHD isn't all bad, at least not with Annie. I feel fortunate that I have her.

We are expecting more snow. I work for the school system so we have been off since last Friday. Annie is amazingly loyal and I think we have definitely bonded. I don't make a move that she is not right there with me. Ginger, my other JRT, now 15 has always been like that too. I think I might have written about this so if I have, I apologize..My dad made a comment when I stopped by the house one night when I first got Annie, "there's something special about those dogs (Jack Russell's)." He's right. There is. But again, I think all dogs are special. So more snow, and more time off from work and more Annie time. Life is good!

She is getting along great with the cat, Caesar. I think he thinks he is a dog any way. Ginger and Tiger raised him from when I rescued him at 10 weeks. He's a black cat and I remember the lady at Petsmart told me, not many people adopt black cats because they bring bad luck. I have never been a believer in that stuff and honestly, he's the best cat I have ever had. Annie thinks so too, she loves to chase him and then run from him. She really is coming into her own. She plays with the dog toys now, it's funny to watch. She gets all excited and runs like a little ferrari dog through the entire house like a little nut, cracks me up.

Until next time!

Annie Swallowed a Rock and Chases the Snow!

Thursday night, I get in from work late. I feed the dogs and as usual take Annie for a walk. It was a cold night so I did the right thing and bundled her up in her bulky warm sweater. I think she hates wearing it but at least I knew she'd be warm. It was in the mid 20's, around 10pm and windy so she needed it. I bundled up too, I probably looked like a hood.

So, I decided to drive down to the local park to give her a change of scenery. We get out of the car and the place is deserted. Suited me fine because I was really self conscious about people seeing me walk this little dog with a big sweater on her. Cracks me up what I do for these dogs. The only other vehicle in the parking lot was a police car which was good. We started out on our walk and the cop pulls up to me and asks me what kind of dog Annie is.. "is that one of those Jack Russell's?" I tell him she is and then he says, "I really couldn't tell with that big sweater on her, nice dog though.." and he drives away. Amazing the attention that little dog gets. I might put her in commercials. I'll have to see about that!

So it is really dark, cold as I mentioned, wind is howling.. and after about a mile, it was time to go. We hustle back to the car and I'm unlocking the door when I feel a tug on the leash. I look and see Annie is trying to get to something on the ground, she wouldn't let up and before I know it, she's got it in her mouth and swallows it! It was BIG and it looked hard, like a rock. I actually think I heard it "clink" on her teeth, not sure. All I kept thinking was, this is going to mean a vet visit for sure. I told her to drop it, then try to pry her mouth open but she had locked her jaws so that was hopeless. I finally get her mouth open and whatever it was..rock or cigar butt or whatever.. is gone.

I get her in the car and drive home. In my driveway, I see this huge tow truck backing up and someone is at my door, knocking. They obviously are not getting an answer. Then, the cell phone is going off. I park the car and I realize this is the tow truck for the motorcycle I am donating to the local animal shelter. At 1045 pm? After about a half an hour, the motorcycle is driving down the road on the back of the tow truck and I wave good bye to any future motorcyle adventures. One bad spill was all it took to snap me out of it and besides, the Baltimore City Animal Shelter will benefit from it's sale proceeds. I used to have Bulldog club meetings there, those people are great and really care about helping the animals that are brought in. Worthy cause for sure.

Back in the house now, I go on the internet and did a web search what to do if "my dog swallows a ... rock, a candy bar, ...a cigarette.." There's all kind of information out there on the net. Good stuff. So I learned about how to make your dog throw up using hydrogen peroxcide but that had to be done in a certain time frame and I wasn't sure I wanted her to throw up something that might be sharp and damage her trying to throw it up. I finally decided to call the emergency vet in Annapolis. They were a big help, I told them what happened and they told me it would be best to watch Annie for different symptoms. So, I did. They told me if she started acting lethargic, in pain, distressed, lost her appetite or vomited to bring her in immediately.

Friday morning, she was fine. Ate a good breakfast, went out and did her business and all was good. I went to work leaving her plenty of water and her typical snacks. I came home just in time to see her wretching and getting sick. My heart sank and I picked up the phone and called the vet. I called the wrong vet and got Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital. My regular vet was already closed but GAVH still had appointments on Friday night. I put Annie in the car and felt really bad when I realized she was shaking. She's normally a little trooper in the car so I knew she wasn't feeling good at all. We get there and they take us right in. The intake tech was great, loved Annie and Annie loved the attention. Then the vet comes in and gives Annie a thorough check up. I explain to her what has happened and she gave me a great deal of comfort telling me that she does not believe Annie has a blockage but ate something that didn't agree with her. She did not recommend an Xray but told me she could do one if I needed peace of mind. I asked her what she would do if it was her dog and she said, just watch her for the next 24 hours, she should be fine. She precribed pepcid and off we went. I slept well that night.

We woke up the next morning just in time to see the snow start falling down. I put the dogs out when there was about 2 inches of snow, remember we were only supposed to get a "dusting" .. yeah right we ended up getting 8 inches. Anyway, Annie runs out, steps in the snow looks up, starts barking hysterically and runs back inside. I cracked up. Funny dog. I need to remember she's spent her previous year and a half down in the south, Texas and Florida. She's seen it before but only after it's fallen, she hasn't really seen snowfall yet so I guess it took her by surprise. I put Tiger out, her Beagle sister and she followed. She watched Tiger and then decided the snow was something to play with than be afraid of. She had a blast. Ran around like a little nut, rolling in the snow, digging in the snow, just a little wack. I let her play in it until she came back to the door to be let in. She had to be cold but she had a good time.

All's well that ends well. Annie is happy. I keep thinking.. how could this little dog spend almost a year between a high kill shelter and the rescue kennel? I guess I shouldn't complain, she could either have been killed as she did have a "put to sleep" date assigned or she could have been adopted by someone else. I hope she thinks that I was worth the wait. I will spend her entire life time trying to prove to her that I was. She sure was. All of my dogs have been special in their own way, Annie is no exception. She's a wonderful little dog full of personality. A month ago I was worried I made the wrong decision, I know now that I didn't, I truly believe now that she was meant to be here, she's a perfect fit.

More next week!

Happy Anniversary, Annie!! It's been a month!

Today is January 25th. I can't believe that it was a month ago that little Annie arrived. This time has flown by. So much has happened but I have to say, the best part has been getting to know this little dog that I call Annie. I am laughing she and her 15 year old sister are playing together, that would not have happened a month ago. Annie has come a long way in the short time that she has joined us.

Last Monday, Sharon the local Dog Whisperer from Bark Busters arrived for a training session. She did a great job educating Annie and I on new training and reinforcing old training. I feel bad because half the time, I AM THE ISSUE, not little Annie. Sharon is very patient with me and good at showing me how do to thing, I think I am a visual learner. Annie just takes it in stride I am glad to report!

This morning, I had a big scare. Bad weather - pouring down rain, howling wind and I let the dogs out this morning for their first potty break of the day. Not thinking, I went back to making coffee, doing morning things. I see Annie's doggy siblings, Tiger and Ginger at the door waiting to be let in. Annie is normally an explorer so I wasn't surprised not to see her there. I opened the door and a gust of wind came in, something clicked in my 47 year old brain that screamed, "MAY DAY!!! MAY DAY!!!" and the thought of the fence gates blowing open dominated my mind. I immediately ran out on the deck and saw that the main gates had in fact, BLOWN OPEN. They were so wide open, I couldn't believe it! Suddenly, I found myself on full panic auto-pilot running down the steps calling Annie's name, doing the "come" command that Sharon had worked so hard to teach me and that Annie normally responds so well to. Did I mention that all I was wearing was a towel? Yeah, just got out of the shower before I let them out. So, I stop at the bottom step and listen, I hear the "jingle jingle" of Annie's dog tags but I don't see her. It sounded like she was on the wrong side of the fence. So, I RUN FULL TILT out through the gates and into the front yard, I run over to the side of the fence that I thought I heard her tags and no Annie. All I kept thinking was the horror of the reality that I might never see this little dog that I have so diligently tried to give a much deserved good life to. I kept calling her and I hear, "Jingle Jingle", "Jingle Jingle". I actually said a desperate prayer. I look down and there is a little white blur.. Annie! I have no idea where she had been but I scooped her up telling her she was a GOOD GIRL! That little dog probably thought I was crazy, I was just happy to have her back. Lesson learned. The gates have been wind proofed. The wind had blow so hard, it pulled the latch right off the main gate. We had some strong winds! I think this is an appropriate time to say.. "all is well that ends well."

So, I wanted to document my first experience being part of a dog rescue transport. The Shih Tzu and Furbaby rescue founded by the Angel of a lady named Meredith that I mentioned on Annie's first day, transports dogs up the east coast. For some reason, there are a lot of rescue dogs that come from the south. Different attitudes toward our little canine buddies in the south? I don't know but it is a fact that more dogs are rescued from the south than anywhere else in the country. When I adopted Annie, I told my adoption coordinator Sandra that I was interested in running the transports as a way to do good for the dogs that are desperately in need as well as give back to the shelter that brought Annie to me over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Good people.

Well, on this trip, I met plenty more good people involved with this rescue. Sandra and I made up the Maryland to Delaware part of the transport. There are many segments that comprise the entire route from Florida to Northeast where they are either going to be fostered or adopted. We picked up 15 dogs from the member that keeps them overnight in Gambrills, MD. It was very sad to me to see these little pooches in their kennels, looking so scared. Some were shaking, some where trying to hide and some were actually curious. My heart went out to all of them but one in particular I will never forget. Her name was "Princess". She had been severely abused and was very uncomfortable. I petted her nose as I loaded her into the back of Sandra's Honda minivan. What was nice to hear was when Sandra called Meredith to ask some questions, Meredith made sure that we passed on Princesses story to make sure everyone was aware the sad abusive and neglected life she had been rescued from and to give her special attention. I found myself saying a little prayer for all of them but especially Princess. I hope and pray that little rusty colored Corgi-mix finds a happy, loving and peaceful home.

The other thing that I need to comment on is the fact that EVERYONE I met, was just like me. DOG PEOPLE. Very nice people to get to know. We all have our stories as to why we want to help our furry friends but the important thing is that we are. I have talked about doing something like this for literally years. I am glad that I have finally personally rescued a dog, Annie and also that Annie's story has finally motivated me to do something other than give money to the ASPCA and other dog charities. Talk about a fulfilling feeling. We passed the pups on to a couple from Pennsylvania that we met at the Christianna Mall in Delaware. They continued on their journey. Each one had their own destinations. I hope that the little dogs that I saw together, that appeared to be together all their lives, stay and are adopted together. I can't imagine how much it must hurt them to be pulled apart from their friends. I guess I should just be grateful they find healthy and loving forever homes.

On the journey, Sandra informed me of different issues regarding regulating Puppy Mills. I can tell you, I have a totally different perspective on the Amish. There will be a Puppy Mill awareness day in NC in May and another one in Lancaster, PA in September. Me and my little dog Annie, will be at both. I don't know if she was a puppy mill dog but regardless, they need to be rescued just like she was, so we'll be there in support for all those Puppy Mill dogs that don't have a voice.

I have to comment on something else. In this blog, I have provided links to Igive.com where you can donate just by clicking an icon on a screen, it's free and they give money or they donate money based on the websites you "browse". So far, I have raised $12.78 for Shih Tzu and Furbaby rescue. That is the rescue I have decided to support, there are many others out there. Another good one to support would be the Washington Animal Rescue League, those folks have their hands full. Please find a way to help or give, there are so many dogs out there that need our help. Remember I spoke about the PTS date? Put to Sleep date? Annie had one, I am glad she never saw it come or I never would have the pleasure to have her join my family. She's the best, I can't imagine life without her now.

Here's to you, Annie. Cheers! 5 weeks ago, you were in your rescue kennel waiting for a forever home, now you're free and in your forever home! Congratulations, little dog!

Week Three - Annie's got a routine!

I can't believe it's been three weeks. Annie is doing fine and has turned into a very loving little Jack Russell. Let me correct that, Annie is a Parson's Russell Terrier. Her almost 15 year old sister Ginger is a Jack Russell Terrier. I truly didn't know the difference until just recently. Apparently, Parson Jack Russell developed two strains or at least someone did. They are almost identical but where Ginger is smooth coated and small, Annie is rough coated and a tiny big bigger. Their markings are very similar except for the texture of their hair.

I have to say, Annie is true to her Parson's Russell nature and is a digger. I have great concern about letting her in the back yard unattended. She loves to dig under around and under the fence when she has scented her "prey". I have to thank Sharon at Bark Busters again for teaching me how to regain Annie's attention and distract her from the digging. It's amazing how the training works. Annie now comes when called in the yard. Something she didn't do a week ago. She would just continue sniffing and digging, darting around and following the scent she was tracking. Now, when called.. she darts right over ..enthusiastically I might add.

Annie no longer chases the cat, Caesar. She leaves him alone and doesn't growl. I still have to check her when the Animal Planet Channel is on but every time she gets a little more tolerant. She just growls now instead of launching herself trying to attack the TV. She loves going for her walks. I tried to integrate Annie and Tiger walking together but that is a bit too much to manage. Besides, I don't like leaving Ginger sitting at the door watching us leave. I just looked around, I have all of them asleep and peaceful except for Annie just waking up snapping and snarling with a nightmare. I don't know what I can do about that, I don't think there is anything other than comfort her and hope the nightmares go away. It's odd how the other dogs act when it happens, they used to get upset but now it seems like they know she can't help it.

She is settling into a routine which I think has given her some security. Every night when I come home from work, she is excited to see me and wags her tail barking as if saying, "where have you been? It's about time you got home!". I lift her up and she licks my face and then we go right out back so she can do her business.

I have tried to imagine her life until now. Spending a year in a kennel can't have been easy. I think that is why she barks at the Animal Planet and images of dogs on TV bother her. I imagine all she heard were things like dogs barking all the time but with no socialization since she was caged all the time. I think she had a kennel run from what they told me but no human interaction other than little snippets from care givers feeding her, must have been a very lonely existence.

She's happy now, that's for sure. Every time she eats, I watch her. It's a pleasure because she no longer wolfs food down. She knows that she is going to be fed and there will be plenty to go around.

Sharon, our local dog whisperer is coming on Monday and I need to remember to tell her about Annie's gains but also areas I need help in. She needs help in socialization, it can be embarrassing taking her out in public because she wants to attack any dog bigger than she is. Also, she needs to relearn "sit". I know it's got to be something I'm doing wrong but she only seems to "sit" when she feels like it. She's great at the stay and come commands. Heel is okay as long as it's just she and I. If Tiger is along, heel doesn't seem to work.

She is a good dog, definitely worth the effort!

Two Week Anniversary / Congratulations Annie!

Wow, two weeks! And we all survived. I want to mention a special shout out to Sharon at Bark Busters in gratitude. Great job and this training works! I have to give credit to Annie too, she is a quick study and Sharon explained that when I do this right, Annie will be ready and willing to please. Smart dog!

As mentioned, we survived the past two weeks but without this training we wouldn't have survived this happily. Right now, I'm looking at a happy cat (no longer a target for Annie's terror campaign) and three dogs peacefully sunning themselves ..sound asleep. This is great.

Yesterday, here in the DC/Baltimore metro area, we had a good snow. About three inches. I let Annie out in the back yard to do her morning business and she took off running around acting like a little nut. Funny! It dawned on me that this was her first snow. Annie was dropped off at a shelter in San Angelo, Tx. and then kenneled for the past year by Shih Tzu and Furbaby Rescue in Florida somewhere. She's never seen snow. When she arrived on Christmas Day, we still had snow on the ground from the 2009 Blizzard but it was hard packed and went away quickly after we got all the rain.

It also dawned on me, a little over two weeks ago.. this same dog was sitting in a kennel that she has sat in for almost a year.....waiting to be rescued. I can't imagine what her life was like then. Just waiting... for almost a year. I know she received excellent care at the rescue kennel and I've been told that she was walked three times a day but this little dog and all dogs for that matter, deserve to be loved. She is a joy and all she wants is to be loved.

I hope she doesn't remember those bad times that have given her nightmares and created a fear in her so badly that she felt the need to attack other dogs. This little dog, that jumped up on my bed this morning to do nothing but cuddle, wagging her tail the entire time.

This same dog, that when we do the Bark Buster training goes absolutely crazy with happiness when I give her the "free" command. She cracks me up, getting all excited and running all through the house at top speed. She is free now, she is happy now and it's been a pleasure to be able to give her the good life that she deserves.

Folks, please support a local rescue. If you can't afford to give financially, give your time. There are dogs like Annie waiting for their forever home, just looking for someone to love them. Be that person, go spend some time in a shelter or a rescue. I have always been a big fan of dogs and pets in general but only until now did I realize the lives that these rescue dogs live (if they aren't euthanized first.. remember about the PTS date?).

Also, be their voice.. they don't have them to tell us what is wrong or what someone has done to them regarding neglect and abuse. If you know of an abusive or neglectful situation.. contact a rescue or your local shelter. If you don't know who or where they are..do a search in Bing or Google.. plenty of information out there.

Did you know that you can donate to rescues for FREE? Yes, for free. All you do is visit the site and click a button. The site, based on your click, will donate a bowl of food to a shelter or rescue. Here's the website http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/. Check it out, not many things in life has no strings attached, but this is truly a free way to donate and improve the lives of strays and rescues by clicking a button on your computer, you don't even have to get out of your chair.

There is another site that if you buy online a certain percentage of your purchases can be donated to the charity of your choice. Again, no strings attached. This is free money that retailers will donate a certain percentage of your purchase to your charity. It doesn't cost you a thing. Did you know that? I sure didn't but I will do it now. Check it out, it's at http://www.igive.com/. There are big name retailers involved in this, why not donate for free when you were going to spend the money anyway?

Thanks for following my story on Annie. I also want to close this by giving out a special shout out to my parents. They are the best and have always been there for me as I step through this journey we call "life!" Truly, you are both the best and just like Annie must feel like she hit the lottery getting me as an adopter, I got lucky being born into our family. Thank you! I love you both.

Annie Meets the local Dog Whisperer

What an interesting day this has turned out to be. On New Years Eve, I really did not have a good time. Not that I didn't enjoy the get together at my sisters but I have been very concerned about the impact of little Annie's presence on my happy doggy family. Not by any fault of Annie's. Her bigger Beagle sister, Tiger has always been the chief dog in charge in this house. I have always protected Tiger's strong spirit and I never wanted to see her spirit "broken". Then throw into the mix my boy Caesar, my black domestic rescue kitten (now cat) and my oldest and the original Jack Russell, Ginger. Ginger is now 15 and was diagnosed with Leukemia. She's been battling it for over a year. Recently, someone called her a soldier meaning that she continues to tough it out. The vet told me that she couldn't understand how she was still kicking strong with a lymphocyte count over 280,000. I have no idea what that means but she's still running strong.

Back to my concerns on New Years. So here I have this old dog that doesn't need this crazy stress, another relatively old strong willed dog and a confused cat.. he can't figure out why the new dog (Annie) doesn't treat him like his older sisters. Tiger and Annie had once again battled that after noon and I kept thinking.. "what have I done?" No one was happy. I noticed when I took them for a walk, they didn't want to come back in the house. Well, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

So, I'm sitting at my sisters house watching a Fringe marathon and it dawns on me... I'm not giving up, I have never given up on my pets and I reminded myself that I made her (Annie) the same promise I made the others, "til death do us part". And I plan to keep that promise. It also dawned on me, when in need, seek help.

Flash forward, it's now 2am and I'm sitting at the laptop surrounded by three sleeping dogs. I did a websearch and found "Bark Busters" at http://www.barkbusters.com/page.cfm. It was the fourth dog trainer website that I had reviewed. I liked what the website had to say. Positive training, no discipline. I read more and decided to give it a try. I realized I needed help and as soon as I sent off the request, I felt better. I could not let this little dog down after she had been let down so many times before.

So, today I raced home from work to be here by 5pm when our Maryland version of the Dog Whisperer was scheduled to arrive. She was right on time. The dogs went nuts realizing we were getting company. All three were huddled at the door, barking their heads off. I let them bark because I wanted Sharon (the Bark Buster Dog Whisperer) to see reality with them. I have to say, this lady knows her stuff. She was great, very thorough and her expertise was evident from the minute she walked in the door.

I am still amazed. Sharon was here for 3 hours and by the time she left, I have dogs that sit and stay, stop barking on command, have learned to share a meal time without fighting and come when called even when they're distracted. I have learned about good dog food vs. mainstream. People, please buy your dogs HUMAN GRADE Dog Food. It's important. Did you realize some big companys "recycle" dog carcases from shelters into dog food? Huh? please.. research it if you don't believe it.

Back to Sharon the Dog Whisperer. I'm not going into cost but I have to say this was no where near as expensive as I thought it would be. And for what my doggy family is getting, I couldn't ask for a better arrangement. Home training and EVERY issue I have brought up, Sharon's had the answer to. Of course, I have to practice but people.. it's works. I have no doubt that I did make the right decision getting Annie and once again, this can be a happy house or as I fondly refer to it after 17 years.. the "dogpatch".

Now, I have to say.. I personally thought I had dogs figured out a long time ago. I have had dogs since I was 8 years old, that is almost 40 years ago. Guess what, tonight I began my journey on truly learning how to speak "dog". The important thing is to understand dog behavior. Did you know that dogs really do try to communicate with us? And, in a nutshell, it's all about who the pack leader is. Sharon very nicely explained to me that I have forfeited my Alpha status to my wonderful little beagle Tiger. Ginger's been fine with that and Caesar the cat could care less but my new little addition, Annie.. cares....she wants to be the Alpha.

To make all this work, I have to re-establish myself as the alpha (pack leader) and get their confidence in my leadership of our pack up to par. Once that is accomplished and after more training regarding specific behaviors (sit, stay, etc.) occurs, this little dog pack will be more peaceful than it ever has been. Sharon left over two hours ago, I have used the skills she taught me and warded off a potential fight, addressed some dominance behavior from Annie to Ginger, addressed Annie chasing the cat, Annie attacking the TV when she heard a barking dog and guess what? All is well. None of us our stressed out. Let the good times roll!

Thanks Sharon from all of us.

So why "Annie" ??

OK, so why did I need to change this little dog's name. There were many reasons why, I wanted to give her a fresh start in life especially after I began to understand all the hardships she has suffered under the name of "Maxie".

So, she has her fresh start as "Annie". Annie's name came to be as a tribute to a wonderful woman, my German Godmother, Annie. I always thought of her as a german Sophia Loren and maybe even one of the Gabor sisters, definitely Eva.. not Zsa Zsa. My Godmother Annie did survive great hardships in WWII but she never spoke about them. She had a heart of gold and our family loved her to death, she loved us too. She was always there for my parents and always seemed to have that touch to make sure we were taken care of and loved. Some of my best and warmest memories in life have Annie in them.

So what's the connection with the new pups name and the tribute? Well, Annie always had little dogs. She treated those dogs with incredible love and always made sure they were treated very well. Annie is the one that showed me that dogs truly are a man or womans best friend. She taught me the special bond that humans can have with their pets. I remember Annie making those dogs special meals, taking them everywhere with her. She even made a special car seat for her dogs to sit in the passenger seat of the car with a seatbelt. This was back in the seventies, she was way ahead of her time. One of my favorite stories is when Annie went home to Germany to see her relatives. She put her dog, a little Chihuahua named Mousie in her carry on bag. The dog slept the entire trip to Germany. You couldn't do that now but I think that was back in the late 60's early 70's before we needed the Xray scanners and the sophisticated security that we need today. Much simpler times then. We lost our Godmother back in 1995 and even now, we still miss her. She was a special lady.

A'right so in honor of Annie showing me the way to appreciate and value little animal friends, I decided to name the new pup, "Annie". So here's to you Annie, we all miss you and will always love you! Thanks for making making sure our childhoods were special. :) .

So my girls name, is Annie. I tested out "Maxie" by calling her by it a couple of times. She had no clue about her name. So, Annie it is and it signifies the birth of her new life in her real forever home. Here in Maryland. She's had a long journey from San Angelo, Texas but I think she would agree, she was meant to be here.