dog | Peaches Prattlings

{April 13, 2024} Gotcha Day

It’s Bee and Ruby’s Gotcha Day! For those of you who might know be in the know, because if you’ve never adopted a human or animal, why would you! So… ‘the gotcha day is the anniversary of the day on which a person or a pet joins a family by adoption.’ Isn’t that great! I gotcha in my family now!

Miss A’s gotcha day, you may remember, is February 14th, how perfect is that! And Ruby and Bee’s gotcha day is April 13th, we officially adopted them in St Louis in 2020, shortly after we moved there. As you know, Mollie didn’t leave Hawai’i with us, we knew she probably wouldn’t be when we moved there, and sadly, we were correct. After we moved to St Louis, we were walking around Creve Coeur Lake thinking, and talking about it, “wouldn’t it be nice to have dogs again, to walk around the park with us”, I told PSM when he was ready, let me know. And shortly thereafter, he said…I’m ready.

So…I went online to see if I could find another American Foxhound, that’s what Mollie was, and let me tell you…not easy to find. As I was looking at different shelters, I found Five Acres Shelter and I saw Bee, who had similar features to Mollie. I only say this because everyone always asked me if she was a Beagle when they saw her, honestly, if you didn’t know the foxhound, she looked like a beagle that had exploded, meaning, much larger!

I said…ooh! And when I clicked on her link, she came up with a friend…Ruby. The site said they were so bonded they hoped the two would be adopted together. I showed PSM the pictures and although he was only thinking about one dog, he said go for it. I filled out the application, put down his brother SM as a reference and we got a call from someone at the shelter to interview us. About 30 minutes later, we got a call from his brother “So…you’re thinking about adopting a dog, huh?” Wow, they move fast.

Even faster, a few minutes later we were setting up a meet-n-greet with the foster mom. She wasn’t available on Saturday or Sunday, did I mention this was Friday? What about Monday, sounds good. Since we were both working from home, remember, this is when everyone was at home working because the Covid stuff just started happening about this time.

Monday, we went to the shelter and met both dogs, what doll babies they were! And all of a sudden, maybe 15/20 minutes later, PSM said yes and I was signing paperwork and we were dog parents again…. Um…with no provisions at home, oops. On the way home we stopped at Petco to get dog beds, the foster mom gave us one bed, we call it the burrito, it’s actually sitting under my desk right now! It’s a brown oval bed they both love sleeping in! She also gave us one blue bear, we bought a few toys, food, a crate for both of them, treats, and a bed that fit in the crate, yup, we’re good to go.

We got home and brought them into the house, they sniffed every corner, oh yeah, we closed the master bedroom door, there was a giant oriental rug in there, the foster mom told us Bee has a tendency to sometimes go inside…and normally only on rugs/carpets, so we’d have to keep an eye on that. They settled in pretty well, found the beds to snuggle on and we laid down with them at different times, and we took them out back to their new yard, lots of room to run around.

I’d say they got used to us and their new home pretty quickly…they spent most of their time laying out in the sun out back. They also decided they needed to protect the yard, which I was finally able to cure them of that, ‘you’re ok, no one is invading your backyard! If anyone walked by…oh brother! So…I decided no barking before 8am, some people like to sleep! We would get up and take them for walks between 6-7a, then back home and they’re free to roam the house and back yard. And Ruby has finally realized the fire brigade didn’t need her help alerting the neighborhood!

We didn’t know what breed Ruby was, we just called her an attention hound because she’s so very needy and clingy, it fit perfectly! Then someone walked into the house to do some work and said “That’s a Redbone Coon Hound!” And boy howdy, is she! And they are needy, clingy dogs, that’s all there is to it! It has nothing to do with separation anxiety, that’s just the breed!

We’ve been lucky, there have only been a few instances when they tried to run away, a few in St Louis, and only once here in PA, I’d say that’s pretty good. I think the time here was because Bee was following her nose…they eat everything! Oh brother, a new smell here, no wait, a new smell there, no wait, a new smell…oh boy howdy!

Overall, we have gotten so lucky with these two, they are pretty well behaved, that’s what people keep telling us! They do great at doggie daycare once a week, they love meeting new people, they are not barkers, except occasionally, and they’re pretty good about meeting other dogs, it’s hit or miss, as with anything, and they do listen, for the most part. And…great snugglers, as you know I let them stay with me on the bed on occasion, and they love it! They get on the bed, circle a few times and then they’re out for the night, they snuggle up next to me, and into me, little hot boxes, and they keep me company all night. It’s a nice feeling.

There are so many more stories I have, but we’d never get out of here!

{March 2, 2024} Breakfast with dad, drive to Bahston, dinner with my sis

All is a day, of course!

I got up way to early for a Saturday, why can’t I sleep past at least 6am!? I decided to linger, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, going out into the rain, and the bed got softer and I kept sinking deeper and deeper into the warmth and comfort of my childhood bed. Don’t roll your eyes, it’s a very comfortable bed, the mattress is just right, and the blankets were piled on and just cozy! It’s a twin, yup, you know how much I love a king or california king bed, but I grew up sleeping on a twin bed. You should have seen the number of pillows and stuffed animals I had, used to give people ‘hives’!

I got up eventually, got dressed, got the dogs out of their travel crate, and took them out for a walk. It was still raining, not too hard, but enough, hoping it wasn’t going to get too bad on my way to Boston, but I was not so lucky! We walked around the block I grew up on, back to the house, say good morning to paw-paw, fed them, let them hang out for a few minutes, then back in the crate and dad and I went to Z-One for breakfast. First, we tried to go to Zara Forest Grill, we saw they had breakfast, but it turns out they don’t open until 11am on Saturdays, that’s brunch, not breakfast!

I love my one-on-one time with my dad, we talk about everything and nothing, we reminisce, we plan, we strategize, we joke, we tell stories, it’s just that good!

After breakfast, we made a pit stop at Michael’s, it was for him, not for me! But who am I to stand in the way of creativity! I had so much fun crafting with him last night! When we got back home, I packed up the pups crate, food, and bowls, and of course, the dogs, got in the car, made sure the window cover was secure, plugged in the address of the hotel and headed out into the rainy day for parts, I can’t say parts unknown, I know where I’m going! ha ha.

It was about a 4.5 hour drive with no stopping, well, we know me well enough to know that’s not possible! With the rain, stopping for gas, and one or two potty breaks, I made it in about 5-5.5 hours, that’s not bad at all! I got the dogs out, walked them in the rain, got them into the room, unloaded the car, got the crate and their bed set up and then I got to work feeding them.

After a bit, I got in touch with GES and we worked out that I would go over to their house so I could see MGS, and we would order take-out, but if they bring it to you, is that take-in? hmmm…it was good, we had pho, and it was pretty good. I definitely had leftovers to bring home! We hung out, talked, played with Bailey, their dog, and Piper, the labradoodle they were dog sitting for the weekend. We talkd, laughed, enjoyed just spending time together, then EJS came home, and then ACS, the gang’s all here!

It was nice, I hung out until about 10p and I was getting a little tired, only because I knew I had to drive back in the rain, then drive back to PA tomorrow, with a pit or dinner stop at dad’s. I got back to the hotel, they let me park my car at the entrance, so hopefully the plastic holds and no rain gets in, thank you Romeo!

I’m back in the room, the dogs have been walked in the rain, I think I’ll let them sleep with me tonight, I have this whole bed to myself, and I know they would love the cuddle. I’ll love the cuddle, except for the part where they push me out of the giant bed! grrr…

Tomorrow, it’s a birthday party for Uncle A, I get to see PSM, and his whole family, celebrate, then drive to dad’s and then back to PA. I need a nap!

G’night!

{February 28, 2024} It’s Wednedsay, back to doggie daycare!

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s doggie daycare time! And they…LOVE it!

We started taking them to Glamourous K9s a few months ago, some time after we moved into the house, and…conviently enough, it’s very close to the house, score! They were going every Wednesday and then they stayed at doggie daycamp or they were boarded when we went to the USVI over the holidays. They loved that too!

Lots of people paying attention to them, they get to sleep in a room together, interract with other dogs and all around have a great time! We sent them with their special food bowls, enough food for them to stay for three weeks, if needed, their treats, Bee’s meds, a bed for them to share, and some toys, what more could they want?!

When they go to doggie day care, they have a bag with a blanket, for nap time, of course, treats, and Bee’s emergency meds. As soon as I say “Who wants to go to doggie day care?” You have never seen two dogs run faster! Even little Bee the Beagle, her little legs get her there fast! They run to the car and wait for me, I can’t move that fast, sorry girls!

We load up in the car, drive down the road and they can’t get out of the car fast enough! Can you ask for anything more?! When it’s time for me to pick them up, they come running out and I get lots of licks, hugs, and tail wags, gotta love it!

Today was funny because getting them there, no issue, but when we got there and I was going over stuff with one of the staff, Ruby decided she’s going to head back to the door, and then when I started to leave, it seemed like she was going to go with me…huh? You couldn’t wait to get here, now you want to leave? Maybe it was since it was the first time since the beginning of January since they went, who knows. They stayed, it was all good.

All I know is that they love it, they are well cared for and it gets them out of the house and socializing with other dogs at least one day a week. And socializing where I don’t have to hold their leashes tight, not knowing how the meet-n-greet is going to go, where I don’t have to explain Ruby’s weird thing about ‘I’ll do the doggie greeting, don’t do it to me!” Very hypocritical!

As long as they enjoy it, we will keep sending them, and until they don’t…Who wants to go to Doggie Day Care?!

{January 24, 2024} What it’s like talking to me when I am walking the dogs

Basically, it’s entertaining to say the least…

If you’ve ever been on the phone with me while I’m driving, you have 95% of my attention, I still have to watch the road, but I can’t do anything else but talk to you, bonus. If you’ve ever been on the phone with me at home, depending on where I am, you probably have 90-95% of my attention, there are so many things to look at. If I’m wandering around the backyard, I’m only talking to you, if I’m sitting on the sofa or in the hammock, I’m only talking to you, sounds good.

Now…if I’m walking the dogs, you probably have about 75% of my attention, sorry… I say that because I am not only talking to you, I am watching for cars, if we are in the neighborhood, or I am looking for other dogs. If we are in the park, I am definitely looking for other dogs, hoping it’s a good meet-n-greet, I am watching where I am walking, and I am trying not to get pulled by the dogs. If we meet a dog, I will ask you to hold on, we might go by or we might do a doggie greeting. Ya never know!

Or…when they decide to wrassle! It sounds awful the first time you hear it, but they are having a grand ole time!

Now…when it comes time for the dogs to do their thing…I always have to tell the person I’m speaking with, ooh, hold on, I need to pick up what they just put down. The person will also hear me say “Wait, I have to pick this up, the deal is…you poop, I scoop.” And that usually illicits a good laugh out of the person on the other end of the phone. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

So…if you happen to call and I’m walking the dogs, just know…you have about 75%, and the dogs have the rest, unless they’re acting up…you get 25%, maybe…and they get the rest!

Random musing for the day!
Night!

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