The bad news, now Jeff is sick,so mom is helping take care of 3 foster cats, 2 cat sisters, 1 foster dog, Jeff’s dog, Jeff, and of course me…although I am pretty independent.  With all this, she didn’t have much time to write.  I wanted to make sure she told everyone that I am very happy the sun is shining and it is to be nice and warm today, even if I snoozing indoors today, but the sun is nice.

If you are curious about Daisy, she is getting along just fine.  She hasn’t had many “episodes” and we actually played a little last night.  I have been nice about not stealing her toy and sharing her with my mom.  I even let her share the couch without mom on it.  She sleeps upstairs with us at night now, but in her crate, which is good, because I don’t think I could share the bed with her AND Buddy.

We had one nice quiet  night, just me, mom, Buddy, Jeff, my cat sisters, and then……this showed up.

At first I thought Sweet Pea had returned, then I thought it was a life form from another planet.  Turns out it is a Daisy.  What is a Daisy you may ask?  I asked the same question.

Daisy is a bulldog that came into the shelter late last fall.  She didn’t have any hair and they thought she had those same bugs that Sweet Pea did, mange.  She went to foster care and then she showed her true colors.  Daisy would smile, and throw up, walk a few feet, and puke, wake up from a nap, and vomit.  It was a crazy super power that no one appreciated.  She went for lots of car rides to meet lots of different veterinarians and have all sorts of tests done.  They decided part of her swallow tube didn’t work.  (Paralyzed esophagus for you college folks).  Turns out, if she is given a special medicine, and then sits in a special chair, and her food is mushed up a special way, then she keeps everything in her tummy!

So I guess that means she thinks she is special.  She doesn’t have much hair, but she doesn’t have bugs, so she just wears a coat all the time.  I think I want to play with her, but she isn’t sure she wants to play yet.  We had the “this is my food bowl” discussion, but I am not sure she remembers.  She is really skinny and wants to eat everything, but mom won’t let her unless she is in her chair.  She probably thinks mom is mean, but she is just trying to help, and since mom controls the food, it is good to be nice to mom.

Mom says she is just staying here until we make sure her medicine works good.  I guess that is ok.  She cuddles with mom on the OTHER side of the couch, so she doesn’t take up much space.  Besides, I don’t want her to feel icky, and mom is good at scaring away the ickies…..  Oh, and if you ever meet Daisy in person, try to ignore the big scratch on her head, between her eyes.  My sister Lily said “hello” right when she got here…MOOOOMMMMM Lily needs her nails trimmed!!!!!!!!!

Mom said Sparrow’s new family is pretty great.  He will have a little Shiba Ino sister (who won’t be as cool as me) and a mom and dad that like to do fun stuff!  Mom wants a jogging partner and Dad wants someone to hang out with him and “da boys” when they go frisbee golfing…whatever that is.  I guess they go camping, and fishing, and all sorts of outside stuff.  Sparrow will like that.  He might even get to go to the dog park!  I don’t get to go to the dog park, mom says I could be a trouble maker….good thing I have lots of friends that come to play in my yard.

Bet you didn't know the floor of a truck was comfy did you?

So Saturday morning Sparrow goes to his new home.  Mom says there is already a new visitor scheduled to come stay with us…wonder if I will like this one?

I'll miss you buddy

So one day while mom was clipping nails, and making new friends, she saw Jan.  Jan was my friend first, she helped me at Downtown dogs.  Jan was telling mom about this dog that was really scared and had been part of one of those ugly lawsuit things where there were too many dogs and cats and birds and other animals in one place.  They discovered that this girl couldn’t see!  Some people thought that was too much work, since she was blind, but Jan saw a lot of good in this silly puppy.  She wasn’t probably 6 months old and hadn’t been shown very much love.

So Jan showed mom HER puppy dog eyes, and mom brought home this girl.

She didn’t have a name yet, and we tried quite a few.  Finally as she lay in the grass in the back yard, her favorite spot, chewing on dandelions….Dandy was named.

Dandy spent all her time at the shelter hiding from the loud echos by lying as flat to the ground as possible.  Once she got to my house and mom gave her a tour of the yard, that was her favorite place.  I wanted to play with her when she got here, but then I realized she was different.  She seemed confused a lot.  Since I am so helpful, I would often go and find her and let her follow me back in the house, or to the living room, or back to mom. 

Dandy told me she was really happy that I taught her how to be a dog.  Mom told me to teach her to potty outside, but I couldn’t quite get her to figure that one out.  I did teach her to use the two steps to the back yard pretty good.  Mom liked that she didn’t bother the cats, she didn’t get on the furniture, and she didn’t go upstairs (so she couldn’t have an accident on the carpet).  She could navigate the house, find her water and food bowl, even sit for treats!  I agree, Dandy was no dummy.

Dandy went to lots of adoption days and to see our friend Jan.  She even went swimming!  She really liked to swim. I am not much of a water dog myself.  We had to keep an eye on her though so she didn’t swim away!

A family from Omaha, NE saw Dandy’s story and they came to meet her and brought there furry family along.  They just loved her so much they adopted her!  Now Dandy has a brother and sister and she goes camping and on lots of walks and gets lots of treats, and of course lots of love and nummies.  She was a pretty neat sister….

When dogs come into the shelter, me included, they like to put us in a category.  That way, if people are looking on their computer thingy for a certain type of dog, they can sort them.  As we know I am part Chocolate Easter Bunny and part Pitt bull.  Sparrow was classified as a Pitt mix.  Now it is hard to tell after meeting a scared dog in a strange place for 5 minutes what their history is, so they often have to guess.  He has a brindle coat, and short hair, so I could see how they might think he is my cousin.  Now that he has been at my house for a week, I think he has WAY to much energy for a Pitt.  We are required to sleep even more then most dogs I think.

Well his test results say that he is Labrador Retriever and Australian Shepherd.  He does have a little Catahoula Leopard Dog, German Pinscher, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Irish Wolfhound, and Argentine Dogo thrown in there.  Argentine Dogo is a bully breed, but he only has enough for maybe 2 toes worth.

I am happy he took the test.  I hope that will help people who may live in certain areas or have have certain insurance companies, or “gasp” have certain fears, know now they can adopt Mr. Silly Pants.  As for me, I was never tested, but mom said she doesn’t care, cuz I live with freedom, State Farm Insurance, and lots of people that admire my good (usually) behavior.

You see here in Iowa, we normally have snow in the winter.  With my coat on, I can tolerate it to do my business.  Mom even has pet safe salt so that me and the neighbor dogs don’t get sick.  However, this winter, we had seen NO snow, and I was ok with that, until last week.  Now in 10 days, we have gotten so much snow, I don’t even have to squat to do my business!  It is ridiculous, and cold.  Sparrow, the new guy, loves it.  He runs and plays and jumps.  He doesn’t even where a coat.  He does however, lay on the heat vents…which makes Zorra very upset, as that is normally her spot.

So maybe I will warm up soon and can tell you more exciting things in my life…but right now, I am in hibernation…thanks

Sparrow is, well, a dog.  Some think he is a pit mix, Mom thinks maybe boxer and lab?  He is younger then me, probably only a year old.  He has spent a lot of time at the shelter place.  He knows to potty outside, and he really likes the dog bed,but he is sort of confused about what all this house stuff is.  Best part is, he likes to play and play and play.  Second best part is he listens to me.  I only had to tell him once that I wanted a certain toy and to stay away from my food bowl.  I think he may be pretty smart!  Mom doesn’t let him sleep on my couch with me yet though, she says he has to learn some manners.

I will keep you updated on his adventures and findings.  I have to say, I think he is my favorite dog in my house so far!

It is the beginning of a new year, January 11th, 2012 to be exact.  Mom hasn’t come out and said it, but she is going to bring home the 4th foster…that is right #4!  #3 hasn’t even left yet!  Mind you, my brother Buddy and I are finally getting our groove on and we certainly aren’t going to cuddle anytime soon, I like his company, he is fun to play with, and he respects my space, so we are good.  Buddy is a Jack Russel Terrier, he is just under 30 lbs (to my 40) and he has more energy then all the cats in my house.  We like to place chase in the yard.  In the house his favorite game is bite my feet (or ears) and nip, and nip, and nip, and nip…then I POUNCE and we wrestle, and he makes LOTS of noise.  If mom and Jeff are home, a few minutes of wrestling is usually followed by a ENOUGH, which is our cue to take our respective corners.  We can mess  mom’s bed up really good, cuz that is our favorite wrestling spot.

So, back to the foster….I will expand  more later, but mom brought home Dandy last summer.  She was young, and blind.  I liked her probably the best because she needed my help.  I helped her get up and down the stairs, and sometimes when she couldn’t remember where the door way was, I would go get her and tell her.  I hear she has new siblings to help her now.

Then there was Sweet Pea.  Pea was good, but young, and really liked to chew on my collar and goober on me.  She lived with us for four months while she healed from her mange.  She was starting to try and get bossy with me, in my own house!  She has two sisters in her new home and all the attention she can handle.

Not even a week later, mom brought a mini Buddy home!  Tyson was skinny and had bad teeth.  He weighed as much as my cat Lily!  I don’t mind him much, but he doesn’t remember to stay away from my food bowl, and sometimes he jumps on me.  I know it is an accident, but it makes me really really mad.  I do feel a little bad, I scrapped his nose pretty good one day.  Mom did notice though, it isn’t always my fault.  He is a little instigator, and I think he knows I will get in trouble!  So Tyson goes to his new home today, Wednesday, where he will live with a mom, dad, two legged brother and sister, and a couple cats.

I get a feeling I won’t have the house to myself for long….