My dear dog niece, Bonnie Blue the Catahoula Hound, passed away tonight. She had severe heart failure and was put to sleep to spare her pain. She left this life with her two favorite people in the world by her side giving her immense love and the ultimate gift. She was 11 years old.
Goodbye sweet Bonnie. You will be missed and you will always be loved.
Misha and Louie like to sit together at the dog club meetings every month. They are usually the only giant hairy dogs in attendance and they are extremely fond of each other.
Last night was a first for me. I took both Louie and Katie to dog school BY MYSELF. Do not try this at home folks. Wrestling with 222 pounds of Newfie craziness in a place crowded with many different types of dogs is not a feat for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. They outweigh me by 100 pounds and are helping me to build very powerful biceps. Separately, they are both very well behaved at school. Together they are a couple of monsters. The youngest, but no longer smallest, Newf is by far the biggest monster of the Newfie twosome. Louie believes that his role in life is ALWAYS a leading role. Katie's role in Louie's opinion, is always that of supporting actress...never lead.
We are getting ready for a rally obedience trial in a couple of weeks and both dogs really needed to run the course a few times last night. Louie and I went into the ring first while Katie waited in a crate which was in a different room. I have to interrupt the main point of this story by saying that this was Louie's first time ever in a real rally ring and he did a phenomenal job. I didn't give him a single bite of food and he did all the stations perfectly except one which he did perfectly the second time through. I was so proud of him. He has really excellent attention and just loves to be given a job of almost any kind.
Next came Katie's turn. Louie went into the crate while Katie and I went into the rally ring. The whole time we were practicing Louie was throwing a tantrum. I just ignored him as I didn't want to reinforce that type of behavior. He is crate trained; he just didn't want his sissy to get to do anything without him. Now, since I bragged on Louie I must also say that Katie managed to get around the ring without any treats which is truly a miracle for my little food hound AND she did the whole thing OFF LEAD. Even though she still has one more novice leg to go she is practicing for Advanced Rally which is always done off lead.
When Katie was done I went to fetch Louie only to be summoned to an obedience class that was going on in the other ring. The teacher said "Is this your dog?" I looked in the center of the ring to see Louie. He was no longer crying and howling. Instead, he was very happily wagging his tail as he greeted all of the dogs that were in the middle of their class. He had no idea that he was interrupting them. No, he thought that a party was being thrown in his honor to celebrate his great escape from his crate.
Eventually it was time to put Louie in his crate again, so I decided I would outsmart him this time. I put two metal clips on the door which he had previously managed to push open with his head. (These crates aren't as sturdy as our crates at home.) Katie and I went back to class with Louie howling away.
Five minutes later someone got my attention and told me that Louie was visiting the obedience class again. I just couldn't believe it. I went and got him and walked over to inspect the crate. At first glance I couldn't see anything wrong. The door was still fastened shut with the metal clips. I stared at it until I saw that whole front panel was disconnected from the ceiling and one of the side walls in several places. I pulled the corner of the panel back and saw a space just big enough for my Houdini to slip through.
So, the next time it was Katie's turn to practice I had to put Louie in the car. A nice gentleman was parked right beside us waiting for his wife to finish her class. He agreed to keep an eye on Louie for me. When I came back ten minutes later he reported that Louie had been very calm and had not made a single peep the whole time I was gone. He just sat in the driver's seat and stared out the window, drooling and longing for our return. I am grateful that I found a safe place for my baby boy and one that obviously is much more calming for him. I guess he associates the car with happy times and perhaps feels closer to me and Katie there.
Despite a walk this morning, Louie was quite wild today. He was running around the house and yard like a total maniac...out the doggie door, up the outside stairs, rapidly circling around the upper part of the yard, down the stairs, running around the lower part of the yard, throwing himself through the dog door, flying into the kitchen to bite his sister playfully to entice her to chase him, then two Newfies running together into the living room. At this point I had to put an end to the madness. It's too dangerous for them to run on the hardwood floors.
To burn off some of his excess energy, I started playing with Louie. I pulled out Katie's old toy LambBo for Louie to wrestle. He fell in love with LambBo and then promptly fell asleep on his new friend.
All of that craziness can really wear a puppy out.
After Louie awoke from his beauty sleep we did some rally obedience training out in the alley. It was sleeting the whole time which seemed to do wonders for Katie and Louie's training. The crisp weather put them in just the right frame of mind to be very attentive and do extremely well on all of their exercises. They are both going to compete in a Rally trial in about three weeks. Wish us luck because we will need it. They both have difficulty staying focused in places where there are lots of distractions. Our main goal though for the trial weekend is to get exposure and have fun. I'm sure we can manage to accomplish that.
Katie's second draft lesson took place in the alley behind our house. We wanted to practice mostly straight lines to increase her comfort level with her cart. You can see that as the lesson progresses she gets more and more relaxed. I think she is really starting to enjoy pulling her little red wagon.
I had already been thinking about getting Katie started in drafting when Pat, our Rally teacher at the dog club, mentioned that she was wanting to work on carting with her Schipperkes. Katie and Louie's breeders, Bonnie and Bill, were also interested in working with one of their dogs so we all got together last Sunday. Pat was a fantastic teacher and gave Katie and me a great introduction to drafting.
Katie is in the foreground followed by Flash the Schipperke and Cowboy the Newf.
It was Cowboy's first time to pull a cart, but you never would have guessed it. He was so laid back and nonchalant about the whole business. He didn't seem to think it was much of a challenge.
See how relaxed he is while Bill and Pat are hooking him up to the cart...he's a natural for sure.
Flash practiced pulling with a tire. He is amazingly strong for such a little guy.
Katie says "Mom, I'm ready for MY turn now."
Here is a video of Katie pulling her wagon. A wagon is more challenging to maneuver than a cart because it's much harder to turn. Katie got a little spooked near the end of the video. She turned around, saw the wagon behind her and didn't know why on earth it just kept moving towards her. We got her straightened out, calmed down, and pulling again so that we could end the lesson on a very positive note.
This is another video that Bonnie took of all three dogs:
Katie resting up after her lesson.
By the time our daughter Natalie gets home, hopefully by the middle of next year, Katie will be able to pull her around the neighborhood in her wagon.
It's so much fun to see these Newfs doing the work they are meant to do. This spring we plan to start Katie and Louie in some water work. We want our Newfies to be well rounded, LOL.
Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny February day with a high temperature of 56 degrees. Gary and I decided to take the Newfs on a walk through the neighborhood. We were leisurely strolling along admiring a couple of pretty homes when I noticed two women coming out of one of the homes carrying large garbage bags. When the woman who was wearing a yellow apron looked up and saw us walking down the sidewalk. She eagerly said, "OOOOh, can I PLEASE pet your dogs?" I agreed. She came over and was obviously completely enthralled by Katie and Louie. "I just LOVE Newfies! It's been a dream of mine for a long time to have one." We chatted for a while about the dogs while she loved on them the whole time. At one point she asked to borrow my drool rag. I handed it over thinking she must need to wipe off her hand or her shirt, but instead she reached over to lovingly wipe off Katie's back where Louie had slimed her. Then she explained that she was in the middle of preparing for her brother's wedding shower and that it was starting in 10 minutes! I told her we would be on our way and let her get back to work, but she seemed reluctant to pull herself away from Louie and Katie. Then a car pulled up and she said, "That's my Dad. Can you guys please stay and let him see the dogs. He adores Newfoundlands. In fact, he used to live in Newfoundland and loves the country as well." How could we say no? Her father exited his car and started heading towards us. Upon reaching us he simultaneously began petting the Newfs and bursting into singing a song about Newfoundland. What a riot! When he was done singing he said, "Aren't they just the very best dog breed there is? There is nothing like a Newfoundland!" We, of course, heartily agreed. It was so wonderful to meet people who truly understand the extra special Newfie breed. The woman offered to help me walk the dogs in the future so that she can spend more time with them :-)
And then we meet a couple of people who were not their greatest fans...as we entered our alley we ran into a man with two little girls who looked like they were about 5 and 6 years old. They wanted to ask lots of questions about the dogs. I gave each of the dogs a little biscuit and the drool started flowing. The girls thought it was gross and asked why they did it. Gary told them that K&L tend to drool when there is food around. The little girl hadn't seen me give them the biscuit so she responded with "Are WE the food?" I laughed for a long time about this one.
Saturday evening Gary and I attended our local FCC (Families with Children from China) Chinese New Year celebration to welcome in the year of the ox which officially began on January 26th. We visited with some friends, ate lots of delicious Chinese food, browsed the Chinese store and watched adorable children do the Dragon Dance.
When we first began the adoption process I really thought that Natalie would be born in 2006 and be a Dog like me and my mother. When that seemed unlikely I looked to the next animal symbol of the Chinese Zodiac. On February 18, 2007 the year of the pig began, and it was a very special year of the pig that only occurs every 60 years. It's called the year of the GOLDEN pig and babies born during GOLDEN pig years are thought to be very lucky. I let go of my dream of a Dog baby and embraced the golden pig. As the months slipped by I could see that was not to be either. On February 7, 2008 the year of the Rat began. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a rat, but time quickly passed and the animal shifted again. Now it seems highly likely that Natalie will be born in the current year of the Ox. Below is a description of the Ox personality. It sounds great to me although I would probably find something positive in whatever animal ends up being our daughter's symbol.
From WikipediaThe Ox is thought to be the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. The Ox is a power sign, like the Rat, Snake, Dragon, Tiger, and Monkey. They're quite dependable and possess an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.
Ox people, according to tradition, need peace and to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to make . An Ox person has a very mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, though they have a tremendous imagination and an unparalleled appreciation for beauty. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.
Traditionally, people born under the influence of the Ox are thought to be kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told how to make they like to stick to their own individual idea.
The Ox, it is thought, works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active
The Ox, according to tradition, is not extravagant, and a modern interpretation of this is that the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox to try a but they mostly .
Ox people are truthful and sincere, and the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to them. They are rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain. These people are always welcome in small gatherings because of their humble composure and reverent nature towards the host. They are reputed to be the most beautiful of face in the zodiac. They have many friends, who appreciate the fact that the Ox people are wary of new trends, although every now and then they can be encouraged to try something new. People born in the year of the Ox make wonderful parents and teachers of children.
It is important to remember that the Ox people are sociable and relaxed when they feel secure, but occasionally a dark cloud looms over such people and they engage all the trials of the whole world and seek solutions for them.
Katie and Louie went to the vet on Saturday for their annual shots and checkup. There weren't many people there, so I took advantage of the opportunity to work on some obedience exercises. I like to practice in unusual places to get them used to performing well with distractions. The staff and other customers were very impressed by their obedience skills and by how pretty they are :) I enlisted a few people to play pretend judge and pat the dogs down during their stand stays.
Katie and Louie practicing their down stays. One woman asked "How do you get them to do that?" I told her they have been going to school since they were tiny. What I didn't tell her was that if they had a trainer more experienced than myself they would probably be even further along LOL The vet checked them from nose to tail and said they are in excellent health. Their hearts are strong, ears are clean, teeth look good, etc. He also said their weights are perfect. Katie is 110 and Louie is 109.
While we were waiting to pay our bill we made friends with this tiny little dog. She was a little nervous about Katie and Louie until I included her in a couple of rounds of hot dog treats.
Yesterday was little Louie's 1st birthday! One year ago I received a phone call from our breeders telling me that Robin and Loki's puppies had arrived. There were 3 girls and 7 boys. We were getting second pick of the litter after our breeders made their choice, so we were thrilled that there would be a lot of boys to choose from. I met the puppies when they were ten days old and held every one of them. I didn't know which one was Louie, but I knew that one of them would be our baby.
The second time I visited the litter the pups were about 2 1/2 weeks old. Bonnie told me that Mr. Red had already managed to climb out of the whelping box. I thought to myself "We definitely shouldn't get Red. He's going to be a mischievous troublemaker." Ha ha... who did we end up with? Mr. Red, of course. He had the sweetest personality and that was our top priority. Bonnie and Bill knew that I would fall for him so they started calling him Louie when he was about four weeks old. We definitely ended up with the perfect puppy for our family. Gary, Katie and I all adore and love Louie so much. He is very affectionate, brilliantly smart, and is quite a handsome Newf puppy. We are so grateful for everyday that we share with Louie.
Louie during his first few minutes home at the Happy Haus
And now the birthday boy would like to tell you all about his big day.
Birthdays are super cool. Even though I get tons of attention everyday of the year I got even more on my birthday. I love to be the center of attention, so it worked out great.
My day started off the usual way. The first thing I do everyday is cuddle with my Dad.
After a delicious breakfast I played in the backyard with my toys and my sister.
Since it was my birthday I decided to be generous and let my sister Katie harass me for once. Usually I spend most of my waking time jumping on her and stealing her toys.
This is me pretending to be grown up :-)
My favorite thing in the whole world is to have my pack together. I don't care what we do as long as I have Mama, Daddy and Katie by my side. Since it was my birthday though we got to go somewhere very special. We drove for about an hour in the car until we got to this place called Petit Jean State Park. We got to hike on a cool trail called the Seven Hollows Trail. Katie and I loved it.
Here we are at the natural stone bridge
And by a big rock with Mama
Since we had the whole place pretty much to ourselves we decided to practice our recalls. This is our favorite obedience exercise because we get to run and when we get to Mom or Dad we get cookies!!!
Here's a video of our first recall from the perspective of Mama who had to eat our dust as we ran to Daddy.
Here's our second recall taken from the perspective of Daddy as we raced to see who could reach him first. Who do you think won??? :-)
Running to Daddy is fun
Me and Katie pretending to be cave bears
After dinner and my special birthday sardines it was time for a rest with my sister Katie who is also my BFF.
Birthdays are the best! I plan on having lots and lots of them.
Katie is getting very relaxed in her role as a therapy dog. She really seems to understand the purpose of our visits now. She has come such a long way from the puppy who used to be terrified of anything with wheels. Look at her now:
When we visit children at Easter Seals she is completely at ease around the wheelchairs. (Child's face blurred to protect privacy)
Some of the children like to walk Katie. For safety purposes I keep two leashes attached to her so that the child can "walk" Katie while I still maintain control. Katie is starting to do a great job of slowing down her normally incredibly fast pace to match the slower paces of the children. Katie brings so many smiles to their faces and to mine.
Guess what we got in the mail today???? Our second I171H (approved as of 1/6/2009) which is now good until 7/6/2010!!!! For non adoption people it may be a bit difficult to understand the great excitement caused by the receipt of this document. The I171H basically means that you have been approved by the Department of Homeland Security to bring an orphan into the country for the purpose of adoption. The document only has a shelf life of 18 months, but there are a few loopholes which I took complete advantage of in the hopes that we wouldn't have to do this three times. Most of my adopting friends who were logged in around the same time as us are getting ready to file for their third round because their second round is about to expire. For the last couple of months I have been mentally biting my nails wondering if DHS was going to process our paperwork correctly or if they were going to make us start all over with the I800A form (an expensive and extremely time consuming document). Now it appears that we might actually get by with only going through this red tape nightmare twice! Hooray!!!!! I am truly ecstatic!
By the way, the Chinese government has completed referrals for the month of February 2006. We were logged in on July 22, 2006, so we are definitely getting closer to bringing Natalie home. I predict she will be home in late spring or early summer of 2010. We are finally on the downhill portion of the wait for our daughter.
When you shop at Amazon.com please click on the above logo to do your shopping. You will be supporting LWB, an organization that provides many orphans in China much needed surgery, food, education and love.
"Welcome home to the Happy Haus" is the greeting I used to receive from Gary when we arrived home from work each day. Gary and I brought our daughter Natalie home from China in November 2011 to live with us in our cozy cottage. In October of 2013, we unexpectedly lost Gary, our dear husband, father and friend.
Our family includes our two sweet Newfoundland dogs, Katie and Louie. Newfoundlands are working dogs, so we make sure our two always have a job to do. Katie and Louie are both certified therapy dogs and bring lots of joy to people who are in need of some Newfie love. They have also competed in Rally Obedience. Katie has earned a Rally Advanced title and Louie has earned a Rally Excellent title. In keeping with Newf tradition, Katie has become a proficient draft dog while Louie prefers practicing water rescue whenever he gets an opportunity. They are also both protectors of their little sister, Natalie.
- Charity
