Babies are Growing Up

Today Jessie is 16 months old and Rusty is 5 months old. Rusty is definitely growing faster. He's very leggy and his backside sometimes moves faster than his front. He is a sweet dog who is pretty darn smart: he knows sit, crate, out, and is getting good at fetch! He is getting along well with both girls and even lets Jessie give him hugs.

Jessie is growing fast too. She has 7 teeth and her hair is starting to come in. Though I think it will be awhile before she needs a haircut! She has started going to Sunday School though I don't know that she gets anything out if it. They try to get her to color but I think she mostly chews on the crayons!

She fights sleeps as much as her sister and doesn't nap well at home, unless we're in the car! She loves playing with her babies, wrapping them in blankets, giving them bottles and carrying them in the doll carrier.

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A new baby in the house

Maggie is completely head over heels!

As we all are!

You may be right; I may be crazy

That little black bundle of fur will be joining our family on Saturday July 2.  Little Rusty and his 5 brothers and sisters and his momma were rescued during some of the recent flooding.  His momma’s previous owners had her tied to a tree 24/7 and she gave birth to the pups tied to the tree.  She is a border collie/corgi mix and they think the dad had some Lab and chow.  Rocky found these pups via one of his coworkers who volunteers at B.A.R.K., taking great photos of the rescued pups and cats.  We picked out one via the photos and stopped by last Saturday to check them out.  They had just been given their parvo shots, so we weren’t able to go in and play with them.  Sandy told us we could bring Maggie by on Monday (the day they are closed) and let her go in and pick out a pup.  Based on the pictures, again, we were sold on Rusty. When Maggie and I got there Monday afternoon, it was a wild bundle of black fur!  Maggie played with them a bit and then I asked for clarification on which one was Rusty.  She told us – the mostly black one with a little white mark on his back -- and Maggie focused on him and even picked him up.  I asked Maggie a couple of times if that was the one she wanted and she was certain.  Rocky and I were really only concerned with getting a male as Wiconi most likely wouldn’t put up with another female in the house.  So we told Sandy that we would take Rusty.

As we were leaving, Sandy came out to the car to let us know she mixed up Rex and Rusty.  Rex is actually the mostly black on with white paws, tail tip and marking on his back.  Maggie didn’t care.  She decided she wanted us to get Rex, but we will call him Rusty.  And on Saturday, we go pick him up.

Pretty sure we’re a little crazy for taking on a puppy.  But it will be nice to have a young dog around – we’ve always gotten adult dogs.  And Maggie has been asking for a puppy for several months (even asking for one barely an hour after we told her about Otis).  Many more pictures to come.

Rest in peace, Otis

We unexpectedly said goodbye to Otis this past weekend.  On Friday evening, he suddenly lost the use of his legs.  Rocky carried him outside.  He wagged his tail and looked up at me happily when I gave him some leftover ham.  Rocky spent time time petting him Friday evening, but when we woke up Saturday morning, he was gone.  Rocky buried him in the garden and Saturday afternoon, Maggie & I planted the garden over him (though Maggie doesn’t know he’s buried there).

Otis came to live with us soon after we got married and were living in Virginia. We felt Nala needed a companion and found Otis from a Humane Society who was showing dogs available for adoption outside a Pet Smart.  He was barking, but stopped when we got close.  We decided to foster him for a week to be sure he would get a long with Nala.  His first free time in the backyard led to the first of many escapes from the our backyards.  We didn’t think we should keep him as he was such an escape artist and we didn’t want to have a dog on a chain.  After returning him, the Humane Society (knowing a sucker when they see one) called me and, well, Otis came back home with us.

Otis & Nala got along quite well and loved to play together.  Probably because Otis was such a young dog, he was probably around 2 when he came to live with us.  He loved to play and go on walks, but he was never what you would call a “pack” dog.  He never “needed” to be with the rest of the family.  And quite honestly, there were a few times we seriously considered getting rid of him.  He wasn’t quite sure of what to make of Maggie when we first brought her home, and expressed his dislike of her when she started crawling by snapping at her.  We sent him to doggie boot camp when we went on a 2 week vacation and he did better around her after that.  Once she got out of toddlerhood, he really seemed to enjoy her company.  He never really seemed to like Jessie, but tolerated her once she started walking and would let her grab her ear without too much fuss.

Otis adjusted to life well in Montana and adjusted well after Nala passed away.  He did well as an only dog and did good with whatever we threw at him, even Wiconi.

He really was a good dog in ways I never expected.  Maggie is comforted by thinking about Otis playing with Nala in heaven.  I hope and pray that he is.  Perhaps he is enjoying some sun and the cool breeze that he enjoyed so much since moving to Montana.  Otis, you may not have been the most handsome dog, but you were ours.  I am going to miss seeing you sleeping on my side of the bed each morning, the way you would come running if you thought there was the slightest chance of a treat or even a plate to lick, your special little Elvis lip.

 

First Snow of the Season

We got our first snow of the season this weekend. Maggie was THRILLED. As she told me, she can make “snow men, snow dogs, snow cats, snow mice and snow angels.” She went out almost as soon as she got up this morning. She was only out for about 10 minutes or so when she decided it was too cold. We did get the dogs out for a little bit. We have some pretty whimpy dogs who did not want to be out in the snow. Though, when we got home from the movies this afternoon, Otis was laying out in the middle of the yard. Just when I think I’ve got them figured out, they throw me a curve ball.

Do you see Rocky's hand in that last photo? He was throwing snow in my face as I snapped the photo.

Training with Otis

A couple of weekends ago, Rocky spent Saturday morning golfing.  It was a beautiful morning, so Maggie, Jessie & I hung out in the backyard.  Maggie thought it was a good time to “train” Otis.  She took some dog food and doled it out piece by piece as she got Otis to follow her around the backyard.  I’m glad I grabbed the camera.

 

Best Friends

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

Otis & Wiconi

Otis and Wiconi were watching some dogs on a walk last weekend and both jumped on the beanbag to bark.  Of course, I could not get them to repeat their actions, but I did get a couple of nice shots.  Otis really enjoys the beanbag on warm sunny days.

It's not Grandma's Feather Bed

With 2 dogs and a little girl who loves to snuggle, it can sometimes get a little crowded in our bed. Otis is not a snuggler and on the rare occasion he will get into bed with us, he never stays long. His "spot" is on the floor by my side of the bed. Last night, however, was a different story. When Maggie and I went to bed, Otis was sprawled out on my side of the bed. Just happy he was wanted to be part of the pack, I let him stay there and Maggie and I snuggled next to him. Well, it was long after that Wiconi must have decided it was time for her to come to bed as I heard her jingling up the stairs and she jumped into bed with us. She took her typical spot at the foot of the bed. With the four of us in bed, I started thinking about John Denver's song "Grandma's Feather Bed", specifically, the Muppet Show version. One more kid and we may need a bigger bed, especially if we get another snuggler!!

Otis, in true fashion, did not spend all night. Soon after I turned off the light, I felt him stand up, and then heard him whine at the foot of the bed. I turned on the lamp and he jumped right off. Stinker was scared to jump off the bed in the dark!

The Great Escapes

In early June, we had a fence put in. Otis immediately found a "weak" spot and got out, but in his usual fashion, just went over to the neighbor's. We still kept him in the garage during the day as we hadn't put in the doggie door yet and he really enjoys hanging out in the garage -- probably because that's where his bed is.

Along come Wiconi and Rocky put in the doggie door. Otis decided to utilize this new power source and escape the backyard, less than 4 hours after we had left for the day. Again, in his usual fashion, he headed to the neighbor's. They didn't know who Wiconi was, but as she seemed to be with Otis, neighbor Jan took them both into their backyard. All of this happened as Rocky was coming home for lunch to check on them. They got to spend the rest of their days in the house and wait for us to come home for a potty break.


In the meantime, we would leave the doggie door open when we were home as they seemed to just go out to do their business and come back in to hang with us. Apparently, they were just lulling us into a false sense of security as one night, they escaped the backyard. When we got home in the morning, they were sleeping just outside the fence by the side deck. A few weeks later, I got the priviledge of chasing them down after another escape. We're fairly certain they were probably chasing after something when they got out and just couldn't find their way back in.

So, the doggie door remained closed for several weeks while we decided what to do. After some research, Rocky felt the best course of action was an invisible fence. Rocky spent most of yesterday putting in the fence. Wiconi seemed to recognize the collar, but Otis wasn't quite sure what to think of this new collar. After finishing the invisible fence and collars on, Rocky took the dogs outside. Maggie and I scrambled to find slippers to watch as I knew Otis would be the first to get shocked. Before we had even found the slippers, Otis was yelping after getting a little too close to his usual escape spot. Of course, it isn't funny, but it SO is! Wiconi had to be enticed/dragged to get close to the fence so we could show her what would happen. She definitely knew what was going on with the new collars.

We left the collars on and the doggie door open all night. Otis went out and came back in, tail between his legs, in the late evening. We knew what happened to him. He ran a little close to the garden earlier today and got another shock. At least he won't dig once we plant there.

The current plan is to leave them with collars on and doggie door open tomorrow as we are fairly certain they aren't going anywhere. Especially as Otis' first move after the shock is to run into the house and hide by our bed. It will take a long time to dig out that way.

Wiconi Pictures

I've uploaded some pictures of Wiconi to Facebook.

Maggie and Otis have adapted quickly to another dog in the house. I think Otis was a little disappointed that Wiconi did not start playing right away. He looked at her like she was familiar, but kept sniffing her as if to determine that this was NOT Nala. Wiconi bears a striking resemblance to Nala, except with a black, white and grey coat. Wiconi even has a lot of Nala's mannerisms, probably similar to any senior Malamute.

I found Wiconi last Monday on Petfinder.com. I was curious to see if there were any Malamutes in the area. After the fence was put in, we talked about a 2nd dog. Various discussions led us to realize that we really wanted another Malamute. So, that eliminated trying to get an English Shepherd that had been rescued (an ongoing saga here in Billings about a dog hoarder). We briefly discussed rescuing a Siberian Husky from another hoarder in Montana, this time in Kalispell (about an 8 hour drive), or driving to the nearest Malamute rescue in Pocatello Idaho (6 hour drive). Realizing that either of those trips would be extremely costily: gas, food, overnight accomodations, we decided we should look to see if we could find a breeder. Unfortunately, Malamute breeders are hard to find in Montana -- seriously, who would think it would be hard to find a sled dog in Montana?? Thus my search on Petfinder.

I sent Wiconi's picture to Rocky who immediately asked me to call. I did, and Tuesday evening we took a drive to Round Up MT to meet Wiconi. Maggie and Otis came along. Otis was rather nonplussed by all the dogs there, though was very happy to be going home with us! Maggie cried and cried on the way home because she wanted "a little black puppy." It didn't take us long to decide we wanted Waconi and by Friday, she was ready to come home!

Rocky brought Wiconi home around 4 p.m. She didn't want to get out of the car, so in an effort to entice her, he opened the garage door and both car doors. And she took off. With Otis not far behind. Fortunately, Otis actually listened to Rocky and ran back home. I locked Otis in the house as Rocky took off after Wiconi with a leash. Maggie waited impatiently for them to return. It had taken us a few days to convince Maggie that Wiconi was the dog coming home and not one of the other 13 dogs that was at the Rimrock Humane Society. But seeing Waconi (or "the black and white dog" as Maggie sometimes calls her) in our yard, Maggie seemed to easily fall in love with her. And fortunately, Waconi seems like to kids as she easily puts up with Maggie's love.

We are trying out both Wiconi and Winnie for names for her, though Wiconi seems to be working out okay. We are pronouncing it Wi-CONE-ee.

Wiconi wasn't quite sure what to think last night. She spent a lot of time looking out the front window, perhaps waiting for her old friend Samantha (who is still available for adoption) to come by. She did jump into bed with us for a while, but much like Otis, didn't stay for the night. She also spent most of her first night sleeping on the floor in our room.

Early Saturday morning, Rocky took Otis and Wiconi for a walk on the doubler. He said they both did very well so future walks should not be a problem. We spent time playing outside and Rocky got Wiconi to play with Otis, which seemed to thrill Otis to no end. I think he was a little disappointed Wiconi wouldn't play Friday night, as he had pawed at her a few times, to no reaction.

Currently, Otis and Wiconi are enjoying a shady part of the yard taking a well deserved senior nap. Welcome home Wiconi.

Newest Member of our Family

This beautiful Malamute will be joining our family this afternoon. Her current name is Wiconi Waste (WICK-OWN-AY WASH-TAY) a Lakota name meaning "Good Life". We will most likely call her Winnie.

You can watch her play with her foster brother here. I will add more pictures tomorrow.

New Fence!

We got a fence installed! Our neighbors decided to put one in, so we shared the cost of one side. There are a few spots that Otis can get out of (and he's eyeing them like he can't wait to try), so the doggie door won't go in just yet. I think if we plant some prickly raspberry bushes it might be enough to deter him -- though it depends on how much he wants to get out!

June 10 update: Otis found a spot to dig out! I turned my back for a minute while we were in the backyard and he wiggled his way out!! He was back about 15 minutes later, but has proven himself untrustworthy, for now.

Spring

Historically, I have not been a big fan of spring. Growing up, the end of winter meant mud, muck, puddles of water surrounding the house as the snow that had been present for at least 5 months melted. Spring also means that summer is just around the corner and with that, heat, humidity and staying in the house. Here in Montana, though, I am developing a new appreciation for spring. I don't know if it is Montana or a certain little girl that is helping me to learn to enjoy this season.

I took Friday off from work and Maggie and I enjoyed the day. We watched cartoons and then went shopping. Our excursion included about 2 hours at Barnes & Noble, where we had a little coffee date and read stories. Our afternoon was spent running around the backyard and rolling in the grass like Otis. When Rocky got home, we hung out in the garage and Maggie took Rocky on a trike ride.

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Saturday, we enjoyed another nice day! We started our day at the Beartooth Nature Center in Red Lodge. The Nature Center cares for wild animals who are no longer able to care for themselves or who have been raised by humans and abandoned. Maggie really enjoyed seeing all the animals, especially Speedy the buffalo, the moose and the owls. She was upset when we had to leave.

We cheered her up when we got home by breaking out the chalk and putting up the tent to get it ready for camping this summer. She loved running in and out of the tent and was sad when we took it down this morning. I think it will be ready for our first camping trip, which is set for the first weekend in May to Yellowstone.