The Healing Power of a Dog's Love

Moses is a big,  beautiful, 100 pound, cream colored golden retriever.

He has a way of looking at you that melts your heart. He lived with our family for two weeks, until it was determined that he and Kelly couldn't resolve their differences and wouldn't be a good fit for each other. Then he was adopted by his foster mom, Kathy, and found a happy forever home there.

When we had Moses, we often took him to visit my in-laws. He became good friends with my father-in-law, Ed. They just hit it off right away.

Ed had been suffering from COPD for more than a dozen years. This spring, he caught a cold that he was unable to shake off, and with his compromised breathing, he ended up in the hospital, and then home on hospice care. We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible. We brought a big hospital bed into the living room, where he could be a part of what was going on. As he grew more ill, he didn't want many visitors. But my husband got the idea that maybe it would be nice if Moses paid him a visit.

We called Kathy and she readily agreed. She gave us the option of a few dates they were free. "We'd better make it tomorrow," I suggested, knowing how Ed had become quite ill.

The next day Moses arrived. Ed had been sleeping most of the last few days, and hadn't even had the energy to eat or communicate. Kathy gave us the leash, and we led Moses over to the bedside. "You have a visitor!" my husband said.  "Remember Moses?"

Ed opened his eyes and struggled to move. We helped him sit up, and he stretched out his hand and touched the top of Moses's head. Just like he had all those times before when Moses came to visit. Moses sat as still as could be as Ed stroked his head and neck. For a few moments, I think, the pain and fear disappeared as Moses looked straight into Ed's eyes.

The visit lasted only a few minutes, and Ed fell right back asleep, exhausted.
The next day Ed passed away.

I like to think that the visit gave Ed a wonderful sendoff, a beautiful reminder of the love that was all around him, and that was waiting for him in heaven. For a dog's healing love is powerful.


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What do you do when you can't find a dog to adopt?

Not long after we lost Brooks, we began searching for another golden retriever, inspired by the poem with the line: "...To a poor lonely stray I'd give my happy home, my bowl, my cozy bed..."
Brooks would want us to adopt another.

We just haven't had any luck. We had our name in at six different rescue groups. The local rescue groups didn't have any golden retrievers...the golden retriever rescues adopted out dogs to other interested parties before we got a chance to inquire... dogs we were interested in were too assertive for Kelly....or too timid for Kelly....or the foster parents decided to adopt the dog themselves....time and time again, we fell for a sweet golden face on the internet, or in person, only to end up disappointed.

So what do you do when you can't find a dog to adopt? We considered buying a puppy from a golden retriever breeder. We considered that we may stay a one-dog family. We considered many options, but then we decided to be patient and wait. Keep Looking...because something good might be just around the corner......
Just maybe...  :)    (hint, hint!!)

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Valentines cards and candy Just for You!

Brooks has Valentines cards for you.

Kelly wants to share her candy hearts with you.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
LOVE, BROOKS AND KELLY


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Happy Thanksgiving, Get Cookin'

Get Cookin' Mom!

Happy Thanksgiving, Love Brooks and Kelly

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Two Very Different Dogs, One Do it Yourself Dog wash

Saturday Kelly and Brooks took us to Shampoodle Dog Wash and Spa in Delmar NY. Usually we bathe the dogs in the tub, which requires kneeling on the floor and uncomfortable contortions bending over the tub, sopping towels and a big mess afterward. Would Shampoodle be a good solution?

















The dirty dogs:
Brooks- friendly, calm, senior Golden Retriever
Kelly- anxious, sweet but not reliably friendly with other dogs, Spaniel mix.

We entered the building and were greeted by a friendly receptionist who explained everything we need to know. The dog wash is $13, and two can share a tub for $19. Each tub is in its own little room. We decided one of the rooms with a gate would be best for Kelly. (There were plenty of other dogs there at the time and happily, she didn't have a problem with any of them. But it was nice to have the gate there just in case.)

The rooms were equipped with aprons for us to wear (although I forgot, which is too bad because I did end up getting rather soaked, due to Kelly's wiggling!), shampoo, conditioner, eye cleaner, ear cleaner, and more.

Kelly went first. She had no problem climbing up the steps and into the tub. It was spacious enough that she didn't feel confined. The tub has a nice, non-slip bottom. We tethered Kelly to the hook and used the nice gentle flow from the shower wand. Everything was in easy reach and convenient. No bending over. We could even get in the tub with her if we needed to, which we did because Kelly isn't the most cooperative when it comes to baths. The staff frequently checked to see if we needed anything, and at one point suggested we used a small rubber scrubber on Kelly, which they said is like a massage, and it really did help calm her.

"Are you sure, Mom?"

"I guess it's not so bad afterall, Mom!"

Next Brooks. Because he has skin problems, they brought him a hypoallergenic shampoo. We sprayed the water and he stood there and enjoyed the bath with a smile. No wiggling. Just, "more please!"

"More please!"

Two very different dogs. Shampoodle worked great for each of them.

After their baths, the staff brought warm towels, as many as we needed. There is a powerful blow dryer right in the room, which Brooks enjoyed until he was fluffy and dry. For Kelly, I tried using a small hand dryer, but she wasn't too crazy about that. So they brought me chamois which soaked up the water and helped get her fairly dry before we had to leave. I was impressed at how the staff was ready with a solution for any situation, easily adaptable, and agreeable to doing whatever was needed to make it an enjoyable experience for the dog, and pet parent too!

We left with two clean, soft, fluffy dogs...and all the towels, the mess, and wet floor, left behind!

Ready to go!

We agree, this was a wonderful experience, and the only way we'd bathe our dogs again. If  you live in our area, I hope you try Shampoodle. If not, I hope you have a do it yourself dog wash like Shampoodle near you.

Look how fluffy!

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Brooks Books- The Divinity of Dogs

Brooks: I found this book for Mom because, well, because of the dog on the cover. Isn't it a lovely resemblance? I figure that any book with a golden retriever on the cover has to be good.

 














And this book is full of "true stories of miracles inspired by man's best friend"...I can tell you, and many of my friends can tell you, about miracles. Dogs are great at miracles! Here's Mom to tell you about the book.

Me: The Divinity of Dogs by Jennifer Skiff is a book of more than 70 heartwarming, true stories about dogs and the gifts they bring to us humans. I write frequently about the healing love of animals, a subject which I love, and so I was immediately attracted to this book. In fact, in my book Heart to Heart, Hand in Paw my chapter headings are Animals Heal, Animals Forgive, Animals Teach and Animals Love. Skiff's book chapters include love, forgiveness, and healing. So it's clear we're on the same track!

My favorite section of the book is labeled "Gratitude: Appreciating Home." There I read story after story of dogs who were neglected, abused, or homeless and had been rescued by a loving person. As someone who shares her home with two rescue dogs, I share the emotions expressed by the authors of these tales. I often wonder about my dogs' lives before coming to our home, who they lived with, what their names were, and how they happened to end up alone. It may just be a human foible to think that our dogs are grateful for us rescuing them. Or maybe what we perceive as gratefulness is really their innate ability sense of devotion. Whatever it may be, I am sure dogs feel a sense of peace and happiness when treated with respect and love.

I highly recommend The Divinity of Dogs. The stories are beautifully written and you'll feel like you've shared the joy, the tears, and the experiences told. It's a great book for reading a story or two before bed or when you want to relax for a few minutes.

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Brooks Says, Adopt a Senior Dog

I'm joining Petfinder in celebrating November as Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month.

Why is this one of my "pet" causes? --If you're a regular here, you know it's because we adopted Brooks as a senior dog. Brooks was 11 years old when we adopted him this spring.


It took a leap of faith to adopt a dog this old. Larger breeds like Brooks don't have a much longer life expectancy, on average. I didn't want to adopt him, only to have my heart broken if we were to lose him in a short time. But my husband sealed the deal when he looked at Brooks and said, "But Honey, he deserves a loving home in his golden years."

Brooks has turned out to be loving, gentle, easy-going, and the perfect dog for us. We've only had him for 6 months so far, and he's stolen our hearts. Even our resident dog Kelly is beginning to come around. She was jealous at first, and put him in his place. Now, at times, she'll lick his face and sleep beside him.

Brooks is easy to care for. "Think of a pet that is already trained and doesn't chew or scratch everything in sight -- a pet who will love you unconditionally," said Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com's Vice President of Shelter Outreach and Public Relations. "That's what you get when you adopt a senior pet."

Some people worry that a senior pet comes with problems. We got lucky. Brooks has fewer "issues" than Kelly, adopted at 1 year old (also through Petfinder.) I think senior dogs just want what any dog wants--love.

Brooks has some health issues--he has allergies and at the moment needs to be on steroids. But no dog, young or old, has any guarantees. A friend of mine paid a hefty price for a labradoodle puppy and after only a month it was discovered that the pup had a life threatening immune condition. (Fortunately the puppy is improving.) When we adopted Brooks, I accepted that we needed to be prepared to provide for additional senior health needs, if they were to arise.

So don't be afraid. A senior dog has lots of love to give. A senior dog deserves a loving home for his or her golden years. During Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month, take the opportunity to get acquainted with the older pets available at your local shelter or rescue group, or at www.petfinder.com.

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Mission Pawsible

4 Paws for Ability Papillion

I was talking to a woman on the phone. "Excuse the noise," she said. "I'm transporting a carload of papillions." In the background I heard little yaps and barks.

"No problem." I continued conducting the interview. I was speaking with Karen Shirk, director of 4 Paws for Ability, for an article I was writing for Guideposts magazine's website.

4 Paws for Ability provides service dogs for children with disabilities. Karen started the organization because she realized that many kids were turned down for service dogs. When she was a teen, suffering from a rare neurological disease, she had applied for a service dog and was turned down over and over again. They told her that she was too disabled to qualify. So she understands what it's like to struggle to get necessary help.

Karen explained that 4 Paws for Ability helps kids with autism, Down’s syndrome, diabetes, seizures, cancer, hearing impairment, loss of mobility, mental health impairments, and many other conditions.

Some golden retriever puppies at 4 Paws for Ability.

Over the phone, I heard her pull up to a fast food drive thru and order some food. I thought, this is a very busy woman, devoting all she has to help others, and animals. I felt honored that she took time out of her schedule to talk to me. I was inspired learning about 4 Paws for Ability, how she is helping people with disabilities, working with the dogs, and also how she is involving prison inmates in helping train and socialize the dogs, thus helping inmates feel a sense of worth and contribution to society as well.

You can find the complete article on Guidepost's website: Mission Pawsible.

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Moses' New Home

You meet a lot of nice folk at picnics...and guess who we met?

This weekend we attended a reunion picnic for everyone who adopted their dogs from Peppertree Rescue. Brooks enjoyed meeting all the other dogs including....
Moses!
Remember Moses, the beautiful, big golden retriever boy who came to join our family, however the sibling relationship didn't work out.

Moses' story was sad. He'd lived with a man who had become somewhat of a hermit, living alone in the mountains. One day the man died, and Moses stayed with his best friend's body for a week before anyone noticed the man had passed away and found him.

Luckily, Peppertree Rescue took Moses in, and he was fostered by a woman named Kathy. That's when we decided to adopt Moses. Peppertree gives a two week trial period before the adoption is final. During that time, however, Kelly and Moses weren't able to work out their differences. They both wanted to be top dog, and tensions in the house were so high trying to keep peace, sadly, we decided that he wasn't the right match for us and said goodbye.

Kathy readily agreed to take Moses back. And good news... she fell so much in love with him, she adopted him! Here's the happy family, Moses with his new pals.

It was great to see Moses! Kathy describes him as "happy and hungry." He's a wonderful dog, and I'm so happy that he has a wonderful family! And a happy ending for all, because Kathy has Moses, and we have Brooks, and everyone is in the best possible places.

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May Your Weekend Be...

Relaxing

 Meaningful




















Fun!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!
from me, Kelly and Brooks

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Kelly and Brooks

Okay, so now the question you're all waiting for....how do Kelly and Brooks get along?

Does this answer things?

I can't say that Kelly hasn't been bossy.  She makes a big, noisy scene and gets possessive over food. A crumb dropped on the floor. A tennis ball. Me. Especially me. She still is having a difficult time sharing.

But Brooks is one smart boy. He just stands there as if to say, "Whatever, girl." Or he walks away. He learns fast. He wants to stay.

I've learned too. I've learned not to get afraid and emotional while they work things out. I've learned that showing Brooks love and attention does not mean that I love Kelly any less. I've learned that Kelly can accept another dog.

And maybe, just maybe they'll become buddies. 

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Our new dog

We've been looking to add a dog to the family for some time now. We've even met a few potential pets, but it hasn't been the right match...the right time...the right circumstances.
Enter Moses.

"Thank you for taking me home!"

I have to say right off the bat, we knew we wanted a submissive male, but I was looking for a medium sized dog.

"I wish I fit under the table."

Oh well.

Moses has a sad story. His owner had been in a car accident and became disabled, and apparently distraught because he left his family and went to live alone in the woods. He and Moses were best buds there in the mountains together. Sadly, the man had a heart attack and died. Moses was alone in the cabin with the body for a week before anyone noticed the man had died.

Now we have adopted Moses. The first thing he did was run into the house and grab this cow. (Note: it is NOT a dog toy!)

"Can I have it?"

 Moses loves attention. He would sit and be patted for hours. He loves men especially. He begs for food. He empties trash cans. He also sleeps a lot. He's a big softie though and he has the ability to just melt you when he leans into you and just wants to be loved.

"Hi Grampa!"

Next time: How did Kelly react to Moses?

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