K9 to Equine: my life with animals

Anna never ceases to amaze me when it comes to her effect on the opposite sex.   

When we go to the dog park, males flock to her.  Human  as well as canine.  And yes, she is spayed. Yesterday a man here for a buisness meeting once again fell to Annabelle's  'magical' powers!

When Tim knocked on the door Anna was nestled on her recliner. She opened her eyes, but otherwise didn't move.  I greeted him as he walked in & acknowledged the cacahophony created by Chief & Hope who were regulated to the yard.  In stark contrast to her noisey siblings, Anna reclined gracefully on her throne.  Tim glanced over at Anna, who at this point was gazing at him with mild  interest (still reclining,  having only lifted her eyes in his direction). That was all it took.  Smiling, he crossed the room toward her, while asking me her name.  At this point, Annabelle had lifted her head & was demurely gazing at him.  Reaching her, Tim  began petting her head, marveling at her sweetness & beauty.  This eventually evoloved into him telling me about dogs he had growing up & how he would love to have a dog, but his traveling prevented this.  "Maybe some day." he smiled as he gave Anna one last ear rub.  

Might I add that all of this required only the lifting of her head.  Nothing more.   

I should probably start taking her out with me to parties too.  ;-)

 

 

Animal pals

Anyone who shares their life with animals knows that they love & bond just as we do.  I thought I'd share some of my animal friend stories......  

Laser & Hope.  An unlikely pair.  She was 'mini me' to him.   Copying her big brother's every move.   This of course was quite comical given their difference in size!

 

Monty & Laser. Monty lived me while her family was building their house. She & Laser were life long friends after that.  Even after she returned to live with her family (next door), she visited her buddy.  She taught Laser about the 'good' things in life.... like swimming, & how to escape from the yard.  One day I watched while she stood by &  taught him how to pull the chain link fence back & forth to loosen the pegs I'd put in the ground to anchor it.  Once he had loosened it enough, she pushed herself under    w/him hot on her tail. Seriously, I KNOW these two had long conversations regarding "How to" do things.....

 

Samantha & Ross, my cat.  I didn't know that Sammy was deaf until Ross passed away.  Only then did I realize that he was the one who 'told' her that I had come home from work & it was time to greet me!  Those two were like an old married couple.  He'd climb up on the bed while she slept in (Sammie didn't like mornings) & carefully locate her 'lump' under the covers. THEN he'd pounce!  She'd snarl & snap, then circle & settle in again to return to her nap.  He'd wait. And then repeat the pounce from another angle.  This scenario would repeat itself until finally, Sam had enough & would struggle to free herself from the covers.  Of course, by then, Ross would be no where in sight. 

 

 

And then there's the two love birds....  Anna & Laser.  This photo is one of my favorites.  I call it, 

 'The Kiss'.  

When I went to Dogs Hope the first time, I wanted to pick a dog to be Laser's friend.  Anna chose him, & they were quite the pair;  serious smoochers & snugglers, there was no doubt that these two were  in love.  It wasn't until Laser was no longer with us that I was shocked to realize that  Anna was NOT my companion, but Laser's.  After 4 weeks of her mourning his passing (she stayed in the bathtub), she finally came out & we started to bond.   I have to laugh at my human arrogance in assuming that I would, simply by virtue of picking her up from Dogs Hope, be 'top dog' in her heart.  Yet another lesson learned from my four legged housemates.

Bunny Hunt

As I'm getting ready to let Chief off the leash, I have flashbacks to the adventures I've had with my crew.  Thought I'd share this one with you....

 

The usual morning routine: get up, get coffee a bit of breakfast & then head out to feed the mares.  The dogs, all 3 join me in this little adventure.  It’s getting difficult keeping Laser by my side though, so frequently I tell him to stay in the yard while the girls accompany me out.  Laser sits & supervises from within the yard.

 

On this morning, I decided to give the boy another chance.  So all 4 of us went out to feed.  Of course, as soon as he crossed through the gate he took off, with the littlest sister in hot pursuit.  They acted with such precision I can not believe that there wasn’t  a plan.  Through the paddock, under the fences to Danny’s treasure chest of adventures.   

 Danny’s farm has everything a dog could possibly desire.  It’s occupants vary over time, exotic game birds are always present followed by various hoofed creatures: deer, pigs, goats, ponies....  On this particular day it was the bunnies who got the dogs‘ attention.   The bunnies, having tunneled under their habitat  venture out at will, returning each day for food & naps.  One bunny, a pretty black one, must be very smart as he has lived this double life for a few years now.  Somehow managing to avoid the fox, hawks, owls & Laser.  

 

On this fateful day the hunters left me behind ignoring my pleas to return.  Trusting that Hope at least wouldn’t venture far, & knowing that I couldn’t catch Laser I went about my morning duties,  praising Annabelle for sticking by my side & being “the only good dog here!”   Soon afterward I heard my little Hope yipping & screaming.  Convinced she’d met up w/a fox or raccoon I tossed the pitchfork & raced toward her yowls, heart in my throat.  MUCH to surprise, when I arrived upon the scene, I saw Laser, standing next to the bunny habitat, over a hole, looking at what he clearly believed to be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  But where was Hope?  Just then I heard her yips & yowls from underneath us!  She was in the rabbit tunnels, apparently chasing one of the inhabitants!  Initially I feared she was stuck.  How the HELL was I going to get her out?  But then I realized, as the sounds of her yips moved, that she was chasing the bunny through the underground network of tunnels!!!!  Realizing that this was a team sport, I grabbed Laser’s collar & pulled him away, dragging him (scolding him) all the way.  Sure enough, shortly after removing the jaws of death from their position Hope returned.  A little dirty, but otherwise none the worse for the wear. 

 

BAD DAY

This morning dawned like any other.  Alarm goes off, grab a cup of coffee & down to the barn to feed the mares.  Little black dog leading the way, Anna still asleep & Chief checking out the yard.  Since  it was 12 degrees, no one stayed out with me long. Chief was the first to return to the comforts of home, followed by Hope.  As I was going about my morning chores, I thought I heard a yelp, coming from the house.  I looked up, saw nothing, but heard my neighbors beagle bark.  I decided  it was him.....

I finished with my chores & started up the path to the house, that's when I saw Chief's butt, hanging out the dog door.  "Hmmmmm, that's odd!"  I quickened my pace over the icy path.  Arriving at the dog door, I gently pushed his bum forward, encouraging him to enter.  No go.

I pushed again.  No go.  

I pushed more firmly, concerned about what was happening, on the other side of the door...

Chief moved through the door, but I still couldn't open it;  apparently he was laying on the other side.  A bit freaked out by this point, I pushed the door open, & what I saw had me LOL.  There was my poor Chief, cowering with his head AND right front shoulder inside the cover of the cat litter hood!!!!

The poor dog was shaking horribly & literally peeing himself, (this would be the reason I have no pictures of this humiliating situation).  Laughing, I gently maneuvered his leg out of the hood's 'entrance'  & then removed his head (he was paralyzed).  Once free he immediately leapt into my arms , 65 pounds of trembling pointer!

I couldn't help myself from  laughing as I consoled & examined him for injuries.  Thankfully, he managed to escape, with all but his pride intact. ;-)

You can see in this photo, that he did sustain a tiny cut under his eye.  No doubt from the flying plastic as he careened around the basement, fighting off his attacker. 

You can also see that the hood did not escape unscathed either.   Notice the large crack in the side... not to mention the assorted plastic parts I found scattered around the basement..... evidence of the massive battle that ensued there...

After cuddling with me, he ran upstairs to Anna, my perfect little lady, who I do believe told him  I , "I told you NOT to do it!"

I'm betting he's lost his taste for kitty snacks.....

 

Favorites

As a photographer, I have photos that I am proud of.  Ones that are beautiful, perfectly composed photographic works of art.  Then I have those that are my favorites. Often they're not composed properly, the lighting is off... but nonetheless, they stay on my computer in a folder marked favorites.  The reason they remain there is because they bring back memories, they elicit an emotional response from me.  I thought I'd share some of these with you.

     This is actually a series of  photos taken with a little SONY point & shoot.  I spied these two from my bedroom window & snuck down to snap this series.  They were taken shortly after Annabelle came to live with me.  Why the favorite status?  because of the tenderness of the kiss in the first photo, followed by the look of sheer happiness on Anna's face in the second photo.   True 'puppy love'.  

 This next one is a sure smile maker.   The foal's name is "Oops a Daisey", & yes, there is a story behind the name.   Rosie, the mare (mom) came to us as the first pony of a family who knew nothing of horses. They agreed to let us use Rose as a lesson pony for a discount in board.  Halfway through the winter Rose started losing weight, she looked awful, & her personality changed.  Previously a sweet tempered mare, she became VERY moody.   The vet came out, & instructed us to feed her more.  She was already eating more than any of the other horses in the barn, so we called out a nutritionist.  We bought special food & STILL she lost weight.  

   One day, while bringing her in, I noticed swollen teats.... OMG!  We took her to the vet to discover a baby was due, any day.   Hence the name, "Oops a Daisey"  Apparently she was pregnant when the family bought her......

Both momma & baby are still with us.  This spring Daisy will be 2 & we'll start to back her. She promises to be a fantastic horse, just like her momma.

Choices

Last weekend my friend Holly & I drove down to NC to volunteer at Dogs Hope, & hang out w/Judith & yes, meet the pups.  I knew in my mind that I would  be coming home w/a brother for my girls.  You see I wore a cyber path to the Dog's Hope website looking over the various doggie profiles trying to whittle the many choices down to a manageable number. 

In the end Chief won out.

He stole my heart pretty much the minute I saw him online.  The video of him playing w/his 2 tiny kennel-mates melted my heart & seemed to indicate that he'd get along with my two girls. In 'person' his ability to 'hug'  & his knowing stare sealed the deal.  THAT stare.  Once I saw him, he never took  his eyes off me.  No matter where I walked in the kennel room, his eyes were on me. It was as if he knew upon first sight that I was his person.  I tried to be more 'methodical' taking some of the 'contenders' out for walks, but my walk with him was like a walk with an old friend.  He was so polite, always turning & looking at me, or stopping to snuggle.  Having said that, it wasn't easy.... Little Andy, reminded me so of my Laser.   What a doll.  Such a stunning little pointer, & such intelligence.  He will make someone a wonderful companion.

Holly took this picture of Chief & me, this was within a few minutes after I told him he would be coming home with us to Pennsylvania.  I think the look on his face is priceless.  It's like he's saying,   "I know."

On the long drive back to Pennsylvania, Holly & I stopped at my friend Nancy's.  She also has Dog's Hope alumni & her 2 acre fenced yard proved a welcome break for my new boy.  My heart soared as he raced with her pointers, always returning back to check in with me.  He already knew I was his person.  

We arrived home Sunday night & the  introductions began.  They went as we all thought they would. Hope  hated him & Annabelle would try to sleep him away.  It's been a week & Hope has decided that he's an okay playmate & Anna, well, she's showing him enough attention to keep him interested. Last night she permitted him to sleep on the far end of the couch.

It's progress!

I've had one photo-session with Chief.  He & Hope were playing in the snow.  As a southern boy  I'm sure he's a stranger to snow, but watching him run in it, you'd never know it! The following 2 photos I titled, "STOP" & "GO" for obvious reasons. 

 Now I get to explore the difficulties of photographing a white dog on a white background! 

A tale of two ponies

I'm sitting here this cold gray winter morning longing for sunlight.  

And I found it, in this photograph I took one summer of Chrissy, a Haflinger Pony.  And looking at it I can't help but smile as I remember this story.

Chrissy, short for Christie Brinkley, was a school pony at the farm where I teach.  She is no longer employed there, as she took her supermodel status far too seriously.  Let me explain.  Chrissy is beautiful, & she knows it. As a lesson pony your job is teach children how to ride. That means you must allow them to groom you, tack you up & then ride you.  Chrissy thoroughly enjoyed the grooming, especially the brushing of her long flowing mane & tail, she was okay with the tacking up (putting on of the saddle & bridle), she was even okay with the riding, as long as all you wanted to do was walk.  Trotting, I suppose could mess up your hair & of course make you sweat. Ewww. Jumping & cantering were out of the question. 

Chrissy thought that her lot in life was to be admired for her beauty; fawned over, doted upon & adored by fans, but please, don't expect her to actually work.    We had enough small children at the farm so that we could justify keeping Chrissy.  Pony rides were up her ally.  The real problems didn't surface until our lesson program grew to the point to where we needed to use her star crossed lover, Danny.

Danny, another Haflinger, was completely obsessed with Chrissy.  Screaming wildly for her whenever we took her from the field,  ignoring the other horses in the pasture, Danny would pace & scream until her return.  Once this went on for days when we tried to separate them.  Riding Danny was no pleasure either.  He'd scream the entire time, making it difficult for all involved in the lesson to hear instructions.  Not to mention that it took a strong rider to keep him from running to his beautiful mate.   

The saddest part about this entire scenario was that Danny's love for Chrissy was truly unrequited.  As soon as we'd put her back in the pasture, Danny would run up to greet Chrissy, & she would turn her butt toward him & kick, or bite.  Poor Danny, his affections were seldom acknowledged let alone returned. 

One day, while on the trails Danny took off with a child & ran back to the ring, where Chrissy was being used in a lesson.  THAT was the last straw, something had to be done.  We had to separate them.  We decided that Danny, would be the one to stay, as he actually had a work ethic, & prior to his infatuation with Chrissy, was a good lesson pony.  And so the hunt for the perfect home for Chrissy began.  We had some offers, but none seemed to fit, until a local therapeutic riding center contacted us.  We explained the type of role Chrissy would excel in & Reins of Life founder Judy Freedman thought that she just might have such a job available.  Thus began the job interview, which  our little supermodel passed with flying colors.  

Chrissy  is now one of the favorite ponies on the Reins of Life farm, excelling in  her role of giant Barbie Doll & giver of trail rides.   Danny pined after Chrissy, but now appears to be enjoying his life as King Bachelor of the Lesson Ponies.  We've introduced other mares into the field since Chrissy, & Danny has clearly 'picked' his favorites, but happily has never 'lost his senses' over another mare.  At least not yet!  ;-)

Learning

Looking through my photos from 2010, I came across a couple that I thought I'd share.  They center on my friend's daughter, Melanie & her 'students'.  Melanie loves working with animals.  I think it all started with taking her dogs to a basic  obedience class & from there she went on to agility training with her dog, Hannah (Hannah Montana).

 

  Unfortunately, Hannah wasn't as thrilled with the agility equipment as Melanie was.  In this picture, Melanie was trying to show Hannah that the tunnel was really quite fun.  Halfway through, Hannah decided she had enough & turned around to exit!

Later in the year, Melanie rescued a Miniature Horse, Cinnamon Bun.  Cinnamon, as we call her, was  starved when Melanie bought her (with her allowance money) about a year ago. 

 Melanie developed a feed & exercise program for Cinnamon that was quite regimented.  Mel was religious about sticking to the program &  you can see from these photos, that Cinnamon's weight gain was very successful.  Too successful in fact!  

Sitting her typing I can't help but laugh at the realization that this little mini will have the time honored resolution to lose weight for 2011.  I'm betting Melanie will see to it that it happens.

Happy New Year!  Here's to making the world a better place!   

The Littlest Deer Hunter

Meet Hope.
 a 10 pound hybrid of all things fierce!

On my walk this morning Anna dragged me down the road, impatient to run & 'hunt'.  Hope trotted down the road ready to kick some booty.  And she did.  About half way through our walk, as we descended into the woods, toward a tiny bridge that crosses over the smallest stream, I heard the leaves in the forest rustle.  More than the rustle that occurs when a squirrel darts across the forest floor.  This was the rustle of hooves.  Deer hooves.  A herd of deer hooves. 

To my surprise, Hope darted after them.  Barking.  In HOT pursuit.  No one apparently has told this little dog that she is LITTLE.  I think, in her mind, that she is quite the formidable hunter, of all things.  I watched Anna as she took note of the animals & quickly ran in the opposite direction.  I suspect that she believes they are too close to 'horses' & that they too might step on her.  

I continued to walk & listened as Hope chased the deer through the woods, barking ferociously.  Keep in mind that she is tiny.  She has tiny little legs, which although clearly working overtime here, were not sufficient to keep up with her long legged prey.  

Nonetheless, she came flying out of the woods to my waiting arms, very pleased with herself.  The woods were clear of deer.

Moving on

I started this blog thinking that I'd use it to highlight the antics of my chief clown & adventurer, Laser.  After he was killed,  it became too difficult to look at pictures of him, let alone write about what was going on in his absence. 

I miss him, but of course, life has continued.  As expected there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made.... he apparently had a lot of jobs that I was unaware of.  Some, were picked up by his 'sisters', Anna & Hope.  But others, like keeping certain kitty claws off the furniture have been neglected.  

Anna has finally stopped spending her days in the bath tub hiding.    After Laser's passing it became heartbreakingly apparent that Anna relied on him to keep her fears at bay.  I would return home to find her shivering in the bathtub, the amount of hair in it a testament to the hours she'd spent hiding.  Helpful friends on face-book helped me find the "THUNDERSHIRT" which ultimately helped  calm Anna enough so that she would feel safe enough to get out of the tub.  I had hoped that she would look more to me for stability, which I suppose she is doing now, but when I'm not home she clearly needed some extra help.  I'm happy to report that the Thundershirt appears to have lowered her anxiety to a more functional level.  

 

Hope seems to have moved on to post Laser life without a problem .  Despite her diminutive size she readily took over the role of chief protector.  Anna too has started taking over yard patrol.  Often times I will look out the window to see her wandering the yard, sniffing about or just surveying her world.  This brings my heart peace.  

As for me.  I think of him often , tears never really that far from the surface.  Images of him still frequently flit through my minds eye, often forcing me to do a double take.  But recently I have been able to smile at certain memories of him, or thoughts of what he would do if he were here.   Time heals all wounds they say.  I suppose this is so.  Having said that, when asked I still respond in the plural when asked what kind of dogs I have; "Pointers", I say "& 1 ornery terrier mix."  I have been asked if I will take in another dog.  At this point, I prefer to stick with my girls.  Laser had a big spirit & a ton of personality.  It has been wonderfully healing watching Annabelle & Hope expand their personalities & responsibilities.  Dogs have a way of finding you.  THIS I know to be true.  We do not pick them, so much as they choose you.  I suppose, if there is a dog out there w/my name in its heart, it will find me in good time.