Two Very Good Reads

"Unsaid"

written by Neil Abramson

Stumpy gives this book five out of five kitties

Veterinarian, Helena Colden, has died and left her husband to care for her menagerie of rescued critters. A tortured spirit, she is unable to move past the world she loved. She fears facing the animals which she aided in death and the truth which she hid, even from herself, will be discovered by those she loved most.

A very good read! This book was compared, by many, to Racing in the Rain. It's a book that made me laugh and cry. Definitely pick up a copy!

Pack of Two - The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs

written by Caroline Knapp

Stumpy gives this book four out of five kitties. Only because she prefers story time to actually learning something.

This book was a real eye opener for me. I even saw myself! The author relates our life experience, and her own, to the manner in which we relate to our dogs. It's an interesting concept and one I think many can and will relate to. 

I wished I had found this book earlier, when I was training dogs professionally. I think it would have really helped me to deal with some of the human behavior!

If you question or are interested to know why your dog behaves in some ways, you might find the answer in this book.

The Dome Rock Pack Reunites for RTR 2012

Last year bonds were formed and Stumpy's posse, the Dome Rock Pack paw-teeeeed 24/7 at RTR2011.  the pack reunited for RTR 2012

Make no mistake, the RTR is a dog friendly event. The interaction between the pack members is one of my favorite things about this gathering. (Yes, I love all you people, but the dogs really complete the event.) I was REALLY looking forward to Stumpy running wild with her buddies. When we first pulled in my heart sank. I saw more than one dog on a leash and immediately thought, "ACK! How on earth am I going to convince Stumpy that she will not be able to run wild with her posse."

Fortunately, that was not the case. There were a few dogs there, that for whatever reason were restrained. (I appreciate responsible humans that know and understand their dogs' behavior and/or limits and act accordingly! xox THANK YOU!!!)

Again, I use the excuse of the new camera, broken laptop, the (insert as many four letter words, as many times as you want) sloooooooooooooow netbook and blogger issues for the lack of pictures and the quality of the photos I post, here. I've even resorted to recycling pictures from last years post!

We invited Kuzzin' Fenway to join us and he volunteered to drive. My son wouldn't let him go :(  

I've already decided to just dognap him, next year. He is my grand dog, after all!

Stumpy is very comfortable in her house on wheels

Stumpy's nemesis, Rain arrived on Tuesday. A cattle dog stink eye stare down ensued, immediately.

Rain really matured over the year and was able to meet and hold Stumpy's gaze. There was no winner.

Returning pack members included:

Homer, our handsome host

Izzie left early last year, so I had no pictures of him. Izzie was rescued, as a very sick puppy, from the streets of Mexico and is living happily ever after.

Dina handled crowd control and security, both canine and human, much to Bri's dismay. I think she did a great job!


Kelly, the matriarch


Rain was everywhere! She  provided hours of entertainment with her many talents. Some of which I captured on video. But, I have no idea how to transfer the new camera's video format to the computer or YouTube.


Stella!

Stetson

Tony was there to make sure everyone got enough lovin'

Mia's here!

New pack members included ( I apologize for not knowing everyone's names)
A couple of Labs, at least one is a service dog.

2 Italian Greyhounds and a Whippet, named Wicca

Tori

Luke

Tawny, a pit bull mix, an English setter, a beagle and  two chihuahuas were among the dogs that are not pictured. I estimate over 20 dogs in our encampment. There were a couple of little squabbles, but amazingly all the dogs get along, in their own way.

It's interesting to note that almost every traveler's dog, that I have met, is a rescue or shelter dog. Another thing to love about people on the road!

Candids
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Stumpy didn't have her own chair this year (HORRORS!) She became one of those people who show up at a camp without chairs and steal whatever is available. 

 Meet and greet

Mia spent a couple days at Stumpy's house while her partner went to work

 She made herself right at home!

This year rehab/boot camp began early, before we left camp!

Rain! Over here!

I can't help but believe that Stumpy is looking forward to seeing her posse, again, just as much as I am looking forward to seeing members of my RTR family at RTR 2013, if not before. Who knows where???

Stumpy's friends were waiting for us when we got home

Still having issues with blogger. It took about 5 hours to upload these pictures when I created the post, originally on RVly Ever After. I suppose I should be grateful blogger hasn't eaten my blogs since it seems to have eaten my reading list and blogs I follow on my dashboard. Still reading blogs when i can and miss you all!


Below is one of the error messages when I attempt to comment on a blog.
Error 324 (net::ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE): The server closed the connection without sending any data
WTH???

GoD -n- DoG

"...GOD AND DOG is a phenomenon. First appearing on YouTube, the video of Wendy Francisco's charming animated illustrations and moving song tells of the unconditional love of both God and Dog..."

You can visit Wendy Francisco's website for more information with regard to her book and other offerings.

*Blogger issues are back. I'll be back in business soon, I hope.

Rescue Me Week Pupdate! Willie the Briard

Thanks, Grampa J!

The Briard,formerly known as

Pet ID: A1260391

but now known as Willie, has been adopted!

I posted Willie in honor of my sister, Pam's Birthday.

Pam immediately sent out emails to the Briard internet network .

She received the news yesterday.

"Last Wednesday Pam posted that there was a Briard in a high kill shelter in Los Angeles. I immediately inquired about him. Everything was going against this poor guy. The small Briard community here along with a small dog rescue in my neighborhood came together to help him. Some people that I do not know went to the shelter, took pictures, and sent them to Jane. He was a Briard Wannabe with cropped ears!!!! The odds were not good for him because AGGRESSIVE was written on his kennel. My daughter told me to post his story on Face Book which I did. There was immediate response.

There are real ANGELS in this world. A lovely lady came forward who already has two Briards and an Old English Sheep Dog and a cat. She didn't care if it was a Briard mix or that he had been labeled AGGRESSIVE. She went down to visit him on Sunday and found out that he was not AGGRESSIVE but just scared. The dog let her pet him, wagged his tail continuously, and even gave her a kiss! She found out that animal control had found him chained to a fence with only a 2' chain, matted to the skin, and covered with his own feces. He was malnourished and had been in the shelter since October 25th due to a pending court case. He had be labeled AGGRESSIVE out of fear when they went to chip him down. Although 5 years old, he probably was never groomed. With AGGRESSIVE on his kennel his chances of adoption were NOT good!

This ANGEL of a woman adopted him this afternoon. He will be picked up tomorrow after he is neutered. He will be going to a lovely home for rehab and loving care and then the ANGEL will find him a forever loving home.

BTW, one of the kind ladies on FACE BOOK named him WILLIE. Wishing WILLIE a wonderful future full of love and caring."

Rescue Me Week project.
Is a celebration of Mayzie's Grampa J; his life and love of animals.

ADOPT! Don't shop!!!

* some names have been changed to protect privacy.

Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

My sister, Deb, suggested I read this book. She wrote, "Definitely put "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein on your list. Great book… you'll never look at your dog without wondering what she/he REALLY thinks…"

"The Art of Racing in the Rain," is told by Enzo, a mixed breed dog of mostly unknown origins. Enzo is a philosopher and bases his theories on what he's learned watching television, car racing and personal experience.

Because this is a story about life, more than a story about a dog or racing, just about anyone can relate to Enzo and his family. But, if you've had conversations with your dogs you'll love this story. Stein has crafted a story that holds your interest while inducing laughter and tears.

Enzo can tell you a little bit about his story in the video, below.



Just a few of Enzo's philosophies:
"The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles-- preferably of his own making-- in order to triumph. A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object."

“There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.”

“My soul has learned what it came to learn, and all the other things are just things. We can't have everything we want. Sometimes, we simply have to believe.”


It's rumored that a movie, based on the book, is scheduled for release in 2012 and will star Patrick Dempsey.

Stumpy has been placed on adminstrative leave

and suspended without pay
For the second time, she allegedly ripped my camera out of my hands.



The first incident occurred in August of 2010. She was in a sit/stay while I was taking some pictures. She jumped at a rabbit and knocked the camera out of my hands. The view finder was partially smashed, but the camera was still usable.



Saturday, we were sitting in the car at Snickers' house, waiting for the gate to be closed so Snickers could come out to play. When Snickers came through the door, Stumpy could not wait for her release and barrelled through me, knocking the camera from my hands. This time the camera was broken for good.



She's claiming innocence and cites a history of harassment. I suspect if she's found responsible, the replacement camera is going to cost her many months of treats and toys and maybe another couple of weeks in boot camp.

I've actually been saving for a new camera, for quite some time. The purchase never makes the top of the priority list. I'm going to have to get something less expensive now.

What are you using? What do you like about it? What Don't you like about it? Any suggestions for a decent, under $200, point and shoot?


* The pictures in this post were taken with a video camera.

Rescue Me Pupdate

Dry those leaky eyes!

Lauper, one of the 2 dogs in a high kill shelter, has been adopted!!!

Dogs in Danger:

55,954 doggies saved and counting...

ADOPT! Don't shop!!!

** According to the Dogs In Danger website, Lauper was actually adopted on October 27, before I posted him for Mayzie's Rescue Me Week.