Why Dogs Kill Their Owners

Fina's Weekend at the Shore

Our Miss Fina went on her second big adventure sleep over for another new raiser family while I was having my foot operated on. It worked out that Margaret and Hugh Martin will be getting a puppy in early November, and needed a home visit and a sleep-over. So, at the last minute, I took Fina to Lewes, Delaware where we met the Martins, and she stayed from Thursday until Sunday.

They are a really sweet couple, who have a beautiful house right on the beach. Fina is surely experiencing lots of different things this month! Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of her from her time at the Martins, but from all reports she did great, except that she pulled while being walked (what else is new in a new environment?)

I think that the Martins will do great with a puppy....I really can't wait until the new pups come to the region. They are just so darn cute.

Fina's Really Big Adventure with the Emmetts

We have a lot of new raisers in our group, and they are going to be getting their puppies in the beginning of November. So, just like when we got Karleen, Miss Fina got to go out on a really really really big adventure with the Emmetts....she was going to go to their house from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday. They are a family of six, with four children, plus they have a dog. It was a perfect place for Fina to go to, to get a dose of something "different". Let's face it, I'm 47 a pretty predictable at my age. This was going to be a whole new world for her...and I think that Fina needed it!

Tricia was great...she's very technologically savvy, and I got pictures consistently for all of the days. She kept me very up to date on all of the activities, and all the behaviors. I think they only ran into one refusal, one that we've deal with, and it was Fina's refusal to get into the car. She has not done that for us in a long time, and I told them that it wasn't a big deal, if she didn't want to cooperate, she didn't get to join the party.

But Fina got to experience so many new things...being with little kids, being with animals, going to the beach, going to a 4H meeting, going to a mule show! (We actually picked her up at the Mule Show, and it was pretty cool.)

EJ Emmett is actually going to be raising a pup for his 4H project. What a great thing. I don't think my parents would have been keen on the idea if I had wanted to do it when I was a kid (Maggie actually said "hey, when I was in 4H all we did was make a house out of popsicle sticks!"). I think it's awesome that he's doing it, and that the whole family is a part of it. What a great experience as a kid. And, from what I could see, he's going to do an awesome job. All the kids were really great with her.









Here's the rest of the pictures from the weekend....she had a great time, and we got back good reports. All this training (nagging) is starting to sink in!





























I can't wait for them to get their pups. Actually, Barbara and Gretchen asked me to help teach the new pup class, so I'm pretty excited about that. It's like babies...there's just nothing like a puppy. I just have to get this stupid foot healed first....

Cross Post...Is this Me???

This is dog-related, and just funny. I first saw this years ago, and have thought of it often ever since....

Sunday Go to Church?

"You Want Me To Do What? Sit and Stay? What? Ha ha ha ha!"

I chuckled when I saw this picture.

Miss Fina is sitting on the steps of St. Peter's Church in downtown Salisbury; she really wanted to go in for the service. Instead, I made her sit and stay at the top of the church steps.

I think she looks like she was laughing at me. :)

Fina and Ink

Debbie and Ink came over today, and had a great time playing together. Fina and Ink got along famously, and ran and played and swam in the little pool, and explored the big pool together, for over an hour.


Debbie is raising Ink without a fenced yard. I can only imagine how hard that is...
I've heard that little Ink slept very well when they got home!

It's so very nice to be able to spend time with the other raisers too; we all see each other all of the time, yet there is never time to visit. Hopefully, we will be able to have this picnic soon, and have a little bit of downtime with the pups and with the other volunteers.

Good puppies!