Anything Goes - March 13, 2014

Greetings...

Wow! I don't know how to express the gratitude for the thousands of emails I received welcoming me back! On second thought, sure I do...

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the kind words, concern, and compassion to me after explaining some of the reasons for my absence. I'm still reading them as they come in and I only wish I could answer every one, but given the amount of emails that started flooding in and continue to do so, I would probably have to retire again to answer them all!

Thank you again and know that you were all missed as much as you missed me. I "mentally" wrote many a column during the time I was gone when I wanted to share a thought, vent about something "Stupid" in the news, something funny the pups had done, or dozens of things a friend would share with her friends! Sure, you may have missed a ton of columns, but you all know me, I have enough "crazy" in my life to always have some kind of column for all of you...

I do want to answer a few questions that came up quite a bit before getting started. (Sorry, may have some catching up to do in the beginning)...

My mom is doing "OK" relatively speaking. She turned 87 this past January. Her vision is still gone in one eye and will never come back, her good eye isn't too bad and in fact, is better than it was. Flyboy and I were able to go to Chicago last May for Mother's Day and it was one she still talks about because for the first time EVER, her whole family was there to celebrate with her. Me, my brother and of course sister, who she lives with, and her five grandsons! I can't tell you the amount of guilt I have for not being able to visit her more often due to my health problems. I talk to her 2-3 times a day and when she says "I miss you honey", I think you can imagine what it does to me. She is frail now and my sister warned me when I was going to Chicago, and that was almost a year ago. My mom lost her older sister two years ago and since then, she has seemed to go downhill even though her own health is quite good. I am working very hard to get better so I can go see my mama as soon as possible!

The "kids" are all fine and dandy, the youngest graduated last May with an Engineering degree and minor in Physics. He got a good job in Boise, Idaho. He and his girlfriend moved there last June and although they like Boise, they do NOT like the cold after growing up in Arizona. My bet is they will hang there a year or two and make their way back here...

If there's one thing I have learned about raising kids, it's that they are like hemorroids...

Just when you think they are gone, they flare up and come back!!!

What can I say, you guys are the ones who said you missed me! HAha

OK, now for the news I left you guessing about. So many of you already guessed it so give yourself a pat on the back, except for one detail...

I have had my landscaper for about six years. He's a great guy even when he's doing dumb stuff and pissing me off. He had never seen or met any Great Danes and at first, didn't want to come into my yard. His workers shook while they were in the back yard even though the pups were locked in the house. He started calling my dogs "Chihuahuas". He gradually realized they were sweet animals who were gentle and greeted them with love and attention every time he came over. He laughed at how spoiled they were when he would come inside and see them sprawled on couches, dog beds the size of human beds etc.

(Work with me, this story needs a full background explanation)...

His daughter, 11, told him her dream was to be a VET and she wanted a Great Dane because they were her favorite dog. She, pardon the expression, "HOUNDED" her father to get one and I talked to him beforehand and tried to explain things about Great Danes that don't apply to other dogs. He didn't seem to care because our Danes were so good and "cool"...

So he gets a Dane from a friend of his who no longer want him and lets the kids name him what every fricken kid on the planet always name a Great Dane, no matter what color, "Scooby"...For those who remember Einstein, his original name was also Scooby. I changed it and I think even he was happy about that!

So...Scooby is at his new home and even though the kids suckered poor Omar into believing they would take care of the dog, those of us with kids KNOW as soon as the novelty wears off (In 30 minutes or so), no kid on the planet will be available to do anything for a pet when they have something else to do...

I was told something that troubled me a year later. Scooby was not an inside dog! WHaaaaaaaat???? An outdoor Dane??? No, No, No, a Dane decides if YOU are allowed to live in their house!!!

A year later Omar asked us if we wanted his dog! Grrrrrrrr I couldn't take him because I had two, and Ginger, bless her heart, was not social enough, Moosie was the dominant dog, and I saw big problems undertaking this. Then there was the issue of me being sick all the time and Flyboy being gone so I had to say no...

A few months later he told me he gave the dog away to his friend but could never get a hold of his friend to see how the dog was. He seemed genuinely concerned and even though this dog may have been an outdoor dog, you could see he loved his "boy" (Maybe wifey wouldn't allow a horse in the house, who knows). He finally went over to his friend's house and when he didn't answer the door, but heard a bark from the back yard, he went to the back and was horrified to see his dog skin and bones, no water, hotter than Hades outside etc. He climbed the fence, opened the gate and took him back home with him! (They are no longer friends)...

He again asked me if I wanted his dog and being sicker than I was before, I had to decline...

He continued to "joke" around with me about taking him, but he actually saw how sick I was and backed off...

When Ginger died, Flyboy and I agreed Moosie would be our last dog. No more. We've had 5 Danes, loved each one madly, but losing such a magnificent breed so soon and so often takes a toll on you! Why am I thinking none of you believe me right now???

Two weeks ago, Omar started again...Flyboy was out of town. He starts telling me three of his friends want the
dog and have wanted him but he keeps holding out hoping
we would take him because he knows how happy he will be
and well taken care of. He joked that he would leave his
wife if he could live here! No, no kiddos he's young
enough to be my son and that's eveident by him wanting
to move in too!!!

I asked him how he could leave him outdoors all the time
and he said he built him a nice doghouse with a mister
cooling system and he's fine...120 degrees in the Summer
NO ONE is fine, let alone a dog...

Well, my "internal dog mothering gut" started rumbling
and I told him to let me talk to Flyboy and "we'll see".
He smiled because he knows we are...SUCKERS!!!!

Flyboy called him when he came home and told him to bring
"Scooby" over to meet Moosie. Everything depended on her
acceptance or not because we would never bring anymore
trauma to her after losing her sister...

Scooby came in the back with Omar..A MAGNIFICENT black and
white Dane with a spring in his step because he's only
three. We took Moosie out to greet him and lo and behold,
happy dog!!! Jumping, running and chest bumpinng (Dane
play)!!!

The dog was very friendly, but more surprising VERY smart
and highly trained. You could see Omar loved him and spent
time with him. Maybe wifey makes Omar sleep outside too so
they bonded! The only thing I didn't "like" if you will is
he was filthy and it looked like his nails were never cut.
They looked like lion's claws...

I opened to door to let him in the house to see what he
would do and he wouldn't come in. Omar told me I have to
"Invite" him in. (I should have let Omar train all my
dogs). He came in walked around looking here and there
with Moosie and fell in love with something he had never
had...Cheese cubes. Hey, I'm no fool, if you're gonna
live here, you're gonna spend the bulk of your time with
me, I need a head start on the love!

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Well, you know where this went and after Flyboy and I gave
the non-verbal "WE LOVE THIS DOG", arrangements were made
as to when he would be moving in. I made an appointment
with the Vet because I wanted to make sure he was OK and
get him all his shots, which he was overdue for. He moved
in two weeks ago and the first night he cried like a baby
for Omar. Flyboy and I took turns comforting the big baby
and by morning he was just fine, we looked like scooby
doo-doo but he was fine. Speaking of Scooby...Nah, that
had to go and when I saw him, Winston popped in my head.
When you see the picture of him (which I'm hoping will
show up in today's column) you will see he looks like he
has a tuxedo on...

We took him to the Vet and a few things we didn't like and
are worried about. They picked 5 ticks off the poor boy
which gave me the creeps since none of my pooches ever had
ticks. His ears were extremely filthy. They cleaned them
but they were still dirty a day after. He has a little
heart murmur which the Vet said is nothing to worry about
(Yeah right). She wants to run a battery of blood tests on
him and suggested to wait a few weeks when we get his teeth
cleaned since he'll be knocked out. Moosie is getting her
teeth cleaned too but they only have one big kennel, make
that GIANT sized, so they are having their teeth cleaned
a day apart. I worry about heartworm quite frankly, but
I'm going to try to not think about it....for now...We
got tick medication for him and to be safe, Moosie too.
I washed all the bedding in hot water and am itching as
I type this just because!!!

The next day Winston got a beauty salon treatment! I
called the mobile groomer this time to make it less
traumatic on him because he had never been groomed and
based on how filthy he was, I wonder when or if he ever
had a bath...

The groomer said he did fine, but didn't like the nail
clipping, probably because they had trimmed them a day
before at the Vet's. He looked so good after his beauty
treatment and smelled a lot better than he did when he
got here!

Well, he no longer waits to be invited in, he comes and
goes through the dog door and like Moosie waits for me to
be a doorman when they are too lazy to go through the dog
door!

Winston bonded with Flyboy immediately and is his dog
through and through. He cries if Flyboy goes in the
garage! He does a search and rescue if Flyboy goes to
the bathroom! Flyboy is eating this up because he is so
well trained, he can walk off a leash and not leave his
side unlike all of ours who did the annual "Running of
the Danes" whenever they got out...

Moosie and he are getting along great and he hasn't
challenged her one bit. He knows his place. Flyboy takes
them for nightly walks and Moosie has a spring in her
step she lost when Ginger died...

I wondered how Winston would do when Omar came back every
week. When he did, he stayed by Flyboys side after greeting
him. When Omar was leaving, Winston kinda sulked, but
followed him like he had just come over here for a visit
and he had to go home now. He followed to the gate and
Omar said, "no, go back" Winston turned around and
literally BOUNCED back to Flyboy!

Winston is recognizing his new name and Omar promised to
stop calling him Scooby. I asked him if everyone at home
missed him and he said the only one that missed him was
the 5 year old and their German Shepherd. Wow...I am SO
glad he is with us. That made me sad when I heard that
because Omar got him from someone who no longer wanted
him, Omar them gave hom to someone who treated him
horribly, then he was given to us. In 3 short years, this
pup has been shuffled around way too much and it is no
wonder he has seperation anxiety. My goal is to make sure
he knows he will never be sent away from our home and
never has to worry because he is already loved like we
have had him since he was a pup!

In Omar's defense, I don't want anyone to think he abused
this dog, he loves him, it's obvious, but the fact he
wasn't allowed to live in the house and the people IN the
house were obviously indifferent to this animal plus the
fact that Omar is a hard-working (12-16 hours a day), went
through cancer treatment last year, and man who did the
best he could and spent enough time with him to teach him
as much as he did, you can't really fault him other than
giving in to his kids in the first place and not
understanding Great Danes. Hey, the dog is Bi-Lingual
hahah. Granted I don't speak Spanish, but it's pretty
cool!

We've had Winston a few weeks and love, love, love him. He
is funny, playful, smart as a whip, and a big 'ole baby
who does the Dane "sit in your lap plop," cuddles, steps
on my tethered oxygen hose and gives me whiplash, and gets
along with my Moosie. Can't ask for more in a new family
member!

If there is one little thing we're not crazy about is he's
kind of a barker, probably from being outside all the
time. He comes in when I call him, but dang, he sure does
have a big mouth and because he is a Male, a LOUD, BOOMING
bark, which is OK by me. When Flyboy has to be gone a lot
I like people passing by hear two dogs with extremely deep
voices. Makes people know they aren't Poodles living in
this house!

Sooooo, sorry this was so long, but I do have a lot of
catching up! May I introduce our newest family member...

Winston...

:-)

Questions? Comments? Email Jamie

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