Sunday, February 14, 2010 by Dana.

It may sound like a silly question, but let’s pretend that it isn’t for a moment and list reasons your dog deserves something on Valentine’s Day.

Your dog:

1. Loves you unconditionally

2. Is always happy to see you

3. Will spoon with you without wanting sex

4. Will kiss you no matter where your mouth has been or how bad your breath is

5. Doesn’t care if you have if you have gained a few pounds or if you are having a bad hair day

6. Make great snuggle blankets

7. Can learn new tricks

8. Will not criticize you or bring up the fact that you forget to clean, cook, or do some other semi-important task

9. Is always willing to spend time with you

10. Will eat anything you make

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Friday, January 1, 2010 by Dana.

Happy New Year! I’m awake at 7am on 1/1/2010 to make predictions.

1. My 1st nap of 2010 will occur today (1/1/2010).
2. My dogs will boycott making resolutions to behave better.
3. My car will get stolen forcing me to get a newer one that doesn’t need shocks, breaks, or general maintenance.  Wait… no… I sense that is just wishful thinking on my part.
4. I will put away Holiday decorations with a vow to get better ones for outside next year.  I will end up putting up the same crappy decorations after Thanksgiving, except 2 more strands of lights will quit working.
5. Based on straight party line voting, we will get a national health care system. Due to all the compromises, it will be so watered-down and confusing, that people will complain about it well into 2011. Republicans will still do nothing to reverse the damages caused by 8 years of the Bush administration.
6. My discontent for suburbia will make me search for a rural home with no neighbors within 300 yards. The kids will beg us to not move to the middle of nowhere, so I will still be blogging about Disturbia into 2011.
7. My middle child will hit a growth spurt around his 13th birthday in March and will be as tall as me by 2011.

Ok… Now for some real predictions

1. The Tempe woman that showed up in Miami without her 8-month old that was last seen in San Antonio will confess to killing her child after her boy is discovered in her abandoned vehicle.
2. A major earthquake will create a giant sinkhole in Mexico south of Yuma, AZ.  It will create a beautiful spring-filled lake that turns Yuma, AZ into a major tourist town.
3. Android-based phones will outnumber iPhones. Apple products will revert to a minor cult status for a few years until they wow us again with a new system using a holographic projection display and thought recognition for system input.

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Sunday, December 20, 2009 by Dana.

It seems that living in suburbia puts us at risk of infestation… from Chihuahuas.  Apparently over the last two months, county animal shelters took in 821 chihuahuas, which is 230 more than shelters received during the same period last year.

No fear… the discount adoption plan appears to have been a success.  The infestation is now under control.http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/12/maricopa_countys_chihuahua_inf.php

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Thursday, June 18, 2009 by Dana.

After a night at a KOA campground in Odessa, they hit the road at about 8am local time.  The plan is to get to Little Rock, AK on Day 2 (10 hrs).

Update 8 - From Shade - Barn! We’re in Midland, TX. We just passed some [windmills].Tired puppies.Sorry, but there’s nothing around me [to photograph].

Update 9 - From Shade - It’s pretty cool over here [near Abilene].

Update 10 - From Shade - We’re half way there.  We’re in Dallas.That’s Dallas for ya. Mom isn’t [having fun]. She made a wrong turn. Again.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by Dana.

Karen, Shade, and Seth departed for Kentucky early this morning (about 5:15am) with Piper & JJ.  I miss them already.  I took Lukas for a walk because he looked so lonely, then I headed off to work.  Shade has been sending me trip updates and photos from his phone, so I will post updates here as a I have time.

Update 1 - From Shade - We’re in Tucson!!!

Update 2 - From Shade - Now we’re in Benson

Update 3 - From Shade - Ya, we missed the rush hour.  We’re in Texas Canyon.  We’re going to squeeze the lemon in a few minutes. We’re 230 miles from El Paso.

Update 4 - From Shade - Just entered New Mexico.  I will send you a picure when I find a good area.  –> That’s New Mexico for ya’ll –> JJ won’t stop licking me. 

Read the rest of this entry »

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Thursday, June 4, 2009 by karen.

I grilled steaks last night from my favorite butcher shop in Chandler.  Shade had a friend over and they were setting up the tent to ‘camp’.  It was very fun for them.   The dogs were out with us completely enjoying the cool weather and playing.  When our dogs play, it consists of Piper and Lukas wrestling while JJ runs in circles around them barking.  JJ loves to bark.  Perhaps we are just immune to it.  When she really needs something, she jumps at us or whimpers.  I guess the neighbor isn’t immune to her barking yet.  I heart a man yell ’shut-up’ and I had to do a double-take.  I thought to myself, ‘are you talking to me?’.  Then I quieted JJ and heard the neighbor out in his backyard.  I am aware that a dog barking can be annoying…hell, I do get annoyed with it myself.  I took the ’shut-up’ comment very personal.  Seriously, you are my neighbor and you could very easily look over the fence to see if everything is alright or simply ask me to quiet my dog.  Yelling in your own backyard to ’shut-up’ my dog does absolutely nothing.  If the kids were playing loudly I am sure you would owe them that.  Yes, I just compared my kids to my dogs.

My dogs enjoyed their piece of steak.

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 by karen.

No, I am  not talking about Dana. 

As a follow-up from the Halloween disturbance, we have been threatend  by the nieghbor regarding our so called ‘killer dog’, Lukas. 

Several weeks have passed since Halloween and Lukas has been mostly good.  He scratched Seth, again because Seth still hasn’t learned to not get in Lukas’ face.  On the flip side, Seth and Lukas do get along.  Seth is able to walk by him and even run past him without any chasing.  A huge improvement for both.

The particular neighbor has gotten herself  the Tahoe breed of disturbia, a yellow lab.   Very cute dog.  However, this means we may bump into each other at the dog park.  Here are the rules of the Phoenix dog parks. First off, I do not adhere to the rules myslef 100%. I have a deaf dog so he I can’t maintain voice control over him. haha. But, of course he is always in my site. I do take the 8yr old in with me at times. I prefer not to as he is still learning how to behave properly around dogs. I do however, put my dog on a leash if they become aggressive towards another dog or person.

My neighbor shows up at the park with her 6yr old daughter who we know is very scared of Lukas (as I would expect her to be based from Halloween). After about 15min, Lukas noticed her and ran towards the girl. The same kind of running he does when he sees a little dog he wants to play with. It is soooo unexplainable. He has been around kids but Seth and the neighbor’s little girls are the only ones he seems to act this way around. Seth has overcome it mostly. Lukas doesn’t act this way around the many other kids he comes in contact with. We keep a very close watch on him. His breed is not disturbia friendly but it is better than the alternative.

Most would say “get rid of him”, but it just isn’t that easy. My boys and husband would be crushed. I wouldn’t enjoy it, but due to livng in disturbia, we may loose him to animal control. The neighbor has said she will call animal control if he runs after her daughter again. (She feels humans come before animals. I chuckled to myself thinking ‘only some humans’.) Regardless if it is in the dog park. That is what gets under my skin. Of course, the dog park rules clearly read children under 12yrs old are not allowed in. For a very good reason too. When you can follow the rules, then you can call the authorities.

Upon leaving, I handed her a book, “How to Child-proof Your Dog”. It has a few chapters on how to teach your kids to behave around dogs. I firmly believe, that most bites are probably due to inappropriate behavior around dogs. (Not making excuses, but this shows many can be prevented) Unfortunaely, it is definitely a 2 way street. She is not willing to get her 6yr old less afraid of Lukas and teach her proper behavior but instead reinforces that feeling scared is ok since she has been ‘attacked’ by him. I asked her when she was attacked by Lukas and she said on Halloween. That is funny, she told me he didn’t bite her. I feel sorry for the girl.

Perhaps we have bitten off more than we can chew with him. He fits so well into our small pack. I actually think he is such a learning experience for my boys due to his imperfections and handicap.

Do I owe it to Lukas to send him back to the rescue organization? Or do I put the house up for sale?

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Sunday, November 2, 2008 by karen.

Another Halloween has passed and we have more candy in the house  (I secretly begin to throw pieces away without the kids awareness).  This year Tyler didn’t dress up but still walked around the neighborhood to see friends and neighbors.  Shade has become quite the joker these days.  He decided to dress in my old Raggedy Ann costume.  He wore it to school, and I was surprised to see that he kept it on all day.  He then wore it to trick-or-treat too.    Seth wore his Jango Fett costume which Dana had purchased at a yard sale 2yrs ago for $5.  He loves that costume and it shows.  He will never win ‘best costume’ for it, but it is what he likes. 

 This year, we dressed up the dogs too.  Since I have a large collection of lingerie, Dana came up with the idea to dress the girls (J.J. and Piper) in lingerie and the boy (Lukas) in a wifebeater and boxers.  I have never dressed dogs in clothes before so I truly wasn’t thrilled about this.  The idea, yes.  The actuality of it…no.  I was running behind with getting candy, food, drinks and myself ready that the last thing on my list was dressing the dogs up.  Of course, it quickly became a priority when Dana got home.  They looked great after the pulling and whining and nipping.  They were satisfied with what they were dressed in.  Piper was in a black corset type piece expressing her dominance side, J.J. (rescued from http://azbordercollierescue.com/) was in a sweetheart red 2-piece and Lukas, our leathal white (rescued from http://amazingaussies.com), went as an immature pimp in his wife beater.  Very cute.  Again, the least of my concern, but I (I mean we) pulled it off.  Still struggling to get the kids outside, the table set up and myself showered and dressed, we made it in time to greet the neighbors.  Kids and dogs are in tow.

I took the liberty of holding Piper and Lukas while Dana had control of J.J.  We usually always seperate Piper and Lukas as they are the dominant ones and can be difficult to keep under control as a pair but for some odd reason this time we didn’t.  I wasn’t sure how the pups would react to Halloween.  Piper and Lukas already expressed timidness towards the jack-o-lanterns in the bathroom. 

 The costumes were cute, Shade’s being the most popular (of course they hadn’t seen mine yet) and one neighbor even commented “Karen, wasn’t that your costume a few years ago?”  Yes, it was.  The dogs appeared to be comfortable.  We kept our distance from the kids and sat at the end of the table.  The dogs were under control for the most part. 

Then I heard the youngest daughter of a neighbor comment how she wished she could pet Piper but she was next to Lukas.  Note: she didn’t ask to pet Piper.  I just smiled at her and gave my condolences for her feelings.   I wasn’t ready to start letting the affection for my dogs happen.  I was still getting settled with the kids and who they were walking with, etc…   While my back was away from the neighbors and I was discussing things with Dana, Lukas jerked on the leash and I hear the youngest daughter of my neighbor scream.  I turn to see her running to mommy and she dropped her white pillowcase used for collecting treats.  I was horrified at Lukas and thought for sure he had nipped her in the butt judging by her screaming.  I handed the dogs to Dana and went over to make sure she was ok.  Amazingly, her mother didn’t even question if she was ‘hit’ or not.  She was very busy consoling the crying girl.  I, on the other hand, was searching her white costume for evidence of a nip or bite.  And while I do care for her feelings, more importantly is, did he break the skin.  Once I was able to confirm he did not make contact, I was more at ease.  Many may agree with the consoling initially, but  I prefer we find out if there is a physical issue first.  Upon asking the mom, she wasn’t able to confirm if my dog had made contact.  I was responsible for finding this information out on my own with minimum help.  I had to repeat mysef several times asking if she was bit while the little girl was wailing “I don’t like Lukas!’  and the mom saying “I know, he doesn’t like you either”.  

 You see, there is a history with Lukas and this family along with all the neighbors, are completely aware of it.  I am a responsible pet owner.  If anyone enters my house, I make them aware of Lukas and his nipping habits with kids.  They also know he is deaf and has nipped Seth and another little girl in the neighborhood.  I have taken precautions and consulted his foster dad regarding this.  I have purchased books on the topic.  I consider myself knowledgable on the situation and his behavior.  However, it is still not an excuse for these things to happen.  I firmly believe many situations are 2-way. 

What do you think?  I do not in any way blame the child or mother, but I also don’t blame myself.  Do I blame Lukas?  Absolutely, but he is the most ignorant in the situation and we as humans need to prevent these situations. 

One must also keep in mind, these are not wild animals or fighting dogs.  This breed is known for nipping, not mauling.  They will let go.  They do not lock their jaws or go for the kill. 

Yes, I have been bitten by dogs.  Am I traumatized by this?  Of course not.  In all the cases, I antagonized the dog.  I was taught this by my parents who made sure I understood the reason behind it. 

Disturbia children need to learn proper technique with animals.  My 8yr old is still learning.  My 11yr old is still learning as he had to figure it out on his own the hard way.  Hitting a dog will get you bit.  I am proud to say he still loves this dog as he understands he brought in on himself. 

 I found an article about local elementary students being educated on the topic.   http://www.azcentral.com/pets/articles/2008/10/30/20081030gl-peodogbite1030-ON.html

I must ask, why parents can educate their kids on such topics.  This is one example of why we homeschool our youngest.  

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Friday, October 10, 2008 by Dana.

All this week, the wife and kids have been out of town… So I have been walking the dogs before work in the morning so they don’t go completely crazy waiting for me to get home from work to go to the dog park.  Two days ago (Oct 7), I walked the dogs a mile up the street to the community park.  When we arrived and turned the corner, a young coyote was standing there 15-20 yards from us.  My 3 dogs didn’t react right away (like they do for rabbits), but they did start to bark after a few moments.  Then the coyote took off to the back of the park.

Seeing a coyote in our neighborhood is not that unusual, but it was the first time that I’ve seen one in the daylight.  Usually we see them in the evening, catching the glare of their eyes in the car headlights.   Then later that day, I came across this article on AZ Central (on-line version of our local news) about cats getting eaten by coyotes.  While I am sure many people in rural areas are familiar with coyotes, the only other time I’ve seen a similar threat to urban pets was in Florida when opportunistic alligators would make a meal of a dog chained up in a backyard.

Have you seen more coyotes lately?  Lose a cat?

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Sunday, September 21, 2008 by Dana.

Several times a week, we take our 3 dogs to a dog park.  For those not familiar with having a dog in Suburbia, a dog park is the only place other than your home where you can have your dog off a leash so it can run, get exercise, or mark his territory on a shrub.
Our 3 dogs have a very high-drive, which means we have to get them out often to run and play.  Nothing against the dog park, but it is analogous to taking your child to a McDonald’s Playland.  You would rather your kids be able to run through the woods or play in the barn like you did as a kid, but here you have to expose them to a germ-infested area of plastic slides and snot-covered plastic balls.  For the dogs, you can’t take them to the neighborhood park to play fetch or even let them out to chase a rabbit in the neighborhood.  You have to expose them a collection of potentially sick dogs and shrubs marked with more urine than an urban fire hydrant.

As working with them on new tricks… forget about it!  There are far too many distractions with multiple different dogs and people.  A couple of our dogs have learned to fetch a tennis ball in the backyard, yet they will make no effort to do so at the dog park.  The distractions keep them from giving you the focus to complete the trick, plus our dogs have no interest in sharing a tennis ball with hundreds of other dogs.  You don’t know where that ball has been, and the dogs seem to understand the same concept.  Taking your own ball is not an option unless you want to see your dogs get into a fight with another dog that thinks it can chase any ball in the park.

What can we do? Nothing.  It is what it is.  The leash laws are because a few aggressive dogs have hurt or killed people.  Even if you have an old, arthritic dog with 3 legs that is blind in one eye, you still have to have it on a leash.   Should we go back to holding people accountable if their dog is not kept in control so those that can control their dogs can take them to any park to play?  What are your thoughts?

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