News and daily Dogs: puppy photos

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Wordless Wednesday: Jeffie the Puppy Prisoner

Jeffie, the prisoner

Being confined to the mudroom didn't seem to keep Jeffie awake.

Mostly, though, our little prisoner just wanted O.U.T.

Not only was Jeffie a Cush Dog, he was also a third wheel. You know that saying about two's company, three's a crowd? That's how Tucker and Lucy felt about Jeffie. They were not exactly thrilled.

When we couldn't be attentive, we put Jeffie in the mudroom, safe and secure behind a baby gate.

He didn't think much of that and we refer to these photos as: The Prisoner.

We're still celebrating Jeffie's 7th birthday party!

Join us for the giveaways and stay for the fun!

This week our giveaway is a
Dog Mom dog lover bracelet from For Love of a Dog.

Jeffie's First Construction Project: Dog Daddy Guest Post

Today we have another guest post by the Dog Daddy. He has a little Jeffie puppy story to tell. This is part of Jeffie's Birthday Party!

Shortly after moving into our new house ( well, more appropriately, our new construction site), we decided to build a deck on the back of the house. Our house was not finished and we were working on a number of projects: floors, woodwork, fireplaces, and so one. But it was spring and I wanted to be outside.

Jeffie was a spring puppy and he loved to follow me anywhere I went. I started by digging 20 holes to set the posts in to build the deck on. After laying out the position of the holes, which Jeffie watched with great intent, began to dig.

Most of the digging was done with a post hole digger. As soon as I started digging Jeffie was fascinated and wanted to get in on the action.

As soon as I had a hole started, he had to inspect it. I had to basically use one foot to keep him out of the hole while I took another jab with the digger. Every time I brought up more dirt, Jeffie was thrilled and needed to inspect it also.

I was digging the holes 2 feet deep. Once I finished digging a hole and moved on to dig another Jeffie was right there to help. Then he would wander away and fall into the hole I just finished. So I had to stop and rescue him as he was too small to climb out on his own. This little dance between me and Jeffie and the holes went on all day.

The next step was to set the posts in concrete. Jeffie had to stay inside so he did not get into the cement. After that Jeffie was with me for the rest of the project and was not so much in the way.

That is, until I started laying the deck boards. That's when he discovered that going under the boards he could escape the sun and the noise. Every time I would take a break I would have to find him and coax him out. This went on until the final step of putting on the surround (so no critters could get under the deck.) Even as I was ready to put on the final board, I had to wait until I could get him out.

As the years have gone by Jeffie still loves to go along to help with any project. These days he mostly just sits or lays a few feet away and watches. Sometimes I think he wonders why we don�t do something again as exciting as building a deck.

Jeffie was a Cush Dog

Jeffie was a Cush Dog. Not familiar with the term? You can read about it in a guest post from the Dog Daddy here. Its sort of along the lines of an heir and a spare.

A Cush Dog provides a cushion, a soft landing, when the loss of another dog makes you feel you've hit rock bottom.

I resolved years ago to never be without a Cush Dog. When my beloved Benji died, Sherman was my Cush Dog. I was heartbroken and the very best comfort to be had was from Shermie. In fact, that's when the Dog Daddy's no-dogs-in-the-bed rule was first broken. As I cried myself to sleep, I hauled Shermie into bed (on only my side, of course) and we grieved together.

In 2006, it dawned on me that I had a problem. Tucker and Lucy had become senior dogs and they were only 6 months apart in age.   Okay, I also will confess that I had the puppy fever.

I almost always have the puppy fever, but in this case, I had another good reason for beginning the process of adding another dog to our family. I needed a Cush Dog.

My hunt began. As I surfed Petfinder and read the newspaper ads, I waited for that feeling. The one that tells you this is the one.

There came a day when there was a lemon yellow, Lab looking puppy that called to me. When called, the shelter told us that Joe had 2 siblings with him, his mother was a Golden Retriever, and they'd been picked up as strays. Joe was the only one listed on Petfinder.

Gary took off work early that day and off we headed to Dogwood Animal Shelter to adopt Joe.

Joe turned out to be a very pushy, dominant personality, pup. The Dog Daddy was smitten, but I found it hard to imagine Tucker and Lucy being too thrilled. As we played with all three of these puppies in the shelter's puppy room, it was another of the puppies that began to work his way into my heart.

"Stevie," as they called him, was much more Golden Retriever in appearance, and much more laid back than Joe. And, every once in awhile, "Stevie" talked to me with little puppy grunts.

I had a feeling that "Stevie" was the one and thank dog I did!

Dog names are important to us and the name "Stevie" was rejected. After much discussion, this puppy was named Jefferson.

You can see the resemblance, right?

My very favorite memory of Jeffie's puppy-hood is a sort of mental collage of all the early mornings we spent together.

I'm an early riser and Jeffie is a spring puppy. Sunrise would find us together outside. Sitting on the back porch steps, we enjoyed birdsong and the smell of flora and grass. Jeffie might be in my lap or he might venture off to playfully explore the world nearby.

It was a deliciously sweet time of life.

Very fitting for my sweet boy, Jeffie.

We're celebrating Jeffie's 7th birthday all month long here at Talking Dogs. Did you get the invitation to his party? Have you entered to win some Monkey Earrings from For Love of a Dog and a "monkey" (dog toy) for your dog?

C'mon! Join the party!

Wordless Wednesday: Rosie Does Shamrocks

Thought you might like to see some of the other Rosie in shamrocks photos we took for St Patrick's Day. She was a very good sport about all this!

I do wish we'd had something cuter to "dress" her in AND I should have washed the mud off her nose!

Wordless Wednesday: Joy in a Fur Coat

My girl, Rosie.

"I am joy in a wooly coat,

come to dance into your life,

to make you laugh!"

~ Julie Church

A Story of Puppy Dog Sweaters

I've been thinking about puppy sweaters. Well, about winter dog clothes in general. I have a collection in several sizes because when you add a puppy every couple of years... well, you need them!

Shown at top is Rudy modeling the smallest sweater. The next size is a purple cableknit that I can't find a photo of.

When the puppy outgrows the purple one, he or she graduates to this very vintage green and white striped sweater. Vintage because it originally belonged to my dog, Benji, many, many years ago!

Next is a red knit sweater. And finally, the puppy graduated to a coat like the one shown above.

Many years ago we added a black lab mix puppy, Spanky, to our family in January. At the time we lived on a very isolated farm. A winter storm rolled in with heaps of snow, frigid wind chill temperatures and we couldn't get out of our place for a few days.

However, the puppy definitely needed to be able to go out of the house! No way to run to town for a puppy sweater or coat.

I had what I still think is a brilliant idea. Taking a child size knitted ski mask, I carefully pulled out the seams at the very top of the head, leaving a hole in the top for Spanky's head. Spanky's front legs went through the eye holes in the mask. A puppy sweater!

Somewhere along the line in our moves, I've lost that recycled, upcycled, make-do puppy sweater, darn it. So when Rosie joined us and she was too little to fit in the smallest size I had on hand, I just had to shop.

Here's Rosie in her new sweater. Why blue and green? Because she'll soon outgrow it and the next puppy could be a boy, of course!

Love is irresistible and so is puppy Rosie

Every once in awhile, the dog daddy and I exchange a glance and sigh... yes, we are wacko for adopting a puppy at this time in our lives.

With his illness, my continuing commitment to my mother with her failing health, and everything else we have going on, most people would decide this is not the optimal time to fool around with a puppy.

I say - in the case of Rosie - conventional wisdom is dead wrong.

What a joy! What a healing life force!

Plus, we haven't laughed like this for a long while!

If we've been through the pruning sheers of life this past year, so have Jeffie and Rudy. They weren't sure at all about the new family member. Rudy seemed stunned. Jeffie seemed to think she was just one more worry.

At first, Rudy couldn't decided if she was something to be feared or she just might be fun. Didn't take long and he found the later to be true. Ultra gentle in his play with her, he accepted her play blows and her offering of her little submissive tummy.

Doggie tag. Rosie is "it." Just look at the joy on Rudy's face!

Yesterday Rudy began delivering his beloved Jolly Ball to Rosie to play with.

Jeffie tried to herd Rosie. And for a bit he seemed to think she was prey to be stalked. Unfortunately for him, Rosie's mama was a Golden Retriever and she was in love with Jeffie at first sight.

Though not pushy, Rosie has a strong sense of self and is no shrinking violet!

Play bow! Nicely done, Rosie!

Yesterday I was sitting out on the edge of the deck, tossing a flippy flier for Rudy. Jeffie came to sit next to me and to be petted. Rosie was mesmerized by Rudy's play, but when she saw me and Jeffie, she crept closer. And closer.

Pretty soon she was sitting on his tail. As luck would have it, when he twisted his head around to growl at her, she was totally focused on Rudy. Jeffie was still for a long moment. I thought he's get up and move away.

Nope. Jeffie leaned around and gently began licking Rosie's head.

Later, yesterday afternoon, I was out in the studio finishing up some custom work. One time I glanced up and I couldn't believe my eyes. Jeffie and Rudy were cuddled up together asleep.

Rosie is an irresistible life force. Rosie is love.