RIP Diesel

Yesterday evening my funny little monkey Diesel passed away peacefully with his family lovingly at his side. The clues and events leading up to this sad moment came all too quickly for me to process. His passing has affected me deeply. Throughout the years I’ve had to make the decision to allow a pet to be freed from pain on several occasions but never was one so young and seemingly healthy.

Looking back I now understand certain strange behaviors. A few weeks ago, Deezy started showing signs of being restless and pacing in circles. He started pressing his head hard against things, not only your lap but objects like the couch. I wondered if he had a headache. He started becoming oversensitive to everyday noises and new people became scary and he began to growl more often. Even with family members he was becoming impatient. Then about a week ago the excessive drooling started. We thought all of this might have been stress related so we took him to the vet and even scheduled a dog behaviorist to come evaluate him.

By yesterday morning he was extremely lethargic, shivering with a fever over 105 and getting worse by the hour. The tests revealed that he was a very sick doggie. The results pointed to some type of cancer in his body. I could hardly believe what the vet was telling me.  I was faced with having to make important decisions quickly. My boy was hurting and it was my responsibility to find a way to take away the pain.

From the vet’s office I called my weimamomma angel, KellyAnn with TriState Weimaraner Rescue. She listened to me through the tears talk myself in circles about what to do next. KellyAnn is one amazing person and I am so grateful to know her.

My Deezy Weezy in only 4 shorts months of being in my life brought me more joy, laughter and love than I thought possible. Diesel was the type of dog that wanted to please. When I would talk to him you could see him almost aching to understand. He watched my every move. He followed my every step. He needed to be near me at every moment. He came to us with a bit of emotional baggage and insecurities but it wasn’t long before his little canine spirit was soaring. When Deezy smiled, you couldn’t help but smile with him.

We’ve gone through our share of deaths recently. Through tears last night I asked my husband, “Why is it that beings come to us to die?” He answered me, “Because we allow them to live.” What a profound statement.

My little monkey loved to romp through the fields with a huge smile on his face. Chasing squirrels, hunting mice and digging for groundhogs were his favorite ways of entertaining himself. Now that he’s crossed over the rainbow bridge I can only imagine that his beautiful spirit is free and will soar forever.

Thank you, Diesel. Momma loves you.

  

Click on the pictures below and try not to smile

 

 

 

September Outdoor Fun

It's been waaaay too long since the last Sunshine Boyz blog post!  While my life continues to get busier as I take on new projects and endeavors, the boys' lives continue to evolve into MORE leisure and MORE adventures.
Ah, the life of a dog! 

That being said, I cannot control myself with the camera... I continue to shoot away! Below are some pics and a short video of two recent occasions that made me smile. I hope they make you smile too :)

Ortiz and Carbo ~ From couch potatoes to deck potatoes

Carbo loves his big brother.

Ortiz's Godfather Face

A typical scene- Ortiz napping, Carbo refusing to nap, Diesel pacing.

There are few things that bring the Sunshine Boyz more joy than hunting for mice! We've been taking down some trees that are too close to the house and the wood piles and debris are a rodent's dream. Carbo has the strongest prey drive and has been teaching Diesel how it's done. Carbo is the funniest to watch when he catches a mouse... he chews them up like chewing gum, swallows them down and then smiles :)

This clip is especially amusing to me because my husband Steven sounds like he's from down the Bayou lol

Starting to Bond

Our last post was about how the Sunshine Boyz were having a little trouble getting along on occasion. I tried something different and the pictures below tell the rest of the story. These pictures were not posed. I'm so very happy they are beginning to trust each other.

Carbo and Diesel the very next day after my little experiment.

It took Diesel and Ortiz a little longer (about a week) but it looks like they're becoming buddies too.

These boys teach ME how to be patient and consistent ever day. 

Cesar Millan is right. You really do get the dog(s) you need.

Creating Peace

Even the Sunshine Boyz have an occasional cloudy day. Just because the pictures and stories I post depict them as happy and living in a doggie utopia does not mean that we are without our challenges. Put three male dogs together and chances are they will have their occasional hey-I'm-better-than-you moments. Just like three buddies in a bar trying to one-up each other, Ortiz, Carbo and Diesel have their moments of self importance. As pack leaders it's our job to evaluate who is instigating, who snapped first and who is the innocent by stander. As you can imagine, this is impossible to do all the time. On those occasions when you do know the roles they played, I believe it's good to take full advantage and SHOW them what behavior you do expect from them as their leader. 

Ortiz is the second in command to our position. He takes his job seriously and is always overseeing what the other two "clowns" are up to. Ortiz is slick. He dominates the others through head-games and his death stare. It's very subtle to humans but very obvious to other dogs.

Yesterday we had a breakthrough moment. After giving the Sunshine Boyz a bath, I rewarded them each with a treat. Afterwards, Diesel was the first to express his "joie de vivre" by doing his little bunny hop dance. Carbo joined in and it was a lovely moment of bonding. Ortiz thought this was foolish behavior and gave Diesel the signal to stop. Well... that really pissed Diesel off and he snapped. Diesel exploded all over Ortiz. After a few moments I was able to break it up and put them in a down position. These Weimaraners are so sensitive to correction that I've learned that all I need to do is stand over them with my hands on my hips and they submit by giving me their bellies. 

Once there was peace in the valley again, I brought them all together and tried something I had been thinking about... I had them lay down next to each other and simply relax. This may not sound like much but after their brawl and considering Ortiz and Diesel's lack of affection for each other, this WAS a big deal. With patience and treats I gently brought them together to accept each others physical touch. My goal was to have them recline ON each other and be in a peaceful state of mind. It worked. I rewarded them with treats and calm assurance. 

I was able to snap a quick picture with my iPhone. While it doesn't do the moment justice, it does remind me that they need us to SHOW them what we expect and what we approve of. 

Actions are always louder than words :o) 

Digging For Groundhogs

I can't imagine what would be better for a Weimaraner on a bright Saturday morning than a good old fashioned groundhog hunt!

My Main Man Ortiz

Diesel and His Booties

Here are a few clips of Diesel learning to walk with his new booties. His paw pads were so raw when he was first rescued... poor thing :o(  Even though it was awkward for him to learn how to walk with them at first, I believed they helped a lot! They kept his paw pads clean and padded. Along with some daily anti-biotic ointment this boy's paws are almost good as new! 

These 3 short clips were all taped on the same day. It didn't take him long to figure out how to maneuver in the booties. One thing we learned pretty quickly was to be sure they were fastened nice n snug! 

This was also the time we had discovered his real name. We were still in amazement how that all happened! Notice in the clips how quickly he responds to his name! We have no doubt in our minds!

 

 

 

Diesel Gets Comfy

Oh, Diesel...Watching you come out of your shell and seeing you enjoy life has warmed our hearts. What a good boy you are :o)

Ummm and yes, that is Ortiz wearing a Hawaiian lei. Don't tell him I posted the picture. He'd be embarrassed...