Ride or Die...

This is as close to a car as I want to come.

According to my crazy mother, I should enjoy car rides. And to a degree I do. I like seeing all the stuff that's outside my little neighborhood. There are so many people. There are so many trees and so many flowers. There are so many cats and squirrels. But to a larger degree, I HATE IT!

Riding in the car makes me want to scream. (And I often do scream.) Why does my mother have to listen to that stuff she calls music? I hear no whistling. It's not music to me.  How come people in other cars pretend they can't hear me when I try to talk to them? It's so rude. I'm just trying to give them a friendly hello bark. Except those nutty people walking around on the sidewalks with their hoods up. I don't trust anyone with a hood on their head. I simply have to take my anger out on them! And what's up with windows anyway? My mom only rolls it down far enough for me to get fresh air. Woman, I wanna jump out! Everything passes by too quickly. I want to walk around and take my time sniffing everything, peeing on everything. It's a man's job to mark his territory. Cars don't allow you to do that.

My silly sister loves to go on car rides. That means she's been on all sorts of cool trips with Mama and Daddy. She's been to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and everywhere in between. She just lays around the house, so I guess it's no different to lay around in the car. She hangs her head out the window, but never tries to jump out. She's such a bummer sometimes. I would hate to be stuck in the car for so long. I love to run too much.

Apparently, my mom really wants me to go on car rides with her. I know this because I heard her telling my Grammy about these leashes that lock in to your seatbelts. I guess she found them at this place called Pep Boys and wanted to buy me one. Sounds like doggy torture to me.  Then I couldn't even run from the front to the back of the car and back again. She showed me a picture of my friend Bella in her car seat. I mean, that's alright. At least a short guy like me could see out the window without stretching, but still.... I WANT TO PEE ON EVERYTHING! No matter to me that my mom keeps treats, a water bowl, a bottle of water, and a bag of food in the car at all times. I have those in my house and my Grammy will give them to me if my mama won't.

I just prefer to walk I guess.

Does anyone else really freak out in the car? Or am I the only dog in the world that does this? I'm honestly curious. Please let me know.

Barks and Licks,
Teddy

P.S. Besides, she's always taking me to the vet or the groomer in the car. NOT associated with great memories after you've been neutered.

Lives to Live... (By Guest Blogger Matt Partain from S.T.A.R, House for Men)

Matt and Gizmo Partain

How many lives can most people say they have lived?

I have had the unique and scary opportunity to have lived at least four in my 33 years.  My first began in 1982, when the world was blessed with another screaming, wrinkled thing resembling a miniature 80 year old man.  I always found it funny how I came into this world looking that way, and, if I live long enough, I will probably look the exact same, only longer.  Anyway, I came into this world 33 years ago and had a mostly innocent life for the first 14 years.  The summer after my 14th year, I began my second life.  That was the life of changing the way I felt and viewed the world.  That was the first time I put something into my body that helped me cope with my emotions and numbed all factors in my life.  That second life had it’s ups and downs.  It was not all bad.  There is one thing I will admit freely.  I absolutely LOVE getting high.  I love the way I felt, the fun I had, whether actual or perceived.  The relationships I built around that life seemed so genuine and deep.  Any drug addict who doesn’t admit that is lying to themselves and to you.  Why else would we have done it over and over again? Why else would we risk repeating craptastic consequences, just to chase that feeling down at least one more time?  Why else would we risk everything and everyone we ever cared about? That is a powerful thing indeed.  

That second life of mine lasted until I was 29 years old.  Over half of my life at that time had been spent chasing that rush and feeling of nirvana that only drugs and alcohol could provide.  Like an extended orgasm you just want to keep going.  Then I found myself in jail once again.  I had been there before, but this was different.  I was tired of that life.  It had moved from pleasure to work.  And it wasn’t a job I loved.  Every waking moment was spent searching and chasing. I was given the choice of prison or rehab.  I made a decision right then. I was done.  This was the birth of my 3rd life.  I was going to go to rehab 2 hours away, and I wasn’t coming back.  And that’s exactly what I did.  Because of that personal decision, rehab was easy.  I learned the tools I needed to get through rough times.  I built a network of like-minded people and called on them every time I needed to.  I was given an opportunity to further my recovery and begin a career working with another rehab in town.  After a lifetime of my friends and acquaintances coming to me for help or to talk, I began to actually get paid to be a counselor.  

Six months after I graduated rehab, the month I started full-time working at the rehab, I became a single parent for the first time.  My child weighed about a pound and had brown hair and eyes the color of coal.  He was a Peekapoo and I named him Gizmo.  To say he was a blessing would be an understatement.  He brought back that joy, those insanely strong positive emotions, that previously were only felt during the years with drugs coursing through my body.  He was the happiest and sweetest puppy.  He filled the hole of not having a romantic relationship. I didn’t need one.  He was my new prescription and I was addicted again.  

Over the course of the next 2 years, our bond strengthened even further.  I had never had anything that 100% of the time chose me over anything else.  He literally screamed when I had to leave.  It was heartbreaking and joyous at the same time.  I enrolled him in daycare for when I was at work.  He remained as happy as any dog I have ever seen.  

About a month ago, we began another life, my 4th.  One morning, Gizmo couldn’t stand on his back legs.  When I picked him up, his bowels let loose.  I panicked and took him to the daycare, whose workers have become amazing friends.  They took him to the vet for me, as I simply did not have the money.  I work full-time, but I am far from rich.  I pay my car note and insurance.  I have rent and utilities and cell phone bills.  My car must be insured and I have a student loan to pay off.  I can’t afford insurance for myself, even after being told I have no choice from the government, much less for my dog!  So, my friends at the daycare helped me and took Gizmo to the vet. 

 He had slipped 2 disks in his lower spine.  My options are limited, as my finances deem what options are even possible.  My finances have said the only course of action is to wait and hope and pray he heals over time.  He has improved some since his injury occurred.  For a while, he couldn’t even sit up.  He would just fall over, as would my hopes for recovery.  However, after a few weeks, he began to gain strength in his front half.  He is as good now as he has been since this all began.  He still can’t move his back legs.  He still can’t control his bathroom uses.  I have to use a wrap and maxi pad over him to absorb the urine.  He has begun to get extremely good at pulling himself along.  He literally uses his front paws to drag himself wherever I am.  This creates problems of it’s own.  His little doggy boner will get pulled out and stuck.  It swells.  This causes me to have to get into extreme parent mode and put it back in.  He gets rashes on his belly from the friction.  The resistance pulls the wrap right off of him, leaving a little snail trail of urine wherever he has been.  His mood has improved, but his physical condition has not.

  I set up a Go Fund Me account to try and raise funds.  These funds will be used to help purchase supplies for Gizmo and for other dogs who have owners that can’t afford treatment for them.  I am looking into getting a wheelchair type thing for Gizmo.  I want to help him and other animal parents who have unresolved issues due to finances.  Anyone can donate, with the assurances that the funds will be put to amazing use for the creatures who help us get through the day.  My little creature helped me begin a new life.  Without him, I can’t say how far I would’ve come after rehab.  Many other parents are in similar boats.  Thank you for taking the time to read this story.  Here’s to starting another life….one for me and Gizmo AND one for any other animals who are helped with this account.  Our account is gofundme.com/helpsavegizmo

-Matt Partain

Matt.partain@gmail.com

Dog of the House

I think it's been a long, long time since I wrote a blog.

But, then, I'm a dog and I can't tell time.

Hi everybody! Teddy here, back again after a lot of technical difficulty.

I've grown up a lot since last we talked. I celebrated my dog mitzvah last year when I turned two. And I got my nuts chopped off. Now I am a man. And I often display this. You see, my Dad works out of town quite a bit. He builds these things kids get to go to and eat pizza and wack moles and dance on big TVs. (Wish he'd build me a dog version of that!) And when Dad's away, I'M the man of the house and I have no problem letting everyone in my household know it!

I like to warn everyone when strangers are nearby. And nearby, to me, starts at one end of our block and goes clear to the other end. I learned from my old cat (may she rest in peace) that if you sit in our front window you can see EVERYTHING from one end to the other. This is a great watchtower. As soon as I see a pair of shoes turn the corner, I can bark to warn my family. I usually start with a warning growl. But the closer people get, the more I bark. But my Mama and my Grammy just yell at me to be quiet. It's so disrespectful. They would never talk to my Dad like that.

I see squirrels in our trees as an immediate threat. My Dad and Granddaddy also see squirrels this way. They grab the BB gun and fire. I can't, since I have no thumbs and the thing is way longer than I am. So I scare the squirrels away with my ferocious bark and the threat of my extremely healthy white teeth. My teeth are weapons of mass destruction. I make sure to sharpen them on plastic bottles, wood, whatever I can get my mouth around. And if I could ever just get my teeth on one of these squirrels, it would be over. Unfortunately my Mama got smart and realized I was escaping the yard too easily, so now I'm on a lead outside. This really hinders my squirrel game.

I also get easily agitated by cats. Now, I grew up with my old sister cat Furrball. In fact, my Dad says I'm more cat than dog. I take offense to that. Doesn't he see how much I hate cats? With their freedom to roam around and their free cans of tuna. Cats disgust me. At the same time, they fascinate me. I always had so much fun beating up and chasing after Furrball. I think another cat might be fun too. So I take my frustration out by barking and barking up a storm. My Mama actually thought I was hurt one day I was screaming so loud. She gave me a thorough talking to and I've calmed down some since then.

At any rate, I like to see myself as the man of the house when my Pops is out. The girl people just don't understand. And I've come to accept that. I just kind of let my Mama and Grammy think they are in charge. But we all know the truth. I'm a 23 pound dog who can protect the house better than that slobbering mess of a Lab my sister is. And she's five times my size. I think it's kind of funny.

I hope that all my readers have been doing well and I'm super excited for to check out what's going to go on this year with my blog. Look for a special guest blog from my uncle Matt this Friday. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Barks and Licks,
Teddy

Shiver me Timbers!

It's getting cold out here!

     Hey it's Teddy again!

     It is sooooooooo cold out today. The Weather Channel says that it is 21 but it FEELS like 10! And it's day light outside! How cold will it be tonight? Brrrrrrrr!

     Don't get me wrong. I LOVE playing in the snow. It is a ton of fun. But when my little paws are cold, I get to scratching at the door to come inside! There's nothing better than snuggling up with my humans and taking a long winter's nap. 

     Winter can be a dangerous time for animals. We will do anything to keep warm and there are little dangers that our humans should be aware of. But with just a little knowledge, humans can keep us fur babies perfectly happy and safe all season long.

     For instance, cats love to curl up in car engines. It's super toasty there and the body of the vehicle blocks the wind. We have a tuxedo kitty living in our winter habitat, so my humans make sure they tap on the car before they start it up just to make sure we don't have an visitors. There are a lot of feral cats in our neighborhood and old family pets that renters left behind, so my Mama does what she can to keep these kitties comfy in the cold. You click here to read more about caring for feral or stray cats in the winter.

     Another example is when I get salt all over my paws after a walk. It might not seem like a big deal but licking the salt off one's paws can actually give you a really bad stomach ache. Ice and ice melts can also cause the pads of our feet to crack and chafe. A simple solution is to just wipe your pets feet off when you come in the front door. Nothing extravagant, just a damp wash cloth to give our paws a quick wiping.

      Also,  if you light a fire or a space heater to keep your house warm, remember that pets love warmth. Keep an eye out for your pet and make sure that they are not to close to your fire or heater. A spark from a flame could catch your pet's fur on fire or a pad touching a heated surface could burn. Also, we tend to get excited and knock things over on accident. And no one wants their home accidentally burned down! (And especially not in the cold!)

      On that same note, make sure that you have carbon monoxide detector. Pets are even more susceptible to carbon monoxide than their owners because we tend to spend even more time in the house than you guys do. 

See?

      A lot of winter pet care is just using your common sense. Bigger breeds can stay out longer. Of course a Husky is going to like the snow more than a Chihuahua. Duh. One is from Russia, the other Mexico. Little dogs like me and cats have to wade through the snow and it's just not that fun after a while. Bigger dogs can plow through and keep going. The more fur we have, the warmer we stay. And if you have a small dog with little fur, please feel free to stick one of those stupid sweaters on them. My Mama makes me wear them. 

     If you keep a bowl of water outside for your pet, make sure it's not frozen. Frozen water is just silly. You can't drink it. And pets really need to stay hydrated when the humidity is down outside. Fresh water is always a good answer!

      Keep an eye on your pet for frostbite and hypothermia in the winter. Frostbite is particularly tricky because it's when all the blood rushes away from your tail and your paws and your ears. The tissue damage might not show right away. Hypothermia is easier to notice because you can see changes in your pet right away. Petsitter has a great article on treatment for frostbite and hypothermia.

      Winter can be a blast as long as the right precautions are taken. I know that I'm looking forward to building a snowman and getting in to snow ball fights. I'm also looking forward to the heat vent near my Mama's bed and extra food for winter weight. Make sure to stay warm this winter. And keep your fur friends warm and safe too! Bark!

   

Gobble Tov!

    Happy Thanksgivukkah! And Happy Thanksgiving too! Teddy reporting in.
    I think I have said it before but I will say it again. I LOVE Thanksgiving. It is definitely a holiday designed for doggies like me. Food everywhere. Mama spills something, she calls us in. Grammy has extra, she calls us over. Granddaddy has samples, he feeds them to us. I think I've already gained 10 pounds.
    Unfortunately, there are some things that we can't eat. And a lot of my friends have been reminding me to remind everyone that there are some foods that just aren't safe for us dogs to eat. Luckily, I've broken it down for you.
    #1. Turkey Skin. It looks delicious. It can be very dangerous and lead to pancreatitis, which is very bad.
    #2. Alcohol. Sure the video will get you a bunch of YouTube hits and Facebook likes, but is it worth giving your fur friends seizures, liver damage, or even death?
    #3. Mushrooms. Delicious fungus to you. Deathly poison to us dogs. It can lead to vomiting or even a coma.
    #4. Onions and Garlic. These two foods found in dressing can lead to anemia in a doggie and my Mama just had a fur friend pass away from that.  Definite no-nos.
    #5. Nutmeg. A tricky spice found on sweet potatoes and pumpkin, which are both good for dogs. Nutmeg can lead to tremors and problems with a dog's central nervous system.
   #6. Raw batter and Dough. We dogs can get salmonella too, you know. Plus it can puff up in our bellies and make us very sick indeed.
    #7. Nuts. Macadamia nuts and walnuts in particular contain toxins. Within 12 hours, you dog could be vomiting, not able to stand, and could even die.
    #8. Sage. It has an essential oil that upsets a dog's belly. Best to keep it away from us!
    #9. Cooked Bones. I know that we all loves bones. They taste good and are crunchy. But they can splinter in our digestive tracts and cause us much pain and cost you much money.
    #10. Chocolate. Need I say more?
   Now, that said, OF COURSE you want your best friend to join in your Thanksgiving feast. My Mama would never celebrate without me. Here's what's on my menu for tomorrow.
     #1. Mashed and Sweet Potatoes. They're delicious and we love them.
     #2. Green Beans. And the humans aren't even eating those!
     #3. Pumpkin. Not pie. Just pumpkin. Yum!
     #4. Cranberry Sauce. Not with nuts or anything, just plain old cranberry sauce, the way I like it!
     #5. Carrots. One of my faves!
     Enjoy your holiday with your whole family, pets included. If you feed your cat turkey, make sure you have de-boned it completely. I know cats love turkey. I am going to be eating the green beans the most. Those are a huge treat for me.
     Gotta go now! Mama's calling me to go out and there's still snow on the ground! Barks and Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Hanukkah!

Even the Pilgrims and Indians could get along for one day!

Rainy day blues....

   It's raining today.
   I have a love/ hate relationship with the rain. I hate to get wet. (Just ask my groomer!) But I LOVE to be muddy. Playing in the mud is so much fun. I love the way it squishes between my paws and fills up my nose when I root around in it. I roll around in mud. It is just the most fun stuff in the world.
   My sister ruins this for me because she HATES the mud. But she loves the rain. She loves to get wet. Grammy got us a pool for next summer and my crazy sister knocked it down last night, just it would fill up with rain that she could jump in and play around in. She splashes like a duck and makes a ton of noise. That means our Mama then gets on to us and makes us come back in to the house.
   Ruin-er.
   With it raining out, that means we get stuck inside for more time than usual. Most days we go outside every  two to three hours, just depending on what's going on that day. I love to be outside. Sometimes i don't want to come in but my Mama gets mad and makes me. She used to let me run around outside for hours, but then I started running away and now someone has to stay outside with me at all times because Mama says I'm "untrustworthy". Whatever that means.
   So we get stuck inside and I get incredibly bored. I love to play. Coco, my sister, does not. She would rather just lay down beside Mama as she works and watch TV. She's been watching this show called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on Netflix and I have to say, that show just makes me want to play more. I mean, c'mon! They're fighting! I like fighting. I loved to jump and roll around and bite and kick. That's all good stuff. So I bite Coco and hope she gets mad enough to play with me. Sometimes this works.
   Other times, I try to bring her a peace offering. Like the leg of my old toy, Griselda. I try to get her to play tug of war with me. Sometimes she does. I think she thinks that since she has about seventy pounds on me that she is much stronger than I am. I think not. I can lock my jaws tight and hold right on to my toy. Eventually though she gets bored and let's me win so she can go back to watching TV.
   I don't think her first family played very much.
   The best way to get her to play is to get Mama to play. This is not hard. I just bring a toy to her and she'll throw it. Or play tug of war. Or lift me waaaaay up in the air as I hold on to my toy and spin me in circles. Coco immediately begins to play with me then and that's exactly what I wanted. She can't stand it when people pay attention to me. She's kind of a drama queen.
   Another thing that I like to do on rainy days is aggravate my Grammy. She usually feels down when it is rainy out. Opression, I think it's called. So I try to impress her by getting her to play with me. I whine at her door until she opens it to yell at me and then I sneak in. Usually she has a toy for me in her room, but if there is no toy, I just pick up the nearest Kleenex. Grammy yells at me and then tries to take the Kleenex and has to chase me all over the room to get it. She pretends to be mad, but then she calls me a "silly little tramp" and scratches behind my ears. Then we take a nap together. That makes us both happy.
   Rainy days are stinky, but they can be fun too. Remember that your furry friend probably doesn't mean to be more mischievous, they're probably just bored, like me. Playing with them will help. I'm hoping that I can find my mini tennis balls today. Wish me luck! Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny!

Rooting around in the mud is fun! Mud is a great place to hide treasures!

I have fun aggravating my Grammy!

Halloween...

Coco and I share a pumpkin straight from the garden. Mama was not happy when she found this.

 Halloween is my mama's most favorite holiday of all.

 I don't want to tell her, but I can't stand it. It's super creepy. I remember last year. The doorbell rang for hours. I wasn't allowed outside after dark. These creepy, small creatures walked by all night long and the later it got, the louder everything got. Honestly, I thought it was a horrible night. I went and curled up in bed with my Grammy. It was warm and quiet there.

  From what I understand, Halloween is a great time for humans. They get to go to parties and dance and eat candy. But most people don't understand how spooky Halloween really is for their pets. We don't like strangers knocking on our doors. We don't like loud noises. And we can't eat chocolate. Where's the fun it for a dog?

   I much prefer Thanksgiving, where I get to eat a ton of stuff.

   I have a few tips I'd like to share with my human friends to help them help their pets have a Happy and Safe Halloween.
  #1. Keep your pets inside after dark.
   Like I said earlier, Halloween is creepy. And a lot of creeps come out on this night. These creeps like to steal animals. Or scare them. Or abuse them. So the best thing to do is keep your fur baby in your house, preferably somewhere quiet. Now, I know that I'm going to have to go pee at some point during the night and I'm sure your dog will too. But please make sure that you take your best friend out on a leash and away from strangers.
  #2. Use a safe and comfortable costume for your pet.
  If you're like my Mama, she insists on dressing us up in these ridiculous outfits. But at least she makes sure that it's not too tight and that I can't choke in it. And when I get too tired and irritated by being dressed up, she takes that stuff off of me. So please remember, we already have a big furry outfit on. It's called our coat. And we really don't like human clothes. Please keep it simple.
  #3. Make sure all the candy and wrappers and treats are kept out our reach.
  We love to chew and eat and play with everything. The things are considered treats for children could kill a fur child. Chocolate is delicious but dangerous and candy wrappers can choke us. If you really want to treat us, here is a link to some delicious peanut butter and pumpkin treats you can make! Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats
  #4. Watch out for your Jack O Lanterns.
  Especially around those sneaky, slinky cats. If you have a candle in your pumpkin, they could knock it over and catch the whole house on fire. or stick a paw or a tail in and get burned. You know how curious cats are..... and speaking of cats....
  #5. Keep a close eye on your black cats.
  Dogs too but people who are really mean and sadistic (I heard my Daddy say that word) like to harm black pets on Halloween in rituals or just out of pure meanness. White cats are vulnerable too. And white dogs. Really all animals. If you open your door for a trick or treater, make sure your pet doesn't dart out. And make sure they have the proper identification on them, just in case something happens.
  #6. ENJOY YOURSELF!
  Halloween can be very scary, but it can also be very fun. Make your pet some treats, walk them around the neighborhood in their costume while it's still daylight, take lots of pics, and snuggle down and watch "Hocus Pocus" at night. I know that's what me and my family plan to do! Hope you all have a very safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Me, My Grammy, and My cousins, Halloween 2012