Our Furbabies...Arlee & I yesterday went on an Internet search to try and find out what type of dog is Sissy, and what mix is Shakes. It was fun trying to figure it all out together! Some of the names they have out there for mixed breeds are quite humorous! Arlee was really getting a kick out of them!
We came to find out, Sissy seems to be a Catalan Sheepdog. Although, at the moment she's not really looking like it! LOL! We took her up to the groomers this past Saturday and she got SHAVED down for summer! She is still a pretty girl though! And it won't be long before her hair grows out a bit.
When we first got Sissy, we had just moved into our current house not long before she arrived. A friend of ours, whom we worked with, was moving from out in the country to an apartment. She knew that Sissy would not be happy with new living arrangements. So, since we just moved into our new house, which has a decent sized yard, she asked us if we were willing to take Sissy to live with us.
Danny fell for her almost instantly because she looked just like a dog he had growing up. And Sissy has been a joy...for the most part...ever since! Except for when she sits on my flowers or get mud covered...YUCK! But, she is a dog after all, I guess!
She loves to be outside. With her long sheepdog coat, she is virtual waterproof, and even loves just sitting in the rain! She likes just watching what all is happening in our yard and actually all up and down the neighborhood for that matter! Before we got our chain link fence, she would roam all over the place. Our neighbor across the street went out to his garage once to find her sleeping on a couch he had out there...Ooops! {She's only gotten out once or twice...have not figured out how or where...since we really started enforcing her staying in the fence.}
When Sissy first came to us she was 4 years old. That was back in '02. So now, in 2009 that would make her about 11 years old. Pretty "senior citizen" for a dog. She's our "old lady". We found out yesterday, looking up Sissy's breed, that their life span is on average 10 to 14 years, if I remember correctly.
Next would be Shakes. We found out yesterday that he has a lot of Rat Terrier in him. He has to mixed with something else, we think, because of all the ticking he has on him {his black splotching}. We sort of are leaning toward Blue Heeler...if we
had to guess.
One day, a few summers back, we went over to Danny's parent's house for a visit. The neighbor had found a dog whom neighborhood children were tormenting by throwing skateboards and such at. Neither the neighbor or Danny's parents had remembered seeing him around the neighborhood, he had no tags, and he was looking pretty skinny...even for him! I just fell in love with his coloring and how pretty he was...sorry Shakes...how
handsome he was.
Over the years we've had issues with housebreaking him. So mostly, he lived outside. He was a runner, and before we got our fence there was no way of keeping him close to home. After we put up the fence, he dug his way out underneath. We've always felt bad for keeping him chained up, but we just did not know what else to do to keep him safe. We tried several times with him inside, but he always had accidents.
Now he's older, and I guess understands better. We've had him in the house for some time now with NO accidents! YEAH! He has become to total lap dog I always wanted for him!! LOL! Spoiled rotten and happy!
And so that brings us to Cooper. We just got Cooper last October...I believe it was Halloween weekend, if I'm not mistaken, but I don't remember exactly. He was 6 weeks old at the time we got him. Which would make him now about 7 1/2 months old. And he is ALL puppy. Now mix that with the fact that he is a Black Lab and WATCH OUT!
I have never seen a puppy grow so fast!! He is HUGE...56 lbs HUGE! And he is a brick wall! He has all the normal puppy issues with biting, chewing, not coming when called, jumping up on a person, etc, etc, etc...so we have decided to sign him up {well, Danny up..LOL} for Dog Training classes. It should be starting middle of May. I'm REALLY looking forward to a better behaved Cooper!! They welcome family involvement in the training process. So Danny will be taking Arlee and Frosty with him to the training classes.
I made the appointment for Coop this morning to be fixed. We hope this might help calm him down a bit as well...at least that is what you hear that will happen, and we hope that it is TRUE!
*********************
Weight Loss Journal...I will be starting yet another Weight Loss Journal on Wednesday. This is the day that I am going to try, again, to loose this extra weight that I've been carrying around for way too long!! A friend of mine and myself will be starting to walk together that day...so I'm hoping this will keep me motivated!
Here is Danny & I in one of our engagement pictures that a photography friend of ours took for us. Ooooh, to be that size again!
*********************
Thinking about Summer Lessons...I've been thinking about what we can do, educational wise, this summer. I've had a few different ideas running thru my head. Now all I have to do is get them put down on paper and organize them. Then start the planning!
I will post more on this soon.
**********************
Posts
