A Big Responsibility

Over the weekend John and I enjoyed the cool evening weather and attended the Plaza Art Fair, perusing the various booths and checking out creations of artists from all over the country. While there, I noticed a booth for the Kansas City Humane Society, so we wandered over to check out the pups needing homes. Of course, I honed in on a sweet beagle face. Clarence was a one-year-old handsome beagle boy, calm but happy, wagging his tail as I petted him. At this time, I also noticed a harried-looking mother with two small children. The kids were running around, darting from dog to dog to dog, until they came to Clarence. They both shouted, "We want this one! Mom, this one!" The mother, without barely glancing at the pup, said "fine," and the volunteer led Clarence to a holding area while the woman filled out the necessary paperwork.

I know I sometimes have a tendency to worry about things that I shouldn't, or worry about things I have no control over, but as I watched this woman, these boisterous kids, and this little beagle standing patiently, wagging his tail, I wondered if Clarence really was going to a good home. Would this woman and children give him the proper care and discipline that he needs? If they don't know much about beagles, would they be willing learn and understand the breed and the challenges that they would face? Do they have a secure fence, or would Clarence roam freely? Or did they just see a cute face, a cute little dog her children wanted? Once the novelty of having a puppy wears off, will they be willing to train him when he's baying endlessly at the neighbor's cat? Or jumping up on people when they visit? Will they walk him and give him plenty of room to run around? I really hope that Clarence won't end up back at the Humane Society in a few weeks, because the family didn't take the time to get to know this little being, to know if he was a good fit for their family, their lifestyle. I can't help but get a little upset when I see people picking out pets like they would a toy, something new to play with until they get tired of it. It happens all the time, and pets end up discarded or back at the shelter. I may be being overly dramatic, I know, and it's possible that Clarence will have a happy life in his forever home. I really hope so. Because when we decide to own a pet, that little being on four legs is counting on us. He will give us his all and love us unconditionally for the rest of his life, and it's only fair that we do the same in return.

Belated Birthday Post

Truman celebrated his fourth birthday on August 8, the day of the Olympics opening ceremonies. As an aside note, weren't the ceremonies jaw-dropping spectacular? The immense display of beauty and precision was just awesome. Anyway, Truman enjoyed his special day with a birthday cupcake and some various treats, including his favorite, Pegetables. The following week, his birthday present arrived - a new bed! After going through two cheapie doggie beds that eventually lost their shape and wore out, we decided to invest in a durable, good-quality bed for Truman. After some research, we decided on an oval-shaped, bolster-style bed, since Truman likes to circle before finding a comfy spot, and he likes to rest his chin on the edge of the bed.




We found this lovely faux-suede bed online at Orvis, and once we pulled it out of the box and set it down, Truman went right to work testing it out, sniffing and walking on it. One, two, three circles later, and he plopped himself right down and got comfy! He loves his new bed, and because we ordered a size large, he's able to stretch out on it as well.


All in all, I think our little man enjoyed a very happy birthday!

Dinnertime Woes

My first video post! When John and I eat dinner, it is almost always a challenge for Truman to stay seated and not jump on the table to get to our plates. If he cannot stay quiet and still, or the moment he jumps up while we're eating, we immediately crate him until we're finished. That's when the drama begins. From the forceful baying and plaintive wails that come from that crate, you'd think we had him in a torture chamber. Tonight we had chicken, one of Truman's favorites, so of course he was quickly in the crate before we'd had a single bite. We finally got a video of the injustice of it all, from his perspective. You can see that all the effort he puts into it wears him out so much he yawns toward the end. This dog has a one-track mind, and it's all about food!

P.S. The "Beware of Dog" sign is a joke, something we found at the hardware store and couldn't resist. Truman is a lover, not a fighter.

A Long Hiatus

So there's been more than four months since I've written anything on Truman's blog. I'm a lazy beagle mommy, I know. I have no excuses, I just haven't been keeping it updated like I should. I can't make any promises, but I'm going to try and post more often. Starting with ... Truman's birthday! Our little man turns four this Friday. We will celebrate with doggie cake, some surprise treats, then we'll all settle in on the sofa and watch the Olympics opening ceremonies. Truman also has another birthday surprise in that we ordered him his first really nice dog bed. It won't be here in time for his actual birthday, but hopefully he enjoys it when it comes in. I will follow up with birthday pictures and when the bed gets in. Everyone stay cool this weekend, and keep your pups inside with plenty of cold water!

Pondering

Truman, contemplating which is better: beef or chicken.

Do These Come In Husky Sizes?

How cute are these little doggie polos and sweaters at J. Crew online? Unfortunately, I don't think they make them in Truman's size, and he'd end up looking like a stuffed sausage. Besides, John would deem me certifiably insane if I paid $65 for a dog sweater. But they sure are adorable!

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/category.jhtml?id=cat300150&navAction=jump

Photo courtesy of jcrew.com

A True Hero

Last Friday, John sent me this story about a Marine stationed in Iraq, who befriended a stray German Shepherd/collie mix, that has lived a life of hardship and survival, wandering around Iraqi border towns and military camps. Among other things, the dog, who was nicknamed Nubs, had his ears cut off to make him more aggressive and alert, survived on food scraps and in freezing temperatures, and was stabbed with a screwdriver. Well, Nubs found his happy ending, as the Marine, Brian Dennis, found a way to get him flown to San Diego while he finishes his tour in Iraq. Nubs landed in the U.S. last Friday, and is being cared for by friends until Dennis returns in March.

This is one of those stories that really struck a nerve with me, that in a horrific situation, these two souls found one another. Amazing that Nubs found Dennis's camp after it had been transferred 65 miles away. After everything Nubs had endured in his life, he's still a gentle soul that just wants to love and be loved. What a great spirit this dog has, to still trust and give unconditional love to people. Brian Dennis must be Nubs' guardian angel, and vice versa. Now Nubs gets to run along San Diego beaches, the warm sun on his face. He gets to live the good life as he deserves, as every dog deserves.

The first link is to the article that John first sent me. The second is a follow-up on Nubs and his arrival in San Diego.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080222/ap_on_re_us/marine_s_best_friend;_ylt=Ann6eAZ8o7qOSYr1TtP3006s0NUE

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080223-9999-1m23nubs.html