Aspen the Yorkie

Is it okay to get another dog when you have had a dog for as many years as I’ve lived with my family?  And for some of you, is it a good idea to bring a pet into the home at all?

My owner was looking at the animals that are in our local animal shelter, which she has “liked” on Facebook, and found that they have a little young Yorkie that needs a home.  We are such cute dogs, that we tend to get adopted easily, and she was tempted to consider adopting another dog, so she asked a few questions.

I’m not sure what it would be like to have another dog come into our home after being the “top dog” around here for almost 13 years.  It may be fun, it may not.  It is a nice thing to do for a homeless dog, but people have to take time to think about how they are going to add this new family member to their homes.  Some things to consider:

1. How does the dog you have act around other dogs or when other dogs are brought into the home to visit? Try it if you haven’t.
2. Are you going to be home to help the new dog transition into the home, watching to see how the dogs respond to one another and react accordingly?
3. What kind of personality does the dog have that you are bringing into the home, and how well will it match with the dog that you already have?
4. What kind of background did the dog have…in it’s previous home were there children or other pets?
5. How was the dog treated in it’s former home?  Was it abused?
6. Has it had all of it’s shots and what is it’s health history?
7. How much time do you have to give to a dog?  They need companionship from you or another pet if you work all day.
8. What size dog would best suit where you are living?
9. Do you have time to train a dog?

All of the above applies to other types of animals as well.

Take your time when you are considering bringing a pet into your home.  Yes, do adopt a dog from a shelter if you can, but be wise in your decision…it would be very sad to have to return it to the shelter if things don’t work out.

Consider all of the above when purchasing a dog as well, or the poor thing may end up in a shelter if you are not satisfied.  Pets should be considered part of the family, they should not be dispensable…please, please, please be careful when you are considering bringing a new pet into the home.  At the same time, do consider adopting one from a shelter if your home and lifestyle permit it…there are so many pets that need good LOVING homes.

You don’t have to look at the categories and pages along the right for very long to realize that we like providing answers to dog health questions.

But we aren’t the only blog that likes to help answer your questions about dogs.  We have a friend who keeps another blog called “Ask About Dogs” that you’re going to want to take a look at.

The site provides you with dog health and dog care advice of all kinds.

The Weather Channel is full of stories of Tornadoes causing historic damage, and as I update this, Hurricane Irene is coming up the coast.  There have been earthquakes, flooding and other natural disasters that are hard to imagine.

For rescue workers, people are on the top of the list to be rescued, and this is important.  But people who are rescued or who survive but have terribly damaged homes will tell you how important their pets are to them…they are like members of the family.

We don’t live in an area that has many hurricanes [but as I update this on 8/26/11, that is changing], dangerous flooding or tornadoes, but we have been looking around online for information about protecting your pet as well as sites that help pets after a disaster has happened.

Here are some thoughts for you to consider, as well as links that we hope you will find helpful:

• Do you have an emergency plan?  Your plan will depend upon what type of natural disaster is most likely to happen where you live, be it hurricane, tornado, brush or forest fire, flooding, earthquake…you know best what can happen in your area.
• Here is a FEMA link with information for pet owners in the event of a natural disaster.  There is a lot of information there, they emphasize that you DO NOT leave your pets behind when you evacuate your home.  Evacuate, yes, don’t stay behind because of a pet…this is where advance planning comes in.  Have a plan!
• Here is a link with many tips and many links to help you, Pets and Natural Disasters.
• To learn more about finding lost pets, and maybe more about why you should have a plan, visit Homeless Pets Lifeline
• Find an Emergency Dog Survival Kit here.
• Find a Cat Evacuation Kit or Emergency Cat Survival Kit
  here.
• I ask you again, do you have a plan?  Do you know what you’ll do if there is a flood, fire, earthquake, tornado, hurricane…you fill in the blank, and PLEASE, even though you may feel helpless in a natural disaster, pets are even more helpless and dependent upon you in natural disasters

I’m writing as myself today…not for Aspen…but about her.  She has been such a wonderful companion for over 11 years now, and is beginning to show her age.  She recently seems to have difficulty seeing, and other signs that remind me that I need to give her extra loving for all that she has given to me.

She isn’t as lively as she used to be, because it is hard for her to see…I just took her out for a walk, and not that far ahead of us was a cat…usually she would have gone crazy with barking and excitement, it took her a while to even notice the cat.

She sleeps more, and is always happy to have a belly rub, a back massage, and her treats, they are a special delight…something my husband gives her each night after we have dinner.

Here are just a few of the pleasures Aspen gives us:

Unconditional love, and devotion.

All that loving is healthy for you, yes, petting your dog, having their companionship, can help calm you…stroking their fur is good for them and good for you…Aspen loves to snuggle and loves her tummy rubs.

Aspen is great company when no one else is around…of course she likes all of us to be there…we are her “pack” after all.

Aspen listens to everything we say, as if she understands…and I think she does understand…a lot more than we may give her credit for. When everyone is out during the day, she is always there with a listening ear.

Aspen gets me outdoors to walk on days when I may want to just stay inside. I love walking, but some days just don’t feel like making the effort, her companionship makes it more enjoyable. We both get some exercise when we walk.

Aspen makes me feel safe when my husband has to travel, which is rare, but happens occasionally. She will bark if she hears ANYTHING, and this brings a sense of security…no barking, all is well.

I guess I’m feeling a little sentimental today, realizing that she’s an older girl now, and more delicate than she used to be. Just hope I can give her all she deserves for the joy that she has given us over the years since that March day when I watched her birth.

Love your dogs, treat them like part of the family, that’s what they are.

Today I want to share with you a story about two little dogs that belong(ed) to a friend of mine. She shared it in an email a long while ago, and I just stumbled on it, and thought you’d like it, as it shows how two dogs can learn to get along. After I post it, we’ll track our friend down and have her come read it and update on the latest news about these two little furbabies in a comment…it picks up a bit into the story about her adopted Chihuahua mix, Zeena. Enjoy!

We only know for sure that Zeena’s mom is a Chihuahua. (Dad is from a nice neighborhood.) The vet is convinced that her dad is a dachshund, because of her growing features, but we are not really sure. The vet said we could do DNA testing to find out, but I really don’t care. She’s my fur baby and she’s a doll! When I got her at 3 weeks old, she was less than a pound and looked just like a Chihuahua puppy. As she grew she changed a lot. Now, she is 5.5 lbs., completely healthy and loves everyone she comes into contact with. Very smart and very active!

Bernie, (Bernadette) my toy poodle has been with me for 3 years. She was rescued from an abusive home where apparently the young man or teen living in the home kicked her down a long flight of stairs. That was when they took her away—who knows what kind of stuff happened behind closed doors. Bernie has always shied away from men, but she knew she had me tied around her front paws the minute I held her. She needed a lot of medical care for ear infections, bad teeth and is almost toothless now. I wanted to breed her at first, but the vet said she was too old and had her spayed instead. She is not a very bright dog, but she and I are bonded and I take very good care of her, so no one can ever hurt her again. We think she is around 8 years old, but are not sure. She is very loyal to me.

When I brought Zeena into our family, Bernie wasn’t sure what to do about her. I knew she was jealous of Zeena, because I kept her near me, or carried her around most of the day when she was a baby. She had to be bottle fed every 2-3 hrs. the first week. I think Bernie thought she was a squeaky toy—I didn’t notice any mothering instinct at all! I kept them separated for the first two months, except when I was right there to help Zeena.

Now that Zeena is older, the two of them play all day long and only get mad at each other when I pay more attention to one and not the other. Bernie is not lonely when I have to leave for the day and Zeena is just non-stop fun! Geeze, I could write all day about their antics, but I have to stop for now. I like the idea of Aspen’s blog and was thinking about maybe doing one for my babies—they give me so much enjoyment! (Teri, if you still have your fur-babies, doing a blog about them is a bright spot in the middle of whatever life brings your way…luv, Aspen)