Love of a Pet

What a Wonderful Smile This Mama Has on Her Face

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:16:00 +0000

Beautiful family. I think she must be Golden Retriever. And the pups too. ha ha.

CheyAnna, Dalton Terrier, and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:14:00 +0000

This is still my favorite picture of CheyAnna, our Dalton Terrier, sitting with me on the deck swing at home during the summer of 2010.

Dalton Terrier, CheyAnna, with Doug Kueffler

This was one of the few times we caught her looking directly into the camera. CheyAnna is a cross breed between a Dalmation and a Boston Terrier.

Dalton Terrier CheyAnna is now Five Years Old

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:39:00 +0000

I think we began posting photos of our Dalton Terrier, CheyAnna, just about from the first week we adopted her. And now, wow, she is FIVE years old!

Some of the best things about a Dalton Terrier are personality and gentleness. She is a lovely little gal, and I am happy that she is only about 35 pounds full-grown. Her coat is short-haired and fine, very silky, and we can hardly see the little sheddings. But there are a lot of little fiber-looking things on our couch. Ha Ha.

Yesterday a man contacted me because he saw my web presence included photos of our Dalton Terrier. He adopted a Dalton in 2003, he said, and she, "Lola," is the best dog they have ever had. He wants another and didn't have information about the breeder. I sent him what I had but we really don't know if anyone is breeding Dalton Terriers around western Montana. A Dalton is a cross between a Dalmatian and a Boston Terrier. Some of them are short, stocky and square-headed like a Boston, and some are slim and long and narrow like a Dalmatian. CheyAnna is one of the long and narrow type, but she isn't so slim anymore. We have her on a diet now after feeding her too much for the past couple of years. She topped out at 38 pounds, but we liked her look when she was 33 pounds.

Now I am going to share a final, cute photo.

Resting Westie

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:16:00 +0000

This is such a lovely and loving photo of a Westie. Either Julip or Derby, don't know which, but the picture is from Ann's Snap Edit Scrap Blog, to which I have linked. I really love the serenity in this.

Resting Up

Santa is on his way. Fireplace dogs and stockings

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:37:00 +0000

These woofies are my "in-laws." And they have their own stocking hanging by the fireplace (with care). Keeva and Damon. Damon, on the right, is an Agility Dog Champion, and resides with his owners in Portland, OR.

Granddaughter with a Happy Boy Named Keeko

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:17:00 +0000

I absolutely love photos of kids with their pets. This is one of my favorite pix of a granddaughter and her dog, Keeko.

This Cat Knows How to Pose. She is Gracie

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Gracie is a very beautiful kitty and she occupies (rather than merely inhabits) The Daily G's blog.
Pet "owners" not only love pets, we honor and respect them. Gracie is a perfect example.

Visit Gracie and her "owner," Barb, at the following link:
The DailyGs

Hangin Out at the Little League Ball Field

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:08:00 +0000

These guys showed up at my Granddaughter's Little League Softball Game. They didn't pay much attention to the game on the field, but there were plenty of things to keep a close eye on!

Keeping a Close Eye on the Stray, unleashed dogs

Keeping a Close Eye on the Strange, unleashed Photographer

Keeping a good stick nearby. Puppy love.

Jade from Jean's Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

This sweetheart is just so incredibly cute that I have to share. "Jade" appears on the blogsite Jean's Musings, which I have linked.

Family Pets Love Grandchildren

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:36:00 +0000

There is very little in the World that so warms a heart as seeing a child love a pet. And that goes both ways. My granddaughter, Madi, has two dogs now, Bentley, above, and SkipJon.

Labrador Puppies Jake and Molly

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Jake and Molly live with my sister-in-law's daughter and grandchildren. How can anyone possibly resist these little faces? Do you also sometimes think: "Why can't they always stay this size?"

Jake (left) and Molly

Jake and Molly spooning or nesting

Molly zonked out on the couch

Dexter the Service Dog Does Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:32:00 +0000

There are two websites that I will link here, The Savvy Tourist and Have Service Dog, Will Travel.

Dexter "The Bug" is now a service dog

Dexter is the service dog. He is no longer a puppy but is a highly trained animal companion that can assist his owner. I like the puppy picture, of course, but Dexter's owner, Savvy Annie, calls him "The Bug" and he is now fully grown.

Dexter is more than a pet. That is how my spouse and I feel about our pets too. They are family members. Love them with all your heart. Protect them with all your ability.

Lucy from Earth to Holly

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:48:00 +0000

I found these two terrific photos of Lucy on the Earth to Holly webpage, which I have linked. I love these two views of Lucy. She is the most adorable pooch I have seen in a long time, and I love her human-like playfulness in making "angel snow-dogs."

Oscar and Max

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Oscar, on the left, and Max

Both of these kitties were rescue kitties if you include taking them off the hands of relatives no longer able to have them in their rental apartments. But they found a new home with us and we never regretted taking them.

Annie B Just Needed an Empty House

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:41:00 +0000

We tried to rescue Annie B from the Humane Society. We took her home and walked her a few times, but she never could adjust to having other, bigger, dogs around the house.

Annie was a little sweetheart after she was all cleaned up. Regrettably, we decided to return her to the shelter and sincerely hope she found an appropriate home.

Keeva the Cutie Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

This is my sister's new puppy. She is named Keeva and will be trained for "agility competitions."

If all this little gal ever did was lick my face and eat treats and wag her tail, she would still be a wonderful bargain. But I am sure Keeva's daddy and mommy will make a champion out of her.

Chihuahua Love and my Granddaughter

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:06:00 +0000

Granddaughter Haley hugs Tikal, her female Chihuahua, who's never met a lap she didn't like. Paco, a male, and older, is now the family guard dog, a job he takes loudly.

Big Lab-Rott Cross and the Dalton Terrier Love to go Camping

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:23:00 +0000

Coby is 77 pounds of Lab-Rott lover

CheyAnna, dalton terrier is dalmatian-boston terrier cross

Well, they seem to be ready to go all the time. They are very enthusiastic about morning, afternoon and evening walks at the campgrounds. What is not to love? They are the best.

Naps are Good. Oh, so good.

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:12:00 +0000

During our final camp out trip of the summer, we parked the motor home facing into the morning sun, and our two pooches, CheyAnna, the three-year-old Dalton Terrier, and Coby, the ten-year-old rotty-lab cross, took advantage of the warmth afforded by sunlight on this otherwise cold October day. They are our precious babes!

(Click on photos to open large-size views.)

Dalton Terrier CheyAnna and her motor home

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:09:00 +0000

She is such a lovable little creature, so much a part of our family and our outings, I am surprised we don't keep photos of her in our wallets, like a grandchild!

I don't have much else to say about these photos. We take CheyAnna along on all of our trips in the motor home. She is so full of life, and makes our lives so much better, that we are forever thankful she came into our lives.

Goldie is a Golden

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0000

I love the way puppies look, how they smell, how they feel, and how they play.

Is there any puppy that is cuter or more alert and just friendlier than a Golden Retriever? Well, of course, there could be, and it is just personal preference anyway. All puppies are wonderful and precious.

The carefree, totally joyful way that puppies interact with each other and with people just lighten our hearts. We wish they would stay that way and that age FOREVER! (Sort of the same way I feel about children.)

Anyway, these are photos of Goldie. She is training a friend of mine to be her mistress. I'm certain she will be very successful.

To Board or Not to Board. Leaving a Pet for the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:05:00 +0000

We discussed what to do with our dogs while we are gone for a weekend. Should have ask a friend to come in and feed, water, and check in on them, or should we board them out?

We finally decided that our Veterinarian's clinic, which has boarding kennels inside, would be the better option. We provide the meals, pre-packaged in Hefty bags, and a toy for each dog, and they provide the walks! What a deal! I think we pay $60 for two dogs for two nights, and they get to stay together in one kennel run. I think that is pretty important for them, rather than being separated. The kennel runs are separated with concrete block walls so the dogs wouldn't be able to see each other.

The kennels are clean and well-maintained, and we trust the staff to look after our animals. Best of all, we don't have to worry about whether or not our family friend will "forget" to show up.

Asking a friend to take care of one's pets can put a strain on a relationship, at least I think so. I looked after my son's cats and fish tank while he was gone for two weeks, and all the fish died. That was stressful for both of us (and, as it turned out, for the fish especially).

Thyroid Problems in Pets are Common

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:49:00 +0000

Max

Good days and bad days aside, we have great love and appreciation for the pets in our lives. Currently, two dogs and one cat. The kitty is Max, and he is getting up in years, now having some thyroid problems which have been corrected with medicine.

I strongly recommend that anyone with a pet that is past middle age have some blood work BEFORE the symptoms of thyroid problems become so obvious. This is a fairly common problem as our pets age. We saw a different look in Max's eyes, the sparkle was gone, and he was losing weight, his fur looked bad. We caught it in time, though, and he is on the way to recovery.

Pouie

We have gone through this so many times with other animals too. Our roughest patch was when our dog, Pouie, lost his eyesight due to cataracts. He adjusted in a couple of weeks and lived another six months. He was at the end of his lifespan, and that is difficult for a lot of us pet owners to accept. Our animals do not live as long as we do.

Search and Rescue Dogs to Japan. (Re-posted from the Blog "Some Assembly Required")

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Day 456

Sonic, the Search and Rescue Dog

(Reposted from the Blog "Some Assembly Required" by John Sealander.)

I met Sonic today. Sonic is a search and rescue dog. He is a member of an elite Search Dog Foundation rescue team. The Search Dog Foundation has sent dogs to Katrina. They were there in the aftermath of 9/11. Now this organization is sending teams to Japan to help with the rescue efforts there. One of my veterinary hospital clients is sponsoring Sonic and in appreciation, Sonic's handlers brought him to the hospital today to meet the staff and explain how search and rescue dogs are trained. I was just there to photograph the event, but I was just as impressed with Sonic as everybody else. These search and rescue dogs are absolutely amazing. They all go through a grueling two year training program and must perform absolutely flawlessly before they are certified for rescue operations. Dogs like Sonic can climb up and down vertical fire engine ladders to reach people trapped on upper floors of buildings. They are trained to respond to their handlers commands from as far as 100 yards away. When they are working, they are not distracted by cats or squirrels. Part of their training involves placing tasty hot dogs and Taco Bell take out meals nearby during a search exercise and seeing if the smell of food broke their concentration. It doesn't. If you need help, you can only hope that one of these amazing dogs is nearby. Have you guys ever hear the search dog's creed? It's worth repeating. "If you are ever buried under a ton of rubble, trapped where no one can find you, or caught in the aftermath of a storm, I promise to sniff you out. I promise to go about my work with a wagging tail and a hero's heart. I promise to ignore all the fascinating smells out there and concentrate on finding you. I promise to never give up." I only spent an hour or so with Sonic this afternoon, but that was enough to convince me that he would never give up.

Nylabone Big Chew Beefy bone

noreply@blogger.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Our two dogs, one big, one small, are both "chewers." They would, and have, destroyed every toy and chewie we have ever purchased for them. Although the Nylabone advertisements say it is nearly indestructible, real chewers like our dogs can scrape away for months and gradually reduce the Big Chew down to a "Big Nub."

Yesterday, we received our re-order of two Big Chews for these guys and they were so funny as the each took a new bone and ran around like crazy to find a private or secluded place to lie down and get to work on it. Even funnier, I thought, was that they both ended up on the same pillow, chewing away. I took a nice video for our memories, and got one good still of them both "holding" their bones.

Coby (l) and CheyAnna (r) enjoy new Nylabone Big Chews

Incidentally, the Big Chew is $18.95 at our local pet store, but I found them online for $13.10 each and ordered two through Amazon.com so the shipping was free (over $25 order). These bones ought to last them until Christmas, about nine months away.