The Boys

Well, this morning Otis was like a puppy himself. The young ones were running and playing extremely hard and Otis looked over at me as if to say, “Mom I want to go and play with them.” So I patted him on the belly and said if you can go, then go and have some fun! He ran and barked and played until he was plum tuckered out and panting for water, but I tell you he looked so happy I swear he had a smile on his face!

Marley has just two modes, one is full throttle and the other is sleeping either on my lap, beside me on the couch, or sleeping on my head if we are in bed. He is so full of life I am at times jealous for my yester-years when I was able to fully function on just a mere three hours sleep. He is a bully as well I have to admit when it comes to his brother Brock. He will patiently stand on top of the hill in our backyard, steady and calm, watching and waiting for the opportunity to pounce upon Brock unsuspectingly as he rounds the corner. He can be relentless at times with his sibling, chasing him and playfully biting his back leg and his ear and so on, but when Brock is in the same mood they may play chase for an hour at a time. They both will hide behind one of the bushes and wait for the other to come by, they are smart little devils I give them that. Now when Marley is all done with playing he will come and lay upon me and fall fast asleep and during these moments I cannot even remember the bully in him, because at these times he is the most adorable and precious baby sleeping like an angel in my arms.

Brock is a funny boy. We adopted him seven months after Marley as he never found a forever home and was still at the no kill shelter past his one year birthday. He is taller and longer than Marley, while Marley is tan and white, Brock is 100% black including most of his tongue. While Marley’s tail is long and flips over and hangs to one side, it is pale in comparison to Brock’s long and beautiful tail. It reminds me of a horse’s tail or the mane of a horse as it falls to one side and is lush and full. Brock is a shy boy, he will only come to me even after living here with hubby and I since the middle of August. Hubby tries daily to win him over, but nothing has worked yet so we wait it out. Brock is the calm one of the siblings, they look nothing alike except they are both small in stature, but their personalities is what is worlds apart. Brock is gently and sweet as Marley is rough and tough. Brock gives the softest and gentlest kisses and is a clown as he plays in house by himself with his favorite toy, a green ball that has lost its squeak. I am so happy I was able to join them back together again and be a family even if they themselves have no recognition of each other back when they were just puppies in the shelter with their other six siblings.

Family to me is not just the ones that share my same blood; they are the friends I have chosen to be family. Sometimes the word friendship cannot express how you feel for someone that is when they become more than a friend, they become family. My family must also include the fur children because with out them my world would not be as happy or joyful and it would have more dark days and heavy clouds surrounding me. They bring to me what no human can and it is something I feel deep within my heart that words will never be able to explain.

Crate time again

Well it is crate time again. When I came home at lunch yesterday all the boys were good, no accidents and everything in its place. When I came home from work same again, no messes and everything in its place. WOW a great day and I was ecstatic that they had finally calmed down and could behave while I was at work.

Okay so I now go sit on the front porch to talk to my brother and I was out there maybe 15 minutes tops! I saw hubby’s truck pulling up the road so I went inside to get dinner on the table, I did not expect what I was about to find and wanted to just scream. I saw Marley on the floor with what looked like stuffing from a chew toy, but wait; he is not allowed to have them as he tears them up in seconds. I then look at the couch, it has a large, very large rip and the stuffing that Marley was chewing on had come from the couch. I immediately told my brother that I had to go, hubby was home and the dogs had chewed the couch!

Okay, react mode, run and get a sheet and place it over the couch, no sense in upsetting hubby as soon as he walks in. It didn’t take but a minute for him to say, “What did the dogs do that you have a sheet on the couch?” I told him, don’t look, and explained what had happened. I can’t believe he stayed calm; I thought for sure he would freak out big time.

So today I spoke to someone at work that has a crate that was big enough for two puppy German Shepard’s that would have been large enough for one full grown, so yes, I accepted his offer to take it off his hands on Monday.

I have tried to let them be free, but even I have a breaking point. They have about 10 toys left on the floor each day to play with, some are even Kongs with treats and there are always three rawhides as well. I think Marley just has to have a soft chew toy and since I will not give him one (they last only seconds and I don't want him to choke on it)the couch was it this time for both of us.

Until tomorrow…