Happy National Puppy Day

Today in the USA we have another recognized day, this one set aside for puppies. The word has been spread around the Internet tonight with dog lovers wishing each other Happy National Puppy Day.

And do we have puppies.

I posted my own congratulations with this old and new picture of baby Ruffin.

I had made two versions of this with the second version showing Ruffin one year later standing at the same food stand.

Then I started to realize I have a whole lot of puppy pictures because over the last 20 years I have had 3 puppies, Mocha, Sassy and Ruffin. So why not share them all with my Rottweiler friends. Holy cow, did anyone spot this major gaff? I left out baby Bessie! This should read, ... over the last 20 years I have had 4 puppies, Mocha, Sassy, Ruffin and Bessie. I really must be careful what I write so late at night.

MOCHA

Mocha was my first Rottweiler and she was already 3-months old when I got her. I don't have any baby pictures of her. My true love for the breed didn't develop until we adopted Mocha's mother Felony and her father Nikko. That was when I created my web site The Rottweilers of Abby's World. But Mocha will always be remembered as my clown Rott and this picture says it all.

I can't just mention Mocha without showing her parents because they became famous as The Three Bears. and later on it was Mocha and Nikko that appeared on my flag banner, Thief of Hearts. Here is a photo taken in 2001. From left to right that is Nikko, Felony and Mocha.

SASSY

This first picture shows baby Sassy in between her adopted mother, Mocha, on the left and Mocha's father Nikko, on the right.

In 2003, when Mocha was 8 years old, we adopted baby Sassy. She was born in a kennel at the Bowling Green Humane Shelter here in Kentucky. I was told that both of Sassy's parents were later adopted together on a farm in Indiana. Sassy's parents were acquired by a drug dealer to guard his house but when the police raided the place they treated the cops like they were old friends coming to visit. I often think that is the true nature of these wonderful beasts and totally misunderstood. Because Sassy's parents were so gentile they were turned over to the shelter for adoption. And lucky for them they didn't growl at the police during the raid. And lucky for us that Sassy survived in that crowded cage in the shelter.

And I almost forgot our latest addition. This is what happens when you do blog posts late at night.

BESSIE

This was my first look at the Rottie girl that I had searched for so long. A friend at the Kenton County Animal Shelter sent me this photo in an email. She knew I was looking for an adult female but when someone turned in this 7-week old puppy for adoption, she asked me if I was interested. I got to tell you that email came on a Saturday night and I couldn't wait for Monday morning. I think you all know what happened next. She stole our hearts.

From the first day Bess came into our home she brought joy to everyone. And she made my wife smile.

And she made Ruffin smile again, too. The big guy had been feeling very sad ever since he lost he adopted mother Sassy. It was because of his prolonged mourning that I set out to find another girl.

(For reo4oreo) Here are two more of my favorite pictures of baby Bess with the puppy eyes. She had a thing with the big guy who was letting her beat him up to build up her courage.

As she got a little older she played with her big friend Ruff everytime they were in the same room together. Sometimes, even too much for Ruff to take, but I think by this time she was in love with him. 

Bess became my constant companion. Following me everywhere and curious about everything I was doing. Hanging out with me when I was on the computer.

And at a young age, Bess became my little helper. She was smart too. She learned all by herself how to untie my wife's shoelaces while I was getting her dressed.

So celebrate the day and give your best friend a big hug.

Look what happens when you carry a video camera with you.

Last year I set up a new bank account but discovered afterward that the bank didn't have a traditional drive-thru window. Our trips to the "cookie bank" used to be the highlight of the day for our Rottweilers because they just love going through the drive-thru windows and seeing the nice people who always give them treats. This was my mistake. I saw the bank had a drive-thru window but it never occurred tome it was different from the other drive-thru windows we go to. The first time I went to make a deposit, taking both Ruff and Bessie with me, we found out to our great disappointment there was no window to see and talk to the bank teller. Instead they had a very small TV monitor at eye level with the cars driver window and the two Rotts paid no attention to the person talking on it.

So the next time I went to make a deposit I went inside the bank and told the manager about our complaint. But the bank manager told me that I could bring the Rottweilers inside with me and they could get to meet everyone. Note: its a small bank with only three people. So here we are on our third visit and I bring along the big guy, Ruff. And in spite of getting along in years, and being a bit overweight, Ruff did his usual thing and he jumped up with his front paws on the counter. You know the counters in the bank are at chest-height, but Ruff was still head and shoulders above the counter and at eye level with the teller behind her window, and yes, he got a treat for a reward. And, once again, I kicked myself for not having my camera.

Which brings me to the point of this post title. Gracie is a Golden Retriever and when she went to her human's bank she decided to check out all the teller windows to get as many biscuit rewards as possible. I think Gracie may have done this before because she really knows how to work a crowd.

All though this video is not about a Rottweiler, it is still most entertaining. Especially since Ruff just did the same thing, except he didn't hop from one teller window to the other - he didn't have to because our bank had only one woman working the teller windows anyway. But he did jump up with his paws on the managers desk to get a hug. Glad the bank manager was a woman.

Published on Mar 3, 2016

Gracie the golden retriever making cookie withdrawal at THE STATE BANK of TEXAS, 3330 Antoine, Houston, Texas, Gracie knows more above finances that you might think! Some dogs bury bones but Gracie saves her money to buy blueberry muffins made by Stacey Foust, Texas Dog Treats. Gracie keeps her finances in order to be sure she has plenty of cookie spending money. Tellers are professional and assist her from teller station to teller station as she hops down the line. She is one financial savvy puppy. Gracie is a bank greeter and has her own business cards retrieving business. Debit cards are known as The Retriever Card because she enjoys retrieving business and meeting all of our customers.
A STORYFUL VIDEO. To use this video in a commercial player or in a broadcast please email licensing@storyful.com

In the Springtime its called LOVE.

It happens every year around this same time. Maybe Springtime has something to do with it. Poets say that "Love is in the air" and I think that our big guy Ruff would rather have his baby Bess be his girlfriend than his Warrior Queen. Hey, someone else once said, "Make love not war". Roll the pictures and see.

I think I've seen this before. Same time of year, same place.

You had us all fooled, Ruff. It wasn't hand-to-hand combat, it was puppy love. And I think its pretty obvious Bessie loves you, too.