Monday, December 24, 2018

The Really BIG Christmas issue

This time I have an excuse. Believe it or not I spent two weeks - every day - for two weeks working on my Rottweiler Christmas cards. I also had twice as many cards to print out and mail because I asked if anyone on my Facebook friends list wanted to exchange cards this year.

Then we had a lot of mixed weather, cold, rain, mud. Then I had shopping to do and laundry and... oh never mind. Here is the product of all my excuses. I also need to explain that the final, final version of my Christmas card went through two complete printings. After printing the first batch I decided to try a different approach and liked it so much I cut the cover photo off the first batch and used it as an insert.
 
 
And the one that was turned into an insert.
As you might expect I passed my free time enjoying the entertainment provided by my two best friends Bess and Griffin. When Griffin is in the house he almost always stays in the same room I am in. And when he is outside with Bess, he is never allowed to go out alone, I worry about both of them constantly. As it has turned out they don't spend a lot of time out, most usually 15-20 minutes at a time. And they don't mind it at all.

We have had visitors once or twice and Griffin is slowly learning how to act like a respectable Rottweiler. He still thinks he is a puppy and a lap dog and that presents a problem with people who have never met him before. But one lady has been back several times since I got Griff and she adores all the hyperactive kissing and face licks. I call it Wrestling With Rottweilers.
 
 
 
 
I found a new friend on Facebook, someone who I really like very much. The lady is single and lives in South Carolina and she manages a horse sanctuary where they provide shelter for unwanted horses. We have become friends and next Spring I would like to drive down and meet her. She mailed me a tee shirt from her horse farm.
And Bess and Griff have found lots of time and opportunity to play in the house. And take naps every day under my desk while I am working. And at night we have all enjoyed watching movies.
Mr. Griffin participated in another clean out the peanut butter jar events. Amazing how much and how quickly he has adjusted to his new home. Three months ago he didn't like peanut butter and wouldn't let me put a spoon in his mouth with anything on it. Now he waits next to the dinner table just like Bessie does and gets spoon-fed leftovers and peanut butter pills.
 
 
And finally, a few words about Griffin's table manners. Or lack of them. I don't recall if I've mentioned that Griffin eats like a horse. He is only 18-months old and is at the peak of his bulking out period and he is eating twice as much as any of my other Rottweilers. I can't imagine him to be any less than Ruffin was at 130 lbs and he is still growing. 

Griff has the cutest way around food. He not only sits next to me while I am eating but he often lays his huge head on the table and stares at my food to make me think he is starving hungry.
 
 
 
Yes, in case you were wondering, he is very successful in getting handouts.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Play time indoors

I'm sitting at the computer this morning and Bess and Griff are having a running dog-fight going from the hallway into my den tugging a yellow squeaky ball. This isn't anything new but this time my camera was right next to me.

The first time they came in Bess runs under my computer desk with the ball in her mouth and Griffin is right behind her. Bess turns around and tries to get me to take the ball and throw it for her to catch. The look on her face was asking, "Hey Dad, wanna play with us?" But Griffin has other ideas. He sticks his head under the armrest of my chair and tries to take the ball.
After this the action moved out into the hallway and I ignored them for several minutes. They both were making ferocious growling sounds while each of them holds a part of the ball. If you didn't know how Rottweilers played you'd think they were fighting. 5-minutes later they are back in the den. This time they are tugging the ball on the other side of my chair.
Once again I am in the middle of the action but this time I think they are just putting on a show for me. Then everything moves out in the hall again.
 
It is now 35-minutes after the game began and once again they are back in the den. This time it almost seemed to end just as it started. Griffin has his head shoved under the armrest of my chair while holding a piece of the yellow ball. 
 
Then all of a sudden Bessie has sole possession of the ball and she comes up from under the desk and hands it to me to throw for her.
This game must be very tiring because after I did a few throws and Bess caught the ball they both went inside and took naps on the couch.
 


Sunday, December 2, 2018

A Rottweiler Christmas Story

This is a short story I wrote some years ago. I have posted it on my blog every year since 2009 during the Christmas Season. The format has been changed to better fit the presentation and I think it looks better now. It looks much better if you view it full screen.

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