Happy Birthday America

A book is being written about this blog

This is the greatest news I have ever posted on this blog. Someone is writing a book about my 25-years with Rottweilers and the stories on this blog.

It will take some time but I hope to have a publication date in a few months. This is the most extensive Work in Progress I have ever been involved in. I spent two days just tagging some 400 photos that will be part of the print.

This is the cover.

Proposing a National Dog Dad's Day

Yesterday, May 9, the second Saturday in May, is National Dog Mom's Day. A Rover.com survey found three out of four female dog owners call themselves “dog moms,” and 40-percent of them own clothing with the term dog mom on it. This was reported by WHNT.com in Huntsville, Alabama.

Since there is no longer a Dog Mom in my house, or anyone to celebrate Mother's Day with, I am designating today as National Dog Dad's Day.

Going one step further, because there has been no national recognition for Dog Dads I have just submitted an application to the National Day Calendar https://nationaldaycalendar.com/register-a-national-day/ to officially designate the day before Father's Day (June 21, 2020) which is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, to be called National Dog Dad's Day. This put this designated day in line with National Dog Mom's Day held on the day before Mother's Day. So the celebration this year on May 10th is only temporary.

Also, FYI, here is the current list of dog-related National Days.

Love your Pet Day February 20th

National Puppy Day March 23rd

National Pet Day USA April 11th

NATIONAL PET PARENTS DAY. On the last Sunday in April

National Dog Mom's Day, May 9, 2020, second Saturday of May. Day before Mothers Day

National Dog Dads Day, June 20, 2020, third Saturday in June. Day before Father’s Day

Take Your Dog to Work Day (Friday following Father’s Day) June 26th

National Dog Day August 26th

My Big Guy Griffin is 3 years old

Happy Birthday Griffin.

Made a large meatloaf birthday cake and covered it with masked potato icing and we all enjoyed a tasty dinner party.

In case you noticed I let my hair and beard grow. Its because of the Coronavirus we have all been in a mandated Stay At Home quarantine and the barber shops are all closed. So in keeping with this event I decided to let my beard grow to match my head and pretend that we're fighting Zombies during the Apocalypse.

But it didn't last long because I decided to try and give myself a haircut and it didn't turn out too bad.

Perfect chemistry makes for instant Best Friends

There has been a lot of excitement around my house since Gabby, the Little Guy, became the newest member of our family. The amazing coincidence of two young male Rottweilers, on 6 months apart in age and both rescued from shelters when they were almost 2 years old is quite evident every day. I started calling Gabby the Little Guy because I always called Griffin the Big Guy and it fits them both. Griffin is 10 pounds heavier and 6-months older that Gabby. 

Even though Griffin was very much attached to my 5-year old Rottie girl Bessie, he was never able to play with her the way he wanted. He was a big, strong young male and always enjoyed the rough stuff and Bessie was, well, she was a girl and she just like that kind of play.

Gabby comes in like the younger brother and the first thing I noticed was he was leaping off the stone wall over Griffin and chasing him around the back yard. They have played so rough my neighbor thought they were fighting but I told him they just act like a couple of rowdy teenagers.

Here is a new batch of pictures.

9 is a Prime Number

18-months ago when I adopted Griffin, I came up with a catchy title for my blog post. I called it: Eight is Enough. Unfortunately my little sweetheart Bessie became a victim of an a state requirement that all dogs, no matter how young, must be spayed before adoption. Bessie was only 7-weeks old when I got her and way too young. She was 5-years old when she died. 

I've learned a few things adopting Rottie puppies and don't want to repeat my mistakes. The two Rottie girls I adopted, Sassy in 2003 and Bessie in 2014 were both spayed when they were 7-weeks old because there is a state regulation to prevent breeding that doesn't allow exceptions. The consequence of spaying/neutering a puppy is early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence. Bessie had it all, she developed bone cancer and also had hip dysplasia and torn ACLs.

 

I could not allow my almost 3-year old Griffin to mourn or feel lonely so I immediately began a search for a male Rottweiler to keep him company. Watching Griff attempt to play with Bessie convinced me he needed a male who could give and take the roughhouse kind of play that he likes. 

 

Today I have a new blog post. I called it: 9 is a Prime Number

 

Our family has just added a new member and he already has a new name, I'm calling him Gabby.

Gabby is 2-years 3-months old and he weighs 105 pounds. And we are already best friends. And Griffin likes him, too.

 

Here are his first pictures.

 

The adoption could not have happened in a better place. I got him through the good graces of the North Main Animal Clinic in Dayton, Ohio.

 

 

 

 

Gabby slept thru most of the 90-mile trip back home but once in awhile when the traffic slowed down he raised his head up to see where he was going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the first thing Gabby was introduced to was the traditional cleaning out of the empty peanut butter jar.

 

Stay tuned. More stories and pictures to come.

 

My beautiful girl Bessie has crossed the bridge

It is with great sadness that I write that my baby girl Bess has crossed the bridge. Two months ago Bess was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, bone cancer, in her front leg. This form of cancer spreads rapidly and even a prognosis involving amputation doesn't extend life expectancy more than a few months. While we were dealing with her situation with daily doses of pain meds Bessie had a massive stroke and was unable to stand and walk on her own. Here eyesight was also affected.

I decided she was tormented enough and had her put to sleep.

The crowd of faces waiting for me to join them has gotten bigger.

Yesterday I started looking for another Rottweiler to adopt to be Griffin's new playmate. In the last few days Griffin has begun to show signs of mourning and has had a very sad look on his face.

 

Today is Tuesday and as some call it, Tongue Out Tuesday

Today is Tongue Out Tuesday so here is something different. Those of us who know dogs in general and Rottweilers in particular know that their mouths are used the same way as human hands, to pick up things up and hold them. And just as people often use their hands to make gestures when they talk, dogs use their tongues for the same thing, to express feelings.

So here are some recent photos of my crew showing, in the order of illustration, a worry tongue - (seeing a dancing and singing Rottweiler toy), a loving tongue, a patiently waiting tongue - (Bessie wants her ball), a happy tongue - (getting hugs from a beautiful girl), a hungry tongue and the last two photos - a bonding tongue.

So, tongue in cheek, here we are:

Worry tongue

Loving tongue

Patiently waiting tongue

Happy tongue

Hungry tongue

 A bonded tongue