Hey efurrypawdy, Buddy here. Yup, rub your eyes and blink a few times and then look again. It’s ME! I’ve been pretty lucky since crossing over, I have a very liberal “hall pass” system and get to come back and forth a lot and break through for important missions. Of course I gotta tell ya, the force was strong with me even when I was on earth and I could kind of come and go as I pleased. You just can’t believe what your mind can do if you just open it up a bit… but I digress. Heaven on earth, Heaven in Heaven; it’s a fine blurry line!
Every time I come back fur a visit, everyone sends messages back with me and tries to get a little more of an idea what the bridge is like. It finally dawned on me that you can’t see us like we can see you! I get it now, so let me fill in a few blanks and try to make some sense of all of this.
When I was on earth full time, I wrote about how a dog only knows of two different times. Just two. That’s it. You gotta s-i-m-p-l-i-f-y and get down to basics. For a dog there’s NOW and NOT NOW. Please don’t tell us we’re going to the dog park in an hour because that’s NOT NOW and we heard the magic words DOG PARK. Help! We’re so confused. This simplicity also is what allows dogs to handle stress and bad things so well. When I would go in for cancer treatment, I did not like it. That was NOW, and NOW was not good. We would always stop for ice cream or pupcakes on the way home and that was great! NOW was great! Cancer treatment? NOT NOW. Gone, finished. That’s how dogs deal.
People already understand a big part of what it means for a pet to cross over to the other side. There is no more pain. Whatsoever. No more DOGtors. Our bodies are whole and young again. The things we loved to do the very, very most in life are always there and it’s about all we do. This place is where the ultimate joy, which is DOG, is released. I know you have all seen it in your pets’ eyes. You have felt that joy too. Here, we have it all of the time and nothing ever slows the flow of joy (or the roll of joy) ever.
Here is the big difference between the two sides. On the other side, it is always NOW. How cool is that? Nobody ever says “Not now, Buddy.” If I want to play “chase the ball,” it’s NOW and we play. If I want ice cream, it’s NOW! Cheeseburgers? NOW. Butt scratch? NOW, and non-stop! The very best thing about never hearing “Not Now?” We always get to go along with our favorite people. We are always by your side. You never have to run errands or go out to dinner or go on business trips without us because we can go everywhere with you now. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fountain in Bend, Oregon or Rome!
The hard part, and the flip side is that for you on this side, it is NOT NOW until we meet again. You cannot see us anymore. That is sad, because in reality we are together more than we were here on earth!!! Wow, what a ride going along with you everywhere! It’s all part of Heaven for us.
So please know, when you can see it all from both sides it is beyond glorious and the view is overwhelmingly pawsome. So keep loving life here and taking us on a grand ride and sharing us with new loves. Keep it fun and frisky for us. Also know that in the whole grand scheme of things, it won’t be long at all until we are united again and it will be NOW FOREVER TOGETHER.
A lot of folks don’t even know why we started our “Buddy’s Be The Dog Life” Facebook page. It’s just there, they stop by and well, heck, Buddy isn’t even there any more, so what’s this all about?
Buddy was our big love who got cancer six years into his Golden life. He was our second dog to get cancer. Our first dog got Hemangiosarcoma and it was so pervasive and aggressive that by the time we found it, we only had two more days with him. We thought it was a fluke. When Buddy got cancer, we knew there was more to it. Buddy had a slower moving cancer so we had time to learn about this evil and how often it struck our pets. We learned about the different forms and the treatments. We did research and studied and asked questions and then decided to make some good come of our bad situation. We decided to share our journey and what we learned. We knew there were a lot of other scared families out there with nobody to talk to who knew that it scared you just as much when your pet had cancer as when any other loved one did in your family. So we shared. Buddy shared, mostly, and he also shared how he kept right on living and being the dog, because that’s what dogs do.
Chillin’
We pass on a lot of information here and we try to share all of the newest, most cutting edge technology as soon as we learn about it. We try to post all of the options that are available for each type of cancer that might strike one of our pets. We always say knowledge is power: power of the paw. Lately, though, we have had a few messages that make us realize that there is a message we don’t always make clear or maybe we should make clear. Those are ALL of the options. Each family then makes decisions based on their situation and what they think is best for their family and their pet. Never forget that YOU are in the driver’s seat when it comes to treatment and options. You are your pet’s number one advocate and that is your key role during this process. No article or blog or doctor or study should make you feel that you need to follow a certain path. With that said, allow me to share some very practical advice we learned the very hard way.
When you notice a bump or lump, there is a very logical and strategic way to examine each one. If it is small or squishy (technical term there) keep an eye on it and watch to see if it grows and how quickly, or if it changes color, texture, or form. Each lump should be addressed. No doctor can tell, just be feeling one, that it is benign or of a certain type. The best doctors who are very confident taught me that. They can be 99% sure, but not certain. The next step is not surgery to remove the lump to examine it. The next step will be possibly x-rays or a needle aspirate to determine the composition of the lump. The aspirate removes some cells for examination with minimal invasion of your pet’s body. This is important, as many pets develop multiple lumps and you don’t want to keep slicing and dicing on your pet like a science experiment. If test results show the lump is benign you still watch the lump. An aspirate only tests a portion of the cells, so you still watch and if it starts changing and acting hinkey (another tech term) you have a pro look at it again. More watching and evaluating than cutting.
The time does come for treatment when it is cancer and that is when I get a lot of messages from truly distraught pet parents. This is what I want to remind you all of today. I am not a doctor, but this does not take a doctor to help you understand. This takes years of experience with pets with cancer and thousands of pets and their stories shared on this page alone. The decisions you make are personal and will be right for you and your pet. When you take that pet into your life you promise to give him or her the very best life possible. You will be as loyal to that creature (or try to be) as he or she is to you. This means you will bankrupt yourself emotionally for your pet, but it does not require you to do so financially where you both end up out on the street. That does not really provide a good quality of life for either one of you. If you are constantly stressing about the cost of a treatment, that stress will transfer to your pet.
When presented with a diagnosis, it is time to do research because knowledge is power. It is tempting to go all “deer in the headlights,” but don’t go there. Learn all of your options. That does not mean you are going to take advantage of every option. You have to consider at the very top of the list how treatments will affect the quality of your pet’s life. You also have to factor in cost in the real world. A surgeon may sit across the desk and tell you that he CAN get that tumor out of your dog. That is true. Then you have to weigh the fact that it will cost $10,000 and your dog will have a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery that will limit his activity. I use this example because it is a situation we were in with Buddy. Then we considered that the tumor was on his liver and the cancer had become systemic and we would probably only be buying him six more months of life at most. The time had come to make a decision in Buddy’s best interest that was right for us and for Buddy. The option and technology was there to do more. After many sleepless nights and much research into odds and projected outcomes, we made the difficult decision to stop the assault on his body. We chose instead to spend our money heating the pool in March and April so it was warm enough so he could do his most favorite thing in the world; swim. Buddy died in May. We were left with wonderful memories of joy and he had the best time. If he had surgery, he may have lived a few miserable months longer and would not have understood why we put him through that pain and suffering. Instead, he knew only joy and got to be a dog until the end.
So please, always be gentle with yourself as you travel this path. Learn all you can, and then do the very best you can by your pet. Feed them the best you can, but if after reading an article you find that the suggested diet is just too expensive for you, don’t worry. Do the best you can which will be a true gift to your pet. Learn what treatments are available and get the best care you can for your pet. We have articles posted in our resource library about places to apply to for financial help, but if all else fails, just do the best you can and then keep your pet comfortable. We didn’t sign up to be able to keep them alive forever. Oh that we could, and we feel that is our responsibility. It is not. Our responsibility is to love them to death, not prevent it. We are all capable of that. It is the ultimate lesson in “Being the Dog…” to just be with what is, and enjoy the ride!
Today is a special day in our house. Many houses have a day like today… It is a day when you pause to remember. On that day you said goodbye to your special soul mate you promised you would never forget, and that is absolutely true. You see, eight years ago today we said goodbye to our Forever Dog, Bob. Bob was short for his full name: “Bob Marshall Wilderness Dog” since he was adopted in Whitefish, MT where we lived and we wanted to honor the glory of the area. Bob was nothing if not glorious.
We fell in love first with his sister, Schafer (short for Shafer Meadows, also in the Bob Marshall Wilderness) and knew we had to go get him. There was a whole litter being given away because they weren’t pure bred. Who could turn this down??? He began life running and playing on the shores of the Flathead River in Glacier National Park.
Bob grew fast and became quite the river dog, he enjoyed some good hiking too. He went everywhere with us and fully embraced the glory he lived in. He would Kayak in the summer and float on the lakes and even visited a few mud bogs…
Bob had thick fur and loved the snow. He loved to roll in it, and drag us around in it. At the end of the day we would go out on the ski runs where we lived and he would chase us down on sleds or my snowboard. That was GREAT fun! On sunny winter days, my best friend and I would grab some Crazy Creek chairs and a few beverages and snowshoe up to a point overlooking the valley and watch the sun set while the dogs played. Sadly, cancer has come to call and taken her and Bob home…
But remember, before Bob left, he was always laughing!
That is how I will always remember him. Right up until that last day. We were simply out on our morning snowshoe and Bob wandered into the woods and did not return. When we found him, he was collapsed under a tree. We learned very quickly about K9 cancer. We learned how randomly and quickly it can hit. We learned how completely it can have control before you even have a chance to begin to fight. Bob had very aggressive Hemangiosarcoma: a tumor that had been silently growing on his heart ruptured that morning. His doctors took heroic measures and stabilized him so we could make decisions and get information. What we learned is that there was substantial spread of the disease. We took Bob home, and he just never got his “Bob” back. Bob deserved more than that.
A typical “Bob” day was to hang out on the front porch and wait for visitors to stop by and adore him (we lived at a ski resort on the way to a ski run) or possibly share their breakfast burritos with him. He would then go on a long snowshoe with us and stop at a neighbor house on the way home to help get the kids ready for school and help with their waffles. He would return home at his leisure, hang with us a bit and then return to the porch to watch for visitors and squirrels. At lunchtime he knew the lifties down at Chair 6 (just below our house) would often fire up the grill and cook good stuff so he would wander down there. You could hear them cry “Bob!” from our house. He was a legend. Then he would come home and commence napping until his afternoon snowshoe. He lived a large life. He deserved to be Bob every day of it. The next evening we had a great “wake” for Bob that all of his dog friends came to and our friends as well. We all celebrated a life well lived and gave him a living, loving send off. Quietly, we slipped out the next morning and made that last trip down the hill and said good bye to our dearest love. He drifted off quickly as he was so very tired.
This, my friends, is the face of K9 cancer. We thought it was an anomaly because we had not heard of it. When our next dog, Buddy, got it we began to learn the truth. There are amazing advances being made since we first began this walk with Bob, and we are grateful to folks who are taking this on every day like the Animal Cancer Foundation. Today we pause and not only remember some of our favorite things about Bob, but send special thoughts to all of you who have been forced to have days when you remember because of this disease. When you are remembering, remember to be grateful that you had such a powerful love in your life that you are eternally touched and changed by it. I gotta say, “I would not miss the dance…” Bob, I will continue the fight for you and all forever dogs. Miss ya dude.
Hey everypawdy, Maxx here! Fur any of you who haven’t met me I’m the new ambassador appointed by both Buddy and Bob to carry on the legacy. I have big paws to fill, but I’m up to it… I’m sure if it!
Ya know I’ve noticed this is kind of an awkward stage that humans have a hard time putting into words, which is weird since humans rarely stop talking BOL. You see, once a human has experienced doG, they need doG in their life. There is an enormous empty spot when our beloved fur leaves us behind to begin the eternal part of their journey. While we are joyous that there will never be anything but joy in their life, we are empty without doG. There are some things that only doG can fulfill. For every human, the timing is different for when it is right to accept doG back into their life. The fact remains, that a life without doG is missing something, and you will keep searching and keep looking back and missing what is no longer there. Finally you realize what is missing… it is doG! You open your heart and your home and one day doG finds his or her way back into your life. There is joy and wonder again, but it is different. Sometimes there is sadness because doG is not exactly the same. Sometimes you feel the need to explain that this doG does not come before all other doGs. Sometimes you think you must assure this doG that you will love it as much as all other doGs. As usual, you are over-thinking it and you need to relax and just (wait for it) BE the doG!
Last weekend I went to my first barkday pawty. It was PAWmazing! I had the most excellent time running and playing with all of the big dawgs. My Mom and Dad realized, though, that life is now different for me too. I am adjusting too. I am learning to live with a people pack instead of a dog pack, and while I like my people pack a lot, I had unbridled joy running with a dog pack.
So we all move forward together, and we fall in love together. It is not instant and that is OK! The more I learn, the more I know that I was sent by 2 very special dudes. Bob was the first guy in the family. He was light like me and he was feisty and a little strong willed. Buddy was a complete Zen master. Mom and Dad are convinced that they were drawn to me because I look just like Bob (one of his younger pics below) and have the Zen personality of Buddy. The force is strong with me… doG is back. Come grow with us!
Hi Everypawdy, Maxx here! As you know, I’m kinda new to this whole people family thing and I’m trying to get a handle on what is a good dog and what is a not-so-good dog. Now Mom and Dad don’t ever come right out and tell me that I’m being a bad dog, but I really get the impression sometimes that they are not too pleased with some of my chosen behaviors. For instance, there’s a LOT of talk in this house about my teeth. What? I’m a puppy! I have teeth. I need to chew! My mouth hurts. As a result Mom’s legs and arms and nose and forehead hurts BOL. Her pants are shredded and those great high heels she has for work? You can call them flats now! Who knew those heels came off that easy? They should really make them sturdier if they are gonna charge over $300 for them. Sheesh! So Mom and Dad bought almost every chew toy they could find for me and most of their friends chipped in too and I have a lovely assortment. I, of course, made my own choice…
Priceless!
So this is good, really fun to watch. Mom downloads books onto her iThingy and starts reading how to get me to stop biting (heloooooo, I gotta grow a new set of teeth!) and do so gently. Simply turn her back on me: Leads to lacerations on the back BOL. A loud yip that sounds just like a littermate: Oh GOOD, another puppy to play with, I’ll put her whole head in my mouth! Shake a can and make a loud noise at me: I get really mad and start acting like a Pitbull on steroids barking at the can, then when she backs away I come flying at her like some Pacman character and attach to her leg just below the knee drawing large quantities of blood through her white pants. I believe that is when I heard her mutter something about me being the “Anti-Buddy.” That was a compliment right?
So what does a “good dog” look like? I want to please my new family, I really do. My teeth just hurt. We had some other dogs over and I watched to see what they did so I could get some pointers from the big dogs. Here’s what I figured out:
Jumping up on the furniture while the humans are eating is just fine, in fact, they seem to enjoy it. Just don’t use your teeth. Ok got it.
Run around the pool like a bunch of hooligans with complete abandon and splash water everywhere is great! Check.
Surfing IN the pool without a lifeguard on duty is just fine. Allrighty.
And MOST importantly: Chewing on OTHER DOG’S faces is A-OK!!
OK, I’m narrowing it down here and it might take a while. Us puppers can be a handful I know but we are cute right? Just let this be a reminder to you when you are searching your iThingy and Facebook and blogs for tips on how to raise us that each one of us is a unique being and we all will probably respond to a combination of approaches. We all gotta grow together and find our inner dog, that is a part of “being the dog” and I’m glad you’re all in it with me. Enjoy the ride efurrybody (oh, and watch your ankles!)
Hi everypawdy! Maxx here, back to visit with you and bring you news from the bone front and WHAT? oh, my bad… I’m still mixing up a few of my words here and there, HOME front, and letting you know things we find impotent so we NOW WHAT? Ooooops, well now that would be a big difference… IMPORTANT to share…
After Mom removed her phone from my mouth today (or the MAW as she calls it) she decided to organize her Apps and thought there are a lot of good pet apps she has with her at all times on the road to keep her clients and ME the MAW safe, so maybe she should share some of this all in one place with you FURiends! Now ya already know that she thinks it’s a good idea to be secure when ya ride in the bar at WHAT? oh, yah, we can’t go in bars… ride in the CAR at all times like this:
And if you’re gonna be an adventure dog like me… ya wanna be safe when you hit the rivers and oceans too:
Well when you go on an Epic journey like I just did camping throughout the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere else away from your home turd WHAT? oh, yah, home TURF… you might find some of these apps useful. Mom won’t leave home without ’em and they even come in handy at home too!
The PetTech PetSaver App is the best first aid app out there for your pet. You can look up what’s going on with your pet by symptom or disease. It will talk you through CPR. Every pet pawrent should have this on their phone!
I know I got pretty interested in a toad on my road trip through Montana and this had plenty of info on what could happen if Mom hadn’t stepped between us. Thanks Mom (I guess), and there’s also a direct link to a hotline for help.
So let’s leave the emergencies shall we and think about fun a bit eh?? The app that has a bit of everything from dog parks to beaches and campgrounds, outdoor dining and even international information is DogFriendly.com:
So there ya go. Now you have had a pee inside WHAT NOW? Oh, well now that would make a big difference… a PEEK inside my Mom’s phone which is ALL I was trying to do when I munched it a little bit. Yikes, a guy has to use his teeth ya know. Be sure to share your faves with us so we know what’s good too, it’s how we all learn… and I’m learning a LOT these days. Thanks fur hangin’ with me, I’ll see ya at the beach!
Hey everypawdy… Maxx here on my very FURst Thanksgiving Hollyday. Mom woke up this morning and looked at me (since my nose was in her face, which is a lot nicer that a few other things that she often wakes to BOL) and said “Happy Thanksgiving, Maxxy!” Well what’s that? What made this day Thanksgiving??
I had noticed some increased activity around the house the last few days, lots of cooking for sure. Well, I’m always thankful for cooking, but I’m even MORE thankful for eating ya know Mom… When are we eating all that stuff?
She said “speaking of stuff, we’re having stuffing today.” Well gee, Mom, I have stuffing almost EVERY day BOL! So why does THAT make today special??
Well, she told me, “A lot of your FURiends are coming over to play with you and tear up the house…” Great! Now you’re speakin’ to me Mom!!! But that happens other days too, so why is this Thanksgiving?
I could tell I had “stumped the band” so to speak. She was thoughtful. Then she simply explained to me that this is a day when we Paws to give thanks fur all of the fabulous blessings in our life. That we have food, and shelter and friends and love in our life. That even if we don’t have our own family around us, we are grateful for friends; the family we choose. We also give thanks for all of those who make this pawsible for us and all of those less fortunate, that we may find a way to at least share our love with them even when we don’t have money to spare.
I gave that some thought, then I looked at her and in my own way, let her know that she had just described EVERY day of a dog’s life. Dogs (and to some extent, Cats BOL) are grateful by their very nature. We have no money or material goods, so we always give our love to show just how grateful we are. Then I licked her. A big ol’ slobbery one. I think she was thankful for that… I think that’s what those tears were… Happy Thanksgiving to all, from this grateful heart!!
Hey everypawdy it’s me, MAXX! This has been an amazing 7 months fur me. BowWOWza, but a lot is going on here in this place. My furst 2 months were mostly just running around with my litter and then that family decided not to be my family any more. I didn’t know what was going on, but my litter started to disappear. I was the only one left and then I came to this place. That’s when the REAL adventure began. Well, the last week or so have not disappointed as this whole new experience they call Christmas is upon us. Mom tells me in some houses they are celebrating Hanukkah and others will celebrate Kwanzaa, but most efurryone is celebrating. Me? Well, I’m mostly Golden Retriever which is known by the AKC as the “party group” and I’m always in fur a pawty. That’s why I was SO excited to go meet Sandy Paws in Sandy Aygo last week and even sit on his lap!!!
That was so cool, I was beside myself. It was at a Golden Retriever Rescue Event for the Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue group that my Dad volunteers for (pssst: he was Santa!!) and we put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces. After a while though, I noticed a few tears. I didn’t quite get that, so I tried to lick them away real quick and give those folks a snuggle. Efurry time I would snuggle in real close, someone would stroke my soft fur and tell me how they had just lost a sweet loved one and how much they missed their baby. How they remembered when their beloved was a young pup like me and the end seemed impossible. My Mom would gently remind them that we had just lost our wonderful Buddy and that I was now bringing new joy to them.
I spent quite a while there and we were in a small shopping center. There were LOTS of people. I LOVE people and watched them all. They were rushing all over, in and out of stores and all about but when they came by us they would slow down and pet us dogs and talk. Seems they all had a story. Their faces softened and they told about times with family or ones they missed. They were happy to hear we were trying to find some dogs without homes some new homes which is the greatest gift this season… But they seemed drawn so to me. There were tears and memories and smiles and the best part, HOPE.
As I snuggled in the car on the way home and dreamed a few dreams, some thoughts came together fur me. The wonderful Christmas story my Mom had told me was about a baby coming and starting life in a manger surrounded by animals. It seems young ones and animals can break through so many barriers that people put up and get right through to what is important. That one story has been told a million times and people marvel at the simplicity and purity of a baby and animals. I realized at this ripe old age of 7 months that I have such a purpose already. Not just to be a wild pupper and source of great entertainment…
…But to help lead people forward rather than leaving them stuck in one place looking back. To give hope, to shine a light. Sometimes you just need to slow down and smell the fur ya know? That’s what’s missing this time of year for so many. So take a moment and roll on the floor with your favorite fur ball. If you don’t have one, stop by a shelter and pass out some love. It’s time we put the doG back in these holidays! Merry, Happy and Peace to all, and to all a Fur night ::
Hey everypawdy… Maxx here! Welcome to the New Year and all that enTAILS. Time to roll out from under the covers and get this thing started. I was sniffing around today and noticed that I now have almost 2900 FURiends on Facebook! BowWOWza!! That means I have a lot of new friends and that’s pretty cool. Now I know a lot of you have come ofur because I’m just plain good lookin’ and I get that. Others just can’t resist a pupper, and I get that too. Some of you like to catch up on the funny stories my Mom and Dad tell about me and my adventures growing up, although I must remind you that none of my misbehavings or misfortunes should efur be mistaken fur entertainment. A lot of you enjoy reading about my Mom’s occasional misadventures that I post (like brushing her teeth with MY toothpaste BOL) and now that IS funny!! I know many of you are referred over here because you have a furry one with cancer or have had to deal with it in the past. You might get here and see us just goofin’ off and carryin’ on and think WTW? Well that’s all part of Buddy’s message… when you have the big C, you don’t just sit around talking about it every day, you LIVE. And by the way… Who is Buddy and where is he???
That big guy right above me there is my hero. That’s Buddy. Buddy left us last May after a 2 year battle with cancer. Started out as Melanoma, then Mast Cell showed up. Later on Nasal and Liver joined in and ended his walk here on earth. Buddy was the most joyous dog my Mom and Dad had ever known, and he made pretty darn sure that everyone around him knew he was happy. He was the second dog they had that got cancer, so they decided to help others understand the disease and learn how to fight it and deal with it and most of all, LIVE with it. They started Buddy’s page as a place to give support and got more support back than they could ever have imagined. Now I’m his Ambassador, Maxx! I get to carry on his mission to build awareness about the disease and who’s fighting it and how to live with it and how to BE THE DOG. That’s lucky, cuz that’s exactly what I know how to do!!
So now let me pass along to you some of Buddy’s main Zen-Dog type mantras, because they are a good way to start of the year on the right paw. You can scroll back through the blog posts and find where he wrote about these things much more better than me. See? My editor just told me that was a bad sentence, but I’m just a pupper and I’m trying my best, so work with me here ok?? Ok, here we go:
1. A dog only knows two times in life: NOW and NOT NOW. It’s that simple, don’t overthink this. Don’t tell me you’re going to take me to the dog park in an hour because that’s NOT NOW. Means nothing to me. NOW I’m bored. I will chew your shoe. The good news is when your dog has to go to the Dogtor and have something icky done and it hurts and it’s bad, that is sad. When you take him fur ice cream or a pupcake on the way home, it’s all good because the ice cream or pupcake is NOW and the Dogtor is NOT NOW. That simple, really.
2. It only hurts for a minute. This is related to the first one. If something hurts on a dog, it hurts. The dog does not go into some drama lamenting if it will hurt forever or weeks or even tomorrow. There is no concern for “how long must I endure this???” It hurts. Sometimes it hurts for a whole string of minutes and that’s a drag, but each minute is just a minute and probably the last minute it will hurt.
3. Forever. The third time that a dog does understand is: FOREVER. A pet will love you forever, period. Here, beyond and back. Once bound, that’s it, you got it.
4. Dogs are Gratefulbeings. What you have is what you need. We are thankful for whatever we get. A kind look, a pet or the smallest of treats. We don’t sit around thinking up things we need or want. We are so grateful for everything every day and so every day is a happy day somehow.
5. YAY. Celebrate every day. Mom and Dad started a great game with Buddy and carry it on with me and he wants efurryone to experience it. They would play with him on his walk and for at least 1/2 hour straight efurrything he did resulted in “YAY BUDDY!” I mean if he picked up a tennis ball: YAY BUDDY. If he dropped a tennis ball: YAY BUDDY. If he ran: YAY BUDDY. If he sat down: YAY BUDDY. Take some time every day to celebrate those you love completely. So when you see on his wall: YAY BUDDY, now you know why!
So now you know a little more about Buddy and what we’re all about. Welcome to our pack, make yourself to home and join in the fun. I think this is gonna be a LARGE year!!
Hey everypawdy, Maxx back at the helm here. I’m getting ready to head out on one of the most beloved adventures a pupper can head out on. You all know what that is, right? It’s the dog camping trip where you bring the humans along to carry the extra food and drive! I saw the camper arrive in the front yard this morning and I was so excited, I started carrying toys out there right away. I’ve got my floating frisbee, my floating Kong, 25 or 30 tennis balls, and a few squeeky toys that should wake the entire campground up around 0 dark 30. Perfect!
Mom, on the other hand, remembered our last trip where we seemed to run out of the house like it was an emergency and got where we were going without a few key items, so she had a checklist ready this time. Pfffffft. I think she overthinks it, but here’s what SHE thinks is a good idea when I come along, just to make sure the trip stays safe AND fun:
Dog Tether (long enough so I can be out with the family while they set up camp but still secure): reads: long rope BOL
Dog Tracking Collar with GPS (in case above malfunctions and you have a dog that is likely to run off)
Double check Microchip registration information is correct
Pet First Aid Kit (instructions to make a home-made one may be found online)
Travel water bowl and mat (to make feeding area familiar)
Dog containment area (screened-in porch area can be much friendlier option when enjoying the outdoors with pets together, also keeps bugs away)
Dog life jacket
Portable dog bed (ok, I use Mom’s bed in the camper, but this is good for outside)
Travel dog bed for bottom of canoe (creates non-slip area where dog knows to go and is stable and comfortable)
Leash
Snacks
Dog food
Drinking Water
Waste bags (yes, you still pick up in the wilderness if in a camp area folks!)
Sunscreen
Towels
Waterproof blanket (LL Bean or Orvis): fleece blanket with waterproof backing you can put on your bed so a wet dog does not soak your down comforter or sleeping bag.
Well, so much for the simplicity of camping right? Actually, Mom just packed a dry-bag once with most of this stuff in it and grabs it when we go camping. I never notice a thing, hey… I’m a DOG! What I notice is that I go on long hikes with my peeps, swim in lakes and rivers, sail along in the canoe and bask in the sunshine and then fall asleep on the river bank all smelly and dirty. At the end of the day I usually score some melted marshymallow and some great camp food. Is this a dog’s life or what??? I highly recommend it, so get out there, be the dog and get your fur dirty a little folks. Enjoy the ride along the way, you might see me with my head out the window, so be sure to wave!
Hey efurrypawdy, Buddy here. Yup, rub your eyes and blink a few times and then look again. It’s ME! I’ve been pretty lucky since crossing over, I have a very liberal “hall pass” system and get to come back and forth a lot and break through for important missions. Of course I gotta tell ya, the force was strong with me even when I was on earth and I could kind of come and go as I pleased. You just can’t believe what your mind can do if you just open it up a bit… but I digress. Heaven on earth, Heaven in Heaven; it’s a fine blurry line!
Every time I come back fur a visit, everyone sends messages back with me and tries to get a little more of an idea what the bridge is like. It finally dawned on me that you can’t see us like we can see you! I get it now, so let me fill in a few blanks and try to make some sense of all of this.
Whitefish Dog and Home 