A New Year With New Beginnings

Veatch here... Happy belated New Year everyone! Things have been going really well in our dawg house, but a little on the crazy side as well! Me and Bailey had a great Christmas, we got lots of treats and new toys and lots of table scraps when Daddy wasn't looking. New Years was good too! Mom and Dad let me stay up and watch TV all night. Only I wasn't allowed to watch animal planet because Mama wanted to see some big glowing ball drop from a tower. Hmm... come to think of it I didn't get to play with that ball either! Hmph! Oh well...

Bailey and I discovered this really cool new thing... SNOW! I've never seen snow before, but it is my most favorite thing in the world next to squeaky toys and treats. It's cold and white and turns into water when you try to bite it. We've had a lot of snow lately which is good because that means Bailey and I get to play chase the puppy. Bad thing is it's getting kind of tough for me to walk through. The last storm we had the snow was almost up over my head!

Can't get me slow poke!

I didn't do anything I swear!

Crunch crunch! Mmmm snow!

Shoveling with Daddy.

Dads been taking me in the truck a lot too which is really fun. Especially when Mama comes because then I get to sit in her lap in the front seat and watch the truck drive. When the snow was really high Daddy took us down this road that was smooth with snow still and we made big giant circles until the snow was all messed up. I took a little nap because it was so tiring. Then we went duck searching. Daddy loves ducks, and geese. Sometimes he brings them home for me to play with and then I get to eat some for dinner. Daddy wants me to grow up to be a hunting dog, whatever that is. He says I have to learn to be a good boy and sit quietly in the cold and snow until the ducks fall out of the sky and I have to bring them back. Or I have to learn how to smell little ducks and run to scare them up into the sky so they can fall down again. Daddy isn't sure which I'm meant to be. He says we have to wait until it gets warm outside to see if I can swim. What is swim? I hope its fun.

Before...

After!

Puppy power nap on Daddy's hunting clothes.

Do you see any ducks?

Mamas been taking me to PetCo a lot lately too. This is really fun because not only do I get to ride in the car, but I get to go inside the store! I always get a treat once we're done and most of the time I meat other doggies and humans who love to pet and scratch behind my ears. There's one human girl who takes this metal thing and makes a clip noise on my nails but I don't mind at all because she tells me I'm cute and smell nice and gives me treats.

I also learned what bath means. I'm not quite sure what I think about baths yet. I like how the water is warm and Mama scrubs and rubs me all over. But then I have to fight with the blow dryer which makes a lot of noise and blows warm air on me. I always win though because it dies and stays quiet. Mama says after a bath I'm all smooth and soft. She also says I'm very photogenic and handsome, except for when I stick my butt in her face!

Perfect pose.

Ah Ha! Got you mom!

So to sum up our new year things are going pretty good. Bailey and I play while everyone is being busy and rushing around. We take puppy power naps when we get tired and then wake up to go again! Mom and Dad have been working a lot. But I don't mind because Grandpa or Bailey keep me company when they are gone. Mama's going back to school soon. She says she wishes I could come with her because the kids would love me and pet me all day and play fetch. Maybe if I put on my best puppy eyes she will take me! I'll be back soon to tell you about more of my adventures with Bailey! Thanks for dropping by!

Oh! P.S... Cousin Marley is getting huge! He's ten pounds heavier than me but much much bigger and still growing! I keep telling Mom that I need to have a play date with him soon before he's all grown up!

Lots of puppy kisses,

 Veatch & Bailey

Long Story Made (Somewhat) Short

So first things first... before we got into this crazy puppy pile I'll let you in on a little background information. Mike and I each had our own family dogs, both who lost their lives to cancer...

Ziggy was my family's German Goberian (German Shepard, Golden Retriever, Husky mix) who suddenly began suffering from weight loss and fatigue. After one week of vet visits, testing, and sadness we learned that Ziggy has a cancerous tumor inside the chambers of his heart and throughout nearly his entire body. With no possibility of saving him he was helped over the Rainbow Bridge in January 2010 at eight years old.

Saffron was Mike's family's Golden Retriever who also began suffering from cancer in his liver. Within a month Saffron's condition was too much to bear and he was also helped over the Rainbow Bridge in October 2010. He was just shy of his 12th birthday.

Then in late October Mike's mom told us about an adoption day taking place at our local PetCo. We both were desperate for some puppy love so we decided to muster up some strength and stop by... Pedro came along for the ride in hopes of a new toy or some treats. Then we met Veatch... and after a little more than an hour of pleading and filling out papers, he came home.

Veatch was rescued by the caring volunteers at Last Chance Animal Rescue. He was taken from a high kill shelter down south at a mere six weeks old and brought up to the Big Apple in search of his forever home. At around four months our paths became forever intertwined. Veatch found his forever home, and the void left by Ziggy and Saffron slowly began to heal.

Then came Marley. While I was a busy new puppy parent my family was still searching to find our next big dog. We knew we wanted something big, and with a similar temperament to Ziggy, but a mix like his is hard to come by. After months and months of research our eyes were locked onto the Bernese Mountain Dog. My step-mom found a breeder, and then we found Marley. As soon as the first paw stepped over the threshold of our door it was clear to see he was the perfect fit.

Pedro wasn't quite up for the challenge. But the two are slowly building a bond that we all hope will reflect the deep connection Pedro and Ziggy had.

Then last but not least came Bailey. Veatch was healing Mike's pain, but not so much his dads. So we put an ad up on craigslist hoping someone who needed a good home for a Golden Retriever would take us into consideration. Well the very next night Grandpa got a call from a loving family who was looking for a home for their one year old Golden Retriever, Bailey. We went to visit the family and see if Bailey was what we needed. Bailey's family loved him very dearly but simply did not have the time he needed (something we have all felt before). Grandpa took one look and began to glow. We said our thank yous, goodbyes, and promises, and then with tears in our eyes Bailey came to our home.

Veatch and Bailey got along the first moment they met and are developing a bond that will never be broken. Its almost sickening how much these two love each other and fit in perfectly with our crazy family. Wherever Veatch goes Bailey goes and wherever Bailey goes Veatch goes. Once the long hours of playing bitey face are over the pair cuddle up for a nap and then it's play time again!

So now here we are. Collectively we had lost two very dear dogs and in our search gained three very different puppies. Each have their own personalities and are helping us heal little by little. We set out for some puppy love after our losses and wound up rescuing three loving dogs. But really... Who rescued who?