Puppies Were My Valentines

No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.

 ~

Madonna 

Remember that pet store protest group I joined last summer? Well, huge stuff is happening and you can read all about it on our Facebook page. To make a long story short, these beautiful blue-eyed girls are some of the first Paws on the Ground Colorado rescue puppies that will be available in that same local pet store as we assist in its transition to a humane model. I am grateful beyond words to be involved with this incredible project, witnessing tangible change. I've been helping with transports and got to shuttle these darlings to their foster home on Saturday evening. Truly one of the best Valentine's Days ever.

Happy Holidays

The Ginger Sisters are my two best gifts, every day. We hope you had a wonderful holiday full of peace, beauty and love. 

The Ginger Sisters' Thanksgiving Feast

The Ginger Sisters had people food for Thanksgiving. Since I don't eat red meat or poultry (and refuse to prepare it myself), I got them some roasted chicken from the grocery store deli, which they had alongside brown rice, cottage cheese, steamed green beans and pumpkin. 

A Protein Variety with Brothers Complete Ultra Premium Dog Food + Giveaway

I've written often about The Ginger Sisters' rotation diet, which allows us to try out different kinds of quality dog food. Not only does this allow flexibility and augmentation with top tier foods, but regularly changing the proteins that they eat has benefits of its own. Allergies can develop when dogs eat the same thing over their entire lives, and rotating proteins may help prevent this. I was excited to learn about Brothers Complete, offering grain- and potato-free dog food and biscuits. 

Prepare for Holiday Stress with our PL360 Anxiety Relief Giveaway

It seems like the moment the Halloween costumes and candy are put away, the festivity frenzy of November and December begins. My head spins as I try to form gift lists and juggle party invitations, putting on a smiling face during what has become a difficult time of year for me. It's no secret that along with wonder and joy, the season can mean stress and tension for people and their pets. 

Life with an anxious dog has made me more sensitive to changes in her environment, with my focus always on keeping her safe and comfortable. The holidays bring with them the potential for travel, house-guests, strange hours that disrupt our routine and unusual sights and sounds around the neighborhood.

I think having a calming supplement on hand is a great way to prepare for the situational stress that our preparation and celebration of the holidays can trigger. PL360, a company focused on safe and natural solutions for pets, offers an Anxiety Relief supplement with chamomile (which Boca has been compared to with her soothing presence) and tryptophan (found in Thanksgiving turkey). We'll be traveling to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving and I am hoping it will help Ruby relax in the car, as well as make the New Year's Eve fireworks a little easier for Boca. 

We are giving away a bottle of PL360 Anxiety Relief to five lucky winners. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and winners have 72 hours to respond to email notification. Please read the product information and check with a veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns before giving this or any supplement to your pet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: PL360 provided the giveaway prizes and a sample product in exchange for spreading the word about their supplements. PL360 is not responsible for the content of this post. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

Happy Halloween from The Ginger Sisters!

Snowy Days

The Ginger Sisters had a nice holiday visiting their dog cousins and eating lots of left-over turkey. Boca particularly loved my human cousin, and they did wonderfully meeting everyone. They were excited on the morning drive, but by the time we headed home that afternoon, they were curled up asleep in the back seat. I must confess that I did not get them any gifts - they get so many things on a regular basis and had just gotten a box of goodies that we won from His Muddy Paw Prints. I also wanted some more time to budget and think of what they really need, and in the next week or so Ruby will get a new tug and Boca some booties. 

We did have a white Christmas, which is actually fairly uncommon, with snow moving in during the late afternoon. Before having a reactive dog, I have never been so excited about snow storms and cold temperatures, but I knew it meant we could romp in the nearby open space! Normally it is busy with cyclists, soccer games and other dogs, but we were able to walk on the mountain bike paths and run through the fields without a care. Boca thought we were a little crazy, and Ruby couldn't get enough running and digging. Both dogs wore the rubber Pawz booties, but they got pretty torn up on our expeditions so I want to get something more heavy-duty for Boca. Does anyone have recommendations? Ruby has adapted well to the winter and her feet aren't nearly as sensitive.

On Sunday, Ruby tried the 16 foot long-line in the field and had such fun! I got her to run in a circle around me - much like lunging a horse, and I was glad for my experience doing just that. I'm thrilled to have this in the toolbox for her to enjoy a little more freedom. Boca also had a turn on the long-line and wouldn't even go to the end of it! I tried to get her to run around and she looked at me like I was loony. I think she had her fill of freedom as a street dog in The Bahamas. 

Now some extreme cold has set in - yesterday only reached the teens and today's high is all of three degrees with record lows expected tonight. We ventured out very briefly in the afternoon and will do the same today. Yesterday was my birthday and I had a lovely relaxing day cuddling with my girls, watching movies and baking cupcakes. We are ready for 2015!

Happy Holidays from the Ginger Sisters

Thanks for joining us this year on Rubicon Days. May you and yours have a beautiful holiday.

This is a Blog Hop powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Red Dogs and Holiday Blues

Are you feeling a little worn down by hauling out the holly? I know I am. I've noticed some particularly frantic renditions of "Sleigh Ride" in stores lately that unintentionally capture the relentless pace we're often expected to giddy up at this time of year. This morning when Ruby emerged yawning from under the covers and Boca eyed me drowsily from the foot of the bed, I promised them that we would sleep in tomorrow. We have plans to spend Christmas Day with family, but it's otherwise going to be a low-key and relaxed week, with extra-long walks in the daylight, dates with library books and a Harry Potter movie marathon.

I've been struggling to find my festive footing ever since losing my mom in 2010. She and I both have December birthdays, and it was a month-long celebration: from our annual tree-hunting expedition to crafting ornaments or wreaths and painting sugar cookies to lunch and shopping the after-Christmas sales on my birthday. For many years we would each open one gift on Christmas Eve, but when I was in college we switched to opening everything on that night after the annual viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Being a night-owl, I loved this tradition. Things are different now - there is no family home to return to. I put up my own tree one year but haven't since - it seems so lackluster. I run around trying to fulfill obligations, navigate crowds and meet deadlines, leaving little room for much spirit.

Every once in a while, though, I'm buoyed up by the memory of my mother - how her joy and generosity present year-round seemed to shine even more bright this time of year. I'll drive past a house decked all in blue lights - her favorite - and remember how our own twinkled on the spruce in our front window, visible all the way to the barn. I'll find myself singing along to a carol, thinking how we would make up our own funny lyrics to incorporate current events while warming our rumps in front of the wood stove. I remind myself that even if she isn't here, my life is filled with gifts that live on; not the least of which is a deep, incurable and undeniably genetic love of dogs.

It can be a busy, stressful season and it isn't always easy for people. Strained family relations, changing friendships, financial hardship, grieving loved ones...all these things can culminate in feeling "less than" at what we are constantly reminded is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Take it easy on yourself, do what you can. Accept that invitation and find yourself staying longer than you planned. Watch a movie you haven't seen since childhood. Take a walk in the moonlight, maybe with snow swirling down. Surround yourself with the people and animals you consider family and appreciate your simplest riches: the love of a good dog, the smell of something hearty on the stove, a phone call from an old friend, a day to sleep in.

A Bounty of Food and Friendship for Thanksgiving

The Ginger Sisters had a wonderful Thanksgiving visiting family. It was Boca's first Thanksgiving and both girls' first taste of roasted turkey - I think it may be their favorite holiday yet! On Thursday morning I drove with my dad and the dogs to my aunt's house in Old Colorado City. The dogs were so excited that they whined most of the way, and the crawling traffic didn't help matters - if we slow down, surely we must be almost there! 

We arrived in time to see parts of The National Dog Show while we prepared our feast in the kitchen, with the dogs hovering hopefully underfoot. My favorite of the finalists was the Smooth Fox Terrier. Ruby and Boca wrestled with their cousins Hachi and Stevey and played in the backyard. We had the most beautiful weather - almost 70 degrees! A young couple, friends of my cousins, joined us and I was impressed with how well both girls did with meeting new people. 

My favorites from the meal were my roasted Brussels sprouts, the cabbage and carrot salad (a family tradition), the blackberry cobbler and brownies. All of the food was excellent, and the girls got leftover turkey in the rest of their meals during our visit, plus some to freeze and take home. My grandma exclaimed again what a good dog Boca is - she's loved her from the first meeting when she was still a "foster dog." We all relaxed on the sofa in true post-indulgence form and had a slumber party with four dogs on the bed. 

The next morning we took the dogs to a school yard to run around, but Ruby's freedom was short-lived as we discovered a gap in the fencing. Boca proved once again that her recall is reliable by bounding happily toward me each time I called. Later, my dad helped my aunt with a home-improvement project while I visited a friend and talked horses and dogs and writing over tea - all of my favorite things! It was a lovely holiday with lots of laughter, good conversation, and much-needed relaxation.

Happy Halloween from the Ginger Sisters!

 



This is a Blog Hop Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Happy Valentine's Day To the Dogs We Love

All love is about connection. Dog love is no different.

“We humans may be brilliant and we may be special, but we are still connected to the rest of life. No one reminds us of this better than our dogs. Perhaps the human condition will always include attempts to remind ourselves that we are separate from the rest of the natural world. We are different from other animals; it's undeniably true. But while acknowledging that, we must acknowledge another truth, the truth that we are also the same. That is what dogs and their emotions give us-- a connection. A connection to life on earth, to all that binds and cradles us, lest we begin to feel too alone. Dogs are our bridge-- our connection with who we really are, and most tellingly, who we want to be. When we call them home to us, it's as if we are calling for home itself. And that'll do, dogs. That'll do.”

~ Patricia B. McConnell from For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Holiday Wrap Up

watching deer at Garden of the Gods

I had last week off from work and so Ruby and I got to spend nine days together.  We settled into an easy routine, and she was usually ready for bed before me! I love those times on the sofa when she is all warm and soft and squishy, making little squeaks and grunts if she has to move.  Our time included a bit of everything: relaxing at home, traveling to friends and family, and having company. 

Monday I was up early to pack up the car with presents and prepare for a long day with many stops.  Ruby wore her ThunderShirt (appropriately festive green!) in the car and did not bark at anything, even people walking dogs! I'm not ready to deem it a miracle yet, as she was also car-sick, poor girl, but every little bit helps.  Ruby went in to the feed store with me to pick up some senior feed for my horses and some Whimzees crocodile chews, and greeted some other patrons.  We stopped at my best friend's house to exchange gifts, where Ruby and my friend's one-year-old son were very interested in one another, but since Ruby can be mouthy we didn't let them together.   Next I visited my dressage-trainer-turned-friend, who has a whole house and barn full of animals.  Ruby gets along splendidly with her black labradoodle, (the second in her life!) and seems to think they are giant living chew toys. The humans discussed dogs and writing while the dogs capered through the house.  It was a really lovely visit.  I delivered treats to the horses' caretakers and spent just a few minutes with them as it was already getting dark.  My ultimate destination was my aunt and grandmother's home in Old Colorado City - my cousin had arrived at my aunt's house and we went out for Mexican food that night, then stayed up quite late talking with 'The Lone Ranger' in the background while Ruby wore out her second labradoodle of the day. 

On Christmas Eve, after donning our matching shirts and hats and having a little photo shoot (which yielded my last post's pictures), we took the dogs to Garden of the Gods for a hike.  I was quite worried it would be crowded and too much for Ruby, but she did so well! I was really proud of her.  She didn't bark at any people - I think she feels safer with a group of dogs and people that she knows.  Luckily we only encountered one husky on the main part of the trail, and I just picked her up.  She screeched and whined but it was manageable.  On the way back to the parking lot we were basically just in a big crowd of people, strollers and dogs.  I continued to pick her up and tried to turn her or cover her eyes as we passed dogs and that was fairly effective.  Not the most "correct" solution I know, but I was really just trying to avoid any major meltdowns.  It was a gorgeous day and wonderful to be outdoors. Ruby happily wore her Santa suit on our outing and around the house, delighting my grandmother.  The rest of the day was spent eating, visiting, watching the dogs play together and opening presents.  Ruby received the driving/car version of Through A Dog's Ear, and we gave it a try on the way home.  She passed out immediately, but I think that may have had more to do with non-stop-wrestling.  She also got a new ball from my best friend - purple, spiky, and seemingly quite durable! It's become her new favorite.

My dad visited for a few days and Ruby impressed him with her latest tricks ("spin" and "gimme ten").  We've had some incredible family dogs over the years and he thinks she is the smartest he's ever met.  She really seems to like having company - more people to throw the ball!  We had some riotous games of tug and went on quite a few walks, although I was sorry to see that her increased confidence around approaching people did not carry over from our hike.  Perhaps I'll have to get another dog? I'm mostly kidding, although I do stalk Petfinder regularly...

As the year winds down I reflect on its lessons, losses and gains.  My little red-and-white honey has certainly been one of its highlights.  She makes me smile and laugh and play daily and astounds me with her intelligence. I am so glad I picked her picture from the many, that I couldn't stop thinking of those giant ears and inquisitive eyes. I miss my two girls that I said goodbye to this year.  I miss Lasya's calm constancy and Freya's exuberant affection. I look at the spots in my house where they took their last breaths, and try to get it right with Ruby in their honor.

I hope you all enjoyed some extra time with your loved ones - canine and otherwise - this season, and Ruby and I will see you in 2014!

WW 12.25.13: Our First Christmas

Ruby was just a little puppy in another state this time last year. I don't know what her life was like between then and now, but she has brought so much joy in a red and white package and we both know she is home. 

Merry and Bright

Happy Thanksgiving

Ruby and I are thankful that we found each other this summer, for all the people who made it possible and all of you who are following along.

May your day be filled with gratitude, deliciousness and love. Lots of love. 

Happy Birthday(ish)!

Ruby was around nine months old when I adopted her in August, and I love the number eleven, so 11/11 seems like the perfect day for Rubilee P. Underfoot to turn one!