Dog = comfort

Nothing much to say today except that my dogs are the most comforting presence in my life.  Dogs ask for nothing and give everything they have.  We could learn a lot about how to live our lives from them.  Thanks to my dogs for helping me keep my sanity!  I love you Tucker, Khandi, Zoey and Gizmo!

Relaxing Like A Dog Should

We still see subtle changes in Khandi's personality on a daily basis.  A few months ago, if we were all sitting in our living room watching TV, the three labs would be with us and the lone Afghani would be in the family room lying by herself.  She didn't seem to have the need to be near us that the labs did.  Over the past weeks we have noticed that Khandi has a new favorite spot.  One day we covered the ottoman with a blanket, and she has made this perch in the living room her own.  She now wants to be with us almost all of the time.  I think of it as her throne, where she can oversee the comings and goings of the room and her family.  On a recent Sunday afternoon, this is how she enjoyed NFL football with us.  She tucks her nose into her tail and curls up in a little ball.  I love having her close by and part of our family.  I usually can't resist sneaking over and kissing her on that little pink part of her nose.   P.S. She's a Broncos fan.  

Playing with Toby

Khandi loves playing with her new friend Toby.  Let's see, if Khandi is my "daughter" that would make Toby her "nephew" or something like that.   Toby is my human daughter Rachel's puppy.  He is a Visla/Chocolate Lab mix..adopted from the animal shelter.  Khandi is a marvelous "auntie" to Mr. Toby.  We were a little nervous at the initial meeting of the two as Khandi is very territorial and not at all welcoming to other dogs, but it took only a few growls and butt sniffs to determine that she liked Toby.  An added bonus was that Toby is currently smaller than she is, so she knew she was no longer the smallest dog in our pack.  He'll probably pass her by in size soon, but for now she has a playmate of her own size.   

On a hot summer day it is so heartwarming to see Khandi and Toby playing together in the grass.   She tends to boss him around and he, being the innocent little pup he is, doesn't know any different, and he loves the attention.  She even shares her beloved yellow teething ring with him, although in this picture it looks like she is ready to grab it away at any moment.  She is learning that all dogs are not threats to her, she is not competing with them for food or survival, and they are actually darn fun to play with!   She is not the same dog that arrived last December.  She now frolics and acts silly and knows the love of a family.   We love you Auntie Khandi and Toby does too!  

Saving One Dog....

will not save the the world, but surely, for that one dog the world will change forever.

When I look in Khandi's giant brown eyes I see kindness and gratitude.  I wonder what her eyes saw during her time in Afghanistan.  There is still a bit of a wild streak in those eyes, something that I will never understand and maybe would be better off not knowing.  The thought of her being mistreated in any way brings tears to my eyes.  I know when I look at her now she is not the same dog that arrived last December.

She was saved by her soldiers and delivered to me. Somehow the cosmic forces aligned and our stars crossed.   Now I understand how people get addicted to dog rescue.  It is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, knowing what she came from and now seeing what she has become.  She continues to amaze me every day with those soulful brown eyes.  I am forever grateful to those who saved her, so that I could experience the transformation of this beautiful girl.  

Rare breed

With some of her mannerisms and personality traits, we often think of Khandi as a "rare breed".  The County Licensing Agency made it official with their categorization of her on her dog license.   Once I explained to them that the most reasonable picks on their drop-down menu were "Anatolian Shepherd" and "Greyhound" somehow mixed together, and that this was the closest thing to Afghan Kuchi I could find....they have officially called her a "rare breed".  We love our little rare breed doggy.   I think she is a "one of a kind" in Larimer County, Colorado.

Camera Shy

The Puppy Rescue Mission has issued an invitation to dog owners - "Photograph your dog in 4th of July attire to add to our photo album".  As I look at the pictures that people have sent in, I am amazed.  The dogs are wearing sunglasses, hats, scarves - you name it, they are wearing it.  So as I run errands I get the fantastic idea to run into the Dollar Store for 4th of July swag for Khandi to wear.  I don't want to spend a lot because I know she tends to be camera shy, so I pick up a total of $4.32 ($4.00 of stuff plus 32 cents of sales tax) of 4th of July bling for her to pose with.  Not a huge investment on my part.  Then the fun begins.  After ten failed picture attempts, only a couple pictures even come close to being able to be submitted.  How do these other dog moms get their dogs to cooperate so easily?  It is all I can do to get her in a picture without looking like I am abusing her.  Here are some attempts.

 By the time we were done struggling with the sunglasses, one of the lenses had already popped out and I had lost my patience. I then move on to the "pet my belly" strategy, which results in a picture of a dog looking pensive with her ear somehow missing from the picture.
I try draping red, white and blue Mardi Gras type beads around her neck, which only causes panic from her and absolutely no pictures being shot.
In the end, I have to settle for the bandana and a sleeping dog.   I guess I won't be sending a picture in to Puppy Rescue Mission for their album.    

Underwear no more

As I work in my office I hear various noises coming from the hallway.  Usually this signals that I need to get up, check on Khandi, and see what she is eating. My other three dogs are usually lying in the office with me, so I know they aren't typically guilty.  Since Khandi has a constant need to go outside and patrol, I leave our patio door open a crack for her.  I never know exactly  where she is or what she is getting into until I hear that telltale chewing sound.  Kind of like "out of sight, out of mind".  I'm always hoping for the best. Today it was more of a ripping sound.  I got up to investigate and found that she had been in the pile of laundry I had irresponsibly left on the floor near the washer.  Irresponsible on my part because I know better to leave anything on the floor with her around, yet I didn't preemptively pick the pile up.  So what do I find her with?  A pair of my underwear, actually one of my favorite pair.  They were pink camoflauge.  "Were" signifying that they are "no more".  She took great pride in ripping them to shreds before I could confiscate her treasure from her.  She looks at me with those giant brown eyes and wagging tail and all I do are take them from her and throw them in the kitchen garbage can.  A stern "no" to her, and she rolls on her back in submission.  "I'm sorry, mom" she tells me, and I can't get mad. Just one more thing to add to her list of chewed up items.  So far, her list consists of:  four Directv remote controls (some still in operating condition), one nightgown, one patio chair cushion, one box of bandaids, one pair of Ipod earbuds, one bathroom rug, one afghan (ironic)...., one pack of gum, multiple newspapers...the list goes on and on.   Not really any worse than any other puppy.