2024 Angel Update

 I apologize for the year between posts, but Angel likes her privacy! LOL She really is a "one family" type dog, and as she approaches her 14th (yes,14!) birthday and 13th year with us, we have been reminiscing about her time with us. It has gone so fast, and every year reminds me that we don't have forever with her. 

We are empty nesters now, and have been for quite some time, making Angel an only dog/child, and she has become even more protective of me. This has manifested itself in some new-ish behavior in her in the way of barking when anyone tries to hug me–including Steve and the girls! We really can't figure this one out. She just does not like anyone hugging anyone, and lets us know immediately, but it's especially worse with me. I generally put my hand near her so she knows I'm not going to tolerate the behavior, and also to protect whoever is doing the hugging from her, because I'm not sure what her intentions are! 

She has never bitten anyone, but I'm of the mind that we're not going to trust that theory, so we make sure not to put her in situations that stress her out. She's older, still has stranger stress, and her separation anxiety has gotten a little worse as she's aged. We try to make her life as comfortable as possible, adapting with her and keeping her safe and happy. 

She is still very active! She loves her daily golf cart rides. We built a small cabin on the property, so she loves going out there to help me feed the birds (chase the chipmunks out of the woodpile). Sometimes she gets bored waiting for me and she will start heading back down the trail toward home on her own! This is a no-no and quite bold for her, as she is usually stuck to me like glue. She always comes to my whistle and everyone knows she goes wherever her "mama" goes. She runs straight to the green beans in the garden and waits for me to feed her, as that is a special treat for her. She is so funny in the garden and her most "puppy self" when running around the yard with us. I said just yesterday that one day I will not plant green beans ever again because it will make me sad. 

She is showing signs of aging and slowing down, but for the most part she's pretty healthy for her age. We've kept her on high quality food and supplements for her joints. She still despises being groomed and bathed, so I will say that she looks every bit the wild woods dog that she is. Always messy and matted and running from the brush, clippers, and from the word, "bath". She would whimper to the point of pitiful during a bath, so we don't immerse her in water anymore. She gets a bucket bath when she's especially dirty. But if she's happy and healthy, we leave her alone, and so far, she's been good. 

She will be dressing up for Halloween again this year, but I can't reveal that costume just yet. Hopefully I will get some help with the pictures on my computer and I can post them. We dress up every year, and hers is always the cutest. She does not like wearing clothes very much, so we adapt the costume to slip simply over her back and Velcro over the belly. Is she spoiled a bit? Yes, she is. A bed in every room, blankets that are just for her, and the healthiest treats. She has steps to help her off the couch, but has recently decided they are too scary, so now we assist her off the couch so she won't jump. 

Her birthday is coming soon, and I will be sure to tell her (as I do every night) I love her, and that she is "the best little doggy in the whole wide world, oh yes, you are" and thank her for being my best friend. 

She's Worth It All

 Hi! 

It feels like forever (almost a year) since I've updated on Angel, and I'm not even sure who is still following. I left Facebook 3 years ago during Covid, so I lost touch with two of the puppy moms. I hope Angel's "babies" are still doing well. 

Angel is still enjoying a healthy, happy, and full life at 12 years old! She has no health issues, except for some stiffness we believe is most likely arthritis due to old age, but she still runs and jumps and you'd never guess she's not a puppy. She still has a fun and energetic, playful personality, though she's not much for playing with her toys anymore. She does sleep more than she used to, but all I have to say is "run, run run?" and she jumps up and heads for the door! 

She loves her daily golf cart rides with me, and still tries to catch that elusive chipmunk that she will most likely never get! The other night she stalked a rabbit, and I happened to catch it on snapchat video. She was pretty cute. I'm not sure what she would have done if she actually got close to it. She's afraid of so many things! 

She is still afraid of dryer buzzers (ours is on silent, but TV commercials have them), buzzers during basketball games on TV (we watch them on mute), thunder (a fairly new fear), fireworks (also fairly new as of a couple years), and the weirdest one is bells or a phone ringing. I'm not sure if her ears are sensitive to these things, or what it could be. We have tried all natural remedies and soothing activities with her. Thunderstorms are the absolute worst, and even with the "Thunder Wunder" calming chews and holding her or wrapping her tightly, she's not having any of it! 

She never got over her social anxiety, even with people who frequent our house. She still barks at everyone, and goes ballistic when anyone rings the front door. Delivery people must think she's an absolute nightmare, and that's okay, but it does become a problem when we want to have new people here. She warms up faster than she used to, but she's definitely not easy to have around a lot of people or other pets. 

It's okay. When you have a pet that has been in shelters or had other owners, it is expected that they may have some behavior issues or quirky things about them. We've adjusted our life to make hers better, and she deserves it. She has brought us so much joy and love and companionship. Through all of my illnesses and all of the girls' breakups and everything our family has endured-deaths of family members-Angel has been our little snuggle buddy. We could not imagine not trying to make her life the best it could ever be! 

I hope this update finds you well. It may be harder to adopt a shelter pet, but I hope you consider doing that if you are looking to add a furry member to your family. They really are worth the extra time, effort, and love! 

Too Cute to Spook

Halloween is coming, and it will soon be time to pick out a costume for Angel. No, she's not that fond of wearing them! She has been a pirate, a prisoner, a superhero (Captain America), and a panda bear so far. 

There could be others. I need to go in and find all her pictures so I can share them here for you. I've been so lax about updating her posts. Life, am I right? Ugh. We have a small Halloween party here every year, and Angel dresses up to match us. She always steals the show! We try to make it so her costume is comfortable, not restrictive, and easy to get on and off. It limits what we can choose, but it's most important to me that she's not too bothered by it, because it stresses her out if it takes too long to get it on or off. I don't like her to be stressed at all! 

The girls have long term boyfriends now, and they are in love with Angel! She loves them too. It has been pretty cool to see her form relationships with others outside the family, as it took her a long time to trust people. Her grandpa was just here on Sunday, and she stuck right by him. She also loves my mom and my sister. People still make her nervous, but her tail is wagging all along, letting me know she just wants to love them so bad! 

 Angel gets tucked in every night beside me in her bed, and she gets told that she is "the best little doggy in the whole wide world, oh, yes, you are." A few pats to her belly and head, and she's content. 

Happy Adoption Anniversary!

 Hi Everyone! 

Sorry for no updates for so long! Angel is still doing really well! I wanted to do an update today, because today marks the day we adopted her exactly 10 years ago! So, happy adoption day, Angel!! 

She is getting older, and showing a few signs of slowing down, but don't tell her that, because she still "runs like the wind," and looks like a puppy baby. 

I recently acquired a golf cart, and she is my riding buddy! She absolutely loves riding all over the woods and to go get the mail in the golf cart with me. She will come running from anywhere in the yard when she hears me pulling it out of the garage! She's such a sweet girl, always jumping on my lap for a quick kiss before she settles onto the seat beside me for her ride. 

The picture is from last summer. Angel is also my green bean picking buddy! She knows when I grab a container and head for the garden, that it's her cue to run for the garden gate and beg to be let in. She runs right for the bean plants and waits impatiently for me to start picking. I swear she eats half of what I pick! (Not really, maybe 5 or 6, but it's pretty cute to see her munching on them) 

She loves all kinds of vegetables, like all colors of sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and her latest favorite is the crunchy part of romaine lettuce we call "lettuce bones!" She literally begs for lettuce and broccoli like it's steak. So funny! 

She still begs for belly rubs every morning and frequently throughout the day. She'll just randomly roll over and look over at us. She has the sweetest personality and cutest face when she wants something. 

She can't jump off our bed anymore, but she jumps from a chest to our bed, then barks when she gets "stuck" there, and I have to rescue her. So, she doesn't sleep with us anymore, but she likes to nap with me during the day because she can see a clear spot to jump on the bed.  She has 3 very comfy beds with soft blankets in them, and she hunkers right down in all of them! She knows how to relax and how to have fun. We could all take a few notes from Angel.

I'm not sure if anyone is even still following this blog, but thought I'd update in case someone happened to see it. Angel is well and healthy and still making us all smile every day. We love her so much and have been so blessed to have her for 10 years today!! 

An Angel Update: She's Still Perfect

 What a shame it is that it has been two years since I've updated on Angel girl. She turned ten on October 29th, 2020 and she is doing great. She is just as active and fun as she was as a puppy. I can't say she is over her social anxiety, as she is still tentative with people, particularly strangers, but once she accepts a new person, she loves them with a furry passion. She is my constant and faithful companion as she has been since day one. 

She has taken to howling when she is left alone, even for a short time, which breaks my heart. She seems to have developed some separation anxiety. As we are all home every day, I guess she is used to having us here, and even when one person leaves, she is really only happy when the whole family is united again. She really is a family-loving dog. She still hates baths, being brushed or combed, being trimmed, going to the vet, and hearing buzzers. We do everything in our power to make her comfortable, so no game shows, basketball games on mute, and we tell anyone who babysits her that she is spoiled and it's her house. Ha ha 

She still loves to run free and is still as fast as ever. She's smart and has learned so many words that we've had to start spelling around her! She's entertaining, somehow knowing when I need a laugh, and will flop down on the floor, roll over on her back and just stare at me, waiting for her belly rub. She loves to jump up on a freshly made bed and mess up the blankets and throw off the pillows. She will do the same to the couch! She loves a little ice cream in a tiny bowl and just won't understand if someone is eating ice cream without her. If I say the word "bath", she runs and hides. She is a tender heart, so she does get her feelings hurt easily, and we are very careful to not tease her too much. She still loves stuffed squeaky toys the most, and has a giant basket full of them, which she loves to empty frequently. We often find them in the garage or outside. 

What a gift and a blessing Angel is to our lives and we all enjoy her funny quirks and her fluffy cuddles. She is the most expressive dog I've ever had in my life, seeming to know what I'm saying and feeling. She is loving the snow right now and loves to barrel through it, coming up with a snoutful and it just seems to energize her somehow. When she comes in, we let her lay in front of a space heater to warm up. Yes, she's that dog. 

Thanks for catching up with me. Life doesn't permit a weekly blog post, but with the world being as it is, I realize we need more animals and less chaos! Leave a comment and let me know about your pet or if you're one of Angel's pups' parents! 

She's Back!

So, it sure has been awhile since I've updated Angel's blog! Two years to be almost exact. A lot happens in two years,but not in a dog's life. Her life has been completely the same. Wonderful, love-filled,fun every day, and always someone to cuddle. That's what she would tell you if she could talk to you! She turned 9 years old on October 29th of this year, and by the way she runs (never walks anywhere!), you'd think she was a puppy! She has an amazing amount of energy, speed, and just bursts of excitement, just like in her early "zoomies" days. In fact, a couple of weeks ago,she did a modified "zoomie" on our sectional and had us in a fit of giggles. She knows she makes us happy and that's what the above face is about! She had just finished mashing her face into the pillows as she does all the time, then looked at me with her messy hair. I laughed at her and called her "Messy Marvin" and she did it again. The girls have been off to college a couple of years now, and she misses them terribly! She cries when they come back home, and she cries when they leave. And while they are here, it is a big snugglefest the entire time. Angel wants for nothing. She is healthy, happy, loved and gets multiple belly rubs every day whenever she rolls over! Is she spoiled? Yes. But so am I, because I love her so very much. I hope to update better now that I'm back over on my other blog more regularly. I have zillions of pictures of her, and she's quite popular on my Facebook. More popular than me or the kids. Ha! Thanks for checking in! 

Finally! An Angel Update!

It has been so long since I've posted, but it's because Blogger changed it's format so I can no longer blog from my phone! Since most of my photos of Angel were taken with my phone, I had to wait to get a new computer, download the new pictures of her, and well, the point is, a lot had to happen and now we're back! New computer, new pictures, same wonderful Angel!

She is doing well! She had a bout of mild pancreatitis again near Christmas, so she was sick for nearly 2 weeks. It was the worst 2 weeks for her and for all of us! We took her to the vet at the first sign of trouble and it took awhile to get her back on track, but she recovered nicely, and is now eating specialty food, no "people treats", only natural dog treats sparingly, and we watch her very closely.

At the present time, I am still trying to groom her...This is like wrestling an oiled pig. She still does not like to be brushed, combed, trimmed, bathed, or anything of the sort. If I even touch her dog shampoo, she runs and hides. If she hears the bathtub turn on, she runs and hides. If she hears me open the dog cupboard door to get her scissors out, she runs and hides. And need I remind any of you, she has never had a bad grooming experience with any of us! We have been nothing but gentle and kind with her. She's always been this way since day one. Just a sensitive little baby, I guess.

So she's got a terrible haircut, thanks to me just getting in a few trims here and there, but we live in the woods, and she's not going for any show dog awards any time soon! She loves being outside and running all over, and she comes back when she's called! She's so obedient and just as sweet as can be.

Still not great with visitors at first, but she is doing better, and she climbs up on all laps for sweet kisses and cuddles once she knows them well. She loves her many many toys. Did I mention many?? She loves her squeaky furry toys the best and runs all over the house and even outside with them. She is just the best dog ever.