Mom's Post: August 19, 2014

Greetings to Ollie's friends,

I know this story has made the rounds, but I hadn't read it for a long time ... I thought perhaps fellow dog lovers would enjoy reading it again or for the first time:

A Touching Dog Story

Being a vet, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.  The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.  I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.  As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.  They felt Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him.  Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.  Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.  The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.  Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."  Startled, we all turned to him.  What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"  The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Out of the mouth of babes ... I'm so grateful to have had Annie, Clarabelle, Rocky-boy, and Chloe in my life for as long as I did.  Annie lived to be 17-years-old while Clarabelle, Rocky-boy, and Chloe each sadly only lived to age 13.   Now I'm blessed to have a dog named Ollie a/k/a Oliver in my life.  Life is very good. indeed!

Ollie's Post: 8/14/2014

Woof!

It's been a sunny and lazy day in the neighborhood.  I've seen my pal Half Tail twice and we communicated through the screen door today which was a new experience.  I could feel Half Tails nose against mine -- Half Tail stands up and I lie down so we can be nose to nose and stare into each others eyes -- and it felt soft and a bit wet and very small.  Half Tail is my best friend unless I'm running free outside and hear the nieghbor's dogs barking.  All bets are off then and I race for the now muddy path my Dad and I made through the woods so I can visit them without having to have my harness on and walked to their home.  It's a muddy and mucky path at the moment, but what is a little mud between friends when it means I get to race around with Wyatt?

Dad had errands to do this morning so he took me along.  Mom discovered the back seat cup holders in the middle of the seat on the backside of the storage console in front are just the right height for me to drink out of a cup of fresh cool water so I can have a drink any time I want now.  I wish they would fill the cup with milk or orange juice which are favorites with me, but Mom says a little is okay, but too much would not be good for me so, alas, it is always water in the car.  I guess I should be grateful for water and thank Mom instead of complaining.

Dad and I stopped at Planet Dog to get more dog food -- my favorite kind, not the type they used to buy me that contained tiny pellets of vitamins that ressembled freeze dried blueberries.  I used to pick every one of those vitamins out and toss them into the air eating only the dog food.  After stepping on the sharp little pellets with bare feet and weeks of having to sweep up the pellets I tossed randomly, they stopped buying that brand of food and went to another kind that is also suppose to be good for me.  I like this food much better.  I barked when we passed by the display of pig ears and Dad was a good boy because he stopped to buy another supply.

My Mom's friend, Patty, wants to know what they taste like and why I like them so much that I almost turn myself inside out when I see one coming out of the treat jar.  First, Patty, they look exactly like a pig's ear except they are dried -- like when they dry banana slices and they come out like hard little chips.  They smell kind of like bacon except maybe not as nice for humans, and they taste like I would think freeze dried bacon might taste like except saltier and very crunchy.  When I'm very good I get one and take it into my crate so I can eat it with pleasure and gusto ... enjoying every cracking crunch that echoes throughout the room.  I'm in dog heaven and that is what eating a pig's ear is all about.

Time to take a nap.

Love with a pooch smooch, Ollie

Ollie's Post: 8/19/2014

 Woof!

I did not write this, but I think every human should read it because you all seem way too stressed out to me.

If a dog was a teacher you would learn stuff like this:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warms days, stop to line on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.  Stop when you've had enough.

Be loyal.  Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

I love you all, Ollie

Ollie's Post August 6, 2014

Hello, my fellow dogs and dog lovers,

It's another lovely sunny day in the neighborhood.  My dad has taken me outside twice already to run free through the yard and roll with glee in the grass.  I love the freedom to frolic and romp without any restrictions that come with my harness and leash ... I am one with the wind and grass.

Yesterday, when I heard my pals Pumpkin (an aging golden retriever) and Wyatt (a springer spaniel about my age) outside playing, I  yipped with joy and started to make a mad dash to the path my dad and I have made to their yard through the woods.  It was muddy due to the recent rain so dad scooped me up just before I reached the path and carried me over to sniff and race around with my pal Wyatt.  We had a blast while dad stood there with his arms crossed and a big grin on his face.  Pumpkin doesn't join in on our races ... he would rather get belly rubs from my dad and one of the dog bones he carries in his pockets just for such occasions.  After Wyatt and I were tired of running at top dog speed my dad scooped me up and took me home where I could get a drink and  take a nap in a patch of sunlight.  I have a great dad.

Today I got to see my new friend who comes to help my mom out with household chores for a few hours a week that she can no longer do.  She comes from Uganda and lost her entire family -- father, mother, 2 brothers and 3 sisters -- to genocide.  She watched them being beheaded while she stayed in the hiding place her father told her to go to and had to put her fist in her mouth to stop from screaming in horror and pain.  I don't understand what all of that means, but I saw tears in her eyes and in my mom's eyes as she told her story.  Now she lives in this country and is married to a man who also lost his large family with the exception of two sisters to genocide.  They have two boys -- Alfa is 4 years old

Mom's Report: July 22, 2014

Something odd is happening in the neighborhood ... Ollie has been too good. Yesterday I was working on a project that involved tempting papers, stickers, and other paper goods scattered on the couch and coffee table. I forgot and left the r...oom for several minutes and then remembered "OLLIE"! I ran (okay, so I did a slow shuffle similar to what Tim Conway used to do on the Carol Burnett Show) back to the family room and he was still sitting in Scott's recliner with his arm casually draped over the side surveying my mess. He hadn't moved. Later I fell asleep while needle pointing a Christmas stocking with strands of yarn and floss all around me. He still was sitting on the recliner looking like a person hankering for a good cigar and a shot of whiskey, but not moving a muscle. This is NOT normal ... he must be plotting something BIG. The house is on high alert and we are left waiting ... Oh, this dog is clever to build the suspense slowly.

 

 

Mom's Report: June 29, 2014

It was a nice day in the neighborhood. Ollie and Scott went outside in the early morning while the dew was still upon the grass. He ran off leash like the wind and rolled joyfully in the grass. This goofy little dog barked loud and ferociously at every jogger, walker, cyclist, and golfer while his tail was wagging so fast that we thought he'd take off like a miniature helicopter. Watching such... unbridled joy in an animal made us smile. It was a good way to start the day ... then Half Tail scurried onto the deck and assumed his/her position standing on its hind legs with nose pressed against the glass as Ollie stood silently on the other side with his nose pressed against the other side of the glass. They never move a muscle until Half Tail's legs grew tired ... I observed their silent communication twice today, and, as always, it touched my heart to watch their friendship flourish. Later in the day, as I worked on a needle point Christmas stocking for a new baby in the family who will make his appearance in late September, Ollie and I watched a program about a family of otters. I was on the couch and he was sitting up and watching the television intently from Scott's recliner. When the show was over and I changed to the soccer championships, Ollie found a puddle of sunlight on the floor and plopped down for a nap. Every day there are new flowers coming out and old ones gone by in my gardens... the cycle of life. I love to watch the bees, dragon flies, and humming birds make their rounds through the gardens. Now the sun has set and I can listen to evening noises that come drifting in the windows from the woods behind our home. Once in a while I catch the twinkle of a lightening bug and think back to summer evenings spent at my grandparents' farm with cousins racing through the fields trying to catch lightening bugs in old mason jars. It was nice to have a quiet day to appreciate the smaller things in life.  The end.

 

 

 

 

 

Mom's Report: December 23, 2013

Tis almost the night before Christmas and what do my old failing eyes see?
Oh, my dear Lord, it's Ollie with teeth clamped on a glass Christmas tree.
He's holding on for dear life as he backs into his crate.
Growling and glaring at an alarming rate.
With heart pounding out of my chest
I approach his crate and hoped for the best.
He's grinning at me with a devilish smile
So I wait before I approach for just a while.
My ears hear a crunch and then some cracks
As he stops me right there in my tracks
I run to the refrigerator in a fast waddle
Trying my best not to dawdle.
I grab some liverwurst his favorite treat
Lure him with it as I grab and make my retreat.
I look at the once lovely crystal tree
Shaking my head as the tears fall free.
Ollie sits there so innocently smiling at me
As he pulls the crate's door shut with a look of glee.
Oh, Ollie, you are in such trouble with Santa and me!