Remember THIS POST, where I noted that my novel was fully edited and I was just going to take a short break before proofing it? Well that break came and went, I started to proofread, and I decided the entire thing needed another full edit.

And that's where I've been for the past month...Cutting, Culling, Pasting, Proofing, Rearranging, Researching, Fiddling, Fixing...and I'm happy to announce that a year and a half after starting my novel, it's finally DONE.

At least, I think it is. I'm about to start proofing it...and us writer's are never satisfied with our work.

In other writing news, I recently found out that a short story that I entered in last year's AKC Fiction Contest won first place, and will be appearing in their next edition of Family Dog Magazine! I was so excited to get the news, because this is great timing for me - it will be another thing to add to the writing resume when I query agents about my novel.

I've also signed up for a pitch session this summer....it's like speed dating with agents. You get three minutes to pitch your novel to as many agents as you can visit with in 2 hours. It is a very exciting opportunity for me, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will drum up some interest...

In other news, Leah and Meadow are still getting along awesome, and Leah has also mellowed with our cats. She hasn't snapped at anyone since the day we got back from Florida. (I do still lock 'em up for safety though, since you just never know.) It's a bitter sweet victory however, because Leah seems to be slowing down all around and I know she's reached her twilight years.

Toby's till Toby. Despite my recent loose leash victories, I took him to a Mother's Day Match to walk around and he got overwhelmed or overexcited or whatever goes on in his doggie brain. We stayed far from the action like at the agility trial, but he was unresponsive and still pulled like a truck...so much so that I had to put him back on his head collar. As the saying goes, one step forward, two steps back. I think Toby will always be my work in progress, and I sometimes think he's a little "special," if you know what I mean. (Nick calls him "Rain Dog," amongst other, less flattering names.)

But no matter the reason that he always seems to backslide, I love him all the same, and I love the challenge of trying to figure out what makes him tick.

As for "the Noise," Leah is still making it several times a week. Under my vets direction, we tried a two week trial of Clariton in case it was allergies (didn't work), and now we are in midst of another trial of Pepcid given to her right before bed...which doesn't appear to be working either. Several people have remarked that maybe she is just clearing her throat, which is something senior dogs (and people) do as they get on in years. Whatever the cause, it's been going on for months now, and since its not affecting Leah's health otherwise our vet does not recommend putting her through any invasive tests.

The only bad part is, although its not affecting Leah adversely, Toby is still terrified when she makes the noise. Our latest tactic has been to ignore him completely, and it seems to be helping. He will start to circle and whine, but after a few minutes, he pauses to see if we are watching him, and when he sees he's getting no response, he leaves and goes to the bedroom to lay down. I feel bad that he is so afraid that he doesn't want to be in the same room with her, but at least he is no longer circling to the point that he is trembling and his heart is racing.

Meadow is loving her newfound freedom, and is having a blast racing and zooming around the yard without the long line. There was one day that I thought she was considering trying to go over the fence - in fact, all three dogs were VERY interested in something on the other side...but I just put her back on leash and that was that. Her recall with Nick is just amazing to see...with me, it's still a work in progress. Admittedly, I haven't been working with her, (or any of them for that matter), as much as I should. I spend time with them daily, but not like I used to, because I've been in front of my computer trying to get that book done before we got busy at work. Now that I'm nearly through, I'll have no more excuses not to get back on track...

In fact, next month, Toby and I are returning to Nose Work classes, and this time, Nick and Meadow are going to join us. I'm really looking forward to seeing Meadow work. She has an amazing nose. I've witnessed her walking along and just suddenly stop short, dig in the dirt, and uncover a grub to eat. I'm guessing it was one of her sources of food when she was out on the run.

Finally, Leah is officially retired from all classes. We've also stopped asking her to "Sit", as she has a hard time getting into position and pops right back up again as if she's uncomfortable. Like I said, she is really starting to show her age and I know sad times are ahead. But, in the meantime, we're enjoying the time we have left together. Now that she isn't so obsessed with the cats, she has been enjoying catch and fetch a lot more - she used to get the ball once or twice and then run off to patrol the yard. I've also been teaching her to spin alongside Meadow - I call it the "Double Dog Spin," and as soon as it is perfected, I'll have Nick tape it to share...along with a new trick I've been working on with Toby.

So stay tuned, there's lots of fun stuff yet to come...

"Maybe if I don't move, she won't see me?"

Of course I'm referring to the graceful Greyhound. Elegant, friendly, laid back, sporting an easy-care coat - and requiring far less exercise than any dog I've ever owned...What's not to love about these ex-racers? Over the years I've gotten to know several; Jet, Hemi, Mars, Trea, and Downy - and I'm constantly surprised by how gentle these dogs are. After spending a couple of years (or more if they are winning) sprinting around a track at 45 miles per hour, retired Greyhounds often change careers and become excellent therapy dogs due to their sweet, sensitive natures.  

So why am I rambling on about Greyhounds today?

Unfortunately, the reason these delightful dogs are on my mind this week is because of a sad news article my friend Daria forwarded to me about a neglected greyhound named Charlie. According to the Newsday article written by Gary Dymski, the dog escaped his owners last April during a thunderstorm and was picked up by a good Samaritan - which was lucky for Charlie, because he was so malnourished he could hardly stand. It took nearly a year for the SPCA to build their case against Charlie's adoptive family, and if they are convicted, they will be some of the first people to be placed on Suffolk County's Animal Abuser Registry - the first registry of its type in the Nation. If you are a Newsday Subscriber, you can read the entire article HERE - and if you do, please take a moment to comment in support of the upcoming case and the registry.

Animal abusers MUST be held accountable for their actions.

Charlie originally came from a local rescue group called Grateful Greyhounds - which serves Long Island, New York City, and parts of New Jersey. Obviously, most dogs that find homes through this organization don't end up like poor Charlie...most of them find themselves living lives of luxury, befitting of any retired athlete.

Which brings to mind Daria's dogs. Daria is a former Beagle owner who turned Grey in 2004 and has never looked back. Currently, she has three - all adopted from Grateful Greys - and all doing things that most people would not expect Greyhounds to do.

Her 12 year old senior, Mars, earned his Canine Good Citizen (CGC), is a seasoned therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International (TDI), and has recently retired from AKC Rally Obedience. Daria's biggest challenge was teaching the sweet old guy to sit, but they eventually nailed it, and Mars earned his Rally Novice title at the ripe old age of 11. It's amazing what one can accomplish with a whole lot of determination and a tidbit of food.

At 11 1/2 years old, Downy is not far behind Mars in age, and he is actually the first Greyhound Daria adopted. Downy also passed his TDI test and he is currently learning K9 Nose Work! Slow and steady, he searches the boxes, until he finds his favorite thing...FOOD. Downy is a "foodie" to rival any Labrador, and has even managed to open a cabinet or two in his day.

Finally, Daria's newest rescue, 5 1/2 year old Trea. When this dog came off the track back in 2008 she started out with fear issues similar to Meadow's...But not anymore. With lots of work and patience on Daria's part, Trea is now an agility dog, competing in CPE Level 2 Standards and Jumpers, and AKC agility trials. She recently passed her TDI test too!

You should see that girl GO!

Surprised that Greyhound's are capable of doing all that? What about Tracking, Dock Diving, or even OBEDIENCE? Head on over the Never Say Never Greyhounds and see for yourself. And on top of all that they are capable of, Daria says, "Greyhounds make wonderful pets and work well in small spaces - they don't really require a lot of exercise. I live in a two bedroom condo with my pups and they do fine just getting leash walked."

So if you're interested in adopting a retired racer, you can find out more information about them HERE - and if you live in the area, you should check out Grateful Grey's Annual Fall Ball AdoptAThon, being held at Belmont Lake State Park in North Babylon, NY on Sept 22nd, where you can search for your very own fleet footed friend. (It's best to go pre-approved for adoption, so check out their website for more details about the adoption process.)

If you can't adopt, you could always foster. Grateful Greys (and many other rescue groups like it) does not have a physical facility to house dogs, so foster homes are ALWAYS needed. Every dog fostered means another dog saved.

Not interested in adopting or fostering? Then how about drinking some wine?

Got your attention now, didn't I?

The wine is called "Grateful Grapes" and there is a picture of a Greyhound on every bottle. (I know, cute right?) It is produced by LaFortuna Vineyards in the Lontue Vally of Chile and they have six varieties to choose from: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Can you say - YUM?

Best of all, for each bottle you buy, a portion of the profit is donated to Grateful Greys!

Since I have just learned about it, I have not yet tried this wine myself - but I am told it is good - and you can be sure I will be trying that Malbec sometime in the future. Not a wine drinker yourself? You can't beat this as a great gift for a dog loving friend who likes to indulge. So head on over and check it out for yourself HERE.

Go on - what are you waiting for?

Last weekend my mom and I took the boys to a local agility trial to work with them in the parking lot on their "other dog issues."

Luke was frightened by the neighbor's dogs - and later attacked by another dog - during his puppy hood (he's just two now) and now he is in fight mode the moment he sees other dogs...lunging, barking, and all around flipping out. He's also very standoffish around my two girls, and wouldn't even come in the same room with them when we visited my parents in Florida. My mom has worked really hard to try to get Luke past his reactivity, but it seems every time she gets close, something goes wrong to set her back (like a strange dog running up to him on the street).

Yet she keeps trying, and that's all that matters.

And you all know Toby's story - he's been bitten many times and is just an all around dog target, like he has a "Bite Me" sign on his back, and when he is around unfamiliar dogs he pulls on lead, sniffs the ground, wrinkles his head worriedly, and sometimes runs towards the other dogs, which for the life of me I can't figure out...

But luckily, Luke doesn't pick on Toby - and Toby doesn't scare Luke - so they are a good pair to work with together. So off to the agility trial we went, and we just walked around in the parking lot, treating them when they looked at other dogs and remained calm, (in Luke's case), or didn't pull, (in Toby's case). We gradually got closer, but only close enough that they could see the strange dogs going in and out of the entrance to the show - and not close enough to interact with any.

We stayed about an hour, they did well - and we quit while we were ahead. All and all it was a good day. And, if you notice something...Toby's not wearing his head collar. Once he started walking really well on it, I started weaning him off, and I am now working him with a martingale. Leah's martingale, to be exact. Toby even had a successful vet visit while wearing the martingale the other day (for what turned out to be benign lump number 12), and it was a real accomplishment for him to remain calm in the waiting room and not try to drag me over to any other dogs or jump up to greet the vet tech. I'm quite proud of my yellow boy, and how far he has come!

Here is a photo of the boys after their successful parking lot visit, right before we loaded them up to go home.

The only sad part is that I can see the gray in Toby's face quite clearly in this photo. I know Labs only get better with age, but I don't want him to get old, you know?

 ...especially when he takes two days out of his life to build custom platforms just for our dogs.

You see, before the platforms, Meadow's crate sat on an angle due to the hump that the rear seats created when folded down. So she was constantly sliding, which we believe was contributing to her motion sickness. Plus, when the seats were down, it left dangerous gaps where paws could slip in, and possibly end up in an emergency vet visit.

But Nick solved all of these problems with $20.00 worth of supplies from Home Depot, along with scraps of wood and gym matting that he had lying around the basement...and it made our trip to Florida a heck of a lot more comfortable for the dogs.

Here are the two wood platforms he built...

Which fit into the Jeep like so...

He made sure he cut the angles to fit to fit tightly...

Next he cut up some extra floor mats he had from his Dojo...

The two top pieces were made to sit over the wood platform, and the bottom piece protects the carpet that is not covered by the platforms and keeps the rear platforms firmly in place...

This is a view of the platform from the side door. Nifty place to stash paper towels for doggies accidents on the go...

The mats also fit snug, to protect doggie paws from slipping through the gaps...

The reason he made the platform in two pieces was so that he could take one back out when needed...

...so we could still use the rear seat...

He even cut an extra piece of matting to cover the gap that using the rear seat created...

And finally, the end result...

When we drove to Florida, we put our luggage on top of the Jeep in a cargo carrier and kept Meadow in the crate, which left Leah tons of room in the space behind it. She wasn't all that thrilled about being that far away from me, but we gave her a blanket to lie on, and she eventually got used to it. Plus, Meadow did not get car sick, and both dogs were comfortable and slept for the majority of the trip.

I'd say his handiwork was a huge success!

...when a publishing acquaintance of mine, June Cotner, asked me if I'd like to review a copy of her book, Dog Blessings, I hesitated.

Why?

Well, although I've written my fair share of teen angst poetry and a few fun prose pieces, I don't normally read other people's poetry. It's not that there's anything wrong with poetry, and I'm sure most poetry takes a lot more thought and work than anything I've ever written - but it's just not my thing. When I look to curl up with a book, I choose fast paced suspense novels like those written by Dean Koontz and John Grisham. I've also read my fill of humorous and heart wrenching dog memoirs, and piles of behavioral books (courtesy of Toby).

But poetry????

I usually pass it by...

Yet this particular book was about dogs, and so I agreed to take a look.

June was kind enough to send me a free copy of her book for my review, and it arrived right before my vacation. In the midst of packing chaos I set the book aside - and there it sat. When I returned from my trip, I was smack in the middle of reading Bonding With Your Dog by Victoria Schade, (thanks again to a certain yellow lab), and so the days passed and Dog Blessings lay dormant on my shelf.

Not quite forgotten, but not getting the attention it deserved.

And a few weeks later when I opened my inbox and saw the name "June Cotner" on the "From" line of one of my emails, I smacked myself on the head for procrastinating for so long. Thankfully, her email was only to comment on one of my posts, not to berate me for not reviewing her book yet, but it did the trick all the same. I headed to the bookshelf and carried it back to the sofa - and when I turned it over in my hands, the first thing I noticed was the pair of cuddling Vizslas on the cover.

My interest piqued, into the pages I dove...

The book is split into eight sections; A Dog's World, Puppies, Our Bond, Devotion, Aging Gracefully, Partings, Reflections, and Prayers, Blessings, and Inspiration - and each of the sections contains prose that compliments the heading.

I mentioned I don't normally read poetry, right? Somehow I passed high school English while remaining blissfully ignorant about such technical things as stanzas, verse, meter, and pacing....so I'm not going to attempt to review the quality of the poems or the skills of the poets, as I have nothing with which to compare.

But I can say that many of the writers painted dead-on depictions of our four legged friends.

One of my favorites, "The Science of Faith" by Patti Tana, describes a dog's yearning for something that has gone missing from her life with such clarity I could imagine the dog standing before me, tail lowered in disappointment. Lisa Timpf's "To Let You Go Gently" struck a cord, as it reminded me so much of Leah as she herself starts to show signs of age. And "Rescue Dog" by Sonya R. Liehr brings up the age old question of "Who rescued who?"

According to June Cotner, she compiled this book because she "wanted to honor and celebrate the profound ways in which our dog companions bless our lives." And I think she did a great job of reaching her goal. I'm glad to have had the chance to read it, and to expand my reading horizons to include works that I would not have discovered on my own. This would be a good book to give as a gift to a dog lover, or to peruse through over your morning cup of coffee. In June's notes, she also recommends using the prayers and reflections in the last chapter in any "Blessings of the Animals" services, and you can also use the prayers from the "Partings" chapter for memorial services for your dog.

WHO? - Barbara, one of the volunteers from Kent Animal Shelter, is organizing peaceful protests at three local pet stores known to purchase puppies from puppy mills.

WHAT (is a Peaceful Protest)? - According to Barbara, “Peaceful is because many pet shop owners will try and get protesters to start yelling, shoving, etc., so they can call the police and have the protest ended. I have had the sprinklers turned on me, I have been spit at, screamed at, threatened. We always remain cool and composed. We remain quiet and walk with our signs."

WHERE? -The pet stores are as follows:
Yipity Yap: 1802 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743
Puppy Experience: 487 Main Road (Route 25 East), Aquebogue, NY 11931
Peebles Pet Shop (previously Puppy Depot): 3669 Route 112, Coram, NY 11727   

WHEN? - Saturday June 23, from 1:00 PM -3:00 PM.

WHY? - “This is to get the word out to adopt, don't shop.”
According to Kent’s facebook page: “In CA, several pet stores, because of protests, have stopped selling puppy mill puppies and are now taking in shelter dogs and cats to find homes. We want this for NY. If you’re not familiar with what a puppy mill is and the pet store connection, here is a link that explains what the mother and father dogs endure: www.PrisonersOfGreed.org”

HOW? - Please let either Barbara or Kathy know ASAP if you will be able to attend - they need to get permits in advance for the event. They will also send attendees an email letting them know where to park. You can bring as many friends as you like, and you should each bring your own sign. I asked Barbara what the signs should say, and she offered the following suggestions:

“Where are the puppies parents?”
or
“Puppy mills breed cruelty”
or
“Google Puppy Mills”

PLEASE JOIN US: Respond to Barbara via email: bdjd999@aol.com or by phone: 631 338-7303 or to Kathy via email: rattok@aol.comor by phone 631 859-8509

It was an ALL DAY affair...and then some.

The poor fence guys were here from 8:00 AM straight through until almost 9:00 PM, and then had to come back again the next morning for a couple of hours - and - the poor dogs lost an entire day of play. I gave them each a lengthy leash walk, but that's not enough for my pack, and by the end of ordeal they were ready to knock me over, shove me out of the way, and check out the new yard on their own.

Unfortunately, they had to wait. Just as the fence crew finished up, my parents stopped by to check out the new corral - and since their dogs were with them - Luke and Kayla got the honor of running the yard first!

...but you should have seen my three run when it was their turn!

Well, actually, you can...at least Meadow. Here are a few shots I caught of her butt-tucking around her new enclosure...

Notice something missing? Yup...no more long line!

In all honesty, Nick and I have been testing her without it over the past few weeks before the new fence, (I know, I know...tsk. tsk.), but it wasn't without caution - or worry. Even though Meadow's recall is now awesome, there's always that fear that something will spook her. And while she now bolts for the house where she feels safe...the back fence stood in her way because our rear exit is on the side of our house. 

Although Meadow has never tried to hop the rear fence, we were afraid because the potential was there...and who knows what she might have done if she got to the door before us and no one was there to let her inside? Luckily, our front is also fenced with four foot chain-link, but still, it was a concern....

But now that the fence line has been moved to the other side of the door, we can breathe easier and let her run free without any worry of her taking off (except during the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, which we'll quite literally have to play by ear).

An added bonus to having our long-put-off fence erected is that Leah can no longer see the feral cats that reside next door - which I'm hoping will help tone down her recent cat intolerance that has somehow grown to include our own cats.

This is our neighbor's woods on the other side of that brand new six foot stockade - and if you remember my yard from my post about the old fence, this used to ALL be chain-link...which gave Leah a clear view of the four legged perps.

Unfortunately, the only bad part about blocking her view is that she appears bummed that she can no longer partake in her self-appointed job of keeping our yard free of wild felines.

"No cats over there."

"No cats over here."

"None in this direction either."

"Nothing there but some boring dog toys and that stupid fence."

"Sigh...this used to be much more fun."

"Guess I'll just go to sleep."

Poor Leah, she finally stood up and shot me this reproachful look....

"This is all YOUR fault."

And then she went and lay down on the patio...doing her best to look very hard done to.

"My life no longer has purpose."

I do feel bad for her, but I'm sure in time she'll come around...

And what about Toby...?

I don't think he even noticed that the fence was gone. After stretching his legs, he went right to his regular dug-out, had a good roll, and then got comfortable.

Soon, Meadow came over to join him....

"What's with the hole dude?"

"Hmmm....looks kind of boring."

"I don't get it, but I guess I'll just hang here with my friend."

And speaking of friendships, now that Leah and Meadow have mended theirs, we've been allowing all three dogs in the yard together during play time again without issue...which is a real relief. It was hard leaving one inside, and listening to that one whine while the others played. And of course there was all that dog shuffling back and forth.

But now that we no longer have to hurry back inside to tend to whichever dog was left behind, and now that our hands are unencumbered by leashes and latches thanks to the new fence - we can carry our drinks outside with us on the first trip and just sit on the patio together and enjoy our yard with ALL of our four legged friends.

Bet you never thought something as simple as a fence could do all that?

...please allow someone else to entertain you. That person is Suzanne Clothier, one of my favorite dog trainers, and a person who played an important role in Toby's retirement from therapy work.

This particular post is one that she wrote back on October 23rd of last year. I was moved by it then, and felt the message was important enough to share with all of you, but life got in the way and it somehow slipped my mind...

But I remembered while I was recently working on a review of her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky, for our Vizsla Club's upcoming newsletter - and I promised myself that I'd get around to posting that link.

So, without further delay, please head on over to Suzanne's blog and read "I had to..." - and I'll post some photos of that new fence just as soon as they finish it up.