Siggy's Blurbs » dogs

The Latest About Tilla

siggy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:59:56 +0000

The latest about Tilla, my favorite dog. My wife last night let the dogs back in. She had some scraps from dinner in her left hand, which she had extended. Three dogs came in and Tilla without missing a beat jumped up and grabbed a bite as he came in. My wife laughed. He does not miss anything. Last night he slept on my bed as usual but was along the left side of me not far from my reach. I petted him several times during the night. He was in that position for hours. There is nothing like togetherness.

I Was Surrounded By My Three Black Animals, Again, In Bed

siggy — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 15:06:05 +0000

I was surrounded by my three black animals, again, in bed. “Cool Hand Luke”, my cat was somewhere on my bed, sometimes, arching her back nearby for my touch. Then there were my two dogs: Tilla was in his spot, to the left of me, on the bed usually within reach. Coco, the other female, unassuming, most of time lay at the foot of the bed. Although, yesterday, when I called her she jumped on the bed and lay close to me, so close I had to nudge her away a little bit: I could not get enough of my blanket over me. She then jumped off and lay at her usual spot. At some point the animals move after I have fallen asleep. This morning after Tilla heard me stir he jumped on the bed to greet me and half asleep I petted him and then he jumped off the bed, again. Sometimes there are more creatures in my bedroom but these mentioned are the “regulars”.

It Does Feel Like Winter Today

siggy — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:42:44 +0000

It does feel like winter today. The temperature is floating around the freezing point and there is a healthy wind blowing making it seem even colder. Even my four dogs do not want to stay out too long in the yard. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of this, then it warms up again. When I woke up, there was a layer of snow on the ground but it was gone by the afternoon. Spring is getting closer. In a few days it will be March. All of that does not matter. All I want to do today is to stay in. It is just too cold.

The Differences Between Tilla And Coco, My Two “Pups”

siggy — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

The differences between Tilla and Coco, my two “pups”. I call my dogs that for we raised them from pups. They are both black: only Coco is long haired and female. Tilla is more athletic, barreled chested and lean. He was the only dog who could jump the fence and necessitated building it higher. He is a paradox: aggressive but at the same time timid. He still won’t let my son pet him. He simply goes in the opposite direction from him. Drop treats in front of the four dogs and he might get most of them. He is quick. Coco though can be quite insistent when she want to go out into the yard. She also likes what I call “crunchies”: when she hears us crunching on something she immediately plops herself in front of us and wants her share. When I approach Tilla and act as if I am going to give him a belly rub he rolls on his back immediately. Coco will demurely and slowly raise one leg and turn on her back to indicate she wants one too when I approach her. Coco likes her privacy. She will often go into a room or stay in the yard by herself. Tilla is more my dog although I often find both of them in my bedroom when I retire, Tilla on my bed next to me and Coco on the side. I love both dearly.

“Cool Hand Luke”, My Black Cat

siggy — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:38:51 +0000

“Cool Hand Luke”, my black cat I owned before even I married my wife. Nothing seems to faze her, thus the name. She is the only animal left from that period, nine years ago. She is one of the few cats who will cozy up to me. She is affectionate. She has some idiosyncrasies: she likes to go through doors. Open one, she will dash through and seconds later she might run back in. She also likes to knock down things in her way. Sometimes she will be on the window ledge and knock down everything in front of her. She does not get along too well with all the other cats (we have seven) although she can be aggressive. If you put out new cat food she is usually the first cat to hop on the counter. Oddly enough the other two animals I brought into this marriage were both black. I miss both of them, especially Daisy, the first dog I ever raised from a pup and also trained. When we were in the same room, her eyes never left me. She was my dog.

Twenty-five Days To Spring

siggy — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:31:15 +0000

Twenty-five days to spring. I counted. There is a dull roar of the wind tossing the tree branches to and fro. It is almost a perfect day for putting up a kite. The living front door is open and and the thermostat lowered to sixty-five. The heat is not kicking on. The daffodils are five inches tall already. I like walking around my yard to see what other new growth is appearing. I am wondering whether the new bed of roses will come up. There is no evidence of it yet. Even the dogs want to spend more time outside and are loath to come in when they are out. The temperature is slowing rising. There are less days now when it hits the freezing point overnight. Before I know it spring will arrive.

It Is Absolutely Balmy Today

siggy — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:53:46 +0000

It is absolutely balmy today. Forty-forty degrees. No breeze. Spring is around the corner. My four dogs were all outside in the yard soaking in the the sun. They all know a good thing. They simply did not want to come in. Officially spring is still more than three weeks away. Today is an harbinger of spring. I have to go out, again.

“Tilla”, One Of My Dogs Did It Again

siggy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:36:47 +0000

“Tilla”, one of my dogs did it again. We were about to go to bed. My wife took her spot on the left side. And my eighty pound short-haired black dog jumped on the bed, took my spot on the right and curled up looking so comfortable at the head of the bed. He would not move and I slipped in bed to the right of him almost off the bed and tried to grab what blanket I had left. My left hand wrapped around his sleeping body as I slept on my side. The black mid-sized dog was quite cozy. He even sighed a few times. Thank God it was a king sized bed! At some point he jumped off the bed but I did not notice. I was long asleep.

It Was Cold And Wet, An Utterly Miserable Day

siggy — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:54:29 +0000

It was cold and wet, an utterly miserable day. I quickly “dashed” to the post office and then the local supermarket and returned home. When I left, three dogs squeezed past me into the yard–only because they liked going through doors and could do that. I was only gone fifteen minutes and all three dogs ran in immediately in the house when I opened the front door. Even the dogs did not want to be out long. It was that kind of day. It could have been worse: the temperature could have been a little lower and we would have had snow. Nevertheless, I am glad I had heat and was inside.

Our Fence Was A Real Gift

siggy — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:47:47 +0000

We had built a large five foot wooden picket fence around part of our property. Our fence was a real gift. I passed two dogs teetered outside to a cord and they seemed really content. Our four dogs can run freely within our yard. For a whole year we put out each dog one by one so they can do “their business”. Then we were able to build a wooden picket fence and we no longer had to do that. The fence was a real gift. I am not taking it for granted and appreciate each day. All we have to do is open our front door and release our dogs into the yard. Many people have to walk their dogs regularly. Our fenced yard is a real blessing.

My Four Dogs

siggy — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:39:31 +0000

I have four dogs and I have a special relationship with each one and I know I have written about all of them but bear with me. There is “Pax”, a Rottweiler mix, who I have known for over eight years. He came with my wife. He lumbers down the yard and has his favorite corner where he will bark at anyone who has the temerity to pass by. He is the most vocal of the four. He looks at me with a bemused expression and loves bread. He is a bagel thief. Leave one nearby and if you are not careful he will slip it away and gobble it down before you know it. I like teasing him by pulling his tail. He will bark at me in retaliation but I do it anyway. He does not move too quickly any more and I have stepped on him accidentally too many times. He now instinctively moves out of the way when I walk nearby. He is a scary looking dog but has never bitten anyone.

There is my favorite — “Tilla”. This morning he came into my bedroom and jumped on the bed to greet me. He is the smartest dog I have and also the most athletic one: we had to build our large wooden picket fence higher for he was the only one that could jump over it. He has gotten into the most trouble. We did have one visit from the local dog warden after he got out once and harassed the neighbor ’s dog. He is a midsized black dog with a barrel chest. He usually does not take his eyes off of me. He is the only one I have taken walks with. I will write about the other two later.

“Coco”, My Adult Female “Pup” Was Cute

siggy — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:19:34 +0000

“Coco”, my adult female “pup” was cute. “Coco” is a midsized long-haired black dog (about eighty pounds). She was quietly and comfortably sitting on my wife’s Lazy Boy chair cradling her eight inch bone to her chest. No one was going to take it away. I just smiled looking at her. She was all female sitting there so demurely. When she wants her belly rubbed, she rolls slowly on her back–ever so slowly raises her one front paw to indicate that. She is definitely sweet but can be quite demanding wants when she wants to go out into our fenced yard and we are not so quick to comply. She definitely has the sweet and good natured personality of her Mom, a golden retriever, appropriately named “Sweetie”.

It Should Be Always That Easy

siggy — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:55:20 +0000

It should be always that easy. “Tilla”, one of my four dogs, is my buddy and friend. I did not do much: I fed him regularly and made sure he had water in his dish. I,also, gave him a belly rub whenever he wanted. Now he is my buddy for life. Too bad it is not that easy with humans although getting a belly rub anytime you want is not a bad idea. Humans can be so complicated (and dogs so easy to love). Maybe that is why others trust dogs more than their fellow men. They never disapprove of you or criticize you. They are always loyal. And always glad to see you. And always act as if you were gone forever when you return to your house (no matter how short that period was). You can’t beat that.

Tilla Must Have Cut Through The Leash, Again

siggy — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:38:14 +0000

“Tilla”, one of our four dogs must have cut through the leash again. He does not forget: at least twice when he was he younger he was punished by my wife by being put on a leash for hours tied to the table. We now only had one good leash left. Four leather ones he had chewed through. I temporarily had the leash tied to the post for I was treating all four dogs for being sprayed by a skunk. After I lathered the solution on them I had to rinse it off. They would never stand for that so I had to have them tied down while I was spraying them with the hose. I had left the leash tied to the post and forgot about it. He didn’t. I simply had to laugh. He did it again.

The Latest Crisis Was A Skunk In Our Yard

siggy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:12:34 +0000

The latest crisis was a skunk in our yard. Our four dogs were harassing it and producing a racket. My wife screamed “Get the dogs in!” They all came in immediately. She said one of the dogs was sprayed in the mouth. “Pax” threw up twice in our living room. Meanwhile my wife called the police, then the game commission (was was busy with deer season) and someone else who gets rid of animals for a living. Of course, she had to leave a message on their machine. The next thing she called “Bark Of The Town”, who usually grooms our dogs, for an emergency appointment. He told us what to do but he no longer cleans dogs sprayed by skunks.

I Don’t Want To Go Far Away

siggy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:12:29 +0000

I don’t want to go far away. Last I checked the temperature was seventy. This could be the last time this year it hits seventy. I want to enjoy the weather here. If I can’t enjoy it in my own backyard, how can I possibly enjoy it any where else. So I will stay put, walk around my property and see what I can, enjoy the sun here and every thing else around me. I will watch my four dogs run around our fenced yard. I don’t want to have to go any where but my backyard. I don’t want to go far away.

The Morning Greeting From My “Pups”

siggy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:12:41 +0000

The morning greeting from my “pups” was exuberant. Their names are “Coco” and “Tilla”. We have had them since they were born and, of course, they are full grown now.

Today they jumped all over me when they saw me for the first time this morning at my front entrance. “Tilla” demanded he be petted even jumping over “Coco” in the process. “Coco” wiggled in every direction and “mouthed” me although she did not bite. She does this only when she gets excited.

I know these dogs are only on “loan” to me. I don’t own them. They are both God’s creatures. And the day will come when they will not be on the earth any more–not that they are old or sick. They are not.

They are only the first and second dog I have had from birth. And they do not belong to me. Today I will enjoy them. They are a gift. I will treat them as such. For that matter, my time here is only temporary, too. You usually outlive your pets. But not always.

Having Pets Is A Privilege

siggy — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:22:16 +0000

Having pets is a privilege, especially my four dogs. They do not know anything but to love and accept you. They do not ask you what degrees you possess. Sure each dog is an individual. And they each have their own personality. All you have to do is take care of them, make sure they have food and water and of course love them. They do not know anything to do but to love you back. They don’t care how much money you have. They just love. They do not disguise their feelings like many humans do. If you call their name, they just wag their tail. I am graced by them and maybe in a subsequent blog will talk at more length about each one. They are a privilege.

I Want To Count My Blessings

siggy — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:43:51 +0000

I want to count my blessings. It is so easy to center on what I call my “lack”. I am so blessed–materially and all kinds of ways that have nothings to do with things. I have a wife who loves me. And all kinds of other people who are glad to see me. And I have a history with them. My four dogs and even my cats who really do not pay much attention to me but I appreciate them nevertheless. My life is not perfect but then, again, whose is? Of course, this is a short and incomplete list. I can go on and on but I won’t. I am just glad to be home.

The Beach In Bay Head Was Much Nicer Than I Thought It Would Be

siggy — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:00:36 +0000

The beach In Bay Head, NJ was much nicer than I thought it would be. It stretched for miles and there were not many people on it. I had this idea there would be some kind of barrier at the border of each town on the beach but that was not the case.

We even saw dolphins in the ocean. I was thrilled. They were huge and I never expected to see them. They “made” this trip really memorable. I have not thought about my dogs who I boarded until now and now I miss them. Absence makes the heart fonder.

The Atlantic Ocean is really far from us so I will appreciate it now. The Inn we are staying at is really nice although the beds were really hard. I am off to the Ocean again.